Thanks for Four Years of Awesome
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
Blogged Around Philly: Farewell Edition
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This Sunday starts another fantastic NFL season. (Yesterday's slop-fest doesn't count as the start of the season.) And Bird, Bird, Bird, Bird is the word. Or Birds, as it is.
The fighting Rams of St. Louis make a stop in the City of Brotherly Love this Sunday for what should not be much of a match up against this years Philadelphia Eagles.
Journalistic note of integrity: I am from the ‘other’ side of the Commonwealth and a Steelers fan.
This year’s Eagles team holds much promise. But don’t they every year? It’s not quite as bas as when I lived in Washington, D.C., and all of the ‘Skins fans were prepped for another version of 1991 and Mark Rypien. As I’m sure you’ve noticed in the past few years the ‘Skins haven’t really threatened to do anything except break the record for quirky appearances made by team members wearing wacky outfits during press interviews.
Anyway, back to the birds.
I have to admit, I forecast a season of more wins than losses for McNabb and crew (I'll say 10-6). Even with Kevin Curtis out with a sports hernia (which actually works in the common practice of referring to injuries as nouns—out with a hamstring, out with a shoulder, etc.), they’ve got a solid receiving corps. It all depends upon whether Reggie Brown ever shows up to play on consecutive Sundays. DeSean Jackson, the ballyhooed speedster out of Cal, looks to be a stud in the making, but at some point all of the hype has to be too much for one young man to bear. We will see this Sunday against a down-trodden St. Louis defense. For personal reasons, I hope D-Jack has a monster game so I can swoop into my Fantasy League’s waiver area and snag him up like a fat kid would do with some cake.
The defense remains stout with the biggest bump coming from the free agent signing of Asante Samuel. (I put the over/under of “times Merrill Reese and Mike Quick refer to him as ‘Samuels’” on the Sports Radio 610 broadcasts during the season at 73 ½ .) Brian Dawkins is back for another year of trolling the secondary for big hits. The defense’s effectiveness hinges upon the notion that the three-headed monster of Hank Baskett, Greg Lewis, and L.J. Smith can actually catch some passes and take the load off of B. Westbrook.
I will tell you what’s not good and that’s when a stat line reads:
Rushing Leader: B. Westbrook
Receiving Leader: B. Westbrook
Well, except in Fantasy Football.
Anyhoo, the Birds look to rebound from missing the playoffs last year with a run at the glory this year. Let’s just hope Donovan McNabb’s knee holds up so that the Eagles can live up to his expectations.
This week's picks after the jump...
Moving right along to this week’s picks. If gambling was legal, here's how I see 'em.
Home teams in CAPS:
Bengals (-1.5) over RAVENS
Rookie starting quarterback + potentially injured running back + geriatric #1 wide receiver = probably not beating a team with more healthy weapons than you. Chad Ocho Cinco gets his first win as Mr. Chad Ocho Cinco. Way to go, 8-5!
FALCONS (+3) over Lions
I’m abandoning my previous equation here by backing a rookie starting quarterback, but they’re playing the Lions. Jon Kitna is going to need to do more than call on God to find a victory on Sunday. I see Michael Turner running the ball about 45 times in this one and, selfishly for my fantasy football team, I see Roddy White and Matt Ryan connecting for at least one touchdown. Another thing I love is home underdogs and the Falcons are most certainly that.
DOLPHINS (+3) over Jets
Home. Dog. And Chad Pennington probably has the upper hand in this matchup seeing as he used to run the offense that his team’s new defense will be facing. Oh yeah, he also knows all of the defensive signal calls and formations. I still don’t think that’s going to help him throw the ball more than 20 yards down field, though. Lucky for him, Ted Ginn, Jr. is fast enough to catch it 10 yards down field and run the rest of the way.
PATRIOTS (-16.5) over Chiefs
The Chiefs defense is horrendous. The Patriots offense is nearly unstoppable (though their offensive line is porous). The Patriots run defense is solid. Their secondary, eh, not so much. Lucky for them Brodie Croyle is at the helm of the underwhelming Chiefs offense. Tom Brady will make it rain with TDs all day long. Most of them to Randy Moss (another shameless fantasy plug).
STEELERS (-6.5) over Texans
I’ll say it with you: HOMER PICK. I don’t see this being close in Pittsburgh. I also don’t see the Texans with any sort of run game. At all.
Jaguars (-3) over TITANS
This breaks my "home underdog" corollary, but let’s be honest: the Titans are pathetic. Vince Young is close to pathetic passing the ball. Their long bright spot: Chris Johnson, the rookie RB out of East Carolina.
Buccaneers (+3.5) over SAINTS
Practicing 800 miles north of home field. Only good running back is banged up. The other one only catches passes. Quarterback is known for slow starts. Those are four things that do not add up to a victory after another hurricane threatened to shatter New Orleans. You can only play the “let’s do it for the city” card so many times before it stops working.
Cardinals (-2.5) over NINERS
I’ll throw some names at you and you tell me which of the two you’d take. Group A: J.T. O’Sullivan, Bryant Johnson (banged up), Issac Bruce (old and on grass); or, Group B: Kurt Warner, Edgerrin James, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin. Thought so. Cards it is.
BILLS (-1) over Seahawks
Something about me likes the Bills this year. Marshawn Lynch and a revamped defense. Something about me doesn’t like the Seahawks this year. Injuries and Julius Jones. Canada’s first football team hangs onto this one.
Panthers (+9) over CHARGERS
Jake Delhomme returns from Tommy John surgery. Two-headed monster running backs Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are solid. Shawne Merriman insists on playing one of football’s most demanding position with two torn ligaments in his knee. This doesn’t add up to beating a team by more than nine points.
Cowboys (-5.5) over BROWNS
You know what else is brown? Cleveland’s defense.
COLTS (-9.5) over Bears
When your quarterback controversy involves Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton that is not a good thing. When you’ve created incentive in your kick returner’s contract to make him a #1 wide receiver it’s even worse that you had the previous controversy. Colts defense is strong and so is the smell coming off of Kyle Orton’s neck beard.
PACKERS (-2.5) over Vikings
This week’s second over/under: Number of times "Brett Favre" is mentioned by ESPN’s commentary crew: 25 ½ . Aaron Rogers edges Tavaris Jackson for most competent yet-to-be proved competent quarterback.
RAIDERS (+3) over Broncos
Darren McFadden + Home Underdog = better than a Brandon Marshall-less Jay Cutler.
Finally:
E-A-G-L-E-S. EAGLES! (-7.5) over Rams
For the reasons mentioned in the intro and because the bird-crew won't lose this cupcake at home.
In the words of one Brett Myers...
Boom. Outta here.
Image Credit: Flickr user Jayel Aheram
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