Will 2009 Finally Be The Eagles' Time To Shine?

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

It’s the plight of every Eagles' fan: so close, yet so far away.

For much of the decade the Philadelphia Eagles have dominated the NFC East and to a large extent, the conference in general. Yet, at the end of the day, they have nothing to show for it.

Last season may have been the most frustrating of all the Eagles shortcomings in recent years.

The back-to-back home losses to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship Game certainly ranks right up there, but after defeating the New York Giants on the road it certainly looked as if lady luck was finally on the side of the Eagles.

Seriously, how many people thought the Arizona Cardinals were actually going to the Super Bowl? It had to be the Eagles year, right? Sadly, it was not to be.

For whatever reason, the Eagles can’t seem to get over that proverbial hump. It’s odd because on the surface the Eagles appear to have all the ingredients of a championship team.

Philadelphia is a great sports city with a rabid, devout fan-base.

The Eagles have one of the NFL’s best owners in Jeffrey Lurie, who has built a top notch football operations department around him to help run the team.

Despite some recent criticism from Eagles fans, how many coaches out there are better than Andy Reid?

Reid hasn’t been able to win the big one yet but guys like Tom Landry, Bill Cowher and Tony Dungy used to have the same moniker attached to them until they finally won a Super Bowl.

Then there is Donovan McNabb. No athlete in my lifetime has received more unfair criticism, both from his own fan base and from others, than McNabb.

I never felt that McNabb was in the elite class of Tom Brady or Peyton Manning because he has always struggled with his accuracy on those short-to-intermediate throws across the middle.

But after Brady, Manning and maybe one or two other guys throughout the years, who would you rather have playing quarterback for your team besides McNabb?

I hear some Eagles fans saying it’s time for a change at quarterback. A change to who?

Have you seen the quarterback play in the NFL these days? So other than the two or three elite quarterbacks in the NFL, I don’t know who you would take over McNabb.

Then you toss in one of the best defensive minds in the NFL. Actually, I think Jim Johnson may be one of the best defensive coordinators of all-time.

We are always hearing about Dick LeBeau in Pittsburgh but I believe he gets more recognition only because the Steelers have won Super Bowls recently.

When you look at the schemes Johnson has put together to stop some of the best offenses in the NFL since coming to Philadelphia in 1999. His success is remarkable. He truly is one of the great defensive minds to ever walk the sidelines.

Johnson will obviously be missed while he is recovering from melanoma but if he fights the disease the same way he coaches, the cancer doesn’t stand a chance.

So it’s almost inconceivable that the Eagles haven’t won a Super Bowl title. They have virtually every piece of the puzzle needed to do so.

A great owner that doesn’t meddle, one of the smartest football operation departments and scouting staffs in the league, an elite head coach, a potential future Hall of Fame quarterback and a nasty defense created by a mad scientist.

But for some reason, when it comes to a big game, the Eagles have yet to put it all together. When the defense plays well, the offense underachieves. When the offense plays well, the defense can’t make a crucial stop.

Even Andy Reid, one of the most aggressive play callers in the NFL, seems to approach big games much more conservatively for some reason.

But with a new season comes new hope and because the Eagles are one of the best franchises in the NFL, they have put themselves in position to make another Super Bowl run.

First I want to talk about the draft because I’m so excited about one particular player. I love college football. I haven’t missed a day of college football in 20 years. I watch it religiously from noon until the Hawaii game is over with, so draft day in the NFL is like Christmas for me.

In my opinion, the Eagles, Patriots and Ravens are the three best drafting teams in the league. Watching these three teams

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