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At 4-5, the Philadelphia Eagles' playoff chances are not looking great. And when things go wrong, people start pointing fingers and assigning blame.
Head Coach Doug Pederson is willing to fall back on the sword and take responsibility.
But WIP's Angelo Cataldi knows the real heart and wrote in detail about Philly Voice:
There will be no playoff run this year, no Lombardi Trophy, no parade. This season after Philadelphia's Super Bowl victory is officially a disaster. And in the hours after a 27-20 loss to Dallas at Lincoln Financial Field, the focus of fury has turned to defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who failed in spectacular fashion on national television with the season at stake.
There are cries today for Schwartz to lose his job – and you will read no defense of him here. The sad truth is, it's hard to imagine a more dramatic collapse by a more talented unit than the demolition of the defense on Sunday night. How could a group of players like Fletcher Cox stars, Malcolm Jenkins and Graham Brandon evaporate like that into the air?
Yes, there were many other culprits in this unimaginable defeat. Coach Doug Pederson called a dreadful game offensively, especially in the first half. Quarterback Carson Wentz threw a devastating interception early in the game. Golden Tate's new wide receiver has practically nothing in his Eagles' debut. But make no mistake. The defense was the story on Sunday night.
Against the 27th-ranked offense in the NFL, the Eagles forgot how to rush the passer, forgot how to cover the receivers and forgot how to tackle. They allowed the Cowboys to drive the length of the field after the two-minute warning in the first half, and then completely fell apart after that.
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To the surprise of no one – except for Schwartz – Dallas used the best three weapons repeatedly on those game-defining drives: Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper and Cole Beasley. Schwartz's brilliant strategy was not covered.
Meanwhile, there is no way to speak, and a single play that has been lost. Through it all, Schwartz rarely blitzed and offered nothing new or different to the Dallas attack.
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The best guess here is that Schwartz will offer no resistance this Tuesday, either. When it comes to defending itself – or anything else, for that matter – Schwartz prefers a passive approach. In fact, that's why the 2018 season is over for the Eagles.
Eagles coaches on the hot seat
Schwartz can offer a rebuttal when meets the media Tuesday at the NovaCare Complex in Philadelphia, Pa.
Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ rosenstein73. find NJ.com on Facebook.
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