Yes, the Eagles can beat 49ers; Mike Tomlin enjoys playing on All-Madden
The divisional round has begun! It’s a busy time on the NFL calendar. The playoffs heat up simultaneously with the offseason for all non-playoff teams. The Philadelphia Eagles they are just about to make their debut in the fray. There are a few rookies already contributing and one playoff team has to make an interesting decision as to who will be their quarterback this offseason.
Eagles are super-duper good
The Eagles will be entering the ring to kick off their potential Super Bowl run. New York Giants The divisional round. The Eagles own the NFC’s top seed for the playoffs with a 14-3 record, and they earned that record by being the top all-around team in the NFL. Led by Jalen Hurts, a great offensive line and a host of talented skill players, the Eagles have firmly cemented their claim to be the team to beat in the NFC — and perhaps the entire playoffs. If the Eagles are on their “A” game, they should run the Giants off of the field.
The Eagles are ahead in almost all positions, especially this week. An offensive line featuring Jordan Mailata, Jason Kelce Lane Johnson It is a more effective trio than many teams. DeVonta Smith A.J. Brown can both take over games. Miles Sanders He is a top-tier runningback. Jalen Hurts is the MVP candidate. He has developed to the point that the Eagles can combine a pass game with a punishing, diverse rushing game. There haven’t been many defenses able to get a handle on this offense and it should lead to this team hosting the NFC championship game after this weekend is over.
The only area that could be considered a weakness in defense is their linebacker situation. They lost a game to the Commanders earlier this season. Although the Eagles are capable of being run on, they have enough defensive talent to make explosive plays and keep teams at long distances. That’s where the Eagles’ defense can really shine. They have a strong, talented offensive line. Darius Slay James Bradberry This year, cornerbacks were kept in lockdown. As long as the Eagles can force their opposition to throw, they’ll be able to unleash the dogs on them. It might be difficult to go against this team. Saquon Barkley this weekend, but the Eagles didn’t have any problems stomping the Giants when Jalen Hurts was healthy for the first game.
Hurts’ health matters a lot for the Eagles, but if he’s ready to go for this game, they have a great chance not only to win, but to also run the table. The San Francisco 49ers Dallas Cowboys Although they would be worthy opponents in round two, the Eagles will be on a different plane than the Giants. That’s no slight to New York, the Eagles are just a juggernaut ready to add a second Super Bowl title to their collection.
Even if the Eagles lose to their opponents, it is best to forget about this column. Its existence will never be acknowledged.
Rookies are still an important part of the playoff race
The NFL playoffs are usually decided by the players that have played in this league for a long time, but there are a handful of rookies that are going to be key in their teams’ chances to advance to the next round. These young players will be crucial for their team’s chances of reaching the Super Bowl in this postseason.
Kayvon Thibodeaux EDGE, Giants
Thibodeaux is quickly becoming one of the best all-around NFL defensive ends. Thibodeaux finished his rookie season with four sacks, but that doesn’t quite capture his impact on the Giants’ defense. With his ability to disrupt offensive lines, and get in the backfield, Thibodeaux makes their defense better. Thibodeaux has the potential to be a huge-time player over the long term, and the Giants will require him to display that talent in order to defeat the Eagles and possibly reach the Super Bowl.
George Karlaftis EDGE, Chiefs
Karlaftis has been a key part of the Chiefs’ defensive line rotation this season, finishing second on the team in sacks with six in his first season. Karlaftis, like Thibodeaux, has been just as effective as any rookie edge rusher and is expected to continue his career as a starter.
Brock Purdy, QB, 49ers
Brock Purdy has done what’s been asked of him so far and he’s been able to steer the 49ers’ offense into some explosive outings, including a 41-point outburst against the Seahawks. It has made Kyle Shanahan’s job much easier playing alongside him and using a variety of offensive weapons that are Pro Bowl-caliber has certainly helped. Mr. Irrelevant Since taking over as the starting quarterback on this team, he has not been insignificant.
Luke FortnerJaguars,, C
Fortner will be crucial to the Jaguars’ Divisional Round success if they are to move past Kansas City. Fortner was the 65th pick of the 2022 NFL draft. He has played every offensive snap this year, making him the only Jaguars player to do it. Jacksonville will live and die by the arm of Trevor Lawrence, so he’s going to need some time to get these throws off. Fortner will have to keep the Chiefs star. Chris Jones This weekend, he will be at bay and his performance may determine the outcome.
What’s next for the 49ers at quarterback?
The 49ers’ decision to make a quarterback their main focus for the offseason could be the biggest wildcard. Trey Lance. They have suddenly a quarterback controversy with three potential quarterbacks capable of running their offense. Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo All three of Brock Purdy’s arguments for being the starter next year are strong. It all depends on the route that the 49ers choose to build their roster.
Purdy is the 49ers’ cheapest option. After being the 49ers’ last pick in the draft, Purdy signed a $3.7 million contract for four years. He’s been able to run this offense to a degree that has them scoring 40 points in the playoffs, but it’s fair to wonder what his ceiling is in the NFL and if he can actually continue being this guy moving forward. Garoppolo is the steady hand and the quarterback they’ve had the most success with during Shanahan’s run as the head coach. Lance has the highest physical upside of the three, but he hasn’t played significant snaps since he was a sophomore at North Dakota State. The 49ers did trade three first-round picks for the right to select Lance, but so far he’s still a complete unknown.
It’s an interesting problem that the 49ers find themselves in. They don’t You are required The 49ers have chosen the most talented quarterback to be their QB. Kyle Shanahan has essentially made the 49ers offense QB-proof and they’re loaded with playmakers at every position on offense. The 49ers could trade for a first-rounder if they want to recoup some picks from Lance’s trade.
If Lance is able to be the guy who lets the 49ers truly raze their defenses for a decade, perhaps they should give him another chance at being a franchise quarterback. Everyone knows what this offense looks like with Garoppolo and Purdy running it — good enough to be a Super Bowl contender. Lance at his best Might You can give them a greater margin of error in offense due to Shanahan’s physical capabilities. It’s a good problem to have, due to the presence of Shanahan, but a problem nonetheless.
Purdy is their backup quarterback. While expectations for the 49ers, regardless of who is at the quarterback, are high no matter who it is, Lance may be able to make those expectations come true more easily.
Lance, Garoppolo, Purdy. That’s the question for the 49ers. It doesn’t feel like there’s a completely wrong question here, it just depends on how risky the 49ers are willing to be with the most important position on the team. They’re in a rare position of being able to take a big swing at quarterback (Lance), stay with what they know (Garoppolo), or ride the hot hand (Purdy). This is a situation where a quarterback can change the NFL.
Mike Tomlin enjoys playing on All-Madden
The Steelers They have decided to keep Matt Canada’s services. This decision drew ire from Steelers fans all across the country. Canada hasn’t had much success in the NFL, but Pittsburgh isn’t really a team that makes huge shakeups, so he’s going to get another chance to imprint his philosophy on the Steelers and Kenny Pickett, their potential franchise quarterback.
Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the team, seems to be addicted to the grind. You don’t have to live like this, Mike! You can find an offensive coordinator that’s going to make life easier for you! There’s really only one way to interpret this decision: Mike Tomlin loves playing games with the difficulty cranked up to see what he can accomplish along the way. Tomlin is yet to experience a losing season and now appears to be trying to maintain that streak amidst seemingly impossible odds.
Is this possible? This is a Tomlin team. They can finish 10-7 with a -1000 point differential, but it just doesn’t have to be this hard. Canada is a competent college offensive coordinator. But his success with Steelers was borderline negligible. Tomlin should just play this game on All-Madden.
Pickett might be able to add another year of offense, but the Steelers don’t have enough right now. Mike, turn the difficulty down. That’s all.