Philadelphia Eagles

(1-4) Philadelphia Eagles at
(3-1) Washington Redskins

Speaking of the Redskins, they welcome in the predetermined NFC East champions in a game that could knock Philly right out of the playoffs. Mike Vick will be running for his life without tackle Jason Peters to protect him against aggressive outside rushers. Expect Mike Shanahan to have Rex Grossman hand it off again and again in order to avoid tempting an Eagle secondary that would love to grab an errant pass. Pounding a soft front seven (who will be without Trent Cole again) will get the ‘Skins their fourth win. (3-2) Houston Texans at

Continue reading "The Opening Drive: Week 6, 2011"

o;s get to the best of week five in this week’s Final Drive!(4-1) Buffalo Bills 31
(1-4) Philadelphia Eagles 24

Shpladow! Philly’s in a sad state now. They mounted a late comeback, but the Eagles fell short thanks to a late interception, the fourth of Michael Vick’s day. Andy Reid’s team has VERY little room for error now if they expect to make the playoffs. Meanwhile Buffalo’s running game has started to take shape and their defense is creating multiple turnovers a game. That’s a recipe for success in the NFL.

Continue reading "The Final Drive: Week 5, 2011"

Rashard Mendenhall set for limited action, the Steelers could be bent over for the kicking.

(1-3) Philadelphia Eagles at
(3-1) Buffalo Bills
Why are these records flipped? I’m positive no one saw this coming. The Eagles are in a bit of a must-win in October because of a poor start and are staring at a 1-4 hole. The Bills are coming off their first loss of the season (to Cincy, ugh) and need to get back on track at home versus the ex-Dream Team. On their own turf, the Bills could out-shoot Vick and the Eagles.(3-1) New Orleans Saints at

Continue reading "The Opening Drive: Week 5, 2011"

“Calvin Johnson versus any-Cowboy” advantage.

(3-1) San Francisco 49ers 24
(1-3) Philadelphia Eagles 23

WAH-WAH. I don’t know how the Super-Eagles could give up their 20 point lead, but it’s all sorts of hilarious. (3-1) Houston Texans 17

Continue reading "The Final Drive: Week 4, 2011"

(2-1) San Francisco 49ers at
(1-2) Philadelphia Eagles

San Fran’s front seven is not talked about enough. They could give Mike Vick another rough ride on Sunday in a game the Eagles NEED to win. Philly’s offensive line is particularly dreadful, contributing to Vick’s injury concerns. I still think the Eagles can pull this one out, but he could get rocked for a third straight week.(2-1) New England Patriots at

Continue reading "The Opening Drive: Week 4, 2011"

(2-1) New York Giants 29
(1-2) Philadelphia Eagles 16 

Michael Vick got smacked around for the second straight game, suffering a bruised right hand in his latest debacle. Oh yeah, and the Eagles lost. Whoops! The Giants created mismatches on the Eagle linebackers and even got Victor Cruz a catch against Nmandi Asomugha. Well played G-Men.

Continue reading "The Final Drive: Week 3, 2011"

differently if they can take it to the Saints on the home turf.(1-1) New York Giants at
(1-1) Philadelphia Eagles

Man, we just barely missed out on the utter boredom that would’ve been a week without Michael Vick in the NFL. You should feel lucky. Vick’s return from a concussion means he’s completely cleared to play, but against the Giants’ front four he could be in trouble again this week. That Eagle offensive line is way too suspect to keep Vick safe in the pocket. Philly’s only saving grace is that the Giants are too inconsistent on offense to keep up. (1-1) Jacksonville Jaguars at

Continue reading "The Opening Drive: Week 3, 2011"

Brady’s on a wicked tear right now.

(1-1) Atlanta Falcons 35
(1-1) Philadelphia Eagles 31

Did not see that surprise ending coming? Sunday Night Vick ended without Michael Vick! TWIST! Losing Vick is killer for the Eagles, despite Mike Kafka’s decent showing while filling in. Good for the Falcons and Matt Ryan, who avoid dropping to 0-2 and win a game everyone says is significant. (But kind wasn’t.) 

Continue reading "The Final Drive: Week 2, 2011"

Wait, am I rooting for Tom Brady again? DAMMIT!(1-0) Philadelphia Eagles at
(0-1) Atlanta Falcons

This Sunday-nighter will have way too much drama for two players that won’t face each other on the field AT ALL. It’s close to a must-win for Atlanta, but the rest of the NFC South is in a 0-1 hole too, so they won’t fall behind far if they lose. Eagles are probably getting to 2-0.

Continue reading "The Opening Drive: Week 2, 2011"

Losing safety Eric Berry for the season with a torn ACL won’t help that defense at all.(1-0) Philadelphia Eagles 31
(0-1) St. Louis Rams 13

Mike Vick’s certainly had better games, but against a banged-up Rams he didn’t need to. If LeSean McCoy keeps rushing like he did (122 yards on 15 carries), the Eagles are going to be uber-dangerous. For the Rams, losing Danny Amendola and Steven Jackson is killer. Jackson may be back sooner than later, but Amendola’s dislocated elbow will keep him on the sidelines for a while.(1-0) Detroit Lions 27

Continue reading "The Final Drive: Week 1, 2011"

ew risky passes and lots of field goals.(0-0)          Philadelphia Eagles at
(0-0)          St. Louis Rams

Continue reading "The Opening Drive: Week 1, 2011"

Let’s break it down.

Philadelphia Eagles

So we’ve heard all the hype. (Most of it coming from a stupid quote by the back-up QB, but whatever. It’s there.) The Eagles are attempting to spend their way into a Super Bowl and hit it out of the park during free agency. Nmandi Asomugha, Asante Samuel and Dominique Rodgers Cromartie are probably the best corner trio in NFL history, but there are significant issues with the linebacking corps. Rookie Casey Matthews will be in charge of the defense at the MLB spot, but there’s a lot of uncertainty there. Luckily, the addition of Cullen Jenkins in the middle of the defensive line will take a great deal of pressure of those linebackers so new D-Coordinator Juan Castillo (former offensive line coach) can blitz all day. Still, despite any deficiencies on defense, this team will go as far as Michael Vick can take them. With Ronnie Brown as the bruising back and the addition of Steve Smith to an already explosive receiving squad, he’s primed for a successful year. Still, I can’t believe they’re going to gel immediately, so expect a few losses early. (Miami Heat. Natch.) They’ll get it going enough to win the division.

Continue reading "Joe's 2011 NFL Season Preview: The NFC East"

One of the biggest questions surrounding this post-lockout free agent frenzy is how dominos will fall at the quarterback position. You know the names, but where should/will they end up? Here are the remaining free agent/on the trading block QB’s and their potential suitors.Kevin Kolb

Continue reading "The 2011 NFL Quarterback Swap-Meet: ..."

Alrighty draft fans! Day three is all wrapped up. I have to say, these later rounds leave even me little to say at certain points. Nevertheless, I'm here with a quick recap of day three's action.

Continue reading "The Final Draft: The 2011 NFL Draft, ..."

ome to appreciate discussing the Cowboys, if only to have an excuse to post cheerleader pictures.

Philadelphia Eagles

My prediction: 9-7
What actually happened: 10-6
My result: ****

Continue reading "How Much I Effed Up: The NFC Edition"

inks.

I just love this picture.4:30 PM ET, FOX
(10-6) Green Bay Packers at
(10-6) Philadelphia EaglesThe Breakdown:

In a complete switch, I’m expecting and hoping for offensive fireworks from these squads today. These dynamic quarterbacks have no problem putting points on the board with their complete arsenal of targets. Rodgers may have the best group of 1-5 receivers in the NFL, but if they can even remotely put together a ground game they can keep Vick on the sidelines. Greg Jennings will draw Asante Samuel in coverage, but the way he’s been playing this year there’s no way Rodgers can avoid him. He’ll pick his spots, but Samuel can’t get fooled by the double move on even one play or it could be the difference.

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 NFL Opening Drive: Wildcard Sunday"

Next!(5-10) Dallas Cowboys at
(10-5) Philadelphia Eagles

Pfft. I could easily see a Cowboys win today since Kevin Kolb is starting at quarterback for Philly… but I don’t want one. I still hate the Cowboys.(9-6) New York Giants at

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 NFL Opening Drive: Week 17"

ield? (Spoiler: It’ll be Atlanta.)

Getty Images(6-9) Minnesota Vikings 24
(10-5) Philadelphia Eagles 14

Whoops! Who saw that coming? That’s a massive stumble for the

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 NFL Final Drive: Week 16"

They could have thrown in the towel weeks ago.(10-4) Philadelphia Eagles 38
(9-5) New York Giants 31

Down 31-10, the Eagles mounted an epic-sized comeback to essentially knock the Giants out of the NFC East title hunt. Punter Matt Dodge had no business kicking it anywhere near DeSean Jackson with 14 seconds remaining. Instead, he line drives it in the middle of the field and Jackson caps off a 28-point fourth quarter for the Eagles. Epic fail.(4-10) Detroit Lions 23

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 NFL Final Drive: Week 15"

Also: Brodie Coyle sucks.

(9-4) Philadelphia Eagles 30
(4-9) Dallas Cowboys 27

Now THAT was a game. Though in spite of the score, those Cowboys just don’t move the ball without Tony Romo under center. I don’t care about Kitna’s accuracy when he’s only throwing five yard passes all day. Eventually you have to stretch the field as an offense or defenders will begin to clamp down just as the Eagles did. And I could care less that Tashard Choice went to get Mike Vick's autograph after the game. Just because they lost doesn't mean they needed to be decimated and depressed like their fans are. It's just a game yo. Though DeSean Jackson is an ass. (A fast one though.)

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 NFL Final Drive: Week 14"

They’ll be predictable and without their best QB. It could be a recipe for a loss.

(8-4) Philadelphia Eagles at
(4-8) Dallas Cowboys

I’m not going to say lock it in, but if Jason Garrett can beat the Eagles tonight and win another division game this year, he’s going to have an inside track on this job for certain. Unfortunately his secondary has to try and keep pace with DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin while his front seven has to contain Michael Vick. I just don’t see that happening.

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 NFL Opening Drive: Week 14"

y for some football! Let’s get right into the action.

(5-6) Houston Texans at
(7-4) Philadelphia Eagles

At 5-6 the Texans haven’t lived up to their preseason hype. In a strenuous AFC South the Texans still have a fighting chance to regain the division lead but they absolutely need a win tonight to do it. Luckily for the hot-seated Gary Kubiak his All-Pro wide-out Andre Johnson wasn’t suspended for his fight over the weekend. Eagles corner Asante Samuel is out tonight, putting Philly's D in a tough spot. Samuel would likely have covered Johnson for most of the game. Even if he were completely healthy, Samuel can’t consistently win over Johnson, so there's no one Eagle corner that can man him up. Safety help is a requirement. Matt Schaub has to expose the soft Eagle secondary on every possible play.

Continue reading "Joe's Thursday Night Quickie: Texans at Eagles"

With all of the hype surrounding Mike Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles, the opposite result would not have been surprising. Instead, the Bears dominated the Eagles in every phase of the game en route to a 31-26 win to rise to 8-3. Respect it!

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Recap: Bears 31, Eagles 26"

game, haven't they? The Chicago Bears are at home today, welcoming in Mike Vick and the impressive Philadelphia Eagles.

(7-3) Philadelphia Eagles at
(7-3) Chicago Bears

There's this tidbit of info floating around this game the past couple weeks: Vick has never beaten the Chicago Bears. And to that I say: Big whoop. Vick may have never defeated the Bears, but he's also never had the weapons he's currently packing in Philly. That's going to put Lovie Smith's defense in a tough spot today. There won't be an Eagle on the field that the Bears will be able to overlook. DeSean Jackson hits the home runs through the air, matching perfectly with Vick's excellent deep passes. Jeremy Maclin gets those possession catches on the outside, but he's got plenty of speed. Chicago's corners will not get any rest today.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Preview: Eagles at Bears"

Tom Brady is a killer at Gilette Stadium.

Getty Images

(7-3) Philadelphia Eagles 27
(6-4) New York Giants 17

Not exactly dropping a 59-er, but I’m sure Andy Reid will take the win. The Eagles won a game the hard way without a lot of big plays from the offense. (Aside from 40 and 50 yard runs from LeSean McCoy.) Mike Vick wasn’t electric, but he took advantage of the opportunities the defense presented him. On the other side, Eli Manning can’t stop himself from turning the ball over. Now that he’s without Hakeem Nicks for the next three weeks, they’ll have to rely on that running game. Can’t afford to turn it over now, Eli.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 11"

What a good day.

(6-3) Philadelphia Eagles 59
(4-5) Washington Redskins 28

Michael Vick JUST. WENT. OFF. Is anyone playing as good as he is right now AND winning at the same time? When the Eagles are healthy, they could have the best offense in the league and they showed it, lighting up the 'Skins defense. Oh yeah, Donovan McNabb also played like crap against his old team on a day when he got a (possibly) hefty contract extension. Irony much?

Continue reading "Joe's NFL Final Drive: Week 10"

That could be all the difference.

(5-3) Philadelphia Eagles at
(4-4) Washington Redskins

McNabb versus Vick! Division rivals! Shanahan versus Reid! What's not to like about this Monday nighter? The Eagles could be one of the better teams in the NFC, but they're only a game up on the Skins, who are struggling on offense. The Redskin defense has to be warty of the big play because Vick and those receivers are going to find them.

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 NFL Opening Drive: Week 10"

bruising running game and a sack-happy defense, they have a great shot to win the division.

(5-3) Philadelphia Eagles 26
(5-3) Indianapolis Colts 24

Michael Vick is back and better than ever and Andy Reid proved invincible after a bye week, holding onto a win over Manning and the Colts. Vick's passes look crisp out of the pocket and he's grown more intelligent as a quarterback under Reid. The Eagles are dangerous with their glut of young talent at the skill positions. Speaking of dangerous, is there a more hazardous job than Colts wide receiver right now?

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 9"

do you trust more: Matt Cassel or Jason Campbell? Ew.

(5-2) Indianapolis Colts at
(4-3) Philadelphia Eagles

Manning versus Vick! The best passing QB in the league against the best rushing QB in the league. Andy Reid is 11-0 coming off a bye week, but have any of those ever been against Peyton Manning? I doubt it. The fast Colt defense may be the best equipped to handle Vick's speed, so maybe an aerial barrage is in the gameplan for Reid? 

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 NFL Opening Drive: Week 9"

ese un-met expectations, can Marvin Lewis save his job?

(5-2) Tennessee Titans 37
(4-3) Philadelphia Eagles 19

Well Kevin Kolb lost a game. I guess that means it's okay to go back to Michael Vick at quarterback, right? Jeff Fisher's Titans didn't play their typical game, only getting Chris Johnson 66 yards, but Kenny Britt's 225 yard outing is huge for a team struggling to find a deep threat. Now they have a receiver to go with CJ out of the backfield. Look out for the Titans.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 7"

Carson Palmer circa 2005, where are you?

(4-2) Philadelphia Eagles at
(4-2) Tennessee Titans

Kevin Kolb gets the start after two solid performances for Andy Reid, ensuring more QB controversy this week whether he plays well or not. The Eagle offensive line gets tested versus a Titan front seven that has been hitting the opposing QB with reckless abandon while their defense gets to see Chris Johnson. Yippee.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 7"

It's like he's cheating somehow...

Getty Images

(4-2) Philadelphia Eagles 31
(4-2) Atlanta Falcons 17

So we've got another quarterback controversy in Philly. This is my shocked face. Andy Reid has a favorable dilemma on his hands but he's going to have another hard decision as well. Do you ride the hot hand in Kolb as he did with Vick or do you return the "starter" to the position he held before an injury took it away? At 4-2, they're in the thick of the NFC East race in a year where they were supposed to be rebuilding. Atlanta loses a tough one on the road, but I'm not overly surprised. There's no dominant team in the NFC.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 6"

Patriot defense, they can repeat last post-season's success.

(4-1) Atlanta Falcons at
(3-2) Philadelphia Eagles

Well, unless there are two injuries, Michael Vick won't get on the field to play against his old team. The Eagles and Falcons are playing solid football through five weeks of the season, making for an intense game today. With a full week of preparation as the starter, Kevin Kolb showed off his skills last week in an impressive win. Today he'll be under pressure from John Abraham, who is finding new energy in Atlanta. The Falcons have great balance on offense and defense, so the Eagles are going to have problems finding ways to stop them.

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 NFL Opening Drive: Week 6"

Ridiculous.

(3-2) Philadelphia Eagles 27
(0-5) San Francisco 49ers 24

Something tells me the Niners aren't winning their division. At 0-5, Mike Singletary can't ride Alex Smith any further. The first overall pick shows glimpses of progress as he did last night to close the gap, but then he'll turn right back around and make horrible mistakes that derail the team's momentum. For Andy Reid, the Kevin Kolb he expected all along showed up last night, backed by the running game we never see emerge from Reid's playbook.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 5"

Should be a fun one to watch though.

(2-2) Philadelphia Eagles at
(0-4) San Francisco 49ers

Can Kevin Kolb drop the Niners to 0-5? That would certainly put Mike Singletary squarely on the hot seat for the rest of the season if he wasn't already. This game will go a long way in determining if the Eagle defense can legitimately make them a division contender. He's not Michael Vick, but Kolb might finally get his job back with a good performance or two starting with Sunday night.

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 NFL Opening Drive: Week 5"

for now.

Getty Images

(2-2) Washington Redskins 17
(2-2) Philadelphia Eagles 12

Alright, let's be perfectly honest: Donovan McNabb had a fairly crappy game. Eight completions out of nineteen attempts? He should be thanking Clinton Portis and Ryan Torain for showing up and getting the running game going. Knocking Michael Vick out of the game helped a bit too. The NFC East is competitively average so far this season with three teams at 2-2. It'll be a slug-fest all season long.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 4"

Batch is going to throw some picks today, I promise you.

(1-2) Washington Redskins at
(2-1) Philadelphia Eagles

McNabb returns to Philly this week, only to see Michael Vick filling the role he left behind. Vick is essentially a younger, faster McNabb that is enjoying all the weapons Donovan saw for only one year. In the lacking NFC East, the Eagles could get a jump on the competition this week. The Redskin defense will be the best they've seen since their week one loss to Green Bay, but Vick always causes problems for the opponent. The real test will be if the Eagle defense can keep their former QB in check and expose his weaknesses.

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 NFL Opening Drive: Week 4"

There won't be any easy wins for them this year with the way their offense has struggled.

(2-1) Philadelphia Eagles 28
(1-2) Jacksonville Jaguars 3

Anyone questioning Andy Reid's decision to go with Michael Vick now? He sure looks good as an Eagle. His completion percentage was more in line with what we've seen from Vick in the past, but 291 yards and three scores through the air sure isn't. His deep ball is as clean as ever, giving the Eagles the big play ability they enjoyed with McNabb. As long as he plays like this, there's no reason to pull Vick out of the line-up. In Jacksonville, things are ugly. I wouldn't be sure David Garrard would last the entire season as the starter if they didn't have Luke McCown and Todd Bouman as his back-ups. He's the starter by default.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 3"

 

Week three is here y'all! We have some great division games on the docket and a few 0-2 teams that desperately need to dig out of their hole. Here are the games to watch this Sunday!

(1-1) Tennessee Titans at

Continue reading "Joe's NFL Opening Drive: Week 3"

Now the AFC North belongs to the Steelers (for this week). Did anyone see that coming?

(1-1) Philadelphia Eagles 35
(0-2) Detroit Lions 32

Well it was certainly a close call the Lions' late rally, but the Eagles won their first game of the season thanks to the talents of Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy's three touchdowns. Vick's 284 yards and two touchdowns through the air gave QB-less teams around the league (Buffalo anyone?) a heads-up for when free agency comes around. The other heads-up was given by Detroit running back Jahvid Best, who is all man. (And fast, too.)

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 2"

row for 433 yards and 3 touchdowns.)

 
AP Photo

(1-0) Green Bay Packers 27
(0-1) Philadelphia Eagles 20

Could this have been a worse game for the Eagles? They lose fullback Leonard Weaver for the season, lost linebacker Stewart Bradlet and starting QB Kevin Kolb to concussions and have the faint beginnings of a quarterback controversy thanks to Michael Vick, who came in and wowed the crowd with his thought-lost running ability. Green Bay gets a tough win without playing near its best, which reminds them they're not in the Super Bowl yet. Rodgers will look much better as the season goes on.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 1"

If the lines play well, so do the Giants.

 

Philadelphia Eagles

Undergoing one of the most publicized quarterback changes in recent history, Andy Reid and the Eagles have taken 2007 second round pick Kevin Kolb and made him a starting QB in the NFL, whether he's ready or not. Rumors of his superior accuracy and fitting the system better need to be proven on the field. With Brian Westbrook released, LeSean McCoy will be the full-time starter, backed up by Mike Bell. The Eagle wide-outs are young but talented, starting with deep threat DeSean Jackson. If Jeremy Maclin improves on his 56-catch rookie season, watch out for this offense. Brent Celek will catch at least 80 balls this season from the tight end spot, as Kolb's main safety valve. The offensive line doesn't have many holes with veteran center Jamaal Jackson and tackle Jason Peters, but they've never really excelled at run-blocking, and I doubt that will change.

Continue reading "Joe's NFL 2010 Season Preview: NFC East"

no fluke, the Dallas Cowboys picked up right where they left off with a 34-14 blowout win over the Philadelphia Eagles Saturday night. In a flag-filled contest (actually setting a playoff record for most penalty yards), only Dallas overcame their mistakes. Philly never stood a chance. 

Continue reading "Cowboys send Eagles home with a 34-14 ..."

 I love the Jets for the straight-up win.

(11-5) Philadelphia Eagles at (11-5) Dallas Cowboys
8:00PM ET NBC

Surrounded by a rapidly-developing core of young talent, Donovan McNabb has his Eagles back in the playoffs anxious to to capture that elusive Super Bowl win. DeSean Jackson is the most explosive receiver in the league, but he also returns punts, making him a game-planning headache for opposing coaches. Brent Celek hasn't been mentioned enough as one of the best tight ends in the NFC while LeSean McCoy has filled in admirably for Brain Westbrook at running back. Losing to the Cowboys twice this year has Andy Reid's Eagles on edge.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Wild-Card Saturday"

from pummeling their playoff opponent won't hurt Green Bay.

(11-5) Dallas Cowboys 24
(11-5) Philadelphia Eagles 0

Even though I thought the Cowboys would win, there was no one who could have seen this coming. With the number two seed and a bye to play for, the Eagles came out and were dominated by a vicious Cowboys defense and a hard-nosed running game. The worry for Philly fans comes from the Eagles' complete inability to generate offense without hitting a big play. They have problems sustaining drives and running the ball, which are paramount in the playoffs. This win may have saved Wade Philips' job but Jerry Jones doesn't want them to stop here. A win over the Eagles this weekend would give them the hat-trick over their division rivals, something of which Jones can be proud.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 17"

Cardinals may have more to play for, but I like the Packers.

(11-4) Philadelphia Eagles at (10-5) Dallas Cowboys

Easily the best game of the weekend, there's no drama missing from this match-up. Not only are the Cowboys and Eagles division rivals, but the division championship is on the line in their afternoon meeting. Beyond that, Philly lambasted Dallas at the end of last season, knocking them out of the playoff hunt. If Dallas wins they have a chance a the 2 seed, but they need a load of help. Philly has the inside track on that slot, needing only a win to take a week off. Don't miss this one. I'm mixed, but I'll take Dallas.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 17"

w that.

 
1st rule of the Indianapolis Colts: Don't make Peyton Manning upset.

(11-4) Philadelphia Eagles 30
(8-7) Denver Broncos 27

My how the once mighty have fallen. From 6-0 to 8-7, the Denver Broncos are on the outside of the playoff picture.Take that Kyle Orton. The Eagles on the other hand are primed for the number two seed and a bye thanks to Minnesota's head-scratching loss Monday night. Their explosive offense led by Donovan McNabb coupled with an aggressive defense makes them the hottest team in the NFC in my opinion. A looming showdown with the Cowboys has the NFC East title in the balance.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 16"

I think they keep it going. Colts in a close one.

(8-6) Denver Broncos at (10-4) Philadelphia Eagles

This match-up is the most significant of the weekend in terms of the post-season picture. A Denver win would secure their berth, but a loss may knock them out completely. Though who expects them to be anything more than a wildcard round out? In the NFC, the Eagles still have a shot at the number two seed if the Vikings falter. With their countless injuries, Philly sure could use that bye week. I love the Eagles over the offensively challenged Broncos.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 16"

ilip Rivers is once again putting on an MVP-type performance that no one will notice. 

(9-4) Philadelphia Eagles 45
(7-6) New York Giants 38 

Apparently defense was optional on Sunday night. I didn't get that memo from the league. Maybe it went into my spam folder. The Eagles made big play after big play, thanks to an electric DeSean Jackson. New York racked up over 500 yards of offense and still lost! What up with that G-Men? Tom Coughlin's face is still red. Though even he'd admit that Andy Reid / Jackson jump-bump was pretty cool though.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 14"

Let’s get some Opening Drive in your diet!

Washington Redskins (3-7) at Philadelphia Eagles (6-4)

I don’t even know why this is even on my list of games to watch this week. Oh wait, Jim Zorn’s job is on the line. (If he hasn’t lost it already.) If the ‘Skins get embarrassed by a division rival, Zorn is gone for sure. On the Philly sidelines, they still have a chance to catch the Cowboys for the NFC East crown, so expect Andy Reid to come out McNabb’s blazing. I don’t expect it will be close for long.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: week 12"

Well, it wasn't a barrage of Jay Cutler interceptions that led to Chicago's loss to Philadelphia at Soldier Field Sunday night. Instead of tossing red zone picks, Cutler played smart and checked down to his receivers, setting up four Robbie Gould field goals. Thing about field goals is, a touchdown's better than two of them. That simple math led to the demise of Lovie Smith's team and the deflation of their playoff hopes as they fall to 4-6.

Continue reading "Different story, same result in Bears' ..."

The Chicago Bears are losers of four of their last five contests. Their three primetime games this season have all resulted in losses, two of which were especially rich in turnovers. So why am I not convinced the Bears will lay an egg when they play the Eagles this Sunday night? Easy: they're playing at home.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Preview: Eagles at Bears"

g him) is to hit the snot out of the other QB.  

(6-3) San Diego Chargers 31
(5-4) Philadelphia Eagles 23 

This was a bad week for the top of the NFC East. (But good for the Giants.) Philly stumbled but kept pace with the Cowboys. San Diego picked up another game on the Broncos, setting up a showdown this weekend. Donovan McNabb threw for 450 yards and LOST and Brian Westbrook suffered another concussion. Sit him down. 

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 10"

back to the playoffs and dropping to 4-5 won’t do his job security any favors. 

(5-3) Philadelphia Eagles at (5-3) San Diego Chargers 

In another 3:15 start, Philly goes west to take on the surging Chargers. This is one of those games I’d stay away from in Vegas. Both offenses make their living off the big play. McNabb has DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy while Philip Rivers relies on Vincent Jackson, Malcolm Floyd and Darren Sproles. The Eagles’ defense will prove to be the difference if their blitzes can get to Rivers on a regular basis. If he doesn’t have time to get downfield the Chargers offense will grind to a halt. 

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 10"

That’s how you run a 2-minute offense.

(6-2) Dallas Cowboys 20
(5-3) Philadelphia Eagles 16

There’s no way I saw this coming. The Cowboys played well enough to escape Philly with a win and first place in the NFC East. Tony Romo’s one pass to Miles Austin went for 49 yards and the last score the Cowboys needed. One thing still puzzles me though, why was everyone surprise when Roy Williams got out of line and said something worth of a douchebag? He was doing that in Detroit FOR YEARS. Did no one notice because no one was watching the Lions? To me, he was worse than T.O. Seriously. Anyways, Donovan McNabb had an off night, with some ugly ground balls and Andy Reid mismaaged his time-outs. The Eagles till can't make a 3rd and 1. Still, they have enough playmakers to snag a wildcard sport.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 9"

That’s how you run a 2-minute offense.

(6-2) Dallas Cowboys 20
(5-3) Philadelphia Eagles 16

There’s no way I saw this coming. The Cowboys played well enough to escape Philly with a win and first place in the NFC East. Tony Romo’s one pass to Miles Austin went for 49 yards and the last score the Cowboys needed. One thing still puzzles me though, why was everyone surprise when Roy Williams got out of line and said something worth of a douchebag? He was doing that in Detroit FOR YEARS. Did no one notice because no one was watching the Lions? To me, he was worse than T.O. Seriously. Anyways, Donovan McNabb had an off night, with some ugly ground balls and Andy Reid mismaaged his time-outs. The Eagles till can't make a 3rd and 1. Still, they have enough playmakers to snag a wildcard sport.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 9"

lin will have his team ready to play in front of their home crowd.

(5-2) Dallas Cowboys at (5-2) Philadelphia Eagles

Remember a few weeks ago when I said the Cowboys were finished if they don’t start winning? Well, they started. Now in week nine they’re playing for sole possession of first place in the NFC East on Sunday Night Football. Tony Romo has been the improved quarterback Cowboy fans thought he would be, even without a healthy connection with receiver Roy Williams. Romo’s mistake free play has brought the ‘Boys back to life, but now they head to Philly to take on the rival Eagles. Donovan McNabb has only thrown one interception this season (but he did miss a few games, so that has to matter). With each team’s ability to rush the passer, establishing the rush and the short pass will be paramount. Even if Brian Westbrook misses the game to recover from his concussion two week ago, LeSean McCoy can pick up the slack.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 9"

(5-2) Philadelphia Eagles 40
(5-3) New York Giants 17

Um… so the Giants kinda suck right now. I can’t really explain it. After starting 5-0 they have dropped their last three, albeit to formidable opponents. This loss is obviously the worst, getting a forty-burger dropped on them by a division opponent who slides into first place with the win. The Eagles have rebounded nicely after that loss to “the team from Oakland that shall not be named” with big play after big play on offense. Must be nice to have that many weapons.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 8"

quo;t? (Besides Donovan McNabb… that one time.)  

(5-2) New York Giants at (4-2) Philadelphia Eagles 

After failing against the Saints and Cardinals, the Giants’ once mighty hold (as much as it could have been a few week s in) on the NFC East is slowly slipping away. Eli Manning hasn’t played his best football lately and the only players Philly fans treat worse than their own quarterbacks are division rival quarterbacks. (I said it.) Tough stage for Eli, but he’s a Manning. They find a way. Meanwhile the Eagles and Cowboys are both 4-2 and salivating for a G-men loss.  Despite beating the “not ready for primetime” Redskins, the Eagles were sloppy and out of sync on Monday night. They need to bring it to take out the Giants and lay claim to first place. 

Continue reading "Joe’s NFL Opening Drive: Week 8"

Coupled with the Niners’ loss, the Cards have sole possession of first place. 

(4-2) Philadelphia Eagles 27
(2-5) Washington Redskins 17 

It wasn’t as close as the score would have you believe. The Redskins offense is inept at best even with a recently retired Sherm Lewis at the helm and Jason Campbell is getting close to being benched for Todd Collins just to get a spark into the offense. Sorry Jim Zorn. The Eagles get by the ‘Skins with a sloppy win, but a win nonetheless. Donovan McNabb wasn’t at his best, but it was good enough to take advantage of multiple Redskin turnovers. They need to clean up their offense if they want to make a playoff run. 

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 7"

My fake money’s on the Giants. 

(3-2) Philadelphia Eagles at (2-4) Washington Redskins 

GM Vinny Cerrato has come out and said Jim Zorn won’t be fired during this season. However, Sherm Lewis will be calling his first plays since 2004 on Monday Night Football in a division match-up. That doesn’t give me much hope for this game or any other game this season. Philly needs to roll over the ‘Skins to get the taste of their Oakland loss out of their mouths. 

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 7"

Maybe Kurt Warner isn’t done yet. 

(2-4) Oakland Raiders 13
(3-2) Philadelphia Eagles 9 

Who saw this coming? The Eagles had been lighting up the scoreboard all season while the Raiders were struggling to just complete passes. Everyone is complaining about Andy Reid failing to commit to the run. Hello McFly! Reid hasn’t committed to running the ball in the nine years since he’s had Donovan McNabb! This is how Reid rolls: through the air.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 6"

 

With some downright horrendous match-ups this weekend, this edition of the Opening Drive is shorter than usual. Just writing about Cleveland versus Buffalo would put me to sleep. Let’s get things going with the most anticipated games of week four! 

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 5"

fense won’t let Tennessee run rampant like Houston’s did.

Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (1-1)

Philly will sit Donovan McNabb for a second straight week, and maybe even receiver DeSean Jackson. Michael Vick will make his much bally-hooed regular season debut, but don’t expect fireworks. With their bye week next, the Eagles may try to get two weeks of rest for players for the price of only one game. Against the lowly Chiefs, that might be a good idea. Then again, it is the NFL.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 3"

ght in Bean-town if the Pats want to win this division.

(2-0) New Orleans Saints 48
(1-1) Philadelphia Eagles 22

Kevin Kolb passed for 391 yards in his first start and LOST. That’s what happens when you get in a shoot-out with Drew Brees. He’s going to win that battle. Is there a better quarterback right now? The Saints should scare the jock straps off most teams.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 2"

could be over early.

Do you REALLY want to make Brady angry?

New Orleans Saints (1-0) at Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)

Now we’ll see if Drew Brees can rack up the same stats against a good defense as he did versus the Lions. Philly’s D is hard-hitting and aggressive, but their blitzes could leave openings for the big play. If Kevin Kolb ends up starting this one in place of Donovan McNabb, I don’t know if the Eagles can match points with the Saints.  

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 2"

They're a 7-win team at best.

Philadelphia Eagles 38, Carolina Panthers 10

Philly’s defense looked downright scary on Sunday. Donovan McNabb went down with a fractured rib, opening the door for Kevin Kolb to start their next game against the Saints. In what could be a high-scoring affair, it could be a rude awakening for Kolb. Vick won’t be able to play until week three, so the Eagles signed veteran Jeff Garcia on Monday as an insurance policy. The only question is: which of these four quarterbacks is the odd man out when Vick is back and McNabb is healthy?

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 1"

problems and an offense that doesn’t look to put up more than 13 – 17 points a game.

Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers

After making it to the NFC title game, the Eagles have reloaded in their quest for a Lombardi trophy. Drafting receiver Jeremy Maclin and running back LeSean McCoy add two more weapons for Donovan McNabb and the offense. Factor in Michael Vick’s signing, and Philly has the most explosive offense in the league. This year will be key in McNabb returning to the Eagles next season.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 1"

As football fans across the globe cast their longing eyes in the direction of the April draft, I decided that now might be a good time to reflect on draft classes of the last 10 years. Too often in this business, we rush ahead to the next big event without taking pause to evaluate the past and learn from it. In a way, this study will still be a celebration of the coming 2009 draft as I believe it will shed some light on certain overlooked trends that no one ever stops to consider. I will begin with a class by class showdown of sorts at the quarterback position over the last 10 drafts.  First up, we have the class of 1999 taking on that of 2000:

Continue reading "NFL Quarterback Draft Class Showdown: 2000 vs 1999"

 

           Each week, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend’s games.  I will prognosticate on all the playoff games each week.  Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling.  That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!   

Continue reading "Predictions Super Bowl XLIII"

e Final Drive, I look back at Sunday’s Conference Championship games.

Arizona Cardinals 32, Philadelphia Eagles 25

Is everyone done picking against the Cardinals now? They’ve only rattled off three consecutive victories against teams that were supposed to pummel them. I stopped downplaying their success after their smackdown of Carolina, which was then substantiated by an outstanding effort against the favored Eagles. Arizona’s defense continued its impressive post-season run by forcing three Philly turnovers and turning them into scores. While the Eagles were settling for two field goals early, the Cardinals had already scored two touchdowns, forcing Andy Reid to move away from his running game. Donovan McNabb shouldered the offense for another week as the Cardinal defense did an excellent job of taking Brian Westbrook out of the equation. McNabb ended up with 375 yards and three touchdowns, but did have two turnovers (1 fumble, 1 INT) on his record as well. Westbrook’s lack of playoff production finally caught up with the Eagles, and they were subsequently eliminated in another NFC title game. Andy Reid will be back as head coach next season, but McNabb’s future has not been officially confirmed. If he’s not back, it would be one of the worst personnel moves in NFL history. He kept the Eagles in the playoff hunt as the regular season ended, and when January rolled around he performed admirably without any help from a running game. He is a top-tier NFL quarterback, hands-down. On Sunday though, Arizona had one of their own. Kurt Warner proved his value to the Cardinals with a 21 for 28, 279 yards, and four touchdown performance on Sunday. He should also be thanking Larry Fitzgerald, who caught three of those touchdowns within his nine reception afternoon. Fitzgerald embarrassed the Eagle secondary, catching all three touchdowns in the first two quarters. Ken Wisenhunt’s squad was pushed to their limits by Philly, even losing the lead with about ten minutes left in the contest. In spite of the pressure, the Cardinals mounted a 14-play, 72-yard drive that sucked up almost eight minutes of clock and ended up in the end zone. It was the best the Cardinals looked all season, and it came at the perfect moment. Now it is time to see if their storybook season has a perfect ending.

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Conference ..."

one game away from the big game, all eyes were on Arizona for the NFC Championship Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cardinals.

Philadelphia made the game close late in the fourth quarter, but their 3rd ranked defense couldn't get the job done as they just couldn't stop Arizona's explosive offense. The Cardinals prevailed once again...this time just one more step to winning football's greatest prize.

Continue reading "Setting the Stage: Arizona Cardinals"

 

           Each week, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend’s games.  I will prognosticate on all the playoff games each week.  Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling.  That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!  

Continue reading "Predictions Conference Championships"

Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals, Fox, 3:00 PM (ET)

Are Cardinal fans appropriately freaked out yet? Your former “trash heap of the NFL” franchise has won two playoff games they had no chance of winning against two of the better squads in the NFC and now they’re HOSTING the NFC Championship! Kurt Warner is a victory away from returning to the Super Bowl and what could be a Hall of Fame seal of approval. As well as Warner has performed in this post-season, the reason the Cardinals are fighting for the NFC title is the shocking improvement of their defense. They have shut down two of the best running attacks in the league in Carolina and Atlanta, and have forced nine turnovers in those two outings. This Sunday they get a rematch with a physical Eagle defensive unit that will hope to put major pressure on Warner and his offensive line. Eagle corner Asante Samuel will have his hands full with receiver Larry Fitzgerald for most of the afternoon with a lot of help over-the-top from a safety. That is, if Fitzgerald’s teammate Anquan Boldin misses his second straight game. The injured wide-out has been suffering from a sore hamstring since his touchdown reception against the Falcons. If he is able to play even a few snaps, that will allow Fitzgerald to get open down the field and make the freak athletic plays we’ve seen from him in the playoffs. If he has another explosive day, it will be hard for the Eagles to keep up. Philly’s offense must take it to the Cardinals early, and their running game must be the focal point. Brian Westbrook needs to have a better day than he did against the Giants, where he couldn’t eclipse 50 all-purpose yards. McNabb can’t commit the costly turnovers that got him benched the week before Thanksgiving game, or he will miss a golden opportunity to win his first Super Bowl. Reid’s Eagles can’t trust the outcome of their Thanksgiving Day thrashing of the Cardinals either, since Arizona was playing on four days of rest and traveling to the East coast. Ken Wisenhunt has his team fired up for a charge to Tampa, and another stand-out game by Warner could get them there.

Continue reading "Joey A's Opening Drive: Conference ..."

o quickly give my predictions for both the NFC and AFC Championship games occurring this weekend:

Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals: As much as Philly is on a roll right now, I think that (for the umpteenth time) they will be stopped by the Red Birds in the NFC title game.  Brian Westbrook is hurting badly, so the Cards may be able to key their defensive plan around pressuring Donovan McNabb into bad situations.  On the flip side, the Cardinals play very well at home and finally have a fan base behind them that is tantalizing close to the Promised Land, so excitement shouldn't be a problem.  I still think there is a reason why Philly barely made the playoffs this year, and I think we will see it on Sunday.  They barely squeaked by the Vikings, and also probably should have had a much closer game with the Giants if not for all the New York mistakes.  Prediction: Cardinals 21, Eagles 14

Continue reading "The Birds and the "D's""

Just don’t tell Warner that.

Philadelphia Eagles 23, New York Giants 11

So… the Eagles look pretty scary. They managed to hold the defending champ Giants to only three field goals (Pro- Bowl kicker Carney missed two others that were going to be next to impossible in that wind) and a safety. Eli Manning looked incredibly pedestrian, throwing two interceptions and barely completing half of his attempts. Tom Coughlin got away from the run, choosing to take bruiser Brandon Jacobs out of the game every time he was hitting his stride. Jacobs averaged 4.8 yards on his 19 carries, a solid number against Philly’s blitzing defense. Neither defense recorded a sack of the opposing quarterback, but they were both forced into bad throws. Donovan McNabb was the only one to find redemption, throwing a touchdown early in the fourth quarter that gave his Eagles the two-score lead. McNabb has rallied without a true number one wide receiver, and pulled out this victory with next to no production from Brian Westbrook. McNabb and Coach Andy Reid will be around a while, so Eagle fans should accept it as the positive it is. Manning was missing his number one target in Plaxico Burress and it showed as the Giants were unable to stretch the field or find the big plays. This has led to the rumor that Plaxico may not be done in New York, which is quite a turnaround from only a month or two ago. If they can’t acquire another target for Manning, they might not have a choice.

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Divisional Round"

(First of all, I want to sort-of apologize for this picture...I usually don't like to personally attack people on this blog without due cause, but it is just too funny not to put up!)

Now that the proper time to reflect on the Vikings' first-round playoff loss to the Eagles has been taken, I want to comment on what I feel is the biggest area the Vikes should address in the offseason...the Head Coaching position.

Continue reading "Dismiss the Sheriff, Promote the Deputy"

 

The crystal ball had a dreadful performance this past week, posting a woeful 1-3 record.  This is playoff time, so that is totally unacceptable!  The crystal ball started off 1-0, but then dropped its last three for the weekend!  Anyway, that puts the crystal ball at 3-5 for the post-season, and 36-31-1 overall.  That’s five games over .500 (.537 to be exact).  Hopefully the crystal ball will perform better this coming week, as the pressure mounts in the Championship games!  Let’s take a look back, and review what happened last week.    

Continue reading "Divisional Round Review"

another high scoring affair from these teams, so don’t blink or you could miss a touchdown.

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants, Fox, Sunday 1:00 PM (ET)

After splitting their regular season series, these two NFC East rivals meet one more time with a spot in the NFC Championship game on the line. Eli Manning and the Giants have used their bye week to heal up, so ground-pounder Brandon Jacobs will play on Sunday. When Jacobs isn’t in Tom Coughlin’s line-up, the running game noticeably suffers, so his healthy return is more than welcomed by Manning. The Giants will undoubtedly run the ball at the Eagles early, trying to soften the Eagles up heading in the latter portion of the contest and keeping the defense from continuing the success that led to ranking third in the NFL with 48 sacks. Donovan McNabb will be under a comparable pass rush that ranked 6th in the league with 42 sacks, so Brian Westbrook and the underneath and screen passing routes will be factor large in Philly’s success. Andy Reid and McNabb have already earned their job security, but you can rest assured they’re still chomping at the bit to prove themselves.  This is a grudge match of the best variety, where the winner moves on the at the expense of a division rival. That’s playoff football at its finest.

Continue reading "Joey A's Opening Drive: Divisional Round"

 

           Each week, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend’s games.  I will prognosticate on all the playoff games each week.  Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling.  That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!  

Continue reading "Predictions Divisional Round"