Jody Mac
11-08-2011, 10:00 AM
The weather was perfect for a November night, some ex-stars from Eagle yester-years were in the house and the Birds had won two straight NFC east games in impressive fashion. All signs pointed to the Eagles continued turn around of their 2011 season. But the setup is not the game. The game was not good. A 30-24 loss to the Bears puts Philly in a pretty big hole, just 3-5 for the first half of the season. Their season is not dead, but in blowing another fourth quarter lead their year is now on life support and may be in need of a defibrillator. What happened?
This was a team loss; offense, defense and special teams all came up short at different times. Lets start with the "O". Unlike in their previous two victories, you never got the feeling that the Eagle offense got into any type of rhythm. The short drop, quick hitting passes were not near as effective this week. Even getting the ball out quickly didn't keep Michael Vick from being hit. Although he was only sacked once, Vick was hurried on many of his throws, The Bears were not afraid to bring the blitz and the Eagles never really made them pay for it! Getting the ball out quickly neutralizes DeSean Jackson who was targeted eight times and only came up with two catches. Jackson's strength is getting behind the defense, not catching balls in front of linebackers. But it also doesn't mean he needs to be dropping those balls. If DeSean wants a new contract or to be considered for a franchise tag at the end of the season he needs to expand his receiving game over the second half of this season. In other words, right now!
On the defensive side of the ball, they were picked apart in all facets. Matt Forte went for 133 yards toting the rock. The fact that the Birds shut down the Redskins and the Cowboys running games the last two weeks now seems irrelevant. The Eagles registered exactly zero sacks and the same number of quarterback hits. They did flush Jay Cutler out of the pocket on a couple of occasions but he ended up connecting down field while on the run. Jason Babin had no sacks and no tackles on the night. He did get called for one painful penalty late in the first half on a roughing the passer call that kept an eventual touchdown drive alive. (Perhaps he was somewhat pushed into Cutlers legs but he was late getting there). When not as wide as the wide-nine, Babin seems like a non-factor. Dominique Rogers Cromartie was, in a word, terrible!! He was beaten continually whether he was in the slot or on the outside. His late-game blowup on the sideline just helped to magnify his shortcomings.
Special teams were anything but special. DeSean Jackson's fumbled punt late in the first half and deep in Eagle territory gift-wrapped a Bear's touchdown. But perhaps the biggest play of the game came with less than 10 minutes to play. Facing a fourth and six from the Bears 43 yard line, they hustled into punt formation and gunner Colt Anderson was wide open when the ball was snapped. Rookie punter Chas Henry spotted Anderson wide open and threw him the ball. Or maybe it's better described as bouncing him the ball. The throw was woefully short. Not even close. After the game Henry stated that the Eagles had seen on film that the Bears might have been susceptible to just this sort of play and Anderson was WIDE open. But then you have to execute. That was the problem through out the game, the Eagles just did not execute, and it was that simple!!
So the Birds now have a steep climb to the post-season! Wins in their next two games, home to the Cardinals and at the Giants are both must wins. After that, the Eagles have to win a minimum of four of their last six games and probably five of their last six. Is it possible, yes. Is it difficult? without question. But if they don't win their next two, the Birds season will be put to bed early. Forget "Dream Team" it will be a recurring nightmare!!
One other note from Monday night's game, I know John Gruden is a former Eagle assistant coach and is a good analyst (little over-the-top with effusive praise for good, not spectacular plays) but Ron Jaworski is a legend in this town and it seemed like he would go five or six minutes at a time without being heard from in the MNF booth. Maybe I am wrong because the two do sound a lot alike, but why have Jaws in the booth if your going to let him comment on about one out of every 10 plays??
Baseball free agency has not exactly come flying out of the gate and you should expect it to continue to go slowly with the top players until baseball gets a new collective bargaining agreement in place. But smaller money, unranked free agents may find their way to the dotted line. The Phils were one of the first to sign such a player. Making his return to Philly is the ever-popular Jim Thome. At 41 years of age, Thome is surely not the player he was when the Phillies brought him in as one of baseball's preeminent sluggers back in 2003. His ability to play first base in Ryan Howard’s potential absence early in the season is questionable at best. He is a DH and since there is no DH in the NL, he is a pinch hitter. Don't think of him as a guy who will hold down first base for any significant amount of time. Don't think of him as a replacement for Raul Ibanez as a veteran lefty regular bat. Think of him as the replacement for Ross Gload who started just 11 games for the Phils this year and just 25 games in his two year Phils career. Who would you rather have coming of the bench in a key pinch-hitting spot, Ross Gload or Jim Thome? It's not a big piece to the Phils off-season puzzle but an upgraded piece at that.
There are some rumblings around that the Phils negotiations with Ryan Madson are picking up steam. While better than the alternative, forgive me for not believing that a Scott Boras client is going to come to terms quickly or easily. Boras will play the market and I still believe the major player market will be slow due to the lack of a collective bargaining agreement. If Madson is back in the Phillie fold by the time that my next blog comes up Monday, I'll put forward my mea culpas.
For the Fly guys, their young patrol have looked ready for prime time. Their 23-and-under group of Giroux, van Riemsdyk, Voracek, Couturier & Simmonds are both the present and the future of the organization. But it is still two old timers that may dictate how good a season this team eventually enjoys. Jaromir Jagr has been a great gamble up to this point. He looks more 29 than 39 years old and has melded with both Giroux and Hartnell like he's been skating with them for years. The question is can he make it through the 82 game regular season grind and then be fresh for the all-important post-season. Meanwhile the orange and black should get their captain, Chris Pronger back this week. The Flyers split the six games Pronger has missed so far. The defense is just not the same when he is out of the lineup. Although the Flyers did achieve a youthening (is that a word??) of their roster this off-season it still may come down to two well aged future hockey hall of famers and how much they have left in their tank as to whether this team can make a Stanley Cup run this year.
Other sports meanderings...If the NBA and it's players do not come to an agreement this week, the chance of them getting the season underway in this calendar year probably goes by the board. The players need to get the rank and file to call for a vote on latest owners proposal and I think basketball can rejoin our sports party...I could do an entire blog on the Sandusky/Penn State scandal, but instead I'll just ask a couple important questions. How does this go unreported to the police for over a decade? Why would Joe Paterno want to continue to coach this team? If his conscience allows him to finish this season because he believes he did all he needed to do in light of what he knew, so be it. But no matter whether he held up his legal obligations, he needed to go above and beyond and should turn the program over to a new direction at seasons end at the latest....My apologizes for anyone who followed my Breeders Cup picks on my FaceBook page. Much like Dominique-Rogers Cromartie on Monday night, I stunk it up!! If it makes you feel any better, I did a ton of trashing instead of cashing on Saturday. Maybe I should stick to picking football in my six packs (34-23 on year). Nah,,,But I’ll probably wait till next year's Kentucky Derby to share my picks and drag others down with me....Although I did not grow up In Philly, I was always a Joe Frazier fan. Despite Muhammed Ali's greatness and colorful personality, I rooted for blood and guts Joe Frazier in all three of his historic bouts against Ali. Meeting and interviewing the champ my first year here in Philly in 1990 is still one of the highlights of my career if not my life. Rest in peace champ, knowing you are one of the best in the history of the game!!...For those interested, yours truly will be on 94 WIP before and after this must win Eagle game coming up Sunday vs. the Cardinals. I'll be on Saturday night 7-10p and Sunday, same bat time, same bat channel!!
This was a team loss; offense, defense and special teams all came up short at different times. Lets start with the "O". Unlike in their previous two victories, you never got the feeling that the Eagle offense got into any type of rhythm. The short drop, quick hitting passes were not near as effective this week. Even getting the ball out quickly didn't keep Michael Vick from being hit. Although he was only sacked once, Vick was hurried on many of his throws, The Bears were not afraid to bring the blitz and the Eagles never really made them pay for it! Getting the ball out quickly neutralizes DeSean Jackson who was targeted eight times and only came up with two catches. Jackson's strength is getting behind the defense, not catching balls in front of linebackers. But it also doesn't mean he needs to be dropping those balls. If DeSean wants a new contract or to be considered for a franchise tag at the end of the season he needs to expand his receiving game over the second half of this season. In other words, right now!
On the defensive side of the ball, they were picked apart in all facets. Matt Forte went for 133 yards toting the rock. The fact that the Birds shut down the Redskins and the Cowboys running games the last two weeks now seems irrelevant. The Eagles registered exactly zero sacks and the same number of quarterback hits. They did flush Jay Cutler out of the pocket on a couple of occasions but he ended up connecting down field while on the run. Jason Babin had no sacks and no tackles on the night. He did get called for one painful penalty late in the first half on a roughing the passer call that kept an eventual touchdown drive alive. (Perhaps he was somewhat pushed into Cutlers legs but he was late getting there). When not as wide as the wide-nine, Babin seems like a non-factor. Dominique Rogers Cromartie was, in a word, terrible!! He was beaten continually whether he was in the slot or on the outside. His late-game blowup on the sideline just helped to magnify his shortcomings.
Special teams were anything but special. DeSean Jackson's fumbled punt late in the first half and deep in Eagle territory gift-wrapped a Bear's touchdown. But perhaps the biggest play of the game came with less than 10 minutes to play. Facing a fourth and six from the Bears 43 yard line, they hustled into punt formation and gunner Colt Anderson was wide open when the ball was snapped. Rookie punter Chas Henry spotted Anderson wide open and threw him the ball. Or maybe it's better described as bouncing him the ball. The throw was woefully short. Not even close. After the game Henry stated that the Eagles had seen on film that the Bears might have been susceptible to just this sort of play and Anderson was WIDE open. But then you have to execute. That was the problem through out the game, the Eagles just did not execute, and it was that simple!!
So the Birds now have a steep climb to the post-season! Wins in their next two games, home to the Cardinals and at the Giants are both must wins. After that, the Eagles have to win a minimum of four of their last six games and probably five of their last six. Is it possible, yes. Is it difficult? without question. But if they don't win their next two, the Birds season will be put to bed early. Forget "Dream Team" it will be a recurring nightmare!!
One other note from Monday night's game, I know John Gruden is a former Eagle assistant coach and is a good analyst (little over-the-top with effusive praise for good, not spectacular plays) but Ron Jaworski is a legend in this town and it seemed like he would go five or six minutes at a time without being heard from in the MNF booth. Maybe I am wrong because the two do sound a lot alike, but why have Jaws in the booth if your going to let him comment on about one out of every 10 plays??
Baseball free agency has not exactly come flying out of the gate and you should expect it to continue to go slowly with the top players until baseball gets a new collective bargaining agreement in place. But smaller money, unranked free agents may find their way to the dotted line. The Phils were one of the first to sign such a player. Making his return to Philly is the ever-popular Jim Thome. At 41 years of age, Thome is surely not the player he was when the Phillies brought him in as one of baseball's preeminent sluggers back in 2003. His ability to play first base in Ryan Howard’s potential absence early in the season is questionable at best. He is a DH and since there is no DH in the NL, he is a pinch hitter. Don't think of him as a guy who will hold down first base for any significant amount of time. Don't think of him as a replacement for Raul Ibanez as a veteran lefty regular bat. Think of him as the replacement for Ross Gload who started just 11 games for the Phils this year and just 25 games in his two year Phils career. Who would you rather have coming of the bench in a key pinch-hitting spot, Ross Gload or Jim Thome? It's not a big piece to the Phils off-season puzzle but an upgraded piece at that.
There are some rumblings around that the Phils negotiations with Ryan Madson are picking up steam. While better than the alternative, forgive me for not believing that a Scott Boras client is going to come to terms quickly or easily. Boras will play the market and I still believe the major player market will be slow due to the lack of a collective bargaining agreement. If Madson is back in the Phillie fold by the time that my next blog comes up Monday, I'll put forward my mea culpas.
For the Fly guys, their young patrol have looked ready for prime time. Their 23-and-under group of Giroux, van Riemsdyk, Voracek, Couturier & Simmonds are both the present and the future of the organization. But it is still two old timers that may dictate how good a season this team eventually enjoys. Jaromir Jagr has been a great gamble up to this point. He looks more 29 than 39 years old and has melded with both Giroux and Hartnell like he's been skating with them for years. The question is can he make it through the 82 game regular season grind and then be fresh for the all-important post-season. Meanwhile the orange and black should get their captain, Chris Pronger back this week. The Flyers split the six games Pronger has missed so far. The defense is just not the same when he is out of the lineup. Although the Flyers did achieve a youthening (is that a word??) of their roster this off-season it still may come down to two well aged future hockey hall of famers and how much they have left in their tank as to whether this team can make a Stanley Cup run this year.
Other sports meanderings...If the NBA and it's players do not come to an agreement this week, the chance of them getting the season underway in this calendar year probably goes by the board. The players need to get the rank and file to call for a vote on latest owners proposal and I think basketball can rejoin our sports party...I could do an entire blog on the Sandusky/Penn State scandal, but instead I'll just ask a couple important questions. How does this go unreported to the police for over a decade? Why would Joe Paterno want to continue to coach this team? If his conscience allows him to finish this season because he believes he did all he needed to do in light of what he knew, so be it. But no matter whether he held up his legal obligations, he needed to go above and beyond and should turn the program over to a new direction at seasons end at the latest....My apologizes for anyone who followed my Breeders Cup picks on my FaceBook page. Much like Dominique-Rogers Cromartie on Monday night, I stunk it up!! If it makes you feel any better, I did a ton of trashing instead of cashing on Saturday. Maybe I should stick to picking football in my six packs (34-23 on year). Nah,,,But I’ll probably wait till next year's Kentucky Derby to share my picks and drag others down with me....Although I did not grow up In Philly, I was always a Joe Frazier fan. Despite Muhammed Ali's greatness and colorful personality, I rooted for blood and guts Joe Frazier in all three of his historic bouts against Ali. Meeting and interviewing the champ my first year here in Philly in 1990 is still one of the highlights of my career if not my life. Rest in peace champ, knowing you are one of the best in the history of the game!!...For those interested, yours truly will be on 94 WIP before and after this must win Eagle game coming up Sunday vs. the Cardinals. I'll be on Saturday night 7-10p and Sunday, same bat time, same bat channel!!