How Eagles Of Them!

Eagles v. Redskins, Sunday, December 23, 2012 

I was in two minds about this game. On the one hand, it's clear this was Andy Reid's last home game, and I was hoping the team could send him on his way with a win. On the other hand, top 5 pick! And on the third hand, if I may borrow one of yours, of the remaining choices to win the division, I'd most like to see it go to the Skins, which means they have to win out.

Looks like your hand is the lucky one.

Well, at least luckier than Nick Foles, who apparently broke his hand in the loss. Guess Vick is coming back for the final game of 2012? Assuming he passed his concussion tests finally? What's Trent Edwards up to? Isn't Jason Avant behind him? Maybe we give #81 a shot next week?

Oy. It's 2005 all over again, only without the "fun" of coming off a Super Bowl loss.

Stud of the week: Jeremy Maclin who, as Bleeding Green Nation points out, is quietly having a decent season. (Also, it was good to see Shady back and feeling spry.) Mac scored one TD, and had Nick Foles put a little more zip on that final pass, would've tied up the game.

Well, not the final-final pass of the game. That would be Foles' intentional grounding muff on 3rd and goal with two seconds left and a chance to tie, leading to a 10 second run off and "the game is over."

How Eagles of them!

It's been like the f-ing Keystone Kops out there most of the season. And was a poetically apt way to finish out the home games for the 2012 season.

As has been the case in so many games this year, the team did some things right, and many more things wrong. They played well enough to stay in it, but not well enough to win. Turnovers killed them, and when it came down to it and they needed to dig deep for the extra effort to tie it up, they screwed up in a genuinely comical fashion.

Yep. Your 2012 Philadelphia Eagles.

They can't even really play spoiler next week - not that their chances of beating the Giants in New Jersey are very good - because, although not technically eliminated, it would take not one, but about 17 miracles for the Giants to make the post-season.

Or, in football parlance: "The NFL has announced that the Giants-Eagles game on December 30 will air at 1 pm."

A final note: not to take anything away from RGIII or Andrew Luck, but Russell Wilson is quietly having an outstanding rookie season in Seattle, too. In the past three games, they've put up 58 points (on the Cardinals), 50 (on the Bills), and 42 (on the 49ers' #2 ranked defense in the league). You know how the Super Bowl is all about getting hot at the right time? The Seahawks are ON FIRE right now.

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2011 Week 16 Recap

Eagles at Cowboys, Saturday, December 24, 2011

Happy holidays, y'all! Whatever you celebrate, and whoever you celebrate with, I hope you had a good time. I certainly did, watching the Eagles stomp the Cowboys for the second time this season.

Stud of the week: Alex Henery. On a day when David Akers set the single season field goal points record, Henery made his 14th straight and his first over 50 yards. I actually noted the Akers' record on Facebook and got "thank you" comments from a number of my 49ers-loving friends. I know, I know - who cares about a kicker? Well, I do. I was very fond of David Akers and very sorry to see him depart. I'm hoping that Henery can pick up where he left off. It seems unlikely that he'll be as good a final line of defense as our former Jiu-Jitsu trained kicker, although he did manage to slow down Dwayne Harris long enough for the cavalry to get there.

The Eagles blogging family has been fairly low-key about the win over the Cowboys. Sure, the Eagles were eliminated from the playoffs by shortly after kick off, and sure, maybe the Cowboys didn't really care to win the game, since it comes down to next week's matchup against the Giants regardless. But I'm proud of our guys for not giving up and going out strong.

OK, sure, the Dolphins and Jets will be watching the playoffs from their couches too - hell, I think the Cowboys will as well, because my money's on the Giants to win next week - but again, they haven't given up.

To quote BGN: "too little, too late." And they're right. The Eagles blew games they should've won back when it mattered, giving up an epic number of fourth quarter leads and not even managing to pull off a divisional title in a sadly diminished NFC East. And even though the D has played MUCH better of late, Juan Castillo's job may still be on the line, particularly if Spags gets fired in St. Louis (which seems pretty likely to me).

On the other hand, our boys beat Dallas in THEIR house on Christmas Eve, and almost pitched a shut out to boot. Would I have preferred a different ending to the season? Hell yeah, but the team will go 8-8 and hopefully have something to build on for next year after they get rid of the dead weight (like Vince "Dream Team" Young - may he be traded to Vikings, who do need a QB - and Steve Smith).

Around the rest of the NFL....

 Colts over Texans: Damn, y'all! Ask the Colts about how well it works to go into the playoffs cold.

Ravens over Browns: Um, duh.

Bills over Broncos: Apparently, the Tebow magic is wearing off. Next week comes down to who wants it more in the West, with the Chiefs taking on the Broncos and fighting to maybe remove the  "interim" from interim head coach Romeo Crennel's title, and the Chargers, who have nothing to play for as far as I can tell (Norv Turner's O-U-T), facing the Raiders. Love to see the Raiders take the division back.

Panther over Buccaneers: And Cam Newton broke the rookie single season yardage record! Go Cam! The Panthers definitely have something to build on for next year. That switch to Ron Rivera's working out pretty well, too.

Bengals over Cardinals: Surely you've seen The Play, right? Wow. Bengals could still get to the playoffs, by the way. Ginger Power!



Raiders over Chiefs: I shouldn't have given up on the Raiders. They're not dead yet!

Pats over Dolphins: But just barely and after having gotten down by 17 points to a 5-9 team. If defense truly does win championships, the Pats won't be going very far this year.

Giants over Jets: Back at the beginning of the season, I called the Jets to win the AFC East. To quote myself, I put my money on "a quarterback who can manage the game." Over at the HuffPo, one of the commentors gave me shit for calling Sanchez "a quarterback who can manage the game." And he's right. That was giving Sanchez WAY too much credit. He's a punk, and so is Rex Ryan who, as far as I'm concerned, should never say another word in public ever again. Ah well, the Giants will win the division next week, and even though, at least from my experience at the new Meadowlands, their fans are a bunch of violent assholes, it's still better than the Cowboys. Also, the officiating was terrible, and it was nearly all terrible in favor of the Giants. Sour grapes? Maybe.

Steelers over Rams: Speaking of shut outs and Spags losing his job...

Titans over Jags: The Titans could still squeak into the playoffs, but pretty much all the scenarios require a Jets win, so...they're dead.

Vikings over Redskins: OK, I did not watch the game, but could someone please tell me how this happened? For chrissakes, Adrian Peterson wrecked his knee in the second quarter, Christian Ponder went down, too, and the Vikes still managed to put up 33 points. Could someone tell me how that happened? Seriously? I thought the Skins' strong suit was their defense. Anyone?

Lions over Chargers: The Lions are going to the playoffs for the first time since pretty much the invention of the non-leather helmet! Talk about over-delivering on their "Team of Destiny" status! Go Lions! Hang on to that fifth seed, though - you do NOT want to play your first playoff game in a zillion years against the Saints in the Superdome, trust me. Also, which is the biggest disappointment this year: Chargers, Eagles, or Jets? Discuss.

49ers over Seahawks: And David Akers matched and broke Neil Rackers' single-season field goal record, and then topped himself. OK, there is a down side to this: that many field goals means the 49ers are having trouble getting in the end zone. Still, they're 12-3 and have clinched the division, so it's not hurting them that bad. At least not as long as they can count on David Akers' left leg. He'll probably get a Pro Bowl bid - at least he should - but maybe he'll be too busy prepping for the Super Bowl to go to Hawaii?

Packers over Bears: I'm the 9,456,732nd person to observe this, but Aaron Rodgers is having one hell of a season, and it's a good thing, because the Packers' D is no great shakes, either. Hm...if defense really DOES win championships, maybe that "49ers in the Super Bowl" thing isn't as crazy as it sounds...

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2011 Week 16 Picks

This week, the Eagles travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys at home on Christmas Eve. In their last meeting this season, you may recall that the Eagles whupped up on the Cowboys to the tune of 34-7 at the Linc (one of the few home games the Eagles have won this season).

It's really hard to beat a divisional foe twice in the same season.

The Eagles may be heating up, but Dallas reeled off 4 wins after that whupping in week 8 before dropping their last two, to the Giants and the Cardinals, who inexplicably seem to have had the NFC East's number this year.

This really could go either way. Both teams can score points. Both teams can force turnovers. Both teams can commit turnovers. Both teams can show up big, or not at all, often from one quarter to the next. I'm hoping the Eagles show up, and the Cowboys pull their usual late-season meltdown. Bonus points if Tony Romo does something stupid enough that he starts to cry. That would be an EXCELLENT gift.

I think LeSean McCoy (who, you might have heard, got the most fan votes for the Pro Bowl of any back in the league, coming in 6th in overall voting behind only Rodgers, Brees, Brady, Welker and Calvin Johnson) is the key to this game. He crushed the Cowboys in week 8. Not only did he rack up a ton of yards, he more importantly crushed the confidence of the #1 rushing defense in the league (at the time). Well, Shady and turnovers, which have been the Eagles Achilles heel this year.

I'm throwing caution and good sense to the wind and picking what needs to happen for the Eagles to make the playoffs.

Eagles.

Don't let me down, guys.

As an aside, if it all goes to hell this weekend, know that it's my fault.

(Chef Spouse thinks THIS will be the year the Eagles win the Super Bowl. He's either delusional, cracking under the holiday stress, or he's been hitting the sauce on the sly.)

In the rest of the matchups:

Texans at Colts: Can the Texans win without Wade Phillips? I think so, but only because they're playing the Colts. Texans.

Browns at Ravens: The Ravens will bounce back from last week's loss to the Chargers. Trust.

Broncos at Bills: Broncos. See last week's observation that, in fact, the Bills just might lose all the rest of their games.

Buccaneers at Panthers: Panthers. The Bucs are in a tailspin, and the Panthers got swagger.

Cardinals at Bengals: Interesting matchup. Both teams are in the hunt. With the Bears and possibly the Giants faltering, the door's open for the Cardinals to take the #6 seed. Meanwhile, the Bengals are neck and neck with a Jets team that's on the ropes. Chef Spouse says Bengals, and playing at home, I think he may be right.

Raiders at Chiefs: Before last Sunday, I would've picked the Raiders definitely. Now I'm not so sure. Go Romeo Crennel! Hell, I'm calling the Chiefs in an upset.

Dolphins at Patriots: Sigh. Realistically, the Pats have this. But wouldn't it be awesome if the Fins were able to sneak a win? Not gonna happen.

Giants at Jets: Both teams are reeling, but my Eagles need the Jets to show up. Hey, they took last week off, so they should be nice and rested. Jets.

Rams at Steelers: Steelers. Even without Big Ben. If they can keep him on the bench. Maybe he'll get confused about the whole Christmas weekend Saturday/Sunday thing?

Jaguars at Titans: If the Titans hadn't lost to the Colts...of course, the Jags did win their week 1 meeting...and it's tough to beat a divisional rival twice in a season...and Matt Hasselbeck seems to be OK...I think I just talked myself into calling the Titans.

Vikings at Redskins: The Redskins have been playing up - or down - to their competition all season. But even they can't stoop this low. Redskins.

Chargers at Lions: The Chargers have a long way to go to secure a playoff spot, and all the Lions need is a win and they're secured a spot. And they're at home. Lions.

49ers at Seahawks: Regardless of how this game turns out, I'm rooting for David Akers to make three field goals. But I think the 49ers will win.

Bears at Packers: Packers, Josh McCown or no Josh McCown. Sole game on Christmas, too.

Falcons at Saints: The Falcons really need this game, but the Saints are nearly unbeatable at home. I don't expect that to change Monday. Saints.

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2010 Week 16 Recap

Eagles v. Vikings, Tuesday, December 28, 2010

In attendance: Just me & Chef Spouse for the historic Tuesday Night Football game

Menu: Chinese, because I was running around like a crazy person trying to get theater tickets exchanged while the box office was closed for the holiday on Monday, so there was no time to plan anything else.

Stud of the week: ...

...

...

Damn. Even David Akers missed a field goal. Even Sav Rocca had a bad punt.

I think I'm going to have to go with Chad Hall who, while he didn't do anything particularly amazing, did manage to earn himself a place in training camp then on the practice squad then on special teams by sheer heart. We're probably not going to be talking about retiring his number in 10 years or anything, but you gotta love the little guy anyway.

Man, did I get killed in my picks this week. And not just on this game.

I also have a confession to make. I didn't watch the end of the game. About mid-way through the  4th quarter, the following things happened in quick succession:

1. Video paean to Brett Favre. WHO WASN'T EVEN PLAYING.
2. Cris Collinsworth started in on how Asante Samuel should have been ejected for helmet hit on Sidney Rice. Leaving aside the fact that Rice was the one who ducked his head and that both of them walked away from it, what is up Collinsworth's ass with regards to the Eagles this year? Is he like a huge dog lover or something? Even PETA's Ingrid Newkirk is cutting Vick some slack these days (although she continues to entertain by comparing dog fighting to pedophilia. Um, Ingrid? No. Just no.). Get over it, man.
3. The defense couldn't come up with a crucial 3rd down stop.

At that point, I announced that some of us have to go to work in the morning (Chef Spouse has mostly been working from home this week), this whole thing was just pissing me off, and I was going to bed.

The offensive line couldn't protect Vick. And he couldn't run away like usual. Apparently, he has a quad injury, and watching him last night, you could tell something wasn't right. In the second half, and after pitching a first half shut out (that fumble recovery TD wasn't THEIR fault), the defense couldn't make key stops. They'd managed to virtually shut down Ahmad Bradshaw AND Brandon Jacobs last week, but then they couldn't handle Adrian Peterson. Or Joe Web. Also, DeSean, don't run your route and then just stand there. The defensive secondary will jump you every time, and you're not tall enough to compete for jump balls. And did anyone notice that the only thing that seemed to be working on offense was running Shady? SO WHY IN THE HELL DIDN'T THEY DO IT MORE?

Just an overall sloppy game. The team played like they'd had too much Christmas turkey. Or, to quote Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "as if they had fat Polish sausages tied to their fingers."

Thanks to the always-sensible BGN for talking me down off the ledge.

The key point is this: 3 games in 12 days. And the Eagles could've gone all out last night and Sunday against the Cowboys...and still missed the #2 seed. I'm hoping it really is better this way. At least we know most of the starters will get next Sunday off and get a chance to heal up and prepare for the wildcard game. (Well, they better. If Andy Reid plays the starters Sunday, he's going to need to hire bodyguards to protect him from the irate fan base. Big ones.)

But to all the people who've been talking Super Bowl, you might want to check yourself. By my calculations and projecting/guessing just a little, that will require a home win against the #6 Packers (who, you might remember, almost beat the Pats with their backup QB), a road win against the #2 Bears (and remember what that field was like the LAST time we played there), and then a road win against the Falcons (and both of those teams have SIGNIFICANT home field advantages) or a home win against the Saints (not impossible, but then again, Drew Brees). I'm not saying there's no way, but it's pretty damn improbable, particularly considering that we got whupped by a team that was 5-9 going into last night's game and was led by a rookie QB and an interim head coach.

Unless last night was all a calculated plan, in which Andy Reid, knowing the #2 seed was far from assured, intentionally had the guys play crappy so that next week wouldn't matter, he could rest the starters without criticism, and he could lull the entire rest of the NFC playoff teams into believing that the Eagles aren't a threat. In which case, it worked perfectly, because no one looking at the team that played last night would consider them a threat to anyone.

Also, I think the Vikes might have the answer to their QB question.

Around the rest of the NFL...

I was not the only one who got a lot of picks wrong. Wacky week.

Steelers over Panthers: OK, this one went as expected. Turns out, the Steelers can't win without Troy Polamalu...unless they're playing the Panthers. In which case they probably only need about 12-15 guys total.

Cardinals over Cowboys:  Who misses an extra point? Seriously? Not that I'm sad the Cowboys lost (other than it's not good for my picks stats), but C'mon Man!

Pats over Bills: Another one that went as expected. Lots of people have mentioned to me that they would love to see another Eagles/Pats Super Bowl. All I know is that, if that happens, the result better be different or I'm going to start taking hostages.

Bears over Jets: I can't decide if the Jets are a good team that's maddeningly inconsistent, or a bad team that manages to overperform on a regular basis. I know what I think of the Bears - they're damn good. Cutler seems to have found the system, the coaches, and the team that will help him start living up to his potential, Devin Hester remains a major threat on returns, and if the Brian Urlacher/Julius Peppers combo doesn't scare you, you might want to check for a pulse. I don't want to see the Giants again in the playoffs, but I'm not very enthusiastic about seeing the Bears again, either.

Ravens over Browns: The AFC playoff picture is coming into focus, with most of the in/out teams decided, but the seeding is still almost totally open. In week 16. LOVE!

Redskins over Jaguars: OK, had I known that MJD was going to be out, I might've picked the Redskins. Right. Who am I kidding? Did the Jags not know that they had to win to keep pace with the Colts? In the meantime, Redskins fans seem shocked that a bunch of no-name young guys won a game. Because that whole "overpaid guy at the end of his career" thing has been working out so well for them. Here's a tip: those young guys care more, because that game was their job interview to play somewhere, if not in DC. And they haven't already made their fortunes. Also they're far less likely to be gassed by the 4th quarter.

Chiefs over the Titans: Taking care of business, and winning the AFC West. Wow. Chiefs. Not Chargers. Chiefs. How weird is that?

Lions over Dolphins: Did I mention that I think the Lions are on the cusp of being really good? Not that a win over the Dolphins is necessarily indicative of that, but they are.

Rams over 49ers: Did you hear that Mike Singletary got fired? He and Dennis Green should totally hook up and do an NFL-only version of PTI for the NFL Network. Genius!

Bengals over Chargers: Did the Chargers not realize that they had to win this game to stay in playoff contention? Guess not.

Broncos over Texans: Oh, former Team of Destiny. You let me down this year. And I'm not even one of your actual fans. Fortunately, they seem possessed of the same spirit as the Saints fans back in the Aints days. Either that, or they're all hammered all the time.

Colts over Raiders: The Colts also had to win, and this was a close, close game. Which makes sense given that the math said the Raiders would win. But never count Peyton Manning out. Well, until the playoffs. Although I suspect not hitting cruise control by Thanksgiving will actually help the Colts in January.

Packers over Giants: And the December melt down continues. Adding insult to injury, the Giants are stuck in Wisconsin (as of Monday night, when I'm writing up this part of the recap). Given how badly things have gone for them in the past two weeks, they might just want to stay there. I think there's a real possibility the Redskins beat the Giants next week. Plus, cheese!

Bucs over Seahawks: So the Seahawks and the Rams will be playing for the NFC West on Sunday Night football next week. And if the Seahawks win (say it with me), the West will be won by a team under .500. Ugh.

Saints over Falcons: A great road win by the Saints secures at worst the #5 wildcard slot and gives them an outside shot at the #1 seed. OK, the Falcons would have to lose to the Panthers for that to happen, and that is quite literally impossible, but the #5 seed is like getting a bye week, since the Saints will play either the Rams or the Seahawks in the Superdome.

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2010 Week 16 Picks

Home stretch! Literally. The Eagles play their last two games at the Linc, hosting the Vikings this week and the Cowboys next.

So now we're on to will he or won't he? Farve and play of course. This feels so familiar.

And if he doesn't, there's no real way to prepare for Joe Webb since there's about a minute of film on him.

And there's the spread: 14 points? Yikes.

And the Eagles really need to win out if they have any hope of earning that bye and not having to play the Giants again (please God, I don't want to see the Giants again this year. They HAVE to be pissed).

And there's the whole "trap game" worry.

Oddly enough, I'm not worried about any of that. Which worries me. Typical Eagles fan.

My pick? Eagles, of course, and to win out (so I'm giving away next week, too).

In the rest of the matchups:

Panthers at Steelers: This game should be rated NC-17 for Excessive Violence. You might not want to let the kids watch. Is there any chance the Steelers don't stomp the Panthers? No, there is not. Steelers.

Cowboys at Cardinals: Dear NFL, THIS is your idea of a Christmas gift? Were they out of flaming bags of dog poo? Cowboys.

Titans at Chiefs: Chiefs. Who just might win the AFC West this year. I know this is probably the fifth time I've written that, but I have to keep saying it because it still doesn't seem possible.

Ravens at Browns: Chef Spouse has been obsessing about playoff scenarios since before Thanksgiving, and he assures me that it's nearly impossible for the Ravens to steal the AFC North from the Steelers, not least of which because that would involve the laughable notion that the Steelers would lose to the Panthers or the Browns. So we could see two teams at 12-4 in the same conference, because the Ravens are definitely going to beat the Browns this week and the Bengals next.

49ers at Rams: I don't think it's going to matter which Smith starts. The 49ers will win this one.

Redskins at Jaguars: My prediction? Sexy Rexy will play pretty well again, and lead the Skins to another loss against the Jags unstoppable ground game.

Patriots at Bills:  Bills. SIKE! But wouldn't that be crazy? Sadly, it's also impossible. Patriots.

Seahawks at Buccaneers: I'm picking the Bucs. Which, assuming I'm right about Rams/49ers, would leave the West with three 6-9 teams with two one game to play. In other words, whoever wins the division would not have a winning record. Think about that for a minute.

Jets at Bears: Jets. I'm not just picking the Jets because it helps the Eagles. The math really does indicate a Jets win. And it would really help the Eagles.

Lions at Dolphins: Dolphins. Also, if this is the only game playing in your area, there's no time like the present to get those snow tires put on! Yes, even if you live in Miami. And you might want to sack up and get the Sunday Ticket.

Texans at Broncos: Texans. But I suspect The Tebow will at least be worth watching.

Colts at Raiders: The math says Raiders. Wow. Really? Yep - double checked it. Ok, Colts. Come on, the Colts are NOT going to miss the playoffs. And they have to win out to stay ahead of the Jags.

Giants at Packers: The math says Giants. But it doesn't know what went down last week, either on the side of the Packers almost beating the Pats with a rookie QB or with the Eagles pretty much crushing the Giants spirits. Plus Aaron Rodgers should be back, and the Pack are playing for their playoff lives. Packers. Message to the Pack: there's a bonus in it in the form of delicious homemade baked goods if you pull off the upset win. Ask around. I'm worth it.

Chargers at Bengals - Chargers. I can't think of anything funny to write about this, other than you've probably heard by now that Ochocinco and Marvin Lewis have been sniping at each other in the media. Junior high much? I knew TO would be a bad influence on him.

Saints at Falcons: I know the Falcons are unbeatable at home. But this is the Saints we're talking about here. And the math is clear. And the Saints are also playing for almost the best spot in the NFC playoffs: #5, where you actually get a bye in the form of playing the NFC West Wildcard Weekend.

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Sunday Schedule: Sunday, December 26, 2010

Time to keep the pedal to the metal, Eagles, just as Big Red exhorted you in his post-Giants victory speech. This week, our boys score their SIXTH prime time game of the season. Ratings magic, baby. Don't worry, ya'll - there's plenty of room for one more in Bleeding Green Nation!

1 pm:  Jets/Bears (go Jets!)

4 pm:  Giants/Packers (go Pack!)

8 pm: Eagles/Vikings

Menu:  Christmas leftovers. We'll have beef bourgignon and cookies. Bring something that goes with, like wine or vegetables.

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2009 Week 16 Recap

Eagles v. Broncos, Sunday, December 27, 2009

In attendance: the regular crew - Chef Spouse, Shoegal, Ex-Navy Cheesehead

Menu: sauerbraten, which turned out OK if a little dry, Spaaten Octoberfest, red cabbage, homemade soft pretzels, pizzelles

Stud of the Week: David Akers, who made a totally clutch kick to win the game. Poo-poohing a 28 yard field goal? Shaun Suisham is now a Cowboy because he couldn't make a field goal from that distance. The Saints lost this week because their kicker couldn't make a field goal from about that distance. Big shout out to Jeremy Maclin, too, who made the clutch catch that set up the field goal. And to Jason Avant. He doesn't get a lot of balls thrown his way. But every catch he makes is important. He's so clutch that when you look up "clutch" in the dictionary, there's a picture of his cute, balding self.

We have an agreement Chez Snark: when things are going badly enough that I'm swearing like a sailor and/or hitting the tequila shots, I voluntarily remove myself to the kitchen so that the rest of the people here can continue to enjoy the game. Things got so bad, between the bad officiating and our bad play, that I had to take myself UPSTAIRS. Away from TVs. Away from the game. There was much slamming of doors. It wasn't pretty.

Philly.com says we can't complain about officiating. Really? Are you nuts? I can complain. Complaint #1: taking away the Patterson TD on the Broncos first series even though Kyle Orton clearly threw a lateral. Complaint #2: the RIDICULOUS unnecessary roughness penalty on Macho Harris that basically took away Asante Samuel's pick and handed the Broncos 7 points. So a 14 point swing (between the two plays) due to bad officiating.

Can we start the "I Hate Mike Carey's Zebra Team" club? I'll be president. Even Chef Spouse, normally someone who sees only the good in people, noted that they're nit-pickers who apply it inconsistently. Look, if you want to make sure the game stays close so that the network doesn't switch games (hello, Panthers/Giants) and deny people the glory of your Mr. Roboto officiating signals, at least own up to it.

Let's see - what else? DMac was hot - then cold - then hot, including a big-time 27-yard scramble. Westy didn't have a big day, but he played and didn't get another concussion, and Dawk got away with MURDER blanketing him on a big pass play on our first offensive possession. Celek had a big day. Peanut did not. Contrary to popular opinion, it *is* possible to overthrow him. Although it's not easy. Avant and Maclin, I discussed above. Up & down day on D. The Broncos were without Eddie Royal and then Brandon Stokley got himself ejected and Buck got himself hurt. And we still needed a clutch kick in the final seconds to win the game. I expected better.

Even more bad news? Jamal Jackson's out with a torn ACL. Great. Just before the playoffs. And he was, I think, the only constant on our offensive line this year. Well, until now.

One thing to remember: we're already in the playoffs (although it sure would be nice to win the NFC East and potentially move up to the #2 spot in the NFC). The Broncos were playing for their playoff lives. They had a lot more to lose, and got a major momentum swing with 14 points in about 27 seconds. And we hung tough and won. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't nice, it wasn't nearly as easy at it looked like it would be when it was 27-10. But we stuck it out and won.

Around the rest of the NFL...

Chargers over Titans. Well, I was right about that part. I was wrong about the "good game" part. In the 3rd quarter, we couldn't take it any more and switched over to TBS's 24 hours of "A Christmas Story." "You'll shoot your eye out!" You know who has the best winning streak in the NFL? Chargers at 10. You know who has the second best winning streak in the NFL? Eagles at 6!

Falcons over Bills. On Monday Night Countdown, they pointed out that, if they can beat Tampa next week, the Falcons have the chance to have their first back to back winning seasons in their 40 year + history. Ouch.

Bengals over Chiefs. By only a TD. Yeah, the Bengals may have won the AFC North this year, but guarantee they're going down early in the playoffs.

Browns over Raiders. Did you know that the Raiders made more appearances on "C'mon Man!" than any other team this year? Did you know that about 1/2 of their appearances were a result of two defenders running into each other and letting the opposing receiver run free? C'mon man, indeed.

Packers over Seahawks. What has happened to Matt Hasselbeck? Bet TJ Housh wishes he'd gone anywhere else. How does Jim Mora keep getting hired?

Texans over Dolphins. Told you! Not that the Texans are going to the playoffs this year - yes, I realize they're not officially out of it yet, but they're out of it. But neither are the Dolphins. Man, am I bad at pre-season picking the AFC divisions.

Steelers over Ravens. OK, the Ravens GAVE that game away. It should've been about 52-23 in the Ravens favor. I would've said they'd get into the playoffs and go far, but not after this game. Ed Reed was out, but they were penalized for over 100 yards and gave away two TDs. Sad. Speaking of sad...

Panthers over Giants. Did the Giants not understand that their playoff hopes depended on winning out? What a disaster. The game was being played on one of the local networks and they cut it off and switched to Saints/Bucs because it was so bad. You know, we lost our final game at the Vet. The Cowboys lost their final game at Texas Stadium. Anyone know about the Redskins and RFK? Seems like a pattern here.

Pats over Jags. Another team that's not going to make the playoffs. Also, the Pats are getting hot at the right time. Be afraid.

Bucs over Saints. WTF? Seriously. I think the Saints peaked too soon. Losing to the Cowboys, who are playing better this December than they have in a really long time, is one thing. But the Bucs are - now - 3-12. That's just painful. OK, divisional games can get wacky and whatnot. But the Saints still should've put the Bucs away. They were playing their starters for God's sake!

Cards over Rams. Speaking of putting away bad teams...did you know that all the Rams have to do to score the #1 pick is lose to the 49ers next week? Hell, for that, throw the game. Not that anyone would be able to distinguish that from the way the Rams usually play.

49ers over Lions. Well, sure, but neither team has anything to play for, so who cares?

Jets over Colts. OK, so there's been the big continuing debate about whether the Colts should risk injury in pursuit of the perfect season, or whether they should start resting people. Obviously, Jim Caldwell decided to rest people. And the Jets are still vying for a playoff spot, so not the Colts not giving their best effort is even doucheyer. And the Colts have been down this road before - wrapping up early, resting people, going down in the first round of the playoffs. Usually to the Chargers. That won't happen this year, since the Chargers have the #2 spot in the AFC, but I'll bet that the Colts go down early.

Cowboys over Redskins. Talk about a bad game. I went to bed at the end of the 3rd quarter. The Redskins are a freakin' disaster. I thought I'd seen the worst with that dumb swinging gate play against the Giants last week. Nope. The Skins didn't win a SINGLE divisional game this year. Good luck to you, Bruce Allen. You're going to need it. Also, the Cowboys have no idea how to psych up on the sidelines. Check it out:



You want to psych up? Learn from the Master, Grasshopper:



And on MNF, the Vikings are doing everything they can to give away the game. Let's see if the Bears can pick up what they're putting down, and help us move into the #2 spot.

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Sunday Schedule: December 27, 2009

Playoff spot secured, now we're gunning for the NFC East and possibly the #2 spot in the NFC if the Vikings can keep screwing up. Bonus? Life-long Eagles Fan Mom and You-Two-Calm-Down-or-I'm-Turning-Off-the-TV Dad will be in town for the weekend and the game!

FNF (aka "Christmas"): Chargers/Titans

1 pm: Panthers/Giants
4 pm: Eagles/Broncos. Welcome back, Wolverine. Too bad you're going to lose.
8 pm: Cowboys/Redskins

MNF: Bears/Vikings

Menu: we'll make another go at the sauerbraten and red cabbage, and I'll whip up some more of the soft pretzels I tested out this weekend (they got the Chef Spouse seal of approval). And there will be cookies galore, because I made a few batches during the Snowpocalypse, and I'm sure the 'rents will bring some with. Someone bring us something healthy, please! And perhaps some good German beer or wine?

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2009 Week 16 Picks

Westy's back! Merry Christmas Eagles fans! Chef Spouse may get to hear his 3 favorite words this weekend: "Westbrook breaks free!"

Wolverine will be back, too. Miss you much, baby. Too bad your team is gonna lose.

Yes, Eagles fans, we are in the middle of our annual December romp into the playoffs. If we can pull off the win over the Broncos at the Linc this Sunday (likely), and the Redskins can pull off the upset over the Cowboys (highly unlikely, as you'll realize if you happened to see any of Monday night's disaster), we can wrap up the NFC East. You know what's funny? We could go 11-5 and be the #5 seed if we lose to Dallas on January 3 (quick, somebody knock on some goats or sacrifice some wood....wait....). In the meantime, 9-7 would win the West. No justice, man.

Anyway, back to this week: the Broncos started hot, at 6-0, had a bye, and have only won 2 games since then, losing to the Steelers, the Ravens, the Redskins, the Chargers, the Colts, and the Raiders, and beating only the Jets and the Chiefs. I can't talk smack about losing to the Raiders (sigh), but I could beat the Chiefs. All by myself. And while the Chargers and Colts are clearly very good teams, the Steelers and Ravens aren't living up to expectations this year. And the Skins? C'mon man!

What this game comes down to is that I don't think the Broncos will be able to shut down our offense - particularly at home - and I don't think they can score enough points to keep up with us. Fly, Eagles, fly!

On the increasingly-poorly-named Thursday Night football Friday night edition (Why don't they call it what it really is? Not Monday Night Football), the Chargers haven't lost in December pretty much since the powder blue throwbacks weren't throwbacks. I don't anticipate they'll have too much trouble with the Titans. But at least it should be a good game. Chargers.

Bengals/Chiefs. Bengals. Even if poor OchoCinco is too sad to play.

Bills/Falcons. Both teams are playing for nothing but pride at this point. Falcons, completing their sweep of AFC teams in New York.

Seahawks/Packers. Look for the Packers to rebound from their disappointing last minute loss to the Steelers and whup up on the Seahawks pathetic butts. Michael Wilbon recently observed that Jim Zorn will definitely get hired again after lil' Danny Snyder FINALLY fires him. Evidence? Look what's happened to Matt Hasselbeck since he left Seattle. True dat, knucklehead.

Texans/Dolphins. This should be a good game. Both teams are technically still not eliminated from the wildcard race. Team of Destiny? You bet I'm picking the Texans.

Ravens/Steelers. Ravens. Polamalu's still out, and the Steelers are NOT the same team without him.

Panthers/Giants. Think the Panthers can pull off another upset? Me neither. Giants.

Jaguars/Patriots. The Jags are also still in the playoff hunt. Won't matter. Pats.

Raiders/Browns. Really? Raiders/Browns? Ouch. Dear NFL: do us all a favor and blackout this game. EVERYWHERE. Raiders. Or whatever.

Buccaneers/Saints. Speaking of teams avenging a disappointing loss...Saints.

Rams/Cardinals. It's really not fair that there are NO other teams in the West at or better than .500. Cardinals. Who are totally feasting on an easy schedule. Again. Bastards.

Lions/49ers. Another game that NO ONE will be watching. 49ers. Which is a shame, because the Lions have really shown some stones this year.

Jets/Colts. The Colts will probably lose eventually. But not this week. Colts.

Cowboys/Redskins. I would LOVE to convince myself that the Skins can pull off the upset. Unfortunately, I watched Monday Night Football. Which means it's all coming down to week 17 in the NFC East. At least it will be exciting. Cowboys.

Bears/Vikings. Speaking of upsets I'd love to convince myself will happen...yeah, there's no way. Jay Cutler's punkosity is revealing itself more from day to day. Vikings. Damn it.

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