Now that QB Nick Foles has posted four straight exemplary performances as the Eagles starter, it’s time to ask whether he’s the greatest signal caller in Philadelphia history or the greatest QB of all time. Consider:
** He has thrown 19 TDs and zero INTs so far this season, putting him on pace for 570 TDs and zero INTs for the rest of his 30-year career.
** He is undefeated in his starts since Nov. 1 of this year -- Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Dan Marino and John Elway can’t say that.
** Since Foles’ record-tying 7 TD game last month, the Dow Industrial Average has risen more than 3 percent and topped 16,000 for the first time -- all on speculation of his greatness.
** In seven starts this year, Foles has thrown for three or more TDs four times. That’s an NFL record for QBs who look like Napoleon Dynamite.
** He is not Mike Vick.
Conclusion: Right now, Foles falls somewhere in between Jesus and Joe Montana. But, in another year, he might pass Joe too.
QB: Peyton Manning, 41.82 pts -- started by Dad WR: Eric Decker, 44.10 pts -- started by Jim
RB: DeMarco Murray, 31.90 pts -- started by Jeff
TE: Zach Ertz, 21.53 pts -- on the wire
K: Adam Vinatieri, 20.00 pts -- started by Sam
DEF: Detroit, 29.00 pts -- on the wire
D: Moran Burnett, 13.00 pts -- on the wire
Just your typical fantasy week, with two wideouts topping 200 yards and neither one was the best of the week. Cleveland WR Josh Gordon had 10 catches for 261 yds/2 TDs, Bears WR Alshon Jeffery had 12 catches for 249 yds/2 TDs, but neither could match the 8-catch, 174-yds, 4-TDs line put up by Denver’s Decker.
Don’t feel too bad -- Vikings RB Adrian Peterson rushed for 211 and was only the sixth best at his position this week.
“Jets QBs” edition
3rd place: Mark Sanchez, 0.00 pts -- on the wire
1st place: (Tie) Matt Simms, -0.64 pts -- on the wire
1st place: (Tie) Geno Smith, -0.64 pts -- on the wire
Sanchez, of course, has been on injured reserve all year, and yet he was the most valuable of the Jets QBs this week. In their 23-3 loss to the Dolphins, Simms played the second half and turned the ball over twice while amassing only 79 yards passing. But first-half QB Smith was even worse, completing just 4 passes for 28 yards and throwing a pick.
Those lines gave Simms a QB rating of 38.9 and Smith a rating of 8.3, both absurdly low figures. For comparison, when you went out back on Sunday and dropped the football once, your rating (0 completions for 0 yards with no TDs or INTs) was 39.5. And you were almost five times better than Smith.
With so many dumb things this week, I wanted to point out a surprisingly smart one.
During the FOX pregame show, the in-game analysts were asked to make predictions for the day. Jimmy Johnson predicted “The Smiths will have a bad day” (I think he meant KC’s QB Alex Smith and CB Sean Smith, but there are 41 other Smiths in the NFL, so…). Terry Bradshaw predicted that the Kansas City crowd “needs to step up today” (Not a prediction at all).
Michael Strahan predicted that the Eagles TEs “would have a big day.” Three TE TDs later during the Eagles game, I was stunned. That has to be the first intelligent thing he has said in the last decade.
I don’t know what scout put those words in Strahan’s mouth, but he deserves a raise. Maybe get the money by firing the guy who thought “the crowd needs to cheer” was a prediction.
Alabama’s last-second loss to Auburn opened the door for Ohio State to walk into the national championship game next month, provided they can win the Big Ten title with a win over #10 Michigan State on Saturday. This, of course, is horrible, because Ohio State played an incredibly soft schedule and their likely January opponent -- Florida State -- established themselves as a premiere program by … playing a slightly less soft schedule. Consider:
-- Games against top 25 teams (at time of game)
Florida State 3, Ohio State 2
-- Games against top 25 teams (as of now)
Florida State 1, Ohio State 2
-- Strength of schedule
Florida State 42, Ohio State 52
-- Conference rankings (per ESPN)
Florida State 5, Ohio State 4
To get to the championship game, FSU will have to beat a 20th-ranked, two-loss Duke team that has beaten no teams currently ranked in the top 25. And the national experts will still complain that Ohio State is the team that is unworthy of unseating a one-loss SEC team for the championship.
Because, logic. That’s why.
In early November, the Cowboys front office realized they were thin on defensive line depth, so they signed DT Corvey Irvin. I wonder if he has any relation to Michael “I eat children” Irvin of the 1990s Dallas squads?
Only one way to find out …
** Third-string defensive tackle Corvey Irvin
Dry thirst, conniving fever -- I eat kids. Clever!
Yep, same kind of guy. Amazing they can find so many cannibals.
** Picked up all three games Dad and I picked different this week, so I now sit only seven back in the weekly standings. Special thanks to Minnesota for winning in overtime this week, instead of just playing for a tie. Try to get this whole late-season surge out of your system before the Eagles game comes up.
** Jo just pointed out that if the Saints play the Giants next year, Hakeem Nicks (NY WR) could be lined up against Akiem Hicks (NO DE). I think she needs to get out more.
** Did anyone buy a car on Black Friday? When did that become an after Thanksgiving impulse buy?
Week 13 standings 1 -- the american way (Sam) -- 1934.77 pts
2 -- III-time Champion (Capt. Awesome) -- 1843.53 pts
3 -- Blue Collar Killers (Jeff) -- 1817.15 pts
4 -- Sheldon Cooper (Dad) -- 1811.41 pts
5 -- I Mildly Like WRs (Paul) -- 1791.83 pts
6 -- Gettin' Chippy (Jo) -- 1621.82 pts
7 -- Bad like Congress (Jim) -- 1612.43 pts
8 -- Show Me Your TDs (Ant) -- 1586.36 pts
9 -- Cheatstrong (ChampMike) -- 1568.21 pts
10 -- The Maltese Falcons (Bobert) -- 1558.42 pts
11 -- Timmy and The Jets (Joel) -- 1351.24 pts
Mike hasn’t been trying at all this season, so of course his team posts only the second 200-plus -pts total in league history this week. He made Jeff (182 pts) and Dad (165 pts) and Joanna (161 pts) look pathetic in comparison.
But with four weeks left to go, Sam still holds onto a comfortable lead. Maybe if Mike was trying all season long, he’d give him a decent run for his money.
(For clarification -- there is still no money involved with winning this league.)
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