Lets Bag the 2.95 Yards and a Cloud of Dust Offense!

The Eagles head to Oakland for tomorrow's game with a 3-1 record and a relatively healthy group of players. The two teams are moving on opposite paths with the Eagles turning in consecutive large margin victories while the Raiders have simply gotten trounced the past three weeks. Additionally, the Eagles have lit up the scoreboard against some lesser opponents while the Raiders offense has been horrific.

Sometimes this type of scenario makes for a challenging game and a totally unpredictable outcome. Last year's Bengals game is a recent example. At this point, it would be difficult to imagine this game not following conventional expectations, especially considering the turmoil surrounding the Raiders coach and organization, as well as the poor play of high draft pick QB JaMarcus Russell.

But that notwithstanding, it might be a good week for the Eagles to bag the Wildcat experiment. The much anticipated Michael Vick Wildcat has been a bust despite playing against weak teams. So far, the offensive scheme has been 2.95 yards and a cloud of dust. Besides being unproductive, it continues to detract form the overall offensive continuity and virtually throws away better opportunities to use the Eagles growing array of playmakers.

The reason that this is a good week to throw away the Wildcat, or at least limit it to a couple plays, is two fold. First off, there is very little to learn from anything that might happen against this Oakland team, as very little correlation can be drawn between them and any other team in the league. The Raiders currently appear to be the "Dunder Mifflin" of NFL franchises, marching to the beat of a different drummer. Secondly, the Eagles have been lucky to be playing against inferior opponents and have gotten away with throwing away plays on the Wildcat. But, why play down to the competition by making your offense less effective this week, and why continue to use it in the future when you won't have the luxury of throwing away plays?

The Eagles should go ahead and bag the Wildcat right now. Instead, they should focus on how to better use playmakers such as DeSean Jackson, Brian Dawkins, Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy and Brent Celek (not to mention Pro Bowl QB Donovan McNabb) within their base offense. The team has a wealth of offensive talent and they would be clearly better served by teeing it up head-to-head rather than continue to use sandlot touch football plays, especially with a sluggish Vick being featured. Heck, Vick doesn't even like it.

The NFC East as well as some other tough teams are lurking after the Raiders. Lets get back to NFC East football and stop trying to prove the "genius" of signing Vick. The Eagles have the pieces to make a serious run this season. And, Andy Reid has done a terrific job with the Eagles in his tenure, but he can tend to be a bit stubborn at times. This has served the team well many times, but in this case, not so much.

In all likelihood, the Eagles will persist with the "WildVick" tomorrow and still emerge with an easy victory. Still, the odds of a big win would be greater without the scheme and would start to set them on the most beneficial course for the balance of the season. Down with the Raiders....Down with the Wildcat!

Eagles 30

Raiders 10

Rejuvenated McNabb Leads Eagles Past Bucs

The Philadelphia Eagles are one of the elite teams in the NFL. The Tampa Bay Bucs are not. The outcome of yesterday's game, a 33-14 Eagles victory, was about what you would expect, even though the Eagles committed an inordinate amount of penalties.

But, games are not won based on opinion or expectations, especially in the highly competitive NFL, so credit the Eagles for taking care of business. Donovan McNabb made his return to the team from a broken rib, and played brilliantly, completing 76% of his 21 passes for 264 yards. He also tossed 3 touchdown passes, including two long strikes to rookie Jeremy Maclin. With the game well in hand, he gave way to Michael Vick and Kevin Kolb in mop up duty.

The Eagles other returning star, Brian Westbrook, did not fare as well. Although he scored a touchdown, he was limited to a total of 35 yards rushing and receiving. Unlike McNabb, he did not appear quite ready for prime time and fortunately, the team did not need him to play a big role.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Eagles gave up more yardage than expected. Some key turnovers and unusual coaching decisions by the Bucs helped keep the point total to 14. Although rookie QB Josh Johnson threw three interceptions, he looked surprisingly good under the Eagles heavy dose of pressure. With some more NFL experience and a stronger cast around him, Johnson appears that he could have a bright future.

Overall, the Eagles defense was up and down throughout the day. They persisted in blitzing all day, but sometimes seemed to lack urgency in getting to the young QB. Tight end Kellen Winslow had a big day, roaming free through the middle to catch 9 passes for 102 yards. Big plays, such as Asante Samuel picking off two passes and Sheldon Brown picking off another, helped to contain the Bucs.

Yesterday may have been Maclin's breakout game in the NFL. With the Bucs focusing on shutting down DeSean Jackson and Westbrook, Maclin took advantage of single coverage to rack up 142 yards on 6 catches. Early in the first quarter, he made a nice grab on a 51-yard TD and followed that with a 40-yard TD strike at the end of the second quarter.

The "Wildcat" formation was once again very unsuccessful. The team ran 9 such formations with Michael Vick on the field, including 2 with him flanked out as a receiver. The production increased .5 yards per play from their last game, but 3.2 yards per play does not get it done. From a distance, it appeared to be a disruption and hindrance to an otherwise productive offense. The Eagles can get away with playing around with this against foes like the Chiefs and Bucs, but they won't be so lucky against more formidable opponents.

This is particularly true since the Eagles current array of offensive talent is too good to waste with gimmick plays and formations. With McNabb behind center, two explosive wide-outs in Jackson and Maclin, an emerging star in tight end Brent Celek, two elusive running backs in Westbook and LeSean McCoy, and playmaking fullback Leonard Weaver, the Eagles have the best bevy of weapons they have ever had.

The Eagles kept pace with the Giants, who destroyed their next opponent, the Oakland Raiders, staying one game behind at 3-1. It will be important for them to once again take care of business against a lesser team, as they then face their NFC East division-mates over the following three weeks. When the schedule reaches that point of the season, the team will not be able to prevail committing more than 100 yards in penalties or wasting production with the Wildcat.

I'm Just Saying......

A weekly collection of random thoughts and observations for you to consider.

• The incredibly low number of fans in the Land Shark Stadium stands to watch the playoff contending Florida Marlins face off against the division leading Phillies illustrates how Philadelphia is such a great sports town. And, it begs to ask the question whether the new $515 million baseball stadium being built for them in Miami is nothing more than a huge waste of money?
• I would tend to agree with Sheldon Brown that he has been and continues to be under appreciated by the Eagles. He has been a top quartile, dependable player for years, but I don't get what statement wearing a "Jason" mask makes about the team or his situation? And, doesn't it further lower what he already believes to be his substandard compensation as he accrues fines?
• Why impose limits on the Eagles offensive creativity? Perhaps the Eagles should run an employee contest offering a day off and a gift certificate for any suggested trick play that is used in a game?
• Where does the Wildcat obsession end? Might Reid and Mornhinweg put Brian Westbrook in at tackle to chip block a fast pass rusher or Leonard Weaver to serve as a pulling guard on a sweep?
• Derek Lee can attest to it being a tough season for the Cubs when a celebratory slap lands him on the injured list.
• Thanks to Rex Ryan and the Jets good start, they are my new favorite AFC team.
• I don't usually agree with his logic or actions, but it was good to see Ochocinco do the Lambeau Leap on Sunday to call attention to the NFL's double standard. I would prefer that the NFL loosen up its wet blanket approach to touchdown celebrations, but in the absence of that, it is absurd that they allow only the Packers to engage in orchestrated demonstrations of joy.
• Being in a town with the World Series Champion Phillies and NFC power Eagles, it might take more than rolling out new primary color uniforms and demo's on the "Princeton weave" for the Sixers to gain fan interest this season.
• He has hit into some tough luck of late, but look for Chase Utley to catch fire over the last two weeks and finish over .300.
• BrettFavre, BrettFavre, Brett Favre...There has been so much focus on Adrian Peterson, I thought Brett might need a little attention.

Eagles Should Focus on Offensive Basics to Reach Ultimate Goal

It seems pretty clear that the Eagles have made a major commitment towards becoming perhaps the most gimmicky offense in the NFL. They signed Michael Vick, and even with him still sidelined by suspension, they ran 9 Wildcat formations last Sunday against the Saints. Only Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg know what might be in store for us this week with Vick being activated to play.

While coaches have obviously spent considerable time drawing up trick plays in the dirt, a compelling argument can be made that they should be focusing on sharpening up on the basics of an already somewhat unconventional offense. The Eagles are one of a handful of teams that passes more than 60% of the time. This has proven effective for them as they have been a top scoring team, but it does require precision and doesn't need to be complicated further by an array of trick plays.

The Eagles have always added some "wrinkles" to their offense. Mornhinweg indicated in an interview yesterday that Reid's philosophy has been to infuse approximately four to six "special" plays each game into the regular offense. This year, he appears to be doubling down on that philosophy.

So, what's the rub here? A handful of "special plays" have been part of the Eagles typically high scoring offense for years. Besides being entertaining and sometimes explosive, these plays maintain an element of surprise that defenders need to account for as they interpret what is unfolding in front of them, on those gadget plays as well as others. Part of the value of these plays comes from forcing the opponents to watch for it at anytime.

Conversely, the Wildcat formations scream "trick play!" It does not present a variation or twist off of a more normal formation, so the defense does not have to be watching for it when the Eagles line up in their conventional formations.

Another byproduct of the Wildcat formation is that it appears to put players in positions for which they are not physically or experientially equipped, which introduces a much higher probability of someone getting hurt. Last week, DeSean Jackson aggravated a groin injury on a Wildcat formation. It stands to reason that placing smallish receivers in vulnerable positions will eventually result in wear and tear, as well as injury. It also stands to reason that a quarterback is going to be taken out as they are asked to play another position not so well protected by NFL rules.

It is even a little scary seeing Brian Westbrook alone in the backfield taking a direct snap. Everyone would agree that he is instrumental to the team's fortunes in 2009, so wouldn't it make more sense to protect his ailing body as much as possible? Perhaps the team is willing to take the risk of using Vick in more vulnerable formations because they have two other quarterbacks behind Donovan McNabb?

Another argument against the Wildcat relates to the increasing frequency that it is being used around the league. That is taken to another level, when one team increases its own frequency of use. Surely, the uniqueness and element of surprise diminishes, and ultimately the effectiveness. This being true, it begs to ask the question why would you invest in something that know will have declining value?

This leads me to a related question. Wouldn't it be better to invest your time, energy, mental resources and practice repetitions working on parts of the game that will be instrumental and necessary to reach your goal? All games are important in a short NFL season, but the ultimate goal is to win the Super Bowl.

Perhaps the best argument against gratuitous use of the Wildcat can be summed up in two words- Buddy Ryan. He was a defensive genius as well as an entertaining and somewhat successful coach. But his teams never fulfilled the promise provided by his dynamic defense or talent on the team.

The main reason for this was that Ryan attempted to compliment the dominating defense with an offense that was "hit or miss." It was not built on precision or excellence in execution, but rather the chance that playmaker Randall Cunningham would somehow break a run or throw a touchdown on a fire drill type of play.

By the time the playoffs rolled around, the Eagles had nothing in their offense to count on. Invariably, the opponents would develop a game plan to a account for Cunningham, reduce the probability of those happen chance plays and ultimately send the Eagles to another disappointing playoff loss. And, importantly, the Eagles offensive squad had no confidence or conviction when they took the field that they had a proven scheme and formula for success.

The 2009 Eagles would be wise to consider how they might be creating a similar scenario with their infatuation with the Wildcat formation and gimmick plays. When the season is on the line each week in the big games at the end of the year, even if the trick plays got them a couple cheap scores or higher than average yardage earlier in the year, what will they draw upon to win games when both sides have equal intensity and laser-like focus? History suggests that gadget plays don't get it done in those times. What has been successful, though, is a mindset of the players that exudes confidence that if they execute on what they do best, they will win.

Brees' Saints Breeze Past Mistake Prone Eagles

Just as last week, it was hard to tell where the Eagles performance started and the opponents performance ended. Unlike last week, it was the opposite scenario with Eagles fans wondering if their team was that bad or the Saints are simply that good after the 48-22 drubbing.

The Eagles failed yesterday in all three phases of the game, but were especially bad on special teams. The main culprits were Ellis Hobbs's costly fumble to open the second half as well as some shanked punts and multiple penalties that negatively affected field position all day long. It was going to be a difficult match-up anyway to contain the Saints high powered offense and take advantage of their somewhat vulnerable defense with an inexperienced QB behind center, so it was particularly damaging to have the special teams unit turn in a dismal performance.

Drew Brees wasted no time as he drove the Saints the length of the field with relative ease for a touchdown on the opening drive. Eagles faithful were hoping that after a few adjustments and shedding opening drive jitters, the defense would reverse course similar to a week ago. Unfortunately, the big pass rushing, turnover creating defense never appeared yesterday. Outside of some brief resistance in the second quarter, Brees and the Saints pretty much breezed all day.

Although they surely did not need help, Hobbs' fumble and Kevin Kolb's subsequent interception on the next possession meant the Saints only had to go a total of 46 yards to score 14 points. They barely had to break a sweat, taking only 7 plays to widen their lead to 31-13 and put the Eagles in a catch-up mode that was surely not going to bode well for them.

Kolb had some good moments throughout the day, completing over 60% of his passes, including 2 TD's and racking up 391 yards through the air. The highlight for the day was his 71 yard touchdown strike to a wide open DeSean Jackson on the Eagles first drive. Unfortunately, this performance was marred by three completions to the team in gold and black. The first two interceptions were similar mistakes to those that have haunted him in past outings, namely ill advised throws where he did not see the coverage underneath. And, like the Ravens game last season, the second one turned an attempted scoring pass into a long defensive return for a touchdown. His third interception was meaningless and closed the lopsided game, but it really had no chance as it was badly under thrown.

Besides Kolb, many of the Eagles offensive players played well, if that is possible in a 26 point route? Brent Celek and Jackson continued to look like stars in the making. The line provided time for Kolb to throw, Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy looked good and Jason Avant made several nice catches working the middle of the field, including a touchdown.

One other aspect of the offense that was unappealing is the team's apparent infatuation with gadget plays. On the day, they ran nine "Wildcat" formations, including one with a three man line. Although these "creative" plays bring back memories of those back yard touch football games and might make the highlights on ESPN Sports Center, they do not seem like a recipe for a NFL championship team and would seem to be unnecessarily flirting with injury.

Flanking out QBs and putting slightly built receivers in exposed positions could very well end up with those players lying prone on the football field. It surely does not help the team develop rhythm or the air of confidence to execute in crunch time.

Perhaps the coaches felt they needed to resort to gadgetry to help out Kolb, but the suspicion is that we will see a lot more of this, especially now that the team needs to justify signing Michael Vick. Although they mostly did OK on those plays yesterday, this does not feel like a winning formula from this vantage point.

Another thought that went through my mind yesterday watching the defense was whether the dramatic reversal in performance relates to losing Brian Dawkins' leadership presence? Somehow you can imagine him forcefully reminding his teammates not to get too enamored with their performance against the Panthers and that it was not going to be that easy going forward, especially against the Saints. Who would be filling that role on this year's team?

Very few can tell which way the Eagles head from here. Is it the Dr Jekyll from week 1 or the Mr Hyde from week 2? What a difference a week makes. Lets hope that the Special Teams unit tightens up over the week, the defense summons their Buddy Ryan spirit again and the offense dumbs things down a little to focus on flawless execution. If so, the Eagles could slip by a weaker Chiefs team, heal Donovan's broken ribs over the bye week and come back ready to fulfill its promise in week 5.

I'm Just Saying......

A weekly collection of random thoughts and observations for you to consider.

• The Astros stadium, Minute Maid Park, seems to have been designed by a bunch of wiffle ball and toy train enthusiasts. It has everything from a choo choo train carrying a load of oranges in left to a hill with a flag pole in the field of play to a balcony with a gas pump that hangs over the field of play. What, no parked car behind shortstop or a 60 yard scoreboard hovering above the field?
• Carlos Ruiz is in the midst of an extended hot streak offensively, but it would seem that he could benefit from an offseason strength and conditioning program. He hits so many warning track flies or drives that don't quite have enough juice to find the gaps, so a few more feet could translate into a big offensive season.
• Is the "Wildcat" so wild anymore? At what point does it become so common place that the defenses cover it easily and at what point does a quarterback go down with an injury?
• Donovan McNabb should not even attempt to play this week and probably next.
• Would the NFL see anything wrong with the blind side hit on McNabb taken by the IHOP waitress?
• Andy Reid seems to be using twisted logic. On one hand, he abruptly places former pro bowler Shawn Andrews on IR (who has had physical and emotional issues) to eliminate a distraction, yet weeks earlier signed a player coming out of incarceration for some highly polarizing crimes. Although maybe a little eccentric, Andrews seems to be a good guy, while Dr. Phil labeled Michael Vick a sociopath the other day.
• Did Kendra have anything to do with the Eagles picking Reggie Brown over Hank Baskett?
• What was up with Tom Brady pulling a "reverse Namath" on sideline reporter Suzy Kolber after Monday night's game?
• Rex Ryan has a little bit of Buddy in him which makes him fun, especially if the Jets can actually do what the Bills bungled away Monday night.
• With the Jets getting fined as a result of Brett Favre's comments, his actions towards the Packers and Jets make me think of that line, "hell hath no fury like a ......."
• Those orange striped jerseys worn by the referees working the Raiders/Chargers game Monday night is a case of nostalgia gone bad.

• The NFL subscribes to the policy that it is all good until someone breaks a rib...oh, that's right....according to the NFL, that's good, too.