In Denial

4-8 ? So what, we got this. Now that Vick is expected to come back and with a game against the Dolphins, this is the perfect time to start our come back. Last year the Seahawks made the playoffs with a 7-9 record, a 7-9 RECORD !!! Now we still need some things to go our way, but if we can win out the rest of the way, at 8--8, we should still have an outside shot at maybe sneaking into the playoffs. Here's what needs to happen.

Dallas

Dallas has to go 1-4 with their only win coming against the Cardinals or Bucs or Giants. The Giants have to win 1 out of 2 at least and of course the Birds have to beat them. Is this possible ? Well, as we've learned this season, anything is possible. And if the Cowboys can go 0-5, even better. We definitely need a lot of help, from the Cards, Bucs and the Giants. But it can be done. Keep your eyes on the scoreboards, hopefully Kevin Kolb and the Cards can start the losing streak this weekend for the Boys. As we saw, Dallas isn't that great, they can be stopped and even blown out. So why not ? Are you believing ? Yeah, me too.

Giants

Now the Giants have to go 2-3, and that's very possible and realistic. Dallas twice, Green Bay, the Jets and the Redskins left on their schedule, you can easily see them lose to the Packers, Dallas at least once, and the last loss can be against any of their other 3 remaining games: the Jets, Redskins or the other Dallas game.

So you see folks, we are not quite out of this. The only caveat is that the Birds have to go 4-0. And that is the only thing I'm uncertain about. Our fellow NFC East rivals can definitely fall apart, but I'm not so sure if we can win 4 straight, or even get one win at this point. How can you go from almost beating the Packers in the playoffs to this ? Is it that big of a drop off from Sean McDermott to Juan Castillio, Kolb to Young, Ernie Sims to Brian Rolle, or from Dmitri Patterson to Nnamdi Asomugha ??? Where did it go wrong ? Is it because DeSean chose not to play this year ? Or because the Eagles front office fucked up in their evaluation of an unhappy Desean ? Is it because, like Asante insinuated, the front office thinks it's playing fantasy football, especially Howie Roseman who got the keys to a Ferrari without a driver's license ? Is it the league catching upto Vick ? Is it the front office being too cheap to sign their leaders (i.e. Mikell, Bradley etc) and going with unproven commodities (i.e. Nate Allen, Kurt Coleman, Casey Matthews etc) ? Is it the lockout ? Is it the new scheme on offensive line and a total overhaul on the defensive coaching staff and their scheme ? Is it the Wide-9 ? Is it maybe Marty Morhnigweg and his inability to call a balanced game while hiding behind big bro Andy Reid ? Is Andy Reid to blame for this meltdown for all the decisions he made in the off-season and continuing into the season ? Or is it a combination of all these factors creating a perfect storm of shock, awe and despair around the Eagle Nation ?

Phew. That was a lot.

I think we just need to flush this season down the toilet. Forget it ever happened. And like a lot of people have said, get ready for the draft and next season. We definitely have some draft picks to work with, so there should be even more talent added to this squad next year. But as we've learned, talent does not equal wins, a fact that is still missed on LeSean McCoy, who keeps saying, even after the Seahawks loss that:

That's a good team over there, but I felt we were a far better team. We are far, far better. We have far more talent, and we didn't get it done. We played poorly today.

Now Mr Shady, you're one of the few stars of this horrible season, but what are you failing to understand ? I understand the competitive nature of these players, who refuse to lose faith in themselves, but at some point you have to be realistic. By the end of the season, hopefully even McCoy will understand that talent does not equal wins. Don't mean to pick on McCoy who doesn't deserve any blame for this season, but those types of statements really get to you. Wake up !!! You are not that good, you're 4-8, and that overconfidence is part of the reason you are tied for the worst record in the Division with the lowly Redskins. But that's what you get when you put a bunch of All-Stars on a team and expect them to just win the games based on the names on the back of their Jerseys. It doesn't work that way, and we had to learn this the hard way this year. Even the Phillies, if I may change sports, with their All-Star rotation, couldn't get past the Cardinals in the first round of the post-season. The lesson in all this is that: You can't buy a championship !!!! You have to earn it.

Now maybe this season is just an anomaly and things will go back to normal next year, maybe. But for now, we're stuck with this bitter pill that we're gonna have to keep swallowing daily until we prove otherwise next year. That's why I still hope for that 4-0 record and a total and complete breakdown for the Giants and the Cowboys. That's my only hope for this season, only hope to get through the off-season and into next September. Until we start this dance all over again, only to be disappointed yet another time. Maybe we'll never win a championship, maybe the Eagles are the cursed franchise in Football. Maybe this is our fate. Oh well, at least that'll give us a chance to boo some more, which seems to be much more satisfying these days.

P.S.

Dear Howie Roseman,

Can we get some real linebackers and/or safeties next year ? Or how about a punt/kick returner so you don't put DeSean or DRC or Dion Lewis or Chad Hall back there next year ? Or how about actually trading one of the extra cb's that you have on the squad who have no value as a slot corner ? How about someone on that d-line who doesn't get pushed around on each run play ? Are you listening ? Are you there ? HELLOOOOO....