Everything Eagles Green

The Eagles became the first team from the NFC East to lose to a team outside of their division when they fell to the Bears 24-20 on Sunday night.

This Sunday they will play host to division rivals the Washington Redskins. The Redskins are coming off an impressive 26-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Both the Boys and Skins are now 3-1 while the Eagles are 2-2.

The Eagles could easily be 3-1 as well but their offensive play calling one first, second, third and fourth and goal towards the end of regulation was atrocious. Not to mention David Akers also missed two field goals on Sunday; albeit they were really long ones of 47 and 51 yards.

The Redskins have plenty of weapons on offense for the Birds defense to worry about. Jason Campbell has come into his own under new head coach Jim Zorn, Chris Cooley has always given the Eagles problems at tight end, Santana Moss has explosive speed at wide receiver and Clinton Portis out of the back field is a bull.

Jim Johnson and his staff with have their hands full for a fourth straight week. The game against the Rams doesn’t count. They are an embarrassment to the NFL.

Its Monday.

Its the day after the Eagles took a 24-20 loss to the Bears in Chicago and it all can be blamed, at least in my opinion, on Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg.

With first and goal on the Bears three yard line the Eagles were unable to score the go ahead touchdown on the ensuing four attempts. They turned the ball over on downs with just over two minutes remaining in the game.

The offense tried to stuff the ball in on the ground four straight times. No pass plays and no quarterback sneaks.

Why didn’t McNabb get the ball?

Andy Reid said that he wasn’t going to put McNabb, who was hurting, in a position to get hurt even more by making him run the ball in himself.

Then give him a chance to win the game with his arm.

Brian Westbrook was inactive with a bad ankle and now we know that the backup running backs can’t get the job done in the red zone.

Correll Buckhalter had a decent game but couldn’t get the job done when it counted most.

Now the Birds are 2-2 on the season and return home this Sunday to take on the 3-1 Washington Redskins.

The Eagles visited Chicago on Sunday night for Sunday Night Football on NBC and it was an interesting game to say the least.

The Bears came in 1-2 and the Birds came in 2-1.

There were 35 first half points between the two teams with the Bears leading 21-14 at the half. Eagles kicker David Akers missed a 47 yard field goal and then hit one from 24 yards out to make it 21-17 with less than 3 minutes remaining in the third quarter.

One of the Birds’ first half touchdowns belonged to rookie wide receiver DeSean Jackson;  the first of his young career in the NFL. It tied the game at 7 early on. Jackson finished with five receptions for 71 yards and two rushes for 35 yard; his longest went for 21 yards.

The defenses clamped down in the second half after allowing the 35 combined points in the opening half.

Brian Westbrook, L.J. Smith and Shawn Andrews were all inactive for tonight’s game with injuries. McNabb, nursing a chest contusion, did play and did not look like the injury bothered his throwing ability at all.

The Eagles defense dominated again against the run, allowing less than 100 yards on the ground for the Bears (78 total), and picked up another big night in the sack category with four.

Early in the fourth quarter Akers hit his second field goal of the game, this time from 31 yards out to make it a one point game at 21-20 with just over 13 minutes left in regulation.

Akers also missed a 50 yard field goal in the second quarter.

The Eagles picked up four turnovers in the game; three in the second half. Darren Howard and Quintin Mikell intercepted passes and Omar Gaither and Stewart Bradley each recovered a fumble. The Eagles turned the ball over twice.

The Bears offense didn’t get a first down in the second half until the fourth quarter: with approximately 12 minutes left.

Robbie Gould added a 41 yard field goal to make it 24-20 Bears; their first points of the second half.

The Eagles had a chance to take the lead with less than five minutes left in regulation when they had first and goal at the three but couldn’t get the ball into the endzone on the next four chances. They turned the ball over on downs at the one yard line after going for it on fourth down. The Eagles drive started at their own 24; it consisted of 11 plays. The Birds tried to get into the endzone on four straight running plays and none of them worked. Terrible play calling. Not one pass attempt.

After turning the ball over on the Bears one yard line the defense couldn’t stop the Bears offense on third and seven as they were able to pick up the first down and avoid punting the ball back to the Birds.

McNabb finished 25 of 41 for 262 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Correll Buckhalter picked up 66 yards on 16 carries and one touchdown. His longest run of the game was 25 yards.

Reggie Brown had six receptions for 79 yards.

Kyle Orton finished 18 of 34 for 199 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Matt Forte picked up only 43 yards on 19 carries. He had five receptions for 42 yards.

Final score:

Bears 24

Eagles 20

Both teams are now 2-2 on the season.

This was the first time in the last two weeks that the Bears did not blow a fourth quarter lead.

After the Eagles 37 point outburst on Monday Night Football in Dallas in week two, the offense has scored only 35 points in the next two games combined. Those two games resulted in a 15-6 win over Pittsburgh and a 24-20 loss at Chicago.