It has been about three weeks since the Broncos hired Vance Joseph as their new head coach, and he did not waste too much time trying to fill out his coaching staff. It is no secret how important a coaching staff is for a new coach, and since Joseph won't be calling plays on either side of the ball, this staff will have a lot of responsibility, and they will be vital to the success of the Broncos in Year One of the Joseph era. Before I go through the staff, let me say that I was upset that Wade Phillips departed and left to become the new Defensive Coordinator for the Rams. You can't understate the job that Wade did with the defense the past two seasons. When he replaced Jack Del Rio as the DC in 2015, you immediately saw the impact that he made. He took a very good defense and made it a great defense and won a Super Bowl with that defense playing at a high level. Wade Phillips coordinated a defense that will be compared with the 70s Steelers, '85 Bears, and the 2000 Ravens as one of the greatest defenses in the Super Bowl era. Hats off to Wade and he will always be remembered as a Bronco-largely for what he did the last two years and for what he did for this franchise in the late 80s as well.
Offensive Coaching Staff (New Hires in Italics)
-Mike McCoy-Offensive Coordinator(Chargers Head Coach)
-Bill Musgrave-Quarterbacks (Raiders Offensive Coordinator)
-Jeff Davidson-Offensive Line(Chargers Offensive Line Coach)
-Eric Studesville-Running Backs
-Tyke Tolbert-Wide Receivers
-John Benton-Assistant Offensive Line Coach(Jaguars Offensive Line Coach)
-Geep Chryst-Tight Ends Coach (49ers 2015 Offensive Coordinator)
-Klint Kubiak-Offensive Assistant
Defensive Coaching Staff (New Hires in Italics)
-Joe Woods-Defensive Coordinator (Broncos DB coach)
-Bill Kollar-Defensive Line
-Reggie Herring-Inside Linebackers
-Fred Pagac-Outside Linebackers
-Marcus Robertson-Defensive Backs(Raiders DB coach)
-Johnnie Lynn-Assistant Defensive Backs
Special Teams Coaching Staff
-Brock Olivo-Special Teams Coordinator(Chiefs Assistant ST coach)
-Chris Gould-Assistant Special Teams Coordinator
Strength and Conditioning
-Luke Richesson
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Monday, January 23, 2017
Championship Sunday Recap
Championship Sunday is usually one of the most exciting and thrilling days of football in the calendar year. It is a day to look forward to as a fan of the NFL, but this year was a bit of a dud. Both games were blowouts, and the Falcons and the Patriots each rolled on their way to Super Bowl LI. It was hard to fathom how dominating New England and Atlanta looked over Pittsburgh and Green Bay respectively. I was very surprised that both of these games were non-competitive by the third quarter. It sets up an interesting Super Bowl between the high-powered Falcons and the juggernaut Patriots. The potential is there for a great game, but we have time to look ahead to that, so let's recap the two games from Championship Sunday.
NFC Championship
Atlanta-44 Green Bay-211) The Falcons went down the field on their first drive and Matt Ryan flipped a 2 yard pass to Mohamed Sanu for a touchdown to make it 7-0. Right there you sensed that the Falcons might be getting on a roll offensively from the get go.
2) The Packers drove down the field on their first drive and they settled for a 41 yard field goal and naturally Mason Crosby missed it wide right and the score remained 7-0. Crosby hit two 50+ field goals in the last two minutes last week at Dallas, and he shanks a very makeable field goal early in the game. Again, you started to feel like this could be Atlanta's night.
3) Here is where the game really just started to get away from the Packers: After the Falcons got a field goal on their second drive of the game to take a 10-0 lead, the Packers and Aaron Rodgers drove right down the field and looked like they were going to score until Aaron Ripkowski fumbled on a long run inside the five and into the endzone where the Falcons recovered. That really gave you the feeling that this game was going to be a blowout.
4) The Falcons responded with a 80 yard drive capped off by Matt Ryan scrambling in for 14 yards to make it 17-0. The only thing that could have saved the Packers at that point was if they could score at the end of the half, and they were getting the ball in the second half, so if they could get two scores before Matt Ryan got the ball back, that would at least give them a chance to get back into this game.
5) Rodgers throw a long interception, essentially a punt, and the Falcons took advantage right before the first half ended. Ryan drove the Falcons into scoring territory with the help of two Packer dropped interceptions and Ryan hit Julio Jones on a back shoulder fade for a 5 yard touchdown and an insurmountable 24-0 lead at the half. That was just a killer sequence for the Packers at that moment of the game.
6) After the Packers punted on their first drive of the second half, Julio Jones put the game away for good when he took a crossing route and went 73 yards for a touchdown to make it 31-0, and the rout was officially on in Atlanta. That was it. The game was done and the Falcons could start partying and celebrating the NFC Championship.
7) Matt Ryan played great and Julio Jones just dominated the game. Ryan finished 27-38 for 392 yards 4 TDs and 1 rushing TD. Jones finished with 9 receptions for 180 yards and 2 TDs. The Falcons had the best offense all year long, and they continued their onslaught in this game. I know the Packers had injuries in the secondary, but I haven't seen so many guys wide open and the Packers had no answers and couldn't make any adjustments. Give Ryan credit for playing so well, and give Kyle Shanahan credit for what this offense became this year.
8) The Packers just ran into a buzzsaw. I thought Aaron Rodgers had it in him to pull this game out by himself and get his team to the Super Bowl singlehandedly. I was wrong and the Packers and Rodgers were just overwhelmed by the Falcons. They got down early, had two bad breaks early, and the game just away from them. The Packers window isn't closing and they can reload in the offseason and be right back here again next year.
9) The Falcons had a lot of success with Matt Ryan early in his career, but they couldn't breakthrough in the postseason. They missed the playoffs in 2013, 2014, and 2015, but now in Dan Quinn's second year he got them back into the playoffs, won the division, and are now headed to the Super Bowl for only the second time in franchise history.
AFC Championship
New England-36 Pittsburgh-17
1) This game got out of hand just like the early game, and I was surprised by that. I thought the Steelers would keep this game close and even win it late, but the Patriots just dominated from the start. They went right down the field and got a field goal from Stephen Gostkowski to make it 3-0. Then, after a Steelers punt, they went right down the field again and Tom Brady his Chris Hogan on a 16 yard TD pass in which Brady stood in the pocket for like 30 seconds and found a wide open Hogan standing in the end zone. That was the first of many bad moments by the Steelers defense.
2) The Steelers responded with an 84-yard drive and DeAngelo Williams capped off the drive with a 5 yard run to make it 10-6 after the missed extra point. Ben Roethlisberger had some big throws on the drive and I thought that maybe we have a game here and the Steelers might have settled into the game.
3) The Patriots responded with an 82 yard drive and Brady hit Hogan again on a 34 yard TD pass on a flea flicker and just like that it was 17-6. It was going to be very hard for the Steelers to come back from being down 11 in Foxboro on this night.
4) Here is the key sequence of events late in the second quarter: Big Ben put together another nice drive for the Steelers and it looked like he hit Jesse James for a TD to cut the lead to 17-12 right before the first half ended. After the play got reviewed, it showed that James was down right before the goaline. The Steelers still had a 1st and goal from inside the 1, but the first down run to Williams lost 1 yard. Then, the second down run to Williams lost 3 yards, and then Ben threw incomplete on 3rd down and somehow the Steelers had to settle for a field goal and the Pats still lead 17-9. That was a very rough set of plays for the Steelers and at that point I realized that there was no way the Steelers were going to win this game.
5) After NE had a 20-9 lead in the third quarter, Brady put together a classic drive, carved up the Steelers defense and LeGarrette Blount scored on a 1 yard run with 2:44 to go in the third quarter to make it 27-9. The Steelers were on life support and you wondered if they could somehow get a backdoor cover because this game's result was effectively over. The Steelers tried to play zone defense and rush only a few guys at Brady and it failed miserably. He cut them apart and shredded them to the tune of 32-42 for 384 yards and 3 TDs. They had no answer for Chris Hogan, 9 receptions for 180 yards and 2 TDs, and Julian Edelman, 8 for 118 and 1 TD. The Steelers had no answers on defense all day. They didn't have the personnel to execute that type of gameplan and they had no chance to stop Brady and this offense. The epitome of this game was when Brady hit a wide-open Pat Devlin, a FULLBACK, on a hook route for a first down when no one on the Steelers even covered him. That played summed up the game.
6) Pittsburgh WR Eli Rogers fumbled on the next offensive play for the Steelers and the Pats recovered deep in PITT territory and Brady threw a 10 yard TD pass to Julian Edelman to make it 33-9 after the missed PAT with 1:35 to go in the third quarter. That was the dagger in the heart of the Steelers and that put the game away for good.
7) Big Ben didn't play awful but he got no help from this receivers, who dropped too many passes all night long. I know people might point to LeVeon Bell going out with a groin injury early in the game, but his absence had no bearing on the loss. The Steelers weren't able to matchup defensively with Brady and Pats offense. It is interesting because I really thought the Steelers would give the Pats a close game, but they weren't in the class of NE. The Steelers got to the Wild Card round in 2014, the Divisional round in 2015 and now the AFC Championship in 2016. Perhaps they will take the next step next year and get back to the Super Bowl.
8) As much as you hate to give them credit, the Pats, Tom Brady, and Bill Belichick deserve the kudos once again. In a year when Brady was suspended for the first four games, they were still able to go 14-2, and roll over Houston and Pittsburgh in the playoffs to get to the 7th Super Bowl in the Belichick-Brady era. They both go for their 5th Super Bowl victory and a chance to put the finishing touches on two epic careers. They were the better team, outclassed and outcoached the Steelers, and now have a chance for immortality in Super Bowl LI against the Falcons in two weeks.
NFC Championship
Atlanta-44 Green Bay-211) The Falcons went down the field on their first drive and Matt Ryan flipped a 2 yard pass to Mohamed Sanu for a touchdown to make it 7-0. Right there you sensed that the Falcons might be getting on a roll offensively from the get go.
2) The Packers drove down the field on their first drive and they settled for a 41 yard field goal and naturally Mason Crosby missed it wide right and the score remained 7-0. Crosby hit two 50+ field goals in the last two minutes last week at Dallas, and he shanks a very makeable field goal early in the game. Again, you started to feel like this could be Atlanta's night.
3) Here is where the game really just started to get away from the Packers: After the Falcons got a field goal on their second drive of the game to take a 10-0 lead, the Packers and Aaron Rodgers drove right down the field and looked like they were going to score until Aaron Ripkowski fumbled on a long run inside the five and into the endzone where the Falcons recovered. That really gave you the feeling that this game was going to be a blowout.
4) The Falcons responded with a 80 yard drive capped off by Matt Ryan scrambling in for 14 yards to make it 17-0. The only thing that could have saved the Packers at that point was if they could score at the end of the half, and they were getting the ball in the second half, so if they could get two scores before Matt Ryan got the ball back, that would at least give them a chance to get back into this game.
5) Rodgers throw a long interception, essentially a punt, and the Falcons took advantage right before the first half ended. Ryan drove the Falcons into scoring territory with the help of two Packer dropped interceptions and Ryan hit Julio Jones on a back shoulder fade for a 5 yard touchdown and an insurmountable 24-0 lead at the half. That was just a killer sequence for the Packers at that moment of the game.
6) After the Packers punted on their first drive of the second half, Julio Jones put the game away for good when he took a crossing route and went 73 yards for a touchdown to make it 31-0, and the rout was officially on in Atlanta. That was it. The game was done and the Falcons could start partying and celebrating the NFC Championship.
7) Matt Ryan played great and Julio Jones just dominated the game. Ryan finished 27-38 for 392 yards 4 TDs and 1 rushing TD. Jones finished with 9 receptions for 180 yards and 2 TDs. The Falcons had the best offense all year long, and they continued their onslaught in this game. I know the Packers had injuries in the secondary, but I haven't seen so many guys wide open and the Packers had no answers and couldn't make any adjustments. Give Ryan credit for playing so well, and give Kyle Shanahan credit for what this offense became this year.
8) The Packers just ran into a buzzsaw. I thought Aaron Rodgers had it in him to pull this game out by himself and get his team to the Super Bowl singlehandedly. I was wrong and the Packers and Rodgers were just overwhelmed by the Falcons. They got down early, had two bad breaks early, and the game just away from them. The Packers window isn't closing and they can reload in the offseason and be right back here again next year.
9) The Falcons had a lot of success with Matt Ryan early in his career, but they couldn't breakthrough in the postseason. They missed the playoffs in 2013, 2014, and 2015, but now in Dan Quinn's second year he got them back into the playoffs, won the division, and are now headed to the Super Bowl for only the second time in franchise history.
AFC Championship
New England-36 Pittsburgh-17
1) This game got out of hand just like the early game, and I was surprised by that. I thought the Steelers would keep this game close and even win it late, but the Patriots just dominated from the start. They went right down the field and got a field goal from Stephen Gostkowski to make it 3-0. Then, after a Steelers punt, they went right down the field again and Tom Brady his Chris Hogan on a 16 yard TD pass in which Brady stood in the pocket for like 30 seconds and found a wide open Hogan standing in the end zone. That was the first of many bad moments by the Steelers defense.
2) The Steelers responded with an 84-yard drive and DeAngelo Williams capped off the drive with a 5 yard run to make it 10-6 after the missed extra point. Ben Roethlisberger had some big throws on the drive and I thought that maybe we have a game here and the Steelers might have settled into the game.
3) The Patriots responded with an 82 yard drive and Brady hit Hogan again on a 34 yard TD pass on a flea flicker and just like that it was 17-6. It was going to be very hard for the Steelers to come back from being down 11 in Foxboro on this night.
4) Here is the key sequence of events late in the second quarter: Big Ben put together another nice drive for the Steelers and it looked like he hit Jesse James for a TD to cut the lead to 17-12 right before the first half ended. After the play got reviewed, it showed that James was down right before the goaline. The Steelers still had a 1st and goal from inside the 1, but the first down run to Williams lost 1 yard. Then, the second down run to Williams lost 3 yards, and then Ben threw incomplete on 3rd down and somehow the Steelers had to settle for a field goal and the Pats still lead 17-9. That was a very rough set of plays for the Steelers and at that point I realized that there was no way the Steelers were going to win this game.
5) After NE had a 20-9 lead in the third quarter, Brady put together a classic drive, carved up the Steelers defense and LeGarrette Blount scored on a 1 yard run with 2:44 to go in the third quarter to make it 27-9. The Steelers were on life support and you wondered if they could somehow get a backdoor cover because this game's result was effectively over. The Steelers tried to play zone defense and rush only a few guys at Brady and it failed miserably. He cut them apart and shredded them to the tune of 32-42 for 384 yards and 3 TDs. They had no answer for Chris Hogan, 9 receptions for 180 yards and 2 TDs, and Julian Edelman, 8 for 118 and 1 TD. The Steelers had no answers on defense all day. They didn't have the personnel to execute that type of gameplan and they had no chance to stop Brady and this offense. The epitome of this game was when Brady hit a wide-open Pat Devlin, a FULLBACK, on a hook route for a first down when no one on the Steelers even covered him. That played summed up the game.
6) Pittsburgh WR Eli Rogers fumbled on the next offensive play for the Steelers and the Pats recovered deep in PITT territory and Brady threw a 10 yard TD pass to Julian Edelman to make it 33-9 after the missed PAT with 1:35 to go in the third quarter. That was the dagger in the heart of the Steelers and that put the game away for good.
7) Big Ben didn't play awful but he got no help from this receivers, who dropped too many passes all night long. I know people might point to LeVeon Bell going out with a groin injury early in the game, but his absence had no bearing on the loss. The Steelers weren't able to matchup defensively with Brady and Pats offense. It is interesting because I really thought the Steelers would give the Pats a close game, but they weren't in the class of NE. The Steelers got to the Wild Card round in 2014, the Divisional round in 2015 and now the AFC Championship in 2016. Perhaps they will take the next step next year and get back to the Super Bowl.
8) As much as you hate to give them credit, the Pats, Tom Brady, and Bill Belichick deserve the kudos once again. In a year when Brady was suspended for the first four games, they were still able to go 14-2, and roll over Houston and Pittsburgh in the playoffs to get to the 7th Super Bowl in the Belichick-Brady era. They both go for their 5th Super Bowl victory and a chance to put the finishing touches on two epic careers. They were the better team, outclassed and outcoached the Steelers, and now have a chance for immortality in Super Bowl LI against the Falcons in two weeks.
Friday, January 20, 2017
Championship Sunday Preview and Picks!
At the start of the season, I picked the Packers over the Steelers in Super Bowl LI in Houston. Now here I am with both of those teams alive and well in the Conference Championship Games this weekend. We had two classic games on Sunday and two road teams winning on Sunday to give us quite an entertaining final four in the NFL. Both games should be really good and you have three teams with historic Super Bowl tradition and one team trying to get to only their second Super Bowl in franchise history. The Steelers are looking for their 9th Super Bowl appearance (6-2), the Patriots are looking for their 9th Super Bowl appearance (4-4), and the Packers are looking for their 6th appearance. The Falcons only appearance was in Super Bowl XXXIII in the loss to the Broncos 34-19. Before I make my predictions, here are the best possible Super Bowl matchups in order from best to worst:
1) New England vs. Green Bay (Aaron Rodgers vs. Tom Brady)
2) Pittsburgh vs. Green Bay (Two hottest teams in the league, tradition-rich franchises, and a rematch of Super Bowl XLV)
3) New England vs. Atlanta (Falcons big-time offense tries to pull off the huge upset as most of America roots for the underdog to take down the hated Patriots)
4) Pittsburgh vs. Atlanta (Not too many storylines available for this one)
Now, onto the picks for Championship Sunday in the NFL.....
Last Week's Record: 3-1
Overall Playoff Record: 5-3
Regular Season Record: 141-99-14
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
Overall Playoff Record: 5-3
Regular Season Record: 141-99-14
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
NFC Championship
4) Green Bay at 2) Atlanta
A Case for the Packers: Did you see what Aaron Rodgers has done over the last two months? Did you see how he pulled that game out with his clutch throw to Jared Cook in final seconds to set up Mason Crosby's FG to stick a knife in the hearts of the Cowboys? Rodgers is playing on another level and with last week's throw to Cook and all the Hail Mary throws in the last two years, you CAN'T COUNT RODGERS OUT EVER IN A GAME!!! There is no way you can think you have him beat. Rodgers is also playing with that look. It is the same look that Montana had in 1989, the same look that Eli had in 2011, and the same look that Flacco had in 2012. Rodgers is on such a roll that he can't be stopped. I know the Packers defense can't stop anyone, and they will get carved up at times by Atlanta, but I'm not betting against Rodgers because he is the best QB on the planet right now, and you can just see it in his eyes. He is like a Jedi right now. I'm not going against a Jedi in the NFC Championship Game.
A Case for the Falcons: How are the Packers and their defense going to slow down the Falcons offense? They sliced and diced the Seattle defense last week, and Matt Ryan had so many weapons to go to that I was losing track. Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman can run the ball on GB and then they can catch balls out of the backfield. You have Julio Jones and Mohammed Sanu each grabbing a TD last week in the win as well. Did you see the Cowboys come back from a 21-3 deficit and a 28-13 deficit on this Packers defense? You could make the case that the Falcons might just come out of the gates and just ambush the Packers from the get go and this game is something like 24-7 early in the 2nd quarter or something like that. Aren't the Falcons due for another Super Bowl appearance as well?
Prediction: Green Bay (+5) over ATLANTA: I'm not going against Aaron Rodgers again, and I see this being a high-scoring, back and forth game, that comes down to one of the final drives in the 4th quarter. I see Rodgers making one more drive than Ryan, winning the game, and sending the Packers to Super Bowl LI.
Final Score: Packers-36 Falcons-31
AFC Championship
3) Pittsburgh at 1) New England
A Case for the Steelers: They have three of the best five players on the field in this game, and all of them are on offense. Big Ben won't be intimidated by heading to Foxboro for this game with the Pats. New England's defense has faced the easiest slate of opposing QBs any team has faced in like the last 15 years. They finally have to deal Ben, LeVeon Bell, and Antonio Brown. They simply haven't faced an offense like this all year long. I have felt all year that the Steelers were the only team that had a chance to knock off the Pats in the AFC, and I haven't changed one bit. They are red-hot (9 wins in a row), and they have played in countless big games in the Mike Tomlin era. I might be the only one who thinks that their defense can make plays on the NE offense. Plus, they KNOW they can win this game, and I'm shocked they are almost six point underdogs going into this game.
A Case for the Patriots: The Patriots offense really struggled at times against the Texans last week, and Tom Brady admitted that it was a tough game for them. Expect Bill Belichick to use their performance last week as motivation for this week's game. They will work their tails off to be ready to go this Sunday. I think if you get Brady and company with a chip on their shoulder, then that could be trouble for the Steelers. Also, I think the same will apply to their defense. All week they will hear that they haven't faced any good QBs and quality offenses, and now they have to deal the Ben/Bell/Brown trifecta. I can see their defense taking pride in that and Belichick somehow devising a plan to stop those guys from having a big game.
Prediction: Pittsburgh (+5.5) over NEW ENGLAND: The Patriots finally get a quality opponent with a big-time QB, and I don't think they will be up to the task-even at home. I see the Steelers grabbing a big lead and then holding on for dear life at the end, but since I picked Pittsburgh to represent the AFC back in August, I have to stick with them here.
Final Score: Steelers-27 Patriots-24
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Divisonal Round Review!
After a weekend of crappy Wild Card games, the Divisional Round was set up to be a great weekend of football. Saturday didn't really produce that result as the Falcons and Patriots advanced relatively easy, but Sunday's games were great-including the instant classic between the Packers and the Cowboys thriller. We finally were treated to two great games and it sets up two really intriguing games for Championship Weekend. Here is the recap of the games from the Divisional Round....
NFC Divisional Playoff
Atlanta-36 Seattle-20
NFC Divisional Playoff
Green Bay-34 Dallas-31
1) We knew that this had the chance to be the best game of the weekend and it was. What a fantastic game and about as crazy of a finish as you can imagine. A classic game all the way around.
2) The Packers and Aaron Rodgers continued their hot hand and jumped out to a 21-3 lead on the Cowboys. Three drives for the Packers and three touchdowns. After trailing 3-0, they silenced the crowd with a Rodgers to Richard Rodgers 34 yard hookup, a Ty Montgomery 3 yard run, and another Montgomery 1 yard TD run to take the commanding lead early. I thought at that point that we were in for another blowout this weekend.
3) Give Dallas and Dak Prescott credit. They rallied from the big deficit to get back in the game. Prescott hit Dez Bryant on a 40 yard TD to make it 21-10 on the next drive. That was a huge response from the Cowboys and after they added a field goal late in the first half, you thought that this was going to be a close game again.
4) After Rodgers carved up the Cowboys secondary to start the second half, he finished off the drive with a beautiful play fake and a short touchdown pass to Jared Cook and a 28-13 Packers lead. I kind of thought might have been the dagger for Dallas, and I really thought they were done when Prescott was intercepted by Micah Hide on a WR screen on the ensuing drive in GB territory.
5) This is where game turned: Up 28-13 and late in the 3rd quarter, Rodgers got picked off at the Dallas 14 by Jon Heath with 2:31 left in the third quarter. The Cowboys went right down the field aided by some clutch throws by Prescott to Jason Witten and he hit Witten again for a 6 yard TD pass to make it 28-20 with 11:39 to go in the game. After a sack on 3rd down by Barry Church on the next drive, the Cowboys took over with 9:14 to go at their own 20. They went right down the field again and they scored on a 7 yard pass from Prescott to Bryant to make it 28-26. Then, they tied it on the two-point conversion with a sweet QB draw by Prescott with 4:08 to play in the game. What a comeback by the Cowboys and it all started with that interception by Heath.
6) The rest of the game was just ridiculous. The Packers drove into Dallas territory on their next drive aided by a weak pass interference call, but the drive stalled when Ty Montgomery got blown up on a run and Rodgers missed Davante Adams on a 3rd and 11. They settled for a field goal and somehow Mason Crosby hit a 56 yarder to take a 31-28 lead with only 1:33 left in the game. What a clutch kick by Crosby in that spot.
7) The Cowboys and Prescott responded once again. He hit Terrence Williams for 24 yards in the first play and hit Jason Witten for 11 yards on the second play of the drive. For some reason, Dallas spiked the ball on the next play, which was a 1st and 10 at the GB 40 with 1:07 left and timeout left. I don't know why they did that and they could have continued with the no-huddle and they were moving the ball at will on the Packers at that point. Two plays later, they didn't get the first down and had to settle for a Dan Bailey 52 yard FG, which he made in that spot to tie it at 31 with 35 seconds left. Unfortunately, they left too much time for Rodgers on the clock.
8) After getting sacked at the GB 32 and having to take a timeout with 12 seconds left, Rodgers pulled off another miraculous, unbelievable, and insane throw to Jared Cook for 36 yards to the Dallas 34 with only 3 seconds left. Rodgers was rolling left, threw it across his body about 36 yards in the air on a line and Cook made a sliding catch and got both feet down while going out of bounds. It was about a great of a throw you can make and an even better catch. It will long be remembered as one of the greatest throws in playoff history and might be the best throw of Rodgers career. Crosby nailed the 51 yarder on a knuckle ball kick and GB won 34-31. What a game and it featured 3 FGs over 50 yards in the last minute and a half. Just incredible.
9) For the Cowboys it is extreme disappointment. They were the #1 seed and were a five point favorite to advance. They lose a heartbreaker on a day that Dak Prescott was great, Ezekiel Elliot was great and they rallied from a 21-3 hole. It will be a very tough offseason for the Cowboys until next fall, and they fail once again to reach the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1995.
10) What can you say about Rodgers at this point? He has been playing like the best QB on the planet and this just one of those performances that you will remember forever. You have to like his chances next week in Atlanta as they try to get to the second Super Bowl with him as their starting QB. What a game.
AFC Divisional Playoff
Pittsburgh-18 Kansas City-16
1) This game got moved from 1:00pm on Sunday to 8:30 on Sunday night due to the threat of an ice storm in Kansas City. Some people are saying the NFL did it as a way to make an excuse to put this game at night to try and experiment with a Sunday night Divisional Playoff game, but I'm not sure that was the case. They saw a possibility of some bad weather and decided to switch the game. I didn't mind the switch with Martin Luther King Day giving me the next day off anyway. I kind of liked the switch.
2) The Steelers dominated this game upfront all night long. They controlled the ball and the only reason why this game was close was because they settled for field goals. They settled for a FG on their opening drive to make it 3-0, and they gave up an Alex Smith TD pass to Albert Wilson and they were trailing 7-3. They really dominated the game from that point. LeVeon Bell had 170 yards rushing on 30 carries. They had 389 yards of total offense to the Chiefs 227. They made it 7-6, then took a 9-7 lead, then 12-7 at the half and a 15-7 with 10 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter. KC finally got a FG with 10 seconds left in the 3rd quarter to stop the scoring run and make it 15-10 heading into the final quarter.
3) Give Steelers kicker Chris Boswell credit. He set a NFL record with 6 field goals made and he accounted for all of the points for the Steelers, and all of his kicks were made with ease.
4) The Chiefs were down 18-10 with 9:49 left in the game when they took over at their own 25. They marched 75 yards on 13 plays but took 7:06 seconds on the drive. They converted two 4th downs on the drive. The first one was on a 4th and 8 from the Pitt 38 when Alex Smith hit Chris Conley for a gain of 12. After an unnecessary roughness get the chains moving, the Chiefs converted another 4th and 2 when Smith hit fullback Anthony Sherman for 3 yards down to the Pitt 1 yard line with 3:29 left in the game. On the next play, Spencer Ware plunged in to make it 18-16 with 2:43 left in the game. Smith converted the 2-point conversion to tie the game, but the Chiefs LT Eric Fisher was called for holding on James Harrison and the play was nullified. Smith's pass on the next 2 point play was knocked away in the back of the endzone. The criticism of the Andy Reid is the fact that this drive took so long to get the plays in. The plays were coming in so late. They also had to use their second timeout to set up their 4th and 2 play inside the five. It just took too much time and they had no wiggle room if they gave up one first down to the Steelers on the next drive.
5) Ben Roethlisberger didn't have his best game but like we have seen before, he sometimes saves his best for the end of the game. Big Ben hit a crossing Antonio Brown (With Justin Houston in coverage for some reason) for a key first down on 3rd and 3 at their own 12. That play put the game away and sent the Steelers to Foxboro for a date with the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game and their first appearance in the title game since 2010. At 4-5, the Steelers were in trouble, but they won seven in a row to finish 11-5 and now have won nine in a row as they try to get back to the Super Bowl for the ninth time in team history.
6) For the Chiefs it is another disappointing home loss in the playoffs for their franchise. Just like 1995, 1997, and 2003, the Chiefs had a bye and lost their first playoff game at home. The Steelers were generally considered the better team, but KC went 12-4 and was considered one of the few teams that could knock off the Patriots in the AFC. They are now 1-3 under Andy Reid in the playoffs and they are heading home thinking about that holding call on the 2 point play that would have tied the game.
NFC Divisional Playoff
Atlanta-36 Seattle-20
1) The Seahawks looked like they came ready to play, and they went down the field and scored a TD on their first drive on a Russell Wilson to Jimmy Graham hookup to take a 7-0 lead. You wondered if the Seahawks were going to mean all business and take the game over.
2) The Falcons responded right back with a TD drive of their own to start the game and tied it at 7 on a sweet little pass play from Matt Ryan to Julio Jones.
3) The game turned on the following sequence: After Seattle took a 10-7 lead, they forced an Atlanta punt, and Devin Hester retuned it for an 80 yard return down to the Atlanta 7, but the play was called back due to a hold on the return. The Seahawks were backed up to their own 7 and two plays later, Wilson tripped over his own lineman and fell in the endzone and was tackled for a safety to make it 10-9. The Falcons got a field goal on the ensuing drive after the free kick to make it 12-10.
4) The Falcons then turned it on from there. After a Seattle 3 and out, the Falcons scored another touchdown near the end of the half on a 99 yard drive that was capped off by a Tevin Coleman 14 yard reception from Matt Ryan. It was 19-10 going into the half, and the Falcons were getting the ball to start the half and they went 75 yards on 13 plays and Devonta Freeman punched it in to make it 26-10, and that pretty much put the game away.
5) Seattle proved that it was a good team, but just not a good enough team to compete in the NFC this year. They weren't better than Atlanta and they had their nice home win over a weak Detroit team in the Wild Card round, but it wasn't going any further. Now, they can retool for a run next year, but they clearly weren't one of the top teams in their conference.
6) The Falcons offense continued their epic run this season and they looked like a well-oiled machine in this game. Matt Ryan was sensational and you have to like the way that Kyle Shanahan crafted the offensive gameplan. It was a great performance, they were the better team, and they showed it in this game.
AFC Divisional Playoff
New England-34 Houston-16
1) You never had the feeling that the Patriots were going to lose this game but somehow it was closer and in striking range for longer than anyone expected.
2) The Pats started the game the way they wanted. A 13 yard TD pass from Tom Brady to Dion Lewis and then Lewis took a kick return back 98 yards to make it 14-3 late in the first quarter.
3) Brady didn't have his greatest playoff game ever and a pick early in the 2nd quarter made led to a Texans field goal to make it 14-6. After a Patriots fumble on the ensuing kick, the Texans turned it into a touchdown when Brock Osweiler hit C.J. Fiedorowicz on a 10 yard TD to make it 14-13 and they were actually giving the Pats a game.
4) Give the Texans defense credit because they didn't a good job on the Patriots for the most part. A key sequence was when they forced a punt and took over at the Pats 49 near the end of the half, but they went 3 and out and punted it back to NE. The Pats ended up getting a FG for a 17-13 lead at halftime.
5) After the Patriots made it 24-13 on a Brady to James White TD to make it 24-13 with 9 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter, Will Fuller dropped a perfect pass from Osweiler and the Texans were forced to punt. After the Texans picked off Brady late in the 3rd quarter, they had to settle for a FG and it was 24-16. That was there chance to pull this game out somehow.
6) With 12 minutes to go in the game, Osweiler got picked off by Logan Ryan and he returned it to the Houston 6. Up 24-16, now the Pats had a chance to make it a two score game and they did when Dion Lewis put it away from a 1 yard run to make it 31-16.
7) The Patriots weren't going to lose this game, and since they didn't play as well as they would have liked, this will give them motivation as they head to the AFC Championship Game for the sixth straight year, which is just unheard of in this era of the NFL.
NFC Divisional Playoff
Green Bay-34 Dallas-31
1) We knew that this had the chance to be the best game of the weekend and it was. What a fantastic game and about as crazy of a finish as you can imagine. A classic game all the way around.
2) The Packers and Aaron Rodgers continued their hot hand and jumped out to a 21-3 lead on the Cowboys. Three drives for the Packers and three touchdowns. After trailing 3-0, they silenced the crowd with a Rodgers to Richard Rodgers 34 yard hookup, a Ty Montgomery 3 yard run, and another Montgomery 1 yard TD run to take the commanding lead early. I thought at that point that we were in for another blowout this weekend.
3) Give Dallas and Dak Prescott credit. They rallied from the big deficit to get back in the game. Prescott hit Dez Bryant on a 40 yard TD to make it 21-10 on the next drive. That was a huge response from the Cowboys and after they added a field goal late in the first half, you thought that this was going to be a close game again.
4) After Rodgers carved up the Cowboys secondary to start the second half, he finished off the drive with a beautiful play fake and a short touchdown pass to Jared Cook and a 28-13 Packers lead. I kind of thought might have been the dagger for Dallas, and I really thought they were done when Prescott was intercepted by Micah Hide on a WR screen on the ensuing drive in GB territory.
5) This is where game turned: Up 28-13 and late in the 3rd quarter, Rodgers got picked off at the Dallas 14 by Jon Heath with 2:31 left in the third quarter. The Cowboys went right down the field aided by some clutch throws by Prescott to Jason Witten and he hit Witten again for a 6 yard TD pass to make it 28-20 with 11:39 to go in the game. After a sack on 3rd down by Barry Church on the next drive, the Cowboys took over with 9:14 to go at their own 20. They went right down the field again and they scored on a 7 yard pass from Prescott to Bryant to make it 28-26. Then, they tied it on the two-point conversion with a sweet QB draw by Prescott with 4:08 to play in the game. What a comeback by the Cowboys and it all started with that interception by Heath.
6) The rest of the game was just ridiculous. The Packers drove into Dallas territory on their next drive aided by a weak pass interference call, but the drive stalled when Ty Montgomery got blown up on a run and Rodgers missed Davante Adams on a 3rd and 11. They settled for a field goal and somehow Mason Crosby hit a 56 yarder to take a 31-28 lead with only 1:33 left in the game. What a clutch kick by Crosby in that spot.
7) The Cowboys and Prescott responded once again. He hit Terrence Williams for 24 yards in the first play and hit Jason Witten for 11 yards on the second play of the drive. For some reason, Dallas spiked the ball on the next play, which was a 1st and 10 at the GB 40 with 1:07 left and timeout left. I don't know why they did that and they could have continued with the no-huddle and they were moving the ball at will on the Packers at that point. Two plays later, they didn't get the first down and had to settle for a Dan Bailey 52 yard FG, which he made in that spot to tie it at 31 with 35 seconds left. Unfortunately, they left too much time for Rodgers on the clock.
8) After getting sacked at the GB 32 and having to take a timeout with 12 seconds left, Rodgers pulled off another miraculous, unbelievable, and insane throw to Jared Cook for 36 yards to the Dallas 34 with only 3 seconds left. Rodgers was rolling left, threw it across his body about 36 yards in the air on a line and Cook made a sliding catch and got both feet down while going out of bounds. It was about a great of a throw you can make and an even better catch. It will long be remembered as one of the greatest throws in playoff history and might be the best throw of Rodgers career. Crosby nailed the 51 yarder on a knuckle ball kick and GB won 34-31. What a game and it featured 3 FGs over 50 yards in the last minute and a half. Just incredible.
9) For the Cowboys it is extreme disappointment. They were the #1 seed and were a five point favorite to advance. They lose a heartbreaker on a day that Dak Prescott was great, Ezekiel Elliot was great and they rallied from a 21-3 hole. It will be a very tough offseason for the Cowboys until next fall, and they fail once again to reach the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1995.
10) What can you say about Rodgers at this point? He has been playing like the best QB on the planet and this just one of those performances that you will remember forever. You have to like his chances next week in Atlanta as they try to get to the second Super Bowl with him as their starting QB. What a game.
AFC Divisional Playoff
Pittsburgh-18 Kansas City-16
1) This game got moved from 1:00pm on Sunday to 8:30 on Sunday night due to the threat of an ice storm in Kansas City. Some people are saying the NFL did it as a way to make an excuse to put this game at night to try and experiment with a Sunday night Divisional Playoff game, but I'm not sure that was the case. They saw a possibility of some bad weather and decided to switch the game. I didn't mind the switch with Martin Luther King Day giving me the next day off anyway. I kind of liked the switch.
2) The Steelers dominated this game upfront all night long. They controlled the ball and the only reason why this game was close was because they settled for field goals. They settled for a FG on their opening drive to make it 3-0, and they gave up an Alex Smith TD pass to Albert Wilson and they were trailing 7-3. They really dominated the game from that point. LeVeon Bell had 170 yards rushing on 30 carries. They had 389 yards of total offense to the Chiefs 227. They made it 7-6, then took a 9-7 lead, then 12-7 at the half and a 15-7 with 10 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter. KC finally got a FG with 10 seconds left in the 3rd quarter to stop the scoring run and make it 15-10 heading into the final quarter.
3) Give Steelers kicker Chris Boswell credit. He set a NFL record with 6 field goals made and he accounted for all of the points for the Steelers, and all of his kicks were made with ease.
4) The Chiefs were down 18-10 with 9:49 left in the game when they took over at their own 25. They marched 75 yards on 13 plays but took 7:06 seconds on the drive. They converted two 4th downs on the drive. The first one was on a 4th and 8 from the Pitt 38 when Alex Smith hit Chris Conley for a gain of 12. After an unnecessary roughness get the chains moving, the Chiefs converted another 4th and 2 when Smith hit fullback Anthony Sherman for 3 yards down to the Pitt 1 yard line with 3:29 left in the game. On the next play, Spencer Ware plunged in to make it 18-16 with 2:43 left in the game. Smith converted the 2-point conversion to tie the game, but the Chiefs LT Eric Fisher was called for holding on James Harrison and the play was nullified. Smith's pass on the next 2 point play was knocked away in the back of the endzone. The criticism of the Andy Reid is the fact that this drive took so long to get the plays in. The plays were coming in so late. They also had to use their second timeout to set up their 4th and 2 play inside the five. It just took too much time and they had no wiggle room if they gave up one first down to the Steelers on the next drive.
5) Ben Roethlisberger didn't have his best game but like we have seen before, he sometimes saves his best for the end of the game. Big Ben hit a crossing Antonio Brown (With Justin Houston in coverage for some reason) for a key first down on 3rd and 3 at their own 12. That play put the game away and sent the Steelers to Foxboro for a date with the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game and their first appearance in the title game since 2010. At 4-5, the Steelers were in trouble, but they won seven in a row to finish 11-5 and now have won nine in a row as they try to get back to the Super Bowl for the ninth time in team history.
6) For the Chiefs it is another disappointing home loss in the playoffs for their franchise. Just like 1995, 1997, and 2003, the Chiefs had a bye and lost their first playoff game at home. The Steelers were generally considered the better team, but KC went 12-4 and was considered one of the few teams that could knock off the Patriots in the AFC. They are now 1-3 under Andy Reid in the playoffs and they are heading home thinking about that holding call on the 2 point play that would have tied the game.
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Divisional Weekend Preview and Picks!
Wild Card weekend didn't produce the best games and it was a bit of a let down. Now we head into what many people call the best weekend of the football the NFL has to offer: The Divisional Playoffs. All the top seeds are playing after having a week off and in this year's case the seven best teams in the NFL are playing this weekend. This weekend also features games that are rematches from earlier contests in the regular season. There is a lot of intrigue and I think we are set up for a great weekend of games and it should be very fun to see how this all plays out. Here we go with the picks for the Divisional Round in the NFL....
Last Week's Record: 2-2
Overall Playoff Record: 2-2
Regular Season Record: 141-99-14
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
NFC Divisional Playoff
3) Seattle at 2) Atlanta
A Case for the Seahawks:
Seattle is just battle tested at this point. They have played in a lot of playoff games in recent years and they are not going to be afraid of the big moment. They seem to thrive on it. Plus, for one of the few teams in the Pete Carroll regime, they are underdogs and a lot of people are picking against them. That could be a dangerous proposition. You know that their defense is going to play well and if they put the ball in Russell Wilson's hands, he can make plays to win the game by himself-especially against this Atlanta defense. Would anyone be surprised if Seattle went into the Georgia Dome and took down the Falcons? I certainly wouldn't. Remember that I feel like Seattle was just waiting for the regular season to end so they can get to the playoffs and that is why they are dangerous.
A Case for the Falcons:
The high scoring Falcons come into the playoffs with the best offense in the NFL. They led the NFL in points scored and they put up 30 points in 10 of the 16 games. Seattle's defense isn't as dominant as it was a few years ago, and there is a chance that Atlanta and Matt Ryan could just smoke them out of the building. This game was close in Seattle in October and the Falcons were able to move the ball at will in the second half. I could see the doing this again. We know that Atlanta's defense is not the greatest but you could see them getting a lead and then using the crowd noise and the homefield advantage to get after Wilson and disrupt the Seattle offense. How much of Seattle's performance was just the ineptitude of the Lions last week? Are really sold on Seattle coming into Atlanta and knocking off this Falcons team?
Prediction: Seattle (+4) over ATLANTA: The Saturday afternoon game during Divisional Weekend has produced some all-time classics (2011 Saints-49ers, 2012 Ravens-Broncos, and 2014 Ravens-Patriots) and I could see this game being a wild one that comes down to the end. I'll take Seattle to pull the upset late but this should be a very fun and entertaining game to start off the football weekend.
Final Score: Seahawks-26 Atlanta-23
AFC Divisional Playoff
4) Houston at 1) New England
A Case for the Texans: No one and I mean NO ONE believes that they have any chance to upset the Patriots in Foxboro on Saturday night. They are 16 point underdogs and Bill O'Brien can hammer that message home to his team all week. Plus, they do have a good defense and they have some disrupters along that front seven like Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus. If they can get to Tom Brady, then it can keep this game close. In their first matchup in September, they fumbled two kick returns. You can't see that happening again. They are hoping for their defense to keep it close in the 4th quarter and then try and pull off a miracle.
A Case for the Patriots: They won't sleep on the Texans. Bill Belichick will have them prepared and they will go for the knockout punch early in this game. They will be motivated and put an effort to get this game to 14-0 or 21-0 early and put Houston away. They won't mess around for long. Plus, their defense has feasted on crummy QBs all season long and now Brock Osweiler comes riding to town. The Pats will make his life miserable on Saturday night form that perspective.
Prediction: NEW ENGLAND (-16) over Houston: There is no way that Houston will win this game. The only question is whether the Patriots will cover the spread. I think they will. There will be no messing around in Foxboro come Saturday night.
Final Score: Patriots-34 Texans-13
AFC Divisional Playoff
3) Pittsburgh at 2) Kansas City
A Case for the Steelers: They are the better team and they are more explosive team. Look at what Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and LeVeon Bell did last week against Miami in the Wild Card game. Those three guys can win any game in any stadium in any situation. I know Arrowhead is a tough place to play and that place will be rocking on Sunday afternoon, but don't forget the Chiefs have been beaten by the Bucs and the Titans at home in the past month and a half. I can definitely see the Steelers going in there and taking care of business. If this game becomes a shootout, then I still can see the Steelers outscoring the Chiefs. If it is a low-scoring close game, then you know that Big Ben, Antonio, and LeVeon can all make plays to win this game late. I just think the Steelers are the better team and are better coached and that will make a difference.
A Case for the Chiefs: They are at home coming off a bye. Andy Reid has a great record coming off a bye week, and the fans in Arrowhead will be rocking when this game starts. They have Tyreek Hill, who single-handedly can win this game by himself with a big play. You have to like the KC offense being able to move the ball with their weapons against the Pittsburgh defense. You can also use the fact that the Steelers absolutely blew the Chiefs out in Pittsburgh as a motivation for the Chiefs to return the favor on them this week. I would expect a lot of people to pick the Steelers, so the Chiefs can use that to help themselves get ready for the game. Big Ben usually throws about two or three passes a game that hurts his team, and the Chiefs have the type of defense that can force those bad throws and capitalize them into turnovers.
Prediction: Pittsburgh (+2) over KANSAS CITY: The Steelers present the only viable challenge to knocking off the Pats in the AFC, so I am really rooting for them in this spot. Plus, as a Broncos fan I would love to see the Chiefs go out in this game at home. The Steelers will find a way to win this game and set up an epic AFC Championship at Foxboro against the Patriots next Sunday.
Final Score: Steelers-27 Chiefs-24
NFC Divisional Playoff
4) Green Bay at 1) Dallas
A Case for the Packers: When you have the best QB on the planet playing at one of the highest levels of his career, you have a very good chance of winning. Aaron Rodgers just destroyed the Giants defense in the second half of last week's game, and there is no reason to think that the Cowboys defense will be able to slow him down. The way that Rodgers is playing is scary, and you could see how he could just take this game over. Plus, all the pressure is on Dallas. They are the #1 seed, have homefield advantage, and had a bye to get ready for this game. The Packers can go in there fast and loose and know that no matter how the game plays out, they have Rodgers and they can pull it out. Doesn't this game follow the usual recipe for a Divisional Round upset? The hot team (Green Bay) and the hot QB are just too much for the top seed, who makes uncharacteristic mistakes at the worst time in the game. No one will be surprised if the Packers go into Dallas and win this game.
A Case for the Cowboys: They have had sort of a magical run here in 2016 with Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot. Their offensive line should be able to control the line of scrimmage and they should be able to run the ball and move the ball effectively on this Packers defense. Jordy Nelson will likely miss the game with a rib injury, so that could slow this Packers offense down a bit. Plus, Prescott and the Cowboys don't know any better. They weren't apart of some of the recent big-game failures when Tony Romo was the QB. Throw in the revenge factor from the Dez Bryant catch play from the 2014 Divisional Game, and the football gods might be on the Cowboys side this time to even it out. Also, in a year where the NFL's TV ratings slipped a bit, wouldn't the league and Roger Goodell love the Cowboys representing the NFC in the Super Bowl? I would expect Dallas to get every call on Sunday.
Prediction: Green Bay (+4.5) over DALLAS: This is the most anticipated game of the weekend, and I can't wait to watch this game on Sunday afternoon in the late window. As much as I think Dallas is the better team, I just have this vision of a close game and Aaron Rodgers going down the field late to pull this game out. I can see the combo of Prescott and Elliot making some mistakes and it sets the stage for the Packers pulling the mini-upset on the road.
Final Score: Packers-33 Cowboys-28
Last Week's Record: 2-2
Overall Playoff Record: 2-2
Regular Season Record: 141-99-14
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
NFC Divisional Playoff
3) Seattle at 2) Atlanta
A Case for the Seahawks:
Seattle is just battle tested at this point. They have played in a lot of playoff games in recent years and they are not going to be afraid of the big moment. They seem to thrive on it. Plus, for one of the few teams in the Pete Carroll regime, they are underdogs and a lot of people are picking against them. That could be a dangerous proposition. You know that their defense is going to play well and if they put the ball in Russell Wilson's hands, he can make plays to win the game by himself-especially against this Atlanta defense. Would anyone be surprised if Seattle went into the Georgia Dome and took down the Falcons? I certainly wouldn't. Remember that I feel like Seattle was just waiting for the regular season to end so they can get to the playoffs and that is why they are dangerous.
A Case for the Falcons:
The high scoring Falcons come into the playoffs with the best offense in the NFL. They led the NFL in points scored and they put up 30 points in 10 of the 16 games. Seattle's defense isn't as dominant as it was a few years ago, and there is a chance that Atlanta and Matt Ryan could just smoke them out of the building. This game was close in Seattle in October and the Falcons were able to move the ball at will in the second half. I could see the doing this again. We know that Atlanta's defense is not the greatest but you could see them getting a lead and then using the crowd noise and the homefield advantage to get after Wilson and disrupt the Seattle offense. How much of Seattle's performance was just the ineptitude of the Lions last week? Are really sold on Seattle coming into Atlanta and knocking off this Falcons team?
Prediction: Seattle (+4) over ATLANTA: The Saturday afternoon game during Divisional Weekend has produced some all-time classics (2011 Saints-49ers, 2012 Ravens-Broncos, and 2014 Ravens-Patriots) and I could see this game being a wild one that comes down to the end. I'll take Seattle to pull the upset late but this should be a very fun and entertaining game to start off the football weekend.
Final Score: Seahawks-26 Atlanta-23
AFC Divisional Playoff
4) Houston at 1) New England
A Case for the Texans: No one and I mean NO ONE believes that they have any chance to upset the Patriots in Foxboro on Saturday night. They are 16 point underdogs and Bill O'Brien can hammer that message home to his team all week. Plus, they do have a good defense and they have some disrupters along that front seven like Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus. If they can get to Tom Brady, then it can keep this game close. In their first matchup in September, they fumbled two kick returns. You can't see that happening again. They are hoping for their defense to keep it close in the 4th quarter and then try and pull off a miracle.
A Case for the Patriots: They won't sleep on the Texans. Bill Belichick will have them prepared and they will go for the knockout punch early in this game. They will be motivated and put an effort to get this game to 14-0 or 21-0 early and put Houston away. They won't mess around for long. Plus, their defense has feasted on crummy QBs all season long and now Brock Osweiler comes riding to town. The Pats will make his life miserable on Saturday night form that perspective.
Prediction: NEW ENGLAND (-16) over Houston: There is no way that Houston will win this game. The only question is whether the Patriots will cover the spread. I think they will. There will be no messing around in Foxboro come Saturday night.
Final Score: Patriots-34 Texans-13
AFC Divisional Playoff
3) Pittsburgh at 2) Kansas City
A Case for the Steelers: They are the better team and they are more explosive team. Look at what Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and LeVeon Bell did last week against Miami in the Wild Card game. Those three guys can win any game in any stadium in any situation. I know Arrowhead is a tough place to play and that place will be rocking on Sunday afternoon, but don't forget the Chiefs have been beaten by the Bucs and the Titans at home in the past month and a half. I can definitely see the Steelers going in there and taking care of business. If this game becomes a shootout, then I still can see the Steelers outscoring the Chiefs. If it is a low-scoring close game, then you know that Big Ben, Antonio, and LeVeon can all make plays to win this game late. I just think the Steelers are the better team and are better coached and that will make a difference.
A Case for the Chiefs: They are at home coming off a bye. Andy Reid has a great record coming off a bye week, and the fans in Arrowhead will be rocking when this game starts. They have Tyreek Hill, who single-handedly can win this game by himself with a big play. You have to like the KC offense being able to move the ball with their weapons against the Pittsburgh defense. You can also use the fact that the Steelers absolutely blew the Chiefs out in Pittsburgh as a motivation for the Chiefs to return the favor on them this week. I would expect a lot of people to pick the Steelers, so the Chiefs can use that to help themselves get ready for the game. Big Ben usually throws about two or three passes a game that hurts his team, and the Chiefs have the type of defense that can force those bad throws and capitalize them into turnovers.
Prediction: Pittsburgh (+2) over KANSAS CITY: The Steelers present the only viable challenge to knocking off the Pats in the AFC, so I am really rooting for them in this spot. Plus, as a Broncos fan I would love to see the Chiefs go out in this game at home. The Steelers will find a way to win this game and set up an epic AFC Championship at Foxboro against the Patriots next Sunday.
Final Score: Steelers-27 Chiefs-24
NFC Divisional Playoff
4) Green Bay at 1) Dallas
A Case for the Packers: When you have the best QB on the planet playing at one of the highest levels of his career, you have a very good chance of winning. Aaron Rodgers just destroyed the Giants defense in the second half of last week's game, and there is no reason to think that the Cowboys defense will be able to slow him down. The way that Rodgers is playing is scary, and you could see how he could just take this game over. Plus, all the pressure is on Dallas. They are the #1 seed, have homefield advantage, and had a bye to get ready for this game. The Packers can go in there fast and loose and know that no matter how the game plays out, they have Rodgers and they can pull it out. Doesn't this game follow the usual recipe for a Divisional Round upset? The hot team (Green Bay) and the hot QB are just too much for the top seed, who makes uncharacteristic mistakes at the worst time in the game. No one will be surprised if the Packers go into Dallas and win this game.
A Case for the Cowboys: They have had sort of a magical run here in 2016 with Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot. Their offensive line should be able to control the line of scrimmage and they should be able to run the ball and move the ball effectively on this Packers defense. Jordy Nelson will likely miss the game with a rib injury, so that could slow this Packers offense down a bit. Plus, Prescott and the Cowboys don't know any better. They weren't apart of some of the recent big-game failures when Tony Romo was the QB. Throw in the revenge factor from the Dez Bryant catch play from the 2014 Divisional Game, and the football gods might be on the Cowboys side this time to even it out. Also, in a year where the NFL's TV ratings slipped a bit, wouldn't the league and Roger Goodell love the Cowboys representing the NFC in the Super Bowl? I would expect Dallas to get every call on Sunday.
Prediction: Green Bay (+4.5) over DALLAS: This is the most anticipated game of the weekend, and I can't wait to watch this game on Sunday afternoon in the late window. As much as I think Dallas is the better team, I just have this vision of a close game and Aaron Rodgers going down the field late to pull this game out. I can see the combo of Prescott and Elliot making some mistakes and it sets the stage for the Packers pulling the mini-upset on the road.
Final Score: Packers-33 Cowboys-28
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Broncos Hire Vance Joseph as Head Coach
On Wednesday, the Broncos and John Elway announced that they have hired Vance Joseph to become the Broncos next head coach. Joseph interviewed with the Broncos on Tuesday and then came back to the Broncos facility on Wednesday and hammered out a deal. It was a not a surprise that Joseph was hired by the Broncos. He was on the short list of candidates early on, and a lot of experts felt that it was Joseph's job to lose. Although the Broncos interviewed Kansas City's Dave Toub and Atlanta's Kyle Shanahan, it was apparent that the Broncos zeroed in on Joseph and they agreed to a contract on Wednesday. There seems to be a lot of disappointment in Broncos Country on the selection of Joseph, and I personally was looking for someone like Shanahan or even Stanford's David Shaw to become the next head coach, but you have to be patient with the hire of Joseph and give him a chance to develop as a head coach in this league. The positives about Joseph is that he is very highly regarded as a leader, and that is very important as a head coach in the NFL. Also, he has worked with a lot of these coaches on the current Broncos staff and the continuity is something that the Broncos need on their staff. Also, I think he is young and energetic, and I think that is a good thing for this team. The negatives of the hire is that he is a first time head coach, and you worry about his inexperience being a factor on a team that just won a Super Bowl and has high expectations. The other thing I worry about is how he is going to handle the QB position for this team. Who is he going to hire to become his offensive coordinator and who is going to develop these young QBs? Those are questions that won't be answered right away, so let's get behind this hire and support Vance Joseph as the new Denver Broncos head coach. If John Elway believes that he is the right guy for the job, then I think us as Broncos fans should be optimistic and excited for the future. Go Broncos!
Monday, January 9, 2017
Wild Card Weekend Review
It wasn't the greatest set of games in the history of Wild Card weekend in the NFL. In fact, the total combined margins of victory were the highest ever since they expanded to this playoff format in 1990. There were three teams that looked like they didn't belong in the playoffs, and the big showdown between the Packers and Giants in Lambeau didn't exactly live up to the hype. Let's hope next week's Divisional games are much better. Here is the breakdown of the Wild Card games from this past weekend...
AFC Wild Card Game
Houston-27 Raiders-14
1)You could just tell how much the Raiders missed Derek Carr. Not only from an offensive standpoint, but from a leadership aspect as well. He was the heart and soul of the team. They looked like a dog who lost its owner. Connor Cook struggled all day and the only way they kept it close at 10-7 early was a drive set up by a big punt return. Going into Christmas Eve, the Raiders looked like they were poised for a #2 seed and a first round bye. Now, two weeks later, they are done and heading home after one playoff game.
2) The Texans did what they had to do. They knew the Raiders were limited on offense, and they were able to control the ball and not make any mistakes on offense. Brock Osweiler played pretty well and made the throws that he is capable of making. He hit DeAndre Hopkins on a sweet go route right before the half and he hit him again for a 2-yard TD to make it 20-7 going into halftime. That was pretty much the game right there.
3) Jadeveon Clowney made a great play on an interception of a screen pass early in the game and that set up a Lamar Miller touchdown run to give the Texans the early 10-0 lead. It was nice to see Clowney make a big play in a big game considering how much hype he received for so long. He has had a very good year.
4) The Raiders offensive possessions on Saturday: Punt, Interception, Punt, TD, Punt, Punt, Punt, Punt, End of Half. Punt, Punt, Punt, Punt, TD, Interception, Interception. That's a tough way to go out. I guess Matt McGloin really wasn't healthy enough to play because Cook was so ineffective. I also don't think the Raiders offensive staff helped him very much.
5) The Texans benefitted from a weak division and a first round opponent who lost their MVP. Now, they have to travel to Foxboro to take on the #1 seed Patriots next Saturday night. The road for Houston will end there without a doubt.
NFC Wild Card Game
Seattle-26 Detroit-6
1) Here is another game that wasn't that competitive. Seattle built a lead and once they were ahead, there was nothing the Lions could do. They had no way of coming back. They grinded them out in the 4th quarter and pulled away at the end. It was a nice win for Seattle and it was something we hadn't seen from them in a few weeks.
2) The catch that Paul Richardson made to make it 7-0 in the 2nd quarter was amazing. It was a one-handed catch with a defender draped all over him. Might be the catch of the year.
3) It was only 10-6 heading into the 4th quarter, but from there the Seahawks turned it on. Thomas Rawls took the game over and had 161 yards rushing on 27 carries and a touchdown. His 4 yard TD run gave the Seahawks a 19-6 lead with just under 9 minutes to go in the game.
4) The Lions couldn't get back into the game at that point. A quick score would have cut it to a one score game, but it was too much for them to overcome. I think Matt Stafford's late season finger injury really derailed him and their season.
5) The Seahawks put the finishing touches on the game when Doug Baldwin hauled in a 13 yard pass from Russell Wilson to make it 26-6 with 3:36 left in the game. That was the final dagger in the hearts of the Lions.
6) As I said earlier, it was a solid win for the Seahawks and now they travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons and their red-hot offense in the Georgia Dome on Saturday afternoon.
AFC Wild Card Game
Pittsburgh-30 Miami-12
1) The Steelers came into the game as heavy favorites and they started about as well as you could start a playoff game. Ben Roethlisberger hit Antonio Brown on screen pass that turned into a 50 yard touchdown to give them a 7-0 start. After a Miami punt, Big Ben hit Brown on a slant over the middle and he took it the distance for a 62 yard touchdown catch and run. That made the game 14-0 and it was pretty much over from there.
2) Miami looked like a team making their first playoff appearance in eight years. They looked cold and step slower than Pittsburgh and they just got steamrolled right out of the gate. Miami had a nice year to make the playoffs at 10-6, but you could tell they were no match and they benefitted from a weak schedule to make it in.
3) LeVeon Bell was spectacular. He ran for 167 yards on 29 carries and capped off a 83 yard drive in which he ran the ball every play and scored a 1 yard TD to make it 20-3. The Steelers got a terrific performance from Bell and Brown, and if they are on their game, then the Steelers are tough to beat.
4) The only time Miami had a sliver of hope was when it was 20-6 late in the 2nd quarter and they had picked off Big Ben deep in their own end and drove down into Pittsburgh territory. They had a 1st and Goal from the 8, but Matt Moore got sacked by James Harrison and Harrison recovered the fumble to kill the drive. That was a killer turnover. Miami was getting the ball in the second half and a score there turns it into a game at that point.
5) The Steelers put the game away for good when Miami drove down to the Pitt 37 to start the 3rd quarter, and Moore got sacked by Mike Mitchell and he fumbled again and the Steelers recovered again. That pretty much ended the Dolphins chances of winning the game.
6) Pittsburgh looked really good and now they head to Arrowhead to take on the Chiefs on Sunday afternoon. They pounded KC in Pittsburgh in October, but this will be a different game. I do think the Steelers have a very good chance of knocking the Chiefs off and advancing to the AFC Championship.
NFC Wild Card Game
Green Bay-38 NY Giants-13
1) The Giants got a great start. They go right down the field on the second drive of the game but Odell Beckham drops a touchdown pass and they settled for a field goal. They force a 3 and out on the Packers next drive and they drove down and got another field goal to make it 6-0.
2) The Packers punted on their first 5 drives of the game. The Packers finally scored on a sweet play by Aaron Rodgers when he danced around and threw a laser to Davante Adams to make it 7-6 with only 2:20 to go in the half. The key sequence that turned the game was when the Giants had a 3rd and 1 at their own 41 and the Packers stopped the Giants and forced a punt with only 1:46. The Packers drove the ball down field but after a drop by Jared Cook actually stopped the clock, it set up a Hail Mary attempt by Rodgers. Naturally, Rodgers throws it up and Randall Cobb comes down with it in the back of the endzone for the touchdown and a 14-6 GB lead going into the half. That just killed the Giants. Rodgers is unbelievable at these Hail Mary throws. It is just crazy how he makes these plays in these situations. Just incredible.
3) The Giants had a 6-0 lead with less than 4 minutes to go in the first half and then all of a sudden they were down 14-6 at the half.
3) The Packers helped the Giants get back into the game when Mike McCarthy went for it on 4th and 1 at their own 42. The Giants stuffed a Ty Montgomery run and two plays later Eli Manning hit Tavarres King on a 41 yard TD pass to make it 14-13 with 5:16 left in he 3rd quarter. At that point, you had to think that this game might come down to the end.
4) The Packers responded by going right down the field with Rodgers hitting Randall Cobb with a 30 yard bullet to make it 21-13. It was a tremendous response by the Packers and it was the beginning of the end for the Giants.
5) Bobby Rainey made a huge mistake when he fielded the ensuing kick and stepped out of bounds at his own 3 yard line when the kick was clearly going out of bounds. The Giants went 3 and out and punted back to GB and the Packers got a FG to make it 24-13 with 21 seconds left in the 3rd quarter.
6) The Giants went 3 and out again and the Packers put the game away for good with a 10 play 80 yard drive and Rodgers hit Cobb once again for a 16 yard TD to make it 31-13 with 9:19 left and the game was effectively over. It was amazing how much this game turned from near the end of the 1st half to this point in the 4th quarter.
7) Rodgers was playing great coming into this game and he was fantastic on Sunday. He finished 25-40 for 362 yards and 4 TDs and 0 INT. He was even sacked 5 times but it didn't matter at the end.
8) Green Bay has now won seven straight games dating back to when they were 4-6. Now, they are taking their winning streak on the road to Dallas for a matchup with the Cowboys on Sunday at 4:40 on FOX. This is a classic matchup and the Packers and Rodgers will be a very dangerous team for Dallas in this game and it will be a very fun game to watch.
AFC Wild Card Game
Houston-27 Raiders-14
1)You could just tell how much the Raiders missed Derek Carr. Not only from an offensive standpoint, but from a leadership aspect as well. He was the heart and soul of the team. They looked like a dog who lost its owner. Connor Cook struggled all day and the only way they kept it close at 10-7 early was a drive set up by a big punt return. Going into Christmas Eve, the Raiders looked like they were poised for a #2 seed and a first round bye. Now, two weeks later, they are done and heading home after one playoff game.
2) The Texans did what they had to do. They knew the Raiders were limited on offense, and they were able to control the ball and not make any mistakes on offense. Brock Osweiler played pretty well and made the throws that he is capable of making. He hit DeAndre Hopkins on a sweet go route right before the half and he hit him again for a 2-yard TD to make it 20-7 going into halftime. That was pretty much the game right there.
3) Jadeveon Clowney made a great play on an interception of a screen pass early in the game and that set up a Lamar Miller touchdown run to give the Texans the early 10-0 lead. It was nice to see Clowney make a big play in a big game considering how much hype he received for so long. He has had a very good year.
4) The Raiders offensive possessions on Saturday: Punt, Interception, Punt, TD, Punt, Punt, Punt, Punt, End of Half. Punt, Punt, Punt, Punt, TD, Interception, Interception. That's a tough way to go out. I guess Matt McGloin really wasn't healthy enough to play because Cook was so ineffective. I also don't think the Raiders offensive staff helped him very much.
5) The Texans benefitted from a weak division and a first round opponent who lost their MVP. Now, they have to travel to Foxboro to take on the #1 seed Patriots next Saturday night. The road for Houston will end there without a doubt.
NFC Wild Card Game
Seattle-26 Detroit-6
1) Here is another game that wasn't that competitive. Seattle built a lead and once they were ahead, there was nothing the Lions could do. They had no way of coming back. They grinded them out in the 4th quarter and pulled away at the end. It was a nice win for Seattle and it was something we hadn't seen from them in a few weeks.
2) The catch that Paul Richardson made to make it 7-0 in the 2nd quarter was amazing. It was a one-handed catch with a defender draped all over him. Might be the catch of the year.
3) It was only 10-6 heading into the 4th quarter, but from there the Seahawks turned it on. Thomas Rawls took the game over and had 161 yards rushing on 27 carries and a touchdown. His 4 yard TD run gave the Seahawks a 19-6 lead with just under 9 minutes to go in the game.
4) The Lions couldn't get back into the game at that point. A quick score would have cut it to a one score game, but it was too much for them to overcome. I think Matt Stafford's late season finger injury really derailed him and their season.
5) The Seahawks put the finishing touches on the game when Doug Baldwin hauled in a 13 yard pass from Russell Wilson to make it 26-6 with 3:36 left in the game. That was the final dagger in the hearts of the Lions.
6) As I said earlier, it was a solid win for the Seahawks and now they travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons and their red-hot offense in the Georgia Dome on Saturday afternoon.
AFC Wild Card Game
Pittsburgh-30 Miami-12
1) The Steelers came into the game as heavy favorites and they started about as well as you could start a playoff game. Ben Roethlisberger hit Antonio Brown on screen pass that turned into a 50 yard touchdown to give them a 7-0 start. After a Miami punt, Big Ben hit Brown on a slant over the middle and he took it the distance for a 62 yard touchdown catch and run. That made the game 14-0 and it was pretty much over from there.
2) Miami looked like a team making their first playoff appearance in eight years. They looked cold and step slower than Pittsburgh and they just got steamrolled right out of the gate. Miami had a nice year to make the playoffs at 10-6, but you could tell they were no match and they benefitted from a weak schedule to make it in.
3) LeVeon Bell was spectacular. He ran for 167 yards on 29 carries and capped off a 83 yard drive in which he ran the ball every play and scored a 1 yard TD to make it 20-3. The Steelers got a terrific performance from Bell and Brown, and if they are on their game, then the Steelers are tough to beat.
4) The only time Miami had a sliver of hope was when it was 20-6 late in the 2nd quarter and they had picked off Big Ben deep in their own end and drove down into Pittsburgh territory. They had a 1st and Goal from the 8, but Matt Moore got sacked by James Harrison and Harrison recovered the fumble to kill the drive. That was a killer turnover. Miami was getting the ball in the second half and a score there turns it into a game at that point.
5) The Steelers put the game away for good when Miami drove down to the Pitt 37 to start the 3rd quarter, and Moore got sacked by Mike Mitchell and he fumbled again and the Steelers recovered again. That pretty much ended the Dolphins chances of winning the game.
6) Pittsburgh looked really good and now they head to Arrowhead to take on the Chiefs on Sunday afternoon. They pounded KC in Pittsburgh in October, but this will be a different game. I do think the Steelers have a very good chance of knocking the Chiefs off and advancing to the AFC Championship.
NFC Wild Card Game
Green Bay-38 NY Giants-13
1) The Giants got a great start. They go right down the field on the second drive of the game but Odell Beckham drops a touchdown pass and they settled for a field goal. They force a 3 and out on the Packers next drive and they drove down and got another field goal to make it 6-0.
2) The Packers punted on their first 5 drives of the game. The Packers finally scored on a sweet play by Aaron Rodgers when he danced around and threw a laser to Davante Adams to make it 7-6 with only 2:20 to go in the half. The key sequence that turned the game was when the Giants had a 3rd and 1 at their own 41 and the Packers stopped the Giants and forced a punt with only 1:46. The Packers drove the ball down field but after a drop by Jared Cook actually stopped the clock, it set up a Hail Mary attempt by Rodgers. Naturally, Rodgers throws it up and Randall Cobb comes down with it in the back of the endzone for the touchdown and a 14-6 GB lead going into the half. That just killed the Giants. Rodgers is unbelievable at these Hail Mary throws. It is just crazy how he makes these plays in these situations. Just incredible.
3) The Giants had a 6-0 lead with less than 4 minutes to go in the first half and then all of a sudden they were down 14-6 at the half.
3) The Packers helped the Giants get back into the game when Mike McCarthy went for it on 4th and 1 at their own 42. The Giants stuffed a Ty Montgomery run and two plays later Eli Manning hit Tavarres King on a 41 yard TD pass to make it 14-13 with 5:16 left in he 3rd quarter. At that point, you had to think that this game might come down to the end.
4) The Packers responded by going right down the field with Rodgers hitting Randall Cobb with a 30 yard bullet to make it 21-13. It was a tremendous response by the Packers and it was the beginning of the end for the Giants.
5) Bobby Rainey made a huge mistake when he fielded the ensuing kick and stepped out of bounds at his own 3 yard line when the kick was clearly going out of bounds. The Giants went 3 and out and punted back to GB and the Packers got a FG to make it 24-13 with 21 seconds left in the 3rd quarter.
6) The Giants went 3 and out again and the Packers put the game away for good with a 10 play 80 yard drive and Rodgers hit Cobb once again for a 16 yard TD to make it 31-13 with 9:19 left and the game was effectively over. It was amazing how much this game turned from near the end of the 1st half to this point in the 4th quarter.
7) Rodgers was playing great coming into this game and he was fantastic on Sunday. He finished 25-40 for 362 yards and 4 TDs and 0 INT. He was even sacked 5 times but it didn't matter at the end.
8) Green Bay has now won seven straight games dating back to when they were 4-6. Now, they are taking their winning streak on the road to Dallas for a matchup with the Cowboys on Sunday at 4:40 on FOX. This is a classic matchup and the Packers and Rodgers will be a very dangerous team for Dallas in this game and it will be a very fun game to watch.
Friday, January 6, 2017
Wild Card Weekend Preview and Picks!
Wild Card Weekend has arrived and the Road to Super Bowl LI in Houston starts this weekend. We are down to only 11 games left in the NFL, so we better enjoy each and every game. With the Broncos out of the playoffs for the first time since 2010, I am just looking to pick a team each game to root for and hope for nothing but good matchups and close games. There is nothing like watching your team in the playoffs, but with the Broncos out of it this year, maybe I'll be able to just sit back and relax and enjoy the games like a regular fan. This weekend brings some interesting matchups and some odd storylines involving QBs. You've got third string rookie Connor Cook starting for the Raiders in place of the injured Derek Carr going up against the once starter, then benched, then starter again Brock Osweiler for the Texans. Not exactly how Raider fans drew it up in their first playoff appearance since 2002. You have Matt Moore, in place of the injured Ryan Tannehill, leading the Dolphins in their first playoff appearance since 2008 as they travel to Pittsburgh to take on Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers. Matt Stafford and Russell Wilson square off on Saturday night the other NFC matchup, and you have a classic in Lambeau on Sunday as Eli Manning and the Giants take on Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. It looks like the NFC is more wide open than the AFC this year, but anything can happen in the playoffs, and it wouldn't surprise anyone to see one of these teams playing this weekend getting hot and going on a run to the Super Bowl. Without further ado, here are the picks for Wild Card Weekend in the NFL.....
Last Week's Record: 7-8-1
Overall Regular Season Record: 141-99-14
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
5)Oakland at 4)Houston
A Case for the Raiders: The Raiders are making their first appearance in the playoffs since 2002. Their fanbase will be fired up and don't be surprised if they travel well to see the Silver and Black in Houston. I think we forget that the Raiders won 12 games this year, and as valuable as Derek Carr was for them, they still have a lot of weapons on offense with Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree and a solid running game behind a very good offensive line. I could see the Raiders really trying to limit the possessions in this game and grind out a low scoring win. I know Connor Cook is making his first ever start in a road playoff game, but does Houston really have an intimidating homefield advantage? Cook played in some bigtime games in his career at Michigan State, so I don't think this stage will be too big for him. Plus, everyone is counting the Raiders out in this one and giving them little chance, which means they will use that for motivation and perhaps play with a chip on their shoulder.
A Case for the Texans: They are at home against a team starting a third string, rookie QB making his first career start. Trust me, Derek Carr is not running out of the tunnel in miraculous fashion on Saturday. Their defense, led by a rejuvenated Jadeveon Clowney, could just suffocate and make life miserable for Cook. Bill O'Brien goes back to Brock Osweiler after Tom Savage suffered a concussion last week. I think O'Brien will play it safe with Osweiler, but O'Brien should also have learned something from last year when he kept sending Brian Hoyer to the wolves in the playoff blowout to the Chiefs last year. I think they can get a lead on the Raiders and put some doubt in them early and then just put the game in cruise control and ride out a rather easy victory. I'm sure that is their plan for this game.
Prediction: Oakland (+4) over HOUSTON: The NFL wasted no time putting this game in the early Saturday afternoon slot on Wild Card Weekend. It is certainly not the sexiest matchup, but hopefully it turns out to be a fun, back and forth game after looking so bad on paper. I'll duck the conventional wisdom here, and give the Raiders the win in a semi-upset with a big effort from Khalil Mack and their defense.
Final Score: Raiders-24 Texans-22
6)Detroit at 3)Seattle
A Case for the Lions: People forget that the Lions were 9-4 heading into a brutal schedule down the stretch the last three games. They are used to playing in close games, and they were on the verge of beating the Seahawks in Seattle last year on Monday Night Football. You could see the Lions just saying "Screw it, let's just put the game in Matt Stafford's hands." That might be the best way for them to pull the upset. I know the Lions secondary has been shaky, but their front seven has played well for most of the year, and we know how shaky the Seahawks offensive line has been all year. Plus, as big underdogs, they have nothing to lose and can play fast and loose.
A Case for the Seahawks: You get the feeling that the Seahawks got to the point in the season where they were not really concerned about what happened during the regular season and they were going to turn it up in the playoffs. They went 10-5-1 and squandered the #2 seed and a bye with a loss to the Cardinals at home in Week 16. Now, they find themselves at home in the Wild Card round and hosting the 9-7 Lions. I don't think they will be overlooking Detroit at all, and I think they will really play one of their best games of the year this weekend. The crowd and the 12th Man will create a lot of problems for the Lions, and I'm not going against Russell Wilson and that defense at home in the playoffs. I think now that the playoffs have arrived, this team will have complete focus and they will be razor sharp against the Lions.
Prediction: SEATTLE (-7) over Detroit: As much as I hope this game is close, and it could be, I can't see the Seahawks losing this game at home. This would be about as big of a surprise you can get this weekend if the Seahawks got knocked off by the Lions in this game. They will find a way to pull away in the second half and they will punch their ticket for a trip to Atlanta next week in the Divisional Round.
Final Score: Seahawks-27 Lions-17
6)Miami at 3)Pittsburgh
A Case for the Dolphins: Did the Dolphins really lose all that much after Ryan Tannehill went down for the knee injury? Not really because Matt Moore, although limited as a backup, did his job well enough to beat the Bills and Jets on the road and secure a playoff spot for Miami. We know how the Dolphins are going to play this game: Bleed the clock and run the ball on offense with Jay Ajayi, limit the Pittsburgh possessions, and try to get one or two turnovers from Ben Roethlisberger to swing the outcome. This is Miami's first playoff game since 2008. It is also Adam Gase's first season as head coach and he guided them to the playoffs. You know they are playing with house money and they have nothing to lose. They should play fast and loose and don't forget that they pounded the Steelers back in October 30-15 in Miami, so they can use that game as confidence as they head into Pittsburgh on Sunday.
A Case for the Steelers: The Steelers finished 11-5 on the heels of a seven game winning streak. They have Big Ben, Antonio Brown, and Leveon Bell all healthy and playing together for this game and this playoff run. They didn't have that luxury last year. Also, they were really close last year to knocking off the eventual Super Bowl champion Broncos in the Divisional Round, so you know that this team has been on a mission all year long. How many more quality chances do they have to get another Super Bowl in the Big Ben-Mike Tomlin era? I think the fact that they lost so convincingly to Miami in October will motivate them and have them ready to go. They lost at home in the Wild Card round to Baltimore two years ago, lost in the Divisional Round last year to Denver, and I think they will take that next step this year. They are vulnerable, but the way they played down the stretch, including that clutch performance against the Ravens on Christmas, makes me believe that they will take care of business at home against a team starting a backup quarterback.
Prediction: Miami (+10) over PITTSBURGH: The Steelers will win this game. There is no doubt in my mind that they will win the game, but I do think that this spread is a little too high. The Dolphins should be able to keep it close for a while, but ultimately Big Ben and the Steelers will be too much for them and they will advance to take on Kansas City in Arrowhead next Sunday.
Final Score: Steelers-30 Dolphins-21
5)NY Giants at 4) Green Bay
A Case for the Giants: The Giants defense has played really well all year long and especially down the stretch. If you are going to win on the road in the playoffs, a good defense will help you do it because good defenses travel well. The G-Men have a good defense, and perhaps they can stop Aaron Rodgers just enough to pull the game out. You know that the elements, the cold and the atmosphere of playing in Lambeau Field in the playoffs will not affect Eli Manning at all. He has already won there twice in his career, so you know he feels confident going into that building and winning. As much as the Giants have struggled on offense this year, Odell Beckham Jr can break the game open with a big play and sometimes that is all you need to decide these playoff games. The Giants will be very confident heading to Green Bay because they believe in their defense and they believe that Manning or Beckham can make a play to win the game.
A Case for the Packers: At 4-6, the Packers were basically written off and everyone was killing Aaron Rodgers. From that point, he has put the Packers on his back, won six straight games, and made them one of the most dangerous teams in the playoffs. Now, they get a home game against the Giants. Do you think the Packers will lose a third time to Eli Manning at home in the playoffs? I don't know if I can see that happening. Also, as much as the Packers have struggled in the secondary this year, the Giants offense hasn't exactly been on fire this year with any consistency. Even if this game is close, you have to like Rodgers ability to find ways to make a play to win the as well. I think the Pack was a bad matchup for the Giants, and if anyone can find a way to move the ball on the Giants defense, it will be Aaron Rodgers and his offense.
Prediction: GREEN BAY (-4) over NY Giants: This is the best game of the weekend. It is a classic matchup. Two historic franchises with some recent playoff history. Two Super Bowl winning QBs with star power on both teams. Lambeau Field in January in the playoffs in the cold. All you need is John Facenda narrating this game for NFL Films. It should be a good game and close game, but I just can't go against the Packers and Aaron Rodgers at this point. Look for the Packers to win and head to Dallas for next week's Divisional Round.
Final Score: Packers-27 Giants-20
Last Week's Record: 7-8-1
Overall Regular Season Record: 141-99-14
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
5)Oakland at 4)Houston
A Case for the Raiders: The Raiders are making their first appearance in the playoffs since 2002. Their fanbase will be fired up and don't be surprised if they travel well to see the Silver and Black in Houston. I think we forget that the Raiders won 12 games this year, and as valuable as Derek Carr was for them, they still have a lot of weapons on offense with Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree and a solid running game behind a very good offensive line. I could see the Raiders really trying to limit the possessions in this game and grind out a low scoring win. I know Connor Cook is making his first ever start in a road playoff game, but does Houston really have an intimidating homefield advantage? Cook played in some bigtime games in his career at Michigan State, so I don't think this stage will be too big for him. Plus, everyone is counting the Raiders out in this one and giving them little chance, which means they will use that for motivation and perhaps play with a chip on their shoulder.
A Case for the Texans: They are at home against a team starting a third string, rookie QB making his first career start. Trust me, Derek Carr is not running out of the tunnel in miraculous fashion on Saturday. Their defense, led by a rejuvenated Jadeveon Clowney, could just suffocate and make life miserable for Cook. Bill O'Brien goes back to Brock Osweiler after Tom Savage suffered a concussion last week. I think O'Brien will play it safe with Osweiler, but O'Brien should also have learned something from last year when he kept sending Brian Hoyer to the wolves in the playoff blowout to the Chiefs last year. I think they can get a lead on the Raiders and put some doubt in them early and then just put the game in cruise control and ride out a rather easy victory. I'm sure that is their plan for this game.
Prediction: Oakland (+4) over HOUSTON: The NFL wasted no time putting this game in the early Saturday afternoon slot on Wild Card Weekend. It is certainly not the sexiest matchup, but hopefully it turns out to be a fun, back and forth game after looking so bad on paper. I'll duck the conventional wisdom here, and give the Raiders the win in a semi-upset with a big effort from Khalil Mack and their defense.
Final Score: Raiders-24 Texans-22
6)Detroit at 3)Seattle
A Case for the Lions: People forget that the Lions were 9-4 heading into a brutal schedule down the stretch the last three games. They are used to playing in close games, and they were on the verge of beating the Seahawks in Seattle last year on Monday Night Football. You could see the Lions just saying "Screw it, let's just put the game in Matt Stafford's hands." That might be the best way for them to pull the upset. I know the Lions secondary has been shaky, but their front seven has played well for most of the year, and we know how shaky the Seahawks offensive line has been all year. Plus, as big underdogs, they have nothing to lose and can play fast and loose.
A Case for the Seahawks: You get the feeling that the Seahawks got to the point in the season where they were not really concerned about what happened during the regular season and they were going to turn it up in the playoffs. They went 10-5-1 and squandered the #2 seed and a bye with a loss to the Cardinals at home in Week 16. Now, they find themselves at home in the Wild Card round and hosting the 9-7 Lions. I don't think they will be overlooking Detroit at all, and I think they will really play one of their best games of the year this weekend. The crowd and the 12th Man will create a lot of problems for the Lions, and I'm not going against Russell Wilson and that defense at home in the playoffs. I think now that the playoffs have arrived, this team will have complete focus and they will be razor sharp against the Lions.
Prediction: SEATTLE (-7) over Detroit: As much as I hope this game is close, and it could be, I can't see the Seahawks losing this game at home. This would be about as big of a surprise you can get this weekend if the Seahawks got knocked off by the Lions in this game. They will find a way to pull away in the second half and they will punch their ticket for a trip to Atlanta next week in the Divisional Round.
Final Score: Seahawks-27 Lions-17
6)Miami at 3)Pittsburgh
A Case for the Dolphins: Did the Dolphins really lose all that much after Ryan Tannehill went down for the knee injury? Not really because Matt Moore, although limited as a backup, did his job well enough to beat the Bills and Jets on the road and secure a playoff spot for Miami. We know how the Dolphins are going to play this game: Bleed the clock and run the ball on offense with Jay Ajayi, limit the Pittsburgh possessions, and try to get one or two turnovers from Ben Roethlisberger to swing the outcome. This is Miami's first playoff game since 2008. It is also Adam Gase's first season as head coach and he guided them to the playoffs. You know they are playing with house money and they have nothing to lose. They should play fast and loose and don't forget that they pounded the Steelers back in October 30-15 in Miami, so they can use that game as confidence as they head into Pittsburgh on Sunday.
A Case for the Steelers: The Steelers finished 11-5 on the heels of a seven game winning streak. They have Big Ben, Antonio Brown, and Leveon Bell all healthy and playing together for this game and this playoff run. They didn't have that luxury last year. Also, they were really close last year to knocking off the eventual Super Bowl champion Broncos in the Divisional Round, so you know that this team has been on a mission all year long. How many more quality chances do they have to get another Super Bowl in the Big Ben-Mike Tomlin era? I think the fact that they lost so convincingly to Miami in October will motivate them and have them ready to go. They lost at home in the Wild Card round to Baltimore two years ago, lost in the Divisional Round last year to Denver, and I think they will take that next step this year. They are vulnerable, but the way they played down the stretch, including that clutch performance against the Ravens on Christmas, makes me believe that they will take care of business at home against a team starting a backup quarterback.
Prediction: Miami (+10) over PITTSBURGH: The Steelers will win this game. There is no doubt in my mind that they will win the game, but I do think that this spread is a little too high. The Dolphins should be able to keep it close for a while, but ultimately Big Ben and the Steelers will be too much for them and they will advance to take on Kansas City in Arrowhead next Sunday.
Final Score: Steelers-30 Dolphins-21
5)NY Giants at 4) Green Bay
A Case for the Giants: The Giants defense has played really well all year long and especially down the stretch. If you are going to win on the road in the playoffs, a good defense will help you do it because good defenses travel well. The G-Men have a good defense, and perhaps they can stop Aaron Rodgers just enough to pull the game out. You know that the elements, the cold and the atmosphere of playing in Lambeau Field in the playoffs will not affect Eli Manning at all. He has already won there twice in his career, so you know he feels confident going into that building and winning. As much as the Giants have struggled on offense this year, Odell Beckham Jr can break the game open with a big play and sometimes that is all you need to decide these playoff games. The Giants will be very confident heading to Green Bay because they believe in their defense and they believe that Manning or Beckham can make a play to win the game.
A Case for the Packers: At 4-6, the Packers were basically written off and everyone was killing Aaron Rodgers. From that point, he has put the Packers on his back, won six straight games, and made them one of the most dangerous teams in the playoffs. Now, they get a home game against the Giants. Do you think the Packers will lose a third time to Eli Manning at home in the playoffs? I don't know if I can see that happening. Also, as much as the Packers have struggled in the secondary this year, the Giants offense hasn't exactly been on fire this year with any consistency. Even if this game is close, you have to like Rodgers ability to find ways to make a play to win the as well. I think the Pack was a bad matchup for the Giants, and if anyone can find a way to move the ball on the Giants defense, it will be Aaron Rodgers and his offense.
Prediction: GREEN BAY (-4) over NY Giants: This is the best game of the weekend. It is a classic matchup. Two historic franchises with some recent playoff history. Two Super Bowl winning QBs with star power on both teams. Lambeau Field in January in the playoffs in the cold. All you need is John Facenda narrating this game for NFL Films. It should be a good game and close game, but I just can't go against the Packers and Aaron Rodgers at this point. Look for the Packers to win and head to Dallas for next week's Divisional Round.
Final Score: Packers-27 Giants-20
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Broncos Mailbag Part 2: The Offseason
What will Gary Kubiak's legacy be in Denver?
Kubiak is a true Bronco till the end. To see the former backup to John Elway come back to Denver as head coach in 2015 was very special. To see him win the Super Bowl in his first year as head coach was just the icing on the cake. I thought Kubiak did a very good job in Denver. He finished 24-11 including the playoffs, and he was able to take a team that was built for a championship with an aging legend at QB in Peyton Manning and won the Super Bowl around a great defense. That is what was great about Kubiak was that he always had the pulse of his team. He did a great job of that in 2015, and even though 2016 didn't turn out the way he wanted, he did a good job of what he had to deal with personnel wise. Think about this: Kubiak won all those games with four different starting QBs at different points: An aging Manning, Brock Osweiler, Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch. Kubiak should become a member of the Broncos Ring of Fame very soon.
Who might be the Broncos next head coach?
It sounds like John Elway is looking for a young head coach to guide this team into the future. If I was Elway, I would start with David Shaw from Stanford. Shaw has NFL coaching experience as an assistant, and he has built Stanford into a model program. He has the Stanford connection with Elway, and he runs a pro-style offense. To me, he would be a great fit for the NFL and the Broncos. The next guy I would look at would be Kyle Shanahan. You already have the connection with his father, Mike Shanahan, and he practically grew up around the Broncos organization. Also, he is a bright offensive mind, and he could inject a different approach with the Broncos offense, while maintaining guys like Wade Phillips and those defensive coaches on the staff. After that, it has been reported that the Broncos are looking at guys like Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator of the Dolphins, and Sean McVay, offensive coordinator of the Redskins. I'm not really sold on those coaches being great options for the Broncos. I think Denver could reach out to Jim Bob Cooter, the
offensive coordinator of the Lions. He was a former Broncos assistant and Peyton Manning raved about him, so he could be a good choice.
Who are the Broncos 2017 opponents?
Home: Kansas City, Oakland, San Diego, NY Giants, Dallas, New England, NY Jets, Cincy
Away: Kansas City, Oakland, San Diego, Washington, Philly, Miami, Buffalo, Indy
The Broncos home schedule is more intriguing than their road schedule. There are some big-time teams coming in Mile High as the likes of the Giants, Dallas, and New England all make appearances in Denver. I would expect 3 primetimes games next year on the schedule.
Kubiak is a true Bronco till the end. To see the former backup to John Elway come back to Denver as head coach in 2015 was very special. To see him win the Super Bowl in his first year as head coach was just the icing on the cake. I thought Kubiak did a very good job in Denver. He finished 24-11 including the playoffs, and he was able to take a team that was built for a championship with an aging legend at QB in Peyton Manning and won the Super Bowl around a great defense. That is what was great about Kubiak was that he always had the pulse of his team. He did a great job of that in 2015, and even though 2016 didn't turn out the way he wanted, he did a good job of what he had to deal with personnel wise. Think about this: Kubiak won all those games with four different starting QBs at different points: An aging Manning, Brock Osweiler, Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch. Kubiak should become a member of the Broncos Ring of Fame very soon.
Who might be the Broncos next head coach?
It sounds like John Elway is looking for a young head coach to guide this team into the future. If I was Elway, I would start with David Shaw from Stanford. Shaw has NFL coaching experience as an assistant, and he has built Stanford into a model program. He has the Stanford connection with Elway, and he runs a pro-style offense. To me, he would be a great fit for the NFL and the Broncos. The next guy I would look at would be Kyle Shanahan. You already have the connection with his father, Mike Shanahan, and he practically grew up around the Broncos organization. Also, he is a bright offensive mind, and he could inject a different approach with the Broncos offense, while maintaining guys like Wade Phillips and those defensive coaches on the staff. After that, it has been reported that the Broncos are looking at guys like Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator of the Dolphins, and Sean McVay, offensive coordinator of the Redskins. I'm not really sold on those coaches being great options for the Broncos. I think Denver could reach out to Jim Bob Cooter, the
offensive coordinator of the Lions. He was a former Broncos assistant and Peyton Manning raved about him, so he could be a good choice.
Who are the Broncos 2017 opponents?
Home: Kansas City, Oakland, San Diego, NY Giants, Dallas, New England, NY Jets, Cincy
Away: Kansas City, Oakland, San Diego, Washington, Philly, Miami, Buffalo, Indy
The Broncos home schedule is more intriguing than their road schedule. There are some big-time teams coming in Mile High as the likes of the Giants, Dallas, and New England all make appearances in Denver. I would expect 3 primetimes games next year on the schedule.
What are the Broncos 2017 draft picks?
The Broncos select #19 in the 1st round. After that they pick, #51 in the 2nd round, #83 in the 3rd round, #115 in the 4th round, and two 6th round picks (#175 and #178). The Broncos should also get a few compensatory picks in the middle rounds due to the amount of free agents they lost last year.
The Broncos select #19 in the 1st round. After that they pick, #51 in the 2nd round, #83 in the 3rd round, #115 in the 4th round, and two 6th round picks (#175 and #178). The Broncos should also get a few compensatory picks in the middle rounds due to the amount of free agents they lost last year.
What is the Broncos Salary Cap Situation?
The Broncos have an estimated $30 million in cap space going into next year. They could free up some more if they release Russell Okung before free agency begins and it could give them up to $10 million more.
The Broncos have an estimated $30 million in cap space going into next year. They could free up some more if they release Russell Okung before free agency begins and it could give them up to $10 million more.
Who are the Broncos free agents this coming offseason?
Here are the Broncos list of free agents:
Unrestricted:
DeMarcus Ware
Vance Walker
Sylvester Williams
Justin Forsett
Jordan Norwood
Billy Winn
Dakoda Watson
Kayvon Webster
Thomas Gifford
Restricted:
Todd Davis
Brandon McManus
Sam Brenner
What are the biggest storylines facing the Broncos as they head into the offseason?
1-Who will they hire to be their next head coach?
2-Will they kick the tires on Tony Romo as their next QB?
3-What will the new regime think of Trevor Siemian and more importantly Paxton Lynch?
4-What will happen with Aqib Talib and the shooting incident from last year?
5-Will John Elway sign a contract extension with only one year left on his current deal?
I think those are the three big things to watch as the offseason gets going in about eight weeks.
Are you optimistic the Broncos will get back into contention in the near future?
I am optimistic that the Broncos will be able to get this franchise back in the playoffs and into title contention. They have a lot of their top talent secured long term. Their defense is still top notch and ready to win. They have weapons on offense and they have two young QBs waiting in the wings. They also have John Elway at the helm. As long as Elway is running the show, the Broncos won't be down for long. I would Elway to make a lot of moves to improve this team and get the Broncos back to where they should be in 2017.
Unrestricted:
DeMarcus Ware
Vance Walker
Sylvester Williams
Justin Forsett
Jordan Norwood
Billy Winn
Dakoda Watson
Kayvon Webster
Thomas Gifford
Restricted:
Todd Davis
Brandon McManus
Sam Brenner
What are the biggest storylines facing the Broncos as they head into the offseason?
1-Who will they hire to be their next head coach?
2-Will they kick the tires on Tony Romo as their next QB?
3-What will the new regime think of Trevor Siemian and more importantly Paxton Lynch?
4-What will happen with Aqib Talib and the shooting incident from last year?
5-Will John Elway sign a contract extension with only one year left on his current deal?
I think those are the three big things to watch as the offseason gets going in about eight weeks.
Are you optimistic the Broncos will get back into contention in the near future?
I am optimistic that the Broncos will be able to get this franchise back in the playoffs and into title contention. They have a lot of their top talent secured long term. Their defense is still top notch and ready to win. They have weapons on offense and they have two young QBs waiting in the wings. They also have John Elway at the helm. As long as Elway is running the show, the Broncos won't be down for long. I would Elway to make a lot of moves to improve this team and get the Broncos back to where they should be in 2017.
Monday, January 2, 2017
Broncos Mailbag Part 1: The Regular Season
It is not the ideal time to do a end of the season Broncos mailbag, since the Broncos are out of the playoffs for the first time since 2010, but as I do every year, I like to take a look back at the Broncos season. Part 1 is up first with the Broncos 2016 regular season.
Did this Broncos regular season match up to your expectations going into the year?
I had the Broncos missing the playoffs going into the season, so I guess I wasn't surprised that they finished on the outside looking in. I thought the Broncos Achilles heel going into the season was the QB situation with Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch. I thought they would start out slow and then come on later in the season when the QB position was settled and their defense would keep them in games. The Broncos actually started better than I thought with a 4-0 start and they were 6-2 at the break, but looking at their improved division and the schedule down the stretch, I knew it was going to be a grind to make it into the playoffs. But, when you start as fast as the Broncos did, you should find a way to make it into the playoffs and that did not happen.
What was the problems with the offense this year?
The Broncos simply couldn't run the ball with any consistency. They couldn't win at the point of attack and both of their tackles were graded very low all year long. In fact, the only bright spot on their offensive line was Center Matt Paradis. Their offensive line was such a weak link that it prevented them from being good offensively every week. Also, the QB play was not as good as it had to be-especially down the stretch. You can't score 10, 3, and 10 points in must win games in the final month and the blame has to fall on the QB play of Trevor Siemian. The Broncos were also really bad on 3rd and short. They were bad in red zone and they were one of the leaders in 3 and outs on offense in the entire NFL. They always started slow and put their defense in bad spots too often early in games. If their offense could have provided more in the second half of the season, they would be playing in January in the playoffs.
What was the area of weakness on a solid defense this year?
The Broncos had another solid year on defense in 2016, and their secondary was spectacular all year long. The Broncos one area of weakness was their run defense. They couldn't stop the run at times, and it gave teams a chance to keep the chains moving, control the clock, and put the Broncos in bad field position. They really missed Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan and that was evident all season long. Jared Crick wasn't enough to replace Jackson on the defensive line, and Todd Davis was admirable replacing Trevathan but once again it wasn't enough at times. Their run defense was the one spot that really hurt their defense from the beginning of the year to the end.
Why do you think the Broncos struggled after starting off the year 6-2?
I think the fact that their running game was shot after C.J. Anderson went down for the year in Week 7, and I think the fact that they didn't get enough from their QB play and their offense in the second half of the year doomed their chances. Plus, their second half schedule was too much to overcome for this team. They had to go to Oakland on a Sunday night and fell to 6-3. They survived New Orleans on a two-point blocked extra point conversion to beat the Saints 25-23, they blew the KC game at home the following week, they barely survived the Jags on the road, and then dropped games at Tennessee, got buried by the Pats at home, and got blown out by the Chiefs in Arrowhead on Christmas night. They just couldn't handle the better teams on their schedule and it proved that they weren't good enough to win the tough games down the stretch.
How did you think the Broncos QB situation played out?
I think that Trevor Siemian did his best and given the situation he performed admirably, but it played out the way that I thought it would. Siemian was just not good enough to get this team over the hump, and it ended up sinking their season. Rookie Paxton Lynch looked good when he played in the win over Tampa Bay in Week 4 after he relieved the injured Siemian in the 2nd quarter, but he struggled mightily in the two starts he had against the Falcons and the Jaguars. Let's be honest: If the Broncos had a quality veteran as their starting QB this year, they would be in the playoffs. They just couldn't overcome the mediocre play of Siemian and it looked like Lynch wasn't ready to play effectively enough in his appearances.
Which players really stood out to you and had a good season for the Broncos?
I thought that Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders were really good for the Broncos on offense all year long. I also thought that TE A.J. Derby was a nice addition and a nice fit for this team after they got him in a trade with the Pats in October. On defense, Von Miller was great as usual, Derek Wolfe had a tremendous year, and the play of Aqib Talib, Chris Harris and Darian Stewart was terrific all year long.
Which players didn't have as good of a season as you expected?
RB Devontae Booker was just not good enough when he had to step up and replace C.J. Anderson after Week 7. It was frustrating at times watching him run the ball. I thought Brandon Marshall should have played better and I was disappointed in the play from T.J. Ward at times. I also think that DeMarcus Ware wasn't same player after he got hurt in the Indy game in Week 2.
What was the turning point in the season?
People might look at the loss to Atlanta at home in Week 5, but I think there were two turning points: The loss of C.J. Anderson after the Week 7 win over the Texans and the loss to Kansas City at home in Week 12 in overtime. They could never replace Anderson in the run game, and he was one of the more vocal leaders on the offense. Devontae Booker proved that he was not good enough to replace Anderson and the Broncos had to turn to Justin Forsett off the waiver wire the last month of the season. The KC loss was so devastating because people forget that the Chiefs were coming in off a home loss to the Bucs the week before, and if Denver wins that game, they ended up making the playoffs.
What was the most memorable game of the year?
I loved the opening night win over the Panthers 21-20 in the Super Bowl rematch, but the two most memorable games featured a win and a loss. The win over the Saints in New Orleans on Will Parks two-point return after Justin Simmons blocked it to give Denver the improbable 25-23 win was the most exciting victory of the year. The other game was the epic game that they lost to KC at home in overtime 30-27. The game was a defensive battle to start, and Denver fell behind 9-0, but they rallied back to take the lead at 24-16 late in the 4th quarter only to see the Chiefs drive down to tie it in the final seconds at 24. After the teams traded field goals to start overtime, Brandon McManus missed a 62 yard field goal and KC won it on a Cairo Santos 33 yard FG that banked in off the upright to give the Chiefs the 30-27 victory. It was a tremendous back and forth game that had a playoff atmosphere but unfortunately the Broncos came up short.
What were some of the important final stats on the year?
Here were some of the stats on offense for the Broncos:
They scored 333 points, which averages to 20.8 points a game.
Trevor Siemian: 289-486, 59.5%, 3,401 yards, 18 TDs, 10 INT, 84.6 QB Rating
Paxton Lynch: 49-83, 59.0 %, 497 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 79.2 QB Rating
Devontae Booker: 174 Rushes, 612 yards and 4 TDs
C.J. Anderson: 110 Rushes, 437 yards and 4 TDs
Demaryius Thomas: 90 Receptions, 1,083 yards and 5 TDs
Emmanuel Sanders: 79 Receptions, 1,032 yards, and 5 TDs
Defense gave up 297 points against, which averages to 18.5 points a game.
Von Miller: 13.5 Sacks
Shane Ray: 8 Sacks
Derek Wolfe: 5.5 Sacks
DeMarcus Ware: 4 Sacks
Jared Crick: 3 Sacks
Aqib Talib: 3 Interceptions, 1 Touchdown
Darian Stewart: 3 Interceptions
Chris Harris: 2 Interceptions
Bradley Roby: 2 Interceptions, 2 Touchdowns
Justin Simmons: 2 Interceptions
Von Miller: 3 Forced Fumbles
T.J. Ward: 3 Forced Fumbles
Todd Davis: 96 Tackles
T.J. Ward: 87 Tackles
Brandon McManus: 29-34 Field Goals Made
32-33 Extra Points Made
Did this Broncos regular season match up to your expectations going into the year?
I had the Broncos missing the playoffs going into the season, so I guess I wasn't surprised that they finished on the outside looking in. I thought the Broncos Achilles heel going into the season was the QB situation with Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch. I thought they would start out slow and then come on later in the season when the QB position was settled and their defense would keep them in games. The Broncos actually started better than I thought with a 4-0 start and they were 6-2 at the break, but looking at their improved division and the schedule down the stretch, I knew it was going to be a grind to make it into the playoffs. But, when you start as fast as the Broncos did, you should find a way to make it into the playoffs and that did not happen.
What was the problems with the offense this year?
The Broncos simply couldn't run the ball with any consistency. They couldn't win at the point of attack and both of their tackles were graded very low all year long. In fact, the only bright spot on their offensive line was Center Matt Paradis. Their offensive line was such a weak link that it prevented them from being good offensively every week. Also, the QB play was not as good as it had to be-especially down the stretch. You can't score 10, 3, and 10 points in must win games in the final month and the blame has to fall on the QB play of Trevor Siemian. The Broncos were also really bad on 3rd and short. They were bad in red zone and they were one of the leaders in 3 and outs on offense in the entire NFL. They always started slow and put their defense in bad spots too often early in games. If their offense could have provided more in the second half of the season, they would be playing in January in the playoffs.
What was the area of weakness on a solid defense this year?
The Broncos had another solid year on defense in 2016, and their secondary was spectacular all year long. The Broncos one area of weakness was their run defense. They couldn't stop the run at times, and it gave teams a chance to keep the chains moving, control the clock, and put the Broncos in bad field position. They really missed Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan and that was evident all season long. Jared Crick wasn't enough to replace Jackson on the defensive line, and Todd Davis was admirable replacing Trevathan but once again it wasn't enough at times. Their run defense was the one spot that really hurt their defense from the beginning of the year to the end.
Why do you think the Broncos struggled after starting off the year 6-2?
I think the fact that their running game was shot after C.J. Anderson went down for the year in Week 7, and I think the fact that they didn't get enough from their QB play and their offense in the second half of the year doomed their chances. Plus, their second half schedule was too much to overcome for this team. They had to go to Oakland on a Sunday night and fell to 6-3. They survived New Orleans on a two-point blocked extra point conversion to beat the Saints 25-23, they blew the KC game at home the following week, they barely survived the Jags on the road, and then dropped games at Tennessee, got buried by the Pats at home, and got blown out by the Chiefs in Arrowhead on Christmas night. They just couldn't handle the better teams on their schedule and it proved that they weren't good enough to win the tough games down the stretch.
How did you think the Broncos QB situation played out?
I think that Trevor Siemian did his best and given the situation he performed admirably, but it played out the way that I thought it would. Siemian was just not good enough to get this team over the hump, and it ended up sinking their season. Rookie Paxton Lynch looked good when he played in the win over Tampa Bay in Week 4 after he relieved the injured Siemian in the 2nd quarter, but he struggled mightily in the two starts he had against the Falcons and the Jaguars. Let's be honest: If the Broncos had a quality veteran as their starting QB this year, they would be in the playoffs. They just couldn't overcome the mediocre play of Siemian and it looked like Lynch wasn't ready to play effectively enough in his appearances.
Which players really stood out to you and had a good season for the Broncos?
I thought that Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders were really good for the Broncos on offense all year long. I also thought that TE A.J. Derby was a nice addition and a nice fit for this team after they got him in a trade with the Pats in October. On defense, Von Miller was great as usual, Derek Wolfe had a tremendous year, and the play of Aqib Talib, Chris Harris and Darian Stewart was terrific all year long.
Which players didn't have as good of a season as you expected?
RB Devontae Booker was just not good enough when he had to step up and replace C.J. Anderson after Week 7. It was frustrating at times watching him run the ball. I thought Brandon Marshall should have played better and I was disappointed in the play from T.J. Ward at times. I also think that DeMarcus Ware wasn't same player after he got hurt in the Indy game in Week 2.
What was the turning point in the season?
People might look at the loss to Atlanta at home in Week 5, but I think there were two turning points: The loss of C.J. Anderson after the Week 7 win over the Texans and the loss to Kansas City at home in Week 12 in overtime. They could never replace Anderson in the run game, and he was one of the more vocal leaders on the offense. Devontae Booker proved that he was not good enough to replace Anderson and the Broncos had to turn to Justin Forsett off the waiver wire the last month of the season. The KC loss was so devastating because people forget that the Chiefs were coming in off a home loss to the Bucs the week before, and if Denver wins that game, they ended up making the playoffs.
What was the most memorable game of the year?
I loved the opening night win over the Panthers 21-20 in the Super Bowl rematch, but the two most memorable games featured a win and a loss. The win over the Saints in New Orleans on Will Parks two-point return after Justin Simmons blocked it to give Denver the improbable 25-23 win was the most exciting victory of the year. The other game was the epic game that they lost to KC at home in overtime 30-27. The game was a defensive battle to start, and Denver fell behind 9-0, but they rallied back to take the lead at 24-16 late in the 4th quarter only to see the Chiefs drive down to tie it in the final seconds at 24. After the teams traded field goals to start overtime, Brandon McManus missed a 62 yard field goal and KC won it on a Cairo Santos 33 yard FG that banked in off the upright to give the Chiefs the 30-27 victory. It was a tremendous back and forth game that had a playoff atmosphere but unfortunately the Broncos came up short.
What were some of the important final stats on the year?
Here were some of the stats on offense for the Broncos:
They scored 333 points, which averages to 20.8 points a game.
Trevor Siemian: 289-486, 59.5%, 3,401 yards, 18 TDs, 10 INT, 84.6 QB Rating
Paxton Lynch: 49-83, 59.0 %, 497 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 79.2 QB Rating
Devontae Booker: 174 Rushes, 612 yards and 4 TDs
C.J. Anderson: 110 Rushes, 437 yards and 4 TDs
Demaryius Thomas: 90 Receptions, 1,083 yards and 5 TDs
Emmanuel Sanders: 79 Receptions, 1,032 yards, and 5 TDs
Defense gave up 297 points against, which averages to 18.5 points a game.
Von Miller: 13.5 Sacks
Shane Ray: 8 Sacks
Derek Wolfe: 5.5 Sacks
DeMarcus Ware: 4 Sacks
Jared Crick: 3 Sacks
Aqib Talib: 3 Interceptions, 1 Touchdown
Darian Stewart: 3 Interceptions
Chris Harris: 2 Interceptions
Bradley Roby: 2 Interceptions, 2 Touchdowns
Justin Simmons: 2 Interceptions
Von Miller: 3 Forced Fumbles
T.J. Ward: 3 Forced Fumbles
Todd Davis: 96 Tackles
T.J. Ward: 87 Tackles
Brandon McManus: 29-34 Field Goals Made
32-33 Extra Points Made
Broncos Pound Raiders 24-6 in Season Finale and Gary Kubiak's Last Game
The Broncos woke up to some surprising news on Sunday morning when ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Broncos Head Coach Gary Kubiak was going to step down after the Week 17 game against the Raiders. The Broncos had nothing to play for after getting eliminated from playoff contention, but with the news of Kubiak coaching in his last game the Broncos played inspired, had some fire in their belly, and pounded the Raiders 24-6 in Denver to finish 9-7 and send Kubiak off as a winner in his last game. It was a nice way to end the season on a winning note and send the Raiders from possibly being the #2 seed all the way down to the #5 seed and a wild card. There are so many things to discuss about Kubiak and the future of the Broncos, but I will get to that later on. For now, here are my thoughts and observations on the game...
1) You could tell early on that the Broncos were playing inspired for Kubiak and they wanted to knock the Raiders down in the playoff pecking order, and that showed on the first drive when the Broncos went right down the field and scored an opening possession touchdown, which was capped off by a Devontae Booker 11 yard TD run. The Broncos went 84 yards on 8 plays and looked like they were inspired to finish this season off the right way.
2) I had a feeling the Broncos were going to play well on defense going up against Oakland's Matt McGloin, who was replacing the injured Derek Carr. McGloin was no match for the Broncos defense, and they ended up knocking him out of the game after Jared Crick absolutely crushed him after a throw. McGloin never threatened the Broncos secondary and you could just tell after Denver got up 10-0 in the 2nd quarter, the Raiders were done. They punted on every drive of the first half. Connor Cook came into the game and he didn't have much success and was strip sacked by Shane Ray on the first drive of the 3rd quarter, and he threw a pick late to Justin Simmons in the 4th quarter. The Broncos defense went up against a lot of quality QBs this year (Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers twice, Alex Smith twice, Derek Carr once, Tom Brady, Drew Brees), so when they went up against the McGloin-Cook combo, you knew they would put up a big time effort. The Broncos finished the season as the #1 pass defense in the NFL.
3) On a 3rd and 18, near the end of the first half, Trevor Siemian threw a double screen to Booker, who broke it for a 43 yard TD to make it 17-0. It was a sweet play and I couldn't believe the Broncos actually converted a 3rd and long for a touchdown this season. That play essentially ended the game for the Broncos.
4) The Broncos put another touchdown on the board early in the 3rd quarter when Siemian hit Virgil Green for a 2-yard TD pass to make it 24-0. It capped off a 10 play 64 yard drive.
5) Justin Forsett finished with 90 yards on 22 carries and he had a long run of 64 yards early in the game. Booker finished with 57 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown rushing and a touchdown receiving. It was nice to actually see some runs by the Broncos gain more than like 2 or 3 yards.
6) What was the deal with Aqib Talib ripping off Michael Crabtree's chain after a play in the first half? I love the way Talib plays, but he is a head case and sometimes I don't know what he is thinking about with some of the stuff that he does.
7) Early in the week, Kubiak talked about how he was going to play both Siemian and Paxton Lynch, but Lynch never played and Kubiak later said that he wanted to get him in but he went with Siemian the whole way because of the way the game was playing out. I don't think you can read too much into it other than the fact that Kubiak wanted to win the game badly since it was going to be his final game and he trusts Siemian more than Lynch, so that is why I think he stuck with Siemian the whole game.
8) I was happy that the Broncos finished off the season with a win at home over their hated rivals and finished the year at 9-7. I was also happy that the Broncos knocked the Raiders all the way down to the #5 seed and even hurt their QB in the process leaving the Raiders with the possibility of having to start their third string QB at Houston in the Wild Card round next weekend. Unfortunately, the Broncos missed the playoffs and that is even more disappointing because they started the year 4-0 and 6-2, and they were 8-4 with a month to go. They should have been able to get into the playoffs this year with this defense, and the fact that they are not in the playoffs is disappointing. I know they had a difficult schedule down the stretch, and they had some chances at times down the stretch, but they should be playing this upcoming weekend and they are not, so this season was not a success.
9) I will spend more time on the Broncos season overall and the future, but I was upset to find out that Gary Kubiak was stepping down as the head coach. I think he did a great job last year coming into a team with an aging Hall of Fame QB in Peyton Manning and all the pressure to win and he won a Super Bowl in his first season. This year, he had a tough QB situation with Siemian and Lynch and he ended up going 9-7. He had some rough moments this year, but Kubiak was really a good fit for this team and this franchise. I loved having him as our coach, and you could tell how much the players loved him. I understand that Kubiak is stepping down because he is not fit for the demands of the coaching business anymore, but I really wish he was staying around because I thought he was the right guy for this team and this franchise.
10) The Broncos season is over and now the focus will be on finding a new Head Coach, the draft, free agency and filling in the spots that this team needs to improve upon for the 2017 season. I will always believe that John Elway will do everything in his power to make this team a Super Bowl contender every year, and I have full confidence in him as he retools the Broncos for a run in 2017. I'm upset that we didn't make the playoffs but I can't complain too much after the last five years and a Super Bowl title last year. I don't think the Broncos will be down for long. Go Broncos!
1) You could tell early on that the Broncos were playing inspired for Kubiak and they wanted to knock the Raiders down in the playoff pecking order, and that showed on the first drive when the Broncos went right down the field and scored an opening possession touchdown, which was capped off by a Devontae Booker 11 yard TD run. The Broncos went 84 yards on 8 plays and looked like they were inspired to finish this season off the right way.
2) I had a feeling the Broncos were going to play well on defense going up against Oakland's Matt McGloin, who was replacing the injured Derek Carr. McGloin was no match for the Broncos defense, and they ended up knocking him out of the game after Jared Crick absolutely crushed him after a throw. McGloin never threatened the Broncos secondary and you could just tell after Denver got up 10-0 in the 2nd quarter, the Raiders were done. They punted on every drive of the first half. Connor Cook came into the game and he didn't have much success and was strip sacked by Shane Ray on the first drive of the 3rd quarter, and he threw a pick late to Justin Simmons in the 4th quarter. The Broncos defense went up against a lot of quality QBs this year (Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers twice, Alex Smith twice, Derek Carr once, Tom Brady, Drew Brees), so when they went up against the McGloin-Cook combo, you knew they would put up a big time effort. The Broncos finished the season as the #1 pass defense in the NFL.
3) On a 3rd and 18, near the end of the first half, Trevor Siemian threw a double screen to Booker, who broke it for a 43 yard TD to make it 17-0. It was a sweet play and I couldn't believe the Broncos actually converted a 3rd and long for a touchdown this season. That play essentially ended the game for the Broncos.
4) The Broncos put another touchdown on the board early in the 3rd quarter when Siemian hit Virgil Green for a 2-yard TD pass to make it 24-0. It capped off a 10 play 64 yard drive.
5) Justin Forsett finished with 90 yards on 22 carries and he had a long run of 64 yards early in the game. Booker finished with 57 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown rushing and a touchdown receiving. It was nice to actually see some runs by the Broncos gain more than like 2 or 3 yards.
6) What was the deal with Aqib Talib ripping off Michael Crabtree's chain after a play in the first half? I love the way Talib plays, but he is a head case and sometimes I don't know what he is thinking about with some of the stuff that he does.
7) Early in the week, Kubiak talked about how he was going to play both Siemian and Paxton Lynch, but Lynch never played and Kubiak later said that he wanted to get him in but he went with Siemian the whole way because of the way the game was playing out. I don't think you can read too much into it other than the fact that Kubiak wanted to win the game badly since it was going to be his final game and he trusts Siemian more than Lynch, so that is why I think he stuck with Siemian the whole game.
8) I was happy that the Broncos finished off the season with a win at home over their hated rivals and finished the year at 9-7. I was also happy that the Broncos knocked the Raiders all the way down to the #5 seed and even hurt their QB in the process leaving the Raiders with the possibility of having to start their third string QB at Houston in the Wild Card round next weekend. Unfortunately, the Broncos missed the playoffs and that is even more disappointing because they started the year 4-0 and 6-2, and they were 8-4 with a month to go. They should have been able to get into the playoffs this year with this defense, and the fact that they are not in the playoffs is disappointing. I know they had a difficult schedule down the stretch, and they had some chances at times down the stretch, but they should be playing this upcoming weekend and they are not, so this season was not a success.
9) I will spend more time on the Broncos season overall and the future, but I was upset to find out that Gary Kubiak was stepping down as the head coach. I think he did a great job last year coming into a team with an aging Hall of Fame QB in Peyton Manning and all the pressure to win and he won a Super Bowl in his first season. This year, he had a tough QB situation with Siemian and Lynch and he ended up going 9-7. He had some rough moments this year, but Kubiak was really a good fit for this team and this franchise. I loved having him as our coach, and you could tell how much the players loved him. I understand that Kubiak is stepping down because he is not fit for the demands of the coaching business anymore, but I really wish he was staying around because I thought he was the right guy for this team and this franchise.
10) The Broncos season is over and now the focus will be on finding a new Head Coach, the draft, free agency and filling in the spots that this team needs to improve upon for the 2017 season. I will always believe that John Elway will do everything in his power to make this team a Super Bowl contender every year, and I have full confidence in him as he retools the Broncos for a run in 2017. I'm upset that we didn't make the playoffs but I can't complain too much after the last five years and a Super Bowl title last year. I don't think the Broncos will be down for long. Go Broncos!
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Week 17 Picks
Last Week's Record: 8-8
Overall Record: 134-91-13
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
Houston (+3) over TENNESSEE:
NY JETS (+4) over Buffalo:
Baltimore (+1) over CINCY:
WASHINGTON (-7) over NY Giants:
INDY (-4) over Jacksonville:
PHILLY (-3) over Dallas:
MINNESOTA (-5) over Chicago:
Carolina (+5) over TAMPA BAY:
PITTSBURGH (-5) over Cleveland:
ATLANTA (-7) over New Orleans:
Miami (+9) over New England:
Arizona (-6) over LOS ANGELES:
Kansas City (-6) over SAN DIEGO:
Seattle (-8) over SAN FRANCISCO:
DETROIT (+4) over Green Bay:
DENVER (-1) over Oakland:
Overall Record: 134-91-13
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
Houston (+3) over TENNESSEE:
NY JETS (+4) over Buffalo:
Baltimore (+1) over CINCY:
WASHINGTON (-7) over NY Giants:
INDY (-4) over Jacksonville:
PHILLY (-3) over Dallas:
MINNESOTA (-5) over Chicago:
Carolina (+5) over TAMPA BAY:
PITTSBURGH (-5) over Cleveland:
ATLANTA (-7) over New Orleans:
Miami (+9) over New England:
Arizona (-6) over LOS ANGELES:
Kansas City (-6) over SAN DIEGO:
Seattle (-8) over SAN FRANCISCO:
DETROIT (+4) over Green Bay:
DENVER (-1) over Oakland:
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