Eagles crumble in Dallas
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Eagles crumble in Dallas
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
After the Eagles got shut out by the Cowboys in Week 17, it seemed impossible for things to get worse in the playoff rematch.
But they did.
The Birds got outplayed in every facet for the second straight week, falling to the Cowboys, 34-14, in Dallas.
Disaster struck in the second quarter when the Cowboys outscored the Eagles, 27-7. The Birds' offense had the ball for just 7:07 in the first half as Donovan McNabb did not complete a pass until the second quarter.
Tony Romo torched the Eagles' defense for 203 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the first half.
Offensively, the Eagles were sloppy. Pass protection took a huge step back from last week. Other than a Michael Vick 76-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin, there was nothing positive.
Vick fumbled a handoff to Leonard Weaver, and Weaver later fumbled on his own after making a catch as the Birds turned it over four times overall.
The Eagles were also penalized nine times for 116 yards.
Some other notes:
** DeSean Jackson Tweeted and U-Streamed. But he did not make any plays. Jackson's first catch came with 11 minutes to go in the third quarter. He finished with three grabs for 14 yards.
** The Eagles' secondary struggled throughout. Sheldon Brown was whistled for a 40-yard pass interference penalty to set up the Cowboys' first touchdown. Asante Samuel was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and Joselio Hanson got beat multiple times.
** Vick completed a pass before McNabb. The Eagles faked a Vick run, and Maclin did a good job of selling it before going into his route on the 76-yard score.
** The Eagles ran only 18 offensive plays in the first half.
** Chris Gocong saw some playing time after being benched the last two weeks. He had a sack and a nice play on special teams in the first half.
** I'll count the snaps later, but it was almost exclusively Jeremiah Trotter in the middle for the base defense.
** Jason Peters did a good job on DeMarcus Ware the first two games. Not so tonight. He was beat by Ware time and again, and was also called for a pair of false start penalties.
Oh, GOD! I love it, love it, love it! TAKE THAT, IGGLES!!! YOU LOSE! YOU SUCK! Not only did the Dallas Cowboys completely MAN-HANDLE you last week but again this week, too! TWO WEEKS IN A ROW your little pitiful Iggles got sent back to Philthy hanging your heads and crying! PAYBACK, baby! PAY-BACK! Nah-nah-nah, hey-hey-hey, GOOD BYE!!!!!!!! GO COWBOYS!!!!— stanwe11
Comment removed.- Yep. It's time to move on from McNabb. But, he will be back. However, no QB could have played well tonight.
- you people are idoits. McNabb didn't have time to pass. The o-line was like a turnstyle on the EL at 8th street. And when he did have time to pass (max protect) they ran two man routes that were double covered. No run game, stupid penalties, turnovers=LOSS. Okay, so here's the blueprint: Run the ball, playaction pass, pressure the quarterback, stop the run and get turnovers. Real simple. Problem is, the coaches and GM won't put the necessary players around to do this. Until the philosophy changes, McNabb will look like Elway in Denver until he got T.D. and Mike Shanahan did this. Won two Lombardi's afterwards.— kappdoe1476
- Way to go Andy and Marty. Did DeSean even run one crossing route or did he just run down field all day while McNabb tried to dodge blitzers? Also, could McNabb hold the ball any longer. It's called going through the progressions. Reid, Mornhingweg and McNabb in that order are to blame for this one.— hugh
- NOT showing up for a second straight week. Amazing though how a guy can spin and toss McNabb to the turf 10seconds after a whistle and it is not a penalty. This team embarrassed not only themselves but the entire region. Heads should roll, but Jeffy has no balls, so it will be more of the same next year. How do NOT show up against the hated Cowgirls AGAIN ... even when they were 3-11 decades ago they PLAYED against them. SAD— AsValidAsYours
- Great Game! Great Season just keeps on rolling! 3-0 season B.E.A.T.D.O.W.N..... Eagles, you are dismissed!!!!— EagleBEATDOWN
- Vick for mayor of Philly!!!— Tipical Eagles fan
- Comment removed.
- Please get rid of McNabb he sucks in the big games. He is not a leader or winner. What a horrible embarrassing performance on national TV. He is done in Philly. Please start the Kolb era in 2010. We can't take this anymore— PhillyNH
- Coaching play calling a 3 year ext. for I hope they trade McNabb to SF OR The skins He'll make them a winner— boppa2
- What an absolute joke of a coach and a team! Absolutely humiliating! Hey Lurie, how about some kudos for your coach and quarterback now??— flyers1313
- Stick a fork in 'em. Hopefully this version of the Eagles is history..... The D scared no-one and the Offense missed the plane to Big D. Time for a new 5-year plan Andy.... Hopefully, they'll fire the Special Teams coach, Cleveland will take Marty off our hands, some woeful AFC team will take D-Mac for some needed draft choices, B-West will retire while he has any grey matter left and someone will kick Joe Banner in the nads the next time he opines that this is the best Eagles team ever.— DE_sweeper
- WE ARE THE GOLD STANDARD. LURIE BEST ROSTER IN FOOTBALL. BANNER WE HAVE TO DO BETTER. REID— Sean Thornton
- How bout them Cowboys! The rest y'all ought to come out with me!— Tipical Eagles fan
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