The Model Franchise: The Philadelphia Eagles

Photo courtesy of EaglesCentral.com



Let me just say up front, no, I am not a Philadelphia Eagles fan.  I do like some of the players on the team, but I am naming them the model franchise for reasons outside of their abilities and their perennial appearances in the playoffs.  I am not naming them the model franchise because of their consistent ability drafting players.  I am naming them the model franchise because of their front office, and the franchise as a whole.

The eagles are a team that, despite every other team's moral reservations, took a chance on giving one of the most electrifying players in NFL history a second chance, and have been greatly rewarded.  Ever since his signing, Michael Vick has been almost completely absent from the media, outside of his extaordinary production.  Vick has thrown for over 1,300 yards and 11 TDs, and is still without a single interception all season.  He is now the front runner to win the coveted NFL MVP award, and is regaining his high standing with the NFL.  Without owner Jeffrey Lurie taking the chance, the Eagles would be in a completely different place.

The Eagles have not only been able to obtain players with the pure talent that Vick has, but they have been able to win and retain that talent for years.  Since 2000, the Eagles have only missed the playoffs once, and have been 1st in the NFC East for 5 of the last 10 seasons, three times in 2nd, and only once in 4th in 2007.  The repeated presence in the playoffs in the last 10 years, however, has only netted them one super bowl appearance, which they lost to the New England Patriots in.  Despite their lack of championships, their consitency in the post season has made them one of the most dangerous teams in the league.

In the off-season, the Eagles are even more dominant than they are in during the season.  In the past 10 years, Philly has drafted 9 Pro Bowlers, and has one of the most talented group of youngsters in the league.  Two wide receivers drafted in the last two years have each passed the 750 yard mark in a season, and have combined for 23 touchdowns in 3 seasons, including the current season only 9 games in.  Even without former veteran team captain Donnovan McNabb (traded to the Redskins), the Eagles are 3rd in total offense and rushing, and 9th in passing.

Now, the Philadelphia Eagles have just announced a project to make Lincoln Financial Field self-sufficient, and independant from the power grid.  The plan calls for 80 wind turbines, 2,500 solar panels, and a 7.6 Megawatt cogenerator.  The eco-friendly direction the franchise is taking will no doubt drastically increase its exposure in the media, and gain economic and political support because of the consciencious ownership.  With enough power to generate for itself, the stadium will also be able to sell power back to the grid for an additional source of revenue. 

The dominating presence of the Eagles on and off the field keeps them in my mind the greatest organization in the NFL to date, and solidifies them as the model franchise.

The Detroit Lions: Will the Bags finally come off?

Photo Courtesy of topherkris.com

The Detroit Lions have been the joke of the NFL for the past couple years.  Even when they had a top ranked passing attack, they never were able to make the playoffs.  Now with Jim Schwartz and a solidified defense, the Lions have enough talent to make a run at the playoffs in the next year or two.  The young star-studded offense is another dimension that can help provide a solid attack to help the Lions become part of the NFL elite.  With a solid core of young talent, the Lions will look to make a name for themselves sooner rather than later.

The last time the Detroit Lions were able to break the .500 mark was in the 2000-01 season when quarterback Charlie Batch led them to a 9-7 season, just missing a playoff birth.  The following years were a disaster.  When offensive coordinator Mike Martz was hired, and the Lions had a top 3 passing attack, the Lions still couldn't make it to 8-8.  In 2008, the Lions became only the team in NFL history to go 0-16, the first winless season since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 0-14 in 1974.

However bleak the outlook may seem, the Lions have more going for them in the coming years than meets the eye.  Head coach Jim Schwartz has assembled a defense that he can win with, bringing in veteran Kyle Vanden Bosch and rookie sensation Ndamukong Suh.  Playing in front of Julian Peterson and Ernie Sims, the front four is the biggest key to a Jim Schwartz defense, and will present serious problems for the NFC offensive attack.

On offense, the Lions have one of the most promising groups of talent lined up.  Quarterback Matt Stafford will return after glimpses of excellence in his rookie season made him a household name (e.g. week 11 vs Cleveland).  Joining him, rookie Jahvid Best will look to add a new dimension to the offense with his elite speed and vision put on display last season at Cal.  Finally, who can leave out Megatron himself, Calvin Johnson.  Johnson is easily one of the best receivers in the NFL, and will look to become the centerpiece of the Detroit attack again this season after a 900 yard season.  

Only time will tell if this young core of talent can reach their potential of being a top NFL competitor, but this blogger is convinced that in the next couple of seasons, the Lions will be making some noise.

Cincinnati Bengals: A Storm's Brewing

With all the buzz in the NFL centered around the explosive offensive weapons, we are often led to believe that when giant egos and incredible talent come together, it's the start of a reign of dominance.  The Cincinnati Bengals now have three top echelon receivers in Chad Ochocinco, Antonio Bryant, and most recently, Terrell Owens.  Whether these dangerous deep threats can all operate in the same system and live up to their potential is the real question.  Despite their close friendship, Ochocinco and Owens have always been determined to be the centerpiece of their offenses, and may not like what they find this season.

Terrell Owens is simply one of the all-time greats on the field.  Even in a quiet season in Buffalo, he was able to put up over 800 yards.  His physical style of play is what sets him apart from many others, and his size and speed are just icing on the cake.  Despite his on-the-field prowess, locker room conflicts have kept most ball clubs at a distance.  On his original team, a dispute about the amount of passes he was getting led to his release, and the release of quarterback Jeff Garcia and wide receiver Tai Streets.  In Philadelphia, his treatment of Donnovan McNabb led to his release again, and again in Dallas.  Now in a honeymoon state, who knows if he will adjust to being in a trio of wideouts?

Chad Ochocinco started to pull away as a dominant force when he was joined by quarterback Carson Palmer and wide receiver TJ Houshmanzadeh.  Although he has been active in the media and makes a lot of noise, Ochocinco has never had any serious locker room disputes.  However, he has been known to make himself the center of attention almost his entire career.  Now paired up with Terrell Owens, both of the players will have a hard time being happy about the amount of time they get the ball.

With a healthy Carson Palmer, this offense will be one of the most explosive in the NFL, no question.  But what will happen if Palmer goes down, and the passing attack doesn't post the same numbers.  In 2007, Carson Palmer threw for over 4,100 yards, and started all 16 games.  In the same year, the then Chad Johnson posted over 1,400 of those yards and 8 touchdowns.  The next season, when Palmer was injured for 12 of the 16 games, Ochocinco only put up 500 yards and 4 touchdowns.  If Palmer can stay healthy, Ochocinco and Owens will be able to get more than their fair share of receptions, but if the offensive line in Cincy can't keep him up, neither Owens or Ochocinco will produce nearly as much.  

Remember, this is also excluding all the other offensive weapons the Bengals have this season.  Runningback Cedric Benson came out last season and finally produced what he was expected to in Chicago after an incredible career at Texas.  Rookie tight end Jermaine Gresham was the highest drafted tight end in the draft, and is thought by most to be the league's next elite tight end.  Antontio Bryant, the third top wideout the Bengals have is no push over either.  There is too much talent on the Cincinnati roster to live up to its potential, even if Palmer stays healthy.  The question will be, who will the front office love, and who will get left behind.

Vince Young: Stud or Dud?

Tennessee Titans fans are split down the middle.  The days of Steve McNair seem so far behind, but we all still find ourselves hoping Vince can live up to his mix of passing and scrambling.  The fact of the matter is, Vince may not be a great passer, but he is a winner.  His passing statistics have never been good, but he is one of the winningest quarterbacks in the league.  He has improved his passing ability, and has earned his fame from his celebrated fourth quarter comebacks.

Young is 26-13 as a starter.  Now, of those 26 wins, he only threw for 300 yards twice.  One of those games was a loss to Denver in 2007, and the other was the nail-biter against the Arizona Cardinals last season.  In the Cardinals game, Vince was able to drive down 99 yards to throw the game winning touchdown pass to rookie wideout Kenny Britt in just over two minutes.

In, technically, four seasons (he almost all of his third year due to injury) Vince has only piled up 6,843 yards and 32 touchdown passes, with 39 interceptions.  He has improved, however, going from a rookie quarterback rating of 66.7 to an 82.8 rating last season.  His maturity has clearly improved since his first year as his role was decreased.

Now, what does this say about his ability to win?  Of the games Young started last season, in 7 of his 8 wins he threw for less than 250 yards and only threw 3 touchdowns once.  Even despite this, Young directed 4 fourth quarter comebacks to beat Houston, Arizona, Miami, and Seattle.

The question of whether VY is a stud or a dud is relevant to how you measure it.  If you think that winning 67% of his starts and 12 game winning drives is successful, then yes, Vince Young is one of the best starting quarterbacks in the league.  If you measure a quarterback by his passing ability and statistics, Vince is a dud.  For me, Vince is a stud, and will continue to lead this offense effectively with his cool presence late in the game.

--JohnnyU

JohnnyU is on Blogspot!

Hey everyone!

It's JohnnyU here.  Most of you know me from Digital Sports Scene, but some of you may not, so let me just tell you a little about myself.

I love football and love writing about it, so I figured I'd start a blog about it and maybe try and get some followers about it.

I'll be doing more of an editorial format than actual reporting, but we'll see how this goes and see how good my writing can be.  Alright, well yeah, I'll be starting some articles soon!

--JohnnyU