During any other NFL season, watching the Eagles visit the Redskins for a Monday night division battle is certainly entertaining enough. You won’t need any more drama on the card to get folks watching. But this Monday night game is special far beyond the NFC East implications.
Two teams collide here and bring together more QB drama between the pair than you’ll find with all other NFL teams combined.
McNabb, who was finally let go by an organization wanting to ditch him three seasons previous, ends up on a division rival whose coach, Mike Shanahan, shows even less respect for Donovan than Andy Reid.
Vick, who was brought in to back up McNabb’s backup, earned the starting spot only to be injured while Kevin Kolb, the intended starter, actually started winning. Reid’s leap of faith in Vick was rewarded when Mike torched the Colts’ defense and defeated Peyton and Indianapolis. Even still, the public stink of dead dogs trail Vick wherever he roams.
Already having gone to Philly and won, Donovan and the ‘Skins now get a plus-Vick Eagles squad coming in to Washington for a game that is make-or-break for the playoff push – the Redskins, at 4-4, can’t afford to lose, and Philadelphia may never recover in spirit to lose twice to their ousted QB.
These two men will certainly bring their A games to the field. McNabb has a chip on his shoulder equaling the weight of the world. His stamina, knowledge and heart were called into question before throwing in Sexy Rexy Grossman to quickly lose the game. And for Vick, each and every L the Eagles take will have those Santa-booing rabid fans swaying Reid’s opinion and the see-saw battle of backups will continue until the Eagles are behind the Cowboys in divisional standing.
This is not only the type of drama we want to watch as football fans; many also want to bet here and earn some money on the game.
The spread is extremely enticing for action on both sides. With Philly giving up 3 points on the road (-3), it’s obvious even the so-called experts out there see this as a relatively even matchup.
If you’re the type of gambler looking for set odds instead of anything-goes excitement, then you may want to stick to a game like online video poker. Betting on this game, picking a clear-cut winner and loser, is quite the difficult task.
Philadelphia is slightly favored due to Vick’s tremendous play and the offense’s uncanny speed. Not only does Michael still have his freakish athletic prowess to call upon on a whim, including Barry Sanders-like moves and the arm of a young Favre, but the Eagles’ wide-outs are extremely young and ridiculously fast.
This combination, when clicking, can knock off even the toughest opponent. The Eagles’ offense made the Colts’ defense look like a practice squad, and Vick picked them apart with precision and a maturity he has never shown before – he basically out-QB’d Peyton “Just Hand me the MVP Trophy” Manning.
You probably won’t find any dominance in this game, though. If you want predictability, to know what’s coming, try to play blackjack online or watch a rerun of the Sopranos. This is a game where a lot is on the line and everyone involved have a lot to prove.
On the Redskins’ side of the ball, we’re also looking at impressive speed at the wide-out position. And where they don’t have blazers, they do have tried-and-true veteran route-runners like Moss and Galloway. Not to mention that Clinton Portis is probably going to play, at least in a two-down role, and give Washington a much better chance to spread the field by boxing up the defense.
What it will probably boil down to, of course, is team defense. Overall, the Washington Redskins are ranked #31 in total team defense, facing off against the NFL’s #4 offense. On the flipside, you have the Eagles’ defense ranked #12 going against the ‘Skins’ 19th-ranked offense.
This gives Vick and the Eagles’ offense a huge advantage. But anything can happen on a Monday night, especially against two division rivals and certainly with these quarterbacks with so much to prove.
If you’re thinking about laying a bet down on this matchup, be sure to read online casino reviews and sportsbook reviews to make sure you’re going with a reputable site. If not, just watch the game with some hot-wings and beer and enjoy what may be the best Monday night game of the season.