Written By Jason Voorhees

  
Don't get your hopes up yet folks...but I think the Flyers have FINALLY found their Goalie of the Present and his name is Carter Hart.  Back in December I wrote a post on the Flyers young prospect and I stated the case that Hart was indeed not only the goalie of the future...but that the future is NOW.  Now I don't want to pound my chest and tell everyone that "I told you so!"  But I must say that as a die hard Flyers fan...it has been an absolute pleasure to watch this kid play in his first NHL action.

In fact, Hart has been everything as advertised and then some since his callup in mid December.  In 13 games, he has a 7-5-1 Record and has posted a 2.51 Goals Against Average and a .922 Save Percentage.  These numbers are stellar.  To emphasize Carters excellence even more...there have only been 42 goalies in NHL history to start more than 10 games in a season at age 20 or younger.  Of those 42 goalies, no one had posted a higher save percentage than Hart.    

Although this is a very small sample size...these numbers put him in elite company.  Numbers are just numbers and its truly the eye test that tells the entire story.    

And Carter Hart has aced that test with flying colors.  Hart plays with poise and confidence that far outweigh his years of life.  He approaches every game like it will be his last.  He plays every puck with ferociousness and tenacity that is unmatched.  Hart stick handles with patience and awareness.  He is definitely a prodigy and will only get better playing his rookie season in the NHL.  

After dominating the Western Hockey league the past two seasons...Hart began this season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.  However; after injuries took down both Flyers starters...the organization chose to call him up and give him a shot on the big league team.  He has not disappointed and basically has tied their hands moving forward.  Trust me when I tell you that this is a GREAT thing!

In a town where hockey fans have been starved of star goaltending forever and a day, Hart not only brings hope but he also brings an impressive resume and pedigree.  This is real guys. 

We finally have a stud goalie and he will be here for a very long time.  Year in and year out the Flyers roster changes and they have had their share of star players in this organization.  But one thing has eluded them all of these years and the same theme has run true year after year and that is their lack of talent behind the pipes.  That my friends is now a thing of the past. 

Carter Hart is the Flyers next FRANCHISE PLAYER.  This is not a typo folks.  This is a FACT.  Hart is the one player that will take this team to the promised land.  I believe that Carter Hart is the missing link that will carry the Philadelphia Flyers to multiple Stanley Cup Championships.  It is evident that the kid is here to stay and now its just a matter of tweaking the roster here and there and just getting better with experience.

The trade deadline is fast approaching and new GM Chuck Fletcher has his work cut out for him.  During their recent five game win streak, the club has in fact been heavily outshot by a 185-115 margin.  However; the goaltending has kept them in games and in most cases won them these games.  In those games Hart was 4-0 with the one win going to Anthony Stolarz.  

At this point, Fletcher needs to make a few deals to help the Flyers for next season. 

Now that the Flyers finally have their goalie, it is absolutely imperative that he improves the defensive talent in front of him.  I think its time to move both veteran defensemen Andrew McDonald and Radko Gudas.  I also think that the team moves Wayne Simmonds.  Simmonds has been one of my favorite players on the team the past few seasons; however, he is the same type of player as James Van Reimsdyk (whom the team signed this past offseason in free agency).  The return from a Simmonds trade should be decent and may even net you another veteran defenseman and a draft pick.

The Flyers young core on defense will only get better.  Although Ivan Provorov began the season on a down turn, he has picked it up as of late and his future is bright.  Shayne Ghostisphere is still a highly touted offensive defenseman,  Then the team has a young Sam Morin set to return and probably will see young Philip Myers get called up as well.  That would be a defensive 6 next season of Ghost/Provorov, Myers/Morin, and Haag/Sanheim. 

I am also not sold on Scott Gordon behind the bench.  I think Fletcher decided to give him a tryout, but ultimately I think the team goes after Quenville in the offseason.  I think that Claude Giroux still has a lot in the tank and the team can be competitive the next few seasons.  Its just a matter of surrounding the young pieces with some key veterans and a great coach.  I believe that formula will finally bring home the Stanley Cup.

The Flyers have a ton of young talent that is developing in front of our eyes.  It appears that the rebuild was not in vain and we are finally getting to see the fruits of that "process."  Nolan Patrick.  Travis Konecny.  Carter Hart.  Ivan Provorov.  The youngest team in hockey continues to get younger but yet they are now getting wiser.  With each passing game this team comes closer to the turnaround that we could see coming a few years back.  Its just a shame that Ron Hextall will not be here to see things through. 

For now just enjoy the ride folks.  Watch these games and keep your eyes focused on #79.  He is truly growing in front of us.  Carter Hart wears his heart on his sleeves.  This is the type of blue collar talent we have been waiting for.  He has finally graced us with his presence and appears here to stay.  That is excellent news for Flyers faithful.  Hopefully all of those bad years have finally paid off as we see these young players coming into their own.  The future is bold and bright for this team, and the sky is the limit for Carter Hart.  Thank God we finally have a goalie to count on. 

 

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Written By Jason Voorhees

We are exactly two months away from opening day for the Phillies in 2019 and yet the two major free agent "mega stars" remain unsigned. In fact, only one player (Patrick Corbin) from the original MLB Top 10 List provided by Jim Duquette in October has signed a contract.  Up until a few weeks ago...there were at least 50 Bryce Harper/Manny Machado rumors on a daily basis.  

Since Manny Machado's agent Dan Lozano ripped Bob Nightengale and Buster Olney for false reports about his clients potential destinations and contract offers, the rumor well had suddenly went dry.  The Harper/Machado "rumors" that were swirling around on Twitter had slowed to a snails pace.  Up until today.  On Monday, Bob Nightengale was once again reporting that the Phillies are still heavy favorites to land Bryce Harper and that the White Sox are favorites for Manny Machado.

Then, in dramatic fashion another Bryce Harper related tweet.  This time from MLB THE SHOW Twitter Handle.  What exactly did it say you ask?  "You'll want to keep an eye on this account tomorrow...just saying."  Can you say cryptic?


​At this point, its a waiting game to see which player will blink first.  Who will sign the first contract and who will get the larger payday.  Major League Baseball Free Agency has become a crap shoot.  Free Agency is supposed to be the crème de le crème when it comes to the major league sports offseason.  Just look at NFL, NBA, and even NHL "Free Agent Frenzies" for how big of a deal these systems have become.  Then look at MLB, where it has become the exact opposite...extremely slow, boring, and downright disappointing.

I can remember as a young kid how exciting the MLB "Hot Stove" used to be.  It was the premier free agent offseason in the sporting world and there was always so much fun and drama attached to it.  The "Hot Stove" used to be synonymous with baseball winter meetings when major free agent signings or trades would be discussed or consummated.  Rumors of these deals were often leaked or floated which would cause a major stir in and around the MLB community.  This was MLB free agency at its finest. 

Then, along the way something bad happened...

The past few years have led to a drastic decline in free agent activity in and around the meetings, which has led to players signing much later into the free agent period.  Here we are today, January 28th and we still have nine of the top ten free agents still available on the board.  This is a sad state of affairs for the league.  Just one of a large number of reasons that this league is heading on a crash course for its next major "labor strike." 

​Just look at last year for one example...our own Philadelphia Phillies finally signing the Top Free Agent Pitcher Jake Arrieta who waited until March 11th to sign his 3yr 75 Million Dollar Contract last year.

The free agent system that MLB has going for itself now cannot be good for the benefit of the league.  First of all, it makes sense that the best players in the sport want to get as much money as possible and that they want to be paid comparable to other players in their peer group.  That's easy to understand and I cant fault the player for this.  However; when the best players are waiting to sign its making it more difficult for the lower tier free agents to get "their payday."

Teams are becoming more and more reluctant to shell out the long term contract.  This could be due to so many teams getting burned by players in the past that have not performed up to par.  One great example of this on the Phillies was Ryan Howard's contract extension that was signed in 2010.  The deal was a 5yr/125 Million Dollar payout...a deal at the time that was only bested by Alex Rodriguez as far as average annual value goes.  Of course, we all know too well how that contract panned out.  A minus 4 on the WAR scale over the life of the contract.  In simple terms...PUTRID.

Now I am in no way comparing g a 30year old Ryan Howard to a 26 yr old Bryce Harper or Manny Machado.  The latter are both much younger and just beginning their prime as compared to the 30yr old Howard who had already past his better seasons.  Nonetheless...what I am saying is that I once again can see how this type of situation would cause teams to be more hesitant when distributing out the next big contract.  So I think that this may be the biggest contributing factor to these mega stars lack of interest this season.

Of course, the lack of interest has led to a lack of potential suitors which has ultimately cost Machado and Harper a ton of cash.  The usual suspects (New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, Saint Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, etc) have either bowed out already or were never ever really involved.  Coming into this season, both players were expected to reach deals that would at least hit 300 million, with some people projecting Bryce Harper to break the 400 million threshold.  Instead, neither player will come close to getting the projected number and as mentioned...the long term contract fear may be the biggest factor.

So the lack of signings of the top free agents has basically put the free agency period on hold.  This has been bad in so many ways.  As mentioned earlier...it has hurt second and third tier free agents because now they are being forced to wait and may loose out on suitors as the bigger names fall off the board.  It has also put a damper on potential trades which could effect teams future plans as we get closer and closer to spring training.  Even in the Phillies case...what happens if we are waiting on Harper and he decides to sign with the Nationals instead.  Then what do we do?...

Do we go to PLAN B and sign Machado.  Well...then we have Machado.  And all of a sudden the team is scrambling to trade Mikael Franco or Cesar Hernandez...depending on whether or not Manny is willing to play shortstop or third base.  What if we sign Harper...do we then trade away Nick Williams or Odubel Herrerra.  There are so many "what ifs" and that's just touching on the Phillies situation.  Imagine other teams dilemmas.  I guess some would say that's a great spot to be in and a good problem to have.

In retrospect, its fair to say that this whole free agent "hot stove" thing has become a huge debacle.  Major League Baseball should be ashamed of itself at this point.  Many players and agents have spoke out already against the current system.  However, one may say what can the league do.  Hands are tied at this point.  Not a "ton" of teams looking to spend and still a fairly large crop of free agents to choose from.  Of course...I would say hogwash.  The league needs to step in and take a close look at this current trend and the decline in past few seasons of the free agent frenzy.

The league needs to step in and say...hey guys...we need to make some changes to the current format.  Maybe institute a fine for players that don't sign by a certain deadline.  Maybe make the final deadline February 1st.  Then, at least the majority of players would be forced to sign deals at a much quicker fashion or risk being penalized.  This would at least eliminate the situation that we find ourselves in this year...with 15 of the top 25 free agents yet unsigned.  Also, it would make the MLB offseason relevant once again.  Right now...they are in fifth place in the big 4 of professional sports.  That's not a good place to be in heading towards a labor stoppage.

When will this endless winter of baseball end?  No one seems to have an exact date or time.  One things for sure.  The endless rumors and chatter that had seemed to die for a bit will continue at a feverish pitch.  Where will Bryce and Manny land no one knows exactly.  What is known is that this is just the beginning of the ugly sweater that is also known as baseball free agency. 

Something must be done soon folks.  This is downright embarrassing for a league that has traditionally called itself the top echelon sporting event in America.  It still pales to comparison with Americas Game.  A good starting point would be free agency.  Fix this and possibly fix major league baseball.​  Until then guys...Bryce Yourself for many more rumors to come.

Written By Jason Voorhees

An article in the Philly Voice, written by Joseph Santoliquito, that was published on Monday has created a huge stir across all Social Media Sources.  The article included material that was gathered from anonymous sources from the Eagles organization including more than half a dozen players and other sources close to the team.  The story portrayed Carson Wentz in a totally different light than many people have grown accustomed too.  In fact, the piece used language that was very antagonistic and downright degrading towards the young star quarterback.

The title of the article was...EXCLUSIVE: SOURCES inside EAGLES paint Carson Wentz as 'Selfish,' 'Uncompromising' and 'Playing Favorites.'  This definitely paints a different picture of Carson Wentz that has not been viewed up until today.  The article then went on to say...The franchise quarterback 'complicated' the offense, sources said, adding he didn't want to run 'Foles stuff.' Many of Carson Wentz's teammates and coaches(current and former)have taken to social media in defense of their star quarterback.

The list of those that have come out to defend Carson Wentz include...Fletcher Cox, Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce, Torrey Smith, Frank Reich, Malcolm Jenkins, Stefan Wisnewski, Wendell Smallwood, Zach Ertz, and Brandon Brooks. Not that it signifies anything, but some notable names that have not come to Carson's defense are Nick Foles and Doug Pederson.  However; in my opinion this probably is along the lines of those guys not wanting to give any further legs to the story by refraining from any type of reaction.  Pederson and Foles do not seem like the kind of guys that would be taking to twitter to air out 'family' business.

A list of journalists have also been extremely critical of the Santiloquito piece including Marcus Hayes, Howard Eskin and Elliott Shor-Parks.  Of course, Monday's sports debate would have likely been dominated by the Championship game officiating drama (bad calls/no calls).  However; the Philly Voice article made sure that those plans were put on hold. 

Here was WIP morning show host Angelo Cataldi on Twitter- "Carson Wentz is selfish and uncompromising?  Really?  I've gotten to talk to him a dozen or so times since he joined the Eagles, and he has come across as one of the most thoughtful and determined athletes I have ever encountered."  Echoed by another host Ike Reese (also on Twitter)- "Who's really the 'bad teammate' here, Carson or these 'Anonymous Sources'" referring to the unnamed players who apparently were bad mouthing their leader.

Any time that a controversial piece is written, it is important to note the timeline of events surrounding the story and what the agenda may have been for writing such a damning narrative.  Joseph Santoliquito is a very reputable writer and there is no reason to believe that he was making this story up.  Having anonymous sources in an article is nothing new or extraordinary.  However; the language in the article and the additional plot lines of the story were very demeaning of a guy that has frankly been viewed as an upper echelon character and person.

Some of the words that were put to paper in the article describing Wentz included "arrogant", "egotistical," "selfish," "uncompromising," and "selfish." were very vicarious. Of course this was according to several teammates and other unnamed sources to describe their levels of dissatisfaction of their starting quarterback.  These are very veracious accusations to make of a person with no levels of facts to back them up.  Was Joe out of line for publishing the piece?...Absolutely not.  Freedom of press is still a right in America today and everyone is entitled to their opinion.  Were the accusations overblown?  Absolutely.

I think the aftermath of this bombshell article brings to light one major point.  The morale of the story is that when you have any large group of individuals (in this case more than 50), peoples attitudes and opinions of each other will not all be the same.  This is obvious as evidenced by the amount of Wentz supporters that shellacked social media in defense of their leader.  However, there are obviously a few players that have differing opinions of Carson Wentz and that will not change season to season.  And I think this is a journalist that chose to take these players opinions and use them not only for the gain of the company he works for (Philly Voice), but also for his own betterment.

In less than an hour after the piece was published, this story graced the national spotlight.  The story was all over ESPN and many other media outlets (tv and radio) were also joining the debate.  So in essence, Joe and Philly Voice were garnering a ton of national attention that may not have come their way otherwise.  As mentioned...I believe that the story was not made up.  However; where was the timeline of these comments??  These comments could have been made at any point in the season as these were all unnamed sources and there was no actual event mentioned in retrospect.  

Read the article for yourself and then form your own opinion.  On one side of the spectrum are those staunch Carson Wentz supporters that feel this is a total lie.  A fabricated story that was brought to light to slander the star quarterback and push a journalists "own agenda."  Santoliquito had many negative comments towards Wentz on twitter in months past, so this could back up that argument.  On the other side of the spectrum there are the Carson "Haters" who totally believe the story and want to ship Wentz out of town on the first train available.  These are also the same people that live and breathe the motto "In Foles we Trust."  Odds are, you will probably fall somewhere in between on this story, like myself.

Only time will tell what becomes of this story.  We may never ever know who these "Anonymous Sources" are.  Meanwhile, plenty of media outlets have interviewed Santoliquito and he obviously is not backing down from his report.  So we will have an offseason of debate on whether these allegations are the beginning of bigger issues inside of the soon to be former "NFL World Champions" locker room. 

One things for sure...Carson is still the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles.  The organization came out last week and told us this much moving forward.  Carson has dealt with so much adversity already in his very young career.  From last season...the ACL injury to watching the team win its first ever super bowl behind a backup quarterback Nick Foles.  To this season and the very poor start and another major injury (back)…and once again watching that same backup QB in a magical run at the end of the season and playoff run.  And now Carson will once again deal with adversity.  This time at the feet of social medias doorstep.  

I believe that this report will only make Carson Wentz stronger.  He will once again be out to prove his doubters wrong.  The fact of the matter here is that Wentz is a superb talent that is less than a season removed from serious MVP contention.  This is still a 26 year old quarterback that is still maturing not only on the football field but also off of it.  One thing that came out in the report I do believe.  "The only thing holding Carson back is Carson."  "Carson Wentz is his own worst enemy."  Those two statements I do believe are true when it comes to the Eagles star signal caller.  Now its time for the rubber to meet the road.  Now its time to get away from distractions and focus on getting back on the football field. 

I am pretty sure these reports will all be "fake news" the minute the Eagles kick off next season and Carson walks onto that field of play as "The Man."  Eagles fans will quickly forget this moment when Carson gets back to leading this football team on the field once again.  However; the organization needs to make sure that he has a supporting cast because no matter how much talent he has...he is not super man.  So...this may turn out to be Howie Roseman's most important offseason yet.  Many hard decisions will have to be made including who will stay and who will go.  Lets all hope that Howie and company make the right decisions and the Chosen One comes back to reality.  Lets face it...Carson Wentz is the franchise and this team will go as far as he takes them moving forward.

JUST IN CASE YOU FORGOT...CHECK OUT THESE HIGHLIGHTS...
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Written By Jason Voorhees

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As I took the time to reflect on the Eagles Divisional Round playoff loss to the Saints...a few glaring issues came to mind.  The first idea that popped up was how well the Eagles started out the game in one of the toughest and loudest road stadiums to play in, the New Orleans Superdome.  Playing a road playoff game in the NFL is hard in itself; and when you factor in the record noise crowd levels that are produced in the Superdome, it becomes one of the most hostile environments to execute your plays.  The Eagles did an admirable job of navigating the beginning of the game and weathering the storm.  By the way that they started the game, one would have thought that the Eagles were the home team and not the Saints.

However; its not how you begin a game in the NFL, its how you finish and unfortunately the Eagles finished out on the loosing side in 2018.  There were many reasons why the Philadelphia Eagles lost this game and we could spend an entire offseason debating those reasons one by one.  Furthermore, there wasn't one play that decided the game.  Nonetheless, there were six key moments or plays that I can think of...that if any one of those six plays turned out differently...the Eagles win that game.  That's why they call it a game of inches and the NFL is a war of attrition.  We will highlight these six key plays/moments that could have changed the outcome of the game. 

​Before the list of plays it is important to note that the Eagles loosing Brandon Brooks (All-Pro Right Guard) early in the first quarter could also be the first reason on the list as A) The Eagles did not run the ball effectively after he left and B) The Saints were able to put way more pressure on Foles the rest of the game causing him to rush many of his passes causing him to be unseasonably inaccurate.  Also another key realization that came to mind watching this game that was very evident during his absence...Fletcher Cox is not only the best player on the Eagles roster, but he is also the most important player on the field in any game when it comes to making plays.  Here is the list of plays:

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1. The Brandon Graham strip sack of Drew Brees and subsequent non recovery by the Eagles.  This play occurred with .48 seconds left in the first quarter and after a review, the play was called a forced fumble that was recovered by New Orleans Ryan Ramczyk at the Saints 31.  Had Brandon Graham just fell on the ball instead of trying to pick up the fumble, the Eagles get at least a field goal and its 17-0 in the second quarter.  After a long replay, they ruled that Graham never had control of the football, causing 4th down and a Saints punt.  This was what Chip Kelly used to call a "city' fumble as opposed to a "country fumble."  When there is a "city" fumble (fumble in traffic) the best play is to just fall on the ball and Graham should have went for the easy recovery instead of trying to extend the play.  That's 3 points the Eagles could have desperately used and huge momentum swing.​
2. Nick Foles Interception #1.  On the ensuing drive the Eagles were at the 48 yard line and a deep pass was called from Foles to Zach Ertz.  There was only one problem.  Foles threw a horrible pass that was well underthrown and Marshawn Lattimore was able to make an easy play on the ball for the pick.  Two problems on this play.  If Nick throws this ball on a dime Ertz may have been able to score a touchdown (7 more points left on the field) and the Eagles would have been up 21-0.  The second mistake on the play was by Zach Ertz, who should have at least contested Lattimore and maybe the ball falls to the turf.  Either way the play was a failure and cost the Eagles not only points but further momentum as well.
3. The Saints Fake Punt on 4th and 1 on the Saints own 30 yard line, that Taysom Hill rushed for 4 yards on and a First Down.  So many things went wrong on this play.  First of all, Fletcher Cox and Rasul Douglas were both hurt on this play (which would be a huge factor moving forward in the game.)  Secondly, this was a huge gamble by Sean Payton who could feel the game getting away from him, taking matters into his own hands.  If the Eagles make that play they are in field goal range again and possibly are able to ice the game with a touchdown.  Talk about key moments in the game...this was the turning point where the Saints took back full momentum and got themselves back into a contest that they were conceivably squandering.  Fletcher Cox and Douglas were out the entire rest of the Saints drive which ended in a touchdown...bringing us to moment #4.
4. With 7:28 to go in the second quarter, the Saints had a 4th and Goal at the Eagles 2 yard line.  Of course, on this play Rasul Douglas (CB) was out once again and Josh Hawkins (Practice Squad DB recently called up) was on the field.  Well the Saints went right after him as he bit on a double move by Kirkwood and Brees hit him in the corner of the end zone for an easy touchdown.  Yes, this only made the game 14-7; however, the Saints were back in the game and the momentum  had totally shifted at this point.  If the Eagles make that stop they possibly get momentum back and maybe the Saints are deflated.  Instead the Eagles gave Brees and company life that they would not give back and of course you watched the rest of the game.
5. 18 Plays. 11 Minute and 42 Second Drive.  80 Passing Yards. 32 Rushing Yards.  Drew Brees hit Michael Thomas (once again flanked by the reserve Hawkins) 6 yards deep in the end zone to go up 17-14 in the 3rd quarter.  Fletcher Cox was once again missing in action (injury) and the Saints took advantage of a tired defense and some costly penalties.  This was one of the longest drives in the modern super bowl playoff era.  There were several key 3rd and longs that the Saints executed to perfection.  There were also several key penalties on the Saints that could have deflated their own balloon.  A Max Unger holding penalty negated what would have been a Taysom Hill touchdown pass to Alvin Kamara.  Michael Thomas caught five passes alone on the drive including the 2 yard touchdown.
6. Nick Foles Interception #2.  It was happening again.  The Eagles were driving late.  The magic of Nick Foles was on fire.  And in an instant it was over.  Ball goes through Alshon Jeffery's hands and into the waiting arms of Marshawn Lattimore for his second and game ending interception.  Folks...I believe had Alshon made this catch...the Eagles are facing the Rams in the NFC Championship instead of the Saints.  I firmly believe that if the Eagles executed that play...then Foles finishes the comeback in dramatic fashion and the Eagles win on the last possession.  However; it would not be.  We know how the game ended.  Had any one of these six plays gone the other way...I believe that we are talking about an Eagles win and it would be "get your popcorn ready" time in Philly.  Instead its get your mind on and reflection time on a season of what ifs and the game of inches...

​BREAKING NEWS...The 2018 Philadelphia Eagles will not be repeat Super Bowl Champs.  However; this does not mean that the season was a failure or even a disappointment in my mind because of one major reason...the amount of key injuries sustained vs. the amount of adversity faced vs. the insurmountable odds that were overcome vs. the war of attrition.  Ok...well this is more than one reason but nonetheless this is the legacy of this team.  The 2017 version of the team overcame many injuries but this team was DECIMATED and I do mean decimated.  The Saints game was a microcosm of the Eagles entire season (at one point they were missing Fletcher Cox, Rasul Douglas, Brandon Graham, Michael Bennett, Nigel Bradham, Corey Graham, and Alshon Jeffery.)  Wow...its like the game within a game.  Or in this case...the game within a season.

Here is a list of Eagles players that were on Injured Reserve:

• Mike Wallace (WR2)
• Mack Hollins (WR4)
• Jay Ajayi (RB1)
• Corey Clement (RB2)
• Josh Perkins (TE3)
• Richard Rodgers (TE4)
• Rodney Mcleod (FS)
• Ronald Darby (CB1)
• Jalen Mills (CB2)
• Derek Barnett (DE2)
• Josh Sweat (DE4)
• Jordan Malaita (LT2).

***Other Key Injuries (Players Missed at least parts of two games or more)

• Carson Wentz (QB1)
• Alshon Jeffery (WR1)
• Sidney Jones (CB3)
• Rasul Douglas (CB4)
• Jordan Hicks (MLB1)
• Nigel Bradham (OLB1)
• Corey Graham (SS2)
• Avonte Maddox (CB5)
• Darren Sproles (RB3)
• Stefan Wisnewski (OG)
• Lane Johnson(RT1)
• Jason Peters (LT1)
• Jason Kelce (C)
• Haloti Ngata (DT3)
• Tim Jernigan (DT2)

That's 27 Players that missed at least parts of two games if not more...that's more than half of the Eagles entire 53 Man Roster.  In my opinion, that's an astronomical amount of injuries to key players.  I do not like to use injuries as an excuse for a teams success or lack of success; however, you must be a realist and say that these injuries had a huge effect on how the team played and the results of team play.

So for the Eagles to begin the season 4-6 and then come all the way back to make the playoffs was a huge success in my mind.  The team overcame insurmountable odds to finish where they did after almost every expert to a "T" counted them out.  No one expected this Eagles team to finish with a 9-7 record, let alone make the playoffs.  And yet we sit here Tuesday afternoon, almost having saw this team upset the New Orleans Saints in NOLA and go to the NFC Championship Game.  Yes folks...they were that close to accomplishing what many thought was impossible.  And I will go one step further...I firmly believe that had the Eagles won this game that we would be hoisting our second Lombardi Trophy again in February.

So close...but yet so far away.  A season of promise.  Almost saw another Nick Foles miracle.  We saw plenty of Foles magic on display.  Where do we go from here?  Many questions to answer.  What players do we resign?  Is Nick Foles staying or is he going?  Many questions to ponder as we enter an offseason with more questions than answers.  However; one things for sure...the 2018 Philadelphia Eagles season was a season of promise and we have every reason to be proud of this team that battled and clawed and fought their way to the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. 

This team that won a wildcard game on the road in Chicago against arguably the best defense all season.  A team that won 5 of its last six games to finish 9-7, winning 4 of those 5 on the road.  Amazing Finish BIRDS!  I see a bright future ahead and many more years of success.  Well, that's my season ending review.  I hope that you enjoyed it.  There will be plenty of time for what ifs and where do we goes but for now its just enjoy what just happened and ponder how good this team could have been if not for all of the injuries.  Until next time...this is Jason Voorhees reporting For Philly Rock Radio.  Cheers!

Written By Jason Voorhees

We are less than two hours away from kickoff of the Philadelphia Eagles-New Orleans Saints Divisional Playoff game at the Super Dome.  It is no secret that the Eagles are huge underdogs in this game.  In fact...the Saints are favored by 8 Points over the visiting Birds at this moment.  Not only is the entire Eagles team considered an underdog against the Saints, but Nick Foles is considered a Cadillac to Drew Brees' Rolls Royce.  What does all of this mean you ask???  Well, for the Eagles I believe they are right where they need to be.

Nick Foles has won six straight games overall as a betting underdog as well as four straight playoff games as an underdog.  Nick Foles is 5-1 this year including playoffs.  Last year he was 6-1 including the playoffs including an improbable Super Bowl MVP winning performance against the New England Patriots.  Being an underdog is nothing new to either the Eagles or Nick Foles.  Last year they were not favored in any playoff game despite having the top record in the NFL and having home field throughout.  This year they have not been favored as they snuck in as the last playoff team in the NFL.  However; one could argue that the Philadelphia Eagles have been playing playoff football since their week #11 blowout loss to the Saints (48-7).  This left the Eagles at 4-6 and on the outside looking in.  But that was yesterday's news.  This Eagles team is a polar opposite of that team that was absolutely embarrassed up and down the gridiron.  So let's rehash.  Since Week #11, the Eagles are 6-1.  Nick Foles is 4-0 in the playoffs the past two seasons all as an underdog.  

No matter what Nick Foles does on the football field, there are many people that continue to doubt him and then there are the just plain "haters."  Game in and game out he continues to prove those doubters wrong.  Its not even the stats that make his recent run so impressive (although they are pretty damn good).  However; its the way that Nick Foles has won these games with a coolness and calmness that has rarely been seen.  I am a huge Carson Wentz fan, but you have to admire the way that Nick has come in the past two seasons and orchestrated the outcomes in these huge games.  We will leave the Wentz/Foles debate for another day.  Today is a day that we will focus on Foles and what he continues to do as a leader not only on the field but also in the locker room.

Will Foles magic continue???  We shall see.  But no matter what the outcome of todays game comes to, one thing will definitely be true.  The Eagles will go as far as Nick Foles can take them.  You say this is a team game and you are totally right.  Well, the Eagles are once again playing as a "TEAM."  Earlier in the season you could not say that.  There were so many distractions (Carson Wentz return, endless injuries, inconsistent play calling, etc.)  Well, that is all in the past now.  The Eagles have an opportunity to go out today and prove all of the doubters wrong once again and move one step closer to the end goal.  The idea of the Eagles repeating was an afterthought just eight weeks ago.  Now its REALITY!


Here are my keys to the game and then I will provide my pick.  My keys to the game are:

• Pass Protection- The Offensive Line has been playing lights out the past six weeks after a horrible start to the season.  Jason Peters has once again solidified himself as one of the premier left tackles in the game.  Jason Kelce's athleticism allows Foles to master the RPO's.  The unit will have to be spot on once again today to give time for Foles to perform his magic.
• Rush the Passer- Drew Brees is a field general.  If he is given time I believe he will pick this young Eagles secondary (Crev'eon LeBlanc, Avonte Maddox, Rasul Douglas, and Sidney Jones).  It is an absolute Must that Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Michael Bennett, Chris Long and company dominate the line of scrimmage.  Also, Jim Schwartz needs to dial up some blitzes.  The Eagles are last in Blitz percentage and they will need to be a little more aggressive in this one, especially if they are not getting to the passer.
•  Special Teams- Win the battle of Field Possession.  Don't take stupid penalties.  Make the Saints work for their points.  Do not give them a short field.  Jake Elliott needs to make every field goal and please, please, please, no double doinks.  No missed extra points either.
• Turnovers- The Eagles need to get more turnovers than the Saints.  Last week they lost the turnover battle.  In fact, they have one of the worst turnover percentages in the NFL.  What did we see last year?  Not only win the turnover battle...but also make them timely turnovers (BG's sack of Brady, Chris Long's sack of Goff, etc).  And then the third part of this score points off of the turnovers.  Take advantage of New Orleans mistakes.
•  Time of Possession- The Saints Defense is really good against the run.  I am not saying run the ball more than pass...what I am saying is lead a balanced attack and keep the Saints offense on the sidelines as long as possible.  Also, timeouts could be extremely important in this one so Doug needs to be shrewd when burning these timeouts and using the challenge.

MY PICK-  Well, I know the Eagles are considered huge underdogs in this one by the betting public as well as most NFL advisors and experts.  On paper, this makes a ton of sense.  New Orleans is undefeated in the Super Dome in playoffs in forever.  Drew Brees has had an MVP season.  The Saints have Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas (game changers) on offense.  The Saints beat the Eagles (WHIPPED THEIR ASS) 48-7 in the regular season.  The Eagles young secondary that does not employ one player with more than two years experience.  For all of these reasons...I say that the Saints being favored makes perfect sense.  However; this is the playoffs and sometimes the best team and team that is set up to win (favored) does not win.  You can call me a homer, you can call me a non realist, you can call me an idiot...lol. I do not really care here.  I am going with my gut here and my gut says that the Eagles are going to make these experts EAT CROW.  So without further ado...JASON VOORHEES PICK-

EAGLES-29/SAINTS-28.  Eagles win another last minute thriller.  This Time Foles does not leave the field with the lead...The Eagles win on last possession!  LET"S GO BIRDS!!!! #FlyEaglesFly

Written by Jason Voorhees with Special Contributor, Kevin Law

There you have it, folks...Philly Rock Radio's Top 20 Albums of 2018!  Not bad for our first one. Hope you enjoyed the list and The Saloon Rock Club will actually host a show to coincide with the list where we will feature songs from these albums. With that we will leave you with a cut from the Firepower album...cheers to all and see you soon on the show!!!!!!!