What is it with Eagle's squads in odd numbered years?

 

The 2005 bunch was difficult to take, the 2007 bunch was worse, and now this year.

 

From Dawkins fleeing the nest for the $$$$$'s blinding his vision, to the Juqua Parker/Todd Herremanns drug bust in training camp, to the Joselio Hanson doping suspension, to Shawn Andrews and his hyperextended vagina, to fragile flowers livining the training room like Viktor Abiamiri and Brian Westbrook and Kevin Curtis, to the signing of total zeros like Alex Smith.

 

Ugh.

 

On the bright side, we can look forward to yet another scrappy and dominating squad next year, just like 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008.

Its happened 47 times since the start of the 16 game season and the wild card playoff round in 1978 - divisional opponents meeting for a third time.

 

31 times, its been after a season split, but 16 times, its been after one team swept the other team.

 

In those 16 times, the team that was swept has only won 6 games (1983 Raiders vs. Seahawks, 1989 Steelers vs. Oilers, 1992 Chargers vs. Chiefs, 1994 Bears vs. Vikings, 1998 Cardinals vs. Cowboys, 2007 Giants vs. Cowboys).  The Cowboys two losses on that list are the only times they've met a divisional opponent for a third time after sweeping them.  In other words, the Cowboys have never won three games vs. a divisional opponent in the past 30 years, and they've had 5 cracks at it.  This will be the 6th.

 

Right now, Eagles hopes of avoiding the single most humiliating way of their season ending (a Dallas threepeat sweep out of the playoffs) are hanging by that tiny thread.

 

The crows have been shot, and they are BBQing on the smoker.  Who is going to be eating them as the clock strickes midnight on Satuday?

1. Can the Cowboys Offense score more than 14 points in this game?

No.  In the second game played by the Eagles and the Cowboys in every season from 2000 on, the Cowboys offense has never scored more than 14 points.  The Cowboys offense has scored 13, 3, 3, 10, 7, 14, 7, 6, and 6 points over those years in the second meeting between the teams.  The Cowboys have only scored over 14 points in the second meeting of the two teams one time since 1996 - in 1999, when they got 20.  They have not scored over 21 points in the second match-up since 1994, prior to Jeffrey Lurie purchasing the Eagles.

 

2. Can the Cowboys Offense avoid making multiple turnovers and allowing 3 or more sacks?

No.  In the second game played by the Eagles and the Cowboys in every season from 2000 on, the Cowboys offense has turned the ball over at least 2 times excepting only 2005.  In the second game from 2000 on, the Cowboys have comitted 2, 4, 3, 2, 2, 1, 3, 3, and 5 turnovers in those games, and those turnovers have been critical to Dallas' lack of success in these games (1-8 record vs. Eagles in the second match-up).  Dallas gave up points to the Philadelphia Defense in about half of the second games: in 2001 (two interception returns), 2002 (interception return), 2003 (safety), 2008 (two fumble returns).  Dallas gave up 3, 3, 7, 3, 3, 2, 3, 4, and 4 sacks in those games.   Again the only outlier is 2005.  When you fail to score over 14 points on offense for 9 games in a row, there is a generally a reason.

3. Can the Cowboys Defense hold the Eagles to less than 16 points?

No.  The Cowboys Defense has only held the Eagles to under 16 points 3 times in the second match-up since 1993.  In 1998, the Eagles were held to 9 points, in 1999 to 10 points, and in 2004 to 12 points.  In 2007, the Eagles voluntarily did not score a touchdown at the end of regulation to run out the game clock.  I would only count that as holding down the Eagles scoring if you attribute Brian Westbrook's taking a knee to the devious mind powers of Wade Phillips and the Cowboys Defense.

 

4. If the Cowboys Offense cannot score over 14 points against the Eagles, and the Cowboys Defense cannot hold the Eagles to less than 16 points, can Dallas win the game?

Only if the Eagles give up points on offensive turnovers or special teams, or if Rich Kotite (Mr. 0-4 in second match-ups vs. the Cowboys) suddenly returns to coach the Eagles this week.  There is a reason that Dallas is 1-8 vs. the Eagles since 2000 and 3-11 vs. the Eagles since 1995 in the second game of the season.

 

5. Okay, but can the Cowboys win in Dallas against the Eagles in a late season game with playoff implications?

No.  The Cowboys have not won in Dallas in December against the Eagles since 1999.  They lost in 2002, 2006, 2007 at home in Dallas to the Eagles in December.  The Cowboys also blew it in December at the Eagles in 2003, 2004, and 2008.  The Cowboys blew a shot in the playoffs in the game in 2008, nearly blew the #1 seed in 2007, blew the division title in 2006, and blew the division title in 2003.  That's a lot of choking for such a short period of time.

AndrewB has you covered after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

Its too bad that Donovan McNabb just isn't good enough to lead the Eagles back from a multi-score deficit with 10 minutes left to play to win the game.  Otherwise, we'd have had a chance yesterday against the Redskins.

 

Its really just too bad that we have a Quarterback who is such a choke artist who can't pull it out and isn't a leader and can't inspire anyone to victory and isn't "tough-n-gritty" so that we can never win a close game.

Continue reading this post »

Its too bad that McNabb can't lead the Eagles on 4th Quarter comebacks, otherwise we'd be able to beat the Bears tonight.

Continue reading this post »

Cry little baby Eli Manning/

on your way to losing today/

and cry, cry, cry, and cry/

for you have no hope anyway.

 

It seems like you want to lose/

and this way you always can/

just throw the ball to the other team/

and then you can cry again.

 

Or get a sack to end the game/

thats the perfect way/

to make sure your Giants lose/

once again today.

Continue reading this post »

From my lovely, talented, and observant daughter.  All spelling and grammar as in the original.

 

Description of Antonio Romo Crybabyus Maximus

The world's most hated player.  Throws a lot of inerseptions, does a lot of penalties and fumbles.  Crys a loooootttttt.  Is a sore loser.  Never wins.  Nicknamed "Crybaby".  No respect from anybody.  Is seen often on TV wiping tears away from eyes.  Number 9.  Plays on Cowboys (also known as the Cowgirls, Crygirls, or Crybabys.)  Garanteed to allways lose!  Worst player in the world.

 

By,

 

Isabella B----

Eight years old, 88 years wise.

Ignoring the likely camp fodder ... 62 players the Eagles have drafted, traded for, or spent significant amounts on in Free Agency ...

QB (3) - McNabb, Kolb, Feeley

RB (3) - Westbrook, Booker, McCoy

FB (2) - Eckel, Weaver

TE (3) - Celek, Schobel, Ingram

WR (7) - Jackson, Curtis, Brown, Avant, Baskett, Maclin, Gibson

T (5) - Andrews, Peters, Dunlap, Justice, Tupou

G (6) - Herremanns, Andrews, Jean-Gilles, McGlynn, Gibson, Fanaika

C (2) - Jackson, Cole

ST (3) - Akers, Rocca, Dorenbos

DT (4) - Patterson, Bunkley, Laws, Klecko

DE (6) - Cole, Thomas, Howard, Smith, Clemmons, Abiamiri

LB (8) - Gocong, Bradley, Jordan, Gaithers, Mays, Daniels, White, Fouko

S (4) - Mikell, Demps, Jones, Baker

CB (6) - Brown, Samuel, Hanson, Hobbs, Ikegwuono, Harris

 

Nine decent players aren't making this team.  Competition for roster is obviously at WR (-1 or 2), CB (-1 or 2), G/T (-3 or 4), LB (-1 or 2), and maybe DE and FB (0 or -1).  Everybody else is pretty much set unless they slip up and let a camp body past them on the depth chart.

For those of you old enough to remember the day ...

 

Were you "happy for Reggie White" or "pissed off at Reggie White" when he left for Green Bay at the "calling of God"?

 

75 words, 75 words, 75 words, 75 words, 75 words

75 words, 75 words, 75 words, 75 words, 75 words

75 words, 75 words, 75 words, 75 words, 75 words

75 words, 75 words, 75 words, 75 words, 75 words

75 words, 75 words, 75 words, 75 words, 75 words

75 words, 75 words, 75 words, 75 words, 75 words

Poll

Were you happy for Reggie White or Pissed off at Reggie White when he spurned the Eagles?

29%

Happy for

14 votes

70%

Pissed off at

34 votes

48 votes | Poll has closed

DAWKINS FINALLY A DONE DEAL IN DENVER

Posted by Mike Florio: Friday, February 27, 2009 9:29 PM After some conflicting reports on whether veteran safety Brian Dawkins had done a deal with the Denver Broncos, we're told that Dawkins finally has signed a contract to join the Broncos.

Dawkins was drafted by the Eagles way back in 1996, and he spent 13 seasons in Philly.

Seeing him in anything other than an Eagles uniform will be as bizarre as seeing Brett Favre as a Jet or Mike Vick as a member of the Mean Machine. http://blogs.nbcsports.com/home/

How does this look?

 

Richt Tackle - Stacy Andrews; backup - draft pick?

Right Guard - Shawn Andrews; back-up Mike McGlynn

Center - Jamaal Jackson; backup - Nick Cole

Left Guard - Todd Herremanns or Max Jean-Gilles

Left Tackle - Todd Herremanns or King Dunlap

 

Can't complain with a solid group like that to go for next year.

 

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,

Just remember that we root for the Philadelphia EAGLES, not the Philadelphia DAWKINS'.

 

If he feels that a few more dollars in his pocket are worth more than ending his career in the city it began, on the team that drafted him, and with the fans who paid him all that money to date, shame on him.

 

The Eagles made him an offer.  If he really values everything this city has meant for him and done for him since 1996, let him sign it.  If he thinks that the $32 million the Eagles have paid him to date is not enough that another $3 million won't do it ... well, to paraphrase Supertramp ... good bye greedball, its been nice, hope you find your paradise, you stinking greedy hypocrite.

Who cares?

 

Neither Arizona or Pittsburgh needed it last night.

 

Pittsburgh - 22 rushes, 58 yards vs. 35 called passes

Arizona - 12 rushes, 33 yards vs. 45 called passes.

 

Did anyone miss 3 yards and a cloud of dust last night?  I didn't.

 

Where were all those power running teams last night?  The Giants, Panthers, Falcons, Ravens, Titans, Vikings?  Oh yeah, except for the Ravens and Titans who played each other, they all went one and done vs. wide-open passing offenses in the playoffs.

 

Points come from the passing game, and if your passing game is good enough, you can come back from almost any deficit to take the lead.  Pittsburgh, Arizona showed that last night.  We showed it playing Arizona two weeks ago.

 

How many more Super Bowls need to be won in this manner to finally put the offense of the 1970's out to pasture as the only model for winning?

Pro Football Prospectus 2008, like its previous issues, has a projection of player statistical accomplishment each year.  Now that our season is over, its worth reviewing to see how different players faired.

Team

Wins: 11.7 - incomplete, Eagles got 9.5 actual wins but their scoring differential of 127 implies an expectation of 11.3 wins

Playoffs: 97.5% chance of making 9+ wins and getting in - passed

 

QB - McNabb: B

Projection: 328 of 507 (64.8%) 3851 yd, 29 TD, 12 INT, 35 rush 134 yd, 0 TD

Actual: 345 for 571 (60.4%) 3916 yd, 23 TD, 11 INT, 39 rush 147 yd, 2 TD

McNabb met expectations, coming in high on completions, attempts, and yards, low on TD (although Jackson's stupidity did rob him of one TD) and INT, on the mark rushing, but high on rushing TD.  As we all saw all year long, he should have and could have done more, but what he did do was pretty spectacular.

 

RB - Westbrook: C-

Projection: 280 rush 1376 yd, 12 TD, 66 rec on 89 att, 518 yd, 4 TD

Actual: 233 rush 936 yd, 9 TD, 54 rec on 73 att, 402 yd, 5 TD

Westbrook's injuries kept him out of too many games and limited him in others, preventing him from reaching these lofty expectations, especially lowering his per carry average by almost one yard per carry.

 

RB - Buckhalter: A-

Projection: 75 rush 346 yd, 3 TD, 17 rec on 27 att, 124 yd, 0 TD

Actual: 76 rush 369 yd, 2 TD, 26 rec on 32 att, 324 yd, 2 TD

Buckhalter met expectations rushing the football, but was a pleasantly good surprise receiving.  He made up for a lot of deficiencies in the game of the injured Westbrook this year.

 

RB - Booker: F

Projection: 43 rush 205 yd, 1 TD, 19 rec on 29 att, 148 yd, 1 TD

Actual: 20 rush 53 yd, 0 TD, 6 rec on 10 att, 11 yd, 0 TD

Don't need to say much here.  Total waste of a roster spot.

 

RB - Hunt: F

Projection: 56 rush 274 yd, 1 TD, 16 rec on 23 att, 159 yd, 1 TD

Actual: 4 rush 9 yd, 1 TD, 6 rec on ??? att, 42 yd, 0 TD

If you get cut from the team midseason and noboyd picks you up, clearly you get a FAIL.

 

WR - Jackson: A

Projection: 28 rec on 49 att, 398 yd, 2 TD

Actual: 62 rec on 120 att, 912 yd, 2 TD, 17 rush 96 yd, 1 TD

Its pretty Amazing just how far above expectations Jackson played.  His rushing play was a nice surprise as well, and but for his stupidity in Dallas, he would have had 3 TD's in the regular season.  If he had scored a few more TD's, he would get an A+.

 

WR - Curtis: C-

Projection: 65 rec on 107 att, 892 yd, 7 TD

Actual: 33 rec on 62 att, 390 yd, 2 TD

This was a disappointing season marred by injury.  His recovery by the playoffs, where he did half his regular season work in just 3 games is cause for hope for next year.  He's got to hold onto the ball better though.

 

WR - Brown: D-

Projection: 54 rec on 150 att, 785 yd, 5 TD

Actual: 18 rec on 35 att, 252 yd, 1 TD

Brown was actually more productive than Curtis and also suffered and injury marred season, but you can't meet projections sitting on the bench.  The emergence of Jackson meant Brown could no longer start, and since he wasn't part of the special teams units, he mostly became a healthy scratch.

 

WR - Baskett: B+

Projection: 16 rec on 25 att, 142 yd, 1 TD

Actual: 33 rec on 51 att, 440 yd, 3 TD

Baskett far exceeded his rather low expectations thanks to injuries to Brown and Curtis.  But he faded down the stretch as he became more entangled in the web of Kendra, becoming invisible after Thanksgiving as another wideout emerged.  If he can keep his focus on football, he could be a really good 3rd or 4th wideout.

 

WR - Avant: C+

Projection: 38 rec on 57 att, 468 yd, 3 TD

Actual: 32 rec on 57 att, 377 yd, 2 TD

He had fairly lofty expectations which he didn't quite meet, and at first was being outshone by Baskett, but came on strong at the end and kept pouring it on through the playoffs.  The competition between Avant, Baskett, and Brown next year should be very interesting.

 

WR - Lewis: B+

Projection: 11 rec on 17 att, 96 yd, 1 TD

Actual: 19 rec on 35 att, 247 yd, 2 TD

When expectations are low, and you manage to double them, you have to account that a successful season.  With just a little more consistency catching his handful of deep opportunities, Lewis could really shine.  But does anyone think that will ever actually happen?

 

TE - Smith: C-

Projection: 35 rec on 56 att, 329 yd, 4 TD

Actual: 37 rec on 65 att, 298 yd, 3 TD

We know you can do more, but once again you didn't.  Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

 

TE - Celek: B+

Projection: 23 rec on 33 att, 209 yd, 3 TD

Actual: 27 rec on 38 att, 318 yd, 1 TD

Celek exceeded most expecations by a bit, then came on really strong in the playoffs.  If he can keep it up, no one will miss LJ Smith.

 

TE - Schobel: F

Projection: 11 rec on 15 att, 101 yd, 2 TD

Actual: 2 rec on ??? att, 10 yd, 0 TD

The reverse of Greg Lewis.  When expecations are really low, and you don't even meet that, what does it say about you?  A great big FAIL.

Having now driven the Eagles Bandwagon off a cliff, let me know look back and criticize myself for not being more realistic about the trends against the Eagles in this game.

 

Trend 1) Eagles in NFC Championship are now 1-4.

Trend 2) Eagles never won more than three games in a row this season.  Cowboys, Vikings, Giants wins = Loss to Cardinals.

Trend 3) The Cardinals scored 31, 41, 30, 29, 29, 34, 14, 34, and 30 points at home this season before hanging 32 on the Eagles.  Should we really have been surprised that the 8 of 9 side held?

Trend 4) The Cardinals allowed 10, 17. 24, 24, 37, 10, 35, 21 and 24 points at home this season before allowing 25 by the Eagles.  Should we really have been surprised that the 7 of 9 side held?

Trend 5) The Cardinals were 8-2 at home this season.  The Eagles were 5-5-1 on the road.

Trend 6) The Eagles scored 37, 20, 40, 26, 13, 7, 20, 3, 26, 23 points on the road before scoring 25 at Arizona.  Should we really have been surprised that the 2-8 side held?

Trend 7) Teams that knock off the Super Bowl Champs in the playoffs are 3-14 the next week (all 3 wins were in the Super Bowl itself - so no team has ever beaten then Champs before the Conference Championship and then won to go on to the Super Bowl).  1971, Dolphins beat the Colts then lose to the Cowboys the next week. 1972, Redskins beat the Cowboys then lose to the Dolphins the next week.  1974, Raiders beat the Dolphins then lose to the Steelers the next week.  1976,  Raiders beat the Steelers then win the Super Bowl the next week.  1977, Broncos beat the Raiders then lose to the Cowboys the next week.  1984, Seahawks beat the Raiders then lose to the Dolphins the next week.  1985, Giants beat the 49ers then lose to the Bears the next week.  1986,  Redskins beat the Bears then lose to the Giants the next week.  1990, Giants beat the 49ers then win the Super Bowl the next week.  1992, 49ers beat the Redskins then lose to the Cowboys the next week.  1994, 49ers beat the Cowboys then win the Super Bowl the next week.  1996, Panthers beat the Cowboys then lose to the Packers the next week.  2000, Saints beat Rams, then lose to Vikings next week.  2001, Steelers beat the Ravens then lose to the Patriots next week.  2005, Broncos beat the Patriots then lose to the Steelers next week.  2007, Chargers beat the Colts then lose to the Patriots the next week.  2008, Eagles beat the Giants then lose to the Cardinals the next week.

Mark Lawrence brough up a lot of this on Howard Eskin's show on Friday evening and an even more dreadful stat about the Eagles being the favorite going against an 0-10 trend, and left me with a sense of foreboding all weekend.  Vegas and the Books laughed all the way to the bank on this game.

 

There was only one shocking trend broken in this game.  The Eagles had allowed 41, 24, 26, 7, 13, 36, 14, 10, 14, 11 points on the road.  The 2-8 side won and the 8-2 side couldn't hold.

GM Bruce Allen also gets the axe.  Mark Eckel deeply saddened, since he was all for firing Reid, trading McNabb and hiring Gruden and keeping Garcia.

 

Buccaneers fire Super Bowl-winning head coach Gruden

NFL.com Wire Reports

NFL Network's Adam Schefter is reporting that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fired head coach Jon Gruden.

General manager Bruce Allen was also dismissed.

“We will be forever grateful to Jon for bringing us the Super Bowl title, and we thank Bruce for his contributions to our franchise,” said Buccaneers co-chairman Joel Glazer. “However, after careful consideration, we feel that this decision is in the best interest of our organization moving forward.”

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80e29923&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

It was in April, when the breast cancer had spread to her brain and she was in the toughest battle of her life, that Cardinals fullback Terrelle Smith's mother first told him of her vision.

She said she saw him playing at home in the NFC Championship Game.

Nine months later, it's happening.

"Doctors say sometimes they get delusional and, at times, we thought she was," Smith said. "But now it lines up. It makes sense, and it tells me what to fight for every week."

She won't get to see it. She died in December.

Smith's father died four years earlier. Smith said he is dedicating Sunday's game against the Eagles to both parents.

"I'm keeping a positive out of something that could devastate you badly," Smith said.

-------------------------------------------------

Isn't that special?  Too bad for them the vision apparently didn't include winning the title game or playing in the Super Bowl.

According to the NY Post, Eli Manning avoided the distractions of Cabo San Lucas by doign a staycation in Manhattan with his wife and teammates, including getting a lapdance from his wife in a NY City Club.

 

All I can say is wow.

 

 

I'm impressed that Eli is able to have any sort of concentration going on the field. Because if I were married to Abby McGrew Manning, I'd be distracted as hell, and totally unable to concentrate. Especially if she was into giving me lapdances.

Romo and Brady have got nothing on Eli in the wife/girlfriend department. She is just smoking.

Iits been up and running ever since halftime at San Francisco, when the 49ers ran back a field goal.

 

It ran over the 49ers, Falcons, and Seahawks.

 

It ran into a couple speed bumps.

 

A Cardinal got splatted on its windshield.

 

A Giant pain fumbled around with his gun to stop it but only managed to shoot himself.   Twice.

 

It left a Brown splat after that.

 

One more little hiccup, and then it started a stampede that left some Cowboys trampled at the Linc.

 

A Viking Berserker tried to stop it at the bridge, but he was slain at the West Brook.

 

Some Giants stood in its path, but it turned out they were midgets compared to the size the bandwagon had grown.  It didn't even leave skid marks when it ran them over.

 

And so as it had been all year it continues.

 

True believers 700 Level and Andrew B have been taking turns at the wheel, steering the bandwagon behind the team at every twist and turn, unpersuaded by the siren songs of media and frontrunners.

 

TWO MORE GAMES TO IMMORTALITY!

E A G L E S EAGLES!

BIG

L

L O S E R S !

Thanks for improving our draft pick with your picks you bunch of cheating dirty jackasses!

 

Oh, and Eli and all Giants fans lurking around here, get used to this picture.   Its what your Quarterback will be looking like around 4:00 this afternoon. 

All birds NFC Championship Game coming up!

 

LOSERS, LOSERS, LOSERS, LOSERS, LOSERS

LOSERS, LOSERS, LOSERS, LOSERS, LOSERS

PANTHERS SUCK, GIANTS SUCK, FORMER GIANTS COACHES LIKE JOHN FOX SUCK

CURRENT GIANTS SUCK

Here's some interesting numbers on wins and losses by the different seeds in the playoffs.

 

In 1990, the NFL adopted the current 12 team format with 6 division winners and 6 wild card teams, and in 2002, it went to the 8 division winners and 4 wild card teams format we have now.

 

In the 19 seasons since 1990 and since 2002, the following has occurred.

NFC

#6 seed has won the wild card game 10 of 19 seasons, but has never made it out of the divisional rounds.  The #6 seed has won 4 of 7 wild games since 2002.

#5 seed has won just 6 of 19 seasons, and 3 of the 7 since 2002.  In 2005 the Panthers advanced to the NFC Championship game and in 2007 the Giants won the Super Bowl, both from the #5 seed spot.

#4 seed has won 13 of 19 seasons in the wild card round including 4 of 7 since 2002, but has never advanced beyond the divisionals.  Its difficult to see the Cardinals pulling this off.

#3 seed has won 9 of 19 wild card games.  Three #3 seeds have advanced, the 1995 Packers and 2001 Eagles losing in the NFC Championship and the 2003 Panthers losing the Super Bowl.

#2 seeds have won the divisionals 13 of 18 times since 1990, since 2002 the record for wins is 4 of 6 seasons.  Its hard to see the Panthers not ending up on the right side of that equation.

#1 seeds have won the divisionals 17 of 18 times in the NFC, including 17 straight from 1990 to 2006.  Easy money right?  The Giants beating the Cowboys last year was the first chokejob by the NFC #1 seed since the 1980 Falcons bowed out to pave the way for ... drum roll please ... an Eagles Super Bowl berth.

 

So I can't honestly say history is on the side of the Eagles.  Interestingly, all of the match-ups of #1 NFC seeds in the divisional round with the wild card winner that have involved divisional opponents since 1990 have been NFC East contests - 1995 Cowboys-Eagles, 2000 Giants-Eagles, 2007 Cowboys-Giants.  The winner of all those games went on to the Super Bowl.  Now we have 2008 Giants-Eagles.

 

Over in the AFC, the picture is a bit different.

#6 seeds have won just 3 of 19 times in the wild card.  The Steelers were the only #6 seed to ever advance, and they won the Super Bowl.

#5 seeds have won 6 of 19 times in the wild card round, including 3 of 7 times since 2002.  The 1995 Colts and 1996 Jaguars, both 9-7 teams, were the only ones to advance - both of them made the AFC Championship.

#4 seeds have won 13 of 19 times in the wild card, and 5 of those 13 have won in the divisionals, with 4 of those 5 advancing to the Super Bowl and 2 winning it (the 1997 Broncos and 2000 Ravens).  But just 4 of the past 7 #4 seeds have won, and only the 2006 Patriots advanced.  Its hard to see the 8-8 Chargers matching this performance.

#3 seeds have won 16 of 19 times, including 5 of the last 7.  But while just 4 advanced beyond, 3 of them were recent #3 seeds - the 2003 Colts, 2006 Colts, and 2007 Chargers.  Since the Dolphins lost, we needn't trouble oursevles with the #3 AFC seed any further.

#2 seeds have advanced 13 of 18 times beyond the divisionals, but the recent record is an appalling 3 of 6 since 2002.  Watch out Steelers!

#1 seeds in the AFC are not like #1 seeds in the NFC.  Where we had a 17 of 18 record for the NFC, we have a just 11 of 18 record in the AFC, including 4 of 6 since 2002.

 

Generally, #1 and #2 seeds have a lot of advantages coming into the playoffs.  The record in the divisionals is that 81% from 1990 to 2001 and 67% from 2002 to present have won their first game.  This compares to home field records of 58% for the championship round in both 1990 to 2001 and 2002 to present, and 73% and 61% for the wild card round in the two respective eras.  Avoiding the chances of losing in the wild card round, plus the extra beating of the extra game have propelled most #1 and #2 seeds into the Championship round.

 

There have been 72 wild card round teams in each conference since 1990, and just 5 in the NFC and 12 in the AFC have moved on to the Championship, while just 2 in the NFC and 6 in the AFC have moved on to the Super Bowl.  The Eagles biggest step against history is next Sunday.  In those previous NFC East divisional round match-ups, the 1995 Cowboys won in Dallas and lost closely in Philadelphia before beating the Eagles again in Dallas; the 2000 Giants swept the Eagles in all three games that year, and the 2007 Giants lost both times by 2 scores to the Cowboys before pulling off the divisional round upset.  There is no pattern for the Eagles to follow here.

 

So all the best for next week.  Lets hope for the improbable lightning strike in the Meadowlands, but lets be sober in seeing just how steep the mountain is.  Then, if we can pull it off, we have to take down the Panthers, and then face either the Titans, Steelers, or Ravens.  Right now the Eagles are 1-1 in the playoffs at home against the Giants and 0-1 on the road.  Lets even the record up!

 

Three games to immortality!

You make the call, now that all games are played while the selections made it after 13 games.

 

Defensive End

#1 Peppers: 51 tackles (40 solo), 14.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles

#2 Tuck: 67 tackles (52 solo), 12 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 1 interception (TD retrurn), 2 passes defensed

#3 Allen: 54 tackles (41 solo), 14.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 2 safeties

Cole: 77 tackles (59 solo), 9 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, leades league in tackles for loss on running plays

Abraham: 38 tackles (36 solo), 16.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles

Why is Peppers the #1 selection and why does he make it in over Cole and Abraham?  Should this Pro-Bowl selection just be called "Sackmeister"?  Because that's clearly all that matters.

 

Strong Safety

#1 Wilson: 75 tackles (60 solo), 2.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions, 7 passes defensed

Mikell: 93 tackles (68 solo), 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 interceptions, 12 passes defensed

Lewis: 96 tackles (76 solo), 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery

I'm not seeing this one either.  Mikell or ex-Eagle Lewis would both be better picks.

 

Placekicker

#1 Carney: 60.4 yards per kickoff (18th of 18  in NFC with over 10 kickoffs), 3 touchbacks an 1 out of bounds in 79 kicks, 35 of 38 field goals (2 blocked, 29 of 30 under 40 yards, 1 of 1 over 50 yards)

Brown: 68.1 yards per kickoff, 8 touchbacks and 1 out of bounds in 66 kicks, 31 of 36 field goals (0 blocked, 15 of 15 under 40 yards, 6 of 8 over 50 yards)

Mare: 66.6 yards per kickoff, 22 touchbacks an 0 out of bounds in 71 kicks, 24 of 27 field goals (0 blocked, 16 of 17 under 40 yards, 3 of 4 over 50 yards)

Akers 65.8 yards per kickoff, 17 touchbacks and 0 out of bounds in 89 kicks, 33 of 40 field goals (3 blocked, 23 of 25 under 40 yards, 2 of 5 over 50 yards)

So Carney gets the nod because he had more short field goal opportunities than anyone else since the Giants offense choked in the redzone more often, even though he sucks big donkey cocks at kickoffs?  I could see any of the other guys.  I guess kickoffs just don't count, even though that is most of what placekickers do in the game?

 

Quarterback:

#1 Warner: 401 of 598 (67.1%) for 4583 yards, 30 TD, 14 INT, 26 sacks

#2 Brees: 413 if 635 (65.0%) for 5069 yards, 34 TD, 17 INT, 13 sacks

#3 Manning: 289 of 479 (60.3%) for 3238 yards, 21 TD, 10 INT, 27 sacks

McNabb: 345 of 571 (60.4%) for 3916 yards, 23 TD, 11 INT, 23 sacks

Rodgers: 341 of 536 for 4038 yards, 28 TD, 13 INT, 34 sacks

Romo (missed 3 games): 276 of 450 (61.3%) for 3448 yards, 26 TD, 14 INT, 20 sacks

Why is Eli Manning in the Pro-Bowl???

This just gets better and better.  I guess being sodomized every December by Cole, Clemmons, Howard, Abiamiri, Parker, Bunkley, Patterson, Laws, Dawkins, Bradley, Gocong, et al. isn't that fun.  Romo probably is having nightmares about what is coming as soon as Thanksgiving is over.

Good thing he "figured out Jim Johnson's blitz packages" last year.

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8999398/Standing-pat-could-doom-underachieving-Cowboys

I'd like to believe that a battered Romo simply wasn't himself when addressing the media at an interview podium inside Lincoln Financial Field. He had fainted in the shower just minutes earlier. He spoke with glassy eyes and an uneven speech pattern. I'm also aware Romo often sounds more like a laid-back follower than a leader even when clear-headed, which isn't how quarterbacks are supposed to act.

Still, even by Romo's standards, he sounded stunningly apathetic for a player whose reputation as a poor big-game performer took another hit with a three-turnover outing.

"I've had a lot worse happen to me than a loss in a sporting event, that's for sure," Romo said. "If this is the worst thing that ever happens to me, I've lived a pretty good life."

Somewhere, Troy Aikman is retching.

These songs are by my beautiful and talented 8 year old daughter, Isabella.

Please feel free to add your own.

 

 

Crybaby Cry (we all know this tune)

Crybaby cry, on the road to losing

Crybaby cry, on the road to losing

Throw an interception, get sacked,

Fumble the ball, miss the playoffs,

Crybaby cry, on the road the losing.

Wha, wha, wha, wha, wha, Romo's a loser!

 

Romo the Cry Baby (to the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down)

Romo is a crybaby, crybaby, crybaby.

Romo is a crybaby, wha, wha, wha, wah!

Romo's leaving the field in tears, field in tears, field in tears

Romo's leaving the field in tears, wha, wha, wha, wha.

(repeat as many times as you feel like it, or add more verses)

 

The Eagles ran 13 times for a median run of 3 yards.  10 of the runs were for -1 yards to 4 yards, so its pretty obvious that if you ran a 15th, 16th, and 17th time, it probably would have been for yardage in that range.

 

Would this sort of running more on 1st and 2nd down in the 3rd and 4th quarters made a difference on the four drives that went 3 and out?

 

McNabb was 1 of 4 for 6 yards on first down, 2 of 4 for 6 yards and 1 yard on second down.  In none of the drives did McNabb convert two passes on first and second down in any given series.  So a first or second down run would have either replaced an incomplete pass (for a probable difference of 3 yards of field position and 40 seconds less clock) or replaced a completed pass (for a difference of -3 to +2 yards of field position and the same amount of time on the clock).  Replacing all the passes with runs would have resulted in net of 8 yards of field position spread over 8 downs, so 2 yards closer on average on any given 3rd down.

 

The 3rd downs faced on these drives were:

3rd and 4 (incomplete)

3rd and 4 (2 yard pass)

3rd and 10 (incomplete)

3rd and 9 (5 yard pass)

 

There is a small chance that the 3rd and 4 might have been 3rd and 1 had we had the foresight to replace the incomplete pass with a 3 yard run, but it also might have been 3rd and 7 had we replaced the completed pass with our typical 3 yard run instead.  So just one drive had a chance of being extended if we got a running play and if that running play gained 3 yards.

 

On the day, the Eagles faced the following 3rd downs:

3rd and 2 (8 yard pass, followed 3 yard run on second down)

3rd and 16 (incomplete, followed -1 yard run on first down)

3rd and 8 (-10 yard sack, followed 2 yard run on second down)

3rd and 6 (2 yard pass, followed 4 yard run on second down)

3rd and 8 (8 yard pass reversed to 7 yard pass on replay, followed 2 yard run on first down)

3rd and 7 (10 yard pass, followed 3 yard run on first down)

3rd and 3 (-7 yard sack-fumble, followed 7 yard run on second down)

3rd and 5 (17 yard pass)

3rd and 3 (1 yard pass)

3rd and 4 (incomplete)

3rd and 4 (2 yard pass)

3rd and 10 (incomplete)

3rd and 9 (5 yard QB scramble)

3rd and 10 (6 yard pass)

4th and 4 (5 yard pass)

 

If you look through that, the Eagles had seven 3rd downs following a running play on first or second down, and converted just two of them - a 3rd and 2 and a 3rd and 7.  Two of the 3rd downs ended in disastrous sacks.  The Eagles had eight 3rd or 4th downs following all passing plays and converted two, a 3rd and 5 and a 4th and 4.

 

The problem all day long was not if the Eagles ran enough, but the conversion of 3rd downs.  And the record clearly shows it made no difference if it was a 3rd and long (1 of 7, with a big sack) or 3rd and medium (2 of 5) or 3rd and short (1 of 3, with a sack-fumble), the Eagles simply could not consistently convert at any distance, and they could not convert whether they ran on first or second down or not.

 

Whats more, the problem was not incompletions (McNabb was 9 of 13 for 59 yards with 1 rush for 5 yards and 2 sacks  with 1 fumble on 3rd down), but an inability by the receivers to get beyond the sticks.

 

Running didn't make any difference when it was tried in the first half, and it wasn't missed when it wasn't used in the second.  The use or lack of the running game made no difference in the game.

 

The loss was on the failure of the 1st and 2nd down offense to do anything special(McNabb, 17 of 33 for 171 yards, 1 QB scramble for 3 yards, 9 first downs; running game 14 for 54 yards, 2 runs tackled for loss, 1 first down).  5.2 yards per pass attempt and 3.9 yards per rush won't win games, and especially with the 3rd down offense following suit.

 

You can't win games when you are dropping passes, not breaking long runs, and getting tackled short of the sticks.  But none of that has to do with playcalling.  The whining about playcalling is just a distraction from pinning the blame on a lack of execution by the players.  The coaches didn't call for plays that involved bad blocking, dropped passes, running bad routes, and missing holes that were blocked open.

 

The tape doesn't lie.

Well, maybe the Ravens loss was even worse than this, but this game had a lot more implications.

 

Win, and we have the inside track to the playoffs.  Lose, and its really long odds.

 

I can't believe how small this team came up on all sides of the ball.

 

This is a Redskins team that in the past 6 games had scored 13, 10, 7, 20, 14, and 6 points, with the 20 point effort against the Seahawks being the only win.  Our defense didn't do anything more to them that the Bengals, Ravens, Giants, Cowboys, and Steelers also did to them.  The Redskin defense had given up 11 to 24 points in every game this season, and suddenly we make them look like studs with our 3 point effort.

 

I'm struggling though with who to pin the loss on.  We outgained the Redskins in yards, completed a higher percentage of passes, were essentially equal in 3rd down conversions, punting and kicking and kickoff returns, they had 44 yards on punt returns and we had 7 (but then Demps returned a field goald attempt 55 yards to our 47).  The difference in the game - we had a turnover they converted for 7 and we missed on several gifts that Campbell tossed to Bradley and Samuel and Mikell, and we had 2 of our 12 drives start beyond our 20, while they had 8 of 11 drives start beyond their 28, and 6 of 11 start beyond their 38 yard line.  Average drive position was 21 yards negative for the Eagles, which is equivalent to surrendering 1.68 points per drive in normal value of field position.

 

It looks like this has to be blamed on the offensive line for failing to prevent the sack-fumble, special teams for failing to produce field position, defense for failing to produce gimme turnovers, and the receives, especially Jackson, for coming up really small on McNabb passes hitting them on the numbers.

Okay, how loud were you screaming as the Cowpokes gave up back to back one play drive 75+ yard TD runs to end the game?

 

And with that, Dallas clinches their 11th straight year of December mediocrity.  Its been since 1996 that Dallas has won a playoff game, and since 1996 that Dallas had a winning record in December.

 

Needless to say, slouching into the playoffs by accident every few years is not a recipe for franchise success.

 

Its strange, but I suddenly feel so much better about that final loss at the Vet in 2002, now that Dallas has come up with a much more heartbreaking way to lose the final game in your stadium.  Hey, at least our final game was our second playoff game of that year.  Dallas' looks to be a final game at home in their 3rd 9-7 season in 4 years, and a game that all but ensures they will miss the playoffs.

 

Makes you wonder what the New York Midgets will come up with as a send-off for the Meadowlands?  Will the NFL do us the favor of letting the Eagles try to make it one last Miracle of the Meadowlands?

Peyton Manning did something tonight that only further emphasizes just how good Donovan McNabb can be.

 

Manning completed 23 consecutive passes between the end of his previous game and the start of this game.  In doing this he fell one pass hy of the official record held by Donovan McNabb - 24 consecutive passes completed in 2004 ending during the rout against Green Bay.  When McNabb made his record, he beat out Joe Montana, who had the record at 22.  That's some pretty elite company when the record book sequence goes: #3 - Montana, #2 - Peyton Manning, #1 McNabb.

 

However, McNabb also has and even more impressive record.  In the game against the San Diego Chargers in 2005, he completed 24 consecutive passes in a single game.  But what is unique about this is after the first 4 passes, where a 1 yard Brian Westbrook run interrupted the sequence, Andy Reid proceeded to call 27 consecutive passing plays in a row!  And for the first 20 of these plays, San Diego couldn't stop the pass even though they knew it was coming.