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.
No comments:
Post a Comment