Call it a stay of execution. The Philadelphia Eagles (6-5-1) kept themselves alive in the NFC playoff race last night with a 48-20 rout of the Arizona Cardinals in the last of three lopsided Thanksgiving Day games. Given that they face a road game against the New York Giants next Sunday, it seems unlikely to prove more than a nine-day reprieve.
"All it means for now is that the last-place team in the NFC East would be the best in the NFC West," writes Bob Brookover in today's Philadelphia Inquirer, and even that may be stretching the point. The Cardinals, after all, have already beaten the Dallas Cowboys this season and are a far better side at home than when travelling to the east coast, where they have not prevailed since winning at Miami in November 2004.
But for Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, last night's win was far more significant. Playing before a disillusioned home crowd who have never been afraid to heckle their own players, McNabb put on arguably his best display of the season – completing 27 of 39 passes for 260 yards and four touchdowns as well as rushing for 24 yards on four carries. Best of all, he didn't turn the ball over.
Coming in, McNabb had coughed the ball up eight times in the past three games. He had also completed less than half his passes in each of those fixtures, and been ridiculed for admitting after the 13-13 tie with the Cincinnati Bengals that he hadn't known regular-season NFL games ended after one period of overtime. Worse, he had been pulled off at half-time in last week's 36-7 defeat to Baltimore, to be replaced by second-year back-up Kevin Kolb.
The fans were waiting for McNabb to fail. His first incompletion – an underthrown pass that hopped off the ground before reaching wide receiver DeSean Jackson – was met with a chorus of boos despite the fact he had completed six of six to that point and the Eagles were already 14-0 up. By the time he threw another there were barely two minutes left in the first half, and the lead was 21-7.
"He was under some scrutiny and he was able to block everything out and he went about his business,'' said the Eagles head coach, Andy Reid, afterwards. "That's a credit to him and the kind of person he is.''
Most of that scrutiny, of course, can be directly attributed to Reid, given that it was his decision to replace McNabb with the Eagles trailing 10-7 in Baltimore. Indeed, Reid may have been the one man under more scrutiny than McNabb at Lincoln Financial Field after a week in which he has been roundly criticised for having quarterbacks coach Pat Shurmur inform McNabb he had been benched.
Reid had only been head coach of the Eagles for three months when they drafted McNabb with the second overall pick in 1999, but after four consecutive NFC East titles and a Super Bowl appearance between 2001 and 2004, their combined star has been on the wane. Since then, the Eagles have been to the playoffs just once since – in 2006 – and even then only with Jeff Garcia at quarterback, after McNabb suffered a season-ending injury five games in.
With McNabb fully healthy for the first time in years, many believed this would be the year the Eagles returned to the fore. Now that the playoffs look unlikely - despite last night's win - questions are being asked over whether it is in the team's interests for both McNabb and Reid to return.
McNabb, in particular, looks unlikely to do so. At 32 years old, he is in the penultimate year of his contract and set to earn $10.36m next year. The nature of NFL contracts means the Eagles would not have to pay him any of it if they cut him after the current season, and could save $9.2m of cap space in the process. While the Eagles may struggle to find an equally talented replacement right away, that is a significant saving to make for the sake of an injury-prone veteran who cannot guarantee a playoff run.
For Reid the issue is less clear-cut, although he has plenty of critics in Philadelphia. The Eagles' success running the ball yesterday – Brian Westbrook picked up 110 yards on 22 carries – in many cases only served to heighten the sense of frustration among some local hacks that he hadn't worked this out sooner.
Reid would be considerably less expensive to keep around than McNabb, and his record of 94-61-1 in charge of the Eagles makes a compelling case for his being given another season to turn things around. If his introduction of Kolb against Baltimore was designed to show he could lead this team forward without McNabb, however, it has now emphatically backfired.
There is little doubt that both McNabb and Reid would find new employers if they did move on. Nevertheless, the next four weeks could define both how much they make and, perhaps more importantly, where they make it.
Pick Six
Most of you will know this by now, but for those who have missed the past two weeks, Pick Six is our new predictions game on the NFL blog. Every week I will pick six of the best Sunday match-ups and name the teams I expect to come out on top. You are all invited to do the same below, and at the end of the season I'll sort out a prize for the reader with the most correct picks. I'll also send out prizes - your pick from our small stash of NFL goodies, provided generously by the good folk at NFLUK.com - each week to anyone who gets all six right.
To encourage anyone who missed the first two weeks, we also have amnesty of sorts. Anyone who failed to submit any picks over the past two weeks will be awarded a nominal score of two points, to keep them in the running for the end-of-season prize.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ New England Patriots
- The game of the week takes place in the AFC, where the Steelers just have not learnt their lesson about promising wins over the Patriots. For once they'll get away with it. Steelers to win.
Carolina Panthers @ Green Bay Packers
- The Packers need this win desperately, and the Panthers are wobbling. Jake Delhomme won't be able to pick this Packers defence apart like Drew Brees did. Packers to win.
New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- A win for the Saints could blow the NFC South wide open – especially if the Panthers lose – and they have already beaten the Buccaneers in New Orleans. It all depends which Saints team turns up, but I'll say Buccaneers to win.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Oakland Raiders
- With less Sunday games on offer after yesterday's triple-header, this basement battle could actually be one of the more intriguing match-ups. Two weeks ago I would have picked the Chiefs here, but after their upset of the Broncos, I'll say Raiders to win.
Atlanta Falcons @ San Diego Chargers
- Michael Turner returns to his old stomping ground having comfortably outrushed LaDainian Tomlinson so far this season. San Diego, though, are somehow still alive in the AFC West and will find a way to stay in contention at home. Chargers to win.
Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings
- These two combined for 766 yards when they met in week seven, but this one should be tighter. Once again the home side will prevail. Vikings to win.
