The Nosebleeds NFL Blog

How Has 2014 Free Agency Effected Super Bowl Odds

2014-03-23T23:37:00.000-04:00

The NFL offseason is a long and betraying crawl to the finish line in September. We're all working our way through it with various distractions that aren't doing the trick.

One of the teams I've been most impressed with in the offseason is the NFC East Champion Philadelphia Eagles. We all know about the explosive Chip Kelly offense, and their phenomenal young Quarterback Nick Foles. But with the flurry of moves they've made this offseason to bolster an already potent offensive attack there are a barrage of new questions. How many points will Nick Foles and the Eagles score in 2014? What are their odds on winning the 2014 Super Bowl? What are that future betting lines for the 2015 Super Bowl? You can read more information here at The NFL Free Agency And The Super Bowl 2015 Odds news.

We might be getting a bit ahead of ourselves. Let's back-track to what the Eagles have done this offseason. I will preface by saying I like to keep up with reading about the Eagles by taking a look at the ESPN Eagles blog posts. It offers an excellent perspective of the Eagles on a national forum but with a 'local' feel. They re-signed Foles' favorite target Riley Cooper and retained highly-talented Jeremy Maclin. Then they went out and traded for a superstar weapon in RB Darren Sproles. Don't forget the addition to the back of the defense with the signing of CB Malcolm Jenkins from New Orleans! The last thing they need to do is find a competent back-up QB to Foles - because Michael Vick signed with the New York Jets. The Sporting News has some speculation on who will be Foles' back-up QB here.

My point is I think the Eagles are an excellent futures bet for this year and 2015 to win the Super Bowl. I see a little bit of Tom Brady in Foles - back before Brady was winning all the rings. I will go on record here as saying I think Foles and Chip Kelly win at least one ring together. As evidenced this past year with Russell Wilson and the Seahawks - sometimes a Super Bowl winning Quarterback comes along in the most obscure of ways!

As we trudge through the NFL offseason and free agency together - one of the things I can't live long enough for is seeing the 2014 Eagles progress and win some people big money in their bets next season and beyond.

To see the incredible action going in this sport, you'll need to get a lead on some tickets quickly, for example here is a good spot to do exactly that while teams are jockeying for important playoff position!

Super Bowl Saturday in Indianapolis

2012-02-05T15:09:00.002-05:00

Cam Newton Makes First Pro Bowl

2012-01-23T22:15:00.000-05:00

Cam Newton was named to his first NFL Pro Bowl today with Eli Manning needing this coming Sunday off to prepare for a slightly bigger contest. I couldn't be happier for the kid. As I watched him over the course of this season I really did feel that I was watching one of the best in the game; and you can relive a lot of the highlights with a nice 2011: Best of Cam Newton from NFL.com.

He was also the Sporting News Rookie of the Year.

Giants Going Back to the Super Bowl

2012-01-22T22:55:00.001-05:00

Wow.

An all-time classic that tops so many that have gone before it. Giants win 20-17 in overtime out in San Francisco to advance to the Super Bowl. I need to collect my thoughts before I write this.

I'm really happy for the G-Men, Eli Manning, and Tom Coughlin. As well as my wife and father in law.

Here's the gamebook for this historic instant classic.

They're at it again: Giants upend Packers 37-20 in NFC Divisional Round

2012-01-17T12:31:00.000-05:00

[Game book]

[PFT] [NY Daily News: The Blue Screen] [Deadspin] [ESPN]

To me, this felt like a foregone conclusion for most of the week. The Giants feel to me like the New York Giants of 2007 (and the 2008 postseason) that rolled through the playoffs and got hot at just the right time. Absolutely amazing performance this past Sunday that ended in a 37-20 win for my wife's Giants; and should have been a complete blow-out if not for the help of referee Bill Levy.

I thought the biggest play of this game was Hakeem Nicks' Hail Mary touchdown catch at the end of the first half to put the Giants up 20-10. That was the backbreaker.

This was one of the finest, most steady performances I've seen from Eli Manning in his entire career. In terms of the postseason, it was maybe the most complete. It was his first game over 300 yards in the postseason, and he rarely made a poor throw or decision. Manning threw three touchdown passes, the final one which was the dagger to Mario Manningham, Manning scanned the field and looked tall and comfortable in the pocket in finding Manningham for what would be the knockout punch.

Manning isn't the only story.

The Giants defensive line did a good job harassing Aaron Rodgers most of the day and didn't allow a Green Bay offense to get in rhythm. As time ticked away, you just kept saying to yourself that the Giants were playing a Hell of a game on both sides of the ball, and you continued waiting for the Packers to come storming back. The Giants made every play when there was a coinflip that could have swung things either way.

This coming Sunday will be a test, evoking memories of my first NFC Championship game that I can ever remember. It seems like it would be the year that San Francisco would sneak back into the Super Bowl with a first year head coach. It's a matter of time before that happens and I have a gut feeling that lady luck shines on the Niners this Sunday. But for the hopes of my family and the general good will I have towards Manning and the Giants, I hope we're watching them Super Bowl Sunday.

An NFL Instant Classic in San Francisco

2012-01-14T21:04:00.001-05:00

NFL moments like this, you never forget where you were. It lasts forever, for a lifetime.

Vernon Davis' catch at the goal line; in collision with Roman Harper at the exact time the ball arrived immediately reminded me of Terrell Owens catch to beat the Packers some 14 years ago in Adam Koloff's living room. Vernon Davis crying. The view of the Candlestick landscape. Oh yeah. We're going back in time for just a few moments of life that we watched so long ago.

This time it was Drew Brees (rather than Brett Favre in January 1999) who was on the other end of this. The Saints were not easy to knock out of this tournament. They wouldn't stop fighting. They wouldn't quit. They just ran out of time.

Absolutely classic. People who follow the NFL will never forget this game on NFL Divisional Round Saturday 2012.

The play [Deadspin]

A Family Affair

2012-01-14T19:35:00.000-05:00

My brother-in-law and father-in-law were featured in a post this morning in the New York Times 5th Down Blog, leading into tomorrow's Giants Packers game.

For tomorrow's game my wife is making some Chilli among other goodies and we're having our friends over who are Giants fans. This is a time of year where it's kind of great to have several different teams you pull for. Really hope to see Eli work his Lambeau Field magic. I'll be up bright and early tomorrow morning to start scribing about it.

Tim Tebow's Fire by Jon Parr

2012-01-10T14:01:00.001-05:00

Tim Tebow throws for 3:16 in thrilling OT win vs. Steelers

[Game book]

Giants dismantle Falcons on Wildcard Sunday, 24-2

2012-01-09T14:27:00.000-05:00

[Game book]

Finally, the Giants have come back to tasting postseason victory.

My wife and my father in law can rest easy, although I felt the uneasiness of the Giants crowd early yesterday afternoon as the Giants got down early 2-0 to the Falcons and had trouble establishing the offense. You could tell Tom Coughlin was thinking 'here we go again' and I even saw him mouth "what the Hell is going on out there!?!" after Eli Manning's pass under duress was ruled intentional grounding in the end zone for a safety.

It wasn't long after that that Eli became masterful. He went 23 of 32 on the day for 277 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions.

The Giants confirmed what I thought I knew; I thought they would beat Atlanta going away and they did. Two 4th and 1 stops of Matt Ryan curling into the fetal position really swung the game, and the Giants defensive line continued to swarm and make plays.

And now I think I am onto something else about the Giants. This team is a lot like the 2007 team--they're hot at the right time, unheralded, and could really be dangerous under the radar in these playoffs. I think they've got an excellent shot to beat Green Bay on Sunday night. Eli has done it before, though this time it's not going to be quite as cold.

This is one of; if not the most dangerous team in the playoffs. I'm happy for Eli and Coughlin; and I'm happy for Brandon Jacobs. While Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz are new to the party, this is a lot of the same old cast of characters that went on that historic ride through the playoffs in 2007. This is going to be fun to watch.

Lions lose Bayou Shootout to Saints in Wildcard Playoffs

2012-01-09T13:48:00.000-05:00

[Game book]

In the end, a really great offensive team was damned by their defense; and all that remains from the 2011 Lions is some great memories of some entertaining football.

The Lions carried a 14-10 lead into halftime Saturday night. But bad calls by the officials doing the game along with Detroit forgetting how to cover and make crucial stops ended up being their undoing in the end.

I thought Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford were phenomenal the other night. The Lions didn't try any semblance of a run game, they lined up 5-wide many times and just chucked the ball. Megatron beat triple coverage a number of times.

Stafford tweeted the morning after the game, saying thanks to the Lions fans and that the Lions will be back.

I have to say, he's right. This team will be a force once they build a defense. They showed a lot this year and were generally a great story to get behind in 2011. They just fell short of the end goal.

M&M's Hungry Eyes Commercial During Tonight's NFL Playoff Game

2012-01-08T00:41:00.001-05:00

Thought this commercial was pretty awesome, love the 80's touch. Man, I wish the Lions had won tonight.

ESPN's Mortensen: Irsay has Colts selecting Andrew Luck #1 Overall

2012-01-07T16:23:00.000-05:00

Definitely a cool bit of news making it's way out on Wildcard Saturday while I was on the treadmill at the gym. I am assuming that this was announced on NFL Countdown's version that I missed today.

Christ Mortensen reports that Jim Irsay has already made his mind up to select Andrew Luck #1 overall in the NFL Draft upcoming in May.

Irsay is currently sifting through general manager candidates, but the report suggests the new hire won’t have much of a chance to sway Irsay on the pick or on a trade of the pick. The attractiveness of the job is, largely, that the team will be adding such a high-quality young quarterback.

This is awesome.

If you went on to do your further reading about this story, you would have read that Irsay believes there is some fate and symmetry involved here. In 1983 his papa was part of the group that selected John Elway. Some fifteen years later, he selected Peyton Manning. Now 14 years past that, Andrew Luck will find his way to Indianapolis.

Find the right coach and a solid general manager, and I think this empire can keep rolling. A fresh start in Indianapolis.

One thing to remember is that Irsay said recently that Peyton Manning would be a Colt in 2012 if he's healthy. Maybe the expectation is that Irsay doesn't think there is any way that Peyton can get back fully healthy, and thus he's decided in his mind that it's time to move on with a new franchise cornerstone.

Wildcard Saturday on the Horizon

2012-01-07T10:43:00.000-05:00

I don't know if there's a better day in the entire football season than the NFL Playoffs kicking off with Wildcard Saturday. You get a lot of days in your life in which you can choose to do amazing things, but you only get so many Wildcard Saturdays. Act appropriately.

I've made it no secret that I've been on the Detroit Lions bandwagon pretty much all season. I love the story, and I love their signature talent. That makes the Saturday night prime time television showdown between Detroit and New Orleans my crown jewel of the entire weekend.

While I'm excited for Matthew Stafford to get some postseason experience, I'm not hopeful of the end result. I think at best, you're looking at a game where the Lions could build a decent lead heading into halftime or even the 4th quarter, but the lack of running game will not allow them to put a team like New Orleans away. I cannot even imagine how much the Lions would have to score to win this game. They're all-world good through the air, but there isn't enough of a gap between New Orleans and Detroit's passing game to have this be a true advantage for the Lions.

Mostly, I'm just happy they made it to the playoffs. I'm happy I at least have one of these games to watch with my playoff horse involved. Last year's version of Wildcard Saturday night was pretty sweet.

The NFL will use the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans to wet our appetites in the early game. Should be a great game, I hope Andy Dalton and the Bengals get the win, and I believe they will.

We have the first two Lions over Saints predictions

2012-01-05T11:08:00.000-05:00

The First: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says the Lions will beat the Saints 44-41. Never know if the little shit eater is serious or not.

The Second: Evan Silva of Rotoworld, a guy who snubbed me and my radio partner for a baseball podcast about a year ago.

God, please let this miracle happen on Saturday night.

Bill Simmons on the NFL Playoffs

2012-01-04T15:23:00.000-05:00

I can't wait to get home and go for a run on the treadmill and listen to this version of the B.S. Report and see what Simmons has to say about the match-ups this weekend.

It's definitely grown on me. I like Simmons' takes on the NFL, though they're definitely not always right.

I've made it one of my habits/traditions this year to listen to the Simmons podcast (sometimes I get caught up on Colin Cowherd's shows) in the week leading up to NFL.

Cam's season ends harshly in New Orleans

2012-01-04T15:06:00.000-05:00

[Gamebook]

[NFL.com] [Inside the Panthers] [Cat Scratch Reader] [ESPN NFL Nation]

The Panthers 2011 season is over.

Things started with a bang. I was watching my boys on FOX (one of the rare times on a Sunday afternoon that I can watch Carolina on my flat screen and not the internet) and after the Saints scored quickly to make it 7-0, the Panthers answered on a beautiful drive and throw from Cam Newton to Steve Smith. It was Newton's 21st touchdown pass of the season.

Later in the afternoon, he would go over the 4,000 yard mark passing becoming the first NFL rookie in history to do so.

As the day went on and the score got out of hand, I watched less and less of this game. The season salted away, and the dream ended. The Panthers finished 6-10. They'll select in the top 10 of next year's NFL draft. We were given a wealth of unbelievable plays by Cam Newton as a rookie, and I can't wait until the Panthers kick off next season. It's going to be a wild ride. The Panthers were part of the greatest offensive turnaround in NFL history in 2011.

I went on to watch the Giants and Cowboys with my wife later on in the day, seeing her boys clinch the NFC East. But already I found myself thinking about 2012 and the new heights that the Panthers will reach as a franchise. Steve Smith already guaranteed the playoffs for Carolina. I like them to go even further than that. I think they'll contend for the NFC title next season. We'll see how my prediction ends up.

Cam Newton Mic'd Up (Christmas Eve vs. Buccaneers)

2012-01-03T10:33:00.001-05:00

An NFL Instant Classic in Lambeau

2012-01-02T13:11:00.000-05:00

[Game Book]

[PFT] [Detroit Free Press] [Milwaukee JS Packers] [Sporting News] [ESPN NFL Nation]

A special, memorable game took place today in Lambeau Field. And the team I root for found a way to lose it.

Matthew Stafford threw for 520 yards and 5 touchdown passes on 36 of 59 passing. He threw two interceptions, including the one that ended the game. This was one of the most entertaining football games I've ever watched, which was a lot because I didn't figure that we would even see the starters play a full game from Detroit or Green Bay.

Because of Matt Flynn, the Lions will have to go to New Orleans and will have trouble getting out of the Big Easy. If they had gone to anywhere but New Orleans, I could have seen them making a run that was similar to that of the Packers last season. They could have been that team in this year's playoffs and let someone else try to take care of the Saints. It's a matchup nightmare for Detroit, and they have Flynn and his record setting day to thank for it.

Flynn went 31-44 for 6 touchdowns and one interception. I'm telling you, the guy is not that special. It reminded me of that day Kelly Holcomb threw for over 400 in the playoff game in Pittsburgh. Similar type of day climate-wise. The defenses just couldn't cover yesterday. These guys could have thrown for 600 each if either coach would have pushed for it. It was just that type of day.

It was the first time in NFL history that two QB's threw for over 400 yards each and 5 TD's each. Also, Matthew Stafford became the 5th QB season in history to go over 5,000 yards.

This was a legendary day at Lambeau Field that someday, NFL Films or ESPN Classic will have a good time with. To me, I'll always remember that on New Years Day 2012, Matthew Stafford and the Lions came up just short of becoming an unstoppable force in the 2012 NFL Playoffs.

Cam Makes one Boy's Christmas

2011-12-29T15:50:00.001-05:00

"The Panthers drove down to the 8 yard line and that is when the something amazing happened. The ball was snapped and everything seemed to happen in slow motion from that point forward. Cam completed a pass to Jeremy Shockey to the left side. Shockey then broke two tackles and made his way into the endzone, scoring the final touchdown for the Panthers for the day. Stockey [sic] threw the ball down which ended up just past the end zone. I watched as Cam came in and celebrated the touchdown with Shockey. He then immediately turned to the side judge and I saw him mouth the words, "Where is the ball?". The referee pointed to the ball and Cam ran to it and picked it up. I watched as Cam looked straight up at Parker, smiled, and ran straight to him. He then handed him the ball and Parker says he said "War Eagle" as he did so. The next few minutes were such a blur but I do remember Parker running straight to me and jumping in my arms screaming that he got the ball. All of the kids in the section came running to Parker wanting to see the ball and get their pictures made with him. There were even adults that came up and wanted to touch the ball. We were all overwhelmed with excitement." [The Road Less Traveled] (also in the Charlotte Observer)

*Also Mike Florio gives Carolina and Cam Newton some credit.

Sam Mills

2011-12-29T13:18:00.000-05:00

*Also: Page 2 gives us maybe the best Cam Newton read yet.

Can't get enough Cam

2011-12-28T11:50:00.001-05:00

*Greg Cosell of NFL Films Blog talks Cam Newton. Guy studies film for a living, this is a well-written and good lead. And I'm pretty sure they did this post because I was bugging them to do something Cam Newton oriented on their Official Facebook Page.

*Cam was on Sound FX last night.

*The Panthers schedule for next season is basically set.

*The Panthers play the FOX National Game of the Week this coming Sunday against the Saints. I should liveblog it.

*Must read Cam Newton material -- ESPN the Magazine "NEXT".

Stafford snubbed from Pro Bowl

2011-12-28T11:08:00.001-05:00

Last night the 2012 Pro Bowl Rosters were announced.

Matthew Stafford's 4,518 yards and 36 TD's weren't enough to get him a call. Terry Foster says that Stafford just didn't have the right last name to make the Pro Bowl, and I tend to agree. The fact that Eli Manning is going over Stafford is pretty blasphemous. I'm not watching the damn thing anyways.

Good chance that Cam Newton will end up being there with Aaron Rodgers probably playing in the Super Bowl the week after. But Stafford will have to try and make his case next season if he wants to get in.

Just the worst snub period. But it was one you could have seen coming. UPDATE: Deadspin tells us that ESPN SportsNation agrees.

The Mark Sanchez Mess is Ridiculous

2011-12-28T10:02:00.000-05:00

If you were driving into work this morning and had ESPN radio on you probably heard Doug Gotlieb and Kordell Stewart discussing the Mark Sanchez ordeal.

Christmas morning we had this post at Pro Football Talk.

This all is just so insanely stupid. Sanchez is fine. PFT is ignorant for writing the article. The New York Media is stupid for creating this to begin with--it's just an example of what sells papers in that town and an example of why no pro athlete should crave playing in that city. The Jets are silly if they don't stand behind their guy and wait for him to develop. If they're thinking about pulling the trigger on him early after a couple AFC title game appearances, than I hope they're bad forever and stuck in purgatory.

I remember all of this happening with Eli Manning. It was eerily identical. And then the guy went out and won a Super Bowl. And everyone shut up. And now those Giant fans who thought the guy was horrible and should have been run out of town are in hiding and Eli was vindicated forever.

So tired of the QB blame game in the NFL. Sanchez is fine. Leave him alone, build a team around him, and have some stability at the position for God's sakes. The Jets as an organization are showing that they're unstable from the top down and haven't handled this like the Giants were able to with Eli in 2007 (anyone remember that game when he barely beat Rex Grossman in Chicago?).

Just some 1993 Houston Oilers Highlights

2011-12-27T15:33:00.001-05:00

Who Remembers This One?

2011-12-26T23:37:00.001-05:00

Great read over at the Detroit Free Press about that Christmas Eve Clincher.