Week Sixteen of the NFL Regular Season!!!!

I'm a bit worried about the Colts game. Luck has to have a better game than he did last week if the Colts want to win. There were too many fumbles and takeaways by Cleveland. Some passes were dropped, which should have been easy catches. The Colts cannot play that way against Dallas. The Cowboys' defense isn't very good, so avoiding mistakes is crucial. They also have to find a way to stop Dez Bryant and put pressure on Romo. The Colts' defense has been impressive, so they might be OK there. Just hold on to the ball! On a side note, do they really have to show Jerry Jones on TV all the time?

It seems that the Jets give the Patriots some problems. Those games are usually close, so a Jets win wouldn't shock me. I'll still go with the Patriots, though.

It's too bad that I don't have NFL Network. I won't be able to see the Titans-Jaguars to determine who's worse.From seeing both teams when the Colts play them, I'd say Jacksonville will win the game.

There was an article online about the way Andrew Luck compliments the opposing players. Whenever he gets sacked, he tells them something like "Great hit" or congratulates them on doing well. Ryan Kerrigan mentioned that he'd never seen a player act like that. They don't know if Luck is just messing with their heads or is really honest. I think it's so funny because the opposing team doesn't know how to act when Luck does that. One player responded with "Thanks..I guess?" Luck better be careful or the NFL will count that as another penalty. I can see it now: 5 yards for unnecessary compliments. LOL

And the Bears have burned the Jay Cutler bridge by benching him for Jimmy Clausen (who I honestly wasn't sure was still in the league.) Suffice to say this Bears coaching staff and Jay Cutler are no longer an item. Now, can/will the Bears just flush everyone, flush the coaches, flush Jay Cutler and keep the coaches, or keep everyone this off season? I'm pretty sure Jimmy Clausen is not the answer at quarterback for the Bears, so why start him?

teganslaw. Andrew Luck doesn't need a great day to beat the Cowboys, just a normal Andrew Luck game should be sufficient. That Cowboy defense isn't very good. As to Dez Bryant, cheat a safety his way and Tony Romo won't throw into coverage. He'll check down to a back or Witten instead. The Eagles were concerned about containing the Cowboy running game and Witten, so they cheated the safeties up to help out in run support and to help in containing Witten leaving Dez Bryant man to man with Bradley Fletcher (who had done a good job in similar circumstances on Thanksgiving.) Only last week Bradley Fletcher had a bad day and Romo was unusually accurate (nearly perfect) in his pass location. If Romo was off by a foot or two on his deeper balls to Dez Bryant the Eagles likely would have won that game. A foot less length on most of the balls and Fletcher was there to either knock it down or intercept it. A foot longer and the passes would have been out of Bryant's reach. Romo was perfect and it's hard to beat a perfectly thrown ball.

Some good news out of Philly. After declaring on Monday that Nick Foles wasn't ready yet, he returned to practice (at least in a limited role) yesterday. He's still listed as out for Saturday's game, but it looks like they're optimistic he'll be ready soon. We just need to survive another week or two with Mark Sanchez and things could start looking up. On ESPN they were running through possible playoff scenarios and one had the Eagles facing the Cowboys in the wild card round. That would be a pretty darn entertaining game to watch. In order for the Eagles to make the playoffs though we need the Cowboys to lose one of their final two games or some other teams to completely implode while the Eagles win their final two. We'll have to see what happens.

On 12/18/2014 teganslaw said:

I'm a bit worried about the Colts game. Luck has to have a better game than he did last week if the Colts want to win. There were too many fumbles and takeaways by Cleveland. Some passes were dropped, which should have been easy catches. The Colts cannot play that way against Dallas. The Cowboys' defense isn't very good, so avoiding mistakes is crucial. They also have to find a way to stop Dez Bryant and put pressure on Romo. The Colts' defense has been impressive, so they might be OK there. Just hold on to the ball! On a side note, do they really have to show Jerry Jones on TV all the time?

It seems that the Jets give the Patriots some problems. Those games are usually close, so a Jets win wouldn't shock me. I'll still go with the Patriots, though.

It's too bad that I don't have NFL Network. I won't be able to see the Titans-Jaguars to determine who's worse.From seeing both teams when the Colts play them, I'd say Jacksonville will win the game.

There was an article online about the way Andrew Luck compliments the opposing players. Whenever he gets sacked, he tells them something like "Great hit" or congratulates them on doing well. Ryan Kerrigan mentioned that he'd never seen a player act like that. They don't know if Luck is just messing with their heads or is really honest. I think it's so funny because the opposing team doesn't know how to act when Luck does that. One player responded with "Thanks..I guess?" Luck better be careful or the NFL will count that as another penalty. I can see it now: 5 yards for unnecessary compliments. LOL

Hi Tegan.....I heard that the Colt's line has not been protecting Andrew that well and he had been taking a lot of hits lately. And the NFL commentators were laughing they said normally LOTS of stuff is said after a hit, (mostly obscenities) but a compliment is something new.... I think Andrew is just messin with 'em and to show the opponents he can take a hit! I'm surprised that the refs didn't give Andrew an "unsportsmanlike conduct" penalty for shaking up the opponent with a compliment!!!

I think your Colts need to shut down or slow down the running game and put the pressure on Romo....without a running game the Cowboys would be really hurt---their defense would be on the field more, and sometimes Romo can't take pressure and then you will see him throw inaccurately then his pass completions will go down and he will throw some interceptions....

As for Jerry Jones....Jerry is a legend in his own mind, he thinks of himself as a General Manager AND a coach!!! Jerry is a showman and is always looking for ways to get himself and his team in the news. He's viewed as a powerful NFL owner so the media shows him more on TV. ....He makes the decisions in personnel instead of the coaching staff on who is playing, the plays they run etc etc.....and don't ya love it when he comes down from the owner's box and down to the sidelines to help "coach"....Many Cowboy fans don't like him at all!!!! We Washington fans complain about Dan Snyder but he is in no way near what Jerry Jones is!

I am so so sad the NFL season is almost over....

I didn't get my pick for Thursday's game in.....

Oh boy---Washington/Eagles---2 teams going in opposite directions--one trying for the playoffs, one going for a high draft pick. Washington has a bad defense the only decent one out there is Kerrigan, a lousy offensive line, and a QB that is struggling very badly....I hate to say it, but easy win for EAGLES!

Chargers/49ers---the 49ers have come undone and the Chargers are a fiesty bunch going with the CHARGERS

Browns/Panthers-Cam is coming back from his accident, Johnny Football is coming back from a football disaster....I'm going with the PANTHERS!

Lions/Bears---Lions trying to take the Division and go to the playoffs...as for the Bears there is the Jay Cutler drama, Clausen starting and the Bears don't have much of a defense....as inconsistent as the Lions can be sometimes this should be an easy win for them.....LIONS!

Ravens/Texans-The Texans need a QB!!!! Just so I won't jinx the Ravens I'll pick the TEXANS...maybe JJ Watt has been warming up as quarterback....

Vikings/Dolphins-Philbin is on the hot seat and the Dolphins are rumored to be part of the Jim Harbaugh sweepstakes....even in their loses the Vikings had played every team tough....The Dolphins lost a close one to the Broncos, but barely beat the inept Jets, and got trounced by the Pats....I'm going VIKINGS!

Falcons/Saints--this is a game for the miserable NFC South division. The Falcons lost to the lowly Titans and beat the Jags....The Saints FINALLY won a game but got trounced by the Panthers the week before....I'm going with the SAINTS!

Pats/Jets-going with the PATS

Chiefs/Steelers---Chiefs have struggled and you never know about the Steelers with their inconsistencies....but the Steelers seemed to have found their grove lately so going with the STEELERS!

Packers/Bucs-The Packers will be looking to rebound after their embarrassing loss. I'm going with the PACKERS!

Giants/Rams-The Giants won but it was against my lowly Redskins. At least Eli has found himself a wide receiver in Beckham Jr. But their defense and running game is questionable. The Rams have been playing some good defense. Going with the RAMS!

Dallas/Colts--Basically a one armed running back with the stakes riding high is going up against the Colts. The Colts have a fine QB in Andrew Luck who has not been given very good protection by his line. The Cowboys defense is suspect. The Colts need to stop the running game and make Romo win with his arm....and the Colts secondary must step up and not make mistakes in covering Dez....going with the COLTS!

Bills/Raiders---The Bills have been playing really well, and they have a good solid defense. The Bills are one of the teams on the rise. And the Raiders, well they are the Raiders....going with THE BILLS!

Seahawks/Cardinals-this is a HUGE game for both teams. The Cardinals seem to find a way to win but now they lost another QB. The Seahawks defense has been formidable and putting in another QB that might be asking too much for even Bruce Arians....I'm going with the SEAHAWKS who seem to be on a role!

Broncos/Bengals--is something wrong with Peyton Manning who hasn't been throwing like he used to....or is this a new offensive strategy by the Broncos. The Bengals need this game and seemed to get their act together....although it was against a rookie QB. I think I'm going with the BENGALS....its a tossup~

Not a bad first half for the Eagles, but not a good one either. Too many penalties, too many blown coverages, but we're ahead 14-10, so I can't complain too much. We've got to convince Sanchez to occasionally toss the ball deep. We've had guys open deep and he's checked down every time. You've got to take those shots when you get them. He'll look down the field, he'll see the guy open, he'll pat the ball, then decide to check it down. Ugh!!! He's got the arm to go deep, but he's lacking the confidence right now. We need to finish this game. We need the win and then hope for the best. I'm not thrilled with the first half, but hopefully we'll play better in the second half.

Ugh!!!! That was ugly! Well, the good news is I probably won't have any stress in the playoffs since the Eagles most likely won't be in the playoffs. It would take an absolute implosion by the Cowboys for the Eagles to make it in now.

Just a bad game all the way around for the Eagles. Dumb penalties, dumb mistakes, poor quarterbacking, poor defensive play, and just stupidity make it impossible to win. I have a suspicion you'll see some fairly drastic personnel changes this off-season for the Eagles. We definitely need to address the cornerback situation. I highly doubt that Mark Sanchez will be back. He can make good plays, then make absolutely bone-headed plays. Those turnovers are just deadly.

Chip's now had two seasons to see the personnel he inherited from the Andy Reid regime and I suspect he'll make some fairly drastic changes. It was hard to change after the improvement last season, but falling short this year gives him the chance to make some big moves.

On defense the defensive line is solid and will likely return intact. The same with the offensive line, only we're apt to draft a young kid or two to build on. The running back situation is solid as are the wide receivers and tight ends. We'll either promote Barkley up to the backup QB or find someone new. I don't see Sanchez coming back. Defensive backs and linebackers are likely to see some more drastic changes. I wouldn't be shocked to see three new starting DB's by next September. Two, maybe three new starting linebackers is a possibility also. We went through a lot of linebackers in training camp and early in the season leaving us pretty thin at the position. We could see a change at the defensive coordinator position if Chip is as unhappy as the fans are, but he seems pretty loyal to his coordinators.

The good news is we'll draft a bit higher. (Likely the late teens/early twenties.) It's unlikely we'll be able to move up far enough to get a Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston who will likely go first and second overall, but we should be able to get some defensive help with that pick.

I saw the final score and read highlights of the game online. Washington came to play; they had less yards than the Eagles, but not many mistakes. I noticed all the penalties the Eagles had; that hurts a team. This is the time of the year when teams with losing records tend to knock potential playoff teams out of the running. Griffin had his second good game in a row. Last I read, it looks like he might stay with the Redskins, after all.

Congrats to Jim Caldwell's Lions for making the playoffs. Not sure how far they'll get, but it's nice to see them do so well. I'm happy for Caldwell now after having such a bad year coaching Indy.

Now to see how Dallas does. I have a feeling that they will be playing tough. Even if they lose to Indy, I don't think that they would be swept by Washington. Of course, anything can happen.

Yeah, the Eagles played an undisciplined game and it came back to bite them. Even then we were driving to take the lead and win the game late in the fourth quarter when Mark Sanchez made one of his classic bone-headed throws that was picked off. Assuming the Cowboys don't lose out (and they shouldn't, but who knows) the season is over for the Eagles.) On to next season.

Many in Philly want the Eagles to get a new starting QB this off-season, but I'm still happy with Foles. He was 6-2 as a starter despite playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in football for the first half of the season. We used twelve different offensive linemen during those games and only used the same starters twice, we had essentially no real running game and little pass protection during that stretch, yet Foles found a way to win six of the eight games he started before finally succumbing to injuries.

Quarterback only became an issue when media favorite Mark Sanchez took over. Many in the press wanted Sanchez as the starter after his preseason performance, and then when he performed reasonably well in his first start they anointed him the next Marino, They aren't nearly as fond of him now and neither's the team. It was telling how many players were looking forward to the possibility of Nick Foles coming back last week until the x-rays showed his shoulder wasn't healed enough.

Mark Sanchez just hates to throw the ball down the field. He loves those five to ten yard passes in the middle of the field and defenses know it. They'll give him those all day long knowing that sooner or later he'll end up throwing even one of those short passes right to a defender instead of one of his guys. Chip Kelly's offense spreads the field sideline to sideline and shallow to deep. Mark Sanchez voluntarily gives most of that back to the defense by not throwing the ball deep or wide and sticking to short passes over the middle. The Eagles need to stick to quarterbacks who can/will use the whole field to make defenses defend the whole field. That opens up running lanes for the backs and gives receivers more space in which to work.

At least now the stress of trying to make the playoffs is largely gone. Barring a complete and utter collapse by the Cowboys we're done. I wouldn't be shocked to see Matt Barkley get the start next week if the Eagles are eliminated from the playoff hunt. Give him a chance to see what he can do with a week of practice with the starters. We know what Sanchez can do and it's not pretty. Give Barkley a chance and get a feel for how he'll respond given the opportunity.

On 12/20/2014 teganslaw said:

I saw the final score and read highlights of the game online. Washington came to play; they had less yards than the Eagles, but not many mistakes. I noticed all the penalties the Eagles had; that hurts a team. This is the time of the year when teams with losing records tend to knock potential playoff teams out of the running. Griffin had his second good game in a row. Last I read, it looks like he might stay with the Redskins, after all.

Congrats to Jim Caldwell's Lions for making the playoffs. Not sure how far they'll get, but it's nice to see them do so well. I'm happy for Caldwell now after having such a bad year coaching Indy.

Now to see how Dallas does. I have a feeling that they will be playing tough. Even if they lose to Indy, I don't think that they would be swept by Washington. Of course, anything can happen.

TEGAN....OMG I was at a Christmas Party and had taped the game....it was getting late and someone was checking on the Spur's score...and OMG they came running over to me and told me Washington had WON!!!! I was in SHOCK!!! Well Robert did not have an especially stellar game...he made a couple of good throws to DeSean....they actually gave the ball to RB Morris and the Eagles made tons of mistakes....But I am glad my team put in some effort and just didn't go through the motions.

That would be some Christmas present if INDEED if my Washington team swept the Cowboys next week....I wouldn't need any other presents

GO COLTS!