Hopefully Bell will do a lot of this in midnight green.


It has taken an entire week (or so), but Mike Bell is officially an Eagle heading into the 2010 season. He immediately takes a backseat to starter LeSean McCoy and will allow Leonard Weaver to focus more on being a fullback than a backup running back.

Weaver will still see his carries, but they'll be cut in half -- or more -- with the arrival of Bell. He's a good, young veteran who has had success in this league with the Broncos and the Saints. He's got a Super Bowl ring and will bring a Super Bowl-winning attitude to a team used to winning over the past decade.

He's a great downhill change-of-pace to McCoy who is more of a shifty running back. Bell is a guy who can punish a defense just enough to make McCoy that much more effective, and in turn make the offense that much more effective.

The Eagles thought they were going to have a good 1-2 punch last season with McCoy and Brian Westbrook, but with Westbrook missing even more games than usual, Weaver was forced into a backup running back role, once again leaving the Eagles without a true fullback.

Bell has been a reliable option in Denver and New Orleans, and should be able to make a significant impact in Philadelphia right away. He will probably see 8-10 carries per game and will be the guy in the redzone.

Put Weaver in front of Bell in the 'I' and you've got a legitimate power-running attack that the Eagles haven't had since Dorsey Levens made a short run with the Birds in 2004.

Unless, of course, you count Tony Hunt.

Either way, Bell is an Eagle for at least 2010. He's only on a one-year deal so he might not be back for 2011, but if he produces 500-600 yards on the ground and a handful of touchdowns it would be hard for Andy Reid to let him walk.
Continue Reading...

Mike Bell will know his future by 11:59PM Tuesday.


In one of the oddest things I've seen since I began covering the Eagles over a year ago, the deadline on when the Saints must decide whether or not to match Mike Bell's offer sheet has changed.

It was originally supposed to be 11:59PM on Monday (March 22nd), but it has now been moved to 11:59PM on Tuesday (March 23rd). That means that at midnight (Wednesday, March 24th), Bell will either officially become an Eagle, or will stay a Saint for at least one more season.

How in the world the Saints got 24 extra hours from the original deadline is beyond me, but unless they match the offer it's not really going to matter. If they do, however, a lot of people in Philly are going to be crying foul.

Many people in-the-know around Philly and New Orleans don't expect the Saints to match the offer, but the extra day might be all they need to come around and decide they'd like to keep their three-ponged rushing attack intact.

It's a modest deal for the Eagles to make Bell their second running back, but to give a third running back almost $2 million in base salary with $500,000 in guarantees will probably be too much for the Saints to swallow.

The Eagles will also be questioned for not putting in the dreaded "poison pill," which basically says that if the Saints match the offer, they'd have to guarantee every penny of the nearly $2 million dollars if Bell were to meet some ridiculously simple milestone. For instance, if he played more than two games in the state of Florida.

Seriously, it's something that crazy.

But the Eagles decided not to include the poison pill in an unwavering confidence that it would not be needed; A decision that could backfire terribly.

Reid himself has said he doesn't believe the Saints will match the offer, but it wouldn't surprise me if they matched the offer for no other reason than to prevent an NFC foe from getting any better off of their scrap-heap.
Continue Reading...

The Saints will most likely not match Eagles' offer.


According to Adam Caplan of Scout.com, the Eagles have put in an offer sheet for restricted free agent Mike Bell to the tune of one-year, $1.7 million with $500,000 in guaranteed money.

There are also incentives in the deal that could push it over $2 million.

It's a modest deal, but the Saints are unlikely to want to match it. They already have Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush, and a young guy by the name of Lynell Hamilton whom they really seem to like and want on the field.

They might be willing to match the $1.7 million base salary, but with nearly one-third of the salary guaranteed, the Saints have probably already decided they aren't going to match that.

As we reported earlier, Bell would immediately become LeSean McCoy's primary backup and Leonard Weaver will be used as a more traditional fullback. He'll still be a target out of the backfield, but his carries will be limited with Bell's expected arrival.

"I asked Greg Cosell from NFL Films for a Bell review recently," tweets Caplan. "(Cosell said:) Physical, decisive, down hill RB who runs hard."

It's a good move for the Eagles and Bell, but the Saints, assuming they do decline to match the offer, will not receive any compensation for Bell since he was given the lowest tender.

Bell reportedly also received interest from the Seattle Seahawks.

UPDATE: NFL.com's Jason La Canfora is reporting that there is no offer sheet just yet, but that one "is likely" according to a team source. La Canfora says visit is "going well."
Continue Reading...

Mike Bell is expected to be an Eagle by Wednesday.


Les Bowen of Philly.com is reporting that the Eagles are expected to make a move on Saints' restricted free agent running back Mike Bell. According to Bowen, contract talks have already begun and a deal is expected to get done later Tuesday night.

"Our understanding is that contract terms have been discussed," Bowen writes. "If he checks out physically...and shows an aptitude for learning Andy Reid's offense, he'll likely be signed to an offer sheet."

The Saints would then have seven days to match the offer sheet, but considering that he was only given a "right of first refusal" tender (the lowest available), the Saints don't appear to be in a position to fight for Bell's services.

They don't seem to have a need for Bell with Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush ahead of him on the depth chart. Bell is too much like Thomas to keep around for anything more than the minimum.

Bell likely won't get much of a raise, but he would surely see more playing time in Philadelphia than in New Orleans. Even with Leonard Weaver getting his fair share of carries, Bell would be the backup to LeSean McCoy right away.

It's my belief that the Eagles would like to use Weaver as more of a traditional fullback rather than just a big running back, but they can't do that unless they can get a power back behind McCoy to take some of the pressure off Weaver.

With Weaver becoming more of a lead-blocker, the running game should be much more effective than it was last season when he was playing more of an H-back role rather than that of a traditional fullback.

Bell is only 27, falling in line with the age the Eagles like to sign free agents, is the change-of-pace style of back they need, and will come relatively cheap -- sounds like everything the Eagles were looking for.
Continue Reading...

Could Mike Bell be the answer behind LeSean McCoy?


With an obvious need for a backup to running back LeSean McCoy, the Eagles will bring in Saints' restricted free agent Mike Bell. The Saints opted to only put a "right of first refusal" tender on Bell, which means they're not going to fight very hard to keep him.

Bell isn't exactly a superstar, and may not even be all that much better than Eldra Buckley, but this is certainly a move that can't hurt. At the very least, Bell would add depth were something to happen to McCoy because, unlike Buckley, Bell has some starting experience.

He played well for the Saints in '09, but seemed to wear down as the season went on and is clearly nothing more than a five-to-eight carries-per-game type of guy. He can also catch the ball out of the backfield, but hasn't been given the chance to do it over the past three years.

Losing his starting spot in Denver and playing with Reggie Bush in New Orleans is going to limit those opportunities, but the Eagles must believe he can do it if they're bringing him in for a visit.

Justin Fargas has also visited, but left without a contract and isn't expected to sign.

If Bell doesn't sign on, or if the Saints decide to match the Eagles' offer (assuming there is one), it's likely that the Birds would simply wait until about the fourth round and draft someone they feel is NFL-ready.

Bell has 1,376 yards on 348 attempts (4YPA) and 14 touchdowns in only 37 games played.

If something is going to happen with Bell, it's going to happen either tomorrow or Wednesday, so make sure to stay tuned.
Continue Reading...

Was Eagles' loss to Dallas really a blessing in disguise?


While I believe that an uncapped season in 2010 would be an overall bad thing for the NFL, it could turn out to be a great thing for our Philadelphia Eagles.

Because of the "top eight rule," which says that the teams playing in the Divisional Round of the playoffs cannot sign a free agent without first losing a player, the Eagles will face much less competition for anyone they decide to target in free agency, restricted or otherwise.

Think about it. If a free agent has a choice of somewhere to go, especially with teams like New Orleans, Indianapolis, Dallas, Arizona, San Diego, and Minnesota off the table, the Eagles would become the next obvious choice for someone looking to play for a contender.

On top of attracting free agents, the Eagles will not have to offer contract extensions to keep key players like Leonard Weaver, Jason Avant, or Nick Cole. Instead, they will have a bevy of restricted free agents that will be of interest to other teams around the league.

And if those teams want one of the Birds' eight restricted free agents, it will take a draft pick or two.

So, if we want to look at the cup as half-full, the loss to the Cowboys during Wild Card weekend could actually turn out to be the best thing for the Birds.

They're already on par with, or better than, the four NFC teams mentioned, and all-but eliminating them as competition for free agents should be able to help them pull ahead or widen the gap for 2010.
Continue Reading...

Joe Flacco is the real deal in Baltimore.



Here's my Week Three edition of my NFL Power Rankings. I'll give you my pick and my thoughts on each. Enjoy.


1. Baltimore Ravens (Last Week: 6)

The team that was constantly labeled with the identity of not having an offense, has apparently found one. Scoring 69 points in their first two contests. Joe Flacco is proving to be the real deal and this team will be challenging to take this division all season long. The only weakness I see is on defense. They've given up a ton of points as well. They need to get that fixed if they want to stay here.

2. New Orleans Saints (Last Week: 12)

Well, I'm convinced. I don't care what kind of defense you have, I really don't. If you can throw 9 touchdowns in two weeks, I'll give you this spot. Drew Brees is an absolute monster at the quarterback position. He has such a quick release that you just have no chance to get to him. Now, they beat up on a bad Lions team, and a McNabbless Eagle team, but McNabb doesn't play defense.

3. New York Giants (Last Week: 7)

Off to another 2-0 start and hold an outright lead in the best division in football, the NFC East. While Plaxico began his 2-year sentence yesterday, a sentence that many believed would doom the Giants, Mario Manningham and company were enjoying another fine performance by themselves. If they can continue play like they have been, Plax may not be missed as much as originally thought (Still be missed, because you don't just not miss a 6'5" person, ever). However, 4 turnovers for and it still took until the last minute to win. That could prove to bite them in the foot later in the season.

4. Indianapolis Colts (Last Week: 4)

They held on Monday night against the Dolphins. It looked to be a blowout when Peyton Manning hit Dallas Clark for a TD on the first play of the game. I just can't put my finger on the Colts. They play terrible until the end, then they pick it up. It's like they want the game to be more challenging than it needs to be. I guess if you're winning you don't mind, but how long can they count on making plays inside of 2 minutes?

5. Atlanta Falcons (Last Week: 8)

Boy has Tony Gonzalez proven to be one of the best offseason acquisitions. He's been incredible for 2nd-year quarterback Matt Ryan. Michael Turner has been slow out of the gate with only 65 and 105 yards in the first two games. While those are good numbers, they're not good Michael Turner numbers. Matt Ryan is still young and he'll need Turner to produce if they hope to be successful.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last Week: 1)

I guess Troy Polamalu is a bigger influence on the Steelers than I thought. They we're beaten by the Chicago Bears this past weekend on a late FG by Robbie Gould. The defending champs now find themselves at 1-1 and tied for the 2nd in the AFC North. I still think they'll be okay. They have a solid defense and a serviceable offense. Willie Parker must get it going or you've got to see the young Mendenhall because this run game is non-existent.

7. Minnesota Vikings (Last Week: 9)

Boy did they look like they were about to lose to the Detroit Lions. But, it's the Lions so no worries here. I'm not sure if it was the fact that they were playing the Lions or not, but Adrian Peterson tries to cut-back way too early sometimes. It worked this week because the Lions are a poor tackling team (Well, a poor everything team), but I don't see it happening against better teams. The Vikings have played the Browns and Lions so far, and they have a test to see if either team is for real this week against San Francisco.

8. New York Jets (Last Week: 15)

I guess we need to start listening to Kerry Rhodes a little bit more intently. He said they'd hit the Patriots and they'd win. They did just that. The offense struggled a little in the 1st half, but Mark Sanchez came back out in the 2nd half and simply out-played the All-Pro, Tom Brady. The Jets seemed to have struck gold with Sanchez, and this is the 2nd week in a row they beat a good team.

9. San Francisco 49ers (Last Week: 16)

I am a huge fan of Mike Singletary. He's passionate about football and you will not play for him if you're not sold out to be on this team and go 100% every play (See Vernon Davis). Frank Gore is an absolute monster. It's a good positioned to be in when you're sitting pretty at 2-0 overall and in the division. This week will be the true test as they match-up against Minnesota. Can Singletary's defense slow down Adrian Peterson?

10. New England Patriots (Last Week: 2)

I'm not sure if it's just me, but the Patriots have looked like a middle-of-the-pack team the past two weeks. Granted, they won Week One, but they definitely should not have. I'm not sold on the Patriots anymore after their past two performances. They've been a huge let-down after being labeled as the best team in the NFL all off-season. Tom Brady has been mediocre and is being out-performed by half the QB's in the league. Maybe they'll shake it off, but they gotta do something.

11. Philadelphia Eagles (Last Week: 3)

Got absolutely torched by Drew Brees. Hopefully they get McNabb back for the Week 3 game against Kansas City.

12. Houston Texans (Last Week: 18)

After looking completely flat in Week One, they came out firing and handed the Titans an 0-2 start. I like the Texans to taste the post-season for the first time ever.

13. Buffalo Bills (Last Week: 14)

After giving away a game in week one against a division rival, the Bills bounced back against Tampa Bay. They get Marshawn Lynch back in a week, but do they still need him?

14. San Diego Chargers (Last Week: 5)

Nearly lost one to Oakland, and they did lose one to the Ravens. Norv Turner continuely sends out an ill-prepared team every week.

15. Chicago Bears (Last Week: 20)

Jay Cutler came out and proved that the 4 interception game was not him. I still think the Bears gave up way too much for Cutler and that he's not that good of a QB.

16. Tennessee Titans (Last Week: 11)

They're the best 0-2 team out there, but they got the Jets coming up next week and the Colts in two weeks.

17. Dallas Cowboys (Last Week: 10)

Tony Romo looked terrible, and the Cowboys accounted for four turnovers agaisnt the Giants. No one wins with those kind of numbers.

18. Denver Broncos (Last Week: 21)

Fluke win against Cincy and a weak Browns team. Let's see them play someone good first.

19. Cincinnati Bengals (Last Week: 26)

Carson Palmer shows that he's the X-factor in Cincinnati. They get a real test this week when they travel to Baltimore.

20. Green Bay Packers (Last Week: 13)

Upset by the Bengals after a poor showing against the Bears. They need to bounce back.

21. Arizona Cardinals (Last Week: 17)

I just don't think this is the team we saw in the Superbowl last season. They beat up on a bad Jacksonville team, but they play soft.

22. Carolina Panthers (Last Week: 23)

They showed signs of life against a very good Atlanta team, and eventually only lost by 8. Keep the ball out of the air, and you'll be fine.

23. Seattle Seahawks (Last Week: 19)

We're brought down to earth by division foe San Francisco after playing a terrible Rams team week one.

24. Oakland Raiders (Last Week: 24)

How long can they live with the terrible play out of Jamarcus Russell? It's got to change soon.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last Week: 22)

The offense just isn't moving the ball so well, and they look to be missing Fred Taylor a whole heck of a lot.

26. Miami Dolphins (Last Week: 27)

They were all but shut out in week one outside of a garbage time TD, but they showed signs of life in week two but couldn't make plays when it counted.

27. Washington Redskins (Last Week: 25)

They almost lost to the Rams. I'll let that sink in. A win is a win, but when you fail to score a touchdown against the NFL's worst team, there's a problem.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last Week: 28)

The potential is there, but they can't seem to bring everything together at one time.

29. Kansas City Chiefs (Last Week: 29)

Matt Cassell looked shaky in his first start. Then again, Kansas City is no New England team.

30. Detroit Lions (Last Week: 31)

The losing streak might end this week. They've definitely looked better than last season already.

31. Cleveland Browns (Last Week: 30)

Miscues left and right. When you can't get the snap from the center, that's a huge problem. This stuff is basic football.

32. St. Louis Rams (Last Week: 32)

Only 7 points in two weeks. I think it's time for a rehaul in St. Louis.

Continue Reading...

Kolb was very good, but he was let down by the team.


This game, depending upon your allegiance, was either very fun to watch or an absolute torture. At this point, again depending upon which flag you fly, you either feel very good about your team, or you're a bit worried about its direction.

It's not a difficult guess as to how Eagles fans are feeling right now, but I'm here to tell you it's not all that bad. This game, yes, was a pathetic defensive display that could have been outdone by a high school team, but in the context of an entire season it's nothing to be too worried about.

So let's hurry up and get this painful game out of the way.


Quarterback

First off, let me just say that Kevin Kolb was very, very good today. Looking at the stat line (31-51, 391 yards, 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions) one may think he threw too many picks and made too many mistakes, but really he was very good with the football and made good decisions.

Well, for the most part.

There were certainly instances in which he got sloppy with the football. For instance, his first two interception were just bad. The first was supposed to be a comeback to DeSean Jackson, but Scott Shanle stepped in front and took the ball away. Kolb should have identified Shanle before the snap, but he didn't and he paid for it. Regardless of your number of starts, that's an easy read.

His second interception was bad, but not quite as bad. He threw it directly into Darren Sharper's chest, but only because the confusion and chaos around the offensive line blocked his view. He was unable to locate Sharper, thought he had Brent Celek open, and threw it into his chest. Sharper took the ball back for six, but not before being chased down and nearly caught by Kolb.

His third pick came during a heave at the end of the game, and really was no fault of his own.

Overall, he had a great first start, it's just a shame he could get no support from the other two phases of the game.

Grade: B-


Running Backs

I've been saying since the day he was drafted that LeSean McCoy was the better running back than Brian Westbrook at this point in his career, and it appears as though I was right.

Westbrook, no doubt, is an incredible talent and a fantastic asset to the offense. However when it comes down to simply being a running back, McCoy has him beat. His vision is already better than Westbrook's, and he already does a much better job of keeping his feet underneath him.

B-West has never been a great runner, but has always been able to cover it up because of his outstanding athleticism. Outside of 2007 where he seemed to be able to see the field very well, Westbrook has always just gone where he was supposed to go and if there was nothing there he would simply dive and get whatever he could.

He continued that today and if he keeps it up he will be losing more and more carries to McCoy.

Grade: C+


Receivers/Tight Ends

Apart from a drop or two by Kevin Curtis, the receivers did a fairly nice job of helping Kolb in his first career start. They got open, made a few difficult catches, and even did a decent job of blocking.

Brent Celek, however, saves this group. He was outstanding all game long and really was a security blanket for Kolb. His eight receptions and 104 yards was impressive to watch and should continue on into the rest of the season for McNabb.

Jeremy Maclin was even able to come up with his first career reception, although he continues to be very unimpressive on offense, and special teams.

Grade: B-


Offensive Line

With Stacy Andrews sitting for this game because of his grasp, or lack thereof, on the offense's scheme, Max Jean-Gilles got the start in what really looked like a patchwork offensive line.

Jason Peters and Jamaal Jackson were the only guys playing this Sunday who were slated in as starters early in the offseason with Nick Cole playing left guard, Jean-Gilles playing right guard, and Winston Justice playing right tackle.

Justice was impressive again today, picking up any outside blitz thrown his way. Cole had a false start penalty and the middle three were overall not very impressive in creating running lanes up the middle. Peters allowed a sack as he was late off the ball and got Kolb killed from his blindside.

This is not the way anyone envisioned the line, but in the coming weeks we should see the return of Todd Herremans and Stacy Andrews to the lineup, which will improve the running game dramatically. The pass protection was good with a patchwork line, but the run-blocking still needs some work.

Grade: C+


Defensive Line

The defensive line couldn't get any pressure all day. They were completely stonewalled by the Saints offensive line, and even blown off the ball at certain points on running plays.

The main concern with the line has to be the lack of pressure from the defensive ends, and Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson were pretty good at stuffing the run up the middle. But for the ends, they were simply outmatched. Jason Babin didn't see much time which was shocking because he was the best all preseason at getting pressure.

The one thing I noticed with the defensive tackles that did worry me a bit was the fact that Antonio Dixon seemed to get more time than Trevor Laws. Considering Dixon was a waiver-wire pickup and Laws was a second-round pick, this is a bit worrisome for the Eagles defense.

Grade: C-


Linebackers

Akeem Jordan had a spectacular interception, but other than that the linebackers got abused all game long. The Saints sent running backs and tight ends into the middle of the field right at the linebackers and simply picked them apart.

While the passing defense was bad, the run defense was even worse. Holes were opening up with no linebacker there to fill which led to big plays in the running game, and two touchdowns, one by Reggie Bush and one by Mike Bell.

The job of the linebackers is to prevent such big plays in the run first, and prevent big pass plays second. They did neither, and they weren't even able to make up for it by blitzing well, as they were inadequate in that area as well. If this defense wants to get better, the linebackers will have to play much better than they did today.

Grade: C-


Secondary

Asante Samuel had perhaps his worst game as an Eagle. He played scared, afraid of the Saints' receivers speed, which is uncharacteristic of Samuel, as he usually plays more aggressively against fast receivers in hopes of coming up with an interception.

Sheldon Brown had good coverage it seemed, but just couldn't get lucky enough to break up the passes. Drew Brees was on, and even when Brown had great coverage he was able to sneak the ball past him right into his receivers' chest.

Joselio Hanson and Ellis Hobbs were adequate, but just could not do a thing against Brees' perfectly placed passes (that peter piper picked?).

Macho Harris and Quintin Mikell were good in run support, but like the rest of the secondary, they fell prey to Brees' accurate arm and were unable to make a play. It's better than getting beat and having a bad game, but it's also not very encouraging that even while playing well Brees was able to pick this secondary apart.

Grade: C


Special Teams

David Akers was good, connecting on both of his field goal attempts and both extra points.

Now to everyone else.

Pathetic is the only word I have to describe the Eagles special teams today. Open up a thesarus and read any synonym of "pathetic" and you can bet it described the Eagles special teams on this Sunday afternoon.

Sav Rocca had one good punt of 61 yards, but other than that had the worst punts at the very worst times. He gave Brees & Co. incredibly short fields that they took advantage of every time. After this season, he will probably be shown the door if he doesn't rebound big time in these next 14 games.

The return teams were also incredibly bad.

DeSean Jackson was hit immediately on one punt return in which Hanson and Hobbs were unable to block one man. It was absolutely atrocious and difficult to watch. On another punt return, Jackson did what he will do from time to time and caught the ball inside the five yard line and took it all the way to the 30. However, not one, but two, blocks in the back brought the ball back inside the Eagles one-yard line.

Then there's Ellis Hobbs.

Realistically, he just might have been the one to cost the Eagles this game. When he fumbled that ball, the wheels started coming off. He gave the momentum to the Saints and they never let go of it. He had a good kick return later, but so far this year has been incredibly unimpressive.

If the Eagles want to win games, the special teams will have to step it up. It's completely unacceptable to lose a game on special teams, and you can bet Ted Daisher will let them hear it during practice this week.

Grade: D-


Coaching

It seemed like Sean McDermott, although his defense gave up 41 points (seven points came from an interception returned for a touchdown), put his defense in position to make a play, but they just could not execute.

Reid could have run the ball more, and may have gotten a bit too cute with his playcalling at times, but again it appeared as though it was more of the squad not executing than it was him calling the wrong play.

Overall, it was decent. McDermott and Reid could have adjusted better, but the overall gameplan was not bad. The players, however, were just unable to execute.

Grade: C-


Hopefully the Eagles are able to bounce back next week against an 0-2 Kansas City team in the middle of a rebuilding year. With Michael Vick returning next week, the game will get more national attention than usual, and we'll finally get to see how the "rhythm" of the offense will work. Let's just hope the grades are much better next week.
Continue Reading...

With a backup LT, Cole could be in for another big day.


Jamaal Brown, the Saints starting left tackle, has been ruled out for the game this Sunday. In his absence, Jermon Bushrod will assume the responsibility of, at least attempting, to block Trent Cole, one of the premier defensive ends in the NFL today.

With the Saints being the passing team that they are, the left tackle position becomes that much more important. Jamaal Brown is a very good left tackle, but Bushrod is a young guy who has been inactive for over half of his NFL career. This becomes an obvious weak spot along the line for New Orleans.

While the Saints will do their best to give Bushrod the help he will surely need against Cole, they will have few men to spare as their wide open passing attack limits the amount of blockers they can keep for any one play. They know that Bushrod is not ready to block someone like Cole one-on-one, so that matchup alone may cause them to get away from their gameplan.

In order for this to work to the Eagles advantage, they will have to get pressure from the other side of the line as well. Victor Abiamiri is questionable this week, and Juqua Parker, while a good defensive end, is not great at getting pressure on the quarterback. Enter Jason Babin and the Eagles just might have something rolling.

The other aspect to all of this working against the Saints is the fact that the Eagles know they are going to try and pass as much as possible. They may or may not have Pierre Thomas, which would be a huge help to their run game, but they know that their best player is the guy slinging the ball around.

This means that Cole and whomever will be starting opposite him at left end will be able to pin their ears back and come after Brees on nearly every play. Even if the Saints do try and run the ball at the ends because they know they're going to be flying around the corner, the Eagles have faith in their outside linebackers and safeties to step up and make a play.

So given the injury to Brown, and the Saints affinity for passing the ball, Cole should be able to have a big day against the Saints. It's certainly not out of the question for him to come up with a couple sacks. Given Brees quick release, it likely won't be anything record-breaking, but it could certainly be enough to ensure an Eagles victory.

Also, if Sean McDermott does his homework, the defense should continue their blitzing ways this week. Brees is good against the blitz, but hurrying him by even a half second could create some opportunites for interceptions for Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown. The Saints have those good receivers, but Brown and Samuel shouldn't have any trouble with them even one-on-one.

Or honestly, neither should Joselio Hanson and Ellis Hobbs.

So those of you in IDP fantasy leagues, or just an observer looking for a difference-maker in this game, keep your eye on Trent Cole.
Continue Reading...

The Saints begin and end with quarterback Drew Brees.


Getting a win in Week 1 is vital, but getting a win in Week 2 can start a roll that can last deep into the season. Every season at least one team does it, and both of these teams are prime candidates to get on such a roll.

The Saints come into Philadelphia toting possibly the most explosive offense in the entire NFL, against the Eagles who boast one of the most suffocating defenses in the league over the past 10 year. Even without the late, great Jim Johnson, the Eagles defense proved they could dominate last week against the Panthers.

Both teams have a shot at this game, but here at 2M2MG, we're Eagles homers. So let's look at the keys to the game for the Birds, shall we?


Health of Donovan McNabb

While I believe the Eagles could beat the Saints with or without McNabb, having him makes the task much easier.

There's not much debate regarding McNabb's status as an elite, top five quarterback, so it's obvious that the Eagles are a much better team with him. On the other side of that, Kevin Kolb, who would start in his absense, is unproven and in fact has done nothing but show that he is incapable rather than making a push for McNabb's job.

Just having McNabb on the field adds a new aspect to the offense that the Saints defense must worry about, which in itself makes him a vital piece of the game. Broken rib or not, he gives this offense the best opportunity to score points.


Disrupt Drew Brees' Timing

If the Eagles defense is going to stop the Saints high-powered offense, they're going to have to disrupt Brees' timing. How do they do that? They do it by blitzing, blitzing, and when all else fails, just blitz some more.

It does, however, have to be precise and well-planned blitzing or Brees will pick the defense apart. By this I mean blitzing a corner from Brees' blindside, stunting along the line, and just simply blitzing effectively. If the blitzers are getting stone-walled, then Brees will have an easy day.

If Brees has an easy day, the Eagles will lose.


Control the Clock -- Keep Brees & Co. On the Sideline

This is the simplest key to achieve, as it should be easy for Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy to run behind Leonard Weaver and this athletic offensive line. The Saints defense is below average and should struggle mightily against the run if the Eagles will committ to it.

This will be a key for every team facing off against the Saints this season, as the defense is obviously nothing to be worried about, but the offense can win games all by itself. Teams will certainly rather have their offense playing the same squad that gave up 27 points to the Detroit Lions rather than the quarterback those nearly beat Dan Marino's passing yards record last season.

Reid should have Eldra Buckley active this week, as a power back would certainly go a long way in wearing down this defense even further.
Continue Reading...