Super Bowl XLIX Preview and Predictions!

My good buddies and some of the finest writers you will find on the Internet, Jeremy Lambert and Steve Cook, are back with a preview of this weekend's Super Bowl XLIX game. Once again, it's the best damn Super Bowl preview available and if you think otherwise, well, we don't care because we don't like you anyways. The rest of you are cool though.


Jeremy Lambert: One week after my triumphant Pro Bowl victory, I'm back to defeat Steve Cook in the Super Bowl. This year's Super Bowl features two evenly matched teams and everyone expects it to be the Game of the Century. Just like last year's Super Bowl.

In one corner, we have the defending champions, ready to repeat and have us wondering if there is dynasty potential. In the other corner, we have the three time champs, making their sixth Super Bowl appearance since 2001, possibly wrapping up their dynasty.

I'll be representing the proven challengers while Cook will be on the side of the defending champs.

Before we talk about the actual game, we of course have to address the two biggest stories of the week. What do we make of the Patriots probably deflating footballs against the Indianapolis Colts and do we care that Marshawn Lynch hates the media?

Steve Cook: Was I surprised that the Patriots would deflate footballs or do anything else that may not be on the side of the rulebook in order to take care of the Colts? Of course not. Do I think they're the only team that would do such a thing? Of course not. There are two famous sporting philosophies that come to mind when discussing Ballghazi: "If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying", and "Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat." NFL teams & players are always looking for an edge, and if there's a little something they can do that they think they can get away with, they're going to do it. "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." There, another sports philosophical point for you. Do I think the Patriots needed to do anything illegal to beat the Colts? Of course not. But why leave it to chance?

The problem they seem to have run into is that other people were on to them. You have to figure that this wasn't the first time this happened. John Harbaugh suspected something & mentioned it to Chuck Pagano. That's why these advantages are always temporary. Everybody talks. Everything's on film. They find the tape of the ballboy taking the balls into the bathroom. The Patriots will deny because why the hell would they admit it? Tom Brady's process was the same it always was. He & Bill Belichick don't personally inflate or deflate the balls! They have people to do that, and they've been doing it for so long that they don't need to be told! I'm not making a huge deal out of it because I think every team's skirting around the rules in some form or fashion, but the NFL will have to act on this. They can't justify leaving the Patriots alone to break the rules when they're fining every player under the sun for ridiculous rule violations, or they're changing suspensions willy-nilly because the public calls bullshit.

The Lynch stuff plays into this. This guy's been getting fined all season for the egregious sin of not speaking to the media. One of the ironic parts of all of this is that refusing to speak to the media, or saying "I'm just here so I don't get fined." or "I'm thankful." in response to every question makes Marshawn Lynch infinitely more interesting of a personality than he would be otherwise. People want to hear him talk! If he was just another athlete giving generic soundbites that we hear from every other athlete, we'd still care about Marshawn Lynch because he's a really good running back, but he'd be just another really good running back. No different from DeMarco Murray, Le'Veon Bell or anybody else at the top of the NFL rushing statistics. Pulling this whole act focuses attention on Marshawn Lynch, which is good for his business. Whenever he talks will more than likely be a letdown at this point.

And honestly, it's not like the media's ever asking Lynch about anything bad. If he was in Adrian Peterson's or Ray Rice's shoes I'd totally understand not wanting to talk to people, but the only thing we know that he does is run over people on the football field. Apparently Lynch is a very humble guy and doesn't want to make things about him, but when you're doing things like "I'm just here so I don't get fined.", that kinda makes things about you. If he really wanted to be left alone he'd give those generic answers that every other athlete gives, and the reporters would all move on down to Richard Sherman's locker to get some usable quotes. I don't care about Marshawn Lynch hating the media, but he's used that hatred to get over.

JL: Here's why I think the Patriots deflating footballs is a non-story: they were always going to beat the Colts. They've dominated the Colts since Andrew Luck has been the QB, outscoring them 144-66 in the three games prior to the AFC Championship. That's an average of 48 points per game. How many points did they score against the Colts with deflated footballs? 45. SO THEY ACTUALLY LEFT THREE POINTS ON THE BOARD!

We all know that this is a bigger story than it should be because it's the Patriots and they have a history of cheating with Spygate. Not only that, but people just don't like Bill Belichick (probably because he keeps winning) or Tom Brady (probably because he keeps winning and has a hot wife). If this were the Broncos, who could've actually used some deflated footballs against the Colts, no one would dare accuse Peyton Manning of such tactics and we'd all figure that John Fox is just too incompetent to do such a thing.

I don't know if this whole thing will motivate the Patriots or exhaust them come Sunday. Since I'm backing them, I'll say they'll use it as motivation. They'll be out to prove just how stupid this whole thing is by going right at Seattle and taking their title.

As for Marshawn Lynch, I actually blame the NFL and their dumb media rules for this whole thing. The guy obviously doesn't want to talk to the media, so why force it? I don't think anyone should be forced to talk to the media if they don't want to. The Seahawks is paying Lynch $7.5 million a season. They didn't pay a single dollar of that $7.5 million to him because of how he handles the media. They pay him to run the football, and he does that really well.

The NFL threatened to fine Lynch $500,000 for missing media day. Ndamukong Suh got fined $70,000 for stepping on Aaron Rodgers. Please tell me which of those actions are worse. You can't force these guys to talk to the media and then get upset when they give you a bunch of non-answers. Some players are great with the media and they embrace it. Other players just want to play football. Why is that such a bad thing?

Also, some of the blame has to be on the media. You know he's not going to give you a good answer. So just don't bother talking to him. Go to someone who will say, "in order to win, we need to play hard and not mistakes" and just leave Marshawn alone. But they keep feeding into the beast and then get upset when he does the same shtick.

SC: I totally agree with the assertion that the NFL's fine policies are completely ridiculous & out of touch with what really matters. There's no way people should be fined more for missing media day than for targeting other players' injuries. I don't blame the media, though. Their job is to report on what their audience wants to hear about. As much as people like to bitch & moan about what ESPN covers, and I do a lot of that bitching & moaning too, ESPN & all the other sports media outlets focus their attention on what gets ratings. The NFL gets the biggest ratings, creates the most discussion, and generates the most interest by far. Hell, the reason we can write this column & actually get a handful of clicks on it is because some people will read anything about football. The media continues to ask Marshawn Lynch questions because their viewers, as much as some of them might deny it & claim to care about Marshawn's right to exist without questions or whatever, want to see what he does next. If they don't provide that to their viewers, their ratings will go down & they will be looking for other employment. So I can't jump on the "BLAME THE MEDIA" bandwagon that Lynch & his supporters are on.

And hell, I don't blame the NFL for doing things to enable the media more access & making it easier for them to do their jobs. Part of the reason that the NFL is the big dog in town is that they let fans into the game. Those old NFL Films videos that took you inside the locker rooms & on the field that ESPN would run during weekday afternoons in the 80s & 90s were great TV viewing for me during snow days & rainy days during summer vacation, and I wasn't the only one. Fans, especially younger fans that aren't bitter & jaded & don't realize that all athletes basically say the same things & most of them have very little of significance to say that doesn't involve football, love hearing from their favorite players. It helps them connect with them in a way they couldn't do before. A lot of players have taken it into their own hands now & talk with fans via the social media, and that's awesome. It helps generate more interest in the players, in their teams, and in the league, which is why the NFL takes this stuff so seriously.

You can say the Seattle Seahawks don't pay Marshawn Lynch to talk to the media, and yes that's not the most important part of the job. But when you're one of the top players in the biggest sport in America, you're a public figure. People are going to want to hear from you. Media will try to get your comments on things because that's their job. You can pull the silent act if you want, and frankly I wouldn't impose punishment on people that don't wanna talk if I was running the league. But I'll never understand what's so hard about answering questions like "How do you feel about that win?" or "What happened in the third quarter?". It's not like they're getting asked about ISIS executing innocent people or the shrinking middle class or things that actually matter. It's simple stuff. Hell, on Super Bowl Media Day they're asking who your favorite cartoon character is or which actress you'd like to bang. Me, I like the Tasmanian Devil & I'd like to bang Debby Ryan. See, that wasn't so hard!

The other main Marshawn Lynch story this week is that he might get fined for wearing a hat that he's marketing. And that's another one of those rules that's stupid but has been around forever & it's not like people don't know about it. I remember when Jon Kitna got fined for wearing a hat with a cross on it. If they're going to fine somebody for supporting Jesus they'll fine anybody, I don't know why players don't understand that by now. Probably because that pesky media's always telling them how great they are. There's a certain level of arrogance there, which is often in full display in New England. You can add that in with "winning" on the list of the reasons people don't like Bill Belichick. You can't deny he's a smug SOB. And really, people don't like Tom Brady because he has a hot wife? Find me an NFL QB that doesn't have a hot wife/girlfriend/mistress.

Anyway, there is a game to discuss and apparently we've chosen different teams. I chose the Seahawks at the beginning of the season & I'm sticking with them. I'll go into further detail after I get a drink & you talk about the Patriots.

JL: I won't deny that Brady and Belichick are a couple of smug individuals, but that comes with winning. Show me a winner that isn't smug, and I'll show you a loser. And sure, all NFL QBs have a hot significant other, but none of them get the attention that Gisele gets.

Here is what Marshawn is going to do next: give a 5-10 word answer and repeat it for however long he's obligated to repeat for. It's actually sad that he garners as much attention as he does. I actually agree with you that by trying to put the attention on his team by giving a bunch of non-answers, he continues to put the attention on himself. I blame social media for all this. It's dumb. #socialmediaisdumb. Make sure to follow me on twitter (@jeremylambert88) and help get that hashtag trending.

Anyway, there is a football game to be played.

Last year, I fully admit that I thought the Broncos would win and I didn't think it would be all that competitive. I was half right. This year I'm going with the Patriots and I do think it will be competitive. If I'm half right again, I'll either get bragging rights or enjoy a good game.

Everyone is talking about the Seattle defense, and rightfully so. They have a cool nickname and were the top defense in the league this year. But the Patriots defense has gone under the radar. After a dismal showing in week four against the Chiefs, the Patriots defense got their act together. They only gave up 18 points per game in their final 12 games, allowing only four 300 yard passers (Manning, Rodgers, Tannehill, Luck) and two 100 yard rushers (Forte and Ivory). It took 38+ passes for all four of those quarterbacks to go over 300 yards. The last time Russell Wilson threw 38 passes or more? December 28, 2010 against West Virginia in the Champs Sports Bowl.

The Patriots are going to force Wilson to beat them. Usually a mistake free quarterback, Wilson turned the ball over five times in the NFC Title game against the Packers. I wouldn't expect him to give the Pats that many gifts, but two might be enough. The Seahawks don't have a great receiving core. They are very reliant on Lynch pounding out yards and play action passes. Darrelle Revis is going to blanket Doug Baldwin while the defensive line and linebackers prevent Lynch from breaking one off. That's easier said than done, but Lynch was held under 100 yards by Carolina and St. Louis. Statistically, New England has a better run defense than both of those squads.

Seattle's defense might be on the cover of Sports Illustrated (isn't that a guaranteed loss?) but New England's defense will be the group to look out for.

Also, what are you drinking?

SC: I was trying to get into the spirit for this column and find something Seattle-based to drink. Turns out that Redhook is based in Seattle, so I'm tipping back an Audible Ale during this part of the column.

The Patriots defense has been very good this season, no doubt. But there's a reason they're under the radar while the Seahawk defense is being compared to some of the great defenses of all time...Seattle's just better. They gave up the least overall yards this season, allowing the least passing yards & third-least rushing yards. They gave up the least points per game. New England had a top ten rushing defense, which is why your assertion that Beast Mode will be hindered has some merit (Lynch might not have his best game of the year, but you know he's going to go off for at least one huge run like he always does), but were middle of the road in passing defense despite having the second best cornerback in the National Football League. Seattle has the best, in case you were wondering.

No, the Seahawks are not known for passing the football. Doug Baldwin is the only receiver I can name off the top of my head. There's Ricardo Lockette, who comes to mind because of his name but not much else. Jermaine Kearse catches one out of six passes thrown his way against Green Bay, and most of the rest of them get picked off. It's not an ideal situation. But somehow, Russell Wilson seems to make this work. You saw him have an absolutely horrendous game against Green Bay, probably the worst game of his career. But at the end of the game he was driving the team down the field & making plays like nothing had ever changed. They're different players in a lot of ways, but Wilson is a lot like Brady in that they both just seem to have that winning edge about them. Wilson doesn't have a lot of help at WR, and Brady hasn't had it for most of his career, but they use what they have & do enough to get it done.

Wilson also has a great defense to bail him out. As great as Tom Brady is, has been & will be, he hasn't faced a lot of secondaries like the Legion of Boom. We remember what happened the last time they played, back in 2012. It was the first time a lot of us learned about Richard Sherman, as he got up in Brady's face after the game & asked if he was mad. People wondered who the hell he thought he was doing that at the time, but we found out soon enough. Rob Gronkowski will be seeing plenty of Kam Chancellor, and as great a baller as Gonk is that's just not a great time for anybody. Even Gonk.

I get the feeling it'll be a close game. It won't be 43-8 because Brady's not going to lay an egg like Peyton did last year. It'll be low-scoring, close until the end, but based on all the hype surrounding the game & how this season's been playing out, wouldn't it be great booking for the game to be decided by a big Beast Mode run? I'm thinking 24-21 Seattle. Then we'll be talking about Seattle being a sure-fire dynasty & the New England Era finally being at an end.

JL: I wouldn't put too much stock into the actual 2012 game. However, I would put stock into Richard Sherman's "you mad bro?" comment after the game. I guarantee you that Brady hasn't forgotten about that (and if he has, he's been reminded 100 times this week) and he's not going to let that happen again.

A lot of quarterbacks are afraid of Sherman, but I'd be shocked if Brady and Belichick didn't go after him. Julian Edleman is the perfect receiver to frustrate Sherman because he can run a lot of short and shifty routes that the San Diego Chargers had success with in their victory over Seattle earlier this season.

Sherman and Earl Thomas are nursing a couple of injuries that could hinder their performance. I don't know why Aaron Rodgers didn't attack Sherman when he was clear that he was playing with one arm for most of the 4th quarter, but he didn't. If Sherman and Thomas aren't 100%, Brady will attack them. And don't forget just how ruthless Belichick is. Would it shock anyone if he lined up Gronkowski against Sherman on a run play and had Gronk give him a nice little shot on the arm?

The Seattle defense kept the Seahawks in the game against the Packers, but part of that was due to Mike McCarthy being afraid. Belichick is a risk taker and he won't be afraid to go for it on fourth-and-one and he won't be afraid to go after Sherman.

Cook's point about "the New England Era finally being at an end" is another reason why I'm backing the Patriots. I think we all know that this is the Patriots last chance. Brady is 37-years-old and is unlikely to finish his career in New England because no mainstay finishes their career in New England. Belichick has already pulled out all the stops during this playoff run. He ran trick plays and check plays against Baltimore. He allegedly deflated footballs against Indy. He might food poison Seattle. Nothing is off the table with Belichick and Brady this Sunday.

SC: That all sounds lovely & wonderful if you're a Patriots fan. Otherwise, you know how dynasties & eras end. In defeat. They pass the torch to the next group. The obvious booking move is to have Seattle to go over. It's not like the Patriots are Mick Foley & people want to see them go out on top. They're Triple H. They lose, beg for a "Thank You Patriots" chant & don't get one.

Here are some of my other Super Bowl predictions!

MVP: Russell Wilson (you know Lynch won't win that vote)

Length of National Anthem: Over 2:01

Best Commercial: The Budweiser one with the dog that people are already gaga over.

Who Will Cris Collinsworth Be a Homer For? Patriots.

Katy Perry Setlist: "Wide Awake", "Firework" & "Roar". And some shit with Lenny Kravitz somewhere in there.

Katy Perry Wardrobe Malfunction? Sadly not.

Will Marshawn Lynch grab his crotch? Yes.

JL: I wonder what Katy Perry thinks of deflated balls.

I'm going with 21-17 Patriots as the final. Gronk wins the MVP because he's friggin Gronk. I don't care about the rest of those prop bets.


Jeremy Lambert and Steve Cook are regular contributors to the Ultimate Football Blog. They are both life-long NFL fans. In their space time, they enjoy long hikes, milkshakes, throwing rocks at blind people, and battle rapping. 

Dustin James' NFL Draft Guide: 7th Edition

It's officially draft season here at the Ultimate Football Blog and here is all the information you need to keep you up-to-date on all the latest happenings in the NFL.......

The Ultimate Football Blog: 

NFL Draft Guide

7th Edition

Final List Of Underclassmen Who Have Declared For The Draft:

-Nelson Agholor: WR (USC)
-Jay Ayaji: RB (Boise State)
-Kwon Alexander: LB (LSU)
-Javorius Allen: RB (USC)
-Arik Armstead: DE (Oregon)

-Delon Barnes: DE (Penn State)
-Malcolm Brown: DT (Texas)
-Alex Carter: CB (Stanford)
-Sammie Coates: WR (Auburn)
-Tevin Coleman: RB (Indiana)
-Jalen Collins: CB (LSU)
-Landon Collins: S (Alabama)
-Amari Cooper: WR (Alabama)
-Xavier Cooper: DE (Washington State)
-Christian Covington: DT (Rice)
-Ronald Darby: CB (Florida State)
-Mike Davis: RB (South Carolina)
-Stefon Diggs: WR (Maryland)
-Lorenzo Doss: CB (Tulane)
-Lemar Durant: WR (Simon Fraser)
-Mario Edwards Jr.: DE (Florida State)
-Durrell Eskridge: FS (Syracuse)
-George Farmer: WR (USC)
-Ereck Flowers: OT (Miami)
-Dante Fowler: DE (Florida)
-Devin Funchess: WR/TE (Michigan)
-Jacoby Glenn: CB (Central Florida)
-Eddie Goldman: DT (Florida State)
-Melvin Gordon: RB (Wisconsin)
-Dorial Green-Beckham: WR (Oklahoma)
-Deontay Greenberry: WR (Houston)
-Randy Gregory: DE (Nebraska)
-Todd Gurley: RB (Georgia)
-Chris Hackett: S (TCU)
-Eli Harold: DE (Virginia)
-Chris Harper: WR (California)
-Dee Hart: RB (Colorado State)
-Braylon Heard: RB (Kentucky)
-Gerod Holliman: S (Louisville)
-D.J. Humphries: OT (Florida)
-Brett Hundley: QB (UCLA)
-Danielle Hunter: DE (LSU)
-David Irving: DT (Iowa State)
-Jesse James: TE (Penn State)
-Duke Johnson: RB (Miami)
-Matt Jones: RB (Florida)
-Nigel King: WR (Kansas)
-Tyler Kroft: TE (Rutgers)
-Marcus Mariota: QB (Oregon)
-Ellis McCarthy: DT (UCLA)
-Benardrick McKinney: OLB (Mississippi State)
-Patrick Miller: OT (Auburn)
-Tyler Moore: G (Florida)
-Rakeem Nunez-Roches: DT (Southern Mississippi)
-Andrus Peat: OT (Stanford)
-Breshad Perriman: WR (Central Florida)
-Marcus Peters: CB (Washington)
-Jordan Phillips: DT (Oklahoma)
-Darius Philon: DT (Arkansas)
-Bradley Pinion: P (Clemson)
-Jeremiah Poutasi: OT (Utah)
-Shane Ray: DE (Missouri)
-Josh Robinson: RB (Mississippi State)
-Shaq Roland: WR (South Carolina)
-James Sample: S (Louisville)
-Jeff Sifrin: TE (UMass)
-Noah Spence: DE (Ohio State)
-Donovan Smith: OT (Penn State)
-Jaelen Strong: WR (Arizona State)
-Shaq Thompson: LB (Washington)
-Max Valles: LB (Virginia)
-Trae Waynes: CB (Michigan State)
-Leonard Williams: DL (USC)
-Maxx Williams: TE (Minnesota)
-P.J. Williams: CB (Florida State)
-Trey Williams: RB (Texas A&M)
-Jameis Winston: QB (Florida State)
-T.J. Yeldon: RB (Alabama)

Final NFL Draft Order:

This is the final order for the NFL Draft that will be held this Spring)

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

2. Tennessee Titans 

3. Jacksonville Jaguars 

4. Oakland Raiders

5. Washington Redskins

6. New York Jets

7. Chicago Bears

8. Atlanta Falcons

9. New York Giants

10. St. Louis Rams

11. Minnesota Vikings

12. Cleveland Browns

13. New Orleans Saints

14. Miami Dolphins

15. San Francisco 49ers

16. Houston Texans

17. San Diego Chargers

18. Kansas City Chiefs

19. Cleveland Browns (from Buffalo)

20. Philadelphia Eagles

21. Cincinnati Bengals

22. Pittsburgh Steelers

23. Detroit Lions

24. Arizona Cardinals

25. Carolina Panthers

26. Baltimore Ravens

27. Dallas Cowboys

28. Denver Broncos

29. Indianapolis Colts

30. Green Bay Packers

31. New England Patriots

32. Seattle Seahawks

It's Mock Draft Time!

(In this space, you will find a full blown mock draft. For the time being, I will be featuring an expert's mock draft until the end of the football season when mine will be officially released. Contain your excitement.....)

This week's mock draft is brought to you by the fine folks over at Walter Football:


(PLEASE NOTE: This is not MY mock draft. I haven't officially released my mock draft yet and won't until after the scouting combine in February. I know. My mock draft has been more on point than ESPN's own draft guru Mel Kiper, so I know you people are excited for it....but you must wait!)

1. Tampa Bay Bucccaneers: Jameis Winston - QB (Florida State)

2. Tennessee Titans: Marcus Mariota - QB (Oregon)

3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Leonard Williams - DE (USC)

4. Oakland Raiders: Randy Gregory - DE (Nebraska)

5. Washington Redskins: Shane Ray - DE (Missouri)

6. New York Jets: Amari Cooper - WR (Alabama)

7. Chicago Bears: Landon Collins - SS (Alabama)

8. Atlanta Falcons: Dante Fowler - DE (Florida)

9. New York Giants: Ereck Flowers - OT (Miami, FL)

10. St. Louis Rams: Andrus Peat - OT (Stanford)

11. Minnesota Vikings: Brandon Scherff - OT (Iowa)

12. Cleveland Browns: Danny Shelton - DT (Washington)

13. New Orleans Saints: P.J. Williams - CB (Florida State)

14. Miami Dolphins: Kevin White - WR (West Virginia)

15. San Francisco 49ers - Devante Parker - WR (Louisville)

16. Houston Texans: Todd Gurley - RB (Georgia)

17. San Diego Chargers: Melvin Gordon - RB (Wisconsin)

18. Kansas City Chiefs: Erik Kendricks - LB (UCLA)

19. Cleveland Browns: T.J. Clemmings - OT (Pittsburgh)

20. Philadelphia Eagles: Trae Waynes - CB (Michigan State)

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Alvin Dupree - DE (Kentucky)

22. Pittsburgh Steelers: Kevin Johnson - CB (Wake Forest)

23. Detroit Lions: Eddie Goldman - DT (Florida State)

24. Arizona Cardinals: Vic Beasley - DE (Clemson)

25. Carolina Panthers: La'El Collins - OT (LSU)

26. Baltimore Ravens: Ronald Darby - CB (Florida State)

27. Dallas Cowboys: Markus Golden - DE (Missouri)

28. Denver Broncos: Cameron Erving - OT (Florida State)

29. Indianapolis Colts: Eli Harold - DE (Virginia)

30. Green Bay Packers: Jordan Phillips - DT (Oklahoma)

31. New England Patriots: Devin Smith - WR (Ohio State)

32. Seattle Seahawks: Sammie Coates - WR (Auburn)

In the weeks leading up to the NFL Draft, you will see a certain selected prospect a week here (mainly the top recruits in the draft) with my personal scouting report on that prospect. I took professional scouting classes at the Scouting Academy, so this is my way of giving back.....

This week's prospect:

Jameis Winston (QB, Florida State)

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 230 pounds

Strenghts: Has tons of confidence. Has the ability to anticipate route breaks from his receiver. Fantastic arm strength. On-point accuracy, especially on deep throws. Most "pro ready" QB in draft. 

Weaknesses: Very immature. Ball release is a tad slow and needs to be quickened. Questionable decision-making skills. Turnover prone. Needs to work on his pocket presence. 

Pro Comparision: Ben Roethlisberger

Brief Synopsis: Jameis Winston is far and away the most "pro ready" quarterback in this year's NFL Draft. If I was a team that desperately needed a QB who could come in and start right away, Winston is probably the safest bet for that to happen. While Winston is nowhere near a "safe" pick in the form of an Andrew Luck, he has the look and feel of a guy who can play quarterback in the league for sometime. Most of the concerns surrounding Winston are almost all off-the-field problems. Winston is a fine player on the field. He has a few things he needs to work on in order to guarantee long-term success in the NFL (mainly his decision-making skills and his intelligence on-the-field), but like I said, most everyone I've heard talk about Winston is more afraid of how much more immature he will become once he actually gets money and even more fame than he has now. Most of the time, when you get an immature college kid and hand him a bunch of money and fame, things just get worse. Winston is going to need a mentor-type and a team that isn't falling apart internally if he has any hope of making it in the NFL. I think Winston will have a fine NFL career as long as he goes to a team that has a good head coach and a fan base that isn't ready to tear him apart after every mistake he makes, because he's going to make them. Give this kid sometime and you will likely see a franchise QB evolve.

-The 2015 Senior Bowl was this weekend. For many, the Senior Bowl is the last chance for certain guys to impress NFL scouts before the combine and the draft starts in spring. Bleacher Report's Dan Hope was on hand all week and here are some of his notes:

*Oregon State cornerback Steven Nelson had a huge week. The 5'10" 199-pound CB shut people down all-week, namely potential first-round pick Sammie Coates. His size is a detriment to his NFL career, but Nelson likely will get drafted between the 3rd and 5th rounds after impressing scouts this week.

*It's a bad year for team's looking for QB's that don't have a top pick in the draft. All the QB's at the Senior Bowl struggled. Bryce Petty, Sean Mannion, Bryan Bennett, Blake Sims, Shane Carden, and Garrett Grayson all combined for just 39 of 70 passing attempts for 520 yards, 1 TD, and 3 interceptions. Out of all those players though, Grayson was actually named the top practice performer at the QB position and could find himself going somewhere in the fourth of fifth round of the draft. All the other guys find themselves in grave danger of not being drafted. After Mariota, Winston, and UCLA's Brett Hundley (who is far away talent-wise himself from Mariota and Winston), there isnt' a whole lot of talent in the QB class to get excited about this year.


-There was a ton of talk this week surrounding rumors that the Philadelphia Eagles were looking to potentially trade-up and draft quarterback Marcus Mariota. I can guarantee you that we will constantly hear about these rumors all up until the actual draft starts in April. It only makes sense. The Eagles are a team that is looking for a QB (Nick Foles isn't a franchise QB and if you think he his, stop trying to evaluate QB's). If Chip Kelly (who is a GREAT football talent evaluator by the way....) thinks Marcus Mariota is the perfect guy to run his system in the NFL and that Mariota will be able to do it, why wouldn't Kelly trade multiple draft picks to get him? You know how many current NFL head coaches would DIE to get their perfect ideal QB on their hands? All of them. Every single last one of them. Coaches are constantly fired in the NFL because of bad QB play (Marc Trestman anyone?), so if Chip thinks he found his savior in Philly....there shouldn't be any price that's too expensive. Some people would disagree, but they would also be wrong. There's no price that's too high to pay for a franchise guy.  

The 1st Annual Toilet Bowlers

This weekend is Pro Bowl week in the NFL. Well, we here at the Ultimate Football Blog are sick and tired of only the "good" football players getting all the recognition at the end of the season. What about the guys who completely sucked this year? Where is the love for them? Where is their award show?

It's right here people. The Ultimate Football Blog is proud to announce the very first "TOILET BOWLERS" awards! While these guys were probably about as far away from making the Pro Bowl as possible, they still have a place in my heart for the utter garbage they showcased on the football field this year. We don't discriminate here at TUFB. We believe the shitty guys should get just as much as attention (if not more) than the good football players. They are likely the reason their respective teams suck (you will see that there are NO members of either team playing in the Super Bowl on this list), and they should either be cut or given a fair warning this off-season.

Anyways, to give you guys an idea of just how bad some of these guys were this season, I'm using ProFootballFocus.com's grades (by far THE best website for getting specific grades on each football player's individual performances on the field) to make things easier. If you aren't familiar with how PFF's grades work, it's actually really simple. It's basically just a simple +/- system. If a player is really good, they will have a high + number (for example, J.J. Watt finished the season with a PFF grade of +107.5 which is completely freaking ridiculous), and if a player is really bad, they will have a - grade (most of the guys on this list will have a negative grade of course.....). Got it? Understand it all or did I lose you somewhere? Oh well, there's pictures coming up and I'm sure I'll get your attention back then.

So without any further adieu......

Ladies and gents...........

Here is..............

(PS: I didn't do any kickers or punters because no one cares about kickers or punters....)

OK, sorry about that.............

For reals now.............

The 2014-15 NFL Toilet Bowlers

The Offense:

Quarterback:

Starter:

Jay Cutler (Chicago Bears)

Passing Yards: 3,812

TD's: 28

Interceptions: 18

ProFootballFocus Grade: -17.0

Backup Quarterback:

Colin Kaepernick (San Francisco 49ers)

Passing Yards: 3,369

TD's: 19

Interceptions: 10

ProFootballFocus Grade: -10.2

Running Back:

Starter:

LeSean McCoy (Philadelphia Eagles)

Rushing Yards: 1,323

TD's: 5

Yards Per Rushing Attempt: 4.2

ProFootballFocus Grade: -9.3

Backup Running Back:

Matt Asiata (Minnesota Vikings)

Rushing Yards: 570

TD's: 9

Yards Per Rushing Attempt: 3.5

ProFootballFocus Grade: -10.0

Wide Receiver:

Starter:

Riley Cooper (Philadelphia Eagles)

Receiving Yards: 573

TD's: 3

Receptions: 55

Percentage Of Balls Caught That Are Thrown His Way: 60.4%

ProFootballFocus Grade: -12.7

Starter #2:

Roddy White (Atlanta Falcons)

Receiving Yards: 921

TD's: 7

Receptions: 80

Percentage Of Balls Caught That Are Thrown His Way: 65.6%

ProFootballFocus Grade: -10.4

Starter #3:

Reggie Wayne (Indianapolis Colts)

Receiving Yards: 779

TD's: 2

Receptions: 64

Percentage Of Balls Caught That Are Thrown His Way: 58.2%

ProFootballFocus Grade: -10.3

Backup Wide Receiver #1

Allen Hurns (Jacksonville Jaguars)

Receiving Yards: 677

TD's: 6

Receptions: 51

Percentage Of Balls Caught That Are Thrown His Way: 56.0%

ProFootballFocus Grade: -9.8

Backup Wide Receiver #2:

Brian Hartline (Miami Dolphins)

Receiving Yards: 477

TD's: 2

Receptions: 39

Percentage Of Balls Caught That Are Thrown His Way: 62.9%

ProFootballFocus Grade: -9.5

Tight End:

Starter #1:

Jeff Cumberland (New York Jets)

Receiving Yards: 247

TD's: 3

ProFootballFocus Run Blocking Grade: -14.8

ProFootballFocus Pass Blocking Grade: -4.7

ProFootballFocus Grade: -26.3

Starter #2

Mychal Rivera (Oakland Raiders)

Receiving Yards: 528

TD's: 4

ProFootballFocus Run Blocking Grade: -17.3

ProFootballlFocus Pass Blocking Grade: -0.3

ProFootballFocus Grade: -25.1

Backup Tight End:

John Carlson (Arizona Cardinals)

Receiving Yards: 350

TD's: 1

ProFootballFocus Run Blocking Grade: -13.6

ProFootballFocus Pass Blocking Grade: -3.3

ProFootballFocus Grade: -25.0

Offensive Line:

Starting Center:

Scott Wells (St. Louis Rams)

ProFootballFocus Run Blocking Grade: -9.0

ProFootballFocus Pass Blocking Grade: -18.7

# of QB Hurries Allowed: 23

# of QB Sacks Allowed: 1

ProFootball Focus Grade: -29.7

Backup Center:

Lyle Sendlein (Arizona Cardinals)

ProFootballFocus Run Blocking Grade: -14.0

ProFootballFocus Pass Blocking Grade: -15.2

# of QB Hurries Allowed: 17

# of QB Sacks Allowed: 1

ProFootball Focus Grade: -29.1

Starting Left Guard:

Mike McGlynn (Kansas City Chiefs)

ProFootballFocus Run Blocking Grade: -17.7

ProFootballFocus Pass Blocking Grade: -12.2

# of QB Hurries Allowed: 18

# of QB Sacks Allowed: 6

ProFootball Focus Grade: -32.6

Starting Right Guard:

Erik Pears (Buffalo Bills)

ProFootballFocus Run Blocking Grade: -11.5

ProFootballFocus Pass Blocking Grade: -15.1

# of QB Hurries Allowed: 23

# of QB Sacks Allowed: 4

ProFootball Focus Grade: -25.0

Backup Guard:

Davin Joseph (St. Louis Rams)

ProFootballFocus Run Blocking Grade: -9.9

ProFootballFocus Pass Blocking Grade: -13.7

# of QB Hurries Allowed: 19

# of QB Sacks Allowed: 5

ProFootball Focus Grade: -24.6

Starting Right Tackle:

Seantrel Henderson (Buffalo Bills)

ProFootballFocus Run Blocking Grade: -19.4

ProFootballFocus Pass Blocking Grade: -11.8

# of QB Hurries Allowed: 28

# of QB Sacks Allowed: 6

ProFootball Focus Grade: -29.9

Starting Left Tackle:

Jake Matthews (Atlanta Falcons)

ProFootballFocus Run Blocking Grade: -19.5

ProFootballFocus Pass Blocking Grade: -19.1

# of QB Hurries Allowed: 35

# of QB Sacks Allowed: 7

ProFootball Focus Grade: -36.8

Backup Offensive Tackle:

Byron Bell (Carolina Panthers)

ProFootballFocus Run Blocking Grade: -10.4

ProFootballFocus Pass Blocking Grade: -23.1

# of QB Hurries Allowed: 38

# of QB Sacks Allowed: 9

ProFootball Focus Grade: -33.4

The Defense:

(Editor's Note: This is a 4-3 defense)

Defensive Line:

Starting Defensive End:

Robert Geathers (Cincinnati Bengals)

ProFootballFocus Pass Rushing Grade: -25.2

PFF Run Defense Grade: -2.7

PFF Pass Coverage Grade: -0.5

PFF Grade: -27.4

Starting Defensive End:

Chris Clemons (Jacksonville Jaguars)

ProFootballFocus Pass Rushing Grade: -7.8

PFF Run Defense Grade: -8.1

PFF Pass Coverage Grade: 0.5

PFF Grade: -18.4

Backup Defensive End:

Mathias Kiwanukah (New York Giants)

ProFootballFocus Pass Rushing Grade: -8.4

PFF Run Defense Grade: -9.4

PFF Pass Coverage Grade: -0.5

PFF Grade: -18.3

Starting Defensive Tackle:

Nick Hayden (Dallas Cowboys)

ProFootballFocus Pass Rushing Grade: -10.3

PFF Run Defense Grade: -15.3

PFF Grade: -23.8

Starting Defensive Tackle:

Domata Peko (Cincinnati Bengals)

ProFootballFocus Pass Rushing Grade: -12.2

PFF Run Defense Grade: -11.5

PFF Grade: -23.3

Backup Defensive Tackle:

Akeem Spence (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

ProFootballFocus Pass Rushing Grade: -2.0

PFF Run Defense Grade: -14.9

PFF Grade: -18.2

Linebackers:

Starting Outside Linebacker:

Emmanuel Lamur (Cincinnati Bengals)

ProFootballFocus Pass Rushing Grade: -3.5

PFF Run Defense Grade: -6.7

PFF Pass Coverage Grade: -3.6

PFF Grade: -12.5

Starting Outside Linebacker:

Chad Greenway (Minnesota Vikings)

ProFootballFocus Pass Rushing Grade: 0.2

PFF Run Defense Grade: -7.1

PFF Pass Coverage Grade: -6.4

PFF Grade: -12.2

Backup Outside Linebacker:

Sio Moore (Oakland Raiders)

ProFootballFocus Pass Rushing Grade: 2.6

PFF Run Defense Grade: -0.9

PFF Pass Coverage Grade: -4.2

PFF Grade: -4.4

Starting Inside Linebacker:

Miles Burris (Oakland Raiders)

ProFootballFocus Pass Rushing Grade: -3.7

PFF Run Defense Grade: -23.2

PFF Pass Coverage Grade: -16.9

PFF Grade: -42.2

Backup Inside Linebacker:

Paul Worrilow (Atlanta Falcons)

ProFootballFocus Pass Rushing Grade: -2.4

PFF Run Defense Grade: -9.0

PFF Pass Coverage Grade: -12.2

PFF Grade: -22.0

Secondary:

Starting Cornerback:

David Amerson (Washington Redskins)

Number of Yards Gained Against Player: 877

Number of TD's Given Up: 10

Percentage of Receptions Completed Against Player: 73.6%

ProFootballFocus Pass Coverage Grade: -15.5

PFF Grade: -20.2

Starting Cornerback:

Kyle Fuller (Chicago Bears)

Number of Yards Gained Against Player: 841

Number of TD's Given Up: 5

Percentage of Receptions Completed Against Player: 63.4%

ProFootballFocus Pass Coverage Grade: -17.2

PFF Grade: -18.4

Backup Cornerback:

Corey White (New Orleans Saints)

Number of Yards Gained Against Player: 703

Number of TD's Given Up: 4

Percentage of Receptions Completed Against Player: 68.2%

ProFootballFocus Pass Coverage Grade: -17.9

PFF Grade: -17.8

Starting Safety:

Ryan Clark (Washington Redskins)

ProFootballFocus Pass Coverage Grade: -4.2

ProFootballFocus Run Defense Grade: -13.3

PFF Grade: -20.7

Starting Safety:

Dashon Goldson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

ProFootballFocus Pass Coverage Grade: -14.5

ProFootballFocus Run Defense Grade: -7.1

PFF Grade: -20.0

Backup Safety:

Kenny Vaccaro (New Orleans Saints)

ProFootballFocus Pass Coverage Grade: -6.6

ProFootballFocus Run Defense Grade: -5.4

PFF Grade: -19.0

And there we have it! The first annual Ultimate Football Blog's Toilet Bowlers are in the books and now we must all hope and pray that somehow, these guys improve their games and don't end up on this list again next season. If so, yikes.