Sunday, November 15, 2009

Gameday - SD

***

San Diego is a non-conference game and isn't critical in that sense. I do think winning today is important. The Eagles would improve to 6-3. Getting 3 games above .500 can be significant. Last year the team didn't reach that mark until 14 games in (8-5-1). We were up and down for most of last year. We overcame that and got into the playoffs, but the topsy-turvy season hurt us.

We needed a lot of help to get into the playoffs. Do you remember the last day of the season? We were 8-6-1. We needed Tampa and Chicago to lose. We had to beat Dallas. I watched both the early games. Chicago got out to a 10-0 lead. That got me nervous. Then the Texans came alive and scored 21 straight points. They built a 14-point lead in the 4th Qtr and won 31-24.

Oakland at Tampa was a wild game. I figured the Raiders had very little chance to win, but I hoped for the best. Oakland had a 14-7 halftime lead and I started to believe. Anything was possible. Then the Bucs scored 17 points and had a 24-14 lead in the early 4th. I was highly despondent. My buddy Matt called and told me to stay positive. Next thing you know the Raiders score to cut the lead to 24-21. Then RB Michael Bush busted off a 67-yard TD run. Oakland was back in front. They added a late FG and held on for the 31-24 lead.

Other people set us up and we took care of our own business by beating Dallas 44-6. That turned out to be a great day and exciting finish to the season. As fun as that was, you don't want those kind of situations to come up. More often than not things don't all work out as needed.

Beating the Chargers won't guarantee us anything, but it would help us to stay near the front of the pack. That is important in my mind. Winning teams develop a kind of confidence. They expect good things to happen and that leads to guys making plays. The Eagles of 2000-2004 were a great example of that. I want the current team to get back to that level.

Winning is also important because we're still in the middle of the NFC East title race. I don't want us to have the mindset that being a Wildcard team is okay. Winning on the road in the postseason is tough. Every win we get keeps us near the top of the division and improves our chances of winning the title.

WESTY

Remember how good the offense looked on the first 10 or so plays against WAS? We ran and threw the ball well. McNabb was good. The guys up front blocked well. Westy got hurt and the offense struggled much of the remainder of the game.

Brian will be back on the field today. I'm interested to see if he plays a lot early on. Big Red has to know that our offense is much more successful when we start fast.

OPTIMISM

Last week the guys on ESPN almost all picked us. I knew we were doomed at that point. This morning they all picked the Chargers...except for Chris Berman. That makes me like our chances to win.

UPDATE

The inactives are now known. Not good:

LT Jason Peters
OL Mike McGlynn
WR Kevin Curtis
RB P.J. Hill
QB Kevin Kolb

DB Quintin Demps
LB Akeem Jordan
CB Jack Ikegwuonu

This means that Todd Herremans will be the LT. Nick Cole will be the LG. Stacy Andrews will be the RG. Now I'm nervous.

The good news is that San Diego doesn't have anyone like Jay Ratliff on the inside. Merriman is mostly a power rusher these days. Todd should be able to deal with that, but Peters was a much better fit for stopping him.

Jeremy Maclin will probably be the KOR with Demps out and Hobbs on IR. Jeremy had a good return last week, but the pressure will be on him today as he does it all game long.

There are no major surprises for San Diego.

_

46 comments:

Boyboy said...

This is a f'n joke. Ted Daisher should have been fired weeks ago. Is anyone held accountable for penalty after penalty on special teams? And Sav Rocca stinks. I'd send both of them to the unemployment line as soon as the game is over.

McNabb doesn't even seem interested in trying to throw underneath. There's the ball Desean. Try catching it, a-hole.

Tommy Lawlor said...

Very frustrating 1st Qtr.

At least we're just down 7-0. We didn't get off to the hot start I wanted. Donovan needs to show he can wake up and play well after a crappy quarter.

ZackISM said...

When is enough - enough with our coach and QB. I kind of feel in games like these, they are over this early. Bad attitude to feal defeated after only 1 quarter and 7 points, but you see this same product on the field, the same mistakes made over and over and it's hard to feel positive.

Time for a new coach & QB

Also why do we seem to lose the penalty battle every week? This is a coaches job no?

Tommy Lawlor said...

I don't know what to say about the penalties. They are a major problem.

The call on Tracy seemed real iffy to me.

Tommy Lawlor said...

Great drive. Crappy finish.

We did need to respond to SD so I'm glad the offense came alive when they did.

ZackISM said...

Tommy

How can you have any respect for a coach who kicks a FG inside the 1 yard line. I don't care if it fails 99 of 100 times. We're down 14. Reid plays pussy football and it hurts us.

Tommy Lawlor said...

I wanted Reid to go for it, but I'll never go nuts on a coach for putting the first points on the board in a close game.

If you're down 28-0 or something like that, you must get the TD. Down 14-0 I can live with the FG.

Boyboy said...

I turned to my cousin and actually muttered words that I never thought I'd say. "I hope we get blown out and tank the rest of the season so they fire this idiot."

Tommy Lawlor said...

I was happy that the team settled down and played good football after falling behind 14-0. We need to see Donovan and the fellas show they can play from behind and not get desperate or dumb.

In the 2nd half we need to get in the end zone and mix in some more running game. Might help if the D would come up with a turnover or two.

T_S_O_P said...

in one of your columns you wrote that you hoped with Westy/Shady/Weaver, you were hoping for 20 + carries.

Looking likely at this point?

Boyboy said...

What was up with that sack? McNabb saw the guy diving in and stepped up to avoid him. So he deciced to then step back as if that defender magically vanished?

Queue Fokou penalty. Great.

Boyboy said...

Who wants to join my fire the walrus campaign?

ZackISM said...

We only need 4 more FG's to tie this game up!.

ZackISM said...

Anyone else wondering if Andy Reid has David Akers on his fantasy team?

Boyboy said...

The Chargers got their second TD by spreading the field and running between the tackles down near the goal line. God forbid we try that with Westbrook. Let him knife his way for a yard.

Another special teams penalty.

ZackISM said...

Andy Reid's team:
6 penalties 50 yards
Norv's team:
1 penalty 10 yards.


We are a well coached squad.

ZackISM said...

Top 5 in penalties ! Go Andy!

T_S_O_P said...

Zackism

We must be the most penalised ST in the league.

Ultimately that is ARs fault. But Ted Daisher, way to wear out your welcome

Tommy Lawlor said...

This has gotten ugly. I'm not a pleasant person right now.

Great line about Andy having Akers on his fantasy team. I might have to steal that and use it in a column.

Tommy Lawlor said...

I do love Jason Avant.

ZackISM said...

TSOP,

I don't think Andy Reid is fully to blame. I believe a number of his coaches are to blame. I believe the players themselves are to blame. I believe the owner and team president are to blame.

But if you want one guy whom you can pin a large portion of the blame to - it is Andy.

His players, his coaches - and he never changes or fixes the problem.

ZackISM said...

Here comes Akers 4th FG - woohoo (I do have him on one fantasy team).

Tommy Lawlor said...

Am I missing something? Why not go for 2?

ZackISM said...

Tommy,

I believe you are missing two things. One our coach is a pussy and has been since that blown Onside kick in Dallas. And two is the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles play 8 pre seaosn games a year (or more) and this is one of them.

Boyboy said...

I'm glad we got the ball in the endzone, but McNabb needs to be punched in the face. We're fighting for our lives, struggling in the red zone, and #5 is once again missing wide-open receivers. Then he follows up the high, fast ball to Weaver with what should have been a pick.

Boyboy said...

It's too early to go for 2 Tommy! Bah! I hate when announcers say that. You're right -- we should have went for two.

Netherman said...

Avant is becoming one of my favorite players...not as naturally gifted as the other young receivers but twice the heart as the rest of the team combined.

Tommy Lawlor said...

Dallas is down 10-0. Romo just got sacked and fumbled. The refs are reviewing who recovered it. Ball is deep in Dallas territory no matter what.

Boyboy said...

I knew we'd randomly decide to run that ball at some point when it just didn't make sense. There it was.

Boyboy said...

Kinda hard to care about Dallas losing when, ONCE AGAIN, we can't take care of our own business.

Tommy Lawlor said...

GB 17
DAL 0

Tommy Lawlor said...

Nice comeback by the Birds. I'm impressed that they've hung in there.

Let's finish it.

Boyboy said...

Defense needs to get this back. Let's see McDermott earn his stripes.

Tommy Lawlor said...

San Diego was going to run the draw. When the DB came down in the box late that made Rivers call the timeout.

ZackISM said...

I don't mean to be debbie downer here - but does anyone truely believe this team can complete this comeback? I mean maybe I'm jaded - but I don't buy it. The Philadelphia Eagles = home of false hope.

Prem Prakash said...

Gut check time for everyone. In less than 6 minutes we'll know a lot about this team.

Tommy Lawlor said...

Defense has to step up.

C'mon guys.

Tommy Lawlor said...

The defense is killing us. Rivers is making clutch plays and we're always a step late.

Even if we stop these guys we're not going to have much time to work with.

Tommy Lawlor said...

Romo got picked off in the end zone.

Misery loves company.

Boyboy said...

Way to come up small, defense. This team is undisciplined from top to bottom. It's time to blow this thing up. You've had 11 years to win a Super Bowl and can't get it done. Jeff Lurie is the only person left who believes in you. It's over, let's move on.

And before you give me the Bill Cowher argument, keep in mind that he didn't have a franchise calibur QB for his first 12 years of coaching.

Tommy Lawlor said...

I like Macho as the KOR.

Prem Prakash said...

This will be one for posterity, or just another week of Philly sports misery.

At least Dallas sucks.

Tommy Lawlor said...

That was a frustrating game.

Unknown said...

Wow, don't really know what to say. If we aren't winning by 3 scores I have no faith in this team getting a win.

T_S_O_P said...

I like McNabb as the playcaller in the hurry up, who needs AR and MM?

Dr. Ogrodnick said...

Silly Chargers, running the ball for TDs. Everybody knows on 3rd and goal from the 1 you either hand it to your 3rd string back or bring in your backup QB for a wildcat triple reverse.


The Eagles will NEVER win a super bowl as long as Andy is the game day coach. Period. Way too poorly coached year in and year out.