Over the last few seasons, I’ve begun to believe there is a certain force at work in the NFL responsible for keeping the continuity and balance. I believe in “football karma.” 

The Patriots were caught red-handed with their Super Bowl ring-filled hands in the Jets’ cookie jar back in 2007. While New England proceeded to impressively and aggressively dismember the rest of NFL that season, football karma was waiting in the weeds for the perfect moment to deliver its consequences.

Karma bit back on the world’s biggest stage. With the world expecting yet another New England coronation, the timid younger brother of Peyton Manning served up a game-winning drive for the ages. It featured a ball slipping through the hands of All-Pro cornerback Asante Samuel and a ridiculous Hail Mary heave that if I hadn’t seen it myself, I would have figured was cleverly created with video editing software on some college kid’s MacBook. 

 

Karma wasn’t quite finished with the Patriots yet, though. Not by a long shot. 

In Week One of the following season, All-everything GQ cover-boy Tom Brady was struck down by a little-known mortal named Bernard Pollard. While Patriots fans were confused as to why the NFL didn’t immediately call an end to the season, karma teased New England for the next 16 weeks.

Matt Cassel, who hadn’t started a game since high school, steadily improved and led New England to the brink of the postseason. Alas, they were forced to watch from home as their 11 wins weren’t good enough. San Diego, meanwhile, snuck into the playoffs by winning its division with a mere eight wins.

 

After openly flirting with retirement for what seemed like the past decade, Brett Favre finally pulled the trigger in the 2008 offseason. Or not. He returned, but Green Bay had tired of playing the role of the jilted lover.

Much to Favre’s dismay, he was shipped to the New York Jets. Karma stuck Favre on a team he didn’t want to play for and teased him with success before having him implode down the stretch and miss the playoffs. 

One might be inclined to think that Favre’s karmic realignment in 2008 was enough.

I’m not so sure.

Last season Favre was merely guilty of jerking the Packers around. This season he had the audacity to go to a division rival. He thumbed his nose at his former team. Not just any team. Vince Lombardi’s team.

I think Favre just might have a little more cosmic retribution coming his way. If I were writing Favre’s tale of karmic realignment, it would go something like this.  

 

Favre and the Vikings start off with a few early season wins. The wheels start to wobble a bit as the Vikings are upset at home by the Packers in Week Four and Favre throws three critical interceptions.

 

After righting the ship temporarily with a Week Five win in St. Louis, Minnesota drops three in a row to Baltimore Pittsburgh, and Green Bay while Adrian Peterson is sidelined with an ankle injury.

The much anticipated return to Lambeau is a disaster for Favre. He throws five interceptions while his former understudy Aaron Rogers throws four touchdowns in leading the Packers to 38-13 victory. As Favre runs of the field, a fan pelts him in the head with a foam cheesehead hat. This incident becomes an instant classic on YouTube.

 

After falling to 4-6 on the season, Farve is injured vs Chicago. On a broken play, Favre tries to slide down under a Bears defender, much like he did while giving Michael Strahan his record-setting “sack” back in 2001. Favre’s foot gets caught in the turf. He falls awkwardly and sprains his shoulder, causing him to miss the next 4-6 weeks.

 

Tavaris Jackson is forced into action and rallies Minnesota to a win against the Bears. Jackson then precedes to win the next three games and throws eight touchdown passes and only one interception during that span. The Vikings have surged to 8-6. Media debate begins on whether Favre should get his job back when healthy or stick with the red-hot Jackson.

 

A snowstorm pushes through Chicago during Week 16 as Jackson leads the Viking to their fifth victory in a row. As the second half is about to start, Favre is playfully tossing snowballs at rookie Percy Harvin when he throws wildly and hits Pro Bowler Jared Allen in the face. Allen’s nose swells up like Marsha Brady’s and he’s forced to miss a critical series in the third quarter that results in a Chicago touchdown.  

 

After the game, Favre claims that Vikings knew that he was still hurt and should not have allowed him to throw snowballs.

  

When asked about the incident, John Madden defends Favre and says he would have been “honored” to be hit in the face with a snowball from the future Hall of Famer and that Favre was “just trying to make a play and fire up his team.”  

 

Packers fans, drunk with joy after clinching the division title, revel in the increasing amount of dysfunction coming from Minnesota.

The Vikings face a win or go home game vs. the Giants in Week 17. Jackson starts off strong throwing two first-half touchdown passes before getting knocked out with a sprained ankle late in the second quarter.

 

Favre, now healthy enough to serve as the backup, enters the game in a 14-14 tie and throws three second-half picks as the Giants roll 34-14.

 

After the game, Jackson jokingly retires and then says “Nah, just playin’. But, I’ll definitely let you know either way by the third preseason game next year.”

With less than a week remaining until veterans report for training camp at Lehigh, I remain concerned with the Eagles situation at running back.

Yes, it’s been widely reported that Brian Westbrook is expected to be ready to go by the regular season.

And yes, the Eagles did add rookie LeSean McCoy with their second pick in the draft.

So, what’s to be concerned about, you ask? 

Westbrook is no stranger to the weekly injury report, and it’s well documented that he has never been able to start all 16 games. With Westbrook showing noticeable wear at the end of 2008, and the fact that he is rapidly approaching 30 and is likely to miss all of preseason after a procedure in early June to clear away bone fragments & scar tissue in his ankle, one has to be concerned with just what we can expect from Westbrook in 2009. 

McCoy may be the future of the Eagles backfield, but no one has seen him so much as practice in full pads against NFL talent yet, let alone play a game. Perhaps more running backs make an immediate impact in the NFL than other positions, but many need time to develop the full range of skills needed to play at the NFL level. If you can’t protect the quarterback, you can’t be on the field, or bad things happen. “Bad things” that run the gamut from game-changing turnovers to franchise quarterbacks ending up on IR.The Eagles need a contingency plan in case McCoy isn’t ready to handle the full range of duties and an immediate impact from McCoy is far from a sure thing.

Third string running back Lorenzo Booker has yet to show much of anything, other than the ability to be brought down easily by arm tackles and struggle in pass protection. Unless he shows remarkable improvement, I don’t see how the Eagles can afford to keep him on the roster, let alone put him on the field. 

If Westbrook isn’t the same back we’ve come to expect, and the unproven rookie McCoy needs time to develop or isn’t the “star-in-waiting” that so many are anticipating, where exactly do the Eagles turn?

Why wouldn’t the Eagles bring in a veteran back, rather than take the risk of relying on so many unknowns? 

The obvious name that we’ve seen pop up as a possible addition has been Warrick Dunn. Also floated as possibilities have been names like Edgerrin James, Duece McCallister, and Rudi Johnson. Even at 34, Dunn would appear to be a logical choice. His skill set is ideally suited for the Eagles’ offense, and he quietly put up nice numbers in a part-time role last year with Tampa. His 786 rushing yards, 4.2 average, and 47 receptions should not be disregarded. Dunn is the quintessential high character guy, he would no doubt be a fine mentor to McCoy, and he knows what it’s like to win a Super Bowl, which is something the Eagles clearly have there sights set on this season. 

In an interview earlier this week, team president Joe Banner put to rest any thoughts of bringing in a veteran before camp opens, but seemed to leave the door open to make a move during the preseason if they felt there was a need.

So, is it possible the Eagles believe they already have an alternative on their roster? Is it possible the Eagles contingency plan is…Leonard Weaver? 

Before laughing this off as completely ridiculous, it’s worth noting that Weaver has averaged 4.4 yards per carry on 80 career carries, an almost gaudy average for a fullback. The Texans were reportedly interested in signing Weaver, with the idea of utilizing him more as a ball carrier.

A quick perusal of his highlights from 2008 on NFL.com reveals a surprisingly athletic and capable runner. This guy is no Thomas Tapeh. Even if Weaver is more than meets the eye as a back, placing him in the role as a primary runner would leave the Eagles in the same spot they were last season: Without a fullback. 

Perhaps the veteran Dunn wants no part of camp and is content to wait by his phone for an ideal situation arise. He also may not be too keen on coming into a situation where if everything goes perfectly for Philly, he’s could essentially be a third string running back.

But for an Eagles team with thoughts of making a Super Bowl run in 2009, why take such an unnecessary risk at such a key position?