Eagles lose a terrible game
Titans 37, Eagles 19
Eagles lose a terrible game
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- This is a game the Eagles always seem to lose: on the road, against an AFC team with some credentials, just before the bye. It is something we have seen several times during Andy Reid's tenure. There is no explaining it, just like there is no explaining why their Septembers are always so unstable, and why they always win the game right after the bye, and why they play like crazy in November and December. It is just part of the annual cycle.
And, well, for a long time on Sunday, this one looked like a win -- until, that is, it turned into one of the ugliest Eagles losses in recent memory. Titans 37, Eagles 19 will live in infamy -- at least through the upoming bye week. Cortland Finnegan's 41-yard interception return for a touchdown with no time remaining was the final indignity.
Quarterback Kevin Kolb wasn't playing well when trying to throw the ball downfield, but the running game and the short passing game were solid, and kicker David Akers was money after a tough day the previous weekend against Atlanta. On defense, the Eagles' No. 1 job was to stop Tennessee running back Chris Johnson -- and for the third straight game, the defense did just that against an opposing back.
It wasn't going to be pretty, not even a little, but the Eagles were going to win. But then the Eagles fumbled away the touchdown that would have put them ahead by 23-7 in the third quarter when the Titans' Jason Jones blew through the Eagles' line and disrupted the handoff between Kolb and LeSean McCoy just 3 yards from the end zone. And then Titans backup quarterback Kerry Collins began to find the only player on the field who could beat the Eagles -- wide receiver Kenny Britt.
With about 13 minutes left, and with the Eagles' pass rush flagging, Collins hit Britt with an 80-yard touchdown pass, a play on which rookie safety Nate Allen did not react well. (Britt had caught a 26-yard TD already in the second quarter against the beleagured Ellis Hobbs.) But after that it was pitch and catch, and then pitch and catch again, and again, and again -- and the Eagles had no answer. With 5:03 left, Collins hit Britt with another touchdown pass, this one from 16 yards.
By the time it was over, Britt had seven catches for 225 yards. He had been benched early in the game because of a bar altercation during the week, and when he arrived, it was like lightning.
For the third week in a row, the Eagles' offensive game plan was excellent. The screen game was working, the run game was consistent, and there were enough people open downfield. This week, though, Kolb had trouble with the deep ball. He was intercepted once and could have been picked off for a second time if not for a play made by wide receiver Riley Cooper, a play of the year candidate.
Out of the wildcat formation, the Eagles ran a kind of double-reverse thing: direct snap to Jeremy Maclin, to Shady McCoy, to Kolb (who had been lined up wide), and then deep down the middle to Cooper. Except the pass was badly underthrown, and the Titans' Chris Hope was a certain interceptor until Cooper made a great comeback break to snag the pass in front of Hope. Thirty-seven yards, no sweat. A couple of plays later, Cooper made his first NFL touchdown reception, a 5-yarder from Kolb.
But the offense stalled, badly, in the second half. Kolb did nothing to cement his position as the starter in the Kolb-Michael Vick sweepstakes. And a young team that could have burnished its credentials with a win against a backup quarterback on the road instead will deal with the awful taste of this one for 2 weeks.
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Kolb will kill defenses that can't pressure the QB. But you throw in a good defensive line or windy conditions and his weak arm can't get the job done. Get some TDs in all those Red Zone possessions and the game is over before the fumble.— sbdons1982- It ain't Kolb.............maybe some blocking would help, but all in all maybe the coaching staff could teach playing "smart." There are so many dumb penalties our heads reel, "off sides by a CB, you gotta be kidding me, and in the middle by a LB.........cripes. And maybe inform the o line that tackling an onrushing lineman is a no no. Chalk this one up to Hobbs, though.— WhoaBoy
- Not sure how this was Kolb's fault. I place the blame quarely on the defense.
Eagles pass defense has been absolutely abysmal all year. Of course they're going to get lit up by a half decent receiver with something to prove.
Hobbs does suck hard though. We need to clear out these Patriot's sloppy second cornerbacks and get some actual talent.— b3n222 - Kolb is not the second coming of King Hill. He's the second coming of Norm Snead. I remember that the fans cheered whenever King Hill or Jack Concannon came in for Snead.
Next step -- Use the bye week to say bye-bye to defensive uncoordinator Sean McDoormat and special teams coach Bobby April Fool.— rhawnhurster - Kolb is on offensive he doesn't need to defend the K.Britt. But I defense left the game after the fumble. And going 3 and out back to back drives would put the QB stats down.
K. Kolb 26/48 passes Attempts 231 yards 4.8AVG 1TD 2INT 56.9%Rating— gauwow - Someone tell me, what is the Eagles Red Zone TD% with Kolb versus Vick?— sbdons1982
Kolb went from Player of the Week to the bench. He had great field position all day, overthrew wide open receivers often, under threw every deep ball, did nothing in the red zone, owes Riley Cooper BIG TIME on another awful pass, still lead receivers into hits, threw the ball up for INT rather than take sack so he gave ball back to Tenny after fumble [rookie mistake], three yard passes on 3rd and 8, and that last pick six was a perfect example of why others call him baby arm. What a duck that was. Awful performance and the rest of the team quit too. Making Collins look like an all-pro again was pathetic.— tpizza- have a seat Kyle Kobb— george22
- Biggest play...eagles had the on the one foot line and Hobbs had the pass inter. call against..if the D could have pinned them there they were still in control....every catch had Hobbs in coverage or simply letting britt run deep at our rookie safety WITH NO UNDERNEITH HELP!!!!— Landros
- Horrible defense....no big plays to stem the flow.Crappy sports weekend.Thank God for drinking...— red rock
Comment removed.- Cliff lee— ThinkTwice
- Hey hey, ho ho, ANDY REID HAS GOT TO GO!!!!!— ElvisX
- Can anyone explain why we have to watch #31 week after week after week turn to toast? Hobbs can't play, and it's evident to even the most casual observer. Every year, the Eagles fail to replace a veteran they let walk (Trotter, Dawkins, and now, Sheldon Brown). Hobbs is pathetic, and after every big pass play week in and week out, the camera follows #31 as he trails 3-5 yards behind the receiver streaking downfield with an easy grab. Enough already. HEY, ANDY, HOBBS CAN'T PLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!1— farside37
- Fire McIdiot— n62
