"Pathetic"..............In Andy Reid's day after press conference, that was how he referred to the play of his offense and the plays called in the last two Eagle possessions of the game. While I agree with "Big Red", they should have been able to run the clock out at the end of that game. I will also say it wasn't just the offense that looked "pathetic."
The Eagles defense held a very talented offensive passing game to only 86 yards through the first three quarters of the game. Nnamdi Asomugha actually looked like a shut down corner, holding the best receiver in football to only one catch for 28 yards through the first three quarters. As the defense took the field in the 4th quarter, Andy said that they switched into more zone coverage. This decision took Nnamdi, who at that point was playing great, off Calvin Johnson in man coverage. Megatron went off in the 4th quarter and overtime, hauling in 5 catches for 107 yards. Along with the zone coverage, the defense blitzed more and was ineffective in doing so. The Eagles had no pressure from the defensive line, as they went sack-less for the third straight game. What was suppose to be the strength of this defense, now looks like a liability. The defense also allowed 66 rushing yards in the 4th quarter. While the offense didn't help them out late, the defense once again gave up a 4th quarter lead, allowing the Lions to score 10 points within three and half minutes.
The Eagle offense did not look very good in three of the four quarters. Michael Vick was hit early and often, as the offensive line looked non-existent at times. The injures to Jason Kelce and Jason Peters were very prominent on Sunday. Twice Dallas Reynolds snapped the ball to Vick when he was clearly not ready, and leading to an Eagle turnover. Vick wasn't perfect himself, throwing two interceptions. The third quarter was the only quarter that the offense looked like it had any sort of rhythm. Vick was getting rid of the ball quick on three step drops, throwing quick slants and curl routes. All that pretty much disappeared in the 4th quarter. The Eagles also seem to forget they have arguably the best running back in the NFL. He did manage to touch the ball 21 times, but only 14 times rushing. The biggest thing that stood out to me was Shady only touched the ball 3 times in the 4th quarter. That cannot happen when the Eagles have a late lead.
The Eagles head into the bye a disappointing 3-3. While they have been in all but the Cardinal game, they easily could be 0-6. On the other hand, they did have quality wins against the Ravens and Giants. It doesn't get any easier coming out of the bye. The Eagles will face the undefeated Atlanta Falcons, before traveling to New Orleans for a Monday night showdown. These next two games could very well define this teams season, 0-2 and it looks like another 8-8 season at best.
-Brett DeFalco
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