Eagles Chick | Philadelphia Eagles Football From a Chick's Perspective

The Eagles Need To Play Like A Team Who Wants To Win

I don't know what's happened to the Eagles.  You know the real Eagles, not this team that's come out to only play to collect a paycheck this year. 

All throughout this season so far, all I can think is "when are they going to come out and play like a team who wants to win? When are the coaches going to coach them into a team who wants to win?"    Even during their game with the Jets, which they won, there was no shine, no sparkle.  It's not fun or enjoyable to watch the Eagles play football this year, its just plain painful and torture.  This team just do not seem like they want to or have the desire to put the effort into winning consistently.

Here's a note to Andy Reid and the rest of the Eagles Coaches & Players:
Stop torturing us Eagles fans already, if you don't want to play to win - get off the damn field.

That's probably a little harsh, but where are the guys that made the game fun?  Where are the guys who could score a few touchdowns in the redzone? Where are the guys that made you proud you were an Eagles fan?

The team needs to realize it cannot just rely on the marvelous play action of Brian Westbrook, Donovan McNabb, Sheldon Brown and Brian Dawkins.  Without Sheldon Brown, yesterday's game would have been lost in the first half.  Without Brian Dawkins, they Eagles' defense just caved in the last 1 minutes and 30 seconds.  Geesus, they were at the 3 yard line to start!

The Jets game, was just so "nothing to write home about" accept the fact Andy improved to 9-0 the week after the by.  I seriously wonder, does this team want to win any games at all?  Really now, come on guys, make it at least look like you want to win, not that you are just there to play and collect your paycheck from Jeffery Lurie.

A team cannot win on individual efforts alone.  Donovan can throw the passes, but the receivers need to catch them and the front line needs to block so those receivers can get open.  Sheldon Brown and Omar Gaither can do some of the blocking and bat down passes, but not all of them.  It takes a team to win football games and the Eagles are not playing like a team, they are playing like a bunch of individuals.

To my beloved birds (and I don't mean those pigeons on the field yesterday), I ask just one question:
Where is your heart to win games again?

Despite the Loss, Buckhalter's Performance a Good Sign

The Eagles got trounced on Sunday night.  There's not doubt about that.  The Giant's defense took advantage of an unseasoned Winston Justice and delivered to D-Mac, sack after sack after sack.  Even Lawrence "LT" Taylor couldn't help but be proud of that Giant defensive line.

Despite the loss though, there were some bright points, some periods of brilliance, some small rays of hope that the team who played against Detroit still lingered under all that football gear.  Correll Buckhalter rose to the occasion and had his best game since 2005.  In Sunday night's game he had 103 yards and touch the ball 17 times.  Unfortunately that might go overlooked by the 12 sacks and 132 yards in penalties the the offensive line mostly contributed to.

Buckhalter was busting through tackles and as Al Michaels put it,  "squirtting" through for the extra effort.  He's not Westbrook, but he is his a good running back in his own right.  Given a bit more time, he could possibly come up to the level of Westbrook.  Sunday night's game, showed that although Westbrook is very crucial to the Philadelphia Eagles offensive, Buckhalter can be relied upon to get yards and carry the ball as well.

As I watched the Eagles Television Network's post Giants/Eagles game reporting, Dave Sparado interviewed Buckhalter (who, btw, was looking rather stylish, even with those sunglasses on). Asking Buckhalter about what happened with Sunday night's team performance, Buckhalter said "...as many penalties as we had, that's not Eagles football." 

I think all of Philadelphia will agree with him on that statement.  But I also think Buckhalter and the defensive should be given due "props".   Both actually did amazingly well under the circumstances that they had to play.  Eagles fans should be happy that the defensive held on they way they did, since there could have been at least 10 more points on that board that the Eagles defensive put a halt too.  Along with Buckhalter's 100+ yard game, Omar Gaither had that nice interception.

When Sparado asked him about not running it back for a touchdown, Gaither had a very logical and intelligent answer - one that should make any coach proud.  Gaither said that he "saw two players in his rear view" and wanted to be able to hand that ball over to the offensive and not risk loosing it by attempting something that could have lost him that ball.  That shows great football instinct, it's just too bad that the Eagles couldn't capitalize on that interception with a score, instead they capitalized on it with penalty after penalty after sack.

Eagles fans, players, coaches and the Philadelphia media have 2 weeks to chew on, digest and rehash this loss.  The offensive coaches better figure out something else, because the way they were playing last night, will not get them a win against Dallas, in any way shape or form.

*pictures courtesy of PhiladelphiaEagles.com

12 Sacks....132 Penalty Yards... Adds Up to an Eagles Disaster

No team can win with 12 sacks, and 132 yards in penalties.  Tonight has to be one of the most disappointing Philadelphia Eagles games I've ever watched.  Just so disappointing after a game the week prior that was record setting for positive reasons.

No emotion.  No drive.  Where the hell was the offensive line?

Despite the fact that most of the media will undoubtedly blame Donovan McNabb, this disaster of a game totally goes on the offensive line and more importantly, it's coaches.  How the hell can any quarterback get anything going when they are constantly getting sacked or hurried or forced out of the pocket?  They can't, Farve, Romo (yes it pains me to say that), heck not even Marino or Montana could have done anything with an offensive line as leaky as the Eagles were tonight.

Sure, we didn't have 5 starters, William Thomas in particularly.  But the offensive coaching tonight was horrible.  Absolutely, positively horrible.  They are the ones that call the plays, they are the ones the pull the players in and out.  Osi Umenyiora just obliterated Justice.  I really feel for Winston Justice, it was his first time out there at left tackle, replacing Thomas,  and the guy was victimized.  There was no way he wasn't ready for that.  Marty Mornhinweg and Andy Reid really should have adjusted the play calling can added someone to help Justice.  If anyone is to be blamed - these are the two that should be hung out to dry by the Philly media. 

I have to hand congrats to Osi though, he played one hell of a game.

The Eagles were just out played and out classed.  If there's a miracle left, I sure hope the Eagles can find it, because right now they are looking like the sucky team they were when Kotite was coach.

And if anyone says one word about them wearing those ugly uniforms, I will hurt your superstitious butts.  We aren't going to win any games playing like this, with or without those Swedish colored blue and yellow attire (throwback uniforms).  The defensive played well, be we need an offensive that can score point, not get their quarterback sacked 12 times.

* Picture courtesy of Giants.com