The most hyped NFL team in the 2011 season, the Philadelphia Eagles, are set to lift-off tonight against the Baltimore Ravens and the expectations couldn't be higher.
They signed every free agent under the sun and have been dubbed the Miami Heat of the NFL. With all of the new additions there is no way the team can band together and perform well right off the bat.
No. 1 receiver DeSean Jackson has only been at practice for a handful of days and he is going to be out of sync with the rest of the offense. No. 2 receiver Jeremy Maclin has missed all of training camp with a mysterious illness and the timetable for his return is still unknown. They signed Steve Smith away from the Giants on Wednesday, but he is still rehabbing offseason knee surgery.
Jason Avant is the most ready receiver right now and that isn't ideal when your lining up against the likes of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.
The first team is going to struggle with points and will exit the game trailing.
The experienced Ravens offense is almost entirely intact from last season and will be ahead of the curve tonight. Nnamdi Asomugha is a special talent, but he will need time to adjust to all of the change around him and the defense will not be on the same page. Don't be surprised to see Joe Flacco go deep early and often as they take advantage of the new unit.
This of course will spark riots in the streets of Philadelphia as they realize it's not going to be as easy as it looks on paper.
This doesn't mean the Eagles are frauds, but like the Heat, it's going to take some time to gel and build the team chemistry that is so important in team sports.
The 2011 (Pre) Preseason Power Rankings
1. New Orleans Saints 2. Green Bay Packers 3. Philadelphia Eagles 4. Baltimore Ravens 5. New England Patroits 6. Atlanta Falcons 7. San Diego Chargers 8. Pittsburgh Steelers 9. Kansas City Chiefs 10. St. Louis Rams 11. Indianapolis Colts 12. New York Giants 13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14. Detroit Lions 15. Seattle Seahawks 16. New York Jets 17. Minnesota Vikings 18. Washington Redskins 19. Chicago Bears 20. Houston Texans 21. Arizona Cardinals 22. Dallas Cowboys 23. San Francisco 49ers 24. Cincinnati Bengals 25. Jacksonville Jaguars 26. Miami Dolphins 27. Cleveland Browns 28. Denver Broncos 29. Carolina Panthers 30. Oakland Raiders 31. Tennessee Titans 32. Buffalo Bills | |
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