Boy! It just get worse and worse for the 'fins. Their best WR, David Boston is out for the year with a torn calf. Here is my adjustment for my season previews.
Oh Okay if you say so. HA! Okay you sold your defense, to get Terrell Owens, well okay. So, That means that the worst offense in the NFL is going to be able to score on you. Okay on the other side, If that team has a good defense, your toast! Owens will get double teamed and McNabb will throw into a tough spot and will get picked off, you have no running game, no defense, no WR besides Owens and if you want to know the truth Donovan McNabb sucks. OK. You think the Eagles wont lose, just like they werent going to lose last year, huh?
Do you really think that the Broncos will only finish at 4-12? Once Tatum Bell comes back from injury, it appears as though they'll have a potent 1-2 punch at running back.
Jake Plummer is a very overrated Quarterback, you saw in the Hall of Fame Game the worst few Offensive moments for the Broncos were the moments he was starting. And Mike Shannahan doesnt have the balls to put him as a 2nd or 3rd stringer. Plus, Once again unless something major happens I have finally finished my Season Preview, to do it I bought this magazine called "Statfox Edge" you should buy it Walt, it really helps, but my system is where you are supposed to put the Vegas stuff, I just put the Division and Conference record. But here is my new analysis
NFC East
1. Dallas 12-4, 2. Washington 12-4, 3. Philadelphia 11-5, 4. NY Giants 9-7
NFC North
1. Green Bay 10-6, 2. Detroit 10-6, 3. Minnesota 6-10, 4. Chicago 3-13
NFC South
1. Carolina 14-2, 2. Atlanta 4-12, 3. Tampa Bay 6-10, 4. New Orleans 3-13
NFC West
1. Seattle 11-5, 2. St. Louis 10-6, 3. Arizona 6-10, 4. San Francisco 2-14
AFC East
1. New England 13-3, 2. NY Jets 10-6, 3. Buffalo 6-10, 4. Miami 3-13
I'm not a big Plummer fan either. I've called him out a few times on the site. However, he is very effective when he is able to play-action bootleg. There is usually someone open when he does it, and if not, he runs for a 5 or 6 yard gain.
Atlanta 4-12? Did Michael Vick get injured or something?
As for the Stat Fox stats, I use them on VegasAdvantage.com. They provide all the stats for free for every sport.
quote: Originally posted by: Joey "Oh Okay if you say so. HA! Okay you sold your defense, to get Terrell Owens, well okay. So, That means that the worst offense in the NFL is going to be able to score on you. Okay on the other side, If that team has a good defense, your toast! Owens will get double teamed and McNabb will throw into a tough spot and will get picked off, you have no running game, no defense, no WR besides Owens and if you want to know the truth Donovan McNabb sucks. OK. You think the Eagles wont lose, just like they werent going to lose last year, huh?"
My God I hope you're being sarcastic. I will grant you that the Eagles did significantly weaken their secondary by losing both Vincent and Taylor. They still have quality corners in Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard (although past them I will say that depth is lacking). They also have what I believe to be one of the best safety combos in the league with Dawkins and Michael Lewis. Also, with the addition Trotter I would look for the run D to be improved over last year. Besides, Jim Johnson could be coaching an electric football table and still put together a quality defense. On the other side of the ball, this is on of the strongest offenses Philly has fielded in many years. The doubleteams T.O. will see will take pressure off of Pinkston, who may finally develop into a viable option. McNabb also has quality targets in his tight ends Chad Lewis and L.J. Smith. As far as the running game goes, perhaps you didn't see Westbrooke last season but he's a gamebreaker. There were a few games where he literally carried the team. As for your comment about McNabb... he's been to 4 consecutive pro bowls, give me a break. Finally, I believe Walt's comment was that the Eagles would win the division, so yes, in that respect he thinks that the Eagles won't lose the division just like they didn't last year.
Oh so if you and Walt say something it is true. The Philadelphia Eagles' running game carried the team last year......... Oh Really! If McNabb is such a great QB then why is it that they needed the running game to carry the team? You just defeated your own point there. And True that McNabb has made the Pro Bowl 4 years in a row, and I will give you a Cowboy example of a very average or maybe even below average player that made the Pro Bowl....... Larry Allen. Larry Allen is no better than any other Lineman from what I see, and I see the Cowboys in 1 scrimmage, 4 (5 every once and a while) preseason games, 16 Regular season games, plus the playoffs, I know Cowboys better than anyone and I think that Larry Allen is average. Just like Donovan McNabb I will name 10 QBs better than McNabb.
Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Michael Vick, Peyton Manning, Steve McNair, Daunte Culpepper, Drew Bledsoe, Chad Pennington, Trent Green, and Matt Hasselbeck
I bet you were one of those insane Eagles fans chanting "We want Ricky, We want Ricky". I will say McNabb is in the top 50% but nothing more than that. Also your Safety core has nothing on Darren and Roy. But I will say that is a very good group of safeties.
I do agree that making the Pro Bowl is overrated. Larry Allen making the Pro Bowl was mind-boggling. 80% of the people that vote don't know what they are doing and just vote a player in because he has been to the Pro Bowl before.
I always make the argument that Donvoan McNabb isn't a great quarterback, but he is a great football player. He is one of the better scrambling QBs in the league, and can move the chains by himself. He has a powerful arm, but his downfall is his accuracy. Luckily, he plays in the West Coast Offense, so he makes a lot of short passes.
The Kansas City Chiefs proved last year that a team can get to the playoffs without a great defense. However, defense counts most in the playoffs, which is why KC went down to Indy in their first game. I think the Eagles can win the NFC East, but they are in trouble once the playoffs commence.
That is why I pick the Eagles to make the playoffs, but fall short against the Panthers in the Divisionals. But I think McNabb has 2 good qualities, scrambling and breaking away. As for his arm strength, his accuracy cancels out his arm strength he is in the top half but not a hall of fame QB by any stretch of the imagination. I dont even think he is a ProBowl caliber QB. He makes the Pro Bowl, but Tom Brady doesnt? Tom cant scramble but he is good at everything else. Protecting the ball for one, which McNabb does not do very well. I definetly dont think that Philly could win the East it is too tough for them. Here are the odds of winning the NFC East. Dallas 38 percent. Washington 35 percent. Philly 27 percent. New York 0 percent.
I have the Redskins finishing third, I think Dallas and Philly will finish ahead of them, but I think Washington has a better chance of getting first than getting 2nd. I think that they wont finish ahead of third because I think that they wont have chemistry playing with each other. But if they do get chemistry then they will win the East, and you know they will be ahead of New York. The other two pretty much go along with my projections. Now with New York, New York has a shot at finishing in 3rd and beating one team but can they beat two teams, No. Can they beat all three teams, Hell No.
I'm hearing that Andy Reid is putting the clamps on Donovan McNabb, which means his days as a scrambling quarterback are over. Sure, if he's under heavy pressure, he'll run, but other than that, he is now a pocket passer. I think that is foolish. Reid is taking away McNabb's best attribute and making him something he's not.
There aren't many quarterbacks in the NFC that are better than McNabb. There are a few, but usually when he makes the Pro Bowl, it is because he is an alternate, taking the place of an injured QB. I would agree that Favre, Culpepper and Hasselbeck are better, but who else?
Tom Brady not qualifying for the Pro Bowl is a joke. He is the best quarterback in the NFL. If he wins one more Super Bowl, I would argue that he may be the best quarterback of all time, other than Joe Montana.
I was looking at your list of QBs that are better than McNabb. I would definitely not put Drew Bledsoe in that catagory. There's a reason why he has never been on a winning team after Bill Parcells left New England. He waits way too long in the pocket, which is why he gets sacked and injured so often. His throws are sometimes erratic as well. I think people remember the Bledsoe that Parcells coached. Tuna has a good habit of greatly improving the QBs that he coaches. Phil Simms, Bledsoe, Testaverde, Quincy Carter, etc. Ever since Parcells left NE, Bledsoe has stunk.
I think Tom is in the Top Ten of all time, but I wouldnt go that far. I would say Joe Montana, John Elway, Terry Bradshaw, Johnny Unitas, and possibly Joe Namath are above him. I think him and Troy Aickman are exactly deadlocked. They are almost the exact same Quarterback, not great scramblers, but great arms, and they are great leaders. I think that if Michael Vick learns how to read a defense he could give Tom some competition, but I would still give Brady the edge, because I think that you have to put the man who has won 2 Super Bowl MVPs( should have been regular season MVP) and 2 rings should be above someone who has never gotten any of those awards. In the NFC Pro Bowl Situation, How about Vick, Delhomme, Brunell, and I know he throws a lot of Interceptions but I would consider Bulger, but McNabb may be better than Bulger. But I just thought this was rude, at the Pro Bowl Marc Bulger having the best game of possibly his entire career, and on the sidelines they show that jerk, McNabb giving him pointers. What a dumb ass.
I can't put Mark Brunell ahead of Donovan McNabb. Maybe the Brunell of '96-'01, but not this Brunell. His arm strength and mobility have vanished. Marc Bulger throws way too many interceptions to be ahead of McNabb.
If Jake Delhomme plays this year like he did in the playoffs, he'll be a Pro Bowl quarterback. He lit up the Patriots' defense which is something Peyton Manning couldn't even accomplish.
Brunell is not great, but he is good. Tim Hasselbeck looked great. Donovan McNabb like I said is good, but not great. I still think Brunell is better. Now I said that Marc does throw lots of INTs, but I think he only threw 1 if any in the Pro Bowl, if he plays like that in the Season then I will say that he is better. But right now I would have to aggree, that he is not better. But I have to say, Walt McNabb as I said earlier does not protect the ball, he fumbles frequently, but often he picks it up himself and just runs, and that is the difference between him and Bulger.
It is the difference, but it is a huge difference. Donovan McNabb's greatest attribute is the ability to scramble, which has bailed out the Eagles' offense on numerous occasions. Bulger, meanwhile, is a statue who gets sacked often.
That and the fact McNabb usually recovers his own fumbles seperates them, but I think they are pretty close. McNabb and Bulger both inacurrate, McNabb and Bulger both have a strong arm, but Bulger can't scramble near as well as McNabb. McNabb usually recovers his fumbles, and does not throw many Interceptions, Bulger is not fast enough to recover his own fumbles and throws lots of Interceptions, McNabb can break tackles, Bulger can't. If you look at all of these stats, it is pretty clear that Donovan is better than Marc. But, I have mentioned enough NFC Quarterbacks, to where he should not make the Pro Bowl.
I don't know if you saw the Eagles-Ravens game on CBS last night, but that 81 yard bomb to Terrell Owens has everyone in this area talking Super Bowl even more so than they were already. Eagles' run D gave up 5.3 yards per carry to Jamal Lewis and Musa Smith.
Ok, the idea that because Philly used the running game, McNabb is not that great is absurd. The Cowboys during the dynasty years racked up a lot of yards with Emmit Smith, so I suppose that means Troy Aikman wasn't really all that good. Also, Dan Marino was an excellent QB who never had the support of a solid run game. The result? No Superbowl ring. I will agree with you that if you are looking at McNabb strictly as a pocket passer, he's only above average, but I agree with what Walt is saying. You have to look at him as an overall player. He has the ability to create good gains out of broken plays.
Walt -- I hope what you're saying about Reid turning McNabb into a pocket passer isn't true. It sounds an awful lot like what Ray Rhodes did to Randall Cunningham and... yeah, I think we all remember how that turned out...
I forget who on WIP said it, but Donovan McNabb will be a pocket passer unless he's about to be sacked. I think that's a huge mistake. Like I said before, why take away McNabb's best attribute?
Walt: Just because everyone in Philly is talking Superbowl, doesnt mean it is going to happen. The Eagles are the Houston Astros of Football. Everyone around here was talking World Series, when they got Clemens. What has been the result.... A worse season than last year. Just as Merril Hodge said the Eagles got their DLineman, and their Wideout but at what price? Fricko: I know it is absurd but you said it not me. Why would Andy Reid use a below average runner more than he passes with "The Great Donovan McNabb". Westbrook is average, not the greatest runningback of all time. And, Marino could have gotten a ring by himself, if he would have listened to Jimmy. Jimmy told him I can get you a ring if we lower your salary, so we can improve our defense. Marino said no, there for no ring. Marino has noone to blame but himself. P.S. I aggree, it is totally stupid of Reid to try and turn him into a Pocket passer. If this is true the Eagles might not even make the playoffs.
I think they'll make the playoffs. I know the Eagles will not be in the Super Bowl. They don't have the defense to get them there. People here are in denial about that. You often hear "Simoneau is good enough, our great offense will carry us." or "Lito Sheppard is better than Taylor and Vincent because those guys were old." or "We don't need Buckhalter because the Eagles don't run the ball anyway." It's pretty foolish. I think the Eagles make the playoffs and win the NFC East, but their defense betrays them and they get knocked out right away, a la last year's Kansas City Chiefs.
In order to win games, as they said on Primetime you have to win 2 of the 3 battles.
New York/ Philly
Offense: Philly, Defense: New York (Strahan), Special Teams: Philadelphia (better kicker)
Washington/ Philly
Offense: Tough, but due to Jansens injury Philly, Defense: Philly, Special Teams: Philly (I dont remember his name but their kicker is pretty good)
Dallas/Philly
Offense: Philly, Defense: Dallas, Special teams: It depends. Patrick Crayton has been impressive, but again your kicker is better, Our punter is better, so I say Dallas. But it will come down to Special Teams.
I definetly say that if you win the division we will give you the most problems. But I dont see how you could think that you will sweep us. Remember that #1 Defense from last year? Remember Roy Williams sacking McNabb and McNabb holding his head. Remember Terence Newman picking off McNabb. Remember Dat Nguyen forcing one of yall to fumble. It is too good to be swept by anyone. The Defense will win at least one game for us against yall, but it depends how good the Offense plays whether or not we sweep you.
It will probably be a split, but if asked which team has the better chance of sweeping the other, I'd have to go with the Eagles, because I don't respect Dallas' pass D.
