Last night I predicted that it would be Andrew Luck leading the Colts to a 4th quarter rally. He almost did, with a chance to drive his team to a game-winning score, the Colts and Luck weren’t able to it happen. The play calling was terrible and thus the Eagles got the ball back with a chance to win the game. Various Philadelphia players stepped it up during the 4th quarter and rallied to win in Indianapolis, winning big on the road to stay undefeated and atop the NFC East. Just when the Eagles looked like they were going to be out of the game, their three best players made the plays necessary to stay in the game. Simply put: it was a back-and-forth game and when it mattered the most, Eagles’ players Nick Foles, LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles were the difference for their offense. When 3rd and long came around, it was the Philadelphia running game that converted, uncharacteristically with the type of high-octane offense that head coach Chip Kelly typically runs. What a game for Sproles, who looked like a young running back trying to earn his spot on the team and not a veteran who is backing up one of the best backs in the league. Let’s not ignore that the Eagles did have a bit of help from two different sources. The first was the Colts and their turnovers, both of which came at the hands of their running back Trent Richardson. Richardson actually had some good runs but because of those two fumbles, teamed with how back up Ahmad Bradshaw played, it’s very likely that Richardson will see his carries decline as the season progresses.

Now, it’s impossible to ignore the officiating late in the game. In every single game there are calls deemed “questionable” but it’s very rare that we get two calls around the same critical point in the game that fit the category. A key interception teamed with a key “horse collar” penalty favored Philadelphia, putting them in position for their game-tying drive in the fourth quarter. On the interception, it was clear that Colts’ T.Y. Hilton received some contact by the Eagles’ defender before his teammate came and intercepted the ball. Indianapolis protested but nothing came from it. Not too long after that, the Colts had the Eagles in a 3rd and long and tackled McCoy much before the first down line but were flagged for a personal foul. The replay clearly showed that McCoy was taken down by his jersey and not his collar. Eagles get a fresh set of downs and continue their drive to tie the game. But let’s not place the blame complete on the officiating because the Colts had their chances to keep their lead and overtake it late in the game. Sure, the calls went Philadelphia’s way but they still deserve praise for taking advantage of the situation. The Colts are 0-2, something that no one predicted before the season started. Luckily for them, they play in a bad division and their schedule doesn’t look too tough heading forward. The Eagles on the other hand sit 2-0 with some important games coming up so that will make a big difference if they hope to stay atop the NFC East.