Okay, we gave you time to mourn on Sunday. We understood. The sting of a Philadelphia Eagles loss that never should have occurred was still fresh on all of our minds.
Then, Monday came, and some of you were still tripping. That's why we're here to stepn in. We have come to counteract the negativity.
We expected a firestorm on the local Philly sports stations, but some of you have gotten out of control. If memory serves, the first caller we heard when we tuned in to listen literally said "The season is over".
You all do realize this team is 12-3 and has already qualified for the postseason, right?
Truth be told, we were disappointed too. We were certain Philly was going to sweep the Washington Commanders. That would have given them the NFC East's crown. It would have also strengthened their chances of earning the NFL postseason's top spot in the NFC.
Now, the only way that will happen is if the Eagles win out and the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings cooperate. The Birds need both lose in Week 17 and the Vikes beat the Lions in Week 18.
Don't worry. We have good news!
Kenny Pickett ISN'T a lost cause.
No one feels comfortable seeing a backup start 17 games unless you live in Philadelphia and that backup is Nick Foles.
We know watching Kenny Pickett lead the offense is a drop-off from Jalen Hurts, but we learned something on Sunday vs. the Commanders in Week 16. Pickett is also better than Marcus Mariota.
We've only seen Kenny under center here during the preseason (or, in Philly's case, in the shotgun). That was tough to watch, but he wasn't that bad vs. the Commanders. If Jalen doesn't clear the NFL's concussion protocol in time for the next game, we're confident that Pickett is good enough to beat the Dallas Cowboys in a home game.
A.J. Brown is still elite during an 'off-year'.
We won't be given any insight on Philly's plans for preparation, but we're certain they'll prepare like Kenny will be their Week 17 starter. The good news is he'll have a nice complement of weapons. He just needs to get the ball in the hands of his playmakers.
One of those playmakers is A.J. Brown. You may have heard of him. He's pretty good. Despite an 'off-year', he has eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving again.
That's the third time he has done so. That's a feat we haven't seen accomplished by an Eagles receiver since Mike Quick enjoyed a similar run from 1983-1985.
Good things happened when Pickett got the ball to A.J. and DeVonta Smith, minus that final drop by the Slim Reaper of course. We expect heavy dosages of both in Week 17. That should help carry Philly to the finish line.
Jalen Hurts is going to be okay (and, he's clearly more important to this offense than some have said).
Head injuries must be taken seriously, but there's good news with Jalen's injury. He'll return to the lineup at some point.
If you needed evidence of his importance in this offense, let Week 16 be your guide. We didn't see the same balanced attack in his absence.
Jalen's dual-threat ability forces opposing defensive coordinators to worry about one more weapon in the Eagles' toolbox. That wasn't the case with Pickett in the lineup vs. the Commanders. Both can scramble. Jalen may be a tad more gifted, but we must reiterate.
Jalen Hurts isn't the easily replaceable puzzle piece some of his detractors describe him as.
The Eagles probably have to beat themselves if they're going to lose.
Three losses this season... Philly was shorthanded vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the other two were birthed by self-inflicted errors.
The Week 2 loss vs. the Atlanta Falcons and the Week 16 loss vs. Washington were similar. Both saw similar endings.
If stars make routine catches (Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith), Philly might win both games in the victory formation. Instead, the open door allowed the opposing offenses to march down the field for go-ahead scores.
Recently, we've been left with a theory (and, you aren't talking us out of this).
We've watched 15 weeks of regular-season football this season. We've discovered something. If the Birds don't beat themselves (bad playcalling, bad situational decision-making, poor execution), no one else can beat them.
The NFC East is still Philly's for the taking.
The loss to the Commanders lessens Philly's chances to claim the number-one seed, but divisional superiority is still in the cards,
The path to winning the NFC East is a simple one. Philly needs to win on Sunday. That will also lock up, at minimum the second seed.
So, you see? There's no need to panic. A playoff berth has already been won, and the Eagles are still one of the NFL's top teams. The goals haven't changed. The Week 16 loss rocked us, but there's a chance that may have also given the guys a reset.
Our fingers are crossed this way.