' onsides kick bounced high into the air and was recovered by Patriots tight end Christian Fauria.
A wonderful run of Eagles football, so galvanizing in these many months, is over. We mourn at the lost opportunity to win a Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history, and for now we are left to examine the reasons for the 24-21 loss.
The reasons were subtle, yet very significant.
Amid the pomp and hype and flat-out fun of a Super Bowl comes the games within the game. The coaches match their wits. They move and counter move. And in this Super Bowl, the coaching played a huge factor. Both sides handled the intensity of the moment brilliantly.
For example, the Eagles had early success blitzing, so New England countered with a series of screens and quick hitches and backed the Eagles off the line of scrimmage. The Eagles played in zone coverage and Deion Branch made them pay with 11 catches and 133 yards.
Offensively, the Eagles struggled early with the New England blitz and then countered by spreading the field and throwing the ball, getting it out of Donovan McNabb's hands.
Moves. Counter moves.
In the end, the Eagles just did not keep up with New England. Philadelphia lost Super Bowl XXXIX because the running game was not consistent, because McNabb was sacked three times and the Eagles turned the ball over twice in the first quarter -- once in the red zone and another time in New England territory.
The Eagles didn't defeat the Patriots and make history because New England, not sharp early on, still stayed in the game and was even at halftime and then pulled away in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles lost because, when it came right down to it, they weren't as picture-perfect as they needed to be.
A crushing nail was this: McNabb's fourth-quarter pass sailed over Dorsey Levens' hands and Tedy Bruschi made a diving interception and the New England lead remained 24-14 with 7:20 to go.
The Eagles came back with a touchdown pass to Greg Lewis, but the time wound down on the Eagles when they had the football deep in their territory and were playing desperate catch-up football.
Oh, it was a glorious day to experience. The crowd continued its lovefest with this football team and enjoyed a super Super Bowl extravaganza. The weather was beautiful and the mood was electric.
And, look, we knew the deal: The Eagles had to play a brilliant game to beat New England. Early on, both teams were sluggish. Both McNabb and Tom Brady misfired, rushed throws and faced pressure.
The Eagles took a lead and, hey, it looked great. McNabb was back in his groove. Terrell Owens was making his incredible comeback as a threat. And L.J. Smith made a highlights-film catch to give the Eagles an advantage.
It didn't take long for New England to catch up. When you have a lead on a team like this, you must stomp on them. And after the Eagles took a 7-0 lead, the defense got a break when Brady fumbled as he waggled left and Darwin Walker recovered at the 13-yard line and the lead was alive.
But the Eagles did nothing with the ball and Dirk Johnson's punt traveled only 29 yards with a 25-yard net and New England had the ball at the Eagles 37. The Pats needed seven plays to tie the game.
The third quarter was a draw, but New England really asserted itself in the fourth quarter. The Patriots were flawless. Brady was brilliant, defusing Jim Johnson's pressure defense.
And the Eagles made too many mistakes, the kind you just can't make in a game like this where the margin of error is so slim.
In the end, the feeling is of enormous dejection. The Eagles had their chances. They didn't execute well in the red zone on offense or defense. McNabb had pressure and some misfires. There were some dropped passes. Todd Pinkston, who had such a strong first half with four catches for 82 yards, missed most of the second half with a cramp in his hamstring.
Branch, with 11 receptions and a grip on the MVP Trophy, proved to be too much for the Eagles secondary. The list goes on and on.
A great season ended on Sunday night in Jacksonville against a team that plays the game the right way and that knows how to win Championships.
It's a lousy feeling to lose, no matter when it happens. The Eagles made too many mistakes. They lost the game. They lost the chance at something grand.
But, yes, they'll be back. They made us all proud, right to the very end. Not enough, and as the Patriots celebrated in the middle of ALLTEL Stadium and the Eagles cleared the field and trudged back to their locker room, a season ended with a lot to look back on, and a lot to look forward to.
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