“We are excited to add Quintin to our football team,” Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “I have known him since his rookie year in Philadelphia and I have great respect for the person and player. We look forward to getting him in the mix and getting him up to speed.”

Mikell (5-10, 203) is entering his ninth NFL season in 2011. He spent his first eight seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he was twice named Second-Team All-Pro by the Associated Press and earned Pro Bowl honors in 2009. Last season, Mikell led the Eagles with 111 tackles while also recording 14 pass breakups and three interceptions. His career totals include 551 tackles, 10 interceptions, 4.0 sacks, seven forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries.

Before becoming a full-time starter on defense in 2007, Mikell was one of the NFL’s top special teams performers. He was named Eagles Special Teams MVP in 2005 and 2006, and Sports Illustrated and Pro Football Weekly recognized him as the NFL’s top special teams player in the NFL in 2006.

Spagnuolo was the Eagles’ defensive backs coach during Mikell’s rookie year in 2003. Spagnuolo moved to linebackers coach in 2004 but spent a total of four seasons in Philadelphia with Mikell.

A native of Eugene, Ore., Mikell was the WAC Defensive Player of the Year as a senior at Boise State, and he also earned conference Defensive Player of the Year honors as a sophomore when the Broncos played in the Big West. He currently ranks second in WAC history with 401 career tackles.

Mikell and his wife, Cherie, have two sons, Quintin III and DeAndre.

Originally posted at: fox2now.com/sports/ktvi-rams-sign-veteran-safety-mikell-20110729,0,7436749.story

No Eagles made the first team.

Voting was done by a 50-member panel and New England quarterback Tom Brady was a unanimous selection, the seventh consecutive year that someone has gotten every vote.

The AFC had 18 of the 27 spots on the first team: nine on offense, seven on defense, two special teamers.

Here are the rosters:

OFFENSE

Quarterback—Tom Brady, New England.

Running Backs—Jamaal Charles, Kansas City; Arian Foster, Houston.

Fullback—Vonta Leach, Houston.

Tight End—Jason Witten, Dallas.

Wide Receivers—Roddy White, Atlanta; Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis.

Tackles—Jake Long, Miami; Joe Thomas, Cleveland.

Guards—Logan Mankins, New England; Jahri Evans, New Orleans.

Center—Nick Mangold, New York Jets.

Kicker—Billy Cundiff, Baltimore.

Kick Returner—Devin Hester, Chicago.

DEFENSE

Ends—Julius Peppers, Chicago; John Abraham, Atlanta.

Tackles—Haloti Ngata, Baltimore; Ndamukong Suh, Detroit.

Outside Linebackers—Clay Matthews, Green Bay; James Harrison, Pittsburgh.

Inside Linebacker—Patrick Willis, San Francisco; Jerod Mayo, New England.

Cornerbacks—Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland; Darrelle Revis, New York Jets.

Safeties—Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh; Ed Reed, Baltimore.

Punter—Shane Lechler, Oakland.

SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE

Quarterback—Vacant.

Running Backs—Michael Turner, Atlanta; Adrian Peterson, Minnesota.

Fullback—Ovie Mughelli, Atlanta.

Tight End—Antonio Gates, San Diego.

Wide Receivers—Brandon Lloyd, Denver; Calvin Johnson, Detroit, and Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City (tie).

Tackles—Jason Peters, Philadelphia; Sebastian Vollmer, New England.

Guards—Chris Snee, New York Giants; Carl Nicks, New Orleans.

Center—Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh.

Kicker—David Akers, Philadelphia.

Kick Returner—Leon Washington, Seattle.

DEFENSE

Ends—Osi Umenyiora, New York Giants; Justin Tuck, New York Giants.

Tackles—Vince Wilfork, New England; Kyle Williams, Buffalo.

Outside Linebackers—Cameron Wake, Miami; DeMarcus Ware, Dallas.

Inside Linebackers—Brian Urlacher, Chicago; Ray Lewis, Baltimore.

Cornerbacks—Devin McCourty, New England; Charles Woodson, Green Bay.

Safeties—Nick Collins, Green Bay; and Antrel Rolle, New York Giants, Eric Weddle, San Diego, Malcolm Jenkins, New Orleans, Quintin Mikell, Philadelphia, Chris Harris, Chicago, Michael Huff, Oakland, Michael Griffin, Tennessee, and Darren Sharper, New Orleans (tie).

Punter—Mat McBriar, Dallas.

Here is the voting:

OFFENSE

Quarterback

Tom Brady, 50.

x-Running Backs

Arian Foster, Houston, 45; Jamaal Charles, Kansas City, 33; Michael Turner, Atlanta, 8; Adrian Peterson, Minnesota, 6; Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville, 5.

y-Fullback

Vonta Leach, Houston, 17; Ovie Mughelli, Baltimore, 13; Le’Ron McClain, Baltimore, 7; Lawrence Vickers, Cleveland, 4; Greg Jones, Jacksonville, 4; Michael Turner, Atlanta, 1; Jason Snelling, Atlanta, 1; John Kuhn, Green Bay, 1; Marcel Reece, Oakland, 1.

Tight End

Jason Witten, Dallas, 36; Antonio Gates, San Diego, 8; Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville, 3; Vernon Davis, San Francisco, 2; Rob Gronkowski, New England, 1.

Wide Receivers

Roddy White, Atlanta, 47; Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis, 18; Brandon Lloyd, Denver, 10; Calvin Johnson, Detroit, 8; Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City, 8; Andre Johnson, Houston, 5; Greg Jennings, Green Bay, 2; Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh, 2.

Tackles

 Joe Thomas, Cleveland, 22; Jake Long, Miami, 21; Jason Peters, Philadelphia, 11; Sebastian Vollmer, New England, 7; D’Brickashaw Ferguson, N.Y. Jets, 6; Donald Penn, Tampa Bay, 5; Andrew Whitworth, Cincinnati, 5; Kareem McKenzie, N.Y. Giants, 4;

Jordan Gross, Carolina, 4; Chad Clifton, Green Bay, 4; Marshal Yanda, Baltimore, 2; David Stewart, Tennessee, 2; Michael Roos, Tennessee, 1; Michael Oher, Baltimore, 1; Tyson Clabo, Atlanta, 1; Matt Light, New England, 1; Sam Baker, Atlanta, 1; Damien

Woody, N.Y. Jets, 1; Eric Winston, Houston, 1.

Guards

Jahri Evans, New Orleans, 24; Logan Mankins, New England, 15; Chris Snee, N.Y. Giants, 14; Carl Nicks, New Orleans, 13; Brian Waters, Kansas City, 12; Kris Dielman, San Diego, 9; Josh Sitton, Green Bay, 5; Brandon Moore, N.Y. Jets, 3; Ryan Lilja,

Kansas City, 3; Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota, 1; Rich Seubert, N.Y. Giants, 1.

Center

Nick Mangold, N.Y. Jets, 37; Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh, 11; Casey Wiegmann, Kansas City, 1; Alex Mack, Cleveland, 1.

Placekicker

Billy Cundiff, Baltimore 24; David Akers, Philadelphia, 10; Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland, 4; Rob Bironas, Tennessee, 4; Matt Bryant, Atlanta, 4; Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis, 3; Neil Rackers, Houston, 1.

Kick Returner

Devin Hester, Chicago, 43; Leon Washington, Seattle, 4; Jacoby Ford, Oakland, 2; Marc Mariani, Tennessee, 1.

DEFENSE

Ends

Julius Peppers, Carolina, 35; John Abraham, Atlanta, 21; Justin Tuck, N.Y. Giants, 16; Osi UmeN.Y.iora, N.Y. Giants, 9; Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis, 7; Trent Cole, Philadelphia, 4; Jason Babin, Tennessee,2; Jared Allen, Minnesota, 2;Robert Mathis,

Indianapolis, 1; Cameron Wake, Miami, 1; Vince Wilfork, New England, 1; Justin Smith, San Francisco, 1.

Tackles

Haloti Ngata, Baltimore, 45; Ndamukong Suh, Detroit, 30; Vince Wilfork, New England, 15; Kyle Williams, Buffalo, 3; Justin Smith, San Francisco, 2; B.J. Raji, Green Bay, 1; Casey Hampton, Pittsburgh, 1; Jonathan Babineaux, Atlanta, 1.

z-Outside Linebackers

Clay Matthews, Green Bay, 39; James Harrison, Pittsburgh, 31; DeMarcus Ware, Dallas, 9; Cameron Wake, Miami, 9; Tamba Hali, Kansas City, 7; Lance Briggs, Chicago, 2; Terrell Suggs, Baltimore, 1.

q-Inside Linebacker

Patrick Willis, San Francisco, 28; Jerod Mayo, New England, 21; Brian Urlacher, Chicago, 20; Ray Lewis, Baltimore, 18; Lawrence Timmons, Pittsburgh, 8; Jonathan Vilma, New Orleans, 1; Derrick Johnson, Kansas City, 1; A.J. Hawk, Green Bay, 1.

Cornerbacks

Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland, 20; Darrelle Revis, N.Y. Jets, 19; Devin McCourty, New England, 17; Charles Woodson, Green Bay, 14; Asante Samuel, Philadelphia, 12; Tramon Williams, Green Bay, 8; Brent Grimes, Atlanta 3; DeAngelo Hall, Washington, 2; Champ Bailey, Denver, 2; Joe Haden, Cleveland, 1; Brandon Flowers, Kansas City, 1; Antoine Winfield, Minnesota, 1.

Safeties

Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh, 47; Ed Reed, Baltimore, 41; Nick Collins, Green Bay, 4; Darren Sharper, New Orleans, 1; Antrel Rolle, N.Y. Giants, 1; Malcolm Jenkins, New Orleans, 1; Michael Griffin, Tennessee, 1; Eric Weddle, San Diego, 1; Chris Harris, Chicago, 1; Michael Huff, Oakland, 1; Quintin Mikell, Philadelphia, 1.

Punter

Shane Lechler, Oakland, 34; Mat McBriar, Dallas, 11; Sam Koch, Baltimore, 3; Donnie Jones, St. Louis, 2.

———

x-three voters selected only one running back.

y-one voter selected did not vote for a fullback.

z-two voters selected only one outside linebacker.

q-two voters selected only one inside linebacker.

Story Originally reported by: Philly.com | http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/dneagles/AP_All-Pro_Team.html#ixzz1DJYX7BKc

Had a couple of passes been caught in the end zone, or had Vick been just a touch sharper — I’m willing to bet he doesn’t overthrow DeSean Jackson as he did down the left sideline more than once or twice the rest of the season — the Eagles would have scored well over 30 points. If playing the No. 1-ranked defense in the league was a litmus test, the true indicator of how good the Eagles can be offensively, then the immediate future is very bright, indeed.

It is time to give offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg a heaping dose of credit for his design and his implementation of the game plan into this offense on game days. Simply put, Mornhinweg is taking advantage of all the weapons he has at his disposal. And defenses are finding out that the X’s and O’s they draw up all week in practice aren’t working too well on game days.

How do you defend the Eagles? Well, you can try to do what the Giants do, and that is to blitz a safety and hurry Vick, and hit him, and hope he misses some open targets. Vick completed 24 of 38 passes, decent numbers but nothing spectacular. The Giants rushed from Vick’s left side, forcing him to roll right and throw on the move.

New York designed an excellent scheme which, combined with its outstanding personnel, caused the Eagles some problems. No doubt teams will try to copy what the Giants did, to some extent. But it is hard to pull off such efforts without similar personnel and without some familiarity with such an aggressive approach.

And yet, despite some success, the Giants left gaping holes in coverage that the Eagles missed. It would be highly improbable to expect the Eagles to miss a whole lot in the weeks to come. There is too much talent here, too much great coaching and such a tremendous resolve to take the offense to the next level that it is hard to think the Eagles won’t work to smooth the wrinkles.

So how will defenses stop the offense? Oh, there is going to be a game in which the Eagles find the going to be very tough. That time could come on Sunday in Chicago against a rested, talented and extremely confident Bears defense. The Bears have a fantastic front seven. Brian Urlacher is beyond compare at the middle linebacker position, having bounced back from an injury-plagued 2009 campaign. Lance Briggs is a standout on the weak side. Julius Peppers moves from one end to the other, and is coming off a three-sack effort in the Bears’ shutout win over Miami last Thursday night.

The Eagles are aware of the challenge that waits. Mornhinweg is planning his attack now. He is going to find some holes in the defense and try to exploit them in a loud, rowdy environment.

Sunday represents another big test for the Eagles offense. The Bears are hunting the Eagles, no question about it. Nothing again will come as easily for the Eagles offense as the touchdownfest they enjoyed at FedEx Field in the 59-28 win over the Redskins. That was too easy. That was an anomaly.

What is ahead is a stern test on Sunday, the first of seven games to close the regular season. The Eagles are now playing for playoff positioning. They have a chance to do something special. And a win on Sunday at Soldier Field would go a long way toward establishing the Eagles atop the NFC East, and atop the conference.

To do so, the Eagles are going to have to score some points. The offense is going to have to put it together once again, eliminate some of the hiccups from Sunday night and see just how good it can be.

NEWS, NOTES AND A LITTLE BIT OF THIS AND THAT

•It doesn’t sound promising for cornerback Ellis Hobbs for the short term after an MRI found disc damage in Hobbs’ neck after he took that huge hit on Sunday night. Best of luck to Hobbs. As for the Eagles, they need to act accordingly. If Hobbs goes on Injured Reserve, the Eagles need another cornerback. They have five on the roster right now — starters Asante Samuel and Dimitri Patterson, along with Joselio Hanson, Trevard Lindley and Jorrick Calvin. Is that enough? Moreover, is Calvin the answer on kickoff returns? The Eagles need a boost there.

•I’m very much in the corner of offensive tackles Jason Peters and Winston Justice, believing they are the next set of bookend tackles for the Eagles. Justice did a fine job on Justin Tuck on Sunday — who had 3 sacks on Sunday, but none that were really “on” Justice (one was a naked bootleg, one was a cover sack and one came when Tuck lined up over the nose) — and Peters played his rear end off at left tackle. Peters and Justice have to prove they can be as durable as were Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan, but there is no doubt they are much more athletic and they enable the Eagles to do more within the scheme.

•That said, let’s see how the Eagles fare against Peppers on Sunday. Peppers has 5 sacks on the season.

•The problem I’m having with all of the talk about the refs is that we’re talking about the officiating far too much. They are the story too much. The NFL has an issue here that needs to be fixed. The game is being slowed down by injured players and coaches’ challenges. The officiating is becoming too much of the show.

•Huge loss for the Giants with star wide receiver Hakeem Nicks out for approximately three weeks with a lower leg injury. New York hosts Jacksonville and Washington before what I think is going to be a very tough game at Minnesota in these upcoming three weeks. The Giants can’t afford to lose a game at this point with a final three-game schedule that sees them host the Eagles and then close the season with road games at Green Bay and Washington.

•Bobby April has the coverage part of special teams way, way improved. What can the Eagles do about the return game? That is the next project. David Akers is having a great season and Sav Rocca is punting better than he has ever punted. Breaking a return or two can win a late-season game.

•I’m not sure what to make of the Bears except that they are 7-3 and playing great football. The offensive statistics aren’t particularly impressive, but who cares? Chicago is winning, is playing at home and has the extra few days of rest. This is a tough, tough spot for the Eagles.

Originally Posted by: Dave Spadaro | PhiladelphiaEagles.com

Resolute, and with a bit of bravado, Eagles safety Quintin Mikell swore his game would not change after teammate Ernie Sims was fined $50,000 for a hit in Game 7.

Then, Mikell lost his legs.

Mikell initially was called for unnecessary roughness against Colts receiver Austin Collie, a hit that knocked Collie out of the game. Mikell hit Collie from the front as fellow safety Kurt Coleman closed from the back side. Coleman’s helmet collided with Collie’s helmet and the ball flew free.

Collie was rolled off the field on a gurney.

Mikell also was rendered ineffective.

“I did have a little bit of a hangover after that hit,” Mikell said. “I didn’t agree with the call. I’d done everything I was supposed to do and I still got flagged.

“For a brief period, I was like, ‘I don’t even know how to play ball right now.’ ”

It showed.

Mikell was part of the coverage that gave up a 33-yard completion on the next play that set up a subsequent 6-yard touchdown run that cut the Eagles’ lead to 16-14.

Mikell’s head spun as he sat on the sideline bench, far away from his teammates, and reviewed those two plays.

He saw what he hit. Collie took two steps and tucked before contacted.

Mikell also feared for Coleman, a seventh-round pick playing extensively for the first time in place of Nate Allen, who was injured earlier. Coleman also is making $320,000 this season. The penalty later was issued to Coleman, not Mikell.

The NFL, on Monday, issued no fine. It instead issued a statement, which, to a degree, re-created history. The initial call was for hitting a defenseless receiver, but Collie appeared to have possession of the ball and therefore was not defenseless; and there was no helmet-to-helmet reference at any time from the officials.

Given the arbitrariness of the officiating and the resultant league reviews, Mikell prepared to keep Coleman out of the poor house.

“I felt bad. If they fined Kurt – he’s a rookie. A seventh-round pick. I told him if he got a fine, I would help him with it,” said Mikell, who will make more than $1.6 million this season.

Mikell, undrafted out of Boise State in 2003, made even less money as a rookie than Coleman does, and he knows what Coleman, facing a 16 percent pay forfeiture, had to be thinking.

“Being that young and having a fine like that, that’s going to affect you every time out,” Mikell said. “You’re going to be thinking about that every time you go out there.”

Certainly, Mikell thought about it, at least until the next Colts drive. He saw some of this teammates thinking, too.

“It’s crazy. The refs . . . put it like this. Those kinds of calls can affect a lot more than just that play, or that drive. It can affect how a team plays. And how aggressive they are,” Mikell said. “If you’re out there, worried about it – which we hadn’t been, to that point – it’s like, ‘I don’t understand what I’m supposed to be doing out there.’ ”

Does he understand now?

“It’s still unclear. I still don’t know fully what we’re expected to do,” Mikell said. “We’re just trained to separate them from the ball. The middle of the field is our territory. It’s mano-a-mano out there. But, sometimes, the rules are a little sketchy.”

Separating the player from the ball over the middle might be what Mikell is trained to do, but is the risk now worth the reward?

“I was frustrated because we had a forced fumble, and I recovered it, and I could have run that back,” Mikell said. “We could’ve broken the game open.”

At least Coleman isn’t broke, period.

“I took a big sigh of relief, because that would’ve hurt,” Coleman said. “I had some money set aside. I knew the next couple of weeks I’d be spreading my money a little bit thinner than I wanted to. I was preparing for the $50,000 hit.”

He was grateful, too, that he wasn’t hurt as badly as Collie, who lay on the ground for 10 minutes. After all, it takes two helmets to create a helmet-to-helmet hit.

“I was stunned for a second,” Coleman admitted. “The good thing was, there was some time to collect my thoughts.”

Now, with a few days to reflect, Coleman looks forward to his first start, on Monday Night Football, no less.

Resolute, with a bit of bravado, he said:

“You’ve got to play your style of football. The refs will make the call.”

That sounds familiar. *

Originally posted By: MARCUS HAYES | Philadelphia Daily News .com | November 12,2010.

Truth is, though, a series of big plays, huge moments and unsung heroes lifted a banged-up Eagles team to the 27-24 win, raising their record to 3-2. The Eagles entered the game minus quarterback Michael Vick and cornerback Asante Samuel, two key starters. Along the way, they lost defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley (elbow) and left offensive tackle Jason Peters (knee) for almost the entire game as well as wide receiver DeSean Jackson (knee) and defensive end Trent Cole (hamstring) for pieces.

And it didn’t matter.

“Let’s just go play. That is what this team is all about,” said tight end Brent Celek. “That’s what we did out there.”

Quarterback Kevin Kolb had a strong outing running the offense, completing 21 of 31 passes for 253 yards (one touchdown, 103.3 passer rating) including a clutch touchdown pass to Brent Celek to cap a 10-play, 75-yard first-Eagles possession drive that knotted the score at 7-7 and robbed the 49ers of any momentum after San Francisco drove for a touchdown on its first drive. Kolb worked the pocket, got the ball down the field, eluded pressure (he had a nifty 19-yard run to convert a third-and-18 play) and kept his cool without his backside protector, Peters.

Sean McDermott’s defense took the football away from San Francisco four times — three times on fumble recoveries, with Mikell recording two — and the “replacement” secondary played tough against Michael Crabtree, Josh Morgan and the San Francisco receiving game. Tight end Vernon Davis, one of the best in the league, caught 5 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown, burning the Eagles down the seam too many times.

It was an old-fashioned bloodbath — in football terms, of course — and the Eagles showed some real heart winning on the road, with all of the injuries, against the desperate 49ers. The Eagles were every bit as desperate. Oh, was that ever great to see.

Kolb, naturally, is the one everybody wants to talk about. He was better in the first half — 12 of 14, 123 yards, one touchdown, although he had a fumble late in the second quarter — than he was in the second half when the Eagles offense was blanked, save a David Akers 45-yard field goal to give the Eagles a 27-17 lead in the fourth quarter.

“I liked the way we fought all game, even when things weren’t going our way,” said head coach Andy Reid.

You want some of the unsung heroes? Here you go. Mikell recovered two fumbles, part of a 5-takeaway effort by the defense, and he scored his first NFL touchdown in the process. It was the third straight time the Eagles defense scored a touchdown against the 49ers here, and it was huge, absolutely huge.

On the play, Smith took the snap and rolled right. Graham broke through and closed quickly on Smith, who simply coughed up the ball as the Eagles swarmed. Mikell picked it up and went untouched into the end zone.

“It was right there, so my job was pretty easy,” said Mikell. “I just made sure to pick it up and then go. I knew I had time. Everybody was there. It was a big play for us, and we needed every bit of it.”

McCoy, of course, was brilliant. He had 92 rushing yards and 46 receiving yards and now has 583 yards from the line of scrimmage in 5 games. Impressive, indeed. The offensive line came off the ball nicely and cleared some space, and fullback Owen Schmitt was a wrecking ball in the running game with his physical blocking.

Todd Herremans earns some “unsung” points, too, with a strong interior game and a clutch recovery of a McCoy fumble that earned the Eagles a first down and led to Akers’ field goal in the fourth quarter.

Cornerback Dimitri Patterson had a pretty interception down the field and helped contain the 49ers outside. Jeremy Maclin caught 6 passes for 95 yards, stretching the field. Chad Hall made a contribution, too, catching a 9-yard pass on third down to keep a drive going.

The defense was, in Reid’s words “relentless.” They allowed the first-drive touchdown and then another one after the Eagles took a 24-10 lead, but they limited Frank Gore to 52 rushing yards and took the ball away a season-high 5 times.

“We were hungry out there, flying to the ball,” said Mikell. “It was a lot of fun. Too many mistakes, but we came up big when we had to.”

San Francisco had a chance in the final minute, but the Eagles pressured Smith into a fifth takeaway, a Trevard Lindley interception, to ice the game after the 49ers had reached Eagles territory.

As for Kolb, Reid said he did a lot of right things.

“All in all he managed the game well, he was accurate, and there was no hesitation putting the ball in tight holes,” said Reid, who quickly knocked down any chance for another quarterback “controversy” to erupt by announcing that Michael Vick would return as the starter when he is healthy. “He did it with conviction. I thought he just stepped up and played like we know Kevin can play.”

It was far from a perfect game — the kickoff coverage was awful again, and the Eagles failed to close out a game that should not have been that close — but the Eagles captured a gutsy game. A huge win. An important NFC win on the road that keeps the Eagles tied with Washington and New York atop the NFC East, with Dallas at 1-3.

The backups stepped up and answered a lot of questions about the depth of the roster.

“I don’t think this team cares,” said Reid. “I don’t think they care. They just go, ‘OK, the next guy is in.’ It’s a tribute to (General Manager) Howie Roseman and the job he is doing with the personnel. These players, they just jump in and go. I don’t think they care who is out there and who is not out there.”

NEWS, NOTES AND A LITTLE BIT OF THIS AND THAT FROM SAN FRANCISCO

•The Eagles won despite converting just 3 of 12 third downs. That doens’t happen often. The Eagles, however, won the time of possession battle, controlling the ball for 30 minutes, 46 seconds. Very strange.
 
•Terrible job on kickoff coverage. Ted Ginn averaged 36.2 yards on 5 returns. What is happening? It appears the Eagles are simply losing containment. I watched the first kickoff and the Eagles just went out of their lanes and couldn’t make plays, couldn’t get off of blocks. Bobby April has a lot of work to do here.
 
•If I’m April, I’m making Jorrick Calvin the full-time kickoff return man. Why risk Ellis Hobbs? Calvin had a 38-yard return in his lone effort.
 
•Look for Lindley to develop rapidly. The Eagles want him in press coverage and he can do it. Long arms, strength, the ability to recovery — Lindley has a chance here.
 
•Pretty good game for Graham, who had some pressure and really came off the ball well. Juqua Parker started at left end, played a little bit at right end and was outstanding. Darryl Tapp is making plays, too. The Eagles have a good thing going at defensive end.
 
•I thought Antonio Dixon was a plus at tackle. He replaced Bunkley and had a sack, with four tackles, including one for a loss. Good job there.
 
•Moise Fokou started and forced a fumble and was certainly very physical. He didn’t play much in coverage against Davis — the Eagles used a combination of Stewart Bradley and safeties — but Fokou did what the Eagles wanted him to do.
 
•Both Graham and Nate Allen missed chances at quarterback sacks. They will learn. Both are going to be big-time players here.
 
•How serious are the injuries? I think they are a concern for the short term. Bunkley left early and didn’t return. McCoy is going to be day to day until the bye week. Jackson just doesn’t seem like Jackson, especially on punt returns. Peters is having an MRI, and while King Dunlap did OK — he was left alone and was beaten a couple of times, but by and large did a pretty good job — Peters is a Pro Bowl left tackle. A good Atlanta team visits on Sunday.
 
•How weird was it to see Brian Westbrook — one carry, 6 yards — wearing No. 20?
 
•Schmitt continues to be a factor. He plays hard, he blocks well and he has a little something after he catches the football. Schmitt is really good in this scheme.

Originally posted on www.philadelphiaeagles.com by Dave Spadaro October 11, 2010.

Originally Posted on GCobb.com by Gary Cobb on October 7, 2010.

If rookie safety Nate Allen gets nosy on a run fake, Donovan McNabb will get the chance to throw a touchdown pass in Lincoln Financial Field in a Washington Redskins jersey.

I talked to Allen and he said defensive coordinator, Sean McDermott and fellow safety Quintin Mikell, had lectured him all week about not  running up to early to help the Eagles defensive front stop the Redskins rushing attack. 

McNabb is a very good ball handler and he’s hides the ball, so that once the safety discovers he didn’t hand it off, it’s too late to catch the Skins speedy wide receivers.  We hope Allen can learn from being told, so he doesn’t have to experience it to find out. 

Most of the time rookies hear what you say, but don’t take it with the same seriousness you tell them.  Once they’re beat by the play you talked to them about, it’s easier for them to understand the next time you tell them something.

Do your job first and don’t get caught trying to do somebody else’s job?

Mike Shanahan and his son are running a lot of bootlegs with McNabb faking handoffs one way, then hanging onto the ball and going back the other way.  He’s using his speed to get outside of the defensive end who is trying to keep him contained.

Once he gets outside, he has all day to deliver the football and is able to buy time for his receiver to get deep.

The Skins have some wide receivers in Santana Moss and Joey Galloway, who can get deep.  McNabb is bootlegging one way and throwing the ball deep across the field to the far corner of the end zone.

The Eagles secondary must respect his arm strength and not take for granted that a play is over or he can’t get the ball to the receiver because of how deep the player is.

If they’re not open then he looks up tight end Chris Cooley, who will get open in the seams in between the zones.

Cooley is a smart receiver, who is very sneaky and crafty about getting open.  He can use every trick in the book to get open.

Middle linebacker Stewart Bradley knows what to expect.  “I think it’s coming down to execution and playing sound football, because they do a lot of misdirection stuff, a lot of boots, a lot of plays where they’re trying to take you out of position” Bradley said today. “And if you’re not playing sound football, you’re can really get burned. You’ve seen it, even in the games that they’ve ended up losing; they’ve gashed guys for a lot of yards with their boots and stuff.”

The Eagles can’t afford to let the Skins run the ball effectively against them.  They must control Clinton Portis and not let him get going.  If Washington were to get their running game going, it would also open up their play action passing.

Defensive tackle Mike Patterson believes they want to run the ball even though they threw it a lot in the last couple of games.

“There’s some things that they did, I just think it had to do with game situation” Patterson commented. “If they get comfortable, I’m sure they will be running the rock.”

As usual the front seven will have lot to do with how much success the secondary has against McNabb and his Redskins offense.

Originally posted at GCobb.com, Garry Cobb October 1st.

Those were gargantuan guarantees. What Quintin Mikell provided Thursday was a simple promise. A promise that the Eagles’ defense, which has allowed a league-high 59 points in the first two weeks, is going to get better.

“There’s no excuses, but at the same time I want everyone to know we’re going to right the ship,” Mikell said. “We played a couple good offenses. I don’t care what anyone said, that’s a Lions team that is going to beat some teams. At the end of the day, we’re going to get everything together.

“We’re going to get better and I promise you it’s going to be a different defense this week.”

There it is, ‘The Promise.’ The promise that the Eagles will not allow 444 yards and 32 points like they did last week in Detroit (to a backup quarterback, no less) when they face the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday.

As the Eagles’ starting strong safety pointed out, it’s still early in the season and way too premature for panic.

“Let’s keep everything in perspective,” Mikell said. “Obviously we don’t want those things to happen, but it’s only two games.”

Those two games have raised some cause for concern. The Eagles are 25th in total defense, 23rd against the run and 23rd against the pass. Still, defensive coordinator Sean McDermott believes this group of veteran starters and two rookies has the potential to prosper.

“I think we are a good defense and we’ve been inconsistent, which happens with young teams, in particular, a young defense in this case,” McDermott said. “But we have to get that ironed out and that will take place over time here and we continue to play good, aggressive football. Intense, emotional football, and that will iron itself out. But we need to be more consistent.”

In order to be more consistent, the Eagles need to be more physical. McDermott was disappointed when he watched film of the first half last Sunday, when the Eagles were pushed off the line of scrimmage.

“From a physical standpoint, we weren’t very physical,” McDermott said. “And the vision for this defense is to be a flat-out physical football team on defense, so I was disappointed in that.”

It should raise his spirits to see middle linebacker Stewart Bradley back in the lineup in Jacksonville. Bradley missed the second half of the season opener and the win over the Lions with a concussion. He’s participated in practice this week with no lingering effects.

“He looks good. I think he’s a week fresh now off the injury and his legs look fresh and I think he’s eager to get back out there,” McDermott said. “It’s huge. We have that big body back inside from a performance standpoint, but also a leadership standpoint.”

Omar Gaither was a feast-or-famine fill-in for Bradley. So it’s not surprising that the only half Bradley was on the field – the first half against Green Bay – was the Eagles’ best to date. It’s possible the Eagles’ entire defensive success is contingent on the health of one key player. 

“He’s the centerpiece and you can tell the difference when he’s not in there,” Mikell said. “We’re glad to have him back. He’s the centerpiece of the defense and he’s in the middle, so to a certain extent everything goes through him.”

Much to the Eagles’ delight, barring a last-second catastrophe, the centerpiece will return on Sunday. Maybe that’s why Mikell felt so comfortable making “The Promise.”

Originally reported by: CSNPhilly.com – Jordan Raanan

*Jordan Raanan has covered the Eagles for Metro Newspapers and then CSNPhilly.com since 2005. You can follow him on Twitter @jraanan or email him at jraanan@hotmail.com.

Certainly, the headline is that Vick starts his first game at quarterback since December 31, 2006 when his Falcons played the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The road he has taken since has, of course, been long and winding and extremely well-chronicled. Vick enters Sunday’s game as a different person and a different quarterback. He is very capable of taking off an making an electrifying run, as he did a few times last week in the second half against Green Bay, but the focus for Vick now is to operate within the system the Eagles have had in place here for many, many years.

It is incumbent upon Vick to demonstrate that he has command of the offense in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage, because the expectation is that Detroit is going to give him a lot of looks. Detroit has a physical defense and the Lions want to set the tempo against Vick, limit his mobility and pressure the pocket and force turnovers. The Eagles have not shown — in the preseason and in the opener — that they are handling the blitz as well as they want to handle it and defeat it.

So the first great matchup is Vick against the Lions defensive strategy, whatever that may be. Detroit is without end Cliff Avril, a definite blow. Safety Louis Delmas finished the game last week, but he has seen minimal time in practice all week. Middle linebacker DeAndre Levy is working his way back from a groin injury and was limited all week in practice. Yes, Detroit’s injury picture is a significant part of the game story here. An improving team, the Lions still don’t have the kind of depth to compensate for so many injuries.

The Eagles offense is hoping to continue the momentum it generated in the fourth quarter last Sunday and start this game off with a bang. It is important for the Eagles to establish the line of scrimmage and that center Mike McGlynn recognizes fronts and communicates protection calls. It would also be helpful for the Eagles to achieve some kind of offensive balance and to get into an early rhythm.

I’m not going to go down the line as far as matchups go. Detroit’s front four is a good one, although losing Avril is a blow. Turk McBride takes Avril’s spot attacking Vick’s blindside, and Winston Justice has a large responsibility. So does Jason Peters, who has a real test against Kyle Vanden Bosch on the edge.

I think the Lions are going to attack the line of scrimmage and bet that Vick can’t beat them from the pocket. Detroit will try to do what Green Bay did so well: Eliminate DeSean Jackson from the offense early and then pressure the pocket and take the offense off of its hinges from the start.

On defense, the Eagles should come after backup quarterback Shaun Hill with a heavy, heavy dose of mixed looks. Sean McDermott will order up some blitzes, but he has to count on his front four to win the battle by itself, too. Detroit didn’t run the ball well at all last week against Chicago handing off to rookie back Javid Best 14 times for a total of 20 yards. Hill will throw the ball up for grabs to stud receiver Calvin Johnson, who towers over every secondary. Otherwise, the Lions don’t do a lot of anything fancy.

For me, this is a great chance to see what the Eagles are all about. They’ve got all of these kids on the roster and they play with a lot of energy and bring a no-quit attitude that should serve the Eagles well. Last week’s comeback was stirring, albeit just short. Let’s hope the Eagles play with that hair-on-fire urgency from the opening whistle and don’t allow the Lions to get the home crowd in a frenzy.

The expectation here is that the Eagles are going to rally around Vick and each other and play an outstanding football game. There is also the expectation that a good number of Eagles fans will be on hand to lend their support, and that if the Eagles can get off well, Ford Field will very much be a pro-Eagles and pro-Vick stadium.

It won’t happen just because the Eagles are rolling into town. It will happen because the Eagles know they can’t afford to lose this game, that there aren’t many Game 2 scenarios as vital as this one, especially with the schedule the Eagles have ahead.

Hey, we know the questions about the Eagles. How does McGlynn play now that he is in a position of leadership? Can Owen Schmitt lend toughness and some power to a ground game that couldn’t convert a critical fourth-and-1 play in the fourth quarter against Green Bay? Is Omar Gaither going to hold up against Detroit and its running game?

What will the Eagles do against Johnson and Nate Burleson, two big, strong receivers? Can the Eagles take Hill completely off of his game and force some turnovers? And will the Eagles win special teams and dominate field position?

Questions, question. We all have a bunch of them about an Eagles team we are trying to learn more about. I want to see a team that comes out and plays desperate football, one that understands how important this game is. You wonder, with such a young roster and such a changed roster, how the Eagles will bounce back after last week.

“They’ve done a good job. There’s been a lot of energy out there and they’re coming off a physical game against Green Bay,” said head coach Andy Reid. “They know they’re up against another physical football team. This team, they fly around on defense and they get after you on offense. So, I think they’re in the right mindset to want to play against Detroit.”

It’s on, then. The Eagles, when it comes down to it and we eliminate all of the headlines and the subplots, have a very important chore: Win a football game on the road and get some momentum going. Not much else matters. Just win, baby.

Article by Dave Spadaro.
Originally posted: http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=21912&spadaro=1

Maybe the best young quarterback in the game.

Just where the Eagles’ defense stands will be better gauged come Sunday evening, after it faces a Packers offense that clicked beautifully for Aaron Rodgers last season.

“This will be a great measuring stick,” said Pro Bowl end Trent Cole. “It’ll let us see just where we are as a defense.”

The preseason would indicate that the Eagles’ defense will be a strength.

But that’s just preseason.

“I guess we’ll learn a lot. The Packers are going to be a big challenge for us,” Eagles safety Quintin Mikell said. “That’s what we want. We want the best of the best. To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. And they’re the best.”

Well, they’re close, anyway.

The Eagles defense, last season, was not.

Mikell watched his linebackers disintegrate in front of him. He watched free safeties fail beside him.

He has seen nothing of that sort entering this season.

The starting defense has been intact since early in training camp. Middle linebacker Stewart Bradley seems fine after a preseason knee injury cost him last season. Ernie Sims was added on the weak side, Akeem Jordan moved to the strong side.

Nate Allen was drafted in the second round to start with Mikell as the free safety, the last line of defense – and he has been the position’s starter since he signed. Last year Quintin Demps lost the job in training camp, after which Sean Jones and Macho Harris took turns failing at it.

None of those safeties is on the team this season. In fact, the apparent upgrade in talent, the good luck with injuries and familiarity among returning players – such as gambling cornerback Asante Samuel and Jordan, a rover at linebacker – has made the defense optimistic about its abilities, even against one of the NFL’s more competent attacks.

“It makes everybody more comfortable. The whole jelling factor that we’ve been talking about all camp is really coming into play right now. Everybody’s knowing where each other has to be. Everybody’s working together,” Mikell said. “I know what [Samuel] I going to do. [Samuel] knows what I’m going to do. I know what Akeem’s going to do.”

Which makes the job of Sean McDermott easier to do.

McDermott, in his second season as the defensive coordinator, is obviously eager to see what his unit can accomplish. At training camp last season McDermott took over for legendary coordinator Jim Johnson, an innovator and the only boss McDermott, 36, ever had.

So, it wasn’t really McDermott’s defense. This one is.

“The experience factor for myself . . . is big,” McDermott said.

Experiencing a strong outing against the Pack would be more than big.

“It would be tremendous. It would be tremendous. This is a great offense,” McDermott said.

Usually, even the best offenses take a while to start producing. The Eagles’ defense is healthy, familiar and eager – which might make Week 1 the best time to face a dynamic offense.

“It is an advantage,” Cole said. “Especially since I consider us a defense that likes to jump on a team as quickly as we can. We’re hungry. Young. Fast.”

Even so, there is the sense that McDermott might not gamble too much with exotic blitzes (even though the Pack allowed 51 sacks last season) that would pressure rookie starters Allen and defensive end Brandon Graham.

How they fare Sunday could preview their inclusion going forward.

“When you’re a little bit green around the collar [or, presumably, hot around the gills], you want to see how players react,” McDermott said.

As long as Allen and Graham and everyone else don’t err on the side of poor basics, McDermott will be heartened.

“Regardless of what offense you face, you want to be fundamentally sound,” McDermott said. “We want to make sure that we’re tackling well, and getting off blocks, and making plays when the opportunity presents itself.”

Mikell is certain that the opportunity will present itself to Allen.

“He’s got to be on point,” Mikell said. “No doubt about it; he’s going to get tested. No one says that a rookie can’t go out there and make a hell of a lot of plays.”

Mikell will help as much as he can, he said, but “on game day, he’s got to do his own thing.”

So does everyone else. How well they do it will probably be obvious by Monday morning.

“By the end of the day, if we’re flying around, making plays on the ball, making tackles, we’ll have had a good start,” Mikell said. “We’ll see on Monday. Obviously, he’s a very good quarterback. If we play well, we’ll know what we need to work on. If we play terrible, well, we’ll still know what we have to work on.”

By MARCUS HAYES
Philadelphia Daily News

hayesm@phillynews.com

Find this article at:

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/sports/eagles/20100910_Packers_will_be__great_measuring_stick__for_Eagles_defense.html