Glorious. Ridiculous. Hilarious. Perfect. These are just some of the words that repeatedly came to mind as I watched the Eagles dismantle the Cowboys. Hilarious was probably the winner though. As Joselio Hanson sprinted down the sideline for a 96-yard fumble return to make it 41-3 in the 3rd Quarter, all I could do was cackle. Sunday was, without a doubt, the best regular season NFL day of my life.
A lot of things had to happen for the day to be as good as it was, and so I think some ‘thank you’s are in order. So here they are:
Thank you Oakland Raiders and Houston Texans, for not giving up and surmounting 10-point deficits (going into the 4th quarter in Oakland’s case) to win games that didn’t mean anything to you.
Thank you Wade Phillips, for coaching the Cowboys, for taking one of the most talented teams in the league and not getting them to the playoffs, for being a players coach on a team that needs the exact opposite, and for your overall lack of competence.
Thank you Tony Romo, for choking at every single opportunity in your career so far. The main highlights: dropping the snap in the playoff game against Seattle two years ago, losing at home as the #1 seed in the divisional round last year, and this game against the Eagles. It’s a trait I truly value in a Cowboy quarterback.
Thank you Andy Reid, for committing to the running game right from the start on Sunday, for showing some emotion on the sideline, and, most of all, for being the best coach in Eagle history.
Thank you Brian Dawkins, for the two strips that led to touchdowns on Sunday, for the ‘Fly Eagles Fly’ dances after every
touchdown, for being one of the best players to ever wear the Eagles uniform, and, whether or not this was your last game at the Linc, for going down as one of the most beloved athletes in Philly history.
And finally, thank you’s go out to the Miami Dolphins and the Baltimore Ravens for their excellent seasons and wins on Sunday. Those wins kept the Patriots sitting at home this postseason, and that is a beautiful thing. I love that the Pats won 27 regular season games over the last two years and have just two playoff wins to show for it.
It’s hard to explain what happened yesterday. We calculated a few weeks ago that the Eagles chances of making the playoffs at 9-6-1 were roughly 14%. Going into yesterday, it was probably no better than that. When the Bucs were up by 10 on Oakland, I got a Phillies championship DVD ready to go, for when the Eagle season was officially over. I never had to hit play, because suddenly we were looking at a virtual playoff game with Dallas. T.O., Jerry Jones, Tony Romo, Pac-man Jones, the ghosts of those Starred helmets, and every low-life Cowboys-fan-from-Philly that I’ve ever met over the last 15 years. It couldn’t set-up any more perfectly, to have these two teams meet on the last day of the season with a playoff berth on the line, and to have the Eagles absolutely decimate them. What a way to end an incredible sports year in Philly. Thanks Eagles, now let’s keep it going!
