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They Are Who We Thought They Were
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Following a perplexing team through a confounding season into an unpredictable playoff has left Philly fans at a loss.
Eagles Nation wants answers: Who is this team? How far can it go? What’s taking Andy Reid’s beard so long to fill in?
I’d love to be the guy that allays your doubts. I’d love to be the one with all the answers.
Unfortunately, I have only one. And I’m not sure it offers much solace.
I know exactly who this team is—and so do you.
This is an Eagles team with a quarterback that excels at the 20-yard seam pass, the eight-yard in, and buying time in the backfield…and a quarterback who runs a three-minute drill with two minutes left, who mistakes his receivers’ ankles for hands, and who treats the line of scrimmage like the Bridge of Khazad-Dum (“You shall not pass!”).
The Birds have a coach that sticks by his players, takes gambles, and loves to throw the ball down the field…and a coach who adapts slower than the dodo, who is less successful on challenges than Crystal from “Survivor,” and who thinks running the ball is boring.
They have a running back who can score from anywhere on the field, is the best receiving back in the league, and always plays hurt…and a running back that is always playing hurt.
They have a big-play defense that can be dominant at times and carry the team to victory…and an undersized defense that can wear down when left on the field too long.
The Eagles are exactly who we thought they were—the same good-but-flawed team they have been all year.
Many critics have mistakenly called the Eagles inconsistent and unpredictable. That’s not accurate. They are very consistent…they are very predictable. The Birds consistently do well what they do well and predictably fail to improve at what they don’t do well.
The only “inconsistency” is whether their flaws wind up costing them the game.
The win Sunday over the Vikings was a perfect example of Eagles football. They moved the ball up-and-down the field but struggled to find the end zone. They bungled the two-minute drill twice in two minutes. And Donovan McNabb, once chided for being too cautious with the football, had two bad turnovers.
These are the same mistakes that cost Philly games this season in Chicago, Cincy, and twice against Washington. The same mistakes that almost cost both Reid and McNabb their jobs.
But this time the Eagles overcame their shortcomings with excellent defense and two huge plays (Samuel’s pick and Westbrook’s screen). This time, the Eagles hung tough and won despite their weaknesses.
So the money question is: Can the Eagles stay up on that tightrope? Are they good enough to continue to overcome their faults against better teams? Do they do enough good things to win a Super Bowl?
The simple answer is yes…YES THEY CAN.
But in order to do so the Birds are going to have to walk a mighty thin wire. They’ll need to be lucky enough to play three teams who couldn’t take advantage of their flaws—and that are good enough not to beat themselves.
In a wide-open year like this, where there is no clear favorite, that is a possibility.
Just pray that the offense isn’t forced to make a play in the final two minutes…and that Westbrook’s knee and ankle stay un-swollen…and that the defense can get off the field…and that the coach isn’t forced to change any game plans on the fly…and that the game doesn’t hinge on the quarterback hitting a crossing receiver in stride.
That’s the Eagles’ hope. They need a magical run of games that all play to the team’s strengths and hide their weaknesses.
If the Eagles path somehow nears that kind of yellow brick road…then yes, the Eagles can win this thing.
But if the Eagles are forced down a different path…if they find themselves in a game in which clock-management, or two-minute drills, or offensive adjustments are the determining factor…don’t expect the Eagles to come out on top.
This team is exactly who we thought it was. Its flaws are the same today as they were in Week 1. If you want to crown ’em, then crown ’em. But the only way this team is winning a Super Bowl is if other teams let them off the hook.
Is Reid's beard more Baron Davis or more Ron Burgundy? Can the Eagles win it all? Will the Giants end their run? Sound off here.
Message Edited by Lee_Russakoff on 01-05-2009 04:24 PM
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