If today is any indicator, rumors of the Eagles demise have been greatly exaggerated. The Super Bowl expectations may have skipped town after the loss to Oakland but a decisive 40-17 win over the rival Giants should go a long way towards restoring faith in this team.
The Eagles dominated in every facet of the game. Defensively they got plenty of pressure on Eli(sha) Manning, did a terrific job shutting down Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, and several individuals on the hot seat stepped up their game. Sean Jones had an especially strong game at safety, Asante Samuel hauled in yet another interception, and Will Witherspoon is the real deal at middle linebacker. He is emerging as a vocal leader on this defense.
The offense looked much improved compared to the past few weeks. The big plays were still there (a 54-yard TD pass to Jackson and a late 66-yard TD run by LeSean McCoy stand out in my mind) but the execution was better across the board. I’d like to see Leonard Weaver get more carries in the future too based on how good he looked carrying the football today. When was the last time you saw a fullback bust out a 41-yard touchdown run?!? The offense’s performance is even more encouraging considering the Eagles were without Brian Westbrook.
Of course there are some areas that need improvement: most notably the offensive line is still not doing a good enough job keeping pressure off of McNabb. He was sacked and fumbled twice after a blindside rush got to him before he could get rid of the football. Then again the Giants are known for getting good pressure on the QB, and the Eagles were prepared with a quick passing game in place to counter the rush.
This team seems geared up to be a strong Super Bowl contender in the NFC East, and the division is wide open now that the Giants have dropped three straight. Next week’s matchup with Dallas will decide who takes over first place, and given the Cowboy’s struggles in the secondary it should be another big day for Donovan, DeSean, Jeremy, Brent and company.
Images courtesy of ESPN
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