As soon as Vince Young said the term, “dream team,” fans of the Philadelphia Eagles must have been scared. While the team was the most active during the offseason in bringing in stars, comments from the least talented of the new acquisitions were sure to cause problems. The Eagles struggled to an 8-8 record and while some players had monstrous fantasy seasons, others faltered. Who are the biggest surprise and disappointments, and which star can say they were the Eagles’ 2011 fantasy MVP?

MVP – LeSean McCoy

There is no doubt in my mind that McCoy is the best running back in the NFL, especially so in fantasy football. This season, his yardage figures don’t compare to those of Ray Rice, but the instability at the quarterback position in Philadelphia can be blamed for that. He rushed for 1,309 yards on 273 carries and made 48 catches for 315 yards with 20 total touchdowns.

Biggest Surprise – Jason Babin

The eight-year pro is one of the offseason acquisitions for the Eagles, but he was probably the least hyped. When the Eagles signed him, it was his sixth team in six seasons, including a previous stint with the team. As a member of the Tennessee Titans a year ago, he made 13 sacks and was a force on the defensive line. What he did this season was grow from that success to become one of the best sack-artists in the NFL. He made 18 sacks to go with 40 total tackles, rewarding those fantasy GMs that selected him in IDP leagues.

Biggest Disappointment – Michael Vick

The former Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback began his second season as the Philadelphia starter and suffered through the same problems he has suffered from his entire career. He missed three games due to injury, adding further proof that his body type isn’t one for taking hits. He did set a new career high in passing yards with 3,303, but struggled in all other facets. A year ago, he turned the ball over nine total times, while this season, he threw 14 interceptions and lost four fumbles. It is hard to keep your team in the game when you keep giving the ball away.

Another disappointing stat for Vick were his rushing scores. A year ago, he set a career-high with nine and followed that up this season with just one. Vick can still be a fantasy star, but he won’t be a first round selection in 2012 like he was this season.

For a closer look at All-Injury teams for all major fantasy positions and biggest stars and busts from each NFL team, click here.

More from this contributor:

LeSean McCoy is Top Fantasy Running Back in 2011

Backup Running Backs to make Splash in 2011

Don’t Give up on These Players too Early

Drafting Individual Defensive Players?

Top 2011 Fantasy Football Rookies

Hobson Lopes has been playing fantasy football for more than 10 years and can be followed on Twitter @HobsonLopes.

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The Eagles struggled early and never recovered. A four-game winning streak at the end came too late and they finished 8-8, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2007 and just the fourth time in coach Andy Reid’s 13 seasons.

“It’s going to motivate us to work harder,” quarterback Michael Vick said Monday. “It’s very disappointing.”

After an offseason spending spree brought several accomplished players to Philadelphia and added to a roster that already featured Vick, LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson, the Eagles were the talk of the NFL. They were defending NFC East champions and seemingly on the rise.

So when Young compared his new teammates to the Miami Heat, some people scoffed but most expected the Eagles to make a serious run at the first championship since 1960. Even team president Joe Banner declared the Eagles “all-in” and called this a Super Bowl-or-bust year.

But the team quickly imploded.

“There were definitely red flags,” said defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins, who won the Super Bowl with Green Bay last season. “A lot of people see Super Bowl, or I think they let the fact that the Super Bowl is there, and so many people talk about it right away. You can hear people nowadays, they come out of the draft talking about Super Bowl and I think it kind of gets thrown around too loosely now.

“It’s obviously the ultimate goal in where you want to get to, but you have to understand that you have to work hard. It’s something that is a process and you have to take it each step at a time to get to it and I think a lot of time people just want to jump from preseason to the Super Bowl without doing what it takes in between.”

Various factors contributed to a four-game losing streak that dropped the Eagles to 1-4 and doomed them from the beginning. Vick couldn’t finish two games in September because of injuries, the offense made critical turnovers and the defense struggled mightily as new players tried to adjust to new defensive coordinator Juan Castillo’s system.

Finishing games was a problem, too. The Eagles lost five games in which they led in the fourth quarter. One play could’ve made the difference in a season where the division was mediocre. The Eagles weren’t eliminated from playoff contention until right before their next-to-last game kicked off and they ended up second behind the New York Giants (9-7).

“It will be tough to sit at home and watch the playoffs, but we have to maintain a positive outlook about what we could be and go into the offseason knowing that we can play with the best teams in the league,” wide receiver Jeremy Maclin said. “Philly is not used to not being in the playoffs. I think guys will be hungry. This offseason will be very critical for us and I think it will be good.”

It’s uncertain whether the team will make major changes. Reid was criticized heavily this season and many fans want him gone. They chanted “Fire Andy!” during a loss to New England. Reid refused to discuss his future after Sunday’s game and wasn’t available to reporters on Monday. He’s expected to return, but his coaching staff may look different.

The Philadelphia Eagles finished their season with a convincing win against the last place Washington Redskins, solidifying their 2011 dominance over the NFC East.

Michael Vick threw for 335 yards and three touchdown passes, to lead the Eagles over the Washington Redskins 34-10 Sunday for their fourth straight win. With the win, the Eagles finished their season 5-1 in the division on the year. They came one New York Jets win away from making the postseason.

Had they have made the postseason, they would have been the second hottest team in the NFC going into the playoffs (behind the New Orleans Saints who have 8 straight wins), but, trust me, no one was looking forward to seeing the Eagles—not by any means.

“That’s the unfortunate part,” Vick said. “Everybody’s gelling together, our team is getting closer as a unit, everybody’s understanding their coaches and what they’re trying to do and their philosophy. We know what needs to be done. We’ll fly under the radar and try to shock people next year. Next year will be totally different. I promise you.”

Fact is: there’s no flying under the radar for them—they’re seen vividly, and heard loudly.

Still, in moving forward, there are a lot of decisions to make within the organization—even if there aren’t many changes made in the end.

The team has decisions about the personnel on the sidelines to make, and some positions on the field to look after, as well. Of course, in almost as if deliberate fashion, Eagles’ head coach Andy Reid has nothing to tell us about his thoughts on the matter. His comments on this year’s impact on the franchise’s future were, “We’ve got to get better all the way around, starting with me,” Reid said. “This wasn’t good enough.”

Quite frankly, I don’t know why I continue to type that lazy sentence.

Either way, this post is not about the bad, it’s about the good.

The final four games in which the Eagles beat their opponents 125-46, will do good for their morale going forward,. It will also do well for the offseason excitement, while allowing the Eagles to come into next year just as confident as they were the beginning of this year; but more experienced and knowing better how they’re supposed to play. No “Dream Team” quotes, no thinking just because you’re talented you’ve booked a Super Bowl berth, and no barking at the fans because your on-field play is horrid. Just strap up the cleats, and get the ball rolling again.

Let’s just consider this year an extremely extended session of OTAs.

That’s the way I look at it. Because the team that showed up in those last few games, certainly were what everyone had expected from the beginning.

Just a bit too little, too late.

“You have to analyze everything that happened and figure out how not to let it happen again,” Vick said. “We’ve got a lot of soul-searching to do, a lot of thinking to do. I think our opportunities will arise.”

Even though the NFL will go on this season, there should be a lot of excitement in Eagles’ nation when the NFL season restarts again.

Vincent Heck is a life-long resident of the Philadelphia area, and a featured ‘Fan View’ blogger on Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter: @HeckPhilly

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Source: NFL-Pro-Reference.com

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The Philadelphia Eagles want to finish the 2011 season on a high note. They will have that chance when they take on the Washington Redskins on Sunday, January 1. The Eagles are seeking their fourth straight win in a season that has been mostly disappointing. As an Eagles fan, I plan on watching this game to see how the team finishes. I would hope most fans would watch the game as well. It doesn’t really mean anything, but it is one last chance to see the Eagles this season. After this game, all of the questions begin.

The Eagles already beat the Redskins once this season. They are 4-1 against opponents from the NFC East. Washington is easily the worst team in the division so Philadelphia should have no problem winning this game. For fans, the final score doesn’t really matter. Eagles fans are smart enough to know that finishing 8-8 or 7-9 really isn’t that different if it doesn’t involve a playoff berth. Instead, the focus should be on how each player looks on the field. I want to see if the defensive line remains aggressive. I want to see if the secondary can be strong with Asante Samuel out of the game. Offensively, I want to see if DeSean Jackson can prove he belongs here in 2012. I also want to see if Michael Vick can put together a strong game.

These are the kinds of things that fans should look at in this game. As I said, the season ends after this game and soon it will be time to start thinking about the draft and free agency. But with one more game to watch, we can still think about football. The Eagles should win this game, but it won’t save their season. Instead, it is about building for 2012. Some of these players won’t be back with the Eagles in 2012. Others are hoping to land bigger roles with the team. The players should think of this is one final audition for next season. This kind of disappointment won’t stand for another season.

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Read More: Asante Samuel (CB – PHI), Trevor Laws (DT – PHI), LeSean McCoy (RB – PHI), Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins

Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy (ankle) is listed as questionable for his team’s game against the Washington Redskins on Sunday, but he did participate fully in practice according to the team’s final injury report of the week released on Friday.

Meanwhile, cornerback Asante Samuel has been ruled out by the team with a hamstring injury. He did not practice with his teammates on Friday.

Tackle Todd Herrmans (ankle) and defensive tackle Trevor Laws (knee) are listed as probable and were full participants in Friday practice.

McCoy ran for 126 yards and a touchdown against the Redskins back on Oct. 10. He has 1,309 yards and 17 touchdowns this season and was named to his first Pro Bowl earlier this week.

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.