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12-10-2009, 01:36 AM
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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The Ring Quest: Donovan McNabb (FOF2K7 Historical)
Okay, here's something a little different from my usual FOF historical dynasties. In this one, I'm going to try and get Donovan McNabb a Super Bowl ring.
He's my favorite non-Dolphin in the entire history of the NFL and he, along with Ron Dayne, is the only non-Dolphins jersey I own. A little-known secret about me is that I was something of a Philadelphia Eagles fan after my time away from the Miami Dolphins (but I could never quite bring myself to call the Eagles my favorite NFL team) and McNabb was the reason why. I even have an Eagles hat, which, again, is the only non-Dolphins NFL hat I have. Sadly, it looks like his career is going to match that of Marino's and that really upsets me. So I'm going to use this dynasty to try and get him a Super Bowl ring. My guess is I'll just quick-hit the preseason and regular season games like I did with my Dolphins dynasty and then, for the playoff games, go into the articles like I did with my Bengals dynasty. I like doing the articles, but they got to be a real grind, which is one of the two reasons why I stopped that dynasty (the other being my laptop died). It's going to be a little weird doing this dynasty, where I already have my QB and am committed to him for the length of it, because I love drafting quarterbacks, but we'll see what happens.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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12-10-2009, 04:12 AM
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#2 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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The Roster
Code:
The thing about Detmer's 7 year contract? None of it's in bonus money, so he'll get cut, probably as soon as this season, because he's making way too much dough. Pederson's also the better looking backup. What worries me is that we have no mentor for Donovan, so that's going to be our first order of business. Luckily, there's one veteran QB in the free agent pool and he's a mentor, so say hello to Mark Rypien, our new 21/21 QB mentor for Donovan McNabb. Seems hilarious to have a former Redskin mentoring the Eagles franchise QB. Koy Detmer gets cut immediately. He'll make a solid #2 QB for some teams and who knows? Maybe he'll grow into a starting role someday. But for now, our QB situation is set for this next year: McNabb the starter, Pederson the backup, Rypien #3. I like that I've got two guys on one year deals as well, since it'll allow me the opportunity to get my own guys next year. Code:
Our RB situation's looking a little weak, I'm afraid. I remember Duce being pretty decent, but ideally I'd like him to be a #2 and receiving back, not our featured runner. Bieniemy's a terrific power runner and special teams guy, but he won't be back next year. Turner's the FB and Martin's our FB of the future... if he develops. If he doesn't, I'll just cut him. I also sign RB Darnell Autry (22/27) off the street. He played for the Eagles in 2000, but that's not why I signed him. I signed him because I loved watching him play at Northwestern and we frankly could use some more depth. Code:
I forgot just how ugly the WRs McNabb had for the longest time. Sadly, T.O.'s playing opposite Jerry Rice in San Francisco and is 73/73, so good luck getting him. Because our WR situation is so poor, I'm going to start Weaver at TE and have Dunn as the strong-blocker backup. Johnson's a Red Flag player, which will be interesting as I've never had one of those before. None of these guys excite me and I'll be making wholesale changes ASAP. In fact, since we've got 60 players, let's go ahead and cut Na Brown's no bonus, no talent ass right now. Nothing exciting out there in the unemployment line either. Code:
Thomas at RT and Dellenbach at C are givens, but RT and the guard spots are alarming areas of concern. Everett is a run-blocking beast, so I switch him to RG, where he drops to 36/50. Not as bad a hit as I thought he'd take and he's still infinitely better than Mayberry. Brzezinki has far more upside than Diaz-Infante and D-I has a conflict with Dellenbach, our O-line captain, so they switch spots on inactive/active. Schau gets cut and that's when I execute my first trade. Taylor, 6th Rounder to Jacksonville for Searcy, 4th Rounder  CB Bobby Taylor takes his game to the Jaguars  Big man T Leon Searcy will start for the Eagles New Philadelphia Eagles GM Izulde Jestor executed a stunning trade today, sending 5th year CB Bobby Taylor and the team's 2000 6th round draft pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for 8th year RT Leon Searcy and the Jaguars' 2000 4th round pick. Searcy then signed a new contract that will keep him in Philadelphia through the 2000 season. "We just felt like it was a move we had to make", Jestor said. "We weren't happy with our right tackle situation and we have a star rookie quarterback to protect in Donovan McNabb. Leon gives us a big, experienced, balanced tackle who will start on the right side for the next two years. We also get move up two rounds in next year's draft, where we can get ourselves a better shot at a steal." Taylor, known as one of the best zone defenders and kickoff returners in the game, immediately becomes the Jaguars' #1 CB. Dealing him will cost the Eagles a significant amount of dead money and they now have $2.74 million in lost cap space next season, although they appear to have more than enough money to absorb it. According to Eagles insiders, Jestor was not impressed with Taylor's inability to create interceptions or deliver hard hits. His departure also means CB Al Harris, a hard-hitting third year player, will get his chance to start opposite star CB Troy Vincent and get much-needed development time. ***End Article*** Okay, so that's our RT spot out of the way and we have a Thomas-Wellbourn-Dellenbach-Everett-Searcy offensive line. Not the best in the league, obviously, but a lot better than what we started with. Code:
Landeta and Akers, obviously. I'd like to keep Norm because he's a mentor, but we'll see how the final roster shakes out. Code:
Douglas and Mamula are going to be the DEs. Williams actually strikes me as better suited to DT, so I shift him to RDT and he's 27/49. I'll try him as a starter in preseason and see how it goes. Overall, not much to choose from here. Lot of prime opportunity for cuts. I eat a lot of dead cap space and am up to almost $4 million in dead cap next year by the end of these slices. So what? The cap's $78.4 million. We can live with that. Code:
We have the horses here to go with a 3-4. I've never used a 3-4 in FOF, so we'll try it out. I need a CB, so I'd love to trade one of these guys but every damned one is either a fan favorite or idolized. Really, really ticks me off. Oh well. We'll go with a Thomas-Caldwell-Trotter-Reese set up. Once some of the young guys develop, this is going to be a scary, scary 'backer corps. Code:
Easy one here. Vincent and Harris the corners, Hauck and Dawkins the safeties. Remember, I just traded Taylor. Depth is going to be a big problem here and it's one of the areas we'll need to upgrade next year.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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12-10-2009, 05:01 AM
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#3 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Preseason
Philadelphia 30 Pittsburgh 7 Great opening exhibition smashdown of the Steelers. S Brian Dawkins has 2 interceptions, CB Troy Vincent picks up 2 pass defenses and SLB William Thomas gets 1.5 sacks, a pass defense and an INT. ..... QB Donovan McNabb has Knee Tendinitis and is Questionable for 5 weeks. Well... that's just flipping great. The guy this whole dynasty's about and he gets hurt his very first game. Needless to say, he's staying out until he's fully healed. Carolina 24 Philadelphia 10 The whole team played like crap, basically, although QB Doug Pederson has looked awesome so far. 181 yards and 2 TDs with 0 picks in Week 1 and in this game, he's 5/6 for 55 yards before letting Mark Rypien have some time. Might be a good thing, no? QB Donovan McNabb is back up to Probable, but I'm not risking him being lost for the year. Philadelphia 24 New England 17 Home cooking continues to taste sour for everyone. 7 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 hurries and a knockdown for SLB William Thomas. He looking good in preseason. New York Jets 17 Philadelphia 41 Way to pour it on in the preseason finale, guys! ILB James Darling returns a pick 25 yards for a TD, CB Troy Vincent has a 69 yard punt return for a TD, plus an INT and a sack. S Brian Dawkins picks up 3 pass defenses but the real story is SLB William Thomas, who has 2 interceptions, a sack, and a pass defense. This guy is just straight up ON FIRE! Regular Season QB Donovan McNabb is still Probable and isn't due back for a few weeks. QB Doug Pederson looked really good in preseason, probably good enough to start so we don't risk losing McNabb for the year, so we'll go with that. We're projected to finish last in the NFC East anyway. St. Louis 20 Philadelphia 13 Not a bad outing at all by Doug Pederson, who was 24/38 for 244 yards with an INT. The only problem is that pick was returned 95 yards by Mike Jones for what was the differencemaker in this game. SILB Mike Caldwell tore it up with 11 tackles, an assist and a pass defense and CB Al Harris had a good first game with 2 pass defenses and a forced fumble, but it wasn't good enough. RT Leon Searcy sprains his knee and is Questionable and FB Cecil Martin also is Questionable, but with shin splits. Play on, boys, play on. Philadelphia 18 Dallas 31 Nothing playing NFL royalty to start the season. Sheesh! Good presence by DE Hugh Douglas with 3 tackles, 4 assists, a sack, and 4 hurries, but Aikman, Smith & Co. owned us by an even bigger margin than the score indicates. Pittsburgh 13 Philadelphia 9 Unbelievable. We can't even beat the Steelers. 12 tackles, 2 assists by SILB Mike Caldwell and S Brian Dawkins is great with 10 tackles, 2 assists, a pass defense and an interception, but QB Doug Pederson loses 2 interceptions and a fumble to send us to a disheartening 0-3. Now it's time for the Donovan McNabb Show to begin earnest! Philadelphia 30 Chicago 10 The Bears were 3-0, but now they're 3-1 as Donovan McNabb goes 21/30 for 325 yards, a TD and an INT in his first NFL start. Player of the Game goes to WR Torrance Small, who attracts instant chemistry with McNabb, catching 8 passes for 166 yards and a TD. S Tim Hauck highlighted the defense with 2 pass defenses. Nice way to enter the NFL, McNabb! Washington 13 Philadelphia 23 McNabb's first Monday night game of his career and what does he do? 23/33 for 252 yards, a TD and INT as Player of the Game en route to going 2-0 as a starter. Wow! S Tim Hauck has another 2 pass defenses and he's joined by SLB William Thomas in that number and category. Solid all-around game, although our run game remains very weak. Philadelphia 27 San Francisco 17 For the second time this season, we take down an undefeated team, ruining the 5-0 49ers hopes of besting a certain 1972 squad. RB Duce Staley rips off a 67 yard TD run on his way to our first 100+ rushing game of the year, 23 carries for 116 yards and a TD. But it's Donovan McNabb who wins Player of the Game again - 21/26 for 237 yards and 2 TDs. Looking a lot more polished than 16/64, that's for sure. I guess those weeks off with injury allowed him to prepare mentally with Mark Rypien. WR Charles Johnson catches 4 balls for 108 yards and a TD as the main beneficiary. Atlanta 21 Philadelphia 24 We were down 21-0 at the half before QB Doug Pederson took over and went 19/26 for 255 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs, winning Player of the Game for leading the comeback. WR Torrance Smalls had 5 catches for 130 yards and a TD and SILB Mike Caldwell rang up 10 tackles, 6 assists and a half-sack. We move to over .500 for the first time this season, despite Donovan McNabb going 4/11 before being replaced by Pederson. Philadelphia 34 Seattle 29 This one was a wild back and forth affair, but Donovan McNabb atoned for his poor outing against the Falcons with 188 yards and 2 TDs on 16/24 passing. He also had a 4 yard rushing TD, his first NFL score on the ground. Great game by our RBs today. RB Eric Bieniemy had 96 yards on just 9 carries, while Duce Staley ground out 76 yards on 22 attempts. We'll take a look at the tale of the tape tomorrow, but right now we're 5-3, in second place in the NFC East behind 6-3 Dallas. If the playoffs happened today, we'd make it. But the triumph over the Seahawks didn't come without cost. DE Hugh Douglas separated his shoulder and is Out an estimated 5 weeks.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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12-10-2009, 10:21 PM
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#4 |
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n00b
Join Date: Sep 2009
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good luck getting Mcnabb his first ring
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12-11-2009, 02:47 PM
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#5 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bath, ME
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Another fun one, I'll be watching.
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12-11-2009, 03:32 PM
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#6 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Canada eh
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Great stuff, good luck with the quest. Certainly hits home given my favorite QB was Warren Moon.
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"I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it." - Rogers Hornsby |
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12-11-2009, 03:56 PM
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#7 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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kobe360x: Thanks.
 I'll admit, I'm shocked with how successful we've been so far, but we'll see how the second half of the year goes.Autumn: Great to have you along. Travis: Thanks. Moon's another good choice, though I'd want an Oilers logo in the style of Icy's Logo #1 set if I did his.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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12-11-2009, 04:10 PM
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#8 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: New Jersey
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You know I'll be reading this one. I've done a similar dynasty (without writing it up) twice and had fun both times.
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12-11-2009, 05:08 PM
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#9 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Perfect in Philadelphia: McNabb 5-0 In Rookie Season
 Early season knee tendinitis hasn't affect rookie QB Donovan McNabb's play Conventional NFL wisdom says that you don't start your rookie quarterback right away. The Philadelphia Eagles followed convention, but not entirely intentionally, as first round pick Donovan McNabb developed knee tendinitis during the team's second preseason game. Although McNabb could've come back after missing one week, the Eagles' coaching staff decide to keep him out until he was fully healthy. And after McNabb led the Eagles from 0-3 to a 5-3 mark and playoff positioning halfway through the season, it appears to have been the right. Other than a short-lived outing against the Atlanta Falcons, the rookie's been on form in five starts. Through Philadelphia's 34-29 victory over the Seahawks, McNabb's thrown for 1,043 yards and 6 touchdowns to 2 interceptions. He also boasts an impressive 68.8% completion rate, good for 5th in the league.  It hasn't taken long for WR Torrance Small to develop a rapport with McNabb Wide receiver was one of Philadelphia's biggest concerns heading into this season, but WR Torrance Small has been quick to bond with McNabb and QB Doug Pederson. He's on pace for a 1,000 yard receiving season with 35 catches for 626 yards and 5 TDs at the halfway point.  SILB Mike Caldwell has been playing much bigger than this tiny picture of him The Eagles' defense hasn't been the most stellar by the numbers, except for the following stat: They rank #1 in stopping opponents on third down, allowing just 28.8% of third downs to be converted. A big reason for Philadelphia's success is SILB Mike Caldwell, on pace for a 100 tackle with 65 tackles, 20 assists, a half-sack and 2 pass defenses to his credit thus far. But it's FS Brian Dawkins who's arguably been the best player on defense, accumulating 40 tackles, 13 assists, 3 interceptions and 5 pass defenses for an 83.5% pass defense in the first half of the season. Code:
As we look ahead to the second half of the season, the biggest question will be how the Eagles deal with the loss of DE Hugh Douglas, who will miss at least one game, if not more, a separated shoulder. The offensive line has been performing reasonably well together as a unit, but LT Tra Thomas could surrender double-digit sacks by the end of the season and has converted just 3/30 of key run block attempts. The best lineman has been, interestingly enough, RT Leon Searcy, with 9 key run blocks in 23 opportunities (39.1%) and 3 sacks surrendered. Clearly it seems that GM Izulde Jestor knew what he was doing when he made the deal. K David Akers is having an excellent season, with 17/19 FG attempts, including 9/10 from 40+ range and 3/4 from 50+ yards out. He's also a perfect 17/17 in extra points and projects as the Eagles' kicker for a long, long time to come. ***End Article*** So yeah, losing Douglas sucks, but at least it's not for the whole year. I really don't like our lack of pass rush and to be honest, I prefer the 4-3, though the 3-4's been interesting. TE Luther Broughton gets his walking papers and an ancient DE Trace Armstrong, who has an added bonus of being a Mentor. He takes over for Douglas as the starting LDE, because I don't trust DE Greg Jefferson to be any good. New York Giants 24 Philadelphia 27 (OT) Donovan McNabb is fast building up legendary status. He executes a late fourth quarter drive and hits reserve WR Brian Finneran from 14 yards out with 1:05 left in regulation to tie it up at 24. Then K David Akers blasts a 30 yard field goal in OT to preserve McNabb's unbeaten streak to start his career. I'll let McNabb's line speak for itself: Passing: 28/45, 311 yards, TD Rushing: 12 rushes for 75 yards, TD That's right. Donovan McNabb combined for 386 yards of offense... BY HIMSELF. And in anti-climatic news, FS Brian Dawkins and SILB Mike Caldwell had 2 pass defenses a piece. Philadelphia 7 Cincinnati 14 Donovan's 6-0 start ends here. Crazy game. The only scores in this game were on 35+ yard plays and two of them were on interception returns. 8:52 1st qtr: Rodney Heath 67 yard INT return (Cin: 7-0) 13:08 3rd qtr: CB Troy Vincent 79 yard INT return (7-7 tie) 1:46 3rd qtr: QB Jeff Blake 35 yard pass to WR Carl Pickens (Cin: 14-7) It was the first truly bad game of McNabb's career: 25/43 for 174 yards and 2 interceptions. Bengals RB Corey Dillon rushed 20 times for 112 yards to take home Player of the Game, but it could've just as easily gone to our rookie CB Al Harris, who had 3 interceptions!. Wow! We're now 6-4, tied with the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC East and with the Atlanta Falcons for the top NFC wildcard. It's looking a season that'll go down to the wire. Oh, and the Packers are 10-0. Boo.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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12-11-2009, 05:14 PM
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#10 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
I actually thought of you as I was coming up with this dynasty idea. It's certainly been fun so far in this little over a half season. We've already had a McNabb injury, a late game comeback in a divisional game and a legendary performance... and it's his rookie season!  By the way, am I reading that right in that his 386 yards would've ranked #2 all-time in this universe behind Glyn Milburn's 404 yards for the Broncos against Seattle in 1995?
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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12-12-2009, 02:43 PM
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#11 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Philadelphia 14 Baltimore 24
Despite a 26/39 for 305 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT outing from Donovan McNabb, we lose this one as RB Priest Holmes runs us over for 109 yards and a TD. Way to spoil WR Charles Johnson's 6 catches for 102 yards and a TD and our first multi-sack of the year game. NT Mark Wheeler picked up 4 tackles, 2 assists, and 1.5 sacks and SILB Mike Caldwell grabbed 8 tackles, 3 assists and 2 pass defenses. We're now on a two game skid. DE Hugh Douglas is back to Probable and I can't get him back in the lineup fast enough. Arizona 17 Philadelphia 10 Time of possession killed us in this game: 41:46 for Arizona, 18:14 for us. SLB William Thomas racked up 14 tackles and 2 assists as a result of it, but we just could not get it going this game. Terrible, just terrible. Philadelphia 13 New York Giants 37 A must-win game against the Giants and they kill us. Our losing streak is now at 4. We got schooled in every single aspect of the game and what was once a promising season has now evaporated as we're 6-7 and headed to a mediocre finish. Cleveland 3 Philadelphia 27 We finally stop the bleeding as Donovan McNabb is 18/27 for 279 yards and 2 TDs through the air and goes for 300+ multipurpose yards with 8 carries for 41 yards. WR Torrance Small catches 7 passes for 157 yards and DE Mike Mamula erupts for 5 tackles, 4 assists, 2.5 sacks, a block, a hurry and a knockdown. CB Troy Vincent defends 3 passes and nabs an interception, while S Brian Dawkins has 2 pass defenses of his own. Philadelphia 14 Washington 34 And just like that, we drop out of all hopes of a playoff appearance at 7-8. RB Skip Hicks batters us for 143 yards and 2 TDs on 26 carries and Donovan McNabb's 361 passing yards and ruined by 3 interceptions and 2 fumbles. WR Torrance Small has 9 catches for 144 yards and the only Eagles defender worth a damn is S Brian Dawkins with 2 pass defenses. Dallas 29 Philadelphia 28 We lose our chance to play spoiler when QB Troy Aikman unleashes an 87 yard TD pass to Michael Irvin in the fourth quarter. Donovan McNabb was near perfect on a 23/27 for 239 yards and a TD night and he ran 7 times for 41 yards in the bargain. RB Duce Staley broke the century mark with 112 yards and a TD on 12 carries, but we're still going to look for an upgrade in the offseason. The real kicker of it all? Both wild card spots went to the NFC East, the second going to 8-8 New York. I'm so irritated I don't pay much attention as the Giants upset the 49ers 13-10 or when they shock the heavily favored 15-1 Packers 24-21 to set up an All-NFC East NFC Championship with the Dallas Cowboys. In fact, it's All-East as the Jets and Bills square off in the AFC Championship. Dallas ends the Giants' miracle run with a 37-21 squashing and the Bills, led by Doug Flutie of all people, beat the Jets 20-13 to set up a Super Bowl of Aikman and Co. vs. Flutie Flakes. Super Bowl In a game that's nowhere near as close as the score indicates, the Cowboys win 21-20 in a game dominated by defense. DE Alonzo Spellman wins the MVP with 6 tackles, 3 sacks, a hurry and 2 knockdowns. A pretty dull game, if you want to know the truth, but it's always nice to see a defensive MVP for a change. Code:
Well, if McNabb wouldn't have gotten hurt or been pulled in a couple games, he would've broken the 3,000 yards passing barrier. We definitely need a front-line pass rusher and I'd like to see us be able to switch to a 4-3 next season. There's actually a lot of holes to be filled on this team, but we'll get there eventually. LT Tra Thomas didn't allow a single sack the entire second half of the season, which is great news. Our offensive line overall played pretty well, all things considered and K David Akers hit 26/29 FGs, 10/12 from 40+ range and 4/5 from 50+ range. Philadelphia Eagles Season Awards None ...What a damned ripoff. McNabb should've won Rookie of the Year and Dawkins should have at least been a second team All-Pro safety. Oh well, bulletin board material for next year, I guess. Sending McNabb to France would be cheating, so I send S Damon Moore instead, in hopes that he'll make a good pairing with Dawkins as a starting safety next season. Free Agency There's none of our RFAs I have any real interest in bringing back, so I'll let them all hit free agency. By the Numbers QB x 2, RB, TE x 2, WR x 2, C, G, T, DE, DT, OLB x 2, CB, S Week 2 Signings G Steve Everett - 3 years, $5.21 mil. (Re-signing) -Did well enough as a starter for us last year, so I'd like to keep the cohesion going. SLB Quentin Coryatt - 3 years, $5.05 mil. (Dallas Cowboys) -Injury-prone, but when healthy, he's an All-Pro caliber player who will provide an immediate boost to our defense. I can't wait to see this guy play and I loved watching him in his NFL days. Week 3 Signings CB Deion Sanders - 2 years, $12.83 mil. (Dallas Cowboys) -We continue to raid the NFC East champions of 1999's defense. I love Prime Time and even though he's old as hell now, he and Coryatt will give our D serious pizzazz, not to mention a stellar returner, something we sorely lacked. Week 3 Losses T Roman Oben - 5 years, $14.21 mil. (New York Giants) (Re-signing) -I had visions of lining him up at RT, but he spurned a lot of money from other teams to stay with the G-men. Week 4 Signings C Jeff Dellenbach - 2 years, $1.87 mil. (Re-signing) -I'm intent on keeping my entire offensive line together for at least one more season. Week 4 Losses SLB William Thomas - 2 years, $6.9 mil. (New York Jets) -Had a pretty solid season for us last year, but he was expendable after we signed Coryatt. Week 5 Signings QB Mark Rypien - 1 year, $630k (Re-signing) -Brought back strictly to keep mentoring Donovan. T Earl Dotson - 1 year, $510k (Green Bay Packers) -He'll fight Leon Searcy for the starting RT spot and the loser will be our backup T for both sides. Week 5 Losses DT Sam Adams - 4 years, $22.79 mil. (Seattle Seahawks) (Re-signing) -Everyone was throwing a ton of money at Adams, who was far and away the best available player in the entire free agent class. In the end, though, he gave a hometown discount to the Seahawks and elected to stay in the Pacific Northwest. Week 6 Signings TE Troy Drayton - 1 year, $550k (Miami Dolphins) -Nothing special, to be honest, but a lot better than what we had before. DT Eric Swann - 3 years, $5.42 mil. (Arizona Cardinals) -Way overpaid for him, but I really want to be able to switch to a 4-3 if I can and Swann, despite being old, is still good enough to be a starter in that kind of scheme. Week 7 Losses DE Greg Jefferson - 1 year, $410k* (Denver Broncos) -Didn't stand a chance of making our roster next year. Week 8 Signings RB Errict Rhett - 1 year, $410k* (Baltimore Ravens) -Elusive runner with great hole recognition and blitz pickup. Averaged 4.87 yards a carry last year with only 2 fumbles as the Ravens' #2 back. If we don't find anybody in the draft, he's a strong bet to be our #1 runner next season. WR Michael Westbrook - 1 year, $540k (Washington Redskins) -He'll be in the fight for a starting spot. Just hope he doesn't punch any of his teammates. A little too drop-prone for my tastes, but he's another 1,000 yard receiver to pair with Torrance Small. Week 8 Losses NT Mark Wheeler - 1 year, $530k -Best suited to a 3-4 and I'd like a 4-3 at some point. Week 9 Signings DT Tim Bowens - 1 year, $510k (Miami Dolphins) -Can't run defend worth a lick, but he's a very, very scary pass-rusher, perfect for our nickel and dime packages if nothing else. Week 11 Signings DE Chris Mims - 1 year, $490k* (San Diego Chargers) -Got a great pass-rusher at vet min-sal deal because he was unhappy with the Chargers using him so little. He'll form a nice bookend with Hugh Douglas and he's a mentor to boot. OLB Lemanski Hall - 1 year, $410k* (Arizona Cardinals) -Good friends with Eric Swann and joins his old teammate on his new team. Strictly a reserve for both sides, though could see time in the goal-line set as well. Week 11 Losses DE Trace Armstrong - 1 year, $590k (Detroit Lions) -Don't ask me how Armstrong got such a sweetheart deal from the Lions when Detroit could have gotten him cheaper if they'd gone after Mims. Especially since Mims is a far better player than Armstrong at this point in their careers. Then again, it's the Lions. All in all, some major improvements this free agency, especially on the defensive side of the ball, despite missing out on Adams. We'll have to see what the draft brings us.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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12-12-2009, 05:34 PM
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#12 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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2000 NFL Draft
We hold the 11th overall pick and I think we've got a darn good shot at landing an impact player, but we'll see what happens. The big chatter is about MLB Brian Urlacher, RB Shaun Alexander and QB Tom Brady. 1. MLB Brian Urlacher - Houston Texans 2. QB Tom Brady - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3. RB Shaun Alexander - Cleveland Browns 4. RB Mike Anderson - Chicago Bears 5. RB Thomas Jones - Arizona Cardinals 6. DT Darwin Walker - New England Patriots 7. QB Chris Redman - Atlanta Falcons (via Cincinnati Bengals) Heh. I'll check the trade results later. 8. OLB Keith Bulluck - Minnesota Vikings 9. DE Shaun Ellis - Denver Broncos 10. RB Jamal Lewis - New Orleans Saints It would've been really nice to land Lewis, but there's still two players remaining who were #1 on my wishlist at this spot. One position, I think I can still find somebody worth grabbing in the second round. The other, I'm taking him now while the getting's good. 11. DE John Abraham - Philadelphia Eagles Hugh Douglas, say hello to your new best friend. 12. OLB Lavar Arrington - Detroit Lions 13. DT Brian Young - San Diego Chargers 14. OLB Jeff Ulbrich - Seattle Seahawks 15. QB Chad Pennington - St. Louis Rams 16. QB Anthony Wright - Baltimore Ravens 17. WR Darrell Jackson - Atlanta Falcons 18. RB Ron Dayne - Kansas City Chiefs 19. DT Steve Warren - Miami Dolphins 20. DT Cornelius Griffin - New York Giants 21. S Mike Brown - Jacksonville Jaguars 22. DT Cedric Woodward - Pittsburgh Steelers I can't take it anymore. I send our 2nd, 3rd and the worst of our two 4th round picks to the Indianapolis Colts to move up and take the best WR in this draft, who never should've gotten past the Falcons. 23. WR Plaxico Burress - Philadelphia Eagles 24. WR Peter Warrick - Washington Redskins ...And not a moment too soon, it appears. Wow. Burress and Warrick's careers will make for interesting comparisons. 25. G Brad Bedell - Tennessee Titans 26. DE Alvin McKinley - Oakland Raiders 27. T Todd Wade - San Francisco 49ers 28. CB Deltha O'Neal - Carolina Panthers 29. DT Robaire Smith - New Jersey Jets 30. CB Ahmed Plummer - Green Bay Packers 31. ILB Shannon Taylor - Buffalo Bills 32. OLB Julian Peterson - Dallas Cowboys It's a long, long wait until the early 4th round when we pick again. As it turns, I could've selected a couple of my secondary WR targets in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, but that's okay. I would've been pissed if I'd had to go up against Plaxico twice a year. TE Anthony Becht is the pick here, as he fills a need area and I think he's got good enough all-around skills to someday become a starting, if not a pretty decent, TE. I was hoping to steal QB Marc Bulger in the 5th, but the Chicago Bears took him late in the 4th. Boo. So I take QB Joe Hamilton instead, who was a blast to watch at Georgia Tech. No 6th round pick because of my first trade, so it's G Al Jackson, a very raw project out of LSU in the 7th round. Late Free Agency Oh look. S Tim Hauck and SILB Mike Caldwell are holding out. They can hold out as long as they want. I'm not paying Caldwell the kind of money he's demanding. Well, okay, I'll sign Hauck. I need the mentor for our young safety. Week 2 Signings TE Brian Kozlowski - 1 year $430k (Atlanta Falcons) -Nasty blocker and terrific long snapper. Real reason he was signed, was to be a mentor, but those bonus points make him well worth paying above min-sal for. Week 2 Losses RB Eric Bieniemy - 1 year, $490k* (St. Louis Rams) -Saw the writing on the wall and got out while the going was getting good. We'll miss his power running and special teams work, but won't miss his production. Week 3 Signings QB Jarious Jackson - 1 year, $200k (UDRFA) -I couldn't believe Jackson went undrafted. If we had a RB mentor, I'd be tempted to switch him over there. He'll fight it out with Hamilton for an active roster spot. G Rod Milstead - 1 year, $490k* (Washington Redskins) -And so we continue our NFC East poaching theme. But Rod's just a mentor for our ultra-raw 7th round pick. Week 3 Losses FB Kevin Turner - 1 year, $560k (Baltimore Ravens) -Well, there goes our starting FB. Not that it matters. Week 4 Signings FB Tommy "Touchdown" Vardell - 1 year, $490k* (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) -Awesome! We snag Vardell who's not only a better blocker than Turner ever was, he's a FB mentor who has affinity with a couple guys. Training Camp The New York Jets make me the interesting offer of SILB James Farrior and a 4th round pick for G John Welbourn. I'm very tempted, but Welbourn's a Fan Favorite and besides, we've got a mentor for the second year player now. And if the AI won't trade a Fan Favorite, then I won't either. Code:
...Ouch! on Abraham. Still, I'm very pleased with the rest of the class, all things considered. The battle for the 3rd string spot between Hamilton and Jackson is going to be fun to watch, though Hamilton had a terrific camp that'll give him the inside track.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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12-13-2009, 01:49 AM
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#13 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
I'm trying not to be as dumb as the pre-T.O. IRL Eagles were in that regard.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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12-13-2009, 03:34 AM
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#14 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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2000 Season Looks Promising For McNabb, Eagles
 QB Donovan McNabb is hoping for a better sophomore season An 0-3 start last season gave way to a 5-3 midway mark and the hopes of playoffs, only to have it all come crashing down as the Eagles lost four straight on their way to going 2-6 in the second half and 7-9 on the year, just barely missing the playoffs. Now, with some bold free agent acquisitions and an equally daring trade up in the draft, Philadelphia's front office and fans are hoping for a more successful result this year. Quarterback It's Donovan McNabb's team, of course. He showed major strides in training camp and should have an even better second year than his rookie season, where he just missed the 3,000 yard mark. The competition for backup quarterback will be a three-way battle between 15 year vet Mark Rypien, 5th round draft pick Joe Hamilton and undrafted rookie free agent Jarious Jackson. Hamilton wowed the coaching staff in training camp, showing more stuff than people thought he would and might well be the favorite, with Rypien as the #3 man. Running Back Errict Rhett was brought in via free agency to challenge Duce Staley for the starting spot, but all indications are that Staley will again serve as the team's #1 back, with Rhett #2 and a blocking back on passing downs. FB Tommy "Touchdown" Vardell will be in a intense battle with Cecil Martin for the FB spot and it's hard to say who will win that one. Wide Receiver Plaxico Burress had a camp just as impressive as Hamilton's and the late 1st round pick appears to be worth the huge amount of draft picks Izulde Jestor used to acquire him. He'll serve as the starting flanker, bumping Charles Johnson to the #3 spot. Torrance Small will have his hands full fending off free agent newcomer Michael Westbrook at split end, but given McNabb's rapport with Small last year, we'll give the vote to Small. TE Troy Drayton is the new starting TE, but keep an eye out for 4th round rookie Anthony Becht, who showed in his first camp that he has the goods to eventually be the starter. Offensive Line C Jeff Dellenbach vs Bubba Miller will be an interesting battle, but look for Dellenbach to stay the starter. 2nd year LG John Welbourn looked terrific in camp and is a lock to keep his spot as well and the same is true of LT Tra Thomas, who built on his phenemonal second half with a stellar camp. RG Steve Everett will return as the starter, as will RT Leon Searcy, meaning that the Eagles return the entire same starting five as last year. Earl Dotson will be the backup tackle and Jermaine Mayberry will duke it out with 7th round pick Al Jackson and second year Doug Brzenki for the reserve guard spot. Kicker K David Aker and P Sean Landeta are as good a pair as any in the league, although Landeta is very close to retirement and could be replaced next season. Defensive Line The Eagles are sticking with a 3-4 and it'll be interesting to see how new starting NT Eric Swann handles the transition from a 4-3. Tim Bowens just barely edges out Hollis Thomas as Swann's backup and will spell him in the dime package. LDE Hugh Douglas returns as the starter and RDE features a tough fight between the incumbent Mike Mamula and 11th overall pick John Abraham, who had a disastrous training camp. We'll go with Abraham to win and Mamula and DE Chris Mims as backups in a deep rotation. Linebackers SILB Mike Caldwell continues to hold out, so look for Jeremiah Trotter, who showed off huge improvement in camp, to switch over there and line up alongside Quentin Coryatt, who takes the SLB spot. Ike Reese will man WLB again, leaving James Darling to move to WILB and get the starting job he's been so vocally auditioning for. Barry Gardner and Lemanski Hall are the ILB and OLB backups respectively. Secondary Bad news for the Eagles as both CB Troy Vincent and high-priced signing Deion Sanders appear to have lost a step. They're still very much an above-average starting duo, though and fourth year Al Harris's starting experience last season gives Philadelphia a good nickel corner. The team needs to get some youth in here fast, though. FS Brian Dawkins was the defense's biggest star last year and second year SS Damon Moore looks set to unseat Tim Hauck as the starter after an excellent summer league showing. Code:
Season Projections It's going to be another brutal year in the NFC East, which is still looking like football's strongest division. According to most preseason polls, though, both wildcards will belong to the East, with the Giants building on last year's Cinderella playoff run to take the division this year and the Redskins and Eagles as the NFC's wildcard spots. The defending Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys may be just a bit too long in the tooth for the rest of the division's rising power. ***End Article*** We signed CB Steve Jackson off the street after the article was published, just so we could have someone other than Primetime to return kickoffs. I like how this team looks, to be honest. I wouldn't call us a Super Bowl contender just yet, but the playoffs are a very real possibility. Preseason Philadelphia 24 Kansas City 17 The running game is going to be a problem again this year, but SLB Quentin Coryatt looked great, winning Player of the Game with 9 tackles, 3 assists, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and 2 knockdowns and CB Deion Sanders had 2 pass defenses. Buffalo 14 Philadelphia 7 We lost because QB Joe Hamilton simply isn't ready to be a starting NFL quarterback. He's thrown under 50% in both exhibition games. SLB Quentin Coryatt continues to impress, with 10 tackles, 3 assists, a sack, a hurry and a knockdown. WILB James Darling forced 2 fumbles. Philadelphia 13 Denver 27 QB Jarious Jackson threw over 50% (16/31) and a TD. Not bad, kid. The Golden Domer might beat the Yellow Jacket after all. Other than that, not much to write home about. New England 16 Philadelphia 27 I like to close out preseason with a win, so this was good to see. QB Jarious Jackson was 11/19 for 204 yards, a TD and an INT, outplaying Mark Rypien, who was 1/7 and included a pick in that total. Guess we know who's the #2 QB in Philly. WR Plaxico Buress caught 4 passes for 107 yards and SLB Quentin Coryatt was again Player of the Game with 9 tackles, 3 assists, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and 4 knockdowns. CB Deion Sanders picked up 4 pass defenses and an interception and CB Troy Vincent and SS Damon Moore had 2 pass deflections a piece. DE John Abraham hyperextends his elbow and will miss the season opener and TE Anthony Becht is Doubtful with a pulled groin. Talk about a rookie injury curse that's developing here in Philly. Regular Season Philadelphia 20 Washington 24 Every divisional game is huge this season, so it's disappointing to lose the season opener to the Redskins. No real standout performances for us, and Redskins RB Skip Hicks was just barely over 100 yards rushing. Cincinnati 52 Philadelphia 13 ...How the hell did the Bengals hang 52 points on us?! Donovan McNabb and Jarious Jackson combining for 5 interceptions for starters. Throw in Corey Dillon bashing us for 122 yards and 2 TDs and QB Dave Brown of all people going for 243 yards and 2 TDs passing. What's happened to our defense this season? What's happened to McNabb? DE John Abraham is back to Probable at least. Chicago 6 Philadelphia 19 Well, it's ugly, but we'll take it. RB Duce Staley erupts for 130 yards on 14 carries, K David Akers hits 4/5 field goals and DE Chris Mims gets Player of the Game with 2 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks and a forced fumble. CB Deion Sanders has 2 pass defenses. QB Donovan McNabb throws for a season high 191 yards, but has an interception on top of it. Good news: TE Anthony Becht is Probable. Bad news: NT Eric Swann breaks his clavicle and is Out an estimated 5 weeks. Tim Bowens takes over and Hollis Thomas comes off the inactive list to be the backup. Atlanta 16 Philadelphia 17 K David Akers hits a 31 yarder with 7 seconds left on the clock to bail us out against a Falcons team that always plays us tough. Donovan McNabb finally breaks the 200 yard passing barrier with 290 and 2 TDs, but he also throws 3 interceptions and nearly costs us the game. RB Duce Staley rushes 11 times for 113 yards and WR Torrance Small gets 8 catches for 142 yards and a TD. The defense is led by CB Deion Sanders with 2 pass defenses. New Orleans 10 Philadelphia 34 Finally, our first convincing win of the year, one that puts us over .500. Sure, the Saints suck and very stupidly drafted Jamal Lewis when they already had Ricky Williams, last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year, but it's still good to see Donovan McNabb go 18/28 for 266 yards and 3 TDs. TE Troy Drayton had his best game to date in an Eagles uniform, leading all receivers with 5 catches for 93 yards and 2 TDs. RB Duce Staley is on a mission this year, racking up 105 yards on 17 carries. Oh, and our pass defense combined for 4 interceptions. Philadelphia 14 Carolina 31 ...And right back down the crapper. Here's another sub-200 yard game from Donovan McNabb with 2 picks and I don't care about FS Brian Dawkins's 10 tackles, 3 assists and pass defense. RB Tim Biakabutuka rocks us for 172 yards and 2 TDs. FML. SILB Mike Caldwell ended his holdout in preseason, but screw him, I say. I'll develop the linebackers I have, especially since I want that 4-3 D. Philadelphia 26 Tampa Bay 7 Donovan McNabb ensures the Bucs stay winless with an 18/27 for 257 yards and 2 TDs outing, the bulk of the work going to WR Charles Johnson, who has 5 catches for 101 yards and a TD. K David Akers was a perfect 4/4, including a 55 yarder and CB Troy Vincent blows up for 5 pass defenses. And of course, right when we get back NT Eric Swann, SLB Quentin Coryatt decides it's time to break his ankle and go Out for 7 weeks.  All right Mike Caldwell. You win, asshole. Move to the strong side, pronto.New York 23 Philadelphia 17 ...Ugh. Bright spot - WR Plaxico Burress with 8 catches for 129 yards and a TD. Dark spot, everything else. Including RB Duce Staley carrying the ball 11 times for a grand total of 19 yards. This was a must-win game and we didn't. Which means we're 4-4 and in third place in the East. We'll be lucky to even get the #2 playoff spot, because somebody forgot to tell the Arizona Cardinals they're supposed to suck for a few more years and they're 5-2, tied with the 49ers atop the NFC West. Might as well crown the Redskins' asses now. They're the best team in the NFL at 7-1 and the Giants are 4-3 behind them. But at least I can take solace in the Cowboys being last and least at 3-5.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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12-14-2009, 02:15 AM
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#15 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Searching For Answers
 A frustrating first half isn't what QB Donovan McNabb or the Eagles expected A season that brimmed with playoff promise has become mired in 4-4 mediocrity for the Philadelphia Eagles. The reasons for this are numerous and start with second year QB Donovan McNabb himself, who has yet to have a 300 yard game this season after posting four as a rookie, and in fact has just half his games of even 200 passing yards this season. He's also been extremely erratic in his TD to INT ratio and his 13 TDs to 11 INTs matches exactly what he had in 13 games last season. RB Duce Staley, although on pace for a 1,000 yard season with 0 fumbles, also has not scored a single rushing touchdown this year. For the receivers, WR Torrance Small looks set to reprise his 1,000 yard receiving season, but has only 2 touchdown catches and McNabb has had trouble establishing a rhythm with his other receivers. On the other hand, TE Troy Drayton has 14 catches for 216 yards and is quickly becoming one of McNabb's favorite safety valves along with Staley, who has 24 receptions for 114 yards and 4 TDs. But the biggest reason the Eagles are failing season expectations is because their defense is failing them. Yes, CB Troy Vincent has 10 pass defenses already an 85.8% pass defense rating, and yes, Philadelphia is #1 against the pass in terms of yardage, but they're also 31st against the run, surrendering 131.8 yards a game on the ground and give up 21.1 points a game, which ranks them 24th in the league. The 3-4 defense has handicapped DE Hugh Douglas as an effective pass rusher and on top of it, SLB Quentin Coryatt, the Eagles' best all-around defender after Vincent, recently broke his leg and is out for most of the second half. GM Izulde Jestor has talked for a year and a half now about getting the 4-3 in place and it's something he needs to do as soon as this offseason. We've seen good, solid performances out of the offensive line, including greatly improved run-blocking, which has been a key to Staley's success. McNabb has been sacked just 13 times, which ranks him in the upper third of the most well-protected quarterbacks in the league. K David Akers is in a bit of a sophomore slump, hitting just 16/21, including 8/13 from 40+ and 1/4 from 50+ yards out. There's still time to rebound in the second half, but it'll take McNabb finding his first year form and some more toughness against the run on the defense's part if the Eagles hope to see the playoffs. Code:
***End Article*** Heh. Yeah, we really need that 4-3. Washington 19 Philadelphia 0 Well, that's just embarassing. Donovan McNabb throws for just 157 yards on 15/30 passing with 2 interceptions and the whole team plays like absolute garbage. Crown their damn asses! WR Michael Westbrook strains his deltoid muscle and is Out roughly 4 weeks. We sign Willie Jackson off the scrap heap to be the 4th WR. Dallas 31 Philadelphia 17 We're just completely off-kilter right now. Our run game has turned absolutely horrible, Donovan McNabb throws another 2 picks and I'm officially declaring this season a loss. WR Michael Westbrook is back up to Probable after the bye week. Philadelphia 45 Cleveland 7 When in doubt, there's always the Browns to beat up on. Donovan McNabb has his best game of the year: 21/26 for 275 yards and 3 TDs. DE Hugh Douglas gets 5 tackles, 2 sacks and 5 knockdowns and CB Troy Vincent and S Damon Moore each defend 2 passes. Philadelphia 3 Arizona 31 There's just no consistency in our offense and it's frustrating as hell. Best Eagle of the game: WLB Ike Reese with 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown. FB Tommy Vardell hyperextends his elbow - Out 3 weeks and DE Hugh Douglas pulls a calf muscle and is Out 6 weeks. Douglas missed 3 games last year too, so I think it's safe to call him injury prone. On the bright side, I get to sign another Mentor and one of my fave players FB Larry Centers, to take Vardell's spot. DE Chris Mims takes over for Douglas as the starting LDE. Baltimore 17 Philadelphia 26 Donovan McNabb leads a 4th quarter comeback and wins Player of the Game with his 23/37 for 286 yards, 2 TDs and an INT outing and CB Deion Sanders has 2 pass defenses and an INT. Sadly, all this win does is push more towards 8-8 or 7-9 territory and a bah humbug pick. Philadelphia 6 New York 38 Worst.outing.ever. Donovan McNabb throws 4 interceptions and goes 8/17 for 81 yards. We just got our asses handed to us through and through. On the bright side, Jarious Jackson did go 14/20 for 139 yards in relief. TE Anthony Becht hyperextends his knee and is out 3 weeks and I don't care that FB Tommy Vardell is Probable. Let's just get this season over with. Philadelphia 44 Pittsburgh 10 So we're now 7-8 and are guaranteed to at least match last year's record. Donovan McNabb gets his first 300+ yard game of the season at 24/35 for 348 yards and 3 TDs. WR Plaxico Burress, who's very quietly had a pretty darn good second half, catches 5 passes for 116 yards and a TD. DE Chris Mims gets 1.5 sacks, 3 hurries and 2 knockdown to go with 3 assists and 2 tackles and SLB Mike Caldwell defends 2 passes. SLB Quentin Coryatt is able to come back for our last game, but then S Tim Hauck injures himself, leading us to cut CB Jason Bostic and sign S Chris Oldham off the street. Philadelphia 31 Dallas 9 On the bright side, we improve on last year's record and keep the 'Boys out of the playoffs. That does make me happy, considering I intensely dislike the Cowboys of the '90s. Emmitt Smith is the most overrated damn RB in the history of the game. Great outing by Donovan McNabb with 277 yards and 4 TDs to 1 pick on 19/28 passing. WR Plaxico Burress continues his strong second half with 7 catches for 127 yards and a TD and CB Deion Sanders records 10 tackles and an assist.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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12-15-2009, 01:28 PM
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#16 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Flower Mound, TX
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I think I'd say Emmitt was the most fortunate running back of the 90s, not the most overrated.
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12-15-2009, 05:34 PM
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#17 |
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General Manager
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Chicago
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I think I would say, after reading the Emmitt Smith comment, that I'm rooting for McNabb and Jestor to go down - and go down hard - for the next 12-15 years.
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12-16-2009, 02:39 PM
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#18 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Sorry, guys. I just don't have as high an opinion of Emmitt as a lot of others do.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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12-16-2009, 10:33 PM
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#19 | |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Troy, Mo
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Quote:
I'd agree with this statement. |
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12-25-2009, 02:22 PM
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#20 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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A Slim Improvement
 First round pick WR Plaxico Burress turned it on in the second half of the year Another frustrating year ended in an 8-8 record for QB Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles, their second straight finish in the bottom of the NFC East. Although the team failed to make the playoffs, despite their own expectations and those of preseason magazines, there were some bright spots to highlight the year. McNabb stayed healthy all season and racked up 3,706 yards and 26 TDs to 21 INTs. He found particular rapport with 23rd overall pick WR Plaxico Burress in the second half, allowing the rookie to break the 1,000 yard mark in his first season, with 1,034 yards and 8 TDs on 71 catches. He'll definitely get Rookie of the Year consideration. Last year's #1 WR, Torrance Small, had 63 catches for 847 yards and 4 TDs, giving hope that the Eagles might just have two 1,000 yard receivers down the road. But the run game was simply putrid, and the quest to replace RB Duce Staley as the #1 back will continue. The defense was also horrible against the run, allowing a 27th worst 117.6 yards a game. Beefing up the run will certainly bea point of emphasis on both sides of the ball this offseason. Philadelphia will also need to work on ball security, especially the starting QB, as McNabb's 21 interceptions and 7 fumbles played a major role in the Eagles' 25th worst -8 turnover ratio. And of course, there is the long-wished for conversion to a 4-3, which, after some shocking defensive meltdowns this season, will almost certainly be in the plans for next year. Code:
***End Article*** What a disappointment DE John Abraham was. Then there's the whole thing about SLB Quentin Coryatt being very good until he got hurt. Then again, maybe Abraham can step it up with a 4-3 defense. The NFC East represents in the Super Bowl for the second straight year as the Washington Redskins take on the Indianapolis Colts. QB Peyton Manning wins Super Bowl MVP with 256 yards and 2 TDs in a 30-17 victory to get his Super Bowl ring years earlier than in real life. 2000 Philadelphia Eagles Season Awards We're once again shut out of the postseason awards, Burress losing Offensive Rookie of the Year to RB Mike Anderson of the Chicago Bears. Anderson had 1,267 yards and 3 TDs rushing and 48 catches for 435 yards and 2 TDs receiving. 4th round pick TE Anthony Becht earns the trip to France, as I'm expecting him to challenge for the starting TE spot next year, if not win it outright. Free Agency By the Numbers QB, RB, TE, WR x 4, C x 2, T x 2, DE, DT, ILB, CB Lot of WRs to go get. Week 1 Extensions SS Damon Moore - 5 years, $7.55 mil. Week 3 Signings WR Michael Westbrook - 1 year, $540k (Re-signing) -A solid #3 WR for us last year, could slot in as the starting SE if Torrance Small doesn't come back. RT Leon Searcy - 2 years, $2.41 mil. (Re-signing) -Could stay the starting RT or, more likely, will be the top reserve. But he's a mentor and a guy I traded for, so I'm keeping him. Week 3 Losses WILB James Darling - 1 year, $540k (Indianapolis Colts) -We're planning on switching to a 4-3, so we weren't inclined to fight too hard for our inside linebackers, especially not ones who don't live up to expectations, fan favorite status be damned. TE Troy Drayton - 1 year, $540k (Dallas Cowboys) -Very solid player for us last year and I kind of hate to see him go, but I really, really want Becht to be the starter next year. Week 4 Signings WR Torrance Small - 3 years, $5.86 mil. (Re-signing) -It's way overpaying for a guy in his 10th season, but he's been a key part of this offense and he's a mentor to boot. Between Burress, Small and Westbrook, McNabb will have a trio of WRs he has experience and rapport with. Cohesion FTW. Week 5 Signings C Bubba Miller - 1 year, $460k (Re-signing) -Will start next year, because Jeff Dellenbach hung it up. Week 5 Losses DE Mike Mamula - 1 year, $520k (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) -Had absolutely no intention of re-signing with us, as he was very angry that he got passed up as a starter by Hugh Douglas and John Abraham. Funny thing is, he won't start with the Bucs either. DT Tim Bowens - 1 year, $600k (Minnesota Vikings) -Fascinating. Bowens was only a half-time starter with us and gets a significantly above min-sal deal from the Vikings. Good luck, Tim! Week 6 Signings DE Chris Mims - 2 years, $1.7 mil. (Re-signing) -Slight overpay, but he had 6.5 sacks in just 5 starts last year and he's a mentor. Good insurance in case Hugh Douglas gets hurt yet again. CB Phillipi Sparks - 1 year, $1 mil. (New York Giants) -Had a lot of interest around him, but he'll be a solid corner for us, even if he's in his 10th season. A one year rental, no doubt. Week 7 Signings WR Andre Hastings - 1 year, $660k (New Orleans Saints) -A sure-handed mentor, he was a two year starter for the Saints and now slots in what is an increasingly deep receiving corps. McNabb's happy to have more help. Week 7 Losses RT Earl Dotson - 1 year, $500k* (Pittsburgh Steelers) -Very good backup tackle for us, but we just wanted to go in another direction. In other words, we're hoping to find an heir apparent to Searcy at RT in the draft. Week 8 Signings TE Jackie Harris - 1 year, 570k* (Baltimore Ravens) -Mentor who looks good enough to be the backup, but not so good he'll wrecks Becht's chances at starting. Draft is up next.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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12-26-2009, 12:03 AM
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#21 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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2001 NFL Draft 1st Round
This draft class is stacked at RB. LaDainan Tomlinson is the biggest and best, but Deuce McAllister and Lamont Jordan are drawing interest as well. WR looks good too, headlined by Steve Smith and Chad Johnson and there's also quite a few good defensive linemen, notably DEs Derrick Burgess and Kyle Vanden Bosch and DTs Chartric Darby and Marcus Stroud. We hold the 14th pick. 1. QB Todd Bouman - Cleveland Browns ...Wow! The guy who wasn't even the top-rated QB on most draft boards in an extremely weak class goes #1 overall. But then again, this is the Browns. 2. QB Drew Brees - Oakland Raiders (through Houston Texans) And there goes the draft's best QB. The Houston Texans get Oakland's 2003 1st and 2nd round pick and their 3rd round pick in this draft for the #2 overall pick. Defensive Rookie of the Year Brian Urlacher will have to wait another couple seasons for help. 3. RB LaDainan Tomlinson - New Orleans Saints The Browns and Raiders go on the Saints' Christmas card list for this wonderful gift. 4. WR Steve Smith - Chicago Bears 5. WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6. RB Deuce McAllister - Miami Dolphins 7. WR Chad Johnson - Seattle Seahawks 8. DT Marcus Stroud - Baltimore Ravens 9. CB Ken Lucas - Minnesota Vikings 10. DE Derrick Burgess - Chicago Bears (through Kansas City Chiefs) Ridiculous that the draft's best DE fell this far. The Bears give up their 2003 1st rounder and their 3rd round picks this year and in 2003 to grab this impact defender. Anderson, Smith and Burgess.. that's a group that can make Chicago better in a hurry. 11. DE Kyle Vanden Bosch - New England Patriots 12. CB Jerametrius Butler - Cincinnati Bengals 13. DT Chartric Darby - Oakland Raiders And so now it's our turn. The pick's a no-brainer as we need to commit ourselves to the 4-3 and the player I had my eye on for this spot all along fell here. 14. DT Shaun Rogers - Philadelphia Eagles Say hello to our DT anchor in our new 4-3! 15. T Leonard Davis - Pittsburgh Steelers 16. RB Lamont Jordan - Dallas Cowboys 17. RB Travis Henry - Buffalo Bills 18. ILB Kendrell Bell - New York Giants (through San Diego Chargers) 2002 1st, 2003 1st -and- a 2003 2nd? The Chargers just made out like bandits. 19. DE Reggie Hayward - Detroit Lions 20. CB Alvin Porter - St. Louis Rams 21. WR Justin McCareins - Denver Broncos 22. G Steve Hutchinson - Jacksonville Jaguars 23. WR Reggie Wayne - New York Giants I -am- not happy. I was hoping Wayne would drop a little more and for him to go to the Giants double-hurts. The G-men may have mortgaged their future to get Bell, but they amended that with their steal here. First they screw me out of the playoffs in McNabb's rookie year, now they get a player I really wanted. 24. RB Reuben Droughns - Tennessee Titans 25. G Rick De Mulling - San Francisco 49ers 26. ILB Antonio Pierce - Carolina Panthers 27. G Kevin Garmon - Cincinnati Bengals 28. DE Adewale Ogunleye - Arizona Cardinals 29. RB Dominic Rhodes - Green Bay Packers 30. RB Benjamin Gay - New York Jets 31. DE Richard Seymour - Washington Redskins 32. RB Jason Brookins - Indianapolis Colts There's a CB I really like in the second round, but I'm going to gamble that he's there in the third. We really need help at RB, so I go with a Badger in RB Michael Bennett, one of a long, proud line of Wisconsin backs. I get nervous the CB I want will be taken before my pick in the 3rd, so I trade my 3rd and 5th round picks to the Seattle Seahawks to draft CB Will Allen. It's not an area of need, but to see C Hank Fraley, a 2nd round, maybe even a 1st round talent still sitting there in the 4th makes it an easy pick, especially with fantastic combines. We don't have a 5th, so in the 6th we take LT Kenyatta Jones, who actually projects better at RT. Not saying he'll ever be a starter, especially with suspected low endurance, but at this stage, he's worth the flyer. FS Adam Archuleta is our 7th round pick, thanks to his terrific run defense upside, which could earn him a spot in the goal-line package. Late Free Agency Week 1 Signings QB Mark Rypien - 1 year, $560k* (Re-signing) -Mentor. C Brian Williams - 2 years, $1.67 mil. (Detroit Lions) -Way overpaid, but mentors are scarce at this position spot. Week 1 Losses OLB Lemanski Hall - 1 year, $560k (New York Giants) -Saw the writing on the 4-3 wall and jumped ship to our division rivals Week 2 Signings RB Bam Morris - 1 year, $500k* (New England Patriots) -Mentor, but one that might actually see some PT. Week 3 Signings G Corbin Lacina - 1 year, $500k* (Washington Redskins) -Probably an unnecessary mentor, but that's okay. We'll cut him if he sucks. DT Keith Traylor - 1 year, $570k* (Tennessee Titans) -Mentor who still has some run-stopping ability. Week 5 Losses MLB James Willis - 1 year, $590k (Dallas Cowboys) (Jacksonville Jaguars) -Realized too late that we needed another ILB and so missed out on him. That means a scrubby backup named Pete Monty, signed after training camp. Code:
What an absolutely fantastic class. Rogers, Bennett and Fraley figure as Day One starters, Allen should be the dime corner and Jones will serve as the main backup T. It's going to be an interesting year next season.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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12-27-2009, 07:16 PM
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#22 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Eagles Expected To Earn East Title
 4th round pick C Hank Fraley turned heads in training camp Two straight last places in the tough, competitive NFC East haven't prevented some preseason pundits to predict a division title for the Philadelphia Eagles over the defending NFC champion Washington Redskins. QB Donovan McNabb has arguably his best supporting cast in his young career and, much like the Eagles made a slow improvement from first year to second year and are expected to soar this season, so too, is he expected to breakout. Quarterback This will again be McNabb's team and many are forecasting this is the year he truly becomes one of the upper division quarterbacks in the league. But the depth's thin behind him, with 2nd year man Joe Hamilton and old man Mark Rypien fighting it out again for the backup spot. Running Back GM Izulde Jestor finally has a shiny new #1 back, 2nd round pick Michael Bennett. There's some scouts who believe that Duce Staley is the better pure runner, but Bennett has much better hole recognition and third down running ability. Cecil Martin is the lone FB on the roster. Receivers Second year FL Plaxico Burress is set to build on his 1,000 yard rookie season. The starting split end spot will be a neck and neck fight between Torrance Small and [b]Michael Westbrook, but McNabb's comfort with Small should see the veteran win out. Andre Hastings gives the Eagles a great third receiver after coming in from free agency. At TE, second year man Anthony Becht has been handed the starting spot, even with Troy Drayton's success last year. Jackie Harris will be the backup and likely the 5th receiver. Offensive Line Unlike last season, when all five of the Eagles' o-line returned, there'll be at least one new face blocking for McNabb and Bennett. While a new center was certain after Jeff Dellenbach retired, what no one could have anticipated was that Hank Fraley would fall to the Eagles in the 4th round, or that the Robert Morris product would amaze the coaching staff with the best rookie camp of the Jestor regime, stealing the starting spot from former heir apparent Bubba Miller. In fact, the coaches are so high on Fraley, they think he could be an All-Pro, 10 year or more starter. The tackles will stay the same, with Tra Thomas manning the left side, Leon Searcy the right, and John Wellbourn will remain at left guard, but right guard is an open battle between incumbent Steve Everett, Jermaine Mayberry and last year's 7th round pick, Al Jackson. Miller, the losers of the right guard fight, and 6th round pick Kenyatta Jones will be the reserves. Defensive Line Philadelphia's switch to a 4-3 defense is highlighted by 1st round pick Shaun Rogers, an expected impact rookie at left defensive tackle. Eric Swann moves from NT to RDT, with the defensive end spots taken by oft-injured Hugh Douglas and sophomore John Abraham, who hopes to rebound from a disappointing rookie campaign. Pass-rush specialist Chris Mims will back up the end spots, while Hollis Thomas and Keith Traylor will rotate at DT. Linebackers Although the linebacking corps isn't the strength it once was, as players have been allowed to leave via free agency or trades, SLB Quentin Coryatt, MLB Jeremiah Trotter and WLB Ike Reese form as capable a set of three as any in the league. Coryatt needs to corral his injury-proneness, though and Reese is probably best suited to a 3-4. Barry Gardner and Mike Caldwell are the backups, Caldwell good enough to start for most teams in the NFL. Secondary Pick any pair from Troy Vincent, free agent pickup Phillipi Sparks and Al Harris. That's how close the Eagles' top three cornerbacks are. Unfortunately, none of them is a shutdown corner, but together, they make a very solid backbone of a nickel package. 3rd round rookie Will Allen has upside enough to reach the level of those above him and figures in as the dime back this season. Damon Moore and Brian Dawkins return as the starting safeties, with Tom Hauck and 7th round pick Adam Archuleta as the reserves. Potential Issues In a word: Depth. The starting units on both sides of the ball are worthy of the division title billing the Eagles are getting in some press, but an injury at the wrong position, such as quarterback or offensive tackle, will devastate Philadelphia's playoff hopes. Right guard could also use an upgrade and a few areas on the team, such as offensive tackle and cornerback, need more quality in their youth. Season Predictions The Eagles are slightly favored to win the East overall, though almost as many predict the Redskins to repeat as division champs. Indianapolis is the prohibitive favorite to repeat as Super Bowl champions and the St. Louis Rams are slight favorites over the Green Bay Packers to win the NFC title. ***End Article*** Simply put, we have to avoid injury woes.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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12-27-2009, 09:09 PM
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#23 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Preseason
Philadelphia 23 Houston 14 2.5 sacks and 3 knockdowns by DE Hugh Douglas earn him Player of the Game, but the exciting part was Joe Hamilton going 17/25 for 144 yards, 2 TDs and an INT. Maybe he can be a capable backup after all. Boom! Injuries hit. RDT Eric Swann breaks his foot and is Out approximately 10 weeks, LDT Shaun Rogers sprains a knee ligament and is Questionable for 9 weeks and CB Will Allen hyperextends his knee and is estimated Out 3 weeks. 3rd year DTs Sherman Gregoire and Dixon Cassidy are signed off the street along with 3rd year CB Charles Fisher. Gregoire and Hollis Thomas take over at LDT and RDT respectively. Fisher becomes the backup RCB and inserts into our goal line package. Cleveland 15 Philadelphia 29 CB Phillipi Sparks returns a kickoff 92 yards for a TD and grabs 2 interceptions, but to counter that happy news, RB Michael Bennett fumbles 3 times. Not good. Indianapolis 23 Philadelphia 14 A not unexpected loss to the Colts. CB Troy Vincent's 2 pass defenses are the lone highlight. Interesting side note: All of the NFC East teams started 2-0 in preseason and after the third game, only the Giants are still unbeaten in exhibition play. CB Will Allen is back to Probable, but then DE Hugh Douglas comes in to say that he's been suffering from depression after his injuries the last two seasons and his underachieving performance. He said it's been getting worse and worse and he just can't bring himself to play football right now. I tell him to take as much time he needs to recover and sign 9th year DE Ty Parten to be the backup end, Chris Mims taking over at the LDE spot. Philadelphia 20 Pittsburgh 13 It's only preseason, but a road win over the Steelers always satisfies. QB Joe Hamilton had the game of his life: 23/31 for 304 yards and 2 TDs on a night when Donovan McNabb went a perfect 7/7 for 121 yards, a yard less than WR Torrance Small got on 7 catches. One of Small's grabs was good for a 2 yard TD reception. DE John Abraham had 2 sacks, thus bettering in one game his whole total for all of last season. The sweetest part of this fun game? Hamilton led the 4th quarter comeback. In fact, the game was so enjoyable, DE Hugh Douglas said afterwards that he's ready to play again and help lead this team to the playoffs. I'll definitely take it, especially since it's just in time for the regular season. Regular Season Philadelphia 28 New York Giants 27 With 49 seconds left on the game clock, Donovan McNabb hit WR Torrance Small for a 10 yard TD pass and the thrilling comeback victory! McNabb won Player of the Game on 26/42 for 281 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT and CB Troy Vincent headlined the defense with 3 pass defenses and an interception. DE Hugh Douglas sprains his knee and is Questionable for the next game. We'll sit him. But the most devastating injury is LT Tra Thomas, who dislocates his elbow and is Out roughly 8 weeks. We put Leon Searcy at LT, sign 3rd year T Jerry Wisne, and make Kenyatta Jones the starting RT. But on the whole, I'm thinking our season is sunk. Denver 16 Philadelphia 23 No final heroics in this one, although Donovan McNabb wins Player of the Game again with 276 yards and a TD on 23/30 passing. RB Michael Bennett had the first 100 yard game of his NFL career with exactly that on 18 carries and Torrance Small had 7 catches for 116 yards. K David Akers nailed 3/4 field goals, including a 55 yarder and the defense had a couple stars as well. CB Phillipi Sparks recorded 10 tackles and 2 assists and DE Chris Mims showed why he was so deadly a rusher last year, with 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 hurries and 3 knockdowns. RDT Hollis Thomas continues the revolving door at DT, as he'll miss a game with a strained Achilles tendon, which means Keith Traylor will get a start and DT Dixon Cassidy gets in on passing downs. Philadelphia 34 Seattle 13 Even with all the injuries, we blow out the Seahawks, despite Donovan McNabb's 2 picks to go with his 2 TDs and 280 yards. RB Michael Bennett won Player of the Game despite the mundane statline of 25 rushes for 89 yards and a TD and 5 catches for 31 yards. CB Troy Vincent and CB Al Harris shut down Seattle's passing game with 3 and 2 pass defenses respectively. DT Hollis Thomas is back to full health, but the bigger news is that DT Shaun Rogers is finally Probable, along with DE Hugh Douglas. Hello, instant D-line upgrade! Minnesota 28 Philadelphia 31 A game that threatens to go into overtime is won with 5 seconds left on the clock when K David Akers hits the 44 yard FG to send us to 4-0. Donovan McNabb had a great game - 30/39 for 309 yards, 3 TDs and an INT to win PotG and Hugh Douglas awoke with a venegance at 6 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 hurries and 2 knockdowns. CB Phillipi Sparks and S Brian Dawkins had 2 pass defenses a piece. DT Eric Swann is back to Probable, giving us a comparatively full-strength d-line for the first time this season. Detroit 26 Philadelphia 41 Donovan McNabb records another 300 yard outing in this one with 309 on 23/33 passing. He also threw for 4 TDs and 2 INTs. But he wasn't Player of the Game. That honor went to CB Troy Vincent, who had an astounding 6 tackles, 1 assist and 3 interceptions. One of my favorite Badgers of all-time has still got it going on in his 10th season, fo' sho. Philadelphia 10 Green Bay 30 Well, we knew a perfect season wasn't likely, but it's still disappointing to get blown out this badly by the Packers, who move to 6-0 on the year in this battle of the unbeatens. No highlights, as you might expect. Philadelphia 38 Washington 24 So much for the Redskins repeating. With the loss, they drop to 2-4. Coolest play of the game: Duce Staley returning a fumble 27 yards for a TD. Player of the Game: {b]Donovan McNabb[/b] throwing for 269 yards and 3 TDs. Best defender: CB Al Harris with 3 pass defenses. We get a bye week and that's good enough to make LT Tra Thomas Probable, much to Donovan McNabb's relief. Philadelphia 31 Chicago 29 The game wasn't as close as it looked. The Bears added a late touchdown just outside the two minute warning and couldn't stop us on the final drive. WR Torrance Small had 105 yards and a TD on just 4 catches and MLB Jeremiah Trotter just went off - 15 tackles, 3 assists, 2 sacks, a forced fumble and a hurry, while DE Hugh Douglas shot through for 6 tackles, 3 assists, 3 sacks and 3 knockdowns. How good is our 7-1 mark? So good that we won as many games in a half season as we won all of McNabb's rookie year. We're also #2 in the NFC, behind 8-0 Green Bay. Baltimore's the 8-0 team in the league. But we're only a game behind 6-2 Dallas, while New York and Washington are slumming in 3-5 territory. The usual midseason report next.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Last edited by Izulde : 12-27-2009 at 09:17 PM. |
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12-27-2009, 11:41 PM
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#24 |
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Mascot
Join Date: May 2009
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WR from the first draft. You took Plaxico, and I was curious if you could tell me how Jerry Porter turned out. I always thought he was the best WR in that draft.
Also, looking forward to seeing Donovan win MULTIPLE Super Bowls... so don't let me down, LOL. |
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12-28-2009, 05:06 AM
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#25 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
Porter was taken with the 3rd pick in the 2nd round by the Browns and is thus far looking injury-prone. He started 14 games last year (missed 2 because of shoulder injury) and had 59 catches for 781 yards and 4 TDs his rookie year, but also 10 drops. This season, he started 7 games so far before breaking his tibia (still Out another 8 weeks approximately) and has 39 catches for 512 yards, a TD and a drop. He's rated 54/54 and the Browns are 3-6 so far this season, which is already an improvement on their 2-14 record in Porter's rookie year. And thanks. I'll try my best.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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12-28-2009, 09:08 PM
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#26 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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A Beautiful First Half
 Although QB Donovan McNabb is known for his running talents, he's focused on passing this season What a difference a year makes. A season removed from 8-8 and the Philadelphia Eagles have flown to the top of the NFC East, boasting an impressive 7-1 midpoint mark that all but guarantees them a playoff spot after falling short the last two years. Much of the magical turnaround can be attributed to third year QB Donovan McNabb, who has far surpassed even the most optimistic preseason prognosticators with a blistering first half: 192/274, a 70.1% completion rate, for 2,213 yards, 21 TDs and 10 INTs. To put that more in perspective, McNabb had just 26 TD passes all of last season. While WR Plaxico Burress is on pace for another 1,000 yard season and has 7 TD catches, it's a deep and balanced receiving corps that deserves a lot of the credit for McNabb's evolution into one of the NFL's best signalcallers. A small nod deserves to be given to RB Michael Bennett as well, as the rookie is on track to crack 1,000 rushing yards, a mark never achieved by Duce Staley, who never even reached 900 in the last two seasons. The offense as a whole is a firecracker unit, second in the league in scoring at 29.5 points a game and #1 in third down conversion at 51.5%, helped greatly by an offensive line that's done a superlative job of protecting McNabb, despite missing LT Tra Thomas for most of the first half. Although the defense hasn't been as sterling as the offense, a few Eagles are having standout seasons on that side of the ball. MLB Jeremiah Trotter is on pace for 100 tackle season with 53 tackles, 13 assists, 3 sacks, a hurry and 3 pass defenses. DE Hugh Douglas, despite missing two games, already has 6 sacks, besting his previous two seasons and CB Troy Vincent looks five years younger, with an impressive 4 interceptions and 8 pass defenses already to his credit. Code:
K David Akers is 11/13 thus far, including 6/8 from 40+ range and a perfect 3/3 from 50 yards out. Although the Eagles aren't likely to repeat their 7-1 mark in the second half, with tough contests against the 6-2 Dallas Cowboys on tap, it should still be smooth sailing to at least a wildcard berth, if not a division title. ***End Article*** New York 13 Philadelphia 38 Most satisfying play: S Damon Moore returning a pick 25 yards for the game's final score. Donovan McNabb's Player of the Game with a modest 208 yards and 2 TDs on 20/28 passing, while DE Hugh Douglas racks up another 2 sacks and CB Phillipi Sparks picks up 2 pass defenses. Philadelphia 34 Dallas 17 So much for the Cowboys threat. We clinch a winning record and guarantee that we'll improve on last year's mark as Donovan McNabb rips loose for 375 yards and 4 TDs on 24/34 passing, the best outing of his career. WR Torrance Small grabs 6 balls for 116 yards and WR Plaxico Burress has 5 catches for 99 yards and a TD. Kansas City 14 Philadelphia 42 CB Phillipi Sparks returns an interception for a 17 yard TD, but the game's real story is RB Michael Bennett ripping up the Chiefs for 124 rushing yards and a TD on 21 carries. DE Hugh Douglas officially becomes the first player of my regime to hit double-digit sacks in a season as he tallies 2 sacks, 5 hurries and 3 knockdowns. Three defensive players deflect 2 passes: Sparks, CB Troy Vincent, and, of all people, DT Shaun Rogers. Tampa Bay 10 Philadelphia 24 Donovan McNabb goes 25/32 for 306 yards, 2 TDs and an INT, the bulk of the yardage going to WR Torrance Small on 6 catches for 106 yards. DE Hugh Douglas continues his nonstop motor with 5 tackles, an assist, 2.5 sacks, a block, 5 hurries and 3 knockdowns and CB Troy Vincent defends 2 passes. Philadelphia 17 Oakland 14 The Raiders throw a scare into us, but we overcome 3 interceptions by Donovan McNabb thanks to our defense. CB Phillipi Sparks piles on 11 tackles and 2 assists, but it's MLB Jeremiah Trotter who wins PotG with 6 tackles, 3 assists, 2 sacks and a block. The good news? We clinch the NFC East with the narrow win. The bad news? The effing Packers are 13-0. SLB Mike Caldwell strains his knee and is questionable for 4 weeks. We cut MLB Pete Monty and sign OLB Scott Gaylon, who not only takes a spot as reserve linebacker, but earns gunner duties on special teams. Dallas 24 Philadelphia 51 Fun game if you like lots of scoring, and I do. RB Michael Bennett carries the ball 29 times for 139 yards and 3 rushing TDs and QB Donovan McNabb puts up 329 yards and 2 TDs on 20/28 passing. WR Plaxico Burress and WR Torrance Small post matching 94 yard games, with Small bettering Burress by a TD catch. CB Al Harris provided the defensive fireworks with 2 interceptions. Our linebacking injuries mount, as MLB Jeremiah Trotter strains his Abdomen and is Doubtful for 3 weeks. DT Dixon Cassidy gets a late-season pink slip to give us the free space to ink veteran MLB Rob Holmberg, who becomes the backup to MLB Barry Gardner and fills in the goal-line package. Philadelphia 21 San Diego 6 The Chargers are terrible, and WR Plaxico Burress ignites for 101 yards and 2 TDs on 5 catches. But what gives me the biggest smile is DE John Abraham winning Player of the Game with 2 tackles, 3 assists, 2.5 sacks, a hurry and fumble recovery. Way to start earning your first round status, John! CB Phillipi Sparks continues his stellar season in an Eagles uniform with 4 pass defenses and S Damon Moore deflects 2 attempts of his own. SLB Mike Caldwell is back to Probable, but C Hank Fraley hyperextends his elbow and will miss the last regular season game. We've clinched at least a #2 seed, but the bleeping Packers are 15-0 and will be the #1 seed because they beat us, even if they lose. C Bubba Miller finally gets to start, with C Brian Williams the backup. Washington 6 Philadelphia 32 The Redskins came into this game with every incentive to beat us, in hopes of getting to the playoffs. Donovan McNabb has other ideas, completing 22 of 29 passes for 252 yards and 2 TDs to go with S Brian Dawkins's 3 pass defenses. ...Wow. The Packers tied the Vikings 14-14 to technically go undefeated, but they don't have a 1.000 record either. But that's not the biggest wow. The biggest wow is... LT Tra Thomas breaks his clavicle and is done for the year. Not a good way to go into the playoffs.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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12-28-2009, 09:24 PM
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#27 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bath, ME
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Wow, what a surprise season!! Things suddenly just clicked. Having the Packers go 15-0-1 is just crazy icing on the cake of a great story.
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01-02-2010, 02:57 AM
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#28 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
Thanks. Yeah, it was absolutely insane how everything just worked out... and that's even with a glut of injuries on the D-line and that injury to Tra Thomas. His getting hurt again has me awfully wary and we might need to go shopping for another LT, just to be on the safe side.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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01-03-2010, 11:59 PM
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#29 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Hearst's 49ers To Battle Eagles In Divisional Round
 49ers RB Garrison Hearst rushed for over 1,500 yards in the regular season Defense and turnovers led the San Francisco 49ers to a 20-3 wildcard victory over the NFC South champion Carolina Panthers, but they'll have a much stiffer test against in Philadelphia against the Eagles, who have a much higher octane offense and deeper all-around talent. Quarterbacks Jeff Garcia had his second straight 3500 yard season in his third year in the league. Not a good touchdown generator, though, and his 17 TDs to 14 INTs in the regular season was merely ordinary. Has the grittiness to engineer a comeback, though, with 5 4th quarter come-from-behinds in 36 games. 4th round rookie Marques Tuiasosopo is the backup. Donovan McNabb exploded this season, throwing for 4,383 yards and 40 TDs to just 15 picks. Most importantly, he cut down his fumble numbers from 7 in his first two seasons to just one this year. There's no question he's one of the league's elite. Second year Joe Hamilton has yet to throw a pass in the regular season. [i]Advantage: Eagles Running Backs Garrison Hearst ran for 1,534 yards and 12 TDs and caught 57 passes for 476 yards during the regular season, but also coughed the ball up 7 times and was largely contained by the Panther defense. Backup Charlie Garner just missed the 500 yard mark with 495 and has been a lock for 4 yards a carry on the button this year and last since losing his starting spot to Hearst. 2nd round rookie Michael Benntt proved a pleasant surprise with 1,184 yards and 10 TDs to just 2 fumbles. #2 man Duce Staley was rejuvenated by taking the backup role and ran for 549 yards and 6 TDs. [i]Advantage: Draw Wide Receivers The 49ers have one of the top wideouts in the league in WR Terrell Owens, who extended his 1,000+ yard season streak to three with a 91 catch, 1,227 yard, 7 TD regular season effort. They'll need T.O. to step up even more, because starting SE Tai Streets and #3 WR Curtis Conway will both miss this game with injuries. That means a likely start for 2nd round pick WR Drew Bennett and TE Gary Clark, who had a career-high 38 catches for 321 yards in the regular season. 2nd year WR Plaxico Burress showed no sophomore slump, catching 67 balls for 1,150 yards and 10 TDs to just 3 drops. Although not as illustrious as Owens, he's got a better QB throwing to him. WR Torrance Small just missed the 1,000 yard mark with 58 receptions for 962 yards and 6 TDs. WR Andre Hastings was an absolute free agent steal as the third receiver, picking up 725 yards and 9 TDs on 52 catches. TE Anthony Becht had a season virtually identical to Clark's, with 35 receptions for 326 yards. Advantage: Eagles Offensive Line LT Todd Wade gave up 9 sacks in his second season, his first as the starter, but RT Derrick Deese bounced back after a poor season last year. C Jeremy Newberry is solid, but not spectacular. First round pick LG Rick De Mulling had a great rookie campaign, converting 32.9% of his key run blocks and giving up just 1 sack with a pancake block thrown besides. RG Jeff Buckey is a major overachiever who plays far beyond his limited talents. The big story for the Eagles, of course, is that they'll be without LT Tra Thomas, although he may make it back for the Super Bowl, should Philadelphia get that far. In his place will be T Leon Searcy, who filled in well for Thomas earlier in the season. 6th round pick RT Kenyatta Jones surrendered 3 sacks in 6 starts but showed flashes of becoming a legitimate run-blocker. 4th round steal C Hank Fraley will be back for this game and he'll provide a major boost to the line. LG John Welbourn is one of the more underrated players in the league and RG Al Jackson would be better off on the left side. Advantage: Draw Defensive Line San Francisco runs a 3-4 and feature a great DT in NT Bryant Young, a 1st Team All-Pro last season. LDE Chike Okeafor was slowed by injuries this season, but has some pass rush ability. RDE Martin Harrison, now in his 12th season, is too old to be an effective starter anymore. The Eagles' 4-3 is powered by its defensive ends. LDE Hugh Douglas broke out for 51 tackle, 18 sack, 34 hurry, 24 knockdown season despite missing 2 games with injuries and RDE John Abraham also blossomed with the change in defenses, rebounding from an awful rookie year to rack up 8 sacks and 36 hurries. 1st round pick LDT Shaun Rogers is raw, but should be solid if he can avoid injuries, while RDT Eric Swann is a talented pass-rusher, when he's not hurt. Advantage: Eagles Linebackers A pair of very good OLBs in SLB Marcus Washington, a late 3rd round pick a year ago, and WLB Jeff Posey, headline the 49er linebacking corps. Washington and Posey both had 60 tackle seasons, with Washington grabbing 8 sacks and 2 picks besides and Posey sacking the QB 10 times. SILB Winifred Tubbs tore his patellar tendon and will likely miss all of next year in addition to the rest of this season, which means SILB Chris Draft and WILB Corey Widmer, roster fillers both, will have to take up the slack. SLB Quentin Coryatt has been a huge disappointment in an Eagles uniform, but MLB Jeremiah Trotter is developing a reputation as a tackle machine after 81 tackles and 5 sacks in 14 games as the key cog in the new defensive scheme. WLB Ike Reese lost his sack numbers due to the scheme switch, but he's still good for 50+ tackles a year. Advantage: Draw Secondary SS Reggie Tongue just missed his third straight year of 100+ tackles with 97, but made up for it with 5 interceptions. FS Zack Bronson is solid as well, but the corners leave something to be desired, as neither [b]CB R.W. McQuarters[/b or CB Nate Clements, nor nickel back Monty Montgomery impress. FS Brian Dawkins had his third straight 80+ tackle season, but he forced just one fumble during the regular season. SS Damon Moore picked off 4 passes, but he was beaten out for the team lead by ageless CB Troy Vincent, who had 5 interceptions and 12 pass defenses. RCB Al Harris had a solid season, while nickel CB Phillipi Sparks led the team in tackles with 89 and also had 3 interceptions to his credit. Advantage: Eagles Final Thoughts It's hard to see an area where the 49ers can legitimately shut down the Eagles. Terrell Owens is an elite talent of course, and so is Garrison Hearst, but the Eagles were #2 in scoring in the league at 30.9 points a game and that doesn't bode well for a 49ers team that ranked 21st in passing yards, even with the #1 ranked run defense. Philadelphia doesn't rely on the run much, which increases the chances of this game being a shootout and in that scenario, we like Donovan McNabb's boys in a blowout. San Francisco's cornerbacks are too weak, Jeff Garcia too unimpressive, to hope for a 49ers miracle. Line Eagles by 8
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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01-04-2010, 10:25 AM
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#30 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Offensive Lapses Doom Eagles in 26-10 Loss
 The Madden Curse didn't strike San Francisco 49ers RB Garrison Hearst And just like that, a 15-1 season went up in smoke. Done in by 7 dropped passes by the Eagles' receivers, 2 interceptions and a costly holding penalty that nullified a touchdown. The first quarter started off slow, with a pair of short drives by each team netting nothing, until the 49ers put together a 6 minute march that started from their own 12 yard line to get a K Wade Richey 32 yard field goal with 2:49 left in the quarter. Philadelphia had a shot to answer, but the normally reliable K David Akers missed a 54 yard attempt on the opposite end. San Francisco took advantage, riding consecutive 21 yard plays of a pass to TE Hunter Goodwin and a run by RB Charlie Garner to set up QB Jeff Garcia's 5 yard TD pass to Terrell Owens for the 10-0 lead. QB Donovan McNabb answered by going 3/4 on the next drive, including an apparent 15 yard TD throw to WR Torrance Small, but a holding penalty negated it and the Eagles had to settle for K David Akers 42 yard field goal. K Wade Richey tacked on two more field goals before halftime, including a 55 yarder, to make it 16-3 49ers at the break. The San Francisco defense held the Eagles to a 3 and out on the opening drive of the second half and the 49er offense followed up with a 55 yard run by RB Garrison Hearst that put QB Jeff Garcia in position to hit WR Terrell Owens for a 15 yard score. That made it 23-3 San Francisco with a few minutes into the third quarter. A glimmer of hope appeared late in the third when Eagles QB Donovan McNabb connected with WR Plaxico Burress 3 times for 54 yards, but then S Zach Bronson snuffed out the threat with an endzone interception that effectively ended Philadelphia's comeback hopes, despite scoring on a 29 yard pass to WR Michael Westbrook to cut the lead to 23-10 early in the fourth, especially after 49ers K Wade Richey nailed a 54 yarder on the ensuing drive to make it a three score game at 26-10. 49ers Leaders RB Garrison Hearst - 30 carries, 124 yards QB Jeff Garcia - 18/22, 191 yards, 2 TDs (Player of the Game) K Wade Richey - 4/4 FGs, 2/2 XP, 2/2 from 50+ range S Reggie Tongue - 5 tackles, an assist, 2 pass defenses OLB Marcus Washington - 3 tackles, 1 sack, 2 pass defenses Eagles Leaders WR Plaxico Burress - 8 catches, 147 yards OLB Quentin Coryatt - 11 tackles, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 hurry, 1 knockdown QB Donovan McNabb - 21/47, 282 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs ***End*** Nice to see SLB Quentin Coryatt finally have a great game, but outside of him, we just sucked all around. Lessons to be learned for next year, I suppose. The 49ers beat the St. Louis Rams 26-14 in the NFC Championship and went on to the Super Bowl, where they faced the Buffalo Bills, 37-10 winners over the Tennessee Titans in the AFC title game. WR Terrell Owens had a ridiculous 13 catches for 180 yards and 2 TDs against the Rams. But that's not near as crazy as the AFC championship, where Bills QB Jamie Martin went 23/29 for 345 yards, 3 TDs and an INT. WTF is Jamie Martin?! Apparently he's a guy who went to Weber State and was traded in-game in Week 1 of Late Free Agency. Buffalo Bills received QB Jamie Martin Jacksonville Jaguars received S Henry Jones (11th year mentor, still a terrific safety) Buffalo Bills 2002 1st round pick Talk about a good replacement for QB Doug Flutie, who retired in the offseason. Anyway, QB Jeff Garcia goes out and proves all his critics wrong, leading the 49ers to a thrilling comeback win over the Bills in the Super Bowl, 26-23. Garcia wins Super Bowl MVP with a line of 32/41 for 391 yards, a TD ad a pick. WR Terrell Owens (9 catches, 136 yards) and [b]WR Mitchell Wylie (6 catches, 119 yards, TD) both break the 100 yard receiving mark and K Wade Richey again goes 4/4 on field goal attempts, making him 14/15 during this Super Bowl run. At least we lost to the eventual Super Bowl champs.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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01-04-2010, 10:40 AM
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#31 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bath, ME
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A bummer, but I was afraid you were underestimating the 49ers in your matchup writeup. They sounded good, and I guess they went out and proved it. I'm looking forward to your grudge match next season.
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01-04-2010, 07:27 PM
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#32 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
I still don't see them as that good, but they're the ones with the rings and we're not. Definitely going to be interesting seeing how next year turns out.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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01-05-2010, 06:21 PM
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#33 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Code:
Overall, it was a great season. We did much better than expected in the regular season, because although I thought we'd win the division, I didn't anticipate a 15-1 mark. 2001 Philadelphia Eagles Season Awards DE Hugh Douglas - All-Pro 2nd Team DE An 18 sack season only gets you a 2nd Team nod? Wow, tough league. Still, very deserved award on Hugh's part and one could only imagine what his numbers would have been if he hadn't missed a couple games. Then again, 14 games is his high for us in my three seasons here. McNabb lost out to Brett Favre and Peyton Manning for All-Pro recognition and you can certainly make the case for any of the three making an All-Pro team this year. Retirements P Sean Landeta DT Keith Traylor We'll miss Landeta, as he was an extremely solid punter for us, so we'll go drafting.. Traylor was strictly a mentor and those are replaceable. 3rd round pick CB Will Allen gets a free trip to France. My guess is that he'll end up the nickel or dime back again, but you never know what kind of age-related hits Troy Vincent will take. Besides which, if there's an injury in the secondary, Will then steps in as a starter. Free Agency By The Numbers QB, TE, WR x 2, P, ILB, OLB Week 1 Re-signings/Negotiations DT Sherman Gregoire - 1 year, $360k DT Eric Swann - 2 years, $2.72 mil. DE Chris Mims - 2 years, $1.73 mil. A number of key players are in the upcoming free agent class, but the money they want is too costly or they want too many years for their age. Swann and Mims are priced right and only want an extra year more. Gregoire didn't get much PT, but I really liked what little he showed after we signed him in the exhibition season. Week 2 Signings P Todd Sauerbrun - 1 year, $580k (Cincinnati Bengals) -Terrific punter and a mentor in case we don't like the guy we get in the draft. MLB Jeremiah Trotter - 1 year, $630k (Re-signing) -Really wanted to come back to Philadelphia and we really wanted him back here. The heart and tackling soul of our defense. Week 3 Signings OLB Donta Jones - 1 year, $580k (Atlanta Falcons) -Magnificent run defense and a mentor. CB Phillipi Sparks - 1 year, $640k (Re-signing) -Was so great for us last year I had to bring him back. Might drop off a cliff in training camp, but then so might Troy Vincent Week 4 Signings TE Jackie Harris - 1 year, $620k (Re-signing) -Mentor and he did okay as the #2 TE for us last year. TE Jeff Robinson - 1 year, $560k (St. Louis Rams) -I forgot I had an offer out to him when I offered to Harris. Superb blocker and the new WR leader, FWIW. Oh yeah, another mentor. WR Ike Hilliard - 1 year, $530k (New York Giants) -6th year man who should be a solid #4/#5 WR type for us. Week 5 Signings QB Mark Rypien - 1 year, $620k (Re-signing) -Overpaid, but when I get a mentor, I like to ride him as long as I can, esp. QB mentors. Why, I have no idea. Just how I am. WR Andre Hastings - 1 year, $620k (Re-signing) -Loved him last year as the #3 WR and he'll reprise that role this year, barring a sudden drop. Week 5 Losses WR Michael Westbrook - 1 year, $630k (Chicago Bears) -Dropped 7 passes last year, which is inexcusable in a #4 WR. He might start for the Bears, might end up in the same #4 role. Week 8 Signings OLB Mike Caldwell - 1 year, $560k (Re-signing) -Mentor, whis is the only reason I brought him back, really. Next time, the draft.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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01-06-2010, 12:10 AM
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#34 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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2002 Draft
Lots of players here are underrated relative to what they've done in real life, so there's going to be some steals. Currently the talk of the draft is DE Dwight Freeney, LT Bryant McKinnie and, of all people, QB Patrick Ramsey. ...Yeah. Good luck with that. But the real story of the draft class is RT Kevin Barry, who graduated in my class at Park High in Racine, WI. I'm sorry to say that Kevin looks absolutely awful here, but I'm going to get him anyway, even if I have to trade for him. Even though we were one and done in the playoffs, we pick 29th. Our chances of getting a great player are iffy, but I'm keeping an eye out for some guys. 1st Round 1. QB Patrick Ramsey - Houston Texans It would've been funnier if the Texans had drafted David Carr #1 overall. They could've repeated history, too, because he's in this class. Man, what a screwed up world it is when Patrick Ramsey goes #1 overall. Enjoy your continued suckiness, Texans! 2. DE Dwight Freeney - Cleveland Browns 3. T Bryant McKinnie - San Diego Chargers 4. QB Craig Nall - New Orleans Saints 5. QB David Carr - Chicago Bears 6. T Tom Ashworth - Miami Dolphins 7. OLB LeVar Fisher - Detroit Lions ...Wow. The number of stupid, stupid GMs this draft is staggering. There's two franchise running backs and there's a good chance one of them falls out of the top 10. 8. RB Clinton Portis - Atlanta Falcons There goes one of them. Great steal by the Dirty Birds. 9. CB Philip Buchanon - Oakland Raiders 10. S Ed Reed - Arizona Cardinals 11. RB T.J. Duckett - San Diego Chargers It's stupid, I know, but I can't help it. The best RB in the whole draft is still sitting there. So I call the Kansas City Chiefs and offer them RB Michael Bennett and our 1st round pick for their #12 pick... and they accept!!!! Say hello to a monster! ....But then I realize, just as I'm about to click Select Player, that this is not the Adrian Peterson I was looking for. Well, this just sucks. I could take a certain RB who isn't worth the #12 pick and there's a DE who'd be great to have, but DE isn't a big need at the moment, although it will be in a few years. On the other hand, DE Hugh Douglas -is- injury-prone and his contract's up after this season... then again, we have the cap space to be able to sign him easily, as out of an $80 million cap space, we're $17.8 mil under with 45 players signed. On the other hand, if he wants big money and Plaxico Burress will want big money... I can't decide, so I trade down to #15 with the New England Patriots in a crazy, multi-pick package deal. Philadelphia Eagles receive 1.15 2.22 3.21 5.19 New England Patriots receive 1.12 2.29 3.29 12. OLB Scott Fujita - New England Patriots 13. OLB De`Andre Lewis - Jacksonville Jaguars 14. QB Cory Sauter - Minnesota Vikings Vikes went with the hometown Golden Gophers QB, which is beyond stupid in my opinion. Especially considering they drafted Michael Vick in the 2nd round last year and he had a pretty darn good season and earned a trip to France besides. Still not sure what to do, so drop a couple more spots, trading with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 1.15 and 2.22 and 2004 5th round pick for 1.7, 2.16 and 2004 4th round pick. 15. RB Adrian Peterson - Tampa Bay Buccaneers That's the Georgia Southern one, not the one I thought he was. 16. DT Albert Haynesworth - Pittsburgh Steelers There's still two guys I'd be okay with drafting about this spot and I find out that trading down one spot will also allow me to move up 5 more spots in the 2nd round, so I do it, flipping 1.17 and 2.16 to the Bengals for 1.18 and 2.11. Oh, and our 2004 7th round pick as well. 17. DE Jerome Davis - Cincinnati Bengals We're now at that point where either of my two choices could go at any given moment. The RB is a faster version of Duce Staley as I see it, so it's an easy decision, DE as a strength be damned. 18. DE Julius Peppers - Philadelphia Eagles 19. CB Brian Williams - Dallas Cowboys 20. ILB Brandon Moore - Washington Redskins 21. CB Tim Wansley - Denver Broncos 22. S Brian Russell - St. Louis Rams 23. S Terreal Bierra - New York Jets 24. DE Alex Brown - Seattle Seahawks 25. OLB Ben Leber - Tennessee Titans 26. DE Anthony Weaver - Carolina Panthers 27. DE Grant Irons - Indianapolis Colts 28. DE Charles Grant - Baltimore Ravens 29. C Justin Hartwig - Kansas City Chiefs Sheesh! Talk about run... 4 of 5 picks in a row were DEs and a total of 13 straight picks were on the defensive side of the ball. Good thing I picked up Peppers when I did; he would've been gone if I'd dropped much lower, I think. And the RB is still out there. 30. CB Lamont Brightful - Green Bay Packers 31. OLB Nick Greisen - Jacksonville Jaguars 32. CB Mike Rumph - San Francisco 49ers Damn. Rumph was a player I hoped would fall to me in the 2nd round. There's a run on CBs and WRs in the top of the 2nd round that gobbles up most of my targets. Also, RB Brian Westbrook got taken by, of all teams, the Miami Dolphins at 2.7. So it's looking like another year of Duce Staley. Well... maybe not. I just noticed one more guy in the list I wouldn't mind having. My 2nd round pick presents me with a bit of a dilemma. The RB I like is still there, but so is a guy who'd make a solid future RT. The last truly great looking WR got taken two picks before us, but there's depth there and at CB, where there's two players I'm hoping to get a shot in the third round, so it's RB DeShaun Foster who is this year's Michael Bennett. No problems deciding in the 3rd round, as there's one CB left who I wanted and so Quentin Jammer joins the Eagles. You can never have enough WRs when you have a QB like McNabb, so when I see WR Donte Stallworth in the 4th round, I ignore our needs at T to snap him up. A lack of a return game has been a problem for us, so I draft CB Keyou Craver with our first pick in the 5th, because return specialists are in damned short supply in the draft. A run on tackles steals the guy I planned to pick as the heir at RT, so that means it's RT Kevin Barry, my fellow Park High Class of 1997 grad, as the second 5th round pick, never mind his horrid bars, Very Overrated listing, or 84 Vol with 15 Sol score. The MLB and S I wanted both go off the board before our pick in the 6th, so I draft RB Najeh Davenport, in case we need somebody to shit in an enemy's closet. WR Reche Caldwell is our final pick of the draft, because he's Underrated and should at least develop into a 5th WR. Late Free Agency Week 1 Signings S Singor Mobley - 1 year, $460k (New York Jets) -Great KR/PR/ST guy? Yes, please! Training Camp Code:
Mostly bumps I expected considering how low so many of them started off at. Foster looks even better than Bennett did in terms of his future potential, so we won't experience much dropoff there at all. Of course, fuller commentary will come with the season preview.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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01-06-2010, 11:03 AM
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#35 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bath, ME
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Wow, looks like a good draft class. I hate making blunders like that, I made a trade once for the completely wrong guy somehow.
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01-07-2010, 01:31 PM
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#36 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
Yeah I was like aaarg when that happened. Thankfully I was able to salvage it, though.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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01-07-2010, 02:41 PM
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#37 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Eagles NFC Co-Favorites With Packers
 A fantastic 15-1 regular season provides the building block for hoped-for greatness in 2002 All the joy and ecstasy of a 15-1 regular season was washed away in a firm divisional round trouncing by the eventual Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers. But now, Donovan McNabb and the Eagles enter the 2002 season as co-favorites for the NFC crown with the Green Bay Packers. Quarterback McNabb's magnificent 2001 campaign of 4,383 yards and 40 TDs/15 INTs may not be repeated, but if the Eagles get to the Super Bowl, he'll be just fine with that. Joe Hamilton and Mark Rypien will again serve as the #2 and #3 QBs, both huge dropoffs from McNabb. Running Back Just like last year, the Eagles open the season with a 2nd round rookie RB as the starter. Last season, it was Michael Bennett, now headlining the Chiefs after a puzzling draft day trade-up that then turned into a series of trades down. This year, it'll be DeShaun Foster as the #1 back. Eagles GM Izulde Jestor is reportedly in love with Foster, who is a much purer runner than either Bennett or Duce Staley, the increasingly unhappy #2 back and passing down option. 6th round rookie Najeh Davenport projects as the third down back. FB Cecil Martin will yet again be lone true fullback on the roster. Wide Receiver An interesting controversy is developing between free-agent signee TE Jeff Robinson and third year TE Anthony Becht. Robinson's the far better blocker, Becht the marginally better receiver. We'll give the call to Robinson, with #3 TE Jackie Harris a strong candidate to be cut. FL Plaxico Burress and SE Torrance Small will again be the starters, with WR Andre Hastings reprising his #3 role. Free agent pickup Ike Hilliard slots in as the 4th WR and it's a coin-flip between 4th and 7th round rookies Donte Stallworth and Reche Caldwell as the 5th WR. We'll lay money on Stallworth, who had an eye-popping training camp, showing more than some scouts predicted. Offensive Line The starting five looks unchanged from last season with LT Tra Thomas, LG John Welbourn, C Hank Fraley, RG Al Jackson and RT Leon Searcy. Backups will be C Brian Williams, LG Doug Brzezinski, RG Jermaine Mayberry and T Kenyatta Jones, with G Steve Everett and 5th round pick T Kevin Barry on the inactive list. It's imperative that Jestor address the right side of the line next offseason. He should have this year, but failed to do so. Kicker P Todd Sauerbrun was a steal to replace Sean Landeta, but K David Akers could be on thin ice after a down year last season and a shockingly poor performance against the 49ers in the playoffs. Defensive Line This could very well be LDE Hugh Douglas's last season with the Eagles. Douglas's injury concerns and the lucrative contract he's looking for, combined with the front office's delight in 1st round pick DE Julius Peppers, make it likely he'll suit up elsewhere next year. RDE John Abraham has to prove that his sophomore effort wasn't a fluke. Second year LDT Shaun Rogers and RDT Eric Swann once again fit in the middle, with Rogers looking to bounce back from a rookie year knee injury and Swann hoping to squeeze just a little more magic out of his ancient body. Peppers is the top DE backup, with reserve DT expected to be a battle between Sherman Gregoire and Hollis Thomas. Linebackers MLB Jeremiah Trotter and WLB Ike Reese are givens, as is MLB Barry Gardner as Trotter's backup. But three veteran candidates are up for the starting SLB spot; 11th year and oft-injured Quentin Coryatt, 10th year Mike Caldwell and 8th year free agent find Donta Jones. Our gut call is Caldwell, with Coryatt the main backup and Jones the goal-line package man. Secondary Let's get the obvious out of the way. RCB Al Harris, SS Damon Moore and FS Brian Dawkins are all locks to start. S Tim Hauck will be a backup and S Singor Mobley gets an active roster spot because of his interception, return, and special teams abilities, which will relegate S Adam Archuleta to an inactive spot. It's the other CB spots where things get messy. Phillipi Sparks is the leading candidate to start on the left side, but the coaching staff is high on 3rd round pick Quentin Jammer, who wowed everyone with a sensational camp. Troy Vincent is still a homerun hitter, even though he's lost a lot of his speed and doesn't project as a starter anymore. Then there's Will Allen, who has quickly become one of the Eagles' most popular players in just a season, thanks to underrated cover skills. And let's not forget return man genius 5th round pick Keyou Craver. We see Jammer starting, with Sparks his backup, who will also see kick return work. The Eagles invested the summer league in Allen, so he has to be Harris's backup and the nickel man. Craver's a guaranteed inactive, but Vincent's a Jestor favorite, so that means OLB Donta Jones will have to sit. Season Outlook The Eagles are overwhelming favorites to repeat as NFC East champs. Indianapolis is again the odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl, with Tennessee also in the mix and rated slightly ahead of the Packers and Eagles. Code:
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Last edited by Izulde : 01-07-2010 at 02:41 PM. |
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01-07-2010, 04:41 PM
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#38 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Preseason
Jacksonville 10 Philadelphia 34 In a surprising move, Donovan McNabb plays the entire game and goes 20/29 for 299 yards, 2 TDs and an INT, WR Torrance Small catching most of it with 6 receptions for 143 yards and a TD. DE John Abraham picked up 2.5 sacks and 2 hurries and WLB Ike Reese had 2 pass defenses. After the game, head coach Andy Reid said the decision to play all the starters extensively was to give them confidence after last year's dispiriting playoff loss. RG Al Jackson sprains his knee and is Doubtful. G Jermaine Mayberry gets the start, with Steve Everett coming off the inactive list to be a reserve. Philadelphia 44 Cincinnati 16 A record was set when the Eagles returned 2 interceptions for TDs in the last minute of the game. First, CB Phillipi Sparks scored on a 34 yard runback with 57 seconds left on the clock. Then, S Damon Moore ran it back 58 yards with just 10 ticks remaining. This was on top of Plaxico Burress's 7 catches for 99 yards and 2 TDs and S Brian Dawkins's 4 pass defenses, to say nothing of QB Joe Hamilton's near-flawless 10/11 for 124 yards and a TD. Indianapolis 10 Philadelphia 24 This matchup of Super Bowl contenders was won thanks to Player of the Game WLB Ike Reese's 8 tackles, 4 assists, 2 sacks, hurry and knockdown, DE Hugh Douglas's 1.5 sacks, block, 5 hurries and knockdown, CB Phillipi Sparks's 2 pass defenses and interception and S Brian Dawkins's 2 picks. RG Al Jackson is now back 100%. Philadelphia 31 Baltimore 6 Backup QB Joe Hamilton had a banner evening, throwing for 216 yards and 3 TDs on 18/24 passing to earn Player of the Game and singlehandedly preserve our unbeaten preseason. Way to go, Joe! CB Troy Vincent pulls his groin and is questionable for the season opener. He'll sit, allowing us to activate Keyou Craver to be our #2 punt returner and slide CB Will Allen into the dime package. Regular Season Dallas 7 Philadelphia 30 The season gets off to a flyer as WR Torrance Small catches 6 passes for 113 yards, WR Plaxico Burress not far behind with 5 catches for 93 yards. QB Donovan McNabb just missed the 300 yard mark with 294, throwing 2 TD passes, both to WR Andre Hastings, on 31 attempts and 24 completions. But for all that, it's DE Hugh Douglas as Player of the Game with 3 tackles, 3 assists, 3 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown. S Brian Dawkins defended 2 passes. CB Troy Vincent is back at 100%, but RB Duce Staley's star-crossed career with us takes another turn when he separates his shoulder and is Out 6 weeks. RB Najeh Davenport will now give us an all-rookie RB duo. Philadelphia 38 Jacksonville 10 Donovan McNabb lights up the Jaguars for 343 yards, going 26/35 with 3 TDs on his way to PotG. RB DeShaun Foster picks up his first 100+ game of his pro career, rushing 23 times for 113 yards and a TD. S Damon Moore and MLB Jeremiah Trotter lead the defense with 2 pass defenses a piece, Moore grabbing a pick in the bargain. RG Al Jackson strains his back and estimated Out 3 weeks. Same setup as in preseason. Philadelphia 24 Carolina 28 Heartbreaking loss ends our perfect start. So much for Donovan McNabb's 25/40 for 319 yards, 2 TDs and an INT and WR Plaxico Burress's 5 catches for 102 yards and a TD. We just had no answer for the steady diet of RB Tim Biakabutuka's 33 rushes for 152 yards and 2 TDs rushing, 1 TD receiving. WLB Ike Reese's 10 tackles and 2 assists sure ring hollow. An early bye week gets G Al Jackson and RB Duce Staley to Questionable, but they'll still both sit. Philadelphia 29 Seattle 24 It wasn't as close as it looked, as the Seahawks added a last-minute TD to make it respectable. Donovan McNabb throws another 300+ game with 303 and 2 TDs, but he also throws 2 picks. WR Plaxico Burress hauls in 8 catches for 107 yards and a TD and WLB Ike Reese has his second straight 10 tackle game. DT Eric Swann led the pass rush with 1.5 sacks, S Damon Moore defended 2 passes and CB Quentin Jammer got his first pro interception. G Al Jackson is back to full health and RB Duce Staley is Probable. But on the negative side, FB Cecil Martin and CB Quentin Jammer both pull their groins and are Doubtful for 4 weeks. Guess Jammer celebrated his first interception a little too hard. So we cut G Steve Everett, because honestly G Doug Brzezinki is more than capable of being better than Everett if Jackson gets hurt again. Everett's also in the last year of his contract, so there's no huge cap hit next year. Terrific blocking FB William Henderson, who was stupidly cut by the Packers this offseason, then cut by the Texans on the final cutdown, gets snapped up to fill in for Martin. CB Al Harris gets moved to the left side, which allows us to start CB Will Allen on the right side, because Phillipi Sparks has a 1 Endurance. Arizona 17 Philadelphia 34 Donovan McNabb showed why he's one of the NFL's elite in this game. Not only does he go 24/35 for 311 yards and a TD through the air, but he rushes 5 times for 46 yards and 2 TDs on the ground. Now that's a dual threat! WR Torrance Small gets 8 receptions for 118 yards and DE John Abraham motors his way to 2 sacks and a block. S Damon Moore and S Brian Dawkins play shutdown safety with 2 pass defenses each. Washington 17 Philadelphia 24 Divisional games are never easy, but we win this one on RB Duce Staley's 2 TD dives, WR Plaxico Burress's 6 catches for 106 yards and two solid defensive performances. WLB Ike Reese nets 9 tackles, 4 assists, a sack and a knockdown and DE Hugh Douglas picks up a sack, a hurry, 3 knockdowns, a forced fumble, and, preposterously enough, 2 pass defenses. TE Jeff Robinson strains his triceps and is Questionable for 2 weeks. That makes Anthony Becht the starter and we cut S Adam Archuleta to sign TE Tyrone Davis. Philadelphia 40 New York 17 The Giants have been breathing down our necks all season long, so to whip them on their home turf is a great feeling. Although Donovan McNabb wins Player of the Game on 22/32 for 287 yards and 3 TDs, it really should go to RB DeShaun Foster, who erupted for 137 yards and a TD on 24 carries. WR Plaxico Burress grabs 6 passes for 114 yards. Our pass defense was off the hook with 4 interceptions of QB Kerry Collins, including one by WLB Ike Reese, who also had 2 pass defenses, a deflection total matched by CB Will Allen. TE Jeff Robinson is back up to Probable, so we thank Tyrone Davis for his help and cut him. Philadelphia 30 St. Louis 27 The Rams throw a real scare into us, but Donovan McNabb comes through with 358 yards and 2 TDs on 27/40 passing to carry us in this St. Louis squeaker. WLB Ike Reese continues his hot first half run with 7 tackles, 2 assists and 1.5 sacks. DE Hugh Douglas gets 2 sacks and a hurry and S Brian Dawkins defends 2 passes. So we're 7-1 at the halfway point, a couple games up on 5-3 New York in the NFC East. We also own the conference's best record, a game ahead of 6-2 Green Bay... and 6-2 Detroit?! How are the Lions 6-2, with QB Gus Frerotte as their franchise player? This is how: QB Gus Frerotte (Franchise Player - 2000, 2001, 2002 2,174 yards - 20 TD - 7 INT RB Curtis Martin (FA Signing - 2002 from New York Jets) 145 carries - 666 yards - 3 TDs - 0 fumbles 34 catches - 201 yards - 3 TDs - 1 drop WR Johnnie Morton 37 catches - 622 yards - 4 TDs - 3 drops WR Herman Moore 36 catches - 565 yards - 3 TDs - 4 drops DE Darren Howard (2nd round pick (2.11) in 2000 Draft 34 tackles, 9 assists, 5.5 sacks, 10 hurries CB Fred Thomas (FA Signing - 2002 from Baltimore) 24 tackles, 9 assists, 1 INT, 11 pass defenses Frerotte's actually been pretty good in this universe. Player card to date:  Back to the Eagles... LG John Welbourn strains his foot ligament and is estimated Out 2 weeks, but at least CB Quentin Jammer is back to Probable.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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01-16-2010, 03:54 PM
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#39 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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The Unsung Defensive Hero Powers Eagles To 7-1 First Half
 WLB Ike Reese has been a titanic force for the Eagles this season That QB Donovan McNabb is completing 70.1% of his passes and is on pace for another 4,000 yard season is something most analysts could've predicted. So, too, that WR Plaxico Burress should break 1,000 yards for the third straight season in as many years in the league, with WR Torrance Small a possibility to reach 1,000 yards receiving as well. Some even could have predicted that DE Hugh Douglas would already be in double-digit sacks. But what few could have realized was that WR Andre Hastings would have an outside shot at giving the Eagles three 1,000 yard WRs in one season or that RB DeShaun Foster, with his 600 yards and 5 TDs, might better Michael Bennett's rookie rushing numbers. The biggest surprise, however, has been WLB Ike Reese. With 50 tackles and 4.5 sacks, he's not only a virtual lock to break his best tackle total of the Izulde Jestor era, but he could surpass his 2000 numbers of 54 tackles and 8 sacks, the last time the Eagles ran a 3-4 defense. While he probably won't win Defensive MVP, given the league's bias to high sack DEs, he's having a surefire All-Pro season. Yet, it's really the offense that's carrying Philadelphia. The Eagles rank in the top 3 in virtually every offensive category and are #1 in points scored, 3rd down conversion, total yardage, yards per attempt and completion percentage. If they can keep up that scorching scoring pace, they might just be the ones hoisting the Super Bowl trophy. Code:
***End Article*** Starting LG John Welbourn strained a foot ligament and will miss next week's game, but CB Quentin Jammer is back to Probable. LG Doug Brzezinksi will take over as the starter. San Francisco 21 Philadelphia 24 Sweet come from behind win over the defending Super Bowl champion 49ers. WR Plaxico Burress has 7 catches for 108 yards and a TD and DT Shaun Rogers picks up 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. But it's WLB Ike Reese who wins Player of the Game with 3 tackles, 2 assists, a sack, a block and 2 interceptions. FB Cecil Martin and G John Welbourn go back to Probable and the starting lineup. Philadelphia 30 Dallas 10 Coasting victory comes courtesy of Donovan McNabb's 26/40 for 303 yards, 3 TDs and an INT. WR Torrance Small gets the lion's share this time with 7 catches for 120 yards and a TD. DE Hugh Douglas adds 2 sacks, a hurry and 4 knockdowns to his resume and S Damon Moore grabs 2 interceptions. CB Al Harris, CB Quentin Jammer and CB Will Allen all defended 2 passes. LT Tra Thomas hyperextends his knee and is Doubtful for the next game, while RDE John Abraham severely pulls his hamstring and is Out for 9 weeks. Looks like my decision to draft DE Julius Peppers paid off after all, as he steps in as the starter. T Leon Searcy mans the left side, RT Kenyatta Jones the right, which means T Kevin Barry, my fellow Park High 1997 alum, gets his first action as a backup. Tennessee 30 Philadelphia 44 The Titans added on two late touchdowns to make it look respectable, but this was a blowout of 30-9 by halftime. Donovan McNabb feasted on the Titans pass defense, going 22/27 for 342 yards and 4 TDs and S Damon Moore had 10 tackles, an assist, and a pass defense. RT Kevin Barry was in for 18 plays and went 1/1 in Key Run Blocks. Go Kevin! LT Tra Thomas is back to Probable. Green Bay 3 Philadelphia 29 This result made me smile. RB DeShaun Foster cuts loose for 124 yards and 2 TDs on 22 carries and CB Al Harris defended 3 passes as we just dominated the Pack defensively and put a huge hurt on their top seed chances. Houston 17 Philadelphia 41 Donovan McNabb - 33/35 for 401 yards and 4 TDs says it all right there. WR Plaxico Burress (7 catches, 103 yards) and WR Torrance Small (9 catches, 130 yards, TD) both break the century mark and CB Al Harris defends a couple passes. Philadelphia 31 Washington 24 Signor Mobley saved our butts with a 73 yard punt return for a TD just before the 2 minute warning, or this game would've gone into OT. Donavon McNabb threw for 311 yards, 2 TDs and an INT, but on a weakish 17/33 line. WR Plaxico Burress needed just 3 catches for 116 yards and a TD, most of it coming on a 69 yard TD pass in the fourth quarter. CB Will Allen racked up 13 tackles and an assist, but the big pass D guys were CB Quentin Jammer and S Brian Dawkins with 2 and 4 deflections respectively. With that win and the Giants' 30-27 loss to the Cowboys, we clinch the NFC East! We also appear to have clinched the #1 seed in the NFC, but I'll wait until we get another win before saying that. Philadelphia 27 Indianapolis 48 Lots of folks were anticipating this one... and we stunk. Donovan McNabb throws his arm off on 52 attempts, completing 28 of them for 311 yards, 2 TDs and 2 interceptions, but QB Peyton Manning threw for 408 yards and 5 TDs. Our defense was nonexistant. But then again, the Colts really needed that win to go to 9-6 and improve their playoff hopes. The Titans have already clinched the AFC South, so Indy needed to win or Manning's ungodly season would've gone to waste. New York 20 Philadelphia 27 We take care of the #1 seed outright with a solid performance from everyone with no real statistical highlights to speak of. That's perfectly fine with me. I'll take the 14-2 regular season mark and #1 NFC seed, thanks. Quick Wildcard Notes Denver 26 Kansas City 14 Indianapolis 31 Buffalo 24 New York 17 Arizona 26 Tampa Bay 20 Carolina 15 Not a good weekend to be a home team. We welcome Tampa Bay in the divisional round. Oh yeah, and those 6-2 Lions? Faceplanted to 9-7 and missed out on the playoffs to 10-6 Giants and Buccaneers. Motown heartache continues.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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03-12-2010, 06:51 PM
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#40 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Brady's Buccs Come To City Of Brotherly Love
 The Eagles hope to keep third year QB Tom Brady on the ground as much as possible This year's NFC divisional matchup in Philadelphia features two of the league's most talented young quarterbacks in Tom Brady and Donovan McNabb. That means a shootout could be in the cards, although the Buccaneers looked anything but scoring juggernauts in their 20-15 wild card win over the Carolina Panthers. Quarterback Donovan McNabb just missed the 5,000 yard mark this season, throwing for 4,910 yards and 35 TDs to 9 interceptions. He'll be looking to make amends for last year's divisional debacle against the 49ers, when he was 21/47 for 282 yards, a TD and an INT. Backup Joe Hamilton has yet to throw a pass when it counts and third stringer Mark Rypien is there just as a mentor. Tom Brady broke out this year, making a huge stride forward in his third season by putting up 4,426 yards, 34 TDs and 11 INTs. He was as accurate against the Panthers as McNabb wasn't last year against San Francisco, going 15/20 for 171 yards and 2 TDs. Former Eagle Koy Detmer is the top backup, intriguing 4th round rookie Rohan Davey the third stringer. Advantage: Draw Running Back For the second straight season, the Eagles had a 2nd round rookie running back break the 1,000 yard mark. Last year it was Michael Bennett, this season DeShaun Foster, who ran for 1,091 yards and 10 TDs on 275 carries. #2 man Duce Staley ran for a career low 465 yards, but did have 4 rushing touchdowns. 6th round rookie Najeh Davenport is the 3rd down runner and converted an impressive 9/11 third down conversions. 6th year RB Warrick Dunn's elbow problems have caused his YPC to drop prodigiously the last couple years, but he still ground out 1,029 yards rushing in the regular season. He was largely controlled by Carolina, however, rushing for just 40 yards on 13 carries. He also fumbled the ball 10 times this year. 1st round pick Adrian Peterson ran for 443 yards and 4 TDs, one more than Dunn, and had 3 fumbles. Advantage: Eagles Wide Receiver WR Plaxico Burress had a career high 1,368 yards in the regular season, his third straight 1,000 yard+ season in as many pro years. He also caught 7 TD passes. 11th year man WR Torrance Small joined him on the 1,000 yard receiving list with 1,172 yards and 8 TDs, but he also dropped 11 passes. Third WR Andre Hastings had his second straight 700+ yard season in Philadelphia and 6 TDs to just one drop and 4th WR Ike Hilliard is a capable player as well. TE Jeff Robinson is the blocker, TE Anthony Becht the receiver for a formidable 1-2 punch. What the Buccaneers lack in matching the Eagles' WR depth they make up for in star power. Second year WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh broke out in a big way this year, racking up 1,631 yards and 12 TDs and fellow second year WR Chris Chambers picked up 1,097 yards and 9 TDs of his own, without Small's drops. The quality falls off after those two fantastic young starters, although third WR Joey Galloway did have 594 receiving yards. TE Biscuit Kimsey has a cool name, but scares no one. Advantage: Draw Offensive Line In just his second season, C Hank Fraley has shown he's one of the best, with an astounding 7 pancake blocks in the regular season. LG John Welbourn had his best season, with 5 pancake blocks, excellent run-blocking and only 1 sack allowed. RG Al Jackson is another solid runblocker, but susceptible in the passing game. LT Tra Thomas is the best in the league when healthy, as he blocked 40.8% of his KRBO this year and hammered home 11 pancake blocks, giving up just 4 sacks. RT Leon Searcy looked slow in run-blocking this year, but provided solid pass protection. C Morris Unutoa is a poor passblocker for a center. LG Frank Middleton had his best season this year, but is only league average. 2nd year RG Roberto Garza has no business starting and looked awful all year long. LT Stan Curtis has given up 13 and 11 sacks the last two seasons and RT Zack Weigart, although much improved this season, is also no more than ordinary. In fact, it's a wonder the Buccaneers have made it this far with this bad a line. Advantage: Eagles Kickers P Todd Sauerbrun and K David Akers are a good, solid pair of legs. P Micah Knorr doesn't have all that strong a leg, but he's very good at getting punts inside the 20. K Martin Grammatica's accuracy is questionable, but he has a nice leg. Advantage: Eagles Defensive Line This may be LDE Hugh Douglas's last year in Philadelphia, but if it is, he's going out with a bang, getting 13 sacks in the regular season. 1st round rookie RDE Julius Peppers had 3 sacks in 6 starts and will be suiting up in place of John Abraham, out with a hamstring injury. LDT Shaun Rogers was healthy for a full year and showed some improvement over his rookie year and RDT Eric Swann posted an impressive 7 sacks. LDE Rob Meier is average. RDE Marcus Jones, who showed improvement each of his three seasons and grabbed 11.5 sacks last season, played just 8 games due to injuries this year and recorded a lone sack. LDT Warren Sapp is a beast, RDT Anthony McFarland a run-stopper. Advantage: Eagles Linebackers MLB Jeremiah Trotter is a good tackler, but once again fell just short of the 100 tackle mark. SLB Donta Jones was a non-factor, perhaps because WLB Ike Reese was everywhere, with 95 tackles, 5.5 sacks and 3 interceptions. MLB Jamie Duncan has all the tackle ability of Trotter and a nose for pass coverage and interceptions as well. SLB Derrick Brooks may not have eye-popping pass-rush numbers, but he's a very good football player. WLB Alshermond Singleton is a glorified special teams ace. Advantage: Draw Secondary Rookie CB Quentin Jammer had an impressive 81.5% pass defense and 4 interceptions, while opposite him CB Al Jackson defended 15 passes. CB Will Allen is an ordinary nickel back, but SS Damon Moore and FS Brian Dawkins are arguably the best duo in the NFL. CB Donnie Abraham is an All-Pro corner and an absolute terror on his side of the field. CB Ronde Barber isn't quite to that level, but the two of them are brilliant in the run defense game, as is nickel CB Brian Kelly of the 75 tackles and 4 interceptions. FS Damien Robinson is another unholy run defender and so is All-Pro S John Lynch who has four straight 100+ tackle seasons to his credit. Advantage: Buccaneers Final Outlook This is going to be a very, very close game. The Buccaneers defense ranks #1 in fewest points allowed and they're going to shut down the Eagles running game. On the other hand, Philadelphia has the #1 scoring offense and have the fewest turnovers in the league at 13, plus rank #1 in turnover margin at +13. It's unstoppable force meets immovable object and this should be a great contest. Ultimately, though, Tampa Bay's porous offensive line is going to be too tough a matchup for the Eagles, who should make it a long day for Bucs QB Tom Brady. Tampa's defense will keep them in this one, but Philadelphia prevails in the end. Line Eagles by 4
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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