Underlining mine. I don’t see a ‘defer’ option in the rules governing the coin toss. Could you elaborate?
ISTM like if you win the toss, you can either (a) elect to receive the opening kickoff, or (b) assuming the other team takes advantage, wind up kicking off to start off both halves.
The NFL added the option to defer in 2008, the quoted rule must be old.
The Eagles are currently on pace to break the all time record for yards in a season.
I don’t think they’ll do it, they don’t play more than half their games in a dome and the weather is about to go to hell. Still interesting though. I knew they had been racking up some crazy yards but I didn’t think it was close to being an historic pace.
New Orleans is also very slightly above the pace, but they do play mostly in a dome. Drew Brees is also on his way to shattering some other records too.
The Monday Night game between Chicago and Philly worries me, as an Eagles fan. Meaningless as it is, it’s always a bad sign when everyone seems to think the Eagles will win comfortably. And I’m concerned that the Eagles have heard too many good things following their systematic dismantling of Dallas.
But aside from vague, gut-feeling kinda things, Chicago worries me from a scheme standpoint too. Part of the reason Philly dominated Dallas so handily was they forced Dallas to drop their safeties back “500 yards” to prevent the home run plays and it left the middle of the field wide open. Normally the MLB roams that spot, but because Sean Lee got hurt, the Dallas MLB was always, always a step behind. Poor Keith Brooking was two or three steps behind.
Well, that completely changes with Brian Urlacher. I’m sure we’ve all seen him undercut those over-the-middle throws with a diving interception, he’s had a couple this year already. I predict he’ll have at least one this week and generally cause a lot of problems for Philly. I don’t think the Eagles will be nearly as successful on offense this week unless they can manage to burn the Bears struggling safeties deep. And that hasn’t been rare this season.
On defense, it’s no secret the Eagles have had trouble with RBs. Matt Forte poses the perfect storm threat for the Eagles D. He’s running well and catching a ton of passes, both things the Eagles stink at defending from a RB. That’s going to be a nightmare to watch Forte abuse the Philly LBs all night.
It’s not a great matchup, though not a poor one either. I can’t help but shake the feeling that the Eagles got a little too satisfied with themselves this last week and will have a classic let down game this week. Here’s hoping I’m wrong!
It’s the one on the NFL website, but it’s quite possible they haven’t kept it up to date.
A genuine option to defer changes the entire calculus.
This was absolutely damning. I posted in the NFL Week 9 thread, when the Eagles got the ball down 6 late in the 4th that I had zero confidence in them scoring. And I meant literally zero. Why? Dan Klausner explains what I was feeling was something beyond pessimism and anger.
[QUOTE=Dan Klausner]
So, did you allow yourself any flicker of hope that Vick might lead the team down the field at the end for a game-winning touchdown? Of course you didn’t. Right now, off the top of your head, tell me a game in which an Andy Reid team came back in the final minutes to score a touchdown for the win. You can’t because it hasn’t occurred. No, I’m serious, that has never happened during Andy’s 12-year tenure as head coach. Not once has his team or his quarterback driven down the field to win the game in that fashion (down by more than three and needing a touchdown to win). Pretty amazing.
[/QUOTE]
Ugh. I wonder if that’s actually true, because while it certainly feels true, it can’t possibly be, right? Fucking team.
That can’t possibly be true. Didn’t McNabb have a bazillion comeback wins?
Well, there was that one where McNabb was waiting for second overtime…
If it’s true it has to be a difference in definition. McNabb had tons of game-winning drives and come-from-behind wins because they don’t require Klausner’s specific terms (more than 3 point deficit but less than 7). Still staggering. I’m pretty sure I could come up with several examples off the top of my head for Peyton and Brady within the last two or three years alone.
I remember even thinking during that drive how I can’t remember ever seeing the Eagles win a game like that. Just goes to show that the franchise wins often but they still have a long way to go to become winners.
It’s just some shit a guy made up. The first game I thought of invalidates it.
Here.
Good catch, Jimmy. I figured it was right, but I couldn’t remember an example and didn’t feel like pouring over the results. Though I’ll admit that I thought it could be right, which says everything about the confidence I have in this team to turn things around.
Meh. This is cherry-picking. What about them coming back from 21 points down with 8 minutes to go just last year against the Giants? If that’s not a late comeback, I don’t know what is.
Yeah, but he’s referring specifically to game-winning drives. The game-winning score in that one was the DeSean Jackson fumble-fumble-run-for-touchdown punt return.
I understand that, but Vick had to lead them on at least the game-tying drive. I don’t see how a late drive that ties the game is any less clutch that a drive that results in the winning points. If you are looking to say that Andy Reid never wins games in the final drive that’s fine, but you can’t just handwave situations that are nearly the same. Well, you can, but they should count for something.
Don’t look at me. I think Reid is a great coach and I’d have been happy to have him.
DeSean Jackson inactive for missing a team meeting? Not that it will matter against the Cardinals, but combined with Babin’s whining, I am liking the drama coming from Philly. Good thing for them, they’re playing a crap team this week.
He was probably sleeping. Putting the dream back in “Dream Team”. 
So, what do you fellas think of Justin Smith?
NYG Now: 6-3
Week 11: PHI
Week 12: @ NO
Week 13: GB
DAL Now: 5-4
Week 11: @ Was
Week 12: MIA
Week 13: @ AZ
**Week 14: NYG (7-5) @ DAL (8-4) **
The Cowboys haven’t won back-to-back games since Week 3. What on earth makes you think they’re going to win 3 straight now?