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January 21, 2005

Are Fifteen Yards Worth A Trip To The Super Bowl?

Dare the Eagles deploy the KillShot on Michael Vick? It worked for the Ravens and the Panthers.

Eagles fans are paranoid about this Sunday's NFC Championship game. And with good reason. We've been here three times, and we've lost three times. It hurts our feelings to lose. All we want is the chance to win the Super Bowl. That's all. And I'm sure I'm speaking for a lot of people when I admit that I'm terrified that the Falcons will do the same thing that the Panthers did last year -- go for the early KillShot on our best player, Donovan McNabb.

Oh, you don't remember the KillShot? That was when Donovan McNabb was tripped behind the line in the second quarter by Mike Rucker and absorbed a nasty late hit from Panthers linebacker Greg Favors. McNabb was on his back with his legs doubled up over himself when Favors dove into the underside of his legs and crunched McNabb's knees into his ribs, tearing his rib cartilage. McNabb is a tough guy, and he tried to play through it, but he was hurt. He left the game for a series, got shot up with a painkiller, came back, threw three picks, and didn't end up finishing the fourth quarter. The hit from Favors -- who later insisted that it was a clean hit and he didn't hear a whistle -- ended the game. No penalty was called. McNabb didn't complain. That was it. Game over. Panthers advance to the Super Bowl.

The Panthers weren't the first team to deliver the KillShot in a conference championship game. In 2001, 340-pound Ravens defensive tackle Tony Siragusa threw himself on Oakland QB Rich Gannon, driving him into the turf and separating Gannon's shoulder. Late hit. Fifteen yard penalty. $10,000 fine from the NFL. But no more Gannon, and no more Raiders. The Ravens advanced and eventually won the Super Bowl.

So why can't the Birds do it? Why not look for the KillShot on Vick? Is it not worth it? The Falcons best player is Michael Vick. Against the Rams in the divisional round, the Falcons looked like some scary NFL version of the University of Oklahoma circa 1985. The cliche with those old OU teams was that just couldn't prepare for their speed. Same with Vick. He's just faster than everyone else. In the entire league. With Vick at the helm, the Falcons know have a puncher's chance to win this game. Without him, they're getting pounded. One player stands between the Eagles and the Superbowl. With so much on the line, why not go for the KillShot early? Why isn't anyone talking about this?

As much as I don't want the Birds to lose, I can't imagine rooting for the KillShot. The Eagles I grew up with, the Buddy Ryan Eagles, would have gone for the KillShot. I mean, that was their whole thing: the Bodybag Game against Washington, the abusive Monday Nighter against the Oilers, the freakin' bounties that Ryan allegedly put on opposition kickers. Those Eagles really wanted to hurt people, and we know that Eagles fans aren't above rooting for that.

But I think the current administration is just too principled for the KillShot. These guys have class -- and maybe that's their problem. Andy Reid's Eagles are a study in consistency and patience. Andy Reid doesn't just want to win, he wants to win playing his game, his way. Same with McNabb, who even seems to be avoiding running the football because he doesn't want to be pigeon-holed as a running quarterback. They're better than the KillShot, and they want to prove it. But maybe the nice-guy approach needs to be benched this week in favor of some ruthlessness. It might be time to bare the teeth and get serious about the violence. Maybe even fly Buddy up from his mythical horse farm in Kentucky for a pre-game pep talk -- complete with a schedule of cash prizes for injuring select Falcons players. For Eagles fans, those fifteen yards would be more than worth the trip to Jacksonville.

I just don't think these Eagles will do it. And that's probably a good thing. (Unless they lose.)

Posted by thatkid at January 21, 2005 1:38 PM under Sports

January 21, 2005

Are Fifteen Yards Worth A Trip To The Super Bowl?

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