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Offensively, the Eagles are a sports car that must be classified as high-maintenance, but when all the fine tuning is complete, you can sit back and wait for the thrills to wash over you, one after another.
Will it be ready to burn rubber all along the NFL highways of December and January? Not even the master mechanic, Andy Reid, can answer that one. But Sunday afternoon, we got more than a glimpse of what can happen when everything is set to factory specs.
"It makes it hard for a team to come back," LeSean McCoy said, after delivering the final blow in a 40-17 knockout of the Giants at the Linc. "You're already in that hole, you're trying to find a way out, and we keep putting the pressure on. ... After a while, a team kind of gives up."
McCoy's haymaker, a 66-yard burst off left tackle two plays into the fourth quarter, ended all doubt after the Giants had scored 10 unanswered points to close within 33-17. But the Eagles had been leaving skid marks on New York's defense all day long, right from the opening kickoff.
You had the feeling something was up when it started with Leonard Weaver, their 250-pound fullback, barreling straight up the gut for a career-long 41-yard TD on the third snap of the game. And you knew it when, just a couple minutes later, Donovan McNabb cashed in Asante Samuel's interception by finding Brent Celek for a 17-yard score on third-and-goal — a situation that had a David Akers field goal written all over it.
Then there were McNabb's connections to DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin in the second quarter, coming just 52 seconds of game-clock time apart. First it was Jackson, negating New York's five-minute, 89-yard touchdown drive by blowing past Terrell Thomas for a 54-yard TD. Then Maclin, rewarding Donovan McNabb's trust by reaching over Corey Webster to snag a 23-yard bullet after a Quintin Demps interception.
"That's the thing about the offense," veteran corner Sheldon Brown said. "It's an explosive offense, with guys all over the field. When they are on rhythm and their timing is there, it's a dangerous offense to play against.
"It's been that way since I've been here. You have to take the good with the bad, and today was all good. ... I don't know if you can really argue with it, because (Reid)'s had so much success winning, and at the end of the day, that's what you want to do, is win."
Weaver, who set the tone for the day, was certainly the biggest surprise, having just four carries for 16 yards all season prior to Sunday. But Reid acknowledged they expected to lean on him a little harder, with Brian Westbrook out after Monday night's concussion at Washington.
"Actually, I didn't have any runs this week that we focused on (in practice)," said Weaver, who finished with 75 yards on eight carries. "It kind of shocked me a little bit that I did (in the game), but it's a great opportunity.
"Monday night, it was kind of a struggle for us, but we came out today and established what we wanted to do."
Understand that the Giants, now on a three-game slide after opening the season 5-0, helped out with turnovers. Eli Manning, en route to his first loss in five games at the Linc, struggled mightily and threw a pair of picks, while Domenik Hixon fumbled away the second-half kickoff, setting up an Akers field goal.
But the Birds, in a season driven by the big play, were at their best to date. They had 49 offensive snaps, but 204 of their 391 yards came on five plays. Their offense spent 11 minutes less time on the field than did New York's, but it meant nothing.
It was their best overall performance of the season — only their second against a quality opponent — and it couldn't have come at a better time. They are now 2-0 in the NFC East, and they share the division lead with the Cowboys, who come to town next Sunday night.
"I don't think it was a message to everybody else as much as it was a message to ourselves," said Maclin. "We can do that against anybody. I think that's what we want to do, and I don't think that's the last time we're going to do that."
Nothing like the combination of confidence and fresh, young legs. This team has plenty of both, perhaps more than any of Reid's 10 predecessors. There are many miles to go, but with the right number of timely pit stops, it just might be one heckuva ride. Don't expect to keep your hair in place.
