EAGLES: ‘Birds Edge Out Cowboys in Must-Win

Everyone knew it was going to be a shootout, but not many expected the Eagles and Cowboys game to go down like it did on Sunday night. It involved a 91-yard game winning touchdown by DeSean Jackson, five turnovers and even a touchdown from Todd Herremans. As far as excitement, the Eagles and Cowboys certainly didn’t disappoint.

At this point every win is crucial for the Eagles. However, the win over Dallas could not have come at a better time. If there is one thing that we learned on Sunday, it’s that you never know what you are going to get from the Eagles offense. Between Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and others, the Eagles can explode in almost every aspect of the offense.

The only downside is that the Eagles lost two of their biggest defensive players. Stewart Bradley left the game with a leg injury and is doubtful for the rest of the season. Rookie defensive end Brandon Graham, who was really starting to come into his own, will miss the remainder of the year after tearing his ACL. With a defense that is already depleted with an ailing Asante Samuel, the Eagles are certainly lacking in the leadership department. Stewart Bradley has played well the last couple of games in the middle, but now finds himself watching on the sidelines once again.

Despite losing Bradley and Graham, the Eagles pulled through in the third quarter after being down 20-14. Led by the power running game of McCoy and a big touchdown late, Philadelphia capped off its ninth win of the season.

Grades:

Quarterback : B+

Once again, Vick came through for the Eagles on Sunday night. He had three touchdowns total, but for the first time since being released from prison he had two interceptions in a game.  Despite the turnovers, his passing was pretty spot on for most of the night. What a beautiful pass on the opening play of the game, when he connected with DeSean Jackson for a  60-yard bomb.

I was not so impressed with his running game. For the first time all season he struggled to find open holes. He only averaged two yards per carry and was sacked twice trying to scramble. Vick needs to start treating himself like glass because it’s obvious that referees are not giving him the calls (such as when he was pushed to the ground when running out of bounds).

Running back: A+

What more can I say about this guy? In his second year he is already being compared to Brian Westbrook in his prime. Statistically, he has been without question the best Eagles running back through two seasons. To this point he has 2,455 all purpose yards in his first two seasons and the next closest in franchise history is Billy Ray Barnes (1956-57) with 1,715 (and McCoy still has three games to play). He has proven that he can be an every down back that can fight for yards in the trenches and be an effective pass-catcher. Shady averaged over nine yards per carry against the Cowboys and finished with 149 yards on the ground. He sealed the win for the Eagles after gaining three extremely impressive first downs on the final drive.

DeSean broke past the secondary and never looked back in the fourth quarter

Wide Receivers: A

DeSean Jackson just loves to play under the spot light. In the 15 primetime games he has played since being an Eagles, he has 61 catches for 1,252 yards and 7 touchdowns. Are you kidding me? He caught the opening bomb from Michael Vick and added on a 91-yard touchdown reception to give the Eagles a 27-20 lead in the fourth. Jackson averaged 52.5 yards per catch and did most of the work after making those catches. He stole the show from the rest of the receivers, but I don’t see many complaining.

Offensive Line: B+

Jason Peters did an unbelievable job defending DeMarcus Ware. The All-Pro Cowboy lineman only had three tackles all night and rarely got to Vick in the pocket. For one of the first times this season, Todd Herremans did something positive for the offense after catching a touchdown pass. Since the referees aren’t protecting Vick, it’s important that the offensive line step up and protect him. He was only sacked twice but took some brutal hits that need to be avoided if he plans on staying healthy.

Defensive Line/Linebackers: B

The Eagles red zone defense is the worst in the NFL and it was certainly apparent against Dallas. All of their touchdowns (counting Witten’s 22 yard catch) came in the red zone. They did hold Felix Jones to just 3.2 yards per carry and quarterback Jon Kitna to 6.8 yards per completion, but something breaks down when defending that last part of the field.

Where in the world has Trent Cole been? Through the first half of the season, Cole was on pace to break some record books and buy himself a ticket to the Pro-Bowl. However, the last couple of games he has been completely shut down. Cole only got to the quarterback once and finished with a mere two tackles.

The defensive player of the game was Jamar Chaney, who filled in for Stewart Bradley. Chaney led the team with seven tackles after coming in more than halfway through the game. The rookie is expected to be the starter in the middle this weekend against the Giants. Hopefully he and the rest of the linebackers can do a better job covering the opposing tight end though.

With the loss of Brandon Graham, the Eagles welcome back defensive lineman Derrick Burgess. A couple of years ago he was the staple on the D-line for Philadelphia and hopefully he still has some fuel in the tank.

Quintin Mikell captained the defense Sunday

Secondary: A –

Similar to the linebackers, the secondary could have done a better job covering Jason Witten over the top. Other than that, the defensive backs did a great job covering the high-powered Cowboys offense. On top of two interceptions, they held top receiver Miles Austin to two catches for 22 yards and Roy Williams to 23 yards. Even more impressive is that they did it without Asante Samuel, who missed his third straight game with a knee injury.

Special Teams: B+

At the age of 36, David Akers seems to be having his best season yet for the Eagles. He has connected on 23 of his last 24 field goal attempts and has made 11 in a row. He nailed a 50 yarder in the fourth quarter to tie the game up at 20 that proved to be one of the difference makers in the game.

On another note, I much rather prefer to have Chad Hall returning kicks than Jorrick Calvin. Hall is faster and more elusive than Calvin. Also, DeSean Jackson has hit a bit of a slump as a punt returner, which is a bit worrisome for the special teams core.

With the Giants playing a cupcake game against the Vikings, Sunday was a much needed win for the Eagles. It sets up the stage for this weekend’s game, which is without question the biggest game of the season. If Philadelphia wins, they clinch a spot in the playoffs because they will have two wins over New York. With a depleted defense, Philadelphia is going to have to rely on the elusive offense that New York did a solid job defending last time they played. It’s going to be a fun one on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

EAGLES: What We Have Learned from the Eagles This Season

A lot has happened in the first seven weeks of the Eagles season. Between the transition of the franchise from the Donovan McNabb era and 13 draft picks in April, the Eagles have had to deal with a lot of changes in their young roster.

Philadelphia is 4-3 on the year and sits one game behind the New York Giants in the NFC East. Luckily for the Eagles, they play in the NFC East which has been one of the biggest divisional busts of the season. Many believe that the Eagles are lucky to even be in the hunt at this point in the season, considering how inconsistent the team has been and how much drama has surrounded them on and off the field.

We have learned a lot about the Eagles through the first seven weeks. Anyone that follows the Eagles knew coming into the season that it was going to be a year full of questions. Many have coined this year’s team as a “rebuilding process”, whereas others still believe that the Eagles can contend with any team in the NFL. Heading into the second half of the season (and the hardest part of the season), the Eagles have a lot to improve on if they want to be taken seriously in the very up-in-the-air NFC.

So what exactly have we learned this season?

1) The Eagles have two very capable quarterbacks

Andy Reid got his wish. Much to the dislike of fans and the media, Reid has flip-flopped between starters Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick all season. They have both proven that they can lead the team to wins, but it’s their dissimilarities that make this an interesting core. They have very different styles (which I have argued in previous posts is not beneficial to the future of the organization) and have accounted for two wins each on the season. Vick played hero at the beginning of the season, but took a brutal hit on the goal line, sending Kevin Kolb back to the starting role. Kolb answered back in dramatic fashion, leading the ‘Birds in back to back wins over the 49ers and Falcons. They have combined to one of the best passer ratings in the league and I think any Eagles fan can feel comfortable with Vick or Kolb as the starter.

2) The offensive line is a joke

Much of the Eagles success on offense relies on the offensive line. They are one of the most inconsistent units in franchise history. Barred by injuries to Jamaal Jackson and Jason Peters, the Eagles have had to rely on young players such as King Dunlap and Mike McGlynn to carry the weight on the line. They are tied for second in the league for sacks allowed per game (3) and rank high in QB hits allowed. There have been flashes of potential, but week in and week out the offensive line finds a way to keep the opposing defense in the game.

3) Brent Celek hangover

Can Brent Celek re-establish himself as a go-to receiver?

For the most part, the Eagles receiving core has been pretty impressive. DeSean Jackson took one of the biggest hits of the season that has put him out for a couple of weeks. Until this past week against the Titans, Jeremy Maclin has been the most impressive receiver for the Eagles. He leads the ‘Birds with 30 receptions for 458 yards and six touchdowns and has done a sufficient job as the top receiver (with the exception of the Titans game).

More importantly for the success of the Eagles has been the lack of production from tight end Brent Celek. Coming off a Pro-Bowl caliber season, Celek was expected to be one of the best in the league at his position. He only has 21 receptions for 229 yards and two scores on a pass-happy offense that loves to go to the tight end. In the last couple of weeks he has faced problems with dropping balls in crucial moments and is losing his reputation for being a big play tight end. With DeSean Jackson now on the concussion watch list, Celek is going to need to fill in as a go-to receiver.

4) LeSean McCoy has established himself as a No. 1 running back

Without McCoy, the Eagles would probably have a losing record. He has played with cracked ribs the last couple of weeks but continues to carry the workload for the running game. He is averaging 4.5 yards per carry and more impressively he leads the ‘Birds in receptions. One of the biggest questions for the second half of the season is whether or not McCoy can handle the heavy workload during the long season. The Eagles lack a sufficient backup that can compliment McCoy. Hopefully Jerome Harrison can make more of an impact than Mike Bell.

5) Vulnerability of the secondary

Since the Brian Dawkins era, the Eagles secondary has primarily been a big-play unit. They like to take risks with the hopes of not giving up too many big plays. The problem this season is that they have given up too many of those plays. A case point would be last week’s performance by Kenny Britt, who torched the Eagles for 225 yards and three touchdowns in three quarters of play. Ellis Hobbs has been a cancer at cornerback and Asante Samuel has been relatively quiet this year. Despite recording three interceptions in the first three weeks, Nate Allen still has a lot of growing up to do. Quintin Mikell leads the team in tackles, but has been vulnerable to the long ball and tends to get beaten over the top. The Eagles defense is allowing over 22 points per game, ranking them 19^th in the league. Sean McDermott is on the hot seat now and improving the secondary is the first thing he needs to do to improve his image.

Where is the Stewart Bradley of old?

6) Where is Stewart Bradley?

Two years ago, Stewart Bradley seemed like he was going to the future of the Eagles defense. Since Eagles Flight Night in 2009 when Bradley suffered a season ending ACL tear, he has not provided the same presence in the middle as he did in 2008. He is fifth on the team in tackles and has yet to create a turnover this season. At least the Eagles have Trent Cole to pick up his slack.

7) The schedule is only going to get harder

The biggest concern for the Eagles moving forward has been their inconsistency against mediocre and subpar teams. Three of their four wins have come against teams with losing records, but more importantly their losses have been ugly. All three of their losses have come to teams that are .500 or better. This is a big concern for Eagles fans considering that seven out of the next nine opponents have even or winning records. It also doesn’t help that the Eagles face the Colts coming out of the bye, a team that Andy Reid has yet to beat in his tenure.

Philadelphia has a lot to work on if they want to continue to compete in the division. They face five more NFC East games, including two against the Giants and Cowboys. Let’s see what this young team’s got.

Happy Halloween and more importantly happy Phillies World Series Parade day as it was two years ago today that Broad Street was flooded with red.

EAGLES: ‘Birds Meltdown on the Road Against the Titans

What a difference one play can make.

The Eagles needed three yards, just three yards, to most likely improve to 5-2 heading into the bye week. LeSean McCoy fumbled on the Titans three yard line in the third quarter and the Titans never looked back. They went on to score 30 points after that play and outperform the Eagles in practically every statistical category.

The complete and utter destruction that came in the second half was contrary to how the Eagles played in the first half. The defense stepped up and made plays in the first half, especially when it came to stopping the most dynamic runner in the NFL in Chris Johnson. The offense could have extended the score, but still controlled the possession for most of the first half. In the second half, the Eagles didn’t seem to have anything going. Aside from the fumble on the three-yard line, the defense could not contain a mediocre wide receiver at best in Kenny Britt. He torched the Eagles with seven receptions for 225 yards and a touchdown (159 in the fourth quarter alone) … and he didn’t even play the first quarter. This marked the most receiving yards the Eagles have EVER given up.

It was a loss the Eagles could not afford to have heading into the bye week. They were riding a two-game winning streak, but the team proved that they still have a lot of weaknesses and loopholes in their talent to really be considered one of the top teams in the NFC.

Grades:

Quarterback: C+

After back-to-back passer ratings above 100, Kevin Kolb looked far from efficient on Sunday. He completed just 26 of 48 passes for 231 yards, had one touchdown, but also tossed two interceptions. The first interception was a panic-pass that Kolb just aimlessly threw into the air. He made a number of good passes, but they were overshadowed by his lack of play-making ability. It was a setback in Kolb’s effort to prove himself as the future of the Eagles organization.

But it’s not like Kolb is playing for anything because Andy Reid already named Michael Vick the starter for the Colts game in two weeks.

Running back: C+

LeSean McCoy had probably his worst outing of the season against the Titans. They stopped him a number of times at the line of scrimmage and didn’t seem to get anything going outside of the hash marks. For the second straight game he was held to just three yards per carry, and he finished with 48 yards total. On a positive note, McCoy did have six receptions for 54 yards.

Wide Receiver: B –

Riley Cooper proved to be a threat against Tennessee

Despite a solid outing by Jason Avant (6 receptions for 60 yards), this game proved just how important DeSean Jackson is to the Eagles offense. He creates an entirely different matchup for opposing defenses and in turn improves the production of the other receivers. Jeremy Maclin was shut down by the Tennessee secondary and showed that he is still far away from being able to handle the top job. The most exciting aspect of the receiving game came from rookie Riley Cooper. He recorded his first touchdown in an Eagle uniform and averaged 17 yards per catch.

Offensive Line: C

Just when the offensive line finally looked like they were coming together, they went back to their old ways. They only allowed one sack, but Kevin Kolb got hit seven times during the game. They failed to open up good holes for McCoy as he was stopped multiple times behind the line of scrimmage. On pass defense, the Titans recorded six pass deflections which had a lot to do with the space they created from the Eagles offensive line.

Defensive Line: B

The Eagles front seven actually had a solid outing on Sunday afternoon. Trent Cole, Quintin Mikell, and Antonio Dixon all sacked Kerry Collins. More impressively, the Eagles completely shut down the running game Chris Johnson. He only had 66 yards on the ground and averaged a mere 2.8 yards per carry.

Further, the linebackers finally shut down an opposing tight end. Bo Scaife only had one reception for seven yards, which is the worst production by a tight end against the Eagles all season.

Secondary: D –

Kerry Collins, really?

The complete collapse by the Eagles was mostly due to the secondary. Any time that a 50+ year old quarterback throws for three touchdowns in the second half (after coming into the half with a 40.7 passer rating), there are serious problems. Rookie Nate Allen and veteran Quintin Mikell provided no help over the top against Kenny Britt. Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott tried to put Asante Samuel on Britt, but not even he could stop the Titans receiver.

The Eagles defense as a whole was penalized 10 times for 100 yards. It was a tale of two different Eagles defenses. In the first half they shut down the Titans in every aspect of the game, and in the second half they watched the game slip away in one quarter.

Special Teams: C

The collapse was capped off by the punt return fumble by Jorrick Calvin. He was relatively productive all year for the Eagles but committed a turnover in the worst possible moment for the Eagles to try and amount a comeback late in the fourth quarter.

Aside from that game-changing play by Calvin, the Eagles special teams did a good job against the Titans. David Akers was four-for-four on field goals, Sav Rocca had a 63-yard punt, and Calvin averaged over 31 yards on his kick returns.

This was not exactly the way the Eagles saw themselves entering the bye week. They beat themselves against the Titans and have to rely on the rest of the NFC East to help them out. After the bye week, Philadelphia takes on the Indianapolis Colts and their schedule doesn’t get much easier after that. They have to play five more divisional games and almost every other game is against a team that is .500 or better. Let the Michael Vick show continue once again.

EAGLES: Eagles hold on to beat 49ers on road

It seems like the motto of “a win is a win” is starting to get redundant for the Eagles during the 2010 season. All three of their wins have come against three mediocre or sub-par teams in football, whose combined record is 4-11. Not to mention that all three of those wins came on the road.

For the most part, the Eagles played one of their better games of the year last night in San Francisco. Kevin Kolb made his best start of the season (which isn’t saying much), going 21 of 31 for 253 yards and a touchdown. His 103.3 passer rating was one of the best of his career and he showed glimpses of what he can offer the Eagles organization. LeSean McCoy, who was questionable coming into the game with a cracked rib, continued his brilliance of the 2010 season by rushing for 92 yards and a score on top of 46 yards receiving. Despite a banged up defense, they forced a total of five turnovers en route to protecting an Eagles lead that reached 17 at one point.

Even though these numbers seem good on paper, it doesn’t excuse the Eagles for allowing the game to get within three points. Any time a defense can force five turnovers, your QB have a 103.3 passer rating, and you are playing an 0-5 team, the game should be a blowout. The Eagles had several opportunities to make the game out of reach, but once again allowed big plays on both special teams and over the middle in the passing game.

This week’s grades:

Quarterback: A –

Kolb breaks two tackles before throwing a TD pass to Brent Celek

Kolb made a couple of great plays against the 49ers. The best play of his career came on his only touchdown pass when he tip toed to avoid two potential sacks and threw across his body the Brent Celek who fell into the end zone. He went an impressive 12-14 for 123 yards and a score in the first half and seemed to be in rhythm. After last week against Washington, he was mainly criticized for failing to take any risks to move the ball downfield. However, he responded this week with four passes over 20 yards, including a nice connection with Jeremy Maclin in the second half.

This was an attempted statement game by Kevin Kolb. However having a game like this only actually hinders Kolb’s future. Andy Reid already stated that Michael Vick will be the starter when he is healthy again, which means back to the bench for Kolb until Vick either gets hurt or starts throwing the ball backwards. Because let’s be honest, I don’t think Andy Reid can afford to flip flop again and announce Kolb the starter—he is now stuck with Vick.

The real question here is whether or not Kolb’s performance justifies anything for his future with the franchise. The Inquirer’s Rich Hoffman made an interesting point after the game when he wrote, “But now the dilemma is plain. If Vick plays well enough to allow the Eagles to make a long playoff run, it is hard to believe they wouldn’t re-sign him, in which case Kolb is going to have to be traded. But if Vick doesn’t play well enough, then the Eagles have just wasted what should have been Kolb’s season of development.”

But don’t worry, Andy always has a way of shocking fans so who knows what’s next.

Running back: A

As I have been saying all year, LeSean McCoy has proven that he has what it takes to be a No. 1 back in the NFL. He was questionable coming into the game and was the Eagles most valuable player on offense for the second consecutive week. I knew he was shifty, but that 29-yard touchdown where he dodged about four different 49ers was truly remarkable.

Wide Receivers: B

The Eagles wide receiver core did a good job picking apart the San Fran secondary and made a lot of crucial catches on Sunday night. Jeremy Maclin led all receivers with 95 yards, which was mostly due to his great catch on Kolb’s bomb. However, it’s quite obvious that Kevin Kolb and DeSean Jackson are struggling to make a connection. Even though Jackson left the game with an injury, he was held to just 2 catches for 24 yards. Despite catching the first Eagles touchdown, Brent Celek dropped a couple of passes that are not characteristic of the tight end.

Offensive line: D –

What else is there more to say about this group? It’s almost like they get worse every time they get on the field. Jason Peters injured his knee during the game and was replaced by King Dunlap, the largest waste of space in Eagles history. Standing at 6-foot-9 and weighing in at 330 pounds, you would think that not a single sole in the NFL would get around him, right? That was not the case as Dunlap was embarrassed (almost as embarrassed as Winston Justice was against the Giants in 2007). Todd Herremans also played terribly, committing a bad holding penalty that brought the Eagles back after a big gain.

Defensive Line/Linebackers: C

If I were grading strictly on run defense, I would have given the front seven an A minus. After giving up 169 rushing yards to Clinton Portis and Ryan Torain last week, they held Frank Gore to a mere 2.6 yards per carry on the night. However, the linebackers continue to struggle in pass coverage. It is evident that Stewart Bradley is still feeling the effects of his knee and head injuries because he does not look like the same Bradley of old. Vernon Davis, who the Eagles continuously struggle against every time these teams play, had five receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown late in the game to bring it within three points. I almost forgot that Moise Fokou played last night, as he only had two tackles and failed to make any impact in his first start of the season.

Secondary: D+

Dmitri Patterson grabbed his first interception of the year

Don’t believe the hype about the turnovers committed by the Eagles secondary. Quintin Mikell picked up a fumble for a touchdown and Trevard Linley and Dmitri Patterson both had interceptions; however the secondary was probably the main reason the 49ers came back in the game. After shutting down Alex Smith for three quarters, the team completely collapsed in the fourth and allowed Smith to go 11 of 15 for two touchdowns.

Special Teams: D –

There was nothing really good to say about the special teams. David Akers knocked down two of his three field goals, but that was overshadowed by pathetic return coverage. Ted Ginn had kick returns of 44 and 61 yards during the game, both of which resulted in touchdowns for San Fran. Offensively, it seemed like Ellis Hobbs didn’t make any effort to dodge people on his kick returns and DeSean’s habit of running east to west too often resulted in poor punt returns.

 

Don’t be fooled by the fact that Philadelphia is 3-2 and tied atop the NFC East. There are still a lot of improvements that need to be made before I am sold that this team is a contender. For one, they need to beat someone other than the Lions and 49ers. Secondly, the offensive line needs to show the slightest bit of improvement. Finally, the defense and special teams cannot give up the big plays to opposing teams. The next two weeks against Atlanta and Tennessee could prove to be the most important stretch of the season heading into the bye week. If the Eagles can get situated for those two games, there might be potential.

EAGLES: A Day at Lehigh

This morning, fellow Philly Phour writer Alex Cohen and I ventured to Lehigh to spend the day watching the Philadelphia Eagles partake in training camp. It was an early rise to ensure that we could get a good view of the main field, but it was certainly worth every second of it. I make an attempt to go to training camp every year and I can never get over great the atmosphere is day in and day out.

We arrived to the field about fifteen minutes before the start of the 8:15 practice. Soon we learned that we were on the later end of arriving, as there were close to 3,000 fans in attendance to watch the morning practice. We ended up standing along the front fence, practically ten yards from some of the players on the field. The thing that makes training camp so special for fans is that while it’s taken very seriously, all of the players seem so relaxed. Most of them constantly interact with the fans and aren’t afraid to pump up the crowd or give them a thumbs up. The fans entusiasm is felt by the players, in turn creating a great environment for the dedicated ‘Birds fans that made the trip on a Monday morning.

Analysis on Practice:

Practiced opened up with indidivual drills by positions. The quarterbacks and wide receivers worked together for awhile before the team moved into 7 vs. 7′s. From the beginning, it was was not hard to see a connection between Kevin Kolb and Jeremy Maclin. They clearly have something special working there and it was fun to watch them gel together so well. Michael Vick was a bit streaky on the day. His biggest problem is that he can make a 50-yard pass and then miss the next receiver by five yards on a simple route. Kafka seemed to have a similar problem with consistency.

Riley Cooper runs an out route in practice

The most interesting aspect of Monday’s practice was at the receiving positions. As I mentioned, Maclin looked sharper than every on both his route running and catching abilities. DeSean Jackson did not participate in camp, but I noticed him running on he open practice field alongside linebacker Stewart Bradley. Jason Avant also seemed to make no mistakes and looked comfortable being the second receiver with Jackson out. As I predicted, the fourth spot is going to be one heck of a battle. Hank Baskett didn’t seem to make many mistakes, but also didn’t really open eyes and make himself noticeable on the field. Riley Cooper, the rookie from Florida who has been hyped by the media, had a very hot and cold day. He dropped a total of three passes alone in the morning practice and heard a lot of criticism from the fans. He seemed to struggle making that burst that could get him past the cornerbacks and give him separation. Instead he seemed to take too many steps and rely too heavily on his 6-foot-4 frame to make catches. At the same time, the catches he makes are quite acrobatic and his size enables him to make catches that most wide receivers couldn’t dream of making. The big surprise at wide receiver came from Kelly Washington, who was acquired in the offseason. He has good experience in the NFL, which is something rare with this Eagles offense, and it was apparent in his playmaking on Monday. He made a couple of crowd-pleasing grabs and didn’t drop a single pass all day.

At tight end it was rookie Clay Harbor that stole the show. Brent Celek played well in the morning session, but left early due to dehydration problems. He came back for the afternoon practice and didn’t seem to lose a step. Coming into today, I was under the impression that Cornelius Ingram was far and away the favorie to be the second tight end. After watching Ingram drop a ball from five yards away, attention soon turned towards the rookie from Missouri State. Harbor caught almost everything his way, including the best catch of the day when he sprawled out and dove over the middle during the 7 vs. 7 drills. Watch out Ingram, the rookie is coming for you.

Not much to update about the running game. They only got a few looks during the scrimmage and after the initial burst there wasn’t much hitting. McCoy and Weaver both made solid catches and did a great job interacting with the fans and getting them excited about training camp. J.J. Arrington took a big hit in the middle of the morning practice when it looked like he was lost on the field. Charles Scott seems to throws his arms at the ball rather than cradling it for a catch, but he makes up for it with his powerful running. He is very stocky and his low center of gravity could be vital for third down plays (barring he makes the team, which seems like a long shot as a rookie).

Winston Justice, LeSean McCoy, Leonard Weaver, Brent Celek and Jeremy Maclin

The offensive line seemed to struggle the most at practice. Granted most of my attention was paid to the young offensive and defensive players, but based on the scrimmage plays there is a lot of work to be done. Left guard Todd Herremans didn’t put pads on but worked out on the side with Jamaal Jackson. Right guard Stacy Andrews left during practice with a shoulder injury that is only listed as day-to-day. With both of them banged up, Max Jean-Gilles and Mike McGlynn stepped in with the first team. It seemed like almost all of the offensive lineman struggled against the defensive line in the one on one drills. During the scrimmages, defensive coordinator Sean McDermott opened the floodgates and blitzed almost every other play. If Kolb/Vick/Kafka weren’t wearing the red jerseys, there would have been a lot of hitting going on. Tackle Winston Justice had back to back false starts, in turn forcing Andy Reid to give him the axe and sub him out for King Dunlap. The offensive line was one of the biggest question marks coming into the season and health is a big concern right now.

The defensive line was highlighted by performances by rookie Brandon Graham and Trent Cole. Graham doesn’t ever seem to stop moving and seems eager to play every snap possible. His additional fifteen pounds he added since the draft make him a big threat on top of his speed off the line. Cole was relatively quiet but added good pressure during the scrimmages.

At linebacker, Omar Gaither filled in at middle linebacker with the first team defense. He intercepted a Michael Vick pass during the afternoon practice and did a great job covering the tight end. Akeem Jordan started at strong side linebacker for the second straight day instead of Moises Fokou. He did a solid job all day and Fokou quickly found himself in the backround as the favorite to start come opening day. Ernie Sims also made a few good plays on the ball. He is not a very tall guy, but he is speedy and shifty (Andy Reid’s favorite type of build for his defensive players). One thing that the offense exploited all day was the quick eight-to-ten yard passes. The linebackers seemed a step too slow and Kolb did a great job hitting his receivers on out routes and flag routes over the middle. Seeing as the linebackers biggest problem in the past has been covering the tight end, I still think the Eagles linebacker core needs to work on closing off the middle of the field.

Even though the receivers made some great plays, I thought the secondary was the strongest group on the field Monday (exactly what you all want to hear I’m sure). Ellis Hobbs struggled a bit covering Maclin, but he always had a hand in there and held great coverage throughout the day. Joselio Hanson also practiced with the first team and broke up a few pass plays. The biggest surprise of the day came from Macho Harris, who Reid and McDermott converted from safety heading into training camp. Harris made a ton of plays in the morning practice and the fans let him hear it. If he continues to progress, he could give Hanson a run for his money during Nickel packages.

7 vs. 7 drills

At safety, both Quintin Mikell and rookie Nate Allen worked well patrolling the backfield. Mikell blitzed a few times, one of which would have resulted in a sack if there were pads involved in the afternoon practice. Allen seems very comfortable with the first team and it’s exciting to see how far he has come in such a short amount of time.

Finally, there wasn’t much exciting action from special teams during either practice. They ended the afternoon practice with David Akers practicing inside field goals, but most of the special teams work was on the second field. Similar to Leonard Weaver, Akers does a great job interacting with the fans and even spent a few minutes throwing balls into the crowd before the afternoon practice.

Overall, Monday showed a lot of promise. Even though the Eagles are far from game ready, the first team offense and defense look pretty solid considering the number of injuries that have kept both sides from a full lineup. It’s always exciting to be at training camp and be able to watch the team improve firsthand and I look forward to being there in the near future.

Player of the Day: Kevin Kolb

He didn’t miss a pass until the middle of the afternoon practice. Enough said. He continues to improve every day and the fans are quickly becoming lovers of No. 4. He does a superb job finding his receivers on out routes and is very melodic with his delivery. The main concern I have right now is his skill throwing the long ball. Kolb only threw two balls longer than 25 yards on Monday.

Players to Watch: Clay Harbor, Kelly Washington, Macho Harris
All three of these guys were in the background heading into training camp. Harbor played twice as well as Ingram today, Washington was up there with Maclin and Avant, and Harris outplaed all cornerbacks all day. They are all struggling to make the 53-man roster and things should get interesting in the coming weeks.

Injury Update:
Did not practice: WR DeSean Jackson, LB Stewart Bradley, CB Asante Samuel, RB Mike Bell, DE Victor Abiamiri
Taken off: CB Macho Harris (Hamstring-DTD), DT Anthony Dixon (concussion), TE Brent Celek (dehydration by returned), Stacy Andrews (shoulder)

List of Tweets (most recent at the top)

What a great day at #Eagles training camp… I could do this every day
Ending practice with some field goals. Caps off a great day in Lehigh #Eagles
Things seemed a little too perfect with the lack of injuries today…the injury bug is always present in Lehigh #Eagles
Its Anthony Dixon, the DT…all play had to be stopped #Eagles
Defensive player collapses from dehydration..waiting to see the number #Eagles
Macho Harris limping of the field #Eagles
Just to give you a taste of how big King Dunlap really is #Eagles http://twitpic.com/2b1onv
Vick to Cooper for a 55 yard bomb…Looks like Cooper woke up for the afternoon practice #Eagles
Vick throws his second int of the day. Gaither makes a great play to come up with it #Eagles
First bad pass by Kolb all day. He’s about 49 of 50. I’ll take those odds #Eagles
7v7 drills with the first team offense #Eagles http://twitpic.com/2b1g29
Vick struggling with back to back throws against the defense…no hitting but still hearing helmets hit hard
Hobbs and Hanson starting at corner with the first team #Eagles
Ingram playing with second team even though Harbor outplayed him in the morning #Eagles
6000 people here for the morning session…only about half that now. Probably because they aren’t in full pads #Eagles
Riley Cooper brings in a pass http://twitpic.com/2b19ud
Charles scott makes catching a ball seem like a chore but man can he run through people #Eagles
Another fan favorite David Akers throwing some balls into the stands with the fans…longest tenured Eagle showing some love #Eagles
Weather dropped about ten degrees now that its overcast…some players starting to come put now for the afternoon practice #Eagles
@EaglesInsider Thanks for having us on fan forum today. Loved talking Birds…check out our blog http://thephillyphour.wordpress.com
Phillies writer @alexmcohen and I just got interviewed by Eagles writer Dave Spadaro…will be on @ThePhillyPhour later on
Philly football lovin in the parking lot in between practices http://twitpic.com/2azwsz
Heart of the #Eagles offense http://twitpic.com/2azp6t
Vick talking with Dave Spadaro http://twitpic.com/2azi01
Morning practice ending early…maybe Andy was getting hungry #Eagles
I asked Ellis Hobbs how many kick returns he was going to return for TDs: “I don’t predict, I just do”
Weaver cracking jokes with the fans…hes having fun out here #Eagles
Winston Justice subbed off for a false start…the defense is loving it #Eagles
Riley Cooper drops his third pass of the day…ironic enough all from Vick #Eagles
When I thought Riley Cooper was big, King Dunlap doesn’t even look human #Eagles
Man Kolb is clicking on all cylinders…him and Maclin work well together #Eagles
Mikell rushes the line and blocks a Vick pass. Going to need that pressure this year #Eagles
DeSean Jackson and Stewart Bradley running in no pads on the other practice field #Eagles Gaither starting at middle linebacker with the first team… Akeem jordan over fokou again. Sims on the weak side
Kolb has those ten and out passes down perfectly…something mcnabb never seemed to nail #Eagles
@movingthechains washington is making riley cooper look silly out there…on the fence in my black maclin jersey, feel free to come talk
Ellis hobbs gives a thumbs up @alexmcohen for feeling healthy and ready
No stewart bradley or asante samuel today
Vick is throwing a better long ball than a short one. Completed another long bomb after a ball that should have been picked off
Vick throws a perfect 30 yard bomb to Maclin much to the fans liking…fans are loving Weaver too
Andy Reid making an appearance from the breakfast table. Maybe he and Haynesworth should start conditioning together
Cooper and Ingram highlight the second team
Avant, maclin and baskett with first team. Cole with a botched snap that Vick can’t handle

EAGLES: Preparing for Training Camp; Linebackers and the Secondary

Linebackers: Stewart Bradley, Ernie Sims, Moise Fokou, Omar Gaither, Akeem Jordan, Joe Mays, Alex Hall, Jamar Chaney (R), Keenan Clayton (R), Simoni Lawence (R)

Bradley missed all of the 2009 season with a torn ACL

There is one question when addressing the linebacker core…will Stewart Bradley be the Stewart Bradley that Eagles fans are hoping for? He was sidelined all of 2009 with a torn ACL and was expected to be the leader on a highly anticipated defense. Instead the defense finished the year ranked 19^th in total points allowed (21.1 per game), 12^th in yards given up (321 per game), and couldn’t tackle a person for the life of them. All reports indicate that Bradley is back to his old form, so let’s just hope he doesn’t partake in this years’ Flight Night. If for some reason Bradley is not in full form, his projected backup is Omar Gaither. He spent a majority of last season battling injuries and getting playing time shuffling between middle and outside linebacker.

In one of their biggest offseason acquisitions, the Eagles signed former Detroit Lion Ernie Sims. He was the captain of the defense and recorded 100+ tackles during his first three seasons with the Lions. Sims is expected to be the favorite for the weakside linebacker position. Behind him on the depth charts is Akeem Jordan, who continues to improve each season. He was third on the team in tackles last year and also grabbed two interceptions, becoming the first Eagles linebacker with two interceptions since Ike Reese in 2004.

Finally, the most talked about linebacker position is at the strong side. Everything I have read indicates that Moise Fokou is the leading candidate for the job after his success at the position to close out the 2009 season. He was mostly used on special teams but filled in for Chris Gocong while he was injured. The main reason why Fokou is probably the favorite is because two rookies sit behind him on the depth chart—Keenan Clayton and Ricky Sapp. Clayton is recognized for his speed and coverage skills, which makes sense considering he started his college career at safety. Similarly, Sapp was a sprinter in high school and will most likely be used in nickel formations at defensive end or linebacker as a speed rusher or “joker”/hybrid position.

Even though there are three clear favorites for the starting positions, don’t be surprised if there is a lot of swapping at Lehigh. Reid and defensive coordinator Sean McDermott love to shuffle around their linemen and linebackers depending on defensive matchups and to throw off opposing quarterbacks.

Cornerbacks: Asante Samuel, Ellis Hobbs, Joselio Hanson, Macho Harris, Trevard Lindley (R), Dmitri Patterson, David Pender (R), Geoff Pope

Everyone agrees that the cornerback position is the biggest question mark heading into training camp. More specifically, who will fill the role of Sheldon Brown? Clearly Asante Samuel is the Eagles top cornerback, but Sheldon Brown was the most consistent player in the secondary last season and he will be very tough to replace. Many people believe that Ellis Hobbs has the advantage despite still rehabbing neck and back problems that could keep him sidelines for some of training camp. The Eagles only drafted one substantial cornerback in Trevard Lindley, who doesn’t seem to have the talent to start come opening day.

Hobbs' starting job will not come easy

The main position battle is going to be between Hobbs, Joselio Hanson and Macho Harris. Hobbs’ injury really concerns me because it is to his neck (anterior cervical decompression and fusion for a herniated disk  to be exact) and he plays a physical position (not to mention he gets beat up as the Eagles kick returner too). Hanson finished the season with two interceptions despite really only playing in nickel formations. Harris spent all of last season at free safety, but played cornerback in college and will most likely see action at corner considering how thin the depth chart is right now.

There is no definite player (other than Samuel) that the Eagles can rely on at this point during the season. However, changes need to be made during training camp so that the Eagles secondary can avoid allowing 27 passing touchdowns and ranking 17^th in pass defense like they did in 2009.

Safeties: Quintin Mikell, Quintin Demps, Nate Allen (R), Macho Harris, Kurt Coleman (R), Ryan Hamilton (R), Brett Johnson (R)

Quintin Mikell is coming off a Pro-Bowl caliber season where he led the team in tackles (122) and had two interceptions. He is definitely a lock again to start at strong safety in his eight season, but the Eagles are still hoping that he continues to breakout and be the “Brian Dawkins-like” safety they were hoping for.

Can Nate Allen handle the pressure of starting as a rookie?

The guy with the most pressure starting Monday is Nate Allen, the Eagles second round draft pick from South Florida. Often regarded as the “Donovan McNabb pick” since he was the Redskins second round pick, Allen is already listed as the starting free safety on the depth charts. He finished his collegiate tenure with 224 tackles, nine interceptions, and four defensive touchdowns. Reid and McDermott believe that he has what it takes to start as a rookie and have been working hard with him to learn the playbook before the regular season.

Similar to the rest of the secondary, there are a lot of questions still lingering behind the projected starters. Kurt Coleman, Ryan Hamilton, and Brett Johnson are all rookies and have nothing to prove other than their collegiate statistics. Quintin Demps, who has been with the Eagles for the last few seasons, has been a huge bust and failed on several attempts to contribute to the starting defense.

Now we sit back, somewhat relax and watch as the 2010 Eagles training camp unfolds…hopefully with limited or no injuries.

EAGLES: Minicamp comes to a close

There hasn’t been a ton going on as the Eagles closed out their initial minicamp. Here are some of the top headlines from the past week and a half:

Nate Allen's time is now

- With Marlin Jackson out for the rest of the season, most of the Eagles attention moves towards the safety position. Head coach Andy Reid announced that rookie Nate Allen will fill in as the starting safety on the depth charts. Reid mentioned that Allen has won the spot over Quintin Demps for now. This is a big responsibility for the first-year safety out of Florida. This also adds a lot of pressure to Quintin Mikell, who is young and will be playing alongside Allen during training camp.

- The biggest position battle on the team comes at the cornerback position. With Ellis Hobbs still recovering from injuries, Joselio Hanson has voiced his desire to start at corner. While it is still speculated that Hobbs will get the nod and Hanson will most likely see action in the nickel formation, no promises can be made if Hanson proves himself deem enough to fill the void of Sheldon Brown. The Eagles secondary gave up 27 touchdown passes last season, which placed them 26^th in the league rankings.

- The Eagles signed rookie linebacker Keenan Clayton to a four-year deal after putting Jackson in the Injured Reserve. They also released four undrafted rookies: quarterback Joey Elliott, running back Keithon Flemming, tight end Pat Simonds and fullback Chris Zardas. Clayton is now the seventh of 13 draft picks the Eagles have signed.

- Wide receiver Jason Avant has opened a few more eyes at minicamp. Since DeSean Jackson skipped the final four days of voluntary camp (citing personal reasons) and Maclin battled a tight hamstring, Avant took reps with the first team offense. According to team sources, he did a fine job stepping in and they hope he continues to have a larger role in the offense. I hope so too.

- For an interesting outlook on the Eagles offense during training camp, click here.

- Trent Cole will take his aggressiveness on the field to the television. Cole will host his own outdoor reality TV show this July about hunting and fishing. He admits it is one of his favor hobbies outside of football, and will join other outdoor enthusiasts in the show. Cole is the owner/president of coleoutdoors.com, a Web site dedicated to his hunting endeavors with family and friends. It will air on the Pursuit Channel on DirecTV.

- Injury updates: Quintin Mikell suffered a MCL sprain this week, but should be fine for the start of training camp. Defensive end Victor Abiamiri will most likely miss the opening of training camp after having surgery to repair a microfracture in his knee. Lineback Stewart Bradley (calf), left guard Todd Herremans (foot), wide receiver Riley Cooper (hamstring), and offensive tackle Fenuki Tupou (pectoral muscle) will all be ready for camp.

-Training camp begins on July 26th. Head coach Andy Reid has increased the camp to 18 days, which is nearly a week longer than it has been in the past.

Jackson’s Injury a Crushing Blow to the Eagles Secondary

Everything seemed to be perfect at the Eagles training facility on Tuesday. The most rookies that they Eagles have ever had on a practice field were working hard and all of the veterans showed up with no drama. Until Eagles safety Marlin Jackson went to tackle Jeremy Maclin after a pass over the middle.

Let the new season of the injury bug begin.

Jackson was described as not getting up from the field and eventually holding his head in his hands as he was carted off the field. Many of the players realized he was in pain but didn’t expect the worst, however Jackson knew the damage that had just been done—a torn Achilles tendon that will most likely keep him on the sidelines for yet another NFL season.

Three years in a row Jackson will be watching from the sidelines

This is nothing new for the former Indianapolis Colt. In the last two seasons, Jackson has played a combined 11 games. During that span he managed to tear his ACL in both his left and right knees, which was a major concern when the Eagles signed him this offseason. Until the torn Achilles, he claimed that his knees were doing very well. Not the best of luck for a talented athlete.

After getting rid of Brian Dawkins two seasons ago, the Eagles have been waiting for someone to step up as a consistent starter at the safety position. Quintin Mikell is still developing at strong safety. Quintin Demps couldn’t get the job done last season, as he battled injuries and the Eagles secondary was plagued with giving up big plays and not having a tackling presence that half-resembled Dawkins. There has been talk about training cornerback Macho Harris to learn how to be a safety in the NFL, considering he wasn’t the sharpest at cornerback last year. The front office has already noted that they will not go after free agent safety Oshiomogho Atogwe from the Rams. And finally there’s Nate Allen, the Eagles second round draft pick that is regarded as the “Donovan McNabb draft pick”.

Is he ready to go? According to him, he thinks he is well on his way to making an impact on the defense:

“I’m confident I could do that [start at safety]. It’s just a matter of learning,” he said to Philly.com. “A lot of it is mental, you know? . . . I’m real confident in what I’m doing, but still, I’ve still got a while to go, got to learn the defense still.”

Do the Eagles rely on young talent for the second straight year? Demps, who took over as the potential starter last season, was a huge bust in the mind of defensive coordinator Sean McDermott. With the pressure heading into his first season, there is certainly a chance that starting could go straight to the head of rookie Nate Allen.

With all that said, it seems as though it’s going to be a position battle between Demps and Allen. Based on the lack of production by Demps in the last two seasons and Allen being a rookie, it’s hard to be optimistic about this situation. Looking at the list of free agents still available, the list is quite small. Since there is no interest in Atogwe, the only other standout seems to be Atari Bigby of the Green Bay Packers, which would be a huge but unrealistic acquisition.

It’s tough to make conclude what is best for the team so early during minicamp. And who knows what the injury bug could do next.

EAGLES: The End of the Donovan McNabb Era

At the age of 34 McNabb's is at a new point in his career

What seemed like the inevitable in the last couple of weeks has finally come full circle. After 11 seasons as the captain of the Philadelphia Eagles, Donovan McNabb was traded on Easter Sunday. The greatest quarterback in the history of the Eagles franchise, the man who set new records in the five main quarterback categories and led the Eagles to the most successful decade in franchise history, is headed to the Washington Redskins for the 37^th overall draft pick in the April draft and a third or fourth round draft pick next season.

The truth of the matter is that everyone saw a trade coming, but the Eagles front office never seizes to amaze fans with what they have up their sleeves. The frontrunners in the last few weeks or months seemed to be the Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, and Buffalo Bills. Never were the divisional rivals Washington Redskins mentioned in any trade rumors, which goes to show how badly the Eagles were trying to dish out the veteran before the upcoming season. Call it whatever you want, but the front office seemed desperate to get rid of McNabb and in the end helped bandage the open wound with the Redskins quarterback situation. Now Washington has one of the most successful coaches in recent history in Mike Shanahan and one of the best quarterbacks in the last decade in McNabb.

Phil Sheridan from Inquirer makes a creative point in his latest column about Number 5:

“Fans and media who have been pushing for the Eagles to make a change of this magnitude like to cite Einstein’s definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result. It is safe to say Einstein would have a very different word to describe giving an elite head coach in your own division the elite quarterback he needs to beat you twice a year. And that word is not genius.”

The main concern that I have with the shipping of McNabb is the lack of leadership in the Eagles locker room. Before last season it was Brian Dawkins who was let go by the Eagles. Already before the draft the Eagles have let go of veteran and Pro-Bowl caliber running back Brian Westbrook and cornerback Sheldon Brown. As scary as it sounds, the longest tenured Eagle remaining on the roster is safety Quintin Mikell.

Dawkins recently added his two cents to yesterday’s trade. If anyone knows what it’s like to be abandoned by the team that you helped build, it is Dawkins. He said plain and simply, “When you have a guy that’s playing at a level he’s still playing at, to me, you don’t get rid of the guy.” The Eagles learned that the hard way when Dawkins made the Pro-Bowl in his first season with the Broncos and the Eagles secondary deteriorated as the season progressed.

The future is now in Kevin Kolb

When asked about the extremely young lineup, Reid mentioned that DeSean Jackson and Brent Celek are ready to step up as leaders (both have not been in the league for more than two seasons). Then in a bold statement, Reid said, “Kevin becomes one of them. One of the things I’ve mentioned [is that] I think he’s a good leader.” Remember that Kolb has started two games in three seasons. Is he actually ready to take the leadership role and take the blunt of the media and Philadelphia sports fans?

The end of the McNabb era brings into light the beginning of the Kevin Kolb era. Barring any injuries, the mentor and the student will meet up twice in the 2010 season. This similar type of situation was seen last season when Brett Favre matched up with Aaron Rodgers twice during the regular season. In both cases Rogers played well, but Favre prevailed against his former team.

I am over the fact that McNabb has been traded, but it still gets under my skin that the Eagles traded him to the Redskins. As ESPN’s John Clayton notes, “The McNabb trade should make the Redskins and Cowboys the early favorites to win the NFC East, and put the Eagles, who have moved 10 players this offseason, into just a wild-card possibility at best.” Scary, but it is true.

Even though Joe Banner and Jeffrey Lurie claim they are not rebuilding the franchise, it’s tough to argue that the moves made in the last few months will potentially dictate the future success of the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles have eight of the first 50 draft picks in 2010 so they will only get younger. There’s nothing we can do now except sit back and watch as the Kevin Kolb era unfolds before our eyes. And now all of those McNabb haters really have a reason to root against him in 2010.

Don’t Look too Far Into the Eagles Pro-Bowl Selections

With nine members of the Eagles roster headed to Miami, you would think the Eagles were the best team this season. As we witnessed in the final two weeks of the season, there were plenty of issues flurrying around the franchise. However, the Philadelphia Eagles are sending more players to the Pro-Bowl than any other team in the NFL. I was shocked too.

I am not taking anything away from a lot of these players, but I am also not praising anyone for their performance this season. They team defied expectations, but then threw it all away in a matter of two weeks. It was one of the biggest meltdowns in team history and almost all of the players headed to South Beach did not step up when it mattered. Because let’s be honest, the Pro-Bowl means absolutely nothing.

First off, they moved the Pro-Bowl to this upcoming weekend in order to increase ratings. While this seems logical in some aspects, some of the most talented players in the league are watching from home because they are preparing to play in the Superbowl. The two most talented quarterbacks in the league—Peyton Manning and Drew Brees—will not be in attendance. Instead, Donovan McNabb limped his way in to a roster spot.

Quintin Mikell was a third alternate that limped into the Pro-Bowl

Similar to McNabb, free safety Quintin Mikell was added to the roster since Darren Sharper will also sit out for the Superbowl. What’s the point of having an All-Star game when the best players are inevitably going to sit out? I understand where the priorities lie in trying to make the most money, but it takes away from the aspect of the game. Players like Mikell will now be praised for something they did not necessarily deserve. He did have 169 tackles, three interceptions and two sacks, but the defense also let up some of the most points in the league. Despite his age, he was called upon to head the defense as being the predecessor to Brian Dawkins.

Maybe it’s the open wound I still feel when thinking about the end of this season, but I just don’t see where all of the praise is coming from with Pro-Bowl selections. More specifically, the fact that the Eagles have nine players in the Pro-Bowl does not speak to the team as a whole. The problem is that the Eagles are not a deep team. They have a lot of very good players, which is why they have so many people going to Miami. But until they build upon their weaknesses (Offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, safety, punter, kick returner, to name a few) they will never have a chance of benching their best players in the Pro-Bowl in preparation for the Superbowl. So don’t look too far into it, nine is just a number. There are 11 players on each side of the ball, which needs to be the main priority.