Dallas Sucks – 1st Half Thread

Posted: November 11th, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 197 Comments »

The inactives for today:

guaranteed payday loans

QB Trent Edwards
RB Chris Polk
WR Mardy Gilyard
OL Nate Menkin
OL Danny Watkins

DE Phillip Hunt
DE Vinny Curry

Nate Allen will start.  So will Dennis Kelly.  Let’s hope Dennis plays like he did vs Atlanta and not the Saints.

The Giants lost to the Bengals, 31-13.  With a win, the Eagles will be 1.5 games back.  The Giants keep giving Eagles fans reason to hope.  The Eagles keep taking them away.  I’m sure hoping that changes today.

One reader let me know the team looks more focused in warm-ups today than they did vs DET, ATL. Adam Caplan then noted something similar on Twitter.  Fingers crossed.

Go Eagles.

_

  • http://twitter.com/ToastJenkins ToastJenkins

    i cant fathom why they wouldnt start giving Curry some reps…its not as if Hunt is doing anything being active

    • TommyLawlor

      Hunt was playing on STs. I thought he looked decent last week at DE.

      Curry will be fine. I do agree that I’d rather him play than Tapp.

  • bdbd20

    Every time I feel that life sucks as an Eagles fan, I think about Buffalo fans.

    • SteveH

      Hah, that ending was classic.

  • SteveH

    My official predictions for the game:
    1. Miles Austin will have a big game.
    2. The Eagles will fail to score more than 17 points.
    3. Mike Vick will have a turnover late in the game that seals our loss.
    Andy, Marty, times yours.

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

    Apparently the PA system went down during the Defensive introductions. [insert joke here about the defense failing to finish ANYTHING]

  • ACViking

    T-Law:

    The Eagles’ safeties — Allen and Coleman — need to step up. No more getting suckered on play action.

    On the other hand, what’s the explanation for the Eagles’ lapsing run-defense? Is it that the safeties are over-compensating for having been suckered earlier in the season?

    Offensively, I’m sorry to say this team has beaten me into believing they’re not capable of scoring.

    Need some action.

  • RyBread

    Tommy, long time reader, first time poster. I really enjoy your analysis and learn from them. Is there a good possibility that even if Foles starts and performs well that a new coach and system next year might make him a nonviable choice for QB next year? i.e. do we maybe have a talent that we can’t even utilize next year due to scheme/coaching changes?

    Could be unfortunate for the young man and irks me. Meh.

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

    Already a wrinkle with that TE trap play we’ve killed them with for the past two years.

  • bdbd20

    It’s nice to play a team with less discipline than us.

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

    It’s nice of the Cowboys help us out with first downs and keeping drives alive.

  • lilmc

    nice screen

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

    F…fade route? Fade Route?!

  • http://twitter.com/ToastJenkins ToastJenkins

    holy cow a fade pass

    • lilmc

      Touchdown!!!!!

  • SteveH

    Holy, did we just make a play?!

    • DanJ3645

      in the red zone?!?!?!?

    • lilmc

      In the 1st Quarter!!!

      • RyBread

        On our first drive!?!?

    • TommyLawlor

      They’re making me believe, if only for 10 glorious minutes.

  • bdbd20

    AR using the fade pass? What next, a consistent running game?

    • TommyLawlor

      Dare to dream.

    • http://twitter.com/sjampendk Patrick

      Atleast we can count on the Giants to have their patented november meltdown.

  • bdbd20

    Hank Baskett is shaking his head right now.

    • TommyLawlor

      At least Kendra is sitting in his lap.

      • BC1968

        Boobs first, football a close second. Good point.

      • bdbd20

        True, being Mr. Wilkinson doesn’t suck.

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

      Motorboating Kendra?

    • rls255

      Hell of a catch by Cooper too.

  • A_T_G

    I just got back from a 4 hour hike to the to of Pulpit Rock on the AT. If the team turns things around this week, do I have to do that hike every Sunday?

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

      Yes.

    • rls255

      You might have to, that’s a nice hike so it’s a win-win.

    • John Ormond

      I wouldn’t buy new boots just yet. But that was nice!

    • TommyLawlor

      Heck yes.

  • Felix

    Lets GO DEFENSE!!

  • bdbd20

    Troy Aikman: Other than the sinking, the Titanic’s maiden voyage was a success.

    • TommyLawlor

      Ha.

  • http://twitter.com/ToastJenkins ToastJenkins

    wtf happened to our pass rush??

  • lilmc

    Common D!

  • A_T_G

    A turnover here would be nice.

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

    This run defense is putrid.

  • nicolajNN

    @bdbd20 You wanted a consistent run game and you got one

  • bdbd20

    Well, it was nice while it lasted.

  • http://twitter.com/ToastJenkins ToastJenkins

    these couldnt tackle me

    • TommyLawlor

      That was bad. So discouraging.

  • bridgecoach

    I miss Juan Castillo.

  • eagles2zc

    Swiss cheese D

    • bdbd20

      Bobby April will be fired.

      • eagles2zc

        LOL. Juan’s coming back just so they can fire him again

    • lilmc

      I hate this defense with a passion. No damn heart!

  • GermanEagle

    We should have let the cowboys get the worst tackling cb in the NFL last year…

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

    Hoping the runner trips and falls down is not a successful run defense.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=565087931 Jeppe Elmelund van Ee

    Nnamdi is the single biggest disappointment in my seven years as an Eagles fan. Wow, how my big hopes have fallen…

  • SteveH

    Well, that was deflating.

  • SleepingDuck

    This is gonna be a long game..

  • http://www.facebook.com/andrew.hope.7121 Andrew Hope

    Is there one thing that Nate Allen does well? He can’t cover, can’t tackle and doesn’t make plays on the ball. I rue passing on Earl Thomas more with every passing week.

  • lilmc

    Make a tackle for crying out loud!!

  • Felix

    This Defense is aweful

  • ceteris_paribus1776

    Nice way to start on offense, but god does our tackling blow. Seriously, Nnamdi? I’ve had enough of him.

    • bdbd20

      It wasn’t just Nnamdi. Our LB’s got owned on that series.

  • http://www.facebook.com/colin.emo.1 Colin Emo

    I miss the days our DBs actually liked contact like Dawkins and Brown…

  • http://twitter.com/sjampendk Patrick

    I see we havent forgot how to play Eagles defense. Anybody else missing J. Johnson and Trot/B-Dawk?

  • GermanEagle

    Bowe >>> Maclin

    • lilmc

      I agree. We should have made the trade offer

    • TommyLawlor

      Riddick or Dwayne?

      • GermanEagle

        David. ;)

  • Iskar36

    I know Mac just got hurt and I hope he is ok, but he dropped that ball before hitting the ground. He has been having such a disappointing season.

    • GermanEagle

      I really start to hate this guy…

    • TommyLawlor

      Yep.

  • A_T_G

    Frustratingly, that was a good, clean hit.

  • lilmc

    What was that?

    • bdbd20

      I’ve stopped asking that question.

      • lilmc

        I wish I could stop asking!

    • TommyLawlor

      Need to see the replay on that to figure it out.

      • lilmc

        Tommy, I have been a fan for my entire life, over 40 years. This particular team drives me nuts.

  • Iskar36

    Can some one slow down this run game! Where is our run defense?!

  • TommyLawlor

    I think the Eagles had 5 DL on the 1st down play. Only 4 on 2nd down.

    Need to get a stop on 3rd down here.

  • eagles2zc

    Surprised Dallas didn’t run it there

  • A_T_G

    Wait, other teams can do that punting thing too?

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

    I REALLY hate running to the outside with Brown.

  • Iskar36

    One thing I would like to see sometime in the second half of the season would be for Dion Lewis to get a few carries. He had a promising rookie year, it would be nice to see if that was his ceiling or if he has progressed before the end of the season.

  • ACViking

    These Fox replays suck.

    I don’t need to see a 1.5 second close-up of the tackle.

    Tells me nothing

  • bdbd20

    There’s our first mandatory wasted timeout.

    • Iskar36

      One time I would like to see us get through a full game without those kinds of wasted timeouts.

  • bdbd20

    Hmmm, is AR trying to expose Vick on purpose so he can play Foles?

  • ACViking

    T-Law:

    What do you make of the Eagles calling QB runs?

  • A_T_G

    So this is the plan to get a look at Foles? The guys don’t want Vick benched, so we start running him?

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

    I think this is the 3rd time this year that I’ve seen us get a free play just to have Vick run the ball.

  • lilmc

    Damn!!!!

    • TommyLawlor

      Dennis Kelly!!!

      • http://www.facebook.com/colin.emo.1 Colin Emo

        Just awful. Shady might still be running if that pass was completed

  • Iskar36

    For eff sakes! Hit the WIIIIIIIDE OPEN receiver.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Eric-Carranza/1482895201 Eric Carranza

      i think u mean for effs sake block

      • Iskar36

        Vick certainly got rushed quickly, but he released the ball early enough that he could have made the completion. Sims rushed him,but it was a completable throw. I expect that from a quality QB.

  • http://twitter.com/ToastJenkins ToastJenkins

    Kelly is making Watkins look like Shaun Andrews in his prime…

  • GermanEagle

    This whole season stands for IRONY…

    Now ‘the shark’ almost got a sack against us… Lol

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

    Might be Foles time.

  • http://twitter.com/ToastJenkins ToastJenkins

    Foles sighting!!!

  • ACViking

    Dennis Kelly . . .

    T-Law:

    It’s been EVERY O-lineman this season (Mathis the least) blowing these blitz assignments.

    Yes, the players need to execute. But the coaches need to do something to *fix* this problem.

  • nicolajNN

    I’m no football expert so I genuinely want to know if I’m wrong for not blaming Vick for the in-completed pass as much as everyone else is, seeing as he had shark in the face immediately after the snap

    • bdbd20

      The pressure is on Kelly, but a top caliber QB makes that throw to the hot receiver.

    • Iskar36

      I think plenty of blame should be put on the Oline on that play (Kelly in particular), but I do think that was a completable pass and you can see it wasn’t as if he was being thrown to the ground as he threw.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Eric-Carranza/1482895201 Eric Carranza

    so does this mean we finally get to see foles?

  • ACViking

    A_T_G . . . you may have unearthed the strategy on getting Foles in

    • A_T_G

      Yeah, I am thinking I should go buy some lottery tickets during halftime.

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

    Man, that’s just the kind of season it’s been. Ball is fluttering in the air and it bounces off of Jordan’s helmet.

  • http://twitter.com/ToastJenkins ToastJenkins

    nice to see Graham coming on

  • Iskar36

    Two sacks in a row?!?!?!?! What? Can that happen?

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

      Surely it’s a penalty.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Eric-Carranza/1482895201 Eric Carranza

    did we just get back to back sacks??

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

    Now THAT is the defense I’m expecting.

  • BC1968

    I expected 2 more sacks this month, but in a row? Wtf is going on here

  • http://twitter.com/ToastJenkins ToastJenkins

    nice to see the blitz get home a few times. LETS GO NICK!!

  • SteveH

    Wow, could the Nick Foles era begin under much tougher circumstances? Good luck buddy.

  • bdbd20

    Glad to see Foles. If he sucks, then we need to know now.

    • TommyLawlor

      This is the right gameplan for him.

    • Iskar36

      It will be nice to get some sort of assessment on Foles outside of the preseason.

  • ACViking

    Vick, walking to the LR, looked like a punch-out boxer.

  • GermanEagle

    the eagles just had as many sacks in 2 snaps as in the previous 4 games combined!

    • TommyLawlor

      Glad they picked today to get ‘em.

  • Crus57

    Didn’t Vick take back much of the pre-snap protection calls this week? Tough for Foles to duplicate at short notice I’d think.

    • TommyLawlor

      Good point. We’ll see how that goes.

  • A_T_G

    Vick’s eyes make me think concussion, but they always look like that.

  • BC1968

    Kelly Clarkson music and Pepsi, I shit on them both.

  • ACViking

    Re: Brandon Graham

    T-Law:

    Graham — on the Kendricks sack — exploded off the edge. Really looked quick.

    I wish he’d do that more often, rather than the bullrush

  • eagles2zc

    Now’s the time to run the time Reid..

  • ACViking

    RE: NFC East

    If the Eagles just played the Giants and Cowboys all season, I think they’d go 12-4

    • GermanEagle

      I am not sure the Eagles are winning today…

  • http://twitter.com/ToastJenkins ToastJenkins

    great throw by Foles. deserved a better outcome

  • BC1968

    If that was electric football that would count as a completion.

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

    Can’t believe Avant just let that one go off his face.

  • bdbd20

    Good throw there by Foles. Unfortunate that Avant pulled up. Good anticipation.

  • A_T_G

    Foles should have stuck into Avant’s face mask instead of bouncing it off his helmet. Where is the accuracy?

    • http://twitter.com/ToastJenkins ToastJenkins

      i was thinking the same thing. necessary roughness style

    • ACViking

      ha ha ha!!!

  • shah8

    This is going to be interesting. Sometimes a rookie gets a free pass to make interceptions, sometimes conservative ball. And the defense does the same. Looks like consertive on both sides the first drive.

  • SteveH

    Literally thunked avant on the head, lol

  • ACViking

    Foles looked right at AVANT in the huddle.

    WIDE OPEN

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

    Foles in for the game.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Eric-Carranza/1482895201 Eric Carranza

    foles in for the rest of the game due to vicks concussion

  • Iskar36

    Foles in for the rest of the game. We will get to see what the kid can do.

    • bdbd20

      We may very well lose the game, but if Foles shows improvement, this may be the start of something good.

  • ACViking

    Foles already looks better than MV.

    Not jumping to any conclusions or anything.
    _____________

    The Eagles are competing today. The defense looks its best in weeks.

    That’s why I said, if the Birds played the NFC East only, they’d be dominant.

    A reach. True.

    • shah8

      No, he does not.

    • Iskar36

      After 2 passes (one which may have been a lateral), I am not sure any kind of conclusion can be made, but he didn’t look skiddish on the first two throws. Looked like he was confident with his passes and he delivered both of them accurately. Still, that is just TWO passes, so nothing you can conclude.

      • ACViking

        I was just kidding.

        • Iskar36

          I figured, but sometimes, you never know with Eagles fans

        • shah8

          Oh.

  • RaisedinPhilly

    Well, if Foles is a real NFL starter in training, we will see hints of it today. He is starting his NFL career under challenging circumstances, behind a line that an established NFL QB, and sometimes star QB, Michael Vick, has not been productive with. If he does better than Vick has, that’s a very very good sign for Foles and the Eagles. It’s also a bad sign for Vick, who has lost a step and taken a beating, playing tough, although not very successfully.

  • shah8

    Whew! Let the kid play!

  • SteveH

    Can I just say, Nick Foles is a really funny looking dude.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Eric-Carranza/1482895201 Eric Carranza

      sunshine comes to mind lol

  • Crus57

    Chances are Foles has practiced with most of these linemen, as they were once 2nd team.

    • Baloophi

      …Or 3rd team, practice squad, or out on the street.

  • http://twitter.com/ToastJenkins ToastJenkins

    season just got interesting again

  • nicolajNN

    Let’s hope the line doesn’t get Foles killed because today’s 3rd Qb is injured right now as well

    • Iskar36

      Wow, good point. I wonder who steps in after Avant.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Eric-Carranza/1482895201 Eric Carranza

      yupp he pulled his hammy trying to catch a ball with his helmet

  • GermanEagle

    This game could get ugly in a hurry….

  • Iskar36

    Mathis can’t just dive at the defenders legs there. He needs to make a block attempt.

    • ceteris_paribus1776

      Honestly, you’re a 300lb line running full bore at a 200lb DB and you dive at his legs???

  • bdbd20

    If they’re gonna let Bell block Ware 1-on-1, Foles is done.

    • shah8

      I think so as well.

      • shah8

        He’s not doing too bad, other than that undercut attempt by the Dallas CB. He hasn’t geared up to NFL starter, yet, though. However, that’s ridiculously early to say.

  • Crus57

    I thought Foles got his throw out pretty quick, but Bell couldn’t block even that long without holding.

    • TommyLawlor

      Glad Bell did hold. Don’t want Nick taking a beating.

  • lilmc

    To heck with Trent Cole. He has sucked this year.

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

    We do a great job of making pedestrian players look like All-Pros. Felix Jones? Really?

  • ACViking

    Watching D-Bell, I can’t help but wonder what in hell the Eagles saw in this guy?

    Is it Mudd’s scheme?

    Or what?

    • Iskar36

      Part of me has to wonder if it must be Mudd’s scheme. The knock on Bell was his ability to stay healthy prior to him signing here, not his blocking, so unless he simply regressed that much in a season, I don’t see how he became such a terrible Olineman so quickly otherwise.

  • GermanEagle

    This would be the first time in the Andy Reid era that the Eagles lose 5 in a row. And probably the last time for AR…

    • Crus57

      Also the first time we lost after the bye, if we do lose it would seem the magic is truly gone.

  • Crus57

    Are we throwing these screens to the left to try and get D. Ware thinking Bell’s awful blocking is a double bluff?

  • ceteris_paribus1776

    Run D sucks again. What exactly is Bowles trying to do with this D because Insure as hell can’t tell

    • Iskar36

      I was going to type “I agree” and then saw them in the shotgun and immediately panicked.

  • ACViking

    Re: Draw play behind the left tackle

    Seems like the past 3-4 weeks, teams have beaten the Eagles like a drum with that same draw play. Right behind the LT.

    Frustrating. (Don’t know if the numbers back up the perception. Just seems that way.)

  • bdbd20

    Two runs here and regroup at halftime.

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

    I’d love to see those stretch plays just thrown out with 4 out of 5 starters currently out.

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

    …stay in bound Havili *SMH*

  • GermanEagle

    Why don’t we run the clock down??? MM must go!

    • Mac

      Yep

    • A_T_G

      Dallas dared him with the timeout, and he took the bait.

    • Iskar36

      Even when the only thing we should be doing is running out the clock, the coaches still can’t get themselves to run the ball. And why the heck are we lining up in shotgun to run a draw? Just run 3 dives and run out the clock!

    • Felix

      Hallo Tobi – wie gehts, LG Felix/darkchild

      • GermanEagle

        Naja, Spiel ist ne Katastrophe. Mir geht’s dementsprechend. ;)

        • Felix

          Mal schaun was die zweite halbzeit hergibt. Mein Vick Jersey ist jedenfalls eher unbrauchbar ;)

  • Iskar36

    Are we really trying a 40 second drive right now? Why was Havili running to the sideline? What the hell was that call?!

  • Baloophi

    Reid is just adding to his stellar clock management resume…

  • Iskar36

    That was unbelievably dumb play calling. What is going through the coaches heads?!

  • SteveH

    Andy Reid mismanaging the end of the half, who would have thought?

  • ACViking

    Re: Eagles Last Series of 1st Half

    T-Law,

    Please explain what the hell Reid did there?

    Why throw the ball if you don’t call a TO w/ 1:22 left?

    And Havilli’s an idiot to go OofB

    • Iskar36

      That was clearly a dumb play by Havili, but why is he even in the position to make that decision. Why throw the ball at all?

  • bdbd20

    Holy crap. Jeff Fisher just called a fake punt from HIS OWN 10. Balls!!

  • BC1968

    From McNabb throwing a 5 yard in at the 12 yard line with no timeouts and seconds to go before halftime against TB, to this, well, it’s more of the same.

  • onemorebop

    Side note: just saw the Giants highlights and I just love that Manning family sad face.

  • ceteris_paribus1776

    so the offense looked good on the scripted plays and like crap since then when MM and Andy have had to call plays on the fly…business as usual.

  • TommyLawlor

    New thread is up.