Eagles vs. Bengals: What Did We Learn?

You know that worst-case scenario you have in mind for the Eagles this season, the one where every off-season move proves to be a mistake and they struggle to win games against mediocre teams?
That scenario looks a lot more realistic after the Bengals' game.

• The interior offensive line, ignored in the draft and free agency in spite of a series of injuries and failures at the end of last season, was awful. Mike McGlynn, Stacy Andrews, and Max Jean-Gilles were routinely whipped by no-name players. They were mentally and physically beaten, so the prospects for their sudden improvement are dim. If Herremans and Jackson don't get back quickly, the Eagles season could be over before it really begins. Backups A.Q. Shipley and Dallas Reynolds fared no better against the Cincinnati second-string.
  
• Sheldon Brown continues to be missed, and I continue to be confused why he was traded. Was he really that much of a cancer in the locker room, that an above-average CB with three years on his contract was dumped for a fourth-round pick? With nothing but Ellis Hobbs and Joselio Hanson waiting in the wings to replace him? Hanson got the start with Samuel injured, and was torched again. This time he was victimized by T.O., a washed-up diva.
  
• Kevin Kolb made a couple nice throws, but he had a serious case of happy feet after a protection breakdowns early in the game. There were are least two occasions where he was fourteen yards behind the line of scrimmage and running backwards as he threw. That Eli Manning-style footwork is not going to make anyone forget about McNabb.
  
• The Michael Vick Experiment is clearly a failure, but the Eagles remain steadfastly in character as they refuse to admit it. He's so incredibly careless with the ball, the Birds will be unable to win a game if he's forced to start. The most expensive backup QB in the NFL is also one of the worst, and he's all ours. Marc Bulger or Jeff Garcia could have filled in for a year, and surely could do better than 1-5, 6yds, and two picks.