What to Watch For: Eagles @ Giants

Eagles @ Giants

The Eagles are top two least deserving playoff teams, but much like the Chargers, displayed that they belong by moving on to the next round. The Eagles sport the NFC's top defense and strong playmakers on offfense. They got by the Vikings with a little trouble but advanced nonetheless. It took a 70 yard screen to seal the game, but they did what they needed to leave with a win.

The Giants were the best team in the NFC all season and did so with a powerful running game and a tough-minded defense. Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward both got 1000 yards on the ground for the season running over or around everything in their path. Plaxico almost derailed the season but the team seems to be past the drama and back on the right track. The proved in week 15 in a win over the second seeded Panthers that they're still the top dogs in the NFC. However, the division rival Eagles is the last team they wanted to play in the playoffs after the bye.

Here's what to watch for:

• Asante Samuel running for cover everytime Jacobs comes his way. Asante does the "Ole" with much less imposing backs, I can't think for a second he'll be throwing his fragile body in front of the human eighteen-wheeler.


• Donovan McNabb's feet. If McNabb is quite in the pocket and still, he's comfortable and poised for a good day. If he's got happy feet and is dancing all over, then I'm sad to say it's going to be a long day for the Eagles. This doesn't mean he shouldn't run, it's just all about pocket presence.


• Brian Dawkins anytime he isn't playing. Dawkins is awesome to watch in pre-game huddles, his introduction, dancing on the sidelines, and in between plays. I can imagine that Giants fans hate it, but his raw emotion and love for the game is rare in a league that is progressively more and more self-centered.


• The Manning face. Made famous by The Sports Guy on ESPN, Eli has a fantastic "oh crap, what's happening now"" face. Every drop and interception is met with this classic show (or non show) of emotion.


• How the Giants defense will play to stop Westbrook. They say they won't et him beat them, which could work in the Eagles favor. If they devote too much attention to West, they play-action passing game should flourish.


• Which Giants team is going to show up? Tom Coughlin did a terrific job coaching throughout the Plax nonsense this season and his team normally comes out firing. But they've been flat before, especially in the second game against the Eagles. I don't think he's a particularly asute coach, but he is great motivator.


• Which Andy Reid is going to show up? Andy has done a good job so far, but I won't be surprised if he abandones the run out of no where and submarines the Eagles chances at victory.


• My brother tells me all the time that Andy Reid looks like the Heat Mizer from some Christmas movie with his new playoff beard (he saw the comparison on tv somewhere). What do you think?


• Can the Giants D-Line win the battle in the trenches? In other words, how much will the be ablse to disrupt Philly's efforts to run the ball and get time in the passing game? Depending on how healthy Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan are, it may not be much.


• Is Eli good enough to win the game if the running game is stifled? I don't know that he can put the team on his back and throw successfully to Toomer, Hixon, and Boss. I see another Asante TD in Eli's future.


• Another predicition, DeSean Jackson is either DeSeawesome or DeSeawful in the punt return game and it swings the turn out of the game.

Prediction Time: Eagles 17, Giants 10

If the game is any higher scoring than this, I don't know that the Eagles will win it, but the Eagles defense has been FANTASTIC and the Giants should have plenty of trouble moving the ball if the Eagles don't miss tackles and play disciplined on defense. Yes, I'm a homer but this is how I see it, so deal with it.

Eagles in the Playoffs?!? What Now?

I've got to admit it, the Eagles making the playoffs is something that after last week I didn't think all that possible. Since week 1, the talent on this team has been undeniably good but the execution was consistently...sporadic. For a few weeks, they're the cream of the crop. A few later and they look like a team deserving of the number one draft pick. First half you'd think the Eagles were a semi-pro team, but in the second half the team is a unstoppable force. McNabb and Reid go from goats and idiots to stars and geniuses and back on a weekly basis, no more like on a drive to drive basis.

Last night against the Cowboys, the Eagles cemented their playoff berth (albeit with considerable help even before the game) with a flat-out dominant shellacking of their immensely talented, but tormented division rival. The offense was solid, McNabb, Westbrook, and Buckhalter were all good and the offensive line did a great job holding back an accomplished Dallas defense, especially Tra (William?) Thomas who shutdown probowler and sack artist DeMarcus Ware.

The obvious stars of the game were the Eagles defense. This unit has been great all season and only getting better and better as the season has moved forward. The Eagles have allowed the league's third lowest yards per game and are fourth lowest in points per game. In the second half of the season the defense has allowed 20 or more points only twice. Once in a loss to the Giants and once in a blowout win over the Cardinals. Dawkins is back and playing great and Stewart Bradley is emerging as a terrific linebacker for this defense.

However, this isn't a team without its flaws. Let's be honest, this is a 9-6-1 team that tied the Bengals for god sake. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Eagles pummeled everyone in their path and won the Super Bowl. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Eagles got romped in Minnesota this coming weekend. This team is entirely bipolar, anything is possible from here on out. And just as I stated a few weeks ago, it all depends on two things: Andy's playcalling and Donovan's decision-making and accuracy. The team won nine games based on the success of these two things and lost 6 (well 7 with that tie) because of the failures of these two things. The defense has been nothing short of fantastic all season, so that's not the inconsistency issue and Westbrook hasn't been healthy all season so that's not it either. Andy and Donovan are the variables so let's tackle them separately, the Eagles' playoff fate depends on them:

Reid:

Most of this season was spent throwing the football, over and over again. The Eagles passed at a 60 percent clip, but it felt more like 80 percent and as the losses piled up near the middle of the season it felt like 100 percent. Last week in a loss to the Redskins the pass/run ratio was 50:14. Now if this was a blowout that would make sense, but in a 10-3 game it seems downright foolish. The Eagles have shown time and time again (with the exception of the Browns game) that we are no longer a team than can air it out 40 times and win. Reid needs to give Westbrook and Buckhalter consistent touches if the Eagles expect to do damage in this year's playoffs. Also, as I posted about earlier this month, the Eagles short-yardage struggles with be only magnified in the playoffs if Reid can't find a solid answer to get one, or two, yards consistently. The sneak worked Sunday, and it should be a focal point in the offense once again.

McNabb:

It's simple, when McNabb is accurate and makes good decisions, the Eagles win. McNabb doesn't have to be spectacular anymore because he has an accomplished defense behind him. McNabb has become a game manager and if he embraces the role, he will be a fantastic one. He's no longer a running quarterback but he needs to use his leagues to keep defenses off balance. If Donovan is required to put the team on his back, the Eagles are in big trouble, they've showed that many times this season.

My last Eagles concern is about both of those two. The Eagles must have the worst two-minute drill in football. Whether it is at the end of the half or the end of the game, the offense always seems out of sorts and unprepared. This is the playoffs and I'm betting that we're going to need the big drive atleast once before it's over.

Sunday will be the first team and I'm optimistic that the Eagles are good enough to make something out of this year and go deep in the playoffs, but we'll see how it goes.

NFL Playoffs

How is the world did the Philadelphia Eagles make the playoffs? How in the world did the Miami Dolphins win the AFC East? How in the world did the Denver Broncos lose a 3 game lead with 3 games left over the San Diego Chargers AND LOSE THE DIVISION!?

The wacky world of the NFL had some crazy playoff scenarios for week 17, and some how, some way, they all came true for the team that was not supposed to win!

Let me start by expressing my frustration being a Chicago Bears fan. With a win in week 17 and a loss by the Minnesota Vikings, the Bears would have won the NFC North. However, they could not take care of business. Kyle Orton is a great quarterback for the Bears, however, that defense did not live up to expectations this year. I am blaming that loss to the Houston Texans on the defense. However, I hope the Vikings lose next week to a deadly Eagles team who can make a run in the playoffs.

Speaking about the Eagles, I give them a lot of credit for what they accomplished this season. Ever since Donovan McNabb claimed to never know there were ties in the NFL, and being benched as been on a tear. And with a tiny tiny bit of help, BAM! they are in the playoffs after thrashing the Dallas Cowboys, who were supposed to be the beasts of the NFL this season, and did not live up to hype (Stay tuned to another episode of a Cowboys soap opera coming soon).

Now the Miami Dolphins. Once 1-15 just a year ago, Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano have changed that program around and have tied for the biggest turnaround in NFL history winning 10 games more than the previous year (+10). Last Season, they were not a bad team, they were a team that were in need of a coach, and good management. With Parcells calling the shots in the organization, and Sparano on the sidelines, they were able to make that historic turnaround, and win the AFC East after 8 years.

I don't even know where to begin with the AFC West. How does a team with 3 games left and a 3 game lead blow their season? I think only the Denver Broncos can answer that. Now i know when i am writing this the game is not over (there is currently 9 minutes left and the Chargers are winning 44-21). But how does a team let that happen? The Chargers were helping the Broncos win the division by loosing their games, but not when it matters. I'm going to go out of my way and say the Chargers are going to win the division, but i don't see them getting passed the Colts next week.

My Superbowl Prediction:

Colts over the Giants: 31-24

Random Sports Thoughts

There's a lot of little things that I want to talk about so instead of blogging a few sentences on a couple different post, I'm just going to put them all in one. This has been a busy time in sports with baseball's hot stove, an NBA team on its way to being the best ever, and many teams fighting to get into the NFL playoffs.

The first thing I want to talk about is Jim Rome. I never really thought about if I were a fan or not until a few months ago when I caught his show almost everyday. Yes, this guy can say some strange things that make a viewer ponder, but he is entertaining to watch. His insults and subliminals are hilarious and he does bring up some interesting arguments. Besides who hasn't seen him pick a fight on his show with Jim Everett. Some people think that it was staged but even if it was, that's pretty cool. Here it is if you don't know what I'm talking about.

My next topic is the Boston Red Sox. What the hell are they doing up there? Their biggest rivals land the 2 biggest free agent pitchers and steal Mark Teixeira away from them. The only other big name out there is Manny and he obviously isn't coming back. They could sign somebody like Adam Dunn, but that isn't going to make the team that much better, even though Dunn hits bombs. Banking on an old player like Mike Lowell and a declining David Ortiz is not a smart decision. The Yankees offered Teixeira $180 million as opposed to Boston's $168 million. How about they stop being so cheap and dish out the extra $12 million for a player you desperately need. With the Yankees greatly improving and the Rays showing they are a legit contender, I expect Boston to miss out on the playoffs and finish 3rd in the AL East.

Donovan McNabb says that he wants a new contract from the Eagles after the season. Is he serious? Why would he want to stay on a team where the fans are losing faith in him, where he got benched in the middle of such an embarrassing season, where the team has missed the playoffs 3 out of the last 4 years?(When the Eagles last made the playoffs McNabb wasn't even the QB) I'm not sure if he was just saying that because he wants to please Philly, but there is no way that this guys wants to stay there, or should stay there. If the Eagles don't can this guy after the season they are morons. So Eagles fans, sorry to diss your QB who you have pretended to like all these years. After all, he did win 0 championships.

How awesome would it be if Manny came to the Yanks. He could do what Marion Hossa did in the NHL. Hossa was the biggest free agent last year. He took a paycut, signed a 1 year deal with the Red Wings. Now he gets his 8 million and has an incredible chance of winning a Stanley Cup and then weill get his big contract next season. Manny, how does 1 year $10 million sound? Believe it or not, the Yankees can sign Manny and still have a lower payroll than last year!

A few other quick things....

The Celtics are nasty but I hope they don't break Jordan and company's 1996 record of 72-10.

My Super Bowl prediction: Steelers 21 Panthers 17.

I hope Tebow stays at Florida one more year, he's great for the college game.

Eagles Roll Over Browns, Are They Good Enough?

On Monday Night Football, the Eagles finally did something that they were supposed to do this season. The trounced the lowly Browns who came into Lincoln Financial Field as one of the league's worst franchises. The Eagles still need some help from the Falcons or the Bucs, but first and foremost, they must help themselves and win out. Tonight was a step in the right direction.

McNabb and Reid both did enough to get a good strong win and look impressive while doing so. However, there are still some things that concerned me while watching this game, albeit minor things. Reid still struggled moving the chances on third and short. This is definitely going to be a problem moving forward as it has been all season. Also, McNabb's interception at the end of the first half was disconcerting. It was a wildly underthrown pass in a jump ball situation where you have to be looking to put the ball on the back pylon. An underthrown of that magnitude is unacceptable. However, McNabb did a good job managing the game and hitting receivers all over the field and Reid was constantly one step ahead of the Browns.

But we have to remember, this was the Browns, and that was supposed to happen. Let's see how they play at Washington this week which will be a much tougher game than advertised. The Redskins are falling apart but they are a division rival with plenty of talent to play spoiler to the Eagles' playoff hopes. The playoff picture will be a whole lot brighter for the Birds if they can go down to FedEx field and get a decisive victory but I remain convinced that either the Bucs or the Falcons will falter in the last two weeks.

Eagles Playoff Hunt Starts Tomorrow

I've got to admit, I was wrong about the Eagles a few weeks ago when I ranted about McNabb and Reid. However, I am not surprised by their recent run of success. It was obvious at the beginning of the season that this team had enough talent to make a run at the Super Bowl and that was before we discovered DeSean Jackson's abilities. The Eagles have a pro-bowl QB, an accomplished coach, a stout defense and a superstar running back. Other than a top-notch wide receiver, what is this team missing?

Then, as the season progressed, the Eagles continued to let game after game slip away. Winnable games against inferior opponents constantly got away from us and ended in a loss. Brian Westbrook and Shaun Andrews got hurt, Andy Reid got predictable in the playcalling, and Donovan McNabb's happy feet and bouncing passes returned. The tie against the Bengals was rock bottom.

Who honestly saw the wins against the Cardinals and Giants coming? The Eagles were a team in disarray and now they're 7-5-1 with a good chance to make the playoffs if they run the table and win the rest of their games against the Browns tomorrow night, the Redskins the next week, and the Cowboys at home to finish the season. In my opinion, 10-5-1 is good enough to make the wild card in the NFC this year.

So tomorrow begins the playoff hunt for the Eagles. I think that everything up until this point is irrelavant. The highs and lows of this season are in the past and have to stay there. The McNabb benching, the 3rd and 4th & 1 woes, the injuries have to remain in the rearview mirror or this team won't be able to push this season to another level and make the playoffs.

And to make the playoffs, the Eagles are going to have to ride their surging defense which has been stifling as of late. Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown have been playing great on the corners and Brian Dawkins has rediscovered his youth this season and has been the ball-hawking safety that we all love. But leading this team has been Stewart Bradley. You only need to watch the games to see how Bradley is all over field and in on every tackle. Trent Cole has been great again this season and the rest of the D-Line has been playing well too. They basically pitched a shut-out against the Giants last week if it wasn't for a garbage-time TD while they were in the prevent and a blocked field goal that was returned for a TD.

During that Giants game, McNabb managed the offense and didn't make any mistakes. It's true that he didn't do anything phenomenal, but he did everything we needed him to do. Westbrook took advantage of the newfound commitment to the run and ran all over one of the best defenses in the NFC. Keeping the ball on the ground and turning McNabb into a game manager is another way that this team is going to be successful as the season gets late. McNabb is still a good QB, however he isn't good enough to throw it 40-50 times a game anymore.

Against the Browns, if the Eagles control the line of scrimmage and stay tough on defense, they should roll against the lesser opponent. It really shouldn't be much of a game and the Eagles should be on cruise control by the middle of the third quarter.

It'll be interesting to see how the Eagles perform to finish the season because if they sneak into the wild card, they'll definitely be the team that no one wants to play in the first round. However, if they don't make the playoffs, it will also be interesting to see what changes come, if any for next season. There will be a post on the Eagles possible changes coming soon, if they stumble down the stretch.

Eagles Fans In '08 -- Sucks To Be Us!

The 2008 Philadelphia Eagles season has been a colossal disaster. Yes, they're 5-5-1 and everyone in Oakland, Detroit, and Kansas City would love to be us. However, it's hardly that simple. This team has solid talent top to bottom and all the playmakers needed to make a run at the Super Bowl. Yet, this team continues to underachieve and disappoint on every level. The team is damaged with injuries that have diminished the seasons of a few star players like Shawn Andrews (out for the year) and Brian Westbrook (hasn't been himself for 4 weeks now), but that is hardly the problem. The problem has two heads, the Quarterback and the Head Coach.

First things first, we'll start with the quarterback. Donovan McNabb started this season on fire and like the superstar of old. He was strong, poised, and accurate. Then, a few weeks ago, the wheels fell off and the happy feet returned. You can always tell how the game is guying by watching Donovan drop back in the pocket and withstand the rush. Currently, he looks like a scared freshman getting his first varsity start. And just as importantly, McNabb's worst habit has returned: he's throwing bouncing balls again. The short-hop pass was a McNabb staple for years until he finally improved and became a somewhat accurate passer. Right now, he's making bad decisions, he's inaccurate, and he's panicking; a quarterback's recipe for disaster.

As for the coach, Andy Reid has attributed the worst coaching season of his previously strong career. Reid has been one of the best coaches in Eagles history and more often than not appears to know what he's doing and have an edge on most of the have-not coaches in the NFL. Now, Reid seems overmatched in every game the Eagles play. Clock management has always been an issue, but this year, Andy is taking it to another level. Couple that with his complete inability to judge whether or not a play should be challenged and things have been a little rocky. For most of his career, Reid prided himself on being an introvert and a somewhat mysterious personality. Reid's philosophy has been screw everybody else, we're going to keep doing our own things, "our way or the high way." While that lead to years of NFC Championship runs and a Super Bowl berth, the magic seems to be gone. It appears as if the other team is constantly one step ahead of him and has caught on to his gameplan. The hybrid west coast offense the Eagles run is failing big time.

In my opinion, at the end of this season, one of them has to go. I like Andy and I like Donovan,
however, their time together is up. Donovan appears to have lost the ability to run the west coast offense because he simply isn't efficient enough and doesn't read defenses quickly enough. That doesn't mean that he can't be successful in another system, in fact I think he will have tremendous success for atleast a few more years before he's done. McNabb can throw the deep ball and improvise when things get broken. Somehow, Andy refuses to realize this and continues to chug away and run his stalling offense into the ground every Sunday. I also think that Andy will be successful again, but not with Donovan. He needs an efficient passer who can systematically march the team down the field and not make mistakes. Reid needs a vetern who knows when to take the risk and when to play it safe. I have to imagine that sometime soon he'll find the right guy.

2008 is a lost cause, because with a hampered Westbrook and this QB/Coach controversy, we aren't running the table, but there is no reason that the Eagles can't turn it around for 2009 and make a run at it again.