Philadelphia Eagles Skip First Quarter, Lose To Dallas

Dec 14, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) makes a catch for a touchdown as Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Bradley Fletcher (24) defends in the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Now it becomes very, very difficult for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles were 7-2 entering a crucial segment of five games – at Green Bay, vs. Tennessee, at Dallas, vs. Seattle and vs. Dallas. We all knew they needed to go at least 3-2 to get to the playoffs. They knew they needed to go 3-2 to get to the playoffs.

They instead, thanks to a 38-27 loss against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, went 2-3. That makes them 9-5 overall and no longer in control of their own destiny with two games to go in the 2014 season.

It was a weird game. It was ugly, then beautiful, then frustrating and in the end, heartbreaking. How the Eagles could come out so totally unprepared two weeks in a row defies everything we’ve come to expect in the early stages of the Chip Kelly era.

Somehow, the Dallas Cowboys recovered the opening kickoff. Somehow, the Philadelphia Eagles let the visiting team get a 21-0 lead. Somehow, the Philadelphia Eagles came back from that to go up, 24-21. And somehow, at home, the Eagles couldn’t slam the door from there.

All that’s left at this point is the empty feeling that comes with knowing your team had an opportunity two weeks ago to begin a march to a first-round bye, but now finds itself scoreboard watching.

The game couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start, as the opening kickoff by Dallas landed around the 15 yard line and, inexplicably, Philadelphia return man Josh Huff just watched it for a moment before trying all too late to jump on the ball. The Cowboys cashed in just a few plays later with DeMarco Murray finding the end zone, and it was 7-0.

After an Eagles’ three-and-out (an early theme, the Cowboys marched down the field with Tony Romo repeatedly finding Jason Witten for big chunks. Faced with a second-down play in the red zone, though, Romo couldn’t find anyone open and fired the ball out of the end zone. As the teams were getting ready to line up for the next play, however, an official threw a flag and decided to call illegal contact on Cary Williams. The incredibly, logic-defying, nonexistent penalty gave the Cowboys a fresh set of downs inside the 10 and Romo cashed in with a touchdown pass to Dez Bryant, making it 14-0.

Dallas’ next drive ended in the end zone, as well, on a long touchdown pass to Bryant that torched the terrible Bradley Fletcher. The drive was kept alive thanks to another bizarre penalty against Cary Williams, who for no apparent reason was flagged for illegal contact when the Eagles sacked Romo on a third-down play.

Down 21-0, Josh Huff came up with a decent kick return, but the play was called back on a holding penalty. It really seemed through the entire first half that, in addition to the Eagles’ own struggles, the officials had no idea there was another team playing and that they were, in fact, allowed to call penalties against the team wearing white.

But despite all that garbage from the joke that are NFL referees, the Eagles’ offense came to life. LeSean McCoy ripped off some big runs, Mark Sanchez hit Brent Celek on a big pass play and Chris Polk finished it off with a seven-yard touchdown run, and the Eagles showed that they could still move the ball at will on the Cowboys while getting on the board and making it 21-7.

A Connor Barwin sack of Romo on a third-and-one play on the next series gave the Eagles the ball back at their own 28 with 4:46 to go in the first half. Zach Ertz hurdled a man to pick up a first down and Sanchez found Jeremy Maclin for a big gain to the Dallas 49. But just as the drive got humming, Jordan Matthews dropped a pass inside the 15 and Darren Sproles was thrown for a loss on a screen play. Facing a third-and-13 from the 29, Sanchez couldn’t find anyone open and threw the ball away. Cody Parkey, nursing an apparent groin injury, drilled the 47-yard field goal and the score was 21-10 at the half.

The third quarter began with the Eagles’ defense forcing a punt – despite Cary Williams giving up another huge pass interference penalty – and the offense had a chance to completely seize momentum. Sanchez rifled a pass into a tight window on third down and Jeremy Maclin made a tremendous grab, moving the chains. Later on another third down, Sanchez went back to Maclin for a 72-yard gain, most of it coming after the catch, that took the Birds down to the one-yard line. Polk took it in on the next play and the Philadelphia Eagles were within 21-17 with 8:48 left in the third quarter.

Finally, on the next Dallas drive, a turnover, as a penalty and solid run defense put Dallas into a third-and-19 inside their own 20. The Birds rushed only four and gave Romo all day, but finally Vinny Curry tracked him down and lit him up with a pop to his wounded back. The ball came out, the Eagles recovered and were in business at the Cowboys’ 14.

Three plays later it was Sproles taking it into the end zone on a jet sweep, and the Philadelphia Eagles led, 24-21 with 5:42 left in the third quarter.

But with all the momentum, the Eagles’ porous secondary was victimized again. Romo marched the Cowboys down the field at will and Murray finished it off with a short touchdown run, putting Dallas back on top, 28-24, with less than a minute to go in the third quarter. The offense came back out onto to field and Sanchez compounded the problem, throwing off target to a wide-open Ertz. The deflected pass was intercepted and gave Dallas the ball in Philadelphia territory as time ran out in the third quarter.

On a critical third-and-seven play Romo shocked no one except Bradley Fletcher by throwing for Bryant deep down the sideline. Fletcher, who we may as well nickname “toast” at this point of the season, was well behind the play and the Cowboys’ touchdown made it 35-24.

All of the hard work, all of the big plays to get back in the game were gone, made worthless by a series of awful plays by the defense and one costly throw from Mark Sanchez.

The Eagles had a glimmer of hope when Josh Huff turned a short Sanchez pass into a 44-yard gain, and with a 15-yard penalty against Dallas added on the Birds were set up in great shape near the Dallas 30. But McCoy got stuffed and Sanchez missed an open Brent Celek by about 40 yards to set up a third-and-nine at the Cowboys’ 31. Sanchez threw short of the first down to Ertz at the 25, and Philadelphia settled for a 43-yard field goal that made it 35-27 with just under 11 minutes to go in the game.

In desperate need of a stop, the Eagles’ defense got the three-and-out, but the Eagles killed themselves with a turnover as Celek fumbled on what would have been a drive-sustaining first down catch. Dan Bailey converted a 49-yard field goal, giving Dallas a 38-27 lead with 4:37 to play.

It’s pretty simple now – go Indianapolis.

QUICK SIX OBSERVATIONS

1) I would like someone to give me another explanation for that Cary Williams illegal contact penalty prior to Dallas’ second touchdown, aside from what it seems – that NFL referees are incompetent idiots who have clear bias.

2) You kind of hoped that Tony Romo would continue to forget Jason Witten existed. The Eagles had no answer for the tight end. This is where the Eagles really miss a guy like DeMeco Ryans. Casey Matthews (or Malcolm Jenkins, or whoever) can’t get that job done.

3) Not a good night for Jordan Matthews. The rookie had a couple of key drops and was largely ineffective. This is around the time of the season when first-year guys can hit that “rookie wall.” Time will tell if that’s the case here.

4) You watch this Eagles team play week in, week out, and have to have come to the same realization – this secondary is abysmal. Cary Williams, Bradley Fletcher, Nate Allen, etc. These guys cannot cover above-average receivers, and that’s not good because this is the NFL, and most of the receivers are above-average. We can’t be the only ones seeing this and while I want this Philly season to go on for a while, I’m anxious to see how Chip Kelly and Howie Roseman address things in the offseason. If the Eagles are going to take the next step, they need to be better on the back end.

5) Hurry back, Nick Foles. Eagles’ nation turns its lonely eyes to you.

6) Chris Christie, do you really need to throw it in your constituents’ faces that you’re in the pocket of the man who owns the team they all (whether they’re Eagles or Giants fans) hate the most?