Man Up: Eagles' D reaches new low
It's one thing to get picked apart by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, as the Eagles did in Week 12.
Man Up: Eagles' D reaches new low
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
It's one thing to get picked apart by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, as the Eagles did in Week 12.
But it's another thing to make Tarvaris Jackson (who was playing without wide receiver Sidney Rice) look like a Pro Bowler.
Jackson's final numbers: 13-for-16 for 190 yards and a touchdown. His 137.0 QB rating was the second-highest of his career; and Jackson's 11.88 YPA was a career-best. As I mentioned yesterday, Vince Young threw more interceptions (4) than Jackson threw incompletions (3).
Of course, the Eagles' problems started with their run defense. Marshawn Lynch rumbled his way to 148 yards on 22 carries, averaging 6.7 yards per carry.
Remember those 13 missed tackles earlier in the season against the Bills? That was nothing. I counted 21 misses against the Seahawks. Jamar Chaney led the way with four. Jason Babin, Cullen Jenkins, Trent Cole, Asante Samuel and Kurt Coleman each had two apiece.
And keep in mind, the Seahawks only ran 51 offensive plays.
Having said that, here's the player-by-player breakdown after having re-watched the game:
Jason Babin - "You know what he needs to do? He needs to get his head on a swivel and locate him himself. That’s his job." That's what NFL Network's Mike Mayock had to say after play-by-play guy Brad Nessler suggested Babin was likely asking for help to keep the tight end away from blocking him. Babin was exposed time after time against the run. He got taken out by the tight end on Lynch’s 40-yard touchdown run; again on Lynch’s 11-yard run in the third; and a third time on a 9-yard Lynch run in the fourth. As a pass rusher, the Seahawks tried to block him with a tight end in the first, and Babin beat him to sack Jackson. He picked up a second sack in the third as Jackson foolishly tried to run instead of throwing the ball away. Early on, Babin had a chance to sack Jackson, but missed him.
Cullen Jenkins - He had been playing well, but was quiet in this one. You won't find Jenkins' name in the box score: no sacks, no tackles, no QB hits. He pressured Jackson once, forcing him to scramble for 5 yards in the first. He also had a chance to sack Jackson another time, but couldn't finish the tackle, as Cole cleaned up.
Mike Patterson - He was OK. Patterson's pressure led to Cole’s sack in the first. And he stopped Lynch after a 3-yard gain in the fourth. Didn't notice him much otherwise.
Trent Cole - Aside from a couple plays, really not much of a factor. Cole's sack in the first came after the other three defensive linemen missed Jackson. He seemed surprised when he spun around and saw Lynch still on his feet on the 15-yard touchdown run. And Cole was accused of cheap-shotting Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung with under two minutes left.
Juqua Parker - He was called for an offsides penalty in the first, but later made a couple good plays. Parker wasn’t fooled by play-action and chased Jackson, forcing him to throw the ball away. And he blew up a run that was stopped after a 2-yard gain in the fourth.
Trevor Laws - His pressure up the middle led to Babin’s sack in the first. Didn't notice him other than that.
Derek Landri - One of the few (maybe the only?) defensive players who played well. Landri blew up a run play that was stopped for a 4-yard loss. He tackled Lynch after a 4-yard gain in the second. And he dropped Lynch for a 3-yard loss in the second. Very good overall against the run.
Darryl Tapp - Not a good game by Tapp. He got blocked on Lynch’s 9-yard run in the first. And later, he had a chance to bring Lynch down behind the line of scrimmage, but missed the tackle on what turned into a 16-yard gain.
Jamar Chaney - He had all kinds of trouble, specifically in the first half. In coverage, it looked like he had a lot to do with Michael Robinson being wide open for the 19-yard catch and run in the first. Chaney and Coleman left a huge hole in the middle of the field on Jackson’s 26-yard completion to Ben Obomanu. He missed a tackle on the 8-yard screen to Golden Tate in the second. And Chaney joined Nate Allen and Keenan Clayton in missing tackles on Tate during his 25-yard catch and run in the second. Against the run, it looked like he overran the play on Lynch’s 9-yard run in the first. He took on a fullback and then got to Lynch on the 15-yard touchdown run. That was the good news. The bad news was he failed to bring him down, and Lynch scampered into the end zone. Chaney missed a tackle on Lynch’s 16-yard run. And he was called for holding on 3rd-and-3 in the fourth, costing the Eagles a chance to get off the field. As the game went on, Chaney got better. He stuffed Justin Forsett for a loss of 1 in the second. He and Coleman stopped Lynch after a 3-yard gain in the fourth. And he dropped Lynch for a 1-yard loss on 3rd-and-1 in the fourth. Too little, too late.
Brian Rolle - Can someone explain to me why he comes off the field in short yardage and goal line situations? Rolle may very well be the Eagles' best linebacker against the run. I don't get it. Anyway, he got in the backfield, but missed the tackle on Lynch’s 5-yard run early. Rolle later got taken out by Robinson (the fullback) on Lynch’s 9-yard run. He dropped Lynch for a loss of 2 in the second. OK performance overall.
Akeem Jordan - The funny part about the Eagles' struggles against the run was that they actually were gearing up to stop Lynch. Jordan was on the field for 41 of the 51 defensive snaps, as the Eagles frequently used their base defense. The linebackers and safeties played up quite a bit, but it didn't matter. Jordan couldn’t shed the tight end’s block on Lynch’s 40-yard touchdown run. He was slow to pick up Robinson out of the backfield on 11-yard completion in the second. Jordan looked like he was going half-speed after taking on an initial block on Lynch’s 9-yard run in the third. He was blocked completely out of the play on Lynch’s 11-yard run in the third and overran the play on a 9-yard Lynch run in the fourth. A couple good moments: He and Rolle dropped Lynch after a 3-yard gain in the first. And Jordan dropped Leon Washington after a 3-yard gain in the first. Not a good game overall though.
Keenan Clayton - He played about 11 snaps. Clayton missed a tackle on Tate, allowing him to pick up 16 extra yards on a third-down catch in the second.
Casey Matthews - He came in for short yardage in the third.
Asante Samuel - Did not get targeted much, but when a running back gets into the open field on his side of the field, it’s pretty much over. Lynch vs. Samuel is as big of a mismatch as you'll see. On one play in the third, Samuel took a stiff-arm from Lynch and basically ran downfield out of bounds as the Seahawks running back picked up 11 yards. When things are going well for the defense and the team, you can live with those things. But not when they're 4-8.
Nnamdi Asomugha - Do me a favor and watch Asomugha during the Lynch 15-yard touchdown run. He loafs towards the middle of the field and is in terrible position to make a tackle. When he realizes Lynch is still running, Asomugha makes a half-hearted effort, diving at his feet. Not good. The cameras caught Andy Reid talking to him as he came off the field, possibly about just that, although it's tough to know for sure. He played the first 26 snaps before leaving the game with a stinger/concussion in the second quarter on a play where Jackson threw it up for grabs, and Mike Williams dragged Asomugha to the ground to prevent an interception.
Joselio Hanson - He played right cornerback once Asomugha left the game. Hanson actually had pretty good coverage on Tate in the end zone, but Tate made a great play to go get the ball and keep his feet in bounds.
Brandon Hughes - He came in and played RCB when the Eagles were in nickel after Asomugha went out, but again, they were mostly in their base defense.
Curtis Marsh - He was on the field instead of Hughes on Tate’s third-quarter touchdown but was not targeted.
Nate Allen - The Eagles have spent second-round picks on safeties in each of the past two seasons, yet we really don't know if either guy can play. Allen was playing way off Tate on a third-down play when the Eagles blitzed seven. After giving up the catch, he missed the tackle, as a 3-yard completion turned into a 25-yard gain.
Kurt Coleman - Just an ugly game for Coleman. He and Chaney left a huge hole in the middle of the field on Jackson’s 26-yard completion to Obomanu in the first on 3rd-and-5. He missed a tackle on Lynch’s 16-yard run. He trailed Doug Baldwin on a 21-yard completion on 3rd-and-7. And he trailed Zach Miller on a 28-yard completion late in the second quarter. Coleman also missed a tackle on Lynch’s 9-yard run in the third. He blitzed twice, getting in Jackson's face on both occasions. On one of the plays, Jackson completed a 25-yard pass anyway, and he threw incomplete on the other one.
Jaiquawn Jarrett - He played one snap and did not make the most of it. Jarrett took a terrible angle on the 40-yard touchdown run by Lynch, running into Samuel in the process.
You can follow me on Twitter or become a fan of Moving the Chains on Facebook.
Wow...the Eagles' defense stinks. 21 missed tackles Sheil? Is that even possible??? "I've got to do a better job of coaching and putting my players in the best position to succeed" Just quit already!— CandyReidh8ter- For the first time this season I think you're way too generous with your assessments there, Shel. Pete Carroll ran a more complicated offense than this when he coached USC. It should have been child's play to shut this offense down. When you get gashed on the ground by an average RB like Lynch when there's essentially no pass threat, there's nothing good you can say about any of the front 7 or the secondary in run support.
I do find it interesting that Landri had yet another good game. This is a guy the Eagles coaching staff felt so good about that they cut him before the season started.
AR needs to stop wishcasting on these players and see things for how they really are.
— dlivesay - none of these guys would even be considered for special teams for any franchise with a GM that knew anything about football.— coloradoeagle
- They stink and they are lazy to boot. Nmber 24 embarassed the city and himself. Send him packing and his stupid reputation. Maybe him and Junderful can go together.— alwaysphil1
- 21 missed tackles tells you that they WERE in position to make plays, but failed to do so. Tackling is the most fundamental part of playing defense. I don't really mind that the corners aren't good tacklers. At safety and linebacker, however, you have no business being on the field if you're a poor tackler. If these guys can't tackle, I suggest they go play pickup basketball or golf.— p-diddy
- If the defensive game plans this season were workable, then the whole defense needs to be replaced. I have my doubts about the game plans, but I think Sheil's breakdown is simple documentation. I cannot name one defensive player around whom to build a strong unit. If you twisted my arm, Cullen Jenkins is not a bad tackle, and Derek Landri would be a good sub. After that, I say start over - but don't let the Andy 'n' Howie show anywhere near the draft. They created this mess!— gnarlyscuzz
- Possibly the worst defense in the history of this team.... Babin is only concerned about sacks, I love Cole but come November, he disappear, no safeties, no backers although I think Rolle is a keeper as a roster guy.. oh and Earl Thomas looks great.— albertpa
- I love Trent Cole but he seems to be having a pretty sub-par second-half of the year gain. Not sure if he's getting too many snaps early in the year or what...— jabostick
They are not being used correctly. The wide 9 technique will not work with the LBs we have. That should have been figured out when we were 1-4 and corrected. Eagles ended up shuffling the LBs and Safeties who obviously are not equipped for that technique. If they were going to that scheme up front they should have drafted players more suitable to play it. It's not the players fault it's the coaches fault. Juan did a poor job of coordinating it and Reid did a poor job selecting the DC. Those guys gave up weeks ago. I don't care what they say to the press, their play on the field tells it all and it told after 5 games. They are just going through the motions. Landri is the only guys still playing hard and that's probably because he knows he's auditioning for a job next season. I think Jenkins has given up because everyone else is slacking so he figures why go all out when his teammates aren't getting it done.- It's only going to get worse with Soupy Sales as Defensive Coordinator and Howie "The Accountant" supplying him with worthless (Cheap) Players. Howie has personally downgraded the Eagles roster to Special Team level talent, in an effort to appease his boss Joe Banner. His selections can't tackle, block, or catch but they were all Captains of their college team (yea, baby). Howie's mantra the last two drafts has been "Quantity over Quality". So while the Cowboys pick up a stud like Sean Lee (Via trade from Howie), we get the Short Bus Brother (Casey) of a great player (Clay Matthews). Unless they get rid of these two idiots (Castillo and Roseman) and the main culprit, Moby Reid, Eagle fans will have more days like their having today. This team, as constructed now, is officially embarrassing!— younged
- Soupy Sales. I love it.
You are correct. As long as continue to allow the Accountants to run the draft we can anticipate more nights like last night.— coloradoeagle - Love me some eagles.
-not bob levy— remyy - Just find out who can play and get rid of the rest...Even if Reid survives they have to get a personnel man or risk wasting more picks on 260lb defensive ends and 2nd or 3rd round safeties that fell out of the first round for a reason.— iskabobpatel
- It's November/December, so you have to ask yourself why they haven't already sent Cole home to rest up for next year.
5 special teamers starting on defense. Years of drafting undersized, non-hitting, but "quick' defenders has finally caught up with them.— banned - Seriously, they got 4 legit NFL starters on D: Cole, Jenkins, Nnamdi, and Asante. No LB or S on this roster should be starting right now in the NFL. Babin is a 3rd down sack mercenary, nothin more. Patterson, Laws, Landri, Coleman, Allen, all 3 LBs = deep backups, special teamers, or bouncers at chickie's.— PhillyRocco
- One of the other writers talked about how the Eagles run defense had "improved" in the six games before last night, without mentioning that the Giants and Redskins are the two worst running teams in the league stats, and none of the other teams is higher than 13th.— banned
- Marshawn Lynch runs like an angry rhinoceros. THATS what is missing is Philly under every Andy Reid team in the last 13 seasons. Lynch carried Tavaris, a suspect Seahawks defensive unit and a twerp of a head coach to a crushing win over the Eagles. Seahawks kept it simple and wanted the game. Why wasn't VY replaced after his many errant passes--even Ronnie Brown, Dion and Shady running a wishbone would have been better. REID MUST GO.— Smashmouth
- It's clearly time to clean house. Start with the front office people responsible for the DRAFT, and rebuild with young talent from the high draft choices in 2012. Then get football savvy coordinators and coaches who can handle game calling, strategy, and player development. Then draft well for a change, starting with linebackers and safeties. Then time to think about a new QB. I guess the front office's money people are good at what they do, so they can stay and manage the cap, as long as they get smart talent evaluators picking the personnel.— doc35
- Nnamdi 2nd best "cover" CB in nil but lets put him in a zone scheme.... IDIOTS!— fman727
- We got sold a bill of goods on Nnamdi-he gets beat, looks uncoordinated/unathletic, and he's just like Asante-for his size he should be a much more physical player. Lito was better in his prime.— HarryCaul
- The Seahawks simply lined up with 2 tight ends, eagles had 8 in box, Hawks just bloked straight ahead, and had no problems, just pushed our D ends to outside, and then they blocked on linebackers and secondary. It was painful to watch how Hawks could so easily attack as a blocking unit the eagles front 8. The birds D scheme was so wrong, and they could not change to break the Hawks momentum, very sad, poor Juan has no chance of coming back next year, even if Andy is here. The only thing he can hope for is birds have pity on him and let him work quality control, or stats for 50K a year. No team would hire him now.— camasbud
- I think the real problem was the noise in the stadium. Could we arrange to have less people there next time? Cupcakes don't like the loud noise.— truthfirst
- This defense could not stop or tackle a corpse. They are beyond a disaster. Eagles fans...times yours....until next season.— kelprod2
- What this team needs is a couple small linebackers with big motors. Maybe Troy Polamalu has a little brother. Don't think Andy hasn't checked. Leave no stone unturned.....— hallux
- i feel like this kid every week:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Video-Tom-Brady-makes-a-young-Philadelphia-Eagl?urn=nfl-wp13039
— jakeAZ - Was wondering if we were on our way to being like this Browns fan calling Cleveland's stadium a "Factory of sadness" We have arrived!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRBDMMVctu8— OverFiftyYears - Banner must have found his safeties on Angie's List and Angie knows that her NFL listings translate to NOT FOR LONG.— NewMick314
- EVERY single member of this team is overrated. Everybody. Period. This team is Bobby Abreu: meaningless stats in meaningless moments during meaningless games. "Time's yours."— rubicon24
- Sheldon Brown,Lito sheppard, Brian Dawkins, whare have you gone joe Dimaggio? This bunch of high priced prima donnas are a disgrace to the tradition of tough, hard nosed Philly defenses. Jim Johnson is rolling in his grave right now looking at this pathetic bunch. We got rid of Babin because he stinks against the run. We already have a fast cover guy who can't tackle, why bring in Namdi. Pass by Thomas and draft that injury ridden what, def lineman or linebacker, nobody knows. Front office is obviously to blame, plain and simple.— Trot
- The Eagles are going to be throwing fastballs at you the whole game. Quick, undersized defensive players are the way to go in this league.
The only high motor guy on this team is Andy Reid. Have you ever seen him power through a cheesesteak. It's a thing of beauty.— Drew777 - LOL! We're not very good...— Grazman
- There is no such thing as a "new low". Poor coaching, poor play from poor players. They stink! Most of which wouldn't be on another NFL team ie: Allen, Coleman, all our LB's. Hey VY, see in the CFL!— NC Eagle Fan
- Sheil, why didn't we committ to stopping the run and force Jackson to beat us with his noodle arm? ijs— NC Eagle Fan
Follow
Sheil on Twitter. And become
a fan of Moving the Chains on Facebook.
Download our NEW iPhone/Android app for even more Birds
coverage, including app-exclusive videos and analysis. Download it here.
