The Philadelphia story " who didn't see this coming "

The Philadelphia story " who didn't see this coming "

A 1 & 3 start, coaches taking the blame for team's bad play, and players calling each other out to man up. And that folks give you the Philadelphia story. Now I ask you, " who didn't see this coming "? After in my opinion making the biggest free agency haul in NFL history And having fans and media putting them in the NFC championship game and the super bowl with all the moves they made; the Eagles have started the season by falling flat on their faces.

The Eagles had a 50-50 chance at best putting theses peaces in place with little time to prepare for the season due to the lockout. And now that we see the defenses around the league being the side of the ball most affected by the lockout, Andy Reid and his Eagle's team are left now answering question on why it is not working out for their dream team. With football being all about timing and chemistry and needing time to put the two element together, I ask my question again " who didn't see this coming "?

The biggest obstacle the Eagles faced going into the 2011 season was how were they going to make theses parts fit without destroying the team chemistry they'ed built with Mike Vick's coming back party of 2010. That bring me to timing which in the case of of pro football is everything. While the Eagles as everyone knows did pick up some very talented players to fill some holes on defense, as we now see theses guys needed more than 5 weeks to get their timing together. Your asking players who have been playing in other teams system's for a few seasons to come in with limited time to practice; your also asking them to work with a rookie defensive coordinator who has never coached the defensive side of the ball in his NFL career. ( " who didn't see this coming "? )

An NFL season ( 16 games ) give teams very little room for mistakes, and this season in particular because of the lockout has magnify defensive shortcomings with all 32 teams in the NFL. But unlike the other 31 defenses in the NFL, the Eagles put the self proclaim dream team tag on themselves and with that a huge target on their backs for everyone in the football world to see. Now a quarter of the way into the season the Eagles find themselves in last place in the NFC east looking up at the Redskins and Giants with the pressure mounting to right their ship before it sinks. Eagles fans will find out in the second quarter of the season ( games with the Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, bye week, Dallas Cowboys, and the Chicago Bears ) what 200 million dollars buys you, as of today it's last place.

Brought to by: AJ Jones from Cambridge
"Let's Talk Football" Visit- www.ajstakeontheNFL.blogspot.com

Will there be a surprise team in the NFL in the 2011 season?

Will there be a surprise team in the NFL in the 2011 season?

Every season in the NFL there's a team or two that steps up to have that dream season that no one saw coming, which teams will make their mark on the 2011 season. In the 2009 season it was the New York Jets with their rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez going to the AFC championship game that caught everyone by surprise. In 2010 the Kansas City Chiefs had that season no one saw coming, winning ten games taking the AFC west division before bowing out in the first round round of the playoffs.

The Jets used a stifling defense and a great running attack, some timely passing and their cocky coach ( Rex Ryan ) to take heat off his young team to as they made their run. Kansas City had the great fortune Of playing in a division with the San Diego Chargers, hands down the best team in the division ( the number one team in the NFL on both sides of the ball ) but found ways with bad special team's play to lose game after game last season. It's not that the Chiefs didn't play well, they ran they ball extremely well. And with veteran QB Matt Cassel managing the offense, the Chiefs took advantage of the Chargers shote play.

With the lack of offseason praperatetion I'm finding it hard coming with any surprise teams coming into the 2011 season. So I have two 6 & 10 teams from last season that no one would be surprise if they made noise this season and made the playoff. The Detroit Lions and The Houston Texans had surprising season's in 2010. One ( the Lions ) serve notice they were doormats no more, the other ( the Texans ) fell flat on their faces after a dominating win in their opening game with the division champ's Indianapolis Colts.

Both the Lions and the Texans are in prime positions to take one of the six playoff spots this season in their perspective conferences, however with a history of losing in their background, taking that next step will take more than just wishful thinking. The Texans may never get a better chance at winning their division, with the Colts hall of fame quarterback Payton Manning career in limbo with a neck injury that will prohibit him from starting the season. And as Tennessee and Jacksonville go thought a rebuilding mode, anything other than a division title will be a felled season for the Texans.

The Detroit Lions on the other hand will be sneaking up on no-one this coming season, which mean's if there is a playoff spot in their future they will have to go out and earn it. The Lions unlike the Texans don't have a division for taking, with the division champ's ( Chicago Bears) and the super bowl champ's ( Green Bay Packers ) in the mix, a wild card spot seem to be their only way into the playoff's. While I do see the Bear's taking a few steps backward, I feel the Packers are just to high a mountain for them to climb.

Lion's fans must also remember if you give into the fact that ( the Packers will win the NFC north, the Eagles in the east, the Rams or Cards in the west, and the Saints or Falcons in the south ) they will need to compete with 4 maybe 5 teams for two wild card spots. ( the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the loser of the south, and maybe the Chicago Bears in their own division ) I believe the Lions in my opinion can be as good if not better than any of theses teams, but it all come down to the quarterback position. If Matthew Stafford can stay on the field for a whole season with the talent they have on both sides of the ball, the Lions may roar into the playoff's.

The fact that the NFL season is starting on time will be the only surprise fans can look forward to this coming season.

Brought to by: AJ Jones from Cambridge
"Let's Talk Football" Visit- www.ajstakeontheNFL.blogspot.com

Are the Super Bowl champ's taking this lockout seriously?

Are the Super Bowl champ's taking this lockout seriously?

Unless the defending Super Bowl champ's Green Bay Packers know's something no one else does, I'm left wondering why we haven't hear of some sort of team workout plan during this lockout? With a target squarely on their backs and teams like the Saint's, Jet's Falcons and Giants organizing team workouts; it leave me thinking the commissioner office must have called them and told them not to bother the lockout won't last that long.

You might think I'm overreacting but this is the perfect time for them to let the rest of the NFL know they're the champions and we know you're coming to get us. I'm just throwing this out there to see if other Packers fans might be a little concern about the lack of any news on this subject. Let me know how you feel on this subject.

Brought to by: AJ Jones from Cambridge
"Let's Talk Football" Visit- www.ajstakeontheNFL.blogspot.com

The growth of a coach

The growth of a coach

I've been a Green Bay Packer fan for over 40 years, and this is the first time in all of those years that I have been happy to be wrong about a coach. When Mike McCarthy was first hire as head coach, I like most Packers fans had no real clue who he was. I went to the 49ers media guild to find out something about this guy. I thought Ted Thompson had just lost his mind, how could he hire a guy no one heard of for this team. We had a great quarterback who's going to the hall of fame, there were other parts in place too that had me wondering, why give my team to an unknown? When coach McCarthy was introduce to us fans, you could see he had something, what, you just didn't know.

The first thing I needed to know was how would he get along with Brett, did he have the stones to coach him? We found out early he had what it took. He had no problem pointing out Brett's short comings as his quarterback, that got him off on the wrong foot with a lot of fans(me included). The bottom line, he was right and we were wrong, a coach is the head of a team, the quarterback is one of it's leader.

He had to take control of his team, and sometimes you need to start at the top. Brett had a lot of years doing things his way and it really wasn't working. Yes he won a lot of games, but he lost a lot of big games with Brett being Brett ( New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears twice in 07. I know it's not right to put a loss on one man,But all you need to do is remember with your head and not your heart and you will see I might be right. Brett will always be a hero in Green Bay and around the NFL, but his unwillingness to change and get on the same page with his coaches and team mates cost the Packers, big games.

It's became apparent very early there was a power struggle between coach and quarterback, something had to give. Now as a fan it's hard to watch a great marriage come to a end, but there was no way this was going to work without both party's parting ways. It wasn't that Brett had lost it or could not play at very high level, he just could not play for coach McCarthy. I think both Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson wish this had ended better for Brett , the Packers, and the fans who had to sit back and watch it unfold in front of us.

Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy took a huge gamble letting Brett go after a 13&3 season and just missing a chance to play in the Super Bowl. But they knew something none of us had even thought was possible,they could make this team better. By moving past Brett they show the rest of the team they were in control of the team, and coach McCarthy would be calling the shots(good or bad from now on)Now enters the biggest piece to the puzzle Aaron Rodgers, a man in a very bad spot, he had to replace a living legend, how hard can that be?

We can't forget, Brett did say he wasn't coming back( yes I know they really did not want him back ) so they moved on with Rodgers and no one was happy. Fans calling for Ted&Mike's head on a patter, hated Aaron for just being the next man in line. Now coach had his quarterback and the team seem to be ok with it. Just as Mike Hologram&Ron Wolf tied their self's to Brett, Mike McCarthy&Ted Thompson did the same with Aaron( how can you not love that kind of leadership at the top ) made me think back to how it was before Ron&Mike got here.

Remember that old saying be careful what you wish for, you just might get it, that's exactly what happen to Mike McCarthy. He wanted his own team,that he could put his own stamp on( I know. He had players from the old regime but it was going to be his way) as we have seen in the past it all start with a quarterback who has the potential to be great. Who knew when they drafted this guy late in the first round he would be that guy. Ted did. you don't pick a QB in the first round unless you think he will start for your team one day. Mike saw Aaron had that "it factor"that it take's to win in the NFL, there's a lots of QB's with strong arms, guys with great legs, some with both, but without that "it factor" they just can't win when you need it. Aaron proved to Ted&Mike with his hard work and that big chip on shoulder that he didn't just want to play good, he wanted to be great. In hind sight sound simple, but we all know that wasn't the case.

While his quarterback had outstanding seasons in 2008&2009, Mike McCarthy's haters were everywhere. He could have been like a lot of bad coaches we have seen over the years, take everything said about him personally, cry to the press that he was being treated unfairly by them and the fans... The only thing we saw was a coach talk positively about his team and where they were going. I'll be the first one to say I had a problem with his playing calling in the red zone. But the one thing I didn't question was that this coach had the attention of his team. He had instilled in these guys he was there for one reason to win, and he would work as hard as them to get it done!

The 09 season I think help ease some of the tension between coach McCarthy and fans, not all, some fans will never get over #4 not being part of the Packer family. I though you could see a more confident coach in 2010, he knew he had a good team, and didn't care that people knew he loved his team's chances to win it all. But like with all great plans, he saw bad injury after bad hit his team, not one time did he make an excuse or ask any fans to feel sorry for his team. All he said was "next man up"( the growth of a coach) he didn't let his players off the hook by saying how hard it might be to win games without key players. What I watch this team do over the last 8 games of the season was nothing of short of remarkable. Yes I know we lost to Detroit and New England, if not for those losses they never make that run. We saw a coach grow up right before our eyes, he let the whole football world and anyone who would listen to him know he had a championship team. I know as a fan I love his grit. Through out the whole playoff run, even the Super Bowl he only talked of winning, not I think we can win, he said the only reason we're here is to win and take the Lombardi trophy home! It took a few years and some thick skin but I think we might have witness the growth of maybe one of the best coaches in football

ONLY TIME WILL TELL

Ajjones

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