Monday Eagles Hangover: It Didn't Look Any Better In Person

Let me dispel any notions you may have had that actually being the stadium might have improved the experience of watching last night's clunker against the Cowboys.  On paper, everything looked great for the big Sunday Night game: beautiful weather (actually had to take my sweatshirt off inside the stadium), great seats, even one of those gihugic American flags that they only roll out for events like Military Appreciation Day.

Unfortunately, those of us in the stadium watched the same game that you did, and it was not terribly electrifying.  While a game like this one -- heavy on defense, hinging on one or two plays and/ or turnovers -- would make a lot of sense as a late-season NFC East tilt in cold weather, it was pretty crappy for Week 9 in perfect conditions.  The game had little to no flow at all as a live event -- it seemed that every big play had a flag attached, and the cavalcade of challenges/ injuries/ TV timeouts (the TV timeouts were particularly offensive) just sucked the life out of the evening.

Yeah, it wasn't sweet.  But you already knew that.  Some additional morning-after items:

The Emperor is pleased.  Our seats weren't very far from the Dallas owner's box (above), meaning that some of the charming fellows in the next section had the opportunity to attempt to engage Jerry Jones in a frank and candid discussion of his team's prospects as well as his general reputation and bearing.  I particularly enjoyed the guy who kept contorting his face around (like a five-year-old child); I think this was some sort of elaborate plastic-surgery joke.  Jones played it pretty cool, though a few of the folks in his box were doing some taunting by the end of the game.  Personally, I didn't think that was very impressive -- yes, some of the Eagles supporters might have been a bit boisterous, but if you're going to sit in the owner's box, you can't pretend to be surprised by that. 

The 2011 Eagles show why they're the 2011 Eagles.  As much as we all agree that it's awesome that the Birds have flipped the roster and have found younger guys who can contribute, it's tough not to notice that a couple Eagles rookies played down to their age and experience.  Jeremy Maclin owes Donovan McNabb fantasy owners some points for at least the first pick, though probably not the second (though there are rumblings regarding incorrect reads/ routes on that one as well, including some damning words from Big Red this morning -- but whatever, it wasn't a good throw), and Moise Fokou managed to ruin two huge return plays with penalties.  Grumble grumble, learning on the job, grumble grumble. 

The highlight of the evening.  A fellow named Jesse Maguire played the national anthem on a trumpet, and it was absolutely beautiful.  Wow.  They should really do that more often.  It was stirring. 

Things for which we didn't need Al Michaels.  Whilst we in the stadium weren't privileged with the details on the replays for each of the failed challenges, I can confidently say that both looked like pretty sketchy decisions by Big Red.  If I had any faith at all in what the Eagles ability to judge those sorts of plays appropriately ("Oh, he wouldn't throw the flag unless someone upstairs told him it was a lock"), I might have felt better.  The failed challenge thing isn't really very funny anymore.     

The Eagles' version of the Spinal Tap drummer.  Now that Jordan is banged up, are the Birds now done with all the starting linebackers from the start of camp?  Yikes.     

That was unexpected.  There was a guy two rows behind me at the game who kept complaining that the Eagles weren't throwing enough.  Seriously.  That's just not something I'm used to hearing in the stands at the Linc.

Q speaks the truth (or at least keeps it simple).  The postgame pressers from Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb were like watching old married couples fight -- this is a conversation that we've heard before.  The Quintin Mikell session was a bit more illuminating, in that Q shot the reporters straight regarding "what happened" out there.  Q's explanation: the Eagles "messed up":

On whether TE Jason Witten and QB Tony Romo read their last 3rd down blitz: "Well we just, really to be honest with you, we messed that one up again. I mean we had some mess ups out there on coverages. They had a good play call on and, obviously, they were reading our blitzes. That's something we got to work on this week. We'll watch some film and fix those mistakes that we had."

On his recognition of the offensive movement on that play: "It was too late. I don't know. We just messed up. But those things happen in football sometimes. And believe me, we're going to get that fixed and straightened out this week and it isn't going to happen again."

On if someone was supposed to cover Witten on that play: "Without getting too into it, but essentially….basically, I don't want to get too technical with it, but we just messed up. I'll leave it like that."

I mean, yeah, they did mess a couple of those plays up.  Q went to appropriate lengths to avoid pointing a finger at a coworker, which was admirable, and didn't whinge about the refs (unlike a certain quarterback who insisted that there were "no excuses" as he blathered on about a bad spot -- not impressive, Dunavin). 

Part of Q's candor comes from the fact that he doesn't have ten years of baggage with the media, but I found his perspective resonated with me: the Birds weren't awesome and they weren't terrible last night (at least on defense), but they made the mistake that cost you a close game.  That's sure what it looks like the morning after.  It was an ugly game and a tough loss, but it doesn't look like some sort of referendum on the team's future.  It'd be nice if they could win one of these close games (or not shrink from the Sunday Night spotlight, yet again), but there's still half a season for all that.

Essentially, I'm bummed but I'm not crushed.  This is nothing that a big road win at San Diego won't cure.