NE 38, PHI 20, DeSean -11

Posted: November 27th, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 76 Comments »

Okay, picking on one player after a game like this is sorta dumb.  I fully admit that.  Still, you can’t help but be pissed off at DeSean Jackson after he dropped a pair of TD passes in a game that was close at the time.  Those were critical plays.  You need star players to deliver in big games.  DeSean isn’t the reason we lost, but his sloppy play is a symbol of what’s wrong with this team.  Sloppy, mistake-filled football.  Lots of talent and potential, but not enough production.

We’re now 4-7.  I’m not ready to say the season is over.  I’ll hold out delusional hope until we have the 8th loss, which will be the final nail in the coffin.  Until then, I’m going to keep hoping we’ve got some miracle finish in us.  I am not expecting it.  Understand that I know this is an extreme longshot, but as a sports fan I don’t believe in giving up til you have to.

I’ve got some thoughts on the team and game, but will save them for a post tomorrow.  For now, I’ll just stick with some quick comments:

* Nate Allen was terrible for us.  A lot of fans on Twitter were ripping Nate and then ripping me for having said good things about Nate this year.  There is no disputing he stunk up the joint tonight.  However, Nate has played well this year.  He had a solid rookie year.  Is Nate perfect?  No.  He’s made some mistakes.  Is he a game-changer, impact kind of Safety?  No.  There are only a handful of guys like that in the whole league.  Blame the guy for a bad game, but don’t act like Nate is some horrible player who’s never done anything right.  That’s silly hyperbole.

* We gained 466 yards of  offense, but it sure feels like most of that was a waste.

* I was happy to see Clay Harbor and Riley Cooper make nice catches.  I think those guys are just scratching the surface of their potential.  I’m not saying they’ll be stars or anything to that extent, but they have more talent than most people give them credit for.

* DeSean was benched late in the game.  I’m not sure if Andy was mad due to lack of effort on some play or if there was something else he did / didn’t do.  Jason Avant played his butt off all game long.  Put Jason’s focus, toughness in DeSean’s body and you’d have a great player.

* Another game where tackling was an issue.

* Another game where Red Zone defense was an issue.

* Another game where penalties were an issue.

* We were hurt by a couple of key non-calls.  That was hardly the difference in the game, but they sure didn’t help.

* The lack of a running game was frustrating.  I’ll get more into that in the Game Review.

 

The good news.  We play Thursday at Seattle.  Short week to think about this performance.


76 Comments on “NE 38, PHI 20, DeSean -11”

  1. 1 the guy said at 10:19 PM on November 27th, 2011:

    I realize the Eagles fell behind fairly early in the game, and therefore had to throw to catch up. I also realize there’s nothing new about the Eagles failing to run the ball.

    Having said that, the Eagles called approximately 11 runs (to RBs) and at least 48 passes. Even if you count half of Vince Young’s 6 runs as designed (and I doubt any were), the pass/run ratio was around 80/20.

    The worst was the RZ possession at the end of the half. The first RZ visit, they called 2 straight runs at 1st and goal on the 4 and scored a TD. The second, they called 3 straight passes at 1st and goal on the 5 and settled for a FG. They also left over 2 mins on the clock for Tom Brady before the half. I don’t even want to think about the play call on 4th and 1 in the 3rd quarter.

    I have to assume that in the mind of the Eagles coaches, doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results isn’t insanity, just good football.

  2. 2 Tyler Phillips said at 8:39 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    I’m pretty sure that nobody will really buy the “well we fell behind early” logic, even if they were trying to sell it. When we start bombing the ball early we all know what kind of day its going to be. If desean just does his damn job, nothing more, this is a completely different game.

    As much as i want to be mad at Andy right now, the passing scheme wasn’t unsound. The plays were there to be made, They were open. That said the Goalline playcalling was awful, no passes on that mess. Shady absolutely needed more touches. Someone should ask Desean what the second best WR on a 6-10 team makes per year. probably not 10 mil per.

  3. 3 Tom Gryn said at 10:25 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    Shady had one 22 yard run, but on his other nine carries he averaged one yard/rush. Not the reason we lost by any stretch, but he wasn’t exactly burning it up when he did get the ball, either.

  4. 4 Anonymous said at 10:50 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    Look at their RBs average, it wasn’t any great shakes either (3.5), but absolutely fundamental in getting their offense going as well as resting their shelled defense.

    Bill et al schooled Andy et al in the coaching department.

  5. 5 Anonymous said at 10:30 PM on November 27th, 2011:

    It drives me nuts to think that we could have traded up for Eric Berry, but valued our picks more. KC wanted to move that pick. We needed a safety. We got Nate Allen. I’ve just never been a fan of his.

  6. 6 Anonymous said at 10:25 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    I withheld judgement on Nate Allen. Not anymore. Horrible game. Nice guy, decent not great player. Very disappointing.

  7. 7 Anonymous said at 10:52 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    It takes 2 to trade, I’m not sure we had any real shot. I absolutely wanted it.

  8. 8 Anonymous said at 10:34 PM on November 27th, 2011:

    I have a sneaking suspicion that the short week to thing about this game is going to suck even more next week when Seattle beats us in similar fashion to the Cards two weeks ago.

    This season has been nothing short of miserable.

  9. 9 Anonymous said at 10:47 PM on November 27th, 2011:

    No way we lose to Seattle. That’s a road game.

  10. 10 Matthew Butch said at 12:59 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    I see what you did there…

  11. 11 Steve H said at 10:44 PM on November 27th, 2011:

    It was almost merciful that the CBS coverage cut to the Broncos game, I was doing my duty as an Eagles fan and riding the game out but… since I had no choice you know?

    I said during preseason that I couldn’t understand why Deseans deal wasn’t getting done because you don’t want your star guy to have a contract squabble distracting him during the season. I remember there was one preseason game against Pittsburgh that I commented on where Desean went down on a play where no one was even near him, and he got up laughing it up with the Steelers players about it. I knew at that point we weren’t going to get a guy fighting for every yard this year.

    Unfortunately I can’t even blame the Eagles front office for this one, because Deseans 10 million a year asking price is ridiculous. Even 8 almost feels like too much, but at least the FO is willing to go that far. Nope, this one is squarely on Desean.

  12. 12 Anonymous said at 10:48 PM on November 27th, 2011:

    The Eagles want to pay DeSean. They want to give him a good deal.

    They just don’t want to pay him what he thinks he’s worth. Don’t blame them at all.

  13. 13 Tyler Phillips said at 8:22 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    If desean wants 10 mil per he needs a new agent. He’s not worth close to that. after last week 8 mil could have been justified, After this week I’m not sure he’s worth 6 mil. What does Jordy Nelson make now? is desean worth that? im not sure anymore

  14. 14 Jeremy S said at 10:07 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    No way should he even get Jordy Nelson money. Nelson can catch the ball and run good routes and run all the routes. Give me Nelson over Jackson anyday.

  15. 15 Anonymous said at 10:32 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    In defense of DeSean, I suspect his vision was blocked on one of those – the one the announcers kept saying was tipped or his arm knocked. But it’s not as if this hasn’t been a constant problem for DeSean. Another looked like he heard footsteps. Can’t have that.

  16. 16 Anonymous said at 11:38 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    I didn’t understand what the announcer was trying to defend on that play. The ball hit DeSean in the hands, within the frame of his body. It wasn’t a tough catch at all, at least not at the NFL level. Any top WR in the league should come down with that ball. On top of that, if the defender hit him at all, it was a weak hit. DeSean should be able to still hang on.

  17. 17 Christopher Eckman said at 10:53 PM on November 27th, 2011:

    I kind of expected a loss but figured it would be closer and that Reid would survive after this season. But the D fell apart, DeSean acted like Pinkston (alligator arms) and Morninwheg and Washburn had words and had to be separated. It really feels like the wheels fell off. I don’t think Reid will be here after this season.

    It is hard to believe a season with such high hopes could crater like this.

  18. 18 Thorin McGee said at 11:02 PM on November 27th, 2011:

    I caught that tweet. Man I’d like to know what they were saying to eachother.

  19. 19 Anonymous said at 11:08 PM on November 27th, 2011:

    According to Eskin (so take this for what it’s worth), Washburn questioned Mornhinweg’s playcalling after the defense stopped the Patriots after the INT. If true, can’t say I disagree with Washburn.

  20. 20 Matthew Butch said at 1:00 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    Glad to see someone has fire on this team.

  21. 21 Thorin McGee said at 9:49 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    Andy should listen more to his line coaches.

  22. 22 Ben Aven said at 11:55 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    Nah, he’ll probably just promote him to Offensive Coordinator

  23. 23 Anonymous said at 3:12 PM on November 28th, 2011:

    I’ve said this for a long time. Had a certain Mr Ryan ever played Dc to MM’s OC, he would have been in more than one fight, that is for sure. I missed it, it would have been a highlight for me. Washburn goes up 2 notches IMO.

  24. 24 Anonymous said at 10:59 PM on November 27th, 2011:

    At this point the hope is getting delusional, I had held out to this point but let’s be honest winning out doesn’t even guarantee a playoff birth they need a lot of help. It’s not over but they need the Cowboys and Giants to falter or some how move up past all if the teams they trail in the wild card race.

  25. 25 Anonymous said at 11:11 PM on November 27th, 2011:

    Tommy likes to maintain hope as long as he can, and I don’t fault him for that, but even with a win today, our chances were slim to none. With a loss, we are all but mathematically eliminated. As I have said the last couple weeks, I am still rooting for the team, but right now, I care a lot more about seeing some of the core players and young guys step up and show some fight then I do about the outcome of the game.

  26. 26 Thorin McGee said at 9:53 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    We’re 3 back with 5 to play and one of those against the leader. and the teams in front of us are the Giants and Cowboys. Those teams choke down the stretch every year, and the Giants are going through wall-to-wall buzzsaws until the end of the season. All matters of faith aside, if the Eagles get their act together, the division title IS still in play.

    (God, this argument was better last week…)

  27. 27 Anonymous said at 11:42 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    The division title is still in play mathematically, but trying to argue that the 7-4 Cowboys or the 6-4 Giants are more likely to choke than the 4-7 Eagles is more than a bit wishful. Is it possible, sure, but expecting the Eagles to win 5 of 5 when they are a 4-7 team is a huge stretch. I’m not telling you to not keep up hope, you’re entitled to do that, but you are severely understating when you say “if the Eagles get their act together.”

  28. 28 Thorin McGee said at 2:29 PM on November 28th, 2011:

    I hate getting in these post-drubbing arguments when no one can tell emotion from logic. I’m not hoping, I’m not expecting, I’m just reading the damn standings. The Giants and Cowboys blow these division leads all the time. I really don’t know WTF you want me to say other than “if”? Is nothing acceptable unless I’m totally wallowing in self-pity? The standings and games are there, if the Eagles win them, they can still win this division. If they don’t win them, fine, but I’ve had enough of the woe-is-us stuff.

  29. 29 Anonymous said at 10:34 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    “It’s over Johnny.”

  30. 30 Anonymous said at 11:05 PM on November 27th, 2011:

    This is not really in reference to anything you said in this post. It’s more just me saying how I feel about AR and probably mostly a rant.

    After each loss, I find it harder and harder to understand the defense of AR. Yes, he has been a great coach for the Eagles, but since loosing the Superbowl, he has been a good, but not great coach at 58-48 and has a playoff record of 3-4. This year, our team is undisciplined, sloppy, underperforming, playing soft, and showing absolutely no heart. You can certainly blame those qualities on the individual players (and I am certainly not excusing them by any means), but when it is such a team-wide problem, that is absolutely on the coach. Add on top of that the inability to make adjustments and the abandoning of the running game to the point that it is predictable.

    I’m not trying to debate about whether AR is a good coach historically (he is and deserves that recognition). Instead, I am arguing whether AR is he really the right coach for the job moving forward or if has he run his course. At this point, he is no longer a top 5 coach in the league. He is arguably outside of the top 10 even. I don’t buy the argument you can’t find a better coach out there, whether it is a veteran head coach or a promising positional coach/coordinator. Is it necessarily easy to get the next great coach, absolutely not, but when the current coach is not getting the job done, after 13 years, it is time to make a switch, especially when talent, injuries, and circumstances are not excuses (every team dealt with the shortened offseason and in fact, AR was so confident with his team, he shortened TC by two days if you recall, so I don’t buy that excuse at all). Some of us really like AR, so it is tough to let him leave, but letting emotions overshadow reality is not going to help this football team (and I recognize I am obviously frustrated after a loss, but these are thoughts that have been building since we started 1-4).

  31. 31 Anonymous said at 11:13 PM on November 27th, 2011:

    That’s too smart and well thought out to be a rant.

    I have no problem with people arguing against Andy sticking around. I just ask that people do as you did and approach it in a smart way. Saying “I’ve had enough of the fat moron” is pointless and boring.

    There is a strong case against AR coming back.

  32. 32 Brian Anderson said at 11:51 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    then make it Tommy. We talk about players, we talk about games, we talk about Juan but you don’t seem to talk about AR. I get it, you write for the website, but it feels like a giant hole in your coverage… Everything else is well thought out an eminently readable.

  33. 33 aleandro green said at 11:32 PM on November 27th, 2011:

    i think he just resigns at the end of the season

  34. 34 Anonymous said at 11:44 PM on November 27th, 2011:

    I do hope that if/when AR leaves the team, they let him “resign” rather than firing him. I think the organization does owe him that courtesy for how he transformed this franchise from a loosing franchise to a winning one, but I’ll worry about the way he departs once the decision that he will depart is made. I don’t really see him resigning on his own though. I think Banner and Lurie will have to give him the choice of being fired or resigning on his own before AR just walks away.

  35. 35 Anonymous said at 1:58 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    I think it is confusingly ironic that if DeSean resigns and Andy resigns one will be back next year and the other will not.

  36. 36 Thorin McGee said at 10:01 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    I take issue with every argument that throws out the circumstances. Every team had to deal with a shortened offseason, but not every team had to make the long term moves we did. We had to replace the DC, we had to revamp the secondary, and frankly going out and getting DRC and Asomaugh were the best things the Eagles could possibly have done there with the info they had at the time. I think those are long-term value moves, they were certainly moves the fanbase screamed for, and you don’t fire an HC just because they didn’t work out this year with the short offseason to integrate everything.

    On the other hand, some obviously questionable moves have not worked out. They did hire Castillo and leave the LB and safety core undermanned. Everyone saw those as mistakes, but the team stuck with them. Do you fire Andy for that? I wouldn’t. to me this bad year doesn’t outweigh the other moves that I think were objectively the correct ones. That’s not emotion, that’s just long-term thinking. I don’t buy that the coach is bad just because this season hasn’t worked out, I think that would be reactionary and emotional.

  37. 37 Anonymous said at 12:27 PM on November 28th, 2011:

    I completely disagree with you. Castillo was AR’s decision, so that move failing does go back to the caoch. On top of that, I think the 49ers and Harbaugh clearly prove that you can get a new coach and still remain competitive, and that was a head coach, not a DC. Add to that the fact that several teams have new DC and are doing fairly well. The fact is, the Eagles went with an Oline coach at DC and it has taken Castillo way to long to adjust to that side of the ball. You don’t excuse that because “it’s a long term move”. You don’t have that kind of luxury in the NFL.

    As for the FA we brought in, yes, DRC and Aso have been a disappointment thus far, but are two players really enough to excuse a 4-7 record when last year with no one opposite Asante we went 11-5? We had an exciting offseason, there is no question about that, and sure, there is some chemistry issues that might need to get worked out EARLY in the season. We are not at that point anymore. We are 11 games in.

    At the end of the day, yes we brought in free agents, and yes, there might be some things that need to develop early on, but sloppy play is not a chemistry issue. Overall, we have a more stable team than most teams in the NFL. We have had the same coach for a long time. The OC has been here, the vast majority of guys that are involved in personnel decisions have been here a few years, most of the core players on the team have been here for at least a few years. If anything, we should have been a team that benefited from the shortened offseason, so yea, I don’t buy the circumstances excuse for our poor play. We aren’t talking about issues we had early in the season that have now disappeared. These problems have been with us all season.

  38. 38 Thorin McGee said at 2:36 PM on November 28th, 2011:

    Ok, so you fire Castillo and hire the next guy differently. You’re saying fire the offensive-minded HC because he hired the wrong DC? And everyone who doesn’t see the logic of that is “letting emotions overshadow reality”? It’s the middle of a bad season, the day after a bad loss, and you’re calling for the coach’s head. That is the definition of letting emotion overshadow reality.

  39. 39 Anonymous said at 2:58 PM on November 28th, 2011:

    You’re misinterpreting my “letting emotions overshadow reality” comment. I’m not saying you have to agree with my judgement of his performance, I’m saying that if you disagree with my judgement, argue it based on his performance recently, not on the fact that you like the guy. I’m not even saying there are no valid arguments for keeping him around. I just think the decision of keeping AR can’t be made on emotion.

    As for calling for ARs head, yes, I posted this after a tough loss, but if you go back and look at my other posts on AR, I have been saying a similar message for the last few weeks. Even after beating the Giants, I said that you can’t excuse the rest of the season after a win and that in my opinion, AR has to go.

    Frankly, you want to keep AR and that’s fine. That’s your opinion. I happen to disagree and I have laid out my reasoning for my opinion. At the end of the day, it’s not up to us, so I guess we can agree to disagree.

  40. 40 Anonymous said at 10:43 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    Well stated and perhaps the biggest condemnation is that he has arguably the best set of players he has ever had. I could understand struggling early but when it continued into midseason, I knew we had a bigger problem. While he might still be among the top 10 coaches in the nfl in my book, I agree with you that there are good coaches to be had out there….just look at the change in S.F.

  41. 41 Anonymous said at 11:29 PM on November 27th, 2011:

    The end is definitely at hand for AR:
    Check out Spad’s piece:
    http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/dave-spadaro/article-1/A-Loss-For-Words-After-Thumping/b27ce4d0-f82f-45ff-a4cb-2577b5b99cb9
    When you can’t get the house organ to make excuses for you anymore, the writings on the wall (or on the website, in this case).

  42. 42 Anonymous said at 11:34 PM on November 27th, 2011:

    A lot of people are saying that AR won’t go after this season because of what he has done for the team and his potential is still there. I don’t know the inner-workings of the front office and who’s responsible for what, and I realize that it’s different with coaches than it is with players, but let’s not forget that we let McNabb and Dawkins go shortly after things started to turn sour.

  43. 43 Anonymous said at 11:36 PM on November 27th, 2011:

    I know the Eagles wanted to resign DeSean earlier in the season, but I am curious how that feeling has changed over the last few weeks. DeSean certainly opens a lot of space for the rest of our offense, but recently, his drops and miscues have severally outweighed his benefit to the offense. The FO will wait until the end of the year before they make any final decisions, but at some point, do you think it is possible that the Eagles let DeSean simply walk for free? I figured that once it was clear they weren’t going to extend him this year that they would make him an offer at the end of the season, if he refused, franchise him, and then decide whether or not to trade him. After the last three games though, I am starting to question if they will even do that.

  44. 44 Mac said at 12:02 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    Re: DeSean

    It is impossible to know what is inside another man’s head. It is even more unlikely that we can get at what is in his heart. Tonight, I saw a man who looked dejected with an air of “why should I care” about what’s going on here. I saw business decisions being made, but a few tough yards being caught. Doors opened, opportunity missed.

    Is it possible that our “elite” weapon has turned into a basket case?

    When he was first coming out in the draft, I was hoping the Eagles would select him. I did not see a player with this level of talent dropping to the second round. Sure there were questions about his work ethics, but with a seal of approval from Jerry Rice… well this kid must be o.k. enough in that department to take a shot on…right?

    Last year, in my opinion, was his best. It was either before or during the season that DeSean’s father died. It seemed like that even ignited a passion for excellence. He had a good relationship with Vick. Things were rolling along.

    Part of me is wondering because I know the grieving process works differently for every person… if his father’s death is finally catching up to him (in a bad way) and somehow combining with this whole “business decision” mentality to create a player who is seeking a greater purpose/answer to life’s questions, while at the same time making the ultimate money grab.

    It’s not hard to see how that kind of confusing dichotomy could be crippling DeSean. If you want DeSean to succeed, you’re going to need a mentor for him (in my opinion) and I’m not seeing one on this team. My perception is that DeSean like(d)or(s) Andy, but probably isn’t able to be mentored by him.

    His head clearly isn’t in the game, and until someone figures out where it actually is… well he’s not going to be a star.

  45. 45 Anonymous said at 1:14 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    Seems to me that Desean wanted a new deal last year, but was told that under the old CBA he really couldn’t get that big of a raise, but was given the impression that he would be taken care of in the last year of his deal under the new CBA. Instead he saw several unproductive players brought in for significantly more than he is making and an FO that is going back on its word in his eyes. He has become a paycheck player, making sure he stays healthy enough to get a deal here or elsewhere.

    I certainly wish that Desean was handling the situation better. However the FO could have certainly handled it better as well. They are just as much to blame for creating this situation, which is looking more and more like it will result in Desean walking for nothing which will create another huge hole.

  46. 46 Tyler Phillips said at 9:26 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    And then he failed to report knowing no negotiations would start til he reported. Simply put, he is absolutely not worth what he wants. looking for open market money when negotiating an extension. I still wonder if this could have gotten done if Rosenhaus wasnt involved.

  47. 47 Anonymous said at 11:05 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    I wonder what the biggest deal he could of achieved had they of restructured last year and how close they are to that this year? Being told he had to wait to get a restructured contract that was worthwhile, in comparison to the Eagles initial offer this year.

  48. 48 Thorin McGee said at 10:06 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    With a guy like DeSean, I think we would have had a better season had they just paid him his money. We can talk about maturity and professionalism all we want, DeSean just isn’t a professional guy. He’s an emotional guy, and letting his contract linger like this has been the worst way to handle a guy like that. Sometimes playing hardball backfires even when it seems to work. No matter what the sign or don’t sign DeSean for, it’s a Pyrrhic victory.

  49. 49 Anonymous said at 11:07 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    Well written and thought out.

  50. 50 Anonymous said at 12:13 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    What I want to know is who was the guy hoping that we would get to rest our players during the wild card round.

  51. 51 Anonymous said at 12:18 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    Yeah, I’d say holding out hope that this season isn’t over is pretty delusional. They’ve won 4 games out of 11 so far. Winning 5 out of 5 to finish the season is highly unlikely, and even that wouldn’t guarantee a playoff spot.

  52. 52 Anonymous said at 12:25 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    Delusion is a free drug.

  53. 53 Anonymous said at 12:38 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    This team doesn’t need a new coach. It needs players with a winning mentality. I suppose its the coach that drafts them and thus, maybe we need a new coach…. Winners are players who show up under the clutch situation. Someone you can count on in tough situations. Losers are the exact opposite. Who are the winners on this team? I will put the whole O-Line there, Avant, Cooper, both TE’s, Shady. On defense, other than Jenkins, no one on that side of the ball is a winner. As far as losers…a special shoutout goes to Jackson. Vick, Maclin, and the whole defense. Game on the line, I don’t want Vick throwing it, I don’t want Maclin or Jackson catching it, and I sure as hell don’t want the defense on the field in a clutch situation. Although his skills were eroding, we miss a guy like Dawk. Who on this team does EVERYONE look up to? Vick is a half way decent leader ( as it appears), but you know secretly there are some that still resent what he did. Every great defense has that signature personality…who is it on the Eagles?

  54. 54 Anonymous said at 2:10 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    Seeing Dawk on the field during the overtime in the Broncos’ game, I didn’t wish he were sill an Eagle for the first time. Not because of his play, but rather because he deserves better during the twilight years of his career than playing on a team that knows in November that they are out of the playoffs. I am sure that the run Denver has put together has strengthened and validated many of Brian’s religious, lifestyle, and competitive beliefs. Good for him.

  55. 55 Scott Buchanan said at 12:45 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    Kudos to Washburn for getting on MM’s ass…best running back in the league and 6 carries in the 1st half..He is just one part of the problem…I won’t even get into the whole JC debacle

  56. 56 Anonymous said at 12:53 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    I couldn’t agree more. It’s like Reid and MM thinks it’s easy to “pass to get a lead, run to seal the win.” It’s like they don’t realize that little things like taking time off the clock, or field position actually wins games (i.e. Denver). They are seriously playing Madden in real life. It’s like they have no respect for the opposition.

  57. 57 Anonymous said at 6:58 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    I dont understand why it takes Washburn to bitch at the OC. The DC is there to do this. This event makes me fully believe that Juan is a puppet, or at least knows that he doesnt have the clout needed to say what needs to be said.

    With DeSean, he seemed to really fall off after the non-called pass interference. Those few non-calls made a giant difference in the game as far as momentum and attitude were concerned. The attitude didnt have to be flattened, but that is part of this team being soft. The momentum change , along with how bad the refs were last week, made it where I couldnt even watch until half time. The state of the officiating is so bad that I cant give this sport any more of my time.

  58. 58 Thorin McGee said at 10:10 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    There is no promotion that just gives you the cred of guys like Washburn and Mudd. They’re the salty dogs on the coaching staff and they will always be able to say things other coaches just can’t. And Juan, frankly, is not in a strong enough position to stick his nose in anyone else’s business.

  59. 59 Anonymous said at 8:22 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    have the Eagles hit rock bottom yet? or is that still to come?

  60. 60 Anonymous said at 8:40 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    You could see this loss coming after the Giants win. After one win, our players were hitting the twitter like they just won super bowl, talking about pro bowls and stuff. When you are 4-6, you need to stay humble and go one day at the time.
    This is by far the most disappointed I`ve ever been regarding Eagles. Earlier AR teams have at least shown heart but this team is just soulless.

    And still I will wake up friday morning at 3 am to support because I love Philadelphia Eagles and I will show it. Even though they might not deserve it.

  61. 61 Mac said at 9:52 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    That goes right back to what I was saying last night. We were able to see a football team made of professionals last night. Guys who realize they are paid to perform, and play with a killer instinct. Guys who play to win the game. Sadly, they weren’t in midnight green.

  62. 62 The Linc – Eagles Have Wrong Kind Of Fight In Them | Sports Feedr said at 8:40 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    […] Iggles Blitz ” Blog Archive ” NE 38, PHI 20, DeSean -11Okay, picking on one player after a game like this is sorta dumb. I fully admit that. Still, you can’t help but be pissed off at DeSean Jackson after he dropped a pair of TD passes in a game that was close at the time. Those were critical plays. You need star players to deliver in big games. DeSean isn’t the reason we lost, but his sloppy play is a symbol of what’s wrong with this team. Sloppy, mistake-filled football. Lots of talent and potential, but not enough production. […]

  63. 63 Anonymous said at 9:33 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    AR will ride out his contract, but it is clear Juan has to go. The offense is putting up points, but the defense can’t stop a high school team. Someone will pay with their job. I just see the Laurie’s giving Andy one more shot with a real DC. Holding out hope Spags is fired and the Eagles jump all over him. Frankly, I wouldn’t mind MM going either. His play calling in the red zone is horrid and it’s been that way for years. How about running a screen inside the 5, or the sprint draw, or a QB sweep…bring in Ronnie Brown and Owen Schmitt and pull a lineman. All three lead block VY can get a few yards. Nope…run a fade to your TE…LOL

    Kudos to Nmandi for sticking it out…You could see he was hurting, but knew we needed him. I would sit him for a week or two and give Hughes more time…I think he has potential. I would also play RB a lot more. No need to get Lesean hurt at this point.

    We need at least two stud LB’s this offseason (draft or FA..I’d love to get one from each), Jamar Chaney is a backup player at best. Howie needs to pull his “A” game out this draft or I’d get rid of him also. Demecco Ryan and a mid range pick for Asante, or by the grace of god if the Lions let Tulluch walk JUMP ON HIM THIS TIME, and draft Zack Brown in the second round. Play Rolle at the other LB…much improved crew!!!

    I just hope this team doesn’t get stupid and run the table now….getting stuck in the middle of the draft. STAY IN THE TOP TEN!! Suck for RGIII!!!!

  64. 64 Anonymous said at 10:47 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    Unless Zach Brown runs a 5 flat in the forty he’s not going in the second round

  65. 65 Anonymous said at 9:57 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    I think you have to let Desean walk. He is one serious leg injury to being out of the NFL. Without his speed, he is simply a non-factor. Runs crap routes, can’t beat press, and when he is successful at the above drops the dam ball half the time. When he does make a catch it amazes me because most of the time his technique/mechanics are terrible for a proffesional football player. Without his 4.2 speed he is Chad Hall without the skill and heart.

    Just a terrible game-plan also. The only way to beat Brady is to keep him on the bench. Simple as that. Juan is overmatched, has been all year, and mainly because of one thing. He has no blitz. I don’t see a good blitzer on the team either so that may be the main reason. But damm a couple of nicely timed delayed blitzes would have worked against that five wide shit yesterday. Should have blitzed with the FS, he wasn’t able to cover flood deep, no safety really can. The patriots played spread college football yesterday, the Oregan Ducks have a great defensive concept for playing against the spread using delayed blitzes to perfection. They don’t always get there, but do enough damage that it discourages the empty backfield set to the point where it isn’t a viable formation.

    My question is this. Why is it that every good blitzing college linebacker is considered a 3-4 linebacker? Don’t people remember how effective Lawrence Taylor was blitzing out of the 4-3 formation?

    If nothing else Marty has to go. He panics. He is the leader of the offense. Soon as this team goes down by two scores he freaks and goes pass happy. He also doesn’t understand the use of the I formation in the NFL. It’s not just to gain yards. It’s to physically hurt the defense. Get a tough FB and beat the shit out of the linebackers/SS and mix in your sprint/zone blocking schemes.

    I would keep Andy but send the Defensive and Offensive coordinators packing.

  66. 66 Tom Gryn said at 10:21 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    Minor point, but LT always worked out of a 3-4.

    The traditional I-formation attack like we had with Wilbert/Vermeil has gone the way of the FB in the NFL & NCAA.

  67. 67 Anirudh Jangalapalli said at 10:05 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    Our offensive issues in the Red Zone are systemic; we can now say this with certainty. We’ve seen them with McNabb, Vick, and now VY. Ignore the horrendous playcalling (like Schmittgate or this 4th & 2 yesterday) for now. I wonder how much of it is our love of the deep ball. Reid has gotten every one of his QBs to fall in love with the deep throws, and I have to imagine he places a much higher premium on that in practice as well. What if he stopped trying to get the ball 60 yards deep to guys who are scared to catch it over the middle and who are more likely to drop the ball than hold on? What if we work on timing routes with guys like Avant in practice? There’s no way we don’t improve in the redzone. We give Reid a lot of credit for what he does with QBs (and it is, to some extent, deserved), but why can’t he coach 3 of the most athletic QBs to ever play how to throw for 5 yards when we need it most? It’s not a question of arm strength – it all comes down to accuracy, timing, and decision-making, and isn’t that what coaching is all about?

  68. 68 Thorin McGee said at 10:13 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    I feel like Juan got thrown into a bad situation this year, but I don’t know how you can keep him on the staff now.

    Tommy, are there are DC candidates out there who might be lured in by the collection of talent this D has? The line, DRC and Asomaugh Plus Asante if the DC wants him? The hardest pieces to get in a defense are all right in a row here, and so is a high-powered offense. Whose names should we be looking for?

  69. 69 Eric Weaver said at 10:29 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    I can’t wait until this team gets a top 10 pick. Then we can trade back to draft Kuechly and have a bunch of 6 and 7th rounders too. That’ll appease the Eagles fanbase and Howie and Andy in one fell swoop. Kill two birds with one stone, that’s how I always like to do it.

  70. 70 Anonymous said at 10:57 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    Not sure how many readers of Tommy’s blog are old enough to remember the Eagles Circa 1968-76 . . . from Kuharich to Jerry Williams to Ed Khuyat to Mike McCormack.

    This team has the feel of those awful teams. Every Sunday you just wondered when the roof would fall in on the team.

    Then came Vermeil. He brought a new attitude and culture that, except for the Kotite years, hasn’t really left this team — until now.

    There are too many players on this team who’d never survive Vermeil. Or Buddy Ryan.

    Or, more important, they’d never survive the Andy Reid from 1999-2005.

    But for the past 5 years, Reid has been rebuilding some part of the team. That’s been one of the explanations for the post-season disappointments.
    ___________________

    QUESTION: Who are the *anchors* on this Eagles team? The guys who — no matter what generation or coach — would be able to play for anyone.

    Answer: This team has no anchors. None. McCoy’s the closest we have. That’s it.

  71. 71 Anonymous said at 10:58 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    I don’t know what the defenders of Nate Allen see in the guy. Sure, no one player is every to blame in a game where you give up 38 pts, and scoring in the red zone is automatic, but Nate sort of typifies, to me, what is part of the problem with this defense; part of the problem insofar as there are several problems, imo.

    He’s soft. He is a very poor tackler that takes poor angles. He was a “ball hawk” recruit. Not a tackler. Even his “ball hawk” moniker has worn thin. He had a good beginning to his rookie year, but fell off the face of the earth as the season wore on. He was the beneficiary of being in the right place at the right time more often than not. Then he got injured, and now looks to be play extremely tentative. He’s a liability in most of the games he’s played in this year. Yes, not every player on your team can be a game changer, but sure as hell don’t want liabilities filling out your roster. It’s eerily similar to watch Matthews try to play LB in that neither passes the eye-ball test as a football player. He’s been benched once and should be benched again. The problem is that there is no one on the team there to fill his roll. Jarrett is more of a in the box SS, not a great cover guy.

    Which brings us to problem number two, recruiting and talent evaluation. They simply have not been very good in that department lately, and we’re seeing the detriment it brings. It’s been a slow gradual process, but several misses on early defensive picks are showing what happens when you don’t consistently draft well. No Jim Johnson to cover that up now.

    Which is the third problem. Juan Castillo cannot win a chess match against the leagues best offensive minds. The team has no identity. The schemes are inferior. They don’t do any one thing particularly well. They cannot dictate what another teams does. He’s constantly reacting, but still can’t figure out the right combination of coverage/personnel/pressure packages to stop teams when you need to. Sure, he’s put together a couple of decent game plans, but more often than not this defense doesn’t make stops.

    Which brings us to the final problem. Reid has simply run his course. The Castillo hiring typifies Reids recent tenure. There always seems to be one or two things that plague the team each year. Redzone productivity seems to be a constant because they can’t seem to figure out how to use personnel in a confined space. They over complicate and try to out smart the opponent. Brady to Welker, 5 yd out route against a soft coverage. You find the mis-match and exploit it. The eagles never seem to be able to do that in the redzone because there isn’t enough space to utilize speed. And yes, I know Jackson dropped a td in the red zone. That was a good design, but that seems to be the exception rather than the rule with this team. Lastly, they are undisciplined and sloppy. That falls on the coaching staff.

    The front office and staff have tried to cut corners here and there, and it always comes back to haunt them. I have been a Reid supporter for a very long time, and was firmly in disagreement with the change for the sake of change philosophy. It’s harder and harder to “hope” that Reid figures “it” out, when each season your shaking your head in disbelief. I honestly don’t care who they bring in because this team needs an identity and freshness at this point. I’m ready to take the rebuilding lumps because the cruise control lumps are maddeningly frustrating.

    How else can you explain how mediocre this team has been since 04? They dealt with injuries in 05, had a great run in 06, down in 07, nice turn around in 08 and 09, luckily Vick emerged early in 10, but as the tape came out, his magic is much harder to find and they lost 3 of the last 4 games that mattered. They’ve been consistently just good enough to win 10 or so games, but will not reach that this year. I’ll be surprised if they win more than 6 games at this point.

  72. 72 Anonymous said at 11:10 AM on November 28th, 2011:

    Here’s hoping that the Rams will not win a game again for the rest of the season…

  73. 73 Anonymous said at 12:45 PM on November 28th, 2011:

    There’s actually a part of me believes that if DeSean catches those two TDs that we’d win the game. Being an Eagles fan definitely drives you crazy.

  74. 74 Zachary said at 1:29 PM on November 28th, 2011:

    On Reid
    ————————————————————————————
    I think I’m as tired as anyone with Andy – and far too often do go for the easy jabs at our head coach (eg – fatass)….

    But I think a lot of that is due to the fear, or firm belief that while I think his time should be coming to end in Philly, it won’t be….and it won’t be for the wrong reasons.

    I’m not a believer that the front office is cheap, but I think they’ll keep Andy due to MONEY, above all else. He has 2 full years, at $5 million plus a year that is guaranteed to him. I have a tough time believing he’ll be let go – even with how god awful our team has been (which I place largely on Mr. Reid.)

    But while I want to beleive this will be the last year of 3rd and short, throw it deep calls, I think the MONEY owed to Mr. Reid and his PAST track record will keep him here for another what I’m guessing is disappointing year.

    On the youth on our roster
    ————————————————————————————-

    Tommy,

    In a past article you mentioned our youth as a bright spot or something to look forward to (I can’t remember the exact wording, and don’t want to put words in your mouth). But I firmly disagree, and I’d like you to maybe expand on your beleif.

    I see a team with in their prime/end of their career stars, not young stars. Sure LeSean McCoy’s age is young, but he’ll be in his 4th year next year (RB’s last what 5-6?). DeSean Jackson, my guess is on another team. Vick is 31-32? Jason Peterson will be 30 (I think). Nnamdi is 30+, Asante is 30+, Cole is nearing 30, if he isn’t already. Jenkins is too. Herremans, Patterson, some of our solid vets, are just that…vets.

    I understand we have a lot of “young” players on the team, but how many of them do you feel are foundation players? Jeremy Maclin? Maybe. Nate Allen? I’d pass. Brandon Graham? I need to see a lot more. Kurt Coleman? Leaning towards no. Jarrett? Who knows. Danny Watkins? Hardly young. Brent Celek? The same, and he’s not Gronkowski/Graham by any strech. Our LB’s? I for one wouldn’t be sad if none of them are back, despite the way “little ball of hate” plays. Our Kickers?

    I mean I just don’t see how our youth can be considered a positive. Sure we aren’t a old team, but we certainly don’t have this amazing young talent movement that Detroit has right now. I’m curious what your stance is on this.

  75. 75 Geezz said at 2:16 PM on November 28th, 2011:

    Sad sad day in Eaglesville…
    During the offseason I had a dream that D-Jax was released from the Eagles. At the time, I was in disbelief! Now, I’m okay with it. At least in some fashion he won’t be with the team next year. My only hope for him is his benching does to him, what it did to McNabb in the Baltimore game. But, with the season we’re having, it is all for not.

  76. 76 Anonymous said at 3:06 PM on November 28th, 2011:

    McNabb was new his immediate future was still as an Eagle, despite the talk earlier this week I’m sure that DeSean knows it is not.