On New Year’s Day, I updated my Facebook with a status that sent many of my friends and family into a rage. Basically, I said I was rooting for Dallas to beat the Giants that night with the division on the line. My reasoning was simple. If Dallas won, they were going to lose the following week to Atlanta. I had no doubt about this.
The Giants, however, were a different story. I’ve lived this nightmare with them before. When that team gets hot, they are extremely hard to beat. There was no doubt in my mind they would go on another 2007 type run and possibly get back to the Super Bowl. Of course, no one cared what my thought process was. All I heard was “I’ll never root for Dallas,” and “The Giants are the lesser of two evils.”
Exactly three weeks later, and the nightmare is complete. The New York Giants are back in the Super Bowl, and any true Eagles fan is on suicide watch. Two weeks from today the NFC East could very well boast TWELVE Super Bowl championships. This would be, by far, the most of any division in football. Of those twelve Lombardi trophies, the Cowboys have five, the Giants could have four, the Redskins have three, and the Eagles have…..you already know. It’s more of the same old, same old.
While the Eagles tell everyone how good they are, there’s always some other team in the division that goes out and actually wins a championship. Right now it looks like the NFC East could belong to the Giants for years to come. Eli Manning is an elite quarterback (still can’t believe I have to say that), Victor Cruz looks like the next great receiver in football, and Jason Pierre Paul is an absolute stud.
Yet, right before Christmas, the Giants were just as mediocre as the Eagles. But they got hot at the right time and now Eagles fans could once again witness another hated rival hoist a trophy that’s never found its way to Philadelphia. And they wonder why we threw snowballs at Santa.
Odds & Ends
-While Jason Pierre-Paul has solidified himself as one of the best defensive ends in football, there’s no guarantee he would have found that same success had the Eagles taken him over Brandon Graham two years ago. The Birds don’t exactly have the best track record of drafting and developing defensive ends, and JPP was still very raw when he came out of college.
Seriously, besides Trent Cole in 2005, when’s the last time the Eagles actually drafted an end that became any good? The Andy Reid era has brought us the likes of Jerome McDougle, Jamaal Green, and Victor Abiamiri. Not exactly Reggie White, Clyde Simmons, or even William Fuller. Derrick Burgess had limited success with the Eagles, but didn’t really develop into a decent player until he left for Oakland.
So while everyone always looks back to what could have been had the Eagles drafted Pierre-Paul, let’s remember the history this franchise has when drafting that position. Besides, I still say Earl Thomas should have been the pick that night.
-Moods are probably sullen today with the Giants punching their ticket to Indianapolis, so to hopefully cheer everyone up, here’s a nice fact for you: the last time New York won the Super Bowl, less than nine months later the Phillies won the World Series. Yes, I’m digging very deep to try to make light of this otherwise craptastic day. When do pitchers and catchers report again?
Blah Blah Blah…Im sick of hearing all the Giant hype.. Beat ATL – Big Woop. PLayed a lousy GB team who dropped balls all game, then they got lucky against SF because these athletes that make millions cannot hang onto a punt. NYG almost beat them earlier in the season anyway, but they just collided. We even were woopin SF ass until we missed 2 30 yd FGS and lost by 1? Not sure. But the fact is..brady will get his 4th ring…AND break the giants little hearts.. Eli will not go Toe to toe with Brady.. Escpecially when thhat 32nd rank D is playing like a top 5 lately. There D reminds me of the old school early 2000s Pats D.. There just too young. Watch.. Brady will get yet another. There Tight Ends are gonna be too much for them along with Welker.
Pats 42
Gmen- 38
I harbor no ill feeling about whether the Giants win it or not John,
In fact I usually support other NFC East Teams over other teams from the NFC to show support for the Division the Eagles play in and can maybe at least take a little solace that they were beat out by the eventual Champion..
The way the Eagles started at 1-4 and then got to 3-6 and back to back losses at home versus Bears and Cardinals which did it for me, so I was way over it by the time the end of the season/holidays rolled around.. Now I am focusing on 2012 for as an EAgle Fan, that’s all I can do, check out the Draft, Free-agents and any changes on the Coaching Staff..
I still believe that PC Marty leaves and accepts a HC Position elsewhere this week (Indy or Oakland)
As far as the Super Bowl goes,
Giants WR’s are too much for Patriots Secondary..
Giants DL get to Brady more than the Patriots DL get to Eli..
Giants 30 – Patriots 24
Coughlin retires after the Victory
Giants Name DC Perry Jewell as the new HC of the GIants
“East Rutherford” renames the City “Coughlinville”
I think those are some great points about Pierre-Paul not developing into the DE he is today if the Eagles drafted him. I remember that draft like it was yesterday. The Eagles traded up and said to my wife “Alright, bout to get Earl Thomas, you watch.” Then they take Brandon Graham and I’m like WTF? Even the Maclin trade was surprising at the time. They just can’t draft with conventional wisdom. Always have to try and outsmart the rest of the league.
CT, your post mirrors the thoughts of the loser eagle players, ” the gmen aint sh, we should be playing, ” thats the blah blah, eli manning is now an elite, he will pick apart that putrid secondary, edelman?, I cant get worked up any more for this team, not until new coach, new quartderback, new philosophy, brady is the puss, not eli, he took a beating, and still threw the rock downhill, gmen win another bowl, 12th by nfc east team, but we got starship 7, loser reid
I’ve saved a few thousand the last couple of years not buying Eagles paraphernalia and tickets for the family..and I’m damn proud I did.
We will not spend another dime with the Eagles until they show an appreciation for the most loyal fan base in Football. We’re the only team in the NFC east that have never won anything yet the fans stay loyal.
My friends and family have come together to use our money wisely in this tight economy and excluding money towards the novacare complex will help plenty.
Thank you Lurie…I know our few dollars won’t hurt you much but it sure feels good not to put money into team that constantly give us a full dose of “Ground Hog” day this time of year…every damn year.
It’s quite at the Complex after vacation.
Where have we heard that before?
Teams are moving and shaking that went further than us yet…The brass down on Broad St are content.
Business as usual.
You would think a team that don’t make the playoffs would have had a jump on other teams having an early off season and all.
Things are fine guys.
Turnovers is really our only issue. Right.
Juan will now become a top coordinator and guide this defense to the promise land.
Nate Allen will become that intimidates stalking the middle.
The Middle linebacker will dare anyone to come in his area code.
the receivers will not look for a soft cushy spot to fall down in when a defender is close.
Andy will shoot straight with the fans and media going forward.
Parrots fly and Rhinos deep sea dive.
Time Yours
I am afraid your right Songs,
We will know by Wednesday whether AR needs to go out and get a OC to replace MM…
The Atlanta Falcons fired their Secondary Coach (Alvin WIlliams) as New DC Mike Nolan brings his own Coaches from the Dolphins to take over the Falcons Defense …
I don’t know much about Alvin WIlliams other than he;s been with Falcons HC Mike Smth for 3-4 Seasons and has helped developed CB Grimes, maybe the Eagles can check him out..
When Reid came to the Eagles he was much lighter in weight. Now he is a sumo wrestler, a man with no disipline just like his team. The tackling in the championship games was awesome. When i think back at the Eagles tackling, I think that only Banner, Lourie and Roseman would be worse.
I was thinking.. This offense the eagles have is too fast for this teams defense…what i mean by that is that they score too fast and they have three and outs too fast.. they dont know how to grind the games.. they do this by running the ball effectively and take time off the clock… every play does not have to be a Home run… its exciting to see at the moment them throwing a bomb down the field for a touchdown, but we wonder why the defense wears down so quick every year… this offense is way too home run happy…
To be fair, Reggie was “All USFL” prior to coming to the Eagles…he was a once-in-a-lifetime 300 lb DE, that was a stud in college too….not sure if the Eagles really needed (or could) to teach Reggie anything. Fuller was a proven “Pro Bowler” from Houston who we signed as a FA….again, already a stud. Agree, Trent Cole is pretty much “it” under Reid. Don’t laugh, but the only other player within the last 20 years was Mike Mamula, who averaged 6-7 sacks over a 5 year career with the Eagles. You could argue Andy Harmon, with a few more sacks over his career than Mamula, as someone they developed….but again….that was years and years ago.
To Reid’s credit, this team has been competitive almost every year….while I don’t believe in “luck” (you make your own opportunities), things have not gone the Eagles way. TOO MANY LOST OPPORTUNITIES…and I’m not going to list them all. This team is VERY predictable….TOO PREDICTABLE. 5 NFC Championships “should” have produced one Super Bowl win. Although,…. we had NO BUSINESS being in two of those NFC Championships (4th and 26…and we had < a 9% chance making it in 2009 until all the planets aligned). Kills me to write this.
At some point of time, we have to realize these topics are going to result in repetitive points of view. The smart thing for the eagles to do at seasons end, was to move on from Andy Reid, simple as that. But some solutions, I guess aren’t easy to make because of loyalty to whats presented as excellence. I say it’s amazing what you see when you open your eyes Jeffrie Lurie. If he wants to win a Super Bowl, realize that you have in a coach, what you referred to as fools gold. Step up in quality. Dont just view this season like that, start believing what truly obvious. Look at all his NFC Championship appearances, and his Super Bowl appearances, and look to your left and view all the Superbowl trophies you’ve attained, then asked yourself what have we really accomplished? Only he, has the power to hinder that from being accomplished in Philadelphia. Open your eyes Mr, Lurie…you need GMCliff to right the ship.
For those who are hoping for a safety or linebacker in the 1st round …forget.
another Brandon will be the 1st round pick.
Paste it..Brandon Thompson of Clemson will be the pick for DT.
His size and height compares to Hayneworth, so if you draft him and go all out for Tulloch for the middle linebacker I think they’ll stand pat at safety this coming season.
paste it
Brandon Thompson is Projected as a 2nd Round Selection
I think the Eagles will go with a Michael Brockers from LSU at (6-5 310 lbs) who just declared for the Draft or OT Jonathon Martin from Stanford (6-6 305lbs) and possibly as a dark Horse, DE Nick Perry from USC (6-3 255lbs Pass Rusher) and pass on DE Whitney Mercilus from Illinois who at 6-4 265lbs is probably too big to play for the Eagles, and will preobably end up on the Patriots or Giants as his starts his Pro-Bowl Career ..
I don’t waste my time with Steven Tulloch, he wants a big payday, and I’d rather use that money on someone like Mario Williams a DE. I would go young at linebacker; Burfict, Hightower, Z, Brown. The prospects I’m keeping my eye on are Whitney Mercilus, and Mark Barron. How long to you stick with Trent Cole, and Kurt Coleman? Mercilus, and Williams is the combo that I would desire for the future. I do like Brandon Thompson, but in the 2nd Round, along with Janoris Jenkins, Zach Brown, and Kelechi Osemele. If I can sign Haynesworth, I’d do it. I want to see how he responds to Washburn. If he can get back to half of what he once was, it would be a bargain. We need a QB of the future. I would try to get my hands on Ryan Mallett from New England, whose currently third string, and develop him in the system of the new coach next year.
Good stuff GMCliff except for Haynewsworth.. C’Mon, this guy hasn’t has a productive Season in about 4 Years.. He’s done and not even worth the negative distractions he brings to a club…
Patriots are very high on Mallett who will be #2 on their Depth Chart coe next Season.. Brady has 3 Years tops and they have mallet locked into a cheap rookie deal sinec he fell in the Draft and would make little sense for the Patriots to trade him now..
A free-agent QB I like is Dennis Dixon from the Steelers, who is young, athletic, smart and can throw.. He’s been in the Steeler System for about 3 years now and could really blossom in the Eagle QB happy System, if given the chance and would not come expensive..
Mercilus reminds me a lot of the Giants Pierre-Paul whose motor is awlays running and make plays in the running game too.. Mercilus is a lot more polished that Pierre-Paul was coming out of COllege.. I wouldn’t mind one bit if the Eagles Selected him at #15
I only mentions the OL in case the EAgles don’t or can’t sign MAthis..
Martin is a future LT who can play RT right away allowing Eagles to shift Herremans back to LG, OT Reiff is a RT with a nasty streak and then there
is Guard DeCastro who also looks like a 10 Year Starter and potential All-Pro at Guard..
I think Eagles would like to sign and keep LG Mathis, but they will not offer him any carzy money to do so.. If the do retain him, then Eagles don’t need to draft an OL until the mid-rounds.. There are lots of good Interior OL in this Draft