There is Still Plenty to Be Decided For the Philadelphia Eagles
They always say the third pre-season NFL game is the most important, and for the Philadelphia Eagles, that couldn't be more true. The Eagles still have a number of questions to answer as they prepare for the beginning of the regular season. Tonight may provide a small glimpse of what can be expected.
Tonight, may be your last chance to see a number of the "bubble" roster players. It will also be the last time until games really count, that you'll be able to see the first team for a significant amount of time. Andy Reid, as well as most of the other coaches in the NFL typically let starting players rest in week 4 of the preseason.
There are still plenty of questions about Michael Vick's blind side and the offensive line. When the Eagles acquired right tackle Ryan Harris recently, it was thought to be a major upgrade on the O line, and in particular Vick's blindsided which made him so susceptible to blitzes in the 2nd half of last season. However, Ryan Harris has suffered through back spasms for the past couple weeks and seemingly has coughed up the starting job, for the moment, to either Winston Justice or King Dunlap. Justice is still rehabbing from offseason surgery, but could potentially return soon. If Harris is not healthy, the Eagles may be right back where they started at right tackle with Winston Justice and King Dunlap. That might not be the best news.
Casey Matthews, the rookie linebacker out of Oregon has taken quite a bit of heat this week, as have his linebacking compadres. How the group plays tonight could give us an indication of how successful this new look Eagles defense and coordinator Juan Castillo will be this year.
Most importantly, Michael Vick will need to rebound from his putrid 13.5 passer rating last week versus the Steelers to reinvigorate the Eagles fan base with confidence. After being proclaimed the team to beat by many NFL pundits and a thorough dismantling of the Baltimore Ravens in their first preseason game Vick put together a stinker against the defending AFC champions. Fans in Philly certainly got a reality check after the clean sweep that the Eagles front office pulled out in free agency gave the city a renewed sense of confidence.
In other quarterback news, there has been some speculation that Mike Kafka has been outplaying Former Pro Bowl backup QB Vince Young. Young has not impressed much in his first couple of appearances.
While the preseason is just the preseason in many minds, there are still some important issues to address and work out for the Eagles. Tonight could produce several key storylines for this team going forward.
