2011 Week 4 Recap

Eagles v. 49ers, Sunday, October 2, 2011

In attendance: Life-long Eagles Fan Mom, Chef Spouse, You-Two-Calm-Down-or-I'm-Turning-Off-the-TV Dad, and about 50 of their closest friends and our assorted relatives. (We were up in PA celebrating a milestone birthday for my pops and warming their newly renovated kitchen.)

Menu: all kinds of yummy goodness cooked by Life-long Eagles Fan Mom, birthday cake, and something else...what was it?...oh yeah: don't forget the tears, recriminations, and bile.

Stud of the Week: well, of course, it was Mike Vick, who had a career day for all the good it did. Given the way this season is going, I'm thinking of renaming this feature Goat of the Week, only there are WAY too many candidates.

It probably comes as no surprise to hear that many people who know me casually are aware that I love the NFL. One of the first questions I always get is about fantasy football. The thing is, I don't play fantasy football. Why? Because I'm much more interested in team chemistry and how players function as a team than in people's individual stats.

I'm sure you can see where this is going.

Week 4 passing leader: Mike Vick. Number 2 in receiving yards: DeSean Jackson. Jason Babin had three sacks. Jason Avant had at least one circus catch. Tight end Clay Harbor had a great day, too.

That does not a team make.

For years, we've all mocked lil' Danny Snyder and the LOLSkins for putting together a fantasy football team and thinking it was the same thing as a functioning football team. Now that the shoe's on the other foot, I think we can all say it's damned uncomfortable.

How does a team this talented blow their third second half lead in as many weeks? 

Even with the re-jiggered linebackers, the Eagles still can't stop the run. Worse? They have (purportedly) three of the top cornerbacks in the NFL and they can't stop the pass, either. Was it just me or did Asante Samuel quit on the play on the 49ers last TD? You know - the one that won the game? And I'm thinking about putting Nnamdi Asomugha's picture on the side of a milk carton because I have no idea where in the hell he's gone. 

While the defense deserves the heat they're taking, the offense isn't blameless. For the second? third? year running, this team is terrible in the red zone. What was Ronnie Brown thinking? Even worse, it appears to have been a designed play. DUMBEST. PLAY. EVER. Have the coaches turned the creation of plays over to a bunch of sugared-up Pop Warner 6 year olds? The team seriously has NO WAY to power it in from the one? NO WAY? That seems like a rather urgent problem to address.

How does the team put up nine MILLION yards of offense and only score THREE points in the ENTIRE SECOND HALF?

Watching Maclin's fumble right before the two minute warning was pretty much the equivalent of ripping out my still-beating heart, stomping on it, and then turning it over to a Cowboys fan, but honestly, prior to that when Alex Henery missed that second field goal, I knew in my gut the team was going down.

Speaking of missed field goals, it was a terrible day for both teams' kickers. Chef Spouse has a theory that The Linc was so confused at seeing Akers there in red and gold, the stadium itself was literally rejecting field goals. I do not know, but I do know that missing two field goals from inside the 40 is ridiculous.

You know how when you're watching a game, you'll sometimes get that feeling that a big comeback is starting? Your team is down, but you just know, you KNOW, that they're going to pull it out? Why does it feel like the Eagles are never that team? They're always the team that is come-back-ed upon.

What it comes down to is that the Eagles have a bunch of guys to whom they paid a bunch of money running around on the field wearing the same uniforms, but they aren't a team.

And then the Phillies lost, y'all. Damn. At least the Cowboys blew an even bigger lead than the Eagles - it should divert a little of the national media attention.

Around the rest of the NFL...

Bears over Panthers: Well, sure, but Cam Newton had another solid performance and the Panthers actually had a chance to win it. Also, special teams coaches? Write this down in pen: do NOT kick it to Devin Hester. Also, keep an eye on Matt Forte.

Bengals over Bills: Trap game. Letdown after the big win over the Pats last week. Ouch.

Titans over Browns: Looks like the Titans weren't as wrecked by the loss of Kenny Britt as I thought they would be.

Lions over Cowboys:  I'm not certain, but I think Tony Romo may have thrown more TDs for the Lions thean he did for the Cowboys.  To quote the SportsBlog Nation recaps: "Calvin Johnson will drink your milkshake." Yes, he will. He'll even have seconds. The Lions are 4-0 y'all. Team of Destiny! Also, Tony Romo doesn't need a coach - he needs a psychiatrist. 

Texans over Steelers: The final score makes the game look much closer than it actually was. Is it time to start asking how good Mike Tomlin is? Or did he Gruden his way to greatness?

Saints over Jags: Duh.

Chiefs over Vikings: Oh my God, I hate to see McNabb going down like this.

Redskins over Rams: Again, duh. How much do I hate that the Redskins are leading the NFC East? I live in DC. You guess.

Giants over Cardinals: Calls like the "Victor Cruz gave himself up" BS make me wonder if the games are fixed. Seriously.

Falcons over Seahawks: Barely. What was with the second half rallies this week? Man! On the one hand, it's not easy to win at Qwest Field. On the other hand, it's the Seahawks. THE SEAHAWKS.

Packers over Broncos: Again with the Duh. The Packers are scary good this year. Repeat? Maybe.

Pats over Raiders: Well, yes.

Chargers over Dolphins: Again, duh.

Ravens over Jets: It was either Al or Cris, but I think it was Al, who remarked that you had a better chance of scoring while on defense on Sunday night. He's not wrong.

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2011 Week 4 Picks

This week, the Eagles host the 49ers. Working in the Eagles favor will be the fact that kickoff will feel like 10 am to the 49ers. Right now, it feels like there's not a whole lot else is going the Eagles way. But it's do-or-die time for our boys in green. Dropping two at home in a row is not acceptable. Losing to the NFC West is not acceptable. Starting the season 1-3 is not acceptable.

I hope Andy, Marty, Bobby and Juan have had some sort of chat with the players this week that vaguely resembles the above.

Win. Now. Please.

Eagles.

In the rest of the matchups:

Lions at Cowboys: Lions. And it won't even take a muffed hold on a field goal by Tony Romo, I promise.

Saints at Jaguars: Saints. It's early days, but it's not too early to rule on the Jags. They suck.

Titans at Browns: Browns. I would've gone with the Titans, but I think the loss of Kenny Britt is going to be a huge problem for them.

Bills at Bengals: Bills. Who are looking great so far. The victory over the Pats last week was HUGE. Hope this week isn't a letdown.

Redskins at Rams: Redskins. The Rams also suck, for what it's worth.

Vikings at Chiefs: Vikings. Who fortunately get to play a team that's even worse than they are. This week.

Steelers at Texans: Texans. I know, I know. But the Texans are on this year, and the Steelers are not, at least not so far.

Panthers at Bears: Bears. Hope poor Cam doesn't get bummed by that very short winning streak.

Falcons at Seahawks: Falcons. NFC West strikes again.

Giants at Cardinals: Giants. See above.

Broncos at Packers: Packers. The Packers are looking like a possible repeat.

Patriots at Raiders: Pats. I almost called Raiders, particularly since they'll be playing in Cali. But I just can't quite get there.

Dolphins at Chargers: Chargers. The Dolphins are, well, the Dolphins. The Chargers will probably pull their usual BS around the playoffs, but you know what? They'll be in the playoffs. The Dolphins, not so much.

Jets at Ravens: Ravens. The Jets may be joining the Eagles on the hot seat as biggest disappointment of the first quarter of the season.

Colts at Buccaneers: Bucs. No way that's possible if Peyton were playing, but he's not.

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Sunday Schedule: Sunday, October 2, 2011

Chez Engel is closed again this weekend, as Chef Spouse and I will be in PA helping You-Two-Calm-Down-or-I'm-Turning-Off-the-TV Dad celebrate a milestone birthday (hint: it's NOT 21) while also helping him and Lifelong Eagles Fan Mom warm their newly renovated kitchen.

We'll be watching Eagles/49ers, of course, but the other games that look like good bets this weekend include:

1 pm: Lions/Cowboys
4 pm: Patriots/Raiders 

And of course Jets/Ravens on Sunday Night Football.

MNF is ANOTHER prime-time appearance for the Colts. Bet the NFL honchos wish flex scheduling was already available to them.

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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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2011 Week 2 Recap

Eagles at Falcons, Sunday, September 18, 2011

In attendance: Chef Spouse, Shoegal, and her new beau Oscar

Menu: grilled cheese and cream of tomato soup. Fall seems to have arrived in DC.

Stud of the week: how could it be anyone other than my boy Trent Cole? 5 tackles, an assist, and a sack. And he spent the whole damn game in the Falcons backfield. He's a beast!

I also have to give a major shout out to Mike Kafka. When Vick went down on what was just a truly unfortunate play - no cheap shot or anything, just bad luck - Kafka was in a tough spot. I actually yelled: "Our season has become Kafka-esque!" And while the coaches had to simplify the playbook down to about 1 page, still, Kafka, had the team in position to win the game if it wasn't for Jeremy Maclin's inexplicable 4th down drop. Gotta make that catch, son. Also, Vince Young? Man up with that hammy or move on, yo. We need a REAL backup, not someone who's limin' on the sideline when the shit's going down.

What a frustrating game! The secondary shut down the Falcons' receivers - with the exception of Tony Gonzales, for whom they had NO answer. The lineman blew it up into the Falcons' backfield most of the night - Matty Ice must've been having nightmares about Trent Cole, Cullen Jenkins and Jason Babin all last night - but the linebackers got repeatedly manhandled as Michael Turner ran wild, particularly in the 4th quarter.

The offense put up 400+ yards, but also committed 3 turnovers. Jeremy Maclin had a great game, even coming back from a ridiculous cheap shot by asshole Falcon Dunta Robinson, but then he also had that inexplicable 4th-and-4 drop. Andy had one great challenge, and a TOTAL whiff on the non-interception by Kelvin Hayden where intended receiver "Hands" Avant begged him to throw the red hanky.

And the red zone defense was terrible - the Falcons were 5 for 5 in the red zone. C'mon man! That is NOT a potential playoff team.

Nor is having ONE great quarter. Scoring 21 unanswered points to take the lead is fantastic - but not if you can't hold it. I know, I know - Vick concussion, Kafka, drops, etc. Let's be honest: the defense looked gassed at the end, and the Falcons turned the Eagles' typical game plan against them - get a lead and run, run, run once the D gets tired.

Why is it always the same? Amazing talent, lack of consistent focus. Sigh.

And let's talk about Dunta Robinson for a minute. I don't know if this is typical behavior, but I do know in the Eagles' last two games against the Falcons, Dunta Robinson has clearly been headhunting whichever Eagles offensive player is having the best game. NFC South fans: is this normal? Regardless, he's a dirty, cheap player who should've been expelled from the game and suspended afterwards.

Around the rest of the NFL...I got killed in my picks this week.

Lions over Chiefs: Team of destiny! What did I tell you? And Matthew Stafford has made it through TWO games without getting injured! That might be more than we can say about Todd Haley, who may have to enter the witness protection program.

Bills over Raiders: OK, they've beat the Chiefs and the Raiders, so it's not like they've taken out the Pats and the Jets (who are both, sadly for the Bills, in their division), but the Bills are 2-0. That may be the biggest surprise of the first two weeks.

Titans over Ravens: Are we sure that was the same team that destroyed the Steelers last week? Like, did the actual Ravens accidentally go to the wrong stadium? And that was some completely other team in their jerseys? Because that was bizarre.

Jets over Jags: Well, yes. I'm amazed the Jags successfully executed a field goal. And given how bad the Colts look, they might not even be the worst team in their division this year. Speaking of...

Browns over Colts: Think you feel bad today after the Eagles' loss last night? Check out Stampede Blue - those folks are suicidal. I'm guessing Peyton Manning will go on IR within the next week or two, and then Jim Caldwell, Chris Polian and Tom Telesco can start looking for a replacement for Kerry Collins.

Redskins over Cardinals: Great game, too! As a colleague who's a Redskins fan pointed out to me, eventually Rex Grossman will remember that he's, well, Rex Grossman. But for now, the Redskins look vastly improved in 2011. Maybe Mike Shanahan does still have a few tricks in his bag.

Bucs over Vikings: As I'd predicted, Big5 did have a better game this week, but it still wasn't enough. I have a bad feeling about this.

Packers over Panthers: It's official. Cam Newton is the real deal. I know, I know, the Panthers are 0-2. But these two losses aren't like ANY of their losses last year. There's hope in Carolina today. Mark my words - they'll be a contender in that division within the next few years.

Saints over Bears: The Saints are almost as hard to beat at home as the Falcons. And Jay Cutler apparently woke up Sunday morning and remembered that he's Jay Cutler. The 6 sacks the Saints recorded didn't hurt, either. Well, in the metaphorical sense - I'm sure Jay felt like ass today.

Steelers over Seahawks: Yeah...Tavaris Jackson...yeah...From the NFL.com recap, the Seahawks didn't have a SINGLE offensive snap in Steelers' territory until the 4th quarter. Yikes.

Cowboys over 49ers: I tend to think Tony Romo is over-rated and that blowing it under pressure is FAR more his style than coming up clutch, but I have to give him credit for coming back yesterday afternoon with a punctured lung. Then again, it might be that looking over his shoulder and seeing a solid backup in Jon Kitna has him worried about losing his starting job. Also, WTF was up with all the Cowboys fans in Candlestick Park? This isn't Phillies versus Nats in DC, y'all!

Pats over Chargers: The Pats are looking scary-good this year, at least so far. And that really galls me.

Broncos over Bengals: And Kyle Orton is spared another week. You have heard about the billboard thing, right? That's gotta hurt.

Texans over Dolphins: Yeah, baby! I knew it would be their year eventually - all it took was Peyton going out.

On MNF, the Rams just turned a pick and a great offensive series into...a field goal. Not a good sign. Then again, Eli's making that face a lot this evening - you know the one I mean. So it might not be over for the Rams. (Written too soon as the Rams muff a punt return - and a week of great football, even with an Eagles loss, prepares to go out with a whimper.)


 

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