Eagles Week 14 Recap: DeSean/LeSean

Onto the bullets!

• There was a lot to like and dislike about that game against the Cowboys.  What there is to dislike:  Injuries.  What there is to like:  The Eagles beat the Cowboys!
• The injuries:  Stewart Bradley suffered a gruesome elbow dislocation and is likely done for the year.  Brandon Graham suffered a knee injury and could potentially be done for the year, depending on the results of the MRI.
• The Eagles have depth at defensive line so while Graham has played well this season, it is not a be all to end all loss.  On the other hand, Stewart Bradley has had a good year, especially in the last few weeks.  And his back-ups are the always dependably bad Omar Gaither and rookie 7th round draft pick Jamar Chaney.  I prefer Chaney.  He did not totally suck coming in for Bradley tonight, so there is hope.  Kinda.  Sorta.  Maybe.  
• Get well soon, Asante Samuel, though the main culprit of defensive blunders this game was Dimitri Patterson with two critical penalties giving Dallas a 1st down on what appeared to be 3rd down stops.  And Dimitri Patterson is the Eagles starting CB anyway.  The combo of suck that is Hanson/Lindley was not particularly dreadful tonight, but getting Asante Samuel back will be a major upgrade regardless.
• Get well soon, Winston Justice.  King Dunlap is just.....bad.
• Offensive lineman Todd Herremans caught a TD pass tonight, the 2nd of his career.  That catch also gave him one more reception than the Eagles tight end Brent Celek, who spent most of the night compensating King Dunlap's awful blocking with some awful blocking of his own.
• DeSean Jackson had perhaps one of the Eagles highlights of the year when he turned a short and simple out route into a 91-yard touchdown.  Much will be made about DJacc's celebration.  The cons:  It was unnecessary, inappropriate and drew a flag from the referees.  The pros:  It was hilarious to watch considering the opponent and venue, and it was not technically a penalty.  Excessive celebration only occurs after a play ends, and technically, the ball had not crossed the endzone at the time of DeSean Jackson's dive.  Therefore, by rule, what DeSean Jackson did is not a penalty.  As hilarious as it was, I am not going to pretend like it is the most respectful or appropriate thing to do in that situation, it most certainly was not, but by rule, that should not have been ruled a penalty.
• That penalty ultimately did not cost the Eagles, as the ensuing kick was only returned to the 22.  Furthermore, the 1st play of the drive was an INT from Kitna to Dimitri Patterson.
• DeSean Jackson had 210 receiving yards tonight, 3rd all time in Ealges history behind Tommy McDonald (237) and known physical specimen Kevin Curtis (221).
• After an Akers field goal to make it 30-20, the Cowboys responded with a TD of their own with over 4 minutes left.  To top off the momentum, Jorrick Calvin got a dumb unnecessary roughness penalty on the ensuing kickoff to pin the Eagles at the 10.
• The Cowboys would never touch the football again, thanks mostly to LeSean McCoy.  McCoy was outstanding, rushing for 63 yards on 9 carries to milk the clock and win the game for the Eagles.  Michael Vick, who still had 3 TDs despite this not being one of his better games, also had a carry for 9 yards.  Have I ever mentioned how awesome Shady McCoy is?
• I am not sure I understand Andy Reid's fascination with using Chad Hall as a tailback in redzone situations.  The Eagles have 3 running backs, LeSean McCoy, Jerome Harrison, and Eldra Buckley, a fullback in Owen Schmitt, all of whom are healthy, and yet, the Eagles are lining up former Air Force WR Chad Hall out of the backfield.  To the unsurprise of most, none of these plays have resulted in touchdowns.
• Michael Vick continues to get little protection from the referees.  After Reid explicitly complained to the League last week about the lack of late hit/unnecessary roughness calls on some questionable hits on Vick, Vick was violently shoved as he was going out of bounds and the refs stood idle not throwing a flag.  The answer to what it takes to draw a flag was answered later in the game when Vick received not one, but two helmet-to-helmet hits on a single play.
• After the game, Tashard Choice approached Michael Vick and asked him for an autograph.  For some context, Tashard Choice is from Georgia, went to school at Georgia Tech, and presumably grew up a big Vick fan.  That may explain why he asked Vick to autograph his game gloves for Choice's 3-year old nephew.
•  Win probability chart (advancednflstats.com)  

• Lastly, and most importantly of all, I would be remiss if I did not extend my well wishes to fellow live blog comrade James Craven who has been absent the past few weeks.  Saturday afternoon he sent me an e-mail saying he had undergone heart bypass surgery to remove a blood clot from his heart.  We have had our disagreements in the past, however, a person's health is above all petty disagreements.  The good news is he eventually plans on returning.  I wish him a speedy recovery and nothing but the best for his future health.  He titled his email "Zipper Club Member."  Glad to see his sense of humor is still with him.