Unbelievable

Words cannot explain the ridiculous nature of the game I just witnessed....the Eagles lost 23-21 on a last second, 62-yard field goal..the second longest in NFL history...62 fucking yards....from a limp dick, short-legged kicker? That is tough to swallow.

You know, a lot of fans following a loss don't give enough credit to the other team, usually its true...they overvalue their own teams' mistakes and don't take into account the efforts of the other team...but TODAY...its not true...(with the exception of Ronde Barber and that asshole kicker, who appeared to be the only two Bucs to show up ready to play). The Eagles gave this game away with two quarters of stupid play, and two really retarded gaffes in the second half (after they'd finally woken up and started playing)....

Here are some of the key retardations that cost us:
***- not one, but two interceptions returned by CB Ronde Barber for touchdowns...JFC
**- on the first drive, rookie WR Jason Avant fumbles inside the 20 (if we managed to score, perhaps the Eagles show a different pep or tempo in the first half)
****** - Eagles get inside the Bucs 10 with 10 seconds left in the first half...and somehow come away with NO POINTS...special attention needs to be paid to this one...
*****- hmmm, 4th qtr, Eagles showing life, having just made it 17-14, and first round bust and little used DE J. McDougle LOOKS like he just came up with a momentum-killing sack....but the refs see it differently, and even though NO replay shows a foul of any kind, he gets whistled for a penalty...THEN he pulls one of the bonehead plays that are quickly becoming the hallmark of a coulda, woulda, shoulda season for the Birds....HE KICKS THE PENALTY FLAG....tack on another 15, and instead of the Bucs booming a punt, they're 30 yards further down the field....they use that to convert a FG and make it 20-14....AGAIN remember those points....
****- just after a woohoo inducing Westbrook scamper for the go-ahead TD (21-20) and there are 33 seconds left....boom goes the kickoff....and there goes the Buc return man, zipping his way out the 36 yard line after Akers kicks it into the end zone....Great coverage fellas...way to pin the Bucs deep....

these last two instances are examples of how the Eagles appear to be just enough to turn a season fulls of ups and downs into one predicated on downs....This team has yet to put together a complete four quarter game...but you know, if they do, they look like they'll be competitive with anybody...but they have just enough flaws in their game to screw it up, somehow....

This is a team with some unfulfilled promise. I've said it before and I'll say it again, there are four to five little plays on which momentum/opportunities turn....Yes games can swing on big plays, and the Eagles got their fair share this game (including providing the Bucs with their only big plays)...its the LITTLE plays that letting this team down....ST coverage, the dumb penalties, letting the other team convert key third and longs....It all adds up folks....

Unfortunately for Eagles fans, we came up on the short end of the ledger for the second week in a row....

The Importance of Rebounding

Its about time to focus on the most important game for the Eagles this season: that being the next one...Yeah, its cliched but I am firm believer in the one-game-at-a-time model...and the Eagles better be as well. After a hugely disappointing loss in New Orleans the Eagles can ill-afford to come out soft against the struggling Buccaneers. Under Andy Reid, the Eagles have a pretty good history of rebounding...and they need it as much as ever when they travel to Tampa on Sunday. Why, because a win would put them at 5-2 and keep them ahead of whoever wins the Dallas-GYNts game on Monday night.

Lets face it, the Dallas-GYNts winner will be 4-2, the loser 3-3, if the Eagles can keep it together they will have restored some distance between themselves and all but 1 other NFC East team. As for who I like in the MNF game....that is a tough one...a Dallas win keeps the MEO erosion at bay and it benefits the team I most love to hate...however it would make the GYNts 2-1 in the division instead of 3-0 so that it good thing (the Eagles really need to get that win back when they go to the Meadowlands)....A GYNts win would keep the second best team in the NFC East red-hot make life harder, BUT it would probably all sorts of consternation in Dallas (especially if MEO gets shutdown).

Ok, so now that the stakes are laid out, what will it take to win? Well, the Eagles need to get to return to the balanced offense that was on display in the first few games...my reasoning is simple: as the Eagles have gone "big-play" in the last few games their ability to sustain drives and convert third downs has seriously diminished. This situation has fed on itself and made the Eagles O, in my opinion, seemingly more reliant on the big play to re-assert itself or get any sort of momentum. This also puts our D on the field more often, which, in turn, adds to the number of time they must come up with stops...We, as a team, just shouldn't be allowing the other team to have so many possessions during a game...each possession, inherently, presents our opponent with an opportunity to score. It would be nice to be see the offense try and run the ball a little bit, especially since the Bucs just traded one of their biggest bodies in the middle of their D, DT Booger McFarland, to the Colts. Its not like they don't do ok running the ball...the Eagles CAN run the ball, they just don't seem to stick with it long enough to make a real difference in the game.

The Eagles D and Special Teams also needs to kick it up a notch (or two)...Much as I just harped on the offense, they are putting up points; and enough to win each and every game. Special Teams cost us 7 points last week, and it came as just the wrong time (just before the half when it looked like the Eagles might be able grab some momentum). Not that there is GOOD time to have a huge ST gaffe, but anything with less than two minutes remaining in a half is B-A-D....