I Don't Know Who This Team Is?

The Eagles are a half game out of first place and the Patriots are third in their conference. Just when you thought you had it all figured out, you don't. The Pats were undefeated until last week, and now they wouldn't even get a bye. The Eagles lost to teams like Detroit and Tampa by wide margins, but now they remain alive for another week. Sure, the Eagles rode interceptions and special teams play to this win, and they almost blew it at the end, but they won the game. Up in New England. It's a strange world in football.

If you needed to learn again why it's a long season, you saw it last night. Injuries matter. The best team in October is not necessarily the best team in December. The season takes a long time to play itself out, and the twists and turns take the defending champions from the best to third in a matter of two weeks. That's football.

As for the Eagles, don't get too excited. They remain 5-7. Their next two games against Buffalo and Arizona will decide if they even have a viable shot to win the division or not. Shady McCoy will make his return to Philadelphia, against the team whom he owns the career rushing record for. The Eagles remaining schedule is against all teams with playoff hopes yet, a stout challenge for a 5-7 squad. They remained alive for another week, and probably put to rest any logic for tanking the season. Now they need wins- four of them- in improbable fashion. Then again, we would have said that before yesterday, too.