Report just coming out via AP that Bill Parcells is retiring, this time probably for good. You can say this about the man, you never really know what he's thinking. Remember how everyone said that the play of Tony Romo energized him this season? Well, didn't play out that way in the end. Romo's bobble in the playoff game against Seattle was probably the cherry on top of a maddeningly inconsistent year for Dallas, fraught with Terrell Owens-led distractions.
The really rotten thing of it all for Dallas is the fact that former Parcells assistant Sean Payton, just coming off a championship game appearance with the Saints, isn't around to fill Parcells' shoes. It'll be interesting to see who they can hire as coach this late in the game. My guess goes to Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera.
Showing posts with label terrell owens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label terrell owens. Show all posts
Monday, January 22, 2007
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Who's the Favorite in the NFC?
Another football Sunday has almost come and gone, and the ever-changing perception of who is the best team in the NFC is as muddled as ever. The Bears seemed to have a strangehold on that title through the first half of the season. Then the Tony Romo-led Cowboys took the NFL by storm for a few weeks, being "annonted" (to the dismay of Bill Parcells) best team in the conference. But as soon as you could say, "How bout them Cowboys," the Saints dismantled Dallas last week in a dominating 42-17 win on the road.
So after this week's games, who's in the driver's seat in the NFC? I'll rank the six teams that currently hold playoff positioning in order of worst chance to advance to the Super Bowl to best:
6. New York Giants: They're currently in the sixth slot in the conference after losing to the Eagles moments ago. If Michael Strahan is able to come back from his injury, it'll be huge for this team, but in the end, the fate of the Giants rests with Eli Manning, and he has yet to inspire any confidence in his late-season play over his three-year career.
5. Seattle Seahawks: Though it's a long-shot, the 'Hawks may yet be left out of the playoffs entirely and lose the division title if they lose their final two games and the 49ers win out. Seattle's been hit hard with injuries to key players this year and currently have no momentum on their side. At this point, this looks like a one-and-done team in the playoffs.
4. Philadelphia Eagles: Speaking of momentum, Philly has a lot of it right now, having won three consecutive games with Jeff Garcia at the helm. Their defense, led by their ferocious secondary, is still as aggressive and opportunistic as ever, and offense has gotten into a real groove recently. The Eagles right now look like a darkhorse that could make a run in the playoffs.
3. New Orleans Saints: The Saints have the advantage of having the best QB in the NFC in Drew Brees, and a multitude of weapons on offense including Reggie Bush, but their run defense remains iffy. They're capable of going all the way, but I have a feeling that the Dallas game might have been the best game they'll play all season, and if they play the Cowboys in the playoffs, you can bet Parcells and company will be ready and angry.
2. Chicago Bears: Based on record, (12-2) you can argue that the Bears actually deserve the mantle of favorites. However, it's been much more of a roller coaster ride than the record indicates. Their biggest wins have come against overrated Seahawks and Giants teams, and they've had to sneak out wins against some of the dregs of the league in Arizona and today against Tampa Bay. Homefield advantage throught will help, but is no guarantee of a Super Bowl berth.
1. Dallas Cowboys: I'm hating myself as I type this, but rationally, I still think that the Cowboys are the most dangerous and most balanced team in the conference. They're as explosive as anyone on offense, and have the ability to get it done on defense. But even they are a flawed team. Their last two opponents, the Falcons and Saints, have hung 28 and 42 points on the defense respectively, and the secondary is prone to getting beat deep. On offense, you never know what you're going to get from Terrell Owens, who could drop an easy pass as easily as he could break a long one for a touchdown. Even so, they're less flawed then their competitors in my opinion, and may have re-established themselves as the NFC favorite with their win over Atlanta last night.
So after this week's games, who's in the driver's seat in the NFC? I'll rank the six teams that currently hold playoff positioning in order of worst chance to advance to the Super Bowl to best:
6. New York Giants: They're currently in the sixth slot in the conference after losing to the Eagles moments ago. If Michael Strahan is able to come back from his injury, it'll be huge for this team, but in the end, the fate of the Giants rests with Eli Manning, and he has yet to inspire any confidence in his late-season play over his three-year career.
5. Seattle Seahawks: Though it's a long-shot, the 'Hawks may yet be left out of the playoffs entirely and lose the division title if they lose their final two games and the 49ers win out. Seattle's been hit hard with injuries to key players this year and currently have no momentum on their side. At this point, this looks like a one-and-done team in the playoffs.
4. Philadelphia Eagles: Speaking of momentum, Philly has a lot of it right now, having won three consecutive games with Jeff Garcia at the helm. Their defense, led by their ferocious secondary, is still as aggressive and opportunistic as ever, and offense has gotten into a real groove recently. The Eagles right now look like a darkhorse that could make a run in the playoffs.
3. New Orleans Saints: The Saints have the advantage of having the best QB in the NFC in Drew Brees, and a multitude of weapons on offense including Reggie Bush, but their run defense remains iffy. They're capable of going all the way, but I have a feeling that the Dallas game might have been the best game they'll play all season, and if they play the Cowboys in the playoffs, you can bet Parcells and company will be ready and angry.2. Chicago Bears: Based on record, (12-2) you can argue that the Bears actually deserve the mantle of favorites. However, it's been much more of a roller coaster ride than the record indicates. Their biggest wins have come against overrated Seahawks and Giants teams, and they've had to sneak out wins against some of the dregs of the league in Arizona and today against Tampa Bay. Homefield advantage throught will help, but is no guarantee of a Super Bowl berth.
1. Dallas Cowboys: I'm hating myself as I type this, but rationally, I still think that the Cowboys are the most dangerous and most balanced team in the conference. They're as explosive as anyone on offense, and have the ability to get it done on defense. But even they are a flawed team. Their last two opponents, the Falcons and Saints, have hung 28 and 42 points on the defense respectively, and the secondary is prone to getting beat deep. On offense, you never know what you're going to get from Terrell Owens, who could drop an easy pass as easily as he could break a long one for a touchdown. Even so, they're less flawed then their competitors in my opinion, and may have re-established themselves as the NFC favorite with their win over Atlanta last night.Saturday, December 16, 2006
NFL Network Needs to Get its Act Together
Tonight was the first time I watched an NFL Network game in a setting where I could hear the play-by-play, and the criticism it has been receiving for its broadcast is warranted. To tick them off:
-Bryant Gumbel is the biggest problem. He's obviously a very knowledgable individual, but that doesn't mean that he knows how to call a football game. There is an air of arrogance to the tone of his voice, a no-no for any play-by-play man, but especially for one who does not have much credibility in the sports world. Adding to that, I lost count of how many times he interrupted the commentators, especially poor Dick Vermeil, who could barely get a couple of thoughts out from his hoarse voice.
-Speaking of Vermeil, why would NFL Network trot him out there to do the game knowing full well that he could barely speak? When it was obvious that his inability to speak was taking away from the quality of the broadcast, he was replaced in the second half by Deion Sanders. What an embarrassing gaffe.
-The halftime show left a lot to be desired. In terms of the physical setup of the halftime commentators, why was Adam Schefter smack in the middle, while former NFL coach Steve Mariucci on the side? Who is Adam Schefter?? Why are you making him the center of attention when you have a former coach who is a lot more recognizable to football fans than Schefter, who comes off as very smug. And did they really need to carry around those big honking microphones with the NFL logo emblazoned on them? It was very distracting, and does the mighty NFL really need more brand reinforcement than it already has?
-Aside from that, the content of the halftime show was weak too - too much empty analysis of the first half with no real insight. If you have that much time to fill, at least have a feature to show, like an interview, or something. Change it up a little!
The one bright spot I have to say was Deion Sanders. While he's not the next John Madden, he provided some real thoughtful insight during the second half, particularly when talking about how Marion Barber should be getting more carries than Julius Jones. And when the commentators (Rich Eisen, Mariucci, and Sanders) interviewed Terrell Owens in the post-game show, Sanders wasn't afraid to confront T.O. about his spitting into DeAngelo Hall's face during the game. Owens tried to brush off the initial question from Sanders and treat the incident like it was nothing, but Deion pressed on, essentially scolding him for his actions. Good for him - Deion's probably one of the few people with the credibility to get into T.O.'s face like that on national TV, and he took advantage of it.
Next time, I'll turn the sound down and just listen to the radio.
-Bryant Gumbel is the biggest problem. He's obviously a very knowledgable individual, but that doesn't mean that he knows how to call a football game. There is an air of arrogance to the tone of his voice, a no-no for any play-by-play man, but especially for one who does not have much credibility in the sports world. Adding to that, I lost count of how many times he interrupted the commentators, especially poor Dick Vermeil, who could barely get a couple of thoughts out from his hoarse voice.
-Speaking of Vermeil, why would NFL Network trot him out there to do the game knowing full well that he could barely speak? When it was obvious that his inability to speak was taking away from the quality of the broadcast, he was replaced in the second half by Deion Sanders. What an embarrassing gaffe.
-The halftime show left a lot to be desired. In terms of the physical setup of the halftime commentators, why was Adam Schefter smack in the middle, while former NFL coach Steve Mariucci on the side? Who is Adam Schefter?? Why are you making him the center of attention when you have a former coach who is a lot more recognizable to football fans than Schefter, who comes off as very smug. And did they really need to carry around those big honking microphones with the NFL logo emblazoned on them? It was very distracting, and does the mighty NFL really need more brand reinforcement than it already has?
-Aside from that, the content of the halftime show was weak too - too much empty analysis of the first half with no real insight. If you have that much time to fill, at least have a feature to show, like an interview, or something. Change it up a little!
The one bright spot I have to say was Deion Sanders. While he's not the next John Madden, he provided some real thoughtful insight during the second half, particularly when talking about how Marion Barber should be getting more carries than Julius Jones. And when the commentators (Rich Eisen, Mariucci, and Sanders) interviewed Terrell Owens in the post-game show, Sanders wasn't afraid to confront T.O. about his spitting into DeAngelo Hall's face during the game. Owens tried to brush off the initial question from Sanders and treat the incident like it was nothing, but Deion pressed on, essentially scolding him for his actions. Good for him - Deion's probably one of the few people with the credibility to get into T.O.'s face like that on national TV, and he took advantage of it.
Next time, I'll turn the sound down and just listen to the radio.
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