Dappa Dan

Sooo... to even have a chance of winning the picks I have to take Pats. Which is what I feel is THE pick. I reckon 60% chance they win, 40% chance Eagles win. In a dome so it'll be very very high scoring. Eagles have enough weapons, and Brady will torch Eagles' secondary. Pats 42 Eagles 37

I have an awful feeling I'm going to be cutting and pasting this in a few days.

lol Cousins out, Smith in. The money they paid for Smith could have been spent on Kirk a couple of years ago and they'd have a younger, better QB. Muppets.

Yeah saw that. Love it. Wow. Fabric player.

Oh no. Reigning tipping leader too. Surely you wouldn't listen to that when there's heaps of streaming radio stations.

True. From about week 5 or so when they were 4-1 having only lost to KC everyone was positive. Then they beat the Panthers and from there it's been superbowl run this and superbowl run that. I do remember that year. Matter of fact that was the year I fell in love with the Eagles, watching Vick. And who did you beat in Wild Card week? In those days Rodgers wasn't yet the mythical superstar he is now. I was actually living in the states and was a bit like you, once they got there it seemed like it was theirs... in the leadup though, they were just another wild card team. Foles is a funny one for Eagles faithful. A lot of people got on his bandwagon when he started for us cos of the ridiculous numbers in his breakout year. Most knew he didn't have that killer instinct... and had some holes in his game. After he was booted, Philly sports radio has laughed at him for two years and how bad he was under Fisher. Even when he was signed as backup most had a giggle. When he took over from Wentz, the naysayers pretty much all still wrote him off. His biggest critic ate his words this week... but maintains that Foles isn't a superstar. And that the game he played last weekend shouldn't be expected with any regularity. As much as we're singing his praises... it WAS just one good game. People were ready to crown Keenum as the Vikings starter for next season until he laid an egg against the Eagles. Now he's back in the pack again. I'm confident if Foles throws three picks, people will most certainly let him fade back into quarterback obscurity.

I'm flat out picking Eagles. You can't NOT in my position. They really could win. In with a shot despite the Belly and Brady thing. The fact it's against the greatest coach and player of all time. Who beat the Eagles in the superbowl ten years ago. In the context of injuries galore and coming from last in the NFC East the year before. It's too dramatic and magical not to get swept up in.

Yup. Although that unpredictability does comes at a cost. The way teams change from year to year and players jump to different clubs... It's of huge influence. What would Eagles be like without Alshon, Jernigan and Darby. You're right that it's great, but I fear demons leaving our current list as it is...

Couldn't agree more mate. Looking at the positive media on the club, ownership, coaches and individual players... it's almost Tigers like when they won the flag. Eagles beat out 15 other teams fair and square... Tigers beat 17... so it's not far off. I've never known what it's like to see a playoff win let alone win the NFC, let alone with the injuries they had. I was on cloud nine already because Wentz is at the club for another ten years. All this other "winning" stuff is like a fever dream. The things people are writing and saying, how Eagles are set up for years. I can absolutely see how you would look back on 2010 highlights and every time it'd make you smile. This is all new landscape for me, even as a demons fan. And they haven't even won a title. Very true too... that it's a huge problem. Even when everything goes right, making a superbowl is ridiculously hard. We see how quickly teams can fall away. Dallas for example. If the Eagles don't pounce this year and next, the price will go through the roof. Guys like Jernigan and the secondary will be shipped off or leave through FA. De Filippo and Schwartz, who many say is the teams MVP this season, could be head coaches in a few weeks. Don't get me wrong, the most vital pieces are there... Cox, Wentz, Jefferey, Johnson, Kelce... But you know in just under 12 months your team can just as easily be 9-6 and praying to make playoffs in week 17.

QB Index as I see it... A lazy rough order to see where Foles sits. This is a list with an eye on trade value and value over the next couple of seasons. Manning for example would be high in terms of history... but in the next couple of seasons playing at Giants, he might not do too much. 1. Brady 2. Rodgers 3. Wentz 4. Wilson 5. Ryan 6. Brees 7. Rothlisberger 8. Newton 9. Stafford 10. Watson 11. Rivers 12. Goff 13. Carr 14. Prescott 15. Smith 16. Cousins 17. Mariotta 18. Winston 19. Manning 20. Dalton 21. Foles.... That's not too bad. In no particular order I have underneath him... Bortles, Keenum, Flacco, Garroppolo, Bradford, Bridgewater, Siemienn, Osweiller, Keenum, Brissett, McCown, Kizer, Taylor and Trubiski... Some of those names will be gone in three years. Ben, Brees, Brady, Rivers, Manning... Foles is still young (28) and is a pocket guy who can play into his late 30s.

It's certainly an interesting one. Having gone over the game non stop since last weekend, with a big dumb grin on my face, some of the stats really smack you in the face in a big way. Things like noone has ever had a better passer rating in a Championship game. He hit some stupidly high percentage of third downs against the best 3rd down defense in history (regular season). Jaw dropping things really. Assuming Foles has even an adequate game in the superbowl, and not a disaster that tarnishes his name (Keenum for example)... then he'll be starting somewhere next year. I mean... let's be honest... he's done enough already.... and when you look at his background as a player, he's now firmly and comfortably installed as a better player that 10-15 players currently starting as QBs. Actually that'd be an interesting experiment, everyone's top-down QB starters list. I'll get the ball rolling in another post.... In terms of what Eagles do Macca, a lot depends on Wentz next year. A lot of talk he'll only come back mid season... And when he does... Will he be in tip top shape. He can play well in the pocket, sure, but what makes him an MVP is his movement, as we've discussed at length. Foles is contracted through next season. Eagles will want a high-profile backup... But the truth is Foles has earned the right to start in a team. Simple as that. My take is that we'll beg him to stay, and pony up every cent we can on a restructured contract... and it won't be enough. It's interesting on the Wentz thing above you mentioned. He won't be on the super big dollars for another couple of seasons yet. Nor will Ajayi who's on his rookie contract through 2018. I can't imagine how it would work... Keeping Foles as starter for only HALF of a season, but signing him for the full one... It's just daft. He has to go while his price is sky high. The ONLY WAY I can see him staying for just these twelve months is if Eagles shift about 10 mil... AND they come out and explain that Wentz's recovery timetable is more likely to see him come back a few weeks before the end of the season. If Foles is installed as the starter for the whole season, then yeah, staying for 12 more months at a superbowl level team might entice. He has an amazing relationship with Carson too. TBH though... I feel like I'm just clutching at straws. He's gone. And it leaves a MASSIVE hole. If Carson misses the bulk of 2018, and the backups are Sudfeld and some other guy... then it's gonna be tough even making playoffs. Which is really a disaster for the club. The time is NOW with all these low price rookies playing like pro bowlers. Only thing I feel is important here is what do the Eagles get for a superbowl MVP (maybe? lol)... First rounder? If there's 5-6 teams asking for him... Teams up the top of the draft board... It could drive the price up. Cardinals for example with pick 15. Skins with 13 if Cousins goes. Jets pick 6 you'd think they'd go a rookie. Bills at 21 with a terrific defense and a lot of offensive weapons. Eagles could package their pick 31/32 and Foles for one of those early ones. THAT has me excited. It's amazing how crazy his trajectory has been. Traded away under Kelly with a second rounder for Bradford. Dropped. And he's about to be traded away again for potentially A LOT more. How fun is the NFL.

@Gorgoroth@Macca@Clintosaurus Can they do it? I'm actually (understandably) more confident now in what the Eagles are producing than i was before the first playoff or today's game. Putting aside out tips for a second... I reckon Brady aside, the Eagles list is better all round than Pats.

I thought it was cos he took possession while on the ground and still touching the WR he snatched it from?

Actually I lied. He was on perfect til the last few passes in junk time. Ended on 141. Still pretty amazing for a player like him. At one point 8/10 on third down against the best 3rd down team in history. Remarkable. Mate I'm pumped. What a day.

Perfect passer rating. Some of his passes were exactly that. About 4-5 times he threw guys open.

I can't believe what I'm seeing. Doug Petersen for coach of the year.

We love Big Cox in Philly. And he's certainly turned up already.

Annoyed. Picked Eagles and Pats but forgot to enter them in til now so missed Pats.

That's sort of what I'm doing. A couple of days before Falcons game I gave up analysing. It was too depressing. I think that's the theory when it comes to fandom in the USA. No-one knows what the hell is going on behind closed doors, and there's no such thing as a footy predictions expert. Just sit back and enjoy.

That's what the homers are saying on Philly radio. I think midway through the third Philly types had all turned white watching Brees and imagining him doing it again vs Foles. As discussed before, totally agree. Looking at the forecast at the moment, it's going to be 12 C, no rain. Only the wind would help.

@Macca I dunno what I'm supposed to do. I'm nervous and feel sick but excited at the same time. Any advice from the Pack? Same goes for you @JV7

That was my thought. Then... Brees... Also, once you crack the Eagles vaunted run D, you REALLY crack it. Those wide run schemes were hurting the Eagles a lot... and if there's one thing Kamara does well, it's that. (There isn't just one thing he does well) Vikings D > Saints D Brees > Keenum So in the end. Who the hell knows. I don't think it has as much to do with the opposition as it does the Eagles staying focused on their home ground.

The media narrative is pretty accurate I reckon. Eagles fans were pretty down in the dumps going into Falcons game. They were begging for more run game, super D and Foles not to turn it over. Got all their wishes and scraped over the line... so there's renewed hope now. I think the pundits will be friendlier this time. Pop quiz for everyone... if you're an Eagles fan who would you rather play. Vikes or Saints?

Things just got veeeeery interesting.

I reckon Diggs would have managed to dive over the line, seeing as he did land on his feet. But yes. Either way... It's the right move. What I mean was I think he was going glorytown. Hit him hard down the middle and shake him up... making the ball drop incomplete. It wasn't the right move, but I can sort of see how the blood would have rushed to his head. What's stunning is that these are some of the most high pressure athletes in the world today. That poor kid will be replaying that the rest of his life.