The 2009 Eagles Must Run Before They Can Fly

Cold winds, colder fans and a potentially hot NFC East make playing football in Philadelphia a tough enterprise. Luckily for the Eagles, however, the Green and White are about as tough as any team gets, and that, as it has in the past, is what will carry them deep into the playoffs this year.

The Eagles will have their work cut out for them this July when they arrive at Lehigh University for training camp. As they prepare to head back into an NFC East division that sustained a surprising level of underachievement in 2008, the Eagles, who earned a trip to the NFC Championship game before losing to the Arizona Cardinals, will be the ones with the targets on their backs. That said, Philadelphia's seasoned class of veterans won't have any time to waste in getting this year's incoming crop of rookies ready for NFL competition.

The Green and White allowed only 289 total points against them last year (fourth in the NFL) and the onus will once again rest on Head Coach Andy Reid's stringent defense if the Eagles are to make it back to the playoffs. In a division that boasts high-octane offenses such as the ones that the New York Giants (third in NFL with 427 points in 2008) and Dallas Cowboys possess, defense is paramount. If experienced starting defensive ends Juqua Parker and Trent Cole (9 sacks in2008) can continue penetrating  offensive lines to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, athletic cornerbacks Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown will have a field day in the secondary. Of course for the Eagles, however, it all goes back to middle linebacker Stewart Bradley, and if he can quarterback the defense the way he did last year, Reid's crew is in good shape.

Offense is where the Eagles will need to make the biggest adjustment this year. While it is no secret that the Philadelphia defense is the city's bread and butter, if the Green and White want to fly down to Miami for Super Bowl XLIV this February, they will be the ones charged with picking up the slack. Matched up in a division that is very defensive heavy with teams like the Giants and the Washington Redskins, offensive production will not come easy. In 2008, the Eagles ranked sixth in the NFL with 416 total points. The only problem was that very few of those 416 points came in pressure situations. At times, the Eagles seemed unable to convert on third down and thus, many would-be touchdown drives ended early and resulted in field goals or punts.

The biggest reason for the Eagles' third-down ineptitude was their struggles with short yardage. While All-Pro running back Brian Westbrook is more than capable of busting out for big gains, it was those third-and-shorts that stifled Reid's offense. With neither Westbrook, reserve running back Lorenzo Booker or Eldra Buckley weighing more than 210 pounds, Philadelphia doesn't have the big running back to move the chains on short yardage downs. The other problem with Philadelphia's rushing game is that they don't use it. Any time a Pro-Bowl running back finishes a season with 936 rushing yards on 233 attempts, a change in philosophy seems warranted. However Reid, who has coached the Eagles since 1999, is unlikely to change his approach at this point and that is why once again, the pressure will rest on veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb's aging shoulder.

McNabb was the target of much scrutiny in 2008 because of mid-season struggles. Any time a defense can key on the pass all game, the quarterback is in for a long day, and that is exactly what McNabb went through on a regular basis in 2008. If the Eagles can do a good job mixing in the run game more than they did in 2008 and find success in those short-yardage situations, Philadelphia fans will get used to hearing "McNabb to [Reggie] Brown, TOUCHDOWN!"

In Brown and Kevin Curtis, McNabb has a pair of athletic targets that won't struggle to get open, but the Philadelphia quarterback will only have the time to find them if he can buy extra seconds with play actions and fake hand-offs, plays that won't be of any impact without a strong rushing game.

In the 2009-10 season, the Eagles' hopes for a Super Bowl all stem back to the potency of Reid's rushing attack. While the Eagles are known annually for having one of the toughest defenses in the league, their offensive production won't match up unless they can better utilize Westbrook behind the line of scrimmage.

If they can, Philadelphia fans can expect to "Fly Eagles Fly" right down to Miami this February.