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.
Reid has dug his own grave. He can't change Castillio now and all of the homies on the Eagles have their childhood hero's back. Reid would face a homies revolt if he did the right thing and benched Vick. Sad.— Taser- Bench Vick and take the play calling away from Marty NOW!!!!!!!!!!!
Tired of watching this team— connorjr - Bench Vick and put an unproven Foles in. You are an idiot. If I am not mistaken, Vick put us in a position to win every game except the Arizona game. Not only should we fire the coaching staff, we should fire some of you idiotic fans for all the dumb comments you all make. Go join the Cowboys you fair weather fan. I swear the eagles have the worst fans of all the nfl teams — Lpboys
- Lets be serious here. Between the two teams, McCoy would be the only real advantage and the eagles failed to fully use him. At virtually every postion the lions are better.— joemani28
- Been a Birds fan for 40 years and I'm officially tired of Andy. He may be a good guy and he might be a good assistant coach, but in my opinion he is not a good head coach. His team is sloppy,undisciplined and uninspired. I'm sure tomorrow I'll hear Andy say "that's my fault and I've got to do better", but the results will always be the same.
Marty, I wouldn't let you run my fantasy team let alone an NFL offense. How you are still coaching is beyond me.
Juan, I still think you are in over your head.
Vick, I didn't like you in Atlanta, I liked you less after being convicted of dog fighting and I dislike you even more as the Eagles QB. I never rooted so hard for a player to sprain something....anything, to get them off the field. Despite the hits you take, you unfortunately keep coming back :(
Somehow I'm sure it'll get turned around and they'll win some games but not enough to make the playoffs, but just enough to miss out on a high draft pick.— scott2020 - Scott, your comment was sickening. You really wish for your team's qb to get hurt. That's a shame. You don't need to be an eagles fan. Go be a giant or cowboys fan. Hopefully, you will sprain ur ankle or break your leg. — Lpboys
- The key play in this sloppy game was when Brandon Hughes allowed the tight end to get behind him on the 57 yard pass play with the 10 point lead. It was Michael Lewis all over again, a back, not recognizing the score and the clock and allowing a receiver to get behind him. did the same thing on the ensuing td. I know there were many deficiencies, but that play let Detroit back in the game.— retzlaff
- This comment has been deleted. — Greatguy
- I don't understand why Vick has to be called ConVick. If you don't like his play, then fine. But to keep incessantly harping on his past, which he paid for, is ridiculous. He killed dogs--which is bad, but he did not rape little kids. . .let it rest! I'm sick of Americans being more upset about dogs then starving Africans, Asians, and Latin Americans all over the world. Get off of your self-righteous high horse and remember that this is about FOOTBALL and not character assasination. — asonepraise
- This comment has been deleted. — Greatguy
- Well he was punished for the crimes he has committed and is rehabilitated, which what the judicial was intended for...and is now gone from a law breaker to a person that exemplifies what the system is supposed to do.
BTW I call for the expulsion of ignorant bigots to their own island so the rest of society can move on from such nonsense.
By the way, if you're so passionately against about Vick's past crimes, how do you feel about Nike Inc.'s use of slave labor in the manufacturing of their apparel - including children? What about Wisconsin University's torturing of hundreds of cats thru barbaric experimentation? By your standards, shouldn't we just execute the CEO of Nike Inc. & the President of Wisconsin U?
I mean the way you're blasting Michael Vick for past crimes, you must really hate these institutions, right Greatguy?
- ...by the way, Nike Inc. has been using the practice of enslaving men, women and children to inhumane working conditions since 1972; and their CEO is Phil Knight - a multi-billionaire.
Now that you know this #Greatguy, will you do your darndest to call for Phil Knight's execution? Or will you continue to enable this unthinkable atrocity while continuing on your self-righteous rants against Michael Vick and low income families? - Hmmm, no reply #GreatGuy? Dag! Was really hoping for some answer since you seem to know it all...
Anywho #GreatGuy, what should we do about the overwhelming number of ex-military personnel & war vets who are homeless, with no hope of a normal life again? I mean, with your passion for justice, you must be seething at those responsible for this social injustice, right? ...Or, should we not "enable" these bums? Should we just tell them, "Get a job!"
Gotta go for now, but I'll be sure to check back in later for your solution to these problems, #GreatGuy - actually looking forward to your response. - Reality Speaks, sounds like you're the one with the agenda pal. Save your screeds. You criticize others and offer no solutions, sounds like your the self-righteous one. — Repubrebirth
- Over the past few years, even after miserable losses, I always had hope. Today was it for me. I no longer have hope.
The pathetic Lions tried to give us the game. Sixteen penalties?
Vick is way too erratic. Line can't block. Defense can't sack the QB, doesn't force turnovers and has no big hitters. Secondary in particular is a sieve. Special teams' coverage is brutal. Kick and punt returners look like midgets running in quicksand. OVERSEEING ALL THIS ARE THE FAT F**K AND HIS TWO STOOGE COORDINATORS. They will never change, they will never learn, they will never fix things. They're incapable. Come on, Mr. Lurie. Enough is enough!
Governor Rendell is right. These Eagles s**k.— dasher
