An Interesting Fact

With the upcoming Champions League final just a day away I started looking at facts about the matches. This then prompted me to look further into stats within the NFL, especially the Super Bowl. One of the facts that interested me the most was that so far if a team returns an interception for a touchdown at the Super Bowl, they have been the winning side proving that a sturdy defence can also win championships.

With further researching I stumbled across a fact that stated certain footballers have won the Champions League with different clubs. Clarence Seedorf was the first player to win the trophy with 3 different clubs, AC Milan, Real Madrid and Ajax.

I wondered whether this had then ever happened in the NFL. Most interestingly enough I discovered that no Quarterback has ever won a Super Bowl ring twice, with different teams and as a starter. It has however been done as a starter and backup quarterback. Kurt Warner was the closest in 2009 with the Cardinals. He had previously won a Super Bowl with the Rams narrowly when the Titans fell short on the one yard line in the dying seconds of the Bowl in 2000.

It seems that unlike football, most Quarterbacks stay very loyal with their teams. I wonder if this record will ever be achieved and if it is, by whom?

Without Vick will the Eagles season remain flightless?

It looks highly likely that as soon as the lockout is lifted, (if it is lifted) a move might be imminent for the Eagles Kevin Kolb in the free agency market.

Kolb has already made it clear he wants to be a starter in the NFL and judging by Vick's phenomenal season in 2010 it doesn't seem likely he will feature in the Eagles plans any time soon.

Kolb has already been linked with many teams in desperate need of a QB, the latest being the Cleveland Browns. This move seems unrealistic however considering the Browns already have Colt McCoy in his second season with the offence and the last thing Kolb needs is a fight for starting position with a player he might not be able to better.

No matter where Kolb ends up I fear it could leave the Eagles looking very bare in the quarterback department.

Starting quarterback Michael Vick returned to the NFL emphatically last season, producing clutch touchdowns and key downs when required. Many question whether he can produce the same performances that he did for the upcoming 2011 season however.

In 2002, for the first time Vick started every game with the Falcons. He threw for just under 3,000 yards, 16 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. This season proved to be the most impressive and he never bettered this performance during his time at the Falcons. Interceptions and fumbles became more apparent, and his quarterback rating dropped. So will we see a similar outcome again at the Eagles?

Admittedly Vick had his most positive season to date last season with the Eagles, posting his first quarterback rating average above 100, but did he produce this because he had a point to prove?

Defences will be more weary of his abilities next season as well. The Eagles thrived on their big game changing abilities in 2010 which I doubt will be so accessible again.

Vick showed his toughness and ability to get the job done when required, but his physical and stubborn method of obtaining yards could see him get into trouble. It was clear he was a huge target for many pass rushers and with Kolb out of the picture, and Vick ailing, it begs the question of whether Eagles hopes of the playoffs will greatly diminish in this scenario.

Currently without Kolb or Vick the leadership responsibility could fall to Mike Kafka. Kafka, 23, was the fifth QB selected in the 2010 draft behind Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, Jimmy Clausen and Colt McCoy. He is quick, able to run like Vick but still has a lot to learn.

Kafka is yet to feature in his first NFL game, having only played in the four preseason matches of 2010. In those four matches Kafka threw three picks and one touchdown but it was all very valuable experience for the youngster.

Kafka still obviously has weaknesses at present in his strength and accuracy so will he be able to cope with the pressure in the event of a Vick injury, or will Andy Reid be prepared to pick up a replacement in the free agency?

Discipline Matters

The theory is that if you want to win, you must maintain discipline amongst the ranks. Discipline involves not only respecting players and making mature decisions, it also involves not giving away penalties.

In the NFL recent stats show that if you consistantly give away free yards because of penalties you will lose. The stats don't lie, take the Atlanta Falcons for instance. They had the least number of penalties in the league for 2010 and their record was a comprehensive 13-3.

Guess who gave away the most penalties? The 49ers, Titans, Lions - all teams that had poor seasons finishing with six wins and ten losses, a win percentage of 33%. The team with the worst discipline happened to be the Oakland Raiders, who finished on 8-8. The Raiders might of improved their chance of winning the AFC West had they not of been penalized so frequently.

The only team that managed to seemingly get out of jail free were the Eagles. Philly were ranked the 3rd most penalized team in the NFL. However, the Eagles were resilient and still managed to come away with a 10-6 record reaching the playoffs. Could they have gone further however and saved some important losses if fouls had of been prevented and how did Eagles still manage to go so well despite all these mistakes?

Next season season be sure to note that the teams that keep the mistakes to the minimal will be featuring again in the playoffs.