"That was a coach's decision that can go either way," Gibbs said. "We had been having some success and felt good about what we wanted to call. We thought we had a good shot at getting two points in that situation."
Fine. The fact was, it was a crazy decision and it gave the Eagles a gift - at which point, Reid gave it right back. With 2:56 left in the third quarter, the Eagles scored a touchdown that brought the Eagles to within 15-13. That is when Reid decided to go for two points, and failed.
This is not a second-guess, by the way. Late in the third quarter is still way too early to be going for two points - because the downside is significant. Because the Eagles missed, when the Redskins scored another touchdown early in the fourth quarter, they had a nine-point lead at 22-13 instead of an eight-point lead at 22-14. Nine points is two scores. Eight points is one score. It is a monumental difference.
Or look at it this way: If Reid had kicked that earlier extra point, the Eagles' lead at the end would have been 34-25 instead of 33-25 - again, two scores rather than one. It is why the two-pointer isn't worth the risk until you absolutely need to take the risk.
Donovision
Three views of Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, from his offensive teammates:
* Tight end L.J. Smith: "He's great, man. He's great. I have a lot of respect for him, for the things he goes through off the field and all of the things he faces on the field, it's just unbelievable. He had a great game today . . . He showed perseverance. He commanded that huddle."
* Guard Shawn Andrews: "Donovan, he's his own man. I think Donovan, he's just a guy that wants to win. A lot of people give him a lot of heat and I think he takes care of himself well. He's here to do one thing, we're all here to try to get a championship and get a ring. He faces so much scrutiny, but that's part of what we do. You have to take it."
* Center Jamaal Jackson: "You guys see it as a team, we see it as a family. When you guys criticize him, you're taking a shot at us." *
