Chat with Matt Mosley
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Mosley, an award-winning writer for The Dallas Morning News for seven years, joined ESPN.com in January 2007 and writes columns, features and blogs about the NFL.
Send your questions now and join Mosley in The Show on Tuesday at noon ET!
Mosley Archive: Columns | Blog
Greg (Lancaster, PA)
Which do you think has the better chance of leading its respective team to victory, the Cardinals vaunted offense or the Eagles shut-down defense?
Matt Mosley (12:02 PM)
First of all, it's great to see everyone. I know that Redskins, Giants and Cowboys fans are probably taking some time off -- just like their teams. But that's OK. Greg, the Eagles completely exposed the Cardinals on Thanksgiving. That was sort of the jumping-off point for their late-season run. But the Cards will do a much better job of protecting Kurt Warner, and they'll also try to run the ball a little bit. But at this point, it's advantage Eagles. That defense is playing really really well.
Jamal Ames
i am a huge eagles fan and i know the cards have been playing well lately but so have the eagles with since the thanksgiving game do you see the cards having a chance against the eagles and that D they have
Matt Mosley (12:04 PM)
I certainly think the Cards have a chance, but they have to limit their mistakes. Asante Samuel's two postseason interceptions have been huge for the Eagles. If the Cardinals turn the ball over twice, I think they lose the game. Yes, I know McNabb threw two interceptions Sunday, but he has an elite defense that has his back. What the Cardinals have is a really underrated defensive coordinator named Clancy Pendergast who can confuse offenses. I think the Eagles will win, but I wouldn't be shocked if they didn't.
Pittsburgh, PA
Do you think that the Ravens defense is as good as the Steelers defense and who's offense will be more productive on sunday?
Matt Mosley (12:05 PM)
I think the defense is playing every bit as good as the Steelers' defense. I really do. Maybe even a little bit better right now. But I like Big Ben's experience over Flacco's. That's a rather obvious conclusion, but I'm good at those!
Wayne: Virginia Beach, Va:
I saw that there are trade rumors about LT. With both Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward becoming free agents, is there any chance the Giants try to put together a deal for LT to replace at least one if not both of them?
Matt Mosley (12:07 PM)
Jerry Reese wouldn't give up much to get L.T. You don't pay age, and you don't give up guys with tread left on their tires for guys like L.T. Great, great player, but he's on the downhill side of his career. Jacobs and Ward still on their way up.
scott albany ny
if the Cowboys start next yr at 1-3 or 2-2, will JJ make midseason coaching chg?
Matt Mosley (12:08 PM)
Scott: That would even cause more embarrassment than he's already facing. Jerry's never made an in-season change and he won't start now.
Mike (Avondale, AZ)
Matt!!! You might be the first 'expert' to not completely write-off the Cardinals...I'm your new biggest fan!
Matt Mosley (12:08 PM)
Mike: Seats still available on this bandwagon.
Greg (Lancaster, PA)
Both McNabb and Warner have tons of postseason experience, but who would you rather have leading your team at this point in the season, the Super Bowl champion/former MVP or the guy who's still waiting for his big moment?
Matt Mosley (12:10 PM)
Both are formidable players. And yes, I like the fact that Kurt Warner's won the big one. But they've both been here before. I don't think winning the Super Bowl will give Warner that much of an edge over McNabb on Sunday. McNabb's six years younger and can still make plays with his legs. He's the guy I'd take.
Imran: Philadelphia
if there is a keystone bowl, do you think that it may be the most anticipated, or even most watched super bowl?
Matt Mosley (12:12 PM)
It will be the most anticipated Super Bowl -- in Pennsylvania. Honestly, there's no huge rivalry between these teams. Two completely different type fan bases (except for the level of passion) and they rarely play each other. So no, I don't think it would be off-the-charts in terms of anticipation.
Evan (PGH)
Who would you rather have on your team: Troy Polamalu or Ed Reed? James Harrison or Ray Lewis? Joe Flacco or Ben Roethlisberger? Hines Ward or Derek Mason?
Matt Mosley (12:13 PM)
Reed, Harrison (younger), Big Ben and Ward
Chad (Las Vegas)
The Saints are looking for a D Coordinator and they need a good one. Who are they going after and could Charlie Strong from UF be a possible D Coord there or anywhere in the NFL?
Matt Mosley (12:16 PM)
I haven't studied this one, although I know Garry Gibbs pretty well. Just think about who Payton's familiar with. If Todd Bowles doesn't get a head-coaching position, Payton might go after him. Of course, Parcells doesn't have to give him permission to go. I'll need to follow up on this one for you.
Evan (PGH)
How about this one...Would you rather have Mitch Berger or Paul Ernster? (I say neither, let Big Ben punt it. He did a good job last week.)
Matt Mosley (12:16 PM)
I'd rather have Sepulveda with his leg in a cast.
MJ (Boston)
Matt who would you rather have as your coach Wade Phillips or Mike Shananan....if Shanahan, why in the world is Jerry keeping Wade and not going after Mike....I had a full head of hair before this season...
Matt Mosley (12:17 PM)
Shanahan for sure. It's absolutely ridiculous that Jerry's not making a move. But he loves having a puppet. Shanahan wouldn't be that guy.
Joe, Baltimore MD
Did Eli Mannning lie to us and go to Mexico over the bye?
Matt Mosley (12:18 PM)
Hahahahahahahahah...Joe you're welcome in my chat room anytime. There was a lot of mouth-breathing in that game.
Chad (Las Vegas)
Kudos to you for not blowing smoke at me. I have seen some reporters just spew whatever is at the top of their head to get an answer out there and I have the utmost respect for you for that answer!
Matt Mosley (12:18 PM)
Don't recall what I said, but you're welcome.
nick (new jersey)
do the eagles got a real good shot at the super bowl trophy?
Matt Mosley (12:20 PM)
Sure they do. If they can get past the Cardinals, I like they're chances against the Steelers at a neutral site. They've already beaten them once. And they have a lot to prove against the Ravens after the McNabb benching game. That game was close at halftime even though McNabb was awful. Reid's decision to give McNabb the hook contributed to the loss, but it probably saved the season.
Mike (AZ)
3 weeks ago if I told you the Cardinals would be in the NFC Championship, what would you have said?
Matt Mosley (12:20 PM)
I'll have a little bit of that...
nick (new jersey)
if you were on the eagles and you beat the cardinals would you rather play the ravens or steelers?
Matt Mosley (12:21 PM)
I want to play the rookie QB. But stop looking past Sunday's game.
Bobbo (NY)
Whos the Giants #1 WR at the start of next season?
Matt Mosley (12:23 PM)
Terrell Owens...Just kidding. No, I think the Giants will take a serious look at who's out there in free agency and there are four or five guys that might be first-round types. They can't get Crabtree, but they'll have some solid candidates where they're picking.
Rob (Philly)
Are the Cardinals the worst team to ever host the Championship Game?
Matt Mosley (12:23 PM)
I don't know that off the top of my head. That's an easy storyline, but I'm not sure it's true. They certainly play in an awful division.
Lance: NY, NY
If you could make only ONE change in the offseason to ensure the Giants go back to the postseason next year, what would you do?
Matt Mosley (12:26 PM)
It's pretty obvious. You better find another playmaker on offense. You can't trust that Plax will be there, so you better come up with a contingency plan. I like Domenik Hixon, but he's not ready to be The Man at this point.
Nick, Raleigh NC
I've been a life long Eagles fan and know by now that we are let down the most when something is expected from them. They are favored in this game but Arizona seems like a different team than on thanksgiving. Do you see another super bowl appearance, or could another choke be in order?
Matt Mosley (12:28 PM)
Other than the Redskins debacle, they've been playing solid football for more than a month and a half. I'm not expecting them to choke. If they lose, it might simply mean that they were outplayed by a talented Cardinals team. Arizona has an underrated defense and the best receiver in football.
Kenny(oregon)
For some reason a lot of Eagles fans are still calling for a #1 WR, I think they are fine at WR, what do you think about TE.
Matt Mosley (12:29 PM)
I think L.J.'s gone after this season. I like this Celek kid. But I'd either go after someone on Day 1 of the draft or look for someone in free agency. The Giants found Kevin Boss in the fifth round, so it's not like you have to land someone on Day 1.
zach (lake highlands tx)
i know a lot of us were saying the same thing this time last year about a certain east coast based team, but are there two less deserving teams to be in the big game than arizona and philly? for all their complaining three months ago about the tie mcnabb didn't know could happen, how different would this game be if they keep playing until cincy scores and dallas gets that last spot after all?
Matt Mosley (12:32 PM)
Zach, I respect anyone from the tough streets of Lake Highlands, but why are the Cards and Eagles not deserving? They may have flopped around in the regular-season, but when it counted, they knocked off the No. 1 and 2 seeds in the NFC. And those weren't flukey games. They just went out and took care of business. The team you speak of had no business in the playoffs. They're a bunch of individuals who would've made a quick exit against the Vikings.
Micah (Chicago)
Hi Matt, thanks for the chat. If Brady is ready to start the season what do you think the Patriots could get for Cassel in a trade? Any guesses on a likely landing spot?
Matt Mosley (12:32 PM)
They're going to franchise him.
Zamir (Philly)
Earlier in the season you said "It is now safe to say McNabb is the fourth-best BQ in the NFC East." How would you rank the NFC East QBs by skill now? r can you at least acknowledge that you made a mistake?
Matt Mosley (12:34 PM)
When I said it, I think McNabb was playing like the fourth-best quarterback in the division. Campbell was playing mistake-free ball, Romo was putting up big numbers and Eli was being Eli. I don't feel bad about saying that. Right now, McNabb is playing like the best quarterback in the NFC East.
Chris, New Jersey
Do you think the NFL should change the rule so the team with he best record should get home field in the playoffs instead of a lesser division champ.
Matt Mosley (12:34 PM)
Yes!
Yatin (LA)
Hey Matt, go NFC Beast! Do you think there will be enough Eagles fans (I'm hoping to be one of them) in Arizona to offset some of the Cardinals' home field advantage?
Matt Mosley (12:36 PM)
I think that a lot of Eagles fans will find their way to Glendale. Not enough to take over the stadium. But even a small pocket of Eagles fans can wreak havoc on sleepy Glendale. I'll be hosting an NFC Beast happy hour at an undisclosed location Saturday night in Scottsdale. Hope you'll all join me.
Jason (Calgary, AB)
Hey Matt, any word on Shawn Andrews? I?d love to have the Big Kid back, but to be honest, Nick Cole is playing unbelievably well for a 3rd stringer. Would the Eagles chance bringing in a rusty Pro Bowler or is rust maybe not as big an issue as with a ?skilled? position?
Matt Mosley (12:37 PM)
Jason, I was surprised they didn't put the guy on IR after back surgery. I think there's a chance they activate him for the Super Bowl. But I'm sort of with you. Why mess with a good thing right now.
Tom (Lake Ronkonkoma, NY)
Plaxico will be catching passes from ________ next season? A) Eli B) Some other NFL QB C) Michael Vick D) No one
Matt Mosley (12:37 PM)
Burt Reynolds
Mike (AZ)
Matt, there is no way the Eagles offset the Cardinals home field advantage. Tickets sold out in 6 min. I was at the stadium, there were 8,000 people in line who didn't get tickets (98% cardinals fans).
Matt Mosley (12:40 PM)
Mike, Mike, Mike...Have you heard of Stubhub? Eagles fans will find their way into University of Phoenix Stadium. Trust me. I'm really happy for long-suffering Cardinals fans, so don't take this as sarcasm. I'm just saying that scalpers will be hard at work. There will be 5,000 Eagles fans in attendance. They don't travel as well as Steelers fans, but they get around.
Luis (SB, CA)
Matt, how rediculous was the comment by Pacman that he wouldn't be suprised to be back with Cowboys?
Matt Mosley (12:41 PM)
When you consider who the owner is, why is Pacman's statement ridiculous?
Chad (Douglassville, PA)
Matt, with McNabb becoming more like TO with his stupid antics each week, how long until we see him doing situps in his driveway?
Matt Mosley (12:43 PM)
Seriously. When T.O. was doing that stuff in Philly in 2004, fans loved him for it. A receiver with big-game and an even bigger attitude. But McNabb's supposed to act like a choirboy. Sure, it was immature. But who cares? He just led his team to a huge win. I wish he hadn't apologized. The phone call didn't bother me at all.
Other Mike (az)
Matt, Matt, Matt...haven't you heard? Univ of PHX stadium is going ot be holding 70 k + on sunday. Do you really think 5 thousand eagles fans spread out throughout the entire stadium is going to offset 65k cards fans even slightly? Mike smith said he underestimated the crowd factor in the wildcard game, please dont make the same mistake.
Matt Mosley (12:45 PM)
If you want to hear a loud crowd, attend a Baylor-A&M at Floyd Casey. Makes University of Phoenix (Shaq's alma mater) sound like a Jim Brickman concert.
Rob (South Jersey)
just to back up your ticket claim, The Arizona Republic posted this "At StubHub, a record was set Monday, with more tickets sold for the Arizona-Philadelphia match-up than any other NFC Championship in the company's history."
Matt Mosley (12:46 PM)
Thanks, Rob!
Mike (AZ)
Maybe McNabb was calling the NFL to verify the 'Tie' rule in the playoffs?
Matt Mosley (12:46 PM)
I like it, Mike.
Rafa (Chicago)
How do the eagels handle the Cards passing game?
Matt Mosley (12:48 PM)
Like they handle everyone's passing game. They use a variety of blitz packages to put pressure on Warner and they play tight coverage. They'll make sure Larry Fitzgerald doesn't see any man-to-man coverage. He'll get jammed at the line of scrimmage by a safety and then Asante Samuel will be waiting to cover him. The Eagles won't let Fitz beat them.
Christian (NY)
How does the Eagles' offense matchup with the Cardinals' defense? The emergance of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie makes me nervous.
Matt Mosley (12:50 PM)
I think Cromartie's come a long way since the first time I saw him. Defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast will do a good job of disguising coverages. He plays a ton of games at the line of scrimmage so this will be a challenging assignment for the Eagles' offensive line.
Paul (DC)
How much of a factor is Suggs'injury? He said he is only going to play, but I cannot imagine we will be that effective. Also, Willie Parker looks good now, watch out!
Matt Mosley (12:51 PM)
Suggs is a phenomenal player. And if he's on the field, I think he'll be effective. But the Ravens have enough depth on defense that one hobbled player won't bring them down. This is going to be a brutal football game.
Nate (Newville, PA)
I see a lot of statements about the amount of noise that will be in AZ and how it will affect the Eagles play. I wonder if there are any numbers on the ratio of Vikings/Eagles and Giants/Eagles fans there were at the previous two games?
Matt Mosley (12:53 PM)
The Eagles will pipe in noise to prepare for the game. Doesn't really affect the defense. On offense, the Eagles spend a lot of time preparing to play with a ton of noise. Philly fans pretty much took over downtown Minneapolis. I didn't notice as many fans at Giants Stadium, but I did see an entire section of fans in the upper-deck. They were the only ones left at the end of Sunday's game.
Steve (Jersey(
What do you think the Giants would have to give up to acquire Boldin?
Matt Mosley (12:54 PM)
first and a third
Lawrence(Bath,NY)
WHat do the Cowboys do at RB next year? Felix Jones showed flashes before his injury, Barber is the workhorse and Choice showed he can make an impact. Do they keep all three, if not who's the odd man out?
Matt Mosley (12:55 PM)
Yes, they keep all three. Choice was a nice player late in the season. But you don't start trading guys based on a three or four-game stretch. The Cowboys will have depth at that position -- just like the Giants have depth.
fratto (philadelphia)
Do the eagles have a great franchise wide receiver in desaun jackson?
Matt Mosley (12:57 PM)
Fratto: I don't want to go too far, but he's certainly a dynamic player. Right now, his greatest impact is on special teams. He has to work on being more consistent. Jackson was a big part of the loss against the Redskins. But he came back and played really well in the next three games. Nothing seems to faze him. So yes, I think he's a talented guy. Is he a franchise receiver? you better hope so.
Gray (Chicago)
Looking at what Eli Manning did without Plaxico makes me think Kyle Orton is better than people give him credit for considering he had no WRs all year. Who do you see the Bears going after to catch the football?
Matt Mosley (12:59 PM)
Let me finish up the season and then we'll got hot and heavy on free agency, Gray.
Jason (Calgary, AB)
Re: Boldin: How about a first and a Shepphard?
Matt Mosley (12:59 PM)
Lito doesn't have much value at this point. Can't even get on the field these days.
Ben (Happy Valley)
Hey Matt. The Cardinals offense is trying to balance itself out. The Eagles have been great in two playoff games stopping the run. But they were very foused on doing so, and hoping the QB's on opposing teams wouldn't beat them. So, should they continue to key on the run with the Cards new found success, or drop into coverage and let their excellent secondary try to limit the passing game and leave the running lanes a bit more exposed?
Matt Mosley (1:00 PM)
Stop the run first. Doesn't matter who you're playing.
Clinton (NJ)
Hey Matt. What type of impact do you see Westbrook having on the game this week?
Matt Mosley (1:03 PM)
I think the Eagles will try to use him on a lot of screens and swing passes in an attempt to offset the blitz. I think he'll have 25 touches, and I think he'll be more effective this week than he was against the Giants. Other than his huge 71-yard touchdown against the Vikings, he hasn't really made a big impact in the playoffs. As much as this hurts for me to say, I have to go now. If I go more than an hour without blogging, alarms in Bristol go off. You were great as always, but show up on time next week and we'll get to more of your questions. We started with 32 at noon and finished with 320 at 1. Talk soon. m
alex (dallas)
hey matt big fan ur great on galloway only question when is wade gettin fired
Matt Mosley (1:03 PM)
Not any time before the Super Bowl
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