UPDATE: Via the Philadelphia Eagles' official press release:

"The Philadelphia Eagles today announced they have signed QB Michael Vick to a one-year contract. Vick was designated as the team’s franchise player on February 15.

Vick enjoyed his finest season as pro in 2010 with career highs in QB rating (100.2), completion percentage (62.6), and passing yards (3,018) while becoming just the 2^nd player in league history to throw for 3,000+ yards, rush for 500+ yards and accrue a 100+ QB rating in one season, joining Steve Young (1992). Along the way, Vick earned a starting spot on the NFC Pro Bowl squad while garnering NFL Comeback player of the year honors."


From Earlier:

According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick will sign his one-year franchise tender Wednesday.

Signing the tender will guarantee Vick a one-year contract at roughly $16 million -- the average of the top-five highest-paid quarterbacks in the league.


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Before the 2010 season, it looked like the NCAA was going to send a few franchise quarterbacks to the NFL and perhaps even a superstar or two.

Now, however, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Mike Mayock, the only guy really worth listening to when it comes to the draft (outside of more amateur guys like Tommy Lawlor), doesn't seem to really love any of these quarterbacks.

Blaine Gabbert is a guy most people outside of hardcore college football fans hadn't really heard about, but now he seems to be the consensus top quarterback in this class since Andrew Luck decided to return to Stanford.

After Gabbert, most can't even commit to any of the other guys being worth a first-round grade.

Ryan Mallett and Jake Locker were guys once looked at as potential No. 1 overall picks, now they could both fall out of the first round. Were there not so many teams in need of a quarterback and just itching to reach for one in the first round, they'd almost certainly be second-day picks.


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As expected, the Philadelphia Eagles have decided to place the franchise tag on quarterback Michael Vick.

Rules of the franchise tag say that Vick will be given a one-year contract -- 100 percent guaranteed -- that will pay him the average of the top five highest-paid quarterbacks in the league.

Once Peyton Manning signs his monster extension and brings that average up a little bit, my guess is that Vick will make somewhere in the area of $15-18 million next season.

In an unexpected move, the Eagles also exercised their right under the rules of an uncapped season and slapped the transition tag on kicker David Akers.

In most seasons, they would have a choice of one or the other, but since there is still no salary cap they're free to use both -- for the time being. Once a new CBA is agreed upon, it's very likely that it will include the "one or the other" rule, so Akers' transition tag could become void at that point.


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All the talk of Andy Reid and whether or not he's on the hot seat should stop.

Now.

I don't know if it's wishful thinking on the part of some delusional fans and media types, a way of creating a topic of conversation in a slow period, or maybe even plain stupidity, but there is no way Reid's job is in jeopardy in the near future.

And really, why should it? Yes, I know he has yet to bring the city a Super Bowl, but who exactly thinks making a change at head coach is going to bring that about any sooner?

I happen to be a fan of Jon Gruden, but is he a better coach than Reid? Is he going to do something so drastically different that will put this team over the top?

The realistic answer is probably not. Despite his love affair with the passing game, Reid has proven to be one of the best coaches in the league in terms of developing talent. Because of this talent, most of the teams under Reid have been overachievers.


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Michael Vick, who recently finished in second place to Tom Brady for Offensive Player of the Year, will be awarded the Comeback Player of the Year by the Associated Press.

Several organizations hand out awards every year, but only the AP's awards are recognized by the NFL.

Vick becomes the first Eagles player to ever win the award.

Comeback Player of the Year is usually awarded to guys who had breakout seasons after returning from some sort of injury -- a la Chad Pennington and both times he has taken home this award -- but Vick's circumstances were obviously a bit different and had some wondering if he should even be eligible for this award.

As we all know, Vick was not injured and forced to leave the game. It was jail time that forced him out of the spotlight and required that a comeback be necessary. Not only that, but 2010 was not even Vick's first year back in the league.

I'm only playing devil's advocate, but it's not a bad argument to make for those who don't feel Vick is deserving ahead of guys like Brian Urlacher and E.J. Henderson who embody what the award was actually created to recognize.


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The Associated Press named New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady the Offensive Player of the Year Tuesday, but a couple Eagles received consideration for the honor as well.

Michael Vick, an MVP-candidate for most of the season, received 11 votes while DeSean Jackson received two of his own.

Vick finished in second behind Brady's 21 of 50 votes, and Jackson tied with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the fewest votes.

I understand the votes for Vick after a season in which he rushed for nearly 700 yards, passed for over 3,000, and had 30 combined touchdowns. But I don't understand why two people thought Jackson was worthy of being named the best offensive player in the league.


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Should Jackson's attitude mean an exit from Philly?


With the 2010 season officially over for the Eagles, we can now start looking ahead to the 2011 season. We start that by taking a look at who should stay around for next season and who should be shown the door. We'll look position-by-position and also include the coaching staff.

First, we start with the offense.

Quarterbacks

Michael Vick: Stay

Even though it was a Vick interception that ended the season, it's important to note that the Eagles probably wouldn't have been in the playoffs at all were it not for Vick and everything he's done this season. I expect the team to hand him a mega-deal in the offseason.

Kevin Kolb: Go

Andy Reid loves Kolb and will try to keep him, but Kolb is already making play-me-or-trade-me type statements.

"I love it here, as everybody knows," Kolb said. "My family's settled in here. I would love to be starting here. But I want to be starting somewhere."

That pretty much says it all. Expect Kolb to get moved to a quarterback-needy team like the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, or Minnesota Vikings.

Mike Kafka: Stay

This one is pretty obvious. They made him a fourth-round pick and, even though he's been the emergency third-string quarterback all year, there are some in the organization who think Kafka has a future as a starter.



Running Backs

LeSean McCoy: Stay

McCoy is going to be around for a very long time. He is only going to get better next year and the only question with McCoy becomes when they give him the huge extension he'll ultimately deserve.

Jerome Harrison: Stay

Well, he should stay, but don't count on it. There's almost no chance that Reid even makes him an offer and even if he did it's unlikely Harrison would take it. Harrison could start for about a half-dozen teams around the league, so don't expect to see him in Eagle green again.

Eldra Buckley: Go

I'm a fan of Buckley because of the way he plays special teams, but with the emergence of a guy like Colt Anderson the Eagles can afford to go out and find a third running back they actually trust to contribute on offense. Unless they plan to use Leonard Weaver as the third running back and keep Buckley around as a special teams ace, it might be time for him to move on.

Owen Schmitt: Go

If there was an extra roster spot, I would gladly keep Schmitt around. But with Leonard Weaver coming back next year, there just isn't room for him. Any team looking for a starting fullback should scoop him up immediately.

Leonard Weaver: Stay

Losing Weaver was probably more costly than anyone realizes. Schmitt stepped in and played very well, but he wasn't given a single carry. Weaver is a guy the Eagles could have used in short-yardage situations and as an option out of the backfield. Losing him meant a lot of missed offense.



Tight Ends

Brent Celek: Stay

I've been down on Celek all year, but it seems like he has to turn things around next year. The chemistry with Vick just might not have ever gotten there or maybe it was just a down year, but either way he's still their best option.

Clay Harbor: Stay

Harbor took huge strides in the latter portion of the season. He can be a great sub for Celek if he focuses on becoming more of a consistent blocker and doing all the little things that will make him a more effective receiver.



Wide Receivers

Jeremy Maclin: Stay

Maclin, and not the other guy, is the best receiver on this team. He showed that week after week, but because he's not as flashy he got snubbed for the Pro Bowl. Heading into his third season, I expect Maclin to be in the midst of the All-Pro talks.

DeSean Jackson: Stay

He's explosive and a great play-maker, but if it was up to me Jackson might be shown the door for the right offer. The way he quits when he's not getting the ball enough is pathetic and worse than anything Terrell Owens did on the field. If he doesn't get his primma donna act in check, the team might never pay him.

Jason Avant: Stay

Avant didn't make a lot of flashy catches we're used to, but he's still one of the better slot receivers in the game. If he was used properly, he could be even better.

Riley Cooper: Stay

Cooper is likely to see a lot more action next season as he continues to progress, but he's not going to uproot any of the three guys in front of him. Hopefully he can actually become the red zone target the team envisioned when they drafted him.

Chad Hall: Go

It's hard not to like Chad Hall, but if there's a better option out there the team has to go for it. Hall doesn't seem to have a ton of upside, is undersized, and really isn't a huge asset on special teams -- an area in which a fifth receiver must be able to contribute.



Offensive Line

Jason Peters: Stay

Peters was spectacular this season. He locked down some of the best pass-rushers in the league and was a road-grater in the running game. He played a lot like the best left tackle in football and is looking well worth the picks given up to acquire him.

Todd Herremans: Go

I'm not a fan of Herremans. If you've ever read anything with my name next to it, you already know that. He doesn't have the strength to play on the inside and seems very lazy when asked to get to the second level. He also doesn't seem to understand zone blocking on a pass play and is never ready when Peters passes a guy along to him.

Mike McGlynn: Stay

I said before training camp I thought McGlynn would be the starter, but I didn't think he would play like a seasoned vet. McGlynn's play is going to make it very hard to push him out once Jamaal Jackson returns from his second season-ending injury in as many seasons.

Nick Cole: Go

He needs to go, and he needs to go very far away. He has no technique, he's lazy, he can't recognize what the defense is doing, and he's soft. None of that makes for a great guard and I'm willing to wave goodbye to his versatility because of it.

Winston Justice: Stay

The season didn't end well for Justice, but that shouldn't erase what was a very solid season for him. I believe very strongly that Peters and Justice can be book-end tackles for the next decade in a similar fashion to Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan.

Reggie Wells: Stay

Wells will likely be shown the door, but in reality he's the best guard on the team. Unlike Herremans and Cole he has good feet and isn't too lazy to use them. He also has enough upper body strength to handle big defensive tackles. But just like Jason Babin, Chris Clemons, Will Witherspoon, Antwan Barnes, etc. he'll be another talented player allowed to leave.

King Dunlap: Stay

The only knock on Dunlap is his technique is still lacking at this point. He starts his kick-step with his hands around his hands and it puts him at a disadvantage of about a half-second while he brings his hands up to engage the pass-rusher. He also leaves his chest exposed for far too long. But even with those flaws, he's shown he can be valuable as the primary backup tackle.

Jamaal Jackson: Stay

Ideally, I would love to see Jackson become the starting center again and kick McGlynn to one of the guard spots. To me, that seems like the best of both worlds. But if Reid is unwilling to move McGlynn, then Jackson must be shown the door so McGlynn can develop. Jackson is currently the better player barring injury, but McGlynn has much more upside.

Max Jean-Gilles: Go

While he played admirably, I see Jean-Gilles as that guy who is a high-end backup and a low-end starter. Those guys usually see themselves as great starters and he will demand a lot more money than the Eagles are willing to pay. He can probably start for a bad team, but either through the draft or free agency it should be fairly easy to find an upgrade.
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Aaron Rodgers torched a susceptible Eagles defense.


As a fan, this was tough to swallow. As an objective observer, it wasn't too terribly surprising.

To win in the playoffs it takes a strong running game and a strong defense. A superb passing game can help to make up for a strong running game as the Eagles have shown in the past, but there is nothing that can make up for a poor defense and, unfortunately, that's exactly what the Eagles fielded Sunday versus the Green Bay Packers.

The same problems that plagued this team in the regular season unsurprisingly carried over into the playoffs: a complete unwillingness to stick with the run, lack of hot-reads for Michael Vick, and a defense that continued to show why it recorded historically bad red zone numbers in the regular season.

On the Packers first touchdown drive, Troy Aikman made the statement that it was a "foregone conclusion" that Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense would score once they got within the 10-yard line. I wanted to scream and yell obscenities at the former Dallas Cowboy, but he was exactly right.

As has been the case all year, Sean McDermott's calls inside the red zone were head-scratching at best and atrocious at worst. He still wants to play man coverage and refuses to blitz when he should -- and even when he does blitz shows time and again that he's incredibly predictable.

Outside the red zone, the calls were just as bad. At one point in the game Joselio Hanson came clean on a corner blitz and gave Rodgers a pretty good shot. It clearly rattled Rodgers as his next few passes were off the mark, but McDermott didn't blitz again for the rest of the drive.

Rodgers got comfortable again and went back to tearing up the defense.

On the other side of the ball, Marty Mornhinweg and Andy Reid continued to show why they're the worst play-callers in the league. Dom Capers sent them an engraved invitation to run the ball with the way he was aligning his linebackers, and they still refused.

LeSean McCoy, arguably the best play-maker on the team, finished the game with 12 carries, and Jerome Harrison had one right at the start of the game. Vick had eight carries, but maybe three of those were actually called runs. The rest were scrambles because Reid and Mornhinweg refused to give him any check-downs or timing patterns for most of the game.

Instead, they wanted to pass, pass, pass, and pass some more. It didn't matter that Vick was getting knocked around because this team still has no guards and Winston Justice picked one hell of a day to have a let-down, apparently they thought if they just kept passing things would get better.

Then, just to top everything off, the always-clutch David Akers decided he would miss a couple field goals so Justice and the defense would feel better about themselves.

It's fun being an Eagles fan.
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How much will Kolb entice quarterback-needy teams?


Despite some of the problems Michael Vick has had this season, it's been mostly a year of spectacular play and a lot of success both individually and for the team. Smart money says he is back for the 2011 season and beyond with a contract extension this offseason.

But for Kevin Kolb, this season has been filled with a lot of doubt and unrest. He started the season off poorly and was replaced, but filled in for an injured Vick by beating the Atlanta Falcons -- the team that will clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs -- and re-ignited interest in a guy who some believe has the makings of a franchise quarterback.

Now after a loss to the Minnesota Vikings has made the Eagles-Cowboys Week 17 matchup meaningless for both teams, Kolb will get a chance to start as Vick rests up and prepares for next weekend's home playoff game against either the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, or perhaps even the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But starting Kolb does more than give Vick a chance to rest up. With the Eagles still holding Kolb's rights for one more season, they will surely be looking to take the highest offer available for the former second-round pick.

Giving him a start in the final week of the season against a shaky secondary with nothing to lose could mean a big day for him individually and give the Eagles just a bit more to throw at teams when negotiating compensation.

With that in mind, don't expect Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg to come out, run the ball, and just head into the postseason. These guys are always looking for an excuse to pass, and Kolb at the helm justifies a gameplan that will include 60 percent passing plays.

Expect Kolb to finish with around 30 passing attempts (likely more) and, if things go as planned, over 300 yards and a couple touchdowns. Of course, those numbers could be difficult to reach if DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin are riding the pine with Vick for most of the game, so don't be surprised to see those guys play more than half the game.

Kolb will likely be a starter somewhere next year, so there isn't a ton on the line for him. But for the Eagles, they must make sure they can squeeze out every bit of compensation for Kolb that they can, and I expect them to start by making him look like a franchise quarterback against the Cowboys in this meaningless finale.

The only question left is whether or not the team that trades for Kolb will actually be getting the franchise quarterback they'll likely see against Dallas.
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This was likely the best play Jackson made Tuesday.


Usually I would do a "quick reactions" article, but it's not worth it. To play as poorly as they did this late in the season with a shot at a first-round bye in the playoffs is almost inexplicable, and it's not worth my time to write "(insert name here) was awful tonight" over and over.

Michael Vick was pressing, LeSean McCoy was underutilized, Ernie Sims is still awful, Sean McDermott needs fired, Marty Mornhinweg and Andy Reid combine as the worst play-calling duo in the league, and even David Akers chipped in on the team's horrendous night.

Alright, so there was a quick "quick reactions." We'll discuss those things in greater detail later in the week if I can stomach the thought.

So where do the Eagles stand now after their loss to the Minnesota Vikings?

They already clinched the NFC East once the Green Bay Packers beat the New York Giants, and the only thing left to play for was a shot at getting a first-round bye. They still would have needed the Chicago Bears to fall to the Packers next week along with winning out, but the opportunity was still right in front of them.

I say "was," because they've officially blown that. There is now no way -- even with a Bears loss -- that the Eagles can move up from the third seed. And since the NFC West champion will be, at best, 8-8, the Eagles cannot move down from the third seed.

So, in short, they are the No. 3 seed.

With their spot cemented, they have nothing to play for against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17, and it presents a dilemma for Reid: does he sit starters like Vick and allow them to be 100 percent when they face the Packers or Giants in the Wild Card round, or does he start them to gain a little bit of a momentum?

When asked at his post-game press conference about sitting starters, Reid said "we're not good enough to do that." That, however, doesn't mean that it's worth risking guys' health (mainly Vick) for a game that means nothing to either team.

In Reid's shoes, I think I would treat the game like the second preseason game. The starters would play for about the first half and the backups would be rotated in slowly from there. Once the fourth quarter started, there wouldn't be a starter on the field.

A decision like this comes down to personal preference. Reid has shown in the past he'll put his starters on the bench when there's nothing to play for, but this is a bit different than in 2004, for example, when they had the No. 1 seed wrapped up after 14 games.

It's certainly something to watch, and I think a short week of practice will be the deciding factor for Reid. If everyone seems healthy, they'll likely play. If someone is banged up, don't be surprised if they're in their streets.

And more to the point, don't be surprised if Kevin Kolb starts.
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The Eagles win the NFC East for first time since 06.


Odds are if you're an Eagles fan you were more than upset at the news that the Week 16 game against the Minnesota Vikings has been moved to Tuesday due to the snow. But if you're an astute Eagles fan, there was at least one very bright spot Sunday afternoon.

While sitting at home, the Eagles locked up the NFC East for the sixth time under Andy Reid, and will be heading to the playoffs for the third year in a row, and the ninth total time in Reid's 12 years as head coach.

When the New York Giants lost to the Green Bay Packers, it meant that there was nothing anyone else in the division could do to stop the Eagles. Even if the Birds were to lose to the Vikings on Tuesday and the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, they would still win the east and are guaranteed the No. 3 seed.

The only thing left to play for is the chance at a first-round bye. Had the New York Jets been able to pull off the win against the Chicago Bears, the Eagles would control their own fate. But since the Bears were able to make it past the Jets, the Eagles now must win out and root for the Packers to once again help them out.

The Bears and Packers play Week 17. The Packers will be facing a win-and-in situation, so they're going to be giving the Bears everything they have. If they beat the Bears and the Eagles don't slip up in these next two games, it will mean a first-round bye for Philadelphia.

I'm a bit torn, however, as to whether or not that will be a good thing. This team has seemed to play best when pushed against the wall. With a first-round bye, it might cool them off a bit. But there's also the fact that Reid's teams do not lose after a bye.

After wrestling through the possibilities, it probably would be best to have the bye. Mike Vick has to be all sorts of banged up, and we know DeSean Jackson, Asante Samuel, and Winston Justice have had some bumps along the way, so a bye might be just what they need to get everyone healthy for a big run.

And as I've already mentioned, Reid does not lose after an extra week of preparation.

The biggest challenge now will be playing two games in such a short span. The team cannot overlook the Vikings or the Cowboys, or they could be in for a nasty surprise.

It's probably safe to bet Vick and Jackson had to use all the magic they had left to beat the Giants last week, so they must come out and take care of business from the first whistle.

When all is said and done, I think the Eagles will get the bye. I don't foresee the Bears being able to stop an explosive Packers team that will be fighting for a lot more than the Bears will be. And I don't see Reid allowing his team to sleep on the Vikings or Cowboys.

The fact that this team is being led by Vick at quarterback and fighting for a first-round bye in the playoffs is still a bit hard to fathom, but it's been one hell of a ride so far. Hopefully they can just keep it up for another month and a half.
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Vick put the team on his back and made it happen.


-- First of all, that was the most incredible comeback by this franchise I've ever seen (thank you Matt Dodge). The Eagles scored 28 points in the final eight minutes after going down 31-10. I'm about to point out a lot of bad things, but one thing that can be said is this team never even thought about quitting.

-- After that final drive, Michael Vick has convinced me he's the only choice for MVP. Tom Brady has been good, but Vick is clearly the most valuable player to his respective team. He put everything on his back and made him happen. What an absolutely astounding finish.

-- LeSean McCoy was very good when he actually touched the ball. Only 10 carries is a catastrophe, especially since running the ball in the first half could have really calmed things down and McCoy has proven week after week that he's a play-maker.

-- He didn't see a ton of time and appeared to have gotten a bit banged up during the game, but Owen Schmitt did his job. He continues to be impressive, but why can't the guy get a carry?

-- Schmitt shouldn't feel too bad, however, since James Harrison can't get many carries either. Does Andy Reid know this guy has a 286-yard game on his resume' and a 100-yard game this season?

-- Jeremy Maclin continues to back me up when I say he's the best overall receiver this team has. If Vick had any time on the one long ball he attempted, Maclin would have had three touchdowns and about 60 or 70 extra yards.

-- The punt return was incredible. That is undeniable. But as a receiver, I was not impressed with DeSean Jackson. He was out of the game early and was very lazy running his patterns. He has to stick with his time during the bad times as well, and he wasn't willing to do that.

-- Jason Avant did his job. He didn't have any incredible plays in a game that was full of them, but he was there for a few underneath routes to keep the chains moving.

-- Not to burst any bubbles, but if there's a single Giant defender in the area, Brent Celek drops that ball. He bobbled it as it hit his hands, but did a nice job of turning up-field and making sure he was getting in the end zone. The team will still need more from him as a receiver and blocker, but this was a good step in the right direction.

-- Outside of getting duped by a corner blitz once, Jason Peters had another very good game in both run and pass protection. He's turning into the guy the Eagles thought they were trading for when they gave up three picks including a first-rounder.

-- Todd Herremans, Mike McGlynn, and Max Jean-Gilles were less than impressive. They did not work well together, they could not get out of each other's way, and constantly got Vick hit or allowed guys in his face. Herremans, however, will inexplicably continue to be overrated.

-- King Dunlap needs to work on the mental part of the game. He was stepping inside to help Jean-Gilles with a defense tackle while a linebacker or defensive back came around the edge. He must recognize things like that before he can be counted upon on a weekly basis.

-- As far as Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg go, there isn't a whole lot of good. The play-calling was atrocious. They were getting Vick killed with the predictable calls, and Reid not challenging that Hakeem Nicks catch and the Jackson fumble is unforgivable. The team won in spite of these guys.

-- Trent Cole is just a guy in the second half of the season. Where's that key sack? Where's that key play? If he wants to be considered one of the best in the league, he must step up and make the plays when they need to be made. Right now, he's not doing it.

-- Brodrick Bunkley, Antonio Dixon, and Mike Patterson were alright. They got handled a bit too often, but they stepped it up in the second half and contributed by keeping blockers out of the second level. They must all step up, especially in giving a pass rush.

-- The defensive tackle not mentioned, Trevor Laws, wasn't very good either until the Giants' final drive of the game. Laws had a tipped pass and sack on that drive and was instrumental in making sure the Giants had to punt.

-- The defense still needs much, much more out of Darryl Tapp, Juqua Parker, and rookie Daniel Te'o-Nesheim. Tapp had a tipped pass on third down in the fourth quarter, but Parker and Te'o-Nesheim were manhandled most of the game.

-- I've said it before but I'll say it again. I hate Ernie Sims. He's brought nothing of value to this defense and it's mind-boggling that he hasn't been benched for Akeem Jordan yet.

-- Moise Fokou had a decent game with six tackles and a sack, but let's not forget he nearly missed that sack because he couldn't bring down the strong and elusive Eli Manning. Hopefully the sarcasm is coming through.

-- Jamar Chaney is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. This guy had 12 solo tackles and still contributed on special teams. Did you see the huge block on that punt return? That was Chaney throwing his body at that guy for the good of the team. If he keeps this up, Stewart Bradley might have some serious competition next season.

-- What happened to Dimitri Patterson? He had to know they were going to target him with Asante Samuel coming back, but he just seemed out of place all day. He did a decent job tackling in the open field, but he's got to be better at sticking with receivers than he was against the Giants.

-- There weren't a ton of passes thrown his way so it's tough to say what kind of day Asante Samuel had, but one thing is for sure: the Giants were afraid of him. Which I guess qualifies as a good day.

-- Despite the interception, Quintin Mikell did not have a good game. He missed tackles and blew coverage that allowed the Giants to go up 31-10 when he gave up covering Kevin Boss. I'm not sure what's wrong with him this season, but he's got to figure things out quickly.

-- Nate Allen is going to miss the rest of the season with a torn patella tendon. It's a huge loss for this defense and a damn shame for Allen. Kurt Coleman, who did a decent job filling in, will take over as the starter. Expect the Eagles to bring in another safety in the coming days.

-- Like the offense, the defense played in spite of their coach. I loathe Sean McDermott and the way he calls this defense. He plays soft and in turn has created a soft defense. Hooray for them for standing strong at the end, but they still gave up 31 points and a vast majority of the blame falls on McDermott.

-- I'm not sure if Bobby April or Andy Reid came up with the idea for the onside kick, but David Akers executed it to perfection. That is the best onside kick I have ever seen, and Riley Cooper did a great job of getting it at its highest point. From start to finish, that was spectacular.

-- On Jackson's punt return, Omar Gaither made an even better block than Chaney. Coming down the field, Gaither blocked one guy into two other Giants and effectively took out three defenders with one block. With that block, Jackson might not have broken that.

-- The big play wasn't there, but I love the grit and determination Jorrick Calvin shows on kick returns. He refuses to go down and gets as much as he possibly can with no blocking.

-- What an unbelievable game. The Eagles are now in the driver's seat and their magic number is one. One win either next week or the week after, or one loss by the Giants gives them the NFC East title. If the Chicago Bears lose one of their next three games and the Eagles win out, they will earn a first-round bye.

-- There was a lot of good in this game, but the bad cannot be overlooked. The coaches were awful all game and the defense still allowed 31 points. If they can go in and correct what went wrong in the first three quarters, this team could (again, could) be legitimate contenders.
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DeSean Jackson has etched himself into Philly lore.


As an Eagles fan, you're going to be able to tell your grandchildren about this game. Right after you finish telling the little scamps about Herman Edwards and Brian Westbrook, you're going to tell them about DeSean Jackson and Michael Vick.

The first half of that game was atrocious. The mistakes that were made by everyone on the field were completely inexcusable and enough to have anyone watching pull their hair out. But, we'll talk more about that later.

The second half is a much cheerier subject.

After exchanging touchdowns, the Eagles were down 31-10. At that point, it's difficult to even keep watching, but we do because that's just who we are. We're Eagles fans, dammit.

And we were rewarded.

Michael Vick was incredible. He clearly had seen enough and decided he was going to put the team on his back. When he had to run, he ran. When he had to make a big throw, he made it. He did everything that a quarterback must do in that situation and, in my mind, has cemented his place as the MVP of the entire league.

Tom Brady is good and all, but he hasn't done that this season.

Even the defense, which was beyond bad in the first half, got its act together just long enough to force that final punt. Then there was that punt return.

Once Jackson dropped it, I thought the worst. The Giants were closing in and the ball was on the ground. But as he picked the ball up everything opened up. He hit that seam and it was a footrace from there.

He got an incredible -- and I truly mean incredible -- block from Jamar Chaney and he was off to the races. No one was going to catch him. He pulled a Brandon Stokely along the goal-line, ran all the time off the clock, and crossed the endzone.

After a mandated extra point attempt was successful, the Eagles headed into the locker room with a 38-31 win that will always be remembered as the Miracle at the Meadowlands, Part 3.
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DeSean Jackson had a record-setting Sunday night.


-- This was Michael Vick's worst game of the season, but it was still pretty good. He wound up throwing two interceptions, but only one was on him. The other went right off Jeremy Maclin's hands. Overall Vick did a pretty decent job, but for the first time all season we saw all the hits he was taking actually take a toll on his game.

-- LeSean McCoy continues to be the best player no one is talking about. The guy has incredible vision and, outside of Vick, might be the best athlete on the team. He has to work on going harder through the hole and not dancing so much down field, but that will come. The guy is a Pro Bowler.

-- Owen Schmitt didn't have a great game, and I think that's the first time I've said that. He had a nice catch with a guy draped all over him, but he missed a couple blocks on special teams and in pass protection.

-- For DeSean Jackson, let's start off with the bad: the endzone celebration was ridiculous and unnecessary. The rest, however, was fantastic. Who else in the league can go 210 yards on only four catches? That's not rhetorical. If you'd like a random fact, I present to you the fact that 210 yards is the most in NFL history with only four catches. Tell your friends.

-- I don't know how I feel about Jeremy Maclin for this game. He only had one reception for 11 yards and had another one bounce off his hands that resulted in an interception, but the guy was throwing blocks all game long and was an integral part of some big gains from McCoy and Jackson, so that saved him from having an awful game.

-- Jason Avant, Chad Hall, and Riley Cooper barely did a thing. Between the three of them, they had six receptions for 41 yards. That doesn't deserve an individual reaction.

-- Brent Celek, once again, went without a reception. He was kept in to block several times, but I believe he was targeted only once on Vick's first interception. I understand the targets will go down, but not a single reception?

-- Where are the people who were talking about what a terrible decision it was to trade for Jason Peters? The guy is playing at a Pro Bowl level and shut down one of the best pass-rushers in the game. As it stands, he's at least in the conversation for best left tackle in the game.

-- Todd Herremans got manhandled by Jay Ratliff and blitzing linebackers a couple times. But all was forgiven once he caught the second touchdown of his career.

-- All things considered, Mike McGlynn was very good. He and Max Jean-Gilles did a great job of handling Ratliff for most of the game, but McGlynn did show his inexperience a couple times as Ratliff swam him or simply beat him to the hole. Jean-Gilles, however, continues to be impressive as he's playing with an attitude the line had been lacking since Jon Runyan left.

-- King Dunlap got beat a couple times. He got Vick knocked around too often. But he's proving that he can be a valuable backup for both Peters and Winston Justice. He just needs to work on the quickness of his feet and stop going stiff once he engages the defender.

-- The play-calling was atrocious, as always. They still insist on running play action when they haven't established the run and keep asking Vick to turn his back to the line of scrimmage. Andy Reid needs to let someone else hire the offensive coordinator because he and Marty Mornhinweg combine to make the worst play-calling duo in the league.

-- Trent Cole is continuing his annual late-season disappearing act. The natural ability is unquestioned, but he has to show up in December before I'm comfortable saying he's one of the best defensive ends in the league.

-- Right now, Antonio Dixon is the best defensive lineman on this team. The way he played on the goal-line and the pressure he's up to get up the middle is huge for this defense. He's not a household name yet, but he should be very soon.

-- Mike Patterson, Brodrick Bunkley, and Trevor Laws did their jobs. No more, no less. It was nothing spectacular, but spectacular isn't required every week. The effort they put forth was enough for this week. With that said, more will be needed out of them against the Giants.

-- It seemed like Juqua Parker and Brandon Graham split the snaps evenly up until Graham's knee injury. Neither was too terribly effective, and now it looks like more will be expected of Parker as Graham might have torn something in his knee.

-- Darryl Tapp lucked into a sack. Overall, he remains highly unimpressive. I know one thing, I'd definitely rather have Chris Clemons or Jason Babin. And that fourth-round pick.

-- Ernie Sims is a bum. The guy spends most of his time flat-footed and doesn't seem to have a very high football IQ. He allowed the first touchdown catch by Jason Witten because he was caught flat-footed, and seemed to miss more tackles than he made.

-- Call me crazy, but I'm not worried about losing Stewart Bradley. I think he's been overrated all season long. He's not a play-maker, he's not physical, and I don't think he's a leader on that defense. Jamar Chaney came in and played very well once Bradley went down. He will likely get the call moving forward.

-- Moise Fokou is just a guy. He's a great option to have as a backup and is very good on special teams, but overall he's just a guy. The team must improve at SAM as soon as possible, but Fokou's effort cannot be questioned.

-- Dimitri Patterson, Trevard Lindley, and Joselio Hanson all played very well. Roy Williams, Miles Austin, and Kevin Ogletree had a combined seven receptions for 79 yards, and Patterson was able to steal an interception in the process. Once Asante Samuel is able to return, this secondary could cause a lot of problems for opposing quarterbacks.

-- Like Patterson, Quintin Mikell was able to snag an interception. He made a great effort to dive for the ball and was also a big problem for the Cowboys' deep game.

-- Nate Allen is starting to trail off a bit as the season goes on, but he had a few good plays in the passing game and, like Mikell, did a great job at discouraging the Cowboys from trying anything deep. He still, however, needs to learn how to tackle better.

-- Sean McDermott continues to call too soft of a game. How does he not see the correlation between the soft style of defense he calls and the historic troubles in the red zone?

-- As far as the return game goes, Jorrick Calvin just needs to take over punt returns as well since Jackson is clearly to afraid to go forward. Calvin had a true rookie moment when he lost his called and was flagged 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct, but at least he goes straight ahead when he catches the ball and won't lose yardage like Jackson does willingly.

-- The coverage unit as a whole was good once again, but once guy in particular deserves some recognition not only for his play this week, but for past weeks as well: Colt Anderson. The guy was an afterthought after being snagged off the Minnesota Vikings practice squad, but during his time in Philly he's the clear-cut special teams MVP.

-- The late-season improvement we're seeing will likely end the streak of special teams coordinators fired and Bobby April will be back in 2011.

-- The Eagles improve to 9-4 on the season and remain ahead of the New York Giants. Next week they will travel to New York, and that game will likely wind up determining who wins the NFC East. If Justice and Samuel are able to return for that game, there's no reason why the Eagles can't wrap up the division in the New Meadowlands.
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Vick has paid his debt to society, now can he get a call?


We all watch the same game, and we all see the same hits. Michael Vick releases the ball down-field and gets popped either too high, too low, or late, forcing him to the ground. He writhes in pain for a few seconds, but shakes himself off and gets up.

Not a flag in sight.

If his name was Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, or really anyone else, the yellow hankies would be out all over the place and fines would be handed down the next day. But, because he's Michael Vick, the flags remain in the zebras' back pockets and the league remains conveniently unaware of the beating he takes on a weekly basis.

Just to be clear before we move any further, I don't believe this is a race issue.

I'm not saying I think the prejudice comes because he's black. I think it comes because he is who he is. His history as a ruthless dog-killer is fresh in the minds of the officials and, because of that, the hits he takes don't seem so egregious.

Take for example, when the Eagles played the Colts. Trent Cole came around Manning's blind side and swiped at the football. His hand just happened to skim Manning's helmet, and he was flagged for a "blow to the head."

The hit wasn't late, it wasn't intentional, and it certainly wasn't a "blow" to anything. His head happened to get in the way of Cole's hand. I would be surprised if Manning could honestly even say he felt it.

Vick, on the other hand, is clearly getting hit late. After the ball is out of his hands he's getting leveled by guys who are leading with their helmets, or are aiming for his head or legs to try and put him out of the game.

Week after week, play after play this continues to happen, but -- other than a hit in Week 9 by the Colts' Gary Brackett that was too big and blatantly illegal to ignore -- it doesn't get called.

Head coach Andy Reid recently came out against the league and the officials for not protecting more when Vick takes off and runs, but I think he's missing the point there entirely. While I do believe the officials would protect guys like Manning or Brady were they to take off and run, there is also a risk a quarterback is accepting when he becomes a runner.

As far as that goes, Reid himself could prevent the hits Vick takes if he would just run the ball more often. LeSean McCoy trains to take those hits and can absorb them without much of a problem.

Vick, on the other hand, isn't built to sustain those shots and has proven somewhat fragile during his career.

All bets are off once Vick takes off and runs, but the hits inside the pocket are seen and simply ignored. There's one official on the field who does nothing but watch the quarterback, so there's no way they're just missing the calls.

For example, in Week 12 against the Chicago Bears, a Bears defender wrapped Vick up and, according to the officials, stopped his momentum and in turn ended the play. But when that defender picked Vick up off the ground and body-slammed him, the flags stayed in their pockets.

It's a flag and fine-worthy offense when Rolando McClain body-slams Danny Amendola, but not when a defender body-slams Vick?

There's something not right about that.

Reid and the Eagles should start riding the league office, but not over what they're complaining about. Instead, they need to send in film of the numerous late hits Vick is taking and ask why they're not being punished.

But, no matter what the league says, we all know the answer already.
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Trevor Laws with a pick means things are going well.


-- For the most part, Michael Vick's decision-making was pretty good. He did get picked on an underthrown ball and almost got picked because he stared down a receiver, but other than that he was hitting the open guy and allowing his receivers to make plays. Vick threw for 300 yards for the third time this season and continues to look like a real quarterback.

-- LeSean McCoy was, once again, under-utilized. At an embarrassing 12 carries, head coach Andy Reid continues to ignore McCoy's value as a runner. At one point, McCoy was well over five yards per carry, but carries in garbage time into a Texans' defense expecting it dropped his average to under four per carry. He did, however, have eight receptions for 86 yards and one touchdown.

-- He still has yet to carry the ball even once, but Owen Schmitt chipped in with his first touchdown reception as an Eagle. Schmitt continues to be a great blocker and a reliable option out of the backfield.

-- Like McCoy, Jerome Harrison was disgustingly under-used. Three carries. That's it. If he was upset about his playing time in Cleveland he's got to be fuming now.

-- The big story this week was DeSean Jackson. Even though he didn't have the big game everyone expected, he chipped in with three receptions for 84 yards. It doesn't sound like a lot, but they were all big catches that kept the offense moving. The team will still look for more out of him, but it was better than what they got last week.

-- With five catches for 68 yards, Jeremy Maclin actually had a down game. He's been red-hot as of late but, like Jackson, most of Maclin's receptions were key within the drive in which they occurred. He also turned and went straight up-field for once. So, three cheers for Maclin.

-- What is going on with Jason Avant? He had another dropped touchdown pass. Even one is a lot for a guy like Avant, and this recent one was almost as bad as his drop against the Giants.

-- Brent Celek made the best play of the night with his key first down on third-and-long. The awareness to understand that he was not down because he was on top of a defender and make one last reach for the sticks was worth applauding. Unfortunately, it only canceled out a dropped touchdown catch of his own.

-- Chad Hall, playing in place of the injured Riley Cooper, only accounted for three yards on three carries, but accounted for a first down along the way. I, like most Eagles fans, believe Cooper has a bright future, but right now Hall is more valuable player because of his versatility.

-- The offensive line was just short of spectacular. They had a couple breakdowns that forced Vick to move out of the pocket, but more often than not they were man-handling the Texans' defensive line and giving Vick tons of time. They just have to cut down on the random mental lapses and they might turn into a very good unit.

-- Even King Dunlap was impressive in limited time while filling in for an injured Winston Justice (who, by the way, is said to have a sprained MCL and will have an MRI Friday).

-- The play-calling was suspect at best. Reid and Marty Mornhinweg are still calling far too much play-action without actually establishing the run first. I would love to ask them what they think that's going to accomplish. And the designed runs with Vick are just going to get him hurt. It's time to seriously cut back on those and just starting handing the ball to McCoy instead.

-- For the fourth time this season, Trent Cole was held without a sack. He got some good pressure and chipped in with three tackles, but overall it was a disappointing game for the Pro Bowl defensive end.

-- Antonio Dixon, once again, was monumental in containing the running game. Arian Foster is the league's leading rusher and was held to 83 yards on 22 carries. Dixon's ability to play two gaps at a time is a huge reason for the defense's recent ability to stop the run.

-- Mike Patterson chipped in with a sack, and Brodrick Bunkley did a good job of controlling the line in limited action. It seems like the team is trying too hard to turn Bunkley into a two-gap player like Dixon. He's a guy who belongs in the three technique and shooting a gap, not trying to eat up blockers.

-- In his fifth start of the season, Brandon Graham was basically invisible. Were it not for his ability to do all the little things, his rookie season would be a pretty big disappointment. Juqua Parker should easily re-take his job when healthy.

-- There is not a happier man on this earth than Trevor Laws. Coming down with that interception had to be the greatest feeling of his young career and is just another positive step forward for the former second-round pick. Now all they need to do is teach him how to hold onto the football.

-- I'm not sure what to say about Darryl Tapp or Daniel Te'o-Nesheim anymore. Neither one did anything worth while until Tapp recovered Matt Schaub's late fumble. Both look completely inept. This is looking like a miss on the trade for Tapp and drafting Te'o-Nesheim in the third when most scouts graded him around the sixth round.

-- For the first time since all year, Stewart Bradley looked like a middle linebacker this defense could build around. He was blitzing well, reading plays very well, and even making tackles and finishing plays. Hopefully he's starting to get healthy and this is the Bradley we'll see moving forward.

-- Ernie Sims continues to be a disappointment in my eyes. I haven't seen the speed when it really counts. The only time it seems to show up is when he's running past a play. He doesn't seem able to control himself and might be another linebacker rental.

-- Not much to report on Moise Fokou. There weren't any spectacular plays, but he did a very good job of forcing Foster back to the middle and not allowing him to hit the edges.

-- The secondary could not stop Andre Johnson. But then again, few can. We saw Joselio Hanson get beat a couple times again, but he was much better than last week. I did take notice that Trevard Lindley played most of the game on the outside while Hanson stayed on the inside in nickel situations. That's what I was yelling for last week, and it worked this week.

-- The more I see of Dimitri Patterson, the more he starts to look like Sheldon Brown.

-- Rookie safety Nate Allen got ran over in the endzone by Foster early in the game, but made up for it with a late strip-sack of Schaub. Overall, Allen is looking like an absolute steal in the second round.

-- Quintin Mikell was clearly sick of hearing the talk about his demise. He nearly had a couple sacks, would have had an interception were it not for his stone hands, and would flying around the field all night long. It hasn't been a great year for him, but he picked it up against the Texans.

-- Was I the only one who saw the graphic showing that the Eagles' defense is the worst in the redzone since the 1988 Houston Oilers? That's a direct result of Sean McDermott's soft play-calling and the soft way he calls a game in general. I'm still on board to see him fired.

-- I'm officially a fan of Colt Anderson. I would be lying if I told you I knew who he was coming off the Minnesota Vikings practice squad, but he keeps making big plays on special teams and has proven to be a good under-the-radar pick-up.

-- Following Anderson, the coverage for both kicks and punts was very good. It was great to see after a complete breakdown against the Bears last week. Bobby April should stop Reid's streak of firing special teams coordinators.

-- Nothing to report in terms of DeSean Jackson returning punts. He called a fair catch and let the ball roll another time on both of Matt Turk's punts. Jorrick Calvin had a 102-yard kick return, but it was called back by a questionable holding call. I think, before the season is out, Calvin will have a return that actually counts.

-- At 8-4, this team controls its own destiny. All they have to do is keep winning and they'll take the NFC East for the sixth time in the Reid era. But with two games against the Dallas Cowboys, one more against the New York Giants, and a potential trap game against the Minnesota Vikings, that's easier said than done.
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Jackson was playing scared with or without the ball.


I'm not sure about everyone else, but I've officially had enough of DeSean Jackson's diva act. The way he short-armed that pass in the endzone was the last straw for me. Had he just reached up, caught the ball and taken the hit, Mike Vick's fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Brent Celek would have put them two points down from forcing overtime.

Instead, it gave them a lousy five-point deficit and forced them to go for the onside kick -- an action proved futile more often than not.

But it wasn't even just the alligator arms. He was clearly afraid of getting hit on punt returns as well. Yes, he had a nice return, but had he kick inside on the sideline he could have at least gotten five to ten more yards and maybe even taken it all the way.

Then on his next return, he just danced a little to make it look good and fell over. Granted, there wasn't a lot of space, but he could have gotten something.

And it doesn't even end there.

He was apparently chewed out by head coach Andy Reid for what Reid perceived as a "loose" attitude during pre-game workouts. Reid felt that Jackson didn't take them seriously and, according to reports, was more agitated than he'd even been after a loss.

I've also heard the word "immature" was tossed around a couple times.

Then Michael Vick gave him a more loving earful, but an earful nonetheless. Jackson was doing his best to ignore Vick and had reportedly snapped at him during and after the game.

Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy attempted to talk to Jackson as well, but he was uninterested and left the locker room without talking to reporters.

Vick's problem with Jackson had more to do with during the game than before it. Anyone watching could see that Jackson was going half-speed and clearly had gotten frustrated at the double coverage he was receiving and just gave up.

He wasn't coming back to the ball when Vick was in trouble, he wasn't running his routes as hard as he could to get open or, at the very least, run a couple defenders off the other guys, and he showed a clear fear of contact when given the opportunity.

To me, that says it's time for him to lose some snaps. Maybe if he sees Riley Cooper and Jason Avant taking some of his time, he'll wake up and realize he and the team have won nothing as of right now.

He's got an attitude like he's the best receiver in the game when in all reality I'm not sure he cracks the top five and I might be able to think of 10 receivers I'd take instead of him. When he's pulling stunts like this, I'm positive I could think of 10-15 guys I'd rather have.

It's time to humble him a little bit. If he thinks he doesn't have to run his routes, then don't make him. He can watch someone else do it. And if he's truly that gun-shy after his concussions, then he doesn't belong on the field anyway because he's a liability to the team and his own safety.

This team has won the games they have because they've played as a team. If a backup was playing better than the starter, that guy played and the other guy shut his mouth and accepted his role.

Maybe it's time for Jackson to shut up and accept a role.

Ideally it wouldn't have to last for very long before it woke him up and he started playing up to his potential again, but for now he's just not a guy the team needs to deal with.
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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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Michael Vick has ended Kevin Kolb's run in Philly.


Michael Vick's play in 2010 has caught everyone by surprise. Even someone like Andy Reid, who clearly saw something in Vick that few others did, could not have envisioned this.

Vick's play has earned him the job of the Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback, and there's not a whole lot that Kevin Kolb can do to change that.

Knowing that, it's likely Kolb will not be happy to be back in Philadelphia next season. He knows that there are at least a few teams out there who have been watching him and at least mulling around the idea of making him their next starting quarterback.

And if given the choice, Kolb is obviously going to want that opportunity rather than sitting behind Vick and once again entering a season knowing he's going to be the guy with the clip-board.

Vick is most certainly going to be the guy next year, but what if he struggles early in the season and the Eagles are losing games? Say they're 1-2, 1-3 and Kolb is still sitting on the sideline just watching it all go down.

Kolb will still have supporters in the locker room. He has friends on the team and it's just human nature to support him. Instead of being given time to turn things around, is it possible the locker room splits itself in support of Kolb versus Vick?

I understand wanting to have a viable backup should something happen with Vick on or off the field, but the team must take the human condition into account. We all know Philly fans would start the cry for Kolb should Vick struggle next year. The teammates might start thinking Kolb is actually the better choice.

And for that matter, if Reid really likes Kolb as much as he says, he might start second-guessing himself and think that perhaps Vick was a one-year wonder and that Kolb truly is the quarterback of the future.

It can't be allowed to happen if the team is going to be successful. They can't have another quarterback carousel and the only way to prevent that from even becoming a possibility is to move Kolb to the highest bidder.

That brings up another point. Kolb will be entering a contract year in 2011. Once the season wraps up, he'll be an unrestricted free agent. He can waltz right out of Philly and sign wherever he wants with no compensation coming back to the team.

But if they put him on the block at the conclusion of the 2010 season, it's likely they could get as high as a third-round pick and perhaps another pick in the later rounds.

Keeping Vick on a franchise tag really doesn't diminish Kolb's value because the Eagles can simply bluff that they'll hold on to him. Reid did the same thing with Vick when no one thought he would, so all the cards are in his hands.

If teams think the Eagles are truly willing to hold onto Kolb as a backup (especially since he'll be making bargain-bin backup money at only $1.4 million next season) the price for him will remain as high as it ever was.

Teams will not want to wait for him to hit free agency, and won't want to take the chance that another team swoops in and snatches him up before them. The only way to guarantee that doesn't happen is to offer a trade.

Either way, there is simply no way Reid and the Eagles can keep Kolb after this season. Vick has shown that he can be the guy and that he should be the guy, and Kolb has shown teams without a quarterback that he just might be able to win them some games.

Trading Kolb is now and will be the only option moving forward.
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If Celek doesn't work out, I hear L.J. Smith is available.


Something is not right with Brent Celek this season. It might be a lack of effort, it could be a nagging injury we don't know about, or it could be something as simple as a funk, but Celek has been invisible all year long.

For the season (11 games), he has 23 receptions for 237 yards and two touchdowns. To put just how bad that is in perspective, Celek had 24 receptions for 245 yards and two touchdowns after just three games last season.

This season, Celek has never had more than four catches, 47 yards, or one touchdown in a single game. Celek's lowest reception total in 2009 was two, in 2010 he has gone with a single catch twice in the past three weeks.

You get the picture. It hasn't been pretty.

The question now is whether or not the team continues to wait on Celek to revert to his 2009 form or go in a different direction. Fortunately for Celek, the only other options are a journeyman like Garrett Mills or the rookie Clay Harbor. Unfortunately for Celek, both of those options are starting to actually look like options.

Mills is more of a blocker than a pass-catcher, so he doesn't really fit as a starter. Harbor, on the other hand, seems like the perfect fit in Andy Reid's offense. He's a quicker, lean guy who has good hands and has shown flashes that he's an adequate blocker.

Harbor has already seen one start this year, but it resulted in only one catch. However, that one catch was still more than Celek had in that same game.

If I was Andy Reid, I might consider tossing Celek on the bench for at least a quarter, maybe even an entire half of a game. Maybe if he sits on the bench and has to watch Harbor start in his place he might be motivated to actually catch the ball.

And make no mistake, he had plenty of opportunities early, he just didn't cash in. Kevin Kolb looked for Celek every other time he dropped back, but even Kolb began losing faith in Celek after a few drops.

Michael Vick showed in Atlanta he likes throwing to the tight end as Alge Crumpler went to a couple Pro Bowl, but he seems to have also lost faith in Celek.

Celek is spending more time as a blocker because of the troubles the offensive line was having, but it would stand to reason then that he'd want to make more of his lessened opportunities. But instead we're seeing more drops from him than we saw last year and a guy who has gone from play-maker to bum seemingly in no time.

Reid is usually loyal to a fault, but I don't know how long he can keep Celek as the starter. He is obviously the most talented guy on the team, but his head doesn't seem to be in it this year and the offense is playing short-handed most of the time.

This Vick-led offense is second in points scored and is fast enough to give defensive coordinators nightmares with LeSean McCoy in the backfield and DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin out on the edges -- now just imagine how dangerous they'd be with a half-productive tight end.
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