"We don't deserve it after that performance right there," Reid said of a penalty-strewn game full of defensive breakdowns and offensive miscues. "It was an absolutely pathetic job on my part of getting my team ready to play. We didn't coach well, and we didn't play well."
Sunday's game against the Cowboys will have no impact on the Eagles' playoff standing, but Reid wouldn't say whether his starters will play. "We're not good enough to do that," he said at one point but later said he had not yet started thinking about the next game.
Several players said they would like to get back on the field after a disappointing performance Tuesday night. But with a first-round game looming, the wild-card game would be the Eagles' third in 12 or 13 days, and Vick, in particular, may need rest after taking another pounding.
"You're only as good as your last game, and we played bad," said defensive end Darryl Tapp. "You've got to get yourself together."
"I always want to play, but, ultimately, it's Andy's decision," Vick said. "He'll make the best decision possible, and I'll go with whatever he asks me to do."
The Eagles still have one home playoff game guaranteed, so one loss won't derail the entire season. But it does leave the Eagles facing a far-tougher road to the Super Bowl. After winning six of their last seven games, with late comebacks often covering for early mistakes, the loss to the 6-9 Vikings may serve as a wake-up call, several players said.
"Any time you go out and have a showing like that, you don't want to go into the postseason after something like this," said safety Quintin Mikell. "We're going to have to take the long road, take the hard road, but hopefully it's a wake-up call."
Five Eagles stars were honored with Pro Bowl berths before the game, but none looked the part once play began.
