The Eagles line gives new meaning to the term patchwork. Left tackle Jason Peters is the only lineman playing the same spot as last year. Herremans was moved out from left guard two weeks ago. Evan Mathis replaced him, and just last week the newly-acquired Kyle DeVan took over for struggling rookie Danny Watkins at right guard. Oh, and rookie Jason Kelce was at center.
"For the most part I think we did our jobs today," Kelce said.
Quarterback Michael Vick was sacked three times, fumbling once when former Eagles safety Quintin Mikell blindsided him. And there could have been more, as there always is, with Vick escaping pass rusher after pass rusher.
"Mike is just one of those rare breeds that he can make something happen when the original play is not there," Kelce said. "I think that's something we always take for granted. He's a special player."
But there were times that Vick had ample room in the pocket. And even though the run game sputtered for three quarters, it took off in the fourth as running back LeSean McCoy ran for 95 yards. He finished with 122 total.
"They did a good job, man," McCoy said of the line. "They took a lot of hard shots from the media, but they stepped up and played well."
Herremans was matched up against defensive end Chris Long and kept the budding star mostly in check. Long finished with a sack and two quarterback hits. Herremans said that there was no pressure playing a new position, one responsible for protecting Vick's blindside.
"That thought was out of my head," Herremans said. "I wasn't even thinking that because I had been there for two weeks. It wasn't like they just shifted me over before the game. . . . It felt weird lining up in the spot of the huddle."
Maclin returns home
Last month, Jeremy Maclin was in his hometown of St. Louis, undergoing testing for cancer, unsure if he had a future in football.
