Saints 10
Eagles 15
summary
.......
The defense did a fine job of keeping the Eagles of the endzone, but the
offense couldn't come through with the needed points.
play-by-play
............
Tyrone Hughes gave the O good field position by returning the opening
kickoff to the NO 45. Mario Bates picked up 4 yds on the Saints'
first play from scrimmage, then went around the end for 22 more on
the second play. On 3rd & 5, Jim Everett scrambled for the 1st down
yardage. The drive stalled, though, so Chip Lohmiller came on to
make a 35 yd FG.
A good tackle on the ensuing kickoff by Shane Pahukoa started the Eagles
at their own 16. Starting QB Rodney Peete moved the Eagles down the
field in the style of the West Coast offense with a series of 9 plays
that gained a total of 49 yds. Then on 3rd & 5 from the NO 35, Watters
caught a 12 yd pass. An 8 yd run by Garner & a 13 yd catch by Barnett
put the ball at the 2. The defense held its ground, though, by
stuffing Watters and Garner before forcing a 3rd down incompletion.
Gary Anderson kicked a 20 yd FG to tie the score with 58 seconds left
in the first quarter.
A clipping penalty on the kickoff started the Saints at their own 12.
A 3rd & 4 throw intended for Michael Haynes fell incomplete (it was either
good defense or a dropped pass, they never showed a replay). A good
punt by Klaus Wilmsmyer was fair caught at the 31.
After four short gainers moved the ball to midfield, an awful pass
interference call against Eric Allen gave Philadelphia a 1st at the
NO 21. On 3rd & 6 two plays later, another terrible interference call
was made when Tyrone Legette went for an interception. The D overcame
the flags when Ernest Dixon got a hand on the QB on 3rd & 8 from the 9-
the ball fluttered loose and Wayne Martin snagged it with one hand for
an INT.
Everett found Torrance Small for 20 on 3rd & 11 to move the sticks,
but the O couldn't manage another 1st. Kelvin Martin dodged tacklers
to return the punt to near midfield. A catch by West on 3rd & 5 gave
the Eagles a 1st at the NO 40, but a sack by Renaldo Turnbull and an
illegal motion penalty killed the drive. The Philadelphia special
teamers downed the punt at the 4.
Bates picked up 11 yds on the first play of the ensuing drive to get
the Saints out of the hole. The team missed a big opportunity on the
next play when Everett overthrew Quinn Early (who had gotten behind
the defense and was *wide* open for what probably would've been a TD).
A 20 yd throw to Wesley Walls two plays later moved the chains, but
again the Saints were unable to add another 1st. The punt went off
the side of Wilmsmeyer's foot to the 25.
With 61 seconds left before halftime, the Eagles moved quickly into
Saints territory thanks to a running play and a QB scramble that put
the ball at the NO 48. Martin caught a 17 yd pass two plays later on
3rd & 10, and Anderson came on to make a 44 yarder on the last play
of the half.
The Eagles continued with their short stuff to begin the second half.
Nine plays (Watters 2 run, Watters 7 run, Watters 3 run, Barnett 10
catch, Watters 12 run, Garner 2 run, Williams 16 catch, Watters 4 run,
Watters 2 run) set up 3rd & 4 from the NO 9. Peete took the ball into
the endzone on a QB draw, but it was called back due to a holding
penalty. Anderson made a 37 yarder to give the Eagles a 6 point lead.
Hughes again gave the O excellent field position by returning the
ensuing kickoff 48 yds to the Eagle 47. A 7 yd catch by Early and
a 4 yd run by Derek Brown moved the sticks, but on the next play
Mike Mamula beat William Roaf (for the second time) and sacked Everett.
The QB left the game with an ankle injury. Tom Hodson entered the
game & handed off to Small on an end-around, which went 45 yds for a TD
(thanks in part to a good downfield block by Jeff Uhlenhake). The
PAT put the Saints up by 1 with 7:19 left in the third quarter.
The Eagles returned the kickoff to the 37, but a backfield tackle by
Martin and a sack by the same guy on the next play put Philadelphia
in a 3rd & 15 situation. Unfortunately, Watters broke through some
tackles to take a screen 23 yds for the 1st. Two runs by Garner gave
the Eagles another first. Facing 3rd & 13 from the NO 37, Peete
found Williams for the needed yardage. The visitors failed to get
another 1st, though, so they booted a 38 yd FG.
The Saints went 3 & out when Hodson's 3rd & 4 pass was batted at the
line. The Eagles returned the punt to midfield & worked their way to
the NO 36 with a QB scramble, a Garner run, and a Watters reception.
The D forced them back away from FG range with consecutive sacks by
Israel Stanley and a blitzing Legette. The punt was fair-caught at
the 16.
On 3rd & 5 from the 21, Hodson made a good audible and found Small
for first down yardage. Unfortunately, Richard Cooper was flagged
for holding, so the play was negated. The Saints punted one play
later and the Eagles had the ball back at midfield again. Two runs
by Watters put the ball at the 31, but the D refused to let Philadelphia
enter the red zone. Anderson's fifth FG of the day (from 43 yds out)
gave the Eagles a 5 point lead with 7:24 left to play.
Jim Everett re-entered the game and found Small for 5 on 3rd & 3 from
the 31. He was unable to generate another first down, as he was sacked
on 3rd & 6 two plays later. A good roll allowed Wilmsmeyer's punt to
reach the 20. The D did its job by stuffing some Watters runs, but
another good effort by the Philadelphia special teams put the Saints
at their own 16 with 2:56 left on the clock.
The O didn't do much with the ball, as Everett got sacked on 1st down,
threw to Small for no gain on 2nd down, and threw incomplete on third
down. Facing 4th & 15 from the NO 11 with 1:58 left, Mora elected to
punt.
The D again got the ball back to the offense by doing the job on three
runs by Watters. The punt was short, but it rolled to the 13. The
Saints had to go 87 yds in 39 seconds (with no timeouts) to have any
hope of winning. The team wasted most of what little time remained
with a 2 yd dump pass to Brown that didn't get out of bounds. Everett
found Walls at the NO 43 two plays later, but his Hail Mary on the last
play of the game was intercepted.
drive chart & stats (from my notes, not official)
...................
(P)unt, (M)issed FG, (E)nd of period, (F)umble, (I)nterception, out of (D)owns
1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1
G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 G
S >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>3 4:13 Lohmiller
A >>>P 1:05
I >>>>>>>>>P 3:10
N >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>P 2:14
T ....................................................halftime
S >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>7 1:42 Small
| >>>P 1:32
| P<< 2:08
| >>>>P 2:36
| P<< 1:05
| >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I :39
| ....................................................gameover
| 20:24
1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1
G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 G
E >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>3 9:49 Anderson
A >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I 4:50
G >>>>P 3:38
L >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>3 1:01 Anderson
E ....................................................halftime
S >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>3 5:59 Anderson
| >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>3 6:01 Anderson
| P< 2:26
| >>>>>>>>>>>>3 2:48 Anderson
| >>>>>>>P 1:52
| P< 1:12
| ....................................................gameover
| 39:36
1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1
G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 G
.......throwin' & catchin'................../...runnin'....
Everett 1- 6
Hodson
Bates 1-5 12- 61
Brown 1- 2 2- 8
Neal 1-0
Walls 2- 48
Smith 1- 2
Early 2- 14
Small 4- 36 1- 45-1
incomplete 13 2
intercepted 1 0
10-24-102-0-1 2-4-5-0-0 16-120-1
Eagles: Peete 18-29-173-0-1, Watters 26-79
notes
.....
* Winfred Tubbs played and had a good game
* the offensive line did a poor job of protecting Everett
* Bates looked pretty good- he actually broke some tackles
* we find a different way to lose every week
*******************************************************************************
Frank Serpas III serpas@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu