Offense
– This team’s ineptitude in the redzone is truly remarkable. The Eagles had three meaningful redzone opportunities in the game, and only managed to score a touchdown on one of them. Failing to consistently score seven points quickly took the Eagles out of contention in this game. To only settle for three points isn’t going to work when going up against a high-powered offense like New England’s.
– The playcalling inside the 20-yard line was often poor, and when Andy Reid and Marty Morhinweg did send in a decent call, players didn’t execute.
– The Eagles didn’t make any effort to involve LeSean McCoy in the redzone other than the first trip. Oddly enough, when McCoy and running game was called upon on the goalline, they produced the team’s only significant redzone touchdown.
– DeSean Jackson’s play this season really portrays what the entire team has been this season. He’s a talented player that shows flashes of how great he can be from time to time, but doesn’t always show the intensity and concentration required to win. He dropped two touchdown passes, including one on a third down in the redzone.
– Vince Young got off to a great start. He looked much more settled in and confident in the team’s first two drives, and had no trouble hitting open receivers to get the Eagles to a 10-point lead. After those first drives, Young’s level of play dropped noticeably. He began to underthrow his targets, and just stopped making plays.
– Getting back to issues with playcalling, I don’t mind the packages that the Eagles have for Chad Hall, but they run them way more than they should, and choose to run them at strange times. This week the team decided to give Hall a running play on a 2nd and 14. It just doesn’t seem like the Chad Hall package should be used at all in a game like this, and certainly shouldn’t be play to go to on a 2nd and long. In a situation like this, with the season on the line, it makes more sense to me to cross all of the cute plays off of playchart and concentrate on running your best plays.
– Could plays like the Chad Hall play have been what prompted defensive line coach Jim Washburn to get into an altercation with Marty Mornhinweg?
Defense
– My first question is what happened to the high levels of intensity that this group had a week ago in New York? Against the Giants, the Eagles looked like they had a legitimate NFL defense. Guys seemed to be playing with attitude, something that has been absent on this defense for some time now. But this week? They didn’t even try once things got tough.
– This week we saw the defense we had seen the majority of the season. Sloppy play all over the field, missed tackles, blown coverages. Remember the days when this team had a bend but don’t break mentality under Jim Johnson? Seems like eons ago.
– Defensively I saw more fire and intensity from Patriots reserve wide receiver Julian Edelman than I did from the entire Eagles defense. Edelman was forced to play regularly with the New England defense due to injuries in the secondary, he was in on three tackles, and also got a shot in on Vince Young during a blitz.
– The Patriots just had too many weapons for the Eagles to account for. When the Eagles tried to take away Brady’s tight ends, he found Deion Branch and Wes Welker. When the Eagles focused on the receivers, Brady went to his tight ends.
– Nnamdi Asomugha’s knee injury really hurt. Brandon Hughes had to take on an expanded role today, and just wasn’t up to the challenge. The Patriots attacked him frequently. Tom Brady didn’t even bother to look Asante Samuel’s way for most of the game, and focused on the weak and inexperienced players in the secondary.
– Nate Allen doesn’t look like anything more than a mediocre starter to me. The guy isn’t a physical force, and doesn’t seem to have good instincts on the field. He’s shown some cover skills, but ultimately doesn’t look like an answer at the position to me. Maybe that can change if he gets some better defensive coaching in the future, but right now I just don’t see it.
The fans cannot continue to tow the line and “bleed green” and buy products and tickets. The only way to force change is to hit this joe banner and jeff lurie where it hurts, in the wallet. DO NOT SUPPORT THIS TEAM!
you could have wrote the article above in a few sentences…
The Eagles looked as if they didnt practice all week. They were unprepared!
I am with RTB, maybe some “Empty Seats” and a lack of “Merchandise $$$” spent will raise the sense of urgency to Owner Lurie about making some changes that are overdue.. This Team needs some fresh energy and a new voice and direction and it just no longer will happen with Coach AR at the helm..
Eagles also need a professional football man to be the GM, not a “Fantasy GM” like Roseman is.. Hire a real football mind who knows,understands and has even played the game of Football…
I’m sick of DeSean. The guy doesn’t try to break up INTs, he’s dropping passes that are right in his hand or his gut—you blame Young for “not making plays”–it’s tough to make plays when your recivers are dropping balls. I know that some of his passes were underthrown, but still, the reciever has to be physical with the defender, and with “I’m a top 5 reciever” Jackson, he’s not.
Trust me, no one is buying anything Eagles, this Xmas! That ought to send a message. F^#@ Lurie, Banner, Reid, all of his cronies & the stiffs, that he put on the field.