Don’t Let The Hype Phool You

Everywhere you look and everything you hear and read says that the 2008 Philadelphia Eagles have turned in their ugly helmets and green and white unis for red, white, blue, and gray and have become the 2007 New York Giants. But the last time I checked the 2008 New York Giants weren’t the 2007 Dallas Cowboys. Because when people say that the Eagles are the Super Bowl XLII Champions, it is implied that the ’08 G-Men have become Jerry Jones’ latest playoff joke.

Maybe the Eagles are destined to win the Super Bowl when only weeks ago the City of Brotherly Love was showing anything but towards their head coach and franchise quarterback. Maybe after tying the terrible Cincinnati Bengals and putting up only three points against the Washington Redskins, the Eagles have become the league’s hottest team. But all along the Eagles have been staying with 16 against a 10 and hitting with the dealer showing a six only to come out on top everytime.

The difference between the 2008 Philadelphia Eagles and the 2007 New York Giants is that the 2008 Philadelphia Eagles have been given everything and earned nothing. They were given a chance to make the postseason after tying Cincy. They were given another shot even when they lost to a lost Washington team (for the second time). They were given a gift when the Bears couldn’t find a way to beat the Texans in Houston and they were given a miracle when the Oakland Raiders, THE Oakland Raiders overcame a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to beat the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay. If I was a member of the Eagles I would have been at the nearest convenient store buying a Power Ball ticket as time expired between Tampa Bay and Oakland rather than preparing for kickoff against Dallas. Because once the Bucs fell to the Raiders, Dallas didn’t have a prayer to win in Philly.

Last season the Giants had to go to Buffalo and overcome a 14-point first quarter deficit and five fumbles to beat the Bills and clinch a playoff seed. Then they had to try to prevent the first 16-0 season ever before going on the road and beating Tampa Bay, Dallas, and Green Bay before pulling off the greatest upset in NFL history and possibly sports history. But from Week 1 until they held the Lombardi Trophy up in Arizona, the Giants weren’t given an inch. They weren’t given any help and they didn’t ask for it. But it seems like since Week 1 of this season the Eagles have been given everything. If the Eagles had needed the Lions to win in Week 17, they proably would have. Because the Eagles couldn’t make the playoffs without the failures of others this season.

If you look at the Eagles schedule from this season, where were their legitimate wins? I see three. The first being in Pittsburgh in Week 3, the next being against the Giants in Giants Stadium in Week 14, and the other being against Dallas in Week 17.

Their other wins…St. Louis, San Francisco, Atlanta, Seattle, Arizona, Cleveland.

And their losses…Dallas, Chicago, Washington, Giants, Baltimore, Washington.

And oh yeah, they tied Cincinnati.

Don’t get me wrong the Eagles are a good team. And as a product of the NFC East, they might just be the second best team in the NFC after the Giants. But right now they have a task at hand (beating the No. 1 seed in the NFC on the road) that only one other team in the 18 years of this playoff format has ever accomplished, the 2007 New York Giants. So, before we give the 2008 Philadelphia Eagles the Lombardi Trophy for beating Tavaris Jackson and the Minnesota Vikings, let’s let them win a truly big game.

Team of Destiny? Absolutely not. Team of luck? Definitely.