FMQB: Memes Galore!

Posted by fmquarterback on January 18, 2019
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FMQB: Memes Galore!

I fared a bit better this week, going 3-1 on picks. I did pick the Chargers to upset the Patriots, which looked like the most lopsided affair of the weekend. Lack of first downs and losing the time of possession battle again seemed to dominate all 4 games. Only 3 football games left in the year, get your gumbo ready! Also, despite only 4 games there was a meme explosion this week, but people seem to like that so I’m not holding back!

 

Highlights:

  • The Chiefs look like they’re hardly missing Kareem Hunt. They rushed for 180 yards and 4 TD’s
  • Adam Vinatieri’s 2 close misses were shocking. Should have been an easy 4 points on the board. Despite the final, that changes the entire game, and Indy is within one score late in the 4th.
  • Rams drives ended in FG, FG, TD, TD, missed desperate FG, FG, TD, Punt, TD, End of game
  • As I predicted, the winner of the rushing battle won Dal vs LAR. The Rams held Zeke to 47 yards rushing, while the Rams scored a playoff franchise record with 273 yards; both CJ Anderson and Todd Gurley breaking 100.
  • Chargers Patriots started off hot with 3 straight TD’s, but the game was out of hand incredibly quickly. The Pats scored TD’s on 5 of it’s first 6 drives.
  • I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a better in game adjustment than what the Saints did to the Eagles. Usually it’s a tale of two halves, but somehow Sean Payton flipped the script with no time to plan after the 1st quarter
  • Once again, everybody and their grandma knows that Brees is looking to Michael Thomas. Double team the guy already! 12 catches, 171 yards and a TD. He also converted a 2nd and 20 and several key 3rd downs.
  • Their fake punt on their own 30 yard line completely changed the game for New Orleans

 

Stat of the Week:

The Rams scored 30 points, and the Chiefs 31, yet Jared Goff and Patrick Mahomes both had 0 TD passes. Playoff football people

 

Stat of the Week #2:

The Chiefs outgained the Colts 185-12 yards in the 1st quarter. Andrew Luck didn’t complete a pass until the 2nd quarter

 

Stat of the Week #3:

The Rams high flying offense was shifted to 48 rush attempts vs 28 pass attempts.

 

Stat of the Week #4:

Julian Edelman is now 2nd on the list of most postseason receptions. And a mere 2/3 of the way to breaking Jerry Rice

 

Stat of the Week #5:

Patriots had more 1st downs by halftime (21) than the Chargers had run plays (20)

 

 

Mindboggling Stat Time:

  • Mark Sanchez has more road playoff victories (4) than Tom Brady does (3).
  • Tom Brady is playing in his 13 AFC Championship games in 17 seasons. That shouldn’t happen in today’s age of sports
  • Patriots will be in their 8th straight AFC Championship game, will go for 9th Super Bowl appearance in 18 years; again, unheard of
  • Tony Romo is 5th all time for highest passer rating. Higher than Peyton Manning, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Brett Favre, Elway, Unitas, Starr, Aikman…you name it. Kirk Cousins is also #8, and beats out that entire list except for Manning.
  • This is the first AFC Championship game that has been hosted at Arrowhead. That’s mind boggling to me.

 

 

For the Record:

  • Rigoberto Sanchez may be the coolest name in the NFL. Seattle’s Barkevious Mingo is a close 2nd though
  • Bears fans went 0-101 on kicking a 43 yard field goal.
  • There is something up with the Steelers organization, which I thought I’d never say in my lifetime. First LeVeon Bell, now Antonio Brown. Both are divas, sure, but one has to wonder.
  • Patrick Mahomes is not one of those divas. He was in the final pile pushing his RB in for the TD. But what the heck, his center jumped on top of his own QB and nearly broke his leg, did anybody else see that?
  • Where did Sony Michel come from??? Belichick always has this innate ability to have a player who was rather unknown in the regular season light it up in the playoffs. Remember Jonas Grey, James White, Kevin Faulk?
  • Gutsiest call of the week wasn’t the fake punt, it was the Rams going for it on 4th and Goal from the 1, up 8 with 7 minutes left.

 

Championship Predictions:

So I’m pumped for the divisional round. You have 2 of the “next generation” QB’s in Goff and Mahomes against your 1st ballot hall of famers Brees and Brady. Then you have 4 premier coaches in McVay, Reid, Payton and Belichick; who can out coach the other? With all the craziness, comebacks, upsets, etc. it’s fitting that the top 4 teams are here. We could have fast forwarded from Week 7 and not been surprised to see this. I am going with my heart on this one with the fair assessment that I will likely not go 2-0, so just know that. Let’s take a look at possible Super Bowl Matchups, and some intriguing storylines we would have in each one.

 

Chiefs vs. Rams– What arguably was the best regular season game in the history of the NFL, it would be incredible to see a rematch on neutral ground. Both teams are different, and likely wouldn’t have 105 points scored again, but then again in a dome who knows! The Rams and Chiefs also have a pseudo rivalry, and used to play every preseason game for the Governor’s Cup when the teams were on the opposite sides of Missouri. Plus the 2 young QB’s would be fun to watch.

 

Chiefs vs. Saints- Probably the most likely scenario, and in an unbiased approach, I’m ok with that! This would be the shootout possibility game, and likely the only matchup between Brees and Mahomes. Andy Reid vs. Sean Payton, two of the premier coaches in the league who take chances would duke it out. This would be a fun one!

 

Patriots vs. Rams- Would take many fans back to their roots. It would be fitting to have a Super Bowl rematch, and would bookend Brady’s career. He beat the Rams to win his first Super Bowl at age 23, and now that he’s 41 he’d have a chance to repeat. It would also be really fun to see McVay vs. Belichick to see who could outwit the other. Unfortunately this would require 2 upsets and is fairly unlikely.

 

Patriots vs. Saints- This could have some intrigue as well, with Payton vs. Belichick, and Brees vs. Brady. Possibly the last chance for one of the old farts to win the big game.

 

Predictions:

Patriots vs. Chiefs is a rematch of the Sunday night game early in the season. The Pats won that shootout 42-40, but expect an entirely different game. Kickoff temps are popping up into the 20s, but that still means a heavy run game; something both teams excelled in last week. I think this is a lower scoring affair, and my gut is telling me the Patriots will take them down again, but picking Chiefs 24, Patriots 20.

 

Rams vs. Saints is another rematch of a crazy game that ended up 45-35. This is the game Michael Thomas exploded for 211 yards, and words were said at the end by Marcus Peters. I do see this one potentially being a shootout, but have the running game actually be present in this one. I hate to do it, I HATE to do it, but I’m picking the Saints ☹. I think they’re too much for the Rams to handle, and on the road. But have NO 34, LAR 28.

 

 

Memes of the Week:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Jokes just write themselves on this next one…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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FMQB: Wild Card Recap

Posted by fmquarterback on January 11, 2019
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FMQB:

Well, I was 1 for 3 last week, so take everything that I say with a grain of salt. Although to be fair, 3 road teams won and we have 4, 5, 6, and 6 seeds advancing, and I can’t tell you the last time that’s happened.

 

Wildcard Highlights:

 

  • Indy got off to one of the hottest playoff starts I’ve ever seen, and went radio silent after. Still enough to beat a division rival on the road
  • Dak isn’t know for being a runner, but he had a few clutch ones to seal the deal. Zeke also went off for 137 yards
  • Chargers vs. Ravens was just a weird game altogether. The first half was brutal to watch, and the Ravens didn’t do anything until the 4th quarter. I can’t believe they had a chance to win/tie it.
  • I keep seeing Nick Foles and telling myself “he’s JUST a backup QB.” And everytime I say that, he wins a game. The final drive was intense, especially on 4th down to win the game.
  • Wow, the hatred towards Cody Parkey was swift! Good catch for fans and the NFL to see the kick was “blocked” (moreso tipped) and change it. It wasn’t his fault people.
  • I hate icing the kicker, but this time it worked
  • This was the first full game of Lamar Jackson I saw, holy cow is he fast! He needs to work on ball security though, 3 fumbles and a pick.
  • I’m high on the Eagles, but they also have zero run game which is a detriment in the playoffs.

 

 

Stat of the Week:

With 9:02 left in the 4th quarter, the Ravens only had 3 first downs and -2 yards passing.

 

Stat of the Week #2:

Cody Parkey hit the post on 6 kicks this season. That HAS to be some sort of record

 

Stat of the Week #3:

The Chiefs are 1-4 in the playoffs under Andy Reid, and have lost 6 straight playoff games at home

 

Stat of the Week #4:

The Cowboys on the other hand haven’t won a road playoff game in 26 years.

 

Stat of the Week #5:

The Patriots are favored by 4. The only other time they’ve been favored by 4 or less in a home playoff game, they lost by 19 points

 

Stat of the Week #6:

The Colts rushed for 200 yards on Sunday

 

For the Record:

  • Since being cut by the Bears for being “too expensive,” Robbie Gould has made 82 of 85 FG’s.
  • I realize that Janikowski got hurt, but what the heck was with that final onside kick?
  • Jerry Jones just bought a 119 yard long yacht. He spent more on the boat than he did on the Cowboys.
  • BUT, for the record. Parkey had 9 points in the game while the rest of the Bears offense had 6. A little hard to blame him for that loss.
  • It’s Playoff football: All 4 winning teams also won time of possession and had more rushing attempts than the loser
  • AHHHH, Allen Hurns’ injury was gnarly. Had me squirming in my chair.

 

Motivation:

Saints coach Sean Payton wheeled in a cart with $225,000 (Super Bowl bonus money), the Lombardi Trophy, and 4 armed security guards into the locker room. He pointed at it and said “Y’all want this? Go win 3 f-in games.” And apparently the locker room went nuts! I’d be scared if I was any team in the NFC at this point. Afterwards, he had the trophy taken away, pointed at the money, and said “Y’ll want that? Go knock Nick Foles out of the game…” Ok, that last part didn’t actually happen.

 

Seriously?
I’m pulling for the Colts this year, but if there’s a team that epitomizes the “participation trophy” mindset, it’s this team. They have a banner flying inside that says 2014 AFC Finalist, because they made it to but lost the AFC Championship game (cmon, you’re two wins away from hanging any sort of banner). Now after they beat the Texans on Sunday, they have a 1-0 flag flying outside.

 

Coaching carousel:

Quick thoughts on coaches. Teams are definitely falling in love with the Sean McVay blueprint. The young, vibrant, energetic, offensive geniuses who will work their tails off but be the player’s friends. Matt LaFluer got hired for the Packers with 1 year of experience as an OC on a team that didn’t even make the playoffs. Rams QB coach is also in the fray for the Dolphins job, and Freddie Kitchens got the Browns job; both completely skipped the OC level and went straight to head coach. I’d say I’m shocked that Mike McCarthy didn’t get a role. Super Bowl winning coach can’t beat out Adam Gase who took the Dolphins to the playoffs 1 out of 3 years? Even Kevin Stefanski, the Vikings OC for a whopping 4 games who couldn’t close out the deal was getting interviews. Or Kliff Kingsbury who just got fired from Texas Tech but is good enough for an NFL head coaching job. I think the Rams struck gold, and other teams are trying to do the same but will likely end up having inexperienced coaches drag their teams down for 2+ years.

 

Divisional Round:

Wild Card round always lives up to the name, but the Divisional round is when the NFL comes back down to earth and the favorites typically win. With as many low seeds in it this year, I’m surprised to say this but I can truly see any of the teams winning, and it’s rare to say that. That being said, here’s my thoughts on this weekend:

 

Colts at Chiefs: Rematch of that crazy comeback playoff game from a few years back. I think the Chiefs are going to be too much for the Colts at the end of the day. I think the Colts hang in there until close to the end, but have KC 38, IND 24

 

Cowboys at Rams: It’s all going to come down to who can stop the run. In my mind it’s Zeke vs. Gurley in this game. Whoever has more total yards from scrimmage wins the game. Of the 3 options, as a Rams fan I wanted to face the Cowboys (over the Bears or Seahawks), but this is a tough matchup. The Rams run D struggles, and they’re playing the league’s leading rusher. Ultimately I think the Rams sneak one out, but this could go south. LAR 27, DAL 24

 

Eagles at Saints: The Eagles got crushed 48-7 earlier this year, but it was a different QB and a different team mindset. I’m going to do it again though, and pick against Nick Foles. I see the Saints cruising 38-24.

 

Chargers at Patriots: This is the only upset I have of the weekend. I think the Chargers could beat anybody in the AFC, and while I still have the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, they can take them down on the road too. I’m shooting for an AFC Championship rematch between the two. I also think the Patriots snuck into the #2 seed, and this was their last year of dominance (if you can call 11-5 dominant). But it’ll be close, and Chargers will score on the final drive to take it, SAN DIEGO 30, Pats 28.

 

Memes of the Week:

 First one took me a bit but was my favorite 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FMQB: Season Finale

Posted by fmquarterback on January 4, 2019
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FMQB: Season Finale

Alright, it’s Playoff time!!! Time for the most exciting time of the season, although we’re down to the final 11 games ☹. First, let’s take a quick look at the season as a whole.

 

Week 17 highlights:

  • The Lions schellacked the Packers in Lambeau. Rodgers went down with a concussion. Not a good way to end the season.
  • Not sure why the Cowboys played their starters throughout the game when they had nothing to gain or lose. But heck of a final drive and fnal play on 4th down.
  • The Vikings had an amazingly disappointing season, especially with supposedly making an upgrade at QB. Although letting Case Keenum walk is looking like a better idea.
  • I realize the idea of flexing a “Winner is in, loser is out” game, but having Mariotta out of the game made the end of the season truly anticlimactic. Ravens would have been the ideal game.

 

Crazy Thought of the Season:

After Week 10, 5 of the 12 eventual playoff teams had a losing record.

 

Stat of the Week #1:

Nick Foles is 4-1 as a starter this year, Carson Wentz is 5-6.

 

Stat of the Week #2:

There were 20 1,000 yard receivers, and only 9 1,000 yard rushers this year.

 

Stat of the Week #3:

Travis Kelce set the NFL record for receiving yards by a Tight End. The record stood for 55 minutes, until George Kittle surpassed Kelce and has the new record with 1,377 yards.

 

Stat of the Week #4:

Drew Brees broke the passing completion % record, for the 4th time in his career!!! He completed 74.4% of his throws, and has 4 of the 5 best season regarding percentage.

 

Stat of the Week #5:

In saying that, Brees failed to throw for 4000 yards for the first time since 2005, when he was still a Charger.

 

Stat of the Week #6:

Julio Jones didn’t score a TD until November 4th, but ended the season with 8

 

Stat of the Week #7:

The Lions have now beaten the Packers 4 times in a row, it’s their first 4 game win streak in the series since 1983.

 

Stat of the Week #8:

The Refs broke a record for assessing 3,447 penalties in 2018, which average 7.95 flags per game (I call BS, I’ve seen 7.95 flags in the 1st quarter of some games).

 

Stat of the Week #9:

Patrick Mahomes ended up with 5097 passing yards (8th most all time), 50 TD’s (2nd most), 12 INT’s, and a 113.8 passer rating (good for 8th best all time).

 

Stat of the Week #10:

Saquon Barkely had 352 touches, 2,028 total yards, 15 TD’s and 0 Fumbles. All with the 27th best offensive line. Holy cow!

 

Stat of the Week #11:

Phillip Rivers broke Mark Brunell’s consecutive completion record that stood for 15 years. 4 weeks later, Nick Foles tied that mark with 25 straight completions.

 

Vikings Crash and Burn:

Yours truly was at the Vikings game to see their season come to an end. It was an awesome atmosphere until about halfway through the 1st quarter. Typical Minnesota fans, you could almost feel the disappointment in the air knowing that they weren’t a match for the Bears. It wasn’t a flashy game, but the Bears defense is legit. I also could not see the Cousins Theilen incident from my seats, but not surprised at all of the frustration.

 

Quote of the Week:

“We’re gonna get crushed” Vikings fan behind us, after the 3rd play the Bears had on offense

 

Quote of the Week #2:

“KIRK COUSINS, YOU OWE ME $84 MILLION DOLLARS!!!” Vikings fan

 

Seriously?

The Patriots gave their game ball to retiring referee Walt Coleman. Same ref who did the Tuck Rule game. The jokes just write themselves folks

 

For the Record:

  • The Cowboys ended the season on a 7-1 stretch (only loss to the Colts), while the Colts ended on a 9-1 streak.
  • The Bills won 4 of their last 7, and the Browns 5 of their last 7.
  • The longest win streaks to end the season were from the Bears, Colts, Ravens, Eagles, and Falcons. Weird group.
  • Watching the Steelers actively cheering for the Browns made me sick, and I’m not a fan of either team
  • 3 Teams scored within the final minute of the game, and chose to go for the win and go for 2. Teams went 2 for 3 in those situations, and the 2 teams that were successful (Chargers and Cowboys) are in the playoffs, while the one who wasn’t (Titans) ended up 1 game short.
  • The only game that DeShone Kizer has played in and resulted in a win, was the Week 1 comeback against the Bears (led by Aaron Rodgers). The other 17 games have been losses.

 

Wild Card Preview!

Wild Card week tends to offer crazy upsets, comebacks, and then lame blowouts.

 

Colts at Texans: These teams know each other and have played twice this year. Teams are 1-1 with the road team winning both games. I think the Texans buck the trend and win at home. I know the Colts are hot, but I don’t think this is their year. Texans 27, Indy 20.

 

Seahawks at Dallas: They played in Week 3 (this was the infamous middle finger game). I know Dallas is hot, but they’re also cursed in the playoffs. Seattle 23, Dallas 20.

 

Chargers at Ravens: This is a rematch of Week 16, where the Ravens won on the road. This is my upset pick of the weekend, and I think the Chargers offense gets revenge and Lamar Jackson makes rookie mistakes. SuperChargers 27, Ravens 16.

 

Eagles at Bears: The Bears defense is just too strong. At somepoint Nick Foles has to run out of magic, and I think it’s this game. I think Trubisky actually does pretty well in his first playoff game, and Bears with 31, Philly 21.

 

If All Goes to Plan:

Assuming (and that’s a big assumption) that these predictions hold true, next week’s games would be Chiefs vs. Chargers round 3, and Texans at Patriots. NFC would be Rams vs. Bears (ugh) and Saints vs. Seahawks. Let’s see how I do.

 

 

FMQB: Packerland

Posted by fmquarterback on December 28, 2018
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FMQB: Packerland

Bittersweet time, it’s the final week of the season! The stakes are finally here, but the games we get are also limited. 20 teams’ seasons end on Sunday.

 

Highlights:

  • The Titans snuck out a win after Mariotta went down to stay in the playoff hunt
  • I didn’t expect Ravens over Chargers on the road. Lamar Jackson isn’t putting up exciting stats at all, but they’re doing enough to win
  • Nick Foles has now also “shocked” the Texans to keep the Eagles in contention
  • I took a nap when the Packers were down 35-20, and woke up hearing they won the game in OT
  • Saints vs Steelers was the game of the week. Steelers totally had that game, but had 2 fumbles and a turnover on downs in the 4th quarter.
  • Mahomes vs. Wilson as also a good matchup, and it stinks we get that once every 4 years

 

Stat of the Week #1:

Christian McCaffery now has most receptions for a RB with 106

 

Stat of the Week #2:

Eli Manning has more passing yards this year than Drew Brees

 

Stat of the Week #3:

There have only been 9 seasons of 5000+ passing yards (Drew Brees has 5 of the 9). And only 5 QB’s have hit the mark. We’re about to get 2 more on that list, with Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes less than 200 yards away

 

Stat of the Week #4:

Adrian Peterson just went over 1000 yards for the 8th time in his career, and the first time since 2015.

 

Stat of the Week #5:

In games where he started and finished, DeShaun Watson has not lost by more than 1 TD since he was a sophomore in high school.

 

For the Record:

  • Panthers were once 6-2, and are now in last place in their division
  • The Browns actually have a chance to finish above .500!
  • By this time 72 hours from now, likely 4 coaches won’t have a job anymore
  • 7 of the 10 Giants’ losses have been within a score.
  • Lamar Jackson is now 5-1 as a QB, and has taken down the Chargers and nearly the Chiefs
  • The Steelers celebrating fake punt that came up short was embarassing

 

Hit of the Season:

The hit of the season was just put on by a kicker…proof of how bad the new defensive rules have become. But dang, look at this! If you want a metaphor to how the Panthers’ season is going, it’s here: https://twitter.com/SBNation/status/1076919562715742208

 

What to watch for:

The NFC is fairly set, all 4 division winners are known. Only the Patriots have the division in the AFC, while the other 5 teams have some crazy volatility! Houston could be the #1, 3 or 6 seed, or the Chargers could also be set at #5, but jump up to #1. Even the Titans, which are currently the #7 seed, could secure a first round bye or miss out entirely.

Colts at Titans is the main game to watch, as the winner is in the playoffs as the 6th seed.

Bears at Vikings have some intrigue, Bears have a very outside shot of getting a first round bye (Rams would have to lose to the 49ers at home), so they could rest their players. Vikings can leapfrog the Seahawks if they lose and get the #5 seed, and in a worst case scenario the Vikes could be out if they lose and the Eagles get an anticipated win against the Redskins.

Browns at Baltimore is the last matchup to watch. The Browns are hot, and if they take down the Ravens the Steelers are in. Could the Ravens lose out on the playoffs for the 2nd straight year in Week 17?

 

The Chargers have likely locked up the #5 seed, but in the off chance the Chiefs slide continues, they’re up for the #1 seed!

 

 

Packers’ History:

I got to go to the Packers Hall of Fame inside Lambeau Field. Even as a non-Packer fan, I was in awe of the history! Everything from the beginning of the NFL, to Vince Lombardi, the other championships; I was geeking out as a football fan.  To all you Steelers fans out there, this is a reminder that the Packers have 13 NFL championships (in 100 years). The final room had 6 Earl Thorpe trophies (the trophy before the current design), their 3 NFC Championship trophies, and 4 Vince Lombardi Trophies. The plaque said that even with the fact that trophies weren’t given for their first 3 championship games, “you are still standing in the most decorated trophy room in the NFL.” Wow, chills.

 

This is the first Super Bowl trophy. Notice how it doesn’t say “Vince Lombardi Trophy” yet.

 

 

Memes of the Week:

 

FMQB: C’mon Finland!

Posted by fmquarterback on December 21, 2018
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FMQB: C’mon Finland!

 

2 more weeks left! The playoff picture is starting to form, with the Packers, Giants (yes I said it), Dolphins, and Broncos basically losing their chance to extend at this point. Another fairly surprising week, with the Seahawks, Patriots, and Rams getting upset.

 

Highlights:

  • Browns take out Broncos on the road, eliminating them from playoff hopes
  • Is Nick Foles like the biggest known secret in the NFL? He is 4-1 in his last 5 starts, including taking down the 2017 Falcons, winning the NFC Championship, Winning the Super Bowl, winning opening weekend, and now taking down the high powered Rams.
  • Bears clinch first division title since 2010, went from worst to first
  • Colts blank Cowboys, their first shutout since 2003 (which is surprising, they’ve basically been mediocre this whole time).
  • 49ers shock the Seahawks
  • Steelers give Patriots their 2nd straight loss

 

Stat of the Week #1:

Despite not starting Weeks 1 and 2, Baker Mayfield has more passing yards than Russell Wilson, Mitch Trubisky, and Marcus Mariota. Mayfield also has more TD’s than Matthew Stafford, Derek Carf, Eli Manning, Dak Prescott, Case Keenum, and Mariota. Fewer INT’s than Andrew Luck, Roethlisberger, Goff, Newton, and Trubisky. And a better rating than Manning, Mariota, Stafford, Dalton, and Alex Smith.

 

Stat of the Week #2:

The stat line for Derek Henry’s last 2 games, 408 yards rushing and 6 TD’s. Before Week 14, Henry was 28th on the rushing list, but has jumped to 11th.

 

Stat of the Week #3:

The difference a defense makes: The 49ers have a measly 2 INT’s this season, while the Bears have 26!

 

Stat of the Week #4:

Stat to Watch: The Saints are 68% kicking Field Goals, and a league worse 86% on extra points. Something to potentially watch come playoff time…

 

Stat of the Week #5:

The Jags had 43 offensive plays and a total of 20 yards passing.

 

Stat of the Week #6:

The Browns are 4-2 since Gregg Williams took over. That means it took 6 games for Gregg Williams to surpass the number of wins that Hugh Jackson had the previous 40.

 

Stat of the Week #7:

Stat to watch: Adrian Peterson is 78 yards shy of a 1000 yard season, and will pass Eric Dickerson to become 8th all time in rushing yards.

 

Headline of the Week:

“Raiders Power Rankings shoot up after Nathan Peterman signing” The Onion

 

For the Record:

  • The Patriots scored a TD on the 3rd offensive snap, and didn’t get in the endzone the rest of the day.
  • Remember the Titans came out 19 years ago. How in the world is this the first time the Titans team has done that celebration?!?!
  • Something seriously wrong with New England. Both Brady and Gronk don’t look like their normal selves
  • Something is also seriously wrong with Jared Goff. After being in the MVP race (and still making the Pro Bowl), in his last 3 games he’s 72-131 for 1 TD and 7 INT’s.
  • Despite the last minute FG, the Redskins Jags matchup had to have been the worst of the season. A team with a 4th string QB beat Cody Kessler who only threw it 17 times.
  • Seriously, the Raiders actually signed Nathan Peterman?!?! Although the thinking behind if makes sense, that makes Derek Carr look like a GOD compared to his backup. It’s about the same discrepancy between Drew Brees and myself, and that’s not exaggerating because Peterman has only 3 more TD’s but 12 more INT’s than I have.

 

Quote of the Week:

“Christmas comes at an inconvenient time, right in the middle of the football season” Bill Belichick

 

Quote and Stat of the Week:

“There were nine mistakes ahead of me” Josh Rosen. Um, looks like there may have been one. Only Josh Allen has a worse passer rating on the season.

 

Thank You:

So I get to see stats on where the blog reaches and how many clicks I get. Honestly, I enjoy doing it enough for the 12 avid readers to continue doing it, but diving in and looking at the reach that one guy who’s a bit more than a casual football fan can have, is truly remarkable. Not that they’re earth shattering numbers, but look at this map. People from every country that isn’t grey have clicked or read my article. Thank you for everybody who have given me 8 years! I plan on continuing, just humbled to see this. Although what the hell Finland?!?!

Memes of the Week:

 

 

FMQB: The Miracle in Miami

Posted by fmquarterback on December 14, 2018
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FMQB: The Miracle in Miami

What an absolutely crazy and insane weekend in the NFL! This by far had the most upsets, surprises, crazy plays, and it kept going with last night’s last minute Chargers win!

 

Week 14 Highlights:

 

  • Patrick Mahomes continues to be magical. His 4th and 9 conversion throwing across his body was nuts, he’s the only QB who can complete that throw 39 yards while running to the opposite direction. And of course his no look pass (which you NEVER see in the NFL) was a part of his repertoire that Safety’s should be fearing.
  • Amari Cooper had one of the most electric 4th quarters and Overtimes for one player that I’ve ever seen. His game winning catch after being tipped by the defender for a walkoff TD, superb!
  • The Bears defense will be scary in the playoffs, they just shut the Rams down with zero touchdowns
  • Panthers have lost 5 straight now, Cowboys have won 5 in a row
  • Utterly shocked to see that the Giants had scored 34 points by halftime
  • Colts upsetting the Texans at home leaves the door open for their playoff push and possibly the division!
  • Quick note about Thursday’s game. Holy cow San Diego (yes San Diego), scored 15 points in the last 4 minutes of the game. LOVE the call to go for 2 for the win or loss. You’re on the road, against the best team in the AFC and it’s a MUST win to try to get a home playoff game. Going for 2 has been a 60% conversion this season. Going into OT, the Chiefs likely have a slight edge. Way to play the odds. THAT is when you go for 2, not week 4.

 

Upsets:

Take a look at these upsets from last week:

  • Raiders over Steelers
  • 49ers over Broncos
  • Colts over Texans
  • Dolphins over Patriots
  • Bears over Rams
  • Browns over Panthers
  • And NEARLY Ravens over Chiefs

 

Stat of the Week:

Aaron Rodgers set the new record for most pass attempts without an Interception. With as much flak as he’s gotten for poor play, when you look at the stats it doesn’t support that. He has 22 TD’s and 1 INT

 

Stat of the Week #2:

The Browns have the same number of wins in 1 month (at 3-2) as Hugh Jackson had in 2 ½ years (3-36-1)

 

Stat of the Week #3:

Amari Cooper first person ever with 3 go ahead TDS in the 4th and OT

 

Stat of the Week #4:

Brady is 25-2 on the road in December, but against the Dolphins in December, he’s 1-6

 

Stat of the Week #5:

Baker Mayfield is the 3rd QB in NFL history with a TD in his first 10 games. The other two are Marino and Warner

 

Stat of the Week #6:

Sunday was Sean McVay’s 29th game as a head coach, and only the first time the Rams didn’t score a TD

 

Stat of the Week #7:

TE George Kittle set the franchise record for the 49ers (yes, beating Rice, Taylor, Owens, and other greats) with 210 yards receiving. Oh, I forgot to mention, he had the record by halftime

 

Stat of the Week #8:

Quiz time, guess which QB has the most rushing yards in a 3 game span, and just demolished Michael Vick’s record of 294 yards during that span? Cam Newton? Nope. Lamar Jackson has to be it now! Nope again. Josh Allen!!! And he has the record by 39 yards

 

Stolen Stat of the Week #9:

Since holding a 4th quarter lead over the Patriots in last years AFC Championship game, the Jaguars are 4-10.

 

Stolen Stat of the Week #10:

I’m nervous about Jared Goff. In his last 2 games, he’s completing 48% with 1 TD and 5 INT’s

 

 

The Miracle in Miami:

Hands down play of the year, which is why 1 play is getting it’s own section. There are so many things to talk about! First off, the Patriots absolutely blew basic situational football at the end of both halves which just never happens. Brady took a sack and the clock ran out in the first half, and then the Pats defense was not ready for the hook and lateral. For as good of a coach Belichick is, why the hell was Gronkowski on the field for the final play? There’s no QB in the league that could have made that throw, especially since most Hail Mary’s are thrown way behind the line of scrimmage anyway, so 75 yards by Ryan Tannehill? Never going to happen! Apparently on the Patriots radio broadcast, after the play happened there was 35 seconds of silence haha! For the record, “The Miracle in Miami” already has it’s own Wikipedia page.

 

 

QB Change:

Fairly surprised that Lamar Jackson remaining the starter over a healthy Joe Flacco. Although he’s 3-1 and almost beat the Chiefs at home. But other than his rushing, his stats are pretty mediocre. Jackson is completing 58% of passes and 4 TD’s to 3 INT’s. Bold move, especially for a team that is holding the 6 seed with 3 other teams tied with them.

 

AFC Shakeup?:

  • There is mathematically a scenario where the Browns still win the AFC North! And the Steelers’ next 2 games are against the Patriots and Saints! Buckle up!
  • Although also not likely, the Dolphins have a shot at dethroning the Patriots as well. They would have to win out and have the Pats lose 2 of 3.
  • The Colts can win the South under the same scenario
  • And the Chargers can beat the Chiefs if they win on Thursday (did they win last night) and win 1 more than KC the rest of the way.

 

 

Giants and Packers:

So, truth be told these crazy scenarios never work out. HOWEVER! There are 2 very likely scenarios, in which the Packers could still make it in, as well as the Giants who started 1-7. Because this isn’t “the Cardinals need to beat the Rams and it happens” type of scenario, they’re all realistic, I feel compelled to bring it up.

 

Packers: Of course the Packers need to win out, but they’ve already beaten the Bears, and the Jets and Lions should be doable. THEN, they need the Redskins to lose 1 game (with a 3rd string QB, they’ll probably lose all 3), the Panthers to lose 1 game (they’ve dropped 5 in a row), and the Vikings lose 2 of their last 3.

 

Giants: Also need to win out. BUT, they play the Titans, Indianapolis, and a Dallas team that will likely be resting. Tough, but very doable. Then, they need the Vikings to lose twice, Packers lose one, Panthers lose two, Eagles lose 2, and Redskins lose 2. And looking at the schedule, those are VERY possible.

 

 

Quote of the Week:

“So whoever’s watching that in New York should stay off the bottle”- Malcolm Jenkins. Haha, while funny, he should expect to be writing a check to the league very soon!

 

Games of the Week:

Packers at Bears

Cowboys at Colts

Patriots at Steelers

 

Memes of the Week:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FMQB: 26 Years of Mikes!

Posted by fmquarterback on December 7, 2018
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

FMQB: 26 Years of Mikes

We’re down to the final 4 weeks of the season, which means….dun dun dun, my favorite website of all time is back up! http://www.espn.com/nfl/playoffs/machine

 

Play around with it, and compare to my predictions below.

 

Week 13 Highlights:

 

  • Lamar Jackson is the last rookie 1st round QB to start, but he’s 3-0
  • The Broncos are getting hot at the right time
  • Cardinals over Packers in Lambeau? McCarthy deserved to get fired just for that
  • Crazy last play for the Bills. Guy was wide open, how do you miss that throw. I mean WIDE open, nobody within 15 yards of him in the endzone
  • The Panthers are getting cold at the wrong time, have dropped 4 straight and still have to play the Saints twice to end the season
  • How do the Colts win 5 in a row, and then put up 0 against the Jags?
  • The Chargers comeback was insane

 

 

Stat of the Week:

Phillip Rivers tied Peyton Manning with the most comebacks of 16 points or more. Both now have 7

 

Stat of the Week #2:

In their last 8 games, the Colts were averaging 33.1 points per game. They put up 0 on Sunday, against a team they scored 29 on 3 weeks prior

 

Stat of the Week #3:

Aaron Donald is 6 sacks short of tying the all time record. He has 4 games to do it. He’s on pace to be a half sack short.

 

Stat of the Week #4:

If/When the Patriots clinch their division, they will be the only team in the 4 majors to do so in 10 straight seasons; the other being the Atlanta Braves

 

Stat of the Week #5:

The stat line does enough justice. Derrick Henry: 17 carries, 238 yards, 4 TD’s, and 14 yards per carry. Became the 2nd person ever with a 99 yard TD run.

 

Stat of the Week #6:

Coming into Sunday’s game, the Steelers were 174-0-1 when leading by 16 points.

 

Stat of the Week #7:

 

 

The Situation:

I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about Kareem Hunt, the breaking news that came out literally minutes before I published last week’s article. I credit the Chiefs over the NFL in this situation. I think the NFL truly botched this one, and if it wasn’t for the video then Hunt would still be playing in the league. They didn’t even interview Kareem or the woman in question, it feels like they turned the other cheek. Credit the Chiefs on this one, it’s incredibly hard to straight up CUT a superstar, especially when you’re on a Super Bowl run. And they technically cut him for lying to them, not even the abuse. So kudos to them, that’s a hard business decision but the right one.

 

Mike Mike Mike:

Do we think the new Packer’s head coach will be another Mike? Their last 3 have been Mike McCarthy, Mike Sherman, and Mike Holmgrenn. That’s 26 years of Mikes!

 

Quick Hits:

  • Still can’t get over the Packers losing to the warmest of warm weather teams, at home, in December.
  • Mike McCarthy being fired was a foregone conclusion, but still crazy to me that a guy who took a team to the playoffs 9 out of 11 seasons isn’t good enough?
  • Laughed at the fact that Tom Brady FINALLY hit 1000 career rushing yards on the dot, and was afraid to kneel and lose a yard, so he awkwardly knelt forward to end the game.
  • The final field goal in the Chargers Steelers game was nuts. 3 straight offsides flags. First kick was wide right, but offsides. Second kick was blocked, but offsides. Third kick was made, but also offsides.
  • Crazy call for the Bears to have 1 play left with 3 seconds in the game, at the 1 yard line and down by 7. They put the ball in the hands of their RB to throw a pass, and converted!

 

 

FMQB’s Playoff Machine Predictions:

 

Whoah! Tennessee? Seattle? And Vikings? It looks like the AFC is actually more exciting than the NFC despite what it looks like now. I had the Broncos, Ravens and Titans all jumping into the 6th spot as I played around.

 

Meme’s of the Week:

 

 

 

 

I want to preface this last one, letting you know how wrong I know it is. However I did that “it’s offensive but I’m laughing” uncontrollably thing when I first saw it, so sorry in advance if you’re offended. (watch Facebook pick this as the cover photo)