Here's hoping today's games don't get too ugly......
Atlanta Falcons vs. New York Giants 1:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver and Chris Myers)
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos 4:30 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)
Showing posts with label Wildcard Weekend. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wildcard Weekend. Show all posts
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
NFL Wild Card Saturday Live Blog
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans 4:30 (NBC - Tom Hammond and Mike Mayock, SR: Alex Flanagan)
Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints 8:00 (NBC - Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, SR: Michele Tafoya)
CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIVE BLOG!
Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints 8:00 (NBC - Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, SR: Michele Tafoya)
CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIVE BLOG!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
For Those Expecting An Eagles Week 17 Recap
You are going to have to at least wait a little bit. I missed the last 3 quarters at dinner with my family. Even though I DVR'd the game, I have not gotten around to watching it yet. I'll probably sit through the rest of that game sometime after I get home from work tomorrow night and I will have a brief recap either tomorrow night or Tuesday. The Cowboys won the game 14-13 and the Eagles played their back-ups. The Eagles did not care about this game, so I will put little effort into this recap as there is little to be said about a game that meant nothing.
The Eagles wild card opponent is the Green Bay Packers, with the game taking place Sunday at 4:30 ET on Fox.
The Eagles wild card opponent is the Green Bay Packers, with the game taking place Sunday at 4:30 ET on Fox.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Defense Wins The Highest Scoring NFL Playoff Game In History
It truly is only fitting that defense would triumph in a game that ended up being the highest scoring game in the history of the NFL postseason.
What a finish to an incredibly exciting game. And yes, it really does figure that the game that is the highest scoring game in playoff history ends in a defensive play. Simply an amazing game (after 3 dubs, only one of which brought me joy, thank you Ravens) and while I'm sure it hurts to be a Packers fan, they have nothing to be ashamed of with that performance. They may no longer have Favre, but that franchise is in good hands with Aaron Rodgers and he is only going to get better in the coming years.
And if Packer fans are upset about some of the missed calls in that game (helmet-to-helmet on Rodgers the play before the game winning INT ruled a fumble for some bizarre reason as that ball never touched the ground and Rodgers arm was going forward), then I'm sure you will take great pleasure in this.
LOL! That's too funny!
Congrats again to the Cardinals on a well-deserved victory. They will be heading to New Orleans to take on the Saints in what could possibly be a game that once again breaks the record for highest scoring game in postseason history.
What a finish to an incredibly exciting game. And yes, it really does figure that the game that is the highest scoring game in playoff history ends in a defensive play. Simply an amazing game (after 3 dubs, only one of which brought me joy, thank you Ravens) and while I'm sure it hurts to be a Packers fan, they have nothing to be ashamed of with that performance. They may no longer have Favre, but that franchise is in good hands with Aaron Rodgers and he is only going to get better in the coming years.
And if Packer fans are upset about some of the missed calls in that game (helmet-to-helmet on Rodgers the play before the game winning INT ruled a fumble for some bizarre reason as that ball never touched the ground and Rodgers arm was going forward), then I'm sure you will take great pleasure in this.
LOL! That's too funny!
Congrats again to the Cardinals on a well-deserved victory. They will be heading to New Orleans to take on the Saints in what could possibly be a game that once again breaks the record for highest scoring game in postseason history.
NFL Playoffs Day 2 Live Blog
Live blog over here. Here is your schedule for the day with broadcast information.
#6 Baltimore Ravens @ #3 New England Patriots 1:00 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)
#5 Green Bay Packers @ #4 Arizona Cardinals 4:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver and Chris Myers)
#6 Baltimore Ravens @ #3 New England Patriots 1:00 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)
#5 Green Bay Packers @ #4 Arizona Cardinals 4:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver and Chris Myers)
It's Official: The 2009-10 Cowboys Are Better Than The 2009-10 Eagles
Is there any more that really needs to be said about this game?
The Eagles were hanging in there defensively for awhile, even amidst a stuttering offense. Despite McNabb's 1st half ineptness, Michael Vick saved the day for awhile with a long TD pass to Maclin. Then the Cowboys got the ball back. Sean Jones intercepted a Romo pass.
And before you could blink, the Cowboys had won the game. Wade Phillips brilliantly challenged it, contesting that the ball hit the ground before Sean Jones had possessed it fully. And while it looked good from far out, a closer inspection revealed that the ball indeed had hit the ground without Jones possessing it. The Cowboys took that break and drove it for a TD making it 14-7. And they never lost momentum.
This game was not because of poor Eagles execution. The Cowboys fundamentally played better than the Eagles did. They brilliantly got pressure on McNabb, forced the Eagles to use their running backs as blockers on non run plays and that in turn allowed for them to double cover DeSean Jackson and even Jeremy Maclin at times without much of a worry.
Cowboys 34, Eagles 14. They earned this win and Cowboys fans have every right to live it up and celebrate their 1st playoff win since 1996. They even earned some respect from me today, something that they previously did not have. Romo is proving he can be an elite QB. Wade Phillips is proving he can be a successful head coach in this league. The Cowboys 3-headed running back combo is as dangerous as they come in this league. Miles Austin is for real and Roy Williams was not totally useless today. Their secondary stopped the Eagles receivers like no other team has been able to do this year.
Enough on this game and let's look a bit at the future. Where do the Eagles go from here?
For starters, the Eagles had a lot of injuries, including losing Stewart Bradley, their rock star starting middle linebacker to injury during training camp, Quintin Demps during the year, Ellis Hobbs as a kick returner thus leaving us with Macho Harris in that role, and the beating our secondary took today.
They'll get a lot of key players back next year. There will be free agency, although with the uncapped year coming, there may not be a lot going on there, there will be trades, and there will be the draft. This team has a young core and it will improve. But what moves do you make? And as much of an ideal as it would be that the Eagles fire Andy Reid and bring in Bill Cowher to be their new head coach, we all know that that's not happening. Reid will be the head coach of the Eagles next year and we must go from there.
First of all, right now, I would trade Brian Westbrook. He's too fragile and too old for a running back whose game is speed and quickness and elusiveness to be effective anymore. That being said, if you can get a team to bite like the Raiders would or the Redskins would and get a really good return (3rd round draft pick or better), then go for it. Make the move. You have 2 running backs in Shady McCoy and Leonard Weaver. It will be getting something at the cost of nothing. The Eagles were 7-1 this year when Westbrook was NOT in the line-up. This team won't miss him at all. they no longer need him.
Second question, the quarterbacks. I know I said trade McNabb in the live blog, but the more I think about it, is that really the best move you can make? Yes, he is maddingly inconsistent at times, but is he your best option? Kevin Kolb had 2 impressive games this year, but he has not been tested at all with the rigors of a full season. Can you trust Michael Vick to be a full-time starter? More on Vick later, but now there is talk that teams could be targeting Kolb as a potential starting QB for their team. What happens if the Eagles get an offer for Kolb they can't refuse?
Now onto Vick. Michael Vick has just stated that he would be open to returning to the Eagles in the same role as last year, and frankly, I would be open to that. Maybe Vick should be our starter. He has his option that the Eagles will need to pick up if he wants to stay, but as he has gone along, he has proven that he can still play in the NFL and while I for one would love to see him start again in this league, maybe Philly is his calling. McNabb is just as fragile as Westbrook is, we've seen that story before, and there is just something about Vick in an Eagles uniform that looks and feels right. I know I posed the question in the above paragraph that made it sound like the answer is no, but maybe with a full load of reps in practice Vick can be the man and you can trade McNabb. Do I think that will happen? No, especially seeing as I think Reid will want to play Kolb before Vick if McNabb goes, but from a strategic football standpoint would I be against Vick being this team's starting QB on Week 1 of the 2010 NFL Season? I can't sit here and tell you that that's the dumbest idea in the world because frankly, it's not.
As far as the draft and free agency goes: Make sure Jamaal Jackson gets healthy pronto and retool that offensive line and both safeties. Macho Harris is not ready yet, Quintin Mikell is inconsistent, and Sean Jones just is not the guy. Those should be Reid's number one priorities this off-season. Sure the Eagles could use a 4th or 5th string receiver, but that should not be addressed at the start of free agency or the early portion in the draft. That's something you worry about once all the headliners are gone and you are in the 4th round of the draft.
McNabb may be a wiley old vet who can be very inconsistent, but this Eagles team does not need to be completely nuked. They have a core of very good and promising young players that can be around for awhile and they need to take advantage of that. Give McNabb better protection and he might be able to find more open receivers. He has the receivers that he's always wanted and the tight end they've always needed. He just needs to get the balls to them and a defense to make sure that he can't be outscored.
As for now, it's time to focusing all of my attention on the Flyers and Villanova Wildcats basketball. Don't look now but the Flyers are winning games again and the Wildcats may just be one of the best college basketball teams in the nation.
Oh, and pitchers and catchers report February 18.
The Eagles were hanging in there defensively for awhile, even amidst a stuttering offense. Despite McNabb's 1st half ineptness, Michael Vick saved the day for awhile with a long TD pass to Maclin. Then the Cowboys got the ball back. Sean Jones intercepted a Romo pass.
And before you could blink, the Cowboys had won the game. Wade Phillips brilliantly challenged it, contesting that the ball hit the ground before Sean Jones had possessed it fully. And while it looked good from far out, a closer inspection revealed that the ball indeed had hit the ground without Jones possessing it. The Cowboys took that break and drove it for a TD making it 14-7. And they never lost momentum.
This game was not because of poor Eagles execution. The Cowboys fundamentally played better than the Eagles did. They brilliantly got pressure on McNabb, forced the Eagles to use their running backs as blockers on non run plays and that in turn allowed for them to double cover DeSean Jackson and even Jeremy Maclin at times without much of a worry.
Cowboys 34, Eagles 14. They earned this win and Cowboys fans have every right to live it up and celebrate their 1st playoff win since 1996. They even earned some respect from me today, something that they previously did not have. Romo is proving he can be an elite QB. Wade Phillips is proving he can be a successful head coach in this league. The Cowboys 3-headed running back combo is as dangerous as they come in this league. Miles Austin is for real and Roy Williams was not totally useless today. Their secondary stopped the Eagles receivers like no other team has been able to do this year.
Enough on this game and let's look a bit at the future. Where do the Eagles go from here?
For starters, the Eagles had a lot of injuries, including losing Stewart Bradley, their rock star starting middle linebacker to injury during training camp, Quintin Demps during the year, Ellis Hobbs as a kick returner thus leaving us with Macho Harris in that role, and the beating our secondary took today.
They'll get a lot of key players back next year. There will be free agency, although with the uncapped year coming, there may not be a lot going on there, there will be trades, and there will be the draft. This team has a young core and it will improve. But what moves do you make? And as much of an ideal as it would be that the Eagles fire Andy Reid and bring in Bill Cowher to be their new head coach, we all know that that's not happening. Reid will be the head coach of the Eagles next year and we must go from there.
First of all, right now, I would trade Brian Westbrook. He's too fragile and too old for a running back whose game is speed and quickness and elusiveness to be effective anymore. That being said, if you can get a team to bite like the Raiders would or the Redskins would and get a really good return (3rd round draft pick or better), then go for it. Make the move. You have 2 running backs in Shady McCoy and Leonard Weaver. It will be getting something at the cost of nothing. The Eagles were 7-1 this year when Westbrook was NOT in the line-up. This team won't miss him at all. they no longer need him.
Second question, the quarterbacks. I know I said trade McNabb in the live blog, but the more I think about it, is that really the best move you can make? Yes, he is maddingly inconsistent at times, but is he your best option? Kevin Kolb had 2 impressive games this year, but he has not been tested at all with the rigors of a full season. Can you trust Michael Vick to be a full-time starter? More on Vick later, but now there is talk that teams could be targeting Kolb as a potential starting QB for their team. What happens if the Eagles get an offer for Kolb they can't refuse?
Now onto Vick. Michael Vick has just stated that he would be open to returning to the Eagles in the same role as last year, and frankly, I would be open to that. Maybe Vick should be our starter. He has his option that the Eagles will need to pick up if he wants to stay, but as he has gone along, he has proven that he can still play in the NFL and while I for one would love to see him start again in this league, maybe Philly is his calling. McNabb is just as fragile as Westbrook is, we've seen that story before, and there is just something about Vick in an Eagles uniform that looks and feels right. I know I posed the question in the above paragraph that made it sound like the answer is no, but maybe with a full load of reps in practice Vick can be the man and you can trade McNabb. Do I think that will happen? No, especially seeing as I think Reid will want to play Kolb before Vick if McNabb goes, but from a strategic football standpoint would I be against Vick being this team's starting QB on Week 1 of the 2010 NFL Season? I can't sit here and tell you that that's the dumbest idea in the world because frankly, it's not.
As far as the draft and free agency goes: Make sure Jamaal Jackson gets healthy pronto and retool that offensive line and both safeties. Macho Harris is not ready yet, Quintin Mikell is inconsistent, and Sean Jones just is not the guy. Those should be Reid's number one priorities this off-season. Sure the Eagles could use a 4th or 5th string receiver, but that should not be addressed at the start of free agency or the early portion in the draft. That's something you worry about once all the headliners are gone and you are in the 4th round of the draft.
McNabb may be a wiley old vet who can be very inconsistent, but this Eagles team does not need to be completely nuked. They have a core of very good and promising young players that can be around for awhile and they need to take advantage of that. Give McNabb better protection and he might be able to find more open receivers. He has the receivers that he's always wanted and the tight end they've always needed. He just needs to get the balls to them and a defense to make sure that he can't be outscored.
As for now, it's time to focusing all of my attention on the Flyers and Villanova Wildcats basketball. Don't look now but the Flyers are winning games again and the Wildcats may just be one of the best college basketball teams in the nation.
Oh, and pitchers and catchers report February 18.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
NFL Playoffs Day 1 Live Blog
Playoffs? PLAYOFFS!?!?
I'll only be around for the first half of Jets-Bengals and not much else, but the rest of the regular crew should be here so kick back, relax, and enjoy the first day of the playoffs. I'll be back here after the Eagles-Cowboys game to give you my thoughts and analysis of the game, win or lose. Here is your schedule and broadcast information for today's games.
#5 New York Jets @ #4 Cincinnati Bengals 4:30 (NBC - Tom Hammond, Joe Theismann, and Joe Gibbs, SR: Tiki Barber)
#6 Philadelphia Eagles @ #3 Dallas Cowboys 8:00 (NBC - Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, SR: Andrea Kremer)
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!
I'll only be around for the first half of Jets-Bengals and not much else, but the rest of the regular crew should be here so kick back, relax, and enjoy the first day of the playoffs. I'll be back here after the Eagles-Cowboys game to give you my thoughts and analysis of the game, win or lose. Here is your schedule and broadcast information for today's games.
#5 New York Jets @ #4 Cincinnati Bengals 4:30 (NBC - Tom Hammond, Joe Theismann, and Joe Gibbs, SR: Tiki Barber)
#6 Philadelphia Eagles @ #3 Dallas Cowboys 8:00 (NBC - Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, SR: Andrea Kremer)
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Taking A Look At Past Saturday Night Football Wildcard Games
I talked about this in my podcast as a spur of the moment thing, but I wanted to go deeper into it.
The Saturday night, 8:00 Wildcard games have had some of the most interesting, exciting, entertaining, and bizarre football games over the past decade and I will take a look at them here, starting when they started in 2002.
2002: Raiders 38, Jets 24: A total of 912 yards were gained by both teams in this shootout with a wild 4th quarter. How wild was it, you ask? Well after 3 quarters of play, the score was 16-13 Raiders. The Jets pulled within a TD with 1:57 to go but decided to kick it away instead of trying the onside kick because Herm Edwards had 2 timeouts and too much confidence in his defense. An 80-yard Charlie Garner TD run later, and the Raiders had clinched a spot in the divisional playoffs that would end in perhaps the most infamous play of the decade.
2003: Falcons 27, Packers 7: A solid beating all the way around and a pretty uneventful if you don't take into account the fact that this was the first time that Brett Favre lost a home playoff game. The Falcons would go on to lose to the Eagles in the divisional playoffs in what would be the Eagles' last win ever at Veterans Stadium.
2004: Panthers 29, Cowboys 10: The streak of no Cowboy playoff wins since 1996 continued with somewhat surprising Panther beatdown of the the Cowboys. Jake Delhomme was actually semi-competent back then as he would ultimately lead to a disputed NFC Championship and a Super Bowl loss to the Patriots.
2005: Jets 20, Chargers 17 in OT: More playoff heartbreak for Marty Schottenheimer in this thriller which featured a game-tying touchdown by San Diego in the final minute of the game only to drive down the field again in overtime but to see rookie kicker Nate Kaeding miss a game-winning FG in overtime. After the miss, the Jets drove down the field and Doug Brien booted the game-winner sending the entire city of San Diego in a state of heartbreak. The Jets however would be given a taste of their own medicine in Pittsburgh as Doug Brien missed a game-winning field goal in overtime that was followed by a successful game-winning field goal by Jeff Reed.
2006: Patriots 28, Jaguars 3: This game was an exception of the rule. So much so that I don't even remember it. Pats went on to lose to the Broncos the next week.
2007: Seahawks 21, Cowboys 20: If you ask me what my favorite non-Philly sports moment of the last decade is, my answer would right away and without hesitancy be Romo's fumble in this game. It was a back and forth affair throughout and after Seattle scored a TD late in the game to give themselves a 21-20 lead, Dallas took the ensuing kick to the 8-yard line and with 1:19 left it looked like Gramatica would kick an easy 19-yard field goal to force Seattle's hand at a miracle drive, but a different miracle happened that to this day haunts the career of Tony Romo. He dropped the snap and despite recovering the ball, could not pick up the first down. The Seahawks were able to run out the clock in victory, but they would have no such luck as they lost in OT to the Bears in the divisional playoffs. And just because it amuses me so much, here's the video of The Drop.
2008: Jaguars 31, Steelers 29: The Jaguars squandered a 28-10 lead to the Steelers who scored 19 unanswered points. But with time winding down in the 4th, David Garrard worked some late game magic with his feet to put the Jaguars in position where Josh Scobee could kick the game-winning field goal. The Jaguars lost in the divisional playoffs to the then undefeated New England Patriots.
2009: Chargers 23, Colts 17 in OT: Nate Kaeding got a bit of redemption in this game by kicking a game-tying field goal with 31 seconds left. However, it was Darren Sproles' 328 all-purpose yards and his game-winning touchdown run in overtime that proved the difference as the San Diego Chargers defeated the Colts to advance to the divisional playoffs, where they would lose to the future Super Bowl champions, Pittsburgh Steelers.
2010: Eagles ??, Cowboys ??: ???
The Saturday night, 8:00 Wildcard games have had some of the most interesting, exciting, entertaining, and bizarre football games over the past decade and I will take a look at them here, starting when they started in 2002.
2002: Raiders 38, Jets 24: A total of 912 yards were gained by both teams in this shootout with a wild 4th quarter. How wild was it, you ask? Well after 3 quarters of play, the score was 16-13 Raiders. The Jets pulled within a TD with 1:57 to go but decided to kick it away instead of trying the onside kick because Herm Edwards had 2 timeouts and too much confidence in his defense. An 80-yard Charlie Garner TD run later, and the Raiders had clinched a spot in the divisional playoffs that would end in perhaps the most infamous play of the decade.
2003: Falcons 27, Packers 7: A solid beating all the way around and a pretty uneventful if you don't take into account the fact that this was the first time that Brett Favre lost a home playoff game. The Falcons would go on to lose to the Eagles in the divisional playoffs in what would be the Eagles' last win ever at Veterans Stadium.
2004: Panthers 29, Cowboys 10: The streak of no Cowboy playoff wins since 1996 continued with somewhat surprising Panther beatdown of the the Cowboys. Jake Delhomme was actually semi-competent back then as he would ultimately lead to a disputed NFC Championship and a Super Bowl loss to the Patriots.
2005: Jets 20, Chargers 17 in OT: More playoff heartbreak for Marty Schottenheimer in this thriller which featured a game-tying touchdown by San Diego in the final minute of the game only to drive down the field again in overtime but to see rookie kicker Nate Kaeding miss a game-winning FG in overtime. After the miss, the Jets drove down the field and Doug Brien booted the game-winner sending the entire city of San Diego in a state of heartbreak. The Jets however would be given a taste of their own medicine in Pittsburgh as Doug Brien missed a game-winning field goal in overtime that was followed by a successful game-winning field goal by Jeff Reed.
2006: Patriots 28, Jaguars 3: This game was an exception of the rule. So much so that I don't even remember it. Pats went on to lose to the Broncos the next week.
2007: Seahawks 21, Cowboys 20: If you ask me what my favorite non-Philly sports moment of the last decade is, my answer would right away and without hesitancy be Romo's fumble in this game. It was a back and forth affair throughout and after Seattle scored a TD late in the game to give themselves a 21-20 lead, Dallas took the ensuing kick to the 8-yard line and with 1:19 left it looked like Gramatica would kick an easy 19-yard field goal to force Seattle's hand at a miracle drive, but a different miracle happened that to this day haunts the career of Tony Romo. He dropped the snap and despite recovering the ball, could not pick up the first down. The Seahawks were able to run out the clock in victory, but they would have no such luck as they lost in OT to the Bears in the divisional playoffs. And just because it amuses me so much, here's the video of The Drop.
2008: Jaguars 31, Steelers 29: The Jaguars squandered a 28-10 lead to the Steelers who scored 19 unanswered points. But with time winding down in the 4th, David Garrard worked some late game magic with his feet to put the Jaguars in position where Josh Scobee could kick the game-winning field goal. The Jaguars lost in the divisional playoffs to the then undefeated New England Patriots.
2009: Chargers 23, Colts 17 in OT: Nate Kaeding got a bit of redemption in this game by kicking a game-tying field goal with 31 seconds left. However, it was Darren Sproles' 328 all-purpose yards and his game-winning touchdown run in overtime that proved the difference as the San Diego Chargers defeated the Colts to advance to the divisional playoffs, where they would lose to the future Super Bowl champions, Pittsburgh Steelers.
2010: Eagles ??, Cowboys ??: ???
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Wildcard Preview Podcast
I have taken the liberties of setting up a podcast that went much longer than I thought it would previewing this weekend's wildcard games as well as a look ahead to who I think has the best chance of making the Super Bowl. There are some sound difficulties and odd sounds in parts so please just bare with them and don't get too frightened. My family was sleeping as I did this so even though I am alone with in my room with my door closed, sound waves carry in this house so I ended up whispering a bit and thus at times it is difficult to discern what I am saying.
Enjoy it anyway! And given the surprisingly strong built-in microphone in my computer and the fact that after all these years I have finally gotten a 21st century cell phone, maybe next time I can call some of you and get your thoughts via phone. It would work. After all, I'm pretty sure every twitch I had in the past 20 minutes got picked up.
So sit back, relax, bare through the random sounds, especially at the beginning when it sounds like I'm drowning in a toilet, and enjoy JFein's exclusive wildcard preview podcast!
Enjoy it anyway! And given the surprisingly strong built-in microphone in my computer and the fact that after all these years I have finally gotten a 21st century cell phone, maybe next time I can call some of you and get your thoughts via phone. It would work. After all, I'm pretty sure every twitch I had in the past 20 minutes got picked up.
So sit back, relax, bare through the random sounds, especially at the beginning when it sounds like I'm drowning in a toilet, and enjoy JFein's exclusive wildcard preview podcast!
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