Last year, Brent Celek put up ridiculous numbers as the Eagles’ leading receiver: 76 receptions for 971 yards and 8 touchdowns. Those statistics put Celek among the elite group of NFL tight ends.
Then Donovan McNabb left.
Many people, including myself, didn’t see that as such a bad thing. In fact, I predicted an absolute monster 2009 for Celek, since he would be thrown to by good friend Kevin Kolb, a young quarterback who makes extremely accurate short range passes.
So much for that prediction…
Kevin Kolb: The Quarterback Who Lost His Mojo
One year ago everyone was raving about Kevin Kolb, and with good reason. Starting two games in place of an injured Donovan McNabb, Kolb became the first quarterback in NFL history to pass over 300 yards in each of his first two starts.
More important than the numbers though, was what we saw from Kolb. It was obvious he didn’t have McNabb’s cannon arm, but he ran the offense with the poise and confidence of a veteran, finding open spots down the field for his dynamic wide receivers and checking down to higher-percentage options when those options weren’t available. Kolb looked like a young player rapidly on the rise in the NFL, a quarterback on the cusp of stardom.
Fast forward a year and things don’t look so pretty. Everyone wrote off his lackluster preseason — no Eagles quarterback was playing well in front of that makeshift line. And I defended him after one terrible half. But supporting him is becoming increasingly hard to do…
Eagles Pass Rush: Even Better Than Last Year?
The chart on the right (stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus) helps us see who’s in to put pressure on the quarterback — and who’s not. Let’s start from the bottom then work our way up.
Patterson and Bunkley have become situational players in the 2010 defense. The Eagles have long rotated the two big-bodied starters out on passing downs, but they’re doing that more often than ever. Last year the two rushed the passer about 50 percent of the time that they were in. By taking them out more often, McDermott has given more rushing opportunities to players who actually cause pressure.
Interesting to see Brandon Graham on the Trent Cole diet of close to equal pass and run play percentages. Basically what that means is that the two of them play on almost every snap — regardless of type. They are the Birds’ most complete linemen…
Sorting Out Starters, Contributors on the Eagles Defense
Defense is an area where the Eagles, both under the late Jim Johnson and second-year defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, like to rotate players. Often the depth on the defensive line is as important as the starters, given how many substitutions the Eagles make in any given game.
Yet there are essentially four types of defensive players — full-time starters, contributors who play most of the time, situational players and backups. The fabulous data compiled by Pro Football Focus can give us a better read on those divisions as they shake out in the early part of the season.
Let’s dive into the numbers…
Different Place, Same Face: McNabb Hasn't Changed at All
If you believe, as I do, that McNabb has been basically an average or slightly-above average quarterback over the last three seasons, then the next question was: how long can he sustain that production?
We know that McNabb, at almost 34 years of age, has plenty of wear on his tires. Was it possible that in the next year or two he could sustain a drastic drop in performance? Or would his experience continue to hide his slowing body?
So far, at least, McNabb’s shown that he’s capable of producing in the same way. Admittedly, it’s a small sample size, but his per game numbers are similar or better than last year in almost every catagory…
Eagles at Jaguars: The Big Question
The Eagles quarterback controversy has made headlines all week as the Eagles prepare for a trip to Jacksonville, but defense is where many of the problems have come from early in the season. There is hope, though, which is why our biggest question of the week is:
Can Stewart Bradley, returning from injury, help return the defense to an elite level?
Ironically, we were asking this same question before the season began. Then Bradley was returning from an ACL injury. Back now from a concussion, the 6-foot-4 255-pound linebacker is ready to return to his starting spot in the middle of the defensive formation…
LeSean McCoy Proves His Critics Wrong
Lost amidst the chaos at the quarterback position has been the play of another backfield member — LeSean McCoy. While fellow anointed legend-follower Kevin Kolb has dropped to second on the depth chart before he could even throw an interception, McCoy has quietly answered everyone’s questions regarding his assumption of the running back crown worn for years by Brian Westbrook.
*People said, “McCoy’s not explosive enough, he doesn’t have true breakaway speed.” With the second-highest yards per carry total in the NFL and a 46 yard touchdown jaunt later, he’s shut them up.
*Others intimated that LeSean doesn’t have the ability to break tackles in the open field. Too bad Pro Football Focus lists him with the most yards after contact per rush in the NFL, with 5.1 …
Counterpoint: Kolb Gives Eagles a Better Chance to Win Now
The overriding opinion seems to be in favor of Vick because he gives the Eagles a better chance to win now — future consequences be damned. And while I do, in fact, worry about the team’s offensive future if you delay Kolb’s maturation for another year, let’s put that aside for the moment.
Instead, let’s focus on this: Why does everyone think Vick is a better option right now? Because Vick is playing so well, because he’s exciting, because Kolb was uninspiring in his first start.
But how well is Vick really playing? He’s certainly improved his completion percentage. It’s up almost 10 percentage points from his career average. That’s made him a tremendously better player than before. But a Super Bowl QB? …