Most likely besides for a few tweaks this will be the team that you will be watching next year. With a lot of young players and new signings from last year this team has a lot of players signed for next year and that is a good thing. This Eagles team is finally coming together and the way they are playing now is how they will be playing next year.
This will be the team that takes the field in the 2012 season and for that fans should be happy. Fans still have bad memories have the horrific 2011 season that had such high hopes, but this team will have high hopes just not as much attention as 2011. The Philadelphia Eagles are finally clicking and this team will be looking better as they continue to develop chemistry with each other.
Vick was showing that he could be a complete quarterback last year and had an MVP-calibar year, but this year was not the same. He had a really rough start to the 2011 season. He was knocked out of two games in the first three weeks and missed three more games after suffering a rib injury.
It has been a tail of two season for Vick, and finally the good part has arrived. In his first nine games of the season he 11 interceptions along with 3 lost fumbles, but he has only 2 turnovers in his last three. In those three games he has racked up 775 yards and 5 total touchdowns, including his first rushing touchdown of the year.
Vick is still not the quarterback that he was last year, but he is not turning the ball over anymore and that is all the Eagles need. With the talent this team has Vick needs to protect the ball and let him and the rest of the playmakers help him make plays.
The linebacker position been a major shuffle this year, it seems like they pick out of a hat a new starter every week. They Eagles have shuffled five different linebackers into the starting job and early on it was a major mess. Brian Rolle, Moise Fokou, Akeem Jordan, Jamar Chaney and Casey Matthews have all been in the mix.
The linebackers have been playing a lot better now. They seem to have found a good system with Rolle and Jordan on the outside and Chaney in the middle for base formations, while Matthews and Kennan Clayton are playing in the nickel formations. The new rotation of linebackers appear to be exactly what the doctor has ordered. Matthews who struggled as the starting middle linebacker has thrived in the nickel, he has finally shown what everyone thought he could do. His new role allows him to run around rather then taken on offensive lineman.
Chaney who struggled against the run is now starting to look a lot better as he is not playing in the nickel anymore. He has started to miss far less tackles and has been taking better angles as well. Chaney has been able to focus on stopping the run more instead of everything involving the defense. This new rotation of linebackers has shown a lot of promise in the last three weeks. Awhile ago it seemed like a lock Andy Reid would be drafting a linebacker, but now it is unclear.
For now this rotation is looking good, but who knows if the Eagles will look linebacker early or give this rotation another year to show what they can do.
Coming into the season many wondered how this offensive line would play. You had a rookie center and a left guard switched to right tackle as they opened the season. The Eagles brought in Evan Mathis to take over at left guard and eventually start another rookie at right guard. When you hear this it sounds like a major mess, but it has been the complete opposite.
Howard Mudd a legendary offensive line coach was brought in and has done a tremendous job. Mudd opted for a leaner more athletic offensive line and the results have really shown. The Eagles have been one of the best screen and draw teams in the NFL.
The offensive line has become the strength of the offense and probably this whole team. LeSean McCoy has had a career year and established himself as one of the best in the league thanks to this offensive line. This is not bad for a line put together just a couple days before the season started.
This five offensive lineman will also be here to stay next year. Another year to develop chemistry and another year with Mudd means the line should only get better. Jason Peters has played like the best offensive lineman in the league and everyone has raved about his play this year. Rookie center Jason Kelce and rookie right guard Danny Watkins have shown tremendous potential. Todd Herremans and Mathis are having the best seasons of their careers.
The best strength of their team hasn't even spent a full season together and they are due to get even better together. A full offseason together as a unit should help them become the one of if not the best in the NFL.
DeSean Jackson has not had his best year as an Eagle. He has been waiting for a new contract that hasn't come and he has been called out on many occasions by the fans. He has been known for worrying more about not getting injured and making the big bucks this year, then going out on the field and doing what he needed to do. The fact is it seems like that might be all behind Jackson now.
There may be little truth or there may be a lot of truth to the rumors, but who knows. The only thing I see right now is that maybe Jackson is committed. Of late he has been playing a lot better and now he has shown that he is in fact able to still play at a Pro Bowl level.
He hasn't had flashy numbers, but they have been better of late. In his past three games he has hard 11 receptions for 177 yards and one touchdown. Not flashy, but definitely more consistent then he has been this year. He has made plays down the field and across the middle and is finally looking like the player everyone wanted.
Andy Reid and Jackson must have worked something out and he has finally had a big factor in this offense again. His deep threat might not be working for him, but it is helping the offense by the threat that he could have a quick score. It seems like he might not get that superstar type of deal he has allegedly wants, but the Eagles seem ready to give him a nice deal that he will like.
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