I have avoided this. I have sat in front of my computer, curled up, fetally, and gazed with bleak despair, I've questioned the existence of Howard Eskin, I've eaten Tastykake, I've become overtly, haggard. But no more. No more dilatory avoidance, no shirking of a blogger's duties to his fanbase. No excuses. But first, a primal roar: "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhnnnnnnnnnnnnaaaaaaaaahahahaha...."

Oh, jeez. Why, oh why do they do it? Why do our bumbling birdmen blow the damned opportunities they are given, after rising from the ashes to engage our hope and guarantee our interest and love captivity for life? Why do we do this?

I thought that I could watch McNabb grow. I thought that the years I had put in, watching McNabb scramble up to the cusp of greatness, watching him make the most of things, watching him come damned close so many times, I thought that I would see him take advantage of this year's weak playoff field, and come out a legend in this town. There were signs of this. McNabb had been on one hell of a run. He had blown up the Cowboys to get into the playoffs, and had done what needed to be done in Minnesota. He was facing the same quarterback he'd faced in his first NFC Championship game oh so many years ago, and he looked ready to me. I thought he could pull a Manning (either payton of Eli apply here) and cement his playoff reputation with one hot stretch.  But gosh I was wrong.

Say what you will about the end of the game, and much has been said, the fact of the matter is that it isn't really important that Curtis was held. This isn't the issue, and it obfuscates the point. McNabb's Eagles have always lacked the killer instinct, that extra gear to become great. This is true. It has been true for years now. The question is wether or not McNabb can find it. I don't know.

I think, at a point, and we are at this point, past it even, you accept what you have in a quarterback, and you know that you have reached the envelope of his skill and capabilities. You can push him no farther. McNabb, we now know, as we have all suspected, cannot put a team on his back and win it all without another weapon or weapons on the offensive side of the ball. The one season he had help, we ran into one of the best teams of the past two decades, and damn near walked away champions.

I thoughthe could do it. Before that last drive, there was that dumb Manning commercial, where he agrees that he is going down, he won't choke, that he will take that hike. I thought it was a sign-potentially. I was wrong. Where do you go from there?

Comments

[Andrew J Scanlan]

I feel your pain, Rob, I do. But "what to do?" is a practical question as much as anything and therefore needs practical answers. The eagles need more offensive help. It's true. And why should we expect McNabb to do it by himself? A few personnel tweaks and this team will have a chance again next year. Maybe that isn't terribly reassuring, but it's something to know your team still has a shot.
Believe it or not, the Eagles have been a successful team and should continue to be. Look what "these guys just can't push it any farther than the semi-final" thinking has done for the Pistons this year.

[Andrew J Scanlan]

I mean, it's not about McNabb's manliness, or "killer instinct." You point to this yourself by saying it wasn't about the last play of the game, but I'd take this thinking further. Had the Eagles been ahead by two touchdowns at the end of the game, would we be talking about touchdowns at all?

[Andrew J Scanlan]

err, ahem, *"toughness at all?" not "touchdowns at all"