Peyton Manning leads the Colts into Philadelphia for a 4:15 p.m. start this Sunday after destroying the Houstan Texans' defense on Monday night. At age 34, Manning just keeps getting better.

The Eagles have never beaten Peyton Manning.  Maybe they never will. The fun and the anxiety will be in the trying.

Jughead and Reggie were my favorite Archie Comics characters as a kid...but on Sunday, Jughead (Manning) and Reggie (WR Reggie Wayne) may become my worst nightmares.

Kent Sterling who writes for Media Sports Truth says it best:  "Manning is unquestionably the best quarterback, regardless of how far and fast Michael Vick is.  Having Manning under center makes the Colts a tough out regardless of everything else."

Nice to have the reconstructed Vick (who says he's at "100 percent" right now) mentioned in the same sentence with Manning. But when you think of a quarterback who can throw for 400 yards and 5 TD's in any given match-up, whose name is the first one to pop up in your head?

Yep...it's Jughead. And although Eagles fans pretend to "hate" Jughead, I can assure you they secretly admire him and wish he were theirs.

I hear it every day from fellow Eagles fans: "Peyton's a spoiled brat..." or "I hope he gets decked with all that theatrical junk he does at the line..." But the truth is: he's a great QB and he's a winner.  He makes everyone else around him a winner.

ATV of PE.com's On The Inside fan forum said it well:  "Monday night was a perfect example... a 4-3 D that tried to blitz Peyton?  Wrong. He will just take what you give him... Jacob Tamme(WHO?) replaces Dallas Clark and goes for 70 some odd yards and a TD. It just doesn't matter who's out there with Peyton, he will just take what's there. Point in case:  the worst rushing team in the NFL (Colts) was churning out yards with Mike Hart(WHO?)... why?... 'cause Peyton saw they were giving the O a chance to run... so he took it. That's hard to defense... we either need to run the ball to keep Peyton off the field( what are the odds we do THAT? )... Or,  we need to score 35 to win!"

Kenemeka of On The Inside expressed concern that the Eagles will be starting the relatively untested Dimitri Patterson at left cornerback in place of veteran Ellis Hobbs, and that Manning will be ready to exploit the coverages of Patterson and rookie free safety Nate Allen on the left side.  But Kenny adds a strategic bit of comfort:  "We aren't necessarily in worse shape secondary-wise than any other team Peyton faces. It's no secret that the guy is pretty good. We need our front four to generate pressure, especially from the DT spots. That means only minimal blitzing---which implies that the front 7 will have to stop the run. Note the Giants recently made the mistake we did four years ago by playing a base nickel--- and the Colts ran all over them. We have heard (Eagles OLB) Ernie Sims can cover, so this is the game we really need him to do that. Above all though, we have to score and score often..."

There's the rub--- Manning puts it in your head early that YOU  have got to score a lot of points to beat him... and in my next article, I'll show you why the real challenge on Sunday will be more about contending with the Colts' speedy and devastating defense.

Breaking News Flash: JON RUNYAN wins 3rd District Race for Congress in New Jersey...
Congratulations to Big Jon, who overcame a congressional opponent who spent about a zillion dollars against him...

The former Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman defeated freshman Democratic incumbent John Adler last night to win New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District. Runyan got 50.1% of the vote to Adler's 47.2%, a margin of about 6,000 votes. Peter DeStefano, the "Tea Party" candidate that Adler reportedly helped get on the ballot, got only 1.5%.

Runyan is hugged by wife Loretta in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, at campaign headquarters after the win...

Here's that fluff piece I promised to close out Eagles Bye Week... then we'll get back to the more serious business of figuring out what to do with Peyton Manning and the Colts on Sunday.

Jim Cramer of CNBC's "Mad Money" is apparently the #1 Annoying Eagles Fan Celeb... Here Jim pals around on set with Carol Alt.

I stumbled upon this weird site called Am I Annoying?  Much to my delight, there was a recent ballot listing for the world's 21 Most Annoying Celebrity Fans of the Philadelphia Eagles. I'm guessing, in the author's opinion, he's just sick and tired of these celebs showing up for media appearances in their Eagles gear. Or worse, they talk about the Eagles, too!

These are not my selections, so don't shoot the messenger if you see one of your fave celeb's in the mix. . . Personally, I'm shocked Kelly Ripa didn't make the list!  And as for #6 and #7 on the list, the only possible explanation is we as Eagles Nation must be hated so much in major media markets, the author gave us our own celebrity status...

http://aia.li/c/9677     

You'll get more "Annoying" lists and ballots by visiting the Annoy gang at their site. They've been at this thing since 2001, so you're sure to find a celebrity or star athlete you've been dying to cast an "annoying" vote for... You can even take a quiz to find out if you are annoying. Hmmm, I wonder if Peyton Manning turns up on an "annoying" list?  Linebackers and DB's would have a field day with that ballot...

Former Eagle Sheldon Brown set the Halloween costume standard for Eagles fans last year in a late September appearance vs. the Saints. Brown was fined $10 K by the NFL for daring to suggest football players can have fun with the fans during game day...

What better time for a prime-time Sunday night game than Halloween?  The Eagles are idle this week, so that treat will be reserved for the fans of the Saints and Steelers this Halloween.  In fact, the Saints will host a Halloween costume contest this Sunday (Oct. 31) in Champions Square outside the Superdome prior to the game. And , the Guinness Book of World Records judges will be on hand to validate Sunday night’s game as the world’s largest-ever Halloween Gathering...

Man, I wish Philly fans could get in on that action. Of course, we would never submit willingly to the prohibitive rules of the contest in the more timid environment of New Orleans.  Here's a list of what will not be allowed inside or around the Superdome for the contest:

SUPERDOME PROHIBITED ITEMS
Gym Bags
Backpacks/School Bags
Oversize Packages
Cans
Bottles
Containers of any kind
Weapons
Fireworks
Contraband
Video Cameras
Cameras with lens exceeding 6”
Beach balls
Laser Pointers
Artificial Noisemakers
Flagpoles exceeding 18” in length

CHAMPIONS SQUARE PROHIBITED ITEMS:
All animals (w/exception of service dogs)
Bicycles, carts, skateboards, and motorized vehicles
Containers of any kind (including ice chests & coolers)
Glass
Outside food
Projectiles (i.e. fireworks)
Tents
Unauthorized marketing/solicitation/vending

WELL, THAT WOULD LEAVE OUT 90 PERCENT OF THE EAGLES FAN BASE!  Just kidding, sorta...trick or treat indeed.

Still, I expect some dramatic camera shots of theatrically-costumed fans in New Orleans. If it were in Philly, I think you'd see a more hard-nosed approach to the event, with fans concentrating more on the shock value of "the trick".  My favorite example is the Halloween "accident" our good buddy mascot Swoop recently staged in Center City:

Now that's a Philly Halloween trick!

And the "official" Eagles Fright Wig looks like something you'd see in a 7-11 holdup scene:

Personally, I would choose to come as "Mister Six" of the Six Flags promotional campaign, but I can't fit into the little suit anymore:

I just know I'd get a ton of NBC camera time, since "Mister Six" would do his thing every time the Eagles scored a TD or picked off an INT.

In Philly, you don't really need a costume anyway.  Here's a gallery of some of our readers who would simply come to the Halloween game dressed as themselves:

Angelo Pfaff

Bran Aprees

Chuck Nnadi

Tanner 'n' Hunter

Frank Cucunato

Robert Conklin

Giorgio Dodi

Beth Ambrosius

That's right...we don't need no stinkin' costumes! We're Eagles fans... we are who we are...and we can't wait to be scheduled for a Halloween night game at the Linc! We'll show NBC and the NFL how to party it down!  Until then, dear fans, enjoy the Saints-Steelers game from New Orleans on Sunday night.

Just about halfway through the 2010 season...a perfect time for a Bye, if you ask me, although some knowledgeable fans say it's better to have a reassessment holiday later in the season.  But here we sit with the Eagles at 4-3, still in the divisional title hunt with five games yet to come with the New York Giants (5-2), Washington Redskins (4-3) and Dallas Cowboys (1-5).

This is also a perfect opportunity for a sportsblogger to come clean and own up to some bad calls he made prior to the season. Specifically, here are the ten predictions or observations I made about the Philadelphia Eagles back in July upon which I completely whiffed:

1. Michael Vick would be traded for a 4th-Round Draft Pick  --- this prediction completely collapsed, possibly due to that Virginia Beach brouhaha that went down in late summer...Now, I'm glad it did. It's obvious that a healthy Vick is ready to play at an All-Pro level again. It's also obvious the Eagles need both Kevin Kolb and Mike Vick available on any given Sunday.

2. Chad Hall would never make this team --- Well, he didn't (got cut)...then he kinda did (taxi squad)... then he did (active roster). I am surprised but extremely happy for Chad Hall, the mighty myte from Air Force who is a wonderful young man with great character. He's getting more and more reps now at both RB and WR.

3. Mike Bell would add dimension and strength to the Eagles running game --- Wow, did I miss on that one... I still don't get it.

4. Eagles' run defense would be their biggest weakness --- Not at all...in fact, it's become one of their strengths. I knew the pass rush would improve, but I thought it would be at the expense of giving up more run yardage.  It's worked out nicely against the run.

5. Stewart Bradley would not last beyond the opening game --- The solid middle linebacker has proven me wrong...despite getting literally knocked out of the opener against Green Bay.  Bradley's rehab from ACL surgery has been a remarkable story. His play has been part of the resurgence of the run defense. Conversely, he's lost a step in both lateral and vertical coverage, and he's getting beat on pass plays that require him to stick with big fast tight ends or quick guys coming out of the backfield.

6. Kevin Kolb would be stymied by lack of mobility ---  Not so...Kolb's mobility and his running decisions have been a pleasant surprise. He is more of a complete football player and all-around athlete than I gave him credit for...

7. Antonio Dixon would win the starting DT job from Brodrick Bunkley ---  Well, I was wrong there, although Bunkley has since been injured and Dixon has filled in for him the past two games.  Dixon has done a nice job as a huge run-stopper on the line and has put some notable pressure on quarterbacks when he's been in there...

8. DeSean Jackson would never run a zone crossing route again --- I still can't believe they didn't listen to me on this one! In both public forums and in private, I stated the Eagles would probably restrict their play calls involving Jackson in order to protect his game-breaking abilities on the outside and in the return game. My biggest fear was losing DJax for the season (or a career) on a blind-side hit over the middle. Plus, out of concern for the individual, how many concussions is enough? Still, they kept crossing him against zone coverages week after week, until...well, you know what happened against Atlanta.

9. Ellis Hobbs would be given platoon help at the right corner --- I really thought the Eagles would work in more support for the tough-as-nails Hobbs who was still rehabbing from an injury-riddled 2009 season.  I thought rookie Trevard Lindley and veteran Dimitri Patterson would be seeing significant playing time at RCB just to keep Hobbs fresh for the stretch run. So far, that hasn't happened...and Hobbs is slowed down and hurting right now from a big hit he absorbed two games ago.

10. Jorrick Calvin would be released ---  Another pleasant mistake by me...the rookie cornerback and return specialist not only made the team, but he's started to contribute in a big way on kick returns --- something we'd been missing on special teams for a while.

Well, there you have it --- my midnight green confessions--- proving once again I don't know what I don't know about this perplexing Eagles team or the sport they play. One thing's for sure, despite all the criticism Andy Reid and Sean McDermott and Marty Mornhinweg inevitably take for bungled game plans or busted mid-game adjustments--- they've got a young rebuilding team right in the competitive mix of a divisional race. That's not an easy thing to do in the NFL.  And for right now, that's a well-deserved feather in their Eagles caps.

"
Kenny Britt (6-3, 218, 2nd year, Rutgers)  makes CB Ellis Hobbs and the Eagles pay for a 3rd-quarter fumble and takes the game away from the Eagles...

It was a remarkable game, really... I've rarely seen such first-half dominance (by the Eagles) in all phases of the game, only to turn to jello in the second half...

Still, the Eagles (at 4-3) go into their Bye Week knowing how close they are to being good enough to physically compete with the toughest of the AFC...and that's got to count for something.

The Eagles had this thing. It was looking good until midway through the 3rd quarter. The Eagles defensive front had shut down Chris Johnson and the running game of Tennessee. Titans QB Kerry Collins was gettting knocked around.  The Titans allowed the Eagles to convert 10 of their first 14 third-down attempts, a surprising statistic given that Tennessee entered the game ranked second in the NFL at getting off the field. The Eagles were leading, 16-7.  And then suddenly, as the Eagles were driving to the goal line with what could have been the clinching TD,  it was little Titans' cornerback Alterraun Verner who was still clutching the ball after the refs cleared the pile on a botched handoff to LeSean McCoy.  

The Eagles appeared to be on the verge of a touchdown that would have put Tennessee in a huge hole with about 20 minutes left in the game. Instead, the Titans took over on the 3-yard line, kicked a field goal on their ensuing drive and went on to a 37-19 win.
“We make a play, knock the ball out, and that was a really huge turning point for us in the ball game,” Titans Coach Jeff Fisher said.
Defensive tackle Jason Jones blew up the play, which began with the Eagles looking at first-and-goal from the 3. He smashed through the Philadelphia line and disrupted the handoff from quarterback Kevin Kolb to running back McCoy.

“No one blocked me,” Jones said. “So I just went out and tried to make a play, tried to tackle the quarterback. I messed up his snap and caused the fumble.”

Safety Michael Griffin had a great chance to make the recovery, but the ball got away from him. That’s when the pile descended on the pigskin.  Underneath the mass of humanity, the 5-foot-10, 187-pound Verner was doing all he could to hold onto the ball even though he was being twisted like saltwater taffy. “They definitely tried to rip my arms off,” Verner said. “I felt like there were some offensive linemen trying to get me, but I was fortunate enough to get it and it was a big play.”  Said Titans defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil: “You have to hand it to him. That’s a nasty place down there. It’s not for the weak of heart. … There’s some bad stuff going on.”

Vital as Verner’s fumble recovery proved to be, it was one of four turnovers the Titans forced. They turned them into 20 points — two touchdowns and a pair of field goals.  Tim Shaw provided another game-changer with 3:37 left in the fourth quarter. The Eagles trailed just 27-19, and looked as if they’d have good field position to begin a potentially game-tying drive.

But Lavelle Hawkins forced punt returner Jorrick Calvin to cough up the ball, and Shaw dove on it. Seven plays later, Rob Bironas kicked a game-clinching field goal.

“Turnovers are the biggest factor in any game,’’ Shaw said. “If you can take possession from someone and put yourselves in great position, it changes the game. I guarantee you that’s what (the Eagles) are talking about hurting them.”

Griffin’s fourth interception in four games set up a touchdown and CB Cortland Finnegan recorded his first interception of the season, returning it 41 yards for a touchdown to end the game.

Too bad for the young upstart Eagles.  I guess they still have to learn how to salt a tough one away. This one could have been a huge physical win over a classic AFC juggernaut on the road. Instead, it turned into a Joe Kuharich-era style meltdown.

Heading into the fourth quarter, Eagles QB Kevin Kolb had completed 23 of 37 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown. A Titans' pass rush that recorded 22 sacks in the first six games had pressured Kolb infrequently, sacking him just once,

“They did a great job chipping our four-man rush, so we were having a real hard time getting there with our four-man rush,” Titans defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil said. “But when that happens, they’re only getting three guys out (in pass patterns), so we needed to do a better job in coverage.”

The Titans finally began to figure Kolb out in the fourth quarter.

On one third down, rookie corner Verner almost intercepted a pass, forcing the Eagles to settle for a field goal. On another, Griffin knocked a ball away from rookie wide receiver Riley Cooper.

Former Eagles linebacker Will Witherspoon delivered a critical blow, breaking up a short third-down pass intended for tight end Brent Celek. There were more than four minutes remaining at the time, but Philadelphia never again had possession with a chance to tie the game.

A  pressured Kolb was just 3-of-11 in the fourth quarter. He also surrendered an interception that Finnegan returned for a touchdown.  “We didn’t get discouraged,” Titans defensive tackle Jason Jones said. “We started getting pressure on the quarterback, forced him out of the pocket and got some interceptions.”

It was Kerry Collins who was on the hot seat in the previous three quarters. The Eagles bounced Collins around. It was obvious they knew he was little threat to run. They sacked him three times, intercepted him twice.  Yet he hung in there. He found an invaluable target in Kenny Britt — after Coach Jeff Fisher freed Britt from the doghouse for bad behavior at a downtown club early Friday morning.

Collins passed for 276 yards--- and three touchdowns, all of them to Britt. The highlight was an 80-yarder that closed the gap to two points.  Britt clearly was given enough time and hope to discover he was able to eat Eagles RCB Ellis Hobb's lunch. And it may not be as pretty as it once was for Collins, but don’t underestimate what he has left in the tank.

The Eagles learned the hard way.

And Philly fans are taking it hard.

The bitterness in the fan gallery at PE.com's On The Inside is palpable after the game.  Listen to some of these reactionary shots:

 Ryan Wagner:  "Ellis Hobbs was OWNED all day, he should be fired tomorrow morning. Eagles secondary gave the game away completely. How disappointing for a team that owned the Titans until the 2nd half. FAIL Iggles..."

Wing Man '07:  "Can't even describe how upset todays loss has me... The entire team forgot that to win a game you have to play two halves. Just when this team looks like it might make an identity for itself, it implodes. My faith is shaken... please just remember to show up for 60 minutes against the Colts.. Please Please Please..."

J. Wood:  "Kolb had a less than stellar day--THAT HAPPENS to QBs. Eagles committed a couple of turnovers that canceled momentum..but still led the game. Big Plays by Collins/Britt wrecked McD's defense. In the past, Collins got jittery/unreliable when knocked around. Eagles did defend Chris Johnson and pressure Collins enough...and Hobbs was vulnerable."

JeromeBrown99:  "Man.... Ellis Hobbs looked like he was playin' in mud. He wasn't even close sometimes. === Seems like lots of FG's with Kolb. And also... we seem to have much more of a grind-it-out O when Kolb is in. Thats not Eagles football..."

BleedGreen:  "As much as I love and adore my Philly teams, I don't live vicariously through their plays, wins, losses, etc. (Thank goodness after this horrid weekend). But, I must say, that that last quarter was brutal to watch. Eagles could have won the game easy and early before the Titans started playing like the Titans. I'll never understand how these Philly teams that have the most passionate, adoring, die-hard fans can lose in the nightmarish ways they find to lose. No, I'm not going to be looking for a high bridge after this weekend, but I'll still be shaking my head in awe well into the week. Shame on you Birds and the Red team across the street. Shame on you.... not so much for the losses, but in the awful, unprepared, embarrassing way you do it. Keep slapping your wonderful fans in the face."

CJN: "I was at the game in Nashville. My seats were in the endzone, so I had a clear view of the field. Kolb missed SEVERAL wide open receivers. Defense secondary was absolutely terrible. If Vick was playing, I say we win easy, but Kolb made too many mistakes and couldn't handle the Titans crowd. Once the fumble at the 3 occurred, it was obvious Kolb couldn't handle the Titans crowd. Straight pitiful performance!"

Grabem: "This team's failures come down to two things. We lack talent in the defensive secondary that is exploited by a lack of pass rush, and we have a coaching staff that can not adjust during a game. One man should never be able to dominate a team like Britt did without the other team making adjustment to stop him. We made no adjustments, just kept allowing him to abuse Ellis Hobbs. Our secondary is weak--- but at least take away Britt and make someone else prove they can beat you."

Kenemeka: "Pretty tough loss to accept. Funny thing is, if I learned anything about this team today, it's that we are good enough to win. Until that fumble we were totally in control, Titans couldn't move the ball on us. The wind didn't help, but man, Hobbs could have done better, Nate (Allen) could have done better... If only Juqua Parker didn't commit the personal foul that allowed the Titans to extend that drive that scored their initial 7 pts.... ah, we'll leave it all for over-reaction Monday..."

I think Kenemeka comes closest to the true lesson for the Eagles and their fans to learn from this game.  Daggone it, we ARE good enough to win...yet even so, all hands on deck are required to close the deal.  Right now, when playing the elite physical teams of the NFL, the Eagles can pitch a good game... but they have to learn how to close the sale. For the upcoming Bye Week, however, I advise all Eagles players and coaches and fans to RELAX...take a deep breath...and appreciate that the youngest team in the league is sitting at 4-3 with it divisional destiny very much in its own hands.  Considering their amazing roster turnover and changes in field leadership since a year ago, I think the Eagles have every reason in the world to reflect on their first half of the season as a success...and after the Bye Week, the Birds will be in great position to make their divisional move.  After all, this league is about getting better and peaking late...and we should be thanking the Titans for a valuable lesson on where the end-game needs to be improved.

Last time, we met Total Titans , simply the best independent football blog to emerge from the Nashville market in the last five years. Drexel Perry is one of the authors and moving forces of the site, and a great guy with whom I've worked together before at our old MVN Network home.

Drexel Perry , whose "Total Titans" has grown to a global audience of 7,000 unique monthly visitors--- a great number for an independent producer of regional sportsblog content.  By contrast, Eagles Eye currently reaches 1,000 monthly visitors. Drexel graduated with honors from Tennessee State U. (Class of 2000), majoring in Mass Communications), and earned his Master's degree at Middle Tennessee State U.  Drexel has also contributed guest articles to many other sports media websites.

Drexel thought it would be a good idea to put together Ten Questions that would give Eagles fans and Titans fans alike a flavor (and maybe some clues) as to how this game is gonna  go down on Sunday.  I agreed with him. We gathered 5 questions each, mostly culled from our own readerships.  We each took turns on the hot seat.  Now Drexel is not a drinking man...but I am (hey, I'm an Eagles fan, what can I say?)...so I fired up a tumbler of Jack's finest, flipped on an old Bob Dylan "Nashville Skyline" cassette, and geared up for the questioning.

I got to interrogate Drexel first:

Eagles Eye : The Eagles' game plan will be to try to get a quick lead on the Titans, as the feeling is Vince Young or Kerry Collins can't carry the team when they're behind. What do you think Tiitans will do to keep Eagles from scoring early?
Total Titans : The Eagles excel at making big plays (especially in the passing game), so it's paramount that the Titans play disciplined defense without taking too many gambles in the secondary.  If the Titan defenders can keep the Philly's talented arsenal of weapons in front of them, they'll have a solid chance of preventing the Eagles from soaring to a big early lead.

Eagles Eye :  The Eagles believe they have to win up front or they will lose, as the Titans D-Line is "young and fantastic"...Do you think the Titans will stay in a "Cover 2" on defense, or will they bring extra pressure from the secondary to further disrupt the Eagles O-Line and pass protection?
Total Titans :  The Titans are a team that relies heavily on their front four to provide the pass rush, and so far, that philosophy has paid huge dividends.  Occasionally, you'll see a corner blitz, or perhaps even linebacker and former Eagle Will Witherspoon sneaking in with some pressure, but for the most part, expect the Titans to get after Kevin Kolb with a relentless front four pass rush from their no-name but talented/deep defensive line.

Eagles Eye :  The Titans keep games close most of the time, so a big key for the Eagles is to keep containment on Chris Johnson. One defensive slip-up or missed tackle, and CJ can take it to the house. What schemes (if any) have other teams used to contain Johnson at a reasonable level?
Total Titans : Most notably, the Steelers focused upon gap control as a means of stopping CJ. By staying in their gaps, staying square to the line of scrimmage and preventing him from getting to the edge, Pittsburgh's defenders did a solid job of containing CJ, as he was held to only 16 carries for a measly 34 yards.  Other teams have tried the eight-men-in-the-box strategy, which has been effective when the Titans are unwilling to take chances in the passing game.  Stopping Chris Johnson is easier said than done, but those are some of the strategies that have had varying levels of success this year.

Eagles Eye : The Eagles believe the Titans are an outstanding football team, tough and well-coached, and very sound indeed, and this game will be the Eagles' toughest test so far. But the Birds are playing without three All-Pro's: WR DeSean Jackson, LT Jason Peters and QB Mike Vick. Do the Titans have any special plans to take advantage of these three missing pieces in the Eagles' offense?
Total Titans : DeSean Jackson... Without Jackson's speedy/playmaking presence, it should allow the Titans to focus most of their attention on emerging WR Jeremy Maclin. That's one less weapon the Titans have to deal with as they face a potent Philly passing attack.  Jason Peters... The Titans game plan at DE remains the same, whether or not Peters is starting: they will continue to rely on their front four to rush the passer. With Peters out and King Dunlap playing in his absence, don't be surprised to see the Titans attempt a stunt or two in King's vicinity.  Michael Vick... Mike's a dynamic runner, so his absence should allow the Titans' defensive ends to play an aggressive brand of football as they relentlessly attempt to harrass a more stationary Kevin Kolb.

Eagles Eye :  It seems when opposing QB's go to a three-step drop and quick hitting patterns, the Titans struggle a little with coverage. Do you feel the Titans will have something special for Kevin Kolb if he tries to get into that 3-step rhythm? 
Total Titans : The three-step drop was consistently a thorn in the Titans' side during their horrible 0-6 start in 2009. A banged up secondary led to rookies such as Jason McCourty and Ryan Mouton playing heavy minutes and opposing QB's constantly took advantage of their lack of experience.  This year, the Titans are in much better shape at corner. McCourty, prior to his injury, has stepped up as a solid performer during his second year. Rookie Alterraun Verner has played well in McCourty's absence, displaying a tenacity at making tackles while also having a nose for the football.   Cortland Finnegan is healthy and despite some struggles here and there, is a Pro Bowl caliber player. Veteran Nick Harper is no longer on the team, so that's a classic example of addition by subtraction.
Improved safety play has also helped in 2010, with Michael Griffin playing closer to his 2008 Pro Bowl level than his disappointing performance during the '09 season.  If Kolb gets into a rhythm with his three-step drops, I'm a lot more confident about the Titans' chances of containing him than I would have been if the year was 2009.

Okay, then it was my turn on the hot seat...

vs
Eagles vs. Titans
Sun., Oct. 24,  1:00 PM ET
TV: FOX
Radio: Sirius 125, 94 WYSP

Hello, old friends... former Eagles Jason Babin (top, DE) and Will Witherspoon (bottom, OLB) are having very nice results in the Titans defensive scheme this season. Babin already has 6 sacks, while Witherspoon has 3 from his outside linebacker position.  (Top photo credit: Andrew Strickert of Total Titans)

 This promises to be one armor-clanging helluva battle in Nashville... Here's On The Inside's gallery fave JeromeBrown99's prognosis:  "We gots to keep containment big time vs CJ and VY. We gots to win up front or we'll lose. We'll see tons of Cover2. Titans DL is young and fantastic... led by Jason Jones, SenDerrick Marks, Dave Ball and Tony Brown. We'll also see our old pals Spoon and Babin."

"CJ" of course is the electrifying running back Chris Johnson (5-11, 200, 3rd year, E. Carolina), and "VY" is  quarterback Vince Young, 6-5, 233, now in his 5th year out of Texas.  Young is supposed to start for the Titans, but suffers from a banged-up knee...if Vince can't go, veteran Kerry Collins will be ready to take over.

We go to Total Titans for the latest rumblings from Nashville....
   (TotalTitans.com has been the best independent football blog to originate out of Nashville, now in its 5th year and featuring the original work of Andrew Strickert, Drexel Perry and Tom Gower...these guys know their stuff! They were kind enough to let me sit in on a scouting session as they prepared for the Eagles game on Sunday...)

How Tom Gower of Total Titans realistically views the strengths and weaknesses of the Titans:
An Average Offense
The numbers match what my eyes are telling me: the Titans are a pretty average team when it comes to passing the ball.  The rushing game remains above average, but hasn't been nearly as explosive or consistent as it was last year.  I'm not quite so down on the Titans offense as this, but by FO's DVOA, they currently rank 15th in passing offense and 18th in rushing offense, for 18th overall.
An Excellent Defensive Line
The Titans' strengths defensively this year can be summed up simply: the defensive line has been OUTSTANDING this year.  Not blessed with the kind of superlative individual talents they've had in the past with early career Jevon Kearse and Albert Haynesworth in his final years, there are still some darned good players (Tony Brown and Jason Jones, to name two), and some guys who I don't think are really that great who are still having phenomenal years (Dave Ball and Jason Babin, to name two).  A couple numbers to demonstrate the success:
----Over a quarter of all opponent runs go for 0 yards or a loss, third in the NFL;
----They lead the league in Sacks with  22 , and 17 of those are by the defensive linemen.
An Exploitable Rush Defense
The problem, though, is about runs that get beyond the line of scrimmage.  They rank 26th in the league on what FO terms 2nd level yards, which is yards between 5 and 10 yards downfield, and a decidedly average 15th in terms of allowing rushes that pick up 10 or more yards.
Spottily Effective Pass Defense
To be honest, I'm not entirely sure exactly how good the Titans' pass offense is yet.  As noted above, they've shown an excellent pass rush thus farBy FO stats, the Titans' pass D has been excellent, rated third in the league.  Conventional rate stats are less kind, ranking them 15th in YPA, 13th in AYPA, and 10th in both NetYPA and ANYPA.  They also rank 4th-worst in pass yards allowed, but frankly I only pay attention to that for fantasy purposes and don't think you should pay attention much attention to it either in evaluating how good a team is.
There are some interesting player notes there.  The TE ranking is a complete reversal from last season, where the Titans were horrid.  Will Witherspoon has been a great acquisition, and Stephen Tulloch is, in my opinion, much better in coverage than he has been in the past.  The Titans have done a good job of gameplanning not to let the opposing tight end beat them, and then going out and executing that gameplan.  I also should credit the tight ends here; part of the weakness against tight ends last year came from Michael Griffin getting beat like a drum, and that hasn't happened with nearly the same consistency this year.
Where they're weaker, though, has been on running backs and adapting to them, especially shiftier guys, leaking out of the backfield.  While Witherspoon has been good against tight ends, he struggles times to break down and wrap up players in space, missing tackles against Bradshaw and failing to adjust to Buckhalter in coverage, while Tulloch has just been beat.  McRath's return should help when they're in base personnel, but I'd expect.  Two other personnel notes: the depth at DB seems to be much better than it was last year, as Verner has played reasonably well filling in for McCourty and Fuller seems to be getting beat less consistently than he was last year.  Part of what's driving the production by opposing top receivers, though, has been Cortland Finnegan not having a good year.  I've generally expressed what feels like a slightly contrarian opinion of Finnegan, namely that while he's good, he's not great and a far cry from a true shutdown corner. This year, though, I'm not even convinced he's been the sort of "good but not elite" starter he's been in the past.
Some Causes for Concern?
The reason I've been concentrating on the coverage issues is that gaudy 10% sack rate almost certainly isn't sustainable.  No team in the previous six seasons (as far back as I bothered to check) has sustained that sort of sack rate over the course of a year; the 5th-best Adjusted Sack Rate has averaged more like 8% of the time.  Teams will, like Denver and Dallas both did in the second half, switch to more of a 3-step quick passing game.  Even though the Titans had a lot of sacks, both Orton and Romo threw the ball for a bunch of yards, and a timely coverage stop or bust is a big part of the reason the Titans lost to the Broncos and then beat the Cowboys.  They're going to need more of those coverage stops if they want to sustain having the kind of pass defense that can carry a more average offense.Another reason for concern: one of the things FO likes to harp on for a reason as to why teams "surprisingly" get better or worse is what's termed the third down rebound effect.  Because of the smaller number and larger number of third downs, third down performance tends to be more variable than performance on first and second downs.  If a team is great on first and second downs, but mediocre on third downs, we'd expect to see them play better on third downs, not play worse on first and second downs.  This year, the Titans have been great on first downs, below-average on second downs, and absolutely fantastic, best in the league, on third downs.  That sort of performance will almost certainly come down back to earth as the year goes on.
So, How Good Are They?
The Titans have clearly had a very good start.  Chris Johnson has been much less effective than last year, but not nearly as bad, in performance terms, as you probably think.  Vince Young has, I'd say, been roughly average or slightly above; maybe about the same level as where he was the last 10 games of last season, all things considered, but does not seem to have made the tremendous strides I was hoping for and some people may have been expecting.  As I tried to stress above, the key to the Titans' strong performance this year has been the defense, and in particular the defensive line.  In some key areas, though, that defensive line and overall defensive performance appears to be unsustainable.  It's better than the liability I feared it was, but isn't as elite as it looks like it might be right now.  Opposing teams, when they have their starter in, will likely continue to have success throwing the ball against the Titans defense, and those teams will likely be better than Titans' opponents have been thus far at turning those yards into points.  When that happens, the Titans will start to lose games they've been winning

Thanks for that, Tom.  Next, in our afternoon session, I got to sit down with Drexel Perry of Total Titans for a Q&A Session based on what Titans fans and Eagles fans had asked us to discuss...plus, that dreaded weekend prediction for the game on Sunday: all that in the next blurb...