My Thoughts Eagles/Patriots

I spent most of the week thinking of what to write for my Eagles/Patriots wrap up.  I knew there would be nothing to like.  I knew it would be an out-of-control disaster that would barely be worth talking about.

And when Assante Samuel picked off AJ Feeley on the third play from scrimmage and took it to the house, I knew the rout was on.  The game was on its way to getting out of hand, but I didn’t think it would start so soon.  
 
I was prepared to relax and enjoy watching the Eagles get lambasted just like everyone predicted. This was a game that was ok to lose.  There would be no nail biting this week.  There are Tibetan monks with no television, radio, newspaper or internet, that knew the Eagles would get slaughtered.  But then a funny thing happened, the Eagles showed up and played ball. They didn’t just stay in the game, they dictated the game.   Feeley was sharp and deliberate.  The defense bent but didn’t break (in Patriots’ standards anyway).  The Eagles had a lead heading into the fourth quarter and had a legitimate shot until the end. But, alas, the Patriots were too much.  They always are.
 
The last time the Eagles played the Patriots was the Super Bowl in 2004 (don’t give me this 2005 nonsense.  It was the 2004 season.  I know the game was physically played in 2005).  Anyone else notice the myriad of similarities?  The game featured a 14-14 tie, a 24-21 score and a three-point New England win in the end.  Feeley threw for 345 yards last night.  Donovan McNabb threw for 357 in the Super Bowl.  Feeley threw two killer interceptions and one that didn’t matter in the end.  So did McNabb.  Greg Lewis scored in both games.  There was a #83 that caught over ten balls and was uncovered all night (Deion Branch, Super Bowl MVP and last night was Wes Welker).  Last night, the Eagles made the Pats punt with an insignificant amount of time on the clock. The same thing happened in the Super Bowl.  The Eagles lost the turnover battle by three in both games.  Feeley threw up on the field last night…oh wait, no he didn’t. Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought that up.  So, let’s look at the game:
 
What I liked:

-If criticism starts with Andy Reid, then so should the praise.  I give him and Jim Johnson a ton of credit for having the troops ready to go.  Great gameplan and I loved the attitude.  It was obvious that the Eagles didn’t think they deserved to lose.  They figured out really quickly that the inside of the field was open all day.  Bill Belichick even admitted that the Eagles were doing things that he didn’t see coming.  
 
-Feeley played incredibly well.  There are many teams that can’t find a starting quarterback with a map.  The Eagles have two, and maybe three, excellent QB’s. As bad as Reid and company have been with picking wide receivers and linebackers, they seem to be good at finding QB’s.  The first two interceptions were killers, but he was brilliant other than that.  For whatever reason, he is a joke with other teams.  But when he puts on the midnight green the guy can flat out play.
 
-I really liked Greg Lewis?  Really?  As a starter, this guy was just horrendous. But, I think I like him in a 4th or 5th role.  He had a great game with 88 yards and a pair of TD’s.  On the first TD catch, he actually looked like a real NFL wide receiver.  No, I’m serious, he did.
 
-Loved the onside kick and going for it on fourth down.  Why not?  I would imagine the bulk of the gameplan was based on the “why not” theory.  
 
-Lost in all of the “Eagles are going to be obliterated talk” was that Randy Moss has not killed the Eagles in the past.  He never goes off against the Birds and Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown did a marvelous job again.  There was only one deep ball that was close to completion and Moss dropped it. Other than that, the big play didn’t kill them, it was the underneath stuff that did the damage.  
 
-The defensive line did a great job keeping the heat on Brady.  They did as well as could be expected, considering Brady can usually eat his lunch back there.  Darren Howard made a play!  Jevon Kearse looked better too.  Could the benchings be responsible for lighting a fire?
 
-Chris Gocong had a sack?  Did I see Takeo Spikes making plays?  Was that Omar Gaither knocking down a potential TD pass?  Wow, the linebackers actually decided to play this week.  
 
-I liked that the Eagles didn’t take many penalties.  That was huge.  In a game like this, you can’t afford stupid mistakes.  Very, very disciplined last night.
 
-The wide receivers as a whole did a marvelous job getting open and working the middle of the field. And yes, that includes you, Reggie Brown.  I know the Patriots secondary would be considered the Achilles heal of the team, but still.
 
-Obviously, McNabb and T.O. didn’t play and the Patriots added Moss, Welker and Donte Stallworth, but I focused on another major difference between this game and the Super Bowl.  Jamaal Jackson at center and Shawn Andrews at right guard.  They made a big difference in how the Eagles handled that filthy Pats line.  In the Super Bowl, Hank Fraley was destroyed by Richard Seymour.  The offensive line on Sunday night gave Feeley enough time to do his damage.  
 
-I liked JR Reed and I’m being serious.  He layed the wood to Moss on one play and knocked the ball out.  This guy is a third-string safety that was already cut once this year.  He is here as a returner and for him to step up and play defense the way he did was very impressive.  Why are Quinton Mikell and Reed seemingly much better than Sean Considine?  Maybe I’m an idiot, but these two seem to make way more plays than Considine.  
 
-I like the Patriots. And I don’t mean, “whoo hoo! Run, Randy! Run!” type of like. As well as the Eagles played them, they are still studs.  Even when they got to Brady, they didn’t really get to him.  They did what they wanted when they wanted to. It took a Herculean effort to even get within three points.  Did anyone see Tom Brady’s face on the sideline warming up after the Eagles went up 28-24?  I saw that and knew the upset wasn’t going to happen.  The Eagles shut down Moss, so they went to Welker.  Or Jabbar Gaffney.  Jabbar Gaffney!!  Tell me he didn’t love scoring against the team that cut him in training camp last year.  I knew the Patriots were behemoths when I rewound the 4th-down stop on my DVR and was worried that they might convert on the replay.  How many teams can beat you in the first half by imitating the 1991 Houston Oilers with the Run and Shoot, then come out in the second half looking like the 1970’s Steelers with big formations, two wide receivers and a running mindset? Didn’t even look like the same team.  Yes, they are that good.  
 
-I know this wasn’t from the Eagles/Pats game, but I loved watching Eli Manning look horrific against Minnesota in front of his home crowd.  He was a circus act when he took the 4th-down, 26-yard sack at the end of the game. Watching your rival’s quarterback continue to look like a joke:  Priceless.
 
…and not so much:

-I don’t like even attempting that deep ball for the TD with almost four minutes left in the game. If they score, Brady had ample time to take the lead right back.  I saw what looked like LJ Smith running horizontally about four yards past the line of scrimmage.  He was open.  Frustrating.
 
-The Eagles lost a winnable game.  How much fun would sports television have been this week if the Eagles find a way to win? Frustrating.
 
-If I’m Randy Moss, I have numerous strongly worded letters to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. This guy is getting hosed. That pass interference call in the end zone was a disgrace.  Another pass to him was incomplete and his shoulder pad was out of his jersey. It didn’t get there by itself. No call.  I’m thankful for calls that go my way, but this is just awful.  Keep it fair. They called him for the same foul against Indianapolis and I thought it was terrible then too.  
 
-There wasn’t much room for Westbrook to run, but I’ll mitigate by frustration because it was against the Patriots.
 
-The Eagles kick/punt returns get even more annoying after watching Devin Hester for the Bears earlier in the day.  I know Hester’s don’t grow on trees, but the Eagles have anti-Hesters. If they make it out to the 30-yard line on a kickoff, it’s cause for celebration.  Spend a draft pick on a guy whose talents include returning kicks, please.  
 
-Maybe I’m asking for a lot, but no turnovers?  I know, I know….it’s the Patriots.
 
-Why exactly is Nick Cole on this roster?  Is it because his remarkable girth induces the coaches to believe that he has to be valuable in some capacity?  Whether he’s in as a goal-line fullback or jumping offsides in a punt situation, Cole does nothing for me.  The Eagles have depth along the lines, get rid of Cole and add a ball boy.  As soon as he jumped offsides I thought “And that’s how you lose to the Patriots.”
 
-I hate the television production of these games.  Faith Hill is to the NFL what Hillary Clinton is to underwear modeling (not making a political statement.  Purely an analogy based on her “hotness” or lack thereof).  The lyric “I’ve been waiting all day for Sunday Night…” irritates me every week.  Really?  Football fans waited all day for Sunday night?  Not me.  You know why?  I’ve been watching football all day!  So stupid.  
 
-The Eagles lost a winnable game.  It needed to be repeated.  
 
As always, let me know if I left something out.  There was a lot of information to process, so I’m sure I forgot something.
 
micahw@feverpitchmedia.com