My LeSean McCoy Blog

A solid win for the Eagles and a little help from the Giants has the Eagles in a tie for first place in the NFC East. The team clicked on all cylinders today and had a nice offensive performance which was backed up by a near shutout on defense. Hopefully this is a sign that the Bird will play their typical December football the rest of the month and find themselves in the playoffs. Here's a look at some of the positives and negatives I saw in Sunday's game.

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.

BirdsFan.com - A Philadelphia Eagles blog

There is no official word yet, but I think it seems pretty likely that Brian Westbrook will be unable to play Sunday against the Giants. He was hit pretty hard and knocked unconscious. Andy Reid has said he expects him to be able to go on Sunday but I think he knows in his heart that it's very unlikely. This isn't the kind of injury a player should force himself to play with. Concussions can be very serious and it seems the one Westbrook received was a pretty good one.

So that brings us to LeSean McCoy. Can this guy be our Brian Westbrook in arguably the biggest game of the year thus far? If we want to have a chance at winning this game, he's going to have to be. For him, it's bigger than just being productive on the ground.

There's a lot of other things he needs to do well for the offense to be successful. He's going to need to pick up blitzes, help block the talented defensive ends the Giants have, use his blockers in the screen game, make plays in the open field, and not turn the ball over. That's a lot to ask from one rookie but we don't have any other choice right now.

McCoy has shown that he can run the ball well but it's all the other things he's failed to do. To be a good running back in this league, you need to be able to do more than run. He is still learning but for the sake of this team he's going to have to learn a little faster.

There's a lot of pressure on this kid but he seems like the type who can handle it. Maybe we'll get lucky and Westbrook will be able to play, but at this time I don't think that's very likely.

BirdsFan.com - A Philadelphia Eagles blog

I saw comments all over the place last week with people weighing in on whether or not they thought Mike Bell was a good signing for the Eagles. It seemed like a pretty even split with people liking the move and people not liking the move. Personally, I think it's a good addition for the Eagles.

First of all, Bell has some solid experience under his belt. He's spent four seasons in the league and just experienced a Super Bowl run with Saints which landed him a ring. I like the fact that he has this experience, but at the same time has plenty of tread left on the tires. Many of the other free agent backs that were available were older so production may have been limited. I think Bell should be hitting his prime right now, and hopefully the Eagles can take advantage of that.

The thing I probably like most about Bell is his size. At 6' 225 pounds he can do some real bruising, especially in those short yardage situations that the Eagles have struggled with so much in the past. Leonard Weaver seemed to be the short yardage answer last year, but when they did this it came out of a single back formation. Having Weaver lead block for Bell should make it much easier to move the chains on those short yardage situations.

Also, the fact that he can run with power is a good complement to LeSean McCoy's running style. Shady isn't going to run anyone over, but he can make a cut or two and make a defender look silly. Bell has the power to take on a defender, but is also quite athletic for his size. Overall, I like the move and believe the depth chart at running back should look pretty good once the season starts. It doesn't look like the Saints will match the offer, so Bell will be joining the team this week. Hopefully, he can make an immediate impact.

BirdsFan.com - A Philadelphia Eagles blog

The Philadelphia Eagles turned in a solid 11-5 performance in the 2009 regular season, and they could have put together an even better campaign had they found a way to beat the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas won both regular season meetings, and then it spanked the Eagles again in the playoffs. Getting swept by Dallas should have Philly plenty motivated as it enters the 2010 season, but motivation may not be enough to win the East. Philly could endure an up and down season as it breaks in Kevin Kolb.

Offense: The Eagles finally decided to say goodbye to Donovan McNabb after flirting with the idea for several seasons. For those who were calling for McNabb's head, I say be careful what you wish for. He's in the division, and he'll be out to stick it to Philly just like Brett Favre stuck it to the Packers last season. I won't argue that it may have been time for McNabb to go, but I don't see Kolb giving the Eagles a better chance to win in year one. With that being said, he could in years two or three.

Kolb has some nice weapons in the receiving corps, but he could struggle to find time to throw behind a line that allowed 38 sacks last season. Pro Bowler Jason Peters will get it done, but there isn't any star power in the rest of the unit. The Eagles are counting on a big boost from free agent pick up Stacy Andrews, and that may be asking too much.

In just two seasons, DeSean Jackson has quickly asserted himself as one of the most explosive players in the NFL. He is a threat to go all the way every time he touches the football. Last season, he made 62 grabs for 1,156 yards and nine scores. He also had two punt return scores and another rushing touchdown.

Jeremy Maclin gives the Eagles another speedy playmaker. He made 56 grabs for 773 yards and four scores as a rookie last season.

Tight end Brent Celek is truly one of the best at his position in the entire league. He hauled in 76 passes for 971 yards and eight touchdowns in 2009.

In addition to parting with McNabb, the Eagles also decided to say goodbye to the often injured Brian Westbrook. That means that LeSean McCoy will be asked to step into his role. McCoy has the talent to fill Westbrook's big shoes, but he won't fill them completely in year one. McCoy is coming off a 637-yard season.

Defense: After watching Dallas pick the Eagles apart in an NFC Wild Card game, it was clear that some moves needed to be made on this side of the football.

The Eagles spent their first five draft picks on defensive players and added linebacker Ernie Sims in free agency. The Eagles are expecting big things from Sims as they are depending on him to strengthen their weakest unit. Getting Stewart Bradley back from a knee injury should also help the linebacker corps improve.

The Eagles are solid up front. Defensive end Trent Cole is coming off a 12.5-sack season, and rookie Brandon Graham will also aid the pass rush. Broderick Bunkley and Mike Patterson hold down the interior. They are two big reasons why the Eagles ranked No. 9 in the NFL in run defense last season.

Asante Samuels, who is coming off an impressive nine-interception campaign, anchors a defensive backfield which should get better with the addition of rookies Nate Allen and Trevard Lindley.

Prediction: 3rd NFC East - The Cowboys have less question marks as we enter the 2010 season, and for that reason I have made them the NFC East front runner. The Eagles will be in a dog fight with New York for second place. They could take it, but Kolb will have to exceed the expectations I have for him in his first full season as a starter. It's not out of the question for the NFC East to send three teams to the postseason.

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With preseason games underway and some injuries to muddle things, let's take a look at the latest fantasy football rankings in one expert's mind.

1. Chris Johnson
2. Adrian Peterson
3. Maurice Jones-Drew
4. Ray Rice
5. Frank Gore
6. Steven Jackson
7. Michael Turner
8. Ryan Grant
9. DeAngelo Williams
10. Rashard Mendenhall
11. Ryan Matthews
12. Knowshon Moreno
13. Jonathan Stewart
14. Beanie Wells
15. Jamaal Charles
16. LeSean McCoy
17. Shonn Greene
18. Matt Forte
19. Cedric Benson
20. Ronnie Brown
21. Pierre Thomas
22. Arian Foster
23. Joseph Addai
24. Clinton Portis
25. Felix Jones
26. CJ Spiller
27. Jahvid Best
28. Marion Barber
29. Justin Forsett
30. Cadillac Williams
31. Ahmad Bradshaw
32. Jerome Harrison
33. Brandon Jacobs
34. Fred Jackson
35. Ricky Williams

-The top four remain the same in standard leagues but I wouldn't argue if someone took Jones-Drew over Peterson in PPR.

-The biggest mover since my first installment was LeSean McCoy up to number 16. This kid has a ton of talent and will be one of the more exciting players in football this year. The TD's may be light due to the presence of Mike Bell and Leonard Weaver but the catches and yards that go with it will more than make up for it.

-I have seen Ryan Matthews ranked as high as number 7 which is crazy to me. The man has yet to play a down in the NFL and I would never take him as a RB 1. Matthews is in a great setting as the main back in a decent offense but dont forget the presence of Darren Sproles who will supplant him on third down, thus cutting down his opportunities.

-I still have DeAngelo Williams ranked over Jonathan Stewart but thats only because he makes more of an impact in the passing game. I still love Stewart and think he is a top RB 2.

-Jamaal Charles took a big dip to number 15 due to the news that Thomas Jones will be the starter once the season gets going. I am a big fan of Charles as I took him as my RB 1 in my money league (with Jonathan Stewart and Matt Forte my 2nd and 3rd backs) and I still think he will haev a big year but maybe not the year we all expected.

-CJ Spiller has passed Fred Jackson in the rankings due to the latter's broken hand but it is possible that Jackson gets back before the opener. If thats the case, than he will be the bPetter player to target.

-Arian Foster moves up to number 22 now that the backfield there looks less muddled with the season ending injurt to Ben Tate. I am in the dark about what Foster can really do but the playing time will be there.

-Keep an eye on Justin Forsett who can make as huge move up the board due to the fact he should get the majority of work in Seattle. Adept at catching the ball, Forsett could be a real find. I nabbed him late in my draft.

-Pierre Thomas is down to 21 with the news that the Saints are actively trying to find a goal line back. That means more TD's stolen from Thomas and thus a drop in his numbers.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more rankings.

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