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As much as I hate to admit it, the 2014 NFL season is drawing to a close. Soon we will have no real action to report on so get your fill of what is going on around the NFC East while you can.
New York Giants
New York Giants - 36
Tennessee Titans - 7
- Given the time of year and the fact that I am trying to avoid Santa's naughty list we are going to start this edition of the Weekly BEast Report by saying some positive words about our friends from the Big Apple. (It is also hard to kick any team that just pulled off a 31 point victory.) The biggest of the bright spots for Giants fans has been the play of rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. The last six weeks have been superb for the former LSU Tiger. He is proving himself to be among the better receivers in the game right now, and I do not mean just among rookies. Beckham is going to be a thorn in the sides of the Dallas Cowboys for years to come.
In the last six weeks, Beckham's 49 catches and 723 yards lead the NFL. Immediately behind him are Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown with 45 receptions and Atlanta's Julio Jones with 694 yards.
- Clearly OBJ is the find of the 2014 draft for Jerry Reese and the New York front office, but following along a step behind is another rookie draft pick who is performing for Big Blue. Devon Kennard, selected in the fifth round, is making some waves and will figure in the Giants plans going forward. He hit camp and started asserting himself at linebacker, a position the G-men traditionally struggle with. Kennard has become a playmaker for the New York defense.
He put on quite a display as the Giants finally won a game, doing a little of everything and a lot of some things in the 36-7 rout of the Titans. The season has been a complete downer for the Giants, but Kennard is someone they plan to build with. And when was the last time you could say that about one of their young linebackers?
- There has been much speculation of late about the fate of head coach Tom Coughlin and perhaps even GM Jerry Reese in the wake of the New York struggles since winning their second Super Bowl of the Eli-era. The consensus is that at least one of them (most likely Coughlin) is headed for the unemployment line. One New York writer says not so fast. John Mara has gone on record as saying that he believes that continuity in the coaching staff is a big reason the Pittsburgh Steelers (three head coaches in the last 45 seasons) lead the NFL in Super Bowl wins. This leads him to believe that the coach will return. It seems that perhaps Mara and co-owner Steve Tisch may have other thoughts, and that Tisch may have tipped their hand recently.
"I don't blame Tom Coughlin" - Steve Tisch
- New York will have the opportunity to win their second straight contest this weekend when they play host to the Washington Commanders.
St. Louis Rams - 24
Washington Commanders - 0
- As much as I have made fun of the Washington trade that allowed the team to select the now benched Robert Griffin, III, there is no way I could lead with anything other than this:
Trolling. The Rams sent out the 6 players acquired in RGIII trade for the Commanders coin toss. http://t.co/PWeEiq9VHe
— ESPN Australia/NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) December 8, 2014
- With the new/interim starter, former Texas Longhorn Colt McCoy, dealing with injury there was a slight chance that Bob could find himself back in the starting lineup. Unless McCoy cannot pass a medical check, his hopes have been dashed by Jay Gruden. The team feels that Colt is the clear winner in the three headed competition to play quarterback for the remainder of the season.
"We've had looks at all three quarterbacks and based on what we have seen out at practice, for the whole training camp and offseason and the game situations, right now we feel Colt is in the lead, so if he's healthy and gets a clean bill of health then he will be our starter." - Jay Gruden
- One thing about the Nation's Capitol, you can always find dysfunction. Sometimes it is at opposite ends of Pennsylvania Avenue and at others it is at the Commanders practice facilities. This week it was at the latter as the Commanders finally found some fight...with each other. Wide receiver Andre Roberts and defensive back Bashaud Breeland came to blows after a play in practice.
"You don't want fights at practice, but guys are a little frustrated and things happen when football players are competing. I like the competitive nature of guys competing at practice, one-on-ones. We had some good competitive team drills today. But that [confrontation] was a rarity. That doesn't happen very often, and we addressed it." - Jay Gruden
- Since you already know who the Skins should be fighting next, here is a final chuckle forwarded to me by my colleague, Mr. Tom Ryle.
Disgruntled Skins Fan. @dcsportsbog @TobeyTom pic.twitter.com/n4Edk29vkM
— Chris (@BradshawGraphic) December 10, 2014
Philadelphia Eagles
Seattle Seahawks - 24
Philadelphia Eagles - 14
- From our SB Nation colleagues over at Bleeding Green Nation we have learned that Chip Kelly viewed the Eagles performance against the Seahawks the same way many of us always view the team in green.
- Even with the loss at Seattle, Philly still controls their own destiny. They close the season with three consecutive NFC East matchups. That will change if they lose to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Fortunes would be reversed, but for now the Eagles should still be considered to be in the driver's seat thanks to their Thanksgiving Day victory in the Palace That Jerry Built.
If they can win out, the Eagles can finish 12-4 and avoid a road playoff game for at least a week. After the Seattle game, that seems mighty important.
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