Two comeback wins in a row? What in the Sam Hill is going on here? Sadly, the Eagles wouldn’t have needed a fourth quarter rally if they took care of business in the red zone. Oh well. Such is life for the 2009 Birds. Here’s what caught the attention of the Eagle Eye:

I’m sure this horse has been beaten to the bone, but why onside kick against a team that struggles to move the ball? Reid is lucky he pulled out a win, or the vultures would have picked him clean for making such a foolish call. And what exactly [...]

Penalties. Red zone failures. Short-yardage struggles. Dropped passes. Missed tackles. Awful third down offense and defense. Botched special teams. No pass rush besides Trent Cole. A lack of emotion. Severely outcoached. Do these things sound familiar?
Of course they do. That’s how our beloved Eagles have played all season long. However, today they managed to eke out a victory thanks to a couple youngins. Shady McCoy and Jeremy Maclin picked up the slack in the fourth quarter and helped engineer a frustrating thrilling 27-24 win. I guess McNabb and Reid took umbrage with the claim that they could no longer win [...]

The Redskins are beat up. Probably more than the Eagles. DeAngelo Hall is out and Albert Haynesworth will be a game-time decision. Rock Cartwright, not Portis or Betts, will be the starting tailback. Chris Cooley is still sidelined.
This game sets up nicely for the Birds. But we better get used to winning ugly, because that’s what this one will be. Another grind it out, less than pretty victory. The ‘Skins will battle because they always do, but the Eagles’ superior talent will be the difference. This is not the time or place to tank against a lesser opponent.
Eagles 23, Redskins [...]

… the Eagles lost to the effing Raiders!! Did you watch the Cowboys game yesterday? The silver and black are beyond pathetic. Any team that loses to them doesn’t deserve to make the playoffs.
And don’t bring up the Bengals, either. They are the Bengals. I don’t care what their record is, they still suck. I actually read some message boards earlier in the week which has the audacity to insinuate that the Raiders were a “quality team” because they beat Cincinnati. WTF!!!
Basically, these message board horses asses dismissed the Eagles black hole flop as a loss to a good opponent. [...]

Lucky for me, nobody has discovered the bug my ITI spies planted in Andy Reid’s office, because I find the weekly sitdowns between Big Red and Don fascinating. I had no idea how much control the coach and quarterback had over what happens on and off the field.
Here’s a look at yesterday’s confab:
Reid and McNabb are both kicked back in leather chairs smoking cigars.
Reid: Our plan is coming together nicely, 5.
McNabb: You said it Red. We uglied it up on Sunday night, but still got the W.
Reid: Ha, ha, ha… just the way I drew it up.
McNabb: You? Don’t ya [...]

Perusing the slate of games this past Sunday, I noticed a couple of former Eagles’ draft picks kicking a little ass on other teams. I’m always intrigued what original draftees do when/if they catch on elsewhere.
I consider the Birds to have one of the better scouting departments, so if a player they released makes something of themselves, I chalk it up as a win for Tom Heckert and the boys. It would be easy to slam them for cutting these guys loose, but to be fair, some fellas get entangled in a numbers game.
Take Brandon Gibson for instance — the [...]

Justice has been served! Sorry, I couldn’t resist. The Eagles did right by Winston Justice today and awarded him a four-year contract extension.
Justice has been perhaps the biggest surprise of the 2009 season. Many, myself included, assumed he’d be lucky to make the final roster entering training camp. Once Shawn Andrews‘ back flared up, the job became Justice’s to lose. Through ten games, he’s been the Birds most consistent offensive lineman.
The deal is reported to be worth $18.5 million with $6 million guaranteed. I say good for Winston. His story is a nice one.
Subscribe to ITI

Awarding cheesesteaks after a victory feels ten times better than after a loss. There are so many more candidates to choose from. While Sunday night’s win was far from perfect, it was easy to single out those deserving of a savory steak sandwich slathered with cheese and onions.
So, who gets the nod? I went back and forth with a few guys, but settled on two. I think this dynamic duo set the tone in a game labeled a “must-win.” Both sides of the ball are represented this week. And the winners are…

I covered most of what I saw in last night’s recap, but there are a couple more developments I’d like touch on before we move on to the Redskins. Here it goes:

Any coincidence that the Eagles had their best game on the ground with Stacy Andrews inactive? I’ve made it clear how much I loathe a guard rotation. Perhaps Reid finally figured out that it’s not very conducive to developing continuity. We all know Stacy is not ready to play this season. Again, he should be placed on IR because he offers little in the way of help to this [...]

Quintin Mikell called this game their “Super Bowl.” Well, the result turned out different than the last time the Eagles went to the big game. This time around, they managed to win. With lots of help from Jay Cutler, who missed at least three touchdowns by overthrowing receivers.
A depleted defense did what they could and limited the Bears to field goals. The offense misfired and looked stagnant most of the night, but picked it up after DeSean Jackson’s 48-yard touchdown catch. It was anything but beautiful, but you take what you can get when you play one of those must-win [...]

I’ll keep this brief. The Eagles are a beat-up enigma. Now Joe Mays might get a shot in the middle. Desperate times… It’s a “must win” game according to McNabb. Quintin Mikell calls it their “Super Bowl.” Blah, blah, blah.
I’d like to the think the Birds were better than the Bears, but at this stage of the season, I’d say they are even. For my money, this is an elimination game for both teams. Gang green will have to do a bunch of things right to come out on top. Sadly, I don’t believe they are capable.
Bears 27, Eagles 23 [...]

Gather up the wife and kiddies. It’s time to take another trip around the blogosphere.
Bill Simmons has no pull with the Seattle cops. (Kissing Suzy Kolber)
Floyd Mayweather is a coward. Huh? (Josh Q. Public)
A Shawshank Redemption/Pulp Fiction killer crossover. (FanSided Sports Blog)
Some Oregon students made a Rose Bowl rap. (Outside the Boxscore)
It’s not often you get to interview a Hall of Famer. (Predominantly Orange)
Nebraska and Yale football are different. No way! (Bootlegger Sports)
The Jets and Patriots meet Return of the Jedi. (Global Sports Fraternity)
Does JaMarcus Russell have a future in Oakland? (Just Blog Baby)
Twelve teeth-rotting chocolate cereals. Yummy! (Gunaxin)
The Magic [...]