I'm not getting carried away with the win, it's a win against the team with the best record in the NFL but it was far from pretty.
I have to admit I am really somewhat stunned about what we did to their defense. They were only missing one guy and have statistically been really, really good almost all year (save the Detroit game in week one). I think they came in with a game plan of really trying to take the run away (which they pretty much did) but they clearly underestimated how good their pass defense could play Prescott and our guys catching passes.
1) When Prescott threw that pick 6, I really thought the game was over. The defense slept through the first series and then that happens. It's too bad, because I think it was pretty much the only bad throw Prescott had the entire game. Looked like it would have been good for 20-25 yds or more had he gotten air under it. Kudos to him for shaking it off and coming back to have a really great game. I think the only other knocks would be not running out of bounds at 2:01 and then the inexplicable sack he took afterward. We didn't have much of a run game and he overcame 6 sacks, including the back to back sacks to make it 3rd and 30. The defense got the 4 turnovers (really 3, the RB just dropped the handoff on the other one) but otherwise did NOTHING the entire game. No forced punts, no sacks, NO QB KNOCKDOWNS (per the official stat line) and only two tackles for loss the entire game. Prescott carried the team last night.
2) Sensational game by Lamb. Clearly one if his best ever and it came against a team with statistically the best CB's in the league. He's a bonafide #1 guy for sure.
3) It hardly gets any mention, but the Brett Maher singing was one of the best, if not the best move of free agency. He is having an awesome year. Nailed every single kick last night.
4) Kellen Moore, for the last fucking time. GET RID OF THE GIMMICKY TRICK PLAYS.
5) Nice picks by Bland and Kearse to essentially take the ball away, and I believe it as Carlos Watkins that forced that end of game fumble. But otherwise, the defense was a complete, utter failure. This might be the worst defense in football right now. Didn't force a single punt. Didn't get a sack (again) and for the game was credited with not one single QB knockdown. They are averaging just under 38 pts a game since Prescott returned (which would be 2nd most in a year if averaged over the used to be 16 game season) but the defense has completely disappeared. About the only good thing the defense did other than the few takeaways is at least somewhat slow down the Eagles dominant run game.
6) Yes, I am taking a shot at the refs again, and it's completely warranted (as usual). I need to double check but when I looked after last weeks game, I believe the last time the other team was called for an offensive holding on a passing play was the 2nd quarter of the GREEN BAY game. That's SIX AND A HALF GAMES where not one single offensive holding call against our pass rush has been made. This is fucking impossible. Yesterday I did something I rarely do, which was switch on games all throughout the day. While watching bits and pieces of other games I saw no fewer than 5 offensive holding calls in those games. FIVE. We haven't gotten ONE in 6 and half games now. It's also getting ridiculous with how our guys are mugged running routes, including TY Hilton's 50+ play on 3rd and 30. Clearly interfered with and ref didn't blink an eye. Prescott also took a fairly blatant shot sliding and while that's an automatic call for almost every other QB in the league, we got nada.
7) It's still shocking we lucked into Daron Bland in the 5th rd. What a rookie year he is having. Does get beat some but he was a guy that they didn't even expect to play much this yr, and he now has 5 picks which is tied for 2nd in the league. With an offseason to develop and get a little stronger we could have a really bonafide #2 CB for years to come across from Diggs.
8) I don't remember seeing anyone comment on it, but the short yardage TD Zeke scored on might have been one of the best executed goal-line runs we have seen in a long time. The blocking was absolutely perfect.
9) Our defense far and away led the league in sacks after the Vikings game with 42. We were on pace to potentially shatter the team record for sacks in a season. Since that time (5 games) we have a grand total of 7 sacks, including two games with no sacks.
10) We caught another huge break with a QB injury, as Ryan Tannehill wont play Thursday night. If this defense can't hold the lowly Titans offense with a rookie smurf RB masquerading as a QB to less than 20 pts, there's just no hope for this.
