Super Bowl shows what Eagles lack

(Part two of a three-part series)

That was probably the most suspenseful Super Bowl since, well, last year’s Super Bowl, but as thrilling as it was, the most striking part of the game was realizing how much upgrading the Eagles’ offense needs.

It’s strange to think that a team that held a lead in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship game needs a lot of work to reach the Super Bowl, but after seeing the Cardinals and Steelers trade comeback touchdown drives, I don’t think the Eagles are even close.

I realize that this year’s offense set a franchise record with 416 points, and Donovan McNabb set a franchise record with more than 3,900 passing yards, but when they need one yard or one final scoring drive, this offense isn’t up to the challenge. However, with some key additions and an open mind, it could be up to the challenge in 2009.

Head coach Andy Reid always talks about success on offense starting from the trenches, so I’ll start with the offensive line. The big guys up front excelled in pass protection, allowing just 23 sacks, however they were awful on running plays, as the Eagles averaged just 4.0 yards per carry, down from 4.7 in 2007, and 4.8 in 2006.

The problem with the offensive line is a combination of age, injury and being out of position.The first upgrade is easy. Shawn Andrews needs to return from his back surgery and depression, and reclaim his place as one of the best offensive guards in the NFL. When the Eagles need to pick up one yard, all they should do is follow Andrews and they’ll move the chains, regardless of how much the ball-carrier weighs.

Moving outside, tackles Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas have gotten slower and get less push on running plays. Both are free agents this offseason, and were solid this year, but the offense can’t support two guys who are unable to drive a defensive end backward on 3rd-and-1. Out of the two, I would keep Runyan because he makes fewer mistakes in pass protection, and also is a vocal leader in the locker room.

Without spending any money, the Eagles could move Todd Herremans from guard to left tackle, where he played in college, and I think he would thrive at his old position. Herremans has excellent footwork and rarely misses a block in pass protection, but at 6-6, 321 pounds, he is not a guard. That frame is ideal for playing tackle and pushing around a 260-pound defensive end, but not for driving a 340-pound defensive tackle to open a hole for a running back.

Nick Cole, filling in for Max Jean-Gilles, who filled in for Andrews, played quite well at right guard, and could easily move to left guard to round out the offensive line.

Now that the offensive line is sorted out, the Eagles need to decide who should be running through the holes they create. I’m going to be quite unpopular with this next opinion, but it has to be said: Brian Westbrook needs to take a lesser role in the Eagles’ offense.

At this point in his career, Westbrook is only effective when he is 100 percent healthy, which only happens once or twice per month. When Westbrook is even slightly banged up, he is just another undersized running back who can’t carry the full load.Back in 2003 or 2004, Westbrook would play through the pain and still be the ultimate weapon on offense. Now, when he is hurt, he can’t run away from a linebacker on a passing route, and on the ground, his Dance Dance Revolution stutter-step doesn’t work against anyone because the speed burst isn’t there to follow it.

The Eagles need a real running back, such as Oakland’s third running back, Michael Bush, or Ohio State running back Chris Wells to get 15 to 20 touches, and drop Westbrook down to 10 or 15 explosive touches per game. Correll Buckhalter, who is a free agent, will not be back because he is not the 20-touch player the Eagles need.

Finally, let’s talk about the quarterback and his wide receivers. I’d be blind to say that Donovan McNabb doesn’t have his faults, but by my count, there are 21 teams that would love to take him off our hands, so let’s keep him around.

I will admit that he starts very slowly and suffers from serious bouts of inaccuracy, but those faults are highlighted because of the lack of weapons around him. If the Eagles could run the ball, they could survive a game or two when McNabb is struggling.

As I watched Kurt Warner and Ben Roethlisberger lead fourth quarter touchdown drives during the Super Bowl, it became even more clear as to why McNabb doesn’t lead those comeback drives. He doesn’t have a Larry Fitzgerald or an Anquan Boldin. He doesn’t even have a Hines Ward or a Santonio Holmes. In his 10 seasons with the Eagles, McNabb has worked with just two 1,000-yard receivers. Arizona had three of them just this year!

With two minutes left in the game, the defense knows the Eagles are going to pass, and Kevin Curtis and DeSean Jackson, while good for the first 55 minutes of the game when the threat of a running play is there, cannot get open consistently against six or seven defensive backs.The Eagles have a speed guy in Jackson and two possession guys in Curtis and Jason Avant, but they need the guy who draws double coverage every play.

Could it be Boldin by trading one or both of those first round picks to Arizona? Could it be Michael Crabtree out of Texas Tech by moving up in the draft?

It doesn’t matter how they do it, but if McNabb is coming back, they can’t keep asking him to do it alone. The Eagles have wasted the best years of McNabb’s career, but if, at 32 years old, he can get this team within a few minutes of the Super Bowl, imagine what he could do with real talent around him.

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Next week, I’ll break down what the Eagles’ defense needs to do to improve, especially considering that defensive coordinator Jim Johnson could choose health and family over the Eagles.

Like the “On the Edge” Blog? Hear more of my opinions about Philadelphia sports every Friday at 3:30 p.m. on WBCB 1490 AM during the Coffee with Kahuna show, where, this week, we will wrap up the 2008 football season, and discuss how the Flyers and Sixers are faring as the calendar turns to February.