I’ve already given my take on how the Birds offense needs to be restructured to make LeSean McCoy the focal point and deemphasize Michael Vick and the passing game. That means you give the ball to Shady if you’re not sure about what play to call. You start being more conservative with the football, so that you avoid turnovers and keep the game close.
The Eagles defense is the strength of the football team. The D can play better than they did on Sunday, so the Birds need to go forward with the understanding that they should run the offense with the mentality of staying away from turnovers and relying on the defense. This offense was turning the ball over in the same way a year ago and nothing has changed.
Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg was totally wrong last week when asked about dialing the offense back because Vick was committing so many turnovers.
He responded that you’ve got to score points in the NFL and you have to trust your players, meaning rely on your quarterback to make risky decisions, like seeing an unblocked blitzer coming off the corner. That’s garbage if those players are making mistakes on every other play and turning the ball over more than anybody else in the league.
They’ve got to dial back this offense and if Vick can’t execute a conservative game plan and stay away from turnovers, they have no choice but to go to the kid, Nick Foles.
The Cardinals tried to run a wide open style with Kevin Kolb they way they did with Kurt Warner, but saw discovered that it wouldn’t work. They dialed things back and went with John Skelton. He got hurt so they’ve got Kolb in there with a conservative (don’t turn the ball over) game plan.
Arizona is 3-0 right now, with wins over Seattle, New England and the Eagles. They’ve done it by focusing on not turning the ball over. Remember that the Cards had won games in the season’s first two weeks, despite Larry Fitzgerald being held to five catches for 67 yards.
Kolb threw for only 140 yards against the Patriots, yet they still won the football game because he didn’t turn the ball over. The Cardinals have a very good defense and they run their offense in accordance with that. If they don’t turn the ball over, the opposing offense is going to have quite a task ahead for them in trying to score against that defense.
Right now, the Eagles have to adjust their offense in the same way. You take the ball out of the quarterback’s hands when facing third down and fifteen plus. You don’t let him make the decision which kills you. You kick the field with six seconds remaining rather relying on him to make the right decision with the clock ticking out.
Kolb hasn’t thrown an interception yet this season because they served notice to him early that he wouldn’t play if he turns the ball over. Ken Whisenhunt and the Cardinals staff make sure to call plays which allows Kolb the chance to get the ball out of his hands. If he can’t get it out of his hands to an open receiver, they harp on him to make the wise decision of throwing the ball away or wrapping the ball up and taking the sack.
Check out what Kolb said after the game on Sunday.
“That’s the thing that we’ve harped on a lot. I’ve harped on a lot,” said Kolb. “You know with our defense and our style of play, not turning the ball over is a big key. It’s okay to punt. We don’t like it, it’s never been in my game, but to have that kind of mentality, sometimes it is okay especially when your defense is playing that good.”
Enough of Vick and that high wire act. You’re not going to win with it, especially with Demetress Bell matched up against Jason Pierre-Paul. You know the Giants are going to be bringing everybody up the middle of the offensive line to get pressure on him. If they ask Vick to drop back and throw the ball 20 times in the first half, they should fire Andy Reid at halftime.
The only chance they have of winning this football game is playing a conservative game and limiting what they ask Vick to do behind that overmatched offensive line. Dial back the offense and play a conservative game. Rely on your defense to keep it close then win it in the fourth quarter.
I’ll be at the Nova Care Complex all day, so follow me on Twitter and keep up with what the Birds are talking about today. You can friend me on Facebook at GCobb.com and checkout the Eagles interviews at around noon today.
14 – 2 When Mike throws 35 or less
They call that the A.J. Feeley / Mike Kafka offensive game plan
Coach Reid has to dust off the binder that says in case of emergency QB plays because Vick is getting a crash course in the Alex Smith way
Eagles, you could even call it the McNabb playbook before they got D-Jax or possibly back to TO. They didn’t run a ton, but enough and they spread the ball around with short passes. Say what you want about # 5, he rarely turned the ball over. He killed a couple of groundhogs in his day, but he didn’t throw a lot of picks.
“If they ask Vick to drop back and throw the ball 20 times in the first half, they should fire Andy Reid at halftime.”
Love it G.
Last Sunday’s game felt like I was watching an Eagles’ NFC championship game, Andy, a scrambling QB, and a 30-7 score