Photo courtesy Sean Gardner / Reuters
Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles passing offense has struggled mightily this season due to the lack of protection and turnover issues.
Halfway through their schedule, the Philadelphia Eagles find themselves at 3-5 and in near-desperation mode as they prepare to face the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. With eight games remaining and Andy Reid’s job on the line, this team has a lot to prove. Here are their grades at the midseason mark.
Passing Offense: D+
Michael Vick is having a tough year leading the Eagles passing attack, but despite his turnover issues (nine interceptions), the blame should not fall all on him. The Eagles offensive line is in shambles, with only Evan Mathis remaining from the original starting five due to injuries. Injuries are a part of the game, but the Eagles’ backups have looked worse than a high school JV team. DeSean Jackson has shown flashes of brilliance, but has not regained the form he showed in 2009. Jeremy Maclin has also been inconsistent, partially due to nagging injuries. Even so, the turnovers, 27 sacks allowed and stalled drives within the red zone are unacceptable for a team with so much talent at the skill positions.
Photo courtesy AP
LeSean McCoy, perhaps the Philadelphia Eagles’ most dangerous offensive weapon, has seen limited touches in the past several weeks.
Rushing Offense: C-
LeSean McCoy has been outstanding…when given the ball. At the beginning of the season, McCoy was given 20-plus touches in the team’s three wins. During the team’s four-game losing streak, however, he has disappeared. He has been underutilized and has had little influence over the outcome of games. When McCoy is not involved in the offense, the Eagles usually fall short.
Passing Defense: F
The Eagles much-maligned secondary has failed to sway its critics by consistently turning in poor performances. Nnamdi Asomugha has been exposed and is playing nowhere close to his former Pro-Bowl level. Teams have been picking on Brandon Boykin and Kurt Coleman, who are showing signs of being a rookie and former seventh round pick, respectively. The defensive line is doing very little to help their secondary, totaling only 11 sacks. The lack of pressure that they’ve been able to put on the opposing team’s quarterback is embarrassing and needs to be addressed.
Photo courtesy AP
The Philadelphia Eagles have struggled defensively, getting beat in the passing game and missing tackles.
Rushing Defense: C
The Eagles defense is currently ranked No. 16 in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game, so they are in the middle of the pack. Just by watching them, that seems to be where they belong. Occasionally the Eagles will stop the running game of their opponents, only to commit a mind-blowing amount of missed tackles to allow a long run and give away momentum. The Eagles give up an average of 114.1 rushing yards per game. Their corners are poor tacklers, and the wide nine scheme gets them in trouble when players miss their assignments, leaving gaping holes.
Photo courtesy philaphans.com
Alex Henery and the Eagles’ special teams have been one of the few bright spots during the first half of the season.
Special Teams: A-
This may be one of the few bright spots on this team. Alex Henery has stepped in and replaced the legendary David Akers by hitting 14 of 15 field goals and a perfect 13 of 13 extra points. His long is only 49 yards this year, but he has made five field goals between 40 and 49 yards. Mat McBriar has been a steady presence at punter, and although the return game has not been prolific, they have made very few mistakes.
Photo courtesy David Maialetti
Andy Reid and his staff need to regroup and refocus their team if they want to salvage the season.
Coaching: D
There are numerous areas that need help from the top down. Andy Reid has struggled to rally the troops in each of the past two seasons. His players appear to have quit on him, which is turning this season into potentially his last with the team. Howard Mudd has been unable to turn his patchwork offensive line into a semblance of a unit, and Todd Bowles has yet to do much better than the recently fired Juan Castillo at defensive coordinator. Marty Mornhinweg has also struggled to call effective red zone plays, resulting in a lack of offensive production.
Overall: D
Is this a lost season? Not yet. Will it be if the Eagles lose to the Dallas Cowboys? Quite possibly.
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