On a final note I still miss Brian Dawkins

Going into the playoffs this is a good state to be in, and may just be the fuel needed to get San Diego past the mid playoff wall they have been slammed against for so long. It's been a while since I've written an Eagles article, but I just couldn't help myself after the Eagles win over the Giants.It was a great victory no question. But what is going on with the Eagles defenseBefore my critiques, let me say that early in the game the forced fumble off Brandon Jacobs that put six on the board was awesome. It helped the Eagles get the early lead that they would need to win this game.The defense also had a total 4 recovered fumbles (2 that were forced) that would continue to force the Giants to play catch-up.So what am I writing this article for512 yards of Giants offense thats why.391 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions for Eli Manning thats why.Two 60 yard touchdown catches by Nicks and Smith because of pooooor, poor tackling thats why.Before Hakeem Nicks 68 yard touchdown, Manning threw him two other beautiful passes while he was wide open. The only reason those weren't touchdowns was because of his own mistakes, not good defensive play.Quintin Mikell played poorly.

He had two pass interference plays in the same drive that led to Giants first downs and ultimately a touchdown. Darren Howard is the defensive MVP in my opinion He was the only player to record a sack He ended the night with two. Finally the real reason I write this article is because I'm excited for how well the offense is playing. They are still making huge plays even when defenses scheme for them. Also they showed tonight that they can effectively drive the ball down the field when they need too. In the fourth quarter with a lead by six, the Eagles drove 91 yards to get the touchdown (and two-point conversion) that won the game. That drive chewed up 7 and a half minutes of valuable fourth quarter. If the offense is "final gelling" as I hear so much, what about this defense Haven't they had just as much time(minus the middle linebacker position) to pull together I don't know why we still have struggles tackling or covering some of these WR's. I won't blame it on McDermott, because I respect him and his stepping into the defensive coordinator shoes so well. They cannot expect to perform this way and get away with wins against complete teams such as New Orleans, Indianapolis, or Minnesota. I fear that if the Eagles had to play one of those teams in a playoff game right now, it would be the defense that would let us down, not the offense.On a final note, I still miss Brian Dawkins.

I love Sean Jones, but there's just no replacing the Wolverine.. The quote of the night was, "Hard work beats talent when talent refuses to work hard." The talented BJ Penn worked plenty hard at UFC 107 Saturday night, breaking the will of Diego Sanchez and defeating him via fifth round doctor's stoppage to retain the UFC Lightweight Championship, opening up a discussion of what could possibly be next for Penn. Sanchez never gave up in battling Penn but couldn't do anything against him, trying for takedown after takedown after takedown to no avail. Penn did just enough to win every round, battering Sanchez in small spurts that were enough to decimate his face.Penn couldn't finish him early on, which is a testament to Sanchez's will and drive but then, the fifth round happened.

In the fifth round, Penn connected with a head kick that opened up a deep gash on Sanchez' forehead that prompted the referee to bring the doctor in. Sanchez didn't fight the doctor's decision to stop the bout as there was no doubt he was beaten. The kick turned a good win into a great win for Penn (15-5-1) in his third defense of the Lightweight gold. For more running notes on Penn/Sanchez, Frank Mir's dominance, bonuses, and the final wrap on all that was UFC 107, read on! Lightweight Champion BJ Penn def.