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Kenny Britt (6-3, 218, 2nd year, Rutgers) makes CB Ellis Hobbs and the Eagles pay for a 3rd-quarter fumble and takes the game away from the Eagles…
It was a remarkable game, really… I’ve rarely seen such first-half dominance (by the Eagles) in all phases of the game, only to turn to jello in the second half…
Still, the Eagles (at 4-3) go into their Bye Week knowing how close they are to being good enough to physically compete with the toughest of the AFC…and that’s got to count for something.
The Eagles had this thing. It was looking good until midway through the 3rd quarter. The Eagles defensive front had shut down Chris Johnson and the running game of Tennessee. Titans QB Kerry Collins was gettting knocked around. The Titans allowed the Eagles to convert 10 of their first 14 third-down attempts, a surprising statistic given that Tennessee entered the game ranked second in the NFL at getting off the field. The Eagles were leading, 16-7. And then suddenly, as the Eagles were driving to the goal line with what could have been the clinching TD, it was little Titans’ cornerback Alterraun Verner who was still clutching the ball after the refs cleared the pile on a botched handoff to LeSean McCoy.
The Eagles appeared to be on the verge of a touchdown that would have put Tennessee in a huge hole with about 20 minutes left in the game. Instead, the Titans took over on the 3-yard line, kicked a field goal on their ensuing drive and went on to a 37-19 win.
“We make a play, knock the ball out, and that was a really huge turning point for us in the ball game,” Titans Coach Jeff Fisher said.
Defensive tackle Jason Jones blew up the play, which began with the Eagles looking at first-and-goal from the 3. He smashed through the Philadelphia line and disrupted the handoff from quarterback Kevin Kolb to running back McCoy.
“No one blocked me,” Jones said. “So I just went out and tried to make a play, tried to tackle the quarterback. I messed up his snap and caused the fumble.”
Safety Michael Griffin had a great chance to make the recovery, but the ball got away from him. That’s when the pile descended on the pigskin. Underneath the mass of humanity, the 5-foot-10, 187-pound Verner was doing all he could to hold onto the ball even though he was being twisted like saltwater taffy. “They definitely tried to rip my arms off,” Verner said. “I felt like there were some offensive linemen trying to get me, but I was fortunate enough to get it and it was a big play.” Said Titans defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil: “You have to hand it to him. That’s a nasty place down there. It’s not for the weak of heart. … There’s some bad stuff going on.”
Vital as Verner’s fumble recovery proved to be, it was one of four turnovers the Titans forced. They turned them into 20 points — two touchdowns and a pair of field goals. Tim Shaw provided another game-changer with 3:37 left in the fourth quarter. The Eagles trailed just 27-19, and looked as if they’d have good field position to begin a potentially game-tying drive.
But Lavelle Hawkins forced punt returner Jorrick Calvin to cough up the ball, and Shaw dove on it. Seven plays later, Rob Bironas kicked a game-clinching field goal.
“Turnovers are the biggest factor in any game,’’ Shaw said. “If you can take possession from someone and put yourselves in great position, it changes the game. I guarantee you that’s what (the Eagles) are talking about hurting them.”
Griffin’s fourth interception in four games set up a touchdown and CB Cortland Finnegan recorded his first interception of the season, returning it 41 yards for a touchdown to end the game.
Too bad for the young upstart Eagles. I guess they still have to learn how to salt a tough one away. This one could have been a huge physical win over a classic AFC juggernaut on the road. Instead, it turned into a Joe Kuharich-era style meltdown.
Heading into the fourth quarter, Eagles QB Kevin Kolb had completed 23 of 37 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown. A Titans’ pass rush that recorded 22 sacks in the first six games had pressured Kolb infrequently, sacking him just once,
“They did a great job chipping our four-man rush, so we were having a real hard time getting there with our four-man rush,” Titans defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil said. “But when that happens, they’re only getting three guys out (in pass patterns), so we needed to do a better job in coverage.”
The Titans finally began to figure Kolb out in the fourth quarter.
On one third down, rookie corner Verner almost intercepted a pass, forcing the Eagles to settle for a field goal. On another, Griffin knocked a ball away from rookie wide receiver Riley Cooper.
Former Eagles linebacker Will Witherspoon delivered a critical blow, breaking up a short third-down pass intended for tight end Brent Celek. There were more than four minutes remaining at the time, but Philadelphia never again had possession with a chance to tie the game.
A pressured Kolb was just 3-of-11 in the fourth quarter. He also surrendered an interception that Finnegan returned for a touchdown. “We didn’t get discouraged,” Titans defensive tackle Jason Jones said. “We started getting pressure on the quarterback, forced him out of the pocket and got some interceptions.”
It was Kerry Collins who was on the hot seat in the previous three quarters. The Eagles bounced Collins around. It was obvious they knew he was little threat to run. They sacked him three times, intercepted him twice. Yet he hung in there. He found an invaluable target in Kenny Britt — after Coach Jeff Fisher freed Britt from the doghouse for bad behavior at a downtown club early Friday morning.
Collins passed for 276 yards— and three touchdowns, all of them to Britt. The highlight was an 80-yarder that closed the gap to two points. Britt clearly was given enough time and hope to discover he was able to eat Eagles RCB Ellis Hobb’s lunch. And it may not be as pretty as it once was for Collins, but don’t underestimate what he has left in the tank.
The Eagles learned the hard way.
And Philly fans are taking it hard.
The bitterness in the fan gallery at PE.com’s On The Inside is palpable after the game. Listen to some of these reactionary shots:
Ryan Wagner: “Ellis Hobbs was OWNED all day, he should be fired tomorrow morning. Eagles secondary gave the game away completely. How disappointing for a team that owned the Titans until the 2nd half. FAIL Iggles…”
Wing Man ’07: “Can’t even describe how upset todays loss has me… The entire team forgot that to win a game you have to play two halves. Just when this team looks like it might make an identity for itself, it implodes. My faith is shaken… please just remember to show up for 60 minutes against the Colts.. Please Please Please…”
J. Wood: “Kolb had a less than stellar day–THAT HAPPENS to QBs. Eagles committed a couple of turnovers that canceled momentum..but still led the game. Big Plays by Collins/Britt wrecked McD’s defense. In the past, Collins got jittery/unreliable when knocked around. Eagles did defend Chris Johnson and pressure Collins enough…and Hobbs was vulnerable.”
JeromeBrown99: “Man…. Ellis Hobbs looked like he was playin’ in mud. He wasn’t even close sometimes. === Seems like lots of FG’s with Kolb. And also… we seem to have much more of a grind-it-out O when Kolb is in. Thats not Eagles football…”
BleedGreen: “As much as I love and adore my Philly teams, I don’t live vicariously through their plays, wins, losses, etc. (Thank goodness after this horrid weekend). But, I must say, that that last quarter was brutal to watch. Eagles could have won the game easy and early before the Titans started playing like the Titans. I’ll never understand how these Philly teams that have the most passionate, adoring, die-hard fans can lose in the nightmarish ways they find to lose. No, I’m not going to be looking for a high bridge after this weekend, but I’ll still be shaking my head in awe well into the week. Shame on you Birds and the Red team across the street. Shame on you…. not so much for the losses, but in the awful, unprepared, embarrassing way you do it. Keep slapping your wonderful fans in the face.”
CJN: “I was at the game in Nashville. My seats were in the endzone, so I had a clear view of the field. Kolb missed SEVERAL wide open receivers. Defense secondary was absolutely terrible. If Vick was playing, I say we win easy, but Kolb made too many mistakes and couldn’t handle the Titans crowd. Once the fumble at the 3 occurred, it was obvious Kolb couldn’t handle the Titans crowd. Straight pitiful performance!”
Grabem: “This team’s failures come down to two things. We lack talent in the defensive secondary that is exploited by a lack of pass rush, and we have a coaching staff that can not adjust during a game. One man should never be able to dominate a team like Britt did without the other team making adjustment to stop him. We made no adjustments, just kept allowing him to abuse Ellis Hobbs. Our secondary is weak— but at least take away Britt and make someone else prove they can beat you.”
Kenemeka: “Pretty tough loss to accept. Funny thing is, if I learned anything about this team today, it’s that we are good enough to win. Until that fumble we were totally in control, Titans couldn’t move the ball on us. The wind didn’t help, but man, Hobbs could have done better, Nate (Allen) could have done better… If only Juqua Parker didn’t commit the personal foul that allowed the Titans to extend that drive that scored their initial 7 pts…. ah, we’ll leave it all for over-reaction Monday…”
I think Kenemeka comes closest to the true lesson for the Eagles and their fans to learn from this game. Daggone it, we ARE good enough to win…yet even so, all hands on deck are required to close the deal. Right now, when playing the elite physical teams of the NFL, the Eagles can pitch a good game… but they have to learn how to close the sale. For the upcoming Bye Week, however, I advise all Eagles players and coaches and fans to RELAX…take a deep breath…and appreciate that the youngest team in the league is sitting at 4-3 with it divisional destiny very much in its own hands. Considering their amazing roster turnover and changes in field leadership since a year ago, I think the Eagles have every reason in the world to reflect on their first half of the season as a success…and after the Bye Week, the Birds will be in great position to make their divisional move. After all, this league is about getting better and peaking late…and we should be thanking the Titans for a valuable lesson on where the end-game needs to be improved.
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