Still Searching for Answers

I still don't get it. 

One day later and I still don't understand what happened last night at the Meadowlands.  It's not the loss.  I didn't feel that great about last night's game even before we found out Westbrook wouldn't play.  It's a cliché but it's true, when the Eagles and Giants play, you might as well just flip a coin.  There's no way to predict what will happen.

It's the way the Eagles lost that's really eating at me. Fifteen penalties?  Twelve sacks?  Zero halftime adjustments?

That last bit is truly the most baffling.  Going quarter-by-quarter, the Eagles gave up two, three, three and four sacks.  They actually got worse as the game went on.  The natural human instinct when you're defenseless and someone's beating the crap out of you is to duck, cover-up or run away. 

The Eagles just stood there.

And watched their quarterback get beaten to a pulp.

Their expensive, frequently injured, not-going-anywhere-if-he-gets-hurt franchise quarterback.  Although by managing to escape last night (mostly) unscathed he may have answered the question of whether or not he's truly "fragile."

I also don't understand why they even needed to make adjustments.  They were facing a guy who had been on their coaching staff for seven years.  It's not like his scheme was unfamiliar.  And they knew they had a first-time starter at left tackle going up against a very, very good pass rusher.  No one expected the wheels to completely fall of they way they did, but surely the thought must have crossed their minds that maybe they would need to give him a little help at some point?

I just don't get it.

Of course, we know the season isn't over yet.  The Eagles face three winnable games after next week's bye, against the Jets, Chicago and Minnesota.  Obviously they could lose all three of those games as well, but the opportunities are at least there. 

Although if the offense doesn't get things figured out, that Chicago game could be particularly brutal to watch.  We might be playing offensive ineptitude Bingo that day on both sides -- ANOTHER dropped pass by a wide receiver on a play that didn't count because the left guard had false-started anyway.  BINGO!

But if the Eagles can somehow figure out how to turn things around, the team would then be 4-3, equaling last year's record at the same time.

And then they would face Dallas.