10 observations: Eagles-Cardinals

Here are my 10 observations from the Eagles' 32-25 loss to the Cardinals:

Don't even know where to begin this week. I guess we should start where it always starts with this team --

. He didn't play as well as his numbers indicate (28-for-47 for 375 yards, three touchdowns and an interception). In a way, the game was a microcosm of his whole season. He started off erratic, which has been the case all year. In the third quarter, he made every throw, looking as good as any quarterback in the league. And in the end, it wasn't enough. With McNabb, it seems like fans feel the need to go to extremes. One side argues that he never comes through in the clutch. The other side spends their time defending him. We need to look at the whole picture on the clutch thing. In the second half, the Eagles scored touchdowns on three consecutive possessions, giving them a 25-24 lead. If the defense holds off Arizona, then aren't we talking about McNabb being clutch and leading the Eagles back from a 24-6 deficit? The point is it's almost never just one player. McNabb made mistakes. The receivers have seen better days. And even the offensive line had its share of lapses. And if I never hear another word about McNabb puking or smiling inappropriately, that'll be just fine with me. Some people need to get new material.

On Friday when I made my picks, I listed ways the Cardinals could win. But I really did not envision a scenario where the defense would give up 32 points. I thought the so-called resurgent running game of Arizona was a farce, but

carried for 73 yards. He had a 22-yard carry, which was his longest run of the postseason and was generally more effective than I thought he would be. And I don't know where to begin with

. He gets open. He has great hands. He can outjump cornerbacks. And he's hard to bring down. In all, nine catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns. Add him to the list --

,

,

, and now,

.

So where does this rank among playoff losses of the McNabb/

era? The Bucs loss at the Vet is still the worst. And I'd say the Super Bowl loss to the Patriots was worse. This probably ranks third, just ahead of the Panthers loss. What a roller coaster to get here. The season seemed over at so many different points during the last five months. Then all of a sudden, they got a chance to make up for all those missed opportunities, but it wasn't meant to be.

The optimist says...

The pessimist says...

really showed me something today. At times he's been criticized (letting go of the ball before getting into the end zone against the Cowboys; the big drop late against the Redskins), but this rookie season was an unquestioned success. As a receiver, he had six catches for 92 yards and a touchdown that gave the Eagles their biggest lead of the game. But there was more. When the Eagles were trailing and nothing was going right, the cameras caught Jackson on the sideline trying to encourage McNabb. And of course, the forced fumble after the McNabb interception, which gave the Eagles the ball back. Great hustle, great concentration. Something to look forward to next year I guess.

One thing I don't understand. When Warner has words with offensive coordinator

on the sideline, he's just being a leader and should have input. When

has words with Haley on the sidelines, he's a distraction and should just shut-up and play. Maybe the explanation is that Warner is a probable Hall of Famer and a veteran. But Haley didn't seem too pleased with either guys' comments. Shouldn't they both be criticized?

Some various texts and e-mails to share.

I'm gonna throw up.

Out of gas.

Or not.

Expecting a riot? There are about a zillion cops in riot gear around City Hall. No exaggeration.

They must have been there in case the Eagles won. Cause don't nobody have the energy to riot after that loss. I feel like somebody just punched me in the gut.

I imagine similar e-mails/texts/IMs were being exchanged throughout the Delaware Valley.

What was up with

? Can't kill a guy for missing a 47-yarder, but the kickoff out of bounds? And the extra point? Should it really matter where the laces are facing on an extra point? He seemed like a rattled relief pitcher out there. And by the way,

, what the heck were you thinking on that hit of Warner? Still trying to figure that one out.

And lastly a thank you to all the Moving the Chains readers and chat participants. We had over 5,000 people join the chat at different times throughout the course of the game. Before kickoff, I did a role call. People were checking in from Korea, Tokyo, London, Salt Lake City and other places. Very cool for everyone to be able to converse together even if you weren't in Philadelphia. We just started the chats this season, but they were really a great success. Hopefully we can improve on them before the start of next season. And to the Moving the Chains readers, this will be the final 10 observations post of the season. But the point of the blog is to write about the NFL 365 days a year so stay tuned for offseason news, including full coverage of the draft. And as always, feel free to contact me if there's anything specific you'd like to see me cover on here.