Much was made last week of Sunday’s Dallas-Eagles game being something of an “early” playoff game.

If so, we’ve seen this Eagles playoff act before.

The Birds simply failed to show up in a game that meant everything.

Win and they claim the NFC East crown, and more importantly a week off and a home game, along with home-field advantage against every other team other than the Saints.

Instead the Eagles took a pass – literally.

All the usual suspects were there, shoddy time management, Donovan McNabb missing wide open receivers, including a sure TD to DeSean Jackson behind everybody, receivers dropping balls, Reid abandoning the run after falling behind, and of course, the obligatory debacle at the end of the first half.

For their deplorable effort, the Eagles earned a return trip to Dallas to play a Wild Card game Saturday night at 8.

Many are saying how difficult it is for one NFL team to beat another three times in one season. That will be the Cowboys’ challenge this week.

The Eagles, meanwhile, need to start over in the way they go about game-planning for the Cowboys.

It’s mystifying that the Eagles could come up so small in a game that meant so much.

But we shouldn’t be surprised. As I said, we’ve seen this act about a thousand times in the Andy Reid-Donovan McNabb era. Any number of seasons that have gone down the drain, followed by Reid stepping up to the microphone and saying “he has to do a better job of putting players in position to make plays.”

One of these years they likely will figure out how to do just that.
Yesterday he had players in position, and McNabb routinely missed them.
Then, of course, we were graced by that signature McNabb smirk after a missed opportunity.

In looking at the bigger picture, the Eagles lost most than just a crucial game yesterday in Dallas.

They very likely lost their opportunity to get to the Super Bowl. Win yesterday and they had a week off, followed by a home game.

Now the road to Miami is via three road games.

That rocky road starts Saturday night in Dallas. The Eagles literally get a do-over against the Cowboys.

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. I’ve seen nothing over the past 11 years that tells me Reid and McNabb have learned much about showing up for big games.

I am guessing they will play better Saturday night. They certainly should at least score.

But I see the same result.

After all, we’ve seen this act before.