Eagles - Niners Takeaways
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| Toe, Tap, Torture |
> HC Chip Kelly gave away his lack of confidence in the OL with the pass-heavy play mix early
> Niner HC Jim Harbaugh is Reid-esque in his use of challenges and timeouts
> This wasn't QB Nick Foles' best day, but the run game gave him no margin for error
> The pass pressure from the defense made me more encouraged than the previous victories
> Fox's analysts went on about how the short snap range made the punt block possible, but given the bum's rush that STer Trey Burton was giving his man, I think the blocks happen at normal distance
> Harbaugh's play-calling seemed designed to minimize RB Frank Gore, which was quite a favor, really
> Short of putting on red poms poms and tassels, I'm not sure how Joe Buck and Troy Aikmann could have been more in the bag for Red
> I'm normally a bit soft on Ed Hochuli's work, but today's officiating was piss-poor
> WR Brandon Lloyd pretty much has one NFL skill left, and that is a freakish leaping ability to save bad balls]
> WR Anquan Boldin didn't do nearly as much damage as I thought he would in this matchup, mostly because QB Colin Kaepernick played a pretty poor game, really
> This was the first game of LB Emmanuel Acho's NFL career where he looked a little like the guy wearing his uniform in pre-season
> Normally time of possession doesn't really matter that much, but not when it's 3 to 1 against, and it's accompanied by big yardage discrepancies
> I'm not saying that he's the full problem here, but when you are going with second and third string OL, a dancing boom-bust RB like LeSean McCoy isn't helpful, and the team might have been better served with more carries for RBs Darren Sproles and Polk
> The biggest difference in Foles 2014 v. Foles 2013 is the missed deep balls
> S Earl Wolffe had the best play of his NFL career when he separated TE Vernon Davis from the ball, which didn't stop Troy Aikman from fellating Kaepernick for the throw anyway
> The flag for defensive holding when everyone on the field was assuming offensive holding was a special moment of Ref Fail
> Kaepernick's TD to Gore was one of those plays that should never ever work, and made the Fox booth all sticky
> I'm really worried that C David Molk is just too small for this level, and the running game won't be good for as long as he's in there
> S Malcolm Jenkins's pick and TD was the kind of play that gets you to Hawaii, and further proof that the front office is better at signings than draft picks
> The ensuing close up let see Kaepernick's dental work, and he's got some gold in the back molars, so that's good
> Every Red snap uses full clock, which is rarely a sign of a confident and competent QB
> On the Sproles PR TD, the kick was nearly blocked and the only issue for the returner was staying upright after a face mask
> Being up 21-10 with no offensive points on the road should never happen, really
> I'd like to see teams try onside kicks whenever they are kicking from the 50 yard line, since it's not like it costs you that much in field position
> It was nice of Fox to talk about last week's QB hit on Foles during this week's game, because talking about things that don't matter is such a great thing for play by play people to do
> Offensive PI is being called a lot more this year, along with every other kind of flag, so, um, yay
> For a mobile QB who seems more comfortable out of the pocket than in, Kaerpernick misses a lot of throws on the run
> CB Cary Williams removed Crabtree's helmet without touching his face mask, which seems like it should be hard to do
> Dawson's 51-yard figgie was huge, as it was points, nearly a block for DT Brandon Bair, flipped the field, and wound up being a game-changing play
> Play calling before the end of the half wasn't exactly inspirational
> LB DeMeco Ryans had back to back plays of putting TE Vernon Davis on the sidelines, then Gore for a loss
> T Jason Peters really has to stop taking plays off for heart-stopping injury scares
> Ertz's fumble was just the kind of game-changing mistake you can't make, especially on the road
> The defense then went out and got a sack, drop and sack that was wiped off by a phantom holding call, and that was as bad as any call made in this trainwreck of a game
> I thought Aikman and Buck were going to go down to the sidelines and yell at Harbaugh to call more running plays at one point
> Jenkins with the ball at the end of another Gore run, but after the Williams flag, I don't think anyone rooting for Green expected any breaks
> I'd really like to see a QB sneak on third and inches stopped, just once
> DT Cedric Thornton with one of the better games of his career, as well
> Kaepernick missed Crabtree for a walk-in score against the blitz as Fletcher whiffed
> Kaepernick to WR Stevie Johnson for the toe-touch TD was just good offense beating good defense, and the completion of the 4-point flag
> Four point flag on Williams for a play that should never, ever be called
> McCoy for nothing as Foles didn't block for the reversal, which is probably for the best, but still a little telling
> Foles incomplete on third as Matthews is blown up for some reason that isn't a penalty
> On 3rd and 14, the Niners called a weird draw to set up a long figgie, showing Harbaugh's confidence in his defense
> 46-yard figgie from Dawson is another good moment from an old K in a new yard with odd wind patterns
> Foles tries Maclin deep, and that's just bad decision making on pressure, into double coverage
> The WR also doesn't judge the depth to play DB, three turnovers in four possessions and an arm punt
> The defense might have gotten a three and out, but Kaepernick to Boldin isn't challenged and moves the sticks; not a great moment for Kelly
> Watching Red blow a timeout on snap count shenanigans was just unconscionably dumb
> 14 minutes left and Red with just one timeout, and if you want to tell the narrative of how Kaepernick is just too dumb to win big games, well, yeah
> Lee blows the pooch attempt, and the Niners only get 20 yards of field position
> McCoy loses five on the slow developing stretch play that hasn't worked all year
> Foles barely avoids a sack on the read option play action where the line isn't up to the task
> Third and 14 to Cooper gets 12, and it's been about a year since Green's offense has been this dominated
> Weak punt by Jones, not his best day, and the defense has to go do it again somehow
> Third and long is Kaepernick to Crabtree for 25, just burns Williams, and while it wasn't a kill-shot, it's more evidence that he's not CB1
> Hyde destroyed by Thornton, and that was manly for a loss of three; amazing how well they hold up in second halves
> Kelly took a 10 yard holding flag and gave the Niners another shot at converting a third down, rather than a figgie; Kaepernick converted it and wound up draining more minutes off the clock with an easier FG
> My only thought there was that Kelly didn't think his offense was up to scoring a TD today, and that he needed to keep this as a figgie wins it game... but if that's the case, that's just as bad as the decision in any other way
> Red's delay flag on third and 2 from the 11 was just more evidence that this team's time is passing
> Third and 7 from the 16 is a give to Hyde, who gets slowed by Jenkins and stopped by others (barely)
> Dawson connects, and it's 26-21 with 6:38 left; still possible for the offense to show up and win this, after missing the first 54 minutes
> Polk can't make it to the 20, there are flags, and OK, it wasn't hard enough before
> Foles to Maclin for a first down, and hey, that wasn't a slow developing run to loss by McCoy
> McCoy's worst day as a pro in pass protection, too
> Foles to Maclin for a first on what might not have been a catch
> Foles has Cooper open deep, but doesn't connect, and it's second and 10 and a lack of patience
> Screen to WR Brad Smith, who stumbles for 11 and a first down, and hey, Smith's still on the team
> First snap in Red territory is Foles to Ertz for 14 more
> Foles tries Maclin on the little known fly out of bounds route; the WR pulled up and that looked bad
> Double fake screen goes nowhere and the QB takes a shot to boot, and maybe you shouldn't call that play against the best LBs in the league
> Third and 14 to Maclin is the catch of the year; left handed, one hand, first down and unreal
> Harbaugh challenges as the Eagles try to quick snap it
> There's no way that should be reversed, or anything but applauded
> Foles tries Cooper in the end zone; should been caught for a score, shouldn't have been thrown given the coverage
> Foles to Matthews for a first down and out of bounds, nice work by the WR
> Foles out of the end zone on first, and no ground game at all on this drive, which says more about the line than anything
> McCoy to the 1, actual holes by the lie on that play, and the offense lets it go to the 2-minute warning
> Third and goal from the 2 is Foles to Ertz, misses, as McCoy blows the block and the clock doesn't even run
> Fourth and goal, Foles misses on a keeper, but the QB's lack of foot speed limits options, and Maclin wasn't open at all
> It's amazing how little Red respected the run on third or fourth down, and how Green didn't give their theoretically best player a chance to take the lead
> Still a game with 3 timeouts and 1:50 left on the clock, and a safety would do wonders
> Gore for three yards takes some pressure off for Red
> Second and 7 is Gore for 2, DT Bennie Logan with the play, and the second timeout taken
> Third and 5 and still a game is Gore and stopped, and that's everything you could hope for there
> Sproles back for the punt, and gets 8, but instead it's Fletcher for a weak clip
> 69 yards from an utter theft win, but the club never got a first down
> Only the second time in NFL history that a team has lost with three return TDs
> This was a game everyone in Philly thought the Eagles would lose, but the way in which they did it was still really disappointing
> With luck, Lane Johnson returns next week to give the team a semblance of an OL again... but with the huge Dallas and New York wins, you will forgive the fan base for not freaking out
> Next week is the Rams, off a bye, at home, but with a defensive front seven that is as good or better than what the Niners run out there
> So much for locking down the division with a lack of drama
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