2012 Week 3 Recap

Eagles at Cardinals, Sunday, September 23, 2012

Yikes.

Stud of the week: Uh...Alex Henery? Hey, at least he made both field goals and provided all the points the Eagles were able to muster. So yeah, I guess Henery wins by default. Chaz Henry had a pretty good day of punting, too. On the other hand, he was getting plenty of practice.

Given the problematic wins of the past two weeks, we all had to figure that things were going to go awry sooner or later. But I don't know that anyone expected them to go so spectacularly awry, and against the Cardinals.

Where to start? There's plenty of blame to go around.

Michael Vick. Yes, there were O-line problems with two new guys out there. And I'm guessing his receivers weren't getting open downfield. But he is holding the ball WAY too long. No one doubts his toughness, but he's not going to make it to the bye week at this point. And he constantly seems to run into the pressure rather than staying calm and, I don't know, maybe stepping up in the pocket. Is there going to be a QB controversy? After some of Andy Reid's remarks today, one might think so, but since I don't see any way Vick holds up with the pounding he's taking, it very well might end up as a forced option.

The O-line. See above. Y'all have 5 days to get better, because if you play like that during the game where the Eagles retire Wolverine's number, you're going to need to hire police protection to leave The Linc.

DeSean Jackson. Here's a tip: DO NOT get stopped on the two when your team is down by 17. NO MATTER WHAT. Also, here's another tip: it's a lot easier to make the argument that you were interfered with when you don't quit on the route and start waving your arms at the refs while the ball is still in the air, donkey.

The defense did OK - other than having no answer to Larry Fitzgerald, boneheading some penalties (what else is new?), and, of course, giving up 27 points. Then again, they played about 58 of the 60 minutes and were in some very tough field position situations, so I'm guessing they were mentally and physically tired.

And Andy Reid. 

How do you not have a better game plan to cover Larry Fitzgerald? I mean, he's only one of the best receivers in the entire league. It's not like you didn't know what was coming.

How do you, once again, run the ball pretty much not at all when your QB is struggling and no one is getting open downfield? Shouldn't that, by process of elimination, mean there's some room to run? And then they get to the 4th quarter, down by 21 points and decide to...start running the ball. Seriously. Little late, yo.

How do you burn a timeout at the beginning of the second quarter? How? Just how? If you recall, the Birds really needed that timeout at the end of the half...right before Vick was stripped of the ball and the Cardinals went ahead 24-0, instead of going into the locker room at 17-7.

It was actually at that point that I suggested to Chef Spouse that we might want to start watching a game that was actually, you know, good.

(Of course, some of the head-scratching moves weren't entirely Andy's fault).

(Also, Kevin Kolb is a game manager as a QB. The Cardinals, given what I've seen the past two weeks, may be a strong enough team outside the QB position that that's all they need.)

Jeff Lurie has basically put it out there that the Eagles make a deep playoff run this year or it's curtains for Big Red. I've been a huge supporter over the years, and if the Eagles win the Super Bowl this year, I'll gladly eat crow (I hear it will go well with the celebratory champagne), but maybe it's time for Andy to go.

Around the rest of the NFL:

If they don't get the real refs back soon, the 2012 season won't finish in time for the 2013 season to start. I'm not saying the games took too long, I'm just saying Chef Spouse had an 8 am meeting today in the Philly area (2 1/2 hour drive), and he drove there straight from the end of SNF and barely made it. Look, if you have to have a 10 minute conference after every single play in order to figure out where to spot the ball and what down it is, that's not good.

Giants over Panthers: OK, so I was a little wrong about my upset pick. The Giants dominated the Panthers as thoroughly as the Cardinals dominated the Birds, if not more so. That's saying something.

Bears over Rams: Even with Jay Cutler's emotional problems, the Rams weren't up to the challenge. Sam Bradford was brought back down to earth.

Bills over Browns: Did you notice that the Bills are tied with the Jets for first place in the division? OK, OK, it's only week 3, but still.

Cowboys over Buccaneers: The Cowboys won their home opener, but they did not exactly look dominant against the team that many of expected to be the dregs of the NFC South this year. Well, at least until the Saints fell apart.

Jaguars over Colts: What?!? Well, I'm sure that's what the Colts must've been saying after they went ahead with under a minute left, and lost anyway. Big day from MJD, too.

Jets over Dolphins: Who would've expected this game to go to OT? Of course, losing Revis Island didn't help the Jets. Also, could we please stop with the dumb timeouts trying to ice the kicker? All it does is give him a do-over. Thanks.

Vikings over 49ers: This is totally what I meant to make my upset pick! Can *I* get a do-over? Sorry, but this one is just shocking.

Chiefs over Saints: Hey Eagles fans, it could be worse. I'm having to talk my Saints friends down off the ledge at this point. This is shaping up to be one heavy-drinking season for members of the Who Dat Nation. Fortunately, New Orleanians' livers are up the challenge. Unlike their team.

Titans over Lions: Another shocking outcome. Did I mention that week 3 was also disastrous for my picks?

Bengals over Redskins: The Skins lose RGIII's home opener. And it wasn't his fault - he had a good game. Who manages to climb back from leading 24-7 and then giving it up? Right - Andy Dalton. And did you see Shanny get all up in the ref's face? And then he thinks he shouldn't be fined? Right. Hey, at least DC has the Nats. 

Falcons over Chargers: I had called the Chargers, but admitted I could see this one going either way. In actuality, the Falcons kicked the crap out of the Chargers, which I didn't expect.

Texans over Broncos: As I expected.  Now that Peyton doesn't enjoy a rock solid O-line anymore, funny how he looks mortal.

Raiders over Steelers: No wait! THIS is what I meant to make my upset pick! Really! On a serious note, how does Steeler Ryan Mundy get away with hitting Darrius Heyward-Bey so hard he knocks him out and sends him to the hospital with a neck injury and no penalty is even called?

Ravens over Patriots: There were some egregiously bad calls in this game, too, as Cris Collinsworth and Al Michaels kept reminding us, maybe even some that would've turned the game, but I can't complain about the Ravens getting a win against the Pats, who knocked them out in the AFC Championship game last year, and on a night when Torrey Smith was playing in memory of his brother, Tevin, who'd been killed in a motorcycle accident only that morning. Also, maybe now the Ravens will quit whining about how they didn't like the playcalling against the Birds last week.

The Seahawks are currently beating the Packers. What is going on with the NFC West these days? All these guys started eating their Wheaties or something?

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2012 Week 3 Picks

This week the Eagles travel to Arizona to take on former teammate Kevin Kolb and the Cardinals. The Cardinals, like the Eagles, stand at 2-0, having just shocked the Patriots and most of the football punditry with a two point loss at home. The Eagles, meanwhile, were busy shocking the Ravens with a win after turning the ball over 9 million times (actual figure: 4).

In other words, both of these teams could be in for a let down game.

And the Eagles are struggling to field five offensive linemen.

In the end, I think this will come down to two things: one, the Eagles D is going to make K2 miserable all day, and two, Michael Vick is getting the team to win by sheer force of will. It will be another close game, guaranteed, but I think the Eagles will escape with another narrow win. And I'll have yet another coronary watching it.

Giants at Panthers: Panthers, in my upset pick. They're at home, it was a short week and Eli's gotta still be tired from throwing for 5,634,736 yards Sunday (actual figure: 510 yards, which is still a lot).

Buccaneers at Cowboys: I'm soooo tempted to call the Bucs, but I just can't see the Cowboys dropping their home opener, particularly after laying an egg against the Seahawks last week.

Jaguars at Colts: Colts. I don't necessarily think the Colts are that much better than the Jags, but they are at home.

Bills at Browns: Browns, again at home, and coming off a "most improved" type effort against the Bengals, getting their first win of the season.

Jets at Dolphins: Jets. Who are think are going to be up and down all season, but it's the Dolphins, for chrissakes.

Chiefs at Saints: No way the Saints drop two in a row at the Dome. They'll get their first win this week.

Bengals at Redskins: Look for the Redskins to bounce back from their surprising loss in St. Louis, even without Brian Orakpo. The Bengals, after last year, are looking pretty disappointing so far.

Rams at Bears: Jay Cutler pouted and whined last week, while Sam Bradford led a furious comeback over the Redskins. I think Cutler will pull his head out of his ass and do enough to let Brian Urlacher lead the Bears to victory, thus holding off their pending circular firing squad for one more week.

49er at Vikings: 49ers all the way. Is it too early? Juggernaut.

Lions at Titans: Lions.

Falcons at Chargers: This one could go either way, but I think I'm going to Chargers because a lot of teams have trouble traveling west and because they're at home. But I could easily be wrong.

Steelers at Raiders: Steelers. Man, Raiders, y'all are making me look foolish already. Pull it together! Play some AFC South teams or something!

Texans at Broncos: Texans. Peyton is going to have another bad day, because the Texans' D is for real.

Patriots at Ravens: Some NFL commentators who shall remain nameless (*cough*Rodney Harrison*cough*) were calling the Pats the best team in the league after week 1. It was so fun to watch him eat crow after they lost to the Cards last week. And he'll be getting another big helping this week, because the Ravens are pissed (ha!) and look to take it out on a conference rival that, really, all right thinking teams love to hate.

Packers at Seahawks: I know the Seahawks are tough at home and looked great against the Cowboys last week, but I just can't see them beating the Packers who, while not as dominant as last year, are still a damn good team.

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2011 Week 3 Recap

Eagles v. Giants, Sunday, September 25, 2011

In attendance: we were at the beach, so us, a bunch of the people we were at the beach with, and all the loud Eagles fans at Fred's Tavern. Plus this one guy who was a Bills fan. Man, did he have a good day!

Menu: bar food. 

Stud of the week: we're three games into the season, and Shady's already repeating. He was pretty much the single bright spot on Sunday. Well, Shady and the wings at Fred's.

OK, y'all - why didn't somebody tell me it was End the Streak Week in the NFL? I might've called our game differently if you had. People! Need the info here!

Mike Vick is not happy about how the hits he takes are getting called, or, to be more precise, NOT called. Two things occur to me: first, he could be right. Secondly, does he remember his first year with the Eagles - you know, when McNabb was still the starter? Did he actually WATCH any of the games? Or wait - he thought it would be different for him. Welcome to Philly, man. I have to admit, when I first heard the quote, I thought Vick was calling out the offensive line, for whatever that's worth.

Two things killed our boys on Sunday: they couldn't finish once they were in the red zone, and they couldn't get off the field on third down.

So why couldn't the guys get off the field on third down? Because it sure as hell looks like NO ONE can tackle. NO ONE. C'mon man! But one hopes that can be fixed with some practice. Or possibly some yelling. Or threats to trade guys to the Chiefs.

Taking field goals when the other team is scoring TDs? That's a HUGE problem.

You know what else is a huge problem? The Falcons and Giants have gotten TDs on pretty much every trip to the red zone the past two weeks. The defense has given up EIGHT TDs in the last two games. And they're getting MASSIVELY outscored in the fourth quarter. Is it lack of talent or lack of coaching?

Another thing that really concerns me is that the past two weeks, the Eagles have had a lead, Mike Vick has gone down, and the team has completely fallen apart. Seems to me I remember not so long ago a key player could go down and the rest of the team would respond by pulling together (remember 2008? or 2006? or 2004?). Where's the locker room leadership? Where's the guy who rallies the troops or kicks their butts as the situation requires? Used to be rookies were drafted, guys were traded or acquired, but McNabb, Westbrook, Dawkins, and, even in his Bad Assador days, Hugh Douglas provided a core around which the team could come together. Right now, they're just a bunch of guys playing football, and when adversity hits (as it ALWAYS does in the NFL), they fall apart.

Somebody has to start stepping up. Fast. Where's the heart?

Around the rest of the NFL...

Panthers over Jaguars. Cam Newton did NOT have a big day, but the Panthers were still able to deliver his first win over the not-very-good Jags. Also, welcome to the Blaine Gabbert era (anyone else flashing on "Pretty in Pink"?).

Saints over Texans. Thanks to the Sunday Ticket, mobile edition, we were able to watch this game in its entirety from Fred's on my phone. Which burned my entire data plan for the month, but whatever - it was a barn burner. Both of these teams promise a shoot-out to any team they play this year. Oh, and you know that whole field goals versus TDs thing? Yeah.

49ers over Bengals. Great. Not only do the 49ers have momentum, Frank Gore is likely to be back next week. Sigh.

Titans over Broncos.  On the topic of Pyrrhic victories, the Titans lost Kenny Britt for the season.

Browns over Dolphins. The Browns are winning ugly, but they're winning. The Dolphins, on the other hand, are toast. Have you seen their division?

Bills over Patriots. See above RE: End the Streak Week. The Bills fan at Fred's was so happy, it almost took the sting out of the Eagles' loss. Almost. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed watching Rocks Brady lose. Also, I look like a genius for picking the Bills. Or at least I would if it weren't for:

Ravens over Rams. Why did I pick the Rams again? Temporary insanity? Poor Spags - they're vying with the Chiefs for Worst Team in the League. Sam Bradford is regressing so badly, I'm pretty sure someone's going to have to re-teach him to read and do basic math next week.

Lions over Vikings. The Vikes are another team that can't seem to remember that football games are FOUR quarters long. Also, the Lions snapped something like a THIRTEEN year streak of losing to the Vikings in Minneapolis. Wow.

Raiders over Jets. The Jets, putative Super Bowl contenders this year, did NOT play like it on Sunday. Aren't the Jets supposed to be solid against the run? Not this time. It's good to see Jason Campbell enjoying success.

Chargers over Chiefs. I think the Chargers should be really worried that they only won this one by three. I'd be worried if I were them.

Bucs over Falcons. Interesting. And so the wheel turns again in the NFC South? Maybe.

Packers over Bears. No way Devin Hester should've been penalized and not Sam Shields. Sorry, but BOTH guys were equally at fault. Not that it would've changed the ultimate outcome, but it definitely put paid to any Bears attempt at a comeback.

Seahawks over Cardinals. All I saw of this game was a BEAUTIFUL completion from K2 to Fitz. Apparently, that was about the only thing that went right for them all day.

Steelers over Colts. The Steelers just barely squeaked by...Curtis Painter. Really? Yep. I think it was Warren Sapp who pointed out that the Steelers are old and slow this season. He's not wrong.

Cowboys over Redskins. How in the bloody hell do you manage to muff EVERY SINGLE DAMN SNAP all night long and take ALL your points as field goals and still WIN? Oh right - Rex Grossman remembered that he's Rex Grossman.

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2011 Week 3 Picks

This week, the Eagles finally get to host their home opener. Aside from Mike Vick's concussion (which may not even be an issue by Sunday), the team has managed to survive the preseason and the first two weeks relatively unscathed, particularly when you look at this week's opponents: the Giants.

One of my good friends is a Giants fan, and he and I have been having an exchange on Facebook this week about the sorry state of the Giants roster. The pre-season was not kind to the Giants' D, and last week, Eli Manning lost both Domenik Hixon and Mario Manningham from his receiver core. As I observed to my friend:

• At this rate, the Giants will be out of players by their bye week.
• How's the practice squad looking?
• Have they thought about sacrificing a goat?

Their secondary is particularly in trouble. To quote Big Blue View, right now, they have two defenses against passing plays: the other team calls a running play, or their front guys manage to get to the QB and force a sack or throwaway.

Somehow, I think a defensive plan that consists of: "Maybe Andy Reid's Eagles will opt to run 75% of the time! No wait - maybe we can sack the hell out of Mike Vick. Or Mike Kafka. Or Vince Young. You know - whoever's under center on Sunday!" is not likely to be effective.

Of course, our cagey coach is being, well, cagey, about which quarterback will start Sunday. And apparently, all three guys will be active. If I were a betting woman, I'd bet that Vick goes. But it's nice to know that if he's not ready or if, God forbid, he goes down again, we have TWO good options. Although he couldn't quite pull out the win last week, I must admit I was surprised at what a good game Mike Kafka was able to put together.

In the end, I think this game comes down to the fact that the Eagles are in the Giants' heads at this point. And that I don't see the Eagles dropping their home opener. And that I think there's an excellent chance DJax, Maclin or both have huge days against a very ineffective Giants' secondary, regardless of who's throwing them the ball. Eagles.


In the rest of the matchups:

Jaguars at Panthers. Cam Newton will get his first win this week. Congrats, rookie! Panthers.

Texans at Saints. These two teams look GREAT through week two, and I think it will be a shoot out. But you just can't pick against the Saints when they're in the Superdome. That's some serious homefield advantage. Saints.

49ers at Bengals. I don't have much in the way of comment on this game, other than to say: Bengals.

Dolphins at Browns. See above. Browns.

Patriots at Bills. The Bills are looking good through week 2. Guess we'll find out how good this week. Bills. (Yes, I seriously just called the Bills to beat the Patriots. I'm either crazy, or I'm going to look like an f-ing genius Sunday.)

Broncos at Titans. The Broncos are looking rough so far this year. Titans.

Lions at Vikings. Do you think McNabb will get the boot when the Vikings go 0-3? Lions.

Jets at Raiders. Jets. Duh. (Although the Raiders aren't looking too bad.)

Chiefs at Chargers. Chargers. Also duh. (The Chiefs, on the other hand, look like ass.)

Ravens at Rams. I know they're 0-2 so far, but I think the Rams (and Sam Bradford) are going to be able to hit the Ravens' somewhat depleted D pretty hard. Rams.

Falcons at Buccaneers. Falcons, who rebounded after their inexplicably flat opener against the Bears to school the Eagles last week.

Packers at Bears. Remember last year, when the Bears beat out the Packers to win the division? Yeah, me neither. Packers.

Cardinals at Seahakws. Cardinals. It's a little early, but the Seahawks may be this year's "Oh, the humanity!" team.

Steelers at Colts. Colts, take my advice and forfeit, then use the extra down time to audition quarterbacks. And head coaches. Steelers.

Redskins at Cowboys. I SOOOO want to call Redskins. But I don't know if I can truly convince myself that they'll go 3-0. Cowboys (and at the rate they're losing players, this might be the LAST game they win this year).

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Sunday Schedule: Sunday, September 25, 2011

Chef Spouse and I are going to be at the beach this weekend, so Chez Engel is closed to guests. But here are the games we'll be watching, for your edification:

1 pm: Eagles/Giants

4 pm: Packers/Bears (or possibly Falcons/Bucs)

8 pm: Steelers/Colts (or maybe we'll bag it - bet that looked like a much better idea 6 months ago)

MNF: Redskins/Cowboys

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2010 Week 3 Recap

Eagles at Jaguars, Sunday, September 26, 2010
In attendance:  EVERYONE turned out for You-Two-Calm-Down-or-I'm-Turning-Off-the-TV Dad's birthday celebration:  Chef Spouse, Shoegal, Life-Long Eagles Fan Mom, Ex-Navycheese Head, Tall Drink of Water Cousin (and his wife and new baby),  Fellow Eagles Maniac, and the Queen Bee.  Full house!

Menu:  Ribs, mac and cheese, crudities, sweet potatoes, various dips (including the legendary guacamole), cookies, apple pie.  URP!

Stud of the week:  Trevor Laws, who recorded 6 tackles, a sack, and 2 deflected passes on a day when our D only allowed 3 points.

We DOMINATED.  We TOTALLY DOMINATED.  OK, it was a bad team, but still - good day for You-Two-Calm-Down-or-I'm-Turning-Off-the-TV Dad's birthday fete.  The offense was quite good, putting up 28 points, but the D played hard for the entire game.  After almost giving up a huge lead over the Lions last week (and watching what happened with the Redskins), that's huge.

Do you think the "QB controversy" talk will die down this week?  With McNabb coming home Sunday, probably not.  But the Vick decision looked pretty good this week.  He missed some open guys, and there were some really off passes, but he went 17/31 for almost 300 yards, 3 TD, and no picks (and a win), so I'm not gonna gripe too hard.  Other than the fact that he hangs onto the ball too long and takes sacks he doesn't need to.  Not only is getting sacked a bad thing in the whole "we need to get 10 yards for a first down" sense, it's also bad to subject your body to that kind of pounding.

Is Jeremy Maclin a TD machine?  Time will tell, but so far this season, yes.

I would like to see Brent Celek more involved - he is Mr. Earning Hard YAC - and Jason Avant - Mr. Sure Hands - too, and DeSean, I know you're amazing, but could you please pay attention to where the down markers are, donkey?  But seriously, not too much to complain about.   Also, maybe you and Celek should compare notes so you don't run the same route into each other.  Because he's way bigger than you, and running into him full speed will, sooner or later, not be a good thing.

Finally, how different is our D with and without Stewart Bradley?  No more concussions, young man.  We need you.

On to REDSKINS week and the return of DMac.

Around the rest of the NFL....

Man, I did BAD with my picks this week.  In my defense, there were a lot of upsets, but still, I did B-A-D this week.

Titans over Giants:  Who are a mess, by the way.  Apparently, some of the new players they've signed don't like Tom Coughlin much.  There's a shocker.  Yes, I thought it was funny when Brandon Jacobs threw his helmet into the stands last week (particularly when the guy who caught it wouldn't give it back), but things are not right in NY these days.

Bengals over Panthers:  Man, the AFC North is looking tough this year.  Poor Browns.  Also, poor Jimmy Clausen, who's going to get his ass kicked again next week against the Saints, too.

Steelers over Bucs:  Guys?  If you can win without Roethlisberger, which you clearly can (and which supports my theory that he's an average QB riding a stout defense), maybe you might want to think about making that permanent.  Not least of which because, as I've mentioned before, he's a misogynistic date rapist.  Just sayin'.

Pats over Bills:  Not only did Trent Edwards get benched BEFORE the game, he got cut today.  In other news, the continuing quality QB drought is reaching epic proportions.

Ravens over Browns:  Well, yes, but they may have lost Ray Rice in the process, which is bad.  What wasn't bad was Joe Flacco.  Then again, he was facing the Browns' secondary, which is going to make, well, Trent Edwards look like Dan Marino.

 Chiefs over 49ers:  I'm starting to think I was wrong about BOTH of these teams.
 
 Cowboys over Texans:  GODDAMNIT!

Vikings over Lions:  So maybe I was wrong about that whole "trap game" thing.  Looks like the Vikings remembered they have this guy?  You might have heard of him?  Adrian Peterson?  On the team?  I still think there's a very good chance Favre retires - again - after this year and McNabb becomes the Vikings' starting QB.

Falcons over Saints:  OMG!  In other news, the Saints are auditioning new kickers.  Also in other news, I would be SO happy if coaches would dump the punk move of "icing" kickers with a last second time out.  Which totally bit the Saints this week. Everyone? You're on notice!

Rams over Redskins:  OMG OMG OMG!  Donovan usually puts in at least one inexplicable clunker each year.   The Redskins always put in at least one inexplicable clunker each year.  This was bound to happen.  Still, definitely not confidence boosting as they look to coming to Philly next week.

Colts over Broncos:  Well, yes.  Kyle Orton versus Peyton Manning?  That truly is no contest.

Cardinals over Raiders:  Whatever. Now that the Raiders have decided to sit Jason Campbell - which, by the way, is clearly the right decision - I've really lost interest.  There was a really funny post at Hogs Haven, the Redskins Sports Blog Nation blog a few days ago.  It was a bunch of made up graphics on Redskins fan attitudes, 2009 versus 2010.  The first one was a pie chart of what people thought about Campbell in 2009, and there were slices for nice guy, too many systems to learn too fast, bad O-line, bad playcalling, bad receivers, etc.  The second graphic?  What people think of him now.  100% "he stinks."  Yeah, maybe.

Seahawks over Chargers:  What is going on with the Chargers this year?  I do not know, but they better pull it together or the Chiefs might just sneak off with the division.

Jets over Dolphins:  That was one hell of a game.  Too busy with Boardwalk Empire and Mad Men to catch it?  Keep an eye on NFL Replay - I am SURE it will be one of this week's choices.  

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2010 Week 3 Picks

Seriously, people, hold on to your hats. Jamal Jackson and Leonard Weaver are out for the season. Mike McGlynn's the center. The O-line is in turmoil. Stewart Bradley's recovering from a concussion.

Never fear! Mike Vick to the rescue - or Kevin Kolb - no, no Mike Vick. Definitely Mike Vick.  At least for the next 10 minutes.

One thing that's marked the Andy Reid era in Philly is certainty.  Agree with him or not, he always seems to know what he's doing.  Actually, he doesn't care whether or not you agree with him.  He prefers that you DON'T agree with him.

Well, the pundits have fallen in line and pretty much everyone's praising Reid's brilliance in promoting Vick to starter and benching K2. Brilliance, or recognition that we have serious problems on the O-line? Tomayto, tomahto.

All I know is that if Vick wants to keep his starting job, the team better win this week.

And I can't believe we're hanging the hopes of the franchise on someone who seems kind of unstable.  Oh DMac, I miss you so.

Pick?  Eagles - I was planning to spend this season laughing at our mis-steps while we tried to rebuild the team.  Guess that will have to wait until next year, because at least through the first two weeks, the NFC East looks like it's someone's for the taking.  Why not us?

Titans at Giants:  Titans.  Just a hunch, but I suspect Chris Johnson will have a big day.

Bengals at Panthers:  Bengals.  On the Always Pick the AFC rule alone.  But Ochocinco needs to get his ass in gear.  Less reality TV drama, more focus dude.

Steelers at Bucs:  The Bucs have had a (brief) Cinderella ride to get to 2-0.  It ends here.  Steelers.  Even with Charlie Batch under center.

Bills at Patriots:  Everyone's saying that Trent Edwards needs to play better or risk getting benched.  You know what's going to happen Monday?  Trent Edwards is going to get benched.  Patriots.

Browns at Ravens:  Eventually, the Browns might face a team they could conceivably beat.  But not this week.

49ers at Chiefs:  The Chiefs Cinderella start ends this week, too.  The 49ers are ripe to right their ship.  OK, I guess that Always Pick the AFC rule isn't in effect 100% of the time.

Cowboys at Texans:  The Cowboys totally need to win this game to keep their locker room - and fan base - from descending into absolute chaos.  Next stop?  Absolute chaos.  Texans.

Lions at Vikings:  The Vikings are, according to Favre, "desperate." Their answer?  Hank Baskett.  Wrong answer.   This has "trap game" written all over it.  Lions.

Falcons at Saints:  Matt Ryan's another QB who needs to pick it up, but I don't see the Saints losing to divisional rival The Dirty Birds at home.  Saints.

Redskins at Rams:  Skins.  Not only are they the new Team of Destiny, they're pretty good this year.  And the Rams aren't.  At all.

Colts at Broncos:  Colts.  Jeff Saturday's back, the O-line is working right again, Peyton's not getting hurried, and all is right in Indianapolis.

Raiders at Cardinals:  Worst Game of the Week.  What a mess.  Raiders, with new QB Bruce Gradkowski.

Chargers at Seahawks:  The Seahawks shocked the 49ers week one.  Think they can do it again?  Me neither.  Chargers.

Jets at Dolphins:  Game of the Week.  Get your popcorn!  Dolphins, but this is going to be a Battle Royale.

Packers at Bears:  There's 2-0, and then there's 2-0.  Packers

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Sunday Schedule: Sunday, September 26, 2010

Big week! You-Two-Calm-Down-or-I'm-Turning-Off-the-TV Dad and Life-Long Eagles Fan Mom are coming down from the Philly area for the weekend, AND Tall Drink of Water Cousin, his wife and their new little girl will be joining us. Also, Ex-Navy Cheesehead's back in town. It's ON, y'all!

1 pm: Cowboys/Texans (the Giants are also playing the Titans in this time slot, so that's likely to be the Supercast game)
4 pm: Eagles/Jags, featuring our new starting QB, David Akers. KIDDING! It's still Vick, at least as of the moment. (Supercast game will be Skins/Rams, which I predict will be a blowout)
8 pm: Jets/Dolphins
MNF: Packers/Bears

Menu: Next week is You-Two-Calm-Down-or-I'm-Turning-Off-the-TV Dad's birthday, so we're making ribs, baby! And apple pie (his favorite dessert). Life-Long Eagles Fan Mom is bringing down homemade mac&cheese. Thank God it's supposed to be a little cooler Sunday!

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2009 Week 3 Recap

Eagles v. Chiefs, Sunday, September 27, 2009

In attendance: Shoegal, Chef Spouse, and two newbies - Mad Kitchen Scientist and The Executive Committee

Menu: This was our first BIG cooking weekend of the fall (could be related to the fact that it was also our first cool weekend here in DC). On Saturday, we had a dinner party featuring osso bucco, risotto Milanese, homemade baguettes, homemade chocolate cake, and other yummy-ness. Sunday was all about homemade pasta (both fettucini and butternut squash tortellini) with homemade sauces (sage/butter and sausage marinara), with a BIG salad and more homemade bread...and cake...and lots of wine. YUM! (also URP!)

Stud of the Game: Please? Who else could it be other than K2's favorite target, Brent Celek. Yeah, I think our tight end issues are solved. Not only did he catch pretty much everything that was thrown at him, he ALWAYS knew where the down marker was and was willing to drag the ENTIRE Chiefs' secondary with him to get there.

Well...it's good to be 2-1 (it would be better to be 3-0), and we played a complete game. And K2 looked like he might really be our future. And we won big without our A Team (McNabb, Westbrook, arguably Kevin Curtis). Against a shitty team, but still. And it's good to see our rookies (Maclin, McCoy, Macho - is that REALLY his name?) and second year guys (Peanut) playing really well. Kolb? First QB in NFL history to pass for over 300 yards in each of his first 2 starts. Peanut? Well on his way to becoming a truly elite receiver (which is amazing, considering he's 4 feet tall). The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades.

Also, Goodell's decision to sit Mike who? Vick what? for the first two weeks was a good one. The morning pre-game shows? Man, I think I saw Vick interviewed on ESPN, the NFL Network, CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, and HGTV (hey, he has a really nice crib), and Animal Planet (ba-dum-CHA! I'll be here all week. Try the veal.). Would he have been a distraction? Um, yeah. And then? No completed passes and 1 rush for 7 yards. Whatever, dude. Someone else can pick you up next year. Apparently, you're Andy Reid's community service project.

So here's the thing: we can DEFINITELY use the early bye. Lots of guys need to get healthy again. But we've had a win over a possibly bad team (we'll see what happens on MNF), a win over a definitely bad team (Matt Cassel's not looking so special without the rest of the Patriots, is he?), and a loss to a good team. We have yet to score our first quality win. Are these guys talented? Hells, yeah. Do they have what it takes to go the distance? We'll see - things are pretty soft in October (BYE, Bucs, Redskins, Raiders). That November 1 matchup with the Giants looms large. Then again, under Big Red, we seem to mostly hit our stride late in the season. Could work in our favor this year.

Around the rest of the NFL...

Ravens over Browns. Well, yeah, sure. The Browns are having some issues, on, well, everything. Mangenius? Not anymore. But it wasn't the worst game of the week. Oh no, that's reserved for...

Giants over Buccaneers. The Bucs were shut out. SHUT OUT. Also? Bye, bye, Byron. Man, are the Bucs bad this year. Dumping EVERYONE and starting over may not have been the best decision ever. Speaking 0f bad games....

Lions over Redskins. You would not believe the weeping and wailing here in DC. Actually, you might. "Fail to the Redskins" is right. The craziest thing I've heard? Hogs Haven encouraging the Skins to "blow it up" and fire everyone from the towel boy to Vinny Cerrato. Yeah, that's a great idea. Except it won't solve your problem. Which would be your OWNER. Apparently, the fans haven't caught up on that account yet. Dan Snyder *might* be the problem. MIGHT? MIGHT!?!?!

Jaguars over Texans. Damnit! Just when I give up on the Jags, they start to show some signs of life.

Patriots over Falcons. Double damnit! Stupid Tom Brady. Stupid Bill Belichick. ARGH!

Packers over Rams. Duh. Apparently, Marc Bulger's hurt, and they're now playing Kyle Boller. When Kyle Boller seems like the answer, you're in trouble. Sorry, Spags - you've got your work cut out for you for sure.

Jets over Titans. Or maybe the Titans beat the Oilers. Was I the only one who was a little confused by the throwbacks? Marc Sanchez is off to a hot start.

Vikings over 49ers. OK, sure, but the Niners were without Frank Gore and Vicodin Boy has admitted that he threw that last pass up there with no idea where he was throwing it or who he was throwing it to. You know, Greg Lewis, if you'd made catches like that when you were in Philadelphia, you might STILL BE in Philadelphia.

Saints over Bills. Captain ME! ends his consecutive games with receptions at 185. And whines about it. Of course. To quote Rodney Harrison, "what a clown." And why was he wearing Atlin's sunglasses? (also, watching NFL Network Total Access right now. Mike Martz is a TERRIBLE commentator. Just FYI.)

Bears over Seahawks. OH MY GOD. THOSE WERE THE WORST UNIFORMS EVER. OH MY GOD. Are those seriously the new uniforms?!?!? MY EYES! MY EYES! They deserved to lose just for wearing that horrible, horrible mess. GAHHH!

Bengals over Steelers. Wait....what? The Steelers are #3 in the AFC North. What the frack is going on? I'm sorry, but there is no way that's all the loss of Polamalu. Big Ben spends far too much time on his ass. Is it starting to tell on him? Mike Tomlin's freshman/sophomore magic wearing off? I don't know, but all is not well in Blitzburgh these days.

Broncos over Raiders. Speaking of the Raiders, JaMarcus Russell has regressed. To the Bronze Age. It's bad. I'm amazed he can remember how to tie his cleats. Also, did you hear that head coach Tom Cable might have broken assistant coach Randy Hanson's jaw? Taking that "thug" thing a little too far, there, huh coach? And Dawk seems to be at least somewhat re-energized (which, if past is prologue, means we'll see him again in a year or two, once he gets homesick and decides the money isn't worth it), but even more importantly, seems to have accomplished what rookie head coach Josh McDaniels wanted: lighting a fire under the REST of the defense.

Chargers over Dolphins. Also, Chad Pennington, to quote Keith Olbermann, now looks like a big bag of mashed up Chad Pennington. Uh oh. LT? Who needs him?

Colts over Cardinals. Hey Kurt - what happened? 24 of 26 last week and this week? Not so much. Was I totally wrong about Peyton Manning and not doing as well without Marvin Harrison and Tony Dungy? Apparently, yes.

MNF starts in about 10. I really hope the Panthers can pull it together to beat the Cowboys.

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2009 Week 3 Picks

Bob Ford, if you recall, was convinced we'd learned dire things about Kevin Kolb after last week's massacre at the Linc. I disagreed. I think we'll learn a lot THIS week. Assuming our defense shows up and our special teams remembers that "special" shouldn't equal "rides the short bus" in the NFL, K2 should be able to lead us to victory against the hapless 0-2 Chiefs. Hell, I should be able to lead us to victory. Andy Reid should be able to be under center and lead the Iggles to victory. Life Long Eagles Fan Mom should be able to lead the Iggles to victory. My 4 year old nephew Deuce should be able to lead the Iggles to victory. I'm just saying it shouldn't be that hard.

If K2 can't pull off his first win in the NFL against this softball pitch (to mix my sports metaphors for a minute), it's time to pull the plug. But I think he'll pull off a win. Eagles all the way, baby!

Browns/Ravens: Ravens. But Chef Spouse says he has a good feeling about the Browns. Then again, he's on his second Old Fashioned.

Redskins/Lions: Lions. Hey, they gotta win sometime, particularly if they're going to justify my confidence in picking them to win the NFC North. Chef Spouse says that after last week's Redskins performance, he wants to see the stats on the Lions and blocking field goals.

Jaguars/Texans: Texans! Also, I'm in for $20 if we're collecting to buy a bandwagon for them. But Chef Spouse has spill-over hate for them because Houston's so close (relatively speaking) to Dallas.

Falcons/Patriots: Falcons, yo. Tom Brady's looking like Kyle Orton so far this season. Chef Spouse agrees - he figures Satan feels dissed that Belichick had to call on their agreement just to beat the Bills and is blocking Belichick's calls.

Packers/Rams: Packers. Who will get to avenge their shocking loss to the Bengals on The Official Whipping Boys of the 2009 Season. Chef Spouse says, "it's a gimme."

Giants/Bucs - With both Phillips and Tuck out, this becomes a more interesting game. Which means it won't be a Giants blowout. But it will still be a Giants win. Chef Spouse agrees, but he has no love for the Bucs. His antipathy for them dates back to their NFC Championship win over us after the 2002 season, when they went on to win the Super Bowl, and he's convinced it was our year (although he is fond of Warren Sapp). The only exception? When the Bucs play the Cowboys.

Titans/Jets: J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS! Chef Spouse is calling the Titans. He *would* have picked the Jets, but no trash talk so far. He says: "No talking of the smack = no winning of the game."

49ers/Vikings: 49ers. But my anti-Favre bias might be clouding my judgement. Then again, AP is hurt. Chef Spouse says that, despite their entirely unknown QB, the 49ers have beaten better teams to get to 2-0 than the Vikings have. True dat.

Saints/Bills: Saints. I don't think the Bills can score 4,937 points in one game. And the Saints can. Chef Spouse doesn't know that number - it's not a multiple of 2 appearing on a subnet bit mask - but he agrees.

Bears/Seahawks: Bears. Do you know what the average age of the Seahawks is? 47. Chef Spouse agrees, figuring that Seneca Wallace is no Matt Hasselbeck.

Steelers/Bengals: OK, on ESPN's NFL Live, Herm Edwards picked the Bengals. Then again, Herm's record as a head coach indicates that he might not actually know that much about football. The Steelers have OWNED the Bengals since dinosaurs walked the earth. That's not going to change Sunday, Polamalu or no Polamalu. Chef Spouse figures they're pissed after their loss to the Bears, and the Bengals are going to bear the brunt of their wrath. Plus, he's spent a lot of time in Pittsburgh on business and feels bad for them - they have nothing but their sports teams (and Eleven) to recommend them, so he refuses to root against.

Broncos/Raiders: I actually think the Raiders might pull this off, but I'm picking the Broncos, mostly because I don't want to pick against Wolverine and Buck. Chef Spouse refuses to pick against Wolverine, too. And plans to wear his #20 jersey Sunday.

Dolphins/Chargers: Dolphins. They hung right in with the Colts on MNF. Chef Spouse figures that anyone who only beats the Raiders by 4 points can't be all that and is picking the Fins, too.

Colts/Cardinals: Both Kurt Warner and Peyton Manning had record setting games last week. Kurt completed 24 of 26 and Peyton won a game with under 15 minutes time of possession. Two words for you: Larry Fitzgerald. Cardinals. Chef Spouse calls Colts - he thinks Peyton will pull it out, no matter what Ken Whisenhunt throws at him.

Panthers/Cowboys: Attention Jake Delhomme! Pull it together, asshat! You CANNOT let the Cowboys take this one. Also, Julius Peppers? Tonyboy throws picks, and unlike the D-Mac rockets you could only bat down in week 1, he throws soft enough that you should be able to hang on. It may be crazy talk, but I'm calling Panthers. Chef Spouse has a tear in his eye, but he's calling the Cowboys. "Won't someone other than the NFC East please kick their asses? Man up, yo!"

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Sunday Schedule: September 27, 2009

Our Iggles should be able to pull out a win this week against the hapless Chiefs, even if Big Red decides to take the snaps himself (now THAT would be wildcatting!). So look for a happier day Chez Snark. Game schedule:

1 pm: Eagles/Chiefs
4 pm: probably Broncos/Raiders, but I'm willing to put it to a vote, as none of our division teams are playing in the 4 pm slot
8 pm: Colts/Cardinals (should be interesting - hope Peyton's a night owl, since he seems to be scoring a lot of prime time games this year)

MNF: Panthers/Cowboys - if the Panthers can pull out a win against the Cowboys, I think there might be some life in their season.

Menu: we have a bit of a quandary this week. Two non-regular couples are planning to join us for the games. One couple consists of two big-time foodies. The other has requested a low-fat meal. (Silly friends! Don't they know that we are the House of Butter, NOT the House of Low-Fat?) Chef Spouse and I put on our thinking caps and came up with homemade pasta with a variety of sauces and a big green salad. Bring something that will go with (garlic bread, wine, dessert, etc.).

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