Vinny Iyer
Sporting News

Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy’s contract will leave him underpaid in 2012 and possibly a free agent in 2013. The team is making its best effort to change.

Eagles officials are working toward giving McCoy a desired long-term contract update, coach Andy Reid told Philadelphia radio station 97.5 The Fanatic.

“He and I talked. I can’t share (all of) that with everybody, but I will tell you it is heading in the right direction,” Reid said, per SportsRadioInterviews.com. “That’s all I can tell you.”

McCoy is scheduled to be paid $615,000 in base salary for 2012, the final year of the rookie contract he signed in June 2009. In 15 games last season, he led the league in rushing touchdowns with 17 and finished fourth in rushing yards with 1,309.

Reid said the Eagles are committed to showing McCoy just how valuable he is to their offense.

“He knows we appreciate him, and we are working through those negotiations and I think good things will happen,” Reid said.

Just how much should McCoy be paid? Jacksonville Jaguars feature back Maurice Jones-Drew, the 2011 NFL rushing leader, will be paid $4.45 million in 2012.

On the highest end of the spectrum, Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans and the Minnesota Vikings’ Adrian Peterson are due $8 million for the upcoming season. In March, Arian Foster signed a five-year, $43.5 million deal with the Houston Texans.

Two talented franchise-tagged backs, the Baltimore Ravens’ Ray Rice and Chicago Bears’ Matt Forte, will be watching closely to see what McCoy gets.

Considering the Eagles recently invested $45 million over five years in wide receiver DeSean Jackson and that McCoy has been a more reliable speedy playmaker, McCoy can expect to be well paid — and soon.

–Story originally appeared on SportingNews.com.

By Evan Dunlap

– Contributor

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Dec 26, 2011 – The Washington Redskins (5-10) finish their season this Sunday, Jan. 1, when they take on the Philadelphia Eagles (7-8) at Lincoln Financial Field. Kickoff is set for 1 PM Eastern on FOX.

In the first meeting between the teams during the 2011 season, Philadelphia prevailed, 20-13. That defeat sent the Redskins’ season spinning out of control, as it was the first of six straight for Washington. Rex Grossman threw four interceptions, prompting coach Mike Shanahan to pull him in favor of John Beck, who went on to start Washington’s next three games before Shanahan elected to go with Grossman again.

The Redskins lost their most recent game on Saturday, 33-26, against the Minnesota Vikings, ending Minnesota’s six-game losing streak. They had no answer for backup quarterback Joe Webb, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. The defeat wasted solid performances from Grossman (26-of-41 passing, 284 yards, two touchdowns, one interception) and running back Evan Royster (19 carries, 132 yards).

Meanwhile, the Eagles cruised to a 20-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium. Dallas quarterback Tony Romo injured his right hand on Dallas’ first drive of the game, forcing Stephen McGee to fill in. Only a touchdown pass from McGee to Miles Austin with seven seconds remaining in the game, and the blocked punt that led to Dallas gaining possession, prevented the Eagles from pitching a shutout. Philly has won three straight games and will look to end its season on a high note following a 1-4 start.

For more on the Redskins, please visit Hogs Haven, SB Nation’s Redskins blog. For the perspective from the other side, please visit SB Nation Philly and Bleeding Green Nation, SB Nation’s Eagles blog.

Read More: Rex Grossman (QB – WAS), Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles, Jan 1, 2012 1:00 PM EST

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The end for Donovan McNabb(notes) looks more and more sad with each passing day. The former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback has already lost his starting job for the second straight season with a different team. Now, there are questions being raised about McNabb’s work ethic. According to reports, McNabb has not put in the necessary practice time nor learned the playbook for the Minnesota Vikings. There were similar stories about him doing the same with the Washington Redskins. The decline of McNabb is right up there some of the sadder ends to careers. As an Eagles fan, I have had mixed feelings about McNabb. But it’s simply sad to watch what has happened lately.

McNabb denies the questions about his work ethic. But there must be something going on here. This is the second disastrous stop in as many years for McNabb. He’s not exactly losing his job to elite quarterbacks. The Redskins replaced him with Rex Grossman(notes) and the Vikings replaced him with Christian Ponder(notes). This is likely the last shot McNabb had at being a starter. There is little chance that a team is going to sign him as a starter in 2012, even if it is only to groom a rookie quarterback. The McNabb era probably ends after the 2011 season. Sadly, it should have ended several years ago.

Like most Eagles fans, I have a checkered opinion of McNabb. He had a nice career here and put up some amazing numbers. He was under center for one of the best eras in franchise history. He led the Eagles to the NFC Championship Game five times. For all of his playoff failures, he at least got that far on a somewhat regular basis. Yet, McNabb was always a polarizing figure. This city has seen so many great leaders in different sports but you can’t call McNabb one of them. Every time he talked it was more and more obvious that he simply didn’t get it here. He was a whiner and had to try to convince people that he was a leader. It never really worked. McNabb was a good quarterback in Philadelphia and Eagles fans will appreciate that, but the truth is that he was never quite as great as he thought he was.

No matter what you think of McNabb, watching him the past two years has been sad. I got a kick out of it when he was benched in Washington. That was mainly because the national media lampooned Philadelphia for driving him out of town. As it turns out, it looks like the Eagles were smart. But enough is enough. I don’t want to see McNabb dragged through the mud anymore. Hopefully, he wakes up and realizes that before things get worse for him.

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The Philadelphia Eagles entered their bye week with a 2-4 record, good for last place in the NFC East. Surprisingly, last place is a familiar position for coaches tied to Andy Reid. There are currently five head coaches in the NFL that once worked under Reid for the Eagles. The bulk of them are sitting at the bottom of their divisions entering Week Seven. Here is a look at the five former Reid assistants and how their NFL tenures are going.

John Harbaugh

Harbaugh is the one Reid coach that is having a nice 2011 season. The Baltimore Ravens are in first place and Harbaugh has led them to the playoffs every year since he arrived in 2008. Harbaugh coached special teams and defensive backs during his time with the Eagles. To be fair, he was hired by former Philadelphia coach Ray Rhodes. That means he’s not really a Reid guy. But Harbaugh did coach under Reid for nine full seasons.

Pat Shurmur

Shurmur is in his first season with the Cleveland Browns and it isn’t going well. He joined the Eagles with Reid as a quarterbacks coach in 1999 and spent a decade with the team before becoming the offensive coordinator with the St. Louis Rams in 2009. Shurmur is struggling with the Browns but he probably has some time to grow. I don’t see him getting fired after one season.

Ron Rivera

Rivera is also a first year coach with the Carolina Panthers. The former linebackers coach has made several stops since leaving the Eagles after the 2003 season on his way to the head coaching job. The Panthers are in last place in a good division. But they are already better than they were in 2010 and with Cam Newton(notes) thriving, the future for Rivera could be bright.

Leslie Frazier

Frazier is in his first full season as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He took over in 2010 for Brad Childress, another Reid guy. The former defensive backs coach has had issues in 2011 as the Vikings are among the worst teams in the NFL. Minnesota made the switch to a rookie quarterback which could help by Frazier at least one more year.

Steve Spagnuolo

Spagnuolo could wind up on the hot seat after the 2011 season. He is in his third season with the Rams and the team has regressed. After a 1-15 season in 2009, Spagnuolo looked like a genius after guiding the Rams to a 7-9 record in 2010. But the team is winless so far in 2011. Depending on much the Rams forgive the fact that they have been hurt by injuries, Spagnuolo could be out of a job.

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PHILADELPHIA — Just when we thought Donovan McNabb couldn’t fall any further, his debut with his third team in three years last Sunday produced the kind of shocking passing inefficiency we’ve never seen in the Philadelphia Public League, much less from the Philadelphia Eagles.

The former Eagles quarterback completed seven of 15 passes for 39 yards, a touchdown and an interception as his Minnesota Vikings suffered a 24-17 setback at San Diego.

He’ll turn 36 in November. Might as well be 76.

Meanwhile, Kevin Kolb enjoyed a successful debut with the Arizona Cardinals, completing 18 of 27 passes for 309 yards and a pair of touchdowns with no interceptions in a 28-21 win over the Carolina Panthers. Still, he’s noMichael Vick.

As the last two quarterbacks to start games for the Eagles before Vick, Kolb and McNabb are the latest examples of coach Andy Reid’s perfect track record of managing quarterbacks. That’s the main reason he’s the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL, despite never having led the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory.

Reid was right to draft McNabb when he did in 1999, right to go back to him the following week after benching him for the second half of a loss at Baltimore in 2008 and right to dump him after the 2009 season. Finally, Reid was right to change his mind and choose Vick over Kolb as the Eagles’ full-time starting quarterback after watching Vick play less than two full games at the start of last season.

While Kolb’s best days are still believed to be in front of him, McNabb’s are not. Almost from the day the Eagles dealt him to NFC East rival Washington on Easter Sunday in 2010, he began a decline that has him pointed toward another benching, which would be his third in a four-year span.

Vikings offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave disagrees.

“He’s done a fantastic job since he’s been here from Day 1,” Musgrave said. “On Sunday, especially in the second half, we just didn’t get him in a rhythm. When I say we, I mean really it starts with me. So we’ll look forward to getting him in a rhythm from here on out.”

Because Musgrave is in his first year on the job, that’s really the only thing he can say at this point.

McNabb may not be done, but he was benched in Washington last season, benched with the Eagles briefly in 2008 and now is staring down the barrel of the end of a career in which the Eagles sensed the precise moment to jettison him.

In McNabb’s defense, he’s playing for a first-year coordinator and ostensibly a first-year head coach in Leslie Frazier, who took over as interim coach after Brad Childress was fired during last season’s ultimate collapse. McNabb didn’t have great protection, either, on Sunday.

Had McNabb never left the Eagles, his numbers would not have declined significantly. The system just fit him.

But it fits the younger, faster Vick even better. And 39 yards are 39 yards — a red flag no matter what the circumstances, and especially since the Vikings have more than half a running game too. Adrian Peterson was his usual fine self, carrying 16 times for 98 yards.

The point is, having the right quarterback at the right time means almost everything in the NFL.

For the Eagles, that’s meant lining up the right backups and having them ready for crises, such as when McNabb was felled by a broken leg in 2002 and backup Koy Detmer went down immediately after, leaving the team in the hands of A.J. Feeley, who wasn’t even able to keep his starting job in college at Oregon.

All Feeley did was lead the Eagles to a 5-1 finish to close the regular season at 12-4 and capture homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, when McNabb was able to return.

Feeley, wisely dealt to the Miami Dolphins in 2004 for a second-round draft pick, is still in the league and played against the Eagles last week, after St. Louis Rams starter Sam Bradford left with a thumb injury.

By 2006, though, Feeley was back with the Eagles, and Reid had to take some time to decide whether he or Jeff Garcia would be a better fit to step in after McNabb was felled by a season-ending knee injury.

Reid went with Garcia, who guided the Eagles to perhaps within one awfully bogus false-start call of a fifth conference championship game in a six-year span.

The Eagles have faced some sort of quarterback crisis every season from 2005 through 2008 and again last season.

Reid has batted a thousand in those situations, not to mention all the ones before.

That’s truly one record that can never be broken.

nfierro@mcall.com

610-778-2243

Montana football fans can look forward to seeing No. 30 running
around for the Philadelphia Eagles again this season.

Butte native Colt Anderson, a former star for Butte High and the
University of Montana, earned a spot on the Eagles 53-man
roster.

He learned of the roster spot Saturday afternoon, when NFL teams
had to make their final cuts.

One of the cuts made by the St. Louis Rams was former Montana
Grizzly Chase Reynolds.

“I found out today,” Anderson said of making the Eagles roster.
“I’m excited about the opportunity.”

Anderson, a 2004 Butte High graduate, signed with the Minnesota
Vikings in April 2009 as an undrafted free agent.

He opened the last two seasons on the Vikings’ eight-man practice
squad after getting released in the final round of cuts.

“This year was no different. You just sit there waiting,” Anderson
said. “I wasn’t 100 percent sure. I just tried to stay
positive.”

Anderson signed with the Eagles last November and quickly became a
star on their special teams.

That’s where Anderson said the Eagles are planning on playing him
in 2011.

See COLT, Page B5

Anderson saw time at at safety and on special teams through four
exhibition games.

“I plan on playing safety,” Anderson said. “I think they see me as
a special teams player. I like to play defense, so hopefully I’ll
get a chance to play.”

Anderson, who is in the second year of a three-year deal with the
Eagles, said he’s healthy going into the season, which opens next
Sunday at the Rams.

“I feel really good,” he said. “I have a few bumps and bruises, but
nothing serious.”

The Eagles, led by quarterback Michael Vick, enter the season with
high expectations.

After a flurry of free agent signings, including cornerback Nnamdi
Asomugha, some in the national media started referring to the
Eagles as a “dream team.”

Anderson laughed at that notion.

“We’ve got a good squad. We’re going to go out there every game and
try to win,” he said. “Everybody who is in the NFL is in the league
for a reason. Any team can win at any time.

“We have high expectations for ourselves. Here in Philadelphia it’s
Super Bowl or bust every year.”

Anderson added that he’s settled in nicely in the “City of
Brotherly Love.”

“I’ve got a place to live,” Anderson said. “I’m getting comfortable
in Philadelphia. It’s a great sports town.”

After opening in St. Louis, the Eagles travel to Atlanta for a
Sunday night game on NBC.

Philadelphia’s first home game is Sept. 25 against the New York
Giants.

The Eagles will be on national television games several
times.

They play host to Dallas in a Week 8 Sunday night game before
taking on Chicago on Monday night in Week 9.

The Giants head to Philadelphia for a Sunday night game in Week 11,
and the Eagles travel to Seattle for a Thursday night game on the
NFL Network in Week 13.

The 41-year-old retired quarterback, who is always eager to hop off his tractor in Mississippi at another chance to play in the NFL, has recently been rumored as a possible backup quarterback for Michael Vick in Philadelphia.

The move makes sense in the fact that Favre has ties with Eagles coach Andy Reid and that he appears to be a decent fit for a backup with the departure of current No. 2 quarterback Kevin Kolb seeming imminent.

But would the addition of Favre really be worth the circus it would create?

Favre, who seems to always be in the news even when he is supposedly done with football, would likely become the most-talked-about player on the team, even if he never sees the field.

With the Eagles ready to deal Kolb, the team appears to be committed to making Vick their quarterback for the long term. Why bring in a big-name like Favre to stir up trouble in the quarterback situation? Who knows, but this is the same team that brought in Vick when Donovan McNabb and Kolb were the supposed answers. So the thinking of staying with one quarterback might not apply to Reid and the rest of the organization right now.

But in the grand scheme of things, there has to be a better answer than a 41-year old, multiple-retiree for a backup quarterback.

Yes, Favre did have a magnificent season two years ago and nearly led the Minnesota Vikings to the Super Bowl. But last year, it looked like the Favre magic was all but gone. He threw 11 touchdowns compared to 19 interceptions in 13 games played.

With Vick’s playing style, it might be tough for him to complete a full 16 games. And likely without Kolb’s services, the team will need a reliable backup that it can depend on if Vick is unavailable.

Sorry Brett, you were a heck of a quarterback and will be a Hall of Famer one day, but you aren’t a realistic option anymore. Just sit back and relax and enjoy retired life. The football community will be thankful for one season without Favre drama.
    

Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Winston Justice is schedules to undergo left knee surgery Tuesday, and could require microfracture surgery, according to The News Journal on Monday, citing a source.

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The surgery, to be performed by renowned Birmingham-based surgeon Dr. James Andrews, will treat a bone chip in Justice’s knee, which forced him to miss three games in December. If more-severe microfracture surgery is required — something Andrews cannot determine until he surveys Justice’s knee — it could sideline Justice for all of next season.

If lesser arthroscopic surgery is sufficient, recovery time would be closer to three to four weeks.

Justice injured the knee in the Eagles’ win over the Houston Texans in Week 13. Coach Andy Reid downplayed the injury as a hyper-extension. Justice appeared against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 16, but sat out the following week against the Dallas Cowboys.

Justice told reporters he was 100 percent heading into the NFC Divisional playoff against the Green Bay Packers, but was pulled in the fourth quarter following an error-filled performance.

The fifth-year veteran has appeared in 41 games, starting 30, since the Eagles drafted him in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of USC.

BUTTE, Mont. — His fans in Montana probably figure Colt Anderson cemented a spot on the Philadelphia Eagles roster for years to come.

Why not? In eight regular-season games with the Eagles, Anderson earned two game balls and was voted a special teams captain for the playoffs.

Despite playing just half the season, the former Butte High Bulldog and Montana Grizzly tied for third with 12 special teams tackles.

He drew much praise from teammates, coaches and fans.

The All-American at the University of Montana is under contract with Philadelphia for two more seasons.

Anderson, though, sees a spot on the 2011 Eagles roster as anything but a gimme.

“You can never think that way in this league,” Anderson says. “There’s guys that do, and they’re cut the next day. You always have to think your job is on the line.”

Anderson is back in the Mining City after the Eagles playoff loss to the Packers on Jan. 9.

He drove by himself from Philadelphia — with several stops to visit friends along the way.

One of those stops was Minneapolis, where he lived much of the previous year and a half.

After spending the 2009 season and the first half of 2010 on the practice squad with the Minnesota Vikings, Anderson signed with the Eagles on Nov. 10.

It didn’t take Anderson long to make an impression in the “City of Brotherly Love.”

Five nights after signing with the Eagles, Anderson stood out on special teams in a 59-28 win at Washington.

Anderson was awarded a game ball. It was an honor that repeated itself three weeks later in a 34-24 home win over the Houston Texans [team stats].

“It was pretty neat. Those guys took me right in,” Anderson says of his teammates on the Eagles. “The first day they were kind of skeptical if I could play. Then I went out and practiced for the first time and they took me in. They were all talking me up.”

His teammates’ approval was evident in the team vote that made him a captain — along with quarterback Michael Vick, receiver DeSean Jackson, defensive backs Asante Samuel [stats] and Quintin Mikel and kicker David Akers — for the playoffs.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick said he is feeling 100 percent and his injured quadriceps will not be a factor in Sunday’s game against Green Bay, ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio reported on Wednesday.

Vick sat out the Eagles’ season finale, a 14-13 loss to the Cowboys, because of the leg injury. Vick injured his quad on the first play in a 24-14 loss to Minnesota in Week 16.

Vick has thrown 21 touchdowns and six interceptions, passed for 3,018 yards and rushed for 676. He missed three games in October with a rib injury. Both of Vick’s injuries came on running plays.

Now we’ll see how much has really changed for the Philadelphia Eagles.

On Sunday, they will host the Green Bay Packers – a franchise with which the Eagles share much history, ancient and recent – in a first-round playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field.

Fifty years ago, the Eagles beat the Packers for their most recent NFL championship. Four months ago, on a weekend dedicated to celebrating the anniversary of that 1960 team, the Packers defeated the current Eagles and changed the course of their entire season.

It was Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews who knocked Kevin Kolb out, creating the chain of events that led to Michael Vick’s rebirth as a franchise quarterback. Now the Packers return with an opportunity to deliver a pass/fail grade to Vick’s remarkable season of football redemption.

The matchup is a tough one for the Eagles. The Packers excel at the two things the Eagles have the most trouble dealing with – throwing the football and rushing the passer. But it is a matchup the Eagles brought upon themselves by losing their final two games of the regular season and any shot at a first-round bye.

“This will be our biggest challenge so far this year,” wide receiver Jason Avant said.

In between that Green Bay game and this one, Vick and wide receiver DeSean Jackson created a lot of excitement and some unforgettable moments. There was the 59-point explosion at Washington, the 91-yard catch-and-run for the go-ahead touchdown at Dallas, the unprecedented comeback victory against the New York Giants two weeks ago.

With Vick and Jackson running the fastbreak and coach Andy Reid pumping his fists and chest-bumping players, a season of middling expectations blossomed into something fresh and exhilarating. After 11 years of Donovan McNabb, the Eagles were free to soar as never before.

Right?

Not so fast.

A year ago, the McNabb-led Eagles finished with an 11-5 record after an ugly late-season loss that damaged their playoff seeding. This year, for all of Vick’s rocket throws and Jackson’s thrilling home-run catches, the Eagles finished 10-6. Their ugly loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday trapped them in the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs and set up Sunday’s dreadful virtual-exhibition loss to the Cowboys.

Because of that squandered opportunity, the Eagles must beat Green Bay and Chicago, two teams that have defeated them already this season, to get to the NFC championship game.

The cold reality: They must do just that for this season to be considered successful.

Last year, that bad late-season loss and a quick playoff exit prompted Reid to ship McNabb to Washington and bring an era of Eagles football to a close. How would losing to the Packers, at home no less, be any different?

McNabb got the Eagles to the NFC championship game five times, more than half of his healthy seasons. The most recent trip was just two years ago. So that’s a pretty reasonable measuring stick for the Vick-led Eagles.

It would be different had Reid stayed with his original plan and used this season to break Kolb into the No. 1 quarterback spot. Once Reid switched to Vick, and the rest of the NFC East teams stumbled into three variations on the theme of failure, the grading curve changed.

Vick is 30 years old. This would be his 10th NFL season if not for the two-year gap he created for himself. It is fair to place the same expectations on him as those on McNabb throughout his career.

It is fair, too, to apply those expectations to Reid. He has the most talented offensive unit of his 12 seasons here. The defense has been a problem, but it was also a problem in the NFC title-game loss two years ago and in that debacle at Dallas last January. So Reid has had two full years to address that side of the ball. The defense was not exactly fearsome before a wave of injuries weakened it even further.

Reid and Vick each have history with the Packers.

The coach, of course, began his NFL coaching career in Green Bay. He earned his Super Bowl ring there. One of the great moments in Reid’s tenure with the Eagles, the fourth-and-26 pass from McNabb to Freddie Mitchell, came in a playoff win over the Packers in the 2003 season.

A year earlier, Vick and the Atlanta Falcons shocked the Packers at Lambeau Field in a first-round playoff game.

Because of all that history, from 1960 through September 2010, the Packers are arguably the most intriguing opponent the NFC could have provided the Eagles in this first-round game. They are also one of the toughest.

The Eagles might have avoided this game by taking care of business in two season-ending home games against bad teams.

They didn’t.

Now they must face a very good team. Now we’ll see if these Eagles really have changed, or if the postseason just brings more of the same.

On Sunday, they will host the Green Bay Packers – a franchise with which the Eagles share much history, ancient and recent – in a first-round playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field.

Fifty years ago, the Eagles beat the Packers for their most recent NFL championship. Four months ago, on a weekend dedicated to celebrating the anniversary of that 1960 team, the Packers defeated the current Eagles and changed the course of their entire season.

It was Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews who knocked Kevin Kolb out, creating the chain of events that led to Michael Vick’s rebirth as a franchise quarterback. Now the Packers return with an opportunity to deliver a pass/fail grade to Vick’s remarkable season of football redemption.

The matchup is a tough one for the Eagles. The Packers excel at the two things the Eagles have the most trouble dealing with – throwing the football and rushing the passer. But it is a matchup the Eagles brought upon themselves by losing their final two games of the regular season and any shot at a first-round bye.

“This will be our biggest challenge so far this year,” wide receiver Jason Avant said.

In between that Green Bay game and this one, Vick and wide receiver DeSean Jackson created a lot of excitement and some unforgettable moments. There was the 59-point explosion at Washington, the 91-yard catch-and-run for the go-ahead touchdown at Dallas, the unprecedented comeback victory against the New York Giants two weeks ago.

With Vick and Jackson running the fastbreak and coach Andy Reid pumping his fists and chest-bumping players, a season of middling expectations blossomed into something fresh and exhilarating. After 11 years of Donovan McNabb, the Eagles were free to soar as never before.

Right?

Not so fast.

A year ago, the McNabb-led Eagles finished with an 11-5 record after an ugly late-season loss that damaged their playoff seeding. This year, for all of Vick’s rocket throws and Jackson’s thrilling home-run catches, the Eagles finished 10-6. Their ugly loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday trapped them in the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs and set up Sunday’s dreadful virtual-exhibition loss to the Cowboys.

Because of that squandered opportunity, the Eagles must beat Green Bay and Chicago, two teams that have defeated them already this season, to get to the NFC championship game.

The cold reality: They must do just that for this season to be considered successful.

Last year, that bad late-season loss and a quick playoff exit prompted Reid to ship McNabb to Washington and bring an era of Eagles football to a close. How would losing to the Packers, at home no less, be any different?

McNabb got the Eagles to the NFC championship game five times, more than half of his healthy seasons. The most recent trip was just two years ago. So that’s a pretty reasonable measuring stick for the Vick-led Eagles.

It would be different had Reid stayed with his original plan and used this season to break Kolb into the No. 1 quarterback spot. Once Reid switched to Vick, and the rest of the NFC East teams stumbled into three variations on the theme of failure, the grading curve changed.

Vick is 30 years old. This would be his 10th NFL season if not for the two-year gap he created for himself. It is fair to place the same expectations on him as those on McNabb throughout his career.

It is fair, too, to apply those expectations to Reid. He has the most talented offensive unit of his 12 seasons here. The defense has been a problem, but it was also a problem in the NFC title-game loss two years ago and in that debacle at Dallas last January. So Reid has had two full years to address that side of the ball. The defense was not exactly fearsome before a wave of injuries weakened it even further.

Reid and Vick each have history with the Packers.

The coach, of course, began his NFL coaching career in Green Bay. He earned his Super Bowl ring there. One of the great moments in Reid’s tenure with the Eagles, the fourth-and-26 pass from McNabb to Freddie Mitchell, came in a playoff win over the Packers in the 2003 season.

A year earlier, Vick and the Atlanta Falcons shocked the Packers at Lambeau Field in a first-round playoff game.

Because of all that history, from 1960 through September 2010, the Packers are arguably the most intriguing opponent the NFC could have provided the Eagles in this first-round game. They are also one of the toughest.

The Eagles might have avoided this game by taking care of business in two season-ending home games against bad teams.

They didn’t.

Now they must face a very good team. Now we’ll see if these Eagles really have changed, or if the postseason just brings more of the same.

Fifty years ago, the Eagles beat the Packers for their most recent NFL championship. Three months ago, on a weekend dedicated to celebrating the anniversary of that 1960 team, the Packers defeated the current Eagles and changed the entire course of their reason.

It was Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews who knocked Kevin Kolb out, creating the chain of events that led to Michael Vick’s rebirth as a franchise quarterback. Now the Packers return with an opportunity to deliver a pass/fail grade to Vick’s remarkable season of football redemption.

The matchup is a tough one for the Eagles. The Packers excel at the two things the Eagles have the most trouble dealing with – throwing the football and rushing the passer. But it is a matchup the Eagles brought upon themselves by losing their final two games of the regular season and any shot at a first-round bye.

“This will be our biggest challenge so far this year,” wide receiver Jason Avant said.

In between that Green Bay game and this one, Vick and wide receiver DeSean Jackson created a lot of excitement and some unforgettable moments. There was the 59-point explosion at Washington, the 91-yard catch-and-run for a game-winning touchdown in Dallas, the unprecedented comeback victory against the New York Giants two weeks ago.

With Vick and Jackson running the fastbreak and coach Andy Reid pumping his fists and chest-bumping players, a season of middling expectations blossomed into something fresh and exhilarating. After 11 years of Donovan McNabb, the Eagles were free to soar as never before.

Right?

Not so fast.

A year ago, the McNabb-led Eagles finished with an 11-5 record after an ugly late-season loss that damaged their playoff seeding. This year, for all Vick’s rocket throws and Jackson’s thrilling home-run catches, the Eagles finished 10-6. Their ugly late-season loss to the Minnesota Vikings last Tuesday trapped them in the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs and set up Sunday’s dreadful virtual exhibition loss to the Cowboys.

Because of that squandered opportunity, the Eagles must beat Green Bay and Chicago, two teams that defeated them already this year, in order to get to the NFC championship game.

The cold reality: They must do just that in order for this season to be considered successful.

Last year, a bad late-season loss and a quick playoff exit prompted Reid to ship McNabb to Washington and bring an era of Eagles football to a close. How would losing to the Packers, at home no less, be any different?

McNabb got the Eagles to the NFC championship game five times, more than half of his healthy seasons. The most recent trip was just two years ago. So that’s a pretty reasonable measuring stick for the Vick-led Eagles.

It would be different if Reid had stayed with his original plan and used this season to break Kolb into the No. 1 QB spot. Once Reid switched to Vick, and the rest of the NFC East teams stumbled into three variations on the theme of failure, the grading curve changed.

Vick is 30 years old. This would be his 10th NFL season if not for the two-year gap he created for himself. It is fair to place the same expectations on him as those on McNabb throughout his career.

It is fair, too, to apply those expectations to Reid. He has the most talented offensive unit of his tenure here. The defense has been a problem, but it was also a problem in the NFC title game loss two years ago and in that debacle in Dallas last January. So Reid has had two full years to address that side of the ball. The defense was not exactly fearsome before a wave of injuries weakened it even further.

Reid and Vick each have history with the Packers.

The coach, of course, began his NFL career in Green Bay. He earned his Super Bowl ring there. One of the great moments in Reid’s tenure, the fourth-and-26 pass from McNabb to Freddie Mitchell, came in a 2003 playoff win over the Packers.

A year earlier, Vick and the Atlanta Falcons shocked the Packers in Lambeau Field in a first-round playoff game.

Because of all that history, from 1960 through September of 2009, the Packers are arguably the most intriguing opponent the NFC could have provided the Eagles in this first-round game. They are also one of the toughest.

The Eagles might have avoided this game by taking care of business in two season-ending home games against bad teams. They didn’t. Now they must face a very good team. Now we’ll see if these Eagles really have changed or if the postseason just brings more of the same.

 

Follow columnist Phil Sheridan on Twitter: @SheridanScribe. Read his blog at http:// go.philly.com/philabuster or his recent columns at http://go.philly.com/philsheridan.