Super Bowl thoughts
I know, I know. It is only the 12th game of the regular season. It is way to early to start planning for a trip to Arizona in early February.
That is what everyone across the country has said about 31 of the NFL teams. Of course, for the Patriots, it has been a foregone conclusion that they would win it all. The other teams were vying for either being the team they beat in the AFC championship game, or being the team they beat in the Super Bowl.
Until last night.
I must admit that I can’t ever remember rooting for the Eagles even one time in my entire life. But last night I was. And even though they fell short with their bid to knock off the Patriots, they did the league a favor. They showed the rest of the teams out there what needs to be done to finish the job.
In the middle of the third quarter, as the Eagles slugged it out with New England (and almost whipping them with a backup QB and backup Safety), I had a memory pass through my mind:
Do you remember in Rocky IV (where Rocky fights Ivan Drago)? The big fight finally begins and Drago is just pummeling Rocky into submission. Of course, this is after he has creamed every fighter in the universe and even killed Apollo “The Master of Disaster” Creed. So it is the second round and the Russian is mauling the Rock. It is even more impressive because Drago towered over Rocky. It wasn’t even fair. They shouldn’t have even been in the ring together. It was truly Goliath destroying David. But then Rocky got a punch in under the right eye of Drago, staggering the giant. Now this is from memory, but the fight announcer said something like this: “He’s cut! He’s cut! The Russian is cut - and its a bad cut!” Then it was an all-out war until the end, when of course, Rocky knocked out Drago and ushered in world peace.
Now, I bring that up because as I watched the down and out Eagles slugging it out with the Patriots, it was almost like they did what no one thought was possible. They showed the world that the Patriots were human - just like everyone else. Are they good? Heck no, they are great. No doubt about it. But never think they are unbeatable. No one is unbeatable. Is it possible they might make the run to 19-0? Sure it is possible. But never assume it is a foregone conclusion. They have to win the next 8 games for that to happen. They are only slightly over half way there. Still a long way to go.
To make it harder, the Eagles showed that they are not indestructible.
They are cut! They are cut! The Patriots are cut - and it is a bad cut!
