Special Teams Coordinator Ted Daisher touched on the kicking game and the progress of rookie Jeremy Maclin as a returner in his press conference this morning.

On a day when Eagles fans came out in droves to Lehigh to watch their team practice, the biggest crowd reaction of the day came when David Akers nailed a 60-yard field goal.

"Basically, we try to set up situations to challenge him every day," Daisher said. "He hammered the ball pretty good. David (Akers) has got a strong leg and we've got confidence in him.

"I think he still has enough leg to kick a 55-or-56-yarder (in a game.)"

Daisher is also looking forward to getting the two punters in camp into some live preseason action as the battle for the punting job continues on.

"I think it's a good competition," Daisher said. "Ken Parrish has come in and been a little bit of a surprise to me honestly.

"He's done a terrific job. He's challenging Sav (Rocca) and I think Sav's responded well."

As for 1st-round pick Jeremy Maclin, Daisher expects the rookie to make an impact.

"I think the game this week will help him," Daisher said regarding Maclin. "He needs to get in a game, get in a live situation where people are running down the field at him and I think he's going to do fine.

"He does need some reps and we're going to give them to him."

Daisher believes his special teams unit is very well-prepared for live action, in part because of the intensity with which he conducts practice.

"Special Teams is played at a frantic pace in games," he said. "So if you go out and practice slowly, you're not preparing guys for what they're going to see on Sunday.

"What we try to do is challenge them every day, make things difficult for them, so when they get in a game, the speed of the game isn't that different from what they're doing in practice."

-- Posted by Bo Wulf, 12:06 p.m., August 8