Isn't it strange how McNabb will be celebrated as the greatest Eagle quarterback of all time Sunday all meanwhile the dismantling of the Eagles' season?
Things we know for a fact: 1, McNabb is no where near ready, mentally and physically, to start in the NFL. 2, Andy Reid is not giving him any favors making him throw the ball over 40 times a game. 3, There is no reason McNabb should be starting if he has rust by week 2, put that on the coaches. 4, Unless McNabb becomes miraculously healed within this week and until Marty learns that Westbrook is the best offensive player on the team, the offense will continue to run in circles.
As Sunday nears, major questions remain for the Eagles as many players are bitten by injuries.
Will McNabb regain his early form? There is no excuse to have a starting quarterback on your team with this much rust, especially at week 3.
Will the Eagles run the ball this year like the Fat Man promised?! Sure the o line hasn't played up to its potential so far, but there is no excuse with the current offensive scheme the Eagles are running. Fat Man continues to state the running game needs to get better. That might be so, but what about Westbrook's average of 5 yards per carry?! lol. If Westbrook doesn't become more of the offensive gameplan, this will be a loss.
Will the lack of a tight end continue to kill the Eagles offense? Opposing defenses have learned that if they can play bump and run with the Eagles' receivers, they can force McNabb to beat them with his arm. This makes the tight end position that much more important. As LJ Smith continues to be out for the Eagles, they will need significant production out of Schobel and Celek this week. On the opposing end, Chris Gocong had a weak showing against the Redskins last Monday night. He will have to play better for this defense, but those struggles, especially this early, are expected.
Will the absence of Lito Sheppard and questionable Brian Dawkins be the nail in the coffin for the Eagles this week? You have to be worried about this. With William James getting picked apart last week, luckily Sheldon Brown had a career game last Monday night. With Lito out, and the chance of Dawkins missing from the stinger, this defense is in big trouble as it faces the NFC's best receiving trio of Johnson, Williams and McDonald.
Key Matchup for the Lions: Shaun McDonald versus the lack of depth for the Eagles. With all that coverage leaning towards Johnson and Williams, Shaun McDonald has had a couple huge yet quiet games for the Lions and is a huge reason for their 2-0 record. Joselio 'Mmm bop' Hanson will have to have a very solid showing to stop this Lions offense. While Hanson will have a huge part in this game Sunday, it really all comes down to pressuring the quarterback. In other words, Hanson will not be held out to dry. The defense will have to show a team effort to stop that offense. The entire front seven must play light outs, bottomline. I could have gone with Tatum Bell against Omar Gaither due to their spread offense, but this is a passing offense. Tatum Bell has only had 15 and 9 carries in their first two games.
Key Matchup for the Eagles: Brian Westbrook versus the Lion's weak linebackers: It's obvious the Eagles have to run the ball to be successful this season, but this week there should be more emphasis placed on screens with Westbrook. The Lion's defense has been vulnerable so far to the big play in the passing game. While I expect Westbrook to have at least 20 carries Sunday, he should also have at least 6 or 7 designs in the passing game to get him in open field. Viking RBs had huge plays in the passing and running game against the Lions last week and I expect the same results this week.
Overall Feel for the Game: In just the 3rd week, the Eagles are surprisingly looking at a MUST WIN. What has me worried most about this game on Sunday all comes down to confidence. The Lions are a team on the rise that has a sense of swagger, while the Eagles are a team with a lack of confidence and one looking to get on the same page. Not a good mix, especially with so much at stake. Based on these past two games, nothing about the Eagles makes me confident that they will beat the Lions. With Lito and possibly Dawk out tomorrow, the Eagles' offense may be forced to put up at least 24 points to beat the Lions? CAN they do it? Of course. Will they? That is the question, and one that I'm extremely hesitant to answer. Not because I can't, but because I have a feeling what the end result may be.
Prediction: 28-27 Eagles
The Eagles, on the shoulders of Brian Westbrook, will have a late 4th quarter comeback after trailing all game that saves the season. McNabb will continue to show rust, and the play calling will remain stagnant. The WRs will have a great game, putting up lots of yardage, but overall the offense will remain scrappy.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Top 5 Reasons Why to Watch the 76ers
Top 5 Reasons Why to Watch the Sixers... for the average Sixer fan...
1. The emergence of Andre Iguodala: the emergence of this SG/SF could easily make his first Allstar game of his career if he continues to display what he showed after the trade. What impressed me the most out of Iguodala was his understanding of his own physical assets. Iguodala took a page out of AI's notebook to realize how unstoppable he can be if he attacks the net on a consistent basis. Simply put, Iguodala's ball handling, passing, rebounding and scoring sky rocketed when Andre Miller came to the Sixers. Playing along side a pure point guard in Andre Miller resulted in exactly what I expected, a type of offense that plays to Iggy's strengths such as his all around game. With McNabb on his way out and the city looking for a new superstar to become enamored with, look at Jimmy Rollins! Iggy is about to make his case as one of the best swingman in the entire NBA.
2. The Excitement Factor: Make no mistake about it, this may not be a team that leads the league in wins, but this Sixers roster should at least but one hell of a team to watch. BK has built this roster around one thing, athleticism. Carney, Iggy, Jason Smith, Dalembert, Thaddeus Young, and Louis Williams are all top notch athletes who excel at running the court and finishing. The Sixers may not be the best rebounding team, but I gurantee you this team will be looking to push the tempo often and to much success. All fed by Andre Miller, there's really not much else to be said about the quickness of this roster and the alley oops will be plenty. The Sixers should be a fun team to watch this season.
3. Getting Back to Fundamentals: When AI was here, this team had zero identity to make them a worthwhile team in the NBA. This team was sloppy, a mess, pathetic. The addition of Andre Miller has taken this team back to respectability with how they approach the game of basketball: fundamentals. This Sixers' fan will finally be able to watch his favorite team without the surplus of heartache that was these past 5-6 years. In fact, this could easily be number one on my list. For someone who enjoys watching every single Sixer game like myself, and with the Eagles struggling so early, I need a Sixer team that is based on fundamentals lol. This team showed a lot of heart and hustle in the second half of the season and I look forward to seeing that same determination this season.
4. The Rooks: The rookies BK has brought in has me excited. The addition of Thaddeus Young, Jason Smith, Derrick Byars and Herbert Hill will seriously trim the fat of a very poor roster in terms of depth. They may not be where they will be in a few years, but these 4 draft picks were excellent picks in my opinion. Why? They're natural born leaders, they're winners, they're smart kids, they love to play team basketball and they continually emphasize defense. Neither one should get major minutes this season, but their progress this season will be closely monitored all season long. Main points to watch for: Thaddeus Young and his ability to rebound. Jason Smith and his ability to hit the mid range jumper. Derrick Byars and his all around game. Herbert Hill and his back to the basket game.
5. The insertion of Thaddeus Young in the Starting Lineup: Nothing has me more psyched to see Thaddeus Young alongside Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala. Why? Pound for pound Thaddeus Young may already be the most physical player the Sixers have on the roster. Thaddeus Young's ability to defend and rebound is a perfect complement to Andre Iguodala who will be guarding the opposing team's best swingman. What I love about Thaddeus is his ability to play inside the paint. He has excellent hands around the rim, making him an extremely valuable in getting offensive rebounds and putbacks. The future of the Sixers rests in the development and chemistry of Thaddeus Young and Andre Iguodala, and while I hope Rodney Carney has success as the temp starting 2 guard as of right now, Young should definitely be registering significant minutes in the second half of this season. The chemistry between the two physical swingmen Young and Iggy will be one to watch for. I'm hoping they learn to feed off of each other's strengths this season.
Other Top Nominees
- Reggie Evans and team rebounding
- Carney as the new Sixers' starting two guard
- Dalembert ability to show consistency following an excellent season
1. The emergence of Andre Iguodala: the emergence of this SG/SF could easily make his first Allstar game of his career if he continues to display what he showed after the trade. What impressed me the most out of Iguodala was his understanding of his own physical assets. Iguodala took a page out of AI's notebook to realize how unstoppable he can be if he attacks the net on a consistent basis. Simply put, Iguodala's ball handling, passing, rebounding and scoring sky rocketed when Andre Miller came to the Sixers. Playing along side a pure point guard in Andre Miller resulted in exactly what I expected, a type of offense that plays to Iggy's strengths such as his all around game. With McNabb on his way out and the city looking for a new superstar to become enamored with, look at Jimmy Rollins! Iggy is about to make his case as one of the best swingman in the entire NBA.
2. The Excitement Factor: Make no mistake about it, this may not be a team that leads the league in wins, but this Sixers roster should at least but one hell of a team to watch. BK has built this roster around one thing, athleticism. Carney, Iggy, Jason Smith, Dalembert, Thaddeus Young, and Louis Williams are all top notch athletes who excel at running the court and finishing. The Sixers may not be the best rebounding team, but I gurantee you this team will be looking to push the tempo often and to much success. All fed by Andre Miller, there's really not much else to be said about the quickness of this roster and the alley oops will be plenty. The Sixers should be a fun team to watch this season.
3. Getting Back to Fundamentals: When AI was here, this team had zero identity to make them a worthwhile team in the NBA. This team was sloppy, a mess, pathetic. The addition of Andre Miller has taken this team back to respectability with how they approach the game of basketball: fundamentals. This Sixers' fan will finally be able to watch his favorite team without the surplus of heartache that was these past 5-6 years. In fact, this could easily be number one on my list. For someone who enjoys watching every single Sixer game like myself, and with the Eagles struggling so early, I need a Sixer team that is based on fundamentals lol. This team showed a lot of heart and hustle in the second half of the season and I look forward to seeing that same determination this season.
4. The Rooks: The rookies BK has brought in has me excited. The addition of Thaddeus Young, Jason Smith, Derrick Byars and Herbert Hill will seriously trim the fat of a very poor roster in terms of depth. They may not be where they will be in a few years, but these 4 draft picks were excellent picks in my opinion. Why? They're natural born leaders, they're winners, they're smart kids, they love to play team basketball and they continually emphasize defense. Neither one should get major minutes this season, but their progress this season will be closely monitored all season long. Main points to watch for: Thaddeus Young and his ability to rebound. Jason Smith and his ability to hit the mid range jumper. Derrick Byars and his all around game. Herbert Hill and his back to the basket game.
5. The insertion of Thaddeus Young in the Starting Lineup: Nothing has me more psyched to see Thaddeus Young alongside Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala. Why? Pound for pound Thaddeus Young may already be the most physical player the Sixers have on the roster. Thaddeus Young's ability to defend and rebound is a perfect complement to Andre Iguodala who will be guarding the opposing team's best swingman. What I love about Thaddeus is his ability to play inside the paint. He has excellent hands around the rim, making him an extremely valuable in getting offensive rebounds and putbacks. The future of the Sixers rests in the development and chemistry of Thaddeus Young and Andre Iguodala, and while I hope Rodney Carney has success as the temp starting 2 guard as of right now, Young should definitely be registering significant minutes in the second half of this season. The chemistry between the two physical swingmen Young and Iggy will be one to watch for. I'm hoping they learn to feed off of each other's strengths this season.
Other Top Nominees
- Reggie Evans and team rebounding
- Carney as the new Sixers' starting two guard
- Dalembert ability to show consistency following an excellent season
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