From the Desk of Eagles Outsider Barry Bowe

ON THE RECORD

I’m writing this ten hours before today’s one o’clock kickoff between the Rams and Vikings in Minnesota. I’m writing this because it’s a big game . . .

• big game for both the Rams and the Vikings.
• big game for both Adrian Peterson and Todd Gurley.
• big game for both Jeff Fisher and Nick Foles.
• and a big game for me.

It’s a big game for me because I predicted – way back in Week 4 – that the Rams would win the NFC West. It’s a bigger game because I’m going on the record right now – making it public information – that I’ve made such an outlandish prediction.

The Cardinals – sitting and watching during their Bye Week – are 6-and-2. Whereas, the Rams are in second place at 4-and-3 – a game-and-a-half off the pace and just half-a-game ahead of the 4-and-4 Seahawks in third place. Any of those three teams could wind up winning the NFC West.

By predicting that the Rams win NFC West, I’m risking looking the fool if they lose today to the Vikings and/or subsequently fall on their faces as the season progresses. But I’m willing to take that risk.

NICKY FOOTBALL

My opinion started forming on the opening day of the season when the Rams earned a hard-fought 34-31 win over the Seattle Seahawks. But it wavered a bit when the Rams then suffered back-to-back lackluster losses to the woeful Redskins and injury-depleted Steelers – scoring just 16 points combined in those two games.

But my opinion galvanized the following week when the Rams went on the road and beat the first-place, undefeated Cardinals 24-22. That win evened the Rams record at 2-2 and solidified my outlook.

If you’re wondering about my interest in the Rams, it’s all about Nick Foles. As an Eagles fan, I believed that Nicky Football – as I like to refer to him – was a franchise quarterback who would one day lead his team to a Super Bowl victory. At the time, of course, I’d hoped that the team in question would be the Eagles and that Nicky would lead the Eagles to perhaps multiple Super Bowl victories.

But no. That, of course, is no longer possible thanks to Chip Kelly’s dismantling of the Eagles during the off-season. So while I sit back and watch my Eagles play pathetic football week after week behind a quarterback who looks lost on the field and doesn’t seem to care about the outcome of the games and a coach who underestimated the inner workings of the NFL and is now being exposed as a coach who has a lot to learn, Nicky Football and the Rams bring me some excitement each week.

Thanks to Red Zone, I’ll dial up the Rams at one o’clock today and watch and hope and sweat as the Rams try to beat the Vikings. And then tonight, I’ll watch and hope and sweat as the Eagles try to beat the Cowboys.

And I’m worried about both games.

I’m worried about the Rams because it’s two good teams facing off against each other. And I’m worried about the Eagles because it’s two bad teams facing off against each other – and I’m not sure which is worse.

If I’m lucky, both of my teams will win.

In addition to being the official Eagles Outsider for BlameMyFather.com, Barry Bowe is also the author of:

• Born to Be Wild
• 1964 – The Year the Phillies Blew the Pennant
• 12 Best Eagles QBs
• Birth of the Birds
• Soon-to-be-published sexy, police procedural Caribbean Queen
• Soon-to-be-published novel Stosh Wadzinski
• Soon-to-be-published novel Polish Widow