Detmer's time with Eagles appears waning

From the (Vineland, N.J.) Daily Journal:

(Comments in parentheses are mine.)

By DON BENEVENTO
Gannett News Service

It appears the Eagles are moving closer to the end of an era.

(Era? More like an aberration.)

For nine seasons, quarterback Koy Detmer has been on the Eagles' roster -- the last seven of those as a backup to starter Donovan McNabb.

(More accurately, as kicker David Akers' personal caddy. When a quarterback serves at the kicker's pleasure -- the kicker -- that pretty much says it all.)

But with the addition of Jeff Garcia as a free agent, combined with the fact that it's been a long time since Detmer has moved the ball effectively, you would think a change is coming.

No one will say so officially, but it appears Detmer's days with the Eagles are numbered.

Detmer seemed to fall deeper into a hole Thursday. Playing the third quarter and into the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens, he was able to complete only 5-of-10 passes for 21 yards with one interception. His rating was 16.7. His rating through three preseason games is 25.

He entered the game with the Eagles leading, 10-3. When he left they were trailing, 20-10.

"You'd like to go out there and have some success, but it was a tough night," Detmer said. "It took me a while to get some things going, and even still, we weren't able to put points on the board, which is frustrating for any quarterback."

(At least the Eagles finally realize they need a capable backup for McNabb as he gets older and his body doesn't hold up to the punishment inflicted in the NFL as well as it once did. Mike McMahon made that painfully clear.)

What more do you expect from Fox?

Ty Hildenbrandt, writing for FOXSports.com, brags about how he went to Eagles camp and tried to stir up the faithful by asking about Terrell Owens:

"The plan was simple: Rev up the rowdiest, most passionate and oddly dressed fans at training camp by talking about some very general football topics, and when they least expect it, pounce like Jim Gray with a flurry of provoking questions about Terrell Owens. And then when tempers start flaring, well, push even harder. The idea was bulletproof."

Then after several quotes from fans that seem to show how miserably his "plan" failed, he adds this:

"Yes, Eagles fans have a stigma of being obnoxious and vicious — they booed Santa Claus and jeered at an injured Michael Irvin — but they're easy to commiserate with. Without a Super Bowl victory, the fan base for the city's most popular team has been relegated to the role of the drunken, desperate guy at your local bar that waits for a stray glance from pretty women."

OK, start with a bad premise and then trot out the old cliches. Nice work, Ty. Way to stretch those intellectual muscles.

Prediction (not ours): Eagles miss the playoffs

From Philly Sports Net:

Five Reasons Why The Eagles Won’t Make the Playoffs

Time's yours.