Eagles collapse into the bye
The Eagles seem incapable of putting anybody away early. Maybe that will change, maybe some day, but as the evidence mounts, it does not seem likely. They are a good offense, but mistake-prone. They are a stingy defense, but make few big plays. The result is agony. Get used to it -- and double up on the prescription for nitroglycerin pills during the bye week.
Eagles collapse into the bye
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
The Eagles seem incapable of putting anybody away early. Maybe that will change, maybe some day, but as the evidence mounts, it does not seem likely. They are a good offense, but mistake-prone. They are a stingy defense, but make few big plays. The result is agony. Get used to it -- and double up on the prescription for nitroglycerin pills during the bye week.
The Eagles are 3-3 after Sunday's 26-23 overtime loss to the Detroit Lions, and about 90 percent of the day was spent sweating blood. They trailed early, pulled ahead, but kept giving back opportunities to put the game away. And in the end, after the Eagles could do nothing with the first possession of overtime, the Lions won it when Jason Hanson kicked a 45-yard field goal after 4 minutes of the extra period.
The boo s were directed at both Eagles coach Andy Reid and quarterback Micahel Vick as they exited the field about a minute apart. It was a badly-played game by both teams, and it was a bad result for the home team, and now the Eagles have to let it lay there for 2 weeks.
The first half left everyone asking two questions as the Eagles and Lions ran off the field: 1) How are the Eagles leading by 7-6 and, 2) How is Vick able to run at this point, no less walk. Fox was reporting the gruesome numbers: 10 hurries, 10 hits, 8 knockdowns. It might have been the worst one-half beating Vick has taken all season, which is saying something.
Lions linebacker Stephen Tullo ch was a particular nemesi s. After one vicious Tulloch hit in the second quarter, a couple of plays before his 2-yard touchdown pass to LeSean McCoy, Vick was att ended to on the sideline by team medical personnel. But he came back out. He always seems to come back out.
The second half witnessed what has become a common phenomenon for this Eagles team: much better offensive line play in the third and fourth quarters than in the first and second. It was an afternoon where the Eagles could never really get their running game going, but in pass protection, things tightened up considerably.
And so, with that stability, the offense was able to get a rhythm going in the third quarter, finally. They moved the ball, and Vick hung in the pocket nicely, and the quarterback hits went way down -- but the Eagles could not score touchdowns.
On two drives, tight end Brent Celek -- who got the heck beat out of him, as he does most weeks -- dropped one catchable touchdown pass and had another touchdown catch nullified because he was ruled to have committed offensive pass interference by shoving off the defender.
The Eagles settled for Alex Henery field goals instead -- of 26 and 32 yards -- and then Henery added a 49 field goal early in the fourth quarter to give the Eagles a 16-6 lead.
The Lions came back and scored their first touchdown of the game, with 10:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, on a 1-yard run by quarterback Matthew Stafford. That made it 16-13, but it was even worse for the Eagles because defensive tackle Fletcher Cox was ejected from the game after d raw ing a personal foul penalty on the extra point.
And then it got really interesting.
On the first play of the next drive, Vick had DeSean Jackson open on a deep post pattern, but he under-threw the pass and it was intercepted by the Lions’ Chris Houston. Suddenly, the Lions had the ball on their 34-yard line with 10:21 to play. But the Eagles held, the Lions punted, and then -- finally -- the Eagles broke it open with 5:18 left to play when they caught the Lions in a big blitz and Vick hit wide receiver Jeremy Maclin with a 70-yard touchdown pass.
Did I say broke it open? What I meant to say was, the Eagles gave themselves a few seconds of breathing room before the Lions marched right back down the field and scored on a 17-yard touchdown pass to Nate Burleson. That cut the Eagles’ lead to 23-20 with 3:32 remaining.
Oh, and then the Eagles went 1-2-3 punt.
You know, just to make it even more interesting.
Again, the Lions marched. A great catch by Calvin Johnson, originally ruled an imcompletion but overturned by replay, got the Lions to the 25-yard line with 1:12 remaining. The Lions ran on the next two plays and got it to the Eagles' 9-yard line. But then safety Colt Anderson, playing in place of the injured Nate Allen (hamstring), was called for pass interference in the end zone.
On first-and-goal from the 1, though, the Lions threw two incompletions and settled for a 19-yard field goal to send the game to overtime.
All of which set up the ending.
Charlie Manuel called Andy Reid...a .500 record is perfectly acceptable in this town. The media and fans will even shout down those who ask why you haven't been fired.— Repubrebirth- A really bad game. Offensive decision-making the worst ever. Times yours.— NewMick314
- the team is good, lots of talent but the coaching is really poor and i mean really poor..... Castillo must go, this guy cant make adjustments and your seeing last year all over again. As far as the offense is concerned, Vick needs to take a seat and the Kid will be able to move the ball with the rest of the guys we have..... Vick cannot read a defense at all. The wide nine works good against us but not good for us..... again poor poor coaching. I thought we lost the game as soon as we couldnt convert our last drive of regulation because that D cant stop anyone right now.— pr0f3ss0r
- Pathetic loss...D line has lost it's n--s.Time for Lurie to begin the new coach search.Reid and Vick are done.— greenbloodVAEagle
- Reid keeps saying he's got to do a better job. When is this going to happen???? What is his plan??? Stick a fork in this porker... He's over done!! Close the oven door and put the setting on clean.— 4friedchickensandacoke
- It amazes me that for some reason, some fans think the Phillies are as bad as The Eagles. The Phillies are a very good team & they have won a recent World Series, & The Eagles have won....nothing. Zilch. I also like baseball better than football, & I'm happy for that. At least my team can win.— Philsfan56
- The Eagles cannot Run Block, cannot Pass Block, cannot play Defense, and Andy Reid has no concept of time management....so the answer according to Lonewolf10 is to change the QB!! Ridiculous. THEY HAD A 10 POINT LEAD WITH 3 MINUTES LEFT IN THE GAME AND LOST!!!! HOW IS THAT VICK'S FAULT???!!!— Minnesota VICKings
14 handoff? That's it? I don't care if McCoy only averaged 1.6 yards per carry. A team has to stick with the run.— mkat33
This team - particularly the coaching staff - need to go soak their heads for the next 2 weeks.
Time's yours..- Still love this dynasty. Dynasty of Doom that is....— bmcw
- Dynasty or DieNasty?
— SedatedManiac - The pity is that- And I say this with great respect for him as a warrior- Vick did not leave the playing field on his shield, to finally join the pantheon of "almost good".
Earlier today Jaws detailed how many seconds Vick holds the ball, compared to rest of the quarterbacks- and once again we saw it, in real time today.
Sadly, we now can only look forward to the Hot Stove League.— clayboy - I'm done, this team is mediocre at best. Talent level is abysmal and hard to watch, if you're winning, ok, but losing and hardto watch, ugggh. Bye Andy. Atlanta comes in and wins!!!— Eaglehaslanded
- Horrible performance top to bottom. The play selection is just unbelievable. Sloppy play and failure to execute is accepted by this staff. Offensively, even good play would have difficulty dealing with the play selection. No excuses for losing at home against a poor Lions team.— warwhit1
- Right guys,, this is all Vick's fault,, he should be able to hold a 10 point lead with 5 minutes to go. Put Foles in.
— phillyroni
