Mr. McNabb Goes to Washington

Photo courtesy the NY Daily News.

Donovan McNabb has gone from one NFC East team to another, as the Philadelphia Eagles traded the face of the franchise to the Washington Redskins in a questionable move for both teams. The NFC East is the toughest division in football, home to the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Eagles, and Redskins. You need a great quarterback in this division, which Philly had in McNabb and Washington did not. Now, the two have essentially traded places in that regard as the Eagles will go with Kevin Kolb at QB.

For Philly, this is a step back with the potential for being a huge step forward, depending on the level of talent they get in the draft picks Washington sent them. The Eagles get a second-round pick (37th overall) and a conditional pick next year. Philly's season rides entirely on Kolb's shoulders now, and the fan base will not be forgiving should he struggle. The team has a lot of youth on the offensive side of the ball in receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin and running back LeSean McCoy. As much as I think Philly shouldn't have traded McNabb, Philly did at least have the class to make an accommodating trade that fit his wishes. Most players don't deserve that type of accommodation, but since McNabb has played in an Eagle uniform for eleven years, he is an exception. The other destinations McNabb could have headed, Buffalo and Oakland, are not nearly as appealing to a quarterback as DC is.

New Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan. Photo courtesy the Bleacher Report.

For Washington, this deal hinges on McNabb's play, or the naysayers will say the price was too high, given the draft picks given up. McNabb will have lots of help at running back with Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson, and Willie Parker. His receivers are mostly young, but he has Santana Moss as his #1. On the downside, the trend with Redskins ownership has been to spend like a drunk in free agency and trade/give up draft picks and this trade continues that trend. Most great teams become great teams through the draft, just ask New England and Indianapolis. Plus, McNabb is a free agent after this upcoming season, so it could become a "rent-a-player" situation.

The unmentioned winner in this deal: the NFL. One of the league's historic franchises suddenly becomes TV-worthy and one of the biggest rivalries, Washington-Dallas, becomes noteworthy again. Meanwhile, the Eagles should remain competitive and Dallas and NY Giants fans everywhere start to sweat a little.

EDIT (1:48 PT): Had to reformat some photos, so if you're seeing this post twice, my apologies.

The NFC Playoffs are Here!

After another week of football, the NFL regular season has ended. Despite the crazy scenarios for the AFC, it eventually finished the way many had predicted, while the NFC shifted a tad. So here are the playoff teams for the NFC:


Photo courtesy of NowPublic.net.

1) New Orleans Saints
The Saints have clinched home-field up to the Super Bowl, should they advance that far. While playing in the Superdome is an advantage, the Saints have not played at a dominating level since they smoked the Patriots in late November. Also noteworthy, Steve Wyche of NFL.com wrote in his column that no team with a three-game losing streak going into the playoffs has won the Super Bowl. They have a chance to win the Super Bowl based on the team's immense talent, but will they be ready to compete at the high level required to eliminate another playoff contender?

2) Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota also has a home-field game and first round bye. Between Minny and New Orleans, the Vikings are the better team right now. Minnesota has a lot of older, veteran players desperate to get to the Super Bowl, none more than quarterback Brett Favre and the team is healthy at the right time. However, while Favre can be an asset, he can also be a liability since he has a knack for making risky throws. Another minus is that defensive end Jared Allen recently hasn't been the dominant force he usually is.


Photo courtesy of the Financial Post.

3) Dallas Cowboys
After the 'Boys shutout the Eagles yesterday to take the 3 seed, a date with the Eagles next week in Dallas seems easy, right? However, history suggests beating a team three times in a season is very difficult. In 2007, the Cowboys beat the NY Giants twice in the regular season, but were then beaten by the Giants in Dallas in the playoffs. That being said, the Cowboys are playing healthy and loose right now, especially after the team's first successful December in years. Getting that monkey off their back was huge for this team. Having the top defense (in terms of points allowed) doesn't hurt either.

4) Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals rolled over and played dead with the Packers on Sunday and get a do-over with Green Bay next week in Arizona. The Cardinals are playing similar to the Cards of last season, albeit with a better record (10-6 vs. 8-8 last season). Arizona played okay at home, but was excellent on the road (4-4 vs. 6-2), so going to another team's stadium doesn't spook the Cards. Plus, last year's Super Bowl contending team is nearly intact. That experience will help them.


Photo courtesy of UPI.

5) Green Bay Packers
While Green Bay has been playing excellent football as of late, the Pack are very banged-up defensively. What happens when they play the high-octane offenses of the Saints, Vikings, or Cardinals? Having said that, the Packers did have considerable defensive success at times during the season, but I think the farthest Green Bay can go is the second round.

6) Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles have been in this position before (they were the 6 seed last year) and are still a dangerous team. They were winners of six straight prior to yesterday's shutout in Dallas. But can they beat the team that has had their number all season? If they do, look out.


Photo of Minnesota's Metrodome courtesy of ESPN.

So my NFC predictions are as follows:

3) Cowboys defeat 6) Eagles
4) Cardinals defeat 5) Packers

4) Cardinals defeat 1) Saints
3) Cowboys defeat 2) Vikings

3) Cowboys defeat 4) Cardinals
Cowboys advance to the Super Bowl in Miami.

The Eagles-Cowboys game will be on Saturday, 8pm ET/5pm PT on NBC while the Packers-Cardinals game will be Sunday 4:40pm ET/1:40pm PT on FOX. Tomorrow, I'll post my AFC predictions.

NFC Playoff Picture: A Matter of Seeds

Photo courtesy of Eagles blog Bleeding Green Nation.

The NFL season is a week away from ending and only three of the playoff seeds are locked down. Let's start with the NFC...

If the playoffs started today, the seeds would be:

Seed No. 1) New Orleans Saints (13-2)
As a result of the Minnesota loss last night, the Saints have home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. However, they have lost two straight and are showing vulnerabilities, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

Seed No. 2) Philadelphia Eagles (11-4)
The Eagles currently own the 2 seed, but the Cowboys, Vikings, or Cardinals could also claim this spot. If the Eagles beat the Cowboys in Dallas next week, then they have the 2 seed locked. Philly is playing well and is considered the team to beat in the NFC right now.


Photo courtesy of nflnewsworld.com

Seed No. 3) Minnesota Vikings (11-4)
The Vikings have lost three out of their last four games and lost the two seed last night. Quarterback Brett Favre is making more drama again, this time with Vikings coach Brad Childress. The Vikings can reclaim the two seed with a win at home against the NY Giants and a Philly loss against the Cowboys, but even if they get the Cowboys assist, I doubt the Giants will just roll over.

Seed No. 4) Arizona Cardinals (10-5)
The Cardinals are playing better lately and have been a stellar road team this year. That being said, if both Philly and Minnesota lose, the 2 seed is the Cardinals' to have. I'm not sure how advantageous having the 2 seed would be for Arizona given their road success, but I do think the Cardinals will make it to the second round of the playoffs. They host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.


Photo courtesy of the NY Daily News.

Seed No. 5) Green Bay Packers (10-5)
The Packers are locked into the 5 or 6 seed, so of the NFC teams, the Packers have one of the most predictable roads. Either way, they'll be playing on the road for the duration of the playoffs.

Seed No. 6) Dallas Cowboys (10-5)
The Cowboys have the 6 seed, but could jump up to the 2 spot if Philly, Minnesota, and Arizona lose. The surprise victory in New Orleans has really jump-started this team and given them the extra confidence to overcome the December woes of recent Cowboys teams. This team could go far in the playoffs, especially if they beat Philly on Sunday.

Tomorrow, the AFC playoff picture. If the NFC picture is a little fuzzy to you, wait 'til you see the AFC picture. What a mess.

School Semester is Over / Deja Vu in Dallas

Now that the school semester is over, I can comfortably resume posting here on FTRS. The last couple of months were thick with schoolwork as the semester was drawing to a close.

Prior to the Red Sox winning the World Series, there had been a saying thrown around online and elsewhere that "when the leaves fall, so do the Red Sox." Perhaps it should be re-phrased as "When snow falls in December, so do the Dallas Cowboys." The Cowboys worst nightmares of a failed December are coming true...again.


Photo courtesy of the Syracuse (N.Y.) Post-Standard.

The Cowboys opened the month with a critical match in New York against the Giants, who had spoiled the opener of the Cowboys' new stadium in a close game. Motivation enough, right? After taking an initial 10-0 lead in the second quarter, the Cowboys went on to lose 31-24, thanks in large part due to terrible special teams play in the 4th quarter. Due to the Cowboys losing that game, it helped the Giants get closer to playoff contention and should the Cowboys deteriorate further, it could be the Giants going to the playoffs and the Cowboys staying home.

Then they played the San Diego Chargers yesterday in Dallas. Home-field advantage with 90,000+ fans in your favor, right? After tying it 10-10 in the third quarter, the Chargers surged in the 4th quarter to win 20-17. So much for home-field. The neck injury to star Cowboys linebacker in the 4th quarter made a huge difference, as the Cowboys had no pass rush. Without a pass rush, the opposing quarterbacks can sit in the pocket all day and throw with ease.


Photo of Cowboys head coach Wade Philips courtesy of WFAA-TV in Dallas.

But that seems to be the problem with this Cowboys team. One week, it's special teams, the next it's the pass rush, or lack thereof. The secondary has been an issue all year. The schedule-makers didn't do them any favors, either. Next week, they play the undefeated New Orleans Saints, which has a more explosive offense than San Diego, in New Orleans. Then, they play their rivals, the Washington Redskins, in DC and finally, they return home to play the Philadelphia Eagles, who are in first place in Dallas' division.

There are some teams constantly under a microscope. Some markets, like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, have multiple teams that receive year-round attention from the local press. Other markets have that one team that everybody follows closely. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Cowboys are two examples. The Los Angeles fanbase likes the Dodgers, the Kings, and the college teams in the area, but everyone loves the Lakers. Of the SoCal teams, only the Lakers receive wall-to-wall year-round coverage. Likewise, Dallas fans breathe football. If you play for the Dallas Cowboys, you're in a fishbowl. Much of this is due to the level of success in the team's history and with those past successes, expectations are bred of championships on a yearly basis.


Photo of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones courtesy of mkrob.com

Maybe Dallas' December woes are a result of the intense scrutiny that comes with being a Cowboy, maybe it's a case of "self-fulfilling prophecy" (i.e., if you tell yourself you're going to fail, you're going to fail), maybe it's a poor coaching effort on the part of Wade Philips. Whatever it is, until the Cowboys get a win in December, the talk of a December collapse will always come up. Should that win not happen this year, Wade Phillips can pack his bags. The Cowboys would have then gone 14 years without a Super Bowl title, and for a team called "America's Team", that's too long.