The Eagles were anything but a picture of confidence as they prepared to walk onto FedEx Field on Sunday.
(Image via the Philadelphia Eagles)
The Philadelphia Eagles may not win another game in 2012.
It’s not a statement made to be alarmist. It’s one that may well be the reality. I’ll still be watching/suffering through every single game. But there are no longer any expectations from this Eagles team.
Nary a touchdown scored by the Birds in the 31-6 throttling by the Washington Redskins, who advance to 4-6 while the Eagles fall to 3-7. Philadelphia is all alone at the basement of the NFC East.
Sunday was indeed about the quarterbacks, and the show was put on by the one not named Nick Foles. Foles struggled, which wasn’t a surprise. 21/46 for 204 yards and no touchdowns and 2 interceptions for a 40.5 passer rating. No one expected Foles to be a picture of polished precision after not taking reps for most of the season. But you did hope to see some of the flashes of poise that impressed us so much during the preseason.
That’s probably hard to do when you’re in the midst of being sacked 4 times and hit many more with an offensive line who racked up penalty on top of penalty to add to their pitiful play.
Will there be cries for Trent Edwards to be the starting quarterback if Foles continues to struggle? Perhaps. But it would be foolish to think that a replacement at quarterback would matter at this point. Philadelphia has to see what it has in Foles, for better or for worse. And why not, as any hope for a meaningful run at the postseason for this Eagles team is gone.
We were treated to seeing RGIII notch a perfect 158.3 passer rating against the Eagles defense, completing 14 for 15 passes for 200 yards and 4 touchdowns. If that wasn’t enough, Griffin III also averaged 7 yards per carry on the ground, totaling 84 rushing yards.
By contrast, LeSean McCoy averaged only 3 yards per carry getting 45 rushing yards, while Bryce Brown had 35, averaging 7 a carry.
For his troubles on Sunday, McCoy, who has for two seasons been the only consistent light for a struggling Eagles team, sustained an ugly concussion with just under two minutes left in the game. Asked why on earth he or any of the starters were still on the field, Andy Reid stated, “Because we were trying to catch up and win the game”.
What?
A baffling remark for a confounding season. Anyone interested in contributing to Philly Sports Muse out there? Drop me a line. Because I’ve run out of words. It doesn’t just stay the same each week. It somehow keeps getting worse.
Even Reid must realize that there is no option for him other than to leave at the end of the season. Change is needed. But don’t be fooled. With regime change in our midst and no clear franchise quarterback waiting in the wings, the struggle of the past two seasons will not end when Big Red goes. We’re in for a rough ride, but at this stage there is no other option.
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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports
Tags: All's Fair in Sports and War, Andy Reid, Brandyn Campbell, Football, LeSean McCoy, NFL, Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles, Philly Sports Muse, Robert Griffin III, Sports Talk Radio, The War Room, War Room Sports, Washington Redskins