motife
09-05-2007, 05:40 PM
Packers' First Opponent: Eagles like to visit
Philadelphia has good road record, but brings questions
Posted: Sept. 4, 2007
Bob McGinn
E-MAIL
Green Bay - One of the National Football League's great road teams will open against one of the NFL's poor home teams Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field.
Under coach Andy Reid, the Philadelphia Eagles were 32-11 on the road from 2000-'04, a winning mark of .744, counting playoffs. Reid's teams slipped to 7-10 the past two seasons, but over his eight-year career, the Eagles still are 40-28 (.588) away from home.
Opposing Reid will be coach Mike McCarthy, whose 5-3 road record in 2006 was as good or better than anything the Green Bay Packers could muster from 1973-2003. But the Packers staggered to a 3-5 mark in Green Bay, equaling their worst home record since '91.
The Eagles are 3-point favorites, which would have been almost unheard of for a visiting team at Lambeau Field from 1992-2003. In that 12-year span, the Packers were 87-17 (.837), counting playoffs, before stumbling to 10-15 the past three years.
Despite an overall mark of 88-54 (.620), Reid has had problems in openers with a 3-5 record. The Eagles are coming off a season that included an 11-5 regular-season record, a 23-20 wild-card playoff victory over the Giants and a 27-24 divisional loss in New Orleans.
"People are just automatically picking them to go," a personnel man for an NFC East team said. "But they've got a lot of old guys and a whole lot of question marks. I've still got to go with the Eagles because there's even more question marks in Green Bay."
An assistant coach for a team that played an exhibition game against the Eagles described them as "very much an enigma. They're a team that's talking, like, 'How far do we go in the playoffs?' But I honestly don't think they know what they have.
"How's the quarterback going to be? Is he going to be healthy? They've made a lot of changes on defense. Is their line OK?
"It's a talented enough football team. It will be a well-coached team, although Andy has had his hands full. They're a good veteran staff. They know what to do. And I think they'll beat Green Bay."
Reid is 5-1 against his old team, including 5-0 in the last four years. Four of those games, however, were played in Philadelphia.
OFFENSE
SCHEME
Reid handed his play-calling duties to coordinator Marty Mornhinweg for the final eight games in 2006 and appears set to relinquish them again. A pair of former Green Bay assistants, Mornhinweg ran on 46.2% of the downs in the last eight games compared with 39.5% for Reid in the first 10 (he ran 35.5% in '05). The Eagles added a no-huddle this summer.
RECEIVERS
Four days after No. 1 WR Donte' Stallworth signed with New England, the Eagles signed Kevin Curtis (5 feet 11 inches, 198 pounds) from St. Louis for $30 million over six years ($8 million guaranteed). Curtis, the split end, is a first-time starter with blazing speed. However, he lacks strength and can be knocked off routes. Flanker Reggie Brown (6-1½, 197), the 35th pick in '05, runs smooth routes, is a tremendous athlete and is strong. He isn't a burner, however, and still drops too many. Jason Avant (6-0½, 212) and Hank Baskett (6-3, 220) man the slots in four-wide sets. Avant is tough, sure-handed and slow. Baskett has good speed for his size and can make plays downfield. TE L.J. Smith (6-3, 258) missed all camp after sports-hernia surgery but returned Monday and will play. A second-round pick in '03, he's one of the top 12 tight ends in the NFL. He can run, he's more aware and his blocking is OK. Rookie TE Brent Celek (6-4, 255), a fifth-round pick, had a terrific summer. He catches everything, has decent speed and is a threat after the catch.
OFFENSIVE LINE
This veteran group, intact all last season, is one of the better ones in the league. RG Shawn Andrews (6-4, 335), an all-world run blocker and dependable pass blocker, returned to practice Monday for the first time since suffering an ankle injury a month ago. In a boost for the offense, he declared himself fit to play. LT William Thomas (6-7½, 335) and RT Jon Runyan (6-7½, 330) rank among the top third of tackles. Thomas, 32, has made a remarkable recovery from serious back and leg injuries that threatened his career. He mauls on the run and uses his long arms to get by in protection. Runyan, 33, has always operated with brute force and seems more effective now against speed. C Jamaal Jackson (6-4, 330), a free agent in '03, has become a solid player since replacing Hank Fraley in mid-'05. LG Todd Herremans (6-6, 321), drafted in the fourth round in '05 as a tackle, is smart, athletic and effective. All five backups were awful this summer.
QUARTERBACKS
Donovan McNabb (6-2½, 235) lost 10 pounds and is moving well since making a rapid recovery from reconstructive knee surgery in late November. He has been hurt in four of the last five seasons. McNabb, 30, didn't run one time this summer but probably will start taking off now. He has a rifle arm, pretty good touch and is sensational throwing on the run. His ability to read coverages has improved immensely over the years. His accuracy is average-plus, nothing more. A.J. Feeley (6-3, 220) probably won't be No. 2 because he broke his left hand Thursday. Moving up is rookie Kevin Kolb (6-3, 218), a second-round pick who has done nothing but impress scouts.
RUNNING BACKS
The attack revolves around Brian Westbrook (5-8½, 203), who is coming off his best season. He might be short but he isn't small. He will run inside, chip linemen in protection and won't go down easily. Not unlike Marshall Faulk, he is more than comfortable running wide-receiver routes from the flank. He has great hands and is sudden in space. Pile-driving rookie Tony Hunt (6-1½, 233) enters in short-yardage. Correll Buckhalter (6-0, 217), who has overcome three knee reconstructions, is solid and also will play. FB Thomas Tapeh (6-1½, 243) is marginal.
DEFENSE
SCHEME
Coordinator Jim Johnson, 66, has been with Reid since 1999. He runs a 4-3 "over" front and is renowned for his wide array of blitzes, which he relishes unleashing on third down and in the red zone. In the secondary, he uses "quarters" coverage, often from a bump-and-run look. Poor against the run in '06, the Eagles have tried getting bigger players and not playing so much eight in the box.
DEFENSIVE LINE
RE Trent Cole (6-2, 270) is the No. 1 pass rusher even though LE Jevon Kearse (6-5, 240) and backup Darren Howard (6-3½, 275) count $7.2 million and $4.2 million against the cap. Cole, a fifth-round pick in '05, anticipates the snap count well, plays much faster than his 40-yard dash time (4.89 seconds) and never quits. Both Cole and Kearse wear down against the run. Kearse, 31, looks over the hill and might be replaced soon by Juqua Thomas (6-1½, 250), an overachieving former Titan with adequate pass rush. Howard, 30, is fading fast a la his old teammate in New Orleans, Joe Johnson. Rookie Victor Abiamiri (6-4, 267) is the best run-stopping DE but might be inactive. The Eagles used first-round picks in '05 (Mike Patterson) and '06 (Brodrick Bunkley) at DT but remain so hard up for a run stopper that they signed Kimo von Oelhoffen (6-4, 299) on Sunday after he was cut by the Jets. Patterson (5-11½, 292) is quick and long-armed for his size, but doesn't offer much anchor. Bunkley (6-2½, 306), a bust as a rookie, doesn't play close to his weight-room strength and can't rush the passer. Von Oelhoffen, 36, has been a 3-4 end but could help inside. Former Colt Montae Reagor (6-1½, 285) is an OK inside rusher on third down.
LINEBACKERS
In less than a year, SLB Dhani Jones, MLB Jeremiah Trotter and WLB Matt McCoy are out as starters and SLB Chris Gocong (6-2, 263), MLB Omar Gaither (6-1, 235) and WLB Takeo Spikes (6-1, 242) are in. Gocong, a third-round pick in '06, is struggling standing up after playing down at California Polytechnic. He's fast (4.70), smart (36 on the Wonderlic) and fairly physical but makes way too many mistakes. The emotional Gaither, a fifth-round pick in '06, lacks great speed (4.78), size and hitting ability. Spikes, 30, was a great player before rupturing his Achilles' tendon in September '05. He is playing a little better than he did in Buffalo last year but still is a shell of his old self.
SECONDARY
The leader, five-time Pro Bowl player Brian Dawkins (5-11½, 210), is back after practicing just a few times all summer because of Achilles' tendinitis. He hits, covers, blitzes and make big plays. SS Sean Considine (6-0, 208) is smart and instinctive but doesn't pack any punch as a tackler. He's best deep, not in the box. Lito Sheppard (5-10, 194) and Sheldon Brown (5-10, 200) form a top-notch pair at cornerback. Sheppard has great ball skills and speed but gets overpowered physically at times. Brown isn't as gifted as Sheppard but is more aggressive and reliable. Will James (6-0, 200) is filled with bravado but covers effectively, too.
SPECIAL TEAMS
After promoting assistant Rory Segrest to take over for John Harbaugh (now coaching the secondary), Reid gambled and kept P Sav Rocca over dependable Dirk Johnson. Rocca (6-5, 265) played 15 years of Australian Rules Football. He has a huge leg and gets the ball on time, but his hang time is shaky. Standout K David Akers is in a snit about having a new holder (Rocca) and snapper (Jon Dorenbos). Rocca, 33, already has had a few bad holds. The return game is in turmoil. The release Saturday of Jeremy Bloom means unproven WR Greg Lewis has to return punts and newly acquired J.R. Reed has to handle kickoffs.
Philadelphia has good road record, but brings questions
Posted: Sept. 4, 2007
Bob McGinn
Green Bay - One of the National Football League's great road teams will open against one of the NFL's poor home teams Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field.
Under coach Andy Reid, the Philadelphia Eagles were 32-11 on the road from 2000-'04, a winning mark of .744, counting playoffs. Reid's teams slipped to 7-10 the past two seasons, but over his eight-year career, the Eagles still are 40-28 (.588) away from home.
Opposing Reid will be coach Mike McCarthy, whose 5-3 road record in 2006 was as good or better than anything the Green Bay Packers could muster from 1973-2003. But the Packers staggered to a 3-5 mark in Green Bay, equaling their worst home record since '91.
The Eagles are 3-point favorites, which would have been almost unheard of for a visiting team at Lambeau Field from 1992-2003. In that 12-year span, the Packers were 87-17 (.837), counting playoffs, before stumbling to 10-15 the past three years.
Despite an overall mark of 88-54 (.620), Reid has had problems in openers with a 3-5 record. The Eagles are coming off a season that included an 11-5 regular-season record, a 23-20 wild-card playoff victory over the Giants and a 27-24 divisional loss in New Orleans.
"People are just automatically picking them to go," a personnel man for an NFC East team said. "But they've got a lot of old guys and a whole lot of question marks. I've still got to go with the Eagles because there's even more question marks in Green Bay."
An assistant coach for a team that played an exhibition game against the Eagles described them as "very much an enigma. They're a team that's talking, like, 'How far do we go in the playoffs?' But I honestly don't think they know what they have.
"How's the quarterback going to be? Is he going to be healthy? They've made a lot of changes on defense. Is their line OK?
"It's a talented enough football team. It will be a well-coached team, although Andy has had his hands full. They're a good veteran staff. They know what to do. And I think they'll beat Green Bay."
Reid is 5-1 against his old team, including 5-0 in the last four years. Four of those games, however, were played in Philadelphia.
OFFENSE
SCHEME
Reid handed his play-calling duties to coordinator Marty Mornhinweg for the final eight games in 2006 and appears set to relinquish them again. A pair of former Green Bay assistants, Mornhinweg ran on 46.2% of the downs in the last eight games compared with 39.5% for Reid in the first 10 (he ran 35.5% in '05). The Eagles added a no-huddle this summer.
RECEIVERS
Four days after No. 1 WR Donte' Stallworth signed with New England, the Eagles signed Kevin Curtis (5 feet 11 inches, 198 pounds) from St. Louis for $30 million over six years ($8 million guaranteed). Curtis, the split end, is a first-time starter with blazing speed. However, he lacks strength and can be knocked off routes. Flanker Reggie Brown (6-1½, 197), the 35th pick in '05, runs smooth routes, is a tremendous athlete and is strong. He isn't a burner, however, and still drops too many. Jason Avant (6-0½, 212) and Hank Baskett (6-3, 220) man the slots in four-wide sets. Avant is tough, sure-handed and slow. Baskett has good speed for his size and can make plays downfield. TE L.J. Smith (6-3, 258) missed all camp after sports-hernia surgery but returned Monday and will play. A second-round pick in '03, he's one of the top 12 tight ends in the NFL. He can run, he's more aware and his blocking is OK. Rookie TE Brent Celek (6-4, 255), a fifth-round pick, had a terrific summer. He catches everything, has decent speed and is a threat after the catch.
OFFENSIVE LINE
This veteran group, intact all last season, is one of the better ones in the league. RG Shawn Andrews (6-4, 335), an all-world run blocker and dependable pass blocker, returned to practice Monday for the first time since suffering an ankle injury a month ago. In a boost for the offense, he declared himself fit to play. LT William Thomas (6-7½, 335) and RT Jon Runyan (6-7½, 330) rank among the top third of tackles. Thomas, 32, has made a remarkable recovery from serious back and leg injuries that threatened his career. He mauls on the run and uses his long arms to get by in protection. Runyan, 33, has always operated with brute force and seems more effective now against speed. C Jamaal Jackson (6-4, 330), a free agent in '03, has become a solid player since replacing Hank Fraley in mid-'05. LG Todd Herremans (6-6, 321), drafted in the fourth round in '05 as a tackle, is smart, athletic and effective. All five backups were awful this summer.
QUARTERBACKS
Donovan McNabb (6-2½, 235) lost 10 pounds and is moving well since making a rapid recovery from reconstructive knee surgery in late November. He has been hurt in four of the last five seasons. McNabb, 30, didn't run one time this summer but probably will start taking off now. He has a rifle arm, pretty good touch and is sensational throwing on the run. His ability to read coverages has improved immensely over the years. His accuracy is average-plus, nothing more. A.J. Feeley (6-3, 220) probably won't be No. 2 because he broke his left hand Thursday. Moving up is rookie Kevin Kolb (6-3, 218), a second-round pick who has done nothing but impress scouts.
RUNNING BACKS
The attack revolves around Brian Westbrook (5-8½, 203), who is coming off his best season. He might be short but he isn't small. He will run inside, chip linemen in protection and won't go down easily. Not unlike Marshall Faulk, he is more than comfortable running wide-receiver routes from the flank. He has great hands and is sudden in space. Pile-driving rookie Tony Hunt (6-1½, 233) enters in short-yardage. Correll Buckhalter (6-0, 217), who has overcome three knee reconstructions, is solid and also will play. FB Thomas Tapeh (6-1½, 243) is marginal.
DEFENSE
SCHEME
Coordinator Jim Johnson, 66, has been with Reid since 1999. He runs a 4-3 "over" front and is renowned for his wide array of blitzes, which he relishes unleashing on third down and in the red zone. In the secondary, he uses "quarters" coverage, often from a bump-and-run look. Poor against the run in '06, the Eagles have tried getting bigger players and not playing so much eight in the box.
DEFENSIVE LINE
RE Trent Cole (6-2, 270) is the No. 1 pass rusher even though LE Jevon Kearse (6-5, 240) and backup Darren Howard (6-3½, 275) count $7.2 million and $4.2 million against the cap. Cole, a fifth-round pick in '05, anticipates the snap count well, plays much faster than his 40-yard dash time (4.89 seconds) and never quits. Both Cole and Kearse wear down against the run. Kearse, 31, looks over the hill and might be replaced soon by Juqua Thomas (6-1½, 250), an overachieving former Titan with adequate pass rush. Howard, 30, is fading fast a la his old teammate in New Orleans, Joe Johnson. Rookie Victor Abiamiri (6-4, 267) is the best run-stopping DE but might be inactive. The Eagles used first-round picks in '05 (Mike Patterson) and '06 (Brodrick Bunkley) at DT but remain so hard up for a run stopper that they signed Kimo von Oelhoffen (6-4, 299) on Sunday after he was cut by the Jets. Patterson (5-11½, 292) is quick and long-armed for his size, but doesn't offer much anchor. Bunkley (6-2½, 306), a bust as a rookie, doesn't play close to his weight-room strength and can't rush the passer. Von Oelhoffen, 36, has been a 3-4 end but could help inside. Former Colt Montae Reagor (6-1½, 285) is an OK inside rusher on third down.
LINEBACKERS
In less than a year, SLB Dhani Jones, MLB Jeremiah Trotter and WLB Matt McCoy are out as starters and SLB Chris Gocong (6-2, 263), MLB Omar Gaither (6-1, 235) and WLB Takeo Spikes (6-1, 242) are in. Gocong, a third-round pick in '06, is struggling standing up after playing down at California Polytechnic. He's fast (4.70), smart (36 on the Wonderlic) and fairly physical but makes way too many mistakes. The emotional Gaither, a fifth-round pick in '06, lacks great speed (4.78), size and hitting ability. Spikes, 30, was a great player before rupturing his Achilles' tendon in September '05. He is playing a little better than he did in Buffalo last year but still is a shell of his old self.
SECONDARY
The leader, five-time Pro Bowl player Brian Dawkins (5-11½, 210), is back after practicing just a few times all summer because of Achilles' tendinitis. He hits, covers, blitzes and make big plays. SS Sean Considine (6-0, 208) is smart and instinctive but doesn't pack any punch as a tackler. He's best deep, not in the box. Lito Sheppard (5-10, 194) and Sheldon Brown (5-10, 200) form a top-notch pair at cornerback. Sheppard has great ball skills and speed but gets overpowered physically at times. Brown isn't as gifted as Sheppard but is more aggressive and reliable. Will James (6-0, 200) is filled with bravado but covers effectively, too.
SPECIAL TEAMS
After promoting assistant Rory Segrest to take over for John Harbaugh (now coaching the secondary), Reid gambled and kept P Sav Rocca over dependable Dirk Johnson. Rocca (6-5, 265) played 15 years of Australian Rules Football. He has a huge leg and gets the ball on time, but his hang time is shaky. Standout K David Akers is in a snit about having a new holder (Rocca) and snapper (Jon Dorenbos). Rocca, 33, already has had a few bad holds. The return game is in turmoil. The release Saturday of Jeremy Bloom means unproven WR Greg Lewis has to return punts and newly acquired J.R. Reed has to handle kickoffs.