Warning Received by Flyers

In the Flyers' first action after they were hit with their fifth suspension of the young season, and received a stern warning from the league regarding further indiscretions, they skated to a 3-1 win over the home Minnesota Wild. And in the process, they perhaps learned what the league meant by "warning." The door to their penalty box is going to open much more frequently than the opponents for the remainder of this season.

Within the first minute of Wednesday's game, the Danny Briere was sent to the box after being pushed into the Wild goalie. Within the first two minutes of the game, the Wild had their first two man advantage when Mike Richards was caught for "slashing" when his stoke broke on the ice within a crowd of players. In all, the Wild had eight power plays, including two man advantage time totaling 3:24, to only two power plays for the Flyers.

Ok, granted; sometimes this happens. Sometimes one team is forcing the play and that is causing the other team to "chase" and the penalties are soon to follow. However, that was not the case on Wednesday. Despite three power plays to none in the first period, the Flyers entered the dressing room with a 2-0 lead, only being outshot 10-9 in the process. The Wild were not forcing the play.

And it wasn't just what was being called against the Flyers. Sometimes games are called tight. I'm fine with that. But this was not an example of that. The Wild, while they didn't get away with murder, they got away with much more than the Flyers. Thankfully for the Flyers, Nittymaki was on his game and they held the Wild to just 1-8 on the PP.

Maybe it's a bit of conspiracy theorist in me when I say this game was the result of the league bringing the hammer down against the Flyers. Maybe it's the referee's taking matters into their own hands, and keeping an extra close eye on the Flyers (at the expense of an eye on the other team). Whatever the reason for the clearly uneven officiating, the Flyers need to be prepared for it the rest of the season. Whether it's fair or not, they have gained a reputation of being dirty, and that is something that is not easily ignored by officiating crews. So far, the Flyers have dealt with that in the right way....by winning.

Flyers earn more than just two points with win

So far this young season, the Flyers have exorcised a number of demons that remained from last year's effort (I use that word effort loosely). But there was one that remained - until last night. The Flyers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1, on the strength of two quick goals, earning them their first victory over the Penguins since April 11....in 2006. And by doing so, not only did they earn two more points and add a little space between them and the second best team in the Atlantic division thus far, but they proved to themselves that they can compete, and beat, their cross-state rivals

The "Oh-fer" against the Pens last year epitomized most things that were wrong with the team. They were too slow, they got poor goaltending, and their offense was non-existent when their top line wasn't on. All three of those things happened all eight times they faced off against Pittsburgh. The story of the Flyers early season turn around has been well documented (even if the growing suspension total has been arguably more well documented), but they still hadn't proved they could compete with young, fast, and aggressive teams. That changed Wednesday night.

The Flyers turned the tables on Pittsburgh on the first shift of the game. They forced Sidney Crosby, who has owned the Flyers in his young career, into a turnover in his own zone which the Flyers converted into a Joffrey Lupol goal. About five minutes later, Jeff Carter converted another Pittsburgh turnover into another goal and a 2-0 lead. Pittsburgh fought back the whole game, but they could never recover from the poor start.

The Flyers move on to play the Devils on Thursday, but you can be sure that their Saturday rematch with the Pens will be on their mind at least a little bit. In fact, the Devils will probably be thinking about the Pens too; they got throttled by Pittsburgh 5-0 in their previous game. With a win over the Devils, the Flyers can finish their season long road trip with a 4-4 record, and hit the 15 game mark with a 10-5 record; a mark that would surely meet even the loftiest of expectations heading into the season.

Odds and Ends:
Eric Lindros officially retired on Thursday, putting an anti-climactic end to his 13 year career. Not many athletes have come through Philadelphia and created more "controversy." And that is saying something. The Flyers mortgaged the house to bring "The Next One" (the first Next One before Crosby took the term) to the Orange and Black. He was supposed to bring numerous Stanley Cups to Philadelphia over the next 15 years or so, and during the first 6 years or so, it looked like that would really happen. But it all got derailed because of injuries and numerous off ice "crap," as ex-Flyers GM Bobby Clarke termed it. I look back on Lindros' career with a certain level of sadness, and despite how badly things turned out here when he left, a certain level of "Woulda, coulda, shoulda-ness."

Penguins provide true test for Flyers

After a 6-1 start, the Philadelphia Flyers have slipped to 8-5, and are now tied for the Atlantic Division lead...with the Islanders. I think it's pretty safe to say that the Flyers are light years beyond the basement dwellers of last season, but are they the team that roared to a 6-1 start? It appears the answer is no. But who really knows this early in the season. In the next three games, the Flyers play Pittsburgh, New Jersey, and Pittsburgh again, in the first home game after their season long 8 game road trip. And that is where we will learn a great deal more about where this team actually is.

Wrap your head around this: The Flyers played the Penguins 8 times last season to an 0-8 record, getting outscored 42-19 in the process. They were simply a team that couldn't match up any worse against the Pens, and the stats show it. Granted, the Flyers lost to most teams last year, and lost bad in some situations, but the Penguins were, and are, a type of team that dominated the Flyers. They were fast, skilled, and played an aggressive style of defense. In fact, the Flyers' biggest struggles came against teams that played that way.

Despite this season's early success, and relatively speaking amazing success, the Flyers still have shown that they struggle against that style of play. Teams that bring the pressure with flying forwards and pinching defenseman have had success against the Flyers this season, even when it didn't end in victory. The Flyers can thank Marty Biron for that. Two specific losses on the current road trip that demonstrated that weakness against that style of play were against Tampa Bay and Montreal. Both those teams made the Flyers look a little like they did last year, and in those situations, Biron was not able to bail the team out.

If the Flyers truly are as improved as they have looked at times this season, then they need to show it in the upcoming three games; specifically against Pittsburgh. They simply need to show that they can beat the Pens, and they need to show it right away. The longer they go this season without knocking down Pittsburgh, the harder and harder it will be to finally do it, as those demons creep closer and closer to the forefront of everyone's psyche.

They have two chances in the next three games to exorcise those particular demons, and if they do, they will prove to everyone - the fans, the Penguins, and, most importantly, themselves - that they truly are a team improved to the point of being a season long threat to take the division.

In a Galaxy Far Far away...or Indianapolis

This week's matchup between the 8-0 New England Patriots and the 7-0 Indianapolis Colts has been billed as a lot of things; Super Bowl 41 1/2 for example, and for good reason. There may never have been a regular season game that carried so many implications. But this game goes well beyond the X's and O's; it's another classic example of Good vs. Evil. And what story better portrays that classic struggle than Star Wars.

Take a look at the story lines surrounding this game, and the similarities to the science fiction epic are as uncanny as they are fun. In this NFL version of a galaxy far far away, the Galactic Empire is played by none other than the New England Patriots, and the Colts take on the role of the Rebel Alliance.

It all starts with the Emperor, Bill Belichick. Everything from the evil genius scheming to the shroud of secrecy that surrounds the team parallel Palpatine's reign as Emperor. Belichick even dresses like him with the ragged hoody. It seems that every move Belichick makes is either genius or evil. There are some that contend that he got caught stealing signs on purpose, to provide his team with a new batch of "prove them wrong" motivation. And I'm starting to believe that lately. And his decisions to keep his stars in and beat opponents into the ground is a cold hearted as they come.

From the Emperor, we go to Darth Vader, played by Tom Brady. Like Vader, Brady is really a good guy at heart, but he is merely a puppet of his boss. They both hold talents that are rivaled by none in the "universe," and they both wield those talents with amazing skill. It's hard to blame Brady for running up the score; he is simply going out there when the coach tells him runs the plays that are called by the coach.

On the other side of things, the Colts are the anti-Patriots as much as they are the Colts. Starting at the top, Tony Dungy is liked by anybody and everybody who has any interest in football. Dungy has no problem with deflecting praise away from himself, and his attitude that permeates the Colts organization defines the democratic ideals and openness of the Rebel Alliance.

The way Peyton Manning leads the Colts is eerily similar to the way Luke Skywalker led the Rebels. Peyton is simply the face of the NFL universe, just as Luke is in Star Wars. He is matched in skill by no one other than maybe Brady, just as Luke is matched by no one other than Vader. But unlike Brady and the Dark Lord, Peyton has a huge say in how things are run on the football field. He is given a level of play calling that no one in the league can match.

The analogy even goes back to when this Patriots team won its first Super Bowl against the Rams. At that time they were nowhere near the Empire status they have achieved since. In fact, they were essentially America's team, coming out of nowhere to beat the Greatest Show on Turf in a season marked by September 11. And in the Star Wars saga, the Empire was originally the Galactic Senate and a bastion of peace. To make a long story short, they turn evil, and as they became more powerful, they became more evil. That first Patriots Super Bowl winner was a team with a very modest amount of talent. And each year they gained more and more weapons, until this season when they look like one of the most dominant teams the league has ever seen.

Both these teams are the premiere forces in the league. But they couldn't be any more different. No other teams have had a rivalry in recent memory that can come anywhere close to matching the Colts and Pats. Star Wars may be the geek in me coming out, but how can you argue with the classic struggle of good vs. evil. And how can you argue with Indianapolis vs. New England.

Flyers' Richards not waiting for "C"

What is the most encouraging aspect of the Flyers' early season success? If you say the quick gelling of all of the new additions, the early dominance at home, or the clear #1 status and play of Martin Biron, you wouldn't necessarily be wrong. But as far as the continued success of the Flyers goes, the most important development we've seen this season is the emergence of Mike Richards as a team leader.

If there was one thing the Flyers added this past offseason, it was leadership, as Danny Briere, Kimmo Timonen, and Jason Smith were all captains on their previous teams. No disrespect to Smith, who was named the team's newest captain, but it has been the leadership of a player who was already here that has been the biggest reason to be confident for continued success. Mike Richards, now in his third year, was named an alternate captain this season, and he is wasting little time in proving the organization right in giving the young player such a leadership role.

Richards was drafted the same year as Jeff Carter, who is also beginning to live up to his high expectations this season. But Richards, while he might never be the natural scorer that Carter might be, has always been a natural leader. From the moment he was drafted, he was tabbed as the future captain of this team. And his play this season, after experiencing a season last year that no one, whether rookie or veteran, wants to experience, has proven that prediction a smart one.

In the season's first ten games, he has simply done it all. And he has done it all more consistently than anyone on the team. Through ten games this season, Richards has six goals and six assists. Not really MVP type numbers, I know, but that's the beautiful thing about hockey: the best leader doesn't need to be the biggest scorer. Out of his six goals, two came at even strength, two on the power play, and two while shorthanded. And two of those goals have been game winners. And in addition to the scoring, Richards has been the Flyers best hitting forward, and best backchecking forward.

Richards might not lead the league in scoring, or any category for that matter. In fact, he may not lead his team in any category, but he will be everything a leader is supposed to be. Again, Jason Smith appears to be a very good captain, and could be their captain for a number of years to come, but it appears inevitable that he will pass the "C" onto Mike Richards when he retires or leaves the team. But in the mean time, Richards will just pretend that "A" is a "C," and that can be nothing but great for the Flyers.

The Broad Street Bullies are NOT Back

With 47 games in suspensions during the first 10 games of the season, the Philadelphia Flyers are beginning to regain the reputation created by the 1970s version of the team. Or at least that's what seems to be the prevailing line of thinking outside of the Tri-State area. I suppose it's only natural that if you see three big hits resulting in injury, you conclude that these Flyers are making a conscious effort to get back to mean, physical hockey. However, the situation deserves closer examination before a conclusion is made.

All three suspensions that make up that number of 47 can be classified as isolated incidents. First, let's get to the one "hit" that can't be defended. The Jesse Boulerice stick attack has no place in the game, and the Flyers quickly, and rightfully, cut ties with him by placing him on waivers. The other hits were just that: hits, and therefore immediately lose all connection with Boulerice's assault. The first hit, by Steve Downie, was an example of a young player who needs to learn how to control his body while on the ice. Had he not launched his body at Ottawa's Dean McAmmond, it would've been a clean hit replayed on ESPN over and over. But, he did launch himself, and therefore deserved the punishment.

That brings us to the most recent incident involving a Flyer injuring an opposing player. It happened during Saturday's 2-1 win in Boston, when Randy Jones ran Patrice Bergeron into the boards behind the Flyers' net. Bergeron didn't get up from the hit and was carted off, but did regain consciousnesses and movement in his extremities after the game. Jones followed Bergeron down the wing, and then behind the net. Jones, like any defenseman, had to assume the forward would continue around the net. When Bergeron put on the brakes, he put himself in a vulnerable position, and Jones took advatage and drove him into the boards. Bergeron toppled forward, and his head just about went through the dasher. Jones was given a five minute major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct.

Jones, owner of zero major penalties in his NHL career, was extremely apologetic and remorseful for the hit. There was simply no intent to injure, and that combined with his history of Gandhi-esque non violence, surely played into his punishment of a two game suspension. The hit was definitely illegal, and he deserved to be kicked out of the game. No matter what your intent, you have to be in control of your body. But, when handing out a suspension, intent has to be the main factor. Not results, as is too often the case in the over-reactive NHL.

Back to the Broad Street Bullies. During the Flyers' championship years in the mid-seventies to early eighties, the organization did seek out players that could not only beat you, but also beat you. But, they continued to get away from that type of play as the game changed throughout the eighties and nineties. And when the game really changed after the lockout, in favor of quicker more skilled players, the changed even more. But as evidenced by last season's record, they didn't change enough. And as the story goes, the Flyers retooled and are now a force in this young season.

The Flyers organization can not, and should not, be blamed for these acts as an attempt to bring back the Broad Street Bullies. The most vicious of the acts was quickly taken care of by cutting Boulerice. Randy Jones is obviously not a player that would make a Flyers team from the mid-seventies. And that only leaves Steve Downie, who is a recent high draft pick, with a history of aggressiveness to match his talent. He is still young, and there is time for the organization to round the rough edges. He should not be given up on yet.

All three acts were isolated, no matter how vicious or benign you consider them. It does not make any sense to accuse a team that made a complete 180 shift toward speed and skill, in order to compete in the "new" NHL, of Bullying up their squad. And, all the worst, all this talk about a few unfortunate incidences is taking away from an amazing turnaround being performed by the Philadelphia Flyers.

Eagles Week Seven Report Card

Another week in the NFL season, and we are further from knowing who these Eagles really are than ever before. Or maybe, this is who the Eagles really are.

Passing Offense:
Another average day for McNabb and the receivers. They moved the ball between the twenties, and bogged down in the red zone; that area inside the twenty that has been called a number of names in Philly, none of which have the slightest positive connotation. McNabb made a nice pass on his lone TD pass, but also missed badly on an earlier red zone possession. Reggie Brown also dropped a TD pass on their first red zone possession, right after making two great catches to get them in position.
Grade: C

Rushing Offense:
When they ran, they ran fairly well. But you would expect a playmaker like Westbrook to run wild one week after the Bears let Adrian Peterson do everything but throw for a TD. The running game helped keep the Eagles in 3rd and short situations, but it disappeared late in the game with the Eagles nursing a lead. Some semblance of a running game would help the red zone woes too.
Grade: C+

Passing Defense:
Well, it was an A for 58 minutes. Then they gave up the winning touchdown, making Brian Griese look like John Elway in the process. Giving up a 97 yard TD drive with less than two minutes and no timeouts left is completely inexcusable, even if there are two holding penalties and a push off on the TD pass. They've held the team in every game while they got their act together, but when the chips were down, they folded.
Grade: C-

Rushing Defense:
Well, it was an A for 58 minutes too. And thankfully for them, teams don't run the ball when down by 4 with 97 yards to go and no timeouts left. So, technically they were good all game.
Grade: A

Special Teams:
Devin Hester touched the ball exactly zero times in the return game, and he was still the most effective player on the field on Sunday. The Eagles chose to kick to the short man on kickoffs, and out of bounds in the punting game, and as a result the Bears seemed to start every drive on their 40 yard line. And in a game full of field goals, this was huge for a team that couldn't move the ball. Hester basically won this game for the Bears.
Grade: F

Overall:
There was no getting around it; both teams needed to win this game. Only one did, and neither probably deserved to. There were a few good plays and a lot of bad ones. Their were poor penalties, poor non-calls, poor rules (that crazy fumbled snap that was technically a false start), and through it all the Eagles were still in a position to win. But they didn't. They moved the ball well, but they couldn't score. They held the Bears off the board, except when it counted. So is this what the Eagles really are this year? A 2-4 team that finds ways to lose instead of ways to win? For the time being, I think that has to be excepted as a very real possibility. There is still time to turn their season around, but with a game against New England, two against Dallas, and rematches with the Giants and Redskins still to come, the margin for error is now down to zero. And that doesn't seem like a very good thing for a team that has been anything but perfect.
Grade: D

It's Official: Hockey is Back in Philadelphia

There wasn't much debate that the Flyers "won" the offseason by becoming the league's most improved team. But how often has that victory led to success in the regular season? And how much improvement can a team that finished dead last in the league truly expect. Well, after Saturday's 3-2 OT thriller of a victory over the similarly resurgent Carolina Hurricanes, the Flyers have officially passed the point of "improved team." They are now a force in the NHL, like last season never happened.

The Flyers are now 6-1, and in first place in the Atlantic Division. After Gagne scored the game winner in OT against Carolina, the Flyers improved to 4-0 at home in the young season. Last year, they Flyers didn't get their fourth home victory until February 10! Despite the good start, their were critics who felt the Flyers hadn't beat any really good teams. And that was true until they beat the Hurricanes, who are playing much more like the team that won the Cup two seasons ago instead of the the team that missed the playoffs last year.

The Flyers have proven that they are capable of playing with, and beating, any team in the league. So, at this point, they have to be considered one of the top teams in the league. And while a lot of outcomes of this season would have been acceptable after what happened last season, with this start, expectations are right back to pre-2006-2007 levels. That means this team is expected to contend for a Championship.

The Flyers now embark on an eight game road trip. If the Flyers haven't already put last year behind them, a successful trip here will all but exorcise any remaining demons from last season.

Eagles Week Six Report Card

They needed a win. That's what they got. Even if it wasn't pretty, they made progress toward the team they are supposed to be this year.

Passing Offense
McNabb has had better days, but he has also had much worse. He was a respectable 22 of 35 for 278 yards and the game's lone touchdown; a 75 yard catch and run by Kevin Curtis. McNabb did through one interception while backed up on his own goal line. He can thank the defense for that one not costing them. Reggie Brown showed that he actually is playing this year, making 6 grabs for 89 yards. LJ Smith made a catch, but as a unit, the tight ends are still invisible. That needs to change sooner rather than later. McNabb capped off the passing game on the final drive with a huge third down completion to Brown that kept the drive alive, and moved the Eagles out of the shadow of their goal line. Passing game needs to be sharper in the Red Zone
Grade: Solid B

Rushing Offense
Brian Westbrook continues to show why he is now being recognized nationally as one of the best backs in the game. He gained 120 yards on 20 carries, and had a 19 TD wiped out by holding penalty. The Eagles ran the ball much more than Andy Reid is known for, but they failed to rush successfully, or at all, in the Red Zone; resulting in 4 field goal attempts and no TDs. Westbrook needs to see the ball more inside the twenty. Offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage. I would like to see more Buckhalter, and maybe even a little Tony Hunt when the line is dominating like it was.
Grade: A-

Passing Defense
Just 109 yards allowed through the air on 11 of 21 passing. That's good. Add in a big interception, and even bigger defense on a possible game tying fade route in the end, by Sheldon Brown, and you've got a dominate performance by the Eagles' pass defense. And that was done without Pro Bowlers Brian Dawkins and Lito Sheppard.
Grade: A+

Rushing Defense
It was ugly at first, with Thomas Jones hitting the same cut back lane time and time again to the tune of 55 rushing yards on the opening drive. But they defense stiffened, and forced a field goal. They didn't allow much the rest of the game, including stuffing the Jets multiple times inside the five, on their final drive down by seven, to force a fourth down fade route that fell incomplete.
Grade: Solid B

Special Teams
Sucked. Needs to get better in all phases. David Akers' nightmares of the Meadowlands will only get worse, as he missed two more field goals from 41 yards. He did make two that turned out to be very important. But perhaps more concerning, is the kick coverage. Leon Washington returned one kick 51 yards, and had another return that looked to be shaping up dangerously until he tripped up with a shoe string tackle. With Devin Hester coming to town this week, this simply needs to be better. That, or they should consider kicking out of bounds on every kickoff.
Grade: D- (only because it didn't lose them the game)

Overall
If they convert those two missed field goals into touchdowns, we're looking at a 30-9 blowout. So, if the Eagles can get that Red Zone offense straightened out, they look to be back on track. The defense continues to be much better, much earlier, than expected. And they should only get better when (and if) Lito and Dawkins get back. McNabb should continue to improve from week to week, and that is good news for this offense. Andy Reid needs to trust the running game more, as Brian Westbrook is his best player, by far.
Grade: B-

A Sick Week Six

Maybe it's because, with the Phillies season over, I'm back to paying attention to football more, but this was one of the most interesting weeks in the NFL I've seen in a long time. From the showdown in Big D, to the emergence of a young star in Minnesota, to the reemergence of a very old star in Carolina. Week six was simply sick.

Obviously the big story was the battle of 5-0 teams in Dallas. Well, as it turns out, it wasn't much of a battle. But that shouldn't have been too much of a surprise. Dallas, owner of five wins against atrocious teams, was going against what looks to be one of the best teams ever assembled in the salary cap era. The Patriots ended up being way too much for the Cowboys, but Dallas showed that they record wasn't all smoke and mirrors. Most teams, after tailing 14-0 and 21-10 to the mighty Pats, would've just tipped their hats to a superior opponent. But Dallas battled back to take a 24-21 lead in the second half. Even though that was the best it got for Dallas, they showed that they probably are the class of the NFC.

Is there any question who will be Offensive Rookie of the Year? Adrian Peterson had a day for the ages in Chicago, the home of Walter Payton himself. I'm sure you've all heard the stats by now, but they simply need repeating. He broke out with 224 yards on 20 carries, including TD runs of 67, 73, and 35 yards. Then to top it off, he added 128 yards on 4 kick returns, including his final return that set up the game winning field goal. If it wasn't for the unbelievable start Brady has had, or the fact that Peterson is a rookie, there would be MVP talk in Minny instead of just ROY talk.

The game in Chicago also saw another young star on display. Why does anybody kick to Devin Hester anymore. Hester returned another punt for a touchdown on Sunday, giving him nine special teams TDs in his brief 22 game career. The record is 13, held by Brian Mitchell. It only took him 200-some-odd games to get them. At this point, isn't it better to give Chicago the ball at the 35 or 40 yard line, or kick a punt through the end zone, then putting the ball in his hands? Oh, he also had an 81 yards TD reception from scrimmage.

The Carolina Panthers started a 43, 11 month old QB this Sunday. And they won. Vinny Testaverde was sitting on his couch watching football not ten days ago. On Sunday, he was leading the Panthers to a 25-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Due to injuries, both teams in this game called Vinny to lure him out of retirement. He chose Carolina because it was close to home, and as fate would have it, he beat the team that called him first. Vinny has now thrown at least one TD pass in every single season since 1987. Incredible.

When did Mike Holmgren turn into a bad coach. Seattle finally went to the Super Bowl two years ago, after years of underachieving. It looked like the Seahawks finally reached the potential of all that talent. Last year, they were devastated by injury, but still won the a playoff game; and nearly beat the Bears in the divisional round. But what are their excuses this season. They have simply looked bad. And Sunday night, against a winless Saints team, they screwed the pooch again. They failed to show up for three quarters, and then their comeback bid in the fourth was derailed multiple times by Mike Holmgren decisions. He looked indecisive in big moments, and then when the cameras came across him, he looked as if he regretted every decision he made. Then with his team moving in for a big score and time running out, and no time outs, he calls a draw play on third and long. Needless to say, it doesn't work, so they are faced with fourth down, unable to stop the clock. Fourth down is thrown incomplete, and just like that the game is over as New Orleans runs out the clock. Wha?!

This week had it all; the good, bad, and the ugly. Super stars are back, rookies are emerging, and veterans are pushing back the clock once again. If week seven is half as good as six, then I'll be more than happy. Of course, it helps that the Eagles won, and that I had Peterson on my fantasy team.

Flyers now stuck with goon reputation

With 45 games of suspensions under their belts before their first home game of the regular season, the Philadelphia Flyers are gaining league wide reputation as a team of dirty players. And that reputation is actually very undeserved. But, never the less, it is overshadowing the fact that their offseason transformations are already paying dividends, with a 2-1 start to the season.

Those suspensions are being served by two players. Steve Downie, owner of a 20 gamer, is a rookie who didn't figure to be a big part of the Flyers plans this season. And Jesse Boulerice, owner of a fresh 25 game suspension, is a well traveled player, with a history of goonery. The team should not be held responsible for the acts of two players, who figured to offer next to nothing to the team this season.

The Boulerice incident is completely inexcusable. Using your stick as a weapon, especially a shot to the head like Boulerice's actions, is something that needs to be eliminated from the game. And the fact that he does not offer a whole to a hockey team in terms of skill, there is no reason the Flyers should even put up with his shenanigans. They should give him his walking papers as soon as another body can be found to fill his roster spot.

However, Downie can not be compared to Boulerice; both his actions and as a player. A lot of people want to call him a dirty player, and his hit against Dean McAmmond in the preseason was just another example of that. But that is not fair. Downie is a high draft pick of the Flyers, who has been trying to work his way onto the big league team since being drafted. Hockey is a physical sport, and in order to be successful you have to be aggressive.

Let's get one thing straight: Downie's hit against McAmmond was not clean. But to call it an act of thuggery is inappropriate. And to compare it to Boulerice's attack is even worse. Downie did not use his stick as a weapon, and he didn't even use an elbow. Yes, he left his feet, and it was a little late, but you can't say there was intent to injure. It was a young guy, being aggressive, trying to make the team.

Granted, that is no excuse for Downie; you have to be in control of your body. But, I go back to the term "intent to injure." If you look back on the previous suspensions comparable to Downie's, they all involved a player trying to injure another play; usually with the stick. So it makes perfect sense for Boulerice to be given that level of suspension, and it probably could have been greater. But Downie, I feel, was unfairly made an example of by the league. And it is even worse to characterize these Flyers based on the actions of two guys; especially considering only one of those guys is deserving of that characterization.

It'll be a happy homecoming

There is no doubt that the Flyers were one of, if not the most, improved teams in the NHL coming into this season. But what that exactly meant on the ice was something that wouldn't be answered until the first puck drop. Well, the exit polls are in: In their first three games, on a rare West Coast trip to start the season, the Flyers are back. And on Saturday, the fans throughout the Philadelphia area will get to see their real hockey team, and not that impostor they painfully watched last season.

The Flyers return home with a 2-1 record, most recently of which a 8-2 drubbing of the Vancouver Canucks; widely considered one of the top teams in the West. The Flyers bare zero resemblance to last year's squad. That is bound to happen when you dress nine guys who were on different teams one year ago. But they also have a different attitude, and a different style of play. Last year's squad seemed agonizingly slow; in all zones. This year, the Flyers are flying. Whatever they have done so far this season, they have done it at full throttle. As a result, they are scoring more, but they are also keeping the puck out of their net more than last year by putting pressure on whoever has the puck on the opposition; whether that is on the forecheck or behind their own net.

Danny Briere, the Flyers' most prized offseason acquistion, has been as advertised to say the least. He has seven points in his first three games. Other newcomers Lupol and Hartnell are playing well, and Jason Smith and Kimmo Timonen have provided so much stability on the blue line. But it is not just the newcomers. The guys that remain from last year have new life and new energy playing with these new guys. Gagne, Richards, Carter, and Umberger are just a few who are playing like they have rockets up the asses. But most importantly, their is a winning attitude that is settling over this team.

With a 2-1 start, coming home to face a division rival in the Islanders, who also have gotten off to a good start, the Flyers have a chance to truly cement themselves as "back." And they can make their fans really excited about hockey again, seeing as how they started their season during Phillies' playoff baseball on the West Coast; home of those annoying 10:00pm start times. Yes, it is a long season, but we have seen, in the post lockout NHL, how a fast and aggressive team, that believes it can win, can turn a good start into a good season. One thing that is for sure is that they will certainly have the home crowd of a winner.

NFC: Can it be any worse?

With one of the AFC's worst teams giving one of the NFC's best teams all it could handle Monday night, it has become clear that the NFC is as bad as any conference has ever been. The Cowboys appear to be clearly the best team in the NFC, but what does that even mean anymore? Now, after this week's New England/Dallas showdown, we will really know how good, or bad, they are, and how good or bad the conference is.

The NFC has been pretty bad for a number of years now. In the last three seasons, there have been three teams make the playoffs with an 8-8 record. But, so far this season, it looks like the National Football Conference has sunk to all time lows.

We'll get back to Dallas a little later, but let's look at the rest of the conference, starting at the bottom. The Saints, just about everyone's favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl this season is staring at a goose egg in the win column. Whatever the reason for their collapse, this team simply looks lost out there. They are only "topped" by the St. Louis Rams, who did the Saints one better in the loss column. With an 0-5 record, the Rams' brass will probably spend the remaining Saturdays this season watching the senior class closely. Not much better, is the Falcons. Although I don't think there are that many people who are surprised by this start.

Minnesota is finding out where not having an NFL caliber QB will take you. The Eagles may be the league's most schizophrenic team this year. The Bears weakness are being exploited after taking advantage of this weak conference the last two seasons. And the Niners seem to have forgotten that they were an up and coming team.

That takes care of the teams with losing records, but it doesn't get much brighter. Seattle, at 3-2, looks like a shadow of the team that went to the Super Bowl just two years ago. The Cardinals are also 3-2, but they were testing out the new quarterback by committee approach before Leinart broke his collarbone. There hands now rest with Mr. Fumble himself, Kurt Warner. Tampa Bay and Carolina are both atop the retched Southern division, but Carolina just signed Vinny Testeverde; so you know what shape they are in. Detroit is a fraud at 3-2, as are the Giants.

Now the "good" teams. Washington is off to a nice 3-1 start, and look to have regained that defensive form that led them to the playoffs two years ago. But I need to see more from this team before I crown them a true threat. Green Bay is 4-1, but they showed they were not ready to be an elite team, but letting the Bears steal a win from them. And we'll see how well they do throwing 70% in December.

Now, back to the 'Boys. Yes, I feel they are definitely the best team in the conference, but what does that really mean. And I will go to the ever popular, "Who have they played" defense. They have beat up on teams with a combined 6-19 record, nearly dropping one to the 0-5 Bills. They Cowboys have their share of weaknesses. Tony Romo, as shown Monday, still has an ability to throw the game away. And defensively, they still have major coverage problems. Only one team has been good enough to expose it; the Giants who put up 35 points in a losing effort. And they are just one injury in that linebacking corps away from losing the pass rush like they did last season. However, I take it all back if they beat the Patriots.

Regardless of the outcome of that showdown this Sunday, the fact remains that we have never seen this much parity, or mediocrity if you prefer, in the NFC. I'm actually a fan of parity, so I'm not saying we should go back to Green Bay/Dallas/San Francisco dynasties. But what we have now is just so many bad teams, and even the good teams, can be beaten anyone at any time.

A Historical MVP Debate

No, this is not another Jimmy Rollins vs. Matt Holliday MVP debate. Been there, and done that. And, in case anyone doesn't know, I'm firmly in J-Roll's corner. No disrespect to the season Holliday had, especially considering the systematic dismantling of Rollins' Phillies that he led, but Rollins literally did it all for the Phillies this season; and he did it every day, and he did it all very good. J-Roll captured the hearts of fans all over the Philadelphia area with his bat, glove, and personality. But there was another Phillie who did the same thing. That Phillie was Lenny Dykstra, and it is no coincidence that the last time the Phillies made the playoffs in 1993, Dykstra had a career year. Both were spectacular all year, but if I had to pick one for MVP between the two, I'd have to go with the Dude, Lenny Dykstra.

Jimmy Rollins led a Phillies offense that scored more runs than any other team in the league. They even scored more runs than all but one team in the DH rich American League. He led off most of the year, set the table, scored runs, and more than occasionally knocked in runs. The numbers speak for themselves:

Runs: 139
Hits: 212
2B: 38
3B: 20
HR: 30
RBI: 94
SB: 41
BB: 49
SO: 85
BA: .296
OBP: .344
SLG: .531

Lenny Dykstra was always a very good leadoff man, but in 1993 he put his whole game together, finishing second behind Barry Bonds in MVP voting. He played center field with reckless abandon, earning the nickname Nails, in addition to the Dude, because he was tough as nails. Again, the numbers speak for themselves:


Runs: 143
Hits: 194
2B: 44
3B: 6
HR: 19
RBI: 66
SB: 37
BB: 129
SO: 64
BA: .305
OBP: .420
SLG: .482

So those are the numbers. What Rollins lacked in on-base percentage and batting average, he made up for in power. What Dykstra lacked in power, he made up for by getting on base a lot more than Rollins. So which is more valuable to a team; getting on base or knocking in runs? That debate will go on forever, but this one has to end.

I think it's fair to say that this 2007 rendition of the Phillies team has more talent than that 1993 team. Aside from Dykstra, the only other offensive weapons on that team were Darren Daulton and John Kruk, and to a lesser extent, Dave Hollins. But this current team has Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, Aaron Rowand, and to a lesser extent, Shane Victorino. If you take Rollins away from this team, they fall well short of where they finished this season. But, if you take Dykstra off of that 1993 team, not only are they not as good, but that offense would have been embarrassing inept.

It really is splitting hairs trying to put one of these guys above the other. To be honest, I don't even know why I tried. I guess the similarities between these two guys who played 14 years apart, are just too intriguing to ignore. Two playoff teams with one common theme: a leadoff man with an all-around game to match anyone in the league, and a persona that captured the admiration of an entire city. Guys like that are near impossible to find, and for that reason, they both are MVPs.

Magical season comes to Rockie end

They say that all good things must come to an end. Phillies' fans found out over the past week that that is all too true; unless of course your a Colorado Rockies' fan. Late Saturday night, the Rockies finished off their sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies, bringing the Phils' season to a screeching halt. One week ago, we were all celebrating the first division championship, and playoff appearance, in 14 years. Now, we're wondering what, if anything, the Phillies will do to improve this offseason. But, despite the complete 180 in the past week, the Phillies, and their fans, should really be proud of the season they had.

First off, it is quite clear now, that the Phillies simply ran into a buzzsaw, in the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies finished the regular season, and tie breaker game, winning 14 of their last 15 games. They have now won 17 of their last 18, and storm into Arizona, playing perhaps the best baseball in the Majors right now. The Phils finished their regular season on fire, but they ran into the one team that was playing better. The Rockies were simply not going to be stopped, and they deserve all the credit in the world.

No matter how you view the playoff series against Colorado, the Phillies had a historic season. Coming back from 7 games behind the Mets with 17 to go will go down as one of, if not the biggest, comebacks/collapses in baseball history. But it was how they did it, more than what they did.

The Phillies overcame poor pitching and injuries, in addition to the large deficits, all season. With a team ERA over five, and an explosive offensive, the Phillies came from behind to win 48 times this season. That means that in more than half of their wins, they were trailing and one, or more, points. You never wanted to turn off a Phillies game this season; no matter what the score was. That alone is enough to make this season one of the most memorable in the history of this team.

The city of Philadelphia hadn't experienced October baseball in 14 years, and this year was just the second time in 24 years that the Phillies were in the postseason. So it's natural to want to the team to go far, and to get there fast, because in this city, you never know when you will get there again. But the core of this team is young and talented, so there is no reason to expect that this team won't be in the running for more division titles in the years to come. So, I can honestly say that I am not that upset at the quick exit of my team from October. In my opinion, we got beat by the best, and perhaps more importantly, there is plenty of hope for the future.

Why Jimmy Rollins is the MVP

The National League seems to be having one of its best seasons ever. The playoffs races were incredible, and the MVP debate is one of the more interesting topics in baseball in a while. Prince Fielder, David Wright, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Matt Holliday, and Jimmy Rollins have all been thrown into the conversation. But it really comes down to those last two players. Both Holliday and Rollins have had seasons for the ages, but only one can win. Before each of their respective teams made their final pushes toward the playoffs, it was thought that whoever was most successful in leading their team there, would win MVP. But both players will be facing each other in the opening round of the postseason. With all respect to Matt Holliday, no one has helped their team in more ways than Jimmy Rollins.

Matt Holliday's numbers speak for them self. He led the league with a .340 batting average while driving in a league best 137 RBI. He hit 36 homeruns, and scored 120 runs. Of his 216 hits, 92 were for extra bases (including the 36 homers plus 50 doubles). And to top it off, his slugging percentage of .618 also led the league. It was a great season, and probably an MVP season if it wasn't for Jimmy Rollins' season.

Jimmy Rollins had a record breaking year. He was just the fourth person in the history of the Majors to hit at least 20 homeruns, doubles, triples, and steal 20 bases in the same season. He also set the MLB record for at bats with 716. Overall Rollins hit .296 with 30 HR and 94 RBI. Now obviously a shortstop is not going to have the power numbers of a left fielder, but Rollins more than made up for it. He led the league in runs scored with 139, which after all, is the main job of a leadoff man. And he had 38 doubles, 20 triples, and 41 steals.

If it was just a numbers game, then Holliday would probably take the award. But Rollins does so much more than swing the bat. I already mentioned the steals, but that not the only aspect of the game in which his legs helped his team. Rollins is one of, if the best shortstops in all of baseball. He saved countless hits with his amazing range at the game's most important position (outside of pitcher and catcher). He has a rocket for an arm, and he rarely is off target with it. And Rollins did all of this - the hitting, stealing, and fielding - every single game of the year. Besides Jeff Fancouer of the Braves, Rollins was the only player in the league to start all 162 games.

Day in and day out, Rollins was there for his team. Whether the team needed him to set the table by getting on base and stealing bags, or knock in runs when the bottom of the order got on base, or save a run by turning a hit into an out or infield single, Rollins was there. Throughout a season when every other high profile player spent significant time injured, Rollins was the only constant. And, perhaps most importantly, Rollins gave this team an attitude. Before Spring training, he declared the Phillies the team to beat in the East. He backed it up all year, and the rest of his team followed suit until they eventually proved him right on the final day of the season. Not to take anything away from what Matt Holiday has done, but Jimmy Rollins was more valuable to his team this season than any other player in the league.

Eagles' 1st Quarter Report Card

With four games in the books, it's time to send the Eagles' report card home to their parents. And I don't think the Birds will be getting their allowance.

Quarterback: C
This was the big question mark coming into the season. Was Donovan McNabb healthy? I pronounced numerous times that he was, and this position was the least of the Eagles' worries. I was wrong. McNabb was simply off during the first two losses of the season to the Packers and Redskins. It's hard to pin the Green Bay loss on him, because of the special teams errors, but if he put forth a good performance the Birds could have won in spite of those miscues. However, the Redskins game can be put on five's shoulders. McNabb took off the knee brace for week three, and quite literally played perfectly in a 56-21 drubbing of the Lions. And week four was a 16-3 loss to the Giants, where McNabb's numbers are ugly, but it's hard to blame a QB when he gets sacked 12 times.

Running Back: A
The lone bright spot on the offense. Before missing game four due to injury, Brian Westbrook led the NFL in yards from scrimmage. He was arguably running better than any back in the league, and he accounted for about half of the team's offense. And even when he missed game four, Correll Buckhalter stepped in and ran very well. If only the Eagles would put the ball in these guys' hands more often; but we'll get to that more later.

Wide Receiver: D-
Kevin Curtis' big game against the Lions is all that is keeping this grade from being an F. Aside from that, the receiving corps has been dreadful. Through four games this season, the blueprint has been developed on how to defend this offense. It turns out it is pretty simple actually. It is press coverage. Three teams have done that to the Eagles receivers, and they have held the offense to 28 points, and just one touchdown. The one team that played a soft zone, the Lions, only yielded the endzone to the Eagles' offense eight times. Reggie Brown, who seemed poised to break out in this, his third, season, has been invisible. Jason Avant has actually been a nice number three guy though. Go figure, he is a big athletic guy who can beat press coverage.

Tight Ends: F
L.J. Smith has been hurt and missed two games, and might as well have missed the other two. The other two tight ends have done next to nothing as well. And they can't block either. It's been a wasted position for the Eagles.

Offensive Line: D
It's not so much that this unit has played bad, aside from the game against the Giants, where they gave up about four dozen sacks, but rather they've played well below expectations. This was supposed to be the Eagles' strength. They started every game together last season, and the first three games this season, and they paved the way for the number two ranked offense in the league last season. But this year, they haven't been nearly as good. Obviously the game against New York was horrible, but even when they haven't given up lots of sacks, they haven't been able to give McNabb a nice pocket. And they haven't been able to give the receivers enough time to shake the jam.

Defensive Line: B+
Another won of the few bright spots; especially after their poor showing for most of last year. The tackles have been very solid, if not very good, in stuffing the run and getting pressure up the middle. Broderick Bunkley worked very hard in the offseason to improve upon his forgettable rookie season, and it has paid off big time. The ends are getting relatively good pressure, but they are not getting quite enough pressure on third down passing situations leading to first downs.

Linebackers: B
A huge question mark going into the season, the linebacking corps has been perfectly adequate. Takeo Spikes appears to be fully recovered from the Achilles' injury he suffered in 2005. Omar Gaither appears to not be too small to stop the run at middle linebacker, and he provides much more range than the departed Jeremiah Trotter. And Chris Gocong, the second year player who never made a start at SAM before this season, doesn't appear lost. They need to do a better job on third an medium though.

Defensive Backs: B-
It's been hard to judge this group, with them missing two Pro Bowlers in Brian Dawkins and Lito Sheppard, for two and three games respectively. But, as a healthy unit, they held Brett Favre and the Packers to no touchdowns. And as a banged up unit, they did enough against a potent Lions attack, and held Eli Manning in check for the most part. They also need to do a better job on third down. It would nice if they created a few turnovers as well.

Special Teams: F-
They already lost the team a game, and that is good enough for a C- right there. They still don't really have a kick or punt returner that will scare anyone. And their kick coverage has been average at best. David Akers has been better than last year so far, but the punting situation is different. The Eagles took a risk on Australian Rules punter Sav Rocca because they loved the upside of his cannon of a leg. However, the big boomers have been few and far between. And it's not like he hasn't had plenty of opportunities either.

Coaching: F
It started in the first game, when the inability to have a backup plan to Jeremy Bloom came back to bite them. The coaching staff has refused to alter the game plan when McNabb was clearly struggling. And Andy Reid did nothing to help out Winston Justice, who was making his first start at left tackle, when the line was getting thrashed by the Giants pass rush. As a matter of fact, he didn't do anything to slow down the rush...like running. But most importantly, they lost three out of four games.

So, it's the Eagles' bye week. Maybe this report card means they should be grounded for their week off?

Turns out, the Phillies ARE the team to beat

It took them 162 games to do it, but the Phillies finally proved Jimmy Rollins right. Jimmy Rollins started Spring training by declaring his team the "team to beat" despite their 14 year absence from postseason play. But after defeating the Washington Nationals 6-1 on Sunday, combined with a 8-1 Mets loss at the hands of the Florida Marlins, the Phillies clinched their first N.L. East division crown since 1993 - the only time the team reached the playoffs since 1983. In doing so, the Phillies completed an amazing comeback - being down seven games with just 17 games to play - and became one of the most beloved teams this city has ever seen.

The pitching problems are well documented, the injury list is long, and the number of times this team has been written off is multiple, but none of that matters now. This particular version of the Philadelphia Phillies will go down as a team that never gave up; no matter what happens in October.

No team, even remotely close to the playoffs, has the poor pitching stats that the Phillies have. Their team ERA, 4.76, is good for 13th out of 15 N.L. teams. Their key free agent acquisition, Adam Eaton has an ERA of 6.29. Their bullpen was so bad that they moved their opening day starter, Brett Meyers - who also threw the final clinching pitch of the season on Sunday - into the closer's role. And they have overcame it all.

Injuries are a part of baseball, but I'm not sure anyone had as many key players on the D.L. at some point this season as the Phillies have had. Previous closer, Tom Gordon, missed about a month. Brett Meyers, after moving into the bullpen, missed a month or more. Reigning MVP, Ryan Howard, missed a few weeks and was slowed for a few more before the trip to the D.L. Chase Utley missed a month with a broken hand, and shortly after his injury, Shane Victorino and Michael Bourn also went down - in the same game. And then to cap it off, the Phillies lost their ace, Cole Hamels for a month, and a key middle reliever, Ryan Madsen, still has yet to return. And they have overcome it all.

Combining the injuries with the pitching woes, it miracle this team didn't just pack it in, and say that this just wasn't their year. In fact, just about everyone in Philadelphia counted them out numerous times. After a 4-11 start, the season was done, right? Nope. When their best hitter, Utley, went out, at a time when they really need offense to make up for the poor pitching, their season was done, right? Nope, newcomer Tad Iguchi, came in and kept the team afloat. When they lost Cole Hamels right before a huge 10 game homestand at the end of August, the season was finished, right? Nope, guys like Kyle Kendrick and Kyle Lohse came out of nowhere to keep the team afloat. Then they lost 4 of the first 6 games in that homestand, heading into a 4 game series with the Mets, trailing by 7 games. Season over? Nope, they go on to sweep the Mets, and overall, gain 5 games on the Mets in 5 days. Then the Phillies struggled immediately following that sweep, and the Mets increased their lead back up to 7 games with 17 games to go. The season was definitely over now. Except, the Phillies went into New York and swept the Mets again. Then the Mets collapsed, and here we are. Division champs.

The 1993 Philadelphia Phillies are not one of the most beloved teams in this city's history just because they made one of the franchise's few World Series appearances. They were fun. They were exciting. They were a bunch of blue collar guys who the city just identified with. While this team is not so much a blue collar team, the city has fallen in love with their never-say-die attitude. They have fallen in love with their attitude - the attitude that was created when Jimmy Rollins made those much criticized statements in Spring training. Unless this team performs miserably in the postseason - which I can't see happening - the city of Philadelphia will never forget this remarkable season.

Who are the real Eagles?

As bad as everyone felt following that 20-12 Monday night loss to the Washington Redskins, that was how good everyone felt following the Eagles' 56-21 thrashing of the Detroit Lions. With their back against the wall, staring down a possible 0-3 start, the real Eagles showed up and saved their season. But was that actually the real team? Only time will tell, but there are plenty of reasons to believe that the 2007 Philadelphia Eagles are closer to the team in those Halloweenish uniforms than the team who's play was scary on its own through the first two weeks.

It's easy to get excited when your team's offense scores eight touchdowns and the defense records nine sacks. But let's not get too carried away. Sunday's performance was just an example of what can happen when an offense, eager to prove something, starts to click against a defense that simply isn't that good. But, on the other side of the coin, an offense has to be doing something right to reach the end zone eight times; no matter who is playing defense.

There really shouldn't have been any doubts that this offense would click at some point this season. There is only one difference from last year's number two ranked offense: Donte Stallworth is out and Kevin Curtis is in. It was figured that, while Curtis might not have Stallworth's pure explosiveness, he would provide more consistency and, at the very worst, should be an even replacement. The only question coming into the season was how would Donovan be coming off of that ACL reconstruction. How long would it take for McNabb to regain his form?

The answer appears to be three weeks. Granted, there are bound to be down weeks when that knee just isn't feeling as strong, but McNabb looked perfect on Sunday. As a matter of fact, he was perfect (158.3 QB rating). Was it a coincidence that he played better once he removed the knee brace that adorned his knee during preseason and the first two games? Not likely. By his own admission, McNabb said that the brace did limit his extension a little bit. And if he is admitting that much, it's a good bet that it affected his whole throwing motion at least a little bit. Removing the brace was a sign that McNabb feels healthy physically and mentally.

It is true that this offense will go where McNabb takes them, but let's not forget the other aspects of the game. Offensively, the offensive line, which played relatively poor the first two weeks, played fantastic Sunday. And they are the strength of this team, having now started 19 consecutive games as a unit dating back to the beginning of last season. And Brian Westbrook continues to prove that he is one of, if not the most, dangerous player in the NFL. It almost pains me that it has taken me this long to mention him.

Let's assume that the offense continues to play at a level similar to what they achieved last season. They will be in the same exact spot next Martin Luther King Jr. Day that they were last year if the defense also plays at the same level that they played last year. And that's where the biggest reasons for optimism come in. Even through two losses to start the season, the defense looked much improved from last year. The weak spots from last year, defensive tackle and linebacker, look to be significantly better. Broderick Bunkley, who's rookie season was a complete wash, is playing at a dominant level, and the new linebacking corps has done a great job stuffing the run thus far. And if last year proved anything, it is that, with this offense playing the way it is capable of playing, an average defense should be able to make the Eagles a serious contender in the NFC.

So who are the real Eagles? Well three games, with such a wide disparity in performances, is not enough to make an informed decision. And an educated guess would put them somewhere in between the 0-2 and the 1-0, but I believe that they truly are closer to the latter. The offense has a track record dating back to last season, and now they seem to be back on track. And the defense - the reason for last season's loss at New Orleans on January 13 - looks much better. And with a lot of new faces, and injuries on the mend, the defense could become even better. The real offense may not score 56 points a week, and the real defense may not record nine sacks a week, but the real Eagles should be able to win each and every week.

It's STILL not time to panic

The Eagles are 0-2, injuries are hitting the defense, McNabb and the offense look out of sync, and the schedule only gets tougher from here on out. Time to start thinking about the 2008 entry draft? Not quite. Winless after two games is, by no means, good or acceptable. But, despite the amount of weight put on each and every NFL game, it is a long season. There is time for this team to turn it around. But most importantly, this team is capable of turning it around.

Here's why:

- Each and every year, the beginning of the NFL season becomes harder and harder to predict. Teams start great only to fall off and miss the playoffs, as well as teams starting slow and then turn it on at the right time. The Lions are coming in at 2-0, one of the surprise fast starts, but will they be around come December? The Eagles are not the only team struggling to start the season. The Saints, Jets, Rams all join the Eagles at a surprising 0-2.

- Let's be honest here; McNabb has been, well, bad. Personally, I thought he would come back from injury like he did last year, and set the league on fire. I was wrong. He is obviously still shaking off rust. But the good thing is the fact that I truly believe it is just rust. It is not a Daunte Culpepper situation where he came back too early from injury, and it is not a factor of McNabb being on the down side of his career; as many in Philly will have you believe. McNabb looked like his old self in the 4th quarter against the Redskins. He moved well, and hit guys between the numbers. If that is a sign that the rust is off, then half the problem is solved.

- The defense has looked improved from last year. Not perfect, but they don't need to be. If the offense can get back in the rhythm they had last season, this defense certainly looks like it can hold it's own. They need more pressure from the defensive ends, and they need to get off the field on 3rd down, but the run defense has been very strong; even with the offense unable to give the defense any rest. When some of the defensive backs come back healthy, they should be even better as a unit.

- When penciling wins and losses when the schedule came out, these first two games will certainly "W"s for most fans'. And that was important, especially considering the difficulty of the latter part of the schedule. However, there are surprise teams every year. This year's schedule is very similar to last season's in the sense that the Eagles' should be successful early on, building up their record, and be able to hold on through a tough second part of the schedule. So when the Eagles went 4-4 in the first half, instead of the 7-1 or 6-2 many projected, the prospects looked bleak. But, as it turned out, the teams they faced in the second half were not nearly as good as everyone projected prior to the season. The same is possible this year. The Saints loom as a second half obstacle. They are 0-2 as well. And what if the Bears have the Super Bowl loss hangover that has seemed to affect so many teams this decade? And what if the Packers and Redskins turn out to be the Saints and Jets of last season? Two games is not enough time to bury, or crown, any team.

Since the Eagles dropped the game against the Redskins Monday night, the start to the 2003 season has been a big topic of discussion; both by those with hope and those who claim that it is a completely different situation and the season is over. Yes, there are different circumstances between both 0-2 starts, but there are also a number of significant similarities. Basically that team started out struggling because of poor play by an injured McNabb and a genreally out of sync offense - the same as this season. What happened over the final 14 games of that season? McNabb got healthy, and Andy Reid brought the whole offense back to basics. The result: a 12-4 record and another NFC championship appearance. I expect Reid to go back to basics a little bit, and I expect/hope McNabb is done shaking off the rust. The rest should take care of itself.

No need to jump off the Ben Franklin, Philly fans

Yet again, the Eagles have opened a season full of hope with a loss. For the sixth time in the last nine seasons, the Eagles are 0-1. Surely, for many, the opener in Green Bay was penciled in as a win when the schedule was released. And now after the 16-13 loss against the "lowly" Packers - a team the Eagles have owned for half a decade - fans all over the Delaware Valley have to be feeling a bit a panic. The special teams was obviously horrendous, the offense only put up 13 points, and the defense played well against a Division IA caliber offense. But fear not Eagles fans. Believe it or not, there is reason to feel more optimistic now than before the season started.

Before the less than complimentary comments come pouring in, hear me out. What was the biggest question mark coming out of preseason and into the regular season? No, it wasn't McNabb, it was the defense. They were coming off a season where they were essentially the Achilles heal of the team, and they were less than stellar during their time on the field in the preseason. Could the new, smaller, Omar Gaither stop the run in the absence of Trotter? Could converted defensive end, Chris Gocong, making his first start, be anything close to the answer at SAM? Could defensive tackles, Bunkley and Patterson, step up and play like the high draft picks they are? Was Jevon Kearse healthy enough to be a force again? Would Sean Considine be able to play the role of strong safety despite having the skill set best suited for free safety? And, speaking of free safety, could Brian Dawkins shake off an injury filled preseason, and continue to be the heart and soul of the defense? Well, in order, the answers after one game - which admittedly carries only slightly more weight than preseason - are: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes.


The Eagles held the Packers offense to three points. The remaining 13 points, including the game winning field goal, were the direct result of Philly turnovers. The running game for Green Bay? Non-existent. The passing game, with future Hall of Famer Brett Favre? Barely existent. Granted the Packers do not have a very good offense, especially their running game, but if you remember last season, that didn't matter for the Eagles' defense. Seeing all of those question marks answered, for at least one week, has got to be an encouraging sign for Eagles fans.

Offensively, 13 points is hardly an impressive effort, but, again, there are reasons to feel good. First off, the Packers' defense should not be underestimated. They have solid defensive backs, a young and fast linebacking corps, and a great defensive line. That's a formula for a top 10 defense. So, going against a unit like that is going to cause some problems for even for the best offenses; especially on opening day. Which brings us to point number 2 and 2A/B. Offensives across the league are generally less likely to be dominant than defensives early in the season. Offenses take more timing and rythmn that is difficult to achieve at the outset of the season. And the Eagles have been slow starters for the majority of the last decade. And, lastly, but certainly not least, this was Donovan McNabb's first start since ACL reconstruction only nine months ago. And most everyone will tell you that it takes a good year or more before a player can get back to full capabilities. Combine all of that, and a 13 point effort should not surprise that much. This was the number 2 ranked defense in the league last year, and they are essentially the same group this year. They will be fine.

This loss can be directly contributed to the fact that the Eagles went into the season without anyone experienced in handling punt returns. Yes, they lost a game because of this hole, but this is a fixable hole, and a minor one compared to many of the teams in the NFC. There are basically two options to solve the problem. Send Brian Westbrook back there or bring someone else in. Westbrook is highly capable of doing the job, and could be one of the most dangerous return men in the game, but it's unclear at this time whether Andy Reid will want to risk his prized possession. And Reno Mahe - a solid, if unspectacular, return man - is probably sitting at home right now. All in all, Eagles fans should not be that upset. They should know by now that their team turns it on later in the season - when it counts most.

Not a Very Special Opener

There are very few losses in the NFL that can be attributed to one single aspect of the game. There are normally a number of issues from various aspects of the game that cause a team to lose. The season opener between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers was the exception to the rule. Green Bay won the game 16-13 on a last second field goal, without scoring an offensive touchdown. All of their points, aside from one game tying field goal, came off of turnovers; most of which were on special teams. The Philadelphia Eagles, having significant question marks with their return game coming into the game, showed why by muffing two punts which led to 10 points including the game winner.

The Eagles fell behind by seven early when a punt was muffed by Greg Lewis and recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. Later on, Lewis almost cost his team again by attempting to field a bouncing punt with about five Packers around him. Luckily for him, he was able to secure it and save his team about five yards of field position. Not so luckily for him, coach Andy Reid had seen enough, and that was the last punt return he handled.

But that wasn't the low point for the Eagles' special teams. With less than two minutes left, and the game tied, the Eagles forced the Packers to punt again - setting up a possible game winning possession for the Birds. This time they sent kick returner JR Reed back to retrieve the punt. Reed called for the fair catch, but the kick was short. Reed, instead of letting it bounce, decided to run up, and weave through blockers and tacklers, to catch the ball. He was a tad late, and couldn't control the kick. Green Bay recovered within field goal range. All Philadelphia could do was watch the clock wind down until Mason Crosby kicked the game winner through.


To put it simply, special teams lost the Eagles the game. That's not taking anything away from the Packers - they played a good game defensively - but the Eagles gave them the game. The offense and defense can not be blamed for this loss for Philly. Granted, the Eagles weren't entirely in sync on offense, but they looked like the Colts compared to the Packers' performance on that side of the ball. And defensively, they shut the Packers down entirely. Aside from one field goal drive that featured some classic highlight reel, Houdini like escapes and passes, the Packers couldn't move the ball against an Eagles' defense that had its own question marks coming into the season.

The Eagles now have some serious concerns in special teams now that they have seen how poor play from that unit alone can keep your team from winning. J.R. Reed should be adequate as the kick-off returner, but he is obviously not the answer for returning punts. Greg Lewis probably will never return another punt in his career, and Corell Buckhalter, who's experience consists of returning a few punts in preseason, is unlikely to be much better. There is only one person on this roster who could do the job: Brian Westbrook. Before he became the focal point of the offense, Westbrook earned his spot on the roster by returning punts. And he was very good at it. And he is clearly the best choice to fulfill that role right now. The only question is, will Andy Reid subject his prized offensive weapon to perceived high injury risk job of return man? Only Reid knows that answer, and its unlikely that he even knows it right now, but one thing is for sure: the present strategy is unacceptable. The special teams doesn't necessarily need to be special, but it can't become a liability like it was in the opening day loss.

NFC East Preview

Part eight of an eight part series examining each of the NFL's divisions. Today, we conclude with a look at the NFC East.

Philadelphia Eagles
This division may be the tightest at the top with the Eagles and Cowboys likely to battle for the title all year. The Eagles should win out though. The big story with the Eagles this season is the return of Donovan McNabb, and rightfully so. But the E True Holloywood Story with this team is the defense. Offensively they will be fine; and that is with McNabb not being at 100% for the beginning portion of the season. With McNabb playing up to his capabilities, this offense will be one of the best in the league. They were the number two offense in the NFL last season, behind only the Saints. Doing it with two QBs, the Eagles showed that they can, and will, rely on Brian Westbrook and the offensive line to lead the offense. McNabb will be just fine this season, the receiving corps is underrated, and Westbrook should repeat his career year behind one of the best offensive lines in the league. Back to the defense. As few question marks as there are on the offense, there are that many about the defense. Starting with the linebackers, the Eagles will start two guys at MIKE and SAM, Omar Gaither and Chris Gocong respectively, who have never started a game at those positions. Takeo Spikes should be an upgrade at WILL, however, if he is fully recovered from injuries that slowed him the previous two years. But the Eagles don't place a high priority on LB since they rely on a solid play from the defensive line and defensive backs. However, they did not get solid play from these units the last couple years, which is why the defense has lost its status as one of the elite. If guys like tackles, Bunkley and Patterson, can perform up to expectations, and Safety Brian Dawkins can shake off preseason injuries, the defense should be plenty adequate in spite of the question marks at linebacker. Being in a weak conference, the Eagles should simply be able to outscore teams for a few wins this season.
Prediction: 11-5

Dallas Cowboys
Talent-wise, the Cowboys may be right up there with the Eagles. So why aren't they going to win the division? Well, a couple of reasons. First, they have a new coaching staff, and the last time I checked, a new coaching staff rarely reaches expecations in their first season. Plus, it's not like they are upgrading from an incompetent coach. They had Hall of Fame coach, Bill Parcells, for four seasons and they were unable to win a playoff game in that time. Secondly, the Cowboys are seriously lacking behind the Eagles in experience and leadership. The Cowboys also have serious questions marks on both sides of the ball. Tony Romo, "Snap-gate" aside, really dropped off towards the end of his season. It seemed that, once opposing defenses accumulated game film on him, he was in fact a mere mortal. The defensive backs had major coverage problems last season. Roy Williams, considered by many the most overrated player in the league, is a big hitter but he contributed greatly to those coverage liabilities. And Dallas had next to no pass rush outside of DeMarcus Ware. But again, it's a weak conference, and everyone has chinks, if not holes, in the armor. And with talented players at most skill positions, the Cowboys should earn a Wild Card birth if they don't win the division.
Prediction: 10-6

Washington Redskins
There is a huge drop off from the top two teams in the division to the bottom two teams. The Redskins underperformed in just about every aspect of the game last season, and they are bound to improve this year. However, now they have a QB starting his first full season. Analysts from all around the league really like Jason Cambell, and they see him progressing into a strong leader of the offense as the season progresses. If they're right, the Redskins could be a decent team. They have a strong two-pronged running attack with Clinton Portis and the emergence of Ladell Betts last season. However they are old and shallow at wide receiver; Santana Moss doesn't seem to have that game breaking speed anymore and there isn't much behind him. The defense is about average, but with a weak offense, they are unable to hold up for a full 60 minutes and a full season. This is clearly a transitional year for the 'Skins as they acclimate the new QB to the system. And it may be Joe Gibbs last season in this unsuccessful comeback attempt.
Prediction: 6-10

New York Giants
For some reason, coach Tom Caughlin is still the coach of the New York Giants. He has had, and still does to some extent, a talented roster every year. Yet, the Giants have been unable to accomplish much of anything. And last season it hit a low for Caughlin's Giants. That is, until this season probably. There is no leadership in that locker room and no one can keep their mouth shut. Everyone always has something to say about a teammate or a coach, and it is impossible to create a winning chemistry in that atmosphere. Aside from the negative intangibles surrounding this team, they have serious issues at a number of positions. This jury for Eli Manning is still out, but not for much longer. Eli needs to stop relying on the name on the back of his jersey and start improving the weaknesses of his game (and there are a number of them), or he will go down as a big-time bust; considering what he was supposed to be in this league. And things will not get any easier for Eli this season, with the retirement of Tiki Barber. The Giants feel Brandon Jacobs and Reuben Droughns can pick up where Tiki left off, but I don't see it. Defensively, the Giants are weak at linebacker and defensive back. It's huge that Michael Strahan decided to come back for another year, but not even he can stop this train from derailing.
Prediction: 4-12

AFC East Preview

Part seven of an eight part series examining each of the NFL's divisions as we approach the beginning of the regular season. Today, we take a look at the AFC East.

New England Patriots
The Patriots have won the Super Bowl already, right? Well, that's what the vast majority of the football watching community has implied. And, well, the Patriots are as much a favorite to win it as anyone has been in the past decade. This team would have been one of the favorites if they returned the exact team from last season. But, seeing just how tough the top of the AFC is, the Pats went out and had the best offseason in the league. Granted, winning the offseason means nothing - the Redskins proved that all too many times - but the Patriots are the absolute best at evaluating talent AND fitting it within the team system. The one position of weakness last season, Wide Receiver, has been big-league upgraded with Donte Stallworth, Wes Welker, and Randy Moss. Even if Moss isn't the player he used to be (which he isn't), anything would have helped the WR unit. The addition of Adalius Thomas to the defense gives coach Bill Belichick a big time joker to throw at opposing offenses. There have been some hits already though. Rodney Harrison will start the season on a four game suspension and Richard Seymour will start the season on the Physically unable to Perform list (PUP). But if there is one thing we all should have learned over the past six years, it's that you should never count the Patriots out until they are actually golfing at home.
Prediction: 12-4

New York Jets
The Jets, and their coach, Eric Mangini, are to the Patriots and their coach, Bill Belichick, what Mini Me is the Dr. Evil. Mangini, a former assistant of Belichick, has taken everything he learned from Belichick about making a solid football team, turned the Jets into a carbon copy of the New England; albeit not on the same level. But give him time. The Jets, last season, were expected to fight for the first overall draft pick this past summer. But instead they came out of nowhere to make the playoffs in an extremely deep AFC field. Normally I'd expect a drop off from a team that seemed to play over its head, but Mangini demands that Belichick vibe: never underestimate us. And I'm not. There really is nothing to write home about on this team. They added Thomas Jones, but he is just another average piece in a very average looking puzzle. But don't forget that it took a couple Super Bowl victories before people realized that the New England puzzle was not so average looking. That said, the Jets are not the Patriots. They will have to claw for a second consecutive playoff birth.
Prediction: 10-6

Buffalo Bills
The Bills will use this season to continue their youth movement. But they will not be doormats. J.P. Losman and Lee Evans have become a very dangerous QB-WR duo, and they have a rookie on each side of the ball that has the talent, and will have the opportunity, to win Rookie of the Year honors. RB Marshawn Lynch takes over for Willis McGahee and LB Paul Posluszny will step right in at linebacker and make a difference - think DeMeco Ryans and AJ Hawk last season. However, the offensive line needs to open up some holes for Lynch, and provide some time for Losman to gain some consistency. Teams who are looking for a break in between all the land mines on their AFC schedules should look somewhere else besides Buffalo. The Bills will beat the teams they should this year, and upset a few that they're not supposed to.
Prediction: 8-8

Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins offseason is littered with mistakes to follow up the offseason mistakes of previous coaching staffs. New coach, Cam Cameron, started it off by ignoring the huge hole at Quarterback during the '07 entry draft. Passing up on Brady Quinn, Cameron selected WR Ted Ginn Jr. with the 9th overall pick. Why? Because he can't wait to see this guy return kicks. Somebody watched too much of Devin Hester last year. Yes, a great returner can turn games around for you, but it won't matter when you have more important holes to fill...like QB. Obviously, the Dolphins picked the wrong door last offseason, signing Daunte Culpepper over Drew Brees - I don't need to explain how that turned out - but they had a chance to fix that mistake by drafting a franchise QB in Quinn. They didn't. Then to make matters worst, they "solved" their QB problem by acquiring Trent Green from Kansas City. Again, Cameron must have been watching Chicago game too much, because he obviously didn't see Trent Green play last year in K.C. If he had, there is no way he would have thought this was the answer. Their offensive line is average and aging - How many times can Ronnie Brown run into the line for a 2 1/2 yard gain. The defense is still good, and got better with the addition of Joey Porter, but they too are getting up there in age. Being in a tough division and tougher conference will not help their situation.
Prediction: 6-10

NFC West Preview

Part six of an eight part series examining each of the NFL's divisions as we approach the start of the regular season. Today, we take a look at the NFC West.

Seattle Seahawks
This may be the closest division in football. The Seahawks are still top dogs, but not by much, and not for much longer. They are no longer the team that represented the NFC in the Super Bowl, but they are not the team ravaged by injury which still won the division. If healthy, the 'hawks will be better than last season, but so will each of the other teams in the division. Matt Hasselbeck should have a bounce back year, as should Shaun Alexander. However, the running game with Alexander has not been the same since losing Steve Hutchinson to Minnesota. Defensively, there are some coverage concerns among the defensive backs. However, the linebacking core is good, led by Lofa Tatupu. The key for this team is health; even more so than every other team. Offensively they rely so much on timing, that when the key players aren't able to get a lot of reps together, the unit sputters as it did last year. Unless Seattle can show a reinvigoration of their offense heading into next season, this may be their last on top of the West for a while. But hey, for this season, they're still the best.
Prediction: 10-6

St. Louis Rams
The Rams are placed ahead of the other two teams in the division simply because of their experience. Them, and the Niners and Cardinals, are basically dead even, so the experience in St. Louis should be the X-factor. They are no longer the Greatest Show on Turf, but the Rams still have a very good offense. Marc Bulger is one of the best QBs in the conference, and he has aging, but still effective, WRs Torry Holt and Issac Bruce to throw to. But this offense has transformed into more of a running offense. Having a back like Steven Jackson will tend to do that. Jackson has quickly emerged as one of the top three backs in the game today, and he should only get better. Defensively, there are some issues that coach, Scott Linehan, continues to work on. In this division, no one really has a strong defense, so the Rams should be able to compete just fine. And this is a team that knows how to win shootouts.
Prediction: 9-7

San Francisco 49ers
The Niners showed great improvement last year, capping the season off with a win against Denver that kept the Broncos out of the playoffs. Their improvement over the past two seasons can be directly linked to the improvement of QB, Alex Smith. And Smith's improvement can be linked to Norv Turner and an improving offensive line. Well, Turner is no longer around, but the line, along with the rest of his supporting cast, continues to improve. First round draft pick, LB Patrick Willis, has a chance to make an immediate impact on a young, aggressive defense. Frank Gore has emerged, like Steven Jackson, as an elite back in the league, and that takes a lot of pressure off of Alex Smith. Look for the Niners to pick up where they left off last season, and if they don't challenge for their own playoff spot, they will certainly make it tough on other playoff contenders.
Prediction: 9-7

Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have a very bright looking future, at least offensively. Matt Leinart, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin form a great core of offensive weapons. And Edgerrin James is still a dangerous running back when given proper running lanes. That's where the questions arise for this team: the offensive line. Levi Brown brings hope to a annual weakness of this team, but can he make the impact they will need right away? That remains to be seen. New coach, Ken Whisenhunt, brings a desire to run the ball like he had in Pittsburgh, and that bodes well for the offense. James finally started to find some running room later last season, so there is hope that the Cardinals can build on that. And, if they can, they could have as good an offense as anybody in the division. But also like everyone else in the division, their defense is spot for concern. If Whisenhunt can bring some of that Steel Curtain defense from Pittsburgh, along with the running game, then the Cardinals could easily leap frog both the Niners and Rams and contend for a playoff spot. That's a lot of ifs at this point however.
Prediction: 7-9

AFC West Preview

Part five of an eight part series examining each of the NFL's divisions as we approach the start of the regular season; now just four days away. Today we look at the AFC West.

San Diego Chargers
Another AFC division and another clear front runner. The Chargers may have the most talented lineup in the NFL, so anything less than a championship will be a failure for this team. Obviously, L.T. is the engine of this team, but don't forget Phillip Rivers. Rivers has quietly had a very good start to his career, and look for him to continue his development this year with Norv Turner taking over as head coach. Whether you think Turner is a quality head coach or not, he definitely has done good work with developing QBs; Alex Smith most recently in San Francisco. And with a strong aggressive defense led by Shawn Merriman, the Chargers don't really have any holes or weaknesses that would hold them back from accomplishing their goals. Really, the only thing they lack from teams such as New England and Indianapolis, is playoff experience. Last season was their first foray into the playoffs with Super Bowl expectations, and they bowed out in their opening game. If L.T. can come anywhere close to duplicating his performance from last season - which he most certainly can - and Rivers can continue making strides in just his second full season as starting QB, then there is no reason why the Chargers can't win a Super Bowl. That is, as long as they wear those powder blues.
Prediction: 13-3

Denver Broncos
The Broncos started last season with arguably the best defense in the league. Then they ran into Peyton Manning and the Colts, who shredded them for 34 points. The Broncos' defense never seemed to recover after that. Denver plays a very basic defensive scheme, relying on discipline and sure tackling. Having a true shut down corner in Champ Bailey really allows them to do that. And after adding Dre Bly to the other corner, the Broncos should continue the same defensive scheme to a relatively high level of success. But the questions start to arise, like with so many teams these days, with the offense; specifically the quarterback. The Jay Cutler era began in week 13 last season, and the Broncos went 2-3 the rest of the way. The jury is still out on Cutler, as there are those who love his rocket arm, and there are those who criticize his rash decision making. 9 TDs in his first five games is good, but you worry about him trying to do too much; especially on a team with a good defense and a good running game. And that running game was upgraded in the offseason with the addition of Travis Henry; a one cut runner who fits the Denver zone blocking scheme perfectly. If Cutler can stay within himself, and the defense can maintain its level of play throughout the course of the season, the Broncos could be a playoff team in a stacked AFC.
Prediction: 10-6

Oakland Raiders
The Raiders currently have nothing to show for their league worst record last season, and the ensuing number one overall pick, as JaMarcus Russell still has not signed with the team. No one was expecting Russell to start right away and lead this team back to respectability, but this kid has to get in with the team and starting learning the NFL game. The Raiders have picked up Dante Culpepper, and he looks to have the starting job locked up. Oakland had a shockingly good defense last year, but it remains to be seen whether that was all a result of skill or more a result of teams generally having control of the game and scaling back their offense. It's probably somewhere in between, so don't expect a Ravenesque defense to win them games on its own. Culpepper is indefinitely an upgrade at QB, but the supporting offensive cast is still a joke. Expect more of the same from last year.
Prediction: 5-11

Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs are on the way down. Quickly. Yes, they just signed Larry Johnson to a contract extension, but the rest of the defense is either aging rapidly or extremely inexperienced or simply not very good. And Herm Edwards has not been able to turn the defense into a top unit like he wanted to when taking the job. At QB, it's a choice between career backup, Damon Huard, or the second year man with zero starts under his belt, Brodie Croyle. As far as the immediate season goes, that's lose lose. L.J. will get his yards and TDs, but the offense as a whole will sputter. And with a defense that is middle of the road, the team as a whole will sputter as well. The Chiefs look like a team that is doing nothing but preparing for 2008.
Prediction: 5-11

NFC North Preview

Part four of an eight part series examining each of the NFL's divisions as we approach the start of the regular season. Today we take a look at the NFC North; home of the defending NFC champions.

Chicago Bears
Da Bears own one of the best defenses in the game, and Devin Hester is the most dangerous return man since Dante Hall was in his prime. And that's about it. But that should be enough to once again make Chicago one of the favorites in the watered down NFC. Their run to the Super Bowl last season can be described as "in spite of the play of their QB." Compare that to the team that beat them in the big game, and you can see how important quarterback play is in the NFL. Last season, Rex Grossman was either good or horrible. If he can eliminate those horrible performances, or even if he just improves them to okay, the Bears would have to be a clear cut favorite. If he can't, combined with the loss of rushing leader Thomas Jones, the Bears will have a tough time making it back to the Super Bowl. But, being in a weak division, they should cruise to the playoffs regardless.
Prediction: 11-5

Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings will follow a formula very similar to the Bears: Good defense, good running game, and hope your QB doesn't lose you games. Their defense isn't as good, but their running game is better. And it's anybody's guess how their QB, Tavaris Jackson, will do. However, Jackson will be asked to do very little with the running game he will have. Chester Taylor, who had a very good but understated season last year, will share the backfield with number one pick Adrian Peterson. If Jackson can just manage the game, and not lose the team games, the Vikings will put up a good fight and not let the Bears run away with the division.
Prediction: 8-8

Green Bay Packers
One last year for Brett Favre, right? We shall see. What we have seen, is that Favre can still play. He is nowhere near his MVP form, but in an era where the skill level at QB is very low, Favre is in a class by himself. The Packers improved as the season went on last year, finishing 8-8, and have high hopes coming into this season. However, they did nothing to improve themselves this past offseason. The still growing/learning offensive line will cause problems again for the running game, and Favre's consecutive games streak will be put in jeopardy as he should be running for his life again. The young defense was very underrated by the end of last season, and they look to build on that this season. This season won't be the exact way Farve wants to leave the game, but at least it should be ugly. The Pack should be competitive game in and game out.
Prediction: 8-8

Detroit Lions
The Lions are a very tough to team to figure out coming into the new season. Their offense looks like it could be as good as anyone's, but their defense is still a work in progress. They should be very tough in Detroit, where Mike Martz can have fun with Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, Jon Kitna, and company on the fast turf track; much like in St. Louis. Head coach, Rod Marinelli, is a hard work, defensive oriented guy, and that should be good for a defense that finished 30th in points allowed. If the defense can over-perform a little bit, like New Oreans did last season, they have a good enough offense to surprise a lot of people; myself included.
Prediction: 7-9