Eagles Poised for Jekyll and Hyde Season

Don`t plan the Super Bowl parade just yet. One week after dismantling Dallas and prompting comparisons to last year`s St. Louis Rams, the Philadelphia Eagles got a dose of reality.

If Philadelphia sent a message to the league last week with a 27-point victory over the Cowboys, the New York Giants sent one back with a dominating 33-18 victory Sunday: the Eagles aren`t quite ready to be contenders.

"We were not aggressive. We played hesitant football, almost afraid to make mistakes. You`ll see this from young teams that have success," coach Andy Reid said Monday. "All the media attention and the hoopla, we`re not going to use that as an excuse either. Good teams are able to blank all of those things out and eliminate distractions. The inconsistency between the two games is obviously not acceptable."

The Giants outplayed Philadelphia in nearly every facet of the game. New York shut down Duce Staley, limiting him to 11 yards, and pressured Donovan McNabb into hurried throws and ill-advised decisions.

After getting 425 yards in the 41-14 victory against Dallas, the Eagles were held to 237, with most of the yardage coming well after the outcome was decided.

Philadelphia went three-and-out on its first three possessions, and in four of five possessions in the first half. By that time, New York had a 20-3 lead.

"We played tight early. We played passive in situations where we`re normally aggressive," Reid said. "You better not lose that temperament that got you there."

McNabb finished 19-of-33 with a touchdown and 214 yards, his first 200-yard game as a pro. But he was 2-of-10 for 37 yards in the first half when it counted most.

"There were times the receivers and I weren`t on the same page," McNabb said. "There were times when we were on the same page, but they were covered. The Giants did a great job preparing for our formations. They had a feel for the routes we run, our formations and our protections. They were able to blitz, cover our hot guys and eliminate some of the things we do."

The Giants had a simple game plan: stop Staley and make McNabb throw. New York`s ability to contain Staley, who had 201 yards against Dallas, proved how vulnerable the Eagles are when forced to pass.

"It`s a challenge to our passing game," said receiver Charles Johnson. "Even if Duce had 60 yards against Dallas, we knew they were going to stop the run. You have a young quarterback and they`re going to test him. A defensive coordinator wouldn`t be a defensive coordinator if he didn`t do that."

Meanwhile, the Eagles` defense couldn`t do anything to prevent the Giants from converting third downs. New York was 7-of-14 on third downs, which explained the nearly 2-to-1 differential in time-of-possession.

"We didn`t come up with any big plays," said linebacker Jeremiah Trotter. "We couldn`t get off the field on third down. When they convert, you`re not doing your job. Anytime you are on the field 49 or 50 plays in a half, you get worn down."

The Eagles, who led the NFL with 46 turnovers last season, didn`t get any against New York. After getting five sacks and giving Troy Aikman another concussion, the Eagles sacked Kerry Collins just once.

Despite the loss, some of the veterans found a few positives. "Last week we were on the high, high end," Johnson said. "A lot of things will reveal itself this week. We lost a bad game and we played horrible. Now you see who really stands in your corner and who is beside you." (Copyright 2000 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Author: AP