AFC Wildcard Round Predictions

Kansas City Chiefs at the Indianapolis Colts 
Saturday January 4th 4:35 P.M. ET on NBC 

The Kansas City Chiefs went from a dismal 2-14 record to a record of 11-5 and second place in the AFC West behind the Denver Broncos.  However after starting off hot with a record of 9-0 they stumbled down to 11-5 winning only 2 of their final 7 games, and one of those losses was to the Colts in Arrowhead Stadium.  The Chiefs have shown promise under new head coach Andy Reid and their new quarterback Alex Smith who has had a solid season with over 3,000 yards passing, 23 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions.

The Indianapolis Colts are entering the playoffs winners of 3 in a row and are looking to win a game this season after losing in the wildcard round last year on the road to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens.  The Colts have had a wild season, they have been blown out but have also hung in tough to win close games and perhaps the biggest against Peyton Manning.  Their biggest loss on the team was Reggie Wayne, but the Colts have survived even with a run game that ranks 21st in the NFL.

I have to give the upside in this game to the Chiefs for one big reason: experience... Andy Reid has coached in five NFC title games and a Superbowl, Alex Smith lead the 49ers to the NFC title game in 2011 and helped tutor Colin Kaepernick to a Superbowl in 2012.

Prediction:
The Chiefs win a close one by the score 24-20



San Diego Chargers at the Cincinnati Bengals
Sunday January 5th at 1:05 P.M. ET on CBS

The Chargers enter the playoffs after winning to get in against the Kansas City Chiefs, some call that win lucky (me included) but nevertheless they are in and could be an issue for teams in the AFC playoffs if they win this game.  Phillip Rivers turnaround has been part of the success for this team that has had issues over the past 2 seasons leading up to the 2013 campaign.  Ryan Matthews also stayed healthy enough to rush for over 1,200 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground which of course aided the Chargers along this season.

The Bengals find themselves in the playoffs for the third straight year since Andy Dalton came in and took the team over at the quarterback spot, but the past 2 seasons they lost to the Texans in the playoffs.  This season they face the Chargers who the Bengals beat in San Diego during the regular season, the one thing the Bengals have going for them here is that this game is at home.  The Bengals went 8-0 at home in the regular season and played well enough to beat the Ravens on Sunday, but their biggest issue can be turnovers.  Andy Dalton threw 20 interceptions this season and 4 came this past Sunday in a win over the Ravens, but he cannot do that in the playoffs and expect to win.

Prediction:
The Chargers pull this one out at the end by the score of 31-28

2013 NFL Memorable Monday Night Moments

Sadly there is no Monday Night Football this week, but here is a little something I put together!

These are my memorable moments in the 2013 NFL Season during the Monday Night Football games


1.) Brian Cushing's 18 yard INT return for a TD to tie the game against the Chargers (week 1)
The tying touchdown that helped aid the Texans win over the Chargers, sadly this would be only one of the Texans two victories all season long.  This play was great to watch on TV, it made for an exciting comeback win and it made some in the NFL ponder if Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers could change his habit of turnovers.  As it turns out Rivers had a solid season and lead his team to the playoffs.  This play was part of the Texans 24 unanswered points.

2.) Geno Smith's game winning drive against the Falcons (week 5)
I picked the Falcons to win this game, and I was wrong.  Just when you thought the Falcons had the game in their hand Geno smith drove the Jets into Falcon territory to set up the game winning field goal in an upset victory on Monday Night Football.  The Falcons lost a heart breaker which what their season was, a complete heartbreak.

3.) Aaron Rodgers goes down (week 9)
Aaron Rodgers went down with a broken collarbone after only throwing 2 passes and the Bears gained some ground in the NFC North.  When this play happened the Packer faithful were all holding their breathe and hoping Rodgers was okay, but he was unable to make it back in to finish the game and the Packers lost by 7.  The best part about this was that Rodgers came back in week 17 to face the team that beat him and he pulled off the victory in his first game since week 9 to take the NFC North.

4.) Seahawks hold off St. Louis to win the game at the end (week 8)
This game was interesting to watch, the Seahawks struggled all night but managed to have the lead heading into the Rams final drive of the game.  Kellen Clemens looked poised to pull of the comeback but it fell short when the Seahawks held on at the very last second on a goal line stand to leave St. Louis with another win in the bag.

5.) Cam Newton to Ted Ginn JR game winning TD against the Patriots (week 11)
This was sort of the coming out game for the Panthers by means of the national stage, Cam Newton was able to hit Ted Ginn Jr for the game winning score with 59 seconds left in the ball game.  This was part of a great run for the Panthers as headed down the road for the NFC South title and first round bye in the 2013 playoffs.

6.) Justin Tucker (week 15)
The Falcons offense for the evening was none other than kicker Justin Tuckers who hit not 1, not 2, not 3 BUT 6 field goals including the game winner which was from 61 yards out.  This helped keep the Ravens playoff hops alive and helped end the Lions hopes of reaching the post season.

7.) Navorro Bowman's pick 6 against the Falcons (week 16)
Ther 49ers playoff hopes were on the line, win and they were in, but lose and face a must win in week 17.  Navorro Bowman made a blunder on the onside kick that gave the Falcons a chance to tie or win the game, but Bowman was able to pick off a pass that was bounced around in the air and take it all the way back for a score.  This sent the Falcons even lower than they had been prior and sealed the 49ers playoff spot as well, this was one of my favorite plays on MNF.

State of the Quarterback: New York Jets

This may come as a surprise but in reality it should not come as that, the New York Jets need some help at the quarterback depth next season.

As it stands right now rookie Geno Smith is the starter and fellow rooking Matt Simms backs him up and veteran David Garrard is the third string QB.  This is not an impressive group but I will say that Garrard has played some solid ball back in his Jacksonville days, but he may not be around next season and the Jets probably will not keep Mark Sanchez who is not going to play at all this season due to injury.

To say Geno has struggled this season would be an understatement, his numbers are as follows:

12 passing touchdowns

21 interceptions

5 rushing touchdowns

4 lost fumbles

That makes 17 total touchdowns and 26 total turnovers, but to be fair he plays behind a shaky offensive line (sacked 43 times this season already) and his receiver corp. is of no help.

The Jets need to be careful about how they handle this situation because there have been some times where Geno has shown his potential and other times where he has played awful.  The thing I like about how the team has handled him is that they actually bench him when games are out of hand or if he is playing poorly which is something they did not do with Mark Sanchez.

Sanchez was coddled by Rex Ryan and always acted like he never did much wrong, it seemed he would just give bland answers on his struggles and even said this season that he wants to be a Jet next season (good luck with that Mark).  Geno is being handled properly and has also taken blame for his mistakes and does not shy away from being honest, that is a must for any NFL QB.

The Jets shouldn’t give up on Geno, they should instead bring in a veteran free agent and possibly draft another QB to bring competition to make Geno better.  Michael Vick is set to be a free agent following this season and I seriously doubt he will be on the Eagles with how Nick Foles is playing, he would bring competition and also knowledge of the game.

Vick has supported Foles and they are friendly as well, Vick could go to New York and do the same thing with Geno.  Vick is mobile and has a cannon arm like Smith but obviously Vick is the faster of the two but regardless can show Smith how to use his legs and arm in ways that maybe Smith never knew he could. 

If Geno struggles or goes down Vick would bring spark to this offense and could win some games, to me a fresh start for Vick would make him better.

This offseason should be an interesting one for the Jets, there should be a lot of moving pieces….

ALL STATISTICS FOR THIS PIECE WERE TAKEN FROM: www.nfl.com

2013 NFL Season Monday Night Football Predictions Week 16

Falcons at 49ers 8:40 PM ESPN

Synopsis:

The Atlanta Falcons season has been nothing but a disappointment, they are nowhere near any type of post-season contention spotting a 4-10 record to follow up the 2012 season where they fell just short of the Super Bowl.  Now they must play for their pride and hope to finish 6-10, tonight will be a big test for them.

The San Francisco 49ers are sitting with a 10-4 record which is 2nd best in the NFC West, and this game is truly a must win because if they lose they would fall to 10-5 and be behind the Saints for the playoff seeding due to their loss in New Orleans earlier this season.  To be honest I do not see this being a issue for the 49ers who seem to be rolling at the right time and could make another run for Super Bowl.

The Falcons could play spoiler tonight but that is to be seen.

Prediction:

49ers win big, 42-17

2013 NFL Season Monday Night Football Predictions Week 15

Ravens at Lions 8:40 PM ESPN

Synopsis:

Both of these teams are in must win need modes, the Ravens came off a dramatic last second victory over the Minnesota Vikings and the Lions off a loss in which they let the Eagles run all over them in the 4^th quarter.

The Ravens are looking to stay in the playoff hunt and are 3-2 in the AFC North and must keep winning to make the playoffs, the one issue standing in their way is their road record which is 1-5.  If the Ravens lose this game it will hurt their chances to make the playoffs so they must win on the road and turn their away play around.  The Ravens have also struggled on offense this season scoring only 21 points a game, if they cannot get anything going against the Lions they will have a tough time mounting a comeback.

The Lions sit at 7-6 spotting a 4-2 home record and averaging 26.6 points a game, they play better indoors than outdoors which was evident last weekend against the Eagles in the blizzard like conditions they played in.  If Reggie Bush can go this week their offense will open up even more and of course you cannot forget about Calvin Johnson aka Megatron.  Ravens rookie Matt Elam called Calvin Johnson “old”” so you better believe that fuels the Lions, we have seen them use trash talk to fuel themselves just like they did against the Packers when they were called dirty.

Prediction:

Lions will get back on track and win 28-13

Why Tony Romo Deserves the Blame

Tony Romo does it again!  No not winning a game at the end but another disastrous December game in which one interception helped the Green Bay Packers come back against the Dallas Cowboys and then another on the final drive of the game to lose by 1 point.

Before the start of the 2013 season I wrote that Tony Romo was one of four quarterbacks that need to step it up, and he has not.I am sick and tired of hearing all these excuses for Tony Romo and the Cowboys late year collapses, after a certain amount of time Romo needs to take blame.  The past two seasons to this one the Cowboys entered game 16 with a chance to win the division and came out flat.  They got whooped by the Giants in the 2011 season in week 17 and then Romo had a pick to lose the game last season against the Redskins to cost the Cowboys a post-season trip AGAIN.

Now fast forward to December 15^th, 2013 Romo again loses the game for his team, they had a great chance to be closer to the division lead due to the Eagles loss earlier today but they could not even do that.

When you look at Romo he has had big turnovers in big spots, his first season starting he fumbled the snap on the field goal to lose the playoff game against Seattle.  In the 2007 playoffs he threw a costly interception at home to lose to the eventual Super Bowl champion Giants and again as stated he has blown it in back to back week 17 games in 2011 and 2012.

Yet despite his history of atrocity in big games it always gets blamed on others, and sure a few games this season can be put on the defense but not this one…

Romo is NOT clutch and especially not in December which is when it is needed those most, he is a big risk in big games and the only playoff win he has was against Donovan McNabb in his last season as an Eagle which wasn’t much to write home about.  This again showing Romo’s ineptitude to win a big game against a solid team regardless of circumstance.

He got paid like a super bowl winning quarterback and has not shown before or after that big deal why he is worth all the money that he is being paid. 

 I DO NOT want to hear any more excuses that give him pardons in blowing it at the end of any game especially big ones. 

Tonight was another prime example of Romo in December.

The Redskins Debacle: What to do with Head Coach Michael Shanahan?

The Washington Redskins have had a mess of a season to say the least, the talk surrounding Robert Griffin III and his comeback to start followed by a downhill slide for a team that had so much hype and high expectations has ended with RGIII being shut down.

The future in Washington is bleak for head coach Mike Shanahan, I personally think he will be gone following this season.  He is too close to RGIII and I think he did not do enough to keep his team in check and mostly RGIII when it seemed that he was making the decisions on when he would come back.  Shanahan has not had great tenure in Washington, this is the Redskins third 10 plus loss season since he started back in the 2010 season, which means 3 out of 4 seasons the Redskins have lost many games since Shanahan took over.

Shanahan has also alienated players such as Donovan McNabb who was benched in favor of Rex Grossman, and I felt that he hung RGIII out to dry in the wildcard round of the playoffs against the Seattle Seahawks when he left RGIII in despite taking a beating.

While I agree with what Shanahan has done with RGIII by shutting him down the last three games I feel that he being fired would be better for this team.  I have to question Shanahan’s heart as well due to the reports that he almost quit back in January, that should be something that alarms owner Dan Snyder as well as the Redskins players.

Once Shanahan is gone this team can start fresh with a new head coach, and I also feel that his son Kyle Shanahan who is the offensive coordinator should be gone.  There are solid head coaches out there that are looking for jobs such as Marvin Lewis and I believe that Jon Gruden would be a solid coach for this team.  A new head coach would instill leadership and also accountability not only to the rest of the Redskins team outside of RGIII but also be a better coach for RGIII as well.

Outside of the coaching position other changes need to be made on both sides of the ball, the defense needs to be bolstered and RGIII could use some more weapons on offense.  Santana Moss is not getting younger, luckily Pierre Garcon has topped 1,000 receveing  yards this season and the one up and coming player on offense is rookie tight end Jordan Reed.

The Redskins better hope that Kirk Cousins plays well down the stretch to attempt to get some trade value for him, if they do this they can keep building a solid team and win more games sooner rather than later.  RGIII was the 2nd overall pick in the 2012 draft and the Redskins gave up a ton to get him, it is best that they get Shanahan whom I feel is the biggest problem for the team to help save the team and also help RGIII grow as a player and leader.

It is time to cut bait with Shanahan in Washington and move on to a new coach….

State of the Quarterback: Chicago Bears

The Bears players and head coach Marc Trestman have stated that Jay Cutler is the starter quarterback even though Josh McCown has been playing very well but regardless of the talk this situation makes for a very interesting future for Jay Cutler.

Cutler has only played one full season as the Bears starter and that was in 2009 and has played in two 15 game seasons which were 2010 and 2012, but in the 2011 and 2013 seasons he has had health issues.  This season would probably not have been so bad for him so far if not for how Josh McCown is playing for the Bears, McCown is 3-2 as a starter and has 13 touchdowns to 1 interception.  Cutler is 4-4 as the starter and has 13 touchdowns to 8 interceptions, while it seems logical to keep Cutler around because of how much was invested in him and I believe he will be kept around he may not land a big contract.

Cutler to me is deserving of a contract close in size to those of Tony Romo and Joe Flacco, sure that might sound crazy but Cutler is finally in a great system that has seen his number of times being sacked decline and his offensive weapons being used to their fullest.  Those reasons should be enough for Cutler to stay, but how much will the Bears give him?  Cutler also had the Bears on the verge of the Super Bowl before injuring his knee in the 2010 season’s NFC title game against the Green Bay Packers.  Cutler’s work in Chicago speaks for itself, he works hard and wants to win and now has the right coaching and offensive scheme to help him out.

I don’t see McCown as the future for the Bears, but he is a great insurance policy to Cutler, and if you ask me Cutler deserves a 5 year contract with 40 to 45 million guaranteed, I don’t see him getting in the 50 range because of his health and again because of McCown’s play. 

The one argument that could be made against McCown’s play affecting Cutler’s chances to land a big contract and stay in Chicago can be how long Cutler has been in the system, he has seen changes in Chicago.  He has been beaten up and injured because of what used to be a porous offensive line, but in the 8 games he has started he has only been sacked 11 times.  Cutler will continue to grow in this system, he has Matt Forte who is a 1,000 yard rusher and two 1,000 yard receivers in Alshon Jeffrey and Brandon Marshall to help him out.  

If Cutler can come back and help lead the Bears to the playoffs and make some noise there he will help his chances to get paid.  Cutler is a guy I like as a QB and I think he stands a great chance to succeed in Trestman’s offense. 

We will have to wait out and see what happens in Chicago this offseason, but I see great things ahead for Cutler.

How the Patriots Offense Must Play Without Tight End Rob Gronkowski

The New England Patriots took a blow to their offense when Rob Gronkowski went down on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns when he tore his ACL and MCL.

Before Gronkowski’s arrival the Patriots offense was having issues, but when he came back after missing the first 6 games the Patriots were scoring the most points in the NFL, but now he is shut down for the season.  

The Patriots cannot let this get to them, they need to ask other players to step it up, Amendola came up big 

on Sunday catching the game winning pass from Tom Brady to complete the comeback.

I think the Patriots will be okay, they have proved that they can have other players step up and be a big help, for instance Shane Vereen stepped up on Sunday when he caught 12 passes for 153 yards and also had a touchdown on the ground.  He can help contribute on the ground and in the air, he has solid receiving capabilities and is healthy. 

Julian Edelman has been having a good season as well for the Patriots, he has 76 catches for 775 yards and 5 touchdowns, and he has played well in big games as well.  He had two touchdowns in the comeback win against the Broncos and scored on the two touchdowns in the final minutes of the game against the Browns to help the comeback.

The real issue here will be the rookie receivers such as Aaron Dobson, Kenbrell Thompkins and Josh Boyce.  I feel that Thompkins and Dobson have improved this season as it has gone along, we will see how they do down the stretch, I have some good feeling about how they can do.

The Patriots also have a good team of running backs, they are ranked 13^th in the NFL with 1,560 yards and have scored 15 touchdowns on the ground which is ranked 4^th in the league.  The only issue is Stevan Ridley’s fumbles but he could return to his 2012 form because he was sat following his fumbling issues earlier this season.

The Patriots must use their offensive weapons in the best ways they can in order to keep winning games and make a good push to the playoffs.  Judging by how the Patriots have utilized the rookie receivers as well as veterans like Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola they will be okay, and Vereen should continue to help as well.  The run game can continue to grow and if Ridley can hold on to the ball they can run the ball early and often and close out the game with LeGarrette Blount who can run people over.

2013 NFL Season Monday Night Football Predictions Week 14

Cowboys at Bears 8:40 PM ESPN

 

 

Synopsis:

 

This is a pivotal game for both teams, the Bears must win to stay in the NFC North Race. The Cowboys also must win in order to stay close to the Eagles or pull away because they struggle in December. Remember week 17 is a game between the Eagles and Cowboys. 

The Cowboys have struggled in December and in both the 2011 and 2012 seasons they lost the last game of the season to miss the playoffs.  If they win here and can string a few together they can stay in race for the NFC East.  Like I have already  they play the Eagles in week 17, every game this month is truly a must win for Romo and the Cowboys.   

 

The Bears are 2-2 under quarterback Josh McCown who has played well since Jay Cutler went down with a groin injury that he irritated. Their defense hasn't been that great either which has hurt them. McCown must find his two best receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey. It is also imperative that Matt Forte plays well and gets a good dose of touches in the running game as well as in the passing game.

 

Prediction:

Romo will have a big night and throw for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns in a shoot out.  Cowboys win 38-31

My Thoughts on the 2013 Iron Bowl and Why it is the Greatest College Football Game I have Ever Seen.

After work I was fortunate enough to catch a good part of the third quarter and all of the fourth quarter of this year’s Alabama and Auburn game which is better known as the Iron Bowl and I will tell you this is the best game I have ever seen in college football.

Prior to the Iron Bowl I had always thought the 2007 Fiesta Bowl was the best college game I have ever seen, I am talking about the game where Boise State upset Oklahoma on a trick play to win in double overtime.  Sure it was a huge surprise and the proposal at the games conclusion by Ian Johnson when to which his girlfriend Chrissy Popadics accepted.

What makes the 2013 Iron Bowl so great is that this game had a lot on the line, for starters the winner would advance to the SEC title game, but most importantly Alabama’s chances to go to the National Title game were on the line.  Auburn pulled the upset and Alabama’s undefeated season was over as well as any chance to make the National Title game, had Alabama won they would be in contention to become a dynasty.

Why else do I think this is the best game I have ever witnessed in College Football?  That would be the games ending when Auburn’s Chris Davis returned a missed field goal from 57 yards out by Alabama’s Adam Griffith for the game winning score as time expired.  That is a fantastic finish and one that I don’t think anyone thought could happen, I remember being on my couch and then getting up and cheering Davis on (can’t help but root for him) as he kept on running. 

When the fans stormed the field I kept my eyes on the TV, I still could not believe what I had seen, and even today I still can’t believe that ending. 

What also makes this game special is that Auburn has a chance to make the title game now and also they got revenge following last year’s 49-0 loss in Alabama, this game made huge momentum swings for both sides and is surely one I will never forget. 

Auburn and Missouri play for the SEC title today at 4 pm.

2013 NFL Season Monday Night Football Predictions Week 13

Saints at Seahawks 8:40 P.M. ESPN

Synopsis:

This game has a lot riding on it tonight, the Saints sit at 9-2 and the Seahawks at 10-1, the winner of this game is most likely to have home field advantage in the NFC playoffs.  Both teams are ranked in the top 5 in total defense by yards allowed (Seahawks are 2nd and Saints are 5th).

The Saints have been explosive on offense this season and have been playing good defense as well, with Sean Payton being back and the addition of Rob Ryan as the defensive coordinator have turned this team around.  As mentioned above the Saints are 5th in yards allowed, they are 3rd in passing yards allowed and 15th against the run which could be an issue because the Seahawks are 2nd in rushing yards.  The Saints while being 2nd in passing offense will be up against the 1st rated pass defense, but I feel the Saints can beat this defense.

The Seahawks have been in some close ones this season and have won all but one of those close games when they lost to the Colts on the road.  This season the Seahawks are 5-1 in games decided by 7 points or less, but can they throw the ball to keep up with the Saints?  The Seahawks have scored the 2nd most points per game this season, so they could hang in tough against the Saints offense.  They're running game can keep the ball out of the Saints hands as well.  

Prediction:

Saints win in Seattle, it will be close early on and the Saints will pull away late, I see a late touchdown putting the game away at the score of  35-20

All statistics taken from www.nfl.com

2013 NFL Season Monday Night Football Predictions Week 12

49ers at Redskins 8:40 P.M. ESPN

Synopsis:

At the start of this season I thought this game would seem much more interesting heading into the week of football, but that does not seem to be the case.

The 49ers had a great first game in which Colin Kaepernick threw for 400 yards and three touchdowns, but since has only gone over 200 passing yards in a game once and he has only completed 56.2% of his passes. While the absence of Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham have hindered the passing game this still comes as a shock.  This game is a must win for the 49ers whose division is a tough one and is heating up now with the Arizona Cardinals in with a record of 7-4 who just blew out the Colts.  The 49ers will hold the same record as the Cardinals if they win this game but would be second place because they beat Arizona in their first meeting of the season.

The Redskins are a mess, players are seemingly calling out Robert Griffin III who has shown some shaky playing and has already doubled his interceptions from last season as well as his fumbles lost.  He also has not been able to score a rushing touchdown as opposed to last season when he had 7.  This is not the RGIII that we have seen in the past, but his injury not allowing him to play in the preseason which I think has hurt his ability at the season’s start. 

The bright spots for these teams is that both rank in the top 5 in rushing yards, the Redskins are ranked 1^st and the 49ers rank 5^th.

Prediction:

49ers win 31-17, the Redskins defense hasn’t been able to do much in 2013 and this could be a great game for the 49ers to get back on track following back to back losses. 

All statics have come from nfl.com

State of the Quarterback: St.Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams are in an interesting spot right now when it comes to their quarterback situation.  Sam Bradford was the top pick in the 2010 NFL draft and has yet again suffered an injury making it the second time in his four seasons in the NFL that he has not played a whole season, however to his credit he played well before his injury this season.

His statistics this season are*:

14 touchdowns

4 interceptions

60.7 completion percentage

90.9 passer rating

When he was injured I truly thought he would be done with the Rams, I was even beginning to wonder if he would play well because I have seen ups and downs from him, but looking at how he has improved from last season to this one I think I am wrong for thinking what I stated.  The Rams added receiver Tavon Austin who is a heck of a talent as shown against the Rams win over the Colts, this is something Bradford had missed the previous three seasons.

The Rams could cut bait with Bradford, but I think that would be a mistake, the Rams have found a running game since Bradford had left, but when you have Kellen Clemens as your quarterback you have to do that to win games.  If the Rams keep Bradford and they can continue to build that running game he will have better chances to win games and also set up the play action.

I like Sam Bradford’s chances when he comes back, the Rams will continue to draft talented players and head coach Jeff Fisher will put his players in the right place to succeed, there is no reason Sam Bradford can’t come back next season and help this team win more games.

Another reason and my final one for the Rams not to let him go is they would have to start over yet again with a rookie quarterback unless for some reason Jay Cutler doesn’t go back to the Bears, the Rams need to see how Bradford plays next season to really judge him.  Bradford played well before his injury this season, he is deserving of having another shot at staying the starting QB for his team.

*Stats from nfl.com

2013 NFL Season Monday Night Football Predictions Week 11

Patriots at Panthers 8:40 P.M. ESPN

Synopsis:

The Patriots are coming off a bye week which followed their blowout win over the Steelers and the Panthers are on a 5 game winning streak making for an interesting game.

The Patriots had a sluggish start to the season but have since been able to improve on offense scoring at least 27 points in each of their last 4 games including 55 points against the Steelers.  The Patriots must continue to improve, but they will have an obstacle in the Panthers defense which has been tough.  Luckily for the Patriots Aqib Talib has a chance to be back on the field for this pivotal matchup, that will be huge for the Patriots. 

The Panthers defense is ranked among the best this season, and quarterback Cam Newton has been finding his groove and has been playing well in a stretch of games which is a must for a franchise quarterback.  The running game is back and Newtown has seemed to find rhythm with his receivers, and as stated the defense is not easy to score on, they have not allowed more than one touchdown in each game during their 5 game winning streak.

Prediction:

Patriots figure out how to score on the Panthers defense and win 24-17.

State of the Quarterback: Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been a model of inconsistency and often poor play for the better part of the past three seasons since Blaine Gabbert was drafted and this team needs to start looking into their future and I don’t think Gabbert will be part of that.

Gabbert is not the only quarterback that will be gone from the Jaguars this following this season, I think Chad Henne will also be gone, he isn’t a starting caliber QB and I don’t think the Jaguars will want to keep him around.  This team needs to start over at the quarterback position because in the NFL you need better play then what they have been getting.

The Jaguars will most likely end up with the top pick in upcoming draft next year, and there should be some quality QB’s entering the draft such as Teddy Bridgewater and Johnny Manziel who could both be franchise players.  The Jaguars have to look at these options because they could really miss out on a player that can help them win games, I am confident that Bridgewater will enter the draft this year but I am unsure about Manziel.

The Jaguars passing stats are as follows*:

1921 yards, ranked 25^th in the NFL

6.5 yards per attempt, ranked 27^th in the NFL

4 passing touchdowns, ranked 32^nd (last in the NFL)

14 interceptions, ranked 3^rd worst in the NFL

Those are some pretty horrendous numbers and they could possibly be worse than the Cardinals passing numbers from last season, and to make matters worse the Jaguars have not scored one touchdown at home.  That stat along with these numbers and record of 1-8 show the ineptitude of their passing offense.

The Jaguars need to part ways with Gabbert and Henne and start all over again, by doing this they will be able to clear cap room and can draft another quarterback and groom him to be a franchise player.  By doing this the Jaguars can then use other draft picks and free agency to bolster their roster to help improve the team and get their quarterback of the future some help.

Statistics taken from espn.com

2013 NFL Season Monday Night Football Predictions Week 10

Dolphins at Buccaneers 8:40 PM ESPN

Synopsis:

If anyone had told me at the season’s start that this game would feature two teams that are having issues with coaches, players and the locker room I would have probably not believed it, but here is that very situation.

The Dolphins have to be distracted with all the issues involving the Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin bullying issue, that and the “honorary black” issue as well, this will be a factor in the game tonight.  The Dolphins are a mixed bunch on those topics as seen in interviews which to me shows a locker room that has some division and definitely some issues.  I don’t believe in the Dolphins right now, and that will play into my prediction for this game.

The Buccaneers have their own issues as well when it pertains to the coaching position, head coach Greg Schiano is under a lot of fire right now for his team’s record and was under heat earlier in the season with the Josh Freeman situation.  The team has either been embarrassed or lost heart breakers all season long en route to a 0-8 start, but to give them credit they hung in there with Seattle in Seattle which is not an easy 

task.

Prediction:

Buccaneers win their first game of the season, regardless of how things ended in Seattle I think they showed toughness.  The Bucs will win 27-14.

My Thoughts on the Richie Incognito Bullying Issue part 2

The Miami Dolphins should be ashamed of themselves for the situation at hand involving the bully Richie Incognito and the person suffering at the other end of this Jonathan Martin.

Never before have I seen such an egregious situation involving racism in football and probably sports in my lifetime, and this wasn’t just someone that hates blacks but someone that is a violent individual.  When you call someone the N-word, threaten to slap their mother and threated to kill your own teammate you are a putrid individual who is a blatant racist and is very violent.

What I find most disturbing is how the Dolphins have handled this situation so far, it sounds like Coach Joe Philbin has been speaking off of speeches he put together right before he talks to the media.  That is not the only issue I have with this, in an article I read on the Huffington Post’s website that was wrote by Chris Greenberg there are quotes from wide receiver Mike Wallace that I found to be surprising.  He said that he loves Richie and that many teammates still do, that this situation was Richie being himself, that he respects Richie and that he loved playing with him.  While Wallace did say that this was a serious situation following what I just listed above there is still no room to say what he did. 

Not only is Wallace a big free agent signing but also a leader in the locker room which shows that this sort of behavior might have been tolerated in the locker room for some time.  It also makes me believe that this team knew about this situation that was ongoing but turned the other way or thought maybe Richie would not do this again.  That is not professional at all, and that creates an environment that allows for bullying and hazing to occur without consequence to the player(s) that are creating the issues.

Bullying and hazing are in no way a rite of passage for anything in life, why should someone be harassed and chastised with racial slurs in order to be part of a team or for that matter be part of any organization? 

The NFL better do a great job investigating this issue and those responsible for the bullying and those that chose to ignore it better be punished, that not only includes players but also the coaching staff, the GM himself Jeff Ireland and the ownership.

On a final note I seriously doubt Incognito will every play again and I truly hope he does not ever play again because players like him who abuse the privilege they have to play in the NFL don’t deserve that chance to play…. 

Reaction to the Richie Incognito Incident

The bullying situation that is plaguing the Dolphins headlines seems to be rather serious, first came the indefinite suspension of Richie Incognito followed by the release of the voicemail he left teammate Jonathan Martin as well as racist texts.

This situation is inexcusable not matter what way you look at this, there is no place in any NFL locker room for this kind of behavior because it demoralizes teammates and also because it is blatantly racist.  I saw the voicemail as it was shown on ESPN and I was horrified by what I saw.  A grown man using racial slurs and disrespecting Martin and his mother by threatening violence against both of them, that is not something a teammate or anyone should ever do.

I am unsure of what caused these issues, but Incognito has a history of offenses and this is probably a career killer for him, regardless of whatever age you are bullying is bullying plain and simple.  This is not only inexcusable but pathetic as well, this is a teammate and your brother in the locker room, and you don’t disrespect anyone in that manner at all regardless of that situation.

This event could shine light on this issue in other team’s locker rooms and I wonder how this ever happened.  Incognito should be punished by the NFL as well, and I think a suspension is at hand, but they should make it for next season because reports are out that he will not be on the team following this season and I applaud that decision.

Incognito is a repeat offender and unless you suspend someone (and it better be without pay assuming anyone would sign him) they generally continue their bad behavior.  This also needs to be done to show an example to fellow NFL players that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated, behavior like this can become worse and it can lead to poor decisions. 

On a final note I find it ironic that Incognito was part of the Dolphins video on how fans need to act during their games, talk about a hypocrite….  And of course bullying does not belong in the NFL nor anywhere else, in a world plagued with bullying an example needs to be set showing it is not okay, and the NFL has every chance to help stop this awful fad from getting worse.

2013 NFL Season Monday Night Football Predictions Week 9

Bears at Packers 8:40 PM ESPN

Synopsis:

Green Bay has been playing well this season despite their injuries and the Bears have had some of their own including starting quarterback Jay Cutler. 

The Packers record is strong, they struggled at the season’s start but have since played better, and they look like a team poised to take their division and make some noise in the playoffs.  Aaron Rodgers has had a solid season thus far and his past two games he has thrown five touchdowns to no interceptions.  The Packers have also improved on the running game as they are ranked 7^th in the league in rushing yards per game averaging 141 yards.

The Bears are without Jay Cutler, and that has proven in the past to hurt this team, and now they are sitting at 4-3 and are also without defensive player Lance Briggs.  This game could make a difference in the Bears overall season, not only are the Packers hot but the Lions have been playing sound football too.  If Josh McCown can play well the Bears should have a good chance in this game, the only downside to him tonight is that this is his 3^rd start in the last 6 seasons.

Prediction:

Packers win 35-17, look for the Packers to pull away in the second half.

Reaction to the Red Sox 2013 Season and World Series Victory

The 2013 Red Sox made a huge turnaround from worst to first and to the joy of the Boston faithful the Sox took home the world series trophy in the same year that tragedy stuck Boston during the Marathon.  Like David Ortiz said “This is our (expletive) city, nobody can dictate our freedom, stay strong!”  The Red Sox embodied the “Boston Strong” theme and got the right hits, hit the right pitches and played defense in the biggest spots this season.

I think what makes this team so special is that they can be themselves, they may not have the big payrolls or biggest household names but they get it done.  The have fun playing the game and the beards were something the teammates bonded over as well, this season was huge surprise for many following last year’s disastrous season when Bobby Valentine managed the team.

This year was much different, the players were able to enjoy themselves and turned tragedy into triumph to a city that was rocked by two men who triggered bombs at the Boston Marathon.  I think the combination of both aspects helped this team make the series.  This team actually reminded me of the 2004 Red Sox they played hard and got the big plays on both sides of the ball when it mattered. 

An example would be this year’s ALCS when the Sox were down 4-1 in game 2 and David Ortiz hit the grand slam that helped Boston win the game.

David Ortiz really took his leadership role to the next level this World Series helping rally his fellow teammates to go play harder, and I can only imagine that is one of many reasons the Red Sox won the series. 

As I have previously mentioned this team helped turn tragedy into triumph and I feel it was only fitting that Boston fought hard in the World Series and then clinched it at home in front of thousands of cheering fans.  Seeing how happy the team and the fans were was something that brought a smile to my face, Boston is a wonderful city and the people are just as great they deserved it.  

2013 NFL Season Monday Night Football Predictions Week 7

Vikings at Giants 8:40 P.M. ESPN

Synopsis:

Both the Giants and Vikings are struggling this season, the Giants are the bigger surprise when it comes to their record over the Vikings.

The Vikings continue to have issues at the quarterback position and are now starting their 3^rd QB this season, that being Josh Freeman the free agent acquisition.  I am unsure of how he will play tonight, he could struggle because he is on a new team or he could play well because he is probably very angry about Tampa Bay treated him before his release.  Look for Adrian Peterson to touch the ball a lot (as always) tonight, if the Giants can’t stop him Freeman will be fine.

The Giants are a mess, they can’t stop turning the ball over and regardless of Eli’s claims a few weeks ago that he is not playing lousy that is false because he is, he keeps turning the ball over in key situations.  They cannot run the ball, their defense has been awful and they can’t stop their opponents but tonight is the night they can turn it around, if Eli can get time and make good decisions the Giants will get that confidence back and they are scary when they are very confident.

Prediction:

Giants win 27-20

                                                                                           

2013 NFL Season Monday Night Football Predictions Week 6

Colts at Chargers ESPN 8:40 P.M.

Synopsis:

The Colts are coming off a big home win against the Seahawks and look to improve to 5-1 and take a commanding lead in the AFC South.  The Chargers are sitting at 2-3 following a divisional loss last Sunday night to the Raiders and are in a need of a win to improve to .500.

The Colts are getting better week by week and Andrew Luck continues to help his team find ways to win whether by his arm or his legs, and the Colts have had help from the recently acquired Trent Richardson.  The Colts are most likely going to win the AFC South and they are heading in the right direction.

The Chargers seem to be the same old team we have seen the past few seasons, they have a couple of early wins but Philip Rivers keeps throwing interceptions and that of course is something he has been known for as of late.  The Chargers really need to get to .500 because their division is hard enough as well as the AFC, if they don’t I think Rivers will have a lot of doubt surrounding him.

Prediction:

Colts win 31-24, The Chargers will keep it close but Luck will lead the Colts down the field for a game winning drive towards the games end, don’t be surprised to see Rivers toss another INT to cost the Chargers the game….

2013 NFL Season Monday Night Football Predictions Week 5

New York Jets at Atlanta Falcons 8:40 PM

Synopsis:

Both teams are coming off of week four losses and are looking to turn their young seasons around this Monday Night.

The Jets are 2-2 and could easily be 1-3, and last week was an ugly loss for the Jets as they turned the ball over 4 times in a 38-13 loss to the Titans.  They are without Santonio Holmes this week which will hurt the 

Jets and will be bad for Geno Smith as well who has issues turning the ball over this season.  The Jets defense has played will this season so that is an upside for the Jets.

The Falcons are 1-3 this season, they have had some tough losses and have come up short on numerous 4^th downs.  The Falcons need to prove they can get it done in the red zone and if they are in a do or die situation at the end of the game they have to pull off the win to get confidence back.

This game is interesting because it could be a definitive moment for their seasons, the Falcons don’t play in an easy division and the Jets have the Dolphins and Patriots above them.

Prediction:

The Falcons win at home 35-17, they are great at home during the Matt Ryan era.

What Team is in Most Need of a Quarterback?

The Jacksonville Jaguars are the team in most need of a new quarterback, they are the worst team in all of the NFL and are in need of some help at that position.  Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne have not been any good this season and neither one of them will be the future for that team, here are the passing statistics for the Jaguars for this season so far:

175 pass yards per game which is 30^th in the NFL

1 touchdown to 7 interceptions

7.8 points a game that is dead last in the NFL

The Jaguars are looking at a 0-16 season if they do not get any sort of help at the QB spot, there are options out there for them in order to help win at least some games, and here are the options I think they should look at using:

Trade for Josh Freeman, I think it is really the Bucs organization that has alienated him and he could help this team out, I think a fresh start will help him.  I don’t see him going for more than a 5^th round pick at best.

Sign Vince Young, yes I am still a believer in VY!  He has a good skill set, he can throw and he can run as well, they could use him and Maurice Jones-Drew in a read option offense out of the shotgun and pistol formations.  He will bring excitement to this team and I think he could help them win a handful of games.  Also they could use him alongside Denard Robinson who is a speedy player, so mix him with Young and Jones-Drew and the Jaguars will have an improvement in the run game which could help with the passing game.

Sign Tim Tebow, yup I like this option as well he is a hometown hero to many, and this team is so awful that 

you know that there will be no QB controversy, because let’s be honest Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne are nothing to write home about.  Tebow can run a spread option type offense and he will sell tickets, he would probably have a one season stop here but the Jaguars might as well take a shot here.

Trade for Kirk Cousins, this guy has the tools to be a franchise QB, I like what I have seen from him in regular season action as well as pre-season action.  The only issue here is that he would probably cost a 1^st or 2^nd rounder meaning that the Jaguars would pass on this trade in order to rebuild with those high draft picks.

Whatever the Jaguars decide to do whether it is one of the options I think they should use or another option they need to make one that will help the team win games.  If the Jaguars stick with their quarterbacks they will be heading to a 0-16 season and a good chance to draft Teddy Bridgewater or Johnny Manziel (assuming he declares).  

2013 NFL Monday Night Football Week 4 Prediction

Dolphins at Saints 8:40 PM ESPN

Synopsis:

Both the Miami Dolphins and the New Orleans Saints are entering this game 3-0 and only one will leave undefeated. 

The Saints have made a major bounce back following a disappointing season last year where their defense was the worst in NFL history which is must different this season.  Rob Ryan has helped turn the defense around and Sean Payton is back to help turn the team around as well.  The Saints look like a team that could win a super bowl, they are making a lot of good choices on both sides of the ball.

The Dolphins offense and defense are great this season, they can score touchdowns in the air which is something they struggles with last season, Ryan Tannehill has looked very sharp this season while aiding his Dolphins to some big wins including last week when he made the game winning touchdown pass.  The Dolphins are dangerous this season.

Prediction: Saints win 31-21 and Brees has a big game throwing for 325 yards and 3 scores.

Three NFL Teams in Need of a Trade

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars need to trade for a quarterback because both Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne are not cutting it, the best deal out there to me would be to trade for Josh Freeman.  He probably would not cost them to trade for, I would think a mid to low draft pick, somewhere in the 5^th-6^th round range, and I think he could help this team win some more games.  He would have a true number one running back in Maurice Jones-Drew, and some very good pass catchers in Justin Blackmon and Marcedes Lewis, he would work well with them. 

New England Patriots

The Patriots really need another wide receiver, Danny Amendola is injured (shocker there) and some of the new faces are struggling but did show up against Tampa Bay.  Kenny Britt is the perfect receiver to trade for, the Titans have allegedly received offers for Britt, but have said they are not openly shopping him.  Bill Belichick knows how to deal with players that have attitudes and other various baggage that they would bring along with them, and Britt could turn not only his career around here but himself as well.

St. Louis Rams

This team is desperate need of a running back, they are 31^st in the NFL in terms of running the ball with an average of 47.2 yards per game, and they will not be able to win games without a run game.  Mark Ingram is a perfect candidate for this team, he is a first and second down running back but that is okay, the Rams can use him to help win games and take pressure off of Sam Bradford.  Ingram is a hard runner and will help add some toughness to this offense that has looked less than stellar this season, and he can help set put the play action for some deep throws.

2013 NFL Season Monday Night Football Predictions Week 3

Raiders at Broncos 8:40 PM

Synopsis:

Both teams are coming off of wins in week 2 and this will be the first inter-division game for both teams as well which makes this game that much more exciting. 

The Raiders are still trying to rebuild and seem to have faith in starting quarterback Terrell Pryor who has added a spark to the offense because of his speed and running skills.  This team’s offense has shown flashes over the first few weeks of the season, but the Raiders need to have a game where they can play well through the entirety in order to keep building wins and confidence.

The Broncos are coming off of two huge wins over the past two Super Bowl champions and their offense seems unstoppable to this point.  This team has a big chance to make it to the Super Bowl, unlike the Raiders this team is not rebuilding and has a strong identity.  Manning has Eric Decker, Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker and the emerging Julius Thomas to throw too making it a matchup nightmare for the opposition.

Prediction: Broncos win 35-21, the Broncos will drive all game long but this is an inter-division game and the Raiders could make this one interesting but the Broncos will pull away and win by two scores. 

2013 NFL Season Monday Night Football Predictions Week 2

Steelers at Bengals 8:40 P.M.

Synopsis:

The Bengals are coming off a loss in which they blew an 11 point lead to the Bears, and the Steelers are coming off a tough loss in which their offense could not do anything in their loss to the Titans.  The Bengals have added talent to their roster in order make the push past the wildcard round of the playoffs while the Steelers seem to be on a slide making this game a tale of two stories.

The Bengals will be better this week because they are facing a depleted Steelers team that could not move the ball on the Titans last week, and the Bengals are far more talented of a team then the Titans are.  The Steelers will have a difficult time being able to keep up due to a lack of offensive fire power.  This will be a statement game for both teams, the Bengals are looking to make a statement in the division and the Steelers are trying to win a game after being embarrassed last week.

The Steelers are also hurting because Mike Wallace is no longer on the team, starting center Mike Pouncey is out for the season and they cannot find a run game leaving Ben Roethlisberger to have to make the plays behind an offensive line that does not protect him well.

Prediction:

Bengals win big 31-10, the Steelers will not be able to match what the Bengals will throw at them, AJ Green will have another big day.

2013 NFL Season Monday Night Football Predictions Week 1

Eagles at Redskins 7:10 PM on ESPN

Synopsis:

This game will be shrouded in mystery because I don’t think anyone knows what to expect in this game (that can be said for all week one games) but this this game has Robert Griffin III coming back from an MCL tear that he suffered in the post-season and also a new look Eagles offense.  Many are excited to see how RGIII does this game especially because he did not take one snap in the preseason games, that could be detrimental to the Redskins, but RGIII is very talented and knows how to win games.

The Eagles offense showed a lot of promise this preseason but now we get to see how Vick operates the offense with McCoy and Desean Jackson for a full game, and Chip Kelly is an offensive guru with speedy players.  I think the Eagles will run a lot of read option plays and get Vick out in space where he flourishes, Jackson could have a big game if he gets the ball.  Vick has also showed up big time against the Redskins on Monday Night, back in 2010 he threw for 4 touchdowns and ran for 2 more, he may not have that big a night tonight but he will show up to play and could have a heck of game.

Prediction: Redskins hang on 38-35 in a shootout, RGII throws 3 touchdowns and runs for another while Vick Throws 3 touchdowns and McCoy runs wild.

Texans at Chargers 10:20 PM on ESPN

Synopsis:

The Texans are coming off another disappointing post-season losing yet again in the divisional round of the playoffs, this game needs to be a statement for them to show they are not laying down.  Schaub also needs to show more consistency as well, but tonight they can do to that against the Chargers and if they do so they will get their confidence back.

The Chargers are coming off yet another disappointing season and Philip Rivers has not played so well the past two seasons with 47 turnovers which is second most to Mark Sanchez which is not good company to be part of.  He has also claimed that he does not need to be fixed, a ridiculous statement on his part, Rivers needs to be fixed, but with that attitude that we have seen his whole career I would say he is done.  The Chargers don’t stand a chance with him, and he will probably turnover the ball more than a few times tonight.

Prediction: Texans blow out the Chargers 42-17, Rivers will play poorly while the Texans capitalize on the Charger turnovers.

My Predicitions on the Surprises That Will Happen in 2013 NFL Season

Every NFL season there are bound to be plenty of surprises, here are some of the big surprises I predict will happen this season:

The Chiefs will be the biggest surprise team this season, they have added Alex Smith as their starting quarterback this offseason as well as Andy Reid as their new head coach.  I think this is a perfect match, Alex is on a team that appreciates him from the brass to the coach to his fellow players, he adds stability to that spot on the field that has been shaky the past few seasons.  I think this team could go 11-5 and make some noise in the playoffs.

EJ Manuel will be better than most people think, he can run the ball so look for the Bills to utilize this skill set with a backfield that includes CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson.  By using that skill set it will allow the Bills to help develop Manuel throughout the season and for him to get comfortable running the offense.

The Cardinals will have a winning season… Carson Palmer brings stability to the Cardinals quarterback position which is something that has not been seen since Kurt Warner’s last season in the NFL back in 2009.  Since then the Cardinals have had to deal with the likes of Derek Anderson, Matt Leinart, Max Hall, John Skeleton, Kevin Kolb, Ryan Lindley and Brian Hoyer, that is seven different starters.  Palmer has also seen a lot in the NFL and will bring strong leadership to the team, the Cardinals already have a great defense and now they can score points to help win more games.  I say the Cardinals go 9-7.

The Saints will have a top 5 offense AND defense…  Sean Payton coming back will have a major impact on the Saints Offense and the team as a whole, they have a strong running back corps, they have great pass catching playmakers and of course they have Drew Brees.  Moving on to the defense, they added Rob Ryan to their team to be the defensive coordinator, he makes the defense better with his coaching, and he will throw a lot of different looks at the Saints opponents.

The Bengals will make it to the AFC Title Game… The Bengals have added talent to their roster to help Andy Dalton and the rest of the offense, drafting tight end Tyler Eifert will help this team out big time.  The Steelers may struggle this season as well as the Ravens so look for the Bengals to have a great season and make a run in the playoffs.

Alex Smith and Carson Palmer and How They Will Impact Their New Teams

This offseason we saw two struggling franchises land quality veteran quarterbacks, Alex Smith was traded from the Raiders to the Cardinals and Alex Smith went from the 49ers to the Chiefs.  They both improve their new teams QB situations, and last year both the Cardinals and 49ers had pathetic QB play.

Alex Smith makes the Chiefs a playoff team (of course Andy Reid now being the coach helps as well), he brings leadership, has dealt with much adversity and most importantly is a smart decision maker which is something that Matt Cassell and Brad Quinn lacked last season.  Alex also has playoff experience making his pairing with Andy Reid that much easier, Smith is the perfect fit for this team, they have a strong run game, and that is what Smith needs.  The 2011 and 2012 seasons were Smith’s best in the NFL, in a total of 26 regular season games his passing numbers are: 30 touchdowns to 10 interceptions and 4,881 yards. 

Last season the Chiefs ranked dead last in the NFL in passing yards with 2,713 yards and had 8 touchdowns to 20 interceptions, clearly Smith makes this team better and those numbers WILL improve for the Chiefs this season.  I think Alex Smith will lead this team to the playoffs and maybe a AFC West crown because the Broncos team keeps having its injuries piling up.

Carson Palmer adds stability to the Cardinals quarterback situation which was despicable last year, they had four starting QBs and they totaled for the following statistics: 11 touchdowns, 21 interceptions and 3,005 passing yards.  With four quarterbacks starting that only makes these numbers worse, I remember 

watching their games and just was in awe of how pathetic their QB play was.  Carson Palmer had 4,018 passing yards which ranked 10^th in the NFL and had 22 touchdowns to 14 interceptions as well, these numbers are much better than those of the Cardinals last season, and he did it without a true number one receiver.

He now has Larry Fitzgerald catching his passes and also a stout defense to help him out as well, this is the kind of team Palmer fits on perfectly.  He had his best years when Chad Johnson was a top receiver when they were both in Cincinnati so I can only imagine what he and Fitzgerald can do together.  This team will probably be 7-9 or 8-8 because of how difficult the division is and also because the Cardinals still need to figure out a solid run game to help make the team better (they ranked last in the 2012 season in running). 

I think both of these QBs will have a tremendous impact on their respective teams 

My Thoughts on Rex Ryan's Comments on Geno Smith's "Brutal Practice"

Sitting here this morning watching First Take on ESPN2 I watched and listened to Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless make remarks on Rex Ryan’s Geno Smith and his “brutal” play in practice yesterday.  Both Smith and Bayless said that Rex was out of bounds with his remarks, and I agree with everything they said.  Here are my thoughts on the situation…

Rex Ryan has no reason to say what he did about Geno Smith whatsoever, it was a practice and it was AFTER Geno hurt his ankle in the preseason game. Sorry Rex there is no excuse for that at all, and he needs to not be so public with these words or at least tone it down.  Geno Smith is a rookie on a team that has had offensive issues, turnovers are inevitable and he was very good about protecting the ball up until yesterday, which to me sounds like the ankle has a lot to do with it.  Geno wanted to practice, that to me speaks more volume than the turnovers do, I think Geno should be commended on his heart for wanting to go out and prove himself rather than sit.

Perhaps what bothers me more than that is that we never saw Rex talk about Sanchez this way at all, not even last year when Mark was benched due to his less than stellar play, instead Rex has been overprotective of him.  It is rather hypocritical that Rex would publicly go off on Geno but keep quiet on Sanchez, I think it partially has to do with the fact that Rex Ryan had the Jets trade up in 2009 to the 5^th overall pick to draft Sanchez.  I cannot blame him for wanting to protect himself from that pick (which was way too high for Sanchez), but to act the way he does protecting Sanchez and then making the harsh comments on Geno is not the way a coach should act.  If Rex is trying to toughen Geno up which is what Bayless had mentioned could be a possibility, but again where were these words from the first day Sanchez walked in the door?

Sanchez has never had much competition until this season, meaning Rex should have been harder, and let’s be honest the likes of Kellen Clemens, Mark Brunell and Tim Tebow (however he is a great football player, just not at quarterback) are not in any way competition .  Now that he does have to truly worry about another QB on the roster Rex is back to the rescue yet again, this is just a summary of how the Ryan/Sanchez duo has worked over the last four seasons and now entering their fifth season together. 

In the end what was said cannot be changed or brought back, but Rex needs to treat both quarterbacks the same way to make this competition fair, you cannot go after one quarterback and not after the other.  If Rex 

Ryan should be speaking up the way he did yesterday it should have been on Sanchez’s pick six on the first drive of the Jets preseason game, and yes Sanchez bounced back and tossed a touchdown.  That does not change anything, Sanchez is so up and down that what happened in that game did not surprise me, but this kind of one-sided mindset needs to go, and Rex really might have shot himself in the foot on this one. 

He is coaching to keep his job, I am not a coach nor have I been one but common sense tells you that this is not going to help keep your job, it is as simple as that. 

My Top 3 Quarterback Battles this Season

These are the three Quarterback Battles that I think are the most interesting this season…

The Eagles have not been what everyone thought they would be the past two seasons, their record is 12-20 in that time frame (8-8 in the 2011 season and 4-12 in the 2012 season).  Michael Vick has not had a complete season as a starter as an Eagle due to injury, but this year has to change that he is fighting for his starting job and probably his NFL future.  I say that because if he does not make it on the Eagles he may not get a chance to start anywhere else, hard to say that but it is a realistic possibility.  Vick has looked strong in training camp as well as the first preseason game, he is the perfect QB for Chip Kelly’s fast paced offense.  He must keep up the good work otherwise Foles will get that starting spot, and that would probably mean the end of Vick in Philly.

The Bills situation is interesting because they signed often-injured Kevin Kolb to seemingly be the starter for the team but then they went and drafted EJ Manuel in the first round making him the first QB to be taken in the 2013 NFL draft.  Both QBs have a lot to offer this team, their playing styles are different but both can be successful for this team….

Kevin Kolb- Can get the ball out quick, giving the team some play making opportunities with the speed of both CJ Spiller and Stevie Johnson, they can run screen passes and crossing patterns to use the most of this skill set.

EJ Manuel- First round quarterback, he is a gifted QB, he can run, but that is not what he wants to do at the snap of the ball.  I think that the Bills can utilize this in play action situations and also run the ball very well in a pistol or shotgun spread/read option plays, Manuel can run as stated and has Spiller and Fred Jackson as his running backs.

I think Manuel gets this starting job because of his tremendous upside and also Kolb’s injury issues and also to help create a strong running game to control the clock in order to play keep away from the Patriots high flying offense and Miami’s new look offense.

The Jets have a situation that absolutely has to be solved before the start of the 2013 NFL season, and that is no joke.  The Jets have been 14-18 the past two seasons following back to back AFC Title Game appearances (8-8 2011 season and 6-10 2012 season), this is not what Rex Ryan nor the Jets organization were expecting following the 2009 and 2010 seasons.  Sanchez has had a league worst 52 turnovers over the last two seasons (26 turnovers each season) and is fighting to not just keep his job but also to be the starter in New York.  I think Geno Smith is the perfect talent to push him, he was a second round pick in this year’s draft and this was done by the new General Manager meaning that Sanchez’s time could be coming to an end very shortly.  In most case when GMs are fired and the organization is being changed the incumbent QB (if they are struggling) are going as well, and statistics show that Sanchez is struggling and regressing.

Here is what both QBs have to offer:

Mark Sanchez- Experience, he is now entering his fifth NFL season all with the Jets, and he has taken this team to the playoffs before.  Being a veteran he would probably have a better grip on what to expect in games as well.

Geno Smith- Strong arm and mobile, he is young and apart from the other day in practice he has reportedly looked sharp in camp.  His mobility could be a big help in the run game which is something that Rex Ryan loves to do, ground and pound.  

Is Donovan McNabb Hall of Fame Worthy?

When I heard the news of Donovan McNabb’s retirement I knew discussion over whether or not he is a hall of fame player, and I have been thinking of if he is or is not a hall of fame player, and now that I have put thought into it I have to say no he is not.  While I understand that he led the Eagles to 5 NFC Title games and a Super Bowl appearance and that his career numbers are great as well I cannot see him being in the hall of fame.  McNabb holds a 1-4 record in the NFC title game and he fell short against the Patriots in the Eagles loss in the Super Bowl, which included 3 interceptions and reports that he threw up towards the end of the game. 

McNabb had the talent to win super bowls including an elite defense, Brian Westbrook and for a little while Terrell Owens.  People like to think Owens ran himself out of town, and yes in a few ways he did, but McNabb liked him but claimed he does not get involved in other players situations but yet had sideline arguments with him.  Not once did I hear McNabb say he wanted to help Owens out but yet the one full season Owens was there was the only Super Bowl appearance for McNabb during his tenure with the Eagles.  Sure Owens is a loud mouth and a headache but McNabb should have done more to help keep him around, in my eyes McNabb was sensitive and also a weak leader at times because he would rather be what I call a “company man”.

After Owens departure the Eagles only made the NFC title game one more time and that was in the 2008 season, that is four seasons following the Super Bowl run, but again McNabb fell short as he always has in big spots in big games in the post season.  Then you look at his last playoff appearance with the Eagles, which was a loss to division rival Dallas led by quarterback Tony Romo (Romo’s only playoff win).  That was also McNabb’s last game in a Eagles jersey before he was sent off to the Redskins where he played horribly and was benched for Rex Grossman after he had a rough start and his final stats were 14 touchdowns to 15 interceptions.  To make matters worse for Donovan the Redskins tried out Jamarcus Russell that season after he was cut by the Oakland Raiders, I can’t think of how that could be any lower for McNabb that season.

His final season in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings was less than stellar as well, he played in 6 games only having 4 passing touchdowns and his velocity and accuracy seemed to be way down from his previous years.  He was then benched for rookie Christian Ponder, yet another blow on then dwindling career.  When you consider how his days in Philadelphia ended, how his career ended and how he could have done more to keep T.O. around to get more pieces to help win a title but did not it is hard to fathom him being a hall of famer.  If he does make it in it probably won’t be until 5 years of eligibility, but as Skip Bayless would say McNabb belongs in the “Hall of Very Good” and I think that is the best way to put it. 

A-Rod Suspension is not Only Deserving but a Must

Alex Rodriguez deserves a suspension for the remainder of this season and all of next season, there is no reason why he should not be suspended.  He has been lying to not only major league baseball but also the Yankees as well about being clean since he left the Rangers, some may think he is innocent but he has admitted to PED usage before and is on the Biogenesis list as well.  According to an article byTanya Bondurant on www.pinstripebible.com A-Rod has been tied to PEDs every year since 2009, the same season he admitted to using while he was on the Rangers.  So he has been lying now for 5 seasons, to me that is more deserving of a life time ban from the game but according to the news on his situation it does seem that he will be out of baseball until the close of this season and the entirety of the 2014 season totaling 214 games. That could end his career, I think it will be hard for him to come back because he will miss a large amount of games and if he continues to use he won’t be back and if he does not use he will not be the player he has been of late. 

The MLB is more than justified to suspend him because his lies and PED usage has harmed the image of Major League Baseball, and this will also hopefully end an era of tainted baseball.  Rodriguez has many opportunities to be honest about his use and now he is caught in a major lie, I don’t feel bad for him and really nobody should.  I also think that in the past baseball turned a blind eye to use of PEDs, this is probably an image thing for the game which is most likely why A-Rod will not be handed down a life-time ban.  Either way people look at the situation the suspension will be more than deserved.

 

Is MLB in the Right for the Suspension of Ryan Braun?

Major League Baseball is in the right for suspending Ryan Bruan for the remainder of the 2013 season without pay for landing on a list of players that were involved with a performance enhancing drug lab out of Florida.  Some have said this is not fair, I disagree considering how he got out of a suspension back in 2011 for failing a drug test following his MVP season after a drug test from that October became public via a leak in December 2011.  The test had revealed a high level of testosterone due to performance enhancing drugs however in a 2-1 arbitration hearing he was cleared from serving a 50 game suspension when he claimed that the test was probably tampered with (and was not), a later test had normal levels of testosterone.

Due to the fact that he lied his way out of a suspension and probably stopped performance enhancing drug (PED) usage to pass a test only makes this suspension handed down to him fair.  Had he been suspended the rest of the year without losing pay that would not be acceptable to me, but because he is not making money which may not hurt him as much because he is a highly paid player but will be a warning to the MLB.  For another player who won’t be making the money Braun is may think twice about using PEDs if it means their way to make a living will be stopped for a pro-longed period of time.

Lying to get out of a suspension and then landing on a list of players linked to a lab is pretty sad because he had his chance to just own up and take a 50 game suspension but he instead lied and is now paying the price.  Bruan’s stupidity lead to this moment and he has nobody to blame but himself, I am pleased that he got the punishment he did, hopefully as mentioned this punishment will stop more players from using PEDs.

Time will only tell for the other athletes on the list linked to Biogenesis but this is a great start.

Is Michael Vick a Stopgap Quarterback?

Michael Vick is a stopgap quarterback and is not the future for the Eagles organization, the one year deal he signed just 2 years after his big deal that he inked in Philadelphia is an indication that his days in Philly are numbered.  When you look at how he has faired on the Eagles as well as the Falcons you see that he cannot stay healthy, in fact out of his 4 seasons in Philly he has not had one complete season at all.  His numbers were good his first year as a starter but after that he has fallen off. 

His stats his first season (i2010) were:

21-6 TD-INT ratio

2011:

18-14 TD-INT

2012:

12-10 TD INT

So his touchdown numbers have been dropping while his turnovers have climbed, if you include his lost fumbles the past 2 seasons he has 30 passing touchdowns to 29 turnovers in 23 games…

That is simply unacceptable, especially for someone who is supposed to be the face of the franchise, but he has been unable to stay healthy and is reckless with the ball, while the offensive line has been awful he has been making some poor throws.  One of his biggest problems is trying to pull off “hero plays” or in other words trying to force the ball when he shouldn’t be trying to make a throw or fumbling the ball while trying to create some offensive firepower on the ground. 

To add to the turnovers and inability to stay healthy the Eagles record speaks for itself, 8-8 in 2011 and 4-12 in 2012, and while Vick has only started 23 of those games it is a reflection of how poor he played, if he wasn’t so responsible he would not have had to take a one year deal to fight for his job.

These reasons are why I think Vick is a stop gap quarterback, he might land the starting job this season because he is the quarterback that Chip Kelly would like to use in his fast paced offense but I don’t think he can sustain a full season or be careful with the football.  A true franchise quarterback does not play as poorly as Vick has.

My prediction on Vick in 2013:

Vick does not win the starting spot and is traded or released by the Eagles. 

2013 Oakland Raiders QB Situaiton

As of right now the report is that Matt Flynn has the starting job until further notice due to rookie Tyler Wilson's performance in practices.  This year it seems the Raiders are finally going to be heading in a good direction, they cleaned house and dropped expensive players or traded them to create cap space, which only means one thing: rebuilding.

The Raiders have been nothing but bad for a fair amount of time, but they need to turn things around and are in need of stability at the QB spot, to me it only makes sense to keep Matt Flynn as the starting quarterback of the Raiders.  He has game experience and sat behind Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, and oh yeah learned some more last year from Pete Carroll when he was in Seattle, and Flynn has also said that when he lost out to Russell Wilson last year that he realized he needed to perform harder to take a team over.  His attitude while on the Raiders has seemed very high in the interviews I have seen him partake in which is a good sign for the Raiders.

Aside from his positive attitude he also has starting and in game experience in the NFL which for a team trying to start all over again is a must, he can start right away and teach Wilson who will needs a year to learn the game on the NFL level in my opinion.  There is no point in starting a rookie on a team that lacks talent on the offensive side, veteran quarterbacks also can ride the storm out, and while we have seen some rookies turn a franchise around I don't think one could turn the Raiders around.

I think the Raiders will keep Flynn as the starter and let Wilson learn behind him but if the Raiders start off bad and don't have anywhere to go I could see Wilson starting some games in the later half of the season to get some starting experience.

And as a side note the Raiders should use Terrell Pryor's skills to help this offense out in 2013, they could be woeful so any help is good at this point.

Will the Patriots Tightend Situation Harm their Offense in 2013?

Ever since Gronkowski had his back surgery and Hernandez's ongoing saga involving the police investigation in a murder less than a mile away from his home people have been asking questioning how effective the Patriots offense will be.  I believe there is not a need to panic at all, while some can disagree with that statement I think the Patriots will be fine, Tom Brady always knows how to work with what he has and will make the most with it.  The Patriots do have new addition Danny Amendola and returning receiver Julian Edelman, they also have Jake Ballard and Daniel Fells as back up tightends.  Sure these players are not Hernandez, Gronkowski or even Brandon Llyod (who played receiver for the Patriots last season) but they can produce.  The Patriots like players who can contribute to the team in any way, and if they don't the Pats will always find someone else, they have always made off well with what they have.

Last season the Patriots had one of the best offenses in the NFL, and we always heard how great Brady, Gronkowski, Hernandez, Wes Welker and the other pass catchers on the team were, but I feel the run game was overlooked.  The Patriots ranked 7th in the NFL last season in yards and ranked 1st in the NFL with 25 rushing touchdowns, so the Patriots do have a solid run game to lean on.  The Patriots have also added some new running backs to help with their rushing attack, they picked up Leon Washington and Legarrette Blount which will only help their offense.  

When you factor in a strong running game to any offense it will help, an example of this was the Vikings last season when Adrian Peterson ran the Vikings into the playoffs with Christian Ponder as the quarterback.  The Patriots have Tom Brady so that only helps the Patriots that much more, and with the Bills still trying to find their groove and the Jets completely rebuilding, leaving the Dolphins as the only team that could threat the Patriots.  

And the Patriots could get Gronkowski back in the first few games of the season which will of course be a huge help, and it should be noted that Brandon Lloyd is a free agent and could resign and help out as well.  The Patriots already have pieces in place but they can always add familiar faces to help.