* Eagle Notes:
* The defensive has not allowed a single point in the second half of it's two playoff games.
* Nick Foles has played great. Playing time has helped him to excel. Plus he's not turning the ball over. His passes have mostly been short and accurate, but last week against the vikings, Foles went down the field, most notably throwing touchdown passes to Alshon Jeffrey and Torry Smith.He has done more then mere manage games- he has won them.
Going up against Tom Brady in the Super bowl next week may seem like a mismatch, but if the Eagle defensive line gets after Brady, sacking him, hurrying him and forcing him into mistakes, the gap between Greatest Quarterback of All-Time and back-up QB may not be so wide.
That's where the Birds can win this game- in the trenches, where most football games are won. Philly has the better offensive and defensive lines. Without Brady, the Eagles would clearly be the better team. Brady makes that much of a difference. Contain Brady and suddenly the Patriots don't seem so formidable.
Win or lose, all of New England's previous Super Bowl appearances have been close games. I'll make my prediction later this week, but if the Eagles are getting 5 or so points, why not take them? If not to win, then to keep it close? The Patriots' history in Super Bowls is tight games- why should this one be different?
* Penalties, like turnovers, will be key. The Eagles committed fat too many penalties during the season, ranking 21st on the penalty list. Thru the first three quarters of the Minnesota game, there were virtually no penalties on either side. The Birds won the turnover battle and crushed the Vikings on the scoreboard.
New England did not have a single penalty called against them in their AFC Championship game vs. Jacksonville, plus they benefited by a few advantageous calls against the Jaguars which helped the Pats comeback win.
So, will the refs let them play in the Super Bowl, or will they call the game tightly? Will the Pats use their reputation to get th calls? Can the Birds play mistake-free football as they did in the NFC Championship game?
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The Sixers destroyed the Spurs in San Antonio last night by 19 points, thus sweeping the season series with the Spurs. With the victory, the 76'ers move into the sixth slot in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. Philly travels to Oklahoma City Sunday night for the second game of their four-game road trip.
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The Miami Marlins continue to purge their roster as they recently traded away outfielder Christian Yelich ( a player the Phillies love) to the Milwaukee Brewers for four prospects. The Brewers are going for it this year in National League Central. After leading a good deal of the summer last year, Milwaukee finally faded and the Cubs took control of the division.
In addition to Yelich, the Brew Crew also signed free agent Lorenzo Cain. Cain and Yelich give Milwaukee two more young, talented players top add their their young core.
Meanwhile, Miami is tanking after Derek Jeter and his gang purchased the Miami franchise. They have traded away stars Stanton, Ozuna and Gordon. Now Yelich. After Alex Fernandez was killed in a tragic accident two years ago, the Marlin organization has taken a nose-dive.
They, along with the Pittsburgh Pirates, will suck in 2018 and beyond.
With pitching help, the Phillies may be able to contend with Washington for the NL East division, or at least challenge for one of the wild card spots.Atlanta is in flux, between aging veterans and their core of young , promising prospects. The Mets' fortunes hinge on their fragile pitching staff. The Phils should not finish in the basement of the East this summer, thanks to the Marlins.
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