Eagles: 3 Games and DA BEARS

  3 games into the season and while early, it's time to assess the Eagles.  What's going well and what isn't.  The team has shown that it is a contender and can play at a very high level.  There is a dynamic offense and a suffocating defense.  But is this a team that can win it all?  I cannot say that I know the answer, but I do think this may possibly be the best Eagles team in the last 4 years.  It's only 3 games, but here is my view.

 First, McNabb looks excellent, fit and ready to go the distance.  Until his chest contusion against Pittsburgh, his passing numbers were outstanding.  Should the chest contusion prove to be a minor issue, it would seem likely he can continue at a pace to hit 4,000 yards this season.  He is in the top 8 or 5 in every positive QB assesment.  Possible downsides, however, include the contusion (these can take up to a year to heal, depending on location, and can be very painful, limiting arm motion), and protecting the ball.  Dallas was all but in the win column, until the botched handoff to Westbrook.  It's McNabb's only fumble, but it was very costly.  Shaking it off as he did, and going 15 for 15 against Pittsburgh was a terrific show of mental strength.  GRADE: A

  Second, the defense is outstanding.  It is hard to say the Eagles have played weak teams.  The Rams, yes.  But Dallas and Pittsburgh are both contenders.  Only Dallas was capable of scoring a TD on this defense.  But to sack the Pittsburgh QB as frequently as they did was a sign of what this team is capable of.  There is no reason why they could not have done the same to Romo, had Johnson decided to dial it up a notch, and one has to wonder why he didn't.  The only 2 wins Dallas has had over Philly in 3 years were games where Philly put little pressure on Romo.  GRADE: B+

  Third, the receiving corps is a huge surprise.  McNabb has spread it out nicely.  This will be a key to continued success.  If defenses can't key on one man, then they must play softer in the secondary.  This will benefit both the passing and the running game.  Given that McNabb has 838 yards passing and has not had his two top receivers, what is likely to happen when he DOES have them?  Should we expect a massive passing explosion?  No, that's not likely, particularly as these 2 receivers will be recovering for some time.  Even if they were fully recovered as of today, the only thing that is likely is the ball would continue to be spread around, making these 2 receivers even more of a threat.  With DeSean Jackson's potential gamebreaking skills added to the mix, there is upside to the passing game. GRADE: B+

  Fourth, the running game.  Philly has rarely been a running team.  Westbrook has only had over 1,000 yards running the last 2 years, both seasons with a very limited McNabb.  Opponents, however, are now keying on him.  Through 3 games, he has only 161 yards.  At this pace, he'll only get to 850 for the season.  But that's not a bad thing, since both Buckhalter and Booker add a very nice twist to the running scheme.  The upside?  The Eagles haven't needed to run with a highly effective passing game.  The downside?  We have no idea if they CAN run if they need to.  At 84 yards per game, they are in the bottom 6 of NFL teams.  We know they are capable of running, but they just haven't needed to use it.  The time will come when the Eagles will have to show strength on the ground in order to complete the package.  It is the sole question mark on this squad.  GRADE: C-

  Finally, special teams.  The special teams, to date, have seen a massive upgrade.  Demps is a very good return man, as is Jackson.  Both have shown flashes of greatness.  However, the Eagles remain in the middle of the NFL in both categories of returns.  Punting is outstanding - 12 punts, 6 inside the 20, 2.8 yds per return.  Top of the league.  All these areas are massive upgrades, so far.  BUT...Stopping the other teams' KO returns....hmmm.  Dallas had a TD on one KO, and the Eagles are in the bottom 5 on return yardage.  Work needs to be done on KO.  GRADE: B- (shown improvement, but could be better)

  I look forward to this weekend's game against Chicago.  Chicago is a scary team.  A massively successful and strong Defense, with a questionable offense.  They can win, as they showed against Indianapolis.  But what to make of Carolina and Tampa Bay?  It's very hard to know what kind of team Chicago is.  I'd say they are a potential contender, and this game will teach us more about the Eagles than the Dallas game.  How they come out and play against a team that is so bipolar will speak boatloads to how far this team can go.  Domination from start to finish, such as they did with the Rams, would point to a team ready to go the distance.  A shaky game, with moments of strength and intermittent weakness that still leads to a win, like Pittsburgh, will indicate a team that is still learning about about itself but will be a contender.  Any kind of loss, and this team will have to do alot of soul searching to determine what they have to fix in order to contend.

The Bears are a balanced attack.  The Eagles can stuff the running game, in particular Forte, and force Orton to throw.  Will they?  There is every reason to think they can, making it a very long day for the Bears.  But the Bears can create turnovers, something they are very good at doing, possibly making it a see-saw battle.  Alot will depend on McNabb's chest and whether he can throw accurately into the face of a determined and forceful Bears defense.  I believe he is healthy and if he can top 250 yards once more - the average the Bears give up per game - the Eagles should come out on top.