Eagles Armchair: A Long Way To Go

The most comprehensive weekly look at the Philadelphia Eagles on the internet.

WALK THROUGH

Yesterday, the Eagles had a chance to welcome a real-life, NFL playoff team to Lincoln Financial Field. Not a great team ravaged by injuries or a good team that is incredibly undisciplined, but a solidly built team coming off seven straight victories.

And they got their teeth kicked in. They allowed 40 points and over 180 rushing yards to a rookie running back en route to a 40-17 loss. The game was supposed to be a measuring stick in order to see how close the Eagles are to contending.

But instead, it was just another cruel reminder that they are still very far away from being able to stake their claim as a legitimate threat for the Lombardi Trophy.

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The Eagles playoff hopes are very much alive thanks to their deplorable division. Hell, they even control their own destiny, needing to win the next two weeks to gain an entry into the 2015 NFL Playoffs. But don’t for a second even think that they have a shot at winning anything.

If the Eagles can make the playoffs, their first round matchup will be against the Seattle Seahawks, who are winners of five straight, thanks to Russell Wilson and his perfect 20-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio in that span. What if the Eagles pull off a miracle? Well, they will play against the Cardinals or the undefeated Carolina Panthers, two teams who spanked Chip Kelly’s squad in prime-time this season.

The bottom line is the 2015 Philadelphia Eagles are not a good football team. They are an inconsistent, soft group of players who seem lethargic at times, totally lost at others. I still believe that Kelly did the right thing, blowing up a team that also was unable to compete with the class of the NFC, but it seems the experiment has failed miserably.

And now the Eagles are further behind, flawed and unable to seem like they even belong on the same field as a team like the Cardinals, Panthers, or even the Minnesota Vikings for that matter.

So yes,  the Eagles have a shot at the playoffs. But by no means are they a playoff-caliber team.

INJURY REPORT

Did Not Play: None

Byron Maxwell – Maxwell was in and out of the game for most of the second quarter before leaving the game for good around the two minute warning with a shoulder injury. His injury pressed Jaylen Watkins into action who performed admirably along with E.J. Biggers against wide receiver group that was far superior. Maxwell had an x-ray on his shoulder that came back negative and he is scheduled to have an MRI later today.

Eric Rowe – Rowe also got hurt in the second quarter, sustaining a concussion when trying to make a tackle. It is hard to estimate when Rowe will be able to play again, considering he has to go through the NFL’s concussion protocol, which will be difficult to do on a short week. Chances are, the Eagles will have to put Biggers or Watkins on the outside during practice this week while Rowe works his way back.

MEASURABLES

47 – It has been 47 years since the Eagles have allowed 40 or more points in three games in one season. The 1968 Eagles went just 2-12, losing their first 11 games of the season. The team also managed to score more than 20 points just twice and started three different QBs over the course of the season. That is much worse than the situation the current Eagles find themselves in, but it worth noting how historic their defensive futility has been.

187 – The Eagles defense allowed 187 rushing yards to David Johnson, the second most allowed to a rookie, behind only 202 yards by Tony Dorsett in 1977. Johnson is a talented back and he really made the Eagles look pathetic on some of his runs, but he is no Dorsett.

2 – Marcus Smith II was credited with two solo tackles, the first two of his NFL career. He also picked up half a sack, splitting it with Conner Barwin, who, in all fairness, did most of the work. But still, a breakout performance from the Eagles 2014 first-round pick.

SECTION 140

Sure enough, Arizona kicker Chandler Catanzaro missed an extra point in the third quarter, breaking that streak. That was his seventh missed extra point on the year, a disturbing trend for any Arizona Cardinal fan. I bet Caleb Sturgis sounds pretty good right now, doesn’t he?

That may be the most succinct and accurate depiction of the Eagles increasingly mediocre offense ever.

Simply genius.

WEEKLY AWARDS

The Wasted Effort Award – Sam Bradford

Bradford played very, very well until a pair of bad interceptions in the second half ruined his QB rating. On the day, Bradford finished 28-41 for 361 yards two touchdowns and those two interceptions. He was constantly forced to make plays while under heavy pressure and even had to leave the game for one play after appearing to re-injure his left shoulder. Another game, another week of improvement from the Heisman winner.

The Zero Effort Award – Kiko Alonso

How terrible was Alonso? Last week I thought that he was starting to put things together and could start being an impact player for the Eagles defense. He sure had an impact on yesterday’s game, albeit a negative one. Alonso seems to be very rarely in position and often looks disinterested on the field. On Johnson’s third TD run, Alonso had him stopped at the goal line before giving up and letting go, allowing the running back to fall into the end zone. It’s amazing how Alonso went from very good to absolutely putrid in such a short time. What a disappointment.

NO HUDDLE

• The lack of playing time for Murray was pretty startling to say the least. He played just eight snaps and received two touches, picking up a total of three yards. Since training camp, things have seemed a little off for Murray. He is either unsatisfied with the city, his coach or any combination of the two. But at the same point, the Eagles are trying to make the playoffs and Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles have outplayed him all year. At this point, the Eagles would be best to keep his workload to a minimum and hope he can be traded in the off-season or regain the form he had as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.
• What a great game by Jordan Matthews, Eight catches for 159 yards, punctuated by a 78-yard touchdown. Matthews has really struggled with drops and inconsistencies all year so it was nice to see what kind of player he can be in the NFL. Even Josh Huff had a nice game, picking up 52 yards on four catches. But it was Matthews’ show yesterday. However, his touchdown dance was incredibly childish. Down 20, at home? Dance on your time.
• The Eagles effort on defense yesterday was flat-out embarrassing. I don’t know how many Herculean runs you can allow before you decide enough is enough and change your attitude. In total, they allowed 230 rushing yards and both Kelly and Bill Davis made it a point to call out the sloppy tackling that occurred during the game. Maybe if the team practiced tackling during the week they would be better. Just a thought.
• Another group that will be terrified when watching the tape today is the Eagles offensive line. Jason Peters especially looked like he was playing on ice skates all day long and there were no holes for the backs to hit or a pocket for Bradford to sit in. The Cardinals struggle to generate a consistent pass rush so they blitz in order to manufacture pressure and they confused the Eagles all day long. That isn’t good when you have a struggling running back and an injury prone QB.

WHO’S NEXT

The Eagles will host the Washington Redskins on a special Saturday edition of Thursday Night Football (don’t get me started), at 8:00 the night after Christmas. The Eagles lost to Washington on a Saturday afternoon in week 16 last season which all but eliminated them from playoff contention.

This game is a must-win. If the Eagles can pull out a victory, all they would need to do is beat the Giants on the final day of the season to clinch the NFC East. However, if they lose on Saturday, Washington will claim the crown. It is hard to imagine the team that got repeatedly punched in the mouth at home yesterday will have a fighting chance, but I guess stranger things have happened.

Next: Eagles Blown Out By Cardinals: Offensive Grades

But Kirk Cousins has not looked like Kirk Cousins lately and the Redskins may have finally learned how to win on the road. This is a tough matchup, but the Eagles have two options, they can fight for their playoff dreams or rollover like they did yesterday.