After back-to-back good games, Juan Castillo went back to his game planning and play calling from early in the season. One phrase resonated throughout the entire week STOP MATT FORTE! This was an obvious thing going into the game because Forte contributes 46% of the offensive output.
Rather than moving linebackers down to help stop the running attack, Castillo decided to keep them off the line and hope they can stop when Forte and Marion Barber passed the initial line. With poor receivers and an inconsistent QB, you would think that blitzing and pressure would come from all angles.
Castillo’s key defensive players let him down on Monday night. He should have been able to trust his three Pro Bowl corners on the Bears mediocre receivers, but they couldn’t cover anybody on Monday night.
With Cutler and a poor offensive line, sacks should have happened regularly. He had been sacked 21 times in seven games, but none occurred in the game which is a big reason why the Birds lost the game. The Bears double-teamed the Eagles defensive ends and were able to block their defensive tackles one-on-one.
It was the first game in which Jason Babin and Trent Cole played together in which they failed to register a sack. When they got through to Cutler, they attacked him in an out of control fashion and were unable to bring him down when they got there.
“Well you know, they were pretty smart [and] I have to tip my cap to them about that”, Babin said. “I mean, there’s times where they kept eight guys in, seven guys most of the time, chipping and max protecting. So they obviously put a big emphasis on listen, ‘We’re not going to let these guys put in work.’ So it’s tough when it’s seven on four [or] eight on four.”
Although Forte fumbled twice, which is a rarity in itself, the Eagles did a horrible job in consistently stopping his running attempts. He gained 133 yards on 24 carries. Cutler was somewhat proficient going 18 for 32, 208 yards, 2 touchdowns, and most importantly no interceptions.
Recently injured wide receiver Earl Bennett came back tonight as well and burned the Eagles on all-night long on key third downs. He beat every cornerback that the Eagles put on him, Nmandi Asomugha, Asante Samuel, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Joselio Hanson. He finished the night with 5 catches for 95 yards and he caught one touchdown.
“Basically it came down to third down”, Rodgers-Cromartie. “We couldn’t get them off the field. It seemed like they made it every time they needed a play whether it was a run or a pass. In every phase of the game we got outplayed.”
All of the five catches were for first downs and most of them occurred on third downs which allowed the Bears to hang onto the ball and advance to touchdowns.His impact on the game can’t be over-emphasized.
After taking strides forward, Castillo has taken a few steps backward in this game because his stars let him down. We all knew that Forte was the key to stopping the Bears and putting pressure on Cutler would equal an easy win. Neither was done and now at 3-5 every game for the Eagles is a must win situation.
Next week against the Cardinals is a huge week for not only the team but for the defense to get back to the previous two games.
It can’t be a coincidence, that all of these prior pro-bowlers, forgot how to play & tackle(except Asante & DRC). It was a stupid joke when he was hired, & it is even a bigger joke now. He is a clueless @$$clown, that was a mediocre O-line coach, that should have never been hired as D-coordinator in the first place. Plain & simple. He was hired due to blind loyalty, who was instantly made a scapegoat & fall guy, upon being hired. Everything that is wrong with this team falls at Reid’s feet. HE NEEDS TOGO!!!
I was screaming all game to put 8 in the box and keep blitzing Cutler. You put the DBs in 1on1 and take your chances. Whats soo damn hard about it? If your front 4 cant get there and your getting killed by the run WTF change something.
Cutler threw 4 TD’s in last years game and threw 2 more Monday night’s game
His QB Rating was 97 and he avoided the mistakes and negative plays.
Meanwhile EAgles QB Vick rating was 61 and he throw no TD’s and had 1 costly Int… This is the recap of the game right here… Cutler outplayed Vick
and bottom line, If Vick doesn’t outplay opposing teams QB’s and especially the average ones (like Cutler) the Eagles won’t and don’t deserve to Win..
Bears were 3-4 in the Red-Zone for 75% and the Eagles 1-2 in the Red Zone for 50%.. Take away the gift 7 points on LB Rolles Fumble recovery for a TD and Vick and the Eagles Offense didn’t have the type of consistent performance you need to beat a quality team and especially in crunch time in the 4th Quarter, Vick and the Eagles Offense played “scared” in my opinion down the stretch and you will not beat anyone like that..
CASTILLLO IS THE PROBLEM ITS NO COINCEDENCE ALL OUR PRO BOWLERS SUCK. WE KNOW WHAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF AND BY THE WAY. Why dont you talk about CASTILLO TRYING TO FORCE NNAMDI INTO A ZONE CORNER WHEN HE HAS BEEN GETTING ONLY THROWN AT WHEN HE’S IN ZONE AND GETTING BURNT BY NO NAME RECIEVER.
DRC IS NOT A SLOT. HE IS AN OUTSIDE COVER CORNER A GOOD ONE TO. HE SHOULD BE ON THE BENCH OR REPLACE ASANTE ON THE OUTSIDE
CASTILLO DOESNT KNOW WTF HE IS DOING PERIOD. WHEN THE WHOLE DEFENSE SUCKS AND IS STACKED WITH PRO BOWLERS THATS THE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR IDIOTS. HIRING THIS GUY WAS A JOKE, ANDY SHOULD BE FIRED. THIS IS THE MOVE THAT COST US THE SEASON
Micah I do blame “Bozo the Clown” for being defensive coordinator.
I worked for a EOD unit in the Army. I would not risk my life or the lives of others trying to defuse a bomb if I was not qualified to do it. I would not perform brain surgery if I was not qualified to do it.
Juan was not qualified to be Defensive Coordinator, and there was nothing in his resume that should have made him think otherwise.
Yes I blame the FAT MAN and the OWNER for allowing it to happen.
Having said that, JUAN should have spent every waking moment of his life studying the defensive scheme he adopted. He should have know it like the back of his hand.
Andy Reid wanted to do something special. This was his masterpiece. A true chance to show the world and the Eagle fans how much smarter he is then the rest of us.
Not.
As I have said 100 times before, he is Marty Shotinhimer, Don Coreyell. I would not put him in the same sentence as Bud Grant or Buffaloes coach.
TEAM has to be more important than SELF. Juan saw it as a career move to benifit him. Andy saw it as a chance to glorify himself.
NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND ON THE PLANET EARTH thought Juan was the most qualified.
PERIOD.
Castillo let everyone down as well. No adjustment on defense. If a team is going to line up and play max protect with 7 and 8 guys all game you don’t keep rushing 4 and 5. You drop 8 into coverage to force the QB to make a tougher throw. It’s harder to hit 2 receivers when you have 8 in coverage then when you have 6. And it’s not like we were overloading them with the blitz to try to beat the max protect. We just got manhandled and pushed around in the running game and the dline couldn’t sniff Cutler. And the few opportunities they did they couldn’t catch him. I mean we all know how fast Cutler is. Yeah right.
Juan is just as much to blame. If I see Nnamdi play safety again, I’m going to lose my voice yelling.
Check this out guys…Cutler was able to fall roll around the dirt, get up and complete a pass for a 1st down.
Remember when Julius Peppers was available and we decided to move up and draft Graham?
Now, Peppers have become our nemesis.
Why can’t we have players like that on the line?
By the way…Graham is ass and will never live up to a 1st round pick.
Paste it and remember when he get cut and mentioned with the McDougal’s of the world.
If Lurie is interested in winning he would hire Bill Cowher..Hell I would even take Gruden for a year.
Better yet keep Marty and make him asst head coach, and hire Greg Williams as head coach.
Greg Williams know defense…and fire Reid and his Borito maker.
Get them both the hell outta here.
News–
The Tampa Bay Bucs claimed and were awarded DT Albert Haynesworth
The Bucs ar 4-4 and in a playoff battle who just lost their DT Gerald McCoy (their Top Pick in 2010) to a Season ending Injury (for torn biceps)
The fact that he went to the Bucs and to a team with a better record tells everyone that the Eagles did not pursue or put in a claim since they have a worse record than Tampa Bay, and could have been awarded HAynesworth if they choose to pursue him…. The hits just a keep coming don’t they..
Songs
#1) Peppers was never availalbe to the Eagles and did not want to play for an East Coast City which he stated numerous times…
#2) Ter Eagles believe it of not have the highest paid COaching Staff and all the Assitants are signed thru the 2012 Season (MM,Mudd,Washburn,Lynn,Castillo and the others ), Now Coach AR is signed thru 2013 Season and this entire Staff will be back to Coach the team in 2012 and have 1 final short of getting to the Super Bowl
Remember these 2 important things when talking about firing coaches
#1) Owner Jeff Lurie and President Banner are not going to pay this Staff in excess of $10 Million Dollars in 2012 to not Coach, It’s not going to happen, no way, no how, so everyone needs to get off this “Fire the Coach” train
(Now after the 2012 Season, I do believe a change will be made then)
#2) Since the team made the risky decision to lock up VIck for 5-6 Years after 1 Great 1/2 of Season from last year, then cannot just go out and hire any COach.. Not all Coahes are going to like his Style, not every Offensive scheme fits his scrambling high rish-high reward style of PLay..
(the Eagles in hindsight would have been a whloe lot smarter to keep the Franchise Tag on VIck for this Season and pay him the Top $$$ for this Year only to see what he can do over a full season a the leader and #1 QB.. but now theydeal they have him signed with tie their hands in not only in the Finace/Salary Cap area, but also who can they hire to coach him and his style of play.. Cowher, Dungy, Mangini would want nothing like his Style of QB.. so wah do you do then…hire a Jim Mora Jr, Jon Grudent type who would love to have Vick as their QB..
Bottom LIne, Coach Ar, MM and QB VIck are all tied to this deal at the hip.. If Coach goes, they all got to go in my opinion…
#3) graham was the most productive DL on the Eagles versus th Bears
IN 25 Snapps he has 4 Tackles and 1 Tackle for a loss
Trent Cole combined for about 75 Snaps and had 2, that’s right a whoppping 2
tackles and Zero Sacxks between them…
Did you even watch the game Songs.. Your homeboys stunk up the joint
Should have been Trent Cole and Jason Babin combined for only 2 Tackles
(You get the point)
well paulman by your analysis futile decisions followed by more futility, I don’t see it that way, if eagles don’t make the playoffs Reid will be fired, bank on it
No Jake, I think Paulman is right. Reid and Vick are going to be here through next year, and then the decisions will be made.
More than the Eagles’ record, the guy (Reid I’m assuming) who convinced Lurie to drop 40 million guaranteed on a completely unreliable, sub par, sub .500, scrambly QB will be the first to go…..
Not too bad…only 24 more games with Vick at the helm….and with inevitable injuries probably even less!!!