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PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Eagles are replacing injured linebacker DeMeco Ryans with Casey Matthews and Emmanuel Acho. That still leaves a big hole.You dont replace the leadership, defensive co-ordinator Billy Davis said. You just dont. Leadership is something that is earned over time. DeMeco has got a lot of pelts on the wall and hes earned it. Hes just that kind of guy. So, youre not going to replace that part of him, but were going to have to replace him (on the field). Its the NFL, the next man has to step up.Ryans was lost for the season when he tore his Achilles tendon Sunday in a 31-21 victory at Houston. Its the second time in five years Ryans season has ended with an Achilles tear. He had the same injury while with the Texans in 2010.Matthews, the teams fourth-round pick in 2011 and Acho, who came in a trade with Cleveland last year, will split the duties in Davis base 3-4 defence.In base, either Matthews or Acho will play the Mike role that Ryans had and be responsible for making the defensive calls. When the team goes to its nickel or dime defences, Mychal Kendricks will move from his Will position to make the calls.We have tons of confidence in both Casey and Acho, Davis said. They can make the calls. They did it all through camp when DeMeco wasnt in, or we gave DeMeco a blow. Theyre both highly intelligent guys. Theyve got a great understanding of the scheme. Theyve both been here for two years and both have a lot of playing time to fall back on in the regular season. So, that part to it well be OK with.Its the part that is DeMeco, the man, and his individual leadership that youre not going to replace.Matthews and Acho both got experience this season when Kendricks missed four games with a calf injury. In their limited time, Matthews has 24 tackles, one for a loss, with a half-sack, two quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery. Acho has 18 tackles.Ryans had 65 tackles, three for a loss, to go with an interception and a fumble recovery.That helped, Matthews said about playing in place of Kendricks. Its a little different now, moving to the Mike and having to make the calls. You have to be more vocal out there.Matthews has played his best football of late and now has the final eight games of the regular season to show he belongs.It will be similar to when Mychal was out, Davis said. The neat part of our inside backers, really within the scheme, is they are kind of interchangeable. So, it will be a similar rotation to when Mychal was out. Well have Casey and Acho handling first and second down duties at the DeMeco spot. Theyll be fine.Matthews knows the role he has to fill. Hes as prepared as hes going to be.Im ready, Matthews said. I felt when Mychal was out, I got better every week. Well take it game by game, and hopefully get more comfortable as we go.Davis is confident as well.Weve got small boxes for everybody and thats kind of the way weve had success in replacing guys, Davis said. Dont ask any one person to do everything DeMeco did, ask a couple to do a small part and really master that small part. NFL Jerseys Discount . JOHNS, N. Stitched Nike NFL Jerseys .S. international midfielder Michael Bradley is complete. http://www.stitchedjerseysnfl.com/ . -- The Windsor Spitfires were left with just one goaltender Tuesday after having their starter walk out on them midway through Game 3 of their Ontario Hockey League playoff matchup with the London Knights. Cheap NFL Jerseys Online . Ellis had a season-high 37 points and two key assists late, Dirk Nowitzki led a fourth-quarter rally with 14 of his 35 points, and the Mavericks spoiled Howards best offensive night in Houston with a 123-120 victory over the Rockets on Wednesday night. Nike NFL Jerseys China . - Kyle Wood and Barclay Goodrow scored second period power-play goals to provide all of the scoring for the North Bay Battalion in a 2-0 victory over the Erie Otters in Ontario Hockey League action on Thursday.Ricky Foley cant wait for the start of the CFL playoffs to begin but not at the expense of looking past the Edmonton Eskimos. Foley and the Saskatchewan Roughriders conclude their regular season Saturday hosting Edmonton. Win or lose, the Riders (11-6) have already clinched second in the West Division -- and will host B.C. in the conference semifinal Nov. 17 -- while the Eskimos (3-14) are destined to finish last. But the contest has meaning for both teams. Saskatchewan is coming off a bitter 29-25 road loss to Calgary (14-3), which cemented first in the West for the Stampeders. Heading into the post-season having dropped two straight games would be hardly ideal for the Riders. While theres no playoff date for Edmonton, for many of its players this will be the final opportunity to make a favourable impression, either with the Eskimos or other CFL teams, for next year. "We cant look past Edmonton," Foley said. "If you look past Edmonton and start gameplanning for and worrying about B.C. youre going to get your head kicked in by Edmonton. "Those guys are playing for jobs and those coaches are gameplanning for jobs. Theyre going to come in here hungry. We also dont want to be on a two-game losing streak going into the playoffs, that wouldnt be very good." Despite its struggles, Edmonton boasts some solid offensive threats. Quarterback Mike Reilly, in his first season as a CFL starter, has throw for 4,157 yards and 24 TDs while running for 649 yards -- tops among quarterbacks -- and is averaging 8.4 yards per rush. The Eskimos also boast the CFLs top receiver in slotback Fred Stamps, who has 68 catches for a league-best 1,259 yards and 11 TDs. "Offensively theyve got some playmakers," Foley said. "Obviously Fred Stamps is special but the quarterback, man, hes just a football player. "Ive got so much respect for Mike Reilly. Hes a guy Ive hit a lot this year but he gets up, he doesnt complain to his O-line and being a vet Ive got a lot of respect for that kind of player. Hes going to be a good player in this league." The six-foot-two, 258-pound Foley joined the Riders as a free agent last off-season after helping the Toronto Argonauts win the 100th Grey Cup game in November at Rogers Centre. With this years CFL title game being played at Mosaic Stadium, Saskatchewan is attempting to become the third straight team to win the Grey Cup on home soil -- B.C. also did it in 2011. Foley, 31, of Courtice, Ont., has flourished in Regina with eiight sacks after registered nine over three seasons in Toronto.dddddddddddd The eight-year veteran is enjoying his best CFL campaign since a career-best 12 sacks in 09 with B.C. that earned him the leagues top Canadian award that year. But its been a season of streaks for Saskatchewan, which opened the 2013 campaign with five straight wins before a 42-27 road loss to Calgary on Aug. 9. After reeling off three consecutive victories the Riders lost 25-13 to Winnipeg. That was the start of four straight losses before a 31-17 road victory in Vancouver that began a three-game losing streak. Then came last weekends heart-breaking loss to the Stampeders at McMahon Stadium. "I thought we had a pretty good effort in Calgary," Foley said. "Theyre the best team in the league record-wise but I think we had the opportunity to beat them and shouldve beat them and you can take a little bit of positive from that. "Obviously guys are disappointed about not being able to win first place but we have to get this one this week and when B.C. comes in here be on a roll." The Riders-Stampeders rivalry this season has been intense, on and off the field. Saskatchewans Kory Sheets helped pour gasoline on the fire recently by publicly stating he was a better running back than Calgarys Jon Cornish, the CFL rushing leader. Sheets topped the rushing race midway through the season before suffering a knee injury that forced him to miss three games. Cornish, who was second overall behind Sheets at the time, stormed into the lead and hasnt looked back since. But Foley said in an eight-team league where clubs play one another often, animosity is bound to build up. "When you play a team that much and its the two top dogs in the division its going to be intense," he said. "Its like a playoff series in hockey when you see a team that much and that frequently in such a short period of time theres going to be a lot of built-up anger towards those guys. "But that makes it fun. Its good for the league, its good for the fans and its fun for us players." Once the playoffs begin, Foley said discipline will be key for the Riders. "I think thats going to be the biggest thing," he said. "There also has to be good leadership going into the playoffs. "Without question, weve got the talent to do what we want to do but the leadership has to be there, the discipline has to be there and we cant beat ourselves. We do that I think well be fine." ' ' '