The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagles in one day and to get to know the enemy, we've talked with Jason Brewer. He runs one of my favorite NFL blogs Bleeding Green Nation. Jason and I also went to the NFL Draft together in April.
I gave Jason three questions about the 2010 Eagles to get us prepared for Friday night's game. Here's what he had to say (my questions in bold).
1. What kind of pass rush do the Eagles have? It always seems to be a solid unit.
So far it looks good. Last year they were right near the top of the league in sacks and the only member of the front four they got rid of this offseason was Darren Howard who only played defensive tackle in pass situations. The Eagles drafted three defensive ends, including first round pick Brandon Graham who has been so impressive so far that he's actually earned a start against the Chiefs. Starting opposite him is Pro Bowler Trent Cole who has 34 sacks over the past three seasons.
2. Is there any doubt that Kevin Kolb is the man moving forward?
There's no doubt that he's the man of the quarterbacks we currently have. I spent a lot of time at Eagles camp this season and he's head and shoulders above where Michael Vick and rookie Mike Kafka are. As to whether he's the "man" period, I think there always doubt until you've seen a guy really do it for a season.
As Chiefs fans no doubt remember Kolb looked good when he got the chance to start last season and he's looked great in camp, but I don't think all Eagles fans will be convinced Kolb is the guy until he shows it consistently over 16 games
3. Since Brian Dawkins played there for so many years, what kind of difference do you think he made? Kansas City is working with Eric Berry now.
He made the corners better playing centerfield. He made the linebackers better jumping up to support the run. He was an emotional leader, fan favorite... I can't praise him enough. I think he's a sure fire Hall of Famer. It probably wouldn't be fair to heap those expectations on any rookie, but if Berry is all he's hyped to be then he could have tremendous impact on a defense. With the way the safety position has evolved in the NFL over the past decade, having a playmaker back there is almost a necessity.
That said, I'll always maintain that the success of any defense starts up front. No matter who great a player in the secondary is, I don't think he can ever influence a game the way a good defensive line can.