| 20 August 2010
Fox TV sideline reporter Tony ("Goose") Siragusa admits his kids call him "Fred Flintstone"...I kinda like it!
Well, for the Eagles, it was nice to be on national Fox-TV prime-time coverage in August...but the evidence of game performance was somewhat incriminating. Let's just write it off to two factors: (1) The Bengals are a pretty good team; and (2) it's August!
The Bengals beat the Eagles' first team 7-6 in the first half, and their 2nd and 3rd teams dominated the Eagles' hopefuls to the final tune of 22-9, Cincy, by the end of the game.
No worries. The game had a kind of whimsical feel to it all along. But the Goose did make a poignant comment about the O-Line for the Birds: "This looks like a real problem area...guys are getting pushed back and pushed around...I don't like it."
Look, Andy Reid has two weeks of practice and fine-tuning and healing of guys who weren't there (notably Todd Herremans) to fix that...and heck, the veteran stars on the Eagles' OL like Jason Peters have the same amount of time to learn how the new umpiring position in the backfield influences their timing and lineup issues...
I say, don't panic...yet! True, QB Kevin Kolb was rattled just a little by the overwhelming rush on his protection...hey, the Bengals are a top AFC team defensively, don't sell them short! Maybe this is the wake-up call we really need at this point of the summer...
But Kolb was far from devastated. He rallied, quickened his release, and made some nice get-out-of-jail throws to DeSean Jackson...that's what I came to see! These two cats are working together...
Sadly, not much else clicked...execept, of course, the incredibly edible work of David Akers (with Sav Rocca holding and Jon Dorenbos snapping)...if nothing else, the Eagles come away from this exhibition knowing their FG kicking team is solid.
David Akers means more money now than ever with a young offense struggling in the red zone...
Anyway, I belabor the obvious...The Eagles as "Young Gunz" and "Boy Dogs" are not yet quite ready for prime-time...top-flight teams with big star personalities like the Bengals are still a bit of a distraction for our young guys... But the Birds have time to fix that.
Allow me to turn it over to Ted '72 and some of the other observers at the On The Inside PE.com gallery to complete my impressions of this PS game (btw, I'm "Lupes" in the conversation)...
LUPES: So what jumps out at me tonight: Don't freak out about the OLine! it will be addressed...Chad Ochocinco is a pretty amazing athlete...Chad Hall is being given every chance in the world by Andy Reid to make the team (I think Andy likes the kid a lot)...Michael Vick's trade value is deteriorating (as Bri says, he's a turnover/TD machine...keeps both teams in the game)...and rookie DE Brandon Graham is a potential superstar...we've got problems at CB and safety backups...MLB Stewart Bradley is back!...with a vengeance.
TED 1972: my impressions of the game echo Goose's: Our starters managed to hang on the scoreboard with a potentially very good Bengal team, but our GCG (guard,center,guard) could be our Achilles' Heel....pass rush pressure funneled through that area, and on running plays, no push what-so-evah. Not sure there's anything to do about it this year (other than Herremans staying healthy, and getting comfortable). But we need some competition in this area from our next offseason. Nobody on the line has the Runyan-type nastiness, and we need a guy like that (or two). Kolb needs a running game to help him out while he learns, like Don had with Duce....oh yeah...I agree ....I can NOT remember a defensive rookie impressing me more in the last 20 years than DE Brandon Graham has this preseason(although Dawkins showed mucho promise as his rookie year went along). We won't know for real until the Fall, but it looks like after years and years of trying to draft a talented left DE, we finally hit a homerun
STINE: Names for the first cut to consider... (RB) Arrington ( tough break for him but he wouldn't have made it anyway). Collins (WR), Greg Isdaner (G), Jerall McCuller (T), Eris Moncur (DE), Pender (CB), Perry (WR), POPE (CB), Dallas Reynolds (G/C) And Possibly Shipley (C)... What you think Lupes?
LUPES: Stine)) I just don't know...watching this game tonight just confirmed how little I know about this team or its dynamics...any or all of the guys you highlight could be gone tomorrow...Jeez, I'm even undecided about Mallett now...maybe he makes it? Scott got bashed, and Eldra had one nice run...but how much of that is the depleted OLine working those plays vs. 2nd and 3rd team Bengals D? To me, not much is revealed tonight...except T.O. and Ocho are still very much wideout threats in the NFL. I like me some Akers, though...that dude is money.
COOLAID: Kolb lost his courage after he took that 1st hit, he was playing scared for the rest of his time. Bailed out of the pocket way too early.
STINE: lol coolaid! Kolb did fine...
TED 1972: Luke-warmAid....when you say "Kolb bailed out of the pocket too early"...my question is...what pocket ? Andy Reid had more room in his Hummer than Kolb had in the pocket.
JWOOD: Hate to say it: Eagles running game is looking a lot weaker than I'd hoped. Really disappointed that MM and AR haven't done a better job. I don't fault the players-I fault the coaches. Maybe in a few more weeks a running game will round into shape..or maybe not. RED ZONE needs the Redskins solution of a man in the booth making the calls and NOT MM or AR. Is Sherm Lewis available or even Jeff Garcia in that role...?
FIELDSr69: Ok, some things that stuck out... I refuse to say a word about the Oline because they were terrible, in every aspect, pass blocking, run blocking, lining up...every phase they were sub par...our young guys can play, on D and on O... Cooper didn't get many opportunities but you could see his aggression, and intensity... our D will come together....another observation, VICK is terrible... he really wasnt that good in ATL, they ran the wildcat every time he took a snap, and he's regressed... we have some problems...
LUPES: Ted, thanks......*coolaid)) I think the shot Kolb took on that play was fairly "regular"...I don't think it bothered him as much as you may think...*Stine)) I hope you're right about Chad Hall...but when I review the tape, he looks overmatched tonight...like an American Legion baseball player thrown into a major league camp game...I don't know...the speed of the game seems to be foreign to Chad right now. Or maybe the Bengals are way deeper than we were led to believe? Maybe they make a lot of guys look "ordinary" this year?
FIELDSr69: the Bengals are a good team... we showed depth and skill in some places, our Oline really really got beat... all night. badly... on the bright side, Kolb showed that he can move, run, and make very good throws on the run... our starting O line was not very good at all... you would think with 3 guards (center was playing guard until now) that we could get some inside push... none...0... no push... our line got destroyed... What's going to happen against Dallas?... really?... line looked bad... very bad. Kolb looked good... give him a lil time... he will destroy a defense...
And that's where we will leave it tonight to give you a taste of how true fans of the Eagles objectively viewed this exhibition at Cincinnati. See, we actually are capable of criticial self-analysis... Throw those sad old Eagles fan stereotypes away! Our fans are intelligent, and most of us have been to C-size battery-throwing rehab...we don't do that anymore.
An occasional brick through the TV?---well, if it's my TV, no harm, no foul...
Final observation: The FOX camera panned the field as the game ended...DJax walked up to T.O. to pay respects and get some love...T.O. just kept movin' on... to him DJax did not exist...Oh, the drama of the NFL! I love this game!
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