BREAKING: Alex Smith traded to Redskins

Hi, some breaking news happening and I'm here to talk about it:

This all started this past off-season. Alex Smith (Chiefs QB) was coming off a great season in which he lead the Chiefs in the Divisional Playoff Round and another AFC West division title. Smith is known as a pretty consistently average to good starter in football. His passes are all pretty on the mark and he even at 30+ years old is one of the best rushing QBs in football. The Chiefs though were for some reason not satisfied. The Chiefs were thinking about drafting a QB but didn't hold a top position in the first round, pick 27. There were 3 quality QBs in the draft Deshaun Watson, Mitch Trubisky, and Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs were rumored to be looking at and desiring rising draft stock QB Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs never made a deal to move up until John Ross was selected 9th overall by the Bengals. The Chiefs struck a deal with the Buffalo Bills to move up to pick 10 and give them a package of draft picks. The Chiefs took their QB of the future in Patrick Mahomes and

Alex Smith (11) and Patrick Mahomes (15)

was planning to start him either at some point this year, or the next season so he could have a whole year of learning. As the off-season came to an end, there were whispering rumors that if Alex Smith underperformed in week 1 against the Patriots, Patrick Mahomes would start over him in week 2. Well Smith didn't underperformed, he overwhelmed. The Chiefs bashed the Pats in New England for an opening night win and Smith lead the Chiefs to a 5-0 start in which he was the frontrunner to win MVP. As the rest of the season went by, Smith went back to being average and the Chiefs fell out of their top spot and finished the season 10-6 and made a wildcard berth in which they fell to a comeback effort by the Titans. As most assumed, that was Smith's last game as a Chief.
As the season ended for the Chiefs, there were a lot of questions surrounding Smith. He had a great year but everyone knows the Chiefs are eager to play their 2017 first rounder Pat Mahomes and have great confidence in him. I would be excited too but don't know how happy the Chiefs should be to give Smith away. Mahomes needed a lot of development and they might be almost done with him but usually young signal callers aren't great at the start of their career, the Chiefs may not make the playoffs again next year. So now as we know, Smith has been traded to the Redskins. This is a bit of a surprise. The Bills and Broncos were the more obvious options but now we have more clarity on another situation. We now look at the Kirk Cousins situation in Washington. The Redskins keep

Redskins QB Kirk Cousins

franchise tagging their star QB and finally after another great season, it seemed like the Redskins would either pay him big time or let him walk. Now its certain he will walk. Bringing in the vet Smith means the Redskins aren't willing to give Cousins the type of money he deserves and want a QB that can be good for a few more years before finding their future QB. Now the question mark heads to Cousins, where will the star sign? The Broncos, Jets, and Bills seem like the top options here but we still don't know if they will go with a draft QB. I think the top landing spot which is also most likely for Cousins would be the Bills.
(Other news: After the deal, Redskins signed Smith to a 4-year extension)

Anyways, this is breaking news and now we know who the Redskins QB will be, on the other hand, Cousins is now the biggest question mark and I think Buffalo is the most obvious landing here. It will be a fun off-season!
Thanks for reading!

Photo Cred: Sporting News, Predominantly Orange

My First Mock Draft of 2018!

Wyoming QB Josh Allen

Hi, I have finally finished my first mock draft of the season and it is out! Here it is:

CHECK IT OUT HERE, I DID IT ON THIS WEBSITE:

http://walterfootball.com/mocks/publishedmock/64628

This site Walterfootball is really good for making mock drafts and draft rankings. Check them out to make your own mock drafts and learn about players in the draft!

Thanks for reading!

Photo Cred: Yahoo Sports

My Top 25 Free Agents of 2018 1.0

Hi, with the off-season just one game away, I will rank who I think are the top 25 free agents going into the off-season. Here it is:

1. Le'Veon Bell, RB, Steelers
Bell is a top 3 back in football in my opinion and some have him as the no. 1. He has made it clear he doesn't want another franchise tag and it sounds like the Steelers are giving him one. Maybe they just let him go. Bell would be a huge free agent and could make any playoff team a contender. He is a teams no. 1 back and no. 2 receiver. He is so so GOOD!

2. Jimmy Garopollo, QB, 49ers
Garopollo was amazing in his first year with the Niners, leading them to an undefeated finish to the season since he took over the starting gig. The Niners will no way let him go but he is still a top free agent.

3. Drew Brees, QB, Saints
Brees is getting very old but the way he played this season is super convincing to me that he still has a couple great years left. The Saints were one play away from making it to the divisional round where they likely would have beat the Eagles and made it to the Super bowl. Brees was mostly responsible for leading the offense. He will get a deal somewhere, likely in New Orleans.

4. Kirk Cousins, QB, Redskins
This is a QB year and Cousins is one of the only quality guys that actually will likely be let go of. The Redskins don't seem very convinced even though Cousins has thrown 4000 yards the last seasons. He is likely going to get PAID elsewhere like Denver.

5. Case Keenum, QB, Vikings
Keenum was such an amazing breakout this year and he fit in so well with the Minnesota offense. He looked amazing and I can't see him leaving. Minnesota will likely give him another 1 year deal, this time, for a lot more money though.

6. Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Cowboys
The 25 year old had a huge breakout season this year, proving he was the best player on a weak Cowboys D. Now Lawrence is a free agent and will want MONEY. Dallas will likely franchise tag him to make sure he doesn't get away, otherwise he could make Von Miller type money!

7. Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Vikings
Bridgewater is another starting quality QB that is going to be a free agent. I see him staying in Minnesota but if they don't give him a good offer, other teams will throw money at him to make him their starter. Teddy B could move this off-season.

8. Sheldon Richardson, DT, Seahawks
Though Richardson wasn't too impressive this year in Seattle, he showed flashes at times and looks like he could be good in the future. The Seahawks may not re-sign him and he could float onto another team.

9. Trumaine Johnson, CB, Rams
Johnson proved to be a lockdown corner this year and should get paid like it. I bet the Rams will lock him up but if they don't, he will easily get money somewhere else.

10. Jimmy Graham, TE, Seahawks
While Graham at times was super productive and super good for the Seahawks, they may not want to pay him big money while he could get huge offers elsewhere. Jimmy Graham could move on.

11. Allen Robinson, WR, Jaguars
He tore his ACL this season but before that was a WR1. I see the Jags re-signing him but if not, a team will quickly give him a big deal to move on.

12. Andrew Norwell, OG, Panthers
Norwell wasn't just a good O-lineman this year, he was All-Pro. I bet the Panthers will get their best O-lineman back, but if they don't an o-line needy team will be ready to throw money at him.

13. Sam Bradford, QB, Vikings
While Bradford has been average all his career and injury prone, he is still a starting quality QB in the league and a mediocre team may NEED him and give him a short term deal to come be their starting QB. The Vikings will likely not re-sign him.

14. Malcolm Butler, CB, Patriots
With worse play this year and competition with Stephon Gillmore, the Pats will likely not re-sign their Super Bowl hero while another team will love to have Butler. Take the Saints for example who ALMOST traded for him last season.

15. Dion Lewis, RB, Patriots
At times, Lewis was amazing this season for the Patriots, being a super versatile back for them and helping on special teams. If the Pats decide to not pay him, another team should pounce on the idea of having an all-around amazing back.

16. Justin Pugh, OG, Giants
Pugh has been a quality starting o-lineman in New York for years and will be wanted by a lot of o-line needy teams.

17. Ezekiel Ansah, DE, Lions
While Ansah is getting older and has been injured lately, he is still a quality pass rusher that can get it done.

18. Kenny Vaccaro, S, Saints
Vaccaro is still super young and he had a great season this year. He could be a huge add to any defense.

19. Marqise Lee, WR, Jaguars
Lee at times was a wide open threat for the Jaguars and came up huge in situations. He could be a GREAT slot receiver on any team. I'm sure the Jags will want him back but it may not happen.

20. Orleans Darkwa, RB, Giants
Darkwa was a longtime backup until having a few breakout games in New York this year. Now the young RB may get some money and some playing time in New York or elsewhere.

21. Carlos Hyde, RB, 49ers
Hyde was not great in San Fransisco and I doubt they'll re-sign him. He may be better playing for a different team.

22. Paul Richardson, WR, Seahawks
The Hawks WR had a breakout season and came up HUGE in some situations. He looks like he could be a pretty good receiver and the Hawks will likely get their breakout back but if not, he will likely get a nice Kenny Britt on the Browns type of deal.

23. Weston Richburg, C, Giants
Richburg wasn't as good this year but he is still a pretty good center in this league that could be pretty good on another team. I bet N.Y. will get him back but there will still be options for him if they decide not to bring him back.

24. Julius Peppers, DE, Panthers
Peppers who is now 38 had a bounceback this season in Carolina. He may retire but he still looked pretty good like he has some time left in him. If he keeps playing, there could be demand for the highly talented vet.

25. Adrian Clayborn, DT, Falcons
While the 29 year old may retire, if he doesn't there will be demand for a player who had 6 sacks against an amazing o-line in one game this season.

Just missed: Josh McCown QB Jets, Jarvis Landry WR Dolphins, Sammy Watkins WR Rams, Dwight Freeney LB Lions, Jerick McKinnon RB Vikings

Thanks for reading!

2017 REDRAFT

Hi, the 2017/18 season is basically over and now we know how good all the rookies were. Today I'm going to be redoing the first round of the draft and changing who teams pick based on how good players were. Here it is:

CHECK IT OUT HERE, I WROTE IT ON THIS WEBSITE:

http://walterfootball.com/mocks/publishedmock/57060

Thanks for reading!

Also check the coaching tracker for some updates! It has been updated!

Championship Sunday Recap: Super Bowl 52 Match-Up Set

Hi, after a day of crazy championship games, Super Bowl 52 is FINALLY set. Here is the recap:

FINAL SCORES:

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP:
Patriots 24, Jaguars 20

NFC Championship:
Eagles 38, Vikings 7

WHAT WENT DOWN/NEWS:

Patriots WR Danny Amendola who had 2 TDs

Jags @ Patriots: This was an amazing game. The Jags did what they needed to do to stay in the game, establish an early lead. The Jags were playing spotless football in the first half and headed to halftime with a 14-10 lead. Blake Bortles looked so comfortable in the pocket not just in the first half, but all day. He was delivering beautiful strikes all day. RB Leonard Fournette was spinning off defenders and other RB Corey Grant had some amazing break away plays. The Jags D was also delivering. Pressuring Tom Brady and sacking him multiple times (Dante Fowler). Everything was going the Jags way until the 4th quarter where the Pats play their best football. The Jags fell apart. They let Brady drive and score and then they let them score again to take a 24-20 lead. The Jags had another chance with the ball but on 4th and long Blake Bortles delivered a pass deep down field to Dede Westbrook that looked like a huge gain but at the last second was swatted out of the air by CB
Stephon Gillmore. That ended for the Jags who had been leading all day. It was demoralizing to see a young team so close to defeating the Pats and making it to the Super Bowl where they would have likely been favored over either NFC team. I think the Jags are set to contend for years but will have a tougher task next year as their division will heat up if Texans QB Deshaun Watson stays healthy all season. The Pats win again and are headed to ANOTHER super bowl. ...good job to them...

Vikings @ Eagles: This game was one of the most surprising games of the year. The surging Vikings were heavily favored over the Carson Wentz-less Eagles. They came off a huge game where they looked unbreakable and breakout QB Case Keenum continued playing lights out football. This all changed surprisingly in their most important game of the season. The Vikings started off slowly and let the Eagles take a huge lead. The storyline of the day was Eagles QB Nick Foles. Coming off a pretty good game, no one expected Foles to be any good again this week. He did more than just that, he played much better. He was throwing on the mark DIMES to players. He was looking comfortable. Just look at his play where he waited in the pocket for awhile then sensed pressure and rolled out and then threw a 53 yard pass to Alshon Jeffrey for a TD. That was the beginning of a MONSTER outing

Eagles breakout QB Nick Foles

for Foles where he threw for 352 yards and 3 TDs to no interceptions. Who saw that coming? RB Jay Ajayi also quietly had a great game being a mismatch for defenders all day. The Vikings did not do anything. Case Keenum had his worst game of an otherwise AMAZING season. He threw a pick and lost a fumble. He just was bad as he threw for only 1 TD. The Vikings defense struggled to keep up with Foles' offense and that's what cost them a trip to what would have been the first home Super Bowl ever as its being played in Minnesota. The Eagles surprisingly have upset everyone in the playoffs this year and are headed to Super Bowl 52 against the Patriots.

So, Super Bowl 52 is set...Patriots Vs. Eagles. It should be a great game in 2 weeks from now. I will have more posts breaking the match-up down coming soon. Thanks for reading!

Photo Cred: slate.com, WBIR.com

Championship Sunday Predix: My SB Picks!

Hi, here is my weekly playoff picks and today I will be picking the conference championship game scores. I was 2-2 on predictions last week and I'm 4-4 this postseason. Here it is:

Jaguars @ Patriots:
This is actually going to be such a better match in the AFC Championship than Pats/Steelers would be. The Steelers are good but they can never quite catch up to the Pats. I believe the Jags have a chance. The Jags had such a strong game last week and they destroyed the Steelers all day. Their perfect D was on display. As we know, defense wins championships. Lets start by breaking down the Jags. Their offense is usually pretty bad but last week was one of their high points of the season. Blake Bortles the QB had an actual great game under a ton of pressure. RB Leonard Fournette ran for 100+ yards and 3 TDs. He was a force. He will be hard to stop this week. The Jags O line has been so great also this postseason. WR's Keelan Cole and Marqise Lee haven't been doing too much this postseason but I think on the right day they can break out very much and have huge games. I say this every week but Keelan Cole could be the X-factor. The rookie WR has had no recognition for an amazing rookie season. Blake Bortles is another X-factor. He needs to have another game like last week if they want to dethrone the reigning champs. The defense...there isn't much to talk about. There is but you can sum it up really quickly. They are the best defense in the league. Both of their corners are the #1 and 2 corners overall in the league. Their D line is stacked. Their secondary is stacked. This defense is top notch but will face its toughest task yet. If it completes it, this defense could have a run at history. Tom Brady will be a lot for this Jags D but I think they are up for the challenge. Now lets break down the Pats. Tom Brady is a storyline. Earlier this week in practice Brady apparently knocked his throwing hand on another players helmet and it was gushing blood. Brady was apparently getting stitches after that and was in some pain. Brady has missed a few practices this week and is questionable for the game. I think he will play. Apparently he also went out and threw footballs and was looking good (NFL.com). I think even if he is hurting he will obviously play. Its the AFC championship. C'mon. Of course he will play. If not, Brian Hoyer the former 49er starting QB will suit up and start. Assuming Brady will play, the normal Pats O should be looking good. We've got the amazing RB duo in Dion Lewis and Rex Burkhead who together are hard to stop even possibly for the Jags D. I think the Jags D is still up for the challenge. The WR core is also so good. You have speedster WR1 Brandin Cooks who Brady loves chucking the ball to. TE Rob Gronkowski who always gets wide open for huge gains and tons of TDs. Then the Pats also have a great O-line that may be able to widthstand some of the Jags playmaking pass rushers. This offense will have a test but they are the team in the league most prepared for it. The Pats D is not top tier but its pretty good. Late top 10 ranked. Their CBs are good which could help against the Jags young WR core. I think this is going to be SUCH a great game and it could be low scoring or high scoring. The Pats have the edge with their playoff experience and going up against a great defense that is also pretty young. The Jags offense is suspect but can be good and that defense though...Its a close call but I have to pick for the AFC super bowl representative...
FINAL SCORE: Jaguars 31, Patriots 28 (UPSET!!!! JAGS ARE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL!)
(Fun fact: Jags staff member Tom Coughlin who used to coach Giants is only coach to defeat Brady in the Super Bowl. Could he be a difference maker?)

Vikings @ Eagles:
This could either be a blowout or a game like the Eagles/Falcons last week. In my head I have a clear winner but I'll wait until the end to blurt it. Lets start by breaking down the home field Eagles. They were not favored last week and I thought they would get killed by the red hot Falcons. Nope. Their defense played as well as it has all season and Nick Foles stepped up like he needed to so Philly could win and move onto the NFC championship. Now Philly faces a tougher task, the white hot Vikings. QB Nick Foles once again will NEED to have a great game. I think he may even have to be better than he was last week. I am confident he can do it even against such a good Vikings defense who may be the 2nd best in the league. WR's and TE's will need Foles to do well if they want to have a great game. Alshon Jeffrey and Nelson Agholor are big factors again this week. If they can get space and get open it could be huge for Nick Foles and the Eagles offense. TE Zach Ertz also once again is a big factor. He is such a great tight end and he could give Nick Foles a big option. Rob Gronkowski is not the lone elite TE left in the playoffs. As we know, the Eagles have such a great run game and will need to use it to their advantage to trick the Vikings D and run some mismatch. The Eagles O is the best in the league and is a lock to give them time to develop plays. Now the Eagles D. Their pass rush is pretty good. I love Fletcher Cox and he is such a stud and a defensive difference maker. Brandon Graham is also amazing and forgotten about. He will sneak up on you and play elite. Timmy Jernigan is such a breakout and he has been such a force for Philly. The Eagles CB room is also so good especially when Ronald Darby is playing like last week. Malcolm Jenkins is also a forgotten about elite safety who will beat you on defense. This Philly team isn't as much of a joke as you think. Now lets go to the Vikings. What a finish last week. It can't come down to the wire again for them because in recent history, the Vikings have not been good when there is a time constraint. Case Keenum I will say again and again is actually and elite QB. I love what he has done this year and think he has potential to become an elite QB for seasons to come. Some say he has been average but I disagree. He will need to be as good as usual and the Vikings could be tough to defeat. As we know the Vikes have a very strong offense. Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen are both top receivers. Especially Thielen who I now also consider elite. The Vikings RBs I also love. Latavius Murray does not look like an aging vet but he has actually been SO good this season. Imagine how good they'd be if Dalvin Cook wasn't hurt. TE Kyle Rudolph is an X-factor who may find ways open and get some big catches. The Vikings D is probably 2nd best in the league. They feature stars all over the board. Let me name them: Linval Joesph, Xavier Rhodes, Everson Griffin, Danielle Hunter, Eric Kendricks. There are even more but I'm just naming a few. They will be a handful for Nick Foles and the Eagles offense. I love Case Keenum and the Vikings are on a roll and even though they are away, they are the better team clearly and I have to give the Vikings the win prediction!
FINAL SCORE: Vikings 28, Eagles 17
(FUN FACT: If the Vikings win and make it to the Super Bowl, they will be the first team in NFL history to play at home in the Super Bowl. Super bowl home field advantage?!!)

Thanks for reading my predictions for championship weekend. If I'm right, Super Bowl 52 will be Vikings/Jaguars which would be an amazing game!! Here are the possible Super Bowls:
Vikings/Jaguars, Vikings/Patriots, Eagles/Patriots, Eagles/Jaguars
I'm going to rank from 1 (most likely) to 4 (least likely) on what I think the match up could be:
1. Vikings/Jaguars
2. Vikings/Patriots
3. Patriots/Eagles
4. Jaguars/Eagles

My All-NFL 2017 Team

Hi, in this post I'm going to make a team of players from around the league based on how well they did this year. I will handpick who I think deserves to make the all-nfl team from this season. (aka All-Pro team). Here it is:

QB: Carson Wentz, Eagles
Statline: 3296 yards, 33 TDs, 7 INTs passing
Wentz had an amazing 2nd year and could still win MVP even though he tore his ACL in the final weeks of the season

RB1: Todd Gurley, Rams
Statline: 1305 yards, 13 TDs rushing, 788 yards, 6 TDs receiving
Gurley may win MVP. He had an insane season and deserves it. He almost went 1000 yards receiving and rushing

RB2: Alvin Kamara, Saints
Statline: 728 yards, 8 TDs rushing, 826 yards, 5 TDs receiving =1554 all purpose yards, 13 AP TDs
The next amazing dual threat back in the league, Kamara came out of nowhere and now win likely win rookie of the year. He is the next Le'Veon Bell

WR1: Antonio Brown, Steelers
Statline: 1533 yards, 9 TDs receiving
Brown had his best season yet. He completely convinced me that he is the best receiver in the league after a beautiful year.

WR2: Adam Thielen, Vikings
Statline: 1267 yards, 4 TDs receiving
Another one of the many breakouts in Minnesota, Thielen was amazing this year and makes my All-NFL team as an amazing slot receiver

TE: Rob Gronkowski, Patriots
Statline: 1084 yards, 8 TDs receiving
Gronk once again tops tight end lists. He was amazing.

O-LINE:
LT: Andrew Whitworth, Rams
RT: Lane Johnson, Eagles
C: Jason Kelce, Eagles
LG: David DeCastro, Steelers
RG: Andrew Norwell, Panthers

Pash Rusher 1: Cameron Jordan, Saints
Statline: 13 sacks, 1 INT, 11 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles, 1 TD
Jordan did it all literally and had his best season yet. It still blows my mind he can have those pass rushing stats and 11 passes defended!! If it was up to me, I would pick him as the defensive player of the year.

Pass Rusher 2: Calais Campbell, Jaguars
Statline: 14.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles
Free agent signing of the year, Campbell may win defensive player of the year and was one of the best players on a stacked Jacksonville D.

DT1: Aaron Donald, Rams
Statline: 11 sacks, 5 forced fumbles
Aaron Donald had an amazing season that helped the Rams get to where they did this year. Many say he is the best player in the league. I don't quite agree but he is still amazing.

DT2: Fletcher Cox, Eagles
Statline: 5.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble
Cox's stats may not show it but he was a force in this top tier Eagle defense. He always came through.

LB1: Chandler Jones, Cardinals
Statline: 17 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
Jones lead the league with a monster 17 sacks and was AMAZING!!!!!!! A defensive player of the year frontrunner.

LB2: Bobby Wagner, Seahawks
Statline: 133 combined tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 INTs, 1 TD
Wagner had another amazing year. Racking up a ton of tackles and even 2 interceptions. He is in the running for DPOY.

LB3: Von Miller, Broncos
Statline: 57 combined tackles, 10 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
Miller has gone under the radar this season for some reason but he still had another insane season doing it all and making my All-NFL 2017 team.

CB1: Jalen Ramsey, Jaguars
Statline: 4 INTs, 17 passes defended
In just year 2 Ramsey has already established himself as the best corner in the league. I find it impressive that 2 main NFL positions QB and CB in this post are players that are just 2nd year.

CB2: A.J. Bouye, Jaguars
Statline: 6 INTs, 18 passes defended
The Jags have 2 CB's out of 3 in my all-NFL team. Thats super impressive. AJ Bouye was an amazing CB on the Texans and after being signed by the Jags this off-season he has gotten EVEN better.

CB3: Darius Slay, Lions
Statline: 8 INTs, 26 passes defended
Slay had an INSANE bounceback year. Leading the league in INTs and having an amazing 26 passes defended. It could be argued for him to take the CB1 spot on this list but 3 is good too. What a season for Slay.

S1: Kevin Byard, Titans
Statline: 8 INTs, 16 passes defended
What a breakout year for Byard. A forgotten 3rd round pick last year, Byard blossomed into the best safety in the league this year. Having a league leading 8 interceptions along with 16 passes defended. Who would have known Byard would be so good.

S2: Earl Thomas, Seahawks
Statline: 2 INTs, 7 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, 1 TD
Earl Thomas was the one healthy backbone for this flailing Seahawks D. While he is aging, Earl is still amazing and produced another great season.

K: Greg Zuerlein, Rams
Statline: 44/46 Xtra Points, 38/40 field goals, Longest field goal 56 yds
The Rams kicker was amazing this year only missing a total of 4 field goals.

P: Johnny Hekker, Rams
Another great season for the Rams punter Johnny Hekker who is very accurate.

Return Man: Pharoh Cooper, Rams
Cooper was an amazing return man all year giving the Rams a special teams sweep on my All-NFL team

Thanks for reading!

WHAT A WEEKEND: 4 Amazing Games Recapped

Hi, after a crazy weekend, the championship games are set and we are so close to seeing which two teams will face off in Super Bowl 52. Here is everything from the weekend:

FINAL SCORES:

AFC:
Jaguars 45, Steelers 42
Patriots 35, Titans 14

NFC:
Eagles 15, Falcons 10
Vikings 29, Saints 24

WHAT WENT DOWN/NEWS:

Jags @ Steelers: WOW! The Jaguars have shocked me! I knew they could pull off this upset but I just didn't think it would actually happen. It did! The Jags came out strong right out of the gate going for a gutsy 4th and goal but Leonard Fournette jumped over the pile and was in for the first score of the game (Fournette's 1st TD of a 3 TD performance for him). The Jags had a huge unpredicted 28-7 lead in the 2nd half. Reality began catching up to them in the 2nd half as in the 4th they only had a 28-21 lead. The Jags then went on another scoring streak to give them another big lead. In the end the Steelers fought back at ended up having the game end with just a 3 point victory by the Jags. What a game for Blake Bortles who had one of his best games in only his 2nd playoff appearance in his career. Leonard Fournette had a huge 109 yard-3 TD game. The Jags D played like they were supposed to and had some amazing plays. The Steelers seemed like they got beat all day which is what happened but Big Ben had a much better game than he did against the Jags earlier this year. A 400+ yard passing performance. The Steelers O played well but their D was what killed them. We could see a much different Steeler team next season but the Steelers had a great season. The Jags will move onto the AFC championship game and I think they have a chance. Their offense is clicking and their D is amazing. Should be a fun weekend next week.
FUN FACT: Jaguars star DE Calais Campbell in a tweet last week predicted the final score of 45-42!!!!!!! CRAZY!

Titans @ Patriots: This game went like most thought, the Pats dominated the entire game. Brady played well, the defense played well. Everything went right as usual for this historic Pats team. I don't think he deserves it but Brady put up another performance that should all but lock him up for the league MVP award. Marcus Mariota had a decent game but didn't play as well as needed for the Titans to pull off an upset. We saw some great plays (FINALLY) by rookie WR Corey Davis as he had both the Titans TDs. The Pats once again will move onto the AFC championship where they will look to fend off the upset feeding Jags and their amazing D in New England next week. The Titans have a big off-season ahead of them as they have some changes to make to the team. After the loss, the Titans got rid of coach Mike Murlarkey and are now in the coaching hunt.

Falcons @ Eagles: So the Falcons are not the team we thought they were. Coming into the game off a huge upset win over the Rams in L.A., the Falcons were not just favorites on the road against the Eagles, but they were hot Super Bowl picks. Some thought Atlanta would dominate but this game turned out a whole lot different than expected. I said that if Nick Foles had a good game, the Eagles could easily win, but if he had a normal Nick Foles game, the Eagles would be screwed. Well Foles had a great game and so the Eagles won. I remember watching a drive where Foles like 5 plays in a row hit receivers on beautiful throws for 10 yard gains. Foles turned it on and the Eagles are headed to the NFC championship like most thought they would early in the year. The Falcons are probably demoralized after blowing their Super bowl chances and now have the off-season to fix small needs and be better prepared for next season. Atlanta could be super bowl contenders again next season. The Eagles will be back at home next week in the NFC championship and will hope Nick Foles has another great game that could send them to the Super Bowl.

Saints @ Vikings: This may be the best finish to a game I've EVER seen. The Vikings had been leading the whole game, but nearing the end, the Saints took a surprisingly commanding 1 point lead. After the Saints made that field goal to take that one point lead, Minnesota fans knew once again, their season was sadly over. But it actually wasn't! With 10 seconds on the clock and the Vikings offense on the field near their own 30 yard line, breakout of the season QB Case Keenum needed to do what he had done so well all season...be clutch. He delivered. Keenum got the snap and floated a pass to 3rd year WR Stefon Diggs. Diggs jumped for it and came down with it. 2 defenders missed tackles on the jump and Diggs struggled to stay in bounds but dug his hand into the turf to stay up and as time expired, the Vikings scored! The craziest finish to a playoff game I've seen ever! Case Keenum may be my favorite QB in the league right now. He has convinced me that he is an ELITE QB and has no trouble faring under pressure. Keenum had an amazing first playoff start to his career. The Saints were so good this year and don't have much to do this off-season. They should be elite again next season. The Vikings will be favored as they head to Philly next week for the NFC championship. If they win they come back home for the Super Bowl. They would be the first team in NFL history to play at home in the Super Bowl.

IN OTHER NEWS: Colts expected to hire Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to be their new head coach//Giants expected to hire Vikings OC Pat Shurmer to become their next head coach//Lions expected to hire Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to become their next head coach

Thanks for reading!

Divisional Round Game Predix: Who Goes to Conference Championships?

Hi, here is my game predictions for the 4 divisional round games. I was 2-2 on predictions last week:

SATURDAY GAMES:

Falcons @ Eagles:
This is going to be a great game, possibly the best of the weekend. We have 2 teams who have totally flipped in a few short weeks. We have the Eagles who used to be the obvious, no. 1 Super Bowl pick and the Falcons sucked. Now the Eagles have lost their star QB and look like they are in a bad spot while the Falcons are playing like the best team in the NFC. Lets start by breaking down the Eagles offense. At QB Nick Foles has a lot of question marks around him as no one can tell if he is actually any good or not but I think people are way underrating him. If he plays well, it could be the key to the game. I think there is a 50/50 chance Foles is good and a 50/50 chance he is bad so the Eagles will hope they see the good Foles. The rest of the Eagles offense isn't a question mark. The O-line is top tier, the receiving core is also top tier head by breakout Alshon Jeffrey and Nelson Agholor. The run game is ALSO top tier with Jay Ajayi, LeGarrette Blount, and Corey Clement an amazing trio. The Eagles defense is also top 5. I am confident in this D. The Eagles have such an amazing team but

Eagles QB Nick Foles

their starter in the main position is bad so that could ruin everything. Foles will NEED to throw well for the Eagles to stay in this. Now lets look at Atlanta. Its rare that a #6 seed is favored on the road against a #1 seed but the Falcons are favored in this one. Atlanta is looking unstoppable. Matt Ryan has STEPPED up lately and is playing like his MVP self from last season. Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman continue to be a punishing duo in the backfield and Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu are a great WR tandem. The O-line is also really good. Their D has also stepped up lately and they have a great CB room. I also LOVE linebacker Deion Jones who is constantly clutch. Atlanta just needs to make sure Nick Foles doesn't have one of his good games and that should be all they need. While I do not count out the Eagles, the Falcons have been so fiery lately and its hard to pick against them especially when the team's star QB is out. Atlanta the #6 seed will move onto the NFC championship.
FINAL SCORE: Falcons 24, Eagles 14

Titans @ Patriots:
While some people say the Pats could blowout the Titans, I think this game will be closer than that and with a possible Titans upset. The Pats are probably not very scared. Even if you think you can gameplan against them you really can't. The Pats can not be reckoned with in the playoffs and so on a rare occasion with a Pats playoff loss, the opposing team game-planned hard and got lucky. The last team to beat the Pats in the playoffs were the Denver Broncos in 2015. Lets start with the Titans team who upset a sad Chiefs team. Marcus Mariota has regressed this season but had an elite game last week as the Titans upset the Chiefs. Mariota played very well and made an amazing play also. He will need to play as well and better than he did last week for the Titans to stun the Pats. The Titans have a makeshift receiving core that has actually been working. What a story it would be if first round pick WR Corey Davis finally stepped up against the Pats. Eric Decker will be a good player to watch. Titans RB Derrick Henry was really good last week and if he does it again the Pats will be in for

Titans QB Marcus Mariota

trouble. The Titans O-line is maybe the best in the league. The Titans D could be better but defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau does a good job bringing pressure and will need to do that to limit Tom Brady. On the other hand, the Pats O is top tier. Brady is amazing as you know but has showed some cracks this year. This can not be a game where those cracks come out. The Pats run game has been steadily better with Dion Lewis and Rex Burkhead. The receiving core is amazing with Brandin Cooks and Gronk. The O-line is great too. The Pats D is also playing at a very high level this season despite a bad start. The Pats obviously have a much better chance of winning but the Titans should not be slept on like they were last week. They are a good team that can go on the road and make upsets. While I want the Titans to win and think they could pull off the upset, I still see the reigning Super Bowl champs winning this to go to another AFC championship.
FINAL SCORE: Patriots 34, Titans 24

SUNDAY GAMES:

Jaguars @ Steelers:
This game could go either way. The Jags offense sucks but their defense is amazing while on the other hand the Steelers offense is amazing but their defense sucks. Lets start by breaking down the Jags. The Jags have been up and down all season but their offense will NEED to be function otherwise they won't have a chance. QB Blake Bortles played well in 2015 but since then he's constantly been worse. There were times this season when he played okay and the Jags then looked like deep Super Bowl contenders but then he would be bad again. I expect him to play badly vs the Steelers but if he plays well, the Steelers could be screwed. RB Leonard Fournette has had a great rookie season and looks like he will be an elite back in the NFL for years to come. If he has a good game like I expect, it could be really good for the Jags. I also love Jags WR Keelan Cole. I think he is super underrated but quietly had a breakout season and I think could be an X factor in this game. The Jags O-line is decent but it hasn't seemed to matter much so far this season as the offense has handled ok. The Jags D as we know is by far the best in the league. Its scary playing against them. They boast 2 of the best young corners in the league, an amazing pass rush headlined by a leading defensive player of the year candidate, and a great linebacker core. This D will terrorize anyone...except

Steelers WR Juju Smith-Schuester

possibly for the Steelers. The Steelers were a different team when they lost to the Jags in week 5. Since then Big Ben has enjoyed an amazing season and the Steelers offense has once again been unstoppable. RB Le'Veon Bell has had yet another amazing season and should be tough to defend even for this Jags no. 1 D. If Bell has a good game that could easily demolish the Jags D. The Steelers receiving core is amazing. Antonio Brown cemented himself as the no. 1 WR in the league this year enjoying an AMAZING season in which he DOMINATED. I also LOVE Juju Smith Schuester the Steelers no. 2 receiver. Quietly he has had an amazing rookie season and may have been the steal of the draft. He is an X factor for the Steelers game and if the Jags forget about him, they will pay. The Steelers O-line is another top tier O-line like pretty much every line in the playoffs right now. The Steelers D will need to play well because if they can completely stop a bad Jags O, they will easily win. This will be a close game and it could go either way but I have to pick...
FINAL SCORE: Steelers 24, Jaguars 21

Saints @ Vikings:
This is my favorite game of the weekend because it could go literally either way. This is a great clash between 2 NFC super teams that are about even with power. I am so excited for this game and lets get into it. The Saints offense has been amazing this season. QB Drew Brees has shown no signs of slowing down and despite leading this team deep into the playoffs right now, he still has not signed a new deal with New Orleans even though his deal is up with them after this season. This possibly could be his last game as a Saint if they lose. The RB duo is the best in the league as you know. Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara are unstoppable! You would think they would be better just having one but they are actually better together. It is crazy. The Saints WR's are so good as Michael Thomas is a great WR1 while Ted Ginn is a sneaky slot WR who does a lot for the team that you don't realize. The Saints O-line is really good which can only help. The Saints D is also SO good. Rookie CB Marshon Lattimore will likely be the Defensive Rookie of the Year and is so good. He might have a huge game which would hugely help the Saints. The Saints D is elite and it could push them over the top. Now the Vikings are also good on offense. QB Case Keenum has been literally amazing this season and he might have become my favorite breakout player of the year. He is my pick for

Vikings QB Case Keenum

comeback player of the year. If he plays as well as he has the entire season, the Vikings could be in for a good game. The Vikings also have a good RB duo. Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon are a sneaky duo that actually take over games. The Vikings also have a true elite receiver in breakout Adam Thielen. He is so unguardable and Case Keenum loves throwing to him. The Vikings O line is also pretty good. Moving on to D, the Vikes have a top 5 D. That could prove very useful against such a good O. They have defensive STARS everywhere from Harrison Smith to Xavier Rhodes to Everson Griffen to Anthony Barr. This will be the game of the week and super close but I have to give it to the...
FINAL SCORE: Vikings 35, Saints 28

Thanks for reading my predictions for the week!

Photo Cred: AL.com, Oregon Live, PennLive.com, 1500 ESPN

Wild Wildcard Weekend Recap: Whose moving on, who's out?

Hi, after an eventful wildcard weekend, the divisional round matches are set and here is everything you need to know:

FINAL SCORES:

AFC:

Jaguars 10, Bills 3

Titans 22, Chiefs 21

NFC:

Falcons 26, Rams 13

Saints 31, Panthers 26

WHAT WENT DOWN/NEWS:

Bills @ Jags: After a lot of hype for a game I was really excited for, it wasn't anything like we thought. It was a slugfest type of game. Barely any scoring. I thought later in the game, the Bills could pull off a late TD to force OT but it didn't happen as Tyrod Taylor got hurt and rookie QB Nathan Peterman did what he does best which is to throw interceptions. Both teams didn't look very good in this game but I expect the Jags to have a better game next week even if its against a hard team. The Jags D played very well but the offense needs to improve if they want a Super Bowl bid. As for the Bills, their season is over and they have a lot of work to do mainly with the QB position. Alex Smith or Kirk Cousins could be players they target who would make a good impact of the team. The Bills will NOT get back to the postseason next year with a team like this, they got very lucky to make it this year with lack of good teams in the AFC.

Titans @ Chiefs: This game and the Jags/Bills game swapped places. I thought the Chiefs would easily win this one while the Bills/Jags game would be close and right down to the wire. Instead the Chiefs blew their early lead. At one point I'm pretty sure Kansas City had a 21-3 lead and it got blown in the 2nd half because of a great defensive effort by Tennessee and a breakout game from QB Marcus Mariota. Derrick Henry also had a great game. By now everyone has seen the amazing touchdown where Marcus Mariota threw the ball, it got swatted back to Mariota and he caught it and ran in for the TD. What an upset for the Titans as they have changed my mind about them that they are actually a team that can contend. From what I saw, I think the Titans could have a chance against the Patriots. The Chiefs have been so bad at home in their playoff history and now a good team hits the off-season early. It should be an interesting off-season for the Chiefs as they are likely trading QB Alex Smith so they can finally play 2017 first round pick Pat Mahomes. The Titans will move on to play the Patriots in New England which should be a tough task for the young team.

Falcons @ Rams: The Falcons are going to the Super Bowl! What an upset win for the Falcons. I believed they could do it but didn't think it would actually happen. In my mind I thought that the winner of this game would be my personal pick to win the Super Bowl and while I thought it would be the Rams, the Falcons also have a great shot a Super Bowl victory. I saw so much that I liked from Atlanta and the scary thing is that Matt Ryan and Julio Jones are heating up which is horrible for every remaining team. If Atlanta can beat one of the best teams in the NFC on the road, the rest of the NFC is in for trouble. The Falcons look dangerous and are my current Super Bowl pick. The Rams should be satisfied. They had an insane turnaround this year and now this team looks like a contender for years. 1st year head coach Sean McVay is likely this years coach of the year and the Rams will be a top Super Bowl bet again next year while adding talent in the off-season. What a game and now Atlanta moves on to play the Carson Wentz-less Eagles in Philly. 

Panthers @ Saints: This game turned out to be so much better than I thought. At half, the Saints had an expected big lead, but the game turned close in the end. Cam Newton delivered a short pass to rookie RB Christian McCaffrey who then took it 55+ yards to the house to make it a one possesion game. The Panthers then had a ton of tries at the endzone but all the Panthers receivers couldn't corral them. After a harsh penalty and a huge sack on Cam Newton, the Saints won. If the game had more time, the Panthers could have actually won. Great game for both teams but now the Saints stay hot and move on to play the Vikings in Minnesota. The Panthers move into the off-season with a few questions but should be pretty good again next year. 

After an eventful weekend, here are the match-ups for next weekends divisional round:

NFC: #6 Falcons @ #1 Eagles, #4 Saints @ #2 Vikings 

AFC: #5 Titans @ #1 Patriots, #3 Jaguars @ #2 Steelers

I will have my game picks and more posts coming this week, thanks for reading!

End of Season Predix

Hi, since the season is over, all regular season award races have basically now ended so its time to pick the winners who I think will bring home every NFL award and then some more predictions of mine. I will also give my top 5 candidates at each award. Some quick news that Raiders sign coach Jon Gruden, for details check coaching tracker. Other news Seahawks sign K Jason Meyers. Here it is:

MVP Prediction: Todd Gurley, RB, Rams: 1305 yards, 13 TDs rushing, 788 yards, 6 TDs receiving
2. Tom Brady, QB, Patriots
3. Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks
4. Carson Wentz, QB, Eagles
5. Case Keenum, QB, Vikings

Defensive Player of the Year: Chandler Jones, DE, Cardinals: 17 sacks, 2 forced fumbles,
2. Aaron Donald, DE, Rams
3. Calais Campbell. DE, Jaguars
4. Cameron Jordan, DE, Saints
5. Bobby Wagner, LB, Seahawks

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints: 728 yds, 8 TDs rushing, 826 yds, 5 TDs receiving
2. Kareem Hunt, RB, Chiefs
3. Leonard Fournette, RB, Jaguars
4. Juju Smith-Schuester, WR, Steelers
5. Deshaun Watson, QB, Texans

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Marshon Lattimore, CB, Saints: 5 INTs, 1 forced fumble, 18 passes defended, 1 INT TD
2. Tre'Davious White, CB, Bills
3. T.J. Watt, LB, Steelers
4. Myles Garrett, DE, Browns
5. Jarrad Davis, LB, Lions

Coach of the Year: Sean McVay, Rams (11-5)
2. Doug Pederson, Eagles (13-3)
3. Mike Zimmer, Vikings (13-3)
4. Doug Marrone, Jaguars (11-5)
5. Kyle Shannahan, 49ers (6-10)

Assistant Coach of the Year: Pat Shurmur, Offensive Coordinator, Vikings
2. Todd Wash, Defensive Coordinator, Jaguars
3. Josh McDaniels, OC, Patriots
4. John DeFilipo, QB Coach, Eagles
5. Gus Bradley, DC, Chargers

Special Teams Player of the Year: Greg Zuerlein, K, Rams: 38/40 FG's, 44/46 extra points
2. Johnny Hekker, P, Rams
3. Robbie Gould, K, 49ers
4. Justin Tucker, K, Ravens
5. Damiere Byrd, KR, Panthers

Comeback Player of the Year: Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers: 1393 yds, 6 TDs receiving
2. Earl Thomas, S, Seahawks
3. Todd Gurley, RB, Rams
4. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Texans
5. Julius Peppers, DE, Panthers

(NON ROOKIE) Breakout Player of the Year/Most Improved: Case Keenum, QB, Vikings: 3547 yds, 22 TDs, 7 INTs
2. Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Cowboys
3. Carson Wentz, QB, Eagles
4. Adam Thielen, WR, Vikings
5. Kevin Byard, S, Titans

Disappointment of the Year: Derek Carr, QB, Raiders: 3496 yds, 22 TDs, 13 INTs
2. Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys
3. Terrelle Pryor, WR, Redskins
4. Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons
5. Marcus Mariota, QB, Titans

Current Super Bowl Prediction: Rams over Patriots

Current 1st draft pick prediction: Browns take QB Josh Rosen

Thanks for reading my predictions!

My Wildcard Weekend Game Predix: Can Bills, Falcons Upset?

Hi, the playoffs are finally set and starting this weekend. We have 4 awesome games and I am going to predict winners of each game. Here it is:

SATURDAY GAMES:

Titans (9-7) @ Chiefs (10-6):

Chiefs' Tyreek Hill

If this game is anything like these 2 teams meetup last season near the end of the regular season, this could be a hell of a game. But these teams are both a whole lot different than they were then. The Chiefs are at home and they have a stronger overall team but the Titans still might be a hard match for them. The Chiefs offense has found a great stride the last few weeks. Alex Smith has been the great QB they've needed him to be and I think he might be elite. He will be a mismatch for the Titans. RB Kareem Hunt is also a great player and has refound his amazing abilities over the last few weeks after a brutal stretch. Then theres Tyreek Hill who is absolutely unguardable and is hard for any defense. The Chiefs D has also re-found their stride lately and they have been good. The Titans will have a tough time as QB Marcus Mariota has regressed this year and RB DeMarco Murray has too. RB Derrick Henry though has gotten better and if they can get Henry to have one of his big games, the Chiefs could have trouble. The Titans receiving core has not been playing very well. They will need to if the Titans want to win. The Titans O-line is top notch so they will have that to their advantage. The Titans D has been decent this year but S Kevin Byard has been a huge star. He will NEED to perform if the Titans want a win. The Titans could do it but it would be a major upset. I am not very convinced by the Titans and I think the Chiefs are VERY convincing. Chiefs will dominate!
FINAL SCORE: Chiefs 28, Titans 14


Falcons (10-6) @ Rams (11-5):
My favorite game of the weekend is easily this one. Both teams would have huge chances at the Super Bowl if they can make it through this first round. The Falcons come in with a crazy season. They looked SO bad at the start of the year and then started making a comeback at the perfect time, they barely edged the Seahawks for the 6th wildcard spot and now are on a bit of a roll. The Rams also have a great story. After a horrible season last year, the Rams amassed a huge turnaround which saw a new coach leading the team and RB Todd Gurley with a booming MVP case. This will be a high powered, high scoring match between 2 CONTENDERS! The Falcons offense is their key to winning. QB Matt Ryan can either have a really good game or a really bad game. Thats what its been like for the Falcons all year. I expect him to have a good game. Its the same for star WR Julio Jones. He is either amazing or horrible, no where in between. I think he is a key to the Falcons winning. The Falcons have a great 1-2 punch at the RB position and that will be hard for the Rams to stop. If the

Rams' Todd Gurley

Falcons offense has a great day, they will be in a good spot. Now their D also has to step up, it usually doesn't play that well and it will be hard for it to play well against a great Rams offensive attack. The Rams walk in to the game at home with an amazing team, it will be hard for the Rams to have a bad game. Jared Goff has had a great bounce back season and looks like he will be pretty good for years to come. Todd Gurley is amazing. He should win MVP and I think he will steamroll this Falcons D. The receiving core is also really good. Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods have been so much better than expected. The Rams D has also come along. Aaron Donald may also win defensive player of the year after a remarkable season. The Falcons and Rams will both have their hands full and while I think the Falcons do have a booming upset case, I think the Rams will hold strong and win.
FINAL SCORE: Rams 30, Falcons 27

SUNDAY GAMES:

Bills (9-7) @ Jaguars (11-5):
This is my other favorite match. I love both teams as sleeper picks and I think this will be a much better, closer game than people think. I really think the Bills have a great upset chance. The Bills come into the game with a great offense and defense in my opinion. I love Tyrod Taylor and I think he never gets enough love. On the right day, Taylor can be a dominant QB. This Bills run game is really good. Lesean McCoy is one of the very very best RB's in football and if the Bills can get him going, they will not only win, they will dominate. The Bills receiving core is decent and the Bills could have a hard time. Kelvin Benjamin can be good at the right times and the Bills will also really hope they can get him going. The Bills defense is also pretty good. I love rookie CB Tre'Davious White, he has had a tremendous rookie season and he might dominate on Jags QB Blake Bortles. The Bills D may have a huge day because Blake Bortles plays like a rookie QB sometimes. The Jags have a great team! Their offense is the part that needs work but if that offense plays well, the Jags almost always win. QB Blake Bortles looked to be improving late in the season but now once again looks

Jaguars' Keelan Cole

like an in-experienced rook. RB Leonard Fournette is really good and the Jags will really look for him to have a great game for them to win. The Jags receiving core in makeshift but Keelan Cole has been an under appreciated story. He is really good but Blake Bortles will have a to have a good game for him to play well. He will likely be shadowed by Tre'Davious White which might be hard for him. As we know, the Jags boast the best D in the league but few times, they falter and the Bills offense is good enough for them to potentially falter. If they hold strong, Buffalo is screwed, but they likely ill let up some plays which will give Buffalo a chance. I think this will be a much better game than people think and while I REALLY want to give the Bills the upset, the Jags entire team is too talented to lose at home.
FINAL SCORE: Jaguars 21, Bills 20

Panthers (11-5) @ Saints (11-5):
This game could be really close if the Panthers look better than last week, but if its the same Panthers, the Saints will dominate. I think we will see a different, more motivated Panthers team. Last week they already had clinched playoffs and it didn't matter to them to move up a spot or 2 in the NFC seedings though if they had won they would have taken the NFC 3 seed. Lets start with the Panthers. QB Cam Newton at times look like his MVP self this season but at times looked worse than DeShone Kizer. He looked bad last week and that will need to change if the Panthers want to win. I think Newton will step it up this week. The Panthers run game has been suspect all season and it probably will be the same this week so it doesn't play much of a factor into the game. The Panthers receiving core is suspect but it has actually worked. Devin Funchess has turned into a WR1 this season and he will need to have a good game if Carolina wants to win. Greg Olsen hasn't done much since his return from injury but him having a good game could really help. Christian McCaffrey will NEED to be used a lot in this passing game also if the Panthers want a win. His versatility could really help in a hard game like this. This Panthers defense has really improved this season but will have a tough time competing with an amazing Saints offense. I think Luke Kuechly is a top 10 defensive player in the

Saints' Alvin Kamara

league and should still have a hard time this week. It would be great for Carolina if he does well. The Saints offense looks so good this year. QB Drew Brees has had a great season an there hasn't been as much talk as their should be that his contract expires after this season. The RB room in New Orleans is SO GOOD! Mark Ingram is having a breakout season and Alvin Kamara has come out of nowhere to be the best RB in football this season. He is a dual threat and everytime he touches the ball he does something crazy. He is one of my favorite players in the playoffs. The Panthers won't be able to stop him. The Saints receiving core is also great with Michael Thomas who hasn't been targeted as much this year. He could be an X factor that ends up having a great game. The Saints defense has also come around this year to become one of the best in football. Headlined by breakout rookie CB Marshon Lattimore who should win defensive rookie of the year. The Saints team is better in every aspect and shouldn't have a problem beating a worrisome Carolina team and moving on to the Divisional round.
FINAL SCORE: Saints 30, Panthers 19

Thanks for reading my predictions for wildcard week!

Photo Cred: Kansas City Chiefs, CBS Sports, Lexington Herald Leader, SI.com

Winners of the Week, Week 17

Hi, here is my weekly winners of the week post. Some breaking news that former Cardinals, Bengals, Raiders QB Carson Palmer retires. Here is the post:

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Juju Smith-Schuester, WR/KR, Steelers
Statline: 9 rec, 145 yards, 1 TD receiving, 96 yd kick return TD
Juju Smith has been a breakout rookie this year and he capped off a wonderful season with a player of the week showing on my blog! With Antonio Brown sidelined the last few weeks, Smith-Schuester has taken advantage especially with this game. Since a breakout game around halfway through the year, Juju has been a top threat on the Steelers and has been their WR2 ever since. This week against a weak Cleveland team, Smith-Schuester went off in every way possible. He was all over the field catching a whopping 9 balls and he racked up an amazing amount of yards with 145 yards. Just when you think Smith's game was great, it got better! Smith-Schuester ran back a kick return 96 yards for a TD to really end the game. As you can see, Juju was all over the field and this should set some good showings in the coming playoffs, the Steelers are slated at the AFC 2 seed and have a first round BYE. If Smith plays like he did this week, this Steelers passing attack could be more trouble than usual. Smith-Schuester the youngest player in the NFL wins caps off an amazing rookie season with a player of the week berth on my blog!

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Kevin Byard, S, Titans
Statline: 2 INTs
What a end to an amazing season for Titans breakout safety Kevin Byard as he picked off Blake Bortles twice in the most important game of the Titans season to give them an upset win and send them to their first playoffs in years! Kevin Byard has been a breakout star all season and this game showed exactly what he is best at, picking off the QB. Byard had 2 interceptions with the 2nd one icing the game which sent Tennessee to the playoffs. Byard ended the season tied for first in the league in INTs with Darius Slay for 8 INTs. Byard has had such a great season which showed him surprisingly leading the league in interceptions. Byard could be a star safety for years to come and a potential defensive player of the year candidate. Byard sent the Titans to the playoffs with 2 amazing picks and for all of that, he wins my blogs defensive player of the week!

TEAM OF THE WEEK: Buffalo Bills (9-7)
Final Score: Bills 22, Dolphins 16
While there were other great storylines this week, like the Bengals ending the Ravens playoff chances, the Titans barely making the playoffs, and more, the Bills story was my favorite and so I have decided to pick them as my blogs team of the week. The Bills have been an average team the past few years, they are usually 8-8 or 9-7 but this year, the Bills actually had a chance. Despite them having another Bills like season, the AFC playoff picture was much worse than usual giving the Bills a chance to make the playoffs. This week it was a 4 team race for 2 wildcard spots and most expected the 2 teams to win to be the Chargers and Ravens...it was the opposite! The Titans and Bills grabbed the last 2 spots by winning and having great luck from other games. The Bills out of those teams had the least of chances to make the playoffs, no one counted them as playoff shots all year though they stayed in it the entire time. And like last year, another AFC East team snuck into the AFC 6 seed. Now the Bills after having a great game, are going to the playoffs due to some remarkable help that no one saw coming. Now I love the Bills in the playoffs and since my Seahawks are out, I'm rooting for the Bills. They have a QB who is always underestimated in Tyrod Taylor. A top 5 RB in LeSean McCoy, a few great receivers like Kelvin Benjamin, and a defense that can get it done. The Bills somehow snuck into the playoffs and now I think they have a shot, even though they are playing a good Jaguars team. Go Bills go!

No honorable mentions this week, thanks for reading!

Photo cred: Twitter, www.titansonline.com, www.titansonline.com

Power Rankings: Wildcard Round (RANKING THE TEAMS IN AND THE REST)

Hi, in todays power rankings I'm going to be ranking the teams in the playoffs by the chances I think they will win the Super Bowl based on team and match-ups. Then I will give end of the season ranks for the teams who didn't make it. Here it is:

PLAYOFF TEAMS:
1. Patriots (13-3)
2. Rams (11-5)
3. Steelers (13-3)
4. Vikings (13-3)
5. Saints (11-5)
6. Jaguars (10-6)
7. Eagles (13-3)
8. Chiefs (10-6)
9. Falcons (10-6)
10. Bills (9-7)
11. Panthers (11-5)
12. Titans (9-7)

RANKING THE TEAMS WHO DIDN'T MAKE IT:
13. Seahawks (9-7)
14. 49ers (6-10)
15. Chargers (9-7)
16. Ravens (9-7)
17. Cowboys (9-7)
18. Lions (9-7)
19. Cardinals (8-8)
20. Packers (7-9)
21. Redskins (7-9)
22. Bengals (7-9)
23. Raiders (6-10)
24. Buccaneers (5-11)
25. Jets (5-11)
26. Dolphins (6-10)
27. Bears (5-11)
28. Broncos (5-11)
29. Giants (3-13)
30. Colts (4-12)
31. Texans (4-12)
32. Browns (0-16)

Thanks for reading!

Coaching Tracker! Check Here for Updates!

Hi, this isn't my post for the day this is my coaching tracker. Since so many coaches are being fired and hired, I will post all of it right here and this post will just keep getting updated so if you are wondering whats going on in the coaching world just check back here and it will have all the current up to date news. Here it is:

COACHES FIRED:
John Fox, Bears
Jack Del Rio, Raiders
Jim Caldwell, Lions
Bruce Arians, Cardinals (RETIRED)
Chuck Pagano, Colts
Ben McAdoo, Giants
Mike Murlarkey, Titans

COACHES HIRED:
Bengals extended current coach Marvin Lewis on a 2 year deal
Raiders make HUGE deal, sign Jon Gruden to a 10 year-$100 million dollar deal to be their next HC
Bears sign Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy to a deal for him to become their head coach
Texans extend coach Bill O' Brien on a new deal
Titans hire former Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel to be their next head coach
Cardinals hire former Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks to be their next head coach
Giants hire former Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur to be their next head coach
Lions hire former Patriots Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to become their next head coach

COACHES NAMED SAFE:
Hue Jackson, Browns
Vance Joseph, Broncos
Dirk Koetter, Buccaneers
Jay Gruden, Redskins
Bill O'Brien, Texans

COACHING SPOTS AVAILABLE:
Colts

Coaching Rumors:
Apparently there is a chance the Colts make Dan Campbell (Saints asst. coach/TE coach) their next head coach

BEST COACHING CANDIDATES (My opinion on who I think are the best coaching candidates):
Dan Campbell, Saints Assistant coach/Tight ends coach
John DeFilippo, Eagles QB Coach
John Fassel, Rams special teams coach
Joel Thomas, Saints RB coach
Pete Carmichael Jr., Saints offensive coordinator
Jack Del Rio, former Raiders coach
Jim Schwartz, Eagles defensive coordinator
Gus Bradley, Chargers defensive coordinator
Jim Caldwell, former Lions coach
George Edwards, Vikings defensive coordinator
Frank Reich, Eagles offensive coordinator

Check back on this post, I will be updating it!