There are three things I know after watching what was supposed to be the Eagles being led to the slaughter on national TV against the vaunted – and undefeated – Patriots.

A.J. Feeley is the reason the Eagles almost did the unthinkable, winning a game no one gave them any shot of even being competitive in against the Patriots.

A.J. Feeley also is the reason the Eagles lost, making a bad throw on his first pass, which was intercepted and returned for a touchdown, putting the Birds in an early 7-0 hole and sparking a collective "Here we go" groan across the Delaware Valley. Another interception late in the game sealed the Birds’ fate.

And third, as if you didn’t know by now, Andy Reid has a quarterback controversy on his hands.

Here’s the key. Don’t ask me why because I don’t know, but this offense simply operates more efficiently when someone else is at the helm. Last year it was Jeff Garcia. Now it’s Feeley.

Maybe Donovan holds on to the ball too long. His scattershot arm -- even on his best day he manages to uncork a few balls that are too high or arrive on the second hop -- is not really tailored to this West Coast style of offense. Maybe Feeley and Garcia simply make their reads quicker and get rid of the ball faster. But it’s clear to me the offense runs better when Donovan is not behind center.

That may or may not be fair to McNabb, but there’s no longer any doubting that it’s the case.

So now the ball is in Reid’s court. He wanted no part of the question after what was easily the most entertaining Eagles game of the season, a game that pitted the two teams that clashed in the Super Bowl less than three years ago and which again saw the Eagles come up a field goal short.

There will be no way to avoid it later today, when Reid holds his day-after press conference. It will be Question One, in fact the only question.
Last week Reid made it clear that if he’s healthy, Donovan McNabb is the Eagles’ starting quarterback.

That was before A.J. Feeley did his best Jeff Garcia impersonation, breathing life into a season most had already given up on.

The fact is that as bad as the NFC is, the Eagles are still in the hunt for a Wild Card spot.

It says here they have a much better shot of capturing that prize with Feeley at quarterback.

Does that mean the McNabb era is over. Maybe, maybe not. But Feeley has earned another start.

And I’m still wondering exactly where the Eagles would be sitting today if Reid and the Eagles had not foolishly insisted McNabb was ready to go at the beginning of the year.

We await word from Chairman Reid. I think I know what he’s going to say.

And I think a lot of fans are going to be disappointed when he does.