Tim and I landed in Mobile Sunday afternoon. We missed the first half of the Falcons-49ers game, but after taking a ride on Bass Pro Drive, we found a spot the locals affectionately refer to as Beef’s.
That’s where we took in the second half of the NFC title game, along with the Ravens’ win over the Patriots.
Good service, good food – even for a vegetarian like myself.
Here’s the weekly playoff post – five observations on the postseason, with an Eagles slant.
It was a time for reflection. LeSean McCoy looked visibly upset that he would no longer be playing for Andy Reid. As one of the building blocks going forward, he spoke up and said some of his teammates made too many excuses.
And then there was Jeremy Maclin, the former first-round pick who was in the same draft class as McCoy. Maclin’s career began with consecutive trips to the playoffs, but he’s never been part of a team that advanced past the first round.
“I think change needs to come from everywhere,” Maclin said, when asked if the Eagles’ problem had more to do with personnel or attitude. “I think we’re definitely a talented group of guys individually. I think the team unity probably wasn’t there this year. I think we’ve got to respect each other. If you respect somebody, you’re more willing to go out there and play for that person or play for a purpose. I think the lack of respect that maybe some guys have for other guys definitely hurt us.”
Here’s an All-22 look at what Eagles quarterback Nick Foles showed in his last start of the season against the Redskins.
Here’s the All-22 look at what we saw from Nick Foles and the Eagles’ offense last week (when they weren’t fumbling, that is).
Nick Foles was asked during his postgame press conference what he felt the biggest difference was between his performance on Thursday night compared to Sunday’s outing against the Bucs.
“We lost,” he said. “That’s it.”
But it isn’t.
We are learning that Foles prefers to talk about the overall good of the team rather than focusing on himself. Meanwhile, the public is focusing on him because, well, they are also interested in the overall good of the team and want to know if he is capable of leading the charge back to sound health.
His play against the Bengals was less than ideal. The rookie went 16-of-33 for 182 yards with a touchdown and an interception for a 62.9 quarterback rating. He was also credited with a lost fumble. It is a step back from his stellar game in Tampa, which led Jeremy Maclin to say: “You guys are seeing Nick Foles grow into a phenomenal quarterback right in front of your eyes.”
Jeremy Maclin popped up on the injury report with a groin strain following Sunday’s dramatic win over the Bucs. Turns out, it happened after the final whistle had blown.
Maclin was slow to come out with it. Here’s how the exchange went with reporters:
LeSean McCoy and Michael Vick are in Phase 5 of the rehab process from concussions suffered last month and returned to practice in a limited capacity today.
“We’re not listing them as out,” said head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder. “They’re still very much alive for things. We’ll see how they do today and take it day by day. Of course, they have to get through this fifth phase, they have to get to the independent [neurologist], which could be tomorrow, and they have to see [team doctor] Dr. [Gary] Dorshimer and get his clearance as well.”
As rookie tackle Dennis Kelly put it, there were no “movie-quality quotes” out of Nick Foles in the final moments against the Bucs Sunday. He did not grab a facemask or launch into any inspirational speeches. Yet Andy Reid said afterwards that Foles was able to rally his teammates down the stretch and made everyone play better.
How did he do it?
Andy Reid caught the media a bit off guard when he revealed how the final play of the game came about.
“He wanted that last play,” said Reid of rookie quarterback Nick Foles. “He called it, he wanted it and he executed it.”
Foles called it?
“He came off and he wanted that play. So yeah,” said Reid.
With the game on the line and two seconds on the clock, it was Nick Foles who decided what play to run, Andy Reid said following the Eagles’ 23-21 victory over the Bucs.
“He wanted that last play,” Reid said. “That’s a play that he wanted. I’m talking about the last play of the game. He called it. He wanted it, and he executed it. He did a great job with it so hats off to him.”
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Sheil Kapadia has been writing about the Eagles since 2008. His previous Philly.com blog, Moving the Chains, was named one of the best in the state by the Associated Press. Sheil's main joys in life are family, football and finding good parking spots.
Tim McManus is a bulldog reporter with a nose for news and story angles that will get people talking. He'll talk about it himself on 97.5 The Fanatic, where he serves as a host and Eagles beat reporter. Tim, an award-winning journalist, will be with the team around the clock.
