Re-Entry Tuesday: Eagles-Bills Thriller, MNF Poo-Poo Platter, NY Sports Happiness Meter + More
Starting the week with a slew of random sports thoughts from over the weekend...
Okay, so I wanted to get this out on Monday but I’m glad I didn’t because Monday Night Football’s poop fest gave me something else to talk about.
It was a busy weekend across sports as a marquee matchup in the NFL didn’t disappoint, the New York Rangers continue to make me giddy, the Blackhawks demonstrate how not to handle a social media conspiracy theory, and Hot Stove season shows signs of warming up. Finally.
With that, allow me to rattle my head and empty out the plethora of sports thoughts that have been building up over the past couple of days…
🔘 With the Jets having played, and stunk the building out, on Friday, I had the luxury of enjoying a stress-free day of football on Sunday. And it was absolutely euphoric. The Patriots continue to implode, the Ravens look like a legit contender and I went a near-perfect 7-for-8 in Fantasy Football. Talk about a great day.
🔘 There was plenty of great football on Sunday, but the most thrilling game was the marquee matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the Philadelphia Eagles, which didn’t disappoint. Jalen Hurts emerged as the overtime hero, rushing for the deciding touchdown to cap what was just another super hero-like performance. Hurts led the Eagles back from a 10 point deficit in the second-half, going 14-of-20 for 167 yards with three touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 134.8 rating, to go along with 43 rushing yards and the 12-yard rushing touchdown that won the game. It always amazes me just how calm and collected Hurts is when under pressure and in the biggest moments. He may be the most clutch performer in the NFL right now. For instance, the Eagles are 27-2 in Hurts’ last 29 regular-season starts - a remarkable stretch matched only by Tom Brady and Jim McMahon since 1950. Hurts has led the Eagles to eight wins after being behind by 10 or more points - no other QB in the history of the game has accomplished that - and Hurts has also now won 14 straight regular season games against teams with winning records. That’s the definition of clutch. Put simply; Hurts is electric to watch and he just seems to elevate his game when the stakes are raised.
🔘 I think the scary thing for the rest of the NFL is that the Eagles still aren’t playing perfect, clean football right now. Veteran center Jason Kelce was flagged for false starts twice. However, it has since emerged that Kelce just needed to use the facilities for a 💩. After reliving himself, he came up with some huge blocks down the stretch, including some really impressive blocking for the winning touchdown. And, let me add that Kelce may be one of the best centers to have ever played the position. He’s certainly the most underrated. He makes blocking look like a lost art form, and what he does in the run game powers that entire Philadelphia offense. But, back to my point, the Eagles are the best team in football with a sparkling 10-1 record with kinks still to iron out. They’ve beaten the Chiefs and the Bills back-to-back while not playing perfect football and without some key personnel. Maybe the Eagles are reserving some energy for the postseason. Whatever it is, I think Philadelphia is the team to beat. There is no question that the Eagles are the best team in football, and this week’s matchup against the 49ers is going to be an absolute doozy. I am not moving off the couch for that one, that’s for sure.