What they're saying about the Eagles
Here's the weekly roundup of what people are saying about the Eagles as they prepare for Sunday's showdown against the Giants.
What they're saying about the Eagles
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Here's the weekly roundup of what the national media are saying about the Eagles as they prepare for Sunday's showdown with the Giants:
SI.com's Peter King calls DeSean Jackson the most exciting player in the league:
On his NFL Matchup Show Sunday, Sal Paolantonio called LeSean McCoy, the second coming of Brian Westbrook, the Eagles' MVP. The Eagle-loving masses think Vick's not only the team MVP but also the NFL's. Cases can be made for both, I suppose. But then what is DeSean Jackson, other than the most exciting player right now in the NFL? Vick and Jackson, combined, are the greatest show on turf right now, the reformed (by all indications) quarterback and the receiver who's running hard for the playoffs and for a new contract.
King has the Eagles fifth in his Fine Fifteen:
Well, maybe they catch a break with the Giants not landing in Newark 'til 3ish Tuesday morning. I doubt that will be a factor Sunday in the Meadowlands.
SI.com's Don Banks has the Eagles sixth in his power rankings:
The Eagles finally got over the hump against the Cowboys, who beat them three times last season. Now here come the Giants, whom Philly has owned of late, winning five in a row against New York. A win and the NFC East virtually belongs to the Vick-men. But I can't help but remember last year at this time, when the Eagles went into Giants Stadium and won 45-38 in Week 14, looking like the most explosive team in the league. But all that offense disappeared shortly thereafter, as Dallas held Philadelphia to 14 points in back-to-back losses in Week 17 and the first round of the playoffs. Just a cautionary note, Eagles fans.
ESPN.com has the Eagles sixth in its power rankings:
Andy Reid could seal the deal for the NFC East if his Eagles can beat the Giants.
Mike Sando of ESPN.com has Michael Vick third in his MVP race:
Vick hasn't had a bad game all season, even though the occasional interception has crept into his game over the past few weeks. Let's not overlook his seven rushing TDs when considering how much Vick has helped his team. Vick needs three more passing TDs to match the career-high 20 he tossed with Atlanta during the 2006 season.
ESPN.com's Gene Wojciechowski compares the paths Vick and Ben Roethlisberger have taken to get to where they are:
They are so different, their personal histories so starkly in contrast. One is black, born and raised in the crime-ridden, East End projects of Newport News, Va. The other is white, raised in the quiet, midwest town of Findlay, Ohio. And yet, Michael Vick and Ben Roethlisberger find themselves Velcro'd together by a series of coincidences, by personal and professional redemption and maybe -- just maybe -- by forgiveness.
Adam Caplan of FoxSports.com has the Eagles sixth in his power rankings:
For many weeks the Eagles had been mostly injury-free, but now they are dealing with major issues on the defensive side of the ball. Their depth will be tested without starting MLB Stewart Bradley, likely out for the rest of the regular season. Rookie LB Jamar Chaney will get tested early and often by the solid Giants rushing attack this Sunday.
Clark Judge of CBSSports.com says Vick will likely give Tom Brady the biggest push for MVP:
He's not only having the best season of his career; he's having one of the most extraordinary seasons of anyone anywhere, and the numbers prove it. He's second only to Brady in passer rating. He has more than four times as many touchdowns (17) as interceptions (4). He leads all quarterbacks in rushing and has more yards running than backs like Joseph Addai, Beanie Wells, Marion Barber or Cadillac Williams. Most important, the Eagles are 7-1 when he starts and finishes, 2-3 when he doesn't. Michael Vick is carrying this club, and that's the definition of an MVP. For years, the knock on Vick was that he was a marvelous playmaker but a not-so-accurate passer. Well, this just in: He is now. In fact, he completes 63.6 percent of his passes, leads the NFC in fourth-quarter passing and third-down passing and is second only to Philip Rivers in yards per attempt. Check, please.
Both Judge and CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco go with the Giants in the NFC East. Here's Prisco's argument:
I'll take the Giants. I think they win this Sunday at home. That will give them a one-game lead with two to go. They have a tough game at Green Bay and then close at Washington after that, so it's not an easy road. The Eagles play home to the Vikings and home against Dallas. The schedule favors the Eagles, but I think the Giants might run the table. The way they are running the football and attacking the quarterback is a good formula for the close of the season on into the playoffs. I think their defensive front will get after Mike Vick this week. They do have to be careful next week at Green Bay, but they've won there before under Tom Coughlin in an important game (see 2007 NFC title game). The thing here is that the loser of the division might not make the playoffs. That's why Sunday's game is so important. It should be a good one, but I'll take the Giants and they will go on to win the division.
Prisco has the Eagles sixth in his power rankings:
The Eagles are riding high with that explosive offense and can pretty much lock up the division if they can beat the Giants on Sunday in New York.
Michael Silver of Yahoo Sports has the Eagles sixth:
Whatever your thoughts on DeSean Jackson’s showboating, how can a player be penalized for celebrating a touchdown that hasn’t yet occurred?
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has the Eagles sixth:
Forget about Super Bowl matchups - more than anything else, we want to see the Eagles face the Falcons in the playoffs.
Vic Carucci of NFL.com thinks LeSean McCoy could be the key to the Eagles' postseason run:
The dominance the Eagles showed on the ground against the Cowboys won't cause them to ponder, even for a second, a change in their offensive identity. They believe in being explosive, in taking deep shots, in scoring as quickly and as often as possible. They pass to set up the run, not the other way around. Consequently, McCoy and his linemen understand that each running play must be viewed as a golden opportunity to gain and keep Reid's attention.
Charles Davis of NFL Network likes the Giants to win Sunday and take the NFC East:
I can’t help but notice the New York Giants are looking better and better each time I take a look. Of course we have the big showdown in the NFC East this weekend with the high-flying Eagles, who just finished whacking the Cowboys and now have the Michael Vick Experience taking full root in the City of Brotherly Love hitting the road to take on the Giants. Not only do I see the Giants winning this game, they’re my pick to win the NFC East as well. That’s right. As Raheem Morris said a few weeks ago, "I said it."
Michael Vick still leads all players in Pro Bowl voting with 981,687 votes. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are second and third, respectively.
Football Outsiders' QB rankings for Week 15 have Vick ranked 23rd for his performance against Dallas:
Oh, this will go over well. How on earth is Brodie Croyle ahead of Michael Vick? Vick had those four big plays to DeSean Jackson, including passes of 60 and 91 yards. Obviously, those are very good. On the other hand, he threw two interceptions, although DVOA doesn't know about the tipped nature of the picks. He had just one successful pass play in seven chances inside the red zone. He scored on a one-yard plunge, but was stopped short as a runner on two other third downs and did not convert for a first down on either of his other runs. And while he ends up with -22 YAR on the day, opponent adjustments from the dismal Cowboys pass defense push him back into Croyle, while Croyle's -86 YAR get boosted up because he played the Chargers. Do I personally think that they played at roughly similar levels? No, I don't. But DYAR sees their productions as roughly similar.
Football Outsiders has the Eagles ranked third overall - third on offense, 14th on defense and 13th on special teams.
The Eagles play a rare Sunday, 1 p.m. game this week. Your announcers will be Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on Fox, with Pam Oliver roaming the sidelines.
And finally, philly.com colleagues Matt Mullin and Andrew O'Brien are running a Fanduel fantasy contest each week. All you have to do is pick a lineup for a chance to win. Check out the details here, along with their fantasy nuggets for Week 15.
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Why do we get Joe Buck??? He is the absolute worst announcer ever. Guess bloodlines in announcers are not like horses.— adpsufan
Sound like Mike's "Shaking the Roots of the Traditional NFL Stereo Typical, QB's. Funny with all the well stated platitudes to Mike Vick, it always places him SECOND best to The 6' 05" cerebral, pocket QB's best represented by the Manning's, Brady's, Rivers,standing TALL in the pocket using their Intelligence to break down Defenses (No sarcasm here... Exceptional examples of the best QB's to play this game, all Winners. NEWS FLASH... The EVOLVING talent that is Mike Vick..his 2nd year with us, 1st as the starter, Only a 7-1 record as a starter really a small sampling of what is yet to come. Some of u are praying that the BIG BLUE BUMS have actually developed a "TEMPLATE" to CONTAIN.. Vick well Y'ALL could be right..wRONG HA,HA .Vick is just getting started So GET URR POPCORN and Please try to Enjoy this ride. Go Eagles. SEE U IN DALLAS.
uhh because this years cowboys team was missing thier starting QB and thier top draft pick, kindof an important difference. as they are no where near as good as the team the eagles faced last year. the fan IQ for some of these young fans who only know Andy Reid is laughable. they think Reid is a god and the only coach that has ever won games for the eagles. He has a flawed strategy that fails in the biggest of games every time, just trust me, he wont win a SB. dont be duped by his stupidity.
SB's are not won by "luck". if thats the case why havent the detroit lions won one in a while. they have won as many as Reid. zero. he has a flawed strategy. I feel like I am talking to a bunch of 1st graders on here sometimes.- CharlieGarner25, how can you talk about last year's Cowboy games and leave out last week's in reference to Reid being a fat slob who will never win a SB? Last I checked, both teams are coached by that same fat slob... So maybe you say it was a frock. Then who are you to say that some year Reid's team will never have a similarly lucky game in the playoffs, or in the SB? Your logic is totally screwed up, I wish you will get your thoughts straight before posting whatever comes up in your mind based on your single-digit IQ. And if you're going to post IN CAPS, might as well get your spelling straightened out.— goeagles87
...oh yeah, it was actually a Philly sports writer who came up w/ the name, 'America's Team' in regards to the Cowboys. go figure...— bboybeballin- Sedale...I will back you 100%. Every pro league has their favorites. And they do everything in their power to keep them playing at a high level. I would like to take your theory a step further. I do not know your age. I am in my mid 50's. I am from Philly and have been a sports fan for 45 years. Not only do I think all major pro sports leagues have their "golden children" but I also feel they have their "golden franchises". Let me explain. Football: Cowboys and Patriots (By the way, who is responsible for dubbing Dallas "Americas Team"? Washington's logo represents Americas original people and Philly's logo represents Americas national bird!! Something to ponder)Baseball: Yankees and Red Sox Basketball: Celtics and Lakers Hockey: Not so much anymore but Canadians and Red Wings (Hockey town?!...give me a break!!!)
I would like to hear your thoughts sedale and the thoughts of anyone else having an opinion in this regard.— zbarco - yeah zbarco, every sport has had it's golden child. Brady and Manning in the present day. Michael Jordon back in the day (ask Byron Russell), Mike Tyson back in the day (elbows anyone?), and so on and so forth. doubt very very seriously though that it has gone as far as the commish ordering the refs to let Vick take unneccesary punishment while protecting Brady at all costs...BUT, more F'd up things have happened in the world. maybe sedale has something, he could always watch the Pats' games to see if any of this is indeed going on. — bboybeballin
- Michael...Jordon w/ an 'o'? — bboybeballin
- THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN. THE WORLD HAS SPOKEN. WHAT PEOPLE LEFT TO APPEASE? VICK HAS PROVED EVERYONE WHO DOUBTED HIM WRONG THIS SEASON , EVEN HIS HEAD COACH WHO ANNOITED KEVIN KOLB THE STARTER. VICK IS LEADING THE IN PRO BOWL VOTES. LOOK AT THE TV RATINGS, PEOPLE ARE WATCHING THE EAGLES TO SEE HIM. THE TRUTH HAS SPOKEN. BRADY IS NOTHING MORE THAN A MEDIA CREATION BY THE WHITE ESTABLISHMENT WHO (AND ANYONE WHO SECOND GUESSES VICK FOR MVP) THINK PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THAT PERSON SUCCEED BUT IN REALITY IT IS NOT SO!!! PEOPLE WANTED TO TAKE DOWN ALLEN IVERSON BECAUSE HE WORE CORNROWS AND WAS 'A PROBLEM CHILD'. PEOPLE WANTED TO TAKE DOWN DONNIE MAC BECAUSE HE SCRAMBLED AND 'HELD THE BALL TOO LONG'. VICK FOR MVP I JUST WISH YOU HAD PLAYED THE WHOLE SEASON SO NO ONE COULD DISPUTE YOUR NUMBERS!!— DonovanMcNabb
- The MVP race presents an intriguing dilemma to the NFL front offices: Vick vs Brady? Brady has the numbers, the record, the "look" and the rings to make a strong case for winning the MVP. Vick has the story, the numbers, the record and the fans in his corner. The NFL on the one hand wants the $$ that the Vick Experience brings to the table but on the other hand they don't want an NFL ex-con as the poster child for their league. So what to do? I think the referees have already started making the calls, protecting Brady and making it easier for his Patriots to win, while letting Vick get pummeled and making it more difficult for his Eagles to win. The NFL apparently has decided that its more important to have Brady as the poster golden child than to risk the embarrassment of having a convicted felon win MVP despite the extra viewers and $$millions that Vick would bring. So Vick will be allowed to be annihilated by defenders and eventually we will all be robbed of watching the glorious combination of Vick to Jackson/Maclin, and the NFL will have their NFL poster golden child Brady and his patriots hoist the golden trophy once againt. Too bad....thought the world had changed for the better...i was wrong.— sedale
Comment removed.- Philly_Mike, I know that Brady does not have the weapons and yet his team continues to win...that is one of the reasons for my "conspiracy" theory. Have you stopped to think how on earth can a QB with zero stud receivers (welker is good but no stud) and no running game is able to dominate? Could it be that the refs turn their heads to holding calls on his O line and receivers? Could it be that Brady this plus the refs calling penalties for breathing on or looking at Brady in the wrong way? Could it be that receivers are allowed to set illegal picks? Could it be that all of the above give Brady extra time to throw and find receivers? I'm not saying that the games are fixed or that Brady isn't a great QB..all i'm implying is that the NFL has its favorites, much like the NBA, and it protects its golden child, while at the same time refusing to protect an ex-con felon...that is the shame i'm referring to. I think its bad business. — sedale
- great! might as well not even watch the Eagles anymore because it's all just one great big lie. the NFL won't even let the Eagles win the Super Bowl!
(just messing w/ ya sedale...by the way, how is the weather over there in Vietnam?)— bboybeballin - Andy Reid is a great coach. Dont forget how long it took that hero Cowher to win it all with his smash mouth style. Didnt the Colts and Pats win some super bowls, they dont have smash mouth run it styles. Im also getting sick of the Giants are playing so well now, any other team except the Vikings would have capitalized on all those Manning INTs, they were lucky vikes are such a mess. Also, they do have a good D, but Vick is still putting up close to 30 pts a game, just a matter of our D stopping that run game so that dont kill so much clock and keep us off the field.— peteike
- Aren't Brady's stats the best on his team? Didn't his game plan change mid-season after trading Randy Moss? Aren't they better now than they were with him? Didn't they go in and crush a bears team that the Eagles lost to? I think Brady will get the MVP award and deservedly so. Michael Vick has had an amazing season (though unable to play in every game like Brady) and deserves to win the Comeback Player of the Year award.— kmon
- totally agree, no way Vick beats Brady for MVP. Brady deserves it, he is amazing. — peteike
- People forget that we should have beaten the Giants by more had it not been for Avant's dropped touchdown pass. Also, the Eagles have played the Giants and know their defensive schemes this time around. If anything, I think the advantage goes to the Eagles. However, IF DeSean Jackson doesn't play, it may be difficult to beat them.— Carcharios
- Comment removed.
- CharlieGarner25, you mentioned the Cowboys game where they "ran it down thier throats and played a football game." You realize the Eagles won that game, right? Also, you realized that we ran ran the ball the last 4 minutes to ice the game, right? And you must understand the game winning play was a 91-yard PASS, right?!? It's too easy to pick dopes like you apart.— tdog330
This game, like last game, will be decided "in the trenches". The O line has got to step up again this week. The gnats front four is relentless, and the Eagles will have to neutralize that - TE's & RB's staying home or chipping, quick slants & outs, screens, and RUN THE DAMN BALL! Whatever it takes...- CharlieGarner25,
Over the last few months I've read your posts. I take it you don't like Andy Reid?
The Eagles main problems are on defense. According to the stats they're about to set some historic record for giving up red-zone TDs. The Bradley adn Grham injuries don't halp much.
Hopefully, they'll play the run well and force Manning to pass. he's an interception machine these days.— DTInDC - I'm interested in seeing if Bradley was helping or hurting us. Convention says we take a defensive hit.. but everytime the camera caught him he was getting burned by a tight end or locked up with a lineman pushing him around...— HighDrama
- any team that passes it over 57.4 % has NEVER WON A SUPERBOWL. Reids AVERAGE is 59%. In playoff games he goes and throws it 60, 70, or even 80 PERCENT and LOSSES EVERY YEAR. The guy will never win a sb. 09, again...like 75% PASSING against the cowboys who ran it down thier throats and played a football game. 80% passing is GARBAGE THAT WILL NEVER WIN A SB. learn the game people. it will never win.
- SHUT UP already. We've heard you say this on every Eagle thread.
And there's always a first for everything, debbie downer. Go coach your own team. - These guys are idiots. Vick is the clear cut MVP, he defines what an MVP is. Best player on the team, best story of the league and has the stats to back it up though might not be the best the other factors carry through. Eagles beat the Giants this Sunday, rout or close game doesn't matter it will a 'W' when its all said and done.— DonovanMcNabb
- Comment removed.
- uhh, no not with Andy Reid on the sideline. It will be a close game, and they will be lucky to win, if they do. I wouldnt pick Reid to win it. Odds are he screws up massively and has a dumb look on his face by the 2nd quarter. I just watched the HBO movie "lombardi" last night....great documentary. The guy lost his first ever championship game to the 1960 eagles, came back into the locker room, and told his team it would NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. and guess what, they went on to win like 5 superbowls in 9 years, never losing a single playoff, or championship game again with him as coach.
..and theres a fat mormon coach named Andy Ried who is OBSESSED with passing and lost his first championship game. I dont know what he told his team before or after because it must not have worked, because he then lost another championship game the next season, and ANOTHER one the 3rd YEAR IN A ROW. and then he finally wins a 4th one and then LOSSES in the next biggest game, the superbowl. Thats when I start to get skepctial about his chances and they go 6-10 in 05. re-affirming my belief. then they struggle, have a nice regular season finish with garcia and LOSE IN THE DIVIONAL ROUND in a close game...07, a crappy 8-8 team. 08 a crappy regular season with a decent finish towards then end at 9-6-1 but again they LOSE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME due to 80% PASSING IN A CLOSE GAME. At that point I realise REID WILL NEVER WIN THE SB. EVER. - I am sick of hearing how The Giants are gonna change up there game and shut down Vick again but News Flash! The Birds are gonna do the same and torch the Gmen let go Iggles!!! E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!!!— eaglesfly4ever
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