Eagles - Seahawks Preview

Winners of consecutive games for the first time this season, the Eagles (4-3) are aiming for their third straight win when they meet Seattle (2-5) on Sunday afternoon. Philadelphia makes its second West Coast trip in three games, having defeated the 49ers in Week 6 of the season. The Seahawks won at the Linc the last ime they met on Dec. 2, 2007, 28-24. The Eagles lead the series, 6-5.

The Eagles offense is ranked 8th with 361.1 yards per game to the Seahawks 258.7 yards per game (31st). Offensively, the Eagles need to solve their problems in the red zone, particularly in the goal-to-go situations. The team converted just two of four red zone possessions against Atlanta . Running back Brian Westbrook gained a career-best 167 yards on the ground last week and he totaled 209 yards from the line of scrimmage. With last week's 22-carry, rushing effort, Brian Westbrook's rushing average jumped from 3.5 yards per carry to 4.8. Despite 28 touches, his still-healing fractured ribs came out of the game no worse for wear. Westbrook has eight of the Eagles' 21 touchdowns despite playing just 17 of 28 quarters. Quarterback Donovan McNabb shrugged off a slow start to throw for 253 yards in the victory over Atlanta. Donovan McNabb is fifth in the league in passing yards and sixth in completions, but is averaging just one TD pass every 30.6 attempts. That's the poorest TDs-to-attempts ratio of his career. He's thrown just two TDs in the last 15 quarters. Eagles Wideouts have caught 90 passes, but just three have been for touchdowns. That's the fewest by an Eagles' WR group after seven games since 2003, when they had none. However, he hasn't thrown many interceptions (3 in 245 attempts). Kevin Curtis played 59 of 68 snaps last week in his first game back from sports-hernia surgery, and rookie DeSean Jackson was on the field for 50. The Eagles offensive line has allowed only 12 sacks, though Donovan McNabb has helped with his mobility. Eagles have come up small in short-yardage and goal-line situations. They're 29th in the league in 3rd-and-1 conversions. Much of the blame for that falls on center Jamaal Jackson, who makes the blocking calls.

Seatle's quarterback Seneca Wallace tossed two touchdown passes in a virtually error-free performance to beat the 49ers and will need more of the same against the Eagles' aggressive defensive scheme. Wallace will make just his seventh career start in place of injured Matt Hasselbeck. He threw for 222 yards in last week's win over the 49ers, but 105 of those yards came on dump-offs to Leonard Weaver that the FB turned into TDs. All four of their top four projected wideouts have been hurt. Two (Nate Burleson and Ben Obomanu) are out for the season. A third, Deion Branch, has played in just one game and is out Sunday. The fourth (Bobby Engram) who returned in Week 5, is averaging just 9.1 yards per catch. Wallace needs an effective ground game help his play-action passes. The Seahawks had hoped Julius Jones would be a carry-the-load guy, but he's better suited for the complementary role he had in Dallas. In the last four games, he's averaged just 3.7 yards per carry and has been sharing the ball-carrying responsibilities with Maurice Morris. The Seahawks' offensive line is a veteran group that has a combined 399 NFL starts. Tackle Walter Jones and guard Mike Wahle are as good a left-side tandem as there is in the league. Despite all of the injuries at wide receiver and quarterback, this unit has given up just 13 sacks.

Defensively the Eagles are ranked 7th alowing only 287.1 yards per game to the 31st ranked Seahawks 367. In this game, the Eagles defense faces a struggling Seahawks offense that awakened last Sunday in a win over San Francisco. Jim Johnson's faith in Darren Howard is paying off. Howard, who rotates at both end spots in the Eagles' base package and plays inside in nickel, has 4 sacks and five hurries. With Victor Abiamiri healthy again, Johnson is able to rest his starting DTs (Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley) in passing situations. The Eagles have held five of their first seven opponents to 3.2 yards per carry or less, and their talented, young linebacker corps has been a big reason. In the secondary the Eagles have had just one QB complete better than 57 percent of his passes against them (Tony Romo). Since Romo's 312-yard, three-TD performance in Week 2, they've held opponents to 6.23 yards per attempt and have allowed just six TD passes in the last five games.

The Seahawk's LE Patrick Kerney is one of the league's better pass-rushers. He had an NFC-high 14 1/2 sacks last season, and has five this year. But he injured his shoulder last week, the same one on which he had offseason surgery, and it remains to be seen how effective he will be. MLB Lofa Tatupu is a three-time Pro Bowler who had three interceptions and 11 tackles in a 28-24 win over the Eagles last year. OLB Julian Peterson is a dangerous blitzer who has four sacks and seven hurries and has forced three fumbles. The Seahawks are ranked 30th against the pass. Opposing quarterbacks have a collective 103.4 passer rating against them. They've given up 11 touchdown passes already, have just two interceptions and have allowed 7.97 yards per attempt. CB Josh Wilson is young and still developing.

On special teams both Seahawks' coverage units are in the bottom third of the league, which could provide some running room for PR DeSean Jackson and KR Quintin Demps. Jackson's increased role in the offense may be taking its toll on his return production. He's got just five double-digit returns in the last six games. While the Seahawks are averaging 5.7 punts per game, which is the third most in the league. P Jon Ryan has had 16 of his 29 punts returned. PK Orlando Mare has made 13 of 14 FG attempts and is 5-for-5 from 40-plus yards. Seahawks are 25th in punt coverage (11.7) and 20th in kickoff coverage (23.3).

All season, the Eagles have been looking to get on a roll. A win in Seattle would give the team three straight wins and a chance to gain some momentum going into the second half of the season. The Eagles are the better team in the standings and on paper, and they need to play like it on Sunday. This could be the defining game for this team, they should be able to pull off the win and with the Seahawks in such bad shape the game should provide some opportunities to get the struggling offense some confidence leading into the next part of the season.

What to watch this week:

• Eagles pass rush vs. Seahawks QB Seneca Wallace
• Eagles DE Trent Cole vs. Seahawks LT Walter Jones
• Eagles WR Kevin Curtis vs. CB Marcus Trufant

Win is a Win, Eagles 27 Falcons 14

The season resumed Sunday and the Eagles responded with their second straight win, a 27-14 victory over the Falcons. It was a much-needed win. Brian Westbrook returned from a rib injury and provided the offensive spark, rushing for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Donovan McNabb threw for 253 yards and rushed for 25 yards, including a touchdown run. Defensively, the Eagles netted a pair of interceptions and held their own against Atlanta's potent rushing attack. The Eagles churned out 432 yards against Atlanta on Sunday, including 192 yards on the ground. On the other hand, they converted just three of 12 third downs and scored in two of four trips to the red zone. The Eagles controlled the football for 32 minutes, 21 seconds and put 27 points on the board. They gained an average of 6.4 yards per offensive play.

They rode Brian Westbrook to the win on Sunday as Donovan McNabb struggled to get his rhythm and Westbrook responded with 205 yards from scrimmage, 118 of them in a huge second half. Westbrook was absolutely brilliant, gaining tough yards in the running game, breaking tackles and getting into the secondary, contributing in the passing game and working hard in the blocking phase of the game. The guy is, we were reminded again, a great football player. However, the Eagles need a whole lot more than Westbrook to reach their peak effectiveness on offense. The Eagles want to throw the football. We all understand that. They need to find answers when the air game is not clicking, something that took most of a first half to do on Sunday. Not until the play-calling mixed in the running game and stuck with it did the offense show a sparkle of life.

A third-and-6 completion to DeSean Jackson gained 30 yards and the offense shrugged to life just a little bit. That completion was the kind of great design and execution the Eagles need to have more often. Jackson lined up in the backfield with McNabb in the shotgun, went in motion as a linebacker followed him to the left side of the offensive formation. Jackson immediately became the primary target on the play. With a linebacker on him, Jackson ran a shallow crossing route from left to right, caught McNabb's pass and headed up the right sideline for the big gain.

On a marvelous drive that ended the first half, the Eagles moved 70 yards in six plays and 45 seconds to set up David Akers for a field goal. On that drive, one that gave the Eagles a lead and some needed momentum going into the half, Westbrook started things off with a 20-yard run to move the offense from its 12-yard line to the 32-yard line. With some breathing room, McNabb found his rhythm, completing three straight passes before taking a stab into the end zone with the time winding down on the clock.

One thing is clear about the offense: The Eagles can't get too far away from the running game. While the passing game offers more explosion and big-play potential, the running game has to establish some confidence. The Eagles are having far too many problems on short-yardage situations, and their goal-to-go failures are reaching the alarming stage. The work in the red zone is far, far from being complete. This offense simply has too many troubles scoring touchdowns there, for whatever reason.

Certainly, there were encouraging signs on Sunday. Westbrook looked as great as ever after a rest seemed to have healed his aching ribs and ankle. Kevin Curtis caught three passes and was open down the field a few other times. Jackson continues to make big plays and needs to remain a large part of the offense. Tight ends L.J. Smith and Celek combined for 4 catches and 57 yards. McNabb was a dual threat, and his gains running the football opened other avenues for the offense.

But the Eagles aren't yet where they want to be. They need to start more quickly and put points on the board early. They need to finish drives. They have to score touchdowns in the red zone. They need to retain some balance throughout a game. The Eagles definitely need to deal with the blitz better, make the right calls and gash defenses when they pin back their ears. The Eagles have high hopes, but they sure need to play with more consistency and efficiency. The rest of the division won on Sunday. Carolina, New Orelans and Tampa Bay are winning in the NFC South. We're back to thinking that it is going to take at least 10 wins to make the playoffs. And to do so, the offense needs touchdowns. It needs a running game to mix with a passing attack. It needs to take things to the next level right now, and keep it there for the rest of the season.

Is this the best we can hope for? I don't think so, but we'll just have to wait and see if they can get everything to work all at once. I was glad to see McNabb use his legs, and I hope to see more of that in the comming games. The passing game is all that really needs to come togather now.

After the Bye

Led by a new head coach and a new quarterback, the surprising Atlanta Falcons (4-2) visit Lincoln Financial Field Sunday to take on the Eagles (3-3), who are 9-0 after the bye week under head coach Andy Reid. Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, who played his high school ball in Philadelphia, leads a Falcons team which has already matched its win total from a forgettable 2007 season.The No. 3 overall pick back in April, Ryan has completed 93 of 161 passes for 1,164 yards and five touchdowns. He had his first career 300-yard passing game in a come-from-behind win over the Bears on Oct. 12. Ryan has had the benefit of a potent ground game paced by Michael Turner, who ranks third in the NFC with 597 rushing yards and averages 99.5 yards per game. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan will be tested by an Eagles defense that ranks tied for second in the league with 21 sacks and likes disguising coverages and using multiple blitz packages. Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson is known for confusing young quarterbacks. In fact, under Johnson, the Eagles are 8-3 against rookie quarterbacks, including wins against Miami's John Beck and Buffalo's Trent Edwards last season. Ryan has demonstrated remarkable poise through his first six NFL games. He has been sacked just seven times this season, including twice in the last four games. Johnson, meanwhile, brings pressure from everywhere and he has done a great job at bringing it from all angles in 2008. Altogether, 11 different players have notched a sack, which is the highest total in the NFL.

The Eagles, meanwhile, will look to pick up where they left off in San Francisco, when they outscored the 49ers 23-0 in the fourth quarter. They should be aided by a healthier roster, as both Brian Westbrook and wide receiver Kevin Curtis, who hasn't played this season due to sports hernia surgery, are expected to return Sunday. Jim Johnson will look to put Ryan into obvious passing situations and unleash the blitzes. If the Falcons can't control the Eagles' blitzes this one could resemble the Eagles' win over the Steelers. For the better part of the last week the coaching staff went through the six previous games and discussed ways to improve what needed to be better and to talk about the things that went well. High on the list of conversation pieces was, no doubt, the offense in the red zone. The Eagles need this, obviously, to be improved. They have simply not scored enough touchdowns inside opponents' 20-yard lines, and they must turn opportunities to score into seven points, not three.

Donovan McNabb has 24 rushing touchdowns in his career, but zero since the 2006 campaign. Is it a coincidence that the red zone performance has been less effective since that time? Maybe, maybe not. But having the threat of McNabb tucking the ball away and scoring on a bootleg run has to give a defense pause, doesn't it? McNabb is plenty athletic enough to run the football if need be. I think the Eagles have to be as multi-dimensional as possible in the red zone. They can't allow defenses to tee off on one phase of the Eagles' scheme. In San Francisco, the Eagles were just 3 of 7 in the red zone. A touchdown late in the game, rather than a couple of David Akers field goals, would have salted away the victory. The Eagles must improve here.

In his brief playing time this season, Westbrook has six touchdowns on 68 touches. That is, really, an incredible ratio. Westbrook knows how to get into the end zone. He makes defenses account for where he is on every play. And whether the Eagles are first and 10 at the 18-yard line or first and goal at the 2-yard line, Westbrook is a likely candidate to get the football, and one that has been sorely missed since his injury. The Eagles can't shy away from Westbrook. Give him the ball in the red zone, both in the running game and in the passing game. Split him out wide. Use both Westbrook and Correll Buckhalter. Whatever it takes, get the ball in the hands of the dynamic Westbrook. The week off did wonderful things for Westbrook. He is as healthy now as he has been all season. That isn't going to last for long. The nature of this game is that it is brutal and unrelenting. But as long as Westbrook is on the field, he deserves the football.

The Eagles should be able to pull off the win this week esspecially if they follow these guidlines. They have to look at this and every game from now on as must win games. with that said, the matchups to watch this week are:

• Eagles LT Tra Thomas vs. Falcons DE John Abraham
• Eagles WR DeSean Jackson vs. Falcons CBs Brent Grimes and Chris Houston
• Eagles CB Asante Samuel vs. Falcons WR Roddy White
• Eagles Left end Juqua Parker vs. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan

Fourth Quarter Gut Check for the Eagles

For three quarters Eagles fans were restless, unhappy, and worried that the season was about to
slip away, and then it all turned around. Just like that. "We knew it was the fourth quarter and we had 15 minutes to play ball. Fifteen hard minutes," said defensive end Juqua Parker, who had five tackles a sack, and an interception that he returned 55 yards for a touchdown, "We had to go after it. We needed to win this game. It was huge. It was very important. It felt great. We huddled up at the start of that fourth quarter and pumped each other up, got each other rowdy." The Eagles jumped out to a 17-6 lead and seemed to have the game under control until late in the second quarter when, once again, they let a lead slip away. First, the 49ers drove 10 plays and 37 yards and scored on a Joe Nedney 53-yard field goal. Then the Eagles went into attack mode with 29 seconds remaining in the half, driving from their 20 to the San Francisco 36-yard line and then they lined up for a David Akers 54-yard field goal try, but the 49ers broke through on the right side of the Eagles' protection wall and spiked Akers' kick. The ball bounced right into the hands of 49ers defensive back Donald Strickland, who returned it 41 yards for a touchdown and, suddenly, the Eagles were ahead only 17-16 at halftime. San Francisco definitely had the momentum, and continued with a touchdown drive of 78 yards to open the second half. On their second possession they moved the ball 77 more yards for another Nedney field goal and a nine-point lead. After Takeo Spikes intercepted a Donovan McNabb pass intended for tight end L.J. Smith, it looked mighty bleak for our favorite team. But then the defense rose up and forced their first three-and-out series since the Chicago game and, yeah baby, the rout was on.
"Great win for us," said quarterback Donovan McNabb, who completed 23 of 36 passes for 280 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. "Nobody hung their heads. We all stayed together and stayed focused and got it done. It was a very big win, a big game." McNabb and wide receiver Hank Baskett (4 catches, 38 yards) executed a fade pass for a touchdown. The fade pass is something the Eagles don't use very often. "Donovan made a great throw and I just went up and got it," said Baskett, who leaped and made a sensational catch in the right corner of the end zone. "We had a good look and made it work." Smith and McNabb appeared to have some confusion on the Spikes interception, but Smith came back to make a huge touchdown catch. McNabb threaded a pass low in the end zone and Smith made the catch. "Great spot by by Donovan. He threw it in the only place I could get it," said Smith. DeSean Jackson gained a total of 127 yards (98 receiving, one rushing and 28 in the return game) on nine touches in his return to where he played collegiately. "I had a lot of people here and there were a lot of Eagles fans and it was great," said Jackson. "I just wanted to win. That's all I cared about."
The Eagles are 3-3 now after Sunday's win and had been a disappointing team after five games. They can climb out of the hole, yes, and this win (coupled with the losses by the Cowboys and Redskins) is a good start but it will take the course of many weeks to climb back in the NFC East picture. The Eagles entered the fourth quarter down by nine points and their season on the brink of collapse. Then Jim Johnson's defense forced three turnovers in a 6-minute span, the offense scored on three consecutive possessions and the Eagles head into the bye week 3-3 rather than 2-4, is exactly what I wanted to see. The Eagles still have problems that need addressing during the bye, like The ongoing special-teams struggles: David Akers converted 4 of 5 field-goal attempts, but one of them was a too-close-for-comfort 38-yarder that may or may not have
been good. And his 54-yarder at the end of the first half not only was blocked, but returned for a
touchdown. And did I mention that they gave up a 45-yard punt return to Allen Rossum? I guess we will just have to wait and see which team (the one that came back in the fourth quarter Sunday or the one that gave the game away to the Redskins) shows up after the bye. I don't know abut you but I'm hoping for the one I saw Sunday.

Can the Eagles Beat San Fran?

Two teams in need of wins play on Sunday with the winner staying very much alive in the early-season picture and the loser with almost no margin for error the rest of the season. The Eagles have lost two straight games and are searching for answers. An inconsistent offense coupled with a defense that has had trouble getting off the field on third down has sent the Eagles tumbling for two successive weeks. In Chicago, the Bears converted 7 of 17 third downs and then the Redskins converted 11 of 19 chances on third down – plus a fourth-down conversion – to keep the Eagles defense on the field. Offensively, the Eagles ran just 47 plays in the 23-17 loss to Washington. Philadelphia jumped out to a 14-0 lead and then went nearly 30 minutes without a first down. Clearly, the offense is in a funk and now the team could be without running back Brian Westbrook, who won’t know until Sunday if he can play with two fractured ribs. Defensively, the Eagles ranked first in the NFL in yards allowed on the ground until Washington gained 203 yards last week. San Francisco’s Frank Gore leads the league in yards from scrimmage with 607. He is a dual threat as a running back and as a receiver out of the backfield.
Donovan McNabb's yards-per-attempt average has plummeted from 9.2 in the first two games to 6.2 in the last three. He threw the ball downfield just once last week, and that was to a running back (Lorenzo Booker). He's also been more reluctant than ever to run (four rushing attempts in the last three games). Eagles wideouts caught 62 passes in the first four games, but just seven against the Redskins. They have only two TD catches. TE L.J. Smith needs to become more involved in the passing game. He has just nine catches, four since Week 1. He caught two passes on the first possession last week, then just one more. This coupled with the likely absence of injured Brian Westbrook weakens a offense that already has been struggling. The Eagles, who have run the ball on just 41 of 114 offensive plays the last 2 weeks, are 29th in yards per carry (3.5). Look for defensive tackle Dan Klecko to get more fullback reps. Also the Eagles have given up just 10 sacks, but seven have come in their two games against the same 3-4 scheme they're going to see a lot Sunday. Niners registered five sacks last week vs. New England. Eagles also haven't run the ball very well against the 3-4 this season (3.1 yards per carry). Or against the 4-3, for that matter. (as I already pointed out the Eagles strugle against 3-4 defences). The Eagles won at San Francisco on Sept. 24, 2006, 38-24. The 49ers lead the series, 17-9-1.
Despite all of these problems the Eagles have been close in the games that they have lost. It's how they finish that is costing them games. Sunday is another test to the finish line -- both in the first half and at the end of the game. A season depends upon how much kick the Eagles have around the final turn of each half. The Eagles work on this stuff every day. They understand the numbers and the situations and the lack of success they are having then. It's something to watch, then. How will the Eagles start on the road? They didn't start well in Chicago, for sure. They fell behind in Dallas, but made a strong push to take a lead. Yeah, they need to get off the right way in San Fran. Offensively, the Eagles have to make some plays. I don't even know what to say. Run the ball? Sure, if it works. Spread the field and throw it? Anything that moves the chains. Anything. Literally. The Eagles are leaving points on the field, not because they are mis-managing the clock or botching timeouts, but they are squandering field position and a chance to put points on the board, and let's be honest here: The Eagles aren't good enough to do that. This is a team that needs every point and every shred of momentum and positive feeling and it is just not happening late in the second quarter and at the end of the games. Finish strong. It is the motto of every person who has every participated in any sporting event. Start fast and finish strong. As the Eagles move forward and take an optimistic and aggressive approach the rest of the way to make something special of this 2008 season, they need to win the battle at the end of each half, something they haven't done.
Do I think they can win? Sure. Do I think they will? I really don't know.
Matchups to watch this week:

• Eagles DE Juqua Parker vs. 49ers OT Barry Sims
• Eagles KO coverage team vs. 49ers return man (and former Eagle) Allen Rossum
• Eagles SS Quintin Mikell vs. 49ers TE Vernon Davis

I'm embarrassed too

Apparantly neither the Offence or the Defence thought they needed to show up for Sunday's game. We are many hours past the 23-17 loss to the Washington Redskins. I am as angry and I am frustrated as I am bewildered. I also understand the urgency of the situation: To make the playoffs, the Eagles have to win at least 10 games this season. They have to win at least eight of the next 11 games, and even that might not be enough when you look at the teams in front of the Eagles in an NFC East that isn't going to lose many games this season. The Eagles looked good in the first two possetions of the game but then seem to have taken a vacation until the fourth quarter. They had a brief resurgence in the fourth quarter but were unable to get a touchdown out of the drive. The defence was unable to stop Portis all day long and could not get the ball back to the offense when they needed it in the fourth quarter. Somebody needs to take control of this team and drag it in the winning direction and my candidates are the following men:

• Head coach Andy Reid
• Quarterback Donovan McNabb
• and Safety Brian Dawkins

It is hard for fans to accept more patience. A team that opened the season by blowing out the Rams, and then taking the Cowboys to the distance before manhandling the Steelers have taken a two-week powder at a time when the demands of the division and of the season are such that maximium performance and concentration was and is and always will be needed. The Eagles are 2-3, and if I hear that "the season is still early and anything can happen" I'm going to throw up. The season isn't young. Anything can happen, sure, but when you have three teams in the division with a total of two losses and with a schedule filled with what I see as cupcakes, you know, the writing is right there: It's 10 wins, maybe 11, or else. One more game and we will be in the middle third of the season. So what is going to happen? I don't know. The Eagles play San Francisco on Sunday in a game that promises to be another dogfight. A win gets the Eagles to 3-3 and then what? A bye week and time to re-assess the situation, sure. But it is an uneasy time, for sure. I don't know if Reid can wave a magic wand and provide the remedy. He is taking responsibility, as all great leaders do. Reid understands that he bears the responsibility of restoring the Eagles to the glory they had in the first half of this decade, when a 2-3 record was overcome by one inspiring performance after another. Does this team have it in them? Can this team win 8 of 11 games? Do you believe? I like to think that I do, but unless someone steps up and shows some leadership on offense I am not optimistic.

One of the intangibles missing with this team, and with the team from last year, is the ability to overcome adversity. Too many times already this season, the Eagles have lost the battle when faced with tough spots. They fumbled in Dallas and the defense couldn't hold a fourth-quarter lead. They had one chance after another after a tough start in Chicago to climb back in front and didn't do so. They led 14-0 over Washington on Sunday and let every ounce of momentum slip away without a counter-punch to consider. The Eagles need someone ( Reid, McNabb or Dawkins) to grab the locker room by the, throat and choke some sense into this team. Maybe "sense" isn't the right word. This team lacks confidence. It lacks direction. It lacks spark.

The 49ers are ahead. A sizable task exists, and through the frustration and the anger and the disappointment, the focus to turn it around remains. With the news that running back Brian Westbrook has two fractured ribs, of course, the road to the playoffs becomes more challenging. Westbrook wants to play in San Francisco on Sunday, and that remains to be seen if he can go. The pre-bye game has historically given the Eagles fits, and This team, at 2-3, can ill afford fits.

It's all about winning, or else. That is the mentality the Eagles must have; the players in their preparation for the game and the way they conduct their business on Sunday and every other game day for the rest of the season, and the coaches, who have to throw caution to the wind and create success with X's and O's. the offense has to come a long way between now and Sunday. I say the Eagles have to go for broke here. If it means they have to line up DeSean Jackson to take a direct snap and play a single-wing formation hey, I'm all for it. If it means Donovan McNabb has some designed runs in the game plan, put 'em in. The Eagles have to form an identity offensively. It all begins by winning the line of scrimmage, by establishing a running game, and by correctly using the personnel. With or without Westbrook, the Eagles need to run the ball. They have Correll Buckhalter, a good between-the-tackles slasher who is capable of carrying the football 20 times a game. They have Lorenzo Booker, who really has proven nothing so far here other than there are questions about him, but Booker deserves some touches to see if he can utilize his speed to provide a change of pace.

Part of it is a mentality. The big offensive line needs to be rewarded and given a chance to play some power football. Too often, it seems, the Eagles have run so little in quarters one through three that in the times when a run is called in the fourth quarter in the goal-to-go situations that have been so dreadful that there is no push, no fire, no burst coming off the ball. McNabb's game has to change, too. In the first two games, he was a pinball in the pocket. McNabb broke tackles, kept his legs moving, ran when he had the chance to run. Lately, there has been absolutely no threat of the scramble. Washington even played man-to-man coverage and the secondary turned their backs on McNabb, something the Redskins would have never done in the scrambling-McNabb days earlier in his career. I know McNabb is banged up, but all parties insist that McNabb is healthy enough to execute the offense. Well, part of the offense, part of every NFL offense, is having a quarterback who can put some pressure on defenses with his legs. McNabb isn't putting any pressure on defenses with his legs. McNabb said in his blog "I'm embarrassed with the way I played. I didn't do enough to win the game for my team. I take that to heart. I want the ball in my hand when the game is on the line and, if I have it, I have to make a play. I'll take that responsibility. All three of our losses were within a score so one play could have made a difference - a fumble, an interception, calling an audible, not calling an audible." I agree he needs to take charge of the offense and make some plays when they are needed. Then there is the receiving corps, which needs to be, as Andy Reid says, put in better positions on the field to make plays. McNabb needs to share in this piece, too. He need to throw with confidence to his receivers and allow them to make plays and catch and run. I bet that the Yards After Catch statistic, one category in which the Eagles have always ranked high (in large part because of Westbrook's receiving ability) is not where the coaching staff wants it to be after five games. (They sure could use that big WR now) The Eagles need to cut back on the mixing and matching of receivers and keep Jackson on the field as much as possible and try to feed him the football. He is clearly a big-play maker whom the Eagles need on the field with the ball in his hands. Kevin Curtis could play on Sunday, and when he is ready to go and shows he is at full strength, he needs to play a lot. Reggie Brown has had a couple of pretty good games since his return and needs some time, too.

Offensively, the Eagles have had little semblance of a running game since the opener against the Rams, and even then the Eagles gained just 108 yards on 32 carries. With no production in that phase of the game, the offense is way out of kilter. Why is there so little success on the ground? The Eagles aren't controlling the line of scrimmage. Teams are cutting off Brian Westbrook's running lanes and are eliminating any cutback room he has. The Eagles can't rely on McNabb and the passing game alone. Whatever defenses are doing, Jackson hasn't been nearly as involved in the air attack since he had six catches and 110 yards in Dallas. Whether they are doubling Jackson with a safety over the top, or taking away his room on routes, Jackson's numbers have gone down and the rest of the offense hasn't picked up the slack.

I haven't had much to say about the defence. That is because except for this last game they have played exceptionally, and I think that if the offense carried their own weight the defence would go back to that level of play. However, that isn't acceptable, they have to keep playing to that high level even if they seem to be carrying the team. Dawkins showed the kind of leadership this team needs more of when he gathered up the defence in the fourth quarter and tried to fire them up. Defensively, it all went wrong against Washington. The Redskins dominated from the second quarter on. Maybe the defense was simply gassed as the Eagles failed to sustain drives, but too many times Washington converted third downs and calmly dissected Philadelphia's pressure packages. What to do? The Eagles must generate some pressure from the front four and not rely so much on the blitz. They've got to do a better job of getting off the field on third down -- remember, Chicago converted 7 of 17 third downs a week earlier -- and they have to take control of the game and keep it. Maybe the offense's lack of production got to the defense on Sunday. By game's end, the defense was frantically trying to cover down the field and pressure Campbell as the young and emerging quarterback broke the pocket a few times to run for back-breaking first downs.

It would seem that the one real bright spot in Sunday's game was the special teams, until you look at David Akers. Jackson was great on his punt return and Sav Rocca is having a Pro Bowl season, but the concerns have to grow over Akers' performance. He is now 1 for 4 on field goals of longer than 40 yards this season, and just 3 of 14 in the last two seasons. Everything is there (the distance is great) except for the ball going through the uprights (I thought that was the important part). The kickoff return game was poor on Sunday and really hasn't had a big return in weeks. The kickoff coverage team had too many mistakes the last few weeks.

I hate to keep harping on the draft but, I am not the only one it seems that was not too happy with the results. John Smallwood had this to say in his blog:

What if the problem with the Eagles is that Reid and general manager Tom Heckert
severely overestimated the talent base of a team that finished 8-8 last season and had only two victories over teams that finished with winning records?
What if Reid and Heckert were wrong when they determined that the Eagles' talent base was so strong, they could afford to trade out of the first round in two consecutive drafts?
What if Reid and Heckert were wrong when they decided their skill players were so good, they could ignore the pleas of quarterback Donovan McNabb, running back Brian Westbrook and tackle Jon Runyan to get more "weapons"?
What if Reid and Heckert were wrong in believing that so many of the young players they were counting on could become impact players without suffering some of the growing pains that come with a lack of experience?

In conclusion I'm laying it on the veterans of this team to show the way. The coaching has to be better, I'm not excusing Reid and his staff by any means, but the players are the focus here. How much do the Eagles want to win moving forward? How good is the mix here? How is the eadership? I'm not sleeping. I'm miserable. I loved this team a few weeks ago and thought it would be a great season ahead, but how can you feel that way now? The Eagles have to prove it to all of us, themselves included. There is no spin here. There is no way to make you feel better, because at 2-3 and with two NFC East losses already, the Eagles are in a difficult, unenviable spot.

Eagles vs. Redskins Preview

Philadelphia is looking to win its third straight game of the season at Lincoln Financial Field. To do so, the Eagles need to establish the offense quickly with a balanced attack and come out and play confident, aggressive defense. The key is to limit Portis on first down and then get after Campbell with pressure in the passing downs.
Washington is a major factor in the NFC East with three straight wins, including a road victory in Dallas last Sunday. The Redskins play power football offensively with running back Clinton Portis carrying the load on the ground, and emerging quarterback Jason Campbell operating the offense smoothly. Campbell has made great strides in the last year and is much more calm and poised in the pocket.
The Eagles are 0-1 in the NFC East and are looking up in the standings at the other three teams after four games. It is important that they win on Sunday and get on a roll and generate some positive momentum.
Defensively, the Redskins shut down Dallas last Sunday by slowing down the Cowboys on the ground and keeping Terrell Owens and Co. under wraps. So the Eagles have to bounce back from the tough loss in Chicago and play a good game to keep pace in the division.
Brian Westbrook participated in practice at the NovaCare Complex for about an hour yesterday before leaving the field. Will Westbrook play Sunday against the Washington Redskins? "We'll see," coach Andy Reid said. That might be the most important question of the week. Last Sunday showed just how important Westbrook is to this offense. Westbrook suffered a sprained right ankle Sept. 21 against Pittsburgh and sat out last week's game at Chicago. His brother, Byron, a cornerback for the Redskins, has said he would be surprised if Westbrook played.
One good thing as far as injuries go is that L.J. Smith is back in the lineup. He has gone through practice this week, and his name should soon be scratched off the list of the Eagles' walking wounded. How much of a boost is it to have Smith back? Say what you will about him, about his numbers -- and understand, Smith has been around long enough to know what everybody is saying -- but the truth is that the offense is better with Smith on the field. He is the most athletic tight end the Eagles have, he is the best blocker and he gives Donovan McNabb the best target in the red zone, Something they could have used against the Bears.
The Defence looked good last week and should again this week in part because of starting linebacker, Stewart Bradley. In his first year as a starting linebacker, Stewart Bradley is making his presence felt. He has tremendous range and is a physical player who gets to the football. In this game, Bradley has the assignment of containing running back Clinton Portis, who fuels the Washington offense. Bradley must read the play and flow quickly downhill to the football and he has to tackle well against the speedy and shifty Portis. So far, Bradley has been up to every task this season. The Eagles have been outstanding against the run and have forced turnovers. They have applied pressure. There have been some defensive lapses, but more often than not the Eagles defense has been dominating, and Bradley is gaining some Pro Bowl talk early in his career, but It is another week and another team on the other side of the ball, and the Eagles will learn something new about Bradley this Sunday.
The Eagles are 0-1 in the NFC East and are looking up in the standings at the other three teams after four games. It is important that they win on Sunday and get on a roll and generate some positive momentum. I hope that they can bounce back from the disappointing loss last Sunday and emerge from this game the winner. If Westbrook plays I am confident that they will, but without him it could be another too close for comfort game. Either way this is a game that the Eagles have to find a way to win.

Matchups to watch this week are:

• Eagles CB Asante Samuel vs. Redskins WR Santana Moss
• Eagles C Jamaal Jackson vs. Redskins LB London Fletcher
• Eagles WR Reggie Brown vs. Redskins CBs