Posts Tagged ‘Carolina Panthers’

LEICESTER CITY, STEPH CURRY, AND THE ALL MADRID FINALS II

Monday, May 16th, 2016

by Nwaji Jibunoh

Nwaji Blog

 

 

 

 

As we get into the business end of the sports season, you find that times are changing with some intriguing accomplishments occurring.

Denver's stingy defense helps "The Sheriff" ride off into the sunset a champion. (Photo courtesy of FoxBusiness.com)

Denver’s stingy defense helps “The Sheriff” ride off into the sunset a champion.
(Photo courtesy of FoxBusiness.com)

In the 2015/2016 sports calendar year, we have already seen Peyton Manning and The Denver Broncos crowned Super Bowl Champions after an incredible defensive display against the Cam Newton-led Carolina Panthers.

In as much as the lead up to the Super Bowl was quite exciting and the emergence of Cam Newton as an elite Quarterback was something to note, special mention needs to go out to other fascinating accomplishments occurring in other sporting events.

EPL Champions - Leicester City

EPL Champions – Leicester City

Let us begin with the English Premiership. At the conclusion of the 2014/2015 season, a little known club located in the East Midland of England finished in 14th place in a league with only 20 clubs. A little known club that nobody truly ranked and were given a whopping 5000/1 Odds to win the title the following season. That little known club are currently the champions of England and that little known club is Leicester City. To put things in context, let us use a case study for the odds that the bookies put in play at the beginning of the season. A lifetime Leicester City supporter put a 50 pounds ($30) bet on those odds of 5000/1 to win the title. That lifetime supporter cashed out on a take home prize of 250,000 pounds ($166,000). What has been accomplished by this club who had a spending budget of 52m pounds ($32.5M) in comparison to the likes of Manchester City (411m – $274M), Manchester United (391m – $260M), and Chelsea (298m – $198M) is something that has never ever been witnessed in British football. Leicester City took advantage of a slow methodology of playing every single game to win and taking advantage of lackluster performances from the other big clubs. Credit goes out to their manager (Claudio Ranieri) and star players James Vardy (who only a few years ago was combining his playing time while working part-time as a technician making medical splints) and Riyad Mahrez (a relatively unknown Algerian now among the English Premier League elites).

As we talk about this great accomplishment in sports by Leicester City, we cannot go any further without mentioning what Wardell Stephen “Steph” Curry has done in the NBA this year. Let us look at some quick numbers to put things into perspective. In the 2014/2015 season where he was crowned MVP and also won the NBA championship, his numbers were as follows:

Regular Season – 23.8 ppg. Playoffs – 28.3 ppg. Total number of three pointers made – 286.

This season, his numbers are:

30 ppg and he made 402 three pointers. I will say that again….402. The only other player to come close was Ray Allen with 289 and we all know him to be a three point genius. Steph Curry has

Stephen Curry hoists his second consecutive MVP trophy prior to Game 5 of the second round of the Western Conference Semifinals vs. the Portland Trail Blazers at Oracle Arena.  (Photo courtesy of Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

Stephen Curry hoists his second consecutive MVP trophy prior to Game 5 of the second round of the Western Conference Semifinals vs. the Portland Trail Blazers at Oracle Arena.
(Photo courtesy of Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

completely redefined basketball and the point guard position, and he makes shots from pretty much anywhere he wants to. He controls the tempo of the court and pulls out perimeter defenders, allowing other players such as Klay Thompson and Draymond Green to make significant contributions. The Conference Finals this year will see some exciting matchups with Golden State taking on Oklahoma City Thunder as perennial All-Stars (Curry, Thompson, Green, Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka) will dominate the highlights in the best of 7 series. On the East Coast, it looks like Cleveland with Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, back at this stage of the competition healthy, will compliment the enigma that is LeBron James. We will most likely see the Cavs steamroll pass the Toronto Raptors to meet the best of the West.

UEFA Champions League Final - Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid - May 28th, 2016

UEFA Champions League Final – Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid – May 28th, 2016

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid both finished in second and third positions in the Spanish La Liga. They were edged out by Barcelona but not before Barcelona suffered successive defeats to both clubs in the El Classcio and Champions League semifinals. These two clubs are Spanish power houses and are getting ready to battle it out in the Champions League Finals. This is not the first time we are going to have an “All Madrid Final”. In 2014, we saw these two clubs battle it out with Real Madrid emerging victorious. The Star man then and now and 3 time Ballon D’or (World Footballer of the Year) recipient, Cristiano Ronaldo is of course the centre of attraction. The last time these two teams met, Ronaldo was breaking records with an astonishing 51 goals. He has achieved that milestone again this season and goes into this final fully charged and poised to pick up his 3rd UEFA Champions League trophy. It will not be easy as Diego Simeone and his Atletico Madrid team, that play a high tempo coordinated style of Spanish football, will be looking to get revenge against their 2014 finalist fellow city rivals. These two teams have already met twice this season with Atletico winning one game and the other game ending in a tie. The UEFA Champions League Final which will be played at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy will be an explosive encounter come May 28th.

All in all, it has been an exciting year so far with so much more to play as we have the NBA Finals, UCL Finals, and the European Championships.

Sports fans, eat your heart out as the games will always continue to bring nothing but sheer entertainment and exhilarating excitement….

 

Nwaji Jibunoh, International Correspondent for War Room Sports

Located in Lagos, Nigeria, Nwaji Jibunoh is War Room Sports’ International Soccer Contributor.  Nwaji also contributes commentary on U.S. sports from an international perspective.  He’s an Atlanta Falcons fan, Howard University alum, and former tight end for the North Atlanta High School Warriors.

WATCH: Darren Sproles’ punt return for touchdown against Panthers

Tuesday, November 11th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

Cam. Woah Cam. The turf at the Linc is what Cam Newton will remember most from his trip to Philadelphia for Monday Night Football.

Cam. Woah Cam. The turf at the Linc is what Cam Newton will remember most from his trip to Philadelphia for Monday Night Football.

It was a game with many, many Philadelphia Eagles highlights, as the team extended its record to 7-2 with the 45-21 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Monday night. Blowout games tend to serve as highlight reels for the team doing the blowing out.

The Panthers, on the other hand, were so bad that you felt for them. You knew how awful quarterback Cam Newton must have felt after suffering sack after sack after sack by Eagles defenders, particularly LB Connor Barwin, who played like a man possessed with 3.5 sacks on Newton. Cam was sacked a total of 9 times in the game. Ouch. But he kept getting up, only to receive more punishment.

So many highlights from the Birds this game that it’s hard to pick one – there were the multiple, steady, and productive Mark Sanchez-to-Jordan Matthew’s connections that resulted in two touchdowns. For his part, Sanchez, in his first full game leading the Eagles offense, finished the game with an impressive 20 of 37 for 332 yards and two touchdowns.

Let’s go to an old favorite this season. RB Darren Sproles, the man so foolishly given up by the New Orleans Saints. He just won’t quit, and he has always delivered for this Eagles team.

The Eagles scored in all phases on Monday night – on offense, on defense, and on special teams. Watch Sproles deliver a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown, his second TD of the game – all while still in the first quarter.

 

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

All eyes on Mark Sanchez as Philadelphia Eagles face Carolina Panthers

Monday, November 10th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

MS

As with any game, there are many important aspects of the Philadelphia Eagles on which to focus this Monday night. But who are we kidding?: Tonight’s game against the Carolina Panthers is all about Mark Sanchez.

Every step he takes, every move he makes, we’ll be watching him. Every throw. Every decision. Can Sanchez ably lead the Birds for the six to eight weeks that Nick Foles is expected to be out with a broken collarbone? If so, is he the quarterback on which we should hitch our trailers for an even longer stretch of time? If Sanchez can avoid the turnovers that became an all-too prevalent part of Foles’ performance this season and turn in a series of consistent performances, the answer could be yes. But those are big “ifs”. Sanchez has his own history of turning the ball over to overcome. Since entering the league in 2009, the former USC quarterback has thrown for more interceptions (71) than touchdowns (70) in his career.

Evan Mathis’will return to the o-line just as Todd Herremans exits for the season due to torn biceps. The Eagles have finally found some footing with their running game and would do well to take advantage of the 131.9 yards the Panthers have allowed on the ground each game. With a healthy Chris Polk added to the already powerful mix of LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles, the Birds could have a dynamic game on the ground tonight. The run needs to be a prevalent part of tonight’s game to allow Sanchez time to adjust to the role of signal caller for Philadelphia.

There is another important story to watch as the Eagles take the field at the Linc tonight and for the remainder of the season. How will Philadelphia fill in for the loss of DeMeco Ryans? Defensive coordinator Bill Davis plans for Casey Matthews and Emmanuel Acho to take over Ryans’ middle linebacker responsibility as far as making calls. On the field, the defense will use a combination of Acho, Matthews, and Mychal Kendricks to make up for the loss of Ryans. It’s a similar solution as to when Kendricks was sidelined for several weeks, Davis said last week.

“[Linebackers] Coach Rick Minter does a great job of teaching the concepts of both so we can move multiple guys to the MIKE or the WIL depending on what we need”, Davis said. “Whether we’re in dime or nickel or anything like that. Right now it’s the same rotation as when Mychal [Kendricks] was down. It’ll be [Emmanuel] Acho and Casey [Matthews] handling first and second down duties at the DeMeco spot instead of the Mychal spot. They’re cross-trained and they’ll be fine.”

While the Panthers defense features Luke Kuechly, last year’s Defensive Player of the Year at MLB, it is struggling this season. They have already given up 236 points this season. They gave up only 241 in all of 2013. They are missing Pro Bowl DE Greg Hardy. Their struggles will be a nice complement to an Eagles team adjusting to key losses on both sides of the ball.

Cam Newton and the Panthers’ offense aren’t doing well on any front this year, putting up just 19.7 points per game, 25th in the league. By comparison, the Eagles average 29.2 points per game (5th in the NFL). Newton is completing just 57% of his passes, and Carolina’s receiving corps’ top producers are Greg Olsen, Kelvin Benjamin and former Eagle Jason Avant. Love Avant as we do, that is hardly a stellar lineup. The Panthers are also putting together just 94.7 rushing yards per game, which leaves them with no clear answers for getting points on the board.

A Panthers team with significant issues facing an Eagles team adjusting to key losses on both sides of the ball may make for a more competitive Monday night matchup than we’d like to see. But the Eagles will still prevail.

Prediction: Eagles 24, Panthers 14

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

Fantasy Sports Chronicles (Vol. 2): #IHateFantasyFootball

Monday, November 18th, 2013

by Devin McMillan

Dev Blog

Julius Thomas - Tight End - Denver Broncos (Image via Fansided.com) Julius Thomas – Tight End – Denver Broncos
(Image via Fansided.com)

Another true story from my Fantasy Football Chronicles…

I generally don’t check my fantasy scores during the day (Sundays) because frankly, it’s distracting and  meaningless.  There’s nothing you can do about the score or your lineup once the games have begun, except of course, if you are on the fence about some late-game starters, etc.  I do however get pop-up messages on my DirecTv when a player from my team scores points.  Since I hadn’t seen many alerts all day, I had just assumed that I was getting my ass kicked.  During the Sunday Night game (Chiefs at Broncos), I just so happened to peek at the score, only to find out that I was down by a mere 15 points, with my tight end (Julius Thomas – Broncos) currently in action and my defense (Panthers) playing on Monday Night.  Since my opponent had no players left, I suddenly felt optimistic.  If Thomas could get me a few more points, then he could lessen the load tonight for the Panthers as they try to put the clamps on Tom Brady and company.  I swear on EVERYTHING I hold dear, not 2 minutes after I made this realization, Julius Thomas was hit on the knee and left the game, never to return (at least I don’t think he returned…I took my ass to bed in disgust at that point).  He damn sure didn’t score another point.  So now I find myself down 15 points with the Panthers defense playing against Tom Terrific in the prime time lights of Monday Night Football.  The Panthers have a VERY good defense, but scoring 16 or more points tonight IS NOT LIKELY…is it???  #IHAteFantasyFootball

Please feel free to share some of your crazy, irony-filled stories about your experiences playing fantasy sports.

Devin McMillan of The War Room, for War Room Sports

Philadelphia Eagles: 2013 Preseason Schedule Released

Saturday, April 6th, 2013

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

We’re in the depths of the long football offseason, but lo!  A slight vision of hope on the horizon.  The release of the Philadelphia Eagles preseason schedule.  Kinda sorta.

It’s something, right?

The exact dates and times are not yet fixed, but in the first preseason under head coach Chip Kelly, the Birds’ schedule will be as follows:

 

 

 

August 8 – 11: vs. New England

August 15 – 19: vs. Carolina

August 22 – 25: at Jacksonville

August 29-30: at New York Jets

While the preseason is typically not greeted by the most excitement, under a new regime it will provide important insights into what Kelly’s plans are for Philadelphia for the regular season, including how the quarterback situation is shaping up at that time.

So.  You ready?  Just four months to go.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

Injuries Keep Piling Up for the Philadelphia Eagles as DeSean Jackson Placed on IR

Thursday, November 29th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

DeSean Jackson walks off the field on Monday Night.
(Photo by Michael Perez of the Associated Press)

To say that the  Philadelphia Eagles offense has been unlucky when it comes to injuries in the 2012 season is to put the situation mildly. The o-line has been decimated by injuries, Mike Vick and LeSean McCoy are struggling to recover from concussions, and another key weapon was added to the list this week: DeSean Jackson.

Head coach Andy Reid said the wideout was placed on IR after suffering fractures to ribs in the first quarter of the Monday Night Football contest against the Carolina Panthers, ending his season. Jackson finished the season with a disappointing 45 catches for 700 yards and 2 touchdowns.

In related news, Reid also revealed on Tuesday that Jason Peters is also headed to IR. He had previously been placed on the non-football injury list.

It doesn’t like the Eagles offense will catch a break anytime soon as the injuries continue to pile up.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

3 Bright Spots from Philadelphia Eagles’ 30-22 Loss to the Carolina Panthers

Tuesday, November 27th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

His name is Brown. That’s what they call him.
(Image via the Philadelphia Eagles)

The words are more difficult to come by with each loss.  What more is there to say?  The nightmare that is the 2012 season for the Philadelphia Eagles continues.

In a season with not much positivity, I can’t bear to write another somber account of yet another Eagles loss.  At least not at the moment.  There were a few bright spots from the Philadelphia Eagles’ 30-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers to highlight, so let’s have a look.

1. They made it a game.  This could be both a positive and a negative.  We expected a blowout after Carolina scored two touchdowns in quick succession in the first quarter, but the Eagles made it a game and went into halftime with a 15-14 lead.  Perhaps that glimmer of hope made the unraveling that happened later in the game, something to which we’ve grown far too accustomed as of late, that much more painful.  Or not, as we just don’t expect much from this team anymore.  But we saw that there is still some life and fight in this Philadelphia team, something we haven’t witnessed in weeks.

2. Bryce Brown.  His two fumbles cost the game.  But the Birds were right to trust their instincts when drafting Brown,  who had 178 rushing yards in his first NFL start, averaging an incredible 9.4 yards per carry and running in both Philadelphia touchdowns.  Brown set an Eagles rookie record for most rushing yards in a single game.  He must be sick about his fumbles and how they impacted his team, and Brown will remember that feeling and learn to hang on to the ball.

3. DeMeco Ryans.  The defense continues to be a perplexing mess but think how much worse it would be if the Eagles hadn’t acquired the middle linebacker in the offseason.  He led the D with 10 total tackles and made plays when no one else would.  Or could.  He is one player whose fight you can see each and every week.

There’s so much not-so-positive from the game to discuss it’s hard to know where to start.  But  that will be coming at you soon.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

Nnamdi Asomugha Believes Things Will Turn Around for Himself and the Philadelphia Eagles

Monday, November 26th, 2012

Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

  Fairly or unfairly, if there is one player who represents the underperformance of the 2011 and 2012 Philadelphia Eagles, it is Nnamdi Asomugha.

When the Birds landed the three-time Pro Bowl corner in the free agent spending spree that followed the NFL lockout in the summer of 2011, it seemed that the sky was the limit for the team.  In hindsight, it’s hard to fault Vince Young for his “Dream Team” comment, particularly after they landed the most prized free agent of the year in corner Nnamdi Asomugha.  In those early moments of a shortened training camp, it seemed that with the talent the Birds had locked up, the sky was the limit for the squad.

Or not.  Asomugha, along with his team, struggled in 2011.  Maybe he needed time to acclimate to a new system.  Perhaps he wasn’t being utilized properly.  Maybe things would get better when Philadelphia offloaded Asante Samuel.

After embracing Jeffrey Lurie’s notion that 8-8 wasn’t good enough, this offseason again generated new hope.  Players like Asomugha were confident.  They had a season of  Juan Castillo’s system under their belts.  Unlike the previous offseason, there was time to work with their teammates in OTAs and minicamps and truly gel as a team.  For real this time — THIS was going to be the year.

Until, once again, it wasn’t.  In the middle of a season that is unbearably miserable, Asomugha still has failed to deliver.  He has just one interception and has fallen so far in the eyes of his opponents that he’s not even seen as a threat.  Teams now throw towards him and why not?  They are having a great success doing so.  Opposing quarterbacks have a 110.4 QB rating when throwing in Asomugha’s direction so far this season, according to ProFootballFocus.  He has just one interception.  This is not working out as anyone planned, including Asomugha.

Asomugha knows that he is being heavily criticized and deserves it.  He opened up to reporters on Friday to discuss that reality.

“Obviously, it hasn’t been as good as I wanted it to be.  As far as team and individually, my expectations were so high, and then things just kind of just hit really quickly and it was like team-wise and player-wise, it was kind of like playing catch-up, trying to get it back on the right foot.”

“So that part of it has been difficult.  But I still keep that faith and believe that at some point the thing will turn, because the mindset is keep working hard, keep pushing and at some point, it’s going to turn.  And that’s just what I believe.”

For Eagles players and coaches to continue to get on the field each and every week they have to believe that things will change.  That they will improve.  Otherwise, who would suit up to be humiliated by bad teams every week?  Asomugha believes that things will turn around, but when will that be, exactly?  And why has he struggled so much in his career as a Philadelphia Eagle?

At least Asomugha knows how poorly an attempt at an explanation will be perceived these days.  We are far beyond the point of needing words.  All we will believe is improved play on the field.

“I think there’s a lot of things that go into it, but I think to say anything about that now would kind of be like making an excuse.”

“So my mind is focused on turning it around instead of why hasn’t it or what has been the issue.  I don’t want to get into that and make it seem like there’s an excuse.  You know?”

What Asomugha knows is the frustration of being a fan and seeing a player you expect to come up big fail to do so week after week.  So, unlike some of his teammates, he’s not going to lash out at the Eagles fanbase.  He understands where they’re coming from.

“As a fan I can look back to teams that I like and a player that I’ve liked  comes in and expecting it to just change, and it not working out and being upset about that,” he said.  “I can’t now be that guy and look at them and say, ‘You can’t be upset that we haven’t won and I haven’t been Superman on the field’ even though that’s what has been expected of me.”

The Eagles will face many big questions at the end of the season, one of which will be whether or not to hang on to Nnamdi. He is set to earn $15 million in 2013 if he stays in Philly, $4 million of that guaranteed.  And this is where he wants to be.

“I absolutely believe in the decision I have made and believe in this team.”

There are six more games in the season for us to see Asomugha make that turn he referred to.  He is certainly not the only player on the team, or even the defense, who needs to improve dramatically so that this team has a chance to win games.  Will he be back next year?  We’ll see.  For now, let’s see whether Asomugha can help to neutralize the potent combination of Cam Newton throwing to Steve Smith against the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

QB Nick Foles and RB Bryce Brown Expected to Start for Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night

Friday, November 23rd, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

Rookies RB Bryce Brown and QB Nick Foles will lead the Eagles offense on Monday Night against the Carolina Panthers.

 

Nick Foles will see the bright lights of Monday Night Football for the first time as he returns as the Eagles starting quarterback for the second straight game.  Foles’ start is expected as the Philadelphia Eagles face the Carolina Panthers this week.  Mike Vick is still struggling to recover from and pass league mandated testing for a concussion sustained in Week 10 against the Cowboys .

The rookie quarterback will have another opportunity to get used to the speed of the NFL and find his stride within it.  Following his less-than-spectacular debut against the Redskins, where he threw 21 of 46 passes for 204 yards with two interceptions, Foles has vowed to learn from the experience and improve — quickly.

“I’m not going to make any excuses.  I need to get better.  I’m going to learn from it, though.  I was able to see what I did fundamentally, maybe decision-making sometimes, and I’m going to improve on it.”

Running back LeSean McCoy is also dealing with a concussion and another rookie, Bryce Brown, is expected to get his first start in McCoy’s absence.  Remarkably, it will be Brown’s first start since 2008 when he was in high school.  Drafting Brown was a gamble but the Eagles have used him steadily this season.  Brown has so far accumulated 141 yards on 32 carries.  He will need to show that his blocking abilities have greatly improved in order to provide some help to the struggling Philadelphia offense.

On the other side of the ball, another rookie looks forward to an exciting game, as defensive end Vinny Curry will be active for the first time this season.  And why not give the hometown kid a try?  The disappointing performance of the widely touted Eagles defensive line throughout the season has been one of the many storylines attributed to the 3-7 record of the team.  The second-round pick is eager to show the fans and his teammates what he can do, but knows that being active for the game doesn’t tell him how much action he’ll see on the field.

“Patience is the key.  Face it, those guys are household names [teammates like Trent Cole and Jason Babin].  I also want to establish my name around this league.”

“That’s going to be pretty sweet being active.  But now the thing is, hopefully I get a lot of plays.”

Curry’s enthusiasm is infectious and his eagerness to give his all to the team he grew up rooting for means he plans to put it all out on the table.  Or, more accurately, on the field.  What should Eagles fans expect to see from Curry when he finally gets an opportunity to show what he can do during NFL regular season action?

“Just a guy out there who has worked his tail off.  I was brought here in the second round, and I just want to show them what I can bring to the table and let them form their own opinion about me.”

In a game that may well yield yet another bleak outcome for Philadelphia’s woeful season, that’s something to root for.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

Andy Reid Won’t Quit on Coaching the Philadelphia Eagles

Tuesday, November 20th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

(Image via USA Today)

Andy Reid’s job as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles is safe at least through Monday night, per a report in the Daily News.  And if you’re hoping that Reid will show mercy and throw himself on the sword of unemployment, you’re out of luck.  It ain’t happening.

Reid was asked whether his own leadership has been rendered ineffective in trying to motivate his men.  As we know with our Andy, he likes to evaluate everything.  Including himself.

“Listen, I look at everything.  I’m not telling you I don’t look at that.  I think we’re not winning football games, so I take that responsibility and since I’m in that leadership spot, then my leadership right now isn’t good enough.  I’ve got to do a better job there and make sure that we play better.” (Emphasis mine)

Do you think that the phrase “we’ve got to do a better job” or any variation thereof sounds as hollow to Reid as it comes out of his mouth as it does falling onto our tired, saddened ears?

The questioning went further and Reid was asked point blank if there was a stage when he would consider stepping down from his head coaching duties.

“I’m standing in front of the team and telling them these are the things we need to do, one of which is to continue to battle.  So, I think that’d be a cop-out.  That’s not how I see things.  That’s not the way I’m wired.  We’re going to keep battling and do it as a team.  I’m not going to tell the guys one thing and then do the other.”

Big Red continues to stick up for his team, his players, and swears that there is no leadership void on the squad.  And he continues to say that the issues are fixable.  If the issues can be addressed but still are problems, then where do you go from there?  What’s the point in saying the problems are “fixable” when you have shown game after game that the team is, for whatever reason, not capable of fixing them?

There are no words that Reid can say that any of us want to hear at this stage.  We’re beyond that.  There is nothing that can be said to begin to address the failure that has been this season.  So Reid has stopped trying to explain.  And we are no longer willing to listen.

The Eagles currently stand in 15th place in the NFC.  The team in last place?  Monday night’s opponent, the Carolina Panthers.  Does anyone truly believe that there’s a team left in the league that the Birds can handily beat?  Or just beat at all?  If it doesn’t happen on Monday then a prime time audience will have a front-row seat to the revolt of a fanbase.

Injury news

Reid  stated that Mike Vick will be the starting quarterback if healthy next week, throwing aside the conventional wisdom that the season is Foles’ to ride into the sunset.  However, Vick failed his impact test and is still at baseline so still has a way to go towards health.

LeSean McCoy is also at stage one of his concussion and is day to day.  Reid stated that, in his non-medical opinion, Shady’s injury didn’t seem as “significant” as Vick’s but added, “who am I to judge?”

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports