Grüße und Vorstellung » Philly complete its uplifting saga?

Known as Weapon X when he was a dominant safety Rex Burkhead Jersey , Brian Dawkins recognizes it could have been Weapon P, as in Philadelphia.

Dawkins, who enters the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night, spent 13 seasons as the leader of the Eagles defense, the emotional center of a team that made four straight NFC championship games and one Super Bowl. The connection with Philly will never fade for a guy who grew up in Florida and attended Clemson.

”They loved me and they will be here to be inducted together with me,” Dawkins said Friday about Eagles fans and the city he grew to love. ”I made it and now they have made it and will experience the Hall of Fame. Enjoy it.

”I played with emotion and passion. The other thing is they recognized I don’t make mistakes. You can boo me for one thing I did wrong, but you won’t ever boo me again because I would not make it again.

”I gave 100 percent of my 100 percent every game. I didn’t back down from anyone or anything in a football game. I was a worker who didn’t make excuses, and that’s Philly.”

Dawkins, who closed out his career with three seasons in Denver, where he also was supremely popular, made five All-Pro teams and was voted the Eagles’ defensive MVP five times. He said making the hall never was on his mind until very late in his career.

”I was thinking it would be cool and wonderful if that happened,” he noted, ”but I didn’t understand at that point it could be possible.”

Hey Brian, it’s possible and true.

WHO’S AN OLD MAN?

Randy Moss is 41, the same age his quarterback during Moss’ greatest season, Tom Brady Trent Taylor Jersey , reached Friday. Brady shows no signs of slowing down, and Moss believes he could still be effective at wide receiver at his advanced (for football) age.

”My last year (2012 with San Francisco), I didn’t really get the chance to show I could still play,” Moss said. ”At 41 now, I still could play and believe I could score 10 touchdowns. The game itself came easy and I really feel that I could bring that much to the game.”

In his final season, Moss had only 28 receptions and three scores. During his heyday with Minnesota and then New England, he was the most dangerous deep threat in the sport. In 2007, when New England went unbeaten before losing the Super Bowl to the Giants, he had a stunning 23 touchdowns on 98 receptions, gaining 1,493 yards. He was targeted 160 times by Brady that year.

”It was a great ride,” Moss said.

CHUCK NOLL AWARD

The South JeffCo Mustangs from Littleton, Colorado are the winners of the Chuck Noll Hall of Fame Game for Life Award.

The group will be presented with a $10,000 check from The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation.

The award, established last summer, recognizes 50 youth football leagues around the country for their commitment to coaching education; best practices in player safety; teaching lessons about how to win rather than emphasizing winning; and nurturing a culture that celebrates preparation Ronde Barber Jersey , discipline, accountability and respect through the fun and fitness of football and how it applies to success beyond the field.

Former NFL player Merril Hoge created the award to celebrate the legacy of Noll, the Pro Football Hall of Fame coach who transformed the Pittsburgh Steelers from a downtrodden franchise to one of the most dominant teams in NFL history.

PASSION OVERFLOW

If there have been two more passionate defensive players in recent NFL annals than Ray Lewis and Brian Dawkins, they’re hard to identify.

They never were teammates on the Ravens, the only team Lewis played for, but enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame together in the class of 2018. What if they had been on the field together?

”With all the energy he exudes and all I exude,” Dawkins said, ”it would’ve been tough on the other guys (to match). I would’ve loved to have played with him, but man.”

Lewis, who has campaigned for Ed Reed to make the hall when the former Ravens star safety becomes eligible, also has the utmost regard for Dawkins.

”I knew he had a similar chip on his shoulder and that’s why I love BDawk,” Lewis said. ”He’s one of the guys I’d love to have played with. I can’t imagine a football field with me and BDawk on the field together.

”It’s an honor to go into the Hall of Fame with a guy like Brian Dawkins.”

WILL THE TEARS FLOW?

Brian Urlacher says there’s no threat of crying when he practices his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech. As for when he delivers it …

”When I go over it, I am OK,” Urlacher explained. ”But all the guys are telling me I am going to cry during the speech.”

Lots of inductees do, even the toughest of former players. So Urlacher would join a long list of weepers.

Some have joked about an over/under number for how many times Ray Lewis breaks down.

As for Brian Dawkins, he guarantees he’ll cry.

”Tear up? No question. The people I will talk about meant so much to me Matthew Slater Jersey ,” he said Friday at a news conference. ”I’m about to cry now.”

—

America loves comeback stories, the last-to-first variety that features new stars, big plays and a monumental triumph at the end.

That would be the tale of the Philadelphia Eagles if they win Sunday’s Super Bowl.

The oddsmakers don’t see it happening and have installed the New England Patriots – yes, them again – as 4+-point favorites.

Give Philly its due, however: The Eagles have a strong chance of winning their first NFL crown since 1960 and their first Lombardi Trophy.

Will they? Read on.

Doug Pederson’s bunch has shown the resilience of a champion, losing such key players as quarterback Carson Wentz, a strong MVP contender, left tackle Jason Peters, linebacker Jordan Hicks and running back Darren Sproles to injuries.

”It’s the next-man-up mentality,” Pederson says. ”It also means that you have some veteran players that keep things together, and good coaching staffs. I think it’s a tribute to the players and everyone involved that they can keep things going even through that adversity.”

Philadelphia has not yielded a point in the second half of either playoff game. It put 31 on the stingiest scoring defense in the league, and threw in a defensive TD in routing Minnesota for the NFC championship. Its backup quarterback, Nick Foles, has been everything from solid to spectacular in his career playoff games.

The Eagles can disrupt Tom Brady with a fierce pass rush up front, led by Fletcher Cox, who has been the best defensive player in the entire postseason. They have threats on offense in the passing game and at running back.

And they are facing a New England squad that has not been as powerful as some of the teams Brady has led in seven previous Super Bowls Jordan Matthews Jersey , going 5-2.

Yet, don’t be misled. These are still the Patriots, probably the most resourceful group of athletes on the planet. They make big plays, not only thanks to Brady’s arm but on a defense that only recently began getting the praise it warrants.

Plus, they have all that experience in the big game, bringing 31 players back from last year’s championship roster.

”We know what to expect, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to perform,” linebacker Kyle Van Noy said. ”So there’s really no upper hand. You’ve got to just play the game and get ready for it and play at a high level.”

New England doesn’t always do that in the Super Bowl. Recall last February’s first 40 minutes or so, when it was down 28-3 to Atlanta before the Falcons stopped charging and Brady led an historic rally.

The one consistency about the Patriots is that they play close Super Bowls. The total difference in scoring in those seven games is 12 points: Patriots 169, opponents 157.

So do they pull out another close one, or does Philly complete its uplifting saga?

It all comes down to one thing: which team has Brady.

PATRIOTS 24, EAGLES 23

—-

2017 RECORD:

Last week: Against spread (1-1). Straight up (2-0)

Season Totals: Against spread (123-125-10). Straight up: (167-97)

Best Bet: 10-9 against spread, 11-8 straight up.

Upset special: 10-8 against spread, 9-9 straight up

—

Womens Cody Latimer Jersey