Posts Tagged ‘Philadelphia Eagles’

Philadelphia Eagles uninspired, undisciplined in critical loss to Washington Redskins

Saturday, December 20th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

(Sanchez Inaction Figure, via @RobTornoe of the Inquirer)

(Sanchez Inaction Figure, via @RobTornoe of the Inquirer)

There are few times when I am rendered speechless, but the Philadelphia Eagles’ 27-24 loss to the lowly Washington Redskins – with absolutely everything on the line – has left me as such. As RG3 , DeSean Jackson and Jay Gruden yuk it up, celebrate the win and agree to let bygones be bygones, Philadelphia has some serious soul-searching to do. The lack of discipline has cost the team its third-straight game and revealed an uncomfortable reality: this is not a very good team. While we shake our heads at the frustration of being Philadelphia sports fans, this is a team that is very lucky to have a winning record. But, the luck seems to have finally worn out.

But don’t cry for the Eagles. They’ve done this entirely to themselves. Perhaps the Cowboys will lose to the Colts tomorrow. But it likely won’t do much for the Birds. To win the NFC East now, Philadelphia needs for Dallas to then lose to the Redskins in their final game. Then, the Eagles need to win against the Giants. Say what you will about Eli Manning, but his passing attack can be potent. And he has a receiver that you may have heard a little something about – one Odell Beckham, Jr. Do you trust this secondary to diffuse that potentially deadly combination? Didn’t think so.

You know who is thrilled with his Sanchez inaction figure under the tree? Nick Foles. Controversy? What quarterback controversy? But while we make fun of Sanchez, this Eagles defense is a real problem. Billy Davis’ inability to react to the limitations of his secondary is an indictment of the coaching staff as well as the players.

My one-year old son kept walking up to the television and turning it off. While frustrating at first, it turns out that he wasn’t being bad. He was trying to spare his mother and father the pain and humiliation of a loss to Washington. The kid already knows what it’s like being an Eagles fan.

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

Philadelphia Eagles face must-win against Washington Redskins to keep playoff hopes alive

Saturday, December 20th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

Eagles-vs-Redskins

The task for the Philadelphia Eagles this Saturday against the Washington Redskins is the same as it’s been all season: to win. But that goal now takes on an added edge of importance. It is what they must do in order to hold on to their already diminished odds of landing a playoff berth by taking the NFC East.

The Birds will step on FedEx field coming off of two humbling, back-to-back losses, first to the Seahawks and then to the Cowboys. Philadelphia’s season-long struggle with turnovers has proven to be too much to overcome against winning teams. A victory over the Cowboys in Week 15 would have given the Eagles’ ticket to their own destiny. Instead, they require help from other teams around the NFL to claim the top spot in their division.

So here we are. Fortunately, the Redskins are a team in complete meltdown, with coaches and quarterbacks battling each other rather than opponents. But that does not mean that this game is a given. Philadelphia has its own issues with lackluster performance from its quarterback, Mark Sanchez. The Birds can no longer overlook their mediocre secondary. The flaws of this 9-5 squad have been exposed and teams are taking advantage of that fact.

It’s conceivable that the Eagles will win their final two games and finish the season with an 11-5 record and still not make the playoffs. If that is the case, they have no one to blame but themselves. “Shame on us if that happens”, says Chip Kelly.

DeSean Jackson has a leg injury that has limited his production in recent weeks, but if he can find a way to light up his former team you know he’ll do it. But first, he’ll have to catch passes from an upright quarterback. Robert Griffin III has been sacked 23 times in his last four starts. His struggles with Jay Gruden’s offense are obvious, and they may serve to send the 3-11 team to 3-12. Washington’s running game shouldn’t prove to be much of a factor in this game, as Alfred Morris has yet to get 100 yards rushing against Philadelphia.

This week, we just need for Mark Sanchez to outplay RG3. That should be doable, right? With the playoffs on the line, the Eagles can ill afford to shoot themselves in their collective foot in what should be very winnable game against a divisional foe.

However, there is an added hurdle this weekend. Philadelphia can exhale if the Eagles defeat the Redskins, but only slightly. Sunday, all eyes will be on Dallas. Let the Cowboys’ ugly streak of home losses continue as they duel the Colts.  As much as the Eagles need this win today, they need that Dallas loss tomorrow.

But let’s focus on one thing at a time. Get that W today and head on home.

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

Philadelphia Eagles can’t hang on in loss to Dallas Cowboys

Monday, December 15th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

RB

The Dallas Cowboys got out to a quick 21-0 lead over the Philadelphia Eagles, a nightmare beginning to the rematch of the NFC East rivals. The 24 unanswered points then scored by the Birds in the second and third quarters were a rousing flash of the team we saw on Thanksgiving Day. Then came the final collapse, where Philadelphia ultimately fell 38-27 to Dallas at the Linc.

We waited for Tony Romo to be Tony Romo in December, but it didn’t happen. Instead, he finished the game 22/31 for 265 yards and 3 TDs. No interceptions. Boo.

The Eagles’ secondary could not contain Dez Bryant, who had 114 yards and three touchdowns. A slew of penalties against Cary Williams added insult to injury. Once Philadelphia pulled ahead to  a 24-21 lead in the third quarter, they quickly let it vanish.  The Cowboys scored two TDs within 2 minutes and 51 seconds – a DeMarco Murray touchdown, followed by Mark Sanchez throwing an interception and giving the football to Dallas at the Philadelphia 42-yard line to start the fourth quarter, ultimately ending in a Bryant score.

Philadelphia running backs put in work – Chris Polk saw the endzone twice as his team was mounting its comeback, and Darren Sproles got one in late in the third quarter. And that was all she wrote for the Eagles offense this game.

A now 9-5 record has covered many issues on this Eagles team, which have been terribly exposed in each game against a winning opponent. A woeful secondary can only get you so far, and Mark Sanchez has shown himself to be who he truly is: Mark Sanchez. He finished the game 17/28 for 252 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. The Eagles now lead the league with 34 turnovers, a distinction that has made all the difference against playoff-caliber teams.

What does the playoff picture now look for for the Birds? Philadelphia is now one game behind the dreaded Cowboys. Dallas controls its own destiny – if they win out, they win the division. For the Eagles to win the NFC East – far more likely option than getting a wild card berth – they need to win the final games on their schedule – road games against the Redskins and Giants. Philadelphia then needs for Dallas to lose one of its final two games – next week against the Colts, or the following week at Washington.

Philadelphia would also get the NFC East title if the Cowboys lost both of its final games and the Birds won both of theirs. That seems unlikely, given that the unsightly Redskins are one of their upcoming opponents.

Winning the division is still a possibility for the Birds, though they have made the situation far more difficult on themselves. But the question we all have to wonder at this stage is this: Even if this team gets a playoff berth, what have we seen that convinces us that they can do anything with it?

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

Eying the enemy: Dallas defense looking for redemption in rematch with the Eagles

Saturday, December 13th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

And it’s McCoy with the facepalm to the Dallas defense!  (Image via Marine Barracks Washington 8th & I on Flickr.)

And it’s McCoy with the facepalm to the Dallas defense!
(Image via Marine Barracks Washington 8th & I on Flickr.)

It’s the day before the big Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles rematch, and it seems like a loong time until Sunday night. To get (more) riled up, I decided to work on my pre-holiday diet and scour the stories of the Dallas media in advance of the huge primetime meeting.

There was an absence of the trash talk that led up to the first meeting this season between the teams, presumably  because both sides need to get rather convincing recent butt-whoppings out of their systems.

Former Cowboys DT Chad Hennings had a lot to say about the Eagles and its fans, from an interview published Friday:

“As players, you always want to be complimentary of your opponent, unless it was the Eagles. That’s the one team I think that gets in my craw more than any others, from past experience. Well the fans, first and foremost. There’s just something about Philly. The City of Brotherly Love, it was the antithesis of that. It was total opposite. Their fans, on both sides, they’d be throwing snowballs, iceballs at their own cheerleaders. When we would get briefed coming in and out of the locker room at old Vet Stadium, ‘make sure you wear your helmet because you’re probably gonna get something thrown at you. That speaks volumes.”

In case you’re wondering, he did go on to mention how Philadelphia fans booed Santa Claus. Now that he’s off the field, he has time to sit around and make digs at the Eagles. Sounds awesome.

Jerry Jones weighed in (of course) on what he expects the Philadelphia game plan to be: The exact same as it was on Thanksgiving Day:

“Why wouldn’t you, if you’re Philadelphia, play just exactly like you played us before? They kicked our butt.”

And why wouldn’t you, if you’re Philadelphia, expect that if you play the exact same game plan, the outcome won’t be nearly as favorable as it was on Thanksgiving? Let’s show just a little respect for Chip Kelly there, Jerry.

The Cowboys defensive line is coming into the Linc looking for redemption after being completely and thoroughly humiliated by the Eagles last month, and on a holiday, no less. Corner Orlando Scandrick called it “one of the worst games we’ve played in the Jason Garrett era.”

DE Jeremy Mincey did not enjoy other men having their way with him and the rest of the Dallas defense:

“We definitely got a chip [on our shoulders]. They had their way with us. No man on this roster likes that. We know we didn’t play up to our potential. We didn’t do what we were supposed to do.”

And, DT Tyrone Crawford weighed in on what the Cowboys D sees as a battle for their redemption:

“We are definitely going to go out there and show them and everybody else who has doubts about our defense that that wasn’t our defense the last game. We are going to play how we like to play and how we do. Hopefully, it’s a different outcome.”
Don’t bank on it, Tyrone.

High flying Eagles offense takes on stingy Seahawks D in huge NFC matchup

Sunday, December 7th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

Birds VS

The Seattle Seahawks face the Philadelphia Eagles at the Linc today for a huge NFC showdown. Who will prevail?

The NFL’s top-ranked defense will meet a soaring Eagles offense, fourth in the league and cruising at 416.2 yards per game. Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving beat down of the Cowboys showed a Birds team firing on all cylinders, ready for their most critical matchups of the season. With the o-line finally finding its footing with the return of Jason Kelce and Evan Mathis, LeSean McCoy has had back-to-back games of  100+ yards.

The Seattle D allows a stingy 285.8 yards per game. Seattle is third-best against the passing attack, allowing just under 200 yards. And against the run, they have allowed just 86.3 yards per game.

While an excellent team, unlike the 2013 iteration, the 2014 Seahawks have revealed themselves to be fallible, standing at 8-4. As much as you hear about the team’s defensive threat, their offensive weapons are limited. Seattle averages just 192 passing yards a game, as quarterback Russell Wilson doesn’t have many targets. Doug Baldwin is the team’s leading receiver, who does a solid job but doesn’t send opposing defenses quaking at the mere sound of his name. The real concern for the Eagles is on the ground, both with Wilson and running back Marshawn Lynch. Lynch’s nickname of Beast Mode tells the tale of his prowess in the rushing attack. Connor Barwin will look to continue his streak of QB sacking after receiving Defensive Player of the Month honors, and Mychal Kendricks will have something to say about Lynch running all the turf at the Linc.

The big story of the game will be how the Eagles’ passing game holds up against Seattle’s secondary. Earl Thomas is one of the best safeties in the league, and Kam Chancellor won’t give the Eagles an easy time of things. Jeremy Maclin is having the beast season of his career, and Richard Sherman is just waiting to shut him down. Can’t you hear him mouthing off already? But the problem with Sherman is that he has the numbers to back up the talk. He has 23 interceptions since 2011, the most in the NFL. The next closest player has 8 fewer.

It will be critical for Mark Sanchez to not do too much this game, as we know he has a propensity to turn the ball over. He needs to play smart, lean on his teammates, and not make mistakes at critical points in the game.

This is going to be a good one, ladies and gents. The kind of stressful, heart-pumping Sunday affair that makes us love football. In the end, the many weapons and dimensions of the Eagles offense will outshine Russell, Lynch, and the famed Seattle D. Eagles 26, Seahawks 21

Extra: Will Shady surpass Wilbert Montgomery as the Eagles’ all-time rushing leader this game? He’s just 48 yards away. The legend himself hopes it happens today.

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

Connor Barwin on award: ‘People are taking notice of our defense’

Friday, December 5th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Connor Barwin had a hell of a November. He was a sacking beast, leaving opposing quarterbacks little chance to remain on their feet. His feats were noticed around the NFL, with Barwin named as the NFCCB Defensive Player of the Month on Thursday.

It is the second time that Barwin has received the honor in his NFL career, the first with the Eagles.

In Barwin’s five games in November, he recorded 6.5 sacks, 24 tackles, and a forced fumble. The highlight of his performance for the month came in Philadelphia’s 45-21 win over the Carolina Panthers on November 10, where Barwin alone racked up 3.5 sacks on Cam Newton.

And how about this honor: Barwin is the first Eagle to be named NFC Defensive Player of the Month since Brian Dawkins won the award in December of 2008.

Barwin saw the accolades as a validation of the performance of all of his teammates on defense.

“It’s a representation of people taking notice about how well we’re all playing on defense…That Dallas game, it was the three guys on the interior who won every single matchup that game. That’s what’s good about (the award). People are starting to take notice of our defense as a whole.”

Looking forward to what you’ve got to show us in December, Connor Barwin and the entire Eagles defense. Congratulations!

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

Philadelphia Eagles players take to Twitter to celebrate Thanksgiving beat down of the Dallas Cowboys

Friday, November 28th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

Eagles

This is what we were most thankful for on Thanksgiving Day: A total beatdown of the Dallas Cowboys by the Philadelphia Eagles. The defense was unstoppable. The offense was on fire. Tony Romo and his team were in meltdown mode. And the Eagles fought their way to #1 in the NFC East. All right in Jerry’s World. And thankfully, the revolution was televised across the land for all to see.

It just doesn’t get any better than that.

We’re all still riding the joyous feeling of victory so let it continue. Here are how Eagles celebrated their big win and shared it with fans on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/BrandonBoykin2/status/538148238642008064


The king of them all, beloved Brian Dawkins, shared his Thanksgiving glee about the awesome victory as well.

There are leftovers to feast on (no, I don’t mean the Cowboys this time), it’s a holiday weekend and we have over a week to ride this high–and rub it in the face of each and ever Dallas fan that you meet. Maybe God likes Eagles fans after all.

If you’re hitting the stores today, don’t trample nobody, please!

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

WE WANT DALLAS: Best Eagles trash talk of the week

Wednesday, November 26th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

Eagles

WE WANT DALLAS. So chanted Philadelphia Eagles fans at Lincoln Financial Field as they watched their team handily dismantle the Tennessee Titans.

The scenario is perfect to frame the conditions for a showdown of epic proportions. Philadelphia. Dallas. Thanksgiving Day. Tied records. Fight for number one in the division. It’s the showdown that has Eagles fans more interested in the game than what’s on the table, and players can’t help but get caught up in the emotion as well.

You don’t like Dallas? Neither do they. Here are some of the best lines from Eagles players this week about why they hate Dallas.

Brent Celek: “We take on a little bit of what the fans feel. If a fans dislike a team, we dislike a team. We’re all in this thing together. I don’t like Dallas.”

Josh Huff (who’s from Houston): “I’ve always hated the Cowboys. It’s just a little Houston vs. Dallas thing. I’ve always hated the Cowboys. There was always so much history there in those Cowboys vs. Texans games in the battle of the state, to see who was better.”

Bennie Logan: “Yeah, they’re OK. I don’t really know what’s great about them.”

Nolan Carroll: “It’s all a show at Jerry’s World.”

Sufficiently pumped? No, you’re not. Here’s a side of Bradley Cooper dissing on Dallas to push you over the edge.

If you’re traveling to get home or anywhere else for the holidays, please travel safely, Eagles fans!

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

Philadelphia Eagles trounce Tennessee Titans with big win at the Linc

Monday, November 24th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

LeSean McCoy found his footing in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 43-24 victory over the Titans.

LeSean McCoy found his footing in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 43-24 victory over the Titans.

It started with Josh Huff returning the opening kickoff for a 107-yard touchdown for a franchise record. From the opening seconds of the game onward, the Philadelphia Eagles led the Tennessee Titans and never looked back, winning the match-up handily with a final score of 43-24.

The Birds quickly extended their lead to 14-0 after a rushing touchdown by Darren Sproles. But the biggest story this game was another Philadelphia running back. LeSean McCoy finally got things going and by the end of the day, accumulated 130 yards over 21 carries and 1 touchdown, including one electrifying 53-yard run.

What made the difference in the Eagles’ ground game? Shady said that everything just finally clicked.

“We just stuck to it… everybody focused in and had a terrific week of practice and we just stuck to it. I think everybody executed, they got the backs in one-on-one situations. The guys up front really, really blocked well. Even the guys outside, the wide receivers, they blocked well too so it was just all together.”

While beating the Titans by a margin of 19 points, there remains a number of concerns about the Birds on both sides of the ball. Leading Philadelphia to its second win in his three starts, Mark Sanchez demonstrated that there is still reason for concern with his propensity for turning over the ball. He finished the day 20/37 for 332 yards and a touchdown, but also hit a pair of interceptions. Heading into Dallas for NFC East supremacy on Thanksgiving Day, handing out the early holiday gifts in the form of turnovers by the Eagles has got to stop.

The defense allowed a team averaging just under 17 points a game to score 24. They allowed Zach Mettenberger, a rookie quarterback and the backup of a backup, to rack up numbers better than the Eagles’ own signal caller: Mettenberger was 20 for 39, totaling 345 yards on the day with two touchdowns and an interception. That, very simply, is not okay.

In positive play on defense, Connor Barwin continues to be a sack-racking beast, adding two more to his count on Sunday, as did Trent Cole. And kudos to the D for forcing three turnovers by the Titans, a needed counterbalance to an offense that truly needs some help for it’s addiction to giving the ball away.

While he missed a field goal, Cody Parkey continues to be an incredible pickup by the Eagles. On the season he is 23 of 25 FGs, and yesterday made 5 of 6 attempts, including a 50-yarder.

There have been no write-ups of this Eagles team this season, now 8-3, that hasn’t commented on the various areas of concern for the team. But all of it said, discussed and analyzed, you still have a team with a great record. They find ways to win, even when it appears that they are looking for every way they can to undermine that. But for this Philadelphia team to go the distance, they’ve got to start doing it against winning teams, a test that they’ll face over the next three games.

Next stop for the Eagles is Dallas on Thanksgiving Day. Chants of “We want Dallas” were heard throughout the Linc on Sunday. Those chants will grow ever-louder across the Philadelphia region as the big game on the big day gets closer.

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

Preview: Eagles seek to throttle Titans

Sunday, November 23rd, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

Titans

After the beating the Philadelphia Eagles received from the Green Bay Packers last Sunday, the Titans are the sort of opponent the Birds hoped to see. It’s no secret that 2-8 Tennessee isn’t a very good team. 7-3 Philadelphia should beat them handily. They need to get another win in the books to fully shake off what happened in Green Bay, and then focus all attention on their next task: Beating the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day. 

But there is another game to be played between now and then. Offensively, there is no comparison between the teams. The Eagles average 406.8 yards per game, fourth best in the league, while the Titans put up almost 100 yards less with 309 per game. There’s only one team in the league worse than that, and it’s the Oakland Raiders. Tennessee puts up just 16.8 points per game, as opposed to the Eagles’ 29.9 points.

The Eagles will face Zach Mettenberger, the Titans’ third signal caller this season. The rookie is completing almost 62% of his passes and has 5 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. The most targeted receiver on the squad is Kendall Wright, who has 43 catches for 473 yards. However, tight end Delanie Walker tops Tennessee with 512 receiving yards. The likes of Connor Barwin and Vinny Curry will bring the pass rush, which should be too much for Mettenberger and the Tennessee offense to bear.

In the running game, rookie Bishop Sankey is the go-to man. Though averaging just 3.5 YPC, he’s rushed for least 50 yards on the ground in four of their last five games. Bennie Logan, Fletcher Cox and Cedric Thornton will continue to be strong defenders against the ground attack.

Defensively, the matchup is far more comparable between the teams, much to Philadelphia’s chagrin. Tennessee is ranked 21st in the league overall, allowing 370 yards by opponents, while the Eagles have an even worse 26th defense overall, allowing 378 yards each game.  The Titans are decent against the passing attack, ranked 9th in the league. And that’s not just on paper: Tennessee can and will bring the pressure, so Sanchez must adjust accordingly.

In the ground attack, the only team with a run defense worse than the Titans are the Giants (ha!). Much of the season has been filled with statements like, “the Eagles have got to get LeSean McCoy going. This team isn’t very good against the run, surely he’ll gain traction.” And yet, it rarely happens. Shady said this week that, “ I feel like we’re almost there.” Well,  if you are, then a fine time to debut the fully completed feat would be against the 31st run defense in the league. Currently averaging a meager 3.7 YPC, no one knows better than McCoy that he is long overdue for a breakout performance.

The Eagles should handily come out the victors in this contest, unless, of course, they beat themselves. Which they’ve come close to doing far too many times this season. Philadelphia is currently in sole possession of a title that no one wants – they lead the league in giveaways with 25. The number for the entire 2013 season was 19. The Birds must stop giving away the ball in order to have the best chance to win.

Tennessee comes to Philadelphia facing a home team eager to put the humiliation of a game gone awry out of the minds and memories of the itself and its fans. They want momentum heading into their huge contest with the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, and they want to show that they can fire on all cylinders even with injuries taking their toll. Prediction: Eagles 34, Titans 20

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports