An Eagles Analysis From The View Of a Giants Fan

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As a Giants fan, the team that I fear the most this year in the NFC East is the Eagles.  They are deep, talented and well coached. They are mentally tough and know how to win. 

The Eagles could easily finish first in the division. So, I thought that I would do my best to give an honest evaluation of the Eagles from the perspective of an outsider.

First of all, this might be the best offense the Eagles have had since their Super Bowl year.  They have quality wide receivers, running backs and offensive linemen.  Most importantly, they have a healthy Donovan McNabb.  To start the evaluation, let's start with the foundation of the offense, the line.

The acquisition of Jason Peters is potentially the most important in the division.  Left tackle was becoming a problem for the Eagles.  Tra Thomas was getting old and Winston Justice is just not good enough to play. 

Justice nearly got McNabb killed two years ago against the Giants. Justice is no longer listed as a left tackle on the Eagles depth chart. Peters on the other hand, was a pro bowl tackle two years ago. Last year, he was out of shape and he stunk.

The Eagles gave him a huge contract to reflect the pro bowl player that he was two years ago. For the Eagles to contend for the Super Bowl, he needs to play at a pro bowl level. 

Between Osi Umenyiora and DeMarcus Ware, the NFC East has the top two pass rushers in the NFC.  If Peters cannot protect McNabb's blind side, then the team will not contend. If he can stop Ware and Osi, then the Eagles are a true contender. 

Peters is that important. He might actually be the MOST important Eagle this year. I assume that he is healthy and motivated. If so, the Eagles will be able to score points on everyone.

Herrmans is solid, but nothing special.  He is the weak link on the line. The Redskins in particular will be a tough matchup as a result because of Haynesworth. However, if Peters plays up to his ability, then Herrmans can get help from Jackson. Jackson is a good center, but is slightly overrated.

It seems that big centers get rated higher than their play by the pundits. Jackson is better than Gurode, but he does not appear especially mobile which hurts the Eagles when they run wide, as he does not pull well in the games that I have watched. 

As a general rule, the Eagles line is huge. The Andrews brothers add to the size. This will help their power blocking schemes. It will hurt them against speed rushers.

Shawn Andrews will need help against Justin Tuck and injuries and mental well being are a concern for him.  Having his brother next to him should help.

The ironic aspect of the Eagles line is that it is built to play power football, but the Eagles do not play that style of offense. It is an unintended weakness that the offense is not well suited to the skills of its line. 

A power back like Brandon Jacobs would do great.  It is a testament to how good Brian Westbrook is that he excels behind a line whose talents do not match up with his skills.  Westbrook is an exiting back who creates space and has the speed to run away from defenders. 

His main problem is that because he is small, he gets hurt a lot. The Eagles hope that McCoy will be an adequate fill in when Westbrook misses time, but that is a lot to expect from a rookie in the West Coast offense. 

When Westbrook is healthy, he is the best combination of runner and receiver in the NFC.  Unfortunately for the Eagles, he enters camp hurt. If Peters is the most important Eagle, then Westbrook is second.

McNabb is a stud QB. He is accurate and patient, is still mobile, but no longer a threat to run. 

He excels in the short passing game that is the West Coast offense. His ability to throw the ball short and accurate makes him hard to defend.  He depends on Westbrook to make the offense work. 

When Westbrook is healthy, McNabb has an extraordinary threat for dumpoffs and handoffs. McNabb's major weaknesses (which are minor) are that he does not run a two-minute offense efficiently (he needs four minutes) and he does not take enough chances on offense. 

So, unless Westbrook or DeSean Jackson make plays, the Eagles have trouble scoring quickly.  On the other hand, give the Eagles a lead and McNabb is as good as anyone at running down the clock to give the Eagles the win.

Jackson gives McNabb a potentially great WR to throw to. Jackson is supremely talented.  He has speed that enables him to get separation in his routes.  He has a good shot at making the pro bowl this year. He is a major matchup problem for opposing defenses. 

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