Sunday, December 7, 2008

Eagles-Giants: I Am Not Alone In My Disbelief

Just to be clear on this.. I still want Andy Reid to resign. Because ever since I threw the Biggest Loser under the bus, the Eagles are 2-0 with utter domination performances against two teams that are going to the playoffs, and have played their best two games of the season (assuming that you don't count the Rams game, and you really shouldn't).

How crazy good were the Eagles today? The final score could have easily been 26-0, on the road. It was 20-14 only on the second blocked field goal for a touchdown this year and a garbage time touchdown. Thanks to that garbage time drive, Eli Manning was able to post 13 for 27 for 123 and a touchdown; before that drive, it was more like 7 for 20 and 60 yards, though to be fair, he got absolutely no help from his receivers today. Dominik Hixson made every Giants fan think that the Plaxico Problem is going to be serious with a dropped deep ball that could have been six. Steve Smith made a bad drop on a third down play. Amani Toomer didn't have a catch before garbage time.

And that wasn't all. Antonio Pierce looked like a man who was just a wee bit distracted by life on two different Brian Westbrook touchdowns. Derrick Ward put a ball on the ground. Ahmad Bradshaw didn't do much, either. The Eagles just punched the Giants in the mouth with a repeated and effective running game; they even gave the ball to their best player, the suddenly hale Westbrook, 39 times (33 caries for 131, 6 catches for 72). Good grief. It was like they were well-coached or something.

Seriously, the best play for the Giants today was when the Eagles lined up for a field goal; that got them their only points, along with a morale-inspiring block.

For the road team, with the exception of David Akers -- and even he connected from 50+ today to give them the first lead of the day -- no one looked bad. They even covered tight end Kevin Boss very well today. Seriously, I have no idea who these guys wearing the laundry are; they bear almost no resemblance to the team that showed up the first twelve weeks.

And suddenly, it doesn't look too impossible for the team to make the playoffs. The Saints took out the Falcons, and the Eagles have the head-to-head matchup win there. Dallas and Washington are both underdogs in their late games today. The TB-Carolina loser will fall a game closer. They could be, at the end of the weekend, in the 8 spot with a game against the Cowboys at home still to play; all they'd need from there is a little more help from the NFC South to take the sixth spot, which would get them a road game against... the same Cardinals team that they obliterated on Thanksgiving.

Nice time to walk away, Andy. Think it over.

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