Why The Philadelphia Eagles Wont Make The Superbowl

The Eagles, at 11-5 entering the playoffs, look like a team that could be a serious contender on paper, and some expect them to make it to the show.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, despite an outstanding season, the fun may be short lived.

Let’s consider that the Eagles losses can be very telling in two ways.

First, they lost to Dallas twice with one game being for the NFC East division title.

Other notable losses were to teams such as New Orleans, San Diego and Oakland.

With the exception of Oakland, the losses the Eagles compiled are very obvious markers of a team that struggles against premiere contenders.

In the two meetings against Dallas, the Eagles scored a total of 16 points while allowing  Dallas to total 44 against their defense. Additionally, the Eagles choked in a game where the NFC East crown was up for grabs.

If you look at the breakdown of there team rankings, the Eagles are very average in terms of defense, ranked 17th against the pass, and ninth against the run. In the playoffs they will be facing a Dallas team ranked second in overall offense.

The Eagles best chance to advance past the Cowboys and contend in the playoffs would be for a Cowboy’s collapse, which I don’t see happening in the this game.

The offense of the Eagles has shown bursts of greatness, but mostly been an average unit that lacks the consistency of a championship team.

Overall, while this team established an 11-5 record, they fall short in many key areas.

First off, the running game they posses is going to have a very hard time establishing themselves against the NFC defenses this year. This in turn will leave the passing game exposed, and with mediocre receivers playing against elite defenses, the offense is in for a long day.

The Eagles don’t have the dominating defense from seasons ago and they can’t afford to rely on them to bail out a sputtering offense. 

It should be a long day for the Eagles and their fans as Dallas clearly is the better team in this contest.

Overall, the Eagles should be a one and done team, losing a third time to the Dallas Cowboys, 34- 14.

 

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Why the New Orleans Saints Won’t Make the Superbowl

First, my congratulations to the New Orleans Saints for a well played season; and I’m sure there fans are excited, however, the hype and excitement that was the Saints’ season is about to close in January.

Although they have an explosive passing attack and the cannon-armed quarterback in Drew Brees, the Saints are a team that are dangerously close to falling short and here’s why.

Looking back at the Saints schedule, the opponent’s records combined were 97-127, 30 games under .500.

Early in Week Two, the Saints faced an early season Eagles team that has since revitalized itself and proven to be a competitor. 

Although the victory was dominating (the Saints won 48-22) the Eagles are not the same team they showed to be in September.

They played the New England Patriots, whom are not the same Patriots from years past, and decidedly beat them 38-17.

Despite an impressive victory, they nearly lost the next two games against Atlanta and Washington—the evidence that the offense wasn’t as consistent as they were early in the season.

And lastly, they played the Dallas Cowboys who were on the rebound and heating up at the right time, and lost…at home.

The rest of the schedule provided an array of teams that were either squeaking into the playoffs or jockeying for draft position.

The Saints’ season consisted of feasting on teams the likes of, Detroit (2-14), Buffalo (6-10), St. Louis (1-15), Tampa Bay (3-13), Washington (4-12), and Carolina (8-8). 

Together these opponents compiled a record of (24-72).

These teams provided the Saints with eight easy victories—pretty hard not to make the playoffs with that considered.

In the games against competitive teams, and those jockeying for playoff positions, the Saints’ average margin of victory was 15, not quite the dominating margin stats and records would lead you to believe.

Consider that in weeks 10 and 13, the saints barely escaped St. Louis and Washington with victories averaging a margin of four points with the two opponents going 5-27 combined.

From week 10 onward the Saints were not the steamroller that they were in the first half of the season as they won by an average of 12.6 points before dropping the last three games, in which Brees and co. played against Dallas and Tampa Bay.

Outside of the numbers, this team has become more exposed to defensive coordinators and seems to have become tunnel visioned on their game day approach.

It seems that if you examine the schedule, the Saints let their guard down against teams they feel are not on their level.  They can’t afford that in the second season.

At this point in time the NFC is wide open for any of the playoff teams to seriously make a run to the Superbowl. 

Instead of the NFC being a two-horse race between the Vikings and the Saints, teams like Green Bay and Dallas are knocking at the door and would be a legitimate adversary for the Saints.

The Saints also have some issues that need addressing, namely defense.

We all know the Saints can score, they rank number one in total offensive yards per game.

However, on the defensive side of the ball, the Saints rank 25th overall.  Specifically, 21st against the run and 26th against the pass.

The teams in the NFC playoff race consist of teams whom rank in the top 10 against the run and pass, with the exception of Arizona contending from the weak West division.

Green Bay ranks first against the run, averaging 83.3 yards per game, followed by the Vikings in second, Dallas in fourth, and Philadelphia in ninth.

The Saints cannot afford to become a pass only team against any of the above mentioned.  The ability to run must be established because without that, Drew Brees becomes average.

Simply put, I just don’t see the dots connecting for New Orleans.

The schedule they had due to the past two seasons being under .500 has given them a false sense of security, and that will cost them in the playoffs.

 

 

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Vikings-Giants: Five Keys to a Minnesota Vikings Victory

So here we are: the last game, home field, and the playoffs looming.

Questions have been aplenty the past four weeks, with nervous fans scratching heads over a team that seems lost.

Fortunately for the Vikings, they are already guaranteed a playoff spot, and the pressure isn’t about winning, but winning in convincing fashion.  The Vikings have a golden opportunity to capitalize on a broken team in the former Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

This game isn’t about Favre’s revenge from the last time he faced them; it’s worth more than that. It’s about reining in his horses and leading them into the playoffs with confidence.

Despite their recent struggles, the Vikings have worked on the overall approach to their game, drilled the offensive line, and took the necessary steps to enter the playoffs in the right mental state.

For today’s game, it comes down to the ability to forget the last few games and focus on winning, and here are the five keys to that victory.

First , the most important phase of this game relies on protection and the offensive line’s ability to create adequate running lanes for Adrian Peterson. 

This must-win battle has the team’s longevity in its hands, for if they fail today, the damage may be too profound to get out of their heads.

If they move the line and keep the blitz in check, Favre will be able to see his options downfield and strike.  One thing about Brett is: if he doesn’t have the confidence in his protection, he will rush and force things to happen.

This is paramount, and if the offensive line can find themselves, then New York will be in for a long day.

Second , the wide receivers must create separation and run crisp routes against the Giants’ secondary.  Switching formations and play-action passing is sure to keep the secondary guessing, and the Vikings should rely heavily on the No. 3 receiver to step up and contribute if they want to keep things honest.

Third is the special teams; namely, the punt and kickoff coverage.  The Vikings cannot afford to give the Giants a short field, and in turn must keep the average starting position around the 25-yard line or less. 

The benefit here is there is no weather to adversely affect the kicking game; however, there must be a solid effort on personnel to commit to a goal and keep the Giants pinned as far back as they can.

Fourth , the Vikings’ secondary must play with pressure coverage, fluster the receivers off the line, and disrupt their rhythm.  The Vikings’ corners must communicate and take calculated risks when the opportunity is there.

Lastly , the Vikings must pressure the QB, and make him think he has to get rid of the ball quickly.  Disguised blitzing and a heavy dose of linebacker pressure should bring this to fruition.

Overall, the Vikings have the talent to easily handle the Giants, but if they get too comfortable, they will again be snake-bitten and head into the playoffs damaged.

The Vikings have a golden opportunity to right the ship today; the question is, which team will show up?

My prediction: Vikings 35, Giants 17

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Minnesota Vikings, Brett Favre Watch as Time Keeps Ticking

Let’s just say that this author is a very big Favre fan.  Let’s say that I have watched him since he entered the league, terrorizing secondaries and keeping Prilosec a necessity in every coach’s office for what seems a football eternity.

Let’s say that I’ve yelled at the top of my lungs during the good times, and cried like a baby when they were bad. 

Regardless of what anyone says, I think I have enough experience as a Packers fan (and Brett Supporter) for his entire career.

So when it comes to crunch time in football, I have a lot to draw on.

Minnesota fans are getting uncomfortable with the recent events and the unexpected “late season collapse” of the mighty purple. 

I know that this team is a paper tiger and had executed extremely well, seeming to be an unstoppable force for a while.

Relax.  They still are.

The only thing different in the last couple of weeks seems to be a recent development of conservatism with the Vike’s head coach and staff. 

What seemed to be a run-away with the NFC North, has now turned out to seem like a squeaker of a divisional championship.

The fact is, for whatever reason the coaches and the players may have gotten too content with the status quo.  You couldn’t ask for better timing than now!

Realize that if the Vikings kept rolling along without any adversity, they would be primed for a playoff collapse. 

Despite recent teams like the New England Patriots, and the juggernaut they once were, many teams need to have a period of challenge which makes them soul search and re-approach the game before the playoffs arrive.

Even if the coaching staff went with a conservative approach in play calling, even if they took the reigns away from Brett, even if they feuded or quarreled; it’s best to get it out now!

I’d much rather see struggle the last few games before the playoffs than a team that feels invincible. 

It makes players stay focused and push to improve so that when the playoffs are here, they seize the opportunity because they accept the fact that at any time it can be over.

In my opinion, that’s what gets you to the big show!  Brett and Adrian Peterson will always be Brett and AP, the key here is that Minnesota must lean heavily on the offensive line to wake up and understand that without protection and opening holes for the best running back in the league, they are average. 

You can only work with what you have!

The secondary must play aggressive and take calculated risks, without giving too much comfort to the offense’s ability to make up for what they failed to do. 

This team has too many playmakers not to be in the Super Bowl, but they won’t if they don’t focus their attention in the right direction.

There is no one I would want at quarterback other than Brett moving forward.  I don’t think the issue is him.  I doubt he thinks it either.

The question remains, do the Vikings know what is? I think they do, and I won’t be surprised to see purple in the Super Bowl!

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