Was that the season finale for 2007 or the preseason opener for 2008?  At times, you couldn't tell.  That isn't a bad thing.  I'm referring to the number of young guys that played a lot.  The fact the Eagles could mix in young players and still play relatively well and win is a good sign. 

Offensive tackle Winston Justice took over at right tackle when Jon Runyan got hit in the head by Brent Celek's knee on the opening drive.  You hate to see Big Jon leave the game, but it was great for Justice to get the game time. 

Justice played a solid game.  You have to take a couple of factors into account.  First, he didn't practice all week preparing to play.  The expectation was that Runyan and William Thomas would start and play most or all of the game.  Secondly, Justice has played most of his reps on the left side in practice, preseason and training camp.  On Sunday, Justice was thrust into the game at right tackle. 

The thing that impressed me the most was his awareness.  Justice handled blitzes and stunts well.  He didn't lock onto his rusher and blindly stick with him.  When his defender shifted inside, Justice passed him to an interior blocker, then looked back outside, anticipating someone attacking his area late.  Most young linemen struggle with this concept. 

I thought Justice showed good quickness and athleticism.  He used his hands well.  Justice pulled on a tackle trap play and got a good block.  He showed the kind of natural ability that is needed to play tackle in the NFL. 

Justice did have some issues.  He was called for a false start penalty.  He also got called for a holding penalty, but I don't blame him for that.  The play was a screen pass that Buffalo diagnosed well and covered.  That forced McNabb to go wide and created a natural rush angle for Justice's defender.  He did miss a blitzer on one pass play.  He didn't stick with his blocks the way you'd like.  Justice would hit the defender then pull off the guy.  He needs to keep his hands on the defender and be more aggressive. 

Justice struggled at times when the defensive end really went hard to the outside.  I don't know how much of that was Justice not getting wide enough and how much was him simply not being accustomed to playing on the right side.  He got caught off-balance in pass protection and the end knocked him to the ground.  Offensive linemen get in trouble when they give up sacks or get called for holding, but they also catch a lot of heat for "O-T-G" ... being on the ground.  You can't block anyone when you're on the ground. 

This game showed me that Justice has the ability to play tackle in the NFL.  He needs experience and some coaching.  His problems are solvable.  Fans can be impatient with offensive linemen.  William Thomas played well from day one.  Not all guys do.  Jermane Mayberry took a few years before he found a spot that he fit and became a Pro Bowl player.  Antone Davis struggled for a few years before he became a solid blocker, although he never played up to his draft position.  Bobbie Williams sat on the bench for several years.  He finally played in 2003 and showed good ability.  He's played pretty well for the Bengals for a few years. 

Justice isn't a polished player or finished product.  Don't hold him to that standard.  I think a lot of fans are stuck on the Giants game where Justice was beaten for several sacks.  Because of that, people are overly harsh when he makes a mistake.  Forget about that game.  If you watched the Bills game with an open mind, you saw a player do some things well.  He also made some mistakes, but he wasn't a liability or anything close to that.  Justice held his own for much of the game. 

The other young player that I really watched was defensive end Victor Abiamiri.  He saw the most playing time of his young career.  I didn't count the exact number of snaps he got, but it seemed like he played about one-third of the game at left defensive end. 

Victor was only credited with one tackle by the gameday stats crew.  I wasn't too concerned with production.  I just wanted to see what kind of ability he has.  Abiamiri could be in the mix to get a starting job at left end in 2008.  The big question is what kind of a pass rusher he can be.  We've obviously got to get more of a rush from that side next season.  Trent Cole can't do it all. 

Like Justice, Abiamiri was up and down.  He used a good rip move to get by the right tackle on a pass play.  He got close to the quarterback, but couldn't get a good hit on him.  Buffalo ran a couple of bootleg plays to Victor's side.  He played both of them well.  On the first, he was slow in closing to the quarterback.  He did pressure the passer and force an incompletion, but wasn't as fast as you'd like.  On the other bootleg play, Abiamiri did close quickly to the quarterback.  He hit him just after the pass was released.  The ball was again incomplete.  Seeing the burst on that second bootleg pass was very encouraging. 

My biggest beef with Abiamiri is that he's slow off the ball.  He doesn't lack quickness.  The problem is that he's reacting at the snap rather than anticipating the snap.  The veteran players and coaches can work with him on this.  

I didn't see enough from Victor to make me think he's got to be the starting left defensive end next year.  I saw a guy with potential and ability.  He should improve a fair amount next year now that he's got a feel for the NFL.  Abiamiri has the size and raw ability to play.  Could he make a Brodrick Bunkley type jump from this year to next?  That is something the coaching staff and front office have to decide. 

Both of the young linebackers, Akeem Jordan and Stewart Bradley, played well.  At the very least, Jordan has shown he can be a good backup and spot starter.  Bradley has shown he can play middle linebacker in the base defense and also linebacker in the nickel defense.  I don't know if Akeem is projected as a starter down the road, but I'll be very happy if he can be an Ike Reese type of player for us.  Bradley might get a chance to fight for the middle linebacker job next summer.  I think he's a player that Jim Johnson will really want to get on the field. 

One veteran that needs to be talked about is Donovan McNabb.  He played very well against the Bills.  Forget about the stats and the yards.  What jumped out to me was his accuracy.  Donovan threw several passes that were right on the money.  The throw to Brian Westbrook down the left sideline was a perfect pass.  That ball was thrown to a moving target 20 yards downfield.  He threw a perfect strike to Reggie Brown on a square-in on a third down play.  Donovan threw a very good pass to Brown down the field on the play where Kevin Curtis ended up recovering the fumble for a touchdown.  Both passes to Greg Lewis hit him in stride.  One was an intermediate throw.  The other was a deep ball. 

It is fair to point out that the Bills don't have a strong defense, but that has more to do with Donovan's numbers.  The accurate throws are good no matter who they came against.  When healthy, McNabb is a top 10 NFL quarterback, if not better.  He has a strong arm and can make all the throws.  He's never been a pinpoint passer, but his accuracy was a major issue earlier in the year.  Donovan's passing against Buffalo showed that his ability to be accurate on intermediate and deep routes is back. 

We saw McNabb's running ability get substantially better late in the year.  His arm never went away.  His accuracy improved and he played with more confidence.  I fully expect McNabb to be the starting quarterback for the Eagles in 2008 with the way he played down the stretch. 

THE OFFSEASON

I get a lot of questions about what the Eagles should do this offseason.  I focus on the phrase "improve the team."  A lot of fans want moves to be made, but you have to be careful to make sure the moves improve the team.  Change for change's sake is not good. 

At this point, it is a bit early to know who will be available in free agency.  Teams are going to focus on re-signing their key players.  Teams will designate franchise players.  It isn't likely for a lot of top notch players to become available.  Teams are now a lot more salary cap savvy and will have money to spend.  If you want a player this year, you are likely going to have to pay a lot to get him.  With this in mind, don't count on a lot of big-time free agent moves. 

I think we need to add a weapon on offense, whether at tight end or wide receiver.  We need a more consistent pass rush.  I'd look for a defensive end to complement Cole.  Those are my primary concerns.  We need a return specialist.  That could come in the draft or through a move.  Other areas need depth or players for the future, but aren't key situations.    I'll talk more about the offseason in the coming weeks.