Bob Ford: Despite the spin, Eagles' season is a failure

When the Eagles finish the schedule against the Washington Redskins on Sunday - and particularly if they finish with a win to avoid the ignominy of a losing season - they will pack their gear and head into the most uncertain offseason of Andy Reid's coaching career.

Before their current three-game win streak, when the team departed Seattle dragging the humiliation of a 4-8 record, it seemed obvious that the organization would have to rethink all aspects of the football operation, starting with the tenure of Reid himself.

Now, it is unclear what to think. The players are happy to grab onto the story line that all their failings earlier in the season have been addressed during a magical coming together in these last three weeks. To listen to them, it has been as simple as eliminating turnovers during the streak (which they actually haven't done) and getting the defense to finally absorb the mystical teachings of Obi-Juan Kenobi (well, if you say so).

"I've watched this team grow as the weeks have went on. The last three or four weeks, we've come together as a team," said quarterback Michael Vick. "It's a family environment, a family atmosphere, and that translates to winning. That's why you see a different team . . . it takes time to build that chemistry, build that unity, that togetherness."

Kind of brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it? Playing either bad or unmotivated teams is a pretty good formula for winning, too, and the Eagles have benefited from that during this late run. It doesn't mean that all of the improvement is a mirage, but Vick and the other players may be seeing some things that aren't really there because otherwise this has been just a wasted, depressing season. And, man, that's a bummer.

What matters much more than their spin is what Reid and the front office really think. The coach might believe the tale of a late breakthrough. He would certainly like to. After all these years, it's still difficult to tell if he buys into his deep repertoire of clichés or just uses them out of habit to keep from actually saying anything.

"I think finishing on a positive, it surely can't hurt you going into the offseason," Reid said.

There is no carryover from one season to the next, though. Momentum doesn't last from January to September and there is enough change in every offseason that the team that finishes isn't the same as the one that follows, anyway.