Fired for Winning

I was just too disgusted to write anything last night after watching the Eagles - thanks to inept play calling - fail to score on 4 tries inside the 5 yard line. Infuriating.

But what I want to write about now is something that I’ve been thinking since late last season - Jamaal Jackson is killing this team. I know most people don’t notice the center - and that’s usually a good thing - but Jackson’s poor play is becoming more and more noticeable as teams exploit him game after game. The Bears, like the Steelers before them, blitzed up the middle again and again. They didn’t test the outside, they went right for the Eagles’ weakest link - Jackson.

In all fairness last night, Jackson was also playing next to Max Jean-Gilles at RG, who made his share of olé blocks, and only proved just how valuable Shawn Andrews really is.

Jackson either lacks the physical ability or mental acumen to be effective, and beginning last season has been exposed time and again.

I know the draft is not on the mind of anyone except a couple of Eagles scouts right now, but with 2 picks in the first round it may be wise to shore up the middle of that line with someone like California’s Alex Mack or Arkansas’ Johnathan Luigs.

I don’t mean to sound like Jackson is the sole problem the Eagles have - there’s lots of people to blame (Andy Reid’s play-calling being first on my list) - but Jackson is consistently a weak spot and the offensive center position - long a problem in Philadelphia - needs to be focused on when the time is right.