Why They Lost
It would seem that the poor and inconsistent play of the Philadelphia offense has finally caught up to this team. Last minute victories are fun to cheer for and they provide great excitement to a fan base.But it was clear Sunday that the Eagles would not be able to get by without playing their best game of the season. The mistakes added up and here we are with another edition of Why They Lost.
Eagles 14 Pittsburgh Steelers 16
For the past few weeks the conversation about the Philadelphia offense has been simple: Protect Michael Vick and do not turn the football over. Early on against the Steelers you felt that the message was finally becoming clear. With their first drive down the field Vick lead a great balanced attack , then on a first down play right at the goal line Michael Vick was diving forward and fumbled the football. This was a huge early play, at the very least Philadelphia could’ve scored a field goal and best case a touchdown would have provided an early lead to build on. Alas we had to settle for a fairly quiet second quarter as the Eagles failed to capture any of the great play that the first drive showed off. A 10-0 lead by Pittsburgh lead to some worrisome thoughts by fans watching at home.
After a Steeler punt the Philly offense looked much more like the unit we have come to love over the past three seasons. A 8-play 67 yard drive resulting in a touchdown did a lot to instill some much needed confidence in this team. When Vick and the Eagles are moving the ball, scoring comes so easy that you wish that they could display this type of efficiency every game. The third quarter ended with our Birds down 10-7, but hopes were high for another great fourth quarter.
Playing as if the first half happened a months ago, the Eagle offenses strolled down the field on a 17-play drive that sucked the air out of the fans booing them in Pittsburgh. For an offense built on being able to score quickly a drive like this showcases the flexibility that every team should have. The drive ended with a short touchdown pass, that should put the cap on a great and character building win. All that was need was a defensive stop.
Eventually the praise I was heaping onto the defense would come back to bite me!
The Philadelphia defense didn’t play a bad game per say, just a frustrating one. Our defense is constructed to rush the Quarterback and stop the opposing receivers from catching the ball. These two goals work in tandem. Most times when Philadelphia rushes the passer they get to them, resulting in a sack or a turnover.This week the Steelers were able to avoid the rush and complete passes. Third down is was were the Eagles really lost this game.Last week the Philly defense did a great job holding the Giants on this down. Which allowed their offense to run more plays and allow the defenders to rest. The reverse happened in Pittsburgh.
The game came down to a much needed fourth quarter stand. After a Philadelphia touchdown , the game clock showed 6:33. Pittsburgh received the ball at their own 20 yard line. Needing to gain about 60 yards in order to secure a field goal and a win. Moments like these are what you dream of as a defensive player. All we wanted was one stop and the ball back to put a bow on the game. Sadly nothing good happened for our Birds. The Steelers completed short and deep throws, without much pressure and kick the game winning field goal as time expired. For six minutes and thirty three long second the Eagle defense was powerless. A loss like Sunday’s leaves a fan frustrated and a team only able to say” if we would’ve played better, we would’ve won this game.
Special Teams again played no part in the game.
Fine ass
Tom Brady beat Peyton Manning 31-21
