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| Andrew Perna. 22nd December, 2010 - 8:39 pm
 Those of you who are waiting for the Philadelphia Eagles to come back to Earth will have to wait at least a few more days.
It?s been more than 72 hours since the Eagles completed an epic comeback against the rival Giants on DeSean Jackson?s 65-yard punt return for a touchdown, but the country is still buzzing after Philadelphia scored 28 points in less than eight minutes to steal the victory.
When I wrote in late November that the Eagles (then 7-3) could be great, I received quite a bit of criticism via e-mail. Nearly a month later, they are within striking distance of the NFC?s top seed -- although they?ll need some help to get there.
Offense Remains Hot
No matter the opponent, the Eagles are never truly out of a game because of their ability to score touchdowns in a flash. Philadelphia had just 10 points in the first 52-plus minutes against New York on Sunday, but you know how it ended. What has been lost in the wake of Jackson?s incredible return is the performance of Michael Vick.
Vick orchestrated three consecutive touchdown drives, each of which was longer than 57 yards and none of which took longer than two minutes. He finished with 242 yards, three touchdowns and an interception on 21-for-35 passing, while also rushing for 130 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. All the touchdowns and a majority of the yards came in the second half.
The Eagles average 29.4 points per game, second to only the Patriots (31.4). They are the only team to average more than 400 yards per game (403.9) and they rank in the top six in terms of both passing and rushing yards.
Since their Nov. 7 win over the Colts, the Eagles are putting up 34.3 points per contest.
Live By The Sword, Die By The Sword
Philadelphia?s ability to put up points is extremely exciting, but against a series of above-average defensive teams in frigid temperatures will they be able to rely on big plays in the postseason?
A perfect example of both the opposing defense and the conditions they can expect came in their Week 12 loss to the Bears. It marks their only loss since their Week 8 bye and also matches their lowest point total over the same stretch.
Over the last seven weeks, the Eagles have scored 24 offensive touchdowns.
Only six of those drives consisted of 10 or more plays, which seven of them consisting of three or fewer plays. Consequently, 10 of those drives lasted fewer than two minutes.
The ability to put up points quickly is great, but will they be able to put together a few 15-play, eight-minute drives against an elite defense in January?
They haven?t showed that yet.
The ?B? Defense
The Eagles have struggled defensively and their awful red zone numbers have been trumpeted every time they play.
A number of teams have struggled with injuries this season, but Philadelphia?s defense has been gutted because of them. Rookie free safety Nate Allen, rookie defensive end Brandon Graham and cornerback Ellis Hobbs have been placed on the injured reserve.
In addition, middle linebacker Stewart Bradley is out for the regular season (at least) with a dislocated elbow and cornerback Asante Samuel has missed four games because of injury.
Because of that, they are starting guys like Jamar Chaney (MLB), Dimitri Patterson (CB) and Kurt Coleman (S).
Those guys have been and will be exploited.
Philadelphia is allowing 24.2 points per game (21st), which is uncharacteristic for his club, in part because the defense has been on the field often and without much rest because of Vick?s lightning-quick touchdown drives.
Vick For MVP
OK, I?m in. I?ve been resisting the ?Vick For MVP? train for several weeks, even writing a piece about why the quarterback won?t win the award.
What Vick did against the Giants was the stuff of legends and should give him a leg up against fellow MVP contenders like Tom Brady, Philip Rivers and Matt Ryan.
Among those four quarterbacks, Vick is third in passer rating, completion percentage and wins and second in yards per attempt and touchdowns per interception.
He?s also first in big-plays and historic comebacks.
Playoff Breakdown
The Eagles are currently third in the NFC, but they are very much in striking distance of a first-round bye. If they win their final two games (Minnesota, Dallas) and Chicago loses one of theirs (N.Y. Jets, Green Bay), they?ll take the second seed and sit out the Wild Card round.
It?s not going to happen, but mathematically they can still take the top seed as well. A pair of wins and two losses by the Falcons (New Orleans, Carolina) would vault the Eagles to the top of the NFC.
Andrew Perna is Deputy Editor of RealGM.com. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail: Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com. You can also follow Andrew on Twitter: APerna7. |
