No 4th quarter collapse this time: Eagles knock off Giants

The Eagles unpredictable season continues.  Without Michael Vick at the helm, the Eagles went into the Meadowlands and knocked off the Giants, 17-10, and kept their slim playoff hopes alive.  Here are a few of my thoughts on the game:

-Vince Young was pretty much what we thought he would be tonight.  He wasn't terribly accurate, wasn't always in sync with his receivers and showed very little arm strength.  None of that mattered, though, as Young showed quite a bit of poise in the pocket and made the right decisions and the correct throws when it mattered the most.  He looked most impressive on the 18 play, 80 yard game-winning drive as he made several 3rd down conversions look easy.  While there certainly won't be a quarterback controversy when Michael Vick gets healthy, Young showed that 4th quarter poise he has been famous for his entire career.

-The defense finally made a big stop with the game on the line.  After the Eagles took the lead late in the 4th, everything looked set up for a back-breaking Eli Manning-led touchdown drive.  The defense made the big play, however, as Jason Babin strip-sacked Manning and the Eagles sealed their victory.  It's going to take a lot more than one good defensive performance to make me believe in Juan Castillo but allowing the Giants to only score 10 points is quite an accomplishment.

-What are the Eagles going to do with DeSean Jackson?  He went from a huge goat for his taunting to a hero for his big punt return.  The Eagles have quite a decision to make about Jackson when it comes to his contract.  Do you pay him and live with the boneheaded mistakes knowing that you will still get the home run plays?  My answer to this question literally changes from play to play.

-LeSean McCoy got 26 touches but didn't bust out until a 60 yard game-icing run late in the 4th.  He's still the Eagles best offensive weapon and kept the Giants defense honest throughout the game.

-Why can't anyone on the Eagles cover Victor Cruz?  Seriously, come on, Nnamdi.

-The Eagles have almost no chance of making the playoffs (they would basically have to run the table), but at least this win allowed us to keep dreaming about that possibility.  With the Patriots on tap next week, it will at least be fun to see the Eagles play spoiler against teams ahead of them in the standings.  If the defense plays like they did tonight, perhaps they can pull off a miracle...

Vick, Maclin both ruled out against the Giants

Whatever slim chance the Eagles had of beating the Giants likely just went out the window.  According to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, both Michael Vick and Jeremy Maclin have been ruled out for the Sunday Night Game.  Vick suffered a rib injury against the Cardinals while Maclin injured his hamstring.

There really wasn't much of a chance that either player could have played on Sunday, what with neither player practicing all week.  Still, the Eagles hadn't ruled them out until today with the hopes that one or both could recover in time.

In Vick's place, Vince Young gets his first start as an Eagle.  Riley Cooper will likely play a much bigger role with Maclin out.  It could be a long night for the Eagles offense.

Eagles look broken in loss to Giants

Well, that was embarrassing.  Here are some of my thoughts on the Eagles terrible performance against the Giants:

-The offense wasn't pretty but the defense deserves most of the blame for this loss.  The Giants are not a good offensive team and they were playing with a makeshift wide receiver group and they still managed to put up 29 points. Not all of the blame goes to the linebackers, either, as top players like Nnamdi Asomugha got uncharacteristically burned.  While the defensive line is still creating a lot of pressure, the rest of the D is broken.  Juan Castillo may be in over his head.

-Even before he hurt his hand, Michael Vick did not look right.  It's hard to blame him with the way he was getting hit early and often.  It will be a miracle if he makes it through this season without a serious injury.  He broke his non-throwing hand so I would have to guess he will be able to make the start next week.

-Mike Kafka did not look good this time around, throwing a pair of picks.  Should Vick not be able to go, we could see our first Vince Young start.

-LeSean McCoy is an absolute beast.  Just when the offense looked lost, McCoy took the rock and carried the team on his back and got the Eagles back in the game.  His 128 yards on the ground were the lone bright spot for the Birds.

-Casey Matthews and Kurt Coleman both made terrible plays that led to long Giants touchdowns in the first half.  Coleman was benched for his missed tackle in favor of Nate Allen, who quickly got abused by Ahmad Bradshaw.  Matthews should have also been benched for completely biting on a play fake and letting Brandon Jacobs rumble down the sideline.  Perhaps the Eagles will shake up the linebackers yet again next week or perhaps they will finally sit the rookie down.

-Playcalling is always an issue with Andy Reid but I'm still trying to figure out why Owen Schmitt got a pair of goalline carries.  The Giants couldn't stop McCoy so they give the ball to the fullback twice in a must-score situation?  Doesn't make any sense.

-Steve Smith has to be pissed for how he played against his former team.  That gift interception and only two catches better leave a sour taste in his mouth.

The Eagles really aren't a good football team right now.  They get a weak Niners team next week and if they don't show some life, you can probably already kiss the playoffs goodbye.

Eagles vs. Giants Week 3 Inactives

The Eagles and Giants announced their inactives for their week 3 contest:

Eagles:  S Jaiquawn Jarrett, T Winston Justice, CB Curtis Marsh, DE Juqua Parker, DE Darryl Tapp, OL Julian Vandervelde, G Danny Watkins

Giants:  CB Prince Amukamara, T James Brewer, WR Michael Clayton, WR Mario Manningham, G Mitch Petrus, RB Da'Rel Scott, DE Osi Umenyiora

As expected, Michael Vick is ready to start for the Eagles.  Vince Young is also active for the Eagles and presumably will be the third string quarterback.  Parker and Tapp are both out, as expected, so we should see plenty of Philip Hunt.

For the Giants offense, Manningham is out though Hakeem Nicks will play.  The Giants defense should be ripe for the picking so expect a big day from Vick.

Eagles sign former Giants WR Steve Smith

What, you thought the Eagles were done signing free agents? The Eagles have signed yet another veteran to a one year contract, scooping up former Giants wideout Steve Smith. Smith is recovering from microfracture surgery and likely won't be ready to play at the start of the season.



Smith had an exceptional 2009 season with the Giants, making 107 catches for 1220 yards and 7 touchdowns. His 2010 season was cut short due injuries but he still managed 48 catches in the 9 games he played. When healthy, he is a possession receiver known for making tough catches over the middle.



If Smith isn't ready to go at the start of the season, look for the Eagles to stash him on the PUP list until midway through the season. While I'm not confident he will ever be fully healthy this season, this is still a solid, no-risk signing by the Eagles. If Smith gets healthy, he will be yet another target for Michael Vick; if he doesn't work out, he can easily be cut.

Shane Victorino suspended 3 games but no Giants suspended for brawl

As expected, MLB has announced that Shane Victorino has been suspended for three games for his role in the altercation with the Giants on Friday night. What wasn't expected, however, was that no Giants were suspended after Ramon Ramirez nailed Victorino in the back to start the bench-clearing incident. Victorino has appealed the suspension and will continue to play until it is resolved.



I understand why Victorino was suspended, though I could argue that he doesn't deserve three games. Victorino did play his part in the incident, taking a step towards the pitcher and then repeatedly trying to jump into the fray. What boggles the mind, however, is how the Giants get off without any suspensions. Not only should Ramirez get a few games for starting everything by throwing at Victorino but Eli Whiteside deserves a few games for hopping around like an idiot and tackling Placido Polanco to start the brawling. Instead, both Ramirez and Whiteside were simply fined.



In the end, it isn't worth getting too upset about. Yes, the Giants got off easier than they should have but Victorino got pretty much what he deserved. I'm sure the Phillies won't be happy with this news so hopefully they will look to take their revenge against the Giants by beating them on the scoreboard in the playoffs.



Click here to watch the brawl.

FIGHT! Phillies and Giants throw down (video)

UPDATE: Link below is down. Click here to see the brawl.



It's safe to say these two teams don't like each other. On Friday night, Giants pitcher Ramon Ramirez beaned Shane Victorino in the back and all hell broke loose as both teams cleared the benches. Giants catcher Eli Whitside should get plenty of the blame for turning a staring contest into a brawl after he tackled Placido Polanco. How much fun would another playoff showdown between these two teams be?

Eagles are NFC East Champs!

Thanks to a Packers 45-17 win over the Giants, the Eagles have clinched the NFC East title! It is the first division title for the Eagles since 2006.

While the Eagles are now officially in the playoffs, there are still plenty of scenarios to play out before they know who they will play. The Eagles could still finish anywhere from 1st to 3rd in the NFC and could have a bye or play the Packers or Giants in the first round. While we can't assume anything at this point, if the Eagles beat the Vikings and the Cowboys in the final two weeks, their seeding will depend on who wins the Bears/Packers game. That game will likely determine whether the Eagles get a first round bye or face the Giants in the first round.

Of course, there is still that little matter of playing the postponed game on Tuesday night, a game that may be more difficult now that Adrian Peterson and Brett Favre are getting more time to heal.

Eagles Week 16 playoff scenarios

In what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, the Eagles are inching closer and closer to winning the division and possibly getting a first round bye. Here are the things that have to happen for the Eagles to clinch a playoff spot in Week 16:

To clinch the division:
1. The Eagles beat the Vikings
2. The Eagles tie the Vikings and the Giants lose or tie to the Packers
3. The Giants lose to the Packers

To clinch a playoff spot:
1. The Eagles tie with the Vikings
2. The Bucs lose or tie against the Seahawks

There is no scenario in Week 16 for the Eagles to clinch a first round bye. If the Eagles win out and the Bears lose one of their last two games, Philly would get the bye over the Bears.

With the Eagles preparing to face a Minnesota team with Joe Webb at the helm, a playoff spot looks nearly guaranteed for the Birds. As we have seen in the past, though, some crazy things can happen in the last few weeks, so we can't assume anything just yet.

Miracle in the Meadowlands: Eagles shock Giants

This was a day to remember, Birds fans. Against all odds, Michael Vick brought a dormant Eagles offense to life just in time to erase a 21 point lead late in the 4th quarter. Then, against all odds, DeSean Jackson pulled off the most improbable finish to a game I have ever seen:

What an incredible, incredible win. Sure, there were plenty of mistakes along the way, especially by Andy Reid, but its not an exaggeration to call that one of the best Eagles wins of all time. After all, how often do you see a team score 28 points in the final 7 minutes to pull of a comeback win with their division basically on the line?

With the win, the Eagles have moved one step closer to clinching the NFC East, now needing just one more win or a Giants loss to secure the division. Given how this team has shown the ability to never be out of a game, I'd say we are in for something special come January.

Eagles vs. Giants Week 15 inactives: Asante is a go

The Eagles and Giants have announced their inactive players for their huge Week 15 showdown:

Eagles: LB Shawn Bradley, DE Derrick Burgess, LB Keenan Clayton, T Austin Howard, CB Brandon Hughes, OT Winston Justice, QB Mike Kafka, TE Garrett Mills

Giants: TE Jake Ballard, DB Michael Coe, DE Alex Hall, DT Linval Joseph, OT Jamon Meredith, G Mitch Petrus, WR Darius Reynaud, WR Devin Thomas

The best news for the Eagles is that Asante Samuel returns to the field. Let's hope his return is enough to turn around the Eagles defense, which has looked pretty bad the last few weeks. DeSean Jackson is also a go this week after some moderate speculation that he would have to sit out. Winston Justice misses another week, meaning King Dunlap will start at RT against the vaunted Giants pass rush.

HUGE game this week with the NFC East basically on the line. GO BIRDS!

Eagles sign CB Brandon Hughes

As expected, the Eagles have officially placed Ellis Hobbs on IR with a neck injury. To fill his roster spot, the Eagles have signed CB Brandon Hughes off the Giants practice squad. The signing allows the Eagles to keep 6 corners on the roster.

Hughes, a former 5th round pick by the Chargers in 2009, has never played in an NFL game. He played his college ball at Oregon State and spent all of last season on IR after suffering a knee injury in the preseason. While I wouldn't expect Hughes to see any action on the field, he could be a valuable source of information from the coaching staff because he will know plenty about the Giants defensive scheme. That should definitely come in handy when the two teams meet again in December.

Eagles take over first place with win over Giants

It wasn't nearly as pretty as last week but the Eagles will take it just the same. In a classic, back-and-forth NFC East showdown, the Eagles edged the Giants, 27-17, and took over first place in the division.

The Eagles were certainly the better team in this one but had to fight tooth and nail to the finish after they settled for field goals in the first half and committed a number of bad penalties throughout the game. Michael Vick wasn't nearly as good as he was last week but he was certainly good enough to win, eluding the Giants pass rush to the tune of 258 yards passing and 34 yards rushing. Vick did commit his first turnover of the season when he had a costly fumble in the 4th quarter but still has yet to throw an interception on the season.

Speaking of turnovers, Eli Manning was a turnover machine for the Giants, throwing three interceptions and fumbling the ball away at the end of the game. While the Eagles didn't manage to sack Eli in the game, they did force Manning to make quite a few questionable throws. His biggest mistake of the game proved to be a fumble while diving head first on a crucial 4th and 6 instead of sliding and giving the Giants a huge first down.

Another big play in the game happened as the Eagles trailed by 1 and were faced with a 4th and 1 at the 50 yard line. After a poor play call on 3rd and 1, Andy Reid made the perfect playcall as Vick pitched the ball to LeSean McCoy who burst to the outside for a 50 yard touchdown. Though Vick bobbled the ball on the snap, it was the perfect play at the perfect time.

It wasn't anything like the destruction of the Redskins last week but the Eagles are exactly where they want to be, positioned atop the NFC East with a favorable schedule down the stretch. They proved tonight that they can win games pretty or they can win games ugly, a true sign of a good team. With another big game against the Bears coming next week and another showdown with the Giants looming in the coming weeks, the Eagles may have to win a few more ugly ones if they want to make the playoffs.

Eagles vs. Giants: Week 11 Inactives

The Eagles and Giants have announced their inactive players for their huge Sunday Night showdown:

Eagles: CB Jorrick Calvin, WR Chad Hall, T Austin Howard, QB Mike Kafka, CB Trevard Lindley, TE Garrett Mills, DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, G Reggie Wells

Giants: OL David Diehl, LB Alex Hall, FB Madison Hedgecock, DT Linval Joseph, C Sean O'Hara, WR Darius Reynaud, WR Steve Smith, LB Gerris Wilkinson

No surprise inactives for the Eagles as they are fully healthy. With Calvin inactive, that means that Ellis Hobbs is likely returning kicks.

For the Giants, former Eagle Shawn Andrews will be making his return to Philadelphia. I'm sure there will be plenty of boo's for the talented but troubled offensive lineman.

With the division lead on the line, it doesn't get much bigger than this game. Given how they played last week, you have to like the Eagles chances of knocking off the Giants. GO BIRDS!

Phillies bounced as bats fall silent

Somehow, this one hurts a little more than the loss to the Yankees last year. In a dramatic, gut-wrenchingly close game, the Phillies lost Game 6 to the Giants, 3-2, and have been eliminated. From start to finish in this game, as in seemingly every game in the series, the Phillies and the Giants went back and forth, trading big strikeouts and tough outs from their relief pitchers until Ryan Howard was struck out looking on a pitch he had no business not swinging at.

Say what you will about the Giants but they were the perfect foil for the Phillies, with their tremendous bullpen and their ability to come up with clutch hit after clutch hit. While on paper, their offense seems like nothing, they had a knack for having a nameless player step up with a huge hit, like Juan Uribe in Game 6. Of course, while the Giants deserve plenty of crediting for beating the Phillies, that doesn't mean I'm going to root for them in the World Series. Go Rangers!

So ends another Phillies season in disappointing fashion. While it hurts right now, it's important to look at the big picture and remember that this team is set up nicely for next year, as everyone besides Jayson Werth is coming back. At any rate, we'll always have 2008.
(AP PHOTO)

Still alive: Phillies escape San Francisco with win

We're coming back to Philly! After a tight Game 5 that saw the Phillies edge the Giants, 4-2, to stave off elimination, it appears that we have a series again. Apparently there is a reason we call them the Fightin' Phils.

Roy Halladay didn't have his best stuff but he still put forth a good effort, giving the Phillies 6 innings while allowing just 2 runs. While he uncharacteristically worked himself into several 3 ball counts and even walked two batters, Halladay never backed down, battling through a few tough jams to stave off any big Giant rallies. Even more impressive in the game was the Phillies bullpen, as Jose Contreras, J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge pitched the final 3 innings and gave up only 1 hit, walked none and struck out 5. Madson gave the Phillies the best inning of the night in the 8th, when he struck out the three most dangerous Giants hitters in Buster Posey, Pat Burrell and Cody Ross.

Offensively, the Phillies were opportunistic in the third inning when they used a single, a hit by pitch, a strange looking sacrifice bunt, an error and another single to plate three runs against Tim Lincecum. Jayson Werth also added an opposite field homer in the top of the 9th for insurance.

With the series now shifting back to Philadelphia for Games 6 and 7, things are about to get real interesting. As we've said all along, the Phillies rotation is set up perfectly with Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels ready to take the mound. While there might be some concern over Oswalt after he was used in Game 4, he's a gamer and he'll get his arm where it needs to be. This series is far from over, Phillies fans.
(AP PHOTO)

Phillies pushed to the brink after Game 4 loss

These pesky Giants just won't let up. Entering the NLCS, all of the talk about the Giants centered around how they sure can pitch but they really can't hit. Well, 4 games into the NLCS, the Giants have proven they have some great pitching and they sure have a knack for getting clutch hits.

With the Phillies now facing elimination after losing Game 4 in the bottom of the 9th, it's hard to muster up too many positive things to say about them. With the bats really not doing much, the only hope left to hang our hats on is the fact that the Phillies have Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels pitching in Game 5, 6 and 7. While the Giants will be countering with some strong pitchers of their own, you can't ask for a better trio of starting pitchers than what the Phillies are putting out there.

Of course, it doesn't matter who the Phillies have on the mound if the offense isn't producing, so hopefully the spark of offense we saw in Game 4 will carry over. Things may seem grim, Phillies fans, but this series isn't over, as anyone who followed the Flyers last season know. Keep the faith!

Phillies offense flops as Giants take 2-1 series lead

Baseball is a simple game: no matter how good your pitching is, you can't win if you don't score runs. Such was the case for the Phillies today, who got a quality start from Cole Hamels but failed to do anything with the bats in a 3-0 Game 3 loss to the Giants.

For the first time since the 1983 World Series, the Phillies were shutout in the playoffs. Matt Cain was dominant for the Giants, allowing just 2 hits and walking 3 across 7 innings of work. The Phillies had their chances, like in the 2nd and 7th innings when they had two runners on base, but they just couldn't come up with the key hit. Really, save for a Jimmy Rollins single in the 9th inning, the Phillies just didn't make good contact at all.

Hamels actually put together a decent start, giving up 3 runs in 6 innings while striking out 8 batters. He had good stuff throughout the game but he got burned by a few grounders that found holes and a bad defensive play by Chase Utley. Phillie-killer Cody Ross of course made his presence felt again, singling in the first run of the game in the 4th.

The Giants now lead the series, 2-1, but it's hardly time to panic. While we haven't seen him in a while, Joe Blanton is a competent pitcher and the Phillies should be able to get some runs off of rookie Madison Bumgarner. Should the Phillies find get a win in Game 4, I like their chances with Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Hamels taking the mound for Games 5, 6 and 7. Of course, entering the series, I would have never guessed that the Phillies would have lost Games 1 and 3 with Halladay and Hamels on the mound, but there is reason to expect them to be better the second time they face the Giants.

Sure, the Phillies are in the unfamiliar position of trailing in a series after 3 games. Sure, their offense looked terrible today. From what we have seen this team do the last few years, however, you have to keep faith that they will turn things around. Despite what you have seen the last 3 games, the Phillies are still the better team in this series. I still believe!
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Oswalt dominates as Phillies even series

That's more like it. Behind a strong pitching performance by Roy Oswalt, the Phillies cruised past the Giants in Game 2, winning 6-1 and evening up the NLCS at one game apiece. While it wasn't a must-win game, the win certainly put the Phillies right back on track after dropping Game 1.

Oswalt was on point all game long, going 8 innings, striking out 9 while allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 3 walks with his only blemish coming when Cody Ross inexplicably hit his third homer of the series. While he did hit a few rough patches here and there, Oswalt stuck to throwing strikes (71 of his 111 pitches) and letting the defense do the work when he wasn't getting swings and misses. Oswalt didn't just contribute on the mound, though, as he had a key single and hustled home to score an insurance run in the 7th inning. This Roy certainly proved that the Phillies have the best trio of starting pitchers in baseball.

Despite being stymied by Jonathan Sanchez for most of the night, the Phillies offense awoke just in time to widen the lead in a 7th inning rally where they picked up 4 runs. The big hit for the night came off the bat of Jimmy Rollins, who broke out of his postseason funk with a bases loaded double that plated 3 runs. While the Phillies are still struggling to string together hits against the tough Giants pitching, it was nice to see them finally break through with some key hits when they needed insurance runs in the late innings.

With the series now shifting to San Francisco, the Phillies have washed away the bad feelings left from the Game 1 loss. With the dominant Cole Hamels set to take the mound in Game 3, the Phillies are in an excellent position to jump out to a lead in the series. While the Giants are a tough team to piece together runs against, a few more dominating pitching performances like tonight and the Phils will be preparing for their third straight World Series appearance. 7 more wins to go!
(Photo by Matt Slocum/Pool/Getty Images)

Lincecum outduels Halladay as Giants win Game 1

As Phillies fans, we're used to seeing the Phillies, who had won 7 straight Game 1's heading into the series, taking an early lead in every playoff series. It didn't happen in Game 1 of the NLCS this year, however, as the Giants edged the Phillies, 4-3.

The game was hyped as a showdown between the two best pitchers in the game but it didn't quite live up to that billing. While both Tim Lincecum and Roy Halladay went deep into the game, each pitching 7 innings, neither was particularly sharp, with Lincecum finding himself in several early jams and Halladay uncharacteristically giving up a pair of homers to a very average player. In the end, Lincecum was just slightly more effective than Halladay, as he gave up fewer hits (6 to 8), struck out more batters (8 to 7) and ultimately gave up fewer runs.

Halladay started the game right where he left off in the first round, mowing down the first 7 Giants batters he faced. He quickly lost his no-hitter and even his shutout from there, however, as Cody Ross drilled a ball over the left field wall. Halladay did manage to settle down nicely, at least until Ross shockingly took him deep again in the 5th inning. How a journeyman like Ross, a former Marlin castoff, managed to hit two blasts off of Halladay is perplexing to say the least.

The Phillies offense all came from the longball tonight as Carlos Ruiz hit a solo homer in the 3rd and Jayson Werth hit a 2-run shot in the 6th. As they have been for more of the postseason, the Phillies bats were mostly quiet, as Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins and Raul Ibanez all went a combined 0 for 12 with 6 strikeouts. I wondered if we should be worried about the Phillies offense after their anemic showing the first round and nothing that happened tonight makes me feel more confident about how the team is swinging the bats.

While it's an unfamiliar position for the Phillies to trail in a series after Game 1, it's important to remember that it's just one game. Sure, Lincecum didn't pitch like an ace, but when he gets any kind of run support at all he doesn't lose. The Phillies are postseason veterans who will regroup and will put this loss behind them. They know that a win in Game 2 against Jonathan Sanchez erases the sour taste from Game 1.

Still 8 more wins to go for the Phillies and I still believe.
(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)