A Bridge Too Far

The Eagles overcame a lot this year. This was one of the most injury-riddled seasons I can remember. From early season injuries to DeSean Jackson and Malik Jackson to late season injuries to Zach Ertz and Brandon Brooks, this team was always short-handed. There were times when it was overwhelming.

The one constant was Carson Wentz.

Until today.

Wentz was taken out by a cheap shot from Jadeveon Clowney. That resulted in a head injury (concussion) and Wentz was done for the day.

https://twitter.com/thomasrp93/status/1213947362219110401

Man, the Football Gods can be some cruel dudes.

Wentz had answered all the injury critics by starting all 16 games and carrying the offense on his back to a division title. He was headed for his first playoff game and had another chance to show the world what a special player he is.

I feel bad for Wentz. He will now have to endure more questions and criticisms about his durability. Dealing with dirty hits hardly feels like an injury problem, but you know that is how more than a few people will spin it. The one bit of good news on this front is that Wentz will be 100 percent well before the spring.

I feel bad for Eagles Nation. This was a very winnable game. Losing Wentz so early was a tough blow. When you have a makeshift offense, you need the right QB to make that work. Josh McCown came in and did an admirable job, but there is a huge difference between a 40-year old backup and a franchise QB. You could really see the value of Wentz today.

I have really mixed emotions coming out of this game. You can’t help but be proud of the resiliency and toughness of this team. They battled all year long. Even after seeing Wentz go down, the team stayed in the game until the final minute.

It was fun watching McCown play. He’s been in the league forever, but mostly on bad teams. McCown became the oldest QB to make his playoff debut. He started to have hamstring issues, but toughed his way through that. McCown finished 18-24-174.

You had to enjoy watching him complete passes and move the offense down the field. He ran for 11 yards on one play and it was the slowest run by an Eagles QB since…heck, I don’t even know. McCown waited forever to get in such a game and he gave it his best. He gave his team a chance to win. He’s got nothing to be ashamed of.

I can deal with the Eagles losing. This was a flawed team and once Wentz went down you knew it was going to be a major uphill battle. That injury proved to be too much to overcome.

It sickens me to see the Eagles lose to Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll and Marshawn Lynch. And now Clowney. I hate the Seahawks almost as much as I hate the Cowboys. This game felt like torture at times. I will be pulling for the Packers to stomp the Seahawks into oblivion.

There is a lot to discuss in regard to the Eagles. We’ll talk more about the Seattle game, both good and bad. There are a ton of offseason questions and issues to address. I don’t want to get into that stuff right now.

Let’s give some time for the loss to soak in. The finality of playoff losses is the hardest part. No more games. The journey is done. For better or worse, the 2019 Eagles season is in the books.

I will say this. I feel good about this team. Doug Pederson and Carson Wentz are a dynamic coach-QB combo. With them as the foundation, you always have a chance to win. There is a lot more right than wrong with this team and this organization.

Get younger. Get faster.

And cross your fingers for better injury luck in 2020.

*****

With the Eagles out, I’m officially a Chiefs fan for the next few weeks.

I want Andy Reid to finally get his Super Bowl ring. He’s been a terrific coach for a long time. He’s come close a few times, but I’m hoping this is the year it all comes together for Big Red.

Go Chiefs!

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