So they are less interesting as an opponent than as purple-clad proof of how quickly things can turn bad in the NFL. And that is a lesson that couldn't hurt these Eagles. They are improbably real contenders to win the franchise's first Lombardi Trophy, and that opportunity is not to be taken lightly.
Pshaw, say many longtime Eagles fans. This team has been so close, so often that everyone in the organization already understands the urgency. Well, that's the fan perspective. The players' perspective is very different.
Yes, the Eagles lost three consecutive NFC championship games before finally winning one (against Michael Vick and the Falcons, of course) and losing a Super Bowl to the Patriots. That run of close-but-no-Lombardi-Trophy surely immunized this franchise against taking opportunities lightly.
You know how many players on the current roster played in that Super Bowl? Two - kicker David Akers and safety Quintin Mikell.
The Eagles went back to the NFC title game just two years ago, losing to the Arizona Cardinals in a game that still defies comprehension. There are just 20 players left from that team - less than 40 percent of the 53-man roster.
The marquee changes, of course, are at quarterback and running back. Vick and LeSean McCoy have made it look easy to replace Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook (it isn't; look around the league). DeSean Jackson, a rookie in that Arizona game, is the centerpiece of the offense, an electrifying combo of Westbrook's ability to score on any given play and Terrell Owens' game-changing presence.
So why should any of these players care about what is, to them, ancient Eagles history?
