2015 NFL Season Preview

            They should’ve handed it to Beast Mode. But nevermind that, we made it through another offseason & football is finally here. As always, there are many interesting headlines, questions & situations around the league so I’ll enlighten you all & do a division-by-division breakdown, including predictions on division winners and conclude with my playoff & Super Bowl picks.

Starting off with the AFC East:

1st) Patriots 11-5. Tom Brady da Don will be on the field in week 1 after his suspension was lifted. I had them winning 10 games with the suspension but Tom Brady is worth a few more wins by himself. They won’t repeat as Super Bowl champs but as long as they have Brady & Belichick, they’ll always be a winning team primed for the playoffs but my biggest concern is their defensive secondary. After losing Darrelle Revis & Brandon Browner, there are big holes back there.   

2^nd) Dolphins 9-7. As much as I want to say the Dolphins will top the Patriots & finish as the division winner for the first time since 2008, I don’t trust them. Miami had golden opportunities the last two years to get into the playoffs late but couldn’t finish the season off right and ended up with 8-8 records. I definitely like them to be a playoff team, they got too much talent not to be one. Ndamukong Suh, the biggest offseason prize in the league, will have a huge impact on the rest of the defense and will be vital in improving our run defense & pass rush. The offense is looking like the most dangerous Miami has had since the Ricky Williams & Chris Chambers days. The receiver unit is revamped with Kenny Stills, Greg Jennings, DeVante Parker & Cameron Jordan joining Rishard Matthews & Jarvis Landry. Ryan Tannehill will have a lot to work with. My biggest concerns are the depth & coaching, and can they stay consistent throughout the season?

3^rd) Bills 9-7. One thing I love about the Bills is their defense & new head coach, Rex Ryan. With Marcell Dareus & Mario Williams, they probably have the best defensive line in the league. Sammy Watkins, Percy Harvin, Charles Clay & LeSean McCoy are great weapons on the offensive side but just like last year, the quarterback position will make or break this team. Rex believes this team will have the most success with Tyrod Taylor under center.

4^th) Jets 5-11.  Defense will carry this team once again. They do have a few capable running backs that can carry the load on offense. Brandon Marshall fell off but can he return to being one of the best receivers in the league? Offensive line is a major issue & the quarterback situation is a clown show.

          AFC North

1^st) Steelers 11-5. Pittsburgh has 2 of the best weapons in the game. A majority of the offense will run through Antonio Brown & Le’Veon Bell. They’ll finish in first place once again in the strongest division in the league but can the defense keep up with the offense?

2^nd) Bengals 10-6. Ahh the Bengals. Great in the regular season but fold in the playoffs. Great on local tv but fold in national games. Made it into the playoffs each of the last 4 years but lost in the wildcard round each of the last 4 years. They’re a very strong team offensively & defensively and I believe they’ll make it into the playoffs for a 5^th straight year but if they don’t finish top 2 in the conference, can they finally make it of the wildcard round?

3^rd) Ravens 9-7. With Jim Harbaugh & Joe Flacco, the Ravens will always be contenders. Last year they finished with a 10-6 record but barely got in the playoffs despite a 3^rd place finish in a strong division. Facing a strong schedule, they’ll end up in 3^rd place again this year but will miss the playoffs. They’ll have to beat the Steelers & Bengals to have a chance.

4^th) Browns 6-10. My gut feeling is that the Browns will regress from last year. Can’t even lie, they have the talent. They can compete week in & week out and the defense is solid but they have major inconsistencies at quarterback. Gordon is suspended for the year so receiver depth is weak. I believe the offense should run through the running backs to have success.

          AFC South

1^st) Colts 12-4. One of the best quarterbacks in one of the best offenses in the league. T.Y. Hilton, Andre Johnson, Phillip Dorsett, Frank Gore, Dwayne Allen, Coby Fleener. Sheesh. Defense & the offensive line has to improve if they’re going to go back to the AFC championship game.

2^nd) Texans 7-9. The Texans went 9-7 last year while winning just 2 games the year before. That’s a huge improvement but they’ll regress this year due to injuries & the quarterback situation. Andre Johnson is gone but DeAndre Hopkins is good enough to hold it down. Arian Foster will miss some time & Brian Hoyer was just named the starter at QB. Defensive line will be the strong point of this team with JJ Watt, Vince Wilfork & a healthy Jadeveon Clowney.

3^rd) Jaguars 5-11. The Jaguars have been stuck in mediocrity for a long time now but I got them improving to win 2 more games than their 2014 season. The offense is taking strides in the right direction with newcomers TJ Yeldon & Julius Thomas. Add that with the Allen receivers & Blake Bortles and they should make some noise. Defense should be improved also but the biggest thing holding this team back is their offensive line, leading the league in sacks allowed last year with 71.

4^th) Titans 4-12. Marcus Mariota will make a difference in Tennessee but not enough to save one of the worst defenses in the NFL. They have an underrated WR core that can make plays, the running back position still has question marks and the offensive line must protect their rookie QB.

          AFC West

1^st) Broncos 11-5. The Broncos remind me of the L.A. Clippers. Successful in the regular season but underachievers in the playoffs. With Gary Kubiak on board as the new coach, will things change? The Broncos are one of the most talented teams in the league and it is a given that they will reach double-digits in wins, but will they achieve postseason success?

2^nd) Chiefs 9-7. The Chiefs are a good team with talent on both sides of the ball. Jamaal Charles is the focal point on offense & the defense is top-notch against the pass. But to be a playoff team, the wide receivers must get involved in the passing game and the defense has to apply more pressure against the run

3^rd) Chargers 8-8. Another good team in the West that could be a playoff team. Biggest concern about San Diego is their running backs, as they were among the worst in rushing yardage last year. Defense is solid & Phillip Rivers still has it in him for another playoff run.

4^th. Raiders 5-11. Baby steps. The Raiders are finally making good moves in the offseason and that is a good thing. 5 wins will be an improvement from last year. The offense was among the worst last year in total yards & points. They do have solid pieces in place on the defensive side but were last in points allowed in 2014.

          NFC East

1^st) Eagles 10-6. I see another 10 win season for Philly. Chip Kelly has made a ton of moves in the offseason to tailor the team to his liking. The Eagles look different, but might be even better than last year. Defense is solid…scary run game with 3 quality backs…will Sam Bradford stay healthy & be productive on his new squad?

2^nd) Cowboys 10-6. Was it DeMarco Murray or was it the offensive line? With Murray gone, the running backs unit is crowded but somebody will have to step up. Passing game is still potent, defense is average. Tony Romo is playing the best football of his career & should be able to lead his team to the playoffs again.

3^rd) Giants 9-7. Good on offense, bad on defense. That pretty much sums up this team. Defense has the talent so they must produce when it counts. Running backs as a whole are better than average in my opinion, I believe they’re good enough to get the job done. Which Eli Manning will they get this season?

4^th) Redskins 4-12. The Redskins are bad & that offensive line is looking even worse. One of the worst teams regarding turnover margin. They have talent on offense but they have to keep RGIII on his feet & RGIII (I don’t know if it’s his confidence, locker room issues, or lingering injuries) has to perform like a 1^st round pick. RGIII has been benched & Kirk Cousins was announced the starter. It was a make or break year for Robert Griffin but it looks like he won’t get the chance to prove himself. Whether it was truly the concussion or the perfect excuse to bench him, they have lost their patience & his time with the Redskins might be over.

          NFC North

1^st) Packers 13-3. They’ll finish the regular season with the best record. An all-around solid, talented team with not many weaknesses. Even though they lost Jordy Nelson for the year, I believe they’ll be able to overcome that setback & go deep into the playoffs.

2^nd) Vikings 9-7 I like Teddy Bridgewater & the Vikings this year. Teddy is a natural at QB with poise under pressure & a big arm. Team him up with AP, who he was missing last year, and they can do big things. The defense is solid and they’ll improve from last year’s 7-9 record. Borderline playoff team.

3^rd) Lions 8-8 They’re not reaching 11 W’s again this year. Still solid but missing a big piece of their defense, as Suh took off for Miami. So we’ll see how the defense responds without him. They still have Stafford & Megatron and Bell & Abdullah taking over the backfield so they can score better than the majority of teams in the NFL.

4^th) Bears 5-11 Chicago fell off bad (shouldn’t have fired Lovie Smith) after hiring Marc Trestman to take over last year. Issues with Jay Cutler & one of the worst defenses in the league got him fired and now John Fox is in charge. He has a tough job in fixing the defense & getting Cutler back to where he used to be. The talent is there on offense but moves will have to be made on the other side of the ball.

          NFC South

1^st) Falcons 10-6 With new coach, Dan Quinn, coming over from the Seahawks, the Dirty Birds will be one of the most improved teams in the NFL. His specialty is defense & I believe the defense will be a lot better than last year’s. Look for Julio Jones to put up another monster year.

2^nd) Saints 8-8 What did the Saints in last year was their defense. I believe this year will be more of the same. They also lost many key weapons on offense so Brandin Cooks & Mark Ingram will be more of a focal point on that side. Another average year.

3^rd) Panthers 7-9 Best defense in the division but, that offense will be their downfall. Holes in the offensive line, weak wide receiver depth, & major questions at running back (I don’t believe they can rely on Johnathan Stewart all season long.) Even worse is Kelvin Benjamin being out for the year.

4^th) Buccaneers 6-10 On paper, the Bucs are a good team. They have talent on both sides of the ball. Doug Martin had a great preseason, Vincent Jackson & Mike Evans will be clutch for Jameis, and Lovie Smith’s defense should be much better than last year. It all depends on how well Jameis Winston can transition to the NFL game in his rookie season.

          NFC West

1^st) Seahawks 12-4 I see another 12 win season for the Seahawks. I don’t see no reason why they shouldn’t make another deep playoff run. The nucleus of the team is still there, add the best tight end in the league after Gronk with Beast Mode & Russell Wilson, and you have a more potent offense than last season. Defense from the d-line to the secondary is the best in the NFL, but how will they respond after losing Dan Quinn?

2^nd) Cardinals 10-6 Another double-digit win season for Arizona. Defense will be among the best in the league and they excel in forcing turnovers. Biggest concern is Carson Palmer & if he can stay on the field to lead his team to another playoff run. Andre Ellington will also need to stay healthy. 

3^rd) Rams 7-9 I like the Rams this year & believe they will finish 3^rd in the division. A defensive line that can control the momentum of the game. Offensive line will need some work after allowing 40 sacks last year but they do have weapons on that side of the ball. Biggest factor for success is Nick Foles & Todd Gurley. Is Foles the real deal or can we just attribute his success in Philly to Chip Kelly? How much will Gurley be able to contribute in his rookie year?

4^th) 49ers 4-12 The worst offseason I can remember will bleed into the new season. The 49ers lost so much talent, including head coach Jim Harbaugh, I don’t think they’ll recover. They will finish last in the division. Now the biggest question is whether Colin Kaepernick will perform up to his $100 million contract after having a down year.

Playoff Predictions

AFC: 1) Indianapolis Colts 2) Pittsburgh Steelers 3) New England Patriots 4) Denver Broncos 5) Cincinnati Bengals 6) Kansas City Chiefs

On The Bubble: Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers

NFC: 1) Green Bay Packers 2) Seattle Seahawks 3) Philadelphia Eagles 4) Atlanta Falcons 5) Dallas Cowboys 6) Arizona Cardinals

On The Bubble: Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints

Super Bowl 50

Indianapolis Colts over the Green Bay Packers

University of Oregon Double Up

Oregon Men Celebrate after Wining National Title

With the collegiate track & field season officially over, we would like to send a huge congratulations to the University of Oregon’s men’s and women’s track teams for winning the NCAA Outdoor Championship! After catching all of the talent at the preliminaries a few weeks back, it is absolutely no surprise at the records and stats broken at the historic Hayward Field this past weekend. While we had our eyes set on the Gators taking home the big win, they still had some stellar performances. That really goes for a lot of the schools that came out to compete. Just a few weeks ago, professional sprinter Justin Gatlin set the Hayward record for the 200 meter with his 19.68 finish at the Prefontaine Classic. That record has since been broken with the University of Southern California’s Andre De Grasse took the first place win with a 19.58 finish! And he wasn’t the only sprinter to hit a sub-20 run this weekend! Baylor University’s Trayvon Bromell and Florida’s very own Dedric Dukes closed the race in 19.86, with fraction of a second between their third and second place wins respectively. De Grasse also took home the title for the 100-meter sprint, finishing in just 9.75 seconds and breaking the collegiate, NCAA meet, and Hayward Field records all at once. Jumper Marquis Dendy successfully defended both of his titles in the long and triple jump! Go Gators! And of course, we can’t forget about the most exciting events, the 4x100 and 4x400 relays. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see our Gators take the title, but Arkansas took home a win for the first time which helped them finish the meet in third place, just behind our Gators in second.

Andre De Grasse winner of the 100 & 200m

                Although they didn’t win the meet, University of Kentucky’s women’s squad pulled a close runner up to Oregon. Their most notable performances came from sprinter Dezerea Bryant and hurdler Kendra Harrison. Dez is one of my personal favorites on the track and definitely left all her troubles on the track as she went 22.18 in the last 200-meter sprint of her collegiate career. In the short-hurdles, Kendra Harrison finished both the indoor and outdoor seasons undefeated! An elite hurdler, Harrison’s winning time of 12.55 was just another contribution to her title as the third-fastest hurdler in NCAA history. Of course, we can’t forget about Jenna Prandini, one of Oregon’s top performers, taking the 100-meter title, securing her teams lead in the meet. Also contributing the Lady Duck, distance runner Raevyn Rogers took the win with a 1:59.71 finish in the 800-meter race. Although our Lady Gators did not come out on top in the individual events, they managed to pull of two championship wins in both the 4x1 and 4x4 relays.

Women National Champ: Oregon Ducks

                With the season now over, the NCAA’s elite athletes will prepare for their final bid at the USA Outdoor Championships back in Eugene, Oregon at end of the month. Big congratulations to all of the athletes finishing their collegiate careers and graduating from college! To the seniors, best of luck in your endeavors as we look forward to the 2016 Summer Olympic Games!

           --solementality

Tannehill Rob the Dolphins for $100 Million

The NFL is not the same as it was 10-15 years ago. The Quarterback and passing game is what makes the game interesting. Quarterbacks such as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are consistently elite no matter what type of team is put around him. The next tier of QB’s can be put in any order whether its Eli Manning, Drew Brees or Tony Romo, etc. In recent years, teams are awarding this prominent position with $100 million contracts for mediocrity. Andy Dalton just received one before he won a playoff game, even though he put his team in the playoffs since entering the league it hasn’t translated into any success. 

Ryan Tannehill received a multi-year $96 million contract from the Miami Dolphins, with $45 million guaranteed. He doesn’t deserve this large amount of money this early in his career. I have heard every argument as to why he deserve this contract. My co-worker says he has gotten better every year and this is the first stable QB since they had Marino. I counter that by saying YES, he has improved statistically but does that equate to w’s in the win column. No, the dolphins have been on the verge of the playoffs the last two seasons. Coming up short both years. 

 Now I agree he does deserve to be given an extension and this helps them dictate the market since the contracts of Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson to be done soon. I thought the NFL was a league of results once you make it in the NFL. Players are drafted because off of potential and growth but this type of investment should be based on the end result of the overall team. Dolphin fans will be paying close attention to the play of Tannehill this year. Any regression from last year will have the dolphins choice to pay him this money to be questioned throughout the league. 

Free Tim Tebow: Why isn't he in the NFL?

by: Sole Mentality 

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2 BCS National Championships, 2 SEC Championships, 2x First-team All-American, 3x First-team All-SEC, 2x Maxwell Award, 2007 AP Player of the Year, 2007 Quarterback of the Year, 2008 SEC Offensive Player of the Year, 2008 Manning Award, and the first sophomore ever to win the Heisman Trophy. With a resume like this, one would think that any college football player would find instant success in the NFL. But this wasn’t the case for University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. 

 

Despite starting his college career as a second string to Chris Leaks, Tebow took every opportunity given to make significant contributions to his Florida Gator team. Game after game, Tebow rushed for more yards and even managed to finish against the LSU Tigers accounting for every Florida touchdown. Tebow’s outstanding performance helped secure the 2007 BCS National Title for the Florida Gators. Hard work definitely paid off for Tebow as he was named Florida’s starting quarterback for the 2007 season. In their season opener against Western Kentucky, he led his Gator team to a 49-3 victory over the Hilltoppers. Completing 13 of 17 passes, Tebow threw 300 yards and 3 touchdowns before the game was called to an end due to inclement weather. In their yearly matchup with long-standing rival Florida State, Tebow and the Gators defeated the Seminoles 45-12. That night he scored a total of five touchdowns, two of which were in the first quarter. Although the Gators finished the season with a 9-4 record, Tebow had the second highest passing efficiency in the country at 177.8 and of course, the Heisman. Tebow’s college career came to a close at the end of the 2009 season, where the Gators finished 13-1. He held 5 NCAA, 14 SEC, and 28 UF stat records. In 2010, Tim Tebow entered the 2010 NFL Draft.

 

Many critics remained skeptical of Tebow’s ability to perform in the league, but in April, the Denver Broncos drafted him in the first-round. There was undoubtedly something about Tebow that somehow crowned him “comeback king,” rescuing his team from deficits week after week. You might even think it earned him a bit of security with the Denver Broncos considering he helped them win their first AFC West title since 2005, but it didn’t. After all, can you really blame the Broncos for wanting Peyton Manning? They took a huge risk in signing him while recovering from a serious spinal surgery, and in retrospect, it was a risk worth taking for Denver. There isn’t much else to say about Tim Tebow’s NFL career after being cutfrom the Broncos. I think Tebow fans and his critics would agree that his career was short-lived and disappointing. But this shouldn’t really be a surprise to anyone that knows football. Let’s face it, Tim Tebowisn’t an NFL quarterback, he’s an NCAA quarterback at best. 

 

By definition, a quarterback serves as the leader of the offensive line and more importantly, distributor of the ball. He studies film, knows the game, controls the pocket, can read defensive plays, stays calm under pressure, and motivates his team. But the skillset required to succeed in the NCAA differs greatly from that of the NFL and is probably one of the biggest reasons Tebow never found the success most people expected him to. While Tebow has demonstrated that he can lead and motivate his team, he lacks the essential mechanics that truly make up an NFL quarterback: pocket presence and passing accuracy. These are arguably two of the most needed qualities to even consider a career as an NFL quarterback. From the moment the ball is snapped, the quarterback usually has less than 3 seconds til his pressure starts breaks down; he has to make a move. He needs impeccable timing paired with a keen sense of awareness to ensure passing accuracy and avoid being sacked. If you’ve ever seen Tebow in the pocket, you can see the confusion and frustration in his face. He has a hard time reading defenses and it explains why he is so easily sacked. What’s probably most frustrating for any coach is accepting his lack of quarterback skills despite his athletic ability. Compare Tebow against a QB like Peyton Manning and he is definitely more athletic. But what makes Peyton the quarterback we love and respect is his ability to get the ball to his receivers consistently and efficiently. By no means am I saying that Tebow shouldn’t be in the league. He has a build and athleticism that would make him highly competitive on the field, but not as a quarterback. When scouts show up at combines and pro-days, they look for collegiate players that show promise when analyzing their technique. The professional league is about refining your skill, not finding it. Coaches want players with skills and techniques that can be built upon through great coaching and training. Of course some people will argue, probably Gator fans, “but Tebow scores points!” and he has an extensive record of doing so. There are plenty of QB’s in the league that have abandoned the historically pocket dominating style of most QB’s in favor of rushing the ball. Mike Vick is a perfect example. When he started with the Atlanta Falcons, he was one of, if not the, most mobile QBbut he struggled to pass in the pocket. In time he developed the ability to watch the field while maintaining accurate releases. All these skills fit together like pieces of a puzzle and that’s what makes a great pro quarterback. If Tebow really wanted to play professional football, he would be open to playing in other positions. He could build a great career at HB or tight end. But Tebow’s dream is to bean NFL quarterback, and that’s really why he isn’t in the league.

While the future of Tim Tebow’s career as an NFL quarterback remains unclear, one thing is for certain, the media frenzy surrounding him does not help his case. Since college, his faith has been a hot topic for every media outlet. In fact, much of his professional shortcomings were overshadowed by the godly pedestal society placed him on. In 2009, reporter Clay Travis asked Tebow on national television about his virginity, a question that stirred up quite a controversy. Tebow’s faith ultimately became more important than the aspects of his life that actually mattered, like why his passing accuracy was so poor and what he was doing to strengthen his weaknesses. This week alone, Tebow’s attendance at a Philadelphia Eagles workout generated as much noise as Jameis Winston’s decision to skip out on the NFL Draft And for that reason, signing Tebow could create a major headache for any PR team. That may not be a risk an NFL team is willing to take considering what he brings to the table.

 

With all of the speculations surrounding Tebow’sslim chance of getting picked up by a team, there’s still no guarantee that he’ll be signed. Although yesterday’s workout session didn’t end in his favor, at least he’s getting something he hasn’t had – a chance. We’ll see exactly what he does with it in the weeks to come.