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Larry Ness' NFL Week 1 MNF Showdown (off 6-2 Sunday!)
My 9* NFL Week 1 MNF Showdown is on the Was Redskins at 7:00 ET.
The Eagles and Redskins open their respective 2013 seasons tonight in Washington. While Michael Vick had to win the Philadelphia QB job in the preseason (Eagles have brought in a new head coach in Oregon’s Chip Kelly), Robert Griffin III wasn't given a chance to take the field during the “make believe” games and until very recently, it wasn't clear if he would be Washington’s starter come Week 1. However, that’s all been settled now and the two long-time division rivals meet, tonight.
The Eagles opened 2012 at 3-1 but the team's 0-3-1 ATS record was more indicative of what was to lie ahead for Philly the rest of the way. Philadelphia’s season quickly deteriorated and by year’s end the Eagles would finish 4-12, losing 11 of their final 12 hames (3-9 ATS). The collapse cost Andy Reid his job and now Chip Kelly has been hired and the hope is, his “fast-break offense” will translate from the college game to the NFL.
Eagles fans are hoping Vick can get back to being the kind of player who so often dominated in 2010, leading a run to the playoffs, instead of the turnover-prone and injury-plagued one from the past two years. It is Kelly's job to help make that happen and he chose Vick over Nick Foles during the preseason to run his high-energy offense. Vick had more TOs (15) than total TDs (13) last year and had only one rushing TD for the second straight season after having NINE in 2010. Kelly says he’s been pleased with Vick’s progress in the preseason, although I’m not sure I’m buying it.
Getting back to Washington, the Redskins were just 3-6 heading into the team's bye week (Week 10) but returned to the field to go 7-0 SU and ATS, the rest of the way (won NFC East for the first time since 1999). Washington then jumped out 14-0 lead over Seattle but RG3 was clearly less than 100 percent and the Seahawks eventually won that wild card game, 24-14. Griffin finished as the 2012 NFL offensive rookie of the year, rushing for 815 yards and seven TDs. He threw for 20 TDs, compared to only FIVE interceptions, while passing for 3,200 yards and finishing as the league's third-highest rated passer with a rookie-record 102.4 QB rating.
Dr. James Andrews cleared Griffin awhile back but head coach Mike Shanahan did not officially say he would start Week 1 until last Monday. Shanahan and Griffin butted heads a bit during training camp, with the quarterback wanting to see more practice time and action in games while the coach used a cautious approach. "You're always trying to take a look at what's in the best interest of your football team, obviously the health of your football team as well," Shanahan said. "But if we didn't feel like Robert was full-go, and he was ready to play and do all the things that you ask a guy to do, he would not be playing in this game. "We believe he can do everything that a quarterback is asked to do."
I’m ‘buying in!’ Griffin was helped last year by fellow rookie, RB Alfred Morris, who nearly doubled Philadelphia’s LeSean McCoy's rushing output (1,613 yards to 840), providing a potent 1-2 punch for the Redskins offense. The Redskins beat the Eagles twice during the team's 7-0 SU and ATS finish to last year’s regular season, 31-6 at home and 27-20 at Philly. Griffin threw for six TDs in Washington's two wins over Philadelphia last season, including a perfect passer rating (158.3) in one game.
I’m not convinced (at least I’m taking the early position that "I’ll believe when I see it”) that Kelly's offense will translate to the NFL or that Vick, who has seen his effectiveness diminish due to a combination of injuries and repeated turnovers, is the ‘answer’ at QB. I believe the price is ‘cheap’ on Washington.
My 9* NFL Week 1 MNF Showdown is on the Was Redskins at 7:00 ET.
The Eagles and Redskins open their respective 2013 seasons tonight in Washington. While Michael Vick had to win the Philadelphia QB job in the preseason (Eagles have brought in a new head coach in Oregon’s Chip Kelly), Robert Griffin III wasn't given a chance to take the field during the “make believe” games and until very recently, it wasn't clear if he would be Washington’s starter come Week 1. However, that’s all been settled now and the two long-time division rivals meet, tonight.
The Eagles opened 2012 at 3-1 but the team's 0-3-1 ATS record was more indicative of what was to lie ahead for Philly the rest of the way. Philadelphia’s season quickly deteriorated and by year’s end the Eagles would finish 4-12, losing 11 of their final 12 hames (3-9 ATS). The collapse cost Andy Reid his job and now Chip Kelly has been hired and the hope is, his “fast-break offense” will translate from the college game to the NFL.
Eagles fans are hoping Vick can get back to being the kind of player who so often dominated in 2010, leading a run to the playoffs, instead of the turnover-prone and injury-plagued one from the past two years. It is Kelly's job to help make that happen and he chose Vick over Nick Foles during the preseason to run his high-energy offense. Vick had more TOs (15) than total TDs (13) last year and had only one rushing TD for the second straight season after having NINE in 2010. Kelly says he’s been pleased with Vick’s progress in the preseason, although I’m not sure I’m buying it.
Getting back to Washington, the Redskins were just 3-6 heading into the team's bye week (Week 10) but returned to the field to go 7-0 SU and ATS, the rest of the way (won NFC East for the first time since 1999). Washington then jumped out 14-0 lead over Seattle but RG3 was clearly less than 100 percent and the Seahawks eventually won that wild card game, 24-14. Griffin finished as the 2012 NFL offensive rookie of the year, rushing for 815 yards and seven TDs. He threw for 20 TDs, compared to only FIVE interceptions, while passing for 3,200 yards and finishing as the league's third-highest rated passer with a rookie-record 102.4 QB rating.
Dr. James Andrews cleared Griffin awhile back but head coach Mike Shanahan did not officially say he would start Week 1 until last Monday. Shanahan and Griffin butted heads a bit during training camp, with the quarterback wanting to see more practice time and action in games while the coach used a cautious approach. "You're always trying to take a look at what's in the best interest of your football team, obviously the health of your football team as well," Shanahan said. "But if we didn't feel like Robert was full-go, and he was ready to play and do all the things that you ask a guy to do, he would not be playing in this game. "We believe he can do everything that a quarterback is asked to do."
I’m ‘buying in!’ Griffin was helped last year by fellow rookie, RB Alfred Morris, who nearly doubled Philadelphia’s LeSean McCoy's rushing output (1,613 yards to 840), providing a potent 1-2 punch for the Redskins offense. The Redskins beat the Eagles twice during the team's 7-0 SU and ATS finish to last year’s regular season, 31-6 at home and 27-20 at Philly. Griffin threw for six TDs in Washington's two wins over Philadelphia last season, including a perfect passer rating (158.3) in one game.
I’m not convinced (at least I’m taking the early position that "I’ll believe when I see it”) that Kelly's offense will translate to the NFL or that Vick, who has seen his effectiveness diminish due to a combination of injuries and repeated turnovers, is the ‘answer’ at QB. I believe the price is ‘cheap’ on Washington.
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