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Justin Boylan...Game 9 Chargers beat Eagles 31-23... 11-16-09

The last time these two teams played, I was there. It was late October, at Lincoln Financial Field. It was 2005, a time where Gwen Stefani was singing about Hollaback Girls and the Saw franchise was just releasing Saw II . (Doesn't 2005 seem like ancient history? It's only been four years; still it seems like a lifetime ago. There have been five Saw movies since then. Which begs the question, will those movies ever end? When it's all said and done I think there might be more Saw movies than Now! That's What I Call Music albums. I wonder if you can bet on something like that? Boy, I wish it was still 2005, a time when only two Saw movies existed.)

That game, by the way, was great. LaDainian Tomlinson was in mid-season form and looking for his 19th straight game with a touchdown (this is when LDT was truly unstoppable). The quarterback matchup featured Donovan McNabb and Drew Brees, and the Eagles relied on Brian Westbrook and Terrell Owens to make plays. By the four-minute mark of the fourth quarter the Eagles were down 17-13 and playing defense. The Chargers were looking to run the ball and the clock with Tomlinson (who the Eagles held to 7 yards and no touchdowns), kick a field goal, and go home. Quintin Mikell had different plans, he made his way around the line and blocked San Diego's field goal attempt. Matt Ware picked up the ball and took it 65 yards for a touchdown and the 20-17 victory. It was incredible. My father and I were down in the dumps watching the Chargers bleed the clock out (there is nothing worse than watching your defense knowing there is nothing they can do. More on that later), and like a miracle, the special teams pulled off something special and won the game. The whole stadium erupted, that was the first time I found myself embracing complete strangers, what a thrill. Snap back to 2009, the game is in San Diego, and the Eagles haven't traveled well this season. No rejoicing with Section 207 this time around, let's get to it.

I have to say, before the game I was felt confident in the Eagles. They were coming off a tough loss to the Cowboys, and the last time they were in California they were completely embarrassed. I thought the Birds were hungry for a win, and would have an easy time moving the ball. My opinion changed before halftime.

The Eagles used the first quarter to shake off some of the cross-country dust and to get punter Sam Rocca loosened up (three punts on three possessions). The Chargers used the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead, when Philip Rivers hit fullback Mike Tolbert for a 20-yard touchdown. The highlight of the first quarter came during the Eagles third possession. A Michael Vick spotting! The Eagles brought Vick in on 2 nd and 8 to throw the ball (an incompletion to DeSean Jackson, although it looked like Jackson should of caught it). That set McNabb up with a 3 rd and long, which he could not convert. Punt. Seriously, that was without a doubt the highlight of the first quarter. How often do we get to see the controversial quarterback that we signed for no good reason?

The second quarter began with the Chargers on the move. After a 22-yard completion to wide receiver Malcom Floyd, Tomlinson scurried in for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead (at this point, my views on the game started to change, and not because of the score). The Eagles answered with a 77 (not 78)-yard drive; a couple passes to Jason Avant, a 22-yarder to Jackson, and a penalty on the Chargers, put the ball on the 1 yard-line for the Birds. They tried to run it in with two of the three downs (no dice), then an incomplete to tight end Brent Celek. Bring on the field goal unit, 14-3. (Before the game I didn't realize it, but the Eagles defense didn't matchup very well against the Chargers offense. Malcom Floyd is 6 foot 5, and Sheldon Brown trying to cover him one-on-one was hard to watch. We don't like big receivers on the other team. Not to mention big tight ends, Antonio Gates caught 7 passes for 78 yards and he was supposed to be banged up. Once I saw LDT running the ball with determination, it seemed like he was thinking about the '05 game too. The matchups weren't in our favor.)

The defense stopped the Chargers, and the Eagles were on another long drive. This time they got down to 1 st and goal from the 9 yard-line (no luck from the 1 yard-line, so this should be easier). On first down, from the shotgun, McNabb threw an incomplete pass to Jackson out of the back of the end zone. On second down Westbrook ran for no gain, and on third down, McNabb checked down to Celek for 2 yards and another field goal before halftime, 14-6 Bolts.

(I texted my dad after the first Eagles field goal, “Our defense doesn't matchup well at all with this team. The offense is gonna have to step up and score points.”) By halftime, this game was squarely on the shoulders of the offense, two trips inside the 10 yard-line and no touchdowns? It should have been 14-14 and the only halftime adjustments needed would have been on defense. But the Eagles now found themselves with red zone problems in addition to the problems on defense.

The opening possessions of the third quarter didn't provide any reassurance. The Eagles picked up three first downs, but had to punt after a sack and a 10-yard penalty. The Chargers ran first with Tomlinson; Rivers found Gates for 20 yards, and then back to Tomlinson for 20 more yards and his second touchdown of the game. The Eagles got back on offense and McNabb passed to Avant for 58 yards down to the San Diego 16 yard-line, another red zone opportunity. After an incomplete and a 9-yard pass, the Eagles had 3 rd and 1 from the 7, McNabb fired incomplete to Jackson and Akers kicked another field goal, 21-9. The Eagles continued to trade field goals for touchdowns, Philip Rivers ended the third quarter with his second touchdown pass making the score 28-9 (the score should absolutely be 28-21 with the Eagles getting the ball back).

The Eagles finally find the end zone in the fourth quarter, twice actually, the first one to Jeremy Maclin and the second to Celek (I'm exhausted getting through those first three quarters, my play-by-play ability is dwindling). With seven minutes left, the Chargers had the ball and a 28-23 lead. The Eagles defense was unable to stop the Chargers on two different third downs and they made their way into field goal range. I suddenly had a flash to 2005, let's get Mikell back on special teams, close our eyes, and hope for another miracle.

Not this time, maybe in another four years, 31-23 Chargers.

Up until this game, the Eagles were unable to put together long drives and depended on the big play. I was impressed how the Eagles moved the ball, McNabb threw for 450 yards and they outgained the Chargers by 131 yards. The Eagles had five opportunities in the red zone and only scored touchdowns on two of them.

When the Eagles got down in the red zone on Sunday it was like they were running the ball just so they could pass it on the next play. Nothing seemed to work and it looked horrendous. McNabb couldn't squeeze the ball into the small windows and the offense line couldn't provide any movement for the run game.

Once again we were forced to watch the Eagles defense struggle at the end of a game without the help of any timeouts. When the Chargers got the ball back in the fourth quarter after the Eagles scored their second touchdown, did anyone think the Birds would see the ball again with a real chance to win? Liar.

Great teams and great players take advantage of opportunities to score, and win games like these (see: Colts and Peyton Manning against the Patriots). A buddy of mine was texting me during the game and sent me two messages (trust me, he is a Eagles fan): “I hate the Eagles man. They're like painful to watch, it's awful,” and, “Hopefully when they miss the playoffs they'll fire Reid.” Strong words, but he is just one of many Eagles fans who woke up today feeling the same way. How long does this last? When should we seriously consider change? The Eagles are 5-4 and if they don't turn it around now these questions are going to get louder.

It starts again next Sunday night in Chicago. Looking at the schedule the Eagles need to put together at least a three-game winning streak to be in a good position at 8-4. It is doable, but the inconsistency is scary, Saw XX scary.

Stephen's Trip to Training Camp 2009

Steve Lewis 8-6-09

I had the privilege of attending morning session at Lehigh on Tuesday. Camp is an enjoyable experience. The weather was lovely and all the stars were getting lots of reps with the exception of the still recovering Brian Westbrook. But the mood at camp still had a somber feeling from the passing of the team's legendary coordinator Jim Johnson.

Jim Johnson was a perfect fit for this organization. Aggressive, blitzing defenses have always been a staple in Philadelphia and have been a source of excitement for a rabid fan base. Johnson's speed blitz packages, utilizing defensive backs to attack the quarterback, were revolutionary. The game I will remember as Johnson's finest performance was that Sunday night in Foxboro, when he put together a game plan to stall possibly the most potent offense in NFL history. The Patriots were 27 point favorites that night, but Johnson's scheme kept the birds in it to the end. The Pats won the game but the damage was done. Weeks later, Steve Spagnuolo would borrow Johnson's blue print and changed history by ending the Pats perfect season. That script was more suited for Brad Lidge and the Phils anyway.

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