Philadelphia Eagles Season

Philadelphia Eagles Season

2010 Philadelphia Eagles Predictions

The Philadelphia Eagles looked like they were ready to make a serious run at the Super Bowl in 2009, after putting together a six-game winning streak to push their overall record to 11-4, but ended up being no match for the Dallas Cowboys. After losing 0-24 in the season finale against Dallas, the Eagles got another shot at the Cowboys in the first round of the playoffs, but for the third time failed to get the job done against their division rival and their season was over. Whether it was the disappointing finish or just the time for a new look, the Eagles decided to trade away quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins, but all is not lost for the upcoming season, as this organization believes they still have enough talent to win the division in 2010. Here is a look at what the Eagles will bring to the table on both sides of the ball, plus my prediction on where they finish the year in the NFC East.

Offense: Stepping in for McNabb will be fourth year pro Kevin Kolb, who played pretty well in two spot starts in 2009. Kolb appears to have the talent to lead the Eagles pass heavy offensive attack, but for him to lead this team to the postseason in his first full season as a starter, he will have to keep his interceptions at a minimum.

The Eagles also said their good-byes to long time running back Brian Westbrook, and that means youngster LeSean McCoy will be the feature back heading into the 2010 season, after rushing for 637 yards and four touchdowns in his rookie season.

At wide receiver the Ealges have two very promising young playmakers in DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. While Jackson is the team's No.1 option on the outside, tight end Brent Celek was the favorite target in the passing game in 2009, grabbing a team best 76 catches for 971 yards and eight touchdowns.

The Eagles thought they were going to have one of the best offensive lines in the league in 2009, with the acquisitions of left tackle Jason Peters and right guard Stacey Andrews, but neither lived up to their billing, especially Andrews, who contributed next to nothing. Both are expected to be in the starting lineup come opening day, but there is concern that center Jamaal Jackson will not be ready for the start of the season, meaning Nick Cole will have to step in and play well for this unit to get off to a good start.

Defense: The Eagles finished the 2009 season with the 9th best rushing defense, and a big reason for that was the play of defensive tackles Brodrick Bunkley andMike Patterson, and both are back for the upcoming season. Defensive end Trent Cole is coming off a solid 12.5 season, and will need to put up similar numbers in 2010. The Eagles acquired Darryl Tapp from the Seahawks to start at the other end spot.

At linebacker the Eagles added another new face in outside linebacker Ernie Sims, who will be asked to shut down opposing tight ends. Stewart Bradley returns as the starting middle linebacker after missing the entire 2009 season, while second year pro Moise Fokou is the projected starter at the other outside spot.

In the secondary the Eagles lost cornerback Sheldon Brown, and will likely move Ellis Hobbs into the starting lineup opposite of Pro Bowl corner Asante Samuel. Veteran Quintin Mikell will be the starting strong safety heading into the season, and it looks like rookie Nate Allen will get first crack at the starting free safety spot.

Prediction – 2nd NFC East: A lot of people think the Eagles are going to slip without McNabb under center, but I think the Eagles will surprise a lot of people in 2010. I believe that Kolb is ready to run this offense, and I look for the defense to step it up a notch this year.

For a complete look at the upcoming season, check out our 2010 NFL predictions. For those of you looking to bet on the NFL this season, be sure to take a look at our live NFL odds section.

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