Resilient Eagles look to avoid consecutive losses
2014-12-10
That's why Chip Kelly preaches: ''Praise and blame are all the same.''
After dominating the Cowboys in a 33-10 win on Thanksgiving, the Eagles had seemingly stamped themselves as one of the elite teams in the NFC. But they followed up with a 24-14 loss at home to the Seahawks that dropped into the second tier behind Green Bay (10-3), Arizona (10-3) and Seattle (9-4).
They're 9-4 and tied with Dallas for first place in the NFC East going into Sunday's rematch against the Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field.
''They understand it doesn't define you,'' Kelly said about a bad loss. ''Someone says that you played well and you're real happy about it and then someone says you play poorly. I think you have to answer to yourself.''
The Eagles have been a resilient team under Kelly. They haven't lost consecutive games since Week 7 and 8 last year. They're 16-5 since.
Each time they've lost this season, the Eagles rebounded with two straight wins. They're averaging 36 points per game following a loss. They'll need another strong bounce-back effort and the Cowboys are the perfect opponent.
''This team has good resolve,'' Kelly said. ''There's no better thing to get their attention than playing the Dallas Cowboys at home in the Linc in front of our crowd, so I think they will be fired up for it.''
The Eagles practiced indoors Tuesday because of rainy weather, focusing on the mistakes they made against Seattle.
''We don't look at it like the past game is going to dictate our success this week,'' tight end Zach Ertz said. ''It's the business of football. It's a roller coaster. The highs are high and the lows are low.''
Kelly relies on his veteran players to make sure younger guys don't dwell on losses, especially when the stakes upcoming are high.
''We have a mature group of guys so that's never a problem,'' linebacker Connor Barwin said. ''This game is so important so late in the season.''
It might be tougher for some players to forget the loss to the Seahawks because guys like Richard Sherman and Michael Bennett criticized the Eagles afterward. But the Eagles realize there's a chance they'll play the Seahawks again in the playoffs.
First, they have to beat the Cowboys.
''They were the better team, but hopefully we see them down the road,'' linebacker Trent Cole said of Seattle. ''Our focus is on Dallas. It's a very big game and we have to win.''
NOTES: The Eagles released CB Roc Carmichael without making a corresponding roster move.
NFL: Chiefs 45, Washington 10 2013-12-09LANDOVER, Md. The first
Apuestas Deportivas Online Bingo Play Slots Online in US Matt Damon betting odds to win Poker Madden Betting Pandemonia quarter was so lopsided that nearly all the footprints in the snow were on one side of the 50. That discrepancy was quickly corrected when the teams changed sides, just part of the visual record of the Kansas City Chiefs thorough embarrassment of Washington.
After three straight losses, the Chiefs found an opponent that offered little resistance. They scored on their first four possessions, sacked Robert Griffin III five times and Kirk Cousins once, and returned both a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown in Sundays 45-10 rout.
The score was 17-0 after the first quarter and 38-10 at halftime. Quintin Demps immediately answered the lone Washington touchdown with a 95-yard kickoff return that resembled at times a winter stroll, part of a stunning tally of 321 return yards by Kansas City in the first half alone.
The Chiefs (10-3), who lost two to the Denver Broncos sandwiched around a defeat to the San Diego Chargers, went back to doing what they did so well during their 9-0 start beat up on a bad team. Washington (3-10) certainly qualify: Sundays game was their fifth straight loss, and coach Mike Shanahan appears increasingly likely to be gone after a third losing season in four years.
Fans quickly deserted Washingtons first snowy home game in decades, and those that stayed had plenty to boo all game long. The Chiefs took the opening kickoff and gained 8, 9, 22 and 13 yards on their first four plays. Washington was a team with nothing to play for, and they looked like it. Shanahan eventually pulled the plug on Griffin, inserting backup Kirk Cousins for the final quarter.
Alex Smith completed 14 of 20 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Jamaal Charles ran 19 times for 151 yards and a score, and his 35-yard, right-then-left scamper was a highlight of the second half. Dwayne Bowe caught four balls for 69 yards and a TD. Dexter McCluster took a punt 74 yards for a score and set up another TD with a 57-yard return. Tamba Hali had a pair of sacks, and Derrick Johnson set up a touchdown with a 40-yard interception return.
The runbacks by Demps and McCluster were the ninth and 10th return touchdowns for the Chiefs this season: four on interceptions, two on fumbles, two on punt returns and two on kickoff returns.
Third-round pick Knile Davis scored his first rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter, leaping over his own man and breaking a tackle for a 17-yard run.
Griffin, who endured yet another week of questions about his relationship with Shanahan, hit 12 of 26 passes for 164 yards with one touchdown and an interception. Alfred Morris ran for 31 yards on 12 carries, although that was enough to put him over 1,000 yards for the season.
NFL Preview: This year, NFLs beasts reside in NFC West 2013-09-02By Tony Jones
The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published Aug 31 2013 03:40 pm Last Updated Aug 31 2013 11:18 pm
The NFC East has the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants.
The Denver Broncos are the talk of the AFC West. New England annually rules the AFC East, and the Green Bay Packers almost always are a guarantee to contend in the NFC North. All are glamour franchises in the NFL. All are good to great teams this season.
Separated by 12 hours if you choose to drive are Seattle and San Francisco, home of the Seahawks and the 49ers, respectively. They are the two teams that will comprise half of the best division in the league in 2013. Two franchises that share an intense dislike for each other. Two teams with charismatic coaches, star quarterbacks, nasty defenses that are trying to knock you out of a game on each play, and guys who have no issues with telling you what they think in the media.
And, oh yes: Both are serious Super Bowl contenders.
Listen to defensive back Brandon Browner when he says that Seattle "has big goals" this year after advancing to the playoffs last season, when the Seahawks defeated the Washington Redskins and gave the Atlanta Falcons all they wanted before bowing out in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Take heed when the pundits pick the Niners to win it all behind Colin Kaepernick, his bevy of offensive weapons and a defense led by Patrick Willis, the best linebacker in the league.
Add in the Arizona Cardinals, much improved because they have Carson Palmer at quarterback, a guy who can get the ball to Larry Fitzgerald. And dont overlook the St. Louis Rams. They think Sam Bradford is about to become an elite signal-caller, and their defense is much improved now that Jeff Fisher has had a year to settle in as coach.
To say the drama finally is returning out west after years when this division was a doormat might be an understatement.
"We have high expectations for this season," Seattle coach Pete Carroll told reporters during training camp. "We wanted to have a good offseason and we wanted to have a good camp, and I thought we did that. Were ready to go for the season coming up. Im happy with how seriously the guys took things, and were ready to try to take that next step.
Seattle and San Francisco are at the forefront. The Niners have Kaepernick, a talented dual-threat quarterback with a strong arm and eye-catching physical ability. The Seahawks have Russell Wilson, smart and compact and a great leader in just his second year. The defenses are two of the best if not the two best in the league.
Draft buzz: Sharrif Floyd responds to criticism2013-04-24Floyd was asked on "NFL AM" on Tuesday morning how he responded to that type of criticism.
"In my eyes there is no roadblock that is going to stop me," Floyd said on NFL Network. "A lot of people ask me 'Do you feel as though your arms are short?' And I say, 'I don't play like my arms are short.' So my tape speaks for itself and the type of person I am speaks for itself."
Here's more draft buzz from around the NFL:
Bob McGinn's draft series for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel continued with a look at how important the sack stat is in evaluating pass rushers.
McGinn asked 16 personnel men to name the best pass rusher in the 2013 NFL Draft. Dion Jordan led with 6 1/2 votes, followed by Jarvis Jones (four), Barkevious Mingo (2 1/2), Ziggy Ansah (two) and Tank Carradine (one).
Interesting to see Ansah, who has been discussed as a top-five pick -- and was ranked by many scouts as the top defensive end -- only is viewed as the fourth-best pass rusher.
Brooks: Planning to perfection
Bucky Brooks puts on his GM hat, laying out the optimal draft-day strategies -- including contingencies -- for all 32 teams. More ...
The St. Louis Rams sent offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti to Clemson on Monday to take another look at wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Tuesday, citing a league source.
The Jacksonville Jaguars know who they'll select at No. 2 overall to the point that general manager David Caldwell said Monday that when he is on the clock Thursday, he only will wait five of the allotted 10 minutes for any last-ditch trade offers, according to The Florida Times Union.
NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell compared Jordan to former Pro Bowl pass rusher Jason Taylor.
http://www.nfl.com
Get a Jump on NFL Betting in 20102010-08-23It is time to make some hard cash as the NFL season is approaching near everyday. This is the time when you can flame up your accounts book, only if you know how to bet and who to bet on. If you really are eager to win and make some extra cash, you really need to know the right things to keep in your mind as you impair the games. There are diverse numbers of alternatives proposed by sportbooks that fascinate and develops curiosity in the wagerer. Risk runs in life, it’s a part of life so why not risk some money on NFL; you can either win a lot or go home empty handed, so it is necessary for you to learn how the betting system works and then gamble your money wisely. Betting on NFL and football is also known as the Cadillac of sports betting just like Texas Hold Em is the Cadillac for poker games. There are many early bets to take advantage of this season. At www.sportsbook.com the over under on wins for the Raiders is 6.5. Now that number will surely go lower as the Raider get into what is very likely to be another miserable season. Betting on that line now is getting ahead of the action.
Football stake winnings from one bet on a subsequent wager are just like lotto tickets. And who doesn’t enjoy the parlay tickets? That’s the reason of their being. But you need to be careful and bet parlay tickets in not excess. But they shouldn’t become your primary source of betting. It’s simply fine if you throw down a parlay ticket once or twice a week during the NFL season. But you should do it in moderation and not risk a lot.
It is important that you watch NFL lines, the lines are usually out on Monday and for the games to take place during the Monday night, and their lines will be out on Tuesday. Every week the lines will be out, but they might not make any sense to you at all, and you see the public turning all over to one side then you need to have a deeper look. What you need to keep in your mind is that these lines are not any kind of anticipations. These lines are there to divide up the bets.
One also needs to confide and commit oneself to bet the same amount on every game, and you need to know and learn that no game is more deserving than the other. A pattern of conserved betting will help you earn the most profit. And betting is all about money, isn’t it? One also needs to keep in mind the weather conditions. It can have consequences on the final outcome of the game.