The Philadelphia Eagles visit the Minnesota Vikings today. The Eagles are starting to soar. The Vikings are limping to the offseason. There was a terrible run of injuries throughout the league during training camps. The Vikings were lucky as they saw few players fall. That luck has ended. The heart of the offense, running back Adrian Peterson, is out for this game. Toby Gerhart is a terrific backup. He's out too. The respective fortunes of the Eagles and Vikings is a poor combination. There was a similar combination in 2010. Everything screamed blowout then. Michael Vick had his team rolling. The Vikings were a disaster. Brad Childress had been fired earlier in the season. Rookie quarterback, and current receiver, Joe Webb replaced Brett Favre. A blizzard moved the game to Tuesday. Nothing looked pretty going into this game. Webb and the Vikings defense were brilliant. The Vikings stunned the Eagles 24-14.
Maybe, a sad Vikings season gets happy for a day. This day.
Eagles quarterback Nick Foles has been fantastic since he secured the starting job. He may not be the mobile quarterback that everyone assumes Chip Kelly's offense needs but he can throw the ball. I never understood why so many assumed that Kelly would carry every part of his Oregon offense to Philadelphia. Kelly is a football scientist. He's always tinkering. He had an offense that works in college. He would certainly bring aspects of that offense to the NFL but he's smart enough to know that not all of it will work. He'll adjust to the defenses that he faces. He'll adjust to the talent that he has. Chip Kelly and Nick Foles have found some common ground.
I was never sold on Nick Foles while in college at Arizona. When I think of Foles, I'll always think of the kid that attempted two forward passes on a single play against Cal. I was shocked that he'd even try such a thing. Foles threw about two passes that traveled more than eight yards that entire game. They weren't on the same play. It's easy to have a completion percentage over 70% when nearly every throw is really an extended handoff. Foles has shown in a handful of professional starts that he can stretch the field.
Congratulations Jameis Winston on winning the 2013 Heisman Trophy. The voting wasn't even close. 19-year old Heisman Trophy-winner.
Congratulations to Navy on their 34-7 win over Army. It was the twelfth consecutive victory in this outstanding rivalry for Navy. They also won the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, awarded to the service academy with the most victories in games between Army, Navy, and Air Force, for the second consecutive season. Ninth in the last eleven seasons. Head coach Ken Niumatalolo has Navy rolling. They will play Middle Tennessee in the Armed Forces Bowl.
While watching Towson-Eastern Illinois in the FCS quarterfinals, I can't help but think of the possibilities of a playoffs with the football big boys. The bowl games have provided a lifetime of thrills. It's hard to ditch that past but I think that the need for a clear-cut champion trumps the tradition. The four game playoff coming next year is an improvement but I'd rather see something like the FCS.
I would love to see Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in the Vikings training camp next summer. I'd heard about his quick release but seeing a live game is the best view. His recognition to throw reaction reminds me of Jeff George. It's immediate. Almost shocking with the ease at which the ball is gone. George may have had his issues but he had one of the best releases and throws that I've ever seen. Garoppolo's release is NFL-ready.
Towson running back Terrance West yanked the spotlight away from Jimmy Garoppolo. 39 carries for 354 yards and five touchdowns. My goodness.
Nick Saban is going to coach at Alabama for a little longer. I'm not sure why anyone thought that Saban would jump to Texas. Alabama is at the top of the NCAA food chain. Everyone assumes that Nick Saban is a football-coaching nomad. He's never been in one place too long. If he wants to stay in college, Alabama is the place to be. Or, Cal.
Former Vikings head coach Mike Tice has been keeping busy. He hasn't been coaching for about a year but he's seen success at the race track. He walked away with $100,000 when he scored on a Pick Six this past summer. Tice and Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville are among the owners of two-year old colt Midnight Hawk. On Friday, their horse won a race at Hollywood Park and a $27,000 purse. Tice has longer dabbled in horses and horse racing. It was the jet of a horse racing friend that whisked free agent cornerback Antoine Winfield away from the New York Jets and to Minnesota in 2004.
There are several games today that looked much better a few months ago. They don't look as great today. It's amazing what injuries can do to a team and a season. Green Bay Packers-Dallas Cowboys usually grabs headlines. An injured Aaron Rodgers changes his team and this game. Washington Redskins-Atlanta Falcons now appeals more to tabloids and the top of the draft order than to those interested in football. Seattle Seahawks-New York Giants feels like a slaughter. One of the great things about the NFL is that the least appealing games can easily become very entertaining. The Houston Texans-Jacksonville Jaguars game a couple of weeks ago was great. Go Football!!
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