So I get home last night after a thrilling Mariners’ victory at Safeco (walk-off HR from the much-and-rightly-maligned Richie Sexson), bag of Dick’s in hand, and flip on the DVR for the NFL Network broadcast of the Birds’ preseason opener against the Ravens.

It took about six minutes for a very familiar flavor of disappointment to surface.

Yes yes, I know it’s just the first preseason game and all that. But did the Ravens HAVE to march right down the field and score a touchdown on their first possession? Isn’t that exactly what the problem was ALL last season? Hasn’t shoring up the front seven of the defense been the entire focus of the offseason personnel moves?

They didn’t get pushed around, but they did get outplayed. They couldn’t get to the QB (they were close, sure, but the Ravens always made the play) and the tackling looked sloppy. Lots of misses in there — especially in the opening series.

Ugh.

Watching the Ravens march down the field like that only solidifies the position of “The defense can’t actually get off the field” atop my personal Eagles-related anxiety depth chart. Yes, even ahead of Dunavin’s knee.

Link:
Shaky start for Birds [Inside the Iggles]