Sports

[gardenman]

Nick Foles is very much in the Ryan Fitzpatrick mold of QB. They can be very, very good, or very, very bad. You just never know what you'll get. Fitzpatrick is on his eighth team and Foles is now on his fifth (or sixth if you count the Eagles twice.) Coaches think they can keep the guy on a good track then off he goes for no apparent reason. When either of those guys gets on a roll they're awesome. When they're flat, they're horrible. It's why they get moved around so much. The consistently good guys like an Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson stay with a team their whole career.

The consistently bad guys are typically gone within a couple of years and may just hook on with two teams before  the league gives up on them. Guys like Foles and Fitzpatrick hang around forever because when they're good, they're so, so good that you just can't believe it's a mirage. Coaches look at them and say, "If I can just harness that and keep him focused, we'll win it all!" But they can't. It's not because Foles or Fitzpatrick don't want to perform well all of the time, they just can't for some reason. They practice the same, prepare the same, try to do everything the same, and then they go flat. And when they go flat, they go really flat.

Team psychologists have lost their own minds trying to figure out why it happens. It just happens for no rhyme or reason. Coaches keep those guys around for a year or two before it drives them crazy and they beg the GM to move the guy. As soon as they're available some coach elsewhere who's seen them on a good day thinks, "Maybe I can be the one who finally harnesses the good QB and keeps him on track." They're like a Jekyl and Hyde QB. They can be so very good, or so very bad, and there's not a lot in between. Both are really good guys and great teammates, but the inconsistency just kills coaches.

[gardenman]

Linebacker Nate Gerry of the Eagles is now having to apologize for Tweets he made back in 2010 and 2011 that some really bored hater has uncovered and publicized. Talk about hitting a guy when he's down. Nate's been playing very poorly already and this won't help him any. He's the worst linebacker in the league in catches allowed, yards, and yards per game. Some "fan" who wants him benched went all the way back to 2010 and 2011 when he was 15 and 16 to find racially insensitive Tweets to try and hurt him. Yeah, nothing like trying to create more division in the team.

There's something seriously wrong with a person hating someone that much to go back that far to try and find something to use to attack the guy. 

[Spurt]

@gardenman @teganslaw 

Tom cant do it alone--that Bucs O-line, and injuries to his already thin lineup of weapons, plus stupid penalites did the Bucs in.....

All those changes to the NFL schedule made my head spin..... I think they should have just made the Titans forfeit the game as a lesson to ALL the teams to obey the guidelines the NFL put in place for the safety of all players, coaches and NFL personnel and TV crews! JMHO

If Anthony Lynn wanted to keep his coaching job, he had to make that decision to keep Herbert as his starting QB....

Yep....How 'bout them Cowboys....😉...but oh they got flashy WRs but little else....should have picked up a defensive player or O lineman rather than Lamb....

[Spurt]

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@gardenman wrote:

Linebacker Nate Gerry of the Eagles is now having to apologize for Tweets he made back in 2010 and 2011 that some really bored hater has uncovered and publicized. Talk about hitting a guy when he's down. Nate's been playing very poorly already and this won't help him any. He's the worst linebacker in the league in catches allowed, yards, and yards per game. Some "fan" who wants him benched went all the way back to 2010 and 2011 when he was 15 and 16 to find racially insensitive Tweets to try and hurt him. Yeah, nothing like trying to create more division in the team.

There's something seriously wrong with a person hating someone that much to go back that far to try and find something to use to attack the guy. 

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@gardenman 

It's ridiculous the lengths some people go to ...... dont we all mature from our teenage years and grow as adults as we gain life experiences....I'm surprised some of these "haters" dont go back to the toddler years and bring up accidents while potty training to embarrass and defame some guy.....SMH!!! 

[gardenman]

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@Spurt wrote:

@gardenman @teganslaw 

Tom cant do it alone--that Bucs O-line, and injuries to his already thin lineup of weapons, plus stupid penalites did the Bucs in.....

All those changes to the NFL schedule made my head spin..... I think they should have just made the Titans forfeit the game as a lesson to ALL the teams to obey the guidelines the NFL put in place for the safety of all players, coaches and NFL personnel and TV crews! JMHO

If Anthony Lynn wanted to keep his coaching job, he had to make that decision to keep Herbert as his starting QB....

Yep....How 'bout them Cowboys....😉...but oh they got flashy WRs but little else....should have picked up a defensive player or O lineman rather than Lamb....

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The CeeDee Lamb pick made sense from a player value standpoint, but the team didn't need another receiver nearly as much as it needed help elsewhere. I think JJ thought he was keeping Lamb from the Eagles (who reportedly had Jalen Reagor rated higher than Lamb anyway) and that helped motivate him to make the pick, but they're in a big hole in terms of talent elsewhere. 

They need o-line hlep, d-line help, safety help, corner help, oddly enough a better linebacker could even help out. Depending on what happens with Dak they could need a new QB. This new coaching staff may follow the path of several previous ones and be one and done. At the very least the defensive coordinator is likely a goner at the end of the year.

JJ got too married to "name" players who were good in 2015 as free agents, but he's finding out why they were free agents. He went shopping in the bargain bin for big names and hoped for the best. He struck out.

These aren't problems you fix in one good offseason. The Cowboys are kind of in the same spot Carolina was in last year when they moved on from Cam Newton and Ron Rivera. If they had a good GM they'd see where they were at the halfway mark of the season and start poaching players off other teams practice squads to audition.

I don't see much of a trade market for their higher priced guys, but a CeeDee Lamb could get you a starting defender or two. Some people are saying they should trade Zeke, but who would take him? They could trade Dak if they think Andy Dalton could fill in, but that would send one heck of a negative message to the team. You'd have to get a heck of a lot back and what team would give up a lot to get Dak at his price with no certainty you could sign him?

The Cowboys have backed themselves into a very bad corner with no good way out. Their coaching hires have been suspect. The free agents they've opted to keep and those they've let go have been pretty much always the wrong choices. Had they kept Cole Beasley who's been a beast for the Bills they never would have had a need for Lamb. Demarcus Lawrence is largely an invisible man with zero sacks, zero QB hits, and only one tackle for a loss. Robert Quinn who they let go isn't setting the world on fire, but is playing better with the Bears than Lawrence is with the Cowboys with one sack and one QB hit. 

When you look at the Cowboys' salary cap numbers for the top ten players, you can really only make the argument they're getting their money's worth from three of them in Dak, Amari Cooper (still overpaid) and Zack Martin. The other seven guys are largely stealing from the Cowboys. You want those ten guys to be the bedrock of the team. That's why you pay them the big bucks. They're not. They've got some issues to work through and it's going to be interesting to see how they do it.

[Spurt]

@gardenman 

Maybe he wanted to stop the Eagles from getting Lamb, but Jerry also likes the "flashy" picks......But what I wonder is where oh where was the sensibility of Stephen Jones to prevent this roster disaster for the Cowboys....He was the one that saved the day when Jerrah wanted to draft Johnny Manziel.....Oh imagine what could've been....😈.... Maybe Stephen just gave up on trying to make his father do the sensible thing for the good of the team.....Stephen commented that instead of need they went for the best available player on the draft board.....And as a local analyst said, "the results speak for themselves"..............

[gardenman]

@Spurt 

Best available player can be good, but best available player at a position of need is better. You have to balance talent and need. Now, if you've got a creative GM you can use a guy like Lamb as trade bait to get value in a trade. Lamb's value with 3.5 years remaining on a rookie deal with a fifth year option, and some proven performance behind him, makes him a high value guy. If you have a need at a couple of positions, trading a guy like Lamb can be beneficial. 

Smart teams will look at the Cowboys' roster, see where their holes are, look at their own roster at older, declining players who they'd like to unload, and call JJ and offer him a couple of them in exchange for Lamb. Things could go back and forth a bit, with different players mentioned, but we could see some player movement take place.

That Cowboys roster is a problem for them right now. Lots of older players on the decline or bottoming out. Many/most of their highest paid players are underperforming. Other than Lamb the kids aren't helping a lot. There's not great young talent just waiting in the wings.

Contrast that with the Eagles who have a stockpile of young linemen (both offensive and defensive,) young wide receivers, defensive backs, running backs, and tight ends, even a young backup QB. Many are playing this year due to injuries and playing well which is encouraging.

The future for the Eagles on the lines had looked a bit iffy until this year started. The kids have played well though and are proving themselves. That means when guys like Jason Peters, Lane Johnson, Brandon Graham, and Fletcher Cox retire, things won't be as bad as feared.

[Spurt]

@gardenman 

Yah, I can see a team going for the best player on the board if he's a rare talent or if there's a shortage of veteran players at the position....or if the team is pretty well set....But when a team like Dallas has so many holes in key positions on defense, and your WR corp is pretty decent already it boggles the mind.... Unless like you said they were going to use Lamb for trade bait, but like we both saw---it forced them into settling for older players past their prime at key spots on defense ...

That's why neither you nor I could understand why so many analysts gave the Cowboys such a high rating and some even projected them as NFC Champs for the Super Bowl...SMH!!! 

[gardenman]

@Spurt 

Yeah, the Cowboys were an 8-8 team last year while staying relatively healthy. Out of the 22 starters, it was pretty easy to say they were weaker this year at seven or more of those 22 starting spots. Getting weaker at that many spots is seldom a good thing. Saying they were an NFC Super Bowl contender was far-fetched. They got weaker at defensive end, defensive tackle, safety, cornerback, o-line, tight end, and arguably slot receiver though Lamb has filled in nicely. Sunday's game will be an interesting test for them. 

I thought they might ride the momentum of beating Atlanta forward, but they didn't. Their defense is so bad the offense pretty much has to be perfect for them to win. Now with La'el Collins out, Tyron Smith maybe out, and bad backup tackles, being perfect on offense is going to be a challenge. The Giants don't really have a great pass rush, which may help the Cowboys. The Giants defense has been pretty stingy this year though and with Kellen Moore essentially running Jason Garrett's offense, the Giants defense should know what's coming from formations and situations. A loss to the Giants will pretty much kill the Cowboys. It's my 4:30 game on Sunday, so it'll be interesting to watch.

[Spurt]

With Alex Smith backing up starter Kyle Allen for the WFT, Coach Rivera says he doesnt have any trepidation playing Alex if needed....

D lineman, Jonathan Allen echoed the sentiments and said he believes Alex Smith is healthy enough to take a hit....

And all this talk leads some to believe that Smith indeed will be starting soon........

On the just what we needed front,  WR Steven Sims Jr was placed on IR, and signed guard Joshua Barnett to the roster.............

@gardenman 

What do you think of Zeke's performance this season....he got his money so he's just "chillin"...only 54 yds rushing last week....34 yds the previous week....he did have 92 yds against the Rams the first week in a losing cause.... Is it a change in OC Moore's offense, or with the Cowboys poor D so Dak has to go with the passing game to catch up with opponent's scoring....or perhaps a combination of both????

And from the Eagle fans say it aint so a comparison on Haskins vs Wentz for the first quarter of the season...

Categories: Dwayne Haskins — Carson Wentz

Completion %: 27th — 28th

Yards/attempt: 26th — 32nd

QBR: 32nd — 29th

Passer rating: 29th — 33rd

DYAR: 30th — 33rd

DVOA: 29th — 33rd

PFF grade: 34th — 33rd

@teganslaw 

Speaking of QBs how would you rate Philip Rivers performane so far?????????