Who Believes?
Posted: October 31st, 2011 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 113 Comments »We all love what we saw from the Eagles last night, but I’m curious…who believes in this team?
Was one great game enough to convince people to get back on the bandwagon? Are most people still waiting to make sure this isn’t an anomaly?
What are you guys thinking / feeling?
10 straight quarters of borderline dominating defense. I believe.
Still not convinced. Yet.
I said before, I won’t really have an opinion until after week 12, once they’ve faced Cowboys, Giants again, and the Pats. One down, two to go.
I’m more optimistic than I was though. A thorough beatdown of the Cowboys will do that. Like you said, the air seems fresher. Birds are singing in freezing weather. Halloween candy tastes better. Well, except for 3 Musketeers. I don’t understand the point of them.
We have a pile of those that hit the garbage….NO ONE in my house like 3 Musketeers. I asked one my friends if she wanted them, and her response was, “I don’t want them shi#ts!!”
I’m sure its got its fan, some people try to claim no one likes candy corn. Clearly they’ve never talked to this guy.
I eat the pumpkins out of the bags of candy corn…really pisses my wife off. She is stuck with the corn.
I think the Bears game will go a long way of showing if they actually have cleaned up the mistakes and sorted out the schemes that work. No question if we play like we did against the Cowboys we’ll do well and quite possibly win that SB.
Cautiously optimistic, which probably is what everyone else is as well…
Think Juan will bring over one of their players for a pre-game speech?
I believe in this offense, I have believed in it since last year. I don’t think there is a single defense we could not score 40 on, on any given night. That being said, I don’t believe in this team… yet. The last two games have shown me that they are starting to believe that not everything is handed to you in this league just because you have the most talent, which is promising. I want to believe in this defense, I really do, I LOVE a good defense way more than I could ever love a polished offense, which makes this season so painful so far. I also believe that Reid knows what to do and how to win with this football team, but can they execute?
So, I believe in Reid and his offense.
I’m still holding my belief on the defense and just the team mentality in general, but if they can show me that those dumbass mistakes are behind them, or at the very least make it only 1 a game, I’ll start believing that this team is special
Well, since I never left the bandwagon, I’m feeling great!
That doesn’t mean I’m not nervous or realistic, but I always knew if this team could get it together, they could be very good.
That Patriot game doesn’t look as intimidating any more. And we have games against the Skins, Seahawks, Jets, and Dolphins also on our schedule. Of course the division games can be tough, but I’m really not scared of any team in it. This team could go 12-4. Or it could go 9-7.
But I’m looking forward to finally knowing what this team is.
“I’m looking forward to finally knowing what this team is.”
Lots of truth in this.
At the depths of 1-4, they were still 4 flukey losses. A bounce here and there…
Anyway, I believe there is still a shot at playoffs. If they get there, anything can happen. Still believe in Reid’s ability to keep the team together. I believe.
I thought we were going to win the Buffalo game during the second half and that the season would turn around from there. I still think I’m half right.
All in. All. In.
I’m still worried about the run defense. The past two weeks, the Skins and Cowboys had low rushing totals because they got behind early and were forced to abandon the run. I want to see this team stop the run when the other team isn’t being forced to pass.
That’s fair.
I agree that this is fair too. Washington completely got away from its offense, and the Dallas game was such an everything-is-going-right game it’s hard to read too much into them.
At the same time, I think that’s the blueprint. Use the explosive offense to get ahead, then force the other team to pass, so our pass rush can pin its ears back, our corners can cover, and we can pretend like the linebackers don’t exist.
There hasn’t been a game when the offense wasn’t moving up and down the field at will. The question was would they score touchdowns, kick field goals or turn it over.
The improvement of the defense of late remains the biggest factor in the different results, but the lack of drive-killing, momentum-shifting turnovers by the offense is big too.
Only two turnovers the past two games, and one of them was the throw by Vince Young.
anyone else notice it seemed like something was wrong with witten? I know the Eagles were blanketing him with coverage, but he still just didn’t seem like he wanted to even catch the ball.
I am in 100% agreement with this statement. This is what they were designed to do. Punch a team in the mouth, get them off their game plan, and then just attack the QB relentlessly. It’s hard to understand why this formula wasn’t working earlier this year when we were blowing 4Q leads, but I think the time to gel together and improve the overall team psyche has us in the place we want to be right now.
And with the turnovers, for me, it wasn’t necessarily the numbers of TO (although they were horrendous). It just seemed that every turnover seemed to be a soul-crushing and happen at the worst possible time, and in the flukiest possible way. Hopefully they are a thing of the past.
Great topic for a post.
I honestly never lost belief in this team, and those of us that didn’t were get derided for being the last ones clinging to strands of hope. Or homers. Or too blind to see the … anyway.
The point is it was all there for anyone to see. The mistakes were a combination of correctable things like bad tackling, missed blocking assignments, holding on to the ball too long, etc., and things that weren’t necessarily likely to repeat themselves, like all the poorly timed turnovers.
The games they won and lost were mostly about how the Eagles played. Even when they were losing games they were dictating the flow and making (or not making) the big plays. I thought really only the fourth quarter of the Giants game and the first half of the Buffalo game we were clearly outplayed. Maybe fourth quarter of Atlanta too. But all the games we had an opportunity to win; it was kind of absurd that they had failed four times in a row.
The talent was and is there, and hopefully the sense of urgency remains. Certainly all is not fixed — we could still be better in the red zone, for instance — but if Juan Castillo’s unit and Howard Mudd’s units each continue to be strengths, like they were Sunday night, instead of liabilities, the sky is the limit.
I honestly think this team can reach 10 wins. I’d like for it to get into the playoffs while it’s healthy and peaking, and take our chances. It’ll be a tough road, with it ultimately having to go through Green Bay, but there aren’t many teams out there that scare me. You afraid of going to San Fran in January? I’m not. When the Eagles play well, I don’t know who but Green Bay is better.
Really well said.
Biggest suprise of the year has to be the offensive line. Who woulda thought, this line could be so dominating. Mathis, Kelce, Wakins and Mudd have all be HUGE upgrades over last years line. Lock up Mathis, and draft for depth next year. Could have a special O-line for years to come. Looking at next years draft, LB is the only real need that sticks out. Maybe a DT and DE, (Cole and Babin aren’t getting any younger) but we are very strong going into the draft. I would love (dream) for them to trade Asante to the Lions for Tulloch and a late round pick. Use the 1st round pick on a stud DT or DE, and use the two 2nds on the two best OLB on the board. Run with Tulluch in the middle, and have competition between Chaney, Rolle, and said draftees. Matthews, Lloyd, Fokou, Jordan compete for backup spots. Rest of the draft go for depth, Oline and seconday.
Agree, but we also have to wonder how much is Mudd, and if it is alot, how are we looking into his succession plan for when he retires again?
I hear you, but the very definition of underachievement is not performing up to the level of talent which is “there for anyone to see”. While mistakes may be correctable, there’s no guarantee they will be corrected. No guarantee that the coaches will teach and the players will listen.
In other words, while certainly there a fluky plays, a trend of fluky plays going against you is an indictment of your preparation and attention to detail — in my opinion. For example, Phillip Rivers last night. Taken on its own his fumble was a fluke. But taken in the context of his uncharacteristically turnover prone play recently, it tells me that his focus isn’t right.
I think that’s what was happening to us earlier in the season. A lack of preparation over the offseason and all the coaching changes leading to a lack of confidence and playing a step slow. (Note that, if he were playing a step slow, Vick would definitely have lost the fumble where Kelce snapped the ball into his own butt — he barely beat out a Cowboy to the ball.)
I was pretty much ready to throw in the towel when the Buffalo game started the way it did. 🙂 I think they’ve turned the corner now though, on offense and on defense. There might be setbacks here and there in the future, but I don’t think we’ll see the kind of widespread Epic Fail of the early season.
But I’m not going to hope for the playoffs until we get to 6-4 at least.
I agree that over time, that many flukes are a sign of something larger. But I myself could never get over the fact that the Eagles were, say, a 33-yard Henery field goal from feeling pretty good about themselves.
In the end, if the four losses sufficiently humbled them and keeps them that way — focused, us against the world, never believing the hype — we can view them as a good thing. This team should never get too high on itself, because although we’ve seen all it can be, we’ve seen all it cannot be too.
Will be great to watch this play out. Well, I hope.
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one to see the potential in this team.
I know its the typical Philly attitude to see 4 losses in a row and start saying things like “THIS TEAM SUCKS. FIRE REID NOW!!!” And I get caught up in that too. But when you looked at each individual loss, you could see the potential, you could see it really wasn’t that bad. And that’s what I hung my hope on too.
It is better to lose because you underperformed your potential than to live fully up to your potential and just not be good enough to win.
I consider myself a homer. I’m a fan, not an analyst. I like to think about things, but I realize I don’t have sufficient perspective because 95% of the time I’m focused on one team.
With that disclaimer, yes I believe. Partly because I always expected this team to get off to a slow start with all this turnover. Then you look at the stats, for example net points, and there is plenty of evidence that this team is better than it’s record. Could that be a case of cherry picking the stats? Absolutely, probably.
However, I think turnover is the key. Teams that make so many changes in one off-season usually start off slow, and sometimes become really tough late in the season IF they gel. No guarantees, but I think that could be the Eagles.
Having said all that, I’m not sure we’ve turned the corner in time. We still face some tough teams, not to mention 3 more NFC east games, which I always look at as “could go either way”.
Different season, but same story. I will always believe until we are mathematically eliminated.
Off topic:
Hey Morton, Andy Studebaker, former Eagles linebacker, just recovered a fumble to save KC from a loss. You’re up.
Let sleeping dogs lie!!!
Ex-Division III player. Holler!
Yessir!
I love my Eagles…but, alas, I have been burned before. I am cautiously optimistic, but I am not ruling out a spin cycle of emotions, something along the lines of a few more dominating wins, followed by a stinker, followed by a scrappy win, followed by a hearbreaking loss, followed by…?
I will believe one game at a time and take the pain as it comes.
GO EAGLES!!!!!!
There will definitely be pain at the end. Meantime, let’s enjoy the crap out of pimp-slapping the Cowboys!
http://i41.tinypic.com/2zre3hl.jpg
That’s all I have to say.
Believe what? That they can make the playoffs? Sure. More so because I also believe the division is not very good. Not sure I believe they can go into Green bay and win a playoff game or a super bowl. Like others I have concerns about the run D and Andy’s penchant for a terrible coaching game at a bad time.
Next week should be a good test of the run defense though as Forte is good, the Bears will try to get him the ball often, and their defense should stifle the Eagles offense enough that they won’t have to abandon the run game.
Good point. Forte will be a good test.
I’m real close to believing. Another game and I’ll probably be sold.
It makes sense that with the new coaches/schemes, and all the new players that things would take awhile to come together. Plus even in losses they were more flukey/stupid turn overs that could be cleaned up than just being completely out played by the other team. Even in the one part of the game where they had been dominated (run D like I have to tell anyone that) it wasn’t like that was the sole reason for the losses or it completely put them out the game. They were all still really close and the had a chance to win if not for the turn overs.
The offensive line is coming together now that they’ve played with one another and are getting used to Mudd’s scheme. Getting Watkins in there has also been a plus from those first few games IMO.
The offense is really getting going now that they’ve knocked the rust off. Remember Vick didn’t have Maclin all pre-season and Jackson held out.
And the defense seems to be coming together as a unit (love the gang tackling) and Juan may be figuring it out on his end in terms of play calling and what to do with his players. Seems like he’s sussed out the LB and safety situation for this year.
Something changed at 1/2 time in the Bills game. What? I’ll leave that to you but this is what a team with this much talent should look like.
Really good points:
“I’m real close to believing. Another game and I’ll probably be sold.
It makes sense that with the new coaches/schemes, and all the new players that things would take a while to come together.”
Nope. Not yet.
I’ve been burned by this team too many times before. I know it may seem ridiculous given the number of excellent double-digit win teams that have achieved a lot under Reid, I’m constantly afraid of the inconsistencies that seem to be a hallmark of Reid- think last year vs. Vikings, or the Jamarcus game to name a couple… When I start to believe in this team (and post-Desean’s return in the Meadowlands I believed), they have a tendency to rip my heart out with a total-time stinker. These fears, when written down, seem to be some deep-seeded psychological fear of trusting- but that is directly caused by Reid.
Yesterday didn’t prove anything to me. We knew that all along. When this team plays team football they can be something incredible. But just as they had a magical night of team football last year in DC, one game of coming together certainly doesn’t translate week in and week out.
So I’m cautious before accepting this team. 4 disappointments to begin the year. I want to see another solid team effort again on Monday night before I’ll convince myself they won’t revert right back into the mess we saw to begin the year. Right now, I believe that we still have very talented team, but I believe that we’re still in for a highly disappointing game where an OC figures out how to overwhelm the line, confusing the offense to a meager 3 field goals while costly dumb mistakes gives up multiple long scores for the opposing team.
Sorry. Hate to be that guy. But one game (and a Redskins game) didn’t prove that much. I may have a very different tune after we whoop da Bears.
No problem with having doubts. This team is far from perfect. We’re not even .500 yet so that tells you there is much work yet to be done.
Always believed, Reid has proven time and time again he is the greatest coach in eagles history. We have a foundation and now finally everything is now clicking 🙂
The point in asking this question was to gauge the feelings of fans. As recently as Saturday a reader named BoyBoy was talking about firing Reid. He’s a pretty smart fan so this isn’t a guy who is from the lunatic fringe.
There is no right or wrong answer on how you should feel about the team.
Believing in the team is completely understandable. Lots of talent. Things are headed in the right direction.
Having doubts doesn’t make you a “Negadelphian”. There are still some flaws with this team and there are some question marks that could turn out to be flaws.
Just being at the linc, it felt like everyone believed. It was loud, and I don’t remember sitting much. I’m skeptical, but I want to believe.
The key for me is the o-line. If we give Vick 3 seconds or more, he’s a surgeon. It was so nice to see all those 5-8 yard first down completions.
I want to like this year’s team. In fact, I do like this team. I just don’t trust them. Yet. Hopefully they’ll earn it.
Consistency isn’t two (and a half) games. We need more. They are talented and the coach has a history of success, so there’s hope. But even if this year is a total loss, I really don’t have a problem with the organization. As much crap as we get for never having won a Super Bowl from people we know, there have to be 15-20 fanbases that would happily trade places with us for the last 10 years alone.
Winning a Super Bowl would be great. Knowing your team is going to be competitive every year for over a decade? Priceless.
I’m an Eagles fan. So in my heart, I always believe. Always. That’s why I’m willing to piss off my wife, ignore my kids and slosh Scotch all over my living room every Sunday regardless of what the record is.
But more than ever, my head is telling me slow down… I’m having a very hard time letting Reid off the hook for the disastrous 1-4 start. There were bad breaks yes, but a lot of bad leadership in my opinion too. I posted this on the EMB in a thread totally unlikely to yield any intelligent thoughts:
If anything, this game just amplifies all the criticisms I had of Reid early in the season. It showed that the team is as talented, personnel-wise as we thought going into the year. How do you lose four games straight with a group that has this much skill?
I’m not one of those fans who is irrationally against Andy. There are things he does very well — maybe better than any coach in the league: Develop quarterbacks, pick offensive talent in the draft, design plays and hold the locker room together in bad times. I even like the pass-first approach, as I think that’s the way league’s going.
But Andy’s been around here long enough that, with all the power he’s accumulated outside of the coaching position, there are major issues in his approach. A big win over Dallas (which was frickin’ awesome) doesn’t change the fact that Andy dug this very talented team a major hole to start what should have been a 12-4, Super Bowl-contending type season.
First, there was the Castillo hire. That put me on notice that there aren’t enough people in the building at Novacare that can/are willing to tell Andy “no.” I mean, the only way this could have worked out is for Castillo’s group to dominate. Otherwise it was just a needlessly risky move. Clearly Castillo isn’t dominating. I’ve been encouraged by the last two games but don’t know how much of that to chalk up to Rex Grossman and how little competitive time the defense spent on the field this past Sunday.
Secondly, it’s the failure of the team to identify defensive talent in the draft and develop it. This is what led to our free agent spending spree — we had to spend lots of money to paper over our deficiencies growing our own defensive talent.
Thirdly, it was the stubbornness to address clear problems at the beginning of this year: Casey (EDIT) Mathews is not an NFL linebacker. Jamar Cheney belongs in the middle and may not be a starting-caliber player. The Wide 9 is great for rushing the passer, but what’s the harm in tightening it up on obvious run downs (as they have done the last two weeks to great success)? None of this stuff is rocket science. That it took 5 weeks to make the frickin’ adjustments tells me that Reid has a blind spot for self-evaluation.
What comes next after Reid? It’s definitely a leap into the great unknown. I would look for basically the next Reid — a young offensive mind with a gift for developing quarterbacks. And I’d learn from my mistakes with Andy and pair the new guy with a defensive coordinator who can identify and develop defensive talent. Finally, I would not concentrate so much power in the head coaching position.
This year’s team has the talent to win the Super Bowl. But now we have to go 10-2 or 11-2 to make that happen. Even in the afterglow of the Dallas game, are you that optimistic?
Couldn’t have put it better….exactly my thoughts…!!
Perfect post. Sums up the Eagles situation to a T.
Actually I thought Jamar Cheney played the game of his life. He seemed to do a good job on Witten, to be right there with him step for step and when Witten did make a catch, he got him down immediately. I believe he led the team in tackles too. For me going into the game, that match-up was one of the keys. If I’m Juan, Jamar gets a game ball. I’ll be interested in Tommy’s DGR to see if I was seeing what I thought I was seeing…
You said: Having doubts doesn’t make you a “Negadelphian”.
True. But that’s a real phenomenon. Fans who want to cut, trade, fire or otherwise start over everything a few consecutive things don’t go right are missing the big picture. Continuity is a strength in the NFL, and a lot of times in this league you can fail but be right on the verge of success. You can’t quit and start over at every sign adversity.
I have no problem with measured responses that involved negative things as the outcome. What I can’t stand, and what a negadelphian does, is make a knee-jerk, poorly thought out negative reaction to anything but domination.
Not convinced, and I don’t think there’s enough reason to be… yet.
If they keep playing better like this, though, then I will be convinced soon.
I’m still not convinced by the defense, but I’ve always believed this team can put up 30+ on any team in the league and that can win you a lot of games.
I’m also still not convinced they can recover from this start.
We have a big hole to climb out of, but there is reason for hope. My biggest concern was the offense’s second half stutters. One game isn’t enough to go off of, but again, it’s reason for hope.
Aside from not being able to tackle, I think the biggest problem with the defense was the offense. The defense was built to play with a lead. Our offense is meant to force the other team to pass. When we’re not putting up points and extending leads, opposing offenses can stay balanced and play to our weaknesses. However, the defense has improved against the run (although the Redskins jus gave up on the run).
I don’t know if we’re going to make the playoffs, but we have the talent to do it. If they keep playing this way, we could easily finish 10-6/11-5 and win the division.
I’m in the believers group. I was least confident after the Giants game. I actually felt better after the Bills loss. Not much better, but slightly better. I was cautiously confident after the Redskins. Now I’m in (almost) full-on believe mode.
Anyone who has followed this team for more than a decade knows better than to believe.
Go Eagles.
Dad was at the 1960 World Championship game. I’m not going anywhere.
I think this was the team we expected to have from the get-go. Do I believe? Yeah, the possibility has been there all along, and I think most of us felt like at some point the dust would settle, and we’d work out our issues…
With that said, I don’t know if we’ve dug ourselves too deep while we were figuring things out. 4 losses this early in the season is hard to dig out of. Not much wiggle room. There won’t be room for a wildcard out of the East this year, so we have to take care of our own business while hoping the Giants have trouble with theirs.
As lots of people have said. Do the same to the bears, a team who’s had our number recently, and I’ll be much more convinced.
Until they are above .500, then there is nothing to believe yet. They lose this week and they are 3-5 — maybe the best 3-5 team in the league but who cares?
I still think this team needs to “just win” and I don’t care about style points.
Fun fact – since 1999, one team in an Eagles – Bears match up has scored 19 or 20 points in 7 out of 9 games.
11/28/2010 Chicago Bears 31, Philadelphia Eagles 26
11/22/2009 Philadelphia Eagles 24, Chicago Bears 20
09/28/2008 Chicago Bears 24, Philadelphia Eagles 20
10/21/2007 Chicago Bears 19, Philadelphia Eagles 16
10/03/2004 Philadelphia Eagles 19, Chicago Bears 9
11/03/2002 Philadelphia Eagles 19, Chicago Bears 13
01/19/2002 Philadelphia Eagles 33, Chicago Bears 19 (NFC Divisional Playoff Game)
10/22/2000 Philadelphia Eagles 13, Chicago Bears 9
10/17/1999 Philadelphia Eagles 20, Chicago Bears 16
Last year’s loss has exacerbated my hatred for the Bears, that only really began in earnest after that absurd game where we didn’t get the TD on the goal line but where pictures after the game showed that the ball had crossed the plane. (Maybe ’08?) Last year’s loss was when I realized we’re probably not going to go deep in the playoffs – they pantsed us and pointed out the Emperor’s new clothes weren’t anything at all.
I’ll start believing if we can beat the Bears, and I’ll be really excited if we beat the Pats. I look at the Bears game as telling us if our players have the ability to execute, and the Pats game as telling us if the coaches can out-coach. The Packers, unfortunately, will require both players executing and coaches out-coaching – until we play them, these two games will be as good a trial run as we can get.
I believe that fluky blowout victories over mediocre opponents (Rams, Skins, Cowboys) despite losses to quality opponents (49ers, Bills, Giants, and probably the upcoming Bears game) will convince Jeff Lurie to continue to subject Eagles fans to the Andy Reid disaster long after the 2011 season has passed without a playoff berth.
Don’t hate the player(s), hate the game.
There it is.
You are such a tool. Add value to the conversation or just leave. If you hate this team so much just go be a Giants fan or a fan of anyone but this team. You cannot be a fan of a team and actively hate that team.
Why should Morton leave?? he does bring up some good points though he does come across extremely negative…and its obvious as much as you and I want the Eagles to win a SB so does he…
I agree I like having Morton around, he’s a fun guy.
Well said.
No reason for him to leave. All opinions are welcome. Heck, I’d even let Michael Bay post here.
Like the team, hate the incompetence of the front office / head coach.
I can’t believe I get to be the first one to say this on a reply to Morton’s first post after the Cowgirls game…
Sean Lee = Bust
If the Eagles beat the bears, a team that always seems to find a way to beat the Eagles, then I believe. I also think the rest of the NFL will take note, if the Eagles beat the Bears. When this team is on, no one wants to play us. It’s a matter of consistency. I wish the Eagles were more like the Steelers in this respect. The steelers can put a high school squad out there and their coaches will make them competetive. You rarely see the steelers have a bad game.
Definitely believe. Defense is coming together (like Asomugha said “With our line, it’s like we’re blitzing every play”), and most importantly, in my mind, the o-line is looking very good (especially considering the mess they looked like in preseason).
3-4 and playing the Bears, very winnable, and then the season starts all over again. 4-4 and the NFC, and the NFC East in particular, is looking very weak.
I feel like Morpheus in the scene from The Matrix when he’s watching Neo beginning to believe. He is still in a load of s&*% but putting up a heck of a fight.
I’m fully on board in the belief that we are gonna kick a lot of ass this year, but bottom line – if we need to go 10-6 to take the East I’m surely not confident that will happen – 4 losses after 7 games is still a hole…
But, on the bright side the rest of the NFC seems to want to help us – I have no worries we will pass Dallas and the Skins in the standings, the Gmen are the only challengers and they have already beat us once. Luckily they are about to play a horrendous 5 game stretch where we are their easiest game (if you go by record alone). I think they could drop 3 of the next 5 and we could take the lead…
I guess bottom line is I have faith and I will be rooting the whole way, but if we fall short I am very happy seeing the potential we have to build on for next year…it is going to be very hard to go 7 and 2…we have to play a lot of the same tough teams the Giants are about to face in a row…
sitko
I believe in this offense.
I’m skeptical about this defense, but they’re improving every week. If Chaney/Rolle are competent, we’re fine.
I’m very, very afraid of our special teams. Henry/Henery are just not playing well. Henry looks shaky on kicks and Henery may be one of the worst punters in the league. ST almost cost us one game (49ers), I feer that’ll happen in December or January.
You reversed the two. Henery = kicker, Henry = punter.
Thanks. I’ll just start calling them A & C.
I don’t get what Henery looks so shaky, he was a beast at Nebraska. It can’t be the pressure. IMO, it’s tougher to play college ball in Lincoln where football is *everything* than in Philly where you have to share the city with multiple sports teams (Phillies in the playoffs, Flyers playing well).
I’m still on the bandwagon b/c I never left. Its fine to have doubts, but if you are just negative to be negative I have no time for you. I think everyone knows who I am taking about.
I never gave up on the team and I still believe in them. At out best even the Packers fear us. I love watching this team, so much talent. But I know in the back of my head than we can play football and make quite a lot of mistakes and that scares me. And with 4 lost games already, there is no room to fall. I’m not yet confident we can make the playoff simply because of the 4 losses so I will take it one game at a time and hope for the best
I believe that this is a lot closer to the Eagles team we’re going to see the rest of the way, and I’ll believe even more strongly if they avoid a letdown and go out and beat the Bears. It seems like everyone on the team is still saying the right things.
I believe this team will be fun to watch the rest of the way, but I’m not sure if I believe that this is the year, though, that they finally end my suffering. They dug themselves a big hole.
To some degree, I don’t even want to think about this until tomorrow night or maybe Thursday. They blew out the Cowboys in a must-win game and I was there for it. I just want to savor that for a few more days.
Belief ruins seasons. As a spports fan, belief is what creates those terrible “they’re going to/have let me down” moments that makes you do things like throw snowballs at Santa Clause.
I believe the same thing I always believe: They could win the Super Bowl. They might not make the playoffs. I feel pretty confident they won’t have a chance to pluck Luck.
My thoughts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NlrgjgOHrw
I want to, but I’m a glass that is broken, no water, not even half empty kind of guy.
I can’t buy in when at the end of the day the team still has a losing record. It’s margin for error is 2, maybe 3 losses.
So I’d have to be able to convince myself that a 3-4 team is going to go 7-2, or what wouldl be a 9-2 run to make the playoffs.
We also don’t have the easiest schedule ever. Bears always play us tough and in my mind this game is another toss up. I have the Pats chalked up for a Loss, even if they are beatable. And then there are 3 more divisional games, which will never be easy.
I like our roster, I think at times the talent is more than evident, but the hole they built, I believe is too big to get out of, time will tell.
I believe…if the Eagles defense can be great and the o-line can be great, then everybody can be great!!
I’m going to reserve judgement for now. i need to see a couple more complete games. I’ve said from the start of the season that I’d like 10 games before I know enough about the team. Now keep in mind even as I said that I was going crazy about their losses. One game is not enough for all of my concerns to be resolved. I’m also waiting for the “big red throw it 80% of the time in a game we lose by 3 pts” shoe to drop. I’m guessing like week 11.
can’t lie though as a fan i want to start preparations for the parade after a game like the cowboys one.
All right. I broke down and made a Disqus account. I hated posting through Facebook…
Even at 3-4, this is the Eagles team with the best shot at winning the Superbowl since 2004. I remember the Eagles blowing out the Bucs in 2009, and I thought, “This team lives and dies by the big play and will never win in the playoffs.” It was the most frustrating blowout I’ve ever seen. Their offense was stalled the whole game minus a few big plays. 2011 is just the opposite. They lost a bunch of games, yet they controlled the majority of every game so far. Each loss would be a blowout win if it weren’t for a handful of flukey events going against them (i.e. easy missed field goals, no Vick in the 4th quarter, 40+ yard runs by the opponent, Jason Avant fumbles, Ronnie Brown brainfarts, etc). Since I’m a believer in odds, I’d rather have a team that wins 80% of the plays and loses some games then the team that blows out bad teams because it can connect on a couple of homerun passes. Even after four losses, I felt that if they could clamp down on a few brain farts a game and scheme a bit to help out the LB’s, they could easily go on a tear of wins.
Of course, I’m not in denial that they’ve also shown a knack for screwing it all up, leading to the 4 losses so far. This team could do anything from missing the playoffs to winning the Superbowl. Frankly, I’d rather this then the known commodity of making the playoffs without a real shot at doing significant damage (ie most years in the Andy Reid era).
I like the ideas in this post, though I agree and disagree at the same time. Everything you said makes sense, but it may be just another way of saying “Eagles are better than their record.” I agree that last year was very strange in that making the playoffs was more of a “check the box” kind of thing as a deep run was both not really expected and failed to materialize. But I disagree that it was all pre-determined. Witness the 2008 team that barely made the playoffs but came very close to going to the SuperBowl.
Ultimately, how well a team (or players on the team) plays depends on 3 factors: quality of players, quality of coaching, and luck. The Eagles are #1 in the Beast for player roster, but (for once) the best coaching in the division in 2011 seems to be up the turnpike in NY, because that Giants team has considerably less talent but overachieved so far.
And the Eagles have not been unlucky, IMO (though defining luck is difficult). FO’s “fumble luck” concept is one, so let’s look at turnovers in general. On offense we fumble more than average but recovered half of own fumbles. We also have 2nd most INTs in the entire league. On defense we have a slightly above-average # of INTs, but forced less fumbles (2) than the entire league.
So, we fumble and throw picks much worse than rest of league; we fail to cause fumbles, and are slightly better than average on INTs. The season is still young, but I would consider the these factors to be less “luck” and more deficiency. Hopefully correctable, of course.
And p.s.–I am on the “beat the Bears and then I’ll believe” bandwagon.
Your response is about what I would have written in response to my post, especially the last line. Great minds think alike. Ha!
Put me in the “cautiously optimistic” column. I think the Eagles need to prove that they can post a winning record before I can even think of “believing.” They do seem to be on the right track, however, given their recent defensive play. If we see a lot of Cutler-sulking on Monday, I’ll feel even better.
I believed they had the potential all along, but just had to figure out a way to get it all together. My initial expectations were to struggle early and close strong. I figured 10-6 type season.
I was harsh on them after seeing such lackluster performances and heartless attempts in the SF and Buff games. I didn’t think their struggles would be so pronounced. I thought Castillo was in over his head and was very disappointed by the safety and LB play. I’m encouraged from what I’ve seen in consecutive weeks. What we’ve seen on offense is the ability to come up with a good game plan and take advantage of teams being overly aggressive. What they did against Wash and Dall was masterful. They’ve put Vick in position to make plays and not have him running for his life. They’re using Shady to take some of the pressure off, and exploiting what the defense is giving instead of trying to force the issue. That’s good coaching and I commend them for that.
they still have a way to go defensively, imo. I’m glad Juan made the Allen and Rolle changes. It shows he’s trying to figure out what works best, and I think they finally have the best lineup on the field. I like that they don’t exclusively go wide-9 all game any more. I like that they devised a plan to limit Witten and played lots of press coverage against Bryant and Austin. I actually think they did a really nice job against the run vs Wash, even though they had to abandon it pretty early. The run defense was still effective when Wash tried to run.
A midst the praise, they still showed their weaknesses against Dall. Murray had a couple of big runs. The difference is that the secondary isn’t completely whiffing on tackles, so his 20 yd runs don’t turn into 40+ or tds. What I saw on two big runs last week was Chaney take a bad angle, and Fokou pinch down inside, get wiped out of the play, and Murray just run right behind him for 20 yards. He’s still the biggest liability on the team, imo. There are going to be games when the offense isn’t mowing down the opposing team (possibly this upcoming Monday night, for example) and the defense is going to have to limit the gains on runs to get off the field and stay fresh.
All-in-all I’m encouraged by the progress, but they are still 3-4. Until they get to 2 games above .500 before they lose 7 games, you can’t get too excited. Who cares if they show all the progress in the world if they’ve lost too many games to make the playoffs? Give me two more weeks of competent winning football and I’ll believe again.
One thing I’m happy about is the way the schedule is shaking out. I think having the Bear’s game be on MNF is perfect for where this team is at right now. They know they are on prime time and still trying to prove that they have turned things around, and I think the game being on national tv makes them much less likely to throw up a dud of a game.
I may be naive in thinking that actually matters, but if this was a Sunday 1PM game, I could see them coming out a little bit flat. With the MNF crew in town though, I think they really are in that us vs. the world mentality and want to show people how they’ve improved.
Also, another way to look at this is through the schedule. If the Eagles go 6-3 the rest of the way (VERY possible), they’ll be 9-7. Between Washington and Dallas, both tied with the Eagles, I doubt either of them could do that. That leaves The Giants.
Check out the next 6 games:
Eagles: Chicago, Arizona, NYG, New England, Seattle, Miami
Giants: New England, San Fran, Philly, New Orleans, Green Bay, Dallas
If we go 4-2 and the Giants go 2-4 (both are VERY possible), then both teams would be 7-6 with three games left in the season. And which team do you honestly trust more in December, The Giants or The Eagles?
So the key to this whole thing is that NYG game, not the Bears game. If the Eagles lose to the Giants, they’ll almost certainly lose the division. If the Eagles make it to the playoffs under my scenario, they’ll have gone 8-3 to end the season and will be the hot team with loaded talent going in, like last year’s Packers. Of course, they might not even make the postseason because I’m speaking a ton in hypotheticals. But what I’m seeing here, I’m a believer, and I’ll be a believer no matter what until this team is mathematically eliminated because they look just look too good, even in their losses.
Also, I’m an Eagles fan, but I don’t think I’m pulling out anything too crazy here. They either make it to the playoffs with a real shot to win the Superbowl or they miss the playoffs entirely. As I said earlier, I’ll take this over most other years in the Andy Reid era, and every years since 2004.
For my taste there are way too many people writing off the New York Giants already. I know their schedule is tough but you might recall when we had to play the Giants, Cowboys and Redskins in three straight away games at the end of the season a couple of years ago and everybody couldn’t believe that we won all three in the end. I am not saying the Giants will win every game the rest of their schedule but it wouldn’t surprise me if they fare better than most people here expect them to do. Eli Manning is probably playing the best ball of his career and their defensive line is getting healthier and healthier.
With regards to the Eagles I only start to believing once they’ll have a winning record. Winning against the Bears, who seem to kinda have the Eagles’ number recently, would be a start.
There’s a difference between writing off the Giants and saying what’s possible. The Eagles could very well miss the playoffs. Yet if they make it, they’ll have a real shot at winning it all. To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if they make it or don’t. But that’s what makes this season so intriguing for me. I’m sick of the years since 2004 where making the playoffs was (a) a forgone conclusion, and (b) mostly meaningless because they didn’t have a shot at winning it all. Both of those things have changed this year, making it more interesting/ suspenseful on both ends.
I can see where you’re coming from, buddy. However I would only take it one game at a time. It is absolutely pointless to predict anyone’s wins or losses for the remainder of the season, especially in the NFL which is as unpredictable as it gets.
Beat da Bears, and go from there!
The Giants are the worst 5-2 I’ve ever seen. They should’ve lost the Cardinals game, but the refs gave them a gift. They barely beat a team without a win that Tim Freaking Teebow barely beat. And the Eagles should’ve beaten them except… well a lot of stupid things happened that game.
The Giants are done.
Personally, I believe we have the makings of a great team, and IF we get into the playoffs, we will be one of the teams that is feared. However, I think we dug ourselves a huge hole with the four game loosing streak that will be difficult to dig ourselves out of.
The way I see it, it seems our best chance to get into the playoffs is through the division. I think the redskins are on a downward spiral and are likely out of the picture. After Sunday’s game, the Cowboys are a team that doesn’t truly scare me, but I believe they have the easiest schedule the rest of the way, so they certainly will remain a threat. The team that will be a problem is the Giants.
The Giants have a two game lead on us AND a win against us. We have lost the luxury of any flexibility in our schedule in terms of loosing a game we should win. Also, the Giants can’t win games where they are the underdog. In other words, the next five weeks where the Giants play @ New England, @ San Fran, Eagles, @ Saints, and Packers is really what will decide the Giants and Eagles season. If Giants win more than 2 of those games or beat us, I think it will be hard to catch up to them. On the other hand, if we beat the Giants, and ultimately win the division, I assume that would mean we are playing relatively quality football between now and the end of the season. We would be a team on a hot streak going into the playoffs with the types of weapons we have on our team. For me, if we can manage that, I believe this team can make some things happen in the playoffs, unfortunately, getting into the playoffs is not entirely based on our own control
I believe that Marty is fundamentally flawed, but this is the best talent he has has since ’98. I also believe in Andy.
Good thing is Greg Olsen is gone…he ALWAYS seemed to torch the Eagles. Shut down Forte and make the Bears beat you passing. Very winnable game…pressure Cutler he makes mistakes. Protect Vick, their secondary is vunerable. The bears are very similar to the cowboys. Good front 7 on defense, shaky secondary. Treat Peppers as you treated Ware. Chip, Crack, Double what ever you have to do, keep Peppers off Vick.
And Lastly, Bobby April is a key in this game…don’t let Hester break a big one against you. Kick away, kick it out of the end zone, whatever you have to do.
I never left the bandwagon.
Tommy:
I’m still at the “quasi-faith” stage: a belief in the Eagles that does not rest on enough logical proof or material evidence.
So call me agnostic at this point.
By the way, the Chief’s OLB Derrick Johnson put on a show last night. He’s proof that an true impact LB — a run-hit-and-cover type — could push the Eagles’ defense so much closer to being a dominant one.
Think about the distance between Johnson and any of the Eagles’ LBs. I love the Birds — and have unconditional faith — but watching Johnson put the Birds ‘backers in perspective..
And if memory serves, the Chiefs were willing to move D-Johnson a couple years ago. He’s really flourished as a side-line-to-sideline LB, who can blitz too, under the new regime.
Tommy — DGR, Please!!!
Finally posted.
I think they run the table—undefeated through February 5, 2012.
I’d be interested to see what the co writer on this site has to say, He wrote that sky is falling blog a few weeks back, would be interested to see what Sam is saying now, at the time it could be justified, but just curious as to what he thinks …But I have to say the team is looking promising, The Cowboys game was a great win. Both offense and defense really looked good.
Agree, love Sam’s perspective, completely agree with him on the Steve Smith being a poor investment. That seems to still be the same, but wonder if his perspective on Castillo and Watkins are now cloudier.
i agree with Ragexxxx…..we’re a sub .500 team. Let’s wait until A)we reach .500 and B) we’re within a game of the division lead b4 we talk about “believing”
The Packers didn’t win their division last year and needed the EAGLES to beat the Giants for them to get into the playoffs…
After the Eagles W vs. Dallas, I’m a believer based on what’s on the field, not the record.
The weakness of this team are linebackers, safeties, and OL. These weakness were the character of the team for their losses. For the great victory, the OL came together and their strong offence allowed the defense to play the pass and not worry so much about the run. As they say, the best defense is a good offence. The Eagles are a good team. In addition, Andy Reid teams have not been historically sloppy with the ball. So, if really the OL is stable, then Vick is better and McCoy is better and the receivers are better AND the defense is better when they have the lead. Bottom line for me is that Mudd’s techniques are sinking in with a stable group and they could allow this team to dominate some games. However, I am not planning on going to a parade until they win a close game.
Get back on? I was one of those 4 guys standing in the empty wagon wondering if we could trade the hey for a MLB. Actually, I think I saw some of you there too.
Believe? Really, what other option is there?
I am 1000% convinced that we will win every game when we get a week off in between. : – )
I can believe because of two factors:
1. The luck quotient seems to have not been in our favor during our first 5 games. The greatest indicator of luck is sometimes turnovers- particularly, fumbles lost. We lost six, our opponents lost two. This must regress towards the mean.
In addition, the phantom concussion on Vick in the Atlanta game arguably cost us a shot at a W. For everyone clamoring for player safety- well, there’s a downside to irrational reactionism (I am all for player safety, in a measured reasonable way).
2. The division. The giants are clearly not as good as their 5-2 record, and their schedule should guarantee the annual NYG 2nd-half collapse. The Cowboys have an easy road ahead, but have the same record as us with a H2H loss. The redskins…. God bless them.
Unfortunately, it’s easy to project 2-3 Ls in the future (NE, NYJ, @NYG, @DAL, CHI… could easily play decently and lose 3 of those games). It looks reasonable to predict a 9-7 finish- but that very well may mean a division title.
I believe in Mudd, the OL and Vick being much improved in reading the blitz. I don’t believe we will see turnovers in bunches the rest of the season so our O will score. I question how our K and P will react when the game is on the line. I am hopeful but believe they need a year of experience. If we need a big play from them to win a close game, we are in trouble. The blocking on kick returns is non existant. I am an agnostic when it comes to Castillo. I don’t trust the run D. I am not convinced we can defend the TE. It could be a real problem when we play NE. I still expect Reid to be outcoached every game, waste time outs, challenge at the wrong time and resort to trick plays that never work.
What is on the field? I see a 3-4 team that beat two bad teams and a perennial choker. I see a team that managed to lose to every opponent that put up any sort of a fight. If you believe based on what you see in the field, you must have missed half of the season.
Seriously, I get what you’re saying. This team is loaded with talent and they should be able to win every game they play. But reality is reality. They choked / underachieved, your choice, thus far and now have to be near flawless the rest of the way in order to reach the playoffs. It would be a shock if the East sends more than one team to the postseason. The Eagles are still two games out…
BTW,
I already posted my answer above, but reading the rest of the thread, I don’t think we should lose sight of this post (recency bias as articulated by Derek from igglesblog).
I’d believe a lot more if we had a real DC and a different game-day HC.
In any regard, they need to get to .500 first before anyone should start to believe anything else.