Archive for December, 2011

Check out this grid detailing the astounding performance of the 1991 Eagles defense. Some highlights: The 1991 Eagles allowed less than 100 yards passing FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES. What’s more, no team threw for more than 233 yards passing in any game against that group. And, just for good measure, only two teams eclipsed the 100-yard mark against the Eagles that season. Remarkable. While the game has changed over the past twenty years, take a look at how those numbers compare to the current defensive group. Through only 12 games, the Eagles have allowed more than 233 yards passing five times, [...]

Noted sports scribe Zach Berman contributed a terrific piece to Philadelphia Sportsweek that hit newsstands this morning on the 1991 Eagles, long beloved in this area for their relentless defense despite failing to qualify for postseason play. That team, along with the 1986 Chicago Bears and 2000 Baltimore Ravens have long been considered the best defensive teams in the history of professional football. As Berman notes, the 1991 Eagles finished the season ranked No. 1 in total defense, rushing defense, and passing defense. A rare feat that hadn’t been accomplish since the mid-1970s by the Minnesota Vikings and hasn’t been [...]

Jim Mora Jr., who Philadelphia Daily News writer Paul Domowitch earlier this week suggested could be on a short list of candidates to replace current Eagles head coach Andy Reid, has been hired by UCLA to in an attempt to revive the struggling program. Mora, 50, found some success early in his coaching career with Michael Vick, but his stints in Atlanta and Seattle have been overall unimpressive on the way to a 31-33 record as an NFL head coach. For UCLA, the move is a solid one. For the Eagles, the hire of Mora would have been a setback. [...]

Editor’s note: Staff writer Steve Fini takes a look at five players who will most influence Miami’s upcoming win over the Eagles. Cameron Wake (OLB/DE/Dolphins) – This former Penn State product is the best player on Miami’s roster. He’s a beast off the edge and can beat any tackle in the league. Eagles LT Jason Peters has played at a Pro-Bowl level this year and has kept some of the game’s best pass rushers in the league at bay. Even though Wake doesn’t have the name recognition of some of his peers, he’s known around the league as one of [...]

1. Dallas Cowboys (7-5): It’s not just that the Cowboys laid down against the Cardinals in an important game that could have generated some breathing room atop the division, it’s that they laid down, had the game won, yet somehow still managed to lose. Jason Garrett summoned his inner Marty Mornhinweg in his team’s dreadful loss to the Cardinals last week. With the game on the line, Garrett chose to ice his kicker on what would’ve been a game-winning field goal, a move unprecedented in its stupidity, save for Mornhinweg’s outrageous decision to take the wind in overtime in a [...]

Geoff Mosher of The News Journal reports that much maligned Eagles linebacker Casey Matthews will replace Jamar Chaney in the team’s nickel packages this week against the Dolphins. The move makes sense on several levels. Matthews was thrown into an impossible situation and failed miserably as a starting linebacker over the first couple weeks of the season. He was then moved to outside linebacker, thought to be a more natural fit for the rookie, but it didn’t matter. Matthews hit rock bottom when New York running back Brandon Jacobs torched Matthews on a wheel route for a 40-yard touchdown in [...]

Eagles defensive end Trent Cole has been fined a cool $7,500 after intentionally flipping Seattle offensive tackle Russell Okung during last Thursday’s loss to the Seahawks. The play, which occurred with under two minutes to go in the fourth quarter, resulted in a season-ending triceps injury to Okung. Cole, for his part, was feeling rather unapologetic when he spoke to reporters Wednesday. “I’m not a dirty player,” Cole said. “At the time, all the stuff that led up to that, there was a lot of stuff that happened in that game. … Watch that game closely and key on Okung [...]

Contrary to popular belief, Andy Reid is stilly employed by the Philadelphia Eagles. I know this is a shocking development, particularly if you’ve read The Philadelphia Daily News over the last two months. According to today’s edition, the question is no longer if Reid will be fired, but rather who will replace him when he’s fired next month. Paul Domowitch, who I usually enjoy reading, breaks down an absurd list of potential Reid replacements under the false pretense that it’s a forgone conclusion the Eagles’ coach of 13 seasons will be dismissed. I’ve stated in this space numerous times that [...]

Editor’s Note: Written by staff writer Steve Fini The Eagles may be mathematically alive for a playoff spot, but let’s face it–the season is over. The once inconceivable descent to a top-5 pick in April’s NFL Draft is becoming more likely as each loss mounts. Fans will be pining for a franchise-changing player. Since Andy Reid took over in 1999, the Eagles have only had two top ten draft picks–Donovan McNabb in 1999 (second overall) and Corey Simon in 2000 (sixth overall). So while the team’s draft performance in the first round under Reid has been mediocre at best, he [...]

The growing majority of fans have reached their boiling point with Eagles’ head coach Andy Reid after a disastrous 4-8 start to what was once (Week 1) a promising season. Numerous draft busts, blind faith in unprepared and undeserving coaches and missed free agent signings have transformed the Eagles from a team thought to have an embarrassment of riches into one that can be described as nothing short of a mess. Who’s to blame for the chaotic and turbulent flight that was destined for a crash landing just shortly after takeoff? Andy Reid and Howie Roseman, of course. But we [...]

Editor’s note: Parts of this article were originally published on Oct. 20. The saga of Donovan McNabb continued this past week when he was released by the Minnesota Vikings, the third team to dispose of McNabb in the last 19 months. So where will McNabb land next, if anywhere? Despite an obvious need at quarterback, the Bears appear in no hurry to bring in McNabb to stabalize a rapidly deteriorating situation. Wide receiver Devin Hester said Monday that bringing in McNabb wouldn’t make sense, explaining that it would be virtually impossible for McNabb to learn Mike Martz’ system on the [...]

Hey. I know Monday’s can be tough for everyone. It’s the holidays, we’re all a bit stressed, and Monday’s are just nasty and inconvenient in general. So I want to greet you this morning with a little cheer that is sure to add some sunshine to your foggy Monday morning. So here is a list of teams with a better record than the Philadelphia Eagles after Week 13: Patriots, Jets, Bills, Ravens, Steelers, Bengals, Texans, Titans, The entire AFC West (if the Chargers win tonight), Cowboys, Giants, Packers, Bears, Lions, Saints, Falcons, 49ers, Seahawks, Cardinals. That’s 22 teams. That’s pretty [...]