Preseason game number one is in the books.  It was good to see some football for a change - even if it was mediocre, meaningless football.  We got to see some good and some bad from each group on the field;  the offense, defense and special teams each had their moments.  Lets take a look.

Special Teams

The first unit to take the field (as in every game) was the special teams.  David Akers blasted his kick almost out of the end zone.  It was good to see.  Unfortunately for a unit that supposedly got a major overhaul during the offseason, this group was not much improved.  In fact, according to the Eagles gamebook (link - 13 page PDF), we gave up 11 yards of field position to the Steelers over the course of the game.  Both teams had 12 drives - including Pittsburg's kneel to end the game.  On average, those drives started for the Eagles on the 25 while the Steelers were getting the ball up around the 36.   Field position translates to points.  Last year the Eagles averaged 37 yards per drive.  A 37 yard drive from the 25 stalls with a punt on the 38 yard line, whereas that same drive nets a fieldgoal if it's started on the 36.  I'll grant that the special teams unit that took the field Friday will not be the same as the one that will take the field September 7, however I'd really like to see some improvement on both coverage and returns before we play the Rams.

Special teams standout: 

Lorenzo Booker provided the only noteworthy highlight of the special teams on a play where he bobbled the kickoff, recovered his mistake and took off for the better part of a 30 yard return.  At the end of the run, he lost his footing otherwise the gain could have been much larger.

Special teams goat:

Both Rocky Boiman and Jamal Jones were penalized on separate instances to help Pittsburg obtain it's field position advantage.  Given the mediocrity of our special teams the last several years, we simply can not afford silly penalties on special teams.

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 From PE.com

The Eagles locked up three more draft picks on Tuesday, agreeing to four-year deals with cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu, linebacker Joe Mays and offensive tackle King Dunlap. The terms of the deals were not disclosed.

That leaves only the first 3 picks (Laws, Jackson, & Smith) left to sign.

Mike Gibson got a little taste of what Eagles fans are all about.

Mike Gibson found out first hand the other day just how passionate fans are when it comes to the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.

Gibson was taking a subway train to the downtown area with some of his new teammates when a few of the passengers asked if they were football players.

It wasn’t a bad question, as Gibson, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 305 pounds as a rookie offensive lineman for the Eagles, definitely stands out in a crowd.

“They just started singing the (Eagles’) fight song,” Gibson said.

“It was pretty cool. There are die-hard Eagles fans. They definitely love their sports out here, which is really cool. They were very encouraging, saying, ‘Go Eagles.’

“The people are awesome. I like everything about this place.”

"DeSean, everybody knows you’re an electrifying returner. What are the odds of you being a somewhat Devin Hester-type player and what do you think about the criticism of you being a ‘raw’ receiver – that you don’t run routes very well?” Booker asked, doing his best to imitate a television reporter.

Coolly, calmly, Jackson replied: "The best thing I can say is that I just want to be like Lorenzo Booker. That’s my hero.”

Moreover, only Al Harris of the Eagles/Green Bay Packers and Nate Clements of the Buffalo Bills/ 49ers have more career starts at cornerback to begin their NFL career than Brown's active streak of 96 in a row.

"That was a little name that the fans gave me for coming out and playing hard," Mays said following yesterday's workout at the Eagles' camp for rookies and selected veterans. "When you're playing hard, you get in some good hits and sometimes it's the best hits that you can ever imagine. So I got the nickname, but I just try to keep living up to it."

It takes more than a catchy nickname to grab the attention of the Eagles, who made Mays a sixth-round pick (No. 200 overall) in last month's draft. Not only did he hit hard, he also hit often, leading the Bison of Fargo, N.D., in tackles with 90 in 11 games.

"He has good intensity," Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said. "You can tell that he likes the game. He's a take-charge guy. That's what you want as a middle linebacker. He's still learning the system. He's going to make a few mistakes, but he's into his book. He's a very physical linebacker."

“How many times in a 20-year period does one coach,” Vermeil said, “coach anywhere for 10 years? There’s Jeff Fisher and Andy Reid. I think it’s a real great reflection on the strength of the man and the quality of the guy. He has great ability to keep the thing in proper perspective, especially having gone through the family problems at the same time. You’ve got to respect him for that. I think he’s one of the great coaches.”