Eagle's Season Ends in Heartbreaker

The Eagles went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in the space of six days. After a thrilling win over the rival Dallas Cowboys last Sunday night, Eagles fans’ hearts were broken in a 26-24 loss to the visiting New Orleans Saints on the first week of the 2013 NFL playoffs.

Optimists would note how much progress the Eagles made this year; how many positive strides forward the organization took this season. They would make mention of how bright the future looks.

All of that is true, but not today; not on the heels of a winnable game they let slip away. This is the brutal finality of the NFL playoffs. Missed opportunities lead to sudden death and months of wondering what could have been, for all but the team that ends the season lifting the Lombardi Trophy.

It was a strange game. The high-flying Saints won by running the football; their passing game largely rendered moot. The Eagles, the best rushing team in the NFL through the regular season, were stymied on the ground.

Going into the game, it looked as though Lesean McCoy, the NFL’s leading rusher by a wide margin, would have a field day against the Saints defense, which surrendered the second most yards per carry in the league this season. Likewise, it seemed Saints quarterback Drew Brees and his endless arsenal of pass receivers would feast on the Eagles 32nd-ranked passing defense.

The exact opposite proved true.

The Saints keyed on Lesean McCoy all game long. After a sluggish first half for both teams offensively, Nick Foles and the passing attack played efficiently, but it wasn’t enough.

As for the Saints, they took advantage of the Eagles defense playing nickel coverage in an effort to slow down the Saints’ lethal passing attack, and were able run the ball very effectively.

Defensive Coordinator Billy Davis said to try to keep the Saint’s points down, he elected to play coverage, which naturally gives the opposition more opportunity to run. Because it hadn’t worked, he owned what he referred to as his mistake.

In reality, it wasn’t a bad strategy. The Eagles were able to neutralize the Saints’ otherworldly tight end Jimmy Graham and wide receiver Marques Colston, and intercepted Brees twice in the first half.

However, the result was that pedestrian running backs Mark Ingram and Kalil Robinson were able to spearhead an unexpected Saints rushing attack that accumulated 185 yards to the Eagles’ 80.

All NFL offenses simply run much more smoothly when they are able to run the ball effectively. The Eagles’ inability to do so resulted, predictably, in an offense that seemed a bit out of sync all game long.

Chip Kelly did stick with the run for the most part, but in the end, the Eagles passed the ball on 62% of their offensive plays. Perhaps they would have been better served had they tried handing the ball to one or another of their other running backs at least a couple of times—not instead of McCoy, but in addition to.

At any rate, after falling behind 20-7 near the end of the third quarter, the situation looked dire.

Fans had wanted to see if Foles was capable of performing in the most trying of circumstances. He had brought the Eagles back during the regular season, but this was his first opportunity to do so in the playoffs.

Foles passed the test with his usual aplomb. He lead the Eagles on scoring drives on each of their next three possessions. A gutsy fourth-and-one call by Kelly lead to a TD plunge by McCoy at the end of the third quarter.

An Alex Henery field goal cut the deficit to 3 points with 11 minutes left in the game. The defense stiffened, and, with eight minutes remaining, the Eagles took possession, trailing by 6 points.

Foles lead the Eagles on a 77-yard drive that culminated with his second touchdown pass of the game, a three-yard strike to Zach Ertz. The extra point gave the Eagles a one-point lead with just under five minutes to play.

What followed was another example of poor special teams play frequently deciding games: Henery’s kickoff lead to a long return by Saints Darren Sproles. Cary Williams compounded it by being called for a horse-collar tackle, and the Saints began their drive at midfield.

The Eagles defense was unable to make the stop they needed. Chip Kelly had burned a timeout earlier in the half. Recurring time management miscues were supposed to be a thing of the past, but Kelly has made several this year—none bigger than this.

The Saints were able to kick the game-winning chip shot field goal as time expired. The dagger to Eagles’ fans’ hearts ended the season abruptly and disappointingly.

In games like this, small errors make a huge difference. Henery missed another makeable field goal and again was unable to consistently reach the end zone with his kickoffs. As a kicker drafted in the fourth round, that is not acceptable. His presence on the roster going forward should be in jeopardy.

Riley Cooper had a good game and an excellent season, but his third-quarter drop of an easy first-down catch—with nothing but green grass in front of him—was a killer mistake.

Eagles fans cheered the team as they left the field for the final time this season. It was recognition that, while painful, this loss was different than other playoff losses because this team is, again, at the start of something.

This season, they found that their new coach is a viable NFL coach, possibly capable of great things, especially with a year of NFL seasoning under his belt.

They also found their quarterback of the future. With 29 TD passes and two interceptions, Foles had already proved his worth. By leading his team back in the fourth quarter of a playoff game to take a lead, he cemented the fans’ and the organization’s belief in him going forward.

All of that is true and important. It is also true that the Eagles have not won a playoff game in five long years. For Chip Kelly and this team to be successful, that streak has to end next year.

And as always, the most bitter part of it all is that fans have to wait eight months for them to tee it up again.