Nope. Inconsistent Eagles Lose Another NFC Championship Game

Denied again. This game summed up the Eagles season pretty well. Really bad for stretches before fighting back and looking really good only to come up short -- kind of like Donovan McNabb's accuracy. The fault for this one can be spread all around. The defense that played so well down the stretch came up small today and Larry Fitzgerald was just too much.

Was that P.I. on Curtis? Probably. But one play doesn't change it.

I'm bummed. If the Eagles would have just shown up in the first half we could be partying right now and making travel arrangements to Tampa. Instead, we have to listen to some troll of a "Cardinals fan" in the comments act like he cared about that team before two weeks ago.

It's disappointing. Did you not think for a second when Desean Jackson made that catch, "holy shit, they're gonna do it!!!#@!@" Boy was that fun for a few moments.

But those smiles and chest bumps the Eagles were throwing around after the game hurt. This team just can't seem to achieve the ultimate goal. And that sucks.

Comments

[Will]

Remember when we almost had Fitz this off season?

[TK]

put the phillies banner back up please

[DisplacedPhillyGuyinWV]

I'm just shocked. Shocked. And why? Haven't we expected Reid and McNabb to come up short? Only this time, the defense came up small too as if we needed a cruel twist. Yet when Jackson caught that ball, especially considering the Redskins game, I really and truly thought we could do it. Dammit.

[ryan]

I'm disappointed. At the same time I'm proud of this team that everyone counted out at least 3 times this season, and add one more time for the half time deficit we dug ourselves into. Could we have made a couple more plays and won the game? Yeah, and we didn't and that sucks. But, as always I'm proud of my Eagles who proved so many wrong, even though they again couldn't get over the hump.

[Justin Evans]

remember when we never came close to having Fitz.

[Zack]

game was exactly what the eagles do to you every time

get you so close...have the comeback that you think you can actually win the game...then come up so small when it matters and lose so that everyone has their heart ripped out

[nick]

put the phillies banner back up please

[stevefredericks]

yes, one play doesnt change the game. but avant was RAPED on third and 6 with 9 minutes left in the second quarter, curtis was TACKLED before the ball got there (both of those plays could have gone for TDs), and hightowers ankle was down before he reached the goal line.

add all that up, and 3 plays change the game.

[Mike H.]

Jim Johnson got totally out-coached in the first half. Fitzgerald had all the right moves against a weak secondary. Their running backs had 102 yards rushing. Edgerrin James, 41 years old, and some other average running back, put up 100+ on the defense. Warner made no real mistakes and didn't face any real pressure until Demps had the personal foul against him.

That's not Eagles football and it's not an Eagles defense. They ought to be goddamned, motherfucking ashamed of themselves.

That's where today's loss lies.

[Ryan]

And Demps made everyone look like fucking chumps. As if the defense needed another black eye. Dude missed multiple tackles and gave up the deep ball to Fitz as well.

[Zack]

@ Mike H

getting 6 points in the first half and not being able to punch at least one td in hurt the team as well...Should have had way more points going into halftime

[Zack]

What position does Demps even play in the defense? I can't figure it out

[Benny]

Put the phillies banner back up please

[Chase Mutley]

*Inserts Phillies World Series DVD*

[nicky]

PI. HE TACKLED HIM BEFORE THE DAMN BALL GOT THERE.

[Michelle]

Phils banner... please.

[K in South Jersey]

pitchers and catchers report on Feb 14th

[stevefredericks]

valentines day. bummer.

[Clare]

Pitchers and catchers report in 24 days.

[mattindc]

I feel like we could have made some really simple adjustments and not given up 24 in the first half

[bizurk]

This one doesn't hurt quite as much as the Brad Johnson-led Bucs shutting down the Vet. The SB loss to the Pats also had a different sting to it; the Iggles were out-matched in that one, but came sooooooo close. Today was just another subtle flavor in the bouquet of misery that comes with following this team.

Asante certainly wasn't worth his paycheck in this one, and it was surprising to see the defense come out flat, giving up more ypc than in the Giants and Vikes games (to Edge, a has-been and Hightower, a never-will-be). The 3rd quarter was simply heroic, on both sides of the ball.

Per usual, Donny had some great throws and some shitty throws, and his WRs had some spectacular catches (Curtis and Avant) and some awful drops. The two PI calls were somewhat crucial, but remember the refs completely blew the squib kickoff call that should have given the Cards possession at the 35 (or thereabouts). Akers inaccuracy was mind-boggling and quite ill-timed (laces out!)....

Any way you slice it this one stings. Hopefully, I'll be around for a few more decades of bleeding green, but we can't really say the same for #20. It sucks to see him pour his heart and soul into this team for over a decade and never reach the top.

Looking forward, we have a shitload of high draft picks, some nice potential in #10, LB, DL, and a sunny outlook in the defensive backfield (Mikell, Brown, Joselio, Asante, and Demps..... that idiot). Big Red is certainly safe for the next two years, and 5 should be able to control his destiny (here unless he _really_ burns some bridges).

Now with season-ending losses to two of the teams that define losing (Bucs in 2003, Cards this year), the only thing that would really round out the McNabb-Reid era would be losing in the NFC championship to the Lions.....

And you Cardinal 'fans' trolling can get fucked by a big bag of herpetic dicks.

[Mike H.]

@ Zack: I know. But when you look at the box score and you line it up against the season averages, the Eagles defense underperformed more than the Eagles offense.

[Joe36]

Look at this we play the whole AFC west next year!.... but then again we play the NFC south and our division.

[stevefredericks]

the nfc south is a joke, we get the bears on the road again and we get the niners at home

[Aaron]

+1 for the Phils banner.

[Jut]

i'm just happy i am used to this by now. i'm used to losing nfc chamionship games. i'm used to not living up to the team's potential. i'm used to disappointment. i wish it wasn't the case. but it is. i should have expected this. but it still hurts...

[El Ricko]

The defense crapped the bed in the first half. I know this, and if that side of the ball had woken up earlier, we'd be staring at a SB berth. That's one bad game for the D, though. Symptoms of a season-long ailment popped up again today (and did in the previous playoff games, as well): How the hell do the Eagles improve their redzone efficiency for next season?

[doubleh]

To a potential Ravens-Cardinals SB I say, resoundingly, "Meh."

The Cardinals were the hotter team. Eagles played a game today that was a microcosm of their season filled with all sorts of ups and downs, but they were deserving of the chance.

I notice how the first words out of Andy's mouth are props to the other team; Tom Coughlin has yet to give any credit to the Eagles for straight up beating the Giants. Sore loser.

[Will]

T.J. Houshmandzadeh is a free agent.

[Johnny Fire]

How about a Flyers banner?

[mattindc]

I don't know which NFC championship loss was the most painful but this one has to be up there....I mean, the Cardinals?? After all the FOUR other ones, the reid/mcnabb era has a chance to prove all the haters wrong and THIS is what you come up with? Future post idea: ranking the nfc championship losses from bad to worst. Would be a nice counterpoint to the top 30 games post (which was pretty cool).

I will see an eagles superbowl win one day before I die, even if I am old and senile by then.

[PhiPhan5648]

-1 for the Phils Banner.

I'm a huge Phillies Phan, and loved the fact that they won the big one. But we cannot forget how far the Eagles came this year... from 5-5-1 to the NFC Championship Gam. They really brought it hard, and I'm incredibly proud of them.

D-Nabb was stellar most of the season. Were there time he could've played better? Yes. But the same could be said for the rest of the team.

B-West had 986 yards, and 12 TD's this season. Not what we were expecting from number 36, but if he can heal up some, he'll still be a dominante force on this team next season.

B-Dawk. The consumate heart, and passion of the Eagles Defense. He is a God in Philly, and will remain so.

The Defense... Great at times, less than so at other times. But like I said, the team has had plenty of drop offs at times. But they're young, and they've shown that they can be huge in the future. I like their potential. Gang Green Two?

D-Jack... What a sleeper, and what a potentil force for the future.

All and All... I'm proud of what we accomplished, and with a few adjustments here and there, we're still a competitive Franchise, and one that cannot be overlooked ever.

I Look forward to FA Week, then the Draft, and then Pre-Season.

Bleed Green Baby!

[Joe36]

I like what Will was saying about Houshmandzadeh being a free-agent. And what steve was saying about the NFC south. It is a pretty inconsistant division considering that in 2007 the bucs won it when they went 9-7. LJ SMITH MUST GO!!!! Brent Celek is such a good target in the flat and DOESNT DROP THE BALL

[Benny]

This one hurts.

[Justin Evans]

How about a Flyers/Sixers banner?

[Will]

I'd like to see better tackling from the defense. Granted Fitzgerald is a beast and is one of the if not the most difficult WRs in the league to take down, the birds should have made better tackles. It seemed, especially in the playoffs, that they forgot how to wrap up and tackle and just tried to spear everyone that got in front of them. They had success for the most part but there was quite a few missed tackles today because they weren't wrapping up.

[Stevek]

We win at losing. Entering our 26th year since the 83 Sixers, it's been highlighted only by a single championship with the Phils last year. Being on top of the world was the greatest feeling, but now it feels like we're going back to constant heartache from the sports teams. Why I'm even saying this, I don't know, perhaps it's because the misery of losing is the most common feeling I know rooting for Philly sports teams. It feels like getting back to normal. Fuck.

[bizurk]

When I step back, the team showed amazing resiliency after the Bungles/Ravens debacles. They had no business making it this far. It's tough to cue the violins when every other team in the NFC (apart from the Cards) was playing golf today (or going to strip clubs, or making like Scrooge McDuck in giant pools of gold coins). We can't bitch about winning two roadies in the playoffs when the Cowboys haven't won a SINGLE playoff game since December of 1996 (!!!).

Still to get this close and lose in this fashion burns. Doesn't burn like the 2003 season-ender, but it burns....

At least the Sixers have turned it around, the Flyers look strong, and we can bask in the memory of the WFC. It's the journey, not the destination, and we'll always bleed green.... And of course, there's always next year.

[PhiPhan5648]

@Stevek

Dude... don't even think about that.

[Drew]

Like the others, I'm conflicted. On the one hand, going into the last weekend of the reg season, I thought it didn't matter. But then a miracle happened, and they got in. The two playoff wins felt like a bonus.

But how did they lose to the Cards? And with the defense playing like crap? And 1-4 in NFC championships in the Reid-McNabb era? How did this happen? You can give them the first NFCC loss to STL, but the TB, CAR, and AZ losses are just unacceptable.

[Mike H.]

Not to worry. This is LJ Smith's last game as an Eagle. This is likely to be the last game for a lot of men as Eagles. Something tells me house cleaning is coming fast and furious.

[gonna be sick]

Why did it take them (offense and defense) two quarters to make adjustments?

This was pretty disspointing, but considering where we were after the Ravens game I still think the Bucs '03 loss was tougher.

1-4 in NFC Championship games...don't know what to say.

[PhiPhan5648]

@Mike H.

House Cleaning. Nah... with Reid Back next year, I doubt it. I see L.J. gone, maybe some of the defenders, maybe some of the older OL's, and maybe even Kolb.

[ron]

I'm disappointed. No other way to say it. It doesn't feel right losing to the Arizona Cardinals.

We got outcoached, our defense didn't tackle, our receivers dropped big play balls, and our quarterback was inaccurate.

This is exactly who we thought they were.

Nice run, but not enough.

['Duk]

Anyone see Asante Samuel smiling and laughing as he hugged Kurt Warner? How about Buckhalter giving Edge James a chestbump? Sometimes I think it's ridiculous when fans say we care much more than the players do, but then I see scenes like that, and, well ...

[Max]

I swear, if I see "fitzgerald owns the eagles" here, I am going to fucking kill something, probably him.

[R.S.]

I read most of these comments, but not all. I also didn't read much of the game thread . . . so if this is repeated I apologize.
But this is the first major loss since the World Fuckin Champs, and I guess I thought I would feel different after that first big blow. Like "no big deal, we won the World Series." But I don't feel any different. I feel exactly the same as I did after the Panthers game . . . and the Tampa game. I feel like shit. I am sad. I am disappointed. I pissed that I spent 5 months riding an emotional rollercoaster with this team just for them to fall flat at the end.
This team never finishes the job. For the last 25 years I felt like the Phils were always underdogs, never expected to do much, never counted on to win the big game. Which made winning that much better this year.

But the Eagles, those goddamn Eagles. They are always the better team. Always have the better players, the stouter D, and the better stats. Are always the favorite. And always the ones that break your heart.

So call me ungrateful. Call me a bad Philly fan. But if I said that winning the World Series made this game easier to watch and easier to lose I would be lying.
Fucking Eagles.

sorry to rant.

[Amanda]

Pop in the World Series DVD. You'll all feel so much better.

[Jess]

to the cards?!?! really?!?!

GO FLYERS!!!

[PhiPhan5648]

Honestly... I'm still proud of the Eagles. I really look forward to the offseason, because I know there are holes in this team... and I feel like we can fill those holes nicely in the offseason. But call me an idiot for always being there for the Birds, and believing in them.

[bizurk]

Unless you (like me) don't give a shit about baseball. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for the Phightins, and their fans.... but I'd rather see the Phils lose 100 games a year until I croak if it meant I get to share a single SB victory with my father and friends. At least the Flyers and Sixers look good.

[Justin Evans]

If you don't win, you're not the better team on that day.

Defense wasn't prepared.

Just that simple.

[bizurk]

Oh, and yes I almost killed my television when I saw Asante yukkin' it up after the game. I know it's a bit much for us to expect them to care as much as we do..... but damn. Dude gets one of the richest contracts in Eagles history to be a shut-down corner and allows Fitzy an historic day? And I'm sick of the way the Asante tangos people down.

Westy was pissed at the conclusion, and I know Dawk will probably go home and eat a crushed set of highball glasses.

[Nick B.]

It stings, but this year has been really exciting, and absolutely worth it. If nothing else we know Desean, Bradley, Celek, Mikell, and a bunch other of the younger guys are legit starters.

And hopefully no more greg lewis. I think I say that every January.

[Joe36]

When was the last time we had a GREAT tight end?
And nobody say Chad Lewis

[Mike H.]

'Duk, I completely agree. The idea that "we're all friends" is not like it in the real world. If your work competition overtakes you in market share, you don't send them champagne.

And I'm not proud of this team. They lost to inferior opponents today. In the real world, you clean house when that happens. I love Donovan McNabb and the West Coast offense is the greatest invention in football since the forward pass. I love blitzing and constant pressure on defense and seeing guys like Eli Manning with the thousand yard stare in their eyes.

When you don't execute at your best, you don't deserve pride.

[misterpet]

Oddly enough, I googled thedefenseshitthebed.com and there was a picture of Jim Johnson on the home page. Did you ever think of doubling Fitzgerald? Jesus , I almost thought Lito was playing him man to man.

[Fitzgerald owns the Eagles]

Hold it!!! Fitzgerald is still running through the Eagles secondary and scored another TD!!!

I'm not impressed with the Steelers or Ravens. The Arizona Cardinals are going to win the Super Bowl. Let that sink in!!!

[doubleh]

Sad, sad Cardinals fan. He's not impressed with the Steelers or the Ravens? We'll see how impressed you are when they remove Kurt Warner's head from his body. Those are two very tough f-ing teams.

[Jason]

I have to say, maybe cause the wound is still fresh, but this one stings the most.

When they were down 24-6 at halftime, I was discouraged, but confident they could come back.

And then they did. The defense started to look like the one we saw for the past six weeks. The offense started clicking. When DeSean Jackson made that catch, I thought to myself "Finally. This is our year." In past years that ball would have been bobbled and then dropped. Not this year I thought. This was supposed to be our destiny. The Phillies ended the curse. No longer would I think "great, how are they gonna screw up this time" when a Philadelphia team came close to winning a championship.

So, yeah, its a downer. I'm rooting for whoever the afc team is in the super bowl. I just can't live in a world where the Arizona Cardinals have a Lombardi trophy and the Eagles don't.

[bizurk]

One tasty little tidbit that got ignored in all the hoopla and angst was 'Quan's shouting match towards the end of the game with his OC. Hopefully this bodes well for his exit in the offseason.... and eventual landing with the birds.

Quan and MeSean with Curtis and Avant switching through? I can has receiver corps!

[aceofchase]

I'm wondering why people still question the power of sports. After 28 years of dropped passes, Canadian home runs, inconsistent goaltending, and (if you want to include the Sixers) ill-advised long-term contracts, a world "fucking" championship fails to ease the pain of yet another Eagles' failure. The most recent loss has to quell all the complaints of Boston complaints because, well, it still hurts. The "do it for Dawkins videos" that defined my emotional allegiance to this team have only served to, in typical Philly fashion, raise my hopes before cutting them out from under me, leaving me staring into an almost empty Miller Lite trying to convince myself that a Phillies World Series is enough. It will never be enough. The success of one Philly team will never lessen the pressure applied to another. The title of World Series Champions will never subdue our desire for a Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, or (if youre feeling particularly Philadelphian with a lack of concern for your emotional well-being) an NBA Championship. And, with complete disregard for previous NFC Championship teams, this loss is the most painful. After four years of incompetent play calling and Howard Eskin sarcasm, we seemed poised to defy the “popular” Philadelphia mindset of “woe is Mcnabb and Reid” and get that elusive Super Bowl Championship. However, three Larry Fitzgerald TD’s and several crucial Mcnabb incompletions later (although there was definitely grounds for pass interference on two occasions) we were 1-4 in the NFC Championship game. The “I wish this team was still in the NFC East” Cardinals beat us. Kurt Warner has once again led an NFC West Division Winner to the Super Bowl against the Eagles. Closing words – OUCH.

[slowski]

i really thought this defense would carry this team to the promise land

[SuperGiants08]

Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of fans..Go Giants

[cottman&castor]

to be honest i am completely desensitized (sp) to this team. 1-4 in NFC championship games is a disgrace. We are the Bills of the late 90s because of this constant disappointment. It's time to hand the reigns over to another coach because his philosophy only brings heart ache and failure. We can drop the "G" off of the "Gold Standard."

[Mike H.]

Their win today, like their other two in the playoffs, puts into question that you need to have a big power running back like Brandon Jacobs on offense to win. They have the Greatest Show on Turf Part II.

I'm sure we're looking at an early line of -7 or more for the favorite versus Arizona.

[mattindc]

Oh, I'm sorry, how did the giants season end this year? I forgot

[mattthebat]

Back to painting the town RED..unless we add some yellow in there and paint the town ORANGE (for the flyers) ....are the Eagles still the city favorite?

[doubleh]

@SuperGiants: Well, it happened to you first...

Giants fans talking smack. Hilarious.

[NotdaIgglesagain]

@Mike how does EVERY Eagles season end..not with a Lombardi trophy..bwahahahaha

[theKrisheim]

defense, defense, defense - 14 plays - 9 runs - 72 yards - 7:52 - fucking statue Kurt Warner

pretty much a microcosm of the 10 year reid/mcnabb reign, only thing we were missing is bad clock management

gotta give the cardinals coaching staff credit, they def came more prepared than we did

i fucking love mcnabb, and want to see him win so badly, but it just seems like thats never gonna happen at this point and unlike most "big" games i feel like he was up to the challenge today and literally got them back in the game, but yet again in the end, its the same result and thats all that really matters

[Johnny Goodtimes]

I saw a poll on philly.com that said that 20% of people thought it was McNabb's fault. Anyone who thinks this is on McNabb has an IQ of below 30. He played a 2nd half that was as good as any quarterback ever in a clutch game. If not for Greg Lewis being, well, Greg Lewis, McNabb would have had over 425 yards passing. This one was simply the Eagles coming in with a terrible game plan, and the Cards having a solid game plan. Andy Reid proved yet again that he is the Marty Schottenheimer of the NFC.

[Mark K.]

Defense, Defense, where for art thou defense?

*sigh* Not sure if I'd rather them get blown out or come so close. Hey, they make it interesting. When they were 5-5-1 did we even think this post would be written.

Someone mentioned Demps way up top...brutally bad game by him. That hit on Warner was out of place and caused them to put more points on the board.

McNabb....didn't play that bad. Didn't play great...but not that bad. Again, dropped passes hurt, and did poor throws. But compare him to what else is out there. Eagles got to this game, didn't they?

Yes, it would have been nice to have back to back parades down Broad Street but, as Pacino said...on any given Sunday. Cards beat the Eagles today. What can you do? Interesting season, that's for sure. We'll remember it.

Flyers are still dropping the puck, AI (OUR AI) is still hitting buzzer beaters, Cole is signed...let's now get through till Spring Training.

[CJ]

While it is a lot to ask a team to win three on the road, th Eagles should at least be proud. The Cards were at home, healthy and rested after the colossal egg that Delhomme laid last week. While the Eagles were kicking the Superbowl champs in the mouth, the Cards were enjoying having a game handed to them.

Eight times out of ten the Eagles win this game. Not today though. I actually rooted for the Giants against the Pats but I'm looking forward to the Steelers beat-down of the Cards. I loathe teams with bad fans being rewarded.

[aceofchase]

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1066957,00.html

[agam22]

I'm just disappointed right now, in time I will look back fondly on this surprise run but right now all I can see are all the missed opportunities from today. Going forward, the question they need to answer isn't the coach or the quarterback, both have glaring faults but on the whole make up for them most of the time. The biggest question they have is at running back. As much as I love Westbrook, he'll be 30 this year and was already too injured to be consistent this year. It's not that he can't be good again, they just need to have some sort of contingency plan in place for the future.

[HeathSherman]

I am an Eagles fan living in Cleveland. I've been rooting for the Birds since '80 and I'm sick of getting so close and losing. Losing to Tampa- McNabb's fault. Losing to Carolina- McNabb/Reid's fault. Super Bowl Loss-McNabb/Reid's fault. Today? McNabb/Johnson's fault. Opportunties were there to win all of these big games.

How long does it take to determine that Asante Samuel cannot cover or tackle #11 one-on-one? What was the only concern about the Cardinals? #11- and he still torched us.

It's great that they made the end of the season interesting but this group doesn't have what it takes to win it all- they sabatoge themselves everytime.

Blow it up.

PS- WYSP post-game SUCKS

[theKrisheim]

fuck liverpool

[larry fitzgerald]

my name is larry fitzgerald and i am an eagle killer

[Reach]

Like I said...ever the bridesmaid never the bride. That's what you get for taking the Cardinals for granted. Just a reminder to cancel your Tampa reservations. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Phils Phan]

Larry:

I see your Pitt education served you well. Try capitalization and punctuation.

[Larry Fitzgerald]

I eat pieces of shit like the eagles for breakfast.

[doubleh]

The trolls on here are just bitter that their teams didn't make it this far. And don't try to tell me that they are Cards fans, because until I actually meet one in person, I don't believe they exist.

[R.S.]

You eat pieces of shit for breakfast?

[aceofchase]

heathsherman

obviously you neeed to disegard the european soccer aspect of that article and focus on crux of it. This article is so important i'll post it again.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1066957,00.html

[mattindc]

"That's what you get for taking the Cardinals for granted" Have you even been paying attention the past week?? Only an idiot would say that was the issue here. You fairweather cardinals fans need to read a book or something, christ.

[kurt warner]

my name is kurt warner and i am an eagle killer... times 2

[Jon Runyan]

Kurt freaking Warner?

http://birdland.bigcartel.com/product/fu-kurt

[obie]

Strangely, this one doesn't bother me nearly as much as the Tampa and Carolina losses did, even though the final AZ drive was just this dreadful, soul-sucking march through the heart of the Eagles defense and McNabb missed three open receivers in that last drive.

This game was over at the half and it should have been worse than it was. The out of bounds call that wasn't and the double-TO play kept the deficit to 18 when it could have been 21 or 25. And Demps... Jesus, man, you're a fucking idiot. So everything that happened in the second half was more a pleasant surprise than really hope-inducing. Kinda like the entire post-season.

Still, go Steelers. It's not that I hate Arizona, but it's like when the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup - championships should go to cities that give a damn.

[Phils Phan]

Everyone knows Kurt wouldn't be on here. He's drawing Jesus as we speak.

[doubleh]

I'm getting tired of this "No one believed we could do it or gave us a shot at winning" bullshit the Cards and their fans are slinging. A ton of national pundits picked them to win this game and I, for one, thought they were a huge threat because they came into this game playing so hot.

Go out and celebrate, you morons. Your team is going to the Super Bowl for the first time in--ever--and you're posting on a Philly blog?

[Reach]

The NYG made it this far last season...oh yes, and won the SB for the third time. Meanwhile, the crappy birds are 1 for 5 in NFC championship games and lost the only two SBs they have been to. Hey you guys still have the Phillies!!!

[doubleh]

Reach: That was last season. We're talking about this season in which you are back to Eli choking in playoff games.

My God, are there going to be enough players alive on either the Steelers or Ravens teams to play in the SB? That was a vicious (but clean) hit. I hope McGahee is OK.

[Mike H.]

Watching McGahee go off the field, phil simms made some very smart and respectful comments. Take a clue, Aikman.

I know he's not a corner, but it will be great to see Polamalu against their wide receivers.

[yatesy]

everyone is fired.
fired.
i wonder who the new coach will be?
cowher?
chuckie?

this should be interesting.

[Reach]

@doubleh you as an eagles' fans should not be talking about choking in the playoffs. The bottom line is that Eli has one more Lombardi trophy than McNabb will ever have. Perhaps if Andy spent more time preparing as opposed to eating, the Birds would have won.

[Leroy]

We were playing with the houses money all playoffs. What hurts is that is was the Cardinals of all teams.

[Stephen Alessi]

There was also a block in the back on the cardinals game winning TD. It's not the refs were terrible all game, they just missed big calls on big plays.

I think there PI calls was inconsistent all game. If they called Samuel for PI on fitz they should have called PI on the cardinals.

[jtq1]

@ Phils Phan: No need to hate on Pitt. Fitz left here early, so he didn't get to experience the fourth year of education when we learn about stuff like that.

Really though. Being an Eagles fan in Pittsburgh right now...this blows.

[doubleh]

Reach: I'm just saying it's a bit hypocritical of you to come here pointing fingers, considering both our teams are now out. I don't care about your past SB wins; this was about this season. Eli Manning has a ring, yes, I know--but he also has an very undeserved MVP Trophy that should have gone to his fucking defense.

And who gives a shit if Andy Reid is fat? He can't win the big one, I get you. But Bill Cowher went 15 years before he finally won one. It ain't easy. If it was, everyone would have a trophy. Jeezus.