Sports

[gardenman]

Merry Christmas, everyone!

And we start out this week with the Giants at the Eagles. Lane Johnson finally returns to the Eagles after serving his ten game suspension and that should immediatley help the offensive line. Oddly enough pretty much all of the injured offensive linemen are now healthy again. We were down to our fifth starting right tackle last week, but this week we're healthy again. That should help Carson Wentz and the running game both a ton. I'm taking the Eagles in a close one.

Most of the rest of the games this week are Saturday games due to Christmas, so adjust your schedules accordingly. I'm not sure they wouldn't get better viewership on Sunday than Saturday, but the NFL didn't ask my opinion. By afternoon on Christmas many/most familes are going a bit stir crazy. Movie theaters tend to get very busy Christmas afternoon/evening. Saturday will find people doing frantic last minute shopping and traveling. I suspect they'd do better holding the games on Christmas, but what do I know.

Miami goes to Buffalo. I'll take Miami.

Atlanta goes to Carolina. I'll take Atlanta, but an upset here wouldn't shock me.

Washington goes to Chicago. The Redskins really need this game and the Bears aren't that good, but Matt Barkley may be playing his way into serious contention for a starting QB job someplace. He's played pretty well lately. I wouldn't be shocked to see a team drafting a kid sign Barkley as a stopgap quarterback until the kid is ready to take over and Barkley might just hold him off for a while. I'll take the Redskins, but that field in Chicago this time of year tends to be a problem.

San Diego goes to Cleveland. Can the Browns win? Probably not. I'll take the Chargers.

Minnesota goes to Green Bay in a crucial game for both teams. I'll take Green Bay in Green Bay.

Tennessee goes to Jacksonville. I'll take the Titans.

The Jets go to the Patriots. I'll take the Patriots.

The Colts go to Oakland. I'll take the Raiders. 

Tampa Bay goes to New Orleans. I'll take the Bucs.

The Niners take on the Rams. I'll take the Niners in this one. the Rams are team turmoil right now. I'm not sure how much I believe it, but Jon Gruden is rumored to be their top coaching prospect. I think those leaks come form Gruden or his agent as every year there's a team where Gruden is rumored to be the top guy, and he never gets the job.

The Cardinals go to Seattle in what looked like a fantastic game before the season started and the Cards imploded. I'll take the Seahawks. I don't know what happened with the Cardinals this year. They have not looked right from that first preseason game on.

The Bengals go to Houston. I'll take the Texans. I suspect their QB change will help them. I don't think many players on the team had a lot of confidence in Osweiler.

Baltimore goes to Pittsburgh in a Christmas day matchup. I'll take Pittsburgh in this one, but it'll be a war.

Denver goes to KC on Christmas night. I'll take the Chiefs in this one.

And finally, the Lions go to Dallas. I guess I'll take Dallas playing at home. That Monday night game might just come back to bite them next week however when they play the Eagles. The Eagles play on Thursday this week which gives them extra time to rest and get ready for Dallas, while the Cowboys will be coming off a short week. It's the only time this year the schedule makers did the Eagles a favor. If the Cowboys need a win next Sunday against the Eagles, they may hate the schedule makers. 

[heart of savino]

looking forward watching the giants philly gane as the giants are the hottest team around.as usual the giant games go down to the last second.i will take the giants

23-20.even if they lose if the packers bucs falcons  and lons lose they are in.

[mysterylady]

It would be nice to be able to see the Steelers play on Sunday. We were just informed that the game will only air on The NFL station - no others. We don't get that station. If they play, we should be able to view it the same as any other game day. Inconsiderate.

[teganslaw]

I read that the Eagles were going to do anything they could to contain Odell Beckham. So maybe the Giants will go to the running game. I think that this could be a close one.

If the Colts play like they did last week, they have a good chance, but that's an "if" as the Colts have been inconsistent. Media has been reporting that Carr is having trouble taking snaps, but I won't rely on that information. Will find out for sure Saturday. The Colts need a win, but they have to depend on other teams to lose, not a good scenario for playoff chances.

Baltimore probably knows better than to disrespect the "terrible towel." The Ravens do that, they're done. Otherwise, this will be a hard fought game. It's  a toss-up who wins. I also agree that the game should be televised on other stations besides NFL network.It might be one of the best games this week.

[gardenman]

Containing Odell Beckham is one of those things that's easier said than done. I expect him to have a big game tonight. The Eagles best chance is to annoy him enough to get him off his game, but our corners are far from the best. The big issue for the Eagles this year has been the safety play.  Our safeties tend to cheat up leaving the corners one on one even when the corners are expecting help. When the corner expects deep help and they don't get it, you tend to give up long touchdown passes.

Rodney McLeod was supposed to be a huge upgrade at safety for the Eagles, but he hasn't been living up to his reputation as a big hitter. If anything he's been hit adverse this year. Last week he retreated into the endzone instead of taking on the runningback and gave up an unnecessary touchdown. Our safeties are consistently late getting to the ball and that's not a good thing.

Last week DeSean Jackson got a long touchdown catch against us when the safety got over too late and that's been a common theme all year.

Odell Beckham is one of those guys you can get into his head and that can be a good thing. If you can rattle him, you can beat him. I'm just not sure we can rattle him.

[soonersis]

T H A N K   Y O U    P H I L A D E L P H I A  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've never been so happy to see Philly win in my life!

Cowboys get an early Christmas present by winning the NFC East and getting home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. 

[gardenman]

That was a pretty good game for the Eagles. There are still lots of things to work on, but Carson Wentz put on quite a show demonstrating his mobility. If the Eagles ever give him some decent weapons to work with, Wentz will be a big time star. Right now, the Eagles have one average to maybe slightly above average receiver in Jordan Matthews. Nelson Agholor has the talent/ability to be another above average receiver, but there's something going on between his ears that's handicapping him. (If the Eagles make any coaching changes in the offseason, don't be surprised to see them get a new wide receivers' coach. Agholor has not improved even a little from his first season.) Dorial Green Beckham has shown some flashes and could become pretty good given a bit of time. Zach Ertz can be a slightly above average tight end as a receiver, but below average as a blocker. 

Carson Wentz, bought himself a lot of time in the pocket last night with his mobility, but the receivers just never broke open. Give Carson Wentz a guy like Odell Beckham and watch the numbers he'd put up. Odell Beckham caught passes for over 150 yards last night and dropped a few more that would have likely put him around the 200 yard mark had the passes been better thrown.

I don't see the Giants lasting long in the playoffs. They strike me as the team most likely to be out in the first round. They have a great player in Beckham, but not much of a running game. Their offensive line is okay, but not great. Their defense is solid but not special. I've viewed them as a mirage team all season and what we saw last night largely confirmed that. Their record is better than the team is.

One more game for the Eagles and then they can turn their attention to the off season. The name you'll likely hear mentioned the most by fans this offseason as a free agent target will likely be wide receiver Alshon Jeffery. Put him on the field with Carson Wentz and you'd give defenses something to worry about. He's only 26, so he's got some good years ahead of him and given the quarterbacks he's played with, you have to assume we haven't seen the best of him yet. I'm not sure the Eagles can afford him however. He'll likely be in that $12-$15 million a year range. The Eagles may shop for an up and comer like a Robert Woods from Buffalo, or maybe take a chance on a guy who never reached his apparent potential like a Cordarelle Patterson from the Vikings. They'd both be a bit cheaper and are both still young. If they go with an older guy it could be DeSean Jackson, but he breaks down easily and is getting up there a bit in age.

It looks like the Eagles got a pair of decent offensive linemen in the last draft in Vaitai and Seumalo, so that lessens the need to draft a lineman up high or splurge in free agency. A mid-round pick or two will likely go there, but it's not a huge priority right now.

This is said to be a running back heavy draft with many high quality backs available, so you're likely to be able to get a competent back pretty late in the draft.I would expect the Eagles to seriously address the cornerback position unless they truly believe that the kids on the roster will grow into the role. (All through the OTA's and training camp you kept hearing about CJ Smith and Aaron Grymes, but they pretty much never saw the field once the season started.)

Which brings us to the number one issue I have with the head coach. I'm not sure he believes his eyes enough. The Eagles had a number of undrafted/late round picks who excelled in the OTA's, minicamps, training camp, and the exhibition season. Then they were cut,or benched and never saw the field again. Vets, who were often performing at a low level were never benched in favor of the kids. As a head coach you have to put the best players on the field. Even last night when Allen Barbre went down, our next best offensive lineman has been Isaac Seumalo, the rookie, but the coach slid in Wisniewski, the older vet instead. It's great for the veteran players that the coach favors them, but it's not necessarily the best thing for the team.

That's always the problem when you bring in a fomrer player as a first time head coach. Former players always think they could have played for another year or two given the chance and when they become the head coach they decide they won't make the same mistake the coach who benched them made. What they ultimately learn is that there really is a time to cut loose the older guys and give the kids a chance. Doug hasn't learned that lesson yet.

[soonersis]

The Eagles have a lot to build on and hopefully for them they've found their quarterback for the future.  With the Giants and Redskins doing well this year, and the Cowboys doing great (except when playing the Giants!), you can't call them the NFC Least any more. 

The last game of the year between the Eagles and Cowboys should be fun.  How great for the Cowboys that it won't matter if they win or lose, but trust me, this team will want to win it, just as I'm sure the Eagles will too.

[Greeneyedlady21]

I think the players would rather play today than tomorrow, maybe they have some say in it via the NFLPA? I am liking the idea of football today, something different. 

I read somewhere that Odell Beckham was fined for wearing cleats in honor of Craig Sager. Yeah I know those are the rules but ugh. One more reason I can't stand Roger Goodell. I remember there was a player who wore some cleats to honor victims of domestic violence-he had a relative who died as a result of it. And he was fined. Messed up priorities in the NFL offices.

[gardenman]

It's a pretty good slate of games locally today. We start out with either the Jets/Patriots or the Vikings/Packers, then Tampa Bay/New Orleans at 4:25.

I'm not a big fan of the fines the NFL hands down for uniform violations, but they do have to draw the line someplace. With no rules, or poor enforcement you'd likely be challenged to figure out which team a player was playing for. We see the same thing in many/most businesses. There's a required attire and if you're not wearing it there's a price you have to pay. The good news is the NFL fines go to charity and not the owners and the league will typically allow you to wear somethig different if there's a good reason and it's a good cause. It's those who try to bypass the league and do it without permission who get fined.