I'd put more blame on Saints GM Mickey Loomis than Sean Payton. For years the Saints had a below average roster because of poor drafting, bad free agent signings, and terrible cap management and while Payton is a part of that the majority of the blame goes to Loomis. You look at the moves Loomis made from 2013-2016 and most of them failed terribly. He had a great draft in 2017 and the team's salary cap is in decent shape for the first time in years but the window for Brees is closing quickly.
I do somewhat agree with the Payton criticism. He tends to get a little too cute sometimes with trick plays & ballsy/high risk calls. I mean just look at what he pulled in the Superbowl that year, he did an onside kick in the 3rd quarter down by 4 points!!! I mean great that it worked, but man if they had blown the game because of that, he wouldn't have lasted the off season.
This post season he made a bunch of stupid decisions that SHOULD'VE costed him the game, but ultimately it came down to his players not responding well with situational football.
ESPN Cowboys reporter Todd Archer expects Dallas to use the franchise tag on impending free agent DE DeMarcus Lawrence if they're unable to sign him to a long-term deal.
It's a no-brainer move. The Cowboys have been starved for pass-rush help the past few years, and Lawrence finally gave it to them this past season, amassing 14.5 sacks and forcing four fumbles after combining for nine sacks and two forced fumbles in his first 32 career games. Injuries and suspensions played a part in Lawrence's slow start to his career. Lawrence was Pro Football Focus' No. 3-ranked 4-3 end in 2017. The franchise tag would cost about $17 million.
They still couldn't beat the nothing to play for Cowboys. I consider it more of a toss-up than the Jaguars-New England game though. Good chance the Patriots win, especially since they have superior talent and won't be as worn out.
Lol, just like you couldn’t beat Philly last season when you rested all your starters like we did. Only difference is, we won one playoff game, and counting...while Dallas choked, despite having a fully healthy squad.
Loving all the hate.
My under appreciated is the Minnesota Vikings. They are favored in Philadelphia, and they’re not nearly favored by enough. I truly have looked at this. I think they’re the ones getting disrespected. I want double digits. I want two touchdowns. This game, what it really is, it’s a nice little tune-up for the Vikings’ home Super Bowl, alright? They should request — in writing — for the Eagles, at the end of their blowout loss, to run some Patriots formations so they can get ready for a couple weeks from now.
That’s how I want this chatter if I’m in Philadelphia. More. Because they won’t give you a thing. People even think that the football gods are on the Vikings’ side, which is ridiculous. The Vikings survived after a rookie safety made a mental mistake. Philly survived three end zone shots to Julio Jones inside the 10-yard line! Which sounds like an act of God to you? The Eagles, amen!
Because this is now bigger, guys. This is bigger than the Eagles. This is not about the team. This is about the city. Find me a winner in Philly, and I will find you someone predicting they’ll be a loser.
Allen Iverson was too small, would eventually get broken in the NBA.
Brian Westbrook was too small, would eventually get crushed in the NFL.
Bobby Clarke was a diabetic. You couldn’t draft him in the first rounds. There’s red flags there.
Will Smith was a bankrupt rapper getting his wages garnished and hoping his sitcom pilot worked.
Kevin Hart was getting booed off the stage at Philadelphia’s Laff House, had to break his back to get a role in Soul Plane.
Hall & Oates couldn’t buy a hit. They bombed for three straight albums. They were THIS close to jumping on a cruise ship to sing Danke Schoen. It almost didn’t work out.
And I think most importantly during Championship week, it is important to remember this.
A long time ago, there was another young, scrappy team in Philadelphia that was an underdog on its own turf. And that team came to be known as the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. And the colonials heard the same noise.
‘Their defenses are too strong! Their ground assault is too powerful!’
Let me them come. Let them learn that one man defending his home is more powerful than 10 men invading it.
Let the Vikings ride this wave of being the country’s new sweethearts. I’ve heard it this week: ‘Without the Vikings, there would be no one for America to root for.’
Without the city of Philadelphia, there would be no America!
Let the Vikings have Grandma Millie, she’s 99 years old. The Eagles have Uncle Sam, he’s 242!
This city and these Eagles know that the two greatest chips on the Americans’ shoulder are taxation without representation and no respect despite domination.
Washington. Hamilton. Pederson. Roseman. THESE COLORS DON’T RUN! And on Sunday against that Eagles D, neither will the Vikings!
Don’t tread on me, and don’t ever disrespect the womb of democracy!
Put your bets on Philadelphia, Fly Eagles Fly to Minnesota, and God Bless America. Under appreciated.
That’s right! Both foreign and domestic, all enemies at Lincoln Financial. That’s right.
Have to ask which is the preferred outcome for Eagles fans?
Lose in championship game or lose to Patriots in the super bowl for the 2nd time?
Or just win, who knows.
Minnesota is much different team on the road:
U.S. Bank Stadium this season, the Vikings limited opposing offenses to the following stat line:
12.5 Points per game
2.8 Rushing yards per attempt
55 Rushing yards per game
When the Vikings were on the road, however, opposing offenses posted these stats:
19 Points per game
4.3 Rushing yards per attempt
112 Rushing yards per game
This is obviously a dramatic difference, but I'd like to take the analysis here one step further to fully illustrate the significance of these numbers. First, let me provide an overview of the Vikings' opponents in 2017.
This season, the Vikings played home games against the Packers, Lions, Bears, Saints, Buccaneers, Ravens, Rams, and Bengals.
On the road, they played the Packers, Lions, Bears, Steelers, Browns, Redskins, Falcons, and Panthers.
Using statistics available at ESPN.com, I was able to determine that the average PPG ranking of the teams that Minnesota faced at home was 14. In other words, in the average home game, the Vikings were facing the 14th best offense in the league. Interestingly, the average PPG ranking of the teams that Minnesota faced on the road was 18. This means that the Vikings defense surrendered an additional 7.5 PPG on the road to teams with INFERIOR offenses.
Then you can delve a little further and talk about turnovers. Philly won that battle too:
There is a little narrative floating around that the Vikings should have an edge over the Eagles in the turnover department. This is blatantly false. The Eagles generated 31 turnovers this season, good for 4th in the league, while Minnesota generated only 19, good for 23rd best. Furthermore, the Eagles sported a +11 turnover differential, while the Vikings' differential was only +5.
If a turnover decides the NFC Championship Game, the stats suggest that the Eagles, not the Vikings, are the more likely beneficiaries.
Stats are just stats. What matters is what happens on Sunday.
I know Dallas fans are so bitter with the role reversals of Philly and Dallas, and they so desperately want Philly to lose, and it might happen. But also be prepared just in case they don’t lose.
My emotions! Not really, the only emotion I really have regarding Championship Sunday is that I'm happy for the Vikings fans in my family. Almost none of them were alive the last time Minnesota played in the Super Bowl so this is a huge game for them. 3 of the 4 teams playing on Sunday have never won a Super Bowl, for that reason alone I hope Jacksonville makes it. Increase the chances that no matter who wins, somebody new will be hoisting the Lombardi under confetti on February 4.
Calais Campbell named Defensive Player of the Year! Arguably the best free agent we've signed ever.
I remember when I wanted Dallas to get him, although I have high hopes for Taco, Calais Campbell and Tank Lawrence would've been a nightmare for opposing OLs and QBs.
My emotions! Not really, the only emotion I really have regarding Championship Sunday is that I'm happy for the Vikings fans in my family. Almost none of them were alive the last time Minnesota played in the Super Bowl so this is a huge game for them. 3 of the 4 teams playing on Sunday have never won a Super Bowl, for that reason alone I hope Jacksonville makes it. Increase the chances that no matter who wins, somebody new will be hoisting the Lombardi under confetti on February 4.
Haha, if you say so.
Yeah definitely cautiously optimistic Philly can win their 4th Championship!
The Patriots have faced 5 of the top 7 sacking teams in the NFL (They were one of them). They are 4-1 in those games. The Jaguars were 2nd in the league in sacks.
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