Sports with Bob McFlurry
The latest ESPN NFL Power Rankings have our Philadelphia Eagles ranked at #4. I would love to know what these people are smoking. We’re talking about the Philadelphia Eagles right? In Philadelphia? Ranked ahead of the Colts, Chargers, Titans and Vikings? Hell half the league could beat us on Any Given Sunday and that’s being realistic even if McNabb is at QB and healthy.
I don’t know why people were so high on the Eagles this year. All we got was a starting tackle and guard (who is coming off major knee surgery) in the offseason. We picked a WR in the first round of the draft who was supposed to be dynamic and figure in the return game and this guy might have 20 catches this year and doesn’t seem to be getting any reps at punt returner. We also got Shady McCoy in the draft to spell Westbrook and it seems like a good fit. We finnally have a true fullback which is great.
However, is the team that drastically different from the one that needed a miracle to make the playoffs last year? We may have gotten younger on Defense but did we get better? Nothing on Offense changed except the Tackles, the backup running backs and backup QB. I don’t see how or where we got significantly better on either side of the ball.
Desean Jackson is great and has worked out better than I have expected but is he a true number one receiver or just an overall game changer from either special teams or the receiver position. Is the guy going to go for over 1,000 yrds and 8 TD’s? Only time will tell.
Yes the NFC is wide open, yes we trounced Carolina in the First game but we also spanked the Rams on opening day last year too. All this being said I’d rather be the underdog or middle of the pack than be in ESPN’s Top 5. I’d rather people be surprised at the Birds play than be disappointed by it and given their Ranking and no real upgrade in talent that’s probably what’s going to happen. Plus the Eagles are really good at disappointing us.
Now, I’m talking about a world even with Donovan McNabb fully healthy, it’s the same team as last year with a few more injuries and some unproven guys taking over for some veterans. I’m just not sure how you measure these things but whatever the apparatus or reasoning they’ll be out of the top 10 by week 5 and shouldn’t have even been in the top 5 in the first place. How many question marks does one need to convince you that there’s at least 10 teams better than the Eagles right now even before McNabb’s injury.
Not to say they won’t make the playoffs or make a run at a Superbowl but an elite team the Philadelphia Eagles are not right now and you will probably see a defense picked apart by Drew Brees this Sunday at the Linc. Only time will tell but I think I’m smarter than the guys over in Bristol right now.