From: jmd@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (joseph.m.dakes)
Subject: Re: Eagles' wings clipped, mouths run free
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 14:58:48 GMT

In article <1e8p8lINNalk@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, bm562@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Richard L. Trionfo) writes:
>    The one horror of attending a university in Philadelphia is
> the constant mention of the Eagles over every other sports story.

Duh!  It's football season.  What do you expect to be the main sports
topic?  What do you think is the most covered sports topic in Dallas
right now?  The NBA Mavericks?

>    The major culprit of the frothing at the mouth is Seth 
> Joyner, the self appointed analyst of the Iggles.  He is so 
> quick to condemn the special teams earlier in the season, then
> he will blame the loss of Jerome Brown and the injury to Andre
> Waters, and most recently blaming the play calling of Rich
> Kotite with 1 minute to go in regulation.

The special teams, as Seth said, were garbage at that point of the
season.  Three consecutive games with shanked punts, setting the
opposing offenses up with excellent field position which led to
scores, combinbed with poor coverage is garbage.  But I never heard
Seth use the loss of Jerome and the injury to Andre as an excuse for
losing.  And you don't think that Kotite's play calling in the final
minute-plus of the Green Bay game was pathetic?  The Eagles needed
about 55-yards to get within Ruzek's FG range.  You don't do that by
running the football.  First, you're not going to gain 55-yards on
a couple of runs.  And second, you waste about 40-seconds running and
then lining up for another run.  Do you think Marino or Elway would
be handing off the football in that situation?  Kotite played to go
into overtime and win the cointoss.  That is garbage coaching.

> Do you think Seth
> realizes the defense which went a year without giving up 100
> yards rushing to a team has done it twice in 3 weeks, to Dallas
> and Green Bay.  Emmitt Smith gained 163 yards, the first person
> in 50+ games to do so.  Green Bay gained 410 yards (6.8 yds/play)
> against the Philadelphia media proclaimed best defense in 
> football.  

The defense didn't play well.  As a matter of fact, they played
horrible.  But the GANG GREEN saved the offense so many times in the
past that it would have been nice for the offense to return the favor
for once.

> the offense
> is not to blame because they did enough to win the game, even
> though the Packers gave them their last touchdown on 2 40+ yard
> pass interference calls.  

The Packers GAVE the Eagles their last TD?  Hardly.  The play was
made by the Eagles.  If the Pack defenders didn't interfere the
passes would have been completed.  Same result, TD Eagles.  And
the offense didn't do enough to win the game.  They needed 55-yards
in the closing minute-plus.  But Kotite's bone-heaeded play-calling
didn't even give them a chance.

>   It would be nice for the Eagles to stop bitching about a 
> strategy of running out the clock to go to OT because there
> is still faith in the ability of the defense to hold for one
> series, if necessary.

Yeah, but where was the faith in the offense?  All they needed was
55-yards to get into fieldgoal range to win it in regulation.  There
are going to be games that either the offense or defense or both are
going to play poorly.  And the outcome of the game is going to come
down to coaching decisions.  And none are more critical than at the
end of the game.  And Kotite blew it!

> There appeared to be some unity this
> year, but it looks like Herschel Walker has brought the Vikings
> "We are a dysfunctional family" locker room to Philadelphia.
> I am not blaming him, but last year there was no outward
> moaning about the team.  Do you think that it is because
> they are not the overwhelmingly dominating team of 1991 who 
> was responsible for the success.  This year both sides of the
> team have to do their job to win.  

If you're not blaming Herschel then why did you single him out?

Yes, both sides of the ball have to do its job.  That's why the
Eagles didn't make the playoffs last season, because in quite a
few games the offense didn't.  The defense doesn't want that to
be the case again this season.

And you can't even compare the '91 GANG GREEN vs the '92 unit.
It's a different defense.  Jerome Brown, one of the best DT in
the game, is gone.  Also MIA, is CB Ben Smith, out with a knee
injury.  And then there are the injuries to SS Andre Waters and
just recently to LB Britt Hager.  The '92 GANG GREEN isn't as
dominating, but it is still a very good defense.


E-A-G-L-E-S

Joe Dakes
AT&T Microelectronics
555 Union Boulevard
Allentown, PA  18103
alux1!jmd