Bears (4-3) at Eagles (3-4), Monday, 8:30 p.m. Eastern, ESPN
Line: Eagles by 7
Mention the lockout as a possible explanation for a slow start by a team or a player and you get a reflexive, collective eye roll from the football world.
It’s true that invoking the 18-week work stoppage explains everything (and therefore nothing), but how could more than four months of inactivity and missed practices, followed by a don’t-blink free-agency whirlwind and severely restricted training camp rules, not have had some tangible effect on many teams?
Take the Eagles, who signed or traded for eight high-profile veterans between July 29 and Aug. 10, and whose master plan for 2011 included incorporating rookies into the lineup at middle linebacker, right guard, punter and kicker, not to mention defensive coordinator.
At a time when most teams in most seasons are perfecting the finer details of the playbook, the Eagles were still figuring out where to park. Andy Reid probably should have recognized that all the turnover would cause problems and scaled back his plans a bit, but in retrospect, the 1-4 pratfall to start the season is easy to comprehend: these guys were not ready.
The Eagles are a dangerous team to prematurely bury at 3-4. Think of them as the souped-up smartphone you purchased, then threw into the junk drawer in disgust after spending two hours trying to send a text message. A little time, a little patience, and suddenly you realize the awesome power it possesses. Of course, these cool gadgets still crash at the worst times, but it is not something you can anticipate.
Pick: Eagles
(pick does not reflect the betting line)
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