So, that was a game that down the line, when we’re watching the Super Bowl DVD of this season, will remind us of how we got our ass handed to us for good reason. I personally want to thank the Eagles for dishing out a healthy dose of “shut the hell up,” and I hope we learn from this experience. No two ways about it…the Eagles completely dominated us, and we pretty much deserved it. I’ll admit, that as a fan base collectively, we were feeling pretty good about ourselves after beating the Texans and Browns. Playing a better team this week just shows us that we still have a long way to go, and we’re nowhere near the elite team everyone made us out to be.
It’s better to get a reality check in Week 3 than it is in Week 13, am I right? Let’s get that underdog mentality back quick, and remember that there are no free passes to the championship.
The O-Line shouldn’t have dressed, because they didn’t show up at all. I’m not even going to discuss them in my rankings, because each keystroke is just going to be filled with rage. I can feel myself heating up already just mentioning their ineptitude. 0 of 5 helmets…let’s move on.
It amazes me that a team can be completely confused as the Steelers were this week. It hurts more when, despite the obvious shortcomings, you’re still one touchdown from the lead with only minutes left in the game. The D looked suspect at times, allowing backup RBs with multiple knee surgeries to look like top draft picks, but their play helped keep the Steelers in the game. We’ll get to guys like Troy and McFadden later, but let’s begin this so we can end.
Ben. What the hell, kid? I know everyone is going to say the same thing, but how is it that hard to get rid of the ball? Its awesome that you can dip your shoulder or shake off initial contact in the pocket. Everyone has known this since you were a rookie, though. Once you show that you can elude that first guy, opposing D coordinators are going to plan for this and have a second rusher close your scrambling gaps. Jim Johnson planned for this perfectly. I don’t think you’ve understood this fact at all this season. You don’t have nearly as much time as you think, and the O-Line is only going to make this worse. Philly beat us with the quick drop and short pass…watch the tapes and learn, young man. 2 of 5 motorcycle helmets.
Santonio. Its 3 games in, and you still haven’t really broken out. Last week was decent, but you took a step back with the drops this week. Ben wasn’t dishing, but the balls that come your way need to be caught. Another 2 of 5 helmets.
NOT TALKING ABOUT THE RUNNING GAME.
Lawrence Timmons. I don’t know how many 3rd and mediums there were for the Eagles, but in this instance, you need Lawrence Timmons in the game. His closing speed is great, and I was left wanting when Philly would convert the short passes to the line of scrimmage that somehow resulted in first downs. Speed kills. Timmons needs more time in the game to make an impact. He gets 3.5 of 5 stars, but only because he wasn’t used enough. Not entirely your fault, Lawrence.
Troy. That pick was one of the sickest things I’ve ever seen. Someone try to do that right now without breaking a minimum of 3 bones in your body. Can’t do it. Troy is healthy and a terror. Every season after his rookie year, I’ve been hyping him up as a potential AFC Defensive Player of the Year. Is this the year? 4.5 of 5 helmets.
Bryant McFadden. How good is he playing right now? Not only did he have the awareness to pick up the easy fumble, but he also came up with a clutch pick. Who woulda thought that our defensive backfield would outplay our offense? 5 of 5 helmets for Bryant.
Arians. Keep on keeping on, man. At least we’d run twice in a row to set up 3rd and long even after knowing our running game was nowhere to be found. 0 of 5 helmets. Gross.
Ravens next Monday night. If we can’t control Joe Flacco, we got some problems.
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