Like anything Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly does, the Birds’ team photo caused a stir. The speed and efficiency with which the project was undertaken, much like his offense, was a masterpiece to behold. All clocking in under five minutes. A mere four minutes and 40 seconds, to be exact.
The photo wasn’t just the team itself, which is quite an undertaking. It was the players, the coaches, and the training staff. The final result was a group that looked the size of a small army, all covered in green and white.
Were there hiccups? There wasn’t time for many, but as Kelly recalls, one of the photographers had to take his role as an artist down a few notches.
“One of the guys thought he was Ansel Adams. Let’s get this thing taken and let’s go. You know what I mean? It’s not like it’s gonna be hanging in the Philadelphia Museum of Art or anything, it’s just gonna be in someone’s office somewhere, so let’s get it done.”
Not in the Philadelphia Museum of Art? Think again, Chip. The museum sent out a picture via Twitter on Wednesday of the team photo standing alongside a classic masterpiece, including the hashtag #FlyEaglesFly.
The Philadelphia Eagles head into their bye week flying on the highest note possible: On the heels of total shutout of those New York football Giants 27-0. 27-zip. 27-to-nada.
However you say it, the score is beautiful.
This is the game when LeSean McCoy finally got going, notching 149 rushing yards. The tight ends got into the act, with Zach Ertz and James Casey both getting in the endzone. Nick Foles finished the game with 21 for 34 with 248 yards for 2 touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions.
The Eagles defense showed up big time, completely stifling an offense that had averaged 35 points its last few games. But the streaking Giants simply had no answers for the Eagles, who got eight sacks (6 on Eli Manning and 2 on backup Ryan Nassib), limiting the two-time Super Bowl MVP to 13 for 23, 154 yards for exactly 0 touchdowns.
Connor Barwin was an absolute beast, getting to Manning for three sacks. Vinny Curry had a blast getting to the quarterback and sacking the Giants’ QB twice. Brandon Graham, Trent Cole and Brandon Blair also got into the each, notching a sack each. Much as the New York media wanting to claim dismay at the portrayal of “Lil Eli Manning” in the Eagles cartoons, that’s exactly what he looked like on the field Sunday night.
It’s the first shutout for the Birds since 1996, and the first at Lincoln Financial Field. Oh, the previous shutout, which took place in December of ’96. Against the Giants. In that game the Eagles won 24-0.
Darren Sproles, who added to the team’s touchdowns on Sunday night, left the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. We’ll wait for news and hope that everything is okay with the most dynamic Eagles player this season.
It was the most complete win the Eagles have put together all season. The victory becomes all the more important as the Dallas Cowboys improved to 5 -1 earlier in the day, beating the Seattle Seahawks. Philadelphia retains its lead in the NFC East and has shown just how good–and dangerous–they can look when everyone is on their game. It’s a wonderful sight to behold for Eagles fans, and something that hopefully makes their next several opponents very nervous as they study the Birds’ Week 6 game film.
AFTER FURTHER REVIEW #602 SHOUTOUT to you DE-REK JE-TER ……..(((MLB)) ***THE HUNT FOR OCTOBER*** NLCS– CARDINALS 5 GIANTS 4 (w/o)…..series tied 1-1….KOLTEN WONG (cardinals) needed that WALK OFF HOME RUN….his post season resume was not so hot….ALCS resumes tonight in KANSAS CITY….((royals lead series 2-0))…AFR 2.0 salutes JARROD DYSON (royals) for keeping it 100 for saying he doesnt think series will return to CAMDEN YARDS…..and he kept it all the way live which is the way its supposed to be !!!!!…..((NFL)) WEEK 6— IND 33 HOU 28 (tnf)….GB 27 MIA 24….CLE 31 PIT 10….BAL 48 TB 17….DAL 30 SEA 23….CHI 27 ATL 13….ARI 30 WAS 20….SD 31 OAK 28….TEN 16 JAX 14….DEN 31 NYJ 17….DET 17 MIN 3….NE 37 BUF 22….CAR 37 CIN 37 (ot)….PHI 27 NYG 0 (snf)….SAN FRANCISCO v ST LOUIS (mnf)…….AFTER FURTHER REVIEW NFL RANKINGS drop after week 8…..who YOU got ????….AARON RODGERS (packers) pulls a “DAN MARINO” on DAN MARINO’s team…..GIANTS pull a egg outta somewhere….and dont get me started on TAMPA BAY !!!!……((NCAAF)) AFTER FURTHER REVIEW 2.0 NCAAF PLAYOFF TOP 10 rankings….couldnt wait until tomorrow to drop it 1.FLORIDA STATE (6-0) 2.MISSISSIPPI STATE (6-0) 3.MISSISSIPPI (6-0) 4.BAYLOR (6-0) —– 5.NOTRE DAME (6-0) 6.MICHIGAN STATE (5-1) 7.AUBURN (5-1) 8.OREGON (5-1) 9.GEORGIA (5-1) 10.ALABAMA (5-1)…….expect some more shakeup before its all said and done…first official rankings out in a couple of weeks…..THE SPORTS HOUSE is rockin tonight on THE WACKO BOB NETWORK…..((646-478-5337)) me and the homie SONNY CRUISE gonna get it in like we do….come thru !!!!…..((NBA)) practice games…..WIZARDS 91 (seraphin 14) PISTONS 89 (drummond 21)….MAVERICKS 106 (nowitzki 21) PACERS 98 (watson 16)….BLAZERS 119 (mccollum 19) CLIPPERS 114 (crawford 23)….WARRIORS 116 (curry 25) LAKERS 75 (sacre 12)….aww dayum KEVIN DURANT (thunder) is out for who know how long with a fractured foot…..well RUSSELL WESTBROOK this is whatchoo wanted…to be the man..be the man….be the man….those post game interviews after HEAT-CAVALIERS were kinda awkward right ??……((NHL)) MAPLE LEAFS 6 RANGERS 3….KINGS 4 JETS 1….AFTER FURTHER REVIEW 2.0 NHL top 10 rankings comes down on in two weeks….who YOU got ???….those “chrome” practice jerseys for NHL ALL STAR GAME (january 25,2015…in COLUMBUS OH)…..are pretty dope…the beginning of the next new wave of uniforms and jerseys….((GOLF)) BAE SANG-MOON wins FRYS.com OPEN with a (-15) ….two shots better than runner up STEVEN BOWDITCH…..ladies side…..SADENA PARKS congratulations on earning your card for 2015 LPGA season……we see you !!!!!!!……((CFL)) ***HAPPY THANKSGIVING CANADA*** SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (9-5) v MONTREAL ALOUETTES (5-8) / WINNEPEG BLUE BOMBERS (6-8) v EDOMONTON ESKIMOS (9-5)……enjoy your holiday football eh ……..CALGARY STAMPEDERS have clinched playoff berth…they call it GREY CUP….the CFL version of SUPER BO…..oops i mean NFL CHAMPIONSHIP game…..sheesh !!!!!…..MLB GAME of the day ALCS -game 3 ORIOLES (chen) v ROYALS (guthrie) —8pm/TBS…..NHL GAME of the day CANADIENS v LIGHTNING….TRUE SCHOOL JAM of the day “FANATIC OF THE B WORD”- DE LA SOUL……”cmon everybody do the baseball”….the BALLISTICS have been kicked…..AFR.
The hatred between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants runs deep, and the lead up to Sunday night’s matchup between the
Trent Cole will not be the only Eagles player going Eli hunting on Sunday night.
NFC East rivals has done everything to demonstrate this truth. Play on the field doesn’t get underway until 8:30 Sunday evening, but the mouths of the players on both teams have been going and going and going all week.
Eagles center Jason Kelce shot right back at JPP and then some, including Big Blue’s head coach in his counter attack, issued on the 94WIP Morning Show:
“I don’t think Jason Pierre-Paul is smart enough to come up with that statement on his own. I think he’s the type of guy that just reiterates what his coaches have been telling him. So, I’m a little worried about Tom Coughlin’s math ’cause I feel like maybe that’s where it was screwed up. Maybe it was just relayed to him.”
*Snap* *snap* *snap* “Men on Film” would need an entirely new snap formation to appropriately characterize Kelce’s words.
What has made this particular Eagles-Giants week unprecedented is how much the Eagles organization has gotten into the act. First, actor Bradley Cooper joined forces with the team to put out this trash-talking masterpiece, proclaiming, “You want to know the best way to shut a loud mouth up? Shut it for them.”
And then, they put out a Halloween-themed cartoon featuring lil’ Eli Manning scared of all of the members of the Eagles defense in their all-black err’thing:
But our friends in New York couldn’t handle the heat. The New York Daily News, always an arbiter of taste, got in the act, responding to Cooper’s Eagles video with this backpage with the headline “Silver Whinings Playbook”:
Clever. Did they come up with that all by themselves?
It’s been a crazy week, even as Eagles-Giants weeks go. But talk is cheap, as has been said many times as a counter-point to the madness. What matters most is what happens between the white lines. The Eagles are top of the division and look to extend that lead with the outcome of Sunday’s game. Once that happens, we can all rest a little easier heading into the Bye. And you think we’re trash talking now?
AFTER FURTHER REVIEW #600 SHOUTOUT to you KEN BURROUGH (do your home work…”sports” heads)…….((NFL)) COLTS 33 TEXANS 28…finally a decent game on TNF..dinnt quite start out that way…..had a nice discussion on NFL with DERRICK DEESE (ex-NINERS/BUCCANEERS) and ANDREW BOGUSCH (cbs sports) in THE SPORTS HOUSE WITH SONNY AND CHRIS…..thats how REAL SPORTS HEADS do it……((NHL)) winners include BLUE JACKETS…CANADIENS(so)…DEVILS…PENGUINS…RED WINGS…LIGHTNING(ot)…PREDATORS…RANGERS…BLACKHAWKS(so)…WILD…FLAMES…JETS….about time RICK NASH (rangers) nice game 2 goals and an assist….ummm hiring CHRIS PRONGER to NHL SAFETY DEPARTMENT sorta kinda defeats the purpose….but oh well….((MLB)) ***THE HUNT FOR OCTOBER***…..AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES–KANSAS CITY ROYALS v BALTIMORE ORIOLES…..NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES–SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS v ST LOUIS CARDINALS……made WORLD SERIES picks on SPORTS HOUSE last night……AFR 2.0 likes ORIOLES and CARDINALS…..O’s in 5 over ROYALS…CARDS over GIANTS in 7……((BOXING)) hey FLOYD MAYWEATHER SR……..will you please KNOCK IT OFF……the shelf life for FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR-MANNY PACQUIAO expired about three years ago…..both of them are over 35 and to keep it ALL THE WAY real they shouldve fought already….so the hype for this one is gonna be extra…but AFR 2.0 is not that interested especially if you tryin to get $100 for PPV…..make it $59 and you might have something….((NCAAF)) another big weekend approaches …some big rivalry games going down as conference play heats up….we mentioned matchups in AFR 2.0 #599….sorry if you missed it……((NCAAHOOPERY)) whats the deal with all these crazy court designs….thought OREGON was the craziest until we got a load of SAN JOSE STATE and JAMES MADISON…who thinks of this stuff…..???..they should keep it simple and understated…but oh well…..guess it distracts from product on the floor….they are called “sillhouette courts”……((TENNIS)) **SHANGHAI MASTERS*** NOVAK “NO JOKE” DJOKOVIC over DAVID FERRER (6-4.6-2)…FELICIANO LOPEZ over MIKHAIL YOUZHNY (5-7.6-4.6-4)….GILLES SIMON over TOMAS BERDYCH (7-6(4).4-6.6-0)……MLB GAME of the day *ALCS* ROYALS (shields) v ORIOLES (tillman)—8pm/TBS…NHL GAME of the day ISLANDERS v HURRICANES…CFL GAME of the day HAMILTON TIGER-CATS (6-7) v TORONTO ARGONAUTS (5-8)…TRUE SCHOOL JAM of the day “SUPER FREAK” -RICK JAMES……..its the freakin weekend so its time to unwind……make sure you get the lint off the hoodies and enjoy !!!!…….the BALLISTICS have been kicked !!!!!!!………AFR.
AFTER FURTHER REVIEW #598 SHOUTOUT to you SCOTT BROSIUS…..((MLB)) ***THE HUNT FOR OCTOBER*** NLDS— CARDINALS 3 DODGERS 2 (st louis wins series 3-1)…..GIANTS 3 NATIONALS 2 (san francisco 3-1)…..which makes NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES—-SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS v ST LOUIS CARDINALS (first pitch saturday)……AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES —-KANSAS CITY ROYALS v BALTIMORE ORIOLES (first pitch friday)……who YOU got ???…..((NHL)) ***OPENING NIGHT*** puck drops and HOCKEY is back in effect !!!….MONTREAL CANADIENS v TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS……PHILADELPHIA FLYERS v BOSTON BRUINS…….VANCOUVER CANUCKS v CALGARY FLAMES……SAN JOSE SHARKS v LOS ANGELES KINGS (banner raised…rings given out)….one more look at LORD STANLEYS CUP until its put away until summer 2015……AFR 2.0 made its division picks yesterday (where were you ??)….will have STANLEY CUP picks tomorrow….CANADIENS trade G-PETER BUDAJ to JETS for F-ERIC TANGRADI…..and yes we talk HOCKEY over here……we discussed some last night on AFTER FURTHER REVIEW 2.0 aka THE SIDELINE PASS…..and we kick it like a real SPORTS show…….SHOUT to CALLERS ((KIA…CHE…MS DIVA…BOB))…..and LISTENERS too…yes we see you !!!!……((NFL)) AFR 2.0 top 10 NFL rankings will be posted next week…..who are YOUR top 10 teams ??…..BENGALS players react to fans “bandwagon” jumping……and it is not pretty……surprise teams ((DALLAS…HOUSTON))…disappointments ((SAN FRANCISCO…KANSAS CITY))…….((NCAAF)) AFR 2.0 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF rankings (in case ya missed it)) 1.florida state (5-0) 2.auburn (5-0) 3.baylor (5-0) 4.mississippi (5-0) 5.mississippi state (5-0) 6.notre dame (5-0) 7.arizona (5-0) 8.oregon (4-1) 9.oklahoma (4-1) 10.tcu (5-0)…….who YOU got ????……((NBA)) practice games winners include PACERS….NETS….MAGIC (ot)….PISTONS (ot)….ROCKETS….JAZZ….KINGS….WARRIORS…..and in otha news ESPN and TNT retain rights to broadcast NBA games starting in 2016-17 which increases ALL broadcasting rights until 2024-25….((those 10 am games are coming……dont say AFR 2.0 dinnt tell you ))…..((NCAAHOOPERY)) KENTUCKY will hold scouting combine aka practice for NBA personnel will be held on friday (3pm/ESPNU) and all 30 teams are invited……KIA is pleased !!!!!!……here is the first one for 2014-15 season……..NHL GAME of the day SHARKS v KINGS (banner ceremony)….TRUE SCHOOL JAM of the day “COSMIC SLOP” -FUNKADELIC………its HUMP DAY…..get over that piece……PEACE !!!!!!…….the BALLISTICS have been kicked !!!!!……AFR.
The Eagles turned a game that should have put the St. Louis Rams away early into a contest that went down to the wire. Once holding a commanding 34-7 lead, the Rams went on a 21-0 run in the second half to come to an uncomfortably close 34-28. All this while St. Louis was led by Austin Davis, a quarterback making only his fourth start.
The cartoon above perfectly illustrates the experience of every single Philadelphia Eagles fan, every game this year, courtesy of Rob Tornoe of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Seriously, though. There has to be an easier way.
The Birds now have a 4-1 record and must be one of the luckiest teams in the league this season, as their play and stats reveal a team that does not match its wins. But, as Chip Kelly correctly stated, “tough 4‑1, soft 4‑1, doesn’t matter, you’re 4‑1, and it’s the same thing.”
While the talk surrounding Kelly always involves his high-octane offense, this season it should be about special teams. It is the only unit that has performed consistently well through five games and at this stage is saving the offense and defense from their many flaws. For the second straight week, special teams scored a touchdown off of a blocked punt. The Eagles have four special teams touchdowns so far this season, including one in each of the last three games, which is a first in team history.
While special teams makes history, the offense and defense continue to make us scratch our heads. Or come close to heart attacks. On offense, LeSean McCoy finally got a little something going on the ground, getting 81 yards on 24 carries. But, concerns surrounding the offensive line and McCoy’s own ability to find a way to get it done under less-than-stellar conditions remain. Nick Foles finished the game 24/37 for 207 yards with two touchdowns, an interception and a fumble. Foles’ decision-making is a cause for concern at times, and he had a few near-misses that the stats don’t reveal.
The Eagles defense let an unseasoned QB put up elite numbers in their home. Davis finished the game with three touchdowns and no interceptions for 375 yards. The D simply couldn’t stop the Rams in the second half of the game, particularly the last quarter, which does not bode well for upcoming opponents, like next week’s prime-time matchup with the Giants.
But the game was won, no matter how ugly, and that’s what matters. The Eagles are a team of two halves, and perhaps we’ll be treated to a complete game played well in the coming weeks. But, more likely, you probably need to continue to keep those Tums nearby.
As the 3-1 Philadelphia Eagles prepare to face-off against the 1 -2 St. Louis Rams this afternoon at the Linc, questions abound. Will the offensive line return to some of its former glory with the return of Lane Johnson from his suspension? And please, oh please: Is this the game when LeSean McCoy will FINALLY turn up and get something going?
Rams quarterback Austin Davis, though inexperienced in the NFL, has completed 72% of his passes in three starts. The Birds defense is ranked just 23rd against the pass in the league, and according to ProFootballFocus, Cary Williams is the most targeted corner in the league since 2011. That said, the Rams are not a team filled with offensive weapons, so if Philadelphia can stand firm and not give up big plays, they should be able to contain whatever the Rams try to get going.
As for the Eagles offense, the team has got to find a way to get LeSean McCoy going. “Embarrassed” by his performance last game, even with the battered line Shady has to make it work. And this is a good game to try: the Rams have given up 155 rushing yards a game this season, also allowing a 100-yard rusher each game. Will Shady finally get on the way to 2k? Currently at 2.7 yards per carry, he’s got a loong way to go to reach his stated goal for the 2014 season.
Philadelphia’s o-line will have their hands full with uber-defensive end Robert Quinn. He is just waiting to rack up some sacks, with zero this season after finishing second in the league in 2013 with 19. With Foles already battered and bruised, the Eagles can’t let that happen. He’ll be matched up against Jason Peters, the best left tackle in the league, which will make for an important battle to watch closely during the game.
There’s a big difference between being 4-1 and 3-2. An Eagles defeat against the Rams won’t settle all uneasiness about what this team truly can and cannot do, but it would help dull the queries for a little while. Major goals of the game are to keep Foles standing and get Shady going. If those two tasks can be accomplished, Philadelphia should be able to enjoy the first day that truly feels like Fall football in Philadelphia.
Now, to get your giggles on about the Rams, view this atrocious music video to accompany the team’s song “Ram It,” when the franchise was in Los Angeles in the ’80s. Overheard on 94WIP yesterday afternoon, as bad as the song is, the video is infinitely worse. Enjoy?
AFTER FURTHER REVIEW #594 SHOUTOUT to you GEORGE FOREMAN…….((MLB)) winners include YANKEES…CLEVELAND…ORIOLES…TIGERS…REDS…METS…NATIONALS…ATLANTA…ROYALS…CUBS…ATHLETICS…GIANTS…MARINERS…DODGERS…CARDINALS……the 2014 MLB SEASON is kaput…over…done….now THE HUNT FOR OCTOBER begins…..AMERICAN LEAGUE ((royals v athletics winner plays angels…..orioles v tigers))….NATIONAL LEAGUE ((giants v pirates winner plays nationals…..cardinals v dodgers))….world series picks will be made on AFTER FURTHER REVIEW 2.0 tomorrow night….check it out……((NFL)) WEEK 4—NYG 45 WAS 14(tnf)…TB 27 PIT 24…BAL 38 CAR 10…GB 38 CHI 17…HOU 23 BUF 17…IND 41 TEN 17…DET 24 NYJ 17…MIA 38 OAK 14(london)…SD 33 JAX 14…MIN 41 ATL 28…SF 26 PHI 21…DAL 38 NO 17(snf)….PATRIOTS v CHIEFS(mnf)…….we are now at the quarter pole…check out what GRADE your team has so far on THE SPORTS HOUSE WITH SONNY and CHRIS (WACKO BOB NETWORK…..7-10pm…..646-478-5337)……the first AFR 2.0 top 10 NFL rankings on AFTER FURTHER REVIEW tomorrow night …you already know the flavor….and tune in to hear about my TWITTER adventure with a TAMPA BAY BUCCANEER player AND his wife……it was kinda hectic……((NCAAF)) WEEK 5–FLORIDA STATE 56 NC STATE 41…..AUBURN 45 LA TECH 17…..TEXAS A&M 35 ARKANSAS 28…..BAYLOR 49 IOWA STATE 28…..NOTRE DAME 31 SYRACUSE 15………will have AFTER FURTHER REVIEW 2.0 top 10 NCAAF rankings tomorrow……..there were some great games over the weekend and we will discuss…KANSAS fires CHARLIE WEIS…….BRADY HOKE acts like he doesnt want anymore of MICHIGAN money….who is leading HEISMAN chase ??? we like MARCOS MARIOTA (oregon) and a few others…….its still type early…..ummm..somebody send TENNESSEE TECH coach WATSON BROWN some orange slices…he just lost his 200th game as coach….fix the scoreboard at UMASS….cause it ummm..kinda fell over…..and EVERETT GOLSON (notre dame) completed 25 straight passes v SYRACUSE…..umm where is the “2-3 zone” when you need it ????…….((NHL)) practice games…..MAPLE LEAFS 3 SABRES 2(so)….CAPITALS 2 CANADIENS 0….BLACKHAWKS 5 OILERS 0….DEVILS 3 FLYERS 1….FLAMES 2 AVALANCHE 1….KINGS 4 DUCKS 2……the EASTERN/WESTERN CONFERENCE will be previewed this week in advance of 2014-15 NHL season which starts on OCT 8…you know we gotchoo covered over here…..((BOXING)) hey “sports experts”…did you catch former LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT contender TAVORIS CLOUD getting beat all over the ring by ARTUR BETERBIEV…..SUGAR RAY LEONARD is right……FLOYD MAYWEATHER should have fought MANNY PACQUAIO already…..its not about money…its about legacy…like we been tellin you for THREE YEARS………hmmmmmmmm……..oh yeah FLOYD can pay someone to “read’ his legacy to him…….((NCAAHOOPERY)) coming sooner than you think….you other “sports groups” hope you dooin ya home work…….((TENNIS)) ANDY MURRAY over TOMMY ROBREDO (5-7.7-6(9).6-1)to win SHENZHEN OPEN (china)…ladies side ……SERENA WILLIAMS over SILVIA SOLER-ESPINOSA (7-5.6-2)……it was a tough one tho….((GOLF)) EUROPE defends RYDER CUP —EUROPE 16 1/2 USA 11 1/2……another year with no RYDER…….of RORY MCILROY did his numbers……like ELDRICK/TIGER used to……TRUE SCHOOL JAM of the day “BOMBS OVER BAGHDAD”-OUTKAST……..its MONDAY…….make it happen for yourself !!!!!……….the BALLISTICS have been kicked !!!!!!!……AFR.
With the many questions surrounding what this Philadelphia Eagles team is and what it isn’t heading into the fourth game of the season, there was never a question about the offense. The 3-0 start showed that, regardless of the start, the
Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles offense could get nothing going against the San Francisco 49ers.
Birds would and could generate points in a variety of ways. Of course they can–that’s Chip Kelly’s hallmark.
Enter the trip across country to San Francisco to face the 49ers on Sunday, a game that flipped the script of the Eagles’ season so far. Yes, there were highlights, one of which you’ll see below. Even with the offense’s inability to get anything going, the game was within grasp until the last moments of the game. But Philadelphia just couldn’t finish. A 91-yard drive starting at 6:35 in the fourth quarter could have gotten the lead and probably the game for Philadelphia. They got within in 1-yard of the goal line, but they couldn’t seal the deal and fell 21-26.
Ironically, the Eagles didn’t wait until the second half to put points on the board against San Francisco. They got to a quick start and lead the Niners 21-10 at the half, but generated a grand total of 0 points in the second.
Nick Foles’ stat line for the day wasn’t pretty: He was 21 for 43 and 195 with no TDs and two interceptions. Ouch. The Eagles could have used some help from their running game, except it didn’t exist and is going to continue to struggle with the battered offensive line. LeSean ran the ball 10 times for a paltry 17 yards. After the game he called the performance “embarrassing” and said he didn’t want to talk about anything having to do with the run game. Makes sense, but, you’re the running back…
The offense’s implosion came on a day when the defense was stout. They showed that they could contain a potent offense and finally got some pass rush going. Safety Malcolm Jenkins returned an interception 51-yards to account for 6 of the Eagles total 21 points, making him the first in that position since Brian Dawkins to garner an interception in three straight games.
Special teams was amazing and accounted for the other two Eagles touchdowns, both of which occurred in the first half: Brad Smith recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown, then our boy Darren Sproles ran in an 82-yard punt return.
Quick aside: Please tell me that someone from the Eagles has at least sent flowers to the Saints organization for the acquisition of Jenkins and Sproles, as both seem to be gifts that keep on giving.
The Eagles now fall to 3-1 with a lot of reason for hope, but a number of concerns as well. A performance just as this–for the defense and special teams to step up when the offense falters–illustrates exactly why football is a team sport. But when the offense doesn’t just sputter but totally fails, you have what we witnessed on Sunday. Amazingly, though, the Eagles almost won it.
When we have a week when all phases of the team are firing on all cylinders for the majority of the game, we are going to have something wonderful to behold. It will happen. Having the o-line back to health, when it happens, will help. Until then, keep those Tums nearby.
The first Monday of the season when we’re dealing with a loss. No Dunkin Donuts coffee. The hits just keep coming. Think about this play to make your day a little bit less brutal–Jeremy Maclin’s incredible diving one-handed catch in the drive that almost pulled the Eagles through.
