* The Flyers finally played a game last night after their "bye" week, beating New Jersey on the road 5-3. The Orange and Black are on a roll, on the doorstep of a playoff spot. They play the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night before returning home next Thursday to play the Maple Leafs on Eric Lindros night.
* More Eagles notes:
-When all of the "Bird" football teams- Eagles, Falcons, Cardinals and Seahawks- play each other in the postseason, the home team is now 10-0 all-time.
-Eagle kicker Jake Elliot was only 6-years-old when Falcon kicker Matt Bryant started kicking in the pros.
- The offensive line played well last night. They protected Foles well and run-blocked in devastating fashion. Good to have guard Stefan Wiesnieski back. Quick-throws by Foles helped. But even when the pocket collapsed, Foles didn't seem flustered. The O-line needs to stay consistent, especially if Minnesota is the opponent.
-Who will sing the National Anthem next week? Who will be the Eagles' Honorary Captain? Imagine the hype all this week in Philadelphia. Angelo in the morning on WIP will be whipping the fans up into a frenzy. Expect everything lit up in green. The sporting goods stores will do great business this week selling Eagle gear. The Birds will be the topic of discussion at water coolers. People who aren't going to the game will be planning watch-parties next Sunday night. The bars and restaurants will be packed.
-Tickets go on sale Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. Expect a sell-out within a minute. The forecast for next Sunday is mild weather, highs near 60, which will feel tropical compared to yesterday's frigid, windy weather.
-Who do I want the Eagles to play next week- the Saints or Vikings? Both are dome teams. The Vikes have a great defense and Case Keenum at quarterback. New Orleans has Dree Brees and an explosive offense. The Saint defense isn't as good as the Minnesota defense. You gotta figure the NFC Championship game will be close and low-scoring. The Birds' D stopped the potent Atlanta offense. Can they do the same against the Saints? Could the Eagles offense move the ball against the solid Viking D?
Neither is a picnic, but neither is a juggernaut. I like the Saints today to play the Eagles, but would rather see Minnesota invade the Linc next Sunday night.
-Expect the Eagles to be underdogs again next week, be it against the Vikes or Saints. Also expect a lot of dog masks in the crowd of 70,000 fans. This storybook season will go down, no matter how it ends, as the fans having a big effect on the team. The fans traveled to support the team. They were a huge part in beating the Falcons. The fans need to stay angry and hungry and loud.
- Finally, the game was extremely intense. Like the old days, playing a meaningful playoff game in January. The gut-wrenching feeling, especially at the end of the game, is both a rush and awful. Sports are unpredictable, unlike a concert or movie. And that's what make sports- and in this case, an Eagle playoff game- both fun and heartbreaking. Drama without a script.
* As predicted and expected, New England demolished Tennessee last night. The Titans were fortunate to get into the postseason. To their credit, they came back vs. Kansas City to face the Patriots. And despite the recent turmoil in new England, the Pats weren't going to lose to a team like the Titans, at home, in the first round of the playoffs.
The Patriots await the winner of today's game between the Steelers and the Jaguars in Pittsburgh.Expect a huge doubleheader next Sunday with Pittsburgh at New England and New Orleans at Philadelphia to decide who plays in Super Bowl
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