NFL Brain Dump - For The Birds

Week 3 of the NFL season didn't provide fans much as far excitement goes; it pretty much was for the birds. Among the 32 franchises that comprise the NFL, five of them are nicknamed after a particular species of birds. All five - Falcons, Ravens, Cardinals, Seahawks, and Eagles - earned themselves a victory in week 3; in this sense, we can definitely say that last week was for the birds.

Both of these birds reached the end zone against the Redskins.

Paper Pigskin Point Potential 2014 - Philadelphia Eagles

This is a series on my 2014 outlook of players you would want to have on your Paper Pigskin team (fantasy football).  What you'll find here are my views based on years of playing experience and countless hours of geeking out researching stats, trends, and film.  I'll advise where to reach and whose hype not to believe.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES - Passing 257 ypg     Rushing 160 ypg

Chip Kelly ran the fastest offense in the league last season, getting off a play every 24 seconds. They also were last in the league in time of possession at 26 minutes 19 seconds per game. But most importantly were their 65.4 plays ran per game was food for 12th in the league. When Kelly took over the Eagles last season, he had players that were conditioned to Andy Reid's West Coast system, so he relied heavily on LeSean McCoy and schemed up plays to get Nick Foles comfortable; this meant featuring Desean Jackson and Riley Cooper. One summer later, a different cast of characters have been added to the lineup; guys that are more suited for his style of plays. 

NFL Week 17 Power Rankings

One week left in the season, let's see how they stack up.

1.  Seattle  No longer invincible at home but still belongs on top. They're going to need to figure out how to loosen up defenses for their run game.

2.  Denver  There shouldn't be a question about who the best regular season quarterback of All-Time is. The defense is hurting for certain, with no signs of improvement.

NFL Brain Dump - Playoff Race of Disgrace

So many teams had a chance to make a statement in week 15 and strengthen their playoff position but failed to capitalize on their opportunities. The top three seeds in the AFC all lost and gave other teams hopes of getting either a playoff bye or home game. Outside of the West division, the top teams in the NFC are falling by the wayside. Now there are teams whose life lines were weak just a week ago, are now revitalized.

NFL Week 15 Power Rankings

1.  Denver  400 yards and 4 touchdowns versus one of the better pass defenses in the league answered questions about Peyton's play in the cold.

2.  Seattle  Played a gritty game; this is what they do. Barely finished on the wrong side.

NFL Week 14 Power Rankings

Barring a meltdown, NFC championship contenders will have to deal with the 12th Man.

1.  Seattle  Dominant performance. With a 2 game gap, the NFC road to the Super Bowl officially runs through Seattle.

NFL Brain Dump - Lights, Cam, Action!

The Carolina Panthers are now seen by many as legit Super Bowl contenders. If you've been reading this column regularly, you know that I was high on them when they were a 1-3 team; they just caught some really bad breaks early in the season. Pat on my back out of the way, most of America just witnessed last Monday night why I was so high on them.

Paper Pigskin Point Potential NFC East

This is a series on my 2013 outlook of players you would want to have on your Paper Pigskin team (fantasy football).  I'll be organizing them by division.  What you'll find here are my views based on years of playing experience and countless hours of geeking out researching stats, trends, and articles.  I'll advise where to reach and whose hype not to believe.

Philadelphia Eagles  237 passing ypg  117 rushing ypg  (posted August 28, 2013)

QB:  Fans in Philly and around the NFL have been used to Andy Reid pacing the sidelines for the last 14 years methodically calling intricate pass plays.  Reid is no longer in town and his successor has a style that is the polar opposite.  Chip Kelly is implementing a system that advocates getting plays started without using much of the play clock.  What this means for the quarterback is that he'll have an abundance of opportunities to score points.  It's unknown what the ratio of run to pass will actually be, what is known is that Michael Vick can run very well and is encouraged to do so.   Vick's value is predicated on his ability to gain rushing yards in large chunks even though it's common knowledge that he has one of the strongest arms in the league albeit he isn't very accurate.  Vick is a high end QB2 with top five upside.