Now, granted, neither team has a winning record -- both are 3-3 -- but first place is first place. The history of the NFC East is that any team that heats up late in the season has a chance to go deep in the playoffs.
My Eagles are without Mike Vick, but back up Nick Foles -- last week's NFC offensive player of the week -- has been a spectacular fill end.
Fifty-one of the Eagles' 67 points the last two weeks have come with Nick Foles at quarterback after he replaced an injured Michael Vick late in the second quarter of a 36-21 win over the New York Giants in Week 5.
He played the whole game in last Sunday's 31-20 win at Tampa Bay while Vick suited up as the team's emergency quarterback to rest a hamstring injury.
"I feel really comfortable here. I feel comfortable with our personnel, our plays, everything," Foles said. "It helps when you have a great relationship with the players, the coaches, and when you go into the game you're all on the same page. ... Everybody stuck together, and it was another team win." source
In a effort to not jinx my team, I will not make a prediction...lol
Now the other game -- Indianapolis Colts vs Denver Broncos -- has the peerless Peyton Manning returning to Indianapolis to face his replacement Andy Luck. Both QB's are playing football at it's highest level. Peyton and his undefeated Broncos have been crushing.
Passing: Manning - 178-240, 2179 yds, 22 tds -- Yes 22 TD's in 6 games!
Passing: Luck - 115-186, 1346 yds, 7 tds
And if this Sunday night game does not have enough built in drama, Colts owner Jim Irsy decided to add more fire by dissing Manning.
“We’ve changed our model a little bit, because we wanted more than one of these,” Irsay said, flashing his Super Bowl ring.
“[New England's Tom] Brady never had consistent numbers, but he has three of these. Pittsburgh had two, the Giants had two, Baltimore had two and we had one. That leaves you frustrated.
“You make the playoffs 11 times, and you’re out in the first round seven out of 11 times. You love to have the Star Wars numbers from Peyton and Marvin [Harrison] and Reggie [Wayne]. Mostly, you love [championships].” source
Mind you, Manning, nothing short of class personified decided not to take the bate.
Manning had former coach Tony Dungy to defend him:
...Dungy admitted he was mystified by them.“Without Peyton, there would be no Lucas Oil Stadium,” Dungy told ESPN. “This team would be playing in L.A. right now. I don’t understand Jim saying this.” source
In Herm Edward fashion -- "This is why we play the game" -- Manning is opting for his field work to do the talking.
I hope he kicks Colt butt.
Manning's playoff record and how he's grilled for it seems a bit ridiculous. As you state, and as many others state, Peyton is the epitome of class in the NFL. If asked how he ranks himself as a QB, he doesn't only give a politic answer, he gives an honest answer. He doesn't believe himself to be what others make him out to be.
ReplyDeleteMedia lifts Manning up to the position of this "greatest QB in regular season history" -- they do this. He doesn't. And then, in the next breath, they're tearing him down for his postseason record. It's a subjective standard used to create subjective placement, and then a subjective look at very subjective circumstances to subjectively remove him from a subjective position.
Sports media has gone over the nest in recent years, spearheaded by guys like Skip Bayless and the other "me, me, me" sportscasters whose opinions detract from the sport rather than adding to it.
I took my day off last week to attempt to compile objective categories for QB ratings -- a throwback to my days as a sportswriter. But judging a QB individually becomes more complicated than judging a pitcher. It almost has to be subjective in every category.
My opinion: Manning is the best to ever play the position, and by a decent margin. Not the winningest; not the most clutch. But in all possible categories that could matter, the worst Manning does is a B-. Most are A or A+. And I'm a Raiders fan, so it's painful!
Prediction:: Broncos over the Colts, 38-24; Manning - 32-38, 360 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INT (And when this prediction gets demolished, it becomes clear why I no longer bet!)
Eagles prediction: Vick's happy he's on the bench recovering (unless I missed an update and he's playing). They have NO O-line. Vick isn't a traditional create-the-pocket-by-stepping-up guy. Cowboys 31 Eagles 24