Birds Try Out Long Snappers, Dorenbos Feels Pressure

After two of Jon Dorenbos’s snaps contributed to a missed field goal and blocked punt Sunday, the Eagles worked out two long snappers to potentially replace him. However, no roster moves have been announced, and Dorenbos said today he still has his job.

“Whatever guys they had, they evaluated and then they said, ‘Let’s stick with Jon,'” Dorenbos said. “That’s all I care about, anything else doesn’t matter. I have another chance to come to work today. I’ve been doing this a long time. You take the bad and kind of digest it and say, ‘Hey, what do I think I did wrong?’ And then you forget it, and you let your body go back to doing what it’s been doing for 15 to 20 years. That’s what I’m going to do.”

Dorenbos has been with the Eagles since 2006, and made the Pro Bowl last season. He said the team told him they would work out possible replacements for him, which he appreciated.

“It doesn’t matter to me. I agree with it; I understand it,” Dorenbos said. “I understand it’s a competitive world. It’s a competitive game. It’s a game of production; it’s a game of hey, you’re here to do a job. That’s it; it’s black and white, and my job is to throw [punter/holder] Donnie Jones strikes whether it’s a punt or field goal.

“This organization is first class. One of the things as a player and a player that’s been around a long time, there’s nothing better than honesty. There’s nothing better than a guy who just comes up front and says, ‘This is what we’re doing, this is why we’re doing it.'”

Dorenbos, who also made the Pro Bowl in 2010, has been in the NFL for 13 seasons. He said his bad snap on Caleb Sturgis‘s missed 32-yard field goal was “low and inside,” and that he directed the ball too far to the right before Jones’s punt was blocked in the second quarter. The blocked punt gave Miami the ball on Philadelphia’s 12-yard line, before they scored a touchdown and eventually won the game.

Dorenbos also confirmed that he does feel added pressure this Sunday against the Buccaneers.

“You always feel that. I don’t think there’s a player in this league that feels the other way, but there’s definitely times where there’s a sense of urgency,” Dorenbos said. “I love it. I’m going to show up and I’m going to step up and I’m going be the guy for this organization — the one they expect me to be; the one I expect myself to be.”

BARWIN EXPECTED TO PLAY

Connor Barwin missed practice today with a quad injury, but his potential replacement — Marcus Smith — said he expects Barwin to play against Tampa Bay.

“I’m not sure,” Smith said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s going to play in this game.”

Smith, who missed some time this year because of a hamstring injury, has appeared in just six games. The only defensive statistic he has recorded this season is one tackle against the Saints in Week 5.

“I’m already ready just in case something happens where he can’t play,” Smith said. “I’m doing the things I was doing before [my injury], so it’s only a matter of time before I go out and make plays.”