Wake-Up Call: ‘I Don’t Think They’re A Better Team’

GREEN BAY, Wis.  – A bad day at the office, or a sign of inferiority?

The answer to that question is an important one after the Eagles were steamrolled by the Packers 53-20 in Lambeau Field. A couple key members of the offense made it clear where they come down on the issue.

“I don’t think they’re a better team than us,” LeSean McCoy said. “They were today, and that’s all that matters. There’s no reason to talk about it. They were a better team today. I think overall we’re a good team, we really are, we just didn’t play like it today.”

The Eagles and Packers were considered two of the top powers in the conference heading in, but only one team played like it. The Packers were the superior team in all three phases Sunday afternoon. Aaron Rodgers was sensational and led a Green Bay attack that hung up 475 yards on Billy Davis’ unit. Green Bay scored twice on defense and Micah Hyde returned a Donnie Jones punt 75 yards for a touchdown.

“Hats off to the Packers,” said Mark Sanchez. “They played outstanding in all phases. We did quite the opposite.”

Asked to explain how the team went from looking as good as it did against the Panthers on Monday night to looking as bad as they did on Sunday against Green Bay, Jeremy Maclin simply responded: “We got our ass kicked.”

Certainly the quality of opponent is a big factor. Green Bay improved to 7-3 overall and 5-0 at Lambeau. Armed with one of the best quarterbacks in football, the Packers have the look of a serious contender. Maclin, though, said any team could have licked them on Sunday.

“With the way we played today, it wouldn’t matter if we played Oakland, which doesn’t have a win yet. They would have beat the hell out of us too,” he said.

“No disrespect to Green Bay. Great football team, they played great today. But the way we played today, we wouldn’t have beaten anybody.”

The Eagles’ losses have come against three playoff-caliber teams in San Francisco, Arizona and Green Bay. Outside of their Week 2 win in Indianapolis, they have come up short against the better competition they have faced. Sunday was an opportunity to erase any doubt of where they stand among the NFL’s elite, and they fell flat.

“Against a good team, on the road, these are the games that you try and get yourself up for, the game that you really want to go out and perform well. And we didn’t do that tonight,” said Maclin. “Still just one game. We’re sitting at 7-3. A lot of football left.”

Added Chip Kelly: “I consider every game a measuring stick,” said Kelly. “I don’t think you can look at one game and say, ‘This one is…’ In this league you better be ready to play every single week. We’ll regroup and get back after it on Tuesday.”

WHAT YOU MISSED

Sheil’s post-game observations following the trouncing from the Packers.

The Birds worked out quarterbacks Terrelle Pryor and Thad Lewis last week.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com was more disappointed in the offense than the defense:

5.  Aaron Rodgers does this to everybody. I didn’t expect the defense to slow him down. I picked Packers 40-30 because I thought the Eagles would at least be able to move the ball and score points against a defense 23rd in yards allowed and 17th in points allowed. Their inability to move the ball until the game had long been decided against a team allowing 23 points per game is concerning.

6. Big plays remain a huge issue for this defense. It took Aaron Rodgers three plays to hit a 64-yarder to Jordy Nelson, and although the Packers only got three points on that one, it was the fourth pass play of 60 yards or more against the Eagles already this year. It’s been at least 25 years since the Eagles allowed more 60-yard completions in a season, and we’re only 10 games in. Yes, Rodgers does that to everybody, but …

7. What bothered me the most about the defense Sunday was that fourth-quarter drive that made it 46-13. Six missed tackles on an Eddie Lacy 37-yard run and then five missed tackles on Lacy’s 32-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown. Because that wasn’t Rodgers making ridiculous precision passes down the field. That was just disinterested defense against a team trying to run out the clock. And that’s something we haven’t seen before from this group, no matter how bad things have gotten. That was just pathetic and embarrassing.

Rich Hofmann of the Daily News writes about Kelly’s need to reassure the team of their ability after a “culture” shock:

That Chip Kelly will earn his money this week goes without saying. It is just different than usual. In two seasons, we have seen him create a new culture and we have seen him scheme with the best of them. But we have never seen him have to look a good team in the eye and convince the players that they are, indeed, still good.

This week, that is Kelly’s job.

Once the Eagles got their feet under them last season, they won seven of eight down the stretch and never really got smacked in the face. Now, they have been: Packers 53, Eagles, 20. And now we get to see if Chip Kelly can pick up the pieces.

COMING UP

Sheil’s Zone Read coming your way. We’ll speak to Kelly at 1.