Playing on only 4 days rest, this Philadelphia Eagles team showed a lot of heart and determination last night in their 34-24 win over the Houston Texans. After getting out to a hott start and a quick lead, this game was very much up in the air late in the 3rd quarter. But the Eagles bounced back and kept control of the NFC East, moving to 8-4. Lets take a look at what went right, and wrong, against the Houston Texans:
THE GOOD
LeSean McCoy: Though it won’t show up in the stat sheet, LeSean McCoy had another dominant game. McCoy came through with 130 total yards, leading the team in receiving in the process. What is most impressive to me about McCoy is his nose for the end zone. It seems like whenever he gets even an inch of space inside the 20, he is able to take it to the house. McCoy made sure there would be no slow start for this Eagles offense this week, as he got the ball to pay dirt in the first two drives of the game. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: there is perhaps no better running back in the league at crossing fields. Almost every game now McCoy takes one to the opposite field for a 40 yard gain. Even though LeSean McCoy is only 14th in the league in rushing yards (779), he has almost 50 less carries then everyone above him (other then Jamaal Charles) and more rushes of 40+ yards then all of them. McCoy also has nearly 500 yards catching the ball. But perhaps the best number? 1. That is the amount of times, according to NFL.com, that LeSean McCoy has fumbled the ball this season.
Trevard Lindley: Everybody jumped on him after the Chicago game, which I didn’t feel was fair or completely justified. But tonight Lindley made up for any poor play last week with a strong performance against the Texans. Lindley had excellent coverage on a long ball late in the game on 4th down, and even though the ball was uncatchable, Lindley was right there to make the play had it been. The thing I noticed most about the play was that Lindley turned his head around, perhaps the only reason he was not flagged. Call it simple, but many players in the NFL don’t grasp that concept and it costs them. Lindley was also there to recover Trevor Law’s fumble. Overall, a strong outing for Lindley.
Brent Celek: I have written before that Brent Celek would have to step up and start making plays over the middle if the Eagles are going to get the opposing defense to stop playing a Deep Cover 2. While he did not get off to a strong start with the dropped touchdown pass, Celek still ended the night with 4 catches (tying a season high) for 55 yards, including perhaps the game saving play at the end when he stretched for a first down on 3rd and 19. If the Eagles don’t convert that play, and kick a field goal instead, who knows what happens with the way their defense plays late in games. That was a big, heads up play. Also, on a team that always seems to find the sideline at the end of runs, it is nice to see Celek punishing defenders at the end of runs.
Michael Vick: Even though he was not playing agaisnt a strong secondary, Michael Vick did his job tonight, finding the gaps in the defense down the field to keep the ball moving. Vick ended the game with a passer rating over 100, and threw for over 300 yards. But what was perhaps most impressive tonight especially was the way he kept plays alive with hislegs. He was almost Randall Cunningham-esqe the way he would pull himself up from being nearly knocked down by the Texans, turning a 7 yard loss into a 7 yard gain. Also, it is nice to see what our weapons can do when they are given the ball in stride. Vick throws a beautiful long ball, but he also has excellent touch on the swing passes he throws to McCoy in the flat.
David Akers: By taking the field last night, David Akers has now played more games then any other player in team history. In a year where it seems every team needs a kicker, it is nice to know that the Eagles have arguably the most dependable kicker in the league. A few years ago it seemed like Akers might have been losing it, but it is nice to still see him doi
ng so good this late in his career. Hats off to Akers.
Trevor Laws: Serious question: If you had to pick between a tackle combination of Antonio Dixon/Trevor Laws or Mike Patterson/Broderick Bunkley, which do you take? While it might not have gotten to that level yet, the play of Trevor Laws this season has been a story not talked about as much as it should. Laws went into training camp this year not sure if he would make the team, but now has become one of the most important parts to it. His interception of Matt Schaub was a thing of beauty (his run after not so much). Laws was labeled a bust after some unimpressive years, but he has turned it around this season and the Eagles front 4 is considerably better for it.
Andre Johnson: Even though he should have been suspended, that double move he put on Nate Allen and Dmitri Patterson was a thing of beauty. Andre Johnson is a house hold name now because of his fight last week, but he should be known as one of the best receivers in the league.
Eagles Offensive Line: The Eagles offensive line got off to a great start against Houston, creating huge running lanes for LeSean McCoy. Even though both teams were only on 4 days rest, the Eagles offensive line looked like it had weeks off, completely pushing the Texans front 4 around. They took Mario Williams out of the game, which is not an easy task. Earlier in the season I wrote that Juan Castillo should be criticized more for the play of the offensive line. That play has really picked up over the last few weeks, and especially tonight. Credit to Castillo for turning this line into what it is today.
10 days off: The Eagles will now have 10 days off before their showdown with the Cowboys in Dallas, a reward for playing 2 games in 5 days. The team should be well rested, and hopefully Asante Samuel should be back. After playing the Colts, Redskins, Giants, Bears and Texans since their bye- and winning 4 of them- I would say that this rest is well deserved.
THE BAD
Eagles Defense: Before we all start to rip into the Eagles defense and call for Sean McDermott’s head, lets remember one thing: The Texans have a heck on an offense, and arguably the best reciever and running back (this year at least) in the game. This team put up 30 points on the New York Jets, and 30 on the Washington Redskins before their season fell in the tank. But with that being said, the Eagles defense did not have a strong showing last night. The area that perhaps killed the team the most was their inability to get off the field in 3rd down situations. The Texans were 6/10 on 3rd down conversions, and converted a few long ones that a winning defense should never let a team convert. The defense allowed two touchdown drives of over 6 minutes in the third corner alone, allowing the Texans to have the type of dominating quarter that nearly cost the Eagles the game. The team once again missed Asante Samuel, and allowed Matt Schaub to throw for over 33o yards, the second week in a row the team has allowed over 300 yards in the air.
Nate Allen: Allen did not have his best game last night, as both him and Dmitri Patterson got burned on a viscous double move by Andre Johnson. Allen was able to recover, but if it wasn’t for a poorly thrown ball by Schaub, Andre Johnson is still running. Allen also had a poor night tackling, and Arian Foster punished him every time he tried to tackle him. It seems like a weekly occurrence for someone in the Eagles secondary to get trucked by a running back, and this week it was Allen’s turn. I will give Allen credit for making a very heads up play when he stripped Schaub of the ball to end the game. But it was a still a game that the rookie will learn from.
DeSean Jackson: Jackson followed up a poor showing last week with only a slightly better one this week. While he had close to 100 yards, Jackson still only had 3 catches on the night. The Texans have one of the worst secondaries in the league, and he should have had better numbers against them. While some of that may go on Michael Vick’s shoulders, Jackson still only has 5 catches the last two weeks with no touchdowns. Defenses are now making stopping DeSean the focus of their defense, which is a sign of respect. But great players figure out a way to beat a team anyway, and DeSean has yet to do that yet. We all know DeSean wants a new contract, but if this lack of production continues, he could be waiting a lot longer.
Jason Avant: For the second week in a row, Avant dropped a sure touchdown catch. People praise Avant for having the best hands on the team, but I don’t know where those hands go in the red zone. Avant is one of the most professional players on the team, but his choke act the last few weeks in the end zone is a prime reason while some receivers in the NFL start, and some are just dependable 3rd options.
Michael Vick: As the quarterback, it is only fair to analyze both the good and bad from him. And the fact is, Vick is becoming more recklass with the ball as the season goes on. He threw an interception for the second week in a row, and could have had a few more. Vick also has seemed to decide that instead of just learning how to slide, he will instead refuse to slide and just dive at the end of games. If that is what he wants to do, fine. But he should get used to being very sore the next day, especially as the weather gets colder.
Chad Hall: This is not so much about Chad Hall, but more about the fact that he is inactive for most of the season, but when he is active, Reid forces him down our throats. Why is Hall your wild cat quarterback in the first quarter? The team has struggled in the red zone the last few weeks, and I think its safe to say that Hall is not the answer. If Reid believes Hall can be the answer, and is a true play maker, thats fine. Play him every week. But don’t randomly put him in because of injuries and then run plays designed for him within the first 15 plays of the game.
At the end of the day, it was still a big win. With 10 days until their next game, enjoy score board watching this weekend, and the Eagles will look to pick up games on the Giants, Bears, and Falcons.
paulman says:
December 3, 2010 at 12:17 am
Finally in the 4th Quarter, Eagles start pounding the rock, running screens and a great effort and play
by Celek on that 3rd & 19 Play and dive for the 1st down which was probably the biggest play of the game.Celek has d a great 2nd half after dropping a TD Pass which could have put the Eagles up
21-3 early in the game..
Injuries, I noticed Justice was injured (looked like an ankle) B Graham was not on the field towards end of the game (his conditioning is still a work in progress and he’s really a part-time player at this stage of his career)
RG Cole was out while MJG replaced him and I thought did a much better job than Cole…
RT Dunlap came in for Justice and held his own and the Screen play worked very well most of the night, I like RB Harrison as a change of pace for McCoy..
DT M Patterson probably had one of his best games of the Season..MLB Bradey played very well
D/Secondary was up and down and gave up too many easy receptions, T Cole continues to disappoint and just play average and LB Sims make some plays…
QB Vick had a great game and had 3-4 dropped passes and was only off-target about 3-4 times all night, though he was lucky on that one out pattern in the flat that was high for if it wasn’t, that could have been brought back for a TD by Texans.. But Vick played a great all-around game, moved around well, read coverages and got rid of the ball quickly and accurately all night.. He also took some pretty good shots (especially in the 1st half)
drummerwinslow says:
December 3, 2010 at 5:35 am
Paul
Does your TV pick-up games from Mars? Reality TV certainly isn’t available to you.
Last week, you repeatedly said that Vick threw into triple coverage, as he was throwing to Jackson for an interception. Disregarding that the pass was tipped, you called it a horrible read.
Not for one second did you stop to think about how ridiculous it was to “assume” that Jackson was tripled covered. That would have left the other receivers running free like Bambi.
Vinnie originally posted that nonsense, you bit it, and took off running, preaching it as through it were the Gospel.
We all know that Vick was targeting Maclin. Reid and his linemen have admitted that there was a missed block which was responsible for the deflected ball and interception. The “terrible read” that you repeatedly claimed, was completely fictional. (You’re clearly well on your way to a best seller.)
Having been exposed for such fraudulent claims, one would think that you would have a more open-minded view this week. One would think!!!
Instead, you now say that Vick “left too many points on the field.” Last night’s announcers repeatedly pointed out that Vick’s receivers have dropped 5 TD passes in the previous two games.
Soon after making that statement, those same receivers dropped two more last night.
If Kolb had thrown 5 “dropped” TD passes, you’d undoubtedly be in the hospital for a “blown gasket,” and the novel would be on the shelf for a critical investigative piece.
You have the gull to begin your post by saying that Celek had a “great game.” How could he have had a great game when he dropped yet another TD last night? How can you begin your post with that statement?
You went on to praise the sun, the moon and the stars, and closed by giving faint praise to Vick, sprinkled with the requisite dose of criticism (3-4 passes off target).
The dropped TDs couldn’t find their way into your post. No room for reality. Those obviously meant very little to the team’s momentum.
You failed to mention the terrible play-calling that had Vick running for his life, yet again.
The horrible defense was clearly a figment of everyone’s imagination.
You made no mention of how Vick led the team to a 4th quarter comeback.
Surely, your “column” would have read differently if Kolb had only handed the ball off 30 times for a 4th-quarter comeback. If that had been the case, you’d be heading up his campaign for President, with full intent of impeaching Obama immediately.
Vick had a great game and was clearly the difference. He absorbed a brutal pounding and lead the team to victory.
I understand that you’re working on your first novel, but I must warn you that it’s beginning to read more like a cartoon.
Avant’s problems started up with the Hail Mary against the Redskins
If ever there was a very game winning high light reel catch that should have been made that was it
I think it is still inside his head
drummer…I didn’t read Pman’s post that way. I thought his praise of Vick was genuine and accurate. There are many who believe that while Celek missed the TD pass, he also had a great play on the 3rd and forever where he made a move and stretched out to get the first down at the five, he made a key block on the next TD and had an earlier catch for a first down. In total, I would say he played well.
As far as the whole game goes, where to start.
That 3rd quarter was enough to have a normal fan “go Dizzy”. The defensive penalties always led to 1st downs. 3rd and 17 and we let them convert?? D Patterson should be getting over his motion sickness the way he was spinning around. Could they really have been suprised that they would try and get the ball to Johnson?? We NEED Assante to be back next week, and all of the Dbacks need to play better against the tall and physical Dallas recievers.
Shadey is really becoming a great back. He is clutch and doing the things that great backs do in this league. He did miss a block that almost got Vick killed, but overall he is a stud.
Who was suprised by the 1st pass of the game being a big gainer to DJax..nobody except the Texans. Big Red was making a statement and getting his speedy star into the game right away.
Shaub is a good qb, but the crying about a touch to the head was too much. Did anyone notice earlier in the game when it looked like a facemask, or at the least helmet contact to Vick, and NO CALL?? The Theisman or Millen didn’t even mention it. It was definately more than the hit of T Cole against Manning earlier in the year. The ref’s sucked again in general.
Speaking of refs, a defensive player cannot breathe anywhere near a qb’s head, and he also cannot come close to hitting him low….where the f do they expect them to hit them?? I say make qb’s wear pink helmets, socks and pants to show where they are not allowed to be touched. The NFL has gone WAY overboard in this qb protection business.
I was disappointed that we were not able to turn the T Laws interception into 7.
I am sure that drummer can tell me, but what was the run / pass ratio? We started out with pass, pass, pass and I was looking for more balance. Just because the Texans have the worst D-backs in the league doesn’t mean that we should try and establish our running game to open up the deeper passes.
Liking the extened layoff now that we have the win under our belts. 8-4, first in the dvision. I think Big Red will treat this like a bye week and really come out strong against the Cowgirls. We have a real leader at QB, it is obvious that these gusy follow and respond to him. They don’t panic, they attack and they make plays when they need them. I want to see our protection do a better job on offense and our defense make more stops, especially in the redzone. GO BIRDS!!!
rcp1936 good point about Avant.
If Desean Jackson does not get a new contract, his music video isn’t to bad.
Speakers Going Hammer – AKA soulja boy – looks like Paulman’s neiborhood.
green, I agree with you about the inconsistent calls when it comes to QBs. But Theisman and Millen did say something about the face mask that should have been called. They said it briefly though. But Schaub whining about being brushed on the helmet is crap. Vick goes out there and gets hammered and the refs make no calls and he says nothing. Just gets back up and keep playing. The officiating this year has been truly pathetic. And the Ravens and Steelers were right that everyone besides Manning and Brady are fair game.
G..Don’t worry about Hall
You know Reid have his Mahe itch that must be occasionally scratched.
Last I heard Reid had the guy that played “Mini Me” at Nova care for a quick “look see” in case Chad Hall get hurt.
lol songs…can you picture “mini-me” standing next to Reid?? hahaha
I thought Vick had 2 non face mask calls or was I seeing things on the replays
Yeah they better start running the ball more because Vick isn’t lasting the rest of the season and playoffs at this pace
Another problem is that they don’t have the quick 3 step drop pass in the game plan
@rcp
I saw a few missed calls, contact to the head and facemasks…Also, Vick said it in his post game conference…The hits may look bad but they aren’t that bad, he’s been taking hits like this all his life – he said it…Vick will be fine, relax!
Green
I’m a Celek fan, been sticking with him while others were killing him over dropped passes. He’s not having his best season, but I still like him. Same goes for Stewart Bradley.
Celek made a good play for the first down, but he also sent us backwards on that drive (inside the red zone). We started at the 9 and Celek was called for a false start. The first down only made up for his mistake. Couple the off-sides with his dropped TD and I can’t call that a “great game.”
2nd-4-Hou9 Penalty Phi-Brent Celek PENALIZED -5 yards for False Start
Penalty Phi-King Dunlap PENALIZED -10 yards for Holding
2nd-19-Hou24 Incomplete Pass Michael Vick Pass Incomplete to Brent Celek
3rd-19-Hou24 Pass Michael Vick Pass to Brent Celek to Hou5 for 19 yards. Replay challenge – ruling reversed.
G………..Avant is the 3rd option because he has 2 great WR’s in front of him…not because he dropped a few balls this year. Avant as great hands lets not forget about all of the great catches he makes on a weekly basis. I think Celek is the one who has the problems holding onto the ball.
I agree with rcp that we need to run ball more often and have 3 step drops at times to mix it up.
Vick needs to throw down field more often………Desean can only catch what is thrown his way, Vick had Desean wide open after he smoked the CB and Vick didnt even see him. If Vick looks for Desean regulary than he would have 6-9 catches a gam easy!
fair enough drummer, “great” game may be carrying it too far.
Celek showed some “great” efforts, but as you noted with your comments, he also had some boneheaded plays.
In general, as a team, these penalties are KILLING us, and will cause us to lose a game to a good team.
Paulman’s Analysis of the “BAD” from last evenings Game
N Allen – Is overmatched physically and is thinking too much, takings bad angles,late in coverage
B Bunkley – Where’s the explosion and strength, he’s coming off injury and I expected him to have fresher legs and get a little more penetration
T Cole & B Graham both looked leg heavy and faded as the game went on, with Parker out, all DL have had to take more snaps, so this 10 day break coms at a good time
Teo Neisham got some action and was overmatched at the point of attack along the line of scrimmage, I am not so sure about him and playing in the down position and think he may end up like a Gogong where he’s a good active player but with no postion to play, maybe standing up and rushing/blitzing the passer… I don’t know, but he’s young and will get bigger and stronger down the road
Moving forward,
With a healthy Samuel and Parker, the Eagles Defense will be improved, but definetly needs to get a more consistent pass rush from the front 4
I am concerned about N Allen who is really struggling and should be replaced by Coleman
It was nice to see him get that sack and forced fumble on QB Shaub late in the game, maybe this is what he needed and will turn him around and give him some confidence
Green/Paulman
I missed most of the first half. Having gone back and read the recap, I see that Celek had a good first half. It appears that I was wrong in my assessment of his game. It also appears that Reid called a much better game in the first half.
I have no problem admitting when I’m wrong and I was clearly wrong.
Hey did you guys know that the game was on NFL.com? Well 3/4’s of it but it was enough and the game analysis really worked, very nice.
I saw that Monlith,
It’s was hard for me to go a local Sports Barb (Beef-O-Bradys) and drink Stella’s all night with some Hot Wings,Fries,Casedilla’s and being surrounded by College Girls…
Luckily for me I have a great wife who came in and ate, watched the 1st half, then went shopping
at the Walmart across the street, then came back to watch the end of the game and drive home
so I didn’t have to worry about getting behind the wheel….
I can’t wait to download the game and see it in its entirety.
Green
You made a very good point. Penalties continue to be a serious issue for this team. I hope we improve.
On a side note, imagine if we hadn’t lost Weaver for the season. This offense would be incredible.
Weaver….man, that was such a loss. We really got lucky with Owen Schmidtt, but Weaver was soooo good for this team. That was a really ugly injury. I really hope he makes it back, one of my favorites even though he has only been here a short time.
GodSons Analyst of Good and Bad after looking at the game for a second time…..
Jason Peters – Played great; one of his better games this year. No penalties.
Mike McGlyn – Also played great, especially on the run blocking. He is really turning into a solid pick. Reid is starting to develope a nice track record with centers (Franks, Fraley, Jackson, Mcglyn)
Teo Neisham – Needs to get off of the field for this year. I agree with Paulman he needs to be about 15lbs bigger without losing his speed to be productive in the NFL. I would stash him away until next year when his body is more mature.
Hanso – Should be the 4th corner when Asante comes back. Behind patterson and Lindley. Hanson lacks burst and closing speed also his awarness is marginal.
Nate Allen – Had an average game not as bad as it looked. He had 2 bad plays that mad it look worse than what it was. I think he will have a great career. He lacks the extra confidence to break on balls and play with his instincts but that will come with experience. He will also get bigger and stronger.
Macklin – Needs to run better routes. Supposedly he has great speed and strength combo but I never really see him separating for any corner…….he needs to sell his routes better.
J. Harrison – looked really good the chance he had to play; much bette for the eagles offense than Mike Bell
E. Sims – is a beast. He has a bad reputation of being out of place and recless but he has been playing good for the Eagles of late. the last 5 games he has been our best LB week in and week out. He hits the FB and OL so hard when he fills the hole you can hear the collison 4 states away. His closing speed is amazing….needs to work on his awarness to become a probowl type player.
Bunkley/Patterson – Paterson suprisingly has played better of late but I expect one of these guys to be traded in the offseason. Maybe one of them and a 4th for a second. I hope Bunkly can turn it around that would be a huge waste of a pick if he keeps playing like a 3rd or 4th round pick.
Godson
You picked up that? I’m impressed.
From the little that I saw, it seemed that Nate Allen was being clobbered against the run.
Your thoughts…
Nate Allen played average. He is a very smart and instinctive safety. Recently he lacks the confidence to make the plays he made @ USF and earlier in the year for the Eagles. He could of have 2 INT’s last night if he went with his first instinct instead of sitting back to prevent a big play. Once he was beat deep by A. Johnson i noticed that he played it extremly safe. He also looked like he was struggle because he got trucked by Foster, but alot of safety’s have been trucked by Foster this year.
Finally lets keep in mind that with Asante out and you Have Hanson who is not very fast and a rokkie in Lindley it puts even more pressure on Allen to play it safe to preent the big play. If the eagles corners can play tight coverage and the LB can cover the tight ends than Allen will have more opportunities to break on some throws. I played safety so I know that when you have other teamtes in the secondary that you have confidence in to cover their guy than you have the ability to roam and be a ball hawk like Ed Reed and Ploalmalu. I think Allen has the potential to be that type of safety.