Huh?

While the McCoy - Kiko trade makes sense upon closer examination (overpaid, overworked RB for an emerging stud LB (albeit with a repaired ACL)), this Foles for Bradford trade is inexplicable - especially now that it comes out that the Eagles are also sending 2nd and 4th rounders to the Rams for a 5th rounder.

A second straight trade where the Eagles trade a skill position starter for a player who missed all of last season with a reconstructive knee injury.

This trade has to have some sort of secret agreement where the Eagles and Rams swap 1st round picks, right? Isn't that the only way it makes sense?

Please someone help me out here!  In 5 days we've gone from a starting trio of Foles, McCoy and Maclin to Bradford, Sproles, and Cooper.

And if the rumors really are true, and Chip Kelly covets Mariota...why not cut out the middleman and just trade Foles and McCoy to the Titans, Jags or Raiders for their #1 pick. They could even sweeten the deal by throwing in the Eagles #1 pick too. Sure you don't get Kiko in this alternate transaction, but you also don't wind up with Sam Bradford's $12 million contract and you get to keep your 2nd and 4th round picks.

This free agent period - Gore backing out of his deal, Jake Locker retiring, Chip Kelly's every transaction -  has taken a turn to the bizarre.

Old School

I'm watching the Ravens-Steelers game and am just amazed that with all the concussion attention, premier announcers like Collinsowrth and Al Michaels continue to show themselves as old school believers of a tougher, former NFL.

On consecutive plays in which Roethlisberger and then TE Heath Miller are taken to the sidelines with possible concussions, Collinsworth is incredulous that the players might be taken out of a PLAYOFF game over concussion concerns. He seems to say that the league is serious about concussions and player safety during the regular season, but will a groggy Ben Roethlisberger really be held out in a Wild Card game?

The answer, apparently, is no as Roethlisberger soon returns after Michele Tafoyar reports that Steelers sideline personnel have treated Big Ben for neck and spine issues. #7 then immediately throws an interception in the endzone and Al Michaels says, with no sense of awareness or outrage, that he thinks Roethlisberger was still a little "groggy" when he came back into the game.

Incredible.

Rivalry

With apologies to San Fran and Seattle, the raven-steelers rivalry is still the most physical in football.

Sam Now?

With the new word that Trent Cole has suffered a broken hand and is doubtful at best for the Skins game on Saturday, it would seem to make even more sense for the Eagles to at the very least take a look at last year's SEC co-defensive player of the year, Michael Sam, as a backup DE/LB to help bolster the Eagles increasingly depleted front seven.

Sam I Am

Speaking of Matthews, I thought it was telling that even when he went out Marcus Smith our 1st rounder still didn't get into the game. 

Whether Matthews can play the rest of the season or not why haven't/why shouldn't the Eagles taken a look at Michael Sam for LB? He played DE in college but i thought the understanding was he would probably have to play LB in a 3-4 in the pros. 

Matthews is 6',1" 245 lbs. Sam is 6',2" and 260 lbs. Maybe Sam was pegged as an OLB but couldn't he help as ILB with the Eagles given his size? Again, at the very least wouldn't you want to take a look especially since your #1 pick looks like a bust. 

Coincidentally, Smith is very similar to Sam: listed as a college DE and 6',3" 251 lbs.

Breaking Right Till Wrong

Things were breaking the Eagles way most of the afternoon - Packers loss and the Seahawks losing to the Niners at the half. Then it all came undone. Seattle winning and the opening kickoff and then blowing the lead late.

They basically would have won the division with a win and now are likely to miss the playoffs. And to add insult to injury, they could easily be 11-5 at the end of the season and miss out.

Ugh.

Matthews Bell Ringer

Since the new emphasis on concussions, I don't think I've ever seen a case like Casey Matthews where the player gets taken into the locker room to be evaluated and actually comes back out and plays! That was shocking.

Fare thee Well

Adieu to the best shortstop in Phillies' history. Jimmy Rollins was a leader and a winner and the straw that stirred the drink of a team that won two pennants and a World Series title. From the moment he uttered the now famous observation "we're the team to beat," the Phillies actually were the team to beat for five glorious seasons.

Finding their religion

Playoff committee excludes both christian schools - TCU and Baylor - from football playoff. Bias? College football worships money over all else.

Why the Wait?

The Washington Post h has a funny piece about the scene at FedEx Field yesterday as the skins went  on to defeat.

What really got my attention was both his report and several of the pictures about the crush of fans trying to clear "security" and get into the game. The Post reporter didn't get in till 1:20 pm.

This seems to be a recurring theme in Philly and Dc (other cities?) about the choke points that needlessly delay fans from entering a stadium.

Good Deal

Les Bowen and the Daily News offer great insight and clarification about the lack of a fine and even whether Baker should have been penalized for his hit on Nick Foles.

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sports/eagles/Chip-will-ask-NFL-to-clarify-why-Baker-hit-was-legal.html

It seems as if the arrogant Troy Vincent, who said that people who "know" the rule, understood his ruling (or lack thereof), doesn't actually know the rule and, for some inexplicable reason, chose a microscopic interpretation.

All of this highlights the fact that the NFL rulebook is not publicly available and begs the question why it isn't.

Huh? Baker hit "legal"

The Post reporters need to do a better job of clarifying the issue. Baker is not being fined for his hit on Nick Foles after the INT (subsequently overturned on a challenge), but as I read the Post article it appears as if Baker shouldn't have even been penalized.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/football-insider/wp/2014/09/23/baker-wont-be-suspended-nfl-rules-his-hit-on-foles-was-legal/

It's a whole other issue of how stupid the rule loophole is about hitting QBs after INTs. The genesis of the rule/penalty was the Hugh Douglas playoff hit that knocked Jim Miller out of the game in the divisional game vs. the Bears. But that was a hit on his shoulder not his head or neck. I can't believe the NFL still allows defenders to cream QBs after INTs so long as they don't hit them in the head or neck.

You could make the case that the penalty should have been unnecessary roughness since the ball carrier was in the process of being tackled and Foles was away from the play.

Crazy, stupid.

Letting Kids Play Football

Former NFL LB and NFLPA rep Scott Fujita has a column where he admits he used to counsel families to not let their kids play football but has since had a change of heart where he now declares that the answer isn't no, but it isn't yes either. Merely that since he doesn't have boys, thank gosh he doesn't have to make that decision.

Confused? So am I.

Football Tragedy

Football, especially for younger players, can kill you.

Toyota

I guess it's impolitic for the Washington Post to even mention what Eiji Toyoda did during WWII in his obituary.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/eiji-toyoda-former-toyota-president-and-founders-cousin-who-helped-make-toyota-way-dies/2013/09/17/fdbc46fa-1f5a-11e3-9ad0-96244100e647_story.html

Awesome Eagles video

City of Brotherly Love indeed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuJ_8_bSvsQ&feature=youtu.be

Run/Pass

So I did a quick count of the plays the Eagles ran in the first half on Monday night and a couple of things jumped out.

They actually ran 55 plays but because of penalties 2 didn't count. Still, I counted them for purposes of looking at Kelly's playcalling.

In total, there were 25 passes, 29 runs, and 1 scramble (not sure if this was a designed run or aborted pass).

Early in the game, there were more passes. As I was going through I was surprised at the number. But then the ratio evens out.

Later in the half, more runs are called.

And as the game progresses, what really caught my eye was the number of consecutive plays. There are periods where he calls 3-4 straight running or passing plays. Interestingly, it looks like the passes got called consecutively early and the runs a little later.

Amazingly, - I didn't recall this – Kelly ends the Eagles last 1st half possession with 7(!) straight running plays – culminating in a touchdown – Vick's 3 yard dive. Note, I realize some of these calls are Vick's reads but still.

In the 2nd half, the Eagles passed very little. In fact, they only passed twice in the 3rd quarter! A sack and an incomplete.

For the game, the Eagles ran 49 times and passed 25 times. We're a long, long way from Andy Reid's 70% passing/30% running.

Here's the list of Eagles first half plays:

pass

pass

pass

run

pass

run

run

pass

run

Pass

pass                 

run

run     

run                   

run

pass

pass

pass

pass 

run

pass      

run                   

Pass

Run

Run

pass     

scramble

pass     

run        

pass                 

pass     

run

run

pass      

run 

pass     

pass      

run

run       

Pass

Run

run

pass                 

pass      

run        

pass 

run        

Pass 

Run

Run

Run

Run

Run

Run

Run

55 

25 passes, 29 runs, 1 scramble

Opening Night Reviews

It's still hard to process what we saw on Monday night from the Eagles. The speed, the pace, the imagination, the daring (going for it on 4th and 1 without hesitation).

A lot has already been written this week on the after-effects. To wit,

* What happened in the 2nd half?

* Can the Eagles sustain that pace for an entire game?

* Can the Eagles sustain this pace for an entire season?

* Can the Eagles go even faster? (Chip Kelly seems to think so)

* Can and how quickly will defenses adjust enough to stop things?

What follows are snippets of conversation between my brother and friends during and immediately after the game.

Loved Jackson's emotion.  He had to let the d hall thing go but he played like he was happy and invested.  It was like back when he was chest bumping big red    Good sign!!

the most important -- emotionally anyway -- regular season win since TO's return to the Linc as a Cowboy?

odd moments where they had the play called but didn't get the play off/barely got it off, well, that felt oddly familiar. I'm fearful Vick pulled something and will have a nagging injury. Regardless, any win in the division is great, and on the road, even more amazing.

Hall should have been flagged for the horse collar tackle AND late hit out of bounds. Would like to see Foles in too. For ball security and to reduce# hits on Vick in In garbage time.

Skins Game

My brother writes:

great article in philly.com today on eagles various formations Monday.
What amazed me was the down and distance of some of the plays.  2nd and 10 – run, 2nd 14 – run, etc.  all these runs, but they were on 2nd a long.  We ran it I think twice (at least ) to pick up a 3rd and 3 or 4.  Of course he went for it on his first 4th down of the game.  And ran it on 4th and a short 2.  I think mccoy had 20 carries at halftime.
Great run game, but not exactly our parents smashmouth run game.

Unbelievable

On the anniversary of the 2008 financial crisis, former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson gets all retrospective and offers this nugget about whose fault the near financial meltdown was. Hint: not Wall Street, Countrywide, WaMu or any other private sector company or person.

No, the financial crisis was the... government's fault?!

From the NYTimes' story:

"I believe that the root cause of every financial crisis, the root cause, is flawed government policies," he said.