Had this post ready to go when...

[tinopuno]

the Birds pulled their 2nd 4th quarter comeback in 2 weeks. Great comeback but the following is still all true.



Who is responsible for this (almost) late term abortion?:

- Let's start with Reid. Just what message did he send to the Birds? That we need to trick this mediocre, badly injured team to have a chance to beat them. IMO, as dumb a move as he's ever pulled!
- Morningweig's play calling...especially in the red zone!
- Brent Celek! Awful Game...was he channeling LJ Smith.
- Sean McDermott and the Defense...especially on 3rd and long.
- Discipline on both sides of the ball. That's on the coaches as well as the players.
- Michael Vick. Get this borderline retarded piece of shit off the team!

[FRESH]

It's OK to say shit here....especially when it is so accurate.

[YourPalChrisMal]

the Birds pulled their 2nd 4th quarter comeback in 2 weeks. Great comeback but the following is still all true.



Who is responsible for this (almost) late term abortion?:

- Let's start with Reid. Just what message did he send to the Birds? That we need to trick this mediocre, badly injured team to have a chance to beat them. IMO, as dumb a move as he's ever pulled!
- Morningweig's play calling...especially in the red zone!
- Brent Celek! Awful Game...was he channeling LJ Smith.
- Sean McDermott and the Defense...especially on 3rd and long.
- Discipline on both sides of the ball. That's on the coaches as well as the players.
- Michael Vick. Get this borderline retarded piece of shit off the team!

While I do think the call an on-side kick against a team that you were supposedly so much better than is dumb, if they thought the Skins were not paying attention - which they weren't - they should have converted that kick. Also, I have to think that their disrespect for the Skins offense also played into it, in that even if the Skins got the ball there (which they did), who thought they'd be able to put the ball in the end-zone?

The problem wasn't just the call, but the complete botching of the execution of the play. It was a freaking brilliantly kicked ball by Akers. It doesn't get any better than that. But the fact that they touched the ball by accident before the 10 yard buffer, and then didn't lay a hand on the ball carrier. UGH. Ugly.

[balto-eaglefan]

LMAO!!! The philly.com header reads:


philly.com SPORTS
NEVER DOUBTED THE BIRDS FOR A SECOND



http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/h...or_Eagles.html

[Soaring Eagle]

the Birds pulled their 2nd 4th quarter comeback in 2 weeks. Great comeback but the following is still all true.
Who is responsible for this (almost) late term abortion?:

- Let's start with Reid. Just what message did he send to the Birds? That we need to trick this mediocre, badly injured team to have a chance to beat them. IMO, as dumb a move as he's ever pulled!
- Morningweig's play calling...especially in the red zone!
- Brent Celek! Awful Game...was he channeling LJ Smith.
- Sean McDermott and the Defense...especially on 3rd and long.
- Discipline on both sides of the ball. That's on the coaches as well as the players.
- Michael Vick. Get this borderline retarded piece of shit off the team!

Reid's choice for an onside kick - no sense of confidence in team's ability to beat the skins straight up, very poor decision but the team made up for it with some offensive play making, thanks Jason, LeSean, Jeremy, and best of all Donovan. Reid is as dumb as they come at times. No sense of risk management or using home field for an advantage.
Marty needs to stick with what's working, at least sometimes. The rollout on third and goal at the 1 was really stupid after the Eagles were gashing the skins up the middle.
Celek had a bad day, happens.
Defense fell asleep on 8 long third downs. Not sure what the problem was but it can't continue if the Eagles are to become a playoff team.
Discipline - it's a reflection of the coaching and players' ability to focus, not good at times for the Eagles.
Vick could have played the entire 3rd quarter with the same result. Three 3 & outs. Need to trade this guy for a 3rd round pick in February.

That said, just get the win - good job Eagles.

[phillychuck]

Celek was dropping balls b/c he injured his hand early in the 3rd Q. Possible torn ligaments.

[balto-eaglefan]

Celek was dropping balls b/c he injured his hand early in the 3rd Q. Possible torn ligaments.

Crap..........surprised he kept playing in that case.

[Vet Turf]

I don't think the onside kick was a lack of confidence at all. Reid has opened games like that during good times and bad. You do it 1 or 2 times like that and teams don't turn their backs so quickly.

[tinopuno]

Celek was dropping balls b/c he injured his hand early in the 3rd Q. Possible torn ligaments.

That sucks and probably explains a very atypical game for him.

I do recall a shot of Celek and a coach looking at his hand on the sideline. Don't know if there was any mention of this during the game because I had turned off the sound...I just couldn't take listening to Moose Johnson any longer.

[NoDakIggle]

I started yipping about play calling v execution long, long ago. But I can't beat Andy up for the on sides kick. That was solely, without doubt, undeniably an execution thing. The skins were thoroughly unprepared yet the players let them win that play.
The goal line pass call was another issue for me. At that point they were walking right through the DL yet Andy (or his men) go pass. That was bad call IMM.

[tinopuno]

I started yipping about play calling v execution long, long ago. But I can't beat Andy up for the on sides kick. That was solely, without doubt, undeniably an execution thing. The skins were thoroughly unprepared yet the players let them win that play.

Generally I believe there are 2 sides to any question, but I just flat disagree on this issue for a couple reasons.

- No matter how 'unprepared' the Skins were and/or how 'ready' our guys were, there is one inescapable, uncontrollable variable involved with any onside kick...the shape of the damn ball. Everything can be done exactly as practiced, but if the ball takes a funny bounce (and it usually does), you lose.

- But my main problem is that there is just no way it was useful in this game. The Birds didn't need to trick the Skins to beat them, they just needed to play solid football. Why roll the dice on a very high risk play and take a chance on giving them great field position and a quick morale boost.

I'm all for opening a game with that play against a favored opponent. It's brassy and kind of says, "Fuck You!" But not against this years Skins. It just doesn't make sense.

[Zepster]

That sucks and probably explains a very atypical game for him.

I do recall a shot of Celek and a coach looking at his hand on the sideline. Don't know if there was any mention of this during the game because I had turned off the sound...I just couldn't take listening to Moose Johnson any longer.

LOL, I could take no more Moose or Goose and turned the volume off after 10min. Listened to some Blues for the rest of the game, there wasn't a single complaint from any of the 5 Eagles fans watching either.

[FRESH]

Generally I believe there are 2 sides to any question, but I just flat disagree on this issue for a couple reasons.

- No matter how 'unprepared' the Skins were and/or how 'ready' our guys were, there is one inescapable, uncontrollable variable involved with any onside kick...the shape of the damn ball. Everything can be done exactly as practiced, but if the ball takes a funny bounce (and it usually does), you lose.

- But my main problem is that there is just no way it was useful in this game. The Birds didn't need to trick the Skins to beat them, they just needed to play solid football. Why roll the dice on a very high risk play and take a chance on giving them great field position and a quick morale boost.

I'm all for opening a game with that play against a favored opponent. It's brassy and kind of says, "Fuck You!" But not against this years Skins. It just doesn't make sense.

That is how I felt about it as well.

[NoDakIggle]

Didn't need to trick them but they damn near lost to them and they did lose to the powerful Oakland Raiders. I'm all for saving for big games or tough games but I have to tell you every single game the birds play is a tough game cause they just ain't that good -- due to a number of issues.

[FairOaks]

Generally I believe there are 2 sides to any question, but I just flat disagree on this issue for a couple reasons.

- No matter how 'unprepared' the Skins were and/or how 'ready' our guys were, there is one inescapable, uncontrollable variable involved with any onside kick...the shape of the damn ball. Everything can be done exactly as practiced, but if the ball takes a funny bounce (and it usually does), you lose.

- But my main problem is that there is just no way it was useful in this game. The Birds didn't need to trick the Skins to beat them, they just needed to play solid football. Why roll the dice on a very high risk play and take a chance on giving them great field position and a quick morale boost.

I'm all for opening a game with that play against a favored opponent. It's brassy and kind of says, "Fuck You!" But not against this years Skins. It just doesn't make sense.

Disagree on your first point -- that was nearly a gimme onside kick, except it deflected off the Eagle right away and went ten yards further downfield than it should have. It was a very nice kick by Akers, and the Redskins had all cleared out of that side of the field, so it should have been an easy recovery -- you can't avoid taking chance just because something that weird (hitting an Eagle right off the bat) might happen. Tactically, it was a good call.

Completely agree on your second point though. Save that play for another game; the Redskins were coming off a game where they scored six points and there was no need whatsoever to do them any favors. It was not necessary at all, and it gave their offense a chance to get off to a good start rather than continuing their frustration from last week. About the only good thing about it is that teams won't be going back to block quite as early anymore. Still would have rather saved it for a different game (though Reid has done it often enough that teams should be aware of it... maybe use it sometime other than the opening kickoff after this).