NFC East

Sporting News, The, Dec 14, 1998 by Mark Eckel

Desperately seeking a QB

In spite of Koy Detmer's recent "heroics," the quarterback who will take the Eagles into the next century-or even next season's opener-is not on their roster.

The Eagles have a young backup in Detmer, an old backup in Rodney Peete and a confused soon-to-be free agent in Bobby Hoying, who still wonders exactly what happened this season. None of those is the answer.

So the Eagles will scour the draft and the free-agent market and perhaps pursue a trade. Here are the Eagles' options:

The draft. If the Eagles lose their remaining games-a strong possibility-they may secure a high enough first-round pick to draft Daunte Culpepper, a big man with a strong arm, who will need time to develop. Or they can gamble that someone like Oregon's Akili Smith is available in the second round. But, again, that is a long-term solution.

The Brett Favre/Mark Brunell route. Before the 1992 season, Atlanta had given up on Favre, so it traded him to Green Bay. In '95, with Favre entrenched as the long-term quarterback, the Packers had no room for Brunell, so he was dealt to Jacksonville. Is there a player stuck behind a veteran star who just needs a chance? San Francisco's Jim Druckenmiller and Denver's Jeff Lewis are possibilities.

The Vinny Testaverde mute. Maybe the Eagles can find another Testaverde--a one-time potential star who needs to get away from where he is and get a second chance. How about Jeff Blake, Scott Mitchell or Gus Frerotte? Blake went to the Pro Bowl when he was 25, and he turned 28 December 4. If Blake can recapture his past glory, he might be the guy the Eagles need. --Eckel, Mark

Arizona

6-7: 2nd

Patchwork defense faces test in the stretch

The club's playoff hopes might well boil down to whether it can fashion a 2-2-7 defense and whether QB Jake Plummer can simply outscore the three remaining opponents. The defense is badly beaten up. The Giants rushed for 200 yards on 42 games against a front seven that was down to one healthy starter on the line and none among its linebackers. This week, the club goes to Philadelphia, where one might expect it to have a reasonable chance of surviving shorthanded. The critical game will be in two weeks, when the club must beat New Orleans in Sun Devil Stadium to have any chance of getting the NFC's final wild-card spot. By then, most of the banged-up defense is expected to be back in action, with the exception of T Eric Swann, who was scheduled to have his seventh knee surgery early this week.

COREY'S THE STORY: Rookie Corey Chavous has two interceptions in two games as a starter at cornerback, which is two more than the career total of the injured starter he replaced, Tom Knight. Chavous is beginning to feel at home again at comer, the position he played in college at Vanderbilt before the club tried to make a safety out of him after selecting him in the second round last April.... K Chris Jacke, flawless in his debut with a 21-yard chip-shot field goal, didn't exactly drill his kickoffs. That was a strong suit of Joe Nedney, whose season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament opened the door for the signing of Jacke.... Although Eric Metcalf still isn't catching many passes, he has broken out with two successive strong games on returns, which is a function of the return teams' nine new starters finally learning what it takes to spring him. With the offense up and down and the defense mending injuries, Metcalf needs to become a critical weapon down the stretch.

GOAL-LINE STAND: There has been considerable controversy over Swann's decision to proceed with another surgery that will take him out of the stretch run and any playoff action. The Cardinals are upset because Swann received a second opinion without letting them know. Fans have questioned Swann's dedication. It's time for everyone to relax. Swann wants to win. He can't even get into his stance. If he could play, he wood. He should have the surgery and give himself the chance to come back healthier next year and salvage as much of his career as he can on arthritic knees. --Lee Shappell

GRADING OUT vs. N.Y. Giants

OFFENSE D

Plummer couldn't save the day after the running game hit the wall again.

DEFENSE D

For the third straight game, it offered non-stop service when it was critical.

SPECIAL TEAMS B

Good returns by Metcalf, good coverage and successful debut for Jacke.

STRATEGY C-

Questionable calls on the goal line cost points; the defense couldn't stop the run.

CARDINALS

PASSING          Att.      Comp.     Pct.       Yds.      Long

Plummer          436        254      58.3       2835        57
D. Brown           5          2      40.0         31        19

PASSING           TD        Int.      Rate     Sacks

Plummer           16         18      72.8         43
D. Brown           0          0      61.3          1

RUSHING           Att.       Yds.     Avg.        TD

Murrell          205        778       3.8          6
Bates             59        171       2.9          6
Plummer           44        162       3.7          4

RECEIVING         No.       Yds.       Avg.        TD

Sanders           69        874      12.7           3
Centers           55        411       7.5           2
R. Moore          47        682      14.5           4

SCORING          XPM       XPA       FGM          FGA     Pts.

Nedney            30        30       13           19        69

PUNTING           No.      Yds.      Avg.        Blk.

Player            70      2945       42.1          1

KO RETURNS        No.      Yds.      Avg.         TD

Metcalf           45       981       21.8          0

PUNT RETURNS      No.      Yds.       Avg.        TD

Metcalf           34       243        7.1          0