Eagles head back to the nest at square one

By Lou DiPietro  |   Thursday, October 16, 2008  |  Comments( 3 )

Philadelphia Eagles
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans!

As they head into their bye, the Philadelphia Eagles have evened their record at 3-3.

That’s the good news.

The fourth quarter against San Francisco last weekend was a case study of what’s wrong with the Eagles. On one hand, the defense played better in that fourth quarter than it has all season, excluding the Steelers game. On the other, the offense played exactly like it has almost all season -- and it was barely enough to survive.

And in this case, it seems to be more than just “we’re missing our best running back and offensive lineman.” Yes, Brian Westbrook and Shawn Andrews are important cogs in the offense, but it’s not as if Correll Buckhalter and Max-Jean Gilles are untested rookies. However, given Andy Reid’s reputation and the way they’re used, it’s hard to tell.

After Donovan McNabb’s interception late in the third quarter, the Eagles were down by nine and seemingly in a deep hole; even a field goal on that drive would have made it a one-possession game. The defense, seemingly knowing it was time to respond, forced a pair of three-and-outs and three turnovers in the fourth quarter. And, yes, on the positive side, the Eagles' offense turned it into 16 points, with Juqua Parker‘s 55-yard interception return tacking on the final touchdown.

But there were still some head-scratchers in the fourth stanza.

For starters, all four Eagles possessions started in San Francisco territory, yet they had to kick three field goals. Heck, after Quentin Mikell’s interception, they had the ball on the 49ers 7-yard line but couldn’t move an inch.

Of course, you might be saying that’s a good thing sometimes -- and it is. Unless you’re Reid, who apparently has dyslexia when it comes to calling plays inside the red zone.

In the games against the Bears and Redskins, the Eagles had late drives that would have given them the lead where they got inside the 10 and continually ran the ball to no success. After losing the Bears game, you’d think Reid would have tried a new approach when the same situation arose the next week, but it was not to be.

So you can understand why, when his team got the ball at the 7 last week, Reid tried something new. Unfortunately, someone who has been a head coach in the NFL for a decade should know better. The Eagles had a one-point lead and the ball inside their opponent’s 10 with about six minutes to go, and the 49ers had only one timeout left. Ask the other 31 NFL head coaches what they would do in that situation, and if anyone other than Ken Whisenhunt or Marvin Lewis tells you they’d throw not one but two passes, they’re either lying or temporarily insane.

Even if they still only got a field goal, and even if the 49ers had to burn that final timeout, the Eagles would have run a good two minutes off the clock and put the Niners in a deeper hole. Instead, Reid decided - against obvious conventional wisdom, no less - to throw the ball twice after Buckhalter was stuffed on first down.

Obviously Reid knew what his strategy should have been - he used it on the Eagles’ very next drive! But what was he thinking earlier? Was he afraid that his defense, which had been on the field for all of nine plays that quarter, was tired or would be unable to sustain the momentum? Was he afraid that if the 'D' did, his offense had no chance to actually execute a two-minute drill? Well, maybe he should have been worried about the latter given past history, but you get the point.

Former Notre Dame quarterback Ron Powlus may not have had a great NFL career, but he did once utter a quote all the league's players should understand: “Fear is not fatal.” But if Reid continues to coach in fear - fear of the unknown, fear of an offense without Westbrook, fear of losing McNabb because he’s just not able to do the things he used to anymore - it might be a fatal blow to the Eagles’ 2008 hopes.

And as it stands now, the bye week couldn’t have come at a better time. The Eagles have a lot of questions to address about their offense, and a lot of players to get healthy. Westbrook and Reggie Brown could use the time off, and it will only help Kevin Curtis -- who will hopefully be on the field when the Eagles play Atlanta on Oct. 26.

Plus, as bizarre as their season has been so far, they’re right in the thick of things. The Eagles may be in last place in a very competitive NFC East, but at 3-3 they’re only 1 1/2 games out of first place. They’ve hung close with the Redskins and have yet to play the Giants - both of whom looked horrible against bad teams last week - and the Cowboys, who they also lost a heartbreaker to, have more injuries than the Eagles. It’s going to be a war of attrition to the very end, and right now the Eagles have a chance to catch a very big wave.

But don’t worry, Philly fans, because you won’t have to worry about that this week. The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for you, either; instead of the roller-coaster Eagles, you can focus all your energy on the Phillies, who actually seem to want to bring home the city’s first championship since 1983.

Maybe Phillies manager Charlie Manuel can teach Reid a thing or two in the interim.

Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans! (3)

About Lou DiPietro

Lou DiPietro is an accomplished freelance writer who is fascinated with all things sports. In addition to his duties at RealFootball365.com, Lou contributes to TheBleacherReport.com and Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine, and has been featured on "The Sports Buffet with Matt West" on 1080-AM ESPN ...
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report