Eagles vs Stillers, Pre-Season Game Day Thread

[PhillyPhreak54]

Conversely, had the first team defense shown its teeth and shut them down or had the offense punched it in repeatedly, we'd be saying "its preseason, lets see 'em do it when the games count".

[The BIGSTUD]

I'm just concerned about who the hell is going to rush the passer from the edge consistently other than Cole.

[PhillyGirl]

Conversely, had the first team defense shown its teeth and shut them down or had the offense punched it in repeatedly, we'd be saying "its preseason, lets see 'em do it when the games count".

Yup.

But hey, the sky is falling, life is over and the team will go 3-13. All after watching the first team starters play one series in the opening preseason game. 

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

I'm pretty sure no one said anything like that.  But is it ok to have a few reservations about the team?  Maybe they have a few problems that will stop them from winning a Super Bowl this year?

I'm just spitballing here, but I think there might just be a happy medium that most of us are actually representing pretty well between your opinion and the one you're claiming many of us are posting.

[PhillyPhreak54]

For me, I'm just saying take the wait and see approach.

The most important thing is to see how the rookies look, how McNabb looks and how other individuals look.

[PhillyGirl]

I'm pretty sure no one said anything like that.  But is it ok to have a few reservations about the team?  Maybe they have a few problems that will stop them from winning a Super Bowl this year?

I'm just spitballing here, but I think there might just be a happy medium that most of us are actually representing pretty well between your opinion and the one you're claiming many of us are posting.

See, that's where you're wrong. Just because I'm not saying the defense sucks, yada yada yada, doesn't mean I think this team is going to go 13-3 and win a farging Super Bowl. You just read that from my posts but I've ever said it, nor do I even come close to thinking it.

But I'm sure not going to call it a season after watching the first series for the defense and say they "suck".

[mpmcgraw]

None of this matters because you are all always wrong anyway so lets just keep that in mind going forward.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

But I'm sure not going to call it a season after watching the first series for the defense and say they "suck".

You are, obviously, exaggerating heavily with the "call it a season" shtein.

[hunt]

you guys see much out of clemons???  i saw him in there late but didn't see him do much.

[rjs246]

PG is off the reservation ridiculous, but I want to clarify... I'm not completely crushing the idea of being a homer. I used to be one in the worst way, I just had my hopes beaten down enough to finally move over to the dark side. I only point out Phreak and PG's homertude because everything they say needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

[General_Failure]

That should really go for everyone's comments. Except for three or four people, who can safely be ignored.

[PhillyPhreak54]

PG is off the reservation ridiculous, but I want to clarify... I'm not completely crushing the idea of being a homer. I used to be one in the worst way, I just had my hopes beaten down enough to finally move over to the dark side. I only point out Phreak and PG's homertude because everything they say needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

I'm not as bad as I was. But I prefer to take the optimistic side more often than not.

On a side note..

I've never understood that saying "with a grain of salt"...what exactly does that mean?

[Rome]

I don't give a shtein about anyone's opinion here much less my own.  All I want is what everyone else wants and that's a damn parade down Broad Street.

The point of these threads and this retarded forum is to discuss the details of that pursuit.  If we can't be extreme on either side of that pursuit, then what's the point of having the forum up and running at all?

Eh - whatever.  Go team or something.

[General_Failure]

I've never understood that saying "with a grain of salt"...what exactly does that mean?

From wikipedia:

The phrase comes from Pliny the Elder's Naturalis Historia, regarding the discovery of a recipe for an antidote to a poison. In the antidote, one of the ingredients was a grain of salt. Threats involving the poison were thus to be taken "with a grain of salt" and therefore less seriously. An alternative account says that the Roman general believed he could make himself immune to poison by ingesting small amounts of various poisons, and he took this treatment with a grain of salt to help him swallow the poison. In this version, the salt is not the antidote, it was taken merely to assist in swallowing the poison.

[Rome]

Early lapse brings back bad memories

By REUBEN FRANK
phillyBurbs.com

It wouldn't be such a concern if it hadn't been such a big problem last year.   

When the Steelers scored a touchdown against the Eagles' first defense just 41/2 minutes into their preseason game Friday night at Heinz Field, it seemed like 2007 all over again. Last year, the Eagles' defense allowed touchdowns regularly on the opponent's first drive, in many cases shutting down that opponent the rest of the game.

The Vikings drove 79 yards for a touchdown on their first offensive possession last year before settling for three field goals the rest of the way. The Cowboys opened the first Eagles game with TDs on their first two drives. The Patriots opened TD-FG-TD and scored just twice the rest of the game. The Seahawks scored touchdowns on their first and third drives, then scored two TDs on their last 14 possessions. The Saints opened TD-TD a year ago and didn't get in the end zone again. The Jets scored on their first drive before managing just two field goals the rest of their game.

In some cases, the Eagles overcame the early defensive lapses. They came back to beat the Vikings, Saints and Jets. But the slow starts cost them against the Cowboys, Patriots and Seahawks.

So getting the defense going early has been a priority during the preseason. Which is why the Steelers' 41/2-minute, 79-yard touchdown drive to open the game bothered the Eagles' defenders so much.

"We always seem to come out a little bit slow, and I hate that," defensive end Trent Cole said. "We adjust and we usually get on the ball after that, but for some reason we don't do that at the beginning of the game. That bothered me."

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed his only two passes for 38 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes, and the Steelers averaged 4.5 yards on six rushes on that drive.

It was the only possession the Eagles' first defense was matched up against Roethlisberger and the Steelers' first offense. Facing the Pittsburgh backups, the Eagles' starters allowed just eight yards on two later drives.

"We didn't make any real adjustments, we just talked and said, "Everybody calm down and play our game,' " safety Quintin Mikell said. "We came out there and we did that. I just think we were really excited when we first came out there and over-thinking things, which kind of happens when you haven't been playing in a game situation in a while. We've been hitting each other all (camp), and we're just excited to hit somebody else."

Head coach Andy Reid initially seemed disappointed with the long drive.

"From a defensive standpoint, you can't have long drives like that to start the game," he said. "We have plenty of work."

But he added, "I'm not going to say it's the end of the world. They have a little different blocking scheme than what we do and we didn't work on it much. I think we'll be OK."

The starting defense is expected to play a little longer on Friday night, when the Eagles face the Carolina Panthers in their home preseason opener. Their deepest preseason playing time will come Aug. 22 in Foxboro, Mass., when the starters on both sides of the ball will likely play into the third quarter against the Patriots. The starters generally don't play at all in the final preseason game, in this case Aug. 28 at home against the Jets.

"We need to come out and stop people from scoring right off the bat," Cole said. "We have to do a better job of that because it was a problem in the past. Why? I don't know. I can't explain it. But I don't like it."

Reuben clearly needs to settle down here.  I mean, it's only a preseason game.