Sources: Eagles doctors find brain tumor for Jerome Harrison

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports as Eagles doctors were giving newly acquired running back Jerome Harrison his physical, they discovered a brain tumor that nullified a trade with the Lions, according to two league sources.

The trade might have might have actually saved Harrison’s life, the sources said. Without the deal being made, Harrison would not have undergone a physical. The tumor is now being treated, according to sources.

Schefter also added that Harrison is not expected to play again in 2011, but his long-term prognosis and football career appear to be good.

Harrison could not be reached for comment.

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Redemption for Castillo following Eagles’ victory

Published: October 17th, 2011 | Tags: Around the League, Andy Reid, Juan Castillo, Philadelphia Eagles

As much as Eagles coach Andy Reid had come under fire for the team’s awful start, there’s no denying defensive coordinator Juan Castillo was right there with him taking some major heat.

Maybe things are a little cooler now, though, for Castillo after Philadelphia’s 20-13 road win in Washington. After all, the Eagles put a stop to their four-game losing streak thanks mostly to a long-awaited impressive defensive effort.

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“You could see the weight of the world had been lifted off of Juan’s shoulders after the game,” Philadelphia Inquirer beat writer Jeff McLane said on “Around the League” Monday. “He sat down, was beaming as he spoke to reporters. Eagles president Joe Banner even came over at one point and patted him on the knee and said ‘Good job.’

“Juan has been under a lot of pressure in this city. … I think a lot of people thought his play-calling was questionable in those first five games, but you saw that he was able to make adjustments in this game.”

Those adjustments resulted in four interceptions and — perhaps more importantly – holding the Redskins to just 42 rushing yards. The Eagles improved to 2-4, probably a good thing for fans because another week of upheaval in Philly couldn’t be good for their mental health. Listening to endless complaints about how Castillo shouldn’t be running the defense because of his background as an offensive coach was getting old.

At least for this week, let’s give Castillo credit where credit is due. He out-coached Mike Shanahan, who had two weeks to prepare the Redskins coming off the bye week. At the very least, maybe Eagles fans will lay off Castillo — and Reid, for that matter — for just a week and enjoy a much-needed win.

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Eagles Beat Redskins 20-13 to End Losing Skid at 4

This time, they got the other team in the act.

Using Rex Grossman as a foil, the defense picked off four passes — more than doubling its total for the season — to pull off what was essentially a must-win while simultaneously creating a fresh quarterback controversy for a division rival.

Kurt Coleman had three interceptions, and the so-called dream team of the NFC East proved it isn't buried quite yet. Sunday's 20-13 victory over the Washington Redskins gives the Eagles some momentum headed into a bye week that's followed by three straight home games.

"We know we have a long road to go," Coleman said. "But if we continue to play like we did today, then I think we're on our way."

The Eagles (2-4) raced to a 20-0 second-quarter lead before regressing a bit in the second half. Any hopes for that evasive turnover-free day from the offense came to an end when Michael Vick had a tipped pass intercepted near Washington's goal line in the third quarter.

Then, when Vick left the game for two plays after getting dirt in his eye, Vince Young made his Eagles debut and threw a pick that gave the Redskins the ball at the Philadelphia 18.

But Grossman returned the favor two plays later, with Coleman capitalizing on a pass intended for tight end Fred Davis over the middle. The Eagles led the NFL with 15 giveaways coming into the game and added two more — but Grossman was twice as generous.

"We need to reduce them more; that's still too many," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "Now they had a few which helped the cause there, but we need to keep working at that."

Fans started chanting "We want Beck!" after Grossman threw interception No. 4. Coach Mike Shanahan obliged by putting John Beck in the game for the fourth quarter, the quarterback's first action in a regular season game since 2007.

Beck looked understandably rusty, but he got the Redskins back into the game with a 2-yard quarterback draw to cap an 80-yard drive that pulled Washington within seven points with 2:44 remaining. The Eagles then ran out the clock with the tail end of a 126-yard day from LeSean McCoy, who had a career-high 28 carries and excitedly punched Reid in the chest during the game's final moments.

Reid didn't mind at all.

"Andy, we're like his kids," McCoy said of his stout coach. "We're still young. I kind of punched him. ... A lot of cushion there."

Grossman now has 18 turnovers in eight Redskins starts, including nine interceptions and two fumbles in five games this year. Shanahan said he went with Beck because the team "needed a spark." The coach wouldn't say who will start at Carolina next week, when Washington (3-2) will try to recover after getting knocked out of first place.

The Redskins also lost left guard Kory Lichtensteiger with a right knee injury that "doesn't look good," according to Shanahan. Left tackle Trent Williams severely sprained his right ankle, and tight end Chris Cooley broke his left index finger and will need surgery.

The Eagles had already shuffled their offensive line. King Dunlap's back spasms and Jason Peters' hamstring injury left them with two healthy tackles: Winston Justice, who hadn't played a snap on offense this season; and Todd Herremans, the usual right tackle who started on the left side for the first time since he was a rookie in 2005.

Coleman got the call at safety because Jarrad Page was out with a stinger. Coleman started the first three games before getting benched; now he's the first Eagles player with three interceptions in a game since Joe Scarpati in 1966.

"I wasn't getting it done, and that was apparent," Coleman said. "It was a humbling experience. God taught me a lesson, and I just worked my butt off the last couple weeks."

Vick completed 18 of 31 passes for 237 yards with one touchdown. He also ran for 54 yards on seven carries, including a 31-yard scamper on a third-and-10 after which he kicked a stray ball that nearly hit a Redskins cheerleader. He paused, holding his hand to his heart to display his remorse.

"It was very inappropriate to kick the ball," Vick said. "Sorry about that. I apologize to the cheerleaders."

Notes: Philadelphia has won 10 of 12 at Washington, including a 59-28 laugher a year ago. ... McCoy is the first Eagles player score a TD in six consecutive games since Ricky Watters in 1995. ... The Eagles, 30th in run defense entering the game, allowed just 42 yards rushing. ... Washington's inactives include CB Phillip Buchanon (neck) and WR Anthony Armstrong (hamstring).

___

Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

(This version CORRECTS Eagles 20, Redskins 13. Corrects Grossman's turnover stat in 14th paragraph.)

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Slumping Eagles Need Win at Washington to Turn Season Around

The defending NFC East champion Eagles were dubbed the "Dream Team" by backup quarterback Vince Young following key acquisitions in the offseason but have stumbled to a 1-4 start and are at risk of falling out of the playoff picture.

"Being loose is probably the best way to be right now," Eagles starting quarterback Michael Vick told reporters on Friday. "When everyone is tense and uptight, it creates more pressure and we already have enough pressure on ourselves."

To avoid losing five straight games for the first time since 1998, the Eagles will need a road win on Sunday against a division-leading Redskins team enjoying a turnaround of their own after going 6-10 last year.

Vick, who threw a career-high four interceptions during last week's loss to the Buffalo Bills, stressed a need for the Eagles to focus on playing mistake-free football.

"We're just focusing on the next best thing, and that's winning. We understand that can change everything around," said Vick. "Everybody has handled this whole situation with class and as professionals like we all are. We're waiting to pull through."

During Philadelphia's last game at Washington -- a 59-28 rout last November -- Vick became the first NFL player to register at least 300 yards passing, 50 yards rushing, four passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a game.

However, this season's Eagles team is different. They have committed 15 turnovers, three more than any other team, and are sitting last in the NFC East.

The Eagles enter their bye week after the Redskins game and then return for another key divisional game against the Dallas Cowboys (2-2) before matchups against the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals, who both have losing records.

Eagles running back LeSean McCoy, who is fifth in the NFL in rushing yards with 443, said his team mates' attitude has been positive all week and acknowledged the matchup against Washington is the biggest game yet this season.

"Out of all the games we've had so far, I think this is the biggest game that we'll play," said McCoy.

"Especially now, since we're 1-4 and going against the division. This is one of the biggest games we'll play."

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)

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Injuries Force Another Shakeup on Eagles Line

Starting left tackle Jason Peters is out indefinitely with a hamstring injury he suffered in a loss to the 49ers two weeks ago, and his replacement, 6-foot-9 King Dunlap, missed a second consecutive day of practice Friday because of back spasms.

The two injuries have left the Eagles with only two healthy offensive tackles — Todd Herremans, the usual right tackle, and Winston Justice, who missed all of training camp because of offseason knee surgery and hasn't played all year.

Coach Andy Reid said after practice Friday that if Dunlap's back spasms don't abate by Sunday, Herremans will start against the Redskins at left tackle — where he hasn't played since 2005 — and Justice will make his first start since undergoing major offseason knee surgery.

"We don't," Herremans said, "have too many other options right now."

Reid said Dunlap injured his back on the final play of practice Wednesday. He's now questionable.

"We were doing a two-minute drill, non-contact," Reid said, "and he came out of his stance and it locked up on him."

Dunlap attended part of Friday's practice in the team's indoor bubble but did not participate.

Reid said if Dunlap's back spasms go away, he'll be fine to play, despite missing the last two days of practice.

"King's a smart kid, so I don't think that would necessarily be a problem," he said. "I want to make sure he feels all right before we do that, but I think he would be OK."

Herremans has four career starts at left tackle, all during 2006, his rookie year. He spent the last four years at left guard before moving to right tackle just before this year's opener.

"I know the technique, I know the steps I'm supposed to take and everything, it's just getting my body used to being on that side," Herremans said. "I got used to being over on the right again and now getting switched up. But the main thing is we want to get our five best guys out there, whatever arrangement we have, and go out there and win the game."

The Eagles (1-4) face the Redskins (3-1) Sunday at FedEx Field. No team has opened a season 1-5 and reached the playoffs since the 1975 Bengals.

Justice missed all of training camp and most of the preseason while rehabbing his knee. He started practicing on Sept. 5 but hasn't played on offense since last year's playoff game against the Packers.

"It seems like every week he's getting a little bit better and feeling more comfortable," Reid said. "He deserves the opportunity to play if that presents itself."

Justice said he's put in extra time over the past few weeks with new offensive line coach Howard Mudd, whose scheme is dramatically different than what Justice played in under former offensive line coach Juan Castillo, now the team's defensive coordinator.

"It's always a little bit uncomfortable at first to try something new," he said. "But I think I feel comfortable."

Justice has 32 career starts, 31 of them at right tackle and one at left tackle.

"He's been out there getting scout team reps for a couple weeks now, so I think he's getting more and more comfortable," Herremans said. "Running with the first team over there at right tackle (is) probably a good confidence builder for him. It looks like he's got his punch and everything still. He looks comfortable."

Reid said if Dunlap is unable to play, and either Herremans or Justice get hurt during the game, left guard Evan Mathis would move to right tackle, and Jamaal Jackson would likely move in at left guard.

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Cole on Eagles: ‘We’re not the dream team’

Published: September 30th, 2011 | Tags: Trent Cole, Around the League, Philadelphia Eagles

As Trent Cole sees it, the Eagles are more “team” and less “dream.”

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Unfortunately for Cole and many (errr, all) of the rest of the Eagles, the team has been stuck with the moniker since newcomer Vince Young used it after signing during the offseason. It stuck, and it’s not going away anytime soon.

Cole is just the latest to try to put some distance between the Eagles and the label on “Around the League” Friday. We can’t blame him for being sick and tired of it. Trent, we feel your pain.

“I totally hate that,” Cole said. “We’re not the dream team. We’re like any other team. We have great players just like any other team has great players. When you have a bunch of talented, great players on one team, they come from another team, and they’ve been relied on to make all the plays. But now, they’re on a team that has a lot of great players, and a lot of great things can happen, but you have to learn how to play with these players. This is a brand new team.”

Cole is right, but it’s difficult to cut any team with a self-appointed nickname any slack.

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Five Bold Predictions For The New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles Week Three Game

LeSean McCoy #25 RB

The Philadelphia Eagles lost a heartbreaker in Atlanta to the Falcons, following an exciting comeback performance, and a nice showing from back-up quarterback Mike Kafka. The question going into Philadelphia’s week three game against New York was — Would Michael Vick be recovered from the concussion he sustained against the Falcons? Good news for Philadelphia, as Vick was cleared for practice and is expected to start against the Giants this Sunday.

New York is coming to Philadelphia following a relatively easy win on Monday Night Football against the St. Louis Rams, and are looking to capture an early lead on the division. The rivalry between the Giants and Eagles has heated up substantially in the past few seasons, and this season has been turned to a whole new degree. As last season the Eagles comeback win in the Meadowlands essentially ended the Giants playoff chances, and this game they are coming for revenge.

Here are five bold predictions for the Giants vs. Eagles week three match-up:

5. There Will Be a Number of Turnovers For Both Teams 

In the early goings of the season, both the Giants and the Eagles have struggled with turning the ball over on offense. There have been numerous miscommunications on hand-offs, routes down the field, and even poor blocking, all of which have led to a shockingly high number of turnovers. The Eagles have coughed up the ball in incredibly inconvenient situations, and have managed to give up a defensive touchdown already this season.

The Giants are in a similar situation, as Eli Manning has proven to be incredibly interception happy, and Ahmad Bradshaw has shown that he can be loose with the ball. Both the Eagles and Giants defense will be all-over, and ready to jump on any mistake made by either offense.

4. Philadelphia’s Defense Will Contain Ahmad Bradshaw 

The Eagles rushing defense is the hottest topic in Philadelphia. The Eagles seem to have every single piece together on both the offense and defense, except their linebackers have struggled containing the run. Following last weeks abismal performance from rookie Casey Matthews, he was benched in favor if Jamar Chaney, who started the latter half of last season at middle linebacker.

I feel that the Eagles defense has worked increasingly hard at containing the run, and they will prove this game that they can keep it under control. The move of Chaney back to middle will be huge to the success of the front seven, and it should have an immediate impact on Bradshaw and the Giants running game.

3. Eli Manning Will Struggle Finding Open Receivers

As stated earlier, Manning has had a rough stretch recently. He has been throwing interceptions left and right, and that has not been helped by his lack of receiver depth. There seems to be a curse in New York as every single receiver Manning is getting comfortable with, they go down with injury. The most recent being Domenik Hixon, tearing his ACL last week against the Rams, for the second straight season.

Combine that with Mario Manningham with a questionale status, and Manning is going to have a hard time. Any time a quarterback has to play the Eagles trio of corners, it is never easy, but with the current injuries in New York, it is going to be nearly impossible. Considering that the Giants are now starting Brandon Stokely, that should be some indication of how little Manning has to work with.

2. Michael Vick Won’t Finish The Game 

Last week against the Falcons, Michael Vick was forced to leave the game following a sack in which he fell into an offensive lineman and suffered a concussion. Since then, he has been cleared by team doctors, and also an independent source, and he is reportedly going to start Sunday’s game. The Eagles have had quite a few players suffer concussions, and most have not been able to bounce-back in less than one week.

I have a feeling that Vick will start the game, but he may get pulled due to residing effects of the concussion. The Giants are a physical team, and Vick can only take so many hits after an injury like this. I don’t see how Vick can start and finish a game after getting back into pads, and suffering a concussion less than a week ago.

1. The Eagles Offensive Line Will Look Terrible 

The second most discussed topic this off-season for the Eagles was the offensive line. Despite drafting heavily in offensive lineman, the Eagles still have not improved much from last season. But keep in mind the teams the Eagles have played, (Falcons, Rams), do not have anywhere near the caliber of defensive line that the Giants have. I would venture to say that the Giants have a top-three pass rushing defensive line in the NFL, and will be a true test Philadelphia’s offensive line.

I think this will also be a test that they fail. Considering how poorly the line has done protecting Vick so far this season, I don’t imagine it will turn around much in this game. I am aware that there are technically two starting rookies on the line, but that won’t change the Giants dominating pass rush. Considering the fragile state that Vick is in, with a mediocre offensive line, and an elite pass rush — The Eagles should be worried.

Conclusion: 

The Giants and Eagles always seem to have good games, regardless of who has the better season or better team. It also seems that if the game is not incredibly close and down to the last minute, it will be a blow-out. This is an early season match-up that has not received a lot of attention, but I think it will be one of the best games of the week, and one that will be determined in the fourth quarter. Giants 24 – Eagles 31

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Giants at Eagles Friday Injury Report

GIANTS

Out: CB Prince Amukamara (foot), DE Osi Umenyiora (knee)

Doubtful: WR Mario Manningham (concussion)

Probable: C David Baas (lower leg) , TE Travis Beckum (hamstring), DT Jimmy Kennedy (knee)

EAGLES

Out: DE Juqua Parker (ankle), DE Darryl Tapp (pectoral)

Questionable: QB Michael Vick (concussion)

Probable: S Nate Allen (knee), TE Brent Celek (hip), DE Trent Cole (hand), WR Riley Cooper (hamstring), TE Clay Harbor (ankle), LB Akeem Jordan (shoulder), T Winston Justice (knee), LB Brian Rolle (quadricep), CB Asante Samuel (finger), WR Steve Smith (knee), QB Vince Young (hamstring)

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Giants at Eagles Friday Injury Report

GIANTS

Out: CB Prince Amukamara (foot), DE Osi Umenyiora (knee)

Doubtful: WR Mario Manningham (concussion)

Probable: C David Baas (lower leg) , TE Travis Beckum (hamstring), DT Jimmy Kennedy (knee)

EAGLES

Out: DE Juqua Parker (ankle), DE Darryl Tapp (pectoral)

Questionable: QB Michael Vick (concussion)

Probable: S Nate Allen (knee), TE Brent Celek (hip), DE Trent Cole (hand), WR Riley Cooper (hamstring), TE Clay Harbor (ankle), LB Akeem Jordan (shoulder), T Winston Justice (knee), LB Brian Rolle (quadricep), CB Asante Samuel (finger), WR Steve Smith (knee), QB Vince Young (hamstring)

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Vick right where Eagles expect him to be in recovery

PHILADELPHIA — Michael Vick took part in a morning walk-through with the Eagles Wednesday morning, clearly a positive step in his recovery from the concussion he suffered Sunday night.

Eagles coach Andy Reid and head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder addressed a Vick-hungry group of media, saying the team planned on getting all three of its quarterbacks — including backups Vince Young and Mike Kafka — ready to face the Giants on Sunday.

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“We’re pretty fortunate to have three quarterbacks who can play the game,” Reid told reporters, according to The Associated Press. “My message to all three of them was: ‘Get ready accordingly.’”

That process is already underway as Vick participated in the walk-through, and according to a source close to the situation split first-team reps with Kafka. Yes, it’s only a walk-through, but as WR Riley Cooper pointed out, it’s the practice session in which the offense installs its base passing game. That makes the person under center quite relevant.

Vick was also on the field for the afternoon practice but did not take reps and wasn’t wearing a helmet as Kafka and Young split reps. Young was absent from the locker room during the open session and didn’t address the media Wednesday. Kafka did, however, but remained mum on just who will eventually be under center.

“Since I got here, you got to prepare the same way, that was my approach from day one, prepare the same way and prepare as if you’re the starter, and take it from there,” Kafka said.

All signs surrounding Vick’s recovery appear encouraging.

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Burkholder provided a detailed description of his progress from Sunday night through Wednesday, saying Vick doesn’t have “a whole lot of concussion symptoms,” except for a sore neck and jaw, and would undergo further baseline testing, including seeing an independent neurologist in the next day or two. He noted Vick’s MRI exam on Monday came back negative.

Vick underwent his first baseline test on Tuesday, with the results of that test being “very, very,  close to what his (normal) baseline is,” according to Buckholder. Although Vick could be improving at a fast rate, the symptoms do have to possibility of showing up at a later stage for any respective player.

“I’ll tell you right now, he’s right in the middle of this process, right where we expected him to me,” Burkholder said. “And everything’s progressing.  We’re not going to push him ahead of where we think the process goes.  We’re not going to judge it right now.  Michael will continue to go through the process with me, and he’s doing fine right now.”

The team also applied two more tests, according to Buckholder, which included cognitive functioning — such as how Vick mentally interacts at meetings and the team walk-through — and the process and progression of exertion, including cardio, lifting, and balance.

While Giants coach Tom Coughlin said his team will game plan for Vick, regardless of his status, Reid made it very clear he’s keeping all of his options open.

– StaceyDales

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Eagles have yet to rule out Vick for a reason

Published: September 20th, 2011 | Tags: Michael Vick, Mike Kafka, Philadelphia Eagles, Rick Burkholder, Stacey Dales, Vince Young

PHILADELPHIA — As we await Eagles practice Wednesday, not much really has changed on the Michael Vick injury front.

Eagles head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder has a protocol in which concussed players must go through five separate phases of testing before they can be cleared to play. The rate at which players move from one stage to the next varies for each, and Vick started that process Monday.

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But don’t expect to hear from Vick on the matter anytime soon. Because of new rules regarding players who have suffered concussions, Vick can’t address the media until he is cleared.

From the outside, the misconception right now — which I’ve discussed with team personnel — is that the Eagles never allow a player to play the week following a concussion. There is an exception, as they reminded me that WR Jason Avant suffered a concussion at the end of last season against the Giants and was cleared to play the following week. The Eagles aren’t yet ruling Vick out this week and have been very clear about such.

Vick’s top backup, Vince Young, participated in a limited portion of practice last Friday but was deactivated Sunday night because of his hamstring injury. There’s a chance he could return this week. Keep in mind, Young was 2-0 against the Giants as the starter for the Titans.

They love Mike Kafka in Philly. Following the trade of Kevin Kolb to Arizona, Eagles coach Andy Reid considered him the top backup to Vick. I assume that Kakfa will get the majority of the first-team reps when the Eagles resume practice Wednesday.

– Stacey Dales

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For Giants, Eagles week can’t come soon enough

With the Rams out of the way, everyone associated with the Giants has shifted their attention to the archrival they believe deserves a healthy dose of payback.

It’s Eagles week in New York, and evidence suggests that Big Blue’s locker room still clings to December’s excruciating 38-31 loss to Philly, a meeting defined by DeSean Jackson‘s 65-yard punt return for a score on the game’s final play. It all but ended New York’s playoff hopes, despite a 10-6 final record.

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“Last year will linger with me until I die,” Giants defensive end Justin Tuck told the Philadelphia Inquirer after Monday night’s win over St. Louis.

The Giants haven’t beaten the Eagles since Week 10 of the 2008 campaign, but Philly’s six-game winning streak (including the playoffs) is in danger after Michael Vick‘s concussion Sunday night in a 35-31 loss to the Falcons. Tuck hopes the Eagles fire starter make’s the date.

“Yes, why not,” he said. “I mean, that guy is a tremendous athlete. Obviously, as he goes … that offense goes. You always want to beat teams at their best. … I think he brings out the best in us, too. … If he’s playing, we know we have to be on our toes.”

Neither team took the high road during an offseason spent bickering like middle schoolers over Twitter, with Philly’s LeSean McCoy calling New York’s Osi Umenyiora “soft,” prompting the Giants DT to label his detractor a “Chihuahua, a poodle, a little girl.”

A somewhat bizarre underpinning to what amounts to Sunday’s biggest grudge match.

– Marc Sessler

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Was trading Kolb the right move by the Eagles?

Published: September 19th, 2011 | Tags: Michael Vick, Bump -n- Run, Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin, NFL GameDay Final, Philadelphia Eagles

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Michael Vick has played a full 16-game slate once in his eight full NFL seasons. Quarterbacks get injured, and Vick’s style of play and his running ability leaves him susceptible to a greater number of hits than most at his position.

So, in many ways the Eagles took a calculated risk trading capable backup Kevin Kolb during the offseason. With Kolb out of the picture and backup Vince Young on the shelf with a hamstring injury, the Eagles turned to Mike Kafka when Vick left with a concussion against the Falcons.

While hindsight always provides the easy answer, the question remains: Was trading Kolb the right move?

NFL Network analysts Deion Sanders and Michael Irvin took up the topic on “NFL GameDay Final.”

“They’ll regret it, but they couldn’t do anything but trade him because of the financial numbers (he) and Vick wanted,” Irvin said.  “Every team in the NFL would love to have two starting quarterbacks and just name one of them the backup. But the reality is they did the right thing. I love what every one of (the Eagles) were saying, that they wanted to win for Vick. That means he’s the clear leader of the team.”

Faced with losing Kolb to free agency, the Eagles could have gotten nothing in return. It’s remains an unknown what their contingency plan — Young — will provide when he gets healthy. For at least one week, it’s going to be the Kafka show, which is a reality the Eagles should have seen coming.

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Rugged Rams lose more than just a game against Eagles

The only thing the Rams were very efficient in during their week 1 game against the Philadelphia Eagles was combining mistakes with injuries.  The Rams lost most reliable receiver Danny Amendola to a potentially serious elbow injury. (UPDATE: Looks like Amendola is now out 8-10 weeks.) Quarterback Sam Bradford left the game with a thumb injury that should allow him to return next week.  Running back Steven Jackson was lost to a quad injury after his first run of the game, a long touchdown run.  Jason Smith was pulled from the game with a reported ankle injury, but he was so ineffective, the injury could have been formulated as an excuse by the Rams coaching staff.  The Rams also lost cornerback Ron Bartell to an injury.

The Rams mistakes on the offensive side stunted any chance the Rams overwhelmed squad could generate.  Rookie tight end Lance Kendricks had two solid gold drops and Brandon Gibson and Greg Salas joined him in the drop parade.  The Rams offensive line, who has been much heralded, played like the overpaid, underperforming side we have seen over the past 2-3 years.  The Eagles have a good defensive line, but the Rams offensive line were pushed back into Bradford on every single pass play and allowed penetration on almost every run play.

The defense had their fair share of mistakes as the Rams failed to cover DeSean Jackson on one play, failed to tackle Mike Vick frequently and allowed Vick to break contain when they were unable to get to him.

The moral of the story here is that the Rams are not as good as the Eagles.  We knew that coming in.  But, the way the Rams lost, with injuries and a bushel of mistakes is hard to swallow.

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Young, Watkins inactive for Eagles

Published: September 11th, 2011 | Tags: Philadelphia Eagles, Danny Watkins, Kyle DeVan, Mike Kafka, Vince Young

Vince Young‘s career with the Eagles begins with a stay on the inactive list.

The reserve quarterback officially was listed as out for Sunday’s season opener against the Rams as he deals with the effects of a strained hamstring.

Second-year pro Mike Kafka moves up to No. 2 on the depth chart behind starter Michael Vick.

Rookie guard Danny Watkins (knee) also is inactive, despite being listed as probable on Philadelphia’s final injury report. Watkins, the Eagles’ first-round draft pick in April, was displaced on the depth chart this week by recent arrival Kyle DeVan.

The Rams also deactivated their first-round pick, DE Robert Quinn, who wasn’t listed on the team’s final injury report.

For inactives for every Sunday game, visit www.nfl.com/inactives.

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Eagles win NFC East following loss by Giants

Published: December 26th, 2010 | Tags: Philadelphia Eagles, 2010 NFL playoff picture, NFL playoffs

The Eagles didn’t even have to play Sunday in order to clinch the NFC East. That was taken care of by the Giants.

The Eagles entered Week 16 needing a win or a loss by the Giants to stake claim to the division title. But due to an expected blizzard on the East Coast, they won’t get their chance against the Vikings until Tuesday night. No matter. Thanks to the Giants’ loss in Green Bay, the Eagles’ spot is now secure.

As division champs the Eagles would host a first-round game, but they still have a hand in controlling their playoff seed. The Bears need the Eagles to lose on Tuesday night in order clinch the NFC’s No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. However, if the Eagles win and the Bears lose in Week 17 to the Packers, the Eagles would claim the first-round bye. If the teams finish tied, the Bears hold the tie-breaker given their win over the Eagles earlier this season.

Keep an eye on the updates as to how the playoff picture would look if the season ended right now.

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With the Eagles Sunday; Cowboys Add Depth

The Cowboys are banged up at a few positions and this week took some steps to solidify some depth in those areas. The Cowboys signed two linebackers and a defensive end yesterday in the hopes of having some bodies in practice at the very least, and get some special teams time out of one at the very most.

The Cowboys signed Kenwin Cummings off the Jets’ practice squad. Cummings has played in 3 games this season for the Jets not recording a statistic. Cummings comes from a 3/4 defense which gives him a leg up when learning the Cowboys system. With Bradie James, Keith Brooking, and Sean Lee all smarting from injuries this week, Cummings could bring some experience to the position as a back up. With Dez Bryant being moved to injured reserve, a roster spot opened up and the Cowboys used it to bring in Cummings.

The Boys also signed LB Kelvin Smith to the practice squad. Smith has played in a total of 7 games throughout his career register a single tackle. He has had stops in Carolina and Miami since 2007.

Not only are the Boys hurting in the linebacker position but they were unhappy with their depth along the defensive line. They brought in Clifton Geathers who was cut by Seattle earlier in the week. Geathers, who has already had four stints with different teams, is in his rookie year. Geathers played in only one game with Miami earlier in the season. To make room for Geathers the Cowboys waived DE Jeremy Clark.

None of these moves are going to make a huge difference on Sunday against the Eagles, but the Cowboys like to “churn the bottom” as Parcells used to say.

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Celek: Quick turnaround helps Eagles

Published: November 30th, 2010 | Tags: Brent Celek, Lindsay Soto, Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles TE Brent Celek discusses the advantages of the quick turnaround playing on Thursday Night Football, the team’s struggles in the red zone and why this year’s team is special.

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Texans TE Daniels out vs. Eagles, play Dreessen

Published: December 1st, 2010 | Tags: Joel Dreessen, Dallas Clark, Houston Texans, Jacob Tamme, Joel Dreessen, Owen Daniels

Hard to believe, but two of the better TE options in Week 13 were anonymous to casual fans at the beginning of the season.

There has been nearly no fantasy drop off from Colts TE Dallas Clark to TE Jacob Tamme (though, there is a dropoff in real football terms). The third-year player from Kentucky tops our TE rankings for Week 13.

Another great option is Texans TE Joel Dreessen who will again see more targets since Owen Daniels has been ruled out for Thursday’s game vs. the Eagles, which will be shown live on NFL Network. Dreessen has scored touchdowns in consecutive games and the Eagles have allowed the second-most points to tight ends this season. Dreeseen is available in over 95 percent of NFL.com leagues. Hurry and add him to you team.

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Eagles Late Rally Helps 34-24 Victory Over Texans

By EaglesGab Columnist Troy Ballard

The Philadelphia Eagles played against the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football tonight, and the Eagles were able to walk away with a win. Following an even 1st half performance, the Eagles entered the 3rd quarter and were dominated. The Eagles were unable to score once and allowed Arian Foster to put up 14 points on their defense. However, the Eagles had a huge bounce back performance in the 4th quarter and were able to regain all of the momentum.

The Eagles did a good job of keeping the Texans offense in check, especially in the 4th quarter when they needed the big stops. Foster was able to get some big runs off, but for the most part he was kept in check, finishing the game with 83 yards and one touchdown. This is a game where people were predicting 100+ yards and two touchdowns, when the Eagles held him significantly below his predicted numbers. The Eagles defense did a sub-par job of covering an elite Andre Johnson, leaving him wide open on several plays. Mainly the Eagles defense was burned off of the play action and that is how Johnson was able to get open.

The Eagles offense seemed like it was going to be incredibly explosive following a quick and effective touchdown drive. The success did not quite carry over into the 2nd and 3rd quarters and it ended in the Eagles losing the lead. Being shutout during the entirety of the third quarter, and posting 13 points in the second. Once the 4th quarter began, it was a whole new offense and Vick showed why he deserved to be the starter. Throwing a deep pass to Jackson and then Vick scored off of QB sneak, which put the Eagles up once again. After the defense held, Vick and the Eagles drove down the field once again and were able to punch it in again, giving the Eagles a 10 point lead. Michael Vick once again had a 300 yard passing game, and another huge game from McCoy, finishing with 120 all purpose yards.

The Eagles defense came up big in this game, especially when the team needed the most. Naturally, the Eagles explosive offense was there to back up the defense and the Eagles were able to get the lead and hold it. This was a big win for the Eagles, as they advance to (8-4) and are once again atop the NFC East. This was an excellent win and the Eagles have shown that they are contenders in the NFC.

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