Dappa Dan

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.

Had he just slowed up and put his arms out he'd have at least stopped him where he caught it. I sort of get why he tried to barrel him... to cause a drop and incomplete pass instead of what looked like a gettable field goal... But man it looked bad. he didn't touch him at all.

Have you ever. Seen. Anything. Like. That.

Feels to me like Vikings will get a FG... And it'll be Brees with about 30 seconds or something... Lots of Eagles fans want Vikings to win.

I love the conference system, but you have to remember it's a 32 team comp with a 16 game season. Noone minds that you don't play a certain team every year because it's not possible. AFL is different. 22 games, 18 teams currently. I think personally, the conference system should come in if there's double the amount of teams. And you'd think it would through necessity and sensibleness. Right now though I don't hate the system. I do hate the bias though. Pies get so many MCG games and big time Friday night games based on their size as a club. It's daft. We have a long way to go in areas like that, but I'm not sure a conference system is the right tool there. One last thing they get in divisions and conferences is the massive and historical rivalries between teams you have to play twice. They're like two games worth of intrigue rolled into one. The fans inevitably jump on board... and there really isn't any such thing as a crap inter-division rivalry. They're all important every time. And they can make a lost season fun... If you hate the Cowboys for example, and you play them in week 17 (Eagles usually do)... Cowboys playing for the 1st seed... your team, if it wins, denies them the opportunity to host home playoffs... suddenly a dead rubber has context and meaning. The NFL has handled that part beautifully. Ridiculous. Took everyone by surprise too.

Not too many teams know that better than Eagles. Interesting on the list rebuild. Going into last season I really thought we were 10/10 on our list. Loved it. Thought it was chock full of good young talent and exactly the kind of list you want to get in on the ground floor. This year, I'm closer to a 6-7/10. I'm not as confident despite the generally good off season we had. You? I was suspicious of it at first with the USA style changes. And still am with guys like Hutchy who do really want it to become Americanised. But there are definitely some things the Yanks have learned through bitter experience we can simply slide in and nick. There was a ripping article a few weeks ago on AFL.com going through all the elements we could possibly bring in. One was something like "4 week contracts." Where you can take a VFL guy for four weeks, then drop them again. As well as going in line with the NFL injury designations. Even that is coming in a little already with the use of probable, doubtful and out. I say why not bring them in straight away. If they don't work, fine, turf them. Man. I'm pumped for tomorrow. And for this time next week. I didn't think it would be as fun as this winning playoffs. Keep in mind I follow demons AND Eagles. Not one playoff/finals win in a decade among them. Is this what it's like to follow Packers?

Future picks trading and draft day trading coming in either this year or next!!! That's gotta count for something. And the wild card thing I've gone on record on the main boards with. I loved when 50% of teams were rewarded with post season action. Never saw the sense in only making it a small portion of clubs that could enjoy it. But I understand that's not for everyone. Yeah. Footy and Tests really are even. NFL a respectable but somewhat distant third. Basically no interest in other sports, including Olympics... I have gotten into the horses rescently. If you know a little something, don't be shy...