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Game 3: Philadelphia @ St Louis |
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After going up the Gateway Arch, followed by a few free beers courtesy of the Anheuser-Busch corporation (we took the Bud factory tour), we headed out to meet Joe. As is quite often the case, Joe had a photographer in tow. Joe very kindly showed us around the tailgate, and intorduced us to some very interesting folks. The people that amused us the most were two couples who had decided to buy an RV to deck out in Rams stuff and use for tailgating. They had gotten tired of carting heaps of stuff to games and thought an RV would solve their problems, and knowing a bit about mechanics, thought they could buy one that needed work and do it up. After a while, they happened across a vehicle that fitted the bill. When they approached the vendor, he told them if they could get it started, they could have it. They gave the vendor $1 each, to ensure it was a legal transaction, got it started and took it away. The vehicle had been in the vendor's yard for a long time, but with a lot of cleaning and some work the RV was as good as new, and had lots of extras, such as built-in TVs. When they got the paperwork from the vendor, it turned out that he had only just finished the repayments on it! It was an amazing story. |
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Joe - the perfect St Louis Tailgate Tour Guide |
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After saying our goodbyes to Joe, it was time to enter the beautiful Edward Jones Dome. Lou guided us via concessions selling Jagermeister and Sam Adams before we took our seats to watch Monday Night Football. This contest would be slightly unusual as only one and a half teams were playing. |
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The Eagles had dominated the NFC and had already clinched the bye week in the playoffs. They had taken the decision to rest their starters or only use them for one series and then let the backups take over. But the game did start as normal with only ‘The Freak’ Jevon Kearse being on the bench the entire game. |
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The Rams received the kickoff and had a very unusual opening drive. Typical of head coach Mad Mike Martz, it consisted of calling 10 straight rush plays for 73 yards by #28 Marshall Faulk and impressive rookie #39 Steven Jackson who scored the 5 yd Touchdown. |
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Rookie Steven Jackson scores the first points of the night |
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Then it was time for Donovan McNabb and the Philly starters to take the field. Brian Westbrook was injured so #25 Dorsey Levens did the rushing and McNabb was a perfect 3 of 3 for 36 yards and the tying TD to #84 Freddie Mitchell. Kicker #2 David Akers (Berlin, 1999) slotted through the extra point. That was a nice day's work done for Donovan. |
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St Louis’ next drive got stalled just beyond midfield and Martz officially went mad and sent his men into punt formation however instead of sending their punter 2003 Claymore #2 Kevin Stemke, they sent kicker #14 Jeff Wilkins out. The radio commentators guessed it would be a fake, every fan in the stadium guessed it would be a fake and most importantly the Philly Defence guessed it would be a fake. |
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Here is the picture of Jeff Wilkins passing the ball. He was passing to a heavily covered #89 Dane Looker (Berlin 02). |
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As Dane went up for the ball so did cornerback #31 Dexter Wynn who looked to bobble it, but come down with an interception. |
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Now came the part even stranger than the playcall. Philly challenged that it had not intercepted but that they were sure their player had dropped it. After review it was ruled incomplete. Because it was fourth down and Philly were going to get the ball turned over on downs anyway, they would have better field position if it was incomplete and the ball would be at the Philly 41 then if it were intercepted which would have the ball at the Philly 10. |
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However it didn’t matter as Philly then went 3 and out and the ball was punted away by Rhein’s 2002 punter #8 Dirk Johnson. St Louis’ next drive also came to nothing as Wilkins’ FG attempt went wide left. |
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At this point, Philly benched all their starters and in came QB #10 Koy Detmer (who worked out long ago that the only reason he is still on the team is that he is David Akers trusted FG Holder), and RB #34 Reno Mahe took over the reins to go 3 and out again. Koy would finish the day going 1 of 6 for 5 yards. |
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Rams QB #10 Marc Bulger then prosecuted another long drive behind a veteran O-line anchored by Center #67 Andy McCollum (Barcelona 95) and Left Guard #61 Tom Nütten (Amsterdam 98). Tom had also spent that spring on the coaching staff of the Cologne Centurions in the excellent new NFL players association Coaching Internship which gives current and former players coaching experience in Europe to better prepare then for life after pads. A Jeff Wilkins FG ended this drive and the half. |
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Nütten (#61) and McCollum (#67) help to keep the play alive. |
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During Halftime, two former players were honoured in the Rams' Ring of Fame and of all the players they could have picked, we had seen them both before. Eric Dickerson had been a sideline reporter and Bob Brown was at Pro Bowl last year on induction to the NFL Hall of Fame. |
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The second half started with Koy Detmer predictably going 3 and out. This was followed by a long St Louis drive behind the legs of Steven Jackson. Isaac Bruce snared the short Bulger TD pass. |
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On the Eagles next drive, Koy Detmer predictably went 3 and out. This was followed by a long St Louis drive behind the legs of Steven Jackson. Hmm... The drive ended with it ended in a fine Kevin Stemke (Claymores, 03) punt. |
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Now it was time for QB #11 Jeff Blake to take the snaps for Philly. He would have predictably gone 3 and out if Philly hadn’t been given a first down on a defensive penalty. |
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Bulger set straight back to work and completed a 30 yard pass to WR #83 Kevin Curtis, however Curtis was then tackled by Philly LB #57 Keith Adams (Berlin, 02) who stripped the ball and it was recovered by the defence. |
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Blake’s offence again came to nothing and the Rams next drive tacked on the last 3 points of the game from the boot of Wilkins with 5 minutes left to play. |
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The last unfortunate act of this game was a bone crunching hit on Philly’s rookie FB #41 Thomas Tapeh by LB #50 Pisa Tinoisamoa, after which Tapeh was fully strapped down to a spinal board with his helmet still on and taken of the field on the cart. We learned later that the tests in hospital were negative and he was released the next day. |
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FINAL SCORE: Philadelphia Eagles 7 - 20 St Louis Rams |
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