Reid, Vick have hand in defeat
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Reid, Vick have hand in defeat
Bob Ford, Inquirer Sports Columnist
What the Eagles hoped would be an uplifting home opener against a struggling divisional rival turned into a multi-faceted nightmare Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field.
For the second straight week, the Eagles had to finish without quarterback Michael Vick. Against Atlanta, Vick left the game with a concussion, but he recovered quickly enough to start Sunday against the New York Giants. He didn’t finish, however.
The Eagles blew a fourth-quarter lead and lost 29-16 to the Giants, falling to 1-2 on the season.
Vick suffered a broken bone in his right (non-throwing) hand in the third quarter. He apparently sustained the injury on a quarterback sneak attempt. Not only weren’t the Eagles protecting Vick from banging his head into the line, they weren’t protecting him in any way.
Of course, that had been the case from the start of the game. On the first offensive series of the afternoon, the Eagles called a quarterback sneak on 3rd-and-1, sending Vick headfirst into the line.
The Eagles drove well on that first series, but it ended with an interception and the Giants then took early control with touchdowns on their next two possessions. Both scores highlighted deficiencies in the Eagles defense, with Casey Matthews unable to cover running back Brandon Jacobs out of the backfield on the first, and safety Kurt Coleman failing to bring down receiver Victor Cruz on the second.
Linebacking and tackling have been issues for a while for the Eagles and those departments helped put the Eagles in a 14-0 hole. Nate Allen replaced Coleman at free safety after that second score.
But while the first quarter went to the Giants, the Eagles came back in the second quarter to make it a 14-13 game at the half, sandwiching a pair of field goals around a 70-yard drive that was highlighted by an 11-yard LeSean McCoy touchdown run, his fifth TD of the season.
The Eagles took a 16-14 lead in the third period when the series on which Vick was hurt ended with a field goal. After a punt, Vick returned from the locker room where he had received X-rays and went back into the game. Maybe someone misread the X-ray results.
In any case, Vick drove the Eagles into Giants territory, but they stalled and Andy Reid elected to go for a 4th-and-1 at the Giants 43. If they missed on it, the Giants would have good field position in a game that required only a field goal to give them the lead. They missed, with LeSean McCoy losing three yards. It was a terrible decision by the head coach, but the defense didn't bail him out, either.
Eli Manning promptly took advantage of the good field position and took the Giants downfield for a go-ahead touchdown, scored when Cruz outleaped Nnamdi Asomugha and Jarrad Page. The Giants converted the two-point conversion and the Eagles were going to have to come back with Mike Kafka at quarterback.
That didn’t work. His first pass was an interception, the Giants drove for another touchdown and, yes, everything that could go wrong had gone wrong.
There weren’t many silver linings in the cloudy sky. The defense had been awful when really needed, Vick couldn’t stay healthy again, and Reid had gaffed on the only tough decision of the day.
Consolation? The home season has to get better. Can’t get much worse than this one.
Comments (91)
Good. I'm sure that the dogs that the creep killed are loving this....
— FLYERS LOSERS FOR 37 YEARS!- wow....idiot — mcnamarakr
- And you've been a loser for longer than that. — mike l
- Tiny Tommy strikes again....:) He's the first one to post when a Philly teams loses....Provided there's no action in the gay bar.
- Idiot coach--4th and 1 on the 46. Keep on losing coach.....will be time for a change in a four months.— Romus
- Don't forget the moron actually had four tries to score from inside the three and he handed it off to Owen Schmitt TWICE and called for a QB sneak TWICE. thats the same QB that we can't afford to get hit and notice not one play went to McCoy or was called that would have utilized their actual strength, SPEED. FIRE ANDY REID NOW!! — Eagle GREEN Mt State
- This game was a embarrassment. Nnamdi Asomugha gives the Eagles there money back.
- Jeff Lurie. WTF? Are you that freakin' blind? Andy should've been out of here 6 years ago.— jakeAZ
- Disgraceful. Hopefully this is just growing pains because what I've seen so far doesn't bode well for the rest of the season.— hillbillybirdsfan
- there's no bad loss this year so long as it results in reid, howie and the rest of the coaches being fired— 1stamendment
- Andy Reid is a flat out LOSER— shawnmac
- They suck...as usual. All ego.— Phillyfan666
Comment removed.- Andy Reid must go three years ago. He is just flat out terrible. Interestingly I don't see the usual blind defenders and their brilliant argument of "what do you want Rich Kotite back?" — Eagle GREEN Mt State
- it's probably safe to say it's time to rebuild.....starting with a new coaching staff and thru out. how anyone expects to win nfl games with a front offensive line (and the word offensive really does apply)that allows it's qb to get hit on every single play from scrimmage and amazingly the coaches never addressed it during the off season. The defense looked horrible with players that have yet learned how to tackle. This dream team is a nightmare. From coaching staff on down. Let's remember AR for the winning seasons, not the fool that outsmarted himself in 2011. really, king dunlap ???— edseagles
- phillies 8 game losing streak doesn't look as bad. at least there will be playoffs next weekend— jrwute42
- What's next, moving Casey Matthews to the other side? Also, Asomugha got pretty much burnt on that touchdown pass. He even interfered on the play. That Kurt Coleman non-tackle was putrid.— p-diddy
- Dream team with a $100 million quarterback who can't stay on the field. LMAO.
- It's as likely that Vick is going to see $100 million as it is that the Eagles will win the Super Bowl- both fictional smoke and mirrors from the gold standard in ludicrous spin. He'll be lucky to see 40% of that. — jtj06
- Skip Bayless is an Honest Guy. The fact that the majority of Fans listen to the Media or dislike a human for personal reasons baffle me. Its as easy as ABC, Next week, play Vince Young and watch how the eagles start winning. All this Kafka being #2 issh should stop now, weak arm, no experience!. The eagles are not rebuilding, the eagles are trying to win. Vince will start QB drama once he starts winning (as usual). So STOP being Personal and go with Truth and Winning.
www.trackingvinceyoung.com for proof— Reasonabledoubt - Yeah, Young is so good he can't play because he doesn't know the offense. As a reclamation project, at least Vick learned it. Young stinks. — mike l
- Comment removed.
- Take A Breath People, It's Only Game 3!— EZG1
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- I have stood behind Reid for too long. Even when he traded Donovan McNabb. But now I'm getting fed up. Same old thing every season, losing games you shouldn't to opponents that suck. And unable to adjust your gameplan when things are going badly. Unless we reach the Super Bowl this year fire Andy Reid. It is very clear what the problem is. No more McNabb to hide behind now.— youaho11
- Same with me, this mess is all on Reid. In all these years with Reid, no Eagles team looked so confused and helpless as these "dreamteamers". But also Vick looks completely overmatched and overrated and overhyped. — AachenEagle
- Reasons Reid must be fired: 1. Gifting a clearly overmatched Castillo the title of defensive coordinator w/no training. 2. Hiring Howard Mudd to coach an O- line with re-treads, journeymen and a 26-year-old rookie who can't play. 3. Mismanaging the game with stupid 4th and 3 calls in the middle of the field, calling ridiculous pass plays with a back-up QB, while ignoring one of the best RB's in the league, poor time management, and miserable instincts on challenges. 4. Oh, and who could forget? Terrible drafting. REID MUST GO!!! Who will start the website (a la, Ed Wade)?— farside37
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- it's probably safe to say it's time to rebuild....Vick is 31 years old.
— primo - The thing about this loss that stuck out to me the most was how many times the new "stars" failed to make plays when they needed to. There were some instances where there were mistakes and there were some questionable calls. But most of the problems were individual players not making plays and many of them were the highly touted new players that brought in. The defense is the weak point on the team and it just looks like these guys are not winners. Half-hearted efforts by individuals who seemed to be willing to shrug off getting out played. Can anybody in the secondary tackle? This defense is not playing Eagles football and they aren't a group that I'm very enthusiastic about. And let's get real. The linebackers and safeties flat out stink. I do not want to see Matthews the rest of the season. He does not belong in the NFL. What a pathetic effort at a home opener against a division rival who is expected to finish in last place.— MikeP
- Andy Reid handed this game right back to the Giants. Andy is not an elite HC despite his over-long tenure and record with Eagles. Glad to see Eagles running ball better. Still squandering Red Zone opportunities. Meanwhile, Castillo's group can't play as a unit yet. With the chance to make a game changing stand, Castillo SURRENDERS in the RZ time & time again. Plenty to learn form this game. 100% agreement, this needs to be Reid's last season as the HC. This should be Castillo's last game as DC.— Smashmouth
- Wait, so you mean hiring an offensive line coach to run the Defense doesn’t work? Well consider me dumbfounded. O line needs to PROTECT the qb..got hit on every single play. The Eagles beat the Eagles today.— boom dynamite
- Maybe someone ought to make Reid push a blocking sled up and down the field this coming week. Bad, bad coaching. (What else is new?) The Eagles brain trust is now going to reap what they have sowed this past year - A $100 million dollar contract to a less-than-savvy quarterback who gets hurt every game, assigning the defensive coordinator's job to a (mediocre) offensive line coach, and continuing to keep as coach someone who has consistently proven year after year that he is not capable of making the draft-picking or game-day decisions that can give a team a chance to win. Reid's time has come and gone, and hopefully he will move on to another team after this year. PS - Nnamdi had a bad game today, but don't give up on him just yet. He truly is a great player.— philly2sf
- I'd like to know which independent neurologist cleared Vick to play; he looked really dazed out there today. Regardless, the D looked horrible. The team is going nowhere fast.— bigphilphan
The Eagles have turned into a giant insect! Owen Schmidt from the goal line on 3rd down?!?!— Leegles- Positively KAFKA-esque! A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, surrounded by an enigma. Terrible loss and job by all.
'Productivity is being able to do things that you were never able to do before.'
Franz Kafka (the dude's literary bro)
I would say this team is in a quandry, and a pickle. What did the flyover cost anyway? Who can order up that in this day and age of deficits? Unbelievably bad - ungreen - wasteful. The whole day down at that field is a waste.— 24sDad - Death to Vick and the Philly Dog Killers!! Congrats to the Giants who channeled the spirits of the hundreds of dogs killed by that loser, breaking the hand that killed so many innocents. The money ho's in Philly need to cut their losses by cutting this loser who has brought nothing but bad kharma to the city of Philadelphia.— Truth_Teller
- Awful coaching on both sides of the ball. Defense is playing 11 on 6. MIght as well replace the LB's with blockingsleds, at least they would be in the way. Bye, bye Coleman, you just can't play!— banned
- Can't get much worse? Andy Reid is the head coach. It can get much worse. Castillo is the offensive line coach, oh sorry, defensive coordinator. It can get much worse. Casey Matthews is the middle linebacker, oh wait, outside linebacker. It can get much worse. I've been a loyal fan for so many years but I am ready to throw in the towel as long as Andy Reid is head coach.— DennyM15
- Comment removed.
- The heroes of the stupid!— FishtownSkeptic
- DEEEEEEE-FENSE!!!!!!!!!!!
The Giants defense came up big when it counted, stuffing the E-Girls time after time inside the five.
Your "Dream Team" is turning into a NIGHTMARE!!!!!
And before you bring up last year's comeback, if you want to examine history.....just how many SUPERBOWL rings to you guys have? HINT: You have ten fingers too many.— PeterW - Comment removed.
- Gotta love Reid. He makes Coughlin look like a genius.— igglesuk
- This game was a joke, the fat man needs to go....— IvanDejesus
- Year after year, one thing about Andy, you can rely on a bone-headed decision, gimmicks, and poor game-time adjustments. Prayer-based football. Lets see how long vick goes without a season-ending injury— BirdofPray
- Worst coaching staff in the league.— Bleue
- 1st and goal and 4 running plays and can't get in the end zone. Interceptions,penalties and injuries and dumb moves by Andy Reid. It's like watching a rerun over and over and over again. Maybe it is time for a change. The defense is not very good. The dream team secondary has showed me zilch. Vick gets hurt every time he is out there. Andy may need to go it is getting old by the minute here with the same old Eagles. 1960 was a long,long,long time ago.— slade1955
- Can someone please get me John Gruden's phone number?— essell
- Number 10 shoves four down your throat.....nice job going for it on fourth and one.— eli10
- Each play we miss is a TD. Namdi is less than impressive. Casey, enough said. $130M and the only caveat was fragility and now that has come home to roost. Looks like we have to depend on VY for a few weeks at least. It is a shame for all the talent, Maclin, McCoy and Jackson have it will be wasted. 6-10 if we are lucky, 1 -15 if we are LUCK - y.— oldBird
Reid has conned the soft Lurie for the 13th consecutive year. Buffalo turned that franchise around by doing things sound and solid. Andy "Trick Em" Reid is too stubborn to change. He still wears his Packers ring, what an insult to softee Lurie who is still waiting for his.— Kioto- The players played badly, but it is the job of the coach to build and coach the team, get them disciplined and ready to play. Clearly, the Eagles were not disciplined and ready to play this week! Also, the Defense and the Offensive line that Reid built is totally inadequate, so as much as always, this loss is Reid's fault! He needs to stop being so full of himself and realize that by doing the same stupid things over and over again, you are just not going to win games!— Colonel Klink
- Casey Matthews might be ready to play someday...just not now. there isn't anyone better?— mlwmlw
- When will this nightmare end. This organization needs to be blown up from the top on down. Gold standard! BS We overpay for Vick, who though he plays hard, can't stay healthy and lets be honest since the end of last season looks like that average qb from Atlanta. A shoddy o line and a horribly soft and weak defense. Djax is playing nowhere near the money he wants and he is the invisible man at playoff time. And then there is Reid. A man who is one of worst game day coaches in the game. A man who after all these years still can't manage the clock. A man who sees no value in linebackers and size and physicality on defense. It will never change ever!! This coach will never hoist a Lombardi trophy— law abiding citizen
- O.K.....I'm back. Did you think I would stay away on a great day like this. The Phillies get back on track , and the Philadelphia Idol breaks his hand, and stinks up the field. Was it worrth signing this guy, and buying half the free agents for the results so far.The Eagles have sold their soul to the devil, FOR THIS. They will be lucky enough to finish 8-8. Do all of you Vick fans realize that they have now lost their last 5 out of 6 games. Where is all the smack talking today from ALL the vick fans. Signing him to $100,000,000 is a joke. Andy Reid is a joke. This franchise, or "DREAM TEAM, " IS A JOKE.— sackvicknow
- It's very early everyone, with OTA's, minicamps and individual instruction to a completely new team takes time. Give them until week 8 and then judge. This will give them ample amount of time to develop some kind of identity because right now we are lost.— sub21
- No way, they bring their act together with losses like this. Not in 8 weeks, not in 16 weeks. — AachenEagle
- Just checked my crystal ball, It said the Eagles will never win a Super Bowl with Andy Reid as head coach. Vick is horrible the way he plays. Next loss is to the 49ers.— eaglesman1
- Please get me on that sideline and give me a Reid challenge flag. When he goes for it on fourth down in the middle of the field after being unable to punch it in from the 1 inch line I will throw the flag at the coach and the punter can go in.
— NYPHILLYPHAN - The Eagles have LOST 5 out of their last 6 games.....Vick is so over rated ...and Vick is reverting back to his lousy Atlanta quarterback days.— frank105
- we have heard all week how great Mike Kafka is at quarterback.....2 picks and unable to rally the team for the 2nd week in a row....just how many wins does he have against the giants? none! VY is 3-0 against the giants with a 21 comeback victory against them to boot....Reid stop listening to the media hype on kafka....put VY in and let him do what u brought him to do.......he cant do no worst— ronniegee
- Yeah Andy read needs to be fired honesty, he should have played Vy instead of Kafka, and he should have punted on that 4th and 1, ran ronnie brown on the goaline play— Scorcher33
- gay york specializes in throat shoving— 1stamendment
- Weeks ago I said that Andy Reid would have to work extra hard to blow things this season. I see now that he is more than up to the task. Why can't this guy have a team ready on Sunday and then make bad in game decisions.— denny99
- Chill, people... they always have a few games like this early in the season. Reid's teams are always the best in the second half of the season. And yes, then they generally have another shitty effort at some point in the playoffs - but I'd take anyone's bet that says they won't make the playoffs this year.— sweetlew
- Reid's 4th down call was....dumb....dumb....dumb....dumb....dumb!!!!!
The failure to score inside the 2yd line shows why you do not have a defensive coach run the offense.— Edae - Trade For Ryan Clady! HE'll Fix the O-Line.— Ace-Philadelphia
- All in Dream Team!!!!!— Scope33
- Can't wait for next year, we will get them..........Philly sports teams motto........— STEPHEN1988
- The same people criticizing him for running are the same ones always whining he doesn't run enough. A feeding frenzy of weasels. Jump off the wagon now morons.— You are right
- It's not the fact that he ran the ball 4 times on the goal line, it's who they chose to run the ball and the play selected. I was happy to see them pay more attention to the running game. Also DeSean Jackson 4 catches in two games. I suspect he's finally figured out they are not going to give him a new contract so why get hurt when you need to negotiate with a new team in the off season. Did he get any yards after catch or did he just cover up on the two balls he caught.
— bigcityballer - To quote from The Replacements..."that what you do coach, you lose!"— Joe Lis lives
- The last two drafts we could have had Earl Thomas as a SS to replace the great BDawkins and we could have had Contanza or Cabini take your pick as we would have had great young talent for years to come on both sides of the ball, we got Brandon Graham and Danny Watkins both are bust. Not Graham's fault he is a tweener who should have been a 7th rd pick. Watkins will be 27 before he plays his first game. Andy Reid and Company thinks they are smarter than everyone else. How many 4th round or later guys are starting almost half of the starters. This team will win with FAs and we know that's not how you build championships.— eagles-fan-in-texas
- They stink. Big Red needs to go with the rest of his minions. And CAstillo is a joke. Lurie take note. Eventually people will vote with her feet, which I hope they do.
- Has to get better at home? By my count, we've lost the last 4 there - Vikings, Cowboys, Packers, Giants. Teams are not afraid of coming to The Linc. If we lose on Sunday to the 49ers, fold up the tents.— DallasEagle
- I have been pulling my hair out all game... How are they play calling? Dice? Reid: Lets see, we have a quarterback made of glass coming back from a concussion, lets do a quarterback sneak behind the lightest center in the league. Brilliant! Didn't work? Do it again. We would never want to hand the ball to McCoy and make it a race to the pylon. Matthews should be benched. Asomugha is way overrated. Vick is getting pounded, but the majority is his fault. Even the best lines can only keep the quarterback upright for 3-4 seconds. Vick seems unable to make quick reads and get rid of the ball, so he gets clobbered. In his defence, I do belive that he was hit very late ater he releases the ball. He sill has to make better decisions.— chris_r
- At least Andy "Ahab" Reid and his trusty sidekick, First Mate Marty, are consistent with their Theater-of-the-Absurd play calling: it is consistently bizarre, oafish and hysterically claughable. Consistency's gotta count for something, right?— NM Eagle fan
- Coleman and Matthews should be doing what they do best, pouring water so the rest of the team stays hydrated. Maybe they can channel some waterboy; "that's some good quality H2O". They also must get Vick a stool so he can see the field better.— chris_r
- Why oh why do no names crush our teams; ala Cody Ross, Joe Webb,James Starks and now Victor Cruz? I just don't get it at all.— BCRock
- I'm not even that upset. This team was all hype from the beginning. Maybe they can turn this thing around and get into the playoffs - they usually do. But they won't get far. They're weaknesses are so glaring that Coughlin could have written his game plan on a napkin 5 min before the game and won. Andy's poor play-calling has become comical.
— cea - Although Andy is a poor game day coach, we have to remember that he makes personnel decisons too. Oops, his 3 top draft picks didn't dress. Maybe its just me but I thought that top draft picks were not supposed to be a project and yetAndy's draft picks continue to be losers. Then there is the matter of defensive philosophy. Andy doesn't think that linebackers or safeties are important. I guess that just because these positions are nearly half of the defensive team, it doesn't matter to Andy. Dont need a guy to sstop a tight end. Don't need a guy to stop the run. But do need 3 cornerbacks for 2 positions.— Drumgoole
- "Hand in Defeat" = lame pun.— gramgol
- (1) DUMB COACHING MOVES - (a) not punting on 4th and one. (b) trying to run up the middle multiple times when it was clear the Giants controlled the line (c) no blitzes - we beat Manning every year with the blitz because he is not quick enough to react to it, so what do we do? Let him pass his way to glory
(2) BAD FOOTBALL - (a) tackling - particularly the secondary (b) coverage a step late (c) offsides on field goal attempt giving them a first down - wow that was dumb! (c) drop (tipped) pass near the goal line that was intercepted
BRIGHT SPOT - McCoy, without this guy, this team would be totally pathetic
— chollie - Kevin Kolb please come back— farley
- The official start to the Suck for Luck sweepstakes. — bigcityballer
- Yet another TERRIBLE play call by Reid. How many more years of himing 'having to get better?!'— VicM
- This is so funny!...Watching all the loser Bird fans whine and their team losing to the Giants! Whaaaa Whaaa Whaaaaa! Go buy some tissues! You'll need them when your team continues to lose like they did today!— MRD
- But at least we have 3 pro bowl corners. And Vick is what he is. Average. Always has been. Joke.— Mr. Underhill
- What's Ray Rhodes doing?— Mr. Underhill
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About this blog
Bob Ford has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 1981, and is still trying to figure it all out. A former beat writer covering the Phillies and the 76ers, Ford became a general sports columnist for the Inquirer in 2003, following in and occasionally falling in the deep footsteps of Bill Lyon, Frank Dolson and many distinguished others. He comes to the Philly.com blogosphere after award-winning success as designer/editor of the fabulous Pen & Pencil Club softball blog. Likes: Palestra, inside-the-park home runs, sunny days. Dislikes: phony people, cloudy days, rewrites.
Reach Bob at bford@phillynews.com.
Bob Ford
Inquirer Sports Columnist
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