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Monday, November 17, 2008
DANGEROUS DECLARATIONS

It's over.

The Eagles' chances of making the playoffs.

Donovan McNabb's career in Philadelphia.

Andy Reid's ability to call plays, win games, etc.

It's all over.

That's what you're going to hear this week in quadrophonic stereo.

All the people who know everything are going to tell you it's over. Time for a new coach, time for a new quarterback, time to move on.

And they might all be right. Any and all reason for hope seemingly vanished Sunday in Cincinnati.

The Bengals played exactly the way you'd expect a 1-8 team to play and the  Eagles played exactly like the Bengals.

Why should anyone believe in a football team, a coach or a quarterback that couldn't beat a team that did everything it could to lose?

 Before you pull the plug, however, there is one thing to remember: Sometimes weird stuff happens in professional sports.

In their 11th game a year ago, the New York Giants lost 41-17 at home to the 4-6 Minnesota Vikings, falling to 7-4. Quarterback Eli Manning threw three interceptions that day and they were all returned for touchdowns. It's hard to imagine the Giants sitting up at the Meadowlands the following Monday plotting the design of their Super Bowl rings.

There are more stories like that one from this decade, too.

Pittsburgh lost its last two games in November and its first in December to fall to 7-5 in 2005. Had they lost again, they wouldn't have made the playoffs. They didn't lose again.

The 2000 Baltimore Ravens went five straight October games without scoring a touchdown and were 5-4 after nine games and they, too, won a Super Bowl.

When the Phillies lost two out of three in Florida in mid-September and slipped two games behind the Mets and four behind Milwaukee in the wildcard race, were more people plotting a parade down Broad Street or manager Charlie Manuel's firing?

After watching the Eagles in Cincinnati, there's no reason to believe they can duplicate those unlikely runs above. No reason at all.

But it is a dangerous business to declare something is over before it's actually over.

 

Posted by Bob Brookover @ 10:01 AM  Permalink | 118 comments
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Comments
Posted by hairball 10:24 AM, 11/17/2008
It's over Bob.
Posted by JBP 11:12 AM, 11/17/2008
Toast Bob
Posted by atleaglefan 11:23 AM, 11/17/2008
Seek help Bob. The fat Coach has sung.
Comment removed.
Posted by JoeInTheKnow 12:07 PM, 11/17/2008
Bob, Howard Eskin is on the phone and angry that you're stealing the talking points for his show. How quickly did Joe Banner get this memo to you?
Posted by palmyra21 12:07 PM, 11/17/2008
It's really over. The season can be saved if AR or MM doesn't call any more plays, but that's never going to happen.
Posted by warbird 12:08 PM, 11/17/2008
Bob: Please, do not compare the iggles to the Phillies. The iggles are dogs. And using the falling 7-4 analogy with the Giants is sham.
Posted by stingo 12:14 PM, 11/17/2008
I notice you wrote your article in extremely small, almost microscopic, font size of about 3. does that symbolize your lack of belief in your words?
Posted by FreeFalGuy 12:14 PM, 11/17/2008
Does anybody think the Eagles can compete this weekend against the Ravens after the debacle in Cincinatti? "It's over Johnny.....it's over"
Posted by CCBanker 12:17 PM, 11/17/2008
come on Bob. Keep on holding out false hopes and for what? If for some really strange reason they do sweek into the first round, do you honestly believe they have a chance to win with Andy running things and Donovan throwing the ball god knows where?
Posted by RichB 12:17 PM, 11/17/2008
Bob- You are technically right and a turnaround is possible, but only if Reid and his coaches make a decision to throw caution to the wind. What have they got to lose? There is no reason they can't win any of their remaining games. It's just unlikely and probably impossible unless they toss out their old ways of doing things.
Posted by reddevil 12:19 PM, 11/17/2008
third and one, it is over for 2008 find a fullback find a offense coordinator find some heart
Posted by uncle meat 12:23 PM, 11/17/2008
A team that can't gain 1 STINKIN' YARD on 3rd down doesn't deserve to go to the Super Bowl! Besides, this isn't baseball...the Eagles don't have a 3 game series with the Giants coming up to try to make up the ground. Things need to change.
Posted by The Beast 12:24 PM, 11/17/2008
It's over. This team is a bunch of underachievers. When do the Eagles ever steal a game? Get out played but pull off the victory, never! They only know how to significantly outgain the other team and lose (Chicago) or tie (Bengals). Thank you Phillies for making me indifferent about the Eagles bungling this season.
Posted by AllDawk_AllTheTime 12:24 PM, 11/17/2008
PLEASE! Obviously, you haven't watched this team the past four years, moron. Unless Jeff Garcia steps in as QB - we are destined for another 4th place finish. THe sad thing is, with McNabb and Reid's pass-only philosophy - we are last every yr now and rarely beat a division opponent... but the media and Eagles' organization still talk playoffs. GET A CLUE or a new job!
About The Inquirer's Eagles blog

Bob Brookover, left, is in his seventh year of covering the Philadelphia Eagles after spending 15 years covering the Philadelphia Phillies for the Inquirer and two other newspapers. The 45-year-old Brookover lives in Delran with his wife Francine and roots for Notre Dame and Michigan State, the two schools attended by his children, Justine and Ryan. When Notre Dame plays Michigan State, he cheers for the school of the child he likes more at that particular moment.

Jeff McLane, right, joined the Eagles beat in April 2009 after two years of covering colleges, namely Penn State football. Before that he covered high school sports for The Inquirer. Before that he worked in the mailroom (not quite). Informed that his father is no longer covering the Lions, McLane's eldest, three-year-old son said, "You mean Simba, Scar and Mufasa, Daddy?" His two-year-old son -- excited about the move to the Eagles -- said, "Go, Deigo, Go!" or something like that. His wife of five-plus years, however, had a different take on the new job. "Another five years is in question," she said. Check out McLane on Twitter and Facebook for instant updates on the Eagles.
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