Eagles Shock Giants

          For those who dare to explain the Eagles beating the Giants 17-10 last night without Michael Vick and Jeremy Maclin after losing to the Arizona Cardinals last week, more power to them.

          My gut tells me that the Eagles have merely put off the inevitable of falling short of the playoffs. Worse, I think this win will allow them to get “close enough” to the playoffs to help Andy Reid keep his job next year.

          At 4-6, the Eagles would have to win out to have a record of 10-6, which should be the minimum for it to be considered “respectable” after the hype that they entered the season with. With the New England Patriots coming to town next week, that may be a pipe dream.

          But if they somehow escape that game with a victory, winning out suddenly doesn’t seem impossible. Going to Seattle on a short week right after the Patriots game may be the toughest test that would remain. Then the Eagles are at Miami, play the Jets at home, at Dallas, and finish at home against Washington. At the moment, they all seem like winnable games.

          At the moment, Juan Castillo seems like a legitimate NFL defensive coordinator. The Eagles defense held the Giants in check all night. They had some help from the Giants tight end who had two drops by my count, including one that was a potential touchdown. But they probably had their best game of the season, and the defensive line stood out keeping the Giants to 29 yards rushing.

          At the moment, Andy Reid looks like a guy who understands the value of a balanced offense and a running back like LeSean McCoy. DeSean Jackson looks like he has regained his ability to make a big play – shockingly on a punt return, which makes many wonder what it will take for the Giants to stop punting to him. But he also showed how immature he can be with a taunting penalty that erased a 50-yard pass that would have had the Eagles away from their own goal line. Vince Young’s performance may even coax the term “quarterback controversy” out of the mouths of a few people.

          Of course, a week ago, it seemed just as likely that the Eagles could lose out.

          The Dream is 4-6.