WaPo/Michael Wilbon: Going Up Against The Main Attraction (Eagles)

[Penndems]

Monday, December 13, 2004; Page D01

It would have been a nice trophy for the Redskins to look at in the offseason, a victory over the future NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles. It would have nice for them to brag about beating the Eagles this year, just as they beat the Super Bowl champ Patriots last year. But the Eagles are on a mission now, and whether T.O. winds up dancing in the end zone or Brian Dawkins intercepts a Redskins pass in the end zone, it matters not when you're 12-1.

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The Eagles are the top attraction in the NFL this season, ahead of the Steelers, who are all substance and no style, ahead of the Patriots, who other than golden boy quarterback Tom Brady are about as gray as the sweatshirts their hobo-looking coach wears on the sideline. The Steelers and Patriots play almost completely without volume, while the Eagles have made a spectacle of themselves from the first day of summer camp.

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The Eagles have plenty of lightning to go with the thunder. Brian Westbrook has emerged as a runner-receiver in the mold of the old 49ers great, Roger Craig. T.O., in hooking up with McNabb, has shown why he didn't want to go to Baltimore to play with unreliable Kyle Boller. T.O. has been the best non-quarterback in the NFL. Reid and his staff, particularly defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, kept the boys trucking despite a steady stream of injuries. And McNabb has evolved from a really good quarterback to a great one.

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Whether you love the Eagles or hate them, it turns out they're irresistible, probably the most compelling team in the NFL. They could be the first team in history to have lost three straight conference championship games that still has swagger. Goodness, are the Eagles full of themselves. And perhaps they have reason to be. Philly dropped 47 points on the Packers last week, with McNabb throwing five touchdown passes in a jaw-dropper of a performance. Three weeks before that, the Eagles laid 49 on the Cowboys in Dallas, which would have turned Bill Parcells's hair white if it wasn't already.

More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60353-2004Dec13.html
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Love Mike and Tony Kornheiser's columns!

[MrSlayer]

1. Eagles are the class of the NFC, no one even close.

Will be nice to watch those AFC teams beat the hell out of each other in the playoffs.

[nickgutierrez]

2. The Eagles have something the NFL needs: personality

This is why I love Wilbon: he gets it. The best teams in the NFL are boring. Superstardom isn't everything, but it does put butts in the seats, and the vast majority of sports fans would watch the Eagles over the Patriots anyday, because the Eagles are fun while the other great teams like the Pats just aren't. The Pats are a great team, don't get me wrong, but they're just boring.