Memo to Eagles players: it's not a touchdown until you actually cross the goal line, fuckheads! Last night Asante Samuel (pictured here in actual possession of the ball, at the some-number-greater-than-1-yard line) became the *second* Eagles player this year to flip the ball out of his hand at the 1 on his way into the end zone. Fortunately for Samuel and the Eagles, he managed to recover the ball in the end zone for the score. DeSean Jackson wasn't so lucky earlier this year, setting up a short TD run for Brian Westbrook instead of getting the score himself.I can almost understand Jackson's blunder: it was early in his rookie season, he was about to get his first NFL touchdown, he generally seems to have the temperament of chipmunk on meth, etc. (Don't get me wrong, he's great and I love him; Go Bears!) But Samuel is a (callow, overpaid) veteran who should know better (than to risk screwing up his stats for the inevitable contract re-negosh). I've still never felt good about that signing. Doesn't he still feel like one of the enemy, kind of?
This is the problem with the 2008 Eagles: they're fucking idiots. By all rights they should be at least 10-4 by now (counting one or the other of the early losses to Dallas and NY, both of which they were in position to win on final drives that were humming along and then suddenly stalled, plus the pathetic tie in Cincinnati) and fighting for the division title. Instead they're 8-5-1 and need help to get into the playoffs. The stupidity, in this case, seems to trickle down from the top: Andy Reid still can't manage the clock late in the half (which is to say, he can't manage the clock) and can't resist making stupid play calls on 3rd-and-goal. Every time the team is on the cusp of something good, they shoot themselves in the foot.
Though I guess that's better than shooting yourself in the leg.
