UFC 156 PREVIEW AND PREDICTION

UFC 156 PREVIEW AND PREDICTION
One of the biggest UFC cards of the year will take place tommorow night. With the return of MMA greats Alistar Overeem and Rashad Evans. As well as the Super Fight between Featherweight Champion Jose Also and challenger former Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar. SpinzzSports is here to preview the whole main card for you.Spinzz
Joseph Benavidez vs Ian McCallA fight that could determine who is the next challenger for the flyweight championship. McCall and Benavidez both fought the Champion Mighty Mouse in the Flyweight Tournament. These two are both very well rounded and can win this fight at anytime. It is gonna be a close back and forth fight but I think the Benavidez is a little bit better everywhere then McCall.
Benavidez by Decsicion
Jon Fitch vs Demian Maia
Two fighters that want to get the fight to the ground and are two of th best when it gets down there. Maia whos is one of the best jiu jitsu fighters in the world who really looks like he has found a home at the 170 pound weight class. He is going up against one of the top guys in the weight class for years in Jon Fitch. Fitch who ive been critical on finally  starting to put on good fights. The big thing with this fight is when it goes to the ground will Fitch utilize his wrestling and will Maia use his submissions. Also who has the advantage on the feet when these two are standing. I feel like Fitch is going to be smart with his wrestling and tire Maia out.
Fitch by Decison
Rashad Evans vs Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Rashad Evans returns with a fight that is a big fight for him. A win for Rashad and he gets a shot at Anderson Silva. In his way is Silvas training partner Lil Nog. While everyone is looking pat this fight for Rashad im not. Lil Nog has great boxing and jiu jitsu. That being said Rashads got great wrestling and the speed edge and can dictate where this fight takes place.
Rashad by Decision Alistar Overeem vs Antnio Silva
A fight that was going to happen years ago in Strikeforce will happen now. Like Rashad Overeem has a tittle shot on the line. If history shows us anything Big Foot likes to spoil MMA fans plans. Silva stopped the Overeem vs Fedor fight and he will look to do the same again. I however dont see it happening. Silva has not looked good at all in the UFC his one win was against a hurt Travis Brown. Overeem will keep it standing which is good for him he has the best stand up in the UFC Heavyweight divison if not all of  MMA.
Overeem by TKO Round 1Jose Aldo vs Frankie Edgar
A fight ive wanted to see for a long tme between two of the best fighters in the game with Jose Aldo vs Frankie Edgar. Edgar the former 155 pound champ who only lost the belt on two questionable decisons and who many people feel like is still the best fighter at 155 drops down to fight 145 pount camp Jose Aldo. If your a fight fan this is a fight you wanna watch. These guys are so well rounded they are great no matter where the fight goes. For me the big factors are can Edgar with stand Aldos kicks? Will Aldo gas in the latter rounds? Finally is the long lay off going to hurt Aldo. What I see happening is Aldo taking the early rounds and Frankie coming on string late, but I think Aldo will do to much damage early for Frankie to come back from.
Aldo by Decison
Billy Batts

Aldo vs Edgar

Call it a Super Fight. Call it a Dream Fight. Call it whatever the hell you want, all I know is this fight is going to be CRAZY! The dominant champ of the 145 pound division is going up against the once-dominant champ of the 155 pound division, and the Featherweight Championship is on the line. I know most people are predicting Aldo to win by domination, but you can never count "The Answer" out. I believe if Edgar can survive the initial first round barrage that Aldo is going to throw, he will win this fight. When it comes to cardio, you won't find anyone better than Edgar. Aldo on the other hand, has a tendency to fatigue pretty easily in the later rounds. That is the key to the fight. It's inevitable that Frankie will lose the first round like he does in all of his fights, but the key to victory for Frankie here is out-working Aldo from the 2nd round on. If Edgar can steal three of the last four rounds by continuously moving in and out, landing quick combinations, and using his fantastic footwork, he will win a decision and become the new champion.

Evans vs Lil Nog

This fight could end up being great, or it could end up being bad. Rashad has the superior striking, quickness, and wrestling. But what strategy is he going to use? Is he going to wrestle Lil Nog like Bader and Davis did in the past? That may be the best route to victory, but it isn't the most entertaining. Most importantly, when is the last time Lil Nog has even fought? 2011 against Tito Ortiz? Ring rust will play a major factor in this fight, I see Rashad winning by decision, or possibly a late TKO if he wants to.

Overeem vs Big Foot

This fight is guaranteed to end by brutal knockout. Book it. These are two big dudes with bad intentions. Overeem has seemed a little cocky at times, and is maybe under-estimating Big Foot. But I see Overeem and his far superior striking winning this fight early. This won't be an easy fight for either fighters.Overeem by TKO round one.

Fitch vs Maia

I have a feeling this fight will be extremely boring. Hopefully Maia can catch Fitch in a submission, but unfortunately I see Fitch wrestling his way to a decision. Maia has improved his striking, but I see Fitch taking him down right away and avoiding his submissions for three rounds.

Midget 1 vs Midget 2

Benavidez is quicker, stronger, and has better wrestling than McCall. This fight could end up being fight of the night with the frantic pace these little guys will keep. I have Benavidez winning an entertaining decision by using his speed and wrestling.

 

Rajon Rondo tears ACL

   Celtic point guard Rajon Rondo has torn his acl. No time table on his surgury. The question now is on how long until hes back and what will the Celtics do about this season. Will they trade Kevin Garnet and Paul Perice?

AFC AND NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREVEW

We have the final four in the NFL. Atlanta, San Francisco, New England, and Baltimore all playing for the shot to get in the biggest game of the year the Super Bowl. Lets take a look at what the Spinzz Sports crew thinks will happen.
 Spinzz
Falcons vs 49ers  The top two seeds in the NFC face off in this one. Atlanta comes into this one with momentum off of a improbable win vs Seattle. While San Fran cruised over the Green Bay Packers lead by Colin Kapernick. These two teams have well rounded offensives with San Fran having the better defense and special teams. I still do not think that the Falcons are forreal. I think their time is up this week vs a very good 49ner team. They have had trouble with the run game and most notably with the option vs Quarterbacks such as Cam Newton and Russel Wislon. I also feel that the San Fran D will be to much for Matt Ryan and all his wepons. I think it will be close early be then San Fran will pull away at the end.
49ers 30 Falcons 17 Patriots vs RavensThe AFC Championship game that I predicted at the start of the season.The game of the day a rematch of last years AFC Championsip game. These two teams will be meeting for the 3rd time in 2 years on Sunday so they know each other very well. Both teams though are coming in not a 100% will the Ravens missing Ladareus Webb and the Patriots missing Rob Gronkowski. Both teams have play makers on both sides of the ball. One difference being that on one side the Patriots have Tom Brady and the Ravens have Joe Flaco even though Flaco these last two postseasons have stepped up including last year when he outplayed Brady. With the defense I think the Ravens D is peaking and are motivated for Ray Lewis. This is also going to be only the 3rd game they had Suggs, Lewis, Reed, and Ngata. Ray Rice is a big factor if the Ravens can give him the touches he should get they have a great chance of winning Rice has a history of running on the Patriots in the playoffs. For New England its finding a way to move the ball without Gronk. They are 5-1 without him this year but this is a different animal with the Ravens and this game. This game is also big on legacys. For Tom Brady and Bill Belicheck to get to a 6th Super Bowl and to be 6-1 and AFC Championship games. For the Ravens to get Ray Lewis to have his last game on Super Bowl Sunday and to have guys like Ed Reed,  Ray Rice,Terrell Suggs, and Haloti Ngata play in their first Super Bowl. All this being said. As good as the Patriots have looked and they do look like the best team in the league right now. I gotta stick with my pre season prediction Ravens beating New England and letting Ray Lewis go out the right way
Ravens 27 Patriots 24
Raff

NFC Championship

49ers vs. Falcons

In the first game of championship Sunday the San Francisco 49ers travel to Atlanta to face the Falcons. The Falcons have a high flying offense led by Matt Ryan and his two recievers Roddy White and Julio Jones. They have a tough test this week though as they face one of the better defenses in the league in the 49ers. The 49ers are coming off a big win against the Packers where QB Colin Kaepernick went off for 181 yards rushing, 2 rushing TD's, and 2 TD's in the air. While I've been a Kaepernick advocate since he's started, there's been a lot of questions regarding the decision to play him over Alex Smith. It's pretty obvious that Kaepernick gives them a huge offensive threat which is something they lacked when Smith started. Smith is a game manager. Nothing more, nothing less. He's not a guy who's going to turn the ball over but he's not somebody that's going to win you a game. That's the opposite of Kaepernick. Killer Kap can make all the throws while looking like Michael Vick on steroids. He can singlehandedly win you a game. And that's the biggest factor of this game. The Falcons can score points on the 49ers as good as that defense is. It's the Falcons defense that won't  be able to stop Kaepernick. I think Vernon Davis will be more involved in this game then he's been in a long time. I look for him to find the endzone in this game. With the 49ers new ability to put up points in a hurry, Matt Ryan might be throwing more then usual. Julio Jones could find himself behind the defense a few times this game and if he does Ryan better hit him. With that said, I think the 49ers win this one by two scores.

Final Score

49ers 31

Falcons 14

AFC Championship

Patriots vs. Ravens

In the second game the New England Patriots host the Baltimore Ravens. Personally, I don't think the Ravens stand a chance in this game. Their defense has been suspect all year and their facing the most lethal offense in the league. Tom Brady will throw it down their throats. When he does the Ravens will have to throw to stay in the game which is not something Flacco is suited to do. The Patriots have a bunch of ball hawks on defense and if Flacco makes a mistake or two....or seven because it is Flacco, the game will be over. If this was the old Ravens defense I'd like this matchup a lot more but Brady is going to have a field day and will send Ray Lewis and the Ravens packing back to Baltimore. 

Final Score

Patriots 38

Ravens 17

MueedNFC Championship
Ryan and Kaepernick had big performances over the weekend, experiencing playoff success for the first time in their young careers.
Besides playing on the road against the team with the best regular-season, the 49ers are expected to win. The San Francisco offense looked dominant on Saturday, scoring six touchdowns. Kaepernick proved that he can make big plays in the postseason, having one of the best individual games in playoff history. His 181 rushing yards set a record for a quarterback, and he finished with four touchdowns.
The Packers scored 31 points and their defense held Rodgers in check, giving him very little time in the pocket. Justin Smith played as if he was unaffected by his injury, recording five tackles.
The Falcons blew a 20-point lead in their win, and needed a drive in the last minute to pick up the victory. Atlanta struggled against Wilson, allowing him to pass for 385 yards and run for 60 more. That doesn’t look impressive for them when having to face another mobile quarterback in Kaepernick.
Atlanta proved they can score on the best defense, putting up 30 points against a team that allowed half that per game in the regular season. The 49ers were directly behind the Seahawks in points allowed.
Playing at home, Atlanta should keep the game close. Ryan leads one of the best offenses in the league, and is very hard to stop on the turf.
However, the Falcons offense did struggle in the second half against Seattle, and might not score enough to keep up with the 49ers. I predict that Kaepernick should be the biggest difference-maker in the contest.
Prediction: San Francisco 34, Atlanta 27
AFC Championship
Patriots and Ravens know eachother well; moreover, New England beat Baltimore in last year’s AFC title game, and the Ravens were victorious in their Week Three matchup.
The Ravens road to this game hasn’t been as easy as the Patriots’ obstacles. Baltimore came dangerously close to losing on Saturday, needing a 70-yard touchdown pass with 31 seconds remaining in regulation, and two overtimes to beat Denver.
The Patriots cruised in their matchup with the Houston Texans. They scored 41 points and totaled 457 yards on offense. The game was essentially over at the start of the fourth quarter, when New England took a 38-13 lead.
Tom Brady passed Joe Montana with his 17th career playoff win and had another strong performance. He threw for 344 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. With Manning and Rodgers, once again, failing to advance to the championship round, is it possible that Brady may be proving that he is the top quarterback in the NFL?
It will be difficult for the Ravens to slow down the Patriots enough to make the Super Bowl for the first time since 2001. Baltimore’s defense wasn’t dominant in 2012 like it has been in years past. They were 17th in yards allowed, and gave up 35 points in their first postseason game. It won’t be easy for them to stop an offense that scored 34.8 points per game, in the regular season.
I was going to pick the Patrioits in this matchup but Joe Flacco’s recent postseason play has made me think otherwise. His 116.2 passer rating this past weekend was better than Brady’s. In Flacco’s last four playoff games, he has thrown nine touchdowns and just one interception.
You could imagine that New England is a heavy favorite. The last two matchups between these teams have come down to the wire, and I have a feeling this game will be no different. With both quarterbacks playing well, I predict that the Ravens superior defense could be enough to give them the win.
Prediction: Baltimore 31, New England 30

RG III Injured? Shanahan's Fault? Mueed Kumandan’s Take

In case you did not witness what had occurred in the Redskins and Seahawks game, quarterback Robert Griffin III’s ailing right-knee gave out on him twice in the 'Skins' 24-14 playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks - the latter injury coming late in the game at a time where many felt he shouldn't even be in the game. 

Traditionally, when things go bad somebody has to bear the blame. Most place it right on coach Mike Shanahan's door. 

I'm not one of them. 

First, let me be clear: If I were the coach of the Redskins, I would have benched RG3 at halftime. After the first re-injury of his right knee in the first quarter, I would have turned the keys over to the capable hands of Kirk Cousins, with the option to go back to Griffin if Kirk Cousins couldn't get it done against a solid Seattle defense.  

Shanahan has a personal and/or working relationship with RG3. That relationship led him to give his star quarterback some benefit of the doubt regarding his own health. That's why I don't fault Shanahan for his actions (or in this case, inaction).

Plenty have weighed in on this matter, but one opinion resonated with me. ESPN's Eric Mangini explained during a segment on the network that handling injuries in the NFL is "interactive between the coach and player" - meaning, it's not uncommon for there to be a back-and-forth between (in this case) - Griffin and Shanahan, with the consensus being the prevailing factor instead of just a unilateral decision by the head coach.

Right or wrong, that's what happened in Landover. RG3 told Shanahan he's "hurt but not injured," said and did all the things Shanahan was looking for, and actually threw his second touchdown after the initial re-injury. At that point, there was no reason to think he couldn't gut out another solid performance like he did in Philly and the previous week against Dallas.

Now, personally, I thought Griffin's poor second quarter showing prompted a benching. He was uncharacteristically inaccurate and obviously hobbled. But Shanahan figured RG3 gave him the best chance to win (something that's hard to debate given Cousins missed practice that week with the flu, and Rex Grossman is...well, Rex Grossman). 

Shanahan bet his stud QB could will himself to make a play or two to win the game, a bet that had some precedent given he did the same to help set up the game-tying TD late in the game against Baltimore - no matter how ill-advised. 

Shanahan trusted his player's judgment regarding his own health. Part of the job of a professional athlete is to know his body better than anyone else. Griffin has suffered multiple injuries to that knee, and his coach assumed he would know his limits. Just because he was wrong to give that much latitude to a 22-year-old rookie doesn't mean his motives were nefarious - or that RG3 was reckless. 

Lest we forget, this is the culture of football, especially at the pro level. It's long been said, if you can walk, you can play. The NFL has long deified tough guys. Ronnie Lott infamously chopped off the tip of his pinky finger so he wouldn't miss a game. Emmitt Smith played the final game of the 1993 regular season with a separated shoulder to key a Dallas run to the playoffs (and ultimately, the Super Bowl).

Oh, and remember Brett Favre? Not only does he get eternal praise for playing a league-record 297 consecutive games despite a seemingly endless list of injuries, but he suffered the exact same knee injury Griffin suffered (sprained LCL) in a 2002 game (ironically) against the Redskins, and never missed a game.

Strangely, I don't recall anyone calling for his coach's job.

We can't prop these guys up as heroes for playing hurt and then dismiss them as foolhardy when that "heroic" effort falls short. Had RG3 finished that game with the Redskins victorious, we'd laud him as the toughest, gutsiest player we'd seen here since Doug Williams shook off an ugly knee injury to set a Super Bowl record four second quarter TDs to lead a rout of the Broncos in 1988. RG3 would be added to the list of legendary playoff performers to get it done despite injuries that would sideline "lesser" men.

So let's be real about this. We hate the outcome, not the process. The Redskins best player got hurt in vain because they lost. Two years ago in Chicago, Jay Cutler left the NFC Championship game because of a knee injury and the Bears' hopes to beat the eventual-champion Packers went with him to the bench. Cutler was later eviscerated for not "gutting it out" and finishing that all-important game. San Diego let Philip Rivers play on a torn ACL in the Chargers' AFC title game loss to New England in 2008. If any one of those games ended differently, the narrative would be too.

Again: I'm not saying RG3 was right to play as long as he did. In fact, I'm on record stating he shouldn't have.

But this is the business Griffin has chosen, and he knew the risks going back on the field. If you know how Shanahan's playing career ended, then you know he's more aware of the dangers of playing football than most.

Sometimes bad things happen through the fault of no one particular person. Let's just hope the consequences aren't as dire as we all fear.

THE CLIPPERS ARE DANGEROUS

THE CLIPPERS ARE DANGEROUS

At a league-best 24 wins and 6 losses and a 16-game winning streak, it is clear that the Clippers are dangerous. At no point in franchise history have the Clippers ever owned the best record in the NBA this late in the season. Pulling off a 27-point comeback against the Grizzlies and a 19-point comeback against the Jazz, this team shows heart and resilience. This team has the best point differential in the NBA at 9.7 points per game. When you think they will lose, that is when they hit you hard. What makes this surprising team so strong? Good Question! To truly answer this question, we must analyze the depth and contributions of each player and work from there.  

Offense

It helps that The Los Angeles Clippers play with an elite starting lineup of Chris Paul, Willie Green, Caron Butler, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

Blake Griffin has stepped up big this season and leads his team with 18.2 PPG and 8.9 RPG.

2 bright spots that aren’t mentioned to often are from Matt Barnes, who only plays 25 minutes a game,

One difference I see from Chris Paul and his team is that they are being more aggressive. He averages almost 10 assists per game, 167-355 with .470 of his field goals made, and making almost 90% of his free throws.

Deandre Jordan is second in the league in field goal percentage with .594.

Their second unit plays of equal potency. In fact, their second unit may be more powerful.

The Clippers' reserves are averaging a league-high 42.7 points per game. To put that into perspective, the starters are averaging 50.9 points.

The Clippers' second unit ranks fourth in the NBA with 8.6 assists and is fifth in field-goal percentage at 46.3. They also rank fifth in free-throw attempts, which displays how dynamic they are at attacking the rim. A league-high efficiency rating of 50.8 provides the additional evidence necessary.

Defense

This team leads the league in steals (324) which is a big deal. Chris Paul has 79 steals (2.63 steals per game which is 1^st in the league)and Blake Griffin has 45 steals, two big contributions that has led to much of the Clippers success. We haven’t even reached the middle of the season and Blake Griffin has 206 defensive rebounds in total which I believe is an unbelievable stat and leads to more opportunities to score points. The next player behind him is Deandre Jordan with 127 rebounds for the season.

Not only are the Los Angeles Clippers' reserves posting a league-high efficiency rating of 50.8, but they rank first in defensive rating. Not only are they atop of the league in this category, but they are significantly further ahead of the rest of their opposition. The Clippers sit at 18.2, while the second-ranked San Antonio Spurs rest at 14.0.

The Clippers’ reserves are averaging 18.2 rebounds per game, thus ranking fourth in the league. They top the ranks with 4.7 steals and sit at second with 3.7 blocks.

Frontcourt

Through the first 28 games, the Clippers frontcourt were averaging 53.9 points, 32.4 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 5.3 blocks and 5.2 steals per game. Domination at its best!

With All-Star power forward Blake Griffin and athletic defensive stopper DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers have a powerful balance of scoring and rim-defending. Griffin's team-high average of 18.1 points per game proves that they are a force to be reckoned with. Deandre Jordan averages a team-high 1.6 blocks per game to add to their defensive onslaught.

In addition, coming off of the bench, former NBA champions Lamar Odom and Ronny Turiaf provide veteran leadership. Odom has averaged 7.0 rebounds and 0.9 blocks during the Clippers' 14-game winning streak.

With Matt Barnes and Caron Butler providing outstanding defense and Barnes finding his scoring touch, the frontcourt becomes more powerful. Oh yeah and I forgot to mention, Grant Hill hasn’t played a game yet.

The perfect balance, athletic explosiveness and veteran leadership = The perfect recipe for success in my opinion.

Backcourt

So far in the 2012-13 season, the Clippers backcourt is averaging 47.7 points, 15.6 assists, 9.5 rebounds and 5.6 steals per game.

Led by All-NBA point guard Chris Paul and former Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford, the Clippers have the proper balance of facilitating and scoring. They also have defensive tenacity with CP3 and Eric Bledsoe.

With this type of setup, if an opposing defense were to trap Paul, this would usually allow Crawford to find a hole in the perimeter. In that instance, Crawford has the opportunity to take advantage of an opponent with his jump shot or capitalize on his unparalleled handles.

Crawford is shooting 61.6 percent in the restricted area, 37.8 percent from mid-range and 38.1 percent from beyond the arc.

If one decides to trap Crawford, Paul's smooth shooting will be just as lethal. 45.3 percent from mid-range and 39.7 percent from above the break. A TWO-WAY THREAT!

As for running an up-tempo offense to throw them out of rhythm, Paul and Bledsoe are two of the top defenders in the league.

For numerical proof, they rank first and second in the NBA in terms of steals per 48 minutes. Bledsoe is even averaging 0.8 blocks per game as a 6'1" point guard averaging 18.4 minutes a night. These key attributes make The Los Angeles Clippers a serious threat in the NBA.

In conclusion, the Clippers have an all-around dangerous team. Whether we are talking about their offense, defense, frontcourt, or backcourt, Clippers are stacked with talent. It will be interesting to see if they can continue this streak and where they will end up. Only time will tell!

The Good and Bad of Mike D'antoni Becoming Lakers Head Coach

The Good and Bad of Mike D'Antoni Becoming Lakers Head Coach
The big news this week out of the NBA is The Lakers firing of Mike Brown and bringing in Mike D'Antoni. While a lot has been with the fact that Phil Jackson was rumored to wanting to come back and the Lakers not bringing him back. The realism is setting in now on is this a good move for The Lakers a team with 4 stars. As in any situation there is good and bad with this singing.

The Good

   Ever since Phil Jackson left The Lakers really haven't had an identity on the offensive side of the ball. That is why Mike Brown brought in Eddie Jordan and the Princeton-offense. The Lakers din't have the time or the players to work that offense which is the reason why it din't work and that Mike Brown is out of a job. With D'antoni you have a guy who loves offense. His idea of defense is to out score the other guy and with players like Kobe, Nash, Howard, and Gasol he will have a lot of weapons to work with. While he never had two big like this his style does give room for some freedom for the guys to work. If he does the right tweaking he will have the Lakers scoring at a high level pace. With the fact that Nash has done well under him and Kobe has respect for him this does give D'antoni more of a chance to work his offense then Brown.

The Bad 

   Mike D'antoni's biggest thing against him is that he is not Phil Jackson. He which none is but when you have the Staples center chanting "We want Phil" that is tough for someone who comes in and is not Phil Jackson. As far as on the court he will have to deal with spacing the floor with two 7 footers which in a system like D'antoni's is not an easy thing. He will also have to find shooters which is a big part in this system. The main thing is finding a way to get Kobe as many shots as he could. Say what you want about Kobe he is still a top 5 player at worst. Those are problems on the offensive side of the ball which could be corrected with the players they got they are smart players that can figure it out. Another huge thing is the defense if the Lakers can't find a way to defend with the west being so deep it can be a quick end to the season in Staples.

   The big thing that not many people are talking about is the fact that The Lakers got a coach that doesn't fit Dwights style of play and with this being a walk year for Dwight and D'antoni having a 3 year deal this could really be a big risk if it don't go well for the future of The Lakers.  

The Final Say

  All those things being said I think that as far as the regular season goes The Lakers will be a top 3 seed. I think that they will tweak some things that get Dwight and Pau involved together. I see Kobe really finding a way to make this work. On the defensive side of the ball  I think they will be the best defensive team D'antoni has had with guys like Dwight, Artest, and Kobe. If Dwight finds himself and gets right this team will still be a force. I did pick them to win it all and yes I am sticking with it, that being said I am less confident about it with D,antoni then if Phil Jackson was coaching this team.

FLY LIKE AN EAGLE…TO THE DRAFT BY MUEED KUMANDAN

FLY LIKE AN EAGLE… TO THE DRAFT BY MUEED KUMANDAN

With the latest struggles that the Eagles have been facing, much of the spotlight has been on Vick’s performance and Andy Reid's coaching; however, there are various assets that the Eagles struggle to perfect.

Quarterback: The Eagles have many problems, yet Michael Vick is the center of these problems. After 8 weeks, Vick has a 77.7 QBR with 10 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, which is subpar; but who can blame him. Vick has been sacked 27 times and has lost a total of 149 yards, encompassing 10 fumbles (5 of them lost).  

Running Back: This season, Lesean Mccoy has had 623 yards with 2 touchdowns and 4.3 yards a carry. His longest rush was 34 yards and has only had 6 carries with over 20 yards, but we can go back to the lack of a productive o-line. In addition, he has 30 receptions for 148 yards and 3 tds. Rushing-wise, Mccoy is capable of putting up better numbers to help Vick out, but their o-line needs to step up. Their other rb is Bryce Brown, whom does not have any tds and has rushed for 105 yards. This is another reason their offense has struggled. They do not have an effect 1 2 combo at rb, which can also help Vick out.   

Tight End: Brent Celek only has 1 td with 33 receptions and 436 yards. Really? Their other TE, Clay Harbor, was targeted 18 times and has 1 td. They have weapons but they need a better offensive gameplan.    

Offensive Line:  Dunlap has been playing good but he has been missing key blocks for Vick to hurry up. Evan Mathis has been slacking. Reynolds tries to do too much and gets knocked over. The rookie Kelly has an ankle issue and starts off well but needs to work on finishing games. The same thing with Herremans.

Defensive Line/Linebackers: After 9 weeks, this team has 11 sacks. They are on pace to put together 22 sacks by the end of the year. They are ranked 31^st in sacks. How is your defense inconsistent in producing sacks when you have Ryans, Cole, Jenkins, Cox, and Babin on your defense? Castillo has to use his players better because their guys are underperforming. Last season, Babin was 3^rd in the NFL in sacks with 18. So far this season, he has 3.5 sacks. Cole has 1.5 sacks. Unacceptable!

Secondary: Nate Allen gets burned on just about every Play-Action Pass. With only 24 tackles and 1 pick, Nnamdi has fallen short of expectations. He takes up 1/3 of their payroll too. Rodgers-Cromartie is another corner that bites on pump fakes. He has 24 tackles and 3 picks which isn’t too bad though. 

Special Teams: I enjoyed the trickery during Monday’s Saints and Eagles game. Too bad it didn’t count. Eagles are ranked 30^th in punt return average. They only have 3 returns that were more than 7 yards, the longest was 13. They are 26^th in Kick-Return Average, 28^th in Punt Coverage 25^th , and 23^rd in net punting average. Yeh, this special teams is that bad!

So through statistical evidence, I conclude that it is unfair to blame Vick for their recent struggles. Eagles’ defense and O-line have to step up to have any chance in making the playoffs. Only time will tell!