Eagles v Seahawks

Eagles Move Ahead of Cowboys with Win

In the aftermath of the Phillies championship this week, the Eagles would have had to came out and scored 100 points to take the city back from the Phillies. They would have to sack the Seattle QB Seneca Wallace every time he dropped back. Return the opening kickoff for a TD. And then have Andy Reid do a stand up comedy show when for his press conference. Simply put, the Eagles would not be able to look impressive in the eyes of Philly fans today no matter what. 

At the beginning, they did everything they could to make sure they lead more people to buy a Ryan Howard jersey. First defensive play, a 90 yard touchdown pass from Seneca Wallace to Koren Robinson. First three possessions, 3 and out. Then on their 4th possession, they finally got a drive going, only to have Donovan McNabb throw an interception in the end zone. 

But thank God they were playing the Seattle Seahawks. Their season ravaged by injuries, they have won only 2 of their first 8 games. Today they showed why. Despite the Eagles doing everything they could to lose the game at first, the Seahawks let them right back in it. 

First, they let Reggie Brown, who has done nothing all year, score a 22 yard touchdown. They let Brett Celek bake them all afternoon. And they let McNabb make 16 consecutive throws at one point. And finally, they let the Eagles run off 26 consecutive points to walk away with a 26-7 win. There was alot to like about this game, and some things not to like. 

Things I Liked:

1) Omar Gaither: It seems like every time the Eagles defense dominates, he is at the center of it. Agaisnt Chicago when they defense did everything they could to help the team win, he was the heart of it. Today, he had a team high 6 tackles, and was in the Seattle backfield all day. Last year, he played great as the MLB, and has transitioned smoothly over to the outside. 

2) Brent Celek: The second year tight end had his coming out party today, to the tune of 6 catches for 131 yards, including 1 for 44. With L.J. Smith out with a concussion, and due to be a free agent at the end of the year, don't be surprised if Celek takes over sooner then expected. He is big, strong, and deceptively fast. On a day when the offense was struggling, he pulled us thru. It shows what a reliable option in the middle underneath can do for this offense. 

3) Todd Herremans: Finally, an answer to our red zone offense. Our offensive line can't block on the yard one line, but they sure can catch by it. Herremans did a great job selling the play, then held on to the ball. His touchdown put the Eagles up for good in a game we had to win. 

4) Donovan McNabb: Todays game pretty much summed up his time with the Eagles. Frustrating to no end at times, but brilliant at others. He started out looking awful for the second game in the row, throwing an interception in the end zone and having a few other balls that could have been picked off. But he pulled it together and picked Seattle pick (not that thats saying much). There will allways be McNabb haters, and sometimes he deserves it, but we are lucky to have a QB like him. Just look at Dallas. 

Things I Didn't Like:

1) Andy Reid: What an awful way to come out for a game that they needed to win. Maybe Reid wanted to give the game to his best friend Mike Holmgren. The offensive looked offensive to start the game, and with the quick start by Seattle, this game could have got out of hand. It was Reid that scripted the first 20 plays of the game, and they were awful. If they come out this way agaisnt the New York Giants next week, they won't have a chance to get back in the game. 

2) Lito Sheppard: That first play when he bit on the slant route by Koreon Robinson was awful. I understand that alot is going on with him this season, and it must be hard to concentrate. But if you want to start, play like it. Starting corner backs don't get burned like that agaisnt journey man players like Robinson. It started the game off on an awful note.

3) Brian Westbrook: I know he is the best player on the Eagles. And I he had a great year last year, and a great game agaisnt Atlanta last week. But today, he had 61 yards rushing and 35 yards catching. That gives him only 361 yards rushing on the season. Thats less then the other running backs in the NFC East. While he does have 6 touchdowns, he dosn't seem like the player he was last year. He seems to get caught from behind more then he used to. And for a player then demanded a new contract in the off season, his production should be going up, not going down.