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January-16th-2007, 04:22 PM
By Shawn Clarke, NFL Contributing Editor
http://www.wpxi.com/nfl/10762764/detail.html
(Sports Network) - You can turn off Steppenwolf, because Philly's magic carpet ride came to a sudden halt in the Big Easy over the weekend.
Riding the wave of six straight wins and a quarterback seemingly destined for glory, the Eagles drifted through opponents over the last month, and fought hard with hopes of bringing a championship back home.
However, it was the New Orleans Saints that found Aladdin's lamp, and were granted a 27-24 win at the Superdome in the divisional round of the playoffs on Saturday night. Instead of the Eagles heading to Chicago for the NFC title game, New Orleans will take the trip to the Windy City for a shot at a first- ever Super Bowl appearance.
Though they defied the expectations of many late in the year, the NFC East- champion Eagles only have themselves to blame for their season-ending loss. Dumb penalties, poor play-calling in crucial situations, and a run defense resembling its dismal mid-season form hurt them on Saturday.
Jim Johnson's run defense had been brutal prior to the team's six-game win streak, though it appeared the Eagles had that problem figured out. Johnson could do nothing to stop Saints running backs Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush on Saturday, however. McAllister barreled his way to 143 yards and a touchdown, while Bush compiled 74 total yards of offense with a score. McAllister killed the Eagles with crushing runs, including a leveling hit on Sean Considine and a move that left Jeremiah Trotter searching for his knees.
Other Eagles defensive players like Dhani Jones were victimized by the yellow flag. Jones was whistled for illegal contact, which wiped out a Trent Cole sack. Jones will most likely not be an Eagle next year after spending the last three seasons with the team. He has been a major disappointment in Philly.
Offensive lineman Scott Young played in his first career playoff game, after Pro Bowl guard Shawn Andrews left the contest with a neck contusion, and had a night to forget. On two separate occasions, Young was flagged to nullify big plays for the Eagles. The first one was a holding call that negated a 22-yard run by Garcia, and the second was the most grueling. With the Eagles facing 4th-and-10 late in the game, Garcia completed a pass to Hank Baskett for a first down, but Young was flagged for a false start.
After Young's false start penalty which made it 4th-and-15, the Eagles opted to punt and put all their faith in a defense which had been shredded all night. The Saints got the ball back, and predictably, never relinquished possession.
Philadelphia should have gone for it on fourth-down, with the season in the balance. Even though the play before was the perfect call, the Eagle must have had another play they could have used in that situation instead of punting. It wasn't a cowardly call, but it certainly wasn't a wise choice to punt.
If only Freddie Mitchell was still on the roster. :laugh: Mitchell was the wideout who caught a 26-yard pass on 4th-and-26 in the divisional round of the playoffs against Green Bay in 2003.
Head coach Andy Reid said he learned a lot about himself this season, especially in handing over the play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg midway through the year. But there were a few moments against the Saints when Mornhinweg and the Eagles' attack could have taken extreme advantage but didn't. For instance, on third-and-one from the four-yard line, Jeff Garcia hit Thomas Tapeh for a two-yard loss, and the team settled for a David Akers field goal.
Why go to Tapeh at that moment? Why not use Westbrook, or even a play-action pass towards the end zone?
It is questions like those that will torment the long-suffering Philadelphia fan base over another bitter winter.
GARCIA WANTS TO RETURN
Jeff Garcia signed with the Eagles in the offseason to be Donovan McNabb's backup, and also wanted to play for a contender.
After McNabb went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 11 versus Tennessee, Garcia himself might not have predicted that he would be the one turning Philadelphia into a playoff contender. Garcia couldn't help the Eagles against the Titans, and then lost his first start the following week in Indianapolis, dropping Philly to 5-6 on the year.
But Week 13 against Carolina is when Garcia made believers out of doubters, and quieted the chants for third-string quarterback A.J. Feeley. Garcia brought passion and emotion to the huddle, and it showed as the Eagles won that game and five more after it.
Against the Saints, Garcia completed 15 of his 30 pass attempts for a commendable 240 yards and a touchdown.
"I really hope something can be worked out because this is one of the more enjoyable experiences that I've had in my NFL career," Garcia noted. "I can just see this team continuing to go in the right direction. That's really what it's all about. That's what I want to be a part of.
"(Another situation) would have to be pretty special for me to want to walk away from what is going on here because I think is a special situation."
Garcia, who passed for 1,309 yards with 10 TDs and two INTs this year, helped the Eagles to their fifth division title in six years, and garnered much positive publicity along the way. Even Wilma McNabb, Donovan's mother, was worried her son would be fed to the wolves if Garcia led the team to a win in Super Bowl XLI.
Now Wilma can breathe a sigh of relief.
McNabb could miss the first few games of the 2007 season, which is a big reason why the Eagles need to bring Garcia back. Even though McNabb is recovering from knee surgery and needs nearly a year of rehabilitation, he will still be the starter when ready to return. McNabb is the franchise quarterback and makes a ton of money, and don't forget that he was having an MVP-type season before tearing the ACL in his right knee. He ended with 2,647 passing yards with 18 TD passes and six picks this season.
McNabb is a fighter and enjoys proving people wrong. He will get another shot some time next season to win back the fans' confidence, but the potential presence of Garcia could provide some additional drama in that regard.
HOW MUCH B-WEST WILL EAGLES SEE IN 2007?
Garcia wouldn't have had so much success towards the end of the season if it wasn't for running back Brian Westbrook. The Eagles are well-known for passing first, then running much, much later, but Westbrook broke that tradition and benefited greatly after Mornhinweg took over the play-calling.
Westbrook, who had 116 yards and two TDs against the Saints, proved to the NFL world he belongs on a Pro Bowl roster, and enjoyed the best season of his young career. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the first time in his career (1,217 yards) and recorded 699 yards receiving this season.
The Villanova product, who is the first Eagle in franchise history to have back-to-back 100-yard rushing games in the postseason, started getting more carries midway through the 2006 campaign, and history must repeat itself next season. He proved that the Eagles can have an effective running game, with a young offensive line in the fold, and deserves to be mentioned with the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson, Larry Johnson and Steven Jackson as top backs in the league.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR NEXT SEASON
In order to improve a run defense ranked 26th in the NFL, 2006 First-Round draft pick Brodrick Bunkley must work hard to get involved more often.
Bunkley appeared in just 14 games this past season, and recorded only nine tackles during a season in which he was still learning the system and proper techniques. Missing more than two weeks of training camp didn't help matters for Bunkley either.
The former Florida State star is well-known for his strength, while his 300- pound frame can be a presence in the middle of a defensive line. Bunkley is more determined than ever to come back and prove he was a worthy draft pick.
"You just have to work hard," Bunkley said. "Just day-in, day-out, doing things like watching my weight. I can't get too heavy like I did in the past. I just have to work hard. Last season opened my eyes a little bit, I've never been through a thing like that in my life. It's really been a motivation for me to go in and work real hard during this off-season and get back next season and do it all over again."
Bunkley is expected to spend the offseason in Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, the Eagles must find a strong side linebacker for next season, whether through the draft or via free agency. Middle man Jeremiah Trotter should remain a fixture, but the Eagles need to say goodbye to Dhani Jones and Matt McCoy. Rookie LB Omar Gaither was inserted into the starting lineup late in the season, and did an excellent job.
2006 draft pick Chris Gocong never got a chance to show what he can do at linebacker because of injury. He could be the strong side LB Philly is looking for, but will have to battle for the spot in mini-camps and training camp.
"I've never been injured before," Gocong said. "This has been really tough to sit out an entire season. I want to use this time to drop a little weight because I'm definitely not in game shape. I just want to do everything I can. It's just hard because I can't simulate game speed. During the off-season, I'm going to work myself as hard as possible."
Also, safety Sean Considine needs to add at least 10-15 pounds this offseason, because he is too light to make the big hits on running backs and receivers. Considine took over for Michael Lewis, who most likely played his last game as an Eagle on Saturday. Once a starter, Lewis' play dropped off in 2005 and carried over this season. Lewis wants to be a starter in the NFL, but it won't be with the Eagles, who feel he cannot cover the pass as well as Considine.
Defensive end Jevon Kearse will be back after going down with a knee injury in a memorable Week 2 loss versus the rival New York Giants.
Safety Brian Dawkins got off to a slow start before ending the season on an All-Pro level. Dawkins, the longest-tenured athlete in Philadelphia, is not getting any younger, and drafting his possible replacement this year would be a good idea. Reid though he had one in safety/return man J.R. Reed, but the talented player severed a major tendon in his leg after trying to jump a fence in the offseason. Reed is no longer with the team.
Besides Garcia, the offense must bring back wide receiver Donte' Stallworth. Stallworth joined the Eagles in a trade with the Saints and served as a nice complement to second-year wideout Reggie Brown. Stallworth, who missed a few games with a hamstring injury, recorded 725 yards and five TDs in 2006, and can keep safeties off the line of scrimmage because of his speed.
Against his former team at the Superdome, he posted a game-high 100 receiving yards on three receptions, including a 75-yard touchdown reception, the longest pass and touchdown play in Eagles postseason history.
"It's unfortunate that our season came to an end. We were on a great roll," he said after the playoff loss in the Big Easy.
If Stallworth is not brought back the Eagles must draft a wideout or acquire one through free agency or trade. Twenty-one of the team's 22 starters in 2006 are signed for next season, except for Stallworth.
NEXT SEASON'S OPPONENTS SET
The 2007 NFL schedule certainly doesn't favor the Eagles, who will take on seven teams that reached the playoffs in 2006.
Philadelphia will host Dallas, the New York Giants, Washington, Chicago, Detroit, Seattle, Buffalo and Miami. The Eagles will then visit the Cowboys, Giants, Redskins, Packers, Vikings, Saints, Patriots and Jets.
http://www.wpxi.com/nfl/10762764/detail.html
(Sports Network) - You can turn off Steppenwolf, because Philly's magic carpet ride came to a sudden halt in the Big Easy over the weekend.
Riding the wave of six straight wins and a quarterback seemingly destined for glory, the Eagles drifted through opponents over the last month, and fought hard with hopes of bringing a championship back home.
However, it was the New Orleans Saints that found Aladdin's lamp, and were granted a 27-24 win at the Superdome in the divisional round of the playoffs on Saturday night. Instead of the Eagles heading to Chicago for the NFC title game, New Orleans will take the trip to the Windy City for a shot at a first- ever Super Bowl appearance.
Though they defied the expectations of many late in the year, the NFC East- champion Eagles only have themselves to blame for their season-ending loss. Dumb penalties, poor play-calling in crucial situations, and a run defense resembling its dismal mid-season form hurt them on Saturday.
Jim Johnson's run defense had been brutal prior to the team's six-game win streak, though it appeared the Eagles had that problem figured out. Johnson could do nothing to stop Saints running backs Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush on Saturday, however. McAllister barreled his way to 143 yards and a touchdown, while Bush compiled 74 total yards of offense with a score. McAllister killed the Eagles with crushing runs, including a leveling hit on Sean Considine and a move that left Jeremiah Trotter searching for his knees.
Other Eagles defensive players like Dhani Jones were victimized by the yellow flag. Jones was whistled for illegal contact, which wiped out a Trent Cole sack. Jones will most likely not be an Eagle next year after spending the last three seasons with the team. He has been a major disappointment in Philly.
Offensive lineman Scott Young played in his first career playoff game, after Pro Bowl guard Shawn Andrews left the contest with a neck contusion, and had a night to forget. On two separate occasions, Young was flagged to nullify big plays for the Eagles. The first one was a holding call that negated a 22-yard run by Garcia, and the second was the most grueling. With the Eagles facing 4th-and-10 late in the game, Garcia completed a pass to Hank Baskett for a first down, but Young was flagged for a false start.
After Young's false start penalty which made it 4th-and-15, the Eagles opted to punt and put all their faith in a defense which had been shredded all night. The Saints got the ball back, and predictably, never relinquished possession.
Philadelphia should have gone for it on fourth-down, with the season in the balance. Even though the play before was the perfect call, the Eagle must have had another play they could have used in that situation instead of punting. It wasn't a cowardly call, but it certainly wasn't a wise choice to punt.
If only Freddie Mitchell was still on the roster. :laugh: Mitchell was the wideout who caught a 26-yard pass on 4th-and-26 in the divisional round of the playoffs against Green Bay in 2003.
Head coach Andy Reid said he learned a lot about himself this season, especially in handing over the play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg midway through the year. But there were a few moments against the Saints when Mornhinweg and the Eagles' attack could have taken extreme advantage but didn't. For instance, on third-and-one from the four-yard line, Jeff Garcia hit Thomas Tapeh for a two-yard loss, and the team settled for a David Akers field goal.
Why go to Tapeh at that moment? Why not use Westbrook, or even a play-action pass towards the end zone?
It is questions like those that will torment the long-suffering Philadelphia fan base over another bitter winter.
GARCIA WANTS TO RETURN
Jeff Garcia signed with the Eagles in the offseason to be Donovan McNabb's backup, and also wanted to play for a contender.
After McNabb went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 11 versus Tennessee, Garcia himself might not have predicted that he would be the one turning Philadelphia into a playoff contender. Garcia couldn't help the Eagles against the Titans, and then lost his first start the following week in Indianapolis, dropping Philly to 5-6 on the year.
But Week 13 against Carolina is when Garcia made believers out of doubters, and quieted the chants for third-string quarterback A.J. Feeley. Garcia brought passion and emotion to the huddle, and it showed as the Eagles won that game and five more after it.
Against the Saints, Garcia completed 15 of his 30 pass attempts for a commendable 240 yards and a touchdown.
"I really hope something can be worked out because this is one of the more enjoyable experiences that I've had in my NFL career," Garcia noted. "I can just see this team continuing to go in the right direction. That's really what it's all about. That's what I want to be a part of.
"(Another situation) would have to be pretty special for me to want to walk away from what is going on here because I think is a special situation."
Garcia, who passed for 1,309 yards with 10 TDs and two INTs this year, helped the Eagles to their fifth division title in six years, and garnered much positive publicity along the way. Even Wilma McNabb, Donovan's mother, was worried her son would be fed to the wolves if Garcia led the team to a win in Super Bowl XLI.
Now Wilma can breathe a sigh of relief.
McNabb could miss the first few games of the 2007 season, which is a big reason why the Eagles need to bring Garcia back. Even though McNabb is recovering from knee surgery and needs nearly a year of rehabilitation, he will still be the starter when ready to return. McNabb is the franchise quarterback and makes a ton of money, and don't forget that he was having an MVP-type season before tearing the ACL in his right knee. He ended with 2,647 passing yards with 18 TD passes and six picks this season.
McNabb is a fighter and enjoys proving people wrong. He will get another shot some time next season to win back the fans' confidence, but the potential presence of Garcia could provide some additional drama in that regard.
HOW MUCH B-WEST WILL EAGLES SEE IN 2007?
Garcia wouldn't have had so much success towards the end of the season if it wasn't for running back Brian Westbrook. The Eagles are well-known for passing first, then running much, much later, but Westbrook broke that tradition and benefited greatly after Mornhinweg took over the play-calling.
Westbrook, who had 116 yards and two TDs against the Saints, proved to the NFL world he belongs on a Pro Bowl roster, and enjoyed the best season of his young career. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the first time in his career (1,217 yards) and recorded 699 yards receiving this season.
The Villanova product, who is the first Eagle in franchise history to have back-to-back 100-yard rushing games in the postseason, started getting more carries midway through the 2006 campaign, and history must repeat itself next season. He proved that the Eagles can have an effective running game, with a young offensive line in the fold, and deserves to be mentioned with the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson, Larry Johnson and Steven Jackson as top backs in the league.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR NEXT SEASON
In order to improve a run defense ranked 26th in the NFL, 2006 First-Round draft pick Brodrick Bunkley must work hard to get involved more often.
Bunkley appeared in just 14 games this past season, and recorded only nine tackles during a season in which he was still learning the system and proper techniques. Missing more than two weeks of training camp didn't help matters for Bunkley either.
The former Florida State star is well-known for his strength, while his 300- pound frame can be a presence in the middle of a defensive line. Bunkley is more determined than ever to come back and prove he was a worthy draft pick.
"You just have to work hard," Bunkley said. "Just day-in, day-out, doing things like watching my weight. I can't get too heavy like I did in the past. I just have to work hard. Last season opened my eyes a little bit, I've never been through a thing like that in my life. It's really been a motivation for me to go in and work real hard during this off-season and get back next season and do it all over again."
Bunkley is expected to spend the offseason in Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, the Eagles must find a strong side linebacker for next season, whether through the draft or via free agency. Middle man Jeremiah Trotter should remain a fixture, but the Eagles need to say goodbye to Dhani Jones and Matt McCoy. Rookie LB Omar Gaither was inserted into the starting lineup late in the season, and did an excellent job.
2006 draft pick Chris Gocong never got a chance to show what he can do at linebacker because of injury. He could be the strong side LB Philly is looking for, but will have to battle for the spot in mini-camps and training camp.
"I've never been injured before," Gocong said. "This has been really tough to sit out an entire season. I want to use this time to drop a little weight because I'm definitely not in game shape. I just want to do everything I can. It's just hard because I can't simulate game speed. During the off-season, I'm going to work myself as hard as possible."
Also, safety Sean Considine needs to add at least 10-15 pounds this offseason, because he is too light to make the big hits on running backs and receivers. Considine took over for Michael Lewis, who most likely played his last game as an Eagle on Saturday. Once a starter, Lewis' play dropped off in 2005 and carried over this season. Lewis wants to be a starter in the NFL, but it won't be with the Eagles, who feel he cannot cover the pass as well as Considine.
Defensive end Jevon Kearse will be back after going down with a knee injury in a memorable Week 2 loss versus the rival New York Giants.
Safety Brian Dawkins got off to a slow start before ending the season on an All-Pro level. Dawkins, the longest-tenured athlete in Philadelphia, is not getting any younger, and drafting his possible replacement this year would be a good idea. Reid though he had one in safety/return man J.R. Reed, but the talented player severed a major tendon in his leg after trying to jump a fence in the offseason. Reed is no longer with the team.
Besides Garcia, the offense must bring back wide receiver Donte' Stallworth. Stallworth joined the Eagles in a trade with the Saints and served as a nice complement to second-year wideout Reggie Brown. Stallworth, who missed a few games with a hamstring injury, recorded 725 yards and five TDs in 2006, and can keep safeties off the line of scrimmage because of his speed.
Against his former team at the Superdome, he posted a game-high 100 receiving yards on three receptions, including a 75-yard touchdown reception, the longest pass and touchdown play in Eagles postseason history.
"It's unfortunate that our season came to an end. We were on a great roll," he said after the playoff loss in the Big Easy.
If Stallworth is not brought back the Eagles must draft a wideout or acquire one through free agency or trade. Twenty-one of the team's 22 starters in 2006 are signed for next season, except for Stallworth.
NEXT SEASON'S OPPONENTS SET
The 2007 NFL schedule certainly doesn't favor the Eagles, who will take on seven teams that reached the playoffs in 2006.
Philadelphia will host Dallas, the New York Giants, Washington, Chicago, Detroit, Seattle, Buffalo and Miami. The Eagles will then visit the Cowboys, Giants, Redskins, Packers, Vikings, Saints, Patriots and Jets.