Tag Archives: 2015 Preview

AFC, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, NFC, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins

NFL WEEK 11 PICKS

November 21, 2015 Joey W Leave a comment

Obviously, the Jaguars beat the Titans on TNF.

Raiders (0) over LIONS –

The Oakland Raiders need this win more than anything. They are tied with Kansas City in the AFC South, and they MUST win this game if they want to have a chance to make the playoffs. Detroit is 4th in their division, so they aren’t really playing for anything, except the win. While the game is in Detroit, the Raiders have more pressure to win the game, and more heart. I believe the Oakland Raiders will win the game.

FALCONS (-6) over Colts

This is a MUST win for both teams. The game is in Atlanta, so the Falcons will have home field advantage. I had a hard time making this pick, however I do believe the Atlanta Falcons will come out with the win. First off, Andrew Luck is not expected to play, which will make it much harder for the Colts to win. Second, I just don’t see the Colts defense stopping the Atlanta offense. It will be very hard to stop Devonta Freeman, who is playing at his best this year.

EAGLES (-7) over Bucs

This is also another MUST win for both teams if they want to have a shot at making the playoffs. However, I am picking the Eagles to win this game. While the Eagles have their issues which I’ll explain in a bit, I just don’t see a Jameis Winston led team being able to pull out the win. Part of the issue is Tampa Bay’s defense which is not great at all. The Eagles biggest issue is, Mark Sanchez. There are obviously more factors, but last week the Eagles played a great first half, then Sam Bradford got hurt of course, and Mark Sanchez subbed in. Then, in the fourth quarter, when you have to be clutch, Mark Sanchez could not finish the game. I think this will be a very close game, but the Eagles will be able to pull out the win. Mark Sanchez will throw at least one interception, and I think the reason why the Eagles will win this game is because of their running game, especially with DeMarco Murray in the backfield.

BEARS (0) over Broncos

With the Bears coming off a HUGE road win against the Rams last week, they will be ready to come out and battle the Broncos at home on Sunday. It will be a lot harder for the Broncos to win without Peyton Manning, as Brock Osweiler will be the starting quarterback for the Broncos. However, I am picking the Denver Broncos to win the football game. Many may disagree, however, in my opinion, I think the Saint Louis Rams made some mistakes which caused the Bears to win the football game. The Chicago Bears will lose this week to the Broncos as reality will set in.

Rams (+2.5) over RAVENS

This may be a difficult game to pick based on the stat sheet, but it is quite easy for me. I am picking the Rams to win the game. The Rams are 2nd in their division and need to come out with the win if they want to have a chance at making the playoffs. As for the 2-7 Ravens, it would be a good win, but it wouldn’t do much as they have very little chance of making the playoffs.

DOLPHINS (0) over Cowboys

I think the Dallas Cowboys are not mentally tough enough to beat the Dolphins. Each week the players are getting in fights with the media, firing snarky comments at their opponents, and they just lose. They are currently on a seven game losing streak. To make matters worse, they are playing on the road against the Miami Dolphins who are not consistent, but are a much better football team in my opinion. This is an easy pick. I pick the Miami Dolphins to win the game.

Redskins (+8.5) over PANTHERS

The Panthers will come out with the win this week. They are the better football team overall, and Carolina is the home team. Washington is 0-4 on the road so far this season, so I don’t think they can just come into Carolina and win. I am picking the Carolina Panthers to win the game.

Chiefs (-3) over CHARGERS

While the Chargers are the home team in this game, I still believe the Chiefs will win. This is a division game, so lots of things can happen, but the Chiefs NEED to win this game if they have any chance at making the playoffs. I don’t think it will be a blowout, but Philip Rivers and the Chargers just are not playing well at all this year. I am picking the Kansas City Chiefs to win this game.

VIKINGS (0) over Packers

The Packers NEED to win this game, and so do the Vikings, but the Vikings are the home team, and Green Bay is 2-2 on the road this season. Things in Green Bay just haven’t been clicking these last 3 games, and it is time for them to turn it around. I think it will be a close game, but in the end Aaron Rodgers will have a great performance, and the Packers will get their much needed win. This is a very hard pick to make, but in the end I am picking the Green Bay Packers to win the game.

49ers (+13.5) over SEAHAWKS

For this game, Seattle is the home team. The 49ers are 0-4 on the road this season, and Century Link Field is a very hard stadium to play at. I believe the Seahawks will pull off the win, especially because Colin Kaepernick has been placed on season ending IR, which will make it very tough for the 49ers. Seattle’s defense will play a great game, and Seattle’s offense will put up just enough points to pull out the win. However, it should be close. I am picking the Seattle Seahawks to win the game.

Jets (-2.5) over TEXANS

While the Texans are the home team, and it will be tough for the Jets to win the game, but they will come through. The Houston Texans just haven’t shown me enough this year. They are pretty inconsistent to say the least. And this isn’t the Rex Ryan coached Jets, this is the 2015 Jets, who have proven to be much better than last year’s squad. I am picking the New York Jets to win the game.

Bengals (+5) over CARDINALS

This is going to be a tough game. The Bengals lost to the Texans last week, and now they are going on the road to play the Cardinals. While the Bengals are a great road team, I just don’t see their defense playing well. Obviously Arizona has a great defense, with Patrick Peterson at the DB and Tyrann Mathieu at safety. So, I think Cardinals’ defense will make it tough for the Bengals to score points, and it will be easier for the Cardinals to score on the Bengals defense. I am picking the Arizona Cardinals to win the game.

PATRIOTS (-8.5) over Bills

Rex Ryan is all hyped up about that win over his former team, the New York Jets. While the Bills did play a good game and got a good win, Rex Ryan gets all cocky when he wins games. In week one, after Rex Ryan and the Bills got a good win against the Colts, he started talking smack about the Patriots and how he was going to beat them. Once again, the Bills won the previous week and Rex Ryan is getting all cocky again. Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots will shut him up, as they did week 2 on the road in Buffalo. If that isn’t enough, the Patriots are also the home team. I do think this will be a close game, but in the end, I am picking the New England Patriots to win the game.

AFC, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, NFL

Patriots vs. Colts: The matchup we’ve all been waiting for

October 14, 2015 Bill Bodell Leave a comment

The time we’ve all been waiting for is soon upon us, week 6 of the NFL season Patriots vs. Colts. As we all already know the Colts are the team that started the whole “DeflateGate” BS that has been the biggest news story since the news broke after the beat down the Patriots put on the Colts in the AFC Championship game last season.

This game is going to be a complete embarrassment for the Indianapolis Colts. He Patriots have the biggest edge and chip on their shoulders of all-time and are playing with a vengeance right now, and will even more against the Colts this Sunday. Tom Brady has been playing at an unreal level, he’s pissed and has been pissed the past 9 months and has taken it out his anger so far this year on the Patriots opponents. Brady is going to be even more fired up this Sunday against the Colts, they started everything that went on this offseason and tried to ruin Brady’s name and reputation that he has worked so hard for over his career. The Colts should be scared; though Brady and the Patriots will say this is just another game we all know it isn’t. The past few games New England has played against the Colts they have buried the Colts, mostly running it down their throats with the Colts having no answer to stop the Patriots. This week I think it’s going to be all Brady. He’s going to come out and throw all over this Colts defense and show them that he is the greatest of all-time and is playing at maybe the best level he has throughout his career at age 38. The Colts should be worried because this is going to be a complete and utter embarrassment for the Colts and I cant wait to watch it.

The Patriots as a team are playing phenomenal football right now, while the Colts are not. The Patriots are 4-0 and it hasn’t been close at all. The Colts are 3-2 coming off wins where they barely beat the Jaguars and Texans and their star quarterback Andrew Luck has mightily underperformed this season and have looked better with backup Matt Hasslebeck under center. The Patriots have Brady’s back and there all fired up and playing at a whole different intensity level this year and will especially this game. The defense is going to get at whoever is under center for the Colts and give them a hard day, while the offense is just going to continue to dominate like they have all year.

The Colts haven’t been saying the Patriots name in interviews this week; this just proves even more that there scared. They want to make it seem like it doesn’t matter who there playing this week, it does and they should be worried. The Patriots are just going to keep playing better and better. The Patriots are going to come out and completely dominate this week and I can’t wait to see the beat down we put on Indy. After this game the Colts may want to take down their embarrassing “AFC Finalists” banner because the patriots are going to make that game look like a challenge. The point spread could be Patriots by 100 and I would still take the over. Sunday Night cannot come any sooner, this is going to be the most dominating football game that has ever been played.

And just one more thing to throw at the Colts and Colts fans; remember when the Colts traded a first round pick for Trent Richardson? Who was the player they cut to make room for Richardson? Dion Lewis. Thank you for that, we’ll make sure he finds the end zone a few times Sunday Night just to rub it in even more.

AFC, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, NFL

New England vs. Dallas: Patriots Defensive Line against Dallas Offensive Line

October 7, 2015 Bill Bodell Leave a comment

A big focus on this week’s game between the New England Patriots and the Dallas Cowboys will be the Patriots defensive line vs. the Cowboys offensive line. Both are amongst the best in the league for their position groups and a key to victory for New England will be to beat the Cowboys offensive line consistently.

The Patriots defense currently ranks 5^th in team sacks, behind the Broncos, Packers, Rams and Steelers who have all played one more game than New England. The Patriots are led by defensive ends Chandler Jones and Jabaal Sheard and linebacker Jamie Collins who make up 8.5 of the teams 13 sacks on the year. Though getting after Brandon Weeden wont be as crucial to the game as it would if Tony Romo was healthy and playing, you don’t want to give any quarterback time in the pocket to make plays and to allow his receivers to get open. The Cowboys had the leagues best offensive line last year headlined by left tackle Tyron Smith and rookie guard Zach Martin and still are the leagues most talented offensive line in the views of most people, despite being amongst one of the leagues most penalized offensive lines early in the season. With that being said, it is a good reason why the Patriots should bring the blitz at Weeden, get after him, and sack him, or be held and move them back and try making Weeden beat you, which lets face it he can’t do.

A key will be stopping the Cowboys running game. The Patriots have struggled this year defending the run, they improved vs. Jacksonville but that was in a blowout game where the Jaguars had to throw the ball because they were down by so many points. The Cowboys o-line and running backs are also a lot better than the Jaguars, though Joseph Randle has had fumbling problems as of late and Darren McFadden has looked like he has his whole NFL career, a bust. Travis Frederick and Zach Martin are strong interior blockers and could provide room for whoever is in Dallas’ backfield.

In a game that should be an easy win for the Patriots, especially coming off a bye, watching how the defensive line plays will be something of interest to see. The Cowboys offensive line is one of, if not the best in the league and seeing how the Patriots perform against them will be a good test to see if they are as good as they’ve looked so far, and a good test for the defense.

AFC, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, NFL

The Battle of Rising Stars: Malcolm Butler vs. Allen Robinson

September 23, 2015 Bill Bodell Leave a comment

This week’s Patriots vs. Jaguars matchup includes two of the leagues up and coming talent and potential superstars in Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler and Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson facing off against each other.

As we all know Malcolm Butler has done a good job replacing Darrelle Revis as the Patriots number one cornerback and has the making to be one of the leagues top cornerbacks with continued improvement. Jaguars wide receiver is another guy who with more experience and improvement could work himself up the ranks of a top receiver in the NFL. Both players are in their second year and have had strong performances so far this year as well as good showing during their rookie seasons last year. Robinson is coming off a six reception, 155 yard, two-touchdown performance against the Dolphins last week, who were thought to have one of the best defenses in the league entering this season. Robinson was the key in last week’s victory and will be the key for the Jags offense going forward this season and further into the future. Robinson was having a good rookie year before having his season ended early due to a broken foot. He finished his rookie season with 48 receptions for 548 yards and two touchdowns. The biggest key to Robinson’s development may be the play of Jaguars second year quarterback Blake Bortles, who was taken third overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. Bortles had an inconsistent rookie partly due to a lack of offensive weapons and the poor play from the teams offensive lineman and defense. If Bortles can play with more consistency and get the ball to Robinson, Robinson could be a very good wide receiver in the NFL.

We all have seen Butler’s amazing Super Bowl interception and have seen how well he has improved following during training camp, preseason and so far in the regular season. Butler showed his great ball skills again last week when making a great play to pick off a tipped Tyrod Taylor pass. Butler played well covering another one of the leagues top young receivers in Sammy Watkins playing him tight in man coverage and even played well against in my opinion the NFL’s best wide receiver in Antonio Brown. Though Brown has a good game collecting 9 receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown, Butler made a few good plays and played good tight coverage on Brown the whole game but like I said Brown’s the best receiver in the NFL and is going to get his each and every game regardless whose covering him. This week will be a different test for Butler going up against Allen Robinson, who stands at 6’3 and runs a 4.4 40-yard dash. I think Butler will be able to cover Robinson well, but the only thing that does worry me is Robinson’s speed and quickness with his height and could be dangerous if he goes deep.

via www.cbssports.com — via http://www.cbssports.com

You never want to go into a game thinking its an easy win, but lets face it it’s the Patriots versus the jaguars this week the Patriots should win pretty easy. The Jaguars haven’t looked bad so far this season starting off 1-1, beating Miami last week and losing a close game against Carolina in week 1 but this is not a team that can beat the Patriots and this will be the biggest matchup to watch during this weeks game.

AFC, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers

Be Afraid NFL, Brady’s Back and he’s pissed

September 9, 2015 Bill Bodell 1 Comment

With the NFL season about to start we can all finally focus on football and not any faulty or biased news going against the Patriots. The man happiest about all of this, Tom Brady. Brady and the whole “DeflateGate” BS scandal has been the news headline for the past seven and a half months and is all that has been talked about. The NFL and ESPN have set out to ruin Brady’s name and his legacy with all of the false information that has been put out and I guarantee that Brady is pissed, and I love it. This is not the guy you want to make mad, when he’s angry he is unstoppable, and on a whole different level and there in no one who can beat him. Now with the season about to be underway Brady can focus on one thing, getting ring number five. I’d like to thank the league in advance for creating this monster who is going to be on the field in 2015 and who is going to lead the Patriots to back to back Super Bowls. (Again)

When the world doubts Brady he pretty much gives them the middle finger, goes out drops 50 points and just dominates and teams should learn this by now and be scared to play Brady and the Patriots. Last years Patriots team struggled out the gate going 2-2 to start the season and suffered an embarrassing loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. In the first four games Brady passed for only 791 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Critics started coming for Brady saying that he and the Patriots were done and in the words of Trent Dilfer “just not good anymore”. Brady made them eat their words and think twice about what they said going 4-0 over the next four games passing for 1,268 yards and 14 touchdowns with no interceptions. Against the Bears alone Brady looked like he was going to pass for 10 touchdowns passing for five touchdowns and 354 yards only a little into the third quarter before being taken out of the game. Brady finished the year with over 4,100 yards, 33 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in the regular season and his fourth Super Bowl championship.

Brady’s anger, determination and leadership is what lead his team throughout the season and ultimately to the Super Bowl they ended up winning in February. And this anger was only due to people saying that he was no longer an elite quarterback and not at the top of his game, nowhere near what people were saying about him this offseason. He was made out to be a cheater in the public eye and that he was tarnishing the game of football when he did nothing wrong and Judge Richard Berman ultimately agreed with Brady and his team, that he did nothing wrong with no evidence from the league and the Wells Report. The last time something like this happened was in 2007 with the “SpyGate” scandal and Brady played with a vengeance setting many records.

In 2007 Brady passed for over 4,800 yards and set the record for most passing touchdowns in a season in NFL history with 50. Brady played with a vengeance and anger this season that I think will be even worse this season. During this season Steelers safety Anthony Smith made the idiotic claim of guaranteeing a victory against the Patriots. This surely made Brady mad because he threw at Smith time and time again and made him look foolish on the field.

Brady was never referenced as having a role in “SpyGate”, unlike “DeflateGate” has been referenced solely as Brady being involved. During the preseason you could tell Brady didn’t look like himself on or off the field and I think it had a lot to do with everything that was going on. Though the NFL is appealing Judge Berman’s decision to lift Brady’s suspension, this is all pretty much behind Brady and he can focus on doing the thing he loves most playing football. He doesn’t have to worry about having to go to court hearings and having to fight the league he has been apart of the past 16 years about something he had no involvement with. He can go out and focus on playing football each and every week and being the best he can and dominating his opponent, because even though he no longer has to think about “DeflateGate” he is going to take all the anger and emotions he has had about it over the past several months out on the football field and it all starts against Pittsburgh. The Banner is going to be raised, Gillette Stadium will be electric and Tom Brady will be under center playing quarterback and would not surprise me if he goes out there and throws for 400-500 yards and four or five touchdowns. He is going to show no mercy on Pittsburgh or any other opponent this season and the rest of the 31 teams in the NFL should be worried.

AFC, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers

Stopping Gronk? Good luck with that Pittsburgh

September 8, 2015 Bill Bodell Leave a comment

The Steelers were ranked 27^th in pass defense last season and they plan on improving that this season, and according to two Steelers players they plan on doing that in week one by stopping Rob Gronkowski. Yes they seriously think they are going to stop Rob Gronkowski.

Steelers’ linebacker Ryan Shazier and safety Mike Mitchell said that the Steelers have a game plan to stop Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski in Thursday’s opening game. The two said that they are going to be physical with Gronkowski and not give him an easy welcoming into the 2015 season. The fact that these two could even say this is just foolish. Gronkowski is the best tight end in the league without question, and when healthy might be the most dominating player in the league at any position. You’re going to be physical with Gronkowski? Gronk is 6’6 and 265 pounds of all muscle while Shazier stands 6’2 229 pounds and Mitchell is 6’ 210 pounds, so if you think you’re going to be able to be physical and stop Gronkowski you can have fun with that because it won’t happen.

Gronkowski has played well against every team he’s played against; one team in particular he has dominated against has been the Steelers. In three games against Pittsburgh, Gronkowski has 309 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. Saying you are going to stop Rob Gronkowski is a lot easier said than done. Last season Gronk showed his dominance throughout the whole season by staying healthy and not missing anytime. In 2014 he recorded 82 receptions, 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns. He is a defensive nightmare for opposing teams with his size, strength, speed, catching ability and his ability to block and be physical. Not many in the league are able to match up against Gronk defensively and he has shown time and time again that he just cannot be stopped. Gronkowski will have a great game against Pittsburgh, like he always does, and will go on to have another fantastic and possibly his best season yet in New England.

These guys should think next time before they want to make claims like this and talk before playing against the Patriots. Back in 2007 Steelers safety Anthony Smith guaranteed a victory against the undefeated Patriots. It didn’t work out too well for Smith whose Steelers were badly beaten 34-13, and Smith was embarrassed multiple times during the game by having Brady just constantly throw at him, constantly beating him. Like the Patriots and Tom Brady didn’t have enough fire and anger entering the 2015 season these two are just adding more fuel to the fire. I’m looking to see Brady and Gronk dominate once again and beat the Steelers, and also hope to see Gronk “throw someone out the club” like he did last year to Colts safety Sergio Brown, quite frankly just because its fun to see.

AFC, New England Patriots

Five Patriots Players That Need To Perform Well Against Steelers

September 7, 2015 Jake Mackey Leave a comment

On Thursday night the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers will kick off the 2015 NFL season. As Bill Belichick would say, “The circus is in town.” The Patriots will finally put 2014 in the rear view mirror when they raise the championship banner. With Judge Richard Berman’s ruling coming out last week, and vacating Tom Brady’s four game suspension, most fans believe that the Patriots will just roll to victory. Not the case.

The Steelers were an elite team last regular season, and even though they will be without Le’Veon Bell, Marquice Pouncey, and Martavis Bryant they still have one of the best quarterbacks and wide receivers in the game. The Patriots need to bring their A game, and here is the five players that I feel are essential to victory, (besides the obvious ones).

5. Devin McCourty: Thursday night will be Devin McCourty’s first chance to prove himself, since the team handed him a hefty five-year 47.5 million dollar contract in March. Now, he will be the focal point of the Patriots secondary. Ben Roethilisberger will want to throw the ball all over the field no matter who is out there. McCourty needs to make sure he patrols the field and not let anything over the top.

In addition, McCourty may be asked to cover a tight end such as Heath Miller one-on-one in the red zone, as he did many times in the preseason. Safeties such as Patrick Chung have had issues covering tight ends in the past, and McCourty needs to make sure he can get the job done on Thursday.

4. Brandon Bolden: In my opinion, with LeGarrette Blount suspended for Thursday night’s game, Brandon Bolden will receive solid reps at running back. Although it will be a running back by committee system, Bolden is a very good pass blocker and that could be key Thursday night with an inexperienced offensive line. There is a good chance that the two rookie guards in Tre’ Jackson and Shaq Mason could be starting the game with, Bryan Stork injured.

That means that pressure coming up the middle and blitzing linebackers could disrupt Tom Brady and the passing game. Many think that new defensive coordinator Keith Butler will try to get after Tom Brady more than Dick Lebeau did. Therefore, Bolden has more veteran awareness to pick up those blockers than other running backs. In addition, he will play a big role in kick and punt coverage making sure Antonio Brown doesn’t break free.

3. Danny Amendola: The Patriots will be without Brandon LaFell on Thursday night, and in his place as the number two receiver, Danny Amendola will try to take over the work load. In his first two seasons in New England, Amendola has been mostly irrelevant. However, at the tail end of last season and into the playoffs, he was huge. For much of the preseason, Amendola was the only main wide receiver on the practice field with Tom Brady.

You would have to figure that the Steelers and Keith Butler will focus heavily on Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowksi, leaving Danny Amendola in lighter coverage. When it comes down to big third down plays where Gronkowski is double covered and Edelman is getting jammed at the line, Danny Amendola needs to be able to slip underneath on crossing routes for the first down. Also, he is a tremendous blocker on sweeps and screens, and expect to see some of those with Dion Lewis on Thursday.

2. Chandler Jones: It is certain, that Ben Roethilisberger is licking his chops waiting to pick apart the Patriots inexperienced cornerbacks on Thursday night. Many fans have probably been having nightmares of Antonio Brown and Marcus Wheaton running all over the field on the Patriots secondary. With a weak secondary, Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will need to dial up some pressure up front. The most important player in getting to the quarterback will be defensive end Chandler Jones.

Jones played as a 3-4 defensive end in the preseason, as well as a stand up in a 4-3. On Thursday, Jones needs to take care of multiple duties. He needs to collapse the pocket and keep pressure on Ben Roethlisberger as well as keep contain and not allow him to make plays outside the pocket. That is what has made him so dangerous throughout his career.

1. Malcolm Butler: This is an obvious choice. Malcolm Butler has earned his role as the Patriots left cornerback during training camp, and now he needs to prove himself once again on the big stage. Butler could be covering both Antonio Brown and Marcus Wheaton at times on Thursday. The chances are that wherever Antonio Brown goes, the Patriots will be double covering him.

When Antonio Brown is double covered by Butler and McCourty, I wouldn’t be as nervous as when Butler is manned up with Marcus Wheaton. He needs to put Marcus Wheaton on the island and not allow him to get big yardage, which is the Pittsburgh bread and butter. If Butler performs well in a Patriots victory Thursday night, fans should feel comfortable about the secondary, but that if a monumental, “if.”

AFC, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Titans

2015 AFC Regular Season And Playoff Predictions

September 5, 2015 Jake Mackey Leave a comment

With the preseason now in the rear view mirror, as well as deflate gate and the seven month circus that it was, we can now shift our focus from courtrooms and un-drafted players, to what really matters. Regular season games, and the road to Santa Clara for Super Bowl 50. Many are under the impression that there is no clear favorite in the AFC right now. There are a few teams that look to be contenders, but not one sure fire team like in years past. Here is my full prediction for each division and playoff matchup.

AFC East: New England Patriots (12-4): Overall I have been underwhelmed by the Patriots this preseason. With the entire team and region ready to run through a brick wall for Tom Brady on Thursday, I believe they will take that game. After that they have two tough games in Buffalo and in Dallas two weeks later. With the secondary and offensive line going through significant changes, don’t be surprised if they get off to another two and two start, like they did last year. Nevertheless, the Patriots under Bill Belichick have always been dominant in the second half of the season, so expect them to bounce back and win the division.

Buffalo Bills (10-6): The Buffalo defense was already stacked as it was, and now add a defensive guru such as Rex Ryan to the mix, they can give any quarterback major headaches. Also, the Buffalo offense is full of offensive fire power and speed. Lesean McCoy in the backfield, Sammy Watkins and Percy Harvin at receiver, and a speedy quarterback like Tyrod Taylor will keep any defense on their heels. However, Rex Ryan has never been a quarterback whisperer and starting an unproven player such as Taylor could be risky.

New York Jets (7-9): On paper, the Jets have an outstandingly talented roster. Their cornerback depth chart headed by Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie may be the best in the league. Brandon Marshall is also a big addition on offense. The Jets have a very similar problem as the Bills, they don’t have a quarterback. Ryan Fitzpatrick has been average to sub par in his career, and Geno Smith put himself out for the first ten weeks by getting himself punched in the face. With a first year head coach in Todd Bowles, the personalities on that roster could take over and not allow the team to capitalize on their potential.

Miami Dolphins (7-9): The Miami Dolphins were not shy in spending money this offseason, giving out mega contracts to Ryan Tannehill and Ndamukong Suh. It is great to sustain and add talent, however when you give out those deals it can leave you vulnerable at other positions. For example, their offensive line has been below average for the past few seasons, and how good is a twenty-million dollar quarterback when you can’t protect him. In addition, Joe Philipin may be on his last leg with the team.

AFC North:

Baltimore Ravens (11-5): If there is one team in the National Football League, besides the Patriots, that you can always count on being in at least the divisional round, it would be the Ravens. Say what you want about John Harbaugh’s personality, he is a great coach and his team fears no opponent. They will continue to have a stout defensive front and a run heavy offense, along with the always postseason reliable Joe Flacco. Count on them playing late in January.

Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7): The Steelers have been a very difficult team to predict the past couple of seasons. It looked as if they finally turned the corner last season when they won the division with a fantastic offensive year. However, they came out flat and lost in the wild card round at home against arch rival Baltimore. This season, they are facing a lot of turnaround on defense with long-time veterans in the secondary, Ike Taylor and Troy Polamalu retiring. Also, key pieces on offense Le’veon Bell and Martavius Bryant are suspended early on. It will be a bit of a set back year in Pittsburgh.

Cincinnati Bengals (9-7): Over the past four seasons, the Bengals have been almost identical to the team the year before. They are a tough team up front on defense, with an average offense with a fragile superstar in AJ Green, and an inconsistent quarterback with Andy Dalton. Nevertheless, in the playoffs they never cease to amaze when they upset fans in the wild card round with their lack luster performance. I find it hard to believe that they will make it to the playoffs this season due to the increase in talent around them.

Cleveland Browns (6-10): Last year at this time I was all in on the Browns. Now they are just viewed as a bottom dweller once again. The Johnny Manziel hype has died out very quickly, and besides him there isn’t much on that team that is interesting. The defense has some young talent in Barkevious Mingo and Joe Haden along with others, but it has yet to translate to the field.

AFC South:

Indianapolis Colts (12-4): The Colts have been the talk of the town in the AFC over this past offseason. With the additions of veterans such as Andre Johnson and Frank Gore, many are claiming them as Super Bowl favorites in the AFC. Although, not much has been made about their lack of defense. Their past two seasons have ended in Foxborough in January because they can’t stop the run. They did not address that need this offseason, and one of their best run stoppers, Arthur Jones, is out for the season with a torn ligament in his ankle. The offense will be among the tops in the league, but it will be tough for their defense to hold up in the key situations in the playoffs.

Houston Texans (10-6): The Texans flew under the radar last season going 9-7 and just barely missing the playoffs. This year Bill O’Brien will have them as one of the forces in the AFC, and defensive coordinator Romeo Crenell may have the best unit in the league. JJ Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, Vince Wilfork, and Brian Cushing are just a few names on a defense that will be a force to be reckoned with. They certainly will give Andrew Luck headaches. The quarterback position is a question mark with Brian Hoyer as the starter, but Bill O’Brien is a very good offensive mind and can put things together.

Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11): Blake Bortles is a promising young quarterback, however he does not have much if not anything around him. The team added tight end Julius Thomas in the offseason, but he will be out for the first few weeks of the season due to injury. Also, his numbers may have been inflated because of the offense he was on in Denver. Jacksonville has a good young roster, they might just be a year or two away.

Tennessee Titans (4-12): The Tennessee Titans selected Marcus Mariota with the second pick in the 2015 draft, and they want him to be the quarterback that will take them to the top. Well, they need to begin to add pieces around him before they can truly be a relevant team in the AFC. His character and toughness will be tested early in his career as his team will struggle.

AFC West:

Denver Broncos (11-5): Most media members are counting the Denver Broncos out of the AFC championship race. That is the wrong move. Peyton Manning may be a terrible postseason quarterback, but he is more than likely the best ever when it comes to the regular season. Manning has a plethora of targets that include elite receivers such as Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas. Also, Peyton has help in the running game now with CJ Anderson and Montee Ball. In addition, the defense is stacked and should be in the top five overall. It won’t be like the late 90’s Broncos with Elway, Sharper, and Davis, but it will be enough to get them a home playoff game.

Kansas City Chiefs (9-7): The Chiefs are a sleeper team right now in the AFC. The addition of Jeremy Maclin will compliment the speed of Jamaal Charles very nicely. Their defense is also very good up front lead by Justin Houston and Dontarie Poe. Also, Eric Berry returning will be an emotional lift and on field. He is one of, if not the best safety in the game. The Chiefs also have one of the best coaches in the game with Andy Reid, that can never go unmentioned.

San Diego Chargers (9-7): When you have an elite quarterback such as Philip Rivers as your starter, you will be able to compete for a playoff chance almost every season. The Chargers drafted Melvin Gordon in the first round of this year’s draft and many believe that he can be the next Jamaal Charles. The defense does not have a ton of talent, but they played very hard and physical last season. That will be essential when going up against divisional opponents such as Kansas City and Denver.

Oakland Raiders (6-10): Last season, the Raiders lost their first ten games of the season. They finished with three wins, and fought hard against almost every team they faced in the last half of the season. They now have Jack Del Rio as a head coach. He has always been known to be able to put together a solid defense. The Oakland defense is swimming with young talent. Offensively, the Derek Carr to Amari Cooper connection is one to keep an eye on in the coming years. Again, another team that may be just a year away.

AFC Playoffs:

Wild Card Round: 6. Houston over 3. Denver, 4. Baltimore over 5. Buffalo

Divisional Round: 1. New England over 6. Houston, 4. Baltimore over 2. Indianapolis.

AFC Championship: 4. Baltimore over 1. New England

As a diehard New Englander, this pains me to write. The Patriots somehow managed to stay very healthy, (with the exception of Jerod Mayo) last season. No serious injuries were suffered to Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, or a defensive stars such as Dont’a Hightower, Jamie Collins, or Devin McCourty. It is hard to think that nothing will happen to any of those players this upcoming season. Furthermore, the losses of Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Kyle Arrington, and Vince Wilfork will be greatly missed in the postseason. In addition, the Ravens have no fear going into Gillette, and this rivalry tends to be back and forth. I hope I am wrong, but as of right now I see the Baltimore Ravens representing the AFC in Super Bowl 50.

AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

Garoppolo will start in 2016, but not for Patriots

September 2, 2015 Bill Bodell Leave a comment

Jimmy Garoppolo’s strong play has made him into a viable NFL starter and will be starting in the 2016 season, but not for the Patriots.

Garoppolo was selected in the 2^nd round of the 2014 NFL draft and was thought by some to be Tom Brady’s future successor at quarterback in New England. Garoppolo had a strong preseason his rookie year in 2014 but of course was no threat to Brady. Jimmy G was then put into the game in a blowout loss against the Chiefs where he performed well at the end of the game. The media hype grew even more on Garoppolo with some people saying that Tom Brady was done and that it was Garoppolo’s time to become the starting quarterback in New England. Garoppolo then struggled in the season finale against the Buffalo Bills going up against one of the top defenses in the NFL with a cast of backup players playing for New England.

After the harsh criticism of Brady by some members of the media he went on to have a fantastic rest of 2015 season and of course went on to win his fourth Super Bowl ring. And now with the never-ending “DeflateGate” scandal, Garoppolo may be the Patriots starting quarterback for the first four weeks of the regular season. Garoppolo has played well this preseason after a very inconsistent week one against the Green Bay Packers and has led two comeback victories in the preseason, improving his game each week.

I hated the pick of Garoppolo at the time and even with his improved play still do not see Garoppolo as Brady’s successor and the future quarterback of the Patriots. Though I do not see him as the future quarterback of the Patriots I think Garoppolo could be a good quarterback in the NFL and that he is currently probably better than a few starting quarterbacks on other teams and looks better than quarterbacks such as Blake Bortles and Johnny Manziel, who were selected before him in the 2014 draft. With New England losing a first round pick in the 2016 NFL draft it could make sense for the team to move Jimmy G for either an early second round pick in the 2016 draft and even potentially a first rounder in 2017. Brady and Garoppolo’s contracts both expire after the 2017 season. If Brady is still playing at a high level the Patriots would have a tough decision to make on who to re-sign if both were willing to re-sign with New England. Garoppolo may not be willing to re-sign after being a backup for four season and may look to go else where and if that’s the case why not attempt to move Garoppolo at a time when you are low on draft picks. New England may not move him during this season and don’t need to, but moving him after the season would be smart to do. They could trade him to a quarterback needy team like Houston or Cleveland who could have high second round picks which could be almost equivalent to the first rounder New England lost or a first rounder for the following year.

Garoppolo could be a starter in the NFL sooner rather than later and I think he will be a full time starter in 2016, but it won’t be for the Patriots.

AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

What to look for in Week Four and Final Roster Projection

September 1, 2015 Andrew Carney Leave a comment

What to expect from Week 4 and Roster Prediction

Finally, the regular season is almost on us and the Patriots team that will take the field against Pittsburgh is starting to come into form. As the last game against the Giants comes up on Thursday, here are a few positions to keep in mind when you watch the game:

Fullback: With the loss of FB James Develin for at least 6 weeks, the need for a blocking back comes back into mind. Michael Hoomanawanui and Asante Cleveland will battle for that role. It’s intriguing if they go with 4 TE’s or an extra RB to take up Develin’s spot until he returns. The best bet is on Hoomanawanui, due to his experience and his staple as a great blocker.

Left Guard: With the return of Ryan Wendell, he solidifies at least one side of the offensive line. He will most likely return to his RG spot, where he started last year. Who is the Left Guard? Ryan Groy, Shaq Mason and Josh Kline are all battling for that spot. It would be interesting to see if Groy can step up and take possession due to his stout run blocking during his time in Chicago and his size (6’5, 320). Kline is on the bubble, mainly due the numbers game, but he could sneak in as the starter or the top reserve if he plays well against the Giants.

Cornerback: Probably the most publicized position of need after the off-seasons departures of Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Kyle Arrington and Alfonzo Dennard. It looks like Logan Ryan and Malcolm Butler have grabbed the starting spots, but it’ll be interesting to see who takes the last two/three spots. Tarell Brown, Bradley Fletcher, Robert McClain and Dax Swanson are all battling for that spot. McClain and Brown look like locks, but if Fletcher shows up here, it could force New England to keep five corners and make another tough cut elsewhere.

53 Man Roster: A simple format of the final projection that could take place. Left out are the players suspended (Not Brady, of course) or on an injured list that could come back. Starter are in bold.

QB: Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo.

RB: Jonas Gray, Brandon Bolden, Dion Lewis and James White.

WR: Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Aaron Dobson, Reggie Wayne, Chris Harper and Matt Slater.

TE: Rob Gronkowski, Scott Chandler, Michael Hoomanawanui and Michael Williams.

OT: Nate Solder, Sebastian Vollmer, Cameron Fleming and Marcus Cannon.

OG: Josh Kline, Ryan Wendell, Shaq Mason and Ryan Groy.

C: Bryan Stork.

DE: Rob Ninkovich, Chandler Jones, Jabaal Sheard, Zach Moore, Trey Flowers and Geno Grissom.

DT: Sealver Siliga, Dominique Easley, Malcolm Brown

OLB: Jamie Collins, Dont’a Hightower, Darius Fleming and Jonathan Freeny.

ILB: Jerod Mayo and James Morris.

CB: Logan Ryan, Malcolm Butler, Tarell Brown and Robert McClain.

FS: Devin McCourty, Tavon Wilson and Duron Harmon.

SS: Patrick Chung, Jordan Richards and Nate Ebner.

K: Stephen Gostkowski.

P: Ryan Allen.

LS: Joe Cardona.

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