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.
Silver lining: The more they lose, the sooner we can get rid of the dog killing turnover machine and the coaching staff that wants to make babies with him.— atb124- Coach Constipation: Enema Time (Reid/Marty/juan) FLUSH HARD. Team stinks and should be 0-6. Are you listening Lurie. People should ask for refunds. You are robbing people of their money.
- Pitchers and Catchers report in 120 days. — argonne
- Maybe we all just sit back and relax. The Andy Reid era is OVER. There is no conceivable way Lurie can keep this guy and his lame excuses, stubborn play calling and game day ineptitude. He will keep calling for Vick to pass which will get Vick killed, ignore Shady's running ability and in the end, he will thankfully drive off into the sunset. It's hard, but it is time for all of us to take one for the team and let the Birds lose. The reward of a new coach and fresh start will be worth it.— nasjo
- I'm sorry Vick, I love you, but when you're bad you're horrible. That, coupled with a nonexistent pass-rush are killing us. Put the ball back in McCoy's hands, and give Foles a shot, couldn't be worse than Vick.— gogreen36
- Great comment. I guess Vick blew the game. Let me give you a round of applause or your genius comment. Very insightful. Dude, you are an idiot. How did Vick play horribly? The man had us up by 10 with 5 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. It's amazing you are pretty much saying Vick blew the game, but you fail to mention how celeb dropped a critical td and how the defense blew the lead, but you know what? Lets blame this loss on Vick — Lpboys
- @Lpboys, did you mention that the defense kept the Lions from scoring on all three turnovers? Plenty of blame to go around but most should be on Vick and Reid. — JPCase
- 3rd straight game no sacks. Vick 5 games with multiple turnovers. Calvin Johnson clutch when needed Asomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie not. Vick lack of care of the football and now the skills have eroded him so now it's time for a change. Time to look at McNabb to give us a chance this season with 2 weeks he can be ready after the bye.
— lonewolf 10
McNabb are you kidding,he so fat he can barely get to the teleprompter
on the NFL Channel? Time for Foles, and see if he is the future of
the franchise, and then fire Reid at season's end hire Gruden and
start a new regime!
— mikey48 - "The Falcons 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". The Falcons? That explains why the Eagles lost.— SedatedManiac
- Andy... he gone!!
Eagles lost the line of scrimmage on BOTH sides of the ball today— Mr. Magee - I believe this really is a coaching issue. Just not good enough on offensive line and an unwillingness on the part of the coaches to adjust to that reality. Shameful what happened in overtime. Shameful.— iskabobpatel
- It's a coaching issue??? Wow, thanks for the news flash. — jman
- It's been a several years since the Eagles looked like a well-coached team. They're a team that puts up good stats, but are consistently inconsistent. Once again, the team seems like it lacks leadership. No one ever seems to step up and make a big play when it's needed. With this team you expect the other team to make the big play.— p-diddy
- Overrated!!— Mr. Magee
- I am sick and tired of hearing how talented this team is. Good teams don't let their Q.B. get hit every play. They get a lousy first down, when they need it, to take control of the clock. And their defense steps up to close out a game.— Ken B
