Maybe it's a testament to how poor this team has been at times this year, maybe the Bears game sapped our last drop of optimism... but this win has been followed with more "Yeah, buts" then I can ever remember. Not that I disagree...
The Eagles win a game against a bad football team - their specialty - promise to inflate that turnaround into a trend, and then stumble on the next rock placed in their path.
A win against the Lions was followed by the sleepwalking loss to the Giants. A win against the Jets was followed by the crushing collapse against the Bears.
For a week, anyway. There's a limit to how gushy you can be about a victory that pulls a team all the way up to 3-4.
While we're being cranky, yesterday could have been better - the Eagles could have scored a second-half touchdown in their 23-16, pulse-reviving win over the Minnesota Vikings; their defense could have forced a turnover. Those are the kinds of things that will matter more next week, when 6-1 Dallas visits, and the Birds try to prove they really, absolutely, belong back in the playoff discussion heading into the second half of the schedule.
You get the point. This temperature-taking is a lot more art than it is science. It is a lot more about impressions, and perceptions. More than anything, it is about hurdles - some physical, more mental; some of which are cleared cleanly, others that clatter noisily to the ground.
Giant leaps still must be made, however, if the Eagles' 23-16 victory over the Minnesota Vikings is going to have any significant meaning in the next two months while the NFC playoff race takes shape.
That's really the kind of game it was though wasn't it? There were dumb penalties(thanks Matt McCoy you sure earned that extra playing time I lobbied for!), the red zone offense really wasn't all that good(2 TDs in 5 trips), McNabb was still missing guys in key spots.. but like I said last week, this year is about improving. I still don't think this is a playoff team, but I really was encouraged by the questions the team answered yesterday. The run defense really isn't just luck, it's that good. McNabb is getting better, as the receivers. Sav Rocca had another big game & Chris Gocong is looking more and more like a player. So while we do temper expectations and say "yea, but" let's not lose sight of the good things that did happen.