Eagles president Joe Banner called this past season "a mixed bag" during an interview with the team Web site and said it was "very disappointing and frustrating" to go another season without a championship.

He also acknowledged "there is a gap there" between the Eagles and the Cowboys based on the Birds' losses in the regular-season finale and the playoffs. However, he cautioned the gap might not be dramatic as it appears, just as he said the gap was not as large as it seemed when the Eagles beat the Cowboys, 44-6, in the regular-season finale in 2008.

Asked to evaluate the season, Banner said, "It’s difficult to make the playoffs, sustain the level of injuries we did, see the team play as hard as we did and not feel some satisfaction in that. At the same time, we are singular-minded in this goal we have. There is only one thing to focus on and achieve and we certainly haven’t reached that goal another year. That’s very frustrating, and disappointing. We have got to go back and look at what we can do and try to figure out how we can get back."

As for the Cowboys, he said, "The truth is, when you lose that solidly, and Andy says this and people think he’s not really giving them a lot of information, but I think this says everything, they must have beat you in a lot of different phases. Whether they are talking about the caliber of play, the scheme they used, who showed up that day or how healthy they stayed or all of the above. When you lose 20-17, it could have been the bounce of the ball or somebody having a good day that day. When you lose that soundly twice in the span of six days, then you have to look at all of the aspects that go into the game and objectively evaluate what areas you need to upgrade to be able to change the outcome of the game … I don’t think the difference is as dramatic as one may think just looking at the scores of those two games but there is a gap there. We have to figure out how to close that gap and be ready to go next year.

Banner said he expected the NFC East to be the toughest division in football next season, which he said was a good thing because the players realize the team is not going anywhere without winning the division.

Here is a link to the multimedia page of the Eagles Web site

Eagles running back Brian Westbrook has been relatively silent since the season ended about his health, the status of Donovan McNabb and other issues.

Westbrook spoke extensively in an interview with his former teammate Blaine Bishop, now a radio talk show host on WGFX in Nashville, Tenn.

Westbrook said he was not "completely healed" after his first concussion suffered against Washington in a Monday night game despite passing all the tests and waiting 3 weeks to return. He suffered a second concussion against San Diego, keeping him out of the lineup and essentially ending his effectiveness for the season.

Westbrook went into great length to talk about what he learned about concussions this season:

"You don’t think about it unless you had one. Unless you get one so they just don’t understand that if you continue to play with a concussion you run the risk of all different brain diseases to an early-on type of Alzheimer’s to early type of dementia and to forgetting things. As we all get older we tend to forget some things sometimes anyway but it gets worse and so forth and quite possibly death on some situations. A lot of people just do not know it, a lot of young kids. I didn’t even know before I even had my concussions all the repercussions of getting concussions. As a player you are always taught get back in there and play. Get back in there and play but the truth is, once I found out that, if you get back in there and play with a concussion even though if you want to play and you are feeling fine that you run the risk of really hurting yourself.

"I had a concussion October 25th. I think it was a Monday night game and I got knocked out and I was laid on the field, asleep on the football field. At that point I woke up and it was very clear I knew what was going on. I knew my surroundings. I knew everything. I had a slight headache. The next couple of days I found out that I had a concussion, a worse concussion than I had previously had thought. At that point you are trying to find out when is the best time to get back into the game. You have to of course wait until you all of your symptoms are gone. All of your headaches are gone when you are resting. All of the headaches are gone when you are having activity. They call it, with exertion… Then you have to pass a test that is called an impact test, which you take on the computer. It tests your reaction time. It tests memories and things like that with shapes and words. Once you are able to pass all of those tests then you have the opportunity to go back out there and play.

"The truth is, I waited three weeks. I passed all of the tests. I waited three weeks to get back out there and after passing all of the tests waiting at the time, just like you said before Blaine, you have a normal hit that kind of just glances off of you or you don’t really feel it all that much that had a normal, average NFL hit, not a great big collision or anything like that and the concussion came right back. What happened to me was that I was not completely healed from the first concussion. Even though I waited that long amount of time and passed all the tests I still wasn’t completely healed from the first concussion and it came back just like that. After that I had to sit out another five or six weeks just for me to be completely sure that I was 100% OK.

"These concussions are very serious man, I don’t think a lot of people are taking them as serious as they should be because really it is a life or death thing. I know that Blaine, you have been out of the league for a few years now that you feel the impact and result of some of the collisions that you had. Some of the injuries that you had at that point. I think that as a player you understand that maybe as a I get older I might not be able to walk as good. I might not be able to play around as much with my kids, but at the same time as you go into the league you still think that you are going to have at least the mental capacity to be able to play with your kids. At least to talk to and have a conversation and remember things and the one thing that people have to know about concussions that if you continue to play with a concussion and you continue to play without being completely healed then you run the risk of not being able to do that. Not being able to walk and talk and communicate and remember and of course early onset of Alzheimer’s like I mentioned early as well as dementia. I don’t think any player that is going into the NFL and believes that is a realistic risk and it really is if you continue to play with concussions.”

Westbrook also said there is no doubt that McNabb will be the Eagles quarterback next season.

“I think there is no question in my mind if Donovan will be back," he said. "After what he was able to do last year which he had a very good year of course. Everybody measures, a lot of fans measure by Super Bowls. Did you win the Super Bowl and you know? Realistically there is only going to be one team out of 32 to win the Super Bowl every year and it is hard to do that. I don’t think that you can measure whether a quarterback can be successful or not whether he was a Super Bowl or not. If you look at this football team with Donovan and without Donovan I think you would be hard-pressed to say that there was better quarterback in the league than Donovan McNabb for the Philadelphia Eagles.”

You can read a transcript of the full interview from sportsradiointerviews.com by clicking here 

Peyton Manning to Reggie Wayne is money in the bank for the Indianapolis Colts.

The way things have been going with banks, maybe it shouldn't have been such a shock that when Manning looked to his ninth-year wideout, needing 5 yard on third down from the Saints' 31, down a touchdown late, corner Tracy Porter jumped the route and cradled Manning's pass as if it had been thrown to him.

Seventy-four yards later, the New Orleans Saints had a 14-point lead with three minutes and 12 seconds left in Super Bowl XLIV, which they ultimately won, 31-17.

Who dat, indeed. Forty three years in the NFL, one Super Bowl appearance, one win for New Orleans.

This game was going to define Manning's legacy, at the end of his 12th year, was going to put him up there with the very best ever, if he isn't already there. But on a coolish, breezy South Florida evening, Manning wasn't even quite the best quarterback on the field; that was Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees, who faced little pressure against a Colts defense that got off to a great start, then faded, much like sore-ankled defensive end Dwight Freeney, who labored mightily with his injury in the second half.

Brees couldn't find anything up top, but he threw underneath with deadly accuracy - Manning-type accuracy. After he gave the Saints the lead for good, he was 32 for 39 for 288 yards, 2 touchdowns, no picks and a 114.5 passer rating. Manning threw for more yards - 333 - but was 31 for 45 with a touchdown and that game-defining pick. His passer rating was an all-too-mortal 88.5.

Earlier: Peyton Manning’s best moment before halftime was his 19-yard touchdown laser to Pierre Garcon on third and 6.

The Saints got their offense going and pulled within 10-3 early in the second quarter. Their 46-yard Garrett Hartley field goal came after Dwight Freeney, torn ankle ligaments and all, shoved Jermon Bushrod backward, got to Brees and yanked him down for a onehanded sack.

The Saints seemed poised to forge a tie just before halftime, facing third and goal from the Colts’ 1. But Saints coach Sean Payton ran what looked like the same play to the same side on third and fourth down. Third down, Mike Bell slipped as he tried to turn upfield. Fourth down, Pierre Thomas was swarmed before he could turn his shoulders. Kind of puzzling that Payton gave a quick, “pursuit” defense two outside runs to defend, instead of going right up the gut on at least one of those opportunities.

The Saints held on the ensuing Colts possession, forced a punt and ended up kicking a 44-yard field goal anyway, for a 10-6 halftime deficit, but they really should have scored the TD.

The halftime extravaganza seemed to arrive very quickly, and before the Sun Life Stadium crowd had seen much of the offensive fireworks it had been promised. The crowd had to settle for the literal kind, blasting out of the flying-saucer-looking thingy erected at midfield for The Who.

One thing the Saints did right – after a couple of early misfires, they drove the ball and ate up the clock, keeping Manning on the sideline. Indianapolis finished the first quarter with 154 net yards; it finished the first half with 169.

Manning was 10 of 16 for 97 yards at halftime, respectable but hardly the unworldy level he’d established earlier in the playoffs. Drew Brees was 16 for 22 for 164. Neither team had any luck with long strikes, as you might have thought, with the 18th (Colts) and 25th (Saints)-ranked defenses in the house. Especially since the Saints had the top-ranked offense, the Colts the ninth-best.

Manning was able to get the ball just once to Reggie Wayne in the first half, for 5 yards. Brees had much better luck finding Marques Colston, who went into halftime with five catches for 66 yards.

The real firewoks came just after Roger, Pete and Co. headed off. Second half kickoff, onside kick, right off ex-Eagle Hank Baskett, whose primary job for the Colts is to block on kickoff returns. Baskett was unsuccessful in his attempts to pry the recovery away from Saints safety Chris Reis, with umpire Undrey Wash diving into the heaving pile hatless to restore order.

Six brisk plays and 58 yards later, New Orleans had a 13-10 lead. Thomas took a screen at the 20, on the right side, and kept cutting against the grain, through Colts, until he was diving into the end zone.

Manning had gone 70 minutes without a completion, but he didn’t look rusty in leading Indianapolis 76 yards in 10 plays to retake the lead. Twice he hit tight end Dallas Clark for third-down completions. Addai spun away from Jonathan Vilma on the 4-yard TD run.

Saints drove right back down and got within 17-16 on Hartley's third 40-plus-yard field goal of the game.

Earlier: A little surprised by the Saints' first few series; the Colts seem to have done a really good job of film study, they're jumping routes and seem to know where the ball is going. The exception was that would-be long gainer to Marques Colston, where Colston looked away and dropped the ball.

The Saints are getting decent pressure on Peyton Manning, but if their offense is going to play like this, it won't matter. Colts seem to be able to run and throw effectively. Who saw this running game coming? It's 10-0 Colts and Joseph Addai has five carries for 58 yards.

Colts'TD drive -- 11 plays, 96 yards, 19-yard TD to Pierre Garcon on third-and-6. New Orleans is in big ole trouble. Tied for longest drive in Super Bowl history.

Earlier: The inactive lists are up at Sun Life Stadium and as expected, Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney is going to try to play on the ligament-damaged right ankle he injured in the AFC Championship Game.

Earlier, a report said Freeney was walking without a limp today, after missing practice all week. The guess here is that he isn't limping because his entire leg is numb. As many people pointed out during the week, Freeney's game is based on quickness and a spin move that involves planting his right foot hard. We'll see how that goes.

Stay tuned for more.

*

To read our post with news about the Eagles' quarterbacks, click here

If there is one day in the NFL year when we ought to be free of worrying about Donovan McNabb and the Eagles, it should be Super Bowl Sunday. Alas, such is not the case.

We've had reports today from ESPN folk who apparently have too much time on their hands, with their network not doing the game. Adam Schefter says teams have asked the Birds about all three of their quarterbacks and three teams have called about Michael Vick. Sal Paolantonio added that three teams -- Cleveland, Denver and Buffalo -- have had multiple conversations with the Eagles about Donovan McNabb.

Don't know the exact teams myself, but I understand there have been a lot of calls, many of them not about any QB in particular, just letting the Eagles know Team X is interested, should they look to deal any of their three. I'm also told nothing is anywhere close to happening, that all of the queries have been preliminary.

This last point canot be overemphasized. NOTHING IS ANYWHERE CLOSE TO HAPPENING.

As you know, Andy Reid has indicated McNabb will be the Eagles' QB in 2010, and McNabb has said this is his strong understanding, as well. Vick has said he would like to go somewhere where he could start, and a few days ago down at South Beach, McNabb endorsed that idea. Kevin Kolb has said he'd like to start, but is a team player, and so forth.

The Vick-to-St. Louis speculation makes a lot of sense to me.

A scource close to the situation thinks at least half a dozen teams ultimately will inquire about Kolb -- including Cleveland, where Tom Heckert, of course, is now the GM, working under Reid's mentor, Mike Holmgren. Almost any team looking to draft a QB this season would be smart to look into Kolb, who presumably wouldn't need several years of training to take over. This is not a great quarterback draft; if Kolb came out this year, he'd almost certainly be a first-rounder. Of course, with McNabb heading toward his 12th season and not under contract after 2010, trading Kolb would be quite a gamble for the Birds.

 We now return you to your regularly scheduled Super Bowl XLIV hoopla.

Poll: Who has the best chance of leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory? (1504 votes)

Here are the answers to the Super Bowl quiz we posted here on Eagletarian yesterday. If you want to take the quiz before you look below, click here for the questions only. Back later with Super Bowl predictions and more.

General

1. Who holds the record for most career fumbles? Hint he was 2-2 in Supes.

A. Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach had five fumbles in four Supes.

2. Who holds the record for most touchdowns?

A. San Francisco/Oakland wide receiver Jerry Rice holds the record with eight touchdowns.

3. Name the four undefeated teams in Super Bowl play.

A. San Francisco (5-0), N.Y. Jets, Baltimore and Tampa Bay (one each) are the only teams undefeated in Super Bowl play.

4. Who is the only Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback to lose a Super Bowl?

A. Neil O’Donnell was the Steelers’ quarterback when they lost to Dallas in Supe 30.

5. Which players have the longest touchdown run and the longest touchdown catch respectively?

A. Pittsburgh running back Willie Parker had a 75-yard touchdown run in Supe 40 and Carolina wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad had an 85-yard TD reception (from Jake Delhomme) in Supe 38.

Eagles

1. Who were the MVPs in the Eagles’ Super Bowl appearances?

A. Oakland quarterback Jim Plunkett (Supe 15), New England wide receiver Deion Branch (39).

2. Name the four Eagles to score touchdowns in the Super Bowl.

A. Keith Krepfle (Supe 15), L.J. Smith, Brian Westbrook, Greg Lewis (39).

3. Which wide receiver’s catch represents the longest play in Eagles’ Super Bowl history? Greg Lewis, Terrell Owens, Rodney Parker or Charlie Smith.

A. Charlie Smith had a 43-yard catch in SB 15.

4. Terrell Owens’ nine catches in Supe 39 are the most ever by an Eagle. Who has the second most?

A. Brian Westbrook had seven catches in SB 39.

5. The Eagles are one of four teams to appear in multiple Super Bowls without a win. Who are the other three?

A. Buffalo (0-4), Minnesota (0-4), Cincinnati (0-2).

MVPs

1. Who is the only Penn State alum to win an MVP?

A. Pittsburgh running back Franco Harris (SB 9).

2. This one’s easy. Name the three players to win multiple MVPs.

A. San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana (16, 19, 24), Green Bay quarterback Bart Starr (1, 2) and Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw (13, 14) have won multiple MVPs.

3. This one’s hard. Name the only college to produce three players to win Super Bowl MVPs. Hint: None of them was a quarterback.

A. The University of Georgia is the only school with three alums to win Super Bowl MVPs: Miami safety Jake Scott (7), Denver running back Terrell Davis (32), Pittsburgh wide receiver Hines Ward (40).

4. Who was the last defensive player to be named MVP?

A. Tampa Bay safety Dexter Jackson (Supe 37).

5. Six guys whose last names begin with an S have won MVPs. Name them.

A. Green Bay quarterback Bart Starr (1, 2), Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach (6), Miami safety Jake Scott (7), Pittsburgh wide receiver Lynn Swann (10), N.Y. Giants quarterback Phil Simms (21), Dallas running back Emmitt Smith (28).

Before reaching for yet another chicken wing or potato chip, why not check out this Super Bowl quiz first? Actually, before you do that, wipe off your fingers. Nothing’s worse than a greasy keyboard. Enjoy the game.

Check back on Eagletarian tomorrow for answers to this quiz and Daily News' staff Super Bowl predictions.

General

1. Who holds the record for most career fumbles? Hint he was 2-2 in Supes.

2. Who holds the record for most touchdowns?

3. Name the four undefeated teams in Super Bowl play.

4. Who is the only Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback to lose a Super Bowl?

5. Which players have the longest touchdown run and the longest touchdown catch respectively?

Eagles

1. Who were the MVPs in the Eagles’ Super Bowl appearances?

2. Name the four Eagles to score touchdowns in the Super Bowl.

3. Which wide receiver’s catch represents the longest play in Eagles’ Super Bowl history? Greg Lewis, Terrell Owens, Rodney Parker or Charlie Smith.

4. Terrell Owens’ nine catches in Supe 39 are the most ever by an Eagle. Who has the second most?

5. The Eagles are one of four teams to appear in multiple Super Bowls without a win. Who are the other three?

MVPs

1. Who is the only Penn State alum to win an MVP?

2. This one’s easy. Name the three players to win multiple MVPs.

3. This one’s hard. Name the only college to produce three players to win Super Bowl MVPs. Hint: None of them was a quarterback.

4. Who was the last defensive player to be named MVP?

5. Six guys whose last names begin with an S have won MVPs. Name them.
 

*

For our previous posts, click here

As the Rams continue to be linked to Michael Vick in various reports, it was interesting to hear St. Louis head coach Steve Spangnuolo opt to even dicuss Vick as he made the rounds as the Super Bowl on Friday.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Michael as a player,” the former Eagles linebackers coach told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Everything I’ve heard out of Philadelphia is kind of good. We haven’t gone down that road in our process yet. I think he’s a terrific player.”

Earlier this week, Bernie Miklasz wrote that Rams assistant coaches were calling their counterparts with the Eagles to get more information about Vick. Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is also a former Eagles assistant.

Clearly, they are interested. The question is as what price and whether the Eagles will pay Vick's roster bonus early next month and then try to trade him before the draft or will simply let him go.

Asked if there was a deadline to determine their 2010 quarterback plans, Spagnuolo said, "that may direct itself depending on things that happen. And we know what we're all talking about."

The Rams have Marc Bulger, Kyle Boller and Keith Null on their roster, all of whom saw action last season. They also have the top pick in the draft, although if they were planning to select a quarterback they would presumably make a deal to slide down in the first round.

Vick has made it clear that he wants the chance to start in various interviews and Donovan McNabb has recently begun backing Vick's desire.

*

Amid all the parties at the Super Bowl, kudos to Eagles fullback Leonard Weaver and the other NFL players who sang at last night's 11th Super Bowl Gospel Celebration, with a portion of the proceeds going to the relief fund for Haiti.

``It's a blessing to be here,'' Weaver told the Miami Herald. ``This shows character of who we are, I think, as an organization in terms of the NFL and its players. It shows we care more than about ourselves. A lot of people get the perception that as professional athletes we are all about ourselves.''

Among the other players joining Weaver were Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris, Cleveland Browns tight end Michael Gaines, Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Hines Ward, Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Reshard Langford, Atlanta Falcons fullback Ovie Mughelli and Browns offensive lineman George Foster.

As for his singing prowess, Weaver joked, "I'm about a 2 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the worst."

The Eagles already have signed the Canadian Football League's top rookie from the BC Lions in running back Martell Mallett. Now, they have interest in the league's Canadian Player of the Year, also from the Lions.

Defensive end Ricky Foley, who led the league in sacks with 12, worked out for the Eagles yesterday, according to multiple reports. He met with the Jets on Tuesday and the Rams on Wednesday. He initally was scheduled to work out for New England yesterday, but those plans changed and he was in Philadelphia.

Foley, 27, who spent time with the Baltimore Ravens in 2006, becomes a free agent Feb. 15 unless he re-signs with the Lions before then.

"I just want to look into all the possibilities that are out there,” Foley told the Vancouver Sun. “I don’t want to have any regrets. I don’t want to look back at my life at this time in 20 years and wonder, ‘What if?’ My new representation allows me to explore every option and exhaust all opportunities.”

Foley sounds more interested in the NFL now then he did a few weeks ago when he told the Sun, "It's one thing to work out for an NFL team. It's another thing to get signed. I've put in four years of hard work. I'm Canadian player of the year. I don't want to throw it away for a chance down there, where I'm a nobody."

But Foley also could be the next Cameron Wake, his former BC teammate who signed a 4-year deal, including a $1 million signing bonus, with the Miami Dolphins before last season.

With no NFL Europe or Arena League, the NFL is signing more players from the CFL than in the past in its search for talent and training camp reinforcements. The Eagles signed two prominent CFL players last winter and neither made it out of training camp.

*

DeSean Jackson spent a lot of time in Florida over the last 2 weeks with the Pro Bowl and then a number of appearances related to the Super Bowl.

He also was involved in some testing done by the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, which set up a performance lab in Miami and tested a number of NFL players, including DeSean, the Cowboys' Mile Austin, the Giants' Eli Manning, the Chargers' Vincent Jackson and the Falcons' Tony Gonzalez.

This is all part of Gatorade's Super Bowl advertising campaign in which the company will be promoting its new series of pre, during and post workout drinks.

Video of DeSean's workout and his Gatorade testimonial is below.

* 

After the Pro Bowl, Eagles left tackle Jason Peters noted that he and Giants tackle David Diehl had to play a half apiece, more than most players, with the Vikings' Bryant McKinnie (Woodbury, N.J.) getting dismissed from the NFC team.

"I was going against [Tennessee's Kyle] Vanden Bosch," Peters said. "He's 100 miles an hour every play, so it's almost like I played a whole game. Everybody else is 50 percent, he's going 100."
 

Peters missed the Pro Bowl the previous two times he was selected, so he did not seem too upset about having to work harder in this one.

Either way, McKinnie does not have much sympathy."Anyone who watched the game would know it wasn't like they were going that hard," McKinnie told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "If you watched the game, [the pass rushers] were stopping in front of the quarterback."

McKinnie also downplayed his dismissal, saying it was overblown. He missed three of the four practices, while his Twitter account was talking about the Miami nightlife. He said he took a cortisone shot the week before the game and also became sick.

"There wasn't anything bad behind it," McKinnie said. "I just feel that they made it more than it really was. It wasn't like I got locked up somewhere and couldn't play in the game because I was in jail. That's how they made it seem. I just didn't know that it was going to be that serious."

Donovan McNabb reiterated that he expects to remain an Eagle this coming season during his annual "SportsCenter" appearance at the Super Bowl.

He also echoed his "finish the job" comments of a few weeks ago, saying the Birds will be playing in the big game next year.

"The Colts, the Saints, it's going to be a great game on Sunday. I'll be watching it back home in Philadelphia and I will be there next year," McNabb said.

*

The speculation about where Michael Vick might land next season continues.

Yesterday, Jason La Canfora, of the NFL Network, said St. Louis was "definitely" the favorite to land Vick.

ESPN.com's John Clayton said he kept hearing Buffalo was the spot as the Bills switch to more of a hybrid college-pro style offense with new coach Chan Gailey. Clayton, however, did not expect Vick to move via trade rather the Eagles declining to pick up his option.

Meanwhile, McNabb says Vick deserves the chance to start somewhere.

"Michael Vick's done a great job," McNabb said. "He's a great guy, he's worked extremely hard to prepare himself. I think this a perfect opportunity for a ballclub to give him an opportunity to start for them., be their quarterback, and he's going to make a lot of plays for them."

McNabb said last week at the Pro Bowl that he expected Vick to stay, but it seems clear now that Vick is looking to go elsewhere, saying this week that it would be difficult to remain with the Eagles in a similar role.

More in tomorrow's Daily News, along with our Super Bowl preview.