Philadelphia Eagles Fans: Guide to Conference Games
By Mike Lacy
It’s understandable if Philadelphia Eagles fans haven’t paid much attention to the NFL playoffs so far. The Eagles are obviously not involved, and they’ve been busy hiring a new coach.
Now that the majority of the coaching staff for the Philadelphia Eagles appears to be in place, we should feel free to turn our attention back to the rest of the NFL world.
Here’s a quick breakdown of each game. As before, I’ll point out some Philadelphia Eagles ties in each game and explain which team Eagles fans should be hoping will win.
Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers
The storyline
The top two seeds in the NFC, these teams are led by two of the favorites for the NFL’s MVP award: Carolina’s Cam Newton and Arizona’s Carson Palmer. Both teams also have strong defenses – the Cardinals were fifth in yards allowed, and the Panthers were sixth – so don’t expect this to be a wild shootout.
Philly ties
The Panthers are coached by former Eagles assistant Ron Rivera, and his defensive coordinator is Sean McDermott, who used to hold the same position on the Eagles. Considering how well McDermott’s Carolina defenses have played, it seems curious that the team didn’t even bother to interview him for the head coaching position.
The Cardinals have a familiar face as their third string quarterback. After being outplayed by Tim Tebow in the preseason, Matt Barkley eventually found a new home in Arizona. However, it isn’t certain if his arm strength has improved to an NFL level since joining his new team.
Who we should root for
It seems clear that the Eagles will probably never get where they want to go until they get a franchise quarterback, but as the past few years have shown, it’s not exactly easy to get one of those guys. Look at the starting quarterbacks in this year’s game. Both were once drafted #1 overall, but their careers have taken different paths since draft day.
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Cam Newton has had some bumps along the way, but this season, he has lived up to the expectations of a top pick. Meanwhile,
Meanwhile, Carson Palmer‘s route to stardom has been detoured a few times thanks to injuries, and he’s currently on his third NFL team.
One of these situations should give the Eagles some hope.
Even if there was a Cam Newton-caliber talent in this year’s draft – and most reports say there isn’t – with their #13 pick, the Eagles don’t appear to be in
Even if there was a Cam Newton-caliber talent in this year’s draft – and most reports say there isn’t – with their #13 pick, the Eagles don’t appear to be in a position to draft him. So there’s little chance that the Philadelphia Eagles can acquire their would-be franchise guy the way the Panthers did.
On the other hand, it’s possible that they can have a guy who might have a Palmer-like late-career surge. Like Palmer, Sam Bradford is a former #1 overall pick who has disappointed, partly due to injuries. Bradford is due to be a free agent, and it isn’t clear if he wants to stay in Philadelphia, but thanks to the franchise tag, if the Philadelphia Eagles want him next year, they will have him.
If the Cardinals win, it could offer Philadelphia Eagles fans hope that maybe Bradford could similarly lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl berth shortly.
Who will win?
Both teams are talented, and both endured tough games last week.
While the Cardinals needed overtime to take down the Packers, the Panthers withstood a furious comeback attempt by the Seahawks. While the game ended in regulation, I suspect that game might have taken something out of the Panthers. Over the past few seasons, teams that have played the Seahawks tend to suffer the following week. With both teams appearing to be closely matched, that may give the Cardinals the slim margin they need.
Cardinals 23 – Panthers 20
New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos
The storyline
It’s Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning, …yet again.
This time, the game isn’t really about the two quarterbacks. Manning is a shell of his former self, and most of his passes leave the Denver faithful holding their breath, wondering if the ball will reach the intended target before a defender can swoop in.
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The Broncos have instead been carried by their defense, and this wouldn’t be the first time an elderly Broncos quarterback was carried to a title by his supporting cast.
Meanwhile, Tom Brady has had to deal with a weak offensive line and a not-so-great group of receivers besides Rob Gronkowski. (Although this is kind of like saying that aside from LeBron James, the Cavaliers don’t have that many great players.)
Philly ties
When he played for the Philadelphia Eagles, safety Patrick Chung seemed more likely to put a big hit on one of his teammates rather than his opponents. But for some reason, when he plays for the Patriots, he’s pretty good.
Most people agree that it was a mistake for the Eagles to cut Evan Mathis before the season. In Chip Kelly’s defense, Mathis has not had a strong season for the Broncos. On the other hand, he’s still probably better than the guys who ended up replacing him in Philly.
Who we should root for
There are very few instances when it’s acceptable to root for the Patriots, and this isn’t one of them. Yes, we could do without another round of “What will a second Super Bowl win do for Peyton Manning’s legacy?” speculation, but honestly, when it comes to the Super Bowl, just about every angle gets run into the ground. It’s got to be better than hearing about how great Tom Brady is again, right?
Besides, if the Patriots win, it’s inevitable that they’ll have cheated, and we’ll have to listen to another six-months worth of people complaining about that.
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Who will win?
As long as Peyton Manning’s arm stays intact, he should be able to perform at an adequate level. The Broncos have the superior defense, and that should be enough to carry them to victory.
Broncos 19 – Patriots 13