I hate to watch the NFL playoffs. I love to watch the NFL playoffs. I hate to watch because the Eagles aren't participating, and I'm a sore loser, and I'm jealous that other teams are playing while we're sitting on the sofa squirming. I love to watch because there is nothing better than the NFL playoffs and I'm happy for my friends around the league who are still playing.
Times like this remind me of the remarkable run the Eagles enjoyed from the 2001 season through the 2004 campaign, when they reached the NFC Championship Game four consecutive times and won once to reach the Super Bowl.
That the Eagles didn't capture one of those Super Bowls is the thorn that becomes deeper and more painful with every passing season. It is the thirst that will be quenched only when the Eagles win it all. And it is the ache that thuds more angrily in my brain as the seasons pass.
Teams that win in the playoffs follow the same formula as in the regular season, but the stakes are so much higher. New Orleans played itself out of the postseason with five turnovers and some lousy fourth-quarter defense. San Francisco moved on because it did the right things in the regular season to earn a first-round playoff bye and a home game in the Divisional Playoff round.
The Eagles, and we've been saying this for years, must find the urgency that they play with late in seasons from the very beginning of the schedule. They must emerge from training camp with urgency and an attention to detail. They've got to secure a first-round bye and earn home-field advantage and do the things that keep teams alive in the postseason.
Amid another day of playoff watching, some things stick with me ...
- Tight end has become the big-play position in the NFL. There is no question about that. Jimmy Graham is a stretch-the-field weapon for New Orleans. Vernon Davis is a game-breaker for San Francisco. Rob Gronkowski, of course, is a beast for the Patriots. How do the Eagles stack up? Certainly,
Brent Celek is capable of huge numbers and big plays and his emergence in the passing game was a large reason the offense took off in 2011.
Clay Harbor is an athletic tight end who runs well with the football in his hands. It will be interesting to see, though, how the Eagles would react if anyone is there in the draft who just jumps off the board because of his athletic ability. - Watching the Saints turn the football over so much reminded me of the Eagles' troubles early in 2011. Ball security has to be a huge point of emphasis in 2012.
Nate Allen needs to take the next step in his career and become a standout on a week-in, week-out basis. The Eagles must keep pace and have playmakers there.- Nobody runs a one-minute drill like Tom Brady. Drew Brees is great, but Brady is in another league. I'd like to see the Eagles work on this with
Michael Vick more next season. Tempo and setting up the offense with time winding down is so critical. - Yes, playing at home means something. It helps. It's an advantage. I think the Eagles will be picked to win the NFC East. I'm expecting a big offseason. So go out and win 13 games.
- How soon will the Saints change defensive coordinators? Will Gregg Williams go to St. Louis with Jeff Fisher? And who will the Saints look to lure to New Orleans? Keep an eye on that development.
- Terrible to see Brodrick Bunkley down on the ground. Great guy and he has found his place in Denver. I can't stomach seeing players leading with their helmets, heads down. It is so incredibly dangerous.
- At least we don't have to hear about Tim Tebow for another week. I think he's done a wonderful job as a role model and as a winning quarterback. I have nothing against him at all. I just don't want to hear all the hype. See how miserable I am watching from the sidelines?
- The more I think about it, as Phil Simms and Jim Nantz prattle on about the NFL being a "passing league," the more I want the Eagles to address the offense in the offseason. Yes, the defense needs attention. The offense does, too.
- To blitz or not to blitz? Watching defenses late in the first half and late in the fourth quarter, I think coordinators need to be more aggressive. I can't stand the prevent defense. The Saints went after quarterback Alex Smith on that final drive, I know, but too often we're seeing defenses laying back. I can't stand it.
