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Like many of you, I spent 12-plus hours in front of the TV this weekend, watching what turned out to be a great divisional round.
Here are 10 observations from the four games, many of which have an Eagles slant.
The word is in from our Eagles blog, Birds 24/7: DeSean Jackson has likely played his final game for Andy Reid. Jackson suffered fractured ribs in […]
The injuries continue to pile up for the Eagles.
DeSean Jackson went to the locker room late in the first quarter to have X-rays on his chest and collarbone area. The X-rays were negative but he has a sternum injury and he did not return.
Jackson ran an end around in the closing minutes of the first quarter and was tackled by Luke Kuechly after a gain of two yards. He was checked by a team doctor on the sidelines before heading inside.
Rookie defensive tackle Fletcher Cox also left in the first half with a back/tailbone injury. Those X-rays were negative as well but he also sat out for the remainder of the game.
The loss of Jackson is just another blow to an already depleted Eagles’ offense. Michael Vick (concussion), LeSean McCoy (concussion) and Jason Avant (hamstring) were all forced to sit out Monday night. Meanwhile, Evan Mathis is the only member of the original starters along the offensive line remaining.
With Jackson out, the Eagles were down to Jeremy Maclin, Riley Cooper and Damaris Johnson at receiver Monday night.
From updated draft position to the future of the offensive line, here are 10 things to know about how the Eagles’ offense matches up with the Panthers’ defense.
DeSean Jackson spoke candidly Wednesday about the lack of vocal leaders on this Eagles team.
“When I came in it was a little different just with the leadership and the personnel that was here. Those folks are not here anymore, so the team that presents itself now, whoever it is somebody is going to have to be that person,” said Jackson. “Myself, I’m not a big vocal guy as far as yelling and screaming and doing all that, just try to go out there and show by example. As far anybody being that vocal guy, there is really nobody on this team that is like a Brian Dawkins. We don’t have that here.”
Here’s a look at some issues that stood out after watching the All-22 tape of the Eagles’ offense.
Jeffrey Lurie was banking on a rebound season. He looked at the players on this roster and envisioned a rise in production across the board that would take this team out of mediocrity and back to elite status.
Instead, the output has dipped. Very few on the roster are even flirting with the possibility of having a career year. Some have fallen off dramatically.
To illustrate, we compared individual performances from last season with the projected totals for 2012.
Cullen Jenkins always has a light tremble in his voice following a loss, making it so the pain is audible. Reporters gravitate to him because he gives emotional, unfiltered responses and can strike into the core of the issue.
On this night, he spoke of his own personal failings.
“I was brought in here, especially coming from a championship team, to try and help instill [a certain mindset]. Not maybe, I’m not doing a good enough job of it,” said Jenkins.
Cultivating a winning culture has not been a problem for the majority of Andy Reid’s tenure. When you stepped into the Eagles locker room you stepped into a winning locker room. Newcomers adapted and learned and passed it down, and on it went.
Suddenly, the Eagles are faced with a crisis.
Evidence of this team’s growing frustration surfaced towards the end of the first half Sunday.
The Eagles had overcome a 3rd-and-17 courtesy of a 21-yard pitch-and-catch between Nick Foles and Damaris Johnson. They were down 11 and desperately fighting for momentum. But the drive fizzled out when Brent Celek dropped his second pass of the game on a 3rd-and-5.
DeSean Jackson, who watched that play from the sideline along with Jeremy Maclin, grew animated.
Here are 10 things to know about how the Eagles’ offense matches up with the Redskins’ defense. If you missed the first cheat sheet, click here.
Here are my instant observations from the Eagles’ 38-23 loss to the Cowboys.
Here are 10 things to know about how the Eagles’ offense matches up with the Cowboys’ defense. For the first cheat sheet, click here.