While this was a rare Sunday sans Eagles, there was plenty of football to go around with notable battles in the AFC East and North Divisions and important matchups for the NFC South.
But as stated in yesterdays Monday Hangover post, our official season preview has had some hits, and well, some misses. Regardless, I think the NFL game that spoke the most volumes this weekend was last night's dismantling of the New York Jets.
Sidenote: as an Eagles fan, I'm supposed to hate every other team in the league, right? And when the Eagles are playing those teams, I do indeed hate them. But I'm also somewhat of a misnomer, because I enjoy watching the New England Patriots. The underdogs of the early 2000's, no one ever talks about the Patriots (outside of their year of perfection) and they almost always fly under the "experts" radar. You hear more about the Colts and Cowboys at the beginning of the season than you do about the Pats. I hear Brett Favre's name more than you ever hear Tom Brady's. You just do. That's why I kinda like the Pats. They sneak up on you. Then with just four games left, they're "suddenly" the best team in the NFL.
Now when the Eagles and Pats met in the Super Bowl a few years back, I of course, rooted for the Eagles. No doubt about it. But still, it irks me when no one ever gives a thought to this team despite winning 3 championships in the decade and narrowly missing another.
With that Pats embarrassment of the "pretender" Jets last night, I think the only true elite teams in the AFC are the Pats and Steelers.
The NFC is more a conundrum. The Eagles, Falcons, Giants, Saints, Bears, and Packers have all separated themselves from the rest of the league. Unfortunately, due to the lowly NFC West, one of these teams will miss the postseason entirely. I don't think there is a clear elite, but unfortunately, for those thinking the Eagles are that team, think again. The defense has been exposed for a few weeks in a row now and the Eagles could easily lose to the other five teams I mentioned if they met those clubs in the playoffs. Also, I'm sticking with my gut and I think the Packers are still the best team in this conference. Despite the rash of injuries and inconsistent play throughout the season, I think they have the scariest team and most legitimate shot at reaching the Super Bowl.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Monday Hangover - December 6, 2010
The only two people who probably woke up with a stunning hangover this wonderfully cold Monday morning are Jayson Werth and his agent, the evil Scott Boras. Boras has done it again, completely shellacking a franchise into making what I think is a terrible deal. Good for Werth, bad for the team.
Natty Iced
Yes, Jayson Werth is a Washington National. "Goat Boy" as I like to call him signed a seven-year $126 million deal with the Nationals. The Nationals. Last place in the NL East for like... the last 29 years (the Nationals, the artists formerly known as the Expos last made the playoffs in 1981). Yes Jayson was two years old when his new club went to the playoffs with guys like Tim Raines, Andre Dawson and Gary Carter were the men in Montreal.
All I have to say to Jayson Werth is this.... good luck. You joined a crappy team, but you made it better. And you went where the money is which is all well and good. I mean, I can't blame you Werth. If I'm in a job where I feel under compensated and I get offered more compensation somewhere else, I would take it too. No doubt. I think most people would do the same. If not they would be plain stupid. We all know loyalty means very little in sports anymore so I'm willing to accept Werth was not going to be "loyal" to his franchise of a few seasons. He did the smart thing. Take the money and run. Don't be stupid. Don't for one second think that taking less money or changing your facebook profile picture to a cartoon from your youth to help end child abuse is a smart idea. Those would not get you anywhere, Jayson. So good luck... you're going to need it.
Bubbly Chubby
The Werth deal obviously has sent shockwaves across the entire league. With the winter meetings of all of baseball's GMs kicking off today in Florida, there have to be some free agents who popped immediate chubbies when they saw the news break about Jayson Werth.
For the Nats, the deal is well... terrible. I don't think Werth is "werth" that much and to give a guy a contract and pay him $18 million when he's 38 is going to bite them right in their "Austin Kearns". The Nats are on the rise, but Werth only has at best four solid seasons left in him and you don't know what type of player he'll be on the Nationals with that weaker lineup.
But the real winners in this deal are the remaining free agents, most notably Carl Crawford. Crawford is... without a doubt... a better player than Werth and will look to get even more from whichever team he signs for. Crawford hits for higher average, similar power, is younger, steals more bases, and plays better defense. I can't imagine what he'll get now. But for some reason, if I hear that the Angels sign him for an eight-year $170 million deal, I won't be shocked.
Everyone is going to get paid, but now the question is, how much? Cliff Lee should get a huge windfall from the Yanks, the Red Sox made a deal and will sign Adrian Gonzalez to a huge contract, and Crawford will surely be whistling his way to the bank within a week.
The Maclin Daddy
With the NFL Regular Season winding down, the Eagles remain tied atop the NFC East with the NY Giants. Coming off a come-from-behind victory against the Houston Texans, the Eagles face what seemed like a daunting remaining four games. Playing Dallas twice along with New York and Minnesota seemed like the part of the season the Eagles would suffer through at the start of their campaign. However, the sub par performances of the Vikings and the Cowboys give the Eagles the opportunity to finish strong and set themselves up for a high seed in the postseason. Winning three games would be huge and it is very possible, despite the fact that the resurgent Cowboys are a bit scary.
Regardless I want to begin looking back at our official 2010 NFL preview. While there is still a lot of football to be played to determine the positioning and teams who will make the playoffs, I do want to highlight some of the outcomes of other predictions. While I misfired on Kolb and Ernie Sims being the unsung heroes of the team, I predicted big years from McCoy and Maclin. McCoy seemed like a foregone conclusion with some of the performances he had last year and the security of knowing he was the number one guy heading into the year. But Maclin has seriously exceeded my expectations and continues to be a big target in the passing game. He should easily eclipse the all-important 1,000 yard mark and should snag around 10 touchdowns when the 16th game finishes up. While not as explosive as DeSean Jackson, Maclin has been the possession (and at times, big play man) the Eagles desperately needed. Whether it was Kolb or Vick, Jeremy has spoken volumes through his play and I do believe he becomes a bit of an X-factor in the remaining games. With so many defenses focused on Jackson, McCoy and Vick, that could open up opportunities for Maclin to make the big plays. As I pat Jeremy on the back for his efforts, I also pay my own as well for the correct prediction of Jeremy's breakthrough.
Natty Iced
Yes, Jayson Werth is a Washington National. "Goat Boy" as I like to call him signed a seven-year $126 million deal with the Nationals. The Nationals. Last place in the NL East for like... the last 29 years (the Nationals, the artists formerly known as the Expos last made the playoffs in 1981). Yes Jayson was two years old when his new club went to the playoffs with guys like Tim Raines, Andre Dawson and Gary Carter were the men in Montreal.
All I have to say to Jayson Werth is this.... good luck. You joined a crappy team, but you made it better. And you went where the money is which is all well and good. I mean, I can't blame you Werth. If I'm in a job where I feel under compensated and I get offered more compensation somewhere else, I would take it too. No doubt. I think most people would do the same. If not they would be plain stupid. We all know loyalty means very little in sports anymore so I'm willing to accept Werth was not going to be "loyal" to his franchise of a few seasons. He did the smart thing. Take the money and run. Don't be stupid. Don't for one second think that taking less money or changing your facebook profile picture to a cartoon from your youth to help end child abuse is a smart idea. Those would not get you anywhere, Jayson. So good luck... you're going to need it.
Bubbly Chubby
The Werth deal obviously has sent shockwaves across the entire league. With the winter meetings of all of baseball's GMs kicking off today in Florida, there have to be some free agents who popped immediate chubbies when they saw the news break about Jayson Werth.
For the Nats, the deal is well... terrible. I don't think Werth is "werth" that much and to give a guy a contract and pay him $18 million when he's 38 is going to bite them right in their "Austin Kearns". The Nats are on the rise, but Werth only has at best four solid seasons left in him and you don't know what type of player he'll be on the Nationals with that weaker lineup.
But the real winners in this deal are the remaining free agents, most notably Carl Crawford. Crawford is... without a doubt... a better player than Werth and will look to get even more from whichever team he signs for. Crawford hits for higher average, similar power, is younger, steals more bases, and plays better defense. I can't imagine what he'll get now. But for some reason, if I hear that the Angels sign him for an eight-year $170 million deal, I won't be shocked.
Everyone is going to get paid, but now the question is, how much? Cliff Lee should get a huge windfall from the Yanks, the Red Sox made a deal and will sign Adrian Gonzalez to a huge contract, and Crawford will surely be whistling his way to the bank within a week.
The Maclin Daddy
With the NFL Regular Season winding down, the Eagles remain tied atop the NFC East with the NY Giants. Coming off a come-from-behind victory against the Houston Texans, the Eagles face what seemed like a daunting remaining four games. Playing Dallas twice along with New York and Minnesota seemed like the part of the season the Eagles would suffer through at the start of their campaign. However, the sub par performances of the Vikings and the Cowboys give the Eagles the opportunity to finish strong and set themselves up for a high seed in the postseason. Winning three games would be huge and it is very possible, despite the fact that the resurgent Cowboys are a bit scary.
Regardless I want to begin looking back at our official 2010 NFL preview. While there is still a lot of football to be played to determine the positioning and teams who will make the playoffs, I do want to highlight some of the outcomes of other predictions. While I misfired on Kolb and Ernie Sims being the unsung heroes of the team, I predicted big years from McCoy and Maclin. McCoy seemed like a foregone conclusion with some of the performances he had last year and the security of knowing he was the number one guy heading into the year. But Maclin has seriously exceeded my expectations and continues to be a big target in the passing game. He should easily eclipse the all-important 1,000 yard mark and should snag around 10 touchdowns when the 16th game finishes up. While not as explosive as DeSean Jackson, Maclin has been the possession (and at times, big play man) the Eagles desperately needed. Whether it was Kolb or Vick, Jeremy has spoken volumes through his play and I do believe he becomes a bit of an X-factor in the remaining games. With so many defenses focused on Jackson, McCoy and Vick, that could open up opportunities for Maclin to make the big plays. As I pat Jeremy on the back for his efforts, I also pay my own as well for the correct prediction of Jeremy's breakthrough.
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