After a 3-1 start for the seemingly rejuvenated Eagles in 2012, it's hard to accept that now they're trying to avoid national humiliation in a MNF featured game vs. the 2-8 Carolina Panthers.
Part of the problem for the Eagles (3-7) is the absence of a healthy Michael Vick, the loss of 60% of their original starting offensive line, and the loss of Shady McCoy for this one.
Looks like Nick "Shaggy" Foles will get the QB assignment for the Birds and will be starring in another episode of "Growing Pains". And Carolina's defensive coordinator Sean "Casper" McDermott will be bringing the big pressure package against the rookie QB. As "Triple D" the loose cannon has remarked at PE.com, "Casper will be looking for his pound of flesh"…
This game's timing in the schedule is all the more infuriating because the Redskins (5-6) beat Dallas (5-6) on Thanksgiving Day. At this writing, it's still possible that Green Bay may beat the New York Giants to put them at 6-5. All of that means the Eagles could be sitting fairly well right now in the NFC East race if they could have just won one more stinking game coming into Monday night.
Not that the woes of Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles have been flying under the radar, but now things could turn uglier as they come under the national spotlight.
A potentially hostile home crowd awaits them Monday night with the Eagles mired in the longest losing streak of Reid's tenure – which appears to be nearing an end – as they face the Carolina Panthers in a matchup of the NFC's worst teams.
While Carolina's owning the conference's worst record may be somewhat surprising, it's more shocking Philadelphia has sunk so far after going into this fall considered by many a Super Bowl contender. That certainly remained the case after the Eagles were 3-1 following a win over the defending champion New York Giants, but they have since lost six in a row – the last four by at least 13 points.
These are the most consecutive defeats in a single season for the franchise since dropping its final seven games of 1994, five years before Reid took over the reins.
"I know we're letting the fans down and the city down," Reid said. "I completely understand that. I completely understand how they feel on this. I feel it from the football team, our coaches and players. There are no excuses for it."
Considering the high expectations entering this season, particularly after owner Jeffrey Lurie said another 8-8 season like last year would be "unacceptable," Reid's departure by season's end appears to be a near certainty.
The animosity toward Reid in Philadelphia only grew last Sunday, but not just because the team lost 31-6 at Washington. Reid let LeSean McCoy carry the ball in the final two minutes of a game that was out of hand, and the star runner suffered a concussion that could keep him out of this game.
Neither McCoy nor Michael Vick, concussed in the loss to Dallas, have practiced this week. While McCoy sitting out would give Bryce Brown his first start since his senior year of high school in 2009, fellow rookie Nick Foles will make a second straight start if Vick can't return.
Foles threw interceptions on Philadelphia's first two possessions last Sunday and finished 21 of 46 for 204 yards. He was sacked four times behind an injury-plagued offensive line which has surrendered 33, third-most in the NFL entering Week 12.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera was Reid's linebackers coach from 1999-2003 and also could be on the way out. Even Rivera said this week he didn't know if he'll keep his job beyond this season based on recent conversations with team owner Jerry Richardson.
"You can't worry about who is going to go and who is going to stay. That is for the front office to decide," defensive end Charles Johnson said. "But I'm going to fight with coach until the end. No matter what he does I'm going to ride with him."
Six of the Panthers' losses have been by six points or fewer, and they've led in the fourth quarter in four of them. They blew an 11-point lead in the final five minutes of regulation last Sunday in a 27-21 overtime loss to Tampa Bay.
"It's tough when you lose (because) things aren't as good as they are when you win, obviously," said Rivera, 8-18 as Carolina's coach. "Food doesn't taste right. It's difficult to communicate with people looking them in the eye and talking to them."
Quarterback Cam Newton said close losses have been "the story of the season." The former Heisman Trophy winner has thrown for nine touchdowns and rushed for four after combining for 35 as a rookie last season.
Newton now faces an Eagles pass defense which has allowed a combined 143.6 passer rating over the past four weeks, surrendering 11 touchdown passes and making no interceptions.
The Panthers have lost all three meetings since winning at Philadelphia in the 2004 NFC championship game.
AP PRO32 RANKING — Panthers No. 28; Eagles No. 27
LAST MEETING — Eagles beat Panthers 38-10, Sept. 13, 2009
LAST WEEK — Panthers lost to Buccaneers 27-21; Eagles lost to Redskins 31-6
PANTHERS OFFENSE — OVERALL (22), RUSH (16), PASS (18)
PANTHERS DEFENSE — OVERALL (19), RUSH (20), PASS (17)
EAGLES OFFENSE — OVERALL (14), RUSH (11), PASS (15)
EAGLES DEFENSE — OVERALL (12), RUSH (19), PASS (13)
Research Notes—QB Cam Newton only player in NFL history with 6,000 yards passing, 30 TDs passing, 1,000 yards rushing and 15 TDs rushing in first two NFL seasons. … RB DeAngelo Williams has scored TD in last two meetings. … WR Steve Smith and TE Greg Olsen have TD catches in two of last three games vs. Eagles. … Eagles QB Michael Vick 6-3 vs. Panthers, but status uncertain because of concussion that forced him to miss last week’s game. … If RB LeSean McCoy doesn’t play because of concussion, rookie Bryce Brown will make first start since senior year in high school in 2009. … Rookie DT Fletcher Cox has sacks in two straight games. … WR DeSean Jackson had 85-yard punt return for TD in last game vs. Carolina. …
Bryce Brown has not played a full game in so long that even he can't remember. On Wednesday, he correctly identified his senior year in high school as the last time. But he didn't get the year right.
He said 2009. But he was in college by then. No, 2008 was the last time Brown was the featured running back for any team. He was 17 years old, playing for Wichita East (Kansas) High School at the time.
Though his journey from that point to this one has zig-zagged into and out of oblivion at times, Brown stood calmly at his locker stall before Wednesday's practice and tried to put his first NFL start in perspective.
"I'm definitely looking forward to it," Brown said. "I've had a tough road. I've worked so hard, continue to work. … I'm really thankful for the opportunity and I'm excited and I can't wait to go."
Brown was considered by many experts to be the top recruit in the country coming out of Wichita East. But his college career at Tennessee and later at Kansas State never materialized.
He opened his career at Tennessee with 104 yards on 11 carries. That proved to be his watershed moment, however. He transferred to Kansas State after that season, when then Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin left for USC.
After sitting out the next season because of the transfer, he injured an ankle in 2011 and left the program shortly afterward, losing all desire to play at that level.
However, after being allowed to participate in the Wildcats' Pro Day early this year, he reemerged as a blip on the NFL's scouting radar, leading the Eagles to take a gamble by taking him in the seventh round of the draft (229th overall).
Since then, he's been everything they've hoped, working with the enthusiasm he lost in college to become a top back at the game's highest level.
Brown has been used sparingly through the first 10 games, carrying 32 times for 141 yards. However, he did show a great burst in breaking off a 40-yard run against the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 5. Considering the way they Eagles have struggled to get their running game going, that's quite an accomplishment. McCoy's longest run this season has been 34 yards.
Pass blocking remains Brown's main deficiency. Poor pass blocking is the reason many talented runners in the past have failed to get on the field for coach Andy Reid, who demands much from his backs.
"I've never done it before," Brown said, "and it's still a struggle. I still work on it, but like I said in the beginning of the year, the more I do, the better I'll get."
The same goes for Dion Lewis, who despite doing mostly excellent things with the football in his hands throughout training camp has not touched the ball once since the season began, even on special teams. Lewis will finally get to be the active 2-back behind Brown in the game on Monday night.
"I don't know why it's happened like this," Lewis said. "I don't really get into that. I just come every day to do my job and just try to help the team win any way I can, whether it's playing on Sundays or giving the defense a good luck on the scout teams.
"Everything happens for a reason, so I'm getting my shot this week. Hopefully I'll make the most of it."
This burb will have to fester here over the Thanksgiving weekend until I return from Smith Island on Monday afternoon before the game. I'm going down to the Bay to inspect the old fishing shanty for any damage caused by SuperStorm Sandy. Color me naive, but I am raising my hopes for a win over Carolina on MNF. Somehow, at 4-7, I think we would still be in the NFC East conversation. I know, I can already hear the murmur of the crowd as it begins its chant of "Chut Up"…
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