Eagles 2008 Season Log: Week 11, Exasperation Personified

Here's a conversation I had with my friend Jared Sunday afternoon at the Eagles game. Normally, we watch together--he on the East Coast, and me on the West Coast. He moved yesterday though, so I had to fill him in.

Jared: Did the Eagles win?
Alex: No.
Jared: The Eagles lost?
Alex: No.
Jared: So they won then, right?
Alex: No.
Jared: Come on Alex. Tell me what happened.
Alex: If you don't win, and you don't lose, what do you think happened?
Jared: They tied?
Alex: Yes, they tied.

Against one of the worst teams in the NFL, a tie doesn't feel particularly good. Sure, it's not a loss. But it's also not a win. You could see on the players faces after the game they didn't quite know how to feel.

Exasperation is the best way to sum up my feelings. This team has potential, but they're just so inconsistent. Last week against the Giants, the offense put up 31 points, but the Defense got steamrolled. On Sunday against the Bengals, McNabb threw 3 INTs, lost a fumble, and the offense only put up 13 points. McNabb attempted 58 passes, which was a career high, and the team only ran the ball 18 times for 68 yards. The Defense, on the other hand, played great, holding the Bengals to under 300 yards, and less than 60 yards rushing. Special teams joined the offense in ineptitude, with Sav Rocca punting 10 times for a 36 yard average, and no damage being done in the return game.

Is the coaching staff? Is is the players lack of a will to win? Has McNabb quit? Is Westbrook hurt? I honestly don't know the answer. But what I do know is that the team is better than this, and Andy Reid needs to figure it out. Fortunately, they're only 1/2 game out of a wild card spot (yes, they would be tied if not for the tie), but this team just doesn't act like it's hungry to win. Maybe this is what the NFL is about these days--parity--where it's very difficult for most every team to be consistent week in and week out. If that's the case, the NFL needs to address that, b/c that sucks for the fans. I don't know, but being an Eagles fan is just plain exasperating. But like a lover-scorned, I keep coming back for more, as I will next weekend when the team travels to Baltimore to play the Ravens (whose D also got steamrolled by the Giants).