Observations from Yesterdays game

[Taz]

This will be one of those games we point to at the end of the year when the Eagles are fighting for the playoffs. Its a game we
coulda, shoulda won. We didn't and that one stings

1. Obviously Vicks fumbles really hurt this team

2. The offensive line really stinks, I don't care how "long" Vick holds the ball too many times he had rushers right in his face that
were untouched. You simply don't see that throughout the rest of the NFL. The best way to keep Vick from fumbling is to keep
him from getting hit

3. Why run Vick at the goal line when you have the best back in football?

4. Maclin has to be hurt more than he is letting on, the guy simply can not get open

5. The defenses played well most of the game but when the lights went on they went couldn't make a play. The biggest difference
between this defense and earlier defenses under Reid, There are no Hugh Douglass's, Jeremiah Trotters or Brian Dawkins who
always seemed to make a play at the biggest moment of the game. Babin came close to getting Ben down on the 3rd and 12
but Mike Mamula used to come close too

6. The defensive line has to make adjustments and figure out a way to get to the QB

7. Why not blitz a linebacker every once and awhile? A delayed blitz is exactly what that game called for yesterday. Pittsburgh
was max protecting most of the game, double up Cole.

8. Our kickoff and punt returners suck once again. Why is it so hard for this team to find somebody who can run the ball back
on kicks and punts?

9. You know your defense didn't have a good game when your leading tackler is a defensive back. Nmandi didn't have a good game
but it was not as bad as some made it out to be. Corners are going to get beat with all the rules now. Especailly when they are
targeted 12 times in a game.

10. Reid once again hurt his team with a foolish challenge and yet another wasted timeout. They might have been able to save
a minute or so at the end of the game and had a chance.

[wahoo]

Reid still blows!

Vick still blows!

[old duke]

I thought he had good challenge. the Refs totally screwed the Eagles with the spot of the ball. DJAX was clwearly over the line. It backfired, but Reid made a good call. I also thought that the regular refs didn't have a good game overall. Go figure.

[GreenKelly]

When the defense gets to ben, someone must make a tackle. Yea, he's good at that, but our guys get paid too.

The offensive line was brutal again. Remolds, Mathis and Bell belong in college Div. 11. Even on running plays, it was all Shady. We know to expect that and it's not condusive to winning games. I've always said the game is in the trenches. We came up short on both sides of the ball.

[PhillyGreen]

I hate when the Eagles lose....to a point where it makes me ill.

Yesterday's loss is not a bitter as some of the others. I believe we should have won but the bottom is that the Steelers were able to cover more of their mistakes than ours. They got good bounces on their fumbles, we did not.

I am concerned about the defense and I still believe Juan is in over his head. The defense has a lot of talent and that is the reason why they have looked good. Juan has been less than impressive IMO. When needed the defense has failed and has done so since the Cards game. Kolb looked like a pro-bowler, against the Giants an offensive pass interference call probably bailed him out. The Giants gifted that game to us. Against the Steelers after being given the lead after the offense drove 17 plays in a drive that was over 8 minutes long. The could not get a single stop. The strength of this defense is not zone and any good QB will pick a zone apart. Even McNabb was good against a zone. During a crucial situaton where the Steelers had 3rd and 12 instead of sending pressure we go zone.

[swat]

Didnt the Steelers, NYG and Ravens Defenses give up leads to us late? I think in todays nfl..its pretty hard to stop teams late.

That said....we are in first place despite a crap load of turnovers and a very tough schedule. Sign of pretty good team imo.

Stop turning over and we should look a ton better.

[Taz]

Yeah the refs didn't have a good game yesterday either, there was clear pass interference on Jackson but I saw it as evening out later in the game where Allen hit Candy Cakes Brown early.

[PolishRifle]

The defense was horrible after quarter one. That couldn't get any pressure, zero sacks. The offense was limited in the number of snaps because they couldn't get off the field on third down. Vick's fumbles were killer but the defense had chances to make stops and didn't. The Eagles offense put together a nine minute drive before the final Steeler's drive. The defnese should have been rested to make one final stop. The DL has been invisible for two weeks, Scrabble stinks and Castillo can't dial up a blitz to save his life.

The good news was that is a classic trap game. On the road against a team coming off a bye. Coming off Giants week which was physically and emotionally taxing. This was an L going into the game. It stinks that it was there to win but in the big picture before the year this was an L. They can still get to 10-11 wins if they fix that defense and turnovers.

[eaglesnut]

4. Maclin has to be hurt more than he is letting on, the guy simply can not get open

7. Why not blitz a linebacker every once and awhile? A delayed blitz is exactly what that game called for yesterday. Pittsburghwas max protecting most of the game, double up Cole.

4. The 22 tape showed Maclin wide open for big plays last week. Lets see if it shows the same this week.

7. That would have made a lot of sense.

[stankfinger]

This weeks loss was on Vick. We couldnt over come his poor play early. I dislike Reid but outside of a bad challenge and his normal bad timeout usage we should have won this game.

Taz agree, and i have said it for a few weeks now, we need to blitz more. Last year our DL got a gang of sacks, this year we are hurting, we have to drum up pressure somehow and teams are max protecting and are doubling our 2 sack guys. Send a blitz up the middle or send a DB here and there. I used to remember JJ blitzing our secondary guys and causing havoc. We arent doing that and its hurting us. Hell if Coleman cant cover anyone anyway blitz him.

[Rey]

The OL is playing horribly ... it's not even about getting beat (which is going on as well), but it's about the blown assignments. There's defenders getting in there untouched. Complete inexperience on the part of the Center who needs to be making those Line adjustments. Bell just plain stinks at LT ... I mean there's no other way to call it. The loss of Jason Peters has been huge.

[DutchBird]

The OL is playing horribly ... it's not even about getting beat (which is going on as well), but it's about the blown assignments. There's defenders getting in there untouched. Complete inexperience on the part of the Center who needs to be making those Line adjustments. Bell just plain stinks at LT ... I mean there's no other way to call it. The loss of Jason Peters has been huge.

Exactly - I know half the time during the game I sat in front of my computer and predict correctly where the pressure would be coming from. On more than one occasion even who would come in free... If I can do it, so should the O-line...

They are blowing assignments left and right. I am not even sure whether it is the center missing adjustments. On more than one occasion, a simple stunt or delay would guarantee the lineman was engaged in a double-team and completely ignored what was going on elsewhere...

As far as Mathis is concerned, I think it is difficult to say whether he is playing badly himself, or whether he is made to look a lot worse with Bell and Reynolds around him. And to judge that you need to know blocking assignments (which we do not).

[ForWhoForWhat?]

i dunno, this was a "shoulder shrug" loss to me.

Yep we shoulda won, but we didn't and it was to an AFC team, which doesn't hurt us all that much.

My concern right now is our overall lack of scoring. We're currently averaging 16ppg and are 31st in scoring despite being a (statistically) top 10 O. Not good.