Fake Game 2: Panthers at Eagles

Last week, I covered 10 players to watch in the first preseason game. Today, I'll list 10 players that need to improve on their performance.

1) QB Kevin Kolb. He had his moments, but I'd like to see be a little more aggressive tonight. There's some athleticism on the second team offense with him, so players creating space shouldn't be a problem. After the Pittsburgh game, a lot of people came away unimpressed with his arm strength. He has the ability to get the ball down the field, and he should get ample snaps to prove it.

2) WR Reggie Brown. Brown was inactive last week, so just being in the lineup is going to help him out. To a lot of the fans, Reggie's on the hot seat this season. Although he turned it on a little bit in the second half of 2007, he didn't have that breakout year a lot of people had hoped for. Now, it's believed that Jason Avant, Hank Baskett and even DeSean Jackson could push him for playing time. He says he's more focused and approaches each snap differently now, and that needs to pay off on the field.

3) OL Todd Herremans. I don't have any specific complaints about his game against the Steelers, but with Tra Thomas scratched tonight, protecting 5's blind side is a pretty big deal. He played LT in his rookie season before an atrociously illegal block cut it short, but he's played guard since. Most people would agree that he's a solid player, yet he took a step back in 2007. There are a lot of responsibilities at his temporary position, and he needs to show that he can step in and play the spot in a pinch if necessary.

4) G Scott Young. Who would've thought that tonight's starting O-Line would feature two projected backups and a third player playing out of position? It's unfortunate that Young has to start tonight, and it's also kind of alarming that players such as Nick Cole, and the two rookie Mikes haven't been able to pass him on the depth chart. He's a flat out fringe player, and he can't bring down the first team offense tonight.

5) DT Brodrick Bunkley. After a holdout and some discipline problems essentially eliminated Bunkley's rookie season, he burst onto the scene in 2007 and probably should've been a Pro Bowl player. He's big and athletic, and he can get off the ball fast. He's a huge reason why the team's run defense improved last season, but he struggled against Pittsburgh. He has to do a better job of holding his ground and disrupting the Panthers running game tonight.

6) DT Mike Patterson. The fact that I had to include both DT's shows how poor they played. Patterson has been on the field ever since he was drafted, and he's taken his lumps along the way. However, with a bigger and dominant Bunkley beside him, Patterson broke out last year. He's one of the quickest tackles in the league, and like Bunkley, should've had a postseason trip to Hawaii. The knocks against him are his size and strength, and his game against the Steelers didn't do anything to dispel those criticisms. He was on the ground way too much, and he needs to use his quickness to disrupt the flow and timing of Carolina's ground game.

7) MLB Stewart Bradley. We're already up to our third starting member of the defense. Bradley had some nice plays against the Steelers, but he got lost in the shuffle a little too much for a Linebacker with his size and skill. Some of the criticisms of the game can be deflected to the poor play of the tackles in front of him, but the reality is he won't get great protection from the tackles every play. He has to do a better job of quickly reading the play and shedding blocks to find the ball.

8) CB Lito Sheppard. Working with the second team tonight, Lito will be the best player on the field at all times. There's no reason for him to not blanket his receiver and make plays given the opportunity. He can't mope or not take the game seriously. Against Pittsburgh, he got a stupid penalty, wasn't as aggressive as he could be against the run and made one pretty poor play, albeit in zone coverage. With that being said, I wouldn't expect any special packages with him and the two starters on the field. Johnson isn't going to give us a taste of what he's going to do in the backfield until the regular season starts.

9) Brian Dawkins. I'm really not too worried about him at all, but that doesn't correct his poor position on Santonio Holmes' TD. In this defense, it won't be the last time Sheldon Brown blitzes and Dawkins has to competently cover a receiver that's quicker than he is. Part of that responsibility falls on Jim Johnson and Sheldon Brown, and I'll admit that. Surprise is a key element of blitzes, and lately, teams have had an easy time adjusting to what's being thrown at them.

10) Special McTeams. If special teams had a name, that's what they would be. I was thinking about listing Rocky Boiman for this entry, but he's not responsible for Akers' inconsistent kicking, nor is Akers responsible for poor punt coverage and return blocking. I don't know what it is about special teams, but they have been flat out bad in recent years, and things didn't take a turn for the better last week. DeSean Jackson is an incredibly gifted return man, and if he's not getting good yards, something is terribly wrong.

These aren't the only ten players that need to play better. In fact, a coach will say that every player on the roster needs to get better, and that's probably the truth. That's what these games are for. Donovan McNabb played well last week, but maybe he could get rid of the ball quicker. Buckhalter ran well in the preseason loss, but maybe he should position himself in pass blocking better. Everyone has something to work on, and I hope it culminates into an injury free, positive game tonight.