Bird crap

I said as much over at Will We Ever Win, but here's my reaction to yet another Eagles loss in an NFC Championship game, with some bonus venting thrown in for good measure.

The Eagles were still getting good luck from some refs' calls and screw-ups by the Cardinals, and just didn't do anything with it.

The Cardinals' last drive for a TD felt inevitable. It's like their offensive coordinator woke the hell up and went right back to what worked in the first quarter.

The long pass to DeSean Jackson where he bobbled the ball while walking into the endzone had me laughing out loud. That was pure joy. Didn't last, of course.

The Eagles are down 14-3 and driving in the first half, inside the Cardinals' 30, I believe. And they call a momentum killer in a quick pass to Greg Lewis right on the line of scrimage, where he's supposed to deek the defender one-on-one. Has that play ever, ever worked with Greg Lewis? Ever? Needless to say he got thrown for a 2- or 3-yard loss. PATHETIC!

Kevin Curtis has to catch that fourth-down pass that basically ended the game. If he was touched it did not impede him. It's football, people touch you.

McNabb isn't bothering to say he, himself, came up short, when he clearly did. Big surprise.

Brent Celek is clearly a better player than L.J. Smith, like most fans have said all season. We were smarter/less stubborn than Andy. Again.

I continue to maintain the drafting of DeSean Jackson was a complete fluke. Reid lucked into that draft pick like the Eagles lucked into the playoffs. Jackson and Celek were studs Sunday.

I thought all year there was more talent on this team than the record and play indicated. They were lucky as hell to even get into the playoffs, where it was evident they could have been in the Super Bowl. Who then is to blame for being a mediocre team all year, being gifted into the playoffs and then coming up short in crunch time? Mostly Andy Reid.

Can't say I didn't enjoy the game, once the Birds started the comeback anyway. Down as they were at halftime, I thought they could come back. And they did, taking the lead. And then ...

Maybe the Phillies winning the World Series softened me up, but I'm not outraged or anything. I'm not going to be calling for Reid's head or to move McNabb, because that's been futile for years now. It's just really disappointing realizing you were that close to the Super Bowl, and would have gotten there in incredible fashion. All for naught.

UPDATE: Ron Wood on the above-mentioned Greg Lewis play. "That horrible play call to Greg Lewis on 2nd and 2 was from the 13 and was the worst play call of the game."