#31 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES Season Preview

2012Record412 2012FinishintheStandings4thNFCEast LastYearsOffensiveandDefensiveRankings13thPassingOffense,13thRushing Offense,9thPassingDefense,23rdRushingDefense Iveheardplentyduringtheoffseasonabouthownew PhiladelphiaEaglescoachChipKellyisgoingto implementhisdynamic,highpoweredcollegeoffensethat heranwiththeOregonDucks.Ikeptscratchingmyhead thinkingwhowasgoingtobethequarterbackforthis specialoffense.ChipKellykeptusinsuspenseforweeks asthequarterbackcompetitionheatedupbetweenVick EaglesCoachChipKelly andNickFolesthissummer.Yesterday,ChipKellyfinally announcedthatMichaelVickwillleadhisteamasstarting quarterbackforthe2013season. Vickseemslikethelogicalchoicetobeatthehelmof Kellysoffensebasedonhisexcellenttrainingcampthat sawhimgo13outof15for199yards,atouchdown,and aninterceptionthatcameonaHailMarytoendahalf. Vickhasalsobeenknownforhisscramblingabilityand speedthroughouthis12yearcareer.However,at33years old,Icanthelpbutthinkthatthesomewhatdiminutive Vickhaslostastep.Heisalsoturnoverprone,accounting for24interceptionsand21fumbles,losingninefumblesto theopposition,foratotalof33turnoversjustbyhimselfin

StartingQBMichaelVick

twoyears.

IfinditquiteinterestingthatVickhasseeminglyhadninelivesintheNFL,andhas managedtosomehowgrabnotone,buttwocontractsofover$100millionfromtwo differentNFLteamsinhiscareer.However,itsdifficultformetofathomNFLteams puttingthekindoftimeandmoneyintoVickconsideringhehasonlyplayedonefull seasoninhisNFLcareer.Thatwouldbethe2006seasonwhenVickplayedforthe AtlantaFalconsbeforegoingtoprisonfortwoyearsforhisinvolvementinadog fightingring.TheoddsarethatMichaelVickwillonceagaingetinjuredthisyear playinginaChipKellyoffensefeaturingalotofmovementonthepartofthe quarterback.

Enter24yearoldquarterbackNickFoles.HeisaprototypicalQBat66and243lbs. HewasdraftedbytheEaglestobethequarterbackofthefutureinthethirdroundof the2012draft.FolescameinfortheconcussedVickduringthetenthgamelastyear andstartedtheremainingsixgamesoftheseason,throwingfor6TDsand5ints. Undoubtedly,therewillagainbeaFolessightingthisyearconsideringEagles quarterbacksweresacked48timesandhitaleaguehigh118timesin2012.IfFoles NickFolesislyinginwait. doesntshowprogress,Kellywillbeforcedtoturntorookiequarterback MattBarkleyfromUSC. Phillydidaddacoupleofpiecesintheoffseasontohelpprotecttheirquarterback.The Eaglesaddedbeefy66303lboffensivetackleLaneJohnsonfromOklahomawiththe fourthpickofthisyearsdraft.Theyalsoadded65tightendZachErtzfromStanford inthesecondround.ChipKellywasalltoofamiliarwiththeStanfordTEbecauseErtz caughtthetyingtouchdownpassagainstKellysOregonDuckslastyear,sendingthe gameintoovertime.TheCardinaleventuallydefeatedtheDucksinOTanddropthem fromtheirthen#1ranking. Philadelphiasrosteroftightendsalsoincludes63JamesCaseyacquiredfromthe HoustonTexansinfreeagencyand64BrentCelekand63ClayHarbor.ChipKelly willtrytoreaphavocbycreatingmismatcheswithtwo,three,andfourtightendsets. TheEaglesscoredapairofTDsfromthefourtightendsetintheirfirstpreseasongame againstthePatriotsandagainusedtheformationlastweekagainstCarolina.These multipletightendpackageswillcreatefavorablematchupsagainstdivisionrivals DallasandtheNewYorkGiantswhoserostersfeaturesmallercornerbacks.Needlessto say,KellysinfusionofcreativityintheEaglesoffenseisoneofthemostanticipated mustseesintheNFLthisyear. ChipKellyhasencounteredafewbumpsalongtheroadthissummerlosingsteady widereceiverJeremyMaclintoatornACLearlyintrainingcamp.Kellyalsohadto facethechallengeoftheRileyCooperfiascowhenthewidereceiverwasfilmedusinga racialslur.ThecoachseeminglymadetherightdecisioninallowingCoopertotakea leaveofabsencefromtrainingcampbecausethemediafrenzyhassinceblownover. TheEaglesareexpectedtoswitchtoa34defensethisyearundernewdefensive coordinatorBillDavis.DavispreviousstintsasaDcoordinatorwithArizonaandSan Franciscoresultedindefensesrankednearthebottomoftheleague.However,Davis wasntblessedwithtalentonthoseteams.Phillysdefensiveunitwasnttooshabby lastyearagainsttherunrankingninthintheleague.However,thedefenseneedsto showimprovementagainstthepasswhichresultedinanNFLhigh33TDpasses allowedforasievelike27.8pointspergameallowed. Phillyhopestobebetterdefendingthepassinggamethisyearwiththeadditionsof cornerbackCaryWilliamsandBradleyFletcherandsafetiesKennyPhillipsandPatrick

Chung.Gonearethehighpriced,VinceYoungproclaimedDreamTeamersin cornerbacksNnamdiAsomughaandDominiqueRodgersCromartie. Outlook:NewcoachChipKellyhassomenicetoystoplaywithinrunningback LeSeanMcCoyandwidereceiverDeSeanJackson.Itseemsasthoughtheplayersare buyingintothecreativelyunusualoffensivesystem.However,itremainstobeseen howlongtheoftinjuredquarterbackMichaelVickstayshealthy.Backupquarterbacks NickFolesandrookieMattBarkleyarewetbehindtheears,buttheyshowpromisefor thefutureofthePhiladelphiaEagles.Iwouldnotexpecteitheroneofthemtostepin rightawayandsettheworldonfire.However,theymayeventuallybeputinthat positionbeforethe2013seasonisover. 2013ProjectedRecord:412.LastintheNFCEast.Abrutalscheduleincludesroad gamesagainstfourplayoffteamsfromlastyearinWashington,Denver,GreenBay,and Minnesota.TheEaglesarealsoontheroadforthreeconsecutivegamesearlyinthe year.HowquicklyChipKellysnewoffensegelsandaninjurypronestartingQBare alsoquestionmarksforthenewlookPhiladelphiaEagles.Phillyshouldgetwins againstSanDiego,Detroit,anddivisionrivalsDallasandtheNewYork,whothey alwaysplaytough.