In our ongoing quest to bring you the vital (and not-so-vital) knowledge from around the league, this is the first of a weekly series where I'll preview the games of the weekend with some analysis, some observations, and some lame attempts at humor.

But before I get to that, please allow me to jinx myself: Since Week 5, I've been picking all the games each Friday over on my site, and I've recently hit a major hot streak. After three straight 11-3 weeks, I pulled off a 13-2-1 record last week. That's a 46-11-1 run. I like to tell myself it's taken me a half-season to find my groove, and now I know the teams so well I can keep this up, but I know the NFL gods are just getting me fattened up like a Thanksgiving turkey, so they can lay a nice 7-9 week on me.

I'm already off to a good start this week (I picked the Steelers in the Thursday night game -- you'll just have to trust me), so now I'm all set up to fall flat on my face. And you've got a front row seat.

NY Jets (7-3) at Tennessee (10-0)

Everybody knows the Titans win, for the most part, based on their great defense and running game. Here are three little known facts about that:

1) The Jets have more sacks than the Titans. 2) The Jets have allowed less rushing yards than the Titans. 3) The Jets average just seven rushing yards less per game than the Titans.

Interesting, no? In case those numbers failed to sway you, here are three more factors why I think the Jets will take down the Titans this week:

1) The Jets are capable of putting up a lot of points, and taking the Titans out of their game a bit. 2) The Jets will have had 10 days off to prepare for Tennessee. 3) The Titans have been a little shaky in the running game of late. Collins has made up for it so far, but I don’t think he can do that every week. Especially if Kris Jenkins is laying on top of him.

The pick: JETS

Buffalo (5-5) at Kansas City (1-9)

It’s amazing how quickly Trent Edwards’s stock has plummeted of late. Early on, he was getting all kinds of praise from fans and "How the hell did so many teams pass on him?"-type comments from analysts. Now he’s getting booed at home on Monday night while Ron Jaworski tears apart his play on national TV.

This is another reason why sports is so fascinating -- that kind of stuff never happens in real life. Can you imagine the eqivalent to that in real life? It would be like a young guy at work getting all kinds of praise when he gets his first opportunity ("Hey, that Phil is one crackerjack accountant. We put him on the Feldman account, and he really whipped that sucker into shape"), and then a few weeks later, everybody wants the guy demoted or fired ("Can you believe that douchebag Phil is late again today? What an ass he is -- his numbers were all way off last month and when I confronted him about it, he groped me inappropriately").

The pick: BILLS

Philadelphia (5-4-1) at Baltimore (6-4)

Philly fans are lucky their baseball team just won the world series, because they otherwise they might’ve been suicidal over the Eagles embarrassing showing at Cincy last weekend. The Iggles limped away with an ugly 13-13 tie which put a serious dent into their playoff hopes, which were sky high early in the season.

Shockingly, their offense was completely stymied by the lowly Bengals defense (75 minutes, 17 drives, 13 points), and Donovan McNabb’s TD/INT ratio took a major beating (Coming in: 13/5, Sunday: 1/3). There was even talk after the game that Andy Reid could give backup QB Kevin Kolb some playing time down the stretch.

So which is more shocking: a) the Eagles offensive meltdown, b) the Kolb rumor, c) the fact McNabb didn’t know there were ties in the NFL, or d) the fact that McNabb’s ignorance of the tie rule became the story of the week?

I’m going with e) the fact that McNabb wondered if they had ties in the playoffs and Super Bowl. I mean, seriously? You think the Super Bowl could be a tie? Are you insane?

The pick: TIE EAGLES

Continue reading this post »

After a hideous 4th quarter performance, I (and many of you as well) was quite curious to see what Mike Nolan and the players would have to say about the game.  Well, here you go.

HEAD COACH MIKE NOLAN
On what happened in the 4th quarter: "Just became less effective, I guess. Naturally the defense had their problems as well so I wouldn’t put it all on one. I thought we were moving the ball well the entire game. I thought we had a good mix. I thought we ran the ball well. I thought we passed it. I thought we kept them off balance. I thought it was a good plan. Naturally a couple of turnovers there at the end and a bad punt gave way for them to get some points. So we’ve got to play better as a team. It takes a team to win a game, especially against a good football team like Philadelphia."

Fooch: You guess?  Really?  I thought the game plan was solid enough through the first three quarters, but the fourth quarter was a mess.

On the challenges: "Well, I was right there on the sidelines for the first one (Desean Jackson catch). All I asked upstairs is, was it clear that he caught it in bounds. We had it on the billboard when I saw it as well and I thought it was very close. My question was, ‘Did he have possession?’ I saw his feet. I wanted to know if he had possession because if he was still bobbling it, then naturally it wouldn’t have been a catch. So that’s why I did that one . . . 

Details on the challenge of the field goal: "The field goal. Yeah. This is not a complaint to the officials but they have to make a signal at some point that says it’s above the bar or not. Because as it is, I challenged it not knowing if it’s above or below. What I’m saying is if the challenge…I still have to challenge because I threw the red flag. Because I asked him, ‘Is it challengeable?’ And he said, ‘It really doesn’t matter now that you threw the red flag.’ So either way it was going to cost me. So in the discussions right there, they have to correct that. There’s got to be some kind of signal that says it’s not only good but it’s not challengeable or it is. Obviously that didn’t cost us the game. But anyway, [it’s] something they’ve got to fix . . .

"When he came over, I asked him the same exact question (how can they reverse that if there’s not a camera at the same place where the referee is?). Other than, can I challenge it? He asked the guy, ‘Was it below it?’ And they all kind of said it was. But outside of that, I said, ‘What views are you going to see? Are they going to be different from what I see?’ And he said, ‘I’m just going to see what they give me on the monitor.’ That was his response. So it’s not as if there’s a camera, I guess. If there was, he’d have said, ‘there was one.’ So as the way it’s setup now, it’s all fine and dandy. Basically what they get to challenge is if you’ve got a situation like last year where the thing bounces off the cross bar or hits the little machine that’s there. Then you get it. Otherwise, it’s ineffective. The challenges don’t mean anything . . .

"I thought maybe there was something…because I didn’t think it was good, to be honest with you. I wanted to hear what he had to say coming over. That’s why I also thought that coming over if he said, ‘You can’t challenge it because it was above the [upright].’ I was going to say, ‘Well then I get my challenge back.’ But he says, ‘No, you’re not going to get your challenge back.’"

FRANK GORE
On the 4th quarter play-calling: "You know, we’ve just got to finish. I’m not the coach and I don’t make the calls. The Eagles made big plays. We made mistakes and we lost the game. Our coach did what he thought was the best thing for us to get a first down and move the ball. We made mistakes toward the end. They made big plays and they won the game."

"We just need to keep playing and having fun, and keep playing hard, like every play is our last. We didn’t. We got ahead and we got comfortable. The Eagles played great defense and made great plays. They turned the game around and they won."

J.T. O'SULLIVAN
On Frank Gore being taken out of the game plan in the 4th quarter: "I believe whatever play Coach Martz calls is the best play for our offense. We were trying to move the ball and be aggressive. He is going to call the play that he feels is going to be the most successful."

RAY MCDONALD
On the weak pass rush: "The Eagles, they max-protect and they run that west coast offense. [Donovan McNabb] gets the ball out of there pretty quick and with this defensive line it’s kind of hard to get a rush when they max-protect, especially when he gets it out of there quick. At times we did get pressure, but for the most part we didn’t make the plays that we needed to."

I think Gore and JTO's comments seem sufficiently forced to indicate a little bit of frustration in regards to the play-calling.  Of course, I could be reading too much into this, but I don't think I'm completely off-point.  All in all, they better be frustrated by the late game performance.

Two days of practice down and we've got some more injury updates:

49ers
Did not Participate in Practice
LB Roderick Green - Stomach Virus
OT Jonas Jennings - Shoulder
LB Manny Lawson - Hamstring

Limited Participation in Practice
SS Michael Lewis - Elbow

Eagles
Did not Participate in Practice
G Shawn Andrews - Back
DE Juqua Parker - Knee
S J.R. Reed - Hamstring/Ankle
RB Brian Westbrook - Rib/Ankle
WR Reggie Brown - Groin

Full Participation in Practice
DE Victor Abiamiri - Wrist
WR Kevin Curtis - Hernia
S Quintin Demps - Knee
DE Darren Howard - Abdomen
RB Dan Klecko - Hand
QB Donovan McNabb - Chest
TE L.J. Smith - Back

The only significant changes are in Michael Lewis and Reggie Brown.  Lewis managed some practice today, which is a good sign that he'll play on Sunday.  Given the struggles of the secondary I'd prefer to not lose any extra bodies.  Keith Lewis is a great special teams player, but he doesn't quite bring what Michael Lewis does.

As for Reggie Brown, he's been a solid receiving option the last two weeks.  On the one hand, a groin injury is always a tough one to bounce back from.  On the other hand, the Eagles offensive coordinator (our very own Marty Mornhinweg) said Brown was "better than he was," whatever that means.  If Mornhingweg is right I'd imagine Brown will show up as questionable tomorrow.  Otherwise, Brown will probably be down as doubtful.

We're trying something a little different this week to preview the 49ers-Eagles matchup.  Over at Bleeding Green Nation, Jason does something called Four Downs.  It is basically four questions about the opposing team's offense and four questions about the opposing team's defense.  Jason was kind enough to answer my questions.  We'll have four downs on offense today and four downs on defense tomorrow.

NN: In what I'm guessing is a weekly tradition, Brian Westbrook remains questionable.  Although I don't think it will make much difference to the porous 49ers run defense, what are the big differences between Westbrook and Buckhalter in terms of what skill sets they bring to the table?

BGN: Well it's night and day really. Buckhalter doesn't have the shifty, "stop start" ability Westbrook has when he gets in space. He's also not nearly the receiving threat Westbrook is, although he's become pretty decent in that area. More than anything it's just that playmaking knack. Westbrook, like your boy Gore, just has that knack for making a big play or turning something into nothing nothing into something. Buckhalter, while a solid back who has performed well when asked to, simply doesn't have that same knack.

NN: Desean Jackson is a fan-favorite out in the Bay Area thanks to electrifying performances at Cal.  He's exploded on the scene for the Eagles and aside from last week has been a solid, if not spectacular threat for you guys.  How has the view of Philly fans changed (or maybe it hasn't changed) since draft day?  What has his role been in the passing game and is it changing as Eagles receivers get healthy?

BGN: Desean has been a real revelation. Who would have thought that the 7th WR taken in the draft would be having the biggest impact (although Eddie Royal may have an argument there)? I think most of our expectations for him in his rookie year were that he'd make a big impact in the punt return game but that it would take a while for him to work in as a WR. Lucky for Desean, the Eagles lost both of their top WRs in camp and it gave Jackson the opportunity to play a ton in preseason, where he really shined. He's really carried that performance into the regular season and has been a huge part of our offense.

As for his role, he's started on the outside in the position formerly manned by Reggie Brown. Brown has moved over to Kevin Curtis' position in his absence. Desean has also been heavily used with end arounds, both as a decoy and a ballcarrier where he's done very well. He runs really great routes and has a real knack for finding holes in coverage. We all expected him to be mostly a deep threat where he uses his speed to get behind defenses, but his biggest imapct has really been when he's found holes underneath coverage and gotten yards after the catch.

NN: The 49ers have had issues getting a pass rush.  Can you tell us what the Eagles offensive line, and pass protection as a whole brings to the table?

BGN: They've done a reasonably good job protecting McNabb, but pass protection has been somewhat up and down. Basically they've played well against teams that struggle rushing the passer and have given up a few sacks to teams that can. They've really been a unit that's been tough to figure out. I'm not sure if this is a trend worth nothing but it could be interesting to 49er fans... 3-4 teams have sacked McNabb 7 times in two games while 4-3 teams have managed just 3 sacks in three games (and all three came in one game). That said, the 3-4 teams were Dallas and Pittsburgh who get after the QB well anyway. So whether they struggle with the 3-4 or Dallas and Pitt (who is tied for the league lead in sacks with us!) are just good remains to be seen.

NN: Every year it seems like somebody is trying to run Donovan McNabb out of Philly.  And yet, he bounces back with consistently solid performances.  Can this team win it all with the offense it currently has (and of course factoring in a healthy Kevin Curtis)?  People bitch about not getting to enough Super Bowls, but is that something McNabb should be blamed for, or is it something deeper?  I don't think I buy the idea of McNabb being a choker but it's more just general thoughts on my part.

BGN: I think McNabb has looked fine so far this year. He's healthy and been pretty confident... I certainly feel he's good enough to win with this group... but that said this group has got to include a healthy Brian Westbrook. He really makes this offense work. Without him for a long stretch, I'm not sure McNabb alone is enough to propel them to the playoffs.

Thanks again to Bleeding Green Nation for providing some knowledge.  I just emailed my responses to his offensive questions, so feel free to keep an eye out for it over at BGN.

Practice is done for the day for both the 49ers and Eagles and we've got the list of DNPs and limited participation folks:

49ers
Did not Participate in Practice
RB Frank Gore - Coach's decision
LB Roderick Green - Stomach Virus
CB Walt Harris - Coach's decision
OT Jonas Jennings - Shoulder
LB Manny Lawson - Hamstring
SS Michael Lewis - Elbow

Eagles
Did not Participate in Practice
G Shawn Andrews - Back
DE Juqua Parker - Knee
S J.R. Reed - Hamstring/Ankle
RB Brian Westbrook - Rib/Ankle

Limited Participation in Practice
WR Reggie Brown - Groin

Full Participation in Practice
DE Victor Abiamiri - Wrist
WR Kevin Curtis - Hernia
S Quintin Demps - Knee
DE Darren Howard - Abdomen
RB Dan Klecko - Hand
QB Donovan McNabb - Chest
TE L.J. Smith - Back

While Rotoworld isn't my bible (see the Houshmanzadeh rumors), on general injury info they're usually pretty reliable.  Kevin Curtis has been out all year and is not really expected back full time until after their Week 7 bye.  However, Rotoworld did mention he might play in a limited role this weekend.  The 49ers will have plenty else to worry about aside from Curtis.

Frank Gore and Walt Harris continue their weekly tradition of no practice on Wednesdays.  Michael Lewis is expected to be available on Sunday and this is more precautionary.  Other than that, nothing too surprising.

My intial plan was to post some of the player quotations and some analysis on what they had to say.  Unfortunately for me, most of the quotes lacked the kind of sizzle that make for good analysis.  So, instead, with one week down and a big 49ers-Seahawks divisional showdown fast approaching, let's reassess where the NFC West is as a whole.  Based on performances today, it might be safe to say that the division is up for anyone to grab...except maybe the Rams.

Seattle Seahawks
Over at Field Gulls, John Morgan is definitely not pleased with the Seahawks performance.  Of course, if the 49ers had been smacked around 34-10, I'd probably be just as pissed.  The Seahawks struggled in all aspects of the game, and while their defense certainly wasn't abysmal, I don't know if John's use of the word "fine" is the best descriptor.  Not in bad shape, but even they have plenty of room for improvement. 

As some of us mentioned before, that running game is going to have to work to become more impressive.  Falling behind early didn't help matters, but Julius Jones and Maurice Morris just doesn't inspire fear in anybody.  Jones is certainly talented, but we'll see if he can break through and return to his somewhat respectable 2006 performance.  As for Seattle's special teams?  Well, this video isn't pretty and I don't just mean the blurry picture.  We'll have plenty to preview going forward this week.

St. Louis Rams
I really don't think week one could have gone any worse for the Rams.  For a while it looked like they could come away with keeping DeSean Jackson quiet on punt returns, but then he busted one for 60 yards.  VanRam went so far as to even consider beginning a discussion about the #1 overall pick.  I do think Philadelphia is a talented team and I'm not stunned that Donovan McNabb appears to have finally bounced back from his knee surgery.  That kind of surgery usually takes more than a year for a 100% recovery.  Once they get Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis healthy, the Eagles will be dangerous.

The Eagles aside, probably the only highlight was Randy McMichael with a solid debut for the Rams.  I certainly think there are enough bad teams in the league that the Rams will win some games.  In spite of the 49ers flat effort I feel a little better facing the Rams.  However, while the Rams are not a playoff bound team, they are definitely not as bad as they appeared today.  Steven Jackson missed a significant amount of time with his holdout, so he probably isn't quite 100%.  The Rams definitely need to work on their pass protection as Marc Bulger is going to get killed before the end of the season otherwise.  While awful this week, I'd like to see how they play against the Giants in their home opener.

Arizona Cardinals
Well, we know how these guys looked.  Considering how poorly the 49ers performed, the Cardinals probably should have put 30+ on the board.  They left 11 points out there on two drives because of one moronic personal foul and another poorly time chop block.  While we can blame JTO and company all we want, the Cardinals got pressure to force the two O'Sullivan fumbles.  He had issues with staring down his receivers and I'm kind of surprised he didn't throw more picks.

Kurt Warner remains the 49ers nemesis as even in the face of impressive pressure at times, he made things happen, particularly with Anquan Boldin.  The 49ers would get them to 3rd and long and then give up a first down catch.  Even the Cardinals running game was slightly less than stellar and yet it seemed like they were taking care of business when it mattered most.  The Cardinals only averaged 3.8 yards a carry, but they made some important gains on short yardage situations.

I would also briefly like to address the luck situation.  Luck is often taking advantage of an opportunity.  I definitely don't think the Cardinals were lucky to the beat the 49ers today (in fact I think the 49ers were lucky to not lose by more).  However, it felt at times like things were bouncing the Cardinals way all day long.  Every punt seemed to bounce just right.  A Warner pass would be deflected by a defensive lineman, only to end up in Anquan Boldin's arms.  Things like that.  It's not sour grapes because I wouldn't be surprised for the shoe to be on the other foot in some of these games.  Nonetheless it's certainly frustrating when your team is not on the receiving end of those lucky bounces.

Conclusions
I don't have a separation section for the 49ers because obviously we have been and will continue to discuss them plenty.  For now, while the 49ers certainly were not wildly impressive today, they did enough for me to be hopeful in what for now is a wide-open NFC West.  If the Seahawks can get bodies back I still think they're the team to beat in this division, poor running game aside. They are certainly better than they showed today, particularly their defense.  However, it won't be easy work for them in the division.  The Cardinals show a certain spark under Kurt Warner that will definitely make them a tough out.  It's hard to judge their defense against a developing 49ers offense, but they definitely can bring some heat at times.

I remain somewhat hopeful for the 49ers season because if the season goes anything like this for the likes of Seattle and St. Louis, the 49ers and Cardinals both could conceivably win the division.  Even though the Seahawks will improve this season, I think the 49ers will as well and the Rams will certainly not be this awful (or maybe they will).  If an NFC West team walked into the playoffs at 8-8 I would not be remotely surprised.  Of course performances in the coming weeks could certainly change my thoughts on all of that.

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.