We try to do this little Blogger Exchange Program here at Bear Goggles On. Like the foreign exchange program but without some smelly foreigner with a language barrier invading our house. Then again, I’ve never met Mike from Birds Fan. He was kind enough to take some time to answer some questions. Don’t worry Mike, I’m just playin. I’m sure you don’t have a language barrier. I answered some of Mike’s question for Birds Fan too. Check it out!
BearGogglesOn: The Eagles have looked pretty unstoppable the last couple of weeks. Is it all due to Michael Vick or is there someone else that has made a difference? Who is the next most dangerous weapon on Eagles offense that the Bears have to try to shut down?
BirdsFan: Michael Vick has been phenomenal, there’s no doubting that. He has made a lot of plays out of nothing. However, he’s been able to make a lot of plays due to the talent surrounding him. We’ve seen him throw some tremendous home-run balls this year, but DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin are the big play receivers that have been on the other end. Without these two, you wouldn’t see that deep ball being such a threat.
The guy that has developed into a huge threat on offense behind Vick is LeSean McCoy. He’s running the ball hard and is a huge threat catching passes out of the backfield. His coaches tend to think he looks for the big play too often, but he does have the ability to break one whenever he touches it.
BGO: Is everyone in Philly over the whole dog fighting thing with Vick? Is he still vilified or is he now a hero with a story of redemption?
BF: Not everyone is over, but I think more and more people are forgiving him everyday. There are those who will never let it go, but in my opinion, the guy has moved on and it’s time for us to do the same.
Vick will always have the cloud that hangs over his head, and will have his actions watched under a microscope. However, indications are that he has really changed his life, and I think that’s showing in his focus on and off the football field.
BGO: The Eagles defense is ranked 19th in points per game, allowing an average of 22.6 ppg. That’s not the usually stout Eagles defense we’re used to seeing. What do you attribute that to? What’s the area of weakness Jay Cutler and the Bears offense can try to exploit?
BF: The biggest problem for the Eagles defense this year has been playing at a high level throughout an entire game. We’ve seen them dominate both the run and pass at points in the season, but the team tends to take their foot off the gas at points during the game. There have been multiple times where the Eagles have had big leads and the defense seems to lose their killer instinct. I think the talent is there, but the mentality may need to change a bit.
In terms of weakness, I think the Eagles are still a bit vulnerable to the big play. They have some younger/inexperienced players in the secondary, and they have made a few mistakes this season.
BGO: Anyone over there miss Donovan McNabb? Do you ever wonder how this team would look if McNabb had never gotten traded or if Kolb hadn’t gotten hurt in Week 1?
BF: I still have trouble believing the fact that Michael Vick is our quarterback and may soon be our “franchise quarterback.” If you would have told any Eagles fan that Vick would be their franchise quarterback when he got out of prison, they would have laughed in your face.
I’ve wondered multiple times during the season how the team would be if Vick never jumped into the line-up and Kolb had started every game. It’s definitely an interesting topic to think about.
In terms of McNabb, I felt it was the right time to trade him when they did, and it looks like it was. If he was still at the helm, I think we’d probably be around 5-5.
BGO: Who is a player on the Eagles that Bears fans might not be aware of now but will definitely know by the time the game is over?
BF: Dimitri Patterson. Any corner that lines up opposite of Asante Samuel is going to be in his shadow. However, Patterson has replaced Ellis Hobbs in the line-up and has played very well. He’s a very physical player and has been solid in coverage. Quarterbacks tend to look his way a lot to avoid Samuel, and he has really stepped up to the challenge.
BGO: Devin Hester seems to have gotten his groove back. How are the Eagles on Special Teams? Do the Eagles kick to him or kick out of bounds?
BF: The Eagles special teams unit struggled earlier in the season but have played much better as of late. Hester is obviously one of the most explosive return guys in the game, and he’s definitely something to be weary of. However, I don’t think the Eagles will kick out of bounds. They’ll see what their coverage guys can do, and if they struggle, then maybe they’ll start kicking out of bounds.
BGO: What’s your prediction for the game?
BF: Eagles win 30-17.