Is It Possible to Know Any LESS About an NFL Team After Two Games?

Now, I know it’s only two weeks into the season, so no fanbase really knows anything about their team (and I do cringe at the knee-jerk reactions that take place this time of year), but some fanbases are pretty sure about certain aspects of their teams, and just about all of them have, at least, some impression of their teams.  Saints fans are pretty sure that their team has a potent offense.  Jets fans are pretty certain that their defense is stout.  Fans of the Bucs, Rams, and Chiefs are probably pretty confident that their teams stink.  All three Jacksonville fans are probably convinced that their team is heading for Los Angeles sooner rather than later.  But, what do we Eagles fans know?  Anything?  I’m not sure we even have any impressions of our team after two games.

So, the Eagles have split their first two games against Carolina on the road and New Orleans at home.  Sounds perfectly logical.  It is what I would have predicted.  Given these opening games, no matter who they shook out, 2-0 would have been fantastic and 0-2 would have been relatively scary.  So, the record is not surprising–and goes along in telling us nothing.

The defense looked very, very good Week One against what should be a pretty good Carolina offense–Jake Delhomme notwithstanding–particularly at home.  The Panthers were 12-4 last year and 8-0 at home, and they have every offensive starter back from a year ago.  The defense forced seven turnovers and, aside from a touchdown on the opening drive, basically pitched a shutout.

Then, the defense looked very, very bad Week Two against New Orleans.  Now, is it simply the fact that, right now, no one is going to stop Drew Brees and Company in decent conditions?  Or, are there problems with the defense?  The linebackers that looked SO good against the Panthers looked just as bad against New Orleans.  After the first game, you would say that Stewart Bradley’s loss was not big.  After the New Orleans game, you are lamenting that loss.

So, is the defense good and New Orleans is just great (the Saints did score 45 in Week One)?  Is the defense bad and Carolina just had a bad day (Delhomme did turn it over 6 times against a bad Arizona defense in the playoffs last year, and the Panthers did just lose to Atlanta this week)?  Or, do we know nothing about the defense and its new coordinator, new/old middle linebacker, and brand-spanking-new free safety (a guy who has never played safety in his life and is replacing the best free safety of my lifetime)?

And, what if I told you that we know even less about the offense than we do about the defense?  Even in racking up 38 points against Carolina with the first-string QB in there, I don’t think we learned anything about this offense in Week One.  When you get the benefit of SEVEN turnovers, you better put up 30+ points.   But, do any of these numbers jump out at you:  Westbrook, leading rusher with 64 yards.  McNabb, leading passer with 79 yards.  Brent Celek, leading receiver with 37 yards.  Here are their 4 scoring drives (not including the punt return TD and fumble return TD):

• 3 plays, 6 yards, FG–set up by an interception
• 1 play, 9 yards, TD–set up by interception
• 10 plays, 69 yards, TD
• 3 plays, 10 yards, TD–set up by interception

So, in a 38-point “exposion,” the offense had ONE scoring drive of more than 3 plays…ONE.  But, you can’t fault them for the great field position handed to them by the Panthers.  So, I am, by NO means, criticizing the offensive performance in Week One, I am just saying that we didn’t really learn anything about them.

Then…Week Two.  Kevin Kolb actually looked decent in the first half.  And, he did throw for 391 yards.  But, do we know anything about him?  I think the only thing we learned is that he might not be totally awful.  And, then there is Brian Westbrook.  Is he the Westbrook of old?  Probably not.  But, how close is he?  I cannot believe he is done, though we haven’t learned anything to the contrary in the first two weeks.  In fact, much less the entire rest of the team…we haven’t learned anything.

And, I’m guessing that we won’t still won’t know anything until it is nearly Halloween.  The Eagles should be able to get a W against Kansas City, at home, regardless of the quarterback this week.  Then, they have their bye in Week Four, before playing a terrible Tampa Bay team at home and then travelling to Oakland on October 18.  There is a chance that we learn something from the Oakland game, but maybe not.  Chances are the first time we can actually say, for sure, that this team is -fill in the blank- will be Monday, October 26, after a game at Washington.  And, we/they better figure out quick just who they are because that game is followed by back-to-back home games against the Giants and Cowboys followed by road trips to San Diego and Chicago.  And, it just doesn’t ever lighten up, either, as the following week is Washington at home then Atlanta on the road before finishing up at the Giants, home to San Fran and Denver and, finally at Dallas.  So, heading into that Washington game, it is imperative that whether or not was “know” anything, this team had better be at the very least 3-2, and it may actually be necessary that they are 4-1 because this division will not let up.

A COUPLE OF OTHER EAGLES NOTES:

• Currently, the three Eagles quarterbacks that did not start against the Saints (and probably won’t against KC, either) have combined for twelve Pro Bowl appearances.  The starter, obviously, has been to zero.  McNabb-5, Garcia-4, Vick-3.
• Goodbye, Shawn Andrews.  It doesn’t take a detective (or, more appropriately, a psychiatrist) to read between the lines of Andrews’ Twitter page and discern that the guy is definitely not going to ever play for the Eagles again, and probably won’t ever play football again.  I genuinely feel for Andrews, and completely believe that there is something emotionally/psychologically wrong with the man.  I sincerely hope that he works at it and gets his life straightened out.  All that being said, it is blatantly obvious that, regardless of his skill level, he is not the type of person you want with you in the “trenches.”
• With all this Shawn Andrews drama (which ended last week with his being placed on the IR for the seasons), it begs the question of why did the Eagles decide to move both Andrews brothers from their natural positions?  I know they believed Shawn to be a future tackle, but he was a Pro Bowl guard, while Stacey was a decent tackle.  AND, the big kicker is that they couldn’t possibly be certain that Shawn was going to produce this year.  So, why open yourself up to a hole at tackle???  Now, because of that “switch,” Stacey is playing an unfamiliar position, and Winston Justice is the first-string right tackle.  Kind of botched that one, huh?
• Another thing that I was harping in the offseason is why did they not pick up a veteran running back while they could be brought in and taught the offense?  I don’t think Westbrook is done, but you cannot possibly think that he’ll give you 250 carries this year, right?  And, I like LeSean McCoy, but why not go get an Edge James or Warrick Dunn or someone?  I don’t think it’s too late, either.  Reggie Brown is useless and teams aren’t even offering a seventh-round pick for him.  Bite the bullet and drop Brown and go get another running back.
• Now, I’m not going to criticize too much because I trust the Eagles evaluation of older players and when they are through, so have to cut the some slack on that front.  But, it is a bit ironic that Quentin Demps is so far in the doghouse that he’s not even being considered for the starting free safety position.  It remains to be seen whether the departure of my favorite all-time Eagle is going to hurt the Eagles in the clubhouse, but I think that it’s clear that, whether or not Brian Dawkins can still play, the Birds have a pretty big hole at the position he used to so admirably fill.  Macho Harris is a cornerback–and always has been.  That is not saying he cannot become a solid NFL safety, but it’s obvious that he’s not there yet.