How 'bout dem Flyers?

I was wrong, at least in part.

I did not expect the Eagles to beat the Cowboys Saturday night in Dallas. In fact, I picked against them. I did expect them to play better than they did in a horrific showing just six days ago in Jerry Jones' Palace in Dallas.

As I said, I was wrong. They played worse.

The Eagles lost 34-14, and it wasn't that close.

You could literally see the chasm between these two teams forming as the game went on. Dallas is ascending to be the cream of the crop in the NFC East. The Eagles are slumping toward the middle of the pack.

They got beat in just about every way imaginable by a team that is now better than they are at most positions on the field, and that includes the coaches standing on the sidelines.

Every tongue will be wagging today on the fate of Donovan McNabb, who once again came up small in a big game. McNabb was seen mugging for the camera as he led the Eagles onto the field before the game. At one point he leaped against the plexiglass partition to scare a fan. It was the last time anyone in Dallas was scared of the Eagles all night.

The game was an indictment of all that is wrong with Andy Reid, and his hand-picked quarterback.

Tthe Birds got exactly one play that mattered when the game was still up for grabs, and that did not come from McNabb, instead from the much-reviled MIchael Vick, who threw a long strike to rookie Jeremy Maclin to tie the game at 7-7. You could almost see all those "Top Dog" headlines. It wasn't to be.

Vick soon retreated to the sidelines. He made another cameo appearance later in the first half, and took part in a key fumble that sealed the Birds' fate.

As usual, Reid, skulked on the sidelines and did nothing to reverse the Birds' fortunes. No adjustments.

Much the same can be said of defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, finishing up a decidedly up and down first year. But McDermott had a lot less to work with than Reid, constantly trying to patch together a makeshift lineup ravaged by injuries.

Still, at some point you would think the Eagles might adjust to that draw play the Cowboys ran down their throat again and again, or maybe that wide receiver quick screen that they used to gouge the Eagles anytime they wanted.

Most today will call for McNabb's head on a platter. He has one year left on his deal. Reid, on the other hand, is not going anywhere. He signed an exetnsion a few weeks back.

He will have to retool this lineup, Whether or not that includes McNabb will be question No. 1 in the offseason.

The gold standard appears just a tad tarnished this morning. Last summer Joe Banner informed us the Eagles had the best roster in the NFL. That is now open to revisions.

Last year, after the loss to the Cardinals in the NFC title game, Banner infamously defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

Deja vu, anyone? How 'bout we cue up Patsy Cline's "Crazy." That might just serve as the Eagles theme song.

Dont' worry. Reid et al now have plenty of time to put the polish back on the gold standard. Until late July, to be exact.

Time's yours, Andy. In the meantime, time's just about run out for McNabb.