Iggles Blog - Philadelphia Eagles Blog

Marty On The Run Game

From the OC's weekly presser:

On whether he thinks they need to run the ball more: "We need to run it better."

True.

On why the rushing attack hasn't been as good this year: "We just haven't done quite as good a job with that. When there is a problem, we identify the problem and correct it and then we move on to the next game. I would expect our run game to get better as the season goes on here."

I really think Marty has moved past Andy and Donovan in his ability to give an answer that sounds like it's saying something until you read back through it.

On what problems he has identified in the run game: "There are many. I'm not going to get into the details. We kind of base our foundation on hard work and preparation. If there is a problem, let's identify it and correct it and let's move on fast. We have done a good job of that up to date; we will see if we can do that this time."

Hard work and preparation.  Check.

On whether he is surprised that the offensive line hasn't been as strong this season: "Well, the run game starts with the offensive line. They have to play well as a unit to give us a chance. However, the tight end and the fullback are heavily involved. Those two positions can make a good run game into a great run game. The receivers are involved and they can make the five, six, eight-yard carries get into the 20 and 30-yard range. The quarterback is important with the ball handling and the audibles and checks and some faking. The most important thing is the ball carrier, with breaking tackles and making people miss. Everybody is involved in that thing. Everybody is involved in it. There is no one position or one player. We do that as a team and that run game is important to us. It is important to winning. We do that as a team."

Bingo.  Here's where he finally says something interesting.  Yeah, it's the usual "we can all do a bit better" language, but look where he goes first:  fullbacks and tight ends, then receivers.  Then he throws everyone in so he stays vanilla.

On whether he envisions Hunt having a role as a ball carrier: "There is always that possibility that Tony can get the football. I believe he got it one time last week. Now he is back at the halfback spot, so we'll see on that."

"Always the possibility that Tony can get the football."  Sounds like he's ready to be a big part of this offense.

On RB Lorenzo Booker's progress: "Oh, yes. He has made good progress. He is getting many reps at different types of plays. We were asking him to do certain things that he needs to take reps at. We will see how he does this week."

Things Booker needs to take reps at: 

• Catching.
• Blocking.
• Staying in bounds.
• Not getting ragdolled.

On what prompted the team to go away from Klecko as a FB earlier in the season and then go back to him now: "There were several different reasons and Andy can discuss that a little bit further with you. Bringing him back to fullback, we thought he could help our football team, at least in situations."

Translation on the first part:  "Roster space."

Translation on the second:  "Have you SEEN our fullbacks this year?"

Jevon We Hardly Knew Ye

"I think it's been a good offseason," said [Eagles defensive coordinator Jim] Johnson. "If you get Asante (Samuel, cornerback) and Chris Clemons (defensive end), those are two playmakers. I told our defense that we are on a three-game winning streak. We beat Dallas and New Orleans on the road and Buffalo here (to end the 2007 season), and we didn't really lose any players. We picked up some more players and had a good draft with what we wanted draft-wise, so you feel good and you feel positive."

(Link)

OK, Now That's Funny

"The highlight of the afternoon practice came when cornerback Asante Samuel broke up a pass intended for DeSean Jackson. A.J. Feeley threw the pass, and Samuel jumped up and woofed some at Feeley after making the play.

'Didn't you learn last year that you couldn't get a pass in on me?' said Samuel, bringing the whole team to laughter. Even head coach Andy Reid chuckled on that one.

Samuel, of course, had two interceptions, one for a touchdown return and one in the end zone to kill a drive in the end zone late in the game to deny the Eagle the upset bid in a late-season game in New England."

From pe.com.

Wow, This Is Biting

In Andy Reid's world, this counts as some seriously strong language:

On McNabb's comments that the team could use an impact free agent: "I haven't heard Donovan talk about that, so I'm not answering it. I know, as players, you have to be careful about saying that because those are your teammates that are being replaced. Most players don't get into that who really care about their teammates on the other side."

And if you want to know how Reid sees things, here's a good start:

On whether McNabb needs more weapons around him in the red zone: "I guess if you look at things statistically, here's a guy who had his second-highest completion percentage, a 1,000-yard receiver and a running back who broke a lot of records. We need to get a little more production out of the tight end spot. With (TE) L.J. (Smith) being banged up, we didn't get quite as much out of utilizing a rookie, who will improve, who has the ability to do that. But, we could use a little more production there. I think he has some good weapons. (WR) Reggie (Brown) stepped it up and had a career year, which was a positive. Really, that happened more in the latter half of the season than it did in the first half. He needs to continue on and have a good season and pick up where he left off."

Day After Quotes -- Cowboys

Brian Westbrook on being awesome:
"I think we felt like they didn't really respect us," he said. "Sometimes, when you don't respect the opponent, you get beat."

Westbrook again on how if you really want to waste his prime you should trade Donovan McNabb:
"Donovan played a fantastic game today," running back Brian Westbrook said. "He ran the ball well and he threw it well in the clutch. That's who he is, a clutch performer. Our running game wasn't where we needed it to be all day and he carried us."

Jim Johnson on motivating his mercurial star cornerback:
"We felt that it was going to be a good challenge for Lito," Johnson said. "I think he looked forward to the challenge. I think he was fired up about it. He's had just a so-so kind of year, and it was a thing where [we said], 'You can run with T.O.' ... That was a great, focused job."

Lito Sheppard on there's nothing I can add here:
"They say there's a hole in the roof here, so God can see America's Team play, but He's watching me, too," Sheppard said.

Tony Romo on the Eagles' defense:
"They had a really good scheme and they had a couple of things go their way that you just can't account for," Romo said. "They had d-linemen jumping in my window right when I was passing. They put a lot of pressure on us and we didn't handle it as well as we've done.

Wade Phillips on forgetting that one-third of Romo's attempts were to Owens:
"We didn't get the ball to our best player," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. "That concerns me." 

AJ Feeley on intercepting an sideline official:
"I just got caught up in the game," Feeley said afterward. "It was a deep ball . . . I stepped in the white area . . . It was one of those freak deals. I saw him at the last minute and tried to avoid contact."

Brent Celek on I-can-do-Eagles-speak-as-well-as-Kolb-can:
"It's L.J.'s job," Celek said. "He's a great player. You can't take anything away from him. It was my role on the team [to back him up]. So I accept my role. I just want to do anything to make this team win. Whatever I can do to help out."

Andy Reid on what a fantastic job Celek did Sunday:
"He was OK," Reid said of Celek, the Eagles' fifth-round pick in last year's draft. "He's young."

Or a Meteor Could Take Out the Team Plane

Continuing the theme of Sheldon Brown telling it like it is, here's the Eagles' cornerback on the prospects for victory Sunday night:

"I think everybody's beatable," the Eagles cornerback said. "This is what's funny to me, and this is why I wouldn't gamble. Say Tom Brady takes a blow to the head in the first quarter and gets a concussion. Are they beatable? Say Randy Moss runs a go route and pulls a hamstring. Are they beatable? It always takes a total team effort. Everybody seems to forget that. The game we play, it's such a violent sport, you never know when a guy is going to go down."