The graphic on the right can only mean one thing: football season is very, very close. For reasons I can't quite explain, this old image from the intro to Tecmo Super Bowl has always reminded me of the first preseason game of the summer, and every year since I joined The 700 Level, we've attached this screenshot to our first game preview of the season. So, three whole times now...
This occasion feels different though. Things remained the same for so long with the Eagles, we grew accustomed to just pressing the start button and skipping to the regular season. We still wouldn't mind that, but it's a little more like booting up the NES for the first time and watching that video to get jazzed up about the new game. It's fresh again.
Obviously all eyes are going to be on Kevin Kolb tonight. No one player can alter the dynamics of a football team more than the quarterback, and that is plenty of reason alone to tune in tonight. He doesn't need to be lights out, and considering how dialed back the offensive gameplan typically is for this first contest, we probably shouldn't expect that either.
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All we're really looking for is some general confidence in Kolb's work. We don't want to see any horrendous interceptions, or a guy who has trouble handling pressure. He simply needs to complete a few passes, move the chains a bunch of times, and play the game with the same intensity he would if it were going to count in the standings.
Basically he needs to make us care about this game, because if he doesn't play well, it's a throw-away. We'll mutter that it's "only preseason" and pretend a poor performance doesn't weigh on our delicate psyches, but whether we admit it right now or not, we'll likely ponder harder than ever whether the Eagles made the right decision to trade McNabb—at least for another week.
Other players we'll keep a close eye on:
Mike McGlynn
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With Nick Cole out due to injury, McGlynn will get the start at center. The accounts over the past few days have been positive, and McGlynn may have an opportunity to wrestle the job away from Cole with some strong performances against real competition. Mainly we're looking for clean center-quarterback exchanges, and how he handles the pressure up the middle.
Nate Allen
It's not very often a rookie finds himself in position to start for the Eagles from day one, but that has been the case at free safety since draft day. The defense won't be using any of their more exotic schemes, so we'll primarily focus in on Allen's fundamentals. Is he a willing and able tackler? Is he in the correct position and what kind of ball skills does he have?
Brandon Graham and Daniel Te'o-Nesheim
The Eagles invested a pair of high draft picks in these two, and they'll have plenty of opportunities to shine tonight. Graham is expected to play a major role on the defense from the very start, but these preseason games will give us a better clue as to what the lesser known Te'o-Nesheim is capable of. If he performs well, we'll likely see much more of him when it matters.
Moise Fokou
Heading into the summer, Fokou was the presumptive favorite to win the starting job at strongside linebacker. A couple weeks later, he has been replaced by Akeem Jordan. This is not meant to be any slight at all on Jordan, who has improved greatly through the years and may simply be more equipped for the job, but we're wondering what the coaches are seeing out of Fokou that caused them to move him down the depth chart.
Trevard Lindley
Most observers aren't giving Lindley much of a shot to have an impact in his rookie season, but I still believe the right corner back position is wide open and could stay that way for much of the season. He's a very remote option to start by opening day, but a strong extended outing tonight could help push him up the depth chart, someplace he eventually might be able to make a move from.
Cornelius Ingram
Ingram, of course, missed all of his rookie season with an ACL tear. In turn, the Eagles drafted Clay Harbor (another guy to look for), who is already threatening to supplant Ingram as the number two tight end. Various reporters have come away unimpressed by Ingram at camp, and it seems he may be a ways away from a full recovery. Will be interesting to watch whether he comes up with some plays to prove otherwise.
Michael Vick and Mike Kafka
For very different reasons. Last year at this time, Vick was literally joining the team mid-game after a long stint out of the league. He was largely unimpressive in a limited role last season, but that was with minimal time to prepare or even get back in football shape. Now he's been with the club an entire year, and has been the primary backup all offseason. It will be interesting to see what strides Vick has made as a passer, and if he's regained any of the old moves that made him a star in the first place.
Kafka will probably take the majority of the snaps in the second half, and it will be interesting to see how he manages the game. Exhibitions tend to be low scoring once the starters come out, but Kafka liked airing the ball out from what we saw at Flight Night. Maybe the rookie will provide some fireworks, but more likely we'll just be watching for how he handles the offense.