The Eagle D is coming around

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The Eagle D is coming around.

NOTE: On NNR Samantha Bunten of NBC Sports and I discussed the news of the day, injuries from week 6, our views of all week 6 games including the Browns/Broncos.

On Monday night the Giants scored a TD on their 1st possession. But then the Eagle D shut them down. While the Eagle O is still trying to fit all the new gadgets into the game, the D has figured it out and is playing very well. The early issues on defense were primarily caused by the lack of rest. When the O can’t convert 3rd downs in a no huddle O, the D is on the field a lot.

The team has missed ILB Mychal Kendricks for a couple of weeks. Despite that the D is playing aggressive defense. Rookie 3rd round pick Jordan Hicks has been outstanding. He has helped the D continue to improve. His instincts are outstanding.

Two early interceptions, one of which was a pick 6, made Giant QB Eli Manning tentative. That combined with WR Odell Beckham Jr. being the primary target made the job of the Eagle D much easier. … Read more at FryingPanSports

The Biggest Reaches of the 2014 NFL Draft

NFL Draft (2)

A reach is defined here as a pick well above the rated position of the player. These are some of the worst reaches.

Jets Dexter McDougle CB Maryland – They spent the 80th pick on a guy that was a 7th round value even when healthy.

Bucs Kevin Pamphile OT Purdue – He struggled all season but the Bucs took him with the 149th pick. I had him ranked in the 790s.

Seahawks Jimmy Staten DT Middle Tennessee – Staten was ranked in the 790s but despite a good draft the Hawks took him at 172.

49ers Kenneth Acker CB Southern Methodist – The Niners had a good draft but this one is a head scratcher. Acker was rated in the 550s but they took him with pick 180.

Rams Maurice Alexander SS Utah State – The Rams did well over all but took Alexander with pick 110 despite most analysts thinking he was undraftable. I had him in the 450s.

Jags Brandon Linder OG Miami (Fla.) – Linder was a 7th round value but the Jags took him with pick 93.

Redskins Spencer Long OG Nebraska – The Skins had only a few picks Read more at FryingPanSports

Want to know how American Football got started?

How American Football Got Started

Our good friend Evan Weiner of NewJerseyNewsroom.com has written an E-Book entitled America’s Passion: How a Coal Miner’s Game Became the NFL in the 20th Century.  Here is an excerpt:

The National Football League is the premier sport in the United States. But it always wasn’t that way. Author Evan Weiner takes us back to the days when the NFL was a mom and pop store operation with the players and others who witnessed the league’s growth first hand. The game started in the coal mines in western Pennsylvania and is a multi-billion dollar business today.

The NFL started in 1920, teams came and went. That history would repeat itself in the 1930s and the 1940s. Stability finally occurred in the 1950s with the arrival of television. Television transformed North American sports. In 1950, Baseball, Boxing and Horse Racing were among the most popular sporting events in the country. Within 10 years, football, the NFL, would begin its ascent and by 1965 become the country’s most popular sport.

In the old days, you could find Chicago Bears owner and coach George Halas at the Chicago Bears offices in the fall and part of winter, … Read more at FryingPanSports

Djokovic Wakes up from 2011 Dream Season

Coming off his incredible win over Nadal in the US Open tennis final, Djokovic was unable to complete his Davis Cup match due to a lingering back injury.  The injury first made an appearance during the final with Nadal.  With only a short rest period between the final and his Davis Cup match, Djokovic was unable to recover properly and retired after losing the the first set.

Novak Djokovic’s 2011 Season

Looking back it has been quite a year for the young Serbian player.  To start off 2011 he notched 41 consecutive wins that led him to hoist his second major Australian Open title, along with a slew of victories at other prestigious events.  He was indeed the man to beat, and for 41 matches no one was able to.

An on form Federer stopped the streak in the semi-final of the French Open at Roland Garros.  Federer played inspired tennis, dismissing the circulating rumors of his demise from the top of men’s tennis.  This was a temporary lull however, as Djokovic returned to form and snatched the Wimbledon championship to add to his list of major titles.

Fast forward to the present.  We have a new US Open … Read more at FryingPanSports

Eagles Looking Strong in 2011/2012

Preseason is over, but the war has just begun. Football fans have been coming out of summer hibernation to support their favorite teams with fervor, body paint, beer, air horns, and dreams of the Super Bowl dancing in their heads. Many teams are already proving their worth in the pre-season, and the Philadelphia Eagles are one of them.

Football fans alike are excited for what the season and these teams will bring, and Eagles fans think that the Eagles may have what it takes this year to make it all the way to the Super Bowl in 2012.

“They signed a bunch of free agents that just makes them incredible,” Dr. Ken Siegel, a dentist and die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan comments. “Besides having Michael Vick, they signed a bunch of free agents that are just kick-ass!”

The Eagles are packing a hefty roster balanced on one hand with well known and fantastic players, and on the other with rookies, and really cleaned up during the Free Agent acquisitions. Couple that with their 3 to 1 winning streak during preseason, and this may make the Philadelphia Eagles the team to beat this season.

Key Players That Could Lead to Victory

The … Read more at FryingPanSports

The Biggest Questions For the 2011 Fantasy Football Season

It looks like the new collective bargaining agreement is going into effect sometime today (7/25/2011) and we should start seeing action all over the pro football realm. This means the 25 million or so fantasy football players can breathe a collective sigh of relief. Fantasy football will be played, trades will be made, and trophies will be be won. There is a controversial question that has been hotly debated over the past few months, really since the end of last years fantasy season. Should Michael Vick not only be the #1 quarterback drafted but the #1 overall pick? There are millions of fantasy owners on both sides of the fence. Is there a right answer. I for one am not quite sure there is, but let’s see if we can find it.

Argument(s) For Vick Being The #1 Overall Pick

The main argument for Vick being the #1 overall pick is that he is the most unique and dynamic player in fantasy football. When that fantasy football draft board goes up should he be the #1 pick? Here is what proponents say about that question.

Vick is a risk/reward player but the reward far outweighs the risk. Vick in addition … Read more at FryingPanSports