Eagles stay on the tightrope
Eagles 24, Ravens 23
Eagles stay on the tightrope
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
The Eagles spent the first half against the Baltimore Ravens killing themselves. Michael Vick threw another across-his-body interception in the end zone. LeSean McCoy fumbled for the second time in two weeks. Vick and rookie Bryce Brown never connected on a handoff. One, two, three shots in the foot.
In the second half, the game was killing them. Center Jason Kelce, a crucial piece of their puzzle, left with a sprained knee that looked painful and required a trip on a cart to the locker room. Then, later in the third quarter, the Eagles lost left tackle King Dunlap (hamstring) and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (hip pointer) on consecutive plays. Maclin eventually came back, but the impediments were still piled pretty high.
Oh, and the Ravens are a championship-caliber team.
It added up to a tall order for the Eagles. But in the end, for the second consecutive week, they found a way. Trailing by 23-17 in the fourth quarter -- the Ravens’ Justin Tucker made field goals of 56, 51 and 48 yards along the way -- the Eagles got the ball back with 4:43 remaining. After that, this is what happened:
Vick hit DeSean Jackson for 14 yards. He his Brent Celek, who had a monster game, for 24 yards. Vick scrambled for 8 yards. On a third-and-2, Vick hit Celek again for 13 yards. Then he hit Clay Harbor for 19 yards. For the second consecutive week, when it mattered most, despite everything, the quarterback was getting it done. This week, he was masterful.
And then, three plays later -- and after a ridiculous scare caused by bad officiating, when a Vick incompletion under duress was mistakenly ruled a fumble -- Vick scored on a shotgun draw. The Eagles, somehow, had a 24-23 lead. And then, one last time, the defense held.
The Eagles continue to ride the tightrope.
The Eagles are 2-0.
It was the Eagles’ second game of the season, and we continue trying to take their temperature. We see a defense that is much tougher and much more competitive than last season’s. We see an offense with scads of talent and only a scintilla of discipline. Taken together, the Eagles have been a careening car so far this season, forever on two wheels.
The truth is that we really won’t know for a while. The truth also is that the Eagles are playing a style -- communing with danger, always -- that is impossible as a long-term survival strategy. You cannot expect to give the ball away at such a ridiculous rate -- five last week, four this week -- and win games in the NFL. Not a lot of games, anyway, and especially not against good teams. The math is just too hard.
For a long time on Sunday, it appeared as if the Eagles would be defined by their mistakes. In the end, though, Vick made sure that would not be true.
Overall, here is the early-season verdict: if they could clean up some of their untidiness, this Eagles team might just be dangerous.
- The one conclusion you can reach is the Eagle D is incredible. Look at Weedon's #'s and QB rating today vs last week. Look at Flacco's #'s and QB rating last week vs today. Our front 4 didn't dominate but our LBs and DBs are for real!!
- Where are CG25, Mario, Wolf4, amd of course....Phill500 that said Vick is done and the Eagles suck!??!?!! Yeah....wussbags are hiding.....perfect.— philly449
- Two back to back come from behind gutsy wins early in the season only serves to build character. The Ravens were no push over and neither was Cleveland last week.
The play is anything but clean but I'll take it now. Last year both are games the Eagles would have loss. Say what you will about Vick, but I would rather he's in my huddle with 2 minutes left in the game and we need a score to win.
— Dexter - MV7 haters, Vick didn't win by himself, but in the past you blamed the price of stadium hot dogs on him. Ask the Ravens if he's elite.— tony11
- 449, exactly. It's the trend you want to look at but a win is soooo nice! PLaying better, better D, beating a top quality team, running enough...still some things to work on but yep, heading in the right direction. BTW, have you noticed the lack of really deep balls so far this year? And Trent Richardson 109 yards, Weeden played well too. Makes the D look even better for game 1.
BIRDS!!!!!— tpizza - Comeback victories are the mark of a great QB. Vick was clutch when it mattered most.— EmanuelP
- Hope this game was not the Birds Super bowl for the season.— bill the pill
- Texcolorodo, Dan Dierdorf is a known Eagle hater and a complete boob. I am so happy. Most of the Eagles games are not called by him, he is the Wilford Brimly of broadcasters, old and completely out. Touch
- So after the Eagles win we get to hear Dan Dierdorf talk about how the Ravens were still a very good team. Eagles drop a pass on third down-- great stop by Ravens D. Next series Eagles make a great play in the backfield against a bubble screen on third down and Dierdorf says nothing. Very annoying.— notch44
- Every team in the NFL has talent. Every team is capable of winning any game they play. Look at the results from today. Phoenix beat NE. Quit carping about the mistakes and enjoy the results.— jmswain
- Alan Pinkett got in a lot of trouble at Notre Dame for saying the team needed a few crimnals to be successful.
We got at least one now on our team and potentially a few more in the works.
Maybe Pinkett was right.
All alright, Alan !
— candidly - Ugly win is always better than an ugly loss!!!— Mike Boryla
- Gotta wonder why no one is ripping the DC Juan Castillo this year? Isn't he an OC running a D? Wah? You say? He actually has some players this year? He's had some time to implement his scheme? Guys are on the same page? Who'd a thunk it? This D did a great job against Flacco. Give'em props.— Mark1npt
- Rich: "Ride" the tightrope? Yee-ouch, man, that's painful.— andrewfrombrooklyn
- Winning the tight ones, on national TV, with all of the pressure and with ALL the money being beat against you...! Now the work begins; cause nobody's going to fall asleep on this Eagle team - not any more!
— Laughingaloud123
