Winner and Losers - @Philadelphia Eagles

[Sparkey]

Doesn't matter if its dominating, effective, ugly or just plain lucky. A win is a win. Personally, considering they were on the road, playing at a venue that they have historically struggled at, and thrown a curve with their gameplan in regards to Vick, I thought they played a pretty good game.

My only critique would be the blocking by the Tackles. However, 2nd half they looked better. Shields and Burnett, taking into account they are rookies I thought they played pretty well. Sometimes, I think people expect perfection in a game that is designed to not allow it.

Nitpicking - Minute, trivial, unnecessary, and unjustified criticism or faultfinding.


That is just my opinion!

[HarveyWallbangers]

Brandon Jackson. Was he a winner or loser? Personally, even though he had some nice runs, I was disappointed. Looked like the Brandon Jackson of old. I thought he looked better in the preseason, and I was hoping he had improved. I think he is what he is. That's not bad. He's a good all around player--considering his ability to block and catch. He has good balance and can break one on one tackles, but he lacks vision and dances too much. Polar opposite of Grant. Grant has vision and hits holes like a runaway train, but has a hard time breaking tackles. I think Grant is more the RB that this offense needs. Too bad you can't combine the two. You'd have a hell of back. That being said, I don't think we are in terrible shape with Jackson instead of Grant. Just hope Grant isn't out for long.

[swede]

IMO, missing the forest from the trees means that you agree with the point, but think there are other, larger issues. Maybe a tad disagreeable, but relatively tame.

I don't think Jackson will ever be the same as Grant when it comes to hitting the hole, but he brings something different in that he has the ability to bounce outside. It can be frustrating because he'll get stopped up more often, but nobody complains when he hesitates, draws the defenders in and then pops outside for a big gain. I also like that when he does run up the middle he has been driving the pile. IDK. I am still undecided if he could be good given a chance.

Doesn't it seem as if the backs all need to see the blocking schemes unfold and open at different times? Grant likes to float along and see a clearly open hole which he then hits quickly. He is very gifted at accelerating into the next level. BJack is more of a puzzle. Sometimes he nudges along looking for a bit of a seam in order to get 2-4 yards off of his leg drive in a big crowd. Sometimes he bangs into a little hole and pops out the other side for a 5-10 yard game. At other times he runs a lot like Grant, picking, cutting, and accelerating for 10-20 yard gashes.

Too much of the time we get the nudging and driving for short gains, but I don't think we're sunk with BJack as the primary back for a few weeks or months. As someone else noted, this offense is only too happy to throw it 50 times a game.

[swede]

Brandon Jackson. Was he a winner or loser? Personally, even though he had some nice runs, I was disappointed. Looked like the Brandon Jackson of old. I thought he looked better in the preseason, and I was hoping he had improved. I think he is what he is. That's not bad. He's a good all around player--considering his ability to block and catch. He has good balance and can break one on one tackles, but he lacks vision and dances too much. Polar opposite of Grant. Grant has vision and hits holes like a runaway train, but has a hard time breaking tackles. I think Grant is more the RB that this offense needs. Too bad you can't combine the two. You'd have a hell of back. That being said, I don't think we are in terrible shape with Jackson instead of Grant. Just hope Grant isn't out for long.

There. You said it better.

[3irty1]

Brandon Jackson. Was he a winner or loser? Personally, even though he had some nice runs, I was disappointed. Looked like the Brandon Jackson of old. I thought he looked better in the preseason, and I was hoping he had improved. I think he is what he is. That's not bad. He's a good all around player--considering his ability to block and catch. He has good balance and can break one on one tackles, but he lacks vision and dances too much. Polar opposite of Grant. Grant has vision and hits holes like a runaway train, but has a hard time breaking tackles. I think Grant is more the RB that this offense needs. Too bad you can't combine the two. You'd have a hell of back. That being said, I don't think we are in terrible shape with Jackson instead of Grant. Just hope Grant isn't out for long.

Well put. Jackson is indecisive as though the game is still moving too fast for him. It was clear that giving him carries made him more of a weapon in the passing game on 1st and 2nd downs. He is a slightly shiftier runner than Grant but a major downgrade.

[sharpe1027]

I am still undecided. I am about ready to give up on him ever being a starter, but I have this nagging feeling that if he started getting significant carries, he might better.

Part of it is that I've seen Grant struggle early in the game and then suddenly start ripping of big chunks in the second half, which tells me something changes as he gets more carries during the course of the game.

[The Leaper]

Jackson will be more of a weapon on this team if he is an integral part of the gameplan. Did we even run one screen pass yesterday? Can't remember one. Seems odd to not run one when Jackson is such a capable receiver.

That said...he isn't a great runner, and is a borderline starter at best IMO. However, that isn't much of a downgrade from Grant...who I also find mediocre, mostly due to hands of stone and propensity to get tackled by the chalk on the field at times.

Was not a fan at all of the offensive playcalling...couldn't get the offense going in the first half, then got way too conservative and gave the Eagles a chance to get back into it in the second half. On top of that, I'll throw in that the timeout was called ridiculously late prior to that final drive of the first half. The Eagles 3rd down play ended with about 1:05 left...and McCarthy let the clock roll all the way down to :45 before calling a time out? WTF was that? I also would have liked to see McCarthy challenge the last TD by the Eagles...not completely sure that was a catch. Probably wouldn't win the challenge, but I think you take the chance there under 6 minutes in the game and little need for 3 timeouts. It doesn't cost you much...and if the call WAS overturned, it makes a huge difference.

With our offensive weapons, running on 1st and 2nd down with 5 minutes left in the game is dumb. Do you think the Patriots, Colts or Saints will run the ball like that in those situations? Hell no. That was some serious dumbass there.

[pbmax]

Brandon Jackson. Was he a winner or loser? Personally, even though he had some nice runs, I was disappointed. Looked like the Brandon Jackson of old. I thought he looked better in the preseason, and I was hoping he had improved. I think he is what he is. That's not bad. He's a good all around player--considering his ability to block and catch. He has good balance and can break one on one tackles, but he lacks vision and dances too much. Polar opposite of Grant. Grant has vision and hits holes like a runaway train, but has a hard time breaking tackles. I think Grant is more the RB that this offense needs. Too bad you can't combine the two. You'd have a hell of back. That being said, I don't think we are in terrible shape with Jackson instead of Grant. Just hope Grant isn't out for long.

Given that we have seen him do better in preseason, I think he is likely to become more decisive as he gets to see starting defenses more and more. He clearly can make those decisions and has the physical ability to hit the hole hard. My best guess for the difference between BJack preseason and yesterday is that yesterday looked a whole lot less clean, in terms of picking a hole.

He had, what, less than six starts in his rookie campaign and since then has been on 3rd down duty. He won't be the same back as Grant, but I expect his decision making speed to improve.

[Fritz]

I think I liked the idea of the new, hit-the-hole Jackson we saw in preseason, and when that didn't happen against Philly, I was disappointed.

I agree with the point someone made above, too, about the screen game. I laugh out loud when announcers (I'm thinking the Indy preseason game this year) blather on and on about how good a screen team the Packers are. I have to get up and check my calendar to see if it's 2003 or something. Cuz the Packers haven't been a good screen team since Ahman Green ran it and Shermy called it.

But Jackson is built for it. And at the end of the game instead of running on second and ten or passing long on third and ten, how about a screen?

[digitaldean]

IMO, we caught a break when Vick pulled a braincramp when he could have run the ball in, instead of throwing into double coverage in the endzone.

Vick still has the mobility, no doubt. But he still one hopped and over threw a couple of wide open receivers.

Kuhn was underused and yes, Jackson did look a little timid in hitting the hole. If Grant is out for an extended period of time, he has to hit the hole or step aside. They need decisive, forceful running.

Kuhn may not work most of the time, but he would have worked yesterday if used a lot more.

[Freak Out]

Jackson will be more of a weapon on this team if he is an integral part of the gameplan. Did we even run one screen pass yesterday? Can't remember one. Seems odd to not run one when Jackson is such a capable receiver.

That said...he isn't a great runner, and is a borderline starter at best IMO. However, that isn't much of a downgrade from Grant...who I also find mediocre, mostly due to hands of stone and propensity to get tackled by the chalk on the field at times.

Was not a fan at all of the offensive playcalling...couldn't get the offense going in the first half, then got way too conservative and gave the Eagles a chance to get back into it in the second half. On top of that, I'll throw in that the timeout was called ridiculously late prior to that final drive of the first half. The Eagles 3rd down play ended with about 1:05 left...and McCarthy let the clock roll all the way down to :45 before calling a time out? WTF was that? I also would have liked to see McCarthy challenge the last TD by the Eagles...not completely sure that was a catch. Probably wouldn't win the challenge, but I think you take the chance there under 6 minutes in the game and little need for 3 timeouts. It doesn't cost you much...and if the call WAS overturned, it makes a huge difference.

With our offensive weapons, running on 1st and 2nd down with 5 minutes left in the game is dumb. Do you think the Patriots, Colts or Saints will run the ball like that in those situations? Hell no. That was some serious dumbass there.

I remember him making a great catch on a swing pass but the one (?) screen I remember was blown up.

I was screaming for some runs throughout the game but you are correct on the runs at the end....should have mixed it up.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Brandon Jackson. Was he a winner or loser? Personally, even though he had some nice runs, I was disappointed. Looked like the Brandon Jackson of old. I thought he looked better in the preseason, and I was hoping he had improved. I think he is what he is. That's not bad. He's a good all around player--considering his ability to block and catch. He has good balance and can break one on one tackles, but he lacks vision and dances too much. Polar opposite of Grant. Grant has vision and hits holes like a runaway train, but has a hard time breaking tackles. I think Grant is more the RB that this offense needs. Too bad you can't combine the two. You'd have a hell of back. That being said, I don't think we are in terrible shape with Jackson instead of Grant. Just hope Grant isn't out for long.

Given that we have seen him do better in preseason, I think he is likely to become more decisive as he gets to see starting defenses more and more. He clearly can make those decisions and has the physical ability to hit the hole hard. My best guess for the difference between BJack preseason and yesterday is that yesterday looked a whole lot less clean, in terms of picking a hole.

He had, what, less than six starts in his rookie campaign and since then has been on 3rd down duty. He won't be the same back as Grant, but I expect his decision making speed to improve.

I am a B-Jack fan and agree with the geezer that he'll get better as he gets more starts and gets a better feel. He needs a bit of time to get more comfortable in the new role.

[Pugger]

Tauscher/Clifton. They looked old and slow, like Favre on Thursday. Ruh-roh, Rastro.

Worrisome, but not panic button time yet. They both looked old and slow mostly against Cole, who makes young guys look old and slow. As older vets, it may take a couple of games for them to get warmed up to regular season speed.

They (Mark and Cliffy) seemed to improve their play as the game unfolded, but they were brutal in the beginning for sure.

[Pugger]

Calling the head coach the biggest loser in a tough win on the road because he didn't give the emergency 3rd string running back the ball enough seems to be missing the forest through the trees to me.

Yes, but Jackson does dance around back there too much at times...

[Pugger]

if vick hadn't come into the game and been vick i don't think anyone would have any real complaints. we were on our way to a 20+ point victory.

And the D got gassed chasing Vick all over the field when we only had 4 D linemen in uniform and able to run onto the gridiron. As I read online earlier today it might not have been the best thing for CM3 to knock Kolb out of that game...