Despite Win, Eagles Have a Long Road Ahead

Believe it or not, the fact that the Eagles won on Sunday delayed the writing of this article. After witnessing the debacle that was the last two minutes of the Chicago game in person, my faith in this team, at least for the meantime, had taken a few steps backward. I had been letting the negativity build up inside in anticipation of a cathartic release through this article. However, due to the turn of events I was forced to reevaluate my stance on Eagles football. I spent the majority of my Sunday afternoon in serious contemplation over these issues while a painful hangover paralyzed me in a semi-vegetative state, making any other physical activity virtually impossible.
It was a confusing week to be an Eagles fan. Like most weeks during football season, I spent hours listening to Philly sports talk on WIP, and the only thing that seemed to be a constant sentiment amongst Philly sports fans is that the Eagles have problems, but no one can seem to put their finger on just what they are. When you take a step back, and have listened to as many different opinions as I have, it is obvious that this is because the problem cannot be traced to anyone one player or any one aspect of the game. Some insist that the quarterback has to go, while others are certain that the McNabb is not the problem and instead point to the lack of any star receivers, of course it is impossible to absolve the offensive line of any responsibility. These are all true, the Birds are playing with a quarterback who, coming off of an injury, is playing at a level that is less than he has in the past, and throwing to a sub-par at best assortment of receivers. The odd thing is that despite their past success, this is no new predicament for the Eagles to find themselves in. The questions that are left to ask are what make this season different, could Sunday’s win have been the start of one of the Eagles’ signature mid-season- turnaround-playoff campaigns?
Unfortunately, I believe that the answer to the second question is no (although I’m desperately hoping to be proven wrong), this is because unlike past seasons head coach Andy Reid seems to be playing an integral part in the Eagles shortcomings. Reid’s accountability spans from the unacceptable way in which the punt return situation was handled at the beginning of the season, to the poor play calling that led to the defeat at Chicago. Don’t get me wrong, Sunday’s game against Minnesota provided Eagles fans with a much needed break from the frustration that has followed a majority of this season’s games, but a win of this nature, over a rather unimpressive Vikings team is hardly evidence for more success ahead, particularly with two challenging games against the Cowboys and a virtually Futile engagement with the Patriots to look forward to. The playoffs are uncertain at best for the Eagles at this point, but the remainder of this season holds a lot at stake for Reid and McNabb and their respective futures as Eagles. It is my hope that they do not implode as the season continues, but that the two can regain some of the chemistry that has been integral in past seasons because if Reid and McNabb can continue to perform with the Eagles, then the team is always only a few small steps away from competing at a super bowl caliber.