2012 Week 5 Recap

Eagles at Steelers, Sunday, October 7, 2012

Stud of the week: Of course, it's LeSean McCoy. Not only did he make Larry Foote look foolish on his TD catch and run (I quote the ONE true thing Joe Buck has ever said announcing football: "One on one against McCoy, you have no shot. I don't care who you are."), the Eagles went for it on 4th down TWICE during the drive that led to the second touchdown. Who did they give it to? Shady. Did he pick both up? Indeed he did. And he smoked Lawrence Timmons in the process. As I posted to Facebook during the game: "Shady = Superman."

People! Let's not panic!

Yes, the Eagles lost. In Pittsburgh. To a team coming off their bye week. And a QB who has lost precisely ONE home game to ANY NFC team in his ENTIRE career (and thanks to Tommy Lawlor for the stat). 

And yes, Michael Vick turned the ball over twice. But don't assume that an additional 3 or 7 points from the Eagles in the first quarter automatically means a win. It doesn't. Not that early in the game. And remember the Steelers got no points off either turnover.

The defense got no sacks on a QB who's the most sacked guy in football. And no turnovers. Mike Tomlin clearly had his guys ready for the Eagles pass rush.

Here are a few good things:

Michael Vick, after fumbling twice, led yet another clutch fourth-quarter drive to give the Eagles the lead late. Yes, I know, the defense couldn't hold, but it's not like this is the Titans we're talking about.

Andy Reid went for it on fourth down TWICE in that drive, including once when the Eagles were on THEIR OWN 30. Do they convert both at this time last year? No. Honestly, I think the fact that Big Red had the confidence in the team to do that and that they picked up both is maybe the most positive thing to take from the entire day.

And special teams wasn't a disaster. Glad to see you back Colt Anderson!

Is the team perfect? No way, man. Where are the defensive takeaways? Where are the sacks? Why aren't we seeing more big plays from DeSean Jackson (I don't fault Jeremy Maclin, as he's struggling with injury)? And speaking of injury, can I just say: offensive line? Yikes,

But Andy's teams always finish stronger than they start. Does that equal a Super Bowl? Not necessarily, although there's always the "get hot at the right time" hope. But a loss to the Steelers at Heinz Field is not a reason to jump off the Ben Franklin bridge. This was a very tough schedule to start the season. But the Eagles are 3-2 and leading the division. Hella better than last year's 1-4, am I right? And, aside from the Browns, these are not patsy teams they've been facing. The combined record of the teams they've lost to is 6-3, and they handed the Ravens their only loss so far.

In the rest of the matchups:

Rams over Cardinals: Told you so. I can't figure out the Cardinals and Kevin Kolb yet. I do, however, note that the NFC West is the only division where EVERY team has a winning record so far.  That's different. So are the Rams under Jeff Fisher. Sorry Spags.

Dolphins over Bengals: Andy Dalton did not have a good day, and that was pretty much all she wrote for the Bengals.

Colts over Packers: OK, why didn't anyone tell me the Colts were dedicating this game to Chuck Pagano? I might've picked differently. Also, the Packers just aren't the same Pack this year. Also, that was one hell of a comeback rookie Andrew Luck led.

Ravens over Chiefs: The Ravens are not the classiest group of guys in the world, and when even they're telling the Chiefs' fans that they're being a bunch of dicks for cheering when their own QB went down...well, that's saying something. Keep it classy, KC.

Giants over Browns: You know, for about 10 minutes it looked like the Browns might pull off an upset win. And then there was the rest of the game. Poor Browns. Maybe drafting a rookie who can almost collect Social Security wasn't your best choice ever.

Falcons over Redskins: OK, not that I'm happy that RGIII has a "minor" concussion (whatever that is), but you should hear the weeping and wailing about him taking hits here in the DC! NFL Game Day Morning actually did a retrospective on Mike Vick taking hits where they're late, or he's getting driven into the ground intentionally, or hit in illegal ways (and not when he's a runner). What was the common theme? NONE of them were called. Does this feel like the Donovan McNabb or Randall Cunningham years all over again? Hellz yeah. And no matter how much you scream for your QB to "protect himself," as long as their are different rules for guys named Manning, Brady, Rodgers, and Brees than everyone else, it's not going to do any good. Short version: Skins fans, stop your whining and get used to it.

Seahawks over Panthers: OK, the theory was that the Seahawks allowed that safety intentionally. If so, that was too clever by half. Cam did not have a good day. Sophomore slump? Yep, looks like.

Bears over Jaguars: Ouch.

Vikings over Titans: Also ouch.

Patriots over Broncos: The final score actually makes the game look closer than it was. It was really never in question for the Pats. Everybody makes a big deal about the Manning-Brady quarterback rivalry. Considering the fact that Tom is 9-4 over Peyton, maybe people are thinking of the wrong Manning?

49ers over Bills: Another game that was painful to watch. Everybody gets to whip up on the Bills this year, it seems.

Saints over Chargers: Apparently, I underestimated how the rest of the Saints would respond to Drew Brees's record-breaking night. Oops. 

The Texans are currently leading the Jets 23-14, and I'm 10-3 so far in my picks. Gonna be another good week!
 

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2012 Week 5 Picks

This week, the Eagles travel to Heinz Field to take on the Steelers. One order of Keystone Bowl, coming up.
The Eagles are 3-1.
The Steelers are 1-2.
And the Steelers, while still a top 5 defense (at least so far) are aging. And the Eagles FINALLY had a turnover free outing, against a team that's not too bad at causing turnovers. 
That should give us a solid indication of what might happen Sunday.
But....
The Steelers are REALLY good at home. REALLY good. And the Eagles, after an emotional night last Sunday, are due for a let down. And Troy Polamalu and James Harrison are both back. And the Steelers are coming off their bye week.
In sum: Steelers.
In the rest of the matchups...
Did you notice I went 13-2 last week? That's some good pickin'. I even had the RAMS, yo. Makes up for the previous week, when I went 5-11. Ouch.
Cardinals at Rams: Speaking of the Rams, I think they're going to have another good week and take down the Cardinals. I'm guessing it will be a close game, but it's hard to play on the road in a dome.
Packers at Colts: The Colts are also coming off a bye. And play inside. And the Packers have been struggling so far. But come on! Gotta go Pack.
Browns at Giants: The Giants are pissed and likely to take it out on the poor Browns, who will go winless at least one more week. Giants.
Falcons at Redskins: The Falcons will get by the Skins, but it's gonna be a shoot-out.
Dolphins at Bengals: Call me crazy, but I've got the Dolphins here.
Ravens at Chiefs: I'm picking the Chiefs, even though they did me wrong against the Chargers last week. But they can put up points, and they're at home.
Seahawks at Panthers: Again, the Seahawks are mortal away from home, but I think their stifling defense will be able to shut down the Panthers.
Bears at Jaguars: Da Bears. Who are probably feeling pretty frisky after Monday night.
Broncos at Patriots: Tom Brady and Peyton Manning renew their rivalry on Tom's turf. I want to call Broncos, but I just can't. Patriots.
Bills at 49ers: Speaking of stifling defenses, the Bills are dead meat. 49ers.
Titans at Vikings: The Vikings are shocking the hell out of everyone so far this year. Can they do it again? I think they can. Vikings.
Chargers at Saints: I think this will be a bittersweet week for the Saints, as Drew Brees breaks Johnny Unitas's streak of games with a TD, and the Saints lose anyway. Hey, they had to replace large chunks of the team with holograms in order to pay Drew, so there you have it.
Texans at Jets: Did I mention that the Jets have now lost their two best players for the season? And are in serious trouble? Like, SERIOUS? Texans.
On bye: Buccaneers, Cowboys, Lions, Raiders

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2011 Wildcard Weekend Picks

Bengals at Texans: neither team comes in exactly lighting it up, but the Texans remind me of season 4 Buffy the Vampire Slayer. For those few fools who weren't fans (what's wrong with you, btw?), the basic plot was that an evil government entity was trying to put together a race of half human/half demon warriors, a la Dr. Frankenstein. One of the creatures begins running amuck, as these sorts of creatures often do, and plots to lure Buffy into the demon containment facility that's guarded by soldiers. His plan is to incite a riot while she's there and for her to kill enough demons (her destined calling) to even the human/demon body count (thus providing plenty of construction materials) until she's too weak to continue. That's pretty much where the Texans are at this point. Also, in their last matchup in week 14, the Texans won (their last win, for what it's worth). And it's hard to beat a team twice in a row. Bengals. Which they should savor, since it will be their last playoff win this year.

Steelers at Broncos: Of course, by that logic, I should pick the Broncos, because the Steelers are one beaten down mess at this point. But I just can't see the Broncos pulling this off. The Steelers are too smart - and too good on D. And Tim Tebow's 15 minutes seems almost up. Steelers.

Falcons at Giants: I'm really tempted to take the Falcons here, and they do have a marginally better record. But even with the other problems the Giants have these days, and they are many, Eli Manning has a hot hand going into the playoffs, and Victor Cruz can turn a 5 yard dump off pass into a 90+ yard TD at any moment, and to me, that says that the Falcons, even though they have a well-ranked D, are in trouble. Also, they are not so good on the road. Giants.

Lions at Saints: Oh Lions. Lions Lions Lions. I hate to say "I told you so" but I told you to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to hang onto the 5th seed. Did you listen to me? Noooooo. Will you regret it? Yeeeeeessss. About the time you realize that not only can't you hear each other in the huddle, but the Superdome is rocking so hard you can't even use hand signals. The Saints don't lose at home, baby. Saints.

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More Thoughts on the Preseason

Part of the reason I don't write much in the preseason is clearly demonstrated by the response to our first two pre-season games:

Game 1, August 11, in which a victory over the Ravens includes Riley Cooper going up over Ed Reed to snag a 40 yard pass: "We're totally going to win the Super Bowl this year! Why even bother with the season? Just give us the Lombardi trophy right now and save everyone a lot of trouble!"

Game 2, August 18, in which a loss to the Steelers includes approximately 437 picks by Michael Vick (actual number: 3): "OH MY GOD! Disaster! What's wrong with these guys!?! We're going to go 2-14 this year!"

Me: "Yawn. Andy doesn't even break out the playbook until the regular season. Preseason wins and losses mean nothing."

And I'm sticking by that. I actually like to see the Eagles lose preseason games. That usually means all the guys who may or may not make the team are getting plenty of time to show what they've got. And that our notoriously cagey head coach is keeping ALL the good stuff a secret until the regular season starts. Fine by me.

In other news, Michael Vick just got his long-term contract - $80 million over 5 years, with $36 million guaranteed (in case you somehow missed it - like you've been asleep for the last 24 hours straight). I like it, personally. The Eagles lock him down long term while actually freeing up cap space in the process. Tricky, tricky. I'm guessing it's on to DJax next. Pay the little man already!

Also Howard Mudd has completely remade the Eagles offensive line. I hope it works, because Mike Vick is only worth $80 million if he stays in one piece and ambulatory.

Also, the roster is now down to the requisite 80 guys. Thursday's game against the Jets is a big night for guys contesting roster spots. Which means we're likely not going to recognize anyone on the field. But the roster needs be down to 53 by Saturday, so it's decision time.

Next up: my annual preseason divisional picks, aka The Post That Sets Up My Annual January Walk Of Shame.

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Super Bowl XLV Recap

Packers over Steelers, Sunday, February 6, 2011

Well, at least if the Pack was going to knock my Eagles out in the wildcard round, it wasn't in vain.

Random observations:

A red carpet? At the Super Bowl? Dear Fox: Are you f-ing kidding me? Thank God for NFL Network and ESPN.

I realize Jennifer Anniston was flacking a movie, but who cares what she thinks about, well, anything? But particularly about football?

I love football, and even I think that 9 1/2 hours of pre-game coverage is too much.

I know it's mean, but I still think it's hilarious that Xtina forgot the words to the national anthem. Also, it's really not a singable tune. Put me down in the "in favor of switching to America the Beautiful" column.

I don't think I've ever heard ANYTHING as bad as the Black Eyed Peas halftime show. And I grew up in a church where that sappy faux-karaoke "music" is considered acceptable, so I know from teh suck.

SLASH! SQUEE!

Why were those poor anonymous dancers wearing lit up file boxes on their heads? As my friend Em said: File under #FAIL.

The commercials mostly left me yawning other than this one:



That cute kid? A patient of one of my organization's member hospitals.

.....

Oh? The game?

The story of the game was turnovers. As in, the Steelers committed a lot (two Big Ben picks and a Rashard Mendenall fumble), the Packers committed none, and the Packers turned every single Steelers miscue into points.

The other story was that the Packers seriously almost ran out of players. Again. Why should the playoffs be any different than their whole season was, though?

The only reason Mike McCarthy didn't buy Jordy Nelson a one-way ticket to Carolina straight from Dallas was the TD and the great catch & run that led to what turned out to be the field goal that put the game away, because I ran out of fingers to count how many passes he dropped.

At my place we were mostly pulling for the Pack, so when the Steelers cut their lead to 4 and Charles Woodson went out, we were all like, "Oh man, here we go."

Only we didn't.

Can we finally put Brett Favre to rest now? Please? Pretty please?

So the #6 team pulls it off for, I think, only the second time. The only other #6 to win it all? The Steelers. Who have enough rings. Maybe we can get one for the east side of the state after the 2011 season. If there is a 2011 season.

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Sunday Schedule: Sunday, February 6, 2011

In case you've been living under a rock, this Sunday the Packers and the Steelers meet up at Cowboys Stadium for Super Bowl XLV.

If you're reading this and know where I live and my phone number, you're invited to my Super Bowl party. But please email or call to let me know to expect you, so Chef Spouse and I make enough food.

Party starts at 5 pm.

Kick off is at 6:30 pm.

Living room seating is reserved for those who are serious about watching the game.

The kitchen is for those who at least want to know what's going on with the game while they eat and socialize.

The dining room is for those who are just here for the food and conversation.

Speaking of, we'll be preparing our usual Tex-Mex bacchanal, with burritos, fajitas, and quesadillas, plus Chef Spouse's fab homemade guacamole. Bring something to share. What? Pre-game snacks, beverages, and desserts are all good ideas.

Children are welcome, but remember that I tend to swear like a sailor around football, even when my team's not playing, so if they learn colorful new expressions at my house, you've been warned.

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Super Bowl XLV Preview

Confession: it's just not as fun to preview the Super Bowl when your team's not in it. But you knew that.

The Packers go into the Super Bowl smokin' hot. Aaron Rodgers has had inhumanly good QB ratings pretty much since he came back from the concussion. Clay Matthews was right behind another guy who'll be playing Sunday for defensive player of the year. James Starks came out of nowhere to buck up the Packers decimated RB core. And they have some pretty decent receivers - you might've heard of them? Donald Drive and Greg Jennings? The Packers have a better claim than that team from Dallas on the title "America's Team" - hey, it's called the LOMBARDI trophy.

And I'm conflicted about the Steelers. They have, for a long time, been my AFC team, but I have a really hard time rooting for them as long as Ben Roethliseberger's still under center. Bust magazine explains it far better than I could. But to all the people who continue to ding Mike Vick, just remember: he hurt dogs. And served his time. Big Ben is a sexual predator who hurts women. I love dogs, I really do, but they aren't people.

So my heart is with the Packers. Who, you might remember, were the NFC's sixth seed. The only sixth seed team ever to win a Super Bowl? The Steelers.

Which I'm pretty sure is what's going to happen again on Sunday, extending their lead as the Super Bowl winningest team in the NFL.

Steelers. And it should be a good game.

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2010 Conference Championship Recap

Packers over Bears: As (I) expected. Two good halves of football were played Sunday. Unfortunately, they weren't by the same team. The Packers looked unstoppable for the first half. And then Jay Cutler went down, Todd Collins played like, well, Todd Collins, and they handed the game over to rookie Caleb Hanie, who had never taken an NFL snap. "OK, kid, here's the situation. It's f-ing freezing. We're in the NFC Championship game, down by 14 points to a division rival. The fans are out of it - we think they may actually have been cryogenically frozen by the stadium conditions at this point - our starting QB is hurt and our backup QB is a mess. Good luck!"  Surprisingly, the kid did pretty well - better than Jay Cutler was doing, at any rate. How hurt was he? I can't say, but it was the NFC Championship game. Moving on, Matt Forte had a good game. And the Bears D came alive in the second half. But with a rookie under center, it just wasn't enough. And the Pack are going to Texas. Think they can win it all? Well, not if they play like they did in the second half yesterday.

Edited Tuesday, January 25 to add: an astute reader pointed out that Hanie's not technically a rookie. I should've come up with the better term for "newbie," but what I was trying to stress was: how many games had he started before Sunday? Answer: zero.  

Steelers over Jets:As (I also) expected. The thing is, if the Jets' receivers could catch a ball or the Jets' defense could've tackled ANYONE, this game could have gone completely differently. It's a different kind of football than Eagles fans are used to - actually, that's the case with both teams here - with a QB managing the game with a strong defense and a strong ground attack, when his main job is to not make any big mistakes. And Mark Sanchez can totally handle that. And the Jets have gone to the AFC Championship game - and lost - both of his first two years in the league. That's something that's quite familiar to Eagles fans. Sigh. Reading Gang Green Nation sounds really familiar - lots of looking on the bright side, lots of "we had a great season," lots of "we're contenders," lots of "other teams fear us now," etc. That's familiar to Eagles fans, too. Whatever. Show me the Lombardis. Oh yeah - that would be the Steelers all over. Sigh again.

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2010 Conference Championship Picks

Packers at Bears: These are well matched teams. The Bears look terrific. Mike Martz has got the Jay Cutler attitude problem AND interception problem under control. Brian Urlacher seems rejuvenated, and Julius Peppers is playing great. He played great in Carolina, too, of course, it's just that the rest of his was a mess. Charles Tillman creates turnovers the way American Idol creates crap one-hit-wonder pop stars. Matt Forte provides a significant ground attack, which helps keep Cutler from trying to do too much. And two words that strike fear in the heart of every special teams coach in the NFL: Devin Hester.

On the other hand, the Packers are heading for their 3rd road game in a row. They're the #6 seed, and they just pulled off the big upset win over the Falcons a week ago. Their issues with injury this season have been well documented, well, everywhere. And they're playing a divisional rival, which is always just that much harder.

But I'm still picking the Packers. And not just because they took out an Andy Reid team in the first round of the playoffs for only the second time in his 12 seasons as head coach. Aaron Rodgers is on FIRE and not only can't you stop Clay Matthews, you really can't even hope to contain him. Donald Driver and Greg Jennings are going to have to play a lot better than they did on January 2, though.

Jets at Steelers: The Jets are looking surprisingly good at this stage, too. Mark Sanchez seems to be over his sophomore slump from earlier in the season. The secondary combo of Revis and Cromartie is as good as it's supposed to be. Santonio Holmes has his playoff face on, making "Did I just see that?" catches every time you turn around. LaDanian Tomlinson is playing like he's 21, not 31. Jason Taylor, too.

Wait - is Troy Polamalu playing? Yes? Steelers.

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Sunday Schedule: Sunday, January 23, 2011

Can you believe it's Conference Championship Sunday already? Where did the 2010 season go? Seems like just yesterday I was at checking out the talent at training camp and getting ready to kick into high gear here at StN.  Now? Only 4 more games and we close the book on 2010. And with the NFL labor situation looking increasingly bleak, we might be seeing our last football for quite a while. Too bad the Iggles couldn't pull out the miracle run this year - they might've gotten to reign as Super Bowl champs for two years.

Anyway, the games this weekend are:

3 pm: Packers at Bears
6:30 pm: Jets at Steelers

Menu? Chef Spouse is pulling out all the stops - ribs, mac-n-cheese, and collards. Soul food heaven, baby. Bring something that will go with, and we'll see you Sunday!

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2010 Divisional Weekend Picks

The Eagles may be out of it at this point, but I'm still soldiering on with the blog. And the picks. 

Ravens at Steelers: These two teams are really evenly matched. Both 12-4, both similar style - grind it out on the ground, tough defense, Great Big White Guy quarterbacks, from tough, blue collar cities that are passionate about their teams. This could finish 7-6. Every inch will be contested, every point hard fought...oh wait. Is Troy Polamalu playing? Yes? Steelers.

Packers at Falcons: I'm only picking one road team this week, and despite Mattie Ice's success in the Georgia Dome, it's the smokin' hot Packers. So now you know how the rest of the picks are going to turn out.

Seahawks at Bears: The Seahakws won't be able to bring 65,000 home fans with them to Chicago. And I don't think Jay Culter's going to throw 5 picks. And even if he does, it might not be enough anyway. Bears.

Jets at Patriots: Rex? I don't like Tom Brady and Bill Belichick either, so I'm feeling you, but that payday loan's come due. Pats.

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Sunday Schedule: Sunday, January 16, 2011

Well, the Eagles are out of is, but that means we can all relax and enjoy the games without having a coronary every 10 minutes. Hey, I'm trying to look on the bright side here, people!

Anyway, as usual for playoffs, there are games both days, but we'll plan to do the big party and cooking on Sunday.

Saturday games:

4:30 - Ravens at Steelers
8:00 - Packers at Falcons

Sunday games:

1:00 - Seahawks at Bears
4:30 - Jets at Patriots

Chef Spouse is going to make gumbo. He was planning to make it in honor of the Saints' 2011 playoff run. Since that came to an early and abrupt end, he's making it in honor of the fact that it's carnival season. Also, Biker Nick and his gf are planning to join us! And if I gt inspired, I might make us beignet for dessert. Anyone have an Abita connection?

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