Wonderful experience at the Prudential Center

Sports Career Fair at the Prudential Center. Photo courtesy of  devilsarmyblog.com

The annual Sport Career Fair took place Tuesday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, attracting aspiring workers in the field of sports.

All brought resumes, dressed to impress and made sure they had their best "why I am worth it" speeches prepared.

Photo courtesy of mckeeoffice.com

Organizations such as the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New Jersey Devils, New York Red Bulls and NBA were there to endorse their products as well as searching for possible future employers.

I promoted myself as a multidimensional worker, capable of working in different areas with a determined mindset.  Making sure that they knew what my number one goal was, I confidently emphasized my dreams of becoming a reporter, whether it'd be in sports or news.

Once the career fair had ended, I felt satisfied with the job I had done, ready to relax and enjoy a Sixers victory.  However, I felt the urge to do more, so I did something that I would never forget.

It was one of those life-changing moments where a rare opportunity turned accessible.  The prey was right in front of me, and all I needed to do was make a move and pounce.  A switch turned on in my head to pursue the advantages I would probably not see again.

Photo courtesy of phillyburbs.csnphilly.com

The voice of the Philadelphia 76ers, Marc Zumoff, was waiting patiently on the Sixers' bench during pre-game warm-ups.  I took the initiative, shouting out his name and telling him that his work inspires me; he graciously came over and held a conversation with me, giving me tips on how the world of media works.

He actually runs his own mentoring program too, helping aspiring broadcasters/reporters with their reels as well as offering personal assistance in career development.

It was such an honor meeting such a prominent figure like Zumoff to the sports world.  Those words, "Aaron McKie, for three" will always ring through my ears.  He is truly the best voice in Sixers history.

CSN sports reporter Dei Lynam was there as well.  We both spoke on what it takes to get where she is and my daily readings of her articles.    

I was also blessed to meet newly presented Sixers' owner Adam Aron; we shared thoughts on the season thus far, both agreeing that wins during the end-of-the-season stretch was imperative.

Photo courtesy of abasketballjones.com

Brian James, the assistant coach for the Sixers, also gave me words of advice and an autograph, while I wished him luck against the Nets.  I complemented Malik Rose as well for the job he has done in his first year as the other Sixers TV announcer, telling me that Zumoff was the brains of this operation.

Last but not least, I can't forget the autographs I received from Sixers players Lou Williams, Thaddeus Young and Evan Turner.  They all have had tremendous seasons.

And to top it off, the Sixers came out of Newark with a much-needed victory.  Playoff push starts now!

Eagles 2012 free agency: Thinking about themselves thus far

Photo courtesy of espn.go.com

This time last year, the Philadelphia Eagles were making quick, hard moves during free agency like Pro Bowl RB Lesean McCoy's cuts in the open-field.  One major signing, after another signing, after another.  The front office were in a buffet line, picking and choosing whatever they wanted.  Eagles fans drooled over each coveted free agent they picked up, from CB Nnamdi Asomugha to DT Cullen Jenkins to dare I say, QB Vince Young, the captain of the dream team ship.

Although the Eagles picked up a bunch of talent, it didn't mix too well with a short off-season.  Eagles fans received the opposite of what they were expecting to see, a lousy 8-8 season.  To make matters worse, a Giants 2012 Superbowl victory.  

This year's free agency is different.  The Eagles seem to be less focused on talking and more focused on performing.  Their free agency has been relatively quiet thus far, only making moves internally.

Firstly, it was the re-signing of Eagles WR Desean Jackson.  As controversial and troublesome as he may be, Jackson, however, is a catalyst; he makes this offense go, obtaining double-team coverage and opening up space for other receivers on the team.  When there is a big play needed, Jackson comes through.  Knowing the risks involved, the Eagles rewarded him with a five-year, $51 million contract.

Other deals that were under the radar were the re-signings of  DE Trent Cole and OT Todd Herremans.  Cole received a four-year extension, while Herremans with a three-year extension.  Both kept their contract situations quiet and professional, unlike Jackson's public display of frustration.  Yet, Jackson had reasonable points to express his emotions, only earning a lowly $600,000 last year.

The Eagles also made other roster moves, trading OT Winston Justice to the Colts and releasing veteran C Jamaal Jackson.  

Next on their list will be re-signing McCoy to an extension.  He is a franchise player that was the MVP of their offense last season.  Surely, he deserves to be rewarded.

Also, OT Evan Mathis is another Eagle that is testing free agency, last heard to be interested with the Baltimore Ravens.

Besides re-signing their own players, the Eagles need to be active as soon as possible in signing other players from different teams.  Possible players may include WR Plaxico Burress, LB's Curtis Lofton, London Fletcher or Stephen Tulloch and S Laron Landry.  Throw in RB Brandon Jacobs being a one-two punch with Lesean McCoy as well.

Now, let's see if PATIENCE really does PAY.

LIN or Lose?

Photo courtesty of bostonherald.com

LIN-tastic, LIN-credible and LIN-sane are just a few of the new nicknames overnight NBA sensation Jeremy Lin has received in the past couple of weeks.

Lin, a Taiwanese or Chinese descent, has Asian television stations drooling to add MSG, the New York Knicks' television station, to their broadcasting schedules.  His popularity has sky-rocketed because of his, as many would say, LIN-derella story.

A point guard for the Knicks, Lin has gone from a reserved, unused bench player that slept on his brother's couch at one point to a star-studded point guard, owning his own apartment in the Trump Towers and becoming the talk of the town in the biggest market.  

A Harvard graduate majoring in economics, Lin has expressed his intelligence on the court, moving the ball around and making his teammates better players.  He is a fast-paced player with a sweet jumper, however, many of his teammates as well as opponents respect his absence of fear to drive into the lane and take a hard foul.  Many analysts compare his play to future Hall of Famer Steve Nash.  

Even Nash said it himself in a recent tweet on Twitter, "It's crazy! I'm watching Linsanity hoping every shot goes in. Hope I never grow up."

Adding more of a comedic humor to Lin's run was TNT's own Shaquille O'Neal tweeting, "Linderrella story of the year jeremy lin has lingle handedly played lensational lincredible I'm linpressed all he does is Lin Lin Lin gd jib."

In the past five games, Lin has scored 136 points, the most of any NBA player who began his career after the merger.  He has most recently helped the Knicks win seven in a row without stars like Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.  

The New York Knicks were a sloppy, below average team that couldn't gel their superstars together before Lin came into the picture.  Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni was very close to losing his job because of his horrific start to the 2011-2012 season.  Lin, a devout Christian, is hearing his praises now from D'Antoni, as he should be, for saving his job. 

Many are comparing his accomplishments to that of Tim Tebow's.  Where there was Tebowing, there is Linning; by the way, Linning is to rock your geek glasses proudly while dominating life like our beloved superstar and supernerd Jeremy Lin, according to Linning.com.     

How long can this run last for Lin?  Do you buy or sell this dose of LIN-sanity?  Last but not least, why does he have to be a New York Knick?   

   

New "Kings"of NFC East

Photo courtesy of nydailynews.com

A new team has emerged as superiors of the NFC East.  No, not the Philadelphia Eagles, but as difficult as it is for Eagles' fans to digest, it is now the New York "football" Giants.

Ugh, that hurts to say.

Admittedly so, the New York Giants are the best team in football right now; they have the Lombardi trophies to prove it, winning two Super Bowls in a five year span (2008, 2012).

Even though Eagles' fans can say they were a better team than the Giants this year, beating them with their backup squad during the regular season, the Giants, however, got the job done down the stretch.  

Starting off the season 6-2, the Giants gave themselves some leeway to regroup and make a run at the end of the season.  This wasn't the same for the Eagles; they struggled, starting the season with a 1-4 record.  The starts from both teams became a factor as the season came to an end.  Philadelphia would miss the playoffs, while the Giants would make it, and eventually become Super Bowl champions.

  

How will the Eagles regain their stature as the kings of the NFC East?  The answer is simple.  Not by winning NFC East divisions.  Not by having a great record.  But, by winning Super Bowls. 

 The first step is winning that first one, and for the Eagles, it has been oh-so-difficult for their franchise, obtaining zero rings in their existence.  

When will a parade down Broad Street ever happen for Eagles' fans?  The only way it can happen is through good management, good coaching and a plan within the organization that everyone believes in.  

Till then, more suffering will continue for Eagles' fans in the Delaware Valley.   

  

An Impressive Start for the Sixers

Photo courtesy of Nba.com 

Above is the new slogan Adam Aron, the new Philadelphia 76ers owner, has put into place for the 2011-2012 NBA season.  Off to their best start since the 2001 NBA Finals run, the Sixers have a 7-3 record; their play is resembling their motto.

Sixers coach Doug Collins has found a system where everyone on the team has a specific role. For instance, power forward Thaddeus Young's role is to come off the bench and provide athleticism as well as energy to both ends of the court.  Center Spencer Hawes' part is to be a force on the boards, along with his craftiness in feeding his teammates the ball offensively. Every player has a specific role that they have bought into, and that is exactly why they have gotten off to such an impressive start.

Blowing teams out has been an early theme for the Sixers this season.  In five out of the 10 games they have played so far, the Sixers have won by 20 points or more; the defeated opponents include the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors and Sacramento Kings.  These teams are most likely not championship contenders, however the Sixers have had convincing wins against the Indiana Pacers and New Orleans Hornets.  (Don't think New Orleans were a step-over because they received quality youngsters via the Chris Paul trade.)     

Their losses have come from the Portland Trailblazers, Utah Jazz and New York Knicks.  All three losses were close losses, showing their pride and fight till the end in each of those games. 

Collins preaches hard work and teamwork.  The Sixers have no superstar on the team.  Every game has resulted in more than one person with double figure scoring.  Their version of basketball is quite beautiful to watch.  

Hawes has emerged as an all-around player, while shooting guard Jodie Meeks has shown his capability of becoming a terrific three-point shooter. Rookie center Nikola Vucevic is showing no signs of playing like one, contributing well offensively.  Power forward Elton Brand has found his groove in scoring and rebounding.  Small forward Andre Iguodala and Young have shown their defensive athleticism.  Evan Turner and Lou Williams are scoring sparks off the bench.  Point guard Jrue Holiday has shown that he can take over a game when his team needs him, hitting big shots in key situations.  

With the NBA season being crunched into a 66-game season in 120 days because of the lockout, the Sixers look to have benefited thus far.  They are a young, talented team that are looking to make some noise come playoff time.  

So word to all Sixers fans out there:

"Show Ya Luv."      

One More Chance

Photo courtesy of gcobb.com

Unacceptable, disappointing and dismal are just a few of the words Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie used to express his team's season at his end of the season press conference Tuesday afternoon.

His 14-minute opening speech kept reporters on the edge as many thought the firing of head coach Andy Reid was approaching.  Lurie described the start of the 2011 season as "unacceptable" and the four game winning streak at the end of the season as "fool's gold."  Overall, he stated that the 2011 season was the "most embarrassing season in his tenure as owner of the Eagles."

Mr. Lurie sounded like a true passionate Philadelphia fan, highlighting errors that resulted in his team's failure of making the playoffs with an abysmal 8-8 record.  Usually, Lurie is the one to make up excuses for his team but Tuesday afternoon was different.  This difference made Eagles fans actually believe that the Reid era would be finally over.  Surely, it seemed that Reid would receive the ax.   

However, after all of this, Lurie managed to trick us all.  Once again, as fans, we were fools for believing that Reid would be a goner.  Lurie found a way to go back to his roots and praise Reid as the "one that gives us the best chance to win a championship."  In other words, Reid will be back for the 2012 season.  Well done Jeffrey, for that Academy award performance.  

Eagles fans have the right to complain on Reid coming back; the Eagles haven't won a playoff game in three years.

Lurie brought up reasons why he decided to give Reid another chance.  His track record was one, which says he is the winning-est coach in franchise history; he has been to five NFC championship games, one Super Bowl and has a number of NFC East titles.  The Eagles owner emphasized greatly on the recent NFC East titles like they really meant something.  He relied on those divisional accomplishments because he knows they have been one-and-done in the playoffs these past three years.

With 13 years under his belt, Reid has yet to accomplish the ultimate prize, a Superbowl title.  He might not say or show that he is impatient, but deep-down inside Lurie believes he will lose his fan-base if they don't make at least a Super Bowl appearance next year.  If that happens, Lurie will cut the throat of the Reid Era.

So time is ticking Mr. Reid.  The balls are in your court; Superbowl or bust?  As Eminem would say, "You only got one shot, do not miss your chance to blow."  (This quote kind of contradicts my previous statements, since Reid did have 13 shots already, but I thought it would be inspirational for Andy.)

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An Eagles' Christmas?

Photo courtesy of sportsgeekery.com

"Three days till Christmas; oh boy, what has Santa gotten for all of us?"

Hopefully, an Eagles win and a Giants loss.  

This upcoming weekend is a very special NFL Christmas weekend.  Philadelphia Eagles fans are all eager for the miracle to happen, an Eagles playoff berth.  There are, however, baby steps involved in those slim playoff chances.  Yet as each game arrives and the Eagles progress, those chances gradually expand, giving hope to the city of Philadelphia. 

  

The fight to inch closer to a playoff spot will begin before the Eagles even take the field at Cowboys Stadium.  It all starts at Metlife Stadium in New York at 1 p.m where the New York Giants will square-up against their rivals, the New York Jets, in the Battle for New York.    

• The Eagles will need a favor from the already humiliated Jets to provide them with a win against the Giants.  J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets!  Show me what you got, Rex Ryan!

With that said, Eagles fans would now be able to enjoy a meaningful game at 4:15 p.m.  Let's take a look at the match-up:

The Cowboys are coming off a dominating game against a lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad.  Defensively, the Cowboys will feed off of defensive-end Demarcus Ware's intensity and linebacker Sean Lee's aggressiveness.  Offensively, Tony Romo is on fire, contrary to games in December from previous years.  His play had the capability to put his team above everyone else in the NFC East, before being abruptly ruined by coaching decisions and special team plays in the final seconds of regulation.  Also, since running back DeMarco Murray is out for the season with a fractured fibula, Felix Jones will be on the menu for a newly-energized Philadelphia Eagles' defense. 

The Eagles hope for good coaching to continue; they have received this these past two weeks.  Defensive coordinator Juan Castillo is starting to understand and make critical adjustments to his defense during the games, adding more blitzes and schemes. Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg are starting to finally understand that if they balance the calls of running and passing plays, then they will win the game. Looking to eye an NFL rushing title, Lesean McCoy has been a beast; he only trails Maurice Jones-Drew by 60 yards. Michael Vick is playing smarter, especially with his decisions on taking unnecessary hits.  

As the NFC East continues with its inconsistency, so does the NFC playoff picture race. 

Who will be victorious?   

   

Eagles Slim Playoff Chances

"Playoffs, don't talk about playoffs; you kidding me, playoffs?"  Thanks Jim Mora for that lovely introduction.

As awful as the 5-8 Eagles season has been, they're miraculously still in the playoff hunt.  This was made possible because of the struggling NFC East.

Sunday's 26-10 victory in Miami helped keep the Eagles on life support as they head into their next game against the New York Jets at home.



However, there are a lot of things that need to happen besides the Eagles having to win out all of their games.

First, Dallas' schedule looks like this: at Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and at New York against the Giants.

• Dallas needs to lose at least 2 games.
• If Dallas beats the Giants, then Dallas has to lose against Tampa Bay    

Second, the Giants' schedule looks like this: Washington, at New York Jets and Dallas.

• The Giants' needs to lose at least 2 games.  
• If the Giants sweep Dallas, then they have to lose to the Redskins and Jets for the Eagles to have a shot.  

It really all comes down to this upcoming week.  The Eagles need at least one upset to happen, whether it is the Giants losing to Washington or Dallas losing to Tampa Bay.  

The Eagles performance this year has been abysmal from offense to defense to coaching. Although they don't deserve to be in the playoffs and a losing record would surely eliminate Andy Reid from coaching this team, I still bleed green!  Hopefully, the switch has turned on for this team.

                 I still believe.  Miracles can happen.  

                            Just ask Tim Tebow.  

A GIANT Victory for the Eagles

Photo courtesy of bleacherreport.com

Close your eyes and picture this: Vince Young rallying his desperate Eagles team to an 18-play, 80-yard brilliant drive against a very solid New York Giants defense late in the fourth quarter.  Sounds ludicrous, right?  Now, open your eyes and believe me when I say that the Eagles didn't give up another fourth quarter lead, winning through their defense by a score of 17-10.  That is exactly what had occurred last Sunday night.

Vince Young, who was previously 2-0 against the Giants when he was a member of the Tennessee Titans, wiped off a three interception performance with a clutch fourth quarter touchdown pass to Riley Cooper.  Young threw touchdowns to two wide receivers whom haven't been used significantly all season; one to former Giants wide receiver Steve Smith and the other to Cooper.  Both were used more frequently due to the injury to Jeremy Maclin. Judging off Young's performance in the fourth quarter, I believe they should start Vick during the first three quarters and pull in Young for the fourth.  A formula worth trying, I must say. (joking moment)  

Defensively, the Eagles looked mighty impressive.  This is the defense that all Eagles fans imagined to see before the season had started.  It looked like defensive coordinator Juan Castillo and his defense were tired of the media portraying them as a "soft" defense, deservingly so.

Jason Babin was the star on defense, making this game-sealing sack as well as forcing a fumble on Eli Manning as he was trying to even up the game at 17. Derek Landri played well as a reserve tackle, picking up the key turnover created by Babin seen below. 

• The Eagles defensive line stole the show Sunday night as they made Eli Manning's life a living hell in the pocket; they were persistent on their pressure and made sure Manning felt the hits.  As a group, they recorded three sacks. Cullen Jenkins, Trevor Laws, Darryl Tapp, Juqua Paker and Mike Patterson produced constant pressure and closed in on the run game.
• The linebackers played well too as Jamar Chaney picked off Manning and Akeem Jordan made a crucial stop on a 3rd and 1 against Giants running back Brandon Jacobs.
• Secondary played decent minus Nnamdi Asomugha.  He was penalized for pass interference and lost coverage on Giants wide-out Victor Cruz.  Cruz is known for picking on Asmougha as he torched him in their first match-up.          

Hopefully, the Eagles find a way to show some consistency in their play, which they have lacked all season.  I know the playoffs are still a long shot, but I have a feeling this game is the game that will turn their season around.  Momentum will swing into the Eagles favor.  It happened last year with the Miracle of the Meadowlands II, so what's so different about this year?

The Eagles Gods are looking down on us.    

  

Eagles, Bears play on MNF...What more can you ask for?

Photo courtesy of Eastbay.com

Monday night football with potential playoff aspirations on the line tonight; can't get any better than that, now can it?

The Philadelphia Eagles look to reach .500  in tonight's battle against the Chicago Bears.  Chicago is coming off a 24-18 win in London last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Philadelphia is coming off a 34-7 win, whooping the Dallas Cowboys in every aspect of the game.

The Eagles need to continue the style of play they displayed against Dallas for tonight.

Matt Forte is a dangerous threat in the running game for the Bears.  Defensively, the Eagles need to prevent him from having a field day from the first snap.  Jay Cutler can be a nuisance if his offensive line protects him.  Players like Trent Cole and Jason Babin need to create havoc and cause him to turn the ball over.  The linebacking core needs to fill the gaping holes and close on them as quickly as possible.  Any mistake in their assignments could lead to crucial points on the scoreboard.  Special teams wise, the Eagles need to be smart and not punt to the best special teams player in the game, Devin Hester.  He is guaranteed a touchdown almost every time he touches the ball.  

Offensively, Michael Vick and his high-powered Eagles offense look to strategically dissect Brian Urlacher and his strong Bears defense.  The Eagles need to firstly, get Lesean McCoy started in the run game.  He is a perennial back that has risen up in the rankings as one of the best running backs in the league.  They need to use him in the passing game as well.  Jeremy Maclin will look to be the go-to receiver as Desean Jackson will try to find a hole in the Bears defense to create a big play opportunity.  Jason Avant and Brent Celek will be targeted in key situations when a first down is needed.  Finally, when none of that is available, Vick needs to use his lightning speed and create plays with his legs.

A balanced attack as well as a zero in the turnover column on offense will win this game for the Eagles.

Prediction: Eagles 31-Bears 17           

A Nightmarish Start

Photo oourtesy of lloydvance.wordpress.com

The majority of Philadelphia believed this was finally the year their beloved Eagles would bring a parade to Broad Street.  Going into week six of the NFL season, Eagles fans are left scratching their heads, pondering if a change in the coaching staff as well as the personnel will happen.

The Eagles have an abysmal 1-4  record.  They are desperately looking for a win when they travel to Washington to face the 3-1 Redskins on Sunday at 1pm.

On paper, the Eagles look like the greatest thing since sliced bread.  However, you can't judge a book by its cover.  The Dallas Cowboys experienced this first-hand last year when they went 1-7 going into week 8 of the season.  A move was made by Jerry Jones, firing Wade Phillips in the middle of the season and replacing him with interim and current head coach Jason Garrett.  

Expectations is a word that can excel or destroy a team.  So far, the Eagles are feeling the wrath of those high expectations, turning their season from a dream season to a nightmare.  

The Eagles have one main issue that is significantly obvious to their downfall of play:

   

Coaching- Turning an offensive line coach into a defensive coordinator with no experience is a risky experiment to run.

Andy Reid proposed this idea and made it happen when he hired his then offensive line coach Juan Castillo, and turned him into a defensive coordinator, replacing the great late Jim Johnson and his supposed successor Sean McDermott, who couldn't get the job done all too well last season.  However, McDermott didn't have the talent on defense like the Eagles have now; he would look really nice as an Eagles defensive coordinator right about now.

The defense looks very soft and cannot make a tackle to save their lives.  A lack in leadership and discipline is causing a downward spiral for the defense.

Players that are not afraid to get in another's face and tell them what they are doing wrong is needed.  Having leadership qualities like Brian Dawkins, Jeremiah Trotter and Hugh Douglas are no where to be found.  Tackling cannot be blamed on the coaches, but the schemes or positions that the players are put in could be the problem why it is an issue.  Reid's stubbornness in thinking that the linebacker and safety positions are safe and not that important is ultimately hurting his defense.  In the red zone, they are extremely weak and give up touchdowns like there is no tomorrow rather than holding for three points.  Again, the blame crumbles down to Reid.

On the offensive side of the ball, the run to pass balance has been completely dominated by the passing game.  Nothing new there for an Andy Reid offense.

It has been getting ridiculous and the results are the same.  Reid loses his trust in the run quickly, so he averts to the pass game.  Plays become predictable and defenses send more players to rush Vick.  How many more times will I see the offense set up in a shotgun formation?  Vick gets hurt because he never gets a break from pressure.  Coming in with a bunch of inexperienced offensive linemen has resulted in costly play in important times of the games and injuries to key players.

Yet, with all this said, Reid still manages to say the same thing at press conferences by taking full responsibility and promising to fix the problem the following week.  The problem is that he is not fixing the problem.  It is a recurring theme every week.  He is not getting through to his players.

When that happens, change is a necessity.  The question is, when or if it will happen... 

Vick-less

Photo courtesy of deadspin.com

Michael Vick's homecoming started as a warm welcome; however, it concluded with a bitter, disappointing ending.

Sunday night, the Philadelphia Eagles lost 35-31 to the Atlanta Falcons in a back and forth game that came down to the wire.  Except this time, the Eagles were without Vick on a potential game-winning drive.

Midway through the third quarter, Vick was tackled by one of the Falcons' defenders causing him to fall downward, slamming his head straight into his own lineman's shoulder.  Walking off the field, Vick spit up blood because of a tongue bite.  It was confirmed after the game that Vick had suffered a concussion from the blow.

The loss of Vick was a factor in the defeat to the Falcons, but that wasn't the only reason.  

Turnovers played a huge role.  The game-changing play happened in the winding minutes of the second quarter.  Vick had his offensive squad lined up for another touchdown in the red zone and possibly a ten point lead.  Andy Reid, the Eagles coach, decided to go with 2 running backs in the backfield.  Vick faked the pitched and tried to give it off to the other runner.  The play took too much time, enabling the Falcons defense to pounce on Vick and strip him of the ball.  Ray Edwards, the Falcons defensive end, scooped the ball up, and ran like a mad man all the way to the Falcons twenty yard line before being tackled by the speedy Eagles wide receiver Desean Jackson.  That later turned into a Matt Ryan to Tony Gonzalez one-handed touchdown grab.  

Defensively, the Eagles corners and linemen did a decent job covering as well as getting pressure on Matt Ryan.  They forced turnovers in key moments of the game.  However, the linebacking core had their issues.  Michael Turner, the Falcons running back, ran down the throats of linebacker lane.  Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez exposed the poor coverage ability of some of the Eagles linebackers.  Guarding athletic tight ends have always been a problem;  this is something defensive coordinator Ron Rivera has to preach in film sessions.   

With Vick possibly out for a couple of weeks, Mike Kafka becomes the starting quarterback.  Vince Young is still out with a hamstring injury.  Kafka performed with poise and confidence as he ran the offense up the field in the closing minutes on Sunday night.  He made impressive throws, releasing the ball quickly from attacking blitzes.  But on a fourth and four, Kafka threw a pass that hit the number 18 of Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin's chest.  Maclin dropped a guaranteed first down, which could of changed the game dramatically.     

I feel this loss will benefit the Eagles in the long run.  They will learn from their mistakes and hopefully, correct them.  Sunday's loss was a tough one against a Falcons team that excels on their home field.  

Now, the real test begins...