Football outsiders "gets" this Eagles team
by JasonB on Jan 3, 2009 5:00 AM EST
in News
18 comments
This might be the first time I've read/heard a non Eagles fan make this observation...
The Eagles don't play against opponents. They play against themselves. When the Eagles are playing well, particularly on offense, the opponent is almost irrelevant. When the are playing poorly, its usually because of their own dumb mistakes -- short yardage futility, an unwillingness to even pretend to run the ball -- not because the opponent played exceptionally or used some clever scheme to stop them.
I used to think that this was just an Eagles fan's perspective. But after watching the Eagles beat the Giants, get swept by the Redskins, tie the Bengals, and perform other feats of bipolarity this season, I'm convinced that it makes more sense to analyze Eagles Success vs. Eagles Mistakes than to really look at matchups.
The Vikings enter the playoffs with Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback and an offense built around I-formation running with Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor. The Eagles defense, which is as consistent as the offense is frustrating, will have no trouble limiting the Vikings to 17 points or less. It's up to the Eagles offense to play the way it did in the last five weeks (minus the Redskins game). With Brian Westbrook, Correll Buckhalter, and Kevin Curtis all healthy, the Eagles have the weapons to drop 31 points on Sunday. The meeting between Brad Childress and former mentor Andy Reid should be a mismatch, unless the erratic Donovan McNabb shows up, or DeSean Jackson drops three passes, or the third-and-1 hitch pass to a tight end returns to the playbook.
The Eagles are good enough to beat any team in the NFL. They are also bad enough to lose to (or at least tie) anyone. I believe the good Eagles will show up on Sunday, but I won't make any promises after that.
Anyone have any argument with that? I've said this to opposing bloggers all year when I get asked the question "Are the Eagles good enough to beat X team? Are the Eagles good enough to make the playoffs?" Of course they are. They've showed that against playoff teams like Pittsburgh, Arizona, & New York. Like the article says though, inexplicably they can play terribly. You can't tell me the Bengals defense is better than the Giants or that there was some brillant scheme they used and New York didn't. We simply show up some weeks, and others we don't.
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as much as i hate to say it
we are the most inconsistant team in this league. We have the talent and quality to win the East, the NFC and make it to the Super Bowl. But, like B-Dawk, we have an alter ego. We can the Eagles, the high powered offense, mean defense team that can beat the cowboys by 38 or give it to the giants in the meadowlands. Our alter ego is the shitty birds that can lose to the deadskins by 10-3 or tie the bengals. You really cant argue with this guy, he made a solid point. The shitty birds show up to minnesota tomorow and its all over. If the Philadelphia Eagles show up…. lets get this party started
Who wants to play Leapfrog with Trent?
by anuj on Jan 3, 2009 11:01 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
the one thing about the “shitty birds” i think that helps us is the fact that unlike the “imperfect” Patriots of last year we had a chance to see our weaknesses when we tied and got stiffed by the skins, so maybe, just maybe, it may help us in seeing wat our weaknesses are, inconsistencey, inability to run, balance, or lack there of, and we can fix it
To me the Eagles are like that girlfriend that pisses u off, then u hate her, but the next morning you wake up and remember that thing u love so much about her
by XxBleedGreen5xX on Jan 3, 2009 4:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
It has to be frustrating...
…for a head coach to deal with a team like this. I’m not suggesting it’s not partly Andy Reid’s fault, or even mainly his fault, but to have a Jekyll/Hyde team like this must be so frustrating to deal with.
by ajay on Jan 3, 2009 11:38 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
man...
if they could only figure out how to keep it going every week.
Give the Defense credit, I think it has found its niche and has been playing lights out the last 4 weeks.
It’s the offense that can be erratic, hopefully that outing in washington was just a spoof, because aside from that game, the last 4 (including cards game) games the offense played great.
by Manoovi on Jan 3, 2009 12:04 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
thats exactly how i feel
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!
by Joe_D on Jan 3, 2009 12:47 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
They’ve showed that against playoff teams like Pittsburgh, Arizona, & New York.
and Atlanta D:
Destroyer of Subject Lines :3™
by yomjoseki on Jan 3, 2009 12:48 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I'd Agree...Almost
I do agree that the Eagles have the talent to beat any team in the league on any given Sunday. They have certainly proved that this year with defeats of the Giants, Steelers and Cowboys. However, their inability to win close games is not simply them beating themselves. The Eagles inability to convert on third and short was not only play calling mistakes, it was also poor personel decions that dictated those play calls. I like McNabb a lot, but he is an erratic QB at times—that is not them beating themselves in the true sense of the word. The Eagles are an erratic team. You could make the same argument with most any team in the league so in some ways, I think the “Eagles beat themselves” is nothing more than an excuse of poor play.
Chris Iafolla http://heardinthecheapseats.com/
by Chris Iafolla on Jan 3, 2009 1:29 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I can agree to that
Let’s be honest our offensive personnel isn’t great. Our TE’s are a C- at best when it comes to overall play such as blocking and missing assignments. It’s inconsistent and when Westbrook is hurt it has the ability to be downright terrible. Sometimes our WRs don’t do a good job of getting separation, and at other times mcnabb couldn’t hit a broad side of a barn.
I think what we really need to do is sit bakc and praise this defense. i can’t say enough about it. It’s downright awesome, young, and talented. It gets pressure, doesn’t give up points, and is awesome in coverage. It WILL give us a chance to win every game. Our offense just has to do it’s job and I like our chances in the playoffs.
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!
by Joe_D on Jan 3, 2009 2:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
A top shelf TE would solve so many ills in the offense.
by JasonB on Jan 3, 2009 3:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Agree
If only we had a nickel every time one of our TE’s f-ed up.
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!
by Joe_D on Jan 3, 2009 3:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
lol
with those nickels we could buy a new TE
To me the Eagles are like that girlfriend that pisses u off, then u hate her, but the next morning you wake up and remember that thing u love so much about her
by XxBleedGreen5xX on Jan 3, 2009 4:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t think it’s “an excuse” for poor play. It’s synonymous. When you’re beating yourself you’re playing poor.
by JasonB on Jan 3, 2009 3:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Fair Point
I did not mean to imply an excuse for the players but more something that media pundits tend to throw out there.
Chris Iafolla http://heardinthecheapseats.com/
by Chris Iafolla on Jan 3, 2009 4:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Mike Tanier...
Mike Tanier’s an Eagles fan and Philadelphia local, so it’s not particularly surprising.
by Bleed Blue 'n White on Jan 3, 2009 6:21 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Weakness
I agree with a few people, Besides the obvious, when Donovan is laughing and smiling the eagles offence runs smooth and is almost sergical the way Mcnabb breaks down the secondary with the short hard slant route(to a different target every time) the D doesn’t know what is going on. but you ever notice when the eagle have a few bad series at the start of the game, Mcnabb starts throwing rocket balls at the reciever’s ankles and a few yards int othe ground, they need to keep it loose this afternoon at the metrodome, DAWKINS will have the D ready!!!! whatever happens IM just jacked that they smashed the cowboys dreams on national TV, or in my case INTERnational!!! in any case they only have a couple good years left with their defensive personal so its not or never and for dammmm sure get L.J SMITH out of town! this guy is a cream puff!
by canadian eagle on Jan 4, 2009 9:57 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I've had the exact same thought ...
… "The Eagles don’t play against opponents. They play against themselves. "
Which is why I think they’re the better team this week and would be the inferior team next week if they get that far, and both games are toss-ups.
by D3Keith on Jan 4, 2009 6:15 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
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