Well, that sucked. Gardner Minshew looked more like Bobby Hoying en route to a second-straight loss as we head into week 18 with the Eagles having yet to clinch the #1 seed. They’ll have to do it at home against New York as the playoff-bound Giants likely rest Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley. Jalen Hurts injury notwithstanding, it’s lame that it had to come down to this, but alas, here we are.

Beyond Minshew and the offense, which was dreck all around, Shane Steichen had a terrible play calling game. Hot garbage from him. There were myriad pre-snap penalties and a shitty call from the refs that wiped a touchdown off the board. Add it all up and you get a turd burger of 10 points and 11 first downs. Huzzah!

 

1) That first Saints drive was annoying as hell. 3rd down conversions targeting Kyzir White and Josiah Scott in coverage, followed by a fullback moving the chains, then Josh Sweat going down injured (and to the hospital) and a Taysom Hill 4th and short conversion.

They gave up on that drive:


  • 4th and 2
  • 3rd and 3
  • 3rd and 3
  • 3rd and 4
  • 3rd and 1

15 plays, 75 yards, 8:58 off the clock. In hindsight, they should have declined the illegal man downfield penalty and settled for 3rd and 6 to try to get off the field.

2) Andy Dalton stunk up the joint. Losing to him at home is pathetic.

3) 1st quarter stats:

Awesome job all around!

4) They got to Dalton on 3rd and 6 on the second drive, but that was a coverage sack. Dude had plenty of time to throw, just couldn’t find anyone.

5) They ran that option play on 3rd down of the second drive. The RPO/zone read family of plays is not Minshew’s strength (no shit), but Hurts converts this for a first down:

6) Daryl Johnston was pretty convinced that Saint was pushed into Brett Kern when the officials picked up the flag. Fair enough.

7) Don’t need to see Kyzir White or Haason Reddick in pass coverage ever again.

8) James Bradberry getting cooked for 58 yards on 3rd and 4 is a good snapshot of Sunday’s turd burger. Say whatever you will about Jonathan Gannon, but the one thing they’ve done amazingly well all season long is prevent teams from making big plays down the field.

9) Milton Williams FANTASTIC play to blow up that 3rd and goal. Difference between 7 points and 3 points. Also, Dennis Allen is a wuss for kicking that field goal. They had a chance to bury the Eagles there.

10) Hopefully that interception gives Josiah Scott a confidence boost moving forward. He needs it badly.

11) Two garbage completions to make these first half numbers look better than they actually were:

12) Nice penalty on the 2nd half kick off. I thought it was over at that point, like the same shit coming our way in the second half.

13) Moose said it better than I can on the Landon Dickerson “holding” call. Dickerson pancaked the guy into the ground after dude tripped over Jason Kelce and the FUCKING ZEBRAS wiped a touchdown off the board:

14)  Jake Elliott made that 56-yarder look pretty easy, eh?

15) Three false starts on the second drive of the second half. They were moving the ball, too. Talk about a comical way for that drive to end.

16) The 2nd down sack from Fletcher Cox couldn’t have come at a better time, especially after that shank from Kern. They finished with seven in this game, breaking the franchise record for sacks in a single season, with a game remaining.

17) What can you say about the A.J. Brown touchdown? No Eagles receiver since Terrell Owens scores on that play. 78 yards is the longest Eagles play of the entire season. (that said, I do think he left a lot to be desired on the pick six)

18) Marshon Lattimore should have been flagged for PI on that 2nd and 15 pass, but Quez Watkins is just standing there (as usual) and isn’t going to get that call. Also, why are you throwing at Lattimore in the first place?

19) They failed on 4th and 1 with rugby scrum middle. When that play fails, you know it’s just not your day. They’re now 23 for 26 on sneaks, per the broadcast.

20) The second and 17 drop from Juwan Johnson was a huge play in this game. We’re talking four-down territory and added points on the board. Instead, they forced a Dalton throwaway on the ensuing play and forced a punt.

21) No clue what the fuck Minshew was doing on the drive following the pick six. He was absolutely awful.

22) Miles Sanders 61 yards on 12 carries. RUN THE BALL!

23) Taysom Hill is annoying as balls. God I hate that dude.

24) Losing this game makes that Saints draft pick less valuable. A turd burger two-fer here.

25) People were complaining about Jonathan Gannon in the first half (shocker), but this was actually a pretty standard Gannon game. His defense looked totally clueless on the opening drive, then buckled down to allow just two field goals for the rest of the game. People can continue to whine about Gannon, and God knows that they will, but in a game where the offense did jack shit, his unit kept the Birds in it. This was very similar to the Colts game in that regard.

On to the next one.