On The Edge Blog

Flyers sit four wins away from greatness

2010-05-26T15:32:00.002-04:00

Woo! More playoff hockey!
After making the playoffs on the last day of the NHL season, the Philadelphia Flyers will be battling the Chicago Blackhawks for the Stanley Cup.
It took 82 games, overtime, a shootout, seven goalies, a coaching change, broken feet, a broken face, a miraculous comeback from down 0-3 versus the Bruins, and three shutouts in the Eastern Conference finals from a waiver claim, but the Flyers are four wins away from lifting the most storied trophy in all of sports.
Ironically, just three years after Chicago slipped into the top spot in the 2007 draft, taking Patrick Kane and dropping James van Riemsdyk to the Flyers, the two doormats of the 2006-07 season are now the top two teams in NHL.
I know that the national media will tell us how great the Blackhawks are, and they are a great team, but don’t think for one second that the Flyers can’t win it all.
Even though the Flyers essentially went 41-41 during the season, compared to the Blackhawks, who went 52-30, this team is peaking at the right time, and all of the players that underachieved during the regular season are suddenly at the top of their games.
So despite taking a much tougher road to the Stanley Cup finals, the underdog Flyers actually match up pretty well with the second seed from the Western Conference.
Forwards: From a pure goal-scoring perspective, Chicago’s pairing of Kane and Jonathan Toews are better than any pair the Flyers can throw out on the ice, but while the Blackhawks top line is as dangerous as any in the NHL, the Flyers can send wave after wave of scorers onto the ice. After the top line of Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne, the Flyers can send out Danny Briere, Scott Hartnell and Ville Leino as line 1B, and then Claude Giroux, JVR and Arron Asham as line 1C. While Richards leads the team with 21 points, Briere and Giroux lead the Flyers in goals with nine and eight, respectively, and then Leino has 12 points in 13 games.
After Toews and Kane, the Hawks have Dustin Byfuglien leading the team with eight goals, Patrick Sharp has 16 points, and then there is Marian Hossa, who will take the ice in his third Stanley Cup final while wearing his third different sweater in as many years. Hossa lost with Pittsburgh in 2008, lost with Detroit in 2009 and hopefully will lose again in 2010.
While many will say Chicago wins this matchup, to get to the finals, the Flyers’ snipers knocked off the best goalie in NHL history (Martin Brodeur), the top goalie from the regular season (Tuukka Rask) and the hottest goalie in the playoffs (Jaroslav Halak). In comparison, the Blackhawks defeated two goalies who have spent the last few seasons choking away big-game opportunities – Roberto Luongo and Evgeni Nabokov – and Nashville’s pedestrian netminder Pekka Rinne.
Edge: Flyers
Defensemen: I would love to say that the Flyers have the best defense in the finals, but Chicago is simply better. This situation is like the forwards, but in reverse. The Flyers are very top-heavy with Chris Pronger, Kimmo Timonen, Matt Carle and Braydon Coburn, but the third defensive pairing of Lukas Krajicek and Ryan Parent greatly hinders the effort. While the Flyers play their top four defensemen as much as possible, sometimes more than 30 minutes per game for Pronger and Timonen, the Blackhawks have six defensemen who can play against any line and be successful. Led by Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, the Blackhawks have five blue-liners averaging more than 18 minutes per game, with a combined rating of plus-30 through the first three rounds of the playoffs.
I would take the Flyers’ top four over any four Blackhawks, but I don’t like our chances if Parent and Krajicek are forced to go up against Kane, Toews and Byfuglien for an extended period of time.
Edge: Blackhawks
Goaltenders: Back in February, I used Antti Niemi as an example of why teams should trust their ability and let a young goalie develop without the fear of a high-priced veteran breathing down his neck, so I won’t say anything bad about the Blackhawks’ netminder, but don’t let anyone say that Michael Leighton isn’t just as talented, if not the better man in the crease. Niemi is 12-4 with a 2.33 goals against average (GAA) in the playoffs, but Leighton, despite being claimed off waivers during the regular season, is now 6-1 with a 1.45 GAA and a .948 save percentage. Just because Leighton wasn’t on the Flyers in October when the season started, doesn’t mean he isn’t a Stanley Cup goalie. “Leights Out” went 16-5-2 during the regular season, and in eight playoff games since taking over for Brian Boucher, has allowed just 11 goals, and didn’t allow in single goal in four of those games.
Edge: Slightly Flyers
Special teams: The Flyers killed off 21 of Montreal’s 22 power plays, and were 67 of 77 in the first three rounds, while the Blackhawks were 58 of 67 on the penalty kill during the playoffs, so both teams are pretty evenly matched when playing a man down, but no matter what the numbers say, the Flyers are the better team in this category. The Flyers gave up six of those 10 goals without Ian Laperriere, but with Lappy back in the lineup, along with Blair Betts, Richards and Giroux, the Flyers have four of the best penalty-killing forwards in the league at their disposal when they head to the sin bin.
Edge: Flyers
Prediction: Flyers’ captain Mike Richards lifts Lord Stanley’s Cup after game 6 on Wednesday, June 9 in front of 20,000 orange-clad fanatics at the Wachovia Center.

Get ready for some playoff hockey!

2010-04-13T16:19:00.001-04:00

I know that it is tough to even think about other sports when Roy Halladay’s arm and the Phillies’ bats are white hot, but it is mid-April, which means that 90 percent of my mind is occupied by two words: Playoff hockey!

Yes, that exclamation point is necessary because there is nothing better in sports than playoff hockey. Every shift, every odd-man rush, every black-and-blue earned on a blocked shot, and every borderline non-call by the referees could mean the difference between going home or hoisting the most storied trophy in all of sports.

If you are still on the fence about the thrilling six weeks that make up the playoffs, imagine the intensity of the Gold Medal game between the United States and Canada, except it happens every other night and involves a team that you have been rooting for your entire life.

And, amazingly, the Flyers, despite using five goalies (and dressing two more who never played), will be taking part in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and it took literally every second of the season, including an overtime and a shootout in the 82nd game to get there.

So despite sneaking into the playoffs with almost every scorer mired in a severe slump, and a goaltender who went 9-18-3 this season, could the Flyers actually make it beyond the first round, and in the process, provide us with more than just four games of playoff hockey?

Without any of the typical Philly bias that sneaks into these columns, the answer is a resounding yes!

I fully understand the Flyers barely made the playoffs, and that they have to face the Atlantic Division champions, but the Flyers can beat the Devils in a best-of-seven series. In fact, the Flyers won five out of the six meetings this season, including a 5-1 win over New Jersey on March 28, in which Brian Boucher stopped 32 out of 33 shots, and Martin Brodeur was pulled from the game after the second period.

While Brodeur is the best goalie in NHL history, the Flyers have gotten to him quite often this year. Despite his 2.24 goals against average (GAA) this season, Brodeur has been quite pedestrian against the Flyers, allowing 19 goals in six games.

I know that Boucher has a 2.76 GAA this season, and that I hold my breath every time he has to make a save, but he doesn’t have to outplay Brodeur by himself. With Chris Pronger, Matt Carle and Kimmo Timonen playing some of the best hockey of their careers, the Flyers’ defense can shield Boucher from needing to make the tough saves, which they have been able to do lately, as Boucher has held opponents to one goal or less in four of his last seven starts.

So how do the Flyers shut down the Devils’ offense? That task starts and ends with slowing Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk.

The Devils have a few players – Patrik Elias, Brian Rolston, and Dainius Zubris – who would worry me if it was 10 years ago, but only Kovalchuk and Parise need to be covered by the Pronger/Carle pairing, and hopefully the Flyers’ fourth line. Leading that fourth line is Blair Betts, who might have zeros on the stat sheet each game, but could be the difference in this series. If he can help hold Kovalchuk to a similar performance (1 goal, 1 assist) as the Rangers did in the 2007 playoffs, the Devils might not have enough scoring power to make even a stonewall performance by Brodeur matter.

On offense, Jeff Carter and his team-leading 33 goals are back in the lineup, and Simon Gagne, who I ripped two months ago for having just seven goals at the Olympic break, has scored 10 goals since then, and is playing excellent two-way hockey. While guys like Scott Hartnell, Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk are struggling this season, only the Capitals and Penguins scored more goals than the Flyers in the Eastern Conference.

Honestly, the Flyers may look like longshots, and according to some semi-illegal gambling Web sites, their 45-to-1 odds of winning the Stanley Cup are the second-worst of the 16 teams in the playoffs, but they might have all of the pieces necessary to make a run.

Their coach, Peter Laviolette, led the Carolina Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup and top-defenseman Chris Pronger always elevates his game this time of year, having led the eighth-seed Edmonton Oilers to the finals in 2006, and then winning the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007. If the Flyers can get anything out of guys like Giroux and van Riemsdyk, this could be a dangerous team for the next six weeks.

Or they could get shut down by the best goalie in NHL history and be sent packing very quickly, but I choose to think positively.

Prediction: Flyers in six, but be prepared for a 6-1 loss at some point this series, because that is how the Flyers have been this season. They can play excellent hockey, but when they come out flat, they are simply terrible. Thankfully, it rarely carries over into the next game.

Can the Phillies get back to the World Series?

2010-04-01T12:22:00.002-04:00

It has been five months since the Phillies fell to the Yankees in the World Series, and like most seasons, 2010 promises to be another reminder that pitching wins championships.

In 2007, the Phillies took advantage of the New York Mets’ historic collapse, but it was the trio of J.C. Romero, Tom Gordon and Brett Myers taking the ball nearly every day out of the bullpen for the entire month of September that willed the Phils into the playoffs for the first time since 1993.

In 2008, none of us will ever forget how brilliantly Cole Hamels pitched in the playoffs, going 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA, while Brad Lidge was as perfect as a closer could be, racking up 48 saves in 48 chances; a performance capped with a parade marching down Broad Street for the first time since 1983.

Then in 2009, despite the postseason dominance of Cliff Lee, the Phillies couldn’t come up with enough arms against the Yankees to make it a Philly repeat.

So in 2010, we all know that the Phils’ bats will keep them in the hunt, but do they have enough pitching to win in October?

I wish I could give a more definitive answer to this question, but in reality, I have no idea if they do, and I don’t think anyone could say “yes” or “no” with any certainty.

Right now, Roy Halladay is the undisputed ace of the starting rotation, but after Doc, the Phillies have some question marks.

Yes, Hamels, Joe Blanton (with Kyle Kendrick temporarily filling in due to injury), J.A. Happ and Jamie Moyer will round out the rotation, but other than Blanton’s league-average consistency, none of us can predict how the others will fare.

In the No. 2 spot in the rotation, the Phillies are counting on Hamels to shake off his disastrous 2009 campaign, in which he posted the worst ERA of his career during the regular season, and then an even worse 7.58 ERA in four playoff appearances.

It has been widely reported that Cole has been adding pitches to his repertoire, but will he actually use them during the season? I wondered last year why his curveball wasn’t used more when it was clear that his fastball was sitting at 90-mph instead of being the blazing 95-mph heater from 2008.

Hamels has always been about keeping hitters off balance with his devastating fastball-changeup combination, but when his fastball wasn’t there last year, his changeup no longer confused people, and he should have gone to his curveball to throw off hitters. Hopefully this year, Hamels will keep his composure and use some of Moyer’s teachings to get guys out when the going gets tough, instead of blaming fielders, umpires and the sun for his poor performance.

In the third spot in the rotation, we can pencil Blanton (after returning from the DL) in for an ERA of just north of 4.00, as he does seemingly every year.

Now it gets a little more dicey, as Happ, Moyer and Kendrick need to provide the Phillies with some consistency to make up for the potential of another down year from Hamels, but can they actually do it?

Since 2004, Moyer has turned in three seasons with ERAs over 4.50 and three seasons under 4.50, which means he could be awesome, as he was in 2008, or he could be bounced from the starting rotation for the second straight year.

Happ, who was very successful last season posting a 2.93 ERA, could solve the Phillies’ troubles by delivering a repeat performance and claiming the seat behind Halladay in the rotation, but like Kendrick from 2007 to 2008, he could be due for a sophomore slump if the National League’s hitters have figured out him out.

Moving to the bullpen, does anybody know if the Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde version will show up this year?

Due to injuries, Brad Lidge and J.C. Romero probably won’t head north with the Phillies. While I don’t worry about Romero’s ability to turn it on once he re-joins the big club, I am terrified to see what happens when Lidge walks through the bullpen door with a one-run lead in the bottom of the ninth.

Lidge was perfect in 2008, and had excellent seasons in 2004 and 2005, but in 2009 he was terrible, blowing 11 saves in 42 chances, posting a 7.21 ERA in the process. Last season, just like in 2006 and 2007, Lidge was not “lights out,” which is why I can’t chalk up his performance in 2009 to an injured knee. Combining the 11 blown saves and 11 homers allowed in 2009 with the 19 homers and 14 blown saves from 2006 and 2007, it would appear as though 2008 was anomaly, and not the norm.

So which bullpen will show up in 2010?

In reality, it all depends on which Lidge shows up. If he lives up to his “Lights Out” nickname and pitches close to his 2008 form, then Danys Baez, Ryan Madson and Romero can fill out the low-pressure innings in front of Lidge. If Lidge blows up like he has in three of the last four years, then everyone’s role changes, and suddenly the Phillies will need big leads and 120-pitch outings from their starters.

As always, the Phillies need 92 to 95 wins to make the playoffs, and I know that 20 will come from Halladay.

Can the rest of the staff come up with 75 more?

Pepper, Thomas and Sharper top free agency wish list

2010-03-04T13:11:00.002-05:00

Now that Sydney Crosby has ended our national sports interest, we can all return to rooting for the team closest to where we live, which means focusing on the Philadelphia Eagles as they spend the next few weeks frustrating their fans by not upgrading their roster through free agency in the name of rebuilding through the NFL Draft.

Usually the draft and free agency are seen as two separate entities, but with labor strife on the horizon, the NFL is heading into an uncapped year, which means the majority of available players are “restricted free agents” (RFA). These players, who would normally be free to sign with any team, are essentially being handed one-year contracts by their current team at a greatly reduced rate, with draft pick compensation attached to them based on the salary at which their contract is tendered.

If another team chooses to offer that player a contract, the original team can retain the player by matching the offer sheet, or they could choose to take the draft pick compensation from the new team. There are some unrestricted free agents (UFA), such as Julius Peppers, Darren Sharper, LaDainian Tomlinson and Brian Westbrook, but most are restricted.

So unless NFL Players Association Union President DeMaurice Smith realizes by March 5 that 200 very angry free agents are about to miss out on their chance at a huge payday, and then works out a way to extend the collective bargaining agreement, this could be the quietest free agency period since its inception, as many teams will be hesitant to give up as much as a first rounder and a third rounder to sign a player.

Based on all of this, it would seem as though the Eagles’ normal behavior regarding draft picks would say that Andy Reid’s gang of tightwads will be silent for the next seven weeks, but that probably won’t be the case, as several players could be signed with minimal compensation.

At some point this offseason – either through free agency or the draft – the Eagles need to address their issues at defensive end, linebacker, safety and running back.

While that may sound like a lot, it really isn’t because one of those players will be selected with the 24th pick in the draft (hopefully, Taylor Mays from USC), so here is a breakdown of who the Eagles should be calling at midnight tonight.

Defensive end: This list starts and ends with Julius Peppers. The 6-7, 283-pound defensive end has racked up 25 sacks in the last two years, and has reached double digits in six of his eight seasons. As an unrestricted free agent, Peppers would only cost the Eagles a large amount of money, but would leave their draft picks intact.

While the Eagles registered 44 sacks last year – 38 by the defensive line – it was clear that the line was worn down at the end of the season, and Trent Cole, who had 12.5 sacks last season, was beaten up from constant double-teams. With Peppers on the opposite side as Cole, offenses would have to use a running back and a tight end to block, making things a lot easier on the linebackers and secondary. Or, they could just use five guys to block and give Cole and Peppers free shots at the quarterback. Either scenario works for me.

Lesser options: Ray Edwards (RFA), Derrick Burgess (UFA), Elvis Dumervil (RFA)

Linebacker: A few weeks ago, I wrote that the Eagles’ eight linebackers combined for just 4.5 sacks, four interceptions and three forced fumbles, which means that upgrades are desperately needed for this group. Assuming Will Witherspoon and Stewart Bradley are starters next year, that leaves one open spot. That spot could be at any of the three positions because of the versatility of Bradley and Witherspoon, so the Eagles should just find the best linebacker available, regardless of whether he is listed as middle, strongside or weakside.

I’m going to assume that the Eagles are not willing to give up a first round pick to get someone like DeMeco Ryans from the Texans, but then again, why wouldn’t they? If Ryan is better than any player the Birds could draft in the latter part of the first round, why not take a 25-year-old who has made 519 tackles in his first four seasons, including 123 in 2009?

I honestly don’t think the Eagles are going to address this position through free agency because they technically did it at the trade deadline by bringing in Witherspoon, but it is nice to dream that they would go after Ryans.

Lesser Options: Keith Bulluck (UFA, but recovering from knee surgery), Scott Fujita (UFA)

Safety: Like at linebacker, the best players at safety received the top tenders, meaning the Eagles would have to abandon their draft plans to get someone like Nick Collins from the Packers, but if Darren Sharper remains unsigned by the New Orleans Saints, then the Eagles would be fools not to make a run at a player who actually could fill the shoes of Brian Dawkins. Sharper picked off nine passes last year (tying him for the NFL lead with Asante Samuel), and made 70 tackles for the Super Bowl champions. It will cost a lot of money in the short-term to snag the 34-year-old, but he clearly showed that he can still play, so it would be worth it to make a three-year commitment to add another playmaker to the defense.

Lesser Options: Antrel Rolle (soon-to-be released) Sean Jones (re-signing), Eric Smith (RFA)

Running Back: The Eagles obviously need to replace Brian Westbrook because Eldra Buckley is not going to be LeSean McCoy’s backup, however, running backs are easy to find in the middle rounds of the draft, so I wouldn’t expect a big splash at this position on March 5. However, if the Birds are seriously looking, then Pierre Thomas should be the focus.

The “PT Cruiser” would fit perfectly in the Birds’ offense, and would only cost the Eagles a second-round pick. At 210 pounds, Thomas would complement McCoy perfectly, just like he did in New Orleans with Reggie Bush. Thomas picked up 793 yards on the ground, averaging 5.4 yards-per-carry last year, but also hauled in 39 passes while excelling in the Saints’ screen plays.

Lesser Options: Thomas Jones (soon-to-be released), Jason Snelling (RFA), Michael Bush (trade with Oakland)

After breaking it down, the Eagles could be major players in free agency, but they will need to be aggressive to snatch up the unrestricted free agents, while saving their draft picks for a very talented crop of college players.

Leighton, salary cap could end Flyers' goalie carousel

2010-02-17T13:57:00.002-05:00

I remember thinking way back in the summer (those warm days without snow) that this would finally be the season that the Flyers did not have a goaltender controversy.

Well, like my Super Bowl prediction, I could not have been more wrong!

Two years ago, I wrote a column stating that three things happen on the Flyers’ roster every year around this time: a concussion knocks a star out of the lineup, a superstar is underachieving, and the backup goalie is doing far better than the starter. Luckily (of course I probably just jinxed it), no Flyer is working his way back from a concussion, but sadly, we do have a superstar going through a season-long slump and, of course, we have upheaval in the crease.

Right now, only Simon Gagne is mired in a deep slump, although I would like to see some more production out of guys like Scott Hartnell, Claude Giroux and James VanRiemsdyk. Despite being the third-highest paid forward on the roster, Gagne has provided the Flyers with just seven goals, which breaks down to a cost of $750,000 per goal scored so far this season.

I don’t know why a guy who scored 34 goals last year suddenly can’t seem to find the back of the net, but with a salary cap number of $5.25 million per year through next season, he better start scoring soon or will be forced to take a massive paycut in 2012.

While Gagne’s contract is essentially unmovable, the Flyers’ goaltender situation certainly is in limbo, so I will now attempt to break down the Flyers’ umpteenth consecutive year of goalie drama, caused this year by Ray Emery’s potentially season-ending injury.

First, a little background information.

Since the 1994-95 season, the Flyers have had 19 different goalies set up shop in the crease, eight different netminders have started a playoff game, and five times, a goalie started in the playoffs despite not leading the team in games played that season.

Back in January 2008, when Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki were battling for the temporary position of the Flyers’ top goalie, I compared those stunningly awful statistics to the New Jersey Devils, who won three Stanley Cups in the same time period while Martin Brodeur led the team in games played each year and was their only playoff goalie. In that same column, I wrote that the Flyers had the chance to end the “goalie carousel” by naming Niittymaki as the starter, and then sticking with him through the ups and downs.

Needless to say, Niittymaki did not get that chance, but is currently dominating for the Tampa Bay Lightning while Biron’s best work this year has come while playing for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League.

So now, in 2010, the Flyers have a chance to start fresh and end the carousel by naming Michael Leighton as the starting goalie for the rest of the year, and then for next season as well.

While former goalie coach Reggie Lemelin, who was fired after last season, ruined the form and confidence of every young goaltender the Flyers had during his 13 seasons with the club, new goalie coach Jeff Reese has actually fixed several flaws in Leighton’s style, turning him into the stonewall netminder that has led the Flyers to a 12-3-1 record as a starter in two stints as an injury replacement.

And yes, I am placing the blame for the last 13 years of goaltender instability on Lemelin’s shoulders, as we have watched Brian Boucher, Robert Esche, and Niittymaki all look like the goalie of the future, only to see them flame out soon after they began to take the lion’s share of the work in practice under Lemelin’s tutelage.

Despite all that, this could finally be the year that the Flyers begin to develop some consistency in the blue paint by sticking with Leighton instead of making a desperation move once the NHL’s roster freeze ends after the Winter Olympics.

It seems as though every other team nurtures their young goalie, giving them time to grow and develop without the fear of an overpriced, under-skilled veteran taking their job. If you don’t believe me, just sort this year’s goaltenders by save percentage and you will find that all of the top guys followed this path, including youngsters Tuukka Rask, Jimmy Howard and Antti Nemi, along with veterans Ryan Miller, Henrik Lundqvist, Evgeni Nabakov, and Miikka Kirpusoff.

Thankfully, I don’t think the Flyers have a choice in the matter this year, or surely General Manager Paul Holmgren would screw it up.

In Leighton’s 18 games this year with the Flyers, he has a 2.19 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage, which would both rank in the top six in the NHL for the season. However, based on nearly two decades of impulsive bad decisions, he will be the starting goalie for the rest of the season only because the Flyers don’t have the room under the salary cap to trade for Marty Turco (2.63/.915), Tim Thomas (2.52/.915), or J.S. Giguere (2.90/.907), who has already been traded to Toronto.

All season, Flyers fans (including me) have been groaning that a bunch of overpaid mistakes made by Holmgren have left the team with no cap space, but this year, that might be a blessing as it hopefully will result in the phones staying silent in the offices at the Wachovia Center and Leighton in net the rest of the season.

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Like the “On the Edge” column? 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.

Eagles defense needs more consistency

2010-02-01T11:57:00.003-05:00

After watching the first three rounds of the playoffs, it is pretty clear that the Eagles’ defense ranked near the bottom among the 12 playoff teams. In fact, out of those teams, the Birds were 11th in points allowed.

Of the teams that made it to the NFL’s version of the Final Four, the Eagles’ defense would have been shredded by all four of them, as Philadelphia struggled to stop the run, and showed throughout the season that they were susceptible to essentially all passing plays.

I understand that Defensive Coordinator Sean McDermott was thrown into a very tough position this year, replacing the late Jim Johnson, but he was certainly not up to the task of leading the defense for a Super Bowl contender.

Too many times this year, McDermott went into a game with a bad plan, which was especially clear against New Orleans, San Diego, Dallas and even Oakland.

Going by Jim Johnson’s belief that 17 points is the magic number for a defense, McDermott failed 11 out of 17 times this year. Johnson always said that if the defense surrenders 17 points or more, the blame should fall on the ‘D’ in a loss. Based on that premise, the Eagles’ offense bailed out the defense six times this year, while failing to back up a strong defensive effort just once (Oakland).

Based on those numbers, the Birds will need to improve both the roster and the game plans drastically, because in 2008, the defense failed only eight of 19 times, and in the process, the Eagles made it within a few minutes of the Super Bowl.

Here are my predictions and thoughts on the Eagles’ roster by position:

Defensive Line: This is one part of the defense that I thought pulled its weight, as linemen accounted for 38 of the 44 sacks this season. Trent Cole and Juqua Parker combined for 20.5 sacks this season off the edge, and Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley were forces up the middle. I really don’t have any complaints about this group, and I would love to see the same nine or 10 guys come back next year, which could happen. I imagine the Eagles will use a few late-round picks to push for the final spot in the rotation, but I wouldn’t expect big changes here.

Linebackers: Remember that statistic I just gave you about the Eagles’ linemen registering all but six sacks this year? That’s a good thing for the guys in the trenches, but it’s a terrible sign for the linebackers, who came up with just 4.5 sacks this season, and 1.5 of those sacks came in the first game of the season.

That means Chris Gocong, Akeem Jordan, Omar Gaither, Moise Fokou, Tracy White, Will Witherspoon, Jeremiah Trotter and Joe Mays combined for just three sacks in the final 15 games of the season! By the way, 22 linebackers had at least 4.5 sacks this season on their own in the NFL.

The lousy numbers don’t stop there. The linebackers combined for just three forced fumbles and four interceptions this year, giving the ever-changing middle group a total of 11.5 big plays this season. That’s less than three plays per month!

I know that people will point to Stewart Bradley’s injury as an excuse for this unit, but while he was a tackling machine in 2008, he only accounted for one interception, one sack and one forced fumble last year, so his presence would not have greatly altered those statistics.

It is pretty obvious the Eagles need to improve at the linebacker position. Hopefully, the front office will resist the urge to go with a combination of Bradley, Jordan, Witherspoon and Gocong, but I have a terrible feeling that is what will be on the field in September.

If I had my way, the Eagles would send Gocong and Gaither packing, replacing them with actual edge-rushers. It’s astounding that the Eagles can’t find someone to simply run around the edge on Cole’s side, forcing a left tackle to choose between allowing a defensive end or a linebacker to crush his quarterback.

The Eagles should spend their first round pick on a superstar outside linebacker like Navorro Bowman from Penn State or possibly wait until the second round and grab someone like Sean Weatherspoon or Eric Norwood if they decide that free safety is the top priority.

Honestly, I don’t really care who the Eagles draft at linebacker, just don’t give me a mid-round project pick from a small school like Gocong, Brian Smith or Matt McCoy.

Secondary: The Eagles obviously need a free safety to replace Brian Dawkins, as Macho Harris, Quintin Demps and Sean Jones did not adequately fill in for Weapon X in 2009. They need to draft a do-it-all safety, instead of playing mix-and-match with three guys.

Jones did a great job against the run, but was too slow in pass coverage. Demps can cover a slot receiver, but is too small to handle the run. Harris can’t do either, but does a superb job of picking up unnecessary roughness penalties.

The goal here should be to draft Taylor Mays out of USC in the first round. At 6-3, 236 pounds, Mays is described to have “top-end speed” by Scouts, Inc., and would certainly make a difference on run defense when the Eagles drop into their nickel package, unlike Harris or Demps. Mays played all four years at USC, registering 268 tackles, including 88 as a senior, and would immediately make this unit better.

At cornerback, we will have to accept that Asante Samuel will never tackle a player, but his NFL-leading nine interceptions do make up for his lack of physicality. Joselio Hanson is an excellent nickel corner, but Sheldon Brown needs to be replaced. He has never had good speed, but always had good instincts. For whatever reason, this year, Brown seemed susceptible to the double-move, so without “make up” speed, he was burned repeatedly, especially down the stretch.

My guess is that the Eagles will keep Brown because of his low salary, but bring in an Ellis Hobbs-type corner to play dime and occasionally on the outside.

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Like the “On the Edge” column? 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.

Will Eagles' offense look different next year?

2010-01-20T11:56:00.003-05:00

It has been more than a week since the Eagles’ season ended with back-to-back losses at the hands of the hated Dallas Cowboys, and while it was tough to even watch football last weekend, it did make me feel good to see the Cowboys get crushed.

After Dallas lost to Minnesota, I realized that the Eagles are not as far away from being an elite team as I had thought after losing by a combined 58-14 to the Cowboys. I think Dallas, and its 3-4 defense, along with its rare combination of having Pro Bowlers at tight end and wide receiver, gave the Eagles fits, but there is no way the Birds are 50 points worse than the Vikings.

But, just because the Eagles aren’t as bad as I thought, it doesn’t mean they don’t need to make some roster adjustments in the next three months.

This week, I will look at the moves needed to make the Eagles’ offense, which put up a franchise-record 429 points in 2009, a unit that cannot be stopped by simply blitzing and then bracketing the wide receivers after playing press coverage.

Here are my predictions and thoughts on the Eagles’ offense by position:

Quarterback: This is obviously the most contentious part of the roster, but it is pretty simple actually. Both Donovan McNabb, who will be in the Pro Bowl because either Brett Favre or Drew Brees will be playing in Super Bowl, and Kevin Kolb each have one year remaining on their contracts. Because of the franchise tag, the Eagles should not be in a rush to extend either player, and simply let McNabb prove he deserves an extension, or hand the keys over to Kolb if McNabb gets injured or shows that the offense isn’t working with him at the helm.

Regardless of what people say about McNabb, the Eagles did score the most points in franchise history, so he couldn’t have been that bad!

Regarding Michael Vick, the roster bonus he is set to receive in March should not force the Birds to trade him before they get what they are hoping for, and I would expect to see either the Raiders or Rams give the Eagles a second round pick for taking the one-year public relations hit attached to signing Vick during the preseason.

Running Back: Despite a case of fumblitis in the first round of the playoffs, Leonard Weaver was the best offseason pickup for the Birds, and deservedly made the Pro Bowl this year. More importantly, his 85 touches showed the Eagles that a big back can really move the chains. With Brian Westbrook looking into retirement (and probably wouldn’t be back anyway at a cost of more than $7 million), the Eagles will have an opening in the backfield.

While very explosive, LeSean McCoy is not a running back who can handle 20 carries per game, but then again, only three running backs in the NFL topped 20 carries per game (320 carries) this season, and only 12 running backs even topped 240 carries (15 per game).

That means the Eagles, who finally saw the benefits of having a powerful running back, will use Westbrook’s roster spot to sign or draft their first 230-pounder since Duce Staley for the tailback position.

We all saw how effective Weaver was this season, averaging 4.6 yards per carry, which was better than McCoy or Westbrook, but all of those yards occurred without a fullback in front of him because he was the fullback. Now imagine what would happen if the Eagles drafted a certain Heisman candidate from Stanford, and then put him behind Weaver. The Eagles would finally have a true running game.

I don’t actually know where the Eagles are going to get this power back because of the uncertainty regarding an uncapped season in 2010, which would cause numerous players to become restricted free agents, instead of unrestricted, but I would bet they get one to run behind Weaver.

Wide Receiver: I like the Eagles’ group of receivers, and so does the front office. The only change that I could see being made is replacing the oft-injured Kevin Curtis with a bigger target.

I can’t remember the last time the Eagles had four pass catchers – DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek, Jeremy Maclin and Jason Avant – who could top 100 yards in any game. That group combined for 10 100-yard games in 2009 and will only get better, as Avant is the old man of the group at just 26 years old.

Offensive Line: The offensive line was simply offensive this season. Last year, McNabb was sacked 23 times in 16 games, while this year, the “revamped” line allowed 38 sacks and was clearly a feast-or-famine unit.

It seemed like the line either played like garbage (see: Oakland, Dallas) or gave McNabb all the time in the world to throw a touchdown pass (see: New York, Atlanta, Tampa Bay).

In the offseason, the Eagles threw big-money deals at Stacy Andrews and Jason Peters, but neither player worked out. Both Andrews brothers saw about as much time as I did on the offensive line this year, and while Peters helped the ground game, he whiffed on defensive ends far too often to justify his mind-boggling Pro Bowl selection this season.

I don’t think the Eagles are going to cut either Andrews brother or Peters, but it was simply irresponsible to think that Stacy could be effective just nine months after tearing two ligaments in his knee. However, with another year of rehab and practice, Stacy could once again become the physical run blocker the Eagles hoped they were getting last February.

Now to the other Andrews. I can’t imagine the Eagles would cut Shawn after holding onto him all season, but they won’t count on him being one of the 10 linemen they plan to keep heading into the 2010 season. If he is healthy and wants to play, he could be an All-Pro tackle or guard on the right side, but anything they get out of him should be considered a bonus at this point.

It is obvious that improvements need to be made to the Eagles offensive line, but I would not expect the front office to make any moves except to bring in a few big bodies for depth purposes. My guess is that the front office hopes the rash of injuries that plagued the line will not occur in 2010, allowing the talented unit to develop some real chemistry.

Predictions for Sunday’s conference championship games: New Orleans erases years of “Aints” memories with a 37-24 win over the Vikings, while Peyton Manning continues to make his case for being called the greatest quarterback in NFL history as the Colts end the Jets’ Cinderella run with a 24-13 victory.

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Like the “On the Edge” column? 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. This week we will break down the NFL’s conference title games, and further our discussion on what the Eagles need to do this spring to improve their roster.

Loss shows Westbrook is gone, McDermott should be

2010-01-15T11:25:00.002-05:00

Thud!

That was the sound of the Eagles’ season crashing to halt at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys.

It was also the sound of Brian Westbrook’s time in Philadelphia coming to an abrupt end.

However, it apparently is not the sound of Donovan McNabb’s time in Philadelphia coming to an end.

While Andy Reid said that McNabb would be back as the starting quarterback of the Eagles, Westbrook received just one touch against the Cowboys on Saturday night, despite Leonard Weaver putting the ball on the ground twice in the second quarter. That should be a clear sign that Westbrook is not going to be back next year.

While Westbrook wasn’t able to make a difference in his final game for the Birds, Sean McDermott made the case that this should be his first and last playoff game as a defensive coordinator.

For the second week in a row, McDermott’s defense disappeared when they were needed most.

Last week, the Eagles rushed four linemen, yet played a completely passive pass defense. This week was a little different, as they blitzed far more often, yet at no point did McDermott realize that the Cowboys might make a few adjustments to slow down the amped-up pass rush.

How many times did the Cowboys run a simple screen pass or a draw play to pick up big yardage as the Eagles blitzed six or seven rushers? More importantly, why didn’t the Eagles think to do that as the Cowboys’ defenders surrounded McNabb on nearly every key play of the game?

I can’t believe I am writing this, but Wade Phillips out-coached Andy Reid, Sean McDermott and Marty Mornhinweg two weeks in a row. The Eagles did not have an answer for the Cowboys’ pass rush, ground game, or aerial attack, so the more complete team will be playing in the second round of the playoffs this weekend.

In the next few weeks, I will outline what steps I believe the Eagles need to take this offseason to improve this young roster, and make it the type of team that could beat any team in the NFL, not just the ones that were .500 or worse this year.

By the way, I am not sure if anyone noticed, but in a crazy coincidence, hockey season began in Philadelphia on the very same day that the Eagles’ season ended. The Flyers even won their “season opener,” 4-1, with the shockingly solid Michael Leighton between the pipes.

Quick thoughts and observations:

* Why can’t the Eagles run the ball? I doubt that the Birds will ever be a team that focuses on the run, but they have to at least make it easier for the passing game. After watching the first round of the playoffs, it is pretty clear that a team needs to be able to run the football to succeed, as the New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens and Cowboys all had rushers top 130 yards. Arizona was the only team to win last weekend without a running back reaching triple digits on the ground, but Beanie Wells came close, rushing for 93 yards on 14 carries.

However, in the last two weeks against the Cowboys, the Eagles’ running backs have combined for less than 70 yards total! That is simply unacceptable regardless of how talented DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin are at wide receiver.

* What happened to Sheldon Brown this season? We all know that he picked off five passes, which is a new career high, but he played like a Pop Warner kid the last few weeks of the season. Not only did he get repeatedly burned for touchdown passes since the game against Denver three weeks ago, the Cowboys must have seen something in their film sessions that showed them a weakness in his ability, because Miles Austin and Patrick Crayton had absolutely no problem making him look old and slow in the last two games.

In addition to being one of the main reasons the Eagles’ season ended, Brown practically handed Andy Reid and Joe Banner videotape evidence that he doesn’t deserve a new big-money deal this offseason, which he has craved for nearly a year. In the same three-week span, he also showed the NFL that switching to safety – the same career path that Troy Vincent took – was not an option, as Miles Austin blew right by Brown when he lined up at safety to help Asante Samuel contain Tony Romo’s new favorite wide receiver.

* How awesome was Arizona’s 51-45 overtime victory over Green Bay? That game could go down as the most exciting playoff game in history. Aaron Rodgers and Kurt Warner combined for 801 passing yards and 10 total touchdowns, but it took a defensive touchdown to decide the game, and catapult it passed the Eagles’ 58-37 victory over the Lions in 1995 for the most combined points in playoff history.

Predictions: Saints, Vikings, Ravens and Chargers advance.
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Like the “On the Edge” column? 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. This week we will discuss why the Eagles couldn’t solve the Cowboys this season, and take an early look at where the Eagles need to improve this spring.

Cowboys dominate Eagles as Westbrook hinders offense

2010-01-06T11:17:00.002-05:00

So much for being the hottest team in the NFL.

With an uninspired 24-0 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the Eagles squandered their chances at getting a week off and a guaranteed home playoff game. Instead, the Birds will head back to Dallas to face the NFL’s current hottest team in the first round of the playoffs.

So why did the Eagles go from a team riding a six-game winning streak to a team that couldn’t score a single point in a game that had serious playoff implications?

I am probably going to have a lot of people disagreeing with me, but the problem is Brian Westbrook.

I completely respect the fact that coming into this season, Westbrook was basically the only weapon the Eagles had on offense since Terrell Owens talked his way out of town, however, he is now preventing the Eagles from playing like the team that set the franchise record for points in a season.

In the seven games that Westbrook missed with a concussion, Leonard Weaver and LeSean McCoy combined to average just more than 20 carries per game, however against the Cowboys, each player received one carry.

Not using Weaver and McCoy would be fine if Westbrook had been playing well, but he ran the ball just five times for 17 yards, which means that the Eagles got almost no production from their backfield.

It would be easy to look at those numbers and say that Andy Reid reverted back to his stubborn, pass-happy ways, but I believe the problem is more complex than that.

Any year before 2009 (now 2010), Westbrook was a dangerous weapon, but despite being declared healthy, he is not as elusive out of the backfield as he was in previous seasons. Combine that with the idea that maybe Reid doesn’t trust Westbrook to run the ball without getting re-injured, and suddenly, a once explosive running back is actually the third best player at his position on the Birds’ roster.

The reason that the Eagles’ offense thrived when Westbrook was on the sidelines was that teams had to worry about the run and the pass, regardless of which running back was behind Donovan McNabb. This means the defense could never line up to defend just the pass or just the run, allowing the wide receivers more room to get open, while giving both Weaver and McCoy more lanes to run through.

With Westbrook in the game, the Eagles pass far more often to minimize his exposure to punishing hits, allowing defenses to drop extra men into coverage, which then limits DeSean Jackson’s ability to roam free.

If Westbrook isn’t as elusive as McCoy, and certainly can’t break tackles like Weaver, then why leave him in the game and make the offense one-dimensional?

I know that it is almost blasphemous to say that Westbrook makes the Eagles’ offense worse, but when was the last time you got excited to see the ball in 36’s hands?

Quick thoughts and observations:

* I don’t understand why Defensive Coordinator Sean McDermott decided to rush just four defensive linemen for most of the first half, but if that was the game plan, why did the Eagles’ cornerbacks play so far off of the Cowboys’ receivers?

If McDermott didn’t want to send extra players after Tony Romo, then he could have at least played bump-and-run on the outside to give the linemen a few more seconds to get to the quarterback. I think that is a lousy game plan to begin with, but it was made worse by playing a completely passive pass defense.

It is quite obvious that Romo, or any quarterback in the NFL, can pick apart a defense if he is given plenty of time, but don’t give the wide receivers seven yards before encountering a defensive player.

* Why was Jeremy Maclin returning kickoffs for the Eagles? He has had an excellent rookie season, hauling in 55 passes for 762 yards, but at less than 18 yards per return, the Eagles simply must use someone else back there.

Only twice during the shutout loss did the Eagles start with better field position than their own 20 yard line, which wasn’t entirely Maclin’s fault, but I think he has been far too timid on pass routes and on his returns to be even considered as a viable option.

If Quintin Demps is hurt, and Macho Harris is too careless with the ball, then give Eldra Buckley a shot back there, because field position is a vital piece of the puzzle during the playoffs.

* Anyone else think that Michael Vick is going to get 15 to 20 snaps this weekend? Reid spent the entire offseason working on “Wildcat” plays, yet we have only seen about three or four different plays with Vick on the field. I could be way off, but if there were any time to unleash (sorry for the terrible pun) Vick’s speed and natural ability, it would be against a team that just shut down every normal play in the playbook six days earlier.

Predictions: Eagles fix what went wrong in week 17 while Wade Phillips stands dumbfounded wondering why last week’s game plan doesn’t work for the second time in less than a week. Eagles win 23-17.

Green Bay, Cincinnati and Baltimore also advance to the second round of the playoffs.

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Like the “On the Edge” column? 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. This week we will focus on what the Eagles need to do to win their playoff battle with the Dallas Cowboys.

Phillies are NOT better after acquiring Halladay

2009-12-18T14:56:00.002-05:00

Winston Churchill once said, “There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction.”

The problem with the Phillies’ moves this offseason is that I really don’t know if their roster is changing in the right direction.

I like the idea of replacing Pedro Feliz with Placido Polanco at third base, but replacing Cliff Lee with Roy Halladay doesn’t do much for me. In fact, I believe that it makes the Phillies worse for both 2010 and the future.

For the last few days, you couldn’t watch TV, listen to the radio, go online or even walk down the street without hearing someone talking about the Phillies trading for the Toronto Blue Jays' ace.

It finally happened, except it happened five months too late.

Back in July, I wrote a column begging Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro, Jr., to trade for Roy Halladay. I wrote that it didn’t matter who we sent to Toronto, as long as Halladay was wearing red pinstripes. But when the Phillies downright stole Cliff Lee from the Cleveland Indians, I was pretty satisfied.

However, I didn’t realize that we could have had BOTH pitchers in red pinstripes for the 2009 playoff run.

As the trade deadline approached, everyone in the Phillies organization swore that Double-A pitching prospect Kyle Drabek was untouchable, which is why the trade talks with the Blue Jays broke down, causing Amaro to turn his attention to Lee.

Apparently Drabek lost that “untouchable” tag in the last few months, because he was included in the deal, making him no longer slated for a mid-2010 debut in the Phillies’ starting rotation.

Now I don’t know if the Blue Jays would have taken a package of Drabek, Michael Taylor and Travis d’Arnaud for Halladay back in July, but I don’t think even the staunchest New York Yankees fan could believe that the Phillies wouldn’t have won back-to-back World Series titles if Halladay and Lee were starting five of the seven games in the Fall Classic.

So why am I so pessimistic about the Phillies losing Cliff Lee – one of the top pitchers in baseball – but gaining Roy Halladay, who is the undisputed best pitcher in baseball? By the way, that claim does include the likes of Johan Santana and C.C. Sabathia.

It’s pretty simple. The reason the Phillies fell short in the World Series was that Lee couldn’t pitch every game. Cole Hamels, Pedro Martinez and Joe Blanton weren’t able to manage just one victory in four starts, which would have put the ball back in Lee’s left hand for game 7.

So in 2010, if the Phillies get back to the World Series, Halladay will not be able to pitch every game, which means Hamels, Blanton, J.A. Happ, Jamie Moyer, Pedro, or any other starting pitcher the Phillies can find, would still need to win one or two games in the Fall Classic.

I fully understand that the Phillies would have had absolutely nothing remaining in the minors for the next two or three years if they kept Lee for the 2010 season, but how could they not have paired Halladay and Lee for the 2009 stretch run? They still could have spent the offseason working to trade whoever wasn’t willing to sign a contract extension, but maybe they would have had enough money in the payroll to extend both pitchers if they had won a second World Series. Or they could have traded away Hamels to help alleviate the jump in payroll.

Right now, the Phillies still lose to the Yankees or the Red Sox in six games.

But that just makes their 2010 team the same as the 2009 team that fell just short, so why are they worse?

The fact remains, the Phillies don’t have a pitcher to win game 2 of the World Series, but that pitcher could have been Drabek. If the Phillies convinced Lee to stick around beyond 2010, which apparently he was quite willing to do, the Phillies would still have Drabek to replace Hamels as the ace of the future. Because they traded for Halladay, they don’t have Drabek waiting in the wings to step up.

At this point, the Phillies are hoping that Hamels can recover from whatever ailed him all of 2009, which somehow cost him four or five miles per hour off his fastball, making him go from devastatingly deceptive in the 2008 playoffs to completely hittable in the 2009 playoffs.

Don’t get me wrong, I am very thankful that the Phillies should be competitive for the next few seasons with Halladay locked up through 2013, but walk outside and ask a person wearing an Eagles jersey if they are content with all of the playoff appearances the Birds have made this decade.

I know that the Phillies won it all in 2008, and it is great that they have gotten to a point where the regular season is merely a formality, but falling just short will get old pretty quickly, especially knowing that Lee or Drabek would have been the difference between a parade in Philadelphia and a parade somewhere else.

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Like the "On the Edge" column? 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. We will be taking off for the holidays, but will be back in full swing in 2010, hopefully talking about the Eagles rolling through the playoffs.

Desperation filling the Wachovia Center

2009-12-09T12:27:00.002-05:00

While the Phillies fine-tune their roster, and the Eagles roll along despite a heaping pile of injuries, Philadelphia’s other two teams spent the last week trying to make themselves relevant in what has become a two-sport town.

The Flyers and Sixers both reached deep down into their “in case of emergency” bags, and pulled out plans that they hope will make people care about hockey and non-college basketball.

Enter a coaching change for the Flyers, and the return of Allen Iverson to the Wachovia Center for the 76ers.

Because the Sixers are destined to be mediocre in a league dominated by two-superstar teams, I’m going to begin by breaking down the Flyers’ troubles.

Right now, the Flyers sit at .500, despite this being one of the most talented teams in franchise history. The Flyers are tied for third/last place in the division, but right now they are on the outside looking in when examining the playoff picture two months into the season.

So, instead of telling their players to hustle and stop taking stupid penalties, the Flyers changed coaches, bringing in Peter Laviolette, who coached the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup in 2006.

Obviously, it was John Stevens’ fault that the Flyers average the most penalty minutes per game in the NHL this season. It couldn’t possibly have been the result of lazy play by supposed superstars Danny Briere and Mike Richards. Or the fact that nobody seems to work in the offensive zone, which resulted in a team that has more offensive weapons than any other team in the league scoring just seven goals in their last six games (before last night's six-goal outburst).

However, as much as I liked Stevens as the Flyers coach (Fun fact: Stevens’ tenure was the fourth-longest in franchise history, one game fewer than General Manager Paul Holmgren’s tenure as coach from 1988 to 1991, yet one game longer than Pat Quinn’s tenure from 1979 to 1982), I respect the idea that Laviolette is going to make the Flyers forecheck better and fight less.

Currently, only the Calgary Flames fight more often than the Flyers, but they have all-world goalie Miikka Kiprusoff to bail them out of trouble. The Flyers do not have someone nearly as talented as Kiprusoff to keep them afloat when Dan Carcillo decides to start punching a player before his gloves are dropped, resulting in nine minutes of power play time and three goals for the other team.

Honestly, I think Stevens was a great coach, but a new voice was needed to make up for several mistakes made by the front office in the last few years. It is a shame that a good person like Stevens has to take the fall for a front office that offered $52 million to Briere, which, because of the salary cap, forces them to put re-treads between the pipes.

By the way, Antero Niittymaki has a 2.24 GAA, with a .927 save percentage. Wouldn’t he look great in the crease right now?

This Flyers team is too talented to wallow at the bottom of the Eastern Conference for the rest of the season, so hopefully a coaching change will light a fire under Richards, Jeff Carter, Chris Pronger and the rest of this lazy team.

Switching gears to the NBA, the Sixers don’t have the talent to come back from a slow start, so their only goal is to entice more than 11,000 people to come to South Philly for a basketball game 32 more times this season.

In a conference where six teams – Cleveland, Boston, Orlando, Atlanta, Miami and Chicago – have two players that are better than anyone stepping on the court for the 76ers, Allen Iverson is merely a marketing ploy to make people waste their money at an NBA game, instead of investing it in a Phillies season-ticket package.

If there is another reason for this signing, I can’t see it.

I get that since the Sixers are not a contender for the NBA title, the bottom line is the most important thing, especially in a league that is losing money so quickly that reports had the NBA lining up $200 million in loans last year to help teams make it through the 2008-09 season.

So now, the Sixers, who fill the Wachovia Center approximately to 58 percent of its capacity, decided that money was more important than trying to develop their young talent.

The Sixers have a very young team, and one of their few veterans, Elton Brand, is complaining about coming off the bench, but the Sixers decided that they would bring in Iverson, who has never gotten along with any star player, and refused to come off the bench for Detroit and Memphis.

Iverson couldn’t get along with Jerry Stackhouse, Larry Hughes, Carmelo Anthony or anyone on the Pistons, and then retired because he wasn’t good enough to start for the Grizzlies, who at 8-12, have a better record than the 5-16 Sixers.

If you can tell me how signing A.I., and promising him a starting position will help the development of Thaddeus Young, Marreese Speights, Lou Williams or Jrue Holiday, then you are smarter than I am. How will Iverson throwing up a 6-for-21 night help them develop? He shot less than 40 percent from the floor in 26 out of 57 games last year, so unless the goal is to turn their youngsters into fantastic rebounders, this is a bad move.

All I see is the Sixers bringing in an aging, whiny player, who shoots 42 percent for his career, and managed to alienate every talented player and coach who ever stepped foot in the same arena as him.

This has disaster written all over it.

At least the Flyers can still turn their season around. The Sixers are simply sacrificing their chances next year for the opportunity to make a few extra dollars this year.

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Like the “On the Edge” column? Hear more of my opinions about Philly sports every Friday at 3:30 p.m. on WBCB 1490 AM during the Coffee with Kahuna show.

Eagles’ resiliency makes up for sloppy play

2009-12-02T13:45:00.002-05:00

The Eagles escaped from the Linc on Sunday afternoon with a victory despite curious coaching decisions and three more stars needing the help of their overworked trainers.

Beginning with Andy Reid’s decision to try an onside kick to start the game, finishing with DeSean Jackson and Brodrick Bunkley on the sidelines, and Brent Celek dropping three passes along the way, this game had loss written all over it. Then suddenly, Donovan McNabb, Jason Avant and LeSean McCoy decided that a loss to the lowly Redskins was not in the cards.

For the second week in a row, McNabb flawlessly executed a fourth quarter comeback victory to keep the Eagles in a wild-card spot, and just one game behind the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East.

I know that this was an ugly win, but regardless, it is still a win, and last year, this would have been a loss. In fact, last year, this game actually was a loss, as the Eagles squandered a golden opportunity, losing 10-3 to the Redskins in week 16.

However, lately, the Birds seem to have some fourth quarter magic, as they have scored 32 points in the final period in the last three weeks.

Against the Redskins, McNabb was 5-for-7 for 115 yards on the final two drives of the game, but the key to both drives, besides Avant’s fearless ability to go over the middle, was the running game. McCoy and Leonard Weaver combined for 41 yards on eight carries on those drives, which opened things up for a greatly depleted group of wide receivers.

Over the last two weeks, the Eagles have battled inconsistency and injuries, but at the end of the season, these comeback wins over the Redskins and Bears could be the difference between us fans watching football in January or ignoring football in January.

Quick thoughts and observations:

* After Asante Samuel’s interception late in the first half, the Eagles’ offense took over with 19 seconds left in the half, and was able to take the lead on a field goal. The amazing part of this situation is that Philadelphia had all three timeouts with 19 seconds left in the first half! I can’t remember the last time the Eagles went more than 29 minutes without using a timeout.

* Speaking of Samuel, I keep asking this, but I haven’t found an answer, so I’ll ask again: Why does Samuel play football if he doesn’t want to hit anyone? When Samuel goes for a tackle, he slaps at the player or simply falls down. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the two interceptions he had against the ‘Skins, but his “tackling” technique has already cost Philadelphia a victory against the Raiders, and I would bet that it is going to cost the Eagles in a big way at some point in December or January.

* The Redskins converted on eight of their first 12 third-down opportunities mostly because guys like Sheldon Brown and Macho Harris were nowhere near the wide receivers before the play. On 3rd-and-4, Brown should be at the line of scrimmage to play press coverage on Santana Moss, but for some reason, he was beyond the first-down marker, and Moss caught a slant for eight yards. If Philly is going to blitz against the Redskins’ sixth different offensive line combination of the season, everyone should know that the quarterback will take a three-step drop and quickly get rid of the ball before getting clobbered. If the defensive backs play press coverage, then the Eagles can get more sacks on third down, and actually get off the field. The exact same thing happened early in the second quarter on Moss’ four-yard touchdown reception. Harris and Jeremiah Trotter were both standing in the end zone, instead of playing closer to the line of scrimmage, so Moss split the two defenders on a quick slant route. Harris never made it out of the end zone to even attempt to cover Moss, who had his easiest six points of the season.

* While I seem to be ripping on the defensive backs a lot, I will commend them for being on the field more than usual, and not complaining about playing different positions. With Joselio Hanson (suspended) and Ellis Hobbs (injured reserve) not on the field, Quintin Mikell, Quintin Demps and Harris have been playing several different positions, including cornerback. The results have been mixed, but the more game-day repetitions they get at cornerback, the more Defensive Coordinator Sean McDermott can mix up his blitzes later in the season.

On Sunday, the Eagles will take on the Atlanta Falcons, who are trying to avoid falling out of contention for a playoff spot, but have announced they will be without their quarterback, Matt Ryan, who left last Sunday’s game with a toe injury.

Prediction: Eagles win the battle of the birds, 31-16.

Like the "On the Edge" column? 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.

McNabb backs up 'must win' talk

2009-11-24T15:41:00.002-05:00

The Eagles defeated the Chicago Bears in primetime on a fourth quarter comeback led by Donovan McNabb, but what happens now?

After McNabb declared the game against the Bears as a “must win,” where do the Eagles go from here? Strong safety Quintin Mikell seconded McNabb’s sentiments, but does this mean that every game through the end of the season is also a “must win” game?

McNabb’s play backed up his sense of urgency, but after all, there are six games left in the season, and the Eagles are in the exact same spot as when McNabb made his thoughts known. Dallas, New York and Green Bay all took care of business on Sunday, so the Eagles are still one game behind the Cowboys, and currently occupy one of the two wild card spots based on a head-to-head victory over the Giants and their superior conference record compared to the Packers.

In my opinion, it looks as though McNabb knows that this is the most talented offense he has ever worked with, but that everyone seemed to be on cruise control since giving a beatdown to the Giants at the Linc on Nov. 1.

McNabb’s comments during the week appeared to have fired everyone up, but isn’t it too early in the season to be playing mental games like this?

The Eagles still have a full slate of NFC East games, along with Atlanta, San Francisco and Denver remaining on the schedule. The latter three teams all lost on Sunday, while showing no defensive prowess, which plays right into the Eagles’ game plans, but they certainly won’t win out and roll into the playoffs with a 12-4 record.

So with that in mind, what happens in a few weeks when the Eagles throw a dud out there against an inferior team? How will McNabb fire up the youngsters in mid-December after declaring that a game in week 11 was a “must win,” and more importantly, why do NFL players need to be fired up? They only play 16 times per season, so you would think they would have the same intensity every week.

Nonetheless, the schedule looks pretty nice for the Eagles down the stretch, but they need to keep playing with a must-win attitude, regardless of whether or not McNabb comes out and says that is the case.

Quick thoughts and observations:

* Michael Vick actually did something! He has been a complete waste for most of the season, but on 3rd-and-1 in the first quarter, he came up with a huge 34-yard run, showing some of the pre-prison speed and elusiveness that the Eagles were hoping to see when they signed him in August. In the process, he eclipsed his entire season of rushing productivity on that play.

* With Brian Westbrook sidelined with another concussion, the Eagles used three different running backs against the Bears, all of whom were offseason acquisitions. I have to give Andy Reid credit for this, because there have been quite a few seasons that started with a backfield ill-equipped for handling injuries. The trio of LeSean McCoy, Leonard Weaver and Eldra Buckley combined for a touchdown and 120 yards of total offense against the Bears.

* The Eagles believe that they can throw anyone out there at middle linebacker, but Joe Mays played like a sixth-round draft pick, which should make us all wonder why he was given the first shot at replacing Stewart Bradley in training camp. Mays made just one tackle the entire game, and repeatedly looked to be out of position. Needless to say, the Eagles need Akeem Jordan back in the lineup as the calendar turns to December.

* I know that a lot has been made of the Eagles recent red-zone inefficiency, having kicked four field goals in the last two games, but they have been in the red zone eight times in the last two weeks. Looking at the bright side, they seem to have fixed their inability to sustain drives, and not rely solely on the big play to get them points. Against the Bears, the Eagles racked up 18 first downs, which shows that they are systematically moving the ball, and not waiting for DeSean Jackson to break one, although it certainly isn’t a bad thing when he does.

* The Dallas Cowboys lead the NFC East at 7-3, however, they have only scored 14 points in the last two weeks, after racking up 121 points in their previous four games. Despite their win over the pathetic Washington Redskins on Sunday, the Cowboys appear to have hit their December downturn a little early this year. Predicted finish for the Cowboys: 9-7.

This Sunday, the Eagles should be able to start a nice winning streak to end November, as the Redskins come to town.

Prediction: Eagles roll, 27-9.

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. This week, we will talk about the Eagles’ comeback victory, and discuss the early wheelings and dealings from free agency.

Phillies hot stove heating up

2009-11-18T13:26:00.003-05:00

It has been two weeks since the Phillies’ roster holes were exposed by the New York Yankees, so now begins the part of the year that keeps us glued to the Internet and sports-talk radio stations, because the hot stove is burning white hot around the winners of the National League pennant.

At this point, the Phillies could head in two possible directions with their offseason moves, because their core group of players is guaranteed to be here through 2011, with only Chase Utley, Cole Hamels, Brad Lidge and Carlos Ruiz extended through 2012 or beyond.

With that in mind, General Manager Ruben Amaro could make a flurry of one-year signings, designed to win in 2010, or he could make one or two big moves designed to start a new core group, which would eventually include Domonic Brown, Michael Taylor and Kyle Drabek, who are all tearing up the minors.

Looking at the roster as it currently stands, the Phillies’ starters are set basically everywhere except third base, but they will need to fill in at least one starting pitcher, two relievers, and probably two or three bench spots.

Here are my predictions for the Phillies’ moves this offseason:

Third Base: After saying goodbye, at least temporarily, to Pedro Feliz because his equipment bag includes only a glove, everyone is clamoring for the Phillies to sign Angels’ third baseman Chone Figgins. I would love to see Figgins’ 101 walks and .395 on-base percentage leading off for the Phillies, but unless they find an extra $50 million in a hidden account, he’s not coming here.

The most likely candidate to replace Feliz is former Penn quarterback Mark DeRosa, who could probably be signed for a maximum of three years/$18 million. The only problem with DeRosa is that he struggled last year, hitting just .250 after three consecutive years of .285 or better. If the Phillies sign DeRosa, they will be hoping that he can bring his batting average back up toward .300, and that his power sticks around, because despite hitting 44 homers in the last two years, he only smashed 48 bombs in the previous seven seasons combined.

Wish List: Figgins. Best Guess: DeRosa, with the slight chance that the Phillies believe that Adrian Beltre’s stunning drop-off in power is not a chemical issue.

Starting pitching: With Cliff Lee, Hamels, Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ occupying four spots in the rotation, the Phillies need to decide whether Jamie Moyer can be trusted in the final slot, or if they should release the suddenly not-so-ageless wonder.

Moyer was dumped from the rotation in August, after seeing his ERA, hits per nine innings and home runs allowed all skyrocket compared to his 2008 revival. He succeeded in 2008 by giving up his fewest home runs since 2003, but in 2009, Moyer gave up seven more homers in 34 fewer innings, and saw his ERA jump from 3.71 to 4.94.

It would be great if the Phillies made a big splash and signed Ben Sheets or Rich Harden, because despite their injury history, those are the best bang-for-your-buck guys available. However, the most likely option remains Moyer, or even Kyle Kendrick, who, with new pitches at his disposal, posted a 3.42 ERA in 26 1/3 innings last year.

Wish List: Harden or Sheets. Best Guess: Moyer or Kendrick. Wild Cards: Kyle Drabek and Antonio Bastardo.

Bullpen: The Phillies usually carry either seven or eight relievers, with one or two more stashed on the disabled list or in Lehigh Valley, so after accounting for Lidge, Ryan Madson, Chad Durbin and J.C. Romero, there are four spots open in the bullpen. Scott Eyre and Chan Ho Park, who are both Type B free agents, should return, meaning Clay Condrey will be back with the Phillies only if two relievers aren’t signed.

If the Phillies open up the check book this offseason, they could find themselves with Jose Valverde or Rafael Soriano to play setup man for Brad Lidge, but more importantly prepare for another disaster season from “Lights On” Lidge. Both Soriano and Valverde are proven closers, who posted ERAs under 3.00, while striking out more than one batter per inning in 2009, and would look great mowing down hitters at Citizens Bank Park.

Wish List: Soriano. Best Guess: Fernando Rodney. Wild Card: Scott Mathieson.

Bench: To steal a phrase from Dr. Seuss, the three words that best describe the Phillies’ bench in 2009 are: “stink, stank, stunk.” Matt Stairs will probably take his seemingly 0-for-2009 elsewhere, and Eric Bruntlett will not be offered arbitration. That leaves Ben Francisco for defense, Greg Dobbs as the lefty, and Paul Bako or some other nondescript catcher.

For the final two spots, the Phillies should bring up John Mayberry, Jr., for right-handed power, and sign Mark Loretta to give Ryan Howard a break against tough lefties. Last season, Howard hit .320 against righties, with 39 homers and 108 RBIs, but against lefties, he hit, and I use that term loosely, .207 with 6 homers and 33 RBIs, while striking out 83 times in 222 at-bats.

Wouldn’t it be great to see Howard hit well for a few days against righties, and then get a quick rest so that a four-strikeout night against a lefty doesn’t cause him to go into a three-week slump?

Loretta is a .306 hitter against lefties in his career, and could easily hit seventh in the lineup, allowing Jayson Werth, who hit 46 points higher and homers nearly twice as often against lefties, to bat cleanup once or twice per week.

Wish List: Loretta. Best Guess: Jerry Hairston, Jr.

It would be great if the Phillies added guys like Figgins and Soriano this offseason to make sure that they stay strong when the contracts of Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez expire after the 2011 season, but that would mean a huge jump in payroll for the next two years. I think they will opt for the lesser options in each scenario, while relying on Utley, Howard, and Rollins to get them another parade before 2012.

EDITOR'S NOTE: As the author of this article, I sincerely apologize if I offended Domonic Brown. The NFP (Not For Print) note was obviously not meant for publication, but was inserted so the editor would not change the spelling of his name. Nevertheless, it was a bad joke made worse by the poor judgment of placing the note in the run of the story. The only idiot in this case is me.

***

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. This week, we will talk about whether Brian Westbrook should be shut down for the season, and discuss the very latest hot stove rumors and reports.

Time for World Series Reflection...

2009-11-09T17:12:00.001-05:00

I had to let this loss settle before I could write coherently about the Phillies squandering their chance at repeating as "World Champions of Baseball."

After the loss on Wednesday night, I had so many thoughts running through my mind, but two of them stuck out from the jumble in my head.

My first thought was that this loss didn't cause the pain and agony that I expected to feel after Shane Victorino's ground ball was gobbled up by Robinson Cano.

If the dream season of 2008 had not occurred, my column and blog would be appropriately titled right now, but it has only been 53 weeks since I stood in section 428 and watched the Phillies celebrate the first Philadelphia championship in my lifetime.Even after losing to the Yankees, I am confident the Phillies will be back for more next season, and that it won't be too long before we are standing along Broad Street for another championship parade. I won't say it will happen in 2010, but it won't be another 25-year wait.

My second thought was that while these Phillies had many of the same players from last year, they were not nearly as good as the 2008 Phillies.

Baseball, like all sports, is a game of inches, and this year, those inches went against the Phillies.

Last year, Jayson Werth's blooper fell between Tampa Bay second baseman Akinori Iwamura's body and glove, allowing Geoff Jenkins to score in the sixth inning of game 5, part II.This year, a few inches allowed Alex Rodriguez to circle the bases in game 3 of the World Series, causing Cole Hamels to mentally shut down. In game 4, if Brad Lidge's slider was an inch lower, Johnny Damon strikes out in the ninth inning, instead of sparking a game-winning rally. And if Shane Victorino catches Derek Jeter's line drive in the third inning of game 6, Pedro gets out of trouble, instead of putting the Phillies in a deep hole.

That was the story of these Phillies.

Last year, the inches went our way because all 25 players had heart and were determined to win it all. This year, it seemed like Chase Utley, Carlos Ruiz and Cliff Lee were the only players who showed up for the World Series, and it was evident in each of the four losses to the Yankees.

While you could argue that each of those plays was a freak occurrence that just went the wrong way for the Phillies, I believe that when you are the more talented team, you make your own luck. However, this series showed that these Phillies were not the more talented team. They certainly weren’t as determined as last year’s world champions.

In the 2009 World Series, the Yankees seemed to use pretty much every player on their 25-man roster, and for the most part, they came through.For the Phillies, it was the opposite.Last year's team had 25 guys who could all be counted on to make a positive contribution to the title run, with the possible exception of So Taguchi. This year, the Phillies roster was made up of the same top players, but quite a few useless bodies at the bottom of that list.

For the life of me, I can't figure out what was the purpose of having Brett Myers, J.A. Happ, Paul Bako, Eric Bruntlett, and Greg Dobbs on the roster. Throw in the ineffectiveness of Pedro Feliz, Matt Stairs and Ben Francisco, and you have one-third of the roster with either no role or no ability to contribute.

If Charlie Manuel didn't have faith in Myers out of the bullpen, either because of injury or general dislike for him, then why have him on the roster?

If Matt Stairs was going to be the lefty off the bench regardless of the situation, why have Dobbs sitting there?

While it was obvious that Bruntlett and Bako had no chance of seeing the field, Happ could have been a solid contributor. Instead of remembering that he was the Phillies' best starting pitcher for about three months this season, the Phillies tried to turn him into J.C. Romero's injury replacement, which everyone could see was a disaster waiting to happen, and resulted in a 5.68 ERA for a guy who had a 2.99 ERA as a starter during the season.

For guys like Feliz and Stairs, they wouldn't recognize the guys who played key roles in last year's title run, and while Jenkins doubled off the wall in last year's clincher, Francisco went 0-for-3, with two strikeouts, to help bring about the Yankees' celebration.

Despite the loss, life goes on, and the days that have since past have been pretty nice. (I even got to put the top down on my car a few times.)

And anyway, the Eagles and Flyers have some talented young players, right?

***

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. This week, we will talk about the Eagles' cross-country trip to San Diego, along with some Flyers and Sixers talk.

Eagles take control of the NFC East ... for now

2009-11-04T13:28:00.000-05:00

Well one Philadelphia team handled its business on Sunday, Nov. 1, but sadly it wasn’t the Phillies.

Because Cliff Lee and Chase Utley managed to send the World Series back to New York with an 8-6 win over the Yankees in game 5 on Monday, this column will focus on the first place Philadelphia Eagles, and their 40-17 pounding of the Giants.

Coming into this game, each team needed to come away with a victory to show that they were for real, as both had suffered bad losses at the hands of the New Orleans Saints, and most of their wins were against the NFL’s version of Division II football teams.

Three hours later, the Eagles had shown they were for real, despite a lifeless loss to the Oakland Raiders two weeks earlier, and the Giants were left scratching their heads as they stumbled to a third loss in a row.

The Eagles, despite playing without Brian Westbrook, looked like the explosive offense that we all envisioned before the season. Donovan McNabb tossed three touchdown passes, and behind a healthy (finally!) offensive line, had enough time to draw up new plays while waiting for his receivers to get open.

While DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek are doing a great job of getting open for Donovan McNabb, the offensive line is finally starting to gel, which will be the single most important factor in the Eagles’ success this year.

Now that Todd Herremans and Stacy Andrews have gotten healthy on the offensive line, McNabb will be able to go through his progressions and find the open man among all of the weapons at his disposal.

For this reason, the Eagles’ terrible loss to the Raiders can be forgotten, because they were playing with three backups on the line, and McNabb was running for his life. Now, completely healthy, McNabb had plenty of time to pass, despite squaring off against the talented defensive line of the Giants.The offensive line even managed to open up big holes in the running game, as Leonard Weaver and LeSean McCoy scampered for touchdown runs of 41 and 66 yards, respectively.

As the Eagles ride a two-game winning streak into a showdown with the Dallas Cowboys, the Giants are headed in the wrong direction, having lost three in a row since starting the season with five consecutive victories. The schedule won’t provide the Giants with any breaks, as their next three games are against San Diego, Atlanta and Denver, who have combined for a 14-7 record.

The Giants’ problems this season are completely related to turnovers. The defense isn’t causing them, and the offense is giving up too many.On defense, the Giants forced six turnovers in their games against Dallas and Oakland, but in the other seven games, they have managed just nine turnovers in their other six games.

By not forcing more turnovers, and giving up big plays, including three plays of more than 40 yards against the Eagles, the Giants are forcing Eli Manning to lead the offense on longer drives, instead of just managing the game.

With more pressure on Eli’s shoulders, he has reverted back into the turnover machine from early in his career. He started the season with 10 touchdown passes and only two interceptions in his first five games. However, in his last three games, he has tossed just three touchdowns, but threw six interceptions, giving him eight on the season in eight games, and now 82 throws to the wrong team in 81 career games.

He has also completed less than 50 percent of his passes in the last three games, so I don’t know whether teams have figured out how to stop his wide receivers or if he is reverting back to his former self. Whatever the problem is, he needs to correct it because the Giants could be 6-5 or worse at the end of November if he continues playing this way.

As the Giants search for answers, the Eagles are tied for first place right now, but they need to continue this strong play on Sunday, when the Cowboys come to town, or else they could find themselves in third place on Monday morning, with a new set of questions to answer.

Prediction: Eagles win with a late touchdown, 27-20, and improve to 3-0 in the NFC East.

***
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. This week, we will recap the World Series, and preview the Eagles’ Sunday night battle with the Cowboys.

Fightins ready to fight back in game 5

2009-11-02T19:31:00.004-05:00

I know that the situation is dire after game four, but the Phillies path to a repeat title is not as bad as it seems.
If Cliff Lee can pull out a victory tonight over A.J. Burnett, who is starting on short rest, then Pedro Martinez would head back to the mound in the Bronx to face Andy Pettitte, who would also be on short rest.
So far in the playoffs, Lee has given up just two earned runs in 33 1/3 innings, so a victory tonight would not be unexpected. On the other hand, Burnett is 4-0 in four starts on three days rest in his career. However, while Burnett pitched lights out baseball in game 2, he is the same pitcher who walked more than four batters per nine innings during the season, and had struggled in the playoffs before the World Series.
After tonight, the Phillies would send Pedro to the hill, and he pitched better in game 2 than Pettitte did in game 3 on full rest.
In game 7, the Phillies could send Hamels to the mound, or they could go with an "All Star game" pitching setup, and send guys like J.A. Happ, Lee, Chad Durbin, Chan Ho Park, Brett Myers, Scott Eyre and Ryan Madson out there for an inning or two at a time against Sabathia, who would be starting his third game in nine days. With some planning, the Phillies could send a fresh pitcher to the mound to face Johnny Damon, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez each time that part of the lineup was due up.
Remember, tonight is why the Phillies traded for Lee, and Wednesday would be the night that Pedro was destined to pitch when he signed with the Phillies.
I know that the bats have been struggling, but there is still time to step up, especially for Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez, who have struggled against lefties all series, but now get to face a hard-throwing right hander.
The odds are against the Phillies, as only six teams have ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in World Series history, but Lee can get the ball rolling tonight.
One game at a time, the Phillies can still win the 2009 World Series.
Prediction: Phillies win 5-2 and send this series back to the Bronx.

Fightin' Phils vs. the Evil Empire

2009-10-28T12:29:00.001-04:00

If you listen to the national media, you might not know it, but our Philadelphia Phillies are the defending World Series champions, and despite what you may have heard, the New York Yankees have not dethroned our Fightins.

And they won’t dethrone our Fightins.

If this were 1999, I would be worried about the Phillies having to face the Yankees in the World Series. Those Yankees had won two of the last three World Series titles, and seemingly could pull October victories out of thin air.

Luckily for us, it is 2009, not 1999.

There isn’t a “Yankee mystique” for the Phillies to worry about.Our Phillies won’t have to play at “The House That Ruth Built,” which was the home of 26 World Series champions. They will play games 1 and 2 at “The House That Steinbrenner Bought,” which is home to none of that storied history in the Fall Classic.

In fact, right now, the Phillies are the team with postseason mystique on its side.Nineteen Phillies know how it feels to be called “World Champions of Baseball,” while just five Yankees have won World Series rings, and four of those—Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada—are holdovers from New York’s success in the late 90s. The rest of the Bronx Bombers, such as Alex Rodriguez, C.C. Sabathia, and Hideki Matsui, have only known failure in the postseason.While there is no mystique about these Yankees, they are a good team.However, they aren’t the best team in the World Series this year.

We know that both of these squads can hit, as the Phils and the Bombers each led their league in runs scored during the regular season, so this series will come down to pitching, which is where Philadelphia has an edge, despite what everyone else tells you.

Yes, Rivera is the best closer in baseball history, but he can be beaten. While he has the most saves in postseason history (Fun fact: Brad Lidge is second), and sports a miniscule 0.77 career ERA this time of year, he also has a few of the biggest blown saves in postseason history.If you think the Phillies’ hitters don’t stand a chance against Rivera, I will kindly ask you to check out how the Yankees’ seasons ended in 2001 and 2004. After that little history lesson, go ask Huston Street and Jonathan Broxton about how tough the ninth innings are when trying to close out the Fightins.

I won’t try to fool myself into thinking that Lidge is better than Rivera at closer, but for the first eight innings, the Phillies hurlers have the upper-hand.

Everywhere you turn, someone on television will tell you about how great Sabathia has been for the Yankees, but do you know who has been better? Cliff Lee.

While Sabathia has struggled against the Phillies in his last three starts, giving up 12 runs in 17 2/3 innings (6.11 ERA), you know who is 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA over the last two seasons against the Yankees? Cliff Lee.

Do you know who has a better ERA, more complete games and more shutouts than Sabathia this season? You guessed it; it’s Lee.

As for the rest of the starting rotations, I would take Pedro Martinez, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton over A.J. Burnett and Pettitte, especially once the Yankees’ trio begins pitching on short rest because they don’t have a fourth starter.

While Sabathia has been a workhorse, both Burnett and Pettitte have trouble going deep into games, averaging just over six innings per start, while allowing too many baserunners. The pair comes into the postseason with WHIPs of 1.40 and 1.38, respectively, with Burnett allowing 4.22 walks per nine innings, and Pettitte surrendering 3.53 BB/9.

From the National League dugout, none of the Phillies’ starters allow free passes at nearly this rate, which should concern Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

This means that the Phils need to continue their patience at the plate, and as long as they don’t go into a prolonged slump with runners in scoring position, neither pitcher should give the Phillies’ hitters a problem.

Moving to the bullpen, while J.A. Happ, Chan Ho Park, Ryan Madson and Chad Durbin all could pitch more than one inning regardless of the batters due up, the Yankees middle relief is completely a mix-and-match unit. Phil Coke and Damaso Marte have each pitched in four games and logged just 1 1/3 innings pitched this postseason. Joba Chamberlain, despite all of the hype, has recorded just eight outs in six appearances out of the bullpen.

At this point, Girardi only has four pitchers that he trusts to send to the mound, and other than Rivera, none are worthy of being feared.

After all of this analysis, I can find plenty of reasons for the Phillies to repeat, and if I wanted to, I could use the same set of statistics to show why the Yankees could win their 27th World Series title.

At this point, the Phillies need to keep playing like champions, while getting contributions from the entire lineup. Do that and they should win.

Regardless of all the hype, this year’s World Series promises to be much more competitive than last year’s, and hopefully we will be attending a parade late next week.

Prediction: This series will go six games, but “New York, New York” won’t be the Frank Sinatra tune playing after the final out.

***
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. This week, we will discuss the first two World Series games, and preview the NFL’s version of the Philadelphia/New York rivalry.

Eagles unravel against the Raiders

2009-10-21T11:13:00.001-04:00

Trap game.

When the Eagles finished bumbling around in the Black Hole of the Raider nation, it provided credence to the term “trap game,” because there was no reason that this Eagles team should ever lose to a team led by JaMarcus Russell.

However, after watching that debacle, I am scratching my head about how much trouble the Birds might be in for because the Raiders basically just drew up the blueprints for how to beat the Eagles.I know that the Eagles’ defense only gave up 13 points, but that is because Russell is the worst quarterback in the NFL, not because they actually played well.

At this point, it is pretty much a certainty that the Eagles will allow the opposing tight end to have a career day, and Raiders tight end Zach Miller was no exception. Miller caught six passes for 139 yards and a touchdown, which accounted for more than 62 percent of Russell’s passing yards for the game. That comes a week after Kellen Winslow caught nine passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns in the Eagles’ 33-14 victory over Tampa Bay.

When tight ends are shredding your defense, it means you have problems at linebacker, which is something I have been complaining about since February!However, the linebackers didn’t merely turn in an epic failure trying to cover Miller, it looked like they had never witnessed a play-action pass before.

How many times could the Raiders fake a handoff to the left, only to roll back to the right and pass to the fullback in the flat? Apparently, it was at least five times because Raiders fullback Gary Russell caught five passes for 55 yards, including a 13-yard reception on 3rd-and-10 with less than two minutes remaining to essentially end the game. On that type of play, at least one player needs to stay at home, instead of chasing the potential running play to the left side.

After watching the linebackers provide almost nothing in terms of big plays last year, I assumed that they could at least be in the vicinity of a pass-catcher, but after watching this game, I don’t even think that is possible, especially with Jeremiah Trotter and his 75-year-old legs slowly grazing around the field.

While I’m ripping on the defense, I have to ask a rhetorical question: “Why is Asante Samuel in the NFL if he is afraid of contact?”

If you watch highlights from this season, you will see that Samuel has four interceptions, but only 14 tackles. That is because his tackling technique is to merely fall down and then pray that his shoulder hits the lower leg of the ball-carrier. You will also notice that every time this technique fails, he stays down for a few seconds to make it seem like he really tried to come up with the tackle, but injury prevented him from making the stop.

I haven’t seen a player more afraid of contact since Deion Sanders and his patented “slap fight” tackling technique. If I were an offensive coordinator, I would call running plays that went directly at Samuel until he was taken off the field, and then I would throw the ball at his replacement, Ellis Hobbs, and the Eagles’ defense would be burnt like toast.

Switching to the other side of the ball, the supposed depth on the offensive line, which the Eagles bragged about during preseason, was proven to be a complete sham this week.

When Jason Peters left in the first quarter because of a knee injury, the Eagles surrounded center Jamaal Jackson with four backups. As a result, Donovan McNabb spent the rest of the afternoon running for his life, while making errant throws that most likely were dropped if they actually managed to reach the receiver.

Using King Dunlap, Nick Cole (who I am still very high on), Max Jean-Gilles and Winston Justice on the offensive line, McNabb was hurried 18 times, hit 15 times, and sacked six times by a Raiders defensive that managed just nine sacks in its first five games.

I don’t know how the Eagles can fix this mess in the trenches, but it looks as if Peters will be healthy enough to play left tackle on Monday night, and hopefully Todd Herremans will return from injury as well. The real mystery is why Jean-Gilles is playing in place of Stacy Andrews. It would be nice to see Andrews get healthy and bring some stability to the right side of the offensive line.

Now if only someone in the front office would pick up the phone to bring back Jon Runyan, because I can’t imagine what New York’s front seven will do to this pathetic group of linemen in two weeks.

Prediction for the Eagles’ Monday night game with the Washington Redskins: Eagles win 16-12, in a typical Eagles/Redskins ugly battle.

***
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. This week, we will discuss the Eagles’ first divisional game against the Redskins, and hopefully be rejoicing about the Phillies making a repeat appearance in the World Series.

Lidge slams the door on Colorado; Phils head to L.A.

2009-10-15T10:44:00.002-04:00

“Don’t change horses in the middle of a race.”

“Dance with the one you came with.”

No matter what cliché you want to use, Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel probably has heard it before during his four decades of baseball experience, and in the National League Division Series, he looked like a genius by following those simple clichés about loyalty.

Heading into the playoffs, nobody, probably including Manuel, knew how the Phillies’ bullpen would perform against the Colorado Rockies, let alone who would be getting the call each time he made a pitching change.

Apparently, the one thing he was certain about was that if the situation presented itself, the Phillies’ playoff hopes would be placed in the shaky hands of Brad Lidge.

Throughout the season, Manuel kept telling everyone who would listen that Lidge was his closer and the coaching staff would work with the reliever until he regained his form from 2008.

He wasn’t joking.

Despite blowing a Major League worst 11 saves, Lidge was handed the ball in the ninth inning of both the third and fourth games of the NLDS, and he rewarded Manuel’s loyalty with two saves and a trip to Los Angeles for a date with the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.

Two years ago, I remember writing about how the 2007 Phillies battled back to win the division, much like the Cleveland Indians from “Major League.” In the NLDS, it was time for the sequel, “Major League 2,” as Lidge played the role of Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn, struggling all season to recapture his success from the previous year, but coming through in the playoffs.

The biggest problem for Lidge this season was his inability to throw strikes, but in Colorado, his slider was finally breaking at the right time, and his fastball wasn’t tailing away.

I don’t know if he is finally healthy, or has figured out how to pitch successfully despite his injured knee. While Lidge continues on the path of returning to 2008 form, the rest of the bullpen remains a mystery.

Luckily for Manuel, Cliff Lee tossed a complete game in the series opener, but in game two, it was clear that Manuel didn’t really trust anyone in his bullpen, or else starting pitchers Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ would not have been called in for middle relief duty.

It appeared that Manuel may have trusted Ryan Madson, or at least considered him the lesser of all evils. Madson rewarded Manuel’s faith by giving up leads in both games three and four, proving, yet again, that while he may be the most talented pitcher on the staff, he crumbles when put in a pressure situation.

Madson blew six save opportunities during the regular season because he will look sharp, but then inexplicably miss his spots at the worst possible time, just like he did on Sunday and Monday. (For proof, check out highlights from his blown save against Baltimore back in June. Carlos Ruiz wanted the pitch low and inside against Brian Roberts, but Madson left the ball right over the plate, about belt-high, and it was next seen entering the stands in right field. The same thing happened earlier that week when former Phillie Rod Barajas crushed a ninth-inning homer to centerfield.)

With Madson struggling, and with Brett Myers’ health and effectiveness still an uncertainty, the Phillies will have to get through the late innings by using only Scott Eyre, Antonio Bastardo, and Lidge, along with the inconsistent Chad Durbin as a situational righty. In the middle innings, keep expecting to see Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ, because Manuel doesn’t have enough other options to get the ball to the suddenly stable Lidge.

***

Quick thoughts from the division series round:

* No wonder the national media thinks the National League is inferior to the American League. Vicente Padilla and John Smoltz both were released by American League teams this season, but wound up throwing a combined nine innings in the deciding game of the Cardinals/Dodgers series. In fact, Padilla threw seven scoreless innings for the Dodgers, just two months after the Texas Rangers, who were starved for pitching while fighting for a Wild Card spot, sent him packing.

* How great will it be to watch the NLCS without having to listen to Fox announcer Joe Buck gushing about how awesome Manny Ramirez is? It was torture last year to hear Buck say how the Dodgers would battle back every time the Phillies scored.

* What has gotten into C.C. Sabathia and Alex Rodriguez? These two serial October choke-artists must have turned back their mental calendars to May, because both Yankees shined against the Twins. Sabathia entered this year’s playoffs 2-3, with a 6.25 ERA in postseason play, but gave up just one earned run in 6 2/3 innings against the Twins. Rodriguez, whose playoff struggles have been well chronicled, seems to be on his way to erasing his October demons, hitting .455 with two homers in three games against the Twins.

Prediction: Phillies in 6, setting up a battle with the Yankees, although I would prefer to face the Angels.

Phillies playoff preview!

2009-10-07T10:22:00.001-04:00

I know that if I really analyze the Phillies’ statistics this year, there would be a lot to be concerned about heading into the National League Division Series battle with the Colorado Rockies.

However, I am going to look on the bright side, and remember that the Phillies are the defending World Series champions, and haven’t let me down in exactly two years - coincidentally against the Colorado Rockies in the National League Division Series.

Yes, I could choose to look at the fact that Brad Lidge has blown 11 saves this year. Also, the fact that Ryan Madson has blown six saves while filling in for Lidge does not inspire confidence. In contrast, Huston Street has saved 35 games for the Rockies, blowing just two save opportunities all season. Before even getting to Lidge or Madson, the Phillies will be without J.C. Romero, who was dominant last season in the playoffs, and would be the first man to come through the bullpen door if a tough lefty were at the plate. Brett Myers and Chan Ho Park, two pitchers who were penciled in to be key bullpen components, are also injured.

Looking at the starting pitching, I could point to Cliff Lee’s 5.59 ERA in September, or the 10 runs that Joe Blanton has given up in his last two starts, if I really wanted to dwell on the negatives.

Wow, people could really drive themselves crazy thinking about all of the things that could go wrong and all of the reasons that the Rockies will quickly bounce the Phillies from the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. But, instead of thinking about all of the bad things, remember that the Phillies are the defending the World Series champions. Everyone except Raul Ibanez and Cliff Lee know exactly what it takes to get to the World Series, and more importantly, win the whole thing.

With that, here are some thoughts and statistics that should inspire confidence heading into the NLDS:

* Cole Hamels loves pitching in big games, as we saw last year, when he went 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five postseason starts. He also has surrendered just two home runs in his last eight starts, which shows that he is keeping the ball down in the zone. In his previous nine starts, Hamels struggled with his control, and surrendered 11 home runs in the process.

* J.A. Happ has been successful in both the bullpen and the rotation, so no matter where he ends up, expect good things from the potential National League Rookie of the Year. Out of the bullpen, Happ went 2-0 with a 2.49 ERA, and as a starter, he was 10-4 with a 2.99 ERA, so whichever role Charlie Manuel chooses for Happ, it should be considered a point of strength.

* The Rockies’ bats are worse against left-handed pitchers compared to when they face righties. The Phillies could potentially send Hamels, Lee and Happ to the hill in the first three games, and watch the Rockies struggle to get on base. The Rockies line (batting average/slugging percent/OPS) against righties is .264/.445/.791, but against lefties, it is .253/.430/.765.

* In six head-to-head games this season, the Phillies’ bats greatly outperformed the Rockies’ bats, hitting .302, compared to Colorado hitting just .251 against the Phillies pitchers. In those six games, Chase Utley hit .421, Jayson Werth hit .391, and every Phillies starter hit at least .286, except for Ryan Howard, who hit .250. In comparison, most of the Rockies’ big names struggled, with Todd Helton and Clint Barmes each hitting .190, while Troy Tulowitzki hit just .200 in the six games.

Overall, I know that there is a lot to be concerned about, but these are the defending World Series Champions, and when they are firing on all cylinders, nobody can beat them, and as we have seen throughout this season, even when guys are struggling, they still were winning games.

Bold predictions:

* Hamels and Lee each pitch at least seven innings games 1 and 2.

* Pedro Martinez will validate my midseason prediction that he will be dominant out of the bullpen.

* Antonio Bastardo will be this year’s version of K-Rod from the 2002 World Series champion Anaheim Angels.

* No goalie controversy for the Flyers this year! (Sorry, I love hockey!)

* Phillies in four, setting up a showdown with the St. Louis Cardinals.

***

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. This week, we will discuss the Eagles’ matchup with the Buccaneers, and talk about where the Phillies stand after two playoff games.

Eagles are in fine shape at the bye

2009-09-30T12:52:00.000-04:00

Heading into the bye week, the Eagles have been a Webster’s-worthy definition of the phrase “up and down,” both in terms of health and the play on the field. Despite the inconsistency, I really like where the Eagles stand after three weeks of play.

Before the season, if someone said that after three games, Donovan McNabb would have thrown for 79 yards, Brian Westbrook would not be leading the team in rushing, and the defense would have given up 48 points in one of the games, I would have guessed the Eagles were staring at an 0-3 record.

Yet, after forcing seven turnovers against the Carolina Panthers, and then seeing our backups demolish and demoralize the Kansas City Chiefs, the Eagles are sitting at 2-1, with the prospects of being 5-1 heading into their battle with the New York Giants on Nov. 1.

And as the Eagles take a week off, let’s have another edition of the good, the bad, and the undecided!

The Good: DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek and LeSean McCoy.

This is probably the most talented trio of young players the Eagles have ever had on offense in my lifetime. As we have seen in each of the first three games, Jackson is a threat to find to the end zone whenever and wherever he gets the ball in his hands. In his first three games, he has touchdowns of 85, 71 and 64 yards, and has posted consecutive 100-yard receiving games, placing him in the top 10 in receiving yards.

As good as Jackson has been at wide receiver, Celek has been just as good at tight end, ranking third in the NFL in catches, and tenth in receiving yards this season. I would like to compare him to former Eagle Chad Lewis, because Celek plays with just as much heart as Lewis did, but Celek is far more talented. Celek never drops the ball, shows no fear going over the middle, and rarely gets tackled by one defender. At this point, Celek is on pace to catch 117 passes for more than 1,300 yards this season.

The third man in this trio might be the most talented of the bunch, as McCoy has shown that he has all of the tools to be Westbrook’s replacement after 2010. In the meantime, he can fill in as necessary, and the offense won’t miss a beat, which we saw on Sunday, when he had 93 total yards and a touchdown.McCoy leads the Eagles in rushing yards, has caught six balls out of the backfield, and can flawlessly take snaps in the Wildcat offense. His ability to spell Westbrook for 10 to 15 plays per game for the rest of the year could be one of the major keys to the Eagles playing football in January and, hopefully February.

The Bad: Ellis Hobbs and Asante Samuel

Despite missing McNabb and Westbrook, the offense has looked quite good, but the defensive secondary and the special teams have been suspect all season, with the exception of Jackson’s punt returns. Much of that blame can fall on Hobbs, who has done nothing with the two jobs handed to him during the preseason. Hobbs has been less than explosive when returning kickoffs, including coughing up the ball, putting New Orleans in great position to blow open the game in week two, instead of giving the Eagles a chance to drive and take the lead. He’s also been picked on defensively, as we saw against the Chiefs, who couldn’t throw at all, yet found Hobbs to pick on in the red zone. I would not be surprised to see Quintin Demps get his job back as a return man, and Joselio Hanson reclaim his role as the nickel cornerback.

While Hobbs has been bad in the limited time he has seen the field, Samuel has done almost nothing this year, except repeatedly get burned by Marques Colston. I know that Samuel is a slow starter, but this is ridiculous. I have seen Samuel make one good play all season, and that came against the Panthers, when all of the Eagles were catching passes from Jake Delhomme. He needs to quickly regain the form he showed late last season, when teams wouldn’t even throw in his direction because of how well he was blanketing receivers.

The (still) Undecided: Michael Vick

Vick showed a lot of rust against the Chiefs, but I am guessing that the Eagles merely wanted him on the field for some live action, which is why he had just one carry and two pass attempts. What Andy Reid showed us on Sunday was that he is willing to play Vick at any point in the game, and on any down and distance. Because the Chiefs are such a bad team, there was no reason for Reid to unveil some of the more creative Wildcat plays, but I would expect to see them in key games later this season.

After the bye week, the Eagles have a three-game stretch of Tampa Bay, Oakland and Washington. That means the Eagles should have a four game winning streak heading into the game against the Giants, because those three teams have combined to score just 117 points in nine total games, for an average of just 13 points per game. This trio of teams rank 28 through 30 in points scored, with only the even lowlier Browns and Rams scoring fewer points after three weeks.

I assume McNabb and Westbrook will be healthy for at least the first of these three games, and it would be nice for them to be healthy for the rest of the season, but I would bet that the Eagles are 5-1 after the Redskins’ game, regardless of who plays on offense for the Birds.

***
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. This week, we will discuss the ups and downs of the Eagles, and talk about the mystery that is the Phillies’ pitching staff as the calendar turns to October.

Kolb, McDermott show their inexperience in blowout loss

2009-09-24T13:29:00.001-04:00

What a difference a week makes!

A week ago, I was praising the Eagles’ defense for the hurtin’ it put on the Carolina Panthers, yet this week, those same guys were blown out by Drew Brees.

A week ago, I wrote that Kevin Kolb was a terrible quarterback who wouldn’t be able to lead the Eagles to victory in a shootout with New Orleans.Well, the defense looked awful, Kolb wasn’t that bad, but unfortunately, I was right about the Eagles not being able to keep up with the high-powered Saints’ offense.

This week’s breakdown of the Eagles’ 48-22 loss to the Saints starts at quarterback.Kevin Kolb looked much better than the guy who tossed zero touchdowns and four interceptions in his first 47 NFL passes. He actually looked like a serviceable backup for a team that boasts 12 Pro Bowl selections from its other three quarterbacks.

In his first career start, Kolb threw for 391 yards and two touchdowns against the Saints, but also tossed three interceptions.While the yards and touchdowns look impressive, Kolb racked up those gaudy numbers against a Saints defense that dropped into a “prevent defense” for nearly the entire second half.

Yes, Kolb throws a very nice ball when given plenty of time, which gave us a glimmer of hope in the first quarter when DeSean Jackson found an acre of open space at Lincoln Financial Field, and tied the game at 7-7.

The problem with Kolb is that his abilities are similar to those of A.J. Feeley. Feeley is an excellent backup quarterback, but when he is forced to start, he is lulled to sleep by an easily beatable prevent defense, but then is quickly fooled by the blitz or a disguised coverage at a critical juncture.

Think back to the game against the Patriots in 2007 when Feeley almost derailed New England’s undefeated season. Filling in for Donovan McNabb, he threw for 345 yards, mostly against a defense that allowed him to throw underneath the entire game, but he also tossed three interceptions.

Their performances were so similar that the first interception of the game for both Kolb and Feeley came on a short, timing route to the right side. Asante Samuel (playing for the Patriots at the time) and Scott Shanle (of the Saints) both lured the quarterback into making a bad throw to a completely covered wide receiver. If you put them on a split screen, it would be the exact same play, except for Samuel taking it in for six points.

The comparisons don’t stop there. Think back to Feeley’s next game, when Westbrook took a late fourth quarter punt for 64 yards, and then Feeley found his favorite receiver, Seattle’s linebacker Lofa Tatupu, for his third interception of the game.

That pass was the exact pass that Kolb threw to Darren Sharper at the goal line, which was returned 97 yards for a touchdown. It’s also the same pass that Kolb threw to the Ravens’ Ed Reed last year, which was returned 107 yards for a touchdown. All three defenders fooled a backup quarterback into thinking they were leaning the other direction, and then picked off what both Feeley and Kolb thought were easy touchdown passes.

Kolb, like any NFL quarterback, can throw a spiral and hit a wide-open receiver, but he still hasn’t shown that he can make quick, intelligent decisions with the football.

Speaking of making quick, intelligent decisions, the Eagles’ secondary did not make a single one of them against the Saints.

Eagles’ cornerbacks Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown apparently forgot that when covering a wide receiver, they should probably be somewhere near that player!I don’t understand what happened to the Eagles’ defense from Sunday to Sunday, but they left their talent in Carolina. The Eagles couldn’t stop the run, couldn’t stop the pass, and got nowhere near Brees.

After holding the talented duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to just 2.9 yards per carry last week, Reggie Bush and Mike Bell pounded the rock for 119 yards on 27 carries.This game showed that while McDermott can dial up the pressure when his opponents are back on their heels due to turnovers and poor execution, he doesn’t have an answer for potent offense that rarely makes mistakes.

I hate to bring up Jim Johnson, but it was almost as if McDermott was determined not to let Brees pick apart a defense that was constantly blitzing the quarterback, much the same way that Kurt Warner picked apart the Eagles in the NFC Championship game in January.

In that game, Johnson was constantly trying to pressure Warner into making mistakes, but it backfired as he threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns. McDermott watched that game from the sidelines, and decided that he was going to do the exact opposite, because while the Eagles got to Brees twice, they rarely forced him to make a quick decision.

Overall, I’m not too mad because this was one of the games that I pegged as a loss before the season started. Instead of being angry that McNabb didn’t out-duel Brees, I’ll just chalk it up as a learning experience for two youngsters who need to step up their games if they want to make an impact in the NFL.

Defense shines as QB situation clouds up

2009-09-16T12:18:00.001-04:00

And the season is off to a flying start!

I am usually so pumped for the first week of the NFL season that it doesn’t really matter how the Eagles do, just that they are on the field for a meaningful game.

However, in the 2009 season opener, the Eagles’ defense provided fireworks, while Donovan McNabb scared an entire fan base.

The Eagles’ 38-10 victory over the defending NFC South champion Carolina Panthers would have immediately cemented the Super Bowl talk coming from national media outlets during the preseason, if not for one cracked rib on their star quarterback.

Since the Phillies won the World Series last year, I have tried to be more positive about Philadelphia sports, and take less of a gloom-and-doom approach, so I will start with a breakdown of the 35-point fantasy football effort by the Eagles’ defense before I rip Kevin Kolb apart.

Sean McDermott, the Eagles’ new defensive coordinator, came up with a brilliant scheme to shut down the run-heavy Panthers.Before even delving into the seven turnovers or five sacks, the job that the front seven did on DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart was simply spectacular.

Last season, the Panthers’ duo combined to rush for 2,351 yards, and averaged 5.1 yards per carry. McDermott’s boys limited “Smash and Dash” to just 72 yards on 25 carries, for an average of 2.9 yards per carry.

With the running game thoroughly contained, the defense was able to fly around Bank of America Stadium, picking off passes and slamming Carolina QB Jake Delhomme and his two replacements to the turf.

As predicted in this space six weeks ago, McDermott took Jim Johnson’s foundation and combined it with 10 years worth of schemes that he was dying to try out, and it resulted in the Eagles forcing seven turnovers, registering five sacks, and bruising three quarterbacks’ egos.

The most impressive part of those stats is that those five sacks came against the exact same Panthers offensive line that allowed just 20 sacks in all of 2008.

In this game, Trent Cole, who usually gets double-teamed on passing downs, rushed the quarterback from an upright “Joker” position, instead of off the edge from a three-point stance. On several obvious passing downs, McDermott used Sheldon Brown, who picked off two passes to start his season-long quest for a new contract, as a safety, moving Macho Harris back to the cornerback position, which he played at Virginia Tech.

We all expected the defensive line and the secondary to play well because those units are filled with Pro Bowl caliber players, but the biggest surprise came from the linebackers. Last year, the linebackers came up with 9.5 big plays (5.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 interception) but against Carolina, they provided more than one-third of that production.

In a stark change from last year, Akeem Jordan came up with a sack and an interception, while Omar Gaither provided half a sack and a fumble recovery. The lone downside to last Sunday’s performance was that Chris Gocong picked up right where he left off last year, providing almost nothing from the strongside linebacker position.

Switching to offense, it was tough to get a read on the revamped unit because they never needed to put together a long, sustained drive, but in the brief time they were on the field, the offensive line looked very solid. Other than the false start penalties, the line, which was playing with two reserves, provided holes for Brian Westbrook, LeSean McCoy and Leonard Weaver to rush for 5.3 yards per attempt on 23 carries.

Now for the biggest story of the game—another Donovan McNabb injury. Regardless of how the NFL ruled, a blatant late hit cracked the ribs of McNabb, forcing Kolb into action. And I am using the term “action” loosely, because Kolb’s performance did not resemble that of an NFL quarterback.

Kolb, who came into this season having thrown an interception every nine passes in his career, was 7-for-11 for 23 yards, fumbled twice and threw two passes that were dropped by the Panthers’ secondary.I’m not buying the excuse that he doesn’t get repetitions with the first team because it is week 1, which means he got plenty of reps all summer, so he should be up to game speed.

The problem with Kolb is that he doesn’t play at NFL speed, and doesn’t realize that he can’t force the ball to the first option if that player is double-covered.

Kolb needs to learn how to go through his progressions while watching out for the blitz, but that is something that can’t be taught, which means Kolb is not now, nor ever will be a quality NFL quarterback. If the Eagles are going to keep throwing him out there, he should at least be trained to hold the ball with two hands when he feels the pressure coming, and possibly even to run from that pressure, instead of spinning in a circle and falling down, like we saw several times in the preseason.

Then, after about 24 hours of expressing confidence in the former second round pick, Andy Reid went out and signed Jeff Garcia. Yes, the same Garcia who went 5-1 with the Eagles in 2006, leading them to a division title.

If Kolb is under center, chalk this one up as a loss, because even a solid performance by the defense would mean holding the Saints in the 20s, but Kolb doesn’t have the talent to get the Eagles’ offense on the board before garbage time, let alone win a shootout. His performance also may determine his future with the Eagles, because someone will be cut once Michael Vick is eligible to play.

If Garcia gets the start, the Eagles aren’t in bad shape, but because of his weak arm, his style of play really doesn’t mesh with the current roster of speedy wide receivers, so the offense would have to change its style.

Personally, I think McNabb throws on a flak jacket, takes a cortisone shot and plays on Sunday. After all, this is the same guy that threw four touchdown passes on a broken ankle in 2002, and then put up MVP numbers through the first half of 2005 while playing with injuries that would have put each of us in the emergency room.

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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. This week, we will discuss how the Eagles match up against the high-powered Saints, and talk about the shocking revival of the ageless Pedro Martinez.

Eagles' title hopes depend on the offense clicking

2009-09-10T14:26:00.003-04:00

After losing in the NFC Championship game for the fourth time in his career, Eagles’ quarterback Donovan McNabb publicly asked for more weapons on offense.

Ask and you shall receive.

When the Eagles step on the field for their season opener against the NFC South Division champion Carolina Panthers, McNabb will be leading the most talented offense in recent Eagles history.

Since that crushing loss to Arizona, the Eagles dumped Tra Thomas, Jon Runyan, Correll Buckhalter and Greg Lewis, while adding younger, faster and more talented players as replacements, much to the excitement of McNabb and the fanbase. While all of these new “weapons” look good on paper, turning them into successful players on the field is another story.

Jason Peters and Stacey Andrews both provide youth and size on the offensive line, but the entire starting five has yet to play a down of football together, and won’t until Todd Herremans returns from injury.

We all saw that Thomas and Runyan were too old and too banged up to be good run blockers, but they were two of the most dependable tackles in the league at keeping their quarterback upright. We know that the line will be better at opening up holes, but it remains to be seen if Peters, Stacey Andrews, and even Shawn Andrews, assuming he decides play and not get his “Michael Phelps on” (YouTube it), are as adept at protecting McNabb.

At running back, the Eagles are hoping Brian Westbrook can rebound from a season that could only be described as a struggle. Westbrook, who turned 30 last week, battled injuries all season, and registered the lowest yards per carry and yards per catch of his career.

The biggest move of the offseason may have been one of the quietest moves, as Leonard Weaver gives the Eagles their first true fullback since Jon Ritchie. In addition to his blocking ability, Weaver caught 59 passes in the last two years and picked up 22 first downs on ground as a short-yardage back.

Rookie running back Shady McCoy has the same skill set as Westbrook, but while he has shown some flashes of talent during the preseason, he is not ready to carry the load fulltime, so unless Westbrook’s burst is back, the Eagles could be more pass happy than ever before.

Luckily, if the Eagles are forced to throw more, they have more talent at wide receiver than I can ever remember. DeSean Jackson tore up the Eagles’ record books as a rookie, and already looks like a legitimate number one receiver.

Pairing with Jackson in the starting lineup is Kevin Curtis, who struggled through several injuries last year, but led the Eagles in 2007 with more than 1,100 receiving yards. In the slot, Jason Avant is an excellent route runner with great hands, and as a fantasy football sleeper, he should improve on his 32 catches from last year, and continue moving the chains on third downs.

As the fourth receiver, rookie Jeremy Maclin will only be used to stretch the field and use his speed on wide receiver screens, and thankfully, we will not see Greg Lewis taking time from any of these receivers.Prediction: The Eagles go 11-5, and win the sixth division title of the Andy Reid era.

Now for the rest of the division:

New York Giants: Last year, the Giants’ season fell apart when Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg. Eli Manning tossed just three touchdown passes in six games following the shooting, including a 23-11 playoff loss to the Eagles. Add in the losses of 1,000-yard rusher Derrick Ward and Amani Toomer, and Eli’s offense lost 124 catches, 1,418 receiving yards and 1,025 yards rushing, and they hope to fill that void with rookies and underachieving youngsters.

The Giants also showed their lack of confidence in Manning by giving him the world’s largest “prove it” contract. Manning’s $97-million extension may seem gaudy, but the Super Bowl MVP got less guaranteed money than Detroit gave to Matthew Stafford before he even threw a pass in the NFL. If the final six games were an aberration, and Eli is improving as he matures, then he will trigger the incentives in the contract and be one of the highest paid QBs in the league. However, if that stretch showed that he needs a player like Burress to be successful, then the Giants can cut bait quickly and relatively cheaply before starting over.

Prediction: The defense leads the league in points allowed while carrying the Giants to 10 wins.

Dallas Cowboys: This team is always an early season favorite, but for more than a decade, they have also been a huge disappointment in January. A lot of people think the Cowboys will be better off without Terrell Owens, but star wide receivers don’t grow on trees, and the Cowboys don’t have anyone other than Jason Witten to catch passes from Tony Romo.

Roy Williams was brought in midseason last year to complement Owens, and now is expected to be the top dog, but caught just 19 passes in 10 games with the Cowboys last year, and with the exception of 2006, has never been all that good or all that healthy.

Prediction: The Cowboys go 8-8 while, like the Giants, learning what it is like to play without a wide receiver that constantly draws double coverage.

Washington Redskins: I could probably just copy and paste what I wrote last year about the Skins and it would still be true. They are still making more noise in the offseason, than in the regular season, and they are still too young and inexperienced at quarterback and wide receiver to compete in this division.

Prediction: Jason Campbell isn’t the starting quarterback at the end of this six-win season.

Breaking down the Birds' defense

2009-09-02T13:49:00.000-04:00

With less than two weeks remaining until the Eagles’ season opener against the Carolina Panthers, it’s time to break down the Birds’ roster for 2009, and because “defense wins championships,” I’ll start there.

Last year, the Eagles ranked third in the NFL in total yards allowed and fourth in points allowed, however, missing from that unit are Brian Dawkins, Stewart Bradley and coordinator Jim Johnson.

In previous columns, I have explained my thoughts about the loss of Jim Johnson, but from a purely football perspective, Johnson was a teacher, and new defensive coordinator Sean McDermott had been one of his students for nearly a decade. I think McDermott will take the torch and run with it, just like John Harbaugh, Steve Spagnuolo, Ron Rivera and Leslie Frazier did when given the opportunity to move up.

On the field, the biggest loss of the preseason was Stewart Bradley, who tore up his knee. Bradley was expected to be a big contributor, and the new heart of the defense, but I don’t think the loss is that big of a concern because of how little value is placed on linebackers in the Eagles’ defense.

Since 2000, the Eagles’ defense has ranked in the top 10 in points allowed seven times, and five of those times, they ranked fourth or better. The only constant throughout those nine seasons was change at linebacker!

During that run, 17 different linebackers have been declared a starter for the Eagles, including nine different weakside linebackers, five middle linebackers, and three strongside linebackers. In case you are forgetting some of these guys, I’ll throw out memorable names like Levon Kirkland, Barry Gardner, Nate Wayne, Keith “The Bullet” Adams, Matt McCoy, Shawn Barber, and last, and certainly least, Mark “I missed two tackles on one touchdown run in the 2003 NFC Championship game” Simoneau.

With names like that, it is amazing that the defense didn’t stink for the last decade.

Last week, I wrote that the entire linebacker corps totaled just 5.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 1 interception in 2008, but as bad as those numbers look on their own, it is actually worse when they are compared to the rest of the NFL.

In 2008, ten linebackers registered more sacks, individually, than Bradley, Chris Gocong, Akeem Jordan and Omar Gaither combined. It gets even worse, because 14 linebackers picked off more passes than all four of our linebackers combined.

These names and stats show that it doesn’t really matter who is playing linebacker for the Eagles, so Gaither, Joe Mays, and Matt Wilhelm would all be able fill-ins for Bradley, but as a graduate of the University of Maryland, I’d like to see rookie Moise Fokou get the starting nod.

Moving to the secondary, losing Dawkins hurts in the locker room, but on the field, he was a liability in coverage, which is an essential skill in the NFC East because of the talented tight ends in Dallas, New York and Washington.

Regardless of whether Quintin Demps, Macho Harris or Sean Jones joins Second Team All-Pro Quintin Mikell at safety, the Eagles secondary will be stronger in coverage. Throw in the fact that Asante Samuel is no longer forced to play press coverage, and that Sheldon Brown is playing this season with the hopes that someone will give the Eagles enough incentive to send the unhappy corner packing, and the secondary could be sending three players to the Pro Bowl, like it did in 2004.

In the trenches, the Eagles have been up and down this decade, sending out defensive lines that either couldn’t stop the run or couldn’t get to the quarterback, but this year seems to be a perfect mix.

Defensive tackles Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley are playing better than ever, finding their way into the backfield throughout the preseason. If they can continue their strong play, Trent Cole should see more one-on-one time against offensive tackles, and Chris Clemons, Victor Abiamiri, Jason Babin and Juqua Parker will each have an easier time getting to the quarterback from the left defensive end spot. Throw in Darren Howard (10 sacks in 2008) playing a hybrid position on the line, and this group is deeper than any defensive line in recent memory.

Adding it all up, I don’t know if I would expect the Eagles to be in the top four in yards and points allowed, but a top 10 finish is more than likely. While they may give up more yards this year, I am expecting more big plays out of the secondary because the front four will be wreaking havoc in the backfield, forcing quarterbacks to make plenty of mistakes.

Next week: A look at the Eagles’ offense, and a quick analysis of the rest of the NFC East.

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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. This week, we’ll talk about the decisions made to get the Eagles down to their 53-man roster, along with the latest on the Phillies as they coast into September.

The good, bad and undecided about the Eagles

2009-08-26T12:35:00.002-04:00

I usually do not put a lot of time or effort into watching or analyzing preseason football games, however, this year is a little different. Because of injuries, the Eagles have been sending large waves of backups and rookies onto the field early in the first two exhibitions.
As a result, I have found myself very interested in these meaningless games, and I can say that I have seen some very encouraging things, but also a few terrible things.
The good:
The backfield: With Brian Westbrook slowly making his way back from knee surgery, I have been pleasantly surprised with how well the backfield has performed in his absence. Second round draft pick LeSean McCoy has led the way for the Birds, gaining 59 yards on 15 carries, despite running behind a group of injury replacements. More importantly, he has hauled in five passes, and showed some nifty moves on a 19-yard screen pass.
Free agent acquisition Leonard Weaver looks like he could make a real difference for the Eagles this season, especially in short-yardage situations. He picked up a nice first down on a 3rd-and-1 against the Patriots, and also flashed some of the pass-catching ability that he became known for in Seattle, where he caught 59 passes over the last two seasons.
Assuming Westbrook is healthy, and throwing in the fact that Eldra Buckley may have knocked Lorenzo Booker off the team, this group is talented enough to force the Eagles to run the football this year.
The defensive tackles: I know that if you look at the stat sheet, it will say that Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson have combined for only four solo tackles and two assists, but they have dominated the line of scrimmage. If you go back through the last two games, there have been quite a few times when either player was in the backfield forcing a running play outside or flushing a quarterback out of the pocket. If they keep finding their way into the backfield, it would make things far easier for our untalented linebackers.

The bad:
Linebackers: A lot of people have been concerned about this group since Stewart Bradley blew out his knee during a fundraiser a few weeks ago, but I have been concerned about the weakest part of the defense since February. Bradley does have the potential to be a good player, but as a group, these guys are terrible. Last year, Bradley, Chris Gocong, Akeem Jordan and Omar Gaither came up with just 5.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 1 interception. This year, all I have seen from the linebackers is wide open tight ends, and I expect more of the same as we approach the regular season.
The offensive line: I know this group has been more decimated by injuries than any other part of the team, but the backups are professional football players fighting for jobs. There is no reason for eight penalties from the offensive line in two preseason games.
In the first game, they did an excellent job opening holes for McCoy and Buckley, but against the Colts, they were constantly being pushed around. The running backs gained just 22 yards on 16 carries against the Colts because the offensive line looked like they were still running non-contact drills.
Jeremy Maclin: I didn’t expect Maclin to perform as well as DeSean Jackson did during his rookie season, but Maclin has shown more reasons for why he slipped in the first round than reasons why he was taken in the first round.The 19th pick in the draft has muffed two punts and shown none of the explosiveness that I was looking for, even against backups and guys who won’t be in the NFL in two weeks. He needs to focus on what he does best and show why the Eagles can finally cut Hank Baskett or Reggie Brown.
The undecided:
Michael Vick: I would not expect to see anything fancy out of the Eagles when Vick is on the field for these last two preseason games. I am guessing that Andy Reid will have him run the offense as a pocket quarterback, but not do anything special. If Reid is smart, he will not allow teams to get any film on Vick that they couldn’t get from his time in Atlanta. He shouldn’t show his hand on any non-quarterback formations or plays that Vick will run during the regular season.
Overall, if these are the Eagles that show up on Sept. 13 against Carolina, it is going to be a long season. Luckily, Westbrook, Trent Cole, and most of the offensive line should be on the field that day, and the Panthers will see why the Eagles are going to be a dangerous team this year.
***
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. This week, we’ll talk about the Eagles’ third preseason game, along with the red-hot Phillies bats and another blown save by Brad Lidge.

Vick may be despicable, but he deserves to play football

2009-08-14T11:48:00.000-04:00

Let me start off this column by saying that I think Michael Vick is complete scum for the heinous crimes that he committed. Dogfighting and the brutal killing of dogs are disgusting and despicable acts.

However, let's put this in perspective. Right now, there are men in the NFL who directly were involved in the death of human beings. Actual people died as a result of the acts committed by current NFL players.

In 1998, Leonard Little failed several sobriety tests after running a red light and slamming his Lincoln Navigator into a 47-year-old woman's car. The woman died the next day, and Little was sentenced to 90 days in jail after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Little still can be found rushing the quarterback for the St. Louis Rams.

Donte Stallworth struck and killed a man with his car a few months ago, and he was sentenced to just 30 days in jail for his crime. Stallworth is still under contract with the Cleveland Browns, and will only miss one year of football.
Ray Lewis spent time in jail after being charged with double murder in 2000, but wound up pleading guilty to obstruction of justice. Despite that, Lewis has been to 10 Pro Bowls in his career, was on the cover of Madden 2005, and just signed a $44.5 million contract extension.

So if two people can die from the direct actions of NFL players, and Ray Lewis played some role surrounding the death of two more, why is there so much outrage over the Eagles signing Michael Vick?

In total, Vick served 19 months in jail and lost out on more than $100 million. That is far more time in jail and money lost than Lewis, Little and Stallworth combined, yet his actions didn't hurt a single person.

Heck, there are people in Philadelphia who want to let convicted cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal roam free on our streets, and our president wants us to worry about the treatment of terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, but Vick shouldn't be allowed to play football?

I think it is time to let him show us that he has been rehabilitated, and begin to rebuild his life, which includes playing football.

Thankfully he will be playing for us, and not against us.

Now, I don't actually know how good of a player Vick will be after missing more than two years of NFL games and practices, and I never thought he was a great quarterback to begin with, but he was always a threat to break a few tackles and come up with a big play. If he is close to his former self, he could be a complete menace on the field for a few plays each week.

Opposing defensive coordinators now have to plan for the Eagles' potent offense, and then devote practice time to stopping whatever trick plays Vick will run. Could you imagine the confusion it would cause for a defense if Vick, Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, LeSean McCoy, and DeSean Jackson were all on the field at the same time? Defenses will have no idea whether the play will be a pass or a run, and then once they have figured that part out, they still will have no idea who is getting the carry or throwing the pass.

I will never like Vick as a person, but regardless of what I think about his crimes or his sentence, he has paid his debt to society, and I will root for him to succeed because he is wearing the jersey of my favorite team.

And, if you don't like that Vick is free to make $1.6 million this year to play football, then campaign against the people in Virginia who didn't make sure that he received a longer sentence.

And, if you don't like that Vick will be a person that children look up to, then be a good parent and make sure your child knows the difference between a football player and a role model.

Michael Vick is certainly not a role model, but regardless of whether we think it is right, our legal system allows him to be a football player, and in some games, he won’t be the biggest offender on the field.

Pedro is starting now, closing later?

2009-08-12T10:32:00.001-04:00

The Phillies’ lead in the National League East was trimmed nearly in half as the team spent a nice August weekend melting down on both sides of the ball. Against the pesky Florida Marlins, the hitters couldn’t make contact, and the pitchers (sans Joe Blanton) showed why reinforcements like Pedro Martinez and Brett Myers are necessary additions for the stretch run.

We all know that Martinez was signed to be a starting pitcher, but that was before the Phillies essentially stole reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee from the Cleveland Indians.

If I had to bet on it, I think Pedro will make several starts for the Phillies, but his ultimate spot on this team will be in the bullpen. In addition, I have a funny feeling that Pedro and Myers will be a devastating 1-2 punch in the late innings in September and October, similar to Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge last season, but more on that later.

Starting with Pedro, I don’t think he will be a huge upgrade over Jamie Moyer. This season, Moyer has been the definition of inconsistent, alternating between good start and bad start for the last two months, on his way to a 5.47 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP, all while averaging less than six innings per start.

A lot of people are expecting Pedro to put up much better numbers than the 46-year-old Moyer, but in reality, I don’t expect him to be a dominant starter.

In 2008, Pedro made 20 starts, and threw longer than six innings just three times, posting a 5.61 ERA, with a 1.57 WHIP, while averaging 5.5 innings per start. Those numbers are eerily similar to Moyer’s 2009 campaign.

Delving deeper into Pedro’s numbers last season, compared to the first three innings, his stats plummeted in the fourth through sixth innings. In the middle trio of innings, his strikeouts-per-inning were way down, while his walks, batting average against, and slugging percentage against were much worse compared to early in the game.

In fact, his strikeouts-to-walk ratio was 2.88 in the first three innings of his starts, but just 1.44 in the next three innings, and all of the numbers were even worse in the seventh inning.

This statistical trend is the complete opposite of the work Pedro did with the Mets in 2005 and 2006 (I left out 2007 because he only made five starts that season), when he actually improved as the game went on.

Now, imagine if Pedro could come out firing all his bullets for just one inning. If he isn’t going to represent a huge upgrade over Moyer because of his durability, and the four spots in the playoff rotation are already decided, why not turn him into a relief pitcher?

So what has to happen for Pedro to make the switch to the bullpen?

First, Pedro needs to have trouble going deep in games as a starter, posting similar numbers to Moyer. Second, Brad Lidge’s struggles in the ninth innings continue. Finally, the Marlins or Braves start winning some games, which will force Charlie Manuel to think that playoff baseball isn’t a guarantee.

At that point, I could see Charlie going back to 2007-mode, when he relied solely on his most trusted relievers to help complete the most amazing comeback in baseball history. That season, Manuel used J.C. Romero, Tom Gordon and Brett Myers for a staggering 38 appearances in the final 16 games, because they were the only guys he trusted with a lead.

This season, if Lidge, who has now given up runs in seven out of his last 14 appearances, continues to struggle, I don’t think Charlie would be hesitant to give him the hook, because as we have seen numerous times, he isn’t the type of coach to worry about salary or ego when making on-field decisions.

If Lidge isn’t getting the job done, Charlie will find someone else who can, which brings us to Myers and Pedro.

After being sidelined for more than two months with a hip injury, Myers is close to returning to the Phillies, and because of conditioning and arm-strength, he is heading straight to the bullpen. Myers loved the closer role in 2007, and last year struggled as a starter because of his desire to pitch out of the bullpen. Throw in the fact that Pedro is about as competitive as a person can be, and you have the makings of a phenomenal back-end of the bullpen.

By no means am I saying this is what will happen in the final seven weeks of the season, but don’t be surprised if Charlie goes with his gut, and Pedro and Myers are closing out games in September and October.

***
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. This week, we’ll talk about the Eagles’ first preseason game, along with the Phillies’ new pitching staff, and how long Jamie Moyer has left with the Phillies.

Phillies add an ace, future still intact

2009-07-29T16:10:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago, I used this space to implore Lower Makefield Township resident Ruben Amaro, Jr., to trade for Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay. I said that losing any number of minor leaguers was worth it to add the best pitcher in baseball to the Phillies' starting rotation.

Well, after a few weeks of exchanging names back and forth, the Blue Jays asking price for Halladay became too great when they wouldn't budge from their demands of rookie of the year candidate J.A. Happ, in addition to the Phillies' top three minor league prospects.

After balking at the Blue Jays' outrageous request, the defending World Champions of Baseball (I still hear Harry Kalas' voice every time I write that) added Cliff Lee, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, without giving up Happ, Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor or Dominic Brown. As a result, major kudos go out to the Phillies general manager for bringing in a pitcher who is almost as good as Halladay, yet comes with a far lower price tag.

With this trade, the Phillies have cemented their place in October, boasting two top-of-the-rotation aces in Lee and Cole Hamels, along with the best offense in the National League. Lee doesn't guarantee the Phillies a return to the Fall Classic, but his presence gives them a better starting rotation than any team they would encounter along the way.

All things being equal, I would rather have traded for Halladay, but by no means is this the typical "this guy is good enough" trade that we have all grown accustomed to seeing out of Philadelphia teams. Without a doubt, adding Lee is the big blockbuster deal that we hoped for every July, yet never saw come to fruition.

Since the start of last season, Halladay is 31-14 with a 2.72 ERA, but Lee's numbers are on the same level, having compiled a 29-12 record, with a 2.79 ERA. This year, Lee has struggled to find the win column, going just 7-9, but that is the result of the pitiful run support he has received. He still has posted an ERA of 3.14, which ranks seventh in the American League, but his team has scored three runs or less in 12 of his 21 starts this season. Looking at the Phillies' offense, he shouldn’t have to worry about that in the next two months.

While it is obvious that both pitchers would be welcome additions to Phillies' starting rotation, which ranks 21st in the majors in ERA, the cost of adding Halladay was just too great.

By going after Lee, the Phillies were able to hold on to the building blocks of future playoff runs, instead of seeing that window close when Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Brad Lidge and several others are wearing different uniforms after 2011.

Happ has been a revelation for the Phillies, going 7-1 with a 2.97 ERA as a rookie. Splitting time between Clearwater and Reading, Kyle Drabek has baffled minor league hitters, going 11-2 with a 2.78 ERA, along with 123 strikeouts in 128 innings pitched. Taylor and Brown have been equally impressive, as each outfielder is hitting above .300 for the season, while showing 30-30 potential in the process.

In comparison, the prospects in the Lee trade are all on the decline. Jason Knapp, a highly touted prospect who is currently on the disabled list with a shoulder injury, is the centerpiece of the deal. While in Lakewood (Low-A), Knapp struck out 111 batters in 85.1 innings, but is not dominating, posting a 4.01 ERA against kids who are fresh out of high school. Lou Marson is a good prospect, but not a guy worth keep around when a Cy Young winner becomes available. Marson is hitting .294, but isn't defensively sound enough to push Carlos Ruiz for a job on the Phillies.

The other two players in the deal - Carlos Carrasco and Jason Donald - were top prospects coming into this season, yet both have faltered in Lehigh Valley.

There was a time when Carrasco was the next best thing in the Phillies' system, yet in 2009 he has disappointed, going 6-9 with a 5.18 ERA in 20 starts for the Iron Pigs. Donald was a contender for a spot on the big club during Spring Training, but didn't do enough to crack the 25-man roster, and since then, his stock has dropped exponentially. He was a .300 hitter each of the last two seasons, yet hasn't been able to figure out Triple-A pitchers, hitting just .236, with one home run, and did not show the glove or arm necessary to play third base when Pedro Feliz's contract expires.

After all of the on-the-field numbers have been dissected, the dollars and cents are also on Lee's side, as Halladay would have cost the Phillies approximately $22 million through 2010, while Lee will cost approximately half that amount. Next year, Lee's option is for just $9 million, compared to the $15.75 million option in Halladay's contract.

Overall, would the 2009 Phillies be better with Halladay compared to Lee? Slightly, but remember, Halladay could come up on the wrong end of an October pitchers' duel just as easily as Lee could, and if that happens, we still will have a bright future for 2011 and beyond.

Eagles should sign a veteran running back

2009-07-23T15:07:00.002-04:00

While the Phillies have pulled a week in front of the Braves and Marlins in the National League East, the biggest buzz around the area is for Eagles training camp.

I’ve done some reading about the Eagles on the national level lately, and there are quite a few magazines and writers predicting our Birds to be playing in late January, and possibly even early February. Based on the rest of the teams in the NFC East and, in fact, the entire conference, I can’t say that I blame them for making these predictions.

Even with the confidence that I have in the Eagles as an entire team, I still feel a few positions are lacking, including defensive end and running back.

I think that if Victor Abiamiri can stay healthy for the entire season, he will be an excellent first and second down defensive end, which would allow Juqua (Thomas) Parker to move back into the role of blitz specialist, where he excelled in 2006, getting to the quarterback six times in limited playing time. In that role, along with Chris Clemons, Parker can make an impact on obvious passing downs, instead of being worn down by road-grating offensive tackles on running plays.

With Abiamiri back in the fold, the only position of need on the Eagles would be at the running back spot.

Whether or not Brian Westbrook is fully healthy (has that ever been the case?), the Eagles need another running back.Westbrook is the starter, LeSean “Shady” McCoy is the Westbrook of the next decade, having a very similar skill set as the man he was drafted to replace, and Lorenzo Booker fills the role of disappointment on the roster, which Greg Lewis, L.J. Smith, Reggie Brown, and Reno Mahe have all previously filled.

McCoy’s role this season will be to take some of the load off of Westbrook’s shoulders, not be a change-of-pace back. Assuming he picks up the plays and the blocking assignments, McCoy could see as many as 10-15 touches per game this season because Westbrook clearly was not himself last year, posting the lowest yards per carry and yards per catch of his career. If Westbrook comes back healthy and dynamic, McCoy will be brought along slower than if Westbrook looks like he is running on the bald tires from last season.

This means that the Eagles still need a running back to replace Correll Buckhalter, because Buck did different things than Westbrook, running with a north-south, one-gap style.Because they only need someone to come in for five to 10 touches per game, the Eagles could look in the nearly-over-the-hill section of the free agency market, which is currently stocked to the ceiling with running backs, including Edgerrin James, Warrick Dunn, Michael Pittman, DeShaun Foster and Deuce McAllister.

(On a complete side note, just mentioning Foster’s name brings back my hatred of Mark Simoneau for missing not one, but two tackles on Foster’s one-yard touchdown run in the NFC Championship game against the Panthers. If the Eagles could have held the Panthers to a field goal on that drive, it would have been a one-score game late in the fourth quarter instead of a two-score game, and maybe they could have pulled off a comeback!)

Looking at that group, Dunn is the obvious name that sticks out, because the Eagles made a run for him several years ago. However, we can probably cross him off the list because, at 187 pounds, he would be the smallest running back on the Eagles, and not be an adequate replacement for Buckhalter.

The one thing that the rest of the running backs have in common is their size and their ability to catch passes out of the backfield. All four of the remaining running backs are at least 220 pounds, and other than Foster, they all have 60-catch seasons on their resumes.

Because of their similar skill sets, I would look at the durability of the player, along with how he would fit in the Eagles’ locker room.That last characteristic immediately takes James out of the picture based on how often he was seen sulking and requesting a trade out of Arizona last year.

Durability is a question mark for the three other running backs, but McAllister is the only one who has shown that he can handle being a backup without causing trouble.

More importantly, he has the ability to pick up first downs in short-yardage situations, and carry the load for a week if necessary, and knowing Westbrook, it will be necessary.

***
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. This week, we’ll talk about what to look for if you go to Eagles Training Camp in Lehigh, along with the amazing run of the red-hot Phillies.

Forget Pedro, go get Doc

2009-07-15T12:29:00.000-04:00

Being in the crowd on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 as the Phillies won their second World Series title in franchise history is a night that I will never forget. I would love to relive that night again this year, and what Lower Makefield resident Ruben Amaro, Jr. does in the next few weeks could determine whether or not I get that chance.

Because the Phillies’ general manager lives within the coverage area of this newspaper, I am writing directly to him when I say: “Go get Roy Halladay!”

I fully expect the Phillies to win the National League East for the third consecutive season because the Mets are hurt, the Braves can’t hit, and the Marlins are too inexperienced to hang around for the next three months. However, once the calendar turns to October, I don’t believe that the Phillies have enough pitching to repeat as the “World Champions of Baseball.”

Ruben, you made an excellent decision when signing Raul Ibanez to play leftfield, instead of Pat Burrell, Adam Dunn, Bobby Abreu or Milton Bradley, but now is the time to make the biggest decision a general manager can make: preserve the future or go for broke.

In my opinion, when Roy Halladay is considered “going for broke,” you can’t sit around and think about the future. It’s not like you would be mortgaging the future for an overpriced, back-of-the-rotation arm like Jason Marquis or Jarrod Washburn (do Eric Milton and Cory Lidle ring any bells?), you would be getting one of the best pitchers in baseball for the past decade.

Not only is Halladay a true ace, he would be perfect for the Phillies and Citizens Bank Park. Adding Halladay and his 1.31 career groundball-to-flyball ratio to the starting rotation would finally give the Phillies a true groundball pitcher. Halladay is also a workhorse, throwing at least 220 innings in each of the last three seasons, and his propensity for finishing what he started—19 complete games in his last 81 starts—would help the Phillies bullpen, which has been overworked this season due to a starting rotation that has a 4.98 ERA at the All Star break.

Looking at the Phillies roster as it is currently constructed, the proverbial “window of opportunity” closes after the 2011 season. Joe Blanton and Jayson Werth are free agents after the 2010 season, and then Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, Ryan Madson and J.C. Romero are free to walk away after the 2011 season.

Unless a Steinbrenner is interested in purchasing the Phillies, we need to maximize the output of this core group before it is too late, because all of them are going to command more money or years than the Phillies are willing to (or reasonably should) commit to these players.

I don’t care how good we all think Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor, Dominic Brown, Lou Marson and Jason Donald are, if the Toronto Blue Jays want any combination of these players, then we should be asking to see their passports.

Yes, these are the hot names in the Phillies’ farm system this year, but since Cole Hamels made his Major League debut in 2006, how many of the “hot names” have flamed out? While J.A. Happ is pitching like a solid number two starter, where are Carlos Carrasco, Jason Jaramillo, Michael Bourn, Gavin Floyd, Chris Roberson, Josh Outman, Scott Mathieson, Adrian Cardenas, Brad Harman, Greg Golson, Gio Gonzalez or Mike Costanzo? More importantly, the Phillies have other players like Anthony Gose, Travis d’Arnaud, Jason Knapp, Joe Savery, and Vance Worley developing in the farm system as the next “hot names,” not to mention John Mayberry, Jr., and Antonio Bastardo who are Major League ready right now.

I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have a Cy Young Award winner in the prime of his career than a bunch of guys who we all think will be good, but based on recent history, probably won’t be worth anything in three years.

While it is obvious to everyone that Halladay would improve the Phillies, my guess is that it all comes down to money, but this time, there is no excuse not to make the blockbuster trade.With $25.5 million coming off the books with the contracts of Adam Eaton, Geoff Jenkins and Brett Myers expiring, the Phillies have more than enough money to pay for the raises that Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and several others are due to receive in 2010.

There has to be room in the budget to cover Halladay’s 2010 salary, and according to several reports, the Phillies received a large insurance claim on Myers, which would pay for the remainder of Halladay’s salary this season.

Maybe I’m being shortsighted, but if Kyle Drabek is expected to be a staff ace someday in the future, why not trade him for a guy who is a staff ace right now and can pitch twice in each playoff series for the next two years?

By the way, none of this takes into account that something is obviously wrong with Cole Hamels, who has won just one start in the last six weeks.

***

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. This week, we’ll talk about what went wrong and what went right in the first half of the season for the Phillies.

State of the NL East: Midseason

2009-07-08T14:11:00.001-04:00

As baseball’s midsummer classic approaches, the Phillies find themselves clicking on all cylinders once again, despite June being one of the most frustrating months of baseball that I can remember.

The Phillies went just 11-15 last month, and adding in the first two games of July, they had a terrible stretch in which they won just seven of 24 games, yet the Fightins never dropped to the second line in the National League East standings.

During that woeful period of baseball, the Phillies dealt with a complete meltdown of their starting pitching, which included a span of more than two weeks (June 8 to 22) without a starting pitcher winning a game. The June swoon also included the failed “Ryan Madson Experiment,” which saw the eighth-inning specialist fill in for Brad Lidge at closer, and, to quote Chris Berman, stumble, bumble and fumble away more games than he could save.

After being swept by the Braves, the Phillies looked as though their grip on the division had faded, and all of their mojo was gone, but into Citizens Bank Park walked the hated New York Mets, and three games later, the Phillies were once again the team to beat in the division, and the starting pitching was suddenly a point of strength.

In their sweep of the Mets, the Phillies sent to the hill a guy who hadn’t started a game in the majors in more than 700 days, and a 46-year-old who had an ERA over 7.00 at home this year in the first two games. In the third game, Joe Blanton brought out the broom, outdueling Johan Santana in a 2-0 victory.

Throw in a 22-1 beatdown of the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, and the Phillies have officially regained that swagger that was missing for nearly a month. More importantly, jumping out to a 10-0 lead in the first inning gave Cole Hamels the type of pressure-free outing he needed to get back on track and win his first start since June 4.

While analyzing the Phillies’ chances at a three-peat in the division, the one thing that jumps out among the other teams is injuries. While Brett Myers, and his replacement, Antonio Bastardo, are on the disabled list, the Phillies suddenly are nearly as healthy as ever, as Lidge and Scott Eyre have returned to the team, and Raul Ibanez looks like he will rejoin the big club sooner, rather than later.

The rest of the division, however, is not so lucky.

Florida, who probably will present the biggest challenge to the Phillies the rest of the way, lost their closer, Matt Lindstrom. As we all saw when Madson took the ball in the ninth inning, closing out games is an entirely different animal compared to the seventh or eighth innings, so the Marlins, who managed to pull into a tie for first place with the Phillies for a day last week, might have a wild and stressful few weeks ahead of them.

Moving to the talented, yet always underachieving Mets, they have more injuries than any team should be forced to endure, but I’m not going to complain about that. The Mets’ disabled list is a who’s who of all-stars and free agent acquisitions, as Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, J.J. Putz, Oliver Perez and John Maine are all watching helplessly as the Mets fade into obscurity in the division.It’s unclear when the Mets will be able to bring in the reinforcements, but it needs to happen soon, or else only the lowly Washington Nationals will prevent them from being basement-dwellers.

The Braves, who could be a dangerous team if they ever learned to hit the ball, are still waiting for Tim Hudson to come back to the rotation, and starting second baseman Kelly Johnson just went on the DL with tendonitis in his right wrist.

Baseball really is a funny game. For the last few weeks, the Phillies were banged up and couldn’t win a game even when it was gift-wrapped and placed in front of them. Now, just four days after being swept by the Braves, which included two Madson meltdowns, the Phillies are rolling and in better shape than anyone in the division.

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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.

Two drafts, two different directions

2009-07-01T14:13:00.001-04:00

Before the Phillies won the World Series last October, Philadelphia had 25 well-documented years of futility. Throughout that time, each of the four major teams had their share of ups, downs, and near-miss heartbreak.

In the last 25 years, however, the only team that gave it all and went for broke each and every season was the Flyers, and this year is no different. Whether it was trading for Eric Lindros, or bringing in Peter Forsberg and Derian Hatcher, or adding Danny Briere, Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell in the same offseason, the Flyers always have a “win now” approach, and adding Chris Pronger to the defense definitely says the Flyers are trying to win it all this year.

All season, the Flyers could score goals in bunches, but stopping the puck from finding the back of the net was a problem. Part of that dilemma was that Martin Biron lacked the fundamentals necessary to be a consistent goalie (I promise a future column completely ripping on fired goaltender coach Reggie Lemelin), and part of the problem was a defense that lacked a powerful, front-of-the-net defenseman.

Pronger, despite his advanced age of 34, steps in as the Flyers best defensemen. Timonen is still the best open-ice defensemen, but in front of the net, and especially on the penalty kill, there’s no one better than Pronger at clearing out some room for the goaltender to see what’s coming.

More importantly, how many times last season did a rebound end up in the back of the net because our defensemen didn’t move whoever set up camp in front of the goalie? This year, when guys like Evgeni Malkin and others try to make their home in front of the crease, Pronger will be there to make them pay for it. And hopefully some of that work effort and gritty play will rub off on Braydon Coburn, who regressed last year. With the right teaching and motivation, Coburn could be the next Chris Pronger.

Switching sports, the day before the Flyers went all-in by essentially trading a 25-goal scorer and three first-round picks for Pronger, the Sixers told their fan base that the 2009-10 season will not be championship season.

I honestly don’t think there was any player in the NBA draft who could lift the Sixers to greatness, but picking Jrue Holiday over Ty Lawson says that the Sixers are packing it in before the season even starts. But, as someone pointed out to me, with the Cavaliers getting Shaquille O’Neal, and the Magic trading for Vince Carter, can you really blame the Sixers for not thinking that this is going to be their year?

Looking at Holiday, he could be an amazing talent in a few years, but if the Sixers, who have made the playoffs a stunning two seasons in a row, wanted to compete this year, Lawson should have been the pick.

Lawson averaged more than 16 points and six assists per game while leading North Carolina to the National Championship. In comparison, Holiday played one season at UCLA, and averaged eight points and three assists per game, all while not even playing point guard because Darren Collison was better than him. By the way, Lawson shot 47 percent from three point range, while Holiday shot 31 percent. Couldn’t the Sixers have used a guy who can actually shoot the ball?

This pick is the exact reason why first round picks are merely add-ons in cost-saving trades in the NBA. Too many teams try for a home run with an over-hyped, flashy player who turns out to be worthless, instead of a player that they know will contribute.

Instead of picking Lawson, who will be a solid point guard in the NBA and could immediately help the Sixers this season at the point and from beyond the arc, they went with Holiday, who couldn’t even start at point guard for his college team, all because after a few years of experience and nurturing in the NBA, he MIGHT turn into a top point guard. Or he might be worthless like more than half of the first round picks this decade (I looked back, and found numerous first rounders who are averaging just 10 points per game for their careers).

Since the Flyers last raised it, 33 teams have gotten their hands on Lord Stanley’s Cup, but with Pronger and a little maturity from Jeff Carter, Mike Richards and the rest of the party bunch, this year could be the Flyers’ year. In contrast, it has been 26 years since the Sixers triumphantly held up the NBA title, and drafting Jrue Holiday means that the coming season definitely will be year number 27.

Maddening Madson strikes out as closer

2009-06-22T11:39:00.003-04:00

After dropping six straight games, and eight of their last nine home games, the Phillies are only better than the lowly Washington Nationals when playing at home.

This homestand did not have to be one of the worst in franchise history, but without a healthy Brad Lidge coming out of the bullpen in the ninth inning, the Phillies watched three games slip out of the hands Lidge’s temporary replacement, Ryan Madson.

In a stretch of five games, Madson pitched three times, and each time, the Phillies were worse off than when they started the inning.

I don’t know why I am so surprised that Madson isn’t thriving in the closer role. I guess the fan in me only looked at his recent performance as the Phillies’ dominating setup man.

I even ignored the fact that I wrote this before World Series Game 5, part II last year: “On the mound, I would start with J.C. Romero against the Rays’ 6-7-8 hitters. Then bring in Ryan Madson in the 8th. I want no part of Madson starting a game, regardless of what inning the scoreboard says it is.” Madson promptly gave up the tying run, and if not for Chase Utley’s amazing throw home, he would have given up the go-ahead run as well.

While Madson has been great in the eighth inning since taking over for the injured Tom Gordon midseason last year, he is a player who has failed each time the Phillies gave him any chance to be “The Man.”

Throughout his time in the minor leagues, Madson was a highly touted prospect as a starting pitcher, but found himself in a middle relief role in 2004. That year, he was given a chance to make an emergency start, but gave up three homers to the Chicago White Sox and was mercifully yanked from the game after recording just two outs, while surrendering six runs.

Then, after a year and a half in obscurity as a middle reliever, Madson made 17 starts in 2006. I remember being excited that he was finally getting a chance in the rotation, and while he pitched effectively at times, giving up two runs or less in six of those starts, he also gave up five runs or more in seven of those starts, and was sent back to the bullpen.

Since the middle of last season, Madson had been one of the best setup relievers in the league, but he always knew that Lidge was there to come in when the game was on the line.

Now, in the closer role, the pitcher who gave up runs in just three of his first 33 appearances, has given up runs in each of his last three outings, all losses by the Phillies.

Everyone knows that the ninth inning is like an entirely different ballgame compared to any of the other eight innings, and Madson doesn’t have the mental toughness to cut it in the ninth.

Not every reliever has the ability to go from pitching the seventh or eighth inning to being the last guy on the mound. Some pitchers love the spotlight. Those pitchers - starters and closers - love knowing that the game is in their hands. Starters want the ball every fifth day and go out to the mound confident that they are going to win the game.

Closers love having 45,000 people on their feet when the bullpen door opens, and they know that there is no one else warming up to take their place. Win or lose, the game ends with the closer (except when it goes to extra innings after a blown save), and closers love knowing that the outcome is in their hands.

Madson has always had the talent to be a top starter or a top closer, but he isn’t able to go out there each day with the fire and determination necessary to succeed when the game is on the line. Luckily, Lidge is coming back to the Phillies after a stint on the disabled list, and hopefully his knee is healthy.

I just hope that the last two weeks of Madson closing out games didn’t mess with his fragile psyche, and, for the rest of the season, he can go back to dominating the eighth inning as part of the “Bridge to Lidge.”

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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. This week, we’ll talk about the Sixers’ draft moves, and why the Phillies can’t seem to win a game with us cheering for them.

Two years of quarterback certainty

2009-06-17T12:18:00.000-04:00

I’m sure everyone was as shocked as I was to hear that the Eagles essentially gave away more than $5 million to a player already under contract, without gaining any extra years of commitment.

After an offseason of begging and pleading with the Eagles to find him legitimate weapons on offense, Donovan McNabb now has a little more security and peace of mind about his final two years under contract with the Eagles.

A few months ago, the Phillies essentially made the same goodwill gesture to Cole Hamels and Ryan Howard, locking in those two superstars for the remainder of their arbitration years. The Phillies just wanted to be done with the annual monetary battle that they would have with Hamels and Howard.

In the Eagles’ case, they bring McNabb into the upper echelon of quarterbacks in terms of annual salary, and they no longer have to answer the question of who will be under center until 2011 at the earliest. When 2011 comes around, if McNabb is still among the top quarterbacks in the league, the front office could always slap the franchise tag on him or work on a contract extension to keep him in Eagle-green for the rest of his career.

When news of this extension came out, I was quite surprised to hear the reactions from a lot of the “talk radio” fans.

From what I observed, there wasn’t a lot of anger toward it like we would have seen two years ago, or even in November. Maybe this is a sign that McNabb might finally be appreciated for carrying this team for the last decade. Or maybe it is a sign that the die-hard fans are not looking forward to the Kevin Kolb era, as he has thrown two touchdown passes in his career, and neither player – Ed Reed and Brandon McDonald – was wearing green at the time.

Honestly, I would probably only take a healthy Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, and Drew Brees over McNabb for one season. Granted, I would take young guys like Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, or Jay Cutler in a straight-up trade for McNabb to help secure the future of the quarterback position on the Eagles, but in 2009, McNabb is one of only a handful of quarterbacks who could give any team a legitimate chance to win the Super Bowl.

I know that I am in the minority on this, but I wouldn’t trade McNabb for Peyton Manning taking into account how many times Manning has choked in the playoffs, despite having more talent on offense than McNabb ever has had.

My second thought when I heard about this reworked deal was that the Eagles know that McNabb has a lot left in the tank, because they are very quick and deliberate in letting go of players who are past their prime. And, most importantly, the Eagles are almost always right in this regard. Fans may not like who the Eagles bring in, but there are rarely regrets after sending someone packing.

Thinking back over the Andy Reid era, the only starter that was let go by the Eagles who went on to play at a high level was defensive end Derrick Burgess, who has registered 38.5 sacks in the four seasons since signing with the Oakland Raiders. The other star players – Troy Vincent, Duce Staley, Bobby Taylor, Hugh Douglas (twice), Jeremiah Trotter (twice) – did almost nothing in the NFL after being told they were too old to be on the Eagles.

To me, this means that the Birds have faith in McNabb to put up big numbers on a team that has two new offensive tackles, a new speedy wide receiver and two new compliments to Brian Westbrook in the backfield.In an offseason where several aging veterans – Brian Dawkins, Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan – were sent packing, the Eagles made sure that the last of their leaders from the start of the Andy Reid era has their full support. With the potential salary cap consequences of cutting McNabb at any point in the next two seasons, the Eagles are essentially putting their money where their mouth is when they say how important McNabb is to the Eagles’ success.

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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.

Bastardo takes to the hill

2009-06-02T16:50:00.000-04:00

It wouldn’t be Phillies baseball if pitching concerns weren’t the topic on everyone’s lips.

The Phillies bullpen, which struggled at the beginning of the season, appears on the verge of returning to its dominant form from 2008.

After a very shaky “Heathcliff Slocumb-esque” start to the season, Brad Lidge is finally looking healthy and trusting his fastball, allowing only two baserunners in his last five save chances.

In addition to Lidge’s revival, J.C. Romero returns to the bullpen this week, providing the Phillies with a desperately needed situational lefty that actually can get hitters out. Combine Lidge and Romero with Ryan Madson, Scott Eyre, Clay Condrey and Chan Ho Park (in his correct role as a middle reliever), and the Phillies once again are primed to turn games into six-inning affairs.

With innings seven through nine well accounted for, the Phillies find themselves in a strange situation regarding the hurlers of the first six innings. Just as Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton find themselves breaking out of their early season slumps, Brett Myers’ hip injury puts the Phillies in a very unenviable position.

With Park having flamed out as a starter, the Phillies already used their first rotation insurance policy by moving J.A. Happ out of the bullpen, which means Myers’ replacement had to come from someone outside of the 25-man roster.

Luckily for the Phillies, the farm system has not been depleted of talent in the typical “trade three top prospects for a below average and overpaid starting pitcher” way that peppered the Ed Wade era.Getting first crack at the job is 23-year-old Antonio Bastardo, who better be awesome, because with a name like that, he might wind up on the receiving end of the most profanity-filled taunts in Philadelphia history.

Bastardo, a young fireballer from the Dominican Republic, tore up the minors, posting ERAs of 2.14, 2.95, and 1.90 in the last three seasons, while receiving midseason promotions each year, including a move from Reading to Lehigh Valley in May.

While Bastardo’s ERAs have been impressive, and his strikeouts have always been above one batter per inning, the reason he is getting the call is that his walks are way down this season. Bastardo has finally gained command of all of his pitches, walking just 10 batters in 47 innings of work. The previous two seasons, he was averaging more than four walks per nine innings, but this season, he has cut that number in half.

If Bastardo isn’t getting the job done after the first few starts, the Phillies could bring up either Kyle Kendrick, who still can’t control his new changeup, or Carlos Carrasco, who is winless in nine starts with the Iron Pigs.

While neither of those options seem ideal at the moment, the final internal option for the Phillies is 2006 first round pick Kyle Drabek, who was just promoted to Reading. Drabek is raw and missed a season due to Tommy John surgery, but could be a surprise candidate to make the jump to the majors. The hard-throwing Drabek has a 2.91 ERA in nine games with Clearwater, and struck out 67 batters in 52 innings.

While it would be great to see Bastardo thrive in the rotation, the odds of that happening as a rookie are small, which means that by mid-June, the Phillies could be on the phone searching for a retread to round out the rotation.

The Phillies don’t have enough talent in the upper levels of the minor leagues to get someone like Jake Peavy from the Padres, but with some creativity, they could get Roy Oswalt from Astros. The only problem with either Peavy or Oswalt is that Shane Victorino and either Drabek or Bastardo would be the main pieces of any trade package, and I don’t believe that the Phillies are ready to part with the Flyin’ Hawaiian just yet. They might consider moving Victorino next year when Michael Taylor or Dominic Brown are closer to the majors, but not yet.

Honestly, I think that Bastardo will have his rookie bumps, but will ultimately do well in the rotation, and combined with Happ, the Phillies will have two solid young starters developing behind Cole Hamels for the future.

Of course, knowing the Phillies, next week, I could be right back here complaining about how they didn’t give Bastardo a legitimate opportunity, while groaning over the fact that Jason Marquis, Brad Penny, or Jarrod Washburn is wearing red pinstripes.

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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’ll talk about Brad Lidge’s sudden return to form, and how the starting rotation is coping without Myers.

NBA Playoffs are finally "must see"

2009-05-28T12:18:00.002-04:00

If you have been paying attention for the last two years, you will notice that I have not written a single column about the NBA. It’s not because there haven’t been potential topics to write about, it’s because the league generally bores me more than any other professional sport.

I love playing basketball, and I am a die-hard Maryland Terrapins college basketball fan, but there is something about the NBA that makes me change the channel.

When I was younger, I used to love the Sixers, and lived and died with every blown lottery pick. I didn’t care that Philly kept choosing worthless stiffs like Sharone Wright or Shawn Bradley, I liked watching professional basketball.But then came the 1999 playoffs.

With the knowledge that Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were not going to win the NBA title, I was more excited than ever for the 1998-99 season. However, that season was a display of some of the worst basketball I had ever seen in my life.

Somehow, Jordan retired and everyone forgot how to score!

In the finals that year, the San Antonio Spurs beat the New York Knicks in five games, neither team managed to top 100 points in the series. In fact, the losing team didn’t even break 80 points in three of the five games, and neither team reached 80 points in the deciding game of the series!

I was so disgusted with the league that I really just stopped watching. I wasn’t even that interested when Allen Iverson was leading the Sixers on an improbable run to the NBA finals in 2001.

Maybe it is because the Flyers bowed out early from the NHL playoffs, or the fact that the Phillies are defending—instead of chasing—the World Series trophy, but for the first time in a decade, I am actually watching the NBA playoffs. And I could not have picked a better time to come back into the fold.

While watching TV, I randomly flipped to game two of the first round series between Boston and Chicago, and I haven’t been able to look away since. Boston was playing without superstar Kevin Garnett, and the Bulls were playing with a bunch of future superstars, including Ben Gordon and rookie point guard Derrick Rose.

With Ray Allen and Ben Gordon exchanging clutch shots back and forth, and Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose showing that they are destined to become the best point guards in the league, I was hooked for the rest of that spectacular series, which included seven overtime periods.

Now, in the conference finals, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant are slugging it out for the right to play for the NBA title. These are four of the best players in the game, and they are coming up as clutch as possible when it matters most.

Between the Magic battling back from a 15-point halftime deficit to win game one, and James’ game-winning buzzer-beating fadeaway three-pointer in game two, the Eastern Conference Finals has drama and intrigue written all over it. Over in the Western Conference, Bryant and Anthony are exchanging 30-point nights as Denver and L.A. are playing one of the roughest, yet highest scoring playoffs series in recent memory.

Don’t get me wrong, I still wish that traveling was called every so often, and that referees actually watched the play unfold before assuming that a foul occurred, and that NBA Commissioner David Stern wasn’t the cockiest and most oblivious person on the planet, but I’m not ashamed to admit that the last six weeks of basketball has turned me back into a fan.

Of course, now that the NBA has finally gotten my attention, the finals are bound to be a boring sweep.

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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.

Youngsters need to step up on defense for the Birds

2009-05-20T11:23:00.002-04:00

I want to start out by writing that I wish Jim Johnson the best in his battle against cancer, but because this is a sports column (and I get queasy just by talking about medical issues), I’m going to focus on the football side of Johnson’s indefinite leave of absence from the Eagles.

As productive as this offseason has been for the Eagles, the one part of the team that has been largely neglected is the defense. The Eagles have upgraded their offense with the additions of Jason Peters, Stacey Andrews, Leonard Weaver, Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy and Cornelius Ingram, but other than the draft day trade for Ellis Hobbs, the defense has gone mostly ignored.

Now with the defensive coordinator on an indefinite leave, the worst case scenario for the third-ranked unit from last season is unfolding.

Despite the very lofty ranking in 2008, the Eagles’ defense is mostly devoid of difference-making talent in the front seven. The unit only succeeded in registering 48 sacks, 15 interceptions and 22 forced fumbles because of Johnson’s creativity and a talented secondary that knew how to cover for an underwhelming group of linemen and linebackers.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, neither of those two keys to the defense’s success will be at the organized team activities this week, which could spell doom for the 2009 season.

Because of the talent level on defense, the Eagles already would have had an uphill battle repeating the success of 2008, and that was before the loss of Dawkins, and the contract dispute involving Sheldon Brown, but what happens if Johnson’s leave of absence extends into training camp and the regular season?

Looking at the personnel on the roster, which player in the front seven can take over a game or strike fear into the heart of an offensive coordinator if the secondary is sub-par and Johnson isn’t coming up with brilliant schemes from week to week? The answer is none of them, with Trent Cole having the ability to cause minor indigestion, but certainly not fear. The front seven is full of solid players that were able to excel as a unit only because Johnson had the ability to get the most out of them. He had the ability to devise a scheme that played to their strengths and almost always put them in position to make a play.

While Dawkins’ departure for Denver is not a huge loss in terms of Xs and Os, he did call out the assignments for the secondary, and was the emotional leader on the sidelines. When he signed with the Broncos, I didn’t think the loss would be that devastating, but that was when Sheldon Brown was happy and Johnson wasn’t expected to miss any time.

If Johnson isn’t healthy enough to coach during the season, how far will the defense fall in 2009, and more importantly, who will step up and lead the group onto the field when a big stop is needed?

Right now, the longest tenured players on defense are guys like Quentin Mikell, Trent Cole and Mike Patterson. Are these guys ready to become vocal leaders and make sure the offense gets the ball back in its hands to win the game?

What about Stewart Bradley and the rest of the young linebackers? What will happen to their growth process if they are suddenly forced to be playmakers and don’t have the comfort of Johnson’s schemes to protect their shortcomings?

It’s only May, but the third-ranked defense from 2008 already has a lot of question marks. I guess it’s a good thing that the offense received some serious upgrades because the Eagles will be engaged in quite a few USFL-style shootouts in 2009.

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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.

Gridiron trash talk starts early

2009-05-13T12:06:00.000-04:00

What is it with New York players trying to be like Jimmy Rollins?

It seems like New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs is taking a page out of Carlos Beltran’s and Francisco Rodriguez’s books. Those two New York Mets made Rollins-esque predictions the last two offseasons—Beltran was wrong in 2008, and K-Rod will be wrong in 2009—and now Jacobs is predicting 13 wins for his team in 2009.

J-Roll was dead on about his Phillies being the team to beat in the National League East in 2007, and then again in 2008 when he predicted 100 wins for our Fightins.

So for those keeping score, Rollins has been right twice, Beltran has been wrong once, and we have two predictions coming from New York players that are incomplete.

I’ve written before that K-Rod will be wrong about his “team to beat” prediction, and I’m sure I will address it again later this season, but what about Jacobs’ very optimistic prediction?

For starters, the Giants did finish 12-4 last year, so Jacobs is really only predicting one extra win in 2009, which means that on the surface, he’s not making a completely outlandish claim.

When we delve a little deeper into his premonition though, Jacobs is probably three games off, as his Giants are, at best, a 10-6 team, which would leave the NFC East wide open for the Eagles and the always-awesome-from-September-through Thanksgiving Dallas Cowboys.

So why do I take a far different view than the 1,000-yard rusher? Simply put, the Giants lost two very key pieces from last year’s team, and neither were adequately replaced.

Starting with the obvious offseason loss, the Giants finally cut loose star wide receiver and terrible marksman Plaxico Burress.In 2008, Burress missed a total of seven games, including a 23-11 loss in the playoffs to the Eagles. The Giants won just three of those seven games, and in the process, Eli Manning tossed just five touchdowns and five interceptions, struggling to move the ball, as he had zero 200-yard passing days in December or January.

Without Burress, Manning loses his top red zone target, and the man who draws double coverage and extra eyes on most plays, leaving him with Steve Smith, Domenik Hixon and Hakeem Nicks as his only targets.

While losing Burress is a big blow to Manning and the passing game, the move that I think will really hurt the Giants this year is not re-signing Derrick Ward.

Going into the offseason, I would have guessed that if Burress wasn’t coming back, the Giants would have done everything possible to maintain their top-notch rushing attack, but they chose to let a 228-pound, 1,000-yard rusher walk away.

In addition to rushing for 1,028 yards in 2008, Ward played the role of keeping Jacobs fresh and filling in for the bruising back when his annual injury occurs, but Ward’s most important role was catching passes out of the backfield. With 41 catches and 384 yards in 2008, Ward was more productive in the passing game than Jacobs has been in his entire four-year career.

As an Eagles fan, I know the importance of having a guy who can catch passes out of the backfield, and it is even more important when the wide receivers only require single coverage. Without Burress, defenses were already going to play closer to the line of scrimmage against the Giants, and now without Ward, Manning won’t have his go-to-guy out of the backfield to pick up positive yardage when the pressure comes.

Heading into this season, Giants fans better hope that rookie Hakeem Nicks is an immediate Pro Bowl wideout, or else Manning will be the below average quarterback that we saw in December and January, and he won’t even have his safety valve in Ward out of the backfield. That means the New York offense will be riddled with stalled drives and field goal attempts instead of touchdowns, and even more of the load will be placed on the oft-injured Jacobs.

Of course, I predicted the Giants would go 8-8 last season, and they still could trade for Braylon Edwards or Anquan Boldin, so maybe Jacobs is on to something. But then again, Edwards and Boldin don’t look like they are going anywhere, so unless Osi Umenyiora comes back from his knee injury and catches touchdown passes, Jacobs will be eating his words, just like Beltran did.

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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 discuss what is wrong with Jimmy Rollins, along with some NBA and NHL playoff talk.

Superfight coming?

2009-05-08T12:06:00.001-04:00

The Flyers lost to the Penguins, the Sixers lost to the Magic, and the Phillies still have five months until the season ends.

That means, I could write about the Eagles’ first post-draft minicamp, or I could write about the most important event of the weekend, which was Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao’s complete destruction of junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton on Saturday night.

The first “On the Edge” column I ever wrote was about how “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather’s victory over Oscar De La Hoya wasn’t enough to save boxing from the Mixed Martial Arts juggernaut that is the UFC.

However, two years later, boxing is full of life, thanks to PacMan’s willingness to fight the best fighters in the world, no matter what weight class they happen to be ruling at the time. In the process, he has tied Oscar De La Hoya’s all-time record by winning titles in six different weight classes.

Part of the reason for Pacquiao’s rise to stardom is who he was fighting, but a lot of it has to do with how he fights. Many champions choose to coast through their fights and let the judges decide the winner of a boring contest, but Pacquiao always puts on a good show, going for the knockout at all times.

In the past two years alone, PacMan has won six fights in four different weight classes, with four of the victories coming by way of knockout or technical knockout. Among those six fights are victories over a who’s who of the boxing world, including knockouts of Ricky Hatton and David Diaz, both of which won Pacquiao new title belts.

He also stopped De La Hoya and won decisions over Juan Manuel Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera.And now that he has vanquished all comers, Pacquiao, who is the undisputed pound-for-pound king of boxing, has new challenge before him in the name of Floyd Mayweather, who unretired the day before Pacquiao dismantled Hatton with a second round KO.

This sets up what could possibly be the most important fight since the Thrilla in Manilla, and the most action in a bout since the late Diego Corrales’ stunning 10th round TKO of Jose Luis Castillo (I’ve recommended finding the 10th round of their first fight on YouTube before, and if you haven’t, then you definitely should).

A Pacquiao/Mayweather battle would pit the current pound-for-pound king against the undefeated former pound-for-pound king. It would be a battle between two boxers with blazing fist speed, the ability to end a fight at any moment, and the intelligence to change styles mid-fight to pull off a comeback victory.

It would be a fight between a soft-spoken man who lets his fists do the talking and a man who delivers a beat-down with his words, and then his fists. It would be the fight that officially put boxing back on top in its battle with mixed martial arts.

The only thing standing in the way of the biggest fight in decades is an upcoming battle between Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez. Marquez took Pacquiao to the limit in both bouts between the fighters, scoring a draw in 2004, and dropping a split decision last year. Some people, including me, say that Marquez was robbed in at least one of the two fights with Pacquiao, so a win over Mayweather would not be a shock.

While a win by Marquez would set up a thrilling rubber match with Pacquiao, it would not even come close to being the biggest fight of a generation, so let’s hope Mayweather doesn’t show any rust this July, and we get a PacMan/Pretty Boy battle in the fall.

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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 discuss the first month of the Phillies’ season, along with the first minicamp of the 2009 Eagles’ season.

Eagles soar on draft weekend

2009-04-29T16:05:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, I admitted that I was a draft junkie. I love the buildup, analyzing all of the stats and sifting through the rumors and mock drafts.

However, most years, after more than 250 selections go by, the Eagles always disappointed me. They never pick the players I wanted, or did anything to make me think they knew what they were doing.Seriously, how excited can you get over a 340-pounder who may or may not pan out? The only way I can judge if an offensive lineman is having a good game is if I don’t groan that he stinks more than twice that afternoon.

Then came the 2009 NFL Draft. Not only did the Eagles pick players at exciting positions, they picked the right players at those positions!

Last week, I wrote that I wanted to see the Eagles come away with a wide receiver, a running back, a tight end and a cornerback, and the Eagles filled all four positions with meaningful players who could contribute week 1.

Going into Saturday, the draft was already a success because they traded for two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters a week earlier, but adding Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy with their first two picks, and then basically stealing tight end Cornelius Ingram in the fifth round was beyond anything I could imagine.

While Maclin is not a big wide receiver, he was considered the top wide receiver on more draft boards than any other receiver, including Michael Crabtree, because of how explosive he was in just two years at Missouri.

Maclin put up extremely rare numbers for a guy who didn’t make it to his junior year, topping 1,000 receiving yards as a freshman, and then following that up with 102 catches and 1,260 yards as sophomore. He also had more than 2,600 yards and five touchdowns returning kicks and punts, showing that he was a threat to reach the end zone at any time.

In combination with DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis, the Eagles could have the fastest set of wide receivers in the NFL, and all three are smooth route runners with great hands. No team in the NFL is going to have the ability to run with these three receivers, and their speed will open things up underneath for guys like Brent Celek, Jason Avant and Brian Westbrook.

Moving to the second round, LeSean McCoy isn’t the big running back that everyone wanted, but he is a player who can make the Eagles more dangerous just by showing up and keeping Brian Westbrook fresh.

McCoy is cut right out of Westbrook’s mold, with great hands out of the backfield, having caught 65 passes the last two seasons, but he can also pound the ball inside, carrying the ball an astounding 584 times the last two seasons, which is more carries than Westbrook has had in any two-year span in his career.

Perhaps the most important number on McCoy’s stat sheet is 35, because that’s the number of rushing touchdowns he racked up in two seasons, including 21 in 2008. That shows that he can pick up the short yardage while preventing Westbrook from taking a pounding during the season.

With the additions of Maclin and McCoy, I now see an Eagles team that, for the first time in my life, is filled with talented players that are a threat to score from any part of the field, and from any down and distance. Individually, it would be tough to shut down Maclin, McCoy, Westbrook, DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis or Brent Celek, but putting five of those six players on the field at one time presents nearly impossible matchup problems for any defense.

The only things that could stop this offense in 2009 are execution and balance, but let’s not worry about those issues right now.

***
Quick thoughts on the NFL Draft:

* People are wondering why cornerback Ellis Hobbs only cost the Eagles two fifth-round picks, but the Patriots are in bad shape when it comes to the salary cap, as multiple players need to be re-signed in the next year.

* When the New York Giants took one of my sleepers from last week—Ramses Barden—in the third round, I couldn’t completely slam their draft, but I feel like taking Hakeem Nicks and Barden is overkill, considering Kenny Britt was taken the very next pick after Nicks. At 6-3, Britt would have been the possession receiver that Nicks is, while also providing the big target in the red zone they hope Barden becomes. In Britt, they could have used just one pick to fill two holes in Eli Manning’s arsenal.

* Even though I went to Maryland, I can’t justify taking Darrius Heyward-Bey with the seventh pick in the draft, but JaMarcus Russell can’t throw anything but a deep ball, so maybe having the fastest receiver in the draft running under a bunch of bombs won’t be so bad. The Raiders will still be terrible, but at least their offense should be good for fantasy football purposes.

* Anquan Boldin was apparently never really available or the Eagles, Giants and Titans would have pulled the trigger on a trade with the Cardinals instead of grabbing unproven receivers in the first round.

Eagles draft preview!

2009-04-22T11:57:00.002-04:00

We all knew that the Eagles weren’t going to select two players in the first round of the NFL Draft this weekend, we just didn’t know that they were going to wind up with a two-time Pro Bowl left tackle, and still have the 21st pick in the first round.

When the Eagles traded for Buffalo’s Jason Peters, they solidified their offensive line, while simultaneously guaranteeing that their draft weekend would be considered a success.

It would have taken both of the Eagles’ first round picks, and maybe more, to get high enough to draft either Jason Smith or Eugene Monroe to play left tackle, but the Eagles only spent one first round pick to get a proven player in the prime of his career, instead of potentially the next Robert Gallery or Mike Williams. By the way, if those two names don’t make you shudder, how about our own offensive line busts, such as Kevin Allen, Bernard Williams, Antoine Davis and Winston Justice. Doesn’t that make you cherish the fact that we don’t have to sit back and hope a lineman develops?

Now that the offensive line has six guys fighting for five spots (with Nick Cole pushing Todd Herremans and Jamaal Jackson for a starting position), the Eagles probably won’t be taking an offensive lineman before the fourth round. This means the Eagles might use their first few picks to actually draft people that excite the fan base!

Here is how I handicap the potential options for the Eagles on Saturday:
* Stay at 21 and draft Knowshon Moreno, Darrius Heyward-Bey (four inches taller than DeSean Jackson, and ran a faster 40-time), or Kenny Britt - 40 percent.
* Use second day picks to trade up a few spots and draft running back Chris “Beanie” Wells - 20 percent.
* Collect more picks and trade out of the first round to draft a lesser running back - 20 percent.
* Draft tight end Brandon Pettigrew out of Oklahoma State—10 percent.
* Trade the 21st pick plus either a third round pick or Reggie Brown for Anquan Boldin—10 percent.

Personally, I would love to see Heyward-Bey, Britt or Boldin catching passes from Donovan McNabb, and then have them use a second round pick on a running back like Andre Brown from North Carolina State. Brown is 224 pounds and runs a sub-4.5 40-yard dash, but more importantly, returned kickoffs in college, which is now a vacant position because Quintin Demps is too valuable to play on special teams.

After running back and wide receiver, the Eagles need to come away with another cornerback—in case Sheldon Brown sulks his way through training camp—along with a big defensive end and a tight end.

Draft weekend sleepers:
* Sean Smith, CB/S: I mentioned this 6-4, 214-pound defensive back on WBCB in March, and I’m convinced that he is the steal of the draft no matter when he gets picked. Smith, a junior out of Utah, would be the bigger than any wide receiver in the NFC East, while faster than most, running a 4.49 40-yard dash. The Eagles would have to move up to the early to mid-second round to get Smith, but he would also give the Eagles the upper hand in their showdown with Sheldon Brown.
* Ramses Barden, WR: At 6-6, 229 pounds, Barden immediately becomes a huge red zone target for whichever team selects him in the fourth or fifth round on Sunday. Barden hauled in 18 touchdowns in his senior year, scoring at least one touchdown in every game for Cal Poly, and scored 50 TDs in his four seasons with the Mustangs.
* Devin Moore, RB: At 5-9, 185 pounds, Moore isn’t the typical size for a running back, but he reminds me of San Diego’s Darren Sproles. He runs a 4.4 40-yard dash, and put up 1,301 yards as a senior for a Wyoming team that always found itself trailing by double-digits.

***
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 preview the NFL Draft weekend, and throw in some Flyers and Sixers playoff analysis.

Flyers prepare for their archrivals

2009-04-15T13:54:00.000-04:00

When the Flyers squandered a 3-2 lead to the New York Rangers on Sunday evening, it cost them home-ice advantage in the first round of the NHL playoffs, but more importantly, it gave their opponents, the Pittsburgh Penguins, a chance to continue their recent hot streak from the comforts of Mellon Arena.

We all know that the Penguins are led by their two superstars, Evgeni Malkin and Sydney Crosby, who ranked first and third in the NHL in scoring this year, but this is not the same team that sent the Flyers packing in last year's Eastern Conference Finals. These Penguins are not nearly as deep or as dangerous as the one that reached the Stanley Cup Finals and revitalized a franchise.

Last year, the Penguins had five scorers top 50 points for the season, and this year, just Malkin and Crosby reached that plateau, and the team's power play plummeted from fourth in the NHL last year to 20th this season.

In addition, the Penguins allowed 23 more goals this season, and Marc-Andre Fluery's goals against average jumped from 2.33 to 2.62, which could be a sign that he is wearing down after playing in 32 more games this season than a year ago.

Switching over to the Flyers, both the numbers and the players are looking stronger this season, as the Flyers boast six 25-goal scorers for the first time in franchise history, and have improved their power play and penalty kill units from last year.

Compared to last year's team, these Flyers are far more dangerous because of their depth. Last year, the Flyers were a team of guys who needed to make perfect plays with everyone in sync to score, but this year is entirely different.

Since being ousted by the Penguins last year, the Flyers' offense has added Simon Gagne, who scored 34 goals this year while compiling a plus-22 rating, and Forsberg-esque rookie Claude Giroux. They have also received huge boosts from Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, and Scott Hartnell, who all set new career highs in goals and points. These players all have stepped up their games, and, unlike last year, have shown the type of individual explosiveness that is necessary to put the team on their backs for a shift or a period or an entire game.

Moving to the ever important man between the pipes, thanks to the improved offense, Martin Biron shouldn't need to stand on his head like during last year's playoffs, but he will need to be solid. The most important thing for Biron to do is continue his solid third period play. This year, the Flyers were 26-3-2 when taking a lead into the third period, and as a team, they had a league-best +27 goal differential in the third period. If the Flyers are going to make a deep playoff run, Biron, along the guys in front of him, will need to continue their third period dominance and close out the games the way Brad Lidge slammed the door in the ninth inning for the Phillies.

While all of the statistics are nice to use as indicators of what might occur, the players actually have to play the games, and thankfully, the Flyers are (knock on wood) a healthy team. When the Penguins knocked out the Flyers in five games last year, Gagne had already been shut down with a concussion, and Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn had each missed most of the series due to injury.

In addition to health, the Flyers now have experience. Look at how the Phillies' young stars came through in October after a playoff let down the previous year. Guys like Richards and Carter know what it is like to make a deep run in the playoffs and come up short, while young defensemen like Ryan Parent and Braydon Coburn know how much more intense the playoffs are compared to the regular season.

Last year, a stronger Penguins team overpowered a shallow Flyers roster to move onto the Stanley Cup Finals. This year, the Flyers, despite stumbling a little down the stretch, can match up with any team in the league as long as they come out strong and stay healthy. As long as they stay healthy...

Prediction: Eight scorers are better than two, and the Flyers dispose of their cross-state rivals in six games.

The day our voice went silent

2009-04-13T21:19:00.002-04:00

“The 0-2 pitch, swing and a miss, struck him out! The Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 World Champions of Baseball!”
~Harry Kalas (1936-2009)

I have written a column every week since the Phillies lost their 10,000th game in July 2007, and throughout the last 21 months, I have analyzed some epic wins and a few crushing losses, but never a loss like this one.

When Harry Kalas passed away on Monday, April 13, shortly after 1:20 p.m., he took with him the Hall of Fame voice that was always there for us.

I was only fortunate enough to have met Harry one time, but I still remember shaking his hand and seeing how genuinely happy he was to meet me, along with each and every Phillies fan. I went to the third to last game of the 2007 season, and Harry and Jim Jackson were doing a pre-game show from the lower level of Citizens Bank Park, so my friends and I stopped to watch. When the show went to commercial, I walked up to Harry, shook his hand and told him he was the greatest and that it was an honor to meet him.

He could have told me to get lost or shook my hand and said nothing, but that wasn’t Harry. He shook my hand, thanked me for wanting to shake his hand, and then did the same for my friends, as well as for every fan that shook his hand that night or any other night for the 38 years he was a member of our family.

And it’s true, Harry was a member of our family. He may not have watched any us grow up, but we all grew up into baseball fans by watching him. When I was young, Harry’s voice taught me about baseball and told me everything I needed to know about the guys with classic baseball names, like Michael Jack Schmidt, Terry Mulholland, Mickey Morandini and Andy Van Slyke. (Just listen for a moment, and I'm sure you can hear Harry calling their names in a way that only he could.)

When I was in high school, Harry’s voice was the only sound while I was studying, and when his voice rose, I knew to look up because the Phillies were doing something good. When I went away to college at the University of Maryland, I remember saying that when I came home, I wanted to sit down with a cheesesteak and Harry Kalas’ voice announcing the Phillies.

Even back in October, as I screamed my head off in section 428, I remember that as Brad Lidge’s slider hit Carlos Ruiz’s glove, I yelled Harry’s famous call of “struck him out!” Right then I realized that the only thing missing from that most perfect of moments was hearing Harry call our Fightins the World Series champions. The following morning I finally caught the clip of Harry calling the final out of the game, and the World Series seemed complete.

When I saw the video footage, it was clear that he was just as excited as I was, and maybe that’s the reason that Harry holds a permanent place in the heart of every Phillies fan.

When you watched a game, you just knew that Harry was as emotionally invested in the outcome as you were. In a day where we have emotionless announcers, who care more about their own voice than the teams on the field or the fans in their living rooms, Harry was always there to lead the charge when the Phillies were pulling off a comeback, or to console you after your heart had just been ripped out after a loss. No matter how bad it got, you knew it was going to be okay and that the Phillies would get it back the next day or the next season because Harry told you that it would happen.

In the end, the Phillies will play at least another 155 games this season, but no matter how many they win and how many they lose, each one will be incomplete because Harry’s voice didn’t tell us how it happened.

A friendly and gentler fan base?

2009-04-08T10:47:00.001-04:00

I don’t really understand what is happening in the Phillies Nation. There was a strange joy on Sunday evening, which, despite a 4-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves on opening night, did not go away as the evening progressed.

This was the third consecutive opening day that I have attended, and all three of them ended in defeat (I’m not a jinx!). However, for some reason, I didn’t see the same look of despair on the 45,000 fans leaving Citizens Bank Park that I saw the previous two seasons.

Maybe it was because this year’s loss wasn’t the result of a bullpen meltdown that helped the Phillies snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Or maybe it is because winning a World Series after an up-and-down season has given fans a little perspective and the knowledge that every game and every at bat isn’t life and death. The one downside to this was that, unlike after last season’s opening day, I wasn’t handed free tickets to the following game by a dejected fan!

Starting at the beginning of the evening, I walked into Citizens Bank Park on Sunday with an unknown feeling. I felt very content with last season, and watching the red 2008 flag rise above Ashburn Alley (at an even height with the American Flag, which I’m pretty sure is against the law), I was filled with mixed emotions about the 2009 season. All the normal season-opening emotions were there on Sunday night except the rage. We had the first pitch, the first reference to the movie Major League, the first opposing homer thrown back onto the field, the first Ryan Howard strikeout, and countless other firsts of the season, but no anger. Maybe the World Series has made me a more mellow and rational fan.

Even the fact that three Braves players were tied for the league lead in homers after Sunday night’s game couldn’t bring me down and make me boo. That’s right! I decided that I’m not going to boo our Phillies until at least May, because it is a long season, and as I realized through a text message conversation with a Mets fan, it’s not how you start the season, it’s how you finish.

Midway through opening night the Phillies trailed 4-0, and my friend, who is a die-hard Mets fan, texted me to say, “If only baseball was a one game season.” To which I accurately replied, “We’re not an April team,” and he responded saying that it is “more important to be a September team.”

After seeing smiling faces leaving Citizens Bank Park on opening night, maybe that is a lesson that myself and thousands of other Phillies fans have learned, even though yet another season has started with a notch in the loss column.

***
Quick observations from opening night:

* Why hasn’t Ryan Howard learned that every 3-2 pitch he sees will be knee-high on the inside corner, and after he watches it go by, the umpire will call it a strike? He also has yet to learn that every one-strike pitch he sees will be in the dirt.

* Brett Myers didn’t actually pitch as poorly as people think. If he gave up two runs in the third inning and two more in the sixth inning, nobody would have complained about his outing. People would have even praised it a “gutsy” performance if the Phillies’ offense had actually scored a few runs and won 5-4.

* How sharp did the Phillies’ bullpen look? Jack Taschner, Scott Eyre, Chad Durbin and Brad Lidge combined to toss three perfect shutout innings, picking up where the 2008 bullpen left off.

***
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 talk about the first week of baseball, and the Flyers’ push for the playoffs.

Are the Phillies prepared to repeat?

2009-04-01T09:35:00.001-04:00

We are just days away from the start of the baseball season, and that means seven months of the Phillies being called the “defending World Series champions.”

I’ll be honest, it’s much easier to write a column about the underdog, because all I’m doing is looking at the best-case scenario, and hoping it plays out. With the Phillies filling the role of the defending champs, the “Can they repeat?” column needs to look at the worst-case scenario, as well as have a little more realism than the eternally optimistic columns from last year.

So seeing that we are Philadelphia sports fans, let’s look at the potential negatives first, which, as always, revolve around pitching.

To start with the obvious, Cole Hamels’ 262 1/3 innings pitched last year, and his already sore elbow, are immediate concerns. The Phillies need Hamels to anchor this starting rotation and contend for a Cy Young Award, or 2009 will be a disappointment.

Last year, the Phillies were able to survive meltdowns by Brett Myers, Adam Eaton and Kyle Kendrick, but they always had their ace to stop a long losing streak or rescue an overworked bullpen.

The Phillies have the offense to survive a short stint on the disabled list by Hamels, but not even the most delusional fan could imagine another October run without the reigning World Series MVP.

The other foreseeable pitfall to a successful title defense is that the Phillies’ bullpen most likely won’t be the unstoppable force that it was in 2008. Last season’s crew of relievers compiled a 3.22 ERA, which ranked second in the majors, and as we all know, closer Brad Lidge didn’t blow a save all season.

This year’s bullpen is already at a disadvantage, as setup man J.C. Romero will sit out the first 50 games due to the lamest steroid suspension in the sport’s pathetic history of juicing. In addition to losing Romero, Lidge will lose a few games this year (I assume he can’t be perfect again), and the Phillies should not expect a repeat performance out of guys like Chad Durbin and Clay Condrey, who combined to toss 156 outstanding innings last year.

Enough with the bad, because this Phillies team has the potential to be even better than the 2008 squad, and it all starts with an offense that, despite lofty run totals, underachieved last season.

Last year, Jimmy Rollins suffered an ankle injury, which cost him 25 games and limited him all season, as he posted some of his lowest offensive totals in years. Rollins racked up just 76 runs, 59 RBIs and 58 extra base hits in 2008. Those totals were his lowest since 2003, 2005 and 2003, respectively.

Along with Rollins, Jayson Werth, Shane Victorino and Pedro Feliz all missed time due to injury, and Chase Utley’s MVP season was derailed by an ailing hip. Because of these injuries, the offense slumped horribly as the Phillies spent a month writing Geoff Jenkins, Eric Bruntlett, Carlos Ruiz and the pitcher in the six through nine spots in the lineup. Assuming that trio never bats in front of the pitcher in 2009, the Phillies’ offense should not suffer from the lengthy slumps that peppered the 2008 season.

The final aspect of the improved Phillies offense is the swapping of Raul Ibanez in place of Pat Burrell. The only reason fans are down on Ibanez is because he is signed for $14 million dollars more than Burrell, who is in Tampa Bay, but it’s not my money, so I don’t care.

All I care about is that Ibanez will hit at least 30 points higher than Burrell, while knocking in more runs and actually moving guys over with less than two outs. Ibanez has hit at least 30 doubles in each season since 2002, knocked in more than 100 runs in each of the last three seasons, and hasn’t hit below .280 since 2000.

Having Ibanez batting behind Utley and Ryan Howard will do far more for the Phillies than having Burrell taking walks to set up double play balls by Jenkins, Feliz and Ruiz.

Switching back over to pitching, we will no longer be forced to suffer through outings by Eaton – who is with the Baltimore Orioles – or Kendrick – who is now an Iron Pig. The two starters combined to compile a 5.62 ERA in 49 dreadful starts, along with three relief appearances.

In their place, the Phillies should get a full season of Joe Blanton – who led the Phillies to a 12-4 record in his 16 starts after leaving Oakland – and Chan Ho Park, who has been excellent this spring, and would provide more consistency than the shaky Kendrick.

I would add in the fact that Myers will probably avoid another season in which the Phillies are 4-13 in his first 17 starts, but I expect some regression from 46-year-old Jamie Moyer, who allowed three earned runs or less in 26 of his 33 starts. The Phillies should roughly combine to win about the same number of games out of their starts.

I know that the road back to the World Series is hard, as no National League team has repeated since the Cincinnati Reds in the 1970s, but if they can stay healthy, the Phillies have as good a shot as anyone at raising the World Series trophy in seven months.

***
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 preview the Phillies’ season opener, and talk about Villanova’s chances in the Final Four!

Flyers look dangerous as April approaches

2009-03-25T11:20:00.001-04:00

It’s the end of March, and that means baseball season is still more than a week away, and the NFL Draft is a month away. It also means that it is time for the first Flyers column of the year!

I know it has been nearly six months since the season started, but I’ll be honest with you, if you weren’t paying attention, you didn’t miss anything you haven’t already seen out of every Flyers team since Bernie Parent was between the pipes.

Last year, I wrote that every Flyers season includes a major injury, a star in a huge slump, and a goalie controversy, and while this season was no different, as the calendar turns to April, the Flyers are suddenly in position to be a very dangerous team.

Danny Briere filled the role of the injured star, the entire defense went through a nice slump, and the winter months were filled to the brim with goalie controversy, but that’s just par for the course in Philadelphia.

However, those problems are long gone, as the Flyers gear up for what hopefully will be another deep playoff run.

Starting in net, Martin Biron has won 10 of his last 14 starts since being yanked out of a mid-February game against the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins. His performance down the stretch has cemented (at least temporarily) his status as the starting goalie.

Going into that game against the Bruins, Biron had lost four starts in a row, and Antero Niittymaki was riding a hot streak, but since then they have switched streaks as Biron is flying high while Niitty looks behind him for the puck.

While solid goaltending is obviously a vital part of a playoff run, the most important development for this year’s Flyers came last week when coach John Stevens shuffled the Flyers’ lines to give them three very potent scoring lines.

In the playoffs last year, the Flyers were able to beat the Washington Capitals and Montreal Canadiens because their lines were very top-heavy from a scoring standpoint. It was only when they faced the Pittsburgh Penguins, who could score goals no matter which line was on the ice, did the Flyers struggle.

Using that same model, the Flyers now have two 20-goal scorers on each of the their top three lines, and that doesn’t even include Briere, who would surely have at least 30 goals if he hadn’t missed more than 50 games this season, and uber-prospect Claude Giroux.

The best part of this new lineup is that a guy like Mike Richards, who leads the Flyers in points, assists and plus/minus rating, is the center on the third line. If an opponent has to worry about your third line because that’s where your leading scorer is, they are in for a long night on defense. It also means that their offense won’t be able to get going because their players will be on constant alert for the odd-man rush the other way.

While the Flyers are now a threat to score from each of their top three lines thanks to Stevens’ shuffle, this is only possible because of the huge steps forward taken by guys like Jeff Carter and Scott Hartnell.While Hartnell just needed to focus on his game and not let the other team get under his skin to become a 30-goal scorer, Carter’s case was a little different.

Carter always has had the potential to be a star, but didn’t really step up until late last season, after being involved in more trade rumors than he could count.This season, he has reached 40 goals for the first time in his career, and is playing with a fire that seemed to be missing in previous seasons.
Perhaps the most important part of his growth has been the increase in his shooting accuracy. Before this season, Carter was about as accurate as Donovan McNabb on a crossing route, but through a lot of hard work, his shots now find the back of the net more often than they hit the netting above the glass.

Right now, the Flyers are in fourth place in the tightly jumbled Eastern Conference, but with a surprising amount of depth on defense to go with their suddenly potent offense, the Flyers are poised to make some noise in the playoffs.

***
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 talk about the Phillies as they head into the final days of spring training, as well as Villanova’s run in the NCAA Tournament.

Clearwater clearing things up for the Phils

2009-03-19T11:48:00.002-04:00

After five days in the warm Florida sun (while it was very cold in Philadelphia!), I am more convinced than ever that the Phillies are gearing up for another title run.

Now, the final scores of the four games I saw, which I just had to look up because I had no idea what they were, are not important because these games took place in March. Apparently, the Phillies lost three of the four games I attended.

However, what is important is how the youngsters are developing, how healthy the veterans are, and who will fill out the starting rotation.

Let’s start with the most important two events of the week. Chase Utley and Pedro Feliz, who are both rebounding from offseason surgeries, made their Grapefruit League debuts.While both looked quite rusty at the plate, they both moved fluidly in the field, and were able to run hard out of the batter’s box, which is a good sign that they will be on the field for the season opener.

Staying in the infield, before my trip, I was convinced that Jason Donald could easily make the switch from a middle infield prospect to a Major League third baseman, but after seeing him taking ground balls at the hot corner, I’ll admit that I was dead wrong.

Donald was eaten alive on multiple grounders during batting practice, and didn’t display the arm strength necessary to make quick and accurate throws across the diamond.This means that Donald will probably start the season in Lehigh Valley, with the Triple-A Iron Pigs, instead of pushing Pedro Feliz for a starting job with the big club. With this information, it also means that Donald becomes the Phillies’ top trading chip at midseason, because he won’t be the third baseman of the future, and Utley and Jimmy Rollins aren’t going anywhere.

The final spot in the infield belongs to the big fella, Ryan Howard, and he looks like a man who is tired of hearing about his slow starts each spring. Against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Howard squared off against some random righty who only has a chance to play in the majors because the Pirates are so terrible. Down 3-1 in the game, Howard tied the game with a massive two-run homer—his fifth since spring training began.

In the last two seasons, Howard has batted just .192 in April with a homer every 21 at bats, but this spring, he’s batting .273, and hitting a homer every 6.6 at bats (as of Monday). Howard is hitting for a higher average and crushing the ball more, which combined with the fact that he is actually in playing shape before May for the first time since his MVP season in 2006, means that Howard could be in for the best season of his career.

Moving to pitching, the only battle that hasn’t gotten any clearer this spring is the fight for the fifth spot in the starting rotation. While Kyle Kendrick has cried his way to a double-digit ERA, all but eliminating himself from the contest, Chan Ho Park and J.A. Happ are in a real duel. Unlike most years, in which one scrub pitcher is rewarded for not being as awful as the guys he is competing against, this year, the Phillies actually have two guys who deserve the spot! Park and Happ have combined to allow just five runs in 22 2/3 innings this spring, while striking out 20 batters and walking just two.

I don’t know who is going to win this battle, but I would rather see Happ in the rotation and Park in the bullpen, because Park’s history as a starter is filled with high ERAs, but he was able to revive his career last year with the Dodgers as a middle reliever. We know Happ can be a starter, but no one knows how he would perform in 60 or 70 appearances out of the bullpen.

As great as it was to see how the Phillies’ roster is shaping up, above all, Spring Training is about having fun, and there was no cooler moment than when Darren Daulton stopped mid-stride to gush with honor over my friend Rogo’s retro Daulton jersey. And because we were sitting between Daulton’s seat and the concessions during the final game of our trip, Daulton stopped to comment on the jersey every time he walked passed us.

***
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, when, this week, we will talk about the Phillies spring training, as well as the start of the NCAA Tournament.

Somebody else wanted Greg Lewis?

2009-03-05T16:28:00.004-05:00

Apparently, Andy Reid isn't the only person who thinks Greg Lewis belongs on an NFL roster. New England head coach Bill Belichick just gave the Eagles a fifth round pick for the roster space filler known as G-Lew.

Maybe something is wrong with Belichick if he is jettisoning Matt Cassell and Mike Vrabel for just a second round pick, and then actually going out of his way to bring in Greg Lewis, who only plays well against the Patriots, scoring a TD in the Super Bowl, and then two more in the Eagles' near upset of the undefeated Patriots in 2007.

The Eagles seem to be on a path of getting rid of fan-favorites, but making up for it by shipping off some of the most hated players on the team this offseason. The fans loved Brian Dawkins and Jon Runyan, but good riddance to Greg Lewis, Sean Considine and, most of all, L.J. Smith.

At this rate, there won't be a single Eagle that I despise next year, unless Reno Mahe comes back to be Brian Westbrook's back up.

Just for the record, I do NOT believe that the Eagles made this trade because Terrell Owens is coming back. However, I would not be surprised if Torry Holt became an Eagle once he is released by the Rams, which will happen before March 17, when he is due a $1.25-million roster bonus.

The Eagles would be smart to send this pick to the Rams for Holt so that another team doesn't swoop in and trade for the man who had his string of eight consecutive 1,000-yard seasons snapped in 2008.

Weapon X becomes an ex-Eagle

2009-03-02T00:21:00.001-05:00

When I was younger, I didn’t understand free agency or the offseason, or what went into building a team.

I can still remember when Reggie White signed the Green Bay Packers. I was in the car with my dad, and we were listening to WMMR and the DJ said that Reggie White was no longer an Eagle. I even remember the radio station playing a song that someone wrote about number 92. I was only seven years old at the time, and I asked my dad why White wasn’t playing for the Eagles anymore, and he told me that either the Eagles didn’t think he was good enough or that another team paid him a lot of money to play somewhere else.

When the rumors about Brian Dawkins visiting the Denver Broncos began to circulate, I figured that the only way that Weapon X would leave town is if someone was willing to throw an obscene amount of money at a 35-year-old safety who can’t cover a tight end anymore.

Well, the Denver Broncos filled that role, offering Dawkins more money than the Giants gave a 26-year-old running back – Brandon Jacobs – coming off of back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

Yes, the Eagles could have matched the Broncos’ offer for sentimental reasons, but that wouldn’t help the Eagles win a Super Bowl. Despite how much I wish Dawkins would be back in Philadelphia next year, this is not the same as when Reggie White signed with the Packers. The difference here is that White still had a lot of football left in him, putting up four more double-digit sack seasons with the Packers, and a Super Bowl victory.

Dawkins doesn’t have anything close to that left in him. This was a fact that the Eagles knew, and if we really think about it, it was something the fans – myself included – knew all too well.

Back in September, we all watched as Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten torched Dawkins in a 41-37 loss for the Eagles. The following week, and for much of the season, Dawkins became a fourth linebacker, instead of being one of the Eagles four defensive backs.

Moving into the role of a fourth linebacker allowed Dawkins to extend his career, and have a great statistical season, but it wasn’t what the Eagles needed. While Dawkins led the Eagles’ defense with his heart, too many times last season, the Eagles needed a free safety who could play like the Brian Dawkins of ten years ago. The Eagles needed a safety that could hit like a linebacker, but could also cover a slot receiver or a tight end or a running back.

Enter Quintin Demps.

I don’t believe that Demps will be better than Dawkins this season, and neither did the Eagles, which is why they were willing to offer him a one-year deal. However, in 2010 and beyond, or perhaps even sooner, Demps will be better than Dawkins. It’s not often that you can find a free safety who can hit a truck, but is also talented enough as a rookie to surpass a former Pro Bowler (Lito Sheppard) and play the dime cornerback spot for the third best defense in the NFL.

With that in mind, I would rather see Dawkins play in Denver than watch Demps’ developing talent force Jim Johnson to bench number 20 for the good of the team.

In the end, this will happen to all of our favorite players. One day, Chase Utley will hit .230. One day, Jimmy Rollins won’t be able to gun down a runner from deep in the hole. One day, there will be fewer homers between Ryan Howard’s strikeouts. When those days come, a new group of infielders will take the field, and they will either make us cheer our hearts out or boo until our throats are sore.

As fans, we have to remember that as much as we idolize a certain group of players, we were fans of the team first. I liked the Eagles long before a certain safety was wearing Clemson University’s orange and purple, and I’ll like the Eagles long after that safety signs a one-day contract to retire in Eagle-green.

***
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 react to the first week of the NFL free agency period, and give you the latest in rumors and signings.

Eagles making a late run at Weapon X?

2009-02-28T12:54:00.003-05:00

I'll save my sadness about the potential of watching my first Eagles season since 1995 without Brian Dawkins patrolling the free safety position for when he actually chooses the Denver Broncos. At this point, it has been nearly 20 hours since the San Francisco Chronicle reported that he was leaving the Eagles, and nothing definite has been confirmed.

To me, that means either he is having deep second thoughts about leaving Philadelphia, or the Eagles' front office is making a strong push to keep him.

Personally, I think it's both. I think the Eagles are upping their offer, and that if Dawkins really wanted to sign with the Broncos, he would have done it this morning after sleeping on it in Denver last night.

This is great sign for the Eagles fanbase because I received about a dozen text messages last night from people who basically said "W.T.[expletive]" about the possibility of seeing Dawkins in another uniform, and I feel the exact same way. And that wasn't even all Eagles fans. A few Redskins and Ravens fans from college were among those texters.

The only way that the Eagles can let him leave is if the Broncos offer him an obscene amount of money. I heard an offer of 3 years and $21 million was discussed at one point, and that is far too much money to spend on someone who does more emotionally than in coverage.

Honestly, I think Quinton Demps will be better than Dawkins in 2010, but not 2009. There needs to be a transition period, and the Eagles should think about that before letting Weapon X walk away.

...Keep checking back for more updates on free agency throughout the weekend.

Another Andrews for the O-line?

2009-02-27T11:34:00.003-05:00

Various media outlets (ProfootballTalk.com was the first I think) are reporting that the Eagles have signed Bengals offensive tackle Stacy Andrews to replace Jon Runyan at right tackle.

Stacy, who is coming off of a knee injury that is not believed to be a serious concern for 2009, is the older brother of Shawn Andrews, and hopefully this signing will improve Shawn's disposition, and get him into training camp this summer with a smile on his face.

So what does this signing mean for the rest of the offensive line?

Stacy, who was franchised in 2007 by the Bengals, is a bigger, younger version of Runyan. His style of play and long reach allows him to seal off the edge like Runyan does, but his youth and additional strength will give him the push that Runyan lacked the last few years when run blocking.

In addition to ending Runyan's 9-year run as the Eagles' starting right tackle, this signing probably signals the end of left tackle Tra Thomas' time in green as well. For Thomas to stay with the Birds, he would have needed to re-sign before free agency started, because the Eagles have several internal options to replace him at left tackle.

When the Eagles tendered a contract to restricted free agent guard Nick Cole, it seemed like a sign that Cole was going to get a starting spot on the line, especially after his strong play in December and January after Max Jean-Gilles was lost to injury.

With Cole starting at one of the guard positions, the other guard spot and left tackle will be filled by Shawn Andrews and Todd Herremans. Both players have held starting guard spots for the Eagles, but each was a standout tackle in college, which is something Andy Reid talked about in the days leading up to the free agency period opening.

It's sad to see Runyan and Thomas go, but due to age and injury, neither player was effective at run blocking anymore, which is a sign that it's time to move on.

***
In other free agency news...

* Correll Buckhalter is scheduled to visit with the Denver Broncos today, and the Mile High City would be a perfect place for Buck to end up. Their zone blocking scheme fits his one-move running style, because he hits the hole hard and fast, and doesn't rely on a cut-back move to gain yardage. Hopefully it works out for him.

* Rumors have the Eagles in the bidding for T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and his own words have him wanting to come to Philadelphia. However, he said on ESPN last night that he also would be happy with Minnesota, Seattle, and a few other teams.

* Published reports out of St. Louis said that the Eagles are talking about trading Reggie Brown and middle-round draft pick for Torry Holt.

* John Clayton of ESPN.com reported that it would take a first- and a third-round pick to get Anquan Boldin in Eagle-green.

* Could Donovan McNabb be pushing for his former Syracuse teammate Marvin Harrison to sign with the Eagles? Harrison will be 37 when the 2009 season begins, and his numbers and health have declined greatly in the last two seasons, so I would pass on Harrison, especially taking his legal issues into account.

If all four of these rumors are true, I cannot understand why the Eagles wouldn't have Boldin and Holt in Philadelphia today. The Eagles filled a need at right tackle already, and can't get a top wide receiver with the combined value of their two first round picks, so why not use a few picks to get a true difference maker --Boldin-- and a guy with great hands and experience as a number one receiver -- Holt?

Free agency won't help the Eagles

2009-02-25T15:06:00.001-05:00

I have to be honest, I’m a junkie for the NFL offseason. I watch the NFL Network more during the offseason than during the regular season because I can’t get enough of free agency rumors and the build up to the NFL draft.

However, this offseason is different. On the Coffee with Kahuna show on WBCB 1490 AM last week, I broke down the Eagles’ potential moves when the free agency period begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday morning, and it does not look good.

Heading into free agency, the Eagles’ goals should be to re-sign Brian Dawkins and Tra Thomas, find either a linebacker or a defensive end who can get to the quarterback, add a big running back, and bring in either a wide receiver or a tight end that can catch 100 passes.

That seems like a lot of work, but other than Dawkins and Thomas, who both will probably be signed between the time I write this and the time you read this, none of those things can actually happen in this free agent market. Those guys don’t exist this year because it is a weak class, and the only real talent has already been slapped with the franchise tag because of how lousy the rest of the free agents are this offseason.

The only available players who can get to the quarterback are Julius Peppers and Terrell Suggs, and while either franchised player could be had for the hefty price of two first round picks and a big fat contract, neither are actually worth the price.

At wide receiver, everyone seems to be foaming at the mouth over Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh’s comments about wanting to play in Philadelphia. The only problem with Housh is that he’s not the answer! The last thing the Eagles need is another guy who has never been a number one receiver, and can’t make a big play.

Housh, who is 6-1, 199 pounds, hasn’t made a catch longer than 46 yards in the last four seasons, and his yards per catch has gone down every year since 2004, despite playing opposite Chad Johnson, who routinely drew double coverage during Housh’s best years. He also isn’t getting any younger, as he will be 32 next season, and the last thing the Eagles need is an aging possession receiver who averaged less than 10 yards per catch last season. Yes, he would be an improvement over Reggie Brown or Greg Lewis, but he wouldn’t be the go-to-guy that many fans are hoping the Eagles will find.

Moving to running back, the two best options are Darren Sproles, who is smaller than I am, and was franchised, and Derrick Ward, who is no bigger than Correll Buckhalter, and isn’t really a better option. A big running back will have to come through the draft or trade.

The only realistic free agent signing that would impress me would be adding Lorenzo Neal to play fullback. While no Baltimore Raven rushed for 1,000 yards in 2008, as a team, the Ravens rushed for 2,376 yards, which is nearly 700 yards more than the Eagles.It was the first time since 1996 that Neal didn’t lead a running back to more than 1,000 yards, but that clearly was the result of the Ravens using a three-back system, and not a diminishing set of skills.

After all of this analysis, I was ready to give up on free agency, because all rational thought was telling me that this offseason would be a dud for our Birds, but then, just days before the NFL spending bonanza was set to begin, published reports had Donovan McNabb telling the Eagles that they need to improve the weapons around him, or else!

And that would mean no contract extension, and potentially an angry trade request, which would usher in the Bobby Hoying, err...Kevin Kolb era.No matter how many denials are given in the days after I write this column, I will assume these reports are accurate because Superfive has to be tired of taking the blame for late game failures when his receivers aren’t getting separation or are looking for flags instead of hauling in key passes. He has to be tired of coming oh so close and falling just short.

So what does McNabb’s threat mean?

It means that suddenly, all of those Anquan Boldin and Tony Gonzalez trade rumors have a little more merit, because when McNabb actually talks, the Eagles’ front office listens.The last time he specifically asked for better receivers was after the NFC Championship game loss to the Carolina Panthers, and a few months later, the Eagles acquired Terrell Owens.Before the 2005 season, he told the front office that Brian Westbrook was the best player on the team, and the front office stopped dragging their feet and agreed to a contract extension with number 36. Before last season, McNabb asked for more playmakers, and in came Asante Samuel and DeSean Jackson.

This season, McNabb is hinging his future with the Eagles on their ability to improve on offense. I would bet that improvement happens, but not through free agency. The Eagles’ glut of draft picks and cornerback Lito Sheppard should be valuable enough as trade bait to make a splash this offseason.

Predictions: My guess is that the Eagles make only depth moves on defense after re-signing Brian Dawkins, but they add two players out of the following group: Tony Gonzalez, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Anquan Boldin, Kellen Winslow Jr., Braylon Edwards, Chad Johnson, and Michael Bush.

***
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 talk about the first 15 hours of the NFL free agency period, as well as the rumors surrounding the Flyers as the NHL trading deadline approaches.

Where's our Wheaties box!?!?!

2009-02-18T13:32:00.002-05:00

As Spring Training opens for the defending World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies, I was looking for a topic to start off the season, but I didn’t feel like devoting an entire column to steroids or the useless multi-year signings of Cole Hamels and Ryan Howard.

But I’m still going to address both topics in my typical angry manner.

Seriously, we didn’t gain anything but happy thoughts and goodwill from those signings because the contracts didn’t lock up either player for anything more than their arbitration years. Hamels and Howard are guaranteed to be here no longer than they were guaranteed to be here at the start of last season.

I could have written a few full columns about Alex Rodriguez and steroids but every one of them would have ended with MLB Commissioner Bud Selig saying that the league is really trying to clean up the sport. The problem is that he is lying. He is a big fat liar!

In reality, Selig, who made more than $18 million in 2008, looked the other way when steroid talk really picked up in the 1990s because the bulked up, homer-happy league was finally reuniting with the fans it lost due to the 1994 strike. Selig should just quit and let someone competent run the league and enact a meaningful steroid policy. It should probably be someone who can read a weather forecast during the World Series or someone who asks questions when he sees used needles in clubhouse trash cans.

And by the way, how come J.C. Romero gets suspended for 50 games for following his union’s instructions and buying over-the-counter supplements in the mall, but A-Roid gets a sad face from Selig as his punishment when he deliberately took steroids to boost his performance? Where’s the justice in that?

So while avoiding writing about those two topics, my friend, who was surfing the Internet instead of working, sent me a link to http://www.HomerDerby.com, which posed the question, “Why aren’t the 2008 Phillies on a Wheaties Box?”

Honestly, I was so excited from seeing the first championship of my lifetime that I didn’t even realize General Mills snubbed the Phillies and us fans. Maybe I didn’t notice because the only cereals I eat are Fruit Loops or anything with marshmallows, but nonetheless, I immediately became enraged when I saw this!

Now, we have all seen Wheaties boxes with athletes on them, including champions of all sports and random Olympic heroes, but where are our 2008 Phillies? The advertisement on every box of Wheaties says “The Breakfast of Champions,” but apparently not all champions, because our Phillies are nowhere to be found.

I understand that not every sports team gets a Wheaties box when they win it all, but this was the first championship for Philadelphia in 25 years! Our 25-year drought was the longest for any city with teams in all four major professional sports. How could that not be worthy of a box of Wheaties?

The last four World Series champions have been on the cover of Wheaties boxes, and I even have a box of Maple Frosted Wheaties with my boyhood idol, Roger Clemens, on the box in a Toronto Blue Jays uniform. (Yes, I do believe he used steroids, but they didn’t make him better, they only kept him healthy longer. His fastball lost 7 mph, but he learned a curveball and a splitter to compensate for it.)

Clemens got on the box just for playing in Canada! Apparently Canada became so completely devoid of sporting champions once Wayne Gretzky became irrelevant, that Wheaties just started honoring people for choosing to play in the Great White North.

So instead of just complaining about General Mills slighting an entire championship-starved city, I decided to find out why. I contacted the General Mills Media Line, and here is the e-mail response I received from Shelly Dvorak of General Mills: “There are many team and individual champions, and we salute their efforts. However, only a select few champions are chosen to be honored on the Wheaties box.”

That was basically a shrug of the shoulders, so it is still a mystery as to why the 2008 World Series champions aren’t enshrined in the cereal aisle at our local supermarket.Maybe if we put our missing Wheaties box on the side of a milk carton it will help us get some answers.

By the way, if you want to complain to General Mills, you can call them at 1-800-248-7310, or submit an e-mail through their Web site, http://www.generalmills.com/.

***
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 talk about the start of Spring Training for the Phillies, and the results from NFL Combine, and how it affects the Eagles’ draft plans.

Success might be fleeting for Eagles’ defense

2009-02-11T13:41:00.000-05:00

(Part three of a three-part series)
After breaking down the Eagles’ coaching and offensive deficiencies, it’s now time to see where the defense can improve.

You might think that it would be tough to find fault with Jim Johnson’s crew because they finished third in the NFL in overall defense, but you would be wrong. The defense is as much to blame for the Eagles not making the Super Bowl as any other part of the team.

Starting with the NFC Championship game, the defense gave up 32 points, and gave up big yardage along the way, allowing the Cardinals to rack up 369 yards, including five drives of more than 50 yards.

The defense also allowed 20 or more points in seven of the Eagles’ 16 games this season, and blew leads against Dallas, Washington, and New York. They may have been ranked quite high and won their share of games this year, but they also cost the Eagles a few battles along the way.

The question for this column, as was the question for the previous two, is what can be done to fix these problems for next season?

The first battle the defense faces is the health problems of its coordinator, Jim Johnson. Obviously, he should focus on taking care of himself and being as healthy as possible, regardless of whether he stays with the team or not, but if he chooses his health and family over the Eagles, the defense will need even more work.

Assuming Johnson returns to the Eagles for the 2009 season, the Eagles need to get at least two playmakers for the front seven, because none of those guys, including Trent Cole, make an offensive coordinator lose sleep at night.

On the defensive line, Broderick Bunkley and Mike Patterson are great at the starting tackle sports, but you don’t expect big plays out of those guys.

On the ends, the Eagles desperately need to improve because Trent Cole can easily be taken out of the game by using a tight end or a running back to chip him, and Juqua Parker is no longer an every-down player.Even back-up defensive end Chris Clemons is only a threat coming off the edge when a linebacker or safety is running an overload blitz with him.

With the guys they have now, the defensive line can’t make a big play out of a four-man pass rush, meaning the Eagles don’t have the ability to get to the quarterback and turn 1st-and-10 or 2nd-and-4 into an obvious passing down on the next play. The Eagles can only get sacks when blitzing six or more guys, which means the secondary is put into dangerous situations because the front seven can’t get the job done.

Moving to the other half of the front seven, the Eagles’ linebackers are solid against the run, but can’t defend the pass, and don’t come up with game-changing plays.Out of the four linebackers who played significant time for the Eagles—Stewart Bradley, Chris Gocong, Akeem Jordan and Omar Gaither—only Stewart Bradley should really be starting in the NFL, and even he has a huge drawback, as he is worthless on passing downs.

Those four guys combined to record 5.5 sacks, 1 interception, and 3 forced fumbles this season. I didn’t realize how average these guys were until I saw Steelers linebacker James Harrison running down the sideline in the Super Bowl for a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown.

By himself, Harrison had 16 sacks, 7 forced fumbles and 1 interception in the regular season. His stats dwarfed the numbers of all four of our linebackers combined!

For a team is forced to blitz its linebackers because of the poor production of its defensive ends, the Eagles linebackers should have been racking up the sacks, but that clearly didn’t happen.

Now for the worst-case scenario. What if Jim Johnson decides to retire?This defense has been good for the last 10 years because of Jim Johnson’s schemes, but if he chooses family over the Birds, this defense immediately drops to the bottom third of the NFL.

The Eagles haven’t had a defensive end who could get to the quarterback on any given play since Reggie White, so the majority of the Eagles’ sacks have come from Jim Johnson’s scheming. Without Johnson, the Eagles are going to have a miserable time trying to get to the quarterback, and I don’t care how good the guys in the secondary are, if an NFL quarterback isn’t being pressured, he has all day to throw, and eventually someone is going to get open for a big play.

Overall, the defense isn’t in terrible shape, but it is walking a fine line between great and completely ineffective, which we saw during this up and down season.

However, adding a defensive end that can actually get to the quarterback would make a huge difference. Bringing in someone like Terrell Suggs or Julius Peppers (or even both!) would do wonders for the unit by taking pressure off of Trent Cole, while also easing the burden on the secondary because teams would have to use an extra blocker more often to protect the quarterback.

At linebacker, Gocong needs to go. Bradley and Jordan are solid enough, but the strongside linebacker in this defense needs to be able to cover tight ends or get to the quarterback, and Gocong can’t do either. His inability to make plays causes Bradley, who could be a star with the right guys around him, to be less effective in the middle, and it also forces strong safety Quintin Mikell to play closer to the line of scrimmage instead of playing the “centerfielder” role that Baltimore’s Ed Reed plays so well.

Looking back over the last few columns, the Eagles were lucky to make the playoffs, let alone the NFC Championship game, and there is plenty of work to be done this offseason if the Eagles are serious about making a run at their first Lombardi Trophy.

***
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 talk about the start of Spring Training for the Phillies, and the trade rumors surrounding the Flyers.

Super Bowl shows what Eagles lack

2009-02-04T11:39:00.002-05:00

(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.

***
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.

So close, yet so far (part 1)

2009-01-29T14:57:00.001-05:00

(Part one of a three-part series)
It took me about a week, but I finally am able to watch sports again, and just my luck, I returned to the sports world just in time to see my alma mater get pounded by 41 against Duke in college basketball. But then I turned my attention to the Super Bowl and remembered that for the 24th time in my life, the Eagles aren’t taking part in this game, and I’m determined to figure out why.

Over the next three weeks (assuming nothing major happens in sports that I feel I should write about) I will break down what the Eagles need to do between now and September to make sure next year isn’t the 25th time in my life that they fall short of the Super Bowl, and maybe, just maybe, even win it.

For starters, if the Eagles could have stopped Larry Fitzgerald, they would be playing in the Super Bowl this year, but obviously that didn’t happen!

Let’s start this three-part series at the top, with the head coach. I am still angry at the disgraceful way Andy Reid handled Donovan McNabb’s benching earlier this season, but it certainly worked as a motivator, as the Eagles won four of their last five regular season games and added two more wins in the playoffs to make it to the conference title game. Right now, many people are saying that it is time for Reid’s time on the sidelines to end, and that owner Jeffrey Lurie should bring in a “winner,” like former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher, to get the Eagles that elusive Super Bowl victory.

I am not one of those people.

Cowher has indeed won a Super Bowl, but he did it in his 14th season with the Steelers, but Reid has only been with the Eagles for 10 seasons, so to be fair, let’s compare each coach’s first 10 years.

Through 10 seasons the coaches have similar records, with Cowher winning two more games than Reid, but amazingly, an equal number of ties. Each coach led his team to seven playoff appearances in his first 10 seasons, but Reid has four more playoff wins than Cowher, and both coaches were quite unsuccessful at making the Super Bowl, as Reid is 1-4 in conference championship games, while Cowher went 1-3 in his first 10 seasons.

I don’t know about you, but I’ll give Andy four more seasons to win a Super Bowl before I go calling for Bill Cowher, especially considering Andy wasn’t the coach who thought Kordell Stewart and his 70.7 career quarterback rating was a franchise quarterback.

Another point of contention with Reid is his playcalling, and the team’s lack of running plays. We can all debate the effectiveness of Reid’s playcalling, but those plays have gotten us to the playoffs seven out of 10 seasons, and to the NFC Championship game five times, so I won’t sit here and say that I could call a better game on offense.

While Andy Reid the coach is fine for right now in my opinion, Andy Reid the general manager needs a little help. The general manager version of Big Red is excellent at letting go of aging veterans - Duce Staley, Troy Vincent, Bobby Taylor, Hugh Douglas, and Jeremiah Trotter - but he definitely needs help bringing in players, and he certainly needs help determining that proven stars are worth more than the potential of a future draft pick.

I’m a huge fan of Brent Celek, who was a steal in the fifth round two years ago, but trading a second round pick in the upcoming draft would have gotten us Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez, and opened up the field for guys like Kevin Curtis and DeSean Jackson. I like that we signed Chris Clemons, but Jared Allen would have looked great on our defensive line, and it would have cost us two first round picks, which probably would have been wasted anyway, considering our first selections the last two drafts were Kevin Kolb and Trevor Laws.

In addition to his hoarding of draft picks, Reid always seems to have one positional blind spot on the roster each season. This year, he didn’t have a true fullback on the roster. Last year, the Eagles went into the season without a punt returner. In previous years, the Eagles have had awful wide receivers or lacked a run-stuffer on defense, but these are all things that the rest of the front office could help with, so I’m not willing to place the blame solely on Reid for these shortcomings.

Through ten seasons, I honestly believe that Andy Reid has gotten those most out of the players on the team, and deserves to keep coaching here until he’s ready to move on. When that time comes, I think Reid would be the first person to accurately say that he can no longer coach at a high level. Besides, name me an available coach who would do a better job, especially seeing how similar Reid and Cowher’s records are through 10 seasons.

Next week, I will break down what the Eagles should do on offense this offseason, and then I’ll break down the defense the following week to complete this three-part series.

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Super Bowl prediction: Arizona pulls off the big upset, winning 27-24 over the Steelers.

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 break down Super Bowl XLIII and possibly even talk about non-football sports!

Poor decisions doom Eagles

2009-01-22T11:11:00.001-05:00

With only two more wins needed for a second championship parade in three months, I honestly believed that the Eagles were going to win their first Super Bowl.

However, I forgot that the Eagles, while full of talented players, have some of the worst execution I have ever seen from a sports team. And the blame doesn’t go to just one person or one group of players or one referee who doesn’t think that tackling a wide receiver while the ball is in the air constitutes pass interference; I’m placing it on every single one of them.

Perhaps that is what bothers me most about the Eagles’ 32-25 loss. They are a better team than the Arizona Cardinals, but they played poorly and made bad decisions.

In the other three NFC Championship game losses, you can point to one play that would have turned it in our favor, but we really weren’t the better team in any of those games. Against the St. Louis Rams, the Eagles were the young, inexperienced underdogs, but could have won if N.D. Kalu knew how to properly block a punt. Hey, N.D., hands forward, not hands up!

The following year against Tampa Bay, the Eagles were favored, but that Buccaneers team was better at every position except quarterback, and it showed. However, if Michael Lewis was playing safety instead of the aging and injured Blaine Bishop, Joe Jurevicius would have never been able to outrun the defense for 71 yards on a crossing route to set up a Buccaneer touchdown.

Against Carolina, the Eagles were playing without Brian Westbrook, but if Donovan McNabb and Duce Staley connected on that halfback wheel play, Staley goes in for a long touchdown and I believe the Eagles win that game.

And that brings us to Sunday. The Eagles, from head coach Andy Reid all the way down to terrible wide receiver Greg Lewis, made so many bad decisions and bad plays that I’m shocked the Eagles even had a chance at the end.

Three plays into the game, the Eagles made their first unbelievably bad decision. Arizona had a third-and-1 at the their own 29, and Eagles’ cornerback Asante Samuel stood eight yards away from all-world wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Guess what happened? Fitzgerald rolls across the middle, catches a wide open short pass for a first down and a few plays later, the Eagles are down 7 points.

Wouldn’t you think about playing press coverage on that play? I pointed it out before the play was snapped, but apparently if something is so obvious that I can see it on TV, it’s much too obvious for a guy with a $60 million contract to notice.

Then just before the end of the first half, rookie safety Quinton Demps laid out Kurt Warner for a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty, which led to a field goal at the end of the half by Neil Rackers, and put the Eagles in an 18-point hole heading into the locker room.Personally, I think Demps will be a solid safety in the NFL, but considering this play and the fact that he got burned for a 62-yard touchdown catch by Fitzgerald, wouldn’t it have been smarter to play a veteran like Lito Sheppard in his place? I know Lito has been buried way down on the depth chart, but after those two plays by Demps, Lito’s experience would have been a welcome sight on the field.

Switching over to offense, why does it seem like our receivers just rotate in and out randomly every play? Watching on TV, you would see a player make a catch and then see him on the sideline for the next play? I know football is a tough game, but these guys should be in good enough shape to be on the field for consecutive downs.

More importantly, why would Greg Lewis and Hank Baskett be on the field at the same time? That means the Eagles top three receivers were all on the sidelines during key plays in the NFC Championship game.

I don’t think I ever saw Larry Fitzgerald skip a play, but apparently all of our receivers are equally talented, so it doesn’t matter who is on the field. There were even third downs where Brian Westbrook was on the sideline! I thought the goal was to have as many of your top playmakers on the field at the same time, not throw whatever losers you can find out there.In fact, why did Greg Lewis get activated in place of Reggie Brown? All he did was drop a 60-yard bomb in the first quarter and do nothing else the rest of the game. I’m sure Brown could have done that!

Overall, the Eagles defense was outplayed, and the Eagles offense didn’t realize that the underneath crossing routes were wide open until the third quarter. The Eagles should have won this game, but as we all knew going into the playoffs, the Eagles have a lot of talent, but had never put it together four games in a row.

They still haven’t, but at least there are only three weeks until the World Champions of baseball report for Spring Training in Clearwater. And, as my Dad said after the game, it’s not like the city could have afforded another championship parade anyway. We all probably would have had to pay a fee to stand on the city’s sidewalks if the Eagles had won it all.

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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 talk about the Eagles’ meltdown in the desert and disappointedly look ahead to the offseason for the 48th consecutive time.

NFC title game preview

2009-01-17T15:06:00.002-05:00

24 hours!

The Eagles are 24 hours away from playing a game that none of us expected them to take part in two months ago.

Having already disposed of the Minnesota Vikings and the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, tomorrow’s battle with the Arizona Cardinals should be a welcome site for the Eagles’ offense, especially the rushing attack.

We have to give credit to Andy Reid for opening up the passing attack by handing the ball off 46 times against two of the top defenses in the NFL, despite a lack of results. The Eagles picked up just 110 yards on those 46 designed runs, but now they will go up against a defense that has all of the national media singing their praises, but is not nearly as good as they have looked the last two weeks.

In the playoffs, Arizona held Michael Turner, who ranked second in the NFL in rushing yards this season, to just 42 yards, and then held the Panthers “Smash and Dash” combo to 75 yards. The Cardinals have also forced nine turnovers in their two playoff games. However, this is still the same defense that ranked 19th in the NFL, but has taken advantage of two very favorable matchups, and one big early lead against Carolina.

So what is the difference between the Eagles and the Falcons/Panthers that will suddenly turn the Cardinals’ defense back into the middle of the pack unit from the regular season?

For starters, each of the last two weeks, I picked the Cardinals because of my lack of faith in their opponent’s quarterback. This week, the Cardinals face one of the least turnover-prone quarterbacks in history, and that means their defense suddenly has a real challenge on its hands, instead of rookie quarterback and then a bad quarterback.

Sticking with the passing game, unlike the Panthers and the Falcons, the Eagles spread the ball around, which will force the Cardinals to cover every receiver, and not just game-plan around the top guy.

Against the Falcons, the Cardinals left Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie one-on-one with Roddy White, who accounted for 40.1 percent of Matt Ryan’s passing yards, and he got burned to the tune of 11 catches for 84 yards and a touchdown. The Cardinals made sure that everyone else was covered, and hoped White wouldn’t beat them so badly that they couldn’t out-score the Falcons. Last week, the Cardinals took the opposite approach and consistently had two or three players watching Steve Smith. That forced Jake Delhomme to throw to receivers who he may or may not have even known were on his team. Smith accounted for 43 percent of Delhomme’s passing yards this year, and the Cardinals made Delhomme read progressions and throw to unknown players, which resulted in a five-interception performance.

The Eagles don’t have that situation. Finally not having a number one receiver might pay off! DeSean Jackson, the Eagles’ leading receiver, accounted for just 22 percent of the Eagles’ passing attack, which means the Cardinals are going to have to cover every player on every play, because Donovan McNabb likes to spread the ball around. In the playoffs, Jackson leads the team in receiving yards, but Jason Avant, Brent Celek and Kevin Curtis all have more receptions than him, and McNabb has completed passes to ten different players in two games.

On the ground, the Panthers had no trouble running the ball on their first drive, but once the game got out of reach due to Delhomme’s turnovers, the Panthers stopped running. The Eagles should have no problem running the ball, as long as they keep the game close. The Cardinals are not the Vikings or the Giants, so I would expect to see Westbrook and Buckhalter (yes, he’ll get a few touches) racking up the yardage, if for nothing else than to keep the Cardinals’ offense off the field as much as possible.

On the other side of the ball, on early downs the Eagles should be able to stop the worst rushing attack in the league with six-man fronts, which would put an extra man in the secondary to help contain the Cardinals’ trio of 1,000-yard receivers.

On obvious passing downs the Eagles will have to walk a fine line on how to stop Kurt Warner from converting on third downs. Either they will put seven men in coverage and hope they get pressure from their front four, or they will leave Asante Samuel, Sheldon Brown and Joselio Hanson in man-to-man coverage and blitz seven or eight guys to move Warner out of his comfort zone and force him to make a mistake with the ball. The key will be how those three cornerbacks will fare without help over the top from safeties. I think that Samuel, who has picked off passes in seven of his ten career postseason games, will do well, but I’m not nearly as confident about Brown and Hanson going against whoever lines up across the line of scrimmage.

Overall, I have no worries about the Eagles’ offense in this game, as they are going to score points, but I am concerned about the defensive side of the ball. I’m sure that Jim Johnson is going to have a solid game plan for slowing down the Cardinals’ high-powered offense, but it is going to be challenge to keep Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston from scoring at will. Luckily for us, the Eagles have a great pass rush and star-studded secondary, so if there is one team that can at least slow them down, the Eagles are that team.

Predictions:
I’m sticking with Eagles downing the little red birds 34-24. Unlike my further delving into Eli Manning’s statistics last week, I haven’t seen anything this week that would shift my prediction either way.

Pittsburgh 16-12 over Baltimore: I’ve picked Baltimore in both of their wins, but I think their luck runs out this week. These two teams are essentially the same, but Pittsburgh is just a little bit better at key spots. The defenses are one and two in the NFL, but with all else being equal you have to like Ben Roethlisberger and his wide receivers over Joe Flacco and his one wide receiver.

One Giant Victory

2009-01-14T12:30:00.001-05:00

Ali-Frazier. Gatti-Ward. Back to the Future.

Those were great trilogies. However, this one was like Sugar Ray Leonard versus Roberto Duran. Fortunately for the Eagles, Eli Manning, like Duran, didn’t show up for the last two fights.

Last week, before doing much statistical analysis, I figured the game between the Eagles and the Giants would be a tight battle, but as the week went on, I saw less and less information that said these Giants would be able to keep up with the Eagles.

I saw that in the five games since Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg, Manning had just one 200-yard passing day, and tossed a touchdown every six quarters during that span. By game time, I was more confident than ever, and predicted on WBCB 1490 AM that the Eagles would win by at least a touchdown.

Don’t get me wrong, if Burress was on the field, this game would have been a thrilling fight, one that I don’t think the Eagles would have won. If he was playing, I’m certain that at least a few of the Giants’ five field goal attempts would have been touchdowns instead. With Burress, Manning is a Pro Bowl quarterback with a Super Bowl ring, but without Burress, he is a turnover-prone quarterback being carried by a strong rushing attack and a solid defense, The problem for Big Blue was the best defense in the NFC made the G-Men pay for it.

The Eagles’ defense may not have done a consistent job against the run, giving up 138 yards, but they baffled Manning, and were brilliant when it counted most. They picked off two passes, forced a fumble, and held the Giants to just a 25 percent conversion rate on third and fourth down, including two amazing stands by the defensive line on fourth-and-short on consecutive fourth-quarter possessions.

On offense, the Eagles looked like two different units. For the first 28 minutes of the game, the Birds played not to lose and couldn’t move the ball at all, but after the G-Men took an 8-7 lead with 1:33 left in the half, the Eagles opened their playbook and challenged the Giants’ secondary to shut down the highest scoring offense in team history.

At that point, Donovan McNabb had thrown for just 18 yards, but the Eagles drove 68 yards on 11 plays to set up David Akers’ go-ahead field goal. In the third quarter, the offense really opened up, and McNabb used his legs to buy extra time and connect with Jason Avant and Correll Buckhalter for long third down conversions to help put the Eagles ahead for good.

And, for once, the Eagles’ wide receivers successfully executed the game plan, which they needed to because Brian Westbrook was held to just 46 yards on 20 touches. The Eagles’ top three guys—DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis and Avant—combined for 12 catches and 164 yards. In comparison, the Giants’ trio of wide receivers did half as well, hauling in just six passes for 80 yards.

Looking ahead to this Sunday, the Eagles will face an Arizona team that they walloped on Thanksgiving Day, 48-20. That game turned the Eagles’ season around after the embarrassing tie to the Cincinnati Bengals and the loss to the Baltimore Ravens. For the Cardinals, they clearly were not fully focused on the Eagles during that short week because they had their division nearly wrapped up, and were coming off a tough loss to the Giants.

Nearly two months later, the Cardinals look like an entirely different team, as they have rushed for 231 yards in two playoff games, which comes after ranking dead last in the NFL in rushing yards, having averaged just 73.6 yards per game in the regular season. On defense, the Cardinals have forced 9 turnovers in the playoffs, but that has more to do with facing careless quarterbacks than the 19th ranked defense in the regular season suddenly becoming a collection of superstars.

Against the Falcons, rookie quarterback Matt Ryan showed his inexperience, turning the ball over three times in key spots. And in their 34-13 win over the Carolina Panthers, Jake Delhomme looked so bad that this might be the last time you see him start a game in the NFL, let alone with the Panthers. Delhomme has always been careless with ball, but most of the time his top wide receiver, Steve Smith, would bail him out. This time, the Cardinals made sure that Smith never got open, forcing Delhomme to actually go through his progressions and find other receivers, which has always been his weakness.

However, against the Eagles, the Cardinals’ defense won’t be able to repeat their successful performances from the first two rounds as McNabb is one of the most careful quarterbacks with the football, having the second lowest interception rate in NFL history.

The key for the Eagles is to start fast, just like they did on Thanksgiving Day, so that they can force the Cardinals to return to their one-dimensional ways. Things tend to snowball on the Cardinals, and they do not play well from behind, as we saw in their games against the Jets, Vikings, Patriots and Eagles, which they lost by a combined score of 186-76.

If the Eagles can jump out early, that will allow their blitzers to pin their ears back, rattle Kurt Warner, and throw their offense out of sync. If the Eagles find themselves in a tight battle, the key will still be the pass rush, and making Warner throw the ball before he’s ready.

Just like on Thanksgiving Day, the Eagles don’t need to come up with sacks, but they do need to lay some hits on Warner and get him out of his comfort zone. If his receivers, which are the most talented group in the NFL, have time to run their full routes, not even the Eagles’ secondary will be able to stop them.

Overall, I think the Eagles’ offense will take care of the ball and put up plenty of points while the defense makes enough stops to keep the game from turning into a shootout. The Eagles’ defense will give up a lot of points in this game, but not enough to prevent the Birds from going to the Super Bowl.

The only way I see the Eagles losing is if Arizona is able to jump out to a big lead early in the game, like they did against the Panthers. At that point, the Eagles would return to their pass-only offense, and I don’t think they would be able to pull off a big comeback against a confident Cardinals team.

Prediction: Eagles win 34-24, and head to the Super Bowl to face the Pittsburgh Steelers, who will beat the Ravens for a third time this year, 16-12.

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Like the “On the Edge” column? 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 talk about the Eagles’ big victory over the Giants, and what their chances are of winning a third straight road game in the playoffs and making the Super Bowl!

Playoff time: Round 2

2009-01-10T13:44:00.002-05:00

It's finally the weekend, and that means we are just hours away from more playoff football!

Early in the week, I predicted that the Eagles would beat the Giants 23-20 (in a nice throwback to the playoffs of two years ago), but after some statistical analysis, I'm very confident about the Eagles chances this weekend, and adjusted my prediction to 23-16 yesterday on the Coffee With Kahuna show on WBCB 1490 AM

If you peruse the comments section of the previous post, you'll see that I mention that Eli Manning has been below average since Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg, tossing just three touchdown passes in his last five games. That works out to just 1 TD pass for every six quarters of play, and luckily for the Eagles, that's the Eli Manning who will take the field on Sunday, not the guy who looked like a star for the first 11 games of the season.

The problem for the Giants is that nobody has really stepped up in Burress' absence, as Amani Toomer has just 9 catches in his last four games going against number 1 cornerbacks. Dominik Hixon has done well lately, but he's not anyone that will require double coverage. That means the Eagles' star-studded secondary will be trusted to shut down the receivers, while the rest of the defense will focus on stopping the run, just like in week 14, when they held the Giants to 88 yards on 24 carries.

On Sunday, I see the Eagles limiting the Giants' rushing attack and forcing Eli Manning, who has thrown for just 314 yards in two games against the Eagles this year, to make big plays and keep the Giants in the game. Based on his performance in the last 5 games, I don't think Eli has the ability to do that with his current group of receivers.

For the Eagles, they are going to need a healthy Brian Westbrook to score points on this Giants' defense. In the loss in November, Westbrook had just 26 yards rushing on 13 carries. In the win in week 14, Westbrook had 131 yards rushing, but the most important stat was his 6 catches for 72 yards and a touchdown, as Giants' linebacker Antonio Pierce was unable to keep up with Westbrook in coverage. If Westbrook is healthy, the Giants know that they will need to put at least two guys on Westbrook when he leaves the backfield, which will open things up for Donovan McNabb and the rest of the passing game. If Westbrook looks hobbled, then Pierce will be able to cover him one-on-one, and the Eagles will need to get creative to score points.

Other predictions:
Last week I went 3-1 making predictions, but I should have been 4-0 if the refs didn't hand the Chargers the game in overtime, but that's not important right now. I'm shooting for 4-0 this week, but it's going to be a lot tougher as all four games are pretty even repeats from the regular season.

Baltimore 16-6 over Tennessee: The Titans beat the Ravens 13-10 in week 5, but this is a far more dangerous Ravens team. In that game, the Ravens lost despite holding the only good part of the Titans' offense, Chris Johnson and LenDale White, to 48 yards on 21 carries. At this point in the season, Joe Flacco and the rest of the Ravens' offense are slightly more prepared for NFL defenses, and should be able to put together at least a few scoring drives. More importantly, the Ravens' defense is firing on all cylinders and forcing game-changing turnovers, led by Ed Reed, who has 10 interceptions in his last seven games. I expect this game to look a lot like the Ravens/Dolphins game last week, as the Titans will struggle to move the ball, while the Ravens' offense capitalizes off of a few turnovers.

Arizona 27-24 over Carolina: This is the prediction that I am least confident about, but I went with the Cardinals last week because of my lack of faith in their opponent's quarterback, Matt Ryan, and I'm sticking with them this week because I have even less faith in Jake Delhomme. Arizona was dominating the regular season game against Carolina until they turned the ball over three times and allowed the Panthers to steal the game. I don't see lightning striking twice for the Panthers, and I certainly don't trust Delhomme to lead the Panthers to a comeback win after the Cardinals go up early. In addition, the Cardinals held the Falcons to just 60 yards on the ground, and while I don't expect as good of a performance against the Panthers, I don't expect their defense to be gashed for 150-200 yards by DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.

Pittsburgh 20-13 over San Diego: Pittsburgh beat the Chargers 11-10 earlier this season, and in that game, Philip Rivers was terrible, tossing two picks, while throwing for just 164 yards. I expect more of the same from Rivers against the Steelers' top ranked defense. The keys to this game will be the weather, and LaDainian Tomlinson's health. LT probably won't play, and that means Darren Sproles (who I correctly predicted would have a big game last week) will get most of the work this week, but if the field is sloppy and covered with snow, then Sproles' speed and cut-back ability will be diminished, and he will be a sitting duck for the Steelers' defenders.

Ready for the rubber match

2009-01-07T12:12:00.002-05:00

One down, three to go.

It certainly wasn’t pretty, but the Eagles did what they had to do against the Minnesota Vikings to move one step closer to the Super Bowl. This was an ugly win, but it was the type of game that can be expected when playing the Vikings. Against Minnesota, you can’t run the ball, and on passing downs, your quarterback has to keep his head on a swivel to avoid their fierce pass rush. At the end, you just hope the offense has done enough to force their quarterback, Tarvaris Jackson, to have to beat you.

On Sunday, that is exactly what happened. The Eagles offense struggled, as expected, to establish any kind of running game, but they kept trying, which gave the Eagles’ wide receivers the open space they needed to make key catches to keep some important drives alive. Donovan McNabb exploited a weak secondary, throwing for exactly 300 yards, and, in the process, found a reliable third-down receiver in Jason Avant, who caught 5 passes for 47 yards, and picked up four first downs on the day.

On defense, the Eagles shut down the NFL’s leading rusher, Adrian Peterson. And by shut down, I mean they didn’t allow him to single-handedly win the game for the Vikings, because that was the only way the Eagles would have lost on Sunday.

In fact, if you take out his 40-yard touchdown run, Peterson had almost no room to run, as 14 of his 20 carries went for three yards or less. Through the air, the Eagles secondary preyed on an inexperienced quarterback and a sub-par group of wide receivers.

What the Eagles’ defense did on Sunday to the Vikings is the exact performance that they will need this week if they are going to beat the New York Giants.

Make no mistake, this is the matchup that the G-Men did not want to have as their first playoff game. The Giants and their fans were hoping that Minnesota would take care of the Eagles so that Arizona would have to come east to Meadowlands, because the birds have already won in New Jersey, but the Cardinals are 0-5 in the Eastern Time Zone, and that includes losses of 21, 28, and 40 points.

So this Sunday, what happens? I think the Eagles focus on stopping Big Blue’s rushing attack, and force Eli Manning and his depleted group of wide receivers to beat them.Like before the Eagles’ 20-14 victory over the G-Men in December, I’m predicting the Giants’ “Earth, Wind and Fire” trio will be held to less than 125 yards, and Eli Manning will struggle against the Eagles’ secondary, which is playing its best ball of the season at the right time.

In their Week 14 win, the Eagles held the Giants to just 88 yards on 24 carries, and Manning looked terrible, throwing for only 123 yards, a lot of which came during the last drive of the game when the Eagles’ backups were in a “prevent” defense.

If the defense plays like the group that showed up on that day in December, and finished third in the NFL this season, then I can’t see the offense not doing enough to give the Birds a win.However, if they get run over by Brandon Jacobs and company, like what happened in the 36-31 loss to the Giants in November, then the Eagles will have no chance.

Prediction: Eagles win 23-20, just like in the playoffs two years ago. If I were a betting man, I’d take the Eagles with the points.

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Quick observations from around the NFL:

* After watching the first week of the playoffs, I noticed that we have nothing to complain about when it comes to wide receivers. I would take our top four (Kevin Curtis, DeSean Jackson, Jason Avant and Hank Baskett) over the top four in Baltimore, Minnesota, Atlanta, Miami and San Diego, and going even further, I’d throw in Tennessee and what’s left of the Giants’ wide receiver corps. That means the Eagles have better wide receivers than seven of the 11 other teams in the playoffs this year.

* How could Steve Slaton not win the NFL Rookie of the Year Award for the Houston Texans? He had more than 1,650 total yards and 10 touchdowns this year, despite not taking over the starting role until midway through the season. Maybe I’m just a homer because he is from the area, but he deserved the award far more than Matt Ryan did.

* How good is Ed Reed? He has two interceptions in five of his last seven games, and when he gets the ball, he is as tough as anyone to catch. I don’t understand why the Ravens don’t turn him around to play wide receiver, because after Derrick Mason, they have nobody who can catch the ball.

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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 talk about the Eagles’ chances in the divisional playoff game versus the New York football Giants.

Fehr should join Selig...

2009-01-06T18:40:00.003-05:00

Now that more information has come out about the J.C. Romero situation, I still fully believe that MLB Commissioner Bud Selig needs to step down, but MLBPA Executive Director Donald Fehr needs to join him.

Fehr, who took over as the executive director in 1986, is the same man who presided over the ENTIRE steroid era. Under his reign, guys like Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi, who actually admitted using steroids, are never punished, but a guy going to GNC in the mall loses a third of his season.

How can a guy lead more than a thousand players but not actually protect them from things like what happened to Romero? Romero now will sit for 50 games and lose $1.25 million, but the union won't admit it was wrong and take the blame, they just say that the problem needs to be adjusted for the future.

How about paying him back the $1.25 million that he is going to lose? How about using the same influence that forces players to take the highest dollar amount in free agency, no matter which team is offering, and force a reliever to go fill that 50-game void that the Phillies now have in the 7th inning? How about doing something drastic like threatening a strike if Romero's suspension isn't lifted? What happened to solidarity? I guess that's all just propaganda to Fehr.

You know what, maybe the players' union should just go away since all it does is drive free agents to Yankees and look the other way when home run hitters go through a second puberty and jump two hat sizes.

Selig must go!

2009-01-06T00:46:00.003-05:00

After the tie in the All Star game a few years back, the moving of an Astros home game against the Cubs to Milwaukee, which was essentially a Cubs home game 90 miles from Wrigley Field, and waiting until the Tampa Bay Rays tied up game 5 of the World Series before suspending the game, we all knew that Bud Selig was a whiny, sniffling, spineless horse's rear-end, but this one goes too far.

Selig, in his endless quest to make up for the fact that everyone looked the other way about steroids when baseball was trying to revive itself from the strike that canceled the 1994 World Series, has suspended Phillies reliever J.C. Romero for "negligence" in using a substance that may have contained something on Major League Baseball's banned list. The substance, which was not a performance enhancing drug, was found in a supplement purchased at a vitamin store in Cherry Hill Mall.

Major League Baseball contends that Romero tested positive for the banned substance in August, but not in September when he was tested for a second time despite taking the substance the entire time. Then they forced him to go through arbitration during the World Series! This all came after Romero was told by the MLB Players Association, Major League Baseball, the FDA and a nutritionist that this product was acceptable to ingest.

If Selig thought Romero was cheating, and it was worthy of a 50-game suspension, why did Major League Baseball allow him to continue playing in the playoffs? Shouldn't the integrity of game have forced Selig to stop Romero from playing in the World Series and winning games 3 and 5? Apparently not.

Apparently, Bud Selig wants to prove that baseball is effectively policing itself, when in fact, it is only making itself look even more foolish by suspending a player after ruling he didn't do anything that was worthy of preventing him from competing on the game's biggest stage.

Thankfully, Romero is going to fight this suspension, and I hope he wins. Not just because I'm a Phillies fan, but because baseball needs to crack down on performance enhancing drugs with a common sense approach. They should be hunting down the guys who are sticking needles in each other's butts in a locker room bathroom stall, and not suspending a guy for going to the mall and purchasing the same product that any mall-rat teenie-bopper could purchase without their parent's permission.

It's time for playoff football!

2009-01-03T13:13:00.004-05:00

The unimaginable is nearly here! The Eagles first (hopefully of four) playoff games this year is just over 24 hours away, and everything seems to be pointing to an Eagles victory in Minnesota.

The Eagles have a better defense and a better offense than the Vikings, and that's before accounting for the fact that Tavaris Jackson is starting at quarterback for the Vikings. Statistically, Jackson has been a better quarterback since returning to the starting lineup in December, however, he's still Tavaris Jackson, and without looking, can anybody name more than one of Minnesota's receivers? I'll wait...

Didn't think so. That's because Minnesota's receivers are worse than the Eagles' receivers! (What is it with the Andy Reid coaching tree and not bringing in top receivers?) The Vikings' third receiver, Sidney Rice, played 13 games this year and caught just 15 passes for 141 yards. For the record, the Eagles have 10 players with more receiving yards than Rice this year. As an Eagles fan, you have to feel good about our secondary going up against their aerial attack.

What do you get when you combine an inaccurate quarterback with a group of lousy receivers and throw them up against a team that loves to blitz? A long day for the men in purple. The only way I can see the Vikings even competing in this game is if Adrian Peterson breaks a few long runs, which could happen, but is unlikely, as the Eagles defense, which is ranked third in the NFL (fourth against the rush), gives up less than 100 yards per game on the ground, and hasn't been gashed since playing the Giants in November. More importantly, Peterson has come down with a case of fumble-itis this year, putting the ball the turf 9 times. Combine that with the Eagles forcing 22 fumbles this year, and there is bound to be a time or two where Peterson is shaking his head as he walks off the field.

For the Eagles, the weakness of the Vikings' defense is the Eagles' strength on offense. Donovan McNabb engineered a record-breaking passing attack this year, and the Vikings' defense is very susceptible through the air. The Vikings do have the best defense in the NFL against the run, but the Eagles cannot abandon their ground game. They also shouldn't just run into a brick wall 30 times, so they will need to be smart about running the ball. That means running a lot of draw plays. And not just regular draws, I'm talking about extreme delays and screen passes (I know they aren't runs, but they will serve the same purpose) to counter the Vikings' strong defensive line.

Prediction: Still 27-17.

Other predictions:

Arizona over Atlanta 38-27. I think that the Cards will jump out to an early lead, and Ryan, even though he hasn't played like a rookie most of the year, will crack under the pressure, and throw two or three interceptions while trying to make a comeback.

Indy over San Diego 34-27. The Colts have won 9 straight, while the Bolts have won 4 straight. One of those streaks has to end today, and I'm going with the team that doesn't have an injured LaDainian Tomlinson. However, I do expect the 5' 5" Darren Sproles to have a very good game if L.T. can't go.

Baltimore over Miami 20-7. Why are people so stuck on this game? Baltimore won 27-13 over Miami in week 7. The Dolphins can't win games without running the Wildcat offense, and if there is one team that these trick plays won't work against, it's the Ravens. They held the Dolphins to just 71 yards on 22 carries in that game, and I expect them to do the same on Sunday.

Eagles make good with second chance

2008-12-30T11:46:00.000-05:00

I can’t believe I am getting to write this column!

Not only did the Eagles make the playoffs, they embarrassed the Dallas Cowboys, and officially extended the Cowboys’ streak of seasons without a playoff victory to 12.

I woke up Sunday morning (it was really 12:30 in the afternoon because my three-month-old English bulldog actually allowed me to sleep in), and I planned to watch the key games of the afternoon, but I was not optimistic about the Eagles’ chances.

I believed the Eagles would beat the Cowboys, I just didn’t think that Tampa Bay and Chicago would lose to make the Eagles’ win mean something. It was just the latest in a long string of times this season where I left the Eagles for dead. In fact, it wasn’t even the last time of the day, as I audibly declared the season was over when the Buccaneers took a 24-14 lead over the Raiders in the fourth quarter of their game.

However, thanks to some late-game heroics by Raiders running back Michael Bush and Levittown-native Steve Slaton of the Texans, the Eagles were given a second chance to control their destiny, and they sure made the most of it.

As a team, the Eagles played the most complete game of their season when it mattered most, and Dallas played the sloppiest game of the season when it mattered most.

With a 44-6 beat-down of the Cowboys, the Eagles showed the type of heart and talent that we thought we would see all season. In fact, they played better than any of us could have imagined by scoring touchdowns each time they made it into the red zone, forcing five turnovers, and scoring twice on defense.

The key on Sunday was that the Eagles veteran leaders were not going to be sent home unhappy, while the Cowboys showed that they are a team with a ton of talent, but without a player who will step up to stop the bleeding.

For the Eagles, Brian Dawkins forced two fumbles, Donovan McNabb was a part of three touchdowns, and aging offensive tackles Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas held the Cowboys to just one sack. On the other side, Tony Romo turned the ball over three times, and Terrell Owens did almost nothing until the game was completely out of reach.

Looking ahead, I would not confidently pick the Eagles to win the Super Bowl. Can they do it? Most definitely. Will they do it? Probably not, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they did. The Eagles defense can shut down any team, and the offense can put up points in bunches, but we have yet to see them do it four games in a row.

The only team that I would feel confident picking to win it all is the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts have no real flaws, and have been unstoppable since starting the season 3-4. The other 11 teams all have serious flaws that could hold them back in the next five weeks, but only Atlanta or Minnesota winning it all would shock me at this point.

I guess that’s what makes the playoffs so much fun.

Prediction: Eagles beat the Vikings 27-17, and head to the Meadowlands for a second-round battle with the Giants.

***

Quick observations:

* Andy Reid is a forgiving coach. He will forgive dropped passes, but apparently, based on L.J. Smith’s vanishing act against the Cowboys, he does not forgive poor execution. DeSean Jackson, who dropped two key passes in the fourth quarter against the Washington Redskins, played his normal role against the Cowboys.However, Smith wasn’t even dressed for what will probably be his last game as an Eagle, and my guess is that his drops last week weren’t the culprit. I believe that his missed block near the goal line on the wide receiver screen to Brian Westbrook is the reason that Brent Celek saw serious playing time this week.

* The Eagles set a franchise record with 416 points scored this year, and Donovan McNabb broke his own franchise record for passing yards. The offense works, but it is inconsistent.

* Do you think Sav Rocca thought about setting up two yards further back on David Akers’ field goal to end the first half? After two blocks on field goals at the end of the first half of games this season, I would have set up further back to make sure this kick wasn’t blocked.

* Did Joselio Hanson mock the Cowboys by doing Deion Sanders’ touchdown dance after his 96-yard fumble return in the third quarter?

* Did you notice that Donovan McNabb did the Ronde Barber “point to the name on his back” after the touchdown pass to Correll Buckhalter? I did, and I loved it!

* Roy E. Williams averaged less than 20 yards per game since joining the Cowboys in a trade that cost them their first-, third- and sixth-round draft picks in the upcoming draft.

* All three members of the Andy Reid coaching tree are in the playoffs this year, as Brad Childress led the Vikings to the NFC North title, and John Harbaugh led the Baltimore Ravens to a wild card spot in the AFC.

***

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 talk about the Eagles chances in the first round of the playoffs against the Minnesota Vikings.

Eagles drop the ball against Redskins

2008-12-23T11:42:00.002-05:00

The trap was set, and the Philadelphia Eagles fell right in.

After seeing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose to the San Diego Chargers earlier in the afternoon, the Eagles were suddenly in complete control of their own destiny, and just needed wins over the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys to secure a spot in the playoffs.

However, the Eagles dropped the ball. Again. And again. And again. And by my count, five or six more times, including two deep passes to DeSean Jackson, one of which would have tied the game late in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles’ defense showed up and limited the Redskins to just 10 points and 249 yards on offense, but the Eagles’ recently high-powered offense left its swagger three hours north in Philadelphia.

Now, with their 10-3 loss to the Redskins, the Eagles once again find themselves on the outside looking in, and in need of an improbable win by the Oakland Raiders over Tampa Bay this weekend to even have a chance at making the playoffs.

With this loss, we can make the excuse that the Eagles’ offense was shorthanded, playing without Kevin Curtis and Hank Baskett, but missing those guys wasn’t the problem. The problem was that the wide receivers on the field couldn’t remember that they are paid to catch the ball, and not “wap it down!” like a defensive back on a deep ball.

I know that a lot of people are going to question Andy Reid’s play-calling, but that would be misplacing the blame. Yes, the Eagles should have run the ball a lot more than they did. In the Eagles’ last three wins, they ran the ball as much as they threw it, but for some reason, Reid only called seven rushing plays in the second half of the game, compared to 35 passes.

The only problem with that argument is that Brian Westbrook was clearly hurt, and the passing plays actually worked! The wide receivers got open! Donovan McNabb found them!

It really is a simple process, and if the wide receivers knew how to catch the ball, the Eagles would have rolled over the Redskins and we would be looking forward to a showdown with the Cowboys for the last playoff spot in the NFC.

On a side note, I do find it kind of ironic that Reggie Brown has wasted a career by never coming back to the ball, which gives the cornerback a chance to break up the play. However, with the season on the line, he finally learned one of the basic tenants of playing wide receiver, only he came back about a foot too far.

This game, like the loss to the Carolina Panthers in the 2003 NFC Championship game, proves that the West Coast offense works, but you need to have wide receivers, and a tight end, who will actually catch the ball.

Baskett, Curtis, Jackson, and Jason Avant are all nice wide receivers, but none of them are game-changers. Someday, Jackson might be, but his two drops in the fourth quarter prove that he is not there yet. Each one of them would be a fine number two or number three wide receiver, but Sunday’s game proved that the Eagles need a top wide receiver and someone better than Correll Buckhalter to back up Brian Westbrook.

I know everyone says those things after each loss, but if we can only expect a few fully healthy games each year out of B-West, the Eagles need other weapons. When Westbrook is completely healthy, like he was the last few games, the Eagles’ offense will work with anyone split out wide.But on days like Sunday when Westbrook is not at 100 percent, or even 75 percent, the offense will always stumble unless they have guys who can step up and carry the team.

Against the Redskins, McNabb threw the ball 46 times, which is far too many, and his wide receivers only came down with nine catches. That’s pathetic. McNabb is on pace to set a career high in passing yards this year, but unless he gets consistent playmakers on the outside, those will just be empty yards on the way to an unsuccessful season because the Eagles will always have days like this holding them back.

***

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 dissect how the Eagles blew their golden opportunity to make the playoffs.

Phillies and Mets make big offseason splashes

2008-12-17T12:46:00.003-05:00

Baseball’s general managers spent a few days soaking in the sights and sounds of Las Vegas, and in the process, the powers in the National League East came home with a few new weapons.

As with most winters, the New York Mets have spent a ton of money to fill in the gaping holes in their roster, and like most winters, those holes needed a reasonable solution, not the most expensive.

However, the Phillies - the winners of the last two National League East battles - have taken a more practical approach to their offseason fine-tuning.

Since the Mets came into this offseason needing to improve their club to reach the heights that the Phillies did this season, I’ll start by analyzing their moves.

Make no mistake, the Mets’ bullpen is better right now than it was on the last day of the season, but is it that much better than at the start of 2008? And more importantly, how long will this improvement last?

First, looking at the Francisco Rodriguez signing, the Mets went out and signed the biggest name on the bullpen market, and wound up with what I think is going to be damaged goods, and a huge waste of money.

K-Rod, as those on the West Coast affectionately called him, will be just 27 years old on opening day, but is already on the decline. His 96-mph fastball helped earn him his nickname back in the 2002 playoffs, when he took the league by storm and won five games for the Anaheim Angels in their run to the World Series title. However, just six years later, his fastball sits at 91 mph, and his strikeouts per nine innings dropped by nearly two from the consistent rate of the last three seasons, and his other peripheral numbers are on a consistent decline. Since 2004, his batting average against has jumped from .172 to .216, while his on base percentage against jumped from .258 to .316, and his OPS against has gone from .482 to .629.

In addition, if you compare his statistics to the Mets’ previous closer, Billy Wagner, you’ll see that K-Rod had a similar ERA, but his WHIP (walks plus hits, divided by innings pitched) was a far worse 1.29 compared to Wagner’s 0.89.

The more telling statistic from K-Rod’s 2008 season is that he blew seven saves, and six more back in 2007. Combine that with the eight saves that their other acquisition, J.J. Putz, blew in just 23 chances with the Seattle Mariners last season, and you get a team with a terrible bullpen adding 15 blown saves to their roster at great expenses to their budget and their farm system.

Looking at how their two new acquisitions match up with the Phillies, the Mets lost a closer who threw a 97 mph fastball out of his left hand, which baffled lefty hitters Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, and replaced him with a righty tossing just 91 mph. That has to make a Phillies fan feel good.

For the Phillies, signing Raul Ibanez to play left field is a slight upgrade over Pat Burrell, but mainly saves the team a few dollars to help satisfy the raises coming to Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Brad Lidge, and the other young players who helped carry the Phillies to their first world championship since 1980.

Comparing their numbers, Ibanez should hit for a higher average, but provides less power than Burrell did. The key statistic for Ibanez is that he has hit at least 30 doubles each season since 2002, which in Citizens Bank Park, could lead to more homers, but more importantly will lead to more runs scored. Those doubles will do far more to help the Phillies score runs than a walk by Pat Burrell. Ibanez, who will probably bat sixth in the lineup behind Jayson Werth, has driven in more than 100 runs each of his last three seasons, and with Utley, Howard and Werth in front of him, he should have plenty of opportunities to continue that streak.

These signings were pretty good starts to the offseason for both teams, but with just two months left until Spring Training, they each still have some work to do. The Phillies just signed Jamie Moyer for another two years, and added Chan Ho Park to be a reliever or the fifth starter, so they just need to determine who will play second base while Utley recovers from hip surgery. However, up in Queens, the Mets still need two more starting pitchers, a few more arms in the bullpen, and an infusion of heart, because as Cole Hamels said, until they prove otherwise, the Mets are a bunch of “choke artists.”

***
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 look at the playoff ramifications of this week’s NFL games, while also looking ahead to the Eagles’ divisional battle with the fading Washington Redskins.

Eagles getting back to basics

2008-12-10T10:42:00.003-05:00

With their backs against the wall, the Philadelphia Eagles have gone from a disgraceful mess to a team that nearly controls their own destiny after defeating the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, 20-14 at the Meadowlands.

Amazingly, after losses by Atlanta, Dallas and Washington on Sunday, the Eagles are in a position where if they can win their remaining games, they need just one loss by the Falcons to complete an improbable run to the playoffs. If the Eagles can make the playoffs, this victory over the Giants will go down as the equivalent of the Phillies sweeping the Brewers in September to go from on the verge of being knocked out of contention to turning their season around.

So after an ugly tie to the lowly Cincinnati Bengals and that pathetic 29-point loss to the Ravens, how have the Eagles won consecutive games over teams that have already won their divisions?
Their phoenix-like rise from the ashes has involved them going back to basics. For the most part, to win in the NFL, you need to run the ball, stop the run and not turn the ball over. In their wins over the Cardinals and the Giants, they have done all three perfectly.

A few weeks ago I stated that Andy Reid needed to go back to the offense’s most productive years to get this offense moving, and the play-calling from the last two weeks has been straight out of 2003.

In the last two games, Brian Westbrook has carried the ball 55 times for 241 yards. In the three prior games - two losses and a tie - he had just 41 carries for 125 yards.

However, with Westbrook, just giving him carries is not enough. On Sunday, when the Eagles weren’t running the ball, Westbrook was being moved all over the field to create mismatches. The biggest sign that 2003 is returning was when Reid sent both Westbrook and Lorenzo Booker out there, and then moved Booker to the wide receiver position. Reid hasn’t consistently used multiple running backs on the field at the same time since Duce Staley was the featured back.

Most importantly, Donovan McNabb has protected the ball, not committing a turnover since being benched against the Ravens. McNabb has been consistently among the all-time leaders in throwing the lowest percentage of interceptions, but this year, he has tossed double-digit interceptions for the first time since 2003. In the last two games, he has thrown 69 passes without throwing a pick, and hasn’t lost a fumble in either game.

On the defensive side of ball, the Eagles haven’t played poorly this year, with the exception of the game against Dallas and the first game against the Giants. The one constant among the Eagles throughout the last decade has been their defense. Usually they will have two or three bad games each season, but most of the time, they will put the Eagles in a position to win. Each year, they will be gashed once by the run and once by the pass, and it is quite rare for the same team to embarrass Jim Johnson, the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, twice.

In the last two weeks, the defense has faced the best passing attack and the best rushing attack in the NFL, and both times won the battle.

On Thanksgiving night, the Eagles forced five turnovers, while holding the Cardinals’ high-powered aerial attack to just 235 yards. In the previous post, I bought into the theory that Johnson’s defense would not be ripped apart twice by the same team, and predicted that the Eagles would hold the Giants’ rushing attack to less than 125 yards. On Sunday, they limited the Giants’ “Earth, Wind and Fire” trio of Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw and Derrick Ward to exactly 100 yards, and held the Giants to three yards or less on 13 of their 24 rushing plays.

A few weeks ago, I would never have guessed that I would be writing about the Eagles’ playoff chances, but if they can keep running the ball, continue to covert on third downs (67 percent against the Giants), and not turn the ball over, I like their chances.

By no means will winning the next three games be easy, but with the Browns not having a quarterback, the Redskins in disarray, and the Cowboys potentially coming off of three straight losses, the Eagles could sneak into the playoffs at 10-5-1.

I don’t know if they will make it, but at least they are playing meaningful games right now.

***
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 recap the Eagles upset of the Giants, and look ahead to the potential trap game on Monday Night Football against the lowly Cleveland Browns.

Calling an upset!

2008-12-06T13:15:00.003-05:00

I'm calling the upset.

Yesterday on 1490 WBCB's Coffee with Kahuna show, I said that Eagles would beat the Giants 24-20. However, the Kahuna wasn't nearly as confident as I am, saying that the Giants would pound the Eagles on the ground all game and beat our Birds 37-24.

To actually pull off the upset, I think the Eagles are going to slow down the Giants' rushing attack. By no means do I think they will shut down the Giants' trio, but I think that Jim Johnson's defense, which was completely dominated a few weeks ago, will hold them to less than 125 yards. To do that, the Eagles' linebackers will need to attack the Giants' backs, instead of waiting for them to attack. It's tough enough to bring down Brandon Jacobs, but when the linebackers are letting Jacobs hit them, instead of them hitting him, it's downright impossible, and we all saw what happened last month when Jacobs was hitting our linebackers.

The Eagles played an awful game on both sides of the ball when these two teams met last month, yet they only lost by 5 points. This time, the Giants will not have Plaxico Burress, who while he did not have a very productive game, his presence did open things up for Kevin Boss and Amani Toomer. Losing Burress will help the Eagles contain the Giants' rushing attack because their secondary will handle the Giants' depleted receiver corps with less help from the linebackers, putting them in better position to stop the run. More importantly, I just don't see Jim Johnson getting embarrassed by the same team twice in a month.

On offense, Brian Westbrook managed just 26 yards on 13 carries, but this week, I expect a much more balanced attack from Andy Reid, and a far more productive day out of Brian Westbrook. Once Westbrook gets going, both on the ground and through the air, it will open things up more for Donovan McNabb and wide receivers.

Truthfully, I wouldn't bet the house on the Eagles, but they are desperation mode, because they need to win out if they want to make a run at the playoffs. I just have a hunch that a desperate Eagles team is going to beat a distracted Giants team.

All quiet on the free agency front

2008-12-03T13:22:00.000-05:00

Free agency is upon us, and seeing how the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies were built, I am prepared for a quiet three months, and I couldn’t be happier.

When the Phillies took the field for the game 5 of the World Series (which they won!), six of the nine starters were drafted by the Phillies, and another, Carlos Ruiz, was signed out of Panama as a teenager.

Looking further, Brett Myers and Ryan Madson were also drafted by the Phillies, while Brad Lidge, Jamie Moyer, and Joe Blanton were acquired for prospects that were drafted by the Phillies. Going even deeper, Jayson Werth, Greg Dobbs, J.C. Romero, and Scott Eyre were waiver-wire pickups that retiring General Manager Pat Gillick brought home from scrap heap. It is pretty clear that free agency is not where the Phillies will find the players necessary to lead them back to the World Series next year.

Unlike the New York Yankees, who are attempting to purchase an entire pitching staff through free agency, the Phillies head into the offseason just looking to fine tune their roster. Even Chase Utley’s hip surgery, which is expected to keep him from playing cold-weather baseball, will not change those plans, as prospect Jason Donald will probably get a chance to shine in Utley’s place.

With Scott Eyre already re-signed as the second lefty in the bullpen, the Phillies can complete their pitching staff by re-signing Jamie Moyer and adding a righty to pitch the middle innings. If Moyer returns, the rotation’s fifth starter will come from inside the organization, with J.A. Happ as the front-runner for the job, but he will have to earn it because there are several other options including top prospect Carlos Carrasco, along with Kyle Kendrick and his new changeup.

On offense, the Phillies have to make one decision, and that is whether or not their longest tenured player comes back for more. Other than Manny Ramirez, Pat Burrell is the best right-handed outfielder on the market.So does Pat come back? Honestly, I don’t think the Phillies have a choice in this situation. They have to bring him back because they can’t go into the season thinking that Geoff Jenkins, Greg Dobbs, and Matt Stairs can replace his production, because none of them can hit a lefty to save their life.

Obviously, Burrell is a liability on defense, but his lack of desire to become a designated hitter limits his options and increases the Phillies’ chances of bringing him back.So how does he come back and why would he go? If Burrell, who turned 32 during the playoffs, wants a five-year contract like Aaron Rowand did last offseason, new General Manager Ruben Amaro should thank him for his service and show him the door. Like Rowand, the loss might sting a little for the first year, but we’re already laughing at the Giants about the four years they have left on Rowand’s deal, and we’ll laugh at the last three or four years of any five-year deal Burrell signs.

At that point, Amaro should focus on signing someone like Milton Bradley or Casey Blake. Jayson Werth won’t be in a platoon to start 2009, so his numbers should jump to Pat Burrell territory, so whoever the Phillies sign to replace Burrell just has to provide Werth’s output, not Burrell’s output.

However, if Burrell wants to sign for three years to stay in Philadelphia, sign him up! The key to Burrell’s game is hitting homers and drawing walks. At this point, his bat speed is still at the point that he can turn on a fastball. He can also foul off pitch after pitch until he gets his fastball or draws a walk, but how long can that last?

At some point, his bat speed is going to slow down, and he will start swinging through pitches with two strikes instead of fouling them off, and then a lot of those walks will turn into strikeouts. Five years is too long, but three should be just right.

That is all of the decisions the new general manager needs to make. Isn’t it wonderful to go into free agency as the World Series champions, and watch everyone else scramble to figure out how to get their hands on what you just won?

***
Like the “On the Edge” column? 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 look ahead to the Eagles battle with the Giants. The Kahuna and I will also analyze all of baseball’s offseason wheelings, dealings and rumors.

The Andy Reid era has become a disgrace

2008-11-23T20:40:00.001-05:00

The best quarterback in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles was benched during Sunday’s game, and his head coach didn’t even have the you-know-whats to tell him.

Before we get into how Eagles head coach Andy Reid threw away the season at halftime of a three-point game, doesn’t Donovan McNabb deserve better than a lowly assistant telling him that he is being benched for the first time in his career? The fact that Reid didn’t think he needed to waddle over to McNabb and tell him what was about to happen disgusts me.

How many times have we heard that the Eagles are one of the classiest organizations in professional sports, yet this is how they treat one of the best players to ever put on a green jersey? At least guys like Troy Vincent, Bobby Taylor and Duce Staley got to walk off the field in their last games. They weren’t benched like McNabb. I swear right now that if Brian Dawkins gets embarrassingly benched like what happened today, I will disown this team until Reid, Joe Banner and Jeffrey Lurie are all run out of town.

Now, I understand that McNabb was having a bad game, but knowing that the entire season was riding on the following 30 minutes of football, why make the change then? Why do it when your team trails by just three points? Why do it for a quarterback who is completely untested and unprepared to face the toughest defense of the last decade?

Basically all that Reid did today was tell his players, his bosses, and millions of green-blooded Philadelphians that he was throwing in the towel on 2008, and that he was only concerned with saving his job for 2009. If he really wanted to win Sunday’s game, A.J. Feeley, despite his propensity for throwing to the wrong colored jerseys, should have relieved McNabb, not a player who had thrown just nine passes in his career.

Honestly, I don’t know if Kevin Kolb is going to be the next Ron Jaworski or the next Bobby Hoying, but don’t we deserve to watch the players who give us the best chance to win? Apparently we don’t, and the rest of the team showed what they thought of the move, being outscored 26-0 in the second half.

Looking forward, not only did Reid ruin any chance of the franchise quarterback playing another meaningful game with the Eagles, he simultaneously ruined any chance that Kolb had to make a good first impression on a fan-base that seems to have an empty place in their hearts when it comes to the quarterback position.

Instead of giving Kolb the reigns after the Cardinals game on Thursday night, which would give him 10 days to prepare for his first start, Kolb got himself a whooping from Ray Lewis and company, and then gets just three days to prepare for his first start. That is of course unless Reid makes McNabb walk out onto the grass at the Linc as a lame duck.

It’s kind of funny that three Sundays ago I walked out of Lincoln Financial Field, after the 36-31 loss to the Giants, angry and frustrated that this team wasn’t playing up to its potential, but now I can’t even root for us to win because that will just extend the Andy Reid era. At least when Rich Kotite coached the team, I wasn’t disappointed because I knew we were going to lose most of the games. With Reid, we should win, but all we do is find different ways to lose, and it needs to end.

On the bright side, at least now I can enjoy my Thanksgiving dinner because I can’t see myself rushing through a good meal to watch the train-wreck that will appear on the NFL Network that night.

***
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 have tons to discuss, including the benching of Donovan McNabb, and the Eagles’ Thanksgiving night battle with the Arizona Cardinals.

The bungle versus the Bengals

2008-11-17T15:15:00.002-05:00

A tie?

The Philadelphia Eagles actually tied the lowly Cincinnati Bengals. How did this even happen? Even hockey doesn't have ties anymore!

"I didn't even know it was in the rule book," said Donovan McNabb after the game. "I guess we're aware of it now. In college, there are multiple overtimes, [and] in high school and in Pop Warner."

Notwithstanding our quarterback not knowing that a game could end in a tie, there are so many things wrong with this team right now that it would take a dissertation to fully analyze them all, but here is brief attempt to figure it all out.

At this point, I have only have one problem with the Eagles' defense, but the Eagles' offense played so poorly that nobody is exempt from criticism today.

Starting with defense, why do the Eagles' cornerbacks play predetermined positions? Asante Samuel only covers the opponent's number one receiver when that guy steps in front of him before the snap. All game, the Bengals had T.J. Houshmandzadeh line up in the slot so he would go up against Joselio Hanson instead of Samuel or Sheldon Brown. How could Defensive Coordinator Jim Johnson not make an adjustment so that Houshmandzadeh didn't end up with 12 catches, 149 yards and a touchdown?

Forgetting about the defense, the Eagles' offense is turning into a joke. The offensive line can't run block, the wide receivers drop passes, our inaccurate quarterback can't throw a timing route to save his life, and our head coach spends the entire first quarter calling plays out of a script of only passing plays that require pinpoint accuracy and perfect timing. Other than that, this offense is firing on all cylinders!

So with six games left, what can the Eagles do to make a run at the playoffs, which, seems unlikely, but are not out of reach, as the Eagles are just half a game out of a wild card spot?

The lazy answer is for Andy Reid to say, "I'll figure it out," or they could get back to playing Eagles football, which means digging out tapes of the non-T.O. teams of 2003 and 2006.

Why those years? The Eagles offense was dominant in those years without a star wide receiver, and Reid displayed the type of creativity with both Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook, turning them both into MVP candidates.

The problem with the offense isn't the players, it is that they are running the same plays over and over again. Sitting in front of the television, you can guess what plays are coming, but in previous seasons, teams had no idea what we would do. Our play-calling was so fresh each game that the Eagles won division titles despite having Todd Pinkston and James Thrash at wide receiver.

This season, when Westbrook lines up in the backfield, teams know that he is mostly a blocking back, but in previous seasons, he would get handoffs, catch screens, or move outside to the wide receiver spot and exploit slow linebackers and safeties.

Even Reid's usage of DeSean Jackson has become predictable, and he has only played 10 games! On Sunday, the Bengals knew exactly when he was going to get the ball on an end around, and held him to just three yards on two carries.

To further beat the dead horse, the Eagles had 18 third down plays against the Bengals, and didn't run the ball once! That is complete, 100 percent predictability! Back in 2003, the Eagles offense had worse weapons, but was able to move the chains because they kept defenses honest by running consistently running the ball. In 2003 and 2006, the Eagles ran for more than 100 yards in 21 of their 32 games, but this year, they have only topped the century mark in five of their 10 games, and can't pick up a measly yard in crunch time.

Now I know that the easy thing to do would be to give up on this season, and blame Andy Reid, Donovan McNabb, the offensive line and poor play-calling, but this team has far better weapons than the 2002, 2003, and 2006 offenses that consistently moved the ball and won the NFC East.

The division is obviously out of reach, but with Washington's loss, the Eagles are right in the thick of things despite their short-yardage ineptitude, so let's hold off on talking about our two first round picks in this year's draft, and about who should stay and who should go until after the season.

Of course, even if the Eagles completely open up the play book, it might not work, but with six games left in a crowded playoff race, the season isn't over yet.

I know it seems hopeless after a tie with the Bengals, but the Eagles' losses are all by less than a touchdown, so a little creativity could turn the season around, but it needs to happen, and it needs to start this week against the Baltimore Ravens.

***
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 recap the bungle versus the Bengals, and look ahead to the Eagles/Ravens battle. The Kahuna and I will also analyze all of baseball's offseason wheelings, dealings and rumors.

Ray Lewis calls out Eagles

2008-11-16T11:19:00.002-05:00

On ESPN's NFL Countdown this morning, Rachel Nichols reported that Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis called out the Eagles for giving the Giants' running backs "big gaping holes," and he is exactly correct. The Eagles' defense was pushed around by the Giants' offensive line, and their linebackers were trying to make arm tackles against a 260-pound running back.

This week, the defense needs to get back to basics, and work on filling their gaps against a bad Cincinnati team.

On offense, the Eagles need to focus on running the ball on a consistent basis, and figure out how to get the offense clicking early in the first quarter. To do that, Andy Reid might want to forget about the first-quarter script, and give Donovan McNabb some freedom to improvise early in the game.

Prediction: The Eagles tame the Bengals 31-10, and give a glimmer of (possibly false) hope to their fans before a battle with Ray Lewis' Baltimore Ravens next week.

"On the Edge" on WBCB this afternoon!

2008-11-14T13:13:00.001-05:00

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 talk more about the Eagles’ uninspired loss to the Giants, and focus on where this team is heading.

Time to cut the cord on Andy

2008-11-12T11:49:00.002-05:00

Maybe after 10 years of teams that were good, but not great, it is time for the Eagles to cut their losses with Head Coach Andy Reid.

If you look back through my previous columns, I have been a big supporter of Reid based on his record, our division titles, and the incompetent leaders who came before him, but I think his time in Philadelphia should be coming to a close.

Heading into this season, things were looking good for the Birds as Donovan McNabb was now two years removed from knee surgery, Brian Westbrook was happy with his new contract extension, DeSean Jackson was looking like a draft-day steal, and the defense had playmakers at every position. Needless to say, I had pretty high hopes for the Eagles.

Everything was lining up for great season, except Andy Reid. He has become a complete hindrance to a team that, based on talent alone, should be in the upper echelon of the NFL. We saw it during the losses to the Redskins and the Bears, but the final straw was the 36-31 loss to the New York Giants.

I sat dumbfounded as I watched Reid make bad decision after bad decision against the Giants, and I’m not even talking about his two pointless challenges.

Out of the gate, Reid showed some nice creativity as Jackson scored a rushing touchdown out of the “Wildcat” formation. But, just like in prior weeks, Reid’s play-calling became more conservative, and by the end of the game, it was downright predictable.

I have said this before, but if I can tell you what play the Eagles are about to run on offense, then the defensive coordinator, who spent an entire week studying film about the Eagles, definitely knows what play is about to be run.

Just so you know I’m not joking, when you see McNabb under center and Westbrook behind him to the right, you know it is going to be an inside run, because they haven’t run the halfback wheel (where Westbrook starts in the backfield, runs toward the sideline and then goes deep) in more than a year. If you see that formation on Sunday against the Bengals, bet the person next to you that you know what play is coming.

The play-calling got so conservative that it took 52 minutes for the Eagles to take a shot downfield, which was caught by Jackson for a 32-yard gain. The Eagles receivers are speed guys, not slow route-runners, so throw the deep ball! If your receivers are just running 10-yard routes, no one can get open because the corners, linebackers and safeties are able to surround them. Plus, their defense wouldn’t have been able to stack the line of scrimmage, which allowed them to hold Westbrook to just 2 yards-per-carry.

Speaking of Brian Westbrook, how is it possible that he had only eight touches during the second half of the biggest game of the season, and only three catches all game? Wouldn’t you assume that getting him a little more involved in the passing game would have opened things up for the rest of our offense?

If that wasn’t bad enough, the defense decided that they would prefer to let Eli Manning have plenty of time in the pocket instead of blitzing him and forcing him to make bad decisions. The Eagles’ defense is built for blitzing, and Manning, like most quarterbacks, is better standing upright compared to when he is picking turf out of his helmet.

As a result, New York’s offensive line was never back on its heels, and they pushed around our defense, which surrendered 219 rushing yards to the Giants’ version of the three-headed monster.

Now, this doesn’t mean that the Eagles can’t rebound from this loss, win five of their next seven games, and make the playoffs, but does it really matter? The Eagles had a chance to pull within one game of the Giants in the division, while placing a firm grasp on a playoff spot, but the coaches didn’t show up with a gameplan to top the defending Super Bowl champions. In the key moments of the big games, this coaching staff just doesn’t put its players in the right position to win.

Don’t get me wrong, Reid has definitely built a good foundation, but I think it will take a new coach and a new scheme to get this team over the hump. That type of thing happens all the time in sports. Urban Meyer led the Florida Gators to the BCS National Championship in 2007 while using Ron Zook’s players, and Jon Gruden led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory using Tony Dungy’s players. Why can’t that happen here?

I really believe that we have the players to get to the top of the mountain, but as long as Andy Reid is coaching the Eagles, “almost there” will be all we can expect, and with each failure, this city will bleed a little less green.

***

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 talk more about the Eagles’ uninspired loss to the Giants, and focus on where this team is heading.

Eagles/Giants preview

2008-11-08T12:30:00.002-05:00

With the exception of the Cowboys game, the biggest game at the Linc each year is when the Giants come to town, except this year, the Giants game just might be a little bit bigger.

This year, the Giants come to town at 7-1, while the Eagles sit lurking at 5-3. The only problem for each team is that their records might be a little bloated, especially the Giants.

I know that the haters of this blog are going to say that I’m biased and just ripping on the Giants because I’m an Eagles fan, but which of their seven wins is the most impressive? Is it the Steelers game, in which Willie Parker was hurt? Is it the Cowboys game sans Tony Romo? What about the overtime struggle with the Bengals? The only marginally impressive win was the 16-7 victory over the Redskins, but in that game, neither team looked like they knew the preseason was over.

Clearly, a team can only beat the teams that appear on their schedule, and the Giants certainly have done that in the first eight games of the season, but now comes the tough part of their schedule, and that starts in Philadelphia on Sunday night! For the Giants, there are no easy games the rest of the way, as the Vikings, at 4-4 are the weakest team remaining on their schedule.

But, obviously, the most important game in the Giants’ stretch run is the first one, and it is going to be a good ol’ fashioned slobberknocker!

Both of these teams can score, both can force turnovers, and both certainly can put the opposing quarterback in a world of hurt.

For Eagles, the key will be stopping, or at least slowing down, the Giants’ rushing attack, as Brandon Jacobs’ 680 rushing yards are more than Brian Westbrook and Correll Buckhalter combined. But, sadly for Jim Johnson’s defense, Jacobs isn’t a lonely man in that backfield, as Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw have contributed an additional 604 yards, and each member of the trio averages more than five yards per carry.

If the Eagles’ defense can step up and slow down the Giants’ backfield trifecta, it will force Eli Manning to win the game, and I’ll take my chances with Asante Samuel, Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown…as long as Brown isn’t covering Plaxico Burress.

On offense, it seems obvious, but the Eagles have to protect Donovan McNabb from the Giants’ blitzing defense, which has registered 30 sacks in its first eight games. To do that, the Eagles have to stay balanced, and that includes throwing a few screen passes into the game plan to help counter that blitz. Once the blitz is neutralized by the screen game, it will give Donovan McNabb time to attack the Giants’ secondary, which is the most vulnerable part of the team.

Prediction: On Friday afternoon’s Coffee with Kahuna on WBCB 1490, I said the Eagles would win 23-20, and I’m sticking with it. For the record, the Kahuna predicts a 24-17 victory for the Birds.

PHINALLY!

2008-10-30T17:30:00.002-04:00

Nearly 46 hours after game five was suspended, my girlfriend and I stood at our seats in section 428 of Citizens Bank Park. One of us was very confident, and one of us was not even close. If you have been reading my columns for the last year, I always give reasons why we should win, I’m just never sure that we’re actually going to win.

Suddenly, during the pre-game festivities, version 2.0, a quick chill ran through my body, and I was feeling it! At 8:26, just 11 minutes before the first pitch, I sent a text message to my dad saying, “I couldn’t feel it all day, but I can feel it right now!”

I don’t know what caused it, but my psyche spun 180 degrees, and all of the pessimism that I was feeling throughout the day had been wiped out and replaced with the most confident feeling imaginable. I could feel it. Tonight was our night.

Before I knew it, Geoff Jenkins was stepping into the batter’s box and we all expected the Rays’ manager, Joe Maddon, to call for a lefty, but he stuck with Grant Balfour.

As soon as Jenkins hit the double to right centerfield, every pitch became a matter of life and death. Every ball or strike resulted in either a flurry of high fives or a chorus of boos. Every heart in the ballpark stopped when Jayson Werth’s blooper disappeared between the glove and the body of Rays’ second baseman Akinori Iwamura. As the ball re-appeared on the CBP grass, Jenkins made a mad dash for home, and the place went into a frenzy. As the inning ended, we realized that we were just nine outs from a city erupting.

Then came Rocco Baldelli’s solo shot into the leftfield seats, and we went silent…until the next pitch, when we were as loud as ever, but then a single to left and a sacrifice put the go-ahead run in scoring position, and Ryan Madson’s night was done.

Our confidence was dropping until the defensive play of the series (with Carlos Ruiz’s 60-foot dribbler in game three being the offensive play of the series). Iwamura grounded it up the middle, and Utley faked a throw to first and gunned down Jason Bartlett at the plate to keep the game tied. You could literally hear hundreds of Harry Kalas impressions of “Chase Utley, you are the man!”

With the exception of the final out, the bottom of the seventh brought the most poignant moment of the night, as Pat Burrell crushed a double off of the left centerfield wall, registering what could be his final hit as a Phillie. Eric Bruntlett, as he has all season, pinch ran for Burrell and stepped into Phillies history as he crossed the plate with the winning run on Pedro Feliz’s RBI single up the middle. Pat Burrell's career as a Phillie was ending, but we were now just six outs from victory.

After an easy 8th inning by J.C. Romero, and 49 hours after the first pitch of the game by Cole Hamels, Brad Lidge walked through the bullpen door, ready to complete his perfect season, our dream season, and the city’s first championship in 25 years.

Fans throughout the section were slapping high five, reciting each perfect statistic from the season – 86-0 in the regular season when leading after 8 innings, 47 straight saves by Lidge including the playoffs – hoping Lights Out Lidge would set off the biggest celebration in our history with one more perfect outing.

Evan Longoria pops out. Two more!

Dioner Navarro singles, and a pinch-runner swipes second. A little bit of doubt creeps in as Rocco Baldelli’s spot is due up next, but Maddon sends out a pinch-hitter up to the plate despite Baldelli’s solo homer in the 7th inning.

Ben Zobrist sends one to right that looks like a hit, but it falls right into Werth’s glove. One more!

Eric Hinske steps in for Jason Bartlett, and visions of his pinch-hit solo shot in game four flash through our minds. With two strikes and a runner on second, Lidge sets from the stretch and delivers his best slider of the year, and sends 46,000 people into a degree of jubilation that I have never seen before in this town.

Not only had we won the World Series, but a weight had been lifted off our shoulders. Gone was the stigma of 25 losing seasons. Gone were the days where we couldn’t talk back to the fans of the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, New York Mets, Baltimore Ravens and of all the other teams who had won titles while we choked away opportunity after opportunity. Gone were the days where a 10-year-old boy sitting with his dad in the row in front of us would only be able to hear stories about the glory days, because he now had lived a glory day of his own. Gone were the days where a 24-year-old would only feel dread and doubt while walking into the ballpark on a night where his favorite team had a chance to clinch a World Series title.

Suddenly everything seems possible. Thanks to Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, Brad Lidge and 20 other players who each played a pivotal role (yes, even So Taguchi…think back to an important Mets game late in the season), fans in our city will no longer have to wait with fear for the other shoe to drop. Now, we can walk into the Wachovia Center and have confidence that a call against us won’t ruin the Flyers’ season. Now we can think an Eagle receiver will come down with a deep ball by Donovan McNabb, rather than wait for the crippling interception.

Suddenly, and by suddenly, I mean 49 hours later, Philadelphia is a town for winners, and we have a World Series title to prove it.