he Raptors land in Denver to begin a five-game road sw | Forum

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Eagles were predicted to win five or six games under new head coach Chip Kelly. Jonathan Cooper Patriots Jersey . Called on from the college ranks to replace Andy Reid, Kelly implemented a whole new atmosphere in the City of Brotherly Love and now has the Eagles in the playoffs for the first time since 2010. The Eagles won 10 games and took advantage of a weak NFC East by capturing the division title on the final weekend of the regular season. Now theyre set to host Drew Brees and the high-powered New Orleans Saints tonight at Lincoln Financial Field in the Wild Card round. You can watch the game on CTV beginning at 8pm et/5pm pt. Kellys debut as an NFL head coach got off to a rousing start with a big win at Washington on "Monday Night Football," but the Eagles fell back to earth with three straight losses. They snapped the slide with a win at New York and quarterback Nick Foles replaced an injured Michael Vick to take over for good under center. Foles made his first start in Week 6 at Tampa Bay and helped the Eagles even their record at 3-3. However, Foles would suffer through his worst start as a pro on Oct. 20 versus Dallas and was knocked out of the game with a concussion. After a brief Vick appearance and a Matt Barkley sighting the next week in a loss to the Giants, Foles stormed back with seven touchdown passes at Oakland, then led Philadelphia to another road win against Green Bay. The Eagles won five in a row at one point and erased a 3-5 start by finishing the season 7-1. Philadelphia squeezed past the Cowboys, 24-22, last Sunday night to capture the division crown and bring playoff football back to the Linc. "Its a great feeling," Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson said about returning to the playoffs. "Our fans are going to go wild. Its a great opportunity to bring the playoffs to Philadelphia on Saturday. We just need to have a great week of practice and get ready for a good team coming in here." Foles passed for 263 yards with two TDs and no interceptions in Big D, while the heart-and-soul of the offense, running back LeSean McCoy, recorded 131 yards on 27 carries to break the franchises single-season rushing mark, which was previously held by Wilbert Montgomery. McCoy led the NFL in rushing yards (1,607) and yards from scrimmage (2,126) and will face a Saints defense rated 19th in defending the run (111.6 yards per game). The Eagles finished the season first in rushing yards (160.4) and second in total yards (417.2). McCoy, Foles and Jackson give the Eagles a scary offensive trio, while the speedy wide receiver had a career-high 82 receptions for 1,332 yards, the second-most in team lore. Not to be forgotten, wide receiver Riley Cooper had a career year and put a foolish offseason incident in the past by hauling in 47 passes for 835 yards and eight TDs. He emerged as a big-play threat and averaged 17.8 yards per catch. All that wouldnt have happened if it wasnt for the efficient play of Foles. The lanky QB threw for 2,891 yards with 27 touchdown passes and only two interceptions, the best TD/INT ration in NFL history. Foles 119.2 passer rating led the league and he compiled 21 TD passes over the last eight games of the regular season. Foles now faces Brees and the two attended Westlake High School in Austin, TX. "Ive always watched him from afar," Foles said of Brees. "Hes a great player and one of the best to ever play the game at the position. Hes a guy Ive watched and learned from and hes done a lot of great things throughout his career, on and off the field, and hes a great role model for fellow players, kids and adults." New Orleans failed in its bid to capture an NFC South title and perhaps its struggles on the road this season didnt help. The Saints were an impressive 8-0 under the lights at the SuperDome, but 3-5 in enemy stadiums. Brees and the Saints captured a playoff berth with last Sundays 42-17 demolition of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as Brees passed for 381 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions and surpassed the 5,000-yard passing mark for the fourth time in his Hall of Fame career. Brees, who has eclipsed the 5,000- yard passing mark in each of the previous three seasons, threw a TD pass in every game this year, finishing with 39 total, 5,162 yards and 12 INTs. The Saints did not make the playoffs a season ago when head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the entire year because of a bounty scandal. Payton and Brees have formed a solid friendship both on and off the field, and the quarterback is ready to get going again for another Super Bowl run. "That is always where the expectation has been," Brees said of reaching the playoffs with or without Payton. "I know that we fell short of that last year and that was disappointing. We expected to be here with Sean, without Sean. Obviously having him back is great and he has a way of just little things to just kind of remind you of the focus and the opportunity and why we are all here." Brees, who won the Super Bowl in 2009, is the only player in NFL history with two or more 5,000-yard seasons and has three straight 300-yard passing games in the playoffs. New Orleans welcomed Payton back by winning its first five games, but stumbled in a road matchup at New England. The Saints responded by winning four of five games, then dropped three of the next four before closing the regular season by crushing the Bucs. The Saints probably thought winning the division would be a no-brainer because Atlanta struggled, but Carolina came out of nowhere behind Cam Newton to claim the division and a first-round bye. Much like the Eagles minus the ground attack, the Saints have a solid quarterback and plenty of talented pass catchers. Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham finished the season with 86 catches for 1,215 yards and 16 touchdowns, becoming the first tight end in NFL history to record at least 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns in two different seasons. Graham had six 100-yard games and is a huge target for the Saints. "Its been a good year for this team. We have been through a lot," Graham said. "We have had ups and downs. We have learned a lot from our mistakes." Graham and wide receivers Marques Colston (943 yards, 5 TD) and Kenny Stills (641 yards, 5 TD) get to line up against Philadelphias average secondary. The Eagles were last in passing yards allowed (289.8) and 29th in total yards allowed (394.2) in the regular season. They have played better on defense, though, especially against talented receivers in Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson and Brandon Marshall. But while Graham seems to be Philadelphias biggest issue, it will be running back Darren Sproles who can wreak havoc. Sproles was one of four players with at least 70 receptions (71) and finished with 604 yards receiving and a pair of touchdowns. Running back Pierre Thomas aided in New Orleans pass attack by grabbing 77 passes for 513 yards and three scores. Thomas also had a team-high 549 rushing yards and two TDs. He is nursing a chest injury, but should play. The Saints, losers in three straight on the road, were second behind Denver in passing yards (307.4) and fourth in total yards (399.4). New Orleans and Philadelphia will meet for the third time in the playoffs, as the Eagles won back in 1992 and the Saints prevailed in 2006. The Eagles lead the all-time series by a 16-12 count, but New Orleans has won two in a row and four of the past five encounters between teams. James Develin Patriots Jersey . Artturi Lehkonen, Joni Nikko and Ville Leskinen had the other goals for Finland (1-0) while Juuse Saros stopped 28 shots. Tim Robin Johnsgard had the lone goal for Norway (0-2). Patriots Super Bowl Jersey . The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area. http:///...ber-Patriots-Jersey/ . To the surprise of many, it isnt the Wolverines but their in-state rivals the Michigan State Spartans.TORONTO - For the second time in less than a month, Kyle Lowry heard MVP chants rain down at him as he stepped to the line nearing the conclusion of yet another remarkable performance. "Yeah, [I heard them]," he said. "They made me miss the free throw." A year ago, Lowrys post-game antics may not have been so well received but what was snide and snarky is now endearing quick wit. The sound he heard as he missed that free throw was less about his candidacy for an award nobody actually expects him to win - though he has been the Raptors MVP - than it was a sentiment of appreciation. Often misunderstood, Lowry has finally found something in Toronto that had eluded him for seven seasons prior. Lowry has found a team that fits him like a glove, a locker room filled with players who hang on his every word and a city that is ready to embrace him as their own. Lowry has found a home. "Im just playing," said the Raptors point guard, after eclipsing 30 points for the second straight game - the first time hes accomplished that feat as a pro - carrying his team to 98-83 wire-to-wire win over the Magic on Wednesday. "My team, they expect me to do a certain thing every night and when you go out there and play for these guys that give you everything they got in this locker room, you dont want to disappoint them." Lowry had scored 31 in Mondays thrilling victory over the Nets. Two days later, it was a near triple-double, a season-best 33 points to go along with 11 assists and seven rebounds. All of this without Torontos leading scorer. DeMar DeRozan continues to sit out, nursing a sprained left ankle that is steadily improving, according to the Raptors guard. On Wednesday, he watched from the locker room because, as he insisted, he couldnt bare to be a well-dressed spectator on the Raptors bench. What he saw was a team that has come together in his absence and a player, in Lowry, who has taken his game to a whole new level. By the end of the first quarter, Lowry had 17 points, perfect on all five of his three-point attempts. The Raptors, as a team, connected on their first nine treys, making 11 of 14 in the opening half. When his team made their way to the locker room at intermission, Lowry had scored or assisted on 12 of the Raptors 17 field goals in his 18 first-half minutes. The lead was 15. "Hes stepped it up," coach Dwane Casey said of his point guard. "He set the tone in the first half with his threes, just his aggressive play means a lot." He seemed to brring out the best in everybody. Jordan Devey Patriots Jersey. . Amir Johnson had his best game in well over a month, scoring 22 points and adding 11 boards. Jonas Valanciunas, who was named to the Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend earlier in the evening, recorded his 16th double-double of the season with 14 points and 15 rebounds. Lowrys fingerprints were all over the teams effort. "You cant say enough," Casey continued. "I just hope, I keep my fingers crossed that the coaches voted him in [to the All-Star game] because he deserves it. Hes one of the best point guards in the league right now." Lowry has made his case loud and clear - though both 30-point performances have come after the coaches ballots for All-Star reserves were collected on Sunday - and his fate will be revealed on Thursday. The 27-year-old leads the East in assists in January, averaging 8.3, hitting more threes (49) than any player in the league, shooting them at a 46 per cent clip and leading his team to their second consecutive winning month. On Monday, he became the first player this season to record at least 30 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals in a game, a feat that was only accomplished by LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant last year. You have to go deep into the franchises not-so-rich history to find a point guard that even comes close to the level that Lowry is playing at right now. Damon Stoudamire, perhaps? Its been a while. Casey has been pumping Lowrys tires around the league and hopes that will tip the scale in his favour when the All-Star subs are revealed. As it turns out, maybe they should have sent his backup on the campaign trail. "Kyle is an unbelievable player," said Greivis Vasquez, who started Wednesday in place of the injured DeRozan on Wednesday. "Hes doing great things, not just for the team but for the city and thats huge." "Ill tell you this, he should make it," he continued. "Its not because Im his teammate, the numbers dont lie. I mean, Im seeing it, watching it and Im enjoying it." As it happens, Lowrys not holding his breath. Although he would welcome the honour with open arms, hes acknowledged that, of the two, DeRozan will likely be the one to get the call. One way or another, Lowry has 14 teammates, a coach, and the bulk of a city that believes hes an All-Star. Regardless of the result Thursday evening - as the Raptors land in Denver to begin a five-game road swing - that is not likely to change. Cheap NFL JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys' ' '