Philadelphia Eagles Played Scared, and It Cost Them a Win

Two teams came into a Week 8 NFL contest at 5-1. One team continued its unprecedented run of success, and the other went home 5-2. 

That's five wins, and two short yards from being undefeated.

And the only thing we have to blame is fear itself. 

Like the first time against the San Francisco 49ers, it again came down to a goal-line stand for the Philadelphia Eagles. But this time, against the Arizona Cardinals, head coach Chip Kelly let a past action of failure dictate a present failure to take action. 

With the game tied at 17-17 and on the heals of a healthy drive which began at their own 20 with nine minutes remaining, the Eagles ultimately found themselves in a 4th-and-1 at the two-minute warning.

For the vast majority of people watching, the decision seemed clear: Go for it.  

In fact, the Eagles could have actually earned another set of downs without even scoring, as the first-down marker was before the goal-line. Accomplishing this would have allowed them to ostensibly run out the clock—or at least force the Cardinals to burn their final two timeouts—even if they still settled for a field goal. 

However, that scenario never had a chance to play out, as Philadelphia settled for three all along.

Kelly's response? He had faith in his defense. 

My response? It's a lame response.

Mind you, that sentiment is not an indictment of Philly's continuously improving D—although the secondary did get torched for much of the afternoon, mainly at the hands of legendary Bird-killer Larry Fitzgerald and 64-year-old Carson Palmer.

But what does it say about your confidence in the offensive line, which provided stellar protection throughout the game (penalties notwithstanding)? What does it say about your 6'6'' quarterback, or your elite running back, that neither were given the opportunity move the ball the length of a...well, ball?

And why didn't Nick Foles get the chance? According to Kelly, because it failed once before. 

So there you have it, kids: If at first you don't succeed...just give up. 

In a game which looked more reminiscent of a contest coached by Kelly's predecessor, Andy Reid—both statistically (more than double the amount of pass to run attempts) as well as postgame sound bites complete with some dumbfounding explanations—it all would have been a moot point on simply one play, whether it was executed effectively or not. 

The reason being? Going for it was the right move to make. It sends the right message—not just to his players, but to the opponent, future opponents and fans alike. 

Meanwhile, on the ensuing drive, the Cardinals, faced with a 3rd-and-5 deep in their own territory, threw caution to the wind. "Caution" turned out to be 75 yards to pay dirt to rookie John Brown, who caught it Willie Mays-style as he burned past the oft-maligned Nate Allen, who broke the cardinal rule for safeties playing prevent: Don't let the receiver get behind you. 

"...When there's a touchdown involved in the play, never pass it up," said Arizona head coach Bruce Arians in a postgame interview with the Associated Press. "Don't play scared, play smart." 

Kelly played it scared. Arians played it smart. 

Yes, the Eagles had one more chance at the end, even after the Cardinals' supposed backbreaking score to take the lead. And yes, that chance was also mere inches away from turning the tables once more. 

It just didn't have to come to that. 

Last year, Chip Kelly forever ingrained himself into local sports folklore with a simple quote: "We're from Philadelphia, and we fight." 

The problem is, this time around, what was preached was simply not practiced.