Once the hurt from the Eagles' playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers started wearing off, the ire of the fanbase was turned toward Andy Reid and his, let's say, methodical approach to finding a new defensive coordinator after sending Sean McDermott packing.

Dick Jauron was the favorite for the job considering he's one of Reid's old buddies and was already on the staff as the secondary coach; he's now in Cleveland. Jim Mora, Jr. was a candidate for a short time, but he's headed back to the booth.

Dennis Allen, the New Orleans Saints secondary coach, was brought in for an interview, but that was reportedly never very serious.

So a couple weeks removed from the season, the Eagles are still without a defensive coordinator and the fans are getting restless. But instead of focusing on the unsettling fact that the team still has not decided who will run the defense, perhaps we should take a half-full approach.


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Is Reid taking too long to hire a new coordinator?


Since head coach Andy Reid finally parted ways with former defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, a couple names have been flying around regarding McDermott's successor.

Among the names being kicked around are the younger Jim Mora and defensive backs coach Dick Jauron, but it's looking like both could be off the list very soon. The Denver Post is reporting that Jim Mora could be signing on with John Fox and the Broncos, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that Jauron is interviewing to be the Browns' defensive coordinator.

Word is that the Browns are looking for a guy with experience to help the young, first-time head coach Pat Shurmur. And with Mike Holmgren having a hand in the interviewing, there's a very good chance Jauron will be offered the job.

If both of those guys are crossed off the list, the only other candidate mentioned is former Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Bill Davis. I'm not exactly sure why they'd want the guy responsible for that train wreck, but he would be the only guy left who has been mentioned in connection with the job.

Of course, there's always the possibility with Reid that there are 15-20 other people who just haven't been revealed. One of those guys could be linebackers coach Bill Shuey.

The only problem with Shuey is his youth and inexperience. It seems like the team is more interested in bringing in someone with a resume' rather than promoting a promising young positional coach as they did with McDermott.

Deciding who is going to be the defensive coordinator is a huge decision, so Reid must do his due diligence before pulling the trigger. However, he must also make sure he does it in a timely manner before all the worth-while candidates are off the market.
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Firing McDermott is a move about 8 weeks overdue.


According to ESPN's Chris Mortenson, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid has fired defensive coordinator Sean McDermott.

The news comes just a few days after Reid announced that McDermott would be back for the 2011 season, and just a day after reports surfaced that Reid would not consider demoting McDermott in order to promote defensive backs coach Dick Jauron.

So either McDermott was staying, or he was going to be heading elsewhere. Fortunately for Philly, he'll be heading elsewhere.

Under McDermott this season, the Eagles' defense was historically bad. They allowed opposing offenses to score nearly 80 percent of the time they reached the red zone -- the worst the NFL had seen in about a quarter century -- and allowed over 30 passing touchdowns.

The skill on the defensive side of the ball wasn't great this season and the team did fight through a few injuries, but the team was a lot better than McDermott made them look. He played a lot of soft coverages and at times flat-out refused to blitz even when it was working.

He played not to get beat rather than to win. He completely abandoned Jim Johnson's way of thinking and was not yet refined enough in his own ways to make them work.

Everyone talked about McDermott as a JJ disciple, but the truth is that distinction belongs to current St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo, and not McDermott.

Next step for the Eagles is finding a new coordinator. The most likely candidate right now is Jauron since he's already on the staff and Reid has continuously shown that he loves having his old buddies alongside him on game days.

Linebackers coach Bill Shuey could also get some consideration for the job, but it would likely take Jauron accepting an offer elsewhere for him not to be the Eagles' defensive coordinator in 2011.

Under Jauron the Eagles will run a defense much closer to what Johnson ran. Jauron likes to play an attacking, hard-nosed defense that will really help a guy like Trent Cole. Cole will not be asked to play as much coverage as he was under McDermott and will instead be allowed to go after the quarterback on nearly every play.

That attacking style should also help the secondary bounce back from a tough season. Dimitri Patterson is likely not the answer as the starting right corner, but could be a perfect backup for a guy like Nnamdi Asomugha.

Hey, my dream of seeing McDermott fired has happened, so why not?

The next step for McDermott will obviously be finding a new job. What he needs is a couple years to learn under a guy like Rod Marinelli or Bill Belichick. Both guys will do their fair share of blitzing, but for the most part they like to sit back in the zone and confuse opposing quarterbacks that way.

That's clearly McDermott's style and learning as a position coach under one of those guys for a few years could actually turn him into a decent coordinator.

Until then, this was the right move for the Eagles in the short-term and McDermott in the long run.
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Rattling Rodgers should be the defense's top priority.


Regardless of seeding, there wasn't going to be a single team in the NFC with an easy road to the Super Bowl, but the Eagles might have gotten stuck with the worst draw of all.

If they don't want to get bounced from the playoffs right away for the second year in a row, the Eagles' defense will have to find a way to contain the always-dangerous Aaron Rodgers and his receiving corps as they face the Green Bay Packers.

Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott will be given the task of figuring out a way to slow down one of the game's top five quarterbacks and, as has become McDermott's M.O., he'll likely try to do it by playing a lot of zone coverage and bringing no more than five guys at the quarterback.

But if that's the route he goes, expect to have a miserable time watching the Divisional round of the playoffs, because the Eagles will likely be golfing rather than playing.

If given time, Rodgers is as dangerous as any quarterback in the league. He's proven that week after week. He's also proven that, like most quarterbacks, he has a very tough time executing with pressure in his face.

His worst two games of the season, for example, came against the New York Jets and the Chicago Bears. Both teams do it in different ways, but they threw off his game but pressuring him and getting in his face.

The Jets are forced to do it with the blitz since they don't have a marquee pass-rusher, but the Bears were mostly able to use their front four and play coverage -- the same thing McDermott will want to do. But, as this defense has shown by allowing mediocre quarterbacks like Eli Manning to throw four touchdown passes, that's not going to cut it.

Trent Cole is a very good pass-rusher, but he can't do it on his own. McDermott doesn't even stunt his linemen, so I'm not exactly sure how he expects them to get pressure on their own.

The only way this defense can get any real pressure is with the blitz. And not just a straight-up here-we-come Buddy Ryan-style blitz, but something more crafty and exotic. This defense is not physical enough to beat guys one-on-one, so they must do it with confusion and the same kind of "organized chaos" Rex Ryan used in Baltimore and uses with the Jets.

The Packers don't have a real running game, so if they can rattle Rodgers a little bit the Eagles' offense should be able to score enough points.

But if Rodgers is allowed to sit back and target Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones, and Jordy Nelson and put up points at will, it's unlikely that Michael Vick will be able to out-duel him.
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Chaney must show he can handle the mental aspect.


New York Giants wide receiver Steve Smith has torn his ACL and will not play this week when the Eagles head up to the new Meadowlands. Mario Manningham also looks highly questionable for the pivotal NFC East showdown.

That's the good news.

The bad news, however, is that the lack of receivers will force the Giants to run the ball more often at a young defense filled with holes and a rookie in Jamar Chaney making his first start at middle linebacker.

Antonio Dixon and the rest of the defensive tackles have stepped up their game to help make up for the sub-par linebacker play, but it might not be enough against the Giants.

Starting center Shaun O'Hara and backup left tackle Shawn Andrews are practicing this week, so Sean McDermott and the Eagles defense will not face the same decimated unit they faced the first time around.

Not only that, but both Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw are running very well -- unlike last time the two teams faced when Jacobs was clearly frustrated with his playing time and not entirely in the game.

If the Eagles hope to sweep the Giants and take a firm hold of the lead in the NFC East, Chaney is going to have to step up and show that he's learned the defense. Physicality isn't a problem as he's shown he's capable of making plays, but if he's caught out of position, a guy like Bradshaw can stick a dagger in a defense by breaking off huge runs at any time.

And all it takes is once. One bad read, one bad call, or even a late read or call could lead to a big play that winds up being the difference.

I'm not a big fan of Stewart Bradley, but at least we don't have to worry about him having the defense out of position because he's familiar with how it's run. Chaney has only been in the scheme since April, so it's likely that he's not as versed in it as he should be in order to start.

My first thought when the announcement was made that he's the starter was curiosity as to whether or not this was an endorsement of Chaney or an indictment of Omar Gaither.

Gaither has run this defense in the past, so it would make sense that if Chaney wasn't ready they would go with Gaither and find a way to make up for his lack of size.

Hopefully that means we can expect the best out of Chaney, but Andy Reid has put his faith in some pretty bad linebackers in the past -- Barry Gardener, for instance, comes to mind.

If he's made the same mistake with Chaney, taking the NFC East from the Giants is going to be something of a daunting task, if it wasn't bad enough already.
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There's a lot of bending and breaking in the red-zone.


Bend, but don't break.

That used to be the mantra for the Philadelphia Eagles' defense when Jim Johnson was roaming the sidelines. Johnson would strike fear into opposing offenses with exotic blitzes and a ferocity he instilled in his defensive players.

He would draw up blitzes on napkins or make them up as he went along. It worked most of the time, but there were the times when the blitz bit him. That happens. But once the offense got into the red-zone, they went no further.

For an offense, scoring becomes difficult in the red-zone because the field shrinks. With it, their options shrink. Understanding that, Johnson would send the blitz and force the opposing quarterback to make a quick decision.

When quarterbacks are forced to make a decision, there's a good chance it's the wrong one. Or, if they don't make a decision at all, they go down with the ball in their hands. After a few plays of that, they're forced to kick a field goal.

And, as we all know, trading touchdowns for field goals is always a huge win for a defense.

Unfortunately, for all the time he spent around Johnson, Sean McDermott has yet to figure this all out, and we're seeing his defense break more often than not.

McDermott won't blitz between the 20s, and he refuses to blitz when teams get into the red-zone. As a result, quarterbacks are left with an inordinate amount of time, the entire offense is able to find a comfort level, and the defense is usually caught flat-footed -- which has led to the worst red-zone percentage (about 77 percent) since the 1988 Houston Oilers.

When a defense is repeatedly asked to move backward, the fire and intensity it takes to play defense -- especially in the red-zone -- is tough to find. When it's time to really lock things down and start getting after people, the players can't turn it on.

Johnson instilled that sort of fire in guys like Jeremiah Trotter and Brian Dawkins. Right now, there's no one like that on this defense because McDermott doesn't carry that same sort of passion and swagger that Johnson was able to infuse in his squads.

McDermott calls games not to lose rather than to win. He's afraid of taking a chance and being beaten. But what he's not realizing is that his soft gameplans are hurting a lot more than they're helping.

Instead of getting beat because the blitz didn't get there in time, he's getting beat because his players don't know how to play the zone defense with which he's so enamored. Sure, we don't see many big plays against his defense, but that's because he's got everyone dropping 10-20 yards deep.

So instead, offenses and able to dink and dunk their way into the red-zone.

And based on the number mentioned earlier, the Eagles' 20 is essentially the goal-line.

This is a speed defense built to come after the quarterback. And until Brandon Graham hits his potential as a pass-rusher, it's a defense that will need the blitz to create pressure.

And until head coach Andy Reid goes out and finds a defensive coordinator who understands that, this is a defense that will continue to be more of a liability than an asset.
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Peppers and the Bears had Vick running for his life.


-- Mike Vick had, by far, his worst game of the season. Overall, he seemed very rattled and indecisive. He threw his first interception of the season and fumbled four times, but didn't lose any. The play-calling certainly didn't help, but Vick must be better moving forward. That said, his worst game was still actually pretty decent.

-- Once again, LeSean McCoy went under-utilized. He had only 10 carries, but still averaged 5.3 yards per carry. He also chipped in with eight catches for 67 yards. It's just mind-boggling why a play-maker like McCoy is not used more often.

-- We have a Brent Celek sighting. For once, his lack of production (for most of the game) wasn't his fault. Had Vick hit him when he was open, Celek would have ended the day with three touchdowns and well over 100 yards.

-- Owen Schmitt seemed to be used a whole lot less than usual. He lined up at fullback and at tight end a little bit, but did nothing of note other than his usual solid blocking performance.

-- Jeremy Maclin had only four catches for 47 yards, but hauled in his eighth touchdown of the season and, to this point, has been the team's best receiver. He still does everything he can to avoid contact, but not if it means sacrificing a catch. Which, of course is more than I can say for some receivers on the team.

-- I won't keep you in suspense for very long. The receiver who will sacrifice a catch to avoid contact is DeSean Jackson. I don't care about the concussions. Short-arming on that pass in the endzone to avoid getting hit was inexcusable. If you're afraid to get hit, then get off the field and let someone play who isn't afraid of his own shadow.

-- Jason Avant rebounded strongly after a terrible drop against the Giants. Avant pulled in eight receptions for 83 yards including a few important first downs to keep drives alive. Avant hasn't been able to find the endzone a lot this season, but he's been instrumental in moving the ball in the middle of the field.

-- Overall, the offensive line did a decent job with the Bears. Most of the sacks on Vick were a result of him holding the ball far too long, but they were poor blocking for McCoy. Any yardage McCoy gained was by waiting for a seam to open up and dancing through it. Nick Cole and Todd Herremans were especially bad.

-- Clay Harbor was the second tight end for the third straight week, and was more productive than DeSean Jackson, hauling in two catches for 27 yards. Harbor lined up outside as a receiver and as a tight end, and figures to get more of a look over the last five weeks.

-- Riley Cooper had a big catch for 29 yards, but that was it. He hasn't been getting a ton of targets, but given the Eagles' red zone struggles over the past two weeks that could change.

-- Jerome Harrison was given one carry. Just one. Apparently a 100-yard game doesn't warrant some more touches.

-- The play-calling, once again, was atrocious. Who in the hell thinks it's a good idea to call play-action time after time after time when you have yet to establish the run? The Bears didn't fall for it, and all it did was open up Vick to getting hit and cut down the time he had to make reads. Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg are the worst play-calling duo in the league.

-- Trent Cole finished with two sacks on Jay Cutler, but he could and should have had at least two more. Cole has at least one sack against every non-NFC East team the Birds have played this season.

-- This is a different defense with Antonio Dixon in the lineup. Offensive linemen just can't block him one-on-one and he's able to make up for the fact that the defense lacks a true middle linebacker.

-- Mike Patterson pitched in with a sack, but he was given a clear path to Cutler on a busted screen. Patterson must generate more of a pass-rush on first and second down from the inside and do a better job of getting off blockers.

-- Brodrick Bunkley had another quiet game. He seems to lack the power to shed blockers since suffering the elbow injury, but is still hard to move off the line. The problem is that until he can get in the backfield and disrupt opposing offenses like Dixon does, he's going to remain the third guy in a rotation.

-- Brandon Graham, starting in place of Juqua Parker, racked up his third sack of the season. He is still not good enough against the run, however. He allows tackles to get into his body and push him off the ball, which interferes with the way the linebackers flow to the ball.

-- Trevor Laws, Darryl Tapp, and Daniel Te'o-Nesheim were mostly useless. Laws got a pass-rush a couple times, but that's it. At least he has been a pretty decent backup all year, but Tapp and Te'o-Nesheim continue to be useless.

-- Has Stewart Bradley had a good game all year? He missed a tackle that sprang Matt Forte's first long run, and would go on to miss more and more as the game went on. He still gets caught in the wash, still can't disengage a blocker, and doesn't seem to have the fire or leadership a MIKE linebacker should have.

-- Ernie Sims has essentially all the same problems Bradley has. But, at 6'0, 230 pounds, at least he has an excuse to get caught in a crowd. On top of that, however, he doesn't seem to understand angles and is not the big-play guy the Eagles thought they were getting.

-- Moise Fokou, like Akeem Jordan before him, is the best linebacker on the field. He will actually step up and take on blockers rather than playing patty-cake like Sims and Bradley. He didn't have a great game today as the Bears were able to attack the outsides pretty effectively, but he has yet to be outdone by Sims or Bradley.

-- Joselio Hanson said he played his worst game since entering the NFL. I'm inclined to agree. It was clear all night that he was very frustrated and it hurt his game even worse. I've said this before and I'll say it again: he does not belong on the outside. Ever. He's a nickel corner and that's it. I would have preferred to see Trevard Lindley start on the outside.

-- Speaking of Lindley, he looked like a rookie. It's not surprising considering he is a rookie, but his inexperience really killed the Eagles defense. He was slow reacting when the Bears tried crossing him up and allowed some easy receptions right in front of his face. He has shown flashes and could be a contributor in the future, but he showed he's not ready quite yet.

-- Dimitri Patterson was the bright spot of the secondary. He didn't have a great game, but he was certainly the best one out there. Had he jumped a half-second later or been an inch taller, he would have had at least one interception instead of giving Greg Olsen a touchdown reception.

-- Nate Allen and Quintin Mikell took awful angles and missed tackles all game long. Allen was late reacting near the goal-line once Hanson released his man to the inside, and Mikell just plain got beat by Earl Bennett. Allen has been less than impressive since returning from injury, and Mikell seems to be getting progressively worse as the season goes on.

-- Sean McDermott proved once again that he has no ability to adjust on the fly. If his gameplan works from the outset of the game, he can do just fine and his defense plays well. But if the defense and his gameplan gets exploited early, he's unable to fix it and immediately loses all control of the game.

-- The coverage units reverted to their old ways. After a few weeks of playing very well, Bobby April's unit laid an egg against Devin Hester and Daniel Manning. Special teams will continue to underperform every year until Reid takes it seriously and keeps guys like Tracy White and Kelley Washington on the team.

-- Jackson's fear of contact has affected his return game too. He had a good 35-yard punt return, but was pushed out by the punter. If he wasn't so afraid of being hit, he could have easily cut that return back inside and taken it all the way. Another return saw him dance around and fall to the ground. Jorrick Calvin was good returning kicks, but unfortunately received no blocking.

-- The loss was a team effort, but can be traced back to terrible play-calling on offense and a depleted defense that got no help from a poor gameplan and a coordinator who doesn't know what he's doing well enough to adjust. Had the coaches been better, this is a game the team could have won even with their poor play.
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The Eagles' front seven must play in the Giants' backfield.


If the Eagles want to take sole possession of first place in the NFC East, it's going to require a killer instinct and a mentality that they're going to take out a Giants ream that has to be reeling right now due to some injuries and an embarrassing divisional loss to the Cowboys last week.

But more specifically, that killer's mentality must come from Sean McDermott and the defensive side of the ball.

Two starters along the Giants' offense line, center Shaun O'Hara and left tackle David Diehl, have already been ruled out for Sunday night. Diehl's potential replacement, Shawn Andrews, is having back problems and listed as questionable.

Giants fans might not know this yet, but Eagles fans know what that means. Andrews is out for this game and likely the season.

For McDermott, that has to mean one thing: blitz.

Eli Manning has shown time and time again that he will put the ball up for grabs if he gets guys in his face. That's just the type of player he is. Rather than being like his brother and hitting the deck if it becomes evident he's going to be sacked, Eli chucks the ball into the air and hopes for the best.

So if McDermott will blitz the 'A' gap to take advantage of O'Hara being on the sidelines, and allow Trent Cole to come around the edge and take on William Beatty (Andrews' likely replacement), who will be making his first NFL start, rather than dropping him into coverage, the front seven should be able to get a boatload of pressure on Manning and force turnovers.

Dimitri Patterson has shown a nose for the ball, as has safety Nate Allen, and we already know interceptions are about all that matter to Asante Samuel. With those three going for the ball and Eli more than willing to offer it up, those turnovers should lead to short fields for Vick and the offense and translate into a lot of easy points.

However, if McDermott pulls out his usual scheme and plays a soft man or just flat-out zone, Eli will torch them. If given time to find Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham, it will be an absolute blood-bath. He is, after all, still a Manning.

And we haven't even brought up the idea of run-blitzing yet. Ahmad Bradshaw is currently (and very quietly) third in the league in rushing. With the way Stewart Bradley has been playing, the Giants might be able to run right up the gut even with O'Hara out.

The way to counteract that is the run blitz. Bring Quintin Mikell into the box, blitz Bradley so he doesn't have a chance to get flat-footed, tell the defensive tackles to squeeze 'A' gap while controlling 'B' gap and let Ernie Sims and Moise Fokou know they've got contain on a pitch.

If McDermott blitzes, the injuries along the line should be too much for the Giants to overcome and the Birds should send the Giants back to New York a game and a half out of first place.
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Patterson's performance could earn him more starts.


Ellis Hobbs practiced all week leading up to the Eagles' rout of the Washington Redskins on Monday night, but did not wind up playing. Instead, Dimitri Patterson got his second consecutive start and made the best of it.

Patterson recorded his second and third interception of the season and scored his very first touchdown. Outside of one big play, Patterson shut down anyone he lined up against and showed once again that he's a very sure tackler.

But we all know players don't lose their spot due to injury, right?

Kevin Kolb would tell you that's simply not true with Andy Reid. And make no mistake, if Reid wants Patterson to play, Sean McDermott will play Patterson and Hobbs will take a demotion all the way down to the fourth corner.

Hobbs hasn't played poorly this season (sans his meeting with Kenny Britt), but like Vick taking over for Kolb and Antonio Dixon taking over for Brodrick Bunkley, the team has shown the guy with the hot hand will play.

Right now, Patterson undoubtedly has the hot hand.

But even if Hobbs gets pushed out by Patterson, he would likely still have a fairly large role in the defense. Joselio Hanson is the nickel corner and that's how it's going to stay. He's been moved around and has seen time on the outside, but has been unimpressive. So Hobbs would become the backup for both Patterson and Asante Samuel.

If something happened to either one of those guys, Hobbs would step in. If something happened to Hanson, Patterson would likely kick to the inside and Hobbs would start in his place. So while Hobbs would technically be the fourth corner, he would always be just one snap away from seeing time.

On top of the time he'd see on defense, Hobbs could also take over the kick return duties. Jorrick Calvin has shown some flashes, but he muffed the catch on the opening kickoff and fumbled on another return later in the game against the Redskins. He got lucky he was able to fall back on top of the ball.

The way Reid has been willing to sit starters and go with the guys who are playing best is what has the Eagles in first place in the division. Sticking with the pattern and starting Patterson seems like the only option at this point.
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Absent a turnaround, McDermott's days are numbered.


I've been saying for a few weeks now that it's time for Sean McDermott's tenure as defensive coordinator to come to an end, and now it looks like others are not only starting to hop on the bandwagon but believing McDermott could really be on the way out.

"There is no question (that McDermott could be fired)," said ESPN's Sal Paolantonio to Mike Missanelli on 97.5 The Fanatic. "It may be time for; I don't know how much input Dick Jauron has in the defensive game plan, I'm sure he has quite a bit, but eventually they may have to make a switch there."

The defense has been a huge liability in the fourth quarter all year long, but it hadn't noticeably hurt them until the meltdown against the Tennessee Titans in Week 7.

The Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers specifically were about an extra five minutes away from making miraculous fourth-quarter comebacks on the arms of Shaun Hill and Alex Smith, respectively. The Titans were able to do it on the arm (and hobbled hand) of Kerry Collins, who is the definition of an underachiever.

McDermott's play-calling also allowed Kenny Britt to rack up 225 receiving yards and three touchdowns in only three quarters. Statistically, it's the worst showing by an Eagles defense against one player in the franchise's entire 77-year history.

And as Paolantonio points out, it was largely due to McDermott's inability to adjust.

"It comes down to the defensive coordinator," Paolantonio said. "He has some kind of brainlock or whatever it is -- lack of judgment, inability to make adjustments on the fly. The head coach was covering for him this week [in a press conference], you heard that."

I'm not exactly sure what Paolantonio is referring to since Andy Reid says basically the same thing at every press conference, but this is what Reid had to say following the loss:

"I thought Sean had a heck of a game plan, man. Doggone, that's a good football team right there," Reid told the media. "For three quarters, we had it right there. It's not all about the offense, and it's not all about the defense. Everybody has an opportunity, and we've got to make sure that we secure that up a little bit and finish things off and we're going to be okay."

Outside of maybe going to bat for him a bit too eagerly, I don't see much there. But reading what Reid is actually saying is about as difficult as learning Mandarin so you be the judge.

But either way, McDermott's play-calling has now cost the team a win it should have had. And if he's allowed to keep running the defense, it's going to keep happening.

There is talk that Jauron could step in and replace McDermott, but Reid isn't someone who is likely to fire a coordinator mid-season. The bye week would be the perfect time to make a switch, but since it hasn't happened yet I don't expect it to happen at all.

The offseason is a different story, but we'll have to deal with McDermott for the rest of this season at the very least. I do believe Reid will be giddy at the idea of getting his buddy Jauron to run the defense for next season, however.

Reid could make a friendly suggestion to McDermott that he allow Jauron to get more involved in the day-to-day operations of the defense, but that's probably as radical as Reid will get for this season.

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Could Dick Jauron be the missing piece to this defense?


If you watched the Eagles' game this past week, I know for a fact that you were looking for the nearest wall in which to bash your head. I can honestly say that for the first time in my nineteen years of existence, I was legitimately angry at the Philadelphia Eagles.

Remotes, telephones, and pillows were flying in my house with every Kenny Britt reception. I could not fathom how a team, who seemed to have the game in their control, was absolutely dominated by one player and eventually lost the game.

Sean McDermott did a horrible job of making adjustments and managing his defense. You know, there is a guy in the booth named Dick Jauron who wears a cool cowboy hat and is a pretty good defensive coach. Why not give him a crack at it? I'll get to that later.

I counted three goats in this game: Ellis Hobbs, Sean McDermott, and Nate Allen.



Ellis Hobbs

After being matched up against Kenny Britt in the second quarter, Hobbs looked like a freshman on his first day of high school. He was absolutely lost and was being juked while Britt was running his routes.

The amount of separation between Hobbs (or any defender for that matter) and Kenny Britt was wide enough to fit about three Boeing 747s. When Britt got passed him, Hobbs seemed to just shrug it off in the hopes that Nate Allen would pick him up.

Yes, this may be a valid thing to do maybe for three plays. However, if you are a cornerback and are getting consistently smoked by a wideout, maybe it's time for a change. Swallow your pride and speak up. Tell the coach, "Hey, this guy is getting me every time. We should think about doubling him."



Sean McDermott

Aside from being a pretty cool guy, McDermott doesn't know his linebackers from his safeties.

Let me ask you this, how is it that the Eagles defense cannot seem to find a balance in defnding both the pass and run? After having running back Chris Johnson virtually shut down the entire game, the Titans realized that they would have to win through the air.

Instead of tightening up coverage, McDermott left his defense the way it was in the hopes that all will be well by 0:00 in the fourth quarter.

Wrong.

Adjustments are the key to locking up football games. McDermott has got to do a better job of tying up loose ends. Putting Ellis Hobbs on a team's best wide receiver is foolish. Asante Samuel is the best cornerback so why not put him on Britt? Yes, I know that it may screw up the game plan but obviously the original plan isn't working.

Simply put: the Eagles are scared to improvise on the fly.



Nate Allen

I don't have many bad things to say about Nate. He has played up to expectations throughout this entire season. However, in yesterday's game, he seemed to be lost a little bit.

I felt as though the responsibility of him covering Hobbs' lack of skill was getting to his head and making him think too much. Therefore, Allen gave up a couple of big plays. This is expected from a rookie, though.

Dick Jauron was brought on this season to coach the secondary. Jauron has had a few head coaching stints as well as a couple of defensive coordinator positions throughout the years.
From 1995-98, Jauron was stationed in Jacksonville under head coach Tom Coughlin. In those three years, Jauron had a fair amount of success and was able to have his defense rank about 15th each year.

From 2004-05, Jauron was defensive coordinator in Detroit under Steve Mariucci. As you all know, that Lions team was horrible. Anywho, Jauron's defense was ranked 18th and 20th in 2004 and 2005, respectively. In Detroit, Jauron's best defensive players were R.W. McQuarters, Shaun Rogers, Dre' Bly, and Kalimba Edwards.

To be able to have your defense rank in the teens with these players is pretty good, you have to admit. It a lot better than having your D rated in the mid-to-high twenties under McDermott.

Imagine Dick Jauron operating a defense with Trent Cole, Stewart Bradley, Asante Samuel, Nate Allen, Ernie Sims, Quintin Mikell, etc. The possibilities are endless.

I know Andy Reid and Co. are not too keen on demoting assistants but "doggone it," the guy (McDermott) has to go. Even if it means switching him to coach the secondary.
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Mikell was one of the few bright spots vs. the Titans.


-- This was the Kevin Kolb I expected to see the past two weeks. He was shaky in the pocket, his passes were sailing high, he was staring down his receivers, and threw a costly interception. For me, Michael Vick has always been the choice, but Kolb made the decision much easier.

-- Someone tell LeSean McCoy that he is fast in the open field. Instead of making a couple moves at the line of scrimmage and turning on the jets, he acts like he has to dance all the way down the field if he's going to get anywhere. He has been very good all season, but he has to stop dancing and just go north and south.

-- Owen Schmitt was once again very good as a blocker and had a key third-down reception. He has been a great pick-up this season and has minimized the loss of Leonard Weaver.

-- Where is Brent Celek? He's been a non-factor all season long. Once again he seemed uninspired and uninterested in the game. With DeSean Jackson out, Celek was going to be counted upon as a key target, but he failed to step up and help his buddy Kolb.

-- Who else wanted something to bash their head against when King Dunlap went down? I'm still not a big fan of his, but if he was forced to miss an extended period of time it would have gotten very, very ugly.

-- When Dunlap went down, Todd Herremans kicked out to left tackle. Alright, I'm on board. But why in the hell was Nick Cole the guy to come in at left guard? I thought Reggie Wells was the primary backup at left guard, which is why he wasn't getting the start at right guard? It just begs the question of why in the hell the team traded for him to sit the bench all year.

-- At left guard, Herremans seemed to get abused all day. Too many times he was in the backfield or just on his back. I can't put my finger on the exact issue, but Herremans seems to high in his kick-step and always seems a half-second late off the ball.

-- Mike McGlynn could have the makings of a very, very good center. Most of the time he messes up are mental issues that will come with experience. But as far as the physical side, he's been very good all year. I didn't think initially that the penetration on the fumbled exchange near the goal line was his fault, but he's taken the blame so he'll work on that and move on.

-- Max Jean-Gilles seemed pissed off. I'm not sure what the Titans did to him, but he was flying around all game making hits around the pile and really played to the whistle. Jean-Gilles is another guy I haven't been too fond of, but he looked good against Tennessee.

-- Winston Justice got hurt and it started to show a little. He got called for a holding penalty that was a directly result of stopping his feet, which was likely a direct result of a knee injury. It didn't seem too serious, so hopefully the bye week will put him back at 100 percent in two weeks.

-- I keep looking, but still can't find Brent Celek.

-- Jeremy Maclin seemed to get enough targets from Kolb, but he just wasn't able to make the big play like he was last week. The Titans seemed to really key on him and none of the other receivers were able to step up and take advantage. DeSean Jackson's presence might be more important to the deep passing game than even originally thought.

-- Jason Avant quitely had a decent day. He had a circus catch near the sideline on the way to a six-reception, 60-yard day, but is clearly better served as a slot receiver. He played on the outside more often than he usually would and it exposed his lack of breakaway speed.

-- It's hard not to like Chad Hall. The guy does whatever is asked of him and gives it everything he has. He averaged nearly five yards per carry on four attempts, but only hauled in one reception for five yards. Kolb missed him a couple times over the middle or he could have had a much better game.

-- Riley Cooper made the best play of the day when he snagged that awful pass on the Eagles' feeble attempt to copy what the Kansas City Chiefs did a couple weeks back. The wildcat reverse pass should have been intercepted, but Cooper stepped in front and snagged it then scored his first career touchdown a couple plays later. The future could be very bright for Cooper.

-- On the defensive side, Antonio Dixon was the best player. He man-handled anyone he lined up against and was in the Titans' backfield as often as Chris Johnson. Even when Brodrick Bunkley does return, the team would be selling themselves short to keep Dixon on the bench.

-- Mike Patterson has been fairly consistent all year, but unfortunately it's been only consistently average. He does a good job at the point of attack, but is not great at disengaging the blocker and making the play. When Bunkley comes back to the lineup, Patterson could get bumped to a rotational player.

-- After a great start to the season, Trevor Laws has disappeared. His snaps should have gone up after Bunkley went down, but he seems to be going the other way and taking a step back into being irrelevant. Hopefully he can turn things around and start contributing in the latter portion of the season.

-- Trent Cole is now up to six sacks on the season despite being dropped back into coverage more often than he should. If Sean McDermott would actually let him rush the passer on every play like he should be doing, Cole could have a few more sacks and could be helping the defense a lot more.

-- Like Laws, Brandon Graham has completely disappeared. The coaching staff seems to have lost faith in him and don't even seem to be using him in passing situations as much. Over the past couple of weeks, Graham has been the biggest disappointment on the team.

-- Graham's removal from the starting role has really killed Juqua Parker. He was doing such a great job as a situational player, but has been largely ineffective as a pass-rusher as the starting left end.

-- Ernie Sims was flying around all day, but still can't seem to make the big play. It appears as though he doesn't fully understand the defense quite yet and is caught slightly out of position at certain points. Overall, however, Sims might have had his best game of the season.

-- More than anything else, Moise Fokou seems like a smart football player. There was one point when Kerry Collins rolled out and was clearly looking to hit fullback Ahmard Hall, but since Hall was still in the backfield Fokou just dropped his shoulder into him and knocked him over. So far, it seems like Fokou and Akeem Jordan are interchangeable.

-- Stewart Bradley is just going through the motions, it seems. He's had some decent games, but this is not the borderline All-Pro we saw in 2008. Maybe he needs more time to recover from ACL surgery, but so far to say he's been unimpressive is an understatement. I'm running out of ways to voice my displeasure with him.

-- Speaking of displeasure, Ellis Hobbs and Nate Allen paired together as the most incompetent group of defensive backs in Eagles history. The 225 yards receiving by Kenny Britt was the most allowed by the Eagles in their entire 77-year history. Hobbs looked hurt and Allen just looked like he was thinking far too much and not relying on his instincts.

-- When did Asante Samuel get stone hands? He's dropped, by my count, at least five or six interceptions this season. He had a chance to intercept Collins when the game was 19-17 in the Eagles' favor and dropped the pass in the endzone. Maybe Dick Jauron needs to get Samuel some work with the wide receivers.

-- The only one to challenge Dixon as the best player on the defensive side of the ball was strong safety Quintin Mikell. With an interception, a sack, and a forced fumble, Mikell did all he could possibly do to help the team, and they blew it. As a note, the pick, fumble, and sack was the first time an Eagles defensive back has done that since Brian Dawkins in 2005.

-- The best rebound of the week goes to David Akers. He went 4-for-4 on field goal tries and booted five touchbacks. Hopefully Akers has totally put his awful Week 6 performance behind him and will continue to prove it was an aberration.

-- Sav Rocca once again looked like he belongs in the Pro Bowl. He had one punt into the wind that went a bit short, but that was the only gripe. He crushed the ball 63 yards on one punt and went over 60 yards one more time. As a punter and a holder, Rocca seems to really be grasping what is expected of him as an NFL player.

-- It was a good news and bad news type of day for Jorrick Calvin. He had a fantastic 41-yard kick return that set up a touchdown, and then fumbled a punt near the end of the game. The Eagles were down eight points, but still had a shot. Calvin putting the ball on the ground effectively ended their last opportunity.

-- The coverage teams were good once again. The Titans have had a good return game all year, but it looks like Bobby April is finally starting to get through to these guys. And if I didn't like Akeem Jordan enough, the guy goes hard on special teams and was always at least around the ball if he wasn't the guy making the tackle.

-- On offense, the playcalling was probably a bit pass-heavy. The team doubled the amount of pass plays (48) to running plays (24), but that's probably necessary when the team falls behind so quickly in the fourth quarter. First and foremost, Reid has to cut out the cute plays and just stick with what works.

-- It's time to fire Sean McDermott. Anyone who's ever watched Kerry Collins knows the way to beat him is to blitz him. When he sees the blitz, he throws the ball away. McDermott did a little of it in the first half but, as has been the case this year, backed off in the second half and killed the team in the fourth quarter. We'll talk more about McDermott, but it's time for him to go.

-- At 4-3, the Eagles are far from out of the race. However, they hit a hellish schedule and will need a much more stingy and consistent defense if they even want to finish .500. But that's not going to happen under McDermott and this team is in big trouble moving forward.
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McCoy has been nothing short of phenomenal so far.


-- I'll give credit where it's due and say Kevin Kolb played a pretty decent game. His eyes were down-field most of the time, the passes were accurate for the most part, and he was very careful with the ball outside of a bad play right before halftime.

-- But, with that said, let's not get carried away. He did step up into pressure on three separate occasions, got very lucky the Niners didn't hit that field goal before half (which would have meant a tie game at the end), and did miss some receivers. Also, even some balls that were caught looked wobbly or were behind his receiver. He is looking to strong-arm too many of his passes.

-- LeSean McCoy is going to be an icon in Philadelphia before his time is up. He has unbelievable vision (unless it's seeing the first-down marker), is only a half-notch below where Brian Westbrook was as a receiver, and can break some tackles with the weight he's added. I love McCoy and expect great things out of him this year.

-- Did you see the hit Owen Schmitt laid on Shawntae Spencer on the Eagles' first offensive drive of the game? Holy Schmitt!

-- King Dunlap still needs some work. His first move during his kick-step is to drop his hands by his side like he's an 1800's gun-slinger. He has to work on getting a better punch or defensive ends will bully him every time he's in the game.

-- When they knew Peters was going to be out for the game, why not slide Todd Herremans out to left tackle and put Reggie Wells in the game? I don't understand why Andy Reid refuses to play Wells, but he's doing this team a great disservice.

-- Outside of recovering that fumble for a first down, Todd Herremans didn't do a whole lot of good against the 49ers. He had a pretty decent block on Patrick Willis on McCoy's touchdown run, but it was more luck that Dashon Goldson got caught in the wash.

-- Speaking of McCoy, how about the kid going over 100 total yards with a broken rib? Have I mentioned I think this kid is going to be a damn fine player?

-- Mike McGlynn still needs to get more comfortable making calls on the line, but as far as the technique of his blocking and the actual physical aspect of the game, he's well on his way to being a very good football player.

-- Max Jean-Gilles doesn't belong on this team. He's not agile enough and he's lazy. But let's keep Wells on the bench and continue wasting that sixth-round pick.

-- Not hearing Winston Justice's name means he's doing his job. Hopefully there isn't a whole lot to say about him for the rest of the season. He's certainly no Jon Runyan, but he has a bright future on the right side.

-- DeSean Jackson is praying Michael Vick comes back as soon as possible. For whatever reason he has no chemistry with Kolb and was only able to bring in two receptions for 24 yards.

-- Jeremy Maclin, on the other hand, was very good with Kolb. Maclin caught six balls for 95 yards and looked like he could be a possession guy in a west coast style of offense.

-- Actually, that could be why Jackson doesn't put up the numbers when Kolb is playing. Reid and Marty Mornhinweg call more of a west coast-style offense when Kolb is in the game, and that doesn't suit Jackson at all. He is absolutely useless in that style of offense and it's showing.

-- What has happened to Brent Celek? He's got a serious case of the dropsies this year and can't seem to shake it. Kolb gave him numerous opportunities and Celek just could not reel the ball when he had to (outside of the touchdown catch). I'm not saying it's time for a replacement, but something has to be done to let Celek know he can't continue to drop catchable balls.

-- Chad Hall racked up the first catch of his career on a key third-down conversion. I would love to see this guy get some more reps and see what he can do as a key piece of the offense. But, that won't happen with Riley Cooper likely returning next week.

-- Overall, I thought the defensive line was alright. There were some times they broke through like they were unblocked, and other times it seemed like a 10-year old girl could have blocked all four of them at once. I know Brodrick Bunkley went down early, but how about some consistency?

-- Cole and Parker got some decent pressure, but nothing spectacular. Mike Patterson was alright against the run, but not great. Bunkley wasn't in long enough to evaluate.

-- In Bunkley's place, Trevor Laws and Antonio Dixon did a fine job. Dixon had a sack, and Laws got in Alex Smith's face and forced the duck that led to Trevard Lindley's first career interception and sealed the game. It's good to see he's finally decided he wants to play.

-- Brandon Graham got his second career sack, and it was a big one. It was accompanied by a forced fumble that Quintin Mikell picked up and ran into the endzone. It was the deciding play of the game and was a good sign out of the kid after he lost his job to Parker this week.

-- Darryl Tapp got good pressure from the inside and outside of the defensive line. I'm not sure what took him so long to get going, but hopefully this is what the Birds get out of him all year.

-- Long before Lindley got his first career pick to seal the win, Dimitri Patterson made a beautiful play to make his first interception as an Eagle. The Eagles picked Patterson off the scrap-heap like they did with Joselio Hanson, and it's looking like a very good move.

-- Speaking of Hanson, he was a non-factor. His coverage was decent, but nothing to write home about. He gave up a lot of big plays and is clearly nothing more than a nickel corner. Hopefully Asante Samuel can come back next week and everyone can go back to where they belong.

-- Ellis Hobbs continues to be an unsung hero in the secondary. I had my concerns when the team traded Sheldon Brown, but Hobbs has been solid. He allows his share of receptions, but for the most part he's been a solid tackler and is proving me and others wrong for being skeptical.

-- What is there to say about Nate Allen? He makes the occasional rookie mistake, but overall he's been downright phenomenal.

-- Mikell, on the other hand, has been erratic. He's quickly gone from a borderline Pro Bowl player to just a solid guy. Aside from lucking into the fumble recovery, can you think of a big play he's made all season? Maybe I'm missing it.

-- Moise Fokou and Ernie Sims had passable nights. They both forced a fumble, but combined for five tackles. I still think benching Jordan for Fokou was a mistake, and am still very disappointed in Sims. He was supposed to be a fast, hard-hitting guy that would always be around the ball and making plays. So far, he hasn't lived up to the early hype.

-- Stewart Bradley is enough to make me pull my hair out. It would be one thing if he was just slow to the hole. I can excuse that to a degree because of his knee, but even with no one touching him he's missing tackles like Asante Samuel. He clearly couldn't stick with Vernon Davis, he's not a good blitzer, and he can't take on blockers. He's the most overrated player on the team.

-- It's time for Sean McDermott to go. He refuses to blitz. Against a guy like Alex Smith, why let him sit in the pocket and get comfortable? Bring the blitz and Jim Johnson used to and rattle him a little bit. Instead, McDermott sits back and lets Smith nearly bring the Niners back for the win at the end of the game. I'm officially on board with getting rid of McDermott -- let's see Dick Jauron.

-- Special teams was, once again, awful. Hey Andy, stop getting rid of good special teams players without a Plan B (see: Tracy White, Kelley Washington).

-- Why does Reid not kick the field goal instead of going for it on 4th and 1? What in the hell is he thinking? And why would he try a 54-yard field but not one from 50 yards out? Maybe it was the wind, but there wasn't enough to justify such bad decision-making. With those six points, the game is 33-24 at the end and is completely out of reach. His decisions will lose this team games.

-- This is the most deceiving team in the league. There's been really only one game the team has won, and that's the Jacksonville game. Other than that, they could have easily lost every game they've played and be sitting at 1-4. I understand the NFC East is still wide open, but a .500 season would still be an accomplishment at this point.
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How much blame does Sean McDermott truly deserve?


Akeem Jordan is definitely not the most talented linebacker in the league, or even the most talented on the Philadelphia Eagles' roster, but he has been the most consistent for Sean McDermott and his defense.

Stewart Bradley is constantly caught in the wash and taken out of the play and Ernie Sims gets bullied whenever a blocker can engage him. Jordan won't be seen making any spectacular plays, but he is capable attacking the play and forcing it back inside for Bradley to get his stats.

Or, as has been the case more recently, for the defensive tackles and Bradley to get completely washed down and watch the running back gouge the defense right up in the middle.

Sure, Jordan gets caught in the wash and bullied as well from time to time, but more often than not he's doing what he needs to be doing, ableit unspectacularly.

But it seems as though Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott would rather point to Jordan as the scapegoat and sit him on the bench in favor of Moise Fokou rather than correcting the things he's doing wrong as the man calling the shots.

Instead of recognizing that he needs to blitz more often when the situation calls for it and, when he does blitz, make sure the call is not completely predictable, he's going to reverse a decision he made in Training Camp to bench Fokou in favor of Jordan.

If he didn't think Fokou could get the job done back in camp, what makes him think he can get the job done now?

It could be that he doesn't, and is just looking for a way to divert the attention away from him and his deficiencies as a coordinator. Or, he could be completely oblivious to the fact that there's not an offensive coordinator or quarterback in the league that can't tell you exactly where his blitz is coming from and make sure they go the opposite direction.

Andy Reid has never been great drafting linebackers (see: Barry Gardener, Matt McCoy, Quinton Caver, Joe Mays, David Bergeron, Andy Studebaker, Tyreo Harrison and Chris Gocong), but the three starters the team has right now is good enough to get the job done.

It's McDermott's job to make the best of what he's got, and it feels like he's not only making the best of what he's been given, but he's holding back the unit as a whole with his predictable blitzes and uninspired schemes.

If this defense doesn't pick it up very soon not only will the team continue to lose games, but McDermott could be on the hot seat. There's a guy very capable of taking over as the defensive coordinator currently coaching the secondary in Dick Jauron.

I believe Jauron was brought in just in case the season started to go this way, and Reid likely wouldn't have to think too long before hiring his buddy to run the defense.
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Macho should have a smooth transition to corner.


It happened a year too late, but the Eagles finally realized their mistake and have moved Macho Harris back to cornerback. And more specifically, they've moved him to right cornerback, where he is seeing significant playing time during mini-camp.

Macho started several games at free safety last season, and was penciled in as the starter heading into mini-camp, but it was obvious to anyone paying the slightest bit of attention that Harris is not a safety and is clearly a natural corner.

But the interesting part of this is that he's seeing time at right cornerback -- the position vacated by Sheldon Brown and currently being filled by Ellis Hobbs. The move could signal that the Birds aren't as sold on Hobbs as they'd like everyone to think.

Hobbs was the guy across from Asante Samuel in 2007 with New England when the Patriots went undefeated in the regular season before being defeated in the Super Bowl, but that was in a completely different system.

With New England, Hobbs was able to play the zone and simply react whereas in Sean McDermott's system he'll be asked to play man and press his receiver. His height (5'8") will make that very difficult.

Harris, on the other hand, is 5'11" and better suited to be the type of corner McDermott wants for his system. However, Harris will have to show that he's capable of sticking with the speedier receivers as he was consistently burnt at safety.

That, however, could also simply have been a case of his ignorance not allowing him to be in the proper position rather than a lack of physical ability.

In other Eagles news, it appears as though the Eagles' interest in former Houston Texans offensive lineman Chester Pitts is minimal. He said recently the Birds told him they'd have a spot for him on the roster, but sources within the organization are saying it's exploratory more than anything.

Shawn Springs will also not be joining the team anytime soon, contrary to ESPN and Boston Globe reports. The Eagles were interested last season, but that was only if he would accept a move to free safety. That's no longer an option the Eagles have to explore after drafting Nate Allen and signing Marlin Jackson.
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Jauron could be running the defense in a few years.


Back in 2003, Andy Reid brought in his old friend Marty Mornhinweg after he was fired as the head coach of the Detroit Lions. Since Brad Childress was already named the offensive coordinator, Mornhinweg was given the title of "Senior Assistant."

Mornhinweg floated around the Eagles' coaching staff until after the 2005 season when Childress was hired by the Minnesota Vikings to be their head coach. Mornhinweg immediately was hired as the offensive coordinator and has retained that post ever since.

And now with another young coordinator aspiring to one day become a head coach in Sean McDermott, Reid has once again brought in and old friend from his days in Green Bay and hired former Buffalo Bills head coach Dick Jauron to be the team's secondary coach.

The drop from head coach to secondary coach might seem like a huge fall, but something tells me behind the scenes Jauron was told he'd eventually take over as defensive coordinator.

Hiring young coordinators, regardless of their level of success, has become the trend in the NFL today, and with all the turnover we see at head coach it's likely McDermott could get his shot sooner rather than later.

So, if and when that day comes, Reid is going to be ready. Rather than going through interviews and the whole process of trying to find a new defensive coordinator, he'll simply promote Jauron and move on from there.

He did the same thing with Childress and Mornhinweg, so having a plan in place for when McDermott moves on makes sense.

Reid is anticipating that McDermott will create a buzz around the league and someone will take a shot on him. Even after only one season, his time with the Eagles and as a defensive coordinator could be coming to an end.

Childress was only the offensive coordinator for three years, and Jon Harbaugh was only a defensive coach for one season before being snagged by the Ravens.

Harbaugh was the special teams coordinator for nine seasons, but very rarely are special teams coordinators hired as head coaches. The move to secondary coach made him appealing to other teams immediately, and the Ravens jumped on him (after being turned down by their first choice, Jason Garrett).

Even Steve Spagnuolo, who will mostly be remembered as the Giants' defensive coordinator, was only a positional coach for three years before moving on and eventually becoming the St. Louis Rams head coach.

The pattern is clear: Reid's understudies don't stick around for the very long -- Jim Johnson is the only exception to that, but that was by his own choice and certainly not a lack of interest -- so he has a plan in place by bringing Jauron on board.

It's possible Jauron gets an offer from another team and isn't willing to wait for McDermott to vacate the spot, but the possibility is only slight given his recent shortcomings in Buffalo. Usually, coaches don't receive a real offer for a couple years after failing so miserably.

Jauron belongs as a defensive coordinator and, in the next few years or so, he'll take over that post for the Eagles.
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Harris, not Allen, could be the guy at free safety.


Even though he lost his job halfway through the season and the Eagles used a second-round pick on a guy they expect to one day be a starter, Macho Harris is still set to be the man at free safety.

He has been running with the first-string defense beside Quintin Mikell, and by all accounts is finally looking the part. He probably played around 185 last season, but is apparently over 200 pounds now and is hellbent on fighting off Nate Allen.

Allen, for the time being, has been working as the second-string strong safety behind Mikell, but he's unlikely to stay there. He pulled his quad a couple months ago, but rather than rest it he continued his pre-draft workouts, which hasn't worsened the injury, but it has prevented it from properly healing.

Marlin Jackson is also working in at free safety, but is learning the defense at cornerback as well, which could mean the Birds are axing that project before it gets going. They need help at corner, so Jackson will likely be looked at to provide depth behind Ellis Hobbs and Asante Samuel.

Most of us assumed Allen would come in as a rookie and make an impact, but once we stop and think, it shouldn't be surprising -- historically speaking.

Andy Reid, up until a few years ago, has always gone with the philosophy that rookies should sit for a season, see limited time, and then step in and contribute when he feels they're ready. Even the guys who have started have really only been as a final resort.

DeSean Jackson only started because Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis were both down, Maclin only started because Curtis went down (even though Reid insists he would have taken the job anyway), and Harris only started because Quintin Demps was injured and Reid felt there was no other viable option at the time.

Although he proved it was only a last resort when he pulled Harris as soon as they felt Sean Jones finally had a grip on the defense.

It wouldn't surprise me to see Allen come on strong in training camp and the preseason and overtake Harris, but don't be surprised if Harris gets another shot beside Quintin Mikell if Reid and Sean McDermott aren't 100 percent positive Allen won't hurt them with his inexperience.
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Moving Ricky Sapp from DE to OLB will be a project.


As I reported last week, Ricky Sapp, one of the Eagles' fifth-round draft picks, will not be playing defensive end as he did in college at Clemson. Instead, Sapp will be competing with Moise Fokou, Alex Hall, and perhaps fourth-round pick Keenan Clayton, at SAM linebacker.

The spot likely would have been up for grabs had Chris Gocong not been traded, but the Eagles moving him to Cleveland said loud and clear that the spot would go to whomever could take it.

Sapp likely comes in as the third guy in line for the job, but don't count him out. Fokou was a pleasant surprise last season, and Andy Reid seems to like Hall (acquired in the Gocong/Sheldon Brown trade), but neither guy is established and could easily be overtaken with a strong performance in training camp and preseason.

That being said, it still looks like a bit of a long-shot that Sapp opens up the season as the starter.

He certainly has the talent to overtake both of them, but Reid and defensive coordinator Sean McDermott seem to favor guys with some experience over rookies.

Historically, rookies don't start for Reid, but a few guys have come in and performed well as rookies, which might have changed Reid's perspective and thoughts on rookies.

But if Sapp doesn't win the spot at SAM outright, the coaching staff cannot make the same mistake it made with Gocong. They became so hellbent on turning him into a traditional linebacker that they completely ignored his ability to rush the passer and, in the process, sold the whole team short.

Sapp will certainly be a project, but the work they put into him should pay off in the end.
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Reid must help Kolb grow in 2010 to compete in 2011.


Now that the draft has wrapped up and rosters are, for the most part, a reflection of what teams will field in September, it's appropriate to look at how the season could shape up for this brand new Eagles team.

Sean McDermott enters his second season as the full-time defensive coordinator, while Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg appear ready to shift away from a vertical passing attack to more of a traditional west coast style of offense.

The Eagles have combed through their roster and cut a lot of aging talent while replacing it with young potential, so gauging the success they're going to have will be incredibly difficult, but let's give it a shot anyway, shall we?


Week 1: vs. Green Bay Packers

The Eagles have the unfortunate task of opening the season against a team that could, with an improved offensive line, make a run to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLV.

The Packers appear to have too much firepower for a young Eagles' defense, while Kevin Kolb and an even younger Eagles' offense will have difficulties keeping up on the scoreboard.

It's a nasty repeat of 2007 as the Eagles drop an ugly game at home.
Result: Eagles lose, 38-21 | Record: 0-1


Week 2: @ Detroit Lions

After a difficult loss at the hands of Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, the Eagles head north to take on one of the Packers' division rivals in Detroit.

The Lions are coming off a draft that should yield quite a bit of talent. Their two first-round picks, Ndamukong Suh and Jahvid Best, figure to see a lot of playing time early on in the season as there's not much talent in front of them that would keep them on the bench.

However, even with a young up-and-comer like Matthew Stafford at quarterback and a freak of nature in Calvin Johnson at receiver, the Lions' offensive line will not be enough to stand up to the Eagles' revamped defensive line and McDermott's blitz packages.
Result: Eagles win, 27-13 | Record: 1-1


Week 3: @ Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars appeared to be a team on the rise only a few short seasons ago after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs, but they have fallen short of expectations and are now a team clearly in need of a different direction.

However, David Garrard and Jack Del Rio remain the guys in Jacksonville while the Jaguars continue to be treated like Florida's red-headed NFL stepchild. There's simply not enough talent on either side of the ball for the Jaguars to keep up with the Birds.
Result: Eagles win, 31-13 | Record: 2-1


Week 4: vs. Washington Redskins

Well, it's the game everyone has been waiting for. Donovan McNabb makes his return to Philadelphia to face the Eagles as a member of the Washington Redskins.

The Redskins look like a completely different team with McNabb and Mike Shanahan running the show, but they still have a lot of issues. Their defensive line doesn't get enough pressure on the quarterback and their secondary is shaky, leading to some openings for Kevin Kolb to possibly beat his former mentor.

But McNabb knows the Eagles' defense too well and won't allow the Redskins' offense to go out quietly, although they're clearly outclassed at the skill positions. The Eagles already have issues when playing the 'Skins, and they've done nothing but get better. This is a game the Eagles should win, but find a way to lose in the end.
Result: Eagles lose, 27-23 | Record: 2-2


Week 5: @ San Francisco 49ers

It's hard not to root for Mike Singletary to succeed in San Francisco, but that's put on the back-burner for a week as the Eagles travel to the west coast to take on a team that could wind up winning its division for the first time in a long time.

The Niners' offense has taken significant strides and looks like a much better unit, but their defense is probably still missing pieces in the secondary and will be overwhelmed by the plethora of weapons at Kolb's disposal.
Result: Eagles win, 26-17 | Record: 3-2


Week 6: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan, fresh out of his sophomore slump, and the Atlanta Falcons head to the Linc in a game that could turn into a dogfight. Mike Smith likes to play a smash-mouth style of football with Michael Turner carrying the ball, and it could give the Eagles fits.

The Falcons' receivers are bigger guys with impressive ball skills that make them very difficult to defend. Asante Samuel might get one or two off Ryan, but in the end the Ryan-to-Roddy connection, along with Turner on the ground, is too much for the Birds to withstand.
Result: Eagles lose, 17-13 | Record: 3-3


Week 7: @ Tennessee Titans

Chris Johnson has earned the dub "Every Coach's Dream," but that only applies to the guys getting to coach him. For McDermott and the Eagles' defense, he is going to be an absolute nightmare to try and contain. I still don't have faith that the linebacking corps is where it needs to be, and Johnson could have a big day as a result.

Add that to the fact that Vince Young could victimize a sometimes overly-aggressive defense and you've got a bad mix. The Titans are lacking on pass-rushers this season, but Jim Washburn seems able to make a star out of anyone, and former Eagle Jason Babin could be a guy to keep an eye on.
Result: Eagles lose, 28-17 | Record: 3-4


Week 9: vs. Indianapolis Colts
The defending AFC champions roll into town, probably looking to stay undefeated, after a Week 8 bye for the Eagles. Reid has never lost the game following a bye week, but it appears to be a long-shot that his streak continues.

Up until last season, he also had never lost the first playoff game in which his team played. The Cowboys broke that streak, and Peyton Manning and the Colts appear set to take advantage of the Eagles' youth and break this streak, as well.

Unless McDermott can find a way for Samuel to grab a few picks from Manning and rattle him a little bit, this is going to be an absolute rout.
Result: Eagles lose, 31-9 | Record: 3-5


Week 10: @ Washington Redskins

This game is on national television (Monday Night Football), but a lot of the hype is gone as neither team is doing very well and this will be the second time they meet.

This is a sloppy and unspectacular game as the Eagles bumble their way to their first win in a month over a Redskins team having trouble sustaining offense and seeing a few holes on their defensive line begin to develop.
Result: Eagles win, 23-10 | Record: 4-5


Week 11: vs. New York Giants

After finishing off their season with the Washington Redskins, the Birds have their first matchup with the New York Giants. The Giants are probably doing okay at this point, but they're not the powerhouse team they were only a couple seasons ago.

Teams now have tape on their young receiving corps, the defense has taken a hit this offseason, and Brandon Jacobs is continuing his unproductive 2009 season as the Eagles take a close one at home.
Result: Eagles win, 24-23 | Record: 5-5


Week 12: @ Chicago Bears

For whatever reason, the Eagles also seem to struggle against the Bears. Their team is never superior in coaching or talent, but there's just something about them that gives the Birds fits.

The Eagles were able to get the best of Jay Cutler and the Bears last season, but they've improved far too much to let that happen again. Julius Peppers can cause trouble for any tackle, but it will be the extra attention he demands that will truly be the downfall.

The interior of the line will likely have to deal with blitzes and stunts that it won't be able to handle while the Bears' offense continuously chips away.
Result: Eagles lose, 27-17 | Record: 5-6


Week 13: vs. Houston Texans

The Texans are turning into the sexy pick for 2010, and have been the sexy pick for a couple years now. They're actually like the Arizona Cardinals were a few seasons ago, and as we've seen, that optimism appears to have been well-founded.

Houston already has one of the most explosive offenses in the game and, along with a few more playmakers on the defensive side of the ball, could turn into a team that finally takes the next step it's been expected to take for a few years.

As long as Matt Schaub can stay healthy at this point, the Texans will continue their charge toward the playoffs with a win over a young Eagles team.
Result: Eagles lose, 34-16 | Record: 5-7


Week 14: @ Dallas Cowboys

The Eagles get the honor of playing the Cowboys twice in the final four weeks of the season, which will do nothing but help their slide continue. The Cowboys are clearly the class of the division at this point, and have had little trouble with the Giants or Redskins.

Miles Austin, Roy Williams, and young Dez Bryant create matchup issues with a small Eagles' secondary since all three receivers are taller than 6'2, and the Eagles don't have a corner over 5'11 on the field.

The Eagles offense will put some points on the board as it fights for its pride with the playoffs out of reach at this point, but it falls short to a superior Dallas team.
Result: Eagles lose, 41-33 | Record: 5-8


Week 15: @ New York Giants

The Eagles get a wonderful opportunity to play spoiler to a division rival in the final weeks of the season, and don't pass it up. The Eagles have had the Giants' number over the past couple of seasons whether or not they're the better team, and that doesn't look to change.

The maturation of Kolb and his young weapons appears to really begin as the offense has a showing they haven't been able to put together against even inferior teams earlier in the season.
Result: Eagles win, 38-27 | Record: 6-8


Week 16: vs. Minnesota Vikings

At this point, the Vikings will probably have the NFC North wrapped up, along with the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and nothing to play for. Tarvaris Jackson will likely play most of the game as Brett Favre is allowed to rest for a playoff push.

Kolb and the offense will have a field-day against a backup defense, while the Vikings' backups on offense struggle to put up any points.
Result: Eagles win, 34-16 | Record: 7-8


Week 17: vs. Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys have probably locked up the NFC East at this point, but that doesn't mean they're going to lay down and give a win to their hated division rival. The Eagles are fighting for pride and will give the Cowboys everything they can handle.

McDermott probably unleashes every little wrinkle he could possibly conceive for this game as falling below .500 for the season would look very, very bad. Getting in Tony Romo's face is really the only thing a defense has to accomplish in order to throw off Dallas' offense, so points will be tough to come by for a Cowboys team giving a half-hearted effort.
Result: Eagles win, 24-10 | Record: 8-8



Barring a little bit of overachieving, the Eagles look destined to have a season similar to 2007 when they looked completely lost. At least in 2010 the obvious reasoning is a young team, as they lose a few close games that they could have won throughout the season.

The NFC will be very competitive, and the Eagles will have to use 2010 as a growing season before they come back as legitimate contenders in 2011.
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How do the Eagles finally stop opposing tight ends?


Since the Ernie Sims trade went down, the talk of the Eagles' defensive woes against opposing tight ends has come back to the forefront. Many are hoping Sims can be the guy to stick with the multiple great tight ends in the NFC East, but Sims is a WILL linebacker -- the SAM is usually the one covering the tight end.

However, there's still an incredibly easy solution to the problem. A solution so easy that it's incredible a great defensive mind like Jim Johnson couldn't figure it out, and now neither can his protégé Sean McDermott.

If you watch the Eagles' defense pre-snap, they always have the SAM lined up a good five yards away from the tight end. When the ball is snapped, all the tight end has to do is run at the linebacker, whomever it may be, and cut one way or another -- leaving said linebacker in the difficult position of having to cover ground and regain position on the tight end.

It happens game after game after game after game, but nothing is changed. The linebacker stays in the same area, and that's precisely the problem.

All McDermott has to do is tell that SAM linebacker to get up in the tight end's face and give him a shot coming off the line. That way, the 'backer is the one with the position, and not the tight end. The shot knocks the tight end off his pattern and can create that half-second of hesitation that will lead to an extra half-second for the front four to get to the quarterback.

This will all-but eliminate the big plays we consistently see against the Eagles' defense, so I'm not sure why this hasn't yet occurred to anyone on the Eagles coaching staff.

I've been preaching this solution for a couple years now, but yet and still the Birds continue to get burned by tight ends week in and week out. And, until they figure this out for themselves, they will continue to have issues.

Perhaps they feel like giving the linebacker a cushion will help him gain position on the tight end, or perhaps they don't trust any of their linebackers to be that close to the line of scrimmage, or perhaps there's simply something I don't understand, but something needs to be done because the way they cover the tight ends now is going to continue to lose them games.

And if McDermott can't figure out a way of his known of fixing the issue, it might be time for the Eagles to look elsewhere for 2011.
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