Eagles Window Is Closed?

It is the perception of some that the door to a SB has been shut for the Eagles. This sounds exactly like several years back after the loss to the Pats. I guess the basis for this is:

1) McNabb will never get them there,
2) There's no great RB on the team,
3) The defense is atrocious.

Setting aside issue #1 which has been debated to death, here is my rebuttal as to why the window is not closed:

1) To win the SB you need a big play threat. That has traditionally come out of the RB position on this team, however DeSean is now that guy.
2) McCoy did a serviceable job as a rookie. There's no reason to think he can't step up in year 2. And frankly, the entire offense is very young and there's no reason to think they can't be better this year. This is after having an explosive offense last year.
3) Given #2, the defense doesn't have to be lights out in order for this team to have a shot. Get them up to average and you keep the window open.
4) Say what you will about this coaching staff, but they always put winners out there.
5) There is no dominant team in the NFC. The Saints were very good last year, but they do not strike me as head and shoulders above the rest of the NFC. If there's no dominant team, then that increases the chances of a good team squeaking in to the SB.

And maybe that's why people are so down about this team. We look back at the dominant teams the Eagles had, garnering the top seed in the playoffs, and we're clearly not looking at the same type of team here. But that does NOT mean the window has slammed shut. Frankly, there's only a handful of teams that have no shot (CLE, STL, DET) and there's many more that can make the playoffs. This is a team that can make the playoffs. This is a team that can win in the playoffs. It's not a given, but it's definitely a possibility. Especially before we've even gotten to the draft.

So don't give up quite yet.

Bye-Bye BWest

The greatest WOW Eagles player of the past 10 years. He was the definition of the multiple threat out of the backfield. Explosive runner, good hands catching the ball, and excellent at picking up the blitz. There wasn't anything that he couldn't do on the football field.

Looking back over the past 10 years of Eagles football, the 2nd greatest play (4th and 26 being #1 of course) was 36's punt return for a TD against the NYG to single handedly save the season. At the time, he wasn't even their returner anymore, but Reid tossed him back there because he was their best playmaker and boy did he ever make a play.

The most disappointing thing about Westbrook's career is that all his injuries probably took away 1.5-2 seasons of games. Just imagine how much greater he'd have been if he could have stayed on the field. The concussions this past year were just the final straw. I truly hope he has not done any irreparable harm to himself.

And beyond all that, a decent, classy, professional guy as demonstrated by his taking McCoy under his wing this past year.

Brian Westbrook, Eagle Great, you will be missed.