Careless Football Finally Catches Up With The Eagles
The Eagles survived nine turnovers in the first two games of the season, but today they were unable to overcome three lost fumbles to the Cardinals.
Michael Vick lost two, and Damaris Johnson lost another on a punt return. Vick’s fumble at the end of the second half turned out to be the deathblow for this team today. We may be talking about an entirely differently game if the Eagles go into the half down 17-7. Instead, what you have was a backbreaking moment that more or less took Philadelphia out of the game.
The quarterback once again showed one of his biggest issues, the inability to recognize a blitz. Vick had no idea that pressure would be coming, and its something that he’s always going to struggle with.
You can’t win in this league with turnovers. The Eagles proved that last season, and they could easily be 0-3 had several things not broken their way against the Browns and Ravens.
This Was Andy At His Worst
Andy Reid called a great game in Week 2 against Baltimore. He made a concentrated effort to establish the run early in the game, taking pressure off of Michael Vick and setting the quarterback up for success later in the game.
Today, Reid was uninterested in getting the ground game going. While the game was close, the head coach called just five running plays in the first half. With the offense predictable, the Cardinals were able to take advantage of Vick’s inability to read a blitz, and teed off on the veteran all day.
Can anyone justify Reid’s decision to kick a field goal on fourth and five in the second half? It was easily the most baffling, bizarre decision in the game. A field goal that late in the game with the team down by three touchdowns does very little good. The Eagles needed a touchdown to have serious ideas about coming back and tying the game. Reid may as well have waved the white flag right then and there.
Quick Thoughts
- Nice to see Alex Henery make both of his field goals.
- The Eagles had no answer for Larry Fitzgerald today. The star wideout caught nine passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. He’s a true number-one receiver.
- Jeremy Maclin’s absence really hurt the Eagles today. Under normal circumstances, the Eagles could have kept Brent Celek back to help in pass protection, but they felt it was more important to have him out running patterns to make up for the void left by the former top draft pick.
- I felt like the Eagles should have dialed up some more blitzes to try and throw Kevin Kolb out of his rhythm. The front four wasn’t doing a good enough job of consistently getting pressure on the former Eagle.
- While Damaris Johnson cost the Eagles on special teams, he made a nice contribution as a receiver in his first career start, hauling in five passes for 84 yards.
- Jason Babin was among the most active players on the defensive line, finishing the game with 1.5 sacks.
Final Thoughts
This is a frustrating game to see the Eagles lose. They had a great opportunity to go to 3-0, and give them a little more room for error in their quest to return to the playoffs. Now the Eagles have not only lost a game within the conference, but the Cardinals now have the head-to-head tiebreaker on them. By defeating the Patriots and Eagles in back-to-back weeks, I think that Arizona has proven that they shouldn’t be taken lightly, and they’re going to be a surprise team in the NFC playoff picture.
Hopefully this game serves as a wake-up call for this team that their mistake-prone ways have got to change. The New York Giants come to town next weekend fresh off of a thrashing of the Carolina Panthers, and another performance with three or more turnovers is a formula for another loss.
Cobb was sacked 3 times and had to scramble 4 times and threw it away at least 4 times
How much pressure is pressure
Maybe he is a good QB with a good Game Plan
Agreed RCP. Kolb was under a lot of pressure in the 1st.
Also, how can a blitz from the left be a `blindside`blitz for a left handed QBÉÉ
I understand Vick got hit from behind, but that begs another question…why..
There were 6 seconds left when the play was called. It has to be an immediate throw the moment he gets the ball in his hands…instead he just stood there and waited to get blasted.
Reminded me a lot of the last play of the half in Buffalo last year. 8 secs to go in that one I think….VIck just stood there as the clock counted soen and we were screaming `throw it!!!`but he didn;t untill time run out.
Now – where I can blame Reid, is he saw his QB freeze in the exact same situation last year, so why not expect VIck to freeze againÉÉÉÉ
Congrats vinnie on the eagle loss today… your boy toy looked good… he didnt have that same scared look.
You read happiness in my posts Stevo Fuck I’m pissed. Pissed that I have to watch Mike “Deer in the headlighs” Vick another 3 games thus ruining a potentially good season.
Here are my thoughts:
Nnamdi Asomugha is a fraud….he was brought in to cover guys like Fitz and slowmthem down…he is sooo fing bad its jot funny….always looking at blaming the safeties when he gets beat
Our safeties are still average…no one back there strikes fear in receivers…been missing since Dawk left
Vick still cant read a defense
Reid continues to pass inside the red zone when he has McCoy….what a joke
Kevin Kolb had the last laugh today…hahaha Reid
Pretty simple Michael Vick is who he is he’s not an elite quarterback that can throw the ball over and over again without the protection of the run game. As the coach you see that the Cardinals are getting after Vick, receivers don’t seem to be getting open, you have to counteract with adjustments to take the defense out of their game i.e. run the ball, draws, screens, quick slants. Football 101, this will slow down the pass rush, make the safeties cheat up or go to single high allowing more opportunities to get single coverage and cause play action to be more effective. Once again the offensive coaches fail to adjust to what they see on the field. They did not put Vick in a position to be able to win the game. The same thing used to happen to McNabb. All the talent in the world will not compensate for the lack of employing the simple concepts of football. The other thing I saw was that the Cardinals defense bullied the offense, and I didn’t see the fight I saw in them against the Ravens. Prime example, when Vick scrambled for a big gain and #58 Washington (who was a beast today) caught Vick from behind slammed his head into the turf and smacked the ball out of his hands after the whistle. The Cardinals defense displayed the body language that they were going to take this team’s manhood today and they did just that without so much as a whimper, pretty embarrassing.
Just saw Brady with 7 seconds from the 6 complete a TD pass. Oh he also has a terrible o-line and but for a bad kick would have beat the Cardinals. Play the Dang Kid already!!!
Foles Fever catch it.
For the love of God, will someone please tell me WTF is there not to understand about securing the ball with BOTH hands when in a crowd? I blame the coaches for not plthacing enough, if any, emphasis on ball security. There should be fines aplenty for those who can’t learn this simple fundamental technique. Vick, himself, is the biggest violator of this simple, COMMON SENSE technique. It drives me completely crazy when I see whom ever the ball carrier is, carrying the damn thing like a briefcase. THIS AIN’T WALL STREET BOYS.
When will you guys get it…This mess is not going to change until Jeffrey Lurie decides he has had enough of Andy Reid and this ridiculous play calling, poor game management and now bringing in overated free agents i.e # 24. He has been a total bust. We have #25 who is a top back in this league and you dont give him at least 25 carries and help take some of the pressure off of #7. AR did the same mess with # 5 and didnt win a SB and now the same crap with #7. Enough of this garbage. Fire Andy Reid.
STOP…$100,000,000.00 Quarterbacks should not need help from scheme!!!!!
Vick has NO pocket presence at all. He was hit by a guy from his LEFT… He should have known it was coming.
STOP the apologies.. HE is a gifted athlete and a decent QB but C’MON MAN he can’t keep holding the ball too long EVERY GAME!!!!
The problem is he’s not a $100 million dollar quarterback for all the reasons you listed which is why he needs help from the scheme. So shame on the front office for pulling the trigger too soon on that deal. Luckily there is an option to get out of it next year with no deep salary repercussions.
We need more than inconsistent decent over-hyped QB play. “baby arm” as some call him (with help from a good defense) did not turn the ball over and as such allowed his playmakers to win the game. QB should be a consistent leader not the sole play maker. Ive seen the Micheal Vick Experience and I want a refund!!
Nees to get some help on the oline and go from there. Vixk needs to play better or sit. If the oline didnt suck so bad today i would say it was time.
Had the first half gone the same way and McNabb was qb, he would not have come out to start the second half. Vick deserved to be benched today, like McNabb was benched against Baltimore a few years back. Yes, this would’ve given Foles a chance, but more importantly it would’ve served as a necessary wake-up call for Vick as it did to McNabb as he led the birds back to the NFC championship. Vick seems too comfortable as a starter and he should not be because this season he is basically playing at severely below average level. Wait til he faces the giants pass rush next game, it’s safe to assume a very similar outcome.
Enough with the oline BS Stevo. They were bad in the 2nd half, when the Birds were down 3 tds and the Cards were teeing off.
In the first it was a different story.
The sacks…all after 5 seconds. The first Vickfumble, at 6 seconds. The early holding call that set the Birds back, at 6 seconds.
Its impossible for any oline to do their job with Vick at QB
And I’ve now gone back and looked at the disaster at the end of the half about 5x. Pre-snap. Vick is under center and never once looks to his left at the line. Only to the right, Snap and he stares right the entire time. Pow. That’s how a QB gets “blindsided” from a guy running at his chest. .
As usual, many of you can’t contain your hatred for Vick and fail to see the big picture. Damn near every one of you who hate Vick have stated so from the beginning. You state he’s too dumb; can’t read a defense; holds the ball yoo long. AGAIN MORONS if this is true, who’s responsible for either FIELDING A YEAM YHAT HAS A QB WITH THE PROPER SKILLS, or you adjust your play-calling to the skills of qb you chose to pay $100 million. I mean; who the f is being paid to make THESE DECISIONS? I believe the same idiot the last 14 years.
Agreed 100% Brew, but all criticisms that are thrown towards Vick, are valid, & factual. It isn’t just hate. At least, not by me. He just ain’t a good QB. PERIOD! Never was, & never will be. He doesn’t pick up blitzes. He makes stupid decisions with the ball. Makes way too many mistakes for a 10 year veteran. He holds on to the ball too long. And is, was, & always will be his own worst nightmare. All of that said, Reid needs to go, ASAP! I was going to hold my ripping of him for at least half the season, but I can’t take it anymore. He is a stupid, F^#@ING moron. He has to go! BTW, the O-line, is in DEEP trouble!
Again..Andy ran 25..five times In first half with a hurtn oline..everytime fitz burned us, our D was in zone..again Andy calls a pass inside the five yrd line..see the pattern..sh*t flows down hill..again Earl Thomas looks good right about now, hence nnamdi giving Kurt I can’t remember my assignment Coleman..read between the lines. U can’t play this way period…u can’t point at certain mistakes in the game..Andy’s scheme is tired..the definition of insanity in websters shows Andy! He thinks this crap works and it doesn’t. U need to feed shady the rock 22-25 times a game..when u have a Ferrari in the garage u use it, not look at it. In the end we got the brakes beat off us..Andy will not change. Except it. He’ll be gone next year winning season or not. Vick is a one truck poney
My thoughts on the game are- Vick blows, the O-line blows, MM & AR ARE F^#@ING, STUBBORN, STUPID, PLAY-CALLERS, & Asomugha is the worst signing of the Reid era. Total waste of $$$! He can’t wipe Revis’s dirty, sweaty @$$! We got picked apart, by Corn on the Kolb?!?!? What a f^#@ING disgrace! How do you prepare ALL WEEK, & come out with a game plan like that, especially with an O-line that looks like a block of Swiss cheese, & a QB, that is mistake prone, has a blitz pick-up recognition of Ray Charles & a football IQ of a bag of rocks?!?!? You have 1 of the best RB’s in the league, an O-line that can’t pass protect against a bunch of quadriplegics, that are better suited to run the ball, & YOU RUN THE F^#@ING BALL 4 TIMES, in the first half! FOUR F^#@ING TIMES!!!!! It is absolutely UNACCEPTABLE!!!!! Please Lurie FIRE REID!!!! It’s time, & apparently nothing will ever change with him. He is too arrogant, too stubborn, & too one track minded. We can never win a SB with this clown as head of the helm & Vick as his field General.
I agree with you DCar. I was at that pathetic game today. Drove over 6 hrs from SD to see them play like dog shit. I a want a f**king refund! Vick sucks, our line sucks, Asomugha is completely lost, and I’m just flat out tired of this shit. We are so damn lucky to be 2 – 1. Could easily be 0 – 3 right now. This team makes me wanna puke
They ruined vick .. Andy reid and the eagles coaching staff.. Hes indecisive, he wont run now and when he does hes indecisive because he hasnt done it in so long..they wont simplify the offense .. When mart mornenwieg was asked maybe u should simplify the offense he actied like ” why would i do that” hes a moron a MORE ON.. the league is changin rg3 christian poner andrew luck cam newton even aaron rodger to an extant all these guys are running quarterbacks.. yet the eagles are trying to hold on to the past when the had the future.. At least vick got his money ..
At dcar not only do the run the ball only 4 times .. the cardinal know its pass every time.. and the eagles have no slants or quick crossing patterns becuase they can run through traffic like every other team in the league .. so vick sits back there wating for double moves posts and 9 routes to develop..
theyre min reciever wont run quick slants and crossing patterns .. it was runts vs men today
Vinnie clearly can’t add and subtract. There were 5 secs left on the clock when he was slammed by Rhodes(?) and coughed up the ball.
Even Tom Brady needs more than a second to throw the ball.
There were only a handful of plays where he held on to the ball too long – and that was b/c there were no receivers open. Every other play he had 1 to 2 seconds to throw the ball MAX.
Several times before he could even drop back he was being swarmed by Cardinals. There were a LOT of problems with this game but Vick wasn’t the main one.
You’re confusing the 1st and 2nd halves tsjohnson.
1st strip fumble. Designed roll left. Roll left – no one there (throw the ball away)…nope…turn around and run from one hash to the other – no one there (throw the ball away)…nope…turn back into the centre of fireld and try to run – hit from behind. Was that 1 or 2 seconds??
Every hit he took over the first Q came after 5 or 6 seconds, Every one.
The holding call – at 6 seconds.
Now…you’re right, it came about 1-2 seconds into the play…but that was alla about recognition. Vick walked to the line looking to his right, and kept looking right the entire time (even while calling the cadence). Its amazing. Blitz from left – whammo. Terrible…
Which brings me too…..
Laarwd….you’re partially corrrect.
Close examination of those 3 last plays of the first (all sell out blitzes) show a major weakness of the Eagles O.
On all 3 plays, the Cards left the entire centre of the field open, and all 3 times the birds ran patterns heading out to the sidelines.
That last blitz could have easily been crushed by a quick slant inside into an uncovered area.
Now why did the cards leave the centre of the field wide open, needing to cover only 2/3 of the field (outside the hashes). Why?
Because our WRs are too short (as larrwd suggests?
Nope. 5′ 10″ qb who can’t see the centre of the field over the line is why.
Those cards came all out up the guy because they know Vick isn’t going to throw the ball there, because he isn’t going to throw it where he can’t see it.
1. It’s already been said that on some plays he held onto the ball too long – SOME plays. Mainly cause no one was open – and lets be real if threw the ball away as much as he should have we’d be having a whole other conversation.
The reality is MOST of the game he had one maybe two seconds to throw the ball. That’s NOT a VIck problem.
2. “Nope. 5′ 10″ qb who can’t see the centre of the field over the line is why.”
And this is why they have him drop back – IF the WR run those routes – and IF the line can hold for more than 2 sec he makes that throw. He may still get hit – but he gets hit and they get a TD.
3. NONE of that explains WHY with a patchwork online – your main WR out and an Arizona defense that held the Pats to 18 (?) last week – the Eagles thought it was a good idea to throw – throw – throw.
This game was an Andy Reid Marty issue and to a lesser extent Castillo NOT a (primarily) Vick issue.
Nothing really to say about this team other than a few simple facts, we all know the reasons but to summarize
Vick sucks
Reid sucks
Current O Line sucks
Nhamdi sucks
pretty much in that order
Special Teams Suck (though they did play better yesterday)
O/Line is bottom 1/3rd of the NFL
QB is bottom 1/3rd of the NFL
WR corps is bottom 1/3rd of NFL
FB is non-existent
TE Depth behind Celek is poor (Most Teams have 2 Good TE’s)
DE T Cole & J Babin are Overrated
DT C Jenkins is Overrated
CB Asmo sucks
Safeties are Average but Coleman too slow to be an everydown Safety
@RegalEagles – didn’t Tom Brady’s team lose? oh ok, yea thats what I thought
Tom Brady’s “team” may have lost…
but at least he didn’t roll out 46% for 217 and 2 fumbles
so what girl…., I’m not pardoning Vick’s performance…the end result was a loss, just like Brady who’s team is 1-2 by the way. How about Big Ben and the Steelers…? Teams struggle players struggle each week is a chance for a “new” in the NFL……real “NFL fan’s” and those that have played the game know this…Its easy to sit back and point out all of what a single guy did wrong. There are numerous players that can be done to from yesterday’s performance…not seeing the big picture is what you lack.
what was the worst 3 years of realtalk777s life?
first grade!
haha….”real talk” has him reeling, he’s on the ropes, dazed, confused resorting to some of the corniest comments anyone has ever heard.
Blame the coaches. RGIII a rookie is playing smarter than Vick.
Give a player the hook when he fumbles. Let him watch that game from the sidelines until he gets it. It use to be standard disapline. Now we are worried about hurting players feelings.
It would appear that Vick has reach his mental apex. He can’t deal with the blitz. Turn him lose and let him run until he gets hurt and let the kid play.
For the 1000th time. Andy Reid is the worst game day play caller in the league. He is just pathetic. Nice effort by “boney James”. He stinks as well.
Jason Peters injury happened a long time ago. Fat boy had plenty of time to get a decent replacement. Once again he comes into the season missing a player. It’s the EMPERORS NEW CLOTHES every year. Pretend that the problem is solved.
Andy Reid does not, and never will, possess the heart of a champion. Jeffery Loser should have fired him 4 years ago. How arrogant can you be to think you can just pass every down and another NFL team can’t stop you. A HARD HEAD MAKES FOR A SOFT BEHIND.
Jeffery Loser will finally FIRE Andy Reid at the end of this season.suicides will drop in Philadelphia by %50 when the new coach actually understands how to run the football and mix up his play calling.
14 years of fatness on the sidelines. Just messes up the whole Sunday when the Eagles lose.
A beautiful fall day down here in Blue Ridge Mtns yesterday, Sunny,Clear and in the 60’s.. to be honest, I didn’t waste a minute watching yesterday’s game for My Fall Activities and being outside in the great weather with my family and friends is more improtant that watching the same old garbage in Silver & Green.
I decided a long time ago that I am not wasting my Sundays on this Team
When they play night games or national TV Games, Then I will watch but not making any special effort or changes in my plans to watch Vick and Coach AR.. It ain’t happening, can watch recaps and even see the replay during the week at NFL Channell.. This Cardinal Game is not even worth watching that ..
It’s time to face facts. Andy Reid got to where he is through hard work and persistence. I respect that. But, he has gone as far as he can go. He is just not good at game day adjustments and never will be. If the game plan is working, he wins. If not, he cannot make the right adjustments. When is the last time you heard someone say “wow, the Eagles should have lost today, but Andy outcoached their guy”? Never. They guy can’t think on his feet. On top of that, the league has figured out how to defend Vick. Blitz, confuse, obfuscate and then blitz some more…
It’s Runts versus Men every week Larrwd … Nothing’s Changed in Philly
They have become Soft and play like puss-bags …
So funny paul….. you didnt waste time watching a game you spent DAYS writing about. so sad
4-5 Posts pretty much sums up that lame effort, hardly any time at all Stevo on my part.. What was there to analyze.. Eagles were out-hit, out-coached and out-focused by the Cardinals just like the last 3 times they played them.. If Coac h AR can’t get his Team up for where they failed in their Last Championship Quiality Team, then he should retire.. Doesn;t he recall how his heavily SUper Bowl favored team got spanked by the Cardinals 3 Years ago.. Clean house already