Same reason Calvin Johnson did, to be honest.
I always read this as something only the player knows. We still saw an all time great close to his peak. But, how did he feel? Possibly he felt worn down at this point. He just saw decline and possibly injury coming.
Back then a RB wall around the early 30s happened almost as often as now.
And what light did he see at that point to keep going for? He could have tried to force a trade, but that was never Barry’s style.
He surely felt satisfied with what he accomplished and didn’t see much worth continuing for.
The only issue I have had with “the better team” is that so many things that happened weren’t by chance. It was officiating. The weather was horrid, but equally bad for each team.
The drops matter some. The team chose to roll with that receiver corp. It’s not bad luck or something, it was built this way.
But…..the drops aren’t the biggest reason they lost….the red zone turnovers were. Were they bad luck? No. They were solid plays made by the Eagles defense.
To me though….all the talk of who is the better team after the game is as pointless as power rankings.
Nothing definitive comes from it. It’s just nonsense that gets everyone talking.
Including me. Here and now. Sigh.