Now it is a place where the Eagles blew a 30-17 halftime lead to the Giants and still won, 45-38, in the highest-scoring game in the history of the rivalry. And after it was over, cornerback Asante Samuel raised his arms toward a mass of reporters entering the Eagles' locker room and made the following demand. Loudly:
"Put in the paper, 'A win is a win is a win.' Headline. 'A win is a win is a win.' ''
Which is the simple truth, except that nothing is ever simple around here. And on this night, in this stadium - with the replacement stadium now looming next door - it was a place where big plays were topped by bigger plays. A place where strange whistles were topped by stranger whistles. A place where the only certainty was gained when the clock finally ran out, with the Giants the losers, with the Eagles the victors, with a 9-4 record and first place in the NFC East now in their back pockets with three games remaining.
"It feels good but it can't be comfortable," defensive end Darren Howard said.
And, really, after a night like this one, comfort would appear to be fairly low on the probability list, even as the Eagles will surely be favored in their next two games, at home against San Francisco and Denver.
To reach their perch, first place in the division, the Eagles had to walk through a circus constructed in a minefield. They needed Sheldon Brown to return a fumble 60 yards for one touchdown and they needed DeSean Jackson to continue to build on his historic, outrageous resume, with a magnificent 72-yard punt return for one touchdown and a 60-yard reception for another.
How exciting is Jackson at this point? "Pretty stinking exciting," said Eagles coach Andy Reid, in what passes for ebullience.
They needed Jackson and Brown, all of that and more. It would take too much time to document it, no less understand it.
