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The Giants game was a tough one because not only was it a division rival but because it was the third meeting of the year. Those two teams always play tough and close ones.

But now the Eagles travel back to N'awlins on a short week. They have to face Sean Payton again. I hate seeing that guy coach against the Eagles. The Saints have a refined Reggie Bush, Deuce McAllister and a guy in Drew Brees who loves the short step drops.

The Birds will be without Lito Sheppard, the best CB on the team. Sheldon is struggling with coverage lately. Him, Roderick Hood, Will James and Joselio Hanson better be ready. It's nice to have James here as a safety blanket though. Also Quintin Mikell's play of late will help fill the void by Lito. He can be mixed in there on some packages.

The Saints came on this year. Much like the Bears did in 2001 when the Eagles had to take it on the road and win. They won at Soldier Field ("Who the hell is Shane Miller?!?). Is this a similar scenario? Can they go on the road and get it done?

The Saints lost to the taterskins at home. I repeat. The Saints lost to the taterskins at home. And that was with something to play for and they laid an egg.

4 out of 6 of the Saints losses came at the Superdome.

Stallworth will actually play this time too.

Garcia has to play better this week too.

I don't know. I'm really not feeling good about this game. The Saints are basically coming off a 2 week lay off. We saw how the Eagles were real sloppy in the first quarter before they got shtein together, so perhaps that's an advantage. This is the NFC Championship, though. Chicago and Seattle suck.

If I'm not mistaken, last time the Saints were doing a good job sniffing out the Eagles screens/short passes to Westbrook, preventing him from getting YAC. They gotta do a better job disguising that stuff, as well as just plain running the ball more this time. Let Westbrook and the o-line take it to thier kinda-crappy front 7.

I don't have a good feeling about this game, but that's how I've felt for the last 2 months really so....lets get it on. [/Judge Mills]

They spied Westbrook with Scott Fujita. He did a good job at sniffing out the screens and dump offs. Westbrook only had 16 carries partly because they were behind early and partly because the newfound commitment to the running game hadn't showed up yet.

Run Westbrook early and often. Get the LBs and the extra safety crowded up and then attack. If they use Fujita to spy again send Westbrook on crossing routes so he can separate from the LB. Don't give Fujita time to square him up.

A couple of other things I'd like to throw in there was Moats stupidly running into the PR and causing a TO and TD for the Saints right before the half is likely not to happen again, and we were coming off an enormous win vs. the Cowboys. I hate the Payton factor and the fact that they have a 1-2 punch at RB.

Joe Horn burned us last time. I'd like to see Darth knock his friggen' block off.

Was it my imagination, the weather, or does Garcia look like he has a tired arm?? Some of his passes were floaters, wounded ducks. He has to do better against the Saints. He could have easily been picked twice yesterday. He was lucky, damn lucky. I was hollering for Feeley there at one point in the first half, can't remember just when.

Quote from: Munson on January 08, 2007, 05:21:57 AM
If I'm not mistaken, last time the Saints were doing a good job sniffing out the Eagles screens/short passes to Westbrook, preventing him from getting YAC. They gotta do a better job disguising that stuff, as well as just plain running the ball more this time. Let Westbrook and the o-line take it to thier kinda-crappy front 7.

I don't have a good feeling about this game, but that's how I've felt for the last 2 months really so....lets get it on. [/Judge Mills]

The Eagles depended too much on the long pass in the first game--too much in love with how they beat Dallas. When they finally started throwing shorter passes, they started moving the ball. Also, when they started running Westbrook in the 4th quarter, they were getting positive yards.

Quote from: shorebird on January 08, 2007, 07:51:13 AM
Joe Horn burned us last time. I'd like to see Darth knock his friggen' block off.

Was it my imagination, the weather, or does Garcia look like he has a tired arm?? Some of his passes were floaters, wounded ducks. He has to do better against the Saints. He could have easily been picked twice yesterday. He was lucky, damn lucky. I was hollering for Feeley there at one point in the first half, can't remember just when.

Garcia admitted in one of the papers that he was too hyped up for the game and that he had butterflies. Marty said they had to throw out the gameplan after they went nowhere in the first three drives because the Giants were defensing what they were trying to do too well. It was when they went 3 WRs that they started moving the ball--with the run.

in case you don't remember the game earlier this season... http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=261015018

QuoteThe Saints outplayed the Eagles in all three phases of the game (offense, defense and special teams). The Saints used a ball-control game plan to keep Donovan McNabb and the Eagles offense off the field, winning the time of possession battle in the first and fourth quarters. The Saints had the ball for close to nine more minutes than the Eagles. Drew Brees (above) used a short, quick-rhythm passing game to get the ball out of his hands before the Eagles' pass rush could put pressure on him. With the Saints running the ball effectively it set up the play-action pass.
McNabb and the Eagles' offense struggled to move the ball in the first half. The Eagles missed WR Donte' Stallworth, who was inactive due to injury. His replacement, rookie Hank Baskett, struggled to get open and to hold onto the ball.

this is the game where they kept throwing deep to baskett & he kept dropping them...also, it's the game where wynn muffed a punt right before halftime.  and i don't think hood played in the game.

This game worries me more than most.  We can't count on Brees to play like Manning did yesterday.  If ever a commitment to a running game was needed it needs to be next week. 

farg the saints!  the eagles played like garbage in their earlier meeting & had no running game at the time.  it was one of those games where they passed twice as often as they ran.
...and the saints still needed a last second field goal to win.

Sheldon got hurt last night too. MCL joint sprain.

yeah...i'll be worried if lito AND sheldon are out.  but i think they can get by if lito's the only cb out.

Thats his shoulder right PG?  i thought he dislocated it the way he slumped off the field.  His tackle was sort of like portis's tackle in the preseason.  Once tehy shot him up he was fine

The MCL (medial collateral ligament) is in the knee.  Unless there's another type of MCL that I'm not familiar with. 

AC joint sprain

this was spewed on pe.com 

QuoteLito Sheppard is likely out for Saturday night's game, so the Eagles have a challenge at cornerback. Fortunately, they have some depth here, maybe as much as at any position on the team. Roderick Hood is probable to start against New Orleans, and the rapidly-improving Joselio Hanson and William James will have their roles increased. James was a healthy scratch on Sunday against the Giants. He has missed time with the calf injury, and in the meantime both Hood and Hanson have played well. There was simply no room on the game-day roster for James.

since sheldon wasn't mentioned, i'm assuming he's okay.

Quote from: hunt on January 08, 2007, 09:22:14 AM
this was spewed on pe.com 

QuoteLito Sheppard is likely out for Saturday night's game, so the Eagles have a challenge at cornerback. Fortunately, they have some depth here, maybe as much as at any position on the team. Roderick Hood is probable to start against New Orleans, and the rapidly-improving Joselio Hanson and William James will have their roles increased. James was a healthy scratch on Sunday against the Giants. He has missed time with the calf injury, and in the meantime both Hood and Hanson have played well. There was simply no room on the game-day roster for James.

since sheldon wasn't mentioned, i'm assuming he's okay.

Sounds like a reasonable assumption.  Of course, we all know what happens when you assume......

i accept without verification or proof?

James may have to match up on Colston much of the game.  Yuck.

i think two things have to happen for the Eagles to have a shot to win...

they need to win the turnover battle by at least 2 turnovers
and they need to have at least 40 minutes TOP

40 minutes? That's a shteinload of TOP. Win the TO battle, run the ball effective, and put 6 instead of 3 in the redzone and that should be enough.

yeah, maybe 40 minutes is a bit much, but they need to have a distinct TOP advantage.  and yeah, any Red Zone visit needs to be a TD.

They needed to score quick and early to get the crowd out of the game.

They need to control the clock better than they did yesterday.  The Saints will methodically put on long scoring drives, we need to keep the ball out of the offenses hands.

A HEAVY HEAVY DOSE of Westbrook.  Buckhalter needs to get more carries.  What yesterday he had like 3? Come on guys! They need to ground and pound and take it to the Saints front 7, which in my opinon is not that good.

Put as little as much possible pressure on Garcia. Let him throw some short passes, but don't go throwing deep on 1st and 10 when we havn't established the run yet. 

The D-line IMO was awful yesterday.  Jaqua had the lone sack.  Where was Killa, Howard, Patterson, Walker, Bunkley, Runyan? They need to get to Brees, they need to pressure and hit him.  This concerns me because he had a MVP season, and I think he could carve our DB's all day long if given the time.  Plus he's more mobile than an Eli. 

So in a nutshell, go up early, shut up the crowd, control the clock, run the ball, ground and pound it out and then take some deep shots. D needs to step it up on all aspects. The Saints offense is the best in the business.  As long as we can keep them off the field and sustain long scoring drives, I feel we have a great shot of beating them.  Yesterday' play calling was pretty bad, almost pre-McNabb injury bad.  Not only the offense, but not putting 2 defenders on Plaxico was just dumb. We will not get away with it in New Orleans.

Runyan probably shouldn't be sacking people, mussa, but he did knock some people down...even if the play was already over.

Runyan was laid out, doing a Superman!

Quote from: Tomahawk on January 08, 2007, 12:27:04 PM
Runyan probably shouldn't be sacking people, mussa, but he did knock some people down...even if the play was already over.

Runyan and Killa have my permission to hurt anyone they like, flagrant or not. Just don't do it when the game is on the line.  :evil

This game IMO... is what separates the Eagles from the Super Bowl.  To win it... they need to be on their shtein.  The Saints worry me more than any other team in the NFC.

I don't expect the D to shut down the Saints offense, but they'll need to make some big, timely plays/turnovers and then Garcia and the offense has to capitalize with TOUCHDOWNS.  I hate not having Lito, but the secondary has shown the ability to handle injuries and keep playing well.  Wrong game to not be full strength with Brees, Colston, Horn, Henderson and Copper on the other side though. 

If the defense can keep either McAllister or Bush from going wild... that would be a really good thing.  If they both have an impact... we're in trouble.  For real.

Offensively... Westbrook, Westbrook, Westbrook.  He can not get the ball enough in this game.  Like Munson said... we've got to do a better job of disguising screens and passes to him to get him in space.  The Saints ate us up on that last time.  The o-line needs to keep knocking people in the mouth (before the whistle) to give Westbrook and Buck some room... which I think they can do against the Saints' front seven.

Stallworth & Brown have to come up as big or bigger as they did yesterday.  Brown had a big game against the Saints the last time... hopefully he can repeat that performance.  I'm sure Stallworth will be motivated to have a big play or two against his former team to let them know what they gave up.  Btw... it'd be nice to see Darren Howard make an impact for that same reason.

If we get off to a slow start again like we did against the Giants... we might as well turn off the TV's after the 1st quarter because the Eagles will get blown out.  They need to keep this game within a score or two throughout or better yet... jump ahead early and control the clock (crazy that I can even realistically say that.)

Tough game... and I'm not sure I expect the Eagles to win... but they are definitely capable of pulling this thing off.  Just got to play well start to finish... which if they hadn't waited 'til the 3rd quarter the last time they played, this could have been a home game.

Bree's had a fantastic year. 554 attmps. with 356 comps. for a percentage of 64.3%. 26 TD's and 11 int's. A 96.2 passer rating. He leads the NFL in yards with 4.418. His 26 TD's are third behind Manning and Palmer. He's third in Passer rating. He's without a doubt the best qb in the NFC, and is on the best team also.

And if thier passing game isn't good enough, as a team they rushed for 1761 yds. Deuce had 1057 with a 4.3 avg. and 10 TD's.


Screw the Bears 13-3 record, the Saints are the best team in the NFC.

The Eagles will need to play the perfect game to win this one.

I love Westbrook on Turf, he looked great against Indy, yes it was indy but his speed really shows up in the Dome.

I don't know about 'perfect' but they need to play considerably better than they did in the 2nd half of yesterday's game.

They need to repeat what they did in the 2nd quarter yesterday for four quarters.

Quote from: hunt on January 08, 2007, 08:47:10 AM
farg the saints!  the eagles played like garbage in their earlier meeting & had no running game at the time.  it was one of those games where they passed twice as often as they ran.
...and the saints still needed a last second field goal to win.

Exactly! Bring em on. We'll kick thier arse. Ok, just win the game. The only fly in the ointment is no Lito. Its up to JJ and all the DBs to do the best they can to minimize Lito being out.
Wouldn't it be sweet if we won on a last second FG?

Quote from: shorebird on January 08, 2007, 12:57:22 PM
Bree's had a fantastic year. 554 attmps. with 356 comps. for a percentage of 64.3%. 26 TD's and 11 int's. A 96.2 passer rating. He leads the NFL in yards with 4.418. His 26 TD's are third behind Manning and Palmer. He's third in Passer rating. He's without a doubt the best qb in the NFC, and is on the best team also.

And if thier passing game isn't good enough, as a team they rushed for 1761 yds. Deuce had 1057 with a 4.3 avg. and 10 TD's.


Screw the Bears 13-3 record, the Saints are the best team in the NFC.

Winner.

The fact that, as hunt and Bobby pointed out, that the Eagles had to deal with a piss poor play on STs (Moats) and the fact that Andy was infatuated with the deep ball to Baskett and still almost won is a good thing. Tighten up those things and maybe its a different outcome.

They also had the Saints stopped on that final drive but that is when Gaither had that 12-men on the field penalty.

Another thing that may or may not matter;

The Saints starters haven't played in forever. They only played a series or two against Carolina in the final week. Then they had the bye. Plus Joe Horn has been hurt and I don't remember when he last played. They were saving him for the playoffs.

It's a winnable game, but I don't like the idea of giving Payton an extra week to plan.

Quote from: shorebird on January 08, 2007, 07:51:13 AM
Joe Horn burned us last time. I'd like to see Darth knock his friggen' block off.

Was it my imagination, the weather, or does Garcia look like he has a tired arm?? Some of his passes were floaters, wounded ducks. He has to do better against the Saints. He could have easily been picked twice yesterday. He was lucky, damn lucky. I was hollering for Feeley there at one point in the first half, can't remember just when.

That is how Garcia throws. That is one of the reasons why I called for Feeley after Donovan went down. Watching him in camp and during the pre-season you could tell he lacks the zip to make some of those throws. Especially in camp when seeing him so close you can tell he has a "hump" in his throws. They have too much air sometimes. But he certainly has played well. Like hunt said - he admitted to being too hype yesterday. It took him awhile to get under control.

One thing he needs to get better at is the swing passes/sideline stuff. Not so much the out routes but when he has a guy leaking out he needs to hit them. He missed Westbrook a couple of times in the beginning of this run on wheel routes. He also missed Baskett on that 3rd and long yesterday and overthrew Smith at the Meadowlands after he rolled out.

He also had that Shuttle pass but was scared to make the toss.  Either way,  Garcia > Mcmahon

Payton worries me more than anyone they have. He has always seemed to have the Eagles' number. The Eagles can't afford to miss opportunities in the red zone like yesterday and have to force some turnovers and give up none to win this game.

I love the underdog role, let's go. Bring on the Saints.

Quote from: PhillyPhreak54 on January 08, 2007, 03:23:08 PM
Another thing that may or may not matter;

The Saints starters haven't played in forever. They only played a series or two against Carolina in the final week. Then they had the bye. Plus Joe Horn has been hurt and I don't remember when he last played. They were saving him for the playoffs.

I don't think that the week off will hurt them more than it will help them. Ask most players and they will say they love the buy week going into the playoffs so they can heal up. At this point of the season, there are hardly any players out there who aren't playing without some kind of injury, and a healthy Joe Horn mean nothing good for us.

Quote from: PhillyPhreak54 on January 08, 2007, 03:27:10 PM
One thing he needs to get better at is the swing passes/sideline stuff. Not so much the out routes but when he has a guy leaking out he needs to hit them. He missed Westbrook a couple of times in the beginning of this run on wheel routes. He also missed Baskett on that 3rd and long yesterday and overthrew Smith at the Meadowlands after he rolled out.

Yeah, I saw that too. Why he didn't hit Bwest is beyond me.

Salisbury says the winner of this game will go to the Super Bowl.  He picked the Saints though...

And then showed Stuart Scott the picture of his wang...

Thats how Stu's eye got so farged up.   :-X

Jeff is very good at throwing between the hash marks. When he has to throw an out pattern or to the sidelines from the pocket he usually lacks the arm strength to get it there quickly. That is one of the reasons for the roll outs and also Jeff feels more comfortable outside the pocket.

I think that is why they try to establish the outside with Westbrook in running the football as well. It's to spread out the defense and give Jeff throwing lanes in the middle of the field.

I trust Garcia throwing the ball in between the hashes because I think he makes good decisions in the middle of the field and can read a defense well, but on out patterns or patterns to the sideline and swing passes scare me because the lack of zip on his throws permits a DB to get a good jump on the ball and either tackle the receiver immediately/swat the ball down/intercept the pass.

Reid didn't play the starters for 2 games at the end of the season, got the bye week, then kicked the shtein out of Minnesota.  Don't count on the rest being a factor.

re: Garcia's arm strength.

I remember a pass down the middle last night that was a bullet, threaded in between a couple defenders.  Can't recall who caught it..Brown??  Buck or Aikman commented on it at the time, something like "how did he get that pass through?"

True. And like I said - it could matter or it could not.

But one reason Andy did that ws because he had a veteran team with playoff experience.

And apparently Joe Horn is listed as doubtful. That would be nice to not have him out there.

Quote from: Diomedes on January 08, 2007, 07:21:31 PM
re: Garcia's arm strength.

I remember a pass down the middle last night that was a bullet, threaded in between a couple defenders.  Can't recall who caught it..Brown??  Buck or Aikman commented on it at the time, something like "how did he get that pass through?"

He doesn't have a great arm but he has a really quick release and no wasted motion.

ok my take on the game...

we have to pull out all the stops for this one. let reno KR but put in stallworth or westbrook from the start at PR duties. im tired of us having such horid field position most of the time. also we need to pull some "trick" plays. not the flea flicker we have used like 3-4 times already but something...u know the saints will and seeing as how i dont think we are the better team we need to pull out something out of the bag. how about a onsides kick somewhere in the game, how about a pass from westbrook or westbrook takes the hand off runs to one side, passes it back to garcia who launches one for stallworth.

might sound crazy but the dome will be rocking and we need to take the crowd out of it. i also say this cause i believe for us to win we need to score 30+ pts.

also i still didnt like some of the stuff i saw yesterday. on the possesion where the eagles picked off eli, they got into the redzone and i believe passe the ball 3 times in a row, didnt complete one, and had to kick a FG. run the ball early and often and thats why the trick plays might even work.

Quote from: Diomedes on January 08, 2007, 07:21:31 PM
re: Garcia's arm strength.

I remember a pass down the middle last night that was a bullet, threaded in between a couple defenders.  Can't recall who caught it..Brown??  Buck or Aikman commented on it at the time, something like "how did he get that pass through?"

Yeah, it was Reggie and it was a big 3rd down conversion. That was a good throw and a good catch.

I just hope that Andy and Marty don't go back to the same philosophy this week as they used last time with chucking it deep all the time. McKenzie and Thomas can be beaten deep. But set those guys up and take shots on occasion. One thing that may save them from doing that is Garcia doesn't throw the deep ball as good as McNabb.

L.J Smith needs to be rediscovered too. Since Jeff has taken over he doesn't really seem to look at the TE that much.

Quote from: PhillyPhreak54 on January 08, 2007, 07:32:17 PM

Quote from: Diomedes on January 08, 2007, 07:21:31 PM
re: Garcia's arm strength.

I remember a pass down the middle last night that was a bullet, threaded in between a couple defenders.  Can't recall who caught it..Brown??  Buck or Aikman commented on it at the time, something like "how did he get that pass through?"

Yeah, it was Reggie and it was a big 3rd down conversion. That was a good throw and a good catch.

I just hope that Andy and Marty don't go back to the same philosophy this week as they used last time with chucking it deep all the time. McKenzie and Thomas can be beaten deep. But set those guys up and take shots on occasion. One thing that may save them from doing that is Garcia doesn't throw the deep ball as good as McNabb.

L.J Smith needs to be rediscovered too. Since Jeff has taken over he doesn't really seem to look at the TE that much.

oh yeah lj smith needs to be involved.

Quote from: PhillyPhreak54 on January 08, 2007, 07:32:17 PM

Quote from: Diomedes on January 08, 2007, 07:21:31 PM
re: Garcia's arm strength.

I remember a pass down the middle last night that was a bullet, threaded in between a couple defenders.  Can't recall who caught it..Brown??  Buck or Aikman commented on it at the time, something like "how did he get that pass through?"

Yeah, it was Reggie and it was a big 3rd down conversion. That was a good throw and a good catch.

I just hope that Andy and Marty don't go back to the same philosophy this week as they used last time with chucking it deep all the time. McKenzie and Thomas can be beaten deep. But set those guys up and take shots on occasion. One thing that may save them from doing that is Garcia doesn't throw the deep ball as good as McNabb.

L.J Smith needs to be rediscovered too. Since Jeff has taken over he doesn't really seem to look at the TE that much.

Actually McNabb got away from LJ first before he went down...then I thought Garcia started using him again...but then also got away from him.....either LB's are tightening up on him or they're not calling the right plays...he needs to be going down the seem/post/flag routes...he's just not the type of TE that should be doing those 4 yard turn around routes. He's too athletic/fast for that.

QuoteJanuary 8, 2007


FOX Sports' Brian Baldinger is confident that the Eagles will march past the Saints into the NFC Championship Game ...
"The last time the Eagles played the Saints, the Eagles defense couldn't get off the field. But this defense isn't the same as it was then. That defense gave up too many big plays and made too many mistakes. This defense has improved in its third-down play. There are two things to look for here: I broadcast the game a few weeks ago in which the taterskins broke down the Saints protection and applied all kinds of pressure to quarterback Drew Brees.


The Eagles need to contain the Saints explosive offense
"Jim Johnson is capable of putting together the same kind of scheme. If the Eagles can get to Brees and make him move, the defense will have a much better chance. The second thing is defending wide receiver Marques Colston. He is such a big kid, and the Eagles need to body him up. If he catches the ball and falls down, he gets a first down. The Eagles need to get up on him, maybe use a big body like Michael Lewis to man him up and get physical with him.

"The Saints had the ball the last 8 ½ minutes of the game in October. This Philadelphia defense is much better at getting off blocks and limiting the big run, which they didn't do in October.

"Offensively, I think the Eagles match up very well. Ladell Betts had a huge day running the football for Washington against New Orleans. Even with Hollis Thomas back in the lineup, the Eagles should have success. There isn't much inside that worries me as far as the New Orleans defense. I just think the Saints are very, very soft inside. Washington exposed them. The Eagles will do the same with inside zone running and I think they should be getting 5 yards a pop, like they have been.

"Hollis is better than what they have, but it shouldn't make a difference. Who is going to move Shawn Andrews on that team?

"I like the Eagles in this game. I don't even worry about this game. This is a completely different Eagles team than the one that played in New Orleans in October. New Orleans has been exposed and the Eagles are smart enough to take advantage. I don't care about the bye week, because the Saints have never been in the playoffs. They don't know what the playoffs are about.
"The problem you would worry about with most teams is, 'How will you handle the atmosphere of the Superdome?' A lot of teams have had trouble with that. But I haven't seen Jon Runyan or William Thomas flinch yet in any of these games on the road. And Jeff Garcia thrives off the crowd. I think it's almost a benefit for the Eagles to go on the road and play New Orleans.

"Look, the Eagles beat a tough Giants team on Sunday and did it by ramming the ball down New York's throat on the last drive. Every move Andy Reid has made - whether it is bringing Koy Detmer back to the team, or keeping his team focused - is working."

Thankfully, most of the talking heads are picking the Saints as a mortal lock.  I feel much more comfortable that way. 

Baldinger is more of an Eagles homer than Jaworski.

The fact that the Saints lost to some bad teams gives me hope.
The fact that the closest thing to a guaranteed win in the NFL is a home game after a bye completely erases that hope.

Go Birds.

Quote from: rjs246 on January 09, 2007, 09:59:06 AMThe fact that the closest thing to a guaranteed win in the NFL is a home game after a bye completely erases that hope.

Is that just something you believe, or have you seen the actual numbers? I wouldn't mind seeing the numbers of the post-season only.

Quote from: Tomahawk on January 09, 2007, 10:02:07 AM

Quote from: rjs246 on January 09, 2007, 09:59:06 AMThe fact that the closest thing to a guaranteed win in the NFL is a home game after a bye completely erases that hope.

Is that just something you believe, or have you seen the actual numbers? I wouldn't mind seeing the numbers of the post-season only.

2005
Seattle and Denver won at home
Indianapolis and Chicago lost at home
2-2

2004
all 4 teams won at home
4-0

2003
Kansas City and Tennessee and St Louis lost at home
Eagles won at home
1-3

2002
home teams 4-0

2001
Philly, New England, Pittsburgh won
St Louis lost at home
3-1

2000
Oakland, Giants, Vikings won
Tennessee lost
3-1

1999
Jacksonville, St Louis, Tampa won
Tennesee lost
3-1

1998
home teams 4-0

1997
home teams 3-1

Post season numbers for teams with byes are even more lopsided than the numbers during the regular season... I'll see if I can find the exact stats but it's something like 65% win percentage for home teams after a bye during the regular season and 70%+ in the post season.

Another stat to throw out there:  the Eagles are 3-0 this season on short weeks (vs DAL, at WSH, vs ATL)

Garcia is not going to win this game for the Eagles, its Westbrook, and Buck and the O-line. I can see The Saints trying to keep Garcia in the pocket, because they are a smart team.  We need to ground and pound the Saints to win.  No reason why we can't run all day on them with our O-line. Its up to the coaches now kids!

Quote from: BigEd76 on January 09, 2007, 10:29:15 AM
Another stat to throw out there:  the Eagles are 3-0 this season on short weeks (vs DAL, vs CAR, at WSH)

how was carolina a short week?  that was on Monday Night

I just tried to google it and didn't immediately see an easy answer so forget it. But I've read several articles over the past few years talking about the advantages of home teams coming off of a bye both in the playoffs and during the season. I'm sure there will be another at some point this week. Sports journalists love to recycle their stories.

Here's a fact, the Saints have only won 1 playoff game in the existence of their franchise (2000 vs. St. Louis). What influence does that have on Saturdays game? 0

how was carolina a short week?  that was on Monday Night

plus how many of those teams had a week off like the saints will have had...not even sure why easy is touting that number


i expect the eagles to get run out of the building this week...the katrina emotional wave is gonna be to strong...next to that the deciding factor will be the eagles inability to get any kind of pass rush...its been so bad for the better part of three months now...do it again this week and brees will throw for 400 yards

who cares tho...after that giant game i will be on cloud 9 no matter what happens this week...any more wins this season is purely a bonus

Quote from: rjs246 on January 09, 2007, 10:36:37 AM
I just tried to google it and didn't immediately see an easy answer so forget it. But I've read several articles over the past few years talking about the advantages of home teams coming off of a bye both in the playoffs and during the season. I'm sure there will be another at some point this week. Sports journalists love to recycle their stories.

Don't worry about it as Wingspan's post was informative enough. According to the numbers he posted, since 1997 the home teams are 27-9 (.750 or 3/4 or 75%).

Quote from: SunMo on January 09, 2007, 10:33:54 AM

Quote from: BigEd76 on January 09, 2007, 10:29:15 AM
Another stat to throw out there:  the Eagles are 3-0 this season on short weeks (vs DAL, vs CAR, at WSH)

how was carolina a short week?  that was on Monday Night

Got distracted and typed the wrong team.  I meant Atlanta instead of Carolina....

Quote from: Tomahawk on January 09, 2007, 10:54:04 AM
Don't worry about it as Wingspan's post was informative enough. According to the numbers he posted, since 1997 the home teams are 27-9 (.750 or 3/4 or 75%).

And I predict that trend to continue: Philadelphia, Chicago, San Diego and Baltimore all win this weekend.  75%   ;D

Quote from: BigEd76 on January 09, 2007, 11:35:45 AM
Got distracted and typed the wrong team.  I meant Atlanta instead of Carolina....

i expect better from you

From Baldinger's article:

QuoteThe second thing is defending wide receiver Marques Colston. He is such a big kid, and the Eagles need to body him up. If he catches the ball and falls down, he gets a first down. The Eagles need to get up on him, maybe use a big body like Michael Lewis to man him up and get physical with him.

= Death

Well we have two choices.  We can put Lewis in and get burned deep and look foolish.  Or we can put Considine in and have him whiff on a tackle at the line of scrimmage and look foolish.  Pick your poison.

Well, neither of those guys have any business lining up over Colston in single coverage.  Not much doubt about that.

Quote from: Beef Rapp on January 09, 2007, 02:17:17 PM
Well we have two choices.  We can put Lewis in and get burned deep and look foolish.  Or we can put Considine in and have him whiff on a tackle at the line of scrimmage and look foolish.  Pick your poison.

I dunno, call me crazy... but I figure that Colston warrants putting a corner on him instead of a safety... but that's just me.  ;)

Hanson is going to maul him at the line.  I can feel it now.

I'm really worried about the homefield factor for the Saints.  The Iggs are going to have to play so carefully not to get some really ticky tacky calls.  Though this past weekend's game proved that the refs suck no matter where they are.  I figured we'd have that whole "we're at home so we'll get some calls our way" thing going but that never really happened.  I know the yellow hankies will be flying everywhere in NO.

I remember the "Who the hell Joselio Hanson?" topic and someone said if he has any decent amount of playing time the team is going to be in shambles. He's actually been a good find.

Quote from: Tomahawk on January 09, 2007, 10:54:04 AM

Quote from: rjs246 on January 09, 2007, 10:36:37 AM
I just tried to google it and didn't immediately see an easy answer so forget it. But I've read several articles over the past few years talking about the advantages of home teams coming off of a bye both in the playoffs and during the season. I'm sure there will be another at some point this week. Sports journalists love to recycle their stories.

Don't worry about it as Wingspan's post was informative enough. According to the numbers he posted, since 1997 the home teams are 27-9 (.750 or 3/4 or 75%).

According to some articles posted in the Philly papers, since the league went to this playoff setup in 1990, the home teams are 52-12 overall, 28-4 in the NFC. If you want some good karma, Reid has been involved in two of the 4 games the visitors won--he was an asst coach for the Packers when they won at SF in 1995, and of course,  he coached the Eagles to the win over Chicago in 2001.

Another thing I haven't seen mentioned regarding our last meeting with the Saints was that McCallister was having a great day and the Saints were rolling before he got injured in the 2nd quarter.

three of the four nfc home team losses have come this decade...which imo is due to how bad the nfc has been and the absence of any great teams...which bodes well for the eagles altho this game will not be your normal road game as the atmosphere will be second to none (perhaps in playoff history) this sat nite in the superdome....i also think the saints are probably the strongest 2 seed the nfc has had this decade...granted thats not saying a whole lot

Success in this game can only happen if the Eagles, when possible, run it down the throats of the Saints.  Simply put we need to keep their offense off the field because we won't be able to get to Brees and we have a size disadvantage in the secondary.  The short pass game plus effective play from the opposing running game spells an Eagles loss.  The wildcard is the ability of our offense to control the clock; thus Westy, Buck and the O line need to be in absolutely fine form. 

A win for the good guys will certainly come from a combination of 200 yards on the ground, less than 100 yards from Deuce, and a couple of breaks in turnovers. 

I wouldn't overstate the Katrina thing, as well as the emotion and the inexperience of the Saints.  The Eagles under Reid went from inexperienced to experienced in a hurry.  Nowhere is it written in stone that your first home playoff game in ages has to be a dud.

I would love to see the Eagles control the clock with a grinding running game. Hopefully the game plan is better then last week's effort against the Giants.

We need to play a great game and get some lucky breaks in order to win. Also, I would love to see Westy coninue to return punts. He will break one (when it counts) any minute now.

In all my expertise in football talk, I can definitively say that in order for the Eagles to win, they must score more points than the Saints.

:yay

Quote from: ice grillin you on January 09, 2007, 04:33:57 PM
this game will not be your normal road game as the atmosphere will be second to none (perhaps in playoff history) this sat nite in the superdome....

I agree. I agree, it will be a media blitz. But as much as Katrina devastated the land down there, what has been almost as bad football wise is the fact that the Saints have sucked so bad for so long. Now, they actually have a good team. They have one of the best qb's in the game right now. They finally look like they have a decent no. 1 pick in Bush. Who can forget the Reggie Williams debacle with Mike Ditka wearing dreadlocks?? I want the Eagles to win more than anything, but you can't help but be happy for the people down there seeing that they have a exciting team with a very good looking future, 'specially after the hurricane. I just hope that their future right now is looking foward to the NFL draft.

It will be a close game. I think the Saints are getting over-hyped and granted they are well coached I don't see them blowing anybody out.

It will be tough for the Eagles to win, but it will be a hard fought game for both teams and I don't think this is any way will be a gimme win for the Saints if they pull it out.

Over the past month and a half I expect a fight out of the Eagles. Yeah, it will probably be hectic in New Orleans, but in the playoffs if a team makes a few clutch plays the momentum can make a complete 180.

The Eagles have a puncher's chance, but it'll be tough.

The Saints are 4-4 at home, so much for that impossible homefield advantage.
They lost to the stinking taterskins just a few weeks ago, behind a huge game by Betts.  The Skins D also got Brees moving out of the pocket.

For the Eagles to win, they'll need to stick to the run, minimize NO possessions, and play some great D up front.

Quote from: MadMarchHare on January 09, 2007, 08:04:56 PM
The Eagles have a puncher's chance, but it'll be tough.

The Saints are 4-4 at home, so much for that impossible homefield advantage.
They lost to the stinking taterskins just a few weeks ago, behind a huge game by Betts.  The Skins D also got Brees moving out of the pocket.

For the Eagles to win, they'll need to stick to the run, minimize NO possessions, and play some great D up front.

That would mean that the Eagles would have to pretend they have a pass rush.

After watching Replay:

Eagles only blitzed like 4 times well into the 3rd Quarter.
Trotter got burned several times trying to cover Horn, especially down the middle of the field.
McCoy was terrible and added a Horse Collar Tackle.  Lewis got burned on the double move.
Bush and McCallister kept getting swing passes, pitches and rushes to the outside.
Eagles used all of their time outs, muffed punt, 12 men on the field... and still only lost by 3.

The Eagles have a good chance if they can string out the runs and tackle outside.  They also need to stop the stupid mistakes.  Westbrook and Buckhalter looked good on the playing surface.  More runs and good ball management may protect Garcia from #94 for the Saints.

I wouldn't read too much into this game from what happened damn near three months ago.  They are a much better team than when we last faced them, at least on offense.

Yeah, it was a while ago. 
I do see N.O. trying to do the same things though.  On offense that is what they have, that and trick plays.  They have showed that they can play a lot better and pass a lot more at times. 

The Eagles D has changed a whole lot for the better at LB.  Trotter still cannot cover anyone running down field.  He just not fast anymore, but he can stop the run.

Honestly, Andrews and Runyan got outplayed a few times and got McNabb sacked and hurried several times.  They are both playing better and need to take some attitude into this game.  (as long as Runyan don't take it overboard...)

I think we have a good chance.

Quote from: MadMarchHare on January 09, 2007, 10:32:32 PM
I wouldn't read too much into this game from what happened damn near three months ago.  They are a much better team than when we last faced them, at least on offense.

thank you.  that was a long time ago and several earthquakes ago - that was the day the big one hit hawaii.  Whole different ballgame now sportsfans.  I refuse to get caught up in the first meeting.  Bush, McCalister, Brees, WR's all scare the shtein out of me.  birds got their work cut out for them.  I am most concerned about our defense.  We don't wrap up McCalister or Bush on the inital hit we are in a heap of shtein.

I wouldn't read too much into this game from what happened damn near three months ago

i would completely agree with this under normal circumstances...but its even more true when you add in the atmosphere that will be present down there...everyone remembers the falcons monday niter....well times that by 100 and thats what you have sat nite

if the eagles can be in this game at halftime i actually see them winning...but the more likely scenario is them getting steamrolled out the gate ala pittsburgh in 04 or the colts this year...where the high level of competition multiplied by the road atmosphere just overwhelmes them

Quote from: Beef Rapp on January 09, 2007, 02:26:27 PM
Hanson is going to maul him at the line.  I can feel it now.

I'm really worried about the homefield factor for the Saints.  The Iggs are going to have to play so carefully not to get some really ticky tacky calls.  Though this past weekend's game proved that the refs suck no matter where they are.  I figured we'd have that whole "we're at home so we'll get some calls our way" thing going but that never really happened.  I know the yellow hankies will be flying everywhere in NO.

seemed like the NFL really wanted one of the NY teams to win for better ratings. I mean cmon 2 missed PFs against Garcia and non call on a clear Pass Int. Eagles may be in for the same shtein this week because of the New Orleans recovery factor.

They don't have to sack Brees, they just have to get him uncomfortable. Although sacking him, obviously, would be better. They cannot let him get set in the pocket. Payton is going to three-step drop that defense to death. If the zesty taterskins can get after Brees, so can this team.

If they have to employ a 'mush rush' then so be it. That usually works best when a QB is taking short drops anyway. Clog up the passing lanes and get the hands up to knock shtein down. If you clog the passing lanes he has to move and then he might be brought down.

Eagles need to improve on stopping the outside runs and tell Considine to be patient, he got burned a couple times last week coming in too early to try and stop Barber. He needs to stay in the area at the Line of Scrimmage especially with the swing and screen passes coming this week.

I like he Eagles secondary this week even though Lito is out. Hanson has improved and with Brown, Hood, and James in there along with game film of the Saints WRs they should be able to stop the big gains.

Eagles need to improve on stopping the outside runs and tell Considine to kill himself

Listening to 950 on the way home and they have a writer from the NO Times-Picayune on. He e-mailed them to tell them he was coming to Philly to write the obligatory hatchet job on Philly fans and they have him in studio. His name is Chris Rose and he'll be walking around the city in a Saints jersey. He wants people to blast him.

(http://www.superchefblog.com/images/chrisrose_150x190.png)

 When Reggie Bush is in the game FORCE HIM TO BLOCK. Wanna eliminate him from the passing game? Show blitz and have Brees audible the protection. We see this a lot and you know its happening when, for instance, the backs are in an I formation and then they split out to a pro-set (side by side). By showing blitz it will make them keep Bush in to block. If they back out of the blitz and Bush leaks out - have a spy on him. If they blitz then have the extra rushers going to Bush's side.

Also - Dirk better not punt the ball to him. Kick that motherfarger out of bounds or into the endzone.

a lot of talk going on, all I have to say is that the Saints are doomed. 

Was this posted? (http://www.superbowl.com/news/story/9919062)

Quote from: shorebird on January 09, 2007, 06:58:33 PM
Who can forget the Reggie Ricky Williams debacle with Mike Ditka wearing dreadlocks??

Fixed.

QuoteRetrial and errors
Eagles hope they have learned from mistakes in rematch with Saints
By LES BOWEN
bowenl@phillynews.com


THERE ARE two plays that everybody in Philadelphia remembers from that Oct. 15 game in New Orleans, two plays that defined the Saints' 27-24 victory, and presaged changes that eventually took place on the Eagles' defense.

On one, Eagles strong safety Mike Lewis bit on a double move by wide receiver Joe Horn, and Horn blew past Lewis for a 48-yard touchdown catch from Drew Brees that tied the game at 24, after the Eagles had scored 21 points in a row to take the lead. Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson replaced Lewis with Sean Considine after that play, which occurred with 12 minutes and 52 seconds left in the final quarter. Considine remains the starter, as the Birds prepare to visit the Saints Saturday in the divisional round of the playoffs, though Lewis plays a lot in special packages.

The other play came with 3:08 left. Trent Cole sacked Brees for a 7-yard loss on third-and-10 from the Eagles' 35, almost certainly pushing the Saints out of field goal range, with the score still tied at 24. But rookie linebacker Omar Gaither, playing on the weakside for the first time because of a shoulder injury to Matt McCoy, hadn't left the game when the team's "dime" personnel came on. The Eagles were playing with 12 defenders. Flags flew. Given another chance, third-and-5 from the 30, Brees converted the first down, and the Saints ultimately ran the clock all the way down, before John Carney kicked a 31-yard field goal on the final play, for the win.

It was an isolated rookie mistake for Gaither, who overcame it and eventually took over McCoy's starting job, in the aftermath of the 45-21 loss at Indianapolis Nov. 26 that was the genesis of the Eagles' unlikely resurgence.

Lewis, a fifth-year veteran who played in the Pro Bowl 2 years ago, has thrived lately, after accepting a lesser role. Teammates and coaches give Lewis and Gaither credit for moving on in the wake of their missteps against the Saints.

Yesterday, both players said returning to New Orleans held little significance for them.

"I wouldn't say I've 'adjusted,' " said Lewis, who almost certainly will leave the Eagles in free agency in the offseason. "I'm a team player. Whatever they see fit for me to do right now, I'm willing to do it... I'm out here trying to win games... I think about coming back to New Orleans to get a win... I'm not worried about this [possibly] being my last Eagles game; my whole focus is trying to help this ballclub win.

"As a DB, you're going to give up some plays, things are going to happen in the game. You've got to put those things behind you as quickly as possible. A lot has been said about me losing confidence. That wasn't the case. It's just one of those things. It happens."

Gaither was asked if the penalty was the low point of his successful rookie season.

"I guess you could say that," he said. "It was just something that happened. There's nothing I can do about it now. We're where we wanted to be, which is in the playoffs, so we're just moving on from that."

Pressed for a detailed rememberance of his reaction that day, Gaither said he couldn't provide one.

"Honestly, that seems like it was 2 or 3 years ago... I can't even remember a lot of things from that Saints game, without going back and looking at film," he said.

A questioner wanted to credit Gaither with standing up and taking responsibility for the mistake after the game that day. Gaither didn't seem to think he'd done anything praiseworthy.

"I was responsible. There's no other way to look at it," Gaither said.

Free safety Brian Dawkins said that wasn't entirely true.

"I don't believe that was just his mistake, that was all of ours," Dawkins said. "Somebody should have seen that and been able to help him get off the field... For him to be able to come back and contribute as a rookie after all that scrutiny and people talking about him like they were talking about him - it's huge for him. And as far as Mike goes, I've talked about what Mike had to go through and what he's doing for us now and what we count on him for when he touches the field - to make plays for us.

"That built something up in both of those guys, that they can go through tough ordeals and still come out smelling pretty sweet."

Not every Eagle who misstepped that day has gotten a chance to redeem himself, by the way. Another key play came when second-year running back Ryan Moats, back with since-released Dexter Wynn on a punt return, ran into Wynn as Wynn caught the ball, causing a fumble at the Birds' 19. The Saints quickly moved in for a touchdown that gave them a 17-3 halftime lead. Moats was active the next week, then did not play again until the regular-season finale, when he subbed for Brian Westbrook in a meaningless game. That mistake seemed to underscore Moats' lack of a sense of the game, which has kept him off the field for most of his Eagles career, despite his impressive talent.

Overall, the Eagles' defense will have to play a lot better than it played in its last visit to New Orleans. Brees completed 27 of 37 passes for 275 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. The Eagles did a decent job against the run, at least until the final drive, holding the Saints to 97 yards on 30 carries. New Orleans hadn't fully integrated rookie Reggie Bush into its offense at that point; the Birds held Bush to 25 yards on 11 carries and 35 yards on four receptions.

Dawkins said Saints coach Sean Payton "brought [Bush] in slowly, so now they've expanded it. I think that, if possible, they're going to try to expand it a little more with all this time they had off."

The Eagles backslid a bit last week on their recent commitment to gap control; Tiki Barber gained 137 yards on 26 carries.

"A guy like Reggie Bush, or Deuce McAllister, can hit it anywhere, on any given play, they can cut it all the way back or they can take it frontside. You have to stay in your gaps and stay disciplined," Gaither said.

Johnson talked this week about how hard it is to get pressure on Brees, because the Saints often use three-step drops.

"It's tough, because they get the ball out quick, and sometimes they keep extra blockers in. A lot of times you try to come up with coverage sacks - stay in coverage, and hopefully, the d-line can get there," Gaither said.

"It's very difficult," Lewis agreed. "It's just one of those things where we have to get our hands up. The guys up front, they're just going to have to do a great job of getting their hands up and getting some pressure on him."

Birdseed

As successful as they were this season, the Saints still only compiled a minus-four turnover ratio. The Eagles were plus-five... Both teams were 10-6 and both were 9-3 within the NFC... Under Andy Reid, the Birds have not won a playoff game in which they've allowed 20 points or more (0-3).

0-3 when the other team score more than 20 points?  that's probably not a great stat for the Eagles.

saints over/under for the first quarter is 20

Just watched the birds falcons game on TiVo. I must say that I was fairly impressed with the eagles backups. Hanson and the other DB's did pretty well, avant, baskett and GLew looked like real players. It gives me some confidence about the depth on this team. Atlanta, while 8-8, is not a bad team.

not taking anything away from the eagle back ups but atlanta is a terrible team who had quit before the game even started

Quote from: ice grillin you on January 10, 2007, 11:25:23 AM
not taking anything away from the eagle back ups but atlanta is a terrible team who had quit before the game even started

Couldn't agree more, and I do give our backups who don't play in gameday situations at all througout the year credit for beating them. For some reason I just wanted to get to 10 wins despite it not meaning anything, I don't know if its because its the double digit factor or what, but 10 wins to me says 'good team' whereas 9 wins says 1 game above .500

ESPN's Scouts Take FWIW:

Quote
Why To Watch

Can the Saints continue their Cinderella season against an Eagles team that is playing with a lot of confidence? When these teams meet in Week 6, the Saints outplayed the Eagles in all three phases of the game. Saints head coach Sean Payton will rely on quarterback Drew Brees to attack with short, rhythm passing game to set up the run. Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson must find a way to neutralize the Saints' running game, while pressuring Brees in the pocket.

Look for Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg to continue to stay balanced by relying on RB Brian Westbrook to set up the play-action pass against a suspect Saints run defense. Saints defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs will rely on his attacking multiple fronts to disrupt the Eagles' blocking patterns, while trying to keep QB Jeff Garcia in the pocket in passing situations.

When the Eagles have the ball

Rushing: Since the season-ending injury to QB Donovan McNabb, the Eagles have shown outstanding balance. Look for the Eagles to continue to rely on Westbrook to set up their play-action attack. Westbrook is an explosive playmaker who has taken pressure off Garcia. The Eagles have a big offensive line that has done a good job of creating downhill space for Westbrook. Westbrook is at his best in open space where he can use his elusive running style to create on his own, while making defenders miss.
The Saints will rely on his attacking up-field schemes to disrupt Philly's blocking patterns. NT Hollis Thomas is expected to return this week after missing the last four games of the regular season due to a league-imposed suspension. Thomas was dominating in the first meeting between these teams in the way he attacked and controlled the interior of the Saints' run defense. Saints MLB Mark Simoneau, and outside linebackers Scott Shanle and Scott Fujita must be disciplined in their run reads and gap integrity when attacking downhill. The Saints' game plan on defense will be to focus on stopping the Eagles' rushing attack, while forcing Garcia to make plays inside the pocket.

Passing: The Eagles love to spread the ball around in the passing game, and they will use a lot of movement to create individual matchups they can exploit on the backend. The key for Gibbs will be to keep Garcia inside the pocket. Garcia can be very dangerous when moving around in the pocket to buy time, while creating passing windows to overcome his relative lack of height. He lacks the arm strength to stretch the field vertically, but Garcia has been very accurate in the Eagles' quick, controlled passing attack. Look for the Eagles to try to get Garcia into rhythm early by attacking with either WR Reggie Brown or TE L.J. Smith off play-action. Brown had six receptions for 121 yards and one touchdown in the first meeting.

The Saints have the ability to create pressure off their four-man rush with defensive ends Will Smith, Charles Grant and LDT Brian Young. The Saints' emphasis this week will be the proper rush lanes when forcing Garcia to stay in the pocket. Gibbs has done a good job of dialing up blitz pressure packages in critical third-down situations. Because the Eagles lack a true No. 1 receiver, the Saints can stay balanced on the backend with a lot of Cover 2 principles, while rushing four and being physical on the outside with their corners.

When the Saints have the ball

Rushing: The Saints will continue to attack through the air to set up the run. Payton loves to spread the field by using both his standard and two-tight end packages, which create better run space between the tackles for RB Deuce McAllister. McAlister is a tough inside runner who has the speed to bounce outside and get on the edge of the defense. He runs with a good low center of gravity while lowering his shoulder and exploding after contact on the second level.

The Eagles' Johnson is one of the most innovative and aggressive coaches in the league. The Eagles love to utilize their rotation on the defensive line and attack gaps with up-field penetration. Look for Johnson to use a lot of movement with his fronts, while running zone-blitz run schemes that attack the interior of the Saints offensive line and force McAllister go more east-west rather than north-south. The Eagles have some aggressive linebackers led by MLB Jeremiah Trotter. However, the Eagles must be sound this week in their responsibilities when attacking up-field gaps.

Passing: New Orleans finished the regular season with the No. 1-ranked pass offense. The Saints averaged 281.4 yards a game, while the Eagles' pass defense allowed 191.7 yards a game. Payton was very creative throughout the regular season in his formational designs and personnel groupings when trying to keep defenses off balance, especially by using RB Reggie Bush detached in the formation. Brees has been unbelievable in his ability to play mistake-free while managing the game. Brees' quick release and ability to make all throws place a lot of pressure on Eagles' pass defense. In the first meeting between these teams, Brees did not take a sack as the Eagles struggled to get consistent pressure on him, which exploited their backend in coverage.

Johnson loves to rely heavily on his pressure packages and will attack the pocket with multiple-zone pressures along with playing a lot of single-safety and no-safety schemes. However, the Eagles are expected to be without Pro Bowl LCB Lito Sheppard, who dislocated his right elbow in last week's win over the Giants. Look for Payton to spread the field that create mismatches by isolating Roderick Hood, Joselio Hanson or William James in passing situations. The key for the Saints will be their ability to pick up the Eagles' blitz packages, while giving Brees time in the pocket to attack the Eagles secondary. Also, look for the Eagles to play a lot of sub defensive personnel (nickel-dime) against the Saints' high-powered offense.

Quote from: SunMo on January 10, 2007, 11:10:20 AM

QuoteUnder Andy Reid, the Birds have not won a playoff game in which they've allowed 20 points or more (0-3).

uh Les, they allowed 20 to the Giants and won.  Besides, that stat is probably similar for most teams when it comes to the playoffs...

Quote from: BigEd76 on January 10, 2007, 11:58:54 AM

Quote from: SunMo on January 10, 2007, 11:10:20 AM

QuoteUnder Andy Reid, the Birds have not won a playoff game in which they've allowed 20 points or more (0-3).

uh Les, they allowed 20 to the Giants and won.  Besides, that stat is probably similar for most teams when it comes to the playoffs...

the patriots are 3-0 under belechek when allowing 20 or more points. and two of those are super bowls

3-1 (last year at Denver), 3-2 overall including the Browns.  He's one of the few with a winning record.

A few other examples of 20 or more in the playoffs:

Cowher = 2-8
Parcells = 2-7
Dungy = 2-7
Landry = 4-14
Shanahan = 2-5
Coryell = 2-5
Schottenheimer = 4-8
Reeves = 6-8
Jimmy Johnson = 2-3

Quote from: BigEd76 on January 10, 2007, 12:53:22 PM
3-1 (last year at Denver), 3-2 overall including the Browns.  He's one of the few with a winning record.

A few other examples of 20 or more in the playoffs:

Cowher = 2-8
Parcells = 2-7
Dungy = 2-7
Landry = 4-14
Shanahan = 2-5
Coryell = 2-5
Schottenheimer = 4-8
Reeves = 6-8
Jimmy Johnson = 2-3

Johnson's record should be 2-6--after all, that last playoff game he coached, the Dolphins gave up 62 points to the Jags.

I e-mailed Bowen and he answered saying he got his info from the Eagles' media dept and they hadn't updated their stats. He said he recieved "many" e-mails.

I'm not worried about Bush at all saturday

(http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i175/SM97ACC/dawks.jpg)

All these little biddy guys aren't going to stop him!

Marino was the only one of the four on Inside the NFL to pick the Eagles...

Midget Bob, Cris Carter and Collinsworthless picked the 'aints?

zOMG

I was just kidding about the lil' guys Seabiscuit...  That was pretty cool the way you did that.

The Eagles have been able to stop most of the best runners in the league, although they lost their minds in the middle of the season...

The Eagles need to concentrate on the Saints Receivers and blocking their DLine.  I always liked Hollis. (that may come to an end!)

Oh and 3 little words: Fu Ji Ta

Sim on eau

No one on CNN picked the Birds to win, and only the Harmon Forecast on CBS picked the Eagles to even cover.

And this all means.....not much.

A guy on the EMB whipped this one up:

Quote(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v73/wholesalephil/lakeexpress_1024x768.jpg)

He wasn't banned for that?

QuoteIt's extremely sad that we have to post this message, but it is apparent that some people who post here need this to be spelled out for them.

Any ridiculous comments directed towards Saints fans about Hurricane Katrina or any attempted "joke" using Katrina and you'll be banned. No warnings, no suspensions. Your account will be banned.

Come on people. Be a little classy.

Quote from: SD_Eagle on January 11, 2007, 10:32:10 AM
He wasn't banned for that?

QuoteIt's extremely sad that we have to post this message, but it is apparent that some people who post here need this to be spelled out for them.

Any ridiculous comments directed towards Saints fans about Hurricane Katrina or any attempted "joke" using Katrina and you'll be banned. No warnings, no suspensions. Your account will be banned.

Come on people. Be a little classy.

For that picture???? 

That picture was from Katrina, right?

Quoteor any attempted "joke" using Katrina and you'll be banned

I could care less, to me if other teams fans can insult our city and fans than that makes everything else fair game, even Katrina jokes. I'm a heartless prick.

That picture will always be funny in my book, the original one.  The guy probably lost his house but foudn the time to look Heinekins, how can you not laugh at that. 

People stealing ps2's after their property floated away, and the justification that they were only getting needed supplies while people are wading thru the flooded streets w/a raft and TV's on the rafts..   :-D 

Back to football related issues... I notice a disturbing trend, involving Stonehands Tapeh in the offense besides blocking.  I can't be the only one who shudders everytime he gets the rock thrown to him or gets a gift carry. It doesn't happen alot, but even once a game is too much IMO. The pass he dropped by the endzone the other week could easily have popped up volleyball style and got picked. All I'm saying is it scares me and I wish they would stop attempting to use him.

He dislocated his finger nastily 5 plays before they threw it to him.  I blame that on the coach when a guy's finger is sideways why throw it to him. 

The NFL Network's bottom line has Tapeh listed as questionable so he may not even play.

i saw that, and ESPN injury report only has Michael Lewis and Westbrook and Lito on there? 

tapeh hurt his knee in practice yesterday and thats why hes questionable...the finger is not an issue

NFL.com has

Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints 
PHI  OUT  CB Lito Sheppard (Elbow)

   QUESTIONABLE  FB Thomas Tapeh (Knee)

   PROBABLE  MLB Omar Gaither (Shoulder)
SS Michael Lewis (Knee)
RB Ryan Moats (Ankle)
LB Dedrick Roper (Knee)
T Tra Thomas (Knee)
MLB Jeremiah Trotter (Knee)
RB Brian Westbrook (Knee)

NO  QUESTIONABLE  WR Joe Horn (Groin)
SS Omar Stoutmire (Knee)

SD:  I asked Phil to make it for me.  He never posted it.

Quote from: Jerome99RIP on January 11, 2007, 12:33:10 PM
SD:  I asked Phil to make it for me.  He never posted it.

Right on, like I said I think Katrina jokes are fair game, I understand PE.com not wanting it on their website though.

Everything is fair game.  Everything.

tapeh update

reid said he will be a gametime decision

Is comatose Ritchie available  :paranoid

Screw Ritchie - sign MURP and begin filming Invincible Part Deux

from CNNSI.com

QuotePHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Thomas Tapeh, the only fullback on Philadelphia's roster, is questionable for Saturday night's playoff game at New Orleans because of a knee injury.

Tapeh missed practice Thursday for the second straight day. Coach Andy Reid said he'll be a game-time decision. If Tapeh can't play, tailback Correll Buckhalter would take his spot at fullback.

"We've been using him in there all year, sparingly and in lead situations and other things," Reid said of Buckhalter. "We're comfortable with him in there. We'll do the same things."

Tapeh is used mainly as a blocker. He ran the ball just five times for 9 yards and had 16 catches for 85 yards and one touchdown this season.

Quote from: dis12 on January 11, 2007, 03:53:08 PM
from CNNSI.com

QuotePHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Thomas Tapeh, the only fullback on Philadelphia's roster, is questionable for Saturday night's playoff game at New Orleans because of a knee injury.

Tapeh missed practice Thursday for the second straight day. Coach Andy Reid said he'll be a game-time decision. If Tapeh can't play, tailback Correll Buckhalter would take his spot at fullback.

"We've been using him in there all year, sparingly and in lead situations and other things," Reid said of Buckhalter. "We're comfortable with him in there. We'll do the same things."

Tapeh is used mainly as a blocker. He ran the ball just five times for 9 yards and had 16 catches for 85 yards and one touchdown this season.

Affect on run game?  Could be significant since I can't remember Buckhalter as the lead blocker for Westbrook.

Tapeh has done extremely well down the stretch as a lead blocker. I think this could be huge.

its only huge if you think they can win with tapeh

Quote from: Tomahawk on January 11, 2007, 03:43:17 PM
Screw Ritchie - sign MURP and begin filming Invincible Part Deux

I will break them.

Pancake Simoneau.  That is a promise.

Simoneau would squash you like a bug. A very drunk bug.

Quote from: Tomahawk on January 11, 2007, 03:43:17 PM
Screw Ritchie - sign MURP and begin filming Invincible Part Deux

Who will play MURP in the movie, though?   :paranoid

Quote from: Jerome99RIP on January 11, 2007, 04:36:18 PM

Quote from: Tomahawk on January 11, 2007, 03:43:17 PM
Screw Ritchie - sign MURP and begin filming Invincible Part Deux

Who will play MURP in the movie, though?   :paranoid

Josh Parry

Josh Parry (or is it Perry?) with Mahe as the stunt double.

Quote from: rjs246 on January 11, 2007, 04:35:31 PM
Simoneau would squash you like a bug. A very drunk bug.

I could be Parry's one legged brother and pancake you and Simoneau at the same time while Westrbrook goes for 6.

That doesn't make any sense. I like it.

you get 6 points for a touchdown...duh

Ha - I thought he meant six yards.

Saints fan here, but a respectful one.  Should be a great game and I have no doubt the winner goes to the Superbowl.  I like reading about an opponent before the game from the fans, rather than the media for obvious reasons.  So I figure I'll share three facts about my Saints:

1)The obvious, you will be playing a much different Reggie Bush.  It's night and day between the Reggie you say week 6 and the one you'll face Saturday night.  He's a full on threat now, and only makes the Saints that much tougher than October.

2)Sticking with offense, Devery Henderson didn't play last time.  I assume most won't think it's a big deal, but keep this in mind.  No Horn, offense dosn't skip a beat, no Colston and the offense dosn't skip a beat.  However, when Devery was on the sidelines, the Saints played two of their worst games of the season against the Panthers and Bucs.  He drops too many passes, but he stretches the field like few in the NFL, and opens up the middle of the field.  23.3 yards per catch is just sick.

3)The Saints are on a roll.  Most see losing two of three heading into the playoffs, but look at the last five meaningful games:

@Giants  30-7
V.Skins  10-16(oops)
@Boys  42-17
V.49ers 34-10
@ Falcons  31-13

That equals 147-63, and I like to assume the taterskins game was a letdown, mainly because I don't want to admit they got beat up.  I know the name leads to a sense of comfort, but this version of the Saints are very much for real.  Your offense scares the crap out of me, not because of Westbrook, he's great and I know he'll get his, but your WRs are the type that give the Saints fits like Brown did in week 6.  I think not having McNabb will prove to be a big problem for the first time IF Garcia can't take advantage of this. 

Let's hope for a great game with no injuries, and under no circumstance can the victor lose to the Bears.  Please don't lose to the Bears.   

QuoteWide receiver Donté Stallworth watched the movie Invincible, based on the inspiring story of former Eagle Vince Papale, on the team charter. He walked out of the team hotel with a black Lito Sheppard jersey on to show his support for the injured Pro Bowl cornerback who will not play in Saturday's NFC Divisional Playoff game against the New Orleans Saints.

They're playing in less than 24 hours. OHMIGOD.

Sticking with offense, Devery Henderson didn't play last time

stallworth >>>>>>> henderson

the saints receivers are irrelevant...brees runs that team and if he is on it doesnt matter who the wideouts are the saints are gonna move the ball

Quote from: PhillyPhreak54 on January 12, 2007, 10:09:30 PM

QuoteWide receiver Donté Stallworth watched the movie Invincible, based on the inspiring story of former Eagle Vince Papale, on the team charter. He walked out of the team hotel with a black Lito Sheppard jersey on to show his support for the injured Pro Bowl cornerback who will not play in Saturday's NFC Divisional Playoff game against the New Orleans Saints.

Now, I'm tellen' ya'. I love that kinda' fargin' shtein.

Stallworth sounds like he's into it big time, and thats good for the Eagles!

Quote from: ice grillin you on January 12, 2007, 10:17:45 PM
Sticking with offense, Devery Henderson didn't play last time

stallworth >>>>>>> henderson

the saints receivers are irrelevant...brees runs that team and if he is on it doesnt matter who the wideouts are the saints are gonna move the ball

Sorry, but you're wrong.  Not about Stallworth, he's a better WR than Devery, but Devery's importance to the Saints can't be denied.  Over the last ten games, Devery has 8 receptions over 40 yards.  He adds an element that can't be replaced.  Horn/Colston can sort of be replaced by Copper, but there is no replacement for Henderson, and no denying what he brings to the Saints. 

Devery also likes to drop easy balls that are right in his hands.

henderson playing this time around is more than cancelled out by stallworth who didnt play last time around either

advantage eagles

Whatever advantage that Stallworth gives the Eagles over the last game, it is more than nullified by the advantage that the Saints have at qb.

See, that's what I been saying.  I think the Eagles can stop the run.   But they need to watch for all of thise swing passes, pitches and runs to Bush.  College type stuff to get him in the open.  Otherwise, NO has been right there with Philly on the Big Pass plays and points.

No more Trotter covering recievers downfield.   He will have to get to Brees to stop these pass plays, because he can't do it covering after 10 or more yards.  Jaqua Thomas, Howard, Patterson, Cole, Gaither, McDougle, Bunkley...  Someone has to earn that money tomorrow stopping the pass at the source.

This is gonna be Great, just can't wait, got the night off for some drink and cheese steak! -Muhammd Ali

The Greatest.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Please oh please, let the Eagles win for me.

Quote from: shorebird on January 12, 2007, 10:59:37 PM
Whatever advantage that Stallworth gives the Eagles over the last game, it is more than nullified by the advantage that the Saints have at qb.

Right, because Brees definitely wasn't the Saints QB the last time they played. 

No, that was very early in the year. Thanks for making my point for me.

Umm Brees hasnt actually been playing well lately.

Yea he threw 4 for 5 against the Panthers but in the 2 games before that Brees threw for a 40 completion % against the Giants, you know a team that sucks, and a 50% completion % against the taterskins, bahaha. 

The dude can be stopped and so yea I really dont get your point.  Brees doesnt really cancel out Stallworth's addition to the offense.  I think saying McNabb cancels that out would be more relevant, but whatever. 

Not to mention that we had Dmac at qb the first game.

Brees has had a year any qb would die for. He's just as good as Manning or Brady at this point. That is one hell of an advantage, no matter how much of a hard on everyone has over Garcia.

I did mention that we had Dmac at qb the first game.

I dont care.  Saying Brees who is a QB for the other team, cancels out getting a player back on your team's offense is retarded when Brees played in the first game.

Viva Garcia :=)

Quote from: Billy Beane on January 12, 2007, 11:30:52 PM
I did mention that we had Dmac at qb the first game.

I dont care.  Saying Brees who is a QB for the other team, cancels out getting a player back on your team's offense is retarded when Brees played in the first game.

No it isn't, when you consider the advantage they have at qb with McNabb gone. Which is what I was trying to say the first time.

Not to mention that Brees has just as good a running game and probably better recievers than Garcia has.

Well you should have said that.

It would have made a lot more sense.

making sense is not my strong point.

I'm farging losing it here. 10 hours. Jesus Christ.

I'm nervous yet excited. I really think they pull it out tonight.

I have no hopes of victory and this season has already VASTLY exceeded my expectations, so win or lose I won't be crushed, but I just want the shtein to start right now.

last night i was thinking about the fact that, if they lose, it will 8 months until we see a significant eagles game again.

i'm not ready to let go.

Neither am I. I want it to continue because this season has been so crazy. The range of emotions by all fans has been crazy. The reason I want this game so bad is because they're so close to going back to the SB.

Goddamn I hope they run the ball a ton tonight. And get out to a fast start.

slowest day ever...

8 hours left

Quote from: SunMo on January 13, 2007, 12:07:51 PM
slowest day ever...

8 hours left

I figured this would be a problem so I got drunk last night in order to sleep until noon today.  My plan worked.

I got drunk last night and was up at 7:30 this morning. farg.

Quote from: PhillyPhreak54 on January 13, 2007, 10:07:09 AM
I'm nervous yet excited. I really think they pull it out tonight.

I can't help but to feel the same.  They have exceeded expectations but I'm not ready for it to be over yet.

Here's an interesting perspective:

The Saints are part of a region's recovery from a hurricane.

The Eagles are part of a region's recovery from Terrell Owens.

The Saints have fans who used to wear bags on their heads.

The Eagles have fans who are often in the bag.

Everyone just wants the game to start already. And I think that anxiousness hints that everyone is feeling at least somewhat confident going into this game that the Eagles will play well and possibly pull it out.

If anyone wants they can come over you my house and shtein-faced so the game gets here quicker.  Thats what I'm doing. 

My ladyfriend left town this morning. I am stuck in Boston. I have a case of beer, a case of wine and a bottle of delicious Jack Daniels. I am trying depserately not to drink it all before kickoff.

Please keep me posted on these kinds of minute details of your life. I am on the edge of seat, wondering if you had a beer or took a shot of Jack.

With your own severed arms, dude.

Quote from: SunMo on January 13, 2007, 10:09:08 AM
last night i was thinking about the fact that, if they lose, it will 8 months until we see a significant eagles game again.

i'm not ready to let go.

I had that same thought when I got up this morning.  Then I thought that either the Eagles or the Saints only have a few hours left in their season.  For some reason... maybe it's denial... I just don't think the Eagles are done yet.

rj,

we need to trade.  ticket to Honolulu, coach my son's basketball game at noon, then haul ass to the soccer field for a 2:30 game than haul major ass back home for the game.  All that just for the Jack Daniels!  

Quote from: NGM on January 13, 2007, 02:36:26 PM
If anyone wants they can come over you my house and shtein-faced so the game gets here quicker.  Thats what I'm doing. 

Really, we couldn't tell

Is it too early to yell at Reid to run the farging ball yet?

Quote from: PhillyandBCEagles on January 13, 2007, 03:39:19 PM

Quote from: NGM on January 13, 2007, 02:36:26 PM
If anyone wants they can come over you my house and shtein-faced so the game gets here quicker.  Thats what I'm doing. 

Really, we couldn't tell

Damnit, I thought I was being funny.  Turns out I was just being drunk.

Quote from: Munson on January 13, 2007, 03:54:29 PM
Is it too early to yell at Reid to run the farging ball yet?

Never too early but I think he's been hearing you.....

3 1/2 hours to go.

One of my buddies that is coming over for the game is going to play Edward Fortyhands for the game.  Normally this is not a game someone plays buy themselves, but he is a complete lush and just wants to get wasted.  I am going to stick with the Seagrams VO. 

I'm sick as a dog, but thats not going to stop me from drinking heavily tonight. I havn't drank all week or smoked any cigs, but tonight, oh yeS, tonight its all going to end in ugly fashion.

After last week's jaunt to the hospital I decided to lay off the booze for a while.

It didn't take.  I took my wife out to dinner at a Japanese place and had two bottles of sake and a couple of Kirin's.  Since I'm not dead, I'm heading up to the liquor store in a while to pick up a 12-pack of Amstel and a bottle of wine for the Mrs.

2 hours  :evil

(http://images.nfl.com/u/photos/pl_704272.jpg)

(http://images.nfl.com/u/photos/pl_704297.jpg)

Quote from: mussa on January 13, 2007, 05:42:09 PM
I'm sick as a dog, but thats not going to stop me from drinking heavily tonight. I havn't drank all week or smoked any cigs, but tonight, oh yeS, tonight its all going to end in ugly fashion.

Yeah that is the same for me, though I have smoked and I have a terrible chest cold (probably bronchitis).  Last time I drank when I was sick like this was when the Eagles played the Saints the first year at the Linc.  It did end badly for me, but not for the Eagles.  Let's hope tonight is more of the same. :evil

Well I'm off to the girlfriends house for the game. I'll be back later either to celebrate the 5th trip in 6 years to the NFC Championship game, or to discuss how zesty the Eagles played and start looking at next year.

Lets hope it's option A.

Quote from: Munson on January 13, 2007, 06:46:27 PM
Well I'm off to the girlfriends house for the game. I'll be back later either to celebrate the 5th trip in 6 years to the NFC Championship game, or to discuss how zesty the Eagles played and start looking at next year.

Lets hope it's option A.

Man, hearing that just pisses me off more.  All of those Championship games and yet no ring.

Quote from: Drunkmasterflex on January 13, 2007, 06:48:23 PM

Quote from: Munson on January 13, 2007, 06:46:27 PM
Well I'm off to the girlfriends house for the game. I'll be back later either to celebrate the 5th trip in 6 years to the NFC Championship game, or to discuss how zesty the Eagles played and start looking at next year.

Lets hope it's option A.

Man, hearing that just pisses me off more.  All of those Championship games and yet no ring.

True, but if it makes you feel any better we probably wouldn't have beat the Pats in 01 or 03, either. '02 it was there for the taking, and the team choked hard against the Bucs before getting the chance to destroy the Raiders. Ugh.

I'm farging ready. I'm tired of hearing about the goddamn atmosphere in New Orleans. I'm tired of hearing about Joe Horn. I'm flat out sick of the Saints period. I hope the Birds come out and shove that overrated farging atmosphere bullshtein right up the asses of the losers who won't shut their farging mouths about it.

Farg Drew Brees.
Farg Reggie Bush
Farg Dueve Mcallister
Farg Sean Payton
Farg the Saints "fans"

GO BIRDS!!

Quote from: PhillyPhreak54 on January 13, 2007, 06:50:18 PM

Farg the Saints "fans"

GO BIRDS!!

Ya where were they before this year? Bunch of bandwagoners...

Quote from: PhillyPhreak54 on January 13, 2007, 06:50:18 PM
I'm farging ready. I'm tired of hearing about the goddamn atmosphere in New Orleans. I'm tired of hearing about Joe Horn. I'm flat out sick of the Saints period. I hope the Birds come out and shove that overrated farging atmosphere bullshtein right up the asses of the losers who won't shut their farging mouths about it.

Farg Drew Brees.
Farg Reggie Bush
Farg Dueve Mcallister
Farg Sean Payton
Farg the Saints "fans"

GO BIRDS!!

Damn! Phreak you are making me want to run through a damn wall.

 :-D

I'm about to run through one myself.

I hope the Birds take a huge steaming shtein on the fleur-di-lis at midfield.