SBLII: Patriots vs. Eagles, the Build-Up
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Watching opening night. Kraft is always a fun guest. His favorite movie? The Godfather. His humility and sincerity are genuine. Of all the owners in all of sports he is and has been my favorite. I love the hype. I can't stop thinking about this game.
Yeah. Almost worth this year long gag.
Are they really called the Tits locally? Cuz that’d be awesome.
Hah. I'd think they'd at least go to the team pages, ProFootballRef, Spotrac, OurLads, just any of the pages that give depth charts, IR lists, something, as someone who does manual roster updates basically daily for each game. I guess I don't tire of their stuff though since I only buy Madden every few years (thus avoiding the rebox/roster update issue), plus MVP was an amazing game back in its heyday, not to mention The Show and NBA 2K are probably my favorite sports sims out there right now.
Then again, this year's Superstar mode/Longshot allowed you to play exactly zero games with your drafted team, so nothing should be surprising for them. Just had to point these out because, hey, it's Super Bowl week. You'd think they, like everyone else, should be in top form, bringing their best.
They’ve really messed up Media Day at the Super Bowl. It was such a fun and silly spectacle, but something about the prime time broadcast and attempts at production make it more stilted and awkward. Highlights:
- Michael Irvin spent a few painful minutes trying to joke around with David Andrews while Andrews kept saying some version of “We just need to compete and play well on Sunday.”
- They’re now doing a segment with the captains of the Pats and Eagles, and Brady is going double gloves indoors. Given that this is scripted PR pablum the hosts didn’t even joke about it.
- Also... LOUD boos for the Eagles when they came out, and cheers for the Pats. Weird.
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Foles, Brady, Jenkins, and McCourty doing a joint panel interview and lavishing each other with praise. Brady, when asked what advice he has for Foles, laughed it off well: “He’s a starting QB in the Super Bowl, he doesn’t need advice!”
- Michael Irvin spent a few painful minutes trying to joke around with David Andrews while Andrews kept saying some version of “We just need to compete and play well on Sunday.”
- They’re now doing a segment with the captains of the Pats and Eagles, and Brady is going double gloves indoors. Given that this is scripted PR pablum the hosts didn’t even joke about it.
- Also... LOUD boos for the Eagles when they came out, and cheers for the Pats. Weird.
Edit:
Foles, Brady, Jenkins, and McCourty doing a joint panel interview and lavishing each other with praise. Brady, when asked what advice he has for Foles, laughed it off well: “He’s a starting QB in the Super Bowl, he doesn’t need advice!”
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Then there was the Belichick smile-o-meter. Of course Bill was going to appease Willie McGinest and keep smiling.
I wouldn't want to be someone to force BB to smile. I'd suppose payback would only be a matter of time.
Two years in a row the game has been getting BB to smile. Since it’s been old favorite Willie Mac trying to do it, and Bill got wind of it, Bill’s been all smiles.
Some stereotypes are true. Based on personal experience, "nice, Midwestern people" is one of them.
Recently, I think, more than a few Vikings fans were insulted and assaulted when they attended a game in Philadelphia. (Throwing beer cans at people is a bit more, actually; that's called battery).
It is not unnatural to take this out, verbally, on the team such idiots root for.
Clearly an NFL plot to make the Eagles play the team hosting the Super Bowl to give the Patriots an advantage.
Holley to BB today: "Are there wrinkles to the Eagles' West Coast offense?"
BB: "Well, it's not like going against Bill Walsh in the '80's--they use shotgun, bubble screens, RPO's...go deep to Jeffery and Smith..."
Reminded me that BB started coaching against Walsh in '79 at the very start of West Coast, and finally beat him as Parcell's DC in '85.
I think it was after that 17-3 game Parcells crowed, "What do you think of your West Coast offense now?!"
That was 32 years ago. BB and Parcells spent 12 years together scheming against the West Coast. Pederson's been coaching 9 years.
I like the Pats this week.
BB: "Well, it's not like going against Bill Walsh in the '80's--they use shotgun, bubble screens, RPO's...go deep to Jeffery and Smith..."
Reminded me that BB started coaching against Walsh in '79 at the very start of West Coast, and finally beat him as Parcell's DC in '85.
I think it was after that 17-3 game Parcells crowed, "What do you think of your West Coast offense now?!"
That was 32 years ago. BB and Parcells spent 12 years together scheming against the West Coast. Pederson's been coaching 9 years.
I like the Pats this week.
Bettor X, heavy money line on Eagles, and other action, also tilted in that direction.
http://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id/22258793/bettor-beat-las-vegas-millions-world-series-now-making-1-million-bets-philadelphia-eagles
http://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id/22258793/bettor-beat-las-vegas-millions-world-series-now-making-1-million-bets-philadelphia-eagles
Any idea why Brady referred to Foles as a Michigan State guy? He played there only very briefly.
Unless it's a Michigan vs. Michigan State thing.
Unless it's a Michigan vs. Michigan State thing.
Don’t exactly know but the Michigan alums I know — including both parents, first cousins and some good friends — HATE MSU and mock it at every mention. That Hoyer went there pisses them off. That said, I’m guessing Brady was likely tongue in cheek there.
I thought he was saying the Eagles don’t have Montana, Rice, Clark, and Craig.
Has anyone mentioned that Tom Brady could accomplish his greatest feat to date - breaking the Madden curse? I just realized that this morning. He stayed healthy and could be the first player to win the Superbowl the year after appearing in the cover.
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Ummm no. Belichick would never even insinuate anything that could be remotely considered negative about an upcoming opponent.
The question was “are there wrinkles to the Eagles version of the west coast offense “. He answered that it’s not like the old Bill Walsh version in that the Eagles do x, y and z. Unlike the Bill Walsh version.
It was supposed to be complimentary.
He could break the Madden curse, become the first QB to ever lead the league in passing yards to win a Super Bowl, and be the first MVP to win a title since Kurt Warner in 1999.
Isn’t the Madden curse just getting injured/having a big drop off in performance rather than winning the SB?
A few of the last Madden covers have broken the pattern. Sherman(‘15)/Megatron(‘13)/Beckham(‘16) all had good to great seasons.
The Madden curse, like all curses, is bunk.
But, playing along with it, I'd say an MVP season and super bowl appearance already counts as beating the curse. If he happens to win the SB as well, it's just gravy.
But, playing along with it, I'd say an MVP season and super bowl appearance already counts as beating the curse. If he happens to win the SB as well, it's just gravy.
My post was meant tongue-in-cheek. Sorry for not being clear enough (or at all).
Really great read on the line play of New England vs Jacksonville.
Man, Jacksonville was just inviting the Pats to run right up the middle on a lot of these plays with their wide set of the line.
https://www.footballoutsiders.com/word-muth/2018/word-muth-patriots-dominate
Man, Jacksonville was just inviting the Pats to run right up the middle on a lot of these plays with their wide set of the line.
https://www.footballoutsiders.com/word-muth/2018/word-muth-patriots-dominate
Apparently, Kat hadn't read the blueprint about pressuring Brady up the middle. In those clips, there's generally not a single Jag between the Guard/Tackle gaps. Andrews basically can snap, stand up, have a sandwich, and then decide which guard he wants to pretend to help (not that they needed it!).
Sounds like last year
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bettor-puts-1-1-million-falcons-win-super-bowl-n717056
Some guy put $1.1M on the Falcons to cover and got his heart ripped out by Tom Brady.
Good article about Alshon Jeffery and Stephon Gillmore at USC. Those teams were stacked.
https://www.postandcourier.com/sports/stephon-gilmore-vs-alshon-jeffery-super-bowl-standoff-started-years/article_ca51b214-05dd-11e8-b5d4-93549f31b031.html
https://www.postandcourier.com/sports/stephon-gilmore-vs-alshon-jeffery-super-bowl-standoff-started-years/article_ca51b214-05dd-11e8-b5d4-93549f31b031.html
538 with a look at how the offense has changed since Wentz went down. To my eye it hasn't looked much different, but it is.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/nick-foles-is-not-carson-wentz-and-the-eagles-adjusted-accordingly/?ex_cid=538twitter
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/nick-foles-is-not-carson-wentz-and-the-eagles-adjusted-accordingly/?ex_cid=538twitter
Reminds me of those early 2000s Miami Hurricanes, AKA the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl roster. Vince Wilfork, DJ Williams, Jonathan Vilma, Antrel Rolle, Sean Taylor on defense, Willis McGahee, Frank Gore, Andre Johnson, Kellen Winslow Jr. on offense.
On a smaller scale, Stephon Gilmore covering Alshon Jeffery every practice for three years at South Carolina--advantage Pats?
Portis, Santana Moss, Ed Reed, Jeremy Shockey...it’s insane.
So, he would prefer the Pats dwell on it? Or worse, be proud of it?
I'm trying to figure out what alternative he's suggesting.
The column is suggesting it's not a surprise a murderer ended up on the Cheatriots. Because the Cheatriots cheat and are likely criminals, so it stands to reason AH would find a happy home there.
I think the Canes were a better team, but that article made me think about the late-2000s Florida Gators, with Joe Haden / Janoris Jenkins / Jermaine Cunningham / Carlos Dunlap / Will Hill / Brandon Spikes on defense, and the Pounceys / Aaron Hernandez / Jordan Reed (as backup QB!) / Percy Harvin / Riley Cooper (okay, and Tebow) on offense
Oh geez, Doug Pederson has Brett Favre lined up to come in on Saturday to talk to the Eagles. Who can Bill bring in? Drew Bledsoe? Wait, we have Tom Fucking Brady. Carry on.
"Just sling it, don't worry if you're trying to put it where it's not wanted. The receiver will totally give in if you just keep whipping it over there."
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