This will put a smile (and maybe a tear) on the face of a Saints fan, while stinging a Colts fan at the exact same time…as for everyone else, we all say the same thing to ourselves quietly under our breath: “next year”…
Category : Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, San Diego Chargers
Category : Around the League, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers
My 2010 HOF Ballot
First of all, I’m not a fan of “big” Hall of Fame classes. I’d honestly like to see no more than five guys inducted a year. I think smaller classes shine the spotlight on each player receiving the greatest individual achievement in their sport. I also think that when the big-name players are enshrined, the classes should be smaller, like three players max. Point in case: we’re already forgetting that David Robinson and John Stockton were part of the Michael Jordan NBA HOF Class of 2009. Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan and Rutgers women’s basketball coach Vivian Stringer were also part of that class, but no one will remember that in five years. It’s a shame.
That being said, the problem with the NFL Hall of Fame is that the voters continue to overlook a lot of well qualified individuals, thus creating a backlog of players who should be enshrined in Canton, OH. (Cough, cough…RAY GUY!!!)
So, I pared my list down to seven individuals. That’s more than the five I’d like to see. But, as you’ll see, there are some old-schoolers on this list
Category : Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Previews & Forecasts
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys -4
Last week the Cowboys dismantled the Eagles to the tune of 28-0. The Eagles had not been shutout in the first half the entire season prior to this game, let alone in a complete 4 quarters. The end result of this wiping of the floor is that instead of the Eagles attaining the first round bye, they will now face off against Dallas in the Wildcard round in Cowboys Stadium.
The Cowboys have been historically atrocious throughout the month of December, but this year they’re heading into the playoffs with all the confidence in the world; they have gained 3 straight wins coming into Saturday’s game (2/3 came against formidable opponents, Saints and Eagles). It’s not only the month of December that’s painful for Dallas fans, so to are the playoffs. The Cowboys have not won in the first round of the NFL playoffs since 1996 against Minnesota.
The loss to Dallas halted a 6 game win streak for the Eagles which definitely slowed down their momentum, but I still wouldn’t count them out. Philadelphia has one of the most impressive playoff records since 2000 at 10-7. Head Coach Andy Reid should take credit for this record as he seems to be at his best in the playoffs, rarely making poor decisions.
Rest assured this game will be much more competitive than last week’s match-up.
Keys To The Game For Dallas:
Marion Barber and Felix Jones
Last week the Eagles run defense was non-existent and the RB tandem was able to put up some fantastic numbers, but more importantly they
Category : Dallas Cowboys, Fantasy Football, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles
Top 10 Fantasy Surprises of 2009
10) Thomas Jones- This 31 year old running back was not high on draft boards, mainly due to his age. Thomas Jones proved his worth in fantasy football in 09 and has already surpassed his rushing total from last season with 1324 yards and still one game to go. If Jones can punch in a TD on Sunday he will match his rushing touchdown total with 13 from a year ago.
9) Hines Ward- One of two players we recommended in our draft article: 5 Fantasy Players You’ll Overlook For A Rookie . Ward continues to impress lucky fantasy owners who drafted him late with his solid performance. Ward has racked up 1106 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns this year with still a game to go.
8 ) Brett Favre- A fan favorite no doubt, but the average fantasy football fan held Favre’s value as their second quarterback after what happened to him in New York last year. Who knew? The old timer rolls out of the pocket with a quick burst and has arm strength that can still compete with the best of them. Favre is only 114 passing yards away from cracking 4000, he has been a weekly starter for most fantasy owners and has a great touchdown to INT ratio.
7) Steve Smith (NYG)- Smith was not looked at as the number one receiver at one point of the year, but after 97 rec and a game to go it’s safe to say he is a reliable target.
Philadelphia Eagles At Dallas Cowboys-3
No other game has so much on the line in the NFL’s final regular season week of football than the Eagles and Cowboys. Both are playing for more than just another win to add to their impressive streaks.
The Chicago Bears made certain of that.
Monday nights Bears over Vikings upset gave an opportunity to the Philadelphia Eagles that nobody really saw coming. After a 6 game win streak, clinching the playoffs a couple weeks earlier than expected was good enough for Philadelphia fans and the local media (who have taken the last 2 months off from ripping their team apart). The upset in overtime along with a Panthers victory over Brett Favre’s Vikings have now given the Eagles a chance at a first round bye. The number two spot also includes home field advantage for at least a week, and gives the team time to prepare for their first playoff match-up. Andy Reid is perfect off a bye in his 10 years of coaching in Philly, so you’d think this would be a very important luxury for this NFC East team to have. This package of time off and playing at home comes with no easy task, as the Eagles need to head to Dallas and face a very tough and vengeful team that was embarrassed last year in the final game of the year, losing 44-6 to the Eagles.
Dallas is playing it’s best football in December in the Tony Romo era. This is usually the time of year that Cowboys fans hate, as all mojo seems to be shaken off in the cold. After beating the Saints two weeks back and not allowing a score against the Redskins last week this Cowboys team has all the confidence in the world right now. A win for Dallas would flip the standings, sending the Eagles who are currently at the number two seed down to a Wildcard spot. Dallas would win the division and would force the Eagles to go on the road in the playoffs the very next week.
Never has one game meant so much to two teams that have both clinched the playoffs.
Keys to the game for Philadelphia
- Get solid yards on the ground. DeSean Jackson is a targeted man; his big play threat can rack up points for the Eagles at will. The Cowboys did a good job at bottling up this firecracker in the first meeting and Philly will likely try harder at getting him the ball this time around. But if the Eagles can gain solid yardage on the ground against the Cowboys the personnel will have to adjust to Philadelphia’s three headed attack. Weaver, McCoy, and the return of Westbrook give the Eagles a running game that hasn’t been there for some time. Whether or not the Eagles choose to use their running game is the biggest question. Andy Reid loves to throw the ball, but a balanced attack would really throw off the Cowboys defensive scheme, thereby keeping drives alive longer and gaining more momentum throughout the game.
- Blitz more. Sounds crazy, but the blitz happy team has become a little passive in the last couple weeks. In the heat of the moment the Eagles used to blitz on every given opportunity, but there seems to be a different philosophy with Sean McDermott. Tony Romo has made some amazing plays under pressure, but he has also made a ton of mistakes at the same time;
Category : Around the League, Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins
Without a doubt this season has been a bad one to be a kicker in the NFL.
It seems that more so than any other year I’ve watched the game of football I’ve seen more and more missed kicks, and fairly routine kicks at that by today’s standards. The killer distance this year seems to be between 30 and 39 yards. The league wide average is sitting at only 84.3%. That’s down from last year’s average of 89.1%. In 2007 kickers nailed those ‘chip shot’ kicks 91.7% of the time.
In fact NFL kickers have successfully converted only 80.5% of kicks this year, the lowest we’ve seen since 2003.
So what’s wrong this year? There’s no new ‘K-Ball’ that was introduced years ago. The distance, height and velocity of the kicks is still very good, it’s just the accuracy part that kickers seem to be forgetting this season.
But why?
Is it a concentration issue? Is the weather suddenly a problem this year? Are kickers spending too much time trolling bars around Pittsburgh looking for young co-eds? (Sorry, that was a cheap shot Jeff Reed. My bad).
Maybe it’s a mix of those plus a little bad luck. Who knows? Not I, and I certainly won’t pretend to be able to come up with some ridiculously impossible to understand formula for generating a K Rating. (And the QB Rating takes a shot.)
What I do know is that kickers are losing their jobs at an alarming rate this season. Let’s take a look at them and their accuracy and ultimately what led to them being out of a job.
Perhaps the most infamous of the group is former Dallas Cowboys kicker Nick Folk. In the Cowboys Saturday night win against the previously
Category : Around the League, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Previews & Forecasts, San Diego Chargers
Gridiron Experts Power Rankings
1. Indianapolis Colts (14-0) – Tried, tested and true. The Colts are not getting the same respect that the Patriots got the year they went 16-0. While New England’s perfect (regular) season racked up points at will, even embarrassing teams long after the game was out of reach, the Colts play tight, hard fought football in a competitive division that is arguably one of the leagues toughest. Indianapolis is quietly putting together a perfect season that has hopes for a Super Bowl victory ending, not showboating records in the history books. No gimmicks, no flashy records, just wins.
2. San Diego Chargers (11-3)- The Chargers are on a 9 game winning streak and look to roll into the playoffs with maybe even more momentum than Indianapolis has. The Chargers have overcome a shaky start to the season and have the confidence to out-shoot anyone. While Peyton Manning gets all the glory the Chargers offense has just as many weapons that can run up the score, which could lead to a great AFC showdown.
3. New Orleans Saints (13-1)- Gridiron Experts doesn’t do weekly power rankings, mainly due to teams like the Colts and Saints never making any change at the top, but this week we’re knocking the Saints down a peg. Offensive powerhouse…yes, but also very lucky. The Saints should have lost to the Redskins, and played a sub-par game against the Falcons without Michael Turner or Matt Ryan. This team can rip anyone apart with it’s explosive offense, but the defense is only average at best, ranking in the middle of the pack in many categories including 25th against the pass.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (10-4)- A 5 game winning streak that includes two come from behind victories, even without a guy who used to be their entire offense: Brian Westbrook. DeSean Jackson is McNabb’s new favorite target, and the defense is only playing at a sub-par level. The best is yet to come for a team that flourishes this time of year.
5. Minnesota Vikings (11-3)- Gridiron Experts had mentioned in our last power rankings that we saw a rough winter ride for a team that is overusing their veteran quarterback, and who are not proven as a road team in the cold. Of course we did pick the Vikings last week against the Panthers, but games against the Bears and
Category : Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, The Lighter Side
There is a great game set to kick off in a few hours between the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints making your Saturday night that much more exciting. The Cowboys are huge underdogs and could sure use a distraction like this gorgeous SI model, but I bet you’re too nervous about your fantasy playoff match-up to even notice her. Rule of thumb: don’t over think it, and go with the players that got you here…so stop fretting and check out these great articles.
All Of Them!: A What Beer To Drink Flowchart- Geekologie
From the same maker of the fast food and breakfast cereal flowcharts comes the “What Beer Should I Drink?” edition (slightly larger version HERE). Of course if you’re me, the decision is to drink all of them or not to waste time picking but hey,….click on the picture
Bodypaint Babe Bonanza: American Sport Edition- COED Magazine
As we all know, the Europeans love their body painted babes. (And we love them, too!) It seems like every chance they get, they’re stripping down a hot chick to slather her in their team’s favorite colors. Here in America, however…..click on the picture
KSK Kontent Klearinghouse: Crazy legs, cold feet.- Kissing Suzy Kolber
You want to hear trash talk…wow. The Philadelphia Mensa chapter posted this video of them taunting Brandon Jacobs before the first Iggles-Giants game this season. Jacobs can’t help but remind this brain trust of Philly’s earlier loss to the Raiders….click on the picture
Investment company to fantasy owners: ‘You’re fired’- Yahoo Sports
If you happen to be reading this sentence while sitting in your cubicle at Fidelity Investments, then you’d better stop. Immediately. We cannot guarantee your safety. You’re only one click away from creating a fantasy league….??…click on the picture
Photo Gallery & Recap: Philadelphia Passion of the Lingerie Football League- The700thLevel
“These girls can play. They run and juke pretty well. They hit really well. It’s like arena football so they smash each other into the sides. Both teams got a little chippy, throwing punches after tackles….click on the picture
Category : Around the League, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles
NFL Headlines
- Jason Avant – WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Jason Avant is projected to be the Eagles’ starting wideout opposite DeSean Jackson with Jeremy Maclin (foot) out for Week 15.
- Percy Harvin – WR, Minnesota Vikings
Vikings coach Brad Childress said Tuesday that Percy Harvin (migraines) should be able to practice in some fashion Wednesday.
- Todd Heap – TE, Baltimore Ravens
Todd Heap injured his right ankle in the third quarter of the Ravens’ Week 14 win over Detroit.
- Chris Henry – WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Bengals coaches and players reportedly attribute Carson Palmer’s decline in numbers to Chris Henry’s season
- J.P. Losman – QB, Buffalo Bills
Profootballtalk.com’s Mike Florio reports the Raiders have agreed to terms with free agent QB J.P. Losman.
- Kevin Smith - RB, Detroit Lions
Lions placed Kevin Smith (knee surgery) on season-ending injured reserve.
- DeMarcus Ware – LB, Dallas Cowboys
DeMarcus Ware is scheduled to undergo more tests on Wednesday to ensure that the swelling in his neck has gone down.
- Larry Fitzgerald – WR, Arizona Cardinals
Larry Fitzgerald’s MRI revealed a bone contusion and right knee sprain, though the knee is stable and there is no significant damage.
- Mike Bell – RB, New Orleans Saints
Mike Bell (knee) is expected to return to game action this week.
- Nick Folk - K, Dallas Cowboys
Nick Folk will compete with kickoff specialist David Buehler for field goal duties this week.
- Kevin Curtis – WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Scout.com’s Adam Caplan expects Kevin Curtis (knee) to be a No. 4 receiver at best should he be healthy enough to play in Week 15.
- Dwayne Bowe - WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Chiefs beat writer Josh Looney expects Dwayne Bowe to return to the starting lineup in Week 15 “as long as he’s in game shape.”
- Zach Miller – TE, Oakland Raiders
Raiders coach Tom Cable revealed Monday that Zach Miller suffered a concussion in Sunday’s loss to Washington.
- Joshua Cribbs – WR, Cleveland Browns
Browns coach Eric Mangini revealed Monday that he’s considering converting Joshua Cribbs into a full-time tailback
