McCoy set the Eagles rookie rushing record for yards in 2009 but will need to even more in 2010.

We already know that Shady can run the ball. He’s proven that already. However, there is more to being a successful running back then just being able to carry the rock. Well rounded running backs need to be able to block and catch balls out of the backfield as well. Despite only being in his second year, McCoy will also be looked up to as a mentor.

One of McCoy’s biggest downfalls last year was his inability to pick up blitzes. This is probably the most undervalued part of a running back’s game. We were spoiled for a long time as Brian Westbrook was great at picking up blocks. When you have a back like that, it allows your quarterback to have confidence and not have to worry that he’s going to get killed.

I’ve heard that McCoy has bulked up a bit in the offseason and that should definitely help him handle rushing blitzers better. Another thing I’d like him to do is sit down and study film of how Westbrook positioned himself and handled his blocking.

With the absence of Westbrook, the Eagles lost a great blocking back, and also a great leader. McCoy will have to try to fill these shoes, at least as it concerns the running backs. There are a lot of new, young faces in the backfield and McCoy will be looked to as a mentor. He is super young himself, but will have to act much older.

Something McCoy did well but will have to do better this season is catching balls out of the backfield. Westbrook was an absolute terror catching passes out of the backfield and McCoy will have to be the same way. I think he has the hands and speed to do so; he will just have to work on positioning himself and using his blockers to do some of the work for him.

McCoy is definitely on the doorstep of taking his game to a whole new level. If he focuses on doing things outside of rushing the ball, he can be a really good complete back.

Currently the Eagles are carrying the following running backs:

Mike Bell, 6-0 225
Eldra Buckley, 5-9 207
Keithon Flemming, 5-10 208
Martell Mallett, 6-0 210
LeSean McCoy, 5-11 208
Charles Scott, 5-11 238

As it stands, it looks like Mike Bell will be the number two option behind McCoy. He’s the second biggest back on the roster and should provide a nice compliment to McCoy’s style of running. Bell last played in a system that focused on throwing the ball much like the Eagles and has a lot of tread left on his tires. At 27, Bell has only 348 career rushing attempts but has averaged four yards per carry with 14 touchdowns. If he pans out as expected, Bell should be a big help for the Eagles.

Despite his potential, Bell is currently suffering from a hamstring injury which is opening up the doors for some younger players to get some extra reps. The battle for the third running back position is currently between Eldra Buckley, Martell Mallett, and Charles Scott. All three are young players and looking for their chance to shine.

Buckley is the early favorite because he spent time as the third running back last year. He was featured in some short yardage situations, but they were very predictable and typically failed. Although he’s the shortest back of the group, he runs hard and has a good shot at keeping his role as the third running back.

Mallett is an interesting prospect that no one knows a whole lot about. He is young and played one season in the CFL. In his rookie season there, he was named the most outstanding rookie in the league totaling 1,622 yards and eight touchdowns. It seems that he has a great balance of speed and power; however, he will have to prove he can learn the Eagles system and do more than just run the ball.

The last competitor for the third running back race is rookie Charles Scott. To me, Scott is a very interesting prospect. After having a killer season as a junior at LSU in 2008, Scott was injured in 2009 and missed four games. In a full year in 2008, Scott racked up 1,174 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. He is a big bruising back and could potentially help a lot in short yardage situations.

The third running back competition will definitely be something to keep an eye on in Training Camp, and I’m very excited to see who wins the spot.

After the opening kickoff, the game rolled in the Redskins favor as they scored within the first two minutes of the game on a Jason Campbell one yard touchdown run. This was definitely not the the start the Eagles were looking for but the defense tightened up after the touchdown and held the Redskins scoreless the rest of the quarter. Offensively, the Eagles first got on the board with a 29 yard David Akers field goal. They would then find the end zone with just under three minutes in the quarter as DeSean Jackson caught a 35 yard touchdown pass from Donovan McNabb to give the Eagles their first lead of the game, 10-7.

The lead didn’t last too long as Campbell found Santana Moss for a four yard touchdown shortly after the second quarter started. From this point on, their was an offensive struggle until the Eagles hit a field goal with under a minute left. Right after this, the Redskins turned the ball over and the Eagles hit another field goal to take a 16-14 lead into the half.

In the second half, the Eagles couldn’t get anything going and the Redskins scored 10 consecutive points and had an eight point lead in the fourth quarter. Midway through the fourth quarter the Eagles put a nice drive together and capped it off with a one yard Eldra Buckley touchdown. Trailing by two after the touchdown, the Eagles opted for the conversion. On a beautiful effort by LeSean McCoy, the Eagles got the conversion and tied the game.

As the game neared a close, the Eagles again started to put together a nice drive. Jason Avant was absolutely stunning on this drive, making an outstanding catch down the sideline to keep the drive alive and move the Eagles into field goal range. With just under two minutes left in the game, Akers nailed a 32 yard field goal to give the Eagles a 27-24 win.

This was not exactly the type of effort the Eagles were looking to produce, but they were able to put together a fourth quarter rally and get a come from behind win. It was the kind of win a team can get momentum from and sitting at 7-4, the Eagles were looking poised to make a playoff run.

Week Twelve Headlines:
Friday Five Pack – Week Twelve
What’s it going to take to beat the Redskins?
Get to know the Redskins: Interview with RiggosRag.com
Will the Eagles defense hold them back?

There was already plenty of speculation about whether or not Westbrook would return next year; however, Eskin’s comments took everything to a whole new level. His words were strong and he seemed convinced that what he was saying was the absolute truth. Is it? We have no idea. Many people in this town hate Eskin to begin with so they don’t buy anything he says seriously anyway. However, for those with no grudge, it may seem like what Eskin said was true.

Personally, I’m not a huge Eskin fan but I like to make my own decisions no matter who says what. The biggest factor in this whole controversy lies in a number. That number is 7.5 million and is the amount of money Westbrook is set to receive next season. At age 30, Westbrook is no longer capable of being a feature back. The Eagles know this and it is the reason they drafted LeSean McCoy in the second round last year. It proved to be a solid decision as Westbrook only played in eight games during the regular season.

The Eagles went 7-1 in the games Westbrook did not play in, while going 4-4 in games he did participate. When he did play, his contribution was minimal and he was plagued with various injuries. It’s hard to give a guy $7.5 million when there is no guarantee that he’ll be healthy and no guarantee he’ll produce like he did in 2006 and 2007. This is where the problem lies. If the number were something like $3.5 million it would be a different story. LeSean McCoy is going to get his touches next year and rightfully deserves so. It’s not fair to steal touches from him just because you want to “get your money” out of someone else.

Let me say that I have always been a huge Brian Westbrook fan and it hurts to think he might not be around much longer, but it just doesn’t make business sense.

Get rid of Jeremiah Trotter
Jeremiah Trotter hasn’t been effective since his arrival. He has gotten 31 total tackles to date, but he only resides in the middle of the defensive corps statistically. For his earlier proclamation of “veteran leadership,” he is a veteran, but he’s demonstrated very little leadership.

Cut down on penalties
Penalties unfortunately have plagued the Eagles on both sides of the ball. Recently, the Eagles offense and defense have committed seven penalties average each in the last five games. That’s a lot of yardage that was lost.

Add more depth to the running corps
The running corps in particular could potentially require added depth.  One cannot expect Brian Westbrook to stay for long, given his health.  Despite his ability to practice, his ability to maintain himself in the game could potentially endanger himself and the team.  As much as it hurts to say, the Eagles will need to look for backups for LeSean McCoy and Leonard Weaver after this season.

Keep the offense plays balanced
At this point, the Eagles have been running a a balanced offense. The Eagles have been running about 50/50 run-pass ratio in the last five games. If the Eagles intend on winning in the playoffs, this is the gameplan they should keep.

Keep DeSean Jackson and all the “young guys” happy
DeSean Jackson has become one of the most potent offensive and special team threats this year. LeSean McCoy and Leonard Weaver has become respectable running threats, averaging five yards per carry each. However, I can’t say enough about Brent Celek. He’s been averaging about 11 yards per reception and maintains a viable redzone threat with 7 touchdowns to date. What the Eagles lost in LJ Smith, well, they lost LJ Smith.

More responsible use of challenges by Andy Reid
Andy Reid occasionally challenges some idiotic plays; fortunately, he’s only kept up with the other coaches statistically. This is a passing concern. Maybe if he does chest bumps with DeSean Jackson before throwing a red flag, he’ll make better decisions.

Make Wildcat formation universal for other players
Most likely, by the end of this season, Michael Vick will be elsewhere as a starter. Maybe with the Carolina Panthers. Maybe with Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Who knows? He has demonstrated what he is capable of once again as a quarterback. If the Wildcat formation stays through next season, the Eagles should begin employing maybe one of the “young guys.”

Give a solid farewell to Michael Vick
The Eagles and the fans should appreciate what Michael Vick has done. Despite Vick’s questionable past, he still retains his physical talent, and it was put to some good use by the Eagles. He does deserve a hand of appreciation, and I hope he gets one.

Win the NFC East title
At this point, it may be easier said than done. The Cowboys still remain a threat, and with their explosive offensive with Roy Williams and Miles Austin, they may be a contention to the crown for the Eagles. It may come to the showdown at Dallas Stadium, with the oversized jumbotrons. Marion Barber may also be a handful.

Win the NFC Conference title
The Eagles have a steep hill to climb to earn this title this year. The New Orleans Saints may have faltered recently, but they have too many weapons at their disposal to count their death early. The Cowboys win over them might only inspire them. The Minnesota Vikings aren’t quite as dangerous, but the Purple People Eaters can still swallow up Donovan McNabb. The Eagles will face their evil, make that eviler twin if they do face them. However, in spite of this, I think they may have the weapons to overcome this daunting task.

Win the Super Bowl
The Eagles have been here once before. Donovan McNabb and the Eagles collapsed against the New England Patriots. Are the Eagles good? Yes, they are. Are they great, as in Super Bowl ready? I honestly don’t think that they are capable of winning the ring. “Wait until next season” rings true yet again, Eagles fans.

- Offensively, I’d love to see a run game established early. I’m not looking for any one player to take the lead here, I’d like to see a three headed monster between LeSean McCoy, Leonard Weaver, and Michael Vick. Personally, I’d like to see Vick get more reps than usual today. These conditions aren’t pass friendly and I think he could have a big day on the ground if he gets enough reps.
- Defensively, it has to be about stopping the run game first and foremost. It’s a given that the 49ers will look to run early and will continue to do so if they have success early.
- Force Alex Smith to beat you. This goes hand-in-hand with stopping the run. If the Eagles can do that it forces Alex Smith to beat you. I don’t think he has the ability to take he game into his own hands and get a win against a defense as good as the Eagles.
- Get to Smith early. The Eagles typically do a good job getting to the quarterback, but I’d especially like to see them do this early in the game today. Let Smith know early you’re coming after him all day and he’ll force the ball. I see the Eagles easily forcing Smith into at least two turnovers.
- Get Kevin Curtis the ball. I’m not looking for him to scorch down the field and get behind defenders. I’d rather see him get some quick slants and comebacks just to get the ball in his hands and get him reacquainted with playing. It’s been a while for him and he needs to get back in the swing of things.
- Will Reggie Brown step up? He will get the start today across from DeSean Jackson in the absence of Jeremy Maclin. He had a few nice plays last week but you know this city is still skeptical. I don’t know if I expect him to make a big play, but I’d like to see him consistently get open and catch the ball.
- Get up early and hold the lead. I would like to see the Eagles get a big lead early and hold on to it. This way players who are kind of banged up can rest a bit. I wouldn’t mind seeing Brent Celek sit the second half if the lead is big enough at halftime. I also wouldn’t mind seeing Michael Vick play the fourth quarter at quarterback.
- Maintain Vernon Davis. I thought about wording that as “Shut down Vernon Davis” but I don’t think that’s possible. The guy is playing great right now and the Eagles always struggle against good tight ends. The Eagles need to try to limit him as much as possible.

What thoughts do you have going into today’s game?

What were your thoughts on the win and what are your feelings about the upcoming matchup with the Giants?

Positives:
Michael Vick – It took a lot longer than we wanted but Michael Vick finally had his coming out party. He got a mixed welcome coming back to the stadium where he did so many great things for the Falcons and was able to run for a score and throw for one. He would have had a chance to do more damage but suffered a hand injury that sidelined him for the rest of the game. I was happy to see the way the Eagles used him yesterday. I like giving him looks in the red zone. His numbers weren’t out of control but he was consistent.

Leonard Weaver – You can’t not love this guy. He found the end zone for the first touchdown of the game and had a remarkable catch which he converted into a big play. His running was great and he was able to end up with 100 total yards of offense on the day.

Defense – One play and a couple lucky bounces away from a shutout. I know the Falcons didn’t have all their offensive weapons but they still played a solid game. They forced some nice turnovers and were able to score on one of them. Atlanta was held to just 61 yards rushing on 22 attempts and failed to find any offensive rhythm.

Receivers – With DeSean Jackson out, you knew that the receivers were going to have to step up. Jeremy Maclin led the way with four catches for 83 yards but everyone seemed to contribute pretty nicely. The Birds spread the ball out and got a lot of people involved.

Negatives:
Penalties – The Eagles continue to struggle when it comes to the penalty department. They had eight penalties today and a lot of them were just stupid plays. I don’t think some of them were really worth flagging but they still could have been avoided. They really need to start playing smarter football.

LeSean McCoy – Six carries for a whopping two yards. He definitely needs to get more touches, but he needs to make more production out of the touches he does get.

Tight end coverage – Again. Tony Gonzalez is a great tight end but the Eagles really need to do something about their lack of ability to cover the tight ends. He was able to catch eight balls for 72 yards. That’s too much.