Photo via Ben Liebenberg/NFL.com

LeSean McCoy stopped by the NFL Network studios in Los Angeles last week to talk about his record-breaking season and why the Eagles failed to meet expectations in 2011.

Will you just look at that–young Shady cleans up nicely.

A few interesting gems from the interview:

• McCoy said that he was disappointed to not be able to play in the last game of the year, as he was trying to chase Maurice Jones-Drew for the league’s rushing title.

• McCoy said that there was never a lack of leadership in the locker room, and cited Asante Samuel and Mike Vick as being the leaders that kept the team together.

• Shady described DeSean Jackson as a “great player, excellent teammate, special talent.” He said that Jackson’s teammates always backed him 100%, and it’s difficult to tell someone that they’re dealing with something the right or wrong way when it’s their livlihood.

You can watch video of the interview here. And there is more Shady goodness via this article, also taken from his time at the NFL Network’s studios.

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The Philadelphia Eagles fired cornerbacks coach Johnnie Lynn on Saturday after having the position for only one year. Is this the start of bigger moves by the team?

It’s no secret that the team’s secondary was one of the biggest disappointments of the 2011 season. Talented corners Asante Samuel, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and the most valuable free agent of the year, Nnamdi Asomugha, struggled all year in Philadelphia’s defense. CSNPhilly provided these two interesting and damning points on the trifecta of CBs:

the Eagles allowed 27 touchdown passes — sixth-most in franchise history and only four fewer than the franchise-record 31 the Eagles allowed last year.

Samuel, Asmomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie, who have all had at least six interceptions in a season, combined for only six this year.

As head coach Andy Reid has yet to speak and with no indication of when we can expect to hear from him, all anyone can do is speculate. Are the Eagles making room for another defensive coordinator to come in and bring his own assistants? Or is room being made at the bottom to demote Juan Castillo?

One popular view is that the moves will allow the Eagles to acquire  Steve Spagnuolo and allow him to bring in his own team. This perspective makes a lot of sense. But that’s why I don’t buy it. Andy Reid doesn’t often do what makes sense, or what is expected.

Perhaps it’s the perpetual pessism of a Philadelphian in me speaking, and I hope I am wrong. But I can’t shake the flashbacks to this time last year, after Reid fired then-DC Sean McDermott. Articles were written about all of the defensive coordinator candidates that the Eagles could go after. Meanwhile, Andy Reid went on vacation and those candidates were taken by other teams. And then we got….well, you know how that story ends. » Continue reading “Eagles Fire Cornerbacks Coach; More Moves To Come?”

Ah, you can feel it in the air. The cold temperatures that indicate that we are in the throes of winter, no longer in the fall. Fall is football weather. The winter means that the season is coming to a close.

That reality is happening all too soon for the Eagles. No run at the playoffs means that we will all sit back and watch some other team ride off into the sunset with the Lombardi trophy once again.

Actual news about the team is decreasing and speculation increasing at proportionate. But as there is a game on Sunday, there is still football news to report. So here goes.

Injuries

RB LeSean McCoy did not practice today due to that ankle sprain he suffered in Dallas. Thankfully his injury is not a high ankle sprain, but it is not yet known if he will be able to play in Sunday’s season ending game. CB Asante Samuel also didn’t practice because of his continuing hamstring issue. Andy Reid said on Wednesday that “it would be a stretch” for Samuel to play on Sunday.

Unfortunately, strong safety Kurt Coleman was added to injured reserve on Wednesday after an MRI showed that he had suffered a partial tear to his biceps. It has yet to be determined if Coleman will require surgery.

Changing places

Coleman’s injury means that rookie Jaiquawn Jarrett will start on Sunday against the Redskins. Jarrett is, of course, excited at the opportunity, and feels that the season has adequately prepared him for this opportunity. Said Jarrett,

“In the beginning of the season, there was a lot going on, it was a learning process. I’m still learning as of today. You never stop learning. So I’m more comfortable today than I was four months ago.”

Pointless game?

If you’re wondering whether there is any point trying to recover from your New Year’s hangover in time to watch the Eagles play on Sunday, Cullen Jenkins presents a compelling argument as to why the Birds’ final game  of the 2011 season actually does mean something. That whole notion of momentum.

“Even if you look at Green Bay, what we did at the end of the season last year and that carried over with them into this year, and that’s happened to us a couple times out there when I was there. So I think it’s something that, especially for the young guys or the people coming in is that you kind of get a taste of that winning like, ‘Man, we won four games straight, we can do this.’ So then for all of the young guys their approach for next year will be wanting to go through that again, they don’t want to go through the losing part, and then they know that we have the ability to do that.”

There are so many factors that change from one season to another, and such a long stretch from one season’s end to another’s beginning that I’m not sure I buy the notion of momentum carrying from one season to another. Especially when momentum has only propelled you to a record of 8-8. But, Cullen makes it sound good so I will keep that in mind as I desperately look for aspirin on New Year’s Day and watch Sunday’s the game in bed.

Cullen Jenkins quote provided via the Philadelphia Eagles.

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The Eagles are out of the playoff picture. We are painfully aware of this reality. Their late season surge (3 wins in a row with a 4th likely against the Redskins on New Years Day) has added to the frustration that has been the 2011 season. Why couldn’t the Birds have done this before?

My friend Earl pointed out a sad and simple fact: Had the Eagles held on to just one of the many 4th quarter leads they squandered early in the season, Philadelphia would be poised to win the NFC East.

It wasn’t meant to be. It is what it is. Too little, too late. Insert your preferred cliche here.

Andy Reid is probably going to be baaack for 2012

The irony of it all is that the oft-cited reason for the problems of the Eagles this season–too much change–is likely the reason why there will not be the staffing changes that fans have been screaming for in 2012.

You can just hear the excuses now. We have so much talent on this team, they just all needed time to gel. Juan Castillo is an excellent defensive coordinator, he just needed time to settle into the position. No, truly, this time we’re really all in. To make significant changes to our coaching staff will be a setback to the additions to our roster in 2011.

That’s right, the men who signed off on the incredible amount of change, i.e. free agent signings in a lockout year, will likely be given another chance in 2012. I predicted that the Eagles would go 8-8, and it looks like that is exactly where they will finish. Even if the final result of the season is 7-9, it isn’t quite enough for the Eagles front office to go for blood. If 13 years without a championship isn’t, then one bad season with a strong finish certainly won’t be, either.

Will the 2012 Eagles team be Super Bowl caliber team? Who the heck knows. But will their coach be Andy Reid? It is very, very likely. » Continue reading “Too Much Change in 2011 Means Little Change for the Eagles in 2012″

In a matter of hours, we’ll know if the Eagles playoff hopes are still alive.

You know the scenario all too well by now: The Jets MUST defeat the Giants at 1 pm on Saturday, and the Birds MUST defeat Dallas at 4:15. If those things happen, the final week of the season will determine who wins the NFC East and proceeds to the playoffs.

Many have said that the Eagles will know by kick off if the matchup with the Cowboys “means” anything. I am here to tell you that, regardless of what happens in the Jets-Giants game, an Eagles-Cowboys battle always means something. It’s the fiercest of divisional rivalries, and Philadelphia always plays to beat–nay, to humiliate–Dallas.

The Birds handed the Cowboys a resounding 34-7 defeat in their first meeting of the season. But that was then. The Eagles playoff hopes  and drive to avoid a losing season are what matter now.

The Eagles squad that has shown up the past two weeks–the improved play by Vick, the always amazing running plays of LeSean McCoy, and the efficient and effect defense– must appear once again in Dallas.

The Cowboys biggest threats? The Eagles D must contain the many weapons of the Cowboys on offense. Philadelphia gets a break (hopefully) with minimizing Dallas’ running game with RB DeMarco Murray being out and Felix Jones having hamstring issues. Tony Romo has only thrown 2 picks in the past 7 games, and he’s got Dez Bryant, and Jason Witten, and Miles Austin…

On Dallas’ defense, the Eagles offensive line has to handle DeMarcus Ware, who has 16 sacks so far this season.

Asante Samuel (hamstring) is out for the Birds so Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie needs to step up his game for the Eagles’ secondary.  DT Trevor Laws is questionable (knee).

While the Eagles will need some help from one Ryan brother (Rex) to defeat the other (Rob), the Cowboys control their fate in the NFC East. This is going to be an intense, hard fought, and close game. Regardless of what happens with the Eagles playoff hopes, let’s make things harder for the Cowboys by handing them a defeat on Christmas Eve.

It’s all any Eagles fan wants for Christmas.

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#ShadyMakesHistory Trended worldwide on Twitter to honor LeSean McCoy's record making game for the Eagles.

What a day in the NFL. The Packers perfect season is ended by the Chiefs of all teams; the Colts get their first win of the season, and the Giants are throttled by the Redskins.

The Eagles still had a hope of making the playoffs when they entered this game based on the fate of the Giants. And they kept their hopes alive with their decisive win over the Jets.

Like many games this season, the Eagles showed moments of shining brilliance and of stunning carelessness this game. But in the end, the lead built up by the offense covered up the mistakes and lead the team to victory.

What is the playoff scenario now for Philadelphia? The Birds need to win their remaining games: On Christmas Eve at Dallas, and the final game of the season against the Redskins. While were are glad that Mark Sanchez fell this week, we need him upright and strong to face off against and defeat the Giants next week. And finally, the Giants have to beat Dallas in their final game of the season. » Continue reading “They’re Still Alive: Eagles Down the Jets 45-19″

Gobble, gobble, meow, whatever.

Happy Thanksgiving, Philly Sports Muse readers! The holidays have officially started.

The glory of Twitter allows Eagles players transmit their Thanksgiving wishes directly to their fans–which means you. Below are some of their holiday tweets.

They run from the routine:

To messages from the possible starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the Patriots:

Some wishes included memories of giving back and helping in the community, a la LeSean Shady McCoy:

And some of the messages were hilarious but tragically true:

Whatever your style of greeting, Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful for you, and for this Eagles team, no matter how imperfect they (and/or their coaching staff) may be.

Now go forth and have a day of fun, family, food and football!

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Throwing wasn't really Mike Vick's thing today. Image via D. Hallowell, Philadelphia Eagles

There went the season, ladies and gentlemen. The Eagles lost to the Arizona Cardinals, led by JOHN SKELTON, 21-17. The home crowd at Lincoln Financial Stadium again received no love from their team this week.

This will be a sad and pitiful game recap for a sad and pathetic game. I have no desire to detail the horror that I just witnessed. This team is bad. And no, I’m not referring to the Arizona Cardinals.

For the 5th time this season, the Eagles blew a 4th quarter lead. To the Cardinals. The Eagles fall to 3-6.

The penalties. The dropped passes. The 3 interception by Vick. The brilliant coaching of Juan Castillo of having Jaiquawn Jarrett, in his first NFL start, covering Larry Fitzgerald alone on a critical 3rd down.

We should have known that this game was going to be unpleasant from the surprising news that DeSean Jackson was inactive for the game, as he missed a special team meeting on Saturday. Andy Reid said post-game that he stands beside the decision.

Ray Didinger said on CSN’s Eagles Post Game Live, “The season ended today, for all intents and purposes.”

And he is absolutely right. The Eagles will not make the playoffs, and they don’t deserve to be to anywhere near them. In some ways, it’s a blessing to us all. We won’t be forced to watch any more than the regular season of this awful team.

“We’ve gotta do a better game all around.”

Those were the repetitive and empty words of head coach Andy Reid in yet another press conference. You have to wonder what the point is now. Of doing better, that is. If you haven’t been able to get it together now, there really seems little purpose to trying to work on improving a team that doesn’t seem to have a grasp on the fundamentals of the game. » Continue reading “Cardinals Stick A Fork in the Eagles”

Blah blah blah have to do a better job blah blah blah

There’s nothing quite like an Andy Reid press conference after a loss. The short, almost hostile replies. The non-answers to fair questions about, I don’t know, his team’s pitiful performance.

Here are experts of the “best” parts from Reid’s presser on Monday:

On what it speaks to that the team keeps losing fourth quarter leads:

“That we’ve got to do a better job in the fourth quarter.”*

*This one is my favorite.

On whether he’s seen the necessary anger out of his players following this game, and whether he feels like they’re angry at this point with being 3-5:

“I think they’re disappointed, as the coaches are.”

On whether he thinks Rodgers-Cromartie is playing well:

“He’s going to keep working on it.”

On whether there is something he can do as a coach to help the team hold a lead or come back, or whether it has to come from the players:

“Listen, we can all do better. I’m telling you, we can all do better.

On whether it is safe to say that maybe he took on too much with all of the new pieces and changes that had to be crammed in over a short period of time:

“I don’t worry about all that, welcome the challenge, right? So I don’t worry about all that. I’ve seen this football team play good football, and we’re going to get this thing right and continue to play good football, and that’s the approach I’m taking.”

On whether there is too much talent on this team to be at 3-5 right now:

“Well listen, I know how good we can be, and so as coaches and players we need to make sure that we do this consistently and become more consistent and so that’s my responsibility to get it done, and that’s the way we’ll approach it tomorrow.” » Continue reading “Andy Reid Gives Profound Insight Into Team’s 3-5 Record. Just Kidding.”

Today, Philadelphia-area residents are enduring a cold, rainy day, which will  turn to snow by day’s end. There is nothing to do to burn off our increasingly energy, nervousness and excitement over the Eagles’ Sunday Night fight with the hated Dallas Cowboys.

This post won’t make the game come any sooner, but for a few seconds it will at least distract you. Until you get all excited again.

Mike Vick strikes a pose. Photo via SNF of NBC on Facebook.

DeSean Jackson pondering the many ways he will assault and embarrass Dallas. Photo via SNF of NBC on Facebook.

Asante Samuel covering his mouth. Probably a pose he should seek to strike more often.

» Continue reading “Eagles Strike A Pose for Sunday Night Football”