Howie Roseman speaks about how being "all in" worked out for the Eagles last season.

Andy Reid still sees no reason to say anything to anyone about the Eagles 2011 season, but general manager Howie Roseman is speaking.

He is with other members of the Eagles organization (not including Reid) in Alabama to scope out possible draft picks at this year’s Senior Bowl. Interviews from Roseman with the Daily News and CSNPhilly left me with opposite impressions of the GM. The former made me think, hmm, maybe he gets it. But the points brought up to CSN’s Reuben Frank sounded largely like the usual chatter from teams wanting to put a positive spin on a disappointing season. » Continue reading “Howie Roseman Talks Draft, Grigson, Giants And More”

Good morning, sports fans. Championship Sunday is behind us and my heart cannot bear to speak of the NFC team that will be playing for it all in the Super Bowl. Not now, probably not tomorrow, and probably not in two weeks.

The only game from yesterday that didn’t make my heart bleed was the AFC one so here’s a story on the heartbreaking loss for the Ravens, and how no one is blaming kicker Billy Cundiff. – Daily News

Evidently people in Green Bay are less bitter and hostile than folks in Philadelphia. First reaction? Um, duh. Second? *cue Christian Bale rant* OH GOOD FOR THEM.

Mike Missanelli writes about how their fans have moved on from the Pack’s loss in the playoffs. How shocking. Maybe a small part of this fact is that THEY HAVE A SUPER BOWL RING, PERIOD, AND THEY WON IT LAST YEAR. – philly.com » Continue reading “Morning Muse: Oh So Bitter”

We all were thinking it at the back of our minds when watching the Giants v. Packers game on Sunday night.

How would the Eagles have performed in this game? Could they have made it to this point if they had made it to the playoffs?

It pains me to say it, it truly does, but it seems that the best team this season truly did win the NFC East and make it to the playoffs.

Though Philadelphia defeated the Giants in Week 11 at the Meadowlands, that was not the same New York team that we have witnessed kick ass and take names the last two weeks in the playoffs.

Sure, the Eagles surged in the last four games of the season. But none of those wins (Miami, Jets, Dallas and Washington) came against any teams that were even close to being the cream of the crop in the NFL. But, the Giants faced an incredibly similar slate of opponents their last four games of the season (Dallas, Washington, Jets, then Dallas again).

Yes, Eli Manning has been playing some of the best football of his career. But few could have predicted what the Giants have done thus far in the playoffs. That said,  they have proven each game, more and more emphatically, that they are in it to win it. They New York Giants want it all. » Continue reading “The Painful Reality Of The Playoffs”

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.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/phillysportmuse.

On a quiet Friday afternoon in Eagles news, with no sightings of Steve Spagnuola in Philadelphia and absolutely nothing else going on, Mike Vick decided to create a little news by sending this to message to another elite Philadelphia athlete:

YES! The first step to dealing with a problem is solving a problem is admitting that you have it. The next is asking for help. Oh, this is looking promising.

Especially after seeing this:

J-Roll’s in!

This sounds like a promising offseason project. I hope Rollins’ and Vick’s assistants, managers, whomever are behind the scenes setting up a date, time and place to make this happen as I write.

Does this mean that Vick is now disavowing his stance that sliding is just not his style of play, after initially saying he would learn to slide during the season?

Let’s hope so.

With all the work we know that Vick needs to do this offseason to raise his level of play, the importance of him learning to protect himself is more important than ever. And learning to slide is a critical step towards that end.

Be sure to let us know how the sliding lessons go, gentlemen.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/phillysportmuse.

My head knows that there will be no more Eagles football until next fall (*sobs*), but somehow the realization hasn’t fully sunk in. And it probably won’t until this weekend, when I see other teams trying to make it to the Super Bowl and not the Eagles.

One of the many signs that it’s the offseason? The fact that the biggest story in Eagles news was related to a tweet.

It’s going to be a long offseason. Even selecting a Tweet of the Week was infinitely harder today than it was during the season because the players are tweeting up a storm during their free team. My Eagles Twitter list took ages to scroll through. A reminder, guys: It’s quality, not quantity that counts. I’ve got a feature to run here.

It was a tweet sent on New Year’s Day that makes this week’s Tweet of the Week honors.

That’s a loaded promise. But I respect Mike Vick for acknowledging how heavy our hearts were in disappointment that the team finished strong, but not strong enough.

It’s true–there is a lot of work that Mike Vick must put in this offseason. There is a lot of work all the Eagles must put in. I want to believe Vick, and I do think the Eagles will have a strong 2012, but there are so many variables that it simply isn’t Vick’s promise to make.

But with that said, I still love the tweet and what it represents: Responsibility, accountability, disappointment, and a fire to push harder in the future. Go ‘head, Vick.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/phillysportmuse.

Evan Mathis

You may not see eye-to-eye with Eagles LG Evan Mathis on the effectiveness of Andy Reid as the Eagles’ head coach, but regardless of your feelings his success with Howard Mudd and the Eagles offensive line in 2011 cannot be denied or overlooked.

In case you missed it, Mathis proved to be the most powerful man in Philadelphia social media on Tuesday, as a singular tweet led to almost immediate radio and TV interviews with 97.5 The Fanatic and on Daily News Live regarding this tweet, which he posted in the midst of Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie’s press conference:

‘Twas the post heard around the Philadelphia Twitterverse. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and Mathis did not back away from or try to hide the controversial tweet, instead embracing opportunities presented to clarify his comments in more than 140 characters. That has to be worth something. And seriously? It was one tweet.

Evan Mathis is a unique presence on Twitter. He is witty, eloquent, irreverent, and clearly, sometimes controversial. We discuss his use of Twitter in the second part of our conversation. Today, however, we talk about what matters most to him as a player and to us as fans: Football.

Mathis, a self-described journeyman, was signed to the Eagles as a free agent this summer after two seasons in Cincinnati (prior to that he was in Miami and was drafted to Carolina in 2005). He brought important veteran experience to an offensive line that featured two rookies, center Jason Kelce and RG Danny Watkins, who were even more green than usual due to last year’s lockout. The o-line was one of the greatest areas of concern at the start of the season but found its rhythm in the latter half, being an integral part of LeSean McCoy’s record-breaking season.

Mathis’ success on the field with the Eagles in 2011 has garnered him notice. Pro Football Focus rated him as the top OG in the league for the season.

Evan Mathis spoke exclusively to Philly Sports Muse about his arrival in Philadelphia, the gelling of the Eagles offensive line, the fiercest defensive linemen in the National Football League and why working with Howard Mudd has him playing the best football of his career. » Continue reading “Evan Mathis Talks to Philly Sports Muse: “I’m A Fierce Competitor””

Brent Celek fends off Redskins safety DeJon Gomes. Photo via D Hallowell

It was a tortuously boring and messy game to watch, but the Eagles’ 34-10 win over the Redskins is the last Eagles football we’ll see until the summer so I hope you soaked it all in.

The 2011 season is over for the Philadelphia Eagles, and they finished with an 8-8 record. The team went on a 4-game winning streak to reach that record, but that is little consolation for a woefully painful and disappointing season.

“Too little, too late.” That, and not the cursed label of “Dream Team,” should be the term applied to the 2011 Eagles.

RB LeSean McCoy was not active for the game, so there went one compelling reason to watch the game. In fact, there went the one reason to watch any Eagles football all season. Jason Babin ended his season with 18 sacks, as his teammate Trent Cole had the only sack for the Birds against the Redskins.

The game was perfectly summed up by Governor Ed Rendell on Postgame Live:

“I’ve never seen a less impressive 34-10 win in all of my years of watching  football.” » Continue reading “It’s a Wrap: Eagles Finish 2011 at 8-8″

Photo by B. Garfinkel/Philadelphia Eagles

Well, we know the Eagles won’t be ending their 2011 season with an appearance in the playoffs. I hope you enjoyed this game, because it’s all over for us on New Year’s Day.

The Jets ruined our playoff chances shortly after kickoff in Dallas, so why not ruin the Cowboys’ Christmas? The Eagles did a good job of that early in the game, sidelining Tony Romo with a swollen right hand.

The Cowboys, who had everything still to play for, ironically played as if t was their playoff hopes that were dashed. Backup QB Stephen McGee was upsettingly effective for Dallas, but it was almost everyone else who seemed lost and confused. And like they don’t realize how much they still have to battle to win this division. McGee was 23 of 37 for 178 yards and almost got the Cowboys on the board with just seconds left in the game.

No matter. At least in this game, it all worked in the Eagles’ favor, with Philadelphia defeating Dallas 20-7. The Birds we’re hoping for their first shutout since 1996 against the New York Giants, but a blocked punt destroyed those chances.

DeSean Jackson showed up this game with 90 yards. Vick was 18/32 for 293 yards, 2 TDs. LeSean McCoy was effectively limited by Dallas with only 13 carries for 35 yards. Brent Celek had yet another great game for the Birds with 2 receptions and totaling 52 yards and 1 TD. Jeremy Maclin scored the other TD for the Birds, and had 72 yards on the game.

We didn’t make the playoffs, but this is a Christmas gift we will readily accept. Merry Christmas, Cowbitches.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/phillysportmuse.

#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″