“Dream Team” Comparison: 2011 Eagles vs. 2000 Redskins

The Eagles struck again on Tuesday, this time signing veteran running back Ronnie Brown to a one-year deal. Hours later the team agreed to terms on a one-year deal with former Broncos tackle Ryan Smith. Are they done? Who knows.

Philly’s free agency splurge has sent shockwaves throughout the league. Players, fans and writers alike are calling the 2011 Eagles a “dream team.” It got me to thinking, when was the last time an NFL team garnered this much off-season attention? When did we last witness a team stack its roster with Pro Bowl and Hall-of-Fame caliber free agents in hopes of winning a Super Bowl? When was the last time we threw out terms like dream team and the best team money can buy? Let me take you back eleven years and a few hours down I-95: the 2000 Washington Redskins.

Humor me for a few minutes:

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Eagles Give the Ball to Vick, But for How Long?

Despite Kevin Kolb being cleared to play, Andy Reid has chosen to stick with Michael Vick at quarterback.  It is an interesting move to say the least.  It came as a shock to almost everyone, but many see it as the right move for the Eagles.  Philadelphia committed money to Kolb in the offseason and traded McNabb so Kolb could be their guy, so why did Reid make this decision?

Of course Andy Reid is the only one who knows, but if I were the coach or GM, I’d be doing it for one reason: to trade Vick. Vick is in the last year of his contract and the NFL trade deadline is Week 6. The Eagles go to Jacksonville this week and then have Washington at home.  Those two teams have not played great defense through the first two weeks.  This will give Vick an opportunity to shine for quarterback-needy teams.  … Continue Reading

Teams Ready to Make an Impact

Let’s look at the five teams that have made the best moves of the offseason via trades or free agent signings:

N.Y. Jets: The Jets made a flurry of moves in an effort to cement themselves as a Super Bowl contender.  They went out and added Antonio Cromartie and Jason Taylor on the defensive side of the ball. Cromartie provides the Jets with depth at the CB back position.  If/once Revis returns to the team, Cromartie most likely will be the Nickel DB with the emergence of highly touted rookie Kyle Wilson.  Taylor comes over from the Dolphins and immediately improves the Jets pass rush, even at his age.

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Monday Morning Headlines: The Sanchise gets Buffaloed

The 2007 Patriots showed up in a Nor’easter and embarrassed the Titans 59-0 – and it wasn’t even that close. Tom Brady is now the only QB in NFL history to have thrown 5 TD passes in one quarter. It still boggles my mind that a 13-3 team from just a season ago (Titans) has fallen this far. (Boston Globe)

Speaking of falling hard, the Redskins keep finding new lows. On Sunday, they allowed the woeful Chiefs to punk them in front of a half-filled FedExField, 14-6. Kansas City’s 32nd ranked defense overwhelmed an anemic Redskins offense. If you’re keeping score at home, Washington has now given the Lions, Panthers and Chiefs their first wins of the season. Pathetic. (Washington Post)

Just hours after the game, head coach Jim Zorn was stripped of his play-calling duties by upper management. And he is apparently OK with it. Tony Dungy thinks Zorn should have stood his ground. (DC Sports Bog)

The game of the day was in Minnesota. After another Favre 4th quarter comeback that put the Vikings up 33-31, Joe Flacco drove the Ravens into field goal range only to see Steve Hauschka miss a 44 yarder. Vikes improve to 6-0. Minnesota is now the class of the NFC along with… (Star Tribune)

The Saints! Fresh off a bye week, Drew Brees carved up the #1 defense in the NFL for 369 passing yards and 4 TD’s as the Saints throttled the Giants 48-27. New Orleans has already put up 45+ points in three games this season. (Times-Picayune)

More fans showed up for the Cincinnati-USF game on Thursday night than the Panthers-Bucs game on Sunday. Tampa Bay falls to 0-6 after losing to Carolina 28-21. (Pro Football Talk)

We’d like to apologize for encouraging you to pick the Jets this week in your survivor pool. The Mark Sanchez love fest has got to stop. Please don’t refer to this dude as ‘The Sanchise’ until he actually puts the team on his shoulders and wins a game. Five picks against the Bills isn’t going to cut it. Those dagger mistakes single-handedly wasted 318 yards on the ground and a solid effort from the Jets’ D. (NY Post)

The Raiders beat the Eagles??? The NFC East was 0-3 on Sunday. (Philly.com)

So much for being 16-0 when Matt Hasselbeck’s mom attends a game at Qwest Field. The Cards dismantled the Seahawks in front of the 12th man, 27-3. (Seattle Times)

The nightcap in the ATL didn’t disappoint. The Falcons answered both Bears TD’s with scores of their own and got the W 21-14. Jay Cutler has now thrown 6 INT’s on Sunday Night Football this season. (Chicago Tribune)

Memo to Suzy Kolber: He’s Just Not That Into You

After a come-from-behind victory against a division rival, would you rather: A) celebrate by going home to Gisele or B) stop to talk to Suzy Kolber? Tom Brady picked A. (Awful Announcing)

The Raiders may have lost to the Chargers, but I give them the edge for best throwback uni’s.

We’ve already entered must-win territory in Washington. (Washington Post)

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Brian Urlacher’s replacement, HUNTER HILLENMEYER!! (Chicago Tribune)             

To make room for Carmella Decesare’s husband, the Eagles are trying to deal Kendra Wilkinson’s husband. What, Philly’s not big enough for two Playmates? (Philly.com)

Week 1 Quick Hits – Eagles Fly High, Broncos Buck Bengals

What did we learn from Kickoff Weekend? You’re about to find out:

Philadelphia 38, Carolina 10 – It’s early, but the Eagles look like the best team in the NFC after Week 1. The defense was flying around like maniacs, forcing Jake Delhomme into as bad a performance you’ll ever see from a quarterback. Of greater concern is the shot to the ribs McNabb took in the third quarter, forcing him to bow out early. It looks as if McNabb will sit out next week against the Saints. As for the Panthers, where do you go from here? Delhomme has committed 11 turnovers in his last two meaningful games and Matt Moore is the only other healthy QB on the roster. Someone get Jeff Garcia on the horn.

Indianapolis 14, Jacksonville 12 - A weird, low-scoring game that saw one of Peyton Manning’s top targets, Anthony Gonzalez, leave the game with a knee injury. Reggie Wayne more than picked up the slack with 162 yards receiving and a touch. The Jaguars offense was pedestrian and I’m not sure Maurice Jones-Drew can touch the ball 25+ times a game without wearing down.

New Orleans 45, Detroit 27 - Drew Brees went bananas on the Lions, throwing for 358 yards and 6 TD’s, tying a team record. Marino’s passing record was officially put on notice. Rookie Matthew Stafford tossed three picks and only hooked up with Megatron three times, albeit one was for 64 yards. The culture is changing in Detroit, but baby steps…

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