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Season Of Broken Dreams Will End With False Hope
The Eagles will take on the Buffalo Bills later today in their season finale. The playoffs are out of the question for both clubs. It's truly a meaningless game, unless you happen to wear an Eagles' jersey or headset. The team seems bound and determined to prove the first 13 games of the season were nothing more than a fluke. A series of bad breaks mostly caused by a certain quarterback's slow recovery from a terrible injury suffered in 2006."Look at the last three games!" They'll cry over the offseason. As if these three games should carry more weight than the first 13. Today's game is going to be a win. Donovan McNabb will probably look very good in this game, and everyone involved will smile his way off the field. If the team could write the headlines, every single one would say, "The Eagles Are Back! Wait 'Til Next Year!"
It's a sham. It's a smokescreen. Certain members of the team have made great strides, without a doubt. Brian Westbrook has established himself as possibly the best running back in the NFL, certainly in the top 3. The young guys on defense have stepped up their game. Brent Celek may have showed the organization that letting L.J. Smith and his injuries hobble away in the offseason isn't the end of the world. Beyond that, we're in the exact same boat we were 4 weeks ago when the sky was falling down.
This team is not a Super Bowl contender as constructed. It starts with Donovan McNabb, and/or the wide receivers. Take your pick. If McNabb is going to be the QB, you need at least 1 game-changing wide receiver. If you're going to go with the same WR crew, you need a different QB. It's as simple as that. On defense, you need some playmakers at the WR position and some depth in the defensive backfield. This has not changed. This will not change between now and opening day of 2008.
If the Eagles organization spends the offseason thinking they have the foundation for a contending team (or completely distracted and on a leave of absence to tend to personal matters in the Big House), we're going to be in for another .500 season next year, if we're lucky.
Changes need to be made.
There, I said it. Now let's sit down, forget about the future and enjoy the last 60 minutes of meaningful-ish football we'll get to see this season as Eagles' fans. This may be the last time we see good old number 5 in an Eagles uniform, maybe he'll deliver a game for the ages.
Let's Go Birds.
I couldn't agree with you more.
This team has its bright spots, but glaring black holes as well. The secondary should have been addressed in the draft last year. There is forever a need for a big, physical game changing WR but the Eagle history of drafting a WR has been one of disappointments. Aging vets William Thomas and John Runyan will need replacements on the line sooner rather than later. David Akers is coming off of two sub par seasons. Special teams sorely misses John Harbaugh.
And again, there's McNabb. What do you do there? It would be easier if he had a bad game against the piss poor Nills to say he's done here, but he may wind up looking good today since it doesn't really matter. This team isn't going anywhere with Feeley and Kolb is far from ready. A win today makes them .500 and moves them down in the draft order. As much as I love my Eagles, it might be better for them to finish 7-9 as it may force changes and disrupt the same old, same old philosophy of this team.
JJ,
Ideally, McNabb would play well today and his trade value would peak as the season comes to an end, then the Eagles would unload him while his value is high.
I just hope Reid doesn't bury his head in the sand and pretend like this team is complete this offseason.
Unfortunately I think you hit the nail on the head as to how Reid will react.
Game time, and Runyan was injured with a concussion and replaced by Winston Justice. How did that happen?
Celek inadvertently kneed him in the noggin.
OUCH... hurt by one of our own.
When are they going to put Kolb in?
I have no idea. He should be in there now.
Agreed. Even McNabb supposedly said Kolb worked hard and deserves some playing time.
The Bills are going to run the clock out on this drive and we're never going to get to see Kolb :(
Did you hear the talk about Harbaugh being the runner up for the UCLA job? He's going to get a chance somewhere and we're going to lose him.
Yep. The only reason we haven't lost Jim Johnson is that he's older than dirt. Harbaugh is just about the right age to at least be a coordinator somewhere in the NFL, or a head coach in college.
Did you see on the kickoff, THREE missed tackles? The magician had to make the tackle, and earlier Rocca made a tackle too. They miss Harbaugh coaching special teams.
Stewart Bradley shows some promise. Is he the guy who replaced Gaither last week due to injury?
Yeah, Bradley's looked really good in the past two weeks. He and Celek are bright spots.
What do you think the Eagle's first round pick will be? Or given Reid's hard head, what do you think it should be?
Should be WR or DB. Will be an O-Lineman, probably.
Just as your article says, they're talking about how great these Eagles look and how they don't look like an 8 - 8 team. To me, they look like they're lucky to be 8 - 8.
Do you think McNabb is going to be back?