Week 16 Review of the NFL

We’re Awake

I haven’t made my disdain for Pete Carroll known to many people, but I believe he is the biggest, well one of the biggest phonies in the NFL. And there are plenty to go around. What he has built though in Seattle is pretty amazing. He had the foundation in place with the acquisition of Marshawn Lynch. The same former first round pick of the Buffalo Bills, who were quick to let him loose. Now he did have some off field issues which led to that, but to his credit he has been a model citizen in Seattle. Carroll is one of the brashest head coaches in the game. He doesn’t hide the fact that he likes to run up the score on opponents. Just ask the Bills about that fake punt Carroll pulled on them when the Seahawks were up by 30. With Lynch and the defense being a solid force. All Carroll needed was a quarterback. We all thought Matt Flynn was going to be the guy, but low and behold third round pick Russell Wilson took the job instead. Besides Robert Griffin and Andrew Luck, folks should be looking closer at Wilson. After the performance he’s done this season it will be tough to duplicate it in the playoffs, but I’m sure no one wants to play this team whether it’s in Seattle or somewhere else.

No Playoffs For You

It hasn’t been a secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers have changed their identity. When you think of this franchise, immediately you think of a tough run first and dominating defensive team. Those days are long gone. They haven’t had a consistent running game since the days of Jerome Bettis and Willie Parker. The defense has been good, but they have suffered through lapses of inconsistency for a while now. It seems that they’ve gotten older in a hurry too. They have been a good offensive team, but only when they can keep their quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on his feet for most of the game. Now the Steelers have one of the most loyal fan bases in the league. They will still support this team, but there is no doubt that they need to fix the holes and fast. The last time the Steelers missed the playoffs in consecutive years was 1999-2000. I don’t think their fans want to see that happen again.

Win And You’re In

It’s been setup as a winner take all matchup with their division rival the Dallas Cowboys. This is starting to bring back memories of classic rivalry games between these two. Whoever wins will automatically clinch the NFC East and host a playoff game. Most would rather see the Washington Redskins since they have Robert Griffin leading the way. Of course the Dallas Cowboys have the dubious distinction of being called ‘America’s team’. But regardless of what folks want, this should be a good game. One thing the NFL has done right is making sure that games in the last week of the season matter somewhat. All teams play a division opponent and they changed the schedule so that playoff scenarios wouldn’t be known until later that night. Get ready for a fight to the finish in the final week of the season.

MLB Offseason Recap

For my Christmas gift to you this year I will take a moment to discuss some of the offseason moves that some teams have made. I’m picking five teams that made moves that would improve their team. Lets see who those five were.

1. Kansas City Royals

Additions

P Jeremy Guthrie (re-signed)

P Ervin Santana (trade)

P Wade Davis (trade)

P James Shields (trade)

Sure, one could say that these moves aren’t going immediately pay off for the lowly Royals who haven’t had a winning season since 2003. And haven’t won more than 90 games since 1989. But it has been even longer since the Royals had as deep a rotation as they show today. Getting Shields and Davis from Tampa Bay was one of the biggest coups of the offseason. Now to go along with Santana and Guthrie the Royals have a starting four that can be matched with almost every team in baseball. Their bullpen still needs work, but the Royals young and talented lineup will have less pressure on them to produce with a deep rotation to back them. The Detroit Tigers are still atop the lowly AL Central, but the Royals are right behind them now.

2. Los Angeles Angels

Additions

P Joe Blanton (free agent)

P Sean Burnett (free agent)

P Tommy Hanson (trade)

P Ryan Madson (free agent)

P Jason Vargas (trade)

C Chris Iannetta (re-signed)

OF Josh Hamilton (free agent)

They seem to always be a sneaky team in the offseason under GM Jerry DiPoto. They were heavily focused on pitching for most of the offseason. First dealt P Ervin Santana (Royals) and almost dealt Dan Haren to the Chicago Cubs, but that deal fell through. He found a home in Washington with the Nationals on a one year deal. Afterwards they acquired former Atlanta Braves starter Tommy Hanson for reliever Jordan Walden. Madson, Burnett and Blanton were all acquired right around the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tennessee. Then came the big prize, Josh Hamilton. He probably won’t be able to live up to his contract, but he does fill a need for the Angels. Protection for Albert Pujols. With the recent trade of Kendrys Morales to the Seattle Mariners for Jason Vargas it provides even more depth to their rotation that they didn’t have last year. Granted their starting staff isn’t as good as last year, but with the added bullpen arms and depth the Angels staff will be among the deepest in the league.

3. Los Angeles Dogers

Additions

P Zack Greinke (free agent)

P Brandon League (re-signed)

P Hyun-Jin Ryu (free agent)

INF Skip Schumaker (trade)

Obviously since August of last season the Dodgers have been on a spending spree of epic proportions. Nothing changed in the offseason as they shelled out over $200 million on just Greinke and Ryu alone. With those two additions to their rotation, the Dodgers staff stands at eight starters. Obviously that includes two injured starters, Ted Lilly and Chad Billingsley, but that’s a staggering amount of depth they have. It’s possible the likes of Aaron Harang or Chris Capuano could be dealt to fill a need elsewhere, but Spring Training is still a long ways away. Not all of this spending guarantees a World Series title, but it brings an added buzz to a city that wants to see the Dodgers succeed. No matter the cost.

4. San Francisco Giants

Additions

P Jeremy Affeldt (re-signed)

2B Marco Scutaro (re-signed)

OF Angel Pagan (re-signed)

OF Andres Torres (free agent)

Now the defending champion San Francisco Giants didn’t make any splashy moves, but in their eyes they made the right moves. And there is nothing to suggest that they were wrong in making them. Two of their postseason heroes, Scutaro and Pagan received nice extensions for their performances. As did Affeldt who had another strong season in the bay area. Bringing back Andres Torres, who was their leadoff hitter for their World Series run in 2010, won’t replace what Melky Cabrera did for the Giants last season. But he brings added depth and speed that their bench didn’t have for much of last season. When you have a full season with Hunter Pence in your lineup next year, you don’t need to get the big bat. And with their depth in the pitching staff, they don’t need to make any quick fixes either.

5. Toronto Blue Jays

Additions

P Mark Buehrle (trade)

P R.A. Dickey (trade)

P Josh Johnson (trade)

INF Maicer Izturis (free agent)

SS Jose Reyes (trade)

UTL Emilio Bonifacio (trade)

OF Melky Cabrera (free agent)

Someone was going to benefit from the Miami Marlins fire sale. It happened to be the Toronto Blue Jays. A lot of players were involved in this amazingly complicated trade. Yet, the outcome of it is unknown at least for now. Will the Marlins win another title after another fire sale? Will the Blue Jays immediately be contenders? Those are just two of them. Regardless of that, the Blue Jays know that the time is now to try and win. With the New York Yankees suddenly being cautious in their spending and the Boston Red Sox in a state of transition. All that stands in Toronto’s way is the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays. Neither of which made any significant moves to improve upon their teams from last year. Toronto acquired three former aces of their previous teams. Put those three, Buehrle, Dickey and Johnson together with Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow. You have yourself a hell of a rotation. Getting one of the best leadoff hitters in the game today in Reyes was an even bigger deal than the pitchers. Toronto’s lineup is stacked with power, but no threat at the top of the order until now. Cabrera had a career year last year, albeit with the help of performance enhancers. He won’t repeat that performance again, but he is a good slap hitter that will help setup Reyes in scoring position often. Bonifacio and Izturis provide depth to a team that hasn’t had it since their last postseason appearance in 1993. This will be an interesting team to watch in 2013.

Week 15 Review of the NFL

Bright Lights, Big Stage

Just last week everyone was singing the praises of the New England Patriots after they destroyed the Houston Texans on Monday night. The Patriots were playing at home and they definitely were clicking in every aspect during that game. However, this past Sunday they looked like a completely different team against the San Francisco 49ers. It was ugly for the first three quarters as the 49ers had a 31-10 lead on the Patriots. Things got a little hectic in the 4th quarter as the Patriots were able to tie the game at 31 thanks to a surge of offense from Tom Brady and company. What amazed me the most was that the 49ers were able to get a great kickoff return and on the very next play score the game winning touchdown just after the Patriots tied the game. This could have very well been the Super Bowl matchup last year. It could also be the Super Bowl matchup this year as both of these teams have clinched playoff spots. Stay tuned.

Run Adrian, Run

I have seen Terrell Davis, Barry Sanders, Chris Johnson and Jamal Lewis rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. I didn’t see O.J. Simpson or Eric Dickerson do it, but that is what Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is trying to do this season. Not only is he within striking distance of eclipsing 2,000 yards rushing. He could very well break Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record of 2,105. A record that has stood for over 28 years. If Adrian Peterson were to break this record it would be quite an accomplishment considering he suffered a season ending knee injury last year. He looks like he could play another 10 years in the league, but considering the life of an every down running back in the NFL is short term. We will have to savor this moment that doesn’t happen very often.

The Pack Attack

Just when everyone thought the Packers were dead in the water after the first few weeks of the season. They have returned in a big way. The defense has done just enough to keep their opponents at bay. The Packers don’t have much of a running game, but they are very deceitful with their wide receiver Randall Cobb being deployed out of the backfield. And they do still have a great quarterback in Aaron Rodgers who is beginning to heat up. Not to mention his favorite target, wide receiver James Jones, is having a career year amidst the injuries in the receiving corps. Whether the Packers can make another run to the Super Bowl is yet to be determined. But they are in a good position to get a first round bye as long as they don’t lose any of their last two games.

Week 14 Review of the NFL

Comeback in D.C.

It has been a year of amazing performances. One in particular has been from Redskins QB Robert Griffin. He is having by far the best performance out of any rookie this season. And to top it off he is keeping the Redskins in the playoff hunt. The same can be said for Colts rookie QB Andrew Luck as well, but Griffin is providing some spectacular moments. This latest one came against the crosstown rival (not really rivals) the Baltimore Ravens. Hobbling on one leg he started a game tying drive in the 4th quarter that was finished by backup rookie QB Kirk Cousins. The Redskins went on to win in overtime thanks to a long punt return that set them up for the game winning field goal. Now whether this knee injury, which turned out to be just a strain, affects him going forward is yet to be determined. But the Redskins will need RG3 if they want to clinch one of those few playoff spots in the NFC.

A Tale of Two Teams

The New York Giants got a big boost from their first round draft pick RB David Wilson. He returned a kickoff for a touchdown and ran two in while rushing for 100 yards. Eli Manning didn’t have a great game, but was helped out in large part by Wilson’s running. The New Orleans Saints on the other hand had issues with QB Drew Brees keeping down the interceptions. For the third consecutive game he had thrown multiple interceptions. In those games his touchdown to interception ratio is 4-9. Obviously the Saints chances of clinching a playoff spot have dwindled now. But it’s interesting to look at both the Giants and the Saints this season. Both teams have their issues and they are known. Yet, they seem to only be exposed of those weaknesses every other game. The Giants can play like the defending champs one game and like bottom dwellers the next. The Saints can look like an unstoppable offense then look completely lost. It was a close game for a little while, but it became a laugher when the Saints went marching to the beat of their old drum.

Monday Night Disaster

The Houston Texans are a good team, but like most teams this time of year they are riddled with injuries. Particularly on the defensive side. Their only two losses this year have been against the Green Bay Packers and the New England Patriots. Both of them in blowout fashion and on the national stage. Yet I’m not ready to count them out of anything just yet. This next week will be another test for them as they play host to the Indianapolis Colts who are right on their heels in the division. In fact two of their last three games are against the Colts. If Houston wins out, they will be 14-2 and in prime position for a playoff run. But if they face the New England Patriots again, they better get some pressure on Tom Brady or it will be another laugher. This time it will hurt more.

Week 13 Review of the NFL

‘Luck’ Has Nothing To Do With It

While the Indianapolis Colts aren’t the flashiest team in the NFL, they sure are one of the toughest to beat. The Detroit Lions had a comfortable 33-21 lead with just under nine minutes left in the game. Yet QB Andrew Luck kept firing the football and connected for two touchdown passes in the 4th quarter, including the last second game winner. Two things I took away from this game. One is that the Colts are probably headed for the playoffs. I don’t see any other AFC teams currently looking outside of the playoff picture knocking out the Colts. And two is the Detroit Lions reverting back to their old ways. They are not contenders anymore and will probably need to shed themselves of the current structure of knuckle heads they have. Plus it seems that their head coach Jim Schwartz is losing control fast. Either way the Colts have continued the trend of NFL teams that had terrible records one year to being the most improved team the next thanks to the man pictured above.

Not An Easy Win

A football game is just a football game. Nothing more, nothing less. I was okay with the Kansas City Chiefs decision to play the game Sunday after one of their players, Jovan Belcher shot his girlfriend. Then himself Saturday morning outside of Arrowhead Stadium leaving behind a three month old daughter without any parents. It was their choice to play and they ended up winning their second game of the season. In the aftermath of that murder-suicide by Belcher, some seemed to have lost focus on what was truly important. First and foremost, this was done by Jovan Belcher and him alone. He used a gun, yes, but HE chose to kill the mother of his three month old daughter. I don’t care about the reasoning behind it. It was an evil act by an evil person. I call it like I see it. Some are using this to further some kind of opinionated agenda and I for one am tired of it. Why isn’t common sense being used nowadays? It’s human nature to kill. No matter how much you try to curb the access of weapons, those that aren’t intended to have them will get them and use them. Plus it doesn’t have to be a gun. He could have used his bare hands if he wanted to. No one wants to see this happen to anyone. I pray that we will learn from this, but I also pray that those that chose to take advantage of this will wait at least 24 hours next time before they go off on a completely different tangent.

Playoff Clinchers

Four teams have now clinched playoff spots. The New England Patriots, Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons have clinched their division titles. The Houston Texans have clinched a playoff spot, but they will probably clinch the division title soon. Not one of these participants are a surprise. And it’s expected that all four will make it to at least the divisional round. Whatever the case may be with these four teams they should all be serious threats to make a run at this years Super Bowl.