Shady: I Wanted to be One of Those Guys

LeSean McCoy, as told to Reuben Frank at CSN Philly:

“Training during the offseason, I wanted to be one of those guys. I think that’s the biggest difference from this year and last year – the confidence level. When I step on the field now, I feel like I’m one of those guys (opponents) are worried about.

“‘Where’s DeSean Jackson? Where’s Mike Vick? Where’s LeSean McCoy?’ I want to be one of those guys. The whole offseason, that’s what I put in my mind. I don’t want to just be another guy on the field. I want to be a guy who has that confidence that those guys know, ‘I’m ready to play.’”

He got his wish.

Stop Drinking the Juan Castillo Kool-Aid

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly both fans and writers can jump-start the bandwagon after a mere modicum of success.

When I wrote yesterday about the possibility of a pro-Juan Castillo movement, I had no idea it would get started so quickly. I assumed it would take at least another week or two of solid defense, and even then it wouldn’t be particularly vocal. Apparently I was wrong.

The Eagles have put together back-to-back good defensive performances. Both games came against mediocre or worse offenses (check the DVOA) with poor starting quarterbacks. In both games the defense benefitted from early opponent turnovers and the return of Michael Vick, who guided the Eagles offense to two large halftime leads. Then the Jets/Dolphins offense, neither being world-beaters in the first place, became one dimensional and desperate through the rest of the game.

Even if you want to overlook those particularly beneficial factors, don’t you at least remember how the rest of this season has gone? Not once, but twice before the Eagles defense seemed to be going in the right direction.

After week eight the Eagles had won two straight games and limited the Redskins and Cowboys to 20 points combined. The playoff hunt was back on… until it wasn’t. The Eagles immediately lost to the Bears and Cardinals. But all was forgiven again when Vince Young led them a win over the Giants in the Meadowlands. At least until they came back the next two weeks and got blown out by the Patriots (38 points), and embarrassed by the lowly Seahawks (31 points).

So forgive me if I’m not ready to crown Castillo after these last two “everything that can go right” wins. I’d be surprised if the defense manages to keep up the pace over the final two weeks. And, not to move the goalposts, but even if they do play well (against two flawed teams they’ve already beaten) it will still be best for the Eagles to move on from this utterly failed defensive coordinator experiment.

Photo from Getty.

Kolb Due $7 Million Roster Bonus

Jason La Canfora, for NFL.com:

Kolb will earn a $10 million signing bonus and $2 million salary in 2011. He’s due a $7 million roster bonus this March, which conceivably could be declined by the Cardinals, meaning they would could get out of Kolb’s deal after paying him just $12 million over one year.

Hypothetically, could the younger namesake end up back in Philly in the not-too-distant future?

Read Between the Lines

Jeff McLane, for the Inquirer:

Washburn defended Babin’s play and said he’s actually become stouter against the run this season. Taking to the chalkboard, Washburn diagrammed how the ends in the wide nine are to rush upfield and squeeze running backs inside to the tackles or an unblocked linebacker or safety.

“There might be some other reason why we hadn’t played the run as well, but it’s not the [wide-]nine technique,” Washburn said. “That might be the last thing. I won’t go into it any more than that.”

I wonder what, or who, he’s referring to.

Asomugha: We're Teaching Castillo

Ryan Messick, at Philly Sports Report:

“We talk to [Castillo] a lot because we, especially the older guys, like myself and Asante, we’ve been in the league, you know, and we kind of know what goes on with defenses and what call is good and not good at any particular time,” said Asomugha. “So we talk to him a lot but he goes out there and he still has his game plan and he makes all the calls and he’s got a better feel of when to call what.

“Obviously we’re going to keep talking to him, because this is his first year, so you’ve got to keep talking to him, but he’s doing a good job, he’s getting it on his own.”

That is the most damning, condescending praise I’ve ever heard.

By the Numbers: Record-Breaking Victory

You may be surprised to hear this, but the Eagles are two more solid defensive efforts away from retaining Juan Castillo. One can see how the notion is going to start gaining momentum.

Since the Eagles left Seattle in disgrace, their defense has played two straight good games, albeit not against world-beaters. Over the final two weeks, they play two teams that they held to a combined 20 points the first time around.

Now you’ve got a “strong end to the season ” storyline that lends to the idea that Castillo just needed time to work things out, especially with the lockout. Avoiding collapse means the players will rally to this storyline, and writers will throw around the fact that Sean McDermott got a second chance.

Inside Novacare, Andy Reid’s already on a make-or-break 2012 season, so he might as well go out with his guys. Joe Banner and Howie Roseman will let Reid dig his own grave… and, voila. Juan, season two is born.

(Just to head everyone off at the pass, this is an awful idea.)

83% = Catch rate by Brent Celek. Celek’s 156-yard performance was impressive, even if he couldn’t quite punch his 73-yard catch-and-run into the end zone. In fact, it was the most receiving yards for a tight end in Eagles history since “Pistol Pete” Retzlaff in 1965. But even more important was the indication that Celek is really back, after dropping passes at a high rate in 2010.

0 = Eagles turnover margin, including the muffed punt. It’s amazing how many times these two teams tried to give the game away. The Eagles converted more of them to points, though.

20% = Jets red zone touchdown rate. Winning is easier when you don’t allow a touchdown every time the opponent gets inside the 20.

20 = Total all-purpose touchdowns for LeSean McCoy. What a ridiculously fine season for Shady. No one expected this type of historic performance.

3 = More sacks by Jason Babin. Some writers keeping trying to discredit Babin by linking him to the poor run defense. But that’s neither fair, nor particularly relevant. Even if he was a big problem against the run (which he’s not), 18 sacks evens that out a little bit.

Photo from Getty.

Angry Birds?

Mark Sanchez screams like a girl.

Week Fifteen
New York Jets @ Philadelphia Eagles
4:15 pm EST on FOX

'Remarkable Talent'

Paul Domowitch, for the Daily News:

“Oh yeah, I really believe that,” Mudd said this week. “If anyone doesn’t think [Peters is the best left tackle in the league], I would categorically ask them to give me one who is as good. I didn’t say better. I said as good. So that puts him in a pretty rarified place.

“The only other guy I’ve coached who’s like him is Walter [Jones]. That’s it. He’s got remarkable talent. Balance. Athleticism. Strength. He’s so fast. You’ve seen him lead screens and things like that. It’s kind of awesome really the physical talent that he has.”

Great profile of Jason Peters, who’s arguably the best Eagles player right now. Honorable mention to Shady.