Pats carve up blitzing Eagles

Houston Chronicle ^ | JOHN MCCLAIN

[Semi Civil Servant]

The Eagles' clock management and "slow down" two minute offense in Super Bowl 39 will make two great training videos: "How NOT to manage the clock" and "Taking it easy when the chips are down."

It was really pathetic. I didn't care who won, but I kept thinking "These are the two best teams in the NFL?"

[ProudVet77]

Two points:
1. The Pats use the two minute drill fairly often in a game when circumstances permit. So they have excellent clock management. Very disciplined, do it all the time.
2. I think what we saw in the Eagles is that they were physically beat up at the end of the game. They had players going down with cramps. They seemed to not be in a hurry to face another snap. The Patriot's owe a lot to their conditioning coach. They ALWAYS (almost) play a full 4 quarters.

[SkyPilot]

It wasn't just Mcnabb though. The Eagles seemed to have no game clock management whatsoever.

Amen to that. I watched McNabb all year, and he is a great quarterback, but he didn't show that last night. He was simply explosive at times this year---avoiding the rush, throwing on the run, keeping the ball and running when no one was open to get the first down, etc.

Not last night. And yes--that was simply terrible time management by the Eagles. One of the leading sports writers in Philadelphia said this morning that Coach Andy Reid has yet to answer that question: "What were you guys thinking?"