Eagles blow out the Redskins 27-3
Before I even get into all the positive things from this game... The first and probably most significant news tonight was the absolute bombshell dropped by Andy Reid in his postgame press conference. In a move that no one knew before the game and no players even knew during the game, Andy Reid turned the playcalling over for the game to offensive coordinator Marty Morningwheg and for the first time this season the Eagles ran more than they passed.
Huge credit to Andy for this move. As far as I can remember there has not been an offensive play that Andy has not called during his 7 year tenure here. He has been a coach of the year, he is the winningest coach in franchise history, and yet he was able to look at the problems facing this team and admit that maybe he was a part of them. That can not have been an easy thing to admit for a coach of Andy's success and stature. This was not Andy admitting defeat, in fact it may have been his best coaching performance to date.
Marty ran the offense that we all hoped we'd see all year. It was pass first, but more balanced overall in the first half. While their two offensive TDs were one big play and one freak play, they still managed to build a comfortable lead by halftime. That was when a different team than we've seen this year took the field. The Eagles began to pound the ball on the Redskins. As the half wore on, the Eagles' line began to impose it's will on a tiring Redskins defensive line. It all culminated in what was possibly my favorite drive of this season... The Eagles got the ball with just over 9 minutes left in the 4th quarter and pounded Westbrook for 9 straight minutes to end the game. While only scoring 3(offensive) points, the Eagles offense put together what may have been it's most impressive half of the year.
Marty showed a patience in playcalling that Reid has not this year. Reid panics when the Eagles aren't scoring, he panics when the Eagles aren't picking up big chunks of yardage. Marty committed to the run despite the fact that they didn't put up 3 TDs in the 3rd quarter. He stuck with it despite the fact that they weren't averaging 12 yards a play... and late in the 3rd and the entire 4th quarter that commitment paid off.
I want to single out some players for some fantastic play and I also want to talk a bit about the Skin's game plan and wave a finger of shame at a certain player of theirs... However, I'd love to hear what people have to say about this topic first. It was pretty much ignored or glossed over by the national media, but I think Eagles fans realize what an astounding development this is.