Eliminated

by JasonB on Dec 18, 2007 8:49 AM EST in News Comment 9 comments

Last night, thanks to a Vikings win the Eagles were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.

The Eagles were eliminated from playoff contention last night when the Vikings, coached by Andy Reid's long-time friend Brad Childress, beat the Bears for their fifth consecutive win.

One day after celebrating their biggest win of the year, 10-6 over the NFC East-champion Cowboys at Texas Stadium, the Eagles were mathematically eliminated from the NFC wild-card race.

This is the second time in three years, but only the second time this decade, that the Eagles won't participate in the postseason.

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I picked this team to go 11-5

Oh well.

by Blackacre on Dec 18, 2007 11:15 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

0-2 Start

You knew it was coming after the second week.

148 teams started 0-2 since 1990. Just 17 made the playoffs. Just 4 of 50 since the 2002 realignment.

The past 12 games has mostly been a lot of wishful thinking about a 10% outside chance.

by Andrew on Dec 18, 2007 1:37 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

the eagles started 0-2 a few years back

and made the playoffs...such recent history of them doing it was mostly the reason that i thought they could make the playoffs despite the bad start.

by eagleyosh on Dec 18, 2007 1:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

03

03 was nearly unrepeatable lighting in a bottle.

Of those 148 teams going 0-2, only 6 won 11 or more games. 92 Chargers, 93 Cowboys, 96 Patriots, 98 Jets, 01 Patriots, 03 Eagles.

For a team to start 0-2 and then end with 11+ wins means something really flukey was going on to start the season or something drastic changed very shortly into it. There wasn't anything flukey to start our season. We had a good defense, a QB recovering from injury, and injured Tight End, and bad special teams. The Eagles still have those situations.

by Andrew on Dec 18, 2007 3:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

03

The difference was that McNabb seemed to get healthy and/or otherwise raise his game to a high level more quickly and more consistently that season.

They were able to grind out a few sloppy wins against the Skins, the Bills, and the Giants (Westbrook's punt return), and then once McNabb got the cast off his thumb, it seemed like he pretty quickly started playing as well as he's ever played at any point in his career -- with Stinkston, Trash, and the People's Champ as his WRs.

2007 Philadelphia Eagles -- Thanks for the terrible memories!

by BrianS on Dec 18, 2007 3:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

too bad

I know that most people will disagree, but I think this team could have been dangerous in the playoffs. All season long, they have been a playmaking quarterback and a ballhawking defense away from being quite good in my opinion. The first issue seems to be coming along and while I'm not convinced on the latter I think getting the chance to play from ahead would have made a big difference. There is no team in the conference who the Eagles couldn't compete with.

by dave in san mateo on Dec 18, 2007 2:13 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

How exactly are the Eagles eliminated?

I'm trying to figure out how exactly the Eagles are eliminated.

Assuming the Vikes, Skins and Eagles all finish 8-8, then wouldn't it come down to a tie-breaker between these 3 teams? Here's the nfl tie-breaker for 3 teams:
Three or More Clubs

(Note: If two clubs remain tied after third or other clubs are eliminated during any step, tie breaker reverts to step 1 of the two-club format).

Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games among the clubs).
Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.

etc.
etc.

Since the Eagles went 2-1 vs MIN/WAS and MIN goes 1-1 vs PHI/WAS and WAS goes 1-2 vs MIN/PHI, then don't the Eagles get in??

Even if New Orleans finishes 8-8 too, the Eagles would 3-1 vs all of those teams in Tiebreaker scenario #1 and get in... I think...

I'm sure I'm missing something obvious since it's reported everywhere that the Eagles are out, but perhaps someone can shine some light on this for me.

by slackerjoe on Dec 19, 2007 6:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

division first

If Minnesota wins versus Washington next week, they are in, so we are assuming that Washington beats Minnesota next week and that both Washington and Minnesota lose in week 17. All three teams are tied at 8-8.

In a three or more team tie for the wild card where two of the teams are in the same division, the divisional tie breaker is applied to those two teams first and the bottom team is eliminated. Washington will hold the tie breaker over the Eagles on the basis division record.

Head to head (assuming Washington loses to Dallas both will be 2-4).
Common games (assuming that the Eagles win out and Washington beats Minnesota both will be 5-4).
Division record (assuming the Eagles beat New Orleans and Washington beats Minnesota and loses to Dallas the Eagles will be 5-7 and Washington will be 6-6).

On Sunday afternoon, things were looking very good for the Eagles but the results of the Washington/NY Giants game and the Minnesota/Chicago game absolutely killed them. Reverse those two results and an 8-8 Eagles team would have almost certainly been in.

by dave in san mateo on Dec 19, 2007 7:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs