will we ever win?

Eat it NY

The last game in the soulless dump known as Giants Stadium was a memorable and historic one. Together the teams scored 83 points and put up almost 900 yards of offense. And the Eagles won.

The Eagles jumped out to a quick 14 point lead before the Giants put up 10 points of their own, went up by 13 again by scoring on a 2 minute drive before the end of the half while getting the PAT blocked. Then the Eagles even fell behind by 1 point in the third quarter, but that only lasted a minute thanks to a 60 yard bomb to Jackson on the Eagles next play. Then the best drive of the season put them up by 14 again. The Giants got a TD with 1:35 left to make it a touchdown game again, but they blew the onside kick. The Giants did get the ball back but Howard made Manning fumble the ball away to seal the Eagles 45-38 victory.

Special note on the best drive of the season or maybe Reid's entire reign
With 13:12 left in the game and the outcome still undecided, the Eagles started with the ball on their own 9. Seven minutes and 24 seconds later Weaver was pounding it over from the 1 for a touchdown. Then they even converted a 2 point conversion attempt to make the lead 14 again. This was a completely edifying drive - 10 times more satisfying than a quick strike long bomb TD. The drive consisted of 6 runs and 6 passes. This was a drive I want my football team to do all the time. This is how football should be played. Is it possible Reid is FINALLY learning?

Other notes:

• With the win, the Eagles are the winningest visiting team in Giants Stadium history.
• After shutting out the Falcons for 59 minutes and 59 seconds last week, the defense was pathetic this week and were shredded by the Giants for 512 yards - 391 passing and 121 running. Bad run defense, bad tackling, and bad coverage. They did score a TD though.
• Opening drive worked to perfection. Great play call on Celek's touchdown.
• Great play calling almost all game actually.
• Super lucky bounce on Sheldon Brown's fumble recovery and return. That won't be happening again anytime soon.
• Congratulations to McNabb on throwing the ball away on a screen the Giants figured out. I didn't know he had it in him.
• I'll give Vick credit this game. The pass to Jackson was right on the money and he had a nice straight arm to pick up a first down on his second play. His third play was a stupid call and was destined to fail. Fourth play was a nice run for the TD to cap a 2 minute drive. Fifth play was a nice 5 yard run up the middle to set up Weaver's 1 yard TD.
• Amazingly competent and well executed 2 minute drive before the half by the Eagles. Who knew they could do that?
• I've given up on the government, I've given up on the country, and I've given up on the Eagles ever winning a Super Bowl. The only thing I could still believe in was NFL refereeing. But no longer.
  1. Ticky-tack crap on Mikel on illegal contact giving the Giants first downs galore and extending their drive for their first TD, then Celek gets MUGGED in the endzone when the ball is coming to him and no call. That cost the Eagles 4 points.
  2. The entire left side of the Giants line OBVIOUSLY false starts on first and goal and no call. Giants gain 4 yards and score a play later.
  3. One ref "rules" a "forward fumble" when every single player, the coaches, and the other refs on the field made their own ruling of incomplete pass. And no automatic review.
  4. The worst call had to be Dixon's fumble on the kickoff return where the Eagles CLEARLY recover it with 3 seconds left and the refs say time expired and run off the field and no automatic review. That cost the Eagles 3 points.
  5. Review on Hicks catch was wrong. He bobbled it again out of bounds and never had control.
  6. The Giants Schubert(?) comes over and punches an Eagle from behind to start the end of the game brawl and the refs do nothing even though one was looking right at it. Then they later call Cole and O'Hara for penalties while Schubert gets nothing.
The one judgment call they got right was the Manning dive fumble. But in my opinion that wasn't even close.
• Incredible punt return by Jackson. The only problem was it was down the wrong sideline so we couldn't see the Giants bench react and the special teams coach slam his crap to the ground in disgust.
• Eagles special teams were pretty good overall.
• Eagles benefited from a lot of Giants drops in the first half.
• "The movie is always good, but the ending always stinks." - Al Michaels on Reid, McNabb and the Eagles. Yay, a national guy that seems to get it.
• Dungy picked the Giants to win and was trying to justify it postgame noting all the Giants mistakes and missed opportunities. He didn't note the points the Eagles left on the field or their mistakes or the refs mistakes costing the Eagles points.
• Jason Peters was wearing a Yankees hat for post game interviews. Idiot.

Dallass lost again and it was great appetizer to the the main course. This was a great game, and the first game of the season I got emotionally involved in.