Eagles fall apart

By Mike McDonald
Collegian Editor
September 20, 2006

I had a couple hours of fun on Sunday. One p.m. to 3 p.m. was just great. During that time, the Eagles were clearly the best team in the division – maybe in the whole conference. Thoughts of playoff football and divisional dominance swirled in my head. The words “super” and “bowl” may have passed through my lips at some point. It was an excellent time.

At halftime of the game (around 2:30 p.m.), Howie Long & Co. went on and on about how McNabb and the Eagles were back. And everybody was watching it happen. Last year was most definitely a fluke; T.O. is gone, Donovan is healthy and now the Birds are back.

Eagles fans had not felt this good since Super Bowl XXXIX. Every number in the stat book looked great, including the score.

But then something went horribly wrong.

Tim Carter recovered a fumble in the end zone on a goofy play. Michael Lewis had a good shot at it, but there was nothing for anybody to worry about; the Eagles were still in control.

As the fourth quarter progressed, more bad things happened. David Akers remained on the sideline while a slow-developing handoff to Buckhalter on fourth and one turned the ball over to a suddenly energetic Giants team.

With even less time on the clock, the Eagles were still in position to get out of the game with a good win. They led by 10 and had the ball with four minutes and 11 seconds left.

Which is when Brian Westbrook coughed it up. This one was bad, and everyone knew it. After Westbrook fumbled, Eagles fans suddenly became sick to their stomachs. It was at this point that everyone realized there was a distinct possibility that the Eagles would lose this game.

That is exactly what happened.

In one of the most enormous collapses in recent history, the Eagles blew a 24-7 fourth quarter lead and lost in overtime, 30-24.

So what did them in? The missed field goal by Akers? The decision to go for it on fourth down? The bad play they called on fourth down? The fumble that Lewis couldn’t recover? The fumble by Westbrook? The officials? The injury to Lito Sheppard? The injury to Rod Hood? The kick in the crotch Trent Cole delivered to Kareem McKenzie? The drop by Stallworth? The drop by Smith?

This was a disaster. The Eagles’ breakdown on Sunday is something that should never happen to any team. And although the Eagles did show signs that they can be successful, there was more bad news coming as a result of the game.

If the Eagles are going to pick things up and move on, they will have to do it without the services of Jevon Kearse. The Freak was placed on IR and is done for the year, due to a knee injury he suffered during the overtime period on Sunday. Keep in mind that this was an overtime period that never should have happened in the first place.

Hood was hurt as well, and although his injury is not nearly as serious, it certainly does not help the secondary, which is already in trouble because of Sheppard’s injury.

“You’re going to have tough losses in the NFL. It’s very important that you learn from them and that you move on,” Andy Reid said.

Well, Andy, it was a horrible day and a sickening loss. But you still have 14 games left in the regular season. Let’s see what you’ve learned.

mcdonaldm2@lasalle.edu