Written by Anthony Brown on 04 October 2011.
When did the Eagles become champions of the offseason?
How could the Philadelphia Eagles be in the same division as the Washington Redskins and not learn the lesson preached at Daniel Snyder every year that he has owned that team? You can't buy a championship.
The Eagles' biggest offensive move was to re-sign quarterback Michael Vick to a six year contract. They traded back-up QB Kevin Kolb to Arizona for CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and added WR Steve Smith, late of the New York Giants.
The stunners were on defense where the Eagles signed DE Justin Babin, DT Cullen Jenkins and Nnamdi Asomugha, the epitome shutdown cornerback.
Do those things and you can count on ESPN's John Clayton to proclaim you a Super Bowl contender. It's what he does. Odd.
The result? Philadelphia piled up an astonishing 101 points on offense. And they allowed an equally astonishing 101 points on defense. Philadelphia's problem is clear. The offense fails to out-score the points the defense allows. You can pin that on Michael Vick.
Um, not really, but that won't keep people from trying.
Oddity 2: What is the appeal of Bill Belichick assistants?
Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen fired Mike Shanahan for failings on defense and replaced him with offensive up-and-comer McDaniels. McD invigorated the Denver Broncos passing game, even making a star of WR Brandon Lloyd. Unfortunately, he alienated Broncos staff, players and fans while mismanaging the roster and losing 17 of his last 22 games, as the 2010 Denver defense spiraled to last place.
McDaniels is in need of an Obi-Wan mentor to steer him through the steps of building winners by fostering a sense of team. Steve Spagnuolo, in the third year of his first head coach gig, may not be the Kenobe that Josh needs. The Rams are winless and nearly scoreless since McDaniel's' arrival. St. Louis produced a conference low 46 points in four games. Odd.
New rule: nobody hires a Belichick assistant unless Belichick comes with him.
Oddity 3: A Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day Game I actually want to see
Circle the date. 12:30 PM ET, Thursday, November 24, 2011, the now 4-0 Green Bay Packers at the now 4-0 Detroit Lions. This game will be compelling even if these teams lose a game before hand. But how sweet would it be if both remained unbeaten until that showdown.
Raise your hand if you saw this coming. Liar!
The men at the top of the NFL's only 4-0 teams of 2011 are products of the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC. Mark Murphy is president of the Green Bay Packers. Martin Mayhew is GM of the Detroit Lions. Both parlayed their post-football careers with the Washington Redskins to matriculation (love that word) at Georgetown before entering management ranks. Here is another Georgetown oddity. Lions head coach Jim Schwartz played linebacker for the Hoyas before graduating. He was an Economy major. Odd.
You want to build a pro football winner? Forget Notre Dame. Hit the Hoyas instead.
Oddity 5 - I have no idea what Chan Gailey looks like
The man is colorless. He works hard to keep it that way. That's his secret appeal to Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson.
The Cowboys fired Gailey after two seasons when The Triplets were on the downside of their post-Super Bowl run. Troy Aikman thought Gailey's basic offense was too conservative, never mind that Dallas no longer had the juice to run Norv Turner's potent offense by the time Gailey arrived 1998.
Herm Edwards hired Gailey in 2008 as offensive coordinator for the talent-challenged Chiefs, where the quarterback controversy was Tyler Thigpen or Damon Huard. Todd Haley replaced Edwards in 2009 and dismissed Gailey after three preseason games, thus sparing him from the 4-12 season that followed.
So Gailey gladly took Ralph Wilson's offer for the coaching job nobody else wanted. The economic model for Western New York forces Wilson to win without marquee players. Gailey knows a lot about getting the most out of lesser talent.
This is a match made in heaven. And thank Heaven for Google so I can see what Gailey, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Fred Jackson and a lot of other Bills look like. I wouldn't know them if I passed them on a street in Toronto.
Beyond odd.
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