Defensive coordinator Jimmy Johnson's schemes kept the Cowboys off track all night long and when I asked Dawkins about having confidence in his defense, the personality of when to blitz and when not to, he responded with admiration: "I've run with Jim a long time. He gets feelings in games and he starts to dial these things up. It starts with players who can get it done and you're right...having confidence that we not gonna make mistakes.. He (Jimmy Johnson ) trusts us and we trust him. We did make some mistak es out there but 9 times out of 10 he's going to put us in possession and it's up to us to make the plays as he assigns them."

 

This season has offered many challenges to both McNabb and Reid and despite some gaudy numbers, Donovan sometimes can't escape due and undue criticism, so I wanted to hear it from his mouth and see his reaction with my own eyes: "I don't need any more motivation than what I get with each week. Because my job entitles to be up and down all throughout the year…you know, you get too much credit, you get too much blame. But at the quarterback position, that's something you have to deal with and I've been doing this thing now for 10 years. Knowing that these guys in the locker room know that I'm going to give all that I have every time I step out on that field and I can look into their eyes and know that they're going to do the same for me...that is all I need. What happened all throughout the year, we can't control right now, because we're all 0-0 right now, but stepping into the playoffs, we're in a new realm… where anyone can win. The Giants got it done last year, there's no reason we can't do it now."

 

"You know what? You never get enough credit until you're gone and I'm not looking for any credit now, I'm just looking for this team—all 52 guys in the locker room—to be ready to roll for next week and if we continue to win, a positive outlook will be looked upon."
 

Andy Reid could be seen waving his arms to get the crowd more involved than they already were. For the first time in a while he could smile. I wanted to know if he felt vindicated:  "This is the NFL. I'm proud of the guys, but we're not done yet. We got to the doorstep, but now we have to climb up the steps and get in."

 

For the Cowboys, who end their season at 9-7, there is going to be much made of why they came out so flat. 2008 began with so much promise. Tony Romo comments: "It's disappointing. Obviously, you start off the season with one goal and every team but one feels like they didn't have a great season and we're part of that group. It's frustrating…disappointing. It obviously doesn't feel that good. We obviously had hopes to play a lot better than we did."

 

Terrell Owens is never one to be quiet when his team is down, but after the game was critical when asked of how this season ended: "Mediocre, I think there were some opportunities as a team that we let slip away. For myself, I know I can still play this game. We've just got to go back to the drawing board. I think this is definitely a tough way t o end the season…with the last two games…really it's a shameful way to go out: number one, the way we left Texas Stadium, and then we come in here with an opportunity—with our destiny in our own hands—and we kind of just stunk it up."

 

When asked about not making the playoffs and to give his perspective of the entire season, embattled head coach Wade Phillips had this to say:"Well, I mean that's where we are right now. There wasn't a player or coach in there that thought we weren't going to win that game, but we didn't."

"It's hard right now. We had everything riding on this and we didn't step up to the plate. It's hard to look at the whole season right now."

 

In the first round of the playoffs, the Eagles face old friend Brad Childress in Minnesota. Childress was the offensive coordinator for years and coached the offense when the Eagles made it to the Super Bowl.

 

So much drama has been at the fore here, The Eagles have had problems maintaining consistency. Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid are smiling now. We'll see this week and beyond how much they really want it.