Sunday, January 03, 2010

Eagles @ Cowboys Post Mortem: Rational Version

This was not a game that they needed to win in order to win the SB. It would have made things a lot easier (and my wallet a lot fatter when I sold my playoff tickets), but wasn't a must win. They've just gotten their OAK game out of their system and can now go on another 4 game win streak.

Good things that came out of this game:

1)The Cowboys now should be over confident for next week's game. Really, how can they be afraid to play this team again?
2)PHI still hasn't showed DAL what they're going to do to beat them. It would be just like Reid to hold back on his game plan in case they lost this game.
3)Eagles positively answered the biggest question facing the team: the offensive line looked pretty decent. And Cole (outside of the one low snap) looked very good. All of the pressure was on the outside, not up the middle. 5 had plenty of time to find the open receivers

There are very good and very bad versions of both the Eagles and the Cowboys. We've just seen the very bad Eagles and the very good Cowboys. There's no reason to think that both will show up next week. Looking at history, there's every reason to think that things will be reversed. Reid's got a much better playoff track record than Phillips (0-4). It's virtually impossible to beat a team 3x in one year and that's what DAL would have to do. And PHI's going to be extra motivated after losing like this. This is a team with high character who will play with a lot of pride next week.

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24 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Has anyone seen anything that tells them the Birds can beat this team? Dallas is just faster and peaking at the right time. Birds were exposed badly today along both lines. Plus that place must be extremely difficult with the noise factor. I don't see them faring any better than 21-10 next week, and that's IF they actually show up. This was the microcosm of this team. I won't just lay it on the two leaders (Reid and 5) because every single player who donned a uniform today was playing at half speed.

And this marks two games that Dallas has completely dominated Jackson and rendered him useless. That alone leaves me no hope for next week.

Bumble

7:11 PM EST  
Blogger Unknown said...

I hope Vick is healed because I would run no huddle and wildcat all day next week. You know you cannot operate out of your base set. The team annihilated that set all day. You must be creative, so what does Reid hatch up?

On D, I would blitz the world every play. Romo is dangerous with time, so get him off rhythm.

ALl of the coaches had terrible game plans and not one of them adjusted. Sad as they get paid a lot of money to adjust.

Bumble

7:15 PM EST  
Blogger The Mean Guy said...

And this marks two games that Dallas has completely dominated Jackson and rendered him useless. That alone leaves me no hope for next week.

it looked like dallas doubled jackson a lot (and jackson was limping). that should have left plenty of room for the other guys, but mcnabb was off on his throws, the receivers dropped a lot of balls, and the o-line got no push in run blocking. blech!

7:34 PM EST  
Blogger Chasing10K said...

Bumble, I agree our D line did nothing, but I really think the o-line played great. McNabb had a lot of time on most of his throws and any pressure that he got was because he sat back there for 5 plus seconds. O-line did their job.

I really think this is one of those games where a couple plays swing things. Then momentum turns against you and you can't claw back.

8:03 PM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"I hope Vick is healed because I would run no huddle and wildcat all day next week."

Not me. If Vick is the answer, I don't like the question.

The Eagles can win next week by showing up determined to give their best effort. Football is an effort sport. It's all about attitude, confidence, will.

The thing that bothers me about this game is the Eagles spit the bit. There is no other way to look at it as far as I'm concerned. If the Cowboys were THAT much better than the Eagles, it would have showed up a long time ago. Champions rise to the occasion; losers look for excuses.

I would have had no problem with losing a competitive game. As I have said many times on this board, my life doesn't change a bit regardless of the outcome of a game. However, the effort today had an effect on me. It's hard to get pumped up for a team that played with no heart.

No heart.

More words for the post mort, HA: soft, pathetic, unaware, unprepared, meek, unprofessional, girly, compromised, undeserving.

Ed Wade

8:35 PM EST  
Blogger Unknown said...

I'd be tempted to tear up Reid's contract and burn it in front of him if I were Lurie. i'd tell him that a LOT rode on a complete 180 this week because it embarrassed him as an owner of a team that laid down in their biggest game of the year. One game does not a season make, but one huge lack of testicles says a lot about where a team is going. This team is going home next weekend if today is any indication.

Bumble

9:01 PM EST  
Blogger Chasing10K said...

Bumble, great googly-moogly. No coaching contract should be ripped up because of a bad regular season game. And that's all today's game was.

You talk a lot about big games. And while the loss at DAL hurts, it is NOT a big game. The loss does not send them home for the year. The loss does not eliminate their shot at winning a SB. Geez, listening to you the Eagles shouldn't even bother to head back to DAL next weekend.

I 110% disagree. You do NOT give up after a regular season loss. No loss means they're one and done. You can NOT say the Cowboys are infinitely better just because of 1 24-0 score. On any given Sunday is not just the name of a movie, it's the very real reality of today's NFL. The 2 teams with the best record in the NFC have a losing record over the past 3 weeks. The Cowboys for their vaunted "momentum" have a worse record over their last 5 games than Philly.

Don't forget people, it wasn't over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor and the season isn't over now!

9:17 PM EST  
Blogger Unknown said...

I watched the Birds lay down today and get completely man handled by a hungrier, faster team. i also saw a coaching staff that had answers for everything they did while they had no answers.

You are about as wrong as you possibly could be in saying this was not a big game. this was the definition of big game. Scratch that, it was a humongous game, an enormous game, a gargantuan game. And you didn't show up. I know you buy every thing they do hook, line and green tinted sinker, but you have to admit that they collapsed ona big stage and blew a golden opportunity and are now against the ropes big time. If it were a 21-17 game, different tale, but they couldn't tackle, they couldn't catch, they couldn't get out of their own way. What pray tell did you see that every other Eagles fan in the tri state area missed that gave you cause for concern? I want some of what you are smoking.

Bumble

10:03 PM EST  
Blogger Unknown said...

And based on today, they should forfeit next week. they have no shot of winning that game.

10:05 PM EST  
Blogger Chasing10K said...

You are 110% correct that they sucked immensely. There is no reason to look at that one game and think they have any chance of winning next week.

But look a bit further back. This is the same team that lost 9-6 to Oakland. The same OAK team that couldn't beat ANYONE. Looking at that one OAK game, would you have any reason to believe they could win 3 games in a row let alone 6?

Again, it doesn't matter what they did in the last game. It matters what they do in the next one. And the one after that. You think they have no chance of winning? I think they've got as good a chance as anyone else. And when they do win next week, which I think they will, I can't wait for you to eat crow. And not just a little crow, but huge mouthfuls.

6:59 AM EST  
Blogger Chasing10K said...

What I really don't understand is how you can lay everything on one game. No matter how badly they looked, it was still just one game. This team has a track record of playing atrocious games (games fully equal as bad as yesterday) and still playing good ball. OAK game this year, CIN game last year.

The past is no predictor of the future!

7:01 AM EST  
Anonymous IronyPolice said...

This team has a track record of playing atrocious games (games fully equal as bad as yesterday) and still playing good ball. OAK game this year, CIN game last year.

The past is no predictor of the future!




Sir, I'm with the irony police. Could you come with me, please?

11:34 AM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Look at the bright spot, everyone. At least we get to watch our team this Saturday.

Ed Wade

2:44 PM EST  
Blogger Chasing10K said...

Ed, exactly.

So is it a good thing or a bad thing that I've been outted by the IronyPolice? And what's taken them so long to get around to Scrapple?

6:50 PM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

For the benefit of the irony police, let me finish the thought:

It would really suck to sit through 4 games next weekend, watching rivals beat the bejesus out of each other, diminishing their chances to win the SB, while we got to rest up, licking our chops in anticipation of a home game, greatly enhancing our own chances of winning the SB.

The bright side is we get to watch another game and whine about it sooner.

Don't want anyone thinking I'm fine with the non-effort that was on display this Sunday.

Ed Wade

7:15 PM EST  
Blogger Unknown said...

Um...aren't entire industries, educational systems, and philosophies built on the tenet that the past is an excellent predictor of the future? Isn't that how most models and probabilities are created?

Look I'm not really that angry today when I recalled their schedule. They beat exactly one, O-N-E team with a winning record (9-7 at that), beat zero, count em again, Z-E-R-O teams in the playoffs. They are what they are. a slightly better than .500 team who feasted on a bunch of other .500 teams. I should've expected them to get trounced by a team with a winning record, they did it all year.

Bumble

8:02 PM EST  
Blogger Unknown said...

I have been thinking about this and I have to tip my hat to the Cowboys. they re-invented themselves this off season. They got rid of the cancer that was TO and altered their offense to suit their personnel. In the past, they were a power running team with a deep threat. if you stacked 8 in the box, you could take their run away and force them to throw. Much of what went to TO was longer patterns, so you could blitz Romo and elicit bad performance. Now, they changed to a short dump off and screen game and it really suits their personnel. they could've 3 step drop and slanted the Birds all day long. the Birds need to do a lot of things differently to have a hope of staying in this game, but all is not lost. I'd do the following.

1. Never stop throwing to Celek-guy was all world in the first half and did bupkis in the second. How is that?

2. Use the screen game. They had no running game, but they are a damned good screen team. A few lousy screen patterns and some dropsies caused them to abandon this, but this is a huge play for them and needs to happen.

3. At least bump Witten off the line and slow his route. they never covered him and he hit that 6 yard slant free all day. How can that be your plan?

4. Blitz, blitz, and blitz again-use people that have been dormant (Gocong) to show some different looks. They got caught early in some run blitzes and really need to stay after it. Dallas has a great O line, so playing base will not get it done.

5. Use all the WR on your roster. Where were Curtis and Brown and Avant? Spread Dallas out more and see if they have more than those 2 great CB. I don't think they do. All of these guys can catch, so use them.

Seriously, Morningwheg and Reid should be publicly flogged for that offensive game plan. It was...well offensive. How can you possibly go to a complete bunch formation where everyone lines up within 10 yards of each other (that umbrella looking set)? That plays right into Dallas's plan of keeping you in tight space. Terrible terrible job by Reid and the offensive brain trust. hopefully they are all at the office now atoning and being mad scientists.

Bumble

8:44 PM EST  
Anonymous IronyPolice said...

I ahve always been here, watching, waiting.

I remain in the shadows until needed. I am the hero you deserve, but not the one you want.

Not right now.

And fucking run the ball. Reshuffled line will do better going forward than backwards.

10:32 AM EST  
Blogger Unknown said...

different topic-why the Redskins suck.

OK, you fire Jim Zorn on Monday, but do you exhaust possibilities to find the best fit for your talent and system? A creative mind? Or do you throw big money at a high profile coach on dya one to make a splash?

This team never learns. Shanahan has always been an average coach. He won 2 SB with aruguably a top 5 all time RB, QB, and OL. The guy has not won a single playoff game in 10 years and has pissed away many promising seasons. How was he the immediate "must have" choice?

Will he bring them back to a .500 level? Yes. Is a storied franchise looking for more? yes.

For all I gripe about Red and Lurie, I'd take that 1000 days out of 1000 over the mess in the nation's Capitol.

Bumble

8:24 PM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think the Eagles will win on Saturday. Just saying.

And no, this doesn't mean I think losing last Sunday in one of the poorest performances I've ever seen is in any way a good thing.

Go Birds. I'll be there Saturday, just like always, hoping for the best, knowing the road will be harder, waiting for the challenge.

Ed Wade

10:05 PM EST  
Blogger The Mean Guy said...

And fucking run the ball. Reshuffled line will do better going forward than backwards.

only they didn't against the cowboys. justice couldn't handle spears in run blocking and fat nick cole didn't seem to be getting much of a push in the middle.

10:11 PM EST  
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