Bleacher Report - Articles by Roberto Mejia

Philadelphia Eagles: Can They Match-Up With Teams With Winning Records?

Roberto Mejia — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:34:30 -0400

Stop what you're doing and book your tickets to Florida. The Philadelphia Eagles are going to the Super Bowl!

Not so quite.

The Philadelphia Eagles currently have a record of 3-1 after five weeks of football. The only lost coming to the 4-0 Saints.

Yes, we are 3-1, but look who we have beat. We've beat the Carolina Panthers (1-3), Kansas City Chiefs (0-5), and Tampa Buccaneers (0-5).

Altogether, they have a combined record of 1-13.

That's why I haven't been impressed with our wins. Not, that I haven't been impressed, but it's what I expect from this team. Yes, we have won with large margins, but that's what the Eagles are supposed to do. We are supposed to beat up on the "weaker teams".

The only loss of the season was to the New Orleans Saints, who are potential Super Bowl contenders with All-Pro Drew Brees and their sixth-ranked defense.

We should beat the Raiders by more than 14 points. Our schedule after the Raiders gets challenging.

Week Six @ Oakland—Yes, the Raiders are 1-4 and they have a horrible quarterback, but they still have All-Pro defensive back Nnamdi Asomugha. Although it should be a walk in the park with our number three-ranked defense.

Week Seven @ Washington—There is turmoil in Washington, but the Redskins were the team that beat us twice last year. Records are dropped when NFC East teams clash.

After week seven, teams have a combined record of 26-11.

Talk about fierce competition. We can only afford to lose three or four games and make the playoffs. None of these teams can be taken for granted.

Where is our running game? If we want to win games, we need to get our running game going. If we put these games on McNabb's shoulders, defenses our going to find a way to slow us down.

I am impressed with our passing game. What I liked seeing was Maclin's break out game. I was kind of hesitant to why the Eagles picked this young man up, but I know now that he has some special talent. Add Brent Celek, Jason Avant, and Weaver and we have some pretty good weapons. I would like to see Brandon Gibson getting some reps, because I liked what I saw during the preseason.

I think Curtis' health problems will effect his playing time and if he is not healthy, please leave him off the field.

I am not saying that I am not happy with this team, but we need to play some better football. Our defense needs to step up and play Eagles football.

The true challenge is still to come.

Which DC Team Is Closer To A Championship?

Roberto Mejia — Fri, 15 May 2009 00:07:54 -0400

Every DC fan was crushed Wednesday night, May 14.

The Capitals got embarrassed on their home field losing 6-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals.

"This is the year" I continually heard in the streets of Metropolitan area.

Obviously it wasn't and once again, a DC team fell short.

The Washington Capitals seemed to be the closest team to reach a championship in the city since DC United winning a championship in 2004.

Were the Capitals the closest team to win a championship? Maybe, but lets look at all the DC professional teams.

Washington Redskins

The Redskins ended the season 8-8 after starting 6-2.

The Redskins have not won a championship since 1991.

They have a real solid defense, that includes newly signed defensive tackle Albert Hanynesworth and first round pick Brian Orakpo.

The struggles are on offense. The organization has tried hard this off season to find the franchise quarterback.

They tried to trade for Jay Cutler and sign Sanchez in the draft, but were not successful.

If the Redskins fix their problems on offense, then they will be able to compete in the tough NFC east.

DC United

DC United was actually the last team to win a championship in the city of DC.

2008 was not the best season for United.

They ended with a record of 11-4-15, missing the MLS playoffs.

They are currently leading the Eastern conference with 14 points.

DC has a talented team leaded by veterans like Moreno, Quaranta, Christian Gomez, and Luciano Emilio.

If DC continues with the success they have currently, then they could be on track of picking up their title since 2004.

Washington Wizards

This team could probably one of the biggest disappointment of the 2008-2009 season.

At the same time, you can't blame the team, but the injuries that occur during the season.

All star Gilbert Arenas was no where to be seen during the season, center Brandon Haywood was also battling injuries.

They ended the season with a record of 19-63 and also fired head coach Eddie Jordan in the beginning of the season.

The only positive about this past season is that the team will receive an early draft pick.

The Wizards have signed Flip Saunders as the new head coach of the team.

When this team is healthy, they could easily be a top NBA team.

Washington Nationals

The Nationals, officially became the Nationals in 2005.

Since then, their winning percentage had gradually decreased.

Last season they ended with a record of 29-102.

This year does not seem as different. There record as of right now is 11-21 and are last in the National League east standings.

With their winning record seeing no improvement, it is hard to say when they will actually reach the post season.

Hopes and dreams were crushed when the Capitals lost Game 7 the other night. The next DC contenders can easily be DC United this year and the Capitals and Wizards next year. The Redskins are a good choice, but need to work out on their offense, especially with a NFC East division that have really good defenses.

Game-by-Game Analysis of the Second Half of the Eagles' 2009 Season

Roberto Mejia — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:22:04 -0400

A continuation of my first article.

With the Eagles 6-1, they are in a mission to go to the post season.

Facing a tough loss at week 8, the Eagles were on a mission to get back on track. What better way then taking out the anger on the cowboys.

Week 9 vs Dallas

No T.O., no problem. At home, the Eagles' defense made Tony Romo look like David Carr. With a season high of eight sacks, the Eagles were back on track. The Eagles win 27-10.

Week 10 @ San Diego

After their easy win over Dallas, the Eagles travel across country. To visit the chargers.

The last west coast trip ended in a game winning field goal, and this game didn't seem to be different.

The Eagles started out fast, with a 13-3 lead at half time.

In the third quarter, Phillip Rivers woke up and made this a game.

They continued to fail in making touchdowns and continued to call on Akers to bail the offense out.

With the score 19-13, Eagles, the defense was forced to step up.

Unfortunately, the defense wasn't up to the task and allow Darren Sproles to score with a well executed screen play.

With the score now 20-19 chargers, the Eagles were forced to get into field goal range so that, Akers can hit a game winning field goal.

With five seconds left, the Eagles were in position to make a 53 yard field goal, but Akers kicks it wide right.

The Eagles lose another close one and move to 7-2.

Week 11 @ Chicago

Trying to get past their disappointing loss in San Diego, the Eagles have no problem at Chicago.

After losing two consecutive years against Chicago, Brian Westbrook wanted a change.

With no receivers to pass it to, Jay Cutler has a rough game.

The Eagles on the other hand, had a nose for the end zone.

Brian Westbrook finishing the game with 138 yards, two touchdowns, and rookie running back adding 60 yards with two more scores.

The running backs carrying the team to a 35-9 win and improve to 8-2.

Week 12 vs Washington

Since starting out slow in their first appearance against the 'skins, the Eagles were determined not to begin the game in the same way.

With the running game unable to establish, the Eagles were forced to put it in the air.

Jackson and Maclin stepping up, each ending with a touchdown at the half.

With the score 17-10 at half time, the Eagles were looking to fly away from the redskins.

McNabb adds to his stats and throws another touchdown, this time to Avant.

With the score now 24-10, Weaver closes the game by scoring a three yard touchdown at the goal line.

Eagles win 31-10, modifying their record to 9-2.

Week 13 @ Atlanta

With the Falcons undefeated at home, the Eagles were determined to change that.

Falcons with no success on the ground, were force to make second year starter Matt Ryan go through the air.

He did just that making the Eagles' defense struggle. Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White both found the end zone making it a good game between the two.

The Eagles trailed 21-24 In the fourth quarter, but Kevin Curtis helped the Eagles take the lead with three minutes remaining.

Losing 28-24 with three minutes remaining, forced Matt Ryan to take the team down the field to score a touchdown.

Making quick passes to his wide receivers and a nice screen play by Norwood set the Falcons in a good position to go for the go ahead score.

With 30 seconds left in the game, Matt Ryan finds Tony Gonzalez at the corner of the end zone beating Demps on the Jump ball.

With the Eagles trailing 31-28, McNabb was forced to make some magic. Unfortuantely, not enough time on the clock and cause Eagles to fall 9-3.

Week 14 @ New York Giants

December isn't a month in which the Eagles particularly lose. They lost their first December game at Atlanta and now are forced to travel to New York.

The Giants took the first game at Philadelphia, which meant that the Eagles haven't forgotten.

Unlike the first meeting, this was going to be a close, nice defensive game.

Both teams showed why they both are the top ranked defenses in the NFC. They continued to pressure each other and found it hard to put points on the board.

Eagles leading 10-9 at the end of the third quarter, seemed to gain confidence against the Giants' defense entering the fourth.

A McNabb to Engram touchdown pass made the score 17-9, with six minutes remaining.

The Giants got the ball back, only to turn the ball over with a pick-six from Sheldon Brown.

With the score 24-9, the Giants scored a touchdown, but too late.

The Eagles winning 24-16 and improving to 10-3.

Week 15 vs San Fransisco

With a close win against the Giants, the Eagles come back home to face the 49ers.

The Eagles showed no signs of slowing down and wanted to go with momentum to face Denver.

The Eagles roll and put a forty burger on the Niners, improving their record to 11-3.

Week 16 vs Denver

What every Philadelphia Eagles fans were waiting for, the return of Dawkins.

The crowd rising to their feet and giving him a nice warmed welcome. Unfortunately, that was all the Eagles gave him.

The Eagles burned their defense, staying away from Champ Bailey and the MVP, Donovan McNabb kept on scoring points.

The offense was on fire, having a field day.

The defense couldn't really get to Orton, but did a good job in stopping Moreno.

The Eagles spoil the return of Dawks and Buck, with a 28-17 win.

Week 17 @ Dallas

With the last game of the season, the Eagles needed to win this game in order to lock up the division from the Giants.

The Cowboys at home could never find the rhythm, and was having trouble stopping the birds.

The only player having success for the cowboys was Barber.

The Eagles had troubles stopping the run, but Barber himself couldn't beat the Eagles.

Pro bowler, Brian Westbrook breaks a 50 yarder which guaranteed them NFC east champs.

The Eagles finish 13-3, entering the playoffs ready to make some noise.

This is how the Eagles will do this season, but I wouldn't mind more wins. Also have a feeling that they might split the division games. Its all my opinion though.

Game By Game Analysis Of The First Half Of The Eagles' 2009 Season

Roberto Mejia — Wed, 13 May 2009 00:11:23 -0400

This is a game by game analysis of the Eagles' 2009 season.

As much as I want them to go undefeated and win the Superbowl, I don't think they will go undefeated.

I predict that the Eagles will end the regular season with a record of 13-3.

This is how they get to that point:

Week One at Carolina

It is never easy to go into Carolina with the home record they had last year, but that was last year.

McNabb and the Eagles have a field day. The Eagles stop the dynamic duo of Stewart and Williams, which causes Delhomme to throw the ball.

Mikell comes up with a final interception to close the game. Eagles Cruise 24-10

Week Two vs New Orleans

The Eagles come into the Linc. with some momentum that pays off.

Westbrook picks up 80 yards in the first half that ends with a half time score of 17-7 Eagles.

The Eagles managed to hold on and come out with a 23-17 win.

Week Three vs Kansas City

The Eagles did not manage a second half touchdown last week, which made them mad.

Donovan showed the league why this team can be so explosive. He ended the day with 343 yards passing and 3 touchdowns. The Eagles fly away with a 31-3 final.

Week Four Bye

The Eagles take a week off to prepare for the Tampa Bay Bucs.

Week Five vs Tampa Bay

Third week at home and the Eagles continued to impress. The defense played excellently with five sacks and two interceptions. No contest and the eagles improve to 4-0.

Week Six @ Oakland

The first road trip since week one.

With Russel banged up, Garcia had no problems filling in. The raiders are a different team from the year before and make the Eagles fight till the end.

With the game tied 17-17, Akers lands a game wining field goal to improve to 5-0.

Week Seven at Washington

Classic NFC east rivalry. Its Monday night and all eyes are on these two teams.

Since sweeping the Eagles last year, the Redskins carried the same momentum. Campbell to Cooley was a hot combination in the first half, where the Redskins led 17-0 at half time.

Still Struggling in the third quarter, the Eagles only manage a field goal, but do not allow any more points.

Since his embarrassing moment last year on Monday night, DeSean Jackson had a record setting fourth quarter.

He showed his quickness and returned two punts for touchdowns making the score 17-17.

With two minutes remaining, Campbell showed why the Redskins were interested in Cutler.

He threw it straight to Asante who returned it for a pick-six that ended up winning the game 24-17.

Week Eight vs New York Giants

After an unbelievable come-from-behind win at Washington, the Eagles now faced the Giants.

Eli Manning and Donovan McNabb were more than ready for the NFC east match-up.

This soon became a shootout going into half time tied at 21.

Defenses were tired and points kept pouring on with the Eagles leading 34-31 entering the final minutes.

Brandon Jacobs literally carried his team so that they could attempt a field goal. They got in position and tied the game up sending it to overtime.

The Eagles win the toss and decide to receive.

They start the possession at the Giants 30-yard line, but all goes down from there.

Unfortunately, rookie running back LeSean McCoy mishandled the exchange and gave the Giants good field position.

The Giants win with a field goal and give the Eagles their first loss of the season.

First half of the 2009 season...Second half coming soon.

What Are The Chances Of a Super Bowl 39 Rematch?

Roberto Mejia — Sun, 10 May 2009 21:40:59 -0400

How many people are saying that the Eagles are the best team in the NFC?

You can argue that the Eagles had the best draft of the NFL and are favorites of winning the Superbowl.

I really don't like to put the Eagles in high expectation, but as an Eagles fan, you have to like the chances.

The Philadelphia Eagles acquired many talented players that will eventually make this team better. They started the off-season by signing Stacy Andrews, Sean Jones, Rashad Baker, and Leonard Weaver.

Weeks before the Draft, the Eagles filled their left tackle position by trading one of their first round picks for pro bowler Jason Peters.

The Eagles arguably had the best draft by picking up offense talents like wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, running back LeSean McCoy, and tight end Cornelius Ingram. We also can't forget about the acquisition of Ellis Hobbs.

We have a solid offense, lead by Donovan McNabb. A solid defense with depth a cornerback, and a solid special teams group with many possible returners.

We all know that the Eagles are a good on paper, but can they execute on the field? Can players reach the expectation level and can everyone stay healthy?

I can't read the future, but If we play like all of us expect, then we have a good chance of winning the Superbowl. We might represent the NFC, but who will represent the AFC?

The New England Patriots.

In the 2008-2009 season the Patriots won a total of 11 games and did not make the playoffs. Lets keep in mind that they were without former MVP Tom Brady. New England Patriots' fans will be happy to see him under center once again.

The Patriots have made many off-season moves which have brought in players on both sides of the ball.

On offense they added running back Fred Taylor, Tight end Chris Baker and Alex Smith, wide receivers Greg Lewis and Joey Galloway

The combination of Tom Brady and Fred Taylor sounds good. Taylor still has a lot in his tank and will cause defenses to focus on him and Brady.

On Defense they added Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden to help at the corner position.

The defense is a question mark, but Bill Belichick is one of the smartest coaches in the league and will find a way to win with the players he has on the rosters.

Just like the Eagles, the Patriots are contenders every year. The Patriots will challenge the Steelers in representing the AFC.

A Super Bowl 39 rematch would be something every Eagles' fans dream of. The Patriots took our chance of becoming World champions and Tom Brady has a big chip on his shoulder since the league and media expect so much from him.

McNabb vs Brady part two. It could be a good headline.

We have a talented group to march to Florida and win the Superbowl. But like I said before, we look good on paper, but can we execute?

2009 Could Be McNabb's Favorite Offseason

Roberto Mejia — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:10:47 -0400

Here we go, first article...

Donovan McNabb said he would not renegotiate his contract until he sees what the Eagles do in the offseason.

Nothing looked to go his way early on, as the Eagle’s lost defensive leader Brian Dawkins, running back Correll Buckhalter, and offensive linemen Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas.

With the Eagles losing these types of players, it seemed Mcnabb would not renegotiate. But it was still early, and he would need to wait and see what would happen later.

In the beginning of free agency the Eagles signed offensive lineman Stacy Andrews. On April 17, the Eagles acquired offensive tackle Jason Peters for the 28th overall pick and a fourth round pick.

These are two young guys who will strengthen the Eagles' offensive line, but are they upgrades from the veterans? Only time will tell.

Now that McNabb has help on the line, he knows his health will be in good hands. He now has a strong, dominant line that will help him and Brian Westbrook be successful.

So what else would make Donovan happy? No matter what, the 21st pick will be an offensive player.

Knowing the Eagles’ front office is unpredictable, I have two suggestions that will make this offseason McNabb’s favorite.

First, the team should trade up and get Knowshon Moreno. There are teams that pick before the Eagles who are interested in Moreno or any running back, so the chances of Moreno of being there at 21 are not that great.

Picking up Moreno would give Philly a threatening backfield. Let's not forget the Eagles also acquired Leonard Weaver at fullback. Having Westbrook, Weaver, and Moreno will fix our third-and-short problems.

Assuming all of this panned out, what would happen if we were to trade for a receiver? How good would this offense be if we signed someone like Anquan Boldin?

I know this is unlikely, but just imagine it. We could have Boldin on the right, DeSean Jackson on the left, and Kevin Curtis in the slot. With those three men, plus Moreno and Westbook in the backfield, who would defenses focus on?

It could arguably be a dream come true for McNabb.

Anything could happen this weekend, but it doesn’t hurt to dream.