And they got what they deserved. All of it. Finally. The Eagles beat up on Miami, 26-10, moved to 5-8 and kept their season alive on a rainy, then sunny, always windy and predictably unpredictable game at SunLife Stadium.
The unofficial count approached 30,000 Eagles fans who drowned out any chance the Miami faithful had of enjoying a presence at their home stadium. There were E-A-G-L-E-S, EAGLES! chants throughout the weekend in South Florida and they didn't stop until the buses pulled away and the hundreds of fans who crowded the team said goodbye one final time on a memorable day.
"It was awesome out there," said cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. "Thanks to the fans for their great support. We could all hear them out there."
That's the thing that was especially cool about it: The players loved it. They responded to the positive energy and the radiating vibe from a fan base that was not deterred by the team's 4-8 record heading into the game, nor the blocked punt (Miami lined up 10 rushers, outnumbering the Eagles' 8 blockers) that put Philadelphia in an early hole, nor the rather puny numbers put up on the board by both offenses.
"It was crazy being out here, with all of our fans. It was great to get that support," said defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins. "It kind of motivated us."
It always does. Eagles fans have traveled far and wide for years with their team, and this season has been no exception. They covered Seattle 10 days earlier, giving Eagles fans from the Northwest a chance to see the team. In Miami, it was similar to the show the fans put on in 2003 when an estimated 30,000 Eagles fans flooded the streets in Midnight Green support.
The fans didn't get down a lick in the early going as quarterback Michael Vick shook off some cobwebs to launch the comeback effort. Their patience, and their love, was rewarded.
"We really enjoy the fans that come on the road trips and also there are just a lot of Eagles fans around the country, especially in Florida, California and even in Seattle last week," said wide receiver Jason Avant. "We could definitely hear them. It was like a true home game. They came here and they had a great mindset and a great attitude.
"There was a lot of positive energy; it wasn't negative. It was definitely a quality road game, which the guys like to play in, anyway, but the fans made it special."
So what did the fans see? They saw a very physical game and that is a credit to the Eagles. Miami's defense allowed 24 points in the first half thanks to an Eagles defense that set up 10 points with takeaways, and then the Dolphins clamped down. They surrounded LeSean McCoy, who gained zero yards or lost yardage on 13 of his 27 carries. Vick absorbed a lot of hits as he completed 15 of 30 passes for just 208 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The Dolphins are good on defense and they deserve respect.
Meanwhile, the Eagles offense took over this game. Miami scored when Chas Henry had a punt blocked – the Dolphins had too many men rushing, Henry was a tad slow on his get off and the Eagles just didn't execute well – but then the Eagles took over with 24 points in the second quarter. A couple of McCoy runs – 2 yards and 1 yard – combined with Alex Henery's 40-yard field goal – his 11th straight make, by the way – set up Vick to DeSean Jackson on a picture-perfect throw and catch for 34 yards and a score.
By then, the Eagles fans were serenading SunLife Stadium, shouting down the Dol-fans. It was a show of shows for the Eagles faithful, another great expression of love.
For 60 minutes, the Eagles defense showed up. Jason Babin and Trent Cole each had three quarterback sacks. Rookie linebackers Casey Matthews and Brian Rolle had one each. The interior defensive linemen were terrific. The secondary, paced by Asante Samuel on the corner and Kurt Coleman at safety, were fantastic. Juan Castillo's scheme was brilliant – aggressive, attacking, with good blitzes and timing mixed it.
It was, in fact, a feeding frenzy all around. The Eagles had, in the words of defensive end Jason Babin, "swagger" on the field.
"It was everything we dream about. We've been dreaming about this all year," said Babin. "We want it every week. It's one of those things where, all offseason, all during the season, you're like, 'I want to get to that point, to that moment' and then make the most of it. We did that today."
Babin has 15 quarterback sacks and Cole has 9 as the Eagles upped their season total as a team to 42. There have certainly been some holes on the defense – and the players and coaches insist that, in the big picture, improvement has been made with a group of new players and a new coordinator – and on Sunday it all came together beautifully.
The Eagles played hard, inspired football for 60 minutes against Miami. No doubt you wondered which team would show up in a battle of 4-8 squads. The Eagles did, and it was encouraging.
The season is alive, and the fans deserve a big credit for that.
That sound you hear is the Eagles organization giving the fans a standing ovation for all of the support, year after year, good times and not. It was a great time on Sunday, shared by all.
