Andy Reid’s Home Finale – 1st Half

Posted: December 23rd, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 115 Comments »

The Skins are in town to say goodbye to Big Red.  This game may seem meaningless to some, but it actually is critical.  Andy is down to just 2 games in which to come up with a shutout.  He hasn’t had one in his time as Eagles HC.  Ray Rhodes had one.  Rich Kotite had 2.  Buddy Ryan had 3.  Marion Campbell is the last Eagles coach to leave without a shutout.

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Do I think the Eagles will shut out the high flying Skins?  No, but a man must have a delusional dream.  In some alternate universe Funyuns are better than vitamins, Megan Fox stalks me, Andy Reid eats celery and obsesses on the run game, and the Eagles will come up with a shutout before the end of 2012.  I must find this universe.

As for today, I do want a win.  It would be great to see Andy close out his time in Philly with a home win.  Plus it would greatly sadden Redskins Nation.  I hope there is some moment in the game when fans can show their appreciation for Reid.  He deserves a big cheer.  He’ll be fired in less than 10 days, but that doesn’t mean we can’t acknowledge what he’s done over the last 14 years.

Inactives:

Michael Vick
Danny Watkins
Matt Kopa
Chris Polk
Stanley Havili
Greg Salas

Darryl Tapp

Emil Igwenagu will start at FB.  Evan Moore is active and could help at TE.

Danny Watkins won’t dress.  Matt Tennant is your top backup interior OL.  That’s not a good sign for Danny.

No Tapp means lots of young guys on the DL.  More reps for Curry and Hunt.  I want the DL to have another strong game.

Let’s hope today is fun, if nothing else.

* * * * *

Sorry I was quiet the last couple of days.  I was out of town while attending a funeral and had limited internet access.

_

  • DarthBanner

    Ahh, nothing like waking up on a crisp winter Sunday morning and watching the Philadelphia Eagles make a complete mockery of the sport known as football. Merry Christmas.

    • TommyLawlor

      Merry Christmas to you.

      • DarthBanner

        You to Tommy. Hopefully Santa will bring us a better Eagles team next season.

    • Eagles_Fan_in_San_Fran

      Sorry, you’re on the wrong site – see Jets, New York for what you want.

  • bdbd20

    Off topic Tommy. There was a story where the QB guru said that Tebow’s mechanics could be fixed. Just wanted your take on this from what you’ve seen.

    I’m not advocating for the Eagles to get him, I just wanted your opinion.

    • TommyLawlor

      I’m not sure this is likely, but it is possible. He’s thrown the ball this way for so long that I don’t expect him to ever fully break from it.

      • D3Keith

        Also didn’t they try to fix his delivery pre-draft?

    • ACViking

      Go to NFL.com’s Video Library and type in the name “Bobby Douglass.”

      Douglass was a U-Kansas lefty QB drafted by the Bears in Rd 2 of the 1970 draft. He set the record for yards rushing by a QB with 968 yds in 14 games (later broken by Vick in a 16-game season).

      The Bears tried everything with Douglass — even having the QB coach move in with him. Despite a truly explosive arm, he was erratic, a scrambler foremost with a slow delivery and mechanically inconsistent.

      That said, the Bears stuck with Douglas for 6 years, having him start about 70 percent of the time. Finally, the team gave up on him and sent him to the Chargers — who sent him to the Saints — who sent him to Green Bay.

      He was, in short, Tebow before Tebow — and lasted 10 years in the NFL

  • GermanEagle

    I am as pumped for this game as I was when seeing the Eagles beat the Giants at the Linc this year. You may ask yourself why…

    Well, I am in my fantasy football final and I have the Eagles Defense and Special Teams today. As a result I wouldn’t mind a shutout by the Eagles D at all… ;)

    • DarthBanner

      Eagles special teams? Ouch,

      • GermanEagle

        Well, it’s the fantasy league on cbssportsline.com. You won’t get any minus points for giving up long return TD’s. ;)

  • Arby1

    Call me selfish but I want that 4th pick in the draft. Lose, baby, lose! That said, I want all the young guys to do fantastic, Foles have a perfect passer rating, Graham and Cox to combine for 8 sacks and we lose by 1 point. Good confidence builder to take into the next season.

    • Anders

      yea, same. I want a good showing by the young guys, yet lose.

    • bridgecoach

      Nods. I want to see our young players improve and the skins pull out a win in the end. A win is devastating to our draft prospects

    • D3Keith

      I could live with this. But I’d also laugh like a hyena if the Eagles messed around and won today.

  • http://twitter.com/Eagles301 Mike Perrie

    Watkins was a horrible pick then and it’s showing now.

  • ACViking

    Re: What do you want for Christmas?

    I just want Nick Foles to hit a WR in stride about 50 yards downfield.

    • TommyLawlor

      Ditto.

    • http://twitter.com/corry_k Corry Henry

      I want no major injuries for any of our young guys.

    • http://twitter.com/corry_k Corry Henry

      22 more yards and you would have gotten your wish.

  • ACViking

    Looks like a decent crowd — at least down low

  • TommyLawlor

    A stiff arm on London Fletcher by Bryce? Wow.

  • Iskar36

    I like AR as far as Eagles history goes, but I absolutely do not care if they win in this game. In fact, my ideal scenario would be for the young guys to all play well and then for us to loose on some fluke play. It would be nice that AR gets credit from fans, but right now fans are understandably upset with this team and I would not blame them for not cheering AR in his last home game.

    • D3Keith

      I was with you until “not cheering AR.” The hell does that accomplish? Cheer Reid for his time here, and if we accidentally lose and move up the draft order for Coach Shaw/Kelly/Zimmer/Arians, that’s fine.

      • Iskar36

        Again, I would certainly prefer there is a moment that the fans cheer AR, but I think fans have a lot of emotions in regards to the team right now, and most of the current emotions are negative, so I would not be surprised if it never happens.

  • ACViking

    Well . . . Bryce Brown’s problems the past 2 weeks are hard to lay at his feet

  • bridgecoach

    enjoying the opening drive so far…

  • http://twitter.com/corry_k Corry Henry

    I think I like Nick Foles throwing on the move more than I like him throwing when he’s standing in a clean pocket.

  • bridgecoach

    TD!!!

  • Iskar36

    Looooooove seeing that throw.

    • bridgecoach

      YES!!!!

    • TommyLawlor

      Very nice.

  • bdbd20

    Well, that was nice. I’ll take some more of that please.

  • TommyLawlor

    Mr. AC Viking didn’t get the major bomb he asked for, but that was a good TD pass.

    • bridgecoach

      27 yds. Just need to double that and find some zip…

  • D3Keith

    Forget what I wrote yesterday. I got excited for this game, and that opening drive helped.

    Now to watch Brandon Graham vs. LG-filling-in-at-RT Maurice Hurt.

  • Arby1

    Just one incompletion on that drive. Foles still on target for that perfect passer rating!

  • Eagles_Fan_in_San_Fran

    NO just went through the Dallas D like a hot knife through butter!
    7-0 NO.

    • TommyLawlor

      Excellent.

    • Eagles_Fan_in_San_Fran

      Dallas was driving, then Romo took a 3rd down sack and they had to punt.
      Oh, boo hoo!

  • BC1968

    I’m not rooting for the Eagles to lose. I HATE the skins and cowboys more than anything. My hatred for the Giants is much lower because I don’t know any big mouthed NY fans believe it or not. Too many skins and cowboys fans at my work. Why? Why do they talk trash when they are from this (philly-delco) area? Scum, go Eagles! Beat these loser clowns.

    • D3Keith

      I have had to do some similar soul-searching this week, i.e. if the Eagles lose, someone’s still gotta win the division. For whatever reason, the Redskins (fans) have become more tolerable after the years and years of suffering (and also because I have gotten to know a bunch), but I still think the Giants are most bearable and Cowboys least.

  • ACViking

    Re: Play Calling

    I wonder if this will be one of those games — like the MNF game in 2010 — where MM just nails it.

    Regardless . . . the O-line has to step the run blocking. Come On.

  • bridgecoach

    Nice stop on 2nd down!

  • bdbd20

    D should be a lot better. I’m thinking WAS doesn’t attempt to put RG3 in danger with called runs.

  • Iskar36

    Good play by Anderson there. If the receiver caught the ball, he was there to stop him short of the 1st.

  • bridgecoach

    Great stop on 4th down. Nice to see some intensity…

    • TommyLawlor

      That was nice. And the shutout is intact!!!

  • Iskar36

    The patented Maclin give up dive…. meh

    • BC1968

      True, better than him fumbling though. lol

  • ACViking

    Re: AR’s 1st Shut out

    T-Law:

    If this Eagles team shuts out the ‘Skins, then Todd Bowles should be the DC next year

    • bridgecoach

      No. no-no-no.

      • ACViking

        Tongue firmly planted in cheek . . . in the words of Johnny Fontaine: “No Chance. NO chance.”

  • Arby1

    Eagles running to set up the pass? Tommy’s Christmas wish comes true.

  • BC1968

    Two back attack.

  • bridgecoach

    Loving this running back tandem…

  • http://twitter.com/corry_k Corry Henry

    I feel like I’m watching the wrong game.

    • http://twitter.com/corry_k Corry Henry

      oh ok, yeah I’m watching the right game.

  • BC1968

    Awesome fake

  • Iskar36

    The throw was a bit behind Celek, but nice play overall.

    • Iskar36

      As I say that, the announcer says he SHOULD have thrown it behind Celek. Was I missing a defender on that play?

  • ACViking

    2 Flip 90s . . . where’s that been all year

    • TommyLawlor

      They were setting up this game by not using it. Genius.

  • bdbd20

    Great point there by Billick. Can’t set up your TE to get blasted.

  • onemorebop

    This play calling is unreal!

  • ACViking

    Marty is Red Hot right now

    • bridgecoach

      Lol. Can’t wait to be free of Morningweg…

      • ACViking

        Not a fan at all.

        Just picking up on a comment I made earlier that maybe this is the one game this season where MM calls a great game.

  • BC1968

    The play wasn’t there, chuck it out of bounds.

  • TommyLawlor

    Terrible couple of plays. Sacks can just kill a drive. Nick has to throw that 3rd down ball away.

    • BC1968

      Looks like a screen gone bad and there was no second option.

    • BC1968

      Should’ve thrown it away when he got to the outside.

  • ACViking

    It was a great 7 minutes.

    Ugh

  • bdbd20

    Nick knows about our draft position. Great unselfish play there.

  • ACViking

    Re: Fumble by Foles

    For those keeping score . . . the Eagles’ 22nd fumble ties a team record set in 1964.

  • bridgecoach

    TFL -> Thorton?

  • http://www.facebook.com/matthew.verhoog Matthew Verhoog

    Do I feel an interception coming?

  • ACViking

    The tackling on this drive is emblematic of the whole season.

    Missed tackles. Gang tackling missing.

  • bridgecoach

    Great play by Graham!

  • BC1968

    Wait for the shutout against the gints.

    • TommyLawlor

      The death of a dream, pt. 1.

      • http://www.facebook.com/matthew.verhoog Matthew Verhoog

        you still have dreams?

  • BC1968

    The Eagles have one option, when It’s shutdown, there’s no other option. Wtf is that?

  • TommyLawlor

    Can’t rely on screens on 3rd down, whether to the WR or RB. Must be able to run conventional plays.

    • BC1968

      What about the one option and no other options once that option is shutdown? Lot of options in that sentence.

    • Eagles_Fan_in_San_Fran

      Conventional plays? Conventional plays!
      Wait ’till next year for conventional plays – we’re still in charge here!
      Sincerely,
      AR & MM

  • ACViking

    Re: McBriar

    I’m going to forego my weekly, “bring back Chas Henry” comment.

    How much worse could he have been in the context of this season?

  • TommyLawlor

    Eagles defense is holding the Skins to FGs. Much better than the first meeting.

    • ACViking

      T-Law:

      How much of that is Griffin’s reduced mobility, you think?

  • ACViking

    The best part of the game is the fact that we get commercials after every change of possession.

    Ridiculous.

  • Iskar36

    Ouch. That was ugly.

  • Arby1

    There goes the passer rating!

  • TommyLawlor

    Barf.

  • BC1968

    Our turnovers are never answered making other teams turn it over.

  • Crus57

    It’s amazing how when that kind of pass deflection happens to our D the ball always sails into 20 yards of open grass.

    • TommyLawlor

      So true.

  • Crus57

    Are the cowboys paying Saints #21? Is he magnetically repulsed by Dez Bryant?

  • Iskar36

    Colt did not wrap up on that play. He needs to make that stop.

    • ACViking

      wrap up?

      He missed Garcon completely. And he missed making the tackle for a loss on an end around.

      Safety is a SERIOUS problem for the Eagles. Coverage. And tackling.

      • Iskar36

        Oh I absolutely agree that safety is a huuuuge need. It’s been a huge need for awhile now.

  • http://twitter.com/daniel_suraci Daniel

    This offensive playcalling is driving me nuts. Such a great first drive and then it went something like pass (sack), pass (sack), pass, pass (sack), pass (sack), pass (interception).

  • ACViking

    Let’s agree . . . Colt Anderson is NOT a good open field tackler.

    • TommyLawlor

      Erratic. Tends to go too low. That time he was going for the midsection, but was just out of control.

    • Crus57

      Maybe he’s too used to being on STs, where slowing the guy down might be enough to let the pursuit get him. His torpedo act of flying across at knee height isn’t so good as a S.

  • ACViking

    Eagles are down 6.

    Is the running game finished now?

    • http://twitter.com/daniel_suraci Daniel

      I think it was done when we went up 7.

  • ACViking

    Eagles have done nothing on offense since Foles’ fumble.

    • TommyLawlor

      Spoke too soon (but was true at the time.

      Glad to see that they woke up.

  • http://twitter.com/daniel_suraci Daniel

    Oh look an Andy Marty conference on the sideline.

    “Hey you think we should run?”
    “Nah.”
    “K, good. Me neither, cheesesteak?”

  • BC1968

    Unfortunate int, but foles looks decent.

    • BC1968

      Dumb fumble, but a rookie still.

  • Iskar36

    Avant was open on that play. Foles looked right past him and didn’t see him.

  • Arby1

    Somebody pleeeze fix his jersey

  • onemorebop

    Stop calling screens …

    • TommyLawlor

      Just aren’t working.