By Mike Gill
Here are some of the keys to the Eagles - Bears game on Sunday night.
1. Health- Are the Eagles going to be healthy enough to compete throughout the game with a tough, physical Bears defense. Donovan McNabb should play, but could aggravate his injury at anytime. Brian Westbrook, if he goes, will be less then 100% and probably will be more of a decoy then a factor. Shawn Andrews will miss the game barring a miracle and Max Jean Gillies was disappointing in extended time verses Dallas. LJ Smith doesnt look good right now, meaning Brett Celek will have his role increased. Can they win under these conditions, sure, but it will make for a game that will much closer then it should be.
2. Pressure on Orton- The Eagles blitzed the heck out of the Steelers last Sunday and knocked Big Ben Roethlisberger out of the game. On Sunday, a QB with much less composure and game-experience will jump under center and if the Eagles can get to him like they got to Big Ben, it could be a laugher.
3. The front Lines- The Bears have run the ball pretty well behind their offensive line and with rookie running back Matt Forte, who is getting almost 30 touches per game. The Eagles defense on the flip side has been up-and-down, but they run D has been stifling. If the Bears can’t run and the Eagles pressure Orton, this could be a blow-out.
4. Asante Samuel- This guy doesn’t have to prove anything to me, but this is the kind of game he can flat-out control. Asante can basically shut down one half of the field and really demoralize the Bears offense that doesn’t have a play-maker on it. I am watching to see how Dominating Samuel can be.
5. DeSean Jackson- I need to see that he can still be a big-play wide-out. Last week it looked like the Steelers were determined not to let him get behind them. I want to see Jackson have a big game verses a defense that can be beat via the air. On a day where McNabb and Westbrook will be banged up, lets see Jackson grab the lead and take over this game.
Just a thought: Loved the old school blitzing they brought back from Johnson’s early days with the birds. Forget about Felix Jones and T.O. : If the Eagles blitz Romo the way they blitzed Big Ben, its a Birds win. That angered me most about PHL-DAL. Johnson does that sometimes and its infuriating. They have Samuel, Brown, AND Sheppard. They should blitz 60% of the time, period. It would neutralize a QB’s ability to get to his safety net (TE or RB) and eliminate 10-15 yard gains. I’ll take my chances with this secondary that they’ll shut down a teams # WR.
If they blitz Orton early and often (and get to him) its not even close.
Know what else is infuriating? My key strokes. I meant to say #1 receiver above.
I think Da Birds beat Da bears like a red-headed whippy step-child…take dat Ditka!