Philadelphia Eagles' Ruffled Feathers: Team Lacks a Killer Instinct on Defense

There's a certain quality that all great team's possess: A killer instinct. Teams like the  Steelers, Buddy Ryan's Gang Green Defense, the '85 Bears, even the Super Bowl-winning Saints had it last season.

Do the Eagles? No.

The Eagles have lacked a killer instinct for the past two seasons, and it will soon catch up to them. Sunday's near monumental fourth-quarter collapse has to light a fire under the rear ends of these Birds.

Head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg's play calling when it comes time to put an opponent away has been horrible. This problem dates back to the last three wins of 2009. The Giants trailed 30-17 at the half, but came out and scored 14 unanswered points that should have never happened. The defense missed numerous tackles, a common theme from the season.

Against San Fransisco, the Eagles held a 20-3 halftime advantage, only to give up 10 unanswered points in the third quarter, the game remained close until LeSean McCoy put the dagger in with a one-yard touchdown run.

Then comes Denver, Philly held a 27-10 lead in the third, but 17 unanswered points turned what looked like an easy win into an edge of your seat thriller.

When it seems like the game is one stop from being over early, you can always count on the Eagles defense to fold. It's not like this unit doesn't have the talent, they have more talent than most defenses in the league.

It's not like they fail to just make stops, their doing the little things wrong: Penalties, missed tackles, blown coverages etc. Those are common mistakes for a young defense, but this unit isn't particularly young. Trent Cole is 28, Stewart Bradley is 26, Asante Samuel is 29, and Quintin Mikell is 30. The leaders of this defense need to step up and make the big plays when needed.

All too often do you see an opponent convert a key third down, or make a big play due to a blown assignment. In this defense, it's feast or famine, and Sunday should have been a feast. No, it wasn't all bad. In fact, the Eagles defense did a lot of good things on Sunday.

The secondary played very well for most of the game, as did the front four. But it was lapses in coverage, missed tackles and overall relaxed play late in the game that almost lost it.

Committing dumb penalties, getting caught over-pursuing and blowing coverages are simply not acceptable, especially against teams like the Lions and Jaguars. Sunday's meeting in Jacksonville is a big statement game for the defense.

If this ugly trend continues, games like Sunday will turn into losses. And it will eventually cost Andy Reid and Sean McDermott their jobs.