Bird Droppings
First stop on the bummer train? Not only did the Eagles’ loss to the Redskins embarrass them, but it gave the Redskins an emotional boost. That, at least, according to a Washington Post story titled “Redskins win goes a long way in mending fences.”
Really, like it matters:
The Eagles have some very good players on both sides of the ball, but they are much farther away from being a championship contender than they thought. You can rationalize away the Seattle and Dallas losses, but not this one. This is a game that a team with playoff aspirations simply can’t lose. You can’t call yourself a good team, an elite team, a contender, and come down to Washington and lose this game to a team that hasn’t won since October. They have a lot of work to do. A lot more than they thought.
Sports Illustrated doesn’t know how no one has benched Bradley Fletcher yet:
Whatever it is about Fletcher that had defensive coordinator Billy Davis matching him up against the opponent’s best receiver happened again in Washington, when Fletcher was lined up against DeSean Jackson, who burned him on the aforementioned deep pass, and more. This wasn’t just a two-week slide, either. Through Week 15, according to Pro Football Focus’ charting stats, Fletcher has allowed 53 catches on 106 targets for 908 yards, nine touchdowns, one interception and an opponent passer rating of 103.8. It’s clear that Fletcher doesn’t have the vertical speed, coverage awareness and turn-and-run ability to mirror the league’s best receivers, but there appears to be a curious level of inflexibility (or basic awareness) regarding this notion
Eliot Shorr-Parks looks back at five plays that could have changed the Eagles season, but somehow fails to say “every pass thrown Bradley Fletcher’s way.”
Who will replace Fletcher next year? Hopefully one of these guys or really anyone else.
Bradley Fletcher, when talking about the Eagles’ horrible turnover rate, called them a “great bad team,” which might be the most fitting description we’ve heard all year.
Here is what the Eagles’ 2015 schedule will look like, because that’s what we’re all doing now.
The Eagles are just the third team since 1990 to miss the playoffs after a 9-3 start or better.
