2018 NFL Regular Season

[eagle eye]

The first weekend of the NFL still has 2 games left to be played. There is a MNF doubleheader tonight featuring the Jets at the Lions in the early game and the Rams vs the Raiders in the late game. I suspect it will be the final two chapters in the Week 1 book entitled, “Sloppy Play and Penalties”. It was a first week that highlighted how much rust first units were caked with and the popular notion why was because teams #1’s didn’t play much in preseason. Everyone around the NFL were scared of getting starters hurt so they didn’t play them enough to knock the ton of rust off. You’d think teams would be better considering the 1’s got most of the practice reps but it just didn’t seem to be the case. The QB’s for our two Texas teams looked like crap but they weren’t the only ones. Kirk Cousins, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes looked good as did Alex Smith with the Redskins. There was some stinky play to not confined to Texas teams but Dak and Deshaun were maybe the worst of the lot. Tyrod Taylor both helped and hurt the Browns. His choices on where to throw passes at the end of regulation and in overtime were horrible. Not only were the decisions bad but he also underthrew them which caused the plays to fail miserably. The Browns forced 7 turnovers in the game and they only got points from one of those turnovers. The Browns defense played their collective asses off, certainly enough to win their first game since the fall of 2016, but the offense was not up to the task. If Taylor continues to play this poorly the Baker Mayfield era might begin sooner than expected.
It wasn’t just sloppy play but, it was poor coaching decisions that cost teams this week. For sure, the Texans and Cowboys had their own crosses to bear in that regard. I’m not going to dwell on this but the coaches around the NFL were showing some rust as well.
Then there were the penalties. OMG were there a lot flags flying this weekend? Pre and post play penalties kill teams and if there weren’t over 100 false start and encroachment penalties I will eat your hat. Surprisingly enough, there weren’t that many helmet to helmet flags based on the new rule put in place this offseason. It was certainly called enough in preseason to give teams a chance to clean that up and teams did clean them up.
The weather around a big chunk of the NFL affected the first week’s play. None more than Miami who ended up having the longest regular season game in NFL history because of rain delays.
All in all, it was nice to see football back but it would have been nice if ONE of the teams I was pulling for had won. You got see another heroic effort from Aaron Rodgers who brought his team back from a 20 point fourth quarter deficit highlighted by a 75 yard catch and run by Randall Cobb to give the Packers a very unlikely 24-23 win over da Bears. It was heroic because Rodgers was sacked near the end of the first half and he injured his knee on the play. After getting treatment at halftime he came out pretty much on one leg and leg his team to the win. Just another day at the office for the legend that is Aaron Rodgers.

[eagle eye]

Good grief, Charlie Brown! There were enough bad days by NFL QB’s in Week 1 to keep Lucy Van Pelt busy until the end of the year! She only charges 5 cents for psychiatric consultation but few would have given 2 cents for the QB play this past week. Philly and Atlanta, Foles and Ryan both were totally unimpressive in an 18-12 snooze fest that began Week 1. On Sunday Dak Prescott and Deshaun Watson threw water on any fireworks their respective teams may have thought they had. Ben Roethlesberger and Tyrod Taylor cost their team a chance for victory. Nathan Peterman and Josh Allen both sucked big time against the Ravens. Buffalo didn’t look like they could beat a decent high school team. Last night Matthew Stafford had a QBR of 8.8 while Derek Carr of the Raiders was only slightly better with a 10.7 QBR. San Fran’s golden boy Jimmy Garoppolo turned in a fool’s gold performance as the Niners fell to Minnesota. The weather contributed to a sorry performance by both QB’s in the Miami-Tennessee game. That was the other game this weekend that featured 2 QB’s from the same team as Titan’s starter Marcus Mariota left early due to an elbow injury. His replacement Blaine Gabbert but both men were just bad. You could say that several QB’s were affected by all the rain that fell during the games. You could but I don’t buy it. Everyone I know was shocked that Tampa Bay stunned the Saints behind Ryan Fitzpatrick in what was one of the more entertaining games of the entire weekend. Fitz and Drew combined for 856 passing yards, 7 TD’s and no picks. One of the few games where a QB did not throw a pick. Otherwise it was just an ugly beginning to the season.

The injury bugs attacked in force this week. Gone for the season are S Keanu Neal (ACL), TE Delanie Walker (broken ankle), OL Seantrel Hill (broken ankle) and RB Jeremy Hill (ACL). The plethora of concussions include DE Randy Gregory, WR Desean Jackson, OT Taylor Lewan. Other injuries include CB Trae Waynes (ankle), RB Leonard Fournette (ankle), WR Doug Baldwin (MCL), QB Marcus Mariota (elbow) and CB Joe Haden (hamstring). {Cue the theme song from M*A*S*H*)

Interesting factoid: There were 7 new head coaches leading teams into their first game as the head man and all seven lost, some embarrassingly so. Steve Wilkes (Arizona Cards) killed 24-6 by Washington. Matt Nagy lost a game they thought was well in hand as da Bears lost to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers 24-23. Former Patriots OC Matt Patricia had the dickens out of his Detroit Lions by the Jets! The Jets??? The 48-17 loss wasn’t really even that close. Frank Reich and his Indy Colts got a smack down from Cincinnati 34-23. Pat Shurmur’s NY Giants lost an ugly game 20-15 to Jacksonville. Former Houston DC Mike Vrabel and his Tennessee Titans lost the longest game in NFL history 27-20. Finally, Jon Gruden and the Oakland Raiders lost big to the LA Rams 33-13. NFL.com points out that it is the worst record for new head coaches in NFL history. Who said it’s good to The Man?

Oh yeah, The NFLPA complained to the NFL league office about the new policy governing kneeling during the National Anthem so the NFL said in a statement there will be no National Anthem policy in 2018. I understand the union standing up for its membership but, this is just another incidence where Roger Goodell and his minions show they don’t have a single hair on their collective asses. I was semi-proud of the owners and the league when they put their foot down saying if a player or players want to kneel during the anthem they will have to do it in the locker room or face a fine. Not the punitive punishment some hoped for but at least it was something. Now all that is in the wind because the men behind The Shield are spineless wimps. I did not see any reports of players kneeling this past weekend. Maybe there wasn’t. I hope not.

[eagle eye]

This is a week overdue but I just had to write something about the sad sack Cleveland Browns. It’s not a complaint. Far from it. In fact, it’s praise because for the first time in 638 days, since Week 16 of the 2016 season, Cleveland won a game! Fittingly, it was won at home in front of a wildly ecstatic home crowd who, just about an hour and a half earlier, were booing their team and chants of “Ba-ker May-field” echoed across the field. Why? Because Tyrod Taylor was stinking it up again and the Browns were down 14 zip to the Jets and 3^rd pick in this year’s draft, Sam Darnold. Then, all of a sudden, Tyrod was slow getting up after being sacked on a 3^rd down. The Browns defense held the Jets to a 3-and-out and Cleveland was getting the ball back with just under 2 minutes left in the half. Out trots Mayfield to the cheers of the suddenly energized Cleveland crowd. Bam, completed pass. Bam, bam, another completed pass. What the heck was going on there? Cleveland was actually moving the ball! The Browns were getting down near the Red Zone and there was a new energy to the Browns offense. There were a couple of a miscues and a sack to take some of the steam out of the drive but, with 1:19 left in the half new Browns kicker Greg Joseph successfully kicked a 45-yard field goal to finally get some points on the board for Cleveland. That may have been the most important 3 points of the season for the Browns. First, the spark that Baker Mayfield gave the Browns was obvious. The Browns finally had a competent quarterback under center. Then the kicker came out to give Cleveland some point or that could have been just another disappointment in the season as Joseph’s kick looked like it was going to miss but at the last moment the ball curved back between the uprights for the first successful field goal of the season for Cleveland. The Browns now had hope.
The Browns should have been 2-0 on the season after taking Pittsburgh to overtime in Week 1 only to end up in a tie and in Week 2 the Browns held the high-flying Saints to just 21 points but Taylor was ineffective and former Browns kicker Zane Gonzalez just sucked. He missed two field goal attempts and both of his extra point attempts in a 21-18 loss. As of the end of the first half in the game against the Jets things were different. Taylor was out with a possible concussion and Gonzalez was replaced earlier in the week by Greg Joseph and even though he probably scared Hue Jackson to death on a kick that had more break in it than a Justin Verlander curve ball it ended up going through the uprights. Joseph had another kick in the 3^rd quarter that had that scare factor to it but, it was good too. You know it’s your night when you score a TD and go for 2 to tie the score and the QB is sacked but the defense was guilty of a holding call that gives you a second chance. The Browns did not waste that chance. RB Carlos Hyde took a direct snap from center and moved to his right. Jarvis Landry coming back to the left took a pitch from Hyde and he promptly threw a perfect pass to - who else - Baker Mayfield alone in the end zone. Tie game and the Cleveland Browns crowd was so happy words couldn’t describe it.
In the 4^th quarter the Jets got a field goal to give them a brief 17-14 lead but, this was Baker Mayfield’s night and the Browns crowd would not be denied. Mayfield led the Browns on a drive that capped off by a Carlos Hyde 1-yard run to take a 21-17 lead. The defense did what they had been doing all game and that was stuffing the Jets offense. The last two possessions by the Jets resulted in interceptions of Darnold. After the last pick Mayfield came out and, in a very unfamiliar sight in Cleveland, knelt down in the victory formation to seal the 21-17 win for the Browns. Cleveland should be 3-0 on the season but with the dawn of the Baker Mayfield era on full display last Thursday night the Browns 1-1-1 record looks pretty darn good. The Browns travel to Oakland to take on the 0-3 Raiders this Sunday. The Raiders haven’t looked good so far and the Browns have a legit defense. Based on last week’s Baker Mayfield coming out party I would have to say Cleveland has some legit to their offense now too!

[eagle eye]

I really only care about how the Browns are doing outside of the Cowboys and Texans. It's a wonder to see how well these rookie and 2nd year QB's are doing all across the NFL landscape. Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield are the highest profile players and both are doing better than anyone could have hoped. Carson Wentz, Mitch Trubisky and Deshaun Watson are doing well leading their respective teams. Wide receivers are making more of an impact than in the past because they come from passing offenses in college and the pros are adopting much of the same plays as the college game uses. Much easier transition. Everyone wants to write off Tom Brady and Patriots because they start out a little slow but they seem to do what they do and are looking like the Patriots as they figure out this year's team chemistry. It reminds me of the Dan Hooks era West Orange-Stark Mustangs. Hooks didn't care what happened in the first weeks of the season. Everything was geared toward district play and a deep run in the playoffs. Sounds like the Patriots doesn't it since the Belichick-Brady era began nearly two decades ago? I had arguments with my friends over who was the GOAT at QB, Peyton Manning or Brady with an honorable mention for Joe Montana but, as the Patriots roll toward the end of their 2nd decade of unprecedented success, you have to give credit where credit due. After 8 SB appearances and 5 wins Brady is the GOAT.

The Browns shot themselves in the foot in loosing to the Raiders last week but the debut of Baker Mayfield was pretty darn good. Mayfield wasn't perfect but his looks, and plays, like a franchise QB. After about 30 different starting QBs in Cleveland since the Patriots got good it looks like Cleveland might have finally hit paydirt. The Browns defense is pretty stout too but they have lost some key elements in their secondary that last two weeks and that presented a problem for Cleveland when Oakland began their comeback against the Browns last week. Instead of a pressure defense that included some blitzes, that caused David Carr a world of issues throwing the ball, to a 2-deep zone defense which also resulted in a lot less pressure on Carr in the pocket enabling him to pick apart the Browns secondary. Today the Browns host the Baltimore Ravens who just pounded the Steelers last week. Cleveland should have beaten the Steelers in Week 1 and I think they have the foundation of something resembling confidence since Mayfield took over as the Browns starting QB midway through their Week 3 win. I will be looking forward to seeing Cleveland play and since I am no fan of the Ravens I will be rooting hard for the Browns. It's a big game and Cleveland really needs to win. They are at home and there is no rain in the forecast. It's nice and cool 70^o scheduled for game time. Cleveland, you've got this. Beat those stupid Ravens!

[eagle eye]

NFL notes and observations.
Ezekiel Elliott is no longer the NFL rushing leader despite 106 yards rushing against Jacksonville. Why? Todd Gurley of the Rams blew up against the Broncos this past Sunday gaining 208 yards on Denver. He leads Elliott by just 37 yards. Barring injury, this could be a two-man race to see who will win the 2018 rushing title.
Can you believe it, after 6 full weeks into the season, there are only 2 teams in the NFC with more than 3 wins, the 6-0 Rams and the 4-1 Saints. There is more of a race in the AFC with the Patriots, Dolphins, Bengals, Ravens and Chargers all at 4-2 but leading the AFC charge is Kansas City at 5-1.
Is it NFL parity or mediocrity? Tomato-tomahto. While overtime is a bit of a rarity in the NFL in most years, it is downright common place in 2018. While you might get a tie once a decade in 2018 you have 2 already and almost 3 others as overtime games are being won in the last seconds on 3 occasions.
What the hell is up with all the lousy kicking taking place. There have been more missed field goals and extra points so far than I have ever seen in my lifetime. Old reliables like Mason Crosby and Dan Bailey have cost their teams games with poor kicks. Then you have a guy like Brett Maher, a 28 year old kicker who is in his rookie year in the NFL because he couldn’t crack an NFL roster before this year, has hit 15 in a row, including 3 of over 50 yards, since missing his first attempt in Week 1 against Carolina. Houston’s Ka’imi Fairbairn has been okay, but he’s shown that he’s limited in kicks over 45 yards. Texans fans can point out that he hit the game winner against the Cowboys 2 weeks ago. Bragging rights count for something, right?
Demarcus Lawrence is not the NFL sack leader any more after being shutout against the Jaguars last Sunday. Lawrence’s snaps were cut way back as the Cowboys nurse him through a shoulder injury that includes a partially torn labrum. Houston’s JJ Watt and Minnesota’s Danielle Hunter lead the league with 7 sacks each. Watt’s younger brother, TJ, is nipping at big brother’s heals with 6 sacks.
The strongest division in the NFL right now might be the AFC North. The Bengals and Ravens are tied at 4-2 for the division lead with Pittsburgh right behind at 3-2-1 and Cleveland right there at 2-3-1. The Browns had a bad game Sunday against the Chargers but what was worse is Cleveland suffered a bunch of injuries in the game including their best linebacker, Joe Schobert to a hamstring injury that will cause him to miss at least one game. Who would have ever thought that had the Browns in it could be called the strongest? The Browns travel to Tampa to play the Buccaneers this week. The Bucs are struggling as they fired their defensive coordinator this week. If Cleveland can rebound with a win they would be a .500 ball club for the first time in, like, forever! Go Browns!!!

[eagle eye]

Two weeks ago the Browns were heading into a game with Tampa Bay with a bit of a head of steam. But they lost to a team who couldn't find any offense for 3 weeks and rather terrible defense. But Cleveland managed to mess that up lose to the Bucs. In Week 1 Cleveland should have opened the season with a win but Tyrod Taylor and their kicker at the time messed it all up and the game ended in a 21-21 tie. Last week in the rematch it wasn't close as Pittsburgh put a giant foot up the Browns derriere. It was so bad that head coach Hue Jackson and OC Todd Haley couldn't see eye to eye and the owner Jimmy Haslam and GM John Dorsey didn't want either of them so they both got the boot. The interim head coach will be DC Greg Williams whose greatest claim to fame was as the instigator of the "bounty-gate" scandal that got the Saints in hot water a few years ago. The new OC is Freddie Kitchens. Who? Well, Kitchens has been around the NFL for 12 seasons as a TE coach, QB coach and RB coach. Before Jackson and Haley were fired he was the Browns RB coach. Kitchens has coached some good players very well in the past but this is his biggest challenge yet. First he's never been an OC in the NFL or college and second, he has the job of mentoring and developing the Browns first overall draft pick in 2018 Baker Mayfield so he isn't added to the extensive list of first round QB busts the Browns have accumulated over the last 20 seasons. He's got to fix a porous offensive line so Mayfield doesn't have to run for his life every play. He has to figure out how to keep his receivers on the field and off the injury list so Mayfield has somebody decent to throw the ball to. He has to do that with one week of practice and the Browns will face a very good Kansas City Chiefs team. At least the Browns will be at home. The Chiefs are just a much better team than the Browns and they will lose today, of that I am most certain. But, how they lose will be the key. If they look lost like the Raiders do most of the time, I'd bench Mayfield and let Tyrod Taylor take the hits. If the Browns make it a respectable game then maybe there is hope that Jackson WAS the problem and Todd Haley was the whining potato head he looked like on Hard Knocks. I hope it will be the latter because I like Baker Mayfield and I not-so-secretly root for the Browns anyway. Without LeBron in Cleveland those poor fans need something, or someone, to cheer for. God knows Cleveland is due some better days for their football team.

[eagle eye]

This week in the NFL is weird. Browns win? Patriots lose to the Titans?? Bills blow out the Jets???
Since Matt Barkley came out of USC in 2012 he has been a flat bust. Buffalo signed him early last week off his couch and they cut turnover machine Nathan Peterman figuring on an upgrade. Lo and behold, what a signing it was! Barkley came in and led his new team, the Buffalo Bills, to a blowout of division rival New York Jets who were without their Top Gun, Sam Darnold. Buffalo has played teams tough this season, but they were derailed by poor QB play. Not this past Sunday. Barkley was efficient but not spectacular, but he did throw 2 TD passes and zero INT’s. When the dust cleared Buffalo beat the hapless Jets 41-10 which just fueled the ‘fire Todd Boles’ rhetoric.
So, maybe the coaches figured out how to motivate the team or there was some magic potion Mike Vrabel fed his team during their bye week. Whatever it was it has worked in spades. Last week Tennessee beat Dallas, soundly beat them. Now, this past Sunday the Titans proved it wasn’t a fluke by whipping the mighty New England Patriots 34-10! It was a worse ass-whipping than they put on Dallas! The legit competition for Houston in the AFC South just might be the Titans.
The Browns fired their head coach AND their offensive coordinator two weeks ago. Then, on just one week of prep with the interim head coach and new OC the Browns had to face Kansas City. There are 3 ‘big boy’ teams in the NFL right now, the Rams, the Saints and the Chiefs. Cleveland tried hard but had no answer for the Chiefs and they lost by 13. With a full week to prepare new OC Freddie Kitchens is a chubby ex-quarterback from Alabama pre Nick Saban but this guy put some new wrinkles in the offense like a variation of the old double wing formation with a back deep in the “I” and a few other tricks. Kitchens got this offense to perform at a very high level, high enough to spank to the Atlanta Falcons 28-16. The Browns are their bye week this week and goodness knows what they will come up with given two weeks to prepare! Of the six games Cleveland has left in the season, the Browns could win every one. Interim head coach, Greg Williams, is content to let Kitchens handle the offense without his interference. He doesn’t even to listen to Kitchens and Mayfield during timeouts. Those huddles are probably much better without Hue Jackson and Todd Haley sniping at each other. Watch out for these Browns going forward!

[eagle eye]

I haven't written much about the NFL or fantasy this season because I have just been busy as hell this fall but it's about time that the playoff picture becomes clearer. It's also, in most leagues the 2nd week of the fantasy football playoffs. Unfortunately, I didn't make the playoffs in the league I play in but, I have a lot more hope going into 2019 season because I now have elite WR's and a QB and a RB I can bank on. If I choose not to keep the QB I have viable options at RB. The future is so bright I gotta wear shades as the song goes. This season, I am just a spectator.

As a fan, I have high hopes as December progresses. The Texans look like a shoe-in as AFC South champs and the Cowboys have a high probability they will be NFC East champs. So far, my hope for a Texas Super Bowl is alive and well. All we can do now is look at the possible teams who will also be in the playoffs. You can look at the standings just as well as I can but we look at games that will be played this weekend and we could have some dramatic changes. The first would be if the Chargers at 10-3 can beat Kansas City at 11-2 in KC. KC has led wire to wire so far in the AFC West but if the Chargers just won't go away and if they win they could take over 1st place in the division by tie-breaker. That game begins Week 15 tonight.

The Texans play Saturday afternoon in a two-part game interest. First, Houston needs to beat the Jets which is something they should do. Part two will be the game between the Steelers and Patriots. If Houston and Pittsburgh both win Houston will be the 2nd seed in the AFC. It's a big deal for the Texans to have home field and the first round bye in the playoffs.

Philadelphia goes to LA to play the Rams. How will they react after a heartbreaking loss to the Cowboys last Sunday? How will the Eagles react if Carson Wentz is done for the rest of the season because of a broken vertebrae in his back? Will Nick Foles come to the Eagles rescue again? I won't root for Philly under any circumstance but if they did beat the Rams the Saints, who play Carolina this week could retake the No 1 seed in the NFC. I have no doubt who Saints fans will be rooting for.

The Dolphins and Vikings are fighting for their playoff lives this week. The Vikings, after being kicked around by Seattle in Week 14 fired their offensive coordinator. Could this reignite the Vikings offense or does Kirk Cousins just suck?

The Cowboys could ice the NFC East with a win over Indianapolis. I just think Dallas is better than Indy but they still have to play the game and Indy is a fairly hot team right now. Indy also has an outside chance at a Wild Card so this won't be a cake walk for the Cowboys.

The Packers have a slim to none chance for a playoff spot and travelling to Chicago to play the Bears won't be easy. Joe Philbin took over for Mike McCarthy as the Pack's head coach and it resulted in a win for the boys from Wisconsin. I think it's a little to little too late for Green Bay but they could help the Cowboys to a 3rd seed in the NFC with a win over the Bears. The Bears have a one-game lead over Dallas but with a Bears loss and a Cowboys win that would change dramatically. As a died-in-the-wool Cowboys fan all I can say is -- Go Green Bay!!!

I am rooting for Pittsburgh for two reasons. 1) I want them to beat the Patriots and 2) I want the Steelers to hold off the Ravens to win the AFC North. I don't much care for the Ravens despite Joe Flacco being replaced as the starting QB. The Ravens play Tampa Bay who has been playing better since Jameis Winston took over as the starter for the 3rd time this season a few weeks ago. I am rooting for the Bucs in any case to beat the Ravens.

The Redskins look to keep their playoff hopes alive with a win this weekend over the dismal Jacksonville Jaguars. The caveat is Washington is on their 3rd string QB, Marc Sanchez, who isn't all that great as evidenced by the ass whoopin' they took last week from the Giants. If the Jags can manage a win at home it will put the Redskins out of their misery.

The last game I want to talk about is the late game on Saturday night. Cleveland will travel to Denver to play the Broncos. The Broncos are clinging to slim playoff hopes at 6-7 while, lo and behold!, Cleveland is just 2 games out of first place in the confusing AFC North. I'm not kidding, Pittsburgh is 7-5-1 while the Ravens are 1/2 game back at 7-6 and Cleveland is hot on their heels at 5-7-1. The Browns are my guilty pleasure team and even though I like the Broncos I'm not in love with Case Keenum. I hope the Brownies win and I will certainly be watching.

[eagle eye]

It's hard to believe but this NFL season is just about over for the regular season. It seems just like yesterday that we, I, were looking forward to training camp beginning in early August and now it is on the downhill slope of December. Even after everyone has played 14 games there is still a lot of mystery surrounding who will make the playoffs. In the AFC not one division has been decided yet and nobody has clinched a playoff berth. You have the Patriots and Texans with 2 game leads with two to play but Miami is making a push in the AFC East and Indianapolis and Tennessee just won't go away in the AFC South. Pittsburgh is clinging to a 1/2 game lead over Baltimore in the AFC North and the only thing left to decide is who will win the AFC West and who will be the #1 Wild Card between 11-3 San Diego and Kansas City.

The NFC picture is a little clearer. New Orleans has clinched the NFC South after beating Carolina on Monday night and they also have knocked Cam Newton out for the rest of the season because of a shoulder injury he suffered against the Saints. The Saints are the #1 seed right now in the conference thanks to their win over the Rams and the unexpected loss by the Rams to Philadelphia. No other teams in the South have a shot at the playoffs. The NFC West has a division champ thanks to the loss by Seattle to the 49ers. So that's two divisions without any more mystery. The NFC East is another story. Dallas had the chance to clinch the division vs Indy but they decided to play their worst game in 15 years while Washington, with a 4th string QB, beat Jacksonville and Philly upset the Rams which means Dallas' only has a one game lead in the division with 2 games to play. In the NFC Norris division the Bears beat Green Bay to clinch the division in what must seem like forever for Bears fans. The NFC East is still way up in the air. With any team liable to win the division or a Wild Card sport or both depending on the next two weeks.

Lets take a look at important games that will matter in Week 16. This is also Fantasy Football Championship week for most leagues and it's a bad thing for Christian McCaffrey owners since Cam is done for the rest of the season.

AFC East
NE vs Buff - The Pats can clinch the division and I look for this to happen. Buffalo is no match for the Pats and with the loss to the Steelers on the road last week the Patriots may be a little testy at this point.
Mia vs Jacksonville - Still alive for a Wild Card and, if the Pats should stumble against the Bills, the Dolphins have an outside shot at dethroning the mighty Pats.

AFC North
Pitt vs NOLA
The Steelers have a tough task to go into New Orleans to beat the Saints but the Saints offense has been struggling since they were held to 10 points by Dallas. The Steelers have to win to stay ahead of the Ravens and the Saints have clinched their division but the #1 seed in the playoffs is still at stack. This might be the best game of the weekend.

AFC South
Hou vs Philly
This is a big game for both teams. The Texans can clinch the division with a win and maintain the #2 seed in the conference. The Eagles are still in the hunt for a Wild Card. In the cold and in Philly the Texans will have to play better than they did the past two weeks.
Wash vs Tenn
This game is important to both teams. Both are still in the hunt for a playoff spot. The edge goes to the Titans because they are at home and they are better than the Redskins.
Indy vs NY Giants
The Giants won't be much of a problem and the Colts can put the heat on the Texans with a win and a Texans loss.

AFC West
Balt vs LA Chargers
This is big game for both. Baltimore is right on the heels of the Steelers and could take over the AFC North lead with a win and a Steelers loss. The Chargers are needing to keep pace with Kansas City. A win against the Ravens coupled with a KC loss and the Chargers will take over first place and own the #1 seed in the AFC.
KC vs Seattle
The Chiefs are in the same boat as the Chargers and both have very tough games this week. The Seahawks are still in the lead for a Wild Card spot but they need to win too.

That's all since this post is already pretty long. Tomorrow the NFC.

[eagle eye]

I guess you noticed that Thursday games are over with but the NFL is on Saturdays now so I am confident there are no football withdrawl symptoms yet. It is time to finish up on previewing the bigger, more impactful games this weekend. As I left off with AFC games the other day, it's time to look at the important games from the NFC side of the ledger.

NFC East
Tampa vs Dal
For Tampa this is just playing out the string since they are out of the playoffs but a lot of guys, players and coaches and maybe GM's, are still playing for a job next season. So, it's not like the Bucs will roll over and play dead against the Cowboys. The Cowboys are coming off a humiliating loss last week so they will be looking to rebound from that as well as clinching the division. A lot on the line for the Cowboys and this game is their best chance of their last two to punch their ticket to the playoffs because they are at home. We'll see if the Cowboys have a nut left to cut on Sunday.

Wash vs Tenn
I talked about this game when I discussed the AFC. It's a big game but Washington is on the road and their fourth string QB. Tennessee is just better and they are still very much in the playoff hunt.

Hou vs Philly
The Texans own the 2 seed in the AFC but they need to keep winning to maintain their status. Philly is battling for a playoff spot as well. I will be rooting for the Texans obviously because I am a fan and I want them to stay at that 2 seed and I have a double homer whammy because a Houston win would help the Cowboys too. A classic win-win situation if there ever was one if the Texans prevail.

NFC North
Minn vs Det
Minnesota is still alive in the Wild Card race but they have been sliding backwards the past few weeks. They need a win against Detroit to stay as the 2nd WC team. Matt Patricia and the Lions are just looking for a win in Patricia's opening campaign in his first head coaching gig. The Lions don't have the talent the Viking have but it's a division game and you just never know how those games will roll.

NFC South
Pitt vs NO
The Saints host the Steelers in a pivotal game for both. The Saints need to win to stay as the #1 seed in the NFC while the Steelers are fighting to maintain their 1/2 game lead in the AFC North over Baltimore. One thing, the Steelers will know exactly what they need to do by game time because the Ravens play on Saturday so, the outcome of the Ravens-Chargers game will already be in the books.

NFC West
KC vs Seattle
KC needs to win to maintain their tie-breaker lead over the Chargers. The Chargers play Saturday night so KC will know what they are up against on Sunday afternoon. Seattle is currently the #1 Wild Card team but they need to keep winning to stay there. Yet another interleague game with playoff implications for both teams.

Rams vs Ariz
The Rams have clinched their division but they still have a shot at the 1 seed in the NFC so they need to win. The Rams definitely have the easier time of it between themselves and the Saints and they need to take advantage of the situation.

That's it for Week 16. It's fantasy football championship week so good luck to everyone still in the hunt. There should be a lot of situations cleared up this week so it should be a very exciting weekend of football. My guilty pleasure game will be between Cincinnati and Cleveland because I am Browns fan. It's nice to see Cleveland is no laughing stock this year at last. The Browns are not the worst team in the AFC North. That honor belongs to their opponent. Cleveland is just 1/2 ahead of the Bengals but the Browns have a chance to get above .500 for their first time in, like, forever. Go Browns!!!

[eagle eye]

This is it, the regular season is about over. By about 11 o'clock tonight we will have all the mysteries cleared up and the playoffs will be set. This week is not so much about who I want to win but rather, for me, it's about who I want to lose. Of course, I am rooting for the Texans and Cowboys, that's a given but the only other game I want someone to win is Cleveland. I want the Browns to get their 8th win of the season and at the same time, by beating the Ravens could very well knock them out of the playoffs altogether. For me, that is a big win-win. I also hope the Jets find a way to beat the Patriots but that more in the column of teams I want to lose today. The other exception is I want Minnesota to beat Chicago. This game is meaningless to Chicago but Minnesota needs to win to secure the 6 seed in the playoffs. It would also mean that Philadelphia is out of the playoffs. Philly is definitely in the Teams I Hope Lose column. I am hoping against hope that Washington who is on their fourth QB this season can find a way to beat the Beagles in Philly. I would love to hear the fans in the City of Brotherly Love boo the heck out the home team. Yeah, I know Christmas is over but I can still hope.
Go Cleveland
Go Washington
Go Jets
Go Vikings
Go whoever is playing Seattle

[eagle eye]

Around the NFL;
There is serious discord in Pittsburgh. Ben Roethlisberger is throwing everyone under the bus. Le’Veon Bell is out and Antonio Brown has one foot out the door and the other foot on a banana peel. Mike Tomlin is being questioned about his leadership because of all the discord in his locker room. Big Ben seems to be living in the great state of denial as he is willing to blame everyone for the offensive troubles the Steelers had this past season. Le’Veon Bell thought (wrongly) that he could hold the Steelers hostage for a better pay check and that saga had to be a pain in the lower regions. In the Steelers finale against Cincinnati, when Pittsburgh had to win to have a chance at the postseason, Antonio Brown was a healthy no-show. Another front line star player acting out? Is all this because Big Ben is such a douche bag? I don’t know but NFL.com had an article this morning that he was willing to talk trade for AB. Unreal.

There were 8 head coaching positions that opened up this season. Six after Week 17 ended and 2 (Green Bay and Cleveland) around midseason. As of yesterday, 6 of those openings have been filled and the last is rumored to filled but the candidate in question is still coaching in the playoffs.

Denver: Out: Vance Joseph, In: Vic Fangio. Fangio was the DC for a Chicago defense that was top 5 in the NFL. The Broncos problems weren’t really on defense. The offense was really bad the past couple of years. Case Keenum was signed as free agent last offseason but he didn’t look like a savior. The key to Fangio’s hire is who he will bring in as his OC.
Arizona: Out: Steve Wilkes, In: Kliff Kingsbury. Everyone is bashing the Cardinals for this hire but if you look at, Kingsbury produced offense. Patrick Mahomes is his protégé and in his 2nd year in the NFL people are saying Mahomes should be the league MVP. Kingsbury could very well go into Phoenix and turn Josh Rosen’s career around in the same way Sean McVay turned around Jared Goff in LA. Like all of the coaches on this list, his important hires will be on the opposite side of the ball. Kingsbury may be the most challenged because he doesn’t have a lot of NFL contacts. Hopefully, his GM can help him. Josh Rosen was projected as a top 5 pick in the 2018 draft. Time will tell if Kingsbury is head coach material or would have been better as the OC.

New York Jets: Out: Todd Boles, In: Adam Gase. Sometimes that ‘good ole’ boy’ network is just bad news. Gase earned his rep by being the OC for Denver when Peyton Manning set passing records for Denver on the way to a Super Bowl title. On the strength of that he was hired by the Dolphins in 2016. In 3 years Gase’s teams had a losing record (23-26) and just one playoff appearance which ended in a loss. Sometimes a guy is a great coordinator and not-so-great head coach (see Wade Phillips). In Miami Gase had Ryan Tannehill to work with while in NY he has Sam Darnold. Will it make a difference? I doubt it because the GM’s for both the Dolphins and the Jets aren’t all that great IMO.

Cleveland: Out: Hue Jackson, In: Freddie Kitchens. Anyone wondering why Gregg Williams wasn’t hired over Kitchens only has to look at the futility of the defense. The Browns gave up 393+ yards per game, the most in the expansion era. The reason the Browns went 5-3 down the stretch after Jackson was hired wasn’t Gregg Williams, it was Kitchens and his offense. Plus the soap opera between Jackson and former OC Todd Haley. Also, Kitchens job title was Running Backs Coach/Assistant Head Coach whereas Williams was only listed as Defensive Coordinator. The Browns GM, John Dorsey, is a proven winner as GM and his hire of Kitchens speaks well of Kitchens.

That’s enough for today. This post is too long as it is. C U mañana!

[eagle eye]

Continuing with the head coaching changes around the NFL. A few days ago I talked about Freddie Kitchens, Adam Gase and Vic Fangio. Lets get starter with the rest of what we know.

Green Bay: Out: Mike McCarthy (Joe Philbin interim); IN: Matt Lafleur. Lafleur was the OC in LA for the Rams two years ago but he wanted an opportunity to call plays so, he took a job offer from the Tennessee Titans new head coach Mike Vrabel prior to last season. The Titans did pretty well in Vrabel's first season as head coach going 9-7 losing to division rival Indianapolis and missing out on the final playoff spot in the AFC. I think Lafleur is getting ripped a bit because the Titans didn't exactly light up the scoreboard in 2018 but when you consider the Titans QB for a big chunk of the season was Blaine Gabbert you sort of need to give him a bit of a pass. Lafleur is one of the 'Sean McVay wannabe's' in that he is a young offensive minded coach who the Packers hope can connect with the oft cranky Aaron Rodgers.

Tampa Bay: Out: Dirk Koetter, In: Bruce Arians. The Bucs front office elected not to follow the current trend of hiring young offensive minded coaches in the vein of the Rams Sean McVay. Instead, the Bucs went with Bruce Arians. Arians came onto the NFL radar when he stepped in for Indianapolis head coach Chuck Pagano when Pagano had to undergo cancer treatment. Pagano came back but Indy did so well Arians was hired as the Cardinals head man. Arians is really a long-time NFL coaching veteran and he brings experience and stability to the Buc organization. Arians is reunited with former Arizona exec Jason Licht who is the GM in Tampa. It is hoped that Arians can revive the career of Jameis Winston. Winston knows Arians from attending his football camps when he was a kid. Now, with Arians' track record of being a bit of a QB guru, it is hoped he can work some magic on Winston.

Arizona: Out: Steve Wilks; In: Kliff Kingsbury. Kingsbury is the guy the Cardinals hope can come in and turn around the fortunes of 2018 first round pick QB Josh Rosen. Rosen was a top QB candidate in the NFL draft last year but he fell to pick number 10 when the draft took place last April. Rosen wasn't happy about how much he fell in the draft and vowed to prove how wrong GM's around the league were in passing on him. Steve Wilks was the first year head coach but he was a defensive specialist during his career and he was pinning his hopes on his OC Byron Leftwich. Leftwich did not do a good job. He under utilized star RB David Johnson and he did not give his new QB much to work with. Rosen made his first start in Week 4 but he only went 3-10 down the stretch. I believe the Cardinals have the understanding that Kingsbury will be the guy to help Rosen reach his full potential. Time will tell if Kingsbury is really head coaching material. He clearly failed as the Texas Tech head man but it was because he had no defense to help his high powered offense. The Tech offense was even derailed some as the starter and his backup were lost due to injuries during the course of the season. Arizona is getting bashed for the Kingsbury hire but, the man clearly is a good offensive coach and I think Rosen and the Cardinals offense will get a major kickstart in 2019. It's not a bad thing for Kingsbury that he comes to a team with the 1st overall pick in this year's draft.

There are two more openings to be filled and both cities, Cincinnati and Miami, are waiting for their main candidates to complete their season before moving forward. Cincinnati is said to be planning hire Rams QB coach, Zac Taylor while Miami is waiting on New England's Brian Flores. We'll see how that goes.

The divisional round of the playoff is over. Is it any surprise that the top four offensive teams have made to the Final Four? It comes as no surprise that all four winners this past weekend were all home teams. Home field advantage does matter. The biggest surprise was likely the fact the New England Patriots beat the fire out of the LA Chargers. Phillip Rivers' futility in the playoffs continues and his futility in beating the Patriots continued as well. The Chargers were tied with KC with the best record in the AFC and they had gone 7-1 in road games this past season. The Patriots were thought to be done. They were not all that impressive this season (despite going 11-5 and winning the 2nd seed in the playoffs) according to the experts. This was a Chargers team that many considered the best all around team in football. This was surely the year Rivers got past his old nemesis. AAAAHHH! Wrong!!!! With a week off to prepare Bill Belichick revamped his defense and threw a scheme nobody had seen the Pats run. That old washed up QB Tom Brady proved he wasn't as old or washed up as people were saying. At one point the Pats led 41-7 before making a minor comeback to make the final score 41-28. It wasn't really that close. The Patriots will go to their record 8th straight AFC Championship game. Frankly, even haters of the Patriots have to admit this Patriots dynasty will likely never be equaled. Brady and Belichick will be first ballot Hall of Famers and it's because they earned it. I feel sorry for the Chiefs because they had a great season but they are running into a buzz saw. Belichick is the master at playoff football and, as good a coach as Andy Reid is, he will be hard pressed to beat New England, even at home.

[eagle eye]

Championship Sunday! Both Games today to decide who plays in Super Bowl LIII in two weeks. Both games are rematches of games played earlier this season. In Week 6 New England hosted Kansas City with the Patriots coming out on top in what turned out to be a shootout. The final score that day was 43-40 on a last minute field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. This time around the game will be in Kansas City as the Chiefs had the best record in the AFC and earned the #1 seed and home field advantage. The Patriots had the third best record in the AFC but it was good enough to earn them the #2 seed. The LA Chargers tied the Chiefs 12-4 record but since the Chargers were in the same division and lost the tie-breaker to the Chiefs so they ended up with the #1 Wild Card. It's what your want, #1 vs #2. Normally, the forecast cold weather might be a factor in the Chiefs home field advantage but the Patriots have played lots of playoff games in freezing weather in their home stadium in Foxborough, Mass so this is old hat for the Pats. What could be a factor is the Patriots have a bad record on the road in the playoffs. So, even though this will be the Patriots 8th straight AFC Championship game, an NFL record, they have a big ol' monkey on their backs to try to shake today against a really good Chiefs offense. It's not all sunshine and icicles for the Chiefs because they had one of the statistically worst defenses in the league. The Chiefs came alive against Indianapolis as the Chiefs dominated the Colts from start to finish defensively. Truth be told, they dominated on both sides of the ball in their Divisional round game last week. The Patriots have the Gandalf the Grey wizard of the NFL. He has had success casting spells over opponents for the past 20 years leading on his own Aragorn to lead his army into battle in Tom Brady. It's hard to lose when you have the GOAT QB leading the way for you. Patrick Mahomes is a wizard in his own right. How else can you do what you do in your very first season to start in the NFL? It's going to be a helluva game and I'm fine with whoever wins. It's just going to be one of those games where you get your popcorn and favorite beverage and just enjoy the show. It's going to be in Prime Time so the stage is set for a real good time for all.

The other game, which is played this afternoon, is basically an NFC carbon copy of the AFC Championship game. #1 vs #2 seeds which New Orleans won by virtue of the Saints Week 8 win over the LA Rams. By virtue of that win it gave the Saints the tie-breaker over the Rams which the Saints needed as they and the Rams both ended the season with 13-3 records. The Saints lost their first game of the season to Tampa Bay and they proceeded to rip off 9 straight games finally losing their second game of the season to the Cowboys in Week 12. That Week 8 tilt against the Saints was undefeated to that point owning a perfect 8-0 record. New Orleans prevailed that day in the friendly confines of the Super Dome by a score of 45-35 and the game today will give the Saints a decided advantage over the Rams. The Rams got to today by beating the Cowboys 30-22 last week in a game that wasn't really that close. The Saints had to overcome a 14-zip deficit before coming out on top 20-14. The end of the game got a little dicey after the Saints failed to put the game away when a missed field goal failed to give NOLA a two score lead late in the game. The Saints defense, which didn't give up a point since the first half held fast and the Saints sent Nick Foles and the Eagles back to Philly empty handed. I have been saying the Saints are the team of destiny and will be the eventual Super Bowl LIII champs and here's why I think so. In 2009 when the Saints won their first SB they came into the playoffs with the NFC's best record at 13-3. They had the #1 seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Saints three losses that season came, in order, Tampa Bay, Dallas and Carolina. Fast forward to the present day, the Saints go into the playoffs with a 13-3 record, the #1 seed in the NFC and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Here's the kicker, the three losses suffered by the Saints came, in order, Tampa Bay, Dallas and Carolina. (Cue The Twilight Zone music!) It's destiny, I'm telling you Saints fans to have no fear best it's in the Cards. Super Bowl number 2 is an eventuality in the Sean Payton and Drew Brees era. Both teams rely on a strong ground game and the Todd Gurley/CJ Anderson duo is very formidable. That is evidenced by the playoff record 273 yards rushing the Rams tallied against a good Dallas defense which wasn't that good last weekend. The Saints counter with Alvin Kamary/Mark Ingram. Both teams have a good WR corps but I have so say that the Saints' Michael Thomas give the Saints an edge there. Both teams have good defenses but the Saints shutdown the Eagles offense for most of the game against the Eagles shutting them down when the game was on the line. The Rams beat Dallas but they still had a chance to tie the game had the Cowboys defense been able to make a stop and get the ball back to the offense. The Super Dome will be really loud with pre-Mardi Gras crazy Saints fans screaming at the top of their lungs which will make it difficult for the Rams to hear well enough to run their offense. Like I said, it's a done deal. New Orleans is winning this game. It karma, destiny, gris-gris, however you want to say it. Enjoy you day folks. If you are an NFL fan it should be a real fun day!!!

[eagle eye]

The AFC and NFC Championship games were both good games. Unlike their matchups in the regular season the teams all played better defense. Instead of scoring 80+ points like they did in the regular season the games had more reasonable scores. The Patriots won 37-31, a total of 68 points, and the Rams won 26-23, a total of 49 points. It’s the first time in the Super Bowl era that both Championship games went to overtime.
The Pats-Chiefs game looked like a blowout in the making with New England going out to a 14-0 halftime lead but, the Chiefs made adjustments at halftime and they came out and took the Patriots down to the wire. There were 14 total points scored in the first half but, the second half was a different story with both teams combining for 55 points, 31 by KC and 24 by NE. The Chiefs got a field goal to tie the game late that sent that contest into OT. The Pats won the coin toss to start the OT period and they took the ball. The Patriots did what the Patriots do, they marched the ball right down the field and scored the game clinching TD. It was vintage Brady and vintage Patriots. The Patriots extend their lead in Super Bowl appearances to 11, 8 in the Brady-Belichick era which the Patriots hold a 5-3 record. The Chiefs are really good and with the emergence of Patrick Mahomes they will be good for a long time to come. You feel bad for the Chiefs long suffering fans who haven’t seen their Chiefs in a Super Bowl since the late 60’s when they beat Minnesota in Super Bowl IV, that’s at least 50 years ago. With Mahomes, Kelce, Hill and company the Chiefs will have a very potent offense for a long time to come. They also seem to have found a running back to replace Akeem Hunt in Damien Wilson. Wilson didn’t gain a lot of yards last night but, he was a factor. I know people are sick of the Patriots but, you have to admire their success. As a Cowboys fan, I am jealous as hell but, I have decided to just appreciate the history this Patriots dynasty is carving out and appreciate the privilege of seeing it unfold first hand.
The Saints game has come down to one thing. That missed pass interference call in the last 2 minutes of the game that would have allowed the Saints to run out the clock and score the winning points without allowing the Rams a chance to come back to tie the game. The pass to the Saints with under 2:00 minutes left in the game and the Saints already in the Rams red zone had 3 ways to go. It could be complete, it could have been defensed and knocked away or it could have been picked off. That’s under normal circumstances but this was different. Rams CB Nickell Roby-Coleman plowed into Saints receiver TommyLee Lewis at the 5-yard line of the Rams clearly ahead of the pass arriving. Clearly it was pass interference and should have given the Saints a first and goal at the 5. At that point the Rams had no more time outs and the Saints could have run the clock down to almost nothing before kicking a chip shot field goal to win the game. That is how it should have gone. Instead, the clock stopped and the Saints were forced to kick a field goal with 1:45 left in the game. The Rams took the ensuing kickoff into Saints territory and they got the game tying field goal with seconds left on the clock. Overtime was so anticlimactic as the Saints were obviously in shell shock over the events of the last 1:49 of regulation. The Saints had first possession in OT but, Drew Brees was picked off at the Rams 40 and it was a short drive by the Rams that gave them the opportunity for Greg Zuerlein kick the game winner. What’s even worse about the non-call was the fact that besides pass interference the ref could have, and should have, called Roby-Coleman for helmet to helmet contact on the hit which would have resulted in the same thing. A Saints first down with the Rams out of time outs. The NFL will have to do something about situations like this. I know one thing, there is at least one ref, if not the whole damn crew from last night’s game, that should be out of a job today. Right now, I am officially rooting for the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII because I don’t want the Rams to benefit any more than they have already for the egregious error committed yesterday. It’s unthinkable how New Orleans was cheated out another trip to the Super Bowl. How the refs could have missed that call which was so clearly obvious when they call ticky-tack penalties all through the game is just unfathomable to me. I’m pissed, I’m disappointed and feel really bad for the Saints players and coaches because they should be celebrating a trip to Atlanta in two weeks instead of packing up their gear and heading home. The NFL definitely got it wrong in this case. So wrong there is nothing they can do to make it better short of overturning the call and playing the last series with the Saints again. I’m not happy for the Rams. If I was on the Rams I would feel pretty guilty about the way we got to the Super Bowl. The refs took a good game and shit all over it and there isn’t enough lipstick in the world to make this pig look anything but ugly.