I don’t pay much attention to spreads, and neither do most fans week to week (except those excessive gambling types), but this past week featured a point spread that was hard to ignore: 24 points. In fact, the spread went as high as 25 points on Saturday when it became official that Donovan McNabb would be replaced by A.J. Feeley. There hadn’t been a spread in the NFL as large as 25 in decades, yes, decades. I found this to be blatant disrespect to the Philadelphia Eagles. But the argument looked at it this way: you have a struggling football team with a back-up quarterback versus an undefeated Patriots team playing at home. Oh, and let’s not forget, these guys have been titled “one of the best teams ever” by just about every expert. Eagles nation were already hanging their heads prior to kickoff, awaiting the inevitable, a complete blowout and humiliation of our football team. But then, at around 8:15pm, something special happened. The Eagles came out with that fierce look in their eyes that we’ve seen so many times before in winning games. They had an intense, yet collected and calm manner: almost silently deadly. Players and coaches had said all week that they weren’t paying attention to the spread, and you could tell from the next 60 minutes of football. This Eagles team wasn’t intimidated by the spread, by playing in a raucous atmosphere in prime time television, or by playing the mighty 10-0 Patriots (one of the “best teams ever” let’s not forget). No, this team came out with the mindset to do one thing, and one thing only: win a football game. They didn’t want to stay in it, to hang with the Patriots for a while, they wanted a win.

Where I watched the game, there was an eerie silence among those watching, myself included. It was waiting for the worst to happen, almost as if this game was already a loss. And this acceptance of a blowout was showcased on the first drive of the game, when A.J. Feeley tried throwing a pass outside to Reggie Brown. Asante Samuel intercepted the pass and showboated into the endzone for a touchdown. Just like that, it was 7-0 Patriots. That horrible feeling, the feeling you expected to feel but still hated, was beginning to settle in your stomach. This is really going to happen isn’t it? The Eagles easily could have lost all confidence and hype they brought in to the game, but that wasn’t the case. After a return just short of the our own 30, A.J. Feeley went to work. He hit passes to Greg Lewis, Reggie Brown, Kevin Curtis, and Jason Avant. Each pass right on the numbers, each receiver coming down with the ball and picking up large chunks of yards. Westbrook carried the ball up the middle unsuccessfully, often stopped for a loss or a 1 yard at best, but a screen pass to the outside allowed the play maker to elude tackles and pick up yet another first down. The 77 yard drive that ate up most of the first quarter was finalized by a 1 yard Westbrook run for a touchdown; he jumped over a pile of Eagles and Patriots into the end zone, and suddenly it was 7-7. It’s not like this was one big play, a huge pass, or a kick return for a touchdown. This was a very efficient and methodical drive. It kept the Patriots offense off the field for a good amount of the entire quarter, and it ended in 7 points, not 3. Suddenly, even though it was early, this was a football game.

As the quarter continued, we saw the Patriots offense for the first time. The Patriots passed, passed, and passed some more. There was one called run, which unfortunately, resulted in a Patriots touchdown putting them ahead 14-7. At this point you might have wondered whether or not our defense was going to get marched on every time Brady and Co. were on the field. So faced yet again with a touchdown deficit, Feeley came back on the field and conducted a brilliant drive yet again, this one not lasting as long as the first but just as effective. Like the first drive, Westbrook suprisingly, was not the key to the offense’s success. It was Feeley hitting our wide recievers, tearing apart the Patriots secondary that led the Eagles to the endzone. The drive was capped out with a 28 yard touchdown pass to Greg Lewis who split 2 defenders. Yes, the Greg Lewis who had 4 catches all year, did it again to the Patriots (Lewis caught a late touchdown in Super Bowl 39 against New England). The crowd was stunned, the Eagles sideline was not. They were ready, ready for another shot to stop the Patriot offense.

The Patriots and Eagles traded scoring drives in the 2nd quarter from that point on. A field goal from the Patriots. Then another Greg Lewis touchdown from A.J. Feeley. Finally, the Patriots scored on a late touchdown from Brady to Gaffney, which was controversial but not even reviewed by the booth. So at the half, the 25 point underdogs/laughing stock of the week, were down 24-21. Yes, the Patriots were winning, but you could almost sense the determination that each Eagles player was possessed by. This game was not going to be an automatic loss, hell no. They had put up a fight in the first half, doing things to the Patriots that no team this season had really been able to do. They blitzed Tom Brady, knocking him down, making him throw off his back foot, and sacking him (boy it was nice to see the pretty boy’s face in the ground). Not to mention the trick play the Eagles ran: an onside kick which they did indeed recover. The Eagles offense had sustained the pass rush of the Patriots brilliantly, allowing Feeley to find his receivers all around the field. They picked apart the 10-0 Patriots. They had made this a football game. The question now was could they keep that intensity for 30 more minutes?

The second half showcased the defenses, as both teams struggled to score points. The powerhouse Patriots, who put up 56 points last week on the road at Buffalo, were beginning to get frustrated. Brady complained for calls that weren’t there. He rushed passes that Welker and Moss dropped. The Eagles defense was physical: truly utilizing the 5 yard cushion to press the Patriots receivers. They sacked Brady 2 more times, including one on a 3rd down deep in Patriot territory. You got the feeling that the team that could sustain a few drives resulting in some kind of points would win this football game. And you were even more shocked when it was the Eagles that scored the only 3rd quarter touchdown, a touchdown to Reggie Brown to finish a 78 yard drive, putting the Eagles ahead 28-24 entering the last quarter of the game.

At this point, the point spread was realized as a mockery, a complete joke. The Patriots weren’t just being tested, they were on the verge of losing their perfect season, at home, to a team starting their back-up quarterback. As it turns out, the blitzing of Brady and physical play on the wide receivers as they ran plays, backfired in one way: the quick Wes Welker. Welker had a career night, and killed the Eagles defense on quick slants and quick passes to the outside on which he sped behind his blockers down the field for first downs. Eventually, the Patriots punched it into the end zone to take the lead 31-28.

I give all the credit in the world to the Patriots for winning this football game. They showed why they’re 11-0, finding ways to move the ball against a fierce and determined Eagles defense. They came up with plays to make the Eagles punt, which was ashame, because Feeley and Co. were moving the ball in big ways on many different drives. But as much as I credit the Patriots, it was one throw that lost the remaining hope for the Eagles this night. After driving from their own 8 yard line all the way to the Patriots 35, Feeley made just his second mistake of the game. After so many of those excellent, methodical passes across the middle, in the flat, and quick in cuts for first downs, Feeley tried one down the field. As it turns out, he put too much on the pass, and Asante Samuel caught a gift interception, as Kevin Curtis could only look on.

After a few more drives, another interception (which I don’t blame Feeley or the Eagles for trying), and a Brady kneel down, it was over. The dream of the upset was done. We hadn’t expected anything at the start of this game, but when down just 3 at halftime and matching this 10-0 team play for play, hope was injected in Eagles nation. They weren’t hanging with the Patriots, they were taking it to them. Long touchdown drives, putting Brady on his back, and other fine aspects to the Eagles game. They made the Patriots make mistakes, something unaccustomed to this team all season. And when you look at A.J. Feeley, you can’t help but be disappointed at his overthrow to Kevin Curtis, effectively ending the football game, when the short passing was working so well. But even if it is true that Feeley lost that last drive for us, it was Feeley who won this game on so many levels. He was masterful in the pocket. He was willing to take hit after hit to make the needed throw. He threw picture perfect passes, including 3 touchdowns. So, he won the game, and in a sad way, he lost the game.

When all was said and done, teams on their way home, and fans turning off their TV’s, the Patriots were 11-0 and the Eagles were 5-6. The Patriots had won and the Eagles 2-game win streak had come to a halt. Even if there are no such things as morale victories in sports, you can’t help but be overwhelmingly proud at this Eagles football team. They ignored the scenery surrounding this game, and did one thing: came to play. They would not be pushed around on this night. They took it to the Patriots on both sides of the ball. And for that, I commend the Eagles players and coaching staff for the job they did in this loss. If nothing else, we should hope now that the Eagles build off the things they did so well against “one of the best teams ever” in the 5 games left this season. And also, I don’t think the Eagles are going to be 25 point underdogs again this season, no matter the opponent.