Eagles Talk

Everyone else can ignore this thread.

In response to my meltdown, Galley Friend M.G. has some reasonable-sounding thoughts, but still comes to the same conclusion: Blow it up.

Let's first just start by saying we've been here before. Most of us were born here, and watching the Birds collapse is like taking off that nice Brooks Brothers suit at the end of a long night during which you almost scored with the hottest girl in the room. Now we've returned home to put on our old jeans, eat a hot pocket and sleep it off--cold comfort, but comfort all the same.

It really was over when we lost to the Skins--they're not even mediocre, they stink. At least now that McNabb is out for the season, we can lose with dignity, secure in the knowledge that the Dragon of the NFC East has not been slayed, just put on the IR to return next year. The Eagles will be feared again.

The real problem is twofold. First, the Eagles still have nothing like the reciever corps necessary to run a successful West Coast offense--an offense most of Philly has embraced at this point. T.O. and Freddie Mitchell got themselves thrown out of town. Pinkston is a bum with hands of stone who has strangely avoided the wrath of JVL. And McMullen and Brown have a long way to go.

Second, the Eagles secondary is perhaps the most overhyped defensive unit in the history of professional football. Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent were hyped, but solid. Sheldon Brown, Michael Lewis, Rodderick Hood--these guys never earned the reputation they had at the beginning of this season. And they let every washed up QB in the NFC put up record numbers on them--Drew Bledsoe having a career day in 2005???

JVL is a cold, calculating fan who saw long before I did the troubles that would befall our Birds. Unfortunately, he is probably right. Time to clean house, rebuild, look toward the next decade. My only quibble: Dawk. Dawk has been the heart and soul of this team for years, and he deserves better than being put out to pasture in the Sun Belt. Even if the Eagles could get a second and third round pick for him, it would break the city's spirit in a way losing never could.

Any team with Donovan McNabb will be competitive, just as the Eagles were at the beginning of this season. The organization is top-notch, and if there is a silver lining the cloud that was TO, it is that everyone knows Philly is the place to be if you want to play on a national stage. If Donovan builds it, the All-Pro players will want to come. But it is time to bring out the wrecking ball, Philly knows how to lose, but we prefer to do it with purpose and dignity--that means building for the future and not rearranging the deck chairs on a sinking ship.

Meanwhile, Galley Brother B.J. has a different, more optimistic view:

onestly, I think you're over-reacting. The players that lost last night's game are back-ups that are only playing because on injuries (yes, I'm looking at you Mike McMahon and Koy Detmer and I'm at least glancing in your direction Reno Moats).

The game started with a very good drive by Seattle for a touchdown. The thing that killed the Eagles defense on that drive was the lack of a pass rush evidenced by the touchdown pass where Matt Hassleback had about 8 seconds to survey the field and pass. Things were not lost at this point. The D needed to make some adjustments, but this defense has shown that they can still play (just ask LaDainian Tomlinson).

Then, the Eagles have a pretty good looking first drive until McMahon throws an interception returned for a TD.

The Eagles defense then hold Seattle to a 3 and out and a 4 play drive that ends in a punt.

Seattle, next scores on another McMahon pick 6. Seattle up 21 - 0. You could very easily argue that at this point the game was over.

Then, Koy throws an interception that gets returned to the Eagles' 2 yard line, and Shaun Alexander runs the ball in for a touchdown. Seattle up 28 - 0. By now, the game is over.

Seattle's offense adds another touchdown before the half, mostly off of a long completion that was effectively a jump ball.

Seattle's final score comes on the Moats fumble that was returned for a touchdown.

Of the 3 scores that occur ed before the game was over, 2 of them were directly the result of Mike McMahon. I'm not trying to throw McMahon under the buss and blame all of the Eagles problems on him because the Eagles do need to address certain areas (D-line, depth at WR TE and HB). But, the Eagles loss last night was not due to across the board incompetence. There is enough talent on the team/cap room to make some adjustments and address these problem areas.