The Eagles have faced plenty of criticism for their stunning 27-24 loss to the lowly Washington Redskins on Saturday, a defeat that dealt a serious blow to their playoff chances.
One of the many puzzling decisions by head coach Chip Kelly in the loss? His decision to stop running the ball in the second half.
Speaking on the NFL Network after the game, former Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl receiver Michael Irvin ripped the Eagles for refusing to run the ball as their season was slipping away.
"They don't play physical football," Irvin said on the NFL Network. "Bottom line, you have to be man enough to say we're going to run this ball down your throat and hit you in the mouth, and they can't do it."
The Eagles gave the ball to running back LeSean McCoy only nine times in the second half of their loss to the Redskins on Saturday, and he gained just 17 yards. McCoy rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.
Kelly passed up an opportunity to run the ball on fourth-and-one at the Redskins' 28-yard line late in the third quarter, a moment that would seem to fit Irvin's take that a team should prove they can run the ball when it matters most.
As McCoy waited on the sideline, the Eagles put the ball in the hands of quarterback Mark Sanchez. Of Sanchez's 50 attempts, 27 came in the final two quarters. When the Eagles needed to score late in the game, Kelly called for a pass in 14 of the team's final 15 plays.
"You cannot have him throw the football 50 times," NFL analyst Sterling Sharpe said. "I don't care what the situation was. Every throw after 30 [attempts], his accuracy suffers."
That proved to be true, as Sanchez threw an interception to Redskins cornerback Bashaud Breeland with just 1:36 left in the fourth quarter and the Eagles on the Redskins' 48 yard line with the game tied. Eight plays later, Redskins kicker Kai Forbath kicked the game-winning 26-yard field goal.
The Eagles' struggles running the ball this season have been well documented. McCoy has only topped 100 yards four times, and hasn't done it in the team's last three games.
Part of the blame for his lack of production belongs on the running back himself, but the coaching staff hasn't given him many chances. After saying he looked forward to carrying the offense in the cold month of December, McCoy is averaging just 18.3 carries per game the past three weeks, all critical Eagles' losses.
"If you can't (run) it in the National Football League, you tuck your tail, you take your b**t and you go home," Irvin said. "That's what Philly is about to do."
Eliot Shorr-Parks may be reached at eshorrpa@nj.com. Follow him on Twitter @EliotShorrParks. Find NJ.com Sports on Facebook.
Source: http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2014/12/dallas_cowboys_legend_michael_irvin_says_eagles_arent_man_enough_to_run_ball_when_it_matters_most.html
