Eagles playoff hopes remain alive after downing Jets

Playoffs?  Playoffs??  Apparently the Eagles aren't ready to go away just yet this season, notching a solid win over the Jets, 45-19, to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.  Here are a few thoughts on the surprisingly solid win:

-The defense has turned from embarrassing to dominating in the last few weeks.  While the Jets offense isn't exactly lethal, the Birds defense swarmed Mark Sanchez all game long and created havoc in the form of 4 sacks, 2 fumbles, including one returned for a touchdown, and two interceptions.  Jason Babin led the charge, picking up 3 more sacks (giving him 18 on the year) as he abused Sanchez every chance he got.  While Juan Castillo does deserve some credit for turning things around, this is how this defense should have been playing from Week 1.

-Turnovers were the only reason the Jets even had a chance of making the game close.  The Eagles are still too careless with the ball and still prone to make boneheaded plays, especially on special teams.  Michael Vick was careful with ball, only throwing one interception on a desperation heave at the end of the first half.

-Speaking of Vick, he wasn't slowed by injuries at all this week, dancing around the pocket as he found open receivers all over the field.  While he still isn't sliding when he scrambles, Vick seemed much more mobile and much more like the quarterback that took the league by storm last season.

-Brent Celek has really turned his career around this season and now leads the Eagles in receptions.  He has overcome his case of the dropsies to become a reliable receiver and is no longer a complete afterthought in the Eagles offense.

-Congratulations to LeSean McCoy for setting the club record for touchdowns in a season.  He has proven time and again that he is the Eagles best offensive weapon and good things happen when he is fed the ball.

-Andy Reid won yet another challenge this week.  Say what you will about his coaching job this season, he has been killing it on challenges this season.

-With the Giants losing to the Redskins, the Eagles are still somehow alive for the NFC East division title.  All that has to happen is the Eagles have to win out, the Jets have to beat the Giants in Week 16 and the Giants have to beat the Cowboys in Week 17.  Doesn't seem too far-fetched but doesn't seem all that likely, either.  With the way the Eagles have been playing better the last few weeks, I don't think anyone in the NFC would want to play them in the playoffs.  At the very least, it will make for a fun last few weeks in a season that appeared a total loss.  Bring on the Cowboys next week!

Stick a fork in 'em: Eagles embarrassed by Patriots

What started off promising quickly turned ugly as the Eagles blew an early 10-0 lead and got blown out by the Patriots, 38-20.  Here are a few of my thoughts on yet another poorly played game by the Eagles:

-The Patriots have a world-class offense but the Eagles defense was nothing short of terrible today.  From botched coverage to bad play-calls to undisciplined penalties, the defense wasn't even close to slowing down the Patriots attack.  It all starts with Juan Castillo, who somehow forget to come up with a game plan to stop Wes Welker, or any other Pats receiver for that matter.  Castillo is in over his head and completely overmatched by opposing offensive minds and needs to be fired ASAP.  Who would have thought that an offensive line coach wouldn't make a good coordinator?

-On that note, it's beyond clear that Castillo never should have been moved to the defensive coordinator spot.  The man responsible for that hiring has to be held accountable, as well, so it's finally time for Andy Reid to go.  Reid might yet be a great coach again but this team needs a fresh voice in the locker room.  They also need someone who will make a better play call on a 4th and 1 at the goal line.

-DeSean Jackson played yet another terrible game, dropping at least two touchdowns and failing to make big plays in big spots.  Jackson has cost himself millions of dollars with his terrible play and has basically played his way out of town.  He simply doesn't do enough on the field to be worth the headache.

-Vince Young was actually pretty respectable, throwing 400 yards as the Eagles went into catch-up mode in the second half.  He did have a few bad throws and an interception but Young filled in admirably for Michael Vick.  There is definitely no quarterback controversy, however, as this is Vick's team when he is healthy.

-Only 14 touches for LeSean McCoy?  Come on, Andy!

-The season is now over for the Birds.  No miracle Wild Card birth.  No miracle playoff run.  It's time to face reality, this team needs to hit the reset button.

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 blow yet another 4th quarter lead

Different week, same story.  The Eagles once again were unable to hold onto a 4th quarter lead against an inferior opponent, this time blowing a 7 point lead to the Cardinals in a brutal 21-17 loss.  Here are just a few thoughts on another terrible effort from the Eagles:

-I'm not usually calling for coaches heads after losses but I've seen enough of Juan Castillo as defensive coordinator.  He has a ton of talent to work with yet guys are constantly out of position and receivers are repeatedly left open.  How about actually hiring a defensive coach to coach the defense?

-As for Andy Reid, if things continue like this for the rest of the season, he needs to go, too.  While he can't be blamed for everything, if you have this much talent to work with yet can't get them to play up to their ability, that has to be a reflection on the coach.  If Reid isn't reaching his players, he isn't an effective coach.  I would give him the rest of the year to spark something with this team or show him the door.

-Michael Vick had a brutal, brutal game.  Sure, he was without DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin for much of the game, but Vick repeatedly made bad decisions with the football and struggled to get anything going through the air and should have been picked off 4 times.  He has definitely come back to earth this season; I wonder if the Eagles regret giving him that big contract.

-We have established that LeSean McCoy is a beast.  Why isn't he getting more carries in the 4th quarter?  That he only had 17 touches in this game is completely the fault of the coaches.

-John Skelton threw for 315 yards against the Eagles "dream" secondary. Yep, that's John Skelton, Kevin Kolb's backup.

This season is definitely over now, Eagles fans.  While they still have the talent to beat nearly every team on their schedule, this team just doesn't have the will to get it done.

Eagles embarrass Cowboys on Sunday Night

There is nothing like the Eagles crushing the Cowboys, especially when it is on national television for all the country to see.  The Eagles basically played a perfect game in downing Dallas, 34-7, and are now 3-4 and find themselves right back in the thick of the division.  Here are my thoughts on the game:

-LeSean McCoy was clearly the best player on the field.  McCoy juked, jived and motored all over the Dallas defense, rushing for 185 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries.  McCoy seems to be getting better an better every week and is turning the Eagles into a run-first team, quite an accomplishment with Andy Reid at the helm.  I'm not sure there is a better running back in the NFL.  To think, this is just his third year in the league and he could get even better.

-Michael Vick played a nearly flawless game, completing 21 of 28 passes for two touchdowns while rushing for 50 yards.  While he nearly had a fumble in the third quarter, Vick didn't turn the ball over and didn't make a bad pass all game long.  When Vick has plenty of time and makes quick decisions to either throw the ball or tuck it and run, he is at his most dangerous.  This was probably his best game since the Monday Night massacre against the Redskins.

-The Eagles first 6 possessions all ended with a score touchdown or a field goal.  Zero punts until the 4th quarter.  Remarkable.

-Take out the long touchdown by the Cowboys in the 4th quarter and the Eagles defense also played a nearly flawless game.  A lot was made of how the Wide 9 wasn't working but the adjustments Juan Castillo and the defense made all seemed to work perfectly.  While DeMarco Murray did have success on the ground, any time Tony Romo dropped back to pass, Trent Cole and Jason Babin were both bearing down on him.  Combine a potent pass-rush with great coverage and you have an unbeatable combination.

-Dez Bryant and Miles Austin combined for just six catches, with most of them coming in garbage time.  Much of the credit goes to the Eagles pass rush not giving Romo enough time but the All-Star secondary certainly played up to expectations.

-Andy Reid had TWO correct challenges in the game.  Has that ever happened before?

-Speaking of Reid, his perfect record after a bye continues.  With all the negatives against the Reid, give this man time to prepare and he makes the necessary adjustments to get his troops ready.

Your Eagles are now tied for second place in the NFC East with a 3-4 record.  With the Giants facing a brutal November schedule, the division race is far from over.  Bring on the Bears!
(Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Eagles get back in the win column against the Skins

That was much more of what we expected from the Eagles.  Just like they did against the Niners, the Eagles had a 20-3 lead at halftime and allowed their opponent to crawl back; this time, however, they didn't let their inferior opponent come all the way back as they held on to win, 20-13.  Here are my thoughts on the game:

-That is the defense we thought the Eagles had.  They made strong tackles, forced turnovers, stopped the run, shut down the Redskins wide receivers and put pressure on the Redskins QB's throughout the game.  Sure, they were still unable to cover the tight end but you can't expect them to fix everything in one week.  While the Redskins offense isn't exactly a juggernaut, holding your opponent to just 13 points is an impressive feat in the NFL.

-The Eagles safeties came to play today.  While the safety position has been a revolving door of mediocrity for the Eagles this season, Kurt Coleman and Nate Allen both had big games for the Birds.  Coleman especially had a career day, picking off Rex Grossman three times.  If the Eagles can get play like this from their safeties, their defense will continue to shine.

-I've been calling for it every week and the Eagles finally listened: LeSean McCoy got a boatload of touches (28 carries and 2 catches) and proved once against that he is a beast.  Good things happen when they give Shady the ball so I can never understand why he ever has fewer than 20 touches in a game.  He is the most consistent weapon the Eagles have and the offense needs to be run through him at all times.  Plus, he hilariously popped Andy Reid in the gut near the end of the game.

-Michael Vick played a better game this week, making only one truly terrible pass that was picked off.  Much had been made about how the offensive line was going to struggle to hold up against the Redskins pass rush but Vick has just enough time to make plays with his arm and his feet.  Of course, he did get knocked out of the game briefly with what looked like a possible concussion, but he thankfully turned out okay.

-The Vince Young era started out brutally with a lame duck interception on his first pass.  For the guy that coined the "dream team" moniker, Young looks like a nightmare.  Pray for good health for Mike Vick.

-The bye week comes next for the Eagles, who can rest up, get their offensive line healthy and prepare for three very winnable games against the Cowboys, Bears and Cardinals.  Looking further down the schedule, the Eagles really only play two "good" teams, the Patriots and the Jets.  A playoff run isn't that ridiculous of a notion.  Yeah, I got sucked back in already.

Season over: Sloppy Eagles fail once again

Another week, another disappointing performance by the Eagles.  This time, the Eagles made a tremendous comeback but still had a critical turnover that led to a 31-24 loss to the Bills.  Here are some of my thoughts on the game:

-Juan Castillo has to go.  Now.  The defense was unable to stop the run, put any pressure on Ryan Fitzpatrick or make any plays in the secondary.  The defense is loaded with talent and guys that have made plays in the past so there has to be an issue with Castillo and his schemes.  The one thing this group did well in the last few weeks was get to the quarterback and they couldn't even do that this week.

-Jason Avant had one heck of a game statistically, catching 9 passes for 139 yards, but he made two terrible plays that cost the Eagles the game.  When a sure-handed guy like Avant can't hold on to the ball you know things just aren't going your way.

-Michael Vick doesn't deserve much of the blame for this one.  Of his 4 interceptions, only one was a truly terrible pass.  Vick is doing everything he can with what little time he is given and scrambling for his life when there is nothing open downfield.  He can't be blamed for tipped passes becoming interceptions and for the inept line in front of him.  What he can be blamed for is his terrible mismanagement of the clock at the end of the first half.  How does that happen?

-How about giving the ball to LeSean McCoy more often?  Only 15 touches for Shady, who still managed over 100 total yards.

-I'm so glad Juqua Parker was healthy enough to suit up this week so he could make a boneheaded play a the end of the game to seal the loss for the Eagles.

-By my count, Jamar Chaney made the first play by a linebacker all season long when he picked off Fitzpatrick.

At 1-4, this season is effectively over for the Eagles.  Sure, they could rattle off a few wins and find themselves back in the NFC East title picture, but does anyone see any reason to think that this team is going to magically start playing well?  This is clearly a broken team that has talent but can't seem to put all of the pieces together.  All that is left to play for this season is Andy Reid's job.

Eagles downward slide continues in choke against Niners

We have a disaster on our hands, Eagles fans.  After making a number of mistakes in the first half and still building a 20-3 lead, the Eagles allowed the Niners to score the final 21 points of the game to win, 24-23.  Here are my thoughts on a brutal loss for the Eagles:

-Were do we place the blame for that loss?  On the defense that still can't stop the run?  On Jeremy Maclin for not protecting the football?  On the rookie kicker who can't make a chip shot?  On the defensive coordinator who is clearly overmatched?  How about on the coach who put this mess together?  I've never been a "fire Andy Reid" guy but something has to give after what happened today.  The pieces are all there but this isn't working.

-I don't have a clue how to fix this defense with the current personnel.  You have to be able to stop the run, which they can't do.  You also can't let Alex Smith throw for 291 yards.  How you can have three of the best corners in the game and let the Niners crop of mediocre receivers be open all game long is a complete mystery.

-One guy who is giving his max effort on defense is Jason Babin.  He was disruptive all game long and picked up three sacks.  The d-line continues to consistently create pressure but the rest of the D is letting them down.

-Another guy I can't blame for this loss is Michael Vick.  He had a few bad throws here and there but at least he was busting his butt on every play.  With the offensive line still barely able to block anyone, Vick made the most out of what he was given.  His career high 416 yards passing and 75 yards rushing only added up to 23 points, though, and that just isn't enough.

-How about giving LeSean McCoy more than 9 carries?

-David Akers must be dying of laughter right now.  Alex Henery is a rookie and games like this will happen but he had two chances to put the game away and couldn't do it.  Akers missed one, too, but a million bucks says he doesn't miss that 4th quarter attempt from 33 yards.

-I almost forgot about Ronnie Brown.  What the heck was he thinking?  That could have been the worst play I've seen a professional football player ever make.  Even high school kids don't do that.

Something has to give with this team, something has to be changed.  Someone needs to get fired or this is all going to keep happening.  I'm not looking forward to the game against a good Bills team next week at all.  At least we have the Phillies!

Michael Vick didn't break his hand, could play next week

Good news has been few and far between for the Eagles this season, so this was nice to hear: Michael Vick did not break his hand against the Giants yesterday.  According to Andy Reid, a CT scan showed no fracture in Vick's hand and the team is calling the injury a hand contusion.  While there were some reports that Vick could be out 3-4 weeks with a broken hand, Reid implied that Vick could be ready to go against the Niners next week.

As long as the Eagles are telling the truth about the injury, Vick won't be out for very long, if at all.  Now if only Vick could play linebacker.

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.

Michael Vick breaks right hand, Maclin injures hamstring

Another week, another Michael Vick injury that knocks him out of the game.  This time, Vick has broken his right hand and was removed from the Giants game in the 4th quarter.  Mike Kafka has once again taken over under center.

With the way Vick plays and the way the offensive line has issues protecting him, he is going to continue to get knocked around this season.  At least it wasn't his head this time and at least it wasn't his throwing hand.

In other Eagles injury news, Jeremy Maclin was knocked out of the game against the Giants with a hamstring injury.  This season has been nothing short of a nightmare so far.

Eagles fall to Falcons on Sunday Night

Tough, tough loss for the Eagles, who went from having the game in hand to losing their lead and their starting quarterback in a 35-31 loss to the Falcons.  Here are a few quick thoughts about the game:

-The game completely turned when Michael Vick left.  Even though backup Mike Kafka played about as well as he possibly could have, the momentum in the game completely shifted when Vick got knocked out.  Let's hope Vick is okay for next week.

-For as good as the Eagles defense looked at times, they gave up 5 touchdowns on 5 Falcons red zone attempts.  That's completely unacceptable.  For all the great pressure they put on the quarterback and all of the shutdown corners they have, they have to come up with the big stops inside the 20.  It's almost the opposite of the "bend but don't break" defense.  Don't bend but break?

-Trent Cole had a hell of a game.  So did Cullen Jenkins.  The defensive line is simply phenomenal and will be a force that other teams are going to have a hard time figuring out how to stop.

-Despite all the names on defense, the Eagles still can't cover a tight end to save their lives.  Oh, that's right, there aren't any "names" playing linebacker.

-Kafka is well on his way to being traded for a second round pick in two years.  The kid played great, throwing only two incompletions that weren't his fault at all.  Even though it's probably just the system, Kafka seems accurate enough to be a solid backup.

-Jeremy Maclin went from hero to goat on one play.  He had 13 catches for 171 yards and yet will only be remembered for dropping that perfect pass by Kafka on 4th down.

-Why the heck did the Falcons punt to DeSean Jackson at the end of the game?  They were lucky he didn't win the game right there just like the Miracle at the Meadowlands.

-Speaking of the Giants, as long as Vick is healthy next week, the Eagles should bounce back and put a beating on the G-men.  Heck, even with Kafka I like the Eagles chances.

Tough loss for the Eagles but there is no shame in losing to a solid Falcons team on the road.  Yes, the game was theirs for the taking but there is no reason to lose faith in a good Eagles team.  With their next two games against the Giants and Niners, this team is in position to bounce back nicely.

Michael Vick forced out of Sunday Night game with a concussion

UPDATE: According to Andy Reid, Vick had a concussion.

Uh oh.  After knocking his head into Todd Herremans in the third quarter, Michael Vick had to leave the Sunday Night game against the Falcons with an apparent neck injury.  There is no word yet if he will return to the game.

Bigger uh oh: with Vince Young out, the Eagles are going to turn to Mike Kafka to maintain their slim lead.  In Shady McCoy we trust!

Eagles start slow, finish strong to beat Rams

It started ominously, with the Eagles failing on their first offensive drive and the Rams scoring on their first play of the game, but the better team eventually prevailed as the Birds won, 31-13.

The offensive line struggled early, clearly having issues with the volume of the St. Louis crowd as Michael Vick didn't have enough time to find open receivers.  They seemed to settle down after the first series, however, and Vick was able to make plays with his arm as well as his feet.  On the day, Vick had 187 yards passing and two touchdowns as well as 98 yards rushing.  LeSean McCoy also had a strong game on the ground, racking up 122 yards rushing and 15 receiving with two touchdowns.  Most of his damage was done in the 4th quarter when the Eagles had a big lead and were salting the game away.  The weapons were in full force for the Eagles as DeSean Jackson also had 100 yards receiving.  If the offensive line can hold up, the Eagles offense is just going to overwhelm teams.

After allowing Steven Jackson to score on a 47 yard run on the Rams first offensive play, the Eagles defense stiffened and didn't allow another touchdown the entire game.  While they were aided by a few drops by the Rams receivers, the Eagles D looked strong as it pressured Rams QB Sam Bradford, hitting him early and often.  Three members of the Eagles starting D-line, Trent Cole, Cullen Jenkins and Jason Babin, all had sacks, with Babin picking up two.  Juqua Parker also got in on the action, picking up a Bradford fumble and taking it to the house.  The secondary was also solid as a whole, never really getting burned deep though they did have some issues with the underneath routes.

After so many "experts" predicted them to lose to the Rams, it was nice to see the Eagles win pretty convincingly.  While they still have plenty of things to work on, like their offensive line and stopping the run, the Eagles are loaded with talent and should be competitive week in and week out.  Encouraging start for the Eagles, now let's see how they do against a solid Falcons team next week in Atlanta.

Eagles sign Michael Vick to 6 year, 100 million dollar contract

After resurrecting his career with an amazing 2010 season, Michael Vick has gotten paid, signing a 6 year, 100 million dollar contract to stay in Philadelphia. Exact details of the deal aren't known at the moment but Adam Schefter of ESPN believes Vick will get about 40 million dollars in guaranteed money. With money like that, the Eagles are banking on Vick to continue performing at a high level for several years.

With Vick locked up, the focus turns to DeSean Jackson. Depending on how Vick's deal is structured, it should free up some money for the Eagles to use on Jackson.

The positives and negatives from the Eagles preseason game against the Steelers

What a difference a week makes. Last week, the Eagles first teamers seemed to do everything right as they worked over the Ravens in limited work. This week, the Steelers dominated on both sides of the ball from the start, stomping the Eagles, 24-14. Here are some of the positives and negatives that I noticed from the Eagles second preseason game:

Positives:

LeSean McCoy: The lone bright spot of the first team offense, McCoy picked up 37 total yards on 5 touches. Shady looked to be in regular season form as gashed the Steelers defense. Maybe the Eagles will run the ball more this year? Yeah, maybe not.

Dion Lewis: He had the one big play for the Eagles offense, picking up 40 yards on a catch and run. He almost made up for his earlier fumble with how good he looked on the play.

Mike Kafka: Andy Reid really has a magic touch when it comes to developing quarterbacks. Kafka was easily the best quarterback for the Eagles tonight, slicing up the Steelers 4th defense by completing 14 of 19 passes for 160 yards and 2 touchdowns. He will make some great trade bait down the road.

Vick's tackle of Polamalu: After Troy Polamalu picked him off, Michael Vick made a solid tackle to stop him from returning it for a pick six. If that sounds like a reach for a positive because very little went right for the Eagles, that's because it is.

Negatives:

First team defense: They were overaggressive from the start and Ben Roethlisberger took advantage, slicing them up for 125 yards and two touchdowns on a pair of drives. It's really hard to put much blame on the Eagles d-line as they got to Big Ben a handful of times but he was able to move around and buy himself enough time to find the weak spots in the Eagles secondary. No matter how many Pro Bowlers you have, no secondary in the league can cover everyone forever. There is still plenty of time for things to come together but there is too much talent in this group to accept a performance like that. Juan Castillo has work to do.

Linebackers: Surprise, the one part of the team they didn't bother to upgrade this offseason is the weak link of the defense! With all the great players around them, it might help if this group was occasionally in the right position to make a tackle. Casey Matthews doesn't look like a starting middle linebacker yet and I'm not sure two more weeks of preseason football will be enough to turn him into an effective player. Maybe the shoddy performance by this group will force the Eagles to address a position they don't seem to care about.

First team offense: Things didn't go much better for the offensive starters, who failed to come close to registering a point and looked completely out of sync. The Steelers defense is no joke but there is no bright side to an offense that punts and has three turnovers in their four possessions. Its hard to get too upset about the offense when there clearly is no game plan or strategy to be seen so all we can do is hope that once everyone is healthy and all of the weapons are accounted for, damage will be done.

Michael Vick: Rough, rough night for Vick, who continually threw into coverage and seemed to make bad decisions on every play. His goal early on was simply to get the ball to DeSean Jackson as much as possible but he had trouble finding anyone else open. It's only preseason but three picks is still unacceptable for a supposedly elite quarterback. At least he made that nice tackle on Troy Polamalu!

Asante Samuel: He got burned by a Roethlisberger fake that led to a Steelers touchdown. That won't help his trade value!

Eagles backup offense: While the defense seemed to stiffen at times in the second half, the second team offense was pretty abysmal. Sure, there were decent plays here and there, but an interception by Vince Young pretty much negated any positives. I think it all starts with the offensive line, which is completely in flux due to injuries and new signings.
(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

The positives and negatives from the Eagles first preseason game

Eagles football is back! With one preseason game in the books, the Eagles are undefeated, squeaking by the Ravens 13-6. Wins and losses are meaningless in preseason but the Eagles certainly looked like the better team when the starters were on the field. Here are some of the positives and negatives that I noticed from the Eagles first preseason game:

Positives:

First team offense: Nothing to complain about for the first team as they drove right down the field for a touchdown on their only drive. Michael Vick was solid, completing 4 of 6 passes to the backup receiving group of Jason Avant, Chad Hall and Riley Cooper. I would have liked to see them run the ball more with LeSean McCoy but we all know that isn't how the Eagles offense works.

First team defense: The Ravens did move the ball on the Eagles first team defense but they still looked great. We got our first look at the defensive line rotation, which is crazy deep, and the secondary had the Ravens receivers covered for the most part. The linebackers are fairly weak but the combination of a strong pass rush and a lockdown secondary should make the Eagles an elite defense.

Chad Hall: He took advantage of the extra playing time with the starting wideouts sitting, catching 5 balls for 82 yards. With the signing of Steve Smith, Hall will have a tough time making the team but more nights like this one will force the Birds to keep him.

Riley Cooper: Catch of the game for Cooper, who made a nice grab on the opening drive. He might get lost in the shuffle at wideout this year but Cooper can play and will make the occasional big catch this season.

Darryl Tapp: Two sacks on the night for Tapp, who should be a great contributor in the defensive line rotation. He will have one job this season: get the quarterback. He should do just fine.

Alex Henery: With the David Akers era over, its important that Henery is successful early on. He was perfect tonight, hitting a pair of field goals, and also showed off a strong leg on kickoffs. Can't ask for anything more than that.

Negatives:

Playing time for the first team: Its still early but I'd like to have seen more out of the first team offense and defense than just one drive. All of the free agents and rookies need more than a handful of plays to gel together, especially the offensive line. I know, its only the first preseason game, there is still plenty of time.

Brent Celek: Even though he had a touchdown, Celek still had a drop on a play that was negated due to a Ravens penalty. If Celek is going to have more drop problems this season the Eagles better start thinking about alternative plans at tight end. I'm not sure Clay Harbor or Donald Lee is the answer, though Lee had a couple of nice catches.

Austin Howard: The Ravens had only one sack in the game and Howard was burned on the play as well as on a few others. Howard probably isn't in jeopardy of losing his backup LT spot but he will need to step it up in the next game.

Kurt Coleman: Not a great day for a guy that is fighting for a starting spot. While rookie Jaiquawn Jarrett had a nice interception, Coleman got burned on two big plays early on. It will only be a matter of time before Jarrett leaps over him on the depth chart.
(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

No Madden Curse: Peyton Hillis beats out Michael Vick for Madden 12 Cover

First, the bad news: Michael Vick won't be on the cover of Madden 12. Now, the good news: no Madden Curse! Running back Peyton Hillis, by an overwhelming margin (66% of the vote), has defeated Vick in the final vote for the Madden 12 cover.

Does Hillis really deserve to be on the cover of Madden 12 over Vick? Probably not. Is it something worth getting upset about? Nope. It would have been nice to have an Eagle on the cover of Madden but, at the end of the day, it's pretty meaningless.

Vick a finalist in Madden 12 cover vote

Michael Vick is one step away from being on the cover of Madden 12. After beating Adrian Peterson with 59% of the vote, Vick now enters the finals against Peyton Hillis, who knocked off Aaron Rodgers in the semi-finals. Vick has already knocked off some big names in DeMarcus Ware, Andre Johnson, Patrick Willis and Peterson but will need a big vote total to take down Hillis, who has gotten a ton of support to be the first Brown on the cover. Vick was already on the cover of Madden 2004.

Yes, this is the only Eagles news I can come up with.