When The Hell Did This Happen?
Add this to the list of confounding mysteries that surround the 2009 season: Winston Justice has become the Eagles most dependable offensive lineman. What?
Is this the same guy that was nearly run out of town the last two offseasons? Is this the same guy who looked braindead on that fateful September night in 2007? Is this the same guy everyone wanted to replace with Jon Runyan this summer?
Yep, that’s him. Believe it or not, Justice played okay against the Raiders. I re-watched the game and came to the same conclusion as Moving the Chains. Sheil’s assessment sums it up best:
He [Justice] was easily the Eagles’ best offensive lineman Sunday. Justice was solid in pass protection throughout. When watching the game live, it may have looked like he gave up a sack in the fourth quarter, but it was Justice against two blitzing linebackers. He had no chance. Bad play call and play design to run a slow-developing play-action pass on 3rd-and 7 with the way the Raiders had been pressuring McNabb. Justice did a bad job on a run play to McCoy to the outside in the third quarter.
He wasn’t perfect, but in a game ripe with awful individual performances, Winston, like he’s done in every game this year, held his own. He still has some major tests upcoming, but I have more faith in him than I do either Max or Nick at this point.
Hopefully, Herremans can get back soon, so Nick can slide over to right guard, where he was serviceable last year. I’m convinced either Stacy has no clue what he’s doing, or his knee is nowhere close to being right. I wish Reid would reveal what the specific issue is with the guy, rather than dancing around the subject during press conferences. If his knee is bothering him, just tell us.
At any rate, Winston Justice has turned himself into a player. How many of us thought that would ever happen?
