Sports

[yellowBeetle]

@Spurt... Congrats!!!  Your Redskins are still on top of the NFC East!!

And Congrats too to @teganslaw and @redwingsgal for the wins by your Colts and  Lions!! 

My Eagles need to get their act together! The defense disappeared in the 4th quarter. And the offense only put up 17 points total ... that is not going to cut it. The good news is that they play JAX next week! Who would have thought at the beginning of the season that the Jaguars would be considered an easy competitor?! 

And too bad @sunshine45 about the Ravens. They are my family's AFC team so that loss hurt us too. But congrats to Brees for his great play!

Well, Mahomes and KC are off to a quick start. Should be a good game.

[JillyMarie]

At last, all is right in the world. Well certainly not the world, but certainly in the AFC North. Without making one down, field goal or interception the Pittsburgh Steelers rose to the number one position. Don't know how long they will hold it, but for now I'll take it.

[gardenman]

I know it's hard to keep things in perspective after a loss, but I think the Eagles will be fine. We're not going to have home field advantage through the playoffs like last year, but with the way the Rams are playing we likely wouldn't have anyway. All we need to do is win the NFC East and things will be good. We're 1-0 in the division. Carson Wentz is playing very, very well and we'll be okay. The NFC East is very much up for grabs. Get in the playoffs then win your way through to the end. It's tougher without home field advantage, but it can be done. We've got Jacksonville this coming week and who knows what will happen there. Bortles may be back breathing fire after his benching, or he could roll over and die. If the Eagles beat Jacksonville they'll be 4-4 at the halfway mark with five NFC East games remaining. Things are far from hopeless. 

[LonestarBabs]

Flying high in Chiefs Kingdom today. WOW WOW WOW Our defense showed up! The offense was amazing. Pinch me - it's real!

[gardenman]

The Chiefs and Rams look like the real contenders so far with the Patriots right behind them. After those three teams there's a jumble of mid-tier teams, then a few bottom dwellers who are competing for that first overall pick next year. Expect a few mid-tier teams to catch fire and others to fade, but it looks like a scramble once you get past those top three teams.

[Spurt]

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@gardenman wrote:
The Chiefs and Rams look like the real contenders so far with the Patriots right behind them. After those three teams there's a jumble of mid-tier teams, then a few bottom dwellers who are competing for that first overall pick next year. Expect a few mid-tier teams to catch fire and others to fade, but it looks like a scramble once you get past those top three teams.

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@gardenman

I heard it said wait to the mid point of the NFL season and the top teams will rise to the top....and the "pretenders" will start to sink................. so Chiefs, Rams are the top teams....with the Patriots hanging around and just wont go away.........If the Saints D will start playing maybe you can add them to the mix---Brees can certainly put up the points on the same level as Mahomes and Goff!!!

The mid tier teams all have their weaknesses.....but its been a fun and interesting season....And the poor Browns, yet another OT game loss....they are definitely cursed.....

I see my Redskins get another bye week .....that is we get the Giants on a short week for them.....  

[deepwaterdotter]

Don't know how long it will last, but my Vikings are on top of the NFC North.  Way to Go Vikes!

[Spurt]

I went to my fav Redskin site and expected jubilant Redskins fans happy to have a win over our hated rival, the Cowboys....instead the majority felt much like me with Gruden's bad play calling and shouting expletives at Alex Smith's poor decisions and bad play....And ESPN Redskin Reporter, John Keim agreed too..........At least Im not alone in my thinking........ HTTR!   

P.S. @yellowBeetle  Since you were a one time Redskin fan you maybe familiar with Redskin reporter Rich Tandler---sadly he suddenly passed away---very sad 

[yellowBeetle]

Reuben Frank who covers the Eagles for NBC Sports has had several articles posted in the hours since the Eagles lost to the Panthers.

He is very critical of the collapse of the defense for the Eagles which allowed Cam Newton and the Panthers to rack up 21 points in the final 10 minutes. Cam was on fire and he deserves major kudos for his amazing play at the end of the game. But the Eagle defense was missing in action! 

Frank is also very critical of Carson Wentz. He applauds his overall numbers which were terrific ... but questions Wentz' decision-making in the last moments of the game. Others have said the same. Wentz missed several opportunities to win the game at the end. 1st and 10 he missed a simple  throw to Ertz which was almost picked off by Eric Reid. 3rd and 2 he unsuccessfully threw to a double-covered Alshon Jeffrey when Wendell Smallwood was open for an easy TD. 4th and 2 Wentz held onto the ball too long and was hit by Julius Peppers and then fumbled the ball which ended the game. 

So Frank's takeaway is that in Wentz' 5 games back he has put up very impressive overall stats ... but when push comes to shove he has lost 3 of the 5 games. This is not the Wentz of last year. He calls his decision-making in key moments "alarming and mystifying." 

Again, the defense has definitely not measured up to their play of last year. But neither has Wentz. Frank says that one major problem is that Wentz is trying to be "Superman" and is not running the ball enough. Yesterday the running game was minimal ... especially in the second half. Yes they do not have Blount this year ... and they lost Ajayi. But Clement, Smallwood, and Adams were not used effectively yesterday. 

And the three teams the Eagles have beaten ... the Falcons, Colts, and Giants ... all have losing records. The four teams that have beaten the Eagles have decent if not good records. 

So hopefully the defense will take stock and not let things get away from them as happened yesterday. And hopefully Wentz will not try to be "Superman" but will utilize the RBs more ... which was a major key to their success last year. He needs to be a better decision-maker in the clinch situations.  And he must get rid of the ball quicker and not have these costly fumbles. 

There are still 9 games left. The Eagles can turn things around. But as Wentz said after the game... they all need to take a long look at themselves in the mirror.

[yellowBeetle]

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@Spurt wrote:

I went to my fav Redskin site and expected jubilant Redskins fans happy to have a win over our hated rival, the Cowboys....instead the majority felt much like me with Gruden's play calling and shouting expletives at Alex Smith's poor decisions and bad play....And ESPN Redskin Report, John Keim agreed too..........At least Im not alone in my thinking........ HTTR!   

P.S. @yellowBeetle  Since you were a one time Redskin fan you maybe familiar with Redskin reporter Rich Tandler---sadly he suddenly passed away---very sad 

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@Spurt

That is very sad news. Had not heard ... thanks for mentioning it.