Eagles Scouting Report
By Michael Eisen, Giants.com
JANUARY 9, 2009
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - Ancient adversaries will meet in a high-stakes duel when the Giants and Philadelphia Eagles face off Sunday in Giants Stadium in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game. The top-seeded Giants were 12-4 in the regular season and had a bye last weekend. Sixth-seeded Philadelphia slipped into the playoffs on the final day of the season with a 9-6-1 record. The Eagles advanced to this round by defeating Minnesota, 26-14, in a wild card game, the fifth victory in their last six outings. The Giants and Eagles split their season series with the Giants earning a 36-31 victory on Nov. 9 in Philadelphia and the Eagles countering with a 20-14 triumph here on Dec. 7. That was the Giants’ only home loss of the season. The Giants lead the postseason series, 2-1, winning in 1981 and 2000. Philadelphia defeated the Giants in the wild card round two years ago in Lincoln Financial Field, 23-20. The Giants lead the regular season series, 79-67-2.
The Giants defense has to swarm to the ball to make tackles
Offense
The Eagles finished the regular season ranked ninth in the NFL with an average of 350.5 yards a game. They were 22nd in rushing yards (106.1) but sixth in passing (244.4 yards a game). Philadelphia was sixth in the league in scoring with a franchise record 416 points, or 26.0 a game. Last week in Minnesota, the Eagles rushed for only 67 yards, but Donovan McNabb completed passes to eight different receivers for 300 yards.
The Eagles try to confuse defenses by using a variety of different formations and looks and putting players in motion. They are the NFL’s best screen team, which paid off in Minnesota, where a short pass to Brian Westbrook turned into the game-clinching 71-yard touchdown.
Although he insists there is not correlation, quarterback Donovan McNabb has played extremely well since he was benched in the second half of the Eagles’ loss in Baltimore on Nov. 23. In the last six games, including the wild card game, McNabb has completed 133 of 205 passes (64.9 percent) for 1,446 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions. McNabb threw four touchdown passes in two games against the Giants. He spreads the ball around; Philly had a league-high eight players with at least 25 receptions. McNabb is also moving well in the pocket, biding time until someone gets open. McNabb is 8-7 as a starter against the Giants and 8-5 in the playoffs.
Few players are as important to their team as Westbrook, who burned the Giants last month for 131 rushing yards and touchdowns on a 30-yard run and a 40-yard reception. Although he essentially is no longer practicing due to knee and ankle injuries, Westbrook is as dangerous as ever. In Minnesota, he was shut down most of the game before making the biggest play of the day. The 71-yard screen pass touchdown made him the first player in NFL postseason history with scoring plays of 60 or more yards rushing and receiving. Westbrook scored on a 62-yard run in a divisional playoff game at New Orleans two years ago. Westbrook is a complete back with tremendous balance, quickness and explosiveness. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2004, he is second in the NFL with 8,106 yards from scrimmage. His backup, Correll Buckhalter, has also done a great job making big plays. He missed the last Giants game with a knee injury but has been a productive complement to Westbrook in the backfield.
Fullback Kyle Eckel, who was signed on Oct. 21, is a good short-yardage runner and a willing blocker. His backup, Dan Klecko, has not practiced this week because of a shoulder injury. Klecko had an unusual season. He played fullback in training camp but was moved back to defensive tackle, where he had a career-high 2.0 sacks. Then Tony Hunt was cut and Klecko returned to fullback, where he has played exclusively since the San Francisco game on Oct. 12.
The Eagles overcame early injury problems to develop a productive and consistent stable of receivers. The leader of the pack is rookie sensation DeSean Jackson, who led the team with 62 catches for 912 yards (both records for Philadelphia rookies and second to Denver’s Eddie Royal among rookie wide receivers) and two touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown on a nine-yard direct snap vs. the Giants. Speedy and dependable Kevin Curtis missed the first six games of the season with a sports hernia and battled a calf strain late but caught 33 passes. Hank Baskett, Philly’s best blocking wide receiver, played a more prominent role this season. He had 33 catches, including three touchdowns, which are the most by a Philly wideout. Jason Avant added 32 receptions. Last week in Minnesota, four of his five catches picked up first downs.
Tight L.J. Smith missed the last two games with a shoulder injury. In his absence, Brent Celek has become one of McNabb’s most frequent targets; he scored a touchdown in the playoff-clinching victory over Dallas and had a team-high six receptions in Minnesota. Celek has done an exceptional job of getting upfield and finding open areas.
The Eagles have a big, talented and experienced offensive line even though they are down to their third right guard. Left tackle Tra Thomas is a three-time Pro Bowler with a huge wingspan and good quickness. Jon Runyan, his 6-7, 330-pound counterpart on the right side, has started 192 consecutive regular season games. His 20 postseason games are second among active players to Brett Favre’s 22. Thomas and Runyan have started 134 games together, the most by a tackle tandem in Eagles history. Center Jamaal Jackson is a big-bodied player with mass, strength and smarts. Todd Herremans, a former tackle, is an active and aggressive left guard. He caught a touchdown pass against the Seahawks, the first by an Eagles offensive lineman since 1934. Backup center Nick Cole moved over and has played very well as the third starter this season at right guard. Two-time Pro Bowler Shawn Andrews played just two games before undergoing back surgery. He returned to practice this week on a limited basis. Andrews’ replacement, Max Jean-Gilles, fractured his right ankle on the final play of the second quarter on Thanksgiving night vs. Arizona. Cole then stepped in.
Defense
Philadelphia’s defense was ranked third in the NFL, allowing an average of 274.3 yards per game. The Eagles were fourth against the rush (92.3), third vs. the pass (182.1) and fourth in points allowed (28.1 a game). Longtime coordinator Jim Johnson has his players blitzing from the first snap to the last play, which enabled Philadelphia to finish second in the league in third down defense; their opponents succeeded on just 73 of 227 opportunities, a 32.2 percent success rate. The defense has played exceptionally well. The Eagles held their opponents to 14 or fewer points in 10 games, including each of the last five.
The Eagles’ defense has benefitted from exceptionally good health. Philadelphia has started the same four linemen in every game this season. Victor Abiamiri (dislocated wrist and a Lisfranc sprain) is the only lineman to miss time this season. At linebacker, Akeem Jordan moved into the starting lineup ahead of Omar Gaither on the weak side, but that change was not injury-related.
The starters up front are, from left to right end, Juqua Parker, Mike Patterson, Brodrick Bunkley and Trent Cole at right end. It is a well-coordinated, fundamentally-sound front that is very difficult to block. Parker and Cole rarely come off the field. When they are expecting a pass, the Eagles will employ Chris Clemons and Darren Howard in a sub defense. The line had 24.5 of Philadelphia’s 48 sacks (which were split among 16 different players), including 10.0 by Howard and 9.0 by Cole. Their 48 sacks placed them third in the NFL. The Eagles’ defensive philosophy is to attack and apply pressure all day. Patterson and Bunkley, both former first-round draft choices, are very good run-stopping tackles. Parker, Patterson and Howard all had interceptions this season.
The move from Gaither to Jordan upgraded the linebacker corps. Jordan, an athletic, aggressive player who was signed as an undrafted rookie in 2007, was credited with 13 tackles in each of the last two games. The middle backer is Stewart Bradley, who plays in every defensive alignment. He had seven double-digit tackle games this season. He finished second on the team with 151 tackles (88 solo). Chris Gocong is a two-down strongside linebacker.
The Eagles’ secondary is disciplined, smart and confident and has played extremely well down the stretch. Cornerback Asante Samuel, Philadelphia’s key free agent acquisition last offseason, scored on a 44-yard interception return vs. the Vikings, his NFL-record fourth postseason score on a pick. Samuel is one of the NFL’s premier playmaking cornerbacks with 20 interceptions since 2006, just one behind league-leader Ed Reed of Baltimore. He tied for the team lead with three this season. He is as smooth and gifted as any corner in the league. Right cornerback Sheldon Brown has played in 112 consecutive games. In the nickel, Brown leaves the field and Lito Sheppard and Joselio Hanson come on – Sheppard at right corner and Hanson in the slot. Strong safety Quintin Mikell, the other Eagle with three INTs this season, led the team with 169 tackles (111 solo) and was the team’s most productive defensive back this season. Six-time Pro Bowler Brian Dawkins is still one of the NFL’s best and hardest-hitting free safeties and has played at a very high level the last several weeks.
Special Teams
The special teams helped turn several games in the Eagles’ favor this season. Jackson was seventh in the NFC with an 8.8-yard punt return average, including a 61-yard touchdown. Quintin Demps, who has great straight line speed, was ninth in the conference with 25.3-yard kickoff return average and brought one back 100 yards for a score in Baltimore. David Akers was second in the NFL with 144 points this season (one more than John Carney) and is second among active kickers with 25 postseason field goals. Akers made 33 of 40 field goal attempts this season and was four-for-four last week vs. the Vikings. Sav Rocca, a former Australian Football League player, had a 43.3-yard gross average and a team-record 37.9-yard net average.
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