Eagles Week 4 Recap: Cluster****

• Jason Avant is one of the most sure handed receivers the Eagles have had since the Andy Reid era started.  How he managed to drop this pass to clinch the game for the Redskins is something I will never know.
• Another Eagles late afternoon game called by Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, another Eagles starting QB is hurt.  Vick went down with a chest/rib injury.  X-rays were negative, an MRI is set for tomorrow, but no one really knows for sure what is wrong with him or how long he'll be out.
• The officiating was horrible.  No, scratch that.  The officiating in this game was the most atrociously officiated game since anything Scott Barry last umpired.  Awful awful awful.  Of the most notable blunders:  1).  3 missed illegal blocks in the back on the opening kickoff.   2.)  Missed pass interference on Brent Celek that would have given the Eagles a first down.  3).  Mishandling the play clock following a booth review and an Andy Reid timeout resulting somehow in an Eagles penalty, ensuring the Eagles could not score a touchdown on that drive and settling for a FG instead, something that proved to be the difference in the game because the Eagles would not have been forced to go for 2 on their 4th quarter TD, thus the 4-points the refs took away ultimately proved to be the final margin of victory for Washington.  4).  Not calling intentional grounding when Donovan McNabb threw a worm ball that did not reach the line of scrimmage.  5.) The number of flags thrown for a hold after a play was over was greatly disturbing.  The refs picked up the flag saying "#47 was in the area."  Fox showed a wide angle replay.  Chris Cooley was not in the shot.  No eligible receiver was in the area.  All around, Alberto Riveron and his crew were an embarrassment to football tonight.
• Kevin Kolb was not prepared to come in the game, and when he did, he was clearly gun shy.  He had wide open wide receivers down the field throughout the game and did not throw the ball to them, instead constantly settling for the check down.  I can't say he played awful (especially now that I watch Chicago and New York) but he was not great.  If he plays next week and has a week of practice, I would expect a lot more.
• If Andy Reid is truly going on a merit-based system of who should be QB this year, Kevin Kolb did not do enough to take the job away from a healthy Michael Vick.
• I still think Kolb should be starting to get him meaningful playing time and to help him develop.
• Donovan McNabb was a non-factor in McNabb Bowl I.  McNabb was 8/19 for 125 and 1 INT along with plenty of dead Philadelphia worms.
• McNabb was intercepted by Nate Allen.  The Redskins gave the Eagles a 2nd round draft pick in the trade, known as the McNabb Pick.  That guy drafted was Nate Allen, September's NFC Defensive Rookie of the Month and a guy who now has 3 career NFL INTs in 4 games.  Not too shabby.
• Riley Cooper and Asante Samuel are the latest Eagles to be concussed.
• The Eagles run defense was next to atrocious.  Stewart Bradley was not on his game and it showed, as some guy named Torrain and Clinton Portis ran rampant on the Eagles defense.
• Donovan McNabb got a standing ovation when introduced at Lincoln Financial Field.  Surprising?  If you listened to ESPN, yes.  But if you are a Philly fan who actually lives in the area, not surprising at all.  Once McNabb took the field as the QB looking to beat the hometown Eagles, he was booed, as most opposing QBs are or should be.  When everyone talks about Philly fans, this much hyped moment will be forgotten, but Santa Clause and people living in retirement homes as well as Angelo Cataldi's band of 15 idiots who were booing any 1st Round Draft Pick In 1999 Not Named Ricky Williams will be remembered.
• As bad as McNabb Bowl was, the Bears and Giants somehow topped that game in overall suckiness.
• Next week the Eagles play the hapless Niners on Sunday Night Football.  After saying the Eagles should have no problems with the Redskins, I'm not going to even bother trying to make a prediction.