There wasn't a whole lot of good to come out of Sunday's loss to the Patriots.  The Eagles got out to a 10-0 lead before the Patriots took control and dominated the game.  The Eagles helped the Patriots out by making a lot of mistakes.  Sunday was very frustrating. 

One player who did everything he could was receiver Jason Avant.  He had his second-best game of the year, catching eight passes for 110 yards and a touchdown.  Avant is a pro's pro and a man's man.  There is no quit in him.  He took a big shot after catching a pass over the middle.  Avant was on the ground in clear pain.  He just had the wind knocked out of him, but that is a horrible thing for the first minute or so after it happens.  Avant left the game for a play, but came right back in.  There was no quit in him. 

In an age where professional athletes can be highly annoying because of their antics, Avant is a breath of fresh air.  He is a blue-collar guy.  Avant could play in any era.  He doesn't care if he catches one pass or five.  He gives it everything he has on every snap.  Avant is a good blocker.  He plays on special teams.  No one will ever accuse Avant of being a diva.  He just shows up and does his job as best he can.  Avant really is everything that is right with sports. 

Avant isn't the only Eagle who is a good blue-collar player.  There are plenty of other guys who fit that category.  One other player who does deserve some praise is special teams ace Colt Anderson.  He truly has a thankless job.  Avant at least gets to catch passes and has a chance to score touchdowns. 

Anderson simply does the dirty work.  He is a gunner on the punt team.  Opponents know how good he is and try to double team him on as many punts as possible.  That means Anderson is running down the field fighting off two blockers and all that gets him is the chance to tackle Devin Hester or some other star returner.  Anderson is great on kickoff coverage.  It seems that he either makes the tackle or is around the ball on just about every kickoff.  Anderson only has to beat one blocker in that situation and there aren't many guys in the league who can block him in space. 

Tommy Lawlor, goeagles99 on the Discussion Boards, is an amateur football scout and devoted Eagles fan. He was a finalist for Philadelphia's Most Influential Blogger Award and is the Editor of IgglesBlitz.com

The next time an opponent goes to kick a field goal, look to the kicker's right.  You'll see Anderson flying off that side.  He got good pressure on a kick in the Patriots game.  Anderson times his get-off well.  He explodes off the ball and is able to turn the corner in one motion.  That allows him to get closer than most guys.  I would love to see him block a field goal and then be able to scoop and score.  That would be a great reward for all of the dirty work Anderson has had to do this year.  I really hope he makes the Pro Bowl.  Anderson absolutely deserves that. 

A few people have asked me about why he doesn't play more on defense.  Anderson did play some last year.  You could see his limitations.  Special teams is a lot about effort.  Defense is a combination of athleticism, skill, effort and instincts.  Quintin Mikell was able to successfully transition from special teams ace to good starting safety.  Not all guys can do that.  It took Mikell several years before he became a good defensive player.  Anderson could follow the same path.  He doesn't even have two full seasons under his belt. 

One thing I have to point out is that I'm not sure how many people realize what a good college player Mikell was.  He was the WAC defensive player of the year in 2002.  He tied an NCAA record with eight forced fumbles as a senior (some guy named Dwight Freeney was the co-holder of the record).  Mikell was an all-conference player all four years at Boise State.  He was a freshman All-American.  Anderson had a very good career at Montana, but wasn't as dominant as Mikell. 

I would love to see Anderson develop into a solid defensive player, but there are no guarantees.  I do know that he'll do everything in his power to try and get to that point.  Effort is never a question with Anderson. 

I'd be remiss if I wrote about blue-collar players and didn't mention my two favorite new Eagles: Brian Rolle and Derek Landri.  Rolle has been a solid linebacker since taking over as the starter on the weak side.  He's tied for fourth on the team in solo tackles.  He had the great strip play against the Bears when he ripped the ball from Matt Forte and ran it back for a touchdown. 

I don't know if Rolle is a long-term solution on the weak side, but he's sure making his case.  I loved him last spring when doing NFL draft prep work.  The guy I watched at Ohio State is the guy we're seeing on Sundays.  The same is not true for Casey Matthews.  The guy I saw at Oregon wasn't the guy I saw here when he was starting.  Some guys just adjust quicker/better to the NFL. 

Landri has been terrific since he was signed after the San Francisco game.  Landri has a sack and three tackles-for-loss.  He is relentless in trying to fight through blockers.  Landri mostly plays the nose tackle spot, meaning that he will take on two blockers on that play.  He does a terrific job of staying low and splitting the two guys.  Landri isn't the most talented player, but he's better than many people realize.  He also has a great motor and plays every snap as if his life depends on it.  I thought the Eagles made a mistake when they initially cut him.  I'm glad he was able to re-join the team and has been such a solid player.

The 2011 Eagles have been disappointing overall, but you can't blame any of the players listed above.  These guys have done everything possible to help the team, week in and week out.    

QUICK HITS

• Cullen Jenkins sure did everything he could in the Patriots game. Jenkins was an absolute force up the middle.  Great signing. 

• Clay Harbor made a terrific catch in the game. He's delivered some big plays this year.  I really wish the coaches would find a way to get him more involved. 

• Riley Cooper fits the same description as Harbor. Cooper made a great catch on the 58-yard bomb from Vince Young.  You could see Cooper slow down to locate the ball.  Then he sped back up and was able to make a clean hands catch. 

• Darryl Tapp has played pretty well in the last couple of games. He looked great in the season opener, but then got hurt and was quiet for a while.

For more dead-on analysis from Tommy Lawlor, check out the Fan-Demonium archive.