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Geregistreerd op: 01 Jun 2018 Berichten: 309
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Geplaatst: 14-08-2018 09:09:57 Onderwerp: are ready for their own |
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鈥?Healthy? Yes. Sharp? Not quite.The Philadelphia Eagles are heading into the playoffs with no further injuries after playing it safe in a 6-0 loss to Dallas on Sunday.Dak Prescott tossed a 20-yard touchdown pass to Brice Butler early in the fourth quarter and the Cowboys denied the Eagles a franchise-record 14th win.The Eagles (13-3) rested several starters on a frigid day and played others briefly after securing the NFCs No. 1 seed last week. Theyll have two weeks to work on a slumping offense before hosting a playoff game on Jan. 13 or 14.Im not concerned James Washington Jersey , coach Doug Pederson said. I have confidence in our guys.Nick Foles struggled in one quarter, going 4 of 11 for 39 yards with one interception. Foles was excellent in his first start after Carson Wentz went down for the season, tossing four TD passes in a 34-29 win at the Giants on Dec. 17. But he has followed up with two poor performances.I feel great and I know what I can do, Foles said. I know the guys are confident in me. We expect to execute better. This wasnt acceptable. We know how talented we can be. We can do special stuff.Second-year pro Nate Sudfeld replaced Foles and was 19 of 23 for 134 yards in his first career game. He was tackled inside the 5 after catching a lateral on a desperation play to end the game.Pretty solid for the most part in terms of efficiency and everything, Sudfeld said. But I felt there were some plays that we werent able to finish.The Cowboys (9-7) earned their second straight winning season for the first time since five in a row from 2005-09. Thats little consolation for Dallas, which was eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16.Im sad the season is over, Ezekiel Elliott said. I wish we were playing in the playoffs. Im going to use that as fuel for next year.The Cowboys drove 99 yards for the first score. A holding penalty on Rasul Douglas on an incomplete pass on third down extended the drive and Prescott connected with Butler on a slant on third-and-7. Dan Bailey hooked the extra point wide left, only his second career miss in 278 tries.Bailey also missed a 23-yard field goal wide left with 13 seconds remaining.Elliott ran for 103 yards, falling 17 short of 1,000 in only 10 games. He was the first player to reach 100 against the Eagles since Washingtons Matt Jones ran for 135 yards in Week 6 last year.The teams were 0 for 12 on third and fourth down before the Cowboys converted on third down late in the second quarter. The Eagles got their first third-down conversion midway through the third quarter. Sudfeld then ran 22 yards on another third down and the crowd roared.Philadelphias best drive with Foles was the game opener. The Eagles drove to the Cowboys 39 before Torrey Smith dropped a pass on third-and-7. Foles was hurried and threw an incomplete pass on fourth down.Foles underthrew Alshon Jeffery and was picked by Chidobe Awuzie at the Cowboys 48 on Philadelphias third possession. It was Awuzies first career interception. The offense went three-and-out on the first units fourth and final series.DEZ SAYSWherever they want me to be, Dez Bryant said when asked about his expected role for next year. I just want to win. Thats all I care about.SCORELESS HALFThis was the first NFL game to be 0-0 at halftime since the Bears-Broncos in Week 14 of 2011. It was the first time in a Cowboys-Eagles game since the series began in 1960.LAYERING UPEagles P Donnie Jones ran onto the field for a punt with his warmup pants still on and had to rip them off before the snap. He pinned the Cowboys inside the 5 with his punt and later placed one at the 1.SIDS DEBUTEagles rookie CB Sidney Jones, a second-round pick, played his first game. Jones ruptured his Achilles tendon before the draft.RESTING UPFive of Philadelphias defensive starters 鈥?LB Nigel Bradham, DE Brandon Graham, DT Tim Jernigan Roquan Smith Bears Jersey , S Rodney McLeod, CB Jalen Mills 鈥?and one regular 鈥?DE Derek Barnett 鈥?were inactive. DT Fletcher Cox and S Malcolm Jenkins played one series. RB Jay Ajayi also was inactive.INJURIESCowboys: Awuzie left the game with a shoulder injury.Eagles: Graham (ankle) and Mills wouldve played if the game mattered.UP NEXTEagles: A first-round bye followed by a home playoff game on Jan. 13 or 14. Not only was the Philadelphia Eagles knockout of New England a thrill-a-minute slugfest, it produced some of the biggest calls the Super Bowl has ever seen.
For once, the whistles didnt go the Patriots way, such as Phillys two second-half touchdowns that survived reviews at the NFLs league headquarters, including Zach Ertzs game-winner just before the two-minute warning of the 41-33 thriller.
There was Belichicks head-scratching decision not to play Super Bowl 49 star Malcolm Butler on defense against a team that would rack up 41 points and Danny Amendolas incompletion to Tom Butterfingers Brady on a gadget play that backfired.
Yeah, I caught it in practice, Brady said. Didnt catch it tonight.
That was but one of the Patriots early stumbles that put them in catch-up mode.
They flubbed a field goal when Stephen Gostkowskis holder, punter Ryan Allen, mishandled the snap, and Gostkowski was wide left on an extra point, leaving the Patriots trailing by double digits at halftime.
One reason for Phillys 22-12 halftime lead was game MVP Nick Foles becoming the first quarterback to throw and catch a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl.
Tight end Trey Burton, a college quarterback, had never thrown an NFL pass, and Foles had never caught one until they teamed up on fourth-and-goal from the 1.
Its not as if the Eagles were perfect. They Jim Kelly Jersey Youth , too, missed an extra point and also the 2-point conversion on their next touchdown, and coach Doug Pedersons decision to chase points early on loomed large when Tom Brady put the Patriots ahead 33-32 with his second touchdown strike to Rob Gronkowski with less than 10 minutes remaining.
Thats when the Eagles and offensive coordinator Frank Reich made their best decisions of the game. Foles executed the drive of a lifetime that ended with Ertz diving across the goal line after hauling in an 11-yard catch.
Reminiscent of Jesse James score for Pittsburgh against New England that was wiped out on review.
Ertz, whose Super Bowl triumph matched his wife, Julie, who won a world championship in soccer in 2015, lost control as he landed but grabbed the ball. The Eagles and their fans cautiously celebrated while awaiting Al Riverons crew in New York, which upheld the score, much to the Patriots chagrin.
Amendola, for one, thought it was the right call.
They called it a catch, three feet down and a football move, he said. I call it a catch.
Soon afterward, Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz made his best call of the game.
Unable to get to Brady all game, the Eagles exhausted defenders were finally able to catch their breath during Foles 14-play Odell Beckham Jr Jersey , 75-yard drive that included a fourth down conversion and ate up more than seven minutes of game clock.
We just couldnt get off the field on third down or make a play to get the ball back to our offense, cornerback Stephon Gilmore said.
We didnt do a good job of slowing them down, defensive back Duron Harmon said. I mean, we didnt stop them at all. So, thats exactly why they are the Super Bowl champs and were sitting here in second place.
Maybe if they had Butler in?
It doesnt matter, declared Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty.
Coach Bill Belichick said he played Eric Rowe in place of Butler for strategic, not disciplinary reasons, but he declined to elaborate on his move that surprised his team just before kickoff.
Rowe, himself, said Butler could have certainly helped the Patriots, who became the first team to lose an NFL game with a quarterback throwing for 500 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Yeah, we could have used anybody, he said.
Still, Brady was poised for another of his patented Super Bowl comebacks, hitting Gronk for 8 yards.
But on second-and-2 from his 33 Joe Namath Jersey Youth , the Eagles finally got to Brady, denying him a sixth ring and a fifth Super Bowl MVP honor.
Brandon Graham delivered one of the few defensive highlights in the most prolific offensive game in NFL history, beating Shaq Mason off the line, reaching his left hand out and punching the ball out of Bradys hands for a strip-sack. Rookie Derek Barnett pounced on the loose ball and Eagles fans began celebrating their first title since winning the 1960 NFL championship.
Brady had made the late-game comeback a specialty in winning a record five Super Bowl titles, including last years rally from 28-3 down to beat Atlanta in overtime. He also led late game-winning scoring drives to beat the Rams, Carolina and Seattle.
The Eagles showed no sign of slowing Brady down on Sunday as he threw for a playoff-record 505 yards and three touchdowns, carving up the defense at will on a night when the Patriots did not punt once or turn it over until Bradys late fumble.
Its tough to lose these games, Brady said. But you cant win the game if youre not in the game.
And Brady and Belichick have been to eight of them.
Eights enough, maybe.
Coordinators Matt Patricia and Josh McDaniels are ready for their own head coaching gigs.
The previous time the Patriots played Philadelphia in the Super Bowl, they hoisted their third trophy in four years. Then, they lost both coordinators and wouldnt hoist another one for a decade.
Then, theres the meeting with Brady, coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft to smooth things over after a reported falling-out follo. |
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