Eagles 2008 Season Log: Week 13, Turkey Day Treat

Twelve weeks into the Eagles 2008 NFL campaign (which many argue is already over), the results of their Turkey Day outing in Philadelphia should not surprise anyone. Not because they're a good team, but because if there's one word that describes this years version of the Eagles, it's inconsistent.

The Eagles destroyed the visiting Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night 48-20 and improved their record to 6-5-1. McNabb rebounded and threw 4 TD passes, the team ran the ball 40 times (including QB rushes), Westbrook had 2 rushing and 2 receiving TDs, and the D kept the pass-happy Cardinals pretty much in check. The Cardinals have yet to win on the East Coast, but they have one of the best offenses in the league and will win their division, so they're not the same Cardinals we're used to. Regardless, given some of my recent posts about the importance of running the ball, they should not be surprised at the outcome of this game considering that they only ran the ball only 10 times. That's not a typo.

I have no false hopes for the Eagles, despite what was probably their best all around game all season. They've lost too many close games already, and 3 of their last 4 games are against NFC East opponents--all of whom are strong. But I am glad to see that they were able to put a complete game together. What is baffling though is why it took Andy Reid until the 12th game of the season to mix it up a little. It appears that he finally handed over the play calling responsibilities to Marty Morningwhig, and the results were obvious. This is Andy Reid's 10th season as the Head Coach of the Eagles. It shouldn't take this long for someone with his experience to adapt--especially when the results were not as expected (losses instead of wins). I guess he knows more than we do? Maybe?

The Eagles next 4 games are tough: at the Giants, Cleveland, at the Redskins, and then Dallas at home. Again, I have no false hopes that they're going to win out and make the playoffs. Looking at the conference standings should make that obvious to anyone who thinks they still have a shot. But the next 4 games should determine what next year will bring for us. Is the McNabb era really over? Are coaching changes (Reid, or his coordinators) in order? It's too early to say, and Jeff Lurie hasn't showed his hand yet. But it will be interesting. I'm not sure yet what my opinion is, but I'm excited to see how it all plays out. One thing's for sure--it can't be worse than the recent 3 game stretch that flushed the season down the toilet.