Philadelphia Eagles: They can only Blame Themselves

On Christmas morning, I saw a comic in the local newspaper showing the Grinch, wearing a Giants jersey, stealing an Eagles Christmas tree. On the floor was a broken ornament that said “Playoffs.” This comic, even though it hurt, made me chuckle. It also made me think. Yes, the Giants ended the Eagles playoff hopes by defeating the Jets 29-14, but the Eagles should not have left their fate in someone else’s hands. I think instead of a New York Giants Grinch, the comic should have pictured the Eagles players stealing the tree.

Even though they were eliminated, it was nice to see the Eagles give a spirited effort against the Cowboys, winning 20-7. This may contradict reports that surfaced earlier in the year that Andy Reid had lost the respect of his players. I feel the team is finally coming into its own, it’s just a shame that they couldn’t start that over a month ago; but that’s the way it is.

So, there will be one more game played this season; that will take place on New Year’s Day at home vs. Washington. Andy Reid has said

Michael Vick and the rest of the Eagles starters will play final game on Sunday

that the starters will play this weekend despite the game not meaning anything. If I was Reid, I would think twice before starting my 100 million dollar quarterback and my stud tailback. The Eagles certainly don’t want to deal with what the Vikings are now dealing with. (Adrian Peterson-ACL) However, you have to admire the team’s will to win and finish 8-8.

Even though the game means nothing in terms of playoff implications, there are still meaningful reasons to watch on New Year’s Day. The first reason is the defense. Can Juan Castillo and company put forth a good game defensively for the fourth straight week? Are the young linebackers and safeties continuing to improve?

The second reason to watch the game is because it might be the last game with Andy Reid at the helm. Do I think he will be back next season? Yes, but you never know and this has certainly been a disappointing season. Maybe a better question is whether or not Juan Castillo will be back. Andy Reid said today that he is only thinking about the Washington Redskins, not the upcoming off-season.

Only time will answer all of these questions. All we can do as fans is sit back and watch the only remaining game of the season for our beloved Eagles.