Week 16, 2019

It's been a while since I've blogged, life has gotten busy and I've been forced to be responsible.  But this is the absolute best time of the year...at least for me.

Recently, Antonio Brown stated that he was the best 6th round draft pick ever.  Hmmm, I would argue that maybe he has never heard of a guy named Tom Brady.  This young man, a 6th round pick out of Michigan, owns 6 Super Bowl rings.  He has guided his team to the Super Bowl in nine of the 20 years he's been a quarterback in the NFL.  I think I'm comfortable enough to say that Brown is not the best 6th round pick ever.

Within the last week, the Jacksonville Jaguars fired their executive vice president of football operations, Tom Coughlin.  Apparently Mr. Coughlin was fining players for missing voluntary team events in the off-season, as well as requiring they use only medical professionals chosen by the team.  Voluntary is just that, non-obligatory, why would anyone think that fining someone for missing something like that would be okay?  The using only their doctors is basic workers' compensation no-no.  The result with everything was that at least one player was reimbursed $700,000 for fines imposed and administrative changes were made in Jacksonville.  One report I read was that 25% of the complaints the NFLPA received were from the Jacksonville Jaguars' organization, that's just nuts.

We have several coaches that are playing for their jobs the next two weeks, some simply won't be back.

I would be surprised if Pat Shurmur were retained by the Giants.

I'm fairly certain Bill Callahan is out in Washington, he was only an interim coach anyway.

Perry Fewell is an interim in Carolina, his other coaching jobs were also unsuccessful, having a career record of 3-6 (he also coached the Bills for a short time).

Have heard rumors that the dysfunction with Freddie Kitchens in Cleveland is just too much for the owners to handle.  He has been unprofessional and seemingly overwhelmed in his only coaching assignment.  Ron Rivera's name has actually popped up to fill this potential coaching vacancy.  Personally, I would love to see this happen, Rivera coached Cam Newton into a Super Bowl quarterback.

Doug Marrone coaching in Jacksonville, it seems will be returning next season, based on reports out of their camp.

I think Dan Quinn is an interesting case.  The Falcons started the season horribly, then, during their bye week, some coaching changes were made and Atlanta started winning games against teams they had struggled with earlier in the season.  Personally, I think Quinn has earned the opportunity to continue coaching the team, but owner Arthur Blank may have other thoughts.  He declined to make any coaching changes mid-season, and his wisdom for doing this, or not doing this, is plain.

The Chargers may very well part ways with Anthony Lynn.  He's been the head man in Los Angeles for three years.  His first year was a respectable 9-7, last year they shocked everyone with a phenomenal 12-4, currently they are sitting at five wins.  I like Lynn, he seems like a great guy, but he's struggled in LA.  It possibly could be due to an experienced quarterback, Philip Rivers, that has been slipping as of late.  Rivers has 21 touchdowns next to 18 interceptions on the season.

Matt Patricia has been given a vote of confidence by the owner of the Detroit Lions.

Matt Nagy has struggled some in Chicago, he got the Bears to the playoffs last year, but they have slipped quite a bit this season.

Jason Garrett I think is out of Dallas with anything other than a Super Bowl appearance.  But I really don't think the Cowboys are going to make a deep run into the playoffs.

Games to watch...

Buffalo (10-4) @ New England (11-3) — Both teams have earned playoff spots.  If the Patriots win they win the division, if the Bills win they can keep New England from winning the division this week.  If Buffalo wins out they win the division and we get to watch the Pats play on the first weekend of the playoffs.  The New England Patriots last played on Wild Card Weekend in 2009 when they lost to the Baltimore Ravens, in New England.

Los Angeles Rams (8-6) @ San Francisco (11-3) — This is bigger for the Rams than it is the 49ers.  San Fran is already in the playoffs.  LA is close to being disqualified from postseason play, after they reached the Super Bowl last year.  This is an absolute must-win for LA.

Dallas (7-7) @ Philadelphia (7-7) — Neither of these teams have played very well this season, well sometimes they played well but not consistently.  If Dallas wins they take the NFC East.  If Philadelphia wins they delay the wait to see who wins the division.  Should be a really good game.

Green Bay (11-3) @ Minnesota (10-4) — Aaron Rodgers, big game.  Kirk Cousins has a lot to prove.  A fantastic last Monday Night game of the year.  Interesting to note, too, that over their last 5 games v Green Bay, Minnesota is 3-1-1.  The one loss the Vikings have is from earlier this year when the Packers won at home, 21-16.

What to watch for...

Adrian Peterson (Washington) has a lot of activity this week, he needs one touchdown to pass John Riggins for 13th all-time, that would give him 117 career touchdowns; Peterson can also pass Thurman Thomas for 11th all-time scrimmage yards if he has 86 yards this week against the Giants.

LeSean McCoy (Kansas City) needs just 24-yards to pass Rickey Watters for 26th all-time scrimmage yards.

Von Miller (Denver) needs 1 1/2 quarterback sacks to pass Trace Armstrong for 25th all-time sacks leader. 

Week 13, 2019 - #FirstWorldProblems, Kaepernick, Gore, Games of the Week

Computer problems have got to be the #1 issue we deal with today.  We think we have a handle on things, then something goes down.  This is why there was not a blog last week.

So, here we go...

Colin Kaepernick had a workout that was offered by the NFL.  This is after three years that no team has signed the quarterback and he and another player, Eric Reid, who is signed with the Panthers, filed a lawsuit against the NFL claiming collusion among the owners had kept them from playing.  The League had specific things outlined for this relatively last-minute workout.  1) They announced this less than a week before it was scheduled; 2) It was on a Saturday; 3) It was at the Atlanta Falcons workout facility and would only be open to teams interested, the League, and Mr. Kaepernick and his representatives; 4) The NFL required Kaepernick to sign a waiver, one that apparently is pretty standard when workouts are scheduled; 5) The NFL allowed him his own receivers as targets for his passes.

Before heading to the location where the media would not be allowed, Kaepernick changed just days before the workout the location to a high school in Atlanta.  1 & 2) Why on a Saturday and so short a notice?  On Saturdays teams are preparing for their games on Sunday, half of the teams scheduled to play were on the road and general managers were simply not available to leave their teams to view the workout; 3) Why was the media held out of viewing this workout at first?  Is the NFL trying to hide something?  You can argue that at least they gave him the workout, but why not the media?  Kaepernick changed the location allowing the media to attend;  4) Kaepernick and his people prepared their own waiver and signed it instead of the one provided for the NFL.  I honestly don't know what the content of this waiver was, but apparently it was unfair to this quarterback who hasn't played any football professionally in 3-years; 5)  I thought this was a pretty nice move for the League, since typically they provide their own guys in these situations.

Did anything workout?  Don't know.  Kaepernick is still unsigned, though it has been reported that some teams showed interest.  There are several rookie quarterbacks starting this season in the absence of their injured starting quarterbacks, Kyle Allen (Carolina); Devlin (Duck) Hodges (Pittsburgh); Gardner Minshew (Jacksonville), Minshew served his purpose and the Jaguars are now being taken care of by their regular starter Nick Foles; Brandon Allen (Denver); Daniel Jones (New York Giants); Dwayne Haskins (Washington); Jeff Driskel (Detroit), the Lions just announced that undrafted David Blough will start against the Chicago Bears tomorrow afternoon.  Only time will tell to see if anyone will show any interest in Kaepernick.

This past week, longtime running back Frank Gore (Buffalo) ran past Barry Sanders and is third all-time in rushing yards, behind Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton.  He's been a treat to watch and I'm sure has given the Bills an amazing veteran presence in their locker room.  The most yardage he's had in one game this year was a whopping 109-yards against the Patriots in the fourth game of the season; second most he's had was 76.  He's averaged only 45.1 yards per game this season, quite a bit down from the nearly 70 he's averaged per game in his career.  Are we watching the last of him in the backfield?  Will have to wait and see.

Games to watch...

Buffalo (8-3) @ Dallas (6-5) — I am honestly not sure which Cowboys team we will get this week.  They have beaten team they're supposed to (Giants-twice; Redskins; Dolphins; Eagles; Lions) but have lost against teams they've had the talent to beat (Saints; Packers; Jets; Vikings; Patriots), the losses are with a combined 22 points, so they're not being blown out.  The Bills on the other hand, have been very consistent.  Losing only to the Patriots (by 6-points), Eagles (by 18-points), and the Browns (by 3-points).  This should be a really good game, plus it's always fun to watch Dallas on the holiday.

Cleveland (5-6) @ Pittsburgh (6-5) — Part of the intrigue to this game was Miles Garrett whacking Mason Rudolph in the head with his own helmet.  Garrett is suspended for the remainder of the season and, if necessary, into the playoffs.  Rudolph is out due to ineffectiveness and starting in his stead is Devlin (Duck) Hodges.  This could also hold some playoff importance as the season progresses.

Tennessee (6-5) @ Indianapolis (6-5) — It really seems like no one is interested in winning the AFC South.  It's been bouncing from Indianapolis, to Houston, and now Tennessee is in the mix.  The Titans blew out the Jaguars on Sunday so they're riding pretty high right now, while the Colts lost a tight one to the Texans last Thursday night.

San Francisco (10-1) @ Baltimore (9-2) — The Niners have made improvements as the season has progressed.  Losing their first game to the Seahawks (week 10) and coming out very strong against the Packers (week 12) with a 29-point victory.  Baltimore has been all over their opponents this season.  They lost two straight to Kansas City and Cleveland but have steamrolled through everyone else, showing a +16.7 point differential in all their games.  They flew out West and won in a very difficult environment, Seattle, by 14-points. They hosted New England and gave them their only loss, by 17-points!  They even faced a contending, but slipping Rams team and won by 39-points.  I'm really hoping the 49ers have made the adjustments needed to face a potential Super Bowl team.

Oakland (6-5) @ Kansas City (7-4) — This has huge potential, especially the importance for the lead in the AFC West.  The Chiefs have already beaten the Raiders in week 2, by 18-points.  I honestly think this is a different KC team.  They have been dealing with some injuries and are not as high-octane as they were 11-weeks ago.  The Raiders have won three of their last four, but that one loss was a blowout by the Jets 34-3 last Sunday in the Meadowlands.  Oakland had started out slow but, until last week, seemed like were coming to fight.  This game will really show a lot by the Raiders.

New England (10-1) @ Houston (7-4) — The Patriots were handed a game last week by Jason Garrett and the poor coaching of the special teams and lack of trust in their offense, featuring Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, Jason Witten, Michael Gallup and the other talented players on that team.  Houston is having difficulty putting together anything in a row, only having won no more than 2-games in a row all season.  Bill O'Brien is facing his old coach, Bill Belichick, but ex-coaches have not had good success against their mentor.  Not real sure how much success the Texans will have against the Patriots this week, but this is the nationally televised game on Sunday night.

Minnesota (6-3) @ Seattle (9-2) — I'm giving the 'Hawks the edge in this one since they're at home and it's difficult to lose in Seattle.  Minnesota, though, can surprise people if they show up to play.  Should be a fun Monday night game.

I don't have any stats to share for anyone, milestones for players to reach...again, computer issues that are now resolved.

Week 11, 2019

On Tuesday the NFL announced they were sponsoring a workout day for Colin Kaepernick.  This surprised everyone involved and it seemed that it was hastily thrown together.  Honestly, I'm not sure why the league waited until the 11th week of the season to do this.  Preliminary reports are that everything went okay, even though the location was moved to a different location on Saturday (16th).  The moving of the location was to allow some from the media to be present.

People were skeptical, stating the NFL was only doing this to save face.  To me, the timing is just odd.  Trade deadline is a couple weeks gone, some teams are making their playoff pushes.  No clue what will come of this development.  Curious if Kaepernick is willing to not kneel for the national anthem, or if the NFL will just ignore this and allow him to exercise the freedom the national anthem talks about.

Games of the week...

Los Angeles Rams (12) @ Pittsburgh (17) -- Pittsburgh seems like they're moving in the right direction with their 2nd year quarterback in Mason Rudolph.  The Rams looks like they're trying to find where they are.  They have left a lot from what we saw last year.  Maybe they're still reeling from not scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl.  They face the Bears on Sunday night, maybe we can see some improvement.

Carolina (16) @ Green Bay (24) --  The Packers were not happy to lose to the Chargers last week.  Fighting the snow and cold in Green Bay, they held off the Panthers pretty easily.

Minnesota (28) @ Dallas (24) -- Dallas could not get a running game going against the Vikings.  So, the logical course of action with that is, when the game is on the line, keep trying to run.  Dak Prescott had no issues connecting with his receivers so not real sure why the coaches kept trying to run when they were not able to.  I'm going on the record right here stating I think the Cowboys will have another coach on their sidelines next season.

Seattle (27) @ San Francisco (24) OT -- This game is one of the reasons I love watching football.  Two dominant teams playing to the absolute end.  Experience won out with Russell Wilson besting Jimmy Garoppolo in an overtime thriller.  This is going to be a fun rivalry over the next several years.

Games to watch...

Pittsburgh (5-4) @ Cleveland (3-6) -- Yeah, I know I typed this up after this game was played.  These are two teams going in different directions.  The Steelers had won 4-straight prior to this game, while the Browns had won one, but they had three wins, which is 300% more than they had at this point two years ago.

Houston (6-3) @ Baltimore (7-2) -- Two legitimate MVP candidates battling each other.  Young quarterbacks that are both very, very good.  They have each led their teams to the playoffs and I'm thinking this could be the new Brady-Manning that we get to see in the playoffs.

Chicago (4-5) @ Los Angeles Rams (5-4) -- Both teams are trying to find themselves, the Rams are still reeling from their loss in the Super Bowl.  The Bears, it seems are still trying to figure out if they really trust Trubisky as their quarterback.  I don't think they trust him, he's inconsistent at best and struggling mightily.

Usually I put the "What to watch for" section here, but since I'm about 5-days late I'm going to bypass that and just end it here.  Have had some technical issues this week that have forced me to use a backup computer.

Week 10, 2019

We're at the halfway point of the season, all teams have played at least 8-games.  The week has already started with the Chargers losing a tight one to the Raiders.  But I'm going to take some time sharing my predictions for some of the season awards and finally the playoff PIX.

Offensive Player of the Year

Russell Wilson (Sea)—Wilson has helped this team win both with his arm and his legs.  He's already thrown for over 2,500 yards with 22 touchdowns through the air, three on the ground.  He has an astonishing 118.2 quarterback rating, more than 5-points more than Patrick Mahomes 113.1.  The 'Hawks are 7-2 and are smoking hot, only the undefeated 49ers have a better record in their division.  Wanna hear something fun?  Seattle and San Francisco play this weekend.

Defensive Player of the Year

Devin McCourty (NE)—McCourty has made opposing quarterbacks leary of passing to his side of the field.  In the nine-games he's started this season he's picked off five-passes for 49-yards.  Has the makings of a dominant player for the season.  He has 26-interceptions in his 10-yards and is the 11th among the active defensive backs in interceptions.

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Nick Bosa (SF)—In the 8-games Bosa has played (starting 6) he has amassed 7 sacks, been involved in 21 tackles, and has an interception he's returned for 46-yards.  He has helped the Niners stay the only undefeated team in the NFL.

Coach of the Year

Sean Payton (NO)—Bill Belichick is the easy choice on this, but if a "Coach of the last two decades" award is ever given, he would win this hands down.  Payton lost his quarterback in a week 3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.  Drew Brees would miss the next seven weeks rehabbing his thumb.  Yes, Teddy Bridgewater had started in the NFL before.  He was the 32nd pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 2014 draft, played college ball at Louisville.  While the future hall-of-famer Brees was out the Saints didn't lose a single game.

Most Valuable Player

DeShaun Watson (Hou)—After a devastating knee injury a couple of seasons ago, DeShaun Watson has really taken the role of leader for the Texans.  If he can get them past the first round of the playoffs this will prove my point.  Currently he has over 2,400 yards passing, with 279-yards on the ground with 5-touchdowns.  He's thrown 18-touchdowns with only 5-interceptions.  His offensive line has improved slightly and he's been sacked 25-times, which is fewer than five other quarterbacks.

Games of the week (9)...

Kansas City (26) Minnesota (23)—Matt Moore has done a nice job filling in for the Chiefs in Patrick Mahomes' absence, he did not disappoint this week.  Damien Williams added 125-yards rushing and a touchdown to assist in the win.  Mahomes will be back under center this week, after dislocating his kneecap a couple weeks ago on a Thursday night.

Baltimore (37) New England (20)—Did we see a changing of the guard in Baltimore last Sunday night?  I'm not going to count out Tom Brady just yet.  But we did see some new talent in Lamar Jackson, the final pick of the draft last year.  He has taken the Ravens on a ride that could send them to a big game in February.

Games to watch...

Los Angeles Rams (5-3) @ Pittsburgh (4-4)—A month ago this would not be even close to an intriguing game.  Ben Roethlisburger is out for the season with an arm injury.  Pittsburgh had their 2nd string quarterback Mason Rudolph in as a replacement and he's done very well.  He did miss a game with a concussion and was relieved by rookie Devlin Hodges, who did an admirable job.  Rudolph is back and should do fine against a porous Rams defense.  Los Angeles has had an up and down season, after a romp last year that got them to the Super Bowl.  They have attempted to bolster their defense in their trade for Jalen Ramsey.  Should be a very good game.

Carolina (5-3) @ Green Bay (7-2)—The Packers just lost a close one to the Chargers.  Carolina has had an amazing season and Cam Newton hasn't played since game 2 against Tampa Bay.  Kyle Allen has filled in admirably as the Panthers quarterback.

Minnesota (6-3) @ Dallas (5-3)—Dallas has had peaks and valleys this season, winning against teams they are supposed to, and losing against others.  The last two games they've rebounded against Philadelphia and the New York Giants.  Minnesota, however, has had some turmoil in the locker room that seems to have settled down and they are all on the same page and winning.  Can they win in Dallas?  This is going to be a fun Sunday night game.

Seattle (7-2) @ San Francisco (8-0)—The 49ers are the only undefeated team at this point and they are facing their biggest rivals in the NFC West.  This should be the absolute biggest game this week and could easily give the Niners their first loss of the season.

Before I let you know what to watch for this week, I will give my playoff PIX.  They way I list them is the seeding I think they'll have (1-6)

AFC: Baltimore, New England, Kansas City, Houston, Buffalo, Indianapolis

NFC: San Francisco, New Orleans, Green Bay, Dallas, Seattle, Carolina

My pick for Super Bowl LIV: Kansas City v. San Francisco.

What to watch for this week...

Frank Gore (Buf) needs just one touchdown to pass Lenny Moore to become 14th all-time scoring touchdowns; he also needs just 82-yards to pass Barry Sanders for third all-time leading rusher.

Julio Jones (Atl) needs only 3-receptions to pass Charlie Joiner for 26th all-time leading receiver (number of receptions).

LeSean McCoy (KC) needs 170-yards to pass Rickey Watters for #25 all-time leader in scrimmage yards.

Terrell Suggs (AZ) needs only 1-sack to pass John Randle and Richard Dent to tie for 8th all-time sack leader.

Robbie Gould (SF) only needs 2-points to pass Eddie Murray to become 20th all-time scorer in NFL history.

Week 9, 2019 --- lots of business at the halfway point

I have come to the conclusion that the San Francisco 49ers are the best team in the NFL.  They have steamrolled every team they've played this season, not just the mediocre teams, but EVERY team.  This past Sunday they went up against a good Carolina Panthers team and scored more than 50-points on them, while holding them to 13-points.  They are balanced and can strike quickly.

I have also realized that the Cleveland Browns aren't what we thought they would be.  They struggle against any good teams they face.  True, they faced an undefeated New England Patriots team Sunday, but they looked flat, almost confused.  They have talent and I think will be good in a couple of years, but they're not quite there yet.

TRADES

This last Tuesday was the deadline for trades from team to team.  Some decide to offload large contracts, others are thinking of the now and want to win, realizing they need a single piece to push them into the playoffs, possibly to the next level.

Cleveland Browns trade Austin Corbett to the Los Angeles Rams.  Corbett has only started one game in his two years in the league.  Not a lot of playing time, so we will see how well this trade benefits the Rams in the years to come.

Los Angeles Rams trade Marcus Peters to Baltimore.  Peters has some experience, being in the league since 2015.  He's been a force, having contributed to over 200 tackles and 25 interceptions in his short career, and one fumble return for a touchdown.

Jacksonville Jaguars trade Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams.  Ramsey has been a bit of a headache to the Jaguars as of later, requesting a trade.  They accommodated and shipped him to the other side of the country.  During his career, starting in 2016, he has contributed to over 220 tackles and 9 interceptions, one of which he's returned for a touchdown.  Perhaps he can find the happiness he's needing in LA.

Atlanta Falcons trade Mohamed Sanu to New England.  Sanu has been in the league since 2012 and has proved to be a legitimate weapon across from Julio Jones.  He helped propel the Falcons to the Super Bowl a couple of years ago.  He has over 4,000 yards in his career, with the career year being in 2018 when he had 838-yards receiving and four touchdowns.  He has 25 touchdowns on his career.  Should be a nice target for Tom Brady.

Denver Broncos trade Emmanuel Sanders to San Francisco.  Jimmy Garoppolo has already been able to utilize Sanders.  A very experienced receiver with over 7,000 career yards receiving with 40 touchdowns.

Detroit Lions trade Quandre Diggs to Seattle.  Diggs has over 60-games experience in the defensive backfield, has helped on 229 tackles and six interceptions with one touchdown.  Defensive backs have been a weakness for the Seahawks so I'm sure this will help them continue to dominate.

New England Patriots trade Michael Bennett to Dallas.  Bennett has the 16th most sacks of all current active players, at 65 1/2.  This is his 10th year in the league.  Dallas has one of the most consistent defensive linemen in the NFL.

New York Jets trade Leonard Williams to the New York Giants.  A 6-5 302-lb defensive lineman will plug some holes.  One in his sixth year in the league knows how to plug the holes.  He's been responsible for 17-sacks during his career.

Miami Dolphins trade Kenyan Drake to Arizona.  The Cardinals have already started using the talent of Drake.  In the first half of this Thursday night game he already has 70-yards with the touchdown.  He's already proving to be a force for the Cards.

Cleveland Browns trade Genard Avery to Philadelphia.  A tough second-year linebacker.  No doubt will help the Eagles while they try to get some consistency.  Already he has 4 1/2 sacks in his two seasons in the league.

Los Angeles Rams trade Aqib Talib to Miami.  I truly hate when this starts to happen with future hall-of-fame players.  The Rams are simply dumping some payroll and the Dolphins picked up a star so they can fill some seats in their stadium.  Talib is tied for 2nd in active players with interceptions, with 35 for his career.  I think he still has a little left in him, so Miami might be able to build some around him.

Games of the week...

Arizona (9) @ New Orleans (31) — So the Saints didn't listen to me about letting Drew Brees sit an extra week.  Mr. Brees simply lit up the Cardinals defense.  It started out almost equal, but once Brees got warmed up in his first start since mid-September he couldn't really be stopped.

Carolina (13) @ San Francisco (51) — This game didn't even start close.  The 49ers are simply the most balanced, dominant team right now in the NFL.  They can score some points on you, and they can stop you from making points.

Green Bay (31) @ Kansas City (24) — What an exciting game!!  It started fast and ended fast.  The Chiefs' Matt Moore had his work cut out for him and he handled the task well.  Unfortunately for him, though, Aaron Rodgers didn't have the cobwebs to wipe away while he played.

Games to watch...

Minnesota (6-2) @ Kansas City (5-3) — The Chiefs' only losses this year are at Arrowhead Stadium, also against potential playoff teams.  The Vikings have played very crisp football the last few weeks with Kirk Cousins simply lighting up opposing defenses.

New England (8-0) @ Baltimore (5-2) — Bill Belichick has a perfect record when he coaches against quarterbacks in their 2nd year or earlier.  However, they have not faced a quarterback the likes of Lamar Jackson.  This should be a fun one to watch as Tom Brady takes his 20-year experience against the just over 1-season that Jackson is bringing to this game.  I am really excited to see this game.

What to watch for...

Robbie Gould (SF) needs just 6-points to pass Eddie Murray for 20th all-time scorer in NFL history.

Adrian Peterson (Was) and Frank Gore (Buf) need one touchdown each to pass Antonio Gates and Lenny Moore to tie for 14th on the all-time touchdowns scored.

Frank Gore (Buf) needs only 97-yards to pass Barry Sanders to become the 3rd most prolific rusher in NFL history.

Week 8, 2019

***First of all, I want to apologize for being a couple days late with the blog.  I got hit with something and haven't been able to shake it.  But, I'm almost good now.***

Last night, the Minnesota Vikings held off the Washington Redskins in Adrian Peterson's first visit to Minnesota since he left.  Peterson ran for 77-yards and jumped two spots and is currently the 6th all-time rusher in NFL history, he passed Jerome Bettis and LaDanian Tomlinson.  AP is only 400-yards behind Curtis Martin for 5th all-time, he may reach that goal if Washington continues to start him.

During the off-season, the Philadelphia Eagles extended their quarterback Carson Wentz for 4-years at $128-million.  Dak Prescott, who has a better record (36-19 - 65%; 26-21 - 55%), a better quarterback rating (96.9 to 79.9), and over a thousand yards more passing (12,990 to 11,801) is still waiting on Dallas to reward him for his brilliant quarterback play.  Yes, Wentz has a ring.  He was part of the team that won the Super Bowl two years ago.  But he's not proved he can stay healthy an entire season, and until he does, I honestly don't think he's worth more than someone that was drafted at the same time as him and doesn't play as well.

In their game last Thursday v the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback attempted to gain a yard for a first down and ended up dislocating his kneecap.  This sounds like the kind of pain I never want to experience.  He has practiced and participated some in team drills, but as of Friday evening, at almost 7 Eastern, he's been ruled out in their contest v Green Bay Sunday night.  I really think this will hinder the Chiefs from being able to best the Pack, but they're at Arrowhead and maybe they can use that to some advantage.

Games of the week (7)

Cardinals (27) @ Giants (21) — This was actually a pretty decent game.  Both franchises are clearly in a rebuild mode, but Arizona is further along than are Big Blue.  Rookie sensation Kyler Murray had a good game, passing for 104 yards and adding another 28 on the ground, his passer rating was only 78.27, whereas Daniel Jones threw for 223 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 pick, his passer rating was a tad better at 78.63.  They're both young, I look forward to this matchup in the years to come.

Houston (23) @ Indianapolis (30) — Frankly I was shocked by this result of this game.  The Texans have been on a tear lately and they let the Colts get the better of them.  Another pair of young quarterbacks that will be meeting up twice a year in this divisional rivalry.  Typically, the Colts have been very successful against the Texans, only having lost to them 8 times since Houston started playing in 2002.  Currently, including this game, they are 27-8 (77%) against Houston.

Minnesota (42) @ Detroit (30) — Something happened to Kirk Cousins in the last month.  He has started playing very good professional football.  Apparently the Vikings had a team meeting where they aired some concerns and got everyone back on the same page.  Detroit started out looking very good, but have fallen some since their loss to Green Bay a couple weeks ago.

Baltimore (30) @ Seattle (16) — Lamar Jackson continues to impress.  He went into a hostile environment and beat a very good Seahawks team.  I think everyone should watch out for these Ravens they could cause some ugliness in January...maybe in February.

Philadelphia (10) @ Dallas (37) — Yes, I know, last week I predicted that Jason Garrett would be looking for work this week.  He isn't, but Dallas still hasn't extended him.  Apparently Urban Meyer is absolutely interested in a job under Jerry Jones, and I'm sure there are others.  I do know that Lincoln Riley is not interested in leaving the college ranks right now, he's having too much success with a revitalized Sooner defense.  That leave us with one question...What's wrong with the Eagles?  After their game, in which Cowboys' receivers were pretty much open all night, they cut one of their defensive backs, Orlando Scandrick.  Scandrick didn't have a lot of positive things to say about what's going on in the locker room in Philly.  I'm interested to see how this whole situation plays out.  I don't think Doug Pederson's job is in trouble, he's only a couple years out from a Super Bowl win, but if they don't make the playoffs some heads will roll.

Games to watch...

Arizona (3-3-1) @ New Orleans (6-1) — Is Drew Brees returning this week?  Can a smoking hot Cardinals team that's won 3-straight keep rolling?  Brees is listed as questionable to start for the Saints.  Personally, I think he should give it another week.  They're playing well with Teddy Bridgewater and they have a bye next week.  Only thing two more weeks will do is help him be sure he's healed and not cause further damage to that thumb.

Carolina (4-2) @ San Francisco (6-0) — Kyle Allen has got the Panthers rolling hard.  They are having a fantastic season thusfar, even encouraging some people to predict that Cam Newton will soon be wearing another jersey.  The 49ers I don't think can be topped right now.  Their offense is good, but their defense is AMAZING!!  With that combination they will be tough to beat.

Green Bay (6-1) @ Kansas City (5-2) — This game will be the most exciting one this week, with one exception.  Matt Moore doesn't have the firepower that Patrick Mahomes does.  He's not a horrible quarterback, but there is a reason he's been mostly a backup in his 8-years in the NFL.  Of the 51 games in which he's appeared, he's only started 30.  Aaron Rodgers, well, not a lot to say there.  He will be fitted for a bust in Canton 5-years after he retires.  He's still good, last week was responsible for 6 touchdowns (5 passing, 1 rushing) against the Oakland Raiders.

What to watch for...

Robbie Gould (SF) can surpass Al Del Greco with 5 points, that would make him the 22nd all-time scorer in NFL history.

Frank Gore (Buf) can pass John Riggins, Adrian Peterson, Antonio Gates, and Lenny Moore with 1 touchdown giving him sole possession of the 14th most touchdowns scored in NFL history.  Gore can also, with 131-yards, can pass Barry Sanders and be the number 3 all-time rusher.

LaSean McCoy (KC) can hold the 22nd spot for all-time rusher in the NFL with only 40-yards.

Terrell Suggs (AZ) needs just one sack to pass Richard Dent, and John Randle.

Next week will be a full review of all the trades that have happened prior to the trade deadline.  Emmanuel Sanders has moved to San Francisco; Michael Bennett has been traded to Dallas; it also looks like Josh Gordon will soon be waived by New England.  More details on all those in next weeks' blog.

Week 7, 2019

No firings this week, but I honestly think there might be at least one in the next week.

The Dallas Cowboys started the season off with a 3-0 record, letting everyone think they would be a Super Bowl contender this year.  Well, those three wins were against the Giants, the Redskins, and the Dolphins.  Three teams with a total of three wins between them.  Then Dallas visited the New Orleans Saints, hosted the Green Bay Packers, two very good and contending teams, then made another trip, this time to the New York Jets, who had not won a game this year.  Just like what happened with Green Bay, Dallas allowed the Jets to start fast and furious, then couldn't catch up.  The defense couldn't stop Sam Darnold and what now looks like a possible high-powered offense. 

After the game Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones, said that Jason Garrett's job is not in jeopardy.  They are focused on their Sunday night game with the Philadelphia Eagles that will determine an early leader in the NFC East.  It's already Thursday and there have been no changes to this stance.  Garrett says he's focused on the Eagles (they're playing in Dallas) and that's where he is at the moment.  During week 8, Dallas has their bye week.  If they lay another duck while playing for the division lead early in the season, which could end up helping decide a division title, I honestly anticipate Jones to make a change at the top spot.  Garrett is currently coaching in his 10th season and they have only won two playoff games during that time, with just three playoff appearances.  Which is more frustrating?  Not making the playoffs consistently, or, like Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati, have a really good regular season and always losing in the playoffs.  We will be watching this as the week unfolds Sunday night in Dallas.

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Rams pulled off a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars to receive cornerback Jalen Ramsey.  The Jaguars receive two first-round picks in 2020 and 2021, and a fourth round pick, also in 2021.  Ramsey is having a decent year with 13 tackles and 4 assists, he has no interceptions, though.  The Jaguars it seems now, are in a rebuild type mode since they're currently with a 2-4 record.  The Rams have struggled on defense, especially since losing in consecutive weeks to divisional rivals Seahawks and 49ers the last two weeks.  This acquisition may help them some, but their offense seems to be a bit confused.

Games from last week...

Philadelphia @ Minnesota — This was just a high-octane filled resurrection of what everyone thought would be a contending offense in Minnesota.  Quarterback Kirk Cousins completed almost 76% of his passes while throwing for 333 yards and 4 touchdowns, three of which went to wideout Stefon Diggs, who had expressed some discontent a couple weeks ago at not being utilized.  Had the Vikings not been throttled by the Packers a couple weeks ago, I would say they are turning things around.  They are, however, looking very good right now and I think would give Green Bay a good contest.  The Eagles have not really been consistent this season, they're 3-3, having beaten Washington, Green Bay, and the Jets.  Already up on Dallas with common opponents, they head to JerryWorld Sunday night to see who can be more inconsistent.

Houston @ Kansas City — Last week I said that the Texans would have to slow down the Chiefs if they wanted any chance of winning.  Well, they did, giving Kansas City their second consecutive loss, both at Arrowhead.  Patrick Mahomes is having an issue with an ankle he hurt against the Colts a couple weeks ago, so that could hobble him some.  Are the Texans for real?  They seem it.  They're a fun team to watch and they're relatively healthy.  Let's see if they can keep their momentum going as they head to Indianapolis this week.

Detroit @ Green Bay — Yes, I agree with everyone else that the Lions got royally screwed by horrible penalties on Monday night.  With the available technology that's available, and being used in other professional sports, there is absolutely no excuse that someone grabbing someones jersey should be misunderstood as sticking their hand in their face.  Okay, that's out.  Detroit was only able to get the ball into the end zone once, and that was in the first quarter.  Matt Stafford came out slinging the ball, starting with a 66-yard flea-flicker pass that got the crowd in Lambeau quiet.  No one, and I mean no one (not even the Patriots) can rely on your kicker to win games when you're up against a team led by Aaron Rodgers.  Had they been able to punch the ball into the end zone at least a couple of the other times they entered the red zone, the referees bad calls would not have been an issue.  And, for the record, I'm not a fan of Booger McFarland.  When discussing the "hands to the face" penalties with the official in the booth, McFarland was almost argumentative, despite the official attempting to explain how quickly things happen and how easy it is to miss things.  Which brings this full circle to the first statements I made in this paragraph.

Games to watch this week...

Cardinals @ Giants — Not sure if this game will eventually mean something this season, but this does showcase two of the top young arms in the league, ones that we will be watching for years to come.  Kyler Murray in Arizona has shown some toughness, starting from opening day.  He's struggled, which is understandable, but he has not quit.  Now he's won two straight games.  Hope he can keep this up.  

David Jones is the new Eli Manning, or so Giants fans would have us believe.  He has played very well and is responsible for a couple of wins.  I think this will be a fun game and will go to whichever young quarterback makes the fewest mistakes.

Houston @ Indianapolis — The Colts have won four of their last five contests versus the Texans, including the playoffs.  Honestly, I think Houston is the better team this year.  Jacoby Brissett is playing well and has a good team around him, but I really like what I see Bill O'Brien doing in Houston.  Couple years ago I had them in the Super Bowl...not ready to go that far with them yet, but they should handle the Colts this week.  Interesting little note, too, this game features the last two teams the Chiefs played, in Arrowhead, and lost to.

Minnesota @ Detroit — The Vikings are riding high after their win against the Eagles last week.  The Lions are not happy with their loss Monday night.  This game has a lot of intrigue in that these are divisional rivals.  With Green Bay beating almost everyone they face, this could determine a wild-card game in January.

Baltimore @ Seattle — These are two very good teams.  Lamar Jackson is, so far, making good on his promise to lead the Ravens to the Super Bowl (yeah, I know, we still have a lot of games left) and Russel Wilson is, well, Russel Wilson.  Both of these very mobile quarterbacks will have the opposing defenses chasing them, or trying to stop them from making those amazing passes while running.

Philadelphia @ Dallas — This is the game of the week, being on Sunday night.  Two teams who hate each other.  No love lost here and they will both be fighting hard until there are nothing but zero's on the clock.  Can Dak Prescott rally his team to beat Carson Wentz and his?  Wentz got a monster deal in the off-season, which to me is kind of funny since he's not finished a season since he's been in the league.  Whereas, Prescott is waiting on the Cowboys to come up with a new deal so he can continue playing with the star on his helmet.

What to watch for...

Matt Bryant (Atl) can pass David Akers on the all-time points list by scoring just 5 points.

Frank Gore (Buf) needs 1 touchdown to pass Lenny Moore, Antonio Gates, and Adrian Peterson on the all-time touchdowns scored list.  Gore can also move past Barry Sanders to number 3 all-time with 189 rushing yards.

Adrian Peterson (Was) needs 119 rushing yards to pass Jerome Bettis on the all-time rushing yards list.  Also, Peterson is just 1 touchdown away from passing Frank Gore, Lenny Moore, and Antonio Gates for all-time touchdowns scored.

LeSean McCoy (KC) needs 104 rushing yards to pass Warrick Dunn for all-time rushing.

Terrell Suggs (AZ) can pass John Randall and Richard Dent with just 1 1/2 sacks this weekend against the Giants.

Week 6, 2019

The biggest news this week was, I think, the firing of Washington coach Jay Gruden.  Gruden had a losing record with only one playoff appearance during his tenure, that playoff game was a loss.  When asked about the firing, Jay's brother, Jon, coach of the Raiders, simply said, "Welcome to the club, bro."  In his place is former Raiders coach Bill Callahan.  Callahan took the Raiders to the Super Bowl the same season that Jon Gruden took the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Super Bowl, giving the Bucs their only championship.

Antonio Brown (Free Agent) is still trying to get money out of the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots.  He never played a down for Oakland and only played one game for New England.  Although I don't know for a fact, but I'm fairly confident that in his contract is language addressing personal conduct.  I really don't know what Brown is thinking.  Honestly, despite his talent, I'm glad he's currently out of the league.  I hope he's able to learn a lesson from all this.

Vontaze Burfict (Oakland) lost his appeal of the season-long suspension due to his continued ignoring safety rules the league has imposed.  Again, when we are violent at work, even if we work in a violent job, there are things to keep us in check and we all have repercussions for our actions.  The $4 million he's been fined so far apparently wasn't enough to help him realize he's has to play nice.

Games of the Week...

Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle — This was a fun game but gave the Rams their second straight loss.  Seattle has been on a tear since getting beat by New Orleans a couple weeks ago and their backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.  This game went down to the wire, kept me on my seat until the final field goal that was missed by the Rams.

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh — The Steelers have been reeling since losing Ben Roethlisberger to a season-ending elbow injury.  They stayed in the game with a very good and potent offense of the Ravens.  Starting second-string Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph was knocked out of the game, literally, and is now week-to-week on concussion protocol.  Baltimore is just a good team, probably the best in the AFC North division.

Chicago @ Oakland — This was the first game of the season that NFL is playing across the pond.  The Raiders seemed a lot more prepared than the Bears did.

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans — After the week the Buccaneers had last week in Los Angeles one would automatically think their fire would last another week.  Not so.  Bridgewater is earning himself a starting position with someone next season.  I think he's making himself the "Comeback Player of the Year" if he were to qualify.  He has this Saints playing some really good football without their fabulous Drew Brees.

Arizona @ Cincinnati — Kliff Kingsbury got his first NFL win playing at a very confused looking Bengals team.  I'm sure Zac Taylor will eventually be a good coach.  He can have the confidence that he works for an organization that kept Marvin Lewis around for more than a decade while he never won a playoff game.

Green Bay @ Dallas — Okay, first off, I stated this was in Green Bay in last weeks' blog.  My bad.  Honestly, though, it seemed the Packers were at home in the first half.  The Cowboys looked lost and flat.  One thing I learned, though, watching this game, Dallas doesn't quit.  They fought back and only lost by 10-points.

Cleveland @ San Francisco — A bludgeoning, spanking, complete disaster.  The Browns couldn't do anything against a very stout 49ers defense, and they couldn't stop a high-powered offense.  Maybe all the hype of Cleveland in the off-season was premature.  What I've seen is Baker Mayfield holding on to the ball too long, so it seems that perhaps their receiving corps needs something, or the offensive line needs to hold better.

Stats...

Had some computer issues that I'm still working through, so I won't be able to share any of that this week, but should be back and going next week.

Games of the week...

Philadelphia @ Minnesota — The Eagles have beaten who they need to, including the Packers, and are in the lead in the NFC East.  The Vikings, however, have had some issues with being consistent.  Their records are similar, but I'm not really sure the teams are themselves.

Houston @ Kansas City — The Texans have had some very good wins, scoring over 50 on the Falcons last week.  The Chiefs, however, were slowed way down by the Colts last Sunday night.  If Houston wants any chance to win this game, they will have to imitate what Indianapolis did on defense to keep Kansas City in check.

Detroit @ Green Bay — Oddly enough this could have huge implications for the division championship.  Currently the Lions are a game and a half behind the Packers.  Possibly the only real threat to Green Bay this season.  Really looking forward to this game.  It's Monday night, will be the only game on.  Should be good.

Week 5, 2019—More drama

****We at PIX are saddened by the passing of Arizona Cardinals owner Bill Bidwell.  He was a good example of a leader and family man.  Always known for his humor and friendliness, he will be missed by everyone in the football family.****

Imagine yourself at work, you're about to head into the break room for more coffee, when all of a sudden a co-worker runs at you and, with his head, hits you in the head then walks away laughing.  Do you think that co-worker would be employed by your company long?  Or even not have a police report filed against him?  That's exactly what happened on Sunday with Jason Doyle of the Indianapolis Colts.  After making a reception, Vontaze Burfict, recipient of over $4-million in fines over the course of his career, launched himself at Doyle as Doyle was getting up after making a catch.  Within a day the NFL suspended Burfict for the remainder of the season.  Can you imagine an unnecessarily violent person being allowed to be employed at your company after having so many things leveled against him?  Even a suspension would seem insignificant.  The NFL should suspend Burfict, not only for the season, but for life.  There is no place in the league for this kind of unruly behavior.  Yes, this is a contact sport and can sometimes have violent hits, but hits that are outside the rules of play, especially if they are deliberate, should not be tolerated.  We will see if the suspension holds for the entire year, or what happens.

Games of the Week:

Philadelphia @ Green Bay—This was a very entertaining game to watch last Thursday.  The Eagles decided they didn't want to look mediocre on a national platform so they went into Green Bay and squeaked by the Pack in a close game.  Both quarterbacks are good, one has time on his side, but this is going to be a fun rivalry as the years progress.

Kansas City @ Detroit—Patrick Mahomes did not have a touchdown pass for the Chiefs high-powered offense.  Matthew Stafford looked locked in.  I'm thinking this Chiefs team may be the best one we've seen with this regime.  Their defense was stingy and made heads up plays.  The Chiefs barely beat Detroit to remain undefeated.

New England @ Buffalo—Tom Brady was, well, Tom Brady.  Except he only scored 16 points on a clearly inferior Bills team.  Buffalo, however, didn't just roll over and quit, they had 10 points of their own and their defense at least slowed down the Patriots offense.  Prior to this game, the Patriots had averaged over 35-points per game.  So what Buffalo did was very impressive, and they're a young team.  I'd watch out for them to see what they can get done in the near future.

Dallas @ New Orleans—How 'bout those...wait, the Saints didn't score a single touchdown, yet held the Cowboys, who had averaged over 32-points per game, to just 10 and they beat them.  Kicker Will Lutz provided all the points for the Louisiana team, but the Saints defense held the Cowboys in check.  Even holding Ezekiel Elliott to a mere 1.6-yards per carry (not good, since he's now the highest paid running back in the NFL).

Games to Watch

Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle—Again we have a good game for the Thursday night lineup.  Seeing that these two teams are in the same division, this could have huge implications.  Two of the best young quarterbacks, one more mobile than the other, one more methodical.  This is a rivalry to watch, like Manning-Brady only we get to see it twice a year.  This could determine who wins the division, possibly a home field in the playoffs scenario, just lots to watch here.  This will be very exciting to watch.

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh—Only a rivalry interest here.  The Steelers are pretty pumped that their 2nd year quarterback Mason Rudolph, from Oklahoma State, won their first game for them on Monday night.  The Ravens, though, are pretty embarrassed by the shellacking they took Sunday at home, at the hands of the resurgent Browns.  I'm fairly confident that Baltimore will prevail in this, but it's always a good game.

Chicago @ Oakland—This is in London, that's always fun, but this is the first time that Khalil Mack will be facing his old team after he was traded in the 2018 off-season.  Will Derek Carr be running for his life?  Can the Raiders' offensive line be able to subdue a voracious Mack?

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans—A couple weeks ago this would not have as exciting as it is right now.  The Bucs scored more than half a hundred on the Rams last Sunday, in LA.  The Saints upset a potent Cowboys offense.  Another fun one, and could have playoff implications.

Arizona @ Cincinnati—Snoozefest?  Maybe.  My wife told me the other night that at lease someone from this game will have a win after this week.  I reminded her of the possibility that it could tie and we wouldn't know who was better.

Dallas @ Green Bay—Will the Cowboys drop their 2nd straight game?  Will Green Bay drop their 2nd straight game?  Including the NFL Playoffs the Packers have won 7 of their last 8 games against the Cowboys.  This will be a fun ride, and it's put in the late window on Sunday giving more people a chance to watch.

Cleveland @ San Francisco—I love how teams can grow and get exciting with the passing of time.  The Browns hurled over 40-points at the Ravens last week, while the Niners stopped a young Pittsburgh team two weeks ago, before their bye.  This is in the Bay, so I think San Fran has a slight advantage, but Cleveland demolished Baltimore at home, too.  Very excited to see this game.

Things that happened...

Matt Bryant (Atlanta) was not allowed to get the 5-points he needed to pass David Akers.

Frank Gore (Buffalo) who had a monster game against the Patriots, did not score a touchdown, so he's still waiting to pass Lenny Moore.

Terrell Suggs (Arizona) was not able to pass Jared Allen in career sacks, but he did tie him.  Another sack puts him at the #11 spot for career sacks.

Adrian Peterson (Washington) got enough yards to pass not only Edgerrin James, but also Tiki Barber on the all-time Scrimmage Yards rankings.  Currently he's #14 on that very impressive list.

Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona) passed Tony Gonzalez and is second only to Jerry Rice in receptions.  He's 223 away from the top spot, a very good couple of years, if he plays that long.

Robbie Gould (San Francisco) had the week off, so he wasn't able to climb his points ladder.

What to watch for...

Robbie Gould (SF) and Mason Crosby (GB) both have the opportunity to pass Norm Johnson for points scored, they each need 4-points.

Matt Bryant (Atl) needs 5-points to pass David Akers for points scored.

Frank Gore (Buf) needs 1-TD to pass Lenny Moore for scoring TDs.

LeSean McCoy (KC) needs 148-yards rushing to pass Warrick Dunn on the rushing yards list.

Terrell Suggs (Ari) needs just 1 sack to pass Jared Allen for all-time sacks.

Week 4, 2019

We talked a lot about injuries last week, with Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, and San Darnold in addition to Nick Foles out in Jacksonville.  Well of those four teams, two of them won.  Very impressive for those backup quarterbacks. 

Garden Minchew, who seems to have a huge fan base all of a sudden, lit up the Tennessee Titans last Thursday.  I feel bad for Foles since he was looking good at the start of the Kansas City game just before his injury.  But, maybe he will heal quick enough to get the Jaguars into the playoffs.

Mason Rudolph in Pittsburgh wasn't horrible, but his inexperience was obvious and the 49ers took advantage of that.  Teddy Bridgewater showed how he was able to be a starter in Minnesota for a couple of season, before a devastating injury. 

The Jets?  Well, they're the Jets.  They went up against Tom Brady and the Patriots and I'm sure hardly anyone gave them much of a chance to win that.  Patriots backup Jarrett Stidham got in a few reps in some mop up time at the end of the game.

The New York Giants benched Eli Manning in favor of rookie Daniel Jones.  Jones had a great game, leading Big Blue back over the Buccaneers and winning on a last second missed field goal by the Bucs.  All the headlines are now, "Ooooh here is the next franchise quarterback of the Giants," "This is the future of New York."  I was impressed by his performance, he even ran for two touchdowns.  Let's not forget this is one game.  The Giants were 0-2 coming into this contest and a good performance by a rookie, against a mediocre team, is not enough to start carving his bust for a spot in Canton.  Let's give him a few years and see how he does.  How many times have we seen a player have a great rookie season, or a few really good games, then we never hear about them again?  It happens a lot.  I hope the kid succeeds and I hope Eli is okay with the fact that he's older and it might be time to move on.

Results from last weeks games to watch

Minnesota pretty much manhandled Oakland the entire game.  The Raiders did their best but came up way short.  I'm curious if Raiders owner Mark Davis is starting to dread the 10-year contract they signed with Jon Gruden a couple years ago.  I've not seen any improvement in how they play or the results of the games, they are flat and play almost confused at times.  Great example of how blind one can be if they don't focus on what's really important.  I hope I'm wrong, I like Gruden, but I just don't really see him being successful with the Raiders (in Oakland or Las Vegas) this time around.

Kansas City with their young superstar Pat Mahomes and Baltimore with their young superstar Lamar Jackson.  I really thought this would be a game of the week and it didn't disappoint.  Mahomes just did what he does and gave Jackson a lesson in flight.  LeSean McCoy scored a touchdown on the ground and through the air.  The tools Mahomes has at his disposal are powerful...and he's getting another back in a few weeks, when Tyreek Hill gets healthy from a collarbone injury.

New Orleans and Seattle.  Teddy Bridgewater hadn't started an NFL game in a couple of years, but he came in, and in a hostile environment, and gave the Seahawks their first September loss at home under Pete Carroll.  Brees will be back in a month and a half or so, and Bridgewater will have earned himself a spot for next year to be a starter somewhere.

Los Angeles Rams are a really good team.  I don't think they are as good as they were last year, though.  Cleveland is a good team and I think they are better than they were last year.  A year ago the Browns would not have made this game as exciting as it was.  Just like everyone else I was very excited about Cleveland this year, but I think I'm a bit premature.  I don't think they're quite there yet, with the killer mentality of putting teams away down the stretch.  Maybe they can hit that later on this year, and if they do, watch out.

Games to watch:

Philadelphia @ Green Bay. Rarely do we get a good match up on Thursday nights.  But we do this week.  I think the Eagles will still be a bit thrown off by their loss to the Lions last week and won't be able to hold down the Packers offense, especially with what seems like a revitalized Aaron Rodgers behind center.  Also, this is the first game this season being broadcast on Amazon Prime, in addition to Fox and the NFL Network.  If you have access, watch via Prime and, using the language controls, listen to "Middle Earth" option (if it's still available).  The announcers are two guys that are undoubtedly very good at calling soccer games, but they are doing American football.  They are good and entertaining, just a different way to listen.

Kansas City @ Detroit.  Basically, we have two undefeated teams here (3-0 @ 2-0-1).  Matt Stafford has shown some guts and endurance this year so far, the Lions may give the Chiefs some trouble, but I don't think enough to keep the Chiefs from winning.

New England @ Buffalo.  Normally this wouldn't qualify for a "game of the week" type scenario.  But both teams are 3-0, for one that's not surprising.  For the other, this is a big deal.  I've always kind of liked the Bills and would love to see this fall their way...but I've learned the hard way, and many times, don't bet against the Patriots.

Dallas @ New Orleans.  Another great Sunday night matchup.  Initially when Brees went out I appreciated that Dallas would not have to face the Saints with Brees there.  But, as I stated earlier, Bridgewater has done a great job so far.  With that being said, Dallas is on a tear.  Yes, the first three opponents were not in the playoffs a year ago (Giants, Redskins, Dolphins) so do we really know what Dallas is made of?  This will be an exciting game to watch and see if the 'boys can hold onto the momentum they have.  This could also be a big game as the playoffs come around, playing away from home during the playoffs is daunting, so this could eventually affect a homefield advantage situation.

Things that happened...

Terrell Suggs, of the Cardinals, didn't get the 1 1/2 sacks he needed to surpass Jared Allen.

Frank Gore passed LaDanian Tomlinson and is now the #5 all-time scrimmage yard leader.  This is impressive, and Gore is showing there is still some life in his legs.

Adrian Peterson didn't get his 37-yards he needed Monday night, well, okay, yes, he got 37-yards rushing, but -3 receiving.  He also will have to wait until this Sunday against the Giants to see if he can get past Edgerrin James on the all-time scrimmage yards list.

Larry Fitzgerald did not get his 9 catches Sunday, but I'm positive he will this Sunday and he can pass up Tony Gonzalez on the all-time receptions list to #2

What to watch for this week...

Matt Bryant in Atlanta needs just 5-points to pass David Akers on the all-time points scored list.

Frank Gore needs just one touchdown to pass Lenny Moore and Antonio Gates on the all-time touchdowns list.

Terrell Suggs still needs his 1 1/2 sacks.

Adrian Peterson is hoping to get 4 scrimmage yards to get passed James.

Larry Fitzgerald needs 5 catches to pass Gonzalez.

Robbie Gould needs just 7-points to pass Norm Johnson on the all-time points scored list.

Week 3, 2019...a little more drama

Talk about how injuries can derail a season.  The Steelers Ben Roethlisberger is out the remainder of the season after injuring his throwing shoulder.  New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is out 6-7 weeks after tearing ligaments in his thumb.  The New York Jets have lost Sam Darnold for several weeks with mononucleosis, they are also without linebacker Jordan Jenkins.  But to lose a quarterback, the leader of your team, has got to be disheartening.  I never predicted the Steelers to have a lot of success this year, but losing their signal-caller is not what I had in mind.  The Saints I thought would do well...not sure about that now.  However, they are in a better position with Teddy Bridgewater under center than the 2nd year man Mason Rudolph will be calling plays.  We know about Nick Foles and Garden Minchew.  The Jaguars got a win this week with their new quarterback.

Okay, Antonio Brown spent 11-days with the New England Patriots and the team decided it was time to move on.  They are no nonsense and want to focus solely on football.  I'm convinced part of this decision came when the team had a recent press conference and head coach Bill Belichick kept getting asked about the sexual assault assertions by Brown.  The coach left after getting asked about Brown instead of football and what they are doing to prepare for the Jets this week.

Here are some of the games to look forward to this week:

Oakland @ Minnesota - These two teams are looking to rebound after having missed the playoffs last year.  The Raiders missed the year before, too, but Jon Gruden is looking to really put his stamp on the team and lead them to play late into January and, it is to be hoped, February.  The Vikings I think are realizing that Kirk Cousins isn't quite what they'd hoped he would be.  His record since playing is only 35-38-1, ranked 27th (based on winning percentage) among active quarterbacks.  I honestly doubt seeing Cousins in the backfield is going to do much to help the Vikes.

Baltimore @ Kansas City - The Ravens and Lamar Jackson have been on fire so far this season, against Miami and Arizona, teams that are not really that tough right now.  This I think will be his first real test of the season.  Patrick Mahomes, however, has already been lighting it up against some pretty good opponents, Jacksonville and the aforementioned Oakland Raiders.  Mahomes already looks like he's in midseason form and I honestly thing the Ravens will be more confused than anything trying to corral the Chiefs.

New Orleans @ Seattle - The long and short of this is...Seattle has their starting quarterback (Russell Wilson) and New Orleans is working with their backup quarterback (Teddy Bridgewater).  Seattle has surprised me, as they typically do, so having a backup quarterback, who used to be a starter for the Vikings, should not pose too much of a problem for them.  But, this is the NFL and Bridgewater is not a pushover.  Should be a really exciting game.

Los Angeles Rams @ Cleveland - I know, I know, this shouldn't be an exciting game.  But I am really looking forward to it.  The Browns opened up some last Monday, Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham really hit it off and we should start getting used to seeing that with these two.  The only worry I have is that Cleveland had trouble getting into the end zone against the Jets, so that may help the Rams out some.  Speaking of the Rams, they're a very good football team, I don't think as good as last year, but they're good.  Their defense, led by Aaron Donald, could get all up in Mayfield's face and cause lots and lots of problems with the passing game, while also disrupting the running.

A few things to look for this week...

With 1 1/2 sacks Terrell Suggs can tie Jared Allen for 11th all-time in sacks in the NFL.
If Frank Gore can earn 80 scrimmage yards against the Cincinnati Bengals he will pass LaDanian Tomlinson and become #5 in all-time scrimmage yardage leaders.
Adrian Peterson can surpass Edgerrin James with just 37 scrimmage yards, that would place him 15th all-time.
And, Mr. Larry Fitzgerald can pass Tony Gonzalez with 9 catches, making him SECOND all-time for receptions.

Have a great rest of your weekend and happy football watching tomorrow.

Week 2, 2019...lots and lots of drama.

We made it through the first week of the season.

Some excitement the day before the season started was Antonio Brown being released by the team he begged to be traded to, the Oakland Raiders.  Within hours of his being released the New England Patriots signed him.  Before Brown ever had the chance to don the Patriots jersey, however, a civil suit was filed stating he sexually assaulted his trainer three times.  Again, that's a civil suit, not a criminal charge.  No police reports, no DNA samples, no interrogations at the police department.  Will be interesting to see how the NFL handles this.  They were really wanting a nice year to celebrate their 100th season, but AB has loused stuff up.  Has to be someone, I suppose.

Big surprise in Cleveland on Sunday.  The Browns, who many were picking to go to the Super Bowl (yes, the Cleveland Browns) were blindsided by the Tennessee Titans.  I've never played sports on any level other than in the backyard or via a computer game, but I do know that sometimes getting knocked back to reality can be a good thing, especially for a young cocky team like the Browns were starting to be.  The Titans were all over Baker Mayfield on Sunday, not allowing him to have any clean reads down field.  It'll be interesting to see how he does this week against a New York Jets team that let the Buffalo Bills score the final 17-points of the game and rally to win 17-16.

The Dallas Cowboys looked like they are the team to beat in the NFC, with the exception that they played a New York Giants team in transition.  The Giants couldn't get a pass rush together and their secondary was flat.  Dallas had receivers open all afternoon, including Jason Witten, who decided to hang up his headphones for a helmet.  Looks like he hadn't lost a step.

On Sunday night, the New England Patriots came out and completely dismantled the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Ben Roethlisberger couldn't get anything going, while it seemed like Tom Brady could hit whatever he wanted to.  All off-season I've talked about how I didn't think Pittsburgh would be productive this year.  Based on reports I've read and heard, their locker room is divided and no one is really getting along.  I hope Pittsburgh rebounds, but they host the Seattle Seahawks this week and they will not make this easy.

A barn burner in the first Monday night game with the Houston Texans visiting Bourbon Street and the New Orleans Saints.  One of the most exciting games I've watched in a long time.  Saints kicker Will Lutz nailed a field goal as the clock hit triple zero's, giving the Saints a 30-28 win.  A fun game during week 2 is New Orleans going West to visit the Los Angeles Rams, the team that interfered with the Saints making the Super Bowl last February.  This should be an interesting game.

Here are a few of the match ups to anticipate during week 2:

Dallas @ Washington - this is always a fun game, even when one of the teams is down.  One of the biggest rivalries in pro-sports.

Seattle @ Pittsburgh - This is a rematch of a Super Bowl a few years ago, though the majority of the players on either side are not the ones that participated in that championship.  I know Roethlisberger is...both coaches are different, with Pete Carroll in Seattle and Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh.

New England @ Miami - I think what intrigues me the most on this game, is if the Dolphins can hold that high-octane offense of New England to under 50-points.

Jacksonville @ Houston - Nick Foles was injured early in the Jaguars game against Kansas City on Sunday, thus putting 6th round pick Gardner Minshew II, into the spot as starter until Foles is able to play again.  What I saw of Minshew on Sunday impressed me a lot and I will be interested to see how he handles himself against J.J. Watt and company.

Minnesota @ Green Bay - always a good game, much like the Dallas-Washington game.  It was last year playing against Minnesota that Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone and missed a huge chunk of the season.

The Sunday Night game features Philadelphia @ Atlanta - The Eagles have a quarterback in Carson Wentz that has yet to complete a season, but he's good when he plays.  The Falcons have a Super Bowl quarterback that can light it up.  They're playing indoors, so, theoretically, that should work to the Falcons' advantage...though it didn't help much last week against Minnesota.

Have a great week #2 and may your team win...unless they're playing my team.