EARLY SUPER BOWL PREDICTION/ EAGLES TOP PRIORITIES

Well folks, the Super Bowl is still two weeks away and a lot can change in fifteen minutes…just ask GEICO. My pick for the Super Bowl before this season was of course The Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots. Yes, every year I think it’s Philly’s year to win the Big One. Those hopes faded fast in what has turned out to be one of the worst Eagles seasons in recent memory, which led to the firing of its all time winningest coach Andy Reid. Andy was great in Philly, but enough is enough and it is time to move on. Anyways, when the playoff teams were seeded, my early pick for the Super Bowl was the Seattle Seahawks vs Denver Broncos. Well, both the Seahawks and Broncos lost in last minute fashion so that also went out the window.

This brings us to now. The two teams that are left standing are the surprise San Francisco 49ers (who lost the NFC Championship game a year ago) and the Baltimore Ravens who some experts did have reaching the big dance at the beginning of the year. A real quick analysis of this game and my prediction to follow. Both of these teams come into the game being coached by Brother’s John Harbaugh and Jim Harbaugh making this the Super Baugh…lol. Secondly, both of these teams are predicated on tough defense and a strong running game. Lets break it down by position. At Quarterback, we have Joe Flacco for the Baltimore Ravens who has come into his own the past few years and developed into a solid Signal Caller. On the other side, the 49ers will be led by Colin Kapernick, an amazing story in itself, who will be making his tenth NFL start in the Super Bowl. I like Kapernick’s pocket presence and skill set but the advantage definitely goes to Flacco and the Ravens.

At Running Back, the Ravens are powered by perennial all-pro Ray Rice who is capable of carrying the team in his shoulders by himself. However, Do not underestimate Frank Gore for the 49ers, who when healthy, is capable of putting up huge numbers. Slight advantage Ravens but not by much. In the Receiving/Tight End set the Ravens are fueled by Tory Smith and giant receiver Anquan Boldin. The 49ers have a few star receivers to go along with veteran Randy Moss, who could be an xfactor. The 49ers trump the Ravens on this side of the ball if Vernon Davis decides to bring his AGAME. Advantage 49ers. On Defense, these two teams play different styles but have similar results. I think both defenses are good but once again, the XFACTOR here is Ray Lewis. Ray is on a mission in his last season to go out with a bang. Advantage Ravens. The Special Teams on these teams are even. So this brings us to the intangibles…both Harbaugh’s are smart but John has more playoff experience and I always believe that is an important area to look at when analyzing these big game match ups.

Ok…so this brings me to my pick. I feel that this Super Bowl will be a competitive game with a lot of hard hitting, tough running, and some exciting offensive plays. I do not see this game becoming a blow out like many of these contests of the past, the two defenses are just too good. I am going to say that the Baltimore Ravens will win the Super Bowl 27-23 in a very close game…both teams will show heart and in the end the better team will come out on top, as Ray Lewis goes out with a bang. Real Quick, Pop Star Beyonce will be performing the Halftime Show and 50 contestants will be picked to join her on stage. This should be quite a scene and I am looking forward to that.

Now into the state of the Eagles. With the hiring if Chip Kelly, it’s obvious that the Eagles are looking to mirror the rest of the league in becoming a quick strike high powered offense. Well, my argument as always has been that the Eagles have been pretty decent in Offense the past few years, last year as an exception, but that had to do with the offensive line debacle in an injury plagued season. I have said it before, and I will say it again, I do not care if Tom Brady had played behind the Eagles line instead of Michael Vick, the team still would have ended up with the same record.

No, my argument with this team is consistently on the Defensive Side of the ball where they have no identity. Well, they can quickly fix this in the draft with their first three picks. The Eagles have the Fourth Pick in the First Round. If I were the Eagles, I would jump at the chance to draft Jarvis Jones, OLB from Georgia with the Fourth Pick. He is a special player that would bring not only leadership on the field, but also in the locker room. He is a DEFENSIVE PLAYMAKER. Seriously, he is a low risk, high reward pick as many analysts say he could be the top impact player in the entire draft. Ok second move, cut Nhamdi Asamough and cut your losses. In the second round, I am taking local Rutgers product Logan Ryan. Not only is Ryan big, tough, and physical, but he also has the speed to be a shut down corner. This is what the Eagles need that they never got from Nhamdi. Thirdly, I’m taking Free Safety D.J. Swearinger out of South Carolina who can cover, but he hits like a Brian Dawkins. I repeat, this is what the Eagles need, true playmakers that make a difference on Defense.

On offense, they have LeSean McCoy who is already a top 3 RB in the NFL. They just need to use him. They will be getting their star Offensive Tackle back from injury and some other key components to their OLine. Mix in a free agent or two and I think you sure up this position. At receiver, the Eagles still have talent with DJAX and Jeremy Maclin. They also have Jason Avant who I believe is underrated and underused. Wether they stick with Michael Vick one more year or go to Nick Foles, this offense can put up some points. It’s the Defense that has failed is year in and year out. Stay Tuned.

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