PHILADELPHIA -- The cynics will say the Philadelphia Eagles are right where the Atlanta Falcons want them, in the NFC Championship Game, which has been their team torment for the past three years.
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| Jevon Kearse is new to the Eagles, but he knows the team's frustration. 'I have a feeling it's going to change,' he says. (Getty Images) |
It's why after a dominating 27-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field in an NFC divisional playoff game, we have to forgive all those Eagles fans -- and players -- if they aren't exactly celebrating a trip to their fourth title game in four seasons.
It is an amazing feat, particularly in the salary-cap era, but it will never quite get its due unless they somehow finally finish the job.
"You can't change it, it's yesterday," Eagles defensive tackle Corey Simon said. "There's nothing we can do about the past. So we won't even worry about it. That's over."
Said cornerback Lito Sheppard: "That's history. We intend to rewrite it."
They plan on exorcizing the past three years -- losses to the St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers in successive NFC Championship Games, the last two at home.
If they play like they did against the Vikings, it's awfully tough to think they won't finally get to the Super Bowl. Behind a blitzing defense that seemed to fluster Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper, the Eagles were able to force two key turnovers, make Randy Moss a non-factor and limit the Vikings to two touchdowns, the last one coming long after the game was decided.
Culpepper completed 24 of 46 passes for 316 yards and a touchdown, but he was picked off twice to end Minnesota drives, and he never really looked as good as those numbers might indicate.
The book on Culpepper is that he doesn't like to be blitzed, that pressure seems to rattle him. The Eagles normally blitz 30 percent of the time under coordinator Jim Johnson. It was much more than that Sunday.
"Probably 70 percent," said Eagles corner Sheldon Brown.
Johnson put it more like 50 percent, but you get the idea. The Eagles wanted to come after him and hit him a bunch, which they did. Culpepper was sacked three times, but his legs helped him avoid a couple more.
To say he was a bit jumpy would be kind.
