Game 11 Thoughts
i'm not a big believer in moral victories, but against this opponent and with the way the team played i think it's possible this might qualify. we'll know this time next week. will this game be a springboard to get the team and coaches out of their funk or will this be like the 4th and 1/"load left" game (where the birds didn't win again for the rest of the year)?
- the biggest thing that's going to come out of this game is that people are going to want to manufacture a QB controversy. feeley played a great game, probably the best possible game he can play... and yet his stat line is pretty much the same as mcnabb's was in the superbowl. feeley played a "great" game tonight. mcnabb played a "horrible" game in the superbowl. feeley got great protection tonight. mcnabb had horrible protection in the superbowl. feeley makes an ill-advised pass that results in an interception yet "he's not the reason the eagles lost the game" (as some talking head is saying now). mcnabb throws an ill-advised pass in the superbowl and he's a terrible qb. i'm not trying to be a mcnabb apologist and i'm not trying to downplay how well feeley played tonight, but if mcnabb got the protection in the superbowl that feeley got tonight, the birds win that game easily. i know don's been playing like ass this season, but if there's a chance he can get back to being the player he once was, he's our best chance to win a superbowl.
- o-line played terrific tonight. this was the best and most complete game they've played in a long time. richard seymour made zero impact on tonight's game. i can't remember the last time i watched the patriots play and seymour didn't appear to be the second coming of reggie white. the inside trio played exceptionally well, i thought. it was like night and day compared to the superbowl. none of the three was getting picked up and thrown into the backfield like hank fraley and artis hicks were. great game by the fat guys.
- kudos to the coaches for their gameplan tonight. they had a good plan and made no game management blunders. i don't even have a problem with trying the double move on asante samuel (even though the birds really should have been trying to run down the clock). at least they were being aggressive. love going for it on 4th down. love qb sneaks on 3rd and 1. love the 3-4 look by jj with gocong moving around as a pass rusher (where the heck was this all season)?
- sometime earlier this season, someone mentioned they didn't understand why jj wasn't using gocong to rush the passer (bumble possibly?). tonight, it appeared to me that gocong was the best pass rusher on the field.
- greg lewis sighting! how can we get him to believe he's playing the patriots every week?
- best game by any crew of eagles linebackers probably since the trotter/emmons/caldwell days. spikes was dynamic, gaither was solid in pass coverage, and gocong made an impact rushing the passer.
- jj is looking awfully old. those of us who have been criticizing him may get our wish. i got the feeling tonight that he has the look of someone who's ready to hang 'em up.
- good job by the offense to get back to business after that awful interception return td that spotted the patriots 7 points at the start of the game.
- brian dawkins is a shadow of his former self. he can't keep up in deep coverage anymore. it's probably why jj tried to use him down in the box last season, directly leading to michael lewis' departure once everyone figured out he was horrible in coverage. a younger dawkins would have had at least one and possibly two picks tonight (endzone play where he cut in front of receiver crossing in back of zone and possibly at a couple of deep ball he got his hands on). this is a big, big problem. jr reed was supposed to be the heir apparent, but he can't run like he used to either (though he played a decent game tonight and made a few big hits). sean considine was drafted in response to jr's injury and he's shown that he can't play... or that he at least can't play strong safety. big concern for me.
- patterson and bunkley were getting lots of penetration early in the game, but wore down as the game went on. still lacking depth at d-tackle.
all-in-all, this is the least upset i've ever been after an eagles loss. i'm not happy about it, but at least my week isn't going to be miserable.
- the biggest thing that's going to come out of this game is that people are going to want to manufacture a QB controversy. feeley played a great game, probably the best possible game he can play... and yet his stat line is pretty much the same as mcnabb's was in the superbowl. feeley played a "great" game tonight. mcnabb played a "horrible" game in the superbowl. feeley got great protection tonight. mcnabb had horrible protection in the superbowl. feeley makes an ill-advised pass that results in an interception yet "he's not the reason the eagles lost the game" (as some talking head is saying now). mcnabb throws an ill-advised pass in the superbowl and he's a terrible qb. i'm not trying to be a mcnabb apologist and i'm not trying to downplay how well feeley played tonight, but if mcnabb got the protection in the superbowl that feeley got tonight, the birds win that game easily. i know don's been playing like ass this season, but if there's a chance he can get back to being the player he once was, he's our best chance to win a superbowl.
- o-line played terrific tonight. this was the best and most complete game they've played in a long time. richard seymour made zero impact on tonight's game. i can't remember the last time i watched the patriots play and seymour didn't appear to be the second coming of reggie white. the inside trio played exceptionally well, i thought. it was like night and day compared to the superbowl. none of the three was getting picked up and thrown into the backfield like hank fraley and artis hicks were. great game by the fat guys.
- kudos to the coaches for their gameplan tonight. they had a good plan and made no game management blunders. i don't even have a problem with trying the double move on asante samuel (even though the birds really should have been trying to run down the clock). at least they were being aggressive. love going for it on 4th down. love qb sneaks on 3rd and 1. love the 3-4 look by jj with gocong moving around as a pass rusher (where the heck was this all season)?
- sometime earlier this season, someone mentioned they didn't understand why jj wasn't using gocong to rush the passer (bumble possibly?). tonight, it appeared to me that gocong was the best pass rusher on the field.
- greg lewis sighting! how can we get him to believe he's playing the patriots every week?
- best game by any crew of eagles linebackers probably since the trotter/emmons/caldwell days. spikes was dynamic, gaither was solid in pass coverage, and gocong made an impact rushing the passer.
- jj is looking awfully old. those of us who have been criticizing him may get our wish. i got the feeling tonight that he has the look of someone who's ready to hang 'em up.
- good job by the offense to get back to business after that awful interception return td that spotted the patriots 7 points at the start of the game.
- brian dawkins is a shadow of his former self. he can't keep up in deep coverage anymore. it's probably why jj tried to use him down in the box last season, directly leading to michael lewis' departure once everyone figured out he was horrible in coverage. a younger dawkins would have had at least one and possibly two picks tonight (endzone play where he cut in front of receiver crossing in back of zone and possibly at a couple of deep ball he got his hands on). this is a big, big problem. jr reed was supposed to be the heir apparent, but he can't run like he used to either (though he played a decent game tonight and made a few big hits). sean considine was drafted in response to jr's injury and he's shown that he can't play... or that he at least can't play strong safety. big concern for me.
- patterson and bunkley were getting lots of penetration early in the game, but wore down as the game went on. still lacking depth at d-tackle.
all-in-all, this is the least upset i've ever been after an eagles loss. i'm not happy about it, but at least my week isn't going to be miserable.
Labels: football
posted by The Mean Guy at 11:54 PM
5 Comments:
I am only upset that it took them 11 games to finally start coaching again.
To make the playoffs now, they need to go 4-1 (at least) against:
Seattle - must win
Giants - must win
@Dalles - win this one or saints
@ Saints - win this one or Dallas
Buffalo - must iwn
Possible, but not easy. After that, everything is possible:)
Simon
I hate this team. Just when you think you can give up on them, they pull you back in.
I am very shocked at how well they played. Ditto the Feeley comments. Despite his last game, he never throws those picks.
How can we honestly say that there is "no" QB controversy. I don't know about you guys, but I saw an inspired team last night take one of the best teams in NFL history to the rack. And AJ's play helped it. Do you think that they would have played that well under McNabb...maybe, but I doubt it. I can see Don killing drives with underthrows that AJ nailed. Yes, AJ is NOT the QB of the future, but I honestly think that he may give us a chance to win some of these games....that team last night beats a bunch of NFL teams. I'm sorry, I just don't think we automatically put Don back in. Reid will, but I don't know if the offensive rhythm is that much better with him in there.
Yes, AJ is NOT the QB of the future, but I honestly think that he may give us a chance to win some of these games....that team last night beats a bunch of NFL teams. I'm sorry, I just don't think we automatically put Don back in. Reid will, but I don't know if the offensive rhythm is that much better with him in there.
i don't disagree with what you're saying, big dog, but i view this as a long-term/short-term issue. aj may be the better short term solution because don (for whatever reason) isn't the player he once was. if you believe that he'll never be that player again, then you play aj until kolb is ready to take over. if you believe that don can get back to being the player he was, then you let him work through it because a don a full strength is our best chance at a superbowl.
There are no moral victories in the NFL, just wins and losses and that's what the Birds walked away with, a loss.
I've been trying all day to feel good about last night's game, but I can't. I don't feel as disappointed as the last time they lost to the Pats by 3, but man I wanted that win. I wanted all that effort, all those top performances and all the hope of the fans to be rewarded. Most of all I wanted to tell that smug Pats fan down the street to shove that perfect season up his ass. Oh well. At least AJ didn't puke.
I think I'm most upset that it took this long to see what this team has to offer: sustained drives leading to TDs, reliable pass protection, a fucking LB sack. Where was all this in those other big games? Against Dallas? Against Green Bay?
So here we are looking at having to get a miracle plus help at the end of the season. I'm mad. I'm pulling for them and think they can do it, but I'm still mad.
And as far as which QB to play, it seems pretty obvious to me. You go with the guy that gives you the best chance to win and given what we just saw, that guy is Feeley. But BD is right, Reid is going to play McNabb. Oh well.
The Seahawks are beatable and the Eagles are the better team. I just hope that translates into a win.
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