Unbelievable! The Eagles, left for dead only a few weeks before, with a 5% chance of making the playoffs at one point, beat the odds again and made the post-season yesterday, as they shut-out Washington 24-0, along with a Chicago victory over Minnesota. Philly follows the trend of 60% of Super Bowl champs making the playoffs the following season.
The Birds are the No. 6 seed in the NFC, but in many ways, are in a catbird seat, maybe even more so than rival Dallas, who won the NFC East. Why?
The Eagles travel to Soldier Field in Chicago to take on a tough Bears squad, unexpected winner of NFC North. But the bears are young and inexperienced, and, in several instances, parallel last seasons' Los Angeles Rams. Both were young and talented teams, the Rams much more explosive. Both had first-year coaches and second year quarterbacks. Both surprisingly ran through their division.
The Rams lost at home in the first round to a much more experienced Atlanta Falcons team, a team that was in the Super Bowl the year before.
Meanwhile, Dallas plays at home on Saturday night, but must face a hot Seattle Seahawks team and QB Russell Wilson. The Cowboys do not have a first-round pick in next year's draft, having traded the selection to Oakland for wide receiver Amari Cooper. Dallas must play a first-place schedule in 2019 as well, which includes games against the Saints, Bears and Rams.
Philadelphia has a first-round pick ( somewhere in the 20's) and will get an easier second-place schedule ( with games against the Falcons, Vikings and Seahawks).
So, the Eagles have their cake and eat it too. They make the playoffs and get to defend their championship on the field, plus they are set-up better in 2019 than Dallas.
- Kudos to the bears and Head Coach Mike Nagy for playing hard all game against the Vikings. Nagy didn't pull his starters after all, even when the Rams started overwhelming the 49ers. The Bears may regret not laying down vs. Minnesota and playing them for a third time next week in the playoffs. But give the bears credit for winning and for wanting to beat the world champs next Sunday instead of a struggling Minnesota squad.
- Speaking of Minnesota, the losers choked again, especially QB Kirk Cousins, who can't seem to beat good teams, even when he was with the Redskins. Is he a $84 million bust? Instead of keeping Case Keenum, who led the Vikes to the NFC Championship game last season, they signed Cousins instead.
Minnesota, feared for their ferocious defense last season, simply could not get it together this year, even with rookie running back Delvin Cook back from a devastating knee injury. Sad and cold Viking fans must endure yet another long, brutal winter, knowing they are stuck in NFL mediocrity. Maybe that's the payback for defacing our beloved Rocky statue during the playoffs last year.
- The Eagles have been forcing more turnovers lately, and they did so right off the bat in the Redskin game. After getting down, and what little fans they had in their own stadium ( which was literally taken over by green-clad Eagle fans all afternoon), turning against them, Washington crumbled and never really were a challenge.
So, the Birds end up 4-2 in NFC East. Getting swept by Dallas cost the Birds another NFC East crown. Even more than their collapse against Carolina or their lackadaisical play versus Tampa Bay and Tennessee. Luckily they make the playoffs without beating Dallas.The Eagles can only play the Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game. With double-revenge the birds would love to punch their ticket to Super bowl LIII with a big win in Big D.
- So, the debate continues- Nick Foles or Carson Wentz? Foles had another brilliant game on Sunday, at one point completing 25 consecutive passes ( tying the record), going 29-33 overall. Wentz awaits in the wings. He probably can play with the fracture in his back, but won't play as long as Foles is on a roll. Foles, himself, is nursing sore ribs. He was due for more tests this morning to determine the severity of his chest injuries. It did sound, despite the soreness, that Foles intended to play "at least one last time" next week in Chicago.
Win or lose it will be an interesting discussion over the off=season. The Eagles' organization will need to make a decision soon- Foles or Wentz?
- Do you allow Foles to become a free agent, despite all of his heroics, and go with Wentz, who has shown flashes of brilliance but seems to always get hurt? Or do you pick up the costly option on St. Nick- $ 20 million, make him the starter, and decide after the 2019 season what the future holds? Or do you extend Wentz to a long-term deal now, saying farewell to Foles, and putting your faith in Nick?
Foles is 29, Wentz is 25. Foles can play another 10 years, like Tom Brady. Wentz can be the franchise QB for another 10-15 years. Wentz, if traded, could also bring back solid players and numerous first round draft picks. one rumored deal is Wentz to the Giants for super rookie running back Barkley and a first-round pick.
Interesting comparison: Wentz and former Flyers' star Eric Lindros. Great potential, glimpse pf greatness but injury-prone. Both franchise players but short of fulfilling their potential?
I would keep Foles. I love Wentz, and the Eagles went through hell getting him. But Foles is already doing what Wentz hopes to do someday.
Keeping Foles for $20 million in 2019 means that he would have to be the starter. What happens to Wentz' emotional status if he is suddenly told to stand on the sidelines holding a clipboard? If Foles has a bad 2019, do you switch back to Wentz?
Many questions on the horizon but for now it's the playoffs and a chance to write another magical, unpredictable story.
- The return of Darren Sproles has helped to energize the offense. So has the re-emergence of WR Nelson Agholor. If the birds don't sign DeSean Jackson over the off-season, Agholor should be the future speedy receiver on the outside. And how about the steady Alshon Jeffery? The tall wide out goes home to Chicago this weekend for the first time since he left. I'm sure Jeffery is hoping of a big night at Soldier Field. Plus the defense has come up big, especially the defensive line, constantly putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks and giving the patchwork secondary a chance to cover their receivers much better.
The shut-out was the first whitewash of a Redskin team in Washington by an Eagle defense since 1980.
- More bad calls by referees, as with the Agholor touchdown catch that was originally ruled as not a catch. It's a shame because every great play is connected with hints of anxiety- is there a flag on the play? Will the play stand? The woeful officiating leads to a lee enjoyable game.
- Several coaches were fired early this morning around the NFL. There are head coaching vacancies in places like Cincinnati, Cleveland, Miami and Denver. Nice to know the Eagles aren't in that rebuilding process anymore.
- So what does it all mean? The Eagles play on Sunday at 4:40 pm. against the upstart bears. Looks like Foles will play. How will the inexperienced yet talented Chicago team react to the prime-time pressure?
On Saturday, the Colts play in Houston ( the winner takes on Kansas City next weekend) while the Seahawks go to Dallas in the nightcap, the winner facing the Rams next week.
On Sunday it's Baltimore hosting the chargers, the winner playing at New England next week, while the Eagles face the bears later on Sunday evening, the winner traveling to New Orleans next week.
My predictions will come later in the week. Surprisingly, the Eagles are the biggest underdog so far, a 5 1/2 point dog to the Bears. The underdog role is welcome to the Birds, who can relish the role yet another week.
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