THEY'RE BACK!

Yes it was a sloppy, mistake filled game by both teams. But at the end of the day, the Eagles beat a 5-3 NFC East rival on the road. They did it with guts, heart, a terrific goal line stand, and of course, Super 5 and Brian Westbrook. It was a game the Eagles had to win and, in true Andy Reid, Donovan McNabb, Jim Johnson defense fashion – in really what has become a hallmark of the Reid/McNabb era - they did.

 

I was at the game yesterday. In the very front row on the 25 yard line of the Redskins side of the field. Danny Snyder’s so called “Dream Seats.” There is nothing as satisfying for an Eagles fan living in the Washington, DC area than to leave FedEx Field after an Eagles victory against the Redskins. Eagles fans are whooping it up all over the parking lot, high fiving anyone in the concourses wearing green and sullen and silent Skins fans quietly exit out of the stadium.

 

I’ll have lots of pictures to post tomorrow, but first one quick story.

 

I was wearing my McNabb jersey and after #5 threw his first pass into the ground at the feet of Kevin Curtis in the first quarter, a pass that usually signifies the game has begun – a 50-ish Redskins fan in the row behind me says, “time for a new quarterback.” I shook my head and said something to the effect of “you’re crazy.”

 

He said it again about 4 or 5 times over the course of the game, particularly after McNabb fumbled in the 4^th quarter. He wasn’t obnoxious about it, just a little gamesmanship. And I playfully kept defending McNabb’s honor in a good natured fa to fan back and forth. So when McNabb hooked up with Westbrook for the 57 yard TD screen pass, I turned to talk my “friend” but he was gone – as fast as Westbrook took it to the house. He never did return and I’ll never see him again.

 

I also can tell you the vibe in the stands if not on the field was that the team in green had a better record and was shooting for the playoffs, and not the other way around. Hopefully that vibe will continue.