Domo's Eagles-Lions Day-After Dissection
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagletarian
Domo's Eagles-Lions Day-After Dissection
Paul Domowitch, Daily News NFL Columnist
A second look at Sunday’s ugly 26-23 overtime loss to the Lions:
NOWHERE TO RUN: At Andy Reid’s day-after news conference Monday, somebody asked the Eagles coach if he thought he should’ve run the ball more against the Lions. Sometimes, a lot of times, that question is justified. Not Monday.
Take Michael Vick’s nine scrambles out of the equation and the Eagles gained just 12 yards on 20 rushing attempts. They had seven negative plays that lost a total of 32 yards, including five by LeSean McCoy. That’s just seven fewer negative runs than he had in the first five games.
McCoy finished with just 22 yards on 14 carries. That’s the lowest rushing total of his career in a game in which he’s had more than six carries.
The Eagles’ offensive line just couldn’t block the Lions’ front seven, particularly on those outside zone running plays that offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg kept insisting on dialing up, even though it was pretty apparent early on they weren’t going to work.
In the third quarter, Lions linebacker D’Andre Levy pushed left guard Evan Mathis into the backfield and tackled Bryce Brown for a four-yard loss. In the same quarter, defensive tackle Nick Fairley overpowered center Dallas Reynolds and tackled McCoy for a five-yard loss. On another stretch play in the fourth quarter, right guard Danny Watkins, who continues to play like a guy who would rather be fighting fires than defensive linemen, got pushed into the backfield by Fairley on a four-yard loss by McCoy.
BAD DAY FOR O-LINE: Sunday was just a bad day all around for the Eagles’ offensive line. They didn’t run-block very well and they didn’t pass-block very well either. The Lions were credited with 14 hurries and 10 hits, in addition to their three sacks of Michael Vick, who completed 28 of 46 passes for 311 yards, two touchowns and two interceptions.
When Vick got the ball out quickly, he did well. He was 14-for-18 for 133 yards on throws that got out of his hand in two seconds or less. And one of those four incompletions was the third-quarter drop in the end zone by tight end Brent Celek. When he hung on to the ball for three seconds or more, he was just 2-for-9 for 32 yards with one interception.
On the first of the two overtime sacks of Vick, Lions end Cliff Avril just beat right tackle Todd Herremans with an outside rush. The play showed the one downside to offensive line coach Howard Mudd’s blocking technique. Herremans went to initiate contact with Avril and semi-whiffed, giving Avril a step on him to the outside, which he used to get around him and bring down Vick for a seven-yard loss.
The second overtime sack was on both left guard Evan Mathis and Vick. Nick Fairley and Kyle Vanden Bosch ran a stunt. Mathis stayed on Fairley as the DT came around the outside rather than pass him off to left tackle Demetress Bell. But Fairley got a step on him and was able to get a hand on Vick.
Running back LeSean McCoy had slid through the line and was wide open for a dump-off pass from Vick. But the quarterback tried to escape instead of getting rid of the ball. Bad move. Fairley and Vanden Bosch sacked him for a killer 14-yard loss that ultimately forced Mat McBriar to punt out of his own end zone and set the wheels in motion for the Lions’ game-winning field goal.
TOUGH GAME FOR HUGHES: Cornerback Brandon Hughes got victimized on two big fourth-quarter pass plays. He was the guy covering tight end Tony Scheffler on Scheffler’s 57-yard catch with less than four minutes left in the fourth quarter. He also was the guy covering wide receiver Nate Burleson three plays later when Burleson caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford that closed the Lions to within three points, 23-20.
The touchdown pass was entirely Hughes’ fault. Burleson ran a wheel route on him and beat him down the sideline. On Scheffler’s long catch, though, Hughes’ fingerprints weren’t the only ones on it. Defensive end Jason Babin and defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins also have to take a big chunk of blame for allowing Stafford to get outside and extend the play, which gave Scheffler time to get separation on Hughes. Stafford had the ball for 5.87 seconds on the play before he threw it, which is an eternity.
Babin tried to put an inside spin move on Lions right tackle Gosder Cherilus. It not only didn’t work, but Babin ended up on the ground, falling over Jenkins, who already was off his feet. That made it easy for Stafford to get outside and buy extra time.
COULDA, WOULDA, SHOULDA: But for the big hand of Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, the Eagles might’ve won Sunday’s game in regulation. Up by three and facing a third-and-four at their own 18 with less than three minutes to go, the Eagles ran the same play that resulted in Jeremy Maclin’s 70-yard touchdown catch and run on their previous possession.
They lined up with three wide receivers in a bunch formation to the left, including Maclin at the point. Maclin ran an in-route. On the touchdown pass, the Lions blew the coverage and Maclin was wide open over the middle. On the third-and-four play, he wasn’t wide open, but had safety Amari Spievey beaten by a good two or three steps. If Vick had been able to get the ball to him, the play would’ve gained at least 15-20 yards and Maclin just might’ve taken it all the way for another touchdown. But Suh batted the pass down and the Eagles had to punt the ball away to the Lions, who drove down and tied the game.
LACK OF SAFETY DEPTH: The Eagles’ lack of depth at the safety position came back to haunt them Sunday after Nate Allen left the game in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury. He was replaced by Colt Anderson. Anderson is a terrific special teams player, but he’s not a guy you want on the field playing safety against a potent passing offense like the Lions.
TO BLITZ OR NOT TO BLITZ: Defensive coordinator Juan Castillo brought the blitz out of moth balls on the Lions’ last two possessions. Judging from the results, he would’ve been better off leaving it in the closet.
He sent middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans on a blitz on a first-down play just after the two-minute warning. Stafford’s pass to Titus Young was incomplete, though Ryans had nothing to do with that. On the next play, they blitzed both Ryans and their other nickel linebacker, Michael Kendricks. Neither of them got to Stafford who completed the critical 17-yard sideline pass to Calvin Johnson that put the Lions in field goal position.
They blitzed once more on the Lions’ game-winning scoring drive in overtime. Sent Ryans and safety Kurt Coleman on a first-and-20 at the Philadelphia 44 following a holding penalty on Lions left guard Rob Sims. Neither of them got there as Stafford got the ball out in 2.06 seconds. His pass to Johnson gained 17 yards and put the Lions in position for a game-winning field goal by Jason Hanson.
It appears that we cannot pass block, when we ran the ball - we could not block for McCoy....I guess the only left we can do is punt...oh no....Bobby April's special teams can't do that either. So...why not just ride around on the team bus..and get lost somewhere...at least there will be no injuries that way unless we drafted an incompetent bus driver.— 5thstrretpast- Outcoached by Jim Scwartz. Pushed around on your home field. Did the Oline ever move forward in the game, they were pushed around the whole game. The QB nearly killed again in the first half with 10 hits by the break. Play calling that we've seen for the last 14 years.
Reid won't win here or anywhere else.— Fan74 - We have arguably the best RB in the NFL (and at least top 3 with Foster and Rice), and yet we insist on running the ball only 12-15 times a game, even though our injury-depleted O-line cannot pass protect worth a darn. Our offense could be doing much more to be protecting our defense as well by running more. End of story.— edmundhan
- It is just a game for us 3star, but for the players and coaches it's their livelihood. For the owner it's his profit and his reputation at stake. This is much more serious to them than to us; which makes it even more difficult to understand the ineptitude which is excused and explained away weekly. It feels like the ride is winding down and will soon be over, we fans have been asking for a change, let's hope it's a good one when it comes. Meanwhile, I'd better get busy and put dinner in a better position to succeed.— bentlip
- I am not usually a basher but even I have reached the point of just not caring any more. I have been an Eagles fan for over 60 years for God's sake and this is just too much for me to bear. Something has to change or the will never be successful.— JamesSeitz
- derp— richardecredico
- Lol, so funny to read these post the day after an Eagles loss... It's just a game, some of you people need to get a life..... and yes, I am a huge Eagles fan...— 3starcorners
- “
My job and responsibility is to get it better; not only for them but for this football team, to get it better. They have my word that I'm going to do that. I'm going to get it right.
” -- Andy Reid, when asked about Eagles fans' frustration.
This was just taken from espn.com.
Heard this BS before?— mrjarn - Please John Gruden, save Mike Vick and the rest of these talented young men from Andy Reid! Its sad when even Mike Shannahan has learn how to adapt to the ever changing game, and has allowed room for another Cunningham/Vick style mobile QB to flourish and develop his talent and the playbook to tailor his skills. RUN THE BALL FOR CHRIST SAKE! By running the ball it slows down the blitz! Use the screen, hell Westbrook use to dominate the screen game, and that too slows down the blitz which will ultimately keep Vick from getting hit, and last a full season and who knows.... In addition, in the passing game, shorten the routes, he is Michael Vick, not Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, or Aaron Rodgers. Give him the same routes as Alex Smith, Eli Manning, Brett Favre, and Matt Hasselbeck. Focus on time of possession not"the big bang theory." Every hit can't be a home run! Guys get it together, if not fatheads will come down, and I am personally selling my Redskins vs Eagles tickets back on StubHub.— marqui
- LAURIE !!! What the heck are you waiting for?!! What more do you need to see??! It's NEVER going to change unless YOU make a change. There is no one else to blame except YOU.— warrentheape
- Dissect it? This team stinks. Top to bottom. Coaching staff is inept. QB is a has been/never-was..... Defense sometimes shows up for a few quarters. Special teams = nothing special. Just another wasted season in Eagle-land.— jibberjabber
- MRD - where ever you live must be a cold miserable place and I wish upon you a life of chronic halitosis and explosive diarrhea. I hope Andy becomes the coach of the team you root for you stinkin' loser!!!— Justicek
- Sunday was a bad day for the o-line? Really???....The o-line has been horrible for the whole season. So, has the quarterback, defense and the coaching staff. This season is three weeks away from being over.— Just_Recently_Banned
- PARADE THE DAY REID GETS FIRED!— Apollo Creed
- Banner had it right: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." Eagles fans deserve better. A lot better. This is a mangled mess (again), and we have to continue to watch a head coach who has proven over 13 years that he is INCAPABLE of making game-day adjustments. A great coach would have won at least two Super Bowls with the talent on this team in the early 2000's. What a disgrace.— farside37
- Can we have a parade when Andy Reid gets fired? It will honestly be one of the happiest days of my life.— Apollo Creed
- Your exactly right colorado. These stiffs that he continues to draft on O line and D line continue to struggle and probably wouldn't make another NFL team. Pretty funny how all the cuts that he's made over the last couple of years that none of those players made another team! Not to mention half of the current Eagles wouldn't even get picked up. Our safeties are the worst in the league and our linebackers can't make a big hit to save their life. Great judge of talent Andy. clueless. The only saving grace this year is hopefully Lurie will finally pull the plug on the great Andy Reid. Hopefully!!— kchaz
- This is so nice......Phils don't make the Playoffs and Birds are making every loser cry! So glad I don't live in the city of Bums!— MRD
- I am no longer watching!!!!!!!!!!1 If we lose to Atlanta I am done for the year. Its like watching a movie already knowing the outcome— Aussie Fan
- Turnovers- bad offensive line-plays that don't work-coaches who seem asleep on game day-a defense that can't come up big when it counts-it all adds up to another disappointing season. It's time for some new blood so get rid of all the coaches and start lettig the talent on this team show itself.I have beenanEagles fan for 60 years and after SundayI wonder why.— samafja
- The chickens from all those lousy drafts are now coming home to roost. No depth at o-line or safety (barely competent NFL talent starting for that matter.) This is what happens when no one in the organization knows anything about drafting or developing talent. Wake up, Lurie!— coloradoeagle
