Know Thy Enemy 2008: Philadelphia Eagles - Sunday, October 12

by Fooch on Jun 12, 2008 12:31 AM PDT in News Comment 4 comments

Last season we ran an offseason feature titled Know Thy Enemy. It was used to analyze upcoming 49ers opponents in a general sense before things have really come into focus. If you do a search for Know Thy Enemy, you'll notice they showed up in June, July and August, meaning before, during and after training camp. As we get closer to each matchup during the regular season there will certainly be plenty of discussion. For now though I just wanted to help us all get a better idea of who the 49ers will be contending with in 2008. Half the equation for the 49ers success will be determined on the other side of the field and this will get us in the swing of things.

Today we'll be looking at the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are represented by JasonB over at Bleeding Green Nation.

Overview
The Eagles finished 2007 with 3 straight wins, but it was not quite enough as they finished 8-8 and 1 game back of the final playoff spot. Donovan McNabb had a pretty solid season, but once again lacked that big play receiver the team has missed since TO forced his way out of town. Kevin Curtis was very solid (better than anything the 49ers had), but there just is this sense of a lack of a big play threat. Brian Westbrook remained the biggest offensive weapon on the Eagles, finishing with over 2,100 total yards. Statistically the Eagles finished 8th in team offense and 13th in team defense and yet they couldn't hang with the contenders. The backbreaker came when they lose three straight to New England, Seattle and the New York Giants.

Additions
The Eagles made some serious moves this offseason that should vault them into contention. In free agency they backed up the Brink's truck to land Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel. Lito Sheppard seems to be holding out due to anger over his existing deal, so if he does end up getting shipped out of town, Samuel would certainly be an upgrade. Aside from Samuel, the Eagles have solidified some depth needs in adding Chris Clemons, Rocky Boiman and Joselio Hanson.

As for the draft, Mel Kiper gave the Eagles a C+, but all things considered, I think they deserve better than that. They dealt their #1 to Carolina for a 2nd and 4th rounder as well as a 2009 #1. They snagged a solid defensive tackle in Trevor Laws and then saw a playmaker in Desean Jackson fall right into their laps in the second round. Jackson has plenty of question marks in terms of durability and attitude, but his upside is tremendous. Furthermore, as a rookie, while he may struggle at wide receiver, he will get a good shot at contributing in the return game, a speciality of his at Cal. Throw in a trade for RB Lorenzo Booker and they've added some serious talent.

Substractions
The Eagles did not suffer any major losses. They cut Jevon Kearse and Takeo Spikes, both of whom are on the down sides of their careers. They franchised LJ Smith to avoid losing him. If a deal doesn't get done soon Lito Sheppard could be on his way out of town, but Eagles fans don't seem too concerned about that.

2008 Questions & Answers
Donovan McNabb is healthy so it comes down to how much he has left in the tank. He is 31 and a 10-year veteran of the league. While his rushing numbers are not like they were in his prime, he is a still a threat to scramble. If he can stay healthy, this team could be very dangerous.

What kind of impact will Desean Jackson have on this team? If he continues the special teams success he had at Cal, he could very well win rookie of the year on that alone. However, beyond the return game, I'm very curious to see how Andy Reid uses Jackson in the offense. Considering much of the rest of the offense returns intact, Jackson could be the X-factor on offense.

Will the secondary come together and what will happen with Lito Sheppard? While there seems to be some disgruntled fans when it comes to Sheppard, if they can get him into camp with Samuel and the rest of that secondary, they could field a pretty damn good secondary that would scare even the best of quarterbacks.

vs. San Francisco
The 49ers could come into this game anywhere from 2-3 to 0-5 (could be a tough early going). The Eagles have added some talent to a team that finished solidly last year, which would not bode well normally. However, considering the defenses on the table, I could see this turning into a low-scoring defensive battle. The secondaries are well-matched and I think that could be the difference in this battle. I don't think the 49ers pull out victory on this day, but I do think they put up a respectable performance before succumbing 24-16. Feel free to throw out any predictions on this matchup. I'm sure I'll change my mind many times in the coming months.

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Comments

I always pick the Eagles to do a lot better than they end up doing… and I’m starting to lose faith. Without any major acquisitions on offense (I don’t see Jackson being a first-year factor in the passing game), I just don’t see what makes this team much better than the teams we’ve seen in Philly since their Super Bowl loss. McNabb, as much as I like him (and I really, really do) has been completely unreliable in terms of week to week availability over what seems like his entire career, but is really mostly just the last 3 years, and he’s only getting older. I wouldn’t expect his body to start dealing with the rigors of a season better than it has been.

And past him, they have very little to cling on (heh, Klingon) to on offense (aside from Westbrook). They don’t have a crutch QB like Garcia, anymore (I said “crutch,” not “clutch” guys).

You can’t put it past their defense, though.

But when it comes down to it, I look at the Eagles and I see a team where I keep saying the phrase, “Well, if this goes right…” If McNabb stays healthy / If Jackson comes out swinging / If Reggie Brown fulfills the potential we saw in 2006 / If Brian Westbrook doesn’t throw a tantrum (that’s not fair, actually, Westbrook has been fantastic the last 2 years) / If the Cowboys magically regress / If the Giants come back to earth / If if if if….

Anytime I start to get optimistic and then realize that optimism is based on needing a lot of things to go right… it makes me leery…

That said, these are problems that the Eagles will face in terms of their own divisional success. When it comes to our individual matchup, a number of these questions get thrown out the door. We’ll know f McNabb is healthy. It won’t matter what the Cowboys and the Giants are doing. And so on. And they have a good team. There’s a reason that I foolishly pick them every year to do better than they do. Because, when healthy, that is a pretty darn good team. If in a healthy week, the receivers are the only true knock on that offense, and the defense is at least as capable as they were last season, this will be a very tough game for the Niners.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Jun 12, 2008 2:22 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

You know...

... maybe that’s why Philly fans are always so hostile towards their losing Eagles. It’s because the Eagles provide them with so much hope in the offseason, only to get battered down by the tragic realization that the team kind of sucks.

by sfgfan on Jun 12, 2008 9:14 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oct. 12 game with Philly

First, I think that the 49ers will be more like 3 and 2 going into this game. I strongly feel that the team will be very much improved offensively and strong on defense. Smith is a great addition, Balmer will be a pleasant surprise and TBC will be a monster (he will be in great shape after a very good off season). If Manny Lawson rebounds from his knee injury he will be unstopable.
I guess what I am saying is that for the first time the 49ers have the right personnel to employ the 3-4 defense.
The Eagles have always played the 49ers tough. It has always seemed that the 49ers were a sleep in the first half when they play Philly. If the team comes out and contains the Eagles in the first quarter, sacks Mcnabb or at least knocks him down and keeps the preasure on him the whole tone of the game will change and the 49ers will begin to dictate how the game comes down.
Mike Martz and his offense is a puzzle. I , like most 49er fans, very much hope that the team will be successful in employing this offense. Given Isaac Bruce’es age, playing Philly early in the year is a plus. The 49ers receivers have got to stay healthy for this to work. Both of the teams running backs having good hands as receivers is a big positive.
So I am saying that if the team playing at home can score a couple of touchdowns and keep the Eagles from scoring touchdowns in the first quarter the 49ers will win. But, as in the past, the 49ers come out like they just rolled out of bed, the Eagles will score 40plus points and the game will be over by the end of the first quarter.

by mikemccwolf on Jun 12, 2008 1:37 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

McNabb's Tendinitis Ailment

Going into the game with Philly Eagles on Oct 12th will be McNabb and the newly featured DeSean Jackson, but there are questions right now with McNabb’s shoulder tendinitis on his throwing arm. He had the same problem in 2004 and will treat it the same way again this summer, but will he rebound and have a great season?

I am not somebody who wants to put a hex on an opposing team, but as a 49er fan I don’t want any pro bowler caliber player healthy enough to play the 49ers. Holes on a team’s roster always help the 49ers cause because we have a solid lineup who can do damage if we cannot be played on one-and-one, even by being double-teamed.

If we do well in the first three games, we are favorites to beat the Eagles.

Who wouldn’t say so if we start out the season 3-0?

As for Martz’s offense, it will be very interesting to watch and all I know is that if all of the players are on the same page and execute his offense to every detail, they will be successful with it, and they have Isaac Bruce on board that knows the inside and outs of the offense, which is certainly beneficial to our team. Without Bruce, it would be even more interesting to watch, because it’s like going back to college and learning how to play football all over again with this kind of offense..a lot of studying, just like college level homework and the exams that go with the atmosphere.

We have new additions to the team and going into the 4th game with Philly, we will know how they are contributing on the field. If we stop DeSean Jackson given his speed, I’ll be happy with that, and Westbrook has to be stopped, too, with the QB getting blitzed amidst all the different looks, pressurized in the pocket and forced to scramble, we have Patrick Willis who can roam the field and make numerous tackles. Balmer won’t be a puzzle coming in as a rookie and drafting him will bring dividends to the 49ers, after all, the 49ers draft team aren’t duds after all.

Regarding the draft, the 49ers knew who they were getting, I give them high marks on the draft going into the 2008 season and the game with Philadelphia Eagles, even if we didn’t get a DeSean Jackson, who will be on the opposing side, knocked down flat.

"We Have a God who delights in impossibilities."

by 16to80endzone on Jun 12, 2008 7:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs