Entering the 2010 season, the reigning NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys were one of the favorites to make it to Super Bowl XLV, which was conveniently at Cowboys Stadium. Then one of the most talented teams in the league got off to a 1-7 start and any playoff hopes were quickly diminished.
Fast-forward one year and the reigning NFC East champion is once again in a similar position, but this time it’s the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles dominated the offseason, adding big-name free agents to a team that went 10-6 last year behind resurgent quarterback Michael Vick.
Then Vince Young dubbed Philadelphia the “dream team.”
But much like the Cowboys last year, the Eagles have failed to meet those high expectations and a postseason berth may be out of reach after a dismal first half of the season.
Monday night’s 30-24 loss to the Chicago Bears dropped the Eagles’ record to 3-5 and put them three games behind the division-leading New York Giants.
For a realistic chance to make the playoffs, the Eagles can’t afford to lose any more than one game in the second half of the season — a stretch that features games on the road against the Giants and Cowboys and at home vs. the Patriots and Jets.
It’s not that Philadelphia hasn’t shown it’s capable of being one of the best teams in the league. The Eagles have the top rushing offense in the NFL, demolished the Cowboys 34-7 on Oct.?30 and have held a fourth-quarter lead in seven of their eight games.
But the Eagles have struggled to finish — losing four games in which they held a fourth-quarter lead.
The blame has been spread throughout the organization: Coach Andy Reid can’t get the most out of his talent. First-year defensive coordinator Juan Castillo doesn’t know what he’s doing. Vick is turning the ball over too much. The defense is too soft in the middle.
To salvage this season, the Eagles must quickly regroup.
In 2010, the Cowboys bounced back to win five of their last eight games. A similar finish for the Eagles would likely leave them out of the playoffs, but it may at least save some jobs.
– Jeffrey Tomik
