Short Week, Short Memory, Short Season if We Lose Thursday

[AlldaySkins]

Another great write-up Kleese! Completely agree with everything you said.

 

Must win... by next Sunday we should be tied with the Cowboys (vs. Saints) and just one game behind the Eagles (at SanFran).

 

Then back again by the following Monday.

 

I wouldn't be so confident that the Saints will beat the Cowgirls. The Saints aren't looking like themselves and do not play well on the road. The 49ers also are not looking very hot and just because it's at home might not matter much seeing they dropped that one to the Bears last week. Let's just hope they play with all the desperation they have because right now I would say the Eagles win that. I'll go with the Saints winning, but I wouldn't put any money on it.

[bonesbr549]

If we don't win, we wont even make 3 wins this year.  I'd say it's going to be a long year again.    Only bright spot, I don't think we owe next years pick to anyone.  Year in and year out sucking is wearing me thin.    Just don't see it happening.     

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

If we don't win, we wont even make 3 wins this year.  I'd say it's going to be a long year again.    Only bright spot, I don't think we owe next years pick to anyone.  Year in and year out sucking is wearing me thin.    Just don't see it happening.     

 

Back away from the ledge?

[TSO]

I agree with everything, kleese, except the defense. Eagles were moving the ball against us way too easily the entire game. Our offense just did a great job keeping the ball from them the first half so it didn't seem as bad. But when they got it, they moved the ball like we weren't there. I don't care if we stopped McCoy and Sproles. That's nice, but we allowed them to do whatever they want otherwise. 

 

And I have a few bald spots left from pulling my hair out every single time Foles broke contain today. My God that was disgusting.  

 

I was hoping we'd finally see the emergence of an elite D and an elite D coordinator today. One that can show, from time to time, the rest of the league how to defend a team who is on fire (like the Steelers did to us back in 2007, or the Panthers did to the Saints last year, or the Seahawks do to everyone right now). One that could stifle elite offense's. 

 

But we didn't. We're definitely a better defense, but we're not a great one. I'm not sure we're even a good one now. I think so, but not confident at all about it. I'm not sure we'll ever be with Haslett. I just want to be able to believe we can be elite. That's all. I don't even have that. 

[NoCalMike]

The defense was not good today.  Foles missed a good number of throws that were wide open to be made, he simply missed the throws.  Also, it seemed like the Eagles had success running the same plays over and over in red zone situations.  It was sad to see the defenders not adjust to the same damn plays being thrown at them.

 

That said, the Eagles are the #1 offense in the NFL for a reason. The Giants are not this.

[AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy]

After watching the last half of last season, today's loss was like a soda machine in the Sahara.

 

We have really competed in the last two games.  I'd like to see us clean up some of the penalties a bit, but other than that we played hard.  The guys really seem to like playing for Gruden.  I know it's early, but he doesn't seem over his head at this point.  Good sign.

 

Watching us lose isn't easy, but watching us play like total **** with poor effort is a whole different animal.  I enjoy watching exciting football where guys are leaving it on the field every series.  I got that today.

 

I expect more of the same on Thursday.  And I expect us to get a much needed win.

[88Comrade2000]

This team isn't a playoff team, regardless who the QB is. 

[ddub52]

I hate primetime games.

[kleese]

I agree with everything, kleese, except the defense. Eagles were moving the ball against us way too easily the entire game. Our offense just did a great job keeping the ball from them the first half so it didn't seem as bad. But when they got it, they moved the ball like we weren't there. I don't care if we stopped McCoy and Sproles. That's nice, but we allowed them to do whatever they want otherwise.

And I have a few bald spots left from pulling my hair out every single time Foles broke contain today. My God that was disgusting.

I was hoping we'd finally see the emergence of an elite D and an elite D coordinator today. One that can show, from time to time, the rest of the league how to defend a team who is on fire (like the Steelers did to us back in 2007, or the Panthers did to the Saints last year, or the Seahawks do to everyone right now). One that could stifle elite offense's.

But we didn't. We're definitely a better defense, but we're not a great one. I'm not sure we're even a good one now. I think so, but not confident at all about it. I'm not sure we'll ever be with Haslett. I just want to be able to believe we can be elite. That's all. I don't even have that.

Hard to have elite defense when you don't have elite players on defense. My argument isn't that the defense was good yesterday--- my argument is that Haslett's plan was sound and the reason the Eagles did as well as they did is due in large part to Foles making some really nice plays. Would he make those plays against Seattle? Absolutely not. Seattle has a secondary 20 times better than ours.

Our front seven is somewhere between above average and really good, not sure yet on that. No real great players there but lots of very solid ones with Robinson still being a bit of an unknown. The secondary was average at best with Hall--- much worse than that without him.

So our talent on D moving forward is probably somewhere overall between average and a touch above average depending on how good you think a couple guys up front really are. This defense "should" rank somewhere between 12th-16th, something like that based on what Haslett has on hand.

Really good offenses will move the ball on them because it generally takes great/elite defenses to stop really good offenses.

If Eli and an OK, but not great Giants offense moves the ball easily on our defense I will be more than happy to hop on the Haslett bashing train. But so far I am content with what I see from the defense.

[TSO]

^^ Can't agree with that. If our secondary was that big of an issue, than scheme it differently to help mask it. Don't sell out just to stop McCoy and Sproles. Great D Coordinators seem to be able to get so much out of so little consistently. Tired of the excuses for Haslett.

 

Maybe we would've been better off allowing the Eagles to drive a bit with McCoy and Sproles, but clamping down in the redzone. We gave up far too many big chunks on seam routes. Allowing Maclin to have 150+ yards was disgusting. I'm sorry, but I can't see how this is defensible.

[bradboyd80]

I was really surprised to see the lack of pressure.  They were missing a ton of people on the OL and we barely did anything.  We should have dominated that line.  We picked our poison in stopping McCoy and Sproles, but the DBs seemed to have had a bad day and gave up way too many easy catches. 

 

I do agree wholeheartedly in moral victories, though.  For two weeks in a row now, the offense has played exceptionally well.  Did we see that at all last year?  I too, was very disappointed in ST though.  Coverage and returning looked vastly improved over last year in weeks 1 and 2, but pretty much **** the bed yesterday.  And then the missed FG was just icing on the cake.  

 

I'm interested in seeing what the NFL does with Baker.  While the hit was arguably legal (albeit stupid), he'll almost certainly get a fine.  I just hope he avoids suspension.  We can't afford another loss on that DL. 

 

On the bright side, the Giants D is also nothing to fear, so I can see us putting up another 30+ points.  But on the flip side, the Giants are far from being the #1 offense in the league.  So I don't think it'll be a shootout like yesterday. 

[Bubble Screen]

^^ The Baker play was in no way legal. That's a flag every time. It was a cheap shot. With that said, I doubt he gets suspended.

[bradboyd80]

^^ The Baker play was in no way legal. That's a flag every time. It was a cheap shot. With that said, I doubt he gets suspended.

Agreed that it was a cheap shot.  But it did look like Foles was running toward Breeland to attempt a tackle.  So I can understand how some might say it was a legal hit (hence "arguably"). 

[Bubble Screen]

Agreed that it was a cheap shot. But it did look like Foles was running toward Breeland to attempt a tackle. So I can understand how some might say it was a legal hit (hence "arguably").

He wasn't running. He took a step, maybe two, then realized that the play was ending, so he stopped. It was cheap. And I think people getting upset over it, are silly. I had no problem at all with Peters, or Eagles fans, being upset.

The hit on Cousins could have been flagged, sure. But I don't think the refs blew it. It could have gone either way.

[SkinsGuy]

bradboyd80 writes:

I'm interested in seeing what the NFL does with Baker. While the hit was arguably legal (albeit stupid), he'll almost certainly get a fine. I just hope he avoids suspension. We can't afford another loss on that DL.

Oh, Baker will be suspended alright. We're playing the Giants this Thursday, so Mara will see to that.

[Gregpeck99]

If Kirk has another good game aginst the Gints ... Skins should score 30 points or more.

[Bacon]

We'll handle NYG. Not even worried about it. If we don't, well, my confidence was entirely misplaced to begin with.

[carex]

This team isn't a playoff team, regardless who the QB is. 

 

 

it's close to one though

[fearlessNelms]

Special teams was obviously more the culprit in yesterday's loss than the D. As I stated in the game day thread, aside from the kickoff return & the missed chip shot, the return out to the 40 by them on the kickoff following our FG to make it 20-16 with 1:10 left in the half to set up their TD with 19 seconds left until half was a back breaker for us. Sproles was going to take a punt the distance later in the game, but one of our guys dove at his feet & got a shoelace to trip him up, otherwise he's gone.

 

The D did get beat at times, but overall they played good enough for us to win and got some big stops at the end to give us a shot. What's lost in the D's effort is the dropped INT's. Cousins bad throw that got picked, Philly catches that. Foles makes two throws that we absolutely gotta pick, but we drop them. Baker had one hit him right in the gut and dropped it & Breeland, though it would have been a nice catch, has to make that pick. Another golden egg that jumps out is McCoy's fumble on the sideline that goes out of bounds where if it stays in, we undoubtedly scoop that up.... but that was just a bad luck bounce for us.  At the end of the year, the teams that have the biggest  + turnover ratio are the teams that are going to be in the playoffs. We need to get more turnovers if we are going to contend and when the opposing QB makes a bad throw that hits us in the hands, we need to start making them pay.

[Thinking Skins]

I'm not happy right now of course, but I'm encouraged. This loss was not a painful one for me. Disappointing finish? Of course. But I expected to lose this game and we looked better than I thought we would.

I don't know man. I don't really put much hype into the preseason rankings of how this team "should" look and which games we should win / lose. Yeah, based on last year we were probably outmatched by the Eagles, so we should be happy just putting up a competition with them. But I look at this as a division loss, and those games are the most important. Did I think we'd win? I don't know, but I probably wouldn't gamble on it. The problem I have with this game is the problem I had when we started 3-6 in 2012 and all of last year. Its not Robert/Kirk was playing bad during those stretches, or the defense would necessarily lose a game, or the special teams, but it seems that we always find a way to collapse.

Yesterday it was the return on special teams, the Riley covering Matthews, the Mathis TDs, the penalties on special teams, the penalty on the sack, the pass interference, the missed FG, the interception, the throw behind Garcon on our last play.

Against Houston it was the Rambo play, the blocked punt, the blocked XP, the two red zone fumbles,

Last year it was a consortium of special teams returns either for TDs or putting the team in great field position, Robert throwing costly pics in the end zone, or Moss dropping a pass in the end zone, the defense giving a hobbled TRomo a chance to move the ball for a game winning drive, ... its just more of the same. How many of us have forgotten the dive by Eli in 2012 when our FS got beat by Victor Cruz for the game winning TD after we had driven downfield for the (supposed) victory?

I'd like to say I'm excited by the fact that we were competitive, but I'm really not. I expect us to be competitive. I want us to win games. I want us to stop making critical mistakes. But I know that no team goes without mistakes, so I want us to be able to overcome our mistakes and find a way to win games in spite of them.

[Thinking Skins]

If Kirk has another good game aginst the Gints ... Skins should score 30 points or more.

I could care less about scoring 30. I care about the W/L and if we score 30+ and lose again, it'll be another depressing week, especially if people are still calling it a moral victory.

[Skinsinparadise]

I agree, the Giants game is the be all and end all.  I can live with a loss at Philly being the underdogs, etc.   But if after putting up that type of fight they play flat at home against arguably a weaker division foe, It would be beyond disappointing -- it would have the vibe of same old Redskins -- they tease you with flashes but ultimately its a team with a culture that's about losing.

 

The defense to me was somewhat disappointing.   Yeah they had some nice stops in the 2nd half but still they gave up more points to the Eagles than what the Eagles have done so far this season on average, and in the first half they had no answer to the Eagles for now the third game in a row (Every Chip Kelly game).   And can the special teams not self implode for a game?  I guess stay tuned for all of the above.  

[21forever]

If we don't win, we wont even make 3 wins this year.  I'd say it's going to be a long year again.    Only bright spot, I don't think we owe next years pick to anyone.  Year in and year out sucking is wearing me thin.    Just don't see it happening.     

 

Well thank God you're not in charge of our team.  Horrible attitude.

[DarkLink]

Well thank God you're not in charge of our team.  Horrible attitude.

He has a point. If we lose to the Giants, we will be 1-3 with Seahawks and Cards licking their chops. It will be long season that will end early.

[kleese]

^^ Can't agree with that. If our secondary was that big of an issue, than scheme it differently to help mask it. Don't sell out just to stop McCoy and Sproles. Great D Coordinators seem to be able to get so much out of so little consistently. Tired of the excuses for Haslett.

Maybe we would've been better off allowing the Eagles to drive a bit with McCoy and Sproles, but clamping down in the redzone. We gave up far too many big chunks on seam routes. Allowing Maclin to have 150+ yards was disgusting. I'm sorry, but I can't see how this is defensible.

Most people consider Gus Bradley to be a great DC-- the architect of that Seattle defense. Same guy, same ideas, same scheme. And now he has the worst defense in the league. Because his players stink.

On top of that, the game has changed in football in general. The Seahawks have the best D/secondary in football, yet in San Diego last week Rivers dinked and dunked them to death and they couldn't get off the field, and they had no idea how to stop the ancient Antonio Gates. Against Denver, they wore down late, allowing receivers to run wide open on the final drives.

Seahawks gave up 30 to the Chargers; we gave up 30 to the Eagles.

I don't love Haslett and if he was fired along with the rest of the staff after last year, it would have been warranted. But I am giving him a clean slate in 2014. And so far this year, I am fine with the defense through three games.