Vin+ 3,121 Posted September 10, 2011 TIME: 01:00 P.M. ESTVENUE: Edward Jones Dome While the St. Louis Rams have their sights set on making the playoffs for the first time since 2004, the Philadelphia Eagles have their eyes on a much bigger prize. With a roster full of marquee talent, the Eagles begin their quest for the franchise's first Super Bowl title Sunday against the Rams at the Edward Jones Dome. Paced by the re-emergence of quarterback Michael Vick, Philadelphia finished 10-6 to win the NFC East and make the playoffs for the third consecutive season in 2010. However, the Eagles' postseason stay was short-lived after losing 21-16 at home to eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay in the wild-card round. Since coach Andy Reid arrived in 1999, the Eagles have made nine playoff appearances, won six division titles and played in five NFC championship games, but they've only reached one Super Bowl. Motivated to take the next step, the Eagles signed cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, the prize of the 2011 free-agent class. He'll team with veteran corner Asante Samuel and newcomer Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who was acquired in the trade with Arizona for quarterback Kevin Kolb. Philadelphia also signed defensive end Jason Babin and defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins, and added depth on offense by bringing in former New York Giants receiver Steve Smith, running back Ronnie Brown and quarterback Vince Young. With those new faces added to a roster that already included Vick, versatile receiver DeSean Jackson and running back LeSean McCoy, anything less than a Super Bowl title will be a major disappointment in Philadelphia. "Our expectations are to win a championship and I'd be lying if I told you anything else," Vick said. "It's all about the team and what we're trying to accomplish. We want to win it all." In 12 games in 2010, Vick set career highs for passing yards (3,018) and touchdowns (21) to earn comeback player of the year honors. He also scored nine rushing TDs to lead an offense that averaged an NFC-high 389.4 yards. "Experience is the best teacher like I've always said and we have to go out this week and show improvement," said Vick, who has not faced St. Louis since 2004. "So, you can't dwell on the past, can't dwell on what happened last year. It's all about moving forward." Vick won't need to do it alone. McCoy rushed for 1,080 yards and seven TDs, and also led the team with 78 receptions in his second season. Jackson caught 47 passes for 1,056 yards with six touchdowns in 14 games and remains one of the league's top kick returners. "We know we have a lot of talented guys," said receiver Jeremy Maclin, who set career highs with 70 receptions for 964 yards and 10 TDs in 2010. "We know if we do what we're capable of and play to our abilities, then we can achieve what we want to achieve. But we have to go out there and do it." The Eagles, however, could receive a test right out of the gate against a St. Louis club that completed a six-win improvement to finish 7-9 last year. Despite a losing mark, the Rams only missed winning the weak NFC West because of a tiebreaker after falling 16-6 at Seattle in Week 17. "Obviously, everyone's talking about Philly," quarterback Sam Bradford said. "They deserve it. If we could come out and get a win against a team like that I think it would give guys on the team a lot of confidence." With Bradford running the innovative system of new offensive coordinator and former Denver head coach Josh McDaniels, the Rams believe they will again contend for a playoff spot. The former Oklahoma star set NFL rookie records for completions (354), attempts (590) and passing yards (3,512) last year, becoming one of only three rookies in NFL history to pass for 3,000 yards. He'll again hand the ball off to veteran Steven Jackson, who is coming off his sixth straight 1,000-yard season - the NFL's longest active streak. The Rams signed guard Harvey Dahl, receiver Mike Sims-Walker and backup running back Cadillac Williams. They also anticipate an immediate impact from rookie tight end Lance Kendricks. "We have the potential to be a very good offense," Bradford said. "I think it could turn into a special year. It's just a matter of everyone doing their job and being great on Sunday." Defensively, the Rams added veteran safety and former Eagle Quintin Mikell and linebacker Ben Leber to a unit that ranked 12th in the NFL in 2010, allowing 20.5 points per game. "Confidence level is high," defensive end Chris Long said after the Rams recorded their first undefeated preseason since 1979. Philadelphia has won three of the last four games against the Rams, including the most recent 38-3 at home Sept. 7, 2008. The Eagles also won 17-16 in their last trip to St. Louis on Dec. 18, 2005. Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteVo+ 3,702 Posted September 10, 2011 OPENING DAY!!!!!!!!!! WR Steve Smith said he expects to be active, so it should be interesting to see him in midnight green. As for the game overall, I have a bad feeling. You know Spagnuolo is gonna bring the heat on Vick, and there's something about this matchup that screams loss. 17 16 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RazorStar 4,025 Posted September 10, 2011 It's all about the Rams. 10 24 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
badgers 380 Posted September 10, 2011 (edited) 30 24 Gimme the Rams in overtime. Edited September 10, 2011 by gobadgers77 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BoneKrusher+ 1,276 Posted September 11, 2011 16-13 - Rams (Upset Special) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AllYouNeedIsLovie 377 Posted September 11, 2011 Wow, lots of people taking the Rams. It seems like a lot of people like this game as the upset of the week. I don't see it happening, although I would love to. Eagles win this one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Favre4Ever+ 4,476 Posted September 11, 2011 Inactives: Eagles: QB Vince Young, S Jaiquawn Jarrett, CB Curtis Marsh, OL Danny Watkins, G Julian Vandervelde, OL Winston Justice, DE Phillip Hunt Rams: TE Michael Hoomanawanui, WR Danario Alexander, WR Austin Pettis, S Jemale Hines, DE Robert Quinn, LB Jabara Williams, G Tony Wragge Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteVo+ 3,702 Posted September 11, 2011 What I'm looking for today: -You know Steve Spagnuolo is gonna bring the heat on Michael Vick, and you know he won't be the only one to do so against Vick this year. How Vick handles the blitz will be a big barometer for the rest of the season. -A lot has been said about the Eagles' offensive line and their inability to protect the quarterback, but what about their run blocking? If they can open some holes in the middle (possible) and Andy Reid can stay committed to the run game (doubtful), Shady could have a nice day. -St. Louis has a decent offensive line, but nothing spectacular. Time to see what our defensive line is really capable of. -Our secondary has a huge advantage versus St. Louis' wide receivers, so I'm wondering how much Juan Castillo will bring the blitz today. Obviously the emphasis, though, will be on stopping Steven Jackson up the middle. Speaking of... -We cannot let Jackson run all over us. Casey Matthews better be up to the task because if the Rams get five yards up the middle on every carry, it's gonna be a long day. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RazorStar 4,025 Posted September 11, 2011 The Eagles run D looks like shit without Bunkley. Again, thank you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
westbrookforsix 28 Posted September 11, 2011 (edited) The Eagles run D looks like shit without Bunkley. Again, thank you. I blame scheme more than personnel. This is the same way we lined up our DL with JJ... and we had some real weak run defenses. Once JJ changed the alignment, our run D instantly became better, but we had less pass rush. Reid is trying to build a team that gets up early on offense and then forces you to throw. Bunkley also lost his starting job last year to Antonio Dixon, and then Trevor Laws outplayed him too. So thank you for taking him so we have the roster spot for Cullen Jenkins. Edited September 11, 2011 by westbrookforsix Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
westbrookforsix 28 Posted September 11, 2011 I love the blocking scheme on offense. This is way more suited to what the Eagles should be. Stretch plays are going to going to suit McCoy really well once they get the game speed timing down. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteVo+ 3,702 Posted September 11, 2011 Alright, thoughts at halftime. -I thought we were doomed for 0-16 after Steven Jackson took the first play from scrimmage to the house right through our defensive line, but we've actually done a pretty good job adjusting. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that Jackson is injured. Cadillac has looked okay, but he's had monster holes to run through so far. -Vick has not looked impressive at all. He was off target early on some simple throws, then tightened up a little bit. I think he'll be okay in the second half. -DeSean Jackson is making me (and a lot of other people) eat crow right now. For a guy who's only supposed to run go routes, he's having a great game. Made a few real nice catches on that slant route and did a nice job of finding the soft spot in zone coverage and sitting in it. And Vick missed a 90-yard TD to him by inches. Second half about to start, so...that's it for now. St. Louis doesn't look too sharp, but it's still a close game. Anything can happen. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteVo+ 3,702 Posted September 11, 2011 Woohoo, 1-0! Pretty good game overall. Thoughts... -That was a fairly ugly game. A lot of sloppy play, especially from the Rams. A lot of drops, a lot of penalties on both sides, and a helluva lot of injuries for the Rams. Tough week one for them. I hope all their key guys who went down (Bradford, Jackson, Bartell, Mikell) are okay. -As I said earlier, Vick looked a little shaky early, but adjusted. Made some good passes, didn't make any poor decisions, and had some really terrific running plays. That one play where he should have been sacked twice and turned it into a 17-yard run...holy crap. I'm still critical of his passing skills but this guy is a weapon with his legs. -After all the concerns about the offensive line, they actually had a pretty good game. The only big hits Vick took were corners or edge rushers where the tight end or somebody missed an assignment. Their pass blocking was good and their run blocking was just good enough. Speaking of the run... -LeSean McCoy is amazing. The guy is lethal in space and he had several plays were he made something out of nothing--that's a terrible cliche but it applies so well to what many running backs can do. Shady is one of them. I'm very very glad we drafted this kid. -Okay now to the iffy stuff: run defense. It was putrid to start the game, then actually upgraded to mehsauce. It helped a lot that Steven Jackson was hurt, but any running back could have ran through the holes we were giving up. Run defense is now the Eagles' major concern moving forward, in my opinion. -Otherwise, the defense was great. Asante and Nnamdi were on lockdown mode except on the two plays when they both got penalties, but both of which were bad calls by the refs. Our defensive line was pretty good at generating pressure; just about everybody got a sack, including Babin, who got two. Pretty good start overall. Really excited about our offense this year, and still very much worried about our run defense. But if we're the kind of team that can jump out to big leads, then that doesn't become as much of a problem. Next Sunday night's showdown at the Georgia Dome should be a fun one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
westbrookforsix 28 Posted September 12, 2011 (edited) There was a lot to hate in the first half, but the Eagles certainly improved in the second. First, they got lucky with a bunch of Rams drops. This could have been a much closer game if they could hang on to the ball. I was most concerned about Vick and Kelce having the play clock run down 5 times in the first half. The run defense was what I expected. It started off really bad and improved as the game moved on. Same with the offensive line. They allowed a bunch of pressures off twists in the first half, but neutralized the pass rush in the second. There are other observations I made earlier in this thread that don't need repeating. I think with the new practice format, teams need to use games to get better more than ever. Teams are going to start off really rusty, and then improve as the season wears on. If the Eagles can get it together and keep it together this early, it's pretty exciting to think about their potential. Edit: Here's a quote from Vick "The only thing I can dwell on right now is the things that we didn't do so well," said Vick. "I felt like I could have done better. I'm thankful for the victory, don't get me wrong, but I could have been a little cleaner and I told Andy (Reid) that." "We have a long way to go," he said, "but I’m excited about where we’re at right now." If he keeps up this attitude, he's just going to keep getting better. And watching the game, only a couple of his incompletions were throws into tight coverage. A lot of them were misses, but not misses to areas where there were Rams to pick it off. I can remember plenty of throws that missed, but I can't remember the Rams having any dropped INT's. That's a plus. Edited September 12, 2011 by westbrookforsix Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteVo+ 3,702 Posted September 12, 2011 Yeah I love Vick's attitude because he was definitely not sharp. Glad the team knows we have a lot of ways we can improve. And wb46, was it me, or did DeSean have a really nice game overall? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
westbrookforsix 28 Posted September 12, 2011 Yeah I love Vick's attitude because he was definitely not sharp. Glad the team knows we have a lot of ways we can improve. And wb46, was it me, or did DeSean have a really nice game overall? I counted 2 drops by DeSean, and both of them coulda been TD's. Other than that, yeah he looked solid, and wasn't going deep every play. I hope Maclin gets worked into the offense more, or I'm going to look pretty bad for saying that this is the breakout year for Maclin and Allen. The NFL.com box score is acting funky, but I don't think Steve Smith got any catches, nor did Brent Celek. I seem to only recall McCoy, DeSean, and Avant, and the one Maclin 20 yarder (which was big at the time, I think it was a 3rd down) making catches. So in that sense, DeSean really kept the passing offense together, with his 6 catches and 100 yards. Vick also did not have an accurate game but he made up for it by rushing for almost 100 yards. And he wasn't forcing himself to run, the defense just gave him giant lanes that he took advantage of. He converted a lot of 3rd downs and kept the team on the field and won the game, and that's all you really can ask for. The defense allowed some rushes, but that was to be expected. From what I can tell, Castillo is basically a disciple of Jim Johnson, only he uses less exotic twists and more gap penetration to create pass rush. "Bend but don't break" is going to be the term we'll hear a lot. We'll get chipped away in the run game, but I don't see many offenses managing to convert 3rd down after 3rd down after 3rd down against us. They're going to get overwhelmed by the pressure, and a sack or a bad penalty, or two rushes that get stopped at the line is going to kill the drive. The burning question is: did the Eagles have a sloppy first half because they were getting up to game speed... or did they have a sloppy first half because they're a sloppy team? We shall see. But I'm thinking it was because they were getting used to each other and game speed. As far as player development, practices mean less and games mean more with the new rules. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
