Is It Over Yet?

The ONLY Eagle who flew Sunday.

Eagles v. Falcons, Sunday, October 28, 2012

No, I don't mean the game. I KNOW the game is over. Thank God, because it was truly painful to watch.

No, I don't mean Hurricane Sandy. She's just getting cranked up here in the mid-Atlantic. Stay home and stay safe, y'all.

I mean the Eagles season. Is it over?

OK, mathematically, I know it's not over. The Eagles aren't even at their halfway point, the division-leading Giants are only up 3 games, and the Birds are technically ranked second in the division thanks to beating the G-men a month ago. And no NFC division other than North looks unstoppable at this point, so a wildcard would not be not out of the question, either.

And that's all great, for what it's worth, which right now, the morning after the first post-bye week loss of the Andy Reid era (a 30-17 drubbing by the Falcons at home, in case you've been too busy watching The Weather Channel to keep up) doesn't feel like much.

What is going on at the NovaCare Complex? As Tommy Lawlor points out in detail, this team has been through bad times before under Reid and prevailed. Tommy posits that the loss of veteran leadership on the team and in the coaching staff over the past few years has produced a team where no one is left to teach the new guys the "Eagles Way."

The guys over at Bleeding Green Nation were about an inch away from pulling out the "rearranging deck chairs on the Hindenburg" metaphor on their way to calling out the playcalling and coaching in general, and Andy Reid specifically. 

I think Big Red is flailing, and I suspect Mike Vick is about to be the next scapegoat to be sacrificed. And while he hasn't played up to expectations this season, with a patched together offensive line that can't keep him from ending up on his back starting at sky and trying to ascertain if all his limbs are still attached after 50% or more of his snaps, it's hardly all his fault.

And while I do think that the problems start with Andy and, as a result, I think we're seeing his last 9 games as head coach, I have to wonder if what's really going on is that he's still grieving the loss of his son. It hasn't even been three months since Reid endured one of the most difficult losses any person will ever experience - the loss of a child.

I think it's reasonable to think that Reid may be unable to focus on the team at this time. And while I don't blame him personally - he lost his oldest son for chrissakes - if that is what's going on, I do blame him for not figuring out a way to do what is best for the team and step down or hand over some of his responsibilities.

I realize the situation was unpredictable. Garrett Reid, to refresh your memory, died at training camp just over a month before the start of the 2012 season. At the time, Andy may have thought that he'd be able to pull himself and the team together, and making a head coaching change in early August is pretty much unheard of.

Thing is, whether it's because of his grief at his loss or fear of losing his job or something else none of us can even speculate on, Reid is now hurting the team. Juan Castillo already got thrown under the bus twice - first when he was hired for a position he was totally unsuited for, then when he was fired from that same position. By all appearances, Mike Vick will be next. But I think it's Reid who needs to go.

If this weren't the final year of his contract, it's conceivable he could take a leave of absence. Since he's coaching for his job, that's probably not a possibility. But since it seems likely to me - and many other observers - that that ship has already sailed. Reid needs to look at what's best for the team, and that includes looking in the mirror.

(You'll notice there's no stud of the week. That would be intentional.)

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2012 Week 8 Picks

This week is going to be, to put it mildly, interesting.

The Eagles are coming off a bye week in which Andy Reid replaced his DC and there are widespread rumors of problems in the entire front office.

The Falcons, also coming off a bye, are the only remaining undefeated team.

Andy Reid has never lost the game the week after the bye, including the infamously disastrous 2005 season. 

This is a must-win game for the Eagles. We all have the sense that their season is hanging by a thread. If they come up with a win at home against the undefeated Falcons, one in which Michael Vick takes care of the football, the offense manages to put up some points, special teams doesn't give up big plays, and the defense shows improvement, I think we're all going to release a breath we didn't even know we were holding.

If, on the other hand, Andy and Marty refuse to run the ball, Mike turns it over, the receivers drop passes or can't get open, special teams continues to give up big plays, and/or the defense lets another 4th quarter lead slip away, the wheels are going to come all the way off the bus and roll across the Ben Franklin bridge into Jersey.

This game should be winnable. No, I'm not crazy. Why do you ask?

The Falcons wins have come over:

The Chiefs (1-5)
The Broncos (3-3)
The Chargers (3-3)
The Panthers (1-5)
The Redskins (3-3)
The Raiders (2-4)

So no teams with winning records.

And the Eagles backs are against the wall. I think - I hope - they pull it together and live to fight another day. Because I just can't give up on them yet.

Eagles.

Buccaneers at Vikings: Chef Spouse's best friend Steelers Transplant, who now lives in Tampa, is in DC this week and will be watching the game with us Thursday night. Sadly, I think he'll be watching his second adopted team lose. Vikings.

Panthers at Bears: And the losing streak continues for the Panthers. Bears.

Chargers at Browns: Chargers. The Browns are kind of a mess.

Seahawks at Lions: High-powered offense versus high-powered defense! And the Seahawks are not at home. I've got the Lions again, who better not let me down after taking them as my upset pick last week.

Jaguars at Packers: The Jaguars are going to get killed. They might want to see if they can get a doctor's note or something. Packers.

Dophins at Jets: I think this will be a close game, but I've got the Dolphins. I know, I know, but they are looking better and crazy things happen in divisional games.

Redskins at Steelers: I'm tempted to go with the Skins as an upset pick, but the Steelers don't lose at home, they don't lose to NFC teams, and they REALLY don't lose at home to NFC teams. Steelers.

Patriots at Rams: I've got the Pats, but I think this is going to be a closer game than most people expect. The Rams have been solid at home this year, and they'll probably be able to slow Tom Brady down, but I don't think they'll be able to stop him.

Colts at Titans: Colts all day.

Raiders at Chiefs: I'm not picking the g-d Chiefs again. But wait! The Raiders have been burning me, too! Damn it! I'm doing it. I'm going with the Chiefs, God help me.

Giants at Cowboys: I think the Cowboys are going to sweep the Giants. And much as it pains me to pick them, it will help the Eagles. So, Cowboys. Don't hate, Bleeding Green Nation.

Saints at Broncos: I *want* to pick the Saints, but I just can't. Not gonna happen. Broncos.

49ers at Cardinals: I'm bumming that K2 won't be playing. After John Skelton won the QB competition, then went down, then Kolb came in and did great, it was sad to see him get injured. It was nice to see a former Eagle doing well. It's always nice to see a former Eagle do well. And it made me happy to see that the potential Andy saw might be really be there. Oh - who's going to win the game? The 49ers, of course. But I'm still sad that K2's struggling.

On bye: Bengals, Bills, Ravens and Texans (they need to rest after the beat down they laid on the Ravens last week)

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2011 Week 8 Recap

Eagles v. Cowboys, Sunday, October 30, 2011

Happy Halloween! Of course, this week's recap will be the annual trick-or-treat edition, as I write in my witch costume jumping up to answer the doorbell while waiting for MNF to start.

In attendance: Just Shoegal, Chef Spouse and me - SNF games are tough on people who have to go to work in the morning.

Menu: homemade butternut squash ravioli with butter sage sauce, salad, yummy treats from Shoegal

Stud: Shady McCoy, of course, who pretty much OWNS this category this year. I've already asked Santa to bring me his jersey for Christmas. Could he be any more awesome? I don't think so. To recap: 185 yards on the ground on 30 carries and two TDs, plus another 15 yards through the air. The second coming of BWest? You know it.

Since we're all thinking it, I'll go ahead and say it: "Where the HELL have these guys been for the past 6 weeks?" I'm glad they finally decided to show up, but seriously, I was expecting them in week 2, not week 8. Better late than never.

OK, sure, a bunch of new guys on the field and pretty much an entirely new coaching staff are going to take come time to gel. Seven weeks, to be precise.

Are the Eagles becoming a team that can run the ball and shut teams down on defense? Because that would be an interesting switch to the Andy Reid playbook. The thing I loved most last night was seeing the long drives sustained by nice runs and short passes over the middle. Dictionary west coast offense. Those were some BIG holes the offensive line was creating. Andy Reid could have run through those holes himself. Hell, he probably could've driven the team bus through them. What made it even sweeter is that the Cowboys came in with one of the top ranked run defenses in the league.

Clearly Rob Ryan game planned to take away DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, and in that, he was pretty successful. Maclin and DJax had 3 catches each, for 54 and 31 yards respectively. The thing is, if you're going to put all your guys on those two, that leaves Jason "Hands" Avant, Brent Celek and Clay Harbor to run free in the middle of the field. Now throwing across the middle is not the easiest thing for the relatively short (at 6 feet on the nose) Mike Vick. Then again, the o-line gave him such a nice clean pocket all night long, he could drop back as far as he needed to.

And on D, it seems like I may owe Juan Castillo an apology. It wasn't showy - it wasn't like there were a zillion picks and sacks (1 and 4) - but the Cowboys were just totally out of sorts all night long. They only had 12 first downs, and, if I recall correctly, only THREE in the entire first half. The Eagles D was getting off the field and only made one mistake all night long (Kurt Coleman got a little over excited), allowing the only Cowboys' score, in scut time (aka "the entire 4th quarter").

Oh, and did I mention? No turnovers. THAT was a treat. Big time.

THIS is what we were expecting 6 weeks ago. Hopefully, the guys can keep it up. Because the team that played LAST night looks pretty damn unstoppable.

Around the rest of the league:

Ravens over Cardinals: The Cardinals jumped out to a treat of an early lead, but the Ravens had a trick for them, to the tune of 24 (?) unanswered points, to win the game.

Vikings over Panthers: Cam Newton sure is a treat (on the eyes, too), but those tricky Vikings forced two fumbles, got a great day out of Adrian Peterson, and, ultimately, got a treat of a field goal out of the aptly-named Ryan Longwell to sneak a 3 point win.

Texans over Jags: No tricks here, only another treat of a day from Arian Foster.

Giants over Dolphins: The Dolphins almost tricked the Giants into a trap game, but ultimately, the Giants pulled out a win. No treats here - sooner or later (probably sooner) Tony Sparano is going to be fired.

Rams over Saints: Raise your hand if you picked this one. (crickets) The Rams treated their fans to a fantastic end to a fantastic week. Not only did the Rams get their first win, it was over the mighty Saints not some sad-sack team like the Colts. It's a great week to be a sports fan in the S-T-L.

Titans over Colts: I wonder if the Colts are being tricky to Suck for Luck? It's a treat to see the AFC South up for grabs this year.

Bills over Redskins: OMG, someone needs to talk Redskins fans down off the ledge. The Bills are a treat this year, as was Ryan Fitzpatrick's contract extension, and they sure tricked Mike and Kyle Shanahan, shut out for the first time EVER. Guess "The System" isn't looking so tricky these days, is it, Shanny?

Lions over Broncos: Told you the Lions would pull it back together! Tim Tebow might not be quite the treat Broncos think he is, but the Lions D had a treat or two of their own ready to go, registering seven sacks.

Steelers over Pats: The Steelers, who looked pretty soft early on, seem to be returning to their usual tricky form. It was a real treat to watch them frustrate Tom Brady all afternoon. And that tricky Troy Polamalu managed a real treat of a play in punching the Brady fumble into the endzone for a safety.

Bengals over Seahawks: Andy Dalton looks a treat in Cincy, and the Seahawks...well, people in Seattle should wish this is a trick. Congratulations to Marvin Lewis, now the winningest coach in Bengals history

49ers over Browns:  Was Alex Smith just tricking us all this time, or did he just need Jim Harbaugh to treat us to some good play? Of course, Frank Gore's treat of 134 yards and a TD didn't hurt.

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Sunday Schedule: Sunday, October 30, 2011

It's COWBOYS week, y'all. OK, maybe it doesn't have quite the same zing as it used to - our Eagles are used to winning and to dominating the NFC East, and it's been a long time since the Cowboys have been good, but hey - they did knock our boys out of the playoffs in 2009. Which, by the way, is the only playoff game they've won since 1996. HA!

Anyway, it's a prime time matchup, which is awesome other than the whole getting up Monday morning thing.

It will be a full day of football as usual, of course, with the following up for the early games:

1 pm: likely Dolphins/Giants, and wow, the 1 pm games are likely to suck

4 pm: Redskins/Bills (I'll be ducking out for a dance practice, but Chef Spouse is around for the duration)

For the menu, Chef Spouse is thinking fresh pasta, since we have a bunch of winter squash from the CSA to cook down anyway. If I get my act together, I'll make us some baguettes, too, and we'll probably have salad. Bring something to go with.

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2011 Week 8 Picks

The Cowboys are coming to town!

OK, I know - the rivalry is not what it once was. The Eagles have mostly owned the NFC East for the past 10+ years, and the Cowboys have one precisely one playoff game since 1996. Yes, that win knocked the Eagles out of the playoffs in the first round for the first time under Andy Reid in 2009 and thank you for bringing up such a painful memory.

Anyway, at this point the Eagles are seriously shaky. Then again, so are the Cowboys. Actually, I'm starting to think the entire league is shaky, other than maybe the Packers and the Pats. The Cowboys never know which Tony Romo they're getting from one week to the next - hell, from one play to the next. Then again, Eagles fans have NO idea what team is going to show up from one quarter to the next. The team that puts up points with ease or the team that can't find the endzone with both hands, a map, a flashlight, a GPS, and a sherpa? The team that relentlessly pressures the QB and stuffs the run, or the team that lets themselves get gashed for yards practically every play, on the ground and in the air? I swear, the team is schizophrenic so far this year, and they're going to make their fans (aka "us") completely nuts if they don't cut this shit out.

On the other hand, even at 2-4, the Eagles are far from out of it in the NFC East. And although Andy has trouble closing, he definitely has a track record of getting the team to step up at critical times. Like now. When they need to win, a LOT, to stay in consideration for a post-season.

In the end, I have to go with the fact that Andy Reid owns the game after the bye week and pick the Eagles.

In the rest of the matchups:

Saints at Rams: Saints. This is your official freebie pick of the week.

Jaguars at Texans: Texans. I think. After watching the Jags dismantle the Ravens last week...yeah, but both teams were incredibly sloppy, only the Jags were slightly less so. And Arian Foster! OK, I'm sure. Texans.

Dolphins at Giants: Giants. OK, you get two freebies this week.

Cardinals at Ravens: Even after that mess on Monday Night Football - as one of my friends called it on Facebook: "unwatchable" - I don't see the Ravens dropping a home game to the Cards. No way. Ravens.

Colts at Titans: Titans. Hm, OK, THREE freebie picks.

Vikings at Panthers: This is an interesting matchup with two high draft pick rookie QBs facing off, but I have to go with experience (relatively speaking) and pick Cam and his Panthers.

Lions at Broncos: The Lions will get back on track this week. Or at least they better, because the NFC North is tough this year, and if they drop too many more games, they'll be out.

Redskins at Bills: Bills. And I'm not just picking against the Redskins because they're in my division. The Bills are actually pretty damn good this year. The Redskins, in what's become a continuing theme for them, are not.

Bengals at Seahawks: Bengals. Did you realize that the Bengals are 4-2? OK, they haven't exactly been playing the Packers, Saints, and Pats every week, but still. Guess they aren't missing Carson Palmer too much. Wonder if the Raiders can get a refund?

Pats at Steelers: This should be a helluva good game. I don't know if the Steelers can shut down the Pats high powered offense, and I also don't think they can keep up in a shoot-out. I could be wrong, but I don't think so. Pats.

Browns at 49ers: 49ers. Jim Harbaugh is working the Harbaugh magic out there in Frisco, I'm telling you!

Chargers at Chiefs: Chargers. Oy. Am I really picking the team that lost to the Jets over the team that beat the Raiders? I guess so. I hope Philip Rivers took some time to get his head straight this week.

On bye: Bears, Buccaneers, Falcons, Jets, Packers, Raiders

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2010 Week 8 Recap

Eagles bye week, Sunday, October 31, 2010 


In attendance: just me and Chef Spouse. And NINE MILLION trick-or-treaters. Seriously, I've never seen so many in my life. We gave away every bit of candy we had the in house before 9 pm, at which point it became "turn out the lights and hide" versus "start handing out potatoes." We opted for #1.

Menu: shrimp etouffee and absinthe frappes. Since we couldn't be in NOLA for the weekend, we decided to pretend we were.

Stud of the week: my system for my picks. With the MNF Texans/Colts matchup in progress, I'm 11 for 12 on the week. No, I did not use a Magic 8 Ball. I was going to tell you how I did it, but Chef Spouse said I should preserve the mystery. So you'll just have to marvel.

In other news, it was the week of 2 points:  safeties, made two point conversion attempts, missed two point conversion attempts, you name it. If it was possible to get 2 points in there some way, teams did it. Even when it made no sense, like early in the 3rd quarter.

On to the results:

49ers over Broncos: I called it. Also, I think Mike Singletary still thinks his 2-6 team is going to the Super Bowl, God love him.

Jaguars over Cowboys: I called it. So one of the questions of the week is will there be a coaching change in Dallas? Amazingly, enough other wackadoo stuff has happened that it's barely in the top 5 though. The thing about switching coaches DURING the season is that it's a pretty dicey proposition - if the Cowboys were going to do it, they should've done it a month ago, before their bye week. I think they're pretty much stuck with Wade for the rest of the season, although I'd be shocked if he's still coaching in 2011. I've heard Cowher and Gruden both floated as possible replacements, but I don't think either of them is dumb enough to want to work for Jerry Jones. Also, Gruden gets credit as a coach he doesn't deserve - he won the Super Bowl with Tony Dungy's team. And Cowher has repeatedly said he doesn't want to leave North Carolina until his kids are grown, which to me indicates that his only possible coaching destination, at least for a while, would be the Panthers. Anyway, moving on...

Dolphins over Bengals: I called it. But TO got two TDs, so he may not even be aware the Bengals lost.
 
Chiefs over Bills: I called it. Won in OT on a field goal that literally went through the uprights as time expired, the Chiefs leave the Eagles still holding the dubious distinction of the last tie.

Lions over Redskins: I called it. I don't know what reality Mike Shanahan lives in where Rex Grossman is a better option than Donovan McNabb to run the two minute offense down by 5. Even weirder? Now Shanny's changed his tune to "McNabb's too fat to run the two minute offense." RIIIIIIIGHT. All I can think is that he's thinking, "Well, after McNabb got benched against the Ravens in 2008, he played like a house afire for the rest of the season, taking the Eagles to another NFC Championship game that they only lost because them damn defense fell apart." Can I point on that on his VERY FIRST play from scrimmage, Sexy Rexy got sacked, coughed up the ball, and the Lions put the game away? And this is supposed to be coaching genius?

Rams over Panthers: I called it. The Panthers stink this year. Hmmm, about Bill Cowher....

Packers over Jets: This is the one I missed, although in my defense, I did say that according to my system, it was a push. I went with the home team. Oops. Who would've guessed it would be the PACK who pitched a shut out?

Chargers over Titans: I called it, even though I could hardly believe it. The Chargers are probably gearing up to pull their annual, "You gave us up for dead. But wait! We're not! We're resurrecting your hopes! Until the playoffs. Then we really are dead."

Patriots over Vikings: I called it. You did hear that Randy Moss got released today? Dude hadn't even had time to get his cable hooked up yet! His post-game press conference love-fest for the Pats sure didn't help things, particularly after he decided that he was going to WATCH the passes, but he sure as hell wasn't planning to CATCH them, but something more must've happened. Personally? I think it's some sort of Belichick plot, and somehow Randy Moss will end up back in New England after stiffing the Vikings for a few mil. What do you have against Minnesota, Bill?

Bucs over Cardinals: I called it. The Bucs are quietly sitting at 5-2. Did you know?

Raiders over Seahawks: I called it. Looks who learned how to win games! Speculation is rampant, in the wake of The Benching, that McNabb will be somewhere not DC next year. Oakland's been floated as a possibility. Think that would make Jason Campbell go postal?

Saints over Steelers: Another one I called. Believe in the system. Trust the system. Love the system. What system? Can't tell you. But let's see how I fare this coming week....

(Also, at the moment, the Colts are up 14-0.)

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2010 Week 8 Picks

It's the BYE week edition, and frankly, not a moment too soon.

It seems like every year I write a post about how everyone on the team is on "no Madden/Gameboy/World of Warcraft" punishment because the Eagles always seem to slump before the bye.

So am I crazy? Over-reacting? Guilty of false memory syndrome?

Um, no.

Andy loses games the week before the bye. He's at .500. Which wouldn't be so odd if it weren't for the fact that he's .620 overall in his coaching career with the Eagles. He really does lose disproportionately prior to the bye, no matter when it lands.

On the other hand,  the week AFTER the bye?  Big Red is perfect, which will really be put to the test this year, with the Colts on tap and possibly no DeSean Jackson.  Get healthy, guys.

Anyway, on to the picks:

Broncos at 49ers: 49ers. I've got a system this week.  I'll tell you what it is if it works.

Jaguars at Cowboys: Jags. ("Oh no, she din't!" "Oh yes, I did!")  Guess that whole "they'll win the NFC East" prediction is pretty much right out the window. Also, this pick goes against the system. But I still think I'm right.

Bills at Chiefs:  Chiefs.

Panthers at Rams: Rams.

Redskins at Lions: Lions. (Ouch. I so want to be on Team Donovan.)

Dolphins at Bengals: Fins.

Packers at Jets: Jets. According to my system, this one's a push, though.

Titans at Chargers: Chargers. That's what the system says.  (There may be a flaw in the system.)

Buccaneers at Cardinals: Bucs.

Vikings at Patriots: Favre? Jackson? Some dark horse candidate? Doesn't matter - the Pats are going to win this one regardless. Pats. (Which is also breaking the system.)

Seahawks at Raiders: Can the Raiders duplicate their trouncing of the Broncos last week? Probably not, but I don't know that it will matter. They won't need 59 points to beat the Seahawks. Raiders.

Steelers at Saints: Saints. Hey, that's what the system predicts! Also, I think they will rebound this week.

Texans at Colts: Colts. Damn, Former Team of Destiny. This just ain't your week.

On bye: Eagles, Giants, Falcons, Ravens, Bears, Browns (big group this week)

Photo credit: Ben Kepple (but you already guessed that)

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Sunday Schedule: Sunday, October 31, 2010

Bye week, and it's just in time. Mike Vick can't get back under center fast enough. But we'll still be watching football, y'all.

1 pm: Redskins at Lions (secondary game Jags at Cowboys)
4 pm: Vikings at Patriots (open to requests on the secondary game)
SNF: Steelers at Saints (who better pull their heads out of their asses, or this is going to get ugly)
MNF: Texans at Colts

Menu: well, it's Halloween, so Chef Spouse plans to make some "eerie" drinks. Not sure what all that's going to involve, but it should be interesting. Menu? So far it's a surprise - Chef Spouse is feeling undecided. I'll post an update when he makes up his mind.

Also, come in costume if you can, since you'll be helping hand out candy once it gets dark. And because it's fun.

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2009 Week 8 Recap

Eagles versus Giants, Sunday, November 1, 2009
In attendance: just me & Shoegal to start (Chef Spouse left at 5 am for San Antonio), but The Executive Committee and the Mad Kitchen Scientist showed up before halftime and hung out awhile.
Menu: homemade chili and cornbread, beer, ginger molasses cookies (Life-Long Eagles Fan Mom's favorites), Shoegal brought a bunch of yummy snacks (including some deliciously spicy hummus), the Mad Kitchen Scientist showed up with bread and a block of yeast for my future bread-baking experiments, and a little Eagle Rare 17 with one (ONLY one) rock to celebrate our win.
Stud of the week: It is really REALLY hard not to pick DMac, who had a pretty much perfect game (guess that rib's feeling way better), but I have to give the shout out to Leonard Weaver, who had his biggest day as an Eagle and scored our first TD of the day, setting the G-men back on their heels. 3rd offensive play of the game for us, 41 yards, longest TD run of Weaver's career. Good job, baby!
So let's get back to DMac for a minute. Wow. Just wow. I love how Tommy breaks it down - we tried to play small ball, 24 runs to 23 passes, long, slow drives where every single play doesn't have to be a Big Play, and the Giants just wouldn't let us. They blew coverage left, right, back, forward, up, down, inside, outside - pretty much every single way coverage can be blown.
All three phases were clicking - we had FIVE different guys with TDs: Maclin, McCoy, Weaver, Celek, and Peanut (of course - he hauls in a 50 yard + TD every damn game). The Giants apparently have no defensive secondary. Rocca punted well. Akers kicked well, other than a blocked extra point. Ellis Hobbes has redeemed himself since the opening kickoff of the second half of the Saints game. Our D pressured Eli all day and didn't let him get comfortable. Brandon Jacobs, other than one decent run, got precisely nowhere. The Giants seemed to get a little momentum toward the end of the first half when they finally scored, and then we rocked out two TDs in under two minutes. It was really never even in question after that, but LeSean McCoy sealed it with a final TD early in the 4th. Hell, even Peanut's TD celebration was pretty good.
And speaking of, is it just me, or does he have like two entire gears that no one else on the field has? Could he be any faster? And, as I'd hoped, Andy and Marty quit screwing around with Vick and the wildcat (although one of the other Eagles fans at last Monday's matchup with the Redskins was heard to remark that in Philly with Vick it should be called the mad dog offense) now that things are Getting Serious.
Inside the Iggles has a good player by player breakdown. A few shoutouts in particular: our young (other than the QB) offensive skill players are good now. Give them two more years together, and they'll be awesomesauce. You heard it here first. I adore Brent Celek. He busts his ass for the first down, even when we're ahead by a million points and just trying to run out the clock. Bullshit horse collar call on Jason Babin taking down Eli clearly by just his jersey and clearly when he was still not out of bounds. Apparently, if your last name is "Manning," you aren't allowed to be touched. A Jason Avant sighting! On a key 3rd down! Hopefully, Andy and Marty will remember that he's still playing for us over the next 9+ games (because there will be a plus this year, I think). I never thought I'd see a day when our O played like that without Westy. And it's just in time, because I love him, but he is wearing down for sure. Is this his last year? I wouldn't be surprised.
One thing that annoyed me was that we got the ball back turned over on downs inside the two minute warning at the end of the game. AR was all ready to knee it out, and you could see on Eli's face that he did NOT want to go back out on the field. Tom Coughlin took all their time outs, even though they were down 40-17, and made the offense go back out. I was yelling at the TV that I wanted a career ending injury for as many key Giants offensive players as possible. I mean, really, why are you doing that? There is literally NO POSSIBLE WAY to win, we're trying to be nice, every single play is a risk in football, and you're being a jackass.
So Chef Spouse, HA! You were wrong. Gotta believe, man! The Giants may not miss Plax most of the time, but I'll bet they miss him against us and our midget secondary. And in the end, they aren't all that. Bring on the Cowboys, because you know who's been their daddy in the the Tony Romo era? If you guessed E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES! you would be right.
Around the rest of the NFL...I pretty much blew all my picks. But I got the key one right, so who cares? I'm only out $5 in the weekly office football pool.
Ravens over Broncos. The Ravens not only BEAT the Broncos, they DESTROYED them. The Broncos weren't going to go undefeated, and the Ravens REALLY needed this win (at home), but still. The Broncos could not make anything happen on offense. Yes, defense can win you games, but generally speaking, the offense still has to score SOME points.
Texans over Bills. Team of Destiny! Also, did you know that that was where Ryan Moats went? Because I did not, until I saw him romp into the endzone - THREE TIMES - on the game highlight reel. In other news, I think TO's done.
Bears over Browns. Who just fired their GM. And, according to NFL.com, escorted him from the building. Ouch.
Cowboys over Seahawks. Yeah, the NFC West is still pathetic. In case you were wondering. You know, the Eagles kicked Giant ass all over The Linc yesterday, so there was a lot of conversation about the NFC East. You know who all the conversation was about? The Cowboys. F the Cowboys. They didn't get past the Giants.
Dolphins over Jets. Wilbon pointed out that this was an NFC-level nasty, hard-hitting game. Funny, I've always thought that the AFC is the big-hit conference, what with the Steelers and the Ravens and all, but I guess they're also the land of the Colts and the Patriots and, I don't know, apparently nicer teams than what you usually see in the average outdoor NFC stadium in late December.
Colts over 49ers. What was surprising was that it was such a close game, and the 49ers mostly kept Peyton out of the endzone. Some better teams should definitely study that tape. Hard.
Rams over Lions. On the MNF pre-game "Come On, Man!" segment that I love, the Ram s got called out for dumping, like, two cups of water and 12 ice cubes on Spags on his first win as a head coach. "Come On, Man!" indeed. That kind of half-assed effort is why you're 1- 7 (in case you were wondering).
Charger over Raiders. How did we manage to make JaMarcus Russell look like he might be a competent QB? Such promise, and it's just not panning out. I don't know if it's an Akili Smith situation or if it's bad coaching or what, but regardless, it's a shame. Also, the assault allegations against Tom Cable keep mounting. I know the Raiders fans love their thug image, but this is taking it a little too far.
Titans over Jags. Hm. Maybe Vince Young was the answer all along. What are the odds?
Vikings over Packers. Not only do the Packers lose to Brett Favre in a purple uni at home, but Aaron Rodgers is starting to show wear and tear from the beating he's been taking. Could they maybe try to find that poor kid a little protection? And it sounds like the locker room is not exactly unified. Problems up in Green Bay.
Panthers over Cardinals. Did I say Jake Delhomme has had it? Well, actually, maybe he has, but Kurt Warner threw about 3,657,237 picks, and it's hard for any team to recover from that.
We're just over 2 minutes from the half of Falcons/Saints, it's tied up, and the Falcons are doing WAY better than I anticipated they would. Colts and Saints are the last of the undefeated teams. Not that I think the Falcons are going to pull this out, but any given Sunday, and twice that for divisional games.

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2009 Week 8 Picks

The Giants got off to a hot start, winning their first five games. But in that five game stretch, they beat only one team with a winning record (Cowboys) and four dogs (Bucs, Skins, Raiders, Chiefs). Don't get me wrong, we couldn't handle one of those dogs, so my house is far too made of glass to run around throwing stones. But since then, they've played two good teams - the Saints, who also beat us, but by nearly an identical margin with K2 making his very first start, and the Cards, who we haven't faced since the damn NFC Championship game last year - and dropped both games.

So they're not nearly as unbeatable as they looked on November 12 - that sobriquet is reserved for the Saints in the NFC this year - but coming up as Giant-killers will not be easy.

Many people have said that the NFC East has two good teams, one schizo team, and one bad team this year. Now's our chance to prove that right. I think we can do this. Chef Spouse is not feelin' the love, but he has pointed out that it's a matter of which team shows up. And he's not loving the play calling this season, and, as you know, neither am I. But I think this Sunday is when Andy and Marty quit screwing around and get serious. Chef Spouse is not so sanguine.

I'm calling the Iggles, partially but not totally because I'm a total homer. And for it to happen, Winston Justice needs to have a BIG game containing Osi Umenyiora. Did you hear that, Winston? I'm expecting big things of you.

Broncos/Ravens - If we weren't playing opposite, this would DEFINITELY be on the big screen. As it is, this will DEFINITELY be on the 'puter on SuperCast. I think the Broncos take this one, but this is going to be a gooooooood game.

Texans/Bills. Texans! Team of Destiny!

Browns/Bears. I think the Bears have finally found an opponent they can handle. Bears.

Seahawks/Cowboys. I SO want to call Seahawks, but I just don't see it happening. Sigh. Cowboys. (Seahawks, please PLEASE PLEASE pull it together and prove me wrong.)

Dolphins/Jets. Record says Jets, but the Dolphins did pull off the win against them on MNF 3 weeks ago. Then again, that game was at home. This one is not. I think I've just talked myself into calling Jets.

Colts/49ers. I don't have to talk myself into anything here. Colts.

Rams/Lions. OH. MY. GOD. This is the official The Worst Game of the Week. For my pick, I'd like to choose "who cares?" but I guess I have to pick the Lions, who have at least won a game this season.

Chargers/Raiders. The Raiders were a trap for us. They will NOT be a trap for the Chargers. Who will win. Big time.

Titans/Jags. How the mighty have fallen! I'm calling Jags, mostly because I think it would be hilarious if, after the first 0-16 season in NFL history, we had another right away. Go for the goat spot, Titans!

Vikings/Packers. Brett Favre returns to Lambeau Field in purple. I hope the Packers SLAUGHTER the Vikings. I hope they send the team home in body bags. I hope Brett Favre is LITERALLY in PIECES at the end of this game. Think THEN he'd finally retire? You know, if he's, like, decapitated and stuff? Revenge is a dish best served cold. Which it usually is at Lambeau. Packers.

Panthers/Cards. Um, Cards. Jake Delhomme has HAD IT.

Falcons/Saints. I'm sure the Saints will have to lose a game eventually, but it won't be this week. Saints.

On bye: Patriots, Chiefs, Bengals, Steelers, Bucs, Redskins (just in time....to fire their head coach)

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Sunday Schedule: November 1, 2009

Bring on the G-men! Here's hoping we can be Giant-killers and get our first quality win of the season!

1 pm - Eagles/Giants
4 pm - Vikings/Packers
8 pm - no SNF because of the World Series - go Phillies!

MNF - Falcons/Saints

Chef Spouse will be leavin' on a jet plane for San Antonio first thing Sunday morning, which leaves me in charge of the kitchen. I'm thinking chili and cornbread. Bring something to go with!

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