[Miami, FL] With QB Michael Vick back in the line-up, the Philadelphia Eagles had a good chance of winning on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins at home. But with Reggie Bush on a roll, the Dolphins have looked unstoppable as of late. Something had to give …
Unfortunately for the home fans it was the Dolphins who gave as the Eagles looked like the ‘Dream Team’ they were supposed to be at the start of the season.
The game started off great for the Dolphins, however. They forced the Eagles to punt on their first drive. With the ball back, Miami drove down to the Eagles’ 16-yard line with purpose and determination. Miami Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore threw a 16-yard touchdown to Brandon Marshall. Dolphins 7, Eagles 0.
It was in the second quarter that everything went downhill for Miami. On their own 13-yard line looking at 2nd & 7, Moore tried to hit Davone Bess on a deep pass down the middle of the field. The pass was intercepted by the Eagles safety Kurt Coleman, who returned it all the way to Miami’s one-yard line.
Two plays later, LeSean McCoy ran the ball into the end zone for a touchdown. Dolphins 7, Eagles 7.
It didn’t take long for Philly to score again. On the Eagles’ next possession, McCoy ran it in for a one-yard touchdown to put Philly up by seven. Eagles 14, Dolphins 7.
Another mishap: Moore tried to hit Bess on a short pass, but Bess fumbled the ball and it was recovered by the Eagles, who only managed a 40-yard field goal to put them up by 2 possessions. Eagles 17, Dolphins 7.
Photo: Miami Dolphins
New Miami Dolphins interim head coach Todd Bowles
On the next Miami possession, they were forced into a 3 & out and had to punt. The Eagles saw their chance to strike a decisive blow and that is exactly what they did. On 1st & 10 on Miami’s 34-yard line, Vick threw a long pass to DeSean Jackson for a touchdown. This one was becoming ugly.
At the end of the 1st half it was Eagles 24, Dolphins 7.
The rest of the game was controlled by the Eagles. They played great defense all around. The Dolphins just didn’t bring their ‘A’ game. In fact, the Dolphins played worse than they did at the beginning of the season, reminding everyone in attendance how bad things used to be just twelve weeks ago.
And to make matters worse, they sustained several key bang-ups, including Moore’s head injury which could be a serious concussion. Also, Jake Long suffered a back injury early in the game, while Vernon Carey re-aggravated his ankle ailment, adding insult to injury.
The game ended with the final score, Eagles 26, Dolphins 10.
“All the blame is squarely on our shoulders,” left guard Richie Incognito said of the Dolphins’ offensive line, who had given up just eight sacks over their previous five games. “We got [starting quarterback] Matt [Moore] hurt, and then [backup] J.P. [Losman] went down, so it is squarely on our shoulders.”
On Monday afternoon, Dolphins front office apparently had enough. After the embarrassing loss against the Eagles, the Miami Dolphins decided to fire head coach Tony Sparano. He had been on the hot seat for the whole season – but with the team’s surprising resurgence, it looked like he just might stay the whole season.
However, the loss against the Eagles – in such an unspectacular fashion, no less – cued the music and the front office said goodbye to Sparano.
It was announced that the Miami Dolphins’ defensive backs coach, Todd Bowles will take over as interim head coach for Miami.
By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate
Images: Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
