Big Blue Heaven Or Hell...Die Eagles Die...On The Road To Misery...

It didn't take long for Wellington Mara to wreak havoc in heaven with the football gods...

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Donovan McNabb is unlikely to play in Philadelphia's game against the New York Giants on Sunday because of a groin injury.
``I wouldn't bet on it,'' Eagles coach Andy Reid said Tuesday when asked if McNabb could start. ``He doesn't look good today.''
McNabb injured his groin while trying to tackle Dallas' Roy Williams after throwing an interception. Williams returned the pick 46 yards for a touchdown with 2:43 left to lead the Cowboys to a 21-20 comeback victory over the Eagles on Monday night.
Reid said McNabb had an MRI on Tuesday morning, and was waiting to see a specialist. If McNabb doesn't play, Mike McMahon probably would start over Koy Detmer against the Giants.
McMahon, listed as the third-string quarterback, played the last series against Dallas, and drove the Eagles to the Cowboys 42 before David Akers missed a 60-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds.

Maybe Duke Mara can get a little help from Bob Tisch, who joined him this week after a long bout with brain cancer this week. I agree with Jason Whitlock. He said that Coughlin and Eli are starting believe their press clippings. A quarterback's best friend is a good running game and you have one of the best all-around running backs in the league on your team in Tiki Barber. With a QB who just finished his first full season as a starter, why are you throwing the ball so damn much?

Yes, the Giants have potentially, the most explosive offense in the history of the franchise. They have more weapons in the skill positions on the passing offense than any Giants team in recent memory. But if you're going to win out in the winter, you have to have a running game and the Giants have the potential to be lethal on the ground as well. I would love to see Coughlin and Hufnagel find a way to use Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward to spell Tiki and to keep defense honest. Doing that would create more opportunities for Manning and company in the passing game.

I know Manning is still going through some growing pains. But a good coach is supposed to put his team in the best position to win. And there are too many weapons and options for this offense to be as inconsistent as it's been against inferior competition. Whatever problems the Eagles might have, they're still dangerous. They still have enough to make life difficult for Big Blue.

Speaking of the Eagles, with the death of Bob Tisch this week, I couldn't even enjoy their Monday night debacle, Donovan being out for the season and all the Terrell Ownens drama. However the guys at Gridiron fans did a great job of showing how absurd the whole situation is.

Does T.O realize how money this stunt has cost him in the long run? Chances are, every deal he gets from here on in will be incentive laden and on a yearly basis. Meaning if he gets hurt or has an off year, he's screwed. And he's 32, so how many years do you think he can maintain his all-pro form? Two? Three? Four, maybe? Only time will tell. Even if the arbitrator rules that the Eagles have to release him if they're not going to play him, who's going to take a chance on him for the stretch run? Even if he was model citizen, he'd have to learn a new system and get a feel for his new QB. Difficult circuumstances even under a optimium situation.

And Donovan McNabb's rep has taken a bit of hit in this mess. He handled the whole thing with class, but he had a chance to be a big hero two weeks in a row. What does he do? He throws big picks that finish off the Birds. You can't blame T.O for that pick to Roy Williams, Donnie.

The Giants need to come out strong early and punch the Eagles in the mouth. Don't give them a chance to breath. Never let them think they have a chance to win. Don't let them hang around. If you let this team think they have a chance, Mike McMahon could pull off a miracle.

Final: Giants, 24 Eagles, 10

Never Let A Chicken Hawk Do An Eagles Job...

They outplayed the Cowboys and still lost. The Eagles are done and I can't even enjoy it because the Cowboys are tied for first place. Hopefully, Big Blue can deliver the knockout blow to their season on Sunday.

I know Donovan couldn't finish the game. But I won't believe that he's sitting out next week until I see him in street clothes at 1pm. I actually want him to play since we haven't beaten him in like four years.

Oh and the Knicks are 2-5 now. Here we come baby!!

Lucky In Fantasy, Unlucky In Fandom

Figures. The one week I win all of my fantasy leagues, the Giants lose badly, the Knicks start the season 1-5 and the Jets are well...the Jets. Even when I win, I lose.

I'm a huge Giants fan, but I never bought into this Giants Super Bowl bandwagon that the writers and talking head have started since the Giants beat the Redskins a couple of weeks ago. For a couple of reasons. One, I never thought the Redskins were that good. Any team with Mark Brunnell as their starting QB is one hit away from Jetsville. Yeah, he's been impressive. But he reminds of something Phil Simms used to say a couple of years after he retired. He said that he could still make all of the throws, but he couldn't take the hits. I'm not convinced that he can take the beating of a full season anymore. And if he falls, so goes the Squaws.

The other thing is that I don't think the Giants are that good. Not yet. They have the skill players, the defense is shaping up and Eli has the makings of a star. But he's in his 16th game as a starter and he's still very inconsistent. Yesterday was a perfect example. He made a very ordinary defense look like the second coming of the '99 Ravens. Until he gets more comfortable throwing to his secondary targets like Toomer and Carter, he's not going to be able to keep defense honest. Toomer was a perennial 1,000 yard receiver. Tim Carter is the fastest guy on the team. It's not as if he's throwing to two rookies. When he completely comfortable with going to them, the offense will become consistent. It's pretty good right now with all the blips. If he can show defenses that he's willing to look at someone other than Plaxico and Burress, with Barber running the ball, they'll be unstoppable. As good as any offense in the league.

The defense has finally shaped up to what folks thought it would be so if the offense can start to sustain drives, it means that the defense is on the field less. And when they are on the field, they can tee off on the opposing offenses. I really like this team. And I think that they can win the division. But if they want to beat Atlanta or Carolina, they're going to have to be able mix it up on offense. Neither of these defenses are world-beaters. But they're solid enough. They're sure as hell better than Minnesota and you saw what happened on Sunday.

The Giants loss, combined with the Monday night game between Philly and Dallas, did create a very funny moment at Blondies Sunday night. Giants fans, Cowboys fans and Eagles fans all rooting for Tampa Bay. Why? Because Tampa was playing Washington and if the Squaws won, they would be in first place. So when Alstott ran the two point conversion in to win the game 36-35, We practically put one Bucs fan in the bar on our shoulders and carried him out of bar. Very funny moment.

I was also rooting for Tampa because of Chris Simms. Ironically, I was wearing a Phil Simms jersey Sunday and while it did nothing to help Big Blue, I was glad if it helped out his son. This kid has world of talent. More than his dad even. Hopefully he gets a chance to succeed or fail in Tampa. If this was his coming out party, it was some announcement to the world.

Now I'm forced to root for the Eagles tonight. Ugh. This is how disgusted the whole T.O thing has become to me. It's made the Eagles a team worth rooting for. Almost.

I think Dallas is the most dangerous team to the Giants hopes because of their balance. But Philly scares me. Yeah, they're weaker without T.O. But they're the champs. And until someone knocks them out, they're dangerous. If they beat Dallas tonight. The Giants have to kill any momentum they have by punching them in the mouth hard when they face off next weekend. Jump on their bones and crush them at outset. You don't want a team like that getting any sort momentum in the stretch run. It might not take them to the Super Bowl, but it could take them to wildcard berth or a division title.

As for the Jets. The only thing that they're worth for is to see what Joe Benigno is going to rant about on Monday mornings. They're becoming non-competitive with that offense. That game was winnable if you had a decent QB. Bollinger is a Arena QB at best. This guy has no business starting in the NFL. It's not all on him. But you need someone who at least gives you a fighting chance. Vinny can't do it anymore. If Fiedler was there they probably could have pulled it out. But he's not, so the point is moot.

I do agree with Benigno on this point. No more excuses for Herm and Bradway. Yeah, you're 2-6, but you have to show some guts and stop playing so conservative. You have nothing lose. Go for it! At the end of the first half, they have the ball with two timeouts and about 40 plus seconds. They're down 10-3. What do they do? They run the ball and let clock run out!

All this talk about playing to win the game. They play not to lose now. He would take risks a couple of years ago. But they were stupid risks. Option passes by Lamont Jordan. Silly gimmick plays instead of smart calculated risk. They're a joke.

I like Herm but he's not the guy to lead you to the promised land. This was a winnable game and he refused to go for the jugular. If you fail, fine, but go out guns a blazing. He'll probably keep his job. But I wouldn't shed a tear if he got whacked at the end of the season.

Benigno mentioned something about Vermeil retiring and Herm taking over in KC. Bad move, Dick. Herm's a great guy and great motivational speaker. But he's not a pro head coach. I hate saying this about the brother. But it's true. His team never surpass expectations. They either meet them or fall short. A good coach should be able to make a good team better. Not meet the status quo.

I wonder if Al Groh is available?

Eddie Guerrero-R.I.P

Gotta admit that the beginning of RAW choked me up tonight. It broke my heart to hear the news about Eddie G. I don't usually post about wrestling since it's staged and all. But I had to do something for his passing. Great performer. He will be missed.

Memoirs Of A Sportsaholic

Hello. My name is Darth Marc and I'm a sportsaholic. I thought that once that baseball was over that I'd get my life. Little did I know that my life wasn't mine to have. That I was an indentured servant to sports. So when I was approached by my Jets tailgate buddy Andy about getting a six game package with the New Jersey Nets this year (I could pick any six games I wanted and I got opening night for half price as a seventh game)for some reason I couldn't resist.

Now you might ask, why did a lifelong Knicks fan get season ticket package to the Nets? With the Knicks struggling to get sellouts now, why hadn't I bought a Knicks season package? Had he changed teams before the season started? The answer is no, I haven't become a Nets fan. And I would have loved to have gotten a Knicks package, but the smallest plan they were offering was 14 games and it was still too expensive for me. I'm a junkie, but you can't get a fix without loot. The Nets are the only team to allow you to pick the games you want. They have a fun team to watch and it gives me the opportunity to see some of the teams and players that I want live when they come to Jersey (Including the Knicks). And while I was annoyed by some of the remarks that the Nets have made about the Knicks over the years, they are a team worth rooting for (as long as they're not playing NYK) and if nothing else I would be entertained.

So I took my old friend and fellow basketball junkie Clay to the game. He works in Jersey so I told him that I'd take the bus over to the Continental Airlines Arena. I've taken the bus for Giants games so I figured that it would be an easy trek. It was easy. But depressing. Waiting on that line for the bus was one of the most depressing feelings I've had in a while. I don't know why. It could be something about Port Authority and waiting on line like you're on a welfare cheese line or the bleak atmosphere of the terminal in general. But outside of the occasional Sunday bus trip for a Giants/Jets game, I can't imagine anyone doing this for 20, 30, 40 games. Thank god Clay offered me a lift home.

It was a good game. The Nets controlled much of the first half, but Michael Redd, TJ Ford and Mo Williams took over in the second half. Redd, in particular. He started lighting Richard Jefferson up. When RJ got ejected for tussling with Mo Williams, Redd made Jason Kidd his personal bitch. He showed me why there was such a fuss over him being left off the 2004 Olympic team. He's a beast. The Nets lose opening night.

But worse, there were about 5,000 empty seats, when the Nets announced a sellout!! Pathetic.

I made a return trip to the Continental Airlines Arena last Saturday, to watch the Nets play the Bulls. This time, however, instead of taking the bus, I have a car I rented to run some errands. I also have Imperial Vixen Erica riding shotgun with me for the trek to the Meadowlands.

Before the game, Erica warned me that it was her first pro basketball game and that she didn't know much about the sport. I won't lie, that did concern me a bit. And I normally avoid taking neophytyes to a game because of all the stupid questions that usually follow. But she follows baseball and football pretty well. And basketball is far easier to follow than either of those so I figure that she was worth the risk. I gave her a quick crash before the game started and she was able to follow the game for the most part without too many girl questions.

She got to see a good game. The Nets pulled it out in the last second when Jason Kidd rebounded a missed free throw, drove it the length of the court before passing it to Jefferson who laid it up and got fouled for the three point play. The Nets won 100-99.

My third visit to the swamp for the week was a forgettable one. Not even a great tailgate could put a smile on the faces of my Jet buddies after Gang Green lost to the Chargers 31-26. It was the worst sort of the lost. The Jets were totally outplayed in the first half with LT making the game his personal highlight reel. Then, when Vinnie gets hurt, Brooks Bollinger comes into the game and brings the Jets back. The Jets have a chance to win in the closing seconds, with four chances on the goalline. What happens? Maybe the worst sequence of goalline playcalling that I've ever witnessed. The Jets turn the ball over on downs and the Bolts win.

No rant that I could write on this blog could do such a awful moment justice. If you want to hear a master ranter at work click onto WFAN's page for Joe Benigno and listen to his rant on the November 7th.

The one real downer (outside of the loss)was a near altercation that I had with a guy sitting in the same row as me and my buddy Yankee Mark, who sat with me. Two guys, who sat in the middle of the row, must have gotten up two or three times in the first half to got to the bathroom. Because Mark and I sat at the end, we had to keep getting up so they could get by. After the second or third time, I tease the guys about it, saying they have little bladders if they have keep going to the john. One guy takes in stride and smiles about it. The other gives me a dirty look and says "How did you get those seats?(Lower Level, Behind the End Zone)Scalpers?"

It was a pretty lame comeback, except for the inference. It was his punk-ass way of calling me nigger without actually doing it. How did that come to that assumption. His tone for one. You know it when you hear it. If you've ever been on the receiving end of a redneck who wants to call you a nigger, but know that he can't, so he says something else inferring it...you know the tone. Plus, why couldn't I be a season ticket owner? Maybe I sold my tickets or gave them away? And it was my second game in those seats this season. So it's not as if was my first game.

And more importantly why the hell would I scalp tickets for a 2-5 team? What kind of idiot would I be to pay over face value to see this team?

The only reason he said that was because he didn't think a black guy could be a season ticket holder. He just didn't have the guts to say it.

It's one thing to be a racist. Another to be a coward and an idiot. It's really sad to be all three. When he came back to the seats, he tried to diffuse the situation by saying to me jokingly "quit counting!" I said, that I was joking before, but since he wanted to be a fake tough guy, we can take this to another level. He was mum for the rest of the game.

The jackass and his friend didn't stay for the end of the game. They left at the end of the third quarter. Weak. Real weak.


I like the Jets, I really do. Their fans (except for that jackass) are a lot of fun for the most part. But thank god, I'm a Giants fan. I never thought I'd say that, particularly after the last couple of dreadful years. I was homicidal after last year's collapse coming right after the Yankees ALCS collapse to the Infidels. But barring a ridiculous wave of injuries this year, Big Blue should make the playoffs.
I got to Blondies just in time to see the end of their win versus the 49ers. That game had trap written all over it. Particularly with the Niners starting a friggin' rodeo star at QB. But despite some sloppy moments, the Giants pulled through with a 24-6 win. Hopefully they avoid another potential trap game tomorrow...this one against the Vikings.

After the game, I ran into some Eagles & Redskins buddies who were there to watch their game Sunday night. They start giving me grief for wearing a Jets Jersey (Wesley Walker #85). They asked me how I could wear a Jets jersey being a Giants fan. That I'm suppose to hate the Jets. I told them that, no I don't have to hate the Jets being a Giants fan. That I like the Jets since they were the first professional team that I ever saw in person (Jets/Pats, 1981 at Shea)and that I've always had a soft spot for the green. I also said that as long as I wasn't wearing the colors of a team I hated that I could wear anything I wanted. They didn't buy it.

I run into this a lot since I own over 20 sports jerseys of a variety of teams. People always ask me who I root for and how come I"'m wearing this when I'm a fan of that." Brothers and folks who understand Hip-Hop culture don't ask these stupid questions. But because I'm all about educating the masses, here's a list of the teams I root for and the teams that I hate. If you don't see a team on either list, then there's a chance that I might wear their colors. So don't be surprised.

Teams I root for:
Baseball
Yankees

Football
Giants
Jets (a distant second)

Basketball
Knicks
Nets (only because I have tickets. they're a very distant second)

Hockey
Rangers

College Football (by conference)
ACC-Miami
SEC-Florida
Big 12-Texas (no I'm not a front-runner...I've liked them ever since Mack Brown, who I covered at UNC, came there in 1997...that and the fact that Chris Simms is only the son of my favorite player ever)
Big East-Syracuse
Pac-10-USC (Since Marcus Allen in the early 80's, and Rodney Peete in late 80's)
Big 10-Michigan

College Basketball
Big East-St Johns (over everbody)
ACC-UNC
SEC-Kentucky
Big 12-Don't care
Pac-10-Don't care
Big 10-Michigan

TEAMS I HATE....

Baseball
Red Sox
Indians (No teams with Native American Mascots)
Mariners
Mets
Dodgers
Angels
A's
Marlins
Blue Jays
Cardinals
Braves (ditto)
Devil Rays
Orioles
D-Backs

Football
Cowboys
Eagles
Patriots
Redskins
49ers
Ravens
Dolphins (only out of respect to my Jet friends)
Chiefs (see above, although their colors are cool)

Basketball
Lakers
Celtics
Heat
Pacers
Bulls

Hockey
Flyers
Devils
Bruins (No Boston Teams ever!!!)

College
Notre Dame
Florida State
Georgia (Since I root for Florida in SEC)
Tennessee
DOOK
Indiana
Oklahoma
Kansas
Boston College
UMass (Dr. J is the ONLY exception)
Illinois

If you ever see me in any of these colors feel free to kill me...otherwise, shut the f--- Up!

There's a reason why I haven't brought up the Knicks 0-5 start up yet. I just don't have the energy to deal with them yet. I keep telling them that they're young and that they're still trying to figure out how to play under Larry Brown. But it's frustrating to watch them lose the way they have the past week and a half. Despite the rants by the pundits, this team has talent. I knew that they would start off slow. But damn, can we win one game before the month ends? Please.

More soon...I promise...

The Architect Leaves Infidel Nation

Only because I love posting wire stories on my blog....

Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein resigned Monday, surprising Boston and the baseball world just one year after he helped build the franchise's first World Series championship team since 1918.
The team said in a statement that Epstein will continue working for several days to assist in the transition and prepare for the offseason.
The Boston Herald, which first reported the news on its web site, said the Yale graduate has told associates that he may leave baseball, or at least take a year off.
The Dodgers, Phillies and Devil Rays have GM openings, but none has a $120 million payroll to match the one Epstein was given in Boston.
The 31-year-old Epstein was reportedly offered about $4.5 million for a three-year extension quadruple his previous salary. But it was still short of the $2.5 million a year the Red Sox offered Oakland's Billy Beane in 2002 before making Epstein the youngest GM in baseball history.
Although Epstein and team president Larry Lucchino haggled over the usual issues of salary and authority, the Herald said Epstein went through ``agonizing soul-searching'' about his relationship with his mentor. The Herald said a Sunday newspaper column contained inside information about their relationship, ``slanted too much in Lucchino's favor,'' and convinced Epstein there had been a breach of trust.

I don't care what anyone else says about this story...This was a total power play by Epstein that failed miserably. And what did you expect? Theo is a smart guy, but he's going against the most inside of insiders. He makes Dick Cheney look like the kid who's got his face plastered against the bakery window. On the outside looking in.

Lucchino is baseball's version of Leo McGarry. He was Bill Bradley's roommate at Princeton. Dated Dianne Sawyer. Was a congressional lawyer during the Watergate hearings along with Hillary Rodham Clinton. And helped broker the deal that enabled John Henry's group to buy the Boston Red Sox. When Billy Beane turned down the GM job, he smoothed the way for his apprentice, 28 year old Theo Epstein, to become the youngest GM in the history of the game.

Get the picture? Love him or hate him (I despise him), Lord Larry is a master of the game. The power game. Epstein knows baseball. He's a very good GM. But he's out of his league. Luchinno is involved in every aspect of the franchise. When the Red Sox are having press conferences about Fenway rennovation or buying hotels in the area. You don't see Theo leading the way. You see Larry. When Theo makes a major baseball decision, Larry is the one who signs off on it.

I don't doubt that Epstein was probably pissed off that Lucchino leaked information in Boston Globe column that skewered things to his favor. That he broke a confidence. That might have been the final straw in Theo's eyes. But that's the game that Larry blames. The hardest kind of hardball. Nothing personal, just business. When you mess around with people's power or money, the gloves come off. They're going to hit you. Hard. And when they hit you, just pray that they let you get up.

As good a GM as Epstein is, you can't tell me that with the Red Sox organization and resources behind them, that there aren't 10 GMs out there who could have done what he did. The Red Sox aren't the Twins or the A's. There's only one team out there that makes more money than Boston. And we know who they are. The car attendant could have brokered the Schilling deal. Everyone knows that you had to make that happen if you wanted to beat the Yankees. He had all the resources that a big market team brings to bear and didn't have to deal with half the BS that Cashman deals with.

That's why Brian was the perfect man for the Yankees job. He knows who the writes the checks and knows that he'll have to deal with George's wrath from time to time. But he knows how to manuever through the madness and now wields a significant amount of power and influence as a result. I don't think Theo ever learned how to deal with that. Something to think about for anyone who thinks that he would be the man to replace Cashman.

And don't think that Schilling or anyone else from the clubhouse mumbling about what happened will make any whit of difference to the Lucchino, Henry and company. This isn't Philly, Curt. Clubhouse politicians need not apply. The bosses put up with that idiot garbage because they were winning games and they're smart enough not to tip the apple cart. But they made it very clear that that wasn't image they wanted for their club. With their very short appearance in the postseason, I'd imagine that there'll be changes in the offing in Infidel Nation this winter.

The point of this post is that power only concedes to power. Larry had it, Theo didn't. Epstein made a play and got smacked down like the kid he is. Instead of just taking it like a man, he cried like a baby and took his toys home. He walked away from the best job he'll ever have because he didn't get his way. He could make more money and have more power at another gig. And it still won't ever be what he had in Boston. The Red Sox will hire another GM. One who will tend to the team and not threaten the power structure and continue to prosper.

A wise man once told me "Sometimes you have to eat shit and ask for seconds." Theo's going to wish he had a second helping.

NFL Notes

What did the Vikings do to deserve all this bad luck? Was Bud Grant a pimp for underaged Guatamalan orphans or something?

An already dire situation got worse for the demoralized Minnesota Vikings with confirmation Monday that quarterback Daunte Culpepper will miss the rest of the season with a devastating injury to his right knee.
Culpepper, a three-time Pro Bowl pick coming off a career year whose effectiveness had fallen off dramatically this season, tore his anterior cruciate, medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments in Sunday's 38-13 loss at Carolina.
Once the swelling subsides, the 28-year-old Culpepper will have surgery and several months of arduous rehabilitation. An injury of this nature typically takes a year to recover,but at least right now the Vikings are optimistic about his status for 2006.
``Our expectations are he's going to be ready for the season,'' athletic trainer Chuck Barta said.

The camel's back is way past broke. That bastard is in traction, drinking its meals out of a straw right now. Culpepper's injury is just pile on right now. This team might not win another game. The fact that Mike Tice still has a job boggles the mind. He might be the worst coach in the NFL right now. The sad thing is that in that putrid division 9-7 or 8-8 could win it all. The Packers are a mess, and the Lions and Bears define the term mediocre football.

Comparable to the NFC Norse in its ineptitude is the AFC Least (I mean East). The Jets, Dolphins and Bills are mirror images of each other. They all have good defenses. They all have talent at the skill positions. They all have Pro Bowl caliber running backs. The one thing they all lack is a quarterback. That's what separates them from the Pats right now. If any of those teams had an average to above average QB, they'd run away with the division.

Kelly Holcomb should be ashamed of himself for throwing a four yard out on fourth and seven. He's got two quality receivers going against a patchwork secondary. If fourth down isn't the take a chance down the field against that group, then when is a good time? They should have won that game by two touchdowns. As good as Tom Brady is, he can't cover wideouts or defend the run. You already saw how the Pats were exposed when they played the Chargers, Panthers and Broncos. And none of those teams are in the Colts class.

I don't buy the whole "Pats are in the Peyton's head schill". The Pats beat the Colts because they were a better team. Period. This year, with the additions to the Colts defense, Tony Dungy finally has a "D" worthy of his teachings. People forget how bad the Bucs were until he came on the scene. This team is as balanced as any team we've seen in the last several years. They are going to blow the doors off the Pats on Monday night. I know Foxboro is a tough place to play and Manning's had his problems there. I know Bruschi has given that team an emotional boost. But the Colts are the better team right now. This is their year. They're going to get some major payback Monday night. If they don't, then they never will.

I'm as big a Giants fans as anyone. But how did these two wins elevate them to Super Bowl contenders? I like this team offensively. It has the potential to be best offensive team that we've ever had here. Eli has really come into his own and has become one of the top 10 QBs in football right now. But despite their performance against the fraudskins, I still have some real concerns with this defense and consistency of this team as a whole.

I have yet to see a game where the entire team is on all cylinders. The defense, special teams, passing game and running game. They've had three of four or two of four. But never four of four. And Eli still isn't as accurate a thrower as he can be. I think they're a definite playoff team if they win the next two games (at SF and the Vikes at home.)and they can definitely win the division. But I want to see if they can avoid these traditional trap games that they usually fall into this time of year before I annoint them as the next big thing. The last couple of years, these games come along and the Jints have fallen flat on their face and the season did soon after. Crawl before you walk.