** Week 13 — at home vs. Tennessee
The Titans are the next team with a winning record on the Eagles schedule. WR AJ Brown could be overhyped for the contest against his old team, and the 11-0 Eagles could be looking ahead to a key matchup against the Giants a week later.
** Week 16 — away vs. Dallas
At 14-0, the Eagles already will have the NFC East and number one seed in the NFC locked up. Can they still muster enough focus to take down their biggest rival?
** Super Bowl — away vs. Buffalo
The 19-0 Eagles face their biggest challenge yet, a Bills team with a solid defense and an incredible offense. Scoring enough points to keep up with QB Josh Allen will be a real challenge.
** Week 4, 2023 — away vs. New England
Now having won their last 23 straight games, the Eagles travel north to face a Patriots squad that is always a tough out. Will coach Nick Sirianni know how to motivate his squad after so much winning?
** Super Bowl 2024 — away vs. New Jersey Jets
After two Super Bowl titles and an incredible 59 straight wins, the Eagles square off against the upstart Jets, a team that has never beaten them since entering the NFL. Will three-time MVP Jalen Hurts be able to repeat his magic again on the sport’s biggest stage?
** Week 6, 2026 — at home vs. Dallas
The NFL cancels its season just hours before kickoff after the other owners concede that no team will ever beat the Eagles again. Does that count as a loss?
WR: Davante Adams, 26.73 pts — started by Jeff
RB: Joe Mixon, 51.17 pts — started by Bob
TE: Cole Kmet, 18.13 pts — on the wire
K: Nick Folk, 17.00 pts — started by Joel
DEF: New England, 29.00 pts — started by Jo
D: Jonathan Jones, 13.00 pts — on the wire
Mixon’s incredible Sunday — 5 TDs, 153 rushing yds, 4 catches for 58 more yds — is the best fantasy performance in … two years. Saints RB Alvin Kamara had a 6 TD, 54.13-pts game on Christmas day 2020. Feels like that should have been more historic.
Speaking of history, there hasn’t been a Bears QB atop the top performers list since the days of Rex Grossman. But Fields, the former Ohio State star, scored the second-best QB performance of the year with a totally normal state line for the position: 123 yds and three TDs passing, 178 yds and 1 TD rushing. No idea how you pass for that little and get that many touchdowns or how you run for that many yards and get so few scores. And the Bears lost. Football remains a mystery.
FYI, the Patriots’ defensive performance was the top one of the year thus far, but nobody cares because it’s the Patriots and they’re somehow the worst team in the AFC East.
“Elite QBs” edition3rd place: Brandon Allen, 0.78 pts — on the wire
2nd place: Nick Mullens, -0.12 pts — on the wire
1st place: PJ Walker, -3.04 pts — on the wire
Walker, one of very few stars from the new XFL startup a few years back, put up an incredibly dreadful line in Sunday’s loss by Carolina: three completions on 10 attempts for nine yds, with two interceptions. That’a passer rating of zero, folks. 0.00. And remember, you dropping the remote on Sunday (one pass attempt for zero yds) is a 39.6 rating under the NFL calculation.
As long as we’re pointing out truly incredible stat lines, check out the QB comparison from the Sunday night matchup:
— Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes: 43 of 68, 446 yds, one TD, one INT.
— Titans QB Malik Willis: 5 of 16, 80 yds.
Mahomes almost had more completions on Sunday than the Titans had offensive plays (48). And the Chiefs just barely won, in overtime. It’s like the two teams were playing completely different games and somehow evenly matched.
** During that Sunday night game, the NBC TV crews zoomed in on a fan near field level with a big sign that said “WE BELIEVE IN OUR CHIEFS.” And I did a double take, because it read like the kind of generic sign that video games put in the stands as space filler. I mean, is there anyone who doesn’t believe in the Chiefs? They’ve been to two of the last three Super Bowls and are one of the top two teams in the AFC. I don’t really see a host of doubters out there.
** The Colts fired coach Frank Reich on Sunday and named Jeff Saturday, a former offensive lineman and Indianapolis consultant with no coaching experience, as the team leader for the rest of the season. Owner Jim Irsay explained the hiring this way:
"I'm glad he doesn't have any NFL experience. I'm glad he hasn't learned the fear that's in this league, because it's tough for all our coaches. They're afraid. They go to analytics and it gets difficult. He doesn't have all that. He doesn't have that fear. We were fortunate he was available.”
Yes, very surprising a guy with zero NFL coaching experience was available to step into that role. It’s almost as if other teams didn’t scoop him up because he was unqualified for the job.
At least Saturday won’t be intimidated by all those big, mean statistics.
Tuesday is voting day across America. So to get you ready to make well-reasoned choices at the ballot box, here are a few Philly sports questions that right now are too close to call:
Who is the most popular Philly athlete right now?
** Bryce Harper, Phillies
** Jalen Hurts, Eagles
** Joel Embiid, Sixers
Six months ago, Embiid was the runaway favorite, but some of the shine has come off with another set of postseason failures. Hurts is the leader of an undefeated Eagles squad, the most popular team in town, but he probably isn’t as loved as Jason Kelce or AJ Brown. After an MLB playoff run that featured ridiculous heroics from Harper, it feels like maybe the title is his unless Hurts can win it all.
Who is the most popular Philly coach right now?
** Rob Thomson, Phillies
** Nick Sirianni, Eagles
** Jim Curtin, Union
Thomson and Sirianni may split the votes in this one, opening the door for Curtin, a third-party candidate with a rabid following. Sixers coach Doc Rivers finished a distant fourth in primary voting. And no one even knows if the Flyers have a coach.
What was the best Phillies postseason moment?
** Six-run 9th inning vs. the Cardinals
** Two-run HR by Harper vs. the Padres
** Five HR game vs. the Astros
Feels like all of these are worthy candidates, but the Harper HR is likely to be the moment etched in the back of our heads for years to come.
What team is most likely to enrange Philly fans next?
** Eagles
** Sixers
** Phillies
A sudden Eagles slide could turn fans ugly, but the team could finish the season 4-5 and still get a high playoff seed. The Sixers look like a strong candidate here, given that they’re already under .500 and missing key stars. But don’t sleep on the Phillies. Remember, they barely made the postseason this year. A 81-81 finish next year isn’t out of the question.
Who is the most-hated recent postseason villain for Philly?
** Jimmy Butler
** Tom Brady
** Jeremy Peña
** John Smotlz
Butler and Brady knocked the Sixers and Eagles out of the playoffs in their most recent visits, but that feels more like a business deal than personal attack right now. Pena was a pain in the rear for the whole World Series. But honestly, no one broke fans spirits more than Smoltz, with his idiotic, non-stop commentary for multiple playoff series.
The pre-season hype around new Cowboys defensive lineman Sam Williams was all positive in August, but the season so far has been a mild disappointment, with just nine tackles and two sacks. But the Dallas coaching staff could have predicted the failure if they had just paid closer attention to all the warning signs in his name. Consider the clear messages in the letters there:
Dallas DE Sam Williams
** A dismal, sad, smell. Wail.
** A lawless lad, mild aims
** A male w/ ills, mad as lids
** A wild dilemma, all sass
Remember, you can’t spell “Williams” without “I am swill.”
** Great week for Dad, who went 3-1 against me in the weekly picks and jumped up to only four down on the season. Thanks to the Raiders, Falcons and Packers for really letting me down this week. ** I didn’t have time to make fun of the NFL game in Germany this week but if the Germans want to keep Tom Brady I’m sure there’s some kind of trade we can work out.
Week 9 standings Garrity Family Thorwdown
1 — Del-marvelous Diva (Eileen), 6-3/1,178.52 pts
2 — Chief Little Owl - JJG (Uncle Jim), 5-4/1,184.2 pts
3 — Jimmy's Chicken Shaq (Jim), 5-4/1,160.92 pts
4 — Always Runny in Philly (Capt Awesome), 5-4/1,154.94 pts
5 — Stacked Dead Achterts (Carl), 5-4/1,100.92 pts
6 — Mary Alice's Primo Team (Mom), 5-4/1,080.96 pts
7 — Mailata Man or Beast? (Dad), 4-5/1,115.58 pts
8 — America's Losers (Dak Prescott), 1-8/602.6 pts
Once again, no one is winning this league. The difference between first place and seventh is two games and about 60 points. With just six weeks left in the regular season, it’s impossible to tell who is going to go on a hot streak and make the top four playoff spots. So that’s fun!
Awesome Cup standings
1 — Ouch! It Hurts (Mom D), 1,165.30 pts
2 — JJaw dropping skillz (Capt Awesome), 1,154.74 pts
3 — Champ For Life (Jo), 1,128.94 pts
4 — More Honey Bunches of Goats (Jonathan), 1,045.75 pts
5 — Blue Collar Killers (Jeff), 991.88 pts
6 — Mailata's Size 18 Shoes (Dad), 984.82 pts
7 — Crumb Bums (Ant), 965.73 pts
8 — Patriots Secret Cam (Joel), 958.89 pts
9 — No One Likes Us We Don't Care (Bob), 912.57 pts
10 — Room Temperature Icers (Sam), 865.48 pts
11 — Let's Go Iggles! (Paul), 832.66 pts
12 — Murder Hornets (Mike), 822.08 pts
Good weeks from Mom D, me and Jo pushed us all up a tier above the rest of the field. Jonathan remains in striking distance, and Mixon’s crazy week has Bob slowly climbing up the charts.
Meanwhile, Paul and Mike are in a battle for last place, with both of their teams barely outsourcing Mixon (62.20 pts for Paul, 61.51 for Mike).
This week features a Thursday game, an early Sunday game, and the Eagles not playing until Monday night. Watch your rosters carefully.
1 comment:
With the Eagles now 8-0, I'd like to hear Captn Awesome's comment on Jalen Hurts. Dad Shane
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