Philadelphia Eagles Playing Against National Respect, Dallas Cowboys on Sunday

Hey, Eagles fans: You thought you were just playing the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC East title and a first-round bye in the 2010 NFL playoffs.

Wrong, Yo!

Unless you turn off the sound on the television and listen to Merrill Reese and Mike Quick on the Eagles radio network, you’re gonna see a blue, white, and silver shade to the television broadcast.

It is not the fact that Troy Aikman is the former great Dallas Cowboys quarterback. Heck, Darryl “Moose” Johnson, another former Cowboy great, is usually the announcer along with Kenny Albert.

Nope, unless you got “Jaws” in the booth, you ain’t getting a “green” broadcast.

I admit, this is the most “homer” story I am ever gonna write in this format. But Iggles fans know what I am talking about (yo, it is the Iggles when you talkin’ street).

Moose Johnson is pretty fair, but I heard on WIP that he has “ringed” Eagles fans, i.e., shown his Super Bowl rings to Eagles fans at Lincoln Financial Field.

Whatever.

And it doesn’t help that the Cowboys have a stinkin’ 90-foot HD TV and midfield to admire their greatness.

Nope.

By halftime, you gonna think that the Cowboys won six in a row and the Eagles won a paltry two in a row (yo, Philly, you know what I’m talkin’ ’bout).

My only hope is that the Eagles are not getting crushed. As much as I want to beat the Cowboys and win the the division, I will take a close loss.

Wide receiver Miles Austin got a deserved Pro Bowl selection with 1,230 yards and 11 touchdowns. I always said that the Cowboys would be better without out that stinkin’ T.O.

We got DeShaun Jackson, with 1,120 yards and nine touchdowns at receiver. Plus he is the selection at punt returner, featuring that electric 85-yard punt return for a touchdown against the Giants.

In the backfield, the Cowboys have Marion Barber and Felix Jones at running back. The Eagles have  LaSean “Shady” McCoy, a rejuvenated Brian Westbrook, and All-Pro fullback Leonard Weaver.

Also, Weapon X, Micheal Vick, should be back on the field for the Eagles.

The Cowboys shut out Washington, 17-0, to account for a strong defensive performance.

The Eagles have Asante Samuel, with nine interceptions.

I will have to admit that Troy Aikman will be fairer than the other guy in the booth, Joe Buck, who many Phillies fans hate. It will not be overt. It will almost be subliminal.

The Cowboys will win the game before the opening kickoff.

Eagles 27, Cowboys 17.

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QBER/Week 16: The Curious Case of Ben Roethlisberger

(QBER is short for Quarterback Efficiency Rating, a more comprehensive, easily understood rating system that I devised to place the emphasis where it belongs—the ability of a quarterback to advance the ball, avoid negative plays, and score touchdowns in comparison to his peers. A rating of 100.0 is the league average.)

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/256842-brees-romo-mcnabb-are-week-1-qber-leaders

Few quarterbacks have put up better raw numbers than Ben Roethlisberger this season. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ most valuable player ranks among the league leaders in completion percentage, pass yardage and yards per pass attempt.  

 

Who thought they would live to see a Steelers quarterback pass for 503 yards in one game? Even more impressive, Roethlisberger did it outdoors with an ordinary offensive line in front of him.

 

Nonetheless, Roethlisberger has never ranked higher than 11th in QBER at any time this season. Because what the numbers don’t say is, Big Ben has more negative yards than any quarterback in the league, and that has significantly reduced his effectiveness.

 

Although not entirely his own fault, Roethlisberger has lost more yards on sacks (330) than any QB in the league. He has lost 137 yards on interception returns, also the highest total in the league.

 

In addition, Roethlisberger has had three turnovers returned for touchdowns. Only Jason Campbell and Jake Delhomme (four apiece) have more in the league.

 

Roethlisberger ranks among the best quarterbacks in the league—he was the real Super Bowl XLIII Most Valuable Player—but until Big Ben and company limit the number of negative plays, he may never get the recognition he deserves. 

 

The QBER leaders through Week 16 of the regular season:

 

1. Philip Rivers 137.8

2. Peyton Manning 135.1

3. Drew Brees 134.9

4. Aaron Rodgers 134.8

5. Brett Favre 131.2

6. Donovan McNabb 128.1

7. Tom Brady 125.2

8. Tony Romo 124.1

9. Matt Schaub 121.2

10. Eli Manning 114.968

11. Vince Young 114.967

12. Kyle Orton 113.5

13. Ben Roethlisberger 113.3

14. Joe Flacco 111.4

15. Carson Palmer 108.6

16. Kurt Warner 108.4

17. Matt Ryan 109.2

18. Alex Smith 101.3

19. David Garrard 93.4

20. Jason Campbell 88.9

21. Jay Cutler 88.3

22. Matt Cassel 85.19

23. Matt Hasselbeck 85.15

24. Chad Henne 84.1

25. Brady Quinn 82.3

26. Marc Bulger 79.7

27. Josh Freeman 68.5

28. Matthew Stafford 68.0

29. Mark Sanchez 65.9

30. Jake Delhomme 47.1

 

A few observations:

 

• Peyton Manning lost more than chance for an unbeaten season last weekend, when Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell benched the starters in the second half. Manning dropped out of first place in the QBER race as well. For the first time this season, Philip Rivers is the most efficient signal-caller in the league. Since Week 10, the San Diego Chargers quarterback has produced 13 net touchdowns and been sacked only seven times in a span of 206 pass plays.
• It’s too early to write off Matt Cassel, but it’s safe to say his first season with the Kansas City Chiefs has been a disappointment. The Southern California product has cracked the top 10 in QBER only once this season, and in last seven weeks, he has not been higher than 18th place. Cassel signed a six-year, $63-millon contract after he and linebacker Mike Vrabel were acquired from the New England Patriots in return for a first-round draft pick last spring.
•  The Carolina Panthers may have found their quarterback of the future. In his first four starts, Matt Moore posted a QBER of 138.2, which would lead the league if he had enough attempts to qualify. In 124 pass plays, Moore has totaled seven net touchdowns. Predecessor Jake Delhomme had four net TDs in 350 pass calls.
• Although the NFL passer rating formula does not take them into account, the ability of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to make plays with his feet has had no small role in his success. The leader of the Pack has run for 302 yards and three touchdowns on intended pass plays. Both totals lead the league.  

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Could Osi Umenyiora End Up In Oakland?

Osi Umenyiora is not happy being a New York Giant. http://www.scoresreport.com/tag/giants-to-release-osi-umenyiora/

It appears the Giants aren’t happy with him either as he played only about five snaps in their embarrassing home loss to the Carolina Panthers.

If they release him they get nothing for a player who should command something in return and is under contract through 2012. That’s why it makes a lot of sense for the Giants to explore trade possibilities.

Now let’s say you’re Giants GM Jerry Reese and you’re trying to figure out how to get the most in return for your disgruntled big name “superstar”. Who would overpay for a big name? Who would disregard scouts who think Umenyiora is a one-dimensional third down pass rusher? Who would you call?

You know you’re nodding your heads as you read this my fellow Raider fans because you know who Jerry Reese is going to call. You also know that Umenyiora is big, fast and a flashy talent. Does that sound like the type of player Al Davis can say no to? I don’t think so either.

So the question is how much does Al give up for his services and can he help the team?

The second part of that question is much easier to answer than the first. There is no doubt if used correctly Umenyiora could make a positive impact on the Raiders d-line. Anyone who watched the Giants-Pats Super Bowl knows what a destructive force that Osi can be. The first part is much tougher. At what cost is it worth to bring in a player who doesn’t play the run particularly well to play for a defense that has a problem stopping the run?

I think most teams would probably pony up a third round pick for Osi’s services. I also wouldn’t be shocked if Al pays a steeper price.

I think Al would give up a second round pick or more to bring in this kind of player. At Al’s age the future is now and he will overpay if he thinks a player can help this team right now.

If this somehow did go down it would definitely make the kind of big splash that Al so loves as well. Stayed tuned Raider Nation the time between now and draft day will be interesting indeed!

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Brandon Marshall Benched: Now Is The Wrong Time to Make a Statement

On New Year’s Day, the ugly immaturity that brought Josh McDaniels to national attention in the Jay Cutler Saga showed up again. This time it might cost the Broncos a shot at the playoffs.

McDaniels announced Friday morning that he was benching the Broncos’ best offensive player, Brandon Marshall, for the team’s final regular season game because of insubordination. Marshall reportedly tweaked a hamstring during practice on Wednesday and did not want to continue with practice.

These two have been at odds before; McDaniels suspended Marshall for most of the team’s training camp because of some inappropriate actions made by the receiver during practice. Marshall is in the final year of his contract.

The two had allegedly patched up their relationship, and there were rumors that Marshall and the Broncos were talking about an extension, but that appears to be over now.

Marshall spoke to Denver media about the benching, reminding reporters that McDaniels never played professional football, and then claiming that he would handle this situation like a professional.

McDaniels needs to grow up. Quickly.

The Broncos are on the edge of making the playoffs this year, and Marshall is one of the biggest reasons why. He’s currently ranked second in the NFL with 101 catches, including his recent single-game record performance against the Colts.

Dogs urinate to mark their territory. When McDaniels ran Cutler out of town and then suspended Marshall in August, he was establishing his authority in the locker room. Not much difference.

There are times to make statements with players. When the playoffs are on the line, it’s not that time.

McDaniels will say that he learned this tough-guy act from Bill Belichek, who was recently in the news for similarly sending players home from a practice for which they arrived late.

Yet Belichek played Randy Moss and Adalius Thomas, two of the players in question, that weekend. And the Patriots are comfortably in the playoffs.

Denver has lost their last three games and will need a lot of help this weekend to make the playoffs, but this isn’t the NBA, where a draft lottery gives teams two levels of motivation at this time of year. Benching your best player because of a personality issue and then watching games the second weekend in January is ridiculous.

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Based On History, What Will Mike Holmgren Do With Brady Quinn?

As we ring in the New Year, folks in Cleveland wonder what Mike Holmgren will mean to the Browns. Fans wonder about a lot of issues.

One of those key issues is how will he deal with the quarterback situation. While nobody really knows, everybody like to make their own prediction about what Holmgren will do.

To predict what he will do, you really have to look at what he has done with this situation in the past.

Dr. Phil is famous for saying that the best indicator of future behavior is past behavior. Since Holmgren’s method has gotten him to Super Bowls with two different teams, why would he deviate from that now?

Based on that, it is a good news/bad news situation for Brady Quinn. For those who think that Quinn will be replaced next season by Sam Bradford, Jimmy Clausen, Colt McCoy, etc., that probably won’t happen. Holmgren has never gotten his starting quarterback from the draft.

When he took over in Green Bay in 1992, he inherited a quarterback by the name of Don Majkowski. Majkowski was in and out of the lineup under Lindy Infante due mainly to injuries. Mike Tomczak finished the previous year as the starter when Majkowski was injured.

Holmgren began the 1992 season with Majkowski as the starting quarterback. However, that only lasted a few games as Majkowski got injured once again. Holmgren inserted this second year player who he acquired from Atlanta, Brett Favre. The next year Majkowski was out.

After a great run with the Packers which included two Super Bowl appearances and one World Championship, Holmgren moved northwest to the Seattle Seahawks in 1999.

There he inherited a quarterback by the name of Jon Kitna. Kitna had previously served as the backup to Warren Moon but did end the previous season by starting the last few games. Once again, Holmgren gave the guy he inherited a chance to show what he had.

Kitna led the Seahawks to a 9-7 record, which was enough for an AFC West title and a wild card appearance. Unfortunately, it was a quick exit as the Miami Dolphins led by Dan Marino took care of business.

The playoff appearance bought Kitna another year as the starter. However, he threw four interceptions in the season opener. That year Kitna was in and out with Brock Huard.

The following season, Kitna’s contract was not renewed and Holmgren went out and got a guy named Matt Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck was unknown to many, but Holmgren had a feeling about him. A few years in, the Seahawks made it to the Super Bowl.

What does all this mean for Brady Quinn? Again, it is a good news/bad news situation.

The good news is that Holmgren will probably give him a chance as the starter again in 2010. That is what he did with Majkowski and Kitna.

The bad news is that Holmgren hasn’t shown any long term loyalty to the quarterbacks he inherits. Therefore, Quinn has to stay healthy and produce results.

If Quinn fails after that, don’t look for Holmgren to get his quarterback from the draft. He never has. He has always gotten his guy in a trade and both times it was an unknown, unproven backup. Both times, it worked out.

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Top Five Most Memorable Cincinnati Bengals Games from the Decade

As 2010 begins, the Cincinnati Bengals will be starting the new decade off just right by entering the playoffs as a No. 3 or No. 4 seed and at least one home game at Paul Brown Stadium.

Over the last 10 years, the Bengals have seen just two winning seasons. In 2005, they finished the season with an 11-5 record and made the playoffs for the first time since 1990.

Cincinnati and their fans have seen some memorable games over the last decade and hope to continue this trend over the next 10 years. As a treat to ring in the new decade and celebrate New Year’s Day, here are the top five most memorable games for the Bengals from the last decade.

Honorable Mention Sept. 16, 2007: Cincinnati Bengals 45 , Cleveland Browns 51

This game would have meant more to Cincinnati and their fans if the Bengals had actually won the game. On the positive note, at least the game was still exciting to watch.

In the second week of the 2007 regular season, the Bengals and Browns went back and fourth in scoring in what ended up being the eighth highest-scoring game in NFL history.

Carson Palmer arguably had one of the best performances of his career, finishing 33-of-50 for 401 yards and a franchise record six touchdowns. Unfortunately, Browns quarterback Derek Anderson almost performed just as well, completing 20-of-38 passes for 328 yards and five touchdowns.

5. December 18, 2005: Cincinnati Bengals 41, Detroit Lions 17

2005 was the first time in 15 years the Bengals reached the postseason. In a 41-17 win over Detroit in Week 15, Cincinnati clinched the AFC North. They would finish the year with an 11-5 record (they won over the 11-5 Pittsburgh Steelers due to a better record against divisional opponents).

They would go on lose to the Steelers in the first round of the playoffs after Palmer suffered a knee injury on the second offensive play of the game, but it was still a memorable season for the Bengals.

For so long, the fan base in Cincinnati had been waiting for a winning season and a trip to the playoffs. The win over the Lions secured both for the Bengals, which is a game that will always be remembered by fans.

4. November 16, 2008: Cincinnati Bengals 13, Philadelphia Eagles 13

Prior to the game, the 5-4 Eagles came in as heavy favorites over the 1-8 Bengals. With Palmer out most of the season due to an elbow injury, Ryan Fitzpatrick led the offense but was nowhere near as effective.

Even with all of their struggles that season, Cincinnati still managed to compete with a very talented Philadelphia squad as wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh tied a career high with 12 receptions for 149 yards and one touchdown. The defense picked off Donovan McNabb three times and forced him to fumble once in what ended up being the first tie in the NFL since 2002 between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons.

While the game ended in a tie, the Bengals had a chance to seal the win after kicker Shayne Graham missed a 47-yard field goal as time expired in overtime. For once, both set of fans were frustrated with the outcome of the game.

3. October 30, 2005: Cincinnati Bengals 21, Green Bay Packers 14

The Bengals improved to 6-2 after their win over the Packers during Week Eight of the 2005 regular season thanks to a strong performance by their defense against one of the all-time greatest quarterbacks.

Not only did the defense sack Packers quarterback Brett Favre twice, but they intercepted him five times in one of the worst games of his career. Odell Thurman and Deltha O’Neal each had two interceptions while Tory James recorded one.

The rest of the season is history as Cincinnati went on to win the AFC North title and make their first playoff appearance since 1990.

2. September 27, 2009: Cincinnati Bengals 23, Pittsburgh Steelers 20

Entering the 2009 season, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger started off his NFL career 11-0 against teams in the state of Ohio. On top of that, Pittsburgh had won their last eight games played in Cincinnati. It wasn’t just the fact that both streaks came to an end in Week Three this season, but how it was done.

With the Bengals trailing 20-9 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Palmer rallied his team to score 14 points to make a statement that the defending Super Bowl Champions and the Baltimore Ravens were not the only contenders in the AFC North.

After running back Cedric Benson found the end zone on a 23-yard run, Palmer capped off the rally with a four-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Andre Caldwell with 14 seconds left on 2nd-and-goal. Two plays prior, Palmer found running back Brian Leonard on 4th-and-10 from the Pittsburgh 15 to gain a first down thanks to a miraculous second effort.

It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out how much the fans of Cincinnati love to beat Pittsburgh. Without a doubt, this was the sweetest win for the Bengals over their division rivals.

1. November 16, 2003: Cincinnati Bengals 24, Kansas City Chiefs 19

Throughout his nine-year career, Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco has built a reputation as a player who enjoys having fun by running his mouth against not only players, but teams. In 2003, he made one of the biggest—and craziest—predictions of his career.

In Week 11 of the 2003 regular season, Ochocinco made a prediction that the 5-4 Bengals would upset the 9-0 Chiefs at Paul Brown Stadium. As crazy as it sounded at the time, Ochocinco—who went by Johnson back then—and the Bengals came through in the 24-19 upset.

Ochocinco finished the day with seven receptions for 74 yards while Peter Warrick led the team with six receptions for 114 yards and one touchdown. Rudi Johnson also carried the team on the ground, rushing for 165 yards on just 22 carries.

Of course, Cincinnati would have come through without the impressive performance of their defense, who shut down Chiefs running back Priest Holmes. While he finished the regular season with 1,420 yards rushing and 27 touchdowns, Holmes was kept out of the end zone by a Bengals defense who held him to just 62 yards on 16 carries.

Even though the Bengals just missed the playoffs that season with an 8-8 record, their win over the previously undefeated Chiefs was one of the best games of the decade. For the first time in a while, the fans of Cincinnati felt confident of what their future held with new head coach Marvin Lewis.

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Mark My Words: The Minnesota Vikings Need Colt McCoy in 2010

Over the past few years, the Minnesota Vikings have done an incredible job of using both the draft and free agency to build a talented team. The signings of Jared Allen, Steve Hutchinson, and Brett Favre were incredible moves.

Draft picks like Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, and Phil Loadholt also turned out to be great decisions. This year, though, is a make-or-break year when it comes to the Vikings’ offseason.

Should Brett Favre finally retire for good, the Vikings would be left once again without a franchise quarterback. However, should Favre stay for one more season, the Vikings still don’t have a viable option at quarterback in 2011.

With a draft pick likely in the 25-32 range, quarterbacks Jimmy Clausen and Sam Bradford will likely be out of reach in 2010. However, one player who seems to be sliding down draft boards for no apparent reason is Colt McCoy.

The Vikings benefited from the sliding of Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin on draft day, and could benefit once more should McCoy be available for them.

While scouts knock McCoy’s arm strength and Texas’ shotgun-heavy offense, I see McCoy as a great fit for the Vikings. Colt McCoy is one of the most accurate passers in college football history.

McCoy is also a great passer outside of the pocket and on the move, which translates well to the Vikings play-action-heavy attack.

While McCoy has not shown a great ability to convert in the vertical passing game, he is incredibly smart and accurate on short and intermediate routes. In the Vikings’ West Coast offense, McCoy could be great. McCoy’s arm strength grades out at above-average, but not great; so he could be a decent deep-ball thrower in the future.

Scouts seem to be obsessed with Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen, despite each quarterback having similar question marks. Neither Clausen or Bradford has elite arm strength. Bradford also played in a shotgun-heavy offense and is recovering from surgery on his throwing arm.

While I might take Bradford or Clausen before McCoy, I see McCoy as an incredible value in the late first round. He should grade out to be an above-average quarterback down the road.

Best case scenario:

1. As scouts predict, McCoy is available when the Vikings select at the end of the first round and the Vikings take him.
2. Brett Favre returns to play one last season with the Vikings, allowing McCoy to learn from him for a year.

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Week 17: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys host the Philadelphia Eagles in the final game of the regular season with the NFC East title on the line.

The Eagles are riding a six-game winning streak into big D, and with a win, they clinch the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs.

Donovan McNabb will be looking to have a better game against the Cowboys than the last time he matched up against them. In Week Nine, McNabb was 16 for 30 for 226 yards, one TD, and one INT. The Cowboys’ defense took away the big plays for McNabb and forced him into small gains when he scrambled.

DeSean Jackson also wants to show the Cowboys he can play. Coming off his Pro Bowl invite, Jackson had just two catches for 29 yards in his last game against the Cowboys and was targeted just five times. McNabb will target him more in this game, even if it’s not deep. Expect him to run a reverse or a play in the wildcat formation.

Brent Celek will also be a factor in the passing game. McNabb loves to find Celek on third downs, and Celek doesn’t disappoint, ranking second on the team in catches (69), yards (875), and TDs (eight). Celek is also playing with a chip on his shoulder after being snubbed by voters for the Pro Bowl.

The Eagles’ running game is back to full strength with Brian Westbrook coming back from post-concussion syndrome, which will help the Eagles run their screen game. The emergence of LeSean McCoy has also helped the Eagles.

This season, McCoy has 154 carries for 633 yards and four TDs. The Eagles won’t run anymore than 25 times, but expect them to run their screen game to combat the Cowboys’ aggressive front seven.

The Eagles defense is very aggressive in the front seven and secondary. Trent Cole and Jaqua Parker have had great seasons as the Eagles’ defensive ends, combining for 86 tackles and 19.5 sacks.

The key for the Eagles defense is their secondary. The last time around, the Eagles let Roy Williams go off (for him anyway) for five catches and 75 yards and gave up the game winning score on a 49-yard TD catch by Miles Austin. Sheldon Brown and Pro Bowler Asante Samuel have to stay at home because the Cowboys will use a lot of double moves in this game to free up their receivers.

The Eagles’ front seven will generate pressure, which could force Tony Romo into some bad throws, and Samuel, as well as Brown, could get opportunities to force turnovers.

The Cowboys were blown out 44-6 against the Eagles last year, but this year they’re the home team and they want to return the favor to the Eagles.

Romo had a great December, and he wants to turn that into a solid January. He’s kept his interceptions down and kept the Cowboys in games. Sunday will be no different, so expect Romo to keep Dallas in this game with short passes to Jason Witten and Austin.

Roy Williams had a big game in the first matchup between these two, catching five passes for 75 yards, and after coming out and saying it’s his fault that Romo has lost trust in him, expect him to be focused on having another big game against the Eagles. 

Marion Barber and Felix Jones combined for over 100 yards last week, but were stopped on short yardage situations three times. The Cowboys have to run the ball successfully in order to have a chance at winning. Expect Smash and Dash to share the carries 50-50.

Tashard Choice will come in on wildcat situations, and after last week’s busted double reverse, expect the Cowboys to be conservative in the wildcat.

Defensively, the Cowboys have not given up more than 20 points in the last three games. Bradie James (108) and Keith Brooking (106) are first and second on the team in tackles. Jay Ratliff will be counted on to stop LeSean McCoy and Leonard Weaver, whose role has increased in recent weeks.

DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer will look to rush McNabb and put him on the ground several times. Look for the Cowboys to run stunts inside to neutralize McNabb and stop him from stepping up in the pocket and scrambling.

The biggest key for the Cowboys defense is their secondary. They need to keep the Eagles from making big plays in the pass game. Mike Jenkins will be seeing a lot of Jackson, and he did a good job against him in the first matchup. Orlando Scandrick will have help in the slot, but needs to start jumping some balls; he’s too conservative.

Ken Hamlin will be the quarterback in the secondary, and he has to make sure everyone is lined up or else somebody will get beat deep.

This will be a close, low-scoring game. The Eagles’ big plays will be limited, and because of that, they’ll find it hard to score. The Cowboys will try to run a lot in the first half, but they won’t be successful and that’ll leave them in a lot of 3rd-and-long situations.

Dallas will win this game. They’ll be at home and don’t want to be embarrassed like they were last year. Romo will have another solid game and the Cowboys will ride a third quarter lead into the fourth, where they’ll hang on until the end on defense. Cowboys, 24-20.

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Attention Philadelphia Eagles: Macho Harris Is Not a Kick Returner

Hear this, Macho—you stink as a kick returner.  But the let’s not stop there.  You’re play all over the field has been less than stellar.

To start, Macho Harris has shown us that he’s not ready to be the starter at free safety. His tackling is, let’s say, iffy at best, and he hasn’t show a grasp on Sean McDermott’s defense. Now his current issues revolve about his lack of skills as a kick returner.

However, that’s not going to stop Andy Reid from stubbornly sticking with the rookie safety out of Virginia Tech while Quintin Demps nurses a sprained ankle.

Let’s put aside his bottom-of-the-barrel return average for a second, because it doesn’t really matter you average 90 yards per return if you can’t hold on to the football. Even after two fumbles against the Denver Broncos nearly cost the Eagles the game, he’s, for some reason, still returning kicks.

One of those fumbles was a direct result of being afraid of contact. He’s shown that same fear while playing safety, so it isn’t a shock to see him brace for the impact of the tackle. But what happens when an NFL player is afraid to get hit?

He gets hit harder.

That’s what happened to Harris, who could then do nothing as the Broncos recovered his fumble and turned it into a touchdown. Then, on another kickoff, he had the ball poked out again. This time, fortunately, Victor Abiamiri was close by and was able to fall on it and keep possession.

Were it not for Abiamiri, it would have been disaster. The Broncos would have gotten the ball in great field position with a field goal almost guaranteed and a good shot at getting into the end zone.

So, remind me again why Harris is keeping his job.

Attention Andy Reid, this is not the week to be stubborn in your ways. Too much is at stake, and a division title can’t be put in jeopardy by some rookie who doesn’t like to get hit. At the very least, put someone back there who can withstand the impact and hold on to the football. I don’t care if he gets to the 20-yard line and falls down.

Eldra Buckley seems like a guy who could accomplish this. He’s a guy looking to make an impact and, who knows, may just break one. However, what I am certain of is that Buckley is a guy who’s not afraid of getting hit and I’d bet that would not put the ball on the ground.

So let’s end the Macho Harris experiment and get a capable kick returner on the field.

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Buffalo Bills All-Decade Team: Offense

With the first decade of the millenium just coming to an end, I have decided to take a look at the best of the favorites on the Buffalo Bills of the past ten seasons on the offensive side of the ball.

Although the last decade has been filled with sorrow and tragedy for our beloved Bills, these players will always stand out in the hearts of Buffalo fans, for the drive they played with, and the excitement they brought to the city as a whole.

Missing the playoffs for an entire decade is tough, but these guys made it easier to bear the embarrasment, and give us all hope.

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