Die Hard Sports Fan

Feel free to rip me a new one in the comments section if you don’t agree but I think this is the perfect time for the Eagles to make a trade.  After 3 weeks, the Eagles have proven that they are a contender.  Unfortunately, in the NFC, the Cowboys, Giants, and Packers also proved they are contenders.  Worse, the Cowboys and Giants are in the same division as the Eagles, the NFC East.  Therefore, every game means something more this year than ever and the window of opportunity is wide open.  With the AFC so far looking like the lower of the two conferences, if the Eagles can make a move, they can further position themselves to win the Super Bowl.

Next year, the Eagles have two first round picks.  One was acquired last year in a draft deal with the Carolina Panthers.  Assuming major injuries can be avoided, the Eagles have the core of players and talent to win now.  There’s no point in keeping both of these two number one picks for next year.  Those picks can certainly help them in the future but it cannot help us win the Super Bowl this year. 

Hurry up and make the phone call to Detroit Lions GM Matt Millen before he is fired.  The Lions have been known to make some bad trades in the past (see Denver trading RB Tatum Bell and OT George Foster for CB Dre Bly as an example).  WR Roy Williams is struggling in Detroit’s new offensive scheme.  He can become a free agent at the end of the season.  With the Lions starting the season 0-3, they might as well blow up the team and get value for what they have now before they lose Williams and get nothing in return.  They would be crazy not too.  Offer a number one pick to Detroit for WR Roy Williams; conditional on him signing a long-term and cap-friendly contract with the Birds.

Yes, I know, receivers take time to learn the West Coast Offense.  Don’t tell rookie sensation WR DeSean Jackson that.  Let’s see how Roy Williams fits in.  Heck, use him as a decoy and let him run fly routes all game long.  Yes, I know, Head Coach Andy Reid insists we are fine with our current core of receivers and he does not value the receiver position as highly as other positions.  Hello Coach Reid.  The one year we had a stud receiver, we lost the Super Bowl by three points!  QB Donovan McNabb had his best year that season.  Can you imagine Roy Williams lining up with a healthy Kevin Curtis, DeSean Jackson, and any other combination of Reggie Brown, Hank Baskett, or Jason Avant?  The formation possibilities would be endless.  Reid could scheme and confuse opposing defenses by sending RB Brian Westbrook in motion, out of the backfield.  Having all these weapons on the field at all times makes it easier for others including Tight End L.J. Smith.  Having all these receiving threats would open up running lanes for Westbrook as the opposing defenses would have to further respect the pass.  It would give McNabb more choices and make the offense more of a threat.  In theory, a better offense gives us a better defense as they would not have that added pressure of keeping opposing offensive teams’ scoring down as they had to do this past Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

There’s no time like the present.  How much longer will the likes of Jon Runyan, Tra Thomas, and Brian Dawkins be around, playing at a high level?  McNabb could be gone after this season.  This city and the fans deserve a championship.  This core group of players on this current team deserves a chance at the Super Bowl.  It is now up to Reid and the front office to pull the trigger and make the move.  After all, half the time, number one picks wind up as busts.  The upside of the trade is worth the risk.  Do it.

With that said, “E-A-G-L-E-S!!  EAGLES!!”

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The Detroit Lions beat the New York Giants by a score of 13-10.

1st Quarter

The Lions won the toss and elected to receive on the opening possession. The Lions were able to get to a manageable 3rd and 3. Kitna rolled right avoiding two sacks to hit Johnson along the right sideline for 44 yards. The Lions ran a few quick plays to pick up a first down and a few yards. On 2nd and 8, Jon Kitna connected with Roy Williams over the middle. Williams avoided a tackle by Johnson for a 20-yard Touch Down to give the Lions a quick 7-0 lead.

The Giants first possession resulted in a Punt.

The Lions second possession resulted in a Punt.

2nd Quarter

The Giants second possession resulted in a 44-yard missed Field Goal Attempt by Tynes.

The Lions third possession resulted in a Punt.

With 7:02 remaining, Wright from shotgun launched the ball to Moss for a 46-yard gain on the right side. On 1st and 10, Wright handed it off to Bradshaw who ran it up the gut for a gain of 3 yards. On 2nd and 7, Wright fired it to Hixon over the middle for a 12-yard gain. On 1st and 10, Wright threw an incomplete sidearm pass to Matthews near the right hashmarks. On 2nd and 10, Wright dropped back a lobbed the ball to the right side of the end zone, and Hixon made the catch but came down with only one foot in bounds. On 3rd and 10, Wright from shotgun threw the pass through the hands of Bradshaw in the middle of the field. On 4th and 10, Lawrence Tynes made a 33-yard Field Goal Attempt making the score Lions 7 - Giants 3.

With 4:50 remaining, Orlovsky on the rollout connected with Bellamy for gain of 5 on the right side. On 2nd and 5, Orlovsky dropped back and made a 10-yard pass to Gaines along the left sideline. On 1st and 10, Orlovsky from shotgun fired it to Bellamy on a slant for 8 yards. On 2nd and 2, Orlovsky handed it off to Smith who ran up the middle for a gain of 4 yards. On 1st and 10, Orlovsky handed it off to Smith who broke right for a 3-yard gain. 2:00 Warning. On 2nd and 7, Orlovsky from shotgun connected with Standeford on the right side for a pickup of 10 yards. On 1st and 10, Orlovsky from shotgun threw it out of bounds. On 2nd and 10, Orlovsky from shotgun fired it to Standeford on the right side for a 9-yard gain. The Lions called a Time Out. On 3rd and 1, Orlovsky handed it off to Smith who ran up the gut for no gain. The Giants called a Time Out. On 4th and 1, Jason Hanson made a 50-yard Field Goal Attempt making the score Lions 10 - Giants 3.

The Giants fourth possession came to an end as Reuben Droughns fumbled the football at the Lions’ 44 yardline and it was recovered by LaMarcus Hicks.

The Lions took a knee to conclude the first half.

Halftime

3rd Quarter

The Giants turned the ball over on downs on their fifth possession at the Lions’ 47 yardline.

The Lions sixth possession resulted in a 37-yard missed Field Goal Attempt by Johnson.

The Giants sixth possession resulted in a Punt.

The Lions seventh possession resulted in a Punt.

The Giants seventh possession resulted in a Punt.

The Lions eighth possession resulted in a Punt.

With 1:27 remaining, Carr handed it off to Ware who ran to the left for a gain of 5. On 2nd and 5, Carr from shotgun fired it to Jennings along the left sideline for a 13-yard gain. On 1st and 10, Carr dropped back and connected with London along the right sideline for a gain of 5.

4th Quarter

On 2nd and 5, Carr handed it off to Ware who ran to the left for a 3-yard gain. On 3rd and 2, Carr fired it to London over the middle who broke tackles and picked up 29 yards. On 1st and 10, Carr handed it off to Ware who broke to the left for a gain of 2. On 2nd and 8, Carr from shotgun handed it off to Ware who got the end zone, but Collins was called for an Illegal Block in the Back penalty to bring it back. On 2nd and 15, Carr from shotgun dumped it to Ware in the middle of the field for a 3-yard gain. On 3rd and 12, David Carr from shotgun drilled it to Craphonso Thorpe at the goalline who broke the plane for a13-yard Touch Down tying the game at 7-7.

The Lions ninth possession resulted in a Punt.

The Giants ninth possession resulted in a Punt.

With 7:49, Stanton ran it himself towards the right side and picked up 7 yards. On 2nd and 3, Stanton handed it off to Pinner who ran to the right for 4 yards. On 1st and 10, Stanton handed it off to Pinner who ran to the left for a gain of 3 yards. On 2nd and 7, Stanton ran it himself and out of bounds after picking up 4 yards. On 3rd and 3, Stanton dropped back and connected with Pinner in the flat who picked up 7 yards. On 1st and 10, Stanton handed it off to Pinner who ran it up the gut for no gain, and Phillips forced a fumble that Blackburn recovered. There was a Coach’s Challenge which overturned the ruling on the field. On 2nd and 10, Stanton from shotgun ran it himself and out of bounds picking up 15 yards. On 1st and 10, Stanton handed it off to Pinner who ran it to the right for a gain of 4. On 2nd and 6, the Lions were called for a False Start penalty which backed them up 5 yards. On 2nd and 11, Stanton handed it off to Pinner who ran it to the right for a 2-yard gain. The Giants called a Time Out. On 3rd and 9, Stanton from shotgun hit Calhoun in the flat for no gain. The Giants called a Time Out. On 4th and 9, Eddie Johnson made a 41-yard Field Goal Attempt giving the Lions a 13-10 lead.

The Giants turned the ball over on downs at the 50 yardline on their tenth possession.

The Lions took a few knees on their eleventh possession to end the game.

The NFL.com Game Center: Post Game is attached.

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The Detroit Lions will be hosting the New York Giants at 7:00 p.m. at Ford Field. The game will be aired on WNBC.

It’s game day folks. Preseason anyway. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Big Blue win Super Bowl XLII. Preseason means absolutely nothing except for the fact that we get to check out the backups and the rookies. It has been amusing watching J-Load run the offense the past few Preseasons, but he has been released. This year, we’ll have to see how Carr, Wright, and Woodson play. Tons of rookies exceeded their expectations in 2007 so we’ll have to see if they can improve upon the success they had last season. Or will they fall into the Sophomore Slump? Plus, there are new rookies to watch like Phillips, Thomas, Manningham, Woodson, etc.

Nobody cares about Detroit. They were hot (6-2) when the Giants played them last year in the Regular Season. The Giants won, and the Lions fell into a tail spin which ultimately made them miss the Playoffs.

PS - Remember this…they went 0-4 when they went to the Super Bowl in 2000, and they were 1-3 in 2007 when they won the Super Bowl. However, the Giants went 4-0 in 2006. Then Giants finished ‘06 with an 8-8 record, and lost to the Eagles in the Wild Card Round.

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So Brian Kelly signed with the Lions and Trent Green is expected to sign with the Rams today.  So the Giants are still searching for another cornerback and a backup quarterback.  You would think that the it would be easier for the Super Bowl champs to fill their needs than teams like the Lions and the Rams.  Both of them are dome teams which I don’t like anyway.  Green already played for the Rams so he might feel comfortable there, but they were 5-11 in 2007.  Both of these teams must be opening their checkbooks for these guys because it makes no sense for a player to choose the Lions or the Rams over the Giants…

New York Daily News:

Tom Coughlin ecstatic about new deal - Ralph Vacchiano got some quotes from Tom Coughlin regarding his new contract.

I was thrilled to become the head coach of the New York Giants in 2004. It would be difficult for me to capture the emotions for the opportunity I was given back in 1988 to be an assistant coach with the Giants. And then to have the opportunity to be the head coach was the fulfillment of a dream of a lifetime.

And now to be able to continue in that capacity - with this organization, with this leadership, with this football team and with my coaching staff in place - is something my family and I are extremely excited about.

At the end of the article, Vacchiano reported that Brian Kelly agreed to terms with the Detroit Lions yesterday.  Trent Green may sign with the St. Louis Rams today.  The Giants were interested in both Kelly and Green, so they can be scratched off the list of available free agents as well.

New York Post:

TWIN PEAKS - Paul Schwartz interviewed David Tyree regarding his twin baby girls, Sophia and Hannah.

KUDOS TO TOM - Paul Schwartz also captured Tom Coughlin’s emotions over the new contract.

The Star-Ledger:

Coughlin contract finally a done deal

Kelly won’t be a Giant

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