NFC Championship: Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals

So I'm insane? The owner has already stated that McNabb is coming back as well he should because he got them further than pretty much anybody expected and a large part of this loss is on the defense.

On the salary cap, the Eagles are one of the best teams in the NFL at managing the salary cap and are well below the cap limit, only 10 teams were ahead of them in cap space coming into the 2008 season. They may have to rebuild the offensive line, add a power back, and one more good receiver but I don't think they go into total rebuild mode and they won't ditch McNabb.

 

LOL!

 

Oh, I agree but only if Reid decides to stick with the run more often next year.

Yeah and they have 2 first round picks this year.

So I take it you dislike the Cowboys?

 

I counted about 6 bad passes and by bad pass I mean where the receiver actually had a chance to make a catch.

 

Let me also say that if any team was going to beat the Eagles and make the Super Bowl, I'm glad it was the Cardinals.

3 of the 4 NFC Championship games lost by the Eagles were won by teams who have made their first appearance in the Super Bowl. If the Eagles make it this far next year, I hope they're not facing the Saints.

 

Another thing about Fitzgerald is that he is simply a class act. He is nothing like Owens or Johnson or the other primadonnas of the league. I hope he ushers in a new era for wide receivers in the NFL who can be both successful and humble.

 

As somebody stated, I was referring to Ocho Cinco.

 

The call-in show is not over yet but ESPN's Matt Mosley has already had to tell some Eagles fans how ignorant they are:

 

OK, the call-in show has wrapped up and I'll admit that I am a bit surprised. Many, if not most, of the Eagle fans that called in and spoke talked about how the team has just crushed their dreams this decade with 5 opportunities but no championships to show for the work. They were also very, very hard on the defense and many fans who called in put the loss squarely on the defensive players and coaches shoulders. BTW, more than one fan calling in mentioned more on McDermott calling the defensive plays so maybe it was true.

The main things Eagle fans that called in seemed to be focus on was the Eagles lack of attention to Fitzgerald and how they left the middle of the field open for him to work with and the last play of the last Eagles drive where pass intereference should have been called. They were pretty rabid about these two points for most of the duration.

Now, don't think the call-in show didn't go those hours without the mentioning of Donovan McNabb or Andy Reid and their futures with the team. There were several fans calling for the end of both eras or the end of just one. Surprisingly, I think more people asked for an end to Reid's era than McNabb's. Some fans blamed them for the loss yesterday and one or two actually said it is time to start rebuilding and that multiple players should go.

I, for one, want to see Reid and McNabb both back and I think it is highly unlikely we will see anything different. The Eagles have a great core coming back. On offense, they have a top-5 quarterback in McNabb, a dangerous offensive weapon in Westbrook (when healthy), and emerging star tight end Celek and wide receiver Jackson. The offensive line is a huge question because the Thomas and Runyan are both nearing 40 and are free agents and they play two critical positions on that line but the 2009 season should bring back a healthy Shawn Andrews who should become the anchor on that line now and whose presence was sorely missed the entire season. On defense they have an awesome, young defensive line, a linebacker group that learned to cover tight ends and get penetration in the trenches as the season progressed, and except for Dawkins, who is still a good player, a pretty young secondary. Special teams looks good although Akers time as a kicker may be nearing an end. The Eagles also have 3 draft picks on the first day of the draft this year and tons of cap room to work with any free agents or trades that may come around the corner. I'm not ready to give up on or see the McNabb or Reid era end yet.