Paul Domowitch's Eagles-Giants report card
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagletarian
Paul Domowitch's Eagles-Giants report card
Paul Domowitch, Daily News NFL Columnist
Here is Daily News columnist Paul Domowitch's report card from the Eagles' 29-16 loss to the Giants in the home-opener. Click here to send in your own grades.
RUSHING OFFENSE: The Eagles ran the ball 40 times and rushed for 177 yards, including 128 by LeSean McCoy. But their short-yardage offense was putrid. They failed to punch it in on two separate goal line situations from the 2 and the 3, and McCoy got dumped for a 3-yard loss when Andy Reid went for it on a fourth-and-1 at the Giants’ 44 early in the fourth quarter.
Grade: C-minus
PASSING OFFENSE: Mike Vick had a a first-possession interception that clanged off Steve Smith's hands. Mike Kafka threw two picks, including one into double coverage that never should have been thrown. Kafka and Vick completed just 4-for-8 third-down passes. For the second straight week, DeSean Jackson had just two quiet catches.
Grade: D
RUN DEFENSE: The game of musical chairs that Juan Castillo played with his linebackers last week didn't really make much of a difference. While the Giants' final rushing numbers - 102 yards on 25 carries - aren't awful, they're also a bit misleading. Giants averaged 7.1 yards per carry in the first three quarters, including a 37-yarder by Ahmad Bradshaw.
Grade: C-minus
PASS DEFENSE: For the second straight week, the Eagles gave up four touchdown passes, this time to a team whose wide-receiver corps qualifies for federal aid. Kurt Coleman had not one, but two missed tackles on Brandon Jacobs' 40-yard TD catch and run, and Nnamdi Asomugha got beat for a score by Victor Cruz. Eagles are on pace to give up, gulp, 43 touchdown passes this season.
Grade: F
SPECIAL TEAMS: Jason Babin's fourth-quarter brain fart when he got called for encroachment on a Giants' field-goal attempt, opened the door for Eli Manning's game-clinching TD pass to Bradshaw. Alex Henery made all three of his field-goal attempts and had three touchbacks on four kickoffs.
Grade: C
OVERALL: Andy Reid's and Marty Mornhinweg's goal-line play-calling left a lot to be desired. Giving the ball twice to Owen Schmitt rather than McCoy or Ronnie Brown? Those two lame pass-play calls inside the 3 after running the ball on nine of the previous 10 plays? Then there's a defense that continues to give up big run plays, can't tackle and gave up four touchdown passes for the second straight week. There's a lot of blame to go around for this disgraceful loss.
Grade: F
**
To read our earlier reports from a busy day at Eagles-Giants, click here.
#EAGLESAFTERMATH: Be heard on the Birds
SMFH— K Dot- two weeks in a row and DEF can't hold lead. MV, MK, VY doesn't matter if your DEF can't hold anyone— KLD69
- Yeah pretty tired of the broken record. It's getting to the point where the possibilty of making a mistake and bringing on a bad coach to replace Andy is a better alternative than to keep things the way they are.— Beefcake2358
- DEF is their problem...Putting a QB absent of skill and color, will not help this team. BTW was Vince Young 2-0 against this team? I'm just saying.— KLD69
- Fabio and Utley have something in common...they both can't hit.— Astro Jones
- booooooooooooooooooooooom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
that was the bandwagon crashing into a brick wall. have a nice year..see you at the draft..with the 4th pick of the first round the philadelphia eagles select....well, you can fill in the rest----— Shemp Howard - ...an offensive lineman or DE you've never heard of... — beegal99
- Lurie won't do anything until he sees lots of empty seats. He'll still make money but it doesn't look good on TV— Luriesucks
- Eagles GAVE this game back to the Giants. Eagles GAVE the game back to the Falcons. Red Zone management is consistently poor from Offense & Defense. Castillo's defense looked like zombies on several plays. Reid coached like a zombie. Morhinweg offered play-calls like a zombie. Thinking Castillo is on THINNEST on THIN ICE. Loyal guy, he knew this was a major change & that it might not work out for him. Front Office has to be squirming at poor defense after all those improvements in player personnel and position coaching in he off season. Castillo won't finish DC if the Eagles suffer another come from behind loss this season. Castillo got his shot--he can't be sore.— Smashmouth
- With the high profile secondary signings the pass defense is truly embarrassing. Something line a F---. A lot of this has to fall on Castillo and then back on Andy for making that move. If that experiment works it could take several years. I'm not sure it's going to work. I don't see this team doing any better than 8-8 this year. It's very possible this team is 2-4 by the bye week.— s
- If you all pray, they will go 8-8. Gmen will win division and repeat as bowl champs— lav
- Let Vick play his game. Why drop back so he can get hit more. Spread it out and let him run then the whole field will open up. This is his only game run run run— joedig22
- Reid must go. Made the wrong choice by picking Vick over Kolb. Wrong choice in Juan as our D Cordinator....and his offensive play calling is just SAD and predictable. Mr. Laurie you have given this man plenty of YEARS here and plenty of talent...he does not have it in him. Please fire him.— RealizticFan
- 4 for 8 on third down passes is actually pretty good for the Eagles.— mikemaddog
- These coaches don't know how to game plan to their player's strengths. (or know when to go for it on 4th or when to throw the challenge flag) The Eagles have one win; Reid has two losses.— CrotchetyOldMan
