Each week we'll take a look at the decisive play that proved to be the difference between winning and losing.
Not that it matters which play we point to as the turning point in this game, but we're going with the Eagles' very first mistake. Because after that, everything went downhill at record pace.
On the third snap from scrimmage, Nick Foles threw an eminently catchable pass to tight end Brent Celek who promptly bobbled it into the waiting arms of Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall. Two plays later, Washington led 7-0 and that, as they say, was that.
The rest of the afternoon was a mix of some of the worst pass defense you'll ever see accompanied by an offense that couldn't ever get going. It's ridiculous to think that a week ago there was speculation that coach Andy Reid would go with Foles for the rest of the season in a last-ditch effort to save his job. Like everything else, it blew up in his face. Foles wasn't awful but his performance (21 of 46 for 204 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs) is proof that the issues facing this offense extend beyond Michael Vick.
Yes, the offensive line has been victimized by injuries but you know what? Show us a team that hasn't lost key players. The razor-thin difference between winners and losers in this league isn't about players 1-22 on the roster. It's about 23-53. Basically: how deep is your depth? For Philly, the answer is "not deep at all."
The post-game sentiment was pretty much the same across the locker room.
“I don’t know if it can get much worse,” Celek said via CSNPhilly.com.
“I’m in my fifth year and our record is 3-7 and I’ve never witnessed that in my life,” wide receiver DeSean Jackson added.
And Evan Mathis, one of the few healthy offensive lineman, said “It’s surprising. It’s frustrating. It’s ridiculous to be where we are right now.”
Also frustrating and embarrassing? The Eagles' defense, particularly the secondary which allowed Griffin to throw two of his four touchdown passes to Redskins receivers who couldn't have been more wide open if they were the only players on the field. And the one time Philly did cover a Washington wide receiver, Santana Moss still came down with the pass before dragging the double-team into the end zone for another score.
“I feel like we haven't played up to the level that we had been playing at. I don't know. We started with missing tackles and missing assignments and just stuff that we hadn't done,” said cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, offering up his nomination for the understatement of the season. “I don't think that has anything to do with the change in coordinator [from Juan Castillo to Todd Bowles] but more so just the mentality on defense -- it just seemed like after the bye week, those plays that we were making, we weren't making them anymore."
And now the rebuilding process will begin in earnest. Reid will likely finish the season, but he won't he won't last long beyond that. And he won't be alone. Michael Vick, Asomugha and plenty of other high-priced players could join Reid in looking or work.
