Stocked and Loaded Super Bowl LII

With the 2017 NFL season nearing its end and the championship round of the playoffs in the books, the table is officially set for Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis, Minnesota. With Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles taking on the reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, we'll either have a newly crowned champion for the first time in their franchises history or the dynamic duo of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will add yet another title to their already crowded trophy case. And unless you're a Pats fan or actually live in New England (or a bitter Vikings fan and rightfully so), chances are you aren't hoping for the latter. In fact, this blog took me a lot longer to post due to the fact that the match-up is probably one we could've all done without seeing as the Patriots are a team everyone outside of New England is pretty much tired of seeing in the Super Bowl. And then there's the Eagles who you would think would be a rather easy team to root for in this case, seeing as they have zero Super Bowl titles to their name, but their fan base has seemingly done virtually everything possible to make us not root for them.

I'm aware that Philly sports fans have had a long storied history of having a bad reputation which spans from throwing batteries at Terrell Owens to pelting Santa Clause with snowballs, but this season saw a new low for Philly fans. Entering their match-up with the Minnesota Vikings for the NFC Championship, videos went viral showing a trio of Viking fans walking to Lincoln Financial Field while being booed and having expletives thrown their way. Both of which are completely normal for an opposing fan when stepping foot into enemy territory. But after those boo's and expletives came booze as Eagle fans began throwing beer cans and bottles at the fans. Not only is this dangerous but it's also a waste of beer, therefore that's minus two points for Philly fans from the jump. And then footage went viral of Eagles fans chucking beer and other items at the Vikings team bus after the game. Again, dangerous and a waste of beer. Finally, Eagles fans took to the streets of Philly to celebrate their Super Bowl-clinching win like fans normally do, no surprise there. But footage surfacing of two Eagles fans holding a banner that read, "Fuck Millie, Philly Philly", referring to 99-year old Vikings super fan Millie Wall who won over the hearts of football fans across the nation during Minnesota's miraculous last-second victory over the New Orleans Saints to punch their ticket to the NFC Championship. Thankfully no beer was wasted for a third time around (at least that we know of), but another low-blow by Philly fans nonetheless. All of this considered, I might have to cheer for New England in the Super Bowl... Who the heck am I kidding, that's still not enough to make me root for the Patriots. So the lesser of two evils it is. Fly Eagles Fly!...at least I think that's how it goes. 

Kidding aside, this could be a much better game than everyone seems to expect between the two No. 1 seeds. As much as we hate to see them in the big game, Super Bowl's containing the Patriots have made for some of the more entertaining Super Bowl's we've seen in years passed. Then again for most of us it's hard to think back to a Super Bowl that hasn't included Tom Brady and company which isn't so much a shot at the brilliance of he and his head coach as it is a tip of the hat. With the duo already owning the record for the most Super Bowl titles with five, the future Hall of Fame tandem which has already reached legendary status, can add yet another notch to their belt with a win on Sunday. And with many thinking this could be their last true go around at a championship with rumors swirling about the recent dysfunction stemming from the Jimmy Garoppolo trade and the butting of heads regarding Brady's personal doctor, I wouldn't put it passed them considering the now 40-year old Brady is still playing at a high level and says he wouldn't mind playing until he's 45. Not to mention how far behind the rest of the AFC appears to be from the Patriots. Likely to be named MVP for the 3rd time in his career, an award that likely would've been awarded to a quarterback (Carson Wentz) who will be on the opposite sideline of Brady had it not been for a season-ending knee injury, Tom Terrific has shown no signs of slowing, but will be asked to win with a different set of coordinators on both sides of the ball moving forward. Leaving coach Belichick's staff following the Super Bowl will be offensive and defensive coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia who are expected to take over the head coaching vacancies of the Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions, respectively. 

And then there's the Philadelphia Eagles who despite cruising into the playoffs owning the NFC's No. 1 seed and tied with a league-best record of 13-3 in the regular season, have been ruled underdogs during their entire postseason run. Playing at home in each of those two playoff games, they'll most certainly be underdogs for a third consecutive week while playing on a neutral field. And given how the team has reacted to the underdog label, they're perfectly fine with that and are hoping to keep the streak alive. With many including myself thinking the Eagles had none chance of making it to the Super Bowl the moment Wentz was lost for the season following his devastating injury suffered against the Los Angeles Rams, the team has continued to do what they've done all year long -- win. And though the injury that was initially reported as being a torn ACL and recently learned to be a LCL tear and torn IT band to boot most certainly ended any chances of Wentz taking home the MVP hardware, it has all but ruled out his team's desire to bring home the true prize of them all -- the Lombardi Trophy. 

Though Brady will be favored over an Eagles offense led by backup QB Nick Foles, don't let the backup label fool you as Foles who hasn't necessarily been on this stage before, making his Super Bowl debut, he's had his fair share of success as he helped Philadelphia to a 10-6 record and a playoff berth in 2013 while putting up gaudy numbers in the regular season to the tune of 27 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions. And while he's been a shadow of his 2013 self in the regular season, his last few outings have been some of his best since then. After playing a safe game against Atlanta in which Foles failed to record a single touchdown but also steered clear of any turnovers while throwing for 246 yards in the close 15-10 win, he erupted for 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions and 352 yards against a stout Minnesota defense that Foles was able to pick apart as he helped Philly cruise to an easy 38-7 victory. With the Patriots opening as 5.5 point favorites, those odds took a one point dip since then due to the uncertain health of New England tight-end Rob Gronkowski who's been monitored in the league's concussion protocol after sustaining a helmet-to-helmet hit which forced him to leave the AFC Championship game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Odds makers likely saw what Brady and the NFL's No.1 offense accomplished in the fourth quarter of their comeback victory over a stout Jacksonville defense and like their chances of repeating the feat against a Philadelphia defense that also ranks high. But Philly's defensive advantage is at stopping the run, not so much against the pass which is what you want when facing Brady. 

But even if the Eagles are able to pull off the upset, they'll likely do so thanks to the heroics of their defense which ranked 4th overall this season. Jacksonville who gave Brady and the Patriots as much as a run as we've seen anybody give them in years, gave us a blueprint formula of how to defeat New England, despite not actually beating them as the dynamic duo of Belichick and Brady orchestrated yet another comeback victory in the second half despite being down 20-10 entering the fourth quarter. If Philadelphia can somewhat duplicate Jacksonville's first half for all four quarters and prove to be a handful for Brady, which is easier said than done, and Foles can put together a game similar to the one he had in the NFC Championship against the league's No. 1 defense, the Eagles can leave U.S. Bank Stadium victorious, proudly wearing their dog masks for the rest of the world to see. 

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Rams run amok vs struggling 49ers

Week 8 - Entering Sunday's meeting versus rival St. Louis, the 49ers were hoping to claim their first division win of the season against a Rams team that had already beaten division foes Arizona and Seattle this year. Not only would San Francisco fail to hand the Rams their first loss within the division, but they would fail to sniff the end zone for the second straight week. While the Niner offense sputtered and barely made it off the plane to show up for the game, the San Francisco defense which displayed poor tackling, allowed touchdowns of 71 and 66 yards en route to an ugly 27-6 loss. 

Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley who's been a handful for the opposition since busting onto the NFL scene just three weeks ago, was a thorn in the side of his opponent once again. Gurley rushed for 133 yards on 20 carries while breaking for a 71-yard touchdown in which the 49er defense failed to land a single finger on the explosive back who shined at the collegiate level as a Georgia Bulldog. With his stellar performance, Gurley became the first rookie in NFL history to begin his career with four straight games of over 100 yards rushing. Donning their throwback blue uniforms, the St. Louis defense was also stout on Sunday, keeping their opponent out of the end zone and forcing a safety. While the Rams haven't allowed a touchdown in their last two games, the 49ers haven't scored one in their last two as QB Colin Kaepernick once again played a turnover-free ballgame, but failed to pass for 200 yards. The Niner run game was equally as ineffective as Kaepernick led the team with 28 rushing yards on an afternoon they only managed 38 in total.

San Francisco thought they had recorded their first touchdown in seven quarters when linebacker Ahmad Brooks recovered a Benny Cunningham fumble which he returned 41-yards to the end zone. The score would be negated, however, as Brooks was called for a facemasking penalty. The flag would prove to be costly as a pair of Phil Dawson field goals were all the 49ers had to show for in the team's second straight loss to the Rams. Before Sunday, San Francisco hadn't lost back to back games versus St. Louis since 2004. The two teams will meet again to close out the 2015 regular season in Week 17 @ San Francisco. With a winning record (4-3) this late in the season for the first time since 2006, St. Louis is hoping to continue their winning ways as the team hasn't accomplished a winning season since '03.

In what would ultimately be his final game in a 49ers uniform, tight-end Vernon Davis caught a game-high 6 passes for 24 yards. After spending ten seasons with the organization, it was announced on Monday that Davis, a former 1st round pick in 2006 (6th overall), was traded to the Denver Broncos along with a 7th round draft pick in exchange for two 6th rounders (2016 & 2017). Remarkably, the trade of Vernon Davis wouldn't even be the biggest news of the week for the 49ers, as that would belong to Colin Kaepernick as it was announced the same day that he would be benched for backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert, a decision made by head coach Jim Tomsula. A move that has raised quite a few eyebrows around the league as 2015 continues to be a nightmare for 49er fans. 

Injury News - For whatever reason, the NFL has yet to do something about the concrete behind the sidelines in these indoor stadiums which caused Reggie Bush to slip and fall like many before him and injuring his ACL in the process. Bush, who was carted off the field Sunday, has seen limited action with the 49ers after suffering a leg injury in Week 1 and will now be out for the season after an MRI revealed damage to Bush's left knee. Joining Bush for at least this week is rookie running back Mike Davis who will undergo surgery on his hand. Also ruled out this week on offense is Carlos Hyde (foot) and receiver Anquan Boldin who's been hampered by an ailing hamstring for a second straight week. With multiple injuries in the running back department and Jarryd Hayne assigned to the practice squad after initially being released, the 49ers signed a pair of players to man the backfield in Shaun Draughn and Pierre Thomas. Draughn has bounced around numerous teams since being drafted in 2011, most recently with the Cleveland Browns. Meanwhile, Pierre Thomas who helped the Saints to a Super Bowl victory in 2009, provides a threat in the passing game. 

Week 9 Preview - At 2-6 on the season, the 49ers look to head into their Week 10 BYE with a victory as they host the (6-2) Atlanta Falcons. Having served as one of the biggest surprises this season under first-year head coach Dan Quinn, the Falcons hope to come out of the Bay Area with a win to keep pace with the undefeated Carolina Panthers who own first place in the NFC South. While Atlanta features a much improved defense from a season ago which coach Quinn is well known for, they also have arguably the best receiver in the league in Julio Jones. The Niner defense will have to keep close tabs on the fifth year wide-out out of Alabama who caught 12 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown in a 23-20 upset loss to the Buccaneers. The 49ers will also have to establish the run game early on if they plan to make a game out of it, something they failed to do in each of their last two losses. And with a number of new faces in the backfield to kick the tires with, this'll be the perfect time to see what they have in their ground attack as Blaine Gabbert looks to revive his career at the QB position.


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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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Niners Defense holds off Eagles in 26-21 Win

Entering Sunday's meeting between the 1-2 San Francisco 49ers and the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles (3-0), Jim Harbaugh's team was in desperate need of a win in order to stage off the critics that have begun to worry about Harbaugh's grasp on the locker room and question whether or not his team is still the serious title contender they've been in each of the last three seasons under his tutelage. It didn't look good out of the gates for the home team as the 49ers fell behind despite a valiant effort on defense. In just the small sample size we've been given this season, the Eagles and 49ers have been polar opposites on offense. While Philadelphia has been a notoriously slow starting team this year only to erupt in the second half, San Francisco on the other hand has been known to get off to a blazing start only to vanish following halftime. However, the tables would be turned and the roles would be reversed in this one as Philly jumped out in front early on.

Sporting the NFL's number one offense and the league's top ranked passer entering Sunday, it would be everything but Philadelphia's offense, however, that put points up on the board. After forcing a three and out on defense, the Eagles' special-teams unit stepped up huge by blocking and recovering an Andy Lee punt inside the end zone for a touchdown. It would be the first punt blocked for a score allowed by San Francisco since 1990. Though the 49ers would answer with a field goal and would take the lead on the first play of the second quarter, they would enter the half trailing 21-13 as QB Colin Kaepernick threw a pick-six that Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins returned 53-yards for a touchdown followed by an 82-yard punt return for a score by the speedy Darren Sproles. But unlike previous games this year, the 49ers would come alive in the second half as safety Antoine Bethea forced a fumble that was recovered by Perrish Cox on their own 23 yard line.

Several plays later, Kaepernick would pull his team within a point as he scrambled on third down, finding one of his newest targets in receiver Stevie Johnson who's fancy footwork helped him stay in bounds inside the end zone for the first time this year to make it a 21-20 ballgame. After scuffling on offense in each of their last two games, the 49ers went back to basics, running the ball and feeding Pro Bowl running back Frank Gore. And boy did it ever pan out as Gore logged his first 100-yard game on the season, finishing with 119-yards on 24 carries. But his biggest play came in the passing game when he hauled in a career-best 55-yard touchdown reception, the longest by a back this season. Though it was definitely a play worthy of the highlight reel, it's not one Kaepernick will want to teach his kids as he awkwardly threw across his body and across the field, something QB's are usually told not to do. But hey, it worked.

While both the defense and special teams did their part, Quarterback Nick Foles and the Eagles offense was held in check by a stout 49er defense that logged without a doubt its best performance of the season, forcing four takeaways including interceptions by Antoine Bethea and Perrish Cox and not allowing a single point. Running back LeSean McCoy was also shutdown for the second consecutive week, rushing for only 17 yards on 10 carries as the Niner defense held head coach Chip Kelly's high-octane offense to just 213 yards, the second fewest yard total under the second-year Eagles coach. San Francisco dominated the time of possession: 42:17 to 17:43 and ultimately took the lead on two of Niners kicker Phil Dawson's four field goals, helping them take what was being labeled a must-win game, 26-21. Kaepernick threw for 218 yards, 2 TD's and 1 interception on the afternoon while also rushing for another 58 yards on 7 carries. 

Week 5 Preview: With their first win at Levi's Stadium under their belt, the 49ers will now aim for their first multi-game winning streak of the season as they get set to welcome former Niner QB Alex Smith and the Kansas City Chiefs in a battle of 2-2 teams hoping to win their third game of the season. Coming off a big win of their own, a 41-14 shellacking of the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football, the Chiefs will look to improve on their impressive performance and keep pace with the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers in the AFC West. One player that might not play in next week's game is 49ers tight-end Vernon Davis who Alex Smith gelled with quite well during his time under center in San Francisco. Davis left Sunday's game after taking a knee to the back and has been ruled questionable for Week 5. VD was one of two Niners injured in the win vs Philly, the other being right tackle Anthony Davis who was rolled up under on a Kaepernick sack. The status of both players will be watched carefully before kickoff as both players would be missed if unable to play. 


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