Kolb_time
Much like Week 1, anything that could go wrong, did go wrong in yeseterday’s game. 

-Donovan McNabb was, at least temporarily, vindicated as his Redskins got the win.  At the beginning of the season, I heard someone say that there are two games the Eagles have to win this year- both Redskins games.  They’ve already failed.  To make matters worse, Donovan McNabb only had a QB rating of 60, and he still got to talk a little trash to a national TV audience (if anyone actually watches The OT).  The Eagles had plenty of opportunities, but as per the usual, they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.  And the number one reason for the loss?  Shocking- poor clock management.

-Humor me for a second.  The finals score was 17-12 (who had THAT in their block pool?).  The Eagles’ horrible time management cost them five yards and quite possibly a touchdown at the end of the first half.  Instead of seven points, they came away with three (-4).  That point differential forced them into an unsuccessful two-point conversion in the fourth quarter.  Assuming they would have made the PAT, they cost themselves another point (-5).  Final score differential: five.  Aw, just like McNabb.

There are many who don’t like to look at games in the manner described above, since each play builds on the next, but it’s difficult to ignore it here because scoring a touchdown really wouldn’t have changed any strategy in the final seconds of the first half.

Now, onto the costly mistake.



Andy Reid said, “I goofed,” in his post game press conference.  Indeed he did.  He was granted 30 seconds for a timeout and then another 40 to get a play off.  As you can tell by the picture above, Kevin Kolb wasn’t even in the huddle until there were 10 seconds remaining on the clock.  I did a very unofficial check of the time keeping, and sure enough, it was exactly 70 seconds from the when the timeout was called until the play clock was at zero.  There is no excuse for that.

Reid said that he was thrown off because the ball was respotted after the challenge just seconds earlier.  This caused him to take the timeout to change the play call.  That’s fine, no problems there.  The problem is that he have 70 seconds to make that call.  70.  It would almost be understandable and given a pass if these same problems didn’t happen every game.  It’s uncanny how the Eagles find a way to screw up end of half situations over and over again.

-Michael Vick could miss serious time.  This doesn’t really need any commentary.  It seems as if Kolb can’t complete a pass over the line of scrimmage.  We’re all still waiting for that “championship caliber quarterback” we keep hearing about.  Perhaps Reid was referring to the AFL?

Every time Kolb drops back he seems rushed and flusterested.  Almost every pass comes off one foot as he runs away from pressure.  He may have led the Eagles on two long fourth quarter drives, but you’re kidding yourself if you think that was anything more than the result of the Redskins sitting back in a prevent defense, a strategy that almost cost them.

-Despite all of the Eagles’ mistakes, had Jason Avant been able to hold onto the ball in the final seconds, the Eagles would have amazingly won the game.  However, you really can’t complain about a dropped Hail Mary, this game was lost long before that.

-Finally, that national media has to be disappointed.  Despite a not-so-loud minority, Eagles fans overwhelmingly cheered McNabb as he was introduced.  What will they say about us evil Philadelphians now?