The Eagles offense came up short last night, literally. Andy Reid went back to his stubborn ways this evening even after he and everyone else saw a few brief flashes of brilliantly running the ball and throwing to Brent Celek in the short passing game. For some reason Andy Reid chose to go away from what was working with this offense and put them in situations that they could not overcome 
against a talented Chicago Bears defense.
Once again Reid has shown that he can’t stick with what’s working and he has to rear his stubborn play calling for all to see. Mike Vick was clearly being pressured all night and the Bears did a fantastic job of covering the wide receivers, yet he continued to call pass plays that weren’t working.
LeSean McCoy only had 16 carries this weekend down tremendously from the Dallas game. McCoy had the hot hand in this offense the past two games and to only have him carry the ball 16 times tonight should be considered a crime especially when running the ball with McCoy was effective. His 71 yards could have been a lot more if he was utilized more. Clearly the best showing on the offense tonight was when McCoy had the ball in his hands and Reid wouldn’t allow that to happen enough.
The wide receivers were pretty much invisible against the Bears. Jeremy Maclin had 4 receptions and was targeted 9 times. His 63 yards receiving led the way for the wideouts. At times though he seemed more concerned with the refs not throwing a flag as opposed to why he didn’t catch the ball. He looked frustrated and out of character all night.
Jason Avant and DeSean Jackson both came up with 2 receptions each. Avant was only targeted 3 times and that’s not enough for what the Bears gave you during this game. The short range passing was there and it showed when they threw to Brent Celek 9 times. Celek had 7 catches for 60 yards and Avant could have added to that action in the short passing game if Andy utilized him more in the game plan. I’m not sure if Jason went to coach Reid before the game and asked him to not get him the ball as much because he didn’t want to get booed by the bandwagon fans but he clearly should have been involved more because the Bears gave you the short passing game.
Jackson was downright awful all the way around. His inability to haul in a very important pass late in the game was inexcusable. If he wants to get the contract he wants, he needs to come up big in those spots. Clearly defenses are taking away the deep game from him so he needs to come up with catches other ways.
His fumble on the attempted punt return didn’t help his situation this evening but the fact is DeSean needs to step up. He’s in a funk right now in a major way and 2 receptions for 16 yards is not at all close to what a number one wide receiver should have in a huge Monday Night showdown with playoff implications. He was thrown to 10 times this evening and only caught 2 passes. Inexcusable for any number one on a team to only catch 20% of the passes thrown your way. Andy Reid clearly wanted DeSean part of this offense tonight and he forced it a little too much this evening because it wasn’t working.
The Chicago Bears had pressure on Vick all night long and Andy Reid should have recognized this because I sure did. Last week against Dallas they did a great job of allowing Vick to use the 3 step drop which worked effectively. Vick needed the 3 step drop tonight in a major way with the pressure he was getting from the Bears. To allow him to hang on to the ball for as long as he had to tonight was ridiculous.
We’re lucky Vick didn’t get a serious injury tonight because it was headed that way. With the receivers being shut down all night the other two relevant options were Celek /Avant in the short game and McCoy but Andy Reid didn’t utilize them enough. The two wins before this showed us that running McCoy 20-30 times a game will win you ball games. If something is working for you why change it.
The running game was working tonight and the offensive calls tonight kept moving away from that part of the attack. Clearly Andy Reid is accountable for the atrocious offensive showing in this game. Playoffs seem like a far cry right now and it will take a miracle as far as I’m concerned. This was a game that was in the grasp for the Eagles. The opportunities were there all night and the play calling just didn’t adjust to what the defense was giving you.
The Bears defense played a standard game for them they pressured the QB and shut down the big play which is what all defenses are doing against the Eagles offense. The trick to beating these schemes though is utilizing what is available to you. Andy Reid did that against Dallas but for some reason he once again has to be stubborn and get pass happy.
We all know how Andy will put the blame on himself for not putting the offense in good situation and at this point most of us tune it out because no matter what the situation that’s his line but after this game he’s absolutely correct. His ineffective play calling cost this offense against the Bears. The win was within grasp if you just used what was working for you. This offense has the talent to do great things but you need to play within what the defenses give you otherwise opportunities like this will continue to slip by.
Time for DJax to call out Marty. As I watch NFL games every week I see WIDE open recievers on every team. All of the sudden DJax is the only reciever in the league who cant get open? Every DB in the NFL can cover him now? How can this be? There is noway to get jackson the ball in the slot? There is no crossing patterns he can run, no quick screens? Are you kidding me. Lets run him on clear out routes all night long for the overrated #2 reciever in Maclin. i just cant believe all these other recievers in the NFL can get wide open but or 4.1 forty guy can only catch 2-3 balls a game. bullshit this is all Marty.
It’s time for DJax to call out himself. He runs bad routes, quits on routes, alligator arms in the middle of the field, & can’t hold on to the ball. F^#@ DJAX. He is a overrated bum, & will get nothing in the off season. Give me a break.
They all make me want to throw up. Bunch of overpaid bums. For a team full of supposed players, that love to play for the coach, seem to disappear, & show up not ready to play, & play undisciplined football. When is pitchers & catchers!?
My thoughts, after re-watching the game (why, I don’t know).
1- Vick is inconsistent at best.
1A- Djax sucks.
2- Andy Reid is still, a pig headed dope.
3- They still can not stop the run.
4- The secondary has to be the most wasted $$$ I’ve ever seen.
5- McCoy & Celek, are the only one’s to show up.
6- Play calling was horrid again.
7- How do you abandon the run, again, AGAIN!!!???
8- WTF happened to the pass rush, on such a horrid O-line.
9- WTF WAS REID THINKING WITH THAT SENSELESS, IDIOTIC FAKE PUNT.
10- They are not making the playoffs. DUH!
11- This entire staff needs to go. Period end of story.
12- Finally, start looking forward to next year.
Sorry guys, I can’t take it anymore.
Well Well Well…
The Fat man is what he is…
McCoy shows the world what he can do and Andy Reid dails up pass after predictable pass in front of the home fans.
Just has to show the world it’s his team and he can do what he wants.
I hope he and Juan are given a nice long vacation.
Dumbest move in Philly sports history.
Offensive line coach = Defensive Coordinator.
Buddy Ryan said he would have won five superbowls by now, working with this owner. Seeing how he’s put together 2 of the greatest defensive units in NFL history, I’m sure he would have gotten at least 2.
Fat Boy is a bum. As I have said all summer and this season.
He simply does not have the heart or mind of a champion.
Can’t wait to see him and his sissy team hit the road.
I said last week not to get too excited over the victory against the Cowboys.
Andy is the true personifcation of the Scorpion and the Frog…
13 years of this FAT FAKE.
3 Biggest disappointments on why the Eagles lost to the Bears
#1) QB Vick Outplayed big time by Bears QB J Cutler big time
#2) Bears WR’s Trio of Bennett,WIlliams,Knox outplays the Eagles Young Guns
big time
#3) Bears Def/Line (1 Pro-BOwler) outplayed the Eagles Def/Line with 3 Pro Bowlers..
#4) Eagles Trio of CB Pro-Bowlers looked terrible, out of position and let these average Bears WR run wild combined with little Eagle Pass-Rush
Vick was horrible in the final drive
The 3rd & 10 Play was the killer for me, VIck had time, and tried tothread the needle to MAclin on a 12-15 Yard route who was double-coverared and the ball thrown behind him, meanwhile McCoy is sitting open in the middle of the field about 6-7 yeards down and could have made th e4t hDown a much more managaeble distance
The 4th Down pass (Vick had time) was high to Maclin making him have to leap just to catch the ball and when doing so, lost his ballance and came up 2-3 yards short of the 1st Down.. D-Jax is not a Top NFL WR no matter who fas the is.. He cannot catch anything in the middle of the field or if a Defender is close to him.. and Why not play WR Steve Smith a little or at least have him Return Punts/Kick-offs.. have him contribute in some way and get the scared, don’t want to get hit D-Jax off the Punt Returns..
There are many other reasons why the Eagles Lost, nut these 3 Positions were to be the strength of the Eagles Team and to be honest, were outplayed by what I consider a mediocre bunch on the Bears side..
I thought the game plan was ok, but the lack of the Eagles having any WR’s who can catch the ball over the middle (short-arms all night) for a fear of getting hurt ting hit is very obvious
Bottom line is the Eagles are 3-5 and are just not a Playoff worthy Team
They just aren’t no matter what the hype is.
Gonna be away all day boys. Will be fun reading all your Vicuses when I get back.
2.5 more years of Vick.
Good times.
Dag – your blaming Marty for calling Jackson’s number 10 times and him catching two lousy balls? Are you kidding me? Jackson’s got NO HEART and everyone knows it which is why he can’t get open. You’d be the first to “call out Marty” for having Jackson run a crossing pattern and getting hurt AGAIN.
Ive been saying it since last year and have been getting abuse back at me every week. We should have traded DJax during the offseason before he either deteriorated or we had to pay him.
You take away the deep route and hes nothing but an overhyped decoy. And how often does Vick get time behind the o-line to do a 5 or 7 step drop and even attempt the deep ball to Jackson? He doesnt fit this offense and he needs to go.
Any Eagles fan that has watched these teams year after year, could feel that this was a game they would lose. The players seemed to me disinterested. Their body language was horrible… No one making plays, offensively or defensively. Maclin and Jackson ought to get a whupping for how they performed. Blame Vick if you want, but he cannot do everything. The offensive and defensive lines were pretty pathetic too. (We were outcoached). Why is that kid still returning kicks…??? We got beat in all phases of the game, so the only thing to do with this is move on to the next game. No need even dissecting it any further. Onto the Cardinals, hopefully Kolb will play… Oh and that playoff dream is fading further… think about some of the wildcard teams, Bears (lost to them), Falcons (lost to them)… One game at a time fellas, one game at a time.
Raise your hand if you will miss Vinnie the Mooch I mean Victor, who blames everything on Vick…
McCoy had 16 carries–at least 8 went for no gain or negative yardage–
1st qtr he had 3 carries for 6 yards which included 1 carry for 10 yards
2nd qtr he had 6 carries for 27 yards–but 1 was for 18 yards which means his other 5 were for 9 yardds
3rd qtr he had 4 carries for 44 yardds–but 1 for 33 yards–the other 3 went for 11 yards
4th qtr he had 2 carries for -4 yards
The reason the Eagles didn’t run the ball more was because they couldn’t get anywhere consistently. The Bears had the 28th ranked pass defense in the NFL, but once again, Jackson dropped one over the middle, Maclin dropped one–when he was wide open, over the middle, then he ran his last route short of the first down.
And DRC and Samuel need to be gone after this seaosn–their both allergic to contact–and in what universe do you play 10 yards off a reciever–when the ball is in your 5 yard line and inside, where you don’t have a prayer of getting to the reciever?
What! And the passing game was consistent? Here are some stats for ya from Ray Didinger.
Ray’s Replies: Birds much better when grounded
Q. I can’t remember the exact stat but I know the Eagles under Andy Reid have an overwhelming record when running the ball 25 or more times. At least I think that’s the number. I’m likely off with the specifics but it is an indisputable fact that this team excels when the offense is balanced and the run game is a consistent threat. It is not merely a coincidence. I hope Andy understands that. Do you have the exact record of the Eagles under Reid when running the ball a certain amount of times?
Daniel Klausner
A. I keep two stats – the Eagles’ record in games when they have more rushing attempts than their opponent and their record in games when they have 30 or more rushing attempts. I have kept this stat since 2000, Reid’s second season as coach when the team went to the playoffs for the first time. The Eagles are 73-12 in games when they have more rushing attempts than their opponent (6-0 in the playoffs) and 50-7 in games when they have 30 or more rushing attempts (4-0 in the playoffs).
Still here!
I’m not blaming everything on Vick. There were the usual ltany of errors. No run D. Pressure on QB? Strange playcalling. Blown timeouts…etc..etc. We’ve seen it all before….however….
The most important position on the team is the QB. And he stunk last night.
Chicago up 7-0. Ist posession and what does he do? Ball right to a Bears LB. Fantastic. Tons of time on that throw…oh, and a guy standing wide open on the right. Just standing there.
He was forcing balls into 2x and 3x coverage constantly last night. Suprised he had only 1 pick.
Vick is a 2 trick pony. 1 – he can run. 2- he can beat up on shitty teams.
Otherwise, same old same old. Going nowhere with this guy.
Here’s an even better stat:
3-5
Name one coach who could do so little with so much talent. Name one.
Forte had his ups and downs, but did the Bears stop giving him the ball?
Vinnie
Play-calling had a lot to do with how Vick played.
Reid went back to his deep passing game, which gave way to pressure. That’s all it takes.
Even Brady was throwing the ball directly to defenders this past weekend (because he was being pressured).
Vinnie
If Vick is a two-trick pony, what is Kolb, the guy you loved so much?
drummer, great stat research. Great posts. Andy, is a stubborn SOB, that will never consistently change. He needs to go. There is no way around it anymore. No more excuses. No more fall guys & scapegoats. No more horrific play calling. No more, I gotta do a better job. Fire him immediately! It is a tired situation, with the same broken record, year after, f^#@ing year! There is no realistic way, that they make the playoffs.
Vick had a poor game last evening plain and simple, and for anyone to say otherwise or put blame elsewhere, is just not seeing the game and his performance for what it was.. A Real Stinker in my opinion..
I count these in which he made the wrong decision and poor throws and I am only highlighting what I can recall off the top of my head
#1) The 1st Int right into LB Briggs, (who deflected to Safety M Harris)
#2) A lazy throw out to D-Jax on the top sideline (which should have been picked and would have been brought back for a TD by the Bears)
#3) On a crucial 3rd Down play when Eagles were up 24-17 with all the momentum and he rolls to his left and throws back across the middle and the ball was dropped by a Bear defender with no Eagle receiver in sight
On the very Final Drive of the Game
#4) 3rd Down & 10, Vick throws into double coverage and behind Maclin when McCoy was wide open in the middle of the field which could have gained 6-7- yards easily and maybe more if McCoy gets away from Urlacher but at least you know havea 4th and 3 or 4 yards to go instead of 4th & 10
#5) On the 4th Down play, Vicks throw was high forcing Maclin to leave his feet which causes him to stumble and come up short and To be honest, I am not so sure that Maclin runs thru the 2 Bear Defenders who were coverging to make the 1st Down anyways.. (on 4th Down, you have to throw beyond the 1st down marker to ensure a 1st Down not a 6 yard slant short of the sticks )
I am no longer going to blame the Coaching/Play Calling, these Over-Paid, and over-hyped Eagle players are highly paid and are supposed to be Professionals and it’s their turn to step up and play well..
I’ve never seen NFL WR’s so afraid to catch the ball over the middle of the field like D-Jax/Maclin are,, They short-arm and look to go the ground at the sign of any defender just pathetic in my opinion..
Did anyone notice the body language of WR J Avant last evening, He didn’t seem like he wanted to play, and definitely affected by the booing he received and in fact, Coach AR pulled him out quite a bit in the 2nd half and replaced him with Riley Copper (keep an eye on this as Avant may play his way out of PHilly all-together this 2nd half of the Season
I will discuss the short-comings of the Defense later on…
They looked disinterested all night. No gameplan again. D-jax lets the fact that he doesn’t get the ball enough in his eyes effect his effort. Drops. Vick trying to force it. And the “stud” cbs are getting beat consistently by Earl Bennett. Truly disappointing effort and game. The seem to think that they are entitled to win by just showing up.
The tougher team won. They clearly wanted it more. The Bears defense was running around looking to hit someone while the Eagles defense ended every big play looking confused or surprised.
What was the defense doing, it didn’t stop the run or pass. Bring a safety in the box, not kind of close to the box. Stop the run as the priority, although the passing still may have worked, but do something right.
Eagles DL and CB’s were absolutely horrible last evening and did anyone notice how small Safety Jaquin Jarrett is.. He will not last long in the NFL at
5-10″ 190 lbs.. A big blunder drafted this player (who is a nice local kid) with the 55th Pick of the 2011Draft.. are you kidding me, he looks like a boy trying to play amongst men on the field.. Did anyone notice Barber carrying him on his back for about 6-7 yards.. I am not sure he will even be in the NFL in 2-3 years time and was rated as a late 4th/5th Round Selection..
Bears won the game because they won the match-ups in the trenches. Both Chicago’s offensive and defensive lines dominated. Period.
And stupid game planning / lack of in-game adjustments, made Cutler look much better than he is. The 4 man rush WAS NOT getting to him, so if the Birds would have started to blitz and make him uncomfortable, it could well have been a different outcome.
Pro Bowler Jason Peters looked to be clearly overmatched against Julius Peppers … and they both knew it.
By the end of the game, a beat-up Vick appeared to just want the damn thing to be over.
Asomugha, with each passing week, appears to be an overpaid, over hyped bust. Noted how he waited for Coleman to make a tackle on Forte early in the game. With the exception of the smallest guy, Hanson, NONE of the CB’s wants to hit anybody. It’s shameful.
And sorry, but from this vantage point DeSean Jackson appears to now be stealing paychecks. His over all effort is, at best, inconsistent. More concerned with “protecting” himself. Someone should let him know that it doesn’t make for the most compelling argument for a big contract. A contract that appears less and less likely to be forthcoming from the Eagles.
Paulman – the drafting of Jarrett, and quite possibly Watkins, was yet another example of the Eagles’ “brain trust” wanting to demonstrate that they were smarter and had more insight than the rest of the league … and, predictably, shooting themselves in the foot … again.
Eagles 1st 2 Draft Picks if Paulman was Coach
#1) DT Mohammed WIlkerson (Starter for Jets)
#2) OT Marcus Gilbert (Starter for Steelers) or Center/Guard Rocky Hudson (starter for Chiefs)
#3) LB M Wilson (Saints) M Foster (Starter for TB Bucs), KJ Wright (starter for Seahwaks)
they need a LB like Vontaze Burfict from AZ State. he’s big, nasty and plays with an attitude. something our LB’s have been lacking since the first version of Trot. They have no hitters back there. granted Burfict needs to cut down on the personal fouls, but they need headhunters back there.
LB Burfict is a beast and will probably be selected 10th-15th SLot which is around where the Eagles should be selecting..This is a very godo Draft for LB’s this years and I really like the LB from Alabama who is a junior and his name escapes me..