Hi Friends!
I'm writing my blog on a Sunday morning, trying to figure out what the heck I'm going to do today since my Eagles have off after their big win over the Panthers this past Thursday night. We weren't open here in the Locker Room for the game, but I must have asked myself 100 times during the game: I wonder how this joint would be jumping for this game with all our friends going BANANAS?
What a game in more ways than one. I have been a crazy over-the-top Eagles fan since 1954 and watched thousands of games, but NEVER have I EVER witnessed a more incompetent job of officiating as I saw Thursday night. Head referee Pete Marelli should resign immediately after the entire country saw how Marelli and all of his crew tried their best to hand the game to the Panthers. How can you throw the penalty flag 10 times against the Eagles and only 1 – yes, that's right 1 - time against the home team Panthers? Some of the penalties were legit, but many were absolutely bogus!
The great thing though, is despite having to beat the Panthers as well as the referees Thursday night, our Eagles are sitting here with a 5 & 1 record. It always feels so good to be a Philadelphia Eagles fan. but it's just so much more fun when they are playing the way they are right now. Think about this friends: with that huge win last Thursday, the Eagles have won 3 out of 4 road games, where last season the Eagles won only 1 game. Now ponder this: our Eagles have the next 3 games at the friendly confines of Lincoln Financial Field, followed by our bye week before we head out on the road to play the team we all love to hate, the Dallas Cowboys. That means that after this past Thursday night's game, it will be a total of 38 days before the Eagles have to leave home, and we all know what a great effect home cooking can have on an individual.
Mark Your Calendars Friends!
Please make a note friends to tune into the Mike Keller show on Monday morning Oct. 23, 6 to 9am on WEEU 830 as the Hatchet has been asked to call in and talk about our Philadelphia Eagles. I'll be calling in around 8:25am or so to discuss the Monday night game against the Redskins and talk about our Locker Room, so give a listen from 6am on, as I'm sure the show that morning will be a lot about the Eagles.
What To Look For In This Week’s Game
1. A Physical Game.
Whenever the Eagles and division rival Washington Redskins square off it's usually a tough physical game as the two teams just don't like each other. All us Eagles fans remember that famous "Body Bag Game" from back in the day when the Redskins players were dropping like flies. It got so bad that the Skins had to resort to having kick returner Brian Mitchell play QB as the Eagles knocked all the other ones out of the game. This game will be no different. The Skins just got by the lowly San Francisco 49ers and really should have lost, if only the Niners wouldn't have gotten a stupid penalty that took them out of field goal range. We beat the Skins in the season opener in Washington, but don't be fooled into thinking this will be a cake walk of a game as they come into Lincoln Financial Field. Kirk Cousins is a good QB who doesn't get the recognition he deserves and he will definitely be looking to avenge the September loss. That being said, the Eagles are playing really good football and the defense especially is running on all cylinders. Look for Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Tim Jernigan & Vinny Curry and company to put heat on Cousins and pressure him into some turnovers. The Skins lost their two top receivers Desean Jackson and Pierre Garcon this past off season to free agency and it has hurt them in the passing game. They do still have the stellar Jordan Reed as well as veteran Vernon Davis at tight end, and both are very good, although Reed has been battling injuries. At wide receiver Jameson Crowder and Josh Doctson are good, but the Eagles secondary will be up to the challenge and will once again (on national TV) show everyone that they are better than the media portrays them. They did a fine job last week of shutting down the Panthers and this week I look for some of the same. The days of the Skins having a dominant run game with players like John Riggins, Alfred Morris, etc. are long gone and none of their runners really scare me. I look for the Eagles defense to make a HUGE statement in this game and make a case for themselves as one of the league’s best.
2. The Wentz Show.
Do you think that the Cleveland Browns are kicking themselves for trading away the draft pick to the Eagles so they could select QB Carson Wentz? Wentz has become a top tier QB in only his second year and if he continues at this rate and stays healthy, he could become the greatest QB in Eagles history. His composure and leadership ability is very impressive and so fun to watch as he continues to grow with his receivers. The Redskins are going to be without Josh Norman. one of the league’s best cornerbacks, and Wentz should be able to continue excelling with the passing game. Look for another balanced attack as Coach Pederson calls on his pound and ground attack with a rejuvenated LaGarrette Blount leading the way. It's so much fun to watch how Blount just keeps getting stronger as the game goes along as he carries two or three defenders on his back. I'm waiting for a game that they call Blount's number maybe 20+ times to see how he can take over a game. I love this guy and I think that a #29 Blount jersey will be part of “The Hatchet's" game day wardrobe very soon. I also hope to see Wendell Smallwood back at running back after missing these past three games to injury as he is a complement to Blount. Once again in this week’s game, I'm predicting that tight end Zach Ertz will continue playing at Pro Bowl level to show that he's one of the league’s best. Ertz is Carson Wentz's favorite target and these two should be a force in the league for years to come for sure! What a difference a year makes. Last year the Eagles receiving corps couldn't catch a cold, dropping as many passes as they caught. The additions of Alshon Jeffrey and Torrey Smith, along with the surprise rebirth of third-year man Nelson Agholar, has made a world of difference in the passing game. It could be BOMBS AWAY this Monday night as Wentz is launching bombs more and more as he's getting in sync with his receivers. It's so fun to watch!
3. Special Teams Indeed.
I don't know how many of you pay attention to the play on special teams, but Coach Dave Fipps has the Eagles special team units playing lights out. They are near the top in all league special team stats and I am sure that Fipps will be a candidate very soon for a head coaching job in the NFL. So many times the special teams are taken for granted, but the truth is if you don't control the game with field position, you are not going to win most times. The Redskins of the past always had good special teams as well, but if this game comes down to a special teams play (which I don't think it will), I'll take my chances with the Eagles. While I'm handing out praise, I have to give props to the Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman and VP of player personnel man Joe Douglas. They have really made it a point to choose players that could play special teams. The choice also of snatching Jake Elliott from the Bengals practice squad to replace Caleb Sturgis at kicker was brilliant as Elliott has become automatic on field goals and PATs. I give them a grade of A++ for their work!
Well fellow Eagles fans, here we are sitting with the best record in the entire NFC with a very favorable schedule staring at us as we head into the Skins game. The Eagles have their next three games at home, followed by our Bye week before we go on the road to play those Cowboys. With all the upsets last Sunday, along with the devastating injury to Packers QB Aaron Rogers, the NFC playoffs are not out of the question for our Eagles for sure. It's getting very interesting.
Well, that will do it for this week’s blog. Please join me next week as we look back on the Redskins game and we'll take a look at the next opponent: the San Francisco 49ers. Until then as always I wish you...
Love, Luck, Lollipops & Linguini,
Barry "The Hatchet" Vagnoni
Fly Eagles, Fly!
