It took three tries in the last week, but Philadelphia finally bested Dallas in a sporting event. Unfortunately for all the Eagles fans, it was the Philadelphia Flyers that took out the Dallas Stars last night by a 6-3 score. Fourteen players registered a point in the game, which was the most in 13 years for the orange and black.
With the recent downfall of the Eagles, most people probably haven't given the Flyers much notice, but they've quietly climbed back into the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference. Their win last night was their fourth in a row and their eighth in their last ten games. While the Flyers are currently fourth in the Atlantic Division, they are the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference at the moment, and they way that they've been playing, that number should only get better as the rest of the season continues.
What's the cause for this improvement? Quite simply, the offensive weapons that weren't working during most of November and December have clicked into gear again, and despite issues in goal, the Flyers have been scoring at will on most of their opponents. Each of their last four wins has been decided by three goals or more, and the Flyers have driven the opposing goalie out of the game twice in their current stretch. The power play is clicking as well, with the Flyers scoring on the man advantage in their last five games. They also haven't allowed a power play goal since the Winter Classic, another reason why things have started to improve for the team.
After losing both Ray Emery and Brian Boucher to injuries, things didn't look good in goal for the Flyers, but somehow, even the goalie issues have gotten better during this recent hot streak. Michael Leighton was picked off of the scrap heap, and despite only starting 60 games before this season, the journeyman goalkeeper hasn't lost a game yet, going 8-0-1 with a 2.22 goals against average for the Flyers. If you want the other reason why the Flyers have been able to improve so much over the last three weeks, Leighton's play is certainly near the top of the list. I'm not saying he can keep this level of play up, but with Ray Emery just about ready to comeback from his injury, it might just be enough for him to bounce Boucher from his backup job. I certainly wouldn't mind seeing Leighton out in goal every fifth game or so instead of Boucher. At least then I would feel like the Flyers had a chance to win the game.
Regardless, it's nice to see the Flyers picking up their play again. I think most people knew that this team was too good to continue slumping like they had been for that stretch, but at least now it's out of the way. The offense is clicking, the defense is playing better, and the goaltending has improved by leaps and bounds, thanks to a career backup getting a chance to shine. Right now, the Flyers would be in the playoffs, but at this point, I want to see how far they can climb out of the hole they dug for themselves.
Showing posts with label Dallas Sucks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dallas Sucks. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Eagles Aftermath-NFC Wild Card Edition: Cowboys-34, Eagles-14
What happened?
The Cowboys won their first playoff game since 1996 with a dominating performance over the Philadelphia Eagles, ending their season.
The Good:
Do you really expect me to say anything was good in that game yesterday? Keep on looking down.
The Bad:
Just like last week, it wasn't even bad. Just keep on going, it's almost here.
The Ugly:
The Eagles ended up running the ball more this week...three times more, to be exact. Yeah, that didn't work.
DeSean Jackson, for all of his talking, was a complete nonfactor, catching three passes for 14 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter when the game was already over.
The Eagles committed four turnovers, and never got into a groove on offense the entire game.
Donovan McNabb looked even worse than last week, completing 19/37 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown, along with an interception.
Brian Westbrook didn't carry the ball once, and only caught one pass for 27 yards.
The defense allowed Dallas to score on five straight possessions in the second quarter.
The time of possession battle was just about 2-1 in favor of Dallas, just like last week.
Basically, nothing changed, except the Eagles managed to score this time around.
The Breakdown:
So, the 2009-10 Philadelphia Eagles' season comes to an end. It didn't end with a parade down Broad Street, like all of us wanted. Instead, it ended with a humiliating loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas, as the Cowboys defeated the Eagles for the second time in a week. Just as they had in the last game of the regular season, the Cowboys dictated the pace of the game and were able to easily take care of the Eagles for their first playoff win since I was in sixth grade.
The best way to break down this three hour car accident that resembled a football game is to look at my keys to the game from yesterday. The first one was to get pressure on Tony Romo, so the secondary wouldn't have to do everything. Well, the defense had the right idea at first, sacking Romo twice in the first quarter as they kept the Cowboys from scoring. After that, however, they weren't able to bring Romo to the ground for the rest of the game. Romo responded by picking apart the shaky secondary for the Eagles, passing for two touchdowns and 244 yards on the day. Something in that secondary has to change, but I'll get to that in a minute. The important thing here is that, after the first 15 minutes, I got closer to Tony Romo than the defensive line did. There was no pressure, and the Eagles were out muscled by Dallas' offensive line.
Point number two was that the Eagles needed to keep Donovan McNabb upright and protected, so that he didn't have to rush his throws or force them to his receivers. Yeah, that didn't go so well, did it? Just like the last game, McNabb was sacked four times and again was never allowed to get into a good situation in the backfield. DeMarcus Ware destroyed Jason Peters throughout the entire game, and Anthony Spencer, the player the Eagles traded their first round pick for so the Cowboys could take him, picked up another sack. Boy, Spencer would look good in Eagles' green right now, wouldn't he? Just as before, McNabb struggled to find his targets, and when he did, they were usually covered tightly by Dallas defenders. DeSean Jackson only had three catches for 14 yards, and while Jeremy Maclin had seven catches for 146 yards, half of those yards came on one play...and Michael Vick was the one throwing the pass. The bottom line is McNabb did not look good last night, and while part of that was his own doing, the offensive line had to do a better job protecting him. No quarterback can be productive if he's getting pressured the entire game.
I'll move on to point number three now, which was the establishment of a running game by the Eagles. Last week, the running backs only had seven carries in the entire game. This week, things seemed to be looking better in the first quarter, but then things quickly went downhill again. Brian Westbrook didn't even have a single carry, and LeSean McCoy and Leonard Weaver carried the ball ten times, giving them just three more carries than all of last week. For the most part, I can understand why the running game went away in the second half. The Eagles needed to make up points in a hurry, and they couldn't do that on the ground. They were a pass first offense this year, and the Cowboys knew it. My only problem with taking the running game out of the playbook is that, when you do that, you have to take the play action out of there, as well. No team is going to believe that you are going to run the ball when you've passed it on nine of your last ten plays. The fake just isn't going to work, and your quarterback is going to end up getting hit, fumbling, or throwing into double coverage. All of these things happened last night in the second half. As for Dallas' running game? The Eagles stopped Marion Barber this week, holding him to four yards on three carries, but Felix Jones had an even better game, rushing for 148 yards on 16 carries, including a 73 yard touchdown run in the third quarter that was the dagger.
Basically, this game was a carbon copy of the one that ended the regular season. The Cowboys dominated on both sides of the ball, and the Eagles couldn't do anything right. The defense did what they could in the first quarter, but they fell apart in the second, allowing Dallas to score on five straight drives. I don't care where the Cowboys start with the ball. If you allow them to score five straight times, that's not on the offense for turning the ball over...that's on you. The Cowboys had the Eagles' number all three times they played them, and while Dallas looked better each time around, the Eagles looked worse and worse. As much as it pains me to do, I'm going to give the Cowboys credit for shutting the Eagles down in each game. They were the only team that could do it more than once, so good for them. They deserved to win that game last night, and are obviously the class of the NFC East this year. It wouldn't surprise me to see them in the Super Bowl this season, it really wouldn't.
There is nothing good to take out of this game. In fact, it raises a lot of questions about the future of this team. First and foremost is obviously about what's going to happen to Donovan McNabb. While Andy Reid just signed a long term extension before the playoffs, McNabb did not, and the calls for his head are going to be coming in for a while now, especially after a playoff loss to the Cowboys. While this game was not entirely his fault, he certainly did not play up to his level of performance, and shaky quarterback play will doom an offense each and every time. While I think he should stay, I'm not sure he's going to. I think the Eagles may try and move him now, before his age really becomes a factor in getting rid of him. After Kevin Kolb played well in his two starts this year, there are going to be those that call for him to be the starter next season. To be fair, he did play against the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs, two teams that aren't exactly known for their defenses, but he looked good in each game. If he doesn't get the starting nod this coming season, I think he will in 2012. McNabb doesn't have much time left in this city, and I can only hope both sides don't burn every bridge they have before he leaves.
Then there's the rest of the offense. Brian Westbrook's time as an Eagle looks like it's coming to an end, and Leonard Weaver is a free agent after the season. I think the first thing that has to happen is the Eagles need to sign Weaver to a long term deal. He really proved his worth at fullback this season, and I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want to go back to the days of Tony Hunt and Thomas Tapeh trying to be a lead blocker for Brian Westbrook or LeSean McCoy. Speaking of McCoy, I have a feeling he's going to be locked in as the starting running back for a while now. He showed a lot of potential this season, but when teams focused in on him, he struggled. He's going to have to get better in his second season to bring more balance to the offense.
As for the wide receivers, the first two are clearly set in stone. DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin are young, fast and have a lot of talent. Those two aren't going anywhere. After that, the wideout situation gets a bit cloudy. Jason Avant is a free agent to be, and will be looking for a bigger contract. Meanwhile, Kevin Curtis is signed through 2012, and Reggie Brown still has another four years left on his deal, though he's more than likely gone once the salary cap goes away for the 2010 season. Regardless, the offense needs more balance. Jackson and Maclin are great players, but there has to be something other than the big play for this team to win. In all three games, the Cowboys took away the big play, and they won. They were the only team that could do that, and the Eagles had no answer for it. Something has to happen to get this team back into a bit of a short yardage offense. Big plays look nice on the replay board, but they count the same as a one yard touchdown run. If you can't get the big plays when you're a big play offense, you're not going to win. That's exactly what happened against the Cowboys in all three losses. This team needs more balance if they want to go somewhere next season. Oh, and DeSean Jackson? I think you're a great player, but if you don't start showing up against the Cowboys, the city will turn on you. It will happen.
The offensive line is in a state of flux as well. Jamaal Jackson, barring a miracle, is going to miss at least part of the 2010-11 season, and Nick Cole's contract is up, meaning that the Eagles are going to have to look for a center for next year as well. Not only that, but aside from Winston Justice, there isn't a single person on that offensive line who should feel safe about their job for next season. Jason Peters was a disaster against the Cowboys, and I'm not sure how he made the Pro Bowl right now. Todd Herremans and Max Jean-Gilles are both going to have to work at keeping their starting jobs, and I can't wait until the Eagles ship the Andrews brothers out of town. That can't happen soon enough. This might be the first time in a while that I wouldn't be upset if the Eagles decided to take an offensive lineman in the first round of the NFL Draft. I really wouldn't mind.
Then, you come to the back seven on defense. The linebacking corps needs to be completely shaken up. The Eagles didn't have a player this year that could cover a tight end, and the loss of Stewart Bradley in training camp hurt more than anyone wanted to know. Why else would the Eagles have brought back Jeremiah Trotter...again? Hopefully, Bradley can return to form and help solidify the middle of the linebackers, because he needs to. Will Witherspoon more than likely has a starting job at one of the outside posts wrapped up, but then there's Chris Gocong, who also happens to be a free agent in this coming offseason. I've never been that impressed with him, but he's a solid player. Is he solid enough to resign to a long term deal? That I can't say, but I think that the Eagles will be looking in his direction here very shortly to lock him up. If not, they're going to have to fill his place, and that's just another hole to take care of.
As for the secondary, there are not many positives that I can think of right now. Asante Samuel jumps way too many routes, and while his nine interceptions look good on paper, he also gives up a lot of big plays and his tackling is very suspect. Sheldon Brown played over half the season hurt, and I think it finally caught up to him in the last few games of the year. He's going to need to get better and shelve his whining about a new contract before next season starts. The safety position is very weak right now. Sean Jones won't be back, Macho Harris shouldn't be anywhere near the field next season, and Quintin Mikell was exposed without Brian Dawkins there to help back him up. I wouldn't be upset if both safety positions were occupied by other players next year, because Mikell and the revolving door of Sean Jones and Macho Harris just couldn't get anything done as the season went on. The Eagles need that ball-hawking safety back that they had in Brian Dawkins. No one they have right now is like that. They need to find someone like that, whether it's in free agency or the draft.
Truth be told, I don't think this team was nearly as good as their record showed. That 11-5 mark was propped up by a lot of wins against bad teams. The Eagles didn't beat a single playoff team during the regular season, and they actually only beat one team that finished the season with a winning record. On the flip side, four of their five losses came against playoff teams, including two against the Dallas Cowboys. What does that mean? Well, it means that while the Eagles won the games that they should have won, when it came to that next level of competition, they couldn't get there. The Saints, Chargers and Cowboys all handled the Eagles with relative ease, and that's why all three of those teams are still in the playoffs, and the Eagles are now like me, watching the playoffs on a couch. The big play offense is shiny and nice, but without a bit of toughness from the running backs, it's not going to work well. The St. Louis Rams had a great big play offense because they had Marshall Faulk to balance it out. The Eagles need that running back to bring balance to everything. If they can't find him, then defenses will not respect the run and be able to double team DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin all game long. This season started with so much potential, but then ended the way just about every other Eagles season has...with a lot of disappointment and anger. I don't know what this offseason is going to bring, but honestly, nothing will surprise me at this point.
The worst part is, now there's no more football. What the hell am I supposed to do until pitchers and catchers report? The Sixers suck, and the Flyers are...the Flyers. Dammit, I have another six weeks to kill until spring training gets here. God damn Eagles.
The Cowboys won their first playoff game since 1996 with a dominating performance over the Philadelphia Eagles, ending their season.
The Good:
Do you really expect me to say anything was good in that game yesterday? Keep on looking down.
The Bad:
Just like last week, it wasn't even bad. Just keep on going, it's almost here.
The Ugly:
The Eagles ended up running the ball more this week...three times more, to be exact. Yeah, that didn't work.
DeSean Jackson, for all of his talking, was a complete nonfactor, catching three passes for 14 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter when the game was already over.
The Eagles committed four turnovers, and never got into a groove on offense the entire game.
Donovan McNabb looked even worse than last week, completing 19/37 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown, along with an interception.
Brian Westbrook didn't carry the ball once, and only caught one pass for 27 yards.
The defense allowed Dallas to score on five straight possessions in the second quarter.
The time of possession battle was just about 2-1 in favor of Dallas, just like last week.
Basically, nothing changed, except the Eagles managed to score this time around.
The Breakdown:
So, the 2009-10 Philadelphia Eagles' season comes to an end. It didn't end with a parade down Broad Street, like all of us wanted. Instead, it ended with a humiliating loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas, as the Cowboys defeated the Eagles for the second time in a week. Just as they had in the last game of the regular season, the Cowboys dictated the pace of the game and were able to easily take care of the Eagles for their first playoff win since I was in sixth grade.
The best way to break down this three hour car accident that resembled a football game is to look at my keys to the game from yesterday. The first one was to get pressure on Tony Romo, so the secondary wouldn't have to do everything. Well, the defense had the right idea at first, sacking Romo twice in the first quarter as they kept the Cowboys from scoring. After that, however, they weren't able to bring Romo to the ground for the rest of the game. Romo responded by picking apart the shaky secondary for the Eagles, passing for two touchdowns and 244 yards on the day. Something in that secondary has to change, but I'll get to that in a minute. The important thing here is that, after the first 15 minutes, I got closer to Tony Romo than the defensive line did. There was no pressure, and the Eagles were out muscled by Dallas' offensive line.
Point number two was that the Eagles needed to keep Donovan McNabb upright and protected, so that he didn't have to rush his throws or force them to his receivers. Yeah, that didn't go so well, did it? Just like the last game, McNabb was sacked four times and again was never allowed to get into a good situation in the backfield. DeMarcus Ware destroyed Jason Peters throughout the entire game, and Anthony Spencer, the player the Eagles traded their first round pick for so the Cowboys could take him, picked up another sack. Boy, Spencer would look good in Eagles' green right now, wouldn't he? Just as before, McNabb struggled to find his targets, and when he did, they were usually covered tightly by Dallas defenders. DeSean Jackson only had three catches for 14 yards, and while Jeremy Maclin had seven catches for 146 yards, half of those yards came on one play...and Michael Vick was the one throwing the pass. The bottom line is McNabb did not look good last night, and while part of that was his own doing, the offensive line had to do a better job protecting him. No quarterback can be productive if he's getting pressured the entire game.
I'll move on to point number three now, which was the establishment of a running game by the Eagles. Last week, the running backs only had seven carries in the entire game. This week, things seemed to be looking better in the first quarter, but then things quickly went downhill again. Brian Westbrook didn't even have a single carry, and LeSean McCoy and Leonard Weaver carried the ball ten times, giving them just three more carries than all of last week. For the most part, I can understand why the running game went away in the second half. The Eagles needed to make up points in a hurry, and they couldn't do that on the ground. They were a pass first offense this year, and the Cowboys knew it. My only problem with taking the running game out of the playbook is that, when you do that, you have to take the play action out of there, as well. No team is going to believe that you are going to run the ball when you've passed it on nine of your last ten plays. The fake just isn't going to work, and your quarterback is going to end up getting hit, fumbling, or throwing into double coverage. All of these things happened last night in the second half. As for Dallas' running game? The Eagles stopped Marion Barber this week, holding him to four yards on three carries, but Felix Jones had an even better game, rushing for 148 yards on 16 carries, including a 73 yard touchdown run in the third quarter that was the dagger.
Basically, this game was a carbon copy of the one that ended the regular season. The Cowboys dominated on both sides of the ball, and the Eagles couldn't do anything right. The defense did what they could in the first quarter, but they fell apart in the second, allowing Dallas to score on five straight drives. I don't care where the Cowboys start with the ball. If you allow them to score five straight times, that's not on the offense for turning the ball over...that's on you. The Cowboys had the Eagles' number all three times they played them, and while Dallas looked better each time around, the Eagles looked worse and worse. As much as it pains me to do, I'm going to give the Cowboys credit for shutting the Eagles down in each game. They were the only team that could do it more than once, so good for them. They deserved to win that game last night, and are obviously the class of the NFC East this year. It wouldn't surprise me to see them in the Super Bowl this season, it really wouldn't.
There is nothing good to take out of this game. In fact, it raises a lot of questions about the future of this team. First and foremost is obviously about what's going to happen to Donovan McNabb. While Andy Reid just signed a long term extension before the playoffs, McNabb did not, and the calls for his head are going to be coming in for a while now, especially after a playoff loss to the Cowboys. While this game was not entirely his fault, he certainly did not play up to his level of performance, and shaky quarterback play will doom an offense each and every time. While I think he should stay, I'm not sure he's going to. I think the Eagles may try and move him now, before his age really becomes a factor in getting rid of him. After Kevin Kolb played well in his two starts this year, there are going to be those that call for him to be the starter next season. To be fair, he did play against the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs, two teams that aren't exactly known for their defenses, but he looked good in each game. If he doesn't get the starting nod this coming season, I think he will in 2012. McNabb doesn't have much time left in this city, and I can only hope both sides don't burn every bridge they have before he leaves.
Then there's the rest of the offense. Brian Westbrook's time as an Eagle looks like it's coming to an end, and Leonard Weaver is a free agent after the season. I think the first thing that has to happen is the Eagles need to sign Weaver to a long term deal. He really proved his worth at fullback this season, and I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want to go back to the days of Tony Hunt and Thomas Tapeh trying to be a lead blocker for Brian Westbrook or LeSean McCoy. Speaking of McCoy, I have a feeling he's going to be locked in as the starting running back for a while now. He showed a lot of potential this season, but when teams focused in on him, he struggled. He's going to have to get better in his second season to bring more balance to the offense.
As for the wide receivers, the first two are clearly set in stone. DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin are young, fast and have a lot of talent. Those two aren't going anywhere. After that, the wideout situation gets a bit cloudy. Jason Avant is a free agent to be, and will be looking for a bigger contract. Meanwhile, Kevin Curtis is signed through 2012, and Reggie Brown still has another four years left on his deal, though he's more than likely gone once the salary cap goes away for the 2010 season. Regardless, the offense needs more balance. Jackson and Maclin are great players, but there has to be something other than the big play for this team to win. In all three games, the Cowboys took away the big play, and they won. They were the only team that could do that, and the Eagles had no answer for it. Something has to happen to get this team back into a bit of a short yardage offense. Big plays look nice on the replay board, but they count the same as a one yard touchdown run. If you can't get the big plays when you're a big play offense, you're not going to win. That's exactly what happened against the Cowboys in all three losses. This team needs more balance if they want to go somewhere next season. Oh, and DeSean Jackson? I think you're a great player, but if you don't start showing up against the Cowboys, the city will turn on you. It will happen.
The offensive line is in a state of flux as well. Jamaal Jackson, barring a miracle, is going to miss at least part of the 2010-11 season, and Nick Cole's contract is up, meaning that the Eagles are going to have to look for a center for next year as well. Not only that, but aside from Winston Justice, there isn't a single person on that offensive line who should feel safe about their job for next season. Jason Peters was a disaster against the Cowboys, and I'm not sure how he made the Pro Bowl right now. Todd Herremans and Max Jean-Gilles are both going to have to work at keeping their starting jobs, and I can't wait until the Eagles ship the Andrews brothers out of town. That can't happen soon enough. This might be the first time in a while that I wouldn't be upset if the Eagles decided to take an offensive lineman in the first round of the NFL Draft. I really wouldn't mind.
Then, you come to the back seven on defense. The linebacking corps needs to be completely shaken up. The Eagles didn't have a player this year that could cover a tight end, and the loss of Stewart Bradley in training camp hurt more than anyone wanted to know. Why else would the Eagles have brought back Jeremiah Trotter...again? Hopefully, Bradley can return to form and help solidify the middle of the linebackers, because he needs to. Will Witherspoon more than likely has a starting job at one of the outside posts wrapped up, but then there's Chris Gocong, who also happens to be a free agent in this coming offseason. I've never been that impressed with him, but he's a solid player. Is he solid enough to resign to a long term deal? That I can't say, but I think that the Eagles will be looking in his direction here very shortly to lock him up. If not, they're going to have to fill his place, and that's just another hole to take care of.
As for the secondary, there are not many positives that I can think of right now. Asante Samuel jumps way too many routes, and while his nine interceptions look good on paper, he also gives up a lot of big plays and his tackling is very suspect. Sheldon Brown played over half the season hurt, and I think it finally caught up to him in the last few games of the year. He's going to need to get better and shelve his whining about a new contract before next season starts. The safety position is very weak right now. Sean Jones won't be back, Macho Harris shouldn't be anywhere near the field next season, and Quintin Mikell was exposed without Brian Dawkins there to help back him up. I wouldn't be upset if both safety positions were occupied by other players next year, because Mikell and the revolving door of Sean Jones and Macho Harris just couldn't get anything done as the season went on. The Eagles need that ball-hawking safety back that they had in Brian Dawkins. No one they have right now is like that. They need to find someone like that, whether it's in free agency or the draft.
Truth be told, I don't think this team was nearly as good as their record showed. That 11-5 mark was propped up by a lot of wins against bad teams. The Eagles didn't beat a single playoff team during the regular season, and they actually only beat one team that finished the season with a winning record. On the flip side, four of their five losses came against playoff teams, including two against the Dallas Cowboys. What does that mean? Well, it means that while the Eagles won the games that they should have won, when it came to that next level of competition, they couldn't get there. The Saints, Chargers and Cowboys all handled the Eagles with relative ease, and that's why all three of those teams are still in the playoffs, and the Eagles are now like me, watching the playoffs on a couch. The big play offense is shiny and nice, but without a bit of toughness from the running backs, it's not going to work well. The St. Louis Rams had a great big play offense because they had Marshall Faulk to balance it out. The Eagles need that running back to bring balance to everything. If they can't find him, then defenses will not respect the run and be able to double team DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin all game long. This season started with so much potential, but then ended the way just about every other Eagles season has...with a lot of disappointment and anger. I don't know what this offseason is going to bring, but honestly, nothing will surprise me at this point.
The worst part is, now there's no more football. What the hell am I supposed to do until pitchers and catchers report? The Sixers suck, and the Flyers are...the Flyers. Dammit, I have another six weeks to kill until spring training gets here. God damn Eagles.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Here We Go Again...
I don't know about all of you, but I'm certainly not used to the stress of back to back Dallas Weeks for the Philadelphia Eagles. Last week, as you all know, didn't go so well, and now the Eagles have to travel back down to Dallas for another game against the Cowboys, only this time...it's in the playoffs. Now, you can throw all the figures out that you want. You can mention that Dallas hasn't won a playoff game since 1996, and that Wade Phillips has never won a playoff game, either. You can bring up the botched snap against Seattle, the loss at home against the Giants and every other playoff defeat the Cowboys have suffered between their last playoff win and today, but it doesn't matter. This is a different Dallas team than all of those other ones, and this time, it's the Eagles that they have to face in the playoffs.
Honestly, this is going to be one of the most difficult games I think the Eagles have had in the first round of the playoffs since Andy Reid came to Philadelphia. The Eagles had everything lined up for them going into last week, but none of it came to pass. The important thing now is to not get caught up in that. Last year's team made it to the NFC Championship Game as a six seed, so it can be done. Last week's game was the worst possible showing that the Eagles have had this year, and I'm including the Oakland game in that, so it has to get better, but things have to change.
The most important thing is that the Eagles have to get pressure on Tony Romo and force turnovers. Philadelphia was second in the league in turnover plus/minus during the regular season, and that short field works well with the offense that the Eagles have. However, last week against the Cowboys, the Eagles only forced one turnover and sacked Romo twice. Those numbers have to go up for the Eagles to have a chance tonight, they just have to. Without turnovers, Philadelphia will be facing a longer field, and against this Dallas defense, that just isn't going to work. Also, without getting pressure on Romo, he's going to be able to pick apart any defense. The Eagles found that out the hard way last weekend, and if they can't get any more pressure on him this time around, they're going to find out again. Asante Samuel can only jump so many routes before he gets burned, it's really just that simple. Everytime the Eagles get pressure on Romo, he collapses. It has to happen like that again today if they want to have a shot.
That brings me into my second point for this game. You need to keep Donovan McNabb upright and protected. Last week, the Cowboys pressured McNabb almost the entire game, bringing him down four times and forcing him to fumble twice. The loss of Jamaal Jackson was displayed for everyone to see, as McNabb just didn't have time to get comfortable with the recent shuffling of the offensive line. When he did have time, McNabb had happy feet and just didn't look right back in the pocket. He missed DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin on a couple of plays, and when the speed aspect of this offense doesn't work right, nothing is going to go right. The Dallas defense is very good, don't get me wrong. They've held the Eagles to just 16 points in two games, and they are the only team that seems to have an answer for DeSean Jackson, but the Eagles can exploit them. McNabb needs time in the pocket to throw, and when he does, he can't force the ball to Jackson or Maclin, and the throws need to be accurate.
Next up is something that really bothered me about the game last week. The Eagles need to run the ball more. Last week, running backs carried the ball seven times. Let me say that again...Leonard Weaver, Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy carried the ball seven times...combined. That clearly needs to be changed. I know the loss of Jamaal Jackson hurt the running game as well, but Weaver and McCoy looked good when Westbrook was out, and Westbrook is back now. The only problem with that is that Andy Reid has a mindset where, if the running game doesn't work early, he's not going to stick with it. Guess what? That has to change this week. The Eagles need to let McCoy and Westbrook bounce to the outside and around the corners and they need to let Weaver pound the ball up the middle. They have three running backs that are capable of breaking big runs at any time. Dallas used their running game to perfection last week, as both Marion Barber and Felix Jones picked up 91 yards on the ground. The Eagles need a similar effort from their running game this week, but they also need Andy Reid to let them run the ball.
The last point I have is more psychological. The Eagles can't get caught up in what happened last week. Yes, it was a bad game, but there's nothing that can be done to change the score. It's always going to be 24-0, no matter when someone looks at the history books. The Cowboys got to celebrate on their home field, in front of the Eagles. It can't be undone. What can be done though is that the Eagles can come out tonight and knock the Cowboys out of the playoffs again. While it won't erase the two losses the Eagles had to Dallas in the regular season, it will leave a much more bitter taste in the mouths of Dallas fans, as they have to watch the Eagles advance. There are very few things I like more than watching upset Dallas fans, so I'd personally love to see the Eagles win, just for that. I don't care, you can call me evil, or petty or whatever you want to...but I love watching Dallas fans cry after their team loses.
The Eagles have their backs against the wall, but that just means that they can only move forward. I'm not going to make a prediction here, this wasn't about that. I am, however, going to leave you with what I think the Eagles have left to do this season. It's from a baseball movie, but the point is still the same. Take it away, Tom Berenger:
Honestly, this is going to be one of the most difficult games I think the Eagles have had in the first round of the playoffs since Andy Reid came to Philadelphia. The Eagles had everything lined up for them going into last week, but none of it came to pass. The important thing now is to not get caught up in that. Last year's team made it to the NFC Championship Game as a six seed, so it can be done. Last week's game was the worst possible showing that the Eagles have had this year, and I'm including the Oakland game in that, so it has to get better, but things have to change.
The most important thing is that the Eagles have to get pressure on Tony Romo and force turnovers. Philadelphia was second in the league in turnover plus/minus during the regular season, and that short field works well with the offense that the Eagles have. However, last week against the Cowboys, the Eagles only forced one turnover and sacked Romo twice. Those numbers have to go up for the Eagles to have a chance tonight, they just have to. Without turnovers, Philadelphia will be facing a longer field, and against this Dallas defense, that just isn't going to work. Also, without getting pressure on Romo, he's going to be able to pick apart any defense. The Eagles found that out the hard way last weekend, and if they can't get any more pressure on him this time around, they're going to find out again. Asante Samuel can only jump so many routes before he gets burned, it's really just that simple. Everytime the Eagles get pressure on Romo, he collapses. It has to happen like that again today if they want to have a shot.
That brings me into my second point for this game. You need to keep Donovan McNabb upright and protected. Last week, the Cowboys pressured McNabb almost the entire game, bringing him down four times and forcing him to fumble twice. The loss of Jamaal Jackson was displayed for everyone to see, as McNabb just didn't have time to get comfortable with the recent shuffling of the offensive line. When he did have time, McNabb had happy feet and just didn't look right back in the pocket. He missed DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin on a couple of plays, and when the speed aspect of this offense doesn't work right, nothing is going to go right. The Dallas defense is very good, don't get me wrong. They've held the Eagles to just 16 points in two games, and they are the only team that seems to have an answer for DeSean Jackson, but the Eagles can exploit them. McNabb needs time in the pocket to throw, and when he does, he can't force the ball to Jackson or Maclin, and the throws need to be accurate.
Next up is something that really bothered me about the game last week. The Eagles need to run the ball more. Last week, running backs carried the ball seven times. Let me say that again...Leonard Weaver, Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy carried the ball seven times...combined. That clearly needs to be changed. I know the loss of Jamaal Jackson hurt the running game as well, but Weaver and McCoy looked good when Westbrook was out, and Westbrook is back now. The only problem with that is that Andy Reid has a mindset where, if the running game doesn't work early, he's not going to stick with it. Guess what? That has to change this week. The Eagles need to let McCoy and Westbrook bounce to the outside and around the corners and they need to let Weaver pound the ball up the middle. They have three running backs that are capable of breaking big runs at any time. Dallas used their running game to perfection last week, as both Marion Barber and Felix Jones picked up 91 yards on the ground. The Eagles need a similar effort from their running game this week, but they also need Andy Reid to let them run the ball.
The last point I have is more psychological. The Eagles can't get caught up in what happened last week. Yes, it was a bad game, but there's nothing that can be done to change the score. It's always going to be 24-0, no matter when someone looks at the history books. The Cowboys got to celebrate on their home field, in front of the Eagles. It can't be undone. What can be done though is that the Eagles can come out tonight and knock the Cowboys out of the playoffs again. While it won't erase the two losses the Eagles had to Dallas in the regular season, it will leave a much more bitter taste in the mouths of Dallas fans, as they have to watch the Eagles advance. There are very few things I like more than watching upset Dallas fans, so I'd personally love to see the Eagles win, just for that. I don't care, you can call me evil, or petty or whatever you want to...but I love watching Dallas fans cry after their team loses.
The Eagles have their backs against the wall, but that just means that they can only move forward. I'm not going to make a prediction here, this wasn't about that. I am, however, going to leave you with what I think the Eagles have left to do this season. It's from a baseball movie, but the point is still the same. Take it away, Tom Berenger:
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Eagles Aftermath: Cowboys-24, Eagles-0
What happened?
In the final game of the regular season, with the two seed on the line, the Eagles came out and played their worst game of the year. They were shut out for the first time since the 2005 season, and now are the number six team in the NFC playoffs.
The Good:
Nothing. Not one damn thing.
The Bad:
It wasn't even bad. Keep reading. You'll get there soon enough.
The Ugly:
The Eagles ran the ball ten times...in the entire game. Ten times!
Donovan McNabb was completely ineffective, fumbling the ball twice and missing receivers all game long.
The defense had no answer for Dallas' running game, allowing both Marion Barber and Felix Jones to rush for 91 yards, and Jones had the backbreaking touchdown in the third quarter.
McNabb was sacked four times, while the Eagles only brought down Tony Romo twice.
Dallas dominated in time of possession, holding the ball for over 40 minutes of the game.
Did I mention the fact that the Eagles went from the number two team in the NFC to the number six team? They did.
The Breakdown:
I really, really don't want to talk about this game, but I will, because I figure that there are a few people about there that want to know what I think about it. Quite simply, this was the worst game that the Eagles played all season. They had everything on the line, and left with nothing. With Minnesota collapsing down the stretch, all the Eagles had to do today was win, and they would get a first round bye and a chance at hosting the NFC Championship Game if the Saints lost in the Divisional Playoffs. Now, they have to play Dallas, in Dallas again next week, and if they win that game, they head to New Orleans, since they're the six seed. Instead of playing at least one game at home, they now have to play three games on the road if they want to make it to the Super Bowl.
I'm going to be honest: I didn't even watch the game. I couldn't, since I was at work. I think that was for the best, as had I not been getting paid to hear about it, I might have broken something. I've seen what I guess you can call highlights, and they were not pretty. There is plenty of blame to go around, but I'm going to start with the fat man running the team.
Andy, I don't know what made you only call ten running plays for the entire game, but that may have been the worst idea that you could have had. Rather than keep the Cowboys guessing in the first half, the Eagles called four running plays, with only two of them going to Brian Westbrook. Leonard Weaver and LeSean McCoy, the two men who had taken Westbrook's place in the lineup, only carried the ball twice in the entire game. That's not twice each, that's twice combined. I don't know what the hell Andy was thinking during this game. Due to the ten runs, the Eagles were killed in time of possession, as the Cowboys were able to get to Donovan McNabb and force bad passes, killing the clock and giving the ball back to Dallas while their defense got even more time to rest. Calling only ten running plays will never work. It didn't work against the Raiders and Chargers this year, and it sure as hell wasn't going to work against a team as good as the Cowboys.
The defense does deserve blame as well. While they did a decent job stopping the Cowboys in the second half, they allowed Dallas to run up and down the field in the first half. The Cowboys rely on their running game to set up their offense, and with Felix Jones and Marion Barber having their way with the Eagles on defense, there was no way that Tony Romo wasn't going to have an easy game today. Romo finished with over 300 yards, and Dallas finished with 179 yards on the ground. Not only that, but the Cowboys only turned the ball over once during the game, and it didn't come back to hurt them at all. Like I said, there is plenty of blame to go around, but before everyone piles it on Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb, the defense had a horrible game as well. They couldn't pressure Romo or stop the running game, and both of those things came back to bite them in the ass today. It just wasn't good.
Quite simply, this was the worst game of the year at the worst possible time for the Eagles. Their six game winning streak not only went up in flames, but I'm fairly certain that the Cowboys went and pissed on the ashes. The mantle of hottest team in the NFC? It's certainly not the Eagles now. I'd say it's a fight between the Cowboys and Packers at this point, and I wouldn't be surprised to see either of those teams in the Super Bowl. As for the Eagles, they have a week to get their act together. Thanks to their showing today, they have to play the Cowboys again next week, in the very same stadium. There's no break, and Dallas swept the Eagles this year, giving them all the momentum. While teams are just 11-7 when going for a three game sweep in the NFL, unless the Eagles completely turn things around, there isn't much to make me think the result is going to be any different. The Eagles need to improve a lot within a six or seven day span, while the Cowboys have everything going for them.
Believe me, I don't want to be the first team that loses to Dallas in the playoffs since I was grade school, I really don't. I'm just not sure that I can see the Eagles winning one week after this debacle. Andy Reid usually doesn't lose back to back games, but there are always exceptions. Out of any team in the NFC playoffs, I didn't want to face Dallas, and now the Eagles have to. I'm not trying to sound negative, but I am thinking realistically. In the two games this season, the Cowboys have outscored the Eagles 44-16 and have shutdown the Philadelphia offense, while the defense of the Eagles hasn't been much better. I think that the Eagles have a chance to win next week in the playoffs, I really do. I'm just not that confident about it. After what just happened, I need to see this team prove it again before I think they can make a run. They sleepwalked through their game today, and it came back to bite them in the ass. Now, they have their backs against the wall. Let's see what they can do.
In the final game of the regular season, with the two seed on the line, the Eagles came out and played their worst game of the year. They were shut out for the first time since the 2005 season, and now are the number six team in the NFC playoffs.
The Good:
Nothing. Not one damn thing.
The Bad:
It wasn't even bad. Keep reading. You'll get there soon enough.
The Ugly:
The Eagles ran the ball ten times...in the entire game. Ten times!
Donovan McNabb was completely ineffective, fumbling the ball twice and missing receivers all game long.
The defense had no answer for Dallas' running game, allowing both Marion Barber and Felix Jones to rush for 91 yards, and Jones had the backbreaking touchdown in the third quarter.
McNabb was sacked four times, while the Eagles only brought down Tony Romo twice.
Dallas dominated in time of possession, holding the ball for over 40 minutes of the game.
Did I mention the fact that the Eagles went from the number two team in the NFC to the number six team? They did.
The Breakdown:
I really, really don't want to talk about this game, but I will, because I figure that there are a few people about there that want to know what I think about it. Quite simply, this was the worst game that the Eagles played all season. They had everything on the line, and left with nothing. With Minnesota collapsing down the stretch, all the Eagles had to do today was win, and they would get a first round bye and a chance at hosting the NFC Championship Game if the Saints lost in the Divisional Playoffs. Now, they have to play Dallas, in Dallas again next week, and if they win that game, they head to New Orleans, since they're the six seed. Instead of playing at least one game at home, they now have to play three games on the road if they want to make it to the Super Bowl.
I'm going to be honest: I didn't even watch the game. I couldn't, since I was at work. I think that was for the best, as had I not been getting paid to hear about it, I might have broken something. I've seen what I guess you can call highlights, and they were not pretty. There is plenty of blame to go around, but I'm going to start with the fat man running the team.
Andy, I don't know what made you only call ten running plays for the entire game, but that may have been the worst idea that you could have had. Rather than keep the Cowboys guessing in the first half, the Eagles called four running plays, with only two of them going to Brian Westbrook. Leonard Weaver and LeSean McCoy, the two men who had taken Westbrook's place in the lineup, only carried the ball twice in the entire game. That's not twice each, that's twice combined. I don't know what the hell Andy was thinking during this game. Due to the ten runs, the Eagles were killed in time of possession, as the Cowboys were able to get to Donovan McNabb and force bad passes, killing the clock and giving the ball back to Dallas while their defense got even more time to rest. Calling only ten running plays will never work. It didn't work against the Raiders and Chargers this year, and it sure as hell wasn't going to work against a team as good as the Cowboys.
The defense does deserve blame as well. While they did a decent job stopping the Cowboys in the second half, they allowed Dallas to run up and down the field in the first half. The Cowboys rely on their running game to set up their offense, and with Felix Jones and Marion Barber having their way with the Eagles on defense, there was no way that Tony Romo wasn't going to have an easy game today. Romo finished with over 300 yards, and Dallas finished with 179 yards on the ground. Not only that, but the Cowboys only turned the ball over once during the game, and it didn't come back to hurt them at all. Like I said, there is plenty of blame to go around, but before everyone piles it on Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb, the defense had a horrible game as well. They couldn't pressure Romo or stop the running game, and both of those things came back to bite them in the ass today. It just wasn't good.
Quite simply, this was the worst game of the year at the worst possible time for the Eagles. Their six game winning streak not only went up in flames, but I'm fairly certain that the Cowboys went and pissed on the ashes. The mantle of hottest team in the NFC? It's certainly not the Eagles now. I'd say it's a fight between the Cowboys and Packers at this point, and I wouldn't be surprised to see either of those teams in the Super Bowl. As for the Eagles, they have a week to get their act together. Thanks to their showing today, they have to play the Cowboys again next week, in the very same stadium. There's no break, and Dallas swept the Eagles this year, giving them all the momentum. While teams are just 11-7 when going for a three game sweep in the NFL, unless the Eagles completely turn things around, there isn't much to make me think the result is going to be any different. The Eagles need to improve a lot within a six or seven day span, while the Cowboys have everything going for them.
Believe me, I don't want to be the first team that loses to Dallas in the playoffs since I was grade school, I really don't. I'm just not sure that I can see the Eagles winning one week after this debacle. Andy Reid usually doesn't lose back to back games, but there are always exceptions. Out of any team in the NFC playoffs, I didn't want to face Dallas, and now the Eagles have to. I'm not trying to sound negative, but I am thinking realistically. In the two games this season, the Cowboys have outscored the Eagles 44-16 and have shutdown the Philadelphia offense, while the defense of the Eagles hasn't been much better. I think that the Eagles have a chance to win next week in the playoffs, I really do. I'm just not that confident about it. After what just happened, I need to see this team prove it again before I think they can make a run. They sleepwalked through their game today, and it came back to bite them in the ass. Now, they have their backs against the wall. Let's see what they can do.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Top 25 Philadelphia Sports Moments of the Decade: Number 17
The Eagles and Cowboys continue their dance with the number 17 moment of the decade. Like I said yesterday, most people, myself included, didn't think this game would mean a whole lot when they woke up that morning, but after some amazing circumstances, it meant a whole lot more.
Moment #17: Philadelphia takes Dallas to the woodshed and earns a playoff spot-December 28, 2008
The 2008 Philadelphia Eagles were a model of inconsistency for just about the entire season. After starting the season 5-3, the Eagles looked like they would be in line for a playoff spot, especially since their three losses were each by six points or less. However, that start to the season was wiped out by an 0-2-1 stretch that saw Donovan McNabb admit he didn't know a game could end in a tie, and Kevin Kolb playing the second half of a blowout loss against the Baltimore Ravens. The team managed to pull themselves together after that, winning their next three games to get back into the playoff picture, but a horrible 10-3 loss to the Washington Redskins all but ended their chances in Week 16. With Dallas coming into town to finish the season, the Eagles were hoping to just play spoiler, but then, everything fell into place.
In order to sneak into the playoffs, the Eagles needed several things to happen. First, the Chicago Bears had to lose to the Houston Texans. Then, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had to lose to the 4-11 Oakland Raiders. Finally, Philadelphia had to beat the Cowboys. Amazingly, during the 1:00 games, things started to happen. The Texans took a 21-10 lead over the Bears, and held on for a 31-24 win, knocking Chicago out of the playoff hunt. Oakland was down 24-14 with ten minutes to play in the fourth quarter, then somehow rattled off 17 unanswered points to close out the game and finish of the Buccaneers, who went from 9-3 to 9-7 and out of the playoffs. With the fans at Lincoln Financial Field knowing that everything was in place, all of a sudden, the upcoming game against the Dallas Cowboys had become more than a chance to play spoiler: it was a play-in game, where the winner got a chance to play in the Super Bowl, and the loser got to watch on television.
The Cowboys were coming off of a season where they had finished with a 13-3 record, but had struggled in 2008, turning an 8-4 record into a 9-6 mark thanks to another slow December. Tony Romo had missed three games with a broken finger, and both the offense and defense seemed to be a step slower than the year before, but they still held the advantage over the Eagles, thanks to a 41-37 shootout win on Monday Night Football in the second week of the season. Most people were expecting the same kind of game this time around, especially with a playoff spot now on the line, and they got it, from one team anyway.
The first quarter went down as a defensive struggle, as both teams were only able to exchange field goals. However, in the second quarter, the Eagles set to breaking the game wide open. A short pass to Correll Buckhalter turned into a 59 yard gain on the first Philadelphia possession, and Donovan McNabb finished the drive with a touchdown run from a yard out. After forcing two straight three and outs by the Cowboys, the Eagles drove downfield again, with Buckhalter scoring on a four yard pass from McNabb to make the score 17-3, but the fun wasn't done yet.
The next Dallas possession ended with an interception by Sheldon Brown thanks to a horribly run route by wideout Roy Williams. McNabb hit Brent Celek with just 13 seconds to play in the half, and just about everyone thought that the first half was going to come to a close. The Eagles had other plans. Adam "Pac Man" Jones, in his last game as a member of the Cowboys, fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and the Eagles recovered with three seconds to play. David Akers nailed a 50 yard kick as the first half ended, and Philadelphia went into the break having put up 24 points in just over 12 minutes on the Dallas Cowboys in the second quarter.
Of course, there was still another half of football to play. Dallas had to answer, and quickly, and they looked like they would on their first drive of the third quarter. A 42 yard pass play from Jason Whitten to Terrell Owens moved Dallas down to the Philadelphia 14 yard line, but a false start penalty pushed them back. On second down, Brian Dawkins came in on a safety blitz and drilled Tony Romo, who fumbled the ball. Chris Clemons recovered the football at the 27 yard line, and ran, untouched, for a 72 yard touchdown. The next Dallas drive had promise, but ended with the same result. Romo hit Owens to move the Cowboys down to the Philadelphia 12 yard line, then found Marion Barber, who took the ball to the four yard line. Once he got to the four, Brian Dawkins forced a fumble, and Joselio Hanson recovered it and took it for a 96 yard score. Suddenly, a 27-3 game with a slight chance at a comeback had turned into a 41-3 laughter, and there was no doubt who was going to the playoffs...and this was just midway through the third quarter.
The Eagles would take their foot off the gas at this point, adding just a David Akers field goal following another Tony Romo fumble on the next Dallas possession. The Cowboys would finish their scoring with a Nick Folk field goal early in the fourth quarter, and that was it. The next 12 minutes passed without much more commotion, and the Eagles were headed to the playoffs thanks to a 44-6 pasting of the Cowboys.
What's funny is how close this game actually looked on offense after the fact. The Eagles only outgained the Cowboys by five yards, with the main difference coming on the ground. They also only held the ball for 1:50 longer than Dallas, but the main difference was turnovers. The Eagles had a single turnover on the day, and it came on the first drive of the game. Dallas coughed the ball up five times, with each and every one of them resulting in points for the Eagles. Twenty seven of the 44 points the Eagles scored came directly following a Dallas turnover, and two of the scores came on fumble returns. The Philadelphia defense made the difference in this game, with Brian Dawkins doing what he did best for the Eagles: lead by example. Weapon X had arguably his best game of the season, recording five tackles, a sack and two forced fumbles. It would turn out to be his last game at Lincoln Financial Field as a member of the Eagles.
After destroying the Cowboys, the Eagles decided that their season wasn't done yet. They took out the Minnesota Vikings, 26-14 to open up their playoffs the following week, then upset the top seeded New York Giants, 23-11 the week after that. Unfortunately, they couldn't finish their remarkable run with a trip to the Super Bowl, as they dropped a great NFC Championship to the Arizona f**king Cardinals, 32-25. In the offseason, several players departed, including Brian Dawkins, who signed with the Denver Broncos, and Jon Runyan, who had offseason surgery before signing with the San Diego Chargers last month. As for the Cowboys, the expected cleaning of house by Jerry Jones never happened. Save for Pac Man and Terrell Owens being released, not much changed for the Cowboys. As they head down the home stretch this season, they have an 8-4 record, and have already dropped a game in December. I love watching history repeat itself. Guess which two teams play each other in the last week of the season this year?
Oh yes, it could be very, very fun again.
While there are highlight videos of this game, I believe that this one puts it best. Plus, it's in a catchy song, so you can't go wrong!
We head back to the baseball diamond for Moment #16 tomorrow. This is the latest moment to happen on the list, and while the end result of this year's World Series didn't have a favorable result, there was a game that made everyone stand up in awe of the Phils.
Moment #17: Philadelphia takes Dallas to the woodshed and earns a playoff spot-December 28, 2008
The 2008 Philadelphia Eagles were a model of inconsistency for just about the entire season. After starting the season 5-3, the Eagles looked like they would be in line for a playoff spot, especially since their three losses were each by six points or less. However, that start to the season was wiped out by an 0-2-1 stretch that saw Donovan McNabb admit he didn't know a game could end in a tie, and Kevin Kolb playing the second half of a blowout loss against the Baltimore Ravens. The team managed to pull themselves together after that, winning their next three games to get back into the playoff picture, but a horrible 10-3 loss to the Washington Redskins all but ended their chances in Week 16. With Dallas coming into town to finish the season, the Eagles were hoping to just play spoiler, but then, everything fell into place.
In order to sneak into the playoffs, the Eagles needed several things to happen. First, the Chicago Bears had to lose to the Houston Texans. Then, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had to lose to the 4-11 Oakland Raiders. Finally, Philadelphia had to beat the Cowboys. Amazingly, during the 1:00 games, things started to happen. The Texans took a 21-10 lead over the Bears, and held on for a 31-24 win, knocking Chicago out of the playoff hunt. Oakland was down 24-14 with ten minutes to play in the fourth quarter, then somehow rattled off 17 unanswered points to close out the game and finish of the Buccaneers, who went from 9-3 to 9-7 and out of the playoffs. With the fans at Lincoln Financial Field knowing that everything was in place, all of a sudden, the upcoming game against the Dallas Cowboys had become more than a chance to play spoiler: it was a play-in game, where the winner got a chance to play in the Super Bowl, and the loser got to watch on television.
The Cowboys were coming off of a season where they had finished with a 13-3 record, but had struggled in 2008, turning an 8-4 record into a 9-6 mark thanks to another slow December. Tony Romo had missed three games with a broken finger, and both the offense and defense seemed to be a step slower than the year before, but they still held the advantage over the Eagles, thanks to a 41-37 shootout win on Monday Night Football in the second week of the season. Most people were expecting the same kind of game this time around, especially with a playoff spot now on the line, and they got it, from one team anyway.
The first quarter went down as a defensive struggle, as both teams were only able to exchange field goals. However, in the second quarter, the Eagles set to breaking the game wide open. A short pass to Correll Buckhalter turned into a 59 yard gain on the first Philadelphia possession, and Donovan McNabb finished the drive with a touchdown run from a yard out. After forcing two straight three and outs by the Cowboys, the Eagles drove downfield again, with Buckhalter scoring on a four yard pass from McNabb to make the score 17-3, but the fun wasn't done yet.
The next Dallas possession ended with an interception by Sheldon Brown thanks to a horribly run route by wideout Roy Williams. McNabb hit Brent Celek with just 13 seconds to play in the half, and just about everyone thought that the first half was going to come to a close. The Eagles had other plans. Adam "Pac Man" Jones, in his last game as a member of the Cowboys, fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and the Eagles recovered with three seconds to play. David Akers nailed a 50 yard kick as the first half ended, and Philadelphia went into the break having put up 24 points in just over 12 minutes on the Dallas Cowboys in the second quarter.
Of course, there was still another half of football to play. Dallas had to answer, and quickly, and they looked like they would on their first drive of the third quarter. A 42 yard pass play from Jason Whitten to Terrell Owens moved Dallas down to the Philadelphia 14 yard line, but a false start penalty pushed them back. On second down, Brian Dawkins came in on a safety blitz and drilled Tony Romo, who fumbled the ball. Chris Clemons recovered the football at the 27 yard line, and ran, untouched, for a 72 yard touchdown. The next Dallas drive had promise, but ended with the same result. Romo hit Owens to move the Cowboys down to the Philadelphia 12 yard line, then found Marion Barber, who took the ball to the four yard line. Once he got to the four, Brian Dawkins forced a fumble, and Joselio Hanson recovered it and took it for a 96 yard score. Suddenly, a 27-3 game with a slight chance at a comeback had turned into a 41-3 laughter, and there was no doubt who was going to the playoffs...and this was just midway through the third quarter.
The Eagles would take their foot off the gas at this point, adding just a David Akers field goal following another Tony Romo fumble on the next Dallas possession. The Cowboys would finish their scoring with a Nick Folk field goal early in the fourth quarter, and that was it. The next 12 minutes passed without much more commotion, and the Eagles were headed to the playoffs thanks to a 44-6 pasting of the Cowboys.
What's funny is how close this game actually looked on offense after the fact. The Eagles only outgained the Cowboys by five yards, with the main difference coming on the ground. They also only held the ball for 1:50 longer than Dallas, but the main difference was turnovers. The Eagles had a single turnover on the day, and it came on the first drive of the game. Dallas coughed the ball up five times, with each and every one of them resulting in points for the Eagles. Twenty seven of the 44 points the Eagles scored came directly following a Dallas turnover, and two of the scores came on fumble returns. The Philadelphia defense made the difference in this game, with Brian Dawkins doing what he did best for the Eagles: lead by example. Weapon X had arguably his best game of the season, recording five tackles, a sack and two forced fumbles. It would turn out to be his last game at Lincoln Financial Field as a member of the Eagles.
After destroying the Cowboys, the Eagles decided that their season wasn't done yet. They took out the Minnesota Vikings, 26-14 to open up their playoffs the following week, then upset the top seeded New York Giants, 23-11 the week after that. Unfortunately, they couldn't finish their remarkable run with a trip to the Super Bowl, as they dropped a great NFC Championship to the Arizona f**king Cardinals, 32-25. In the offseason, several players departed, including Brian Dawkins, who signed with the Denver Broncos, and Jon Runyan, who had offseason surgery before signing with the San Diego Chargers last month. As for the Cowboys, the expected cleaning of house by Jerry Jones never happened. Save for Pac Man and Terrell Owens being released, not much changed for the Cowboys. As they head down the home stretch this season, they have an 8-4 record, and have already dropped a game in December. I love watching history repeat itself. Guess which two teams play each other in the last week of the season this year?
Oh yes, it could be very, very fun again.
While there are highlight videos of this game, I believe that this one puts it best. Plus, it's in a catchy song, so you can't go wrong!
We head back to the baseball diamond for Moment #16 tomorrow. This is the latest moment to happen on the list, and while the end result of this year's World Series didn't have a favorable result, there was a game that made everyone stand up in awe of the Phils.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)