NFL Sunday Round-Up: Week 4

Week 4 of NFL Sunday is in the books. Tonight's Monday Night Football is a must-see for me as my favorite team is playing in what is probably their only prime time game of the season. If the Chiefs can upset the Patriots in front of a nationwide audience, I'll be dancing like "Johnny Jamboogie" all over my living room. Anyway, let's take a look back at all the action from yesterday in the National Football League...

Please note that I added more humor this week to the column. We'll see if it lasts.


(As always, the Sunday Night Football game is not featured due to time constraints)


New York Giants - 45 (2-2) @ Washington - 14 (1-3)


It wasn't a good week to be a Washington Redskins fan. Not only did the New York Giants come out and beat you like a red-headed step-child, but South Park made your favorite football team their latest target as well. If you missed the South Park episode, it was absolutely fantastic and was an interesting take on what's going on with Washington and the Native American's who have come out and publicly admitted that they are offended by the Redskins nickname. My favorite part was obviously Cartman playing the part of Redskins owner Dan Snyder:

Now that's just fantastic. As for the game, well, I don't know what to tell you about Washington. Sometimes they show up (Philadelphia) and sometimes they just come out and lay a gigantic egg. This was a fantastic game for the Giants though. Eli Manning has improved since the start of the season and the Giants needed that like I need a million dollars. It took him some time to get used to the new offense that was being implemented, but it looks like he has the hang of it now and the Giants appear to have things turned around for the time being. How long will that last though?

NY Giants Offensive MVP: Eli Manning (28 of 39 for 300 yards, 4 TD's, 1 INT, 1 carry, 1 rushing yard, 1 rushing TD, 117.5 rating)

NY Giants Defensive MVP: Quintin Demps (7 tackles, 2 passes deflected, 1 interception)

Washington Offensive MVP: Alfred Morris (12 carries, 63 rushing yards, 1 TD, 3 receptions, 27 receiving yards)

Washington Defensive MVP: Keenan Robinson (13 tackles, 1 interception)

Up next for NY Giants: vs. Atlanta (2-2)

Up next for Washington: vs. Seattle (2-1)

Green Bay - 38 (2-2) @ Chicago - 17 (2-2)


Packers fans,

Aaron Rodgers told you to r-e-l-a-x and it looks like he may have been onto something. The Packers offense finally showed up for the first time this season as they put a whooping on the Bears, especially in the second half. The Bears defense just had no answer for Green Bay's offense and I'm fine with that because I just so happen to have Rodgers and Eddie Lacy on a few of my fantasy teams. It's still way too early to say that Green Bay is BACK and Chicago has no chance this year, but that's what people will say because it's the NFL and people tend to over-react too much on a week-to-week basis. I'm still on the Bears bandwagon, I just think they ran into an ultra-motivated Packers team that was out to prove something (along with horrible officiating, but that's a story for another day). When Rodgers and company play like they did in this game, no one can stop them (unless they are playing the Seahawks in Seattle...). The Bears face a sinking Carolina Panthers team next week and could get this ship turned around before it really starts to catch water.


Green Bay Offensive MVP: Aaron Rodgers (22 of 28 for 302 yards, 4 TD's, 151.2 rating)

Green Bay Defensive MVP: Sam Shields (3 tackles, 3 passes deflected, 1 interception)

Chicago Offensive MVP: Matt Forte (23 carries, 122 rushing yards, 5 receptions, 49 receiving yards)

Chicago Defensive MVP: Tim Jennings (5 tackles, 1 pass deflected)

Up next for Green Bay: vs. Minnesota (2-2)

Up next for Chicago: vs. @ Carolina (2-2)





Buffalo - 17 (2-2) @ Houston - 23 (3-1)


This game was all about one man and one man only.

J.J. Watt is the pure definition of "beast". The guy is the best defensive player in the NFL right now and no one knows where this came from. He's a two-star recruit who first played at Central Michigan as a TE, but transferred to Wisconsin and converted back to a DE and ended up getting drafted by the Houston Texans with the 11th overall pick in the 2011 draft. Looking back at that draft now, he easily should have gone in the top 3 or been the first overall pick, but hindsight is 20/20 and no one knew just how good this guy was going to be. The Texans have a really special defense on their hands with guys like Watt and Jadeveon Clowney on their roster and if they can get an offense (i.e. a QUARTERBACK) to help complement it, these guy's are going to be dangerous. That's a big "if" though as there are a laundry list of NFL teams that have been looking for a good signal caller for years now. Not everyone is the Indianapolis Colts and luck themselves into two straight potential Hall-of-Fame QB's....


Buffalo Offensive MVP: Mike Williams (2 receptions, 84 yards, 1 TD)

Buffalo Defensive MVP: Nigel Bradham (3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception)

Houston Offensive MVP: DeAndre Hopkins (5 receptions, 64 yards, 1 TD)

Houston Defensive MVP: J.J. Watt (5 tackles, 9 QB hits, 1 interception, 1 TD)

Up next for Buffalo: vs. @ Detroit (3-1)

Up next for Houston: vs. @ Dallas

Tennessee - 17 (1-3) @ Indianapolis - 41 (2-2)


Andrew Luck folks. He's good. Some people want to say that Russell Wilson is the best young quarterback in the game, but that's just asinine. Andrew Luck plays for an Indianapolis Colts team that won one game the year before he arrived. He immediately turned them into a playoff contender. Wilson has been incredible in his short NFL career thus far, but he's got so much more to work with in Seattle, including an elite defense. If you don't think having an elite defense can help an offense, then you should just stop reading this blog right now. Andrew Luck is going to be a first ballot Hall-of-Famer and as soon as the Colts surround him with better players, he'll get himself some rings. As for the Titans? HOW THE HELL DID THEY BEAT THE CHIEFS AT ARROWHEAD IN WEEK ONE? SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!


Tennessee Offensive MVP: Delanie Walker (5 receptions, 84 yards, 1 TD)

Tennessee Defensive MVP: Wesley Woodyard (9 tackles, 2 passes deflected, 1 QB hit, 1 interception)

Indianapolis Offensive MVP: Andrew Luck (29 of 41 for 393 yards, 4 TD's, 1 INT, 123.3 rating)

Indianapolis Defensive MVP: Mike Adams (3 passes deflected, 2 interceptions)

Up next for Tennessee: vs. Cleveland (1-2)

Up next for Indianapolis: vs. Baltimore (3-1)

Carolina - 10 (2-2) @ Baltimore - 38 (3-1)

'Nuff said.


Carolina Offensive MVP: Kelvin Benjamin (5 receptions, 76 yards, 1 TD)

Carolina Defensive MVP: Luke Kuechly (12 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass deflection)

Baltimore Offensive MVP: Steve Smith Sr. (7 receptions, 139 yards, 2 TD's)

Baltimore Defensive MVP: C.J. Mosley (11 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 2 passes deflected)

Up next for Carolina: vs. Chicago (2-2)

Up next for Baltimore: vs. @ Indianapolis (2-2)

Detroit - 24 (3-1) @ New York Jets - 17 (1-3)


Did you know that Matthew Stafford almost died this week? Seriously. The overpass he was riding over in his car got hit by a truck and it collapsed. Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself. Either way, Stafford escaped death this week and you couldn't tell by his play on the field because he looked like the same Matthew Stafford that we've come to know and love for sometime now. Stafford lifted the Lions over a Jets team that is a complete dumpster fire on offense. I know I've said it for the past 3 seasons now, but if Rex Ryan is still the coach of the New York Jets by this time next year, I may just move the Jets over the Raiders in my "Stupidest NFL Franchises Power Rankings". Rex Ryan is a great defensive coordinator, but a horrible coach. Some people are good workers, but horrible managers and that is the exact definition of Rex. As for the Lions, they are a quiet 3-1 and look to be a potential playoff team. Then again, they are the Lions and things could flip from "good" to "bad" at any given time. Enjoy it while it's good though Detroit. And hey, at least your quarterback is alive and healthy.....


Detroit Offensive MVP: Matthew Stafford (24 of 34 for 293 yards, 2 TD's, 6 carries, 8 rushing yards, 1 TD, 116.4 rating)

Detroit Defensive MVP: Darius Slay (5 tackles, 1 interception)

NY Jets Offensive MVP: Chris Johnson (6 carries, 44 rushing yards, 1 TD, 2 receptions, 17 receiving yards)

NY Jets Defensive MVP: Muhammed Wilkerson (8 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 QB hits)

Up next for Detroit: vs. Buffalo (2-2)

Up next for NY Jets: vs. @ San Diego (3-1)

Tampa Bay - 27 (1-3) @ Pittsburgh - 24 (2-2)


I feel as though there's an NFL game every week that leaves me looking like this....

After getting embarrassed by the Atlanta Falcons last week amid rumors that the team was already quitting on new head coach Lovie Smith, the Bucs come out and shock the football world with a big win over the Steelers in Pittsburgh. I don't know man. The Bucs are one of those teams that are going to look like crap one week and come out and beat a team that doesn't take them seriously the next. I'm a fan of them making the move from McCown to Mike Glennon for the rest of the season as the Bucs need to see what Glennon can offer before they part ways with him. I think we can all agree that it was a horrible decision for the Bucs to sign McCown much less making the decision to bench Glennon and replace him with a career NFL back-up. Glennon wasn't perfect in this game, but he was an improvement over what the Bucs have been offering the last few weeks. There's still time for the Bucs to get this ship turned around, so a win here was huge. As for the Steelers, I think Joey Tribbiani's expression in the gif above explains how I feel about them right now.

Tampa Bay Offensive MVP: Mike Evans (4 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD)

Tampa Bay Defensive MVP: Michael Johnson (5 tackles, 2 sacks)

Pittsburgh Offensive MVP: Antonio Brown (7 receptions, 131 yards, 2 TD's)

Pittsburgh Defensive MVP: Cortez Allen (7 tackles, 3 passes deflected, 1 interception)

Up next for Tampa Bay: vs. @ New Orleans

Up next for Pittsburgh: vs. @ Jacksonville (0-4)

Miami - 38 (2-2) @ Oakland - 14 (0-4)


"Hey, you guys want to see the Miami Dolphins play the Oakland Raiders in England this weekend?"

I couldn't have said it any better.....


(PS: What are the chances Oakland head coach Dennis Allen is fired by the time the Raiders take the field again? I'm thinking it's somewhere between 60-90%)


Miami Offensive MVP: Ryan Tannehill (23 of 31 for 278 yards, 2 TD's, 1 INT, 5 carries, 35 rushing yards, 109.3 rating)

Miami Defensive MVP: Brent Grimes (5 tackles, 2 passes deflected, 1 interception)

Oakland Offensive MVP: Andre Holmes (5 catches, 74 yards, 1 TD)

Oakland Defensive MVP: T.J. Carrie (5 tackles, 1 interception)

Up next for Miami: BYE WEEK

Up next for Oakland: BYE WEEK

Jacksonville - 14 (0-4) @ San Diego - 33 (3-1)


Now this one makes sense. The Jaguars are arguably the worst team in the NFL (the only team worse than them may be the Raiders) and the Chargers are easily one of the most underrated teams in the NFL. This was my "Survival Football Pick of the Week" (yes, I'm still alive!) for good reason. The Jaguars are pretty much a lost cause and are a favorite to get the #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, which would create quite a conundrum for them if Marcus Mariota is as good as everyone think's he's going to be. The Jaguars just drafted Blake Bortles last year and he's actually looked pretty decent thus far, so that would make for some interesting conversation pieces leading up to the draft for sure. As for the Chargers, they just keep on winning and are one Peyton Manning injury away from arguably being the toast of the AFC alongside the Cincinnati Bengals. Philip Rivers continues to get disrespected even though he's easily one of the top 5 QB's in the NFL. One day, the rest of the world will get it.


Jacksonville Offensive MVP: Blake Bortles (29 of 37 for 253 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT's, 5 carries, 24 rushing yards, 81.6 rating)

Jacksonville Defensive MVP: Paul Posluszny (11 tackles)

San Diego Offensive MVP: Philip Rivers (29 of 39 for 377 yards, 3 TD's, 130.0 rating)

San Diego Defensive MVP: Donald Butler (10 tackles, 1 fumble recovery)

Up next for Jacksonville: vs. Pittsburgh (2-2)

Up next for San Diego: vs. New York Jets (1-3)

Philadelphia - 21 (3-1) @ San Francisco - 26 (2-2)


You know what this game looked like to me? Fellow Oregon Ducks fans will relate to this. It looked a lot like the recent Oregon Ducks/Stanford Cardinals games in college football. You know the ones I'm talking about. The hot shot fast-paced offense faces the powerful scary defense and unfortunately us Duck fans know exactly how that one works out. Stanford does a great job of shutting down the heart and soul of the Oregon offense (the run game) and forces Oregon to find other ways to win the game and the Ducks haven't been successful as of late. That's what Philly vs. San Francisco was and the irony of it all is that Chip Kelly was once the head coach of the Oregon Ducks while Jim Harbaugh was the head coach of the Stanford Cardinal. The high powered Eagles offense was only able to muster up 22 rushing yards and forced Nick Foles to try and win the game for them, only Foles isn't Andrew Luck or Peyton Manning and he's not good enough to win the game on his own. This game was nowhere near as close as the final score indicates. The 49ers were able to overpower the Eagles handing them their first loss of the season. Trust me Eagles fans, us Duck fans can relate.


Philadelphia Offensive MVP: Jeremy Maclin (5 receptions, 68 yards)

Philadelphia Defensive MVP: Malcolm Jenkins (7 tackles, 1 interception, 1 TD)

San Francisco Offensive MVP: Frank Gore (24 carries, 119 rushing yards, 1 reception, 55 receiving yards, 1 TD)

San Francisco Defensive MVP: Perrish Cox (3 tackles, 4 passes deflected, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception)

Up next for Philadelphia: vs. St. Louis (1-2)

Up next for San Francisco: vs. Kansas City (1-2)

Atlanta - 28 (2-2) @ Minnesota - 41 (2-2)


A few weeks ago, after all the Adrian Peterson stuff hit the news waves, Vikings fans were like this:

After one week of Teddy Bridgewater and "TEDDY TIME", Vikings fans are more like this:

Sometimes you just gotta dance.

Atlanta Offensive MVP: Antone Smith (4 carries, 62 yards, 1 TD)

Atlanta Defensive MVP: Kroy Biermann (7 tackles, 1 tackle for loss)

Minnesota Offensive MVP: Teddy Bridgewater (19 of 30 for 317 yards, 5 carries, 27 rushing yards, 1 TD, 98.9 rating)

Minnesota Defensive MVP: Harrison Smith (6 tackles, 1 interception)

Up next for Atlanta: vs. @ New York Giants (2-2)

Up next for Minnesota: vs. @ Green Bay (2-2)

College Football Rankings: Week 5

Week 5 of the college football season is in the books and while this wasn't exactly the best weekend of action in the college football world, it was still an entertaining one (it's college football for heaven's sake). Without any real big marquee match-ups, you won't see that much movement this week as the four best teams remain the same. We won't really get to the four-team playoff with Florida State, Oregon, Alabama, and Oklahoma all undefeated and ready to square off, will we? While that would be an amazing pipe dream, one (or two or three...) of these teams is destined to hit the wall at some point. Who will it be? Either way, here's the top 25 teams in college football as of right now......

College Football Rankings Week 3

1. Florida State Seminoles (4-0) - defeated NC State 56-41

2. Oregon Ducks (4-0) - BYE WEEK

3. Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0) - BYE WEEK

4. Oklahoma Sooners (4-0) - BYE WEEK

5. Auburn Tigers (4-0) - defeated Louisiana Tech 45-17

6. Texas A&M Aggies (5-0) - defeated Arkansas 35-28

7. Baylor Bears (4-0) - defeated Iowa State 49-28

8. Ole Miss Rebels (4-0) - defeated Memphis 24-3

9. UCLA Bruins (4-0) - defeated Arizona State 62-27

10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-0) - defeated Syracuse 31-15

11. Michigan State Spartans (3-1) - defeated Wyoming 56-14

12. Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-0) - BYE WEEK

13. LSU (4-1) - defeated New Mexico State 63-7

14. Georgia Bulldogs (3-1) - defeated Tennessee 35-32

15. Ohio State Buckeyes (3-1) - defeated Cincinnati 50-28

16. Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-0) - defeated Illinois 45-14

17. Stanford Cardinal (3-1) - defeated Washington 20-13

18. BYU Cougars (4-0) - BYE WEEK

19. Florida Gators (2-1) - BYE WEEK

20. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (4-0) - BYE WEEK

21. Arizona Wildcats (4-0) - BYE WEEK

22. Wisconsin Badgers (3-1) - defeated USF 27-10

23. TCU Horned Frogs (3-0) - defeated SMU 56-0

24. Missouri Tigers (4-1) - defeated South Carolina 21-20

25. East Carolina Pirates (3-1) - BYE WEEK


Just missing the cut: Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-1), N.C. State Wolfpack (4-1), USC Trojans (3-1), Arizona State Sun Devils (3-1), Washington Huskies (4-1), Kansas State Wildcats (3-1), Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-1),

Grading the NFL First-Round Picks (so far)

Here's a quick rundown of how every single first-round draft pick of the 2014 NFL Draft has played thus far through three games. You really shouldn't over-react to any grade you see here because for one, it's my own personal opinion. Also, there's only been three NFL games and these guy's are new to the game, so we really shouldn't get all crazy with our evaluations on them as of yet. It's not very often you see someone start a job and excel at it immediately. There's still plenty of time for these guys to grow as NFL players this season, but here's a good feel on how they've been doing thus far (as you'll tell, I really paid a lot of attention to how many snaps they've taken because that's the most important thing for a young player):


1. Jadeveon Clowney - DE (Houston Texans): Incomplete

(Injured in first game, but was effective in the 26 snaps he played, especially against the run)

2. Greg Robinson - OT (St. Louis Rams):  C+

(Has only played 10 snaps, been effective in pass blocking situations, need to see more of him)

3. Blake Bortles - QB (Jacksonville Jaguars):  D-

(Has played 42 snaps, has looked horrible in passing situations, plenty of room to grow though)

4. Sammy Watkins - WR (Buffalo Bills): C

(Has played 175 snaps, had a really good game against the Dolphins but followed that up with a horrible game against the Chargers, has been an average blocker, needs to cut down on penalties, would really benefit him more if his team had a better quarterback)

5. Khalil Mack - LB (Oakland Raiders):  A

(Played 196 snaps, been effective in both pass rush and run defense, has really excelled against the run)

6. Jake Matthews - OT (Atlanta Falcons): C

(Has played 84 snaps, has plenty of room to grow, especially in run blocking situations)

7. Mike Evans - WR (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): C-

(Played 145 snaps, hasn't done much in passing game, decent blocker)

8. Justin Gilbert - CB (Cleveland Browns): D+

(Has played 124 snaps, has looked questionable at times in pass coverage, didn't play good against Baltimore or Pittsburgh, but had a good game against New Orleans, plenty of room to grow though)

9. Anthony Barr - LB (Minnesota Vikings): A-

(Has played 199 snaps, has looked good against the run and rushing the passer, looks lost at times in pass coverage, has looked extremely impressive so far and there's lots to like from Barr)

10. Eric Ebron - TE (Detroit Lions): C-

(Has played 69 snaps, has been decent in blocking situations but has had little to no impact in the passing game)

11. Taylor Lewan - OT (Tennessee Titans): B-

(Has only played 23 snaps, but has been effective in the little time he's played, excels in run blocking)

12. Odell Beckham - WR (New York Giants): Incomplete

(Has yet to play a snap)

13. Aaron Donald - DT (St. Louis Rams): A

(Has played 83 snaps, absolutely excels in run defense, lots to like here and early signs show that Donald is going to be an impact player for years to come)

14. Kyle Fuller - CB (Chicago Bears): A-

(Has played 159 snaps, didn't have a good first game against Buffalo but has improved significantly since, had two really good games against the Niners and the Jets especially in pass coverage)

15. Ryan Shazier - LB (Pittsburgh Steelers): D+

(Has played 151 snaps, looked awful against Cleveland in the first game, did good against the run when the Steelers played the Ravens but has struggled in every other apsect, still has plenty of room to grow but hasn't looked like a first-round pick in his first 3 games)

16. Zack Martin - OG (Dallas Cowboys): C

(Has played 210 snaps, is an effective pass blocker, really needs to work on his run blocking though as he's grading out with a negative grade in every game, gets credit for having played every Dallas offensive snap so far)

17. C.J. Mosley - LB (Baltimore Ravens): C+

(Has played 186 snaps, has had one really good game (against Cleveland) and two average games, is effective against the run but needs to improve in pass coverage, excellent tackler)

18. Calvin Pryor - S (New York Jets): B

(Has played 190 snaps, plays extremely well against the run, struggles in pass coverage and in pass rushing, plenty to like here so far though)

19. Ja'Wuan James - OT (Miami Dolphins): B-

(Has played 228 snaps, has played every single offensive snap for the Dolphins, had an extremely good game against the Bills where he did everything right, struggled against the Chiefs though especially in pass blocking, has been consistently effective in run-blocking)

20. Brandin Cooks - WR (New Orleans Saints): C

(Has played 160 snaps, had a horrible game against the Browns but had decent games against the Falcons and the Vikings, gets pushed around in run-blocking, hasn't really done much to spark the Saints offense as of yet)

21. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix - S (Green Bay Packers): D+

(Has played 126 snaps, had two average games against the Seahawks and the Lions, had a horrible game against the Jets, has looked decent in pass coverage but has been incredibly ineffective against the run, has a lot of room to grow)

22. Johnny Manziel - QB (Cleveland Browns): Incomplete

(Has only played 5 offensive snaps, hasn't contributed anything as of yet, has been more effective as "Johnny Jamboogie")

23. Dee Ford - LB (Kansas City Chiefs): C+

(Has only played 22 snaps, didn't contribute much in the first two games of the season but played extremely well against the Dolphins, should get more snaps as the season progresses)

24. Darqueze Dennard - CB (Cincinnati Bengals): Incomplete

(Has only played 16 snaps, has only seen action in one NFL game but looked decent in the little amount that he's actually played)

25. Jason Verrett - CB (San Diego Chargers): B-

(Has played 112 snaps, had a really good first game against the Cardinals especially in pass coverage, has struggled at times in games against the Bills and the Seahawks, overall there is a lot to like from Verrett so far)

26. Marcus Smith - LB (Philadelphia Eagles): Incomplete

(Has only played 18 snaps in one game, looked decent against the run and in pass coverage but struggled to rush the passer, the jury is still out on this guy as we need to see more)

27. Deone Bucannon - S (Arizona Cardinals): D-

(Has played 119 snaps, you can definitely tell this guy is a rookie as he has struggled so far in the NFL, has looked decent in run defense but has been awful in pass coverage especially against the 49ers, looks to be a bust but it's only been 3 games so give him time)

28. Kelvin Benjamin - WR (Carolina Panthers): C+

(Has played 173 snaps, had a piss poor game against the Lions but has looked good in the other two games especially against the Bucs, has been average in blocking for the run)

29. Dominique Easley - DT (New England Patriots): D+

(Has played 73 snaps, had a horrible game against the Dolphins in week one and hasn't improved much since, is not good against the run but has showed promising signs in pass coverage, needs to improve in rushing the passer though)

30. Jimmie Ward - S (San Francisco 49ers): D-

(Has played 124 snaps, has been a huge bust in the first 3 games of his NFL career, got torched against the Cowboys and the Bears but improved in pass coverage against the Cardinals, has looked decent defending the run but other than that he doesn't look like a first-round pick so far)

31. Bradley Roby - CB (Denver Broncos): C-

(Has played 186 snaps, had a horrible game against the Chiefs were he was torched by Alex Smith, has looked good in run defense but inconsistent in pass coverage, good tackler)

32. Teddy Bridgewater - QB (Minnesota Vikings): Incomplete

(Has played 41 snaps, looked decent in his first game in both the passing and running games, we will know a lot more about Bridgewater in the coming weeks as he's now the starter for the Vikings)

Slammin' Stevie Cook's Week 4 NFL Picks

It's time for some Week 4 NFL Picks! I'm Slammin' Stevie Cook & is it just me or is this season absolutely flying by? I'm sure the NFL front office folks would disagree with that take due to all the great things they have going on, but for my money the on-field play has been as entertaining as ever. Add in all the great stuff on the college gridiron, and it's no wonder why this is the best time of year.

A number of teams are on their bye week here in Week 4, and unfortunately for us football fans they're some of the finest teams in the National Football League. Seattle & Denver, the two defending conference champions that gave us a spectacular Super Bowl rematch in Week 3 will be nowhere to be seen. Two of our three remaining undefeated teams, Cincinnati & Arizona, are getting a week off. Both teams have huge road games coming up in Week 5, as the Cardinals go up to Denver to take on the Broncos while the Bengals head to Foxborough to take on the Patriots under the bright Sunday night lights. Those are the types of games you'll gladly take an extra week to prepare for, so even though Week 4 is a really early time to get a bye week, they won't complain too much.

(Quick note on my Bengals...three weeks is a small sample size and there's no need to get carried away about too much at this point. That being said, I have never seen a Cincinnati Bengals team come out of the gate looking like this. They have been the best looking team on the field to start this season. Offense, defense, special teams, everybody's doing their job. However...it's a long long long long long season. We don't decide who the best team in the NFL is is until early February, so whether you're the best team in September or not isn't all that important in the grand scheme of things. As a fan I'm real happy with how things have gone, but I'm not counting any chickens until they hatch.)

Cleveland & St. Louis are your other teams on bye...we don't miss them quite as much. But four of the top teams in the league being out of the mix makes for a less appealing slate of games in my opinion. Then again, it seems like every time that I say that I wind up being entertained by a series of close game. So buy the ticket & take the ride...LET'S HOOK EM UP!

Thursday, September 25

Giants at Washington (-3.5): Look at the Giants fans coming out of the woodwork. They'd been a bit quiet the first couple of weeks while their team was getting spanked by the Lions & Cardinals, but now that they got a win under their belt they're going to the Super Bowl baybay! Eli Manning didn't throw any picks, Rashad Jennings had himself a game pounding the rock, and that Giants D got three interceptions from Ryan Fitzpatrick! The Giants are a good team, people! Just ask them, they'll tell you.

To me it looks like the team that the Eagles need to worry about in the NFC East resides in Ashburn, Virginia & plays their games in Landover, Maryland. The Kirk Cousins Era has gotten off to a rip-roaring start for Washington...they lost to the Eagles last week but it wasn't due to a lack of scoring. The defense had their problems keeping Chip Kelly's team from scoring, but did get some shots in on Nick Foles & LeSean McCoy when they got their chance.

My boy the AZN is breaking his live NFL virginity on Thursday night. I think he'll see a winner, as Washington will beat New York by a touchdown.

Sunday, September 28

Packers (-2) at Bears: For as long as I can remember, the Green Bay Packers have hung their hat on their offense. From Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers it feels like Green Bay has never had too many problems putting up points with a high-powered passing attack. So far this year, that high-powered passing attack is 1 for 3. Showed up strong against the Jets, not so much against the Seahawks & Lions. Things are not clicking yet in Green Bay, to say the least. The schedule lightens up a bit for them here in the next three weeks, they better hope they figure things out before they fall too far behind the Bears & Lions.

Chicago's been very good against the pass so far, which does not bode well for a Green Bay team that hasn't quite figured things out yet. Matt Forte should be pretty damn happy to finally go up against a team that doesn't specialize in stopping the run. He figures to take advantage of that, especially since Jay Cutler struggles against Green Bay & they'll be looking to limit that weakness.

Last week I had no idea why the Bears were underdogs in New York. This week they're underdogs in their own home. They beat the Packers in Chicago last year, & I think they can beat the Packers in Chicago this year. Go with Da Bears.

Bills at Texans (-3): These two teams came back to Earth last week. I thought good times could continue a bit longer for Buffalo, but San Diego traveled better than I expected. The Bills are who we thought they were. They have a couple of good running backs, and a good receiver, but as long as we're not sure about E.J. Manuel we're not going to be sure about this team.

The Texans are also who we thought they were. Their success, or lack thereof, rests on the shoulders of Arian Foster. If he's playing, they've got a chance. If he isn't, they don't. That's why I changed my pick in the OTT pick em contest to the Giants on Sunday morning when I found out that Foster wouldn't be playing. Alfred Blue has some potential, but he isn't Arian Foster. You've gotta have Arian Foster when your quarterback is Ryan Fitzpatrick. Foster's got a hamstring injury, and you know how those things just linger.

I think the Texans have a better defense than the Bills. I think Ryan Fitzpatrick is better than E.J. Manuel. That's why I'm going with the Texans on their homefield, though I could see this ending up as a 3 point game & a push. Feels like that kind of struggle to me.

Titans at Colts (-7.5): I said in this space last week that Colts fans need not worry too much about being 0-2, and sure enough they blew the Jaguars out of the water like everybody expected. I'm still not sure about anything on this football team outside of Andrew Luck, but they get the pleasure of playing in a division with a horrendous team (Jaguars), a bad team (Titans), and a good bad team (Texans). That should be enough to ensure a division championship. If I was Arizona or even St. Louis I'd be petitioning the league office to move my team to this division. Arizona has a great argument, actually. It's further south than most of the teams in the division.

Having seen the Titans on full display in Cincinnati last week, I can confirm that they are indeed a bad football team. Against the Bengals they looked downright ghastly, but I think they can rise up to the level of "bad" against lesser opponents. Bishop Sankey looked pretty good when he played & I think once he gets that starting running back job he's going to be a force to be reckoned with. The defense hasn't given up a lot of yards, but they haven't needed to due to mistakes on the other side of the ball & lots of clock killing in the second half. I think at the end of the year the most inexplicable result will be the Titans blowing out the Chiefs in KC in Week 1.

Jake Locker might not be playing this week. That does not make a difference. Colts are winning & covering even if Warren Moon's quarterbacking the Titans.

Panthers at Ravens (-3): I can't figure these Panthers out. I pick against them the first two weeks & they win. I pick them in Week 3 & they get their asses handed to them by the Steelers. It's a weird thing. The Ravens are a bit easier to figure out. They're good. They needed some luck to beat the Browns, but as I've said before in this column, the Browns are tricky to play in Cleveland. Just ask the Saints.

I don't want to get off on a non-football tangent this week, but I will say that the Steve Biscotti press conference on Monday made me really glad I'm not a Ravens fan. I mean, I'm a Bengals fan & I'm predisposed to hate the Ravens anyway. But this fucking guy...good gravy. In fairness, I don't think there's anything he or Der Kommissar Goodell could say right now that we could or would accept. If I'm one of those guys I'm pulling a disappearing act like Roger was for a good week there. He was better off with people asking where he was than people asking what's wrong with him.

I'ma do my boy Jeremy Lambert a solid & pick the Ravens this week. It makes sense because the Ravens are at home & are a good team. Plus, if this theory of Lambert's works, I can jinx the Ravens at the same time. Win-win.

Lions (-1.5) at Jets: The Jets have been playing a lot of NFC North teams to start this season. They should have beat the Packers but couldn't get out of their own way. They dug a big hole against the Bears but were able to come back and make things interesting. The bottom line though is that they are 0-2 against the NFC North, meaning they're unlikely to win the division. They're kind of a classic bad team, one of those teams that manages to stay in games somehow but blow it at the end because that's what they do. I followed one of those for a long time, I wouldn't really recommend it.

The Lions were great in Week 1 & 3, not so good in Week 2. If you look at the Lions schedule, you may notice that Week 1 & 3 games took place in Detroit while Week 2 was in Charlotte. This game is in East Rutherford. Could be a problem. Also consider the Jets defense, which is pretty good at stopping running backs of all shapes & sizes. Bush, Bell, it ain't gonna batter.

Another tricky thing about that Jets defense...they're not so good against that pass. That's why I see Megatron going off on yet another team & the Lions knocking the Jets down to 0-3 in NFC North play.

Buccaneers at Steelers (-7): The Steelers signed James Harrison this week because all of their other linebackers got hurt during the Carolina game. Harrison had retired after spending a year in Cincinnati. During James Harrison's year in Cincinnati, I formed the following opinion on him:

He's old.

I got nothing else. Dude was lined up next to Sam Huff his rookie year. Dude was complaining about commissioner fines when Pete Rozelle was the one handing them out. He'll never forget his first on-camera interview with Ray Scott. He looked up to Red Grange when he was a kid. Have I gone on long enough here?

Gonna pick the Steelers. I can't think of anything to say about Tampa Bay after that game on Thursday other than their new uniforms are absolutely brutal & they'd be better off going back to the creamsicle unis.

Awesomesauce.

Dolphins (-4) vs. Raiders: I just want you poor folks stuck watching this game because you live in Miami or Oakland & don't have NFL Sunday Ticket or access to a bar that does, or for some reason you're a fan of these once proud franchises that are now regular sources of public ridicule to know that I feel your pain. There's nothing that could make me watch even a minute of this atrocity against the game of football.

On the bright side, the Raiders played the Patriots awfully close last week, and the Dolphins beat the Patriots in Week 1. I think this says more about New England than people want to admit. I think it also says more about Roger Goodell & the NFL schedule makers than they'd like to admit that this game is taking place in London, England. Somehow I doubt that the Oakland Raiders & Miami Dolphins are going to convince the English that they should spend their weekends following the NFL instead of the Premier League.

I'll take the Raiders & the points. Why not? This could lead to Matt Moore somehow being the starting quarterback in Miami again, which I didn't even know was possible. I think this came up as a topic of conversation in Miami because there's nothing else to talk about.  Baseball season's wrapping up. The U won't contend for anything this year. LeBron's gone so the Heat are off the radar. I guess there's always the Florida Panthers, but most people down there probably don't know they exist. So I guess we have to start up a QB controversy to get some conversation going. I'd feel sorry for Ryan Tannehill except he's married to Lauren Tannehill.

If there was one thing I could go back in time & tell five year old me, it would be to work on my passing skills. It is impossible to be a quarterback & not end up with somebody that looks like Lauren Tannehill. If I had realized that sooner in life, maybe things would be different. Maybe they wouldn't be. I'd at least have the knowledge, and knowing is half the battle.

But enough about my love life & all the regrets I have concerning it...we'll be here the rest of the season if I keep going on about that. SO LET'S MOVE ON SHALL WE.

Jaguars at Chargers (-13.5): This is a ton of points. But it's Jacksonville going on the road to face a good team. The Jaguars so far this year have lost by 17, 31 & 27 points. And that last one shouldn't have even been that close, Blake Bortles ran a fake spike play at the end of the game. I read people wondering why the Jaguars would choose to run that play at that point in a game because it put the play on tape for their future opponents. My response to that is it's the Jaguars so who cares. At least they figured after two & a half weeks that they might as well start playing Blake Bortles now & get him some experience. Hopefully that offensive line doesn't get him killed. There's a very good chance they will.

Chargers. Yes I know it's a ton of points, but they're at home & the Jaguars are awful. And this isn't like New England where we're not exactly sure if Tom Brady's still alive or not. Philip Rivers is alive & he's throwing to Keenan Allen & Ladarius Green Eddie Royal & Antonio Gates while Ryan Mathews Danny Woodhead Donald Brown is running all over the place. Hey, it's working for them.

Falcons (-2.5) at Vikings: It's happening.

The Teddy Bridgewater Era has arrived in Minnesota. It feels weird to say it's kind of fortuitous due to the fact it happened because Matt Cassel broke his foot & is going to be out for the rest of the season, but let's be real. Vikings fans need something, anything, to distract them from what's happening with the man that has to rank among the greatest Vikings of all time. The team as currently constructed isn't doing that. If they don't finish fourth in the NFC North it'll be a miracle, especially with Matt Asasita as the starting running back.

That's the downside for Teddy supporters like me. The reason I was happy he was going to Minnesota in the first place was that he would have a superstar running back to take the pressure off. Adrian Peterson would make things easier on Teddy. That was the idea. It's not happening. The kid's going into the deep end of the pool & his life perserver's been yanked out of the water. Will he survive?

Atlanta looked real good against Tampa Bay on Thursday night.  I know everybody wanted to crown them after that performance from Matt Ryan, Julio Jones & the offense, but since I also saw their effort in Week 2, I'm not sure we can read anything into the Tampa game other than they're really good at home & Tampa stinks. Vegas isn't biting too hard on them either, that's why the line isn't too ridiculous here. I do think the Falcons are the right pick here, as I don't think the Vikings defense is good enough to stop the Falcons passing game no matter which receivers are healthy.

I do hope I'm wrong though, as there's nothing I'd like to see more this week than Teddy Bridgewater lead his team to victory in dramatic fashion.

Eagles at 49ers (-5.5): The Philadelphia Eagles are the Greg "The Hammer" Valentine of the NFL. It takes them at least fifteen minutes to get warmed up! They've fallen behind by double digits in each of their first three games & come back to get the victory every single time. People were worried about Nick Foles without DeSean Jackson, but Foles is leading the league in passing yards & helping the Eagles overcome a lack of production from a banged up consensus #1 fantasy pick LeSean McCoy.

(Not that I'm bitter since I have him in a couple of leagues....nahhhhhhh.)

If the Eagles are a second half team, the 49ers are definitely a first half team. They've outscored their opponents 59-16 in the first half during their first three games. Good start, right? Nah, they've followed that up by getting outscored  52-3 in the second half.

59-16 in the first half. 3-52 in the second. These are unbelievable numbers. You're going to give me a second half team against a first half team & they're going to be 5.5 point dogs? SOUNDS GOOD TO ME HOSS! Take the Eagles, frankly I think they're the better team and are going to win this game anyway.

Saints (-3) at Cowboys: The Saints went back home & things were A-OK. The offense didn't exactly light up the scoreboard, but they took care of business against a bad team. Drew Brees was even fired up enough to try & push somebody!

Yeah, that wasn't too good. The Cowboys didn't look too good early on in St. Louis. Lots of fun was had at the expense of Tony Romo throwing a pick six, but they completed THE BIGGEST COMEBACK IN COWBOY HISTORY. Against the St. Louis Rams. So let's not get too excited here. The Saints haven't looked great to start the season, but I think the Cowboys defense is just what the doctor ordered for them.

Monday, September 29

Patriots (-3.5) at Chiefs: I don't think the Patriots are the Patriots we knew & loved for a very long time. Some have told me "Yeah, but you know they throw out a clunker every once in awhile." Yeah, well they lost to the freaking Dolphins in Week 1 & struggled to beat the Oakland Freaking Raiders in Week 3. Minnesota in Week 2 was no problem...but for God's sake it's Minnesota. Tom Brady has yet to deliver this season, leaving the defense to take care of business, which to their credit they have. Against very bad teams.

These Patriots are going to get exposed sooner rather than later...I wish I could say with certainty that it would be this week because Dustin James would give me a raise, but I'm still not sure what to make of the Chiefs. If I completely ignore Week 1 I'd feel all right about them. They played Denver close enough & blew out that Miami team that beat New England. There's still that matter of losing to Tennessee that I can't get out of my mind...it's like when you find out that girl you like slept with a guy you despise. You still kinda like the girl, but there's that unsettling feeling in the back of your mind. The Chiefs look good...but they lost to the Titans.

Can you push it out of your mind? More emotionally stable people could.

Even though the Patriots are overrated, I still think they have enough to handle Kansas City. The Pats are tied for the most takeaways in the league, & it's not like Alex Smith doesn't have a three interception game in him. If the Pats can get these takeaways they will win this game in somewhat easy fashion. If not, it'll be a slobberknocker.

Well that's all the damage I can do here. Don't forget to check out all the other great content here at the Ultimate Football Blog! Until next week this is Slammin' Stevie Cook signing off.

Last Week: 8-7-1
Season Record: 23-23-2

NFL Power Rankings: Week 3

Once again, Jeremy Lambert joins The Ultimate Football Blog with his weekly NFL Power Rankings that are much much better than the versions you'll see on ESPN, Bleacher Report, etc. Trust me, I know these things. I'm kind of a genius....



Welcome to the Ultimate Football Blog Week Three Power Rankings. Like most power rankings, this list is highly official and should never be doubted. If you disagree with it, you’re probably a moron and shouldn’t be on this blog. Enjoy.

1. Worst Team in the NFL

It’s only week three, but it’s never too early to try and figure out who the worst team in the league is. Being the best team in the league during the regular season doesn’t really matter (more on that later) but being the worst team is a pretty big deal because you get the #1 overall pick in the draft. So who is the worst team? Right now the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oakland Raiders, and Jacksonville Jaguars are the only winless teams. The Bucs have been outscored by 50 points, but a lot of that came this past week against the Atlanta Falcons. The Jags on the other hand have been outscored by 75 points, losing by three or more scored in every game. On the bright side, they’ll be starting a rookie quarterback from here on out.

2. Rookie QBs not named Johnny Manziel

Teddy Bridgewater and Blake Bortles got into the game for their respective teams and appear to be the starters until further notice. Derek Carr won the starting job in Oakland. On the other hand, Johnny Manziel played one snap at wide receiver and that play didn’t even count. I know ESPN doesn’t realize this, but Manziel isn’t good and will never make it as a starting QB.

3. The Overtime Rule

When Peyton Manning, regular season MVP, lost a playoff game to the San Diego Chargers in overtime despite never getting the ball in his hands, there was an uproar to change the rule. And they did. Well, on Sunday, Peyton Manning lost a regular season game to the Seattle Seahawks in overtime without touching the ball after a pretty miraculous regulation ending. Will the rule be changed again? Probably not, but it should. The old rule sucked and the current rule sucks. Just play a 10 minute overtime period and be done with it. And if there’s still a tie, play another 10 minutes.

4. Mohamed Sanu at Quarterback

In his career, Sanu is 4/4 with 166 and 2 TDs. Why isn’t this guy always under center? Half of his passes go for touchdowns and he’s never thrown an incompletion. Suck on that every other QB in the league.

5. Peyton Manning 1 Minute Drive

No one can ever doubt Peyton Manning is a regular season game.

6. The Pittsburgh Steelers Run Game

The Panthers might not have had Greg Hardy, but their front seven is still a top-notch group that is designed to stop the run. Well, they didn’t stop LeVeon Bell and LeGarrette Blount from each putting up over 100 yards on the ground.

7. Carson Palmer’s Time As A Starter

The “rule” is that you don’t lose your job if your injured. But when your replacement plays better than you, doesn’t turn the ball over, and wins games; then you should probably lose your job despite being injured.

8. DeSean Jackson Fly Eagle Celebration

They didn’t win the game, but that was a nice catch/run/celebration from Jackson against his former team.

9. Andrew Luck

I might just reserve this #9 spot for the guy who lights up the Jaguars each week.

10. The INT Battle

Welcome to the party, Josh McCown.

20. New England Patriots Offense

Gronkowski is back and they still have Tom Brady, but the Patriots offense isn’t exactly striking fear into many teams like it once did.

25. Best Team in the NFL

Who is the best team in the NFL? Who cares. Being the best during the regular season doesn’t matter. You can win every game in the regular season, but if you don’t win the Super Bowl, you failed. Never buy into the talk of who the best team is during the regular season, because it’ll change next week, and it’ll definitely change by the time the playoffs start.

29. Nate Freese

YOU HAVE ONE FRIGGIN JOB!

30. The Green Bay Packers Offense

Not putting up good numbers against the Seahawks defense is one thing. Not putting up good numbers against the Lions terrible secondary is something else. The Packers offense should be good given that they have Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Eddie Lacy. But for some reason, maybe it’s the play calling of Mike McCarthy, this offense just isn’t clicking.

31. The San Francisco 49ers Second Half Defense

Last week they blew a 20-7 lead in the second half. This week they blew a 14-6 lead. The 49ers were supposed to have one of the best defenses in the league. And they do. For the first 30 minutes.

50. Ryan Tannehill

Looks like his time as a started might be coming to an end. But have you seen his wife?

51. Jon Gruden

I usually don’t listen to NFL commentary, but I was put in a position where I had to listen to MNF commentary. Boy does Jon Gruden suck.

100. Thursday Night Games

They always seem to suck. Get rid of them.

101. Johnny Manziel

Manziel didn’t throw a pass, Browns didn’t win.

488. Lovie Smith Defense

Does not exist.

500. The Eagles/Redskins Brawl

On the bright side, at least NFL players were trying to hit other NFL players instead of women and children.

1000. The Exemption List

No one knew what this was prior to last week and people still don’t exactly know what it actually is.


For more of Jeremy Lambert, check him out on the Twitters. He won't try to sell you anything, except for a good time.

NFL Round-Up: Week 3

Week 3 of the NFL regular season is in the books (well, Sunday is at least). If you missed all the action from yesterday's games, don't worry because I have you covered. Sit back and enjoy the recaps and let me know how much you appreciate my hard work by sending this link out to all of your friends.

(Like always, I don't recap the Sunday Night game because it's on to late and I'm too old...)

NFL Round-Up: WEEK 3

Tampa Bay - 14 (0-3) @ Atlanta - 56 (2-1)


Well, that escalated quickly. What answer do you have for this game if you're the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Three games into the Lovie Smith era and it looks like the team has already given up on him. It's a sad state affairs right now in Buc-land, especially for a team that was expected to be a potential "pop" team in the NFL this season. The Bucs are in desperate need of a quarterback as Josh McCown is reminding the world that he's a back-up QB who can play well in certain systems. Lovie Smith's system is not one of them. Going into this game, the Falcons defense was giving up the most yards in the NFL and the Bucs couldn't get the offense rolling. There's no explanation for that other than you just plain suck. I hope Marcus Mariota is watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers closely because "Suck for the Duck" seems to be going in full force. As for the Falcons, they were impressive but it's not hard to be impressive against a team that just isn't trying. Putting 56 points up against a lackluster Tampa Bay defense is good, but call me when you do that against Seattle, Carolina, Cincinnati, etc.


Tampa Bay Offensive MVP: Marcus Mariota. He was the reason the Ducks beat the Washington State Cougars on Saturday night. Oregon's offensive line was crap that game and the Ducks likely would have lost to the Cougars had they not had the stellar Mariota playing behind center.

Tampa Bay Defensive MVP: Lavonte David (8 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 fumble recovery)

Atlanta Offensive MVP: Julio Jones (9 receptions, 161 yards, 2 TD's)

Atlanta Defensive MVP: Kemal Ishmael (5 tackles, 1 interception, 1 TD)

Up next for Tampa Bay: vs. @ Pittsburgh (2-1)

Up next for Atlanta: vs. @ Minnesota (1-2)



San Diego - 22 (2-1) @ Buffalo - 10 (2-1)


The San Diego Chargers are a good team people. Not only that, but Philip Rivers is one of the top 5 QB's in the league. The quicker everyone else realizes this, the better we are all going to get along. The Chargers showed last week when they beat Seattle that they can beat any team at home. The Chargers showed this week that they can travel all the way to Buffalo and beat an undefeated Bills team that's been pretty impressive so far this year. I don't know what the ceiling is for the Chargers, but as long as they have Rivers back there slinging the pig skin, I'm going to consider them a contender. As for the Bills, you knew you weren't going to go undefeated the entire season and the Chargers are a good team. Don't beat yourselves up over this loss because the Patriots are right there ready to steal sole possession of first-place in the AFC East. Dust yourselves off and come back fighting next week.


San Diego Offensive MVP: Philip Rivers (18 of 25 for 256 yards, 2 TD's, 131.4 rating)

San Diego Defensive MVP: Eric Weddle (10 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass deflected)

Buffalo Offensive MVP: Fred Jackson (6 carries, 34 rushing yards, 8 receptions, 78 receiving yards, 1 TD)

Buffalo Defensive MVP: Aaron Williams (14 tackles)

Up next for San Diego: vs. Jacksonville (0-3)

Up next for Buffalo: vs. @ Houston (2-1)



Tennessee - 7 (1-2) @ Cincinnati - 33 (3-0)


I'm seriously still struggling to see how the Kansas City Chiefs got blown out by the Tennessee Titans at home to start week one. Going into the season, I thought the Titans had one of the worst rosters in the NFL and I think I predicted them to win 3-4 games the entire season. Then they come out and lay a beating on the Chiefs at Arrowhead to start the season and everyone is left scratching their heads in confusion. Perhaps the Titans are actually better than everyone thought?

Ya, the Titans are awful. As for the Bengals, are they the best potential Super Bowl team that absolutely no one is talking about? I'm going to go ahead and start the bandwagon on the Bengals being the best team in the AFC just so I can go ahead and jinx my good friend Steve Cook. My horrendous football luck is sure to wear off on the Bengals now and they will lose their next four games following the bye week (@ New England, Carolina, @ Indianapolis, Baltimore). Sorry Cook, but your kitties look good and they have flashy uniforms. Everyone that knows me knows that I'm a fan of flashy uniforms......


Tennessee Offensive MVP: Bishop Sankey (10 carries, 61 rushing yards, 1 reception, 9 receiving yards)

Tennessee Defensive MVP: Wesley Woodyard (9 tackles)

Cincinnati Offensive MVP: A.J. Green (6 receptions, 102 yards)

Cincinnati Defensive MVP: Reggie Nelson (6 tackles, 1 interception)

Up next for Tennessee: vs. @ Indianapolis (1-2)

Up next for Cincinnati: BYE WEEK




Baltimore - 23 (2-1) @ Cleveland - 21 (1-2)


All is right with the world again when the Cleveland Browns lose. I don't mean to bang on the Browns all the time, but they are not a good football team on paper. However, they've shown the last few weeks that you can't actually judge a football team on paper and they are obviously better than we are giving them credit for. Brian Hoyer continues to play well, which is great news for Browns fans because it keeps Johnny Manziel off-the-field (although they tried an illegal trick play with him this week which was pretty hilarious). If the Browns keep it up, they could end up as an 8-8 team or something else along those lines. The Ravens meanwhile continue to keep on rolling following all the Ray Rice drama. They also appear to have found a nice little running back in Lorenzo Taliaferro. The fourth-round pick in the 2014 draft had a solid game and if he can keep it up, the Ravens may just win the division like I predicted before the season started. Back-to-back division wins for the Ravens is huge and could have some serious implications come playoff time.



Baltimore Offensive MVP: Lorenzo Taliaferro (18 carries, 91 yards, 1 TD)

Baltimore Defensive MVP: Courtney Upshaw (5 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss, 1 pass deflected)

Cleveland Offensive MVP: Brian Hoyer (19 of 25 for 290 yards, 1 TD, 127.1 rating)

Cleveland Defensive MVP: Tashaun Gipson (5 tackles, 1 interception)

Up next for Baltimore: vs. Carolina (2-1)

Up next for Cleveland:  BYE WEEK




Green Bay - 7 (1-2) @ Detroit - 19 (2-1)


What is going on with the Green Bay Packers offense? Since the start of the season, the Packers can't run the ball and Aaron Rodgers has gone from the best quarterback in the league, to just an average guy. Seriously, can anyone figure it out? I picked the Packers to get into the playoffs and actually do some damage, so I'm just as disappointed as the rest of you. The Packers need to get this thing figured out. It also really hurts that I drafted Eddie Lacy pretty high in a few of my fantasy leagues and the guy has come out and laid a giant stink bomb so far this season. Now, let's give some credit to Detroit's defense though. I've said for years now that the Lions have a lot of talent on the defensive side of the ball and once they get it clicking, it will be amazing. That's what happened today against the Packers. If the Lions defense can play like this every week, they can be a threat in the NFC. That's a big "IF" though people. Green Bay's offense may just be that bad this year.



Green Bay Offensive MVP: Aaron Rodgers (16 of 27 for 162 yards, 1 TD, 88.8 rating)

Green Bay Defensive MVP: Davon House (5 tackles, 1 interception)

Detroit Offensive MVP: Reggie Bush (12 carries, 61 rushing yards, 1 TD, 6 receptions, 38 receiving yards)

Detroit Defensive MVP: DeAndre Levy (10 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 2 pass deflections)

Up next for Green Bay: vs. @ Chicago (1-1)

Up next for Detroit: vs. @ New York Jets (1-1)




Dallas - 34 (2-1) @ St. Louis - 31 (1-2)

Dallas Offensive MVP: DeMarco Murray (24 carries, 100 rushing yards, 1 TD, 4 receptions, 31 receiving yards)

Dallas Defensive MVP: Bruce Carter (12 tackles, 1 QB hit, 1 interception, 1 TD)

St. Louis Offensive MVP: Zac Stacy (12 carries, 67 rushing yards, 5 receptions, 54 receiving yards)

St. Louis Defensive MVP: Janoris Jenkins (5 tackles, 1 interception, 1 TD)

Up next for Dallas: vs. New Orleans (1-2)

Up next for St. Louis: BYE WEEK




Oakland - 9 (0-3) @ New England - 16 (2-1)


The Patriots were my Super Bowl pick out of the AFC, so it's good to see them win a "must-win" game against the Raiders. They didn't look great in this game though so there should be some concern with this team. A team like New England that's picked to potentially win a Super Bowl should come out and put a whooping on the Raiders. The Raiders are not a good football team by any means, so I don't know if New England was just playing down to their competition or what, but they better get it figured out quickly because the Chiefs are playing good football right now and could take advantage of the Pats next week. As for the Raiders, when your best player is your kicker.....yep. Dennis Allen could get fired as early as this week (with Oakland, anything is possible), so that's something to keep an eye on as the weak progresses. I'm personally in favor of that move, but it's high time the Raiders stopped bringing in these lame duck coaches and bring in a guy with an actual successful track record that can help turn this once-proud NFL franchise around.


Oakland Offensive MVP: Sebastian Janikowski (3 for 3 FG's)

Oakland Defensive MVP: Justin Tuck (4 tackles, 1 sack, 3 QB hits)

New England Offensive MVP: Tom Brady (24 of 37 for 234 yards, 1 TD, 91.5 rating)

New England Defensive MVP: Jerod Mayo (11 tackles)

Up next for Oakland: vs. Miami (1-2)

Up next for New England: vs. @ Kansas City (1-2)




Minnesota - 9 (1-2) @ New Orleans - 20 (1-2)


Good news Minnesota fans: Matt Cassel was injured and Teddy Bridgewater was finally put into the game and actually looked pretty good considering it was his debut. If I'm the Vikings, I continue to play Bridgewater going forward. I can tell you as a guy that has had Matt Cassel as the quarterback of his favorite team for a few seasons that Cassel SUCKS and Bridgewater has serious potential. This is a no-brainer and needs to happen. (And according to the injury reports, it will as Cassel is out with an injury and Bridgewater is set to get his first start...)

Bad news Minnesota fans: You still lost and your team still looks hopeless without Adrian Peterson.

Good news Saints fans: HEY LOOK AT THAT! Your team is finally back after two horrific showings to start the season. Perhaps this is a sign of things to come?

Bad news Saints fans: Ummmmmmmmmmmm, LSU lost to Mississippi State?


Minnesota Offensive MVP: Teddy Bridgewater (12 of 20 for 150 yards, 6 carries, 27 rushing yards, 83.3 rating)

Minnesota Defensive MVP: Anthony Barr (5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 pass deflected, 2 QB hits)

New Orleans Offensive MVP: Drew Brees (27 of 35 for 293 yards, 2 TD's, 120.3 rating)

New Orleans Defensive MVP: Junior Galette (7 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss)

Up next for Minnesota: vs. Atlanta (2-1)

Up next for New Orleans: vs. @ Dallas (2-1)




Houston - 17 (2-1) @ New York Giants - 30 (1-2)

Houston Offensive MVP: DeAndre Hopkins (6 receptions, 116 yards)

Houston Defensive MVP: Brian Cushing (17 tackles)

NY Giants Offensive MVP: Rashad Jennings (34 carries, 176 yards, 1 TD)

NY Giants Defensive MVP: Prince Amukamara (5 tackles, 1 interception, 2 passes deflected)

Up next for Houston: vs. Buffalo (2-1)

Up next for NY Giants: vs. @ Washington (1-2)



Washington - 34 (1-2) @ Philadelphia - 37 (3-0)


This was one of the most highly anticipated games of the day for me. Since Chip Kelly came to Philly, the Eagles are "must-see" football, especially for us Oregon Duck fans. This game was exceptionally special because you knew there was going to be some bad blood brewing with DeSean Jackson making his return to Philly. I personally thought the Eagles were going to come out and put a rout on Washington, but for some reason Chip Kelly just isn't happy unless his team is involved in a close game. There were more than a couple of highlights throughout this game. My favorite were D-Jax catching a TD pass and doing the "Eagly Fly" dance and proceeding to "kick it out of his way". I love awesome TD celebrations and that's really the only reason I miss guys like Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens. The other major highlight was Nick Foles getting blasted by a block which started off a brawl between the two teams that escalated in to some ejections for both teams. I'm not the kind of guy who glorifies violence, but if your quarterback gets taken out with a hit like that, you SHOULD retaliate so congrats to Jason Peters for having some balls. The Eagles ended up pulling out a close one here and one would think that if Philly keeps playing like this, it's bound to catch up with them sooner rather than later.

(PS: If Kirk Cousins keeps playing like this, the RG III-era in Washington will be over before it even began. If Cousins can start throwing a consistent deep ball, he's a legit NFL QB)


Washington Offensive MVP: Kirk Cousins (30 of 48 for 427 yards, 3 TD's, 1 INT, 103.4 rating)

Washington Defensive MVP: DeAngelo Hall (5 tackles, 1 fumble recovery)

Philadelphia Offensive MVP: Nick Foles (27 of 41 for 325 yards, 3 TD's, 114.4 rating)

Philadelphia Defensive MVP: Malcolm Jenkins (4 tackles, 1 interception, 2 passes deflected)

Up next for Philadelphia: vs. @ San Francisco (1-2)

Up next for Washington: vs. New York Giants (1-2)




Indianapolis - 44 (1-2) @ Jacksonville - 17 (0-3)


Andrew Luck has returned to "God" status. After some less-than-elite games by Luck to start the season, he found his rhythm against the Jaguars en route to a dominating performance. I haven't been shy about my admiration for Andrew Luck. He's easily the best young QB in the game today and he's going to own the NFL for the next 10-15 years barring some kind of massive injury. Today's game was a good reminder why. His numbers were phenomenal once again and even though it came against lackluster competition, great players look great against bad teams and that's what Andrew Luck is. As for the Jaguars, rookie Blake Bortles finally got some playing time and didn't look too bad. He doesn't exactly play in a QB-friendly system, so I'll be surprised if we see anything from Bortles this season, but from what I saw today, there's some potential there. You couldn't say the same thing about Blaine Gabbert after watching him play against NFL competition. Things just MIGHT be looking up in Jacksonville?


Indianapolis Offensive MVP: Andrew Luck (31 of 39 for 370 yards, 4 TD's, 3 carries, 15 rushing yards, 140.4 rating)

Indianapolis Defensive MVP: Greg Toler (4 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception, 2 passes deflected, 1 TD)

Jacksonville Offensive MVP: Blake Bortles (14 of 24 for 223 yards, 2 TD's, 2 INT's, 2 carries, 30 rushing yards, 82.5 rating)

Jacksonville Defensive MVP: Geno Hayes (8 tackles, 1 tackle for loss)

Up next for Indianapolis: vs. Tennessee (1-2)

Up next for Jacksonville: vs. @ San Diego (2-1)




San Francisco - 14 (1-2) @ Arizona - 23 (3-0)


It's a wacky world we live in when the San Francisco 49ers don't look like the same San Francisco 49ers of the past few seasons (injuries and suspensions can do that to a team) and the Arizona Cardinals are sitting in first place of the NFC West and are one of the few remaining undefeated teams in the NFL. That's good for the Cardinals, but what's the problem with the 49ers? Why are they losing to teams that are playing back-up QB's? That's not what Super Bowl contenders do. San Francisco is also getting out-scored by opponents by 52-3 in the second half and that doesn't bode well for a team that is set to go play in Philadelphia next weekend. The Eagles are the kind of football team that will wear a defense down and explode on them in the second half. If the 49ers continue to play defense like they have been in the second half, the Eagles are going to have a field day next Sunday. At one time, I had the 49ers as my Super Bowl pick but after seeing them in the pre-season, I changed my mind. And they say the pre-season is useless!


San Francisco Offensive MVP: Colin Kaepernick (29 of 37 for 245 yards, 1 TD, 13 carries, 54 rushing yards, 103.3 rating)

San Francisco Defensive MVP: Ian Williams (5 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass deflection)

Arizona Offensive MVP: Drew Stanton (18 of 33 for 244 yards, 2 TD's, 6 carries, 16 rushing yards, 98.5 rating)

Arizona Defensive MVP: Tony Jefferson (10 tackles, 1 sack)

Up next for San Francisco: vs. Philadelphia (3-0)

Up next for Arizona: BYE WEEK




Kansas City - 34 (1-2) @ Miami - 15 (1-2)


I say it time and time again. Somethings in the NFL just don't make any sense. How do the Miami Dolphins beat the New England Patriots at home during week one, but lose to the Chiefs at home just two weeks later? Better yet, how do the Chiefs lose to the Tennessee Titans at home, but beat the Dolphins in Miami just two weeks later?

Kansas City Offensive MVP: Alex Smith (19 of 25 for 186 yards, 3 TD's, 2 carries, 17 rushing yards, 136.0 rating)

Kansas City Defensive MVP: Dontari Poe (4 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 pass deflected, 2 QB hits)

Miami Offensive MVP: Lamar Miller (15 carries, 108 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 24 receiving yards)

Miami Defensive MVP: Jelani Jenkins (15 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 QB hits,

Up next for Kansas City: vs. New England (2-1)

Up next for Miami: vs. Oakland (0-3)




Denver - 6 (1-1) @ Seattle - 26 (1-1)


The Super Bowl rematch was actually the Super Bowl game we had all hoped and prayed that we would get last February. The Seahawks came out and punched the Broncos in the mouth once again, but this time Denver took it with stride and managed a comeback to tie the game and move it into overtime. This was the game that we were all expecting to see at the Super Bowl and it's a good sign for Broncos fans if we do indeed get a rematch in the big game. Denver added some big time pieces in the off-season and it looks like those pieces may have paid off as the Broncos looked much more competitive against the Seahawks than in their previous outing. Seattle still ended up walking away with the win though so things aren't all entirely happy in Elway-Land. Anyway, if we somehow end up with these two teams in the Super Bowl in five months, I wouldn't have any kind of problem with that if the game is anything like this one was. Let's give Peyton another shot at those pesky Seachickens. He needs to bring a title to Denver so he can ride off into the sunset and the Broncos can suck again for 10+ years.


Denver Offensive MVP: Peyton Manning (31 of 49 for 303 yards, 2 TD's, 1 INT, 85.7 rating)

Denver Defensive MVP: Nate Irving (13 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 QB hit)

Seattle Offensive MVP: Russell Wilson (24 of 34 for 258 yards, 2 TD's, 1 INT, 9 carries, 40 rushing yards, 99.9 rating)

Seattle Defensive MVP: Kam Chancellor (9 tackles, 1 interception, 2 passes deflected)

Up next for Denver: BYE WEEK

Up next for Seattle: BYE WEEK

College Football Rankings: Week 4

Week 4 of the college football season is in the books and here are the official rankings for The Ultimate Football Blog following this weekend's action. Lots of close games and upsets this week (Indiana beats Missouri? Mississippi State beats LSU???) so we'll see some mover and shakers in the rankings this week.


College Football Rankings Week 3


1. Florida State Seminoles (3-0) - defeated Clemson 23-17

2. Oregon Ducks (4-0) - defeated Washington State 38-31

3. Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0) - defeated Florida 42-21

4. Oklahoma Sooners (4-0) - defeated West Virginia 45-33

5. Auburn Tigers (3-0) - defeated Kansas State 20-14

6. Texas A&M Aggies (4-0) - defeated SMU 58-6

7. Baylor Bears (3-0) - BYE WEEK

8. Ole Miss Rebels (3-0) - BYE WEEK

9. UCLA Bruins (3-0) - BYE WEEK

10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-0) - BYE WEEK

11. Michigan State Spartans (2-1) - defeated Eastern Michigan 73-14

12. Mississippi State Bulldogs (3-0) - defeated LSU 34-29

13. LSU (3-1) - lost to Mississippi State 29-34

14. Arizona State Sun Devils (3-0) - BYE WEEK

15. Georgia Bulldogs (2-1) - defeated Troy 66-0

16. Ohio State Buckeyes (2-1) - BYE WEEK

17. Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-0) - defeated Miami 41-31

18. Washington Huskies (4-0) - defeated Georgia State 45-14

19. Stanford Cardinal (2-1) - BYE WEEK

20. BYU Cougars (4-0) - defeated Virginia 41-33

21. South Carolina Game Cocks (3-1) - defeated Vanderbilt 48-34

22. Florida Gators (2-1) - BYE WEEK

23. Penn State Nittany Lions (4-0) - defeated Massachusetts (48-7)

24. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (4-0) - defeated Virginia Tech (27-24)

25. Arizona Wildcats (4-0) - defeated Cal 49-45


Just missing the cut: Oregon State Beavers (3-0), Utah Utes (3-0), East Carolina Pirates (3-1), Missouri Tigers (3-1)

Scouting Academy: What Exactly Is That?

For the past two weeks, I've been taking online classes at "The Scouting Academy". "The Scouting Academy" is a school put together by former NFL executives (ESPN's Louis Riddick), NFL general manager's (former Bears GM Jerry Colangelo), former NFL coaches (Wade Phillips), and others with the intent of helping people who love evaluating football players and turning them into a better talent evaluator. Before I started the school, I thought I was a pretty good judge of football talent. Well, let's just say I was WAY WRONG! There is so many factors that go into judging football talent that I actually didn't think mattered at all before I started this school. I figured that just watching tons of football on TV made me a pretty good judge of football talent. I had no idea just how wrong I was.

"The Scouting Academy" has taught me that tape watching is easily the single most important part of scouting football talent. I'm not talking about watching a game live on television and being able to walk away with a good formulated opinion of the player. I'm talking about locking yourself in a dark room and watching countless hours of tape on just ONE GUY. That's ultimately how you are going to be able to formulate an expert opinion on a football player. Watching a game live on television will give you a good starting point on a player, but you really need to watch tons of tape on a player to be able to see just how good this guy is as a complete football package. If you just watch the player play on live television, you are going to miss something important. Football is a fast game with a lot of action going on during every play. It's impossible to see every little detail of every play on live television. Game tape MATTERS people!

So far, the school has been extremely helpful. It's taught me tons of things to look for on game tape that I honestly never thought to look for before. It's taught me how to pull up game tape on a player and take successful notes that will help me ultimately decide how successful I think the player will be at the next level. I'm eventually hoping to turn this knowledge into a form of profit of sorts by writing scouting reports for NFL teams, scouting kids for college football team's, etc. In today's world, knowledge is powerful and you're only as good as the people who taught you. Something tells me that with the teacher's I have at my disposal, I will be an extremely talented football evaluator by the time the school ends in 14 weeks.

One can only hope, right?