I’m sure no one had any trouble going to sleep after this one, right? This was one of the craziest, non-stop, full-throttle football games I have ever seen. After the first 5 minutes, where the Eagles scored 2 touchdowns, you figured the game would settle down, but it never did. Like, ever.
This game had absolutely everything (except defense). Big plays, missed opportunities, enraging defensive play, get-up-and-scream offensive plays, a team with 512 yards of offense losing, and so much more.
The defining moment was a brilliant 12-play, 91 yard drive that took up 7:24 of clock and put the Birds up 14 points with 5 minutes left.
The result? The Eagles are alone atop the division at 9-4, have a 1 game lead on the Cowboys and a 2 game lead (and the tiebreaker) over the Giants. They have San Francisco next week while the Cowboys travel to New Orleans. Shockingly, a first-round bye isn’t even out of the question right now, though the Vikings would need to get upset a couple times.
Say what you want about McNabb and Reid (and you will), but while the Giants and Cowboys have faltered late in the year the last couple years, the Eagles have now gone 13-3 in December in the last 3 years and have only gotten better as the year goes on. Our defense obviously needs to get their act together for us to have a shot of going deep in the playoffs, but our offense with McNabb playing well, Jackson becoming a game-changer, and Vick, McCoy and Weaver becoming more involved, will likely give us a shot in any game we play.
Here are my “notes” on the game, I wrote them as the game went on (so I didn’t have to put together an entire post after the game) so consider them something of a live blog.
After checking them out, chime in with your thoughts about this game, and where you think this Eagles team is headed.
- Going into this game, I can’t remember a non-playoff game that wasn’t in the last week of the season that had as much at stake as this game. A loss, and we are in a 3-way tie with Dallas and New York, a win, and we are alone in first, 1 game up on Dallas (with them traveling to NO next week), 2 games up the Giants.
- Let’s talk about the first drive. I wondered why the Eagles took the ball after winning the toss, and I guess it was because Reid saw something he could exploit off the bat. Good play calls that kept the Giants off-balance, a great throw by Vick, and a nice TE screen. Perfect start to the game.
- Then, just like that – a 14-0 lead on a tremendous hustle play by Trent Cole. I mentioned last week how underrated Cole is – and what makes him great is that he is a sideline-to-sideline DE. He never gives up on a play. Another underrated facet of his? Of all the guys who could complain about their contract, he might top the list, and you never hear to peep.
- You always have to worry when you get up that quick, that your team might lose focus. That certainly seemed to be the case as the defense used penalties and poor tackling to get back to 14-10.
- The non PI call on Celek in the endzone was amazing. The only way it would have been more clear is if he was tackled. That being said, if we run Leonard Weaver twice instead of a fake reverse and then another pass, I’m pretty sure we score. Reid should know by now that McNabb’s accuracy isn’t the best, and he shouldn’t be counting on him to fit it into tight spaces on critical plays.
- I’m glad Hakeem Nicks isn’t on the Eagles so I don’t have to write about his night.
- DeSean Jackson is officially the most exciting athlete this city has seen since A.I. in his prime. The speed he showed on his punt return just defies description.
- One big concern in the first half: Almost no pressure on Eli. And he picked us apart to the tune of 10-18 for 168. And it would have been a lot worse if his WR’s held on to the ball.
- Uhhhh….what on earth was going with NO ONE noticing the ball was on the 32, not the 42, at the end of the first half?
- Eli Manning’s face after our offense scores it’s 30th point in the first half? Priceless.
- Horrible, horrible opening drive in the 2nd half by the Eagles defense. ZERO pressure on Manning, Sean Jones doing his Sean Considine impression and getting run over twice, can’t stop them on 4th and goal. Don’t know if it’s scheme or what, but the d-line isn’t winning any one-on-one battles.
- Don’t know if it was Celek’s fault or McNabb’s fault on the pick in the 3rd quarter – but that was a horrible, horrible pick – until Eli Claus gave it right back to us.
- McNabb HAS to hit Reggie Brown on that deep pass he missed right after the Eli fumble.
- Dominic Hixon’s 61 yard touchdown was probably the most pathetic tackling display I’ve ever seen. Sean Jones attempt at a tackle was particularly awful. That isn’t scheme, or lack of personnel. The defense did not come to play today.
- BUT – luckily McNabb and DeSean Jackson did – as their 60 yards touchdown on the FIRST play after the Giants took the lead gave it back to us, and put this game officially into Twilight Zone territory.
- The first sack of the game was a big one, as we finally got the Giants 3 and out with 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.
- Jeremiah Trotter might lack in a couple areas, but I don’t think “intensity” is one of them.
- I know my man-crush on Leonard Weaver is well-known, but he was so good on that HUGE 4th Quarter drive and part of it was his ability to get 4-5 yards after contact. I love that Reid is FINALLY looking to him more.
- Kudos to Reggie Brown. He had all the reason in the world to pack it in after being pretty much benched the last 2 seasons. With Curtis, Jackson and Maclin all hurting, he’s made some big plays the last 2 weeks.
- Mike Vick is getting his legs, and seems to be becoming our go-to guy on 3rd and 3-4 yards and within the 10 yard line. Best of luck, opposing D-Coordinators.
- The Andy Reid / DeSean Jackson congratulatory jump is just phenomenal on so many levels.
- More horrendous tackling on the Eli to Bradshaw 1 yd pass. This needs to be fixed, but I don’t know you do that.
- Mark you calendars! A good challenge by Reid! (What was Sheldon doing on that play, by the way)
- I guess he was doing what Will Witherspoon was doing on the Kevin Boss TD.
- Hopefully Trent Cole only gets a fine for his punches at the end of the game. Considering Flozell Adams hasn’t gotten suspended yet, it probably won’t happen. Also, people punching others with helmets on has never made sense to me, and never will.
I guess it was on another thread, someone earlier in the week had said that if the Birds took care of business against the Giants, and if Dallas lost, the Eagles could lose the last 3, and make the playoffs.
Turns out to be only close to the truth. I think.
Now that the Birds have hung 45 on the Giants, and Dallas has lost, the Birds are up one on Dallas, and 2 on NYG. If NYG wins out, the Eagles still need a win to beat them out (both would have 10, Birds sweep for tiebreaker). If Dallas wins out, they would be 11-5, win the division, and leave the Eagles and Giants vying for the 6 spot, necessitating 1 Eagle win. If both the Giants (10-6) and Dallas win out (11-5), the Eagles need 1 more win to get in. Unless I’m mistaken, its a lock that the Eagles are in if they win 1 and the NFC East gets the wild card other than Green Bay (a virtual lock). And I don’t see any other division that could send a wild card.
Other than that, its still complicated. I know this though. San Fransisco beating Arizona Monday night helps the Eagles chances of the 3 seed, and hosting a wild card against the 6 seed on wildcard weekend. Higher than the 3 seed would take a mircle as in the Vikes losing 3 straight and the Birds winning out.
I hope nobody reads this as the gospel truth, but when I read that lose 3 and get in anyway, it shocked me that it was so close to the truth as it turns out, and I’m sorta thinking out loud here.
DeSean Jackson is officially the most exciting athlete this city has seen since A.I. in his prime. The speed he showed on his punt return just defies description.>>
Except for Eric Bruntlett.
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Birds are now 7-1 when they score on the first possession. Whoever thouht Brian Westbrook being unable to play would work out as favorably as it has for the Eagles. Sy what we want about Coach Reid’s game management at times, but the way that youth has been transformed in has really helped keep the Birds stock chart on an incline.
As to where they are headed, a win is a win, but so many instances of non championship level tackling. Somehow, that has to improve quickly.
One thing that bothered me that you didn’t mention Pete was time expiring at the end of the 1st half on the fumbled kickoff return when the Eagles had clearly recovered it and were down by contact with 2 seconds left…if the refs get that right and we get a FG it would have really changed the complexion of the game….
I thought that officiating crew did an excellent job last night, they seemed to let the players play more than most crews. I don’t mind that the flags get swallowed once in awhile.
Lotta sad Yankees fans today! BOO-HOO
Part of what allowed this game to be so exciting was the inability of either D-Line to sustain any pressure on the QB. The giants generated some push, but McNabb was able to avoid the pressure. The Eagles got no where near Eli most of the game. It tool a great offensive game and the stars being aligned (defensive and special teams TD’s) to win a game like this.
It was exciting and clutch (esp that 7:30 drive) but they clearly need to clean some things up on defense. The tackling was a glaring issue, but I think the giants ability to wall of the line of schrimage was an even bigger issue in the 500 yards allowed.
I tend to look at the defense last night as an anomoly in terms of how bad they were. While they have had tackling issues all year, never to this extent. And it seems like they never can get pressure on Manning and he seems to light us up alot. Not as much as in the Plaxico days (until last night), but he never seems fooled or rattled by our blitzes like the Romo’s and other QBs. Giants always seem the least affected by our blitzes.
I am concerned by the Maclin injury. We will need the offense at full strength for the playoffs ince we won’t stop the other team and with 20-17 tpe of games. Where was Avant last night? One catch on a 2-point conv? And I didn’t see McNabb throw to him even one other time.
I think they said Maclin’s injury was 2 weeks. And it’s possible that Curtis will be back. However, with Reggie Brown stepping up a little, Jackson, Avant and Brown is certainly workable.
Was surprised to see so little from Avant too.
Quintin Mikell sucked horribly last night. He missed tackles with isn’t normal for him but his penalties came on 3rd down incompletions that would have ended Giant drives.
Question.
In the NFL, you can play somebody from your division as early as Round 1 of the playoffs, right?
I’ll say it again. Fathead has McNabb, Westbrook and Maclin for sale, unbelievable. This team revolves around DeSean and nobody seems to know it.
The Eagles top priority this off season better be resigning Weaver to a 2-4 year contract.
Second priority, if its a non capped yeah, release all the excess garbage…that means you Andrews brothers.
Priority three…find a safety to play opposite Mikel.
Fourth…use the draft to pick only O and D linemen.
This, I think, was the first Eagles game this year that had roped in from start to finish. I think the team looked great last night. Would have been nice to get more on the defensive end though, we’ll need it going forward. But to gut a win in a divisional game for first place when the Giant hang 500+ yards of offense on you is what December football is all about.
I heard McNabb say recently that he and Reid need a SB to validate what they’ve done. We’ll Reid was somewhat validated with a three-year extension, lets hope this is the year that he comes through. I fully suspect the birds to get to the NFC championship again. After that, we’ll see…
The Eagles, for the past decade, have really been the Colts of the NFC. Just need that ring.
Except the Colts won that ring and they also have won 12 games in a season for like 7 years in a row. Not sure the Eagles are like the Colt’s at all really. If anything, the Eagles are a lot closer to the Bills of the 90′s than anyone else.
Reid may have been validated by the front office with that extension but neither of them have been validated by the fans. McNabb needs this for his legacy more than I think Reid does. It’s clear that the front office is good with Reid, so be it. But McNabb needs this.
Some NFC playoff matchup facts and previews as we head into weeks 15, 16, 17.
Packers are a mortal lock for the 1st wild card, 5th seed. Could catch the Vikes, but need to win out, and Vikes to lose 3.
The Iggles will likely get the 4 seed. Zona, after tonight at SF runs at Detroit, versus Seattle, and finish hosting the Pack. Zona likely 3rd, matching the Eagles here for wild card weekend.
Either the Giants or Dallas will be the 6 seed, again from a mortal lock standpoint. They would play at Arizona, and with Dallas running at NO, against WASH, and home to Philly, Giants only need to tie Dallas to get the tiebeaker.
Likely plot…
New Orleans (1)
Minnie (2)
Zone (3)
Birds (4)
Pack (5)
Giants (6)
Eagles liklihood of a 3rd game agast NYG or Dallas is slim, only in an NFC title game.
modifier…Packers likely at Birds wild card weekend
It’s clear that the front office is good with Reid, so be it. But McNabb needs this.>>
No, the fans that want to annoint McNabb need it. McNabb already has it all. The people in the league respect the hell out of him, he’s made a financial killing, and he knows he’s good. If he never gets a ring, he has had 1 more than marvelous athletic career including 2 sports in college, and 4 freaking trips so far to NFC tite games. If he walked today, he would miss a beat, but by a lot less than a lot of people think.
My 2 cents.