A Fan's Frustration With Philly's "Dream Team"

By: Luke Habeeb

Let us rewind eleven weeks to September 11, the start of the NFL season for the Philadelphia Eagles. The attention this team had received prior to the first kickoff was unprecedented in Philly, and everyone, from ESPN analysts to Vegas bookies, were choosing them to win the Super Bowl. This offseason, the Eagles played “New York Yankees” in the NFL and brought in Nnamdi Asomugha (All-Pro), Ronnie Brown (Pro-Bowler), Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Pro-Bowler), Cullen Jenkins (Super Bowl winner), and Jason Babin (Pro-Bowler), to add to their already star-studded lineup. After Week 1, everything was going according to plan. The Eagles beat the St. Louis Rams handily, and were soaring high in Philly. But what happened?

Since Week 1, the team has gone 2-6, losing games against mediocre teams like the Bills and Cardinals. What irks me is the way the team lost. In all six losses the biggest one came against the New York Giants, a good team, and only by 13 points. The average margin of defeat in every game is a mere 5.8 points, less than one touchdown. Add that to the fact that the Eagles have lost five games in which they were leading in the fourth quarter, and I am not a happy camper. They have been in every game, virtually every snap, but boneheaded fourth quarter mistakes cause the team to wane. Turnovers in the red zone (after Sunday the team has 7, the most in the league), along with the inability to prevent teams from long, time consuming drives cause the team to lose focus and, in turn, give the game away.

Sunday’s game against the Cardinals was a prime example: Up 14-7 in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals drove down the field and tied it up on a good catch by Larry Fitzgerald. The offense proceeded to fail to score on its next drive, not a big deal with the time remaining. When Asomugha intercepted John Skelton on their own 26 yard line, the offense could not even register a first down and settled for a mere 3 points. Skelton then led Arizona on a game winning, 87 yard touchdown, making the star studded Philly defense look like the Indianapolis Colts scout team. After the game, LeSean McCoy said, “Late in the game, we are not going for the jugular and finishing the game the right way. It's the attitude.” McCoy has the right attitude, but he couldn’t do much with the mere two carries he received in the final quarter. Asante Samuel, one of the best players on the lackluster secondary, also had some words about the way the team has been finishing lately, "It's something we've got to figure out with seven games left. We're a good team, I don't know how far we are off of things, but it's real tough. We keep giving up the game in the last minute. It's frustrating.”

Asante, you have no idea. Try being a fan during this mess. I pour my heart and soul into this organization, buy jerseys, I even buy my girlfriend gear to wear, and how am I rewarded? With a 3-6 season, tied with the Redskins at the bottom of the division. Wait, aren’t the Redskins starting Rex Grossman? I don’t even know who their starting running back is! I can’t name more than ten players on their roster and I’m an avid football fan. How the heck are the Eagles in the same place as them? It has been a dreadful season, and I can’t imagine it getting much better. What will make me happier is if the Philly CHANGES THE DEFENSE TO MAN COVERAGE (This is a whole other topic, don’t get me started). I mean seriously, with Samuel, Rodgers-Cromartie, and Asomugha, opposing teams’ receivers shouldn’t be getting any looks, but for some reason, the package defense is zonal? Please tell me how that makes sense. This all roots back to Jim Johnson’s death (RIP, we miss you dearly), and Andy Reid’s decision to make Juan Castillo, the OFFENSIVE LINE COACH, the new defensive coordinator for this loaded defense. Wait, so an o-line coach (a fairly good one at that) has been managing the defense all year, while the offensive line allows Vick to get absolutely nailed game after game, snap after snap?! Yes, this makes complete sense, Andy. This team has the talent to go undefeated the rest of the year, but it’s highly unlikely. The only other scenario in which I will be satisfied with the season is if they somehow screw the Cowboys or Giants from a wildcard playoff spot.

Luke Habeeb is a contributor to the World of Wadley site. He is currently a freshman in college studying Political Science at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois.