Gearing Up for Big Blue

The Eagles will play what is easily the biggest game of the season so far tonight when the division rival Giants visit the Linc for a Sunday night matchup. Though there is often a deeper hatred amongst Eagles fans when it comes to the Dallas Cowboys, the proximity of the cities and the similarities between the Eagles and Giants and their fans make it a better rivalry in my opinion. The series was back and forth during the past decade, with the Eagles ending with a slight 13-10 advantage and currently having won the last four (including a playoff game).

The Giants had the Eagles' number for a while after their Super Bowl run in 2004, winning 6 of 8. Then, things changed, and its not a coincidence that the Giants haven't beaten the Eagles since Plaxico Burress was dismissed from the team midway through the 2008 season. Burress was an Eagle killer, and when the Giants had their running game going, he was a tough matchup for any defense. Though the Giants have picked up some other nice young receivers in Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, and Mario Manningham, none of them have the game-changing presence that Plax did, and with a less effective running game, the Giants have been easier to defend lately.

Of course, the Eagles D vs. Giants O isn't the part of the game that most of America is going to tune in to see. No, what they want to see is Michael Vick, coming off one of the best performances by a quarterback I've ever seen, against a much more formidable defense in the Giants. The G-Men are tops in the league in fewest yards allowed per game. The Eagles are 3rd in yards gained, and are 2nd in points scored. Something has to give. What isn't getting much press is the fact that the Giants actually have the second-ranked offense in the NFL based on yards gained, and will be a formidable challenge for the Eagles, but what can you expect when Mike Vick is on the opposing squad?

Vick will be facing a sometimes-dominating defensive line that has a combination of size and athleticism that the Eagles haven't seen this year. It will be a great test for a quarterback with a level of athleticism that has never been seen before in the game of football. Michael Vick has an opportunity to dispose of the "yeah, but who has he played" argument that exists when speaking about his success this season. If the Eagles handle the Giants and Vick has a big game, they can instantly catapult themselves to the favorites in the NFC, having already beaten the 7-2 Falcons, which is hard to believe considering what most of us thought of the team's prospects in the preseason. If not, there are going to be some doubts about whether this a Super Bowl caliber team as opposed to just a playoff team.

Everything is clicking right now on the offensive side of the ball (I know, brilliant observation on my part after they scored 59 points last week), and the Giants are coming off a terribly disappointing loss to a 1-7 Dallas team at home. As mentioned before, they haven't beaten the Eagles the last four tries. What does that mean? They're going to be fired up. Fired up to end the streak, to prove that last week was the exception and not the rule, and to do what no team thus far has been able to do - contain number 7. On top of that, it's a top tier division rivalry in the NFL. NBC must be giddy with excitement thinking about the ratings this primetime matchup will generate.

If the Eagles win the game, however, they will do it on the defensive side of the ball. I think Vick and the offense will score their points, but can the D contain what has been a very solid Giants offense this year? One thing that favors the Birds is the Giants' injury situation, as they are banged up to say the least. Among the wounded are O-lineman Shaun O'Hara and David Diehl, who, along with WR Steve Smith and FB Madison Hedgecock, will be out for the game. TE Kevin Boss was limited in practice, but is probable to play. Oh, and wait, there's one more; yes, our old buddy, Shawn Andrews is questionable with a (shocker) back injury. Boy, that sounds awfully familiar. Andrews, though, says he is "extra amped" about this one, as I'm sure he can't wait to exact revenge on the team that dealt with over a year of his injury drama, personal issues, and Michael Phelps songs before finally cutting him this past offseason. Andrews better be amped if he's in the game, because I'm sure there are some Eagles D-linemen who wouldn't mind teeing off on the guy who pulled the team through what seemed like a never-ending roller coaster ride over the past two years. While part of me is happy for the guy that he is able to play football with all the issues he's had with depression and his back, it's nice how he managed to pull it together AFTER the Eagles finally gave up and cut him.

So, with that all said, Sunday night promises to be a fun one. Plenty of storylines, first place in the NFC East on the line, and Michael Vick's true chance to show that he is back as an elite NFL quarterback. The Eagles are poised to thrust themselves into Super Bowl-contender status with a win, and to prompt a blog post from me featuring a classic Madden tune. Exciting, huh? Just another reason to hope the Eagles win.

Everybody Makes Mistakes

So said Donovan McNabb in the Redskins' post-game celebration after beating the Eagles in Week 4, after his spectacular 8 for 19 performance for 125 yards and a TD. Yes, that was completely sarcastic. He did nothing whatsoever after the first quarter, and despite the Eagles playing their worst game of the season, they were still a Jason Avant ridiculous catch away from snagging a win. But, of course, Donovan just couldn't resist getting a shot in.

Of course, that "mistake" the team made in trading him away has led to the "Michael Vick Experience 2: This Time He Can Pass" (in theaters everywhere). While McNabb and the Skins have fizzled out since that game, the Eagles have been nearly unstoppable with Vick at the helm. Despite this, some other Redskins felt the need to stoke the fire before the game Monday night, I guess thinking they could actually replicate their performance in the first matchup against a very different Eagles squad. According to several Eagles players, Redskins DBs Laron Landry and DeAngelo Hall were making sleeping motions, putting their hands next to their heads, taunting Desean Jackson and the horrific concussion he suffered a few weeks ago. Landry apparently had some verbal shots along the same lines, and while he of course denies it, this story has been confirmed by many players as well as an independent source, FOX's Jay Glazer. According to Desean, Landry specifically told him "I'm going to put you to sleep again."

Now, that's just wrong in any context, making light of a serious and possibly life-threatening injury, but what makes it worse is that Landry is an overrated glorified linebacker who is known only for his physique and occasional big hits, and is a total liability in coverage. He also seems to be lacking upstairs, because why you would try to fire up an Eagles team playing incredible football and coming in for a revenge game is beyond me. The entire team took note of the comments made to Jackson in the locker room after a skirmish on the field before the game, and the result was a first play that put Landry in his place, to say the least.

An 88-yard TD bomb from Vick to Jackson that left Landry sprawled on the Fed-Ex field grass. Though no one will outright say it, there are reports that some of these pre-game festivities led to the coaching staff's decision to pour it on rather than maybe let up on the gas pedal a little. Then again, why shouldn't they pour it on? These are professionals playing against professionals, so if the Redskins didn't like it they should have stopped it.

But back to McNabb. Eagles center Mike McGlynn (who was very talkative after the game, also claiming that Landry spit in his face twice during the game) alluded to the fact that McNabb's comments after the first matchup may have provided some added fuel for the Eagles, saying “We got fired up. Donovan had said some things after they beat us that fired us up, saying how they made a terrible decision and everybody makes mistakes. I think we’re happy with where we are right now.” In case you didn't see it, here's the clip of McNabb's speech (skip to about the 0:50 mark):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD5JEkHw-0c

Ahh. Donovan, Mr. Class, just couldn't resist throwing that little barb in there, knowing full well that he was on camera and that the clip would be shown all over by the media. I don't have a huge problem with the comment, except for the fact that he had a horrible game, and if anything his performance served to justify the decision the Eagles made to trade him. You're right, Donovan, everybody makes mistakes. Especially people like Laron Landry and Daniel Snyder. But it doesn't appear the Eagles did. Things are working out quite nicely with #7 running the show, and if McNabb, Landry, and the Skins are smart, they might keep their mouths shut in the future.

Holy Shnikes! Did that just happen?

After his benching a few weeks ago, many thought McNabb's days in DC were numbered already. Nope.

As reported by Michael Smith at ESPN, the Washington Redskins just gave quarterback Donovan McNabb a five-year extension that is around $78 million with nearly $40 million guaranteed.

McNabb will enter tonight's game with his pants falling down because that is a crapload of money for a guy who will be 39 years old when the deal is done. The deal comes just two weeks after being benched for the last minutes of a game in Detroit. That set off a media firestorm that questioned McNabb's practice habits, his endurance, potential injuries and conjured up a mini-race debate that many journalists and pundits have been dragging out for years. While these journalists stated that black quarterbacks may not be intelligent enough to run an offense, McNabb just proved him and his agent are smart enough to steal money from the Redskins organization. Wow.

In other news, Jason Campbell is still crying. AS HE'S WINNING AND HAVING A STRONGER SEASON THAN MCNABB! BAM!

Monday Hangover - November 15, 2010

With the Eagles ready to square off against the rival Redskins tonight, perhaps it would have been better to have a "Tuesday Hangover" segment. But that's just ridiculous. And it still was a busy weekend in Philly sports despite the Eagles not playing until tonight.

White Russian
With the Eagles idle until tonight and the Phillies season over, has anyone noticed how well the Flyers have been playing? They've been on an absolute tear as of late and they owe a lot to their rookie goaltender Sergei Bobrovksy. "Bob" as he is affectionately known is 10-2-1 and stopped 34 shots out of 36 on Saturday against the Florida Panthers. Meanwhile, the Flyers offense has come alive. Giroux and Richards each had two goals on Saturday to lead the charge.

Again, Giroux seems to be coming into his own as he now has 9 goals and 9 assists in just 17 games this season. And it's good to see that Giroux will keep producing as a Flyer as he signed a three-year deal last Monday. While Jeff Carter was next with a huge 11 year deal for the Flyers, the Philly hockey team has three young players locked up long term. The next to be signed to an extension? Playoff hero Ville Leino. Leino is a free agent after this season but the Flyers are adamant about resigning the young winger. Leino has been impressive so far this season too. While he has just 3 goals, Leino has added 12 helpers and has played great on Giroux's line. He definitely is a playmaker the Flyers don't want to slip away.

I will actually be heading to the Flyers game tonight just a few rows from the ice as they take on Senators.

Not Gettin' Iggy With It
Unlike the Flyers, the Sixers haven't been able to buy a win as of late. They've lost three straight, now sit at 2-8 on the season and finish up a lengthy road trip on Tuesday in Cleveland. Elton Brand has gone back to Elton Bust and Andre Iguodala has looked shaky since returning from injury. This team needs to find a direction and fast. The Eastern Conference is no laughing matter anymore and a sub-.500 team may not make it to the playoffs this year. Which means, the Sixers could be losing a whole lot of games at this rate. The past few games, it seems like only half the team has shown up. Jrue Holiday is the one of a few players actually being consistent and providing the team an edge.

This may be a transition year for the Sixers but it is still very tough to sit and watch some of these games and the Sixers seem to roll over and die in the fourth quarter. Is it too early to make a trade or move or something to shake this team up?

Vick's Vapo Rub
Nothing like getting wasted off of Vapo Rub. Right Jamarcus Russell? Anyway, this has been one crazy season for our beloved Eagles. Who would have thought the Monday night showdown with McNabb would be a chance for the Eagles to tie for first place in the division?

And since the last meeting with McNabb, the Eagles went back to Kevin Kolb as quarterback due to injury, won a few close games, beat a top team in the NFC, gave Kenny Britt waaaaaay to much credit as a wide receiver, and got Michael Vick back to be the starter against McNabb on Monday night. And thanks to the new-look Cowboys beating up on the Giants, a win tonight at FedEx Field will have the Eagles and Giants tied atop the division. No one could have guessed this.

At halfway through the season, there still are a bunch of question marks on this team, but the next few weeks will tell the story of the Eagles 2010-2011 campaign as tough contests against the Giants, Bears, and Texans (oh my!) will show what playoff chutzpah this team may possess.

NFL Season Halftime Report