Costly Turnovers spell Doom for 49ers

Week 14 - Hanging onto a sliver of hope in the NFC's Wild Card Playoff picture, the San Francisco 49ers (5-7) would take a second crack at winning a home game away from home while having to host the Washington Football Team (5-7) at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. For whatever reason, history would not be on the side of San Francisco as teams having to play their "home" game at another team's stadium, boasted an overall record of 1-5 since the 1970 merger entering Sunday's bout. And like many of those other teams who failed before them, the 49ers would resemble anything but a team playing focused and comfortably at home. 

With the main headline entering Sunday's game being the return of Washington quarterback Alex Smith playing against his former team, the likely favorite to win this season's Comeback Player of the Year Award, was not around very long as he was forced to depart Sunday's game early with a leg injury. Unrelated to the devastating lower leg injury that took place just over two years ago that nearly ended Smith's playing career and even worse, his life, Smith's injury was later described as a calf strain. Taking over under center for Smith just before halftime would be second-year QB Dwayne Haskins. But regardless of who Washington had out there playing quarterback, the offense was ineffective and had little to show for as San Francisco jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter following a rushing touchdown from Jeff Wilson Jr. Washington would narrow the deficit with a pair of field goals, but where their offense lacked, their defense surely made up for it as the 49ers' turnover bug continued to bite them. Having suffered 2+ giveaways in six straight games entering Sunday, the Niners had yet another setback with two more in the first half to make it seven straight games of at least 2+ giveaways, their longest such streak since 2008. 

The first big blow to the 49er offense would be dealt by Washington's rookie and 2020 first round pick (2nd overall) Chase Young who had himself a game to remember on Sunday. After already logging a sack on the quarterback and forcing a fumble on the running back, Young scooped up a fumble recovery which he returned 47-yards for a touchdown as Washington took a 13-7 lead into the half. With another field goal to open the second half, the Washington Football Team relied on their defense and the mishaps of the 49ers offense to supply most of their scoring. Trailing 16-7, QB Nick Mullens and the 49er offense embarked on an 11-play drive and made it as far as the Washington 24-yardline before Mullens made an errant pass that was intercepted and returned 76-yards for a pick-six touchdown. With 23 unanswered-points scored by Washington, the 49ers found themselves playing from behind and down two-scores with only a quarter remaining. Their ensuing possession, another 11-play drive, would end much better for the San Francisco offense on their second time around as fullback Kyle Juszczyk hauled in a 6-yard touchdown reception, followed by a successful two-point conversion from Mullens to receiver Kendrick Bourne. 

Unfortunately for San Francisco, their final three possessions would end in a pair of punts and a turnover on downs as Washington prevailed over the Niners by a final score of 23-15. Having soared near the top of the league in quite a few defensive categories including points allowed and rushing yards allowed, the Washington defense once again stood on its head when they needed it most, seeing as their offense was virtually nonexistent all game long. San Francisco's defense was also stout in the loss, allowing only 193 yards of total offense compared to the 344 yards allowed by Washington, but their inability to force the costly turnovers like those committed by Nick Mullens and the 49er offense, proved to be the major difference on Sunday. For Washington, the defense would score multiple touchdowns in a game for the first time in over 20 years (1997), as the team won on the road without scoring an offensive touchdown for the first time since 1992. With Washington's win coupled with a Giants loss suffered at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, first-year head coach Ron Rivera witnessed his team capture first place in the NFC East as they try to become the first team in the Super Bowl era to make the playoffs after starting the season with a 2-7 record. 

Meanwhile, San Francisco saw their playoff hopes take a major hit as they fall to 5-8 on the year and will be without their dynamic receiver Deebo Samuel for the remainder of the season after he reinjured his hamstring in the first half of Sunday's loss. Samuel finished the game with 1 rush for 9 yards and 0 receptions. Neither Alex Smith (57 yards) nor Dwayne Haskins (51 yards) had much success in the passing game as both QB's failed to throw for 60 yards, but they were able to avoid the costly turnovers that eventually spelled doom for their counterpart in Nick Mullens. The 49ers QB threw for 260 yards and a touchdown, but his costly interception and fumble, both of which leading to Washington touchdowns, dug too big a hole for the San Francisco offense to climb out of. The lone bright spot on the day would be that of Brandon Aiyuk as the 49ers' rookie receiver continued to shine, making a game-high 10 catches for 119 yards.

Week 15 Preview - With division opponents in Weeks 16 & 17 to closeout the regular season, Week 15 will see the last of San Francisco facing foes outside of the NFC West as they make a trip to the lone star state to take on the Dallas Cowboys (4-9). Like the 49ers, Dallas has had to make due without their starting quarterback for most of the season as QB Dak Prescott saw his season come to an abrupt stop after suffering a horrific leg injury suffered back in Week 5. Clearly not the same team without their leader, Dallas is coming off a 30-7 victory against the Bengals in Cincinnati, their first win of the season by more than 3-points. And like their reunion with Alex Smith in Week 14, Week 15 will see the 49ers face off against another familiar face in Dallas' Aldon Smith. The former 49ers Pro Bowl defensive-end turned troubled individual has had somewhat of a resurgence in 2020, helping make plays for the Cowboys defense, while also keeping his nose clean. Unfortunately, this once proud rivalry will not have the same juice that it otherwise would have had both Prescott and 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo been healthy. Instead, both franchises are near the bottom of their respective divisions and could very well be fighting for draft position at this point. 

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49ers Complete Sweep of New York with Big Win vs Giants

Week 3 - Next man up. That was the motto on Sunday when the 49ers continued their two-week long pilgrimage in East Rutherford, New Jersey, following the numerous injuries the team sustained thru the first two weeks of the season. After recording their first win of the season a week ago at MetLife Stadium against the Jets, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers team was right back at it in the same stadium in Week 3 against the Giants. Something many of Shanahan's players were concerned about after the team suffered multiple key injuries on both sides of the ball due to what many blamed on the newly-installed artificial turf. But after league officials deemed the field safe in the days leading up to the game, the Niners expressed their frustration out on the scoreboard with a good ole shellacking of their opponent. 

Playing on Sunday without starters at a laundry list of positions including: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight-end, line-backer, cornerback and three defensive-linemen all due to injury, San Francisco was able to showcase their depth as the team received contributions from players all across the board, some for the first time this season. Case in point: rookie wide-out Brandon Aiyuk. Playing in only the second game of his career, the 2020 first-round pick out of Arizona State put a stamp on Sunday's game by hauling in a game-high five receptions for 70-yards. He would also add another 30-yards on the ground to go along with a rushing touchdown, the first of his career. Aiyuk was one of the many 49er players who helped make things easier for backup QB Nick Mullens who made his first start since 2018, getting the nod in place of the injured Jimmy Garoppolo. Mullens who was a hot commodity in the offseason as multiple teams inquired about his services in a possible trade, displayed exactly why coach Shanahan and GM John Lynch made the right decision in keeping him around in case of an emergency. Facing a subpar Giants team that is without their best player in running back Saquon Barkley and under a first-year head coach, the 49ers were still able to have their way despite their decimated roster as Mullens led the charge and took advantage of the opportunity by putting up solid numbers. 

After taking a 3-0 lead on their opening possession, the 49er defense was able to turn a Daniel Jones fumble into another Robbie Gould field goal before New York got on the board with a field goal of their own. Gould failed to give his team a six-point lead when his third field goal attempt was missed wide right, which opened the door for the Giants to tie the game at 6-all following another Graham Gano field goal. But the game wouldn't be close for long as the 49ers finally found the end zone thanks to Jerrick McKinnon's third touchdown in as many weeks for the first time in his career. An interception with just over a minute remaining in the first half by Fred Warner, would allow the 49ers to increase their lead to 16-6 heading into the locker room at halftime. Opening the second half with another Giants field goal, the 49er defense would put their foot down by pitching a shutout the rest of the way. Social distancing themselves from the Giants on the scoreboard, Aiyuk's touchdown on San Francisco's first possession of the second half made it a 23-9 ballgame. With tight-end Jordan Reed missing the entire second half after sustaining ankle and knee injuries in the early going, Mullens distributed the ball to ten different receivers, including fourth-string running back Jeff Wilson Jr. who followed up a turnover on downs forced by the 49er defense, with a 19-yard receiving touchdown to blow the game open, 29-9. 

Wilson Jr. would add to his busy day one possession later by tallying a rushing touchdown to his daily output as San Francisco increased their lead to 36-9. The final nail in the coffin would come in the form of a forced fumble on receiver Darius Slayton as the 49er defense added to their turnover total and held the Giants offense to their first game without a touchdown since Week 15 of the 2018 season. Coach Shanahan's 49ers team dominated the game in all facets, but perhaps none greater than in the time of possession category as the San Francisco offense controlled the tempo by nearly doubling New York's time of possession: 36:44 to 20:16. In fact, the Giant's 7:34 time of possession in the first half was their lowest in a half since 2000. Contributing to that major mismatch was the fact that the 49ers offense did not punt in the entire game for the first time since Week 16 of the 1993 season. By throwing for 343 yards, 1 touchdown and no interceptions in the dominant win, Nick Mullens tied a franchise record held by the great Joe Montana for tallying at least 220 yards passing in each of his nine career starts. Quite an impressive resume as Mullens entered the game having averaged 285 yards passing per game, a feat that puts him in elite company as only Patrick Mahomes, Andrew Luck and Cam Newton have averaged more through their first eight NFL starts. 

Week 4 Preview - Returning to the Bay Area from the east coast, the 49ers will attempt to log their first home win of the season when they host the Philadelphia Eagles (0-2-1) in front of an empty Levi's Stadium on Sunday Night Football. Coming off a 23-23 tie at home against the Cincinnati Bengals, the combination of quarterback Carson Wentz and head coach Doug Pederson will attempt to right the ship and shake off the funk as they seek their first win of the season in a lowly NFC Eastern Division. However, coach Shanahan has other plans as his team is expected to receive reinforcements on offense with the return of tight-end George Kittle, running back Raheem Mostert and receiver Deebo Samuel. A welcoming sight for whoever is at the quarterback position come Sunday, whether that's Nick Mullens or Jimmy Garoppolo. Keeping pace in the NFC West, the 49ers were able to follow up their Week 1 loss with consecutive wins to improve to 2-1 on the year, while also receiving some help in the division as both the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams suffered their first losses of the season to also fall to 2-1. Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks sit atop the division as one of only three unbeaten teams in the NFC thru the first three weeks of the season. 

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Zeke, Cowboys run Wild vs Struggling 49ers

Week 7 - Returning home to Levi's Stadium where the (0-6) San Francisco 49ers would play host to the (2-3) Dallas Cowboys, head coach Kyle Shanahan had hopes that his team's first home game in over a month would bring some good fortune. But after suffering five consecutive losses by a combined 13-points entering Sunday, the 49ers who were plagued by a trio of fumbles, stood little chance and were embarrassed by a whopping 30-points in their first game at home since Week 3. On a day the Niners honored former receiver Dwight Clark, the recipient who authored arguably the most famed play in NFL history "The Catch" 35 years ago against the Cowboys, 49er fans were left with a bad taste in their mouths following the largest loss in the Dallas-San Francisco rivalry since October 12, 1980.

With many 49er greats on hand for Dwight Clark's halftime ceremony, Niner fans would be left reminiscing of better days and fantasizing of how well those greats of yesteryear could help this team. In at quarterback making his first career start and hoping to one day cement his legacy among the great 49er QB's before him would be rookie C.J. Beathard who would also see his first bit of action in front of the Niner faithful. And just like he did a week ago, Beathard would take his first snap with his team trailing as things once again got off to a rocky start for San Francisco. Entering Sunday's game coming off a BYE week and having lost two straight, Dallas would look a lot more like the team that dominated their way to the No. 1 seed in the NFC a year ago and were given a golden opportunity before San Francisco's offense even took the field. After forcing a three and out on Dallas' opening possession, 49ers rookie Trent Taylor would fumble the punt return inside the 20-yard line to setup an early touchdown by running back Ezekiel Elliott.

The rushing touchdown by Elliott would kick start a busy day for the reigning rushing leader from a season ago as he would strike pay dirt again just one possession later to give Dallas a double-digit lead that they wouldn't relinquish. San Francisco would get on the board on the ensuing possession thanks to a Robbie Gould field goal, but their inability to reach the end zone would prove to be costly as Dallas continued to pile on points with score after score. After the first of three touchdown passes on the afternoon by Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, the 49ers offense would finally begin to show some promise as Beathard would help get his team to the red zone just before halftime. Looking to cut the deficit in half, San Francisco found themselves knocking on the door at the 5-yard line before Beathard was blindsided from behind, resulting in a fumble that would preserve Dallas' 17-point lead heading into the half.

The Cowboys would open the second half much like they did the first, this time needing only one play to find the end zone. A pair of nice blocks would allow Elliott to add to his already busy day by recording his third touchdown of the afternoon and first of the receiving variety as he caught a screen pass and took it 72-yards to the house while walking the tightrope along the sideline. Elliott would be a thorn in the side of the San Francisco defense virtually all afternoon as he rushed for 147 yards and finished with over 200-yards in total. Prescott would get in on the fun one possession later as he added a 2-yard touchdown run of his own to run the score up to 33-3. For Beathard, the first start of his career would quickly turn into one he would prefer to forget as he was sacked for a fifth time, fumbling and turning the ball over yet again. Dallas would capitalize one final time as Prescott connected in the end zone with receiver Dez Bryant who displayed some nifty footwork while leaping into the air and coming down with the ball for the touchdown.

With the game well out of reach, the 49ers would finally find the end zone with a garbage time touchdown as Beathard used his legs to punch it in from 4-yards out. Though Beathard failed to log a single touchdown pass on the afternoon, he also steered clear of throwing any interceptions, but his offensive-line didn't do him any favors as the pair of fumbles on five total sacks for 48 yards would be his downfall as Dallas came away with the 40-10 victory to snap their 2-game losing streak. Completing six more passes in 13 more attempts than his counterpart, Beathard (22-for-36, 235 yards) managed to out pass Prescott (16-for-25, 234) by a yard despite the Cowboys QB benefiting from a 72-yard dump off. The 40-point outburst by Dallas would mark the second time this season the 49er defense had allowed 40-points or more. It would also be the third contest this season in which the 49ers failed to log a single quarterback sack.

Week 8 Preview - The (0-7) 49ers will have another tough task in store for Week 8 when they hit the road again to face the Philadelphia Eagles who boast the NFL's best record at 6-1. Coming off a 34-24 victory against the division rival Redskins on Monday Night Football, second-year quarterback Carson Wentz is looking to improve off his 4 TD performance against Washington and strengthen his case for MVP. San Francisco will need to play a much cleaner game on offense if they want to pull of the upset and record their first win of the season. In need of a more solid performance defensively, San Francisco will see a change of position as Pro Bowl safety Eric Reid will be asked to make a start at inside linebacker after being moved to the position against Dallas. Whether this is a position Shanahan and GM John Lynch plan to keep Reid at long-term is unknown at this point as the former right-round pick will be a free-agent at the end of the season.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest 

Tebow Time in Philly

If there's one thing we've learned about the Philadelphia Eagles, it's that coach Chip Kelly has an interesting way of doing things. See his busy and unpredictable offseason for example. The offensive mastermind has raised quite a few eyebrows on his way to making the Eagles the talk of the offseason after dealing 3-time Pro Bowl running back LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for former Oregon Duck -- Kiko Alonso, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL. Kelly then looked to fill the void left by McCoy with the acquisition of Frank Gore who after agreeing to terms with Philadelphia, chose to sign with the Indianapolis Colts instead. Kelly didn't panic, however, and instead countered by finding his man in the much younger DeMarco Murray who he managed to snag from the rival Cowboys with the help of a college teammate. However, the biggest head-scratcher is what Kelly has done with the Eagles' quarterback position. 

Two days after re-signing Mark Sanchez who won over the Eagles' starting QB job following an injury to Nick Foles midway through the season, Philly shipped Foles to the St. Louis Rams in return for the often injured Sam Bradford. Murray and Bradford spent three seasons together at the University of Oklahoma which played a role in Murray jumping ship in Dallas to sign with the Eagles. Not to mention the 5-year, $42 Million contract offer that Philadelphia proposed to the league's top rusher in 2014 which had to have made the decision a bit easier. But just when you thought Kelly's madness had come to an end, he makes yet another questionable decision. The latest reports have the Eagles expected to sign 27-year old QB Tim Tebow to a deal just in time for the start of the team's offseason program which begins on Monday. The former Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Florida is more than two years removed from appearing in his last regular season game with the New York Jets after spending a brief and unsuccessful stint with the New England Patriots who cut him after the 2013 preseason. After being asked by coach Kelly to workout for the team in March, Tebow will now join a crowded QB roster which includes Matt Barkley as well as the aforementioned Bradford and Sanchez. 

For Tebow, who is still in search of the respect of an NFL quarterback with a playoff win under his belt while a member of the Denver Broncos, teaming up with an offensive genius in Kelly could very well benefit him and help revive his career in the same way it did for his former Jets teammate Mark Sanchez a season ago. That's assuming Tebow can make the squad of course, something his deal does not guarantee. The signing of Tebow is one of low risk and high reward as Kelly hopes to groom one of college's most decorated QB's into a more well-rounded player at the professional level. But after speculation began to swirl regarding the Eagles reportedly being interested in moving up in this month's NFL Draft to land another former Duck, could Kelly's latest move be an indication that he's throwing in the towel on trying to acquire the reigning Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota whom he recruited at the University of Oregon? While it doesn't exactly shoot down the possibility, it has to at least put a dent in those chances.

The signing of Tebow would give the Eagles two Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks and three QBs taken in the first round. Unfortunately, it would also give them three of the five worst QBs in the league over the last five years from a Quarterback Rating standpoint with a minimum of 30 games at the position. Lets see if Chip Kelly can work his magic with this new batch of Quarterbacks as the Eagles look to rebound from a disappointing season in which they failed to make the playoffs after a 7-2 start before ultimately finishing the year with a record of 10-6.


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Redskins' former foe Jackson lands in D.C.

Last Friday, the Philadelphia Eagles made the puzzling decision of releasing Pro-Bowl receiver DeSean Jackson despite the 27 year old wide-out coming off of a career year in Philly. In his first year in head coach Chip Kelly's system, Jackson flourished by putting up career high's in receptions (82) and receiving yards (1,332), while tying a personal best in touchdowns (9). While you would assume the numbers would guarantee him a position on the team the following season with three years remaining on his contract, Kelly and the Eagles decided to part with their most dynamic offensive weapon. Jackson was released by the organization for what the team described as a poor work ethic and his alleged ties to gang activity. While there's no proof linking Jackson as being a gang member, both of which wouldn't nearly be enough to keep teams from wanting to add Jackson to their roster as he garnered the interest of more than eight teams according to sources.

Among those interested were none other than the Washington Redskins, longtime rivals of the Philadelphia Eagles. Having been a thorn in side of the Redskins throughout his career while a member of Washington's division rival, Jackson has always been one of those players 'Skins owner Daniel Snyder would rather have than have to face twice a year. So it was a no-brainer to go out and make a run for him the moment he became available. After meeting with team officials during the week without reaching a deal, Jackson was spotted at a D.C. nightclub with Redskins receiver Pierre Garcon, cornerback DeAngelo Hall and Washington rapper Wale, hinting that a possible deal was in the works. Days later, Jackson's agent would stop him from boarding a plane to the west coast where he was scheduled to meet with the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers, both of whom were hoping to lore the speedy wide-out back to the Bay Area where he attended the University of California Berkeley. Instead, Jackson was informed that a deal with the Redskins had been reached, inking him to a 3-year deal worth $24 Million ($16 Million guaranteed).

The acquisition of Jackson who can hurt you receiving footballs as well as returning them, bolsters an already star-studded offense that features Pro Bowl running back Alfred Morris, emerging tight-end Jordan Reed and the aforementioned Garcon. Jackson's speed and play making ability figures to make an immediate impact for a franchise that was thought to compete for a playoff spot heading into the 2013 season. One year removed from a 10-6 record and their first NFC Eastern Division title since 1999, the Washington Redskins are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2013 in which they finished last in the division at 3-13. With the firing of head coach Mike Shanahan and the hiring of Jay Gruden, Snyder and company is hoping Jackson is another piece to the puzzle that'll put Washington back on top. Much of that will depend on the health of quarterback Robert Griffin III who clearly wasn't himself in 2013 after sustaining an injury the year before and undergoing surgery during the offseason. While appearing to be a shadow of his 2012 self physically, RGIII was no better mentally as he had the light shined on him every other day it seemed for his roller coaster relationship with coach Shanahan.  

But with 2013 now in the rear view mirror and a fresh start in 2014, Griffin has to like the way things have been going thus far as Snyder and Washington GM Bruce Allen supplied their franchise quarterback with not one but two new targets to throw to in Jackson and receiver Andre Roberts formerly of the Arizona Cardinals. Despite the signings, Griffin knows not to get overly excited and has put a halt on any sort of victory parade Washington fans might already be planning as the 'Skins QB told the media, "Everyone needs to understand that we haven't won anything yet." Having garnered the reputation for winning the offseason championship on numerous occasions with sexy free-agent signings who have failed to deliver when putting on the burgundy and gold, Jackson will be given the chance to crack that spell. As the saying goes, one team's trash is another team's treasure. And granted he probably felt like he was being treated like a piece trash when being told over the phone by coach Kelly himself that he had in fact been released by the team, Jackson and Washington are hoping to make Philadelphia regret releasing their best receiver.

The most intriguing part about Jackson signing within the division is that it'll allow him to face his former team twice a year. But while most experts are deeming the addition of Jackson a disaster waiting to happen due to his unstable attitude and everything else he brings with him, I think Jackson wanting to prove everyone that's doubting him wrong, most notably his former team, will be provide plenty of fuel to spark his fire in Washington. And him knowing he'll have a two shots a year to get even with coach Kelly and the Eagles will do just that.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

Eagles, Vick to have a long-term relationship

Less than a year ago, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid had little faith in his second-string Quarterback Michael Vick and was unsure if he'd ever be used as more than just a back-up. But a concussion sustained to Reid's starting QB Kevin Kolb during the first half of the season-opener against Green Bay would force Vick into the starting role, an area he would soon become quite familiar with as he went on to start 12 games at the helm for the Eagles, leading them to a 10-6 record and an NFC Eastern division title. Despite being the starting quarterback in only three quarters of the season, Vick compiled over 3,000 yards passing and nearly 700 yards rushing to earn the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year Award and make a strong case for himself in the MVP voting which was eventually won by New England's Tom Brady.

In hopes of proving their commitment to the former number one overall pick of the 2001 NFL Draft this offseason, the Eagles dealt QB Kevin Kolb to the Cardinals, giving Vick sole possession of the starting job. But just in case Philadelphia's front-office didn't make themselves clear, they invested a 6-year, $100 Million contract into the 4-time Pro Bowler on Monday with nearly $40 Million guaranteed. For Vick, the deal makes him the third highest paid player at his position behind Peyton Manning and Tom Brady and is his second contract worth $100 Million as he signed a 10-year, $130 Million pact in 2005 while a member of the Atlanta Falcons.

For Vick, the last few years have been like something of a movie script given it wasn't long ago that many declared his days as a professional football player to be over. With a new $100 Million contract in hand, labeling Vick as the most humbled guy in the league would be an understatement considering it was just four years ago that he was the most despised man to don a uniform for his role behind one of the biggest illegal dog fighting businesses in recent years. After spending two years behind bars, Vick appears to be better than ever coming off a year in which he set career-high's in completion percentage (62.6), passing yards (3,018) and touchdowns (21) as well as a QB rating of 100.2. All of which have contributed to the Eagles' decision to make Vick the cornerstone of their franchise.

However, the Eagles may have jumped the gun on their contract to Vick a bit early granted he still has a year left on his current deal. While I personally think their offer was a bit premature considering Vick only started 12 games last year and probably won't have as good of a year as he had during his 2010 campaign, the move is somewhat understandable fearing they'd lose Vick to free-agency the following offseason. Though I don't doubt Vick's talents one bit, I do doubt the possibility of him contributing the way he did last year while staying healthy all 16 games. Luckily they acquired the experienced Vince Young to back up Vick if necessary. With Vick's name checked off the list, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman can now focus primarily on striking a deal with his Pro Bowl wide-out DeSean Jackson who came into training camp in holdout mode.

Though I wouldn't go as far as calling the Eagles a "dream team" like some have following the flurry of acquisitions, I do like what they've done this offseason and would be very disappointed along with the rest of the country if they failed to win their division. It won't be easy though as the rival Cowboys who appear to have gotten rid of some dead weight (WR Roy Williams), look to spoil the party with a healthy Tony Romo back in the lineup.