EAGLES 101

The Philadelphia Eagles were blown out by the Arizona Cardinals 27-6 in yesterday's matchup.  The Eagles looked horrible from the opening kick until the end of the game.  There were few bright spots and plenty of problems to address.  But it has been twenty four hours since the game so the Eagles supporters and the Eagles themselves have had some time for reflection.  Here are some key takeaways from yesterday's dismal showing.

Before everyone starts saying how bad Michael Vick is and that Nick Foles should be inserted into the game, the play calling needs to be addressed.  Arguably the best player on the team, LeSean McCoy had four carries in the first half, four!  This is simply not going to get it done.  He is a dynamic runner who can take a lot of the pressure off of Vick and the offensive line.  Coach Andy Reid has always been a pass happy guy, but things need to change for the birds to be successful.  

Michael Vick was pounded by the Cardinals defense and it was not entirely his fault.  The makeshift offensive line struggled to give him time and the wide receivers had a tough time getting open.  Yes, Vick does need to release the ball earlier, but he needs someone to get open.  This was in large part due to Jeremy Maclin's absence and DeSean Jackson still does not seem at full speed.  Vick did not throw any interceptions, but did lose two fumbles.  One of the fumbles was as the Eagles were about to score and the opportunistic Cardinals defense returned it for a touchdown.  He has to become more aware of the defenders around him.

The defense did not play great, but they were not horrible.  Yes, Nhamdi Asomugha was beat several times by Larry Fitzgerald, but Nhamdi cannot be left alone with one of the best receivers in the game.  Nhamdi is not the elite shut down corner he has been in the past, he needs help.  Defensive coordinator Juan Castillo needed to devise a gameplan that took away the Cardinals only legitimate big play receiver.  There appeared to be confusion between Nhamdi and the safety, Nate Allen, on Fitzgerald's touchdown.  This breakdown needs to be corrected and big play receivers need special attention from the defense.

The offensive line's struggles need to be corrected ASAP if Vick is going to survive against the New York Giants this week.  Hopefully the line will play more in sync as this will be their second week playing together as a unit.  It is tough considering All Pro tackle Jason Peters is out for the season, his backup King Dunlap is still recovering from an injury, and starting center Jason Kelce is also done for the season.  Scoring six points in a NFL game will never get the job done and a large part of that rests with the offensive line.

The performance yesterday could not have been any worse, but at the same time it is only ONE game.  The team is still 2-1 and tied for the division lead.  It will be interesting to see if the team is able to respond this week with a better performance against a division foe.  The sky is not falling in Philadelphia, but the blowout loss has hampered some of the talk about how great the Eagles are.  

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Coach Andy Reid, DeSean Jackson, Football, Jeremy Maclin, Juan Castillo, Larry Fitzgerald, LeSean McCoy, Michael Vick, New York Giants, NFL, Nick Foles, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Eagles

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