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. Cheap Old Skool Sale . The union filed a grievance late Thursday, one day after Goodell suspended four players who participated in bounties from 2009-11. The complaint says Goodell is prohibited from punishing players for any aspect of the case occurring before the new collective bargaining agreement was signed last August. Wholesale Old Skool .Y. - The New York Rangers have reached a one-year contract extension with goalie Cam Talbot, keeping Henrik Lundqvists backup away from unrestricted free agency. http://www.cheapoldskool.com/. Gaborik was acquired in a trade with Columbus on Wednesday and skated on the top line with centre Anze Kopitar and right-winger Justin Williams. "We created some things," said Gaborik, who logged 16:38 of ice time. Cheap Vans Old Skool .C. -- North Carolina State coach Mark Gottfried said his team had a "golden" opportunity to help its NCAA tournament chances. Discount Old Skool . A receiver doesnt make the catch on a passing play and instantly motions to the ref – and everybody else – for a pass interference flag.SARAJEVO -- Wild celebrations broke loose Sarajevos central square Tuesday after Bosnia qualified for its first World Cup as an independent nation. Almost 10,000 delirious fans jumped, cried and screamed Vamos Bosnia -- or Go Bosnia -- when striker Vedad Ibisevic scored in the 68th minute to secure a 1-0 win over Lithuania at Kaunas. Immediately after the match, the Bosnian players were seen on TV crying in each others arms at Kaunas, prompting tears to roll down thousands of cheeks at streets and homes in Bosnia. Thousands of fans, meanwhile, headed to the airport to wait for their "Dragons". "They have no idea what they have done to the people here," wept unemployed Salih Redzic, 52. "We all need some Brazil. Its not even about soccer any more. Its about this feeling many of us have almost forgotten and the younger ones have never experienced. The feeling of success," he said. Bosnia has been close before. It narrowly missed out on the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship, both times losing to Portugal in the playoffs. But the current team, led by Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko and German-born playmaker Zvjezdan Misimovic, made no mistake on Tuesday night. For at least a while, they made their countrymen forget their nations more than 25 per cent unemployment, the low standard of living, the 47 million euro of EUs funds lost last week over internal political bickering. "We are going to Brazil," the crowd was chanting and TV screens were flashing.dddddddddddd Thats all that mattered: to use the word we in combination with something synonymous to success. For many Bosnians, football success has been a rare cause for celebration since the country descended into nearly four years of war two decades ago. The conflict killed over 100,000 people and left a legacy of poverty, high unemployment and never-ending political strife. "We do not have other reasons to be happy," said Benjamin Saric, a 20 years-old student from Sarajevo who holds little hope of finding a job even when he graduates. Occasionally, the noise of the fireworks were a reminder of the worst days of the wartime Sarajevo siege. Honking cars cruised the streets all night and people walked the city wrapped in blue and yellow flags. Upon landing, the team came out singing songs about Bosnia. Usually serious coach Safet Susic joked with the press saying some of the players will be kicked out of the team because of their behaviour in the plane. The team replied by singing an even louder a song about him. "This is the happiest moment of my career," Susic stated before leaving the airport building and entering the bus taking the team to a party at the main square. But even as the bus made its way to the celebration at 2 a.m., the team could see the jubilation throughout the city caused by their win. ' ' '