Camp ends, but optimism continues for Eagles

By Lou DiPietro  |   Wednesday, August 13, 2008  |  Comments( 6 )

Philadelphia Eagles
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By the time you read this, the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2008 training camp at Lehigh University will be over. The Birds will have played their second preseason contest on Thursday night, giving fans at Lincoln Financial Field their initial on-field look at a few of the newbies.

The most important thing the second preseason game will signify, however, is renewed hope. Even the Virgin Mary herself had a less stressful stay in Bethlehem than Andy Reid’s squad did; questions abounded, injuries piled up – luckily for the Eagles, nothing too major – and everyone wondered if this year was cursed.

But as things often do, everything seems to have worked out. Brian Westbrook signed a six-year extension that will ensure he plays the bulk of his career in the City of Brotherly Love. On Sunday, starting right guard Shawn Andrews finally reported to camp; while he took almost the whole time to get there, he reported in good enough shape that the Eagles are confident he’ll be ready to go against St. Louis on Opening Day.

And then, perhaps the biggest sigh of relief of all: Philly's starters looked very sharp against Pittsburgh in the preseason opener.

Donovan McNabb, who has been much maligned the last few seasons because of an inability to stay healthy, looked great in going 10 of 13 for 91 yards and a TD in just over one quarter of action. DeSean Jackson, the Eagles’ top offensive draft pick, made a couple nice catches, including a tough one over the middle on the Birds’ touchdown drive. And the defense, which gave up a quick TD march on the opening series, buckled down and allowed only three Pittsburgh field goals after the first quarter.

Sure, there were some lowlights. Kevin Kolb struggled mightily, incurring a penalty on his first play and also mishandling a snap that led to a turnover. But any uneasiness about Kolb’s play was temporarily assuaged when A.J. Feeley gave the fans a taste of last season. Feeley is likely to be the third QB this season, but he showed a little bit of the magic that made him a Philly favorite last year. Feeley – much like he did against the New England Patriots last November – led the team on a big fourth-quarter drive and gave them a chance to win. However, also like that Patriots game, Feeley failed to get the Birds in the end zone; but even in the preseason, a pressure situation is a pressure situation, and fans can rest easy knowing that Feeley is around if McNabb once again goes down.

Jackson wasn’t the only rookie to make a splash, either. Linebacker Joe Mays, a sixth-round draft pick from North Dakota State, made the highlight-reel defensive play of the night by sending Steelers receiver Limas Sweed head over heels with a particularly vicious hit. Quentin Demps looked good on a couple kick returns, and top defensive draft pick Trevor Laws contributed four tackles and the Eagles’ only sack of the night.

Things can only continue to get better. While Tra Thomas will likely miss the Panthers game with back spasms, the fact that Andrews is finally in camp tempers any worries the Eagles might have about the offensive line. Westbrook, who didn’t play in the first preseason game, now has his contract and can get back to concentrating on being one of the elite running backs in the NFL. And with Asante Samuel scheduled to play after also missing the first preseason tilt with a bad hamstring, defensive coordinator Jim Johnson will finally be able to see what he’s got in the three-headed cornerback monster.

So, the rookies are playing well, disgruntled players have been made happy and everything seems to be clicking? Indeed all three are true, and optimism abounds as the Eagles move back to their primary nest in South Philadelphia this week.

For a city that hasn’t won a major sports championship in 25 years, it’s nice to know that its chances at this one don’t seem to be doomed before the Eagles even get out of the gate.

*Our in-house Realfootball365.com fantasy draft looms, so next week, I'll be indulging the fantasy players by taking a look at potential Eagles studs. Yeah, I know that the general readership wasn’t thrilled when Os Davis did the same for the Raiders last week, but it’s a necessary evil for some of us. In the meantime, feel free to read Os’s excellent piece about the RF365.com staff’s experience with past video games (Madden ‘09 did, after all, come out this week, and it is as awesome as always), John Hillman’s equally excellent piece on what we did before video football and John McMullen’s latest musings on the Birds.

After all, you might as well give them some satisfaction before my fantasy squad makes them wish they stuck to baseball.

Fantasy Playbook: An entirely new kind of fantasy game!
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About Lou DiPietro

Lou DiPietro is an accomplished freelance writer who is fascinated with all things sports. In addition to his duties at RealFootball365.com, Lou contributes to TheBleacherReport.com and Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine, and has been featured on "The Sports Buffet with Matt West" on 1080-AM ESPN ...
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CommentsComments: 6  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
jacotaco3		10:22 AM
08/14/2008
Eagles are going to be a lot better this season than last season #5 is looking good and westbrook is back so now it def is the ...
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No.2
RedskinFan21ST		10:43 AM
08/14/2008
Yeah I agree with Jaco, the NFC East is so tough from top to bottom. As long as McNabb is there this team will always be a tough ...
No.3
jacotaco3		06:45 PM
08/14/2008
teams like the giants and redskins last yr beat on the eagles this yr is going to be a diff story and a lot harder which could ...
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