Game 5 Thoughts
yuck! what a waste of a day. trapped in a stadium watching your team get completely manhandled by the other team. have we been watching this game on repeat basically for our whole lives?
the game was won and lost at the line of scrimmage. their lines dominated our lines. it's as simple as that. can't win if you can't block. can't win if you're getting blocked.
better wideouts, better rbs, better qbs might have helped, but wouldn't have won the game. the redskins won today because they had vastly better lines on both sides of the ball. it was the exact same reason why they won last week against the cowboys. i thought that last week's game was a bit of an aberration for the redskins based on emotion, but there was no emotion yesterday. just a consistent ass kicking for the whole game.
what especially sucked yesterday was that the skins play the type of offense i enjoy the most -- one based on power running to set up the pass. no trickery. no dink and dunk passing. no bs complexity opening room for more mistakes. just consistent physical football. power sweep left. power sweep right. power runs up the middle. tic tac toe.
i heard people bitching on the way out of the stadium that andy reid isn't creative enough. that's 100% wrong. andy reid is too creative. too many plays on his card. too many mix and match options in the worst coast offense. too many fancy frills in his finesse approach to offense. the redskins undressed the eagles not because their coaches were better or they out-thought the eagles. the redskins won because they were physically superior all game. they had better players on both lines of scrimmage.
on offense -- is it possible that shawn andrews is the most important player on the team? this team can't do anything on the ground when andrews is out.
on defense -- did anyone have a worse game than brodrick bunkley? i swear i saw a redskins o-lineman pick him up and eat him like he was a piece of gravy soaked bread. he was being pushed 2-3 yards downfield on every play i watched him.
rather than list out the gigantic list of awful things the eagles did yesterday, i decided to try to keep things positive. so here are some things that are more enjoyable than being an eagles fan:
- eating tacks for breakfast
- dropping bowling balls repeatedly on your feet
- falling down the stairs and landing head first in a tub of legos
- drinking chewing tobacco spit
- getting shot in the eye with a nail gun
- getting your hand stuck in the garbage disposal while it's on
at least i got to listen to the phils on the radio.
the game was won and lost at the line of scrimmage. their lines dominated our lines. it's as simple as that. can't win if you can't block. can't win if you're getting blocked.
better wideouts, better rbs, better qbs might have helped, but wouldn't have won the game. the redskins won today because they had vastly better lines on both sides of the ball. it was the exact same reason why they won last week against the cowboys. i thought that last week's game was a bit of an aberration for the redskins based on emotion, but there was no emotion yesterday. just a consistent ass kicking for the whole game.
what especially sucked yesterday was that the skins play the type of offense i enjoy the most -- one based on power running to set up the pass. no trickery. no dink and dunk passing. no bs complexity opening room for more mistakes. just consistent physical football. power sweep left. power sweep right. power runs up the middle. tic tac toe.
i heard people bitching on the way out of the stadium that andy reid isn't creative enough. that's 100% wrong. andy reid is too creative. too many plays on his card. too many mix and match options in the worst coast offense. too many fancy frills in his finesse approach to offense. the redskins undressed the eagles not because their coaches were better or they out-thought the eagles. the redskins won because they were physically superior all game. they had better players on both lines of scrimmage.
on offense -- is it possible that shawn andrews is the most important player on the team? this team can't do anything on the ground when andrews is out.
on defense -- did anyone have a worse game than brodrick bunkley? i swear i saw a redskins o-lineman pick him up and eat him like he was a piece of gravy soaked bread. he was being pushed 2-3 yards downfield on every play i watched him.
rather than list out the gigantic list of awful things the eagles did yesterday, i decided to try to keep things positive. so here are some things that are more enjoyable than being an eagles fan:
- eating tacks for breakfast
- dropping bowling balls repeatedly on your feet
- falling down the stairs and landing head first in a tub of legos
- drinking chewing tobacco spit
- getting shot in the eye with a nail gun
- getting your hand stuck in the garbage disposal while it's on
at least i got to listen to the phils on the radio.
Labels: football
posted by The Mean Guy at 8:44 AM
23 Comments:
on offense -- is it possible that shawn andrews is the most important player on the team? this team can't do anything on the ground when andrews is out.
This was exactly my thought after the game.
Burn it down! Throw it out....I am just fed up...insanity is doing the same thing time after time and expecting a different result. I will always love the Eagles more than any coach and player and I just can't take it anymore.
Couldn't agree with you more. Sitting there watching the Skins shove the Eagles down the field was completely deflating. It was over at halftime (even though the Birds were leading).
Horrible.
...insanity is doing the same thing time after time and expecting a different result.
doesn't that make us the insane ones in this equation?
I'm a little surprised that there's no blog from Bumble on here yet. I can only guess that he chose the smart way out and dove head first into a thresher.
I may take a drive out to Lancaster to do the same.
Yesterday proved a few things:
Yes, Andrews is the biggest component missing.
We have no TEs
Westbrook is the ONLY person who can run the ball on our team. Sorry to say, but Buck, and Hunt just don't cut it, sadly so for Hunt.
Dawkins has become a non-issue in our secondary. (Where was Lito for that matter?)
Asante Samuels and Deshaun Jackson are incredible players. Too bad I am no longer sure if we picked those tools up in time.
Andy Reid draws up great plays, but shouldn't be calling them. Ever.
- Joe
Oh great. Westbrook has damaged ribs. That doesn't bother RBs does it?
- Sigh.........
Joe
I disagree with one thing, about the line battle. McNabb had plenty of time to throw the ball, but either he was off or his WR stunk (not sure as you cannot see on TV).
Completely agree with the trick play crap! It only works for a season or two.
Sad to say, but I have the feeling Cohwer would trun this Eagles team into a winner in about two seconds and that is coming from huge Andy Reid supporter. That loss was AWEFUL.
Simo
I disagree with one thing, about the line battle. McNabb had plenty of time to throw the ball, but either he was off or his WR stunk (not sure as you cannot see on TV).
the skins were not blitzing yesterday or aggressively pass rushing. they were dropping back in coverage and no one was getting open.
mcnabb did what we've been begging him to do all these years, which is to get rid of the ball even if guys weren't getting open. well, they weren't getting open. the skins did a great job of bottling guys up and they always had safety help deep.
the best way to draw the defenders up to the line of scrimmage would have been to show them that we could run the ball. pffft. the skins d-line did not need help jamming up our running game, so the skins sat back in coverage all game.
Sad to say, but I have the feeling Cohwer would trun this Eagles team into a winner in about two seconds and that is coming from huge Andy Reid supporter.
i've been a big andy reid defender because i think he gets an unfair amount of criticism, but i've never been a fan. i hate his offense and i hate his style.
i'd welcome cowher gladly. at least we'd see a more physical team. i can't stand the worst coast offense.
no rnat from me because, in the words of that great mind Denny Green, "they are who I though they are!"
1. They have no kicker
2. Their LB are over-rated and cannot cover any TE and get pinned in run defense on every toss to the wide side
3. Their strong safety is a masisve liability in the passing game and teams are attacking them.
4. Their top 2 offensive weapons are injury prone which means they're never playing at 100%
5. Their Wr cannot catch
6. Their TE is a puss cake
7. Their best lineman is always dinged up and has some mental issues now to boot.
8. Their DE play the run poorly
9. They have no true FB so their running game is minus one blocker and teams can blitz up the gut at will.
10. Their coach is a stubborn guy who makes no in game adjustments, makes terrible crunch time decisions, and runs a scheme that everyone has figured out.
Nothing has happened this year to show me differently. I am through getting pissed and ranting, I'm just done watching. This is what the slow descent into hell looks like and I've ridden that way too many times in my fandom and I'm not doing it again. I'm going to focus my energy on more positive things. Until Reid is fired and a good GM and coach (2 separate people) are hired, this losing will continue. Their window has closed, their core players are old, and the division is much better coached and talented than them. I don't see how Lurie can keep the fat guy after another last place finish and a 1-5 division mark, but I sense Reid has no fear for his job so he keeps making the same inane mistakes over and over and over and over.....
Now with the young core of defense they have and a few good draft picks with those first 2 picks, they could be right back in the hunt in a few years, but this season is over. I know this is insane Bumble talking, but once they fall to 2-5 or 3-6, I'd bench Don and play Kolb the rest of the way just to get him game time.
Bumble
OK, I cannot resist a few jabs at things that are pissing me off.
1. I am not impressed with Samuel. You give a rookie a 12 yard cushion and let him beat you for a game changing 3rd and long? Cannot happen. Cannot ever happen. This guy should be manning up on other team's top WR and he isn't, which tells me the Birds over-paid for someone...again!
2. But the Birds are screwed because Shepherd is mailing it in. He has no hustle and no heart right now and just sort of plays like a guy trying to get a cardio workout. Never in the right place and just trying to stay injury free. This is the penalty for big Red not dealing with this in the off season.
3. Can we finally admit Reid is not a good GM? His free agent crop last season is embarassingly bad at this point. Samuel looks terrible, Clemons doesn't even play, he paid LJ $5 million and the guy is a labia, Booker can't play, and every FB he picked up got cut. That doesn't help your team even a little bit. I love PSU, but Tony Hunt should not be on this football team. I love Danny Klecko and I'd buy the guy a steak for his motor, but if Dan Klecko is the best of your off season free agent haul, then your haul was terrible.
4. If you need an LB, draft an LB. I am not even mad at Gocong any more because it is unrealistic to expect a guy who was a d lineman in college to cover TE. His strength seems to be bringing the heat on pass rush, but outside of that, he is a below average NFL LB. This isn't rocket science. Assess your needs, look at what USC has at that position to draft, then go get them.
5. Why is there no accounatbility on this team? Juan Castillo should be fired today. 8 downs to score a TD from the 1 and they're o for because one of the biggest O line sin the league is a bunch of creme puffs. David Akers cannot make a 40 yard kick and it can be argued his weak leg has already cost them 2 games. reggie Brown can't catch. LJ Smith can't catch. Greg Lewis can't catch (seeing a pattern). Lito isn't playing hard. At some point I want to see some cuts. I'd be thrileld if Tank Daniels wqas cut today and made ane xample as some useless piece who gave the Skins 15 free yards yesterday for being an idiot. At some point people perform well when the heat is on. The stove seems to be ice cold at Lincoln Financial. No worries about under performance, we all get lifetime contracts.
Bumble
Joe, that thresher line cracked me up at work. And Pedro, that line about the gravy soaked piece of bread-I'll never ever look at Bunkley seriously again. You've rendered hima cartoon character.
I needed the laughs after realizing just how much trouble this organization is in.
Bumble
Amen, Brother. All excellent, valid points. I haven't even gotten mad at McNabb this season becuase I'm so disgusted with Reid. This regime as run it's course. Remember the Andy who made an example of George Hegamin ?? Where's that guy ?
Captain
"I think, when the play came in, it was a little miscommunication," Westbrook said.
Westbrooks comment on the 3rd &1 on the 2 which was probably the deciding play of the game.
THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE. Both McNabb and Westbrook are veterans. The one thing I expect these two to do is being able to see when a play is about to blow up. Just call a damn time out for ones when you need it. Unreal....and yes, LJ apparently lined up incorrectly...he blows.
I think it's safe to say that Scrapple-dom is feeling how we all did during the Marion Campbell (I may be the only one that remembers that), Rich Kotite and Ray Rhodes at the end. Things just kept spiralling down the drain. You don't have Tommy Lasorda's anymore...being a coach or a GM usually is a long or short term temp assignment. Nothing more. You don't find guys as lifers anymore. I think Big Red, while he brought lots of wins, has come to the denoument of his tenure. No biggee....thanks for the ride, but the ride is coming to a bad ending. We know how this ride will end, as we've been down the road, this ship will not drastically right itself. The ship has sailed and now is pulling into the dock. I sense that everyone has reached that conclusion, too.
I think it's safe to say that Scrapple-dom is feeling how we all did during the Marion Campbell (I may be the only one that remembers that)
more of us remember the swamp fox era than care to, probably. it was awful. much, much worse than this era.
We know how this ride will end, as we've been down the road, this ship will not drastically right itself. The ship has sailed and now is pulling into the dock. I sense that everyone has reached that conclusion, too.
unfortunately, it matters very little what we all think. if the disconnect between eagles management and eagles fans gets too large, it could get ugly.
key thing to remember is that reid just got a big extension, it's going to have to get pretty bad before the eagles eat that contract... unless they somehow pull an al davis and fire him for "cause". maybe they can sh*tcan him for eating all the doughnuts or plugging up all the toilets.
"key thing to remember is that reid just got a big extension, it's going to have to get pretty bad before the eagles eat that contract... unless they somehow pull an al davis and fire him for "cause". maybe they can sh*tcan him for eating all the doughnuts or plugging up all the toilets."
Wow. I think Bumble is writing TMG's lines.
Ed Wade
ha ha. I love how I am now considered resident psycho. I am not sure whether to be flattered or offended.
I was listening to Brian Baldinger on 610 today. I find Baldy to be pretty even handed. As an ex lineman, he always give and takes love from the trenches and works outward. He is passionate but not unfair in his praise and poison. His thoughts really echoed some of my concerns.
1. He say our TE really stink. He had nothing good to say about LJ-says he never blocks anyone and never seems sure of who to block or even how to block them, often aggressively lunging in pass protect to get tossed aside or sitting back and absorbing the blow in run block to get tossed aside. Said he looks awful on film. Good expenditure of $5 million Mr. GM, although every dollar they spent in free agents this off season was a complete waste. He basically said Celek is afraid to get hit. In the Skins D, they play the MLB 7 yards off the ball and give up that 5-7 yard pass all day, but Celek heard footsteps and dropped balls both times he was hit in that zone so they stopped going to it. The guy looked good last year but is obviously regressing, a trend I am starting to notice with the coaching these guys are receiving. A post for another day.
2. He said McNabb was not sharp and seemed to be consciously avoiding Jackson, perhaps because he ran wrong routes a few times. He said Jackson was open all day long on drag patterns in the 10-15 yard range. That seems ludicrous. Ignore your only offensive weapon instead of working with him to iron out some kinks and harnessing his ridiculous talent. Sign of a real leader.
3. Their FB, shockingly, suck. Says there isn't an FB on the field. He said the biggest difference in the Skins and Birds was the Skins man up and hit people and the Birds don't. He thinks the 2 biggest Skins weapons are Sellers at FB and Cooley at TE because they are interchangeable, they can catch, and they block people like crazy. He said they dominated Birds DE and LB all day and that was the key to running the ball so well.
So maybe my concern of getting no TE or FB was legit. Why can all of us see this as a problem and Birds brass doesn't? If they do, they sure don't address it.
Bumble
"ha ha. I love how I am now considered resident psycho. I am not sure whether to be flattered or offended."
My comment was really more about TMG and less about Bumble, but I hope Bumble feels flattered that I generally enjoy his sharp wit, and not offended, because I know he isn't a psycho.
"Sh*tcan him for eating all the doughnuts or plugging up all the toilets" just isn't the sort of thing I'm expecting from Pedro, but it worked for me as I laughed my ass off.
News blast: Andy coaches this team for as long as he wants. Expect the West Coast Offense for several more years, unless Reid decides pro football in Philadelphia doesn't float his enormous boat anymore. Jeff isn't firing this guy just because the team doesn't win 10 games. After the Birds rack up a series of meaningless wins (with respect to making the playoffs), the entire organization will convince itself it's a couple of good breaks away from the Holy Grail.
The problem with starting from scratch is that it might take 5-10 years to get good again, particularly when you consider the up-cycle some our division rivals have begun to enjoy. I'm even older than the Big Dog and remember the Swamprat days like yesterday.
It seems like the town is ready to throw in the towel. I'm not, but I haven't watched enough football this year to offer a well-considered reason why not.
Have 2 bad losses really killed all the excitement and optimism folks here and elsewhere seemed to have?
Ed Wade
I was never very optimistic. Yes I am glass half full because I don't trust this regime any more, but they have gaping, GAPING holes all over their lineup. Their coach is doing the same things that other coaches figured out 3 years ago, their QB makes the same mistakes in crunch time, and their core is aging. Ina ddition, Reid has done a terrible job procuring talent via free agency and drafts while the rest of the division has stock piled talented young players. It is most glaring in the defenses. Everyone else retooled while the Birds picked guys that just aren't what they need to be to be NFL players-Gocong, Bunkley, Cole. Nice players, but too small or slow or both to be elite ina league that demans elite.
I agree Ed/Ben, Reid is planted for as long as he wants. In both roles. it's sad, but I'd immediately fire him in both roles and start over. I'd take 2-3 bad years to get back on track with a more fundamentally run-based system and a defense that has a nasty identity. If Cowher would come here, I'd carry Reid to the airport on my back.
Bumble
I don't think that it will take as long to re-tool. Reid did it in a short time frame. I think that they have decent nucleus but some holes. I don't see firing unless it's back to back or maybe even back to back to back 3-13 seasons. Lurie and Banner also think that they know all. I can accept being beaten by a better team or a great player making great plays to beat you. I can't stand tactical snafu's which are pretty consistent under this regime.
Reid hasn't been GM in years. Seriously. Look it up. Does he have input? Sure. What head coach doesn't? To keep bangining away on him about this makes it look like you have a WIP-like agenda.
Phil-you are kidding, right? You don't really believe that he doesn't have all and final say in personnel procurement, do you?
Wow is all I can say. There is no WIP agenda. Their personnel sucks. They make bad decision afetr bad decision on the players they bring in and they are so skinny at most positions that it boggles the mind how they'll put any points on the board today, and you call us out saying we have an agenda?!?! That pile of crap wearing green is not good enough to win games in this division, but no one is to blame?!?!? As an example, any of us laymen can see they had zero RB depth behind Westbrook, that Westbrook is a Faberge egg who gets hurt at least 3 times a season, but it's a radio station's agenda dictating that I should be mad vs. my own eyes looking at the patehtic backups they have at the number 2 most important position on offense.
How much does Andy Reid pay you to spin doctor for him? The guy has coasted for years on reputation (and deep fried Oreos) and his legacy will be to leave this team in shambles for several years with terrible draft picks and free agent pick ups. The salad days of this franchise are done. Time to take a Molotov cocktail to this mess, rake up the ashes, and start from scratch. It is over. And Reid is 98% to blame for that.
Bumble
I'm serious. You keep saying Reid's the GM, but he's not. He hasn't been for years. He's got input obviously into talent, but Heckert is the GM and in charge of that (unless you can show me otherwise).
Go back and you'll see that I've been pointing to RB depth as a bigger issue than LB or WR for quite some time.
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