The Eagles may not have played today, thanks to the snow that is currently burying my car, but they still managed to clinch the NFC East when the Giants lost to the Green Bay Packers. New York's 45-17 loss clinched the division for the Eagles for the first time since 2006 and gives the Eagles six division crowns in the last ten seasons.
To be honest, this might be the most improbable division championship yet. Save for the Jeff Garcia season when he took over for Donovan McNabb, no one had the Eagles winning the division this year. Kevin Kolb was starting for the first time with a young team that was rebuilding, not not that much was expected. Well, this year started with the Green Bay Packers, and now, thanks to the Packers and Michael Vick, the Eagles are NFC East champions. Green Bay knocked Kevin Kolb out of the first game of the season, and Vick came in to replace him. Vick played well against the Packers and Detroit Lions the week after that, and the rest of the season has gone from there. Kolb is sitting on the bench, and Vick is headed to the Pro Bowl and a top three finish in the MVP voting. Plus, the Eagles are headed to the playoffs once again.
There's nothing set in stone yet for the Eagles, because they could finish anywhere from the three seed all the way up to the top team in the NFC, if the Falcons lose to the Saints and Panthers, and the Bears drop their last game of the season to the Packers. As unlikely as it sounds, it could happen. If it does, it would be the capper to one of the most improbable seasons that I can remember. The Eagles need to get one of the two first round byes, though. If they don't, they'll play the Packers or Giants, and that's not a game that many people want to see.
For now, it's time to celebrate in the snow. The Eagles are champions of the division for the first time in four seasons and are at least going to host one playoff game. That's reason enough right there.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Eagles Aftermath: Eagles-38, Giants-31
What happened?
Down 31-10 with eight minutes to play, the Eagles scored 28 points, the last of which came on a DeSean Jackson punt return for a touchdown as time expired. The win puts the Eagles in control of the NFC East with two games to play.
The Good:
Michael Vick started slowly, but picked things up as the game went along, completing 21 of 35 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran the ball ten times for 130 yards and another touchdown.
LeSean McCoy didn't get many carries, but he still did well for what he got. He carried the ball ten times for 64 yards and caught four passes for 13 yards.
Jeremy Maclin had seven catches for 59 yards and two touchdowns, giving him ten touchdowns on the season.
Brent Celek had a huge 65 yard touchdown catch that started the comeback in the fourth quarter.
DeSean Jackson only had three catches for 52 yards, but his punt return for a touchdown to end the game was the first ever walk off punt return in NFL history.
The Eagles held Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw to a combined 100 yards on 31 carries.
Jamar Chaney played very well in his first ever start, getting 16 tackles and playing an overall solid game.
The Bad:
The Eagles played horribly in the first half, as they were outgained in yards 222 to 74.
Vick was sacked three times and was hit several more times as well.
Nate Allen was lost for the season with a torn patella tendon.
The Eagles had three turnovers, including fumbles by DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, though neither one was really a fumble.
The Ugly:
Dimitri Patterson got burned all day long by Eli Manning. He was targeted on every one of Manning's four touchdown passes. It was not a good game.
Andy Reid didn't challenge the fumble by DeSean Jackson that wasn't a fumble, and decided to call passing plays in the last 30 seconds of the first half. Both of those mistakes led to touchdowns by the Giants and almost put the Eagles down for the count.
The Breakdown:
It's been almost three days, and I still can't believe what happened up in East Rutherford last Sunday. In the Eagles first game in the New Meadowlands, they christened it with a new Miracle. Down 31-10 with just eight minutes to play, the Eagles got big play after big play from Michael Vick and the offense and had a little help from the Giants on special teams to complete the most amazing comeback possibly in Eagles history.
The fourth quarter was simply amazing. Not only did it give the Eagles sole possession of first place in the NFC East, but it put the Giants on the ropes for even making the playoffs. The most important thing is that the Eagles now control their own destiny. With just one win in their final two games, the Eagles will clinch their first NFC East crown since the 2006 season, when Jeff Garcia was quarterbacking the team. Nothing is decided yet, but with home games against Minnesota and Dallas left, things might be wrapped up shortly.
There's nothing else you can say about Michael Vick this season. The man is on another level. New York shut him down for 52 minutes, but it wasn't enough. Just like the first matchup, the Giants brought blitz after blitz at Vick, but this time, Vick was able to get through and run the ball against the New York defense. He destroyed them in the fourth quarter on two of the scoring drives, and his four yard touchdown run put the Eagles back to within a touchdown. Vick was able to do things with his arm as well, as he hit Jeremy Maclin for two touchdowns, and his 65 yard strike to Brent Celek started the entire comeback. Without that first long touchdown, there might not have been enough time for the Eagles to even score three more times in regulation. It's the quick strike ability of this offense that makes them so dangerous, even against some of the better defenses in the NFL. There's not a game that this team is out of.
You have to give love to the special teams as well. First came the onside kick with the Eagles down 31-17. The Giants weren't prepared for it, and Riley Cooper did a great job making sure that the ball went ten yards before he touched it. The Eagles would score on that drive, cutting the lead to 31-24. Then came the last play of the game. This one falls more on the Giants than the Eagles, because, thanks to a high snap and a poor kick, the ball came right to DeSean Jackson, which was pretty much the one place that Tom Coughlin didn't want the ball to go. The kick was so bad that Jackson had time to fumble it, pick it up and find a hole to run through before the Giants even made it down the field to try and tackle him. Jason Avant had a huge block at midfield, and that was all Jackson would need. Did he have to start celebrating at the 25 yard line? Of course not, but with the smack that the Giants were talking during the week and for most of the game, I don't blame him. This game was a likely once in a lifetime comeback, so it's fine to showboat a little bit.
The end of the game was the most amazing, improbable thing that any Eagles fan has seen since the original Miracle at the Meadowlands back in 1978, but you have to remember that the Eagles were outplayed in this game for three and a half quarters, and there are some things to be worried about. Eli Manning picked on Dimitri Patterson all day long, and Mario Manningham worked Patterson for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Manning's other two touchdown passes also came on Patterson's side of the field, as the Giants basically ignored Asante Samuel and focused on the rest of the Philadelphia secondary, which isn't the best in the NFL, that much is proven. That secondary is going to be tested even more now that Nate Allen is out for the year with a torn patella tendon in his knee. Allen was having a very solid rookie season and was looking like the safety of the future for the Eagles, but now he's got a long road to recovery, and seventh round pick Kurt Coleman will be starting the rest of the way. Coleman did well in a start for Allen earlier in the year, so he already has experience, but there's a reason he was a seventh round pick. I think anyone would rather have Allen in there, but the Eagles have played through plenty of injuries this year, and they can do it again.
For the first three and a half quarters on Sunday, this was the ugliest game that the Eagles had played all year. Andy Reid made questionable call after questionable call, including passing the ball at the 15 yard line with under a minute to play in the first half, and not challenging a DeSean Jackson fumble in the fourth quarter. Both those mistakes led to touchdowns by New York and really should have cost the Eagles the game. If not for that amazing comeback, every single Eagles fan would be bashing Reid inside and out right now. Thankfully, Michael Vick made things happen and the defense came up with big plays when they needed to. Rather than have to write about needing help to get into the playoffs, the Eagles now get to enjoy the inside track to the NFC East title and a possible first round bye if things go their way.
There's just two weeks left in the regular season, and the Eagles have two home games left to play. This Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings, with or without Brett Favre, come into town. This one's for the division crown, so hopefully, there's no let down or a need for a fourth straight fourth quarter comeback.
Down 31-10 with eight minutes to play, the Eagles scored 28 points, the last of which came on a DeSean Jackson punt return for a touchdown as time expired. The win puts the Eagles in control of the NFC East with two games to play.
The Good:
Michael Vick started slowly, but picked things up as the game went along, completing 21 of 35 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran the ball ten times for 130 yards and another touchdown.
LeSean McCoy didn't get many carries, but he still did well for what he got. He carried the ball ten times for 64 yards and caught four passes for 13 yards.
Jeremy Maclin had seven catches for 59 yards and two touchdowns, giving him ten touchdowns on the season.
Brent Celek had a huge 65 yard touchdown catch that started the comeback in the fourth quarter.
DeSean Jackson only had three catches for 52 yards, but his punt return for a touchdown to end the game was the first ever walk off punt return in NFL history.
The Eagles held Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw to a combined 100 yards on 31 carries.
Jamar Chaney played very well in his first ever start, getting 16 tackles and playing an overall solid game.
The Bad:
The Eagles played horribly in the first half, as they were outgained in yards 222 to 74.
Vick was sacked three times and was hit several more times as well.
Nate Allen was lost for the season with a torn patella tendon.
The Eagles had three turnovers, including fumbles by DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, though neither one was really a fumble.
The Ugly:
Dimitri Patterson got burned all day long by Eli Manning. He was targeted on every one of Manning's four touchdown passes. It was not a good game.
Andy Reid didn't challenge the fumble by DeSean Jackson that wasn't a fumble, and decided to call passing plays in the last 30 seconds of the first half. Both of those mistakes led to touchdowns by the Giants and almost put the Eagles down for the count.
The Breakdown:
It's been almost three days, and I still can't believe what happened up in East Rutherford last Sunday. In the Eagles first game in the New Meadowlands, they christened it with a new Miracle. Down 31-10 with just eight minutes to play, the Eagles got big play after big play from Michael Vick and the offense and had a little help from the Giants on special teams to complete the most amazing comeback possibly in Eagles history.
The fourth quarter was simply amazing. Not only did it give the Eagles sole possession of first place in the NFC East, but it put the Giants on the ropes for even making the playoffs. The most important thing is that the Eagles now control their own destiny. With just one win in their final two games, the Eagles will clinch their first NFC East crown since the 2006 season, when Jeff Garcia was quarterbacking the team. Nothing is decided yet, but with home games against Minnesota and Dallas left, things might be wrapped up shortly.
There's nothing else you can say about Michael Vick this season. The man is on another level. New York shut him down for 52 minutes, but it wasn't enough. Just like the first matchup, the Giants brought blitz after blitz at Vick, but this time, Vick was able to get through and run the ball against the New York defense. He destroyed them in the fourth quarter on two of the scoring drives, and his four yard touchdown run put the Eagles back to within a touchdown. Vick was able to do things with his arm as well, as he hit Jeremy Maclin for two touchdowns, and his 65 yard strike to Brent Celek started the entire comeback. Without that first long touchdown, there might not have been enough time for the Eagles to even score three more times in regulation. It's the quick strike ability of this offense that makes them so dangerous, even against some of the better defenses in the NFL. There's not a game that this team is out of.
You have to give love to the special teams as well. First came the onside kick with the Eagles down 31-17. The Giants weren't prepared for it, and Riley Cooper did a great job making sure that the ball went ten yards before he touched it. The Eagles would score on that drive, cutting the lead to 31-24. Then came the last play of the game. This one falls more on the Giants than the Eagles, because, thanks to a high snap and a poor kick, the ball came right to DeSean Jackson, which was pretty much the one place that Tom Coughlin didn't want the ball to go. The kick was so bad that Jackson had time to fumble it, pick it up and find a hole to run through before the Giants even made it down the field to try and tackle him. Jason Avant had a huge block at midfield, and that was all Jackson would need. Did he have to start celebrating at the 25 yard line? Of course not, but with the smack that the Giants were talking during the week and for most of the game, I don't blame him. This game was a likely once in a lifetime comeback, so it's fine to showboat a little bit.
The end of the game was the most amazing, improbable thing that any Eagles fan has seen since the original Miracle at the Meadowlands back in 1978, but you have to remember that the Eagles were outplayed in this game for three and a half quarters, and there are some things to be worried about. Eli Manning picked on Dimitri Patterson all day long, and Mario Manningham worked Patterson for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Manning's other two touchdown passes also came on Patterson's side of the field, as the Giants basically ignored Asante Samuel and focused on the rest of the Philadelphia secondary, which isn't the best in the NFL, that much is proven. That secondary is going to be tested even more now that Nate Allen is out for the year with a torn patella tendon in his knee. Allen was having a very solid rookie season and was looking like the safety of the future for the Eagles, but now he's got a long road to recovery, and seventh round pick Kurt Coleman will be starting the rest of the way. Coleman did well in a start for Allen earlier in the year, so he already has experience, but there's a reason he was a seventh round pick. I think anyone would rather have Allen in there, but the Eagles have played through plenty of injuries this year, and they can do it again.
For the first three and a half quarters on Sunday, this was the ugliest game that the Eagles had played all year. Andy Reid made questionable call after questionable call, including passing the ball at the 15 yard line with under a minute to play in the first half, and not challenging a DeSean Jackson fumble in the fourth quarter. Both those mistakes led to touchdowns by New York and really should have cost the Eagles the game. If not for that amazing comeback, every single Eagles fan would be bashing Reid inside and out right now. Thankfully, Michael Vick made things happen and the defense came up with big plays when they needed to. Rather than have to write about needing help to get into the playoffs, the Eagles now get to enjoy the inside track to the NFC East title and a possible first round bye if things go their way.
There's just two weeks left in the regular season, and the Eagles have two home games left to play. This Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings, with or without Brett Favre, come into town. This one's for the division crown, so hopefully, there's no let down or a need for a fourth straight fourth quarter comeback.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Eagles Aftermath: Eagles-30, Cowboys-27
What happened?
DeSean Jackson had 210 receiving yards, including a 91 yard touchdown catch, and LeSean McCoy rushed for 149 yards, most of them coming in the fourth quarter as the Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys and remained tied for first place in the NFC East.
The Good:
LeSean McCoy was a beast when the Eagles needed him the most. He carried the ball 16 times for 149 yards, with most of the yards coming in the fourth quarter as the Eagles were trying to run down the clock.
DeSean Jackson played through a foot injury to catch four passes for 210 yards and a touchdown. The 91 yard touchdown catch by Jackson was the longest scoring play from scrimmage in the NFL this season.
Michael Vick had another decent game, completing 16 of 26 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran the ball eight times for 16 yards and a touchdown.
Dimitri Patterson had a big interception in the fourth quarter that led to points.
David Akers was 3/3 on field goal attempts, including a 50 yarder.
Todd Herremans caught his second career touchdown pass.
The Eagles held Dallas to 110 yards on the ground between four ball carriers. Felix Jones led the Cowboys with just 41 yards on 13 carries.
The Bad:
Michael Vick also threw two interceptions and was under pressure for various parts of the game. Even though he only got sacked twice, he was hit far more than that.
Aside from DeSean Jackson, the next leading Philadelphia receiver had just 18 yards.
Dallas made it inside the red zone three times, and scored touchdowns on two of those trips.
The Eagles only went two for four inside the red zone.
Brent Celek went another game without a catch. He has just 30 on the season.
The Ugly:
The Eagles lost both Stewart Bradley and Brandon Graham to injuries. Bradley dislocated his elbow, and Graham tore his ACL, knocking him out for the season.
The Breakdown:
For the second week in a row, the Eagles went into the fourth quarter trailing after having a lead at the half. Once again, Michael Vick was able to lead the offense to two fourth quarter scores, while the defense did just enough for the Eagles to hold on for another win, putting them at 9-4 on the season and keeping them tied with the New York Giants for first place in the NFC East.
Just as they did against the Redskins on Monday Night Football, the Eagles came out and went for a big play on the opening play of the game. The call was just about the same, and the result was similar as well, as DeSean Jackson caught a 60 yard pass from Michael Vick that silenced the Dallas crowd early. Vick later scored on a one yard touchdown run, and while the drive was good, the defense still had to do their job, and once again, they ran into some trouble when it mattered the most.
I have no idea how this defense got like this in such a short period of time. Part of it has to do with how young most of the players are, I'm sure, but then there's just a lack of discipline on that side of the ball. The defense can look very good at periods of time, and believe me, they get key turnovers just about any time that they need them, but then they can have drives where they keep the opposing offense on the field with stupid penalties and blown coverages. Yes, Asante Samuel has missed the last three games, but it's not all on him. It can't just be that. This defense was giving up big plays with Samuel in there. They still had stupid penalties called, and they still gave up a ton of points down in the red zone. Against Dallas, the Eagles allowed two touchdowns inside the 20 yard line, and one from 22 yards away. That can't happen against the better teams in the NFC. Teams like the Bears, Saints, Falcons and yes, the Giants, will kill the Eagles if they can't buckle down in the red zone.
Luckily for the Eagles, they still have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. This past Sunday against Dallas was no exception, as Michael Vick helped move the offense down the field with quick scoring drives that always seemed to come just as the Cowboys were about to take full control of the game. It wasn't exactly how you want a game to be run, with the offense only on the field for three to five minute drives, but as long as they result in points, then there's no problem with it. Dallas had an answer for every receiver that the Eagles had, save for DeSean Jackson. Though he only caught four passes, he averaged 52.5 yards per catch. That's some kind of video game number right there. His 91 yard touchdown catch on what was a quick slant pattern turned the game back around in favor of the Eagles and once again silenced a Dallas crowd that was just about to get back into the game. That's what this offense can do to any team. They can look dead for stretches, but all it takes is one big play, one mistake by the opposing defense, and the game is blown wide open again.
It doesn't even have to be DeSean Jackson that does it. The Eagles also have Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Brent Celek and even Riley Cooper that can make big plays in the passing game. Then, there's LeSean McCoy, who had the biggest game out of everyone on offense this week. McCoy didn't find the end zone, and only had four yards receiving, but it was his ground work at the end of the game that sealed things up for the Eagles. With the Cowboys having just scored with over four minutes to play, the Eagles had a three point lead. There wasn't an Eagles fan alive that wanted the Cowboys to get the ball back, and if you did, then you were insane. Dallas had just driven right downfield, and as tired as the Philadelphia defense looked, another score seemed almost like a formality if the Eagles had to punt again.
Then, McCoy got to work. The only pass play of the entire drive came on the first play, when Vick hit McCoy for a six yard gain. On the next play, McCoy picked up 12 yards for a first down, then got 19 more, moving the ball to midfield and forcing the Cowboys to start using their timeouts. A 13 yard run followed, and after a run for no gain by Jerome Harrison, Vick ran and stayed in bounds for a nine yard gain, setting up a third down and one with the game on the line. In just about every other situation under Andy Reid, the Eagles would have thrown the ball here. For some reason, Reid stuck with his running back, and McCoy picked up six yards and the game was over. I have no idea why the offense called the plays that they did on that drive, but I'm sure as hell glad that they did. That was a drive that didn't result in any points, but was just as satisfying as one that did. It was well run, took four and a half minutes off the clock, and finished off the Cowboys. I wouldn't have it any other way.
The game wasn't without its casualties, though. Stewart Bradley dislocated his elbow, knocking him out for at least a few weeks, if not until the playoffs start, while Brandon Graham tore his ACL, ending his rookie season just as he was getting into a nice groove. Considering the state of the Eagles on defense, these were two injuries that they could not afford to have. Bradley was finally showing the spark that he had two seasons ago before his ACL injury, and Graham was doing well on the defensive line with Trent Cole and Juqua Parker. Parker will have to step in for Graham, while seventh round pick Jamar Chaney will start in place of Bradley. Chaney looked good while playing against Dallas, and now he's had a full week to get ready, but you know that the Giants are going to take shots at him early and often.
This week is the biggest game of the season as the Eagles travel up to East Rutherford to take on the Giants. The winner gets control of the NFC East with just two games to play, and with the NFC playoff picture still looking cloudy, you want to have control of your division. This is the last road game of the year for the Eagles, so hopefully they can continue their run over the Giants and get one step closer to another division crown.
DeSean Jackson had 210 receiving yards, including a 91 yard touchdown catch, and LeSean McCoy rushed for 149 yards, most of them coming in the fourth quarter as the Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys and remained tied for first place in the NFC East.
The Good:
LeSean McCoy was a beast when the Eagles needed him the most. He carried the ball 16 times for 149 yards, with most of the yards coming in the fourth quarter as the Eagles were trying to run down the clock.
DeSean Jackson played through a foot injury to catch four passes for 210 yards and a touchdown. The 91 yard touchdown catch by Jackson was the longest scoring play from scrimmage in the NFL this season.
Michael Vick had another decent game, completing 16 of 26 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran the ball eight times for 16 yards and a touchdown.
Dimitri Patterson had a big interception in the fourth quarter that led to points.
David Akers was 3/3 on field goal attempts, including a 50 yarder.
Todd Herremans caught his second career touchdown pass.
The Eagles held Dallas to 110 yards on the ground between four ball carriers. Felix Jones led the Cowboys with just 41 yards on 13 carries.
The Bad:
Michael Vick also threw two interceptions and was under pressure for various parts of the game. Even though he only got sacked twice, he was hit far more than that.
Aside from DeSean Jackson, the next leading Philadelphia receiver had just 18 yards.
Dallas made it inside the red zone three times, and scored touchdowns on two of those trips.
The Eagles only went two for four inside the red zone.
Brent Celek went another game without a catch. He has just 30 on the season.
The Ugly:
The Eagles lost both Stewart Bradley and Brandon Graham to injuries. Bradley dislocated his elbow, and Graham tore his ACL, knocking him out for the season.
The Breakdown:
For the second week in a row, the Eagles went into the fourth quarter trailing after having a lead at the half. Once again, Michael Vick was able to lead the offense to two fourth quarter scores, while the defense did just enough for the Eagles to hold on for another win, putting them at 9-4 on the season and keeping them tied with the New York Giants for first place in the NFC East.
Just as they did against the Redskins on Monday Night Football, the Eagles came out and went for a big play on the opening play of the game. The call was just about the same, and the result was similar as well, as DeSean Jackson caught a 60 yard pass from Michael Vick that silenced the Dallas crowd early. Vick later scored on a one yard touchdown run, and while the drive was good, the defense still had to do their job, and once again, they ran into some trouble when it mattered the most.
I have no idea how this defense got like this in such a short period of time. Part of it has to do with how young most of the players are, I'm sure, but then there's just a lack of discipline on that side of the ball. The defense can look very good at periods of time, and believe me, they get key turnovers just about any time that they need them, but then they can have drives where they keep the opposing offense on the field with stupid penalties and blown coverages. Yes, Asante Samuel has missed the last three games, but it's not all on him. It can't just be that. This defense was giving up big plays with Samuel in there. They still had stupid penalties called, and they still gave up a ton of points down in the red zone. Against Dallas, the Eagles allowed two touchdowns inside the 20 yard line, and one from 22 yards away. That can't happen against the better teams in the NFC. Teams like the Bears, Saints, Falcons and yes, the Giants, will kill the Eagles if they can't buckle down in the red zone.
Luckily for the Eagles, they still have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. This past Sunday against Dallas was no exception, as Michael Vick helped move the offense down the field with quick scoring drives that always seemed to come just as the Cowboys were about to take full control of the game. It wasn't exactly how you want a game to be run, with the offense only on the field for three to five minute drives, but as long as they result in points, then there's no problem with it. Dallas had an answer for every receiver that the Eagles had, save for DeSean Jackson. Though he only caught four passes, he averaged 52.5 yards per catch. That's some kind of video game number right there. His 91 yard touchdown catch on what was a quick slant pattern turned the game back around in favor of the Eagles and once again silenced a Dallas crowd that was just about to get back into the game. That's what this offense can do to any team. They can look dead for stretches, but all it takes is one big play, one mistake by the opposing defense, and the game is blown wide open again.
It doesn't even have to be DeSean Jackson that does it. The Eagles also have Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Brent Celek and even Riley Cooper that can make big plays in the passing game. Then, there's LeSean McCoy, who had the biggest game out of everyone on offense this week. McCoy didn't find the end zone, and only had four yards receiving, but it was his ground work at the end of the game that sealed things up for the Eagles. With the Cowboys having just scored with over four minutes to play, the Eagles had a three point lead. There wasn't an Eagles fan alive that wanted the Cowboys to get the ball back, and if you did, then you were insane. Dallas had just driven right downfield, and as tired as the Philadelphia defense looked, another score seemed almost like a formality if the Eagles had to punt again.
Then, McCoy got to work. The only pass play of the entire drive came on the first play, when Vick hit McCoy for a six yard gain. On the next play, McCoy picked up 12 yards for a first down, then got 19 more, moving the ball to midfield and forcing the Cowboys to start using their timeouts. A 13 yard run followed, and after a run for no gain by Jerome Harrison, Vick ran and stayed in bounds for a nine yard gain, setting up a third down and one with the game on the line. In just about every other situation under Andy Reid, the Eagles would have thrown the ball here. For some reason, Reid stuck with his running back, and McCoy picked up six yards and the game was over. I have no idea why the offense called the plays that they did on that drive, but I'm sure as hell glad that they did. That was a drive that didn't result in any points, but was just as satisfying as one that did. It was well run, took four and a half minutes off the clock, and finished off the Cowboys. I wouldn't have it any other way.
The game wasn't without its casualties, though. Stewart Bradley dislocated his elbow, knocking him out for at least a few weeks, if not until the playoffs start, while Brandon Graham tore his ACL, ending his rookie season just as he was getting into a nice groove. Considering the state of the Eagles on defense, these were two injuries that they could not afford to have. Bradley was finally showing the spark that he had two seasons ago before his ACL injury, and Graham was doing well on the defensive line with Trent Cole and Juqua Parker. Parker will have to step in for Graham, while seventh round pick Jamar Chaney will start in place of Bradley. Chaney looked good while playing against Dallas, and now he's had a full week to get ready, but you know that the Giants are going to take shots at him early and often.
This week is the biggest game of the season as the Eagles travel up to East Rutherford to take on the Giants. The winner gets control of the NFC East with just two games to play, and with the NFC playoff picture still looking cloudy, you want to have control of your division. This is the last road game of the year for the Eagles, so hopefully they can continue their run over the Giants and get one step closer to another division crown.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Cliff Lee is back
One year ago today, the Phillies made possibly the biggest trade in team history, sending Cliff Lee to Seattle as part of a deal that landed them Roy Halladay. Throughout the season, and even after trading for Roy Oswalt, fans still were talking about how they could have kept Cliff Lee around and paired him with Halladay and Cole Hamels to make one of the best rotations in baseball.
Well, those fans now have their wish. As of midnight today, Cliff Lee is once again a Phillie, having agreed to a five year, $120 million deal with an option for a sixth year that seems to have come in at the 11th hour. Now, not only do the Phillies have Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, but Cliff Lee as well. That's one scary rotation right there.
The best part about this deal might be the way that it got taken care of. For weeks, all people heard about were the Yankees and Rangers going after Lee, with no mention of any other team. Then, rumors of a third mystery team started to surface yesterday, and before people were going to bed out on the west coast, the Phillies had signed the biggest free agent pitcher on the market from under the noses of the Yankees and Rangers. While it's fun to really be able to stick it to New York this time, nothing has been decided yet for the 2011 baseball season. In fact, the year still has to be played.
For the moment, this is the biggest free agent signing in Phillies history. The Phillies now have the best rotation in major league baseball, with two Cy Young winners in Halladay and Lee, as well as Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels. All four pitchers have playoff experience, and all four could be the ace for almost any other team in baseball. This isn't any other team any more, though. The Phillies have shown over the past three seasons that they want to be one of the big teams in baseball. They've gotten there now. Very few, if any, teams have actually beaten out the Yankees for a player that they had their sights on for months, but the Phillies did it. Cliff Lee chose a chance to pitch in the best staff in baseball in a city that he loved over an extra $30 million, and if there was any other way for him to be loved more by the fans in Philadelphia, that was it.
The Phillies aren't done making moves yet, either. While this signing certainly cements the rotation in place, there are still several questions that are lingering around. Ruben Amaro is likely looking at trading away Joe Blanton, Raul Ibanez or both of them to pay for Lee's new contract, and the Phillies still have some questions in the bullpen and a lack of a power right handed bat in their lineup. This team isn't perfect, but they're on their way. There's still plenty of time left in the offseason for more moves to be made, and after the Phillies just pulled off this stunner, I'm sure that they have something else up their sleeves.
There is a bit of a dark cloud to all of this, though. The Phillies have now officially joined the Yankees and the Red Sox on the "dark side" of the baseball fence. With their payroll now, fans in Philadelphia can't complain about the Yankees trying to buy a championship, or the Red Sox plundering from smaller market teams, because the Phillies are right there now, too. The funny thing is...I kind of like this feeling. It's a far cry from where the Phillies were just ten years ago, and if you had told me at the end of the 1999 season that the Phillies would have won four straight National League East pennants, gone to back to back World Series and won the 2008 World Series, I would have laughed at you. Now, the Phillies have truly become one of the elite teams in baseball. It certainly hasn't all been through homegrown talent, but that's how good teams stay at the top.
Welcome back to Philadelphia, Cliff. The city sure did miss you. Yes folks, it's only gonna get funner.
CSNPhilly.com: Cliff Lee is a Phillie again
Well, those fans now have their wish. As of midnight today, Cliff Lee is once again a Phillie, having agreed to a five year, $120 million deal with an option for a sixth year that seems to have come in at the 11th hour. Now, not only do the Phillies have Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, but Cliff Lee as well. That's one scary rotation right there.
The best part about this deal might be the way that it got taken care of. For weeks, all people heard about were the Yankees and Rangers going after Lee, with no mention of any other team. Then, rumors of a third mystery team started to surface yesterday, and before people were going to bed out on the west coast, the Phillies had signed the biggest free agent pitcher on the market from under the noses of the Yankees and Rangers. While it's fun to really be able to stick it to New York this time, nothing has been decided yet for the 2011 baseball season. In fact, the year still has to be played.
For the moment, this is the biggest free agent signing in Phillies history. The Phillies now have the best rotation in major league baseball, with two Cy Young winners in Halladay and Lee, as well as Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels. All four pitchers have playoff experience, and all four could be the ace for almost any other team in baseball. This isn't any other team any more, though. The Phillies have shown over the past three seasons that they want to be one of the big teams in baseball. They've gotten there now. Very few, if any, teams have actually beaten out the Yankees for a player that they had their sights on for months, but the Phillies did it. Cliff Lee chose a chance to pitch in the best staff in baseball in a city that he loved over an extra $30 million, and if there was any other way for him to be loved more by the fans in Philadelphia, that was it.
The Phillies aren't done making moves yet, either. While this signing certainly cements the rotation in place, there are still several questions that are lingering around. Ruben Amaro is likely looking at trading away Joe Blanton, Raul Ibanez or both of them to pay for Lee's new contract, and the Phillies still have some questions in the bullpen and a lack of a power right handed bat in their lineup. This team isn't perfect, but they're on their way. There's still plenty of time left in the offseason for more moves to be made, and after the Phillies just pulled off this stunner, I'm sure that they have something else up their sleeves.
There is a bit of a dark cloud to all of this, though. The Phillies have now officially joined the Yankees and the Red Sox on the "dark side" of the baseball fence. With their payroll now, fans in Philadelphia can't complain about the Yankees trying to buy a championship, or the Red Sox plundering from smaller market teams, because the Phillies are right there now, too. The funny thing is...I kind of like this feeling. It's a far cry from where the Phillies were just ten years ago, and if you had told me at the end of the 1999 season that the Phillies would have won four straight National League East pennants, gone to back to back World Series and won the 2008 World Series, I would have laughed at you. Now, the Phillies have truly become one of the elite teams in baseball. It certainly hasn't all been through homegrown talent, but that's how good teams stay at the top.
Welcome back to Philadelphia, Cliff. The city sure did miss you. Yes folks, it's only gonna get funner.
CSNPhilly.com: Cliff Lee is a Phillie again
Monday, December 6, 2010
Jayson Werth and Donovan McNabb have something in common.
Most Phillies fans knew that it was coming, but it's still never good to see it when it does. As per Todd Zolecki, Jayson Werth has left the Phillies for the Washington Nationals.
The team may seem like a surprise to some, but the deal is a bigger shock. Werth signed a seven year, $126 million deal, putting him in the nation's capital until he's 38, and at an average of $18 million per season at that. The Nationals have picked up a good right fielder, while the Phillies now have a hole in right.
When you look at the pure numbers of this deal, there was just no way that the Phillies were going to match it. The Nationals offered Werth seven years, and from what everyone had been hearing, there's just no way that the Phillies were going to offer more than five. The Nationals also have made Werth one of the highest paid outfielders in the game, and while Washington missed out on key free agents in Mark Teixeira and C.C. Sabathia, they weren't going to miss out on Werth. The Nationals came on hard and fast, and to be honest with you, the Phillies didn't stand a chance. Not with what the Nationals were throwing out there. Not with seven years and $18 million per season.
It was almost certain that the Phillies were going to lose Werth during this offseason, but there was still hope that he would come back. After all, the Phillies were the only team to pick him up off the scrap heap back in 2007 and then they gave him a chance in 2008 after Geoff Jenkins didn't work out. Over the last two and a half years, Werth has been one of the keys to the middle of the Philadelphia lineup, and while part of that has to be due to having Chase Utley and Ryan Howard bat in front of him, some of it also has to do with Werth's natural talent. There's no doubt about it, Werth is a good right fielder, with a cannon for an arm and power to match, but when he's in a lineup with Ryan Zimmerman and himself, how much protection is he going to get? Plus, Nationals Park isn't nearly as forgiving as Citizens Bank Park, so his numbers might go down next year.
People have seen these deals for outfielders almost every year. They can work, but they don't always. Look back at Jason Bay last year, Carlos Lee a few years back and Vernon Wells in Toronto. Outfielders can have a few big seasons, sign big contracts and then become problems for the team that signed them. I'm not saying that's what going to happen to Werth, not at all. In fact, I hope Werth kills everyone but the Phillies in his time in Washington. What I am saying is that the contract that Werth signed makes him a problem for the Nationals if they ever have to get rid of him. Werth turns 32 next May, which is close to the end of the prime years for most baseball players. Say Werth's numbers start going downhill after two years. No one is going to want to trade for a 34 or 35 year old right fielder who is getting paid $18 million a season. That's why the Phillies wouldn't go further than four years with Werth, and that's the biggest problem that the Nationals are going to have.
For the Phillies, the biggest question now is how will they fill the hole left by Werth. Ben Francisco or Domonic Brown seem like the most likely options, but Francisco has never started full time in Philadelphia, and Brown struggled during the season with the Phillies, and then came home after a poor winter league in the Dominican. Apparently, the Phillies are looking at other options, such as Matt Diaz or Jeff Francoeur, but those can't possibly be long term ideas. The Phillies need another right handed bat in their lineup, and if they put Brown in there, it's just going to be another left hander in the mix of things. It's not going to work for an everyday solution. The Phillies need that right handed bat, and ideas aren't exactly flying in.
Jayson Werth was a good player for the Phillies. He was a key part of the team over the last two years, but to be honest with everyone, he was too old to sign to such a long term deal. The Nationals have more money to make a move like this, so it makes more sense. That doesn't mean that it's a good deal, though.
So long, Werth. It was fun while it lasted.
The Zo Zone: Werth signs with Nationals
The team may seem like a surprise to some, but the deal is a bigger shock. Werth signed a seven year, $126 million deal, putting him in the nation's capital until he's 38, and at an average of $18 million per season at that. The Nationals have picked up a good right fielder, while the Phillies now have a hole in right.
When you look at the pure numbers of this deal, there was just no way that the Phillies were going to match it. The Nationals offered Werth seven years, and from what everyone had been hearing, there's just no way that the Phillies were going to offer more than five. The Nationals also have made Werth one of the highest paid outfielders in the game, and while Washington missed out on key free agents in Mark Teixeira and C.C. Sabathia, they weren't going to miss out on Werth. The Nationals came on hard and fast, and to be honest with you, the Phillies didn't stand a chance. Not with what the Nationals were throwing out there. Not with seven years and $18 million per season.
It was almost certain that the Phillies were going to lose Werth during this offseason, but there was still hope that he would come back. After all, the Phillies were the only team to pick him up off the scrap heap back in 2007 and then they gave him a chance in 2008 after Geoff Jenkins didn't work out. Over the last two and a half years, Werth has been one of the keys to the middle of the Philadelphia lineup, and while part of that has to be due to having Chase Utley and Ryan Howard bat in front of him, some of it also has to do with Werth's natural talent. There's no doubt about it, Werth is a good right fielder, with a cannon for an arm and power to match, but when he's in a lineup with Ryan Zimmerman and himself, how much protection is he going to get? Plus, Nationals Park isn't nearly as forgiving as Citizens Bank Park, so his numbers might go down next year.
People have seen these deals for outfielders almost every year. They can work, but they don't always. Look back at Jason Bay last year, Carlos Lee a few years back and Vernon Wells in Toronto. Outfielders can have a few big seasons, sign big contracts and then become problems for the team that signed them. I'm not saying that's what going to happen to Werth, not at all. In fact, I hope Werth kills everyone but the Phillies in his time in Washington. What I am saying is that the contract that Werth signed makes him a problem for the Nationals if they ever have to get rid of him. Werth turns 32 next May, which is close to the end of the prime years for most baseball players. Say Werth's numbers start going downhill after two years. No one is going to want to trade for a 34 or 35 year old right fielder who is getting paid $18 million a season. That's why the Phillies wouldn't go further than four years with Werth, and that's the biggest problem that the Nationals are going to have.
For the Phillies, the biggest question now is how will they fill the hole left by Werth. Ben Francisco or Domonic Brown seem like the most likely options, but Francisco has never started full time in Philadelphia, and Brown struggled during the season with the Phillies, and then came home after a poor winter league in the Dominican. Apparently, the Phillies are looking at other options, such as Matt Diaz or Jeff Francoeur, but those can't possibly be long term ideas. The Phillies need another right handed bat in their lineup, and if they put Brown in there, it's just going to be another left hander in the mix of things. It's not going to work for an everyday solution. The Phillies need that right handed bat, and ideas aren't exactly flying in.
Jayson Werth was a good player for the Phillies. He was a key part of the team over the last two years, but to be honest with everyone, he was too old to sign to such a long term deal. The Nationals have more money to make a move like this, so it makes more sense. That doesn't mean that it's a good deal, though.
So long, Werth. It was fun while it lasted.
The Zo Zone: Werth signs with Nationals
Eagles Aftermath: Eagles-34, Texans-24
What happened?
Down 24-20 in the fourth quarter, Michael Vick guided the Eagles to two scoring drives, putting the Eagles at 8-4 and keeping them in first place in t he NFC East.
The Good:
Michael Vick had another solid game, going 22 of 33 for 302 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also ran the ball 10 times for 48 yards and a touchdown.
LeSean McCoy couldn't do much on the ground, but he was great catching the ball. McCoy ran the ball 12 times for 44 yards and a touchdown while catching eight passes for 86 yards and another touchdown.
DeSean Jackson only had three catches, but they went for 84 yards.
Brent Celek caught four passes for 55 yards and had a huge play on third down and 19 that allowed the Eagles to score a touchdown and put the game away in the fourth quarter.
Trevor Laws had his first career interception late in the second quarter, picking off Matt Schaub on a screen pass to set up a field goal.
David Akers kicked two field goals and four extra points.
The Bad:
Sav Rocca had three punts in the game, and averaged just 35.7 yards on them.
Andre Johnson had 149 yards receiving.
Adrian Foster didn't get to 100 yards on the ground, but he got close. He also scored twice, including a catch where he ran over Nate Allen at the three yard line.
Jason Avant had just one catch for four yards.
The Ugly:
The Eagles had 11 penalties called against them for 85 yards.
Houston made it inside the red zone three times, and scored all three times.
After taking over 12 minutes off the clock in the first and the start of the second quarter, the Eagles only had the ball for another 19 minutes.
The Breakdown:
This was a game that both teams needed to win, and while the Eagles almost let things slip away from them, in the end, they managed their fourth win since the bye and kept their first place lead in the NFC East over the New York Giants.
It wasn't as easy as a lot of people thought it was going to be, though. On their first two drives, the Eagles cut through the Houston defense, with Michael Vick once again doing most of the damage. His first pass of the game was a 30 completion to DeSean Jackson, and LeSean McCoy scored on each of the first two drives. After that, the first half once again boiled down to a few simple facts, though. The Eagles can't stop teams in the red zone, and there are times when this team just can not score when they get inside the 20 yard line. The three times that the Texans had the ball in the red zone, they found the end zone, including twice in the third quarter to put Houston on top for the first time. Meanwhile, the Eagles, who had gone 2-10 in their last two games inside the 20, scored on their first two drives in the red zone, but then had the same issues that they had faced against the Bears and Giants. While those two teams are solid on defense, Houston is anything but.
The biggest issue on Thursday night were the two dropped passes inside the red zone. Both Jason Avant and Brent Celek dropped what should have been touchdown passes from Michael Vick, and the two drives ended with field goals instead of touchdowns. Even though the Eagles won on Thursday, that can be a big deal, especially against a team with a better defense. Against the Bears, the Eagles had their chances, but couldn't get the job done. The same could be said against the Giants, despite Philadelphia winning that game. The Eagles got lucky against Houston, in that the Texans ended up not being able to stop the Eagles in the fourth quarter. Michael Vick did what he had to do, and the Eagles came away with a win. That doesn't mean that it was as good as it could have been, though.
Michael Vick took a lot of hits against the Texans, and was slow in getting up on a few of them as well. Vick took a nasty shot in the second quarter and didn't run as well after that. The biggest issue is the offensive line for this team. If they can't keep Vick from getting hit, he's going to get hurt. To make matters even worse, Winston Justice left the game with an apparent knee injury. King Dunlap is ok, but he's still King Dunlap. Winston Justice at least has started and knows the system better than Dunlap does. Considering Vick has been sacked eight times in the last three games, and he's one of the most elusive quarterbacks in the NFL, that doesn't bode well for this offensive line. Vick has to stay healthy to lead the offense, and all it's going to take is one good hit for him to be knocked out for the year.
Then, there's the defense. The Eagles held the Texans to just 10 points in the first half, but in the third quarter, they gave way to Adrian Foster and Andre Johnson. The two headed attack for the Texans recorded two touchdowns in the quarter, and Foster made Nate Allen look like a rookie when he ran him over on a touchdown run. The Achilles heel for the Eagles this year has been their defense in the red zone, and Thursday was no exception. All three times that Houston got the ball inside the 20, they scored a touchdown. It's not because the Eagles aren't talented on defense, or that Asante Samuel is out. There is something missing from this team that keeps them from having a killer instinct when the opponent gets close to the end zone. It's not good, no matter what it is.
Regardless of how the first three quarters went, the Eagles pulled out a comeback win in the last 15 minutes. Michael Vick ran for a touchdown to give the Eagles the lead, then found Owen Schmitt on the same play that LeSean McCoy scored on in the first quarter to finish things off. McCoy had another solid receiving day, even if the Eagles still refuse to give him the ball on the ground, while Brent Celek had the play of the game on a third and 19. While he was being tackled, Celek rolled over on the defensive player and stretched the football out. The ball just broke the plane, and the Eagles recorded a first down. Later on the drive, the Eagles scored, and that was all she wrote for the game. Without Celek making the same type of play he's made throughout his career, who knows how this game ends?
With four games left, the Eagles are sitting at 8-4, but these last four games are going to be tough. The Eagles play Dallas twice, the Giants in New Jersey and the Vikings in what could be Brett Favre's 300th straight start. The Cowboys and Vikings are playing spoiler, and the Giants are playing for the division. The Eagles need to take at least three out of these four games to ensure a playoff spot. Sweeping them and finishing 12-4 would be even better. Next up is the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. Let's see what the Eagles can do once again in prime time.
Down 24-20 in the fourth quarter, Michael Vick guided the Eagles to two scoring drives, putting the Eagles at 8-4 and keeping them in first place in t he NFC East.
The Good:
Michael Vick had another solid game, going 22 of 33 for 302 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also ran the ball 10 times for 48 yards and a touchdown.
LeSean McCoy couldn't do much on the ground, but he was great catching the ball. McCoy ran the ball 12 times for 44 yards and a touchdown while catching eight passes for 86 yards and another touchdown.
DeSean Jackson only had three catches, but they went for 84 yards.
Brent Celek caught four passes for 55 yards and had a huge play on third down and 19 that allowed the Eagles to score a touchdown and put the game away in the fourth quarter.
Trevor Laws had his first career interception late in the second quarter, picking off Matt Schaub on a screen pass to set up a field goal.
David Akers kicked two field goals and four extra points.
The Bad:
Sav Rocca had three punts in the game, and averaged just 35.7 yards on them.
Andre Johnson had 149 yards receiving.
Adrian Foster didn't get to 100 yards on the ground, but he got close. He also scored twice, including a catch where he ran over Nate Allen at the three yard line.
Jason Avant had just one catch for four yards.
The Ugly:
The Eagles had 11 penalties called against them for 85 yards.
Houston made it inside the red zone three times, and scored all three times.
After taking over 12 minutes off the clock in the first and the start of the second quarter, the Eagles only had the ball for another 19 minutes.
The Breakdown:
This was a game that both teams needed to win, and while the Eagles almost let things slip away from them, in the end, they managed their fourth win since the bye and kept their first place lead in the NFC East over the New York Giants.
It wasn't as easy as a lot of people thought it was going to be, though. On their first two drives, the Eagles cut through the Houston defense, with Michael Vick once again doing most of the damage. His first pass of the game was a 30 completion to DeSean Jackson, and LeSean McCoy scored on each of the first two drives. After that, the first half once again boiled down to a few simple facts, though. The Eagles can't stop teams in the red zone, and there are times when this team just can not score when they get inside the 20 yard line. The three times that the Texans had the ball in the red zone, they found the end zone, including twice in the third quarter to put Houston on top for the first time. Meanwhile, the Eagles, who had gone 2-10 in their last two games inside the 20, scored on their first two drives in the red zone, but then had the same issues that they had faced against the Bears and Giants. While those two teams are solid on defense, Houston is anything but.
The biggest issue on Thursday night were the two dropped passes inside the red zone. Both Jason Avant and Brent Celek dropped what should have been touchdown passes from Michael Vick, and the two drives ended with field goals instead of touchdowns. Even though the Eagles won on Thursday, that can be a big deal, especially against a team with a better defense. Against the Bears, the Eagles had their chances, but couldn't get the job done. The same could be said against the Giants, despite Philadelphia winning that game. The Eagles got lucky against Houston, in that the Texans ended up not being able to stop the Eagles in the fourth quarter. Michael Vick did what he had to do, and the Eagles came away with a win. That doesn't mean that it was as good as it could have been, though.
Michael Vick took a lot of hits against the Texans, and was slow in getting up on a few of them as well. Vick took a nasty shot in the second quarter and didn't run as well after that. The biggest issue is the offensive line for this team. If they can't keep Vick from getting hit, he's going to get hurt. To make matters even worse, Winston Justice left the game with an apparent knee injury. King Dunlap is ok, but he's still King Dunlap. Winston Justice at least has started and knows the system better than Dunlap does. Considering Vick has been sacked eight times in the last three games, and he's one of the most elusive quarterbacks in the NFL, that doesn't bode well for this offensive line. Vick has to stay healthy to lead the offense, and all it's going to take is one good hit for him to be knocked out for the year.
Then, there's the defense. The Eagles held the Texans to just 10 points in the first half, but in the third quarter, they gave way to Adrian Foster and Andre Johnson. The two headed attack for the Texans recorded two touchdowns in the quarter, and Foster made Nate Allen look like a rookie when he ran him over on a touchdown run. The Achilles heel for the Eagles this year has been their defense in the red zone, and Thursday was no exception. All three times that Houston got the ball inside the 20, they scored a touchdown. It's not because the Eagles aren't talented on defense, or that Asante Samuel is out. There is something missing from this team that keeps them from having a killer instinct when the opponent gets close to the end zone. It's not good, no matter what it is.
Regardless of how the first three quarters went, the Eagles pulled out a comeback win in the last 15 minutes. Michael Vick ran for a touchdown to give the Eagles the lead, then found Owen Schmitt on the same play that LeSean McCoy scored on in the first quarter to finish things off. McCoy had another solid receiving day, even if the Eagles still refuse to give him the ball on the ground, while Brent Celek had the play of the game on a third and 19. While he was being tackled, Celek rolled over on the defensive player and stretched the football out. The ball just broke the plane, and the Eagles recorded a first down. Later on the drive, the Eagles scored, and that was all she wrote for the game. Without Celek making the same type of play he's made throughout his career, who knows how this game ends?
With four games left, the Eagles are sitting at 8-4, but these last four games are going to be tough. The Eagles play Dallas twice, the Giants in New Jersey and the Vikings in what could be Brett Favre's 300th straight start. The Cowboys and Vikings are playing spoiler, and the Giants are playing for the division. The Eagles need to take at least three out of these four games to ensure a playoff spot. Sweeping them and finishing 12-4 would be even better. Next up is the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. Let's see what the Eagles can do once again in prime time.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Eagles Aftermath: Bears-31, Eagles-26
What happened?
The Chicago Bears dealt Michael Vick his first loss as a starter for the Eagles, ending Philadelphia's three game winning streak and putting them back in a first place tie with the New York Giants.
The Good:
Jason Avant had eight catches for 83 yards.
Brent Celek actually caught a touchdown pass, and had three catches for 50 yards.
Trent Cole sacked Jay Cutler twice.
Brandon Graham had pressure on Cutler several times, and sacked him once.
The Eagles only had three penalties for 19 yards.
The Bad:
Michael Vick passed for 333 yards and two touchdowns, but never looked comfortable against the Chicago defense. He also threw his first interception of the year in the red zone and was sacked four times.
LeSean McCoy only carried the ball ten times for 53 yards. I don't care about yards per carry or how many catches he had, that's not enough runs for him.
DeSean Jackson had just two catches for 26 yards. Yep, I'm calling him out, too.
The Eagles allowed Matt Forte to be the first running back to gain 100 yards off of them this season. Forte picked up 117 yards on just 14 carries, including a big 61 yard run in the first quarter.
The Ugly:
The Eagles had 22 more pass attempts than rush attempts. That's not a balanced attack.
In five trips to the red zone, the Eagles scored a single touchdown.
Jay Cutler went 14 of 21 with four touchdown passes. When Jay Cutler almost has a perfect quarterback rating, you've messed up.
The Eagles were horrible on kick coverage, allowing an average of 27.7 yards per return.
The Breakdown:
There's really not that much that can be said about this game. Sure, the Eagles only lost by five points, but it felt like a lot more than that. The Chicago Bears took the Eagles behind Soldier Field and gave them an old fashioned ass whooping. That's what last Sunday's game was.
The stats don't matter in a game like this. Michael Vick may have thrown for 333 yards, but he was running for his life most of the time, and the Bears had a perfect gameplan to shut the Eagles down. All Chicago had to do was get pressure and leave their safeties back, looking for the deep pass to DeSean Jackson or Jeremy Maclin. Just like against the Giants, Vick couldn't adjust when he needed to, and several of those over 300 passing yards came when the game was out of reach. In fact, the biggest moment of the game came when Vick threw his first interception of the year. The Eagles looked like they were going to take a 20-14 lead into the half when Vick led them into the red zone late in the first half, but Brian Urlacher tipped Vick's pass in the end zone, and Chris Harris intercepted it. With 38 seconds left in the half, Jay Cutler found Earl Bennett for a touchdown, and instead of the Eagles being up at the half, Chicago took a 21-13 lead that they would never give up.
For the second game in a row, the Eagles had missed chance after missed chance in the red zone. In their last two games, the Eagles have two touchdowns in ten red zone chances, and that's not good enough for a team that thinks they have a chance to win the NFC. Right now, this team might not even be good enough to make the playoffs, so they need to get their act together, and fast. Seriously, two touchdowns in their last ten chances? I know that they've played the Giants and Bears, and those are two good defenses, but still, that's nowhere close to good enough. There were more missed chances on Sunday, with Vick overthrowing receivers, or having to throw passes away because of the rush. It wasn't all on Vick against Chicago. The offensive line had a role to play as well, and they didn't do it that well. Vick was running for his life for most of the game, and rarely had a chance to get comfortable in the pocket. Yes, Michael Vick is a running quarterback, but he's been more and more of a pocket quarterback this season, and he needs time to find open receivers. If the offensive line can't give him time, he's done. The Giants showed that two weeks ago, and the Bears made it work even better last week.
The defense also had issues against the Bears. You can blame it all you want on the turf situation in Chicago, but the fact of the matter is good teams don't have issues with turf. They can play well on any surface. Matt Forte became the first running back this year to pick up 100 yards on the ground against the Eagles, and the defense just looked slow in general. Stewart Bradley was horrible, and the pass defense made Jay Cutler actually look like a first round pick. There's no way that missing Asante Samuel counted that much during this game. It's just not possible. Dimitri Patterson had been solid before last week, and Joselio Hanson is usually a good option, but neither one looked good at all. They gave up big play after big play, and that was how the Bears managed to get into scoring position so many times. Chicago used the big play very well last Sunday, and they did it early and often.
To be honest with you, having the Eagles go 3-1 through a stretch against the Colts, Donovan McNabb and the Redskins, the Giants and the Bears is pretty damn good, all things considered. However, they still needed to win this game against Chicago. This was a prove it game for this team, which had all but been anointed as the best in the NFC. While that still might happen, the Bears took the blueprint that the Giants made for stopping this offense, and they worked it to perfection. If the defense can't get caught up, then things are going to get very interesting down the stretch. Tomorrow night, the Eagles play the Houston Texans, who have one of the better offenses in the league, but boast one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. This game could be very, very fun, but it's a must win for both teams.
It's just a matter of who wants it more. I bet the Eagles do.
The Chicago Bears dealt Michael Vick his first loss as a starter for the Eagles, ending Philadelphia's three game winning streak and putting them back in a first place tie with the New York Giants.
The Good:
Jason Avant had eight catches for 83 yards.
Brent Celek actually caught a touchdown pass, and had three catches for 50 yards.
Trent Cole sacked Jay Cutler twice.
Brandon Graham had pressure on Cutler several times, and sacked him once.
The Eagles only had three penalties for 19 yards.
The Bad:
Michael Vick passed for 333 yards and two touchdowns, but never looked comfortable against the Chicago defense. He also threw his first interception of the year in the red zone and was sacked four times.
LeSean McCoy only carried the ball ten times for 53 yards. I don't care about yards per carry or how many catches he had, that's not enough runs for him.
DeSean Jackson had just two catches for 26 yards. Yep, I'm calling him out, too.
The Eagles allowed Matt Forte to be the first running back to gain 100 yards off of them this season. Forte picked up 117 yards on just 14 carries, including a big 61 yard run in the first quarter.
The Ugly:
The Eagles had 22 more pass attempts than rush attempts. That's not a balanced attack.
In five trips to the red zone, the Eagles scored a single touchdown.
Jay Cutler went 14 of 21 with four touchdown passes. When Jay Cutler almost has a perfect quarterback rating, you've messed up.
The Eagles were horrible on kick coverage, allowing an average of 27.7 yards per return.
The Breakdown:
There's really not that much that can be said about this game. Sure, the Eagles only lost by five points, but it felt like a lot more than that. The Chicago Bears took the Eagles behind Soldier Field and gave them an old fashioned ass whooping. That's what last Sunday's game was.
The stats don't matter in a game like this. Michael Vick may have thrown for 333 yards, but he was running for his life most of the time, and the Bears had a perfect gameplan to shut the Eagles down. All Chicago had to do was get pressure and leave their safeties back, looking for the deep pass to DeSean Jackson or Jeremy Maclin. Just like against the Giants, Vick couldn't adjust when he needed to, and several of those over 300 passing yards came when the game was out of reach. In fact, the biggest moment of the game came when Vick threw his first interception of the year. The Eagles looked like they were going to take a 20-14 lead into the half when Vick led them into the red zone late in the first half, but Brian Urlacher tipped Vick's pass in the end zone, and Chris Harris intercepted it. With 38 seconds left in the half, Jay Cutler found Earl Bennett for a touchdown, and instead of the Eagles being up at the half, Chicago took a 21-13 lead that they would never give up.
For the second game in a row, the Eagles had missed chance after missed chance in the red zone. In their last two games, the Eagles have two touchdowns in ten red zone chances, and that's not good enough for a team that thinks they have a chance to win the NFC. Right now, this team might not even be good enough to make the playoffs, so they need to get their act together, and fast. Seriously, two touchdowns in their last ten chances? I know that they've played the Giants and Bears, and those are two good defenses, but still, that's nowhere close to good enough. There were more missed chances on Sunday, with Vick overthrowing receivers, or having to throw passes away because of the rush. It wasn't all on Vick against Chicago. The offensive line had a role to play as well, and they didn't do it that well. Vick was running for his life for most of the game, and rarely had a chance to get comfortable in the pocket. Yes, Michael Vick is a running quarterback, but he's been more and more of a pocket quarterback this season, and he needs time to find open receivers. If the offensive line can't give him time, he's done. The Giants showed that two weeks ago, and the Bears made it work even better last week.
The defense also had issues against the Bears. You can blame it all you want on the turf situation in Chicago, but the fact of the matter is good teams don't have issues with turf. They can play well on any surface. Matt Forte became the first running back this year to pick up 100 yards on the ground against the Eagles, and the defense just looked slow in general. Stewart Bradley was horrible, and the pass defense made Jay Cutler actually look like a first round pick. There's no way that missing Asante Samuel counted that much during this game. It's just not possible. Dimitri Patterson had been solid before last week, and Joselio Hanson is usually a good option, but neither one looked good at all. They gave up big play after big play, and that was how the Bears managed to get into scoring position so many times. Chicago used the big play very well last Sunday, and they did it early and often.
To be honest with you, having the Eagles go 3-1 through a stretch against the Colts, Donovan McNabb and the Redskins, the Giants and the Bears is pretty damn good, all things considered. However, they still needed to win this game against Chicago. This was a prove it game for this team, which had all but been anointed as the best in the NFC. While that still might happen, the Bears took the blueprint that the Giants made for stopping this offense, and they worked it to perfection. If the defense can't get caught up, then things are going to get very interesting down the stretch. Tomorrow night, the Eagles play the Houston Texans, who have one of the better offenses in the league, but boast one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. This game could be very, very fun, but it's a must win for both teams.
It's just a matter of who wants it more. I bet the Eagles do.
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