Well folks, the Eagles have already achieved their 6th win, which is what I predicted they would finish with for the season. The fact that they achieved the 6th win and are now first place in the division blows my mind. The defense has been bend but don't break. The offense has transitioned smoothly to Nick Foles leading all kinds of weapons in a points assault. The only problem really I see is they are playing beyond their potential and they seem to let the foot off the gas at times.
They could have completely decimated the Redskins, and they missed that shot. Oh well, a win is a win and much like their first game against them, I never felt they were in danger of losing. The only problem now is two games coming up and the fact the Giants are on a 4 game winning streak. Luckily they already played the Giants and split the series. I hear people on the radio debating who you wanted to win this weekend: Dallas or New York? If Dallas wins, this could be a division that transfers leads quite often, and the division could come down to Week 17. Now, that would make sure the Eagles play well and hard the rest of the year. Dallas, under Tony Romo, is prone to the December collapse, even when the whole country picks them to win. Also, the Cowboys already beat the Eagles once, and another loss to them would put them behind in the tiebreaker. Of course, this year the Eagles are 5-1 on the road with one more road game (at Minnesota) before then. If the Giants win, they may feel like it is 2007/2011 all over again and the sky is the limit. Last year the Redskins were 3-6, and went on a run to win the divisions and squander their opportunity. A loss for the Giants, and they will start finger pointing and presumably fall apart. A win and they may feel invincible. Luckily they split with the Eagles, and if Philadelphia handles their end they should be fine. *Duba Note - I started this before Week 12 commenced, and hence finished. Dallas won, and unlike other fans, I don't fear this division is up for grabs. I didn't predict the Eagles to do better than they have already, so anything here on out is house money. I hope they do great things, but we must always remember they were 4-12 last year. Team, already improved.*
So, what's next? Aside from Vick maybe being fully healthy, the question is if the Eagles can keep up their winning ways. I personally would rather Vick sit for now. Foles may not be the franchise quarterback yet in everybody's eyes, but he has had several good weeks leading the team on quite a charge. It isn't even a "hot hand" approach. Foles has proved his worth in this supposed system he did not fit in. Foles is fine, and he has developed a new receiving threat in the racist Riley Cooper. I am glad Cooper and the media have moved past his horrible comments earlier this year. He has stepped up as a bigger receiving threat that perhaps Vick would not throw appropriately to. It seems like Vick is the type of quarterback who appears to wait for his receivers to be open. Foles seems to know where the receiver is supposed to be and puts the ball there. Sometimes he struggled getting the ball to that point. But that is what he does. As a fan of exciting football, I like watching that type of play more. Foles has been ridiculously efficient and may have the best QB rating in NFL history if he keeps up his play. That may be an arbitrary number, but I am certainly liking the cut of his jib. The job should be his and Vick should prepare to play should Foles get hurt or pulled.
The following is a look at the remaining Eagles games this year:
Home Vs. Arizona-Traditionally, no matter who is th quarterback du jour, the Eagles have struggled with the Cardinals the past two years. Larry Fitzgerald has a field day the past two years with the Eagles' putrid defense. Carson Palmer is certainly the best Cardinals quarterback they will have faced since Kurt Warner, and last time he played the Eagles it was a 13-13 tie in 2008. They will certainly be the best defense this team has played since the Chiefs in Week 3. The radio hosts have discussed Chip Kelly vs. Cardinals Defensive Coordinator Todd Boles, and that the Arizona defense is susceptible to the big play and may open up for the Eagles to dominate. I think they can at least force Palmer into some bad decisions, and hopefully the offense pulls this one out closely, but not too soon.
Home vs. Detroit-Yikes. This may be the most potent office the Eagles will have faced since Week 4 when they played the Broncos. This game has shoot out potential, and may come down to last team with the ball wins, much like week 2 against San Diego. If Detroit has any heart, their offense may be more potent.
Away vs. Vikings-This is the type of game that, as an Eagles fan you expect them to get dominated seemingly out of nowhere. Yes Adrian Peterson is awesome, but if the Eagles can stop him like they have most other backs, I can see some unknown receiver going off against them. It will also be the first time the Eagles will have used the Chip Kelly offense in a dome. I don't know how he will prepare the team for that, but he better had start making those considerations soon.
Home vs. Bears - This would be Week 16, and Jay Cutler may be back already from his injury(ies) with one game under his belt already. The Bears offense has been very effective no matter the quarterback, and Jay Cutler was playing a great level. The Eagles have not faced a "great" quarterback other than Peyton Manning (52 points) and Tony Romo (17 points). That was quite a difference in production as Romo has been a potent offensive figure this year (despite his perceptions of being a turnover machine). If the Eagles could have found a way to bottle up Mathew Stafford, they should be able to do the same to the Bears. The Chicago defense is not what even its shadow used to be, so they are ripe for the picking by the Chip Kelly offense. I think they can pull this one out, by the skin of their teeth or not.
Away vs. Dallas - By this point, I think the Eagles are at least 8-7. They could run the gauntlet and be 10-5. That....would be incredible. No way that this game would mean anything then against the Cowboys, in my opinion. However, at 8-7, there is a strong possibility this is a win and in game for the Eagles. The last time they met, so many excuses were given to Foles, whether it was his injury or nervousness about winning the starting job, but regardless he has turned things around, playing cleaner and smarter football. After running through the NFC North, he hopefully can have one last regular season meaningful game. We gotta hope.
All in all, I am already satisfied this season. The games they won, it was never a nervous moment. The games they lost, it was maddening to watch. I know only predicted them to be 6-10, so I probably shouldn't get mad if they screw this up. I can see them not winning the division. A loss to Arizona could put them out of a wild card spot. Hopefully the past two weeks of preparation has helped focus the team for the stretch run.
I don't need to see any more records broken (or tied), nor do I need to see the Eagles' power rankings changes. All I want to see is good football, and it starts this Sunday. Go Eagles.
Home vs. Detroit-Yikes. This may be the most potent office the Eagles will have faced since Week 4 when they played the Broncos. This game has shoot out potential, and may come down to last team with the ball wins, much like week 2 against San Diego. If Detroit has any heart, their offense may be more potent.
Away vs. Vikings-This is the type of game that, as an Eagles fan you expect them to get dominated seemingly out of nowhere. Yes Adrian Peterson is awesome, but if the Eagles can stop him like they have most other backs, I can see some unknown receiver going off against them. It will also be the first time the Eagles will have used the Chip Kelly offense in a dome. I don't know how he will prepare the team for that, but he better had start making those considerations soon.
Home vs. Bears - This would be Week 16, and Jay Cutler may be back already from his injury(ies) with one game under his belt already. The Bears offense has been very effective no matter the quarterback, and Jay Cutler was playing a great level. The Eagles have not faced a "great" quarterback other than Peyton Manning (52 points) and Tony Romo (17 points). That was quite a difference in production as Romo has been a potent offensive figure this year (despite his perceptions of being a turnover machine). If the Eagles could have found a way to bottle up Mathew Stafford, they should be able to do the same to the Bears. The Chicago defense is not what even its shadow used to be, so they are ripe for the picking by the Chip Kelly offense. I think they can pull this one out, by the skin of their teeth or not.
Away vs. Dallas - By this point, I think the Eagles are at least 8-7. They could run the gauntlet and be 10-5. That....would be incredible. No way that this game would mean anything then against the Cowboys, in my opinion. However, at 8-7, there is a strong possibility this is a win and in game for the Eagles. The last time they met, so many excuses were given to Foles, whether it was his injury or nervousness about winning the starting job, but regardless he has turned things around, playing cleaner and smarter football. After running through the NFC North, he hopefully can have one last regular season meaningful game. We gotta hope.
All in all, I am already satisfied this season. The games they won, it was never a nervous moment. The games they lost, it was maddening to watch. I know only predicted them to be 6-10, so I probably shouldn't get mad if they screw this up. I can see them not winning the division. A loss to Arizona could put them out of a wild card spot. Hopefully the past two weeks of preparation has helped focus the team for the stretch run.
I don't need to see any more records broken (or tied), nor do I need to see the Eagles' power rankings changes. All I want to see is good football, and it starts this Sunday. Go Eagles.
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