The other day on the blog, we took a look at who the NFL's most efficient offensive players were thus far in the 2014-15 NFL season. Today, we will take a look at who the most efficient defensive players in the NFL are so far. There is still plenty of football left, but these guys are the outstanding defensive players of the NFL this season....
(Credit goes to ProFootballFocus.com and their advanced stats for helping with this column)
The Ultimate Football Blog Christmas List: Defensive Efficiency
Top 10 Most Efficient Pass Rushing 4-3 Defensive End's
1. Cameron Wake (Miami Dolphins)
2. Robert Ayers (New York Giants)
3. Junior Galette (New Orleans Saints)
4. Robert Quinn (St. Louis Rams)
5. Michael Bennett (Seattle Seahawks)
6. Cliff Avril (Seattle Seahawks)
7. Olivier Vernon (Miami Dolphins)
8. Mario Williams (Buffalo Bills)
9. Jeremy Mincey (Dallas Cowboys)
10. Malik Jackson (Denver Broncos)
Top 10 Most Efficient Run Stopping 4-3 Defensive End's:
1. Jason Pierre Paul (New York Giants)
2. Derek Wolfe (Denver Broncos)
3. Michael Bennett (Seattle Seahawks)
4. Red Bryant (Jacksonville Jaguars)
5. Everson Griffen (Minnesota Vikings)
6. Malik Jackson (Denver Broncos)
7. Cameron Jordan (New Orleans Saints)
8. William Hayes (St. Louis Rams)
9. Ezekiel Ansah (Detroit Lions)
10. Olivier Vernon (Miami Dolphins)
Top 10 Most Efficient Pass Rushing 3-4 Defensive End's
1. J.J. Watt (Houston Texans)
2. Jason Hatcher (Washington Redskins)
3. Antonio Smith (Oakland Raiders)
4. Jurrell Casey (Tennessee Titans)
5. Sheldon Richardson (New York Jets)
6. Justin Tuck (Oakland Raiders)
7. Haloti Ngata (Baltimore Ravens)
8. Muhammad Wilkerson (New York Jets)
9. Vinny Curry (Philadelphia Eagles)
10. Calais Campbell (Arizona Cardinals)
Top 10 Most Efficient Run Stopping 3-4 Defensive End's
1. Muhammad Wilkerson (New York Jets)
2. Sheldon Richardson (New York Jets)
3. Justin Smith (San Francisco 49ers)
4. Fletcher Cox (Philadelphia Eagles)
5. Mike Daniels (Green Bay Packers)
6. J.J. Watt (Houston Texans)
7. Calais Campbell (Arizona Cardinals)
8. Vince Wilfork (New England Patriots)
9. Ray McDonald (San Francisco 49ers)
10. Haloti Ngata (Baltimore Ravens)
Top 10 Most Efficient Pass Rushing Defensive Tackle's
1. Gerald McCoy (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
2. Henry Melton (Dallas Cowboys)
3. Kyle Williams (Buffalo Bills)
4. Ryan Davis (Jacksonville Jaguars)
5. Ndamukong Suh (Detroit Lions)
6. Stephen Paea (Chicago Bears)
7. Johnathan Hankins (New York Giants)
8. Tyrone Crawford (Dallas Cowboys)
9. Sen'Derrick Marks (Jacksonville Jaguars)
10. Geno Atkins (Cincinnati Bengals)
Top 10 Most Efficient Run Stopping Defensive Tackle's
1. Ndamukong Suh (Detroit Lions)
2. Aaron Donald (St. Louis Rams)
3. Damon Harrison (New York Jets)
4. Marcell Dareus (Buffalo Bills)
5. Shariff Floyd (Buffalo Bills)
6. Dan Williams (Arizona Cardinals)
7. Brandon Williams (Baltimore Ravens)
8. Johnathan Hankins (New York Giants)
9. Terrance Knighton (Denver Broncos)
10. Kawann Short (Carolina Panthers)
Top 10 Most Efficient Pass Rushing 4-3 Outside Linebacker's
1. Von Miller (Denver Broncos)
2. Anthony Barr (Minnesota Vikings)
3. DeAndre Levy (Detroit Lions)
4. Thomas Davis (Carolina Panthers)
5. Nigel Bradham (Buffalo Bills)
6. Brandon Marshall (Denver Broncos)
7. Alec Ogletree (St. Louis Rams)
8. Chad Greenway (Minnesota Vikings)
9. Bruce Carter (Dallas Cowboys)
10. Philip Wheeler (Miami Dolphins)
Top 10 Most Efficient Run Stopping 4-3 Outside Linebacker's
1. DeAndre Levy (Detroit Lions)
2. Von Miller (Denver Broncos)
3. Parys Haralson (New Orleans Saints)
4. Lance Briggs (Chicago Bears)
5. Nigel Bradham (Buffalo Bills)
6. Lavonte David (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
7. Philip Wheeler (Miami Dolphins)
8. Bruce Irvin (Seattle Seahawks)
9. Shea McClellin (Chicago Bears)
10. K.J. Wright (Seattle Seahawks)
Top 10 Most Efficient Pass Rushing 3-4 Outside Linebacker's
1. Justin Houston (Kansas City Chiefs)
2. Pernell McPhee (Baltimore Ravens)
3. Elvis Dumervil (Baltimore Ravens)
4. Trent Cole (Philadelphia Eagles)
5. Derrick Morgan (Tennessee Titans)
6. Terrell Suggs (Baltimore Ravens)
7. Brandon Graham (Philadelphia Eagles)
8. Julius Peppers (Green Bay Packers)
9. Connor Barwin (Philadelphia Eagles)
10. Dwight Freeney (San Diego Chargers)
Top 10 Most Efficient Run Stopping 3-4 Outside Linebacker's
1. Khalil Mack (Oakland Raiders)
2. Barkevious Mingo (Cleveland Browns)
3. Terrell Suggs (Baltimore Ravens)
4. Trent Murphy (Washington Redskins)
5. Jabaal Sheard (Cleveland Browns)
6. Jarrett Johnson (San Diego Chargers)
7. Brandon Graham (Philadelphia Eagles)
8. Jason Babin (New York Jets)
9. Justin Houston (Kansas City Chiefs)
10. Sam Acho (Arizona Cardinals)
Top 10 Most Efficient Pass Rushing Inside Linebacker's
1. Mychal Kendricks (Philadelphia Eagles)
2. Dont'a Hightower (New England Patriots)
3. Jamie Collins (New England Patriots)
4. Koa Misi (Miami Dolphins)
5. C.J. Mosley (Baltimore Ravens)
6. Wesley Woodyard (Tennessee Titans)
7. Keenan Robinson (Washington Redskins)
8. Chris Borland (San Francisco 49ers)
9. Daryl Smith (Baltimore Ravens)
10. Bobby Wagner (Seattle Seahawks)
Top 10 Most Efficient Pass Coverage Inside Linebacker's
1. Luke Kuechly (Carolina Panthers)
2. Karlos Dansby (Cleveland Browns)
3. Dont'a Hightower (New England Patriots)
4. Jerrell Freeman (Indianapolis Colts)
5. Mychal Kendricks (Philadelphia Eagles)
6. Chris Kirksey (Cleveland Browns)
7. Craig Robertson (Cleveland Browns)
8. Mike Mohamed (Houston Texans)
9. Bobby Wagner (Seattle Seahawks)
10. Rolando McClain (Dallas Cowboys)
Top 10 Most Efficient Run Stopping Inside Linebacker's
1. C.J. Mosley (Baltimore Ravens)
2. Lawrence Timmons (Pittsburgh Steelers)
3. Chris Borland (San Francisco 49ers)
4. Demario Davis (New York Jets)
5. Luke Kuechly (Carolina Panthers)
6. Dont'a Hightower (New England Patriots)
7. Bobby Wagner (Seattle Seahawks)
8. Nate Irving (Denver Broncos)
9. Tahir Whitehead (Detroit Lions)
10. Rolando McClain (Dallas Cowboys)
Top 10 Most Efficient Pass Coverage Cornerback's
1. Chris Harris (Denver Broncos)
2. Vontae Davis (Indianapolis Colts)
3. Antonio Cromartie (Arizona Cardinals)
4. Brandon Flowers (San Diego Chargers)
5. Darrelle Revis (New England Patriots)
6. Richard Sherman (Seattle Seahawks)
7. Orlando Scandrick (Dallas Cowboys)
8. Sean Smith (Kansas City Chiefs)
9. K'Wuan Williams (Cleveland Browns)
10. Desmond Trufant (Atlanta Falcons)
Top 10 Most Efficient Run Stopping Cornerback's
1. Alterraun Verner (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
2. Antoine Cason (Carolina Panthers)
3. Tim Jennings (Chicago Bears)
4. Darrelle Revis (New England Patriots)
5. Richard Sherman (Seattle Seahawks)
6. Bradley Fletcher (Philadelphia Eagles)
7. Aqib Talib (Denver Broncos)
8. Lamarcus Joyner (St. Louis Rams)
9. Casey Heyward (Green Bay Packers)
10. Alan Ball (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Top 10 Most Efficient Pass Coverage Safeties
1. Eric Weddle (San Diego Chargers)
2. Antoine Bethea (San Francisco 49ers)
3. Tashaun Gipson (Cleveland Browns)
4. Mike Adams (Indianapolis Colts)
5. Husain Abdullah (Kansas City Chiefs)
6. Tyrann Mathieu (Arizona Cardinals)
7. Malcolm Jenkins (Philadelphia Eagles)
8. Glover Quin (Detroit Lions)
9. James Ihedigbo (Detroit Lions)
10. Earl Thomas (Seattle Seahawks)
Top 10 Most Efficient Run Stopping Safeties
1. Donte Whitner (Cleveland Browns)
2. Harrison Smith (Minnesota Vikings)
3. Patrick Chung (New England Patriots)
4. Dawan Landry (New York Jets)
5. Eric Weddle (San Diego Chargers)
6. Morgan Burnett (Green Bay Packers)
7. Tony Jefferson (Arizona Cardinals)
8. Robert Blanton (Minnesota Vikings)
9. Calvin Pryor (New York Jets)
10. Troy Polamalu (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Sunday, November 30, 2014
College Football Rankings: Week 14
The college football season is unfortunately coming to an end. Next week is Championship Week and we will finally know how all the pieces of the first-ever "College Football Playoff" will fall once it's all said and done. The "contenders" are starting to separate themselves from the "pretenders", but we won't really know it all for seven more days. As of right now though, here are my top 25 teams in college football, followed up by the four teams I think will be in the playoffs, as well as the five players I feel will be nominated for the most important single-player trophy in college football....the Heisman. Hey, speaking of the Heisman:
College Football Rankings: Week 14
1. Florida State Seminoles (12-0) - defeated Florida 24-19
2. Oregon Ducks (11-1) - defeated Oregon State 47-19
3. Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1) - defeated Auburn 55-44
4. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) - defeated Michigan 42-28
5. Baylor Bears (10-1) - defeated Texas Tech 48-46
6. TCU Horned Frogs (10-1) - defeated Texas 48-10
7. Michigan State Spartans (10-2) - defeated Penn State 34-10
8. Kansas State Wildcats (9-2) - defeated Kansas 51-13
9. Wisconsin Badgers (10-2) - defeated Minnesota 34-24
10. Arizona Wildcats (10-2) - defeated Arizona State 42-35
11. Missouri Tigers (10-2) - defeated Arkansas 21-14
12. Mississippi State Bulldogs (10-2) - lost to Ole Miss 17-31
13. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (10-2) - defeated Georgia 30-24
14. Boise State Broncos (10-2) - defeated Utah State 50-19
15. Ole Miss Rebels (9-3) - defeated Mississippi State 31-17
16. Oklahoma Sooners (8-3) - BYE WEEK
17. Georgia Bulldogs (9-3) - lost to Georgia Tech 24-30
18. UCLA Bruins (9-3) - lost to Stanford 10-31
19. Louisville Cardinals (9-3) - defeated Kentucky 44-40
20. Northern Illinois Huskies (10-2) - defeated Western Michigan 31-21
21. Arizona State Sun Devils (9-3) - lost to Arizona 35-42
22. Clemson Tigers (9-3) - defeated South Carolina 35-17
23. Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-3) - defeated Iowa 37-34
24. Duke Blue Devils (9-3) - defeated Wake Forest 41-21
25. Cincinnati Bearcats (8-3) - defeated Temple 14-6
PLAYOFF TEAMS:
(These are the teams I'm predicting will be in the playoffs at the end of the year)
1. Florida State Seminoles
2. Oregon Ducks
3. Alabama Crimson Tide
4. Ohio State Buckeyes
HEISMAN FAVORITES:
1. Marcus Mariota (QB) - Oregon Ducks
2. Melvin Gordon (RB) - Wisconsin Badgers
3. Amari Cooper (WR) - Alabama Crimson Tide
4. Trevone Boykin (QB) - TCU Horned Frogs
5. J.T. Barrett (QB) - Ohio State Buckeyes
It's like it was meant to be........
College Football Rankings: Week 14
1. Florida State Seminoles (12-0) - defeated Florida 24-19
2. Oregon Ducks (11-1) - defeated Oregon State 47-19
3. Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1) - defeated Auburn 55-44
4. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) - defeated Michigan 42-28
5. Baylor Bears (10-1) - defeated Texas Tech 48-46
6. TCU Horned Frogs (10-1) - defeated Texas 48-10
7. Michigan State Spartans (10-2) - defeated Penn State 34-10
8. Kansas State Wildcats (9-2) - defeated Kansas 51-13
9. Wisconsin Badgers (10-2) - defeated Minnesota 34-24
10. Arizona Wildcats (10-2) - defeated Arizona State 42-35
11. Missouri Tigers (10-2) - defeated Arkansas 21-14
12. Mississippi State Bulldogs (10-2) - lost to Ole Miss 17-31
13. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (10-2) - defeated Georgia 30-24
14. Boise State Broncos (10-2) - defeated Utah State 50-19
15. Ole Miss Rebels (9-3) - defeated Mississippi State 31-17
16. Oklahoma Sooners (8-3) - BYE WEEK
17. Georgia Bulldogs (9-3) - lost to Georgia Tech 24-30
18. UCLA Bruins (9-3) - lost to Stanford 10-31
19. Louisville Cardinals (9-3) - defeated Kentucky 44-40
20. Northern Illinois Huskies (10-2) - defeated Western Michigan 31-21
21. Arizona State Sun Devils (9-3) - lost to Arizona 35-42
22. Clemson Tigers (9-3) - defeated South Carolina 35-17
23. Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-3) - defeated Iowa 37-34
24. Duke Blue Devils (9-3) - defeated Wake Forest 41-21
25. Cincinnati Bearcats (8-3) - defeated Temple 14-6
PLAYOFF TEAMS:
(These are the teams I'm predicting will be in the playoffs at the end of the year)
1. Florida State Seminoles
2. Oregon Ducks
3. Alabama Crimson Tide
4. Ohio State Buckeyes
HEISMAN FAVORITES:
1. Marcus Mariota (QB) - Oregon Ducks
2. Melvin Gordon (RB) - Wisconsin Badgers
3. Amari Cooper (WR) - Alabama Crimson Tide
4. Trevone Boykin (QB) - TCU Horned Frogs
5. J.T. Barrett (QB) - Ohio State Buckeyes
Friday, November 28, 2014
The Ultimate Football Blog Christmas List: Offensive Efficiency
Here at the Ultimate Football Blog, our goal is to provide football fans with as much information on the game of football as we possibly can. Over the course of the next few days, you will see random lists popping up on the blog that will help give everyone a clearer view on how these guys are performing on a week-to-week basis. Today, we will be looking at offensive players in the NFL and how exactly efficient they are. There are more than a couple surprises on here that I'm sure will shock some people. I hope you enjoy it....
(Credit to ProFootballFocus.com and their fantastic premium stats for help on the list)
Top 10 Most Efficient Passing QB's:
1. Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers)
2. Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)
3. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers)
4. Tom Brady (New England Patriots)
5. Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons)
6. Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts)
7. Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers)
8. Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos)
9. Ryan Tannehill (Miami Dolphins)
10. Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys)
Top 10 Least Efficient Passing QB's
1. Blake Bortles (Jacksonville Jaguars)
2. Geno Smith (New York Jets)
3. Michael Vick (New York Jets)
4. Jay Cutler (Chicago Bears)
5. Derek Carr (Oakland Raiders)
6. Jake Locker (Tennessee Titans)
7. Austin Davis (St. Louis Rams)
8. Drew Stanton (Arizona Cardinals)
9. E.J. Manuel (Buffalo Bills)
10. Nick Foles (Philadelphia Eagles)
Top 10 Most Efficient Running Back's
1. Marshawn Lynch (Seattle Seahawks)
2. DeMarco Murray (Dallas Cowboys)
3. Le'Veon Bell (Pittsburgh Steelers)
4. Justin Forsett (Baltimore Ravens)
5. Chris Ivory (New York Jets)
6. Jamaal Charles (Kansas City Chiefs)
7. C.J. Anderson (Denver Broncos)
8. Bishop Sankey (Tennessee Titans)
9. Lamar Miller (Miami Dolphins)
10. Arian Foster (Houston Texans)
Top 10 Least Efficient Running Back's
1. Knile Davis (Kansas City Chiefs)
2. Andre Ellington (Arizona Cardinals)
3. Toby Gearhart (Jacksonville Jaguars)
4. Ben Tate (Minnesota Vikings)
5. Darren McFadden (Oakland Raiders)
6. Donald Brown (San Diego Chargers)
7. Matt Asiata (Minnesota Vikings)
8. Chris Johnson (New York Jets)
9. Terrance West (Cleveland Browns)
10. Alfred Morris (Washington Redskins)
Top 10 Most Efficient Wide Receiver's
1. Antonio Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers)
2. Emmanuel Sanders (Denver Broncos)
3. Demaryius Thomas (Denver Broncos)
4. Jordy Nelson (Green Bay Packers)
5. Dez Bryant (Dallas Cowboys)
6. Andrew Hawkins (Cleveland Browns)
7. Jeremy Maclin (Philadelphia Eagles)
8. T.Y. Hilton (Indianapolis Colts)
9. Odell Beckham Jr. (New York Giants)
10. Mike Evans (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Top 10 Least Efficient Wide Receiver's
1. Riley Cooper (Philadelphia Eagles)
2. Hakeem Nicks (Indianapolis Colts)
3. Marques Colston (New Orleans Saints)
4. Nate Washington (Tennessee Titans)
5. Justin Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers)
6. David Nelson (New York Jets)
7. Michael Floyd (Arizona Cardinals)
8. Allen Hurns (Jacksonville Jaguars)
9. Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers)
10. Jeremy Ross (Detroit Lions)
Top 10 Most Efficient Pass Catching Tight End's
1. Rob Gronkowski (New England Patriots)
2. Greg Olsen (Carolina Panthers)
3. Jimmy Graham (New Orleans Saints)
4. Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs)
5. Delanie Walker (Tennessee Titans)
6. Martellus Bennett (Chicago Bears)
7. Julius Thomas (Denver Broncos)
8. Antonio Gates (San Diego Chargers)
9. Owen Daniels (Houston Texans)
10, Zach Ertz (Philadelphia Eagles)
Top 10 Least Efficient Pass Catching TE's
1. Levine Toilolo (Atlanta Falcons)
2. Vernon Davis (San Francisco 49ers)
3. Jeff Cumberland (New York Jets)
4. John Carlson (Arizona Cardinals)
5. Scott Chandler (Buffalo Bills)
6. Logan Paulson (Washington Redskins)
7. Eric Ebron (Detroit Lions)
8. Mychal Rivera (Oakland Raiders)
9. Brandon Myers (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
10. Austin Seferian-Jenkins (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Top 10 Most Efficient Pass Blocking Tackle's
1. Jason Peters (Philadelphia Eagles)
2. Joe Thomas (Cleveland Browns)
3. Andrew Whitworth (Cincinnati Bengals)
4. Donald Penn (Oakland Raiders)
5. Kelvin Beachum (Pittsburgh Steelers)
6. Branden Albert (Miami Dolphins)
7. Lane Johnson (Philadelphia Eagles)
8. Ricky Wagner (Baltimore Ravens)
9. Demar Dotson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
10. Anthony Castonzo (Indianapolis Colts)
Top 10 Most Efficient Run Blocking Tackle's
1. Joe Thomas (Cleveland Browns)
2. Jason Peters (Philadelphia Eagles)
3. Joe Staley (San Francisco 49ers)
4. Branden Albert (Miami Dolphins)
5. Taylor Lewan (Tennessee Titans)
6. Marcus Gilbert (Pittsburgh Steelers)
7. Joe Barksdale (St. Louis Rams)
8. King Dunlap (San Diego Chargers)
9. Nate Solder (New England Patriots)
10. Duane Brown (Houston Texans)
Top 10 Most Efficient Pass Blocking Guard's
1. Josh Sitton (Green Bay Packers)
2. Zack Martin (Dallas Cowboys)
3. Kyle Long (Chciago Bears)
4. Joel Bitonio (Cleveland Browns)
5. Kevin Zeitler (Cincinnati Bengals)
6. T.J. Lang (Green Bay Packers)
7. Orlando Franklin (Denver Broncos)
8. Zane Beadles (Jacksonville Jaguars)
9. Gabe Jackson (Oakland Raiders)
10. Brandon Linder (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Top 10 Most Efficient Run Blocking Guard's
1. Marshal Yanda (Baltimore Ravens)
2. Mike Iupati (San Francisco 49ers)
3. Kelechi Osemele (Baltimore Ravens)
4. Josh Sitton (Green Bay Packers)
5. John Greco (Cleveland Browns)
6. Evan Mathis (Philadelphia Eagles)
7. Jahri Evans (New Orleans Saints)
8. Ben Jones (Houston Texans)
9. Brandon Brooks (Houston Texans)
10. J.R. Sweezy (Seattle Seahawks)
(Credit to ProFootballFocus.com and their fantastic premium stats for help on the list)
The Ultimate Football Blog Christmas List: Offensive Efficiency
Top 10 Most Efficient Passing QB's:
1. Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers)
2. Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)
3. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers)
4. Tom Brady (New England Patriots)
5. Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons)
6. Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts)
7. Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers)
8. Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos)
9. Ryan Tannehill (Miami Dolphins)
10. Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys)
Top 10 Least Efficient Passing QB's
1. Blake Bortles (Jacksonville Jaguars)
2. Geno Smith (New York Jets)
3. Michael Vick (New York Jets)
4. Jay Cutler (Chicago Bears)
5. Derek Carr (Oakland Raiders)
6. Jake Locker (Tennessee Titans)
7. Austin Davis (St. Louis Rams)
8. Drew Stanton (Arizona Cardinals)
9. E.J. Manuel (Buffalo Bills)
10. Nick Foles (Philadelphia Eagles)
Top 10 Most Efficient Running Back's
1. Marshawn Lynch (Seattle Seahawks)
2. DeMarco Murray (Dallas Cowboys)
3. Le'Veon Bell (Pittsburgh Steelers)
4. Justin Forsett (Baltimore Ravens)
5. Chris Ivory (New York Jets)
6. Jamaal Charles (Kansas City Chiefs)
7. C.J. Anderson (Denver Broncos)
8. Bishop Sankey (Tennessee Titans)
9. Lamar Miller (Miami Dolphins)
10. Arian Foster (Houston Texans)
Top 10 Least Efficient Running Back's
1. Knile Davis (Kansas City Chiefs)
2. Andre Ellington (Arizona Cardinals)
3. Toby Gearhart (Jacksonville Jaguars)
4. Ben Tate (Minnesota Vikings)
5. Darren McFadden (Oakland Raiders)
6. Donald Brown (San Diego Chargers)
7. Matt Asiata (Minnesota Vikings)
8. Chris Johnson (New York Jets)
9. Terrance West (Cleveland Browns)
10. Alfred Morris (Washington Redskins)
Top 10 Most Efficient Wide Receiver's
1. Antonio Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers)
2. Emmanuel Sanders (Denver Broncos)
3. Demaryius Thomas (Denver Broncos)
4. Jordy Nelson (Green Bay Packers)
5. Dez Bryant (Dallas Cowboys)
6. Andrew Hawkins (Cleveland Browns)
7. Jeremy Maclin (Philadelphia Eagles)
8. T.Y. Hilton (Indianapolis Colts)
9. Odell Beckham Jr. (New York Giants)
10. Mike Evans (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Top 10 Least Efficient Wide Receiver's
1. Riley Cooper (Philadelphia Eagles)
2. Hakeem Nicks (Indianapolis Colts)
3. Marques Colston (New Orleans Saints)
4. Nate Washington (Tennessee Titans)
5. Justin Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers)
6. David Nelson (New York Jets)
7. Michael Floyd (Arizona Cardinals)
8. Allen Hurns (Jacksonville Jaguars)
9. Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers)
10. Jeremy Ross (Detroit Lions)
Top 10 Most Efficient Pass Catching Tight End's
1. Rob Gronkowski (New England Patriots)
2. Greg Olsen (Carolina Panthers)
3. Jimmy Graham (New Orleans Saints)
4. Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs)
5. Delanie Walker (Tennessee Titans)
6. Martellus Bennett (Chicago Bears)
7. Julius Thomas (Denver Broncos)
8. Antonio Gates (San Diego Chargers)
9. Owen Daniels (Houston Texans)
10, Zach Ertz (Philadelphia Eagles)
Top 10 Least Efficient Pass Catching TE's
1. Levine Toilolo (Atlanta Falcons)
2. Vernon Davis (San Francisco 49ers)
3. Jeff Cumberland (New York Jets)
4. John Carlson (Arizona Cardinals)
5. Scott Chandler (Buffalo Bills)
6. Logan Paulson (Washington Redskins)
7. Eric Ebron (Detroit Lions)
8. Mychal Rivera (Oakland Raiders)
9. Brandon Myers (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
10. Austin Seferian-Jenkins (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Top 10 Most Efficient Pass Blocking Tackle's
1. Jason Peters (Philadelphia Eagles)
2. Joe Thomas (Cleveland Browns)
3. Andrew Whitworth (Cincinnati Bengals)
4. Donald Penn (Oakland Raiders)
5. Kelvin Beachum (Pittsburgh Steelers)
6. Branden Albert (Miami Dolphins)
7. Lane Johnson (Philadelphia Eagles)
8. Ricky Wagner (Baltimore Ravens)
9. Demar Dotson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
10. Anthony Castonzo (Indianapolis Colts)
Top 10 Most Efficient Run Blocking Tackle's
1. Joe Thomas (Cleveland Browns)
2. Jason Peters (Philadelphia Eagles)
3. Joe Staley (San Francisco 49ers)
4. Branden Albert (Miami Dolphins)
5. Taylor Lewan (Tennessee Titans)
6. Marcus Gilbert (Pittsburgh Steelers)
7. Joe Barksdale (St. Louis Rams)
8. King Dunlap (San Diego Chargers)
9. Nate Solder (New England Patriots)
10. Duane Brown (Houston Texans)
Top 10 Most Efficient Pass Blocking Guard's
1. Josh Sitton (Green Bay Packers)
2. Zack Martin (Dallas Cowboys)
3. Kyle Long (Chciago Bears)
4. Joel Bitonio (Cleveland Browns)
5. Kevin Zeitler (Cincinnati Bengals)
6. T.J. Lang (Green Bay Packers)
7. Orlando Franklin (Denver Broncos)
8. Zane Beadles (Jacksonville Jaguars)
9. Gabe Jackson (Oakland Raiders)
10. Brandon Linder (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Top 10 Most Efficient Run Blocking Guard's
1. Marshal Yanda (Baltimore Ravens)
2. Mike Iupati (San Francisco 49ers)
3. Kelechi Osemele (Baltimore Ravens)
4. Josh Sitton (Green Bay Packers)
5. John Greco (Cleveland Browns)
6. Evan Mathis (Philadelphia Eagles)
7. Jahri Evans (New Orleans Saints)
8. Ben Jones (Houston Texans)
9. Brandon Brooks (Houston Texans)
10. J.R. Sweezy (Seattle Seahawks)
Thursday, November 27, 2014
My Top 10 Favorite TV Shows of All-Time
Here's a little break from football writing to give you something extra for your holidays. I decided to rank my top 10 favorite TV shows of all-time. Now, please remember that this is MY opinion and not yours. Believe it or not, people have different tastes and it seems like whenever someone posts a list online, people just like to bash that person's opinions because they don't share the same one. There's some shows you won't find on here (The Wire for example) because I haven't seen those shows all the way through, even though I plan on getting to them at some point. Anyway, enjoy your Thanksgiving and enjoy the only non-football post you'll see on this blog.....
My Top 10 Favorite TV Shows of All-Time
Honorable Mentions:
Seinfeld
Entourage
The Office
10. The O.C.
This was a good show. Screw you if you didn't like it.
9. South Park
No one does "topical humor" better than South Park does. When South Park is "on", they are "on". There's a reason this show has been on since I was in high school. It's that good and it continues to roll along without missing a beat.
8. Chappelle's Show
This doesn't need any kind of explanation. The only explanation I need is why Dave Chappelle walked away from the greatest skit show of all-time during the middle of it's run. I'm still holding out hope that Chappelle will return to television at some point and give this show a shot in the arm as it returns to stardom. We need some more "MAD MAD Real World" people!!!!
7. Arrested Development
Arrested Development is a historical show. It was cancelled during it's first run on FOX due to low ratings (even though the critics loved the show), and was brought back after fans of the show demanded it's return. I was one of the people who didn't actually watch Arrested Development during it's first-run. As a matter of fact, I didn't watch Arrested Development until they announced the show would be coming back. That's when I needed to see what all the hype was about and man, I'm glad I did. There is so much to like about this show and it starts and ends with the characters. Oh....and the freaking CHICKEN DANCE!!!!
6. OZ
OZ was the show that really put HBO on the map. For those of you who missed it, OZ was about the Oswald State Maximum Penitentiary (OZ for short) and everything that went on inside the prison. I wouldn't hesitate to call "OZ" the most violent show I've ever seen. It seemed like there was a major character that died every episode, and every death was what we would call a "game-changer" in the OZ world. OZ is really what laid the foundation for shows like "The Wire", "Sons of Anarchy", and "The Sopranos" to come to fruition. I don't think most people can fathom how important this show was to the shows that currently air on cable. OZ was simply fantastic.
THE TOP FIVE
5. LOST
I won't hesistate to call the first episode of "LOST" the greatest episode of television I've ever seen. If you are the kind of person who can watch the pilot episode of "LOST" and have absolutely no interest in watching anymore episodes, than there's a good chance you and I couldn't be friends. In case you haven't seen it, the first episode starts with a plane wreck on what appears to be a deserted island. People have survived the plane crash, and not only that....but things about them have changed (A paralyzed man is no longer paralyzed for example). If that wasn't already enough, the island itself appears to have some mysteries abound. For viewer's of "LOST" it was like watching a video game on TV every week. The people behind "LOST" would jam pack the show with easter eggs and little secrets for viewers that made watching every single episode a detailed experience. A lot of people like to hammer "LOST" because they weren't happy with how the show ended, but that doesn't really matter to me. I tend to judge TV shows in the same fashion I judge road trips. I don't judge road trips based on what happens when we get to the final destination, I judge road trips by how fun and exciting the ride there was. If you ask me, the ride that "LOST" took it's viewers on was one of the greatest experiences ever on television.
4. Friends
Friends is my favorite sitcom of all-time and it's not even close. I wouldn't hesitate to call Friends the "funniest show that has ever aired". To this day, I can turn on an episode of Friends (go ahead and turn your television on right now, you'll probably find an episode on) and laugh my ass off. The show is made by the characters. The first season was kind of a drag because we were getting to know the characters, but after we learned who these people were and all the funny quirks about them, the laugh's started coming a mile-a-minute. There really isn't a character on this show that I didn't like. I liked Chandler for being Chandler. I liked Joey for being stupid. I liked Ross for being nerdy. I liked Phoebe for being Phoebe. I liked Monica for being highly competitive and I liked Rachel because....well, because she wasn't bad to look at. Friends is easily the best sitcom ever made in my opinion and if you don't feel the same way, we'll than I guess we can't be friends (see what I did there?).
3. Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is the best show on television at the moment. With all due respect to shows like Sons of Anarchy, The Walking Dead, and others (those shows are good, but far from great), Game of Thrones is easily the best thing going on TV right now. It took me awhile to get into "GoT" because it looked like one of those shows that I couldn't get behind. However, once I started it....good lord. This show is absolutely incredible. The acting is top notch, the writing is absolutely fantastic, and the story itself is just incredible. There is so much going on in the fictional world of Westeros that it's pretty much impossible to get bored watching the show. The only reason this show isn't ranked higher is because it's still running and I can't place it above the other two shows until the run has ended. As of right now though, I wouldn't hesitate to say that by the time it's all said and done "Game of Thrones" is my favorite show of all-time.
2. Breaking Bad
Stop me if you've seen this post on social media before:
"I just started Breaking Bad! It's awesome! Can't believe it took me this long to start it!"
When Breaking Bad was on, it seemed like you saw one of those posts at least once a week somewhere on social media. That's because Breaking Bad was the kind of show that may not have sounded fantastic on paper, but it was absolutely incredible on the screen. Watching Walter White's transition from "everyday normal high school teacher" to "Scarface" was extremely fun. The only thing knocking Breaking Bad was the first season. The show may have been a little hard to get into at first, but that quickly changes.....especially once Gus comes into the picture. Gus could very well be my favorite villain ever on TV and the whole "Walt vs. Gus" showdown in season four was one of the greatest things I've ever seen on television. If you've never seen an episode of Breaking Bad, do yourself a favor and track it down. You'll thank me later.
1. The Sopranos
The Sopranos is my favorite show of all-time. First of all, I find the mob to be extremely fascinating so obviously I'm going to enjoy anything related to the mob. Secondly, Tony Soprano is my favorite television character of all-time and watching him deal with everyday life while trying to run a crime family was the best thing I've ever seen. I shouldn't have to go into extreme detail about why I feel The Sopranos is the greatest show of all-time, I'd just recommend you get off your ass and give it a view. Something tells me you'll thank me later, especially after this scene.....
Slammin' Stevie Cook's Week 13 NFL Picks!
Hi, hello & welcome to Week 13 of the National Football League! I'm Slammin' Stevie Cook, and I remember a day where I had a winning record for the season & things were starting to look good...but then Week 12 happened. I did a fine job of picking the winners over at offtheteam.com, but dang if Vegas doesn't keep getting me with these point spreads. I guess it's a good thing I don't bet...which is a shame because I could really use an upgrade on this turkey.
It's Thanksgiving, which means most of us are going to spend at least part of the day plopped down on the couch watching football. Occasionally family will interrupt us with food & wanting to talk about whatever they're up to, but we want to watch football. It's not that we don't care about our families...ok, it's kind of that we don't care about our families, especially the people we only see on holidays. There's a reason for that, you know.
The one drawback of Thanksgiving Football is that it was such a big hit that it led to the NFL wanting to have games on Thursday night all the time. So while you're sitting there enjoying your football, think about Richard Sherman & the pain you've caused him. He suffers for your amusement, by gawd! He'll end up richer than my entire audience combined can ever hope to be, but let's forget about that minor detail. It's all about Richard Sherman, and you people need to realize that. In fact, we should all be thankful for Richard Sherman & the fact that he graces us with his presence on television every week. Where would our lives be without Richard Sherman?
Anywho, let's hook em up!
Thursday, November 27
Bears at Lions (-7): We usually spend at least part of Thanksgiving complaining about having to watch the Lions. This year we'll be complaining about having to watch the Bears. I don't know about you guys, but I've had to watch way too much of these slugs this year. Seems like they're always either in a featured game or on in my market because Chicago & Cincinnati are in the midwest & all those cities are the same. We're not getting any AFC teams on Thanksgiving this year, but we are getting the Chicago Bears. Something isn't right here. I think the government needs to investigate.
Of course, as much as I complain about the Bears they could actually cover here. The Lions have lost two straight & their big tackle's out for the year, and you have to figure that Suh will do something stupid because it's a Thanksgiving tradition for Suh to do something stupid. But you've also got Megatron vs whoever the Bears are trotting out these days. The Lions have struggled lately, but the Bears aren't the Cardinals or Patriots. They'll be fine here.
Eagles at Cowboys (-3): This is a bit more like it. Two teams that have been among the best in the NFC all season. You'd think Mark Sanchez on Thanksgiving would be a bad idea, but it's actually working out in Chip Kelly's offense so far. Dallas played the Giants close on Sunday night, but that happens every year. The tough part for them is having two division rivalry games so close together while Philly got to feast on Tennessee on Sunday. The tricky part about picking Philly is you're picking Mark Sanchez on the road & I think Bill Simmons has a rule against that. We'll find out, as I will tempt fate & take the Eagles and the three points.
Seahawks at 49ers (-1.5): Slobberknocker potential no doubt about it. A coin flip of a game no doubt. The Seahawks have been up and down. People keep wanting to count out the 49ers and they keep winning. Way I see it...the Seahawks think they're losing. That's why Richard Sherman & Doug Baldwin are cutting promos with cardboard cutouts. They think they will lose, and they want to have an excuse when it happens. The 49ers have been quiet & are staying home, and I think that gives them the slight edge.
Sunday, November 30
Washington at Colts (-9.5): I was watching SportsCenter Wednesday morning & arrived at the following conclusions:
-There is not nearly enough Sara Walsh in my life right now.
-There is entirely too much coverage of the Washington NFL franchise on ESPN.
The anchors & various experts spent at least one-third of the broadcast talking about Colt McCoy taking over the QB1 position at the expense of Robert Griffin III. See, back during his senior year at Baylor. people thought that RG3 was going to be a thing. There were even people trying to convince us that Griffin was going to be a better NFL QB than Andrew Luck, who up until that point had only been compared to John Elway. These people were wrong. Griffin had a good rookie year, but has been regressing ever since. To the point where Colt McCoy seems like an improvement.
I guess we could try & analyze it, but it's Washington. Who cares? They're going to throw a bunch of money at people during the off-season for an attempted quick fix, it won't work, and we'll act surprised at the turmoil in DC like it's a new thing or something. That's why I'm surprised ESPN is so into it. They used to be all over the Jets' idiocy, now it's Washington's. I would say they should spend more time covering the good teams, but they also showed Belichick & Brady's press conferences & both were beyond useless. So I'm not sure what the solution is. Maybe more Kaylee Hartung, she was on one time talking about the Egg Bowl & I needed more information about that for sure.
What I don't need more information on is this game. Colts in a walk.
Titans at Texans (-6.5): JAKE METTENBERGER! RYAN FITZPATRICK! THE NFL ON CBS! Actually, it's not like that's a big dropoff from JAKE LOCKER! RYAN MALLET! THE NFL ON CBS! Or CHARLIE WHITEHURST! THAD LEWIS! THE NFL ON CBS! I won't watch a second of this & neither should you. Texans because JJ Watt will score a TD somehow.
Browns at Bills (-2.5): Usually the idea of Browns vs. Bills late in the season makes me reach for the vomit bucket, but they're actually both kinda good this year. At least so far. Buffalo looks like they're going to do their usual circle the wagons down to third/fourth place thing & I don't trust Cleveland even if all Brian Hoyer does is win. Bills had a big win on Monday against the Jets, but you gotta remember they were playing at home in Detroit. I'm not sure if playing in Buffalo will give them the same advantage. I'll go with the Browns because ALL BRIAN HOYER DOES IS WIN.
Chargers at Ravens (-6): The Ravens are one of those teams that don't sound good on paper but you're scared of. The Chargers are a team that sounds good but you're not scared of. Add in the whole East Coast thing & the Ravens are the easy pick.
Giants (-2.5) at Jaguars: You know you're having a bad season when you're favored by less than a field goal against Jacksonville. You know you're really having a bad season when I don't dismiss it after one sentence. These Giants are just not good. I can't even tweet Reby Sky to laugh at her because what the hell would be the point? They're bad. It is what it is. I guess I'll take the Giants here, but I wouldn't be shocked if the Jags got win #2 here.
Bengals (-3.5) at Buccaneers: The Cincinnati Bengals have won two straight road games. Can they win three? Usually I would say no because I'm a Bengals fan and there's nobody more negative than a Cincinnati Bengals fan. But...for God's sake...Tampa Bay is an awful football team. Mike Evans is good. The rest of that team though...man they bad.
Of course this is the type of game the Bengals lose. But after last week I've decided that I can never pick an NFC South team again. I picked two last week. Not a good idea. Bengals since they're in the AFC North & not the NFC South.
Raiders at Rams (-7): The LA Raiders vs. LA Rams matchup would have some juice. Even when two teams in the same city are bad, we tend to get excited when they face off. City championship! When it's the Oakland Raiders vs. St. Louis Rams? Not so much. I think the Raiders got their win out of their system & the Rams will keep playing the good football they've been playing recently. They should petition to be in the NFC South, even when they're in SoCal.
Saints at Steelers (-4.5): I could try & talk myself into the Saints if they were hosting this game. But they're not. So Le'Veon Bell will run all over these choads & the Steelers will TCB.
I also used the word "choad" on my podcast this week. Gonna try & bring that back.
Panthers at Vikings (-3): The Panthers took a week off, so Cam Newton should be healthy. BUT I'M AFRAID I'VE GOT SOME...BAD NEWS!
Minnesota's freaking cold. And for some reason the Vikings don't have a dome right now. I just don't see Cam Newton & that offense going up to Minnesota & doing fantastic things. Also, they play in the NFC South. So I'll roll with my boy Teddy & the Vikings.
Cardinals (-2.5) at Falcons: I'm not too high on the Arizona Cardinals lately, but #NFCSouth. Also, they just picked up Michael Bush. Where did Michael Bush go to school?
Thank you very much. Cardinals.
Patriots at Packers (-3): This is pretty big. It's the first time we've seen Tom Brady & Aaron Rodgers in the same regular season football game. Also, both teams are really good. The Patriots have been fine since they were On to Cincinnati, and the Packers were fine once they relaxed. Something has to give. I really don't want to pick against either team. I will pick the Patriots and hope they lose. Seems like the best option at this point.
Broncos (-2) at Chiefs: Tough to pick against the Broncos against a team that just lost to the Raiders. If the Chiefs win, the NFL officially makes no sense. That will help me next week I think.
Monday, December 1
Dolphins (-6) at Jets: Geno Smith is your Jets QB1 again. Does it matter? Probably not. The Jets aren't even an entertaining enough dumpster fire for ESPN to cover anymore. The Dolphins looked impressive in their loss in Denver, and I think they should look even more impressive in a win on Monday night. They better, because I got a lot riding on Ryan Tannehill this week. I'm not sure what it says about one's life when they have a lot riding on Ryan Tannehill, but at least I'm in good company.
Last Week: 5-10
Season Record: 87-86-3
It's Thanksgiving, which means most of us are going to spend at least part of the day plopped down on the couch watching football. Occasionally family will interrupt us with food & wanting to talk about whatever they're up to, but we want to watch football. It's not that we don't care about our families...ok, it's kind of that we don't care about our families, especially the people we only see on holidays. There's a reason for that, you know.
The one drawback of Thanksgiving Football is that it was such a big hit that it led to the NFL wanting to have games on Thursday night all the time. So while you're sitting there enjoying your football, think about Richard Sherman & the pain you've caused him. He suffers for your amusement, by gawd! He'll end up richer than my entire audience combined can ever hope to be, but let's forget about that minor detail. It's all about Richard Sherman, and you people need to realize that. In fact, we should all be thankful for Richard Sherman & the fact that he graces us with his presence on television every week. Where would our lives be without Richard Sherman?
Anywho, let's hook em up!
Thursday, November 27
Bears at Lions (-7): We usually spend at least part of Thanksgiving complaining about having to watch the Lions. This year we'll be complaining about having to watch the Bears. I don't know about you guys, but I've had to watch way too much of these slugs this year. Seems like they're always either in a featured game or on in my market because Chicago & Cincinnati are in the midwest & all those cities are the same. We're not getting any AFC teams on Thanksgiving this year, but we are getting the Chicago Bears. Something isn't right here. I think the government needs to investigate.
Of course, as much as I complain about the Bears they could actually cover here. The Lions have lost two straight & their big tackle's out for the year, and you have to figure that Suh will do something stupid because it's a Thanksgiving tradition for Suh to do something stupid. But you've also got Megatron vs whoever the Bears are trotting out these days. The Lions have struggled lately, but the Bears aren't the Cardinals or Patriots. They'll be fine here.
Eagles at Cowboys (-3): This is a bit more like it. Two teams that have been among the best in the NFC all season. You'd think Mark Sanchez on Thanksgiving would be a bad idea, but it's actually working out in Chip Kelly's offense so far. Dallas played the Giants close on Sunday night, but that happens every year. The tough part for them is having two division rivalry games so close together while Philly got to feast on Tennessee on Sunday. The tricky part about picking Philly is you're picking Mark Sanchez on the road & I think Bill Simmons has a rule against that. We'll find out, as I will tempt fate & take the Eagles and the three points.
Seahawks at 49ers (-1.5): Slobberknocker potential no doubt about it. A coin flip of a game no doubt. The Seahawks have been up and down. People keep wanting to count out the 49ers and they keep winning. Way I see it...the Seahawks think they're losing. That's why Richard Sherman & Doug Baldwin are cutting promos with cardboard cutouts. They think they will lose, and they want to have an excuse when it happens. The 49ers have been quiet & are staying home, and I think that gives them the slight edge.
Sunday, November 30
Washington at Colts (-9.5): I was watching SportsCenter Wednesday morning & arrived at the following conclusions:
-There is not nearly enough Sara Walsh in my life right now.
-There is entirely too much coverage of the Washington NFL franchise on ESPN.
The anchors & various experts spent at least one-third of the broadcast talking about Colt McCoy taking over the QB1 position at the expense of Robert Griffin III. See, back during his senior year at Baylor. people thought that RG3 was going to be a thing. There were even people trying to convince us that Griffin was going to be a better NFL QB than Andrew Luck, who up until that point had only been compared to John Elway. These people were wrong. Griffin had a good rookie year, but has been regressing ever since. To the point where Colt McCoy seems like an improvement.
I guess we could try & analyze it, but it's Washington. Who cares? They're going to throw a bunch of money at people during the off-season for an attempted quick fix, it won't work, and we'll act surprised at the turmoil in DC like it's a new thing or something. That's why I'm surprised ESPN is so into it. They used to be all over the Jets' idiocy, now it's Washington's. I would say they should spend more time covering the good teams, but they also showed Belichick & Brady's press conferences & both were beyond useless. So I'm not sure what the solution is. Maybe more Kaylee Hartung, she was on one time talking about the Egg Bowl & I needed more information about that for sure.
What I don't need more information on is this game. Colts in a walk.
Titans at Texans (-6.5): JAKE METTENBERGER! RYAN FITZPATRICK! THE NFL ON CBS! Actually, it's not like that's a big dropoff from JAKE LOCKER! RYAN MALLET! THE NFL ON CBS! Or CHARLIE WHITEHURST! THAD LEWIS! THE NFL ON CBS! I won't watch a second of this & neither should you. Texans because JJ Watt will score a TD somehow.
Browns at Bills (-2.5): Usually the idea of Browns vs. Bills late in the season makes me reach for the vomit bucket, but they're actually both kinda good this year. At least so far. Buffalo looks like they're going to do their usual circle the wagons down to third/fourth place thing & I don't trust Cleveland even if all Brian Hoyer does is win. Bills had a big win on Monday against the Jets, but you gotta remember they were playing at home in Detroit. I'm not sure if playing in Buffalo will give them the same advantage. I'll go with the Browns because ALL BRIAN HOYER DOES IS WIN.
Chargers at Ravens (-6): The Ravens are one of those teams that don't sound good on paper but you're scared of. The Chargers are a team that sounds good but you're not scared of. Add in the whole East Coast thing & the Ravens are the easy pick.
Giants (-2.5) at Jaguars: You know you're having a bad season when you're favored by less than a field goal against Jacksonville. You know you're really having a bad season when I don't dismiss it after one sentence. These Giants are just not good. I can't even tweet Reby Sky to laugh at her because what the hell would be the point? They're bad. It is what it is. I guess I'll take the Giants here, but I wouldn't be shocked if the Jags got win #2 here.
Bengals (-3.5) at Buccaneers: The Cincinnati Bengals have won two straight road games. Can they win three? Usually I would say no because I'm a Bengals fan and there's nobody more negative than a Cincinnati Bengals fan. But...for God's sake...Tampa Bay is an awful football team. Mike Evans is good. The rest of that team though...man they bad.
Of course this is the type of game the Bengals lose. But after last week I've decided that I can never pick an NFC South team again. I picked two last week. Not a good idea. Bengals since they're in the AFC North & not the NFC South.
Raiders at Rams (-7): The LA Raiders vs. LA Rams matchup would have some juice. Even when two teams in the same city are bad, we tend to get excited when they face off. City championship! When it's the Oakland Raiders vs. St. Louis Rams? Not so much. I think the Raiders got their win out of their system & the Rams will keep playing the good football they've been playing recently. They should petition to be in the NFC South, even when they're in SoCal.
Saints at Steelers (-4.5): I could try & talk myself into the Saints if they were hosting this game. But they're not. So Le'Veon Bell will run all over these choads & the Steelers will TCB.
I also used the word "choad" on my podcast this week. Gonna try & bring that back.
Panthers at Vikings (-3): The Panthers took a week off, so Cam Newton should be healthy. BUT I'M AFRAID I'VE GOT SOME...BAD NEWS!
Minnesota's freaking cold. And for some reason the Vikings don't have a dome right now. I just don't see Cam Newton & that offense going up to Minnesota & doing fantastic things. Also, they play in the NFC South. So I'll roll with my boy Teddy & the Vikings.
Cardinals (-2.5) at Falcons: I'm not too high on the Arizona Cardinals lately, but #NFCSouth. Also, they just picked up Michael Bush. Where did Michael Bush go to school?
Thank you very much. Cardinals.
Patriots at Packers (-3): This is pretty big. It's the first time we've seen Tom Brady & Aaron Rodgers in the same regular season football game. Also, both teams are really good. The Patriots have been fine since they were On to Cincinnati, and the Packers were fine once they relaxed. Something has to give. I really don't want to pick against either team. I will pick the Patriots and hope they lose. Seems like the best option at this point.
Broncos (-2) at Chiefs: Tough to pick against the Broncos against a team that just lost to the Raiders. If the Chiefs win, the NFL officially makes no sense. That will help me next week I think.
Monday, December 1
Dolphins (-6) at Jets: Geno Smith is your Jets QB1 again. Does it matter? Probably not. The Jets aren't even an entertaining enough dumpster fire for ESPN to cover anymore. The Dolphins looked impressive in their loss in Denver, and I think they should look even more impressive in a win on Monday night. They better, because I got a lot riding on Ryan Tannehill this week. I'm not sure what it says about one's life when they have a lot riding on Ryan Tannehill, but at least I'm in good company.
Lauren Tannehill. That kid might be my hero, actually.
Last Week: 5-10
Season Record: 87-86-3
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
NFL Power Rankings: Week 12
Jeremy Lambert is back in action this week with his NFL Power Rankings. There's a lot of hatred going on in the world right now, but you won't find any of that stuff here at the Ultimate Football Blog. We are all about being positive and changing the world with our fantastic football opinions and handsome good looks. So enjoy!
Welcome to the Ultimate Football Blog Week Eleven 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.
Tom Brady and The New England Patriots have won seven straight games. Rob Gronkowski is back to being the most dominant tight end in the league, they are getting contributions from guys named Jonas Gray and Tim Wright, and their defense is playing pretty well.
Everyone is now picking the Patriots to win the Super Bowl because Brady “has that look in his eye” following a disappointing start to the season.
Not this guy.
Brady and company might be rolling right now, and based on their schedule they might only lose one more game this season, but they won’t win the Super Bowl.
Brady and his guys are on the same page right now, but it doesn’t take much to disrupt them. Gronkowski is always going to be effective as long as he’s healthy, but the rest of the offense is mediocre at best. I watched Brandon LaFell for many years in Carolina, he’ll have a good game here and there, but he’s going to shrink in a big game. Julian Edelman is a good slot receiver, but he’s not going to scare anyone and can be taken away by a good linebacker. The run game is another question mark. Sooner or later guys like Shane Vereen, Jonas Gray, and LeGarrette Blount will be exposed for being the mediocre running backs that they are.
Of course the easiest way to rattle the Patriots offense is to pressure Brady. We’ve seen it plenty of times over the years during the playoffs. When Brady faces pressure, he becomes ineffective. The Patriots offensive line isn’t bad, but sooner or later they will run into a defense that can back them up and get in Brady’s face.
Brady and Belichick have been a dominant duo for many years in the NFL, but they haven’t won a Super Bowl since 2004-2005 despite making the playoffs every year that Brady has been healthy since then. They always look good in the regular season. They always have double digit wins. And they always falter in the playoffs. This year will be no different.
1. Odell Beckham Jr. Catch
You’ve seen it a million times by now. Beckham Jr. turns a sure INT into a brilliant TD catch as he reached back with one hand and somehow grabbed the ball with just his fingertips. It’s not “the greatest catch ever” (that will always be The Helmet Catch) but it’s damn good. Add Beckham Jr. to the list of outstanding rookie wide receivers.
2. Clutch Tony Romo
HE DOES EXIST!
3. The Colt McCoy Movement
FREE COLT MCCOY! FREE COLT MCCOY! FREE COLT MCCOY
4. The Elite Three
Brady, Manning, and Rodgers threw for a combined 815 yards, eight touchdowns, and one interception. Every week they prove why they’re the best.
5. Tim Wright
No one knew who is guy was when the Patriots traded Logan Mankins for him in the offseason. Leave it to the Pats to turn a mediocre player into a great player for a week or two.
6. C.J. Anderson
He’s only getting carries because the Broncos have no other healthy running backs, but he definitely made the most of those carries this week, rushing for 167 yards and a touchdown.
7. Robert Griffin III Back To St. Louis?
I’m just going to start this rumor. RG3 isn’t working out in Washington and the Rams need a quarterback. Why don’t the Rams trade for RG3? Remember it was their draft pick that they traded to the Redskins so they could take RG3. Now they have a chance to get him for a extremely reduced price. How genius would they be if they got RG3 for a third round pick?
8. The INT Battle
Blake Bortles was off his bye week and back to throwing interceptions.
9. T.Y. Hilton
Four catches for 122 yards and touchdown. Plus he dedicated his touchdown to his newborn daughter. It’s easy to do these things when you play the Jaguars.
10. Josh Gordon
Gordon returned from his suspension to post eight catches for 120 yards. This would’ve been more impressive if it didn’t come against a NFC South team.
11. Snow
I LOVE SNOW! Buffalo fans probably hate it right now, but it’s not like they were going to watch the Bills vs. Jets anyway.
20. Thanksgiving Games
Who doesn’t love ignoring their family while watching football? This ranking will be a lot lower next week when all the Thanksgiving games end up sucking.
32. Michael Vick
You know you played bad when you get replaced by Geno Smith, the man who this spot was invented for.
100. Sunday Night Football
Hey look, it’s a game that didn’t suck.
150. Dominic Raiola
Ok, so The Patriots went for a garbage time touchdown when they were already leading. That’s no excuse to cut block a guy when your team is going for a kneel down. Of course since the NFL makes up the rules as they go along, Raiola won’t be punished, but had he blown out the knee of a Patriots player, I guarantee there would be repercussions.
222. Mike Smith’s Game Management
I don’t care if the Falcons win the NFC South, Mike Smith should be fired after this season. He’s clearly not a competent head coach.
300. Johnny Manziel
Brian Hoyer threw three interceptions, but luckily he was playing a team from the NFC South. So he was able to bounce back and lead the Browns on a game-winning drive. Sorry, Johnny. Manziel was ranked a little higher, but then he decided to be dumb and get into a hotel fight. This kid will never play a meaningful NFL snap.
500. The Kansas City Chiefs
I don’t care if it was a Thursday night game, how you gonna lose to the Oakland Raiders?
1000. Jonas Gray
He was ranked #1 last week, but he’s #1000 this week because he overslept. Them’s the breaks, kid.
Welcome to the Ultimate Football Blog Week Eleven 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.
Tom Brady and The New England Patriots have won seven straight games. Rob Gronkowski is back to being the most dominant tight end in the league, they are getting contributions from guys named Jonas Gray and Tim Wright, and their defense is playing pretty well.
Everyone is now picking the Patriots to win the Super Bowl because Brady “has that look in his eye” following a disappointing start to the season.
Not this guy.
Brady and company might be rolling right now, and based on their schedule they might only lose one more game this season, but they won’t win the Super Bowl.
Brady and his guys are on the same page right now, but it doesn’t take much to disrupt them. Gronkowski is always going to be effective as long as he’s healthy, but the rest of the offense is mediocre at best. I watched Brandon LaFell for many years in Carolina, he’ll have a good game here and there, but he’s going to shrink in a big game. Julian Edelman is a good slot receiver, but he’s not going to scare anyone and can be taken away by a good linebacker. The run game is another question mark. Sooner or later guys like Shane Vereen, Jonas Gray, and LeGarrette Blount will be exposed for being the mediocre running backs that they are.
Of course the easiest way to rattle the Patriots offense is to pressure Brady. We’ve seen it plenty of times over the years during the playoffs. When Brady faces pressure, he becomes ineffective. The Patriots offensive line isn’t bad, but sooner or later they will run into a defense that can back them up and get in Brady’s face.
Brady and Belichick have been a dominant duo for many years in the NFL, but they haven’t won a Super Bowl since 2004-2005 despite making the playoffs every year that Brady has been healthy since then. They always look good in the regular season. They always have double digit wins. And they always falter in the playoffs. This year will be no different.
1. Odell Beckham Jr. Catch
You’ve seen it a million times by now. Beckham Jr. turns a sure INT into a brilliant TD catch as he reached back with one hand and somehow grabbed the ball with just his fingertips. It’s not “the greatest catch ever” (that will always be The Helmet Catch) but it’s damn good. Add Beckham Jr. to the list of outstanding rookie wide receivers.
2. Clutch Tony Romo
HE DOES EXIST!
3. The Colt McCoy Movement
FREE COLT MCCOY! FREE COLT MCCOY! FREE COLT MCCOY
4. The Elite Three
Brady, Manning, and Rodgers threw for a combined 815 yards, eight touchdowns, and one interception. Every week they prove why they’re the best.
5. Tim Wright
No one knew who is guy was when the Patriots traded Logan Mankins for him in the offseason. Leave it to the Pats to turn a mediocre player into a great player for a week or two.
6. C.J. Anderson
He’s only getting carries because the Broncos have no other healthy running backs, but he definitely made the most of those carries this week, rushing for 167 yards and a touchdown.
7. Robert Griffin III Back To St. Louis?
I’m just going to start this rumor. RG3 isn’t working out in Washington and the Rams need a quarterback. Why don’t the Rams trade for RG3? Remember it was their draft pick that they traded to the Redskins so they could take RG3. Now they have a chance to get him for a extremely reduced price. How genius would they be if they got RG3 for a third round pick?
8. The INT Battle
Blake Bortles was off his bye week and back to throwing interceptions.
9. T.Y. Hilton
Four catches for 122 yards and touchdown. Plus he dedicated his touchdown to his newborn daughter. It’s easy to do these things when you play the Jaguars.
10. Josh Gordon
Gordon returned from his suspension to post eight catches for 120 yards. This would’ve been more impressive if it didn’t come against a NFC South team.
11. Snow
I LOVE SNOW! Buffalo fans probably hate it right now, but it’s not like they were going to watch the Bills vs. Jets anyway.
20. Thanksgiving Games
Who doesn’t love ignoring their family while watching football? This ranking will be a lot lower next week when all the Thanksgiving games end up sucking.
32. Michael Vick
You know you played bad when you get replaced by Geno Smith, the man who this spot was invented for.
100. Sunday Night Football
Hey look, it’s a game that didn’t suck.
150. Dominic Raiola
Ok, so The Patriots went for a garbage time touchdown when they were already leading. That’s no excuse to cut block a guy when your team is going for a kneel down. Of course since the NFL makes up the rules as they go along, Raiola won’t be punished, but had he blown out the knee of a Patriots player, I guarantee there would be repercussions.
222. Mike Smith’s Game Management
I don’t care if the Falcons win the NFC South, Mike Smith should be fired after this season. He’s clearly not a competent head coach.
300. Johnny Manziel
Brian Hoyer threw three interceptions, but luckily he was playing a team from the NFC South. So he was able to bounce back and lead the Browns on a game-winning drive. Sorry, Johnny. Manziel was ranked a little higher, but then he decided to be dumb and get into a hotel fight. This kid will never play a meaningful NFL snap.
500. The Kansas City Chiefs
I don’t care if it was a Thursday night game, how you gonna lose to the Oakland Raiders?
1000. Jonas Gray
He was ranked #1 last week, but he’s #1000 this week because he overslept. Them’s the breaks, kid.
Monday, November 24, 2014
NFL Sunday Round-Up: Week 12
Welcome to week 12 of the Ultimate Football Blog's NFL Sunday Round-up. This is your one-stop shop to get caught up on all the action that transpired this past weekend in the NFL. Not only that, but since we are nearing the end of the season and I'm a huge fan of the NFL Draft, I've decided to add the current draft order for the upcoming draft as well as my top 20 draft prospects (list subject to change on a weekly basis). It's a lot of information to take in, but that's why you come here right? Anyway, enjoy the madness.
Things are about to get crazy this week. Just ask the Hoff.....
Errrrr, sorry about that. To make up for putting David Hasselhoff in this column, I'll post Odell Beckham Jr's absolutely ridiculous catch from last night's game against the Dallas Cowboys. Is this the sickest catch you've ever seen in the NFL? THIS GUY IS JUST A ROOKIE PEOPLE!!!!
In case you didn't know, I've had a real problem with the NFL's Thursday Night Football games for awhile now (I'm just now speaking up about it because my favorite team was the latest victim of horrible scheduling decisions by the NFL). Why? Because they simply aren't fair to the teams involved (don't get me started on the London games....). Football is one of the most intense physical sports a person can play. In case you're reading this and you've never played football, let me give you an idea of how your body feels after a game. Most NFL players will tell you that their weekly pain schedule looks something like this:
Sunday - Game Day
Monday - Body is sore
Tuesday - Body is still sore
Wednesday - Body is STILL sore
Thursday - Body is starting to feel better
Friday - You're finally able to move around with little pain
Saturday - FEELIN GOOD (or as good as you can feel...)
Football is a game that puts a hell of a lot of stress on the players bodies. Rest and recovery is HUGE in the football world and that's a big reason why Thursday Night Football games need to go away from the NFL. It's not fair to ask a team like Kansas City to go play a tough physical game against the Seattle Seahawks and then on three-days rest, fly to Oakland and play a rival on a TNF game. You are not going to get the best of both teams on a short schedule like that and it really clouds people's thoughts on certain football teams. TNF games are a huge advantage for the home team and I honestly wouldn't mind seeing the NFL do away with them because they serve absolutely no good what-so-ever to the NFL. Going into this game, I knew the Chiefs would be upset (I bet money on Oakland to cover the 7.5 spread) because all the signs pointed that direction. Kansas City was coming off a tough emotional win against Seattle where they beat the Super Bowl champs by the skin of their teeth. They were also playing a rival team who was hungry for it's first-win of the season. The Raiders wanted it more than the Chiefs and I don't like giving myself credit for calling upsets (BIG TIME LIE), but this one was a given. Anyway, what can you do?
Hopefully the NFL listens and decides to do away with the Thursday Night games as they really serve no purpose at all. Or they could at least give teams that are playing in TNF games, a bye week the week before they play the game. That would be the fair thing to do, but when has this world we lived in ever really been fair?
Kansas City Offensive MVP: Jamaal Charles (19 carries, 80 rushing yards, 4 catches, 42 receiving yards, 1 TD)
Cleveland Offensive MVP: Isaiah Crowell (12 carries, 88 yards, 2 TD's)
Tennessee Offensive MVP: Delanie Walker (5 catches, 155 yards)
Detroit Offensive MVP: Golden Tate (4 catches, 97 yards)
Green Bay Offensive MVP: Aaron Rodgers (19 of 29 for 209 yards, 2 TD's, 6 carries, 34 rushing yards, 109.7 QB rating)
Jacksonville Offensive MVP: Denard Robinson (14 carries, 25 rushing yards, 4 catches, 47 receiving yards)
Jacksonville Defensive MVP: Telvin Smith (13 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 fumble recoveries)
Indianapolis Defensive MVP: D'Qwell Jackson (13 tackles, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery)
Cincinnati Offensive MVP: A.J. Green (12 catches, 121 yards)
Tampa Bay Offensive MVP: Vincent Jackson (5 catches, 117 yards)
Arizona Offensive MVP: John Brown (3 catches, 61 yards)
St. Louis Offensive MVP: Stedman Bailey (7 catches, 89 yards, 1 TD)
St. Louis Defensive MVP: Janoris Jenkins (4 tackles, 1 interception, 1 TD)
Miami Offensive MVP: Ryan Tannehill (26 of 36 for 228 yards, 4 TD's, 1 INT, 4 carries, 15 rushing yards, 104.9 QB rating)
Things are about to get crazy this week. Just ask the Hoff.....
Errrrr, sorry about that. To make up for putting David Hasselhoff in this column, I'll post Odell Beckham Jr's absolutely ridiculous catch from last night's game against the Dallas Cowboys. Is this the sickest catch you've ever seen in the NFL? THIS GUY IS JUST A ROOKIE PEOPLE!!!!
Kansas City - 20 (7-4) @ Oakland - 24 (1-10)
In case you didn't know, I've had a real problem with the NFL's Thursday Night Football games for awhile now (I'm just now speaking up about it because my favorite team was the latest victim of horrible scheduling decisions by the NFL). Why? Because they simply aren't fair to the teams involved (don't get me started on the London games....). Football is one of the most intense physical sports a person can play. In case you're reading this and you've never played football, let me give you an idea of how your body feels after a game. Most NFL players will tell you that their weekly pain schedule looks something like this:
Sunday - Game Day
Monday - Body is sore
Tuesday - Body is still sore
Wednesday - Body is STILL sore
Thursday - Body is starting to feel better
Friday - You're finally able to move around with little pain
Saturday - FEELIN GOOD (or as good as you can feel...)
Football is a game that puts a hell of a lot of stress on the players bodies. Rest and recovery is HUGE in the football world and that's a big reason why Thursday Night Football games need to go away from the NFL. It's not fair to ask a team like Kansas City to go play a tough physical game against the Seattle Seahawks and then on three-days rest, fly to Oakland and play a rival on a TNF game. You are not going to get the best of both teams on a short schedule like that and it really clouds people's thoughts on certain football teams. TNF games are a huge advantage for the home team and I honestly wouldn't mind seeing the NFL do away with them because they serve absolutely no good what-so-ever to the NFL. Going into this game, I knew the Chiefs would be upset (I bet money on Oakland to cover the 7.5 spread) because all the signs pointed that direction. Kansas City was coming off a tough emotional win against Seattle where they beat the Super Bowl champs by the skin of their teeth. They were also playing a rival team who was hungry for it's first-win of the season. The Raiders wanted it more than the Chiefs and I don't like giving myself credit for calling upsets (BIG TIME LIE), but this one was a given. Anyway, what can you do?
Hopefully the NFL listens and decides to do away with the Thursday Night games as they really serve no purpose at all. Or they could at least give teams that are playing in TNF games, a bye week the week before they play the game. That would be the fair thing to do, but when has this world we lived in ever really been fair?
Kansas City Offensive MVP: Jamaal Charles (19 carries, 80 rushing yards, 4 catches, 42 receiving yards, 1 TD)
Kansas City Defensive MVP: Justin Houston (4 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss)
Oakland Offensive MVP: Latavius Murray (4 carries, 112 yards, 2 TD's)
Oakland Defensive MVP: Sio Moore (12 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss, 1 really dumb celebration play that almost cost Oakland the game)
Up next for Kansas City: vs. Denver (8-3)
Up next for Oakland: vs. @ St. Louis (4-7)
Cleveland - 26 (7-4) @ Atlanta - 24 (4-7)
This was a game featuring two potential playoff teams. Yes, I'm not pulling your chain. The Cleveland Browns vs. the 4-6 Atlanta Falcons featured two teams that would more than likely be in the playoffs if the things started at this exact moment. Sometimes parity isn't always a good thing.
Anyway, Brian Hoyer did his best job to make sure that people will start calling for Johnny Manziel to start because we haven't crossed that road in a few weeks. Hoyer threw 3 garbage interceptions, but the Browns still won the game thanks to a good run game, the return of Josh Gordon, and the fact that they were playing a team from the NFC South. Still though, some people (cough ESPN cough) will be mentioning Hoyer's three interceptions and how it may be Johnny Football time in Cleveland.
Anyway, Brian Hoyer did his best job to make sure that people will start calling for Johnny Manziel to start because we haven't crossed that road in a few weeks. Hoyer threw 3 garbage interceptions, but the Browns still won the game thanks to a good run game, the return of Josh Gordon, and the fact that they were playing a team from the NFC South. Still though, some people (cough ESPN cough) will be mentioning Hoyer's three interceptions and how it may be Johnny Football time in Cleveland.
Johnny 3:16 say's I just wasted your draft pick
Cleveland Offensive MVP: Isaiah Crowell (12 carries, 88 yards, 2 TD's)
Cleveland Defensive MVP: Joe Haden (5 tackles, 1 interception)
Atlanta Offensive MVP: Matt Ryan (27 of 43 for 273 yards, 2 TD's, 1 INT, 86.7 QB rating)
Atlanta Defensive MVP: Kemal Ishmael (11 tackles, 1 interception)
Up next for Cleveland: vs. @ Buffalo (5-5)
Up next for Atlanta: vs. Arizona (9-2)
Tennessee - 24 (2-9) @ Philadelphia - 43 (8-3)
The Tennessee Titans are not a good football team. The Philadelphia Eagles are a good football team. The outcome of this game shouldn't surprise anyone. What's more interesting to me is, these are the two teams that I feel are the favorites to land Marcus Mariota in the next year's NFL Draft (here we go again....). The Titans are the one team who could really use a talent like Mariota and will be in prime position to take him somewhere in the top five should they choose to. The Eagles are my wild card team though. Chip Kelly is very familiar with Mariota and there are people who are close to Chip that have said that Kelly is very interested in potentially trading for the ideal QB to run his system. It would likely cost the Eagles a fortune to move up to get Mariota, and it really depends on how Philly finishes the season out, but I still think it would be wise for everyone to pay close attention to this situation as the draft gets closer in the spring. The Eagles are playing good football right now though and they look like a team that could get to the NFC Title game or perhaps even the Super Bowl, so maybe I'm just getting a little ahead of myself?
Tennessee Offensive MVP: Delanie Walker (5 catches, 155 yards)
Tennessee Defensive MVP: Derrick Morgan (10 tackles, 1 sack, 3 tackles for loss)
Philadelphia Offensive MVP: LeSean McCoy (21 carries, 130 yards, 1 TD)
Philadelphia Defensive MVP: Trent Cole (4 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 tackles for loss)
Up next for Tennessee: vs. @ Houston (5-6)
Up next for Philadelphia: vs. @ Dallas (8-3)
Detroit - 9 (7-4) @ New England - 34 (9-2)
The New England Patriots are the best team right now in the AFC, and perhap even in the NFL. Ever since that ass-whooping from the Kansas City Chiefs, the Patriots have been playing ball as if their lives depend on it. I'm not mad though because I picked the Patriots to make the Super Bowl out of the AFC, so if they continue to play football like they are, I will once again have shown the world how stupidly lucky I can be when it comes to picking Super Bowl teams. The Tom Brady-era in New England will be nearing an end over the course of the next few seasons, so I wouldn't hate to see Brady win another ring in a Patriots jersey. I'm not saying I want to see it happen, I'm just saying it's not something that would make my stomach ache (like the Washington Huskies winning the National Championship in college for example). As for the Lions, they need to get this ship fixed quickly because the arrow is pointing significantly down with this team over the last few weeks. The Lions once looked like they could be contenders in the NFC, but they got flat-out smashed by the Patriots this week. Well, you know what they say.....
Detroit Offensive MVP: Golden Tate (4 catches, 97 yards)
Detroit Defensive MVP: James Ihedigbo (9 tackles, 1 interception, 2 pass deflections)
New England Offensive MVP: Tom Brady (38 of 53 for 349 yards, 2 TD's, 1 INT, 94.0 QB rating)
New England Defensive MVP: Dont'a Hightower (8 tackles, 1 QB hit)
Up next for Detroit: vs. Chicago (5-6)
Up next for New England: vs. @ Green Bay (8-3)
Green Bay - 24 (8-3) @ Minnesota - 21 (4-7)
Seriously. He's got this.
Green Bay Offensive MVP: Aaron Rodgers (19 of 29 for 209 yards, 2 TD's, 6 carries, 34 rushing yards, 109.7 QB rating)
Green Bay Defensive MVP: Micah Hyde (4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception)
Minnesota Offensive MVP: Teddy Bridgewater (21 of 37 for 210 yards, 2 TD's, 1 INT, 5 carries, 32 rushing yards, 79.8 QB rating)
Minnesota Defensive MVP: Harrison Smith (10 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass deflection)
Up next for Green Bay: vs. New England (9-2)
Up next for Minnesota: vs. Carolina (3-7-1)
Jacksonville - 3 (1-10) @ Indianapolis - 23 (7-4)
At first, it looked like the Jacksonville Jaguars had solved the "Andrew Luck" problem. Then, Andrew Luck remembered he was Andrew Luck and Andrew Luck'ed the shit all over this game. In all seriousness, the Jaguars are just awful, especially offensively so the result of this game shouldn't be shocking to anyone. The Colts have been a much better football team than Jacksonville has for years now and unfortunately for Jaguars fans, they shouldn't expect much different as long as Andrew Luck is wearing Indianapolis blue. Them's the facts. Deal with it.
Jacksonville Offensive MVP: Denard Robinson (14 carries, 25 rushing yards, 4 catches, 47 receiving yards)
Jacksonville Defensive MVP: Telvin Smith (13 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 fumble recoveries)
Indianapolis Offensive MVP: T.Y. Hilton (4 catches, 122 yards, 1 TD)
Indianapolis Defensive MVP: D'Qwell Jackson (13 tackles, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery)
Up next for Jacksonville: vs. New York Giants (3-8)
Up next for Indianapolis: vs. Washington (3-8)
Cincinnati - 22 (7-3-1) @ Houston - 13 (5-6)
This was a "must-win" game for the Cincinnati Bengals in order for them to stay ahead of the pack in the crowded AFC North. I was a little worried that Andy Dalton would channel his inner-Andy Dalton and give this game to Houston, but he played well enough to give the Bengals the win. As for the Texans, they continue to show the world that they are a good quarterback away from being a solid NFL team. It wouldn't shock me to see Jameis Winston as the QB of the Texans at the start of the next football season. Ryan Mallett gets a lot of hype for someone who just isn't very good. There's a reason he sat on the bench for so long people.....
Cincinnati Offensive MVP: A.J. Green (12 catches, 121 yards)
Cincinnati Defensive MVP: Rey Maualuga (6 tackles, 1 interception)
Houston Offensive MVP: Alfred Blue (16 carries, 46 rushing yards, 3 catches, 20 receiving yards)
Houston Defensive MVP: Darryl Morris (10 tackles, 3 pass deflections)
Up next for Cincinnati: vs. @ Tampa Bay (2-9)
Up next for Houston: vs. Tennessee (2-9)
Tampa Bay - 13 (2-9) @ Chicago - 21 (5-6)
Tampa Bay Offensive MVP: Vincent Jackson (5 catches, 117 yards)
Tampa Bay Defensive MVP: Mason Foster (8 tackles, 1 pass deflection)
Chicago Offensive MVP: Matt Forte (23 carries, 89 rushing yards, 5 catches, 23 receiving yards, 2 TD's)
Chicago Defensive MVP: Ryan Mundy (8 tackles, 1 interception)
Up next for Tampa Bay: vs. Cincinnati (7-3-1)
Up next for Chicago: vs. @ Detroit (7-4)
Arizona - 3 (9-2) @ Seattle - 19 (7-4)
This game right here was the perfect example of why I never took the Arizona Cardinals seriously as "the best team in the NFL". They had the best record in the NFL, sure....but there were still tons of questions surrounding this team. They have legitimate concerns at the quarterback position. Say whatever you want to say, but I find it hard to fathom that a team with Drew Stanton as their QB is capable of winning a Super Bowl. I dare you to prove me wrong Arizona. You didn't pass your first test against the reigning Super Bowl champions so my concerns are legit. The team plays good defense, but defense can only do so much, especially when the offense does absolutely nothing, much like Arizona's did against Seattle. The Cardinals better hope and pray that they don't end up having to play the Seahawks in Seattle come playoff time. As for the Seahawks, they showed the rest of the NFC that even though they've had some speed bumps during this season, they are still the team to beat in the NFC and they will only get better as the games start to mean more. The Cardinals will get a chance for redemption in a little less than a month, so I'm excited to see how they will respond to this game. The really good teams learn from their losses. Are the Cardinals a really good team?
Arizona Offensive MVP: John Brown (3 catches, 61 yards)
Arizona Defensive MVP: Calais Campbell (6 tackles, 3 sacks)
Seattle Offensive MVP: Russell Wilson (17 of 22 for 211 yards, 1 TD, 10 carries, 73 rushing yards, 121.6 QB rating)
Seattle Defensive MVP: Kam Chancellor (8 tackles)
Up next for Arizona: vs. @ Atlanta (4-7)
Up next for Seattle: vs. @ San Francisco (7-4)
St. Louis - 24 (4-7) @ San Diego - 27 (7-4)
This was a good game between two teams that I like probably a little more than your average hardcore NFL fan does. San Diego is a good football team, but they are highly inconsistent. St. Louis is kind of in the same boat. The Rams are a young football team and much like the Chargers, they are extremely inconsistent on the football field. St. Louis is a franchise QB away from being dangerous though people. They have playmakers all over the field and they showed last week that they are capable of beating any team in the NFL when they took down the Denver Broncos. Next year's NFL Draft has a few potential franchise QB's waiting in the wings and the Rams could do a lot worse than to do their best to try and grab one of those guys. The Chargers meanwhile stay afloat in the extremely tight AFC playoff race.
San Diego always wins when Rivers has his spinach
St. Louis Offensive MVP: Stedman Bailey (7 catches, 89 yards, 1 TD)
St. Louis Defensive MVP: Janoris Jenkins (4 tackles, 1 interception, 1 TD)
San Diego Offensive MVP: Philip Rivers (29 of 35 for 291 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 98.9 QB rating)
San Diego Defensive MVP: Marcus Gilchrist (7 tackles, 1 interception)
Up next for St. Louis: vs. Oakland (1-10)
Up next for San Diego: vs. @ Baltimore (6-4)
Miami - 36 (6-5) @ Denver - 39 (8-3)
The Dolphins put up a hell of a fight against the Broncos in Denver, but Peyton's going to do what Peyton's going to do. This was a "must win" game for both teams. Miami needed this win in order to keep pace in the wildcard race. The Broncos meanwhile needed this win in order to stay ahead of the Chiefs and the Chargers who are nipping at their heels in the division race. The win gives the Broncos a one-game lead over KC and San Diego in the AFC West with a game remaining against both teams. Things are going to get interesting in that division in the next month. As for the Dolphins, they no longer control their own destiny and will likely need a lot of different dominoes to fall into place if they expect to be playing football in January.
Miami Offensive MVP: Ryan Tannehill (26 of 36 for 228 yards, 4 TD's, 1 INT, 4 carries, 15 rushing yards, 104.9 QB rating)
Miami Defensive MVP: Jelani Jenkins (11 tackles, 1 sack)
Denver Offensive MVP: Peyton Manning (28 of 35 for 257 yards, 4 TD's, 135.4 QB rating)
Denver Defensive MVP: T.J. Ward (3 tackles, 1 interception)
Up next for Miami: vs. @ New York Jets (2-8)
Up next for Denver: vs. @ Kansas City (7-4)
Washington Offensive MVP: Alfred Morris (21 carries, 125 yards, 1 TD)
Washington - 13 (3-8) @ San Francisco - 17 (7-4)
The Redskins put up a hell of a good fight against the 49ers in San Francisco (I feel like I've said a variation of that before), but they couldn't get the job done when it mattered most. After all the drama that transpired in Washington the past week, this was probably a moral victory for them. The Niners stay alive in the playoff race and we managed to make it a whole week without any real juicy "Jim Harbaugh is going to coach blah blah blah next year" rumors so that's a moral victory for us. Anyway, moving on....
Washington Offensive MVP: Alfred Morris (21 carries, 125 yards, 1 TD)
Washington Defensive MVP: Keenan Robinson (8 tackles)
San Francisco Offensive MVP: Anquan Boldin (9 catches, 137 yards, 1 TD)
San Francisco Defensive MVP: Aldon Smith (3 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 QB hits)
Up next for Washington: vs. @ Indianapolis (7-4)
Up next for San Francisco: vs. Seattle (7-4)
PLAYOFF RACE
NFC:
NFC South Division Leader: New Orleans Saints (4-6)
NFC North Division Leader: Green Bay Packers (8-3)
NFC East Division Leader: Philadelphia Eagles (8-3)
NFC West Division Leader: Arizona Cardinals (9-2)
NFC Wildcard Spot #1: Dallas Cowboys (8-3)
NFC Wildcard Spot #2: Detroit Lions (7-4)
In The Hunt: Seattle Seahawks (7-4), San Francisco 49ers (7-4), Chicago Bears (5-6), Atlanta Falcons (4-7)
AFC:
AFC South Division Leader: Indianapolis Colts (7-4)
AFC North Division Leader: Cincinnati Bengals (7-3-1)
AFC East Division Leader: New England Patriots (9-2)
AFC West Division Leader: Denver Broncos (8-3)
AFC Wildcard Spot #1: Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4)
AFC Wildcard Spot #2: Kansas City Chiefs (7-4)
In The Hunt: Cleveland Browns (7-4), San Diego Chargers (7-4), Baltimore Ravens (6-4), Miami Dolphins (6-5), Buffalo Bills (5-5), Houston Texans (5-6)
Current Top 20 NFL Draft Prospects
It's time for the crappy NFL teams to start thinking about improving next season. Here are my top 20 college prospects as of this moment who are the favorites to be the top picks in next Spring's NFL Draft.
1. Marcus Mariota - QB (Oregon Ducks)
2. Leonard Williams - DT (USC Trojans)
3. Randy Gregory - DE (Nebraska Cornhuskers)
4. Amari Cooper - WR (Alabama Crimson Tide)
5. Shane Ray - DE (Missouri Tigers)
6. Jameis Winston - QB (Florida State Seminoles)
7. Cedric Ogbuehi - OT (Texas A&M Aggies)
8. Brandon Scherff - OT (Iowa Hawkeyes)
9. DeVante Parker - WR (Louisville Cardinals)
10. Landon Collins - S (Alabama Crimson Tide)
11. Danny Shelton - DT (Washington Huskies)
12. Leonard Floyd - LB (Georgia Bulldogs)
13. Dante Fowler - DE (Florida Gators)
14. Kevin White - WR (West Virginia Mountaineers)
15. Melvin Gordon - RB (Wisconsin Badgers)
16. La'el Collins - OT (LSU Tigers)
17. Andrus Peat - OT (Stanford Cardinal)
18. Vic Beasley - LB (Clemson Tigers)
19. Shaq Thompson - LB (Washington Huskies)
20. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu - CB (Oregon Ducks)
Current Top 20 NFL Draft Order
(If the NFL Draft was held today, here's the order in which the NFL teams would pick.)
1, Oakland Raiders
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. Tennessee Titans
5. New York Jets
6. Washington Redskins
7. New York Giants
8. Carolina Panthers
9. St. Louis Rams
10. Atlanta Falcons
11. Minnesota Vikings
12. New Orleans Saints
13. Chicago Bears
14. Houston Texans
15. Buffalo Bills
16. Miami Dolphins
17. Baltimore Ravens
18. San Diego Chargers
19. San Francisco 49ers
20. Seattle Seahawks
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