In what should have been the sixth win of the year for the Eagles, they instead struggled down the stretch, as they went on to lose 24-20 to Arizona. Foles threw 62 passes and finished with 411 yards passing, but he need just 16 more to capitalize on the final drive. After some bad coverage on defense after the two minute warning, Foles and the Eagles' offense was left with 81 seconds to march down the field and get a touchdown. They got to the 16 yard line for the final play, but the pass was thrown a bit too close to the sideline as Jordan Matthews caught it, but was shoved out of bounds before being able to get both feet down.
Matthews had a decent game, with 47 yards receiving on 6 catches. But the best receiver of the game on either team was Jeremy Maclin. Maclin had a rough day out there, including some bleeding from the ear after colliding with two Cardinals' defenders, and being drenched with gatorade after colliding with a refreshments table on the sideline. He overcame all of the colliding to finish with 187 yards and two touchdowns on 12 catches. Why he wasn't targeted at all on the last few plays remains a mystery to me.
The defense looked solid for most of the day, especially the front seven. They didn't record any sacks, but were able to contain Palmer all day and kept Ellington from doing a ton of damage. Obviously the secondary blew it on Arizona's final play on offense, letting up a 75 yard touchdown pass to John Brown, but the defense looked good otherwise. On that play, however, players are taught at a young age to keep the deepest receiver in front of you on possessions like that one. I'm not sure what the issue was, maybe a miscommunication between two defenders, but you have to be much more poised and focused on an important drive at the end of the game.
The biggest question mark, however, is the man who had the privilege of placing his hands near David Molk's crotch 88 times this afternoon, Nick Foles. He had his moments of brilliance, finishing with over 400 passing yards, but he also threw two momentum changing interceptions at inopportune times, one of those in the end zone. What made Nick Foles so special last season was his ability to avoid turnovers and capitalize on drives. This season, he has thrown seven interceptions to ten touchdowns, and the Eagles have been one of the worst teams in the red zone this year. They fared no better today, going 0-3 on the day in the redzone.
This is only one loss, but Foles and a few others on the team do not seem as effective as they should be. Both losses this season come on the road out west. While it could be a coincidence, the chance remains that the Eagles have to go through a team out west to get to the super bowl. The Birds need to take what they have learned today and improve on those areas this season in order to let games like this be a thing of the past.
By: Dan Goggin
Follow us on twitter @BroadStBeat
The defense looked solid for most of the day, especially the front seven. They didn't record any sacks, but were able to contain Palmer all day and kept Ellington from doing a ton of damage. Obviously the secondary blew it on Arizona's final play on offense, letting up a 75 yard touchdown pass to John Brown, but the defense looked good otherwise. On that play, however, players are taught at a young age to keep the deepest receiver in front of you on possessions like that one. I'm not sure what the issue was, maybe a miscommunication between two defenders, but you have to be much more poised and focused on an important drive at the end of the game.
The biggest question mark, however, is the man who had the privilege of placing his hands near David Molk's crotch 88 times this afternoon, Nick Foles. He had his moments of brilliance, finishing with over 400 passing yards, but he also threw two momentum changing interceptions at inopportune times, one of those in the end zone. What made Nick Foles so special last season was his ability to avoid turnovers and capitalize on drives. This season, he has thrown seven interceptions to ten touchdowns, and the Eagles have been one of the worst teams in the red zone this year. They fared no better today, going 0-3 on the day in the redzone.
This is only one loss, but Foles and a few others on the team do not seem as effective as they should be. Both losses this season come on the road out west. While it could be a coincidence, the chance remains that the Eagles have to go through a team out west to get to the super bowl. The Birds need to take what they have learned today and improve on those areas this season in order to let games like this be a thing of the past.
By: Dan Goggin
Follow us on twitter @BroadStBeat
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