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Brian Westbrook discusses Eagles’ loss, Cowboys and more

By Anthony DiBona

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Thanks to Comcast and their brand new XFINITY X1 Sports App, former Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook talked about the Eagles’ disappointing Week 1 loss, the Cowboys’ rivalry and more with me earlier this week, exclusively for us here at InsideTheIggles.com!

Here’s what Brian Westbrook had to say in our exclusive interview with the former Eagles running back:

On being nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016….

“It’s really exciting. Just to be nominated is a blessing but it’s also just humbling. I came a long way but I’m just excited to even be mentioned as a name potentially in the Hall of Fame.”

On the Eagles’ Week 1 loss to the Falcons…

“Well I think a couple of things before the game happened that I think impacted the game just a bit. You got a brand new coach in Dan Quinn. He’s gotten down there, he has those guys fired up, ready to play. He was also a coach for Seattle, as everyone knows, those guys know how to play defense. And he had that team rev’d up, ready to go. They’re playing at home in front of the home crowd.

Then you have the Eagles on the other hand. They’ve been reading the press clippings, I would imagine, everyone is picking them for the Super Bowl and things like that. So now they’re coming into the game thinking they’re high and mighty and they’re playing a team that was 4-12 last year. So I don’t know if they were properly prepared going into the game or ready for the kind of buzz saw they ran into with the Falcons.

Then you go back to the game. You’ve got a quarterback that hasn’t played in two years. He’s playing with players he hasn’t played a regular season game with and limited time in the preseason. The truth is that it wasn’t a big surprise that Sam Bradford struggled a little bit, he had some jitters in the first quarter. And because of that and because of a lack of a running game. They struggled to move the ball and uphold the tempo they tried to establish.”

On the run game and if Chip Kelly abandoned it too early in the game…

“Well I think if you listen to Chip, he’ll say that because they were down and because they were trying to take away the run, he went straight to the passing game.

But I don’t care who your quarterback is, 52 passes is way too much. You have to find a way to impose your will on another team. I think because they gave up on the run so quick, they allowed the Falcons to basically impose their will on them. If you put eight guys in the box, it doesn’t mean you can’t run, it just may be a little but harder. Chip Kelly just didn’t really give them an opportunity to get things going in the run game at all.”

On Chip Kelly’s decision to have Cody Parkey kick quickly in the forth quarter…

“Well I think as far as the field goal situation, I want my kicker to be ready at all times and the kicker should be ready to kick at all times. I know Dave Fipp, who’s there special teams coach just a bit, I’m sure they’ve practiced quick kick situations.

So as a coach and as a player, no matter how much time you have on there, I want my kicker to be able to go out there and make that field goal. I think Cody Parkey would say the same thing, he just missed and that happens some times in sports.”

On Chip Kelly’s game plan in the first half…

“I wouldn’t say he had his best game as far as gameplanning. Too many runs, not changing things up until the second half and not taking any deep shots down the field. I think he is a much better play caller than what he displayed during that first game this past week.”

On Sam Bradford’s halftime speech and the importance of a leader in the locker room…

“Well, it’s nice to have that. I think that’s important to a lot of guys. But different guys are motivated in different ways. It’s always nice to have a quarterback that can step up and say “alright guys, we need to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to win this game and that all we need you to do is do your job. And if you do that, we’ll be successful.”

It’s always nice to have a quarterback that can say that to a team and can motivate you in that way. It’s just hard for me to understand why a football team in the first game of the year, not game thirteen or fourteen, would need to be motivated to play harder or to get their act together. I struggle with that just a bit. I think it’s great that Sam Bradford was able to step up and make that type of speech and get those guys going.”

On whether or not the Eagles are ready for this week’s game against the Dallas Cowboys…

“I sure hope they are. I think that obviously they have a lot of incentive to win this type of game because you don’t want to go 0-2 in the NFC, period. But at the same time, they got a lot of things they have to work on and get better at. If they don’t, they will not win the division.”

Lastly, let’s talk about the X1 Sports app that Comcast is launching right at the start of the NFL season. The updated app is loaded with everything a football fan could ever need. But you’ll never have to leave the comfort of your own couch as you can keep your eyes on the TV while also keeping track of your favorite team, players or even your fantasy football team! It’s all there in one nifty app, what more could you ask for?

Here’s a shot of the X1 Sports app in action:

Here’s a shot of the X1 Sports app in action. Everything you need is right there on the screen!

Just in case I didn’t sell you enough on this amazing app, here’s what everyone’s favorite Eagles running back of all time, Brian Westbrook, had to say about it:

“It’s all about making things easier for the fans. I spend a lot of time now watching games but also trying to get stats. But this makes it so much more simple for me that I have all of the stats. So basically you have the game in the middle of the screen and on the right side, you have live, at this moment stats that you can scroll through and see how many passing yards this player has, how many rushing yards, how many fantasy points my favorite player has, what’s going on in the game? This app has all of that.

For the people that want to get a little bit more in depth, that want to know what did the Eagles do on this drive? Those are important things for people that want a little more. That’s what this app is all about. Everything that you need as a fan is right there in front of you and you can view that as you watch the game. For me, I don’t know how much better of an experience you can get.”

Once again, thanks again to Brian Westbrook and Comcast for this outstanding interview. Be sure to check back here at InsideTheIggles.com for the latest news, analysis and more!

Next: Eagles-Cowboys Week 2 Preview: Five Storylines to Watch

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