You don't mind so much when you go into a game knowing you're the underdog and it turns out you lose a hard-fought battle…
Fact is, it's hard to say who was more the underdog, Philly or New Orleans… But when you lose a game because you were just outplayed physically and mentally on the line of scrimmage, and you were killed by your own mistakes again and again, you have to wonder if maybe this is just not your year.
The Eagles gained over 400 yards on offense…but somehow managed a way to lose the game.
It's maddening…and I sure don't mean anything having to with Madden 13—just the opposite…
I promised you I would not overreact— even at 3-5, the Birds still have a chance to go on a run and make the playoffs. Seven teams in the history of the league have accomplished that feat.
But the real problem is, it's getting harder and harder for we fans to believe that the current state of player personnel and coaching brains will allow that potential comeback to occur.
Patrick Robinson (#21, 3rd year, CB, 1st round, FSU, 5-11, 191) swung this game around early the Saints' way for good with a tipped-pass INT off the hands of Brent Celek with a 98-yard TD return… It was a potential scoring drive by Vick and company that went up in smoke…the pass play was poorly designed from the get-go as it led Celek into double-cover traffic near the goal-line…Maybe if Vick had just thrown the pass into a more down and away window… But of course Philly fans don't want their QB's throwing passes that are low and away…right, Donovan?
Thousands of Eagles fans descended on the city this past weekend to root for their favorite team against the New Orleans Saints on Monday night. They crammed the bars and restaurants of Bourbon Street, drinking Hurricanes, eating jambalaya and touring the French Quarter.
Their fun ended soon after they showed up at the Superdome.
The Eagles delivered another sorry performance and suffered their fourth straight loss, 28-13 to the Saints. As a result, the team once billed as a Super Bowl contender ended the first half of its regular season at 3-5.
“I’m absolutely shocked to be 3-5 now,” quarterback Michael Vick said. “We just have to stay strong and find a way to figure it out. It’s very frustrating, but we just have to keep pushing forward. I don’t think it’s too late.”
Before the opening kickoff Monday and again early in the fourth quarter, a chant went up from Saints fans—“Who dat? Who dat? Who dat gonna beat dem Saints?”
The Eagles didn’t come close.
Their players-only meeting last week and bold talk of turning the season around didn’t work. Many of the same problems — turnovers, poor tackling — that plagued them in the last three losses remained.
“We have too much talent to have this record,” wide receiver DeSean Jackson said. “But we can’t just keep saying it: We have to do it. It takes a team effort, and everyone has to be ready when their number is called.”
The Eagles had plenty of chances to beat the Saints, but the offense failed to capitalize on most of its opportunities and the defense couldn’t contain quarterback Drew Brees and the Saints’ offense.
Offensively, the Eagles failed to score a touchdown on four trips inside the Saints’ 10-yard line. Their only touchdown came on Vick’s 77-yard pass to Jackson in the third quarter.
Two of the deep drives ended with field goals by place-kicker Alex Henery. The other two ended in turnovers, including a costly one early in the game.
After the Eagles drove to the Saints’ 5-yard line, Vick’s pass toward Brent Celek bounced of the tight end’s right hand. Saints cornerback Patrick Robinson intercepted it and raced 98 yards for a touchdown. Celek also lost a fumble at the Saints’ 5-yard line during the fourth quarter.
“Honestly, I’m at a loss for words,” Celek said. “I didn’t do anything to help us tonight. I felt like I let the team down and let the city down.”
Vick completed 22-of-41 passes for 272 yards with a touchdown and his ninth interception of the season. He was under constant pressure, suffering seven sacks and at least a half dozen other hits.
After the game, coach Andy Reid said Vick will remain the starting quarterback next Sunday against Dallas.
“If I saw that our guys weren’t playing hard, I’d question that,” Reid said. “But it looked to me like we played hard. When you go (0-for-4) in the red zone, allow seven sacks and have terrible tackling, you are going to struggle to win games in this league.”
Defensively, the Eagles couldn’t contain Brees and company. Brees connected on 21-of-27 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns.
On special teams, the Eagles appeared to score a touchdown off a trick play in the third quarter. Wide receiver Riley Cooper laid face down in the end zone while Brandon Boykin fielded the kickoff. Cooper then got up, caught Boykin’s lateral and sprinted 95 yards for an apparent touchdown. However, the TD was nullified when Boykin was penalized for an illegal forward pass. I could see for myself on the TV screen that Boykin and Cooper had failed to execute a legal lateral pass. I also thought the play was a stupid call and reeked of desperation. That kind of desperate action speaks volumes for just how disconnected this Eagles team is from playing confident and winning football right now.
Those mistakes offset some bright spots, however.
Running back LeSean McCoy had a strong game, rushing for 119 yards on 19 carries. Rookie running back Bryce Brown added a dazzling, 40-yard run…I remember yelling at the TV screen for Bryce to keep going, keep fighting into the end zone, as I had a stupid premonition if he did not finish that run for a score, something bad would happen.
Well, it did…
Defensively, end Brandon Graham got a sack, forced a fumble and got a fumble recovery on one play, which led to Vick’s 77-yard TD pass to Jackson.
On the ensuing kickoff, Eagles running back Chris Polk forced a fumble and cornerback Brandon Hughes pounced on it for the team’s second fumble recovery of the game. The Eagles had only one fumble recovery in its first seven games.
But they just couldn’t play well enough or consistent enough to pull out a much needed victory.
“The effort and the toughness are there,” Celek said. “We just have to stick together and play hard. There’s still a half a season left and we can still turn this thing around.”
Theoretically, Celek is correct…there's still time to turn it around…but not without a pro-quality offensive line. I don't know if I can bear to see another complete beat-down of the Eagles' pocket-passing game by yet another crew of athletic pass-rushers from yet another 3-5 or 4-4 team…
- Saints 28, Eagles 13
-
Philadelphia 0 3 10 0—13 New Orleans 7 14 7 0—28
First Quarter NO_Robinson 98 interception return (Hartley kick), 2:36. New Orleans 7, Philadelphia 0.
Second Quarter Phi_FG Henery 22, 12:03. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 5:33. Key Plays: McCoy 13 run; McCoy 25 run; McCoy 34 run on 4th-and-1. New Orleans 7, Philadelphia 3.
NO_Ivory 22 run (Hartley kick), 8:33. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 3:30. Key Plays: Ingram 5 run on 3rd-and-1; Ingram 23 run. New Orleans 14, Philadelphia 3.
NO_Colston 1 pass from Brees (Hartley kick), 1:13. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:46. Key Plays: Brees 13 pass to Graham; Brees 17 pass to Graham; P.Thomas 19 run. New Orleans 21, Philadelphia 3.
Third Quarter Phi_Jackson 77 pass from Vick (Henery kick), 8:42. Drive: 2 plays, 83 yards, 0:49. Key Play: Graham fumble recovery (Brees). New Orleans 21, Philadelphia 10.
Phi_FG Henery 37, 7:00. Drive: 5 plays, 3 yards, 1:34. Key Plays: Hughes fumble recovery (Cadet); Vick 14 run. New Orleans 21, Philadelphia 13.
NO_Graham 6 pass from Brees (Hartley kick), 1:20. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 5:40. Key Plays: Brees 16 pass to Ingram; Brees 23 pass to Moore on 3rd-and-7. New Orleans 28, Philadelphia 13.
A_73,099.
___
Phi NO FIRST DOWNS 24 20 Rushing 10 5 Passing 13 14 Penalty 1 1 THIRD DOWN EFF 6-16 5-9 FOURTH DOWN EFF 1-2 0-0 TOTAL NET YARDS 447 371 Total Plays 77 54 Avg Gain 5.8 6.9 NET YARDS RUSHING 221 140 Rushes 29 25 Avg per rush 7.6 5.6 NET YARDS PASSING 226 231 Sacked-Yds lost 7-46 2-8 Gross-Yds passing 272 239 Completed-Att. 22-41 21-27 Had Intercepted 1 0 Yards-Pass Play 4.7 8.0 KICKOFFS-EndZone-TB 4-4-0 5-5-4 PUNTS-Avg. 4-44.5 3-49.7 Punts blocked 0 0 FGs-PATs blocked 0-0 0-0 TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE 33 222 Punt Returns 1-20 1-5 Kickoff Returns 1-13 4-118 Interceptions 0-0 1-99 PENALTIES-Yds 7-58 4-35 FUMBLES-Lost 2-1 3-2 TIME OF POSSESSION 33:30 26:30 ___
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING_Philadelphia, McCoy 19-119, Vick 6-53, Brown 4-49. New Orleans, Ivory 10-48, Ingram 7-44, P.Thomas 6-44, Cadet 1-5, Brees 1-(minus 1).
PASSING_Philadelphia, Vick 22-41-1-272. New Orleans, Brees 21-27-0-239.
RECEIVING_Philadelphia, Avant 6-56, Celek 5-47, Jackson 3-100, Harbor 3-20, Maclin 2-28, McCoy 2-14, Havili 1-7. New Orleans, Graham 8-72, Colston 4-46, Moore 2-61, P.Thomas 2-26, Ingram 2-23, Henderson 1-8, Ivory 1-2, Collins 1-1.
PUNT RETURNS_Philadelphia, D.Johnson 1-20. New Orleans, Moore 1-5.
KICKOFF RETURNS_Philadelphia, Boykin 1-13. New Orleans, Cadet 3-80, P.Thomas 1-38.
TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS_Philadelphia, Sims 6-2-0, Kendricks 4-1-0, Cole 3-3-0, Ryans 3-3-0, Coleman 3-2-0, Jordan 3-2-0, Rodgers-Cromartie 3-0-0, Babin 2-2-1, Boykin 2-0-0, Chaney 2-0-0, Hunt 2-0-0, Cox 1-2-0, Graham 1-1-1, Jenkins 1-1-0, Havili 1-0-0, Marsh 1-0-0, Polk 1-0-0, Asomugha 0-1-0, Patterson 0-1-0, Thornton 0-1-0. New Orleans, Jenkins 7-6-0, Lofton 6-2-0, Greer 4-2-0, Jordan 3-3-3, Harper 3-3-0, Vilma 3-1-0, White 3-1-0, Johnson 3-0-0, Casillas 2-4-0, Wilson 2-3-1, Smith 2-1-2, Ellis 1-2-0, Abdul-Quddus 1-1-0, Bunkley 1-0-1, Bush 1-0-0, Grubbs 1-0-0, Patrick 1-0-0, Robinson 1-0-0, Shanle 1-0-0, Hicks 0-1-0.
INTERCEPTIONS_New Orleans, Robinson 1-98.
MISSED FIELD GOALS_New Orleans, Hartley 52 (WL).
___
OFFICIALS_Referee Clete Blakeman, Ump Garth DeFelice, HL Tony Veteri, LJ Ron Marinucci, FJ Buddy Horton, SJ Greg Meyer, BJ Terrence Miles, Replay Dick Creed.
Time: 3:00.
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