The Eagles Are Panicking And It’s Costing Them

Have you ever read the sad stories about people dying in house fires? Once the people realize the house is on fire, they begin to panic and it causes them to make mistakes which cost them their lives.

Right now the Eagles are a football team which is panicking and it’s costing them their football lives.

A team should focus more in big games. Having a sense of urgency without focus can cause you to panic. The Eagles knew how important yesterday’s game was, but they let it cause them to panic rather than get more focused.

Football teams which panic, jump offsides at the end of the game, when they should know that other team isn’t going to snap the ball. They hold onto the football too long and let the clock run out at halftime. They throw desperation passes when under pressure rather than taking a sack and get them returned for touchdowns. They fight for extra yardage after getting a first down, despite the fact that they’re being surrounded by four tacklers and they get the ball stripped from them. They run by the guy with the ball and miss tackles.

“I think guys are just trying so hard to make a play,” Vick said after the game. “We know what we’re capable of, we know what we can do. We move the ball up and down the field all game, and I think that in the moment, guys are just trying to make the play and be the game-changer, want to be the guy making a contribution.”

Wide Jason Avant caught the first down throw from Vick and was surrounded by four Buffalo Bills defenders. All he needed to do was go down to the ground. Instead he fought for an extra yard. It cost him the football.

Trying too hard makes players undisciplined. The Phillies went up to bat in the last game of the NLDS and tried too hard to make something happen and helped get themselves out. Being over eager is the attitude of somebody who is not properly handling the situation.

John Wooden always told his players to be quick but don’t rush. People who rush make mistakes.

Despite having a pass rusher in his face, Vick made a blind throw down the middle and it was picked off by Nick Barnett, who returned it for a touchdown. He admitted that the panic attitude was his downfall.

“I had a guy coming down my gun barrel and I should’ve just took the sack, should’ve just took the sack . . . Like I said, you’ve got to be disciplined in the moment”, Vick said after the game. “Sometimes it’s hard, but I think that was a game-changer. You go from 14-7 to 21-7, now we’re in the hole trying to fight our way out. Those things can’t happen.”

Vick panicked on that play before the second half. He should have given himself four seconds at the most to find a receiver, then he needed to throw the ball past the line of scrimmage on to the turf. He threw the ball through the end zone and that cost them the last couple of seconds of the half.