SCOTT JACOBS

When Mike Vick went to prison the thought of him ever fulfilling his destiny as the greatest, most dynamic player in the NFL seemed to go out the window with it.  Sitting two years behind bars was sure to be the undoing of a man who relied so much on athleticism and making people miss.

When the Philadelphia Eagles signed Mike Vick after two years of prison it seemed like a dumbfounding decision, one that didn’t seem to mesh with who the Eagles were.  They already had Donovan McNabb under center and Vick as a wildcat threat guy just seemed to take Philly out of rhythm.

When the Eagles traded McNabb inside their division to the Redskins it looked like a big time coup for Washington, which was in desperate need of an offensive spark and a franchise quarterback.  The Eagles did have Kevin Kolb however who was immediately anointed the starter.  People saw Kolb in the same light that they did Aaron Rodgers: he sat his time, now he was ready to play and play well.

Then the season started, Kolb got hurt in the first game, Vick came in and almost mastered a beautiful comeback win over Green Bay and ever since then he hasn’t looked back.  Now 4-0 after last night’s pasting of the rival Skins (in games he starts and finishes), Vick has not only glued Kolb to the bench, he’s probably immersed himself deep into the Eagles future plans as their quarterback not only of the present, but of the future too.

After a dominant showing, unlike any first half performance I can recall in recent memory, Vick tore through the Skins defense like they were Scott toilet paper, rolling up just ridiculous numbers on a national TV stage.

Showing poise that he never had in Atlanta, and a scrambling ability that hasn’t disintegrated even a bit, Vick showed that not only is he back, he’s better than ever.  The Human Highlight Reel started out 9 for 9, had the Eagles on the board 18 seconds in on a beautiful 88 yard strike to DeSean Jackson, and the Eagles never looked back, pouring it on the Redskins on a night where it poured like cats and dogs.

In Landover, Maryland the NFL’s once biggest thing, re-emerged, showcasing an array of talents that left Washington’s defenders spinning.  By the time the Redskins had began to find their footing, they were already sporting Vick’s Eagles a 35-0 deficit (1 minute into the second quarter).

Philadelphia was Wisconsin and Washington was Indiana on a night where the Eagles amassed nearly 600 yards of offense and Vick showcased a skill-set that the Falcons could only have dreamed about when they made him the number one pick way back when.

Whether it was his uncanny ability to make defenders, one after another miss, or his scrambling ability inside the pocket before launching an absolute strike down the field, Vick had it all on Monday night.

I wrote earlier this year that Vick didn’t deserve a second chance in the NFL after the heinous crimes he committed, but in a second chance society Vick has seemed to make amends, both in the community and especially on the field where the game just seems to be too easy for him right now.

In an NFC where no one is racing ahead to the number one seed, it’s hard not to think that the Eagles might be the best team in the conference.  At 6-3 they may not be better than the Falcons, who are 7-2, but they look just as impressive, if not more so.

Trading McNabb and developing a new QB was supposed to be a season of growing pains for the Eagles who figured to take a step back or two in 2010.  Instead it’s been the revelation that is Mike Vick, who has not only lit up the league, but began to light up MVP ballots down the line.

With talks of hundred million dollar extensions in the backdrop, MVP considerations in the forefront, and watching America fall in love with Mike Vick all over again, albeit slowly, Vick is coasting towards a comeback season for the ages.

And if that comeback takes him to Atlanta for an NFC Championship date with the Falcons at the end of January, with the team whose future he briefly wrecked, well wouldn’t that be one hell of a tale for the media to dissect.  Vick’s old team thriving with Matt Ryan at the helm versus his new one, thrilled to death that the NFL’s most electrifying talent fell into their lap.

All it took was a little scrutiny, some nice window dressing, and a season to get back into the swing of things.  And just like that, the Eagles are no longer just good, they might be elite.

As for the Redskins, well, they got the Eagles quarterback they wanted.  Unfortunately, they probably got the worst one.

Photo: Getty

SCOTT JACOBS

April Fools!

That was my first and quite frankly only initial reaction when I saw this headline today on ESPN.com:

Source: $78M deal for Donovan McNabb

Like seriously, huh?  Donovan McNabb, the same man who was benched in favor of journey-man nobody Rex Grossman in the final two minutes of a baffling loss to Detroit, just got a FIVE year extension for $78 million, with incentives possibly taking the deal to as much as $88 million?

Donovan McNabb the same guy who many were convinced was one and done after a very mediocre start to his Redskins tenure, will not only not become a free agent after the season, but at the tender age of 33 (about to become 34) will sign a deal that would take him to age 38– in spite of the fact that his skills seem to be regressing?

Huh?

Look, I get that the Redskins invested draft picks to get him, and that Mike Shanahan wants to win now, and he damn well should do whatever it takes to grow this Redskins team into a feared playoff contender, but Donovan McNabb? For five years?  And before everyone gets on me for the contract let me explain that I understand guaranteed contracts in the NFL are a joke, and that whatever money is guaranteed is essentially the contract.  I will swear on Miley Cyrus’ life that McNabb will never see the entire $78 million.  But that’s not the point.  $40 million of it WILL be guaranteed.

I reiterate: the Redskins who just benched McNabb because he wasn’t in the proper shape to run a 2-minute drill, in spite of the fact that he has been in the NFL since 1999, just gave him $40 million in guaranteed money.

I don’t get it, and I’m not sure anyone outside the Redskins organization gets it either.

We don’t have a giant touch screen to show you the numbers, so let’s just gallop below to take a look at this mockery of a deal.

Here are McNabb’s numbers so far this season:

> Completions: 159/277  57.4% (28th in the NFL)
In other words: McNabb’s completion percentage is worse than the likes of Ryan Fitzpatrick, Matt Cassel, and more astonishingly Shaun Hill! Yikes.

> Yards: 1,971 (15th in the NFL)
In other words: Middle of the pack numbers for a guy approaching age 34, and you want to give this guy $40 mil in guarantees because?

> Touchdowns: 7 (tied for 26th in the NFL)
In other words: If McNabb continues his pace he’ll be right around 14 by the end of the year, which is just flat out weak.  Being 26th ties him with the likes of Jon Kitna (who has played in what, 3 games?), Matt Hasselbeck, and other fun friends.

> Sacks: 22 (tied for 3rd most in the NFL)
In other words: Yeah, let’s lock up a guy whose mobility is quickly disintegrating, despite the fact that our offensive line is getting him killed every week. Good move!

> QB Rating: 76.0 (28th in the NFL)
In other words: The guy who is now replacing him in Philly, Mike Vick leads the league with a 105.3.  The guy who was supposed to replace him, Kevin Kolb is 20th with an 85.3.  Measure heart and savvy all you want, but these numbers speak for themselves.

> Yards lost from Sacks: 168 (5th worst in the NFL)
In other words: Again, you give a guy whose losing his mobility a whole boatload of money to stay behind Washington’s o-line so he can get killed because?

The verdict: The Redskins are totally and completely insane.

But it’s hard to blame them for not swallowing their pride and cutting their losses in spite of the fact that they’ll probably regret this deal.  McNabb’s completion percentage has gone down every season since 2007, he’s 2 interceptions away from matching his entire 2009 total, and his QB rating is on pace to be the worst he’s had since he broke into the league in 1999.

This move just reeks of desperation.  Then again, so did benching McNabb out of nowhere down less than a touchdown to the Lions.  Do the Redskins have a plan or is this just one big gag by Daniel Snyder?

If it is, it’s a $40 million laugher.

Photo: AP

SCOTT JACOBS

It’s amazing that Terrell Owens has never had his own reality TV show.  But when you consider that his football career has basically been one big soap opera, maybe he never really needed one.  The pushups in his driveway while his agent robotoically chimed “no comment,” the summers of T.O. love that ESPN cameras devoted, the decrying of former team-mate Jeff Garcia as gay, and the constant Donovan McNabb bashing, well let’s just say it all added up to one ridiculous little platter for the world to chew on.  That’s basically what a reality TV show is right?

So it seems only fitting, and typical of T.O. that on the downside of what has been a whacky, productive, and very dramatic career, the legendary talent and even more memorable ego would make one last reach out to the people that made him larger than life: citizens of planet earth.

Starting in July, your weekly dose of T.O. may no longer come via ESPN.  Thanks to a new reality TV show with VH1, Owens will have a new home on your television to go along with his new home on the football field.  Owens scrutinized divorce (well, cut actually) from the Cowboys was well documented, and his signing with the small market, desperate for press Buffalo Bills has been thoroughly dissected.  So what’s left?  Seeing all the madness, edited for your viewing pleasure, play out in neatly assorted episodes.

(No word yet on what the name of the show will be, though I have a hunch ESPN might have some beef were the name to be T.O. Center, which is what Sportscenter was a handful of years ago one summer).

The craziest part?  I think I’ll watch it, or at least give it a fair shot.  With Brett Favre once again hogging every sports channel where they even mention the word football, I’ve become so sick of the obviously washed up quarterback and his 345 unretirements that T.O. in comparison almost comes across as a good samaritan.  Which he has been this off-season and with good reason.  Despite his talent– even at the age of 35 he can still play–Owens’ act has wore thin with three NFL teams, and opportunity number four could be his last.  Make it should.  But with the Raiders still in the league (do they still count as a pro team?) it’s hard to say that a failed stint with the Bills could be his final strike.

But enough about that.  This is T.O.’s shot to resurrect his image, and maybe even make amends for some of the fans he’s alienated over the years with his selfishness and petty behavior.  Maybe this show can display Owens as more then just a me-first receiver who just wants to milk the last 30 seconds of fame he has left in his body. Maybe this show can portray a lighter side of T.O., a funnier side, a caring side, and a relate-able side.

Whatever the case may be, filming for the Buffalo portion of the show starts this Sunday, precisely one day before the Bills open mini-camp (ahem, T.O. Awareness Week).  Interestingly enough shooting for the show began the week Owens was cut from Dallas, leaving me to wonder aloud if T.O. actually staged his exit, you know, for the cameras.  Okay, I wasn’t serious about the last part, at least I don’t think I was.

You know the Bills have to be loving this too. For a team that went 0-6 within their own division last year, erasing a 4-0, and 5-1 start, Buffalo is relevant again.  For now at least.  And so is T.O.  So maybe this is a match made in heaven, or maybe this is a nightmare just waiting to be written.  Whatever happens, starting in July we can watch the drama unfold.

T.O.’s getting a reality show.  A real one too.  Sports purists run for cover while you still can.

Photo: AP

It’s remarkable that such a prominent star in the NFL would not know such a common rule.  So Donovan, if you’re listening, here’s the skinny on the fat that you apparently don’t know of

SCOTT JACOBS

Poor Donovan McNabb.  It must be all that Chunky soup that got to his head.  That or maybe something in his mama’s cooking altered a few brain cells or something.  Seriously, how in the world does a veteran starting quarterback in the NFL not know the rules of overtime?

Mitch posted the video in the previous post about McNabb’s shocking revelation that he didn’t know how they would determine a playoff game.

Well, McNabb, they play as many overtimes as it takes.  No NFL playoff game will end in a tie.  You can book it.  And I’ve got proof from not so long ago.  Remember that 2004 NFC divisional playoff game between the Panthers and Rams?  Well, it was an epic game, one for the ages, and it ended in DOUBLE OVERTIME.  You hear that Donovan?  Double Overtime!  So how did that happen?  Well, here’s the cliff notes version:

The Panthers and Rams were tied 23-23 after regulation so they went to overtime.  With just a few minutes remaining and still no scores to boot, they were on the verge of going into a second overtime, something I personally had never seen in an NFL game.

What happens next I wondered aloud?

Simply put, they went into double overtime and the game continued.  Ten seconds into the second overtime Carolina had stunned the Rams at the Edward Jones Dome, as Steve Smith went 69 yards into the endzone for the game winning score.  And it wasn’t even the longest game in NFL history.  Not even close actually.  Four other games including the legendary 1971 AFC Divisional playoff game between the Dolphins and Chiefs (a game that featured 22:40 of overtime) had lasted longer.

So that’s the truth on that. The Panthers would eventually go on to the NFC Title game where they beat the Eagles (A team led by McNabb!) and then the Super Bowl where they lost to New England. The point being, once you get to the playoffs the rule changes.  The game changes.  The NFL would never, ever allow a game to end in a tie once the post-season commences.  So we will never have to worry about that.

I re-iterate, how could McNabb not know the rule!  His Eagles team played the Panthers eight days later (after that epic tie) at home nonetheless!  He didn’t even have to worry about jet-lag, because the Eagles had a first round bye!  Apparently he’s taken too many hits in his NFL career.

As for regular season ties, how could McNabb not know about that one either?

In 2002 the Falcons and Steelers played to a wild 34-34 tie, far more interesting then the ugly Eagles-Bengals 13-13 snore-fest.  Tommy Maddox threw for almost 500 yards in that game, and the Steelers nearly won when his hail mary as time expired in the first overtime fell into the hands of Plaxico Burress, who came one yard short of getting the ball in the endzone for the winning score. 

The difference being that those were two good teams who had winning records.  Pittsburgh blew a 34-17 lead, wasting an offensive explosion in which they piled up 645 yards of offense.  The Eagles and Bengals couldn’t even put together 30 points combined.

So there’s your trip down memory lane.

Again, a cliff notes version of the rule: one overtime and then a tie for regular season games, and as many overtimes as it takes for playoff games.  And if that doesn’t clear things up, well I’m afraid we are on two different wave lengths.