It wasn't supposed to be like this. The Eagles, coming off a season in 2010 in which they established a franchise record for points scored for a third straight year, fortified the offense by using a first-round draft pick on right guard Danny Watkins, adding a legend to coach the offensive line and brought in a proven winner to back up starting quarterback Michael Vick.
There have been stumbles along the way, though. A league-most 29 turnovers have stunted the scoring effort despite having the NFL's top runner, LeSean McCoy. Inefficiency in the red zone has been the thorn in offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg's grand plan, which was to devastate defenses with a fast-break passing game and a door-slamming ground attack.
Vick and leading wide receiver Jeremy Maclin missed the most recent three games and the offense struggled to score 17 points against the Giants, 20 against New England and 14 in Seattle.
There will be, barring a remarkable explosion in the final four games, a fourth-straight season of record points scored. Instead, the Eagles are looking to get back on track and re-establish some stability on offense before they go into the self-evaluation portion of the process.
"Too many mistakes and too much inconsistency," said McCoy, who is on the way to his first Pro Bowl and who has become one of the best, if not the very best, all-around backs in the league. "You can't score points if you turn the ball over."
Indeed, the giveaways have been the most damning of the offense's bugaboos this year, particularly those in the red zone (inside the opposition's 20-yard line). In the opener at St. Louis, Vick was sacked and fumbled inside the Rams 10-yard line. A week later, in Atlanta, a handoff to McCoy was blown up by defensive tackle Peria Jerry and Atlanta recovered and ended an Eagles rally. The first drive of the game in the home opener against the Giants went up in smoke when Vick's pass clanged off the hands of wide receiver Steve Smith and was intercepted by the Giants to end an Eagles threat.
On and on it has gone. Against the 49ers, that ill-fated Ronnie Brown run/pass option play failed (part of a miserable 2-of-7 red-zone performance). In Buffalo, Vick threw a pair of interceptions inside the Bills' 35-yard line.
So, you get the idea. The Eagles have been far too generous with the football and they have not been good enough in the red zone. These are not new themes.
The offense hopes, in the final four weeks of the season (barring a football miracle), to regain some solid footing.
"You want to go out and execute the offense," said Vick. "The plays are there to be made. We just haven't been consistent enough making them."
Will Mornhinweg tweak the scheme with Vick and Maclin hopefully on the mend? We'll see about that. The Eagles like to pass the football, as do all of the really successful offenses in the league -- look it up, please, before complaining about the run/pass ratio -- but they have to execute the blueprint to make it work.
McCoy has been a revelation this year, but his numbers are buried in the glare of the 4-8 record. DeSean Jackson has not been a consistent producer and tight end Brent Celek has been in and out of the passing game.
What the Eagles know is that when they get it going, the only team to stop them is themselves. The offensive line has made great strides this year and could be a strength for many years to come. The potency at the skill positions is great. The scheme works and has for years.
Can the Eagles play good, consistent, touchdown-scoring offense over the next four weeks?
These are important games for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is to get the offense to feel good about itself and to get into some kind of positive groove for the remainder of the campaign. Vick has missed three games, during which time Vince Young went 1-2 and was as inconsistent as the Eagles have been all year. Vick said he felt great on Monday and that he is looking forward to playing a Miami team that has a 3-4 scheme with good cornerbacks and a very aggressive front seven. The Dolphins are going to go after Vick, that much is for sure.
The Eagles need answers, then. They need to approach Sunday as a fresh start, the beginning of a new season and something that can carry over to 2012. The formula includes reducing giveaways, improving efficiency and making sure there is offensive balance. Do that and the points will pile up, as they have the last three record-setting seasons.
