Eagles - Bears Notes

> And we're back to the game that has been the most miserable one for Eagle Fans: SNF. The record for the laundry in this game is downright atrocious, right up there with their record in close games. Any night game loss involves sleeplessness and hate. So let's have at it!

> The first third down for the Eagles is a third and one, and we got the first big play of Michael Vick's career, as he went for 35 yards from absolute pancake blocks from Winston Justice and Leonard Weaver. I'm not saying that the outcome of the play surprised me, but it's 2009's first "Holy Crap!" scream at the television. Knock me over with a feather. Sanity intrudes with red zone failure, and it's 3-0 Green.

> The first Bear drive ended on one of those breathtakingly bad wideout screens where Devin Hester had to make a half dozen guys miss, and he wound up losing three yards on the play. I get that bubble screens are all the rage, but when that play fails, it fails hard.

> The second Eagles drive was prolonged with a 15-yard face mask on a third down pass rush, and maybe I'm old, but it's hard to see how the defense is supposed to avoid that sort of thing, really. You are coming at a million miles an hour, trying to stop the opposing QB from prolonging the play, keeping your hands up to deflect a pass... and well, the face mask is right there. I think I liked the NFL better when the ref had the 5 and 15 yard flags for discretion.

> In the first 14 offensive play calls of the game, the Eagles had 7 rushes and 7 passes. Actual time of possession being won... and then a really nice screen for Jason Avant, who is having his first back to back good game, and Green went up by 10. Who said I hate SNF?

> On the next drive, Jay Cutler missed two very open receivers (the first being TE Greg Olsen, the second being Hester) in the end zone on 30 yard fly patterns, and the Bears settled for a Robbie Gould figgie. In other news, I am facing Matt Fore, Olsen, Hester and Gould in various H2H fantasy leagues. Have I mentioned that I hate fantasy football?

> I missed a good chunk of the second quarter for kidcare responsibilities, and that's probably all to the good, given how the Bear offense had 160 yards in that quarter, and the Eagles turned it over twice. But at least they kept the lead, even if I'm convinced that they are going to end the game by playing offensive players on defense, simply because all of the defensive players are hurt.

> Somewhere out there in this world, there is someone who is genuinely amused by the "Tailgating Innovations" segment in the NBC SNF halftime show. They live in a mental institution, and are deserving of your charity. Dan Patrick and Tony Dungy, not so much.

> Did you have early in the third quarter for Sav Rocca's weekly gut-bustingly awful punt? I had the second quarter. Dammit, I never win pools.

> Have I mentioned how much I hate fantasy football? Robbie Gould connected for Yet Another Goddamn Figgie, and the Bears took the lead. Yes, I know that teams that settle for figgies usually wind up losing, but the lead is the lead... and then McNabb hits DJ for the long ball, and my opponent has him, while I've got McNabb. Bittersweet, but mostly sweet. Wow. At 48 yards, it's DJ's shortest touchdown in 2009, which might be the stat of the year, really. 17-12, Green.

> A secret killer in this game, and one that hits a lot of Bear opponents: return coverage. Johnny Knox was big for the Bears tonight, and while Macho Harris had a nice night for the Birds, it's not really a swap... and it sets up a quick strike Bears TD of their own. Cutler with perfect touch on the ball. Adding to the misery, a two-point conversion to Forte, and the slow death by a thousand cuts of my fantasy team continues. 20-17 Black, and that drive is why Cutler still intrigues, even despite how this year is turning out.

> On a first down screen pass that got blown up, NBC's Cris Collingsworth took McNabb to task for taking too long to throw it away, leading to an ineligible man downfield penalty. However... if the QB had thrown it away, it's grounding, which is a bigger penalty. I realize that it's too much to ask of the announcers to notice such things, but, um, why?

> Later in the drive, a big play to Jeremy Maclin came back due to a trip by left tackle Jason Peters, and instead of having a first down, it was 2nd and 17. That's the kind of penalty that you just didn't see the laundry have in past years, mostly because Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan weren't capable of moving quickly enough to trip anyone, really. In a couple of years, this line could have the continuity that's necessary to provide excellence, and a little more health (alas, poor Andrews brothers, we knew you not well enough) wouldn't hurt either. For now, it's a key point as to why the team is so inconsistent, especially in short yardage. The drive ends on a contained short yardage pass to TE Brent Celek, and after another routinely terrible Rocca punt, it's the Bears' ball with the chance to ice it. Just like, um, the last two weeks.

> The Bears go three and out, with the third down being one of those maddening two men running in tandem blitzes, but Cutler is too gun-shy to throw in the face of the blitz. After a booming Brad Maynard punt (hey, look, 20 yards of field position difference, all from the choice of a terrible and inconsistent punter), it's on the offense again.

> All year, LeSean McCoy has shown the tools to be the new Brian Westbrook... but he's also been fumble-prone. At the end of a strong run to start the drive, it happened to him again, and that's the third turnover of the night on the offense, to none for the defense. The idea that you can be -3 on turnovers on the road and down by just 2 points is kind of amazing, really. Victor Abimiri made a saving tackle on a well-executed screen to Forte, and my laundry actually blocked a field goal, which almost never happens, really. Phew. Still 20-17 Black, and Bear Fan has to be nervous about leaving money on the table with that possession. Teams who are +3 in turns are 29-0 coming into this game, we are told later...

> Next drive started with McCoy for four, Avant for five, and an actually successful McNabb sneak for the first. Don's relative weakness on sneaks has been a recurring problem for this team in short yardage, so having him make that one counted as An Encouraging Development. We're at 28/21 on passes to runs, which is partly why this game hasn't seemed utterly frustrating. It's also seen an awful lot of DJ, which is another moment of sanity.

> A quick out to Maclin brought it to the Bear 25, and a Weaver run pushes the pile. McNabb missed Maclin on an out, but DJ hauls in a tough slant, and DJ's strength on those throws is telling, really; it's part of why he might be the best homegrown WR since Fred Barnett. McCoy busted it to the left edfe for the last 11, and while his single arm extension with the ball gave me pause, the actual run was bitching. After the Akers PAT, it's 24-20 Green, and come on, Jay Cutler, throw the clinching pick. I'm begging you.

> Good coverage on the kickoff for once, and then Orlando Pace false-started; Bers Fan Is Not Happy. A Forte screen ended with Zebra Pain, much to the delight of Bear Fan, but it only got two yards. A cross to Forte in the flat is defended by Jeremiah Trotter of all people, setting up a huge third down. A big blitz was picked up, and Cutler goes for it all to Knox, who runs by Brown but can't run it down. Three and out, and Bear Fan's faith in Cutler can't be big right now. Another big Maynard punt, and it was on the offense to close it.

> McCoy for three and a Bear timeout. I'm having a hard time imagining that Green wins this without McNabb completing some first down throws, but clock is big, too. Avant gets five on a rollout pass that ends out of bounds, which isn't good. Third and one for the game, and McCoy, on second effort, is right at the marker, and he got it by the nose. Huge, huge, huge. Another Bear timeout at 3:19. McCoy into the pile for a yard, forcing the last Bears timeout, and it looked like he had room to the left. McCoy stayed in bounds and got five to the left, and Green can end the game with a conversion here. For once, it's the Eagles with timeouts to use, and they took one at 2:28 to discuss the play call. Reid stayed conservative, and a left side run is stopped behind the line. At the two minute warning, it's 24-20 Green.

> Now that the game is over, I can say this out loud: Hester really isn't much returning punts anymore. Cutler needed to go 79 yards for the win, and he tried to do it by using no one but the players I'm facing in fantasy. Eight yards to Olsen. Earl Bennett is caught in bounds on a great play by Sheldon Brown. An incomplete to Hester leads to a fourth down with 67 seconds left. Can the defense end it? Nope; Knox for a slant. A spike stops the clock at 52 seconds left. And finally -- finally -- Cutler throws a pick, and it's a game-ender trying to force the ball to Olsen. Someone named Tracy White tips it, Sean Jones corrals it, and holy moley, Green is going to win on SNF and in a close game.

Green wins, I win both of my fantasy league H2H games, and the club is back to 6-4, with a home game against the Redskins coming up next week. And who knows, maybe it's the start of something great. After all, it's not like the Giants or Cowboys look unbeatable, and when the roster puts up 157 yards rushing, they almost resemble a watchable team.

And in the long run, of course, it doesn't matter, the Saints or Vikings will win the NFC. But if they can make Cowboy or Giant Fan disgusted in the meanwhile, so be it.