On the Wings of Eagles

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” Dale Carnegie

It was after 4a.m. Monday morning, I had just witnessed the Eagles secure a much needed victory over a division rival but for some reason I couldn’t allow myself to fully savour the moment. Undoubtedly the fact that I was half-dead was a significant contributory factor, but I could not escape a deep and overbearing sense of trepidation as I immediately turned my attention to the remaining schedule facing my beloved Eagles.  

There are many that would simply dismiss my sentiments by calling into question my loyalty to, or faith in the team. However, I feel no guilt whatsoever in caring enough about the Eagles’ performance over the coming weeks to express concern; when evaluating the Eagles ‘doubt’ is the inescapable by-product of every fan’s internal struggle between perception and reality, hope and execution.

Before a single Eagle’s player had warmed-up for the first day of training camp the team were perceived as the favourites in the Beast, with an historic collection of talent poised for a deep playoff run. One perceived notion was that opposing receivers blanketed by DRC, Samuel and Asomugha would allow Babin and Cole to pin their ears back and go after the QB – the reality, unfortunately, is ever so slightly different. Asomugha, the most coveted prize of free-agency, has a total of 3 interceptions (0 TDs) and his longest interception return is for 6yds (his total is 10yds); that’s the same number of interceptions as Atlanta’s Thomas DeCoud (I’ve never heard of him either). Meanwhile Babin and Cole have combined for 15 sacks so far, which is a whole sack more than Demarcus Ware’s solo effort.

The hope was that the Eagles dominance on both sides of the ball would stand them in good stead to see off the Packers in the NFC championship game. However as a result of the Eagles’ inconsistent execution they are one of the 14 teams in the NFL with a losing record, their playoffs hopes hanging by a thread; a single defeat in the coming weeks will likely halt any chance of a playoff spot.

Entering Week 11 every member of the Eagle’s organisation, from locker room to front office, knew that they needed to win the remaining games of the regular season. There is not a doubt in my mind that that amount of pressure can take its toll on players; the knowledge that every play matters, that every snap, tackle, pass, reception, kick and run could mean the difference between winning and losing is a responsibility of such enormity that it is beyond the comprehension of us lesser mortals.

When I consider the game on Sunday night in this light, the knot in my stomach begins to unravel ever so slightly. Given the pressure, Vince Young’s ability to lead a calm, consistent and confident 4^th quarter drive cannot be underestimated (nor the contribution of Babin’s sack which led to a fumble) and is a welcome contrast to the Eagles previous endeavours in the final 15 minutes of play. Looking back on the 2011 season it would be fitting if the Eagles’ revival was started by Vince Young, the architect of the cursed “Dream Team” moniker.

Tempting as it may be though I simply can’t fully convince myself all is well. The Eagles have been adept at toying with our emotions this season; the same team that obliterated the Cowboys were made to suffer defeat at the hands of a Skelton led Cardinals team. Accordingly the win on Sunday night does not necessarily mean that the ship has been righted.

It may well be that the team has finally fused together as a unit under intense pressure, like the emergence of a diamond from a lump of coal. It may also be the case that they are playing with a sense that they have nothing to lose and as such are loose and relaxed. Frankly I don’t care which is right, so long as they win games.

Standing in the way of the Eagles and the playoffs are the Patriots, Seahawks, Dolphins, Jets, Cowboys and Redskins. As we often hear from players we just have to take it one game at a time; the Patriots are not the team of 2007 and have shown that they can be beaten, a high octane and consistent defensive unit can overcome anything Tom Brady throws its way, and the Eagles have the offensive tools to pick its way through a questionable Patriot Defence.

There is no escaping the fact that the Eagles playoff chances are still mathematically alive – so long as that is the case there is always hope.

The Story So Far....

“The more I see the less I know for sure” John Lennon

Once the malaise of the NFL lockout had passed, journalists, commentators, ‘experts’ and  fans alike turned their attention to the upcoming season and took comfort in all that was ‘known’ to be true. Approaching week 5 of the 2011 NFL season it seems like we knew nothing; the dismissed Redskins sit atop the NFC East, Cam Newton is on record setting pace, and ‘Hotlanta’ looks to be cooled.

As we all reach for a slice of humble pie Brit Coast Offense will be keeping an eye on some of the more interesting developments:

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Detroit Lions - Contenders?

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Having amassed 10 straight losing seasons and the only 0-16 record in the history of the NFL, the Lions, along with the Superbowl winning Packers, are undefeated heading into their division matchup with the Bears.

Aside from the week 2 destruction of the Chiefs (who frankly can be beaten by any half-decent team) the Lions greatest margin of victory is just 7 points. So are they a powerhouse on their way to a perfect season or just a mentally rejuvenated team, grinding out wins against relatively soft opponents? I don’t think there has been a consistent enough performance on either side of the ball to come to a conclusion; at this stage I wouldn’t be shocked if the Lions either secure or fall short of one of the NFC’s eight playoff spots.

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Game over for the Colts?

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Some small but important comparisons of the 2010 and 2011 Colts, going in to week 5:

                                

In short, a Manning-less Colts are just not that good a team. Barring a miracle recovery from the four-time league MVP it would appear the 2011 campaign is a write-off (Brit Coast Offense prediction - look for the Colts to aggressively address the Quarterback position in April’s draft).

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Minnesota Vikings - ?????????

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In the past four weeks The Vikes have put on a solid display for 30 mins of every game they have played, their only problem is that a game of football lasts 60 mins. In the first three weeks the Vikes were ahead by 10, 17 and 20 points respectively at halftime and this past week trailed Kansas City by a mere 2 points; they went on to lose all four games.

People are very helpfully suggesting that they need but put the ball in AP's hands and rely on the defensive front and all will be well. But if you look at this a little more closely, these areas don't seem to be the problem:

“give the ball to AP” -  he currently leads the NFL with 81 attempts and is the third best rusher in the league.

“Put more pressure on the quarterback” – the team are joint third with 12 Sacks, Jared Allen has the second most in the league (6.5).

So what is the problem?


There are many who would rightly argue that such posturing is irrelevant; given the fact that NFC North is home to the Superbowl Champions, undefeated Lions and a talented Bear team, the team’s concern should not be coming to an understanding of how they are 0-4 but how they are going to avoid being 0-8; the time to right the ship is now. There are grumblings of a shake up at Quarterback and at this point there is nothing to lose. In the past few seasons the Vikings have been more than willing to gamble with the QB position; after the failed Favre experiment they have turned to a declining McNabb, who does not look to have improved much after a torrid season in Washington. It is surely a matter of time before Ponder gets the nod, despite what Leslie Frazier may say to the contrary.