I love it when a plan comes together

I've killed Big Red numerous times for being one of the worst game managers in the NFL. I've killed him for being inflexible, for failing to help his offensive line, and for putting too much pressure on a young QB. So it's only fair to give him credit for the game he called on Sunday.

It truly was a thing of beauty. There was a clear plan aimed at the Falcons' best pass-rusher, John Abraham, to throw him off-balance and slow down his attacking style. They targeted him with misdirection runs, rollouts, and chips from multiple players. There was a good mix of run and pass and a concerted effort to throw the ball downfield. The result was that the patchwork OL gave up only a single sack, and the offensive moved the ball up and down the field. It was a gameplan designed perfectly, and executed well, and the final result was a 31-17 victory against a 4-1 team.

And it came at a perfect time, lifting the Eagles record to 4-2 before two sure losses...at Tennessee and home against the Colts.

The Eagles are 0-3 against Jeff Fisher's Titans since Andy Reid took over, and only 5-6 the week before the bye (I thought this was much worse - they were 3-6 at one point before winning the last two seasons.) The Eagles have never matched up well against this team, and were actually embarrassed by them the last time they played. Even if Vince Young is hurt, I don't give the Birds much chance.

And then after the bye, the Colts come to town - and Peyton Manning is also undefeated against the Birds. Sean McDermott couldn't shut down powerhouses like Shaun Hill and Alex Smith, so he doesn't have a chance in this matchup against Manning.

But for now, I'll enjoy the glow - tied for the first in the NFC East, and the best record in the conference. I'm just too realistic to expect it to last.