And so it begins. 32 teams start the journey to Tampa. Only 2 will make it.
The beauty of pro football is the journey to the playoffs and Super Bowl. There are so few games that all of them are important. There are enough so that you can overcome a bad week. Heck, 0-3 teams can make the playoffs. 4-0 teams can miss. The 1993 Eagles started 4-0 and only finished 8-8. The 1994 Eagles started 7-2...and then finished 7-9. Ouch.
One of the things that fascinates me is the way teams handle adversity and make adjustments as the season goes along. The 1999 Rams looked like a really good team in the summer of that year. And then QB Trent Green suffered a knee injury and was lost for the year. The Rams turned to some unknown guy named Kurt Warner. NFL history changed because of that injury. The Patriots looked awful early in 2001. Drew Bledsoe got crushed by Mo Lewis and youngster Tom Brady took over at QB. NFL history changed because of that injury. The 1985 Bears D had two starters holdout for the entire year. The 11 guys who did show up were kinda decent. NFL history changed because of those holdouts.
Adversity and difficulty can actually be good. They cause players and coaches to change, to get out of their comfort zone. Anyone see the movie Jaws? Steven Spielberg had the film planned out before shooting began. Unfortunately the mechanical shark had all kinds of problems. Spielberg was forced to change what he planned. The shark had limited screen time instead of what he originally wanted. The movie is one of the greatest of all time. It would not have been if Spielberg had his way. Instead, the shark is only on screen a few times and those scenes have great impact. Spielberg's plans went awry, but his product improved because of that.
Think about the injury to Kevin Curtis and the status of Reggie Brown. If they were 100% healthy, Andy Reid would have a comfort zone at receiver. With Curtis out for as much as half the season, Big Red has to mix things up. DeSean Jackson suddenly becomes important, not just a project. Peanut may struggle, as so many rookies do. However, he could also thrive. He could have a terrific year and add a dynamic quality to the receiving corps that has been lacking since what's his face left town.
When McNabb went down in 2006, the coaching staff had to adjust. We ran the ball more down the stretch. Reid loves his 80 passes a game, but will adjust when backed into a corner and hit over the head with a folding chair.
The best single position on the Eagles offense right now is running back. Will Reid continue to throw most of the time? Will he actually use the backup running backs this year? The injuries at receiver could lead him to run more. We'll still be a passing team, but just an extra handful of runs a game would be nice to see.
I'm excited to see what happens this year. There is a good mix of proven veterans, young starters, new veterans, and rookies. You need a mix of knowns and unknowns. Each Eagles team is a giant chemistry experiment. The 2004 group almost worked. If Donovan and Westy stay healthy, I think 2008 could have some real good results. Somebody just has to make sure that HAL-9000 doesn't go crazy and kill any players along the way.
Don't get too up or too down on what happens in the opener. This is only the first step in our odyssey.
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