BIRDFLIPPER'S NEST

4-3 with Indy on the horizon. The week isn't about Michael Vick and the Offense. It's more about Sean McDermott and the Defense. They have to show that they can hang with Peyton Manning, and shut him down when necessary. That's the bottom line. If Manning gets to play his game, his way, then this game will likely be a loss (unless the EAGLES muster 1 or 2 returns not characteristic of most of the game).

This is the part of the year, where the rosters begin to really play like a playoff teams, or just fall into that "I don't know what happened", "We've got to find a way to get this thing back on track", "We can't have these kind of mental errors" quotation cycle; that leads to statements like "We know every game now is a must win game", "There's still a lot of pride left in this locker room", and of course, "We'll use this offseason to regroup, and um, er, ah, you know, come back stronger next season".

On Offense there's enough firepower, provided that the O-line can at least slow the rush, and stop letting rushers through unblocked. With Jackson out I don't know who they use to call the blocking assignments, (likely McGylnn. Shouldn't be, but likely is), but whoever it is HAS to do a better job of identifying actual rushers by doing a better job reading the keys. This means FILM STUDY. Every blitzer has a tell. The guy who makes reads and hands out assignments should know them.

APPARENTLY you can catch stupidity if you sign on in any capacity with the Cleveland Browns. Remember Tom Heckert? Just a few weeks ago he was the EAGLES GM; and even thought he wasn't "The Man", he was still a part of one of the NFL's better personnel brain-trusts. Roster consistency, position depth, and team players were mainstays of the EAGLES for the last decade or so.

The Browns released Center Hank Fraley yesterday. Not earth shattering in and of itself, because Fraley had lost the starting job to a rookie. But the guy's been durable, and consistent. He mentored the guy who took the spot from him (demonstrating maturity and class); and filled in ANYWHERE the Browns asked him to line up! So let's line this up: You're rebuilding and a mature, versatile, durable, consistent, team player doesn't fit into your immediate plans? Only if you routinely wear a bicycle helmet indoors.

My hope is for the EAGLES to sign Fraley. He shouldn't be too pricey, and we could use the insurance policy. We didn't ship him out because he sucked, we traded him to a team that felt he was their best option for replacing a guy that everyone was regarding (at the time) as the best Center in the league.

So let's let Cleveland's stupidity make us a more solid ballclub.

I know that I give the Front Office as much flak as anybody. It's so EASY to just sit back and rip the decisisons made by the people who've actually built this team. I don't want to give the impression that I don't get the WHY of what they do. It's just that as a fan, I don't have the pressure of having my JOB riding on my predictions of people I don't even know personally.

If Howie Roseman trades Donovan McNabb, and Andy Reid starts Kevin Kolb and somewhere in the next 11 years Kolb wins a Superbowl, then Roseman's move would be ruled a good one.

If Roseman trades McNabb, Reid starts Kolb, and Kolb NEVER wins a Superbowl; then Roseman's move won't be called a good one, and people will ask why he never brought in a QB who could "Win The Big Game". Should McNabb win a Superbowl elsewhere the move will be seen a poor judgement on Roseman's part.

If Roseman trades McNabb, Reid starts Kolb, and Kolb doesn't become a viable 16 game starter, 10 game per season winner, then Roseman's move will be seen as a bad one. It will be ruled as disastrous if McNabb goes elsewhere and wins a Superbowl.

THIS is the kind of pressure the GM has to handle 365 days a year. When the average NFL fan has turned to the NHL, then NBA, then MLB for their entertainment, the Front Office's job will still be holding every decision they make up to the light, viewing it from every angle, looking at it from arms length, and putting it under a microscope. Before, during, and after they make it. In some cases for years to come. In some cases, even decades. (See HERSCHEL WALKER; cross reference: Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys).

Not to put too fine a point on it, the F.O. is far too concerned about their careers to listen too closely to what the fans want to emotionalize about. Their job is just to get the BUSINESS part of it right. As far as they're concerned, as long as you buy tickets and merchandise, you're essentially happy with what they're doing. That's why posters like HollywoodEagle encourage a boycott. That's easy enough if you're from Baltimore and game attendance isn't a family ritual, or your kid doesn't want a jersey; or because you can't get swept up in the heady rush of civic pride that accompanies another playoff push, because you live in another city. For us fans that live in Philly, a boycott is simply not practical. The root cause (Getting the F.O. to want a trophy as bad as the fans do) is just not important enough to us as fans, to warrant such action. I would wager that the F.O. contains a fair percentage of people who aren't even sports fans at all. That they would lack a fan's passion for penultimate glory is only natural. They're businesspeople doing business. and from a business perspective, they're doing it VERY well.

JOE Banner does not score touchdowns. He has never made a single tackle in midnight green. The next block he throws will be the first. All this considered, Jeff Lurie seems to think that as long as he has his "salary cap guru", it doesn't matter what players come or go. In the 10 years since the Lurie/Banner/Reid braintrust has been in business we've had to suffer through a seemingly unending slew of sub-par roster filler as we were supposed to be in the hunt for a trophy. How long have we suffered guys like Todd Pinkston, Reno Mahe, Billy McMullen, Lorenzo Booker, Carlos Emmons, N.D. Kalu, Mark Simoneau, Jerome McDougle, DHANI JONES AND HIS DAMNED AIR UKULELE, I could go on. Except for the year they broke character and signed T.O. and Jevon Kearse, when was the last time the EAGLES had an off-season that left you truely excited. Oh yeah, we went to the Superbowl that year didn't we? It seems this year that the EAGLES or (more pointedly) Joe Banner badly misread the FA market this year. Moreover, it seems that they're playing with an antiquated rule book. Salary cap concerns are hardly an issue anymore as most teams (having followed the EAGLES model for years now) have plenty of cap space left. If you factor in that next year will be uncapped, and no one knows what the subsequent CBA will be, suddenly Banners trusty rusty way of doing things seems in need of either an overhaul or replacing altogether.

SHAWN Andrews says he wants to play again. ( I can't believe I'm about to say this.) The EAGLES should give him another chance.

I wrote earlier this year (8/25/09) that the EAGLES should cut this guy and move on. This was with the impression that MJG and Nick Cole would be able to anchor the RG spot with no problem. I never did have have much confidence in Stacy Andrews coming in, and put up a post to that effect (5/2/09). It's now clear to me that MJG and Cole are passable starters, but will never be stars. I don't see us getting FA help this year, and thumbing through Draft prospects actually made me yawn. The Andrews are still under contract, and it's not like they're taking away roster spots from some guys we really need. No harm in one last long look. (I also advocated that the EAGLES do this with Winston Justice (2/15/09, 4/13/09). That worked out very well if I do say so myself). So here's what Reid should demand from BOTH Andrews brothers:

1) New FULL evaluations of their surgical repairs by a new physician of the EAGLES choosing to uncover any potential timebombs BEFORE the players begin to put serious stress on those parts.

2) Off-season strength and conditioning at NovaCare under the eye of the EAGLES trainers.

3) Participation in spring mini-drills.

4) Reporting to Lehigh ON TIME.

Once they made training camp, wisdom would suggest Andy Reid would make them part of the "Over 30" club; as the point is to bring them up to speed, not beat them up before the season starts. Now they'd have enough talent to make guys fight for a spot on the line, with the only sacred cow being Todd Herremanns.

If the Andrews can do those things, we could be about do some serious damage next season.

IT'S like having salt pumped directly into a wound! I can deal with the first round playoff exit. They happen. And lets face it; Dallas was a far healthier team, playing at home, after having anally violated our entire football organization on national T.V. just a week prior. The game wasn't exactly what you would refer to as an "upset", if you get my meaning. But I can stomach that. 'Cause I'm a FAN, I'll even choke down another helping of "This loss is on my shoulders"/ "I take full responsibility" /"I have to put the players in a better position to succeed", or whatever flavor the mea culpa happens to be this week. But I draw the LINE at the signing of this CFL RB!

Us fans know full well, that BWest is about to clean out his EAGLES locker for the last time. We get the fact that the mantle has passed to LeSean McCoy. Since the NFL won't relax it's rule about allowing players to compete in wheelchairs, (and I know they won't, 'cause I already called them about it), this day had to come. But what does our "Superbowl aspiring" team do to shore up the roster at this all important position? How do they quell our fear at the frightening prospect of turning the page? They go out and sign A CFL ROOKIE STANDOUT. CFL rookie standout. That's like saying you slept with the prettiest hooker in Atlantic City!

Now I'll admit, I didn't know anything about the guy when I heard of the signing. So, I did what any other red-blooded American would do when I find myself ignorant of information and in desperate need of a soapbox from which to rant from: I went to YouTube.

If this guy sucked any harder he'd be a Hoover attachment. He runs out of bounds instead of fighting for the extra yard. Even when he would "break one", he kept getting run down from behind. And the guy doesn't even run through arm tackles. I can't remember the last ime I saw someone in pads (other than Maxi), run with so little power. It's a travesty. G'bye Westbrook, hello whatever the hell this thing is.

I swear. I would rather have Joe Banner knock on my door, put his middle finger against the bridge of my nose and say **** YOU right to my face, then have another one of these type signings occur again. I can only hope that this is not a ploy to make us feel so bad, that when they trade out of the first round and select a long snapper in the second, we hardly notice. The only logical conclusion my mind can draw after most of this case of beer, is that Joe Banner is looking to break our spirit. That way we'll be happy with whatever he puts out on the field, because as you know Canadian football players are cheap. And as you know Banner has a fetish for CHEAP.

SHELDON Brown can lay cats out like cheap suits. Reggie Bush and Steven Jackson will tell you that. With Sheldon at FS you now have cornerback level coverage skill, and a sure tackler with YEARS of knowledge in this system. He already professed a preference for playing on the inside (usually at nickle) last season. This move would also solve a whole HOST of problems.

1.) It would allow the EAGLES to renegotiate his contract while saving face, since his deal was to play corner not saftey.

2.) It would allow Brown to mentor Joselio Hanson (his likely replacement). Since Brown has played that spot, he would be able to read Hanson's body language and read what Hanson was thinking. Brown would be able to play human eraser to any mistakes he saw coming. Since he's played a few years with Hanson he can act with the confidence of a man who KNOWS the guy he's reading. It would be the next best thing to a psychic link!

3.) Macho Harris played CB and FS in college. The knock on him is his deep speed, but he has a knack for finding the ball. This season as a rookie his job was primarily that of deep saftey. A very rigid role for a guy whose roaming instincts got him drafted. This move allows him to move to the nickle. And THAT allows him to roam. (You see what I'm getting at don't you?)

Basically you'd turn the right side of the Defense into a shark tank, and force the ball to the middle UNDERNEATH the safeties. Either that or you can challenge Asante Samuels directly. Of course this whole thing only works if you replace Mikell with someone who can cover, and HOLD ONTO interceptions. It's not enough for a guy to knock balls down, as teams will figure he's the lesser of all the evils. You punish QB by picking off their passes and making them THINK. If QB's hold the ball longer waiting for WIDE OPEN then the rush has time to get there.

NEXT year Andy Reid will be the head coach. They signed him to an extention. That means they EXTENDED his contract. His contract to stay here. In Philadelphia. Pennsylvania. So stop posting thay they should fire him! Jeff Lurie would sooner sneak into your house and steal all of your silverware than fire Reid. I don't know why that seems so hard for some of you to grasp.

I would like them to hire a new Defensive Co-ordinator, but they won't. Sean McDermott doesn't seem to me to be up to the task of making adjustments when his scheme is beaten. In a postgame interview Jeremiah Trotter told a reporter "They just had our number. At one point Tony Romo looked me in the eye and said 'You can just shift on over now'. They just had our number". That says it all. But the EAGLES won't fire him. They were something like second in the league in take-aways. Personally I don't see Asante Samuels gambling as a defensive philosophy, but I'm also not coaching in the NFL. So maybe I've got it wrong. One day the "Peel and Pick", will take it's place beside the "46", and the "Umbrella". It will be mentioned in the same breath as the "Tampa Two".

If you want a new Offensive Co-ordinator I have a suggestion for you. Go upstairs to your bedroom, and remove a pillow from your bed. Stuff one corner of the pillow into your mouth as far as you can. Now yell at the top of your lungs to Andy Reid to fire Marty Mornhinweg. It will have the same effect as actually asking Andy to his face. Next season expect 16 more games of 80/20 pass/run ratio.

Oh, and Happy New Year!

KEVIN KOLB talks like he wants the starting job here. That's fine because he should want to play. But stepping into the shoes of the best statistical, and playoff game winning QB in EAGLES history? Kolb would have no margin for error before the Illiterati started calling for this team to draft his replacement.

As for Donovan McNabb, I would like to see him get to play in a city that recognized that his presence on their team was a blessing not a curse. So I brainstormed and came up with a list of teams that 5 could actually end up playing for as early as next season.

Minnesota: Brad Childress likes McNabb, both on a skillset and a philosophical level (the safe throw beats the 50/50 TD/interception). Brett Favre can't play forever (can he?), and he and Childress already don't see eye to eye.

Washington: Campbell is a dead duck, and Shanahan would love a smart veteran (with division knowledge), to balance what is sure to be a formidable zone blocking run game. (Unlikely however, as McNabb is under guaranteed contract, and the EAGLES wouldn't trade him to a division rival, unless they got a Herschel Walker type deal in return.)

Oakland: Once JaMarcus Russell was removed from the line-up, the Raiders offense showed some signs of life with two QB's that are journeyman level at BEST. McNabb, paired with a powerful ground game, makes the Raiders offense good enough to allow the defense to catch breathers and keep them in games. Such a move would instantly make the Raiders a viable wildcard contender next year. And with his offseason home in Arizona, the move might not be such a shock to his family.

Chicago: The old "hometown boy comes home" vibe will sell some tickets and merchandise. The incoming offensive co-ordinator might like that his job doesn't hinge on a guy who's a savant at throwing interceptions. (Same with Lovie Smith!) Bears fans might like the playoff history on McNabb's resume.

NICK Cole and Max Jean-Gilles will give us a glimpse today of whether or not we'll go anywhere in the playoffs. With Demarcus Ware drawing double-teams on the edge, Donovan McNabb having somewhere to step-up in the pocket will be critical to the success of the passing game. Look for the Cowboys to try to short circuit the passing game by bringing in late blitzers to force the EAGLES to keep backs in to block.

Brent Celek could have a MONSTER day against a bad Cowboys secondary and LB's trying to compensate for an unremarkable passrush aside from Ware.

We will also get an idea of just how much Andy Reid wants to use Brian Westbrook in the playoffs. 10+ carries (carries, not touches) would be a signal that Andy wants to get Westbrook's motor revved up, for what could be his last playoff run as an EAGLE.

Finally, McNabb has to approach this game not like it's MUST WIN, but like it's MUST LEAD. He has to show the killer instinct needed to jump on a team early, and then choke the living fu** out of it. The young players need to see what a sense of urgency looks like.

A loss today would hardly be the end of the world. (Keep in mind this is still only week 17.) Division on the line or not, I doubt that Andy will roll out his playoff package today, since we're guaranteed a spot at the table. But how well today is managed will tell us an awful lot about what's to come.