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Was really hoping we'd find a way to stay close and maybe steal franchise record 14th win in the end, but Mr. Sanchez pretty much ensured that wouldn't happen.
Still, 13-3 and homefield advantage wrapped up with a pair of rookies leading the way, its been an amazing season.
1) Guess I gotta start with the really wretched, but Sanchez was awful to say the least. I'm really surprised, I guess the homer in me thought he'd be an ideal long term #2 QB here but to be a veteran QB and be that hopeless yesterday is pretty sad. He made a couple nice throws but my 12 yr old would have had enough sense to avoid that last sack and heave the ball into the sideline. Broaddus beat me to the punch with a tweet on it already, but I think there's a real chance Sanchez is cut before our 1st playoff game. No reason to keep him as it's obvious if the total disaster of both Prescott and Romo getting hurt actually happened, we're 100% done.
2) Nice showing by Romo and without a doubt going into the playoffs we have the best 1-2 QB situation in football. Of course the X factor with him is can he take a hit, but he threw the ball great even with a few flubs out there on offense. At the very least the team knows if he has to play, the throwing ability and ability to see the field is still there. I also think that he may have increased his trade value to us a little, which is a good thing for us for 2017 offseason.
3) Although I hate it that we lost, not playing all the beat up guys and making Elliott and Lee sit out was the right thing to do. It sucked having to hold the breath over the other guys (like Fred and Martin especially) but we only had so many people who could actually line up and play. Fortunately it appears we got out of the game with nobody getting hurt (Hitchens did limp off the field and never returned but I haven't read/heard that he has any issues going forward. So mission #1 of staying healthy for the games that matter most appears to be accomplished.
4) I think the biggest concern after watching this game was just how awful Doug Free was. He's always been one of those guys that plays decent enough for awhile and then has a clunker game where he just gets abused, but this effort may have been the worst of his career and its coming just as we go into the playoffs. Chaz Green's inability to get and stay healthy is a real issue here, because I truly believe he'd have already replaced Free at RT. Free didn't block anybody the entire game and was so bad that a scrub like Emmett Cleary (playing out of position at LT!) was eons better than him. It's definitely a huge concern going into our first playoff game. Needless to say, getting Free's replacement (whether its Chaz Green, a free agent or a 2017 draft pick) is going to be high on the list of offseason priorities. Let's just hope it doesn't cost us a game in the next few weeks.
5) I complain a lot about Roger Goodell and the epic stupidity that he runs the league with, but this Randy Gregory thing should potentially be something that Jones goes to war with the league over. Brad Sham (who is not a hack) is reporting that Gregory is having to appeal a "missed" test because Gregory didn't show for a league mandated test at whatever service they use to do this. Normally this seems cut and dry (missed test is considered a positive, for obvious reasons) but in this case Sham says the missed test occurred while Gregory was receiving inpatient substance abuse care. I would think even the biggest dumbshit stooge you could think of could see why this would seem to be circumstance that would dictate not "going by the book". Pretty sure Gregory would have been "clean" while admitted. Also I was listening to ESPN radio and one of their NFL guys was suggesting that teams not even in the playoffs are somewhat concerned with how Goodell handled this whole situation, leaving the Cowboys hanging for weeks (and costing them another player who was on the roster) because they cant get their shit together. Hopefully Gregory wins his appeal (which I believe the NFLPA is supporting) and this goes away, but if he is suspended again over something like this it really wreaks of incompetence (at best) or extreme bias (at worst)
6) Speaking of Gregory, obviously he is still dusting off the rust but for a guy who didn't have a training camp or preseason, and no practices until the week before last you can definitely see the talent. If he can win his appeal, he can definitely help us in the playoffs. The explosive first step and closing speed, run to the ball ability is all there. He had 7 tackles, a sack and 2 TFL's. Had a number of pressures as well.
7) David Irving was held more than a newborn baby yesterday, and it wasn't called once. In fact no Eagle OL was called for holding no matter how blatant it was. Hopefully we don't get the same garbage crew in the playoffs that did this game, because these guys either had money on the game or were just out and out inept.
8) Eagle TE's had 19 catches for 187 yards and 2 TD's, in the game vs the Lions Eric Ebron had 8 catches for 93 yards. Byron Jones isn't responsible for all those but whatever they are doing coverage-wise definitely seems to be promoting teams throwing to TE's. Maybe its due to the zones or double teams they are providing elsewhere, but this might be something that needs cleaned up a bit before we play in two weeks.
9) Seems like a weekly rant, but I still have zero clue why Lance Dunbar and Lucky Whitehead are on this team. Neither is worth a damn at the roles the team uses them in. Unless some team was just totally desperate, I cant imagine either having a spot on an active regular season roster anywhere else if we cut them lose. Two total waste of roster spots here.
10) Damien Wilson is turning into a decent SOLB, but his missed tackle on Wentz yesterday was bad. He's a physical player and had normally been a sure tackler, but he totally whiffed on a play that extended a drive. Otherwise had a good game, led team in tackles, had a lot of good coverage and 3 TFL's.
11) Sounds like Scott Linehan isn't the only coaching staffer we stand to lose. Rich Bisaccia is getting mentioned again and might be a candidate for a couple different teams, including San Diego. (Where he has worked before)
12) The Giants/Packers game should be tight and could go either way, but with as bad as Seattle has been and their injury situation, I don't know that its a foregone conclusion they win and advance vs the Lions. If the Lions win, we play them in the divisional round (game is set as late game on FOX Sunday 1/15). Of the three teams we could potentially play, I'd probably least like to see Green Bay, just because of Rodgers. I don't think the Giants beat us if we play them again and the Lions we probably beat even worse than last week with all our guys back.
On to the playoffs. It's been 21 yrs since we played in a NFC Championship game (and Super Bowl) hopefully this is the year we get over the hump and get past the divisional round.
Still, 13-3 and homefield advantage wrapped up with a pair of rookies leading the way, its been an amazing season.
1) Guess I gotta start with the really wretched, but Sanchez was awful to say the least. I'm really surprised, I guess the homer in me thought he'd be an ideal long term #2 QB here but to be a veteran QB and be that hopeless yesterday is pretty sad. He made a couple nice throws but my 12 yr old would have had enough sense to avoid that last sack and heave the ball into the sideline. Broaddus beat me to the punch with a tweet on it already, but I think there's a real chance Sanchez is cut before our 1st playoff game. No reason to keep him as it's obvious if the total disaster of both Prescott and Romo getting hurt actually happened, we're 100% done.
2) Nice showing by Romo and without a doubt going into the playoffs we have the best 1-2 QB situation in football. Of course the X factor with him is can he take a hit, but he threw the ball great even with a few flubs out there on offense. At the very least the team knows if he has to play, the throwing ability and ability to see the field is still there. I also think that he may have increased his trade value to us a little, which is a good thing for us for 2017 offseason.
3) Although I hate it that we lost, not playing all the beat up guys and making Elliott and Lee sit out was the right thing to do. It sucked having to hold the breath over the other guys (like Fred and Martin especially) but we only had so many people who could actually line up and play. Fortunately it appears we got out of the game with nobody getting hurt (Hitchens did limp off the field and never returned but I haven't read/heard that he has any issues going forward. So mission #1 of staying healthy for the games that matter most appears to be accomplished.
4) I think the biggest concern after watching this game was just how awful Doug Free was. He's always been one of those guys that plays decent enough for awhile and then has a clunker game where he just gets abused, but this effort may have been the worst of his career and its coming just as we go into the playoffs. Chaz Green's inability to get and stay healthy is a real issue here, because I truly believe he'd have already replaced Free at RT. Free didn't block anybody the entire game and was so bad that a scrub like Emmett Cleary (playing out of position at LT!) was eons better than him. It's definitely a huge concern going into our first playoff game. Needless to say, getting Free's replacement (whether its Chaz Green, a free agent or a 2017 draft pick) is going to be high on the list of offseason priorities. Let's just hope it doesn't cost us a game in the next few weeks.
5) I complain a lot about Roger Goodell and the epic stupidity that he runs the league with, but this Randy Gregory thing should potentially be something that Jones goes to war with the league over. Brad Sham (who is not a hack) is reporting that Gregory is having to appeal a "missed" test because Gregory didn't show for a league mandated test at whatever service they use to do this. Normally this seems cut and dry (missed test is considered a positive, for obvious reasons) but in this case Sham says the missed test occurred while Gregory was receiving inpatient substance abuse care. I would think even the biggest dumbshit stooge you could think of could see why this would seem to be circumstance that would dictate not "going by the book". Pretty sure Gregory would have been "clean" while admitted. Also I was listening to ESPN radio and one of their NFL guys was suggesting that teams not even in the playoffs are somewhat concerned with how Goodell handled this whole situation, leaving the Cowboys hanging for weeks (and costing them another player who was on the roster) because they cant get their shit together. Hopefully Gregory wins his appeal (which I believe the NFLPA is supporting) and this goes away, but if he is suspended again over something like this it really wreaks of incompetence (at best) or extreme bias (at worst)
6) Speaking of Gregory, obviously he is still dusting off the rust but for a guy who didn't have a training camp or preseason, and no practices until the week before last you can definitely see the talent. If he can win his appeal, he can definitely help us in the playoffs. The explosive first step and closing speed, run to the ball ability is all there. He had 7 tackles, a sack and 2 TFL's. Had a number of pressures as well.
7) David Irving was held more than a newborn baby yesterday, and it wasn't called once. In fact no Eagle OL was called for holding no matter how blatant it was. Hopefully we don't get the same garbage crew in the playoffs that did this game, because these guys either had money on the game or were just out and out inept.
8) Eagle TE's had 19 catches for 187 yards and 2 TD's, in the game vs the Lions Eric Ebron had 8 catches for 93 yards. Byron Jones isn't responsible for all those but whatever they are doing coverage-wise definitely seems to be promoting teams throwing to TE's. Maybe its due to the zones or double teams they are providing elsewhere, but this might be something that needs cleaned up a bit before we play in two weeks.
9) Seems like a weekly rant, but I still have zero clue why Lance Dunbar and Lucky Whitehead are on this team. Neither is worth a damn at the roles the team uses them in. Unless some team was just totally desperate, I cant imagine either having a spot on an active regular season roster anywhere else if we cut them lose. Two total waste of roster spots here.
10) Damien Wilson is turning into a decent SOLB, but his missed tackle on Wentz yesterday was bad. He's a physical player and had normally been a sure tackler, but he totally whiffed on a play that extended a drive. Otherwise had a good game, led team in tackles, had a lot of good coverage and 3 TFL's.
11) Sounds like Scott Linehan isn't the only coaching staffer we stand to lose. Rich Bisaccia is getting mentioned again and might be a candidate for a couple different teams, including San Diego. (Where he has worked before)
12) The Giants/Packers game should be tight and could go either way, but with as bad as Seattle has been and their injury situation, I don't know that its a foregone conclusion they win and advance vs the Lions. If the Lions win, we play them in the divisional round (game is set as late game on FOX Sunday 1/15). Of the three teams we could potentially play, I'd probably least like to see Green Bay, just because of Rodgers. I don't think the Giants beat us if we play them again and the Lions we probably beat even worse than last week with all our guys back.
On to the playoffs. It's been 21 yrs since we played in a NFC Championship game (and Super Bowl) hopefully this is the year we get over the hump and get past the divisional round.
