Cowboys ended an era, Birds aim for payback

Losing to the Dallas Cowboys never sits well. Dropping three games, including back-to-back losses to end their season, leads to wholesale changes.

“I’m still here, so I’m glad,” Eagles safety Quintin Mikell joked.

But everyone wasn’t so lucky. New general manager Howie Roseman and the rest of the Eagles’ brass decided to revamp the bulk of the roster. No one was safe, not even Donovan McNabb, who was sent packing soon after. The 11-year veteran — and franchise — quarterback was last seen wielding an air banjo coming out of the visitor’s tunnel.

“I didn’t know what to make of it [McNabb’s banjo], but OK. Maybe it was the whole ‘Jerry’s World’ thing,” Mikell said, referring to owner Jerry Jones’ new Cowboys Stadium. “We were all a little off. Before the game, I was like, ‘What the hell is going on?’”

That confusion led to a 34-14 blowout loss during wildcard weekend.

“The way it ended was embarrassing to everyone in the organization,” Mikell said.

Indeed. So, that team was taken out to pasture. Several key starters are new, most notably Michael Vick at starting quarterback. Without calling out names, Mikell said he thinks this year’s team is better. And many players expect a much different result this Sunday.

“As much as we say no, it is,” wide receiver Jeremy Maclin said. “Obviously, they did beat us three times last year, you know that. We’re going to come out on a mission.”