Eagles Fall To Pieces, Lose To Arizona
LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD — With their fallen star receiver benched, the Eagles sputtered and stumbled and slopped their way through 60 minutes of football against one of the worst teams in the league.
Now at 3-6 after suffering a crushing 21-17 loss to the Cardinals, Andy Reid’s group can be considered one of the NFL’s worst as well.
John Skelton found Early Doucet for a five-yard touchdown pass with 1:53 remaining to put Arizona on top. Michael Vick, who could do little all day, was unable to engineer the game winning drive. His task was made that much more difficult without No. 10.
Jackson was told to stay home by the Eagles after showing up late for a Saturday meeting for the second week in a row.
The offense clearly felt the loss. Michael Vick went 16-for-34 for 128 yards and two interceptions. Jeremy Maclin, who twice left the game with injury (shoulder and hamstring), ended with two catches for six yards.
Asante Samuel came up with his first real big play of the season when he intercepted John Skelton and ran 20 yards for the touchdown to put the Eagles up 7-0 with 9:35 remaining in the second quarter. He was hurt apparently on the play, as he missed the following series — which the Cardinals scored a touchdown on — but did return.
LeSean McCoy put the Eagles back in front with a one-yard plunge at the end of the first half. In the process, he set a new franchise mark for consecutive games with a touchdown.
Both offenses were inept for much of the second half. The Eagles had worked their way into the Cardinals’ red zone late in the third quarter, but Vick was picked off by Calais Campbell to squash the drive.
The Eagles didn’t capitalize on their opportunities, allowing Arizona to hang around.
Midway through the fourth it came back to bite them, as the Cardinals put together an eight-play, 89-yard scoring drive to knot the game at 14-14. An offsides penalty on Nnamdi Asomugha kept the drive alive, leading to Larry Fitzgerald’s 70th career touchdown — a franchise record. Skelton’s pass was tipped up in the air by Joselio Hanson, but Fitzgerald ran right under it for the seven-yard score.
Asomugha made up for it by intercepting Skelton with seven minutes remaining, setting the Eagles up at the Arizona 16. Vick exited during the series after having the wind knocked out of him, and the Eagles settled for a field goal and a three-point advantage.
That would prove costly as Skelton moved the Cardinals into striking distance thanks to a couple long completions, including a beauty, over-the-shoulder haul in by Fitzgerald. Then came the touchdown pass to Doucet, and the Eagles were dealt the most crippling blow to date.
Comments