Yes, it's possible. Is it too early be arriving at that conclusion? Probably. But when judging the Eagles, one has to consider certain truths and myths regarding this season.
Myth: Donovan McNabb isn't the same quarterback he once was. He's holding the Eagles back and he needs to go.
Truth: Look, he isn't 100% yet. They say it takes 2 years to fully recovery from a major knee injury. It's been 10 months. Do I think Kevin Kolb will be a good NFL QB some day? Yes, I honestly do. Is it time, after two weeks, to dismiss the Donovan McNabb era as a failure and give the kid the keys? FUCK NO. Donovan will return to form. I'm not blind - he looked unimpressive against Green Bay and worse against Washington - but he will continue to improve as the season goes on.
Myth: The Eagles' current receiving corps is good enough for a legit playoff run.
Truth: No it isn't. Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown would be great compliments to a great number 1 receiver, but neither of them are good enough to fill that role. There's more than one reason McNabb hasn't looked good. When your receivers get no separation, it's hard to get them the ball. Your throws have to be perfect (or better) every time, and only robots like Peyton Manning can pull that shit off. Why is Andy Reid vehemently opposed to giving McNabb a legit superstar receiver? Well, to his credit, he did try it once. It didn't quite work out in the end. But damn did it work for a little while. McNabb was a different QB with T.O. around. They fed off each other. Even Stallworth, a legit deep threat, made a difference. But no, Randy Moss wasn't worth a 4th round pick. He is, at worst, the 3rd best receiver of all time. He would have made a huge difference, kind of like he's doing in New England. Great QBs need great receivers, and vice versa. McNabb is no exception.
Myth: Donovan McNabb is the best player on the Eagles, so it makes sense to have him passing 60% of the time.
Truth: Brian Westbrook is, and has been for some time, the best offensive Eagle. The Eagles weren't successful after McNabb went down last year because Jeff Garica is God. They were successful because Westbrook became the focus of their offense, something everyone has seemingly realized except for the guys calling plays. GUHHHHHH. Give him the fucking ball. A lot. Please. The Redskins keyed on him all fucking game and he still racked up 162 total yards. He's incredibly good. Why Andy Reid fails to see this, I do not know.
Myth: The offseason adventures of Andy Reid's kids are distracting him and taking away from his ability as a coach.
Truth: Um, this one may be true. Can't say I blame you Andy. I mean, it's at least partially your fault you raised idiots, but anyone who claims that the exploits of the Reid boys wouldn't distract them is lying. Good luck fat man.
Myth: The Eagles' season is over and it's time to start planning for '08.
Truth: It's two games people. Two. The last time they lost their first two games, they finished 12-4. Yes, that team was better than this one, but it's early. And this is the NFC we're talking about. You know who's 2-0 in the NFC right now? Dallas, Washington, Green Bay, Detroit and San Francisco. Would you be shocked to see the Eagles in the playoffs instead of any one of those teams? Didn't think so. Take a deep breath everyone. No need to panic. It's only been two games.
Now, if we lose to the Detroit Fucking Lions next week, then we can start panicking.
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2 comments:
Andy Reid's teams have gotten off to slow starts before and he's been able to right the ship. I do think this business with his sons must be quite a distraction - it is clearly influencing Andy's ability to properly prepare for games. His play-calling was never the sharpest anyways. He's got to think about delegating some of his responsibilities while he figures out his family life.
Either way, it's much to early to freak about that.
Because...
I got pennant fever baby!
It's 4-4 in the 13th and I won't sleep until our Fightins figure out a way to win. These boys really battle, it's not like it's been the last several years. They don't lay down for nobody.
And yet, will you really be surprised when they drop 3 out of 4 to the Nationals?
Yes, they have been battling - they won the game tonight on a single by Rod Barajas of all people, which sparked a 3 run 14th.
But we have to look deeper. Hamels clearly isn't 100%. Myers blew a save. The rest of the bullpen scares the shit out of me and Howard, despite the 40 home runs, doesn't scare pitchers quite the way he did last year.
Is this team different from last year? It certainly seems to have more heart. But it still has Dumb Ol' Uncle Cholly calling the shots and a bullpen that makes me long for David West and Mitch Williams. Keep the hopes high and the expectations low my friend. They're still 1.5 games out.
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