The Legion Of Zoom: The Rise Of an Eagles' Offensive Juggernaut In Philadelphia

Eleanor Roosevelt (allegedly) once said that “America was built on speed, pure, bad ass speed.”  This statement can also be applied to the 2010 Philadelphia Eagles offense, a group that is young, talented, and the fastest in the NFL.  The emergence of young stars such as 23-year-old receiver Desean Jackson, 22-year-old wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, 25-year-old tight end Brent Celek and 22-year-old running back Lesean McCoy, coupled with the resurgence of 30-year-old quarterback and MVP candidate Michael Vick has the Eagles flying high on offense and tied for first place in the NFC East with four games to go.

The Eagles offense is averaging 28.7 points per game (the second most in the NFL this season) despite losing some very key components for significant amounts of time due to injury, including all-pro fullback Leonard Weaver and starting center Jamaal Jackson for the season.   They are doing this thanks in large part to Michael Vick, who has returned from his stay in prison as a better player than he ever was in Atlanta in nearly every way. His new found comfort in the pocket and ability to pick apart a defense with just his arm has been one of the biggest stories of the year; as has the return of the speed and running ability that was the cornerstone of his success during his years as a Falcon.  All of this has landed him on the cover of Sports Illustrated and in the center of the MVP discussion.

That is not the only way in which he has improved. An equally vital and often overlooked aspect of his triumphant return to stardom is his new found work ethic and leadership.  Throughout his time in Atlanta he was known as a player who was as lazy as he was athletically gifted, and who resisted any sort of leadership role.  Thanks in large part to Andy Reid and the entire Eagles coaching staff, as well as Tony Dungy, Steve Young, and other well respected football minds that have mentored and guided Michael since he was released from prison; Vick has become known as one of the hardest workers in the entire league. 

He is now the first one there and the last to leave and has become a true student of the game; watching large of amounts of film each week, an activity that he shunned during his years in Atlanta.  He is now the unquestioned leader of the team and is highly respected by both the rookies and veterans on the team.  He not only leads by example but also vocally when need be and he has not hesitated to accept all of the blame for any of the team’s shortcomings, such as after the devastating loss to the Bears.  He has become what Steve Young called “the full realization of the position.”

Although Michael Vick certainly deserves much of the credit for his feats so far this year, everything he has done has been made easier by the arsenal of weapons that he has at his disposal.  The quality of his supporting cast this year is vastly superior to anything he ever had in Atlanta.  His favorite targets and self proclaimed “little brothers” on the team are a trio consisting of wide receivers Desean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, as well as running back Lesean McCoy.  These three players are all under the age of 24 and are already among the best in the league at their positions.

The ‘oldest’ and most feared among them is third-year wide out Desean Jackson, the notorious speedster who last year became the first player ever to be named a Probowl starter at two positions (wide receiver and punt returner) in the same year.   Despite missing some time with a concussion, Jackson is still on pace to have over 1000 yards receiving and 8 touchdowns this year.  Joining him is his partner in crime; second year wide out from Missouri, Jeremy Maclin who is on pace to have over 1100 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns, in what has been a breakout season for him.  His emergence has prevented teams from putting too much focus on Jackson and has really opened up the field for the rest of the offense. 

As vaunted and feared as these 2 deep threats are, neither of them has been Vick’s favorite target this year.  That honor goes to Lesean McCoy, the second year halfback out of Pitt who leads the team in receptions and is on pace for over 1800 all purpose yards this year despite the fact that the Eagles run the ball less than almost every team in the league.  McCoy’s good hands, speed, and cut back ability have evoked comparisons to a former Eagles running back that kept many defensive coordinators up at night for the better part of the last decade: Brian Westbrook.  Despite all of this McCoy has been overlooked by the national media for the most part.  Opposing teams however, have started to take notice as McCoy continues to produce on a weekly basis.  In fact, McCoy has the potential to be better than Westbrook. 

As blasphemous as this might seem to some Eagles fans who remember how B-West carried almost the entire offensive load for years, for the first few years of his career Westbrook did not play a very large role in the offense. At age 22 (still the youngest Eagle despite being in his second season) McCoy is more developed then Westbrook was at the same point in his career. He has also been more durable then Westbrook ever was. Not only did he play in all 16 games last year, a feat Westbrook never accomplished, but he has yet to miss a game this year despite having a broken rib and injuring his shoulder.  While it has yet to be seen how he will hold up over the course of his career, the early outlook is good.

This quartet of Pro Bowl-caliber players is more than enough to make the Eagles one of the highest scoring teams in the league; but it is the depth and talent that the Eagles have at the skill positions outside of their fearsome foursome that really puts them over the top.   Players such as tight end Brent Celek, who put up  Pro Bowl-caliber numbers last year, Jason Avant, who has some of the best hands in the league, Jerome Harrison, who has shown flashes of brilliance since being traded from the Browns, and fullback Owen Schmidt who has filled in admirably for All-Pro Leonard Weaver, have been doing whatever has been asked of them all year and coming up with big plays when needed. 

As great as all of this may be (and it is great, what was considered a season of growth and learning has become not only a potential playoff season but maybe even a championship season in what is a year of great parity throughout the league), there is still lots of room for improvement.  The offensive line has looked terrible at times and has let Michael Vick take many hard hits throughout the season.  The team is also at the bottom of the league when it comes to scoring once they get in the red zone.   Fortunately these problems can be remedied over the off season without too much difficulty.  The return of Jamaal Jackson coupled with any free agents or draftees that Andy Reid chooses to bring in should help solidify the line for next season.  Solidifying the line will also help increase the red zone proficiency, as it will make it easier to keep the ball on the ground and pound it into the end zone. The return of Leonard Weaver, who is the focal point of much of the goal line offense, will also make the red zone offense more efficient.  As would adding a tall wide receiver, in the mold of a Plaxico Burress (maybe even the man himself?), who relies on his height to beat defenders rather than his speed which can be neutralized in short field situations.

As it stands now this young and highly talented offense is very good and only getting better.  With a few improvements they can go from being very good to being great. Do not be surprised if they are the ones to finally end the Eagles’ Superbowl drought within the next few years or even this one.  The potential is there, with some help from the defensive side of the ball, this young group of Eagles could accomplish things that the previous generations of Eagles were unable to do. 

P.S. This is my first article so any feedback or criticism is appreciated. (constructive preferred but if you do feel the need to insult please make it creative and humorous.) What do you guys think of the nickname by the way? Thanks for reading!