Cowboys 38 Eagles 23: 5 Reasons to be Cheerful

Another week, another dismal defeat for the Eagles.  This time at home, against one of our Divisional rivals.  Yup, the hits keep coming for the 2012 Eagles.  To add to the woes, this latest debacle saw Michael Vick knocked out of the game, the concession of 2 Defensive TDs and some classic Andy Reid clock management to end the first half.

But I've had enough of whinging about the Eagles and there many many flaws, instead I'm going to focus on the positives.  I've got plenty of experience of watching a struggling sports team after much thought (and some creative thinking) here are 5 reasons to be cheerful for Eagles fans:

1. 2013 Will Be a Clean Slate

Andy Reid's tenure is surely coming to an end.  His overall body (and it's a large body) of work has been impressive, but the last two years have been a bit of a sham.  In recent weeks, Reid has had the look of a man going through the motions it's clear that he needs a change of scenery.
In addition to Reid, it seems likely that a lot of the "Dream Team" signings will be moving on before next season, or at least playing in reduced roles.  Once again, Nmandi Asomugha was at fault for a TD on Sunday, and there has been more bad than good from the ex Raider this season.  The same could be said for DRC after an excellent Week 1 performance.  Whilst Babin and Jenkins look shadows of their former selves.  The odds of Michael Vick being the Eagles QB next season also appear to be lengthening by the day.
New coach, new QB and some young and hungry new players may be just what the franchise needs.

2.  The Defence (Well, some of it)

Demeco Ryans has been an inspired signing, once again on Sunday he was all over the field making tackles, disrupting passes and generally making it hard for Dallas to make gains.  It typified his season and Ryans looks like a shoe in for Eagles Player of the Year.
Alongside Ryans, Fletcher Cox and Michael Kendricks have had impressive starts to their NFL career.  Both look strong in the tackle and mobile.  We even saw them record a pair of sacks on Sunday, which bodes well for the future.
In fact, throughout the 2012 season the Defence hasn't been much of a problem and with a few tweaks it can be elite in 2013.

3.  Nick Foles Will Now Get a Chance

Vote Pedro!

I'm not going to anoint Foles as the next Tom Brady, but he did enough in his first outing to deserve an extended look.  He looked comfortable marshaling the troops in the huddle, he displayed a strong arm on a 50 yard TD pass and he wasn't afraid to try and make plays.  Yes, there was a pick 6 and an End Zone fumble, but that's par for the course for rookies, especially coming into the game midway through.
Foles deserves the rest of the season to see if he can nail down the starter's spot.  If he can then great.  If not, then it seems likely the Eagles will have a very high Draft pick with which to address the situation.  There's certainly more to be gained by playing Foles, then there is by going back to Michael Vick.


4.  You Can Enjoy the Rest of the Season

With the Eagles out of the Play Off picture, fans can kick back and enjoy the rest of the season.  Sure, we still want the Eagles to win and will watch the games, but it doesn't matter too much.  Instead we can relax and enjoy seeing some good teams compete for Divisional honours and a place at the SuperBowl.
There are some fascinating stories developing this season - Peyton Manning's return, Andrew Luck's progress, The Bears defence, Adrian Peterson's miraculous recovery etc,  I've been too hung up on the Eagles to fully enjoy the action.  Now all Eagles fans can soak up the rest of the NFL year without worrying about another Philadelphia disaster.

5.  It's Character Building

Honestly, going through seasons like this (and 2011) just makes the good times even better.  Look at the Colts, there were a train wreck last season, won only 2 games and had to endure Curtis Painter's QB play for much of the year.  Now they are sitting in a great spot in the Play Off race, have their QB of the future and have become the darlings of the league thanks to the amazing story of Chuck Pagano.
Last season's misery, will only have made this season's success sweeter.  Colts fans will look back at the dark days and it will make them appreciate what they have now.  Think how much Niners fans have enjoyed the last 2 seasons, after some horrendous years of bad management. Or how much Texan fans are wallowing in their success after a very slow start to NFL life.

When the Eagles have a successful 2013 (No laughing at the back!) we can all look back at this campaign and realise how lucky we are.  Now there's optimism for you!