#derek hostetler

[cantheykillmacbeth]

Derek from The Good Place could kill Macbeth, I think. I don’t think he’s ever explicitly referred as a man and is canonically a genderless being (though I don’t recall him ever explicitly rebutting being called a man either so I’m not sure). He was not born naturally but summoned into existence. And his birth parent, Janet, routinely protests being called a girl or a woman. So I’m pretty sure he hits all three clauses.

Janet could also kill Macbeth on all three clauses and she’s not a man (nor a girl), was not naturally born, and was not created by anyone in particular and therefore has no birth parent to speak of let alone one who identifies as a woman.

Yes, both Derek Hostetler and Janet from The Good Place could kill Macbeth!

As stated above, Janet is Derek's creator, and also does not identify as a woman (nor a man), which applies Derek for the Unconventional Birth Clause and Birth Parent Clause, while applying Janet for the Gender Clause!

Janet also applies for the Unconventional Birth Clause and Birth Parent Clause herself, being presumably created by The Makers of Light, Darkness, And Everything In Between.

As for Derek and the Gender Clause, I'm not so sure. He doesn't seem to deny gendered terms like 'man' like how Janet does, and is referred to with he/him pronouns. The wiki lists him as agender, though I believe this is in reference to his canonical lack of genitalia, and as we all know, one's genitalia does not influence their gender identity. We'll leave that alone for now until some more decisive evidence crops up.

In short: Janet applies for all three Clauses, and Derek applies for the Unconventional Birth Clause and Birth Parent Clause.

Thank you for your submission!

#asks #unconventional birth clause #gender clause #birth parent clause #the good place #tgp #janet the good place #janet tgp #derek hostetler #derek the good place #derek tgp

[coulsonlives]

I think Derek's last form in The Good Place is ominous af and it worries me lol. What if he gets too powerful and detached from humanity like Jobu Tupaki or some shit, and he decides to rewire the entire system

#tgp sequel ??? #nah i hope they don't because idk if they could top the og show #the good place #tgp #derek hostetler #tgp derek #the good place derek #the good place spoilers #kinda?? idk putting it anyways

[julieschulerart]

The Hostetler Blind Family Quartet. https://www.etsy.com/listing/215962472

9" x 12" acrylic on acid-free heavy weight paper. Original painting by Julie Kwiatkowski Schuler. Inspired by the Hostetler Blind Family Quartet, a musical group of three brothers and one sister who played in and around the area of Fayette County, Pennsylvania. They were born without eyes. Supplemental information about these performers has been brought to me by my friend, Derek Pegritz, to whom I am grateful: "Catherine, Samuel (a.k.a. Jesse Samuel or, sometimes, Samuel Jesse), Bartholomew, and John were the children of Daniel Hostetler and Mary (Gibbons) Hostetler--who were first cousins. Despite being born blind, all four were gifted musicians, and were quite renowned in the Fayette County area. There are rumours, too,--unsubstantiated--that they toured Europe as well. With the exception of Catherine (who lived into her fifties), they enjoyed long lives, and all four are buried with their parents at the Leckey (or Lecks) Cemetery between McClellandtown and Lamberton."  

#art #painting #portrait #music #musicians #history #blind #pennsylvania

[waffles-and-puffins]

Nothing is funnier to me in all of television than any and all of Derek’s lines and interactions with Janet and Michael. The certainty with which he’s named himself “Derek Hostetler, PI”? The sassy head tilt when saying “Jason”? Introducing himself to plants? And to think that all of this goofiness is in part because he’s made from Janet, so she’s got a goofier side to her as well... 

#my heart is happy #felt a little down today so watching my favorite eps #puffin rewatches TGP #the good place

[writingguide003-blog]

Super Bowl LII predictions: our writers pick the winner, MVP and players to watch

New Post has been published on https://writingguideto.com/must-see/super-bowl-lii-predictions-our-writers-pick-the-winner-mvp-and-players-to-watch-2/

Super Bowl LII predictions: our writers pick the winner, MVP and players to watch

Will the Patriots win a record-tying sixth Super Bowl championship or will the Eagles win their first? Our writers hash it out

Super Bowl LII

Super Bowl LII predictions: our writers pick the winner, MVP and players to watch

Will the Patriots win a record-tying sixth Super Bowl championship or will the Eagles win their first? Our writers hash it out

Paolo Bandini and Bryan Armen Graham in Minneapolis

Sat 3 Feb 2018 11.40EST Last modified on Sat 3 Feb 2018 13.25EST

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Can Nick Foles punctuate Philadelphias fairytale playoff run with the hard-luck clubs first title in 57 years? Photograph: Eric Gay/AP

What the Patriots need to do to win

PB: Let Philly build up a lead, then stick the ball in Tom Bradys hands? Im being glib, but when a team pulls off as many come-from-behind wins as this one, over such an extended period, what else are we supposed to say? You probably dont need reminding that the Pats trailed by 25 points in the third quarter of last years Super Bowl. Or that they stuck 14 fourth-quarter points on a previously dominant Jacksonville defense in last months AFC title game.

Perhaps the more nuanced version of that same answer is: keep on adjusting. As brilliant as Brady is in the clutch, it is Bill Belichicks capacity for tweaking his gameplan on the fly that makes this team so hard to beat. We saw it against the Jaguars, whose offense exploded in the first half but ground to a halt as New England started finding ways to keep Blake Bortles in the pocket. A different approach will be required against Nick Foles and company, but these Patriots know they need not panic if they dont have the right answers at the start.

BAG: Above all New Englands offensive line must protect Brady and they will have their hands full with a stout Philadelphia pass rush thats tormented opponents all year long. Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz likes to rotate Fletcher Cox, Tim Jernigan, Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry frequently with Chris Long, Beau Allen, Derek Barnett and Destiny Vaeao, an embarrassment of riches on the defensive line that allows them to pressure the quarterback without relying on the blitz. Look for the Patriots to run a lot of no-huddle to negate Phillys depth and keep the Eagles offense on the sidelines.

What the Eagles need to do to win

PB: Predictable, perhaps, but disrupting Tom Brady has to be the biggest part of this picture. The Patriots, as observed above, are masters of the in-game adjustment. Take away Rob Gronkowski, and theyll just fire up Danny Amendola. Commit to slowing down the run and they can either start to look for Brandin Cooks over the top or exploit your aggression with James White and Rex Burkhead in the screen game.

Brady is the one essential piece of the puzzle, and has played some of the best football of his career even this year at 40 years old. There might not be a team in the NFL better equipped than Philly to generate pressure with a four-man front at the tail end of a long season, however, thanks to an extraordinarily deep rotation which can alternate the likes of Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Tim Jernigan and Vinny Curry with Beau Allen, Derek Barnett and Chris Long. That group must play up to its potential for the Eagles to prevail.

BG: Theres been no shortage of hand-wringing over Nick Foles, the back-up quarterback thrust into the starters role when Carson Wentz was lost to a season-ending injury in December. But the Eagles coaches have done a masterful job of crafting game plans around Foles strengths and masking his weaknesses, putting him in a position to make plays. They will play with irreverence and they will put up points as they have all year, with or without their franchise player.

Not surprisingly, it will come down to the defense, which rated among the NFLs best all season long. The Eagles must harry Brady and shorten the game to keep New Englands offense off the field. Its the common thread in nearly all of the Patriots high-profile defeats, including their AFC title game loss to the Broncos two years ago and both Super Bowl setbacks to the Giants.

Unsung player to look out for

PB: My first thought was Trey Flowers undersized for an interior lineman, and slower than you would really like for an edge rusher, yet somehow consistently productive wherever he is deployed by New England. But is he actually unsung any more? Ill go with Kyle Van Noy instead third on the team in tackles during the regular season and a wrecking ball against Jacksonville, who had made a positive start on their final possession until he sacked Blake Bortles for a seven-yard loss.

BAG: No one is better than Belichick when it comes to denying an opponents best weapon or strategy. That will create opportunities for outsiders like rookie running back Corey Clement, an undrafted free agent who was a longshot to make the team in training camp but whos emerged as Philadelphias best pass-blocking back and a dependable target on screen passes. Clement only rushed for 321 yards, but he leads all Philadelphia running backs in rushing touchdowns (four) and total touchdowns (six).

New Englands Kyle Van Noy shined in the AFC title game after finishing third on the team in tackles during the regular season. Photograph: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

What youre most looking forward to seeing

PB: The coaching duel between Bill Belichick and Doug Pederson. The Eagles opened up the playbook against Minnesota, and were rewarded with a monster game from Nick Foles. So what does Pederson have up his sleeve here, and how will Belichick counter? And after each team pulled out the flea-flicker in the conference title games, what fresh misdirection lies in store?

BAG: Early fireworks. New Englands pass defense has improved greatly since early in the season when it allowed an NFL-record six consecutive opposing quarterbacks to throw for at least 300 yards, but the Patriots remain vulnerable over the top. The aggressive play-calling of Eagles coach Doug Pederson, whose first game as a head coach above the high school level was remarkably less than 17 months ago, has been a key ingredient Philadelphias sudden reversal of fortune. Dont expect a cagey opening. Coming off an NFC championship game where Foles became the first quarterback in NFL history with completions of more than 40 yards to three different receivers in a postseason game, look for Pederson to take shots downfield early.

One bold prediction

PB: Brady throws a pick six.

BAG: Brandin Cooks will go for over 120 yards receiving and a touchdown as the Eagles are forced to devote extra safety to Gronkowski.

Your MVP will be …

PB: Well if my bold prediction is correct then it might be the guy who runs that interception back, but Im going to go with Zach Ertz. The Eagles tight end absolutely dominated Harrison Smith a popular pick for the NFLs defensive player of the year in the NFC title game. Who do the Patriots have who can match up against him better?

BAG: Nick Foles, Super Bowl MVP? It might sound funny, but the 29-year-old quarterback has played himself into form since Wentzs injury shook the constitution of a city. After carrying the Eagles into the Super Bowl with a master-class performance against the Vikings, Foles career playoff numbers speak for themselves: 72 of 96 passes for 793 yards, with five touchdowns and no interceptions. That 116.4 passer rating is the best in NFL playoff history for any quarterback with at least 75 passing attempts, surpassing a mark held by Jeff Hostetler, another understudy who came off the bench late in the season to helm his NFC East team to an improbably Super Bowl win over a heavily favored AFC East opponent.

The winner will be …

PB: I honestly think well look back on this and marvel at the idea that the Eagles were ever able to convince us they were the underdogs, despite a 13-3 record and a 31-point win in the NFC title game. Yes, they lost Wentz. But weve seen enough since to conclude that this is still an excellent team. Eagles 24, Patriots 21

BAG: All seven of New Englands Super Bowls in the Belichick/Brady era have been decided by six points or less and theres little reason to believe the eighth will be any less touch and go. The Eagles will race out to a half-time lead and whether they can hold off New Englands inevitable rally, as an entire city chews their fingernails to nubs, will determine who comes away with the trophy. It says here they will on a late Jake Elliott field goal. Eagles 27, Patriots 24

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us

[jerryallen]

I’ll Rise Again

Post 281

Jan and I are happy to announce the arrival April 15 of our fifth great-grandchild, Owen James Hostetler, born to our grandson, Derek and his sweet wife, Jennifer. How blessed we are!

Easter is coming next weekend. The real Easter is not about a bunny. It’s neither a figment of our imagination nor a Christian folk tale. It is about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is an established fact of history. It was predicted and it actually happened, despite the doubts of those who found it difficult to believe.

A number of scholars over the last century have tried to prove that the resurrection did not take place, or at the least, laughed at those who took Christianity seriously. But while doing research to prove their point, they found that the overwhelming evidence pointed, not against Christianity but in its favor. Instead of confirming their disbelief, they confirmed the truth of Christianity and of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And they themselves became Christians!

Among these scholars are Albert Henry Ross (alias Frank Morison), who wrote the book Who Moved the Stone?—still one of the strongest defenses of Jesus’ resurrection. C. S. Lewis, one of the greatest Christian thinkers of the 20th century. Josh McDowell, author of Evidence that Demands a Verdict. And Lee Strobel, who wrote A Case for Christ.

There was a crucifixion. Jesus Christ died for our sins. And there was a resurrection. God raised Jesus from the dead, never to die again. He was raised to give us the only kind of righteousness that God will accept: the righteousness which is by faith in Jesus Christ. He raised him to give new life to those who believe, to empower his people to live the kind of life God has always wanted them to live, not in their strength but in His. He was raised to give us hope for a future with God.

This is the real reason for Easter. This is what Christians should celebrate at Easter time. Without the cross, the resurrection would be meaningless; but without the resurrection, the cross would be powerless. The salvation of those who believe comes as a package.

One of the most powerful and inspirational Easter songs I ever heard is sung by Dallas Holm, “I’ll Rise Again.” If you want to get a sense of what the resurrection means, Google “Youtube Dallas Holm Rise Again with Lyrics.” It has been viewed and heard by over a million people.

 HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

[jodyedgarus]

Will Nick Foles Be The Eagles’ Jeff Hostetler? Or Their Connor Cook?

When Carson Wentz entered the blue sideline tent of doom on Sunday, he took close to 60 years of unfulfilled football dreams in Philadelphia with him. At that moment, the 10-2 Eagles had just taken a lead on the road against one of the NFC’s best teams. Shortly thereafter, the second-year quarterback limped down the tunnel at L.A. Memorial Coliseum, forcing backup quarterback Nick Foles to take over for the remainder of the game. In just a few minutes, the Eagles’ unexpected dream season was seemingly cut down by hard luck — something that comes with the territory in Philadelphia.

We now know that Wentz tore the ACL in his left knee and will miss the rest of the season. It’s a huge blow to the Eagles’ Super Bowl hopes, and they’ll have to lean on someone other than Wentz and his MVP-caliber offense. The sophomore quarterback has been so good this season that the Eagles ranked third in the league in offensive expected points added — behind only the Patriots and Saints — and his 33 touchdown passes through 13 games are third-most in NFL history for quarterbacks in their first or second year, behind only future Hall of Famers Dan Marino and Kurt Warner.

Fortunately for Doug Pederson’s men, the win over the Rams secured a playoff berth with three weeks to spare, and their remaining games against the Giants, Raiders and Cowboys should give Foles enough time to feel comfortable as the leader of a playoff team again. Foles is uniquely familiar with this position: In Week 5 of 2013, he was forced into action when starter Michael Vick suffered an injury. Foles became the unlikely savior that year, as he steered the Eagles to an 8-3 record for the remainder of the season and a wild-card berth. Along the way, he compiled an eye-popping passer rating of 119.2, the third best in NFL history, and a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 13.5, the second-best of all time.

While there’s little doubt over whether Philly will bypass the wild-card round — one more regular-season win will secure a first-round bye for the Eagles — let’s not kid ourselves about their overall playoff chances: History is not on Philadelphia’s side. No one is expecting Foles to repeat his 2013 performance and keep the team’s run going. We’ve seen this scenario unfold before. In fact, a backup being thrown into the fire of playoff football is quickly becoming an annual NFL tradition. Last year, Connor Cook, a third-stringer, started his first game ever for the Raiders, who lost star Derek Carr (then backup Matt McGloin) as their dream season turned into a nightmare. And two seasons ago, Alabama-star-turned-professional-clipboard-holder A.J. McCarron started a wild-card game for Cincinnati in the wake of the Bengals losing Andy Dalton in Week 14.

As expected, this usually doesn’t go well. Cook and McCarron both lost in the playoffs, posting passer ratings of 30 and 68.3, respectively. Neither has started a game since. In total, Wentz will be one of only eight quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era to win 10 or more games for a future playoff team and not appear in the postseason, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Among the backups for these teams, only two won at least one playoff game.

Will Nick Foles keep Philly flying?

Quarterbacks that won at least 10 games in a season for their playoff-bound teams but didn’t make a playoff start, since 1970

YEAR TEAM QUARTERBACK WINS BACKUP QB TEAM PLAYOFF RECORD 2017 Philadelphia Carson Wentz 11 Nick Foles ? 2016 Oakland Derek Carr 12 Connor Cook 0-1 2015 Cincinnati Andy Dalton 10 A.J. McCarron 0-1 2012 Minnesota Christian Ponder 10 Joe Webb 0-1 2005 Chicago Kyle Orton 10 Rex Grossman 0-1 1999 Buffalo Doug Flutie 10 Rob Johnson 0-1 1990 Chicago Jim Harbaugh 10 Mike Tomczak 1-1 1990 N.Y. Giants Phil Simms 11 Jeff Hostetler 3-0

Source: ELIAS Sports Bureau, Pro-Football-Reference.com

There’s some hope here for Foles and the Eagles in the form of Jeff Hostetler, who stepped in and led the 1990 Giants to a Super Bowl victory after New York lost starting quarterback Phil Simms to a fractured foot in Week 15. Granted, that New York team rested heavily on their defense to claw them to glory — and last time we checked, the Eagles don’t have Lawrence Taylor. The Giants gave up the fewest points in the league that year and succeeded by not asking Hostetler to do too much.

With this in mind, Philly should probably channel any remaining optimism toward its defense, which ranks fifth in the league in points allowed this season. Since he took over the defensive playcalling in 2016, Jim Schwartz has quickly turned his unit into one of the top defenses in the NFL: The Eagles ranked 18th in defensive EPA the season before Schwartz took over and rank fourth in the league through 13 games this year. The D could be the team’s best hope of making a deep run in January.

The 2017 season might be remembered as “the year of the injured quarterback,” and in Week 14, it was Philadelphia’s turn feel the bite. The Eagles will be fine with Wentz as their franchise quarterback of the future, but in the present, Philly fans can only hope their team mimics the 1990 Giants and their defense comes through for them.

FiveThirtyEight vs. The Readers

Week 14 in our NFL predictions game — in which we invite you to outsmart our Elo algorithm — saw the readers suffer three heavy defeats. The Chiefs rebounded from four straight losses to beat the Raiders, which gave the readers a net loss of 10.4 points. Miami shocked New England on Monday night and won at home 27-20 to give the readers a loss of 11.5 points. And on Thursday night, the readers incorrectly predicted that the Saints would beat the Falcons, handing them a net loss of 11.7 points. There was only one victory over our Elo algorithm in which the readers scored double-digit points: San Francisco beat Houston 26-16, and because the readers had less confidence in the Texans than Elo did, the readers netted 13.9 points.

Make sure you get your Week 15 predictions in early, and thanks for playing!

Elo’s dumbest (and smartest) picks of Week 14

Average difference between points won by readers and by Elo in Week 14 matchups in FiveThirtyEight’s NFL prediction game

OUR PREDICTION (ELO) READERS’ PREDICTION PICK WIN PROB. PICK WIN PROB. RESULT READERS’ NET PTS HOU 76% HOU 64% SF 26, HOU 16 +13.9

–

TB 50 DET 57 DET 24, TB 21 +4.2

–

LAR 52 PHI 52 PHI 43, LAR 35 +2.1

–

DAL 61 DAL 67 DAL 30, NYG 10 +1.9

–

CIN 71 CIN 71 CHI 33, CIN 7 -1.2

–

LAC 69 LAC 68 WAS 13, LAC 30 -2.5

–

PIT 71 PIT 70 BAL 38, PIT 39 -3.1

–

GB 77 GB 76 GB 27, CLE 21 -3.2

–

BUF 72 BUF 69 IND 7, BUF 13 -3.9

–

SEA 53 SEA 55 SEA 24, JAX 30 -4.2

–

TEN 53 TEN 57 TEN 7, ARI 12 -6.0

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DEN 50 NYJ 55 NYJ 0, DEN 23 -7.9

–

MIN 53 MIN 58 MIN 24, CAR 31 -8.1

–

KC 67 KC 57 OAK 15, KC 26 -10.4

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NE 81 NE 87 NE 20, MIA 27 -11.5

–

ATL 56 NO 54 NO 17, ATL 20 -11.7

–

The scoring system is nonlinear, so readers’ average points don’t necessarily match the number of points that would be given to the average reader prediction.

Check out our latest NFL predictions.

from News About Sports https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/will-nick-foles-be-the-eagles-jeff-hostetler-or-their-connor-cook/

[junker-town]

What are the Eagles’ chances with Nick Foles at quarterback?

Nick Foles was the Eagles’ starter the last time the team was in the playoffs.

The Philadelphia Eagles inched closer to locking up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs by improving to 11-2 with a 43-35 win over the Los Angeles Rams that clinched the NFC East.

But celebrating was tough for the team because the important victory came with a crushing, season-ending injury for quarterback Carson Wentz.

Wentz, 24, was closing in on the real possibility that he could be the first Eagles player named AP NFL MVP since Norm Van Brocklin earned the honor in 1960. Even sidelined for the last three weeks, it wouldn’t be surprising if he receives votes.

His season is over with 3,296 passing yards, and a franchise single-season record 33 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. No quarterback has more touchdowns after 14 weeks.

But now it’s up to Nick Foles to lead the Eagles into the playoffs.

Carson Wentz makes everyone else look better

What made Wentz special in 2017 wasn’t just that he was a quarterback distributing the ball and racking up numbers in an aerial attack. It’s that he had elite pocket presence that made him a danger to make a play no matter how a defense schemed against him.

The Los Angeles Rams saw it all in Philadelphia’s win Sunday.

Drop everyone into coverage, and he’d patiently sit in the pocket until a player came open. Even if they were barely open like Alshon Jeffery was for one touchdown.

Send pressure and he’d dance around the pressure while keeping his eyes up field. The Rams finished with just two sacks, despite having Wentz in their crosshairs plenty of times.

His pocket presence and his ability to find players in tight windows made the Eagles offensive line and its wide receivers look better. And leading the league in touchdown passes certainly opened up more holes for the running backs.

Losing a starter late in a great season isn’t unprecedented

Just last year, the Oakland Raiders were the toast of the NFL and improved to 12-3 with a Week 16 win that also saw Derek Carr go down with a broken leg.

Matt McGloin started in his place in Week 17 and then Connor Cook in the playoffs when McGloin went down with an injury too. Unsurprisingly, the Raiders lost their regular season finale and then were promptly bounced from the postseason with a 27-14 loss to the Houston Texans.

The Dolphins also lost a starter when Ryan Tannehill went down in Week 13 and was replaced by Matt Moore, who led the team to two regular season wins, but a 30-12 loss in Miami’s first playoff game in eight years.

In 2015, it was AJ McCarron filling in for Andy Dalton and getting the Bengals quickly eliminated.

Recent history says the Eagles are screwed. But Doug Williams led Washington to a Super Bowl victory in 1987 despite starting just two regular season games that year, and Jeff Hostetler took over for the 1990 New York Giants when Phil Simms went down and led them to a Super Bowl too.

Nick Foles isn’t a terrible option, though

Unlike the Raiders turning to McGloin last year, the Eagles aren’t in the worst hands with Foles taking over. The sixth-year veteran has made 36 career starts and was even the starter for the Eagles last time the team was in the playoffs.

He completed 23 of 33 passes for 195 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, but it proved to be a losing effort against the New Orleans Saints who won, 26-24.

Foles isn’t Wentz, but he may not have to be to keep the Eagles rolling. The team is No. 3 in total defense and No. 2 in rushing yards. As long as he can do enough to keep teams honest and not entirely focused on stopping LeGarrette Blount and Jay Ajayi, there’s no reason why Philadelphia shouldn’t be able to hold on to one of those top seeds in the NFC.

It’s a tough day in Philadelphia now that Wentz is done for the year, but it doesn’t mean the Eagles are toast too.

[julieschulerart]

Hostetler Blind Family Quartet. By Julie Kwiatkowski Schuler.

Supplemental information about these performers has been brought to me by my friend, Derek Pegritz, to whom I am grateful: "Catherine, Samuel (a.k.a. Jesse Samuel or, sometimes, Samuel Jesse), Bartholomew, and John were the children of Daniel Hostetler and Mary (Gibbons) Hostetler--who were first cousins. Despite being born blind, all four were gifted musicians, and were quite renowned in the Fayette County area. There are rumours, too,--unsubstantiated--that they toured Europe as well. With the exception of Catherine (who lived into her fifties), they enjoyed long lives, and all four are buried with their parents at the Leckey (or Lecks) Cemetery between McClellandtown and Lamberton."

#art #painting #music #musicians #fayette county #history #pennsylvania

[writingguide003-blog]

Super Bowl LII predictions: our writers pick the winner, MVP and players to watch

New Post has been published on https://writingguideto.com/must-see/super-bowl-lii-predictions-our-writers-pick-the-winner-mvp-and-players-to-watch/

Super Bowl LII predictions: our writers pick the winner, MVP and players to watch

Will the Patriots win a record-tying sixth Super Bowl championship or will the Eagles win their first? Our writers hash it out

Super Bowl LII

Super Bowl LII predictions: our writers pick the winner, MVP and players to watch

Will the Patriots win a record-tying sixth Super Bowl championship or will the Eagles win their first? Our writers hash it out

Paolo Bandini and Bryan Armen Graham in Minneapolis

Sat 3 Feb 2018 11.40EST Last modified on Sat 3 Feb 2018 13.25EST

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Can Nick Foles punctuate Philadelphias fairytale playoff run with the hard-luck clubs first title in 57 years? Photograph: Eric Gay/AP

What the Patriots need to do to win

PB: Let Philly build up a lead, then stick the ball in Tom Bradys hands? Im being glib, but when a team pulls off as many come-from-behind wins as this one, over such an extended period, what else are we supposed to say? You probably dont need reminding that the Pats trailed by 25 points in the third quarter of last years Super Bowl. Or that they stuck 14 fourth-quarter points on a previously dominant Jacksonville defense in last months AFC title game.

Perhaps the more nuanced version of that same answer is: keep on adjusting. As brilliant as Brady is in the clutch, it is Bill Belichicks capacity for tweaking his gameplan on the fly that makes this team so hard to beat. We saw it against the Jaguars, whose offense exploded in the first half but ground to a halt as New England started finding ways to keep Blake Bortles in the pocket. A different approach will be required against Nick Foles and company, but these Patriots know they need not panic if they dont have the right answers at the start.

BAG: Above all New Englands offensive line must protect Brady and they will have their hands full with a stout Philadelphia pass rush thats tormented opponents all year long. Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz likes to rotate Fletcher Cox, Tim Jernigan, Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry frequently with Chris Long, Beau Allen, Derek Barnett and Destiny Vaeao, an embarrassment of riches on the defensive line that allows them to pressure the quarterback without relying on the blitz. Look for the Patriots to run a lot of no-huddle to negate Phillys depth and keep the Eagles offense on the sidelines.

What the Eagles need to do to win

PB: Predictable, perhaps, but disrupting Tom Brady has to be the biggest part of this picture. The Patriots, as observed above, are masters of the in-game adjustment. Take away Rob Gronkowski, and theyll just fire up Danny Amendola. Commit to slowing down the run and they can either start to look for Brandin Cooks over the top or exploit your aggression with James White and Rex Burkhead in the screen game.

Brady is the one essential piece of the puzzle, and has played some of the best football of his career even this year at 40 years old. There might not be a team in the NFL better equipped than Philly to generate pressure with a four-man front at the tail end of a long season, however, thanks to an extraordinarily deep rotation which can alternate the likes of Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Tim Jernigan and Vinny Curry with Beau Allen, Derek Barnett and Chris Long. That group must play up to its potential for the Eagles to prevail.

BG: Theres been no shortage of hand-wringing over Nick Foles, the back-up quarterback thrust into the starters role when Carson Wentz was lost to a season-ending injury in December. But the Eagles coaches have done a masterful job of crafting game plans around Foles strengths and masking his weaknesses, putting him in a position to make plays. They will play with irreverence and they will put up points as they have all year, with or without their franchise player.

Not surprisingly, it will come down to the defense, which rated among the NFLs best all season long. The Eagles must harry Brady and shorten the game to keep New Englands offense off the field. Its the common thread in nearly all of the Patriots high-profile defeats, including their AFC title game loss to the Broncos two years ago and both Super Bowl setbacks to the Giants.

Unsung player to look out for

PB: My first thought was Trey Flowers undersized for an interior lineman, and slower than you would really like for an edge rusher, yet somehow consistently productive wherever he is deployed by New England. But is he actually unsung any more? Ill go with Kyle Van Noy instead third on the team in tackles during the regular season and a wrecking ball against Jacksonville, who had made a positive start on their final possession until he sacked Blake Bortles for a seven-yard loss.

BAG: No one is better than Belichick when it comes to denying an opponents best weapon or strategy. That will create opportunities for outsiders like rookie running back Corey Clement, an undrafted free agent who was a longshot to make the team in training camp but whos emerged as Philadelphias best pass-blocking back and a dependable target on screen passes. Clement only rushed for 321 yards, but he leads all Philadelphia running backs in rushing touchdowns (four) and total touchdowns (six).

New Englands Kyle Van Noy shined in the AFC title game after finishing third on the team in tackles during the regular season. Photograph: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

What youre most looking forward to seeing

PB: The coaching duel between Bill Belichick and Doug Pederson. The Eagles opened up the playbook against Minnesota, and were rewarded with a monster game from Nick Foles. So what does Pederson have up his sleeve here, and how will Belichick counter? And after each team pulled out the flea-flicker in the conference title games, what fresh misdirection lies in store?

BAG: Early fireworks. New Englands pass defense has improved greatly since early in the season when it allowed an NFL-record six consecutive opposing quarterbacks to throw for at least 300 yards, but the Patriots remain vulnerable over the top. The aggressive play-calling of Eagles coach Doug Pederson, whose first game as a head coach above the high school level was remarkably less than 17 months ago, has been a key ingredient Philadelphias sudden reversal of fortune. Dont expect a cagey opening. Coming off an NFC championship game where Foles became the first quarterback in NFL history with completions of more than 40 yards to three different receivers in a postseason game, look for Pederson to take shots downfield early.

One bold prediction

PB: Brady throws a pick six.

BAG: Brandin Cooks will go for over 120 yards receiving and a touchdown as the Eagles are forced to devote extra safety to Gronkowski.

Your MVP will be …

PB: Well if my bold prediction is correct then it might be the guy who runs that interception back, but Im going to go with Zach Ertz. The Eagles tight end absolutely dominated Harrison Smith a popular pick for the NFLs defensive player of the year in the NFC title game. Who do the Patriots have who can match up against him better?

BAG: Nick Foles, Super Bowl MVP? It might sound funny, but the 29-year-old quarterback has played himself into form since Wentzs injury shook the constitution of a city. After carrying the Eagles into the Super Bowl with a master-class performance against the Vikings, Foles career playoff numbers speak for themselves: 72 of 96 passes for 793 yards, with five touchdowns and no interceptions. That 116.4 passer rating is the best in NFL playoff history for any quarterback with at least 75 passing attempts, surpassing a mark held by Jeff Hostetler, another understudy who came off the bench late in the season to helm his NFC East team to an improbably Super Bowl win over a heavily favored AFC East opponent.

The winner will be …

PB: I honestly think well look back on this and marvel at the idea that the Eagles were ever able to convince us they were the underdogs, despite a 13-3 record and a 31-point win in the NFC title game. Yes, they lost Wentz. But weve seen enough since to conclude that this is still an excellent team. Eagles 24, Patriots 21

BAG: All seven of New Englands Super Bowls in the Belichick/Brady era have been decided by six points or less and theres little reason to believe the eighth will be any less touch and go. The Eagles will race out to a half-time lead and whether they can hold off New Englands inevitable rally, as an entire city chews their fingernails to nubs, will determine who comes away with the trophy. It says here they will on a late Jake Elliott field goal. Eagles 27, Patriots 24

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us

[schneidery]

also, derek never really…worked right

( + jason’s face when he realized that maybe he did have something to worry about after all)

#jason mendoza #janet #the good place #derek hostetler #tgp spoilers #dailygoodplace #janet x jason #mygif

[julieschulerart]

The Hostetler Blind Family Quartet. By Julie Kwiatkowski Schuler.

9" x 12" acrylic on acid-free heavy weight paper. Original painting by Julie Kwiatkowski Schuler. Inspired by the Hostetler Blind Family Quartet, a musical group of three brothers and one sister who played in and around the area of Fayette County, Pennsylvania. They were born without eyes. Supplemental information about these performers has been brought to me by my friend, Derek Pegritz, to whom I am grateful: "Catherine, Samuel (a.k.a. Jesse Samuel or, sometimes, Samuel Jesse), Bartholomew, and John were the children of Daniel Hostetler and Mary (Gibbons) Hostetler--who were first cousins. Despite being born blind, all four were gifted musicians, and were quite renowned in the Fayette County area. There are rumours, too,--unsubstantiated--that they toured Europe as well. With the exception of Catherine (who lived into her fifties), they enjoyed long lives, and all four are buried with their parents at the Leckey (or Lecks) Cemetery between McClellandtown and Lamberton."

#hostetler blind family quartet #portrait #painting #pennsylvania #music #musicians #history