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PREVIEW

This game would never even cause a blip on the radar screen if it were not for the return of Michael Vick. The Eagles are the clear cut favorites but with no McNabb (cracked rib) and a banged up duo of Westbrook and Jackson, the Chiefs have a fighting chance. The added distraction with the Michael Vick story just puts more pressure on the birds. The team is going into the game carrying 3 active QB’s but all media attention will be focused on Vick. Every mistake amplified, every play dissected.

The Eagles will stay with Kevin Kolb at QB, but I’m sure we’ll see lots of Vick in the Wildcat Formation. Yes, more WILDCAT! They ran it a dozen times last game and with Vick available for this one, it’s sure to be the go to play for Andy Reid. This is where most of the yards on the ground will come but with the Chiefs known for a weak secondary, the Eagles can keep throwing down field and possibly see Kolb match his last weeks output minus the interceptions (wishful thinking?).

The Chiefs don’t have much going for them even though they managed to stay in both their games this season. Matt Cassell was sacked more times than any other QB last season. He struggles to make quick decisions in the pocket which should give the Eagles defense enough time to get to him a few times over the course of the game. With only a single WR to focus on, the Eagles can use double coverage on Bowe and put the rest of the pressure on the QB. Should be good enough to get the job done.

Kansas City may be outmatched on paper but fortunately, the game is played on the field not on paper. If the latter was the determining factor this would be over before it began. I’m expecting this one to be close and the Eagles will make enough mistakes to keep the Chiefs in the game. The problem on the other end is the Chiefs just don’t have the play makers to take advantage of said mistakes. So all factors considered… it may not be pretty but this should get the Eagles back in the WIN column.

Join me as I live blog this game on The Score – Link

*This live blog is accessible through the web, your iPhone/iPod Touch (Details) or Blackberry (Details)*

PREVIEW

The last thing the New Orleans Saints have had to worry about since Drew Brees came aboard is their QB spot. The Philadelphia Eagles could only wish that was the case for them. Heading into their home opener at Lincoln Financial Field, the availability of Donovan McNabb is still up in the air. After McNabb suffered a cracked rib in week 1, it is looking more and more that Kevin Kolb will get the start for this game. And if Kolb chokes in his first ever start, the Eagles can put in Jeff Garcia who was brought in as added insurance.

Turning the attention over to the game, the Saints’ put up over 500 yards in its 45-27 victory over the Lions last week . The key there is they were playing the Lions. This week should be a more of a challenge as they go up against one of the better defenses in the league. The same defensive unit that forced 7 turnovers and 5 sacks versus the Panthers. The late Jim Johnson’s successor did his thing but against a better offense, the pressure will be on. Detroit Lions or any other team, Drew Brees and his 6 TD passes matched a record for most scoring passes in a game for a Saints QB. And the damage wasn’t only done by air as Mike Bell ran for a career-high 143 yards. For this game, the Saints should also have Pierre Thomas back in the lineup giving them another weapon on offense.

On the offensive end, the Eagles are going to have a tough time duplicating their output from last game. Even though they have lots of weapons on offense and Westbrook is still good for the big plays, the Saints will be bringing the pressure all game long on the inexperienced Kolb. The Eagles need to focus on managing the clock to give themselves a chance to run with the Saints. If the Eagles defense can step up for this game, they could rattle Brees. He is no Delhomme though so the key will be to limit how much time he has in the pocket to get rid of the ball. In turn giving the team a chance to grab a win while playing shorthanded.

One team wants to start a streak and the other is trying to break one. Philadelphia, is trying to start 2-0 for the first time since 2004. The Saints, meanwhile, have both their last two road openers and haven’t started 2-0 since 2006.

I’m ready for kickoff to see who comes out on the winning side of this coin flip…

• Vikings over the Browns: Adrian Peterson puts up a stat line of 25 rushes for 180 yards and Brett Favre makes the headlines?? Sports stations need to stop riding his jock and focus on the real story. Peterson has all the makings of the best we have ever seen but lets see how far he can take it before going into LT mode.

• Saints over the Lions: 6 TD’s for Drew Brees! It was against the lowly Lions but still quite the feat. He passed the ball to whoever was in sight keeping the Lions on their heels. It was a WOW performance and puts him on pace to shatter his performance from last season which was great in itself.

• Colts over the Jaguars: The Colts were expected to win this but it wasn’t pretty. The Jags held their own but it was Peyton’s Day. Peyton Manning tied the franchise record for victories and Jim Caldwell won his NFL debut as a head coach. The game came down to two defensive stops in the 4th and the Colts defense pulled it out. Now lets just hope they can build on that performance and back up what the offense is doing on the field.

• Eagles over the Panthers: The birds were thrown an assist in this one thanks to the colossal choke job performance given by Jake Delhomme. The Panthers worked the phones quickly and word is they are bringing in ex-Eagle, A.J. Feeley to run their QB spot. There was a casualty from the game and it wasn’t Delhomme’s ego but rather Donovan McNabb’s rib. McNabb took to his blog on Yardbarker to speak of his injury and the addition of an old counterpart in Jeff Garcia.

• Cowboys over the Buccaneers: The Cowboys beat the Buc’s handily after getting off to a shaky start. Thing is, they are supposed to beat teams like the Bucs who got a feel good performance from Cadillac Willaims. The real test for Romo and the team will be come next week when they play at their new home v/s the Giants.

• Jets over the Texans: The Texans are many people’s sleeper pick this year but Rex Ryan and the Jets made quick work of them in week 1. Sanchez looked like the real deal making something of not much. On the flip side, Schaub couldn’t put together anything even though he has one of the best WR’s in the league- Andre Johnson, as a target.

• Broncos over the Bengals: This game was a snooze-fest until Gus Johnson woke us all up with a call that will be remembered as much as the catch by Brandon Stokley that prompted it.
  

• Ravens over the Chiefs: Flacco showed he has what it takes last season but had to perform in Week 1 to prove he is legit. Mission: Accomplished! He threw over 300 yards and was helped out by the Baltimore D that only gave up 188 yards to the Chiefs. Considering I am expecting the Cheifs to end up last in the NFL when all is said and done, putting up a 28 spot against the Ravens was pretty impressive and maybe they will pull out a few upset wins along the way.

• Falcons over the Dolphins: It didn’t take Tony Gonzalez long to have an impact on the Falcons, catching five passes including a 20-yard TD. The Dolphins didn’t do themselves any favors by coughing up the ball 4 times as the offense looked flat for the entire game. Very uncharacteristic of the team that had the lowest number of TO’s last season, the Dolphins were one of the surprise team from last year and may be too hung up on that instead of looking at what they need to do this year.

• Seahawks over the Rams: I picked Seattle in my survivor pool this week and was expecting the Rams to put up some kind of fight. Instead.. they laid an egg and failed to get on the scoreboard. Matt Hasselbeck looked really good after 2008 was a write off due to injury. Jim Mora’s new approach paid off early and should continue to do so as this team should easily win their division building on games like they had in Week 1. As for the Rams, the problem starts at QB and the answer is not Marc Bulger.

• Giants over the Redskins: The Giants may be good enough to beat the Redskins but that will be hard to replicate against the other teams in their division. Didn’t see much of this game but I did catch the rumble that Santana Moss got in. With all the physical play in football its actually surprising you don’t see more of this…
  

• 49′ers over the Cardinals: Probably the biggest upset of week 1, the Card’s rolled over and looked nothing like the team that went to the Super Bowl this past season. Their offense seemed off but their D showed some promising signs. The 49′ers on the other hand can take away a lot of positives form this game and build on them this season which should be one of their best in years.

• Packers over the Bears: New team but same Jay Cutler that ended the season in Denver. He was an interception machine with 4 of ‘em in the opener but the team managed to stay in the game right til the waning moments. Favre Who? Aaron Rodgers set the tone for the season with a 50-yard rainbow to Greg Jennings to seal a come-from-behind victory and assure Packer fans that there is more to look forward to than booing Brett when he returns to GB

• Patriots over the Bills: It was too good to be true as the Bills came back to reality on a blown return. While all eyes were on Tom Brady for his first game back, the Bills dominated the game without much help from star WR Terrell Owens. Brady may have looked shaky but once the Bills gave him an opening it was over. The game was nothing like what most may have expected but the outcome was exactly as planned.

• Chargers over the Raiders: The second game of MNF double-header kept the excitement from game 1. Both teams struggled to do anything to start and were trading turnovers for the most part. The second half picked up and the Raider fans definitely played a part in urging their team on as it remains one of the craziest home crowds in the league. Tomlinson was a no show for the Chargers but it was no problem as Darren Sproles and Rivers did their thing and just enough to squeak out a win.

*BONUS* – Suzy Kolber races Tom Brady to the Locker Room

*BONUS* – Johnny Lee Higgins has some crazy Helmet Head going on….

Last night Vick saw his first game action in over 2.5 years and though it was nothing to write home about (4-4 for 19 yards), the team did try to throw some curve balls. On two separate occasions, Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb were on the field at the same time but both times were used as decoys. When Vick was brought in, there was speculation that he would line up at multiple positions but when it comes to game time (one that matters) its highly unlikely that the team will waste plays with the gimmicks.

Philadelphia 76′ers player Louis Williams, jumped in yesterday to show his support for the much maligned fallen star – @TeamLou23: Tonight. i will be wearing my ” Get Off His Vick ” shirt at the game….How yall love that?

Mural of Michael Vick Depicts Him Choking a Puppy Wearing a Cowboys Jersey – The 700 Level
Awkward but Happy Debut for Michael Vick in Philly – NFL Fanhouse
Your take on Vick’s return – Goal-Line Stand
Shawn Andrews Needs A Reality Show – Inside the Iggles
Here’s Our First Eagles’ Vick Jersey… – With Leather
Why Your Team Sucks: Philadelphia Eagles – Deadspin
Buzz over Vick Is Troubling – NFL Fanhouse

Video of Vick’s post game presser (via ESPN)

Brotherly Link Love will be a feature on this blog every Friday – a collection of the best Eagle’s posts for the week. Miss KJ did her thing writing about the man behind the mask, but there were others who had something to say

Video of Vick’s first practice – (H/T NESW Sports)