CHIRPING BIRDS

Key notes from last night's Eagles' 38-31 pre-season win over Miami..

* Carson Wentz looked good again, hitting Jeffery and Smith for touchdowns. Good for Coach Pederson to pull Wentz out of the game early as the offensive line looked terrible. Don't want to see Wentz get hurt in a meaningless game, especially with the back-up quarterback situation looking shaky ( more on that later).

The weapons Wentz now has won't matter if the O-line doesn't protect better or the running game isn't effective. First time the O-line played together so far and it showed. Only two weeks until the opener in Washington. No rookies there- they need to gel and step it up quick.

*Lane Johnson talks smack to the Redskins and has another poor game. Johnson isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, that's for sure, and hopefully his stupid comments don't light a fire under the 'Skins. Johnson said he owes the fans for his suspension last season, yet so far he sucks.

Did he play well before because of the pills?

No need to over-react in the pre-season. But it's concerning that Johnson and the rest of the line have not played well so far.

* The running backs looked OK, nothing special. I stll think the Birds should explore the possibility of trading for Shady McCoy, since buffalo looks like they want to collect draft picks. I also hope the team doesn't regret not moving up in the second round to take RB Delvin Cook (who went to Minnesota).

* New corner back Darby got beat badly a few times last night.It happens. But it also shed light on why he was so inconsistent last year, and why the Bills decided to part with him. Darby doesn't look like an elite corner, but he's better than what the Eagles have ( which isn't saying much for the rest of their corners). Darby should be OK and hopefully team with Sidney Jones to give the Birds a pair of young defensive backs for years to come.  Giving up WR Jordan Matthews ans the 3rd-round selection next spring in the draft was a high price to pay, but give the Eagles' credit for at least trying to improve.

LB Mychal Kendricks continues to play well. The Eagles don't have much depth at linebacker, so Kendricks playing well would really boost the defensive.

Or they could trade him, maybe for an experienced running back or even more secondary help. There's a case to be made for trading Kendricks while his value is high, because will he really get enough snaps this season>

The Eagles come out of the pre-season ( with one meaningless game to go, against the Jets) healthy, with no major, season-ending injuries. Whereas the Giants must be concerned for Odell Beckham Jr and even if he can play in the opener vs. Dallas; and the Cowboys are still reeling from the Elliot suspension, among other issues.

Getting off to a good start is key for the Birds, with road games at Washington and Kansas City right in their face. Coming home in week 3 to face the Giants is critical too. Coming out of that stretch 1-2 or even 0-3 wouldn't kill the Birds' season but it would be a tough hole to climb out of for sure. I actually think they will win 2 out of 3 here, knowing how important the home opener vs. New York is, and beating the Redskins. The Chiefs will be tough at KC, especially since the Chiefs will be coming off a season opener in New England, and will have 10 days to game plan for Philly.

* Going into the Jet game, one of the key points to look for is: Nick Foles. His  right elbow is still sore. He hasn't played in the pre-season games so far, barely even getting on the practice field. And this is the guy who would fill in for Wentz, God forbid  he gets injured.

I don't like McGloin or Evans as back-ups. Why sign Foles if he had arm issues? Did the Eagles' doctors check him out before signing him? Sure he knows the system , after playing for Philadelphia and Andy Reid in Kansas City, but to expect Foles to step in during the regular season when he hasn't played so far is ridiculous.

If Foles can't go, shouldn't the Birds be looking for a legitimate back-up QB?