will we ever win?

Almost a replay of last week

And almost a replay of a game we've seen a 1,000 times before from this team. Let's go down the list. Parade of penalties, check. Red zone failures, check. Stupid play calls, check. Dumb decisions by McNabb, check. No urgency anywhere for large stretches of the game, check. Defense allowing third down conversions all day long, check. Offense can't convert a third down for most of the game, check. Idiotic insertions of Vick, check. Out adjusted at the half, check. Drops, check. Poor tackling, check. Anything I forgot?

But at the end of the day they were playing the Redskins, who specialize in blowing games they should have won. So late in the fourth, Avant makes some big catches to wake up the offense, McNabb refinds his accuracy, they start running the ball again and have success, the defense finally makes some stops and the Eagles manage to come back and eke one out, 27-24, against a team they were favored by 10 against.

Other notes:

• The last time Reid did the onside kick and failed miserably was against a scrub Dallass team in 2003 that returned it for a TD. Why Reid thinks he has to use tricks and gimmicks to beat a team the Eagles are clearly better than makes no sense. Why he would risk giving an anemic offense the ball with a short field to start the game is equally stupid. And once again he paid for it by spotting the Redskins seven.
• Redskins are the #1 passing defense, #25 rushing defense. The Eagles of course passed it more than they ran.
• A team that can legitimately use injuries as an excuse came in to Philadelphia and should have beat the team that only has excuses.
• What has happened to the Eagles run defense?
• Samuels hands and arms can't tackle, but they sure can catch.
• The Redskins offensive line is supposed to be terrible, like the Bears, but there wasn't that much pressure from the Eagles. I guess it's that time in the season where the small dudes the Eagles have wear down.
• The refs sucked this game. When they weren't making stuff up they were missing the obvious.
• Obligatory "enough with the stupid Vick plays, he sucks" comment. But to a larger point, Reid once again misuses his players' skills. Vick isn't a running back. He's a running quarterback that can take advantage of a broken field, not a defense lined up to stop the run.
• How many times this year has the offense taken a lead and then the defense gives it right back? Then of course the following drive by the offense goes three and out.
• Hey Maclin, catch the ball and stop crying pass interference every time you come up empty.
• That clanky Miller Lite commercial is grating and unpleasant, like their beer.
• The Eagles couldn't figure out they had to go for two the entire drive so they had to burn a timeout. So typical. Great play by McCoy on the conversion though.
• Akers was good today.
• The Eagles have so completely sucked the enthusiasm out of the fans that they could barely muster any boos.

Up next is Atlanta, where Ryan and Turner may be out for the game. Another break for the Eagles.