Eagles - Niners Notes

> You might have heard; we had snow this weekend. A lot of it, really; enough to make me remember my time at college, and college, well, sucked for that. The snow made the start of this game delayed until 4:15 EST, which is one more reason to worry, really: the Niners being a West Coast team going to the East Coast and all. But really, at this time of the year I am just a worry machine; between the fantasy playoffs and the real-world playoffs, I'm caring way too much about the game right now. That, and I'm absolutely gassed from shoveling snow for five hours this weekend, and the continuing adventures of my old man digestive system. Let's just go to the game, shall we?

> With Tony Siragusa spouting dire BS about how passing will be impossible in these conditions, Quinton Demps starts with a strong return, and QB Donovan McNabb then (horrors!) throws the ball on a screen to FB Leonard Weaver for a nice start. Another pass to Weaver is blown by the refs, and we're actually going to see two straight weeks with a successful Andy Reid replay challenge. What team is this again? Weaver again around the corner on a toss sweep for seven, and RB LeSean McCoy goes power for the first down. The drive ends with a nice improv by McNabb to (of course) WR DeSean Jackson, and it turns out that DJ can score from under 50 yards. After the Akers PAT, which shows no effect of wind, it's 7-0 Green after 2:13 of action. Useful all over, and Tony Siragusa is an idiot. In other news, the sun rises in the East.

> The Niners answering drive is TE Vernon Davis and RB Frank Gore, which is to say, exactly what you'd expect and worry about. On a third and three just outside of field goal range, the defense stiffens as WR Jason Hill can't make the catch, and coach Mike Singletary elects to try a 51 yarder with kicker Joe Nedney; he makes it, of course, because that's something that happens a lot to my laundry. 7-3 after just 5.5 minutes of play here.

> 1,200 people, we are told, worked to get the field and stadium in condition for this game. Ah, the power of money. Where were you people when I was clearing my driveway?

> A poor little three and out response from Green, with two poor throws from McNabb. The Niners are secretly terrible at punt returns, so Sav Rocca's 44 yarder was all net.

> Gold's drive starts with a penalty on CB Asante Samuel that negates good pressure, but on the next play, S Quinton Mickell starts to make up for last week's awful game with a beautiful pick on a deep seam route. It acts as a reasonable arm punt, and the Fox heads chastise Vernon Davis on the play; they may have a point. Green replies with a three and out with a deep ball to WR Reggie Brown on third that works like much of Reggie Brown's career, really. Another terrible return for Gold sets them up at their own 27.

> I'm enjoying Gold's desire to throw the ball rather than hand it to Gore, but in the obvious second down running situation, it's a big hole for the first. Worrisome. The defense does stand up nicely on two more gives to Gore, and sends a lovely blitz on third and eighth to force the incomplete. Joselio Hanson, it's nice to have you back. DJ lets the punt go into the end zone for a touchback.

> Don has all day but doesn't find DJ; not good. Weaver gets four out of nothing on second. RT Jason Peters gets a quick five for the offense by moving to get the flag, but the third down Line of Scrimmage Punt Return play by back-up QB Michael Vick doesn't really work, and amazingly, they burn a timeout and choose to go for it on fourth and inches from their own 29. Vick's limping right now, which doesn't exactly sadden me as a McNabb fantasy owner, but that is worrisome for Green's long-term prospects. The fourth down call is Weaver into the gut, it fails miserably, and I've got a You Crap moment as Niner LB Takeo Spikes and S Michael Lewis have a vengeance moment. Gahhhh.

> CB Sheldon Brown then has his best moment of the year with a strip of WR Delanie Walker in the red zone, giving Green the ball back. Potential game-changing play there, especially as the next drive sees an obvious PI call against the defense, then McNabb hitting TE Brent Celek and Jackson for first downs in big Niner holes in the zone. There's even a Kevin Curtis sighting, which gets a big cheer from the crowd; McNabb is just throwing lasers right now. Impossible with this wind!

> After a timeout, McCoy can't get free on a shuttle pass. On third and six from the eight, Don channels 1997 with a touchdown scramble, and the play stands on a defensive penalty. I'm amazed that Don had the wheels for that, really. Big play by the QB, and that's a 94-yard drive, the longest of the season, to go up 14-3. Wow.

> Gold's answering drive is low voltage with Gore, with another nice Hanson blitz to force third and long, and Samuel caps it with the third Gold turnover of the half with a nice read of Gold QB Alex Smith. There's a reason why Alex Smith hasn't been real good in his career, kids, and that's Samuel's 8th pick of the year. Someone might want to start mentioning him as being, well, good.

> With the short field, the offense could be in Kill Shot territory here, and they get it to the red zone with Celek and Weaver with a quickness. Weaver again to the 10, then McNabb gets batted down again. I'd really like to know why this seems to be happening more this year, and whether it's a league-wide thing or just a McNabb thing. On third and five from the ten, McNabb misses Avant on another obvious defensive hold, and that's a potential four point penalty there. Weaver on a toss sweep goes nowhere, and he really is the feature back now. Don has nothing on a second down play and airmails it. Third and goal is a big damn deal for many reasons (Don's my fantasy league QB), and the QB escapes again to give time on a misdirection play, but with nowhere to go, Don takes the figgie. Damn. Akers converts, and it's 17-3 2ith 4:25 left.

> Next kickoff sees the Niners Josh Morgan hop up and make himself a huge target; the Green special teams oblige. A direct snap to Gore does damage for 17, especially if you were, like me, dreaming of a half-ending offensive drive. If there is a less threatening QB on the run than Smith, I haven't seen him, which really doesn't bode well for their comeback dreams. Third and thirteen sees the QB overthrow Davis, and Green will get it back before the half. Niner punter Andy Lee has done a great job today in terms of keeping DJ's punt returns under wraps, and Green will start with 2:09 and 84 yards to go, one timeout.

> McCoy for six on a draw before warning, then Curtis drops a first down out. DJ breaks a crossing route for 39 yards, and it's continually amazing to see a guy this small just plain dominate. McCoy with a great play to get 10 yards and out of bounds on a screen play. DJ almost makes a highlight film play at the pylon, but the ball is too high to corral on a one-hand catch. Weaver on a give as Green realizes they have plenty of time, but it doesn't fool the defense. McNabb then makes a bad decision to try to force it to DJ for an end zone pick; he had better short options but got greedy. Ouch.

> Green calls a timeout, and Smith obliges with a pick from pressure, and hey, that's the defense I thought was lost for good last week in the Meadowlands. Singletary all over Smith on the sideline. McNabb to Avant for a first down, but Weaver gets into an inexcusable argument as the clock runs; Reggie Brown saves the field goal only. After the Akers figgie, it's 20-3 Green, and I'm pretty sure that's going to wind up being the difference in my freaking roto game. Green is all smiles on the sideline anyway, because they enjoy driving me crazy. The squib is covered, and that's the half.

> Gold starts the second half with a huge kickoff return, and maybe that's them starting to Play Desperate. Gore loses ground as Trent Cole eats him. Then a false start, as the Niners continue to do their Not Ready For Playoff Time Football impersonation. Gore gets little on a middle run on second and 16 -- curious play call at best -- and the long third down sees Smith take the checkdown to WR Michael Crabtree for his first reception of the game and a fourth down. Gold goes for it on fourth and three, rather than try a 54-yarder or punt, and the defense blows the kill shot opportunity by missing WR Josh Morgan on the out, with Samuel compounding the error by whiffing on the tackle. Ouch. Broken play incomplete on first down is followed by Gore for little to the right. Another big third down here, potential four down territory. Smith from the empty gun goes to Morgan again, and this time Samuel levels him to set up fourth down; Singletary takes the field goal. 20-6 Green.

> McNabb starts the next drive with another terrible pick, this one in double coverage forcing it to Jackson, with Dre Bly making the pick, and Green is doing all they can to keep this game interesting. Cole comes like a house of fire on first down as Gore whiffs on the block, and that's a nice 10 yard loss on first. Second down is a rollout and checkdown to Gore, who gets little. The long third down is a points moment, and Gold gets away with early movement on the line. Smith takes a checkdown to Hill to set up fourth and five, and Singletary goes for it again; once again it looks like the line moves early, but Smith finds Davis for the first. This game is getting antsy. Gore for three, then a way too easy touchdown to Morgan, and we've got a very real game now. 20-13 Green, with 10 points in four minutes for Gold. Nothing comes easy, does it?

> Next drive sees McNabb look off Celek to get it to DJ for the first; nice to see him thinking again. Next play has DJ wide open for a 50+ yard TD, but the pass misses; that would have been immense. McCoy goes for eight on the right side as the Niner defense looks shaken by the deep ball. McNabb scrambles for a big gain on third and two, but it comes back on a hold. Third and 12 is a check down to Celek that's stopped two yards shy, and Reid chooses to punt here, maybe because they don't have Vick for the third down play, and the punt is downed at the one... but two flags blow it, as Hanson touches the ball after being shoved out of bounds. Maddening. The re-kick goes into the end zone, of course. That's two flags for 56 yards in the last two minutes, and this game is getting very, very irritating.

> My irritation level grows much on a 37 yard gallop by Gore as the run blitz misses, and the damage to my fantasy team and real team? Getting to be total here. Adding to the fun is that the Shooter Wife has sent the kids down to ask irritating questions and be bored. As the confrontation escalates, Gore breaks another big one, but a hold brings it back. DL Mike Patterson eats backup RB Michael Robinson to stop the bleeding. Crabtree makes a man miss, but not two, setting up a huge third and eight; the Eagles send pressure and Smith is useless against it, and that's a very big stop. Lee punts it to the 11, and the last play of the third quarter is a good run by McCoy. Green 20, Gold 13.

> Racing around on the quarter break to handle the children makes me miss a deep ball to DJ, but not the end of the drive, and McCoy caps it with a two yard touchdown; Green 27, Gold 13, 11:32 left in Gold's season. The lack of a touchdown for my QB more or less clinches it for my fake team, but what the hell, we're clearly not going to be happy about a lot of things today, right? Aaron Rodgers, meanwhile, scores his third touchdown in Pittsburgh, and it's a runaway now. I'd also like to thank the Seahawks for quitting even at home to the one-loss Bucs right now; blow that team the hell up now, please...

> With the tide clearly turned, Gold takes a three and out as bored Eagles fans start throwing snow; the drive punctuates with Chris Clemons swallowing Smith for a punctuation sack. With 10:42 left, this one is a drive away from kneel down. A clown time tip to Brown is followed by a ball to Avant and we're on the move, but Spikes eats a screen to McCoy for a loss. End around to DJ gets yard, what should have been a flag, and a snowball assault from the stands as Darryl Johnston gets moralistic. Green calls timeout at the end of the fracas, and we'll have third and four after the commerce.

> From the gun, McNabb misses Avant; I think he might have gotten it with his legs, and Gold still has life. Rocca's punt is downed at the 13, and it's on the defense to end it.

> Crabtree on the bubble screen loses yards to Hanson; just rarely a good play. An out to Crabtree gets yards, and it's looking like Stat Pad Time. Third and two is Smith on the run getting bailed out by Sean Jones not looking for the ball; Green screams about the flag, but there's a reason why Sean Jones was freely available talent. Smith almost connects with Hill in the end zone, and the snowballs are starting to get pretty obnoxious, really. Gold continues to move the ball but burn clock, with Smith to Morgan and Davis. Clock runs nicely as Smith sneaks oddly for the first; the ball comes loose at the end, but it's all post-whistle. Gold does not quit, give them that. Brown makes a great tip on a deep ball, and Mickell almost comes up with it, but there's a reason Mickell isn't a world-class wideout. And you have to be impressed by a team taking a delay of game penalty in a two-minute scramble drill, which Gold did next...

> Hanson brings down Hill in bounds to set up third and seven; tick, tick, tick. Heavy pressure prompts a throw to Davis that the TE wasn't expecting, and we're on another kill down, this one a fourth and seven. Green calls time to get it right. From the gun, Smith is sacked by Cole from a four man rush, and that should be that. If you want to be encouraged by this defense, note that they keep coming up with kill shot sacks; both this week against Gold, and last week against Blue. The game ends with Green pounding it with Weaver and McNabb connecting with Celek on a third down, and that's that.

With the win, the Eagles clinch a playoff spot and stay ahead in the division; the team with the real worry now are the Giants, who had to be counting on the Cowboys losing in New Orleans. And if the Vikings somehow lose tonight in Carolina... well, hope springs eternal. And that hope is Brett Favre on the road, in cold weather.