ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Eagles' season began with such high expectations that, even in the victorious locker room following the Eagles' 20-7 dismantling of the Dallas Cowboys, there was a palpable sense of disappointment that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention. There are moral victories to hold onto; the team getting hot at the end of the season as the pieces finally fit together, a 4-1 intra-division record that guarantees the team will finish with the best division record in the NFC East, and a satisfying win over the rival Cowboys. But ultimately, at 7-8, the Eagles were left to recognize the team's failure to live up to expectations.
"Really, our objective was to go to the playoffs and win a Super Bowl," said defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, "so that kind of says it all right there. I think that the thing that's important is that we'll be the same scheme and then most of the players, so I think you have a head start."
That was a common theme in the locker room - that this team that featured so many new pieces will be stronger next season for having gone through this year's process of adjusting to each other. That goes double for the defense, which, after some early season struggles, has rebounded to put on three impressive performances in a row. On Saturday, the Eagles were seven seconds away from recording the franchise's first shutout since 1996.
"It was tough," said cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, himself one of the newcomers this year. "We had the expectations that you don't really see from the outside. You just see it black and white from the outside, 'Oh, this team should be 16-0.' But there were a lot of things that needed to happen before that could happen. But you look at next year and the type of team that we could be … next year, if we bring out guys back, it should be good."
Amid the disappointment though, several players pointed to a carryover effect that could propel the team next season.
"On so many different levels, it's important for us to show that we still are a very good football team," said Jeremy Maclin, who had five catches for 72 yards on the day. "I think there were teams around the league hoping that we didn't get into the playoffs Unfortunately, we dug ourselves so much of a hole, but hopefully we can close it out with another win against the Redskins next week."
"Look at the Packers last year," said left guard Evan Mathis. "The Packers squeaked into the playoffs, had a great run and obviously they started off this season very, very well. Hopefully we can do similar."
In a locker room of reflection, wide receiver DeSean Jackson provided an honest snapshot of the season that was for the Eagles and where the team can go in the future. Jackson, who is slated to be a free agent in the offseason, sounded committed to rectifying the first season in his four-year career in which he hasn't made the playoffs.
"It's an unfamiliar feeling, an unfamiliar fight," he said. "I've never really witnessed this in my four years here. It's a reality check. Everybody has to check themselves. Hopefully we'll finish strong and then come back next year, whatever the case may be, when we're all together and really eliminate the mistakes that we had early on. The miscues, the turnovers … I think the future is going to be bright for us. This is really our first year plying together as a whole team with the new additions and things like that. It's kind of a year under our belt, so make sure we come back and just keep doing what we're doing."
