Defensive Line
The defensive line was supposed to be the strongest unit for the 2006 Philadelphia Eagles and they started out the season like gangbusters. For the first few weeks of the season the line had more sacks than any other NFL line and it was easy to imagine that this unit would carry the team deep into the playoffs. The loss of defensive end Jevon Kearse in the overtime period of the Giants game marked a point where things started going bad for this unit. Maybe the line's effective rotation was thrown off, but none of the players have taken a leadership role since Kearse's injury. Off-season acquisition Darren Howard looked great against the Cowboys, but has largely been missing in every other game. Defensive end Trent Cole, who just signed a contact extension, is the lone bright spot at the midway point of the season with 6 1/2 sacks. The teams defensive tackles have failed to live up to expectations. Veterans Darwin Walker and Mike Patterson have been ok which is more than can be said for rookie Broderick Bunkley who has been largely invisible.Grade C
Linebackers
Most experts predicted that the Eagles linebacking corps would be the weak spot of the defense and so far they have lived up to that expectation. The entire unit has just half a sack so far in 2006 which is, quite frankly, atrocious. Middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter seems to have lost a step or maybe it's just that he's not playing with the same intensity that he had when he first returned to the Eagles. The remaining linebackers, starters Dhani Jones and Matt McCoy have had their moments, but most of the time they fail to make their presence known. Nickel linebacker Shawn Barber is not the player he was when he was first with the Eagles.Grade C
Defensive Backs
It wasn't too long ago that this unit was considered one of the best in football with three all-pro players. Safeties Brian Dawkins and Michael Lewis together with cornerbacks Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown were a solid, reliable unit. Dawkins appears to have lost a step and Lewis has lost his starting job to Sean Considine. What happened to Lewis is a mystery. His poor play does not appear to be due to anything physical and no one has addressed anything else that may have resulted in his precipitous decline. When healthy Sheppard and Brown remain two of the best in the business, but Sheppard missed the first four games of the season and during that time Brown was forced to cover receivers who would ordinarily be Sheppard's responsibility. He had a number of problems one of which cost the Eagles the Giants game. Injuries have also slowed nickel cornerback Rod Hood which further weakened this unit.Grade C
Kicker
David Akers is eight out of ten in field goal attempts. What's surprising is that he has only had ten chances in eight games. That statistic reflects more on questionable coaching decisions than on Akers ability which still appears strong. His kickoffs, however, have been disappointing. With Akers leg one would hope to see more kicks downed in the end zone.Grade B
Punter
Am I the only one who was shocked to see punter Dirk Johnson get a contact extension in the preseason? He's certainly not punting like a player who has any worries about his job security. His net punting average is in the bottom third of the league and too many punts appear to lack hang time necessary to allow good coverage downfield.Grade D
Special Teams
Kickoff and punt coverage has been adequate, but not spectacular. The team seems to be missing that one killer player who stands out in his ability to get to the ball catcher and make a big play. Kickoff and punt returns have been poor all season. Dexter Wynn was not the answer. The team seems reluctant to use Brian Westbrook or Lito Sheppard in a role in which they probably would excel but also risk injury on every play. Both units have taken far to many penalties. The bottom line is that the Eagles offense always seems to be starting at the 20 yard line or worse while the opposition always seems to get the ball on their own 40.Grade D
Overall
One grade seems possible for a team that is 4-4 at the midway point. The Eagles have played well in about half of their games and pretty poorly in the others. The teams star players have had excellent games and then games when they seem to have disappeared. Coaching has, likewise, been mediocre with too many instances of poor strategic decisions and poor clock management in almost every game.Grade C