by Jack Kerwin | ydkjack1@gmail.com
On the positive side …
Sam Bradford, despite hauling in one of his own passes for a 5-yard reception, didn’t direct Minnesota to victory.
Nick Foles didn’t exactly light it up for Kansas City.
Jared Goff didn’t even play for the Los Angeles Rams.
Yes, indeed, in the ever-present “if only,” “what if” world of Eagles fans, there are such “wins” to utilize as a balm over the next few days as serious emotional wound-licking commences in earnest following Sunday’s 28-23 loss to the New York Giants.
Heck, toss in the knowledge that Chip Kelly is now 1-7 in San Fran, and a few smiles may emerge …
OK, get it. The Birds dropped to last place in the NFC East, a full three games behind division-leading Dallas – a rival they had dead to rites before yet another late-game implosion. The two rookies – calling the shots on the sidelines and behind center – showed youthful flaws yet again. Even the defense got torched a tad.
This was not a prize-winning performance to say the least.
Cause for concern? Sure. Panic? Maybe.
But an outright, throw-in-the-towel disaster? Nah, don’t see it.
Frankly, it was a relief to see quarterback Carson Wentz air things out a bit after a Midnight Green Nation decked out mostly in No. 11 jerseys endured two straight weeks of “Checkdown Charlie” efforts that made Bradford’s dink-and-dunk fall of 2015 seem like a replay of Daryle Lamonica’s “Mad Bomber” days in Oakland.
Phew, a forward pass can travel past the line of scrimmage? Why, yes it can.
Good to know … Glad head coach Doug Pederson, offensive coordinator Frank Reich and the supposed gunslingin’ kid remembered that.
Thing is, the Birds are going to need to open it up a lot more the rest of the way if they have any hope to turn “competing” into “winning.” More outings like Wentz’s 7.75 yards per pass attempt (47 in all) against the Giants have to be the norm, not the exception. Even with the mistakes they may include.
Reality: They just don’t have the firepower to outscore teams with dump-offs to Darren Sproles, short outs to Nelson “No Hands” Agholor and quick slants to Zach “Yards After Catch, What’s That” Ertz, and they don’t have the sustenance to stop opposing offenses endlessly, either.
They gotta take chances. They gotta push things.
Yo, they’re already competitive. That ain’t the issue. Only one game in their last five was decided by more than a single score, and that’s the only one they posted in the “W” column, a 21-10 dropkick to the cojones of Sammy Sleeves and the Vikings two weeks ago.
Up against it now, with games versus Atlanta and at Seattle the next two weeks, the 4-4 Birds are not engendering much hope with the masses.
But some of us see positives, especially if the Birds opt to air things out more.
Crazy? Maybe.
On the positive side …
Sam Bradford, despite hauling in one of his own passes for a 5-yard reception, didn’t direct Minnesota to victory.
Nick Foles didn’t exactly light it up for Kansas City.
Jared Goff didn’t even play for the Los Angeles Rams.
Yes, indeed, in the ever-present “if only,” “what if” world of Eagles fans, there are such “wins” to utilize as a balm over the next few days as serious emotional wound-licking commences in earnest following Sunday’s 28-23 loss to the New York Giants.
Heck, toss in the knowledge that Chip Kelly is now 1-7 in San Fran, and a few smiles may emerge …
OK, get it. The Birds dropped to last place in the NFC East, a full three games behind division-leading Dallas – a rival they had dead to rites before yet another late-game implosion. The two rookies – calling the shots on the sidelines and behind center – showed youthful flaws yet again. Even the defense got torched a tad.
This was not a prize-winning performance to say the least.
Cause for concern? Sure. Panic? Maybe.
But an outright, throw-in-the-towel disaster? Nah, don’t see it.
Frankly, it was a relief to see quarterback Carson Wentz air things out a bit after a Midnight Green Nation decked out mostly in No. 11 jerseys endured two straight weeks of “Checkdown Charlie” efforts that made Bradford’s dink-and-dunk fall of 2015 seem like a replay of Daryle Lamonica’s “Mad Bomber” days in Oakland.
Phew, a forward pass can travel past the line of scrimmage? Why, yes it can.
Good to know … Glad head coach Doug Pederson, offensive coordinator Frank Reich and the supposed gunslingin’ kid remembered that.
Thing is, the Birds are going to need to open it up a lot more the rest of the way if they have any hope to turn “competing” into “winning.” More outings like Wentz’s 7.75 yards per pass attempt (47 in all) against the Giants have to be the norm, not the exception. Even with the mistakes they may include.
Reality: They just don’t have the firepower to outscore teams with dump-offs to Darren Sproles, short outs to Nelson “No Hands” Agholor and quick slants to Zach “Yards After Catch, What’s That” Ertz, and they don’t have the sustenance to stop opposing offenses endlessly, either.
They gotta take chances. They gotta push things.
Yo, they’re already competitive. That ain’t the issue. Only one game in their last five was decided by more than a single score, and that’s the only one they posted in the “W” column, a 21-10 dropkick to the cojones of Sammy Sleeves and the Vikings two weeks ago.
Up against it now, with games versus Atlanta and at Seattle the next two weeks, the 4-4 Birds are not engendering much hope with the masses.
But some of us see positives, especially if the Birds opt to air things out more.
Crazy? Maybe.
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