Head Coach Candidates Three teams have already fired their head coaches this season - the Bills (7-8), Jaguars (3-12), and Rams (4-11) - and many more have yet to come, in my estimation. General managers and owners are becoming more and more impatient with "the process" of head coaches, and therefore they get fired after a couple of seasons instead of allowing them to improve the system and create an outstanding team through free agency and the NFL Draft. The Bills fired Rex Ryan because he did not improve a team that was 9-7 when he took over, and it has already been two seasons. He said big things when he got the job, but has not accomplished any of his goals. The Jaguars under Gus Bradley developed good talent, and it seemed as though this year would mark a breakout season for the franchise, but rather they have gone backwards due to bad quarterback play. Because of this, Bradley was fired. Lastly, the most satisfying firing this season had to be when the Rams relieved...
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Lions win NFC North; Redskins beat Giants There are eight games that are meaningful this week and will play a role in how the playoffs will shape up come January. The Falcons are fighting the Seahawks for the #2 seed, the Raiders and Chiefs could swap spots, and the Patriots could fall out of the #1 seed in the AFC. The last game will be Packers at Lions in Ford Field, which will decided who wins the NFC North. Here are my predictions for who will win in the final week of the regular season. Baltimore Ravens 24 - Cincinnati Bengals 20 Indianapolis Colts 27 - Jacksonville Jaguars 21 Chicago Bears 23 - Minnesota Vikings 19 Buffalo Bills 28 - New York Jets 17 New England Patriots 31 - Miami Dolphins 28 Pittsburgh Steelers 20 - Cleveland Browns 14 Philadelphia Eagles 30 - Dallas Cowboys 24 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 22 - Carolina Panthers 20 Houston Texans 23 - Tennessee Titans 14 Washington Redskins 31 - New York Giants 21 Denver Broncos 20 - Oakland Raiders 17 Ari...
The Road to NRG Stadium Unlike last year, not many teams stand out in particular, and almost every team has a weakness that can be exploited by another team. Heading into Week 17, 10 out of the 12 playoff teams have already been decided. The Packers (9-6), Lions (9-6), Redskins (8-6-1), and the longshot Buccaneers (8-7), all from the NFC, still have a chance to play in January. Here are my rankings for which teams I believe have the best chances to make it to NRG Stadium in Houston (where the Super Bowl will be hosted) and play to win the championship. New England Patriots (13-2) - The Patriots, led by MVP candidate Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, should be the favorites to win the Super Bowl. They have experience on their side, and also have one of the best passing attacks in the league, coupled with excellent defensive play. They are probably the most all-around team. Dallas Cowboys (13-2) - This team is led by their rookie quarterback and running back, Dak Prescott and E...
The Top 7 of Each Position after Five Weeks Some players have distinguished themselves as the best at their position after five weeks. Here are my positional rankings. Quarterback: Matt Ryan - Atlanta Falcons Ben Roethlisberger - Pittsburgh Steelers Derek Carr - Oakland Raiders Tom Brady - New England Patriots Russell Wilson - Seattle Seahawks Philip Rivers - San Diego Chargers Matthew Stafford - Detroit Lions Running Back: Le'Veon Bell - Pittsburgh Steelers David Johnson - Arizona Cardinals Ezekiel Elliot - Dallas Cowboys Carlos Hyde - San Francisco 49ers LeSean McCoy - Buffalo Bills DeMarco Murray - Tennessee Titans Melvin Gordon - San Diego Chargerss Wide Receiver: Julio Jones - Atlanta Falcons Antonio Brown - Pittsburgh Steelers Marvin Jones - Detroit Lions A.J. Green - Cincinnati Bengals Mike Evans - Tampa Bay Buccaneers T.Y. Hilton - Indianapolis Colts Larry Fitzgerald - Arizona Cardinals Tight...
The New Power Rankings After two more weeks, some teams have played a lot better and have moved up the rankings, while other teams have fallen out of consideration for the Top Ten. There were some upsets, good matches, blowouts, and even more. Here are my Power Rankings for Week 6: Minnesota Vikings (5-0) New England Patriots (4-1) Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1) Seattle Seahawks (3-1) Atlanta Falcons (4-1) Dallas Cowboys (4-1) Denver Broncos (4-1) Oakland Raiders (4-1) Green Bay Packers (3-1) Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) Buffalo Bills (3-2) Arizona Cardinals (2-3) Washington Redskins (3-2) Los Angeles Rams (3-2) Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) Baltimore Ravens (3-2) Houston Texans (3-2) Kansas City Chiefs (2-2) Detroit Lions (2-3) Indianapolis Colts (2-3) New York Giants (2-3) Tennessee Titans (2-3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3) Carolina Panthers (1-4) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3) San Diego Chargers (1-4) Chicago Bears (1-4) New York Jets (1-4) New Orleans Saints (1-3)...
Rankings for Each Position in Week 4 Things are definitely changing in the NFL, and different players/teams have different opportunities to play well based on their matchups. Here are my rankings for the top five players at every (fantasy) position. Quarterback: Matthew Stafford - Detroit Lions Ben Roethlisberger - Pittsburgh Steelers Cam Newton - Carolina Panthers Andy Dalton - Cincinnati Bengals Andrew Luck - Indianapolis Colts Running Back: Le'Veon Bell - Pittsburgh Steelers David Johnson - Arizona Cardinals Lamar Miller - Houston Texans Ezekiel Elliot - Dallas Cowboys LeSean McCoy - Buffalo Bills Wide Receiver: Antonio Brown - Pittsburgh Steelers Kelvin Benjamin - Carolina Panthers Brandin Cooks - New Orlean Saints Travis Benjamin - San Diego Chargers A.J. Green - Cincinnati Bengals Tight End: Greg Olsen - Carolina Panthers Kyle Rudolph - Minnesota Vikings Rob Gronkowski - New England Patriots Travis Kelce - Kansas City Chiefs Zach Mille...
Power Rankings - Patriots Rule After three weeks in the NFL, the top teams of the NFL and the teams who probably do not have any chance to win the Super Bowl (a.k.a. the Cleveland Browns) have been distinguished, although there are still many teams who are still in the mix and have something to prove. Here are my power rankings of the NFL teams after three weeks of the regular season. There were teams who played better than expected, and they were other teams who were flat out terrible, although we expected them to play better (a.k.a. the Pittsburgh Steelers). New England Patriots (3-0) Denver Broncos (3-0) Minnesota Vikings (3-0) Green Bay Packers (2-1) Seattle Seahawks (2-1) Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) Kansas City Chiefs (2-1) Carolina Panthers (1-2) Arizona Cardinals (1-2) Baltimore Ravens (3-0) Houston Texans (2-1) Cincinnati Bengals (1-2) New York Giants (2-1) Oakland Raiders (2-1) Atlanta Falcons (2-1) Dallas Cowboys (2-1) Detroit L...
Rookie of the Year Candidates Every year, they are a couple of rookies who play important roles on their teams, and I believe that this year will be no different, especially with how teams drafted players in the first round of this year's draft. A couple of years ago, Odell Beckham Jr. became the New York Giants' #1 wide receiver, Here are five rookies who I believe can be breakout candidates for the 2016-2017 football season. Ezekiel Elliot (Dallas Cowboys Running Back) Jared Goff (Los Angeles Rams Quarterback) Laquon Treadwell (Minnesota Vikings Wide Receiver) Jalen Ramsey (Jacksonville Jaguars Cornerback) Shaq Lawson (Buffalo Bills Defensive End)
Let the 2016-2017 NFL Season Begin! It's a new season in the NFL, the teams are back from the offseason, and I am as well. I have decided to start this season off by ranking teams by how I believe they stack up this season and who has the best chance to win Super Bowl 51. Carolina Panthers Arizona Cardinals New England Patriots Seattle Seahawks Green Bay Packers Pittsburgh Steelers Indianapolis Colts Houston Texans Kansas City Chiefs Minnesota Vikings New York Giants Denver Broncos New York Jets Oakland Raiders Dallas Cowboys Washington Redskins Cincinnati Bengals Buffalo Bills Jacksonville Jaguars Los Angeles Rams Tampa Bay Buccanneers Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Detroit Lions Chicago Bears Miami Dolphins San Diego Chargers New Orlean Saints Philadelphia Eagles Tennessee Titans Cleveland Browns San Francisco 49ers Here is what I think, and obviously I do not believe that the Cleveland Browns are the worst team in the league (which is ...
Spending Big With the amount of cap space rising, more teams are spending big money during free agency. The top three teams this year in free agency, spent a lot of cash on players to fill gaps on both offense and defense. In my opinion, these three teams have an extraordinary chance to make the playoffs now, and should move up the Power rankings. New York Giants - They most notably brought back Jason Pierre-Paul, and signed Olivier Vernon, Damon Harrison, as well as Janoris Jenkins. Although each of these players received more money than they (probably) deserve, I think that these moves help the team's porous defense a lot, and it solidifies the defensive line. Oakland Raiders - This team spent a lot of money as well, and it was well worth it. Signing Bruce Irvin was great, and now they have a pass rusher opposite to Khalil Mack to wreck havoc on opposing offensive lines. They also helped solidify their offensive line by signing the best free ...
The Rise of the Raiders The first week of the free agency period has finished, and a lot of top players in the market are no longer available, although many players are still looking for reasonable jobs, most notably Russell Okung and Chris Long. Here are the winners and losers of the first week of free agency: Winners: Oakland Raiders - Kelemichi Osemele, Bruce Irvin, Sean Smith New York Giants - Jason Pierre-Paul, Olivier Vernon, Janoris Jenkins, Damon Harrison Philadelphia Eagles - Traded away DeMarco Murray, Kiko Alonso, Byron Maxwell, and Mark Sanchez Houston Texans - Brock Osweiler, Lamar Miller Atlanta Falcons - Alex Mack, Adrian Clayborn, Derrick Shelby, Sean Weatherspoon, and Mohammed Sanu Losers: Cleveland Browns - almost everyone is out of town San Francisco 49ers - almost everyone is either retiring or on the verge of leaving town Denver Broncos - lost Brock Osweiler, Peyton Manning (to retirement), C.J. Anderson, D...
Demarco Murray, Kiko Alonso, and Byron Maxwell All Out A couple of transactions today has sent Byron Maxwell and Kiko Alonso to the Miami Dolphins and DeMarco Murray to the Tennessee Titans. All of these players were signed when Chip Kelly was the coach of the team, and the organization believes that they should move on from these particular players who were paid a lot, but did not contribute much effort on the field. They were not worth the money. DeMarco Murray would fit better in the system the Titans have in place, and the Miami Dolphins would benefit from having more pieces on defense to surround Ndamukong Suh. For the Eagles, they now have more cap space to lure other players into their system - players who will have an impact in Doug Pederson's system. The Eagles are also looking to make a couple of more trades before the free agency period commences.
Peyton Manning Will Retire An all-time great, the third best quarterback in NFL history, a quarterback with two Super Bowl victories. Peyton Manning has gone through much adversity - four back surgeries and plantar fascia - but still finds ways to come out on top. His Broncos actually won Super Bowl 50 with him injured. Ever since he came in the league he has been a force to be reckoned with. He helped an Indianapolis Colts team that did not have much talent in 1998, and other people around him grew and became better players with his presence. He helped out the Broncos as well, and his leadership led them to two Super Bowl appearances. His retirement after eighteen years was by no means a surprise, and everyone will miss him calling out an audible and saying "Omaha." His no-huddle and shotgun playing style was perfect, and I will treasure his visions on the field, knowing when to adjust plays and what to run when. He is one of the greatest football players I have wit...
Roddy White Released The Atlanta Falcons released Roddy White, their all-time leading receiver, even though he had two years left on his contract. White explicitly said that he wanted to finish his career in Atlanta and play in the league for at least another year or two. The only problem was that his production as a receiver dipped on the field this past season, and did not look like the franchise's all-time leading receiver. He did not catch a pass for two straight games and did not really fit in Kyle Shanahan's system. He had significant problems with the coaches and believed that he was not being targeted enough on offense. During the offseason, The Falcons asked White to take a pay cut, but he refused to do so. This led to the team cutting Roddy White, even though they never wanted to in the first place. The Falcons will miss his leadership and voice as a veteran of the league in the team facility. All of the players on the team looked up to him, and now that h...
Leading Up to the Combine The NFL Combine will be held soon, and here is who I believe are the top prospects at the quarterback, running back, and wide receiver positions: Top 3 Quarterbacks: Jared Goff - University of California Carson Wentz - North Dakota State University Connor Cook - Michigan State University Top 3 Running Backs: Ezekial Elliot - Ohio State University Derrick Henry - University of Alabama Jordan Howard - University of Indiana Top 3 Wide Receivers: Laquon Treadwell - Ole Miss Josh Doctson - TCU Braxton Miller - Ohio State University
The Future in the League A lot of teams who probably will not have a chance to win a Super Bowl in the next couple of years because they are not elite are already preparing to win a Super Bowl five years from now by building a young, athletic, smart, and competitive team. Here is a list of ten NFL teams with rosters that will be a "powerhouse" and will be able to compete for a Super Bowl five years from now: Minnesota Vikings Los Angeles Rams Seattle Seahawks Carolina Panthers Jacksonville Jaguars Oakland Raiders Tampa Bay Buccaneers Indianapolis Colts Atlanta Falcons Cincinnati Bengals
Getting a Tag On Tuesday, teams will be able to "franchise tag" free-agent players who they want to definitely retain, but do not have the money to do so. Teams can designate franchise players, and will have to pay them high amounts in a one-year contract essentially. I do not believe that many players will receive the tag this year, but here are a few: Von Miller - Denver Broncos - pass rusher Kirk Cousins - Washington Redskins - quarterback Brock Osweiler - Denver Broncos - quarterback (If the Broncos place the franchise tag on Miller, then they cannot use it on Osweiler) Josh Norman - Carolina Panthers - cornerback Mohammed Wilkerson - New York Jets - defensive end Tamba Hali or Eric Berry - Kansas City Chiefs - linebacker/cornerback Alshon Jeffrey - Chicago Bears - wide receiver Justin Tucker - Baltimore Ravens - kicker Josh Brown - New York Giants - kicker Mason Crosby - Green Bay Packers - kicker
Bears Part Ways with Forte It has recently been reported that the Bears' second round draft pick in 2008, Matt Forte, will not be returning to the team for the next season. He will become a free agent. Forte has been one of the most productive running backs since he came in the league, as he is a threat not only in the running game, but also in the passing game. The main reason why he was released is because his salary cap was too high, and at his age running backs begin to decline. The Bears also have a fresh and young runner in Jeremy Langford, who will assume the starting role at the beginning of next year. Some of the potential landing spots for Matt Forte in free agency are: New England Patriots Baltimore Ravens Seattle Seahawks Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Dallas Cowboys
Beast Mode Hangs Up the Cleats On Sunday night, Beast Mode, a.k.a. Marshawn Lynch posted a picture on one of his social media accounts of his cleats hanging up, signaling the end of his career. He topped 1,000 yards six our of nine seasons and participated in the Pro Bowl five years. He is an outstanding running back in the playoffs as well, where is is eighth all-time in rushing yards and tied for seventh all-time in touchdowns scored. He led the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl victory against the Denver Broncos in 2013 and led them to the Super Bowl the next year as well when they played the Patriots. He has had quite a memorable career, from all of the press conferences where he would not talk, to the times when he actually went "beast mode" against opposing defenses on the field. In my opinion, Marshawn Lynch deserves to go to Canton at some point and become a Hall of Famer. He has had such a profound effect on his team when he was playing and racked up a ...
What Happened to the MVP? It has been quite a year for the Denver Broncos, and they capped the season off with a victory over the Carolina Panthers, 24-10. Peyton Manning won his second Super Bowl ring, and will most likely retire this offseason, headed to Canton, Ohio in the future as he is a definite Hall of Famer. This game was nothing about the Sheriff, though. It was about Denver's defense, and Cam Newton was absolutely slaughtered on the field. He did not receive an opportunity to throw the football down the field with a clean pocket once, and the #1 offense could not get anything going against the #1 defense. When the Panthers started moving the ball down the field, they committed a turnover - they had two fumbles and one interception - and lost all momentum. The linebackers for the Broncos, Von Miller, and DeMarcus Ware, were simply beasts. No one could stop them, and Miller rightfully deserved to be MVP of the Super Bowl. Once again, we learned that offense wins...
Denver Broncos over the Carolina Panthers 20-17: I am not really sure who do go with in this game, and they are both really good teams playing to win Super Bowl 50. The Panthers have been the best team this year, but the Broncos have the most terrorizing defense and Peyton Manning is not playing bad at all. Manning has rested for two weeks, and I believe that he will play better football as he has gotten more rest. Their defense had the capabilities to stop the Carolina offense, and they need to contain Cam Newton. The Panthers are a great team and it is really hard to pick a winner, but I believe that the Broncos will have more will with supposedly Peyton Manning's last game as he rides off into the sunset.
Johnny Football Most Likely Going to be Out of Cleveland According to many reports, there are good chances that the Cleveland Browns will cut Johnny Manziel once the new league year commences on March 9th. I believe that they are making the right move by cutting him for the franchise, in the wake of another altercation with police authorities. Manziel simply does not follow the rules, and he is not acting like a professional. You simply cannot play football and go to late night parties, miss team meetings, and consistently be pulled over on a road by police. The quarterback plays one of the most important positions, and Johnny Football cannot be the voice in the locker room of an already dysfunctional franchise. Cutting him and drafting a new quarterback is the best thing from the franchise, as no one knows what they are getting with Manziel. One day he could play outstanding, and then the next day he is a no-show at the team facility. What's next for Manziel? Frankly s...
Best Odds to Win Super Bowl 51 Super Bowl LI will take place in Reliant Stadium at Houston, Texas, a year and one week from now. It will be a long road to the next Super Bowl, but here are the top sixteen teams who I believe have the best odds to make it there as of now: Arizona Cardinals (2015-16 Record: 13-3) Carolina Panthers (15-1) Seattle Seahawks (10-6) Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) New England Patriots (12-4) Green Bay Packers (10-6) Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) Minnesota Vikings (11-5) Indianapolis Colts (8-8) Houston Texans (9-7) Denver Broncos (12-4) Oakland Raiders (6-10) Atlanta Falcons (7-9) St. Louis Rams (6-10) Buffalo Bills (8-8)
Team Irvin vs. Team Rice Team Irvin defeats Team Rice 49-45: A record 133 players have been voted into the game or have received invitations to play. Luckily, there is a lot of talent in the NFL and many superstars who deserve to play in the Pro Bowl (although I must question the choice of alternative quarterbacks). These days, not much defense is played in this game and are normally high scoring. I expect this game to be high scoring as well. Team Irvin selected Russell Wilson with the first pick in the draft, and Team Rice selected Eli Manning with the second pick. Team Irvin was smart during the draft, as he and his captains selected players from the same team, and good friends (Richard Sherman and Desmond Trufant) who had good chemistry to lead his group. All four Atlanta Falcon Pro Bowlers and all three Dallas Cowboy offensive linemen are on his team. Also, his team has more offensive firepower. With Russell Wilson manning the center, a pair of young running backs (...
Superman Cam Newton will definitely be dabbing if he wins Super Bowl 50 one and a half weeks from now. He is definitely the MVP of the league this season and has helped carry the Panthers to the Super Bowl. He deserves to be called "Superman" this year, as he has done everything for his team. Their top wide receiver has been out the entire season, and their running back and tight end have been injured as well. Newton has made everyone else on his team better. Ted Ginn Jr., their #1 wide receiver at the moment, has been outstanding, mainly because of Cam. Newton is not only a threat in the passing game, but he is an incredible athlete and runner. If he wanted to, he could probably be a running back in the league as well. He has rushed for the most yards by any quarterback this season. Against the Cardinals, he ran for another touchdown, and he literally leaped over the defense into the endzone. Without him at quarterback, there is no way the Panthers would have made it...
Why are Jones and Brown Necessary to the Success of their Teams? Julio Jones and Antonio Brown were the best wide receivers in the league this year, and without them, their teams probably would have done a lot worse. Jones finished second all-time for most receiving yards in a season in NFL history with 1,871, and Brown finished fourth all-time with 1,834 receiving yards. Both of these receivers are dominant, and wreck havoc against opposing cornerbacks and safeties. They are matchup nightmares, as they are more physical, athletic, speedy, and have all of the attributes and skills necessary to consistently be a part of the Pro Bowl. For the Steelers, not having Antonio Brown, means not having a go-to guy who Ben Roethlisberger can always throw the ball to in tough circumstances. He reduces stress for his quarterback as he can make a play on the ball anytime. For the Falcons, not having Julio Jones basically means you are losing a majority of your offense. Matt Ryan consis...
Why Do the Houston Texans Need J.J. Watt? J.J. Watt is by far the most dynamic player on defense in the NFL. He is incredibly energetic and athletic on the field, and can wreck havoc against opposing offensive lineman. Since 2012, he has produced a grand total of 69 sacks and has even returned an interception for a touchdown. In fact, he caught three touchdowns from his quarterback in the 2014 season, playing as a tight end. This guy can do it all. Without him, the Texans would not have a leader on defense, and they would have a lot more trouble stopping opposing offenses, and quarterbacks might not always be on their toes if he is not on the field. Not to mention the fact that he is a superstar all around the league, and increases the "value" of the franchise. The Texans need him if they want to make a deep run in the playoffs in the next couple of years. Without him, life would be quite difficult.
The Conference Round Denver Broncos over the New England Patriots 16-14: Manning versus Brady: Episode 17. This game will be low scoring, with both defenses playing well. I believe that Peyton Manning really wants to win another Super Bowl as he walks off into the moonlight and it was their "destiny" to go to the Super Bowl this year. The Broncos defense is too good and has a lot of playmakers to try and stop the Patriots passing attack, even though it will be quite difficult with Tom Brady at the helm. The Broncos will also struggle to put up points, and for them to be successful, C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman need to run the football with energy. Peyton Manning must be protected by the O-Line and just control the flow of the game as their defense attempts to stop Brady. To stop Brady, they must contain Rob Gronkowski as well as Julian Edelman, and make someone else on the team beat them. Arizona Cardinals over the Carolina Panthers 34-31: These are the two best...
Why is Gronk a Necessity for the Pats? Anyone who reads my blog most likely knows that Rob Gronkowski is the tight end of New England Patriots, and probably the best tight end in the league. He is strong, physical, athletic, and just a beast. He is by far the best tight end in the league, No one can compare to him at this position. Without him, I believe that the Patriots would not be in the position that they are in right now to go to a Super Bowl for a second straight year, and they might not have even won the Super Bowl last year. Why? First and for most, Gronk gives the entire team confidence. Just watching him spike the ball once, even if he doesn't score, has to give the team a boost. Even if HE is the one deflating all of the footballs in the endzone, no one cares, it just gives the team more "fun" during the game. Also, with him on the field, it frees up the other wide receivers for Tom Brady, such as the elusive Julian Edelman. Without him, defensive bac...
Who has the Best Team? As the Conference Championship games approach, here is how I rank the four teams in terms of most talent and most complete on both sides of the ball: Arizona Cardinals (#2 in NFC): They have a high-powered offense as well as a high-powered defense, and they can even make plays on special teams. They had the second highest scoring offense, ranking only behind the Panthers, and were in the top 5 in terms of total defense and scoring defense. Their quarterback would probably finish runner-up in MVP voting, and he played outstanding during the regular season (although he did not play well against Packers in divisional round matchup). Their running back is young, flashy, and was the best rusher in the final weeks of the season. Larry Fitzgerald is a beast, and they have other receivers with some serious speed to go along with him and Michael Floyd. Lastly, they have a lot of playmakers and stars on defense such as Patrick Peterson and Calais Campbell, and ...
The Home Teams Win New England Patriots over the Kansas City Chiefs 27-20: Tom Brady had all of his weapons back for the first time in a long time, and the offense was clicking. Their top two running backs are out, but Steven Jackson and James White are producing well. Julian Edelman was back in the lineup, and Rob Gronkowski played well like always (scoring two touchdowns). The Chiefs were unable to put points on the board and produce on their opportunities and fell in a deep hole heading into the fourth quarter. There was also bad time management decisions by the coaches for the Chiefs, and they did not even receive a chance to try and tie the game up. Arizona Cardinals over the Green Bay Packers 26-20 in OT: I believe that this was the best game of the weekend. It had everything; Larry Fitzgerald playing like he is not in his 30s, Carson Palmer throwing terrible passes, two Hail Mary passes on the final couple of plays in the fourth quarter by Aaron Rodgers to tie the...
And Then There Were Four There are four teams left in the race to win Super Bowl 50, with the Patriots and Broncos representing the AFC, and the Cardinals and Panthers representing the NFC. Take a look at the Playoff Picture as we get set for the Conference Championship games a week from now: AFC: Patriots at Broncos Patriots - #2 seed in the AFC, had a first round bye, and defeated the Chiefs (#5 seed) 27-20. Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes to Rob Gronkowski, and the team is much healthier than they were during the regular season. Broncos - #1 seed in the AFC, had a first round bye, and defeated the Steelers (#6 seed) 23-16. Peyton Manning played for the first time in almost eight weeks and was quite efficient with the ball. Their #1 ranked defense forced a fumble that stopped a long drive by the Steelers and the turnover led to the game-winning drive for the offense. NFC: Cardinals at Panthers Cardinals - #2 seed in the NFC, had a first round bye, a...
Seven New Coaches Hired There were seven coaching vacancies at the end of the season that needed to be addressed, and all of them have been filled. The dominoes have fallen. Hopefully, these coaches will help their teams become more fortunate (ex: Cleveland Browns), and lead them to Super Bowls in the future. Adam Gase / Miami Dolphins - Gase has been at outstanding offensive mind throughout his career, bringing the best out of Tim Tebow, Peyton Manning, and Jay Cutler during his time with the Broncos and Bears. With the Dolphins, he will try to make Ryan Tannehill worth the money he was paid last offseason, as well as a franchise and elite quarterback. Ben McAdoo / New York Giants - McAdoo was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach as Tom Coughlin resigned as head coach of the Giants this offseason. The organization stated that the reason behing hiring him was that they felt that he had something to prove. Also, Eli Manning supported him throughout...
The Divisional Round Kansas City Chiefs over the New England Patriots 27-24: I am not quite sure who I should pick in the first game of the weekend. The team that has won eleven straight games, or the team that had the first round bye and has Tom Brady? I don't think that I can pick against a team that is on fire, especially the Chiefs. This team was 1-5 at one point, finished the season 11-5, and they beat the Texans on the road 30-0. I don't think they will shut out the Patriots, but I believe that they will do enough in the game to keep things close and ultimately win the game. The Chiefs defense forces a lot of turnovers, and the Chiefs offense doesn't turn the ball over a lot over the course of the game. I expect their defensive line to overpower the Patriots' banged up offensive line, and I also expect them to control their passing game. This will be a close one, but the Chiefs will pull off the upset with a winning field goal. Arizona Cardinals over the ...
Rams will Relocate to LA; Chargers might Move After a long day in Houston, the NFL owner voted 30-2 for the Rams to relocate to Los Angeles immediately. Essentially, the Los Angeles Rams are back, and the St. Louis Rams are gone. This decision will push professional football back into LA for the first time in over 21 years. The San Diego Chargers are the first option to join the Rams as a Los Angeles football team, but this is still up in the air, and the franchise has one year to make a decision. If the Chargers decide to stay in San Diego, the Raiders will have a year to figure what they want to do with their relocation plans. In my opinion, I believe that the Rams should have stayed in St. Louis, and this deal makes it seem as though everyone ignored the loyalty of St. Louis fans, and they left them without a team. At the same time, LA will receive its first football team in a while with these relocation plans. There are some other teams with plans to open new s...
Best Odds to Win Super Bowl 50 There are eight teams left in the race to win Super Bowl 50 after all four road teams won last week in the Wild Card Round. The matchups in the NFC are Seahawks at Panthers and Packers at Cardinals, while the matchups in the AFC are Chiefs at Patriots and Steelers at Broncos. Here is who I believe has the best odds to win the Super Bowl based on their matchups: Arizona Cardinals 13-3 (vs. Packers) Denver Broncos 13-3 (vs. Steelers) New England Patriots 12-4 (vs. Chiefs) Kansas City Chiefs 11-5 (at Patriots) Carolina Panthers 15-1 (vs. Seahawks) Seattle Seahawks 10-6 (at Panthers) Pittsburgh Steelers 10-6 (at Broncos) Green Bay Packers 10-6 (at Cardinals)
Seahawks Work some Magic to Edge Vikings The Seahawks beat the Vikings 10-9 in terrible weather conditions, and will play the Carolina Panthers (15-1) in the divisional round. It was really a miracle for the Seahawks, as they were down earlier in the game 9-0, and the Vikings kicker, Blair Walsh, missed the potential game-winning kick at the end of regulation. Walsh has been one of the best kickers in the league, and made three other field goals earlier during the game, and the 27 yard field goal he kicked was practically a chip shot. His miss was simply unacceptable in the situation, and he will go down in history with this blunder. At the same time, we should take into account the Seahawks' comeback. They played terrible football the first three quarters of the games on the offense, and were unable to move the ball down the field. The entire team saved their best for later in the game, and Russell Wilson was the catalyst of the comeback, as he played extremely well. The Seaha...
The Wild Card Round Kansas City Chiefs over the Houston Texans 20-13: I simply cannot pick against the Chiefs because they are the hottest team in the NFL right now, and they have won ten straight games after starting the season 1-5. This game will feature two of the best defenses of the second half of the season, and I believe that the game will come down to which offense can push the ball down the field and solidify the running game. Pittsburgh Steelers over the Cincinnati Bengals 28-20: It's really difficult for me to pick against the Bengals in another divisional round matchup as they've lost all of them so far in the Dalton-Lewis era, but I don't think that they will be able to get the job done once again. First and for most, Dalton will not be playing, and the ball will be in AJ McCarron's hands. Offensive numbers have dipped with him playing quarterback, and I do not think that the Bengals will be able to put up points. Also, I am not sure if the Bengals...
Jones, Brown, or Beckham Jr.? There were many receivers over 1,000 yards this year, and this shows how the league is becoming more of passing league compared to a rushing league. Julio Jones and Antonio Brown were putting up record numbers, and in my opinion, both of them deserve to be number one on this list. The top receivers of the regular season this year were: Julio Jones - Atlanta Falcons Antonio Brown - Pittsburgh Steelers Odell Beckham Jr. - New York Giants DeAndre Hopkins - Houston Texans Brandon Marshall - New York Jets A.J. Green - Cincinnati Bengals Allen Robinson - Jacksonville Jaguars Larry Fitzgerald - Arizona Cardinals Brandin Cooks - New Orlean Saints Demaryius Thomas - Denver Broncos Calvin Johnson - Detroit Lions Jarvis Landry - Miami Doplhins Doug Baldwin - Seattle Seahawks Sammy Watkins - Buffalo Bills
Adrian Peterson and the Young Stars Adrian Peterson was by far the best running back in the league, as a lot of running backs were injured this year (LeSean McCoy, Matt Forte, Jamaal Charles, LeVeon Bell, Marshawn Lynch, Mark Ingram, Justin Forsett). Also, many young guns were rising to the challenge this year, most notably Todd Gurley and Devonta Freeman. The top running backs of the regular season were: Adrian Peterson - Minnesota Vikings Devonta Freeman - Atlanta Falcons Doug Martin - Tampa Bay Buccaneers Todd Gurley - St. Louis Rams Jonathan Stewart - Carolina Panthers LeSean McCoy - Buffalo Bills Chris Ivory - New York Jets DeAngelo Williams - Pittsburgh Steelers Darren McFadden - Dallas Cowboys David Johnson - Arizona Cardinals Thomas Rawls - Seattle Seahawks Matt Forte - Chicago Bears Latavius Murray - Oakland Raiders Lamar Miller - Miami Dolphins
Cam Newton was Best Quarterback of 2015 I would have to say that this season was all about the backup quarterbacks. Many starters were injured, most notably Tony Romo, Joe Flacco, Peyton Manning, and Andrew Luck. Blaine Gabbert was starting games. Matt Schaub started games. Heck, even Josh Freeman played in a game for the Colts. Here is a list of who I believe were the best quarterbacks this season: Cam Newton - Carolina Panthers (MVP Candidate) Carson Palmer - Arizona Cardinals (MVP Candidate) Russell Wilson - Seattle Seahawks Tom Brady - New England Patriots Philip Rivers - San Diego Chargers Ben Roethlisberger - Pittsburgh Steelers Drew Bress - New Orlean Saints Blake Bortles - Jacksonville Jaguars Andy Dalton - Cincinnati Bengals Aaron Rodgers - Green Bay Packers Matthew Stafford - Detroit Lions Derek Carr - Oakland Raiders Eli Manning - New York Giants Kirk Cousins - Washington Redskins
Panthers and Broncos Lead the Pack The regular season is now over, and it is time for the playoffs. Here is how I rank the twelve teams: Carolina Panthers (15-1) Denver Broncos (12-4) Arizona Cardinals (13-3) Seattle Seahawks (10-6) Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) New England Patriots (12-4) Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) Minnesota Vikings (11-5) Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) Washington Redskins (9-7) Houston Texans (9-7) Green Bay Packers (10-6) A couple of surprises, with the Steelers ranking higher than the Patriots, and the Redskins and Texans ranking higher than the Packers, but this is how I feel they should be ranked, taking into consideration injuries and recent play.
Coaching Vacancies Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins seem to be ready for a complete overhaul of their roster, and they unlikely to retain Dan Campbell as their head coach. They are in search of a new coach and a new general manager after a really disappointing season. Tennessee Titans: The Titans fired Ken Whisenhunt in the middle of the season, and Mike Mularkey was named the interim head coach. Chip Kelly might be a good option with Marcus Mariota at quarterback, but the organization is keeping their options open for a new head coach and genral manager. Philadelphia Eagles: Chip Kelly (the coach and GM) was fired after Week 16 of the regular season mainly because none of the players who they signed in the offseason played well, and their offense was stopped by opposing defenses. The franchise was not headed in the right direction and are now looking for a new coach and general manager. Cleveland Browns: This organization is going nowhere. Their quarterback does not sh...
Broncos Clinch #1 Seed in AFC; Panthers Clinch #1 Seed in NFC The playoffs are set are the final week of the regular season, and only twelve teams remain in the hunt for Super Bowl 50. The other 20 teams are moving on to the offseason, with issues to fix leading up to the draft. AFC Playoffs: Denver Broncos (12-4) New England Patriots (12-4) Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) Houston Texans (9-7) Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) The Patriots had another chance to clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and once again, they blew their opportunity. Instead, the road to the Super Bowl will go through Denver after they pulled off a close win against the Chargers with the return of Peyton Manning, who came in the game after Brock Osweiler struggled to move the ball down the field. The Patriots secured a first-round bye even with their loss, and the Bengals hold the third seed. The Texans won the porous AFC South (someone had to), and the two ...