Category: NFL

AFC Championship Preview

by Brady Vaughan, posted in NFL

Both participants of this year’s AFC Championship game are coming into the game riding incredibly hot streaks. The sixth-seeded Tennessee Titans have beaten three division winners in a row in the Houston Texans (Week 17), the New England Patriots (AFC Wild Card round), and the Baltimore Ravens (AFC Divisional Round), and get their chance to beat the fourth this upcoming Sunday when they travel to Kansas City to take on the number two-seeded Chiefs.

The Chiefs come into this game riding a hot streak of their own. They have won seven straight and have not lost since Week Ten, which is the last time these teams met. The Titans won that matchup 35-32 in Nashville.

This time, the game is in Arrowhead Stadium, the site of last year’s AFC Championship game.

The Titans however, have had success recently against the Chiefs. In addition to beating them earlier this season, Tennessee has beaten the Chiefs in Arrowhead three times since 2014, including in the AFC Wild Card round in 2017, the game of the famous “forward progress” call on Titan’s QB Marcus Mariota. This was also the game in which Marcus Mariota threw a TD pass to himself, if that gives you any idea about the Chiefs’ luck in the playoffs.

Chiefs DT Chris Jones missed last game with an injury to his calf, but is listed as questionable for this week’s game as of Friday at 3:15pm. His presence in the middle of the defensive line would be a huge boost to the Chiefs defense who has struggled to stop the run for a good portion of the year. Last time these teams played, the Titans ran the ball 26 times for a total of 225 yards on the Chiefs, 23 carries and 188 yards of which were provided by star RB Derrick Henry.

Henry has terrorized defenses these last three games, as he has averaged 32 carries/game for 196 yards/game. The continual threat of Henry breaking a big run at any given point keeps defenses off balance, allowing for QB Ryan Tannehill to do just enough with his arm to make plays and put points on the board for the Titans.

Chiefs’ safety Tyrann Mathieu described it best when trying to tackle Derrick Henry after these teams played earlier this year. Mathieu said he thought he broke his jaw trying to tackle Henry and described trying to hit Henry as trying to hit “solid rock.”

With all that in mind, here are three keys to the game for each team:

3 KEYS FOR THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS:

  • The Chiefs must attempt to limit Derrick Henry’s yards on the ground. This is a lot easier said than done, but the Titans go as Derrick Henry goes. If the Chiefs are able to disrupt the Titan’s offensive line and get penetration into the backfield, it makes it that much easier for the Chiefs to stop Henry.
  • Patrick Mahomes must be MVP-caliber Mahomes. Mahomes’ first game back from injury this season was when the Titans and Chiefs last played in Week Ten. In that game, Mahomes completed 36 of 50 passing attempts and threw for 446 yards and 3 TD’s. Mahomes must make sure the Chiefs do not go three-and-out and are extending drives by making plays with his arm and legs. I believe if the Chiefs want to win this game, Mahomes must replicate his last performance against the Titans on some level.
  • Tyrann Mathieu must have a major impact. Whether it is defending the pass by covering receivers one on one, lining up as a LB as he has multiple times this season under new DC Steve Spagnuolo, or even stopping Henry on the ground, Tyrann Mathieu can do it all and he must do it all on defense for this Chiefs defense to be successful. He is the unquestioned leader and the defense goes as he goes. If he is making plays and instilling confidence in the defense, then the defense will respond positively and make plays.

3 KEYS TO THE GAME FOR THE TENNESSEE TITANS:

  • Contrary to one of the Chiefs’ keys, the Titans must establish Henry and the ground game early and often. If the Titans can control the ground, they can control the game. Establishing Henry and pounding the rock keeps the reigning MVP off the field in the biggest game of the year. I believe the Titans will attempt to do this right out of the gate.
  • Ryan Tannehill must extend plays with his arms and legs. With the amount of carries Henry has been getting, play-action becomes a key weapon for the Titan’s offensive attack. Tannehill must take advantage of this and the one-on-one coverage the Chiefs will likely play against the Tennessee WRs and TEs, as he completed 13 of 19 passing attempts for 181 yards and 2 TD’s when these teams last played.
  • The Titan’s secondary must step up and challenge the Chiefs WRs at the line of scrimmage. The Titan’s DBs need to be physical at the line of scrimmage. If you sit back and play zone, the Chiefs WRs will find a weak spot in the zone. If you back off but play man, the Chiefs WRs are one of the fastest groups of WRs in the league and will blow by you. I believe the Titan’s DBs must attempt to disrupt the routes of the Chiefs receivers, which will disrupt the timing between the wideouts and Mahomes if they want to win this game.

PREDICTION:

This game is a matchup of directly opposite game plans. The Chiefs will try to play fast and make the Titan’s try to play to their speed, while the Titan’s will try to slow the game down and force KC to play at their speed. I think the Titans establish the running game early. Henry will keep being fed the ball and will run often. I believe Mahomes and the Chiefs will make plays on offense, but I also believe the Chiefs defense is up to the task. They were physically manhandled the last time these teams met, and I do not believe that will be the case again. I believe the Chiefs defense will get enough stops to give the ball back to Mahomes to make enough plays to escape Arrowhead with a win on Sunday afternoon. I’ll take the Chiefs to win 31-24.

As always, follow me on twitter @bradyvaughan30

The Wednesday Morning News Dump

by noblequy, posted in MLB, NCAA Football, NFL, Sports Talk

Wow. Only two weeks into the new decade and the last weekend alone had huge breaking news in the sports world. This will be a succinct rehash of the many storylines that came out in the last week; more details to follow in their own articles.

Monday, January 7, 2020: Jerry Jones Hires Mike McCarthy to be new Dallas Cowboys Head Coach

After an interview that included a sleep over at the Cowboys practice facility with owner Jerry Jones, Mike McCarthy was announced to be the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. This comes out a week after the Cowboys announced they would not be renewing Jason Garrett’s contract, and supposed head coaching candidates such as Marvin Lewis, Urban Meyer, and Lincoln Riley. The McCarthy hire has been viewed mostly with mixed to ambivalent feelings by most of the media and Cowboys fan, though most people do view this as an upgrade over Garrett. It appears that McCarthy will be able to hire his own staff and will retain Kellon Moore at Offensive Coordinator. The Cowboys organization and the fans hope that McCarthy will be the final piece to bring the Cowboys back to playoff success.

Saturday, January 11: Tennessee Titans Crush #1 Seed Baltimore Ravens

The Titans rolled into Baltimore and to everyone’s astonishment, absolutely destroyed the #1 seed Ravens that came in as heavy favorites to make it to the Super Bowl. On the legs of Derrick Henry, the stout Titan defense, and 88 passing yards from Ryan Tannehill, the Titans stymied and frustrated the NFL MVP candidate, Lamar Jackson, and ran rough shod all over the Ravens. The Titans have now knocked off the #1 and the #3 seed in the AFC and are headed from wild card to the AFC Championship.

Sunday, January 12: Epic Meltdown & Epic Comeback: Patrick Mahomes vs. Houston Texans

We witnessed what a fully functional Chiefs offense can do and how bad Bill O’Brien is really at coaching. Also, all the metrics that attempt to disprove the existence of momentum in sports, apparently didn’t take into account people like Patrick The GOAT Mahomes, and how a single explosive kick off return could set off a Chiefs offense that would put up 41 unanswered points, quickly erasing a 24-0 lead the Texans had, to cruise to a 51-31 to make a consecutive return to the AFC Championship to face the red-hot Tennessee Titans.

Sunday, January 12: Coach Jimmy Johnson is announced to join the NFL Hall of Fame on live TV

During the halftime show of the Sunday night NFL playoff, Jimmy Johnson- 2 time Super Bowl winning coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s-, in front of his colleagues and a national televised audience, was announced into the Pro Football Hall of Fame much to his shock and surprise. The emotion was quite visible as Coach Johnson struggled to stifle the tears of joy and speak as he was being congratulated by his colleagues and TV studio members. Troy Aikman, the Dallas Cowboy’s quarterback during Johnson’s tenure, watched on his monitor from his commentator’s booth and was clearly emotional as well as he saw his former coach join the hall of all-time greats, that includes himself as well. It is important to note that it is upmost tragedy and injustice that Johnson was admitted into the prestigious NFL HoF before getting into the Cowboys’ own Ring of Honor, and it is safe to say that all this deserved praise for Coach Jimmy Johnson has once again brought to light the enormity of Jerry Jones’ personal ego which drove Coach Johnson away in the first place. Only time will tell if Jones and the Cowboys organization will give Coach Jimmy Johnson the recognition he is due, which has already been acknowledged by the league.

Monday, January 13: Houston: Bad News- Texans Meltdown, Worse News- MLB suspends Astros Manager & GM, Worsest news- Astros owner fires GM & Manager

The last couple days have been reallyyyy rough on Houston sports fans. First the Texans blown lead against the Chiefs on Sunday and now the release of the MLB’s findings from their investigation of the Houston Astros and their now-confirmed cheating in their World Series winning team in the 2017 season. The penalty passed down from the MLB was a $5 million fine, the loss of 1st & 2nd round pick for the 2020 and 2021 and the suspension of manager AJ Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow from all MLB activities for one year. Astros owner, Jim Crane, followed up immediately with a press conference where he fired both Hinch and Luhnow on live TV. While the MLB and the Astros organization are all in a very serious and somber mood, most of baseball is outraged by what is viewed as a slap on the wrist. Other baseball owners believe that the cost of draft prospects, the suspension of a GM and a manager, and $5 million (pocket change for baseball owners) would be worth it to hold onto a World Series title.

Monday, January 13: LSU Completes the Undefeated Season of Destiny- One of the Greatest to Ever do it

LSU left no doubt as they wrapped up the 2019-20 college football season and defeated the reigning national champions, the Clemson Tigers, 42-25 in the New Orleans Super Dome. In a stadium that seemed to be filled 75% LSU fans, LSU won their first national championship since 2007, the 3rd in the last 20 years. Initially Brent Venables, the Clemson defensive coordinator, stymied the prolific LSU offense and forced 3 punts on LSU’s first 3 possessions. However, Coach Orgeron and his staff did what few have been able to do before: out-coach Dabo Swinney. After trailing for most of the 1st half, LSU made the necessary adjustments and were able to better protect Heisman winner, Joe Burrow, allowing him the time to find his receivers downfield for gigantic chunk plays and take the lead going into halftime. The 2nd half, LSU’s offense continued to fire on all cylinder as the LSU defense tightened down and handed Trevor Lawrence his first loss in his collegiate career. LSU became the first school in NCAA history to defeat 7 Top 10 opponent, with 4 Top 4 opponents, to finish, not only as National Champions, but also potentially as one of the greatest college football teams to ever play.

Tuesday, January 14: Boston Red Sox Fire Manager Alex Cora

On Tuesday evening, the Boston Red Sox ballclub has decided to “mutually agreed to part ways” with Alex Cora in an official statement, effectively firing him, one day after serious cheating implications came to light from his days as a bench coach with the 2017 Houston Astros, and potentially with his own ballclub in the 2018 year when the Red Sox won their own World Series title. Alex Cora was mentioned explicitly in the official MLB investigation report that cited him as one of the primary ring leaders in their sign stealing cheating scheme. Time will tell what kind of punishment the Red Sox organization may have to face, depending on what the MLB investigation report reveals.

Chiefs vs Texans Playoff Preview

by Brady Vaughan, posted in NFL

The NFL playoffs are off to a sizzling start with two of the four Wild Card round games going into overtime, a Tennessee Titans victory over the Patriots in Foxborough, and another heartbreaking loss for the New Orleans Saints at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings.

This upcoming weekend, my beloved Kansas City Chiefs and star quarterback Patrick Mahomes II take on the Houston Texans and stud quarterback Deshaun Watson, who essentially willed his team to victory by being great last week against the Buffalo Bills.

For starters, these two teams played back in Arrowhead Stadium, the site of Sunday’s divisional round matchup,  back in Week Six of the regular season in early October. The Texans won that matchup 31-24. In that game, the Texans out-gained the Chiefs 472 yards to 309 yards. The Texans also ran for 192 yards and also got 35 first downs in that game while the Chiefs only ran for 58 yards and got 20 first downs. However the Texans did turn the ball over three times compared to KC’s two turnovers, two of which were Deshaun Watson interceptions.

However, I believe none of that matters this time around. The Chiefs were without a significant number of starters for that matchup, including starting DT Chris Jones, starting OL Andrew Wylie and Eric Fisher, starting WR Sammy Watkins, starting LB Anthony Hitchens as well as LB Dorian O’Daniel. Furthermore starting CB Kendall Fuller left midway through the second quarter with an injury, and star WR Tyreek Hill was just coming back from his injury. QB Patrick Mahomes also twisted his ankle during the game which hindered his ability to escape the pocket and extend plays. Simply put: the Chiefs were wounded.

That is not to say that the Texans were not without their own injuries. Starting WR Kenny Stills missed the game the last time these teams met as well. Stills had a decent regular season, hauling in 40 catches for 561 yards and 4 TD’s. It’s not the type of numbers that will wow any one person, but those numbers are respectable and force defenses to pay attention to him, which opens up more targets and takes more attention away from guys like Deandre Hopkins and Will Fuller.

Below are three keys to the game for both teams that I believe will go a long way in determining the outcome of this game.

KEYS TO THE GAME FOR THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: 

  • Kansas City must convert on 3rd down. They convert on average 47.6% of their third downs throughout the season. The Texans ate up roughly 40 minutes of game clock last time these teams met. That cannot happen if the Chiefs expect to win this game. Converting on third down and extending drives will ensure the Texans do not have the ball for that long this time around.
  • Kansas City must stop the rushing attack of the Texans. They rushed for 192 yards last time they met. The Chiefs defense has played well lately, giving up only an average of 95 rushing yards over the last six weeks.
  • Kansas City must pressure Deshaun Watson consistently throughout the game. Deshaun takes the most sacks out of any QB in the league, but there were two games this season in which he was not sacked. One of those games was when he last faced the Chiefs in Week Six. The Chiefs must pressure Watson and sack him a couple of times in order to find success in this game. Having DT Chris Jones back and adding DE Terrell Suggs to the defensive line this time around should help the Chiefs be able to do so.

KEYS TO THE GAME FOR THE HOUSTON TEXANS:

  • Protect Deshaun Watson. Contrary to one of the keys for the Chiefs, Houston must protect Watson. He has been under pressure for much of the season. When he was not sacked against the Chiefs, Watson threw for 280 yards and one TD while also running for 42 yards and two TD’s. The less pressure Watson is under, the more time he has to make better decisions and throw the ball accurately to his receiving core.
  • Contain the Chiefs running game. The Texans must try to make the Chiefs one dimensional. Now forcing Patrick Mahomes to drop back and throw with all those weapons around him might not sound like a bad idea to all the Chiefs fans, but I believe Houston should aim to make the Chiefs one dimensional. This allows the Texans defense to more accurately defend against the deadly passing attack Kansas City possesses. If the Texans stop the Chiefs’ run game, this will allow guys like DE JJ Watt, DE DJ Reader, and LB Whitney Mercilus to pin their ears back and go all out on rushing the quarterback in order to attempt forcing Mahomes into some bad decisions.
  • Get all three main wide receivers involved. The Chiefs are missing rookie standout safety Juan Thornhill, who tore his ACL against the Los Angeles Chargers in the regular season finale for the Chiefs. This forces second year safety Armani Watts to step into a bigger role. Watts has not seen as many reps as Thornhill, and I believe the Texans should try to take advantage of that by stretching the field vertically against the Chiefs’ secondary. Hopkins is one of the top three receivers in the league in my book, so he obviously needs to be involved, but the play of Will Fuller and Kenny Stills could go a long way to determining the outcome of this game.

PREDICTION:

The Chiefs are 10 point favorites according to Vegas, but I think it’ll be closer than that. I think the Chiefs convert on third down to help keep the Texans offense off the field for less than 40 minutes (which is how long they were on the field last time these teams met). However, I like Houston’s ability to challenge the Chiefs’ defense, who has been good as of late, but has not faced the best QB’s the last six weeks. While the Chiefs did face Tom Brady in Foxborough, they also faced an aging Phillip Rivers (twice), rookie Drew Lock, Derek Carr, and Mitchell Trubisky. Deshaun is definitively better than most of those quarterbacks, but I believe the Chiefs defense will play better than last time these teams met. The Chiefs will limit the Texan’s rushing attack and will create some pressure on Deshaun. Mahomes will have his full compliment of weapons and a way improved defense behind his back. Add in the home field advantage, and I see the Chiefs walking away with the win. I’ll take Kansas City to win 27-20. 

As always, you can find me on twitter as @bradyvaughan30

NFL Playoff Preview and Picks

by Jeremy Fernando, posted in NFL

The NFL playoffs are upon us and each playoff team has hopes of making it to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida to partake in Super Bowl LIV. Like a typical college student, I procrastinated on this assignment thus, there won’t be too much in-depth analysis on each playoff team. However, I will be giving my playoff predictions which will culminate with who I believe will be holding the Lombardi Trophy come February 2nd, 2020. Let’s start with the AFC.

AFC:

6. Tennessee Titans v. 3. New England Patriots: Will the Patriots dynasty end this year? It is becoming more and more likely. However, I have the utmost faith that they will not fall at the hands of Ryan Tannehill and the Tennessee Titans. The Patriots defense is just too good and its Tom Brady and Bill Belichik in Foxborough. Give me the Patriots winning in a close one.

5. Buffalo Bills vs. 4. Houston Texans: Will the Texans choke once again in the playoffs? I wouldn’t doubt it. This Bills team has surprised everyone this year and is playing very good football at the moment. However, the Texans activated J.J. Watt this week and it looks like he is in line to play which will bring much needed energy to the home crowd at NRG. I think Deshaun Watson makes enough plays down the stretch to give the home team the victory.

4. Houston Texans vs. 1. Baltimore Ravens: Coming off a very close win against the Bills, the Texans season will end when they visit the Ravens. Lamar Jackson and Co. will continue their brilliance and will roll in this one.

3. New England Patriots vs. 2. Kansas City Chiefs: In a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship game, I believe Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid get their revenge and officially put an end to the Patriots’ dynasty. While the Pats’ defense will keep them in the game, their abysmal offense, which has hindered them all season, will be the final nail in the coffin. Give me the Chiefs at Arrowhead.

2. Kansas City Chiefs vs. 1. Baltimore Ravens: Yes, I am boring choosing the top 2 seeds to face off in the AFC championship. However, these are the 2 best teams by far in this conference. The Ravens have just looked so impressive all season and it is tough to abandon the ship now. While both teams will put up points, the Ravens have the far better defense which will make enough stops to win them the game. For the first time since winning it all with Joe Flacco in 2013, the Ravens will play in the Super Bowl.

NFC:

6. Minnesota Vikings vs. 3. New Orleans Saints: The Vikings are a very dangerous team and were the game to be played at U.S. Bank Stadium, I’d confidently choose them to prevail. However, its Drew Brees and Sean Payton at the Superdome. After last year’s crushing loss to the Rams in the NFC Championship, the Saints are hungry and motivated. In another thriller, similar to the 2018 divisional round matchup between the 2 teams, I like the Saints to get their revenge on the Vikings.

5. Seattle Seahawks vs. 4. Philadelphia Eagles: I have been riding the Seahawks train since the 2019 season began and if you have been following my Picks from God you know I hate to bet against Russell Wilson. However, it is very hard to beat a team twice in a season and the Seahawks have looked very vulnerable these last few weeks. The Eagles magically flip a switch in the playoffs and I like the home underdogs at Lincoln Financial Field. The Seahawks just have too many injuries on the offensive line for my liking. Due to one of the dumbest rules in sports, the Eagles have home-field advantage and I believe that will be one of the main difference makers in the contest.

4. Philadelphia Eagles vs. 1. San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers win this game by 3 touchdowns. They have just looked so impressive this whole season. Further, the Eagles will be coming off a very close game at home which will take every ounce of manpower. I think the 49ers defense wreaks havoc on Carson Wentz and Jimmy G has his way with the Eagles secondary. 49ers roll.

3. New Orleans Saints vs. 2. Green Bay Packers: Am I really picking against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in one of the harshest weather conditions in all of sports? Yes, I am. Like I said earlier, the Saints are hungry and motivated. This pick makes no logical sense especially after reviewing Drew Brees stat lines in cold-weather games. But I truly believe this is the Saints year and I think their offense does just enough to salvage a win in the tundra.

3. New Orleans Saints vs. 1. San Francisco 49ers: It is tough to beat a team twice in a season and it took everything the 49ers had earlier in the season to knock off the Saints on the road. Yes, the Saints will be coming off a very hard fought win in Lambeau, but Drew Brees is hungry for another Super Bowl and will have his team prepared. The 49ers are the better overall football team and logically this pick doesn’t make sense. But I think the Saints have a massive chip on their shoulder and come out victorious by the bay.

Super Bowl:

New Orleans Saints vs. Baltimore Ravens: This game will have plenty of hype as it will be the old vs. the new in a QB battle between Drew Brees and Lamar Jackson. The big game will not disappoint and fans will get more than they bargained for. In an all-time classic, I think the veteran Brees outlasts newcomer Jackson. Neither team will lead by more than a FG and I think Brees connects with WR Michael Thomas late in the 4th quarter to give the Saints the win. After last year’s incredible heartbreak, the Saints will lift the Lombardi Trophy high as winners of Super Bowl LIV.

Patriots Playoff Preview and Outlook

by Brian Murray, posted in NFL

For the first time in 9 seasons, the most dominant team in all of sports will play on NFL Wild Card weekend.

So yeah, it’s not ideal, the Pats got beat at home by a 5-11 Dolphins team and lost the first round bye. On the bright side though we’re in the playoffs, we’re onto Tennessee, and it’s a new year and new season. Everyone knows things get different in New England during January and February. This is the real football season for the Pats.

I’m not going to dwell on the loss to the Dolphins for a few reasons. First is that it is what it is – we lost. Second is that it has happened before, and third is that the Pats are in the playoffs and they aren’t. So enjoy the beach fellas.

Anyways the loss hurts more than just a regular loss because the Pats lost the first round bye. It’s not a huge deal in my opinion but it opens the door for more injuries and leaves less time for already existing injuries to heal.

I know for a fact that Julian Edelman, who has undisclosed but probably serious injuries to his shoulder and ankle could’ve used an extra week to rest. Jon Jones and Jason McCourty, each dealing with groin injuries could’ve used those days as well. A few O-lineman have been banged up as well, but hey, it’s football.

So, let’s move onto this weekend, the Wild Card game against the Tennessee Titans in Foxborough.

Ever since Ryan Tannehill took over in Tennessee, the Titans have really been rolling. Not only is Tannehill the highest rated QB in the NFL since he’s been starting, wide receiver AJ Brown is not only the leading rookie receiver in the NFL, but also the leading receiver in the league. This Titans offense is no joke, I expect Brown to draw coverage from Gilmore plus another defender for the whole game. The Pats will no doubt have to take away the best offensive target through the air.

Now, let’s talk about the Titans best player. Running back Derrick Henry. The Titans offense is essentially built off of Henry. They want to play smashmouth bruising football, and Henry is just the back to do that. He’s 6’3″ 240, has run for 1,540 yards this year and added another 206 through receptions. This guy can break a tackle from any linebacker and then immediately turn on the jets and go 75 yards in a blink of the eye. I expect containing Henry to be at the top of the Pats’ defensive gameplan. We simply cannot have another game like the Dolphin’s game where they dominate the time of possession and move the ball down the field chunk by chunk.

On the offensive side I’m mostly concerned about the health of Edelman and the offensive line. Edelman is obviously banged up and was pretty much a non factor against the Dolphins. If the Pats are going to make a deep run this year they’re going to need legendary performances from #11.

Tom Brady also needs to find a way to make it work. I know all the talk this year has been “he doesn’t have weapons” and “nobody can get open”. I’m done with that talk. It’s the playoffs – time to show up and play as hard as you can with what you’ve got. Tom’s made it work with lesser than average receiving corps his whole career. The time for excuses is over, go out and make it work.

With that being said, if the Pats are going to have a consistent offensive attack it’s going to be on the ground. I thought Sony Michel had a good game against the Dolphins and gained good chunks of yardage when he had the blocking. He’ll probably be leaned on a good bit. I still would like Rex Burkhead to be used more robustly. He also had a good game against the Dolphins, but didn’t get enough touches to make a big impact.

All in all, I’m pretty nervous for this one. The team that showed up against the Dolphins looked dispassionate, low energy, and uninspired. I’m hoping that the opposite team shows up this Saturday.

Keep the faith.

LFG.

The Jerry Problem

by Clayton Neider, posted in Football, NFL

Jerry Jones is the worst owner in all of sports. He has built the most valuable sports franchise in the world, but inappropriately talks to the press, oversteps his role, and even turns his back on the cowboys and leaves games early. He is a disgrace to the team and is a disease that needs to be cured. This is not the man I want to own and manage The Dallas Cowboys.

Time and time again I hear Dallas fans look for problems in the organization saying its the coaching staff, the quarterback, the defense, or anything else. It is a different “problem” every week. One thing that has been consistent over the last 30 years is, The Jerry Problem. Dallas rightfully so wants Jason Garrett gone, but lets take a look at The Jerry Problem.

The Dallas Cowboys get off to a hot start at 3-0. The fans are beginning to believe once again that this is “our year.” A phrase that I have heard all my life. The Cowboys were #4 in the power rankings per ESPN coming into week 4. Kellen Moore had reshaped the Cowboys offense to a pass first attack that was shredding offenses. Dak Prescott threw for over 900 yards in his first 3 games. The Cowboys are on track for it to be “our year.”

Fast Forward 3 weeks and we are reminded that greatness can only last so long, especially considering the records of the three teams we beat. This three game stretch reminds us that it once again is not “our year.”

The Dallas Cowboys face a tough decision in deciding to extend Garrett or look elsewhere. Jerry Jones has loved Garrett for many seasons shown by the following statement, “We have a lot invested in Jason. Jason is certainly, in my mind, the coach that could turn this thing around and cause us to have a great year.” Throughout the season he has reminded the Cowboys that he is the guy, “I wouldn’t make a change & give us a chance to do what I want to dream about doing.” and “There will be no coaching change.” Jerry Jones believed in Garrett until he didn’t.

Jerry Jones flips his opinion of Garrett overnight and states, “we’d have zero chance” to win a Super Bowl with the current head coach. This couldn’t be the same man that believed in Jason Garrett just a little over a month ago. At 6-6 leading the NFC East, Jerry Jones idiotically goes to the media once again to publicly indicate that Jason Garrett will be fired after the season is over unless he wins a Super bowl. This is incredibly inappropriate for a team atop of the division controlling their own destiny.

Imagine your boss giving you an impossible task. Now imagine the pressure of this task knowing if you don’t finish you would be fired. This is the scenario that Jason was put under and is down right idiotic of Jerry Jones to say. If I knew I was going to be fired within the next two months, I would have no incentive to work and the team showed it on the field. In the next few games you saw a flat Cowboys team that had no energy trying to rally behind Dak Prescott. The issues on the field have one explanation, The Jerry Problem.

Jerry Jones only option with a team 6-6 vying for the playoffs was to fire Jason Garrett mid-season and promote Kris Richard as the Interim Head Coach. Richard played football at USC under Pete Carroll and joined him on his coaching staff at Seattle where he was the secondary coach and helped develop talent that included Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor. AKA “The legion of boom.” Dallas hired him as the defensive backs coach in 2018 and he has done a phenomenal job helping the Dallas defense turn into a top 10 defense. In the offseason after his first year there was much speculation about him being promoted or even becoming a defensive coordinator somewhere else.

At 6-6, who would you rather have, a lackluster, hand clapper, emotionless Jason Garrett who has no reason to fight to win the division? Or would you rather have a fiery Kris Richard with a lot to prove with the capability of winning the division and doing some damage in the playoffs.

A team that has top 5 talent in almost every area on the field is now #14 in the power rankings (Per ESPN). This seems to have always been the case for the Cowboys in the past 20 years, a talented team that grossly continues to underperform.

The choice was simple, the choice was obvious, the choice was necessary. Jerry Jones has been the problem, is the problem, and will always be the problem for The Dallas Cowboys.

State of the Patriots 12/24/19 – Just Getting Loose?!

by Brian Murray, posted in NFL

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any other Holiday you may celebrate! I am optimistically looking forward to 2020 and I hope you are too!

Pats are 12-3 heading into week 17

The Patriots won the AFC East for the 11th year in a row this past weekend, a truly remarkable feat in a league designed for constant parity and turnover. Baring another “Miami Miracle” this weekend, we’ll finish the season with an impressive 13 wins.

Positives from the Bills game

I thought last week’s game against the Bills was one of the most exciting games of the year. Two evenly matched teams played hard nose football the whole game, and it came down to the last possession. That being said, I thought the Pats got back to playing ‘Patriots football’ and pretty much controlled the game throughout.

Positive #1

The big guys up front on both sides of the ball were outstanding. Isaiah Wynn, Joe Thuney, and Shaq Mason have really led the way for a surging position group. Mason in particular has been really good down the stretch this year after a shaky start to the season. He’s had 85 grade or above from Pro-Football Focus in four of his last seven games. I was critical of him earlier in the year, but I think he’s starting to show why he’s worth the money we paid him. Joe Thuney has been outstanding and has really anchored the O-line all year. He’s got a PFF grade of 78.5, which is pretty solid and I hope the Pats give him a new contract after this season. Marcus Cannon went down after getting the back of his ankle rolled up on during a run play. According to sources, he was at practice today so that is a good sign going forward.

Positive #2

This was the first game where I felt confident in our receiver’s abilities to get open for Tom. The ball was really spread around against the Bills as Edelman, White, Harry, Burkhead, Meyers, Sanu, Watson, and LaCosse all played important parts in the passing game.

The two most exciting components to me were the emergence of Rex Burkhead both running and catching balls out of the backfield, and the continued development and usage of N’Keal Harry.

Based on the last two games, I think Burkhead has been criminally underused this season. He’s great catching balls out of the backfield, and he can make people miss in the open field. Plus, he showed he’s tough to tackle straight up, as he bounced right off a Bills linebacker for the go ahead touchdown.

N’Keal Harry also continues to show toughness and versatility both running and catching the ball. Two weeks in a row now, the Pats have called end around runs with him and aside from a missed block from Sanu, each one has gone for 10+ yards. The hand-off to Harry on the 4th and 1 where he was stopped short was really disappointing. Sanu totally whiffed on his block, and seemed to barely make any effort at all. Harry didn’t back down from his match-up with top Bills corner, Tre’Davious White. Harry blocked against him hard, much to the chagrin of White. I still think Harry’s got a long way to go to be top option passing wise, but he works hard, blocks hard, and is super athletic. This guy has all the tools to be a monster weapon and I’m rooting for him.

Positive #3

Special teams and defense continues to get it done.

DPOY candidate Stephon Gilmore and Pro-Bowl snub JC Jackson played outstanding yet again. I was also really impressed with Lawrence Guy and Adam Butler, two under the radar defensive lineman who have played outstanding for the Pats in the last two years. Guy in particular is highly rated for not missing tackles (he’s only missed one all year).

The defense did a great job of putting pressure on Josh Allen when it mattered the most. During the last drive of the game, the Bills made it all the way down to the 25ish yard line and had three shots to the end zone. On the first one, Allen missed his tight end in the back corner for a potentially game tying touchdown. On the second Allen was sacked, and on the third, the Pats blitzed hard, and Allen had no time other than to run back ten yards and chuck it up. JC Jackson subsequently knocked the pass down.

Another thing we can’t take for granted is the kicking game. Nick Folk nailed three field goals, including a 51 yard attempt and one extra point. Good kicking has been a rare commodity in the NFL this year, and if the Pats can rely on Folk to be confident down the stretch, it’ll be a huge luxury.

A look ahead

The Pats are hosting the Dolphins at home this week. Obviously, the Dolphins don’t really have much to play for and aren’t a top team, but I expect them to compete nonetheless. It’ll be interesting to see the dynamics of Brian Flores’ and all the former Pats coaches and players coming back to Foxborough for the first time. It’s been no secret that Flores brought a large contingent of Patriots from last year’s team with him down to South Beach. This past week, he claimed two players from the Pats practice squad. I wonder if that has ruffled anybody’s feathers in the building.

The Pats need to win this game. If they win, a first round bye, and home field in the Divisional game is ours. If not, the Chiefs will get home field and the bye (assuming they win). By all accounts, the Pats are taking this one super seriously. In the locker room after the Bills game, Belichick called the game a playoff game and the upcoming game against the Dolphins a playoff game as well. Nobody’s taking this one lightly, and I would expect nothing less. I’m expecting this team to rally around the now famous quote from Elandon Roberts for the rest of the season, “I’ll run through a M*****f***** face, offense, defense, special teams, it don’t matter.”

Onto Miami. Go Pats.

Battle for the NFC (L)east Preview

by colewest86, posted in NFL

This Sunday at 3:25, the Dallas Cowboys travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in a battle for the #1 spot in the NFC East. Both teams come into the matchup with a mediocre 7-7 record sitting at top of the division. What has been a rather underwhelming fight for the division will all come to an end this Sunday. If the Cowboys win, they will clinch the #1 seed in the NFC East making the Cowboys the NFC East champion for the two years in a row- first time in 8 years. On the other hand if the Eagles win, they do not clinch playoff berth, but control their own destiny sitting on top of the division.

Now both teams have had an underwhelming season since the Eagles and Cowboys were predicted to have 11 and 10 wins respectively when both teams can only get a maximum of 9 wins this season. They met previously in October in Arlington where the Cowboys beat the Eagles 37-10. The Cowboys in that game looked dominant and clearly the better team; however, that was nearly 2 months ago and a lot has happened since.

Since that game, the Cowboys have lost 4 out of their next 7 games losing to all teams above .500 except for the Rams. The media has swarmed them regarding the possibility of firing Jason Garrett after losing to the Bills on Thanksgiving, and the Bears in primetime. The Eagles have also experience their share of struggles losing 3 out of their next 7 games including the Dolphins, and nearly losing to the Redskins and Giants.

The Cowboys now come into this game ranked 2nd in passing averaging 300 yards a game, and are 6th in rushing averaging 134 yards a game. On the other side, the Eagles are 16th in passing with 231.5 yards a game, and 11th in rushing with 121.4 rushing yards a game. The Cowboys offense seems to have a little bit of an advantage; however their defenses are similar being next to each other in nearly every team defensive stat. The Cowboys have won 4 games against the Eagles in a row and are looking to add a 5th on Sunday.

Keys to the Game

The key to the game for the Cowboys is to run the ball. The Cowboys have looked the best they have looked recently last week when they beat the Rams, and running the ball was a huge part of it. They had over 250 yards on the ground in their win against the wins. Establishing run will not only open up the pass for quarterback, Dak Prescott, it will eat up the clock and keep the Eagles offense off the field majority of the game.

The key to the game for the Eagles is their defense and their ability to stop the run/force turnovers. The Eagles offense is banged up with only 2 healthy wide receivers, and their running backs are banged up. This offense has struggled to score in the first half the past few games. So if the Eagles defense can put pressure on Dak to force some bad throws, or even some turnovers, then that gives the offense the boost it needs in this rivalry game.

Prediction

Predicting a game that includes the Cowboys is always tough because you never know which team will show up. I think the Cowboys are the healthier, and more talented team. Normally, I would say the Eagles, but the Eagles have struggled against bad teams the past 3 weeks (Dolphins, Giants, Redskins). Additionally, the Cowboys always seem to play well against the Eagles (winning the last 4 games against them). I am going to go with the Cowboys over the Eagles 27-20.

Dallas and Philadelphia will square off 3:25 CT this Sunday on FOX. The winner will most likely win the NFC East, and be the #4 seed in the NFC playoffs. The NFC East champion will most likely host a playoff game against either the Seattle Seahawks or San Fransisco 49ers whichever team is the runner-up.

The NFL Pro Bowlers are out and its a SHAM

by Brian Murray, posted in NFL

Yesterday, the NFL released both the AFC and NFC rosters for the 2020 Pro-Bowl. Aka the 2020 nobody cares bowl. Highlighting the roster are 12 (TWELVE) Baltimore Ravens, 7 Saints and 6 Chiefs. Everyone knows that the Pro-Bowl selection process isn’t the most unbiased and just way to do things, but this years class of selections in particular really exposed the flaws. Keep reading for some of the most egregious snubs.

NFC QBs

Russell Wilson, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers. The 1st is having an MVP caliber season, Brees is currently ranked the 4th best QB in the NFL, and then we have Aaron Rodgers, who simply got a free pass because his name is Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers is currently ranked the 17th best QB in the league, sandwiched between Jameis Winston (16th) and none other than Baker Mayfield (18th). Rodgers does lead the league with only 2 interceptions, but is a distant 9th and 11th when it comes to TDs and yards, respectively.

So, who should’ve got in before Rodgers? I think the signal callers with the best cases are Dak Prescott and Kirk Cousins. Prescott is currently ranked the 3rd best QB in the league, Cousins is 9th. Prescott is 2nd in yards and 4th in TDs. Statistically speaking he’s put together a much better year than Rodgers, and he’s been way more efficient while doing it. Cousins is top ten in all major categories, yards, TDs, INTs, and total QBR. He’s also put together a more impressive season on paper and in the metrics department.

I’m not a football data analyst or anything, but it looks like the voters got it wrong here. Rodgers got in because he’s Aaron Rodgers. He’s got the reputation, and way more State Farm commercials than Kirk will ever have.

AFC Safeties

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Jamal Adams, Earl Thomas. The first two I agree with, the last probably shouldn’t have made it.

Just yesterday I saw an article calling Tyrann Mathieu a candidate for defensive player of the year. How can he be a top candidate for that award, and not make the pro-bowl team?

Thomas is the Pro-Bowler with a stat line of 30 solo tackles, 2 INTs, 1.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.

On the other hand, Mathieu has 50 solo tackles, 3 INTs, and 2 sacks.

It gets worse though, folks.

Devin McCourty has 38 solo tackles, 5 INTs, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery.

These are just basic stats. I’m no statistician or big into stats at all, but when you sit down and look at the comparisons, it’s pretty ugly.

And the WORST Pro-Bowl selection of them all

Tyreek Hill. Mr. Hill has played in 10 of a possible 15 games for the Chiefs this year! He’s put together a truly impressive line of 49 receptions on 79 targets for 727 yards and 9 TDs. His stats really jump off the page don’t they?!

Well let me know what you think of Hill’s stats after you look at Julian Edelman’s, top receiver on the “terrible” Patriots offense.

92 receptions, 140 targets, 1,019 yards, 6 TDs.

So let me get this straight… Edelman has 45 more receptions, 61 more targets, 2 more TDs, and 292 more yards than Hill, but the latter is the Pro-Bowler? Got it. Oh yeah and since reputation is supposedly a factor in the voting process, let’s just throw in that Hill was the one with child abuse allegations this past off season, not Edelman.

Hey NFL, your Patriots bias is showing.

Of course, I’m cherry picking here comparing Hill to Edelman because I’m a big fan of Jules. But just so you know, there are 52 receivers who have more receptions than Tyreek Hill, 38 with more yards, 12 with more TDs, and 20 with a better yards per reception average. Sounds like a Pro-Bowl starter to me!

So let’s all raise our glass to another year of big Pro-Bowl snubs not just on the Pats but across the league and another year of no Patriot actually playing in the nobody cares bowl.

12/17/19 48 Hours Later: The State of the Patriots

by Brian Murray, posted in NFL

We’re about 48 hours past the Pats getting back into W column and boy does it feel good. Defense balled out, offense was effective enough, but all in all it felt like the Pats did just enough to get back on track. My thoughts below.

Defense

This defense is absurd. The Pats currently have two of the best corners in the league on the roster. Everyone now knows Stephon Gilmore, candidate for defensive player of the year, and arguably the top corner in the league. He took home two interceptions, including a pick six on the day. He currently boasts a QB rating of 32 against him when receivers he is covering are targeted. This weekend he covered Tyler Boyd, who I pointed out in my game preview is putting together a pretty nice season. Gilmore held him to two catches for 24 yards, but somehow Boyd still thought he won most of their one on one match-ups. Hats off to you for the confidence, Tyler…I guess. Gilmore is currently tied for the league high in interceptions, with six.

His counterpart, J.C. Jackson, is probably a name that most fans of the NFL in general don’t know off the top of their head. J.C. is an undrafted DB out of the University of Maryland. He put together a really good rookie season last year and has only stepped it up from there. He currently touts a QB rating of 28 when receivers he is covering are targeted. Jackson also had two interceptions to add to his season total of 5. It’s pretty rare to find undrafted studs like J.C. The fact that he’s playing DB, one of the toughest individual positions in the sport in my opinion, makes it even more impressive.

It’s no wonder why Zac Taylor said he thought his receivers got “bullied” by the Patriots DB’s. The whole secondary was jumping routes and hitting hard all day long. It was awesome to watch, but even more funny to hear Taylor say that. A first year head coach (also the youngest head coach in the league) probably doesn’t need to be beating down his players at the end of a year like this. Oh well though.. Bengals gonna Bengal.

Special Teams

The special teams group has balled out all season and this game was no different. Jake Bailey added to his stellar rookie season, consistently pinning the Bengals in unfavorable field position. Nate Ebner almost blocked another kick, and the duo of Matthew Slater and Justin Bethel is any special teams coaches’ dream. Since the addition of Bethel, the Pats have not given up a punt return of more than ten yards. That’s truly remarkable when you consider the rate at which the Pats are punting – currently 3rd in the league with 5.4 per game.

Matthew Slater caused a fumble on a punt which turned out to be a big turning point in the game. It was caused by some lucky timing by Slater’s right arm/hand, and a Bengals blocker ever so slightly pushing Slater into the punt returner, which negated a possible penalty for punt interference. The Bengals were furious that nothing was called, and the team really seemed defeated after it happened. Who recovered it you ask? None other than Justin Bethel.

Offense

If you just look at the stats you’d probably think the offense had another lackluster performance. Brady only had 129 yards, Michel had 89 (one of his higher totals for the year), but as a whole, the Pats had 175+ yards on the ground, and the passing game showed a good bit of improvement.

The one big bright spot in the offense was the usage of N’Keal Harry. The rookie only had two catches for 15 yards, but made an awesome diving catch in the back of the end zone, and showed unreal athleticism making a diving over the shoulder catch that was negated due to a penalty. While Harry may not have put up eye popping numbers, it was encouraging to see him out there for a majority of the snaps, and his confidence seemed to be at a high point during this game. I’m looking for him to emerge as a real number two threat down the stretch, he could be really big for this team.

I mentioned one of the keys to this game being the offensive line. The big guys certainly had a better outing than the Chiefs game, but there’s still room for improvement. Marcus Cannon got beat several times by Carlos Dunlap and Sam Hubbard, who both sacked Brady and hit him multiple times. Isaiah Wynn and Joe Thuney led the way and showed off their versatility. Much like my hope for Harry, I still think this group can be way better than they have showed so far.

On the negative side, Mohamed Sanu continues to disappoint. He dropped a pivotal pass on third down, and only caught two passes for 13 yards in total. Phillip Dorsett played nine snaps, as his position as a go to option in this offense seems to be over. Edelman and Brady showed some rare miscommunication as a few passes either missed Edelman or hit off his fingers. I’m sure we’ll never know the extent of his injuries this season, but it’s pretty obvious that Jules is hurting.

On to Buffalo

Buffalo comes to Foxborough this Saturday for the second of three games that will be played on Saturday. It’s a short week for both teams, but I don’t expect that to negatively effect anybody on either side as both realize that this is a pretty big game for both teams.

The Pats need to win this game to retain the 2nd spot in the AFC, if they lose they risk dropping behind the Chiefs, who have the head to head advantage. Unfortunately, the Super Bowl still goes through Baltimore.

For Buffalo, it’d be huge for their confidence going into the playoffs, and further solidify the great season they’re having so far. They’re coming off a huge win in Pittsburgh, Josh Allen is playing well, the defense is the strength of their team, and they’re without a doubt hyped up to go into New England and get a shot at dethroning the Pats.

I’m expecting a dog fight in Gillette. The Bills are going to come out swinging, they’re going to be hyped up, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Pats down early. But it’s going to come down to who can execute when it matters, who wins in the trenches, and who can get open consistently. This will probably be a low scoring defensive battle – wouldn’t want it any other way in December.

Go Pats