Whaddya Know, the Eagles Beat the Giants!

I don't think there's a team in the NFL that epitomizes Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde more so than the Philadelphia Eagles. The latest example comes after they dominated arguably the best team in the NFL on their home turf. The game was not nearly as close as the final score of 20-14 indicated. One of the TDs came on a blocked FG, and the other came late in the 4th Quarter when the Eagles were in a Prevent D. Preventing what, I'm not sure. Maybe preventing them from stopping the Giants. But whatever--every NFL does that.

D Mac completed almost 2/3 of his passes, Westbrook carried the ball 33 times (not a typo), and the D held the Giants dominant running game to 88 yards. The offense had long, sustained drives, and the D was shut-down. Aside from the running game, one big difference in Sunday's version of the Eagles is that people made plays--particularly Donovan's receivers. They didn't drop balls and they fought for the extra yards, picking up first downs and keeping drives alive. The Eagles were clearly the better team on Sunday.

So, why the Jeckyl and Hyde? The biggest reason is the health of Brian Westbrook, arguably the most well-rounded RB in the league when he's healthy. Andy Reid never let on how hurt Westbrook must've been earlier in the year, hence the heavy reliance on the passing game. The lesson here is that if Reid doesn't trust the RB backups he currently has, he better upgrade them next year. RBs get hurt, and you need a viable alternative if you don't want one injury to tank your whole season.

With every other team in the division losing Sunday, the Eagles are still in the thick of the NFC playoff race. It is very likely that the tie on their record will make a difference at the end of the season. Let's just hope that the extra half win gets us in the Playoffs, as opposed to the other way around.

Next up is a Monday night game against the hapless Browns. My expectations are still low, but I'm hopeful that the Birds are finally finding their stride and will win this game in convincing fashion.