Is it impossible to make the playoffs in the NFL if you start out 1-4? Certainly not, but it doesn’t help. That is why the Eagles have such an important game this weekend in Buffalo. Already in a hole, a loss to the Bills would further suck the confidence out of Philadelphia and have Andy Reid in danger of losing his players.
What the Eagles need to do is stop making excuses and find a way to close out games. They also need to rapidly shed their sense of entitlement, which is why Michael Vick told PhiladelphiaEagles.com on Tuesday that the whole “Dream Team” thing no longer applies to this team.
“The dream team thing is over,” Vick told the website according to Pro Football Talk. “Now we just have to forget about everything that’s happened and take it one game at a time. That’s what I’ve sensed in the locker room. I sense change. Nobody’s happy about this.”
“It’s the worst,” he said when asked about the Eagles 1-3 record. “At this level, in a game of this magnitude, especially for our organization and how hard we’ve worked, it makes it very difficult. Now the only thing to do is to go out there and get it worked out.”
The “Dream Team” nickname was applied by Vince Young after the Eagles scored on a few big-name offseason acquisitions. For some reason, players never seem to learn that boasting about a team because of the way it looks on paper is never a bright idea. Vick obviously realizes that now, so if Vince is truly mimicking his every move, he now knows that was a dumb thing to say.
The important thing for the Eagles is to not feel sorry for themselves, and based on the frustration coming from Vick and some of the comments he has made, I’m not convinced they don’t. The first four weeks do not officially make or break a season regardless of the outcome, so Philadelphia would be wise to remain calm and devise a more efficient game plan for the second half of games. As long as Vick remains healthy, they have a legitimate chance to turn their rough start around.
