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A Modest Proposal: Checking in on a Philadelphia Eagles Preseason Prediction

Monday, October 22nd, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

 

It’s not yet midseason but the bye week provides an opportunity to take a look at the Eagles season thus far and consider what the next ten games may feature.

While the Eagles are at exactly .500 at 3-3, there is ominous feeling surrounding the team and the rest of the season.  Why?  Because no one is convinced that the many issues on offense that have plagued the Birds — that o-line, the fumbles, the play calling — have been corrected.  While head coach Andy Reid chose to take a stand by firing defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, he has taken no action on the offensive side of the ball.

We desperately want to believe that the problems on Philadelphia’s offense will magically work themselves out.  Magic may well be the only solution, as we’ve seen no evidence of any ability on the coaching staff to adequately address the errors that have afflicted the team thus far.  Which is precisely why Reid seemingly has decided to stay the course.

What’s that, that they say about the definition of insanity?  Doing the same thing repeatedly yet expecting different results.  It’s a quote that is often applied to the Philadelphia Eagles and especially Andy Reid for reasons precisely like this.

In early September I made a prediction for the Eagles 2012 season.  Nothing outrageous, but an achievable goal: A 10-6 record for the season.

At 3-3, that means the Eagles need to go 7-3 for the remainder of the season in order to reach a record of 10-6.  Can they do it?

The next test is the undefeated Atlanta Falcons at home.  If the Birds don’t come out swinging this game they never will.  The jobs of their coach and starting quarterback are on the line, and Reid’s perfect record out of the bye won’t hurt.

Philadelphia then takes to the national stage and heads to New Orleans to face the Saints on Monday Night Football.  The Super Dome is a notoriously difficult place to play and after a very poor start, the Saints have some momentum and are heartened by the moral victory of having Jonathan Vilma back with the team.

Then we get into the thick of the NFC East battles.  If the present is any indication of the remainder of the season, this may not be a year where a poor record can win the division, with the Giants currently standing strong with a 5-2 record.  Dallas will come to town in Week 10, then the Eagles will head down the road in Week 11 to face an RGIII-led Redskins team for the first time.

Monday Night calls again in Week 12 as the Birds play Cam Newton in what so far has been a disappointing and frustrating season for the Panthers.  In Week 13 Philadelphia gets even more prime time action as the Eagles faceoff with the Cowboys in the den of evil—Dallas– on Sunday Night Football.

With the end of the season in sight, the Eagles will face the Bucs in Tampa Bay in Week 14; back-to-back home games against the Bengals and Redskins, and in Week 17 finish it all off against the Giants.

To finish at 10-6, the Eagles can lose only three of their remaining games.  If they can lose even fewer, fabulous.  The good news is that, aside from the Falcons, none of the remaining Eagles opponents seem formidable.  And the fact that Atlanta will play at the Linc lessens the worry.

The season will come down to the division games.  I’m hoping that the Giants will do the opposite of what they did last year — start off strong and then trail off come the end of the season.  But the Redskins are a surging team and are going to be more and more of a challenge for Philadelphia as RG3III gains more experience in the league.  Dallas is an organization with a lot on the line if they have another disappointing year so expect a lot of fight from the Cowboys.

Whatever the record, we know that this year it’s about the postseason.  Making it there and going deep.  But first thing’s first: the Birds need the record and the standing to put them in a position to make a run.

As is said far too frequently when the Philadelphia Eagles are involved, there is an incredible level of talent on this roster.  It’s all about how it’s put together.  Time to see that “FIGHT-FIGHT-FIGHT” we know this team has to battle through and show what they’re truly made of.

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

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Eli Manning: Undoubtedly Elite

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

By Devin McMillan

It all started back in August (2011) on a New York City radio show.  Show host Michael Kay asked New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning if he considers himself an “elite” quarterback, in the class of say……3-time Superbowl champion and American Golden Boy, Tom Brady.  Eli’s response?…

“I consider myself in that class.  Tom Brady is a great quarterback, he’s a great player, and what you’ve seen with him is he’s gotten better every year.  He started off winning championships and I think he’s a better quarterback now than what he was, in all honesty, when he was winning those championships.  I think now he’s grown up and gotten better every year and that’s what I’m trying to do.  I kind of hope these next seven years of my quarterback days are my best.”

America’s response?…

Eli’s comments were met with laughter, ridicule, and in some circles, even a little anger.  No one believed him.  But what was he supposed to say?  Was he supposed to say, “no, I’m not in that class, I’ll never get any better than I was the last time you saw me, Tom Brady is my daddy”?  Had he spoken with that sort of lack of confidence, the firestorm of criticism may have been even greater than what he received for exuding the utmost confidence in his talent, skill level, and abilities.  What would Giants fans have thought had Eli cowered in the face of what should have been viewed as a challenge to him to become the very best he could be?  I wonder if they even believed him.  I’ve had discussions with Giants fans in the past few years who wouldn’t even say that Eli was the best quarterback in the NFC East, let alone one of the better signal callers in the league; a ridiculous notion if you ask me.

I believed Eli’s comments to Michael Kay, and had been a believer for quite some time prior to them.  I had long before noticed his propensity to shine in clutch moments and I believed he was well on his way to climbing from underneath the huge shadow cast over him by his older brother.  Only this was a belief difficult to defend due to the stat-lackey nature of most sports fans.  Though Eli Manning tossed the pigskin around for 4002 yards and a career high 31 touchdowns in the Giants’ 10-6 2010 season, football fans chose to concentrate on the one glaring statistic that could legitimize their arguments against Eli’s ascension into the conversation of the elite…the 25 interceptions.  Forget the 156 touchdown passes up to that point.  Forget the 4000 yard seasons that have become a trend as he improved as a QB.  Forget the 60-43 record as a starter.  Forget the 13 4th quarter comebacks and the 16 game winning drives.  Forget the Superbowl win after the 2007 season.  Forget the Superbowl MVP he EARNED with his performance in that game vs the then 18-0 New England Patriots.  Forget all of that stuff and just for a minute watch the game and make a judgment without a boxscore and preconceived notions.  It would serve the world better if more of us would learn to administer the “eye test” from time to time rather than depend on Sportscenter highlights to form our sports opinions (That’ll be the day…).  This was Eli Manning in a nutshell through the 2010 season.

Then came “the comments”.  Eli had boldly stated his arrival to a nation full of cynics.  And all he did after that was have his best season as a pro.  In the all-important 2011 campaign, Manning completed 61% of his passes, for 4933 yards, to go along with 29 TDs, 16 INTs, a QB rating of 92.9, 7 more 4th quarter comebacks, and 8 more game winning drives; all while the Giants struggled to a 9-7 record and a division title in an unexpectedly weak NFC East.  He also threw an NFL record 15- 4th quarter touchdowns; a record originally set by Johnny Unitas (14) and shared with Eli’s older brother, Peyton.  In the postseason, he raised his game even more, completing 65% of his passes, for 1219 yards, to go along with 9 TDs, 1 INT, a QB rating of 103.3, 2 more 4th quarter comebacks and 2 more game winning drives.  This run consisted of a home win vs Atlanta and 3 road wins vs the NFC #1 seeded, 15-1 defending champion Packers, the #2 seeded 49ers, and a Superbowl rematch with the AFC #1 seeded Patriots.

In my opinion, Superbowl XLVI was Eli’s finest hour.  Not because he had his finest game or anything of that nature; but because after all of the intense scrutiny that commenced prior to the season because of his comments, he was in a position to “zip-up” all of his critics in a Superbowl rematch with arguably the greatest quarterback, coach, and dynasty of this or any era…and boy did he deliver!  On the biggest stage in sports, Eli went 30/40, for 296 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs, with a 103.8 QB rating.  Though quite efficient, it wasn’t Eli’s statistics that were most impressive (which it usually isn’t).  It was the calm and poise he once again demonstrated, but this time in the biggest moments of the biggest game of his life.  Eli Manning’s most important season ever came down to the wire with another one of his signature 4th quarter comebacks and another one of his signature game winning drives.  On that final drive, Eli went 5-6 for 76 yards, including a beautiful 38-yard sideline throw and catch from Manning to Manningham, capped off with a 6-yard Bradshaw rushing TD…”by mistake”.  The evening culminated with Eli hoisting his second Lombardi trophy and his second Superbowl MVP at the expense of Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, the New England Patriots, and anyone who still refuses to give Eli Manning his “just due” for being the “elite” winner that he is.

Besides his proverbial trip to Disney World, Eli’s night came complete with a 2012 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible Centennial Edition (fit for an MVP) and these comments from his also often-embattled head coach, Tom Coughlin:

“That was quite a drive that he was able to put together.  He deserves all the credit in the world, because he really has put his team on his shoulders all year.”

Anyone with eyes and an objective opinion can see that Tom Coughlin is right.  The brightest spot of a struggling Giants team all season was the play of their quarterback.  Unlike Kevin Durant, Eli Manning didn’t sport a backpack at his press conferences.  But he damn sure hung a big blue one off his shoulder pads for 3 hours every Sunday this Fall.  I understand as much as anyone that football is the ultimate TEAM game and that no one wins or loses by themselves.  If not for the Giants front four stepping up to help late in the season, or their running game eventually showing up in the playoffs, or their entire team deciding down the stretch that they were “all in” for an historic run, Sunday night may not have happened.  However, not many thought that Eli Manning had a chance in the world to remotely live up to his reply to that dreaded Michael Kay question on an innocent August day.  Has he made you a b-ELI-ever yet?  No matter how you slice it, you definitely can no longer spell “elite” without Eli.

Take off your backpack Eli.  You can rest your shoulders now…and maybe; just maybe, the doubters can rest their mouths.

Devin McMillan of The War Room, for War Room Sports

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Superbowl XLVI Preview

Saturday, February 4th, 2012

By Brandon Pemberton

Well, the biggest sporting event of the year is finally here, Super Bowl XLVI.  The 46th installment will feature the Eli Manning-led New York Giants versus Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, who are looking for their 4th Super Bowl ring over the last eleven seasons.  I will breakdown each phase of the game: Offense, Defense, Special Teams, for each team and give out my winner against the point spread afterwards.

Also be sure to catch Sports Trap Radio, Saturdays from 10am to 2pm live on http://ueradiolive.com/ , hosted by Brandon Pemberton (@BrandonOnSports) and Chris Marshall (@215_Sports_Guy).  We will bring you the realness, each and every Saturday morning, no holds barred, no opinions withheld.  Be sure to listen in and feel free to call in and join in on the conversation and debate.

Offense

Giants: Eli Manning has had the best season of his career, carrying this team on his back all season.  The running game has been pretty non-existent for much of the season, being as though Ahmad Bradshaw missed four games due to a foot injury.  Brandon Jacobs, who is one of the team’s emotional leaders, had a mediocre season, averaging only 3.8 yards per carry and compiling 571 yards in 14 games.  But offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride has done a great job calling plays by running the ball anyway, keeping teams honest and allowing the Giants offensive line to be physical and not retreat all game.

The Giants passing game has been its bread and butter all season and for them to win the game, they will need Manning to continue to play at the elite level that he’s been at over the last two months.  People laughed at him during the preseason when he said he was one of the league’s elite, and up to this point he’s done nothing but prove everyone wrong.  The trio of wide receivers: Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, and Mario Manningham are among the league’s best.  Add in tight end Jake Ballard, who has been a pleasant surprise in the passing game and you have a deadly offense that can put up points fast.

Keys: The Giants will obviously need to protect Manning, not turn the ball over, and have some sort of running game to be an effective offensive unit and win the game.

Patriots: The Patriots offense is obviously driven by the future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, who is looking for his fourth title and revenge of the Pats’ loss in the title game four years ago.  The Pats offense is very explosive, but in a rare way, a way that we’ve never seen in the NFL before to my recollection.  The Patriots best offensive weapons are their super duo at tight end, Rob Gronkowski (90 rec, 1327 yards, 17 TD) and Aaron Hernandez (79 rec, 910 yards, 7 TD), but you can’t forget about Wes Welker (122 rec, 1569 yards, 9 TD) as well.  Welker has kind of been forgotten because of the excellent play of the tight ends but he will be lined up in the slot against the 3rd corner or Antrel Rolle, who often plays corner in the slot as well.  Gronkowski is nursing a high ankle sprain and practiced for the first time on Thursday, so we will see how effective he is during the game.  He is Brady’s favorite red zone threat.

Four years ago, the Giants were able to get constant pressure on Brady with their front four defensively.  The Pats’ offensive line must do a better job protecting Brady in this game.  We all know when he is knocked around and has to move off of his spot and rush, he isn’t as effective.  The Patriots don’t have much of a rushing game, but when given the chance, BenJarvus Green-Ellis can be effective.  He is a big battering ram, who does well between the tackles, in short yardage situations and at the goal line, as he scored 11 TD’s during the regular season.  Danny Woodhead and Stevan Ridley get their fair share of carries as well, and are used in the short passing game.

Keys: Offensive line must protect Brady well; allow him to get comfortable in the pocket, Gronkowski’s ankle: How effective will he be?  How long will he be able to play?  They will need some sort of deep threat (via Ochocinco or Slater) in the passing game.  Also, be on the watch for the Patriots running screens to Woodhead and even Hernandez to slow down the Giants pass rush.

Defense

Giants: The Giants’ defense has gotten hot at the right time of the year, and is a big part of the reason why the Giants are playing in this game.  The defensive line is putting supreme pressure on the opposing teams’ quarterbacks, and playing well against the run.  The linebacker play was brutal the first 13 weeks of the season, but during the last 4 weeks and the playoffs, the linebackers have been great.  Led by Micheal Boley and Chase Blackburn, who was on his way to retiring, the linebacker core has been solid against the run and pass.  They will have their hands full dealing with the likes of Gronkowski, Hernandez, Welker, and Woodhead in the passing game though.

They might not get a lot of press, but cornerbacks Aaron Ross and Corey Webster are solid pros who don’t make many mistakes in coverage.  They are also willing tacklers in the run game and against tight ends and backs out of the backfield.  The Giants play three safeties on passing downs plenty, and Rolle, Dion Grant and Kenny Phillips are all good in coverage and devastating hitters as well.  They look to separate the ball from receivers frequently.

Keys: They must get to Tom Brady early and often. Get him frustrated, make him rush and he might turn it over. Try to contain the tight ends, when they make catches, they must be tackled immediately.

Patriots: The Patriots defense coming into the playoffs was ranked 31st of 32 teams in yards given up per game.  They were in the top half of the league as far as giving up points, ranked 15th as they have given up 21.4 points per game.  But in two playoff games they are giving up 325 yards per game and only 15 points.  They are doing a decent job right now getting a pass rush and it’s generated not only from the outside, but with a great push up the middle.

Early in the season the Pats were going with a 4-3 base defense and was unable to get any sort of pass rush, and it left the defensive backfield out to dry.  Belichick has since gone back to the traditional 3-4, but he often mixes his fronts and personnel as well during games.  Nose tackle Vincent Wilfork played out of his mind two weeks ago against the Baltimore Ravens.  He was a force in the middle of the line and he dominated the line of scrimmage against the pass and the run. Outside linebackers Mark Anderson and Rob Ninkovich must get pressure on Eli Manning, knock him around, force a fumble, an interception, something.  If they allow him to stand back there, he and the trio of receivers will tear this defense apart.  The Patriots are solid versus the run and should have no problem stopping the Giants running attack.

The defensive backfield for the Pats will be tested on Sunday for sure.  They will have to be at their best going up against the Giants passing game.  Whether it’s Nicks down field, Cruz in the slot, or Manningham on the outside, they cannot afford to have any blown coverage, missed assignments, or missed tackles.  Expect plenty of Cover 3 and man coverage with two safeties over the top to keep the Giants from making too many big plays down the field.

Keys: Get a pass rush and force Eli into mistakes. No blown coverage, eliminate the giants big plays downfield. Tackle the Giants WR’s after the catch.

 

Special Teams

Giants: Giants special teams play has been pretty solid all season.  Devin Thomas is not only their kick returner, but also one of their best kick and punt coverage guys as well.  Lawrence Tynes kicked the game winner two weeks ago, sending the Giants to the Super Bowl and Weatherford did a great job getting the snap down.  Their return game is special, Thomas runs kicks and Ross fields the punts.

Patriots: The Pats kicker Stephen Gostkowski made 28-33 FG’s during the regular season.  He only attempted 2 outside of 50 yards and made one.  Punter Zoltan Mesko is one of the NFL’s best and he does a good job putting punts down between the goal line and 20 yard line.  Julian Edelman and Danny Woodhead split the kick return duties, while Edelman returns punts.  Edelman has taken a punt back 72 yards for a TD this season.

My Prediction: This is going to be a great game to watch.  The Patriots are a three point favorite in Vegas and if the line was a bit bigger I would be certain that they would win.  But I don’t know how healthy Gronkowski is and I love the way the Giants are playing as a team right now.  Eli Manning could win his 2nd title with a win on Sunday, putting him in the elite of the elite.

Giants 29 Patriots 27

Super Bowl MVP: Hakeem Nicks

Brandon Pemberton of Brandon on Sports and Sports Trap Radio, for War Room Sports

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Tiki Barber: He Should Stay Absent

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

I read somewhere that Tiki Barber was planning on returning to the NFL.  I mean that can’t be true, right?  I mean how old is he?  Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t he a running back?  He is about to be 36 years of age.  That is like 100 in running back years.  He has got to be kidding himself.  I guess that analyst gig didn’t work out too well for him.

Interviewing the "non-leader" Eli Manning

I don’t want to sound like I am putting him down, but I really can’t see what he could possibly offer any NFL team.  It seems that the sudden urge to return to his comfort zone was predicated by the fact that his twin brother Ronde Barber still plays.

Ronde & Tiki (The Barber Bros)

This is a really inspiring reason but hardly logical.  Here are the facts: Number one, Ronde Barber is a cornerback (which means they have a longer shelf-life).  Number two, Tiki has been out of the league for FOUR years.  Number three, he threw his former teammate and quarterback Eli Manning under the bus, inciting he was the reason for why the Giants weren’t going anywhere.  To his shock (I’m sure), the Giants went on the next year to beat the best team in the NFL (the then undefeated New England Patriots) to win Super Bowl XLII.  You all see where I am going with this, right?

Stephanie C. Curry, Guest Blogger for War Room Sports

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Andy Reid: Yeah, But…

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

In the words of Roy Jones Jr. “Y’all Musta Forgot”, but I damn sure didn’t. Those who know me best can attest to my glass-half empty personality. With that being said, let me commence to raining on the parade of the Philadelphia Eagles and Coach Andy Reid.  As an Eagles Fan, I am ecstatic about Sunday’s win against the midgets. But I haven’t forgotten about the things that pissed me off though.

(1) Andy Reid’s gross misuse of the red flag makes me want to scream. We witnessed this dude challenge a play in the first quarter of a game because he didn’t like the spot, yet on Sunday he didn’t challenge a play where DeSean Jackson was clearly down before he fumbled. That play led to the Giants’ final touchdown. I don’t get it. It has bothered me for years. We all know that if the Eagles had lost that game, Birds fans everywhere would have been calling for everyone’s job, especially Big Red.  Everybody says, it’s not his fault. He has someone up there looking at it. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Andy Reid the H.N.I.C., The Lord and Savior, and The Alpha & Omega in the organization? That means he had to hire whoever the chump is telling him when to throw the flag or not. Andy Reid is a hell of a coach, I won’t deny that, but when it comes to that challenge flag he makes me want to throw things at him.


(2) Dimitri Patterson.  It’s still hard for me to say his name without cursing.  After the game and celebrations ended, Dimitri Patterson should have visited the nearest police station to file assault charges on Mario Manningham for the abuse he endured during that game.  Towards the end of the game, Eli stopped looking for open receivers and started throwing wherever  Patterson was positioned on the field.  It was embarrassing.  The Eagles defense has been depleted and it seems they lose another key player every week.  Therefore, we get left with the Dimitri Patterson’s of the world.  He played better in the second half than in the first (that ain’t hard to do but still…), but if this is what they’ll be going into the playoffs with, I hope the offense is ready to light up the score board.

(3) Why no adjustments?  When Dimitri Patterson was getting burned, toasted and scorched by Manningham, did it ever occur to Andy Reid to make an adjustment?

(4) Mike Vick and DeSean Jackson are making plays that are out of this world, but can Shady and Maclin get some love?  While Jackson is an electrifying player, Maclin is more consistent.  He leads the team in touchdowns.  The speed of Jackson makes Maclin look like a pedestrian, but he is fast as well.  The Eagles have long since been identified as a passing team, but McCoy has been playing well in the running game.  Now he won’t be mistaken for MJD or Jamaal Charles, but he’s doing what’s asked of him and in my opinion, he is the Co-MVP of the team.

(5) The Eagles have given up an average of 24 points per game, that‘s more than the 4-10 Detroit Lions.  If the playoffs began today the Eagles would be a (3) seed and they would face the Midgets who would be the (6) seed.  Based on what I saw during the two match ups between these teams, big mistakes by the Giants have been the difference.  As a Birds Fan, I want nothing more than to party on Broad Street, but as I said before, I have a glass half-empty personality and on top of that, I haven’t forgotten the first 3 ½ quarters of Sunday’s game…have you?

Monica Pierce, Guest Blogger for War Room Sports. Read more of her writing @ monicasthoughts.com.

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Out From the Shadows

Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

"The Phour Aces", "The Phour Kings", "The Phour (insert noun here)"

If you are a Philadelphia sports enthusiast like myself, then you are on a serious high right now.  First the uniting of the four kings, (Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, and Hamels), and now this?  The Miracle at the Meadowlands part II?  Only one word can describe it; unbelievable.

ANOTHER Miracle in the Meadowlands!

Can you feel it in the air or am I just riding the hallucination train thinking we might go-all-the-way?  First, a little arena football team called the Philadelphia Soul brought home a championship, much needed in the city of drought.  This little team won and challenged all the major league teams to do the same.  Then the boys in red pinstripes rolled through Milwaukee, LA, to Tampa to bring home a much-needed World Series that sent this City into a euphoric state.  The Flyers, the ultimate Cinderella story, made it to the Stanley Cup Finals last year when nobody thought they would even make it out of the first round.

Phillies Win the 2008 World Series!!!

I don’t know about you, but I can smell the polish they use to make that Lombardi trophy shine.  In my life, I have never seen anything like what I saw on Sunday and I have been watching football for a long time.  I could be naïve in thinking that we are going to the Superbowl, but what I saw Sunday gave me something that I haven’t had in a long time; hope.

2009-2010 Eastern Conference Champions!!!

There were so many blunders in Sunday’s game, a fumble here, an interception there.  It seemed like the Giants had Vick’s number and yet he still found a way to make it happen.  I love you Donovan, but you would have never been able to make this happen.

Mike Vick Never Says "Die"

We may finally be getting out from the under big brother’s shadow.  For now, we have the bragging rights over the Big Apple.  The only thing they can say is that the New York Knicks are slightly better than the 76ers and I’m okay with that.  All I know is that on a Sunday afternoon in December, I became glued to the television.  I watched history happen.  I watched Michael Vick turn an impossible to a possible.  I saw the speed of young man lift an entire city from its somber state.  I saw that same man celebrate in a way that I would usually frown upon, but this time he earned it.

Stephanie C. Curry, Guest Blogger for War Room Sports

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Is Phil Simms an all time great QB?

Monday, December 6th, 2010

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