Kevin Kolb

JASON AVANT SPOKE like a prophet. On Oct. 17, 2010, in the aftermath of the game that would stand as Kevin Kolb's finest Eagles moment, wideout Avant said: "If you can keep him clean, I think he's as good as anybody. " Kolb had just led the Eagles past the previously 4-1 Atlanta Falcons, 31-17, at Lincoln Financial Field. He'd completed 23 of 29 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns, compiling a 133.6 passer rating. This game, which Kolb played because Michael Vick was out with a rib injury, helped set the stage for the Eagles trade of Kolb the next summer to Arizona for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2012 second-round draft choice.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Stephen Gostkowski lay face down on the field after missing a shot at a winning field goal. On the sideline, Kevin Kolb and the Arizona Cardinals celebrated their victory. The most accurate kicker in New England Patriots history sent a 42-yard attempt wide to the left on the next to last play - after making three longer field goals - and the Cardinals held on for a 20-18 win on Sunday. The 2-0 Cardinals host the 2-0 Eagles next Sunday in Glendale, Ariz. "Nobody really gave us a chance," said Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt, whose team was a two-touchdown underdog, "but our guys believed they could do it and it's great to see them operate that way. " Backup quarterback Kolb did his part by throwing for one touchdown and running for another.

TEMPE, Ariz. - The day-after enthusiasm for one of the Arizona Cardinals' biggest road victories ever was subdued at team headquarters. The players and their coach understand too well how close that one was, but the 20-18 triumph at New England, secured when the Patriots' Stephen Gostkowski missed a 42-yard field goal with 1 second to play, fits a pattern for this resurgent Arizona franchise. The Cardinals, 2-0 for the first time in 4 years, have won nine of 11, dating to last season, but none by more than six points.

TEMPE, Ariz. - While Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb calls this week's game with the Eagles "unique," he promises, "It will be all business on Sunday. " Speaking with reporters on Monday, Kolb said he stays in touch with many of his Eagles ex-teammates and that "I tweeted several guys Monday morning. " But all that warm and fuzzy contact will end at 4:05 Sunday afternoon at the University of Phoenix Stadium. That's when Kolb, who started seven games for the Eagles over two seasons, is expected to lead the 2-0 Cardinals against his former team, the 2-0 Eagles.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Stephen Gostkowski lay facedown on the field Sunday after missing a shot at a winning field goal. On the sideline, Kevin Kolb and the Arizona Cardinals celebrated their victory. The most accurate kicker in New England Patriots history sent a 42-yard attempt wide to the left on the next-to-last play - after making three longer field goals - and the Cardinals held on for a 20-18 win. "Nobody really gave us a chance," said Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt, whose team was a two-touchdown underdog, "but our guys believed they could do it and it's great to see them operate that way. " Kolb did his part by throwing for one touchdown and running for another.

Former Titans starter and Eagles backup Vince Young can add another line to his travelogue resume: former Bills quarterback. This time, he didn't even make it out of the preseason. After Buffalo acquired Tarvaris Jackson from the Seattle Seahawks to back up starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, the team released Young, the onetime Texas Longhorns standout and 2006 NFL offensive rookie of the year, on Monday. Young didn't seem surprised. He tweeted earlier in the day: "Respect Bills fans.

Asante Samuel was impossible to ignore during the Atlanta Falcons' first full-squad off-season practice on Tuesday. Atlanta's new No. 22 showed he likes to talk, pose and make plays. "Can I get some action out here?" Samuel called out on the field during the practice as he became impatient for a pass to be thrown in his direction. "Am I out here for my health? I want to show the people what I can do!" Within minutes he had two interceptions, one against Matt Ryan. "That's what you've got to do," he said.

The Eagles hope to benefit from the more obvious aspect of spring practice and classroom time. Players get a head start on learning the offensive and defensive playbooks. The less-obvious aspect may be even more important. That became clear last year. The Eagles, like all other NFL teams, were denied the May and June camps, then were forced to open training camp with some veteran players standing around waiting for the new collective bargaining agreement to be finalized. Obviously, the players had less time to learn from the coaches.

Analysis doesn't roll as smoothly off the tongue of Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie as it does for his cornerback running mate, Nnamdi Asomugha. But Rodgers-Cromartie had no trouble Thursday pinning down what it feels like to be playing on the outside at the current OTA, after spending his first year with the Eagles trying to learn to play the slot. "It feels like I'm at home," Rodgers-Cromartie said. "From being inside a long time, I still got a little rust on me, so the main thing is, just go through these OTAs and knock that off, and go from there.

TEN YEARS ago, the Eagles hit pay dirt in the second and third rounds of the draft, selecting safety Michael Lewis, cornerback Sheldon Brown and a running back by the name of Brian Westbrook. Lewis, Brown and Westbrook made a collective 241 starts for the Eagles and helped them make it to the NFC Championship Game four times and to the Super Bowl once. Since then, with two notable exceptions, the draft's second and third rounds have been one dry hole after another for the Eagles.