Tag Archives: NFL

AFC, NFC, NFL

Week 1 Picks

Last night, the NFL returned to our lives. College Football had center stage last weekend. And it was a great weekend. But now, we have all the football that we could ask for for the next 5 months. We’ll have an NFL game on Thursday night, sometimes a decent college game also. On Friday night, if you live in a town with a good high school football program, you’ll have that. All day Saturday you’ll have great college football games. And then on Sunday and Monday night, you’ll have a full slate of NFL games. Yes, the best part of the year has come again. I really missed you football, I always knew you’d come back.

The Patriots came out last night with a Deflategate-sized chip on their shoulder and beat the Steelers 28-21. I had the Patriots -7, and would’ve been right if it weren’t for a late Ben Roethlisberger touchdown pass to Antonio Brown with two seconds left that covered the spread. So that game was a push. Let’s dive into the rest of this weekend’s games. Home teams are in caps.

Packers (-6) over BEARS

I don’t care that Jordy Nelson isn’t playing. The Packers are easily one of the three best teams in the NFC, and if I had to rank them I’d still put them number one. Not that Nelson isn’t a great player, but Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the league, and he still has Randall Cobb along with a rising star in Davante Adams. Eddie Lacy is one of the best backs in the league, and with a healthy Clay Matthews, defensively they’ll be good enough. The Bears, on the other hand, are a dumpster fire. Jay Cutler is imploding. He lost one of his top threats in Brandon Marshall, and their defense was one of the worst in the league last year. The Packers won the two matchups last year 38-17 and 55-14. This one could get ugly.

Chiefs (+1) over TEXANS

I think both of these teams are going to be good this year, but I’ll take the team with the better quarterback. Alex Smith has the best receiver he’s ever had in Jeremy Maclin, maybe a receiver will even catch a touchdown pass for the team this year. Jamaal Charles is still an elite running back, Travis Kelce is an emerging wide receiver, and they have a strong offensive line. Defensively the Chiefs are very good, just like the Texans, and Andy Reid is going into his third year as Kansas City’s coach. Brian Hoyer will be an upgrade at quarterback over the crap they had last year, but I still think J.J. Watt might be the Texan’s best hope at quarterback. Seriously, go watch the last episode of Hard Knocks, the guy can throw. I’ll take Kansas City in a close one.

JETS (-3) over Browns

If I watch more than three seconds of this game then I must have to do something that I really don’t want to do. I think the Jets will be a little better, as I like Todd Bowles, but they’re still a long ways off from being good. The Browns, as always, have no clue what they’re doing.

Colts (-2.5) over BILLS

Seriously, Andrew Luck is only laying 2.5 points against a Rex Ryan-coached team that’s starting Tyrod Taylor at quarterback? This is the best bet of the week. The Colts have given Luck more weapons, and while they haven’t really helped him on the offensive line, he’s done a tremendous job of overcompensating for that to this point. Luck is a top three quarterback in the league right now, and it’s very easy to argue he’s number one. The Bills have Pro Bowlers all over their roster, but they’re so weak at coach and quarterback, and with a shaky LeSean McCoy, I have no confidence in Buffalo.

Dolphins (-3.5) over REDSKINS

Forget what I said in the last pick, this is the easiest bet of the week. The Redskins have no clue what they’re doing at quarterback. It won’t take long for the locker room to divide, and while they have some good players, this is going to be another tough year for the Skins. The Dolphins, on the other hand, are a playoff contender. They added the best defensive player in the league outside of J.J. Watt, and while they had to lose depth because of that, a defensive line with Cameron Wake and Suh is scary to think about. They’re not great but they’re good at quarterback, and the offensive line is an ongoing improvement. The Dolphins should roll in this one.

Panthers (-3) over JAGUARS

The Panthers aren’t great, but the Jaguars are pretty damn bad. Cam Newton doesn’t have a legitimate receiver without Kelvin Benjamin, but let’s admit, he was pretty good at the end of last year. Luke Kuechly is one of the top linebackers in the league. The best player on the Jaguars is a tight end who doesn’t have a quarterback. This one is easy too.

Seahawks (-4) over RAMS

This one isn’t as easy as it looks. The Seahawks won’t have Kam Chancellor, and that’s a big deal. I’d argue he’s better than Earl Thomas. Of course, the Rams biggest strength is their defensive front, and the Seahawks have a smart, mobile quarterback that’s the perfect answer. And of course, that defense is still littered with stars playing against an average quarterback (Nick Foles) playing his first game in a new system.

CARDINALS (-2) over Saints

I feel like I’m picking too many favorites here, but the Saints need to prove something to me before I pick them on the road over a playoff team a year ago. Arizona is a legitimate threat to the Seahawks in the NFC West. Bruce Arians is probably the most underrated coach in the NFL, they still have an elite defense, and they made the playoffs without a real quarterback. Now Carson Palmer is back, and presumably healthy. The Cardinals should win this handily but not easily.

CHARGERS (-2.5) over Lions

I really like the Chargers this year. I think Rivers is going to have a bounce back year after all the rumors flying around him this year, and I like the additions of Orlando Franklin and Melvin Gordon. The Lions have a good team, they were a legitimate playoff team last year, but playing out in San Diego with no Ndamukong Suh and a questionable running game, this should be the Chargers game.

BUCCANEERS (-3) over Titans

How great did the NFL do with its scheduling? The top two picks in the draft were both quarterbacks, and they’re going to face off against each other in their first NFL games. I don’t think either Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota are going to be franchise quarterbacks in the long run, but I will say I’m rooting for Mariota a lot harder. I think Jameis is a little more talented, but Mariota makes up for that by being infinitely more mature. The difference early on will be Winston’s receiving core. Mike Evans is one of the best in the league, and Vincent Jackson still has something left. I’ll take the Bucs at home.

RAIDERS (+3) over Bengals

Get all your Raiders jokes out now, because in a year or two they’re going to be good again. You heard it here first. Derek Carr got better as the year went on last year, which is the best you could hope for from a rookie quarterback. They added Amari Cooper, who is might be better than any rookie receiver last year. His route running, physicality, and overall athleticism is mind boggling. Jack Del Rio is a pretty good coach. The Bengals are getting older, and Andy Dalton is, in the words of the great Colin Cowherd, “a boring water pistol.”

BRONCOS (-4) over Ravens

If you bet on the Broncos every game for the first eight and bet against them every game for the last eight, I think you’ll win money. I say that without having taken one look at the schedule beyond this week. The Broncos are going to look really good at the beginning of the season. Peyton Manning will be healthy. They’ll have an improved running game. They have a lot of stars on their defense, from Von Miller to Aqib Talib. But then, Peyton’s going to wear down. He’ll get hurt. It’ll linger. He won’t heal as fast. The offensive line has one proven starter in Louis Vasquez, and another All-Pro guard in Evan Mathis who was just brought in a couple of weeks ago. At least two rookies will play a significant role on the line this year. The Ravens will be a good team too, but in Week 1, at home, I’ll take the Broncos.

Giants (+6) over COWBOYS

The Giants will be one of the most improved teams in the NFL this year. They addressed their offensive line issues in the draft. It still won’t be great, but it’ll be better. Eli Manning had a good year last year, and with a (cross your fingers) healthy Victor Cruz lining up across from Odell Beckham Jr., along with a healthy Rashad Jennings playing with Andre Williams in the backfield, I think they can be vey good defensively. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Jason Pierre-Paul, as I don’t think they can be a playoff team without him unless another pass rusher emerges. The Cowboys will be good, but I don’t see them replicating what they did last year. They were 5-1 in one possession games a year ago, expect that to scale back a little this year, especially with a reduced running game. Defensively, they haven’t improved, and they’re without their best corner now. Give me the Giants in the upset.

Eagles (-3) over FALCONS

Everybody likes to criticize the moves Chip Kelly made this year, but they’re going to look silly when they realize he upgraded at running back, linebacker, corner, and quarterback, while maintaining the receiving core at the same time. He’s won ten games each of his first two years, I think he’ll win more this year and win the division. The Falcons have improved their pass rush, but failed to address their offensive line, I think the Eagles put up a lot of points and don’t expect Atlanta to keep up.

Vikings (-2) over 49ERS

The 49ers are not in a good place right now. They’ve lost practically their entire defense, along with Michael Crabtree and Frank Gore. But the biggest loss they’ve suffered was Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh walked right into a shaky locker room and took them to the NFC Championship, one play away from winning it, then two more NFC Championship games, won one, came a play away from winning the other, and came one play away from winning the Super Bowl. Then they go 8-8 in an injury-riddled season and everyone’s ready to run him out of town. Their loss. And San Francisco will have a lot of those this year, starting this week, against a team that I think will be a playoff contender with a second-year Teddy Bridgewater and the return of Adrian Peterson.

For all you college football degenerate gamblers, or just people with gambling problems that will bet on anything, I’m in a weekly college football pick ’em, so here’s my picks for this week. Minnesota (-6), Penn State (-20.5), Hawaii (+40), Michigan (-15.5), Tulsa (+4), Michigan State, Tennessee, and LSU straight up.

For more useless sports banter, follow me on Twitter @rory_maccallum

NFL record: 0-0-1

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AFC, New England Patriots, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers

Keys To The Game On Defense For The New England Patriots

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The New England Patriots are in full game preparation mode for their Thursday night opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium. The Steelers were an 11-5 team last season and won their division with the third spot in the AFC playoffs. However, an injury to Le’Veon Bell in week seventeen lead to the Steelers falling short to the Ravens in the wild card round. Don’t let their early round exit fool you, the Steelers were a dominant team at times in 2014, mainly offensively.

The Ben Roethlisberger lead offense finished the season second overall in total offense, behind the New Orleans Saints. Pittsburgh will have one of the most dangerous offensive players in the game on Thursday night with Antonio Brown. The young inexperienced secondary, and defense as a whole will certainly have their hands full Thursday night. Here are my keys to the game defensively for the Patriots on Thursday night.

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Contain Ben Roethlisberger: One of the main reasons for the Steelers being one of the most consistent teams in the league over the past ten years is Ben Roethlisberger. His uncanny size for a quarterback at 6-5, 241 pounds makes him very difficult to knock off balance and sack. He can shake off defensive lineman and roll out of the pocket and make big throws. As Bill Belichick said in his press conference this week he touched upon Roethlisberger’s size.

“Very hard to take down, very difficult to get down. On top of that he’s got great vision, very good accuracy downfield. He doesn’t have to step into the throw, or have a clean pocket. Guys hanging all over him, falling down. He’s as good as anyone we play at that.”

The Patriots will need to contain him and keep him inside the pocket, because when he gets outside and finds open receivers down field he unleashes it. Players such as Chandler Jones, Jabaal Sheard, and Jamie Collins will be essential in keeping Roethlisberger contained. He won’t take off and run like an Andrew Luck, but he still needs to be kept in tact. Jamie Collins played a key role in keeping Andrew Luck inside the pocket twice last season.

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Bracket Brown: Antonio Brown is without a doubt one of the top three wide receivers in the National Football League. He is extremely fast and is lethal when he gets into the open field. Pittsburgh uses him in the slot as well as on the outside. All Patriots fans should be expecting the Steelers to target Antonio Brown early and often, given the very unproven Patriots secondary.

Last season the Bill Belichick had the pleasure of having two very solid cornerbacks, and they were able to double cover elite wide receivers with ease, with Devin McCourty or Duron Harmon shading over the top. This season, and on Thursday night it will be very different. The team can still double team Antonio Brown, but they will be more vulnerable when matching up with Marcus Wheaton one on one. However, Malcolm Butler and Tarell Brown should be able to get the job done this week because the Steelers only have one dangerous wide receiver.

Bend And Don’t Break: The Patriots defense does not have much talent at the cornerback position leaving them vulnerable against a pass happy offense like Pittsburgh’s. With Le’Veon Bell suspended, the Steelers will be chucking the ball all over the gridiron. The Patriots may play a bit of zone coverage as well, because the first few weeks are a feeling out period.

That means yards will be given up. The main point for the Patriots is they need to get off the field, particularly past the fifty yard line, and when they are in the red zone. Make Pittsburgh settle for field goals not touchdowns, because the Patriots offense should be able to answer.

AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

Goodell Open to Changing Discipline System

<> on August 12, 2015 in New York City.

Roger Goodell was on ESPN’s Mike & Mike in the Morning on Tuesday, and as you might’ve guessed, much of the interview centered on his role in Deflategate. Goodell said that he is, “open to changing [his] role,” as essentially the NFL’s discipline czar. After four years of the current CBA, Goodell has finally realized what everyone else has; it’s not a good system.

Goodell said his role has been, “extremely time-consuming” and that he has to be “focused on other issues.” Basically, Goodell came up with a good excuse to step aside. The commissioner has been embarrassed as of late. A year ago, they lost the Adrian Peterson case in court. They completely botched the Ray Rice situation. After suspending the running back a measly two games for knocking his wife unconscious, Goodell happened to find the full video tape many months later, once it was released to the public, and changed it to an indefinite suspension that lasted most of the year, and to this point has essentially ended Rice’s career. If you want to go back even earlier, Goodell quickly laid the hammer down on several Saints players in the wake of Bountygate, and later had the man he succeeded, Paul Tagliabue, come clean up his mess as best he could.

The commissioner’s track record on discipline isn’t necessarily the issue here; everyone knows it’s terrible. Roger Goodell himself has now come to realize that it’s terrible. But, the ego-driven commissioner won’t come out and say he’s done a bad job, instead he’s coming out and making excuses. It’s too time-consuming. I can’t do it on my own. Obviously you can’t do it on your own, you’ve displayed that multiple times. Yet, you wanted that absolute power when negotiating the current CBA. Instead of implementing a system of checks and balances, like we have in every other industry in America including the U.S. government, Goodell made himself the discipline czar of the NFL. And believe it or not, it hasn’t worked.

The most Goodell was willing to concede is that the NFL needs a “better discipline system.” Handing out punishments in the NFL, a league where there are plenty of punishable crimes committed, is one of the hardest jobs in the world, and if it isn’t done with great care, it is done horrendously. Goodell’s way of doing his job has basically been to make it up as he goes along. That works with some jobs, not with his. The NFL desperately needs a new discipline system, because right now it’s spiraling out of control, and the longer they continue with it, the worse it’s going to get.

The NFL is appealing Judge Berman’s decision to vacate Tom Brady’s suspension. Most people believe this is part of unwillingness by the league, and Goodell especially, to accept defeat and admit their wrongs. While that might be part of the reason, it’s a small component. There’s a much larger issue the league is afraid of. The fact that Brady fought his suspension in court, and won, opens up a nightmarish Pandora’s box for the NFL. Now every single player who is suspended, appeals, and does not win his appeal with the league will take the league to court. This isn’t in anyone’s best interest, but right now it’s the only way to provide checks and balances on an industry that has none.

Roger Goodell doesn’t want to let go of his power, but the thing he can’t stand to lose is his ego, and he’ll fight for that as hard as Tom Brady fought for his legacy.

New England Patriots, NFL

New England Patriots: ESPN, The NFL’s Propoganda Machine, Strikes Again

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Just when there was an opportunity for things to quiet down and NFL fans could start concentrating on the actual games, the right arm of the NFL, ESPN, struck again. This time it is an article in ESPN The Magazine titled “Spygate to Deflategate: Inside what split the NFL and Patriots apart” and it’s intent is to, as REO Speedwagon sang in 1982, keep the fire burning.

Like the Wells report, it is filled with innuendo and will be read by millions as the “Gospel” according to ESPN, just as the 11 of 12 footballs being 2 lbs underinflated was taken as fact, despite being completely false.

The article, written by Don Van Natta Jr. (author of “First Off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers, and Cheaters from Taft to Bush”) and Seth Wickersham, Senior Writer for ESPN.com and ESPN is intentionally inflammatory with a multitude of objectives:

  1. Increase the readership of the magazine (understandable)
  2. Sensationalize “old” news
  3. Re-enforce the linking of Spygate and DeflateGate
  4. Show how the Patriots are different, in a bad way, from the other teams in the NFL.

Number four, the Patriots are different, is a fact…but not in the way as highlighted in this piece of “sensationalistic” journalism. The reason the article gives is New England has to cheat to do it. Let’s face it haters, they must have cheated in this day of free agency to become one of the most feared franchises in the history of the NFL. Forget the fact they have arguable the best QB (Tom Brady for those who don’t know) in NFL History and a coach that any other owner (ignore what they say, you know this is true) would love to have as Head Coach or their franchise.

There are no “sore losers” used in this article…except this gem:

 “Goodell didn’t want anybody to know that his gold franchise had won Super Bowls by cheating,” a senior executive whose team lost to the Patriots in a Super Bowl now says. “If that gets out, that hurts your business.”

Needless to say the always reliable N. Y. Post jumped on the bandwagon with this headline Spygate much worse than Belichick, Goodell divulged and Deadspin was even more definitive with Bombshell ESPN Report: The Patriots Were Huge Cheaters And Roger Goodell Covered It Up.  Once again the storm is brewing.

The Magazine, includes these “findings” to get readers interest and reignite the linking of Spygate and DeflateGate for those who like to believe the Patriots are different, in a bad way, from the other teams in the NFL.

  • From 2000 to 2007, the Patriots videotaped the signals of opposing coaches in 40 games
  • Goodell’s handling of Deflategate turned around owners still simmering over Spygate; some say he is now more secure in his job.
  • Deflategate is seen by some owners as a “makeup call” over Spygate.

ESPN’S Findings Are Nothing New

Let’s take the “findings” as just what they are…a hashed over repeat of what everyone already knew, but with a slant to add some sensationalism, enhance a now tarnished NFL image and put the New England Patriots back in the spotlight as the NFL bad boys (cheaters to quote the article: “Patriots’ coach, Bill Belichick, the cheating program’s mastermind”)

  • What they fail to mention is Spyhate (oops) was about where the Patriots were filming, not what they were filming.

I’m not going to rehash Spygate (which they did repeatedly in the article), but, will clarify a few misconceptions.

Fact: Videotaping opposing coaches is not illegal in the NFL but there are designated areas allowed by the league to do such taping. The Patriots were videotaping the Jets’ coaches from their own sideline which is not allowed. There is no question from anyone (including Patriot Nation) what they did was wrong, but stretching the facts to “imply” it was illegal to videotape opposing coaches at all is just flat wrong.

According to CSNNE’s Tom Curran’s article it wasn’t until a 2006 memo was put out by the league that anything in writing regarding sideline videotaping was specifically addressed

Ray Anderson, the league’s executive vice president of football operations to NFL sent a memo to head coaches and general managers. In it, he wrote: “Videotaping of any type, including but not limited to taping of an opponent’s offensive or defensive signals, is prohibited on the sidelines, in the coaches’ booth, in the locker room, or at any other locations accessible to club staff members during the game.” 

Belichick obviously ignored that memo and Goodell imposed the biggest fine ever on a coach and took away a first-round draft pick as a penalty for the first time in NFL history.

Owners “Make-Up” Call Inference

When the fines and draft pick were announced it was felt by all, including the owners, to be a stiff penalty. In fact, the stiffest ever in NFL history.  Revisionist history is the punishment is now being mentioned as a “favor” to Patriot’s owner Robert Kraft because of his friendship with the Commissioner. The integrity of Mr. Goodell was questioned (my goodness, not by the owners) because he ordered the destruction of the tapes and notes regarding Spygate…supposedly, because of his friendship with Kraft.

Question: If the owners felt strongly about his (Goodell’s) integrity then, why is he still commissioner now?

There’s a lot of discussion in the article about the owner’s emergency meeting on April 1, 2008 where Robert Kraft spoke (“witnesses would later say Kraft’s remarks were heartfelt, his demeanor chastened”), without naming any source (you know, that old first amendment protect your source reason that writers/publishers always use) describing the meeting as if the writers were there. Where’s the source? What great memories they all must have!

Love This One

It was, one owner says, time for “a makeup call.” Have to wonder who that one owner was and if that is what the one quote that lead to the “deflategate is seen by some owners (plural) as the make-up call for spyhate.

I could go on and on, as the ESPN-The Magazine article does, but then I would be doing just what I accuse them of….rehashing and sensationalizing “old news”

Disclosure: I am not an attorney and have been a follower of the New England Patriots since their inception in 1960.

Follow me on twitter @SnowdonBob

AFC, New England Patriots, NFC, NFL, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins

Deflategate Hangover: It could be worse

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It happened the moment the duck boats went away and the final piece of confetti was placed in the trash receptacle. The 2014 NFL season was over and fans of the product were about to face the time of year they fear the most: off season.

It goes without saying, this off season was a bit different in New England. The Patriots won the Super Bowl and the farce known simply as deflategate dominated the airwaves, however, despite the wall to wall Pat’s coverage, it was still the dreaded offseason. For the rabid NFL fans who crave football, actual gridiron football, September was many months away.

This upcoming Thursday, the Pittsburgh Steelers will play the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in the 2015 season opener. Suddenly all the petty league issues which have flooded the collective consciousness of all NFL fans can dissolve and those fans can embrace what they clamor for the most, the game of football.
Does this mean there isn’t room for some dramatic narrative? Of course not. Football is fun to watch but it never hurts to add a little sizzle to that steak.

Two teams in the NFC have had their share of problems which will no doubt influence their on-field product in the coming season. Admittedly, neither NFC team has had to endure their quarterback’s integrity being questioned in front of a courtroom but Tom Brady isn’t the only pigskin gunslinger to be placed in tumultuous circumstances.
New England fans are not used to quarterback controversies, well not since 2001. In our nation’s capital there is a great deal of debate among fans as to whom deserves to be under center; 2012 Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin the third or his one time backup Kirk Cousins.

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The past two years have been a fall from grace for RG III. The man whom Washington traded their 6th and 39th draft picks in 2012, as well as their first round picks in 2013 and 2014 to the St. Louis Rams for the rights to his services, was injured late in his rookie campaign and never was able to fully come back from it. For the past few years Griffin and Cousins have been involved in a rigorous game of quarterback musical chairs. Recently after stating the opposite, coach Jay Gruden handed RG3 the clipboard in favor of now starting quarterback Kirk Cousins. Nothing like paying a king’s ransom for a backup quarterback.

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Elsewhere, the San Francisco 49ers are about to start their 2015 season after losing a great deal of talent. First and foremost, bombastic but result garnering coach Jim Harbaugh was all but pushed out an open hatch as a plane flew over Michigan. 49ers owner Jed York was not a fan of Harbaugh’s eccentric coaching tactics and was thrilled to hire new head coach Jim Tomsula.

The 49ers lost a great of group talent with notable names like running back Frank Gore, who headed to the Indianapolis Colts and star wide receiver Michael Crabtree who sought work with the Oakland Raiders. San Francisco was fortunate enough to pick up wide receiver Torrey Smith and running back Reggie Bush to attempt to lessen some of the loss. Sadly, five 49ers retired this past off season, with linebacker Patrick Willis being the most notable. The often heralded but constant criminal, linebacker Aldon Smith was finally released after yet another run in with the law. Needless to say, Colin Kaepernick will not be working with a squad remotely similar to the team he took to the Super Bowl in 2013.

These two aforementioned trainwrecks may be facing more turmoil than the promise of a new season may afford their anguished fan bases. Times of chaos are usually only a few stone throws away for any team in the National Football League. Fans in New England hope the Patriots have already paid their misery dues this offseason and I’d wager to say the same could be said for both the San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins.

AFC, New England Patriots, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 1 Preview: Patriots vs. Steelers Positional Breakdown

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186902875-new-england-patriots-player-julian-edelman-gettyimages

By Sam Pericolo

Ahhh it is finally that time. Football is back and the New England Patriots are ready to defend their title. Let’s see how they match up against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Quarterback

Do I really need to say anything here? Ben Roetlisberger is a very good quarterback. However, Tom Brady is the best ever. He’s coming off another Super Bowl MVP and is looking to stick it to the NFL.

Advantage Patriots

Running Back

The Steelers have one of the best running backs in the game. However, he will not suit up. Le’Veon Bell is suspended. As if the Patriots’ starting back, LeGarrette Blount. Jonas Gray has been cut so the Patriots have absolutely nothing in the backfield as of right now. While Bell is suspended, Deangelo Williams runs circles around any back the Patriots have on their roster.

Advantage Steelers

Wide Receiver

If Brandon LaFell and Julian Edelman were both healthy, they it MIGHT be CLOSE. However, we could be looking at Danny Amendola as the top receiver for Brady on Thursday night. That makes it a pretty easy decision, as Antonio Brown is arguably the best in football.

Advantage Steelers

Tight End

As easy as it was to pick the Steelers in the receiver position, it is equally as easy to pick the Patriots at tight end. Rob Gronkowski is the best tight end in football and Scott Chandler is a matchup nightmare with his size. Look for Gronk to have a huge game as he is one of fes targets Brady will have, and he cannot be covered.

Advantage Patriots

Offensive Line

Both teams have solid lines; however, the Steelers are missing their best lineman with Maurkice Pouncey out until week 9. David DeCastro is still a great lineman, though. I am going to give the Patriots the slight edge, but if Bryan Stork does not play, then I believe the Steelers have the edge. Stork totally transforms that offensive line. The Patriots need to have him in there.

Advantage Patriots

Defensive Line

The Steelers do not have much of a defense. The Patriots, while it was totally changed in the offseason, still have some talent. Most of it is in the front seven. Their defensive line could be one of the best in football this year. Malcom Brown will be the big body in the middle that Vince Wilfork was, Dominique Easley looks healthy and ready to go, and Trey Flowers has looked great in preseason

Advantage Patriots

Linebackers

The Pats already have one of the best linebacking corps in football. When healthy, Jamie Collins, Dont’a Hightower, and Jerod Mayo are some of the best. Add Jabaal Sheard to that list and you have the ability to have a great rotation to keep everybody healthy.

Advantage Patriots

Secondary

Yes, the Patriots lost Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, and Kyle Arrington. However, Malcolm Butler looks to take the next step, Devin McCourty is still around, and the Steelers cannot defense the passing game to save themselves.

Advantage Patriots

Special Teams

Bill Belichick prides himself on special teams. Jonas Gray was probably cut because he does not play special teams and Brandon Bolden does. Matt Slater is still the best as is Steven Gostkowski.

Advantage Patriots

Coaching

Bill Belichick went 11-5 with Matt Cassel.

Advantage Patriots

While it may seem that the Patriots should run away with the game based on the positional breakdown, I would not look at it like that. Many of them are close calls. The Steelers are a very good team who can make up for their defensive struggles with a high powered offense. Plus, what the hell does any of this actually mean come Thursday night? We just have to see how it is all played out.

You can follow Sam on twitter @SamPericolo

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AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

New England Patriots: The Final Roster Is Never Final

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As the final cut down date in the NFL passes everyone tries to analyze who the Patriots cut and who “made the team.”  Before you set the roster in stone remember, there will still be some fairly significant moves before kick-off Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It is rare (like never) that the original roster stays intact going into game 1. There’s a good chance that by the time you read this article moves will already have occurred.

Who Is Still At Risk?

Those currently still on the roster have outperformed others to reach this point…but, hopefully they won’t relax too quickly.  Before going out and buying that luxury SUV or sports car, many need to realize life in the NFL can be very short.

Chris Harper hauls one in against the Saints (Photo: Keith Nordstrom/Patriots.com)
Chris Harper hauls one in against the Saints (Photo: Keith Nordstrom/Patriots.com)
  • Chris Harper – WR: Reggie Wayne showed he doesn’t have it anymore and asked to be released before he was unceremoniously cut. Sorry Wayne supporters, but Bill Belichick doesn’t keep you if you can’t help and, if he felt Wayne would have, he’d still be a Patriot. With Brandon LaFell on the PUP list and not available until week 7, Harper is hanging on to that final spot. The 21 year old rookie free agent impressed everyone this pre-season, but it is likely at some point the Patriots will try to slip him through waivers and get him on the practice squad.
  • Dion Lewis/James White/Travaris Cadet – RB: LaGarrette Blount is suspended for the season opener, so the question is who gets the shot Thursday night to show he can fill the big shoes left by Shane Vereen’s departure.  When Blount returns, one or two of this trio will be gone, and right now it’s a crapshoot who should stay…and who should go. The surprise cut of fan favorite Jonas Gray left the door open.

To this point Cadet hasn’t been able to see the field because of injuries, White (a 2014 4th round draft pick) has looked better in his second camp and Lewis has risen to the top when given a chance.   The injury to James Develin really doesn’t impact this trio, but it did allow a longer look-see for the coaching staff. Right now the only power running back on the roster is Belichick favorite Brandon Bolden.

This Year’s Surprise Cut

Indianapolis, IN - 11/16/14 - (4th quarter) New England Patriots running back Jonas Gray (35) adds an emphatic pose after pounding his way into the end zone for a fourth quarter touchdown. The New England Patriots take on the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. - (Barry Chin/Globe Staff), Section: Sports, Reporter: Shalise Manza Young, Topic: 17Patriots-Colts, LOID:7.4.3659348687.
Bye-bye Jonas Gray, we hardly got to know you(Barry Chin/Globe Staff)

Bill Belichick is known for his “surprise” cuts and this year’s edition was Jonas Gray. After last year’s dazzling performance against the Indianapolis Colts, Gray literally disappeared and Blount came back to town. Most predicted he was a lock this year, but it looks like he never really escaped Belichick’s doghouse.

Don’t be too shocked if there are more moves to come as the team brings possible additions through the swinging doors at Gillette Stadium. Moves in the secondary still seem likely to occur and the fate of many will be in the hands of the best Head Coach in the NFL. The good news is, no matter what, the Belichick-Tom Brady connection is still intact and ready to punish the doubters.

Follow me on Twitter @SnowdonBob

AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

With Brady freed, Goodell and NFL are exposed and need change

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It's been a headache for both Roger Goodell & Tom Brady
It’s been a headache for both Roger Goodell & Tom Brady

The biggest news to come out of the NFL today was not a roster cut, a trade, or that the NFL is moving back to Los Angeles. No, it was Judge Robert Berman ruling in favor of Tom Brady and nullified his four-game suspension.  Meaning, He’s playing when the New England Patriots open up the season versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the other three games Brady would have missed because of the suspension.

Everyone in the New England area, and Patriots fans everywhere rejoiced as the greatest player to ever play for their franchise was free.  As great it is to celebrate this victory over the NFL, many fans and spectators of the situation learned something. Goodell and the NFL have been beaten again and truly exposed.

This is not the first time Goodell and the NFL lost appeal cases. He’s lost the cases against Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, and now this. This time around, Roger Goodell was exposed for being unfair in the appeal process, as well showing bias. There were even reports that it was the NFL who were the ones who leaked the false information to ESPN when the scandal initially erupted. And throughout this court case, Judge Berman completely hammered Goodell and the NFL for it.

Judge Berman felt that Goodell “dispense[d] his own brand of industrial justice.” Heck, he called bullcrap on the “independent” investigation by Ted Wells.  Berman also believed that throughout the whole “independent” investigation by Wells and the NFL, that it was unfair the whole entire time.

With this huge win for Brady and the Patriots, means a huge blow and a loss to the already big pile of losses for the NFL. Even if Goodell has “universal support” from the owners, said owners want a complete overhaul of the discipline system and not want the NFL appeal this decision. Well, Goodell did not listen, and has confirmed an appeal.

Agreeing with the owners and NFLPA, There should be changes, this sort of hoopla can not happen again. This was by far the stupidest thing Goodell could have made an issue about.

There has to be changes, because Goodell is lying right out in the open, exposed.

AFC, NFC, NFL

2015 NFL Season Predictions

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The one common thing about predictions is they miss the mark completely year in and year out. I had the Packers beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl last year, which was two fluke plays away from coming to fruition. Granted Green Bay would to have needed to beat New England, but they had already done so fairly easy earlier in the year. The 2015 season has a ton of unknowns. As of this article being published we don’t know if the Super Bowl MVP is going to be starting under center for the defending champs. Will Tommy be dogging Giselle from his Brookline home when the Patriots take on the Steelers? Can The Forehead’s arm strength that resembles Johnny Damon’s keep Denver in the hunt? Will the Neck Beard limit turnovers in the postseason, and avoid another raping by a Bill Belichick lead defense? Has Russell Wilson finally caved to Ciara’s golden vagina? Chances are probably not. He is such a soft piece of crap, and I’m already sick of the mantra he is shoving down the media’s throats. Buddy, you have one of the hottest pieces of ass on the market, destroy it! I can guarantee someone else on the Seahawks team will be if you are not. How many touchdowns will Captain America score on both sides of the ball for the Texans? He is another one who has some solid Instagram tail begging him to slide into their DMs, but he may be too dumb to notice it? It is prediction time, and I’m sure to catch a ton of crap for 99.9% of what I write, but let’s get crackin…

L is for the way you Look at Me
L is for the way you Look at Me

AFC East
Patriots (11-5)
Dolphins (9-7)
Bills (8-8)
Jets (6-10)
The division is still the Patriots to lose. They won’t be as dominant in the division as they have been in year’s past and will have their first five loss season in recent memory. Losing their starting corner-backs will be a much bigger problem than people are letting on.

Leveon Bell should be the overall #1 Pick in Fantasy Drafts, even with the suspension
Leveon Bell should be the overall #1 Pick in Fantasy Drafts, even with the suspension

AFC North
Ravens (12-4)
Steelers (10-6)
Bengals (9-7)
Browns (5-11)
Baltimore is another team who puked on themselves in the postseason last year, but will be improved in 2015. They addressed the defensive backfield in the off-season and in the draft, so they will be improved there. I may be the biggest Harbaugh hater on the planet, and rightfully so. I’d give anything to see some coach “one-punch” him during the post-game handshake.

Sale on Pills - Aisle 4
Sale on Pills – Aisle 4

AFC South
Colts (12-4)
Texans (9-7)
Titans (6-10)
Jaguars (4-12)
As bad as the AFC East is, the AFC South isn’t much better. The President of League Pharmaceutical Distribution went out and spent some money in the off-season. They got “tougher” if you want to call it that, on the offensive side of the ball. Scoring points wasn’t the problem for Indianapolis last season, it was getting hit in the nuts and thrown in a locker by the Patriots on defense. The Colts are soft, they are the sole reason for “Deflategate” and Jim Irsay loves pills and hookers.

According to me, we will see this twice in 2015.
According to me, we will see this twice in 2015.

AFC West
Broncos (13-3)
Chiefs (11-5)
Chargers (8-8)
Raiders (6-10)
Denver will go back to what won them championships at the end of Elway’s run. CJ Anderson isn’t Terrell Davis, but he, Monte Ball, and Ronnie Hillman will take the load off of The Forehead to win games on his own. The Horses have some studs on defense and can get after the quarterback. Will The Forehead be able to win the cold weather game come January and exercise that demon? I believe so.

Chip Kelly will be assaulted by Riley Cooper by Week 8. Print it!
Chip Kelly will be assaulted by Riley Cooper by Week 8. Print it!

NFC East
Eagles (12-4)
Cowboys (11-5)
Giants (7-9)
Redskins (4-12)
Chip Kelly is still kicking the tires on Tim Tebow, but he knows Sam Bradford will be his money maker on offense. Can he stay upright and healthy in the fast paced Eagles offense? Will Demarco Murray be over or underutilized? Did the 440 touches last year put too many miles on the tires? Can the defense hold up their end of the bargain? Many questions for a team that I’m picking to win the division.

70% Completion Rate he says? He must be smoking what Leveon Bell was this offseason.
70% Completion Rate he says? He must be smoking what Leveon Bell was this offseason.

NFC North
Green Bay (13-3)
Detroit (10-6)
Minnesota (8-8)
Chicago (7-9)
Green Bay is the class of the NFC, even losing Jordy Nelson. I love the back end of their defense and Ha-Ha Clinton Dix, if he remains healthy, will be an All Pro this year. The guy has a knack for always being around the ball and plays with a physical edge. Rodgers is the best quarterback in the league and will be playing for his second Super Bowl ring come February in San Francisco.

King Crab may have arm strength, but the dude threw 20+ INTs in a weak ACC
King Crab may have arm strength, but the dude threw 20+ INTs in a weak ACC

NFC South
New Orleans (12-4)
Atlanta (10-6)
Carolina (6-10)
Tampa Bay (4-12)
Bounce back year for the Saints this year. They did some serious house cleaning on the field and with positional coaches. I love the Dennis Allen pick up and Brandon Cooks is going to be an absolute monster. Drew Brees will miss his security blanket of Ginger Graham, but has some younger weapons at his disposal. I liken this situation to when Colston, Devery Henderson, Reggie Bush, and others were his primary targets.

Who Has it Better Than You? EVERYBODY!
Who Has it Better Than You? EVERYBODY!

NFC West
Seattle (12-4)
Arizona (9-7)
St. Louis (8-8)
San Francisco (5-11)
Mr. Ciara talked to God after he threw the interception to Malcolm Butler in the Super Bowl. He also talks to God when he is between the sheets with his girlfriend whom is a hip-hop superstar. Let’s hope, for the sake of Seahawks fans, he leaves that mumbo jumbo at home come opening weekend. Seattle has all of the talent in the world, but a coach who sometimes has his head in the sand with a smoothie cocktail on Venice Beach. The Hawks will be there come January, but will be traveling to Lambeau to face the Packers.

AFC Wild Card Weekend
(4) New England over (5) Kansas City
(3) Baltimore over (6) Pittsburgh
BYE: (1) Denver (2) Indianapolis

AFC Divisional Playoffs
(1) Denver over (4) New England
(3) Baltimore over (2) Indianapolis

AFC Championship
(1) Denver over (3) Baltimore

NFC Wild Card Weekend
(3) New Orleans over (6) Detroit
(4) Philadelphia over (5) Dallas
BYE: (1) Green Bay (2) Seattle

NFC Divisional Playoffs
(1)Green Bay over (4) Philadelphia
(2) Seattle over (3) New Orleans

NFC Championship
(1)Green Bay over (2) Seattle

Super Bowl 50
(1)Denver over (1) Green Bay

Postseason Awards:
MVP: Aaron Rodgers – Packers
Offensive Player of the Year: Calvin Johnson – Lions
Defensive Player of the Year: Justin Houston – Chiefs
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Amari Cooper – Raiders
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Randy Gregory – Cowboys
Comeback Player of the Year: Victor Cruz – Giants
Coach of the Year: Mike McCarthy – Packers

Other Postseason Awards and Predictions:
Owner Likely to Overdose Mid-Game: Jim Irsay – Colts
Most Dysfunctional Organization: New Jersey Jets/Washington No-Names
Most Likely to Bang Ciara Before Russell Wilson: Pete Carroll & Marshawn Lynch (Simultaneously)
Over/Under on the Amount of Babies Conceived When TB12 Takes The Field Opening Night: 1,233,393 (All Male Pregnancies)
Who Sings the National Anthem at Super Bowl 50 in San Francisco: The Biebs, if it isn’t him, murder whom is in charge of choosing the artist.
NFL Sex Tape That Gets Released by Mid-Season: Ciara with Marshawn Lynch and Pete Carroll
How many players murder their ACL’s by the end of the season: 95
Coach Likely to Get Challenged to Mortal Kombat by their own players: Chip Kelly
Coach with the season long sinus infection and cold: Bill Belichick, but that is a given. Six Rings has that effect on people.

There you have it. Go throw a million billion on each of these predictions. You’ll thank me later.

New England Patriots, NFL

New England Patriots – NFL: Judge Berman’s “No Deal” Is No Surprise

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The good news is we could have Judge Richard M. Berman’s ruling in Tom Brady’s four game suspension, you know, “deflategate,” before I actually get to publish this article. After Monday’s meeting he said he will have a decision by Friday and possibly as early as Tuesday.

The bad news is, no matter how the Judge rules, odds are we won’t be through hearing about this fiasco for another year or more.

Judge Berman: “We did not reach a settlement. … In some cases, it doesn’t happen and this is one of those cases.”

In an abbreviated meeting Monday (8/31) between the attorney’s for the NFL and those for Tom Brady and the NFLPA, Judge Berman gave up. Yup, no matter how hard he pushed for a negotiated settlement neither party was willing to move enough (or at all) off their original position to bring about closure.

All the big guns were there for both sides, including NFL Commissioner (King) Roger Goodell, John Mara (chairman of the NFL Management Council Executive Committee), Tom Brady, Jay Feely (a member of the union’s executive committee) and a horde of Attorneys charging huge $$$$$$$$$. Could anyone really expect a last minute miracle? Not only no, but hell no!

Feely, speaking for the NFLPA outside the courthouse after the meetings, had this to say:

“For us it reinforces the desire and the need for an independent arbitrator in these matters of personal conduct,” … “But we understand Tom’s position and I think the process will work itself out.”

S-L-O-W Is Where We Go Now

No matter what he rules in the next few days, it is highly likely the loser will appeal the decision…and, when that happens, things slow to a crawl. If you think it’s been forever to get to this point your patience is about to be drained.

Judge Berman fast tracked this ridiculous case through his court with the hope he could force a settlement, but the higher courts have more important things to do than to rule on deflated football theories and they will take their time. You can be sure Berman will write his decision carefully to avoid being overturned.

Per Michael McCann of Sports Illustrated An appeal might not be decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit until next summer, meaning Brady could lose this round in court but play the entire 2015 season without disruption

Nothing New

So, nothing has changed from all the discussions everyone has had and, no matter what anyone says…once again…don’t believe anything you hear until the Judge issues his ruling. We’ll be writing a lot more about the silliest court action ever (should work it’s way into Ripley’s Believe It Or Not) once we hear what Judge Berman decides.

Follow me on Twitter @SnowdonBob