The news of this game brought out three different feelings: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. First the good. The Eagles finally locked up Brian Westbrook to a long-term deal. The new contract was said to be for 5-years and $25 million with another $9 million for the signing bonus. APPLAUSE!! The bad were the announcement of a suspension to star receiver Terrell Owens. According to sources, an altercation with Hugh Douglas sparked this latest saga and it now appears that T.O. may have played his last game ever as an Eagle. Afterwards and a few days later, it would be revealed that T.O. would be suspended for four games and then would be deactivated for the rest of the season. You can sense the beginning of the end for the Eagles return for a fifth NFC Championship Game, let alone any dreams of going to Detroit.

Now the ugly; this entire game against the Washington Redskins proved to be a complete disaster. A first of many things occurred for the Redskins on the positive side. The loss dropped the Eagles to 4-4 and a .500 record for the first time since 1999. They also lost 3 straight road, again for the first time since 1999. The Redskins, perhaps had many more problems coming into this game after being trounced 36-0 by the hands of the Giants 36-0 last week in New Jersey. The Eagles had a seven-game winning streak versus the Redskins. No more as that ended too when Ryan Clark intercepted Donovan McNabb’s 35th and last pass of the game. It was his only INT all game long, but it killed any chance the Eagles had of sending this game into overtime. The Eagles running game proved once more to be non-existent, though the Eagles did attempt to run the ball 23 times. You can’t blame the receivers even though T.O. did not play. Rookie Reggie Brown had 5 receptions for 94 yards and 1 TD. Greg Lewis finished the game with 5 catches for 57 yards. Even outcast Billy McMullen had 3 catches and 60 yards. The Redskins did not fare any better on the ground only managing 78 rushing yards on 29 carries. So where did it all go wrong?

For one, third downs killed the Eagles as they only converted 4 of 13, while Washington was successful on 7 of 16 attempts. There was always something that stalled the Eagles on every move, a sack, an INT and even a brain lock. The Eagles were all set to tie the game right before the half, but a botched spike resulted in a sack. That ended any hopes as the time clicked away. Then a second-half drive of 11 plays that netted 64 yards died on a couple of incompletions. The Eagles were forced to settle for an Akers 34-yard FG. That tied the game at 10-10, but that only lasted 3:39. QB Mark Brunnell quickly drove the Skins for TD after poor special teams allowed Ladell Bettis to return the kickoff 40-yards to the Eagles 48-yard line. Poor special teams and an almost non-existent pass rush was at fault as the Reskins controlled the clock in the second half. At the beginning of the 4th quarter, a sack ended another promising drive for the Eagles.

Washington took over on their own 10-yard line and Brunnell methodically milked the clock of over 6 minutes on a drive that moved the ball only 49 yards on 11 plays. The Eagles defense finally forced fourth down on an incomplete pass to David Patten. But as before, the Eagles offense could do nothing and went 3-and-out. Then on the Eagles next possession that faithful play where on fourth down, McNabb was forced from the pocket and he tried to force a pass to Greg Lewis at the Washington 3-yard line. You already know the result. Now the Eagles must figure out what to do next as they prepare for Dallas on Monday night next week. What do they do with T.O.? And what do they do with McNabb? BTW, the Eagles are now in last place all by themselves!!!