Reality bites... and it bit the Eagles and their fans hard in the gluteus maximus as the Birds actually played a tough and gritty game to defeat the Cowboys 20-7 in Dallas on Christmas Eve.


TE Brent Celek was on his game... Vick was on it too... 90,000 Cowboys fans went home for Christmas knowing we are the better team...and relieved they will not have to face us in the playoffs.



What you gonna do? We ran out of numbers... and time.

It was a day to awaken old painful memories. Granted, we're not in the business of saving lives here... but we are in the business of saving Philly SOUL... Elimination from the playoffs is a blow to the ego. The team that was "all in" is now officially "all out"... The Giants' victory over the Jets in the 1:00 PM game eliminated the Eagles from the playoffs and turned the Dallas-New York Giants game next weekend into a showdown to decide the NFC East title.

Philadelphia (7-8) won its third straight, giving the Eagles a chance to break even if it can beat the Redskins at home in its finale next weekend. The Eagles also swept the season series against the Cowboys for the first time since 2006, having clobbered Dallas 34-7 in October.

“If we had gotten into the playoffs we would have definitely done some damage,” Vick said. “It’s unfortunate we didn’t. That’s the game of football. We made some mistakes early (this season) and got behind in the win-loss column. But we’re just happy we’re finishing strong.”

The Eagles defense is improving. Philadelphia has allowed just 36 points and 683 yards over the last three games, with 16 sacks. It has become more of a swarming-to-the-ball and a better tackling machine than it was in the first half of the season.

Sadly, the improvements have come too late to overcome the Eagles' horrific start to this 2011 season.

“I think it took a little time to jell,” said defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins, one of the offseason additions whose arrival raised expectations. “I guess it took longer than we anticipated. We just didn’t get the job done. You can make all the excuses in the world, but they really don’t mean anything. At the end of the season when you look at our final record, there’s not going to be an asterisk by it. You just have to own up to it. We let a lot of opportunities get away from us early. All we can do now is control what we do in the future.”

Vick was 18 of 32 for 293 yards, with the touchdowns going to Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek. Jason Avant nearly had another TD, but fumbled inches before touching the pylon, resulting in a touchback for the Cowboys.

DeSean Jackson caught five passes for 90 yards, and ran for 27 yards on two end-arounds, both on consecutive plays.

Alex Henery kicked field goals of 43 and 51 yards for the Eagles’ only points in the second half.

“They’re disappointed we don’t have a shot at the playoffs,” coach Andy Reid said. “At the same time I was pleased with the energy they brought to the football field. They wanted to dominate and play aggressive football. Nobody was hanging their heads.”

When this game kicked off, the Giants were up by only six points midway through the fourth quarter, so the Cowboys and Eagles still had a lot to play for.

Philadelphia got the ball first and Vick picked up where he left off the last time these teams met, cruising 80 yards in eight plays for a 7-0 lead. Then the Eagles snuffed Romo, forcing a punt from around midfield. On the final play of that series, Romo rushed a third-down pass to avoid a sack. On his follow-through, he smacked his passing hand on Jason Babin's helmet. That’s when things got about as interesting as they’d be the rest of the afternoon.

The drama began with Dallas GM Jerry Jones leaving his midfield viewing booth to chat with head coach Garrett. He returned to his booth about the same time Romo returned to the sideline. Romo couldn’t grip the ball or take a snap, so he got his hand and wrist wrapped and iced. While he was trading his helmet for a baseball cap, team vice president Stephen Jones arrived on the sideline and spoke with trainers. RB Felix Jones then also joined Romo on the sidelines as being done for the day.

The executive order was given: pull Romo and Jones from the game and save them for the Giants showdown next week.

Stephen McGee, moved up from third-stringer to backup when Jon Kitna went on injured reserve, took over for Romo and went 24 of 38 for 182 yards, with four runs for 28 yards.

McGee beat the Eagles in last season’s finale, but he struggled to even sustain drives this time. It didn’t help that his running backs were Sammy Morris (pulled from retirement before last week’s game) and Chauncey Washington (signed off the street this week).

“It took me a little while to get comfortable,” McGee said. “I don’t get very many reps, basically never in a real game. I felt like I made progress through the game.”

McGee appeared to have overseen Dallas’ first shutout since November 2003, and first at home since September 1991, also against the Eagles, when a fourth-down pass from the Philadelphia 18 fell incomplete in the end zone with 2:13 left. But the Dallas defense forced a punt and rookie Bruce Carter blocked it, giving McGee one last drive. He started on the 16 with 19 seconds left, running for 12 yards, then hitting Miles Austin for a 4-yard touchdown pass.

Philadelphia
Passing	CP/AT	YDS	TD	INT
M. Vick	18/32	293	2	0
Rushing	ATT	YDS	TD	LG
L. McCoy	13	35	0	11
R. Brown	8	33	0	10
D. Jackson	2	27	0	18
M. Vick	3	10	0	10
Receiving	REC	YDS	TD	LG
D. Jackson	5	90	0	33
J. Maclin	5	72	1	22
B. Celek	2	52	1	39
J. Avant	2	35	0	27
R. Cooper	1	28	0	28
L. McCoy	1	10	0	10
C. Harbor	1	9	0	9
C. Hall	1	-3	0	-3
Dallas
Passing	CP/AT	YDS	TD	INT
S. McGee	24/38	182	1	0
T. Romo	0/2	0	0	0
Rushing	ATT	YDS	TD	LG
S. Morris	13	29	0	9
S. McGee	4	28	0	12
F. Jones	4	24	0	10
T. Fiammetta	1	1	0	1
C. Washington	1	-1	0	-1
Receiving	REC	YDS	TD	LG
D. Bryant	6	62	0	14
M. Austin	4	40	1	19
M. Bennett	3	28	0	14
J. Witten	4	24	0	10
C. Washington	2	13	0	15
S. Morris	4	10	0	9

 

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This is it. This is our 2011 season on the line.



Maybe the better Tennessee Williams reference would be the immortal line of Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire, which would be paraphrased: "The Eagles are depending on the kindness of strangers..."

The NFL is what happens to you while you're making other plans. Chalk this 2011 season up to "you can't always get what you want"... and only with the help of strangers like the New York Jets and the Dallas Cowboys will we get what we need.

We did this to ourselves. We were woefully unprepared and undisciplined this season.  We gave stuff away. We left money on the table.

Still, depending on the early game in New York this Christmas Eve, we are still alive...technically speaking.

For the Eagles to repeat as East champions, they must beat the Cowboys today and then Washington at home on Jan. 1. They need the Giants to lose to the Jets today and then have the Giants beat Dallas in their last game.

That would leave all three teams at 8-8, and Philadelphia would own the tiebreaker based on a superior divisional record.

“I’m a big Jets fan this week,” Eagles coach Andy Reid said. “You control what you control. You have to play the game whether that team wins or loses.”

The Eagles’ playoff hopes remained alive after a 45-19 romp over the Jets on Sunday, their second straight victory.

The Cowboys should be eager for revenge after losing 34-7 at Philadelphia in Week 8. That was just their second loss in the last six meetings in the series since the Eagles kept them out of the playoffs with a 44-6 win in Week 17 of 2008. “We’ve got to get the wins. We’ve got to get in,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “Best way to do it is win this thing.”

Dallas regained some momentum by beating Tampa Bay 31-15 last Saturday after blowing fourth-quarter leads in consecutive games. “We just can’t let up,” receiver Dez Bryant said. “We know where we want to go and it don’t matter who comes in here, we’re going to keep the same intensity and just play hard and hopefully we can win out. … We just got to keep focusing and keep playing hard.”

Tony Romo is doing his part to get Dallas into the postseason, completing 69.9 percent of his passes for 869 yards with eight touchdowns, no interceptions and a 121.4 passer rating over the last three games.

Romo has thrown 18 touchdown passes and just two picks in the past seven contests since struggling with a season-low 66.7 rating against the Eagles. He finished with 203 yards on 18-of-35 passing with one touchdown and one INT in that defeat.

The onus may again be on Romo and the passing game since Dallas is dealing with a rash of injuries to its backfield, with Felix Jones' hamstring tightness the latest issue. Jones is listed as questionable after running for more than 100 yards each of the past two weeks. He may be joining rookie running backs DeMarco Murray and Phillip Tanner on the sidelines, leaving the Cowboys at RB with 12-year veteran Sammy Morris and practice squad member Chauncey Washington.

Morris made his season debut with 12 carries for 53 yards against the Buccaneers, and is expected to start if Jones can’t play. “Sammy is the most logical choice … and we have another young back on our practice roster (Washington), so he’ll get a chance to do some of that too,” coach Jason Garrett said.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES:
Status Report
	OUT	CB Asante Samuel (hamstring)
	QUESTIONABLE	DT Trevor Laws (knee)
	PROBABLE	RB Ronnie Brown (hamstring), T Todd Herremans (ankle), DT Cullen Jenkins (groin), WR Jeremy Maclin (hamstring, shoulder), DE Darryl Tapp (ribs), QB Michael Vick (ribs)

Okay, Smart Phans... it's your turn... let us know what's shakin' in Dallas... and tell us when we can open our eyes after whatever goes down in the Meadowlands...

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You may have seen a write-up a year or so ago on this subject by Jonathan Bales, the founder of the Dallas Cowboys Times who is obsessed with film study of Cowboys football.  I thought I'd try to put a new wrinkle on it and try to guess how the Eagles are identifying the most likely offensive formations they will face on Saturday, based on the degree of success Dallas has had with a particular formation in a given game situation.


Not having the great Doug Free available at full strength will influence a lot of the Cowboys' formation choices.

Bales has analyzed a few of the Cowboys’ tendencies when running plays from certain formations and with specific personnel packages.  For example, he noticed the Cowboys average nearly three yards less per play in “Empty Set” formations (as compared to all other formations), are much more successful with tight end Jason Witten in a route, and run a strong side dive play out of “Double Tight Right Strong Right” 71.6 percent of the time, including 85.7 percent when motioning into it.

Let's just look at the Cowboys' top 8 most-successful formations. Their playbook has a total of 37 formations which Bales analyzed. For sake of time and space, let's look at the eight most productive:

• 3 Wide I

   

   

12 passes (60 percent)/8 runs (40 percent)

5.25 yards/attempt

3.63 yards/rush

3 sacks (25 percent), five passes 10+ yards (41.7 percent), 1 pass 20+ (8.3 percent)

• Ace

   

  

24 passes (82.8 percent)/5 runs (17.2 percent)

11.46 yards/attempt

2.00 yards/rush

12 passes 10+ (50 percent), five passes 20+ (20.8 percent), two negative runs (40 percent)

• Double Tight I

  

   

10 passes (24.4 percent)/31 runs (75.6 percent)

6.30 yards/attempt

6.71 yards/rush

One sack (10 percent), two passes 10+ (20 percent), one pass 20+ (10 percent), four negative runs (12.9 percent), eight runs 10+ (25.81 percent), one run 20+ (56 yards)–3.2 percent

• Double Tight Left/Right Ace

   

  

   

14 passes (38.9 percent)/22 runs (61.1 percent)

6.0 yards/attempt

3.27 yards/rush

One sack (7.1 percent), three passes 10+ (21.4 percent),  two passes 20+ (14.3 percent), three runs 10+ (13.6 percent),  five negative runs (22.7 percent)

• Double Tight Left/Right I

   

  

   

3 passes (4.7 percent)/61 runs (95.3 percent)

10.33 yards/attempt

4.93 yards/rush

One pass 10+ (33.3 percent), one pass 20+ (33.3 percent), six runs 10+ (10.4 percent), two runs 20+ (46, 32 yards)–3.5 percent

Gun 3 Wide Pro

 

 

52 passes (91.2 percent)/5 runs (8.8 percent)

4.04 yards/attempt

2.20 yards/rush

Four sacks (7.7 percent), 12 passes 10+ (23.1 percent), two passes 20+ (3.9 percent), one negative run (20 percent)

• Double Tight Left/Right Ace

   

  

   

14 passes (38.9 percent)/22 runs (61.1 percent)

6.0 yards/attempt

3.27 yards/rush

One sack (7.1 percent), three passes 10+ (21.4 percent),  two passes 20+ (14.3 percent), three runs 10+ (13.6 percent),  five negative runs (22.7 percent)

• Twins Left/Right

   

  

   

24 passes (41.4 percent)/34 runs (58.6 percent)

7.79 yards/attempt

4.77 yards/rush

Three sacks (12.5 percent),  five passes 10+ (20.8 percent), three passes 20+ (59, 69 yards)–12.5 percent, five runs 10+ (14.7 percent), one run 20+ (2.9 percent), three negative runs (8.8 percent)

Now you have a pretty good idea what Eagles players are looking at tonight as they strive to recognize the formations Dallas will throw at them on Saturday--- and the probabilities of success and direction each play run from those formations will produce.

Just a few observations to come after a short break...

Okay, break over.. so my biggest concern for the Eagles defense is minimizing TE Jason Witten's effect in many of the money formations shown above...

Jason Witten is an all-around player. He's a very good pass receiver, but it's not just short area. He's down the field also - he can make a play 20 yards down the field as well as five and be a ball control tight end.

Witten averaged 10.3 yards per reception last season, and only two tight ends, San Francisco's Vernon Davis and San Diego's Antonio Gates, had more catches go for 20 or more yards

While Witten is a dangerous threat on every snap, he's been particularly good on third down. 

"He's Tony Romo's outlet, especially on third downs," Dallas LB SteveTulloch said. "When he's getting pressure, he definitely looks to Witten."

Last season, Witten had 18 first-down receptions on third down. That number was tied for ninth in the NFL and first among tight ends.

"I think having a reliable tight end is an important aspect for a quarterback," Romo said about his relationship with Witten. "He's got to make a bunch of different reads in his route a lot of the time, and you have to trust him as if it was you running the routes."

To counter the Witten effect in many of the formations shown above, Castillo will load up the box on those sets.  On some pass plays, Castillo will move a DE closer into the formation, then blitz a safety off that side.

Another wrinkle Castillo will show: JB calls it "The Amoeba"... Mike Patterson and Cullen Jenkins will be the only two "down" linemen, and DE's Jason Babin and Trent Cole will become like ILB's that move around and try to confuse the Cowboys' blocking assignments... and then by rushing inside or looping outside or stunting off each other, they will try to disrupt Romo's rhythm and take Witten out of the equation.

As for that Twins Left/Right formation where the Cowboys stack their WR's to one side, Castillo will break an old Eagles pattern and bring both CB's to that side. He used to leave a CB backside and have his free safety come down on that extra WR... oh the times they are a changin'...

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Seems as if Tony Romo does not fear the "sack pack" pass rush of the Eagles anymore because he's learned to appreciate the value of NOT throwing the balll up under pressure.

Now there's a novel approach to playing quarterback in the NFL...



Commandment No. 7 on Bill Parcells’ list for quarterbacks is this: Throwing the ball away is a good play – sacks, interceptions and fumbles are bad plays. Protect against those.

But I wonder just how bad of a play a sack is. Yes, it hurts the ability to keep drives alive and score points--- and Romo's sack/fumble Saturday vs. Tampa Bay was picked up for a touchdown. But for the most part, a sack sure beats an interception.

Tony Romo has been sacked 30 times this year and will face the NFL’s sack leader on Saturday in Philadelphia’s Jason Babin, who has 18 through 14 games.

Since his three-interception game against Detroit on Oct. 2, when Romo promised he would improve and not make the same mistakes, he has been sacked 23 times and been intercepted only four times. In the first four games he was sacked seven times and intercepted five times. During that time he has 22 touchdown passes.

Is there a correlation?

It looks like Romo has been more willing to accept a sack rather than trying to stick a tight throw into coverage while under pressure.

It’s a little like Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers. He would rather take a sack than risk a throw. In Rodgers’ first four seasons as the Packers starter he has been sacked 34, 50, 31 and 36 times. This year Rodgers has a stupendous 40 touchdown passes and only six interceptions.

Maybe taking a sack is not such a bad thing if you're in it to win it... and maybe the Eagles defense should be concentrating more on things other than sacks in Saturday's big game against Dallas.

The conclusion to be absorbed by the Eagles is that Romo has done a much better job in reading coverages and he's learning to take a sack rather than throw a risky pass that could be picked. Romo has made great progress this season--- 29 TDs and 9 picks are not Aaron Rodgers numbers, but they're pretty damn good.

I think a lot of it has to do with Romo trusting his offense more. The Dallas running game is solid. Garrett is now at the helm. Romo really has a command of Garrett's offense. I think he doesn't feel as much pressure to make it all happen in one play.

Romo has a really good feel of the offense and what he can do with the weapons he has...Romo and Garrett think Dallas needs to play a New England style offense against Philly and eat us up with passes to the tight ends and slot receivers in the middle of the field. 

Dallas' screen game will help negate the Philly pass rush... and the belief of the Cowboys is that the Eagles' LBs are not very good. Obviously, if that observation of the Dallas mindset is true, they haven't paid enough attention to the improvement of the Eagles LB coverage over the past two games... Dallas wants to put Felix Jones in space, bubble screen to Miles, and run short screens to help out their OL. Dallas put these screen methods to good use vs. the Jets....and since then haven't really gone to the screen game much all year...

But I see it coming against the Eagles on Saturday.

The choice is not always sack or interception. The QB can throw the ball away. I suspect the high number of sacks of Romo and Rodgers have has far more to do with suspect offensive lines rather than some deliberate choice to avoid a pick...A lot of Romo's sacks are coming from his blind side thanks to Doug Free's drop-off in play. If they can get that line fixed in the offseason by adding a quality center and flipping Free and Tyron Smith, Romo can take a lot less sacks...

But until then, the Dallas mantra seems to be: Take the sack, avoid the INT... So if you're Juan Castillo, do you dial it back to more of a "contain" pass rush and hope Romo feels a false sense of security and puts the ball up for grabs?

Now it turns into a poker game: I'll see your sack, and I'll raise it by a non-interception possession...

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Among the amenties at Cowboys Stadium is a 160-by-72 foot, high-definition video screen that hangs from the ceiling and stretches from one 30-yard line to the other.

The odds are pretty good that they will be showing the Jets-Giants game on that massive TV while the Eagles (6-8) and Cowboys (8-6) are warming up for Saturday's 4:15 PM EST matchup.

"I'm sure we'll know what's going on," Eagles guard Evan Mathis said. "But I won't go out of my way to find out. It's not in my nature to waste any focus on what another team is doing. No matter what happens in other games, we still have to be ready to play the Cowboys."

"We can't worry about what anybody else is doing," Eagles tight end Brent Celek said Tuesday. "I'm sure guys will know what's going on, but we can't let it take away from our focus. If that happens, we'll get whupped."

The Eagles need the Jets to win against the Giants (7-7) in order for their game to have any significance. A Jets victory and an Eagles win over the Cowboys (8-6) leaves the Eagles in contention to win the NFC East heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

Meanwhile in Dallas, Tony Romo is coming off a great passing game against the Tampa Bay Bucs, and a win which probably saved the Cowboys season. 


                                                                     
Romo threw for 3 TD's and ran for a score to beat the struggling Bucs, 31-15... "Really the playoffs started for us in Tampa, that's the way we approached it," said Romo. "Guys came out with great energy and it was a great week of practice. We just had to go forward."

Dallas stopped a two-game losing streak in which it blew fourth-quarter leads to allow a seemingly solid grip on the division lead slip away.

"I think it showed our character, our resolve, what we're made of," Dallas linebacker Keith Brooking said. "It was obviously doom and gloom around Valley Ranch for the past couple of weeks - kind of the world was caving in on us. But we just kept fighting and kept plugging away, and we still control our own destiny."

"I thought Romo just had a good feel for what we were doing against what they were doing," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "I thought he got back quickly and got the ball out of his hands, and when he had to move and make plays, he was able to do that too. He made a lot of big plays and not many bad plays."

Romo was 23 of 30 for 249 yards and was sacked twice Saturday night. "I was just finding guys who were open and the guys do the rest," Romo said. "I thought the offense played good as a whole."

Felix Jones, back in the starting lineup after DeMarco Murray broke his right ankle the previous week in a 37-34 loss to the Giants, broke a 38-yard run on a drive leading to a TD and finished with 108 yards on 22 carries - his second straight 100-yard performance. He had 67 yards rushing on 12 carries at halftime.

So that's a pretty good snapshot of where the opposing mentalities of the Eagles and Cowboys are right now regarding any possible playoff implications of this Saturday afternoon's showdown in Dallas:
---the Eagles don't want to hear the word "playoffs";
---the Cowboys are preparing as if they are already in the playoffs, and welcome the comparison.

Here's a rough-draft of a game preview which is shaping up in my mind, even as I try not to get sucked into the playoff-elimination atmosphere of this game against Dallas:

The Cowboys are still smarting from 34-7 loss to the Eagles they suffered in October, when they were dominated in every phase of the game. On that night, Philadelphia running back LeSean McCoy ripped through the Dallas defense like a wrecking ball, rushing for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Michael Vick raided the Cowboys' secondary, completing 21 of 28 pass attempts for 279 yards. And the Eagles stymied Dallas, which trailed 21-0 before it ran its ninth play from scrimmage.

"I think everybody remembers what happened that night," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said.
Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan certainly does and he is looking forward to the opportunity to exact revenge.

"Not many chances you get to do a mulligan," said Ryan. "We're ready. We're excited for this chance. And here we go."

Wait a minute... hold the phone... 

Just got this in from Tom Ryle, the Cowboys beat writer for Blogging The Boys.com... Here's what his preview vision looks like:

"There is a special nature about this week's Christmas Eve game against the Philadelphia Eagles. It's not just that the Eagles are the one team that most Dallas Cowboys completely and thoroughly love to have, especially in the season of the Dream Team and the player that you could not design a defense to stop. It's not just that the game could potentially clinch the division, depending on what happens when the two resident New Jersey teams play earlier that day. No, it has to do with the six losses that Dallas has accumulated this season. They all have one thing in common: Dallas was in the games right up to the very end, and only a late mistake or a let down in stopping the other team led to the loss."

"Except that first game against the Eagles. That one game where the Cowboys got their posteriors handed to them on a platter. The one where Andy Reid and his team just outcoached and outplayed the Cowboys."

"I do try to maintain a modicum of objectivity about the Cowboys, which is hard when you love the team the way I do, but for this week, you can treat that the way most of us would like to treat Shay, our unofficial mascot. I want the Eagles beaten like a drum at an occupy Wall Street rally. You, know, senselessly and endlessly. I want them humiliated. I want revenge."

"Quarterback: Tony Romo has just been lights out, even in the recent losses. He is playing at an equivalent level with people like Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady. And if I need someone to extend a play to find an open receiver, there is no one else in the league I would rather have leading my team. The only reason I can't drop this down to 10%, the lowest rating, is that there is always the chance he might have to go out of the game. Otherwise, I believe Tony will get it done this week."

CHANCE OF QB BEING A PROBLEM: 20% Last time: 20%

"Running Back: I was very worried. I thought things were likely to be bad against Tampa Bay, and worse this week. After all, DeMarco Murray is gone. Felix Jones has never been a feature back. And the solution to not having a backup was to sign twelve-year veteran, 34-year-old Sammy Morris. And everyone knows that running backs just aren't any good after they turn 30, right?"

"Well, butter my bottom and call me a biscuit. Felix put up his second 100-yard game in a row. Sammy came in and had a very respectable 53 yards on 12 carries. I am still nervous about the Cat's tendency to get hurt, but I feel a lot better about this than I used to."

CHANCE OF RB BEING A PROBLEM: 30% Last time: 50%

"Tight End/Fullback: I don't know if OCC is the smartest guy in the Sports Blogs Nation, or even here at BTB. But I do know he is a lot smarter than I am, especially when it comes to crunching numbers and figuring out what it means. He swears by the scoring system Pro Football Focus uses to evaluate every position on the team, and over time, it seems to have quite a bit of validity, as he shows in his weekly post on the grades."

"So what is my point? Just that Martellus Bennett, usually one of the top two or three players on everyone's list of who to get rid of after the season, was the highest graded player on the Cowboys last week. He was an absolute monster blocking, and he caught all three of the passes thrown his way. He has consistently graded high all season, and may be the most unsung part of the offensive success Dallas has had. And that kind of blocking does not sound like the unfocused, undisciplined image most have of him."

"Add in Jason Witten, who is the best tight end in the NFL today, no matter what anyone says, and Tony Fiammetta, whose presence on the field seems to lead to 100-yard rushers even when he has a bad day, and this is a real strength for the team."

CHANCE OF TE/FB BEING A PROBLEM: 10% Last time: 10%

"Wide Receiver: The theory has been that if the Cowboys could ever get Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, and Laurent Robinson healthy and on the field at the same time, they were going to tear it up."

"Looks like it. Tony Romo had the best half of his career against Tampa Bay, and you know that a good chunk of the credit goes to the guys catching the ball. All three of the top wideouts collected a touchdown pass. And just in case he is needed, may I remind you that Jesse Holley has caught every ball that has been thrown to him this season? Even Kevin Ogletree seems to be hanging onto the ball lately."

CHANCE OF WR BEING A PROBLEM: 20% Last time: 20%

"Offensive Line: Well, with the percentages I have been putting up, it looks like the Cowboys have an unstoppable offensive juggernaut. Not so fast, there, bucko..."

"If there is a place that that Cowboys can be stopped, it is the offensive line. The Yuglies tend to be up and down, and since they had a pretty good game last week, I have a sick feeling in my gut this week. Of course, Doug Free had a bad outing against Tampa Bay, so maybe he rebounds this week. But the middle, especially center Phil Costa, is always an area of concern. And there has been a disturbing tendency to get flagged at inopportune moments (basically, anytime they happen), although the team had that fixed, at least for one game, against the Bucs."

"I figure the performance of the Yuglis is basically a 50/50 shot. The Eagles can put some real pressure on the quarterback with Jason Babin and company, and Tony may need all his talent for evading pressure to keep the team moving."

"One exception: Tyron Smith is arguably the best right tackle in the NFL. With 14 games of experience. He indicated that his injury last Saturday was not a problem, and that is a good thing. If he stays healthy, I seriously think that we may look back on his selection as one of the best draft picks in the history of the team."

CHANCE OF OL BEING A PROBLEM: 50% Last time: 30%

"Defensive :The offense looks to be in good shape, providing the guys up front can handle their job. The defense, on the other hand, got embarrassed by the Eagles, from start to finish. They gave up 495 yards, 239 of it on the ground, and that is where the defensive line has to do a better job. LeSean McCoy racked up 185 yards, and the "unstoppable" Michael Vick looked like it that week, adding 50 yards rushing on his scrambles."

"I'll be frank, I am not sure just what we have here. Jay Ratliff is the acknowledged star on this unit, but he sat out three quarters of the plays for the Dallas D last game. But Jason Hatcher and Marcus Spears had very good games, and Sean Lissemore continues to look solid, if not spectacular. Even Clifton Geathers got some snaps and had an impact, mostly with a holding call to keep him from eating Josh Freeman up. It was Tampa Bay and all, but they looked good from top to bottom. However, I would feel better if Josh Brent was definitely available for the game."

"These guys have to stop that rush. If they let Shady and Vick get loose like they did last time, it is not going to be much fun for us."

"They exceeded my expectations last game. But I still think this is a possible vulnerability."

CHANCE OF DL BEING A PROBLEM: 40% Last time: 40%

"Linebacker: The best thing about the Bucs game is that Victor Butler, Alex Albright and, to a limited degree, Bruce Carter, all got some playing time. Butler in particular looked very good. Meantime, DeMarcus Ware got to take most of the night off and rest his neck."

"But Sean Lee had a bit of an off game in pass coverage. And the other options for doing that job are Bradie James and Keith Brooking. This makes me nauseous. Rob Ryan was not very successful in countering the Eagles passing attack the first game. He needs to come up with something else here (like having Vick spend most of the game on his back)."

CHANCE OF LB BEING A PROBLEM: 60% Last time: 40%

"Defensive Backs: The best thing you can say about the Tampa game was that it was a bit of a confidence builder for the secondary, as they never really got burned."

"Josh Freeman. This is not Josh Freeman, this is Michael Vick, who, although he may not be truly unstoppable, is a very dangerous quarterback. And he has a much more potent receiving corps in Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Brent Celek, and, if he shows up, DeSean Jackson."

"This is going to take a much better effort from the defensive backs. And the game still is likely going to be more about how many points the Cowboys put up, not how many stops they have."

CHANCE OF DB BEING A PROBLEM: 70% Last time: 60%

"Special Teams: There was not much impact on the game at all for the special teams. Mat McBriar still is having a little trouble with his injury, and there still is not much going on with the return game for the Cowboys. Very little to base anything on here."

CHANCE OF ST BEING A PROBLEM: 30% Last time: 40%

"Coaching: This is the week for Jason Garrett and Rob Ryan to earn their paychecks. They got totally beaten by Andy Reid and company, and they need to do something about it. RR especially needs to find a way to at least slow down the Eagles and get the ball back in the offense's hands without giving up touchdowns on every possession like they did early in the first game. If he can manage that, then I think the Cowboys can handle Philadelphia. If not, then look forward to a long 2012 when we are reminded incessantly about how we got swept, no matter how the last game of the season goes for the Cowboys."

CHANCE OF COACHING BEING A PROBLEM: 60% Last time: 30%

"Jerry Jones: I still think Jerry has been saying and doing the right things this past week. In a sense, he is just like all of us, kind of holding his breath to see if the team can pull it out at the end and make it into the playoffs. Mostly, he has not been a distraction, and has supported his staff."

CHANCE OF JJ BEING A PROBLEM: 20% Last time: 20%

"Again, as things are playing out, the outcome of this game does not determine the fate of the Cowboys. But I just don't like the team's chances against the New York Giants next week if the team does not beat the Eagles, especially if they look anything like they did in week eight. The team needs to come out with some attitude and more than a little anger."

"Best outcome: A beatdown on the Eagles."

Well, thanks for that Dallas perspective on the game preview, Tom Ryle... You basically just did all my scouting work on the 'Boys for me... and that's the beautiful thing about letting your opponent show all his moves first. The first principle of preparation against an opponent is to get into his/her mindset before you formulate your own plan of attack. In this case, I sense a real shot for the Eagles to deflect the Cowboys' need for "revenge" with a true "Karate" awareness of using the opponent's own momentum against him. Let Keith Brooking's foaming-mouth pep talks become his own worst enemy... We just gotta be cool and calm and mind our own assignments and coverages...let the game come to us... and when it does, seize the moment... Like that "Crane Move" by the Karate Kid... Because the 2011 season is to be defined for the Eagles one way or the other by this tournament game in Dallas on Christmas Eve... no matter what happens in New York on Saturday. Beating Dallas would mean this team has finally found its coordinated discipline and its inner voice...and an emphatically positive and solid direction for the future.

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During the power outage at Candlestick Park Monday night, I suddenly realized that every Fantasy Football league in the world would be derailed if
that game in San Francisco had to be cancelled or postponed...



Fortunately (or UNfortunately according to the law of Brizer), the lights came back on and the MNF game was completed, allowing us now, thanks to the up-to-date reporting of T-Boner, to present the winner of the EEB Brisuksegg Fancy FF League:

AMPUTATOES (JerkedUp) 187,  NUT CHOKERS (JB) 103....

JerkedUp wins the Charmin Trophy after a steady run through the regular season and the playoffs, largely riding on the arm of Drew Brees. The Nut Chokers behind Tony Romo most of the way almost got JB to the promised land after a slow start in the regular season. JB barely missed winning his second Charmin Trophy in the same sason, as he had already won the MACH 10 Challenge Tournament this past Spring.

 
Nick Fierro gets a great sound byte with Juan Castillo

As we observe the improvement of the Eagles defensive management over the past few weeks and have commented a lot on it here, it's only fair to give DC Juan Castillo a chance to speak for himself. Thanks to a great interview Castillo gave to Nick Fierro of the Allentown Morning Call--- which I stumbled upon after receiving a Tweet from Fierro---here's Castillo responding to the "late bloom" theory of his defense:



"I think initially I started too fast," Castillo admitted, "and what I found out is I had to go backwards with some of those guys because they had missed [the minicamps because of the lockout] and we were making some mistakes just on fundamental stuff.

"You know, now as we understand all of our packages we're able to add as we keep going. And there is still a lot to add, but the first thing we have to understand is how to handle our fundamental packages."

Though head coach Andy Reid was a bit uncomfortable with that subject during Monday's day-after press conference, he did say that "it's just a matter of getting to know your guys and putting them in the right position and being more familiar."

Castillo's words are more than just coach-speak. They're really an extremely candid and honest admission of fact, which is rare to receive from any coach at any level in the NFL during the active part of a season. As Brizer would say, "Spies everywhere!"...

In the case of rookie linebacker Casey Matthews, for instance, Castillo's initial instincts about his ability to contribute were correct. But it took until the Miami game to get Matthews, who had been limited mostly to special teams after struggling as a starter for the first three weeks, into a nickel package where he could begin to flourish. Matthews made at least three big-time plays against the Jets, first stuffing LaDanian Tomlinson on a screen pass in the first quarter; being the second guy in on a strip tackle of Santonio Holmes that produced a 47-yard fumble return for a touchdown by defensive end Juqua Parker; and finally stopping Tomlinson 6 yards short of the marker on a third-down pass, forcing the Jets to settle for a field goal right before halftime.

Win or lose, if the Eagles' defense can maintain this level for the next two games, it might just be worth it to stick with Castillo and Reid into next season to see if they can complete the massive defensive rebuilding project that began last winter."You learn more each game with our defense," said cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who although banged up gets labeled the Eagles' biggest disappointment. "There are some calls that we've been doing since the beginning of the year that we've gotten better at, and there are some calls that we weren't doing in the beginning of the year that Juan is confident calling. He's doing different things and he's learning. I think with each game, he learns what works, what doesn't work."

"A few of the things we were doing at the beginning of the year, we don't do as much — some techniques and some coverages that guys just weren't used to and didn't really know. ... We would give up some big plays on those things. Now he'll blitz every now and then, but he also has some basic coverages that we've known since high school. Since we know them, we can just go out and play them confidently, so it's helped."

Castillo's defense has been dominant in the last two games, romps over Miami and the New York Jets.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Injury Update from Andy Reid's presser:
"[WR] DeSean Jackson has an elbow contusion and is a bit sore today, but should be OK," Reid said. [T Todd] Herremans, who had an ankle sprain, did well through the game. [WR] Jeremy Maclin did well through the game. [CB] Asante's [Samuel] hamstring strain doesn't look like it's too bad. He's getting treatment and working on that. [QB] Michael Vick made it through well, other than just normal soreness. He feels better than he did last week, than he did after the Dolphins game. [DT] Trevor Laws has knee tendinitis, and we'll just see how he does here."


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There was a point in the game with the Eagles up, 28-0 in the 2nd quarter, and Juan Castillo switched from a pressing man scheme to a soft zone coverage defense... and within a few blinks of the eye, it was a 28-13 game... That's when I came up with the name "Mystery Ship" to define this puzzle of an Eagles team in 2011...

Fortunately, Andy Reid and Castillo got their heads together at halftime and went back to a defensive hybrid concept that resumed the torching of Mark Sanchez and enabled the Eagles offense to continue striking on all cylinders from excellent field position the rest of the way.



As Leo Pizzini has said so often in these pages at Eagles Eye, why in the world do we go away so often from things that are working so well? At least this time out, the Eagles coaching staff and players got it back together at halftime with some key adjustments, since Rex Ryan and the Jets were on the cusp of figuring things out and stealing this game away.

The Eagles came out gangbusters in the 3rd quarter and ripped this joint... And the mystery season continues.

The Eagles (6-8) have won two straight for just the second time this season and somehow still have a chance to repeat as NFC East champions despite underachieving most of the year. But they have to catch Dallas (8-6) and the New York Giants (7-7)

LeSean McCoy ran for three touchdowns to set two team records, and the Eagles routed the New York Jets 45-19 on Sunday to stay in the playoff chase.

"It feels good to still have a chance to even be considered in the playoff race," quarterback Mike Vick said. "We've been through a lot, but we're resilient."

The loss snapped New York's three-game winning streak, dropping the Jets (8-6) into a tie with Cincinnati for the final wild-card spot in the AFC. The Jets hold the tiebreaker advantage over the Bengals with a better record against common opponents.

"Obviously, a horrendous performance by us," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "Go into the game thinking we have to run the table to control our own destiny, and we come out of the game needing to win out to control our own destiny."

Vick threw for 274 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for a score in his second game back after missing three games with broken ribs. McCoy ran for 102 yards and surpassed Hall of Famer Steve Van Buren with his 19th touchdown of the season and 16th rushing TD in the third quarter. DE Juqua Parker returned a fumble for a score, and TE Brent Celek had a career-best 156 yards receiving.

The Eagles scored 21 points off three turnovers en route to building a 28-0 lead, and didn't let up after the Jets got within 28-13 at halftime.

"Every week is different," coach Andy Reid said. "I know the guys play hard and aggressive. I know they came in with the right frame of mind to do that." When the Eagles last played at the Linc, fans booed them off the field and yelled "Fire Andy!" at Reid following a lopsided loss to New England on Nov. 27. It was far more festive this time around. Reid didn't hear any boos, even with Ryan -- son of beloved former Eagles coach Buddy Ryan -- standing on the other sideline.

The Washington Redskins kept Philadelphia's division hopes alive with a 23-10 win at the Giants earlier in the day. Then the Eagles did their part by beating the Jets for the ninth time in nine tries. 

"It's embarrassing," Sanchez said. "It's not good football by the Jets. We just didn't play our best speaking from an offense perspective, and it puts our defense in a hole. We are a much better football team than we showed."

Philadelphia went ahead 7-0 when Parker picked up Santonio Holmes' fumble and returned it 47 yards for his second score this season. Holmes caught a pass for a 7-yard gain before the ball was stripped by Kurt Coleman.

The Jets got a break when a punt that returner DeSean Jackson let bounce went backward and hit off teammate Curtis Marsh. The Jets' Ellis Lankster recovered it at the Eagles 14. But Asante Samuel then intercepted Sanchez's pass at the 4 and returned it to the 23.

Vick connected with Celek for a 26-yard TD pass to put Philadelphia up 14-0. Celek made an outstanding catch on a ball thrown ahead of him. He reached out to tip it with his right hand, corralled it inside the 5 and tumbled into the end zone. "It was a good throw by Mike, but I couldn't quite dig for it and I had to tip it to myself in order to catch it and was lucky enough just to get my hand on it," Celek said.

The Eagles extended that lead to 21-0 on Vick's 11-yard TD run early in the second quarter. A roughing-the-passer penalty on Marcus Dixon -- the second time the Jets were flagged for hitting Vick late -- contributed to 15 of Philadelphia's 57 yards on that drive.

Vick scrambled down the left side and dove headfirst, stretching his hand just over the pylon for his first rushing score of the season. He had 10 last year, including one in the playoffs.

Sanchez fumbled when he was hit by DT Mike Patterson after running on a busted play on New York's next possession. CB Joselio Hanson recovered at the Jets 21, and McCoy ran in from the 9 to make it 28-0.

But the Jets wouldn't go down easy. Thanks to the Philly defense going into a sort of "prevent" zone coverage and easing up on the pass rush pressure on Sanchez, the Jets started moving the chains.

Nick Folk kicked a 39-yard field goal. Then the Eagles Dion Lewis fumbled the kickoff, and the Jets started at Philadelphia's 24 after Lankster made his second recovery. Sanchez fired a 25-yard TD pass to Holmes to cut it to 28-10.

Another turnover gave the Jets the ball back. McCoy fumbled at the end of a 12-yard run, and Brodney Pool raced 33 yards with it to the Eagles 27. It was McCoy's first lost fumble in 490 touches, dating to last season. Philadelphia's defense stiffened somewhat and the Jets settled for Folk's 28-yard field goal to get within 28-13 at the half.

But the Eagles came out in the second half with a revised plan and a fresh resolve. Both the offensive and defensive lines of the Eagles resumed pushing the Jets around again. The result was McCoy's 1-yard TD run in the third quarter, which broke Van Buren's team records. Van Buren had 18 total TDs and 15 rushing TDs in 1945.

"It tells you I'm a pretty good back and I have an outstanding offensive line," McCoy said. "It's definitely a team thing." McCoy padded his total with a 33-yard TD run in the fourth quarter that made it 45-13.

Notes

 

• Philadelphia's Jason Babin had three sacks for the second straight game. His 18 sacks are three shy of Reggie White's team record set in 12 games during the strike-shortened 1987 season. Babin is the 10th player in NFL history to have three or more sacks in consecutive games.
• Parker is the second Eagles defensive player to have two fumble recoveries for a TD in a season. Seth Joyner did it in 1991. Parker's three career TDs are second in team history for a defensive lineman. Clyde Simmons had four.
• Jets WR Plaxico Burress has six TD catches in his last five games vs. Eagles.

The Eagles did a lot of good things on Sunday. The question remains, did they beat a bad team? Certainly not if you go by AFC rankings of total offense and defense, which put the Jets in the Top 10 of nearly all categories.

But there are a few mysteries on the Jets, too. How could such talented players make the following "bad plays"?.... Assisting us in uncovering the mysteries of why good players make bad plays on any given Sunday is Johnny Bee of the Jets Gang Green Nation.com:

Santonio Holmes: Here is a simplistic summary of today's game. The Jets wanted it to be a game where they could pound the ball, control the clock, keep Michael Vick off the field, and keep it low scoring. The Eagles wanted to get up big, force the Jets to score a lot of points and play up tempo, and unleash their pass rushers. Holmes' early fumble and the interception that went through his hands resulted in 14 points and gave the Eagles what they wanted. The Jets got taken out of their game. The Eagles gained confidence, and things snowballed from there. Even on the one thing Holmes did right today, he messed up by taking an idiotic taunting penalty. Really? You've cost the team 14 points, and then you showboat?

Mark Sanchez: Here is a simplistic story of the Jets' season. They can beat up on the bad teams by playing defense and pounding the ball. When they try to step up, they need more, and Sanchez has been unable to provide. The past few weeks, people have been talking about Sanchez's improvement, but it has really been about the team giving Sanchez simple passes to hit. When things aren't going well, a team needs to make big plays in the passing game. Things are not always going to be open. The quarterback needs to be able to identify small holes and put the ball on the money. The protection for Sanchez was terrible. The Jets defense was not good. This is the kind of thing that separates great teams from average ones. The great ones have a quarterback who can carry the team when things are bad. Sanchez isn't there yet. Maybe he will be one day, but he is not today.

Offensive Line: Jason Babin owned Wayne Hunter today. Even when he wasn't getting sacks, he was beating Hunter soundly. Hunter was slow to identify his man more than once. It was a group effort from the line, though. There were frequent miscommunications and a ton of penalties on the unit. Sanchez kept getting hit...

Muhammad Wilkerson: Despite the late sack, the rookie had a rough game in his homecoming. He was sealed pretty consistently in the run game early. A lot of LeSean McCoy's early yardage was on him.

Mike Devito: Devito might still be slowed by his injury because I thought he was not great at the point of attack.

David Harris: Harris today reminded me a lot of his play in the AFC Championship Game last year. He took some bad angles and over-pursued to the ball carrier too far, which opened up cutback lanes for McCoy to exploit. There aren't many backs in the league who can do that, and it's starting to feel like Harris allows it to happen whenever the Jets face such a back.

Bart Scott: Scott's day started by getting burned in coverage, and it continued with his making some of the same mistakes as Harris.

Kyle Wilson: I thought Kyle had a bit of a rough day. He got beaten badly a few times in coverage and had some bad efforts on blitzes. On one of them, he came at Vick too hard ala Eric Smith on Tim Tebow and lost outside contain to open a big Vick run.

Calvin Pace: I did not like the job he did setting the edge on McCoy. He also missed some opportunities when he had Vick within range to sack.

Eric Smith: "Toasted" might not be a strong enough term to describe the way he was beaten on Brent Celek's 73 yard reception. That was brutal. The more I watch Smith, the more disappointed I am by the subtle things, though, that you notice by watching closely. I am talking about taking a bad angle to a ball carrier that allows a 2 yard run to turn into an 8 yard run. There are some runs McCoy made that Jim Leonhard would have stopped in Smith's case.

Brodney Pool: He shares some of the responsibility for Celek's 156 yard game even if he did have a nice fumble return.

LaDainian Tomlinson: He was decent as a blocker, but tell me there is not a big difference in burst between him and Joe McKnight.

Mark Brunell: Was anybody watching late in the game? My goodness. He was throwing up UFOs. This team went with Wayne Hunter at right tackle, and has this guy as the first in line at quarterback?

Aaron Maybin: With the path he took to the quarterback, there were times he looked like he was closer to the New Jersey Turnpike than Vick...

Johnny Bee makes a point most Eagles fans can appreciate: you can have a good team and a good game plan, but the difference between winning and losing usually comes down to individual matchups and which opponent exploits those matchups the best. On Sunday, it was the Eagles who identified the matchups and made the adjustments in a more efficient fashion than the Jets. The real "mystery" is why the Eagles have failed to perform at that level more often this season---and against lesser foes than the Jets.
 

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That show tune from "West Side Story" plays in my head every time the Jets and Eagles tangle... "When you're a Jet you're a Jet all the way..."



I do expect a rumble this afternoon at 4:15 EST on a cold (32 degress F.) and partly sunny day in Philly. The Jets have plans to out-physical the Birds. The Eagles usually rise to the occasion against the Jets.

Both teams are desperate to defend their divisional turfs... New York (8-5) and Philadelphia (5-8) were expected to be - at the very least - serious contenders to win their respective divisions heading into this season. That hasn't been the case, as the Jets enter their final three games of the regular season two games back of AFC East-leading New England while surrendering the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Eagles, of course, need to win out to even have the slightest hope of winning their division.

Running the ball effectively could be a huge key for the Eagles, who will be facing the league's sixth-best passing defense and two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis. Revis will likely match up against DeSean Jackson, a deep threat with 21 TDs of at least 30 yards in his four-year career. His 34-yard touchdown grab last week was just his third of the season and ended a six-game drought.

"We have a chance. It does matter," tight end Brent Celek said. "That's all you can ask for after the position we left ourselves in. We just have to capitalize on every opportunity we have." 

At the time I post this little intro, the inactives have not yet been announced. Usually Kenny Kenemeka or Boner or Hud get the inactives posted pretty quickly on Livefyre, so I'll be watching the comments section below very closely as the Phans take over the live action announcing and color duties...
 

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It's nice for our readers to get a break from me once in a while and experience a fresh new writer on the scene... so it's a pleasure to introduce Shackleford, the boy wonder-blogger, in his Eagles Eye guest appearance:




Hi! I'm Shackleford. I guess you know me better by my Uncle Hamhox and Uncle Norpus and Uncle Cletus. My mom comes from a big family, so I have a lot of uncles.

That's my favorite book up there at the top. I learned all I could about football from it. One thing's for sure, E is for Eagles... It's a great book because every letter of the alphabet stands for something in football. You can learn a lot of football words from it... You can also learn a lot of football words when my uncles come over to Mom's house and watch the games on TV with us. Some of these words are bad words and spoken loudly, but I'm old enough to deal with them now although I am never allowed to say them.

It's usually a pretty good time at my house on game day. That's why I can't wait for the Jets game on Sunday afternoon. Mom makes us all our favorite sangwiches. Uncle Hamhox likes ham and cheese on rye, of course. Norpus likes toast with deviled ham on it. Cletus likes a bacon, lettuce and tomato sangwich. Mom's watching her weight so she usually just snacks on some pork rinds. Me, I get a real treat--- 3 Slim Jims cut up and put on a hot dog roll. You should try it, it's pretty good.

We also get cold drinks. I like the Dr. Pepper soda but Mom usually insists on a healthy fruit drink instead. So we all drink fruit punch and enjoy the game and the sangwiches. Uncle Hamhox also adds more fruit to his drink, it's a sweet red juice made by the Ripple Company.  I asked for a taste of it once, but Uncle Hamhox said no, this juice is too sweet for me, and could give me cavities.

I heard something from Uncle Cletus about this Jets game coming up, that it will be a battle of two of the world's heaviest head coaches. Cletus said their combined weight could be as high as 750 pounds. He said it would be just his luck to get an airplane seat between these two guys on a commercial flight.

Mom lets me watch the Eagles games but tells me I should think twice before playing the game myself. She says it's real easy to get hurt in this sport.  But I tell her I'm ready to try to play football. Besides, I've been watching one of my favorite players, DeSean Jackson, play this sport very closely, and I am learning ways to keep myself from ever getting hurt.

I also like Shady McCoy. Mom drove me up to Harrisburg, PA, to see my cousins last week, and all they talk about in Harrisburg is Shady McCoy. They call him their "native son". I didn't realize Pennsylvania had native Americans still living there in the wild, but there it is. They love their native son in Harrisburg.

Shady doesn't get hurt too much, either. Maybe that's because he knows how to run backwards a lot. I know it doesn't make sense. "C" is for "cut-back", though, and sometimes it pays off for Shady.

Well, that's all for now. Uncle Hamhox is pushing me off the computer so he can type letters to Mr. Spadaro at the Eagles website. My uncles are always trying to get on there. My mom won't let me go there anymore since she discovered the Cheerleaders pictures and videos section at the Eagles.com. Mom now says I cannot go there until I am much older. She says it's "R"-rated. "R" is for "Restricted"... Uncle Hamhox says it is for "Right On!"...

Thanks, Shackleford, and apologies and thanks to the great and genius mind of Brozer8 for allowing your material to appear here...

Date/Time: Sunday, Dec.18   4:15 p.m. (ET)
Venue: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Broadcast: CBS
Jets @ Eagles lines by BetOnline.com
Point spread: Eagles -1
Over/Under: 44

The game is slated to get underway at 4:15 (ET) and it will be broadcast on CBS.

New York’s up-and-down season has ticked back up with a three-game winning streak that has it in prime position for a wildcard spot in the AFC. It is now 8-5 straight-up (6-7 against the spread) on the year, and the total has gone ‘over’ in nine of its 13 games this season.

One of the main reasons for the Jets’ change in fortune has been the elevated play of Mark Sanchez. He has thrown seven touchdowns against just one interception in the last three games after throwing for just 14 TD’s versus 10 interceptions in his previous 12 games.

Philadelphia got a huge boost last week with the return of Michael Vick to the lineup, and went out and beat Miami 26-10 as a three-point road underdog as a result. The win raised its record to 5-8 both SU and ATS, and kept its miniscule chances at a division title alive. The total stayed ‘under’ the 44-point line and is now 7-6 on the year. 

The Eagles’ much maligned defense also showed up last week after taking the last few weeks off in losses to Seattle and New England, in which it gave-up a total of 69 points. If it can put forth a Miami-type kind of effort against the Jets, this team has an excellent chance to win this game.

For the Jets : Shonn Greene, who is 132 yards away from a 1,000 yard season, is on a tear as of lately.  The Eagles and their 18^th ranked rush defense await Shonn Greene and his 4.2 avg (5.1 avg past 3 games).  Jets need to be patient like they have been and commit to the run and allow Greene to build on his confident running as of late. Little interesting note re. Eagles--- in games in which RBs have rushed for 100+ yards against the Eagles, the Eagles are 1-5, which means the Jets stand a very good chance at winning if they give Greene 20+ touches--- and Greene has shown his versatility as of late with excellent runs out of the wildcat, screens and backfield.  Bottom line--- FEED GREENE early and often while mixing it up with LT to keep the rush defense off balance.  Jets are looking REALLY good utilizing the screen game with BOTH backs as of late.  That needs to continue vs. an overaggressive Eagles defense.

For the Eagles:  On defense, the Jets haven’t faced a RB as effective as LeSean McCoy since they allowed Darren McFadden to do the dougie all over their run defense for 171 yards and 2 TDs back in Week 3.  Jets LOST that game BUT had a chance to WIN it even after allowing McFadden to do the Macarena on them.  Jets rush defense face the 2^nd leader rusher in LeSean McCoy and they also face a RB that doesn’t go down on first contact--- and who has Barry Sanders-like tendencies while in the backfield.  Those tendencies are probably the reason he is the league’s 2^nd leading rusher behind only Maurice Jones-Drew, and it’s also the reason he leads the league in NEGATIVE runs with 39.  That negative fact may be more telling on McCoy than his O-line because he likes to dance around in the backfield in attempts at making plays. But once he’s in the open field, he’s VERY difficult to catch and bring down.

Other things the Jets must do: Spy Vick with their linebackers David Harris and bart Scott... Cover Maclin with Revis and DeSean Jackson with Cromartie... Get the ball to their TE Keller in the red zone... Protect Sanchez and keep him clean from the Eagles pass rush...

(---Thanks to Sean Lester Durham for Jets insight of a preview nature... Follow him on Twitter for updates on everything Jets and sports in general; @SeanLDurham  )

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When Nathalie of France asked Thursday who's hurt on the Eagles right now, a normal question which nearly all fans ask about their team before every game, the Bored was quick to reply: "Everyone!"

Nathalie was quick to point out she knows the difference between "Hurt= not being able to play" and hurting = sore all the time, taped-up sprains, contusions, strained muscles, etc.

Taking a look at the team's health as a whole, they've been fairly resilient this season.



Asante Samuel is not given enough credit for his toughness in playing through injuries. He's played through shoulder stingers and groin dingers, as well as dislocated fingers.  Right now he says he "sore but okay"...

You get the same report on Mike Vick--  "sore but okay"... Asked if Vick's healing cracked ribs hindered his performance last Sunday, Andy Reid got justifiably defensive about his QB's pretty courageous effort:

"He was able to function with it, functioned well. He didn't feel like he was hindered by it, so that was a good thing," Reid said. "I think it was good to get Michael back in, knock some of the rust off his game."

Vick completed just 15 of 30 passes for 208 yards. Asked whether Vick's injury affected his passing, Reid simply answered, "No."

In the days before the game, Vick said in order to stay on the field and avoid injuries, he would avoid contact by sliding more. He reversed his position Sunday, however, telling reporters, "I can't slide. I'm going to play the way I play until I'm done playing the game. This is what I was born and bred to do."

Reid said: "I don't want him to take the big hits — that's probably stating the obvious. Again, there's a fine line of taking away his competitive spirit and edge, and getting him to slide. I'm sensitive to that. He believes when he has the ball in his hand, he can score every time. But I will still hammer home the point about getting yourself down and being smart — there's a time to get yourself out of bounds, there's a time to get down, and I figure by the time he's 43, I'll have that figured out for him."

Elsewhere on the injury front, Reid said running back Ronnie Brown suffered a slight hamstring strain on the Eagles' final offensive play. Also, offensive lineman Todd Herremans came back from Miami with a sprained ankle, defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins a sprained groin, and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin's injured hamstring "tightened" during the game, forcing him to the sidelines.

Also, wide receiver Steve Smith, who was scratched Sunday after his surgically repaired left knee swelled up on the plane ride to Florida, was placed on injured reserve after an MRI revealed he had a severe bone bruise. The Eagles signed defensive tackle Cedric Thornton off the practice squad, in part due to the injuries to Jenkins and Darryl Tapp, who suffered a fractured rib on the fourth-quarter safety that ended the Eagles' scoring.

X-rays on Tapp in Miami on Sunday were negative, but an MRI on Monday revealed the injury.

More updates to come...
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