There is nothing new to report
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
FLYERS NEWS
Sergei Bobrovsky got his first start in goal in a while and was brilliant stopping 38 of the 40 shots he faced and held the Buffalo Sabres scoreless on 2 power plays. Meanwhile all star snub Danny Briere led an offensive barage with a goal and 3 assists. Scott Hartnell also had 2 goals and an assist and Kimmo Timonen had 2 assists as well. So all in all, though not their best, it was a solid team effort all around by the Orange and Black.
Early on Buffalo actually led 2-0 before Briere and Timonen teamed up to setup Hartnell on the power play to cut it to 2-1. Late in the 2nd period Timonen assisted Briere to knot it up at 2. The 3rd period then belonged to the Flyers. First Briere and Hartnell setup Ville Leino to make it 3-2. Mike Richards followed with an unassisted tally to make it to 4-2. Finally Briere setup Hartnell for an empty netter to cap off a 5-2 win.
Early on Buffalo actually led 2-0 before Briere and Timonen teamed up to setup Hartnell on the power play to cut it to 2-1. Late in the 2nd period Timonen assisted Briere to knot it up at 2. The 3rd period then belonged to the Flyers. First Briere and Hartnell setup Ville Leino to make it 3-2. Mike Richards followed with an unassisted tally to make it to 4-2. Finally Briere setup Hartnell for an empty netter to cap off a 5-2 win.
SIXERS NEWS
Despite the return of Andre Iguodala to the lineup the Sixers continued to struggle a bit defensively, as they allowed the Indiana Pacers to shoot 51% from the floor and 50% from beyond. You're just not going to win very often when you let your opponent do that to you. Offensively, things were fine as 7 Sixers scored in double figures and the team shot 47% from the field. Jrue Holiday led the way with 19 and 8 assists, Elton was close behind with 18, Evan Turner and Mo Speights both chipped in with 14, while Jodie Meeks drilled 3 treys and wound up with 13 and Thad Young and Lou Williams both had 12. It all went for naught though as the Sixer's defense failed to hold up down the stretch.
It was a tight affair in the first half with Indiana taking a 4 point lead after the 1st quarter and an 8 point lead at the half. Finally in the 3rd quarter the Sixers rallied back to cut the lead to 3 heading into the 4th quarter. After that the Sixers at one point surged ahead by 5 and looked primed for another big win at home. Unfortunately it was not to be on this night. The Sixers went pretty cold the rest of the way and couldn't make stops defensively. They hung in there for a while but eventually Indiana pulled away and won by 8, 111-103.
It was a tight affair in the first half with Indiana taking a 4 point lead after the 1st quarter and an 8 point lead at the half. Finally in the 3rd quarter the Sixers rallied back to cut the lead to 3 heading into the 4th quarter. After that the Sixers at one point surged ahead by 5 and looked primed for another big win at home. Unfortunately it was not to be on this night. The Sixers went pretty cold the rest of the way and couldn't make stops defensively. They hung in there for a while but eventually Indiana pulled away and won by 8, 111-103.
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils traded minor league lefty reliever Sergio Escalona to Astros today for minor league 2nd baseman Albert Cartwright. Escalona was never that great a prospect and couldn't seem to stay healthy so this isn't a surprise. Also the Phils now have J.C Romero back and clearly have some confidence in Antonio Bastardo, so they didn't really need Escalona anymore anyway. As for Cartwright, he's a decent prospect and could be perhaps a solid utility man in time or who knows maybe he'll be a diamond in the rough.
EAGLES NEWS
The Eagles have already started their off season, signing free agent WR Sinorice Moss today. Moss, younger brother of Santana Moss, is a former top pick of the Giants who has yet to materialize into the big play threat everyone thought he would be coming out of college. Who knows, maybe he'll become something for the Eagles.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Sunday, January 09, 2011
EAGLES NEWS
It's been a wild up and down season for the Birds thus far. No one expected at the beginning of the season that it would culminate in a wild card playoff game at the Linc today. After all this was supposed to be a rebuilding year. Then Mike Vick was inserted as the starting QB and suddenly the Birds were super bowl contenders which makes what happened today against Green Bay all the tougher to swallow. The Eagles simply weren't as effective as they needed to be on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Vick was close to his usual self, throwing for 292 yards and a TD and running for 32 yards and another TD. Other than that there wasn't much like. Jason Avant did catch 7 passes for 93 yards and a TD, and Jeremy Maclin had 3 catches for 73 yards, but Desean Jackson had just 2 catches for 47 yards and Lesean McCoy managed just 46 yards on 12 carries. Meanwhile the Eagle's defense did hold Aaron Rodgers just 180 yards passing and Greg Jennings to just 1 catch for 8 yards, but rookie RB James Starks ran 23 times for 123 yards and that proved to be the difference.
Early on it was all Green Bay as David Akers missed a field goal Rodgers marched the Packers to 2 TDs for a 14-0 lead with 5 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. Finally with a minute left in the quarter Akers drilled a 29 yard field goal to make it 14-3 at the half. Early in the 3rd quarter the Birds took advantage of a Rodgers' fumble as Vick found Avant from 24 yards out to cut it to 14-10. After the Eagle's defense succumbed to another long Packer drive, resulting in another TD and a 21-10 deficit. After another miss by Akers, the Eagles finally put a drive together as Vick marched them 75 yards in 13 plays before plunging in himself from a yard out, cutting the lead to 21-16 after a missed 2 point conversion. The Eagles actually held on 3rd and short after that and had the ball in Vick's hands with about a minute to play and a chance to win. After starting at their own 34, Vick took the Birds down to the Green Bay 27, where they had 1st and 10 with 44 seconds left. Rather than downing the ball there and wasting play Vick decided to take a shot down field and was intercepted in the end zone by Tramond Williams. That was it, season over and super bowl dreams crushed again.
Early on it was all Green Bay as David Akers missed a field goal Rodgers marched the Packers to 2 TDs for a 14-0 lead with 5 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. Finally with a minute left in the quarter Akers drilled a 29 yard field goal to make it 14-3 at the half. Early in the 3rd quarter the Birds took advantage of a Rodgers' fumble as Vick found Avant from 24 yards out to cut it to 14-10. After the Eagle's defense succumbed to another long Packer drive, resulting in another TD and a 21-10 deficit. After another miss by Akers, the Eagles finally put a drive together as Vick marched them 75 yards in 13 plays before plunging in himself from a yard out, cutting the lead to 21-16 after a missed 2 point conversion. The Eagles actually held on 3rd and short after that and had the ball in Vick's hands with about a minute to play and a chance to win. After starting at their own 34, Vick took the Birds down to the Green Bay 27, where they had 1st and 10 with 44 seconds left. Rather than downing the ball there and wasting play Vick decided to take a shot down field and was intercepted in the end zone by Tramond Williams. That was it, season over and super bowl dreams crushed again.
Saturday, January 08, 2011
SIXERS NEWS
Following their big win over the Bulls last night the Sixers traveled to Detroit to begin a run of 4 straight games against teams with losing records, with a match up against the Pistons. If you look at the offensive side of the stat sheet for this one you'd think the Sixers won easily. 7 Sixers scored in double figures, as Evan Turner's 19, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists led the way. Meanwhile, Elton Brand put up 17 and 14 rebounds, Jrue Holiday posted 15 and 12 assists, Jodie Meeks drilled 2 treys and wound up with 11, and off the bench along with Turner, Lou Williams chipped in with 14, and 5 assists, and Mo Speights contributed 10 and 7 rebounds. Unfortunately as good their O was the D, still without Andre Iguodala, was that bad. It was particularly bad from beyond the arc where Detroit shot 53%. One other area where the Sixers had problems was the free throw line where they really killed themselves by shooting 69%. One or two more made free throws and things might have different here.
The Sixers really lit it up early as they jumped out to a 34-30 lead through 1 quarter of play. The Sixers maintained their 4 point lead after a tough 2nd quarter. After an equally rough 3rd quarter the Sixers remained ahead by 3 heading into the 4th quarter. They stayed ahead throughout 4th quarter, even pulling ahead by 5 at one point, but they just couldn't put the Pistons away. Finally it got down to the final 6 seconds with the Sixers up 3 and Lou at the line. Sadly he missed two free throws and Austin Daye somehow slipped open to hit a game tying trey with 4 seconds left. The Sixers followed with a timeout but couldn't get off a shot before the end of regulation. In overtime the Sixers, playing on back to back nights, seemed to run out of gas. However, just when all hope seemed lost, with the Sixers down 110-103 and only 22 seconds left, they nearly rallied back. Back to back treys by Turner and Meeks and 2 missed free throws by Tayshaun Prince suddenly cut the lead 110-109. After Rodney Stuckey finally did hit a couple at the line, Meeks missed a trey at the buzzer and the dropped another heartbreaker on the road, 112-109.
The Sixers really lit it up early as they jumped out to a 34-30 lead through 1 quarter of play. The Sixers maintained their 4 point lead after a tough 2nd quarter. After an equally rough 3rd quarter the Sixers remained ahead by 3 heading into the 4th quarter. They stayed ahead throughout 4th quarter, even pulling ahead by 5 at one point, but they just couldn't put the Pistons away. Finally it got down to the final 6 seconds with the Sixers up 3 and Lou at the line. Sadly he missed two free throws and Austin Daye somehow slipped open to hit a game tying trey with 4 seconds left. The Sixers followed with a timeout but couldn't get off a shot before the end of regulation. In overtime the Sixers, playing on back to back nights, seemed to run out of gas. However, just when all hope seemed lost, with the Sixers down 110-103 and only 22 seconds left, they nearly rallied back. Back to back treys by Turner and Meeks and 2 missed free throws by Tayshaun Prince suddenly cut the lead 110-109. After Rodney Stuckey finally did hit a couple at the line, Meeks missed a trey at the buzzer and the dropped another heartbreaker on the road, 112-109.
FLYERS NEWS
The followed an easy win over the Devils at New Jersey on Friday with a more typical boring win over Devils this afternoon in Philly. The Flyers certainly didn't play their best in this contest but they did more than enough against the struggling Devils. They did allow 35 shots on goal, but Brian Boucher was brilliant in stopping 34 of them. The Orange and Black also did a good job penalty killing, holding New Jersey scoreless on 4 power plays, while going 1 for 6 on their power plays themselves. Against the disgrace that has become the New Jersey Devils, that little bit of an effort was enough to come out on top.
It was all Flyers on early on Jeff Carter setup James Van Reimsdyk for a 1-0 lead 8 minutes into the contest. Just 6 minutes after that Claude Giroux and Kimmo Timonen teamed up to setup Danny Briere for a power play goal to make it 2-0. That was last straw for Johan Hedberg who was promptly pulled in favor of Marty Brodeur. Brodeur kept the Flyers scoreless the rest of the way, but the Devils could manage only Andy Greene's unassisted tally halfway through the 2nd period. The Brilliant play of Boucher shut them down from there and preserved the 2-1 win. With the win the Flyers move to 57 points overall and ascend back to the top of the Eastern conference and the Atlantic division.
It was all Flyers on early on Jeff Carter setup James Van Reimsdyk for a 1-0 lead 8 minutes into the contest. Just 6 minutes after that Claude Giroux and Kimmo Timonen teamed up to setup Danny Briere for a power play goal to make it 2-0. That was last straw for Johan Hedberg who was promptly pulled in favor of Marty Brodeur. Brodeur kept the Flyers scoreless the rest of the way, but the Devils could manage only Andy Greene's unassisted tally halfway through the 2nd period. The Brilliant play of Boucher shut them down from there and preserved the 2-1 win. With the win the Flyers move to 57 points overall and ascend back to the top of the Eastern conference and the Atlantic division.
Friday, January 07, 2011
SIXERS NEWS
Losing to a team by 45 points doesn't exactly inspire the confidence that you can beat them the next time they're on schedule. Yet, the Sixer's actually believed they could when the Chicago Bulls came to the Wells Fargo center tonight and boy did they. For the 2nd straight night they shot over 50% from the field, as Jodie Meeks found his stroke again, at least for one night, drilling 4 threes and dropping a Sixer high 24. Meanwhile, Jrue Holiday continued to light it up with 19 and 6 assists, Elton Brand had 11 and 8 rebounds, Andres Nocioni had 11, and Lou Williams had another big 20 points off the bench. Once again the Sixer D wasn't great, as Chicago shot over 50% also, but it was effective, racking up 8 steals and 3 blocks, while forcing 15 turnovers. Ultimately, Derick Rose, Carlos Boozer, and Luol Deng all got theirs, with 27, 31, and 22 respectively, but they were the only Bulls who did. No other Bull scored over 7 points, and that was really the difference.
Both teams were on fire in the first half as they combined for 110 points. Chicago was just a touch better, as they took a 56-54 lead into the half. The Sixers then exploded in the 3rd quarter, outscoring Chicago 32-18 as Meeks got hot. So by the 4th quarter the Sixers led by 12 and appeared on their way to victory. However, like the Sixers, Chicago is a team that does not quit and they didn't tonight. In fact they got the Sixers to essentially bend under the pressure of the final minutes, as they rallied to within 3, with 38 seconds left. The Sixers then missed their next shot, but the former Bull, Andres Nociono, who broke his finger in the first half, came up with the huge rebound. He then sunk two free throws and that finally broke the Chicago momentum. Another Nocioni free throw and a couple Chicago misses later, and the Sixers had held on for a confidence building 105-99 win. With the win they move 15-21 overall and stay 8th in the Eastern conference. With an easy schedule coming up they now have the opportunity to reel off several wins in a row and should stay in 8th for a while. Go Sixers!
Both teams were on fire in the first half as they combined for 110 points. Chicago was just a touch better, as they took a 56-54 lead into the half. The Sixers then exploded in the 3rd quarter, outscoring Chicago 32-18 as Meeks got hot. So by the 4th quarter the Sixers led by 12 and appeared on their way to victory. However, like the Sixers, Chicago is a team that does not quit and they didn't tonight. In fact they got the Sixers to essentially bend under the pressure of the final minutes, as they rallied to within 3, with 38 seconds left. The Sixers then missed their next shot, but the former Bull, Andres Nociono, who broke his finger in the first half, came up with the huge rebound. He then sunk two free throws and that finally broke the Chicago momentum. Another Nocioni free throw and a couple Chicago misses later, and the Sixers had held on for a confidence building 105-99 win. With the win they move 15-21 overall and stay 8th in the Eastern conference. With an easy schedule coming up they now have the opportunity to reel off several wins in a row and should stay in 8th for a while. Go Sixers!
Thursday, January 06, 2011
FLYERS NEWS
The Flyers finally finished off their 5 game post holiday road trip tonight in New Jersey. After going 2-2 on the west coast portion of the trip, the Flyers needed this one to finish the trip above water. The Devils have really struggled all season and tonight wasn't much different. Scott Hartnell and Danny Briere each had 2 goals, while Ville Leino racked up 3 assists, and Matt Carle had 2 assists as well, to pace the Flyer offense. Defensively, the Orange and Black were pretty good as well, holding the Devils to just 20 shots on goal and 1 power play which they failed to score on.
Shockingly, New Jersey actually had the early 1-0 lead after the 1st period. It was still 1-0 with a little over 4 minutes left in the 2nd period when Carle and Leino teamed up to setup Hartnell to tie it up at 1. A couple minutes later New Jersey went up 2-1, before Leino teamed up with Kimmo Timonen to setup Hartnell again for the 2-2 tie. Early in the 3rd period Leino and Carle teamed up, this time to setup Briere, to put the Flyers up 3-2. Later with about 9 and a half minutes to play Briere scored unassisted for a 4-2 and that was about all she wrote. The Flyer defense and Brian Boucher, who saved 18 of 20, held off the Devils from there for the 4-2 win.
Shockingly, New Jersey actually had the early 1-0 lead after the 1st period. It was still 1-0 with a little over 4 minutes left in the 2nd period when Carle and Leino teamed up to setup Hartnell to tie it up at 1. A couple minutes later New Jersey went up 2-1, before Leino teamed up with Kimmo Timonen to setup Hartnell again for the 2-2 tie. Early in the 3rd period Leino and Carle teamed up, this time to setup Briere, to put the Flyers up 3-2. Later with about 9 and a half minutes to play Briere scored unassisted for a 4-2 and that was about all she wrote. The Flyer defense and Brian Boucher, who saved 18 of 20, held off the Devils from there for the 4-2 win.
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils had a busy day today. They finalized their deal with J.C Romero for 1 year and $1.35 million. Meanwhile, they also added 7 more players to their spring training roster, pitcher Brian Bass, infielder Robb Quinlan, infielder-outfielder Delwyn Young, catchers Tuffy Gosewich and Joel Naughton, and relief pitchers Micheal Schwimer and Micheal Stutes.
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
SIXERS NEWS
After just one day of rest following a grueling 8 game road trip, thanks again NBA scheduling people, the Sixers returned the court tonight at the Wells Fargo center. Fortunately, the Washington Wizards, the only NBA team that hasn't won a road game yet this season, were the visitors. Still, the last two meetings between these teams ended in heartbreak for the Sixers, so ,tired or not, they could not afford to take this one lightly and they didn't. With revenge on his mind, Jrue Holiday lit up the Wizards with 26 and 9 assists. Meanwhile, Elton Brand put up 17 and 6 rebounds, Andres Nocioni had 10 and 10 rebounds, and off the bench Lou Williams pumped in 26 of his own and Thad Young chipped in with 11. The Sixers were impressive overall as well, shooting 56% from the field, and 44% from beyond the arc. Defensively, the Sixers weren't great but they did more than enough against the lowly Wizards, out rebounding them 40-35 and forcing 12 turnovers.
The Sixers came out firing, taking a 3 point lead after a quarter of play. Washington bounced back in the 2nd quarter and actually took a 2 point lead into the half. The Sixers heated up again in the 3rd quarter as they rallied back ahead by 1. Finally in the 4th quarter, despite the exhaustion they must have been feeling, the Sixers put together one final push, outscoring the Wizards 33-22, and turning their 1 point lead into an easy 12 point win, 109-97. With the win the Sixers go to 14-21 overall and into 8th in the Eastern conference.
The Sixers came out firing, taking a 3 point lead after a quarter of play. Washington bounced back in the 2nd quarter and actually took a 2 point lead into the half. The Sixers heated up again in the 3rd quarter as they rallied back ahead by 1. Finally in the 4th quarter, despite the exhaustion they must have been feeling, the Sixers put together one final push, outscoring the Wizards 33-22, and turning their 1 point lead into an easy 12 point win, 109-97. With the win the Sixers go to 14-21 overall and into 8th in the Eastern conference.
EAGLES NEWS
The Eagles have signed RB Martell Mallet to their practice squad to replace Joique Bell who was signed away by the desperate Saints, following injuries to Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas.
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Monday, January 03, 2011
SIXERS NEWS
The Sixers finally finished off their long road trip in New Orleans tonight for a matchup with the Hornets. The last time these two teams met, the Hornets were god awful from the field and the Sixers took advantage to blow them out. Unfortunately things were a little different in this one. New Orleans was not quite as bad from the field, shooting about 45%, while tired Sixers, playing on back to back nights, struggled mightily at just 34% from the field and 21% from beyond the arc. It's shame too because if they had been just a little fresher, they probably would have won. That would have been mostly thanks to their defense which limited CP3 to just 15 points, and forced 11 Hornets turnovers, while losing the ball just 8 times themselves. They even out rebounded the Hornets, 44-41, and that's with starting center Spencer Hawes out for the night. So their were definitely chances for the Sixers to win this one, they just didn't have enough left in the tank to take advantage.
Early on the Sixers actually shot well, as they raced ahead by as many 8 points in the 1st quarter, before needing Evan Turner to drill a long 3 at the buzzer to preserve a 3 point lead through 1. The Sixers started to go cold after that and were down 3 by halftime. They stayed cold in the 3rd quarter and by the 4th quarter the 3 point deficit had turned into a 10 point deficit. Still the Sixers did not give up. After falling behind by as many 14, they rallied back late in the 4th and pulled to within 3 with 2:45 left. Things stayed tight the rest of the way but the Sixers just couldn't get over the hump, before falling 84-77. Oh well, at least they finally get to go home now.
Early on the Sixers actually shot well, as they raced ahead by as many 8 points in the 1st quarter, before needing Evan Turner to drill a long 3 at the buzzer to preserve a 3 point lead through 1. The Sixers started to go cold after that and were down 3 by halftime. They stayed cold in the 3rd quarter and by the 4th quarter the 3 point deficit had turned into a 10 point deficit. Still the Sixers did not give up. After falling behind by as many 14, they rallied back late in the 4th and pulled to within 3 with 2:45 left. Things stayed tight the rest of the way but the Sixers just couldn't get over the hump, before falling 84-77. Oh well, at least they finally get to go home now.
FLYERS NEWS
The Flyers have placed Micheal Leighton on waivers. If he clears waivers he'll head back to the Phantoms for seasoning. In his only appearance thus far this season Leighton clearly looked shaky and rusty all at same time. The Flyers also really couldn't afford to continue on with 3 goalies on the roster. So ultimately this is probably a smart move by the Orange and Black.
Sunday, January 02, 2011
FLYERS NEWS
Considering their struggles on their current west coast trip, the last thing to be expected out of the Flyers was a win in Deroit, a place they where they hadn't won in 22 years. Tonight was different though. the Orange and Black finally woke up again on defense, holding the lethal Wings to just 27 shots on goal and just 1 of 3 on the power play. Equally as impressive, was the play of Brian Boucher who saved 25 of the 27 shots he faced to help the lead the Flyers to the win. Meanwhile, the Flyer's offense was a true team effort with goals by 3 different Flyers, and points by 9 different players, just sort of attack they put forth early in the season ,when no one could touch them and a very good sign moving forward.
Incredibly, despite all the talent on the ice, neither team scored in the first period. The 2nd period belonged to the Orange and Black. Only 51 seconds into the period, Mike Richards and Andreas Nodl setup James Van Reimsdyk for a 1-0 lead. Only 5 minutes after that Andrej Meszaros and Matt Carle to assist Dan Carcillo on his 1st goal in some time for a 2-0 lead. Finally with about 5 minutes left to play, Danny Briere and Sean O' donnell setup Scott Hartnell for a 3-0 lead. Detroit rallied back in the 3rd period as they things briefly began to unravel for the Flyers, but Boucher held firm through it all and just 5 saves later the Flyers had hung on for a big 3-2 win.
Incredibly, despite all the talent on the ice, neither team scored in the first period. The 2nd period belonged to the Orange and Black. Only 51 seconds into the period, Mike Richards and Andreas Nodl setup James Van Reimsdyk for a 1-0 lead. Only 5 minutes after that Andrej Meszaros and Matt Carle to assist Dan Carcillo on his 1st goal in some time for a 2-0 lead. Finally with about 5 minutes left to play, Danny Briere and Sean O' donnell setup Scott Hartnell for a 3-0 lead. Detroit rallied back in the 3rd period as they things briefly began to unravel for the Flyers, but Boucher held firm through it all and just 5 saves later the Flyers had hung on for a big 3-2 win.
EAGLES NEWS
With nothing to play for this afternoon the Eagles did the smart thing and rested their starters as they completed their regular season by hosting the Dallas Cowboys. Despite featuring their backups against the Cowboy's starters, it was the Eagles who actually seemed like the better team on the field for most of the evening. Unfortunately they just came up a little short at the end. Despite running for his life most of the game Kevin Kolb still managed to throw for 162 yards and a TD, but he was intercepted 3 times, which hurt. Meanwhile, Jerome Harrison rushed 21 times for 99 yards, and Chad Hall caught 6 of Kolb's 18 completions for 84 yards and a TD. Other than that the Eagle's offense consisted mostly of Kolb getting sacked or throwing the ball away in frustration. That happens a lot when you have backup tight ends and lineman trying to stop Demarcus Ware. The Eagles backup defense actually looked better in this one then their starting defense has looked recently. They allotted Dallas just 1 TD all day and held them to just 5 of 16 on 3rd down conversions. They were solid against the run and the pass and came within a minute and a half of carrying the Eagles to a win.
Early in the 2nd quarter Kolb connected with Hall from yards out for an early 7-0 lead. It looked for all intentions from there that the Birds would maintain their 7-0 lead at the half, as both teams struggled to move the ball on offense. Just when the Eagles looked poised to maybe extend their lead at the half Kolb was stripped by Ware who went 17 yards the other way to knot things up at 7. That remained the score into the 4th quarter as the two teams continued to struggle. Finally, early in the 4th the Birds got in field goal and David Akers drilled a 43 yard attempt to make it 10-7. Then about halfway though the period, following a long Kolb completion to Chad Hall, the Eagles settled on another field goal, this one just 22 yards out, to make it 13-7. It looked that might be enough as the Eagle's defense continued to swarm, but they ran out of gas at the end and with 55 seconds left in regulation, McGee found Jason Witten from 4 yards out to seal a 14-13 Cowboy win. If this game had mean something, it would have been a blowout win for the Birds, instead the loss drops them to 10-6 overall and they will now host the Green Bay Packers next week.
Early in the 2nd quarter Kolb connected with Hall from yards out for an early 7-0 lead. It looked for all intentions from there that the Birds would maintain their 7-0 lead at the half, as both teams struggled to move the ball on offense. Just when the Eagles looked poised to maybe extend their lead at the half Kolb was stripped by Ware who went 17 yards the other way to knot things up at 7. That remained the score into the 4th quarter as the two teams continued to struggle. Finally, early in the 4th the Birds got in field goal and David Akers drilled a 43 yard attempt to make it 10-7. Then about halfway though the period, following a long Kolb completion to Chad Hall, the Eagles settled on another field goal, this one just 22 yards out, to make it 13-7. It looked that might be enough as the Eagle's defense continued to swarm, but they ran out of gas at the end and with 55 seconds left in regulation, McGee found Jason Witten from 4 yards out to seal a 14-13 Cowboy win. If this game had mean something, it would have been a blowout win for the Birds, instead the loss drops them to 10-6 overall and they will now host the Green Bay Packers next week.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
SIXERS NEWS
The Sixers continued their road trip in L.A tonight with a matchup against the Lakers. Like the last meeting between these two teams in Philly, the Sixers were close to upending the defending champions but came up just a little short. Offensively, they had another good night, despite being bothered by the Laker's size which pretty much kept Elton Brand. Still Andres Nocioni, had 13 and 8 rebounds, Jrue Holiday had team high 19 and 11 assists, and off the bench, Evan Turner had 12 and 6 rebounds, Thad Young had 14 and 5 rebounds, and Lou Williams had 18. Unfortunately with Andre Iguodala again sitting out, it was at the defensive where the Sixers truly came up short. With Iggy on the court in the Philly, Kobe had just 9 points, tonight with no Iggy, he had 33 points and proved to be the difference in a tight contest as Lakers shot over 50% from the field.
The opening quarter belonged to the Lakers who used their good shooting to cruise to 10 point lead heading into the 2nd. In the 2nd quarter the Sixers toughened up a bit, but it could close the gap to 8 at the half. Things stayed tight in the 3rd quarter as the Lakers maintained a 9 point advantage heading into the 4th quarter. At one point the advantage was up to 11 in the 4th quarter, but as been the case all season, the Sixers would not go away. With 1:33 to play they had erased the deficit and tied thing up at 98. Kobe drilled a fadeaway after that to make it 100-98. The Sixers had 4 chances to answer after that but Turner missed a trey with a minute left, Young followed with a hook shot that was blocked with 57 seconds left, Holiday missed a trey with 8 seconds left, and finally Lou Williams missed a trey with 4 seconds left. After all that Kobe calmly sunk two free throws and the Lakers held on to win 102-98.
The opening quarter belonged to the Lakers who used their good shooting to cruise to 10 point lead heading into the 2nd. In the 2nd quarter the Sixers toughened up a bit, but it could close the gap to 8 at the half. Things stayed tight in the 3rd quarter as the Lakers maintained a 9 point advantage heading into the 4th quarter. At one point the advantage was up to 11 in the 4th quarter, but as been the case all season, the Sixers would not go away. With 1:33 to play they had erased the deficit and tied thing up at 98. Kobe drilled a fadeaway after that to make it 100-98. The Sixers had 4 chances to answer after that but Turner missed a trey with a minute left, Young followed with a hook shot that was blocked with 57 seconds left, Holiday missed a trey with 8 seconds left, and finally Lou Williams missed a trey with 4 seconds left. After all that Kobe calmly sunk two free throws and the Lakers held on to win 102-98.
FLYERS NEWS
The Flyer's defense collapsed again tonight Anaheim as the Ducks to it to them for their 3rd loss in 4 games. They allowed 37 shots on net, and far too many of them where from point blank range with nothing in front of the net but the goalie, and you just can't be successful when that keeps happening. Sergei Bobrovsky also continued to struggle along with defense, allowing all 5 Anaheim goals. At the same time, the explosive offense from the win over the Kings, wasn't there tonight as the Orange and Black went back to being scoreless on the power play. They did manage a couple goals later in the contest, to make things interesting, but that was all they did.
Just 6 minutes into the 2nd period the Orange and Black were down 3-0, but they didn't quit. A few minutes later, Jeff Carter and Matt Carle setup Andreas Nodl to cut it to 2-1. Then a few minutes into the 3rd period Carter scored unassisted to cut it to 3-2. Unfortunately that was as close as the Flyers would get. A couple minutes later Bobby Ryan made it 4-2 Ducks and then with about 4 minutes to play, Lubomir Visnovsky made it 5-2 Ducks and that was that.
Just 6 minutes into the 2nd period the Orange and Black were down 3-0, but they didn't quit. A few minutes later, Jeff Carter and Matt Carle setup Andreas Nodl to cut it to 2-1. Then a few minutes into the 3rd period Carter scored unassisted to cut it to 3-2. Unfortunately that was as close as the Flyers would get. A couple minutes later Bobby Ryan made it 4-2 Ducks and then with about 4 minutes to play, Lubomir Visnovsky made it 5-2 Ducks and that was that.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
FLYERS NEWS
After back to back embarrassing losses Peter Laviolette switched up the Flyer's top 2 lines to try to wake the team up tonight against the L.A Kings. Jeff Carter centered Andreas Nodl and Ville Leino, while Mike Richards teamed up with Danny Briere and James Van Reimsdyk. It worked offensively, as they exploded for 7 goals, including 2 on the power play, on just 28 shots. In all, Mike Richards had 2 goals and 2 assists, Danny Briere had a goal and an assist, Jeff Carter had a goal and an assist, James Van Reimsdyk had a goal and an assist, and Claude Giroux had 3 assists. They continued to struggle defensively though, and that's despite the season debut of Micheal Leighton who looked a little rusty in allowing 4 goals, 2 of them weak. The last 2 goals weren't really his fault though, just poor defense by the Orange and Black while protecting a lead.
The Flyers trailed early 1-0, before Richards setup Briere to tie it up. Down 2 -1 later in the period, the Flyers knotted it up again when Giroux setup Richards. Finally early in the 2nd Giroux and Scott Hartnell teamed up to put the Orange and Black ahead 3-2. A minute later Van Reimsdyk and Briere setup Richards again for a 4-2 lead. Later in the period after L.A had cut the lead to 4-3, Richards and Giroux setup Carter on the power play for a 5-3 lead. A few minutes later JVR scored another power play goal unassisted for a 6-3 lead. Still L.A fought back to cut the lead to 6-4 heading into the 3rd period. Halfway through the 3rd period Carter assisted Leino to make it 7-4 and that was finally too much for the Kings t0 overcome as Leighton shut them down the rest of the way.
The Flyers trailed early 1-0, before Richards setup Briere to tie it up. Down 2 -1 later in the period, the Flyers knotted it up again when Giroux setup Richards. Finally early in the 2nd Giroux and Scott Hartnell teamed up to put the Orange and Black ahead 3-2. A minute later Van Reimsdyk and Briere setup Richards again for a 4-2 lead. Later in the period after L.A had cut the lead to 4-3, Richards and Giroux setup Carter on the power play for a 5-3 lead. A few minutes later JVR scored another power play goal unassisted for a 6-3 lead. Still L.A fought back to cut the lead to 6-4 heading into the 3rd period. Halfway through the 3rd period Carter assisted Leino to make it 7-4 and that was finally too much for the Kings t0 overcome as Leighton shut them down the rest of the way.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
SIXERS NEWS
The Sixers continued their road trip in Phoenix tonight against the new look Suns. Most nights the Sixers rely on their defense to keep things close and then they try to pull it out at the end. Tonight was not one of those nights. The defense was okay in this one and that's really all it needed to be in an old fashioned shootout. It simply came down who got the most shots and who made the most. On the both counts it was the Sixers who out rebounded the Suns 46-31, and shot 54% from the field, while the Suns hit just 49% of their field goal attempts. In all, 7 Sixers scored in double figures as the team exploded for a season best 123 points, and that's with Andre Iguodala in street clothes. Jrue Holiday led the way with 25 and 7 assists, while Andres Nocioni, who started in place of Iggy, had 22 and 12 rebounds, Elton Brand had 16 and 7 rebounds, Spencer Hawes had 10 and 11 rebounds, and off the bench Thad Young had 15 and 8 rebounds, Lou Williams had 10, and Evan Turner had his best night as a pro with 23 and 5 rebounds.
Neither team could miss early on as the teams combined for 68 points in the first quarter and the Suns grabbed a 35-33 lead. In the 2nd quarter the two teams racked up another 63 points but it was the Sixers who grabbed a 1 point halftime lead. In the 3rd quarter the Sixers finally slowed things done and used solid defense to take a 6 point lead into the 4th quarter. It was more of the same in the 4th quarter as the Sixers used some defense to extend to a 13 point lead before cruising to an important 123-110 win. They now move to 3-3 on the trip with 2 games left and at 13-19 overall jump up to 8th in the East. Believe it.
Neither team could miss early on as the teams combined for 68 points in the first quarter and the Suns grabbed a 35-33 lead. In the 2nd quarter the two teams racked up another 63 points but it was the Sixers who grabbed a 1 point halftime lead. In the 3rd quarter the Sixers finally slowed things done and used solid defense to take a 6 point lead into the 4th quarter. It was more of the same in the 4th quarter as the Sixers used some defense to extend to a 13 point lead before cruising to an important 123-110 win. They now move to 3-3 on the trip with 2 games left and at 13-19 overall jump up to 8th in the East. Believe it.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
EAGLES NEWS
With the a possible top 2 seed in the NFC on the line, the Eagles were not able to bring their A game tonight against the Minnesota Vikings. They just seemed to be affected by the extra 2 day layoff, as in one of their sloppiest efforts in recent memory, they committed 12 penalties, gave the ball 3 times, allowed Mike Vick to get sacked 6 times, and watched as 3rd string QB Joe Webb threw for 195 yards and ran for 31 yards and a TD. Their run defense which had been great as of late, faltered badly as Adrian Peterson ran for 118 yards and a TD. Dmitri Patterson continued to beat deep and was eventually benched by the end of game. Mike Vick had probably his worst performance of the season, with 3 turnovers(2 fumbles and an interception), and yet still threw for 263 yards and a TD and ran for 63 yards and another TD, but it wasn't enough. The lone bright spots were Brent Celek who had 10 catches for 97 yards, Jeremy Maclin who had 6 catches for 74 yards, and rapidly improving rookie TE, Clay Harbor, who had a spectacular 3 yard TD reception.
The Eagles actually had the early 7-0 lead as Vick hit Harbor with the 3 yard TD pass while the Viking offense was ineffective. Then late in the first half with the Eagles up still 7-0 and driving toward more points Vick stripped by Antoine Winfield who raced 45 yards for the tying score. The Eagles got the ball back with under a minute to play and actually managed to drive into field goal range, but David Akers came up short on a 54 yard attempt the Birds went into the locker room tied at 7. The Vikings stunned the home crowd by racking up 10 unanswered points in the 3rd quarter for a 17-7 lead. Vick engineered a final Eagle's push pretty much on his own, sneaking it in from 10 yards out to cut the lead to 17-14 with about 10 minutes to play. The Eagle's defense failed to hold though as Adrian Peterson rammed it in from a yard out to make it 24-14 Vikes. From there the Eagles came up empty on their next drive and down stretch as the Vikings held on to win by that same score. If nothing else the loss means the Eagles, who are now locked in as the #3 seed in the NFC, can rest their starters next week.
The Eagles actually had the early 7-0 lead as Vick hit Harbor with the 3 yard TD pass while the Viking offense was ineffective. Then late in the first half with the Eagles up still 7-0 and driving toward more points Vick stripped by Antoine Winfield who raced 45 yards for the tying score. The Eagles got the ball back with under a minute to play and actually managed to drive into field goal range, but David Akers came up short on a 54 yard attempt the Birds went into the locker room tied at 7. The Vikings stunned the home crowd by racking up 10 unanswered points in the 3rd quarter for a 17-7 lead. Vick engineered a final Eagle's push pretty much on his own, sneaking it in from 10 yards out to cut the lead to 17-14 with about 10 minutes to play. The Eagle's defense failed to hold though as Adrian Peterson rammed it in from a yard out to make it 24-14 Vikes. From there the Eagles came up empty on their next drive and down stretch as the Vikings held on to win by that same score. If nothing else the loss means the Eagles, who are now locked in as the #3 seed in the NFC, can rest their starters next week.
FLYERS NEWS
The Flyers totally fell apart again as they returned from their holiday break with a matchup against the Vancouver Canucks. Coming in the Flyers had won 14 straight games in Vancouver dating back to 1989. All that came to end in this one as the still Prongerless defense came unraveled. They allowed 49 shots on goal, far too many of them easy point blank looks at the net. Brian Boucher, who got the start in net, pretty much had no chance to be effective as he allowed 4 goals before getting yanked in favor Sergei Bobrovsky. Bobrovsky similarly hung out to dry as he allowed another 2 goals. Fortunately the Flyer penalty kill held the Canucks to just 1 of 3 on the power play or this could have been a real embarrassing night. The Flyers themselves went just 1 of 5 on the power play, killing any chance they might have had of hanging around with the Canucks.
The Flyers quickly fell behind 3-0 just 2 and a half minutes into the 2nd period. About a minute and half later Ville Leino setup Danny Briere to slap one home, briefly cutting the lead to 3-1 and instilling hopes of an Orange and Black comeback, but it wasn't to be. Just 3 minutes later Ryan Kesler made it 4-1 Canucks and that was about all she wrote. Just under 8 minutes into the 3rd period, despite the Flyer's best efforts it was 6-1 Canucks and out of reach. Jeff Carter added a late power play goal to cut it to 6-2, but it had little meaning as the Flyers eventually fell by that same score.
The Flyers quickly fell behind 3-0 just 2 and a half minutes into the 2nd period. About a minute and half later Ville Leino setup Danny Briere to slap one home, briefly cutting the lead to 3-1 and instilling hopes of an Orange and Black comeback, but it wasn't to be. Just 3 minutes later Ryan Kesler made it 4-1 Canucks and that was about all she wrote. Just under 8 minutes into the 3rd period, despite the Flyer's best efforts it was 6-1 Canucks and out of reach. Jeff Carter added a late power play goal to cut it to 6-2, but it had little meaning as the Flyers eventually fell by that same score.
Monday, December 27, 2010
SIXERS NEWS
The Sixers perimeter defense fell apart tonight with Andre Iguodala sitting out with his achilles acting up again. The Golden State Warriors shot 65% from beyond the arc and drilled 15 treys. You're just not going to win very often when you give up numbers like that. The Sixers also turned the ball over 17 times which didn't help matters. So essentially the team's biggest flaws crept to the surface on this night and came back to bite them. There were some bright spots for the Sixers though. Elton Brand was great again with 16 and 16 rebounds, Jrue Holiday had probably his best game of the season with 23 and 11 assists, Jodie Meeks continued to rediscover his stroke with 19, and Thad Young continued his 6th man of the year campaign, with 15 and 8 rebounds off the bench.
The Sixer's defense actually held up nicely early on as they took a 30-25 lead after a quarter of play. In the 2nd quarter it started raining threes, and that was really the theme the rest of the night, as Golden State went up by 6 at the half. In the 3rd quarter the Sixers managed to turn things around a little but still trailed by 5 heading into the 4th quarter. For a while in the 4th it looked, the Sixers, despite playing on back to back nights, might have just enough left to pull off another comeback but it wasn't to be. Golden State began raining threes again and before you knew it they had pulled away to win 110-95. With the loss, the Sixers drop to 2-3 on their road trip and now 12-19 overall.
The Sixer's defense actually held up nicely early on as they took a 30-25 lead after a quarter of play. In the 2nd quarter it started raining threes, and that was really the theme the rest of the night, as Golden State went up by 6 at the half. In the 3rd quarter the Sixers managed to turn things around a little but still trailed by 5 heading into the 4th quarter. For a while in the 4th it looked, the Sixers, despite playing on back to back nights, might have just enough left to pull off another comeback but it wasn't to be. Golden State began raining threes again and before you knew it they had pulled away to win 110-95. With the loss, the Sixers drop to 2-3 on their road trip and now 12-19 overall.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
SIXERS NEWS
After a break for the holidays the Sixers continued their road trip in Denver tonight as they visited the Carmelo - less Nuggets, the 2nd time in 4 stops on this trip that they've had the chance to play a shorthanded team. Like last time against the Magic, the Sixers took full advantage on both sides of the court. Offensively, they finally got things going again, as Jrue Holiday's hot shooting led the way with 22 points, while Elton Brand posted 16 and 17 rebounds, Jodie Meeks drilled a pair of threes en route to 17, and Thad Young came off the bench for 20 and 7 rebounds. Other than that as a team the Sixers again struggled from the field at just 39% and from beyond at just 21%, but their defense more than made up for that. They the Nuggets to just 40% shooting from the field and 29% from beyond, while racking up 6 blocks and 11 steals, and forcing Denver into 17 turnovers. They also just barely out rebounded the Nuggets 49-48. So it was an all around effort.
Despite their great defensive play, things actually got off to a rocky start for the Sixers in this one. Thanks to their poor shooting, the Sixers actually fell behind by 12 after a quarter of play. In the 2nd quarter they found their stroke though, and managed to pull to within 3 at the half. The 3rd quarter was a tight affair with the Nuggets staving off multiple Sixer's surges to take a 5 point lead into the 4th quarter. Denver's short bench finally caught up with them in the 4th, as fresher Sixers outpaced them 29-18 to pull away to a big 6 point win, 95-89, as they move to 12-18 overall.
Despite their great defensive play, things actually got off to a rocky start for the Sixers in this one. Thanks to their poor shooting, the Sixers actually fell behind by 12 after a quarter of play. In the 2nd quarter they found their stroke though, and managed to pull to within 3 at the half. The 3rd quarter was a tight affair with the Nuggets staving off multiple Sixer's surges to take a 5 point lead into the 4th quarter. Denver's short bench finally caught up with them in the 4th, as fresher Sixers outpaced them 29-18 to pull away to a big 6 point win, 95-89, as they move to 12-18 overall.
PHILLIES NEWS
Apparently J.C Romero will return to the Phils after all. A source says he and the team have agreed to a new contract. No details have been released about the contract as of yet though. If Romero is indeed headed back to Philly he'll again at least fill the void in the bullpen as the lefty specialist. He wasn't terrible last season and if he can just regain some consistency he'll be just fine.
EAGLES NEWS
Due to the blizzard like conditions in Philly, the Eagles - Vikings game has been postponed until Tuesday. Despite that the Eagles still clinched the NFC East today as the Giants were blown out by the Packers 45-17. With the NFC East title in hand the Eagles are assured of at least the #3 seed in the NFC. However, if they win out and the Chicago Bears lose to the Packers next week the Eagles will earn the # 2 seed in the NFC and a 1st round bye. If they win out, the Bears lose and the Atlanta Falcons lose tomorrow night and next week the Eagles would earn the #1 seed in the NFC and home field throughout the playoffs, but that's a big if.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
SIXERS NEWS
A day after their worst loss in some time, the Sixers rebounded nicely in Boston as they nearly ended the Celtics 13 game winning streak, but again it wasn't to be. Elton Brand led the way offensively, with 16 and 12 rebounds, but fouled out. Jrue Holiday also added 15 and 5 assists, and Lou Williams and Tony Battie were big off the bench, with 12 and 10 respectively. The Sixers struggled again from beyond at just 20%, but were much better from the field overall at 43%. They also got to the line an important 33 times, but killed themselves when they got there, by only shooting 71%, and that was ultimately the difference. Just 10% better from the line and the Sixers probably would have pulled this one out. If the Sixers had pulled this one out it would have been because their terrific defense, which limited Boston to just 38% from the field while forcing them into 10 turnovers. Most notably Iggy, did a pretty good job against Paul Pierce, limiting him to just 11 points.
Early on despite their poor shooting, Boston had the advantage with a 6 point lead after a quarter of play, as the Sixers struggled to get going. The Sixers totally turned things around in the 2nd quarter, as they took a 6 point lead into the half. Boston came out firing in the 3rd quarter as they roared back to go up by 3 heading into the 4th quarter. The Sixers did not go away though as the game stayed tight throughout the 4th quarter. With 14 seconds left the Sixers were down 2 with the ball, but Andre Iguodala was blocked and seemingly fouled as he tried to lay in the tying basket. No whistled sounded though and after Ray Allen made a couple free throws and Andres Nocioni bricked a trey, the Sixers had been nipped by the Celtics again, 84-80. We'll get them next time.
Early on despite their poor shooting, Boston had the advantage with a 6 point lead after a quarter of play, as the Sixers struggled to get going. The Sixers totally turned things around in the 2nd quarter, as they took a 6 point lead into the half. Boston came out firing in the 3rd quarter as they roared back to go up by 3 heading into the 4th quarter. The Sixers did not go away though as the game stayed tight throughout the 4th quarter. With 14 seconds left the Sixers were down 2 with the ball, but Andre Iguodala was blocked and seemingly fouled as he tried to lay in the tying basket. No whistled sounded though and after Ray Allen made a couple free throws and Andres Nocioni bricked a trey, the Sixers had been nipped by the Celtics again, 84-80. We'll get them next time.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
SIXERS NEWS
Like the Flyers last night against the Panthers the Sixers just didn't have it tonight against the Chicago Bulls. They couldn't shoot, they couldn't rebound, and they couldn't D up and really they couldn't do anything right. Offensively, Andre Iguodala led the way with 17 points, and Thad Young scored 12 off the bench, but that was it, no other Sixer scored in double figures, as they struggled from the field, shooting just 35% and from beyond, where they shot just 13%. Joachim Noah and Taj Gibson were both inactive for the Bulls, yet they still blew the away the Sixers with 64% shooting from the field and 54% shooting from beyond. You just can't stop shooting like that.
Thanks to their hot shooting the Bulls took a 14 point lead after 1 quarter and the Sixers really never recovered. The Sixers were stronger in the 2nd quarter, yet they still found themselves down 18 at half. Chicago was just getting started. In the 3rd quarter they blitzed the Sixers 31-11 to take a 38 point lead into the 4th quarter. There in the 4th, things just got worse as Chicago extended to an embarrassing 45 point advantage before winning go away, 121-76.
Thanks to their hot shooting the Bulls took a 14 point lead after 1 quarter and the Sixers really never recovered. The Sixers were stronger in the 2nd quarter, yet they still found themselves down 18 at half. Chicago was just getting started. In the 3rd quarter they blitzed the Sixers 31-11 to take a 38 point lead into the 4th quarter. There in the 4th, things just got worse as Chicago extended to an embarrassing 45 point advantage before winning go away, 121-76.
Monday, December 20, 2010
FLYERS NEWS
Maybe started celebrating for Holidays early, maybe they didn't take the Panthers seriously, or maybe they just had too much holiday stuff on their mind. Whatever the reason the Flyers just didn't have tonight against the Panthers, in their final game before a long holiday break. After 3 straight wins against the Eastern conference's elite, the Orange and Black came up empty in this one. Sergei Bobrovsky didn't even get through the 2nd period after allowing 4 goals. Brian Boucher did an admirable job allowing just 1 goal the rest of the way, but it didn't matter. The Flyer had just 1 power play all night long and failed to capitalize on it. They did blank all 4 Carolina power plays but again it really didn't matter.
It wasn't so much that the Panthers played all that well it was that the Flyers played so poorly. They were sloppy with the puck and managed just 26 shots on goal, all of which were stopped by Thomas Vokoun. Vokoun is good goalie but he really didn't have to make any tough saves. In the end, once the smoke had cleared, the Flyers had fallen hard 5-0 and left themselves a lot to think about over the holidays.
It wasn't so much that the Panthers played all that well it was that the Flyers played so poorly. They were sloppy with the puck and managed just 26 shots on goal, all of which were stopped by Thomas Vokoun. Vokoun is good goalie but he really didn't have to make any tough saves. In the end, once the smoke had cleared, the Flyers had fallen hard 5-0 and left themselves a lot to think about over the holidays.
EAGLES NEWS
The Eagles thrilling win yesterday came at a price. S Nate Allen ruptured the patellar tendon in his right knee and is done for the season and Jason Avant suffered a slight concussion while throwing the block that ultimately sprung Desean Jackson on his winning punt return.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
EAGLES NEWS
When you're down by 21 with 8 minutes to play in the 4th quarter that's supposed to be it. You know game over, better luck next week. Just don't tell that to the Eagles who this afternoon became the first team in NFL history to rally from 21 points down in the 4th quarter to win in regulation. Prior to that late rally it was not a great day for the Eagles, especially in the first half where they struggled on both sides of the ball. Still thanks to the 4th quarter Mike Vick wound up throwing for 242 yards and 3 TDs while running for 130 yards and another TD. Brent Celek still wound up with 2 catches for 72 yards and a TD. Finally Jeremy Maclin still ended up with 7 catches for 59 yards and 2 TDs. Meanwhile, Eli Manning threw for 289 yards and 4 TDs and Mario Manningham caught 8 balls for 113 and 2 TDs, yet their team came out on the wrong end of things. The Giants also won the turnover battle 3-2 but that wasn't enough either. Ultimately, the numbers boggle most anyway you look at it in a game that was anything but conventional.
Things got off to a rough start for the Birds in this one. They just couldn't move the ball early and got their only points of the first half off a Giant's turnover, Quintin Mikell intercepted Manning to setup an Aker's field goal. Other than that it was all Giants. Manning threw 2 TD passes to Manningham to give New York a commanding 17-3 lead late in the half. The Eagles got the ball back for what looked to be the final possession of the half and decided to try for a score but their strategy backfired when Maclin fumbled ball away deep in the Eagle's own territory. Replays showed he might never have caught the ball in the first play but the officials would not overturn the call and 1 play Eli fired a TD pass to Hakeem Nicks for a 24-3 halftime lead. In the 3rd quarter another Giant's turnover led to a Vick TD pass to Jeremy Maclin to cut the lead to 24-10 and briefly restore hopes of an Eagle comeback.
Those hopes were quickly dashed when Desean Jackson fumbled the ball away on the Eagle's next possession. Although replays showed he was down by contact before fumbling, the Eagles failed to challenge the play and Giants took over with a short field again. A few plays later Manning found Kevin Boss in the back of the end zone for a 31-10 lead as the 3rd quarter ended and that was it right. Game over. Apparently no one told Mike Vick it was over. Just 2 plays into the Eagles next possession he found Celek for 65 yards and a TD and it was down to 31-17. The Eagles then surprised everyone, including the Giants, with an onsides kick recovered by Riley Cooper. 5 plays and 57 yards later Vick ran it in from 4 yards out to cut it to 31-24 and suddenly it was a game again. The Giants went 3 out on their next possession and the Eagles got the ball back deep in their own territory with around 2 minutes left. 8 plays and 88 yards later, including 2 long Vick runs to elude Giant blitzers, Vick found Maclin for 13 yards and another TD to tie things up at 31.
After another 3 and out by New York the game seemed destined for overtime as the final seconds ticked off the clock. When all was said and done the Eagles were left with 14 seconds as Desean Jackson lined up for his first punt return of the day. Surely New York would punt the ball out of the bounds, I mean why let Jackson have a chance? Instead rookie punter Matt Dodger hit a line drive right to Jackson, to who fumbled it, backed up, found a seam and was gone 65 yards to house, capping off the greatest 4th quarter comeback in NFL history and a thrilling 38-31 Eagles win.
Things got off to a rough start for the Birds in this one. They just couldn't move the ball early and got their only points of the first half off a Giant's turnover, Quintin Mikell intercepted Manning to setup an Aker's field goal. Other than that it was all Giants. Manning threw 2 TD passes to Manningham to give New York a commanding 17-3 lead late in the half. The Eagles got the ball back for what looked to be the final possession of the half and decided to try for a score but their strategy backfired when Maclin fumbled ball away deep in the Eagle's own territory. Replays showed he might never have caught the ball in the first play but the officials would not overturn the call and 1 play Eli fired a TD pass to Hakeem Nicks for a 24-3 halftime lead. In the 3rd quarter another Giant's turnover led to a Vick TD pass to Jeremy Maclin to cut the lead to 24-10 and briefly restore hopes of an Eagle comeback.
Those hopes were quickly dashed when Desean Jackson fumbled the ball away on the Eagle's next possession. Although replays showed he was down by contact before fumbling, the Eagles failed to challenge the play and Giants took over with a short field again. A few plays later Manning found Kevin Boss in the back of the end zone for a 31-10 lead as the 3rd quarter ended and that was it right. Game over. Apparently no one told Mike Vick it was over. Just 2 plays into the Eagles next possession he found Celek for 65 yards and a TD and it was down to 31-17. The Eagles then surprised everyone, including the Giants, with an onsides kick recovered by Riley Cooper. 5 plays and 57 yards later Vick ran it in from 4 yards out to cut it to 31-24 and suddenly it was a game again. The Giants went 3 out on their next possession and the Eagles got the ball back deep in their own territory with around 2 minutes left. 8 plays and 88 yards later, including 2 long Vick runs to elude Giant blitzers, Vick found Maclin for 13 yards and another TD to tie things up at 31.
After another 3 and out by New York the game seemed destined for overtime as the final seconds ticked off the clock. When all was said and done the Eagles were left with 14 seconds as Desean Jackson lined up for his first punt return of the day. Surely New York would punt the ball out of the bounds, I mean why let Jackson have a chance? Instead rookie punter Matt Dodger hit a line drive right to Jackson, to who fumbled it, backed up, found a seam and was gone 65 yards to house, capping off the greatest 4th quarter comeback in NFL history and a thrilling 38-31 Eagles win.
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