Let’s hear it for the
Philadelphia Phillies. They have
taken Philadelphia by storm.
They have given this city something
to be proud of. They have
been nothing short of spectacular.
But their most amazing
accomplishment has got to be
taking our attention away from
the lackluster, uninspiring, faceless
Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles entered Sunday’s
game against the Atlanta Falcons
a very modest 3-3. Really, where
is this team going? Have they
given any inclination that they
are a team worthy of Super Bowl
aspirations? Will the Phillies be a
distant memory when the Eagles
are in the Super Bowl come
February?
Okay, the Super Bowl talk is a
little far-fetched at this point in
the season- given that if the season
ended today they’d be out of
the playoffs.
However, looking at this team
they have at times looked great.
They’ve moved the ball and
scored at will, in some games.
Their defense has at times looked
spectacular, at times horrid. One
thing is for sure, this team suffers
from a lack of identity and is
highly inconsistent.
Consistency is hard to establish
when a team suffers as many
injuries as the Eagles have had so
far this season, and in the past.
This is not letting Head Coach
Andy Reid off the hook for the
awful goal-line offense that cost
them a win over the Chicago
Bears; the same short yardage
offense that cost them a win
against the Washington
Redskins. This is not letting him
off the hook for failing to adjust
in the second half of the
Cowboys game, ultimately costing
them another victory.
Reid has not been good, but
the injuries they’ve had to overcome
have been plenty.
Receivers Reggie Brown and
Kevin Curtis have collectively
been out most of the season.
They have been fortunate to have
found a bona fide gem in rookie
DeSean Jackson. He has been
everything they could have
hoped he would be, but going
into a season down both of your
starting receivers is a tough thing
to overcome.
Losing All-Pro guard Shawn
Andrews has been arguably the
biggest loss. He takes their offensive
line and transforms it into
something great. They count on
him to open up the running
game, and he does. The fourth
down play in Chicago was
designed to go to Andrews’ side;
did you happen to notice how
well that went with Andrews out
of the game?
One other injury of note is running
back Brian Westbrook.
When he has played, he’s been
amazing. The Redskins loss was
not a matter of Westbrook being
out, but their offense was shut
down after the first quarter and
having him available may have
changed that. He really makes
their offensive attack a lethal
force.
Another key factor to their
subpar start has been the foot of
kicker David Akers. The once
reliable Akers has become a liability
with long-range field goals.
Sadly, after a great career in
Philadelphia, his time here
appears to be coming to an end.
Defensively, for the most part,
they’ve been solid. Their front
seven is young, talented and fast.
Their play has allowed one of
football’s best secondary units to
play at a high level.
So what now for the Eagles?
They play in arguably the toughest
division in football. They’ve
already let vital victories slip
away. Can they rebound and get
back to the playoffs?
I believe they can. What
they’re going to need to do is
continue to play stout defense.
They got Westbrook and Curtis
back for the Falcons game
Sunday, and the result was a
win. Although Andrews will be
sidelined for the next two
months, this team is getting
healthier. On paper, there is talent
to spare – especially on
defense.
The rest of the division is good
but have begun to struggle. The
three other teams have all lost
games of late to teams with losing
records. It’s impossible to
look at this Eagles team and say
they’re going to make the playoffs
for certain. It is also too early
to write them off.
If they avoid the coaching
errors that have hurt them so far,
if they formulate some consistency,
there are few teams in the
league that can play with them.
The biggest obstacle the Eagles
will face the rest of the season
will be themselves.