The Eagles preseason game against Cincinnati on Friday night didn’t quite go as planned. The Eagles had problems on offense — in multiple areas — and failed to stop the Bengals’ own offense on multiple occasions.
One of the worst moments for the Eagles’ first-team defense came in second quarter, when they couldn’t stop a 6-yard touchdown by running back Bernard Scott.
You can see the whole play here, but let’s break it down frame by frame to see what happened:
Quick Hit Analysis of Eagles' 2nd Preseason Game
How does the saying go: “The more things change, the more things look like the 2009 Eagles?” Something like that.
Last Friday night’s preseason debacle against the Cincinnati Bengals featured all of the troubles of last season, revisited upon these new-look Eagles: defensive front that can’t get pressure, offensive line with major protection issues, overmatched secondary, scrambling quarterback, failure to convert on third-and-short. Even special teams ineptitude.
Let’s take a closer look at my notes from the game…
McNabb Reflections with Former GM Heckert
The combination of Reid wanting to do right by McNabb and McNabb not wanting to languish in obscurity clearly accomplished one thing: Donovan was sent to a team that both men thought could be a contender. Heckert describes the natural reaction many people had to the trade, which is that they wouldn’t have sent McNabb within the NFC East.
Perhaps if Heckert had still been in Philly, then McNabb would be in Oakland right now, but it’s tough to say. Is Reid really that sentimental that he would sabotage his own team’s chances of winning? Much of the circumstantial evidence suggests that he might have cared about McNabb enough to do just that.
But what if that’s not true?
Eagles at Bengals: The Big Question
Friday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals is only the Eagles’ second preseason game, but it figures to tell us a lot more about the team. After steamrolling Jacksonville’s first team in limited action last week, this time the Eagles starters will play most or all of the first half, as they work toward opening day less than a month from now. The biggest question mark for this scrimmage:
How will the starting defense do against stronger competition?
On the Bubble: Joselio Hanson
Just a year and a half ago cornerback Joselio Hanson signed a five-year contract to remain with the Eagles through the 2013 season. Hanson had distinguished himself as a great nickel corner and looked like he would be an Eagle for years to come.
However, 2009 didn’t go quite to plan. Hanson missed four games for failing a drug test and battled injuries all season long. It was a disappointment.
Even so, Hanson came into this offseason eager to bounce back, and maybe even claim the starting job with Sheldon Brown gone. However, there is a scenario now emerging in which Hanson doesn’t even make the team…
Who's the Best Pass Rusher in the NFC East?
Answering a question like “Who is the best pass rusher in the NFC East?” seems to require a wealth of coaches tape and scouting grades. But what if we could simplify such a discussion with a single statistic: Negative Plays per Rush.
I first used this measurement back on my old blog to look just at Eagles players, but let’s expand it to get a sense of the rest of the Eagles’ top rivals.
The Subtext Behind Jamaal Jackson's Return
Jackson could have stayed on the PUP list for the first six weeks of the season before the Eagles had to decide whether to activate him or send him to injured reserve. That would have provided as close to a year of rehab as possible without missing an entire season.
However, the Eagles decided to get Jackson practicing again, perhaps before he’s 100 percent. Why?
Breaking Down the Eagles' 1st Preseason Game
*LeSean McCoy looked really solid. He doesn’t have the three-step acceleration that Brian Westbrook had, but his slashing style will be productive. Shady also does seem to have added some muscle and has looked more confident holding the ball close to his body. I feel good about him.
*Unfortunately, I don’t feel good about the middle of the offensive line. It seemed there were a few times where Max Jean-Gilles and Stacy Andrews failed to get any push up the middle and McCoy was forced to just lean into their backs for two yards…