FMQB: Hill has the runs and it TyREEKs!

Posted by fmquarterback on November 9, 2018
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FMQB: Hill has the runs and it TyREEKs!

I’ll get to the title later, but poop jokes have infiltrated the NFL! We are halfway through the season! Teams are pulling away, teams are falling apart, and there are plenty of questions and playoff races abound.

 

Week 9 Highlights:

  • For those who stuck with the game, Rams at Saints lived up to the hype. I am convinced this will be the NFC Championship this year. I went from being depressed down 21, to saying “holy crap I can’t believe they came back to tie it!”
  • The only TD scored in Jets at Dolphins was a pick 6
  • Vikings set a franchise record of 10 sacks on Matthew Stafford.
  • The Falcons look like they may make a playoff run even at 4-4
  • Demarious Thomas had the unique distinction of being traded on Tuesday, and then playing IN DENVER on Sunday again, but wearing a different jersey. Texans stole a win from the Broncos to extend their win streak to 6.
  • The Seahawks having multiple chances to tie the game on the last play was exciting
  • Have to admit, despite being completely outplayed, the Packers hung in with the Patriots for much longer than I expected.

 

2003 Celebrations:

Let’s take you back 15 years, where there are no rules, and people are standing on the Cowboys star at midfield, and pulling out cell phones for the Saints. Wait, what? It’s 2018! I know a lot of people don’t like it, but it was really cool to see the throwbacks. The Titans celebration was a tad ridiculous, they were still losing at that point, but at least it was nostalgic (how has nobody done that in 15 years?). Even as a Rams fan, and with the play being a dagger to the game, I laughed when I saw Michael Thomas grab the cell phone from the endzone. He even legitimately got a flip phone like Joe Horn had years ago!

 

Quick Hits:

  • Not trying to go undefeated is a blessing in disguise. The Rams end the season with San Fran and Arizona. If they lock up a first round bye, one could argue you have nearly 4 weeks between meaningful games. The Rams also have the Chiefs which will be a bruiser, and the Bears, but otherwise 5 of the last 7 games are against teams with losing records.
  • The Saints needed that win. Not only could you tell that home field advantage was key to them, but they finish the season with Atlanta, at Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Carolina.
  • The last 6 Browns coaches to be fired were all fired within 24 hours of losing to the Steelers.
  • Dude, everybody and their Mom knew that Brees was going to Michael Thomas, someone stop him! He had a league-wide season-high 211 yards

 

Stat of the Week:

The Steelers and Panthers scored 3 TD’s in a 23 second span, setting an NFL record for the fastest 21 points scored in history.

 

Stat of the Week #2:

Sam Bradford has played 83 games and thrown 103 TD’s. His career record is 34-48-1, but has earned $130M.

 

Stat of the Week #3:

Nathan Peterman threw 3 INT’s Sunday (big surprise there). He has played in 8 games, in which he has 3 TD’s, 12 INT’s, and a 32.5 quarterback rating. To put this into perspective, the punter who goes 0-1 with 0 yards and 0 INT’s will have a passer rating of 39.6.

 

Stat of the Week #4:

We bid adieu to Adam Theilen’s 100 yard streak, ending at an NFL record 8 games to start a season. He did not look right out there Sunday, and not having Diggs to take away some of the doubles also hurt.

 

Stat of the Week #5:

On a happier note, we also bid adieu to Julio Jones’ 343 day TD-less streak! Despite putting up massive yards, it took him until Week 9 to make it into the endzone.

 

Stat of the Week #6:

The Bills faced the toughest NFL schedule through the first 8 games, and have the easiest schedule remaining for the last 8. I still blame Nathan Peterman…

 

Stat of the Week #7:

Todd Gurley has scored more points than the entire Bills team. Keep in mind, 2 team FG’s equals one of Gurley’s TD’s.

 

 

Story of the Week:

Apparently when Jamarcus Russell was in the league and bombing, coaches weren’t convinced he was watching film and preparing for games. It came out this week that they used to send him home with blank tapes. The next day they’d ask how the film was, and he would say “yeah, great to see those blitz packages and how I should avoid them.” Wow!

 

For the Record:

  • Doesn’t it seem like the amount of trick plays are fairly staggering? The Panthers seem to run something every week, but nearly every game I see a flea flicker or some other crazy end around where the WR throws it. Not complaining one iota, just making the observation.
  • Steelers Panthers was the Thursday night game I was most excited to watch this year, and I suppose if you like offense we got it. Holy cow, it was 52-14 by the end of the 3rd! Even so, Christian McCaffery looks like the real deal.
  • Bills fans have started a Go-Fund me page so Nathan Peterman can retire from the NFL. It has a goal of $1M, but is only hat $157.
  • Dez Bryant’s waiting game couldn’t have gone more perfectly. And now somehow the Saints look even more scary on offense!
  • So apparently on Sunday, a Bills fan found human poop in the stands. POOP! In section 122! The best part is that it looked “old” and they think it was leftover from the Monday night game against the Patriots.

 

Tiny Rant:

I am sick of Giants and Cowboys and other crap teams being in primetime. I don’t care if they’re America’s team, nobody wants to watch a 3-5 team that can’t convert 3rd downs every other week. If you want to know an actual problem with NFL ratings, it’s the fact that these mediocre teams in major markets keep getting primetime games. The Giants have 4 games this year, Cowboys 5, Raiders 4. The Chargers have 1, but it’s the Thursday game everyone gets, so none by choice.

 

2nd Half Predictions:

Midway point is always sad and exciting. Here’s a few predictions as well as playoff predictions.

  • NFL MVP goes to Mahomes or Brees. Brees has never won it believe it or not!
  • Raiders get the #1 overall pick
  • Packers miss the playoffs despite Rodgers playing all 16 games
  • Nick Mullens ends up starting most of the games, and for a different team next year

 

AFC: (I’m being lame, saying that all teams remain the same, just some shuffling)

  1. Patriots
  2. Chiefs
  3. Steelers
  4. Texans
  5. Chargers
  6. Bengals

 

NFC:

  1. Saints
  2. Rams
  3. Vikings
  4. Eagles
  5. Panthers
  6. Bears

 

I am super tempted to throw the Falcons in, I just couldn’t pull the trigger.

 

Quote of the Year!

“Tyreek Hill is the fastest player I’ve ever seen. The only thing faster than him is the jambalya that ran through me last night” Rex Ryan

Here’s proof: https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/watch-rex-ryan-makes-poop-joke-on-sunday-nfl-countdown-rattles-sam-ponder-to-her-core/

That’s poop joke #2, for the record.

 

Quote of the Week #2:

“I fully intend to be around for the 2022 rematch” Tom Brady, regarding the next time him and Rodgers would meet

 

Quote of the Week #3:

“We need volunteers, not hostages” Mike Tomlin, referring to LeVeon Bell

 

Meme’s of the Week:

 

 

 

And for everyone who voted…

FMQB: Nick Mullens Ladies and Gentleman

Posted by fmquarterback on November 2, 2018
Posted in: Uncategorized. 2 Comments

 

FMQB: Nick Mullens, ladies and gentlemen

 

Bit of a quicker post, but will have a full half-season recap next week!

 

Week 8 highlights:

  • Adrian Peterson had a monster day, looked like the AP of 2010 with 149 yards.
  • The anemic Cardinals scored 15 pts in the 4th quarter to come back and win the game
  • Nick Mullens, undrafted and never seeing game time put up a 151.9 rating last night
  • In Colts vs. Raiders, the Colts won 42-28. Upon further inspection, the game was tied with 5:30 left! The Raiders actually blew another 4th quarter lead
  • Fitzmagic is back! Nearly had a crazy comeback to win the game

 

Trade Highlights:

  • The Texans with Deandre Hopkins and Demarious Thomas is going to be impossible to cover! Imagine adding Will Fuller to that next year.
  • I’m surprised the Lions were “sellers” and traded away Golden Tate. They are only 1 game out of 1st in their division. That’s a nice pick up for Philly
  • The Rams somehow got more scary getting Dante Fowler
  • The Trade Deadline being pushed back 2 weeks is genius. We rarely saw the activity when it was back after week 6, but now teams have an idea if they are going to be buyers or sellers.

 

Stat of the Week:

The Colts have scored 42, 37, and 34 points in their last 3 games

 

Reader Submitted Stat!

Tom Brady has is #3 on the list of QB’s with wins in Buffalo with 15. Keep in mind he doesn’t play for the Bills. Thanks McCave! Love reader submitted stats!

 

Fantasy Football Stat:

The Falcons defense has scored 0 points this entire season!

 

Somewhat stolen stat:

Jameis Winston had as many INT’s on Sunday (4) than the other 3 NFC South QB’s have had COMBINED in their last 5 games (Brees with 1, Ryan none, Newton 3). That’s 15 games with 4 picks, vs Winston who has had 13 in 5 games.

 

Stat of the Week #5:

The Vikings held Drew Brees to 120 passing yards, and still lost by 10

 

Stat of the Week #6:

Raiders and 49ers were a combined 2-13 (or .133 win percentage), which is the worst in a prime-time game Week 8 or later since the merger.

 

Stat of the Week #7:

James Connor has the franchise record for rushing TD’s in the first 7 games. Yes, a franchise that had Franco Harris, Jerome Bettis and LeVeon Bell.

 

Stat of the Week #8:

The Ravens have the 2nd best point differential in the AFC at +60, but are .500.

 

 

For the Record:

  • Derek Carr is not the answer. He looked terrified out there against a team with 1 win. The fact the Raiders got schelacked 34-3 with would have made you thought they were playing their 3rd string QB, not San Fran.
  • I don’t understand the non-score by Gurley. People are saying that’s a “smart play” which it is if the score puts you up by less than a TD, but if Gurley scores that puts them up 9, or 2 possessions.
  • The Redskins are 5-2, and play 3 teams with winning records the rest of the year (Texans, Eagles and Eagles again).
  • The Steelers and Ravens both have 4 wins, yet one is in 1st and one in 3rd in their division.
  • Sam Shields, ex-Packer for 7 years, caught the fake punt and downed another punt (that led to a safety in a game the Rams won by 2) at the 1 yard line.

 

 

 

New All Time Leading Scorer:

Congrats to Adam Vinatieri for becoming the leading scorer in NFL history. South Dakota kid. I always joked that I was the only person in Rapid City who hated Adam Vinatieri (he knocked out the Rams to give the Patriots and Brady their first Super Bowl win), but have grown to respect what he’s done. Believe it or not, he missed 4 of his first 7 tries plus a missed PAT (Keep your head up Dan Carlson). He also has a higher kicking percentage in his 40s than he did his 20s. Wow!

 

First Coaching Casualty:

The Hue Jackson firing is puzzling to me. It was 100% justified at the end of last season, but why hang onto him coming into this year? I fully agree he should be gone, it should have just happened 7 games ago, now you’re just giving up on this season.

 

Flying under the Radar:

It seems like people are mainly talking about the Chiefs, Patriots, Rams and Saints. But there is a whole slew of above average teams that I wouldn’t want to be facing in the 2nd half of the year. The Steelers (4-2-1), Bengals (5-3), Texans (5-3) and Chargers (5-2) have a legitimate shot at upending any team in the AFC. And the Redskins (5-2), Bears/Vikings/Packers, Panthers (5-2) all should be watched too.

 

Games of the Week:

  • Steelers at Ravens
  • Chargers at Seahawks
  • Packers at Patriots
  • Rams at Saints

 

Memes of the Week:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FMQB: The End to Brock-Tober :(

Posted by fmquarterback on October 26, 2018
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Most recent Week here: https://fmquarterback.com/2018/11/09/fmqb-hill-has-the-runs-and-it-tyreeks/

FMQB: The end to Brock-tober ☹

Week 7 Highlights:

  • Panthers are quiet this year, but beating the defending champs on the road after being down by 17 in the 4th quarter is pretty special
  • I like the call by Vrabel going for 2 and going for the win in London after scoring a TD in the waning seconds. Not so much the execution, they had 2 shots at it due to a penalty. Roll Mariotta out and have him run it if nobody’s open
  • Aaron Donald went off on Sunday with 4 sacks!
  • The Bears Hail Mary down to the 1 yard line was the most exciting play of the year
  • Wow the Jags have fallen quickly. Blake Bortles looked awful Sunday against a very winnable game

 

Stat of the Week #1:

Patrick Mahomes, 22 TD passes is the most for a player’s first 8 starts ever

 

Stat of the Week #1:

After having no 100 yard rusher in the past 5 seasons, the Lions have 2 through 6 games this year.

 

Stat of the Week #1:

Odell Beckham Jr. is the fastest player to 5,000 receiving yards.

 

Stolen Stat of the Week #1:

In the first three quarters at Philadelphia, Cam Newton was 9-of-17 for 68 yards. In the fourth quarter Newton was 16-of-22 for 201 yards and two touchdowns.

 

Stolen Stat of the Week #1:

Until Sunday, Justin Tucker went 40-40 on PAT’s in High school, 71-71 in college, and 245-245 in the pros.

 

Stat of the Week #1:

Chandler Catanzaro missed an extra point, missed a 30 yard FG in the 4th, but nailed a 59 yarder to win the game in OT

 

Stat of the Week #1:

The Saints were 4 for 5 on 4th down conversions on Sunday, including one in the 4th quarter where a FG would have tied the game, or a failed conversion would have left them trailing.

 

Stat of the Week #1:

The fact that somebody has 4 blocked punts in 2 seasons should not be underappreciated!

 

Stat of the Week #1:

Patriots have scored 38 pts in 4 straight games, that has only happened 4 other times in last 20 years

 

For the Record:

  • Eagles vs. Jaguars LOOKED like a good London matchup, but both teams have struggled. It will be the 24th game played in London, and not 1 has offered 2 teams with winning records.
  • The fact that Justin Tucker can miss an extra point means the longer extra point is working. It’s not a gimme anymore and makes the play more exciting.
  • Blake Bortles was benched for Cody Kessler, who once went 0-8 with the Browns
  • There’s a lot of controversy in the Cowboys penalty, but fact of the matter is, the center is clearly moving the ball. I don’t care if that’s how he’s done it for years, that’s a penalty.
  • The Browns have 4 overtime games through only 7 weeks
  • Coming into Sunday, the Titans hadn’t scored a TD in 2 games. Which is also why I like the call to try to win the game right there.

 

Record Watch:

  • The Eagles and Jaguars; teams in last year’s Championship games, are 3-4 this year
  • The Bears could easily be 6-0 right now, with heartbreaking losses to the Packers in Week 1, Dolphins in OT last week, and both turnovers and 1 yard separated a win last Sunday.
  • After starting 0-3, the Texans are in 1st in their division after winning 5 in a row.
  • If the Playoffs started today, the Steelers would host a playoff game despite having 3 wins, while the Chargers would play on the road with 5 wins.
  • The Steelers, with a BYE, went from 3rd to 1st in their division despite both the Bengals and Ravens having 4 wins to Pittsburgh’s 3.

 

Sequence of the Week:

Vikings CB Xavier Rhodes went down with an injury. As rookie CB Holton Hill came in, the announcers said “This is a great time to attack the rookie, watch for Darnold to throw that direction.” Throw he did, and Hill got the first interception of his career.

 

Surprise ages:

Doesn’t it seem like Odell Beckham Jr. and Amari Cooper have been in the league for several seasons? Odell is in his 5th season, but is only 25 years old. Cooper is in his 4th, and is only 24. That’s nuts to think they both could have another decade in them!

 

Arrest of the Week:

The Broncos just released their backup QB Chad Kelly (nephew of hall of fame QB Jim Kelly) after his criminal trespass charge. The homeowner also beat him with a vacuum cleaner tube. Can’t make this stuff up!

 

Games of the Week:

Saints at Vikings: Should be an awesome offensive matchup, Minneapolis Miracle part 2?

Packers at Rams: Could be an early playoff preview

Browns at Steelers: I’m praying for another tie

 

 

 

Memes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FMQB: Brock-Tober!

Posted by fmquarterback on October 19, 2018
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FMQB: It’s Brock-Tober!

 

 

Week 6 Highlights:

  • There were 3 awesome games this week, but I called the highlight being Bears vs. Dolphins. Tannehill was surprisingly out of the lineup at the last minute, so ol’ trusty came in and Brock Osweiler delivered a win. It’s Brock-tober baby!
  • The Rams struggled, but Gurley’s 200 yards were a thing of beuty. All the comparisons to Marshall Faulk and 2001 have me excited!!!
  • Mason Crosby, wow. Short term memory (and forgiving coaches) are the key to kickers. After the debacle against the Lions he really redeemed himself. 4/4 on Field Goals and 3/3 on Extra Points.
  • Chiefs Patriots was the game we all wanted to see. A back and forth shootout. It was awesome how the Pats kicked a FG to go up by 7 with 3:15 left in the game, giving Mahomes plenty of time to drive down the field. By 3:03, the game was tied
  • 49ers Packers also exceeded expectations. The final drive by Rodgers was insane, especially with no timeouts.

 

Stat of the Week #1:

The Ravens sacked Mariotta 11 times! This meant that Mariotta was sacked more than he had completed passes (10)

 

Stolen Stat of the Week #2:

Despite being 1-3 in his last 4 starts, Matt Ryan has put up ratings of 148.1, 134.5, 99.1 and 125.5 in those games with 12 TD’s and 0 INTs.

 

Stat of the Week #3:

Comparing the first 6 games of 2017 vs the first 6 games of 2018. James Connor has more scrimmage yards and 3 more TD’s than LeVeon Bell had last year.

 

Stat of the Week #4:

Tom Brady now has 200 career regular season wins, which is a record.

 

Stat of the Week #5:

Aaron Rodgers became the first QB with back to back 400 Passing Yard games with 0 INT’s.

 

Stat of the Week #6:

Peterman has 9 INT’s in 79 attempts. Brees’ last 9 INT’s took him 736 attempts

 

Stat of the Week #7:

Ravens have not given up a TD in the 2nd half all season. Last time there was a streak this long was 1934

 

Stat of the Week #8:

Adam Theilen is on pace to break the receptions record by 11!

 

Stat of the Week #9:

Patriots didn’t punt nor get a penalty called on them. First time in NFL history that has happened

 

Quick Hits:

  • 49ers Marquise Goodwin isn’t Tyreek Hill, but he’s dang close. Crazy speed!
  • How did the Chiefs get 2 Sunday Night games in a row? Not that I’m complaining, but it was on the original schedule, not even flexed in.
  • For everyone questioning (or rooting for) the Patriots slow start, they are now in 1st in their division, would have a first round playoff bye, and have beaten the best team in the AFC.
  • For all the injuries the 49ers have faced, I hope they stick with Kyle Shanahan. He has done an excellent job with CJ Beathard

 

For the Record:

  • I didn’t know there was a game in London until 2 days after it happened. Maybe not as much of a selling point anymore?
  • I rarely turn off NFL games, but I did last night, at halftime
  • Byron Leftwich is the new offensive coordinator for Arizona. So yeah, things aren’t turning around this year
  • Jags fall from grace has been swift, and nobody seems to be talking about them anymore. In fact there was optimism about the Texans, Titans, and Jaguars this year, and at 3-3 it’s likely only 1 will make the playoffs.

 

The Number 27:

Our local radio station has determined that the number 27 is cursed for the Minnesota Vikings. The last play before moving into US Bank Stadium, Blair Walsh missed a 27 yard field goal against the Seahawks to lose in the playoffs thus starting the curse of 27. Last season, Dalvin Cook tore his ACL on the 27 yard line on the west end of US Bank Stadium. On Sunday, CB Mike Hughes tore his ACL on the 27 yard line on the west end of US Bank Stadium. Their first and shocking loss of the season, they lost to the Bills when they scored 27 points. And one of Kirk Cousins 2 fumbles happened, you guessed it, on the 27 yard line on the west end of US Bank Stadium. Probably the most famous Viking to wear number 27? Fred Smoot. And we all know what happened there…

 

Quote of the Week:

“Is his name really Beat Hard?” FFMQB…yep…

 

Quote of the Week #2:

Josh Rosen on being drafted 10th: “There were nine mistakes ahead of me.”

 

Quote of the Week #3:

“Sun’s out, let’s go!!!” Vikings fan. There’s a little bit of a backstory to this. It SNOWED here on Sunday, ugh. And yours truly had awesome tickets to the Vikings game. Not wanting to deal with parking or traffic, I decided to ride my bike, which was fun but cold. But there are some benefits to being a short 15 minute bike ride to the stadium!

Games of the Week:

Patriots at Bears: I think this could be a much closer game than people are thinking

Texans at Jaguars: Not that it’ll be pretty, but it’ll be important

Saints at Ravens: Should be really competitive

Bengals at Chiefs: Another tough matchup for Kansas City, and the Bengals need to keep winning in their uber tough division

 

Meme of the Week:

 

Meme of the Week #2:

 

Meme of the Week #3:

 

Nice one, the Chiefs are from Missouri…

 

FMQB: Gano Lo Gano! Gano Lo Gano!

Posted by fmquarterback on October 12, 2018
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FMQB: Gano Lo Gano! Gano Lo Gano!

Bit of a shorter week, but trying something new to attain my goal of not doing long, drawn out paragraphs. Here’s a quick highlight section:

 

Week 5 Highlights:

  • Marshawn hasn’t lost anything. He almost had another Saints like run even though it was blown dead.
  • Saquon Barkley seriously looks like Barry Sanders 2.0 out there, and I don’t think that’s crowning him too early
  • I was as surprised as you to see the Bills beat the Titans, and the Browns beat the Ravens
  • The Browns nearly tied AGAIN! There has never been a team with 2 ties before
  • The Vikings eeked one out this week, I like most pegged the Philly game for a sure loss. Their schedule gets easier, so look out NFC North
  • That’s because the Packers are imploding. Crosby missing 4 FG’s, and Xtra point, 13 pts off the board when they lost by 8
  • The 63 yarder by Gano was beautiful, and it would have been good from 70
  • Odell Beckham looks like a whiny toddler on the sidelines. I wonder if he regrets signing that huge contract

 

Drew Brees record:

The NFL schedule makers did a marvelous job putting the Saints in primetime the game that Brees would break the record. I was off by a quarter, he was so dominant that he had his 201 yards well before halftime. The record breaking TD almost looked like the Redskins let him have it, it brought up memories of Strahans sack on Favre where he basically laid down when Strahan broke through. Either way, nice way to cap off a top notch career. There are haters out there, saying Brees gets at a minimum 9 dome games a year, and that he’s really only had the 1 Super Bowl run. Perhaps he’ll be compared to Marino, but I think you put him in top 5 QB’s of all time for sure, with Manning, Brady, Montana, and Elway.

 

Stat of the Week #1:

The Browns have already played in 3 OT games this year (through 5), and they’re 1-1-1 in those games

 

Stat of the Week #2:

Drew Brees went from 3rd to 2nd on the all time leading yardage mark by throwing a TD. 1 Quarter later, he went from 2nd to 1st on the all time list by throwing a TD. Brees also had a stat line of 26/29, 363 yards, 3 TD’s and 0 INT’s, and that wasn’t enough for a perfect rating. He had 153.2.

 

Stat of the Week #3:

On the first play from scrimmage, Josh Rosen tossed a 75 yard TD. The entire rest of the game on 24 more attempts, he put up only 95 yards

 

Stat of the Week #4:

TJ Watt and JJ Watt are in a brother vs. brother battle for the sack lead, both are tied for 1st with 6 sacks a piece.

 

Stat of the Week #5:

The Cowboys are 18 of their last 19 when going for it on 4th and 1, yet decided to punt in OT

 

Stat of the Week #6:

Adam Thielen got a $500 scholarship to play D3 football, wasn’t invited to the combine, went undrafted, and just became the first WR ever to start a season with 5 straight 100+ yard receiving games.

 

Stat of the Week #7:

The 49ers became the first team to pick up 30 first downs, hold their opponent to 10 or fewer first downs, but still lose by double digits.

 

Quick Hits:

  • All rookie QB’s went 4-0 this week after going 0-4 last week
  • DeShaun Watson got nailed 3 good times trying to get it in the endzone
  • The Cardinals were the last winless team to get a win, meaning the Browns and Lions can pop the champagne
  • In back to back weeks, Matt Patricia has taken out Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.

 

 

For the Record:

  • There was a flag for taunting after Drew Brees broke the record. Seriously?
  • The Browns have a better record than the defending Super Bowl Champs
  • The NFC East is up for the taking, and a 7-9 team could win that division. Just painful to watch the Cowboys, Giants, Eagles or Redskins play
  • All Brees got for breaking the record was a lame certificate
  • “Gano” in Spanish actually means “Won.” Proof the NFL is rigged…

 

Speaking of Which:

The Spanish call of the game winning field goal is classic! Take a listen:

The announcer is saying “Gano Lo Gano” which means “Gano won it”

 

Days of Yore:

So I heard a comment and forgot about an old FMQB bit I used to do. Remember the “it has been 7 days since the last NFL arrest?” I realized I haven’t used that in awhile! Apparently arrests are down significantly, with over 70 happening in 2017 but closer to 30 this year. Wonder what the change is?

 

Games of the Week:

Steelers at Bengals- Chance to see if the Bengals are legit this year

Chiefs at Patriots- Could easily be an AFC Championship pre-cursor

Dophins vs. Bears- Yes, somehow this is a Game of the Week, and at the end one of these teams will have 4 wins.

 

Meme of the Week:

 

Meme of the Week #2:

FMQB: Kermit the Frog Strikes again

Posted by fmquarterback on October 5, 2018
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FMQB: Kermit the Frog Strikes again

Week 5 is also suspension week, where some players will start their season. Julian Edelman will help a .500 Patriots team immensely and now sees him lining up with Josh Gordon and Gronk, look out…Mark Ingraham is also back to help the Saints, and he should be able to plow in some TD’s rather than relying on Brees to do the heavy rushing work haha.

 

Overtime Madness!

Titans Eagles was a bit of a shocker. The Eagles went up by a FG in OT, and the Titans converted 3 4th down conversions on the final drive (including a 4th and 15) to win the game. On one 4th down, it was super bold for Mike Vrabel to take the FG team off the field and go for it. Keep in mind we call him bold, but the next coach an idiot…

 

In Texans vs. Colts, the Colts went for it on 4th and 4 on their own 43 with 27 seconds left. I absolutely hated the call when I saw it, even before the failed 4th down happened. Because I knew the Texans needed 1 play to get into FG range. I still wasn’t a fan of it until I read an interesting point. A punt ensures a tie, the Colts are not a playoff team this year, but they had a hot QB and a hall of fame kicker, and a rookie coach who wanted to show his team that he had faith in them. I have changed my mind and like the call in that situation.

Continue Reading

Posted by fmquarterback on September 28, 2018
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FMQB:

Week 3 was the weekend of surprises. I’m not sure if it was a bigger surprise that the Bills won, or that the Vikings lost. The Patriots laid an egg against the 0-2 Lions, and now they’re 1-2. The Jaguars, who had just slain the mighty beast the week before only put up 2 FG’s. Drew Brees, at 39 years old, also had 2 rushing TD’s including a 7 yard run where he juked 2 defenders!

 

 

Quick Hits:

  • Is Marcus Mariota not the starter anymore? I missed something, and he came in after Gabbert got injured
  • Carson Wentz to Dallas Goedert for the TD, means it was North Dakota to South Dakota. Cool!
  • I went from skeptic to genuinely excited for the Monday night game just to see Patrick Mahomes play
  • Adrian Peterson looked like the 2012 version of himself on Sunday
  • Jimmy Garropolo going out for the 49ers is heartbreaking, even from a fan who sees the 49ers as the biggest threat in the division
  • Week of the rookie QB’s! Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen shined, while Darnold and Rosen did not
  • I’m shocked Matt Patricia got the best of his old boss

 

Bar Observations:

I went to a bar in the #BoldNorth to watch the Vikings vs. Rams game. While living in Minneapolis helps me hear about the Vikings more than any other team, I had a few interesting observations:

  • Vikings fans were cheering just as loud for the successful extra point as they were TD’s
  • Kirk Cousins is apparently the greatest thing that’s happened in this town since Kevin Garnett
  • Minnesota Nice Quote of the night “HOLDING, HOW IS THAT HOLDING???” <tv shows replay> “Eh, that was actually a pretty good call.” Vikings fan

 

Stolen Stat

The Raiders have not trailed in any part of the first 3 quarters of any game, but are 0-3.

 

Stolen Stat of the Week #2:

In 2016 only 1 QB threw for 5 TD passes, in 2017 2 QB’s did it. So far through 3.0625 weeks, 3 QB’s have done it in 2018.

 

Stat of the Week #3:

Jared Goff is the 3rd QB in NFL history to have a perfect passer rating while throwing for over 30 attempts

 

Stat of the Week #4:

Proof the game is changing: Goff and Cousins both had at least 400 yds, 3 TD’s, and 0 INTs. Prior to 2018 this had only happened once in the same game, but this is the 2nd time this has happened this season.

 

Stolen Stat of the Week #5:

Ryan Tannehill is 9-1 in his last 10 starts

 

Stat of the Week #6:

Patrick Mahomes 13 TD passes through 3 games is an NFL record. Keep in mind he has 4 career starts in the NFL too

 

For the Record:

  • The Vikings didn’t miss a FG on Sunday
  • The Bills upsetting the Vikings was the biggest upset since 1995
  • Stiff arm in the Steelers Bucs game was just brutal, in a good way
  • Fitz-magic turned into Fitz-tragic in the 2nd quarter. 3 picks, ouch!
  • Pulling Sam Bradford from the game with 4 minutes left was a bit of a head scratcher to me. I realize he fumbled but that’s not the time to make the switch.

 

Mo Money Mo Problems:

Pricetag of Thursday night’s Vikings vs. Rams roster? $448,269,294 in guaranteed money (over several years). To put this into perspective, the Golden State Warriors alone have $313M in guaranteed money.

 

Coulda Woulda Shoulda:

Adrian Peterson will go down as one of the best RB’s in history, despite being 5843 yards shy of Emmit Smith’s rushing record. This is one of those records we’ll never see beat, and he very well could have surpassed that mark. In 2014 he had the child abuse suspension, 2016 he was on injured reserve early in the season, and 2017 was a bit of a joke with him bouncing around between teams. His last full season he ran for 1485 at age 30 mind you. I realize that’s a killer season, but if you figure he can pull that off in his 3 off-years, that puts him at 16,428 coming into this year! Or only 1927 shy of Smith’s record. At his current pace, you’d think he could have knocked that out in two seasons.

 

Rant of the Year: Penalty on the NFL for Roughing the Fans:

Ok, here is my one rant for the year…I don’t know what it is, but I’ve never been more upset with a rule than what the new roughing the passer has become (and it hasn’t even affected my team yet). After what happened last week, the refs were at it again. Before people debate me, I realize this is how the rule is written, so my problem is more with the rule and the league rather than the refs. I also realize that this was my argument supporting the catch rule for the 7ish years that was in place. SO in reality, my argument is that the rule needs to change, and not that these were bad calls. But here’s my problem:

 

  1. Clay Matthews is 100% right, the game has become WAY too soft.
  2. There’s zero consistency in the calls. In the Redskins game, one play had Aaron Rodgers get completely swung around and body slammed WWE style. There was intent there, but no flag. Next series Clay Matthews does what’s considered a form tackle, with Smith holding the ball still, and he gets a flag
  3. This problem is 100% self inflicted, just like the catch rule was and just like the Anthem controversy is (I did it, I said the “A” word). Just makes you more and more wary of how the NFL as an organization as a whole is run.
  4. Big Ben also realized a nuance to the rule; you can now flop and get a flag. That’s all we need in football now!
  5. Dolphins William Hayes tore his ACL trying to avoid putting his body weight on the Derek Carr. Carr even later came out and said “I wish he would have just landed on me.”

 

I also can’t stand how the NFL keeps supporting this. The NBA will flat out admit when they have mistakes and blown calls. And for some reason, the psychology behind it is to say “ah, oh well that happens to the best of us. We’re all human” rather than to continue blaming the refs. There was even a slim chance for hope when they announced Wednesday that they were going to review the rule and that they were “concerned with the amount of flags thrown,” but then they came out AGAIN and said this is the rule and this is the “point of emphasis.”

 

If they continue to call this a foul, you’re completely limiting the point of even pressuring the QB. If going for a clean sack has the inherent risk of a 15 yard penalty, why not put 11 cornerbacks out there and go for an INT everytime?

 

I can see the side of protecting the QB however. You don’t want star players getting hurt like Brady in 2008, or Wentz last year or Jimmy Garrapolo. It basically ruins that team’s season, so I understand that. But still, 34 Flags through the first 3 weeks, vs 16 flags at this same point last year shows this is an issue.

 

Quote of the Week:

Two or three years ago, it probably doesn’t get flagged” Terry McAulay, who has refed 6 Championship games and 3 Super Bowls

 

Throwback Quote of the Week#2:

After the Bears had a 4th quarter comeback against the Cardinals, you couldn’t help but replay “The Bears are who we thought they were, and we let ‘em off the hook!” in your mind.

 

My Meme of the Week:

Just look at the beak on Josh Rosen! Almost as big as the Cardinal on his helmet.

 

Meme of the Week #2:

 

Meme of the Week #3:

 

Scavenger Hunt:

Alright play with me guys. I’m going to end the week by sending you on a little scavenger hunt that should get you laughing. This will probably work better on a computer than a phone, but here’s how it’ll go: I want you to click on the first link. Get the video playing with the volume up, and then as that’s playing, open the 2nd link in a new tab and focus on that picture as you’re listening to the video. You’ll never look at this guy the same again! and you’re welcome!

 

https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/videos/patrick-mahomes-postgame-press-conference/1666170423506449/

 

http://www.stickpng.com/es/img/al-cine/los-muppets/rana-gustavo-rene-timido

FMQB: Whoah-Oh FitzMagic!

Posted by fmquarterback on September 21, 2018
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

FMQB: Whoah-Oh FitzMagic!

Whoah-oh Fitz Magic!

If you had Ryan Fitzpatrick slated as the early MVP frontrunner, and beating the Super Bowl champions and a popular Super Bowl pick in the Saints on the road, then prove it. His season is truly magical so far. I agree with DeSean Jackson, how can you take him out and give Jameis Winston his job back?

 

Believe-land:

The range of emotions this team had in a 4 day stretch was pretty crazy. On Sunday, they had 2 missed FG’s and 2 missed extra points. The last extra pt. one was rough, which came right after an exciting 4th and 5 play late in the 4th quarter. It wouldn’t have mattered, as the Saints went up by 3, but they miraculously got back into Field Goal range. Watching Gonzalez march out onto the field for the 52 yarder with his head hanging, you just knew he was going to miss. He basically lost the game for them for the 2nd straight week. Keep in mind, the Browns, the LOWLY Browns, have gone toe to toe with the Saints (pun intended) and the Steelers. Two top-tier teams. They could easily be 3-0.

 

Ah, but Thursday night! The Browns finally won! It’s been 635 days since they’ve tasted victory. They struggled against the Jets and then Tyrod Taylor goes down, Browns fans must have been thinking “not again.” But the curse is broken and the Bud Light fridge unlocked! Congrats Cleveland.

 

The Most Exciting Tie you could see!

Pro-tip, if you’re looking for an exciting game to watch this year, turn on the Packers. They’ve been in two doozys, and the battle for the NFC North was another great one on Sunday. Full disclosure, the refs did not play favorites in this one and both sides have a right to be upset. Even on Rodger’s bum knee, the Packers were up 20-7 in the 4th quarter, partially thanks to a couple bad penalties especially one roughing the passer (although this one was close). But wow, Kirk Cousins turned it on in the 4th quarter. He actually looked fantastic this game, but they scored 21 points in the quarter and a 2 pt conversion to tie it up. The controversy came on the final drive, when he heaved one up as he was getting hit by Clay Matthews. INT, end of game, but hold on a flag for roughing the passer. There is literally a picture from the perfect angle that shows Matthews making contact and the ball is still in Cousins’ hands. He doesn’t wrap Cousin’s up, nor drive him into the ground, nor does he land with all of his weight on Kirk. You can also see Clay put his left hand down and try to brace his fall. This flag was absolutely terrible, but ended up making for an exciting game. The icing of Crosby after making a kick and having him miss, and then the Vikings kicker missing 2 OT FG’s yielded the tie. I will scream this one more time from the highest mountant, the 10 minute OT rule change is garbage! After the Vikings missed their FG, the Packers were driving and punted away with 3:57 left. You’re essentially limiting the number of drives to 3 if you’re lucky. Should have kept it at 15 minutes or at least switch to college football OT rules. I foreshadowed more ties last week, I just didn’t expect it to come the next week. I wouldn’t doubt this is talked about in the offseason, especially if there’s a 3rd tie.

 

Stat of the Week #1:

Ryan Fitzpatrick, a backup QB, is leading the league in TD’s, Yards, and passer rating

 

Stat of the Week #2:

Saquon Barkley had 14 receptions on Sunday, setting a team record. That’s more than Devante Adams, Stefon Diggs, AJ Green, Amari Cooper and Larry Fitzgerald have all season.

 

Stat of the Week #3:

Patrick Mahomes, first player with 10 TD passes in first 2 games. Keep in mind Sunday was his 3rd career start. Even the year that Peyton threw 55 TD’s, he only had 9 TD’s after Week 2.

 

Stat of the Week #4:

Ryan Fitzpatrick has 4 TD’s of over 35 yards, no other QB has more than 1.

 

Stolen Stat of the Week #5:

Oakland defense in first 2 games:

2 sacks

1 forced fumbles

0 fumbles recovered

1 interception

0 touchdowns

 

Khalil Mack in first 2 games:

2 sacks

2 forced fumbles

1 fumble recovered

1 interception

1 touchdown

 

Surprising Stat of the Week #6:

The Dolphins, Bengals, Buccaneers, Rams and Jaguars are in sole possession of 1st place in their division. Tell that to 2016 fans and they’d never believe you!

 

Stat of the Week #7:

In the Patriots Jaguars game, one QB threw the ball 45 times for 376 yards and 4 TD’s; and it wasn’t Tom Brady…

 

Stat of the Week #8:

Baker Mayfield’s first drive ended in points, and in his 1 half of play he threw for 201 yards and a QBR of 94.9 (out of 100).

 

Stat of the Week #9:

This is the first time since the new OT rules were introduced in 1972 that there were tie games in Week 1 and Week 2.

 

For the Record:

  • We’re 2 weeks in, and I wholeheartedly repeal my questioning of Andy Reid’s decision to trade Alex Smith and let Patrick Mahomes lead the team. I was dead wrong and I admit it. Mahomes looks like a star in the making.
  • The NFL eliminated their Catch Rule controversy just to replace it with Roughing the Passer. The Vikings game calls were abhorrent, and the fact the NFL agreed with the refs is an even bigger problem.
  • The Bengals are surprising, after two bum years they may have rebounded and be on their way to winning the division.
  • The Texans on the other hand are not living up to expectations, with everybody healthy
  • The Rise of the Rams is almost as abrupt as the fall of the Seahawks. They went from Super Bowl contender, to .500 team, to garbage in just 17 games
  • The Broncos comeback and final drive was pretty slick. John Gruden’s reaction to them making the kick was 100% Chucky too.

 

 

Divisional Deep Thinking:

Ties are weird, but the cool thing about the Vikings and Packers is that they now cannot tie the season series. They’ll go into their final game knowing that whoever wins will have the tiebreaker.

 

 

What it takes to Excel:

Blame me for being a homer, but this video of Rams coach Sean McVay is absolutely insane. A reporter gives him a situation such as “2015, Redskins vs Saints, 2nd and 12 on the 16 yard line with 4:24 left in the 3rd quarter.” And Sean will literally interrupt him and tell him the formation, the route, or what happened on the play.

https://sports.yahoo.com/sean-mcvays-power-recall-must-seen-believed-033739946.html

 

Video of the Year:

A few of you may have seen this, but it’s definitely worth watching again

http://dailysnark.com/colorado-mascot-shoots-himself-in-the-balls-after-accidentally-facing-t-shirt-cannon-wrong-way/

 

Quote of the Week:

“Is any of that yours?” Reporter- asking Ryan Fitzpatrick about his post-game outfit that he claimed to have borrowed from DeSean Jackson

“Just the chest hair”- Ryan Fitzpatrick

Quote of the Week #2:

“What came into the decision to let Dan Carlson (Vikings kicker) go?” Reporter

“Did you see the game?” Mike Zimmer

 

Quote of the Week #3:

“Hey, when’s the next article come out?” Reader

“Friday…hence the name” FMQB (sorry bro, I had to!)

 

Stolen Quote of the Week #4:

“The Bills are so bad, their players are retiring at halftime.” Still utterly astounded that Vontae Davis went into the locker room, put on his street clothes and just left. Never heard of anything remotely close to that. Completely disrespectful to the team, I don’t care what he says. If anything, tell the trainers you’re not feeling right or even sick and sit out the 2nd half.

 

Meme of the Week:

Meme of the Week #2:

Meme of the Week #3:

 

Meme of the Week #4:

 

FMQB: You Vike That?!?!

Posted by fmquarterback on September 14, 2018
Posted in: NFL. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

FMQB: You Vike That?!?!

 

Rodgers Rarity:

The Sunday night game will be one that gets replayed for years and years, and I don’t think I’m exaggerating. The fact that Rodgers was terrible with his good knee, goes out and the Bears have a hay day on defense should have ended the game there. The magic when he walked back onto the field, single handedly breathing back life into the stadium that had been drawn out as he was carted off the field; it was just incredible. The entire stadium went from “oh no, not again!” to “down 20-0? No problem, we have Aaron.” Despite the Packers not doing anything offensively in the 1st half, Lambeau had hope. And while the comeback was exciting, it almost wasn’t surprising, it was expected. If anybody has seen The Natural with Robert Redford, this was like a 3 hour condensed version of that.

 

Quick Hits:

  • Weather delays are extremely rare in the NFL, and we had 2 (technically 3) happen this week
  • The Colts didn’t waste time with easing Andrew Luck back into things. They tested out his shoulder on a league leading 53 attempts!
  • The Steelers didn’t seem to be missing LeVeon Bell. James Connor is leading the league in rushing
  • Saquon Barkley’s TD run shows the talent and explosiveness the Giants were hoping for, just wow. And against the Jags
  • Other than the first play of the game, Sam Darnold looks like the real deal
  • The Vikings and Jags defense looks legit
  • I want whatever Aaron Rodgers was on during his postgame interview. Or maybe I don’t…

 

Stat of the Week:

Drew Brees is on pace for 7024 passing yards

 

Stat of the Week #2:

This was the Bears first 10 point lead against the Packers since 2007

 

Follow-up Stat of the Week #3:

Julio Jones lead the league in receiving with 169 yards, but that elusive TD has his team at 0-1. On his last 20 targets to Julio Jones in the endzone, Matt Ryan is 1-20.

 

Stat of the Week #4:

The Browns 0-0-1 start is their best start since 2004.

 

Stat of the Week #5:

In the Bucs vs. Saints game: 88 points is a new record for a season opener, and there were 1004 offensive yards in that game

 

Stat of the Week #6:

Aaron Rodgers had 13 yards on a good knee in the first half, and 273 yards on a bad knee in the 2nd half

 

Stat of the Week #7:

Nathan Peterman has started 3 games in his career. One of which was this weekend where he went 5/18 for 24 yards and a 0.0 QB rating. It was 40-0 35 minutes into the game. Another start had him at 6/14, 0 TD’s and 5 INTs. Looks like you got yourself a winner there!

 

Stat of the Week #8:

The Ravens scored 47 points, yet their leading rusher had 44 yards, and leading receiver had 49 yards.

 

Stat of the Week #9:

Adrian Peterson passed Jim Brown to become 10th on the all time rushing list. He could get up to 8th if he has a good season. Frank Gore, the ageless one, should get to #4 this week. These are the only 2 active rushers in the top 25, proof the position is dying.

 

Stat of the Week #10:

Tyreek Hill touched the ball twice in the 1st quarter. The first was a 91 yard punt return, and the second a 58 yard receiving TD

 

Stat of the Week #11:

The Dolphins Titans game was 7 hours and 8 minutes long due to two lighting delays. The old record? 5 hours and 16 minutes

 

Stat of the Week:

From out of nowhere, Ryan Fitzpatrick had 417 yds and 4 TD’s

 

Takeaways from Opening Night:

  • The Falcons have struggled in the red zone for literally years. It’s ugly head reared up again last year in the playoffs with 4 shots at the endzone. Can’t believe they lost the game the exact same way
  • Although it was a slight variation, the fact they ran the Philly Special again (and the Falcons fell for it) was hilarious!
  • Nick Foles just somehow wins, no matter how bad his performance
  • The football Gods were just taunting us Thursday night. We waited 7 months, and had to wait an extra hour for a weather delay!

 

 

For the Record:

  • Jimmy Garrapolo is no longer undefeated
  • Only 1 possession in the 1st half of the Bucs Saints game did not result in a score.
  • DeShone Kizer somehow looked worse than Brent Hundley.
  • I don’t think anybody can think Khalil Mack is overpaid after watching his performance on Sunday night; same goes for Aaron Rodgers
  • Looked like the Adrian Peterson of old. He even got the workload of carries with 26 while Chris Thompson only had 5. Ended with 96 yards and a TD.
  • Still not convinced, but I may have been wrong about Patrick Mahomes
  • Case Keenum picked up right where he left off
  • New head coaches were 0-7 in their debuts
  • Ties are still a terrible way to end an NFL game

 

The Browns didn’t Lose!!!

Technically, TECHNICALLY, the Browns ended a 17 game losing streak and a 13 game opening day losing streak on Sunday. Such a weird OT period! There were 5 possessions in the last 1:47! Pittsburgh with the chance at a FG but missed, Browns Punt, Pittsburgh Fumbles in their territory giving the Browns a shot, but their FG is blocked! I will reiterate that the 10 minute overtimes were terrible and will lead to more ties, but I’ve griped about that in the past. Until they switch to college football rules, you’re going to continue to see these as more common.

 

Quote of the Week:

“You Vike That?!?!” Kirk Cousins

 

Games of the Week:

Vikings at Packers: Will likely have playoff consequences and it’s only Week 2!

Chiefs at Steelers

Patriots at Jaguars: Rematch of the AFC Championship

 

Fantasy Football Woes:

 

Despite the meme, I do want to gripe for a second. The only league I paid to be in this year didn’t give me a notification when the draft started, so I had my first Autodraft in years. Thanks ESPN, they went WR, WR, WR, RB, TE (who is now out for the season), QB who was out Week 1. Garbage.

 

Meme of the Week:

 

 

Meme of the Week #2:

FMQB: Eight is Great!

Posted by fmquarterback on September 6, 2018
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

FMQB: Eight is Great!

I’m so excited for the season to start that I couldn’t wait until Friday! Here’s your tide-over for the next 3 hours until kickoff!!!

 

Wow, year 8 for FMQB! I still love doing this, and at times it feels taxing, but I’m determined to get to 10 so you’re stuck with me for at least a few more seasons! Same pledge as last year, I’m going to try to keep the paragraphs to a minimum, and once again try to bring back nicknames which fell a bit short last year.

 

I won’t do all 32 team records this year, but of COURSE playoff predictions are here:

 

AFC:

  1. Steelers
  2. Patriots
  3. Jaguars
  4. Chargers
  5. Texans
  6. Dolphins

 

NFC:

  1. Vikings
  2. Saints
  3. Rams
  4. Eagles
  5. Falcons
  6. Packers

 

AFC Championship:

Steelers vs. Jaguars

 

NFC Championship:

Saints vs. Vikings

 

Super Bowl LIII:

Saints vs. Steelers

 

Other Predictions:

  • MVP- Carson Wentz (even if he misses a few weeks)
  • The Browns will win 7 games this year
  • This will be the Patriots last year in the playoffs under Tom Brady
  • This will be Eli Manning’s swan song
  • Offensive Player of the Year: DeShaun Watson
  • Defensive Player of the Year: JJ Watt
  • Comeback Player of the Year: Andrew Luck
  • Jon Gruden struggles in his first year, going 6-10
  • Rookie of the Year: Saquon Barkley
  • Rookie QB Watch:
    • Baker Mayfield: Starting by Week 11, goes 0-5 to end the season
    • Sam Darnold: Starts Week 1, will make the Jets competitive again at 8-8, playoffs next year
    • Josh Allen: Starts Week 3, struggles mightily but has 18 TDs and 24 INTs
    • Josh Rosen: Loses temper in Ryan Leaf-esque news conference, but starts after Sam Bradford injury in Week 4
    • Lamar Jackson: Takes over for a struggling Joe Flacco at 5-5, finishes season 9-7
  • Most Improved from Last Year? Jets or Browns
  • Most Overrated? Eagles, Patriots and Chiefs who are somehow #10 on power rankings with a new QB and a rebuilt defense
  • New coach outlook:
    • Jon Gruden- Raiders. I think he struggles his first year, has some run-ins with the NFL by overpracticing his squad or injury reports (something to do with new rules in play since he was in the league). But they’re a playoff team next year
    • Mike Vrabel- Titans. I bet this is a perennial playoff team shortly with one of the best defenses in the league in 2 years and Mariotta “good enough” to get them to 10-6 each year. I think they fall short his first year though.
    • Matt Patricia- Lions. I’m most interested in seeing this one play out. Belichcik disciples have traditionally done terribly in Head Coaching roles (Charlie Weiss, Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini to name a few). But he has pieces to work with in Detroit.
    • Frank Reich- Colts: I think it’s a building season, but having the OC from the Super Bowl champs helps. I think he could be a good long term coach.
    • Steve Wilks, Arizona: With QB questions and a soon to be retired Larry Fitzgerald, I think Wilks is the first in this class to get fired.
    • Matt Nagy, Bears: I have a feeling this is one of those situations where you have an amazing coach with a terrible team. If he’s around long enough to get a decent QB and to rebuild, this is my Super Bowl winning coach of the bunch.
    • Pat Shurmur, Giants: 2nd go around in coaching, but he’ll have to deal with QB replacement soon. However you have a couple of the best offensive players in the game with Barkley and Beckham, and an offensive minded coach. Could be poised for a playoff run his first year.

 

 

Stat of the Week:

Tom Brady is the 3rd QB to enter a season as a starter at 41 or older. The other two (Brett Favre and Warren Moon) struggled mightily after age 41. Remember Peyton Manning’s 55 TD year, and the following season he limped his way into retirement? When is that going to happen for Brady? Even with his crazy diet, it’s going to catch up to him at somepoint, and the Patriots are going to go from a Super Bowl caliber team to a 6-10 team VERY quickly.

 

Stat of the Week #2:

The Vikings are the only team with a winning record in the Super Bowl era not to have won a title

 

Stat of the Week #3:

Julio Jones only had 3 TD’s last season (yet was griping about wanting a new contract). I’ll admit he’s a beast for yardage, and hands down a top receiver in the league, but he’s only had one double-digit TD season in his 7 year career.

 

Feel Good Player to Watch:

Keep an eye on Shaquem Griffin for the Seahawks. He had his left hand amputated as a kid so only has one hand. A high school coach wouldn’t let him join the team because “Football players have 2 hands.” He ended up playing college ball at UCF, but wasn’t even initially invited to the Combine! But he got in and did one handed bench press and ran a blistering 4.38 40 yard dash! He got drafted in the 5th round, which is basically less than 50-50 that you make the team. Not only did he make the team, he’s starting week 1 for the Seahawks! To put this into perspective, there is only one other Rookie starting for the team, and it’s the Punter.

 

Nostalgia:

Jon Gruden’s last playoff victory was the Super Bowl win (against the Raiders) where he became the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl. To give perspective at how long ago this was, Tom Brady had 1 Super Bowl appearance and victory by this point.

 

 

To Boldly Go Where We’ll Never Go Back To Again!

So apparently the NFL got scared away by the 10 degree temperatures in the #BoldNorth last year. Next 6 Super Bowl locations are Atlanta, Miami, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and New Orleans. Nothing north of the Mason Dixon line!

 

Quick Hits:

  • I have been anti-Patrick Mahomes for the past year (nothing against him, I just don’t get why they ran Alex Smith out of town), but WOW, that arm! He had a throw that went 70 yards in the air, which was longer than ANY pass the entire season last year.
  • Funny how Adrian Peterson was so picky on taking a contract last year, and now he just signed for the Veteran minimum in Washington
  • LeVeon Bell should take a hint from this, take your money now, the market for you next year when you’re a year older won’t be great
  • On the same note, I have a feeling that things between Bell and Pittsburgh is going to get ugly, very fast. It’s not unfeasible to see him sit out the entire season.
  • I don’t see the hatred with NBC’s new “Green Zone.” I actually think this is much better than the gaudy yellow line showing the first down marker. It’s more pleasing to the eye because it’s subtle, but it’s fast to realize where a player is in relation to the 1st down. It needs some tweaking because it looks video game-ish when players are running through it, but don’t let the Twitter trolls get rid of this feature!
  • Losing Khalil Mack just lost the Raiders the West
  • How Aaron Rodgers is making 2/3 of what other QB’s are getting paid is beyond me

 

Aaron Rodgers Contract:

That last statement was obviously written last week. He got a whopping $103M in guaranteed money, and with incentives could reach $179.5M. I made a big deal out of the inequality of pay. The fact that Matthew Stafford, Derek Carr, Jimmy Garrapolo and Kirk Cousins were the highest paid QB’s was ridiculous (that’s 1 playoff win COMBINED between the 4 of them). The contracts are more about timing than skill. Well the Packers made right with the future hall of famer in my opinion. Here’s the crazy thing, you look at those numbers and it isn’t even surprising anymore, you hardly bat an eye. Here’s why: Alex Rodriguez surpassed the $200M mark…18 years ago! Steph Curry also surpassed $200M last year. Rodgers can only hope he gets that high, as it’s after incentives. His guaranteed money is half that amount.

 

Buzz:

For some reason, people are buzzing about a few surprise teams. Rumors around the league say that Mitch Trubisky could be like the Jared Goff of last year and is maturing as a QB. The Giants are also supposedly looking stronger, helped by Saquon Barkley of course but if he’s the next Ezekial Elliot that could be huge. The Chargers are also getting a LOT of buzz. Not a ton has changed with them, but they went on a run and had some ugly losses that should have made this a playoff team.

 

The NFC is utterly stacked. You have the Eagles, Rams are right up there, Falcons, Saints, Vikings with Dalvin Cook back, the Packers are always competitive with Rodgers, as are the Panthers with Newton. The Cowboys, Redskins, Lions, and Seahawks will all be mediocre teams but you don’t want to overlook them.

 

Games of Week 1:

Atlanta at Philadelphia- The playoff game last year was Atlanta’s to win

49ers at Vikings- Will be interesting to essentially see 2 new QB’s on teams with high expectations duke it out

Texans at Patriots- a passing of the torch possibly? The GOAT playing against the young stud QB

Rams at Oakland- Battle of Old LA

Chiefs at Chargers- Battle for the AFC West starts Week 1. Will be a key game for playoff purposes

 

Quote of the Season:

“Stretching is way overrated. Did you know World War I and World War II, all those guys that fought in that war, right? They did pushups, jumping jacks, situps, climbed the rope and ran. But none of this fancy (expletive). Okay? And they won two world wars — two world wars! — by doing jumping jacks, pushups, and situps. You think they were worried when they’re running across Normandy about (expletive) stretching?” Bob Wylie- Offensive Line coach of the browns

 

Meme of the Week: