The Messy NFC

Posted: October 23rd, 2022 | Author: Tommy Lawlor 

The Eagles had Sunday off so that allowed us to watch the Phillies clinch the National League pennant. I also made sure to check out some NFL games to get a feel for some of the other teams in the NFC.

I watched the Jags and Giants play. I was pulling for Doug Pederson’s team, of course. And he lost to the Giants in a game he shouldn’t have. That wasn’t one of the traditions he should have kept from his days in Philly. The Jags looked really good at times, but they came up small in key situations over and over. I would be incredibly frustrated if I were a Jags fan.

The Giants were the opposite. They don’t have great talent, but that team is smart and clutch. They don’t beat themselves. Daniel Jones won’t be mistaken for an elite QB any time soon, but he’s made real improvement from the past. He makes some good throws and isn’t turning the ball over, which was his biggest issue in the past. The coaches feed the ball to Saquon and then mix in Jones runs, making it tough for the D to sell out on stopping Saquon.

I never imagined the Giants getting to 6-1, but here they are. Brian Daboll has them believing in themselves and that gives them a chance to keep this thing going.

The Commanders hosted the Packers. Carson Wentz just got put on IR so we got Tyler Heinicke as the QB. Easy win for A-Rod and the Packers…or not. At halftime, GB only had 76 yards of offense. They led 14-10 with the help of a pick-six. I thought Rodgers would come out and destroy WAS in the second half. Just didn’t happen. The Commanders won the game 23-21. WAS outgained the Packers on the ground 166-38. Yikes.

The Packers looked bad. That can happen to any team, but this is their third straight loss (to the Giants and Jets in previous weeks). They have a total of five offensive TDs in those three losses. Yikes. Aaron Rodgers will not be winning NFL MVP this year.

The Commanders are now 3-4. That’s good for last place in the NFC East, but would be second place in the North and tied for first in the South. I don’t know what to make of this team. Their DTs (Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen) are outstanding. They have some good skill players and some other good pieces, but there are plenty of holes on the roster. Heinicke was more "good enough” than actually good against the Packers.

I’m sure Washington fans will think this win means something for them. I think the game means more for the Packers. They are not the team that won 13 games each of the past three seasons. They have issues all over the place.

Dallas got Dak Prescott back. He went up against the worst defense in the league and the score was 10-6 Dallas going into the fourth quarter. I’m not sure that’s the return Cowboys fans had in mind. Dallas won 24-6, but didn’t do anything special on offense. They got lucky that the Lions dropped a couple of INTs. The Dallas defense was good, but caught a break that the Lions were without their two best receivers and their best runner.

We need to see more of Dak in action to really get a feel for him. In his first seven quarters of action this season, he produced 13 points. He faced good and bad defenses.

Dallas lost to Tampa in the season opener. There’s no shame in losing to a good team, though. Tampa looked like a good team back then, but a lot has changed. They lost to the Panthers today, 21-3. That isn’t a typo. Tom Brady has had a legendary career. Plenty of good QBs have never beaten him. Former Temple star PJ Walker got the win today. That’s mind-blowing.

Tampa has the worst run game in the league. Their OL isn’t a strength. The defense remains good, but isn’t the same when they aren’t playing with a lead all the time. And Brady…he suddenly looks human. He had some terrible moments in the game today.

I’ve been waiting for Tampa and Green Bay to flip the switch. They have star QBs and playmaking defenses. Or should I say "had”. Neither QB looks like a star right now. They both seem highly frustrated. Both guys have had to deal with OL issues. Tampa has had banged up WRs while Green Bay has a rebuilt group that is struggling to fit in with Rodgers.

Both teams are 3-4. Thats not a fluke. Neither team is guaranteed to get things turned around this year. These are different problems than they’ve had in the past.

The Vikings had the week off. They’re 5-1, but another team that’s hard to figure. The Eagles dominated them in Week 2. The Vikings are 17th in DVOA, which tells you the numbers don’t like them.

The NFC West is always weird and this season is no different. Seattle was thought to be a disaster this year, but they are 4-3 and atop the division. Geno Smith has been outstanding and rookie RB Kenneth Walker is red hot. Their whole rookie class is amazing. Instant rebuild. Russell who?

The Rams are defending champs. They are 3-3 and -22 in point differential. Their OL is a mess. They are 31st in turnovers this year. The Rams have some elite stars, but too many holes on the roster. I can see them having a really good game here and there, but don’t see them overcoming these issues every week. We’ll see if Sean McVay can come up with some magic.

SF got blown out by the Chiefs today to fall to 3-4. KC played brilliantly. That game had a lot more to do with them than SF. And the Niners once again one of the most injured teams in the league. They are a good overall team, but will always be limited by Jimmy G at QB. He can look so solid at times and then so bad at others. Losses to Chicago and Denver could prove very costly at the end of the season unless the Niners can go on a real hot streak.

Arizona is 3-4 as well. They have not been a good team. Maybe the return of Deandre Hopkins will have a transcendental effect. I’ve got my doubts, but we’ll see how that goes. A couple of pick-sixes were the key to beating the Saints. We need to see if the Cardinals can fix problems and win some games or if they are in the middle of a lost season.

The Eagles are clearly the class of the NFC right now. I don’t think there is a clear-cut #2 team. You could argue for the Vikings or Giants. Dallas. Some think the Niners are the second best team despite their record.

This is good and bad. A weak league in theory should make it easier for the Eagles to get the top seed. That would give them homefield advantage and a bye.

The down side is that you want the regular season to get you ready for the postseason. Think back to 2017.

KC 27, PHI 20
PHI 27, NYG 24
PHI 26, LAC 24
PHI 28, CAR 23
SEA 24, PHI 10
PHI 43, LAR 35
PHI 34, NYG 29

Those were some tough games. They covered just about every scenario. The Eagles learned from them and that had them ready for the close win over the Falcons and of course the crazy Super Bowl.

There have been some close games this year, but not the kind of back and forth affairs that kept constant pressure on you. The Eagles have had a 14-point lead in every game. Even when they fell behind to JAX, the Eagles took control of the game and never let the Jags get too close.

We do want the Eagles to be tested. We don’t want a magical season that ends early in January.

*****

https://twitter.com/Eagles/status/1584307268253687808

You can enjoy both the Phillies and the Eagles.

http://igglesblitz.com/2022/10/the-messy-nfc/

NY worry me as do Dallas.

Most thought Dallas would drop off with Dak out and some tough games but they haven't. They are very good on defense and with Dak back they aren't going to lose many games. 

NY are a problem because they keep on winning. They keep winning close games and coming up big in those big moments. That's a team on a roll and they have a very easy schedule. 

14 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

NY worry me as do Dallas.

Most thought Dallas would drop off with Dak out and some tough games but they haven't. They are very good on defense and with Dak back they aren't going to lose many games. 

NY are a problem because they keep on winning. They keep winning close games and coming up big in those big moments. That's a team on a roll and they have a very easy schedule. 

Well, the Eagles are on it twice, so not that easy, right?

On 10/24/2022 at 8:42 AM, time2rock said:

Tom Brady has had a legendary career. Plenty of good QBs have never beaten him. Former Temple star PJ Walker got the win today. That’s mind-blowing.

Tampa has the worst run game in the league. Their OL isn’t a strength. The defense remains good, but isn’t the same when they aren’t playing with a lead all the time. And Brady…he suddenly looks human. He had some terrible moments in the game today.

Thus far, I think this is one of the biggest story lines.  Tom Brady got divorced so he can keep playing and in the end his reward is a crappy Bucs team.  He can't be having fun.  What's funnier is that he's locked up with Tampa until he's 50, so he ain't going anywhere.  What's the chances Tom finally says enough?

1 hour ago, EricAllenPick6 said:

Thus far, I think this is one of the biggest story lines.  Tom Brady got divorced so he can keep playing and in the end his reward is a crappy Bucs team.  He can't be having fun.  What's funnier is that he's locked up with Tampa until he's 50, so he ain't going anywhere.  What's the chances Tom finally says enough?