Kolb, Eagles take down Ryan, Falcons

Kevin Kolb came into Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons with something to prove. Boy did he prove it. Kolb went for 326 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception in the Eagles 31-17 victory over the Falcons, by far his best performance of the season. On the receiving end, Jeremy Maclin had 159 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns, while Desean Jackson had just 34 receiving yards but two touchdowns (1 rushing). Jackson exited the game early with an apparent head injury after a nasty hit by Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson. The Eagles defense played fairly well the entire game, intercepting Matt Ryan once and recovering a lost fumble late in the game. David Akers, however, had one of the worst games of his career, only making one out his four field goal attempts. Whether the cause was the wind or not remains to be seen. Overall, the Eagles (4-2) proved that they can hang with the big boys (Atlanta fell to 4-2), even without the presence of Michael Vick.

Grading:
Offense: B (Kolb's spectacular day was hampered by a lackluster rushing attack)
Defense: B (Solid outing by the defense, but nothing spectacular)
Special Team: D (1/4 field goals is never a good sign)
Overall: B (Eagles proved that they can beat good teams without the help of Vick)

Kolb proves he can play

If Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers taught us anything, it's that a) Kevin Kolb can clearly play in the NFL, and b) The Eagles defense needs some serious help. The Eagles slipped by San Francisco 27-24 in what was a 27-10 lead in the 4th quarter. Kolb went 21-31 with 253 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and a 103.3 quarterback rating. Lesean McCoy had an average day, rushing for 92 yards on 18 attempts and scoring a touchdown despite having a cracked rib. The defense, despite intercepting Alex Smith twice and recovering two fumbles, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Quintin Mikell, allowed him to throw for three touchdowns, two of which were late in the game. The defense almost allowed San Francisco to pull out a victory on a day where the now 0-5 49ers shouldn't have even come close to success. The defense will need to step it up for the now 3-2 Eagles to have a chance to win the division.

Grading:
Offense: B (Kolb and McCoy had solid days, but they could have produced more)
Defense: D (almost blew the game with a late lead)
Special Teams: D (allowed 181 kickoff return yards on just 5 kickoffs)
Coaching: C (simply average, which is actually good for this coaching staff)

McNabb gets standing ovation, Eagles booed

Yesterday, the Washington Redskins, led by Donovan McNabb, came to Philadelphia and defeated the Eagles 17-12. McNabb, in his first game against the Eagles since he was traded to the Redskins in the offseason, had a average game, passing for 125 yards and a touchdown, including an interception. The Redskins, who had one of the worst running attacks coming into the game, ran all over the Eagles defense, going for 169 yards. The Eagles offense, on the other hand, could not run or pass the ball efficiently all game. Michael Vick went down in the first half, giving Kevin Kolb yet another opportunity to prove himself. He would go for 201 yards, a touchdown, and a late interception, and though he did not look as bad as he did in Week 1, he still did not look good. Kolb often checked down and went to the fullback or running back instead of looking deep for playmakers such as Desean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Though the extent of Vick's injury is not known, he will more likely than not be out for this week's game vs. the San Francisco 49ers. Kolb will have to step up and make the deep throws the Philly fans have become accustomed to with Michael Vick at the helm.

Grading:
Offense: C (could not make plays all game)
Defense: C (gave up a lot of rushing yards against a lackluster team, yet buckled down in the second half)
Special Teams: C (Akers had two nice field goals)
Coaching: F (terrible play calls and the missed touchdown opportunity at the end of the first half)
Overall: C (this team is capable of playing much much better football)

Vick does it again

Yesterday, the Philadelphia Eagles destroyed the Jacksonville Jaguars 28-3 in what was yet another impressive showing by Michael Vick. Vick threw for 291 and scored 4 total touchdowns (3 passing and 1 rushing),while Desean Jackson had 5 receptions for 153 yards and a touchdown. Lesean McCoy was pretty much a non factor this game, rushing for a mere 54 yards and no touchdowns. The Eagles defense was stingy, giving up just 3 points to a lackluster Jacksonville team that, from the way it looks, may have its own quarterback controversy soon. David Garrard went an abysmal 13 for 30, only threw for 105 yards, and threw no touchdowns and 1 interception. While Jacksonville is not the best of teams, it is still reassuring to see the Eagles winning the games that they should be winning. During the McNabb era, teams such as the Jaguars would have given the Eagles problems, but with Mike Vick at the helm, those problems seem to have momentarily disappeared. Perhaps Mike Vick was the best choice after all.

Grading:
Offense: A (big day dominated by Mike Vick and Desean Jackson)
Defense: A (3 points against any team is a good sign)
Special Teams: A (the best special teams plays are the ones you forget the next day, and I don't remember anything!
Overall: A (If the Eagles can keep up this pace of play, the NFC East title may be much easier than previously thought)

Breaking News: Vick to start Sunday vs. Jaguars

The Eagles have just announced Michael Vick will start for the team this Sunday vs. Jacksonsville, despite having a healthy Kevin Kolb ready to go. While Vick has obivously outperformed expectations, one must wonder what made Andy Reid change his mind so quickly.

Though Vick may lead this Eagle team to 10 or so wins this season and possibly win a few playoff games, there is one thing that is a fact: Michael Vick will not be an Eagle in 2011. Next year, this team will be right back where they were this preseason, only this time, with an angry, upset, and largely unproven Kevin Kolb.

Hank Baskett Released

Today, the Eagles released Wide Receiver Hank Baskett and signed Running Back Joique Bell, a member of the Bills Practice Squad. Bell's role as a member of the team remains to be unknown, though it is possible he could fill in for injured Fullback Leonard Weaver, who suffered a season ending injury Week 1 vs. the Packers.

Eagles-Lions Week 2 Recap

It appears Philadelphia has a bigger problem than we previously thought.

Yesterday, Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) defeated the Detroit Lions (0-2) by a score of 35-32. Vick had a solid outing, going 21 for 34 with 284 passing yards and 2 touchdowns. Desean Jackson had his first solid outing of the year as well, catching 4 balls for a total of 135 yards, including a touchdown. The story of the day, however, was the dominant performance by Lesean "Shady" McCoy, who had 15 carries for 120 yards, including 3 touchdowns.

The run-pass play calling was even throughout the entire game, which is a shocker considering the Eagles are such a pass heavy team. The thing that suprises me is that it came with a quarterback at the helm that is a very capable runner. If the Eagles can keep the run-pass playcalling even with Kolb, I believe they will experience the same success they did this week. Shady McCoy can obivously run the ball.

Defensively, the team was borderline terrible. Besides Nate Allen's 2nd career interception, the defense seemed to sit down and let the Lions run all over them, including allowing rookie Running Back Jahvid Best to rush for 3 touchdowns. The team nearly lost the game in the end, allowing two Lion touchdowns in the final minutes of the game. That being said, the Special Teams were also lackluster.

On Special Teams, one player in particular sticks out in everyone's mind: Riley Cooper. When the Lions were down just three points with less than two minutes left, they opted for the onside kick, which they recovered thanks to a mishandling of the ball by Rookie Wide Reciever Riley Cooper. This play could have cost the team the game; thankfully, it did not. Overall, Special Teams play needs to durastically improve.

Grading:

Offense: A (Strong outings by Vick and McCoy)
Defense: C (Almost lost the game, gave up 3td's to a rookie rb)
Special Teams: D (Almost lost the game on onsides kick)

Overall: B

Opinion: Kevin Kolb should be the Eagles' Starter

It appears there is a quarterback controversy brewing in Philadelphia. After Michael Vick's "legendary" performance (200+ total yards, 1 touchdown) and after Kevin Kolb's abysmal one (5/10, 25 yards), people everywhere are beginning to doubt the decision making of the Eagles' front office. Some feel McNabb should have never been let go, others feel Kevin Kolb just isn't capable of being a starting quarterback. Whatever the case is, it is without a doubt that the Eagles' have a major problem on their hands. In my opinion, however, there is no controversy. Kevin Kolb should be the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. Period.

Everyone should remember one thing when thinking about whether or not Mike Vick should be the Eagles' starter in 2010: after 2010, Mike Vick is going to be long gone. His contract expires at the end of the year, and anyone that thinks he is going to stay in Philadelphia is delusional. Vick is looking out for himself; he doesn't want to start for the purpose of helping the team, he wants to start because he wants to raise his value in the open market. Knowing that Vick will be long gone next year, starting him this year would simply delay the rebuilding year this team needs yet another year. Next year this team will be back at square one yet again, and more likely than not, with Kevin Kolb back as the team's starter. Kolb is the future of the Philadelphia Eagles, whether anyone likes it or not. Even if Kolb does absoloutely terrible for the rest of the year, the Eagles owe it to him to give him an opportunity to prove himself. If by the end of the year he does not show any sign of improvement, then the Eagles will have to draft yet another franchise quarterback. Then the rebuilding will begin yet again.

It seems as though Philadelphia fans don't truly understand the meaning of "rebuilding". Every team needs to say goodbye to the old and hello to the new. The Colts did it with Manning, the Patriots did it with Brady, and the Eagles will do it with Kolb. Throwing in a washed up quarterback as a band aid is not going to benefit this team. At best, they win a few more games and maybe make the playoffs. The sooner people accept that Kevin Kolb is the future of this team, and get the idea of Michael Vick out of their heads, the sooner the team will pull together and play to its full potential. The last thing the Eagles need is another T.O-Donovan split in the locker room. A united team is a winning team.

And if anything, let's wait a little longer than the first half of the first game of the season to judge the future of the franchise.

What to do, what to do

Where to start concerning today's game? Injuries? How about the lack of a potent offense? The timeouts that were needlesly called with 5 minutes remaining in the game? First of all, four Eagles were seriously injured, including Jamaal Jackson (torn bicep), Leonard Weaver (torn acl), Stewart Bradley (concussion), and Kevin Kolb (concussion). Jason Peters suffered a mild sprain but returned to action. The thing that concerns me is, why were Bradley and Kolb placed back in the game despite suffering concussions? Bradley could hardly walk and Kolb clearly was off his game, yet they were both placed back in the game until halftime. The team is lucky neither of the two were hit in the head again, or who knows what would have happened. Obivously, everyone is concerned about Kolb's performance (or lack of). Kolb looked insecure with his throws, threw needlesly off of his back foot, and threw into double coverage more times than I can remember. While I am with Kolb 100% of the way, he needs to step up his game if he wants to keep his starting job. Another that concerns me is the use of all three timeouts with more than 5 MINUTES remaining in the game. Had the Eagles saved these timeouts, they would have gotten the ball back with roughly three minutes remaining, and when Vick didn't convert on 4th down, could have probably forced Green Bay to at least run some plays and hoped for a 3 and out.

Overall grading:

Coaching: C (poor use of timeouts, lackluster play call, and terrible special teams play)
Offense: C (despite terrible play by Kolb, Vick seems to have saved some dignity)
Defense: B (intercepted Rodgers twice, held Green Bay for the most part)
Special Teams: D (Nelson had three straight kickoff returns of over 28 yards)
Overall: C

Eagles make final roster cuts: trim down to final 53 players

Today, the Eagles completed their final round of roster cuts, including the following:
TE Cornelius Ingram
WR Chad Hall
WR Jordan Norwood
WR Kelley Washington
Center A.Q. Shipley
Center Dallas Reynolds
Guard Max Jean Gilles
Guard Stacy Andrews
OL Fenuki Tupou
DE Eric Moncur
DT Jeff Owens
LB Tracy White
Safety Macho Harris
Safety Quintin Demps

It should be noted that White was dealt to New England for a draft pick in 2012, and
Stacy Andrews was traded to Seattle in exchange for a late draft pick in the 2011 draft. The roster at this point stands at 52 men, and sources indicate the team will
most likely re-sign Lineman Max Jean-Gilles, who is now a free agent. The team also
completed a deal that will send an undisclosed 2011 draft pick to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for Defensive End/Linebacker Antwan Barnes.

The team will most likely keep a few of the cut players for the 8 man practice squad, which will likely be released later this weekend.

Player Analysis: Reggie Wells

Height: 6'4"
Weight: 314 lbs
Age: 29
Experience: 8 years
Position: Offensive Guard

Earlier today, the Eagles acquired guard Reggie Wells in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals in return for an undisclosed draft pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. The Eagles are clearly looking to bolster an offensive line that has proven to be lackluster throughout the entire preseason, and hopefully will do so with the acquisition. Wells, a Pennsylvania native that played his college ball with Clarion University, had played in 90 straight games with the Arizona Cardinals before being traded. The newly acquired guard looks to unseat current left guard Todd Herremans, who was bothered by a foot injury last season. Whether the Eagles intend to start Wells or use him as a means of inspiring the current starters to outplay their expectations, one thing is for certain: Wells will certainly have an impact on an extremely lethargic and unproven Offensive Line.

Photo Credit: The Canadian Press

Eagles make first round of cuts; acquire guard Reggie Wells

Today, the Eagles made their first round of cuts, including the follwing players:
Running Back J.J. Arrington (#33)
Running Back Martell Mallett (#29)
Wide Receiver Dobson Collins (#11)
Defensive End Pannel Egboh (#63)
Tight End Nate Lawrie (#83)
Tackle Jeraill McCuller (#73)
Cornerback David Pender (#37)
Cornerback Geoff Pope (#30)
Defensive Tackle Boo Robinson (#66)
Safety Anthony Scirrotto (#47)

In addition, the Eagles will recieve a 6th round draft pick from the Broncos in 2012 as compensation for releasing Arrington, who was acquired by the Eagles in a trade with Denver earlier this summer. Today, the Eagles also completed a trade with the Arizona Cardinals that will bring guard Reggie Wells to Philadelphia in exchange for an undisclosed pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Defensive End Victor Abiamiri, who underwent microfracture knee surgery in the offseason, was also placed on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list, meaning he is ineligable to play in the Eagles' first six games this season. After that, the Eagles have the option to either activate him or place him on the Injured Reserve for the remainder of the season.

The remainder of the Eagles' cuts must be completed by the 6 p.m. deadline Saturday night, meaning 12 more players will be cut to make room for the final 53 man roster.

Why Kevin Kolb is the Future

"The quarterback slipped off one of his boots – this is why real outdoorsmen wear them – attached it to the end of a stick that he picked from the ground and dangled it in front of the hissing western diamondback. The rattlesnake struck the boot. The boot danced and the snake struck again. And again. Nearly 10 times the snake attacked the boot. Until, finally, the snake recoiled and lay lifeless on the ground. What do you know? It worked. That show on the Discovery Channel reported that a rattlesnake will play dead when prey doesn't fall victim to its spectacular bite.

So the quarterback reached down and plucked the rattlesnake by its neck and held it out. With his other hand, he retrieved the .38 caliber handgun fastened to his hip and fired a round into the rattler's head. He then used his favorite pocketknife to cut off the rattles. Thirteen of them!"

Bass Fishing With Kevin Kolb, Part One: The Quarterback's Shot at Destiny -- NFL FanHouse:

Preseason Game 4 Observations

Last night, the Eagles finished up their fourth and final preseason game in a 21-17 loss to the New York Jets. With roster cuts coming on Saturday, it was the final chance for many players to show the coaches why they should be on the team. One player that certainly did not disappoint was 7th round draft pick Kurt Coleman, a safety out of Ohio State. Coleman capitalized on two New York fumbles with, to the delight of many, two touchdowns (one a 64 yard return, the other an 8 yard return). With last night's game, Coleman seems to have solidified his spot on the Eagles 53-man roster. As far as the offense goes, Michael Vick went 3 for 5, passing for 56 yards while Mike Kafka, the Eagles fourth round pick out of Northwestern University, went a measly 9 for 27, throwing for 76 yards. Despite Kafka's horrendous stats, it seemed as though many of the incompletions were a result of sloppy play by the receivers, including Dobson Collins and Kelley Washington, who seemingly dropped every ball that was thrown to them. The running game was non existent as usual, with the team rushing for a combined 72 yards. For the Eagles to have any success this year (as well as in any future year), they will need to evenly divide the pass and run game. We've seen this same situation in the past few years, where he-who-must-not-be-named would throw for 400 yards and Westbrook would rush for 10, maybe 20, yards if Reid was feeling generous. With a young quarterback like Kevin Kolb, the Eagles will not be able to remain a pass heavy team, at least not for the next few years. Overall, the Eagles finished 2-2 this preseason, and besides the game winning drive last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, the team has looked fairly lackluster. While it looks highly unlikely the Eagles will beat Green Bay in Week 1, we can do nothing but sit back and,like every year, pray. Check back Saturday for an update on the Eagles roster cuts, including who was cut and a rundown of the team's final 53 man roster.