Vick got significantly better as the game went on. I think you’re just a hater.
Moving on, the Eagles will lose every single remaining game this season if they give up 3+ turnovers per game (as they have the past four games) and one turnover in the red zone (as they have the past four games). A lot of those turnovers were outright flukes. The INT that wasn’t against Atlanta. The two tipped INTs against the Giants. Ronnie Brown getting a temporary case of the batshit crazies on the goaline against SF. Two more tipped INTs against the Bills and another INT from a ball that flew out of Vick’s hand as he was hit. Nine fumbles in the last four games, losing five (Eagles’ opponents have fumbled only twice in the last four games). Good lord, it’s a laundry list of bad karma.
But none of that excuses just how fucking terrible the defense is. They have to have missed a couple dozen tackles, per game, over the last four games. The defense has given up points in something like 53 or 54 straight trips into their red zone. They’re on pace to top their own historically awful red zone defense from last year, and not just top it, but shatter it. They’re on pace to shatter the worst turnover differential mark since 1990.
And still, if the Eagles were a little more cautious with the ball, just a little less mistake-prone, they have more than enough offense to have won three of these last four, at least. I have never seen a team play like this before. Outgain every single opponent in yardage and look outright dominant at times only to piss away every game. Maddening.
Boy, I am having a lot of fun watching the Eagles (and their fans) have their little hissy fits. Even the mighty Jason Avant made crucial mistakes, but 4 interceptions by Vick? Very nice.
Onto a team that actually matters, the Packers get a nice win last night in Atlanta. The Falcons were definitely getting after it, and in the first quarter they looked like world beaters. I thought Mularky, their OC, was calling an amazing game and took great advantage of the aggressiveness of the Packers. Their first two drives were full of second and third downs and long, but they consistently made those first downs, kept the chains moving, and scored the TD’s.
But like good teams, the Packers adjusted and clamped down. It didn’t hurt that the Falcons made some big mistakes and Matt Ryan looked discombobulated ofter, but it was a very nice defensive effort in the second half.
More thoughts on the game:
I was surprised by the amount of bad blood between these teams. There was a lot of chippiness, too many “unnecessary roughing” calls, and some strong words after the game. It’s nice to win those kinds of games.
Maybe because of #1, but the officials seemed determined to take over the game. That “we’re afraid of losing control, so we’ll penalize the Packers for having players on the field during a change of possession” call was a joke.
Even though it benefited the Pack, I still don’t like the “going to the ground/Calvin Johnson” rule.
Dear Jermichael Finley, if you’re going to talk crap about not getting targeted enough and being the best ever, you better CATCH THE FUCKING BALL. That goes for you too Roddy White.
5-0 is a nice place to be. Losing Pro Bowl players and starting tackles to injury isn’t. Kudos to Newhouse and Sherrod for settling down as the game went on though.
I remain unimpressed with Matt Ryan. He did well in the dink and dunk/misdirection of the first two drives, but after that, he kinda stunk. Those adjustments at the line he was doing weren’t very impressive.
Good to see Dunta Robinson missing a tackle that helped seal the victory for the Packers. Punk.
I wish the refs were interviewed after every game about the crazy calls made in the game. It seems like this season has had a lot of “Wait, what?” calls that are never explained. That one felt like a “Well, we threw the flag for fair catch interference, but we were wrong about that, so we had to come up with another penalty” call.
Yeah, that was weird. The only possible explanation I can imagine is that McCarthy and some of the players charged up to the ref after the kick-catch impact. The ref probably felt it crossed the line of lobbying into threatening or interfering. The game was getting pretty chippy at that point and a Packer or two may have gone too far in reacting to the collision.
There’s a reason that Houston decided he wasn’t worth top-5 cornerback money, even if that left the 2010 Texans with a horrible secondary. Didn’t like all those losses and blown coverages but even a lot of fans agreed he wasn’t worth the big contract.
I get to go out and watch the MNF game, and the fuckinv refs are the only ones making an impact. Bullshit calls, false starts, and dumbass plays are ruining this game.
What is with the announcers? They’re going nuts for Cutler, calling mediocre passes and incompletions just the greatest ever. Every single play. I don’t get it.