This is my first blog in years, and a special thanks to Charles Alexander for the chance to contribute.

Crazy night!

I think I have watched every Eagles game since the late 1980s, and once in a while it’s close until the end and we do not come away with the victory.

Obvious opening statement, but over a lifetime, this is watching the Eagles. It’s never easy, and lately it’s never easy against the Atlanta Falcons!

The Eagles have played Matty Ice and Julio Jones the last two regular seasons and a memorable playoff game, and all three games have been decided by under 7 points and on the last drive of the game. Some matchups just happen that way, and tonight, the Eagles came out on the losing end.

Close games and matchups aside, this one really hurt, in more ways than one. Starting backwards, the defense, who kept the team in the game, gave up a TD to Julio Jones on fourth down. They came back to take a 20-17 lead by intercepting Matt Ryan 3 times and completing a 2 point conversion overcoming injuries to Goedart, DeSean and Alshon… and briefly Carson Wentz…as well as Ronald Darby doing his best Izel Jenkins impression.

Were you as surprised as I was to see ageless Josh McCown coming in at the end of the first half, then look competent and then Carson coming back on the same drive looking like good Carson? I hope that moment where a guy, a couple of years, younger than I, comes in and leads your offense like another backup before you, is the kick in the rear Wentz needs to return to form.

Close games have a lot of moments to point to either in victory or defeat, but in the end, again stating the obvious, the last team to score wins and tonight it was the Falcons because the Eagles threw a pass too close to the marker to keep a drive alive.

Despite the loss, I had a blast tonight. Back and forth.

This is a very talented and (hopefully) deep football team who will look to rebound against Detroit next Sunday at the Linc!