The Problem On D Was Simple. The Players Weren't Prepared For What Philly Did...

[Juke99]

I am not sure I get it either. Several times the d-line stuffed the middle. The running backs then bounced it outside. Looked like the linebackers were just slow and poor at tackling.

Philly did the same thing they did all season. They pass the ball to T.O., their tight ends and to Westbrook. They didn't have the T.O. part, but they kept on trying to hit their tight ends and running backs. That is their passing game and Dallas was prepared for that.

Their offensive line played a good game. The type of game that everyone had come to expect from them, yet has been lacking this season. Sometimes the line is going to get beat. That happened last night.

In the end, the defense did what it had to do. Bledsoe put them in a bad spot and that led to 1 TD. They muscled up and gave up only 2 FGs in the 2nd half and scored the game winning TD. It wasn't their best performance, but it wasn't atrociuos either.

Yep...we didn't play a good game and I'll guarantee, Parcells will be all over them this week.

He said it himself in his short press conference..."we played 56 minutes and 51 seconds worth of pretty bad football"

I think we've progressed tremendously this season. But last night showed we haven't arrived just yet.

The good thing is, it'll be a lot easier for the players to respond to the criticism they'll hear from the coaches this week because they pulled a win out of a hat.

 

[TheHustler]

While I agree, to a degree, ultimately I just see it as a bad night for both lines.

Even in running situations...we got our rear ends handed to us on defense.

Absolutely right. Our line was getting blown up on both sides until the final 4 minutes. I just think the game plan had a lot to do with it too.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

We were lucky -- but Philly was lucky they recovered their own fumble when Ellis sacked McNabb. Just as we were lucky that MBIII fell on his fumble and Brown dropped the ball.

My point was the D put us in the position to have a shot.

I simply don't agree. The defense got ran. Only mistakes by the Eagles, themselves prevented a realistic FG attempt. It's part of the game, there is no question but we were lucky to get out with a win. The Eagles clearly outplayed us for most of the game.

I'll take lucky but I won't say we were deserving of a victory last night. We were lucky.

 

[Bungarian]

I think we've progressed tremendously this season. But last night showed we haven't arrived just yet.

You are willing to make that statement based on one game?

 

[Shaun]

The defense allowed 20 and scored 7. And one of the touchdowns was off of a bad Bledsoe int from around the 20 yd line.

It wasn't the most stylish or dominating defense I've seen, but I'd take that performance most games.

 

[Juke99]

You are willing to make that statement based on one game?

No.

I am willing to say that based on the body of work from the entire season.

I'm not knocking the team at all.

When I say "arrived" I mean in the upper echelon of teams.

We're darn good right now.

We're not elite yet.

 

[Zman5]

But who really is ellite from the NFC? Seattle? Atlanta? Carolina?

I don't really consider them ellite either. I don't think any of them can beat Indy, Pittsburgh or even the Bengals right now.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

We came out prepared for 70% pass and we didn't adjust. Simple as that.

Bingo!

Parcells comment after the first half said it all..."We had to prepare for what they've done all year."

Flat out, Andy Reid had a very good game plan and beat us to the punch all night long, (except for the last 4 minutes), just like we did in the first game in Dallas. That was the main thing wrong on both sides of the ball last night.

The NFL game is more mental than it is physical. Hesitation in recognizing formations and reading your keys contributes heavily to getting whipped at the line of scrimmage.

 

[AsthmaField]

We did get pushed around on both lines but I think the fact that we spent almost the entire week preparing to stop the Eagles passing attack had a little something to do with the fact that we looked flat.

If you gameplan to stop their passing attack (which is what we did in week 5 against them) and they come out running and using McNabbs re-found mobility to draw up defenders and then dink a pass over their heads, it's going to cause some hesitation and indecision on our part.

Don't get me wrong... I do think it was just one of those days for us and that we're lucky to come out of there with a W... but the fact that they surprised us all game long with their strategy had a lot to do with our ineffectiveness on D.

IMO, of course.

 

[mschmidt64]

They also gave every other team in the league a blueprint for beating the Cowboys' offense. Double Glenn every play, threaten both tackles early forcing more max protects and let Bledoe try to beat you without Glenn.

If they are doubling Glenn, they should do this:

Teach Glenn to pass protect. Clearly, he's not going to be great at it.

But if he's getting doubled, bring him in motion to the line, the CB will be shadowing him, and the safety will be watching him.

Then snap the ball.

Send the TE (who is on the other side of the line and would be normally offering max-protection) out for a deep route, as well as Peerless Price.

Glenn has sucked in the coverage by coming in to block. The CB who is on him is left in the middle of nowhere, not covering anyone.

Meanwhile, the blocker that you needed (the TE) was passed off to Glenn, and the TE is now running a route (and Witten can run downfield routes).

You've effectively isolated and eliminated a defender.

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

No.

I am willing to say that based on the body of work from the entire season.

I'm not knocking the team at all.

When I say "arrived" I mean in the upper echelon of teams.

We're darn good right now.

We're not elite yet.

I agree with Juke on this. Parcells even said after hte halftime that we prepared for what Phily has done all season. The only problem is that Philly came out doing things differently than what they've done all season. It took Dallas a long time to adjust to this on offense and defense, and that's a sign that they have not yet "arrived" as an upper echelon team; an upper echelon team would have adjusted much more quickly.

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