Grabbing thin air…Eagles’ McCoy is Special with a capital ‘S’!

Philadelphia Eagles' running back LeSean McCoy.

I knew Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy was going to be a very good starting running back in the NFL during his rookie season when the elusive speedster averaged an impressive 4.1 yards per carry on 155 attempts while adding an additional 308 yards in pass receptions.

While it wasn't very hard to see that the Birds had nabbed a special player with the 53rd overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, I’ll be the first to admit that I didn't foresee the flat-out stunning play that McCoy has unleashed upon the league this season and I suspect not many others did either.

No matter how you felt about McCoy back then, there’s no denying the Eagles have arguable the most gifted back in the entire league right now. Philly’s elusive superstar is guy that displays a shiftiness that is often reminiscent of the legendary Barry Sanders and an ability to dominate either rushing the ball or receiving it that rivals the equally respected Marshall Faulk.

The NFL may not keep statistics on how many running backs made defenders miss by grabbing nothing but thin air, but I bet LeSean ‘Shady’ McCoy leads the league in that category hands down.

My new hero … Randall Cunningham!

Cunningham, as a young
star for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Okay Eye On Sports readers, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m way too old to be ‘idol-worshipping’ any professional athlete like a wide-eyed teenager that is still hoping out some realistic hopes of making it in professional sports.

Cunningham and late son, Christian.

However, having said that, I am officially going on record right now to say that former NFL quarterback and now, ordained minister, Randall Cunningham, is not only my official sports ‘hero’ but that he should be every young athlete’s role model, particularly young African-American boys that may be under the impression that one they’ve made it to the pros, life will suddenly become easier.

Well, I am encouraging all young athletes – and their parents … (hell, let me just make that everyone) … to see ESPN’s E:60ultra-touching special on Cunningham, now the pastor of Remnant Ministires in Las Vegas.

Cunningham is now the pastor
of Remnant Ministries in Las Vegas.

Without giving too much of the video away, all I’m going to say is that Cunningham’s testimony, particularly that involving the recent death of his two-year old son Christian, is as powerful as anything I’ve ever witnessed and will undoubtedly help some folks think more about the ‘big picture’ than how much bling they’ve got and how much ‘paper’ they’re going to make.

Oh, yeah, I am now, officially, a huge Randall Cunningham fan – and I will be until the day I hit the dirt!

What are your thoughts on Randall Cunningham? Sound off in the comments section and have a great, sports-filled day!

Final Destination for Donovan!

Veteran free agent quarterback Donovan McNabb says he wants to continue his NFL career at least for the short-term foreseeable future, but I’m wondering what team is going to take a chance on him after seeing him fail miserably in each of his last two stops in Washington and Minnesota. I hate to say it and I hate to see it happen, particularly to a class act of a player like D-Mac, but I’m going on record right now to say that McNabb needs to hang it up before he further tarnishes what has been a pretty solid career, even without the Super Bowl hardware.

Brothers Battle Over the League’s Best Back!

Okay, I was prepared to write a short blurb describing my feelings on Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy being the best back in the league – until I got into a very real, but not overly heated – disagreement with my brother Keith Branch.

What an educated argument it was too, with both of us sounding like former Rhodes Scholar recipients.

Me: LeSean McCoy’s the best back in the league.

Keith: No, he’s not.

Me: Yes he is.

Keith: No, E, he’s not! His weakness is running up the middle.

Me: They said the same thing about Reggie Bush and didn’t he just bust one up the gut this weekend?

 

Okay, okay … after I conceded that Adrian Peterson or Matt Forte could be ‘better’ than McCoy, off we went again with the back and forth surrounding Philly’s elusive touchdown-maker.

Just to back up my argument, McCoy is ranked second in the league and is tied for the highest average yards per carry mark in the league for a back with at least 200 carries (4.9 yards).

Okay, I’ll admit that my brother’s argument also has its merits, no doubt, with McCoy ironically being tied with Chicago’s Forte and the Chargers’ Ryan Matthews.

Oh – and Reggie Bush has topped them all by averaging 5.0 yards per carry on 194 attempts.

So, maybe my brother and I are both wrong – and to be honest – it wouldn’t be a first – even if neither of us readily admits it!

Cowboys Sitting Pretty in NFC Least!

Week 13 is here NFL fans – and what better way to start off the day than by getting your NFL insight from a guy that pulls no punches.
Sit up right and hold on tight NFL pigskin lovers as expert handicapper and longtime sports columnist Eric Williams takes you on a roller-coaster of a ride across the league with his tell-it-like-it-is style.

NFC East
The Eagles are undoubtedly the most disappointing team in the NFL this season and now, the team is clearly in need of a change of leadership – like I’ve been saying for the better part of the last three years.

The Birds looked lethargic, listless and just plain old uninterested in their 38-20 spanking at the hands of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Clearly, head coach Andy Reid has lost this team in what has been one of the most disappointing campaigns in recent memory.

And just think, Philly fans thought they had it bad in Donovan McNabb’s heyday.

With the Eagles, Giants and Redskins being among the most underachieving teams in the league this season and the New York Giants clearly not being much more than mediocre themselves, the Dallas Cowboys, a team I still don’t really believe in, are looking like they’re going to be  ‘In Like Flynn’ come postseason time.

The Washington Redskins may have gotten a big win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, but this team is clearly in need of another huge overhaul – and I say it starts at the top with clueless head coach Mike Shanahan, a guy that hasn’t won anything without John Elway under center.

Grounded Birds

I don’t know how else to say it except to come right out and be blunt about it. The Philadelphia Eagles are an absolute disgrace NFL followers. The Birds looked clueless and uninterested in their 31-14 loss to Seattle on Thursday night and are just playing out the string of games until the close of the regular season.

Recent rumors say disgruntled wide receiver Desean Jackson has quit on the team. Uh … ya’ think?

Vince Young deserves a Shot

The Philadelphia Eagles may be the most underachieving team in the league this side of the San Diego Chargers, but I’ve been impressed with the play of often beleaguered quarterback Vince Young and believe he deserves another shot at landing a starting job somewhere.

The two teams that should be at the front of the line for his services are the Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns.

Pete Carroll knows by now that Tavaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst aren’t going to get it and should take a chance on the man that denied him a BCS title a few years back.

In the case of the Browns, I really like Colt McCoy, but I’m not sure he’s going to be a starter or more likely, a very solid career backup.

DeSean … DeDone?

Call me crazy, but I don’t think Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson is going to be in the City of Brotherly Love much longer after watching the immature young receiver’s sub par on-field play this season and mostly idiotic lunacy off it. Besides, as I’ve told people for a couple of years now, Jackson’s only good for catching bombs and returning punts, which, by the way, he’s been abysmal at this season.

What the Hell? Numerous Teams Have More Questions Than Answers As Stretch Run Approaches

In what has been one of the most topsy-turvy NFL seasons in recent memory, several teams this season still have more questions than answers surrounding their respective franchises as the 2011 regular season steamrolls toward an apparently fast and furious finish.

This look at the teams with the biggest question marks in the league at this late juncture will inform and entertain NFL fans and pro football gamblers everywhere.

Philadelphia Eagles 4-6

If I write about everything that’s wrong with the Philadelphia Eagles right now, I’d end up writing a novel, so I won’t even go there. I’m just going to say that Philly has some serious issues on both sides of the ball – and on the sideline despite getting an absolutely huge win against the Giants in Week 11. I’ve been telling my NFL faithful for years that Andy Reid costs the Birds at least two wins each year because of his often head-scratching play-calling, even if he avoided that this past weekend.

San Diego Chargers 4-6

I keep telling NFL fantasy players and pro football gamblers that the San Diego Chargers are the biggest bunch of talented underachievers in all of football. Watching the Bolts blow their chance every season is getting kind of old, but that’s what happens when you still can’t see that Norv Turner is a far better offensive coordinator than a head coach,

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-6

The Buccaneers have a real gem in running back LeGarrette Blount, but both, quarterback Josh Freeman and head coach Raheem Morris have taken slight steps backwards this season, not to mention the fact that the Bucs’ offense is reminiscent of watching paint dry. The Bucs are close to getting officially knocked out of the playoffs – after looking like one of the most impressive young teams in the league just last season.

Washington Redskins 3-7

It’s laughable that Mike Shanahan tried to make anyone believe that Rex Grossman or John Beck were capable NFL  starting quarterbacks – but it’s no laughing matter where the Redskins franchise is in year two of the Shanahan experiment – particularly seeing as how he’s never won anything without Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway under center.

Baltimore Ravens 8-3

Sure, the Ravens got a nice win in beating San Francisco 16-6 in Week 12, but Baltimore has beaten Pittsburgh twice this season (great) only to follow those wins up with inexcusable road losses to mediocre Tennessee and Seattle. The ‘split personality’ Ravens also beat the explosive Houston Texans in Week 6, before falling to lowly Jacksonville the following week.