* Breaking down the Eagles' 24-10 loss to Seattle...
*Sadly, I am now 12-0 picking Eagles games this season. I say sadly because I wanted the Birds to win last night. But in Wednesday's blog, I picked Seattle to win, 24-23. I thought the Eagles would finish 14-2 and would split on the west coast.The Seahawks needed the game more, play well at home ( after losing two straight home games)and also play well late in the season.
Add to that the long travel. Add that the eagles seemed so full of themselves last night, maybe reading their press clippings too much, a lot of celebrating and Electric Slide dancing.
Some fans think it's a good thing, a wake-up call, for the Birds to get slapped in the face as they did in Seattle. Don't go into the playoffs on a 14-game winning streak that is doomed to be snapped. Yes, it's great they got the playoff-like atmosphere experience. Hopefully they learn from the experience. But I don't buy it. It's one thing to get beat; it's another thing to lose a very winnable game.
* Right away, the Eagles played scared. They seemed intimidated by the noisy crowd, the bright lights of Sunday Night football, the heaviness of wearing the crown of "Best team in Football".
Coach Doug Pederson seemed to turtle-up, as he did last year during a Sunday Night game at Dallas. He lost his nerve, yet seemed nervous, not challenging calls when he should have; not going for fourth downs when he had all season; not being aggressive when all along his aggressive play-calling and game plans got the team off to fast starts all season long.
Pederson reverted back to the Pederson of old. I thought he was over that crap. My confidence in Pederson has grown as the wins piled up this year. After shaky play-calling early in the year, he seemed to settle down and coach smart and logical, yet still with passion and aggressiveness.Even worse, time-management concerns cropped up last night, as he seemed to be retro-ing back to his days with Andy Reid, not sure what to do at the end of the first half.We have'nt really seen any time-management problems until last night.
Was it simply a case of nerves or a sign of things to come in big games?
* Simply put, Seattle's coach and quarterback did better then Philadelphia's coach and quarterback. Caeson Wentz 's key miss of a pass to Nelson Agholor early in the game, when he was wide open and could've scored to give the birds a 7-3 lead, was deadly. Forget the fast start.
Then Wentz fumbled the ball near the goal line after getting the ball to start the second half. A back breaker. All of the sins of the first half may have been forgiven with a touchdown there, tying the game 10-10. Wentz has to protect the ball there. Give him credit for reaching for the goal line and trying to score, but you also gotta play smart.
Turnovers. Something the Eagles weren't doing, especially in the red zone, for most of the year. Penalties, piling up more and more each game. You can blame the refs (Tony Corenti is an Eagle-killer), but let's face reality- the Eagles played a sloppy, undisciplined game.
This wasn't the same Eagles team we have been watching all season, They played like a different team.
* Pederson didn't try to push the ball down the field enough, especially in the first half. Everything was conservative, dink-and-dunk passes.
It's ridiculous to think that Pederson is suddenly a moron after one loss. Overall, he has had a fine season, coaching a now 10-2 team. He had a bad game, as did the rest of the squad. You just hope it ends lastt night and the Eagles get back to business this week in a key game against the Rams. More on that later.
There were reports the Eagles did not practice well this well. Again, were the players slacking off, not working as hard, forgetting what got them to where they are?
* The challenges- and lack of- also killed the Birds. Even though it seemed the Eagles got the first down on the first challenge, why challenge there if you are going for fourth down and know you can get the first down anyway with a Wentz quarterback sneak ( of which he is 11 for 11). Pederson seemed scared to challenge the fake-lateral call in the second half, where replays clearly showed the lateral was not a lateral. It was a key third down play, and led to the Seahawks' third touchdown.
Whoever is "upstairs" watching the replays did a lousy job last night.
LT Vitai reverted back to an issue as well. We haven't really missed Jason peters until now. Where was the help for Vitai? He seemed to break down and crumble under the pressure of the Seattle intense pass rush. After playing well since Peters' season-ending injury, Vitai picked a bad time to have a meltdown.
* Russell Wilson is great. The eagles haven't faced a quarterback like him this season. Keep the QB in the pocket, and with the Birds' pass rush, they will get him. But Wilson is fast, and Houdini-like in his escapes from pressure.. In a way, i would love to see Seattle again- this time at the Linc- in the playoffs, as I do think Philly is ultimately the better overall team. But then again, playing an elusive QB like Wilson, and an experienced post-season team like the Seahawks, would be a real challenge when the chips are down as they were last night.
But, other than Wilson and Jimmy Graham, who scares you on Seattle? The Birds pretty much held WR Doug Balwin in check. The "Hawks can't run the ball. If you contain Wilson in the pocket and force him to make mistakes, that's how you beat him. Instead, the defense failed to contain Wilson. they allowed him to scramble and make plays. Maybe, if they played again, Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz would come up with a different game plan to hold Wilson in check?
* Hopefully TE Zach Ertz is OK to play next week, after leaving the game and not returning with a reported "head injury".Ertz is such a big part of the offense. trey Burton is OK< but he's no Ertz, and missing a weapon lie Ertz in LA would hurt.
* So what does it all mean? The eagles drop to 10-2. They will win the NFC East. They will make the playoffs. But suddenly, next week's clash in Los Angeles against the Rams becomes a bigger game. Win and you go 11-2 and hang with Minnesota for best record, a playoff bye and home field advantage in the playoffs. Lose and the Rams tie you, have the tiebreaker over you (head-to-head), and, if the Saints beat Atlanta on Thursday night,New Orleans may tie you as well.
The Birds go from a clear path to the Super Bowl to perhaps playing a wild card game and having to go on the road in a possible NFC Championship game.
As stated before, I planned the Eagles to go 14-2 and split on the west coast. They will return east and smash the terrible Giants in New York, then come home on Christmas ngith and beat Oakland ( although now the Raiders are back in the AFC West hunt), and maybe now that New Year's Eve season-ender with the Cowboys suddenly becomes an important game. Knocking Dallas out of the playoffs would be sweet, but the Birds may need that game to improve seeding in the playoffs.
Beat the Rams next Sunday and don't allow the Seattle loss to snowball. The LA Colosseum should sound like an Eagles' home game. Take oven the stadium. Take out the loss on the Rams, who are inexperienced and may be the ones who wilt under the pressure of a big game.
The thought has crossed my mind- are the Eagles truly ready for prime time? After all, even owner Jeffery Lurie didn't think this 2017 edition of the birds was ready to compete for a championship yet.
And I'm sure we will hear from Philly detractors who will crow "There ya go- typical Eagles team. Had an easy schedule. Play a good team and they crumble"
I'll make my pick on Eagles-Rams later in the week. This week won't be as merry and light-hearted during this festive holiday season. Lots of worries. But if the fans truly believe in Wentz and this Eagles team that has given us so much joy in 2017, believe that the defeat last night was only a bump in the road to the playoffs and Super Bowl.
It's been fun so far- all the wins, the dreams, the hopes. We knew it wasn't going to be easy, even though it felt like it at times. Won't winning be even sweeter if you overcome adversity to do it?
It's not a devastating loss, but it is a significant loss. But win in LA next week and suddenly you are back on track.
Minnesota has Carolina on the road this week. They should win a least 12 games, as they play the Bengals and Bears. Their game at Green Bay- especially if Aaron Rodgers is back- could go either way. Interesting...would you want the Vikings to lose that game or the Packers to lose, knocking them out of the playoffs?
The Vikings have a chance to gain home field advantage all the way through the Super Bowl ( SB 62 is being played on February 4 in Minnesota).
I expect the Eagles to win a least 13 games, 14 if they beat the Rams this Sunday.That should be good enough to earn home field advantage.
Celebrating and doing the Electric Slide is cool. But maybe it's time to get back to business
To the fans: don't panic. See what happens against the Rams. Keep the faith and enjoy the ride. Savor the victories when they happen, as now we know the bitter taste of defeat.
NOTE: The early line is Eagles are favored by 2 1/2 points agains the Rams. Will be interesting to watch the line all week.
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