If the past ten years weren’t so good for the Eagles, then maybe tonight wouldn’t have hurt so badly.
If the Eagles didn’t play worse than they did in week 17, then maybe tonight wouldn’t have hurt so badly.
For last night’s Wild Card weekend playoff match-up, it was a repeat of week 17 with the Eagles back in Dallas. While the Birds came out onto the field with every intention not to repeat the previous week’s debacle, what happened Saturday night was much, much worse.
The Cowboys pinned a convincing 34-14 loss on the Eagles, proving that they are the better team, and perhaps the team to beat in the NFC. The Eagles were outplayed in every aspect of the game and they looked absolutely pathetic at times. There were bad passes, missed blocks, fumbles, missed catches, and stupid penalties. Blaming one person would be short sighted.
Where do we even start? Looking at Donovan McNabb, this game is the match that will fuel the fire of his legion of haters within the Delaware Valley. McNabb had an awful game, often looking confused and lacking confidence. Although having a piecemeal offensive line is bound to do that to even the best quarterback, McNabb still looked out of his element. He learned nothing from the week before.
McNabb completed 19 passes out of 37 attempts for 230 yards, was sacked 4 times, threw a touchdown and an interception for a 68.5 QB rating. Simply put, he was not the leader the team needed him to be tonight. More than anything, after last week’s deflating loss and a team that is made up of some very inexperienced players, McNabb’s guidance was necessary. If he was leading by example, this isn’t one that you’d want to follow.
What about the rest of the team?
The Eagles rushed a total of 13 times for 56 yards. While that may be an improvement from last week, it’s still terrible. The Cowboys may be a great team against the rush, but if running plays are automatically eliminated, then it’s pretty simple for the Cowboys to figure out how to defend. And that they did.
Outside of Jeremy Maclin, who caught 7 passes for 146 yards and one touchdown, none of the Eagles receivers did anything. Brent Celek did pull down 3 passes for 59 yards, but he’s one guy that the team has come to expect a lot from. Jason Avant, DeSean Jackson, and Leonard Weaver were practically non-existent.
Adding to the offensive mess were four turnovers, including the aforementioned McNabb interception and a Vick fumble on a handoff to Leonard Weaver.
At the game’s onset, the defense looked like it had made some strides. Chris Clemons and Chris Gocong got early sacks, and Joe Mays laid down an absolutely punishing hit on a punt return. Thanks to good play, and plenty of penalties, the Eagles were able to hold Dallas to a goose egg in the first quarter.
Any chance of a win was kissed goodbye during the second quarter. It’s like the Eagles forgot everything that did them in the week before and just stopped playing.
Felix Jones had unfettered access to the field, running for 148 yards on 16 rushes – that’s 9.3 yards per carry! Marion Barber may have been a non-issue, but Tashard Choice picked up 42 yards of his own.
Favorite Tony Romo target Jason Witten only pulled down 4 catches for 27 yards, but this season’s breakout star Miles Austin once again torched the Eagles. His 7 receptions for 82 yards and one touchdown put a fork in the Eagles.
This was a sloppy game for both teams, as the Cowboys and Eagles combined for the most penalty yards ever in a postseason game — 228 yards on 23 penalties. Luckily, the other record-breaking performance is a good one. Rookie Jeremy Maclin set a franchise record in yardage, beating the previously held mark of 142 by Keith Jackson. He’s also the youngest player to catch a TD in the postseason.
While last week’s loss was easy to dissect, last night’s game was an absolute mess. It’s like picking up after a tornado roars through town. The pieces are laying everywhere and while the destruction in front of you is apparent, you don’t know where to start. You’re just glad it’s all over so you can move on.
The Eagles under Andy Reid are unaccustomed to first round losses – this is the first time it’s happened. Worst of all it’s at the hands of the Cowboys, a team who the Eagles have had a long and bitter rivalry with, and one that seems to have annoying bandwagon fans all over the country.
Going into next season, the Eagles will carry this loss with them. It’s likely to resonate with McNabb just as much as the younger guys. While the complexion of the team may change, one thing’s sure – these guys sure as hell won’t allow Dallas to sweep them again in 2010.
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