Papale's Blog

There is a tremendous pre-game speech in the movie Invincible that is delivered by Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear).  Coach talks about character and soul and simply said a team with character will find a way to beat a team with talent … that the Eagles have got to find the soul of the team that drove great Eagle players like McDonald, Van Brocklin, and Van Buren.  This team is not lacking in character as they hung in there Sunday with a roster that was right out of the Replacements. But for those of you who bleed green, including me, the search is on for an identity that faintly resembles the playoff teams that we are used to seeing, cheering and hemorrhaging for.  As for the soul of the team look no farther than Brian Westbrook.  Unfortunately for Brian, the team, and his legion of fans we may have seen the last of #36 in an Eagles uniform.  That saddens me more than any loss to any team in the NFL including the stinkin' Cowboys.

Personally it is very difficult for me to watch a team that is as consistently undisciplined as this Eagles team is this year.  It’s making me crazy.  Yeah, I know that some of the calls on Special Teams are marginal, but jumping offside, lining up in the natural zone when you are a D’Back, or blasting a guy when he is 3 yards out of bounds . . . well, there is no excuse for that.  And then there are two punts fielded inside the 5 yard . . . one by a rook and one by a non-rook.  I’ll be the first to say that I played with my hair on fire but you have stay in control and make sound team decisions.

How confused were you with all the new faces on this team or faces and numbers that you don’t recognize?  I used to take pride in being able to memorize the entire roster!  To the Eagles’ defense it’s got to be tough with all the injuries and patchwork that is being done.  But, still, someone has to step up and make a play that really matters and changes the tide of the game.  I believe it simply called execution. Making a tackle when you are two touchdowns down and then pounding your chest is not doing it for me.  Neither is the play of our one healthy starting cornerback but that is another story.  On the positive side McNabb looked sharp and spread the ball around.   And is there a receiver in the NFL with better hands than Jason Avante!?

Do you think the identity of the team be will one of a team that can’t go 36 inches in 3 downs?  Are the Eagles that predictable that the TV analyst predicted the play action on that 2^nd and goal saying that in those situations they run on first down then go with play action on 2^nd if the run fails.  I really enjoyed Brian Billick’s “color” and his take of the game on both sides of the ball.  He had the Eagles nailed in key situations.  As did Chargers Defensive Coordinator, and former Eagles Coach, Ron Rivera. Yeah I know that Donovan threw for 1 ½ football fields but a lot of that yardage came when San Diego was in a prevent defense. When it really mattered and the field was shrunk into what is called is the Red Zone and there was no deliverance.

As for character look no farther than the youngsters I met at the Bert Bell Dinner this past week.  These are kids who did nothing wrong in their lives and were rewarding with the battle of their life versus cancer.  Talk about courage, soul and quality!  They get my Who’s Nuts Award for the week along with former Steelers Coach, Bill Cowher, present Eagles Leonard Weaver and Winston Justice who were honored for their charitable contributions to society.  And a huge shout out to St. Joes and Drexel for giving out full academic scholarships to deserving cancer survivors.

As for the Eagles we are going to find out what kind of heart and soul they have this week … aren’t we.  Character is always tested when things are tough and right now it’s not going to get any easier. 

Have you been to a 3D movie lately?  I caught one this weekend and was blown away by the amazing illusion that 3D presents.  The Eagles/Cowboys game last night was no illusion even though the 3D effect was very evident:  Discipline, Deliverance, and Disappointment. Or, should I say that lack of discipline and non-deliverance led to a major disappointment.  My disdain for the Cowboys goes way back to the Timmy Brown days when my fellow Eagle Dream Teamer got smacked across the mouth by Leroy Jordan.  The passion is still there and was filled to overflowing last night! 

I understand mistakes and miscues but what I don’t understand is the total lack of discipline on both sides of the ball.  Why is it that Jason Peters still has the yipps and his flinch cost the Birds a shot at a fourth and inch situation?  Next, it is very clear in the rule books that you just cannot block below the waist in the open field but one such block cost the Eagles prime real estate after the Sheldon Brown Interception. 

Then there’s Asante Samuel getting into the face of Marion Barber after finally making a tackle and getting a flag for taunting.  The refs don’t care that he and Barber are work out buds … it was just stupid.  Then there was the flag on Brent Celek for celebrating after his TD … probably for that leg lift.  But it was okay for Miles Austin to fire a missile into the stands after scoring what turned out to be the winning TD.  I give Celek a lot of credit for “manning up” on his penalty and for his passion after the game.  He actually looked like he was in fire fight and not coming from a fashion shoot for GQ.

As for deliverance the Birds have to find a way to come from behind and steal a win.  Third down conversions have to improve and they have got to get their small ball game going.  The “D” delivered yesterday as did David Akers and his band of Special Teamers.  Ellis Hobbs got robbed of his TD when Will Witherspoon got called for holding when actually he was hanging on for dear life while getting pancaked by a Cowboys wedge breaker. No deliverance from the refs there and on Andy’s Challenges.  Maybe he ought to just burn that red flag of his because it seems any challenge by Big Red is an automatic waste of a timeout.

 How disappointing was it that the offense could not get 1 yard in three tries?  Was second and one a perfect spot for the Wild Cat? Don’t blame that one on the officials.  I was really disappointed in the reaction of one of the Cowboys coaches after the refs stood fast on the call on the field.  He ran right to the fans behind the Eagles bench and was gesturing wildly and shouting loudly at the Eagles faithful.  And he compounded his boorish behavior by taunting the fans at the end of the game along with some other Cowboys.  I’ve seen better sportsmanship and class from parents at little league games.  That’s what fueled my fire more than anything.

 A big shout out to AAA and those fanatical fans who waited in line for over an hour prior to the game for an autograph and photo opp at the Diamond Club.  Also props to IBM and their team as well as a huge thanks to The Sprint Team for hosting the Papale Squad at their suite for the game.  Congrats to The Bishop Eustace Football Team for winning the Olympic Conference Title and also to Merchantville’s  Saint Pete’s 105’s for winning their 2^nd straight regular season title.  An Eagles win would have been the perfect Trifecta.  At least the weekend wasn’t a total disappointment.  Thanks Phils for all the thrills!  GO EAGLES.

Posted by: Vince Papale

I’ve never quite understood the expression that “the game was closer than the score.” It’s like looking out at the passenger side mirror of your car and seeing that infamous warning that “objects are closer than they appear!”

With that in mind let’s hope that last night’s crucial win over the Redskins served notice that the Eagles really have to step it up a bit.  And I say crucial because a loss to that dysfunctional group last night would have been a devastating blow.  No matter which way you look at it, they got the win, and stayed in the chase in the NFC East with their 2 biggest rivals on the horizon.

But they have to play much better than last night to stay in contention.  The two biggest objects waiting for a collision are the next 2 games.  After that we can size up our boys.

Hey Donovan McNabb . . . congrats on your 200^th TD pass last night.  That 57 yard bomb to DeSean Jackson was beautifully executed and set up perfectly.  But, take away those 57 yards from total passing yards and that leaves just 99 yards.  Oh boy.

Jackson is simply electric isn’t he?  Re-do his contract right now and keep him here forever.

I’m still waiting for the Wildcat to re-emerge as I liked it.  Right now the $1.6 million given to Vick could have been used to keep Brian Dawkins in town.  He is still sorely missed on the field, in the locker room and in the community here!

How scary were those 3 minutes when Brian Westbrook lay motionless on the field?  Is he snake bitten this year or what? What a shame as he was looking quick and ready to carry the load he so desperately wants to shoulder.  The Redskin’s fans, and London Fletcher, showed a lot of class during that stretch.  It had to be agonizing for the Westbrook clan as they were all there last night and watched both of their sons go down early in the game.

The Will Witherspoon acquisition looked like a stroke of genius.  It’s his speed and athleticism that impresses me the most at first glance.  His real test in the middle will come this week against the Giants in the form of that human battering ram Brandon Jacobs.

Trent Cole was just too much for the left tackle of the Skins as he applied pressure all night long, as did the entire defense, from blitzes dialed up by Sean McDermott.  Even Asante Samuel showed he isn’t just one dimensional and he actually had a couple of tackles.

Is there a better broadcast crew than the Monday Night Team?  Mike Tirico keeps it flowing and Jaws and Gruden is the perfect match.  Wouldn’t you just love to sit at the bar and have a couple of beers and talk football with those two guys.  Gruden’s passion is infectious and Jaws analysis is flawless.  All egos are checked at the door and this combo really works this time.  But it’ll be broken up again when Gruden does what he like doing best … coaching.

I’m going to give Eagles punter Sav Rocca my Who’s Nuts Award for the week.  His two pooch punts around the 10 yard line were Sean Landetta specials and his booming floater caused a muff and turnover.  Cheers to the big Aussie.

So, a win is a win right and that’s all that really matters.  Right now let’s keep focusing forward and take no peaks in those mirrors.  And finally … LET’S GO PHILS!

Posted by: Vince Papale

What started out as a perfect nap day for us fans turned out to be a nightmare when the Eagles were caught sleeping on the job. What are the Vegas odds that a baseball team could outscore a football team on any given day?  Would the odds increase if we were talking about two teams from the same city?  If I were to suggest to anyone that the Phillies would outscore the Eagles on the same day they would lock me away in a Looney bin and throw away the keys.  Especially considering that the Eagles were playing a team that had been outscored 96-16 in the last three games.

All I can say about yesterday regarding the Eagles effort is thank goodness for the Fightin’s!  For us Eagles fans … we deserved a better effort than that.  Man, I’ve been bleedin green since I can remember and my season tix go way back to Franklin Field.  I sat thru the Kuharich years, and the McCormick years, but as a fan I can’t ever remember being more frustrated than yesterday. Thank you very little Antonio Pierce!  Looks like the Raiders read the newspapers and aren’t a scout team after all. 

The fans are furious.  The players say they are embarrassed, as they should be.  I wouldn’t want to be sitting in the film room today because there’s going to be a lot of squirming going on.  As for me … I’m simply perplexed. What happened with The Wildcat?  It never extended it claws and cost the Eagles a precious timeout when The Number 1 and Number 2 Quarterback were on the field at the same time. How did #7 jump ahead of #4 on the depth chart?  If Donovan were to go down or be replaced Vick would have to go in right?  As for the burning of timeouts, well, that’s already been beaten to death.

The game was not without its humorous moments.  How about the time when the Head Referee had to use both his flag and his hat for infractions from each team?  Now that was a great audible.  And, you really had to laugh when Brian Westbrook was trying to tell Donovan that there were no timeouts left when Donovan was trying to stop the clock.  You might call that gallows humor. I have to snicker every time Asante Samuel whiffs on trying to make a tackle.  He’s laughing all the way to the bank.  And finally, you know what might be funny . . . let’s line up Raiders Tight End Seth Miller with Ryan Howard and have a 100 yard dash.  My money is on Ryan.

Obviously, there is no Who’s Nuts Award for this week but I was pretty impressed with the hustle and hitting of #34, Eldra Buckley.  He gets after it every chance he gets and has caught my eye.  David Akers is not the goat although knowing him as well I do he’ll carry this burden for awhile. On the bright side of things imagine if you had to root for Tampa, Detroit, Tennessee, or Washington?  You know the Redskins will be fired up next week and it’s never easy going into Fed Ex Field under any circumstances. I hope the Eagles play pissed off and take out their anger and frustrations on the Skins.  I don’t know about you but I’m tired of the team leaders saying they have to do a better job of doing this and that.  The wakeup call had been sent.  No more napping, please.

Posted by: Vince Papale

The trap was set and secure for the Eagles return from the bye. The wretched Buc’s were sailing into town and all you heard all week was how sure a win this was.  After all when you the have an 11-0 record coming off the break and you’re facing a winless opponent forget about it!  Once the Eagles got their game legs back and strapped it on the romp was on, but the game Buccaneers made it interesting in the first half.  No way were they going to upset the Eagles, and keep Andy’s win number at 99, but it was a relief to get this one over with.  So, with that said, Congratulations to Andy Reid for #100 and to his team for doing what it had to do.

Have you ever seen so many blitzes in your life?  The Buc’s ran around 60 offensive plays, not including punts and kicks, and Sean McDermott called over 30 blitzes.  The “D” line shut down the run game and that played right to the Mean Green putting the ball into the hands of a guy just starting his second NFL game.  Josh Johnson got no help from his handless receivers early when they could have made a game of it. He was asked to fire off 50 passes and most of them with an Eagles talon in his face.  His 3 interceptions were simply from hurries as he just threw bad passes because of the relentless pressure.  Aside from what Johnson saw, or didn’t see, imagine what the Eagles next opponents are going to see when they review the Defensive game tape of this game.  That’s right … blitz, after blitz, after blitz!  Give them something to think about and try to game plan for.  Love it.

McNabb came back nicely from his ribs with some fresh legs.  His footwork was very good and he took a few shots that I’m sure made him very grateful for the flak jacket folks.  What can you say about Jeremy Maclin other than WOW!  (No offense Larry Anderson). Maclin’s two TD catches were of the spectacular nature but the catch I was most impressed with was how he stretched out and hauled in a huge 3^rd down pass.  He ran a great crossing route as he was hung up like a sheet and pulled it in.  Very impressive.  Once Curtis gets well we may have the best receiving corps in the NFL!

The game was not without humor. Have ever seen the movie Replacements?  Well, when big #70 for the Buc’s, Donald Penn, caught that batted ball and almost ran it in for a TD I was roaring.  That one was right out central casting.  Is there a better receiving Tight End right now than Brent Celek.  He’s a Philly style player and I loved that leap over Rhonde Barber.  Barber was grasping at air, like a crab out of the water, as he dove to try trip up Celek.  Hilarious.  A page right out of book of the Asante Samuel School of Tackling.

No real great Special Teams plays out there, so I have to save the coveted Who’s Nuts Award for another day, but I do have to mention the awesome job of kicking by David Akers.  And man, did I feel for Dimitri Patterson, who strained his quad covering a punt. He had his man lined up for the kill, and as Dimitri pulled up lame he got “ear-holed” by a Buc blocker.  That means he got nailed in the side of the helmet by another player’s helmet right at the ear hole.  That stuff definitely rings your bell.

I think the trap may had been sprung and we won’t have to worry about it in Oakland. It shouldn’t be a sequel of “Any Given Sunday”.  The future looks bright with the emergence of our youngsters, the mending of our Stars, and the growth of a team.  Let’s hope it’s as rosy as the view from those snappy rose colored glasses The Don was wearing yesterday after the game. And, oh yeah, let’s go Phillies.  What’s better than Red October?

They are called “Wounded Warriors” and they will tug at your heart strings like no one you have ever met.  They are my heroes and they come in all sizes, shapes, sexes, races, and religions.  These men and women are undrafted free agents and they signed on to their team to protect the dream and were given no signing bonuses, press conferences and guarantees.  Their uniforms are worn with pride and are not adorned with corporate logos.

They don’t second guess their coaches and simply execute the play that they are asked to run.  They scoff at the arrogance of entitlement holding to the truth that nobody ever drowned in sweat … you gotta earn what you get.  They risk their lives every day to make sure our dreams come true and in the end their dreams were shattered.  They too are looking for a second chance, not in the NFL, but in the game of life.

What team do they play for?  Well, they play for the USA, of course. The most powerful team on earth!  They are members of the US Military and I met these warriors on Monday in Washington DC at Walter Reed Hospital. I went there to try to inspire them and I came away inspired and blown away by courage and attitudes like I have never seen before.  Along with lost dreams went lost teammates, limbs, organs and memories.  But what could never be taken away from these warriors is their heart that beats as loud and strongly as ever as they bust their hump everyday to get back into the game of life!

So, what’s this got to do with Sunday’s convincing win over the Chiefs?  Everything! The Eagles go into the bye feeling good about themselves with their 2-1 record, as they should, but they better come out of the break with an attitude adjustment if they want to make the run to the Super Bowl.  It’s time for the true leaders on the team to emerge and time to put lost leadership behind them. Whether you are on the field of battle or the football field it’s great leadership that carries you to victory.  I’m not talking about the Coaches but about the players here.  The whining of some players has got to stop and some others have to step up and play the game the way it was meant to be played … physical. And, Special Teams set your hair on fire and cause a wreck.

A lot of good things happened at the Linc Sunday on the Astro Dirt.  The crystal ball was shaken and what emerged was a bright future with some outstanding performances by the new kids on the block.  Kevin Kolb has validated himself, Brent Celek is a beast, and the defense was flying all over the place.  I have a gut feeling that something special is going to happen this year only if they do it as ONE.  During this bye we’re going to hear about who should be #2 at QB and assuming that The Don plays will the Wildcat throw his rhythm off.  It didn’t appear to affect Kolb.  And wherever Jeff Garcia winds up I hope he gets his chance again as he was the loyal soldier and put the team first.

My Who Nuts Award goes to all of the “Wounded Warriors” I met who showed me what it is really like to be Invincible.  The next time you are at the Linc, and they introduce the Hometown Hero to the crowd, stand on your seat and applaud like hell.  Make sure the team at Walter Reed can hear you because they too deserve a standing ovation and a 2^nd chance.

Kevin Kolb’s Invincible moment was blown apart by a tornado named Brees.  It was Kevin’s ultimate audition, his moment to shine on one of the biggest stages in the world, and his supporting cast let him down.  Don’t even think about pointing that finger at #4 as there was enough blame to be spread everywhere.  But you’ve already heard that haven’t you?

If there was ever any Eagles momentum it wasn’t taken away by the fumble to start off the 2^nd half.  The Eagles lost their mo-jo when their electrifying punt returner Desean Jackson thought he could go 97 yards on a punt return.  Rarely do you field a punt inside the 10 yard line and never inside the 5 yard line! Jackson fielded it on the 3 yard line, backtracked to pick up some blocks, and got a few yards downfield.  Maybe he was pumped because just seconds before they showed his 71 yarder last week on the big screen during the 2 minute warning. But in his wake there were 4 yellow flags and once again Kolb was given lousy field position to start a drive.  This time, on the minus 3 yard line which means your own 3 yard line. 

I really didn’t have an issue with all of the gimmicks … being a sandlot player myself.  It was pretty fun actually and when Andy threw out double trips using linemen I almost busted a gut laughing.  The wildcat formation had nine lives yesterday and while providing laughs it was productive.  Did it take away from Kolb’s rhythm or show a lack of confidence in his abilities?  I don’t think so … it was a preview of what we can expect when Vick is active.  You don’t put in a package like that in one week.

Ultimately though, it was just grind em out football, and precision passing by the Saints that beat the Birds … along with their subpar play and decisions. The defense just faced the best quarterback they’ll see all year but was he that good or our “D” that bad?  Probably a combination of both but something has to be done about poor tacking and pass coverage.  From what I see the tacking appears to be a breakdown in fundamentals.  I teach my kids in the 105 pounders to wrap up the runner and then they see a pro just throw a body block on a runner, rather than wrapping him up.  It makes me nuts. 

Speaking of nuts, with the loss, there will be no Who’s Nuts Award.  You have to know that the Special Teams play is making me crazy.  Penalties on the first 4 Special Teams plays are unacceptable.  They probably cost the offense 100 yards in field position and did Kevin Kolb no favors.  Was Sav Rocca trying punt away from Reggie Bush or was there a ball magnet drawing his punts out of bounds.  He punts like I drive a golf ball … very inconsistent.  When he hits them, WOW, but the name of the game in the “bigs” is consistency.

Yeah, I know the Eagles got no help from the officiating, but they have got to help themselves. I think we just saw the worst we’ll ever see, and that’s a plus.  If Donovan is still banged up I hope Kevin gets an encore as he earned it and deserved it.  This time, though, let’s hope his supporting cast, and not stand ins, show up.  Keep grinding because it can only get better.  A shout out to all of my friends at the South Red Zone Lounge and also to Tina, and her Verizon Team, for hosting my family at their awesome suite.

 

Thanks CBS 3 … It’s great to be back.  It was another wild and fun year in Invincible Land but enough of that because this is all about our beloved Eagles.  I was texting my buddy Laura Okmin, who worked the sidelines in yesterday’s game, and my answer to her inquiry as to my thoughts on this season was a simple one word answer … ENIGMA.  As in, mystery.  Or, try puzzling.  The mystery is even dramatic with the rib injury to #5.  The puzzle was in some off season moves and acquisitions.

Yesterdays decisive win leaves more questions than answers as the Eagles head into the home opener this Sunday,  when the Saints come marching in.  The biggest question being … “what price glory?”  If Donovan even suits up against the Saints, and plays effectively, he jumps way ahead of Ricky Bobby as my all time sports hero. He’s got to be hurting and I just don’t see it.  He’s a warrior  and I would never count him out for the count but I am realistic.  The Birds have got to get insurance at QB whether it’s McNabb or Kolb.  When that move is made who on the roster is expendable?  Some special teamer will not sleep well tonite. Then of course there is Vick looming in the background.  Can’t you just see it brewing already? 

Some questions answered were the Offensive Line.  Very solid after Peters got rid of the yips.  He reminded of my teammate Ed George, #64.  You could always count on a false start and/or hold.  Brian Westbrook was terrific so we can breathe easy now on that front.  Sean McDermott had a terrific Defensive Game plan and that blitz by Trent Cole at the goal line was pure genius.  I wished we could have banked a few of their turnovers for next week.

Aside from the obvious concern for Donovan’s health and ability to play I’m curious as to who will be #3 QB for a week.  Do you think Feely or Garcia would accept that?  Hey refs, is “piling on” still in the rule books?  They sure blew that one when McNabb got injured as a result of 2 late hits.  Small consolation but a flag would have been appropriate.  Sheldon Brown has too much class to gloat but do you think he was getting the last laugh yesterday?  Did Jake Delhome have déjà vu after the game thinking the playoff game against the Cardinals and yesterday’s pounding was all a nightmare?

Each week I’ll give out my ”Who’s Nuts” award to the Special Teamer of the week … that’s of course if someone earns it.  What is “Who’s Nuts” you ask?  Back in the Vermeil days we had a great Special Teams Coach named Kenny Iman who gave out a tee shirt each week to the best Eagle Special Teamer of the week … but only after a win (see attached picture).  It was the bomb sqaudder’s version of a game ball and wildly coveted!  Well, Desean Jackson … you are NUTS!  Your shirt is on the way. Was that punt return a thing of beauty? He demonstrated that speed does indeed kill!   Sure glad I didn’t have to try to cover him back in my day.

Any NASCAR fans out there?  Keep an eye on the #83 car in the CHASE, Red Bull, driven by my man Brian Vickers.  I’m very proud to say that his car wears the “Invincible 83” sticker on his door jam.  As for your Eagle fans I’ll   see you all at The Linc next week.  What a week this will be though, eh.  Thanks again CBS 3.  Glad to be once again part of your All Pro Team!

 

So when they’re shaving off those “playoff beards” today what is the face that’s looking back at them saying? “Nice job Dude!”  “You could have done better!” “It wasn’t your fault!” “Do you have a realtor yet?” Whatever the player, coach, or owner saw or “heard” could not have been good.  When it mattered the most they just did not step up as a group and our team of destiny is once again wallowing in the pain of another agonizing and frustrating playoff defeat.  The law of averages finally caught up with our beloved “Iggles” in this game as the defense was not able to bail out the offense this time around.  The kicker whose leg kept us in the playoff hunt is now portrayed as the goat, by fans and press, and it just stinks because it wasn’t his game to lose. Personally it hurts real badly because I still bleed green after all these years and I have just been denied a once in a lifetime experience to be at an Eagles bound Super Bowl with my 12 year old son!

All week leading up to the game I was frequently asked how I felt about this game. I just had a gnawing feeling in my gut that I couldn’t explain and I actually felt more confident going in to the Giants game than this one.  I repeatedly said it all comes down to one thing . . . execution.  I don’t think it was matter of the Eagles being overconfident … it was a simple matter of underachievement at the worst of times.  You gotta give the Eagles credit for not folding the tent after being down by 18 at half.  They were already declared dead and buried by the halftime “experts” but, whatever was said and tweaked in that 15 minute intermission it did the trick . . . almost.  Anyone who plays the game will tell you that you expend twice as much mental and physical energy to catch up than you do to pull away. I simply think that when we got that 1 point lead we were just spent.

I am not a finger pointer, nor whiner, and for those to point a finger at David Akers is shameful.  Maybe he was cursed at the start because they showed Ace Ventura on cable the night before the game and the laces were really in on Akers missed extra point. Those misses did not cost his team the game.  No . . .  it was the blown opportunities that denied them the NFC Championships.  Wide open receivers missed.  Tackles missed.  Blocks on blitzes missed.  Interference calls missed. Akers kickoff out of bounds cost the team nothing as the “D” came up big with a stop and Donovan hit that bomb to Jackson for one of the most electrifying TD plays of the year.  But with surgical precision Curt Warner dissected our defense for the winning drive and we were left with one last gasp that ended after an official could not find his flag when Curtis was clearly interfered with.  How did the officials not throw a flag on that play and the obvious grab of Jason Avante that ended a first down drive in the first half when we were moving the ball?

It’s all about finishing and that’s what the Cardinals did to start the game.  They finished their drives with TD’s and dispelled the notion that Warner could be harassed into submission as he neither saw nor felt any pressure in the first half.  He was precise and quick and we had no answer until the second half.  They were a step faster all game long and speed kills.  When it counted the Cardinals offense flowed with confidence because they knew that they had the answer for any and all of Jim Johnson’s defensive schemes.

Personally it was a heck of a run and even though I’ve worn the hat of the fan, press and player at time like this I always put on the players cap.  I’m feeling their pain and hurt.  They know they could have won it and carried the banner (no pun intended Joe) to Tampa Bay. Plays were there to be made that weren’t.  Take a good long look in to that shaving mirror boys and ask yourself if you gave it all you could.  If the answer is yes then I’m okay with that.  It’s going to be an interesting and tumultuous off season for sure.  One thing’s for certain, no matter what, I’ll be back next year rooting as passionately for MY Eagles as I did in the days of my idol Tommy McDonald.

Thank you Eagles fans and CBS3 for a really fun year for me.  Hope to see you at the same spot next season.  As always feel free to visit my website at:  www.vincepapale.com .  Also keep an eye on out for my second book entitled: “THE VINCE PAPALE OPPORTUNITY PLAYBOOK – How To Be INVINCIBLE In Tough Times!”  I am always reminded of this quote given to me by my teacher, coach, mentor, George Corner, when I was being mocked and laughed at for trying out for the Eagles in 1976 at the age of 30 . . . “Happy are those who dream dreams and are willing to pay the price to make their dreams comes true!”  I was willing . . . are YOU!  Have an Invincible 09.  Vince