PHILADELPHIA – It’s no secret DeSean Jackson makes the Eagles go. And lately, he hasn’t been going very far.

Neither have they.

Jackson, among the game’s most explosive wide receivers, has just four catches for 51 yards in the Eagles’ last two games and doesn’t have a reception longer than 17 yards since opening day.

As such, the new-look Eagles (1-2) have lost their last two games and head into Sunday’s date with the San Francisco 49ers (2-1) in last place in the NFC East.

For somebody who has 19 touchdowns of 30 yards or more since Opening Day of 2008, this has been an uncharacteristically quiet opening stretch for Jackson. Although he did have six catches for 102 yards against the Rams in Week 1, overall, Jackson ranks 62nd in the NFL with 10 catches this year, 57th with 153 yards and tied for 26th with just one touchdown.

Not what you’d expect from a two-time Pro Bowl pick and two-time 1,000-yard receiver.

“It’s football,” Jackson said. “I’m one of 11 players. They’re not always going to be calling my number, and I’ve just got to help out and do whatever I can to help my team win. You’ve just got to keep working hard, and hopefully it will get better.”

Michael Vick, who threw touchdown passes of 45, 61, 88 and 91 yards to Jackson last year, said teams are defending the Eagles differently than in the past. Opposing defences are dropping a safety back so deep that it’s almost impossible to hit deep strikes to Jackson.

“Teams are playing so far down the field,” Vick said, “you can’t even see the free safety any more.”

And they’re doing this only against Jackson and the Eagles.

“During the week, when we watch film of these teams playing other teams, we don’t see them playing like this,” Jackson said. “It’s respect. I think a lot of defences are not going to let us just run past them and do the things we’re great at doing.

“We’ve just got to find a way to make plays somehow, some way underneath, and if every team is going to be 35 yards back deep, we just have to throw underneath and do other things.”

That opens up the field for other players to catch the football on shorter routes, but that’s exactly what defences want. The ball in somebody else’s hands.

“When a team does that to you, you have to be like a surgeon,” offensive co-ordinator Marty Mornhinweg said. “You have to play at a high level consistently, and then big plays will come naturally. You’ve got to surgically dissect them, especially when they’re playing you like that.”

Jackson was open on one deep route this year, but dropped what would have been an 84-yard score against the Rams.

He said if teams are covering the deep ball, he has to get the football and make plays in other ways.

“Over the past three years, if you watch film, there are other plays I’ve done other than just running deep,” he said. “I caught balls underneath and took them the distance, as well. It really doesn’t matter if it’s deep or short or whatever it is, I’m capable of doing it all.”

Jackson is unsigned beyond this year and protested his minimum-wage salary by holding out of the first 10 days of training camp. He said once he’s on the field, the contract situation is out of his mind.

“I’ve got to go out there and still make plays and be the receiver I’m capable of being,” he said. “Whether or not I have the ball in my hands or not, I feel like I already established myself in this league as one of the great receivers. I just have to go out there and just keep doing what I can do. Staying healthy is the biggest thing. As long as I can stay healthy — regardless of where I’m playing — I think I’ll be all right.

“As long as I’m healthy and we’re winning, regardless of my numbers, I think I’ll be very happy.”

BOARDMAN, Ohio (AP)—The San Francisco 49ers’ defense is about to face a
stern test.

Linebacker NaVorro Bowman(notes) said Thursday that they are ready for the
challenge presented by the Eagles’ quick-strike offense. He said the 49ers
respect the ability of Eagles stars such as Michael Vick(notes), LeSean McCoy(notes) and
DeSean Jackson(notes), but that San Francisco’s defense deserves respect, too.

Much of the burden of stopping the Eagles’ running game will fall on Bowman
and four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis(notes).

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, while wary of the Eagles’ speed, likes
what the 49ers have done in their first three games.

San Francisco ranks fourth overall in defense and third against the run. The
Niners have not allowed an opposing runner to gain more than 100 yards in 25
straight games.

The Philadelphia Eagles are off to a rough start this season, posting a 1-2 record. Michael Vick suffered a bone bruise in his non-throwing hand against the Giants, and now even the Eagles’ reporters are falling apart.

Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News and Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer got into a war of words when McLane said, via Twitter, that Vick would likely start Sunday’s matchup against the 49ers, according to Fox Sports.

Bowen denounced this claim, stating that no one knew Vick’s status, which upset McLane, prompting him offer up this ridiculous proposition back to Bowen (again, via Twitter):

“How about if Vick starts Sunday you have to say on Daily News Live, ‘I’m an old hack that hasn’t broken a story in years, needs my editor to keep my blog fresh, and missed Vick on Monday because I was cluelessly tapping away on my computer and had to steal quotes from hard-working reporters who have a clue,’”

Bowen communicated to McLane he would deal with the issue face to face.

“I don’t intend to have any tantrums on Twitter, myself,” said Bowen.

Bowen, who has been working for the Daily News since 2002, encountered McLane on Wednesday at the Eagles’ practice facility, and landed a blow to McLane’s head before the two were separated.

So what if he’s an ‘old hack?’ The man can still land a punch.

By BOB GROTZ
bgrotz@journalregister.com

PHILADELPHIA – Eagles quarterback Michael Vick said Wednesday the swelling has lessened dramatically in his non-throwing hand and there’s only one way he doesn’t play Sunday when the Birds oppose the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field.

“Unless I just can’t take a snap,” Vick said. “Other than that, I think with each and every day I should get better. The swelling has gone done tremendously. It’s getting a lot better.”

Vick reported further improvement in the hand after practice. His sense of humor was back, as well. The injuries have become personal for him as he’s failed to finish the last two games due to a concussion and a severely bruised hand.

“The only way I’m going out of the game,” Vick said, “is if they have to cart me off the field.”

Eagles head coach Andy Reid wants to reserve final judgment on Vick’s status until evaluating how well the southpaw is able to throw the football. The good news is Vick won’t be as affected taking snaps in the shotgun as he does directly from center Jason Kelce.

Vick made a very public and poignant amend for taking a shot at the officiating following the loss Sunday to the Giants.

Vick accused the officials of not giving him the protection from hits and borderline late hits other quarterbacks get.

“I want to apologize for what I said,” Vick said. “I think I was more frustrated because I got hit late and I hurt my hand on that play, and I couldn’t finish the game because of that. That was why I was frustrated and kind of acted out. But still said some things that I wanted to get off my chest. Like I said, I apologize and that won’t be a concern for me. I have to go out and play football, the officials have to do their job. It’s something that I just want to move on from. I don’t want any special attention. The only thing I want to do is go out and play my game. If the refs feel like there’s a need to make a call then they can make it. If not then I won’t say anything about it. Just control what I can control, that’s the most important thing.”

The seriousness in Vick’s jaw melted into a smile when he confirmed he got a kick out of the recent New York Post front page of him. Beneath the headline “Whine and Cheese Steaks” was a caricature of Vick wearing diapers and an Eagles baby big and holding a bottle. Giants players felt he’d gone over the line complaining about the zebras.

“I guess when you sit on the podium and you make excuses like that then you’re going to be labeled a crybaby,” Vick said. “So maybe I did deserve it.” Continued…

By BOB GROTZ
bgrotz@journalregister.com

PHILADELPHIA – Eagles quarterback Michael Vick said Wednesday the swelling has lessened dramatically in his non-throwing hand and there’s only one way he doesn’t play Sunday when the Birds oppose the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field.

“Unless I just can’t take a snap,” Vick said. “Other than that, I think with each and every day I should get better. The swelling has gone done tremendously. It’s getting a lot better.”

Vick reported further improvement in the hand after practice. His sense of humor was back, as well. The injuries have become personal for him as he’s failed to finish the last two games due to a concussion and a severely bruised hand.

“The only way I’m going out of the game,” Vick said, “is if they have to cart me off the field.”

Eagles head coach Andy Reid wants to reserve final judgment on Vick’s status until evaluating how well the southpaw is able to throw the football. The good news is Vick won’t be as affected taking snaps in the shotgun as he does directly from center Jason Kelce.

Vick made a very public and poignant amend for taking a shot at the officiating following the loss Sunday to the Giants.

Vick accused the officials of not giving him the protection from hits and borderline late hits other quarterbacks get.

“I want to apologize for what I said,” Vick said. “I think I was more frustrated because I got hit late and I hurt my hand on that play, and I couldn’t finish the game because of that. That was why I was frustrated and kind of acted out. But still said some things that I wanted to get off my chest. Like I said, I apologize and that won’t be a concern for me. I have to go out and play football, the officials have to do their job. It’s something that I just want to move on from. I don’t want any special attention. The only thing I want to do is go out and play my game. If the refs feel like there’s a need to make a call then they can make it. If not then I won’t say anything about it. Just control what I can control, that’s the most important thing.”

The seriousness in Vick’s jaw melted into a smile when he confirmed he got a kick out of the recent New York Post front page of him. Beneath the headline “Whine and Cheese Steaks” was a caricature of Vick wearing diapers and an Eagles baby big and holding a bottle. Giants players felt he’d gone over the line complaining about the zebras.

“I guess when you sit on the podium and you make excuses like that then you’re going to be labeled a crybaby,” Vick said. “So maybe I did deserve it.”

Ball security is critical this week as Vick has lost three of his seven fumbles and been intercepted twice in three games. The 49ers (2-1) have picked off five passes and forced three fumbles. They are plus-6 in turnover ratio.

“The biggest thing going to be to protect the ball,” Vick said. “And the good thing is I don’t run with the ball in my right hand. I’m predominantly left-handed when I’m running the ball. I’ve just got to take care of the football. Even if I have two hands that are 100 percent I still can’t turn the ball over. It’s just things I’ve got to mentally prepare for and I think I’m strong enough to do that and just be mentally conscious of everything going on around me.”

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Updated Sep 28, 2011 5:41 PM ET

A war of words on Twitter between two Philadelphia Eagles beat writers escalated into a physical altercation Wednesday, with one writer landing a punch to his counterpart’s head.

Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News and Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer had to be separated by their peers at the Eagles practice facility, according to local sports radio personality and WCAU-TV contributor Howard Eskin.

The two men were involved in a Twitter spat Tuesday, during which McLane called the elder Bowen an “old hack that hasn’t broken a story in years.”

Bowen, who vowed on Twitter to handle his “business in person” landed a punch to McLane’s head before the feuding beat writers were quickly broken up, according to Eskin.

Tempers flared after McLane posted a tweet Tuesday regarding the status of Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, in which he wrote Vick would likely start Sunday despite a bone bruise in his non-throwing hand.

The tweet prompted a line from Bowen which read, “Oh, and [by the way], nobody has any idea on Tuesday whether Michael Vick is starting this week.”

McLane apparently took offense to Bowen’s tweet, prompting the younger reporter to issue a slamming indictment.

“How about if Vick starts Sunday you have to say on [cable show] Daily News Live, ‘I’m an old hack that hasn’t broken a story in years, needs my editor to keep my blog fresh, and missed Vick on Monday because I was cluelessly tapping away on my computer and had to steal quotes from hard-working reporters who have a clue,’” McLane wrote directly to Bowen.

Bowen’s only response to McLane’s unflattering assessment was to say he would handle it “face to face.”

“I don’t intend to have any tantrums on Twitter, myself,” he replied to one follower. “If I have something to say to someone, it will be face to face.”

“I will handle my business in person, not thru yapping on Twitter,” Bowen wrote.

According to Philly.com, Bowen has covered the Eagles for the Daily News since 2002. He spent nearly 13 years covering the Flyers prior to taking the Eagles beat.

McLane began covering the Eagles for The Inquirer in 2009.