I wonder if there’s interest.
Mangini traded for Ratliff and Ratliff is starting the preseason game tonight. I’m not sure what to make of it.
There certainly WAS interest.
That is an interesting development. Maybe he’s saying they’re both equally worthless.
The Eagles’ Reggie Brown could help a number of teams. Hank Baskett might be available, too, and A.J. Feeley for sure.
I’m guessing he made up his mind about the starter a long time ago and has just been being a petulant Belichickian but pretending he hasn’t. By sitting them both in the final game he can obscure his week 1 starters longer. Stupid move since they still need work.
Kevin Jones made a staggeringly stupid move jumping on that rush play. I’m betting he’s done for the season. What a fucking idiot.
You’re right in that he probably won’t name a starter until 5 minutes before the first game for reasons of deception, but neither QB has the luxury of skipping reps, IMO. He has handled this badly.
I suspect that if it’s close he’s going to bow into fan/ownership pressure and start Quinn. Seeing this cycle has become annoying to me - if the starter is flawed, then the backup gets the focus of all the irrational hope of people and they build them up in their own minds. I like Quinn - I think he has the potential to be a good starter - but you combine hometown kid, first round draft pick, and pretty boy and Anderson could play lights out and people would still be hoping he blew out a knee so that Quinn (by this point the greatest QB of all time by sheer power of hope) can play.
Well fuck, that doesn’t help my cause in the All-Pro league. Teach me to draft a damn handcuff.
No one is talking about how serious it is, might end up being a simple sprain but it didn’t look good at all. And he did it to himself. I suppose if it’s just a high ankle sprain and he’s healed by week 5 or so then he might be still a good insuarance policy so long as Forte lasts that long.
Part of me is hoping that it’s serious so that the Bears are forced to add a RB off the waiver wire and maybe luck into a Ryan Grant type deal. They seem strangely loyal to the guys they have in house and there isn’t a worthwhile guy with upside in there.
The Eagles were atrocious in late down short yardage situations last season. That will certainly not be a problem this season.
If last night’s preseason game is any indication of How Michael Vick will actually be used, the experiment will be a success and he will completely solve the short yardage problems. All throughout the first and second quarters, Reid subbed Vick in for every 2nd or 3rd and < 3. When i stopped watching, he was 5/5 on first down conversions, and I think had a total of 20-25 yards running. The Jets defense (which, aside from the first drive, looked decent, though it was mostly second teamers), was completely, hopelessly lost. Vick looked just about as explosive as he was in Atlanta (noticeably slower and less agile, but probably 90% there). Add in Leonard Weaver, who is big and powerful and yet still a really exceptional pass catcher, and 3rd and short might be the strength of the team. With Vick at QB, Weaver at tailback, and the receivers like Jackson and Maclin outside, there is not a god damned thing you can do but hope and pray someone on the Eagles misheard the play. Might as well radio in the 1st down defense. Who do you focus on? Vick running? Weaver running hard inside? Weaver flaring out for a screen or flat? Maclin or Jackson coming on an end-around? Good luck. I’d hate to face that offense in that situation. Vick even ran hard inside for a 2 yard score. I was giddy.
For every bit as good as Vick looked situationally during the first half, he looked equally bad as a passer in the second half. That’s where he’ll need the most time to shake off the rust. I’m actually pretty confident with Vick as an Eagle, if not this season, but the next. Reid did a really great job turning McNabb into a top flight pocket passer. If anyone can help Vick become a decent pocket QB, it’s Reid. We’ll start to really see how this machine gets going after week two when Vick comes off his suspension.
For the record, I think there’s a 75% chance McNabb throws a hissy fit at some point before the end of the season. I think the stories of him “welcoming Vick with open arms” and “lobbying for the Eagles to sign Vick” are basically propaganda. I don’t think McNabb will be pleased when Vick comes in on 1st and goal from the 5. It’ll be a huge story. I don’t look forward to it.
I’ve always said Vick is the ultimate quarterback for third-and-short situations. What remains to be seen is if he’ll ever be any use in X-and-long.
Atlanta’s DVOA rankings on 3rd & Short from '01-'06 (excluding '03 when Vick only started 5 games): 24th, 23rd, 10th, 25th, and 12th. Now, I do concede that having some Vick/wildcat plays in their back pocket will help the Eagles on 3rd down to some extent, and *maybe *Atlanta was clueless about how to deploy Vick and Philly’s scheme will make a world of difference. I think the safer conclusion, though, is that Vick is not a 3rd & Short panacea. This is probably because passing the football is still a big part of overall 3rd & Short strategies, and Vick is a poor passer.
I don’t think it’s so much a matter of shaking off the rust (though rust there surely is), but rather of Michael Vick never having been a good passer (2002 excepted).
The safe conclusion is that Atlanta was clueless. Did you forget the the “Michael Vick as West Coast quarterback” experiment?
True, that was pretty dumb. OTOH, their running game in general was mostly excellent during those years, often with a legitimate, skilled power back (Duckett), and before there was a wildcat they were still running lots of pseudo-option plays, fake QB bootlegs, etc. It’s not like they weren’t using Vick’s uniqueness.
But I don’t know. When it comes to organizational brain power, Philly '09 > Atlanta '05. Maybe they sort it out.
I thought Duckett was a legit guy in Atlanta but his inability to earn sany significant reps since seems to sugghest otherwise (although he did score 8 times last year).
Patriots release QB Andrew Walter, leaving them with only undrafted rookie Brian Hoyer as Brady’s backup. Not surprisingly, Belichick is mum on whether they will pick up another QB, but I simply cannot imagine them going the whole season with just Brady and Hoyer :eek: I presume they are waiting until tomorrow to see who becomes available on the waiver wire.
After pitching Walter and O’Connell, I’m convinced that Bellicheck is in such a fit of hubris about his own geniusness that he’s going to put his 12 year old niece Nancy out there to QB, fully convinced that with his stellar coaching, she’ll throw for 4,000 yards and 38 tds.
Trade for Luke McCown, maybe.
This is completely ridiculous.
33 TDs, tops!
He’s done for the year with a ligament tear.
Again.
Idiot. That’s what I get for talking him up. The Bears are in pretty ragged shape behind Forte at the RB position.