Eagles vs. Packers Recap: The good that came from it

Last night at Lambeau Field,  the Eagles got absolutely annihilated by a red-hot Green Bay Packers team and it showed in every aspect of the game. From the opening kick off, the squad was doomed, and there is pretty much no way of getting around it. The once upbeat fan base is left to question the state of the team after potential MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers dissected the Eagles defense with over 133 yards in the first quarter alone.

We have seen teams get the best of the defense early on; need I remind you this is the same defense that made Chad Henne look like Peyton Manning for two solid quarters. Green Bay did would it does best: win at home by a wide margin. Hitting rookie Davante Adams and Jordy Nelson for two early touchdowns. After a barrage of missed tackles, missed chances, and just down right horrible football, the Eagles fell to the Packers by a score of 53-20.

The Eagles had to take a step back and put this one behind them. There was not all bad on the field regarding the Eagles as some players and instances left you hopeful going into a home game versus the Tennessee Titans. In fact, that is where we start.

The Eagles are currently riding an impressive win streak at home, winning their last nine home games. After a brutal lost such as this one, the team will need its fan based to rally around the team.  After all, there is still a lot of football to be played and the Eagles are still leading the NFC East as we speak.

The continuously emerging rookie wide receiver Jordan Matthews played a good game and is starting to show his potential as a solid player in this league. He finished with five catches for 107 yards and one touchdown. He is clearly Mark Sanchez’s favorite target and the two seem to work well with one another. If you have watched the team since Sanchez took over, Matthews has had an eruption in progress on the field. Look for much continued success even if Foles returns sooner than later because we are seeing less Riley Cooper and more Matthews.

LeSean McCoy was effective at some points during the game. McCoy finished with 17 carries for 88 yards. He did have a few solid runs here and there even though it is not on the level of player saw last year. We have not seen much of the elusiveness and juke moves we grew conditioned to. If the Eagles want to make a deep playoff run, McCoy will have to return to that 2013 form in which he led the league in rushing and was running with authority.

This last one was really tough, but indeed I have to give props to Sanchez. Before you jump down my throat, please here me out. Given the position he was in, did you really expect Sanchez to win against the Packers at home in the blistering cold? Honestly, this team is built tough, but not that tough.

In only his second start, Sanchez would have had to play the perfect game in order to compete with Rodgers and Green Bay. He did how ever out play Rodgers in the battle of statistics. Sanchez finished the dismal day with 26/44 346 yards and two touchdowns as well as two turnovers. He was also sacked three times, which is a rarity when it comes to the Eagles because their offensive line is one of the more experienced in the league.

Last night, the guys upfront looked like turn-styles on the Philadelphia subway system. I was shocked Sanchez was only sacked three times because it felt like play after play, he was being hit or clobbered by the Packers defense. I dont purely put this loss on Sanchez because of the hand he was dealt. Not many teams can go in to a place such as Lambeau Field and come out victorious. It is one of the more historic places in the league, and the fan base really rallies behind the Packers. Sanchez will have a sure chance to redeeem himself, as will the entire team when they play host to the lowly Tennessee Titans next sunday.

Bottom Line, the Eagles have a lot to work on and were knocked clean high off that horse they rode in on.  Everyone was riding the Sanchez train hard after the Monday Night game versus the Panthers but the Packers showed us the difference between good and elite.