Eagles News

For Eagles, no TO doesn't mean no problem
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November 7
Camden Courier-Post
 
"For the first time in four years, Donovan McNabb made it through a press conference the week before a Dallas game without fielding one question about Terrell Owens. But the Eagles spent much of this week game planning for another Cowboys receiver who threatens to embarrass their defense on Sunday when the NFC East's top two teams collide. Miles Austin comes with less drama and lower maintenance than Owens, but delivers just as much -- if not more -- punch to Dallas' passing game. Austin has 482 receiving yards in the three games since becoming a starter -- an average of more than 160 yards per game -- and five touchdowns. "It's remarkable," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. "It's pretty ..."
Jersey guy a real threat for Cowboys
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November 7
Camden Courier-Post
 
"For the first time in four years, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb made it through an entire press conference the week before a Dallas game without fielding one question about Terrell Owens. But the Eagles spent much of this week discussing and planning for another Cowboys receiver who threatens to embarrass their defense Sunday when the NFC East's top two teams collide. It just so happens Miles Austin comes with less drama and requires less maintenance than Owens, but he delivers just as much -- if not more -- punch to Dallas' passing game. Since becoming a starter last month, Austin has seemingly come from nowhere to emerge as an NFL sensation. His 482 receiving yards in the past three ..."
Westbrook only "questionable"
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November 7
Camden Courier-Post
 
"There's still an air of uncertainty about whether or not Brian Westbrook will play Sunday night against the Cowboys. The Eagles' running back was withheld from practice Friday after taking most of the first-team reps on Wednesday and Thursday and is listed on the team's official report as "questionable" - a 50 percent chance to play, in NFL jargon. But coach Andy Reid seemed to suggest that Westbrook would play and was only held out of practice because of the recent workload. "He's had two hard days of work and, really, the young kid [LeSean McCoy] hasn't gotten a ton of reps," Reid said. "Like I've done on some othe Fridays, I kept Brian out." The uncertainty lies in the injury report. ..."
Philly will be sound test for Dallas
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November 7
Dallas Morning News
 
"The Cowboys' attempt to avoid pre-snap penalties by the offense during road games will receive a loud test Sunday at Philadelphia. Each of the Eagles' last six opponents at wall-of-sound Lincoln Financial Field have been called for at least one pre-snap penalty on offense. The totals are nine false starts and three delays. Coach Wade Phillips said the Cowboys have changed their snap-count procedures to help the offense but did not elaborate. The offense did not have a pre-snap penalty in the first two road games but had three penalties at Kansas City. "We have done some things I think will help us as far as being on the road," Phillips said. "It's more difficult for any team, basically.""
Reid and weep: Philly coach's team has been been hard on Dallas
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November 7
Dallas Morning News
 
"When it comes to addressing his team's rivalries in the NFC East, Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid is a man of few words. But one of his former assistant coaches will talk - and did - in the pages of the book Game Changers, which was released this fall. It details the 50 greatest plays in Philadelphia Eagles history. John Harbaugh spent 10 seasons as an assistant in Philadelphia, nine of them under Reid, before becoming head coach of the Baltimore Ravens in 2008. He offered up this assessment of the Cowboys-Eagles rivalry in the book: "Andy Reid is the guy who ruined the [current] decade for the Cowboys. Think about it. They've been trying to get back to where they were [in the ..."
Jones figures to start
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November 6
Camden Courier-Post
 
"The Eagles' official depth chart reveals Sean Jones is a backup at free safety, but that apparently will change as soon as the next list is sent to the printer. Although Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott said the team will use Jones, Quintin Demps and Macho Harris at free safety Sunday night vs. the Dallas Cowboys, he noted Jones would be the starter. Or did he? "It's going to be a game-day decision," McDermott said. "But Sean Jones is the starter right now." According to McDermott, each of the safeties, including Quintin Mikell on the strong side, brings different talents to the position, and each will play. "The good part about that rotation at safety is we have three players ..."
In a down economy, NFL viewership is up
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November 6
Washington Post
 
"When this NFL season began with some franchises struggling to sell tickets, there were concerns about the impact that the uncertain U.S. economy would have on the nation's most prosperous sport. While those concerns have turned out to be justified in a few NFL cities and unfounded in others, there has been an unforeseen development: The NFL's television ratings are soaring this season, and some analysts say it appears to be the result of consumers cutting back on other, more costly leisure activities in favor of watching pro football on TV. "I think there's only one answer and that is the NFL and television are actually getting the so-called 'benefit' of the recession," said Neal Pilson, ..."
Birds seem to prefer driving fast
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November 6
Philadelphia Daily News
 columnist Paul Domowitch
"The Eagles' big-play offense has kept its scoring drives short and sweet so far this season. Through seven games, the Birds have scored 20 offensive touchdowns. Fourteen of those 20 drives have been four plays or fewer. Seven have been only one or two plays. Just three of their touchdown drives have been longer than six plays. Only one has been longer than eight plays. That was a 10-play, 74-yard touchdown drive against Carolina way back in Week 1. "It shows we can score on any given play," said tight end Brent Celek, whose team is third in the league in scoring (29 points per game) and leads the league in offensive plays of 40-plus yards (12). "It shows we can score at will. We've proven ..."
Eagles prepare for well-rounded Cowboys offense
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November 6
Philadelphia Daily News
 columnist Les Bowen
"WHEN THE PASS-HAPPY Eagles run the ball effectively, as they have the past few weeks, their offensive players are eager to tell you how much of a difference balance makes, how it pushes defenses back on their heels. This Sunday night, when the Cowboys come to town, we'll see the other side of that coin - Sean McDermott's Eagles defense will be faced with a Dallas offense that in recent weeks has run and thrown very well, with multiple backs and multiple receiving threats. Kinda makes one pine for the old days, Eagles safety Quintin Mikell said yesterday. "You don't have a guy that wants the ball every play, one guy you can key on,'' Mikell said, referring to a former Cowboy and former ..."
McNabb has stepped up as leader
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November 5
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Donovan McNabb has answered questions before about his role as the Eagles' leader.He answered them again yesterday after coach Andy Reid reiterated his feelings about the way the quarterback has taken charge in his 11th season."He is that senior guy that Tra [Thomas] had been before and [Brian] Dawkins had been before," Reid said before practice yesterday. "Now he is it, and he has a bunch of young guys around him, more than he has before. He always did a good job, but he just took it up another notch."For his part, McNabb said he is not doing things any differently than in the past, and he continued to maintain that being labeled a leader has "always been overrated.""I've answered this ..."
For now, no hitch in Romo's giddyup
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November 5
Philadelphia Inquirer
 columnist Ashley Fox
"To hear Tony Romo tell it, everything is rosy at the Ranch. The Dallas Cowboys are working hard, taking things day by day, focused on improving, not gazing at the big goal, just doing all the little things it takes to get there.Sounds good, except for this, courtesy of ESPNDallas.com, from Roy Williams, the Cowboys' No.1 receiver now that you-know-who is in Buffalo: "I'm the No. 1 receiver, but things are just going No. 2's way."By No. 2, Williams meant Cowboys receiver Miles Austin.About his lack of a connection with Romo, Williams said, "it's just not even close. It's not even funny. Not even close."Not exactly utopia after all.Dallas, like its 29-year-old quarterback, remains a work in ..."
Too many hands on Eagles' pass attempts
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November 5
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"ONE RECENT Eagles trend really seemed to blossom in last Sunday's victory over the Giants.Donovan McNabb, you might have heard, was very accurate. He completed 17 of 23 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns. But by our unofficial count, at least four of the six incompletions were balls that defenders reached up and swatted away, at or near the line of scrimmage.What in the name of Samuel Dalembert is going on here?McNabb agreed yesterday that, "This is happening, for the first time in a long time." He said pump-faking pass rushers isn't the answer because, "It'll throw timing off. Your guys up front just kind have to punch 'em or bring their arms down, or whatever it may be."It didn't ..."
Eagles' Westbrook cleared to play against Cowboys
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November 5
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"MAYBE BRIAN Westbrook is going to be doing this in-and-out-of-the-lineup dance all season; maybe that's who he is now, at 30, with the much-repaired knee and the tricky ankle.But neither Westbrook nor Eagles coach Andy Reid thinks the concussion Westbrook suffered Oct. 26 against the Redskins has anything to do with that discussion. It took the franchise back off the field for three-quarters of that game and for last Sunday's victory over the Giants, but there is no reason to think Westbrook is going to have concussion-related problems going forward, they said. Reid and Westbrook talked of how Westbrook began that game fully recovered from his most recent ankle tweak, looking sharp and ..."
McNabb steps up leading role for Eagles
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November 5
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Quarterback Donovan McNabb will tell you he is still the same. Although he has gotten some praise lately by coach Andy Reid for raising his leadership profile, the 11-year pro says he is just doing what he has always done. The only change is the personnel around him in the locker room.Gone is the veteran presence of former teammates Brian Dawkins, Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas.In their place has stepped a core of talented young players that includes DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy."I think that at this particular point right now, because those guys [Dawkins, Runyan and Thomas] are gone, I guess they probably hear my voice a little more or pay more attention to what I'm saying," ..."
Eagles' Westbrook Is Set to Play Against Cowboys
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November 5
New York Times
 
"Brian Westbrook is set to return from his latest injury when the Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys in a matchup of the top two teams in the National Football Conference East on Sunday. Westbrook missed the Eagles' rout of the Giants last week with a concussion sustained a week earlier in a victory over Washington. Coach Andy Reid said Westbrook, who practiced Wednesday for the first time since the injury, should be "good to go" against Dallas and will not need further testing. "Right now he's fine," Reid said. Westbrook said the headache he had last week is gone and he feels no ill effects from the concussion."
Offenses provide plenty of glitz for Cowboys-Eagles showdown
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November 5
San Antonio Express-News
 
"With both teams among the league leaders in scoring, Sunday night's NFC East showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field promises plenty of offensive fireworks for a national television audience. The Cowboys are 5-2 and tied with the Eagles for the division lead in large part because of a diverse offense that is tied for sixth in scoring with an average of 28.1 points. Philadelphia also has an abundance of weapons, many of which came to the fore in its last game, a 40-17 dismantling of the New York Giants that left the Eagles third in scoring with a 29.0 average after five different players scored touchdowns. "You have to be ready for them," ..."
Cowboys' Jenkins wants to get physical with Eagles receivers
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November 5
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Cornerback Mike Jenkins wants the Dallas Cowboys to get in the face of Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson. Blessed with blazing speed, Jackson routinely blows by defenders. So what should the Cowboys do Sunday night to slow down him and the Eagles' other speedy wideout, rookie Jeremy Maclin? "Just be physical," Jenkins said Wednesday. "Go out and hit them in the mouth." If that means playing press coverage, Jenkins might want to re-think that stance, Philadelphia safety Quintin Demps suggested in a phone interview. "I've never seen a guy that fast and quick at the same time," Demps, a Roosevelt graduate, said of Jackson. "And he's smart. He knows how to play off of leverage and ..."
Ex-Cowboys coach now on Eagles' side
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November 5
Camden Courier-Post
 
"The first time Steve Spagnuolo faced his former team, his defense sacked Donovan McNabb 12 times and held the Eagles' offense to one field goal. It was Spagnuolo's fourth game as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, after serving on the Eagles' staff for eight years. He knew everything about the Eagles' offense and how to stop it. The Eagles are hoping for a similar advantage from secondary coach Brian Stewart as they prepare for their annual home clash against Dallas on Sunday night. Stewart was the Cowboys' defensive coordinator last season, but was stripped of his play-calling duties by head coach Wade Phillips during the season and then cast off after Dallas' playoff drive ..."
Westbrook scared, but not scarred
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November 5
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Brian Westbrook doesn't doubt that he's still among the NFL's best running backs, and he's ready to show that Sunday against Dallas. But the Eagles' running back is also thinking beyond football, and that's where he's unsure of himself. The concussion Westbrook sustained last Monday against the Redskins was his first. Unlike the scores of other injuries he's incurred since high school, he's concerned about the long-term effects of this one. "When you think about it, they don't have a lot of information on concussions when you get to be 50, 60, and 70 years old, of how it impacts your life," Westbrook said Wednesday before practicing for the first time since he sustained the concussion Oct. ..."
Stewart eager to sack 'Boys
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November 5
Camden Courier-Post
 
"The first time Steve Spagnuolo faced his former team, his defense sacked Donovan McNabb 12 times and held the Eagles' offense to one field goal. It was Spagnuolo's fourth game as Giants' defensive coordinator after serving on the Eagles' staff for eight years. He knew everything about the Eagles' offense and precisely how to stop it. The Eagles are hoping for a similar advantage from secondary coach Brian Stewart as they prepare for their annual home clash against division-rival Dallas on Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field. Stewart was the Cowboys' defensive coordinator last season but was stripped of his play-calling duties by head coach Wade Phillips during the season and then cast ..."
Westbrook preps for uncertain future
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November 5
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Brian Westbrook doesn't doubt that he's still among the NFL's best running backs, and he's ready to show that Sunday against Dallas. But the Eagles' running back is also thinking beyond football, and that's where he's unsure of himself. The concussion Westbrook sustained last Monday against the Redskins was his first. Unlike the scores of other injuries he's incurred since high school, he's concerned about this one's long-term effects, especially after his career is done. "When you think about it, they don't have a lot of information on concussions when you get to be 50, 60, and 70 years old, of how it impacts your life," Westbrook said Wednesday before practicing for the first time since ..."
Eagles living up to their preseason expectations
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November 4
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"The Philadelphia Eagles are who we thought they were. Despite a hiccup against Oakland, Philadelphia has been the team it was picked to be before the season started. The Eagles lost to New Orleans 48-22 at home in Week 2, but that was without Donovan McNabb. Kevin Kolb was making his first career start. They have won four of five since, with the only blemish an inexplicable 13-9 loss at Oakland. The Eagles, a preseason favorite to win the division and challenge for the NFC title, are right where they were picked, at 5-2 and in a first-place tie with the Cowboys. Wildcat numbers The Eagles signed Michael Vick in part because coach Andy Reid is enamored with the single-wing offense. But the ..."
Teeming with new faces, Eagles lack continuity
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November 4
Philadelphia Daily News
 columist Paul Domowitch
"AS A LONGTIME football coach, Andy Reid is very wary of saying anything that might end up on an opponent's bulletin board. So, it's safe to say he didn't give Joe Banner a fist bump 3 1/2 months ago when the Eagles president made his best-roster-in-the-league declaration.That said, it doesn't mean he didn't agree with him."I like our talent as much as I've liked [the talent] on any of the teams that I've had," Reid said in early June, long before Banner's remark. "But it's a team sport, and we've got to make sure that we bring that talent together."What we need to do is, we've got a lot of new faces and we've got to come together. The big reason for some of the success of the other teams ..."
Eagles' Jones makes most of his chance to start
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November 4
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"It is obvious now that Sean McDermott meant what he said just before the start of the season."You have to earn your job, and just because you have the job on Day 1 does not mean you'll have the job in Week 16," the Eagles' defensive coordinator said at the end of August. "You have to earn that role and earn that job every week with your performance."At the time, rookie Victor "Macho" Harris was in the process of taking away the starting free safety position from Quintin Demps, and veteran Omar Gaither, despite an injury, was wrestling the starting middle linebacker job away from Joe Mays.Now, here we are in Week 9, and everything is different.The biggest beneficiary appears to be veteran ..."
Eagles TE Celek now among the best in NFL
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November 4
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Even though the Eagles have dominated the NFC East for most of this decade, whenever the subject turned to the division's best tight ends, they had to be counted out of the conversation.Yes, Chad Lewis had some nice seasons and some sure hands, but he was known more for going to the ground after a catch than he was for the yards he covered following a reception.L.J. Smith? Let's not go down that road again. The Baltimore Ravens are probably sorry they did because Smith has just one catch for 26 yards in his first season outside of Philadelphia.Eagles fans certainly have had reason to be jealous about the production of opposing tight ends. The New York Giants had Jeremy Shockey, a four-time ..."
Adjusting to Eagles' script key to a happy ending for Dallas Cowboys
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November 4
Dallas Morning News
 
"In each of the last two games, the Cowboys have allowed the opponent to open with a well-conceived scoring drive. Two conclusions can be drawn from that. • The Cowboys' defensive coaching staff can make changes on the fly. The Cowboys won each game, and the opponents - Atlanta and Seattle - combined for only four more scores on 22 possessions. "It's more about making adjustments," outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware. "Every team is going to give us their best punch at the beginning." • If this continues, the Cowboys will be knocked down early on Sunday at Philadelphia. Like many teams, Atlanta and Seattle follow a "script" on offense to start games. The "script" concept, created by the ..."
Eagles crowded at free safety
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November 3
Camden Courier-Post
 
"For 11 years, the Eagles played one person at free safety and never had reason to change. As long as he was healthy, seven-time Pro Bowler Brian Dawkins would take the field and rarely come off. This year, after Dawkins fled to Denver, the Eagles filled his void with someone new for the first time in more than a decade and changed their overall approach to the position. Instead of the stability and reliability of one, they're relying on the production and versatility of three -- Quintin Demps, Sean Jones and Macho Harris. Harris, the impressive rookie from Virginia Tech, made a late preseason push to overtake Demps for the starting job. But after Harris sprained his ankle recently, it was ..."
Westbrook closer to return
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November 3
Camden Courier-Post
 
"How many points can the Eagles score when Brian Westbrook returns? They should find out Sunday night against the Cowboys if the running back can continue to make progress in his recovery from a concussion he sustained last Monday night against the Redskins. Less than 24 hours after the Eagles erupted for 40 points in their bludgeoning of the Giants, coach Andy Reid said Monday that Westbrook has been exercising and would continue to do aerobic workouts in preparation for Wednesday's first practice of the week. Westbrook experienced a slight headache on Saturday morning, which factored into the coach's decision to withhold him from the Giants game. "He felt good during the exercise that he ..."
Thumbs up, thumbs down
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November 3
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Five's alive: Donovan McNabb was nearly flawless in his execution, passing for three touchdowns and using his full arsenal of weapons after insisting upon a bounce-back performance after the Redskins game. More importantly, McNabb changed the direction of Leonard Weaver's first carry before the snap to avoid the Giants' blitz, the carry that resulted in Weaver's 41-yard touchdown pass. Remarkable rookies: First-year players Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy once again proved the Eagles' future is bright. Together, they combined for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Maclin not only beat double coverage for a 23-yard touchdown catch but for the second straight week his downfield blocking cleared ..."
Jones strengthens Eagles' safety net
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November 3
Camden Courier-Post
 
"For 11 years, the Eagles played one person at free safety and never had reason to change. As long as he was healthy, seven-time Pro Bowler Brian Dawkins would take the field and rarely come off. This year, after Dawkins fled to Denver via free agency, the Eagles not only filled his void with someone new for the first time in more than a decade but they changed their overall approach to the position. Instead of the stability and reliability of one, they're relying on the production and versatility of three. Since the start of training camp, free safety on the starting defense has been filled by Quintin Demps, Sean Jones and Macho Harris. Harris, the impressive rookie from Virginia Tech, ..."
Westbrook may return for Dallas
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November 3
Camden Courier-Post
 
"How many points can the Eagles score when Brian Westbrook returns? They should find out Sunday night against the Cowboys if the Eagles' running back can continue to make progress in his recovery from a concussion sustained against Washington. Coach Andy Reid said Westbrook has been exercising and would continue to do aerobic workouts in preparation for Wednesday's first practice of the week. Westbrook experienced a slight headache Saturday, which factored into the coach's decision to withhold the back from the Giants game. "He felt good during the exercise that he did this past weekend," Reid said. "(The headache) wasn't anything to worry too much about. We'll just see how he does here the ..."
McNabb ran offense like clockwork
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November 3
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Give Donovan McNabb time and he'll run the Eagles' offense like clockwork - more the Swiss watch variety than some New York City knockoff.Against the Giants on Sunday, McNabb was a Rolex. In the previous two weeks, to be precise, he was closer to the brand you might find being sold inside a fake fur coat. Against Oakland and Washington he was harried and sacked, and he never looked like a quarterback completely comfortable in the pocket.That changed against New York, and surprisingly, against what is considered one of the better four-man fronts in the NFL. The Eagles' offensive line, a source of angst since training camp, had its best game of the season, both in its pass protection and its ..."
Eagles now have Cowboys on their minds
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November 3
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Having disposed of the New York Giants in most convincing fashion, the Eagles turned their attention yesterday to the Dallas Cowboys, their other bitter NFC East rival and the team that will be at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday night for a nationally televised game.In the ever-changing NFL, the Cowboys appeared to be the lesser of the Eagles' two rivals a few weeks ago when they lost at Denver to fall to 2-2 while the Giants raced to a 5-0 start.Now, it's the Giants who are reeling after three straight losses and the Cowboys who appear to present the biggest challenge to the Eagles' quest for their sixth division title in nine seasons. The Cowboys, 5-2, have won three straight and are ..."
Birds bested Giants' sackmasters
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November 3
Philadelphia Inquirer
 columnist Ashley Fox
"They are, in the estimation of no less an authority than Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, two of the "elite" pass-rushing defensive ends in the NFL. For the Eagles to hold off the New York Giants, much less thrash them as they did Sunday, the offense had to keep Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck off quarterback Donovan McNabb. It was the offense's top priority.Grade earned: A-."That's the most important thing," offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said after the Eagles gave up two sacks, one to Umenyiora, in their 40-17 rout of the Giants. "One of the most important things on that defense is those pass rushers. You have to take care of them, and we've done it in recent past ..."
Eagles aren't sure if Westbrook will play vs. Cowboys
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November 3
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"THOUGH ANDY REID'S postgame implication was that Brian Westbrook was held out of the rout of the Giants merely as a precaution, Reid could not say yesterday that the Eagles' franchise back will be able to play Sunday night, when the Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys."We're going to make sure he's OK to perform. We're not going to do anything to put him in jeopardy there," Reid said at his day-after news conference. Reid acknowledged Westbrook's headache problem, his major symptom after suffering a concussion in last Monday night's victory at the Redskins, did not completely go away by the end of last week."He felt good during the exercise he did this past weekend here," Reid said. "One of the ..."
Peters wasn't as good as the Eagles
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November 3
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Some day-after observations after reviewing the tape of Sunday's 40-17 win over the Giants:The left tackleIt wasn't the best of games for left tackle Jason Peters. His fingerprints were on both of the Giants' sacks of Donovan McNabb. He also was flagged for a holding penalty inside the Giants' 10-yard line on the Eagles' second possession.Peters wasn't totally to blame for either of the sacks. On the first one midway through the second quarter, Osi Umenyiora beat him around the corner. But he had forced Umenyiora wide enough that he probably wouldn't have been able to get to McNabb if not for the fact that the quarterback had been flushed from the pocket by Mathias Kiwanuka, who beat ..."
Brian Westbrook expected to practice Wednesday
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November 2
Dallas Morning News
 
"That's the word from Philly coach Andy Reid about all-everything running back Brian Westbrook. Westbrook didn't play Sunday against the New York Giants because of a concussion. He has done some working out since getting hurt vs. Washington and was scheduled to do more on Monday. Reid said Westbrook had a slight headache Saturday but he was better Sunday."
Heavyweights too much for free fallin' G-Men
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November 2
New York Post
 columnist Steve Serby
"Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson and Phil Simms must be wearing bags over their heads. These aren't the Big Bad Giants those proud old warriors are watching these days. They are the Incredible Shrinking Giants. The Giants stole a Super Bowl two years ago from Tom Brady with a clutch assassin quarterback and deadly defense. Right now Eli Manning -- two more interceptions yesterday, five in two games -- is in the throes of an alarming slump, and the Center for Disease Control might want to investigate whether plantar fasciitis is contagious, because Big Blue sure seems to have caught it from the quarterback. The quarterback swears his foot has not compromised his game or his team, even as ..."
Eli refuses to call foot fault
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November 2
New York Post
 
"Despite his recent struggles, Eli Manning yesterday again insisted his right foot is not an issue. "It feels great," Manning said after he threw two interceptions in a 40-17 loss to the Eagles. "It hasn't bothered me all week. I'm not taping it, I'm not doing anything with it any more. That's not the problem." In the Oct. 4 victory in Kansas City, Manning went down with an injury to his plantar fascia in his right foot, missed practice time the next two weeks but did not miss any games. Tom Coughlin yesterday said there's been a few times where he's noticed Manning is not pushing off his right foot. Manning looked as if he was floating his passes several times against the Eagles."
McNabb, Eagles soar with Giant blow out
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November 2
New York Post
 
"As he left his team in the visitors' locker room at Lincoln Financial Field, Tom Coughlin kept calm as he waded through the wreckage of yesterday's 40-17 loss to the Eagles that suddenly left the once 5-0 Giants mired in a three-game losing streak at mid-season. In what was described as a firm but not loud address, Coughlin laid out the facts in the most basic of terms to players who at the moment have no answers and, at times, no clue as to what's transpiring out on the field. "I just told the players, 'Nobody said this was going to be easy,' " Coughlin said. "We're going to fight until there's nothing left of us; those who will fight, we're going to fight our way out of this. All off a ..."
Ground attack revived
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November 2
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Have you heard the one about Andy Reid's fullback who almost ran for 100 yards? Actually, it's no joke. Leonard Weaver, the fullback signed from Seattle in the off-season to shore up short-yardage rushing problems, took on a much greater role in Sunday's 40-17 triumph against the Giants at Lincoln Financial Field. Not only did Weaver set the tone for the offense, breaking off a 41-yard touchdown run on the Eagles' third play from scrimmage, but he shared the rushing load with rookie running back LeSean McCoy in the absence of an injured Brian Westbrook. Weaver carried the ball eight times for 75 yards, setting all sorts of records for fullback usage in Reid's offense. "It was kind of a ..."
Eagles' run game actually works
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November 2
Camden Courier-Post
 columnist Kevin Tresolini
"Fullback Leonard Weaver, playing a position nearly driven to extinction by modern pass-oriented offenses, rumbled 41 yards on the third play of the game for an Eagles touchdown. It was an immediate indication that Sunday would be a unique afternoon here at Lincoln Financial Field, where Philly fans gathered for the first part of a much-anticipated daily double. They had two chances to take a chunk out of the Big Apple's perceived superiority and what could be better than that? First came the Eagles-Giants NFC East showdown, with the Phil-Yanks World Series Game 4 encounter looming later at Citizens Bank Park. The Eagles did their part when they toppled the Giants. The 69,414 who gathered ..."
Eagles offense explodes in Giant win
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November 2
Camden Courier-Post
 
"The big-play, quick-strike offense showcased weekly in limited doses by the Eagles came swiftly Sunday and didn't stop. Taking advantage of a surprisingly explosive running game without Brian Westbrook and precision from a well-protected Donovan McNabb, the Eagles erupted for their highest point total this season, trouncing the Giants 40-17 at Lincoln Financial Field. The nearly flawless triumph vaulted the Eagles into a first-place NFC East tie with Dallas and kept them undefeated in the division with an opportunity to claim sole possession of first place Sunday with the Cowboys coming to town. All six of the Eagles' touchdowns came on a total of 13 plays against the NFC's top-ranked ..."
New York Giants WR Steve Smith's boasts get Philadelphia Eagles defense fired up
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November 2
New York Daily News
 
"After spending his first four years in the NFL with the Patriots, current Eagle cornerback Ellis Hobbs has seen a lot of pregame trash talk blow up in opponents' faces. So it was Sunday after the Giants' Steve Smith predicted receivers would be open all day long against the Eagles' man coverage. The end result, a 40-17 Philadelphia rout, didn't exactly go according to Smith's script. "Oh yeah. We read it. We understood it," Hobbs said. "It is what it is. It's nothing I'm not used to, especially coming from New England. I think we did well today, across the board." Indeed, it was total domination on defense, offense and special teams as the Eagles beat the Giants for the third straight ..."
Eagles punch out Giants, 40-17
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November 2
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Eagles coach Andy Reid has compared NFC East games to a heavyweight bout. If he's right, then the New York Giants must have felt like they just had their ears bitten off when they left Lincoln Financial Field late this afternoon. It was difficult to tell exactly which Eagles punch was the most devastating because they threw so many lethal left hooks and right uppercuts that the defending division champions never had a chance. The cumulative damage, on the other hand, was unmistakable: Eagles 40, Giants 17. "I think we did send a statement," defensive end Trent Cole. "Now we want to keep building upon that statement." Cole helped provide the relentless pressure that forced Giants ..."
An eye-opener from the offense
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November 2
Philadelphia Inquirer
 columnist Ashley FoX
"Ashley Fox blogged during yesterday's Eagles-Giants game. Here's a sampling.Pregame Here we are pregame before the 153d meeting between the Eagles and New York Giants. It's overcast outside, and the Eagles just left the field for the last time before kickoff. Fans are trickling in. It seems to be a slow-arriving crowd; folks are probably still bleary-eyed after that late Phillies-Yankees game last night.First quarter We're less than two minutes into the game and the Eagles are on the board. In just his fifth carry of the season, Leonard Weaver burst out of the backfield past a slew of Giants defenders at the line and ran 41 yards into the end zone for a touchdown on the Eagles' third play ..."
Hobbs, Justice win praise
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November 2
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"There were two interesting moments on either side of the Eagles' winning locker room yesterday at Lincoln Financial Field.On one side, kick returner Ellis Hobbs was greeted by owner Jeffrey Lurie as he dressed following the team's 40-17 rout of the New York Giants."Great job," Lurie told Hobbs. "You set the tone for the entire game."On the other side, offensive tackle Winston Justice was approached by coach Andy Reid after he finished talking to reporters."He told me that was a lot better than last time," Justice said.Both remarks were accurate.Hobbs set the tone when he returned the opening kickoff 35 yards to the Eagles' 40-yard line and gave them great field position for a three-play ..."
Eagles make statement, for now
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November 2
Philadelphia Inquirer
 col;umnist Phil Sheridan
"In most NFL seasons, the Eagles' laugh-riot 40-17 dismantling of the New York Giants would count as a statement game. First day of November, weather turning cold, first big NFC East matchup - you would come away from such a game believing something definitive had been established. This year? Not so much. The Eagles' statement turns out to be merely that they are the class of the division for a period beginning at about 2 p.m. yesterday and ending with kickoff against the Dallas Cowboys next Sunday night. There are a handful of really good teams in the NFL this year. Everyone else is capable of looking as inept as the Eagles did in Oakland two weeks ago or as dominant as they looked against ..."
Communication problems plague Giants' defense
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November 2
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"SURRENDER 88 points in two losses and everyone recognizes there's a problem."I ain't gonna lie," Giants cornerback Corey Webster said. "It's a concern. You can't play 50 snaps, and play focused on 40 of them and not be focused on the other 10."For 2 of the past 3 weeks, he said, that has been the case. It is how 5-0 and a cruise back to the top of the NFC East becomes 5-3. Those three straight losses aren't all by inches. Two were by miles.The Giants allowed New Orleans 48 points, hung tight with explosive Arizona in a loss last week, then got waxed, 40-17, yesterday by the Eagles. Still, they entered the game ranked first in fewest total yards allowed and 14th in points allowed.They gave ..."
Eagles winning without Westbrook
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November 2
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"There was a time when being without Brian Westbrook meant the Eagles' offense was going to struggle, but the Birds are 2-0 this season with No. 36 sidelined, winning by 20 and 23 points.Yesterday, the unlikely combo of rookie running back LeSean McCoy (11 carries, 82 yards) and Leonard Weaver (eight carries, 75 yards) confounded the Giants' defenders with long touchdown runs in a 40-17 Eagles victory.Eagles coach Andy Reid seemed to be saying afterward that if Westbrook faces no further setbacks in recovering from the concussion he suffered against the Redskins, he will play this Sunday against the Cowboys."