EAGLES OFFENSE
The Philadelphia Eagles offense is, in a word, “explosive.” They are led by star quarterback Donovan McNabb and his slew of weapons that include Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson, tight end Brent Celek and rookies Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy. They still have running back Brian Westbrook, who has been a thorn in the side of the Dallas Cowboys since coming into the NFL nine years ago. Let’s not forget the ultimate secret weapon, QB Michael Vick, who has shown signs of dominance this season and could be a major factor in the playoffs.
If Eagles head coach Andy Reid wants to throw the Cowboys defense a curveball, Vick could come in as a “wildcat” option or a regular quarterback as he proved against the Atlanta Falcons that flashes of the “old Michael Vick” are alive and well. Don’t forget that as a member of the Falcons, Michael Vick led his team in Lambeau Field and won a playoff game against the vaunted Brett Favre-led Green Bay Packers, so he has shown the ability to step up in big-game situations.
Philadelphia missed out on a chance to secure the second seed in the NFC, which comes with a first round bye and second round game at home. Therefore, they will have to return back to Cowboys Stadium, where they were dominated for four quarters by the Dallas Cowboys. They appeared to have the legs of a boxer who got stunned in the first round and tried to hold on for a unanimous decision.
Tight end Brent Celek was the only Eagles offensive player to have any sort of success in Week 17. Rookie WR Jeremy Maclin missed a wide open pass across the middle of the field that could have led to major yardage. Pro Bowl starting wide receiver DeSean Jackson will have to make a much bigger impact if they are to have a chance to avoid being beaten three times in one season by their division foes. He appeared a little slow in the second half, so it is possible he may have been a little banged up.
The Eagles advanced to the NFC Championship as a sixth seed last season, so if they are hoping for a repeat performance, Andy Reid will need to begin the playoffs with a completely different scheme than the one he featured in the final week in Arlington. He’s a smart offensive mind and you can bet he has a few tricks that he did not show during the regular season that will make the playoff game a much different story.
EAGLES DEFENSE
The Eagles defense was torched by the Dallas offense last week, giving up 24 points and 474 yards of offense in a game they needed to get the bye and a number two seed. Dallas moved the ball at will on them. The only bright spot of the day was an interception by Joselio Hanson inside the ten yard line off a deflection by Asante Samuel. In 2009, the Eagles defense picked off opposing quarterbacks in 13 of 16 games and had 38 take-aways (25 interceptions, 13 fumble recoveries), their highest total since also compiling 38 in 2002 (15 interceptions, 23 fumble recoveries). It was also the highest interception total by the Eagles since picking off 28 in 1999.
They rank 12th in the league in total defense which puts them a little above average. They tied with two other teams for third in the league with 44 sacks. They couldn’t put much pressure on Romo although they did manage two sacks after the game was pretty much in hand for the Cowboys. That is troubling for a blitz happy team who prides themselves on pressuring the quarterback. “He’s a good quarterback,” said cornerback Asante Samuel. “It seemed like he knew every formation that we lined up in. All of his reads were correct. Their offense did a good job today.”
“It brought us back to reality,” Eagles defensive end Trent Cole said. “The NFC East [title] doesn’t mean nothing. It’s not the Super Bowl. That’s what we’re playing for.” Asante Samuel and Trent Cole were named to the Pro Bowl. The defense laid off the blitz in the first half last week against Dallas and got burned. They must pressure Romo or they will be done for the season. Stopping the Dallas run will be crucial.
Click Here to read more about The REMATCH!!! Part 2
