With two weeks left in the regular season, 2010 probably is the most eventful year in Philadelphia Eagles history. Never before have so many stories transpired in one year.
Going back to that brutal playoff loss in Dallas, you knew that changes would be made. Not to this extent though.
In April (Easter evening at that), Philadelphia waved goodbye to quarterback Donovan McNabb after eleven seasons. At the time, the Eagles were foolish to trade him to a division rival in Washington, DC.
While it wasn’t as big a shocker as the McNabb trade, cornerback Sheldon Brown’s trade eventually left a bigger hole on the Eagles’ roster.
A few weeks later, Andy Reid and Co. selected 13 players in the NFL Draft. With this many rookies, 2nd/3rd year players and the promotion of Kevin Kolb to starting QB the Eagles insisted they were simply retooling, not rebuilding.
Many Eagle fans (myself included) predicted this would be a playoff-less season full of growing pains. A 7-9 finish was my projection.
Little did we know, a hit from Green Bay’s Clay Matthews would have such a huge impact. Kolb goes out with a concussion and is replaced by Michael Vick.
After a mediocre preseason, nobody could’ve predicted the MVP worthy season Vick is currently producing.
Vick was named the starter after Week 2’s victory in Detroit, but it wasn’t until after the Eagles’ Week 8 bye when Philadelphia was taken seriously.
Reid’s team defeated the Indianapolis Colts for the first time. The following week, the Eagles defeated the Redskins so bad it looked like Madden on the ‘rookie level’.
There was a grueling stretch of four games in three weeks. Philly survived by going 3-1 in that span. Then came this past Sunday.
As a child, I enjoyed watching games with my late grandfather. Anytime a Philly got a big lead on its opponent and I prematurely claimed a victory, he would calmly quote Yogi Berra’s line “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over”.
Finally, that statement worked in the Eagles favor with their greatest comeback in history. 28 points in less than eight minutes just doesn’t happen, especially in the Delaware Valley.
Because of this, the Eagles are positioned to win the NFC East and possibly earn a bye week in the playoffs.
What makes this even more amazing is they’re doing it with a patched up offensive line and defense.
Out goes Jamaal Jackson, in comes Mike McGlynn. Owen Schmitt for Leonard Weaver. Dimitri Patterson for Ellis Hobbs. The list goes on and on.
Whether convincingly or improbably, the Eagles keep finding a way to win. How far they can fly remains to be seen. Super Bowl or not, it’s already been an exciting season.
A picture perfect ending would be a February victory over the New Patriots in the home of the Cowboys! GO EAGLES!!!
Nice recap Haran,
It has truly been a wild ride this season, the most exciting that I can recall, lots of good games,
prime-time,4th quarter comebacks and the story of the return of M Vick as an Elite QB…
who would have thought… I think they continue this ride thru the playoffs and to the Super Bowl,
though there are some things they have to tighten up (as all teams do)
Happy Holidays …
I still can’t believe what happened Sunday.
A few weeks ago I went to the DFAC(Military jargon for Dining Facility) and an airmen said to me, “So you’re an Eagles fan?” I said “Yeah, you got a problem with it” giving him that I got a battery in my pocket if you say the wrong thing look….LOL!!! He proceeded to explain that he was a Cowboys fan and he felt the need to let me know that the season we were having was going to be short lived. HHHHMMMMM…..how should I respond I thought. So in the spirit of having a short lived successful season my response was the following:
The problem with you Cowboys fans is with the talent on your team. You were supposed to be playing in a Super Bowl that’s being held in your building, instead “y’all” totally f****d it up!! Now, there’s a new reality that most of you never even considered but is extremely significant. Two of your division rivals have a real chance of making it and winning. One(Philadelphia), possibly winning their first ever in your brand new billion dollar stadium. That something you will never get over. It’s like someone stealing your brand new car and the police recovering it and you getting it back. It’s still a brand new car but, you just don’t feel right in it anymore. I know people that have had that happen to them before and they just went out and got another car. You guys can’t just get a new building. You could stomach the idea of NY or Washington winning the super bowl your building a whole hell of a lot better than Philadelphia because they’ve won before but, no, not Philly, anybody but Philly, especially it being our first.
Every time we play you guys we would be the home team and that’s including both the game in Philly and Dallas. Once a year, every year! Cowboys stadium would become the Eagles nest, and we(Fans) would walk in screaming the Eagles have landed and there would be nothing you could do about it. Dallas could win the next 10 Super Bowls and it wouldn’t matter, none of them would be that one. Look at NY and what happen this past weekend. Every time they play the Eagles from now on the Miracle at the Meadowlands will always come up and fill us with fond memories and that building isn’t even a year old….WOW!!! What they’re feeling pales in comparison to what Dallas fans would feel if the Philadelphia Eagles won their first Super Bowl in Cowboys Stadium.
Dude looked at me and said, “You’re right I never thought about it that way” and walked off dejected. Talk about a wild ride!!!!
Good story Baghdaddy. The best sight would be Jerry Jones on the sideline handing the trophy to Lurie…..realize owners don’t do that but it would be soooo sweet.