Red zone woes kill Eagles
The Eagles made a late push in San Diego, but fell to the Chargers, 31-23, this afternoon.
Red zone woes kill Eagles
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
The Eagles made a late push in San Diego, but fell to the Chargers, 31-23, this afternoon.
If you have to point to the one thing that cost them a win, it's struggles in the red zone.
At halftime, the Eagles had outgained the Chargers, 188-149.
The makeshift offensive line had allowed zero sacks, and they did not commit a turnver.
Yet the Birds trailed, 14-6.
It started in the second quarter, with the Eagles facing a 1st-and-goal from the Chargers' 1-yard line.
A Leonard Weaver run up the middle. Stuffed.
A Donovan McNabb pass intended for Brent Celek in the corner of the end zone. Incomplete.
And in a puzzling call, Eldra Buckley charged up the middle for no gain.
Not Weaver again. Not Brian Westbrook. Not LeSean McCoy. But Buckley.
Andy Reid chose to settle for an 18-yard field goal, which put the Eagles on the board.
Later in the quarter, the Eagles faced a 1st-and-goal from the 9. This time, McNabb couldn't connect with DeSean Jackson on first down. Westbrook ran out of bounds for no gain on second. And McNabb hit Celek for a gain of two on third down.
Another field goal. And the Eagles went into halftime down 14-6.
In the third quarter, the problems continued. After a couple completions, including a big 58-yarder to Jason Avant, the offense was set up with a first down at the Chargers' 16-yard line, but had to settle for a field goal yet again.
McNabb couldn't connect with Celek on first down, but found Avant for 9 on second. The Birds once again made 3rd-and-1 feel like 3rd-and-21 as McNabb rolled out and threw incomplete in DeSean Jackson's direction.
They staged a comeback in the fourth, scoring a pair of touchdowns, but it was too late.
Three drives inside the 20. Three field goals. And a second straight loss.
At 5-4, the Birds travel to Chicago to take on the Bears on Sunday night next week before returning home to take on the Redskins.
Comment removed.
Penalties shot this team in the foot... it's as frustrating as it gets... they beat themselves on the field, and in their game plan... Obviously AR has no confidence in his team on the 1 foot line.... how bad is that... Changes need to be made... Notice the announcers called some of the Eagles plays prior to their happening... they are so pedictable the wrong way....— M60tanker- FIRE ANDY REID!!! I am sick of his inability to run the ball and his early abandonment of the run game. No wonder we can't get 1 yard when we need to. Our line is conditioned to pass block and not run the ball. Get rid of McNabb while we're at it.— NitnyLion
- We knew the D was going to struggle. We had a lot of players hurt. But this game reminded me of the Arizona game last year. 3 points is great in basketball not in the NFL. Hahahahaha. There will be a lot of excuses as usual. But thats what losers do. Listen the eagles will not win a superbowl with 5 being the quaterback. 11 years and counting. Let me be even more clear Mcnabb will never win a superbowl period. Its not a right to be a champ. Some people are not able to win big. That does not make him a bad person. Some people just dont have it in them. He really doesnot have it in him.— dwaynem
- Even with bad Red Zone O if they would have cut down on the STUPID penalities they could have possible won this game and last weeks. Can blame #5...450 yards. The D looked very bad in the first half to add to all the other issues. SD came at them from all sides and they looked unprepared early in the game. They did good the 2nd half "till" the offsides penalty on 3rd and 5. OUCH— bsmoodha
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- RIP Jim Johnson. This defense is going to make you roll in your grave.— Bobby G
- Andy must have Akers in his fantasy league.— Charlie Cheswick
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- RED ZONE BLUES: Inside the ten yard line, Andy can't call em and Nabby can't execute em. This team needs two new faces in all the right places. When will enuff be enuff?— nasjo
- This entire team is, and has been all season, just a tad above mediocre. No surprise they lost today. They'll need another miracle to make the playoffs. With an almost entirely new offensive line, and so many defensive injuries and key departures it was never clear to me why anyone was picking them to win anything.— s
- I was listening to the San Diego broadcast on Sirius radio today (for some perspective)...even THEIR announcers said that Reid's decisions to kick a '3' from the 1-foot line was idiotic. So everyone knows knoes the truth about Andy but...Banner and Lurie!!!!???? The party's (almost) over Andy...how'd you fool 'em for so long??— ELM
- Maybe, just maybe, this is what happens when a team hires a convicted felon and sadistic sociopath.....karma comes and gets everyone in the end.— padogsrule
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- Does Akers lead the league every year in FGs under 25 yards?— jhjack
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