So in effort to maximize the team’s talent, Reid fired his defensive coordinator Juan Castillo Tuesday morning, on the heels of the disappointing loss to the Detroit Lions last Sunday. This just seems to be a knee jerk band-aid solution to deflect the real heat from himself.

Castillo was the offensive line coach until he got promoted to become the defensive coordinator for the Eagles, after Sean McDermott was fired on February 2, 2011. Of course that surprised everyone and it should surprise no one that Castillo has been fired this season after producing average performances, according to Reid. I mean, promoting someone who is known for drawing offensive lineman stunts plan to defensive strategy, what did Reid expect?

The problem with the team mainly lies on the inability of holding onto the ball which has turned into 9 fumbles and have allowed 17 sacks, the most in the NFL. So firing defensive coach might be the wrong way to go, when the biggest concerns are on the offensive end. Castillo will be replaced by Todd Bowles, the Eagles’ former defensive back coach and former interim head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Reid is just deflecting heat from himself since receiving a warning from Eagles owner, Jeffrey Lurie last season that with another year of poor performance and he will be out of the nest too.

Andy Reid was quoted – “We go back, and we evaluate and tear things apart during this bye week and look at how we get ourselves better in both areas – as players and coaches”

Tear away Reid, tear away….just sayin’!!!

The Eagles played pretty well against the Lions who were fresh from their bye week, but it was the same problem late in the game that caused the loss. They couldn’t establish the run game late in the game and run out the clock. So yet another missed opportunity and which leaves a bad taste going into their bye week in week 7. Coach Reid was asked post game, why they didn’t run the ball late in the 4^t? His response, “I have no clue”.  The Eagles secured a ten point lead with 5:18 to go in the game, thanks to Jeremy Maclin’s 70-yard touchdown. But the Lions came back strong and managed to tie the game with after a Nate Burleson touchdown catch, followed by a 19-yard field goal by the Lions’ kicker Jason Hanson with 3 seconds to go in the game. Hanson wasn’t done with just tying the game, he then kicked the game winner from 45 yards out in OT.

Quarterback Michael Vick was once again responsible for 3 turnovers and took 3 sacks, which has been a similar story all season long. With all of the firepower that the Eagles have, they now sit 2^nd from the bottom of the league in points scored per game and that must be something that the coaching staff must address on their week off.

The Eagles’ defense played amazing against the Lions, especially linebacker DeMeco Ryans and cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha who finished with 10 and 4 tackles respectfully. The defense got things done as usual, but it was once again the offense that couldn’t hold the lead and keep the D off the field.

Sure, I can sit here all day and say pass the ball to RB LeSean McCoy more often, but he took a big blow in the 3^rd quarter and left the game temporarily. Thank god it was not a serious injury and the most dynamic runningback in the NFL got back on the field immediately, as a pro should. However, let’s say he didn’t return, what then? It is a team sport and Andy Reid needs to stop depend on one player to do everything and put some more weight on the other offense players. Was Coach Reid hesitant to run the ball after LeSean went down, does he have no faith in Bryce Brown? Those are questions we are still waiting for answer. But at least they have a couple of weeks to find those answers.

I hate to be so hard and so negative on the Eagles, but they need to show fans that they get it and that losing after they had a 10 point lead late in the game is unacceptable. They need to get better in all phases and limit the fumbles. I appreciate the fact that Reid admitted there were bad calls and mistakes were made but continue to do so and while you are at it, you might as well just bench yourself and let someone else get things done….just sayin’!!!

Very frustrated!

A blown opportunity!

With the Steelers coming off their bye week, very well rested and had plenty of time to prepare for the Eagles. It is easy to make excuses for the Eagles, but the poor offensive showing and red zone turnovers handed to the win to the Black and Yellow, but they were certainly a beatable team. The Eagles added to their league leading fumbles in the red zone with two more, to make it four on the season. Andy Reid’s questionable call to have Vick run it in on a QB sneak which resulted in a fumble at the 1 yard line seemed to be too much for Philly to overcome.  Whoever designed this game plan should be benched, Vick is a quarterback not a running back, get the position straight.

DE Trent Cole could not bring down quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as expected and finished with zero sacks. Roethlisberger has had nine sacks in last three games, so what was the problem? He simply got rid of the ball quickly and with the return of RB Rashard Menderhall from ACL injury, it helped Big Ben to get the lead early. Rashard scored first with a 13-yard touchdown run in the 2nd quarter, followed by a Suisham 20-yard FG, gave the Steelers a 10- halftime lead.

The Eagles played much better in the 2^nd half, even leading at one point late in 4^th quarter after Vick found his favourite TE Brent Celek for a 2-yard score. But then poor decision making and an inability to establish a consistent run game let the Steelers come back late in the game for Suisham’s 3^rd and final FG of the game.

What sounds so simple is not so simple for the Eagles, run the bloody ball more and stop with the turnovers. Running back LeSean McCoy ran for a total of 53 yards on 16 rushes, while adding four catches, but that is still not nearly enough touches for speedy Shady.

The Eagles are still the better team in my opinion, they are faster and more athletic who simply played against an average team who just came back from a bye week and got lucky. I truly believe they can recover from this loss because of the hard work and determination that these men have. However, things need to change immediately as another under-achieving team coming off their bye week comes to town as the Eagles battle the Detroit Lions in week 6 before their own bye week.

The Eagles must; eliminate turnovers (seems to an urgent concern all year long), increase McCoy’s touches, limit Vick’s rush attempts and someone on the defensive end needs to come up with some key takeaways.

The Eagles NEED and MUST win the game against the Lions come week 6, if Andy Reid wants to keep his job and Vick doesn’t want to be benched, it is time to play some real football…just sayin’!!!

But this week’s matchup brings on the 1-2 Pittsburgh Steelers, all rested up off their bye week and ready to go. This will be a challenge for the Eagles, to prove that they are a team to be reckoned with and not just a fluke, as they look to go to 4-1 after this Sunday.

This Sunday’s matchup will be very exciting to see as both teams have something to prove. With the Eagles being a top of their NFL East division, they will be looking to prove the wins haven’t been a fluke. Whereas the Steelers are fighting to avoid their third loss, after losing to the Oakland Raiders 31-34 in their week 3 match-up.

The Steelers are expecting SS Troy Polamalu, LB James Harrison and RB Rashad Mandenhall to return from injuries for the up-coming game.  This means the team will have their best weapons ready to fight when the Eagles are landing at Heinz Field. Many blitzes will be expected from the Steelers as the gameplan will be designed by Dick LeBeau, who worked with Ray Horton, who happened to be the defense coordinator at the Arizona Cardinals. The team that tamed the green birds with 6-27 lost.

Though the Eagles have a lot to improve, the changes between week 3 and 4, make fans like myself believe that they can do better by running the ball effectively and utilizing more ground and pound tactics. In week 3, QB Michael Vick collected 5 sacks and finished the game 17/37 in passing attempts, with a 46% completion percentage for 217 yards. Running back LeSean McCoy had only 13 rushes for 70 yards and averaged 5.4 per carry. While in week 4, Vick only got sacked twice and finished 19/30 in passing attempts with a 63% completion rate with 241 yards. Running back Shady amazingly had 23 rushes at 123 yards average 5.3.

So what the Eagles need to do for week 5? Firstly, Andy Reid needs to effectively use CB Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie wild speed and physical strengths to limit the Steelers’ WR Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace whom best known for their deep plays.  Secondly, QB Ben Roethlisberger loves to throw deep and has been sack-prone during this season with 9 sacks in three games. So the Eagles will need DE Trent Cole to take charge on Sunday and take down Big Ben early and often. Also since running the ball has proven effective, continuing to increase Shady’s handoffs and dump passes to him will only help the Eagles to land in the red zone more often and keep the heat off Vick. The Steelers are giving up on average more than 100 yards per game right now, so let’s hope that continues on Sunday.

I believe the key to winning is all about having the right attitude to wanting to succeed, and the Eagles have clearly shown that at their last game against the Giants. So blitzes are coming this Sunday and so the Eagles will need to use even more ground and pound tactics and please run-run-run the ball down the Steelers’ throats….just sayin’!!

Sure, Andy Reid is right; the Philadelphia Eagles do have other explosive players on the field to win the game. But what is the point of having these elite players when their talents are not being used properly when the clock starts? McCoy finished the 2011 NFL season 4^th in rushing yards and 1^st in touchdowns by a RB, which quickly made him fantasy god up until this year.  With all of the talk heading into the regular season focusing around keeping Michael Vick healthy enough to play all 16 games, it makes all Eagles fan’s scratch our head as to why we are not getting the ball into the hands of the best running backs in the league on a more regular basis. Heading into week 4, McCoy is ranked 8^th in rushing attempts but that is not nearly enough touches for a top 3 back in the league.

With Vick’s continuous poor decision making taking place on the field, not to mention he got hit like a rag doll during in last Sunday’s game versus the Cardinals, “Shady” will need to be Reid’s best option for the upcoming game against the New York Giants. Reid’s game plan should start focusing on running the ball more, this means keeping the ball within the best players’ hands aka running back LeSean McCoy, eliminate unnecessary injuries on the field, and hopefully establish more touchdowns.

If Reid decides to keep locking up the best players up in the attic, Vick will soon be injured and the once so called “Dream Team” will be once again a joke just like this past weekend’s game was. So, run the ball, establish a running attack early to alleviate the defense onto Vick or else McCoy’s talent will be wasted and say goodbye to the playoffs…just saying !!!

The Cardinals’ defense was solid against the Eagles which didn’t give Vick any breathing room all game long and even scored a touchdown to help secure the win. But the same can’t be said about the Eagles defence as they weren’t on the same page once again, which allowed WR Larry Fitzgerald to break out of his mini slump and finished with a touchdown and 9 catches for 114 yards. Larry’s big game helped make ex-Eagle and current starting Cardinals’ QB Kevin Kolb look fantastic on the field. Michael Vick on the other hand, had to withstand 21 hits and 5 sacks. That led to Vick completing only 17 of 37 pass attemts for 217 yards and 3 turnovers.

The Cardinals led 3-0 early in the first quarter, but then Eagles’ WR Damaris Johnson fumbled at the 38-yard line which gave Arizona another seven points to push the lead to 10-0. But it was a costly Vick fumble while in the red zone that might have been the nail in the coffin.  Struggling to score on short yardage attempts, Vick was then forced to throw the ball but got hit by the Cardinals’ safety Kerry Rhodes. This caused the fumble that James Sanders returned for 93 yards and a touchdown on the final play of the first half and the Cardinals never looked back from there.

Although the Ealges played better after the half, they still couldn’t get the ball into the end zone. 2 FG’s in the 3^rd quarter showed some pride and determinations to do better. But ultimately it was former teammate Kevin Kolb’s big day as he finished with 17/24, 222 yards and two touchdowns.

Vick once again held on to the ball for too long, but was it all his fault? The Eagles seemed to wait until the 2^nd half of the game before starting to command the run game. All they had to do was hand the ball off to RB LeSean McCoy earlier in the game to alleviate some of the hits that Vick was taking. But that didn’t happen and they waited until the 3^rd quarter before really trying to establish the run game. Why the waited to run the ball is a shocker, especially since the team averaged 6 yards per carry for the entire game.

After tonight’s game, I am sure the entire Eagles fan base is unsure where this team is headed from here? With so much confidence going into week 3, the Eagles are now at a crossroad where they need to take charge aggressively on what went wrong and what’s the next step will be. The Eagles were the first team in NFL history to win the first two games of the season, both by a single point. But now the green birds came crashing to earth during yesterday’s game and lets hope they are not too wounded from the crash. Will they be able to bounce back and still make to playoffs this season? We will have to wait and find out that answer once week 17 rolls around. But with the defending Super Bowl Champs New York Giants up next, it will tell us immediatly if we are playoff ready or not. I suspect the outcome won’t be changing too much and we will find the Eagles at 2-2 and in need of some big changes after this week. Just saying…

There is no question that the Eagles are ready to fly, and fly strappingly thanks to a 2-0 start. However, with Jeremy Maclin, King Dunlap and Jason Kelce out for Sunday’s game; Jason Avant, Dallas Reynolds and Demetress Bell will be put in the spotlight. Reynolds and Bell both stepped up last week to help Michael Vick and the rest of the team pull of their dramatic comeback against the Ravens. Another key player to watch for is TE Brent Celek, who made eight catches for 157 yards and was the key part of the Eagles amazing home opening win. He has 12 catches for 222 yards which has earned him the #1 spot amongst NFL tight ends and fifth spot amongst all receivers. If last week’s game is a true indication of what these guys can do, then this week’s matchup against a top 10 passing defence in Arizona should be fun to watch. The boys are no doubt ready to battle and all they have to do is to keep the line of the communication louder and clearer as the stadium will be rocking.

As nerve wrecking and stressful this game will be for fans, it will also be exciting as because we rarely see guys in the NFL traded for one another, face off against each other. Yes, I am talking about CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and former Eagles’ QB Kevin Kolb. Rodgers-Cromartie will no doubt be looking to take advantage of Kolb, and shut down WR Larry Fitzgerald at the same time. Rodgers-Cromartie will be matched up against former teammate Fitzgerald, they trained together, scrimmaged together, they should put on a show this weekend, since they will know each other’s style quite well.

The Eagles’ defense is all about getting physical, which is perfect for LB DeMeco Ryans, a veteran acquired in a trade with Houston in the offseason who has 18 tackles and 5 tackles for a loss. Alongside Ryans, is Akeem Jordan who jumped into a starting role solidly in the last two games. As well there is the rookie second round draft pick Mychal Kendrick, who played almost every snap and has demonstrated an all around play that defensive coach, Juan Castillo expects all linebackers to posse.

Based on the last two weeks of play, I believe the Cardinals have earned the right to be considered a contender for the playoffs and posses one of the toughest defenses lines in NFL.  The Cardinals have also won 9 of the last 11 matchups head to head.  However the Eagles are the surprise favourite to win this Sunday’s game and I’m one of the people who will be taking that bet. It does not matter how loud the stadium will be, what the history holds, or how tough the opponent will be, the Eagles are fully loaded with the right weapons, the right confidence and are as hot as ever. My bold prediction for this Sunday will be a 36-7 win for the Eagles. If the score looks familiar to you, it is because that is what the Giants beat the Panthers by on Thursday night. Most pre-game experts picked the Panthers to win and I was one of the few to pick the Giants. That pick helped kick start the week in my fantasy pool and they definitely did it with style. I hate to be right….just saying.

After the victory of 24-23 over the Baltimore Ravens, the Philadelphia Eagles are faced with a few crucial injuries going into week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals are fresh off an historic upset 20-18 win over the New England Patriots at their home opener last Sunday, thanks in large part to their up-graded defense. This does not leave a lot of time for the Eagles’ coaches to put together a solid strategy nor good enough replacement players for this upcoming Sunday.

What’s the plan?

With Center Jason Kelce’s out for the season by being placed on the IR, due to a partially torn ACL and a fully torn MCL, that leaves a significant hole in the offensive line.  He will be replaced by Center Dallas Reynolds, who finally made the cut on the Eagles 53-man roster this season after spending 3 years on the NFL practice squad. As injuries cannot be predicted in the NFL, the Eagles signed veteran offensive lineman Steve Vallos to take on Kelce spot on the roster as a back up for Reynolds. Vallos was a seventh round draft pick of the Seattle Seahawk back in 2007. He spend his collegiate career at Wake Forest where he set a school record by starting 48 games in college and received first-team All- American honors from Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News. He has only started eight games in four seasons for Seahawks and the Browns, but split time between the Guard/Center positions similar to Reynolds.

Missing from practice on Wednesday was WR Jeremy Maclin, who suffer from a hip contusion and is questionable for Sunday’s game. Coach Andy Reid stated that he is improving but is still suffering from hip soreness. Maclin will most likely remain to a week-to-week player until he is back at 100% again from his hip injury. However, if he does start this week he could be a potential candidate to have a big day for the Eagles like he did against the Ravens. So for the fantasy football players out there, it might be a bit of a risk to start Maclin and you might want to consider starting Jason Avant instead.

King Dunlap has also not be practicing, due to his hamstring strain suffered in the 3^rd quarter this past weekend.  Demestress Bell will likely to start this week if Dunlap is not improving as expected. Bell showed tremendous promise during the game against the Ravens by providing superior pass protection blocking that helped keep  starting quarterback Michael Vick off his back last game.

Although the Eagles’ are walking wounded with so many injuries , especially on the offensive line. They still have enough fire power to get to 3-0. Expect a big week from WR DeSean Jackson and TE Brent Celek  if forced to air it out late in the game.  So with Vick healthy going into week 3; we hope we can count on him to make the right decisions down the stretch and another late game comeback is certainly a possibility…just sayin…

What you need to know about last night’s game:

Three times in the first half, the Eagles committed turnovers in the red zone that gave Baltimore Ravens the lead of 17-7.

The Eagles lost Jeremy Maclin (hip pointer) and King Dunlap (hamstring) in the second half to leave them shorthanded.

The Eagles now have 9 turnovers in two games, which is the primary reason as to why they only have 41 points with 942 yards of offense.

After a couple of connections with Brent Celek, Vick then received a favourable roughing the passer call and the Eagles capitalized on a rookie officiating squad.

With 1:55 to go in the 4^th, Flacco threw the ball to Ray Rice on 4th and 1 and could not capitalize. That forced a turnover on downs and the Eagles then were able to run out the clock from there.

It was not pretty game to watch for Ealges fans, but a win over a Super Bowl contender is still a big step in the right direction.

Whether it was dropped passes by the Eagles receivers or muffed hand-offs, the Eagle’s early slump was not all on Vick this week. But once again Vick stepped up and delivered when it mattered the most and we hope it keeps happening…the battle of the birds went to Philly this time. ..just saying!!!

Lincoln Financial Field, the home of our beloved Eagles seems to be a breeding ground for Super Bowl winners lately, unfortunately it just hasn’t been the Eagles. The last three Eagles home opener opponents have then gone on to win the Super Bowl that year! Were the teams just that tough, are the schedule makers out to get the Eagles or is this just pure coincidence? I believe the latter….

Last three season Super Bowl winners:

2009 – New Orleans Saints with Drew Brees and Marques Colston beat the Eagles 48-22 in a shootout in the opener. Then Saints would go on to win Super Bowl XLIV 31-17 over the Indianapolis Colts.

2010 – Green Bay Packers with the 5^th ranked defense that season earned a 27-20 win over the Eagles in the home opener. Then Aaron Rodgers would lead the Packers to a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers to snatch the Super Bowl XLV title by a score of 31-25.

2011 – New York Giants in week 3, the Eagles fell to the Giants 29-16 thanks to Victor Cruz who had a total of 110 yards and two amazing touchdowns. Eli Manning then proceeded to top the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots which earned him an MVP and Super Bowl XLVI titles.

On Sunday 16^th, at 1:00 pm the matchup featuring the Philadelphia Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens will determine if history is bound to repeat itself once more. Known for their defense, the Raven’s defence was ranked third in the league in both yards and points allowed. The Eagles may have pulled out the victory last Sunday over the Browns, but there were a lot of sloppy moments. Especially the interceptions threw by Michael Vick, he can’t afford to make those mistakes again this week.

Key Matchups

Yes, yes, the Eagles need to watch for Ray Rice but with great players like DeMeco Ryans and Michal Kendricks, who both put up tremendous performances against the Browns last Sunday, they will be the most responsible for stopping Rice.

Joe Flacco’s style is similar to Michael Vicks where they both like to spread the ball around. But Flacco’s solid 2 touchdown game last week gives him the edge heading into this week’s matchup.

With the speed Torrey Smith possesses and the fact that both that both Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson are questionable leaves the Eagles in need of their own speed weapon Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to have a big game.

I can’t forget about LeSean McCoy, the #1 player that fans should keep eyes on for this Sunday. With a great show by BenJarvus Green-Ellis against the Ravens on Monday night totalling 91 yards, a touchdown and averaging over 5 yards a carry. Hopefully the Raven’s run defence is something that the Eagles and McCoy can exploit. Known for his dangerous speed, LeSean displayed a stellar performance against Cleveland Browns with 110 yards on 20 carries. So expect to see a healthy dose of handoffs to Shady against the Ravens in hopes of leading the Eagles to 2-0.

Whatever happens it will be an exciting game for fans to watch unless the Eagles play like they did last week. I’m not saying that I don’t believe in the Eagles, its just going to be a tough game. Win or lose, I just hope the streak of hosting the next Super Bowl champions comes to an end ……just saying!!