The Detroit Lions improved to 2-3, after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 26-23 in overtime.

A key defensive pass interference against the Eagles put the Lions at the one-yard line with an opportunity to win the game. Stafford and the Lions were unable to score and settled for a 19 yard field by kicker Jason Hanson to force overtime.

The Eagles won the toss but were unable to move the ball forward. Quarterback Michael Vick was sacked twice for a total of -21 yards. On the ensuing punt, the Lions started their drive at midfield. Quarterback Matthew Stafford connected with Calvin Johnson for a 17 yard gain on 1st and 20 from Philadelphia’s 44 yard line to put the Lions in field goal range. Two plays later, Hanson nailed a 45 yard field goal for the win.

The Lions were led by Stafford, who completed 22-of-45 passes for 311 yards, one touchdown and one interception. This was Stafford’s 3rd game throwing for over 300 yards this season. Stafford punched in his second rushing touchdown of the year in the fourth quarter.

Calvin Johnson led the Lions with six receptions for 135 yards. Johnson, has compiled 100+ yards three times this season. However, he only has one touchdown and was held without a touchdown for a second consecutive week. Stafford’s lone touchdown pass was to wideout Nate Burleson for his second of the season in the fourth quarter. Burleson finished the game with four catches for 24 yards.

Young running back Mikel Leshoure led the Lions ground attack with 15 carries for 70 yards. Leshoure also caught three passes for 24 yards. Detroit has still yet to develop a consistent run game.

Michael Vick continues to struggle turning the ball over. Vick fumbled and had two interceptions and completed 28-of-46 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns. Vick also ran nine times for 59 yards.

Eagles fans held their breath in the 3rd quarter when running back LeSean McCoy left the game with an apparent lower leg injury. McCoy returned, and finished the game with 14 carries for 22 yards. McCoy also caught seven passes for 26 yards and a touchdown in the second quarter.

Jeremy Maclin led the Eagles receiving core with six receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown in the 4th quarter. This was Maclin’s first 100+ receiving game of the season. Receiver DeSean Jackson also caught five passes for 74 yards.

The Lions will be back in action next Monday, October 22 in a pivotal division rivalry game against the Chicago Bears. As for the 3-3 Eagles, they will be welcoming the undefeated Atlanta Falcons to Lincoln Financial Field.

Image Courtesy of  Detroit Lions

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The New York Giants came up short against division rivals the Philadelphia Eagles 19-17, and dropped to 2-2 on the season.

The Giants started their final drive on their own 35 yard-line without any timeouts, hoping Eli Manning would lead them to another 4^th quarter comeback victory. Eli slowly began picking apart the Eagles’ defense. However, time was not on the Giants’ side. On 3^rd and 10, on Philadelphia’s 35 yard-line, Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha was flagged for defensive pass interference, putting the Giants in a much easier field goal situation.

Two plays later, Manning attempted to go deep against Ramses Barden, but he was flagged for offensive pass interference, pushing the Giants back to the Eagles’ 36 yard-line. Lawrence Tynes lined up for a game-winning field goal, and missed. Tynes was able to re-kick because the Eagles called timeout. On the retry, Tynes lined up for the 54-yard field goal, and came up just short.

Michael Vick and the Eagles kneeled their way to victory on the following play. Vick led the Eagles, with 241 passing yards and one touchdown. The Eagles’ offensive line was able to protect Vick from giving up two sacks. Vick also scrambled six times for 49 yards. He recorded a quarterback rating of 99.4, a season best for the veteran. Vick’s lone touchdown pass was to the electrifying receiver, DeSean Jackson, in the 2^nd quarter. Jackson led Philly with six receptions and 99 yards. The Eagles were able to open up running holes for star running back LeSean McCoy, who compiled 123 yards on the ground on 23 carries, and had three receptions for 17 yards.

Eli Manning threw for 309 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the tough loss. Manning was intercepted inside the Eagles’ 10 yard-line at the start of the 4^th quarter. Giants’ running back Ahmad Bradshaw returned from injury but was not very effective, rushing for 39 yards on 13 carries. In addition, Andre Brown struggled against the Eagles, only rushing for 14 yards on five carries. The Giants’ receiving core was without Hakeem Nicks once again.  Domenik Hixon carried the load for the Giants, catching six receptions for 114 yards. Victor Cruz also had a big game, catching nine passes for 109 yards. Manning threw his second touchdown pass to tight end Bear Pascoe in the 4^th quarter.

The Giants have now dropped to 0-2 in the division, suffering losses against the Cowboys and Eagles. New York will be back in action next week at MetLife Stadium, against the winless Cleveland Browns, looking to get back on the winning track.

For additional game or player statistics, click here. 

Image Courtesy of  Philadelphia Eagles

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A bad tempered affair at Lincoln Financial Field between the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens ended in a hard fought 24-23 victory for the home side. An explosive passing game from the Eagles was too much for the Baltimore defense to contain, as their offense failed to keep up their form from their Week 1 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Given Michael Vick’s poor performance the previous week against the Cleveland Browns, most people were expecting LeSean McCoy to be used extensively on Philadelphia’s opening drive. Head Coach Andy Reid had different plans, however, and Vick looked in tremendous form early on, finding receivers in space and marching the Eagles down the field. He finally came undone when he had to escape the pocket due to pressure and fired a pass into the hands of safety Bernard Pollard in the end zone.

The Eagles were able to open the scoring shortly after, when Trent Cole stripped the ball from Joe Flacco on the quarterbacks own 15-yard line and regained possession for Philadelphia. This time the Eagles decided to run the football and McCoy went over untouched from one yard out.

Baltimore hit back quickly though, as their new no-huddle offense had the Philadelphia defense on the back foot, with the Eagles unable to substitute their defensive personnel as much as they would like. The drive culminated in a rare rushing touchdown for fullback Vonta Leach after some impressive blocking from his offensive line.

The Ravens took the lead early in the second quarter following another effective drive involving large doses of running back Ray Rice, and Flacco found Jacoby Jones, who ran an excellent route to beat cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha for a 21-yard pass. Rookie kicker Justin Tucker later extended the Baltimore’s lead, knocking over a kick from 56 yards, which ties him for a franchise record as well as bettering any successful kick he made in College Football, leaving the score at 17-7 to Baltimore at the half.

The third quarter saw a Vick-inspired comeback for the Eagles,  as Philadelphia quickly leveled the score at 17-17. Jeremy Maclin was found by Vick in the end zone after the quarterback rolled out of the pocket and showed great composure to still hit the waiting Maclin, and a field goal shortly after tied the game.

The Ravens offense struggled consistently throughout the third and fourth quarters, but two further field goals from Tucker put Baltimore back into the lead as time began to become an issue in the game.

Almost in identical fashion to his performance last week at Cleveland, Vick once again led his team downfield with just under two minutes left in the game, rushed for a 1-yard touchdown himself and give Philadelphia a lead that they would not surrender on Baltimore’s final drive of the game.

It was a game of two halves from the Baltimore offense, who looked in great shape during the first half in their no-huddle offense, but were poor in the second half, failing to utilize their fast paced offense. Flacco’s development towards becoming an elite quarterback certainly took a step backwards in the second half, and the Ravens had to rely on Rice to consistently earn them yards in both the rushing and passing games.

Philadelphia showed flashes of brilliance in the passing game, but Reid will be worried with the amount of turnovers they have committed in their opening two games. A very banged up offensive line will also be a worry as he hopes to hear good news on injuries to both King Dunlap and Jason Kelce.

Baltimore will now face the prospect of avenging their AFC Championship loss to the New England Patriots next week, whilst the Eagles will make the long trip to Arizona to play the Cardinals.

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The Cleveland Browns kicked off an important season in their ongoing process of building a playoff caliber team by entertaining Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon. A ferocious defensive effort from the visiting Eagles saw them pick up a hard fought 17-16 victory, which will be all the more heartbreaking for Cleveland fans considering how close they came to upsetting the odds and recording the win themselves.

The Browns got off to a good start in the match as Phil Dawson connected with a 43-yard field goal, before Craig Robertson picked off Vick in the Eagles next drive. Despite having taken the advantage early on in the game, neither Brandon Weeden nor Trent Richardson were able to make a significant impact in the first half. Weeden threw two interceptions in the second quarter, while Richardson was only able to put up 25 yards from 11 carries in the first half, mainly due to the uncompromising defense of DeMeco Ryans.

The Cleveland defense was keeping the Browns in the game during the first half, with Vick under constant pressure and unable to connect regularly with the likes of DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. The Philadelphia offensive line did, however, manage to give their quarterback good protection late in the second quarter. Vick stayed in the pocket and found Maclin in the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown pass which, along with an earlier field goal, gave the Eagles a 10-3 lead at the half.

Both quarterbacks struggled in the third quarter, with Vick throwing two further interceptions and Weeden adding another to his own tally. The Browns were able to add two further field goals in the late third and early fourth quarter, thanks to interceptions by the Cleveland secondary, narrowing the Philadelphia lead to just one point.

Things went from bad to worse for Vick then, however, as D’Qwell Jackson picked off his pass on the Eagles 27-yard line and returned it for a touchdown, giving the Browns a six point lead with just over 10 minutes left to play in the final quarter.

A long drive late in the quarter by the Eagles resulted in a first and goal on the three yard line at the two minute warning. After a run by Bryce Brown, which culminated in a one yard loss, Vick threw a touchdown pass to tight end Clay Harbor. The extra point was good and Philadelphia once more regained the lead, leaving Weeden a difficult task with just over a minute left to play.

Unfortunately for Weeden and the Browns, any attempt to rescue the game was cut short as the quarterback was intercepted by Kurt Coleman, and the Eagles were able to safely see out the game.

This will be a game for rookies Weeden (12/35, 118 yards, 0 TDs, 4 INT) and Richardson (19 carries, 39 yards) to forget, as their personal performances do not do justice to how close and competitive this game was. Although Richardson’s performance could be attributed to his recent lack of practice due to injury, all but the most optimistic of Cleveland fans will be casting wary glances in the direction of Weeden, the franchise’s 17^th starting quarterback since 1999.

The Eagles weren’t without their own problems, specifically the pressure exerted on Vick by the opposing defense, and the offensive line will have to work hard to rectify this issue. Vick himself wasn’t terrible (29/56, 317 yards, 2 TDs, 4 INT) but the four interceptions he threw are a worry for Head Coach Andy Reid.

Both teams face challenging matches next week, with the Browns visiting divisional rivals the Cincinnati Bengals, while Philadelphia hosts the Baltimore Ravens. The Browns and Eagles will have to take much better care of the ball in those games if they are to stand any chance of beating two teams who both made it to the playoffs last season.

Image Courtesy of   The Official Cleveland Browns

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In one swift beat down the Philadelphia Eagles kept their playoff hopes alive while potentially ending the Jets playoff chances. In a 45-19 blowout over the Jets the Eagles have managed to stay alive for at least one more week.

They sit at 6-8 after two straight wins and trail the 8-6 Cowboys and the 7-7 Giants for the NFC East title with a very slim chance to overtake the two in the final two weeks to make the playoffs. Better than being eliminated though right?

“It feels good to still have a chance to even be considered in the playoff race,” quarterback Michael Vick said. “We’ve been through a lot, but we’re resilient.”

For the Jets it was the second time this season a three game winning streak was snapped in a big way and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Jets (8-6) controlled their destiny coming into the game, and now have fallen into a tie with the Bengals for the last spot in the AFC. The Jets do hold a tiebreaker over the Cincinnati with the better record against common opponents.

“Obviously, a horrendous performance by us,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “Go into the game thinking we have to run the table to control our own destiny, and we come out of the game needing to win out to control our own destiny.”

Vick finished 15 of 22 for 274 yards with one interception and one touchdown. He also had 32 yards and a score on 5 carries. LeSean McCoy also contributed with 102 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries. He surpassed Steve Van Buren’s team record with his 19^th touchdown and 16^th rushing touchdown. Brent Celek also had a career day racking up 156 yards on 5 catches for one touchdown.

The Eagles turned three New York turnovers into 21-0 on their way to grabbing a quick 28-0 lead, and kept pounding it on the Jets after they made it 28-13 going into the half.

For Mark Sanchez, this was another one of those games he wishes he could forget. He finished 15 of 26 for 150 yards two touchdowns and two interceptions. He was also sacked four times, three by Jason Babin.

“It’s embarrassing,” Sanchez said. “It’s not good football. We just didn’t play our best speaking from an offense perspective, and it puts our defense in a hole. We are a much better football team than we showed.”

Santonio Holmes fumbled and it was returned 47 yards for the touchdown to put Philly ahead early. The Jets caught a break when they recovered a fumble at the 14 on a punt that DeSean Jackson let bounce and eventually caromed off his teammate, but gave it right back as Sanchez was picked by Asante Samuel at the 4.

Vick found Celek for a 26 yard score to put the Eagles up 14-0. Early into the second quarter Vick put them up 21-0 on an 11 yard run and the drive was helped by a roughing the passer penalty.

Sanchez fumbled on the next possession as he was hit running away on a busted play and it eventually led to McCoy’s first touchdown a 9 yard run to put the Eagles up 28-0. The Jets did try to fight back getting a field goal and then recovering a fumble on the kickoff and turning it into 7 as Sanchez found Holmes for a 25 yard touchdown which cut the game to 28-10.

McCoy fumbled on the next possession and the Jets go it at the 27, but had to settle for a field goal. After that it was all McCoy as he eventually scored from 1 and 33 yards which made it 45-13.

For Philadelphia they need to win out and hope the Jets beat the Giants and then the Giants beat the Cowboys in order to win the division. For the Jets they still control their destiny and have zero wiggle room with games against the Giants and Dolphins left.

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Andy Reid’s game plan definitely did not include allowing a blocked punt on the opening drive. It also did not embrace the idea of having a 16 yard Brandon Marshall touchdown reception occur just three plays later.

But in the end maybe that was all that he and his Eagles really needed to snap their two game losing streak on Sunday, moving their record to 5-8 with a 26-10 victory over the Dolphins.

Michael Vick’s return under center and Philadelphia’s 24 point second quarter outburst probably had a little more say, however.

“We’ve been through a lot, a lot of games we were supposed to win and didn’t finish,” said Vick. “I’m proud we won today.”

Vick finally played for the first time in a month after missing the previous three weeks due to broken ribs. After a prolonged absence he spoke of how he chose to respond to the physical effects of experiencing NFL action once again.

“I’m in a lot of pain, but I just wanted to finish and get through the game,” stated Vick. “I got hit a lot, and it kind of wore me down. I tried to hang in there.”

Getting back to game speed was certainly an issue for Vick, as he finished just 15-30 with one touchdown and one interception on 208 yards passing. Meanwhile, his legs were a non-factor, running for a mere nine yards on only two carries.

Miami’s defense did a solid job of containing Vick and the Philadelphia offense for most of the day. Unfortunately for the Dolphins the scope of the entire game changed late in the first quarter after missing a 55 yard field goal attempt that would have given them a 10-0 lead. The Eagles suddenly gained new life, and would respond with a 54 yard drive that ended with a two yard touchdown run by LeSean McCoy in the second quarter. Philadelphia then proceeded to score an additional 17 points during the quarter. That was all the scoring that would be necessary to win the ball game.

“The Eagles have been inconsistent like we have,” said Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall. “But that’s a team with a lot of talent. At any moment they can be an undefeated team, or look like one.”

Philadelphia’s defense played an inspired second quarter following the team’s first score. On Miami’s next possession safety Kurt Coleman intercepted a deep pass from Matt Moore at the Dolphins 36 and returned it all the way to the one. The pass was intended for receiver Davone Bess.

The second play of the Dolphin’s goal line stand would result in McCoy’s second touchdown run of the day, giving the Eagles their first lead at 14-7. McCoy had a very unusual day. He did have two touchdowns but only rushed for 38 yards on 27 attempts.

Bess soon found himself in the middle of the Dolphins’ troubles once again. Eagles corner back Asante Samuel forced him to fumble after a 3^rd down completion on Miami’s next possession. Samuel also recovered the fumble at the Dolphins 34.

Luckily for the Dolphins they were able to keep it at just a two possession game by holding Philadelphia to a 40 yard field goal despite obtaining excellent field position.

But turnovers were Miami’s undoing in the second quarter. Matt Moore surrendered one right back to Philadelphia after the Dolphins recovered a fumbled punt return at the Eagles 24. It was a perfect opportunity for Miami to get right back into the game until Eagles defensive end Jason Babin forced Moore to fumble after sacking him at the Philadelphia 29.

Two minutes and five seconds later Vick connected with DeSean Jackson on a 34 yard touchdown throw to give the Eagles a commanding 24-7 lead going into the half.

Miami stopped turning the ball over in the second half and its defense returned to the strong form it established during the team’s recent 4-1 stretch.

But the story of the day was the Philadelphia defense. The Eagles had nine sacks, a late safety, and even knocked Matt Moore out of the game in the third quarter with a head injury. Moore’s final line was 11-19 for 95 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

His replacement J.P. Losman did not fare any better with 60 yards on 6-10 passing.

Philadelphia hopes to display more of that defensive firepower over their last three games for a potential playoff push.

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In American Football, like in most sports, entire games can be decided by one single momentum shift.  Last night was filled with different key shifts in the game, most notably in only the last two minutes of play prior to the end of the first half, in which possession of the ball switched four times.  What started with the Eagles finally putting three points on the board, was followed with a defensive stop while the Bears were deep in their own territory. Then Brian Rolle pried the ball free from the Bear’s running back Matt Forte, and ran it in for six points. It is important to mention Forte’s 133 yards, and an impressive opening drive.

When a game turns around from being down 10-0 and several plays later have the game be knotted at 10-10 with under 2 minutes to go in the half, a fan expects a good chance at victory.  The Eagles then forced Chicago to punt the ball to the dangerous DeSean Jackson, and were ready to take over the game going into the locker room after getting the ball at the start of the second half.  It seemed as though the Eagles were ready to take over the ball game.

It is tough when a team lets the momentum change to the opposition, but it is even more difficult when a team begins to over and is ready to take the momentum and run with it like it seemed the Eagles were going to do, only to see DeSean fumble the ball in the Bear’s redzone, ending up in seven points for Chicago.  This could have had a different outcome, but ultimately both teams in any given game will have mistakes. However, last night’s mistakes from the Philadelphia Eagles were abundant. The hard-nosed hitting linebackers from Chicago put the hurt on Michael Vick, while the Eagles couldn’t put enough pressure on Jay Cutler to throw too many bad passes.  In addition, the Bear’s had a great offensive weapon in Matt Forte, who could run it when the Eagle’s were expecting a Cutler pass.

The combination of strong play from Chicago’s offensive line, Cutler’s big play–avoiding a huge sack from three attacking Eagles– and with Forte’s legs, this team has proved it can grind out big wins over teams that are least expecting it.  Not to mention, the match-up we got to see last night met perfectly with the strength of the Bear’s defense arguably battling the fastest ground attack in the NFL.  The Bear’s were able to prove that a long time-tested defense will prevail over a newly put together and speedy offensive team.

Basically, here are the main points about the game.  Vick got banged around, Cutler proved his toughness, there is still some debate about if Forte or McCoy is better,  the Bear’s still have a solid defense, and finally…will the Eagles make the playoffs standing at 3-5?

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In 2005 Osi Umenyiora, defensive linemen for the New York Giants, signed a seven year contract worth about $41 million dollars; $15 million of that amount is guaranteed.

With 2 years left on this contract, Osi is scheduled to make around 3 million for the remaining two years of that contract, becoming a free agent in 2013. Umenyiora is asking for a restructuring of his contract or to be traded if the giants can’t accommodate him.

Last season, there were rumblings of trouble brewing with the contract situation of the pro bowl defensive end, but to the point where his production suffered on the field.  However, we might have a different situation this upcoming season, given the fact that Osi has not stepped foot on the field to practice with his team.

The Giants granted Osi permission to seek a trade but that window closed a few days later when the giants changed their minds.  Now a furious Osi has informed the G-Men of a sore knee that will not allow him to participate in practice; anything else for that matter.

He reported to camp in order to avoid being fined a large amount by the team for every day he did not report to camp; he is at camp participating in the class room but he is holding his ground in terms of practicing or giving an edge to the Giants.

At this point, he is running out of options.  At the end of the day, the teams hold all the cards.  They can always say play out your contract and we will reward you; but, therein lays the problem.

Osi has testified in the recent labor talks that the G-Men and the general manger promised him a new contract if he outplayed his current contract.  Having had over 10 sacks two out of the last three seasons, he feels he has held up his end of the promise and awaits the Giants to do their part.

The giants would in fact love to have a motivated Osi playing for them but at what cost?  This franchise is not begging around the league for serviceable pass rushers- they have many lined up to play and the defense will survive, or thrive even.

Kiwanuka is back from an injury-plagued season and let’s not forget about Jason Pierre Paul who was an early draft pick last season and is playing with the first team in training camp at this point.

Both sides need to sit down and figure this out because a situation as divisive as this can devour the locker room.  At the same time though, those on the outside need to do just that, stay on the outside.  Let us not place all the blame on Osi and proclaim him a trouble maker, a greedy player trying to steal money.

Consider the fact that the Chiefs just gave Tamba Hali a record contract for his great year last season and Carolina set the bar pretty high when they gave their defensive end $72 million over six years.  Both guys have been rewarded and neither one has had the production that we have seen over the years with Osi Umenyiora.

All we hear now is that these trouble makers who gave their word should honor their contracts with their respected teams; players like Chris Johnson of the titans or Desean Jackson of the Eagles.  We must remember how many contracts have been terminated by teams who feel a certain player hasn’t lived up to his contract, or hasn’t produce to the expected level.

The giants just released two players under contract just to save money.  There is no loyalty from the front offices of teams in the NFL; and shouldn’t it work both ways then.

If outraged when a player with two or three years left on their contract gets cut, then you can show that same outrage at a player like Osi Umenyiora.  In fact, if he had underachieved and accumulated less than 10 sacks over the last 3 years, he would likely be released, traded or asked to take a pay cut.

It may not be in the best interest of the team or the locker room for this dispute to be occurring at this time or through the media, but players who hold out should be allowed to do the same thing the owners do every year.  But of course, in the world of sports, nothing is equal.

Public perception is everything and the man or woman who signs the checks is never dragged through television explaining why this player or that player was cut before his contract was up. Why was this player released after being injured the prior season?

Don’t let the obscene amount of money blind you to the facts, or place all these players in a box of “the greedy” or, “the humble.” It should work both ways although, the power is ultimately in the hands of those that sign the checks.

This issue between the Giants and Osi Umenyiora should not last all season and end up casting a shadow on the team but at this point, the options are few.

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The Philadelphia Eagles will win, not one, not two, not three, not four…

The Miami comparisons have already begun, the problem is however they are not very similar.  Vince Young, during a recent interview, has proclaimed this the “Dream Team,” a joke which has taken a life of its own.  We must remember that this is Philadelphia; Brotherly love doesn’t apply when it comes to its athletes.

The comparisons are few and far between and that might be a good thing, unless your goal is to reach the finals only to lose.  Philly has improved on paper but as we all know, the games are not played between the lines, they are played between the hash marks on Sundays thus they must prove themselves a yard at a time.  The team leader is Michael Vick who is in his 3^rd year after his stint behind bars; talk about full circle.

Michael Vick can be compared to Dwayne Wade, a popular athlete who convinced his friends to come play with him-a stretch by any sense of the word.  Vick has played a major role in acquiring the many free agents who now have taken their talents to the Eagles locker room.

It is well known that players in the NFL love, admire and respect the electrifying quarterback, not to mention the fact that they would rather play with him instead of against him.  The comparison ends there considering there is no Lebron or Bosh on this team.  All the Eagles have done is spread money around, not waste money because the players they have acquired are good solid players; nonetheless, aside from Nnamdi, none of the players are stars in this league.

Let’s focus on the Eagles and leave comparisons alone for now.

Looking at this team, the question still remains- what happens with number 1 corner of last season Asante Samuel.  He has stated that he doesn’t want to be traded and if he indeed stays put, the Eagles would have a trio of pro bowlers; but would the massive egos allow such a team to win?

It also becomes a question of what happens with Jackson who has yet to report, considering a hold out due to contract negotiations or lack thereof.  The situation with Maclin is also something people are not talking about as of right now.

With all these questions and unknowns, the most important factor in determining how far this team goes, is the health and effectiveness of Vick.  He showed us all what he was capable of last season but tailed off late, including an ill-advised throw in the playoffs which basically ended the season for the Eagles.  Will we get the same or better from the athletic quarterback or has the rest of the league figured out what to do against him?

The NFC East is stacked with good teams (minus the Redskins of course) but none have made as big a splash in free agency or via trades.  The cowboys were also in the Nnamdi sweepstakes but failed to nab the big free agent and they have been relatively quiet.

The giants are still battling with defensive end Osi Umenyiora who wants a resolution with the ongoing contract dilemma that may or may not result in a trade.  A sticky situation for the giants but one they will have to take care of soon because with the beginning of August, the season is right around the corner.

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