Are you kidding?

Bob Brookover can't be serious when he suggests that Josh McCown, Kurt Warner, or Jeff Garcia would be better backup QBs for the Eagles than the current players.

Is that a joke?

He points out that McCown is a free agent at the end of the season. True enough, but he's a starter now. Is he going to sign with Eagles to be the backup? Please.

As for Warner and Garcia, Brookover must not have seen them recently. Garcia's been terrible and has been benched in Detroit. I'll say that again. Garcia can't even start for Detroit. And Warner, like Garcia, has nothing left in the tank.

Give me Koy Detmer any day over the last two guys.

Wish List

Bob Ford takes his crack at the positions in which the Eagles need to improve and puts a little holiday spin on it with a "wish list" title.

The usual suspects are all here-- better backup QB, yardage eating RB (and not Buckhalter), an upgrade at LB, and an impact player at WR.

Two of his positions though caught my eye. Punter - maybe the beat writers know more about Dirk Johnson's injury then they are reporting, otherwise I don't understand why this is on there. Johnson had complications from his sports hernia surgery and was lost for the remainder of the season. He's a good punter when healthy. But why is there an assumption that he either might not be healthy or reliable next year? Is this a cause for concern about McNabb's hernia surgery?

The other position Ford lists, actually leads with, is defensive end. He's not the first to urge an upgrade at D-end. But here's my question about that. You're stuck with Kearse for the foreseeable future given his contract and the salary cap hit the Eagles would take in unloading him. On the other side is rising player Trent Cole.

So where and who would you get at defensive end? Are you going to platoon 3 ends? Is Kearse not going to play every down? Is someone new going to start over Cole? How much more can you afford to invest in defensive end given how much you've already got wrapped up in Kearse?

I understand Kearse has been a disappointment, and part of the reason why people want an upgrade at this position, but it seems to me that the financial reality - and Cole's encouraging play - is such that this is probably one of thee last areas the Eagles will significantly upgrade. I've seen John Abraham's name floated out there, but are the Eags really going to pony up the cash to land him, a premier free agent, when they have other pressing needs (ie, LB).

It's also why I've been arguing for an upgrade at defensive tackle more than end. My opinion is that Kearse will be better if the Eagles could get more interior pressure or push.

Also, if you want to take the long view, the Eagles really screwed up by not going after Ogunlye when Miami wanted to get rid of him. But that horse has left the barn, and now plays in Chicago.

Backup Quarterback, not being Koy

I don't understand the many Philly writers who insist that the Eagles have to upgrade the backup QB position - with the implicit understanding that the Eagles jettison Koy Detmer. And I would not be so quick to dismiss Akers' preference for Detmer as his holder as several writers have done.

First off, what kind of upgrade does anybody think we can get at QB? Here's a quick list of current backups off the top of my head: Sorgi, Davey, Tuiasosoppo, McCown, Romo, Ramsay, Rodgers, Dorsey.

Are any of those guys a significant upgrade from McMahon and Detmer?

But my bigger question is why everyone wants to cut Detmer, elevate McMahon to #2 and bring in a younger, better QB as #3.

Why?

Why doesn't the current arrangement work? Detmer holds for Akers and is the QB "on call" so to speak during the game in case McNabb gets hurt and can't play during a game. As we've repeatedly seen, Detmer can play and has the ability to move the offense.

should a McNabb injury require him to miss actual games from start to finish then McMahon gets the start and Detmer remains at #2 on the depth chart - still holding for Akers and ready to play in an emergency should McMahon get hurt. What is the problem?

The Eagles have a pro-bowl kicker. Given the Eagles' long history of futility at that position, it would make a lot of sense to keep that player happy and maximizing his potential to score. If that means keeping Detmer as the holder so be it.

Panic Example

Daily News columnist Paul Domowitch's 8-step plan for "turning around" the Eagles is typical of the knee jerk overreaction now consuming Eagleland. It's also a questionable analysis of the Eagles' needs.

Here's a summary of his 8 points.

1 -- Find an edge-rushing friend for Jevon

2 -- Get faster at linebacker

3 -- Add a wideout not named Reggie Wayne

4 -- Re-sign the right tackle

5 -- Sign/draft a big back

6 -- Find a blocking tight end

7 -- A better Plan B at quarterback

8 -- Get bigger at cornerback

I'll elaborate on this in later posts. But anyone can see the Eagles need a better pass rush. But is a complementary end to Kearse the answer? I say no. It would be better to get a stud d-lineman. The Eagles have absolutely no push from the middle of the pocket. Interior line also helps the running defense more than an end.

A faster LB? How about a better LB. Adams is a backup and stud special teamer, but not a starter for the Eagles. We need an upgrade there. A lot of friends are clamoring for an upgrade over Dhani Jones. Jones has a bigger, longer contract and is at leas serviceable although deserving of some blame for subpar play at times this year.

#2, #3 - we need a receiver. A professional receiver. Koren Robinson?

Runyan needs to be extended. i was surprised to learn that in the whole TO turmoil Runyan is a team leader that Reid solicits input from. With Thomas' back surgery, Runyan has to be kept to solidify the line.

Skipping to #7 and #8. These are the most questionable assertions. A better backup QB? Who does Domo think the Eagles can land? Has he seen who the backup are around the league? Aside from Brad Johnson in Minnesota, there are slim pickin's. In the modern day NFL, a team will go only as far as the starter can take them. Look at the backups in the NFC and tell who you'd want over Detmer (who, by the way, is eminently serviceable. Knows the offense, his place on the team, and always seems to move the team down the field when he comes into game. A weak arm, but somehow he gets it done.

Seriously, want AZ's Josh McCown? Aaron Rodgers in GB? Phil Shaky Simms? Jamie Martin in St.L? Please.

Finally, "get bigger at CB"

We had 3 pro bowlers last year and all the sudden they're not big enough to play. There is nothing so wrong with this secondary that a better pass rush won't significantly help.

I would be much more worried about the safety position. Dawkins has clearly lost a step. Fortunately, this means that while he's no longer an all-pro, he's still a legit starter and one of the best safeties in the game.

What the heck has happened to Michael Lewis???? Hopefully after the season they'll announce he's been suffering from some undisclosed injury or personal problem that could explain his plummeting level of play. Lack of pass rush, Lito's injury, Dawkins' lost step has all magnified Lewis' ineffectiveness.

Perhaps the Eagles should start grooming Dawkins' eventual successor (Sean Considine?) immediately and begin thinking about shifting B.Dawk over to SS.

Embarrassing

Tuesday was a day of embarrassment for Eagles' fans. I'm not talking about the blowout loss on national television the night before (although that certainly qualifies), but to the incredible sense of panic that fans and seemingly the entire region are in over the Eagles.

Their is a collective, and in my opinion wholely unwarranted, gnashing of teeth. A deep-seated fear that far from being a mulligan of a season that the Eagles are somehow on a long, inexorable slide back to mediocrity.

People! Snap out of it!

This is a one year aberration.

This season was lost the moment Donovan McNabb was not going to play the duration of the season without injury. At that point, the Super Bowl wasn't really a realistic possibility. Indeed, the playoffs were the best case scenario. It's rather remarkable that the Eagles were even in plausible contention for the playoffs untilthe Seattle loss.

What Eagles' fans should rejoice about is that given this was a lost year when McNabb got the hernia the Eagles have had an unvarnished look at all the positions (surprisingly many!) that they need to upgrade in the offseason.

If Reid and Company objectively analyze the play when the season is over and work to fill the holes and return to championship form in 2006 than this season - while lost - won't have been in vain.

Root for Dallas?

Conventional Wisdom says that Eagle fans have to root for the Cowboys to win out cause we'll never catch them for the division since they have a 3 game lead with 5 to play. In that thinking, we need the 'Boys to hand out losses to conference rivals so the Eagles can snare a wild card berth.

Here's my question/contention, though. Have you seen the Cowboys' schedule? The next 5 games are pretty hard. at Giants, at Redskins, at Carolina, home vs. KC and finish at home vs. St. Louis. They could easily lose 4 of those 5. Particularly the Giants and Carolina. Give them the benefit of the doubt with the 'Skins - Parcells owns Gibbs notwithstanding the last minute breakdown in game 2. The only "easy" game left for them is the Rams.

Giants also have a tough remaining schedule: Eagles, Skins, Cowboys, KC, and at Oakland.

Skins may have the easiest of the bunch: at Arizona, at St. Louis and 2 of the 3 division games at home. Fortunately, the Skins are tied with the Eagles.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, their crappy conference record (currently 2-5) puts them at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to tie-breakers.

With losses to, and games remaining with, the Giants and Skins who do we want to win? Probably the Skins cause they have the same record right now, right?

At some point after this week, we might have to switch who our division favorite is going to be.

All of which is to say that if the Eagles can just beat the Seahawks monday night and they would probably help themselves tremendously toward a playoff march. Certainly, at least, putting a little more destiny into their own hands.

Nutty Optimist Continued

Here's my response to my friend's comments about the Eagles' prospects for the rest of the year.

All I'm saying is that the Eagles
aren't eliminated from the playoff hunt just yet. That Monday's game is
huge in so many ways. I think if they win, their chances improve
disproportionately more than just getting the single W. If they manage
to get into the playoffs that it is a crapshoot as to how far they can
go because of the parity/mediocrity of the emerging nfc playoff teams.

I would be very happy making the divisional round. Ecstatic to GET to the
championship game. It is beyond expectations to go to the Super Bowl,
but even if they did I would fully expect them to be absolutely smoked
by the Colts. Like Denver smoked. 55-10.

This season was lost when McNabb got the hernia. End of story. It's a
letdown in the sense that there were high expectations coming off the
super bowl and given the mediocrity of the conference, but can you
really be disappointed with the season given the losses to injury? It's
a missed opportunity only if McNabb was healthy. In some weird way, it
may have been a blessing in disguise. They now see the deficiencies in
the team: d-line, LB, WR and can move to fix them in the offseason and
gear up for next year. All while getting some quality looks at young
guys now: Herremans, Hood, Moats, Brown.

Still. They've got a punchers chance to make the playoffs, which given
the season so far would be a terrific accomplishment in and of itself.

Also, my point wasn't they could get "hot." If they finish strong they
will have a 10-6 record. No matter what you say or how they got there,
that is a legitimate playoff record. Of the super bowl teams you cite,
the 2001 Pats had an 11-5 record. I think they did get "hot" when Brady
took over at QB and got some games under his belt. They only had #2 seed
cause they won tiebreaker vs. 11-5 Dolphins.

In 2002, the Raiders had an 11-5 record in a year where the AFC had a
lot of parity. They also started the season 4-4.

The 2003 Panthers were 11-5 but played in the wildcard round. They beat
dallas at home (an overrated dallas team) and then beat the Rams and
Eagles on the road!

I just don't see a dominant team in the nfc that would be a prohibitive
favorite in all of their playoff games. Favored yes. Likely winners,
yes. But not like 14-2 or 13-3 dominant.

IF - a big if - they could get into the playoffs I would probably equate
it to the year they beat Tampa and then beat a wildly overrated 13-3
Bears team. They lost the following week to St.L, but it was a fun and
somewhat unexpected ride. Do you remember the surprise at leading at
halftime?

Of course, this is all moot if they can't beat Seattle Monday. And the
Dallas game will continue to haunt them no matter what.

Mully's Big Head

Here's a shout out to local homeboy and fellow Villanova grad Jeff Mullin, who managed to score tickets to today's Oklahoma-Villanova game that put his big fat head right next to Dickie V's in TV shots of the announcers.

Well done, Mully. You're a world-class schemer so I would expect no less. Bonus points for making it to the Pavilion a week after your wife had her third baby.