Will the Birds be the pardoned turkey this month or are they just cooked?

by John Hocker

So the whole world knows that the Eagles are just flapping their wings and not getting anywhere - kind of like a turkey. Once a proud organization, it seems someone took a hunting rifle to this endangered bird, leaving it to squander on the ground looking for answers.


Donovan McNabb and the Eagles are trying to avoid 'turkey of the NFC East' status

A November turnaround might just save the team… maybe. All the analysts were right about the NFC East being the toughest division in the NFC and maybe the NFL. Little did they know that the list of teams would shake up a bit – the Birds on the bottom and the 'Boys on top and the early struggles of the Giants seem to be history. No one thought this is where the Eagles would be.

McNabb has epitomized the wounded bird this season, too. The poor guy came limping into the season and the expectation was that he could lead this team to the Super Bowl. Since the struggles started, he's been taking shot after shot and somehow is still alive. He has been dragging his leg and his pride all over the field trying to avoid the final blow. The talks are swirling about McNabb's return next year. It's up to the rest of the team to keep him here. They need to start dragging their pride around the field. It is possible for the team to pick it up and pull off a respectable season but it’s going to take a team effort, not just the combined effort of #5.

The poor Turkeys have to face a tough schedule the rest of the season. They will face division opponents as well as the AFC East and some of the tougher teams in the NFC, including fellow early-season turkeys, the Saints. It is almost certain that the Eagles will be sitting home after their 16th game but they can still see some improvement and hope for next year. They just need to make a November run, enjoy some turkey at the table and go into December with a plus-.500 record. It's a far shot but the Birds could really use a boost of confidence from their QB and the rest of the team. Then maybe 2008 won't look so bleak at the end of the season.