Nothing lessens the blow of a season coming to an end, but at least there’s some tiny shred of hope when the offense has the ball and goes down swinging. Waiting for the Saints to set up a game-winning field goal was such a helpless feeling. Kelly reflected on how the short field that resulted from that kickoff took the game out of his defense's hands at his postgame news conference broadcast on Eagles Postgame Live on Comcast Sportsnet Philadelphia. I thought our defense did a really good job in the second half. The kickoff obviously hurt...
He did generate some pressure on Brees, forcing the quarterback to move his feet to elude the pass rush. However, the outside linebacker’s impact seemed to diminish as the game wore on. Maybe Father Time is starting to take its toll on Cole, 31. Brees was also able to defeat the pass rush at times with quick, short passes. Whatever the case, neither Cole nor Graham was really able to wreak havoc in the backfield consistently.
it made it a short field, you're just trying 15, 20 yards to put yourself into field-goal range. I thought after we scored, if we pin them down deep and could get a start, we'd have a shot at it. Kickoff aside, plenty else had to go wrong for the Eagles for it to end that way. One last time this season, let's dissect what happened. Saints Run All over the Eagles1 of 10Elsa/Getty ImagesEverybody was worried about how Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham would stress the NFL’s worst pass defense. Who knew New Orleans would have so much success pounding the rock? The Saints offense took it to an Eagles defense that ranked 10th against the rush in 2013. Mark Ingram, Khiry Robinson and Darren Sproles combined to carry the football 30 times for 171 yards, a devastating 5. 7 average.
The 24-year-old’s indecisiveness led to two huge, totally avoidable sacks that killed drives. The first and most egregious was in the second quarter. New Orleans sent a three-man rush after Foles, who had an eternity to throw the football somewhere, anywhere. Instead, he waited and waited, then waited some more until Cameron Jordan finally arrived for a loss of 11. Two plays later, Alex Henery missed a 48-yard field goal. Foles opened the second half with two more massive losses—13 yards on intentional grounding, followed by an eight-yard sack shared by defensive ends Jordan and Akiem Hicks. The quick three-and-out resulted in great field position for the Saints, which they converted into a touchdown. Sometimes, Foles extends a play for the better, like on his 10-yard touchdown to Riley Cooper.
Sooner or later, the defense needs to come up with a clutch stop. It should probably come as no surprise third downs were part of the Philly’s undoing. The Birds D conceded a 40 percent conversion rate on the season, good for 24th in the NFL. Terron Armstead Keeps Drew Brees Clean7 of 10Geoff Burke-USA TODAY SportsThe Eagles and Saints might’ve matched up fairly closely on paper, but there was a one-on-one matchup the Philly D was hoping to exploit. 2013 third-round pick Terron Armstead was making his third career start at left tackle since taking over for veteran Charles Brown. The rookie would be working primarily against Trent Cole. Armstead did an admirable job of protecting Drew Brees’ blindside though. Both Trent Cole and understudy Brandon Graham registered a sack against the rookie, but here’s the thing: The two plays combined resulted in a loss of one yard. Armstead was also called for a holding penalty. Cole came on strong at the end of the season, registering eight sacks over the final eight games.
Still, who would’ve thought he would erase one of the NFL’s most explosive weapons? For the record, it wasn’t Riley Cooper’s best evening either. The impending free agent led the Birds with six receptions, 68 yards and a touchdown, but that’s not what people will remember. Cooper will never drop an easier pass than the one Foles delivered on a crossing route in the third quarter, in stride and with room to run. Instead, it fell out of the receiver’s hands for a harmless incomplete, a lapse in concentration that forced Philly to punt. Cary Williams Comes Out, Drew Brees Roc-Ks Carmichael5 of 10Al Bello/Getty ImagesHere’s another example of how the positive or negative outcome of one play can make all the difference in a drive—and the final score.
New Orleans Saints vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Takeaways from Philly's 26-24 LossNew Orleans Saints vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Takeaways from Philly's 26-24 Loss0 of 10Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesFor one fleeting moment in the fourth quarter of Wild Card Saturday, it felt like the Philadelphia Eagles found solid footing. Chip Kelly’s squad just finished chipping away at a 13-point second-half deficit with Nick Foles’ three-yard touchdown to tight end Zach Ertz to pull the Birds ahead by one over the visiting New Orleans Saints. That ground gave way quickly when Darren Sproles took the ensuing kickoff back 39 yards, plus 15 more tacked on by officials for Cary Williams’ horse-collar tackle.
The Eagles had the Saints offense backed up in 3rd-and-12 following a holding penalty, but Cary Williams had to come out for a snap after getting dinged on the previous play. In came reserve cornerback Roc Carmichael in a situation where the defense should be able to get off the field. Spoiler alert: The defense does not get off the field.
Thanks to Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis, DeSean Jackson was completely invisible throughout much of the contest. In fact, it took until Lewis had to leave the game with a concussion in the third quarter until Jackson even caught a pass. Coming off a career year in which he was voted second alternate to the Pro Bowl, Jackson finished with three receptions for 53 yards on six targets. Signed away from the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason, Lewis emerged as the top cover in New Orleans’ No. 2 pass defense this season.
Not surprisingly, Brees grew comfortable in the pocket, and the mistakes and errant passes came fewer and farther between. LeSean McCoy Was Good, Not Great8 of 10Howard Smith-USA TODAY SportsLeSean McCoy generated a bit of Most Valuable Player buzz with his stellar campaign. Shady pulled down an NFL rushing championship in his fifth season, setting a franchise record with 1, 607 yards in the process, plus led the league in yards from scrimmage. Just think, he’ll only be 26 this year.
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Chip Kelly refused to speculate on Alex Henery’s future, but you have to think the Eagles will at least bring in competition during the offseason. Henery’s ugly miss from 48 yards ultimately proved to be the difference in the 26-24 loss, capping off yet another disappointing campaign for the 2011 fourth-round pick. Meanwhile, Saints kicker Shayne Graham was signed off the street no more than a few weeks ago, and he managed to go four-for-four with a long of 46—and the game-winner.
The wide receiver was able to signal his quarterback for the ball, and he made a great throw. The other side is the sacks and occasional turnover. According to metrics site Pro Football Focus (subscription only), only Seattle QB Russell Wilson held on to the ball longer in 2013. It’s hard to say Foles performed anything less than well in the loss. The second-year quarterback completed 23 of 33 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns with zero giveaways in his first career postseason action. Then again, there were certainly a few plays he’d like to have back. Keenan Lewis Shuts Down DeSean Jackson4 of 10Geoff Burke-USA TODAY SportsGranted, some of Nick Foles’ struggles can be traced directly back to his star wide receiver’s inability to get free.
What do savvy Drew Brees and Saints head coach Sean Payton do? They immediately target the guy coming off the bench. Kenny Stills ran a comeback route to the sticks, Carmichael gave the rookie wide receiver too much of a cushion, and Brees floated a perfect strike to convert the long third down. Five plays later, New Orleans was in the end zone. Brees made his share of mistakes, tossing a pair of first-half interceptions. The Super Bowl XLIV MVP eventually settled in though, completing 20 of 30 passes for 250 yards and a score—that was with his All-Pro tight end limited to three catches for 44 yards. The way New Orleans was able to run the football, it was enough. Eagles Defense Can’t Get off the Field6 of 10Howard Smith-USA TODAY SportsUnfortunately, the Philadelphia defense’s inability to get off the field followed the Eagles around the whole game.
The Saints offense started in Philadelphia territory, where Drew Brees engineered a conservative drive that bled the remaining 4:54 off the clock and ended with Shayne Graham’s 32-yard field goal as time expired. No last possession, not even a chance for a Hail Mary. The Eagles were eliminated from the playoffs just like that, 26-24.
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A strong ground attack coupled with Drew Brees’ ability to dink and dunk his way down the field provided New Orleans with favorable down-and-distance most of the night. The Saints converted seven of 13 third downs, keeping drives allowed and wearing out the defense in the process. Granted, all but New Orleans’ conversion on 3rd-and-12 were within four yards of the sticks or closer. Still, the Eagles allowed all five third-down plays of three yards or less to result in a third down.
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