The observation thread

[Sgt PSN]

Was reading the weekly power rankings on espn and this is the little tidbit they had next to the Eagles:

Fifteen teams currently have losing records, but only one has outscored its opponents -- the Eagles, with a point differential of plus-13 (281 to 268).

Obviously this is a product of the Lions game but for the Eagles to still be at +13 this late in the season is pretty telling about the defense and how they've at least managed to keep the Eagles in every single game this year.  Without looking it up, I think the biggest loss the Eagles had this year was the Giants game @ NY when they lost by 13 points.  But the defense only gave up 16 points in that loss. 

Christ the offense is horrible. 

[rjs246]

Was reading the weekly power rankings on espn and this is the little tidbit they had next to the Eagles:

Fifteen teams currently have losing records, but only one has outscored its opponents -- the Eagles, with a point differential of plus-13 (281 to 268).

Obviously this is a product of the Lions game but for the Eagles to still be at +13 this late in the season is pretty telling about the defense and how they've at least managed to keep the Eagles in every single game this year.  Without looking it up, I think the biggest loss the Eagles had this year was the Giants game @ NY when they lost by 13 points.  But the defense only gave up 16 points in that loss. 

Christ the offense is horrible. 

Forgetting about the first Dallas game, are we?

[Sgt PSN]

Trying to.  Thanks for bringing that up.  21 point loss.  Other than NY and Dallas though, I just checked and every other loss has been by a TD (+2 pt conv) or less.  Point is, the defense has kept them in most games this year. 

[rjs246]

Right. I mean, I see the scores and I see the numbers and it all points towards the defense being good, but they're inability to make key stops or, perhaps more importantly, win a game or two on their own with a key turnover or a touchdown. They have been just good enough to make the losses close and that sucks pretty hard.

[ice grillin you]

so every game theyve lost has been by a td or less...except the games that were more by than a td

[Sgt PSN]

Right. I mean, I see the scores and I see the numbers and it all points towards the defense being good, but they're inability to make key stops or, perhaps more importantly, win a game or two on their own with a key turnover or a touchdown. They have been just good enough to make the losses close and that sucks pretty hard.

True to an extent.  I think they've played better as the year has gone on.  There were quite a few changes on defense from last year to this year.  We all like to look at the Chicago game and how they couldn't stop Brian Griese and an inept Bears offense as the tell all for this defense.  And yes, they should have come up with a stop, not disputing that.  But I've also seen them mature and play better since then as well.  

They gave the offense the ball twice in the final few minutes against the Patriots while trailing by 3 points and the offense turned it over twice.  

Seattle did almost nothing offensively all day.  All but one of their scoring drives started in Eagles territory because of turnovers.  

The defense gave forced a turnover and got the ball back to the offense in the closing minutes against the Giants.  

And in the Dallas game I felt that when the Eagles kicked their last FG that they would lose because I didn't think the d be able to keep Dallas out of the endzone for an entire game but they did.  Yeah, Dallas had questionable playcalling and less than stellar play from Romo but these weren't all unforced errors.  The D played a role in that.  And they got the turnovers when they needed them.  

This isn't a "great" defense by any means and it pales in comparison to previous defenses we've seen here.  But by no means is this the bad defense that I think many of us expected going into the season either.  It's a good and solid defense.  And there's quality youth now too with Bunkley, Cole, Patterson and dare I say Gocong to go along with a couple of young vets like Brown and Tito.  There's a lot there to build with.    

[Sgt PSN]

so every game theyve lost has been by a td or less...except the games that were more by than a td

Right.  And did you notice that they've shut out every opponent except for the ones who scored points? 

[ice grillin you]

i totally missed that one

[phattymatty]

Odd stat:

the eagles are 6-0 this year when outscoring their opponents.

[SunMo]

finally some good football talk!

[MDS]

Rosen/Ryan doing the game. I imagine it's only going to Philly/NO markets. Maybe some others down south, but who lives there besides poor people?

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Oppressed minorities and wealthier ex-northerners also.


As always, I get the game.

[Rome]

Rosen/Ryan doing the game. I imagine it's only going to Philly/NO markets. Maybe some others down south, but who lives there besides poor people?

Your birth parents.

[MDS]

You mean the Havas'?

[Rome]

Ha.