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Feeling Frustrated
Hearing Korn - Falling
…and Into the Ravens Nest – Post-Game
Beating me down.
Beating me, beating me.
Down, down.
Into the ground.
Screaming some sound.
Beating me, beating me.
Down, down.
Into the ground.
Ravens 20, Eagles 10. There you have it, the end result of the Birds’ first true test against a playoff-caliber team. The game produced a good number of individual performances, but on a whole, this team’s performance earned it a barely-passing grade.
Sure, the half-time score was 10-3 Eagles. Yes, the Eagles did score on their opening drive once again. But both facts are deceiving in looking at the statistics from the game. What on paper appears to be the Eagles starters’ dominating the game is in reality a case of the Ravens shooting themselves in the feet.
The opening scoring drive was assisted by a 33-yard penalty by Samari Rolle on a fade pass from McNabb to McCants. Reno Mahe gained 14 yards on two carries, and McNabb scrambled for six more, but an incomplete pass and a sack by Terrell Suggs relegated Philadelphia to the 44-yard Akers field goal.
On the ensuing drive by the Ravens, we were treated to the opening act of vintage Ravens football with Steve McNair hooking up with Derrick Mason on quick-slant routes and Jamaal Lewis running with power for solid gains against the new-look defense. Only a deflection by Brian Dawkins on a pass to Todd Heap ended this first possession, but the tone was set for the Ravens offense the rest of the game.
Granted, McNair, when healthy, is one of the finest quick-read quarterbacks in the game, and a very mobile target for a pass rush. Nine years of teaming with Mason in Tennessee reaped the benefits of familiarity between the two men. This tandem gave Eagles fans flashbacks to the 2005 season with the all-too familiar sight of the rush being inches short of the QB while a quick pass to the flat goes complete for a first down.
This vulnerability has been a common theme in Jimmy Johnson’s defensive scheme, and given the influx on talent from this past off season, should not be as glaring as it continues to be. A question begs to be answered at this point: are the Eagles outside linebackers that bad, or has Johnson’s scheme been exposed and left unchanged due to the past success of the alignments?
Another glaring statistic from the first half was the time of possession battle. At halftime, the Ravens held a 2:1 edge in this department, with Baltimore holding the ball for just over 20 minutes. The fatigue from this disparity was evident in the play of the Eagles D on the final drive of the half, where only a questionable play-call with time running down kept the Ravens from adding to their score. The offensive penalties by Baltimore were more effective in stopping their drives than the defense was on this night.
And the last name on my bash list following this game is one Mr. Koy Detmer. Is it just me, or since filling in vs. San Francisco following McNabb’s broken leg in the 2003 season, has Koy’s play flat out stunk? I remember his play in the 1998 season, keeping that dreadful team competitive against all comers, but at this point, those memories have faded to a very pale grey and white. The man has had a long career working as a back-up and field goal holder, but I feel it’s high time that Koy be put out to pasture, and a new player brought in who can actually complete passes to fill this role.
This is not to say the game was devoid of high points for the Eagles. Of note was the nifty shovel pass from McNabb to Correll Buckhalter leading to the lone Philadelphia touchdown. For a man who walks with a permanent limp, Buckhalter showed excellent speed and great field awareness turning this short pass into a 48-yard gain. He even withstood a shot to his lower thigh on the tackle without injury. (I’m not saying this was a cheap shot, but shoulder pads to the lateral knee area generally do cause damage.)
The Eagles D garnered eight sacks Thursday night, with former Titan Juqua Thomas accounting for three (giving him a total of five this preseason) and rookie Broderick Bunkley netting two. This aspect was far and away the brightest spot for the Eagles D.
Jabbar Gaffney played a solid game in his bid to become the Eagles No. 3 receiver, pulling in four passes for 37 yards. Gaffeny should make this Eagles roster, as there is one glaring need in the WR corps: veteran leadership.
Donovan McNabb appears to be playing with a renewed willingness to run the ball when flushed out of the pocket. Should this trend continue, the threat of him flushing the pocket should give opposing defenses another point of concern to open up the passing lanes.
Overall, last night’s performance was a disappointment for Eagles fans. The defense needs to step up its intensity when playing against power football teams. The previously mentioned weakness against quick slant passing needs to be addressed. And lastly, the huge offensive line shows a need for greater cohesion and attitude both in terms of running the ball with attitude, and in protecting the quarterback.
The next lesson in power football lies ahead vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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8/18/06 6:45 PM