Archive for September, 2010

Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb probably spent many years dreaming about his debut as an NFL starter. This rainy afternoon in south Philadelphia was surely not what he had in mind.

Michael Vick got his first real chance to run the Eagles offense since his return to the NFL when Kevin Kolb went down with a concussion.  The 30-year-old nearly led a comeback from a 17 point deficit, but couldn’t convert on 4th and 1 from the Packers 42 yardline with 2:00 remaining and the Eagles fell 27-20.  Vick completed 16 of his 24 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown, while running for 103 yards on 11 carries. Vick showed that he’s come closer to regaining the speed he had prior to his 2-year absence from the league, scrambling 31 [...]

The Packers lead the Eagles 27-10 after three quarters.  Aaron Rodgers has a pair of touchdown passes, the most recent a 32-yard strike to Greg Jennings.  Rodgers found Donald Driver from six yards out in the second quarter.  Green Bay’s other touchdown came on a 3-yard run by John Kuhn in the third quarter. With Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb sidelined due to a concussion, Michael Vick is getting his first true chance in the regular season since his NFL return.  The speedy quarterback has been up and down.  Vick’s dynamic 31-yard scramble across the field to the far corner got [...]

Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb and middle linebacker Stewart Bradley both have concussions and will not return to today’s game against the Packers.  Kolb was injured on a hit from behind by Clay Matthews on a one yard run. Kolb was 5-for-10 for 24 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in his first game as the Eagles starter and the third start of his career.  Kolb returned to the field after the hit, but did not return in the second half. The Packers lead the Eagles 13-3 with 11:29 left in the third quarter.

The Packers lead the Eagles 13-3 at halftime, in a game that doesn’t have much rhythm due to a slew of injuries, penalties and offensive ineptitude. Philadelphia opened the scoring with a 45-yard David Akers field goal in the middle of the first quarter. Green Bay answered with a Mason Crosby field goal in the second quarter. The lone touchdown of the game belongs to Donald Driver on a six-yard reception from Aaron Rodgers, with Joselio Hanson in coverage.  The Packers took the lead on the play with 1:48 left in the second quarter. Green Bay added three more on [...]

Despite all of the talk surrounding Kevin Kolb’s debut in Philadelphia, it was Michael Vick and the defense boosting the Eagles to an early 3-0 lead over the Packers during the first quarter.  Joselio Hanson’s interception of Aaron Rodgers set the Eagles up for a drive that culminated in a 45-yard David Akers field goal. Those three points came largely due to Vick, who was on the field for three of the Eagles first 10 offensive plays.  The biggest was his 13-yard run on 3rd and 21 that put the Eagles within Akers field goal range. Juqua Parker also had [...]

Below is the Twitter feed from ITI’s Ryan Messick at Lincoln Financial Field. //

The Eagles open their season today against the Packers as three-point underdogs, facing one of the preseason favorites to make a run at an NFC Championship and a trip to the Super Bowl. If Philadelphia is going to come away with a season opening win, the Birds will need to execute at a high level and keep the following keys at the forefront of their game plan. 1. Protect Kevin Kolb – The Eagles offensive line is one of the big question marks headed into the season. Are Todd Herremans and Jamaal Jackson truly at 100 percent? Is Nick Cole [...]

When you think of the Packers, Aaron Rodgers is certainly the first name that comes to mind.  Entering his third year as a starter, the Cal product has already topped 4,000 yards in both of his seasons at the helm and thrown for 58 touchdowns and 20 picks.  Rodgers has also run for nine touchdowns, making him a bit of a threat with his legs as well. Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott knows that applying pressure is essential for Philadelphia. “Against any opponent you want to get to the quarterback and Aaron Rodgers is no different. He’s a great quarterback and [...]

Despite DeSean Jackson’s statement yesterday that he would be returning punts this Sunday when the Eagles face the Packers to open their season, head coach Andy Reid says that’s still up in the air.  “I’m debating on that right now, but we’ll see how it goes there,” Reid said. Yesterday, Jackson said that he was told he’d be returning punts again this year. “They tried a little bit, I guess, to give some other people opportunities to go out there and do it. I guess, you know, it didn’t work out too well and they still want me to do [...]

Leading up to gametime, Ernie Sims is all about the gospel music.  The linebacker who loves a good hard hit as much as anybody tries to listen to something soothing before the game to reign in his aggressiveness, because he knows he’ll be full steam ahead once the game starts. Before kickoff, Sims aims to keep himself calm.  “Just be myself. If I can, I listen to music.  If I don’t have music, I just relax,” he said.   The former Lion may have to work even harder to stay calm before this week’s season opener with the Packers. The atmosphere [...]

DeSean Jackson is one of the best punt returners in the NFL, if not the absolute best.  But the wide receiver is also the Eagles top offensive weapon, which causes a conundrum.  Throughout training camp, the Birds flirted with the idea of having several other players return punts to avoid the risk of injury. Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, J.J. Arrington, Jorrick Calvin and Chad Hall all auditioned for the role.  Special teams coordinator Bobby April mentioned during training camp that it’s a tough decision for a head coach to make, given the value Jackson brings to the offense. “There’s other [...]