Trains pass each other in the dead of night, the darkness hiding their direction and the wind drowning their whistles.
Football teams, however, pass each other on Sundays, in broad daylight with television cameras capturing every detail. The moment at M&T Bank Stadium yesterday was poetic. After the Ravens' 36-7 triumph over the Eagles, the rookie quarterback crossed the field to seek out the veteran.
Joe Flacco was 13 years old when Donovan McNabb entered the NFL. He grew up outside Philadelphia and followed McNabb's career closely. There they were on the field, trains passing in front of thousands of witnesses.
Flacco greeted McNabb and asked him whether he was OK. McNabb, who had just been benched for the first time in his life, said he was fine. After a few pleasantries, they parted ways.
It's too simple to say they were headed for separate locker rooms. In truth, the two are headed for very different futures. And so are their head coaches and their teams.
With a swarming defense and a just-good-enough offense, the Ravens should be in playoff contention a month from now. The Eagles, meanwhile, will be mired in turmoil. They're just now hitting their bottom, finally forced to accept that change is necessary. It's a familiar position around here; the Ravens reluctantly confronted that difficult reality at this point a season ago.
But while the Eagles have a laundry list of decisions to make, the Ravens have turned their corner. They've made the necessary changes and in a relatively short period of time appear to have put their train back on postseason tracks.
McNabb, who has more wins and touchdowns than anyone else who has ever slipped on an Eagles jersey, was pulled from the game at halftime yesterday. At the time, Philadelphia's 10-year veteran was less effective than the Ravens' 10-game veteran, which is surprising considering that Flacco was 5-for-16 for just 59 yards after two quarters. McNabb, who had committed six turnovers in six quarters heading into yesterday's contest, threw two first-half interceptions and lost a fumble. His quarterback rating was 13.2.
Trying to salvage anything from a season suddenly in a free fall, head coach Andy Reid sent an assistant coach to inform McNabb he would be watching the second half from the sideline.
The quarterback's reaction mirrored that of fans at home, reporters in the press box and the Ravens on the opposing sideline. "Wow," McNabb thought.
