This blurb will take shape in add-on sections over the next day… mirroring the stages of my recovery from a hangover.
Saw this sign the other day… there are a bunch of double entendre ways you could go with this ad campaign…
The esteemed EAGLE NUT, long-time observer here and holding an honorary Ph.D from BirdBrain University, offers these observations going into Sunday’s show-down with the Pats:
“Well, I’m glad for the win over the Giants and all that, cuz they really needed to get back on track with those damn Pats coming to town (I’ve always hated Brady, dating back to his days at Michigan), but I can’t help but wonder if DRC may have been part of the previous problem on D… Granted, playing CB is now one of the hardest positions to play now due to all those stupid new rules (I miss the old defensive struggles. Sunday night was amazing!), but DRC really hadn’t made an impact I expected him to make. I dunno, maybe its the Giants that made our backups look good (those backups in key positions at least, Young for Vick, Cooper for Maclin, etc) . It’s complicated. “
“Great win, now let’s focus on the keys to beating the Patriots, which have become rather obvious this season. Attack the secondary, and possess the ball. If we hold the ball for those long 18-play drives like VY did Sunday night (is he our clutch guy? Naah, Vick all the way, although I’d like to see some trickery involving Vick and Young, some MV/VY play or something), then we keep Brady off the field— and while I like the way our D played Sunday night, it’s still Brady we’re talking about. As much as I hate him, I gotta give him credit for all he’s done. Give them heavy doses of Shady —and I would love to see some more plays with our Air Force experiment, Chad Hall. Great job working him in there. Just keep them on their toes.”
“We can dicuss this more after Thanksgiving, can’t wait to join my family in PA. for our big dinner. They may be Steelers fans, but I love them anyways. I just hope we make a miraculous run and win the Big Game, cuz I’m tired of hearing the “6 rings to none” crap.”
Enjoy your Turkey Day, Eagle Nut…..
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Fancy Fantasy Football Results Week 11….
Brisuksegg EEB Conference…
Team BONE (Boner 4-6-1) strafed Marty Funkhouser (Harry O. 7-4), 112- 86…
Nut Chokers (JB 6-5) slipped by Sunny’s Jock Strap (Mothra 6-5), 106-104…
Dem Stinken Bums (ATV 7-4) bombed How You Like Dem Apples (Hud 7-4), 162- 89…
Amputatoes (Jerked 6-4-1) thwarted Lancaster Rubbernecks (Gary 5-6), 127-116…
Green Machine (David 4-7) frosted McLuvin’s Pastries (Leo 2-9), 116-113…
Team Jax Eagles (Andrew 8-3) violated Team Conahan (Robert 3-8), 138- 61.
WEST DIVISION: W L T Pctg. GB
Team Jax Eagles 8 3 0 .728 __
Marty Funkhouser 7 4 0 .636 1
Dem Stinken Bums 7 4 0 .636 1
Sunny’s Jock Strap 6 5 0 .545 2
Lancaster RubberNecks 5 6 0 .455 3
Green Machine 4 7 0 .364 4
EAST DIVISION:
How You Like Dem Apples 7 4 0 .636 —-
The Amputatoes 6 4 1 .600 .5
Nut Chokers 6 5 0 .545 1
Team Bone 4 6 1 .400 2.5
Team Conahan 3 8 0 .273 4
McLuvin’s Pastries 2 9 0 .182 5
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Here’s some more scouting analysis of the Patriots-Eagles matchup on Sunday from Christopher Price, our guest columnist today from WEII Radio (93.7 FM, 850 AM, Boston)….
“It won’t be the matchup of the superpowers that some envisioned when the season began, but Sunday’s game between the Patriots and Eagles should be one of the most compelling matchups of the week. After back-to-back wins, New England is 7-3, and sits in command of the AFC East, while Philadelphia — the self-described “dream team” that looked so good in the preseason — now sits at 4-6, and likely has no room for error the rest of the way if they want to make the playoffs.”
“We asked an NFC scout who has broken down film on both the Patriots and Eagles to give us some of the things that really stand out about this week’s game. His words are italicized, and we have added a few notes of our own underneath each entry:
•Philadelphia’s offense will present a problem to the New England defense because of all of the dynamic space-players that they have. New England can’t match up personnel-wise so it will be interesting what it can come up with defensively to counteract.
“For all their problems, the Eagles are well stocked with excellent options at the skill positions, including wide receiver DeSean Jackson (35 catches, 591 yards), running back LeSean McCoy (188 carries for 1,019, best on the team), wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (46 catches, 612 yards, four receiving touchdowns, all of which are best on the team), wide receiver Jason Avant (35 catches, 447 yards), and tight end Brent Celek (37 catches, 382 yards). Philadelphia has a more diverse offensive attack than any opponent New England has faced this season, which will force the Patriots to try and get creative defensively.”
•When Philly commits to running the ball with McCoy, they can be difficult to stop offensively — the Eagles are 4-2 when they run the ball 30-plus times. Running the ball will also take it out of Vick’s or Vince Young’s hands, which is a good thing for the Eagles, as both are prone to mistakes when they have to read coverage.
“This would appear to be a strength-vs.-strength matchup. McCoy is the best back the Patriots have faced this season as he leads the league in total yards (1,019) and average yards per game (101.9), and is tied for the league lead in runs of 20 yards or more (eleven). Meanwhile, the Patriots remain in the top half of the league when it comes to stopping the run (after 10 games, New England is 13th in the league, allowing 104.7 rushing yards per game). In contrast to their vulnerability when it comes to allowing big plays in the passing game (the Patriots have allowed a league-leading 51 pass plays of 20 yards or more), they are fourth in the league when it comes to allowing the fewest big plays on the ground — New England has allowed only four runs of 20 yards or more.”
•Philly’s red-zone offense will be an interesting matchup vs. the New England defense and coaching staff. You always have to account for Vick (if he plays) and McCoy.
“The Patriots red-zone defense has been solid over the last few weeks (New England is 16th in the league in red-zone defense with a 50 percent rate), but New England could face two unique red-zone performers in Vick (if he plays) and McCoy. McCoy’s athleticism allows him to make moves in tight space near the goal line, while Vick’s ability to keep plays alive with his speed also brings a dynamic presence inside the 20.
•The Patriots’ offense will take advantage of the defensive scheme of Eagles. I think they will also take advantage of Philly’s linebackers in coverage. They still have issues in the secondary, and are not using the strength of the players that they have. Overall, they are weakest in the middle of the field on each level of their defense: defensive tackle, middle linebacker and safety. Those weaknesses, coupled with the way Brady dissects defenses, should bode well for New England.
“It sounds like the Patriots could have some opportunities in the passing game between the numbers against the Eagles who could have some matchup problems over the middle with pass-catchers like Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski. According to Pro Football Focus, only one Philadelphia linebacker — Brian Rolle — grades out positives in pass coverage, and he’s only at a +0.6.”
•I do think that Philly’s defensive ends could give the New England tackles some trouble with their style of rushing. Brady does a good job of stepping up in the pocket and feeling pressure. I think Tom Brady will do enough things, adjustment-wise based on alignments and tendencies to frustrate the Eagle coordinator and players.
“On paper, the matchup of Philadelphia’s defensive ends against New England’s tackles appears to be a favorable one for the Eagles. Left tackle Matt Light was injured at the end of Monday’s win over the Chiefs and was spotted after the game with a walking boot on his right foot/leg. Meanwhile, right tackle Sebastian Vollmer has been a mixed bag the last few games (he may be slowed this season because of a back injury that’s had him on the injury report on a fairly regular basis). Nate Solder has stepped in and been a adequate replacement when called upon on both sides, but he might not be ready for a combo like Trent Cole (five sacks, 27 pressures) and Jason Babin (10 sacks, 24 pressures), who provide the spark for the Philly pass rush. It certainly sounds like one of the points of emphasis this week for Brady will be to make sure he steps up in the pocket to try and steer clear of the outside rush.”
•Give the Eagles credit for stopping the potent offense of the Giants last week, but they match up better with vertical passing game with deep quarterback drops than the style that the Patriots play, which is more of a horizontal quick passing game.
“Despite the increased pressure from the outside, it sounds like the Patriots’ offense presents a more challenging matchup for the Eagles than the Giants. Look for the Patriots to try and keep the Philadelphia pass rush at bay by having Brady get the ball out as fast as possible.
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