Eagles set to make fourth quarter history

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The Eagles promised us theyd make history this year. And they have.

Theyve secured their place in the record books as one of the worst fourth-quarter teams in NFL history.

In Andy Reids first 12 years as Eagles head coach, the Eagles led going into the fourth quarter of 111 games.

They went 100-11 in those games.

This year, theyve led going into the fourth quarter of eight games. Theyve gone 3-5 in those games.

So theyve lost about half as many fourth-quarter leads in one nightmarish half of one nightmarish season than they did over the past decade.

When it happens a couple times, maybe its a coincidence.

When it happens a few times, maybe its bad bounces, bad breaks.

When it happens five times in eight weeks?

It defines your team.

And unless something fundamental changes in the next few weeks, the 2011 Eagles will go down in history as not only one of the most underachieving and disappointing teams in NFL history but also as one of the softest and least clutch.

If youre good enough to lead in the final minutes of eight of nine games but unable to hang on and win those games, it speaks volumes about your coaching, your makeup, your leadership, your character, your heart.

Consider this: From 2000 through 2004, the five-year span in which the Eagles had by far the best record in football, they went 51-4 when leading going into the fourth quarter. Theyve already squandered more fourth-quarter leads through mid-November than they did during that entire five-year span.

Say what you want about Sean McDermott. He got fired after his defenses went 16-2 when leading after three quarters. Juan Castillos group has blown five fourth-quarter leads in the last eight weeks.

Even during their non-playoff seasons under Reid, the Eagles werent anywhere near this bad protecting leads. In 1999, 2005 and 2007Reids three non-winning seasons so farthe Eagles went 13-7 after taking a lead into the fourth quarter.

The last time they lost more games than they won when leading after 45 minutes was 1941, when they lost three of five.

That was 70 years ago.

The Eagles are the 10th team in NFL history to blow five fourth-quarter leads in a season. If they do it once more, theyll become the first team ever to fail to protect six fourth-quarter leads in the same season.

Going into Sundays game against the Giants, who are one of the best fourth-quarter teams in football, the Eagles have been outscored 74-27 in the fourth quarter. Theyre on pace to allow 131 fourth-quarter points, which would be the most in franchise history. The 1973 team allowed 121.

Theyre 31st in the NFL in fourth-quarter points, ahead of only the Rams, and they rank 27th in fourth-quarter points allowed, just six off the lead.

The Eagles scored 28 points in the fourth quarter last time they faced the Giants at the Meadowlands and have scored fewer than that all this year. Thats the last game they scored more than one fourth-quarter TD.

In three of the Eagles five fourth-quarter collapses, theyve led with under five minutes left. They led the Bears with 12:18 left, the Giants with 8:07 left, the Falcons with 4:48 left, the Cards with 3:13 left and the 49ers with 3:00 left.

In those five collapsesnot counting kneel-down possessionsopposing teams have scored on nine of 11 drives.

The only thing more disturbing than the Eagles fourth-quarter performance is the lack of answers the coaches seem to have.

Why were they outscored 14-0 in the fourth quarter by the Falcons, 15-0 by the Giants, 7-0 by the 49ers, 7-0 by the Redskins, 10-0 by the Bears and 14-3 by the Cards?

Reid: I think we all need to improve in the fourth quarter. Id like to be able to tell you its one thing. Do we need to score more points? Yes we do. So we need to stop them and we need to score more points? So, its both sides of the football, its not one particular thing.

OK, got that cleared up.

Juan Castillo: You know, that's something that guys work hard, everybody's working hard, you know we're working on the fundamentals. And then, you have to believe that things will change just like they did a few weeks ago and you have to believe in those fundamentals. That's what we've always done here and we've always been able to come out of this.

OK, thanks for that.

So 84-9 under Jim Johnson when leading into the fourth quarter, 16-2 under Sean McDermott when leading into the fourth quarter, 3-5 under Juan Castillo when leading into the fourth quarter.

That says it all.

But its not fair to blame the fourth-quarter collapses solely on the defense. The Eagles have scored only three fourth-quarter touchdowns all year, just one in their last four games.

The Eagles have committed five fourth-quarter turnovers, all with the game on the line, and forced just one.

We just keep talking about it, working at it, but it has to be more than that, defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins said. It has to come down to doing it. Were not doing it.

I guess were like a villain in a movie, where you beat up the guys in the beginning and they come back and get us in the end. We just have to focus on bringing that fight the whole game.

E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com

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