Zone Read: Eagles-Packers, the Day After

GAME BALL OFFENSE: JORDAN MATTHEWS

Yeah, yeah, yeah… I know we’re all over the map today. That’s what happens when you get 3.5 hours of sleep and are recovering from a cheese curd hangover (Not that I’m complaining. Those things may sound disgusting, but they are freakin’ delicious.).

That one play aside, Matthews had five catches for 107 yards and a touchdown on eight targets. He played hard all game long, even when the result had been decided. And Matthews scored for the fourth time in the past three games.

In the two games Sanchez has started, Matthews has 12 catches for 245 yards and three scores.

GAME BALL DEFENSE: VINNY CURRY

We’ll keep this one short since the defense was a disaster. And really, the selection is by default. Who else could even get in the conversation?

Curry had a sack/forced fumble in the second quarter, but the Packers recovered. It was the only time the Eagles got near Rodgers all game long.

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THAT’S WHAT HE SAID

“I think so. Would we have a choice? I think we’re a confident team. This doesn’t change anything. This wasn’t the way we planned it. My only answer to that would be, yes. We’ll go back, we’ll get better and by the time the playoffs or whatever come, we’ll be a better team than we were today.” – MALCOLM JENKINS

The Eagles’ safety was asked if he believed the Birds could come back to Lambeau and win in the playoffs.

I didn’t sense a ton of bravado on that side of the ball after the game, which was refreshing. Most players just gave Rodgers a ton of credit. If these two teams played five times right now, you could make the argument that the Eagles’ offense and special teams might fare better. But I doubt the results would be much different for the defense.

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FIVE THOUGHTS AND LEFTOVERS

1. How the Eagles view this loss, how I view this loss and how you view this loss may all be different. Let’s start with the team. I didn’t sense any kind of panic in the locker room. Most players conceded that they just got their butt whooped and that Rodgers is fantastic. But this seems to still be a confident group.

“We never dwell on a loss,” said Jason Peters. “I don’t think no team in the NFL remembered the last Sunday’s game while they’re playing the next Sunday’s game. It’s one loss. We’re gonna regroup. We’re getting ready for the Titans.”

Added Jenkins: “Every man out there is prideful, but we’re not the first person to ever get their butt whooped, so it’s just one of those things. Obviously this is not how we planned for it to go, but regardless of what it looks like, a loss is just one loss. We’ll pick up our heads and move on.”

One thing Kelly believes strongly in is keeping the same routine – win or lose. The players will review the film tomorrow, make corrections and move on to the Titans.

2. The way I view this loss is pretty simple. The Eagles don’t have the talent in the secondary to match up with a quarterback who is playing as well as Rodgers is right now. To be fair, the same can be said for a lot of teams. But as I’ve written in the past, when you’re going up against high quality offenses with Fletcher, Nate Allen and Cary Williams, chances are you’re going to get exposed.

So, what are the alternatives? Maybe you find a way to scheme pressure up front. Or you play conservatively and at least avoid the big plays. Or you hope your own offense can find a way to keep up.

The bottom line is, the way the Eagles are currently built, they’re going to have trouble competing with teams that have great quarterbacks. The offense is too inconsistent, and the defense gives up too many big plays.

But the Eagles have plenty of big games left. After Tennessee, they get the Cowboys twice with the Seahawks sandwiched in between. We’ll know by the end of that stretch what kind of team this is.

3. NFL players tend to be prideful and carry sizable egos. It’s rare that they’ll pretty much universally praise an opponent. But that’s what happened Sunday evening, specifically with comments about Rodgers.

“I think he just played well,” Jenkins said. “We didn’t have any blown coverages. We didn’t have any miscommunications. They just lined up and were better than us today. Aaron Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks in this league, and he showed why.”

Added Brandon Boykin: “The game plan was to disrupt the timing of him and the receivers, but he was audibling at the line, checking at the line. Then we got pressure and he was avoiding it and finding people. It seems like everything went their way. He’s an amazing quarterback. Can’t take anything away from him. Definitely one of the best I’ve ever faced.”

And Cary Williams: “It’s already difficult to be a corner as is. When you’re playing a guy of that caliber, one of the best quarterbacks in the game, maybe the best with the way he played today, those guys get paid too.”

I don’t think these guys are going to be too disappointed to see Zach Mettenberger on the schedule next week.

4. Speaking of Mettenberger, Kelly’s whole “Every game is the Super Bowl” mantra will be tested against the Titans. As I mentioned above, this team has a lot of big games coming up on the schedule. The matchup against the Titans feels like a bit of a snoozer. But as we know, on any given Sunday…

“I consider every game a measuring stick,” Kelly said. “I don’t think you can look at one game… and say, ‘Hey, we played really well in this game.’ In this league, you better be ready to play every single week. We’ll regroup and get back out there on Tuesday.”

To Kelly’s credit, the only true letdown game I can remember in the past two seasons was the loss to the Vikings in 2013.

5. Some leftovers… I’m 100 percent in on Wisconsin. The accents, the food, everything. They fry things I didn’t even know could be fried and do things with cheese I never thought possible. Plus, they provide that “football is way more important here than it should be” feel that you get in Philadelphia. Despite the frigid temperatures, it was a huge party outside of Lambeau Field before the game. I’m not saying I’m going to start Packers 24/7 or anything, but the Milwaukee/Green Bay area is underrated as far as I’m concerned. …Quote of the weekend goes to McManus. “That’s where [Bradley] Fletcher draws the line,” he said in the third quarter after Fletcher notched a pass breakup. Of course, this was after he had been torched for the better part of 2.5 quarters. …Did you notice McCoy stiff Sanchez, who tried to help him up after the fumbled exchange that resulted in a turnover? …Why must officials huddle up every time they want to call an intentional grounding? Is it that hard of a rule to enforce? I’ll never understand that.

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