(Audio Rant follows...SEE BELOW)Hi everyone,
First off, I want to wish you all a safe and happy holiday season. Here’s to decking some halls and jingling some bells and for finding that special person under the mistletoe.
Now, as for the Eagles… obviously they will not be rocking around no damn Christmas tree but perhaps someone’s chestnuts should be roasting over an open fire.
I will save the puns and plays on words for another time. You’re pissed. I’m pissed. So let’s giddy up.
They say in sports, particularly football, the outcome of a given game is sometimes decided on a handful of plays. Well, anyone watching that game yesterday would most assuredly say that was the case.
Consider…
- On the Eagles first possession of the 2nd Half, Brian Westbrook had what appeared to be a first down in his sights on a 2nd Down run. Replays clearly show had he cut inside instead of out, he would have picked up the first down and kept a drive alive and who knows. Instead he was tackled short of the first down and on the next play, Donovan McNabb was hit behind by the Skins Jason Taylor causing a fumble, recovered by the Skins, who would score the game's only TD five plays later.
- On a 3rd & 3 from the Skins' 5-yard line, Eagles' TE LJ Smith misses a blocking assignment allowing the Skins to stop Westbrook short of the end zone, forcing the Eagles to settle for a field goal. IF LJ had made his block allowing Westbrook to score, that would have meant the Eagles would have NOT had to go for a TD at the end of the game but rather field goal.
- Eagles' CB Asante Samuel drops what was clearly a gimme interception. The following play sees the Skins punt and pin the Eagles within their own 5 who proceed to go 3 and out, another possession wasted.
- And in the play that may ultimately come to define the entire Eagles's season, rookie WR DeSean Jackson drops a beautifully-thrown pass from McNabb which would have tied the game with less than a minute to play; they more than likely head to OT and who knows what happens from there.
The aforementioned LJ Smith and DeSean Jackson for sure. Donovan would get some consideration for every great throw he made and he made some for sure, there were 3 that were either low or behind the intended target.
But perhaps the one getting the biggest chestnut-roast consideration would be Andy Reid. The simply horrific clock management alone would be cause for roasting.
Add in the idiotic play-calling and I think we know full well whose "nuts" should be roasted.
Want more?
Consider the Eagles got the ball with 3:48 left in the 4Q. Time was clearly of the essence yet from that point to the 2-minute warning they ran a grand total of 4 plays.
As much as I blame for Reggie Brown for not making sure he was deep enough in the end zone on the last play, I blame Andy Reid for blowing a timeout early in the 2nd Half, a timeout they obviously could have used. I blame Andy Reid for the confusion on the play-calling during their last drive, costing them valuable time, a few seconds here, a few seconds there... ALL, that by the end of the game cost them the chance to down the ball and run one more play.
Want more?
In a one-possession game, there's Andy Reid force-feeding the passing game despite the fact that he's missing Kevin Curtis and Hank Baskett AND DeSean Jackson is banged up AND the fact the Skins are daring him to throw by playing 3 CBs and just one S.
Sav Rocca might as well start planning for life AFTER the NFL. Another very bad day for Sav in a game where field position was everything.
The bottom line is... the Eagles are somehow still alive for the Playoffs. But after their performance yesterday, they do NOT deserve a spot in the dance. I realize that some teams (the Cardinals) do not deserve a spot either, but... when you're handed a gift like the Eagles were handed yesterday and when you can control your own destiny and NOT rely on others to help you and you come out and play like that, especially on offense, you simply do not deserve to go. Period.
As always, time's yours... food's mine.
Til next time.
AUDIO RANT
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