Eagles Loss (aka "The Atrocity")
Well I've now had a few hours to reflect on the loss last night. I'm come to some conclusions.
1) The Eagles did not take advantage of some key opportunities. I attribute 50% to execution and 50% to Reid-like play calling. His influence was all over that game....and that's not good.
2) The refs essentially handed the game to Saints. Come on...a false start thrown after the snap that basically decides that game? You better be damn sure it's a penalty before thowing at a time like that. There were others, like "holding" when Garcia ran 18 yards. Meanwhile, there were blocks to the back on the Saints side, holds, etc. The one African American official (just for ID's sake) was noticeably more excited calling penalties against the Eagles than he was the Saints.
It's prettly clear the NFL felt that the NO Saints rising out of Katrina was more compelling than the Eagles turnaround was. That last penalty decided the game in all likelihood. Overall, this is worst season of officiating I've ever seen. Good thing I wasn't giving the post game PC. I would have been fined within three seconds.
All in all, the Eagles didn't do what they needed to. But the officiating was no help....just like the first game from earlier in the year. Congrats to Garcia and the team though...they made something out of nothing. Here is to next year!
1) The Eagles did not take advantage of some key opportunities. I attribute 50% to execution and 50% to Reid-like play calling. His influence was all over that game....and that's not good.
2) The refs essentially handed the game to Saints. Come on...a false start thrown after the snap that basically decides that game? You better be damn sure it's a penalty before thowing at a time like that. There were others, like "holding" when Garcia ran 18 yards. Meanwhile, there were blocks to the back on the Saints side, holds, etc. The one African American official (just for ID's sake) was noticeably more excited calling penalties against the Eagles than he was the Saints.
It's prettly clear the NFL felt that the NO Saints rising out of Katrina was more compelling than the Eagles turnaround was. That last penalty decided the game in all likelihood. Overall, this is worst season of officiating I've ever seen. Good thing I wasn't giving the post game PC. I would have been fined within three seconds.
All in all, the Eagles didn't do what they needed to. But the officiating was no help....just like the first game from earlier in the year. Congrats to Garcia and the team though...they made something out of nothing. Here is to next year!
Comments
The penalties were penalties. There was no conspiracy. And the false start at the end of a game was a penalty. The idiot should have known. It sucks to go out like that, but hey, that's the way the cookie crumbles...
It was obvious the Saints were the better team. Other than Westbrook, the game was dominated by the Saints. In the first half, the only kind of offense the Eagles had was a prayer to Sacramento's own Dante Stallworth on one-on-one coverage from a Cover 2. Other than Garcia's bomb, almost all of his passes were from broken up 3rd down passing situations. In the second half, Westbrook found some holes, and that was the only reason the Eagles stayed in the game. The Saints doubled the Eagles in first downs, had half the number of punts, and I'm sorry, the number of total penalty yards was nearly equal.
I'm a little disappointed that I lost money on this game, as I bet on the Eagles, but overall I had a great time watching it. After Bush got "JACKED UP!", it was clear the game would be a dogfight.
Grossman does some really dumb things, but he does throw a really nice deep ball, and NO has trouble allowing big plays.
The Bears defense hasn't been the same since Harris got hurt, and I think NO will be able to score on them.
All the NFC games have been entertaining so far. I agree, the Eagles lost fair and square. NO/Chicago will be interesting.
Grossman does some really dumb things, but he does throw a really nice deep ball, and NO has trouble allowing big plays.
The Bears defense hasn't been the same since Harris got hurt, and I think NO will be able to score on them.
All of Louisiana was screaming Duece Duece. I can't for the life of me understand why the pitch to Bush at the end of the game. All-in-all the defense stepped up when it absolutly had too.
Chicago here we come.
All of Louisiana was screaming Duece Duece. I can't for the life of me understand why the pitch to Bush at the end of the game. All-in-all the defense stepped up when it absolutly had too.
Chicago here we come.
Agreed, a pitch was not exactly a great play call. Deuce indeed had a great game, and without Harris, Chicago is sometimes vulnerable to runs up the middle (they certainly were today).
The Eagles lost fair and square, come on!
The penalties were penalties. There was no conspiracy. And the false start at the end of a game was a penalty. The idiot should have known. It sucks to go out like that, but hey, that's the way the cookie crumbles...
It was obvious the Saints were the better team. Other than Westbrook, the game was dominated by the Saints. In the first half, the only kind of offense the Eagles had was a prayer to Sacramento's own Dante Stallworth on one-on-one coverage from a Cover 2. Other than Garcia's bomb, almost all of his passes were from broken up 3rd down passing situations. In the second half, Westbrook found some holes, and that was the only reason the Eagles stayed in the game. The Saints doubled the Eagles in first downs, had half the number of punts, and I'm sorry, the number of total penalty yards was nearly equal.
I'm a little disappointed that I lost money on this game, as I bet on the Eagles, but overall I had a great time watching it. After Bush got "JACKED UP!", it was clear the game would be a dogfight.
I agree they beat themselves and were dominated in some aspects. But the officiating was totally unfair. You come on! That false start was borderline at best. And, it clearly didn't disrupt the defense. Refs let things like that go ALL the time. And don't tell me the one black official wasn't showing more enthusiasm about calling against the Eagles. He clearly was on multiple occasions.
This isn't about one game or even just the refs. I'm so fucking sick of announcer bias. For example, they are up Tom Brady's ass so far they get their heads stuck. They practically jerk off to the NO story. I don't know if you're an Eagles fan or not, but watch some games next year and you'll see how anti-Philly most announcers are. One exception is Troy Aikman, ironically enough. I wish CBS would cover the Eagles so we could have Enberg announcing...I like him.
All the NFC games have been entertaining so far. I agree, the Eagles lost fair and square. NO/Chicago will be interesting.
Grossman does some really dumb things, but he does throw a really nice deep ball, and NO has trouble allowing big plays.
The Bears defense hasn't been the same since Harris got hurt, and I think NO will be able to score on them.
I think "fair and square" is really debatable. There were two AWFUL calls, both on critical plays. One was Garcia's 18 yard run. The other was the fourth and 10. Granted, the Eagles blew it by punting and by not sticking to the run on their one red zone drive in the 3rd quarter.
That last call really sticks with me. My feeling is that it truly did change the outcome of the game. The Eagles would have had a first and ten at midfield. Two passes and it would have been tied. A game should not be decided by a false start penalty, especially one as minor as that one was.
I think "fair and square" is really debatable. There were two AWFUL calls, both on critical plays. One was Garcia's 18 yard run. The other was the fourth and 10. Granted, the Eagles blew it by punting and by not sticking to the run on their one red zone drive in the 3rd quarter.
That last call really sticks with me. My feeling is that it truly did change the outcome of the game. The Eagles would have had a first and ten at midfield. Two passes and it would have been tied. A game should not be decided by a false start penalty, especially one as minor as that one was.
Hey, those are the rules. A false start is a false start, and they made one. You can't just say "Oh, this is a really important play, we'll just let that one go" A rule like a false start simply can't be in any way subjective, or then it's the NBA (which has truly awful officiating).
I'm a GB fan, and you want to know what sticks with me?
Actually, it's not 4th and 26. It was the packer drive preceding 4th and 26. GB had 4th down and about 2 feet somewhere around the eagles 40/45. They'd been GASHING Philly with the run all day. The philly defense is on the field grabbing their pants because they're out of breath, and a first down will allow GB to take a few kneel-downs to end the game. What do they do? They freaking punt! PUNT!!! For a touchback of course (for a net gain of 20 yards).
I will never forgive Mike Sherman for that decision. I mean, he'd gone on and on in his press conference earlier that week about needing to be bold in playoffs.
Whew, it feels good to vent about that once every playoff season.
You come on!
That false start was borderline at best. And, it clearly didn't disrupt the defense. Refs let things like that go ALL the time.
I definitely disagree with you here. The refs are very strict on false start, all the time.
Hey, those are the rules. A false start is a false start, and they made one. You can't just say "Oh, this is a really important play, we'll just let that one go" A rule like a false start simply can't be in any way subjective, or then it's the NBA (which has truly awful officiating).
I'm a GB fan, and you want to know what sticks with me?
Actually, it's not 4th and 26. It was the packer drive preceding 4th and 26. GB had 4th down and about 2 feet somewhere around the eagles 40/45. They'd been GASHING Philly with the run all day. The philly defense is on the field grabbing their pants because they're out of breath, and a first down will allow GB to take a few kneel-downs to end the game. What do they do? They freaking punt! PUNT!!! For a touchback of course (for a net gain of 20 yards).
I will never forgive Mike Sherman for that decision. I mean, he'd gone on and on in his press conference earlier that week about needing to be bold in playoffs.
Whew, it feels good to vent about that once every playoff season.
I would agree with you if, well, that's the way things actually worked. It's pretty well agreed that the refs call less in the playoffs. And, you can't call things like that on one team and then not call similar things on the other team. That's exactly what happened.
I definitely disagree with you here. The refs are very strict on false start, all the time.
Disagree. Not much more to say.
I would agree with you if, well, that's the way things actually worked. It's pretty well agreed that the refs call less in the playoffs. And, you can't call things like that on one team and then not call similar things on the other team. That's exactly what happened.
Again, I don't agree with this notion at all.
Where is this "pretty much agreed"?
And just as before, the officiating was not one sided. The penalties were penalties and they were called as they were seen.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/index.php?p=146
This doesn't talk about specific penalties though, and I kind of doubt false starts decrease. Again, because it's not a subjective penalty in any way. Also, defenders key on the movement (as well as watching the ball and flat out anticipating/guessing the snap count) to get off the ball, and even minor flinches usually cause defenders to fly across the line.
My guess is where you see the decrease in penalties is in offensive holding and defensive holding/pass interference, which are much more subjective than false starts, offsides, illegal formation/motion which are not subjective at all.
The left tackle for NY was called for no fewer than 3 false starts in the Giants/Eagles game all by himself, directly benefiting your team SDW, and I'm not sure, but I think one of them was quite a minor flinch.
I propose to lock this thread.
I still love you SDW...but I hate you goddamn Philly fans.
Still a good effort from the Eagles in a close loss. If the Eagles had been better rested, even just one more day (a Sunday game), I think it would have been no contest.
As another 'goddam Philly fan', my .02USD is: the Eagles lost because they were clearly tired from the short week, while the Saints were well rested from the week off. (nice to get that 1st round bye, eh?
Still a good effort from the Eagles in a close loss. If the Eagles had been better rested, even just one more day (a Sunday game), I think it would have been no contest.
Agree with you there. It's ridiculous that one team had a bye and one team not only had a game, but had to play a day early AND travel for a day to the location. Huge disadvantage.
Agree with you there. It's ridiculous that one team had a bye and one team not only had a game, but had to play a day early AND travel for a day to the location. Huge disadvantage.
U gigantic cry baby!!!! Last year we didn't even have a stadium to play in and you are crying like a girl about travel and days off!
These guys get paid millions of $$ a year. They play in what is called "The National Football League"...it's where the Pro's play. I feel for them. I really do. Just face it:
Your
Team
Lost
Goddamnit...please lock this thread.
U gigantic cry baby!!!! Last year we didn't even have a stadium to play in and you are crying like a girl about travel and days off!
These guys get paid millions of $$ a year. They play in what is called "The National Football League"...it's where the Pro's play. I feel for them. I really do. Just face it:
Your
Team
Lost
Dude, stop being an ass. Secondly, do you mean to tell me the short week and travel had nothing to do with it? There was no reason, other than ratings, to do that. That's what drove it.