With the exception of the second team offensive line (who had absolutely no chance against Johnson's schemes at the start of the second half), our entire team just played great everywhere. The penalties on the first team were crippling, but the execution was there. Kyle looked sharp, when he wasn't getting massacred. DVD came out of hibernation with him. Musa Smith looks like the second coming of 2003 Jamal, though 2006 Jamal sure didn't look too bad, either. On defense, we're just loaded. Everyone in the front seven is just playing great, and that's going to be a hell of a rotation. Aubrayo Franklin is looking eerily similar to Lional Dalton. Justin Bannan is looking like a great pickup, and even Dwan Edwards showed his face tonight. The linebacker corps is looking great beyond the starters. Mike Smith continues to improve his case to be the heir to Ray, and Dan Cody and Gary Stills are running around the field at 100 mph making plays. While the Eagles may not exactly be loaded at wide receiver, their receivers got absolutely ZERO separation against our corners, and that's true for first, second, and third string. Although there's still time, we've yet to see a team successfully take advantage of what we have at that safety position. And Frank Gansz's effect on special teams has been very apparent, though penalties were still an issue in that area.

It's virtually impossible not to be incredibly excited about this team right now. If we can keep those penalties under control, we're looking at a legit contender here. And this is the first time those words have actually come out of my mouth this entire offseason.