Losing to Washington was agonizing. I know the pointed finger from the fans and the media is largely in the direction of head coach Andy Reid. It was out of whack on the stat sheet, no doubt about it. Donovan McNabb threw the ball 46 times, was sacked twice and scrambled two times, meaning the Eagles called 50 pass plays. They called 14 running plays, gaining 54 yards. The ratio was lopsided, and it didn't work, but the reason the Eagles scored only three points is because the entire offense didn't work. In the first half, for example, the Eagles ran the ball 9 times (for 35) yards and passed it 11 times, and had all of 66 total net yards and zero points to show for it. The ratio is only part of the equation here. Granted, two of those runs came as the Eagles basically wound down the final seconds off the clock, but I'll also point out that without those runs and the 11 yards they gained, the Eagles managed a meager 55 net yards offensively in the opening two quarters. The mark of the three-game winning streak was an offense that started quickly, established the line of scrimmage and then found balance in the run/pass game. The Eagles started in mud against Washington. Truth is, the Eagles failed everywhere offensively on Sunday. They were burdened with lousy field position (to repeat the post-game column, the Eagles had 10 of their 12 drives start at the 20-yard line or worse, and had four of those drives start at the 9-yard line or worse) and they didn't sustain enough drives (the Eagles, after converting 33 of 50 third downs in a three-game winning streak, were just 3 of 14 on Sunday) and they dropped passes and missed blocks and couldn't connect the dots enough to get the Redskins on their heels.
The Eagles had a couple of chances to make plays down the field, and both times Donovan McNabb threw catchable balls to DeSean Jackson that he just couldn't bring in. One was a twisting, over-the-shoulder try down the left sideline on a first-and-10 play with 6:09 to go from the Philadelphia 20-yard line. The other was a crusher -- a picture-perfect throw to Jackson on a "go" route from the Washington 40-yard line that Jackson failed to hold in the right corner of the end zone. Washington, known to play primarily man-to-man coverage, mixed their looks in this game. They showed a lot of two-deep zone over the top, apparently content with giving the Eagles a yard or three here and there. That didn't help the Eagles though since Jackson wasn't the only one to drop passes. Seven drops, by unofficial count. Five, six, seven, the number was way, way too high to be acceptable. The Eagles' pass catchers -- wide receivers, tight ends and backs -- suffered a bad day Too many dropped passes has been a theme before and is the reason that I have said all along they need some better receivers. McNabb is who will be blamed or Andy Reid but the fault lies solidly on the receiving corps.
It's hard to find fault with the defense here. Washington gained only 249 total net yards and the Redskins ran for 122 yards on 32 carries. Campbell hurt the Eagles with a couple of scrambles -- he ran for 28 yards on two runs -- and he had good, smart ball security. The Eagles needed a takeaway here, and, like that opportunity in the end zone, didn't make it happen. Early in the fourth quarter, for example, Asante Samuel had a chance to intercept Campbell on a sideline pass to Devin Thomas, but the ball glanced off of Samuel's fingertips. Instead of having the football near midfield, the Eagles watched as Redskins punter Ryan Plackemeier -- an MVP on this day -- dropped a punt at the 3-yard line. The defense, while brilliant for much of the game, had its chances, too. At 0-0 in the second quarter, the Redskins moved from their 14-yard line to the Eagles 14 and looked into the end zone for six points. Jason Campbell's pass for Santana Moss was deflected and nearly intercepted by Quintin Mikell, who tipped the pass into the air. Chris Gocong's diving attempt to intercept the pass, after Mikell's missed moment in the end zone, came up empty and Washington scored a field goal to lead, 3-0.Painful. Very painful. The Eagles controlled their playoff destiny when the game started, thanks to San Diego's win over Tampa Bay, but by the end of the day the Eagles again needed help with one game remaining. Tampa Bay has to lose to Oakland in Tampa next Sunday and the Eagles have to beat Dallas at Lincoln Financial Field. Chicago has to lose to either Green Bay on Monday night or at Houston next week. Minnesota has to lose to the Giants. There is one game to go and the Eagles are going to do their best to wipe away the harsh disappointment of the loss to the Redskins. They are going to look ahead. For the rest of us, the days in front will serve as a painful time to re-hash the shouldas, couldas and wouldas of a season that is. The thing was theirs. The Tampa Bay Bucs handed it to them just before the Eagles took the field against the Redskins. They had fought and clawed their way from oblivion over the last few weeks and the bright shining light of the playoffs was finally in view. They were in control. All they needed was two more wins, starting Sunday with the reeling Redskins.
The Eagles had a couple of chances to make plays down the field, and both times Donovan McNabb threw catchable balls to DeSean Jackson that he just couldn't bring in. One was a twisting, over-the-shoulder try down the left sideline on a first-and-10 play with 6:09 to go from the Philadelphia 20-yard line. The other was a crusher -- a picture-perfect throw to Jackson on a "go" route from the Washington 40-yard line that Jackson failed to hold in the right corner of the end zone. Washington, known to play primarily man-to-man coverage, mixed their looks in this game. They showed a lot of two-deep zone over the top, apparently content with giving the Eagles a yard or three here and there. That didn't help the Eagles though since Jackson wasn't the only one to drop passes. Seven drops, by unofficial count. Five, six, seven, the number was way, way too high to be acceptable. The Eagles' pass catchers -- wide receivers, tight ends and backs -- suffered a bad day Too many dropped passes has been a theme before and is the reason that I have said all along they need some better receivers. McNabb is who will be blamed or Andy Reid but the fault lies solidly on the receiving corps.
It's hard to find fault with the defense here. Washington gained only 249 total net yards and the Redskins ran for 122 yards on 32 carries. Campbell hurt the Eagles with a couple of scrambles -- he ran for 28 yards on two runs -- and he had good, smart ball security. The Eagles needed a takeaway here, and, like that opportunity in the end zone, didn't make it happen. Early in the fourth quarter, for example, Asante Samuel had a chance to intercept Campbell on a sideline pass to Devin Thomas, but the ball glanced off of Samuel's fingertips. Instead of having the football near midfield, the Eagles watched as Redskins punter Ryan Plackemeier -- an MVP on this day -- dropped a punt at the 3-yard line. The defense, while brilliant for much of the game, had its chances, too. At 0-0 in the second quarter, the Redskins moved from their 14-yard line to the Eagles 14 and looked into the end zone for six points. Jason Campbell's pass for Santana Moss was deflected and nearly intercepted by Quintin Mikell, who tipped the pass into the air. Chris Gocong's diving attempt to intercept the pass, after Mikell's missed moment in the end zone, came up empty and Washington scored a field goal to lead, 3-0.Painful. Very painful. The Eagles controlled their playoff destiny when the game started, thanks to San Diego's win over Tampa Bay, but by the end of the day the Eagles again needed help with one game remaining. Tampa Bay has to lose to Oakland in Tampa next Sunday and the Eagles have to beat Dallas at Lincoln Financial Field. Chicago has to lose to either Green Bay on Monday night or at Houston next week. Minnesota has to lose to the Giants. There is one game to go and the Eagles are going to do their best to wipe away the harsh disappointment of the loss to the Redskins. They are going to look ahead. For the rest of us, the days in front will serve as a painful time to re-hash the shouldas, couldas and wouldas of a season that is. The thing was theirs. The Tampa Bay Bucs handed it to them just before the Eagles took the field against the Redskins. They had fought and clawed their way from oblivion over the last few weeks and the bright shining light of the playoffs was finally in view. They were in control. All they needed was two more wins, starting Sunday with the reeling Redskins.
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