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 NFL Betting 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.
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
2015 Kentucky Derby Odds2015-04-15Kentucky Derby week is one of the most thrilling times of the year. This race is known as "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" for its approximate time length.
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QB Carousal continues in Philly, Colts vs. Eagles Betting Preview2010-11-05Sportsbook.com Colts vs. Eagles Betting Odds: Philadelphia -3, Total: 46.5
Injuries abound as the Colts travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles Sunday afternoon. Indianapolis will be without TE Dallas Clark (wrist) and most likely RB Joseph Addai who is doubtful because of a shoulder injury. Indianapolis could also be missing WR Austin Collie (thumb surgery) and RB Mike Hart (ankle) who are both questionable. Collie has a better chance to play than Hart does.
The NFL betting public doesn’t seem too concerned about Indy’s injury woes as 80 percent of the Colts vs. Eagles point spread bettors are backing the visitors.
The news for Philadelphia is much brighter as QB Michael Vick will return after missing five games due to a rib injury, meaning Kevin Kolb is back to the bench. WR De’Sean Jackson has been upgraded to probable despite missing last game with a concussion. The one negative is starting CB Ellis Hobbs is unlikely to play because of a strained hip flexor, which is not good news when you face Peyton Manning.
With injuries to Addai and Hart, Donald Brown will get the full workload of carries despite his lingering hamstring problems. Brown has just 97 yards on 32 carries (3.0 YPC) with one touchdown this season.
Luckily for Indianapolis, Manning is fully healthy. He is averaging 306 passing YPG with 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Collie leads the team with six TD catches and has 44 receptions on just 54 targets. WR Reggie Wayne continues to be Manning’s favorite target, and is tied for fourth in the NFL with 641 receiving yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, Indianapolis ranks 28th in the league in rushing defense, allowing 133 YPG.
The poor Colts rush defense plays right into the strength of Vick who is averaging 7.2 yards per carry. LeSean McCoy has also run the ball effectively with 477 rushing yards and a 4.5 YPC to go along with five touchdowns. He also has 38 catches (27 in the past four weeks) out of the backfield for another 293 yards. Jackson helps stretch the field with a 20.8 yards-per-reception average this year, but hasn’t done much in his past three games (6 rec., 77 yds, 1 TD).
The Eagles have taken care of the football, leading the NFC with fewest giveaways (nine) and sporting a plus-7 turnover margin this season.
The Eagles have lost five of seven ATS at home, while the Colts are only 1-3 ATS on the road this year. Although they have only played four times since 1996, Indy has won each of the four meetings by 22 points or more.
This NFL betting trend found at Sportsbook.com indicates that the Colts will win again this Sunday.
Play On - Road underdogs or pick (INDIANAPOLIS) - after having won 3 out of their last 4 games against opponent after having won 4 or 5 out of their last 6 games. (39-16 over the last 5 seasons.) (70.9%, +21.4 units. Rating = 2*).
To check out all of the Colts vs. Eagles betting odds or to scan all of the NFL Week 9 betting lines, head over to Sportsbook.com now.
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.