- Fallout remains from the Carson Wentz concussion in last Sunday's loss to the Seahawks. Yesterday Eagles' Head Coach Doug Pederson and General Manager Howie Roseman had an end-of-the-season news conference.Both were surprisingly cool when asked about the dirty hit by Seattle's Clowney on Wentz, which changed the entire playoff game. Both seemed to have attitudes of "Carson was a runner, so anything."
Probably both Pederson and Roseman were told, either by the NFL or by team owner Jeffrey Lurie, to restrain themselves from fueling the intense fire by the media and fans after the hit. Both talked about not wanting to dwell on the past, as both were looking forward to moving on.
Regardless, the refs blew it by not correctly calling the play and penalizing Clowney. NBC blew it by not acknowledging the late hit. And the league blew it by not fining or suspending Clowney since the game.
I feel as most Eagle fans do- frustrated and angry. I vowed not to watch the playoff games this weekend, still hurt that Philly won't be in Green bay this Sunday instead of Seattle. But when push comes to shove and it's game time, I'm a sports fan and will probably watch some of it.
The league got what they wanted- a Russell Wilson vs Aaron Rodgers match-up. The Seahawks are an incredible 8-1 on the road this season. Winning under harsh conditions in Green Bay will be a huge challenge.
Here are my picks for the weekend games:
Green Bay 24 Seattle 13
San Francisco 31 Minnesota 24
Baltimore 28 Tennessee 17
Kansas City 20 Houston 13
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- Only 33 days til spring training. The Phillies haven't done much since their flurry of activity before Christmas, when they signed Zach Wheeler and Didi Gregorious. The bullpen hasn't been addressed, and quality relievers have come off the free agent board. GM Matt Klentek is gambling again, hoping the bullpen gets healthy.
If the bullpen fails early in the spring, maybe then ( or perhaps at the July trade deadline), look for the Phils to exceed the luxury tax and bolster the 'pen. Til then, Klentek is putting his job on the line.
There is still time to make trades before the season begins in late March. But Klentek isn't much of a dealer. The Phillies are not a division-winning club, as constituted now. In fact, they may still be a 4th place team in the NL East.
If the Phils finish with an underachieving 81-81 record or less, especially if they miss the playoffs again, look for big changes in the front office next off-season.
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