But in the biggest game of his life, Douglas couldn't believe what he saw. Early in the second quarter of Saturday's 33-19 NFC divisional playoff win over the Bears, Chicago quarterback Jim Miller threw a careless interception near the Eagles' goal line. Safety Damon Moore started his return and Miller started running toward him to make a tackle.

Douglas' eyes couldn't open any bigger. The defensive end was now a blocker. He had a free shot on the quarterback, who was trying to play defense.

	Jim Miller got knocked out of the game by Hugh Douglas while trying to make a tackle after an interception.

"I knew he was a quarterback because he was right in front of me with a big, old 15 on his jersey," Douglas said. "I stood there and mirrored him. He made a move like he was going to make a tackle."

Douglas followed through with his block and Miller fell to the ground with Douglas landing on him. Miller's right shoulder snapped because of a separation. His season was over. So was the Bears'. Shane Matthews, the backup quarterback, completed only eight of 17 passes over the final three quarters trying to replace Miller, but Matthews couldn't come close to rallying the team.

Matthews led the cry in the Bears' locker room that Douglas cheap-shotted Miller. Left tackle Blake Brockermeyer was among the many Bears to call for Douglas to be fined or even suspended.

It would appear unlikely that Douglas would be fined because, technically, Miller wasn't a quarterback on that play. He was a blocker. He was not defenseless. Miller voluntarily moved toward Douglas and paid a heavy price. So did the Bears.

"It wasn't like I was trying to take Jim Miller out of the game," Douglas said. "Jim Miller was trying to make a tackle. I'm a blocker now. I'm like an offensive lineman. I've got to get back. He was like he was going to make a play, and my job was to stop him (from) making a play."

Douglas sounded like a defendant trying to plead his case.

"I don't think I should be fined," Douglas said. "I think it was a fair hit. It was a clean block. But afterwards, all their guys came up to me and got after me. But I think that if it was any of them, they would have done the exact same thing. I didn't know he was hurt. Not to be cruel, but I don't care. He moved, and when he did, I hit him."

Miller went to the locker room for X-rays. When he returned, the Bears' fans cheered. Douglas jumped up and down on the sidelines as though he was waiting for the chance to get him again. Instead, Matthews finished the game, and Douglas got him with one clean sack.

	“	It looked like they were getting ready for next week's game. I don't know if it was the people of Chicago. I don't think it was really the team. All I know is that when you turned on the television, you see some guy getting ready for their Super Bowl rings. ”
		— Hugh Douglas, Eagles defensive end

"I don't want to sound like a wuss or something, but I mean, damn," Douglas started. "We come in here. Both teams fought and scrapped their way into the playoffs. Yet, it looked like they were getting ready for next week's game. I don't know if it was the people of Chicago. I don't think it was really the team. All I know is that when you turned on the television, you see some guy getting ready for their Super Bowl rings. Everybody else wanted to play the Green Bay Packers because they played them twice and the Packers won both.

"Well, I don't play for the Green Bay Packers. I play for the Philadelphia Eagles. I kind of took it personal. I was fired up because it was the playoffs. It's win or go home."

Douglas has to play with passion. He's only 255 pounds and the Bears used the strategy of running at him. It didn't turn out to be a problem because defensive coordinator Jim Johnson ordered enough early run blitzes to contain Bears rookie halfback Anthony Thomas. Thomas finished with 36 yards on 15 carries and wasn't a factor.

"He's 255 pounds," Johnson said of Douglas. "I'd run against him, too."

Johnson blitzed his usual 60 to 65 percent of the plays until cornerback Troy Vincent pulled a groin muscle and forced a change in strategy. After Vincent's departure, Johnson minimized the blitzes, but the Bears' offense didn't take advantage.

With Matthews at quarterback, the Bears didn't try to go downfield much even though they trailed. In fact, offensive coordinator John Shoop tried a lot of two-tight end sets to maximize blocking against the Eagles.

"It is difficult," Matthews said. "I have not played in 10, 11 or 12 weeks, but I was ready to play. I did not play well. I take a lot of responsibility. Obviously, we would have liked to play better."

The sad part for Miller is that this magical 13-3 season may not be enough to keep him around. His contract expired and, even though the Bears will try to re-sign him, Miller has no guarantee that he will be back.

"It's hard to win your game without your starting quarterback," Miller said. "Philadelphia would be in the same boat if Donovan McNabb wasn't there. Again, you work so hard to get to this point and for something like that to happen is extremely disappointing. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth."

It's the price of a quarterback trying to be a blocker.

John Clayton is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.