2011 NFL Preview: Erik Rutan on the Philadelphia Eagles

We’re just a few weeks away from the return of the NFL, thank god. So, as usual, we contacted some of our favorite extreme musicians to pump up the underachieving fuck-ups they call their favorite teams. To kick the week off, Hate Eternal kingpin Erik Rutan can’t wait for Ron Mexico and the Rape Stands to fuck shit up.
Kind of early to be called the Dream Team, but never in my 30+ years of being an Eagles fan have I seen such an amazing offseason. My hands were already jumping at the thought of holding my Philadelphia Eagles tickets, walking into Lincoln Financial, and seeing this team light it up. From the despair of labor disputes and the possibility of a canceled season to the overabundance of joy with all the acquisitions the Eagles made in free agency and the draft. Nnamdi Asomugha, D. Rodgers-Cromartie, Vince Young, Ronnie Brown, Steve Smith, Cullen Jenkins, and the list goes on and on. Donald Lee, Sinorice Moss. I mean, I can keep going and going. Let alone some nice potential future starters with our draft picks like Casey Matthews, Jason Kelce, Danny Watkins, Dion Lewis and so on. You get the point. The front office is not messing around, and as an Eagles fan, I applaud all the moves they have made, and for showing us fans their true desire for what we all have been longing for: the Lombardi Trophy! The ultimate goal of a lifetime! To win a Super Bowl is imperative for this team, and they are showing us that they are not messing around any longer. Time is ticking. We have gone to the Super Bowl twice (I like to think three times will be the charm) to no avail, leaving without a ring. Granted ,we won the championship in 1960. But that was then, and this is now. We need a Super Bowl win, PERIOD!!!

Now the hardest part is fitting in all the pieces of the puzzle. With no OTAs and limited practicing during the offseason due to the strike, it will be tough to gel as a whole team for some time into the season. But with the exception of a few teams who have veteran stability and have not changed much, we are all in the same boat. We have tons of talent here, and feel like if we can put it all together in time, the sky is the limit. This year I am so optimistic for the potential of this team, this year and many many years to come.

On offense, Michael Vick looked so damn good last year it blew my mind; every game was like watching a highlight reel. I had a feeling Kolb was not our guy, nor our future. Great QB, but deep inside I knew if Vick got the chance to start, he would take his chance and prove to everyone what he is about, and that is exactly what he did. Vick sure made the best of it. DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin (glad to see him back and healthy!) help complete our offense to make it unstoppable. Plus, the additions we made will make our offense vicious this year. I hope that we can stabilize the front line with the help of Howard Mudd; since it has been rotating all preseason, that is a concern.

On defense, I think with the addition of our new coaches, Jim Washburn on the line, new D.C. Juan Castillo and some new talent, it will all help shape our D. We have the deep threat covered, and I feel our defensive line is pretty impressive; what I hope for is to see a dominating linebacker core that we have not had in some time. We also need to firm up our red zone defense, because if I am not mistaken we had one of the worst red zone defenses last year, and that is not the Eagles M.O.

On special teams we have two rookie kickers, which of course is risky; Akers was awesome and will be missed for sure, and so was Rocca, but the torch has now passed and we must embrace our two new talented kickers and hope for the best. We need to firm up our special teams for sure and hopefully find a good kickoff returner (if it will even matter considering now with the new rules, kickoffs are from the 35 yd line and in preseason 75 percent of all kickoffs have resulted in touchbacks).

Needless to say, I am super pumped for this season, for I feel we have as good a chance as any to go to the big game. No predictions, just a ton of hope from a fan who is ravenous for the ultimate victory!!!

FLY EAGLES FLY ON THE ROAD TO VICTORY!!!!!