Not really sure what to write about today...My take on Andy Reid's giving the team the week off to "refocus": its a good thing. This team appears worn out emotionally. They need to get away from the stadium, rest, relax, get in a few rounds of golf, play some Madden, play with the kids, etc, etc....
You know what I would like to see...elements of the teams, whether its McNabb and receivers, or the Linebackers, or the DBs....and have them show up at the NovaCare Complex on Saturday, on their "day off" so to speak, and get in there and let us fans know they mean business...Hell the whole team should do it for that matter.
In other news, The Eagles signed former Giants CB Will Peterson....ok...if he's healthy he's certainly an upgrade over Dexter Wynn...and I guess maybe a trial insurance policy against Rod Hood's injury (who also happens to playing on a 1-yr restricted FA tenure.
In domestic news, our household goods arrive tomorrow. Here's hoping all of our stuff arrives intact....gotta get the house prepared for the arrival (anytime between 8-5 tomorrow).
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Woe unto thee when your team launches a fraidy-cat punt
I fully expect TMQ to cite that AR's decision as a "mincing, fraidy-cat punt...boom goes the punt, and after a 10 yard holding penalty the Jags have the ball at the 30 yard line." I write "game over" in my notebook.
I was LIVID with the Eagle's entire approach to that 3rd and 4th down....3rd and 6 at the Jax 43...down two scores...that is two down territory...so how about running the ball? or calling a designed run for 5 and letting him build some momentum...either way, we should have had two plays in mind for that situation...
Moreover to punt in that situation, when the opposing team has racked up well over 150 yards rushing at that point...is totally ridiculous. so we punt, get flagged, and wind up having a whopping 10 yard field position swing...that was just rich...I honestly said at the time, GAME OVER...AR ran up the white flag, the defense sensed it, and the Jags run 5 of the remaining 7:27 off the clock...pathetic...I mean get this...after a penalty sets the Jags to first and 20...it took the Jags all of THREE, 3, three goddamn runs to grind out a first down and ensure the clock would dwindle down.
I was LIVID with the Eagle's entire approach to that 3rd and 4th down....3rd and 6 at the Jax 43...down two scores...that is two down territory...so how about running the ball? or calling a designed run for 5 and letting him build some momentum...either way, we should have had two plays in mind for that situation...
Moreover to punt in that situation, when the opposing team has racked up well over 150 yards rushing at that point...is totally ridiculous. so we punt, get flagged, and wind up having a whopping 10 yard field position swing...that was just rich...I honestly said at the time, GAME OVER...AR ran up the white flag, the defense sensed it, and the Jags run 5 of the remaining 7:27 off the clock...pathetic...I mean get this...after a penalty sets the Jags to first and 20...it took the Jags all of THREE, 3, three goddamn runs to grind out a first down and ensure the clock would dwindle down.
Fellas, the Bye Week Is NEXT WEEK
I do not know what happened to the Eagles today...As easy, right on the hand drop on the first offensive play of the game really seemed to set the tone for about as lackluster a performance as I've seen during Andy Reid's tenure...yeah they laid that stinker against the Steelers in 2004, but the difference there: the Eagles were 7-0 and got handed a smackdown that they seemed to need....this time, there were players talking big about how good they were and how they'd bounce back...yeah right...They wandered around on the field today like they were surprised that there was another team out there (a team that spent the afternoon feeding the sleepy Eagles their lunch)....
Eagles nation has officially become a "show me" state...we'll be there in two weeks, hoping and praying that y'all show the F up and want to play....now show us that you do...
Eagles nation has officially become a "show me" state...we'll be there in two weeks, hoping and praying that y'all show the F up and want to play....now show us that you do...
Good Teams Don't
Hmm, the Eagles craptacular showing today was a complete waste of time...I didn't have a single, not a SINGLE frackin' PLAY worth cheering today....what the hell was that??
Did they forget to set their clocks? Looks folks, the Eagles showed a lot of promise early on, but there is a laundry of "don'ts" that the Eagles keep racking up...
Good teams don't:
- drop the first pass of the game
- commit penalty after penalty on offense...even if they're only the 5-yard variety...they indicate a lack of discipline that was clearly evident by the number of blown assignments today
- let the other teams start all of their first half drives (except for 1 I think) from their own 40 or better...I mean how many times did the Jags have GREAT field position in this game? The offense never did anything to establish itself, or even generate a few first downs to try and shift FP and gain any sort of momentum.
- let the opposing team RUN three times for a first down after a penalty sets the opposition at 1st and 20...the Eagles get a little 5 yarder and that seems to set them off kilter...other teams routinely overcome holding penalties to generate first downs against us...WHAT THE HELL???
- punt when down two scores with half a quarter left....um, fellas, we just lost two in a row and are down two scores with 7:30 left... I understand its 4th and 9 (at that point), but WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU PUNTING FOR? We'd've stood a better chance going for it that launching a mincing, fraidy-cat punt....Where did we punt it from? the 40?? After yet another penalty the goddamn frickin' Jags took over at the 30!!!! For Chrissakes....wow, that was totally worth a punt....
- Just in case you forgot, this is a list of thing good team don't do...they don't have to wait until the 3rd qtr for a WR to register their catch of the game.
My conclusion from all this: the Eagles deserved to lose this game...I didn't think that after the loss to the Saints or the Bucs...but this stinker...they lost...good..let them stew on it for the bye week...maybe they'll find their balls somewhere this week and actually show up ready to play next time....that was disgusting...
Did they forget to set their clocks? Looks folks, the Eagles showed a lot of promise early on, but there is a laundry of "don'ts" that the Eagles keep racking up...
Good teams don't:
- drop the first pass of the game
- commit penalty after penalty on offense...even if they're only the 5-yard variety...they indicate a lack of discipline that was clearly evident by the number of blown assignments today
- let the other teams start all of their first half drives (except for 1 I think) from their own 40 or better...I mean how many times did the Jags have GREAT field position in this game? The offense never did anything to establish itself, or even generate a few first downs to try and shift FP and gain any sort of momentum.
- let the opposing team RUN three times for a first down after a penalty sets the opposition at 1st and 20...the Eagles get a little 5 yarder and that seems to set them off kilter...other teams routinely overcome holding penalties to generate first downs against us...WHAT THE HELL???
- punt when down two scores with half a quarter left....um, fellas, we just lost two in a row and are down two scores with 7:30 left... I understand its 4th and 9 (at that point), but WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU PUNTING FOR? We'd've stood a better chance going for it that launching a mincing, fraidy-cat punt....Where did we punt it from? the 40?? After yet another penalty the goddamn frickin' Jags took over at the 30!!!! For Chrissakes....wow, that was totally worth a punt....
- Just in case you forgot, this is a list of thing good team don't do...they don't have to wait until the 3rd qtr for a WR to register their catch of the game.
My conclusion from all this: the Eagles deserved to lose this game...I didn't think that after the loss to the Saints or the Bucs...but this stinker...they lost...good..let them stew on it for the bye week...maybe they'll find their balls somewhere this week and actually show up ready to play next time....that was disgusting...
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Stability has returned
After two bug-filled days of computer freezes and cursing, I hope this extended run of relative stability and operability carries over...this is my old computer I am using and its generally reliable...but lately nothing, and that's hampered my blogging (damn)
Well the Flyers success proved to be short-lived...the Penguins killed them today...the PENGUINS!!!...what the frig is going on in with the big flying Ps? AUGH...get it together fellas or the season will be over before its really begun....
Well the Flyers success proved to be short-lived...the Penguins killed them today...the PENGUINS!!!...what the frig is going on in with the big flying Ps? AUGH...get it together fellas or the season will be over before its really begun....
So There I was barrelling through downtown Hachinohe
Just got done with (get this) our Misawa Indoc this past week...so after being here for a month we were given tours of the base, surrounding town, etc...HA HA HA...that's really helpful...since we'd already stumbled our way through finding just about everything they showed us (and more)...
The most interesting part was Friday, it was day trip to the largest nearby city: Hachinohe (pronounced HA-CHIN-O-HEY) hachi is Japanese for eight, so the city's name means 8 windows (I think)...I didn't go on the tour bus so I didn't the "benefit" of the vast knowledge of the tour guide because a) riding on buses makes me nauseas if done for a long time and b) I wanted the benefit of driving there myself so I could get my bearings locally and figure out how to drive there myself...Before I tell you why THAT turned out to be a farce, I would like to discuss what I consider to be a generally standard rule for tours: the guides should know more than the guests. Christina (who was on the bus) informs me that her and friend Allen spent most the bus ride correcting the tour guide, both on information and pronunciation.
As for WHY my plan to learn how to go to Hachinohe disintegrated from the start: its this...instead of taking the direct route the bus drivers took THE MOST screwball goat-path way to Hachinohe. I lost track after the 12th turn and resigned myself to simply having to tail the buses.
First stop was the Fish Market: which was pretty cool, we got some salted salmon and that made for a very tasty dinner last night. We didn't spend much time there, but one thing that was new to me...that the crabs at the market are alive...kept on ice that just makes them sluggish...
Next we went to the Train Station (the Bullet Train stops at Hachinohe...Misawa is too backwater to warrant a stop) and the most sacred Shinto shrine in the Aomori Prefecture...(which was pretty cool)...Of course, topping the list of things the tour guides told us at the shrine was the cost of the Shrine's souvenirs...hey even monks gotta earn a few yen here and there...But we learned how to make a prayer offering at the shrine and how to ritually cleanse ourselves before entering, so that was pretty neat.
Finally we made our way to the big mall in big H....this required driving through downtown and that turned out to be the most entertaining part of the day (for me at least)...completely lost, not a clue as to where I was, roaring through the crowded downtown of a Japanese city trying to stay glued to the bumper of a military green USAF school bus. Let me tell you one thing, there ain't nothing quite like barrelling through red lights in a foreign city (if the bus ran the light, I ran the light, and the driver seemingly was not detered by whatever color the light happened to be when we approached). I just knew that if I lost the bus I was hosed. (Japanese traffic lights are pretty long, not as long as Korean lights, but long enough that if you stop there is a good chance you won't catch up with whoever is in front of you again for a while).
The most interesting part was Friday, it was day trip to the largest nearby city: Hachinohe (pronounced HA-CHIN-O-HEY) hachi is Japanese for eight, so the city's name means 8 windows (I think)...I didn't go on the tour bus so I didn't the "benefit" of the vast knowledge of the tour guide because a) riding on buses makes me nauseas if done for a long time and b) I wanted the benefit of driving there myself so I could get my bearings locally and figure out how to drive there myself...Before I tell you why THAT turned out to be a farce, I would like to discuss what I consider to be a generally standard rule for tours: the guides should know more than the guests. Christina (who was on the bus) informs me that her and friend Allen spent most the bus ride correcting the tour guide, both on information and pronunciation.
As for WHY my plan to learn how to go to Hachinohe disintegrated from the start: its this...instead of taking the direct route the bus drivers took THE MOST screwball goat-path way to Hachinohe. I lost track after the 12th turn and resigned myself to simply having to tail the buses.
First stop was the Fish Market: which was pretty cool, we got some salted salmon and that made for a very tasty dinner last night. We didn't spend much time there, but one thing that was new to me...that the crabs at the market are alive...kept on ice that just makes them sluggish...
Next we went to the Train Station (the Bullet Train stops at Hachinohe...Misawa is too backwater to warrant a stop) and the most sacred Shinto shrine in the Aomori Prefecture...(which was pretty cool)...Of course, topping the list of things the tour guides told us at the shrine was the cost of the Shrine's souvenirs...hey even monks gotta earn a few yen here and there...But we learned how to make a prayer offering at the shrine and how to ritually cleanse ourselves before entering, so that was pretty neat.
Finally we made our way to the big mall in big H....this required driving through downtown and that turned out to be the most entertaining part of the day (for me at least)...completely lost, not a clue as to where I was, roaring through the crowded downtown of a Japanese city trying to stay glued to the bumper of a military green USAF school bus. Let me tell you one thing, there ain't nothing quite like barrelling through red lights in a foreign city (if the bus ran the light, I ran the light, and the driver seemingly was not detered by whatever color the light happened to be when we approached). I just knew that if I lost the bus I was hosed. (Japanese traffic lights are pretty long, not as long as Korean lights, but long enough that if you stop there is a good chance you won't catch up with whoever is in front of you again for a while).
Friday, October 27, 2006
Its Time to Put Up
I totally agree with John Smallwood...who published exactly what I've said before and have been saying on our Eagles forums....Time for talk is over...the time for NOT committing stupid penalties or blundering through missed offensive opportunities has arrived...and that time is Sunday afternoon againts a banged-up Jacksonville squad...
Hell the Texans just beat up on these dudes...The Eagles had better pummel this team...
We gotta go to a Halloween function, so more on the Jags later
Hell the Texans just beat up on these dudes...The Eagles had better pummel this team...
We gotta go to a Halloween function, so more on the Jags later
Thursday, October 26, 2006
I know WHY the Eagles lost vs the Bucs
You know, I just realized something when I was talking about good mojo (as opposed to bad juju) by donning a particular Eagles jersey for a game...I failed to come through on a key superstition...I forgot to the boys' Eagles collars on for the game...I had two Eagles collars for my mini-dachshunds Zaar and D.J. and every game, I clasp them on for good luck...whenever I haven't, they've lost....AUGH....and I didn't....DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT...
How many other of you out there have Eagles superstitions or pre-game rituals? I have a lucky shirt and I got to wear a jersey...but I sometime switch them out between offense and defense depending on whether or not one side or the other needs a boost...I mean 5 pissed me off so much against the Bucs that I wore my Dawkins jersey for most of the second half....
I've had a few others over the years, but they've been broken and the magic is over for them....
How many other of you out there have Eagles superstitions or pre-game rituals? I have a lucky shirt and I got to wear a jersey...but I sometime switch them out between offense and defense depending on whether or not one side or the other needs a boost...I mean 5 pissed me off so much against the Bucs that I wore my Dawkins jersey for most of the second half....
I've had a few others over the years, but they've been broken and the magic is over for them....
An Eagles Jersey for my B-day and the winner is.....
#36, Brian Westbrook...I had a lot of good suggestions about which jersery to get, but I really wanted to get a white one (got a Green #5 and Black #20) and that, it turns out, really limited my choices. For new players, it was basically Kearse or WB...and there's not really a bad choice between those two. I chose WB cause at least there's a chance that some good mojo might rub off on the team if I don the jersey at critical times....
Pro-Bowl Voting has started already
Jeez-louise fellas...the NFL has already started the Pro-Bowl balloting? How are we supposed to judge a player's 2006 performance...on the first few games...what about those players who already have had their bye...won't their stats be artificially lower? Well, I do know I will be voting for McNabb, that's for sure....
In Eagles news, it looks like Donte Stallworth will be ready to go Sunday against Jacksonville, and that it really good news...even better would be Rod Hood's return...because our problems seem to be on Defense more than the Offense...though, if anyone tracked our first half possessions from the Bucs game you wouldn't know it...Stallworth might stabilize the O a little bit, perhaps making a play early (something that's been lacking) to get the Eagles impressive offense on-track a little bit earlier... This offense is dangerous folks...once it gets going the Eagles can pile up points in a hurry...the problem is getting going...we've made way too many mistakes and its given our opponents a boost....
In Eagles news, it looks like Donte Stallworth will be ready to go Sunday against Jacksonville, and that it really good news...even better would be Rod Hood's return...because our problems seem to be on Defense more than the Offense...though, if anyone tracked our first half possessions from the Bucs game you wouldn't know it...Stallworth might stabilize the O a little bit, perhaps making a play early (something that's been lacking) to get the Eagles impressive offense on-track a little bit earlier... This offense is dangerous folks...once it gets going the Eagles can pile up points in a hurry...the problem is getting going...we've made way too many mistakes and its given our opponents a boost....
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Wherefore art thou Romo?
I am reserving judgement on Cowboys's new QB Tony Romo...
IF I was a 'Boys fans (don't have to worry about that happening anytime in this life)...the thing that would tick me off is the mid-season switch. I am presuming that many (not all but many) Boys fans think this move is long overdue....The problem of doing it now is one of timing...I mean Romo is in what, his 4th season, and the Cowboys really don't know if he is the "man"....and so now, in a season when a lot of pundits and fans, etc. were expecting a run deep into the playoffs (maybe even SB), the 'Boys are going to have to deal with young "rookie" QB mistakes...I think the job is now Romo's...but unless he's a doppleganger of Roethlisberger, he's not going to be a championship caliber QB this season...
As an Eagles fan, I want to see Bledslow play for as long as possible as I think this impedes the overall progress of the Cowgurls...'Cause lets face it: The Eagles have the BEST QB in the division hands down (a star in the prime of his career). The Giants have the NEXT big thing at QB (from what I've seen of his improvement this year, I have no doubt that Eli is a star in the making, he will be the toast of the division as McNabb's career enter its twilight down the road---not yet, but my hatred of Eli will only deepen from here on). Meanwhile, it has been of no small comfort to see the Skins and Boys basically ignore the most important position on the field and stick with their relics behind center instead of developing their young QBs.
So even if Romo sticks at QB--and I think he has supplanted Drew in Dallas--it will be a little while before he's ready for serious primetime contention (I wouldn't put him in the same category as Big Ben because the Cowboys rely more on their QB to make plays than the Steelers do, or even the Chargers do with LT)...
IF I was a 'Boys fans (don't have to worry about that happening anytime in this life)...the thing that would tick me off is the mid-season switch. I am presuming that many (not all but many) Boys fans think this move is long overdue....The problem of doing it now is one of timing...I mean Romo is in what, his 4th season, and the Cowboys really don't know if he is the "man"....and so now, in a season when a lot of pundits and fans, etc. were expecting a run deep into the playoffs (maybe even SB), the 'Boys are going to have to deal with young "rookie" QB mistakes...I think the job is now Romo's...but unless he's a doppleganger of Roethlisberger, he's not going to be a championship caliber QB this season...
As an Eagles fan, I want to see Bledslow play for as long as possible as I think this impedes the overall progress of the Cowgurls...'Cause lets face it: The Eagles have the BEST QB in the division hands down (a star in the prime of his career). The Giants have the NEXT big thing at QB (from what I've seen of his improvement this year, I have no doubt that Eli is a star in the making, he will be the toast of the division as McNabb's career enter its twilight down the road---not yet, but my hatred of Eli will only deepen from here on). Meanwhile, it has been of no small comfort to see the Skins and Boys basically ignore the most important position on the field and stick with their relics behind center instead of developing their young QBs.
So even if Romo sticks at QB--and I think he has supplanted Drew in Dallas--it will be a little while before he's ready for serious primetime contention (I wouldn't put him in the same category as Big Ben because the Cowboys rely more on their QB to make plays than the Steelers do, or even the Chargers do with LT)...
Trotter's Guarantee
I like the sentiments espoused by the Eagles middle linebacker, Jeremiah Trotter...he says “We’re the best 4-3 team in the National Football League. Once we get it together, everybody in the NFL is going to be in trouble.” My sentiments exactly. Now what we need to see...BEFORE the bye week (i.e. our next game against Jacksonville) is for the Eagles to stop talking about putting it all together, and PUT IT ALL TOGETHER....good article by Andy Schwartz at Comcast...
The Eagles need, in the words of the immortal Buddy Ryan, to win in Nov and Dec to be playing in January...They've burned up their losses and now have a tough road to hoe...so lets get to work fellas....
Around the NFL: a few nasty injuries occured this weekend...LaVar Arrington went down with a torn achilles (OUCH) and Browns safety Gary Baxter (who has labored in anonymity since leaving the Ravens) torn the patella tendon in each knee...BOTH KNEES (double OUCH)...dude he'll be lucky if he ever plays again....a couple other plays, Broncos tackle Lepsis and Colts safety Doss...jeez...rough weekend for players in the NFL...
In other news, why does the ESPN keep that jackass Michael Irvin around...is there some sort of stipulation in their contract with the NFL that they employ a certain number of the mentally challenged? All this guy does is make excuses for MEO and defend his old team...and its painfully obvious that he routinely stomps on the last nerve of Tom Jackson, a class act who shouldn't be punished by having to sit next to that dope-smoking idjit...
well, we have a tour to go tomorrow...maybe we'll see some more of Misawa.
The Eagles need, in the words of the immortal Buddy Ryan, to win in Nov and Dec to be playing in January...They've burned up their losses and now have a tough road to hoe...so lets get to work fellas....
Around the NFL: a few nasty injuries occured this weekend...LaVar Arrington went down with a torn achilles (OUCH) and Browns safety Gary Baxter (who has labored in anonymity since leaving the Ravens) torn the patella tendon in each knee...BOTH KNEES (double OUCH)...dude he'll be lucky if he ever plays again....a couple other plays, Broncos tackle Lepsis and Colts safety Doss...jeez...rough weekend for players in the NFL...
In other news, why does the ESPN keep that jackass Michael Irvin around...is there some sort of stipulation in their contract with the NFL that they employ a certain number of the mentally challenged? All this guy does is make excuses for MEO and defend his old team...and its painfully obvious that he routinely stomps on the last nerve of Tom Jackson, a class act who shouldn't be punished by having to sit next to that dope-smoking idjit...
well, we have a tour to go tomorrow...maybe we'll see some more of Misawa.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
The Season is Not Over
The Eagles need to regroup and cut the mental mistakes and they've got the ability to bring this thing home...but NOT if they continue to act like the Salvation Army of the NFL, but here are a few reasons why the sky is not quite falling after the Eagles lose another heartbreaker to a late FG.
1. The Eagles are 4-3, but the Foreskins got hammered by Indy and are 2-5, and only 1 team, either the Cowboys or Giants will be 4-2 and take over the NFC East least tomorrow...the other team will be 3-3, so its second place city...
2. So exactly what we thought was going to happen in the NFC East is happening, Division games will decide the winner....here is the problem: the Eagles need to stop giving away gifts...
3. A lot of team in the NFC to a step backwards today, in much worse fashion that the Eagles, the Seahawks got blasted by the Vikings and the Panthers lost to the Bengals. The Falcons gutted out a win in OT versus the Steelers, but other than the Bears, no team in the NFC is creating separation (and they awfully vulnerable against the Cards)
The Eagles 4-3 record places them in the middle of the dogfight in the NFC. Bears 6-0, Vikings 4-2, Seattle 4-2, Rams 4-2, Saints 5-1, Falcons 4-2, Panthers 4-3, Eagles 4-3, Cowboys or Giants 4-2 the other 3-3....There are 10 teams with a legitimate shot at the playoffs...Sorry Bucs fans, two gift wins against superior teams does not resurrect your season...its done you are the #4 team in the South....Cards fans can start planning their January vacations now because their players will need to buy tickets if they want to get in on some playoff action...ditto for fan of the Packers, Foreskins, Lions, and 49ers.
1. The Eagles are 4-3, but the Foreskins got hammered by Indy and are 2-5, and only 1 team, either the Cowboys or Giants will be 4-2 and take over the NFC East least tomorrow...the other team will be 3-3, so its second place city...
2. So exactly what we thought was going to happen in the NFC East is happening, Division games will decide the winner....here is the problem: the Eagles need to stop giving away gifts...
3. A lot of team in the NFC to a step backwards today, in much worse fashion that the Eagles, the Seahawks got blasted by the Vikings and the Panthers lost to the Bengals. The Falcons gutted out a win in OT versus the Steelers, but other than the Bears, no team in the NFC is creating separation (and they awfully vulnerable against the Cards)
The Eagles 4-3 record places them in the middle of the dogfight in the NFC. Bears 6-0, Vikings 4-2, Seattle 4-2, Rams 4-2, Saints 5-1, Falcons 4-2, Panthers 4-3, Eagles 4-3, Cowboys or Giants 4-2 the other 3-3....There are 10 teams with a legitimate shot at the playoffs...Sorry Bucs fans, two gift wins against superior teams does not resurrect your season...its done you are the #4 team in the South....Cards fans can start planning their January vacations now because their players will need to buy tickets if they want to get in on some playoff action...ditto for fan of the Packers, Foreskins, Lions, and 49ers.
Unbelievable
Words cannot explain the ridiculous nature of the game I just witnessed....the Eagles lost 23-21 on a last second, 62-yard field goal..the second longest in NFL history...62 fucking yards....from a limp dick, short-legged kicker? That is tough to swallow.
You know, a lot of fans following a loss don't give enough credit to the other team, usually its true...they overvalue their own teams' mistakes and don't take into account the efforts of the other team...but TODAY...its not true...(with the exception of Ronde Barber and that asshole kicker, who appeared to be the only two Bucs to show up ready to play). The Eagles gave this game away with two quarters of stupid play, and two really retarded gaffes in the second half (after they'd finally woken up and started playing)....
Here are some of the key retardations that cost us:
***- not one, but two interceptions returned by CB Ronde Barber for touchdowns...JFC
**- on the first drive, rookie WR Jason Avant fumbles inside the 20 (if we managed to score, perhaps the Eagles show a different pep or tempo in the first half)
****** - Eagles get inside the Bucs 10 with 10 seconds left in the first half...and somehow come away with NO POINTS...special attention needs to be paid to this one...
*****- hmmm, 4th qtr, Eagles showing life, having just made it 17-14, and first round bust and little used DE J. McDougle LOOKS like he just came up with a momentum-killing sack....but the refs see it differently, and even though NO replay shows a foul of any kind, he gets whistled for a penalty...THEN he pulls one of the bonehead plays that are quickly becoming the hallmark of a coulda, woulda, shoulda season for the Birds....HE KICKS THE PENALTY FLAG....tack on another 15, and instead of the Bucs booming a punt, they're 30 yards further down the field....they use that to convert a FG and make it 20-14....AGAIN remember those points....
****- just after a woohoo inducing Westbrook scamper for the go-ahead TD (21-20) and there are 33 seconds left....boom goes the kickoff....and there goes the Buc return man, zipping his way out the 36 yard line after Akers kicks it into the end zone....Great coverage fellas...way to pin the Bucs deep....
these last two instances are examples of how the Eagles appear to be just enough to turn a season fulls of ups and downs into one predicated on downs....This team has yet to put together a complete four quarter game...but you know, if they do, they look like they'll be competitive with anybody...but they have just enough flaws in their game to screw it up, somehow....
This is a team with some unfulfilled promise. I've said it before and I'll say it again, there are four to five little plays on which momentum/opportunities turn....Yes games can swing on big plays, and the Eagles got their fair share this game (including providing the Bucs with their only big plays)...its the LITTLE plays that letting this team down....ST coverage, the dumb penalties, letting the other team convert key third and longs....It all adds up folks....
Unfortunately for Eagles fans, we came up on the short end of the ledger for the second week in a row....
You know, a lot of fans following a loss don't give enough credit to the other team, usually its true...they overvalue their own teams' mistakes and don't take into account the efforts of the other team...but TODAY...its not true...(with the exception of Ronde Barber and that asshole kicker, who appeared to be the only two Bucs to show up ready to play). The Eagles gave this game away with two quarters of stupid play, and two really retarded gaffes in the second half (after they'd finally woken up and started playing)....
Here are some of the key retardations that cost us:
***- not one, but two interceptions returned by CB Ronde Barber for touchdowns...JFC
**- on the first drive, rookie WR Jason Avant fumbles inside the 20 (if we managed to score, perhaps the Eagles show a different pep or tempo in the first half)
****** - Eagles get inside the Bucs 10 with 10 seconds left in the first half...and somehow come away with NO POINTS...special attention needs to be paid to this one...
*****- hmmm, 4th qtr, Eagles showing life, having just made it 17-14, and first round bust and little used DE J. McDougle LOOKS like he just came up with a momentum-killing sack....but the refs see it differently, and even though NO replay shows a foul of any kind, he gets whistled for a penalty...THEN he pulls one of the bonehead plays that are quickly becoming the hallmark of a coulda, woulda, shoulda season for the Birds....HE KICKS THE PENALTY FLAG....tack on another 15, and instead of the Bucs booming a punt, they're 30 yards further down the field....they use that to convert a FG and make it 20-14....AGAIN remember those points....
****- just after a woohoo inducing Westbrook scamper for the go-ahead TD (21-20) and there are 33 seconds left....boom goes the kickoff....and there goes the Buc return man, zipping his way out the 36 yard line after Akers kicks it into the end zone....Great coverage fellas...way to pin the Bucs deep....
these last two instances are examples of how the Eagles appear to be just enough to turn a season fulls of ups and downs into one predicated on downs....This team has yet to put together a complete four quarter game...but you know, if they do, they look like they'll be competitive with anybody...but they have just enough flaws in their game to screw it up, somehow....
This is a team with some unfulfilled promise. I've said it before and I'll say it again, there are four to five little plays on which momentum/opportunities turn....Yes games can swing on big plays, and the Eagles got their fair share this game (including providing the Bucs with their only big plays)...its the LITTLE plays that letting this team down....ST coverage, the dumb penalties, letting the other team convert key third and longs....It all adds up folks....
Unfortunately for Eagles fans, we came up on the short end of the ledger for the second week in a row....
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Flixster!
Hey everyone, haven't posted in a couple days, but that's not because I am not thinking about the Eagles...I am...its just I don't want to just rehash what a bunch of other folks are talking about...in addition, check out the right sidebar...
I found Flixster a place to rate movies, etc...Its free and not that bad, especially if, like me, you love movies....It also lets me put up something I talked about earlier...lists of my all time favorites...I'm doing it by genre, and the scrolling lists are pretty cool, dontcha think?
More later...
I found Flixster a place to rate movies, etc...Its free and not that bad, especially if, like me, you love movies....It also lets me put up something I talked about earlier...lists of my all time favorites...I'm doing it by genre, and the scrolling lists are pretty cool, dontcha think?
More later...
Friday, October 20, 2006
Real Quick - My Top 6 for Week 6
Had a little trouble coming up with this one, cause much as I'd like to, I cannot include my beloved Birds in my top teams this week...
So without further ado: my top six teams, in no particular order because each team has flaws and the arguments could go on endlessly...regardless: I have 3 NFC and 3 AFC teams at the top of the heap: Carolina, Chicago, Denver, Indianapolis, San Diego and Seattle....all either won or sat out this past weekend...I thought about putting the Saints and/or the Patriots in this august group, but one team on a bye was enough, and the Charger deserve it...they've rallied for two straight wins after choking out a loss to the Ravens (who, by the way, still cannot seem to find an offense to compliment their defense...so long Jim Fassel, they hardly knew ye...don't ask me if its good or bad that Brian Billick is still the head coach in Baltimore...matter of fact he's throw so many QB coaches, offensive coordinators or other staff members under the bus he ought to get royalties from the MTA)...
So without further ado: my top six teams, in no particular order because each team has flaws and the arguments could go on endlessly...regardless: I have 3 NFC and 3 AFC teams at the top of the heap: Carolina, Chicago, Denver, Indianapolis, San Diego and Seattle....all either won or sat out this past weekend...I thought about putting the Saints and/or the Patriots in this august group, but one team on a bye was enough, and the Charger deserve it...they've rallied for two straight wins after choking out a loss to the Ravens (who, by the way, still cannot seem to find an offense to compliment their defense...so long Jim Fassel, they hardly knew ye...don't ask me if its good or bad that Brian Billick is still the head coach in Baltimore...matter of fact he's throw so many QB coaches, offensive coordinators or other staff members under the bus he ought to get royalties from the MTA)...
Fiddlin' on the Blog
Actually it should read, fiddlin' with the blog, cause I made a bunch o'changes and then decided I didn't like what they did (expanded the text some but scrunched the pics, etc). Well anyway, I've decided that as a primarily Eagles-related blog, I need some more Eagles-related colors, so in with midnight green and white and black...throw in a dash of throwback silver...and viola' the trick is done.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
The Importance of Rebounding
Its about time to focus on the most important game for the Eagles this season: that being the next one...Yeah, its cliched but I am firm believer in the one-game-at-a-time model...and the Eagles better be as well. After a hugely disappointing loss in New Orleans the Eagles can ill-afford to come out soft against the struggling Buccaneers. Under Andy Reid, the Eagles have a pretty good history of rebounding...and they need it as much as ever when they travel to Tampa on Sunday. Why, because a win would put them at 5-2 and keep them ahead of whoever wins the Dallas-GYNts game on Monday night.
Lets face it, the Dallas-GYNts winner will be 4-2, the loser 3-3, if the Eagles can keep it together they will have restored some distance between themselves and all but 1 other NFC East team. As for who I like in the MNF game....that is a tough one...a Dallas win keeps the MEO erosion at bay and it benefits the team I most love to hate...however it would make the GYNts 2-1 in the division instead of 3-0 so that it good thing (the Eagles really need to get that win back when they go to the Meadowlands)....A GYNts win would keep the second best team in the NFC East red-hot make life harder, BUT it would probably all sorts of consternation in Dallas (especially if MEO gets shutdown).
Ok, so now that the stakes are laid out, what will it take to win? Well, the Eagles need to get to return to the balanced offense that was on display in the first few games...my reasoning is simple: as the Eagles have gone "big-play" in the last few games their ability to sustain drives and convert third downs has seriously diminished. This situation has fed on itself and made the Eagles O, in my opinion, seemingly more reliant on the big play to re-assert itself or get any sort of momentum. This also puts our D on the field more often, which, in turn, adds to the number of time they must come up with stops...We, as a team, just shouldn't be allowing the other team to have so many possessions during a game...each possession, inherently, presents our opponent with an opportunity to score. It would be nice to be see the offense try and run the ball a little bit, especially since the Bucs just traded one of their biggest bodies in the middle of their D, DT Booger McFarland, to the Colts. Its not like they don't do ok running the ball...the Eagles CAN run the ball, they just don't seem to stick with it long enough to make a real difference in the game.
The Eagles D and Special Teams also needs to kick it up a notch (or two)...Much as I just harped on the offense, they are putting up points; and enough to win each and every game. Special Teams cost us 7 points last week, and it came as just the wrong time (just before the half when it looked like the Eagles might be able grab some momentum). Not that there is GOOD time to have a huge ST gaffe, but anything with less than two minutes remaining in a half is B-A-D....
Lets face it, the Dallas-GYNts winner will be 4-2, the loser 3-3, if the Eagles can keep it together they will have restored some distance between themselves and all but 1 other NFC East team. As for who I like in the MNF game....that is a tough one...a Dallas win keeps the MEO erosion at bay and it benefits the team I most love to hate...however it would make the GYNts 2-1 in the division instead of 3-0 so that it good thing (the Eagles really need to get that win back when they go to the Meadowlands)....A GYNts win would keep the second best team in the NFC East red-hot make life harder, BUT it would probably all sorts of consternation in Dallas (especially if MEO gets shutdown).
Ok, so now that the stakes are laid out, what will it take to win? Well, the Eagles need to get to return to the balanced offense that was on display in the first few games...my reasoning is simple: as the Eagles have gone "big-play" in the last few games their ability to sustain drives and convert third downs has seriously diminished. This situation has fed on itself and made the Eagles O, in my opinion, seemingly more reliant on the big play to re-assert itself or get any sort of momentum. This also puts our D on the field more often, which, in turn, adds to the number of time they must come up with stops...We, as a team, just shouldn't be allowing the other team to have so many possessions during a game...each possession, inherently, presents our opponent with an opportunity to score. It would be nice to be see the offense try and run the ball a little bit, especially since the Bucs just traded one of their biggest bodies in the middle of their D, DT Booger McFarland, to the Colts. Its not like they don't do ok running the ball...the Eagles CAN run the ball, they just don't seem to stick with it long enough to make a real difference in the game.
The Eagles D and Special Teams also needs to kick it up a notch (or two)...Much as I just harped on the offense, they are putting up points; and enough to win each and every game. Special Teams cost us 7 points last week, and it came as just the wrong time (just before the half when it looked like the Eagles might be able grab some momentum). Not that there is GOOD time to have a huge ST gaffe, but anything with less than two minutes remaining in a half is B-A-D....
Micc's Reading List
I've been taking advantage of my time off to catch up on some reading, and I'd like to share the eclectic list of books I'm currently studying...
I just finished Hegemon: China's Plan to Dominate Asia and the World...its a good read if you're a China-watcher or interested in the Asia dynamic of U.S foreign policy...lots of good information revealed by Steven Mosher, I really liked this one. I also recently read The Aquariums of Pyongyang, a stirring story of the man who grew up in one of Kim Jong-ils concentration camps.
I am currently reading 1421: The Year China Discovered America and The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead (yeah I am George Romero fan)...the first is pretty eye-opening information about the extent of China's world exploration program. It is written by a former British sub-mariner who did a lot of research, and his personal contribution and insider information regarding navigation really highlight the "exploratory" aspects of his study and make it an entertaining read. As for the Zombie Survival Guide...well, its just a fun read, and if you like Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, or Shaun of the Dead then you will enjoy this book.
Next up on my List: One serious book: Imperial Hubris, and a new novel by one of my favorite fantasy authors, Raymond E. Feist: Flight of the Nighthawks.
I just finished Hegemon: China's Plan to Dominate Asia and the World...its a good read if you're a China-watcher or interested in the Asia dynamic of U.S foreign policy...lots of good information revealed by Steven Mosher, I really liked this one. I also recently read The Aquariums of Pyongyang, a stirring story of the man who grew up in one of Kim Jong-ils concentration camps.
I am currently reading 1421: The Year China Discovered America and The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead (yeah I am George Romero fan)...the first is pretty eye-opening information about the extent of China's world exploration program. It is written by a former British sub-mariner who did a lot of research, and his personal contribution and insider information regarding navigation really highlight the "exploratory" aspects of his study and make it an entertaining read. As for the Zombie Survival Guide...well, its just a fun read, and if you like Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, or Shaun of the Dead then you will enjoy this book.
Next up on my List: One serious book: Imperial Hubris, and a new novel by one of my favorite fantasy authors, Raymond E. Feist: Flight of the Nighthawks.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Glad I'm Not a Cards Fan
Its a little last to do a post-game reaction on the MNF Bears theivery the other night, but you know what...it just makes me glad I am not a Cardinals fan...I watched it Tuesday morning in amazement, and the Cards sliced and diced the Bears D...I felt the same misgiving that I've felt numerous times when I think the Eagles are not capitalizing as much as they should on opponents mistakes...and of course, it was validated when the Bears defense and special teams woke up and won the game...
So, after nearly two decades of futility (their last playoff birth was in 1985..they were still the St. Louis Cardinals back then) the team has a new retractable dome, a new QB, a new high-priced high-pedigree running back, and at least two very, very good wide receivers...LOTS of reason for optimism....here are some reasons for pessimism...the O-Line, which everyone was calling crap, performed to expectations...YES the Cards had a 20-0 advantage, but there are two key failings in the game: Edge rushes 36 times for 57 yards...pathetic...second was the WORST play of the game: Second to last play of the 3rd quarter, Leinart takes the snap inside his own 10. His right tackle, exits his stance, looks inside, and spends the rest of play in a preparatory stance, LOOKING for some to block...ummm, dude...your "man" (Chicago's left DE) made a bee-line for the QB, sack, fumble, Mike Brown 3-yd return for a TD....23-10 and the Bears have life...thanks O-line...thanks...
Moving on, are any other Phillies' fans at all surprised that Jim Leyland, the man our pathetic organization passed on when hiring a coach a couple years back, is leading his new team, the Detroit Tigers, to the World Series??? This is why I am happy I am NOT a Phillies fan. (I would like to be a Phillies fan, but I've swore off the Phillies until they get new ownership)
So, after nearly two decades of futility (their last playoff birth was in 1985..they were still the St. Louis Cardinals back then) the team has a new retractable dome, a new QB, a new high-priced high-pedigree running back, and at least two very, very good wide receivers...LOTS of reason for optimism....here are some reasons for pessimism...the O-Line, which everyone was calling crap, performed to expectations...YES the Cards had a 20-0 advantage, but there are two key failings in the game: Edge rushes 36 times for 57 yards...pathetic...second was the WORST play of the game: Second to last play of the 3rd quarter, Leinart takes the snap inside his own 10. His right tackle, exits his stance, looks inside, and spends the rest of play in a preparatory stance, LOOKING for some to block...ummm, dude...your "man" (Chicago's left DE) made a bee-line for the QB, sack, fumble, Mike Brown 3-yd return for a TD....23-10 and the Bears have life...thanks O-line...thanks...
Moving on, are any other Phillies' fans at all surprised that Jim Leyland, the man our pathetic organization passed on when hiring a coach a couple years back, is leading his new team, the Detroit Tigers, to the World Series??? This is why I am happy I am NOT a Phillies fan. (I would like to be a Phillies fan, but I've swore off the Phillies until they get new ownership)
Monday, October 16, 2006
NFC Impressions from Week 6
Well another week of football in the books (with the exception of MNF) and here what we learned from week 6:
The following NFC teams are for real: Seattle, which won a tough away game against a team that gives them fits....New Orleans, defended the home turf even after the Eagles snagged the lead and momentum *maybe our D expected the 'aints to fold, but this team has an S...and they didn't back down....Carolina, another team that won a tough away game, this time against the vaunted Ravens defense....The GYNts, much as it pains me to say it the NYG went on the road and handed the Falcons a stinging loss playing a tough, physical game...
The following still have something to prove: The Eagles, yes, my beloved Birds cough up their tail feathers this weekend...No shame is dropping a tough game on the road, BUT, it stings because they had battled back to take the lead only to let down by the defense in a big, big way...The St. Louis Rams, a tough pill to swallow, losing on a 54-yard FG at the end of the game, in your house, has GOT to hurt (no more than coughing up a 17-pt 4th qtr lead mind you). This was a chance for the Rams to take control, instead, they find out they're still looking up at the Seahags...the Dallas Cowboys, all is happy in the land of MEO, for now, but pounding the hell out the NFL version of the JV squad does not mean all is right for the Cowboys, they did what they're supposed to do, hammer an inferior opponent, let's see how they do against a tougher team...Atlanta Falcons, hmm, Vick still can't shake the running quarterback thing, oops, oh wait, that exactly WHAT he is, sucks for Atlanta fans' long-term prospects....
The following teams are pretenders: The Washington Redskins - losing to the Titans, oh my lord...49ers...another blow out loss, and the Niners look ready to get into a two-way race with Oakland for the top draft choice in Apr '07....Detroit Lions and the Tampa Bay Succa-er Buccaneers, finally get off the snyde, but lets face it both teams are terrible....same goes for the Cardinals and Packers....we know they suck...they might chalk up a few wins here and there, but they are not going to challenge...My jury is still out on Minnesota Vikings, they won't challenge the Bears for the division (if things keep going the way they are going), but they might make some wildcard noise....
The following NFC teams are for real: Seattle, which won a tough away game against a team that gives them fits....New Orleans, defended the home turf even after the Eagles snagged the lead and momentum *maybe our D expected the 'aints to fold, but this team has an S...and they didn't back down....Carolina, another team that won a tough away game, this time against the vaunted Ravens defense....The GYNts, much as it pains me to say it the NYG went on the road and handed the Falcons a stinging loss playing a tough, physical game...
The following still have something to prove: The Eagles, yes, my beloved Birds cough up their tail feathers this weekend...No shame is dropping a tough game on the road, BUT, it stings because they had battled back to take the lead only to let down by the defense in a big, big way...The St. Louis Rams, a tough pill to swallow, losing on a 54-yard FG at the end of the game, in your house, has GOT to hurt (no more than coughing up a 17-pt 4th qtr lead mind you). This was a chance for the Rams to take control, instead, they find out they're still looking up at the Seahags...the Dallas Cowboys, all is happy in the land of MEO, for now, but pounding the hell out the NFL version of the JV squad does not mean all is right for the Cowboys, they did what they're supposed to do, hammer an inferior opponent, let's see how they do against a tougher team...Atlanta Falcons, hmm, Vick still can't shake the running quarterback thing, oops, oh wait, that exactly WHAT he is, sucks for Atlanta fans' long-term prospects....
The following teams are pretenders: The Washington Redskins - losing to the Titans, oh my lord...49ers...another blow out loss, and the Niners look ready to get into a two-way race with Oakland for the top draft choice in Apr '07....Detroit Lions and the Tampa Bay Succa-er Buccaneers, finally get off the snyde, but lets face it both teams are terrible....same goes for the Cardinals and Packers....we know they suck...they might chalk up a few wins here and there, but they are not going to challenge...My jury is still out on Minnesota Vikings, they won't challenge the Bears for the division (if things keep going the way they are going), but they might make some wildcard noise....
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Birds Blow Gasket in Big Easy
Well folks, there is only 1 star of the game this week.
Reggie Brown definitely showcased his ability today....he was without a doubt our most effective weapon on a day when his battery-mate Hank Baskett had a rookie mind-fart day and couldn't catch the ball with a fishing net...That's it for the kudos...
Reggie Brown definitely showcased his ability today....he was without a doubt our most effective weapon on a day when his battery-mate Hank Baskett had a rookie mind-fart day and couldn't catch the ball with a fishing net...That's it for the kudos...
A lot of us talked about New Orleans being a let down game, or a trap game...and it was and wasn't...First here is why it wasn't a classic trap game...1) it was close! classic Eagles trap games reveal them getting shut down and toasted by double-digits; 2) the Eagles responded in the 2nd half, but couldn't seal the deal.
Now here is why is WAS a trap game: They did not deal well with the emotion in the beginning of the game, allowing the Saints to dictate early and scoot out to 10-0 lead...One could argue that they were lucky it wasn't more, or that falling behind early to an energetic team playing at home is "normal"...well it not exactly normal but it isn't that rare either...The D did a decent job settling in and shutting down the Saints in the 2nd qtr...until special teams decided to chime in with the first of several huge team mistakes...
This brings me to my first goat of the game: scatback Ryan Moats, who seemingly forgot what color uniform he was wearing because he made a nice hit...on hit OWN friggin' man...the resulting muffed punt set up the Saints for a fairly easy score right before the half; the critical thing about this idiot play, he came right after a nice defensive stop and at a time where the Eagles offense was beginning to show a spark...so instead of getting the ball before the half, with 1:54 on the clock and a chance for a drive (keep in mind, the score was 10-3 at the time, and the Eagles were set to get the ball to start the second half) that could have set up a nice double-whammy (get a score before half, get the ball right back in the 3rd)--we get to look at a 14-point hole at half time...remember those points...they'll come back to haunt us...
Second goat the game: Michael Lewis...ok, jackass, how many times are you going to bite on the double-move when you are the last line of defense....a great time to drop your shorts too, coming right on the heels of the Eagles seizing control of the game by converting a turnover for a TD and taking a 24-17 lead. But you know what, I don't place all the blame on him...Jim Johnson has to take some the blame for this...how many times are we going to get burned by playing a defense that has the CB release a teams' #1 wide receiver to our absolute WORST coverage guy??? I mean we got burned when Brown released Terry Glenn to #32 at the end of the Dallas game..today is the other side, same result...Play before Lito Sheppard runs with Joe Horn through his double move and pass incomplete, throw doesn't even go that way...next play, Lito releases his deep (the Cover 2 if I am not mistaken) and Lewis flails up the field like Timmy at a Southpark pick-up game....result: Joe Horn takes an easy score to the house and the game is tied 24-24 (remember those easy points, they will come back to haunt us)
Final goat of the game: the Entire frickin' D for allowing an unforgiveable mistake to happen on the last drive... 3rd and 10, Saints driving in Eagles territory with about 3-something on the clock...and we have 12-men on the field??? On a play in which Trent Cole should have collected a drive-killing sack (real fine step-it-up in a high pressure situation type of play)....Nope, instead of watching NO try the pooch punt, we get treated to a 3rd-and-5, little dink pass, first down, and the game is essentially over...
So those three key mistakes are why it WAS a trap game. Pure and simple, some players weren't focused, we made way too many mistakes at crucial times to beat a good team...now if we'd been playing Green Bay or Tennessee that'd be one thing, but New Orleans is 4-1 (now 5-1) for a reason, they play hard, and they showed it today...They made a few mistakes today too, and if we'd been on top of our game, we'd have made them pay for it and snatched a W...
Hats off to 'em...they smelled the opportunity to win at the end and seized it. Hard to argue with that last drive...they wanted it more and they got it.
Keys to the Week 6
Here the good news: looks like AFN is slated to show the Eagles - Saints game tomorrow morning, uh, later on today for the rest of you...Also have the Rams-Seahawks and GYNts-Falcons games slated....so it looks like AFN chooses the "best" match-ups...poor CBS, looks like their premier early game is the Bengals-Bucs...of course that better (marginally) than NBC, which is stuck with the Raiders-Broncos tilt to try and draw viewers for its Football Night in America...good luck NBC...
Match-ups I'm watching in Week 6 (besides the obvious - my attention will be focused on the Eagles of course)....
Rams - Seahawks...St. Louis has a chance to prove its "for real" with a home game against Seattle...and there is no better time to face the Seahawks than with Alexander in street clothes on the sidelines...Hasselbeck has to step-up, or else the 'hawks face an early hole in their quest to repeat as NFC champs
Are we (the Eagles) going to get any help this weekend....to be honest, the prospects are grim...our best shot appears to be the Falcons, who host the GYNts...Our other two NFC East rivals, Cowgurls and Foreskins, face the vaunted duo of the Texans and Titans respectively...jeez...so there is definitely pressure on the Birds to keep winning...
Other burning questions: Can the Lions or the Succaneers get off the snyde this weekend...Here is hoping the Yucs can somehow do the improbable and deal the Bengals a defeat...why? because I don't like the idea of the Eagles playing a team with a big, fat goose-egg in the win column by Week 7...it gets to become a matter of odds by that point...somehow someway, the Yucs are going to win...I'd rather not face a team playing for professional pride at that point of the season.
Bills - Lions...yawn...look for Buffalo to get is run game going and for Losman to find the endzone once or twice...
Panthers - Ravens...whats the over-under on this game, twelve? Going to be another Monday Night defense-fest like the Broncos-Ravens game...here's hoping Baltimore can defend the home turf so I can stop hearing about how great the Panthers are now that Steve Smith has returned...at least for a week.
Miami - Jets...should be interesting to see the Jets supplant the Dolphins as the only up-n-comer that has a prayer of challenging the Patriots in the AFC East...Joey Harrington...somewhere even Detroit fans are feeling sorry for the folks dwelling on South Beach. weren't the dol-phans supposed to be good this year???
More later, I need to get some sleep before the game...
Match-ups I'm watching in Week 6 (besides the obvious - my attention will be focused on the Eagles of course)....
Rams - Seahawks...St. Louis has a chance to prove its "for real" with a home game against Seattle...and there is no better time to face the Seahawks than with Alexander in street clothes on the sidelines...Hasselbeck has to step-up, or else the 'hawks face an early hole in their quest to repeat as NFC champs
Are we (the Eagles) going to get any help this weekend....to be honest, the prospects are grim...our best shot appears to be the Falcons, who host the GYNts...Our other two NFC East rivals, Cowgurls and Foreskins, face the vaunted duo of the Texans and Titans respectively...jeez...so there is definitely pressure on the Birds to keep winning...
Other burning questions: Can the Lions or the Succaneers get off the snyde this weekend...Here is hoping the Yucs can somehow do the improbable and deal the Bengals a defeat...why? because I don't like the idea of the Eagles playing a team with a big, fat goose-egg in the win column by Week 7...it gets to become a matter of odds by that point...somehow someway, the Yucs are going to win...I'd rather not face a team playing for professional pride at that point of the season.
Bills - Lions...yawn...look for Buffalo to get is run game going and for Losman to find the endzone once or twice...
Panthers - Ravens...whats the over-under on this game, twelve? Going to be another Monday Night defense-fest like the Broncos-Ravens game...here's hoping Baltimore can defend the home turf so I can stop hearing about how great the Panthers are now that Steve Smith has returned...at least for a week.
Miami - Jets...should be interesting to see the Jets supplant the Dolphins as the only up-n-comer that has a prayer of challenging the Patriots in the AFC East...Joey Harrington...somewhere even Detroit fans are feeling sorry for the folks dwelling on South Beach. weren't the dol-phans supposed to be good this year???
More later, I need to get some sleep before the game...
Friday, October 13, 2006
Former Eagle Stricken with PFLB
I'd like to take a moment to address a serious issue afflicting many Americans: polyflabitis. This has recently hit home to many Eagles fans when former Eagles DT Corey Simon recently revealed that he too suffers from this deadly malaise. The story, exposed by the Philadelphia Daily News' Paul Domowitch, shifts the blame for Corey's absence from the Indianapolis Colts away from his gimpy knee to this deadly disease.
Just what is polyflabitis? It is the technical term for fat, lazy bastard (as shared with me by Parkwood) and is evidently a latent gene carried by many of us.
Just what is polyflabitis? It is the technical term for fat, lazy bastard (as shared with me by Parkwood) and is evidently a latent gene carried by many of us.
A visual comparison reveals the extent of the damage:
This is Corey in Philly
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
This is Corey after catching PFLB
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
One might notice the explosion of flab around the belly and ass - classic evidence of PLFB.
While PFLB afflicts many Americans, it is particularly virulent when combined with highly paid athletes...Apparently, when those who carry the PFLB gene sign a mega-bucks contract, it triggers an auto-immune response to cope with the new weightiness of the players' wallet, which most commonly results in swelling of the person-in-question's buttocks.
Corey became susceptible, as do many professional athletes, after signing a six-year, $30-million dollar contract with the Indianapolis Colts in August 2005, following a dispute with the Eagles over appropriate compensation....Observers remarked at the time Simon reported to camp that it would take a while for Simon to work into playing shape to help the Colts' run defense because it appeared that Corey had spent more time hitting the chips than the weights. (evidently preparing for a post-NFL career in competitive eating).
PFLB set in during a year in which Simon put the mass is amassing statistics...which for the record include a distinctly unimpressive 25 tackles and NO sacks (after averaging over 30 tackles and 6 sacks per year with the Eagles).
The disease has progressed to the point that Simon apparently has lost interest in making money....oh wait...he's already collected about $14 of the $30 million from the contract...so apparently he lost intererst in working to collect his money...I mean, honestly, why bother...he signed a six year contract, and collected almost half in one year....doesn't that make the working hard for the last FIVE years to collect nearly the same amount just seem, well, lame?
Gettin' Ready for 'Nawlins
Well, its taken a while for Iggles fans to stop talking about the big win over the Cowboys...but it is refreshing to see the team appears to have focused on their next opponent, the 4-1 New Orleans Saints, much quicker than us non-players...with that out of the way, its time to focus on what it will take to defeat said opponent...
Reasons for concern: first and foremost, the coach - Sean Payton. I hate this guy...well hate is not the right term...I despise this guy...he always has our number and concocts a gameplan than works well against JJ's defense...he's one the few in the league that have done so consistently.
two: He's got a competent QB who is playing well. Matter of fact, Coach P has the entire team playing well above themselves...they haven't been blowing people away, but 4-1 speaks for itself...
three: they've got a standout rookie, and he's not named Reggie Bush...WR Colston is playing his ass off...this isn't to say Reggie Bush hasn't been very good. He has. Colston those is big, rangy and fast...and he's producing. I think our secondary has been getting better each week. Joe Horn, Colston, Bush & Co. will provide another test for us.
four: defensively, they've got two ex-Eagles, Hollis Thomas and Mark Simoneau to help Payton devise more offensive schemes.
That said, I think so long as there is no emotional letdown the Eagles outmatch the Saints across the board. We're better along the lines, perhaps equal in the RB/WR skills positions, and superior at QB and TE. Defensively, our line is a match for anyone, our LBs are better and so is our secondary - no leaps and bounds better, but better. Special teams is at least a wash...Bush gives them an edge in the return game, but Harbaugh is an excellent coach.
As for shutting down an opponent's primary weapon. The Eagles have shown a propensity for not letting other teams' top playmakers from beating us this year. Andre Johnson did jack in Week 1, it wasn't Tiki that killed us in Week 2, Frank Gore did very little in Week 3 but cough up the ball on Patterson's 98 yd fumble return for a TD, Favre did zippo in Week 4, and we all know MEO's craptacular performance last week. This week its Reggie Bush, and I know, if the Eagles don't want him to, he ain't gonna do jack either.
More later, but that familiar excitement is building...its almost the weekend...too bad I gotta wait until Monday morning - AUGH!
Reasons for concern: first and foremost, the coach - Sean Payton. I hate this guy...well hate is not the right term...I despise this guy...he always has our number and concocts a gameplan than works well against JJ's defense...he's one the few in the league that have done so consistently.
two: He's got a competent QB who is playing well. Matter of fact, Coach P has the entire team playing well above themselves...they haven't been blowing people away, but 4-1 speaks for itself...
three: they've got a standout rookie, and he's not named Reggie Bush...WR Colston is playing his ass off...this isn't to say Reggie Bush hasn't been very good. He has. Colston those is big, rangy and fast...and he's producing. I think our secondary has been getting better each week. Joe Horn, Colston, Bush & Co. will provide another test for us.
four: defensively, they've got two ex-Eagles, Hollis Thomas and Mark Simoneau to help Payton devise more offensive schemes.
That said, I think so long as there is no emotional letdown the Eagles outmatch the Saints across the board. We're better along the lines, perhaps equal in the RB/WR skills positions, and superior at QB and TE. Defensively, our line is a match for anyone, our LBs are better and so is our secondary - no leaps and bounds better, but better. Special teams is at least a wash...Bush gives them an edge in the return game, but Harbaugh is an excellent coach.
As for shutting down an opponent's primary weapon. The Eagles have shown a propensity for not letting other teams' top playmakers from beating us this year. Andre Johnson did jack in Week 1, it wasn't Tiki that killed us in Week 2, Frank Gore did very little in Week 3 but cough up the ball on Patterson's 98 yd fumble return for a TD, Favre did zippo in Week 4, and we all know MEO's craptacular performance last week. This week its Reggie Bush, and I know, if the Eagles don't want him to, he ain't gonna do jack either.
More later, but that familiar excitement is building...its almost the weekend...too bad I gotta wait until Monday morning - AUGH!
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Dallas-haters Rejoice: The Fuse is Lit
Hark! What doth mine eyes and ears observe this morning but a classic look-at-me tirade from Terrell Owens in today's Dallas Star-Telegram. The bum truly deserves the ME.O. moniker Those more forgiving than I might be tempted to overlook MEO's history, but I would caution those optimistic souls to not pin their hopes on the stability of footballs most narcissistic player. Before the season I calculated that MEO would give the Cowgurls one good season before imploding...so much for that one...
Now, those of us who follow the Eagles are being treated to an eerie deja-vu...MEO divulging his frustration to the local press..."I do have a problem when I don't feel like I'm involved enough. I know I can make a difference. That's not me being arrogant. (that's rich) I just know what I bring to the table." For those keeping count MEO just bolted out eight references to himself in just four little lines....no mention of the team....oops that's right...the M and the E are missing because now they are in "MEO"
I do have to saw, it IS more entertaining this time around...I about blew Diet Coke bubble out my nose when I listen to MEO yap on NFL Live this afternoon...
Word up Big D fans, the fuse to the powderkeg that is Owens has been lit...the ONLY thing left to determine is when it will go off. I can only hope that the Texans somehow speed the process along (don't think it'll happen, but wouldn't that be grand?)
Now, those of us who follow the Eagles are being treated to an eerie deja-vu...MEO divulging his frustration to the local press..."I do have a problem when I don't feel like I'm involved enough. I know I can make a difference. That's not me being arrogant. (that's rich) I just know what I bring to the table." For those keeping count MEO just bolted out eight references to himself in just four little lines....no mention of the team....oops that's right...the M and the E are missing because now they are in "MEO"
I do have to saw, it IS more entertaining this time around...I about blew Diet Coke bubble out my nose when I listen to MEO yap on NFL Live this afternoon...
Word up Big D fans, the fuse to the powderkeg that is Owens has been lit...the ONLY thing left to determine is when it will go off. I can only hope that the Texans somehow speed the process along (don't think it'll happen, but wouldn't that be grand?)
My NFL Top 5 for Week 5
Here are my top 5 teams after Week 5 of the NFL season. (ed. note: these rankings are based on how well a team has played to this point in the season, NOT how good I think a particular team is overall, or what I think of any particular team's playoff chances)
1. Chicago Bears - simply put, playing the BEST all around football in either conference
2. Denver Broncos - playing lights out defense, and while they struggled against a stiff Ravens D, they scored enough to secure the W.
3. Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb is posting an MVP-caliber season, and the Eagles possess the most prolific offense in the game. I place them one rank below the Broncos based on the axiom that it is defense that wins championships, and our D could tighten it down a notch or two
4. New England Patriots - have found themselves an excellent back in Maroney, some one who should allow them to keep Corey Dillon fresh all year, which is bad news for the AFC East. Plus they still have Tom Brady making plays and a defense that is more than a match for their division rivals...damn, and I was hoping the Pats would fade away gracefully
5. San Diego Chargers - after dropping a painful game to the Ravens by playing Marty-ball, the Chargers bounced back nicely by trouncing the defending champs. The D is pretty good and Phillip Rivers is playing well. If they can get LT going...look out...
Again these are just my thoughts on who is playing the best through the first five weeks of the season. Teams that were also considered:
Honorable Mention AFC: Indianapolis Colts (yeah, 5-0, but just barely, find a run D fellas) and the Cincinnati Bengals (probably left off because they didn't play this week and I want to see how'll they rebound from the ass-whuppin' the Patriots laid on them in Week 4)
Honorable Mention NFC: Atlanta Falcons (powerful running game and a renewed focus have propelled them to good performances thus far, still think Vick is a mediocre QB) and the St. Louis Rams (didn't expect them eh? 4-1, playing much better D than I thought possible, and showing a spark of the old-style "greatest show" Rams offense...this week they have a chance to do in Seattle what Eagles did in Week 5, put a stamp on their division...a win over the Seahawks would make me look very smart too based on my pre-season prognostications)
1. Chicago Bears - simply put, playing the BEST all around football in either conference
2. Denver Broncos - playing lights out defense, and while they struggled against a stiff Ravens D, they scored enough to secure the W.
3. Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb is posting an MVP-caliber season, and the Eagles possess the most prolific offense in the game. I place them one rank below the Broncos based on the axiom that it is defense that wins championships, and our D could tighten it down a notch or two
4. New England Patriots - have found themselves an excellent back in Maroney, some one who should allow them to keep Corey Dillon fresh all year, which is bad news for the AFC East. Plus they still have Tom Brady making plays and a defense that is more than a match for their division rivals...damn, and I was hoping the Pats would fade away gracefully
5. San Diego Chargers - after dropping a painful game to the Ravens by playing Marty-ball, the Chargers bounced back nicely by trouncing the defending champs. The D is pretty good and Phillip Rivers is playing well. If they can get LT going...look out...
Again these are just my thoughts on who is playing the best through the first five weeks of the season. Teams that were also considered:
Honorable Mention AFC: Indianapolis Colts (yeah, 5-0, but just barely, find a run D fellas) and the Cincinnati Bengals (probably left off because they didn't play this week and I want to see how'll they rebound from the ass-whuppin' the Patriots laid on them in Week 4)
Honorable Mention NFC: Atlanta Falcons (powerful running game and a renewed focus have propelled them to good performances thus far, still think Vick is a mediocre QB) and the St. Louis Rams (didn't expect them eh? 4-1, playing much better D than I thought possible, and showing a spark of the old-style "greatest show" Rams offense...this week they have a chance to do in Seattle what Eagles did in Week 5, put a stamp on their division...a win over the Seahawks would make me look very smart too based on my pre-season prognostications)
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
What Time is it?
First, a note from your sponsor: Thank you for stopping by, its cool that people actually click on over and check out my blog. I am going to try and embed some Eagles clips for added enjoyment, and put some more links along the side...(thinking some "Best of" or favorite rankings, movies, books, games, teams, etc). Allow me also to extend a hand of gratitude to those souls who spend some time each week uploading Eagles related videos to the web...your fellow citizens, service-members and Eagles fans overseas REALLY appreciate it. THANKS!
A curious statistics from Sunday win over the Cowboys...apparently the cowpokes had 30 more offensive plays, and won the time of possession battle by a wide margin (37:00 to 23:00). Conventional wisdom suggests that this should have spelled certain doom for our beloved Birds.
So why didn't it? Two words: quick strikes. This was enabled early by turnovers...the Eagles started fast, but fumbled...then a muffed punt quickly followed and the Birds suddenly had the ball inside the 10. So, instead of a scoring drive it was more of scoring poke...then they got it right back on the sack/fumble of Tooslow...and the Eagles got another gimme score (a FG); so 10 of the 31 points scored by the Offense happened very fast...and the quick-strike theme continued throughout the game, the other 3 TDs the Eagles scored came: 1) on the heels of a 60-yard bomb to TE L.J. Smith (the first play of a drive), 2) an 87-yard Bomb to Hank Baskett, (here is the same play but better because its the local play-by-play with Merrill) the first play of a "drive" when McNabb anticipated a corner blitz and told the rookie to go deep in the huddle, and finally a 40-yard flea-flicker to Reggie Brown (the 4th play of the "drive")....so in reality the Eagles offense wound up sprinting not marching down the field, sort of like Lito's 102-yd INT return for a TD...which by the way make him the only player in NFL history with TWO 100+ yard interception returns for touchdowns. (isn't YouTube great?)
Ok, I agree with other folks that it is a bad idea to allow the opposing team to control so much of the clock and run so many more offensive plays...but you score where you can, when you can...Its as simple as that...the name of the game is winning, and the Eagles needed every point and every big play to triumph over a tough opponent. I will take it, just so long as Andy Reid and Marty Mohrningwheg don't get overly infatuated with scoring in 30 seconds...give that D a break fellas...lets run the ball a little bit...especially on 3rd and inches.
Thus endeth the rant
A curious statistics from Sunday win over the Cowboys...apparently the cowpokes had 30 more offensive plays, and won the time of possession battle by a wide margin (37:00 to 23:00). Conventional wisdom suggests that this should have spelled certain doom for our beloved Birds.
So why didn't it? Two words: quick strikes. This was enabled early by turnovers...the Eagles started fast, but fumbled...then a muffed punt quickly followed and the Birds suddenly had the ball inside the 10. So, instead of a scoring drive it was more of scoring poke...then they got it right back on the sack/fumble of Tooslow...and the Eagles got another gimme score (a FG); so 10 of the 31 points scored by the Offense happened very fast...and the quick-strike theme continued throughout the game, the other 3 TDs the Eagles scored came: 1) on the heels of a 60-yard bomb to TE L.J. Smith (the first play of a drive), 2) an 87-yard Bomb to Hank Baskett, (here is the same play but better because its the local play-by-play with Merrill) the first play of a "drive" when McNabb anticipated a corner blitz and told the rookie to go deep in the huddle, and finally a 40-yard flea-flicker to Reggie Brown (the 4th play of the "drive")....so in reality the Eagles offense wound up sprinting not marching down the field, sort of like Lito's 102-yd INT return for a TD...which by the way make him the only player in NFL history with TWO 100+ yard interception returns for touchdowns. (isn't YouTube great?)
Ok, I agree with other folks that it is a bad idea to allow the opposing team to control so much of the clock and run so many more offensive plays...but you score where you can, when you can...Its as simple as that...the name of the game is winning, and the Eagles needed every point and every big play to triumph over a tough opponent. I will take it, just so long as Andy Reid and Marty Mohrningwheg don't get overly infatuated with scoring in 30 seconds...give that D a break fellas...lets run the ball a little bit...especially on 3rd and inches.
Thus endeth the rant
An Instant Classic - Its MEO's Party
This is an instant classic on YouTube...(no wonder Google bought it...its practically a license to print money)...especially for anyone who still has any doubts about that MEO is a cancer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YwYVbSMVEM
I will REALLY be rooting for the Texans this week. I don't expect they'll be able pull off an upset in Irving...but wouldn't it be sweet to see some more stompin' and hootin'...like some sort of mutant line dance in Big D.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YwYVbSMVEM
I will REALLY be rooting for the Texans this week. I don't expect they'll be able pull off an upset in Irving...but wouldn't it be sweet to see some more stompin' and hootin'...like some sort of mutant line dance in Big D.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Eagles in Misawa Too? Now How About That
Ok, so I just relocated some 5,000 miles from Hawaii to Misawa Japan
Here it is on a map:
Any guesses what the mascot of the local base Robert Edgren High is? That's right its the Edgren Eagles...
ha ha, so the great E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles chant still applies, even way out here in kebumfrick north Japan...
The Ultimate Apologist
You know how ESPN show the "Ultimate Highlight" each Sunday ?? (which by the way should not be viewed by those with epilepsy or attention spans measured in units of time longer than milliseconds)...well I propose a new segment that ESPN can air every week during Monday Night Countdown...having Michael Irvin be the "Ultimate Apologist"...a weekly chronicle for the former, most accomplished, drug-loving Cowboy wide receiver to make excuses for the current, most notorious, pill-popping Cowboy wide receiver's behavior.
Irvin actually defends 81 for yelling at teammates on the sidelines, saying "someone needs to say something"....but is it MEO's job to be person to get in the face of the O-line or the WR coach. ummm, as a fan who experienced the MEO erosion of team unity, the answer is an EMPHATIC NO
So let me offer up a hearty laugh at MEO's "I'm not here to point fingers" comment that came right after he threw Bledslow under the bus for his horrendous performance yesterday.
Here is an excerpt from MEO post-game PC: "You watched the game. Who's pulling the trigger? I'm just out there doing my job. I'm not trying to point fingers at anybody, but you guys know just as well as I know." Bledsoe, Parcells, and the Cowboys faithful better get real used to those sorts of snide, back-handed insinuations.
Irvin actually defends 81 for yelling at teammates on the sidelines, saying "someone needs to say something"....but is it MEO's job to be person to get in the face of the O-line or the WR coach. ummm, as a fan who experienced the MEO erosion of team unity, the answer is an EMPHATIC NO
So let me offer up a hearty laugh at MEO's "I'm not here to point fingers" comment that came right after he threw Bledslow under the bus for his horrendous performance yesterday.
Here is an excerpt from MEO post-game PC: "You watched the game. Who's pulling the trigger? I'm just out there doing my job. I'm not trying to point fingers at anybody, but you guys know just as well as I know." Bledsoe, Parcells, and the Cowboys faithful better get real used to those sorts of snide, back-handed insinuations.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
A few Online stories about the Eagles Triumph at the Linc
I don't know about you all, but one thing I do enjoy after beating a division opponent is reading the drivel from their local sportswriters...
Here are few links to stories by the Dallas beat writers:
Big Plays Cost Cowboys ; this guy is bitchin about how the Cowgurls have reduced Owens to the most expensive decoy in the NFL ; while this dude is clearly off the Bledslow bandwagon...
Hee hee...a few national writers chimed in as well...
Clark Judge as CBS Sportsline rightly focuses on McNabb and his near-psychic ability his displayed on the bomb to Baskett; a short blurb from the NY Daily News (guess their all busy writing about the resurrection of the GYNts season...now if only Shockey would step up his play instead of his mouth), and finally some Bank Shots....
One amusing item from the end of Banks' column was the revelation that the Eagles issued some 737 press credentials for the "return of MEO" with even Al Jazerra -- the Muslim TV network -- requesting press credentials. al Jazerra? Did they think maybe they could recruit Owens as a potential suicide bomber or something?
Here are few links to stories by the Dallas beat writers:
Big Plays Cost Cowboys ; this guy is bitchin about how the Cowgurls have reduced Owens to the most expensive decoy in the NFL ; while this dude is clearly off the Bledslow bandwagon...
Hee hee...a few national writers chimed in as well...
Clark Judge as CBS Sportsline rightly focuses on McNabb and his near-psychic ability his displayed on the bomb to Baskett; a short blurb from the NY Daily News (guess their all busy writing about the resurrection of the GYNts season...now if only Shockey would step up his play instead of his mouth), and finally some Bank Shots....
One amusing item from the end of Banks' column was the revelation that the Eagles issued some 737 press credentials for the "return of MEO" with even Al Jazerra -- the Muslim TV network -- requesting press credentials. al Jazerra? Did they think maybe they could recruit Owens as a potential suicide bomber or something?
My favorite Eagles shot of the Day
Been a little while since we've seen Dawk grab one...but that was #29 all time for him...What a safety...one of the all time greats folks, one of the all time greats...
McNabb Comes Through Big
Well well well, MEO chokes and McNabb comes through is the clutch...hmmm...so much for all the Dallas fans deriding Donovan prior to the game...what did he do today, 18-33 for 354 yards and 2 TDs...with Bledslow screwing around for 223 yards and 3 Ints.
Here are my 5 stars of the game:
***** - McNabb, he was the engine for this team today. It looked like Westbrook would be the catalyst as the game opened, but it turned out to be 5 making the plays with his arm in the second half
**** - Lito Sheppard, played a gutsy, gutsy game...and redeemed himself not once but twice after dropping an easy INT in the first half...first game back coming off a sprained ankle, what a player...plus he bailed out his teammates by cinching the game with that 102-yard INT return for the TD
*** - Darren Howard and the entire D-Line, it seems like Howard was EVERYWHERE today, and the D-Line racked up all seven of the Eagles sacks today...wow...nice job fellas...
** - Joselio Hanson, doth mine eye deceive me, or did little #22 take MEO's measure in this game and stack-up pretty well. Whodathunkit? Nice job dude, nice job
* - Hank Baskett, another whodat player to most football fans, Baskett became the 5th Eagles leading receiver in 5 games. Now THAT is what I call spreading the ball around...Moreover, he also redeemed himself nicely in the second half after allowing a long gain to bounce away from him in the first quarter.
More later...gotta watch Donovan talk at the PC on the webchat...
Here are my 5 stars of the game:
***** - McNabb, he was the engine for this team today. It looked like Westbrook would be the catalyst as the game opened, but it turned out to be 5 making the plays with his arm in the second half
**** - Lito Sheppard, played a gutsy, gutsy game...and redeemed himself not once but twice after dropping an easy INT in the first half...first game back coming off a sprained ankle, what a player...plus he bailed out his teammates by cinching the game with that 102-yard INT return for the TD
*** - Darren Howard and the entire D-Line, it seems like Howard was EVERYWHERE today, and the D-Line racked up all seven of the Eagles sacks today...wow...nice job fellas...
** - Joselio Hanson, doth mine eye deceive me, or did little #22 take MEO's measure in this game and stack-up pretty well. Whodathunkit? Nice job dude, nice job
* - Hank Baskett, another whodat player to most football fans, Baskett became the 5th Eagles leading receiver in 5 games. Now THAT is what I call spreading the ball around...Moreover, he also redeemed himself nicely in the second half after allowing a long gain to bounce away from him in the first quarter.
More later...gotta watch Donovan talk at the PC on the webchat...
Damn its EARLY - Monday Morning Football
My internal alarm clock tick-tocked me until about 0150 this morning (had the alarm set for 2), so I managed to get up without disturbing my wife (whew)....The dogs, now they're another story. The good news from this morning, the rain finally cleared out so the satellite signal has been pretty good. AFN is showing the 'Skins-GYNts game, and the Philly game starts in about 45 minutes and the excitement is building....
Actually got a second game today (they had baseball on the schedule but I guess all the games are over)...the Korea channel is showing NASCAR (yawn). So I got a chance to see the Bears demolish the Bills. I gotta say it again, the Bears are IMPRESSIVE...I don't want to see the Iggles have to play in Soldier Field, so they better take care of business against the Cowboys today. After they got up 30-0 the coverage switched to Miami and New England...and lo and behold: whom did I see playing QB for the Fins? Joey frickin' Harrington...OMG...and Dan Dierdorf is talking about great he's been playing...umm...guess that must've been before I tuned in, because the Patriots don't look the least bit perturbed...they haven't sacked him yet, but he looked about as good as I saw in Detroit...speaking of...I lost my best fantasy WR when Fox showed Roy Williams being carted off with a shoulder injury...DAMN...
Fantasy note to self: IGNORE the so-called Experts...oh yeah, time to start Joe Addai, the Tennessee defense sucks...Indy will run up the score...its 13-7 Titans in the 4th quarter and Addai has amassed all of 50 yards...FRACK...
HA HA, Fox just showed the fans giving MEO hell during warm-ups...where are the empty pill bottles?
Wow, that heated toilet-seat is a godsend...very necessary in Japan, however, because the toilet get its own little room in Japanese houses, and its NOT heated...
Jeez, the Bears are up 40-0 now...I mean how many drives can you have starting on the opponents side of the field...I think the Bears O has cashed in at least 4 times...well Christina will be happy...ofcourse, I failed to started WR Berrian...jeez....WTF...I thought I had...damn...
Actually got a second game today (they had baseball on the schedule but I guess all the games are over)...the Korea channel is showing NASCAR (yawn). So I got a chance to see the Bears demolish the Bills. I gotta say it again, the Bears are IMPRESSIVE...I don't want to see the Iggles have to play in Soldier Field, so they better take care of business against the Cowboys today. After they got up 30-0 the coverage switched to Miami and New England...and lo and behold: whom did I see playing QB for the Fins? Joey frickin' Harrington...OMG...and Dan Dierdorf is talking about great he's been playing...umm...guess that must've been before I tuned in, because the Patriots don't look the least bit perturbed...they haven't sacked him yet, but he looked about as good as I saw in Detroit...speaking of...I lost my best fantasy WR when Fox showed Roy Williams being carted off with a shoulder injury...DAMN...
Fantasy note to self: IGNORE the so-called Experts...oh yeah, time to start Joe Addai, the Tennessee defense sucks...Indy will run up the score...its 13-7 Titans in the 4th quarter and Addai has amassed all of 50 yards...FRACK...
HA HA, Fox just showed the fans giving MEO hell during warm-ups...where are the empty pill bottles?
Wow, that heated toilet-seat is a godsend...very necessary in Japan, however, because the toilet get its own little room in Japanese houses, and its NOT heated...
Jeez, the Bears are up 40-0 now...I mean how many drives can you have starting on the opponents side of the field...I think the Bears O has cashed in at least 4 times...well Christina will be happy...ofcourse, I failed to started WR Berrian...jeez....WTF...I thought I had...damn...
Friday, October 06, 2006
Approximating the Take-off Velocity for a Wiener Dog
Never seen anything quite like this...it has been raining...no, its been POURING since about 12 noon yesterday (Friday afternoon our time)....its now nearly noon on Saturday and neither the wind nor the rain has let up one iota...The winds are "Chicago-style" and its a good thing dachshunds are built low to the ground, because whenever they venture outside their ears flap so fast it looks like they are preparing for flight. I am not sure our backyard has adequate space for a weiner dog to achieve take-off velocity, but they looked darn close.
Look, it would be one thing if the rain let up every once-in-a-while, but I haven't seen rain dump out of the sky like this for so long and in such tremendous amounts...I half expect to see a little Japanese Noah out building a wooden ship in one of the rice we pass on the way to base...
No wonder all the faucets here in Misawa jet water out like their connected directly to fire hydrants. I think Japan could improve relations with China by exporting some of this water to the parched Chinese.
As of course the weather if playing hell with the satellite, so its look like a Battlestar Galactica on DVD Saturday....
THe good news: the rain should be gone by Monday morning, and AFN is showing both NFC East games this week...so it'll be "up at 0130" for me again...
Look, it would be one thing if the rain let up every once-in-a-while, but I haven't seen rain dump out of the sky like this for so long and in such tremendous amounts...I half expect to see a little Japanese Noah out building a wooden ship in one of the rice we pass on the way to base...
No wonder all the faucets here in Misawa jet water out like their connected directly to fire hydrants. I think Japan could improve relations with China by exporting some of this water to the parched Chinese.
As of course the weather if playing hell with the satellite, so its look like a Battlestar Galactica on DVD Saturday....
THe good news: the rain should be gone by Monday morning, and AFN is showing both NFC East games this week...so it'll be "up at 0130" for me again...
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Setting the Circus Aside and Previewing a Potential key Player on Sunday: Safety Sean Considine
Lots of chatter on-line because it Cowboys week in Philadelphia and we all know that he-who-must-not-be-named will be making his first appearance in the Linc since performing his one-man emotional wrecking ball act on the team psyche last year.
BUT, I am NOT here to talk about that...or rather, I hope you all didn't show up to read claptrap about that narcissistic retard...
Go here: If you want a good primer on how to welcome MEO back to the LINC Its both funny and informative and there is no way I can top it, so I linked to it.
What I'd like to do this week is focus in on what I feel are a few keys for the Eagles in Sunday's game. I could be overthinking this, but one overlooked player who could play a big role on Sunday in Safety Sean Considine...
Consider this: Jim Johnson had modified Brian Dawkins' role in the defense. Is he still the quarterback of the DBs, sure, but he has playing a bit more run support, probably because his skills as a sideline-to-sideline romper stomper have slipped a notch. This isn't to say that Dawk cannot still move around...check my previous blogs...I think Dawk looks rejuvenated this year, but face it...he may be an all-time great safety, but he is not the players he was 5 years ago...that is why I love what JJ is doing, Dawk is suited and capable of playing a "Polamalu-esque" role for the Eagles...
But back to Considine..am I the only one that has noticed some of the hits 37 has been delivering? He's not an all-pro ball hawk yet, but it looks like he is coming around and finding his place in this defense... WHY is this important? I am glad you asked. It has allowed JJ to use Dawkins in this modified role...if JJ didn't have another guy capable of running all over the field and putting his hat on the ball, he wouldn't have the option of bringing Dawkins up in a psuedo-linebacker role.
As to how this could play out on Sunday, if Sheppard is back, then JJ can insert Considine in a nickel role and move Dawkins up (if necessary), giving the Eagles a "nickel" look without sacrificing much against the run. Considine has the range to be the over-the-top rolls coverage guy, probably one of the few deficiencies in SS Michael Lewis' game....
A non-player key: PLAYING UNDER CONTROL. A lot of Philly phans would like nothing better than to see Trotter and Dawkins virtually decapitate 81 should he venture across the middle. While I cannot say this would displease me either, I am a much stronger advocate of sound tackling. I would much rather see the Eagles DBs do a solid job of making sure 81 hits the turf shortly after catching a 5 yard dink-pass than in seeing Michael Lewis try and line up a kill shot...I have two examples of how the kill shot back-fired last week....The Jags safety against Santana Moss in OT and Chargers "all-everything" LB Merriman against the Ravens...both players seemed intent on trying to get on TJ's "Jacked Up" segment...The Jags player whiffed, and Moss scorched his ass for the game-winning TD...Like Raven TE Tood Heap, who instead of being soundly wrapped up at the 3 or 4 (and maybe stretching out to the 2), bounced off Merriman's all-or-nothing body launch and landed his outstretched arms in the endzone for the game-winning score...See my point...Just get MEO on the ground fellas
BUT, I am NOT here to talk about that...or rather, I hope you all didn't show up to read claptrap about that narcissistic retard...
Go here: If you want a good primer on how to welcome MEO back to the LINC Its both funny and informative and there is no way I can top it, so I linked to it.
What I'd like to do this week is focus in on what I feel are a few keys for the Eagles in Sunday's game. I could be overthinking this, but one overlooked player who could play a big role on Sunday in Safety Sean Considine...
Consider this: Jim Johnson had modified Brian Dawkins' role in the defense. Is he still the quarterback of the DBs, sure, but he has playing a bit more run support, probably because his skills as a sideline-to-sideline romper stomper have slipped a notch. This isn't to say that Dawk cannot still move around...check my previous blogs...I think Dawk looks rejuvenated this year, but face it...he may be an all-time great safety, but he is not the players he was 5 years ago...that is why I love what JJ is doing, Dawk is suited and capable of playing a "Polamalu-esque" role for the Eagles...
But back to Considine..am I the only one that has noticed some of the hits 37 has been delivering? He's not an all-pro ball hawk yet, but it looks like he is coming around and finding his place in this defense... WHY is this important? I am glad you asked. It has allowed JJ to use Dawkins in this modified role...if JJ didn't have another guy capable of running all over the field and putting his hat on the ball, he wouldn't have the option of bringing Dawkins up in a psuedo-linebacker role.
As to how this could play out on Sunday, if Sheppard is back, then JJ can insert Considine in a nickel role and move Dawkins up (if necessary), giving the Eagles a "nickel" look without sacrificing much against the run. Considine has the range to be the over-the-top rolls coverage guy, probably one of the few deficiencies in SS Michael Lewis' game....
A non-player key: PLAYING UNDER CONTROL. A lot of Philly phans would like nothing better than to see Trotter and Dawkins virtually decapitate 81 should he venture across the middle. While I cannot say this would displease me either, I am a much stronger advocate of sound tackling. I would much rather see the Eagles DBs do a solid job of making sure 81 hits the turf shortly after catching a 5 yard dink-pass than in seeing Michael Lewis try and line up a kill shot...I have two examples of how the kill shot back-fired last week....The Jags safety against Santana Moss in OT and Chargers "all-everything" LB Merriman against the Ravens...both players seemed intent on trying to get on TJ's "Jacked Up" segment...The Jags player whiffed, and Moss scorched his ass for the game-winning TD...Like Raven TE Tood Heap, who instead of being soundly wrapped up at the 3 or 4 (and maybe stretching out to the 2), bounced off Merriman's all-or-nothing body launch and landed his outstretched arms in the endzone for the game-winning score...See my point...Just get MEO on the ground fellas
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
You ain't seen bureaucracy until you've visited Japan's DMV
Ok folks, its official, I can no longer criticize the stifling slowness and bureaucratic stupidity of any State-side Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office...(Ok, I guess I still could, but the reasons would be different)...
Well this morning I was introduced to the Japanese DMV as I traversed some twists and turns in registering our "new" Nissan Stagea (think station wagon) in our name...the closest DMV to Misawa Airbase is about 40 minutes outside base, in the city of Hachinohe. So we got there shortly after 9am, and the parking lot was pleasantly empty...a good sign, or so I thought.
Well all of my wife and I's preparatory work (getting the insurance, and the all the proper forms from the base police) did pay off somewhat...
Hachinohe's DMV works something like this:
Step 1: enter and go to Window 2 (I didn't see a Window #1, but there might have been one)...turn in paperwork to clerk, uttering traditional morning greeting Ohayo (pronounced O-hio) followed by a series of grunts and nods and pointing the stack of papers to confirm with him that yes, you are indeed there to perform some sort of DMV-related task and hoping that he can figure out what you need without any other sort of formal conversation...
Step 2: wait..about 5-10 minutes later the clerk will return the sheaf of paperwork to you. You may now proceed to step 3
Step 3: the clerk grunts and points at map on the counter, you eventually interpolate this as instructions to go to Window 12 (note: saying "twelve" to the clerk will be a nodding return grunt of something that resembles the English pronunciation of twelve, at least this lead clerk remembered some of his high school English)
Step 4: Finding Window 12...which is in, of course, an entirely different building, conveniently located directly behind the building you entered first...exit, wander around back and look around for something labeled 12...its easy to find...step up to Window 12...and proceed with the next step.
Step 5: Handover sheaf of paperwork to the woman working at Window 12, which is named the "Application forms window"...repeat the greeting/grunting/nodding ritual performed during Step 1. Hang loose for the next step, practice finding your zen.
Step 6: wait...about 15-30 minutes later, the clerk will wave you back and kindly slip you two receipts, and all of your paperwork (which apparently has been dutifully shuffled between the half-dozen or so workers sitting behind the counter at various desks. She then shows you a calculator that reads out about 2,800 Yen (that slightly less than $28 to you and me)...time to pay up...hope you remembered your Yen...once you get your change you are instructed to return to Window 2.
Step 7: Re-trace steps back to Window 2, and hand-over the receipts that confirm you've paid the fee for all the forms the Japanese are consuming while shuffling your registration request between the two buildings...
Step 8: wait...about 10-15 minutes later you will be waved back to Window 2 and given a screw-driver...your instructions: remove your old Japanese plates and turn them in to Window 14.
Step 9: take off your plates, and wander around to the back of the second building again and turn in your plates...you are given a receipt that says you've turned in your plates (no real words are needed here, just a nod or two and a "domo" or "domo arigato") and instructed that it is time, once again, to visit Window 2...
Step 10: Trek back to the first building, clutching receipts and dutifully turn them in to the waiting clerk (its helps if you catch when he's not busy helping another client...cause the morning is getting on and more and more Japanese are showing up to shuttle their way between buildings)..note: DO NOT return the screw-driver you need that later...
Step 11: Wait...5-15 minutes afterward the clerks will again summon you forth with a head nod and a slight grin (afterall, at this point the two of you are practically on a first-grunt basis) for your next expedition to building 2.
Your mission is two-fold: venture to Window 16 and pay your Road Tax...and shimmy over to Window 14 to buy your new plates.
Step 12: Trudge to Window 16...and get pointed (very politely pointed) over to Window 15, whereat you grunt your paperwork over to another very attentive clerk, who will reef through your hefty stack of papers, stamping some in blue and others in red. No need to sit, this guy is a stamping-demon, and will quickly finish adorning every piece of paper you have with some form of very official looking stamp. Next, you guessed it, a very polite instruction for you to turn right and shuffle over to Window 16, where...
Step 13: You will turn in the stamped sheets, and be given a calculator with a figure on it...be prepared to cough up more Yen to pay whatever this figure is...In my case, the Road Tax on our Nissan was 7,900 Yen (or about $79 to you staties)....you are then instructed (extremely politely) to have a seat.
Step 14: wait...you may not know it yet, but your DMV journey is nearing its end-game...in about 5 minutes you will be given whatever change is due and handed back your paperwork...its time to complete the second part of the mission: new plates...
Step 15: trundle on over to Window 14 (the same one you got your receipt from earlier), perform the standard grin-n-grunt and show the clerk all your colorfully stamped paperwork...rest assured you need not know which one she needs to see...she'll recognize it, even if you don't....grab a seat
Step 16: wait...less than 5 minutes later you will be summoned back to Window 14 and shown a calculator...you know the drill by now...cough up whatever amount of Yen happens to be necessary to get the clerk to fork over your damn plates....should be about 1,550 Yen (you know how much that is?? Well I ain't sayin', perform some deductive reasoning and figure it out.) The clerk will hand you a little baggie that has 4 new screws and small silver circular open-top tab (note: this circular tab is extremely important as it apparently plays some mystical role in Japanese DMV history, so DON'T discard it!!!)
Step 17: Return back out front (you do remember where you parked, right?) and use the screw-driver you remembered to keep to put your hard-won plates on your car....Are you done? Can you get in and drive away, after at least 2 hours and 3 payments and tons of grunts and domos?
Not until you've completed the final step:
Step 18: Look up from the kneeling position as you finish screwing in the final screw on the back plate (note: make sure the silver circular tab is on the top left of the back plate) and you should see a golden aura surrounding a little Japanese woman who is trundling busily out to your car....When she gets there she will ask (extremely politely) for you to pop the hood, will verify your VIN number, and only then, will apply a silver cover to the circular tab you've dutifully put on the upper left of the back plate (which apparently is the final act to all vehicularly-associated rituals here in Japan)....and THAT IS IT FOLKS....You have completed your DMV initiation...you are now a registered car owner in Japan...all you have to do now, is return to the Base police and get the completely disinterested Senior Airman to pay attention to you so you can get your base-pass issued....but THAT is another story.
One final note: the pain of this process is ameliorated greatly by the incredible and unending courtesy that the Japanes extend towards all their customers at all times...Unlike a US-related experience, wherein disinterested people look at you like they do when inspecting the soles of their shoes for dogshit....
Well this morning I was introduced to the Japanese DMV as I traversed some twists and turns in registering our "new" Nissan Stagea (think station wagon) in our name...the closest DMV to Misawa Airbase is about 40 minutes outside base, in the city of Hachinohe. So we got there shortly after 9am, and the parking lot was pleasantly empty...a good sign, or so I thought.
Well all of my wife and I's preparatory work (getting the insurance, and the all the proper forms from the base police) did pay off somewhat...
Hachinohe's DMV works something like this:
Step 1: enter and go to Window 2 (I didn't see a Window #1, but there might have been one)...turn in paperwork to clerk, uttering traditional morning greeting Ohayo (pronounced O-hio) followed by a series of grunts and nods and pointing the stack of papers to confirm with him that yes, you are indeed there to perform some sort of DMV-related task and hoping that he can figure out what you need without any other sort of formal conversation...
Step 2: wait..about 5-10 minutes later the clerk will return the sheaf of paperwork to you. You may now proceed to step 3
Step 3: the clerk grunts and points at map on the counter, you eventually interpolate this as instructions to go to Window 12 (note: saying "twelve" to the clerk will be a nodding return grunt of something that resembles the English pronunciation of twelve, at least this lead clerk remembered some of his high school English)
Step 4: Finding Window 12...which is in, of course, an entirely different building, conveniently located directly behind the building you entered first...exit, wander around back and look around for something labeled 12...its easy to find...step up to Window 12...and proceed with the next step.
Step 5: Handover sheaf of paperwork to the woman working at Window 12, which is named the "Application forms window"...repeat the greeting/grunting/nodding ritual performed during Step 1. Hang loose for the next step, practice finding your zen.
Step 6: wait...about 15-30 minutes later, the clerk will wave you back and kindly slip you two receipts, and all of your paperwork (which apparently has been dutifully shuffled between the half-dozen or so workers sitting behind the counter at various desks. She then shows you a calculator that reads out about 2,800 Yen (that slightly less than $28 to you and me)...time to pay up...hope you remembered your Yen...once you get your change you are instructed to return to Window 2.
Step 7: Re-trace steps back to Window 2, and hand-over the receipts that confirm you've paid the fee for all the forms the Japanese are consuming while shuffling your registration request between the two buildings...
Step 8: wait...about 10-15 minutes later you will be waved back to Window 2 and given a screw-driver...your instructions: remove your old Japanese plates and turn them in to Window 14.
Step 9: take off your plates, and wander around to the back of the second building again and turn in your plates...you are given a receipt that says you've turned in your plates (no real words are needed here, just a nod or two and a "domo" or "domo arigato") and instructed that it is time, once again, to visit Window 2...
Step 10: Trek back to the first building, clutching receipts and dutifully turn them in to the waiting clerk (its helps if you catch when he's not busy helping another client...cause the morning is getting on and more and more Japanese are showing up to shuttle their way between buildings)..note: DO NOT return the screw-driver you need that later...
Step 11: Wait...5-15 minutes afterward the clerks will again summon you forth with a head nod and a slight grin (afterall, at this point the two of you are practically on a first-grunt basis) for your next expedition to building 2.
Your mission is two-fold: venture to Window 16 and pay your Road Tax...and shimmy over to Window 14 to buy your new plates.
Step 12: Trudge to Window 16...and get pointed (very politely pointed) over to Window 15, whereat you grunt your paperwork over to another very attentive clerk, who will reef through your hefty stack of papers, stamping some in blue and others in red. No need to sit, this guy is a stamping-demon, and will quickly finish adorning every piece of paper you have with some form of very official looking stamp. Next, you guessed it, a very polite instruction for you to turn right and shuffle over to Window 16, where...
Step 13: You will turn in the stamped sheets, and be given a calculator with a figure on it...be prepared to cough up more Yen to pay whatever this figure is...In my case, the Road Tax on our Nissan was 7,900 Yen (or about $79 to you staties)....you are then instructed (extremely politely) to have a seat.
Step 14: wait...you may not know it yet, but your DMV journey is nearing its end-game...in about 5 minutes you will be given whatever change is due and handed back your paperwork...its time to complete the second part of the mission: new plates...
Step 15: trundle on over to Window 14 (the same one you got your receipt from earlier), perform the standard grin-n-grunt and show the clerk all your colorfully stamped paperwork...rest assured you need not know which one she needs to see...she'll recognize it, even if you don't....grab a seat
Step 16: wait...less than 5 minutes later you will be summoned back to Window 14 and shown a calculator...you know the drill by now...cough up whatever amount of Yen happens to be necessary to get the clerk to fork over your damn plates....should be about 1,550 Yen (you know how much that is?? Well I ain't sayin', perform some deductive reasoning and figure it out.) The clerk will hand you a little baggie that has 4 new screws and small silver circular open-top tab (note: this circular tab is extremely important as it apparently plays some mystical role in Japanese DMV history, so DON'T discard it!!!)
Step 17: Return back out front (you do remember where you parked, right?) and use the screw-driver you remembered to keep to put your hard-won plates on your car....Are you done? Can you get in and drive away, after at least 2 hours and 3 payments and tons of grunts and domos?
Not until you've completed the final step:
Step 18: Look up from the kneeling position as you finish screwing in the final screw on the back plate (note: make sure the silver circular tab is on the top left of the back plate) and you should see a golden aura surrounding a little Japanese woman who is trundling busily out to your car....When she gets there she will ask (extremely politely) for you to pop the hood, will verify your VIN number, and only then, will apply a silver cover to the circular tab you've dutifully put on the upper left of the back plate (which apparently is the final act to all vehicularly-associated rituals here in Japan)....and THAT IS IT FOLKS....You have completed your DMV initiation...you are now a registered car owner in Japan...all you have to do now, is return to the Base police and get the completely disinterested Senior Airman to pay attention to you so you can get your base-pass issued....but THAT is another story.
One final note: the pain of this process is ameliorated greatly by the incredible and unending courtesy that the Japanes extend towards all their customers at all times...Unlike a US-related experience, wherein disinterested people look at you like they do when inspecting the soles of their shoes for dogshit....
What about that Fake FG against Green Bay?
A lot of chatter in Eagle-land about the seemingly goofball fake FG call that came on what was supposed to be 54-yard FG attempt from David Akers right before the half in Monday night's game against the Packers...There was a lot of "what was coach Andy Reid thinking? talk going on after what on the surface looks like a bonehead coaching call...In my opinion: Reid's mea cupla at the post-game press conference had nothing to do with reality and everything to do with protecting whichever players changed the play at the line-of-scrimmage...Someone on the field obviously thought they saw something that wasn't there and audibled at the line...Why else would the cameras have caught Coach Reid gazing in utter, stupefied amazement at the players on the field just prior to walking into the tunnel at half-time? After the game though, he was all "it was my call, I didn't recognize the coverage..yadda yadda yadda...BULL...Andy was doing what any coach worth his salt would do: protect his players by doing what he shown a distinct and endearing willingness to do: take all blame and heap all the bad things/pressure on himself. He knows Dallas is coming to town...so why throw a players "under the bus" by showing he was just a surprised as the rest of us when Akers wound up throwing a pass instead of booting a moonshot to give us a 10-9 halftime lead...Others may disagree, but I see it as a class move by Coach Reid.
Monday, October 02, 2006
The Good and the Bad from the win over the Pack
My pluses:
+ McNabb running the ball effectively to start the 3rd quarter and get that opening drive to snatch the lead...
+ Turnovers!!! I asked for some picks and I received...of course I did not expect LaJuan Ramsey to actually have one...but I'll take it
+ Points given up: 9...after surrendering a garbage time TD to the 49ers it was encouraging to see the D stand up and deny the Packers at the goal line...THAT is playing a full 60 minutes...
+ Nice defense adjustments at half time, plus a few key drops by Packers wideout. It was the Packers turn to look discombobulated in the second half, and they went from looking like a confident offense to a halting one by the midway point of the third quarter...
Minuses:
- TURNOVERS...Buckhalter is lucky he's still in uniform after coughing up the ball inside the 5 not once but twice...I know it was exchange the first time, but you know what, you gotta secure that ball...
- McNabb low-balling his receivers in the first half...calm down 5 and quit overthrowing things...
- A seeming inability to react to the underneath passes that McCarthy had Favre throwing the entire first half...I think that's the reason we didn't get any sacks...Brett was dumping the ball off so damn fast...in the second half, we got decent pressure and it would've been nice to snag the old man once or twice...they did get in some licks, but nothing that goes in any stat column...
Oddity of the week: At the quarter pole of the season Peyton Manning has as many rushing touchdowns as Edgerrin James...2...think Edge misses that Colts offensive line yet?
+ McNabb running the ball effectively to start the 3rd quarter and get that opening drive to snatch the lead...
+ Turnovers!!! I asked for some picks and I received...of course I did not expect LaJuan Ramsey to actually have one...but I'll take it
+ Points given up: 9...after surrendering a garbage time TD to the 49ers it was encouraging to see the D stand up and deny the Packers at the goal line...THAT is playing a full 60 minutes...
+ Nice defense adjustments at half time, plus a few key drops by Packers wideout. It was the Packers turn to look discombobulated in the second half, and they went from looking like a confident offense to a halting one by the midway point of the third quarter...
Minuses:
- TURNOVERS...Buckhalter is lucky he's still in uniform after coughing up the ball inside the 5 not once but twice...I know it was exchange the first time, but you know what, you gotta secure that ball...
- McNabb low-balling his receivers in the first half...calm down 5 and quit overthrowing things...
- A seeming inability to react to the underneath passes that McCarthy had Favre throwing the entire first half...I think that's the reason we didn't get any sacks...Brett was dumping the ball off so damn fast...in the second half, we got decent pressure and it would've been nice to snag the old man once or twice...they did get in some licks, but nothing that goes in any stat column...
Oddity of the week: At the quarter pole of the season Peyton Manning has as many rushing touchdowns as Edgerrin James...2...think Edge misses that Colts offensive line yet?
Tuesday Morning Football
What in the HELL is up with Buckhalter? OK, one fumble inside the red zone is bad enough. But two? TWO? That is just unsatisfactory...so is Donovan dancing around and taking sacks in the first half....What was going on there...the team looked discombobulated without Westbrook in the first half...
whew...it seems they got their heads out of their asses at half-time, cause the second half has been a different story...5 is running for big first downs and the Eagles just took a 10-9 lead to open the second half...good.
NOW we're cooking...Bomb to Lewis...Nice throw Donovan!...
Interception! By Ramsey of all people!...HA HA HA HA HA...the dude needs a turn signal to reverse field...This is more along the lines of what I was expecting...some turnovers, a stiffer defense (just a bit, still concerned about the secondary)
Anyone know what happened to Reggie or Donte?? Oh ok, Andy Reid said Donte tweaked the hammy again...good to see them take him out and let him rest early. Sprained shoulder for Reggie doesn't sound too encouraging. Reid taking responsibility for the fake FG? That a coach for ya...it HAD to be a line call, Reid looked befuddled at the snap, no way he called that...he's just taking one for his players...
My take from the game: wow, boy...do we need Westbrook...get well soon lil dude.
D Gunn says Sheppard is going to be back for the Cowboys game...they'll need 'im...and Rod Hood too...they gonna need everyone playing good to take on a good Dallas team. This ain't the befuddled 'Boys of a few years ago...
whew...it seems they got their heads out of their asses at half-time, cause the second half has been a different story...5 is running for big first downs and the Eagles just took a 10-9 lead to open the second half...good.
NOW we're cooking...Bomb to Lewis...Nice throw Donovan!...
Interception! By Ramsey of all people!...HA HA HA HA HA...the dude needs a turn signal to reverse field...This is more along the lines of what I was expecting...some turnovers, a stiffer defense (just a bit, still concerned about the secondary)
Anyone know what happened to Reggie or Donte?? Oh ok, Andy Reid said Donte tweaked the hammy again...good to see them take him out and let him rest early. Sprained shoulder for Reggie doesn't sound too encouraging. Reid taking responsibility for the fake FG? That a coach for ya...it HAD to be a line call, Reid looked befuddled at the snap, no way he called that...he's just taking one for his players...
My take from the game: wow, boy...do we need Westbrook...get well soon lil dude.
D Gunn says Sheppard is going to be back for the Cowboys game...they'll need 'im...and Rod Hood too...they gonna need everyone playing good to take on a good Dallas team. This ain't the befuddled 'Boys of a few years ago...
Sunday, October 01, 2006
What's it like watching Football from Japan and Impressions from Week 4
Well well folks,
I am truly back online. We finally got our Internet service up and running from Japan's NTT. The process of getting online service here in Japan was not that complicated, but it took a lot of patience. We had all of our equipment on Friday, but I had to wait until this morning to actually try and hook it up. I don't know why, the Japanese simply weren't going to flip the switch until sometime between 9-12 today (that's during Sunday Night football for you all back in the States). Yeah, so I missed out on the 610WIP suicide pool pick...dang
So what is it like watching football from Japan?
Well for starters I had to get up at 0130 (that's in the AM for all you non-military time readers) just so I could take a few groggy moment before the kickoffs (at 0200). Here is the one cool thing: I get 3 choices for the early game time-slot game, and 3 choices for the late game time-slot. Our satellite only gets a few channels, but Armed Forces Network gives service-member the hook up. AFN Sports showed ESPN pre-game, AFN Atlantic showed FOX pre-game, and AFN Korea showed CBS pre-game (Man there is something not right about JB being on that show)....Early game choices were: Chargers at Ravens, Saints at Panthers and Colts at Jets...
Late games were Pats at Bengals, Lions at Rams and Jaguars at Redskins. Not too shabby. Factor in that the Eagles-Cowgurls game next week is the only one on Fox's late slate and I should get to see that one no problem.
Right now I am just psyched that I get to sleep in a little bit and then hopefully watch my Iggles kick the crap out of the Packers on Tuesday morning football.
Ok so here some impressions from Week 4:
- I just watched the Bears annihilate the Seahawks...can Shaun Alexander really mean that much to the 'Hawks? I guess so, cause they looked totally impotent on offense coming off a week in which they absolutely torched the Giants...What does this say about the Bears...well, I think my prediction that they will take the NFC North is secure...as for the rest of the NFC, well we better figure out how to score on Chicago cause it looks like they found a little bit of offense to go with that D
- I am not a Carolina fan, but that roughing the passer penalty against Julius Peppers was bogus. I mean if a defender pulls up when the QB gets rid of the ball, like Peppers did, then how in good conscience can the refs call a "roughing" penalty for bumping into the guy. For cripes sake, one second these guys are going full bore, and a split second later its hands off? Lets have a little common sense please. Panthers got the last laugh though...evening their record at the expense of the Saints 21-18.
- The Mangini Conundrum: 4th and goal tied 14-14 in the 3rd quarter against the Colts...what do you do? Personally, I think Mangini screwed up but not taking the points...It almost any scenario I can contemplate "leaving points on the field" is a bad, bad idea; and that is exactly what the rookie head coach did. I don't want to get to into this...hindsight is 20/20 and all that, but I think there are times to show your team that you are being aggressive (onside kicks, going to for two points, etc) and times when its a plain old mistake...
- The Pats made a statement game, thats for sure...they sure found a keeper at RB too, with ELMO (Mauroney)...jeez they kicked the crap out of the Ben-gals and looked real good doing it. Methinks this was just the type of game they needed to get Deion Branch out of Brady's system.
-
I am truly back online. We finally got our Internet service up and running from Japan's NTT. The process of getting online service here in Japan was not that complicated, but it took a lot of patience. We had all of our equipment on Friday, but I had to wait until this morning to actually try and hook it up. I don't know why, the Japanese simply weren't going to flip the switch until sometime between 9-12 today (that's during Sunday Night football for you all back in the States). Yeah, so I missed out on the 610WIP suicide pool pick...dang
So what is it like watching football from Japan?
Well for starters I had to get up at 0130 (that's in the AM for all you non-military time readers) just so I could take a few groggy moment before the kickoffs (at 0200). Here is the one cool thing: I get 3 choices for the early game time-slot game, and 3 choices for the late game time-slot. Our satellite only gets a few channels, but Armed Forces Network gives service-member the hook up. AFN Sports showed ESPN pre-game, AFN Atlantic showed FOX pre-game, and AFN Korea showed CBS pre-game (Man there is something not right about JB being on that show)....Early game choices were: Chargers at Ravens, Saints at Panthers and Colts at Jets...
Late games were Pats at Bengals, Lions at Rams and Jaguars at Redskins. Not too shabby. Factor in that the Eagles-Cowgurls game next week is the only one on Fox's late slate and I should get to see that one no problem.
Right now I am just psyched that I get to sleep in a little bit and then hopefully watch my Iggles kick the crap out of the Packers on Tuesday morning football.
Ok so here some impressions from Week 4:
- I just watched the Bears annihilate the Seahawks...can Shaun Alexander really mean that much to the 'Hawks? I guess so, cause they looked totally impotent on offense coming off a week in which they absolutely torched the Giants...What does this say about the Bears...well, I think my prediction that they will take the NFC North is secure...as for the rest of the NFC, well we better figure out how to score on Chicago cause it looks like they found a little bit of offense to go with that D
- I am not a Carolina fan, but that roughing the passer penalty against Julius Peppers was bogus. I mean if a defender pulls up when the QB gets rid of the ball, like Peppers did, then how in good conscience can the refs call a "roughing" penalty for bumping into the guy. For cripes sake, one second these guys are going full bore, and a split second later its hands off? Lets have a little common sense please. Panthers got the last laugh though...evening their record at the expense of the Saints 21-18.
- The Mangini Conundrum: 4th and goal tied 14-14 in the 3rd quarter against the Colts...what do you do? Personally, I think Mangini screwed up but not taking the points...It almost any scenario I can contemplate "leaving points on the field" is a bad, bad idea; and that is exactly what the rookie head coach did. I don't want to get to into this...hindsight is 20/20 and all that, but I think there are times to show your team that you are being aggressive (onside kicks, going to for two points, etc) and times when its a plain old mistake...
- The Pats made a statement game, thats for sure...they sure found a keeper at RB too, with ELMO (Mauroney)...jeez they kicked the crap out of the Ben-gals and looked real good doing it. Methinks this was just the type of game they needed to get Deion Branch out of Brady's system.
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