Smitty89

cant ****ing stand this guy. why is it everytime we play the eagles, jake delhomme throws a big fat interception right into his hands? in the last 3 games we played the eagles, he threw 2 ints to sheppard in the 03-04 season, 1 of which was returned 64 yards for a td, this past season he threw a int which lost us the game when we were threatening to score and win the game with 30 seconds left, and then this past friday there goes another pick 6, how does sheppard do this every single time

ColossalCanadian

maybe its not sheppard you should be hating on, but delhomme being so predictable that sheppard can read him like a book

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IcedOutPhilly

Wahhhhhhhhhh I don't like Lito WAaaaaaaaaa! Don't hate because he does work against your team!

Irish

Lito is a beast. One of the better CB's in the game right now. The Eagles D is very good now a days. (I might have to take that back if the Trotter thing comes back to kick em in the ass)

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PhillyLikwiD

Exactly. What you need to do is beg Fox to start David Carr. I've said this about Jake Delhome for a long time, but if the running game isn't exceptional than neither is he. I think if David Carr gets an opportunity to gel with the Carolina offense they could be back in the mix.
BTW Lito is a hot route specialist and the only corner in the league who can jump that route better is Asante Samuel.

I hope it doesn't kick them in the ass but the defensive line is much improved and pretty deep. The defensive backs should still thrive in coverage but I fear this will be yet another bend but don't break season in terms of stopping the run. At the end of the day it is all going to be about injuries, then again what season isn't.

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Irish

They'd do alot better vs the run if they brought Dawkins up to the line more often. Boy can hit hard, a combination blitz of Dawkins and either OLB would be a good run stopper and force the pass, which is where the Eagles thrive.

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!-RuKNiAk-!

true but that also places alot of stress on the shoulders of considine, a new saftey. i don't think jimmy wants to put that much on his table until he proves himself.

as for lito, not being a homer or anything but other than bailey and samuel who would you want to be your franchise shutdown corner? i know alot of people would throw mcallister in the mix but doesn't success has alot to do with his amazing front 7?

Irish

Not homerish at all. Lito is elite. No question about it. Lito is going to be THE premier CB once Champ leaves

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JCD

I can easily name at least 5 more CBs I would rather have over Sheppard, hand's down (in no particular order: Mathis, Winfield, McAllister, Clements, Hall). There are another 10 you can make a case for, depending on what you value. Including his own teammate Brown, who (while not as flashy in the stat department) is far more reliable in coverage. Sheppard is the NFC's answer to Delthea O'Neal: good at making INTs and getting seen in highlights, but he is not a shut-down CB by any means. He gives up way to many catches and plays for that consideration.

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SaintedBroncos24

Agree totally and think if he were to be traded to the AFC he would be burned constantly.

Smitty89

as much of a scum sheppard is, no way is brown better then sheppard, lito had a ****ty year when he was injured and that is the only time ive seen him get beat, as for playing in the afc, i recall a eagles colts game this past season and sheppard ripped the ball out of marvin god harrisons hands, brown gets burned time and time again, and hall over sheppard? HA!

JCD

Depends on what you want, somebody who is consistently good. Or somebody that is occasionally great. Brown is, undeniably, more consistent and a better run supporter.

Which bad year would that be? Lito has had three of them (versus two good, not great, years).

Numbers are not the best way to judge a CB, but Lito's clearly show his case:
SI.com - NFL - Lito Sheppard Player Page

You need to watch him more often then. He is beat regularly. He is a guy that is constantly looking for the ball. Even as a ballhawk, he isn't all that impressive at it. A good year is still fewer than 8 INTs.

Interestingly enough, that was the only pass he defended that entire game.
SI.com - NFL - Lito*Sheppard Game Log

In a game where the Colts routed the Eagles:
ESPN.com - NFL - Recap

Making one play in a game where your team is getting thumped and thumped badly doesn't make a strong case for Lito. Though to his credit, Harrison didn't do anything that game.

Against elite WRs, yes. Brown isn't good enough to leave on an island against top wide-outs. He needs help. However, he is a very consistent player. You know what you are getting from him every game.

Lito gets burned just as often. Only you never know who will burn Lito, he is as liable to give up a play to an average schmoe as he is the best in the game.

Take it you don't know much about Hall:
-Better in run support
-More consistent
-Better ballhawk

His past two seasons have been better than any of Lito's. So yes, Hall is easily better than Sheppard. Hall makes pretty much everybody's short list for best CBs in the NFC. Also makes the short list of cocky loudmouths, but that is a different story.

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Jay

Uhh Newman ... Mathis ... Asomugha ... all those guys are better than Lito. Hell I'll even take Antoine Winfield ahead of Lito

Not to mention I forgot Clements ... Hall ... and Barber. You add Champ, McAlister and Samuel to that list and Lito isn't even top 10.

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The Tyler

JCD

I think the jury is still out on Asomugha. He was fantastic this last year, but that was the first year he played at that level. I think he needs to string together a couple of these seasons. It may have been a "planet's align" fluke.

As for Barber, I am hesitant. If this was 2 or 3 years ago, no doubt. Now, I think age is getting the better of him. At his best, he was the best blizting CB in the league, as reliable as you can find and great at jumping routes. Critics will cite that he had help over top for virtually his entire career, but I think his level of play off-sets that. He was the best Cover-2 CB in the league (though those same critics will call that a contradiction).

One we have not mentioned yet is your guy Dunta Robinson. If he were on a better team, he would be getting Pro-Bowl consideration. Might not have great speed, but that guy can play.

Regardless, I think it is pretty clear that Lito isn't the 3rd best CB in the league by any means. He falls somewhere in the 5-20 range, depending on what you prioritize more. I think people are suckered by the highlights and INT stats and fail to see the rest of his game. Or lack there-of. Like the example of when he jumped Harrison's route, that was the only play he made the entire game and the Eagles were stomped into the ground.

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!-RuKNiAk-!

deangelo hall looked great last night