DETROIT — From 1933 through the Miami game, three quarterbacks threw five touchdowns and no interceptions in a game against the Eagles. Frank Filchock in 1944, Don Meredith in 1966 and Eli Manning in 2012 in Andy Reid’s final game.
Now two have done it in the span of five days.
Nothing illustrates just how wretched the Eagles have become better than that.
After one of the worst two-game stretches in Eagles history — a 45-17 loss to the Bucs Sunday and a 45-14 loss to the Lions on Thursday (see Instant Replay) — it’s hard to imagine owner Jeff Lurie allowing this to continue without people losing their jobs.
So here is my Thanksgiving Day edition of Roob’s 10 observations.
And I didn’t even get to mention how bad Big Sean was.
NFL
1. Jeff Lurie is a patient guy, and a few weeks ago I wouldn’t have imagined any scenario in which he would make a coaching change after the season. Not when Chip Kelly went 10-6 his first two years. Not when he made what’s really designed to be a long-term move by giving him GM powers. But I don’t think anybody imagined it would get this bad this fast. The Eagles the last three weeks have played some of the worst football in franchise history. And that’s not hyperbole. They blew a 13-point lead at home, they became the first team in NFL history to allow a QB to throw five touchdowns and a back to run for 230 yards in the same game — again at home — and then they allowed three passing TDs in the first half for a second straight week for the first time in franchise history. This is uncharted waters. Honestly, this feels like 1994, Kotite’s last year. It feels like 1998, Ray Rhodes' last year. It feels like 2012, Big Red’s last year. A month ago I never dreamed I’d say this, but watching the Eagles these last few weeks, I don’t see how Lurie can bring Chip back for a fourth year (here's Kelly on the loss).
2. Another part of the equation for Lurie is that he’s very big on public perception. Lurie can’t be happy with the way Chip has handled the losing streak in public. He’s come across as unlikeable, arrogant and condescending these last few weeks, and if Lurie is teetering about whether to fire Kelly or not at the end of the season, Kelly’s demeanor could be a factor. Lurie wants a coach who is a classy, likeable front man for the organization, and Kelly has been anything but. You really tell a lot more about a man by how he handles losing than winning, and Kelly has really managed to turn off an entire city this year. If I was Lurie, I wouldn’t want him anywhere near my football team anymore (here are the players on Kelly).
3. Once upon a time — like a month ago — this was a pretty good secondary. I know, it’s hard to believe now, but the Eagles were 10th in the NFL seven weeks into the season with 10 touchdown passes allowed. They were battling for the ball, they were challenging receivers, they were tackling, they were aggressive and confident. Now they’re the second team in NFL history to allow five touchdown passes in back-to-back games (see story). I don’t even know how it’s possible to go from where they were to where they are. Somewhere along the line, this defense simply lost its heart. Lost its will. Lost its fight. I’m not entirely sure how much of it is Bill Davis’ fault, but I don’t think anybody would be surprised if Davis pays with his job as soon as the Eagles’ charter lands in Philly Thursday night.
4. To put the secondary’s performance in perspective: During the five years from 2000 through 2004, only three quarterbacks threw as many as three TDs in a game vs. Eagles — Brady, Peyton and Patrick Ramsey. In 2000, the Eagles allowed 11 passing touchdowns all year. Bobby. Troy. Dawk. Damon Moore. Times have changed.
5. This franchise has been around a long time, but this is the first time the Eagles have ever allowed 45 points in consecutive games. Think about that for a moment. They just allowed 90 points in five days. That ought to be impossible. The Eagles are making history all right.
6. Remember when we were all concerned that the Eagles might not go 3-0 against the three last-place teams they were about to face? In the span of 12 days, they got beat by three teams that were 7-17 at the start of this stretch. By a combined 110-43.
7. Back to Chip for a minute. He will now become the first Eagles coach since Marion Campbell in the mid-1980s to fail to advance to the second round of the playoffs in his first three seasons. Buddy Ryan won the NFC East in 1988 and got a first-round bye, Rich Kotite beat the Saints in a wild-card game at the Superdome in his second year, Ray Rhodes beat the Lions at the Vet in a wild-card in his first year, and by his third year, Andy Reid had reached the conference semifinals twice and gotten to an NFC championship game. This is three years now. And the Eagles are right back where they were when he got here. Except without LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson, Evan Mathis and next year’s second-round pick.
8. The Eagles have one takeaway during this three-game losing streak. And it was by Zach Ertz. That pretty much says it all.
9. Attention, Mr. Brady: No NFL team has ever allowed five touchdown passes in three straight games.
10. I’m hesitant to single out one guy after a loss like this, but it is just impossible to watch DeMarco Murray play football (more on Murray here). This franchise has such a proud history of running backs. Just in the last 20 years, we’ve seen Ricky Watters, Duce Staley, Correll Buckhalter, Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy come through Philly and run the ball with the hard-nosed mentality of a defensive player. I don’t know how Murray led the NFL in rushing last year. I guess that monstrous offensive line had a lot to do with it. But Murray just doesn’t even compete out there. He plays football like he doesn’t want to be playing football. Murray had another brutal performance Thursday, carrying 14 times for 30 yards for 2.1 yards per carry. I saw some life out of Kenjon Barner, who ran seven times for 30 yards late in the game. It’s time to sit Murray down and let him watch. I don’t care how much money he’s making. Enough.