Rebuilding Looks Like This
Kevin Kolb led the Eagles in their first possession of the second half.
Rebuilding Looks Like This
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Updating from below: (Confusing, but that's how the kids do it on these internets, apparently):
Rebuilding sure is fun, isn't it, Eagles fans? Kevin Kolb just led the team downfield, five first downs in a row, first and goal from the Ravens' 1. Kolb tried a QB sneak; it didn't work. No worries, three more runs at it, right?
Not for an Andy Reid-coached team, of course. The next play was a pass, not a quick pass but a look-around-at-all-your-options pass, thrown by a young quarterback who did not prepare all week to play in this game. He was fooled by Ed Reed, who set an NFL record with a 108-yard interception return and a 29-7 Baltimore lead.
Not only is the season down the tubes now, you really have to think Jeffrey Lurie, wherever he is, has to be thinking about coaching and personnel decisions. It's going to be an eventful offseason, if it ever gets here.
Previously:
Well, the Eagles just got caught in a blitz and rookie QB Joe Flacco, from Audubon, N.J., hit wideout Mark Clayton for a 53-yard touchdown that ought to just about settle this, with the Eagles' offense unable to get out of its own way. Baltimore leads, 22-7.
Assuming this holds up, the Eagles probably have to win their remaining five games to make the playoffs. That seems a tad unlikely. They've benched their franchise quarterback, their $57 million corner (Asante Samuel) left this game with a neck injury, and their franchise running back, Brian Westbrook, is a shell of himself.
The third Kevin Kolb possession just ended with an interception on that bomb down the sideline the Eagles have tried over and over again today, with disastrous results.
The Ravens took a 12-7 lead when George Washington High's Jameel McClain burst in untouched on sav Rocca and blocked a punt out of the end zone for a safety, ending the second possession of the Kevin Kolb era, which moved backward steadily from the 20 to the 4.
McClain, an undrafted free agent rookie from Syracuse, has two safeties this season. He had hoped to be drafted by his hometown Eagles, but they were way too smart to do that.
Previously:
The Eagles just took the field for the second half with Kevin Kolb quarterbacking. He completed his first pass, a 7-yarder to Brent Celek.
Donovan McNabb, now bundled on the sideline, completed just 2 of 11 passes, with 2 bad picks, after starting the game 6-for-7.
Earlier:
Quintin Demps just broke the longest return by an Eagles rookie ever, 100 yards to pull the visitors within 10-7 with a minute and 37 seconds left in the first half.
Previously: Will the third turnover be the charm? Fans clamoring for Kevin Kolb undoubtedly hope so. After the Ravens took a 3-0 lead on a 44-yard field goal, Donovan McNabb threw his second interception of the first half, a terrible throw behind DeSean Jackson, picked off by Ed Reed. On the return, Reed tried to lateral to Samari Rolle, who was surprised, and let the ball fall to the turf, where the Eagles seemed to recover.
Ahh, but the NFL rules said otherwise. Reed's lateral was called an illegal forward pass and blown dead. Was it really a forward pass? Well, because the ball hit the ground and was blown dead, the call was not reviewable. And the Ravens were not penalized, because Jon Runyan roughed somebody behind the play.
Three plays later it was 10-0 on a 1-yard Joe Flacco TD pass to tight end Daniel Wilcox.
Earlier:
The Eagles have turned it over twice in a scoreless first half. First time, they were driving, first down at the Ravens' 24, Donovan McNabb seemed to be in sync, completing six of his first seven, and then Jarret Johnson went around Tra Thomas and plucked the ball off McNabb's fingertips as the QB cocked to throw.
That one, you couldn't blame McNabb. The next one, you could. On third and 1 from his 17, McNabb threw long down the right sideline for DeSean Jackson -- a ridiculous choice, and one that got worse when the ball hung up and was picked off by Fabian Washington.
Fortunately, the Ravens' offense seems even less likely to score than the Eagles'. It just moved backward from the pick and had to punt on fourth and 37.
Earlier:
Brian Westbrook is in, for better or worse. Westbrook was not on the list of inactives passed out in the press box for today's game at Baltimore. Lorenzo Booker was, which means the Eagles must have some confidence that Westbrook is able to play a substantial role, with Correll Buckhalter their only other active running back.
Also interesting is the fact that though he is not listed in the changes to the starting lineup handed out by the Eagles, Akeem Jordan will start at weakside linebacker instead of Omar Gaither, apparently in an effort to do a better job against the Ravens' strong run game. There have been reports that Brent Celek will start ahead of L.J. Smith at tight end; an Eagles spokesman said it might be that Celek will play more than usual, and he might or might not start.
Stay tuned for updates ...
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Mcnabb, thanks for trying, it is time to move on while we can still get some decent trade for your hide. Sad season and sad coach.— kowboy- Comment removed.
- Bill Your an idiot!!! Who would you want to start??? Just curious. I sure hope not the guy who came in and threw interceptions like the other team was his own. Do I need to name him? Your an idiot. Eagles win, your behind McNabb. They lose, everything is his fault. You suck. Go eat a pretzel or cheesesteak and keep watching tv.— Philly_Dude03
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- LJ Smith is benched? That's the best news I've heard all season! Hey, LJ, go hang out with Adam Eaton.— grales
- About time. LJ has been awful this season. Time to see if Celek can play. Bench McNabb and start Kolb. McNabb skills have diminished to the point that he can no longer play in the NFL. Let's see if Kolb can play now and find out whether or not they need to target a QB in the draft. Gaither has been quite quiet. Akeem had some good games last year so let's start him and see if he can play.— Fritz and Alice
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- i hope mcnabb gets traded and comes back and haunts the eagles and wins a superbowl, you haters wait until next year when Kolb is the QB, you have no ideal what you are in for, I bet most of the haters never had football pads on, just a bunch of fantasy geeks, since the day mcnabb was drafted this town did not like him, amazing to me. I believe he purposely told the media he did not know the OT rules so he be 100% sure he gets traded or released this year. I applaud him for putting up with the idiots who boo him and rip him on that soap opear of a station WIP, he finally woke up and said I gave 10 years to this town and no matter what they hate me, good for you McNabb, cant wait to buy ur #5 jersey of ur new team next year!!— eagles2010
- Glad McNabb is stiill in though. I'm not sold on Kolb.— libertyof76
- kolb is nothing, wait till next year— eagles2010
They can't bench LJ! The TE position needs to be filled with utter disappointment and wasted potential!!!— dpcoz- Look at the actual numbers and then talk about how quiet Gaither has been. It's a stupid move. When Jordan was on the field against the Giants, they broke for two touchdowns.— utang44
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- Eagles 2010-Also, 9/11 was a big conspiracy and we never landed a man on the moon. That was fake too. In addition to purposely, pretending to not know the OT rule, he has purposely pretended not to play well. He's done. I remember his great years, but every qb reaches that point when he can no longer get it done. Kinda like Iverson. McNabb is done and I sat trade him and watch him frustrate another city next year. Kinda like Iverson in Denver and now detroit.— Fritz and Alice
- Another pick for McNabb, this one returned to our 5 yard line. Will he bench this guy or what.— fcskills
- eagles2010- wake up- he's not winning a superbowl- put down the crackpipe!!!— justatc1
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- GO KOLB!! (Officer Tackleberry)— dpcoz
- Bring on the Phillies chants!!! The McNabb era just ended. Lets go Bobby Hoying!!! (Er, I mean Kevin Kolb)...— fiveforone
- Worst game ever.— PhilsWin
- Just look at the scoreboard light up. Kolb is sooooo much better than McNabb. Give me a break.— nastydog1093
- The Eagles are INEPT....from the coach on down...what an embarrassment!!— byrdwoman
- I do not understand why people are riding McNabb so hard. You people are mean. You can't tell me there is not anything wrong with him; he smiles when he loses and he claps when his backup throws a pick. Go figure OHH and one more thimg GO GIANTS WHOOOOOOAAAAA BABY— rickrick
- kolb looks like McNabb without the arm.— bobcitydoc
- It doesn't matter who the qb is if we are going to pass twice as much as we run.— trizot
- OK...Kolb is awesome!!! hahahahahaha— Philly_Dude03
- hopefully the kolb era will last half a game. this kid is a JOKE! add a qb for off season needs.— jayfril
- I can go out there and do better then Kolb. Can he throw the ball without it hitting the ground? This is so stupid. They should have at least tried to salvage the rest of the year but putting in Kolb confirms that the Eagles are going to suck for the next 4 to 5 years!!! Go Philly— Philly_Dude03
- Wait a sec. Kevin Kolb sucks, too? Great. I thought we were guaranteed to win a few consecutive SBs once KK came in. Shouldn't getting rid of McNabb fix everything?— pringleschief
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- pringleschief - KK's performance just proves how completely awful this entire offense is. He just threw an interception at the 1 that went all the way back. These guys are absolutely pathetic and I put the blame on Reid for not caring about positions like tight end, full back, a real running back, etc. Donovan may seem bad but he's overcompensated and covered up in some ways.— s
- At what point do you keep a non-productive coach and quarterback?Geesh......I am getting tired of "next year" calls.— GARBOT
- Better wait to eat your Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday or it will be sure to come up. Go Phillies!— s
- KOLB has a 16.7 rating. Yeah, he's way better than McNabb you idiots. Its Reid thats the problem..not McNabb. McNabb is in a terrible offense.— Nezhy
- FIRE REID!!— Nezhy
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- Right Nezhy. The NFL has changed and Reid hasn't. He should have had his personnel/GM responsibilities stripped a few years ago. McNabb, while not a Philly favorite, will undoubtedly go on to a a better run team and win a Super Bowl. Lurie will remain loyal to Reid to a fault and we'll continue to suffer. We should have (a) a big running back to complement Westbrook and a commitment to a real run game; (b) a real tight end; (c) a real fullback; (d) Defensive ends who don't leave the run stop entirely to the tackles ... I could keep going. This team is awful and Reid built it.— s
- DEAR MR.LURIE— the G.O.A.T.
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- Now that they are in every way, shape, and form out of it, it's time to start Kolb. The Eagles have to see if he can perform or see if he will be another Bobby Hoying.— EddieV
- This article sums it up in the first couple sentences. Why the hell is Reid running when a second QB sneak would have punched it in. This should have been done last week and also when they played the Bears. I guess blood doesn't get to your brain when you have a gut like Reid. FIRE HIM NOW!!!!!!!!!!!— ReidsOuster
- are you folks (eagles2010, etc) mcnab fans or eagles fans? Mcnab had 10 years to win a title. bottom line: he didnt do it and hes ALWAYS been suspect in big games (not to say play calling hasnt been a huge issue). The past few weeks have been horrible. Changes are obviously going to be made. The only advantage i see mcnab having over Kolb is experience. If Mcnab doesnt use his feet hes pretty much worthless. Kolb is a more accurate QB. Let him throw 40, 50, or 60 times a game and he puts up 400 yards. Rebuild. Let kolb get experience this year. go into next year with experience/confidence and hope we get back to the playoffs in 2 years. I'll leave you with this: Do you think Mcnab is a pocket QB? If he doesnt want to use his feet like he did early in his career, where the Defense HAD to spy him, hes pretty average at best. Ill take Kolb all day throwing slants and outs over mcnab.— daoust555
- Now let's bench and send packing Reid and maybe then we would have a shot at a good strong power back like Greene from Iowa who is dominating the Big 10.— atp2007
- About the only good thing out of this debacle is that it is obvious that Reid and McNabb are done. 2nd and six inches and you throw by a quarterback that is seeing his first action? Bring on a new GM and Bill Cowher and let's play some real football.— jimmyc29
- Simple: I have waited for this day! Now we can all see what the Eagles are made off. Don goes, or Don stays? Running game or not? Tight ends matter or not? A neew kicker or not not? New cordinators or not? All this comes through arguably one of the most shallow coaches in the NFL. Does Philly have the guts to pull the plug? Heck no. Andy had enough power to stop it. So now that I am a ex-philly fan, I can "good luck with the Andy and Kolb Show" It should good for at least three years of funny football. Oh, and by the way,Lurie won't won't lose one dime. Why? Cause you guys are idiots to follow the worst organized team in the league. Philly cliamed that a title today...— starman
- OK Bill - How'd that Kolb work out for ya?!? Be careful what you wish for this x-mas buddy!— NickEeee
- Usually I am not a hater but that looked like a Rich Kotite team. Feel bad for Dawkins and some of the other long time Eagles who never got a ring. Reid will likely start McNabb againg the Cardinals but either way it it over. With two first round draft choices next year, it would seem like a good time for a coaching change, that's if they don't trade both of them away. Reid got the Eagles close and that is what is so frustrating about him and the Eagles. Now we are likely starting over with a lot of problems on both sides of the ball. It could be a long time before the Eagles become a playoff team again.— airbuzz
- DEAR MR.LURIE, What are you gonna do about this mess?????? Our future doesnt look to good, and we may very well lose the rest of our games..Please, can you F the salary cap this offseason and spend some money on positions we need!If you wanna make a run next season before dividing the team,Kurt Warner wil be free agent.McNabb is better than any body else.T.J. Houshmandzadeh will be available, Julius Peppers, Albert Haynsworth, Terrell Suggs, Duwan Laundry are also studs on the market!— the G.O.A.T.
- Why are we going to let andy have those 2 no.1 draft picks?Is he a good game day coach? good draft pick coach?(dont give him credit for jackson pls) can he make adjustments?does he make good off season trades?cant we keep the core players,trade mcnabb,let andy and his lame backup quartedback go and get a new leader.and tell gambel we're tired of hearing they gave us the winnest team in the last 10 years.mediocracy stinks....— soundman2008
- THANK GOD He benched LJ smith. What took him so long ??? Now all we need to is get rid of Reggie brown ,Greg Lewis, and Any Reid. Oh don't forget about Joe banner. Then maybe we can start to rebuild and in 10 years we can win a super bowl. LOL I KEEP THINKING ABOUT WHEN MCNABB KEPT SAYING THE EALGES WERE THE TEAM TO BEST. LOL
- Dear Mr.Lurie. Mick Vick will be 29 whe he gets out and EAGAR to redeem himself, whe he gets reasled from the joint!Philly wilL welcome him!— the G.O.A.T.
- are you people brain dead with this kolb thing??? flacco= good draft pick,ryan= good draft pick...kolb= Andy man...come on gimmie a break.He looked great on that "hey you go long" andy call.. lol.. came up a pinch short did he?— soundman2008
- and remember folks what gamble said on WIP 5 yrs ago."you poeple(fans)need to appreciate that we have brought you a team now that will always be your money's worth and if you dont like what we're doing... geecha a giants ticket" how nauseating..send him packing with reid mcnabb and kolb please— soundman2008
- sorry i ment banner pfffft.....— soundman2008
- IF they get rid of Fat *** Reid & McCrap, they need to get rid of Morninwheg too. He's calling all the O plays. Don't forget, they ran him out of Detroit because he was horrible up there too!— greenguy
- Can't wait for the Eagles to show up in their retro 1973 jerseys, cause they are playing like them! The futility of the play-calling continues...only wins left are against Washington and possibly Cleveland...well they could tie Cleveland and finish six and eight and two (and dissapointing)— sspn09
