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2019 NFL Season Preview and Predictions

FOOTBALL IS BACK!

The temperature outside is cooler, the leaves are starting to change color, and pumpkin spice is flowing through the air. Fall is around the corner and the best time of the year has finally arrived.

Each fan base begins the year with high expectations, even though the optimistic thoughts are typically a fairy tale for fans outside of New England, but that doesn’t stop them from tweeting out, “THIS IS OUR YEAR!”

I’m a huge hockey guy and love everything about the NHL (well mostly everything!), but there is just something about football that hypes me up for the season opener more than any other sport. Maybe it has to do with the memories of playing backyard football with my friends growing up, or watching my best buddies play under the lights on Friday night’s in high school. Hell, betting on football is a huge adrenaline rush and makes the sport that much more entertaining. But I can’t quite give a straight answer as to why football is in a class of its own, but it is and every weekend either college or NFL games will dominate the TV screen in my shoe-box sized NYC apartment.

The 2019 NFL season kicked off Thursday night in Chicago and what we learned was that preseason reps do in fact matter. It was a sloppy, defensive battle and the Packers and Bears totaled just 13 points combined. Maybe both defenses are elite or maybe they just dominated in a game where both offenses were clearly not in game mode just yet.

Whatever the case may be, football has begun, and it isn’t going away anytime soon. There are so many questions entering Week 1, but the answers might not be answered for a while. Where will Antonio Brown land after being released from the Raiders this morning? Will the Rams continue their dominance, or will they be hungover from the Super Bowl? Has Le’Veon Bell lost a step after sitting out a full season? Are the Browns contenders or pretenders? Can Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury turn things around in the dessert? Will Kirk Cousins prove his worth in Year 2? Are the Steelers better without their Killer B’s and will this be the final year of the Patriots dynasty?

The list goes on and on, but one thing remains – FOOTBALL IS BACK!

The heavy SB favorites entering Week 1 are the Chiefs, Pats, Rams and Saints, but as we all know…the Pats are typically the only team to live up to any type of expectation. I’m not going to count them out just yet, but if there was a year to do it then 2019 might be the time. No more Rob Gronkowski, no David Andrews, inexperienced wide receivers, no more Brain Flores calling defensive plays, all while Robert Kraft’s offseason allegations have overshadowed a lot of the gaps in this roster.

But then again, the Pats do have Tom Brady. Do they really need anyone else?

Kansas City has enough weapons on offense to dethrone the champs, and they have the leagues most gifted quarterback in Patrick Mahomes. Although this is technically his 3rd season, I would consider it his second because he played in just 1 game in 2017. The reigning MVP likely won’t throw for 50 TD again, but I am more interested in seeing how he follows that performance up. Will he take a step back and have a “(redshirt) sophomore slump” or will he maintain his level of excellence in 2019?

The Chiefs are for real and they could ultimately be the team that ends the Pats dynasty.

Pittsburgh’s addition by subtraction will be real after parting ways with Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown. JuJu Smith-Schuster is ready to be a No. 1 option after breaking out a season ago, and LB Devin Bush could be the ultimate replacement for Ryan Shazier in the middle of the field. The Steelers tied for the league lead in sacks in 2018, but injuries and distractions hindered their playoff chances down the stretch. Ben Roethlisberger is excited for the season and so is Steeler nation. Look for Pittsburgh to bounce back in 2019 without any type of distraction hindering the franchise.

In the NFC there are far more teams capable of representing the conference down in Miami. Every division will have a battle (can’ say the same about the AFC), and I simply cannot sit here and say that “this team will for sure win the division” or “no chance this team does.”

The NFC North is arguably the best division in all of football, while the NFC South is a close second. Out East, the Cowboys and Eagles will clash for the division crown, while the Rams and Seahawks will compete for the West.

Roughly 10 teams, maybe 11, will have a shot at a playoff spot, but as we know throughout history, turnover in the playoffs from year to year is high. Minnesota, Atlanta, and Green Bay missed out last season, but they could easily all make it in 2019. Carolina was 6-2 before Cam Newton hurt his shoulder, causing the team to finish 7-9 and miss the postseason. All four of these franchises won’t likely make it to January, but I will argue that three of them will.

As a Vikings fan, I am still not sold on Cousins. He doesn’t have the big game clutch gene, but he also didn’t have a running game or a strong offensive line to work with in Year 1. This offseason the Vikes took notice and improved the O-line, while also bringing in Gary Kubiak to possibly establish a running attack and alleviate some pressure off Kirk. They still have the best WR tandem in the NFL and the defense is still elite. Their playoff hopes will live and die on the defensive side of the ball, but Cousins will have no excuses this fall. Could it finally be Minnesota’s year?

New Orleans lost a heart breaker once again in the playoffs and the league was robbed of a Brees-Brady Super Bowl. The Saints are absolutely loaded on both sides of the ball and I don’t see a better roster from top to bottom in the NFC. Brees has already entered his forties and 2019 could be his last shot at winning a second title. Look for the Saints to potentially run the table in what could be 9’s last season under center.

Philly, Chicago, Green Bay and Dallas all have the potential to make noise in the postseason, but each team has a weakness.

Green Bay has zero weapons outside of Davante Adams and Aaron Rodgers, and they have a first-time head coach in Matt LaFleur. I believe that they will win the North with their revamped defense and because they have Rodgers…but their postseason run will be cut short…again.

Chicago will go as far as Mitchell Trubisky will take them. They have arguably the best defense in the entire league, but if you can’t score you can’t win. So far, the Bears could be in for an early offseason and could also be left to reconsider the QB position altogether.

I like Dallas, but I don’t like Jason Garrett. Coaching tactics could be what prevents America’s team from competing for a ring. Ezekiel Elliott got paid and is back, but Dak Prescott has not. Could the lack of money and job security be what eventually holds the Cowboys back?

Philly on the other hand is talented everywhere. The Birds no longer have the Nick Foles–Carson Wentz debate, and they have the number one rated offensive line (PFF) in the league. They were an interception away from beating the Saints and advancing to the NFC Championship last season, and they are just 2 seasons removed from winning the franchise’s first Lombardi. Doug Pederson said that he is going to be “more aggressive” in 2019, while the roster on both sides of the ball has the potential to make a deep run in January. The only weakness, however, is the health of Wentz. Given his recent track record, it’s just something that he will have to prove throughout the season for me to take the Eagles seriously.

Sleeper

The biggest sleeper in 2019 will be the New York Jets. Although they won’t likely win the AFC East, they are in a weaker conference and could easily slip into a Wild Card slot. Sam Darnold has a full season under his belt, and they added a generational talent in Bell. The offensive line still has its issues, but Darnold will have an extra pass option out of the backfield for the first time. However, outside of Bell they do not have any legitimate threats (no Robbie Anderson is not a threat). New York’s new head coach Adam Gase has stressed that he intends to pound the rock and chew up the game clock, which is a sound game plan for this roster. It would not surprise me if the Jets sneak into the playoffs in the final week of the season.

Predictions

AFC

1 Chiefs

2 Steelers

3 Patriots

4 Texans

WC1 Browns

WC2 Jets

NFC

1 Saints

2 Packers

3 Eagles

4 Seahawks

WC1 Rams

WC2 Vikings

 

Super Bowl – Saints over Chiefs

 

Notable League Awards

MVP: Ben Roethlisberger

Offensive ROY: Kyler Murray

Defensive ROY: Josh Allen

Coach of the Year: Andy Reid

Comeback Player of the Year: Jimmy Garoppolo

 

Kansas City gets its revenge over the Pats in the AFC Championship game but fall just short to Drew Brees and the Saints in the Super Bowl.

Brees claims his second Lombardi Trophy and rides off into the sunset on top of the football world!

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New Orleans, give it a rest already

The entire state of Louisiana has been complaining and crying about the Saints’ 26-23 OT loss to the LA Rams last Sunday, but I have one thing and one thing only to say–boo-hoo!

We get it, you feel robbed. One of the worst calls in playoff history behind the Tom Brady “Tuck Rule Game” will haunt the Saints faithful for eternity. But should have there been a pass interference call against LA defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman? Absolutely. No doubt about it. However…you cannot sit here and say that is the only reason why New Orleans lost the game.

The opening drive of the game, TE Dan Arnold dropped a tough pass in the end zone. Yes, it was a drop. Two hands on the ball, coming down to the ground and then letting it slip. That left four points off of the board. After an interception on the Rams opening drive inside their own 25, the Saints didn’t pick up a first down, settling for three more.

Then after holding the Rams to less than 10 yards and forcing a third straight punt, the Saints gave up a 12-yard fake punt, allowing LA to drive down and get three points of their own on the board.

Oh, but we aren’t done there. The second half has been the Saints’ best portion of the game over the past 10 weeks, specifically in the fourth, and they allowed the Rams to out gain them in yards, points and time of possession. New Orleans should have also been flagged for a face mask penalty on Jared Goff on a 2nd down run, which would have led to 1st and goal on the one yard line, and likely would have given LA the lead with just under four minutes to play.

The longest pass of the day for Drew Brees came on the Saints’ final drive of the fourth. A 43-yard completion to Ted Ginn Jr. that set up what could have been a game icing field goal if not for one of the worst final play calling sequences I have seen in a long time.

With just under two minutes remaining, the Saints had first down on LA’s 13 yard line and the Rams had two time outs. On first down Sean Peyton called a slant and Brees threw it straight at his feet, stopping the clock (free timeout for LA). Second down they ran it and Rams spent their second TO. On third down, instead of making the Rams burn their final timeout by running it, Peyton called a swing pass that had beaten LA all day, except it was intended for TommyLee Lewis…not Alvin Kamara.

Obviously we all know what happened after, but Goff was then able to lead the Rams down the field with a timeout in his back pocket, giving LA just enough time to send the game to added time.

BUT EVAN…WE WERE ROBBED!

Okay, so the team with the better quarterback won the coin toss in OT, got the ball first and threw an interception. So not only were you given a lifeline after the blown call, but your defense couldn’t keep LA from tying it up. They couldn’t get one stop after the INT, and your “MVP QB” threw Louisiana right out of the playoffs in what could have been another NFC Championship game-winning drive (which I will touch on in a minute).

Give me a break! Sports are fast paced, and plays are bang-bang. It is officiated and performed by imperfect humans. That’s just life. Yes, the call was missed, and in that moment it could have possibly iced the game if called correctly. But a missed face mask on the other end on Goff isn’t being discussed, and it has just as much of an impact on the game as the PI on Robey-Coleman.

Now, I know I pledged for the Brady-Brees Super Bowl, and I still wish it were the veteran QB’s going toe-to-toe, but I feel no sympathy for the New Orleans Saints whatsoever. My reasoning stems from the 2010 NFC title game against the Minnesota Vikings…also known as “BOUNTY GATE.”

Bounty Gate isn’t remembered by many, but for Minnesota fans it will never be forgotten. The Vikes were led by 40-year-old Brett Favre and were one possession away from sending Minneapolis to the big dance for the first time since the late 70’s. Even though it was the sloppiest game by Minnesota all season (5 turnovers), they were still in a position to win the game in the fourth.

If you want to talk about reffing after last Sunday, let’s not forget the shit-show of a crew the NFC Championship had nine years ago.

-A horrible no-call PI on Visanthe Shiancoe (who was getting his jersey pulled from behind) made the Vikes punt instead of having first-and-goal on the five.

-In overtime: Saints won the toss and should have had to punt after an overthrown ball by Brees led to a PI call in which a New Orleans player fell backwards and went untouched. A flag was thrown giving the Saints a fresh set of downs…literally went untouched.

-On fourth down on the Vikes 43 yard line the Saints ran the ball. The ruling was a first down, but after a booth review demonstrated that Pierre Thomas jumped over the pile…he fumbled the ball mid-air and recovered short of the first down line. But, as you already know from history, it was ruled a first.

These are just a few calls that Minny had to deal with in the Superdome. But the biggest blunder of all were the multiple roughing the passer no-calls against what was considered a bounty on Favre’s head. Hitting him late, low, high and driving him into the turf consistently. There was literally a damn bounty on an NFL quarterback and the purple and gold just about had justice served if not for a too many men penalty in FG range, leading to a forced Favre INT (which he later said his arm was so numb he couldn’t get anything on it).

Losing to the Saints in 2010 will always sting, especially with that stacked roster, but justice has continually been getting served on the black and gold’s football faith and I can’t help but smile.

The Marshawn Lynch run heard around the world ousted the Saints from the playoffs in 2011. The Vernon Davis last-second TD in San Francisco eliminated Who Dat in 2012. A little pay-back in 2018 with the Minneapolis Miracle crushed the hearts of the bayou, and the helmet-to-helmet no-call buried New Orleans and the city this past Sunday.

All I can do is smile and say “oh well!”

You can call me a hypocrite all you want for wanting the Saints in the Super Bowl for the Brady-Brees story line, but I never stated that I wanted them to win. I would never want New Orleans to win again after the 2010 scandal, but as a fan of the game…I respect the hell out of number 9. Brees plays the game the right way and is one of the best to ever do it. All I wanted was for the two 40-year-old’s to prove that age is just a number and battle for the World Champion accolade.

So go ahead New Orleans, keep shouting out that the Saints were robbed. Nobody is listening, and nothing is going to happen. Just be sure to grab a front row seat and a big bowl of gumbo at your Super Bowl party as you witness TB12 win his record-setting 6th ring.

Sincerely,

Vikes fans everywhere.

 

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Brady vs Brees: the Super Bowl We Deserve

The final four teams are set and ready to compete for the conference championship tomorrow, but while many of you want the electric rematch from Monday Night Football in November, the matchup we all deserve is the one between two of the best quarterbacks to ever lace ’em up.

Patrick Mahomes is without a doubt the most talented and athletic quarterback remaining, and even in the league now for that matter, but his time will come and same with Jared Goff. These two young studs will be back, especially with their rosters and contract situations, but will Tom Brady and Drew Brees?

Maybe…maybe not.

Even at age 40 these two future Hall of Famers are still playing at an elite level and changing the game for generations to come. We have never seen two QBs win MVP awards or finish in the top two at this stage of their career and it is something that we might not see again. Brett Favre‘s untimely interceptions hindered his ability to get back to the big dance at 40, and John Elway and Peyton Manning both went out on top after winning Super Bowl’s, but age and injuries didn’t allow them to play past 39.

Here is a list of QBs to play in a SB since 2011:

Eli Manning, Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, Nick Foles, Colin Kaepernick, Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Over the past decade we haven’t had two for sure HOF’ers meet up in the Super Bowl since Big Ben and Aaron Rodgers in 2010.

Sure, maybe Mahomes and Goff could find their way to Canton, OH, but it’s wayyyyy to early to tell. This is not a knock on the Chiefs or the Rams by any means. They both have unbelievable offensive minded coaches in Sean McVay and Andy Reid, and they have more weapons than the Saints or Pats on offense. But it’s not the sexy and storylined matchup between two of the best to ever do it.

These two games have the potential to be highlight reel shootouts or tight defensive battles, but one thing is for certain: the four best teams are left standing and have the making for unbelievable finishes.

Arrowhead will be louder than it has ever been, but if you told me to pick 1 QB to win in that stadium, I will take TB12 10 times out of 10. A few hundred miles south in the Superdome the Saints faithful will be louder than it was in 2009, but Drew and Sean Payton together are a perfect 7-0 at home in the playoffs.

Something has to give, right?

The Chiefs and Rams might have more talent, but I will take the veteran quarterbacks and the SB winning coaches over the high powered offenses any day of the week.

Tom and Bill Belichick will have a game plan ready, and they will try to get the better of Andy Reid yet again, but this game will come down to the final possession and who controls the ball more.

Payton or McVay will try to do to much and have a massive gamble go the wrong way. The difference will be who’s gamble pays off and who’s doesn’t.

I want the Saints and the Patriots simply for the quarterback matchup and head coaching matchup, and it is the Super Bowl that we are gonna get. Both team’s have won in the past and have one thing that trumps all in games like this–experience!

I’ll take experience over skill any day of the week and twice on Sunday’s.

Brees will look for his second ring while Brady attempts to lock up the GOAT accolade for good.

Pats over Chiefs, 24-20

Saints over Rams, 26-23

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The Minnesota Vikings misconception of overpaying for a quarterback

USA Today

It has been a month since my last blog, but my recent move across the country to NYC along with every other little thing that comes with starting a new job has limited my time.

But…I’m back baby! Although, I don’t really know how I’m feeling. I’m a cross between pissed off, sad and confused, but it has nothing to do with the new chapter in my life. My emotions stem from the pathetic showing on Sunday Night Football by the Minnesota Vikings. But to tell you the truth I saw this coming a mile away.

After falling a game short last winter, the Vikes decided it would be in their “best interest” to go after a quarterback in free agency instead of re-signing Case Keenum and Teddy Bridgewater. Washington had its fair share of contract negotiations fall through with Kirk Cousins over the past few seasons and they finally decided to part ways and let him test the market. So, naturally Minnesota decided to throw the kitchen sink at the QB position and inked Cousins to an $84 million deal.

This brings me to my biggest argument dating back to the summer–why are we overpaying for a quarterback? Seriously though…

I get it…you need a smart signal caller that takes care of the football, but one that can also make plays and win games. The Vikings not only had a rookie quarterback in 2015 win them the NFC North (Blair Walsh costed him a playoff win as well) but he was a first-team all rookie selection as well. If not for a freak accident in training camp in 2016 the Vikes would probably still have Bridgewater under center.

Not to mention, Keenum took this current roster to the NFC title game last January. He finished 2017 2nd in completion percentage (67.6%), 2nd in QBR (72.8) and 3rd in INT (7, minimum 200 attempts), while guiding the Vikes to a first-round bye. Sure, he got lucky with a Minneapolis Miracle…but last time I checked a win is a win, and 2018 has been far from an upgrade at the  quarterback position.

Cousins has shown that he is a solid quarterback at times, but tonight on the primetime big boy stage, when the lights were the brightest…he crawled back into his shell like he has done throughout his entire NFL career.  Two untimely interceptions and a game icing pick-6 in the fourth quarter not only put Minnesota a game and a half back of Chicago for the division lead, but it also kept the Packers afloat as well.

The sad thing too is that we have one of the best defenses in the league and have for the past two years. Tonight they came to play (besides a few missed tackles, and an awful throw by Trubisky that somehow was caught in the groin area) and they even made a couple of huge plays to even keep the boys in it. But then again, this defense is the reason the Purple People Eaters have been in contention each of the past two seasons and also the reason that we didn’t need to give Kirk the keys to the city.

I get that a lot of factors come into a decision to bid for a QB and the schedule this year is a bit stronger than 2017, but my argument is more of a “why fix what isn’t broken?”

Losing Pat Shurmur to the Giants in the offseason stung, and then losing offensive line coach Tony Sparano (RIP) just before Week 1 was also a dagger, but for the majority of the staff and personnel remained the same.  What worked so well last year was that the Vikings played to Keenum’s strengths and his style of play, even though the offensive line wasn’t the greatest. The play calling got the ball out of his hands quickly to our playmakers Stephon Diggs and AdamThielen, while Jerick McKinnon and Latavius Murray controlled the ground game. BUT most importantly…Keenum was a solid game manager who always made the safe and/or right play. Limiting turnovers in the NFL is so crucial if you’re going to be successful and win games.

Cousins has a track record with untimely turnovers dating back to his stint in the nations capital, and has yet to win a big game since college…unless you want to count the Outback Bowl as a big time W! He threw the ‘Skins out of playoff contention in Week 17 of 2016 against the Giants at home and constantly seems to force one too many balls into coverage late in games.

Now, going back to tonight’s game, Cousins missed a wide open Diggs in the  end zone on the first drive of the game that would have been a for sure TD and would have changed the outcome of the game overall. Instead, two plays later…Cook fumbled and then the Vikes went on to get shutout until late in the 3rd Quarter.

Kirk leads the league in balls batted down at the line of scrimmage and he leads the league in fumbles lost since entering the NFL in 2012. Sure, the inconsistency of the offensive line this season has forced him to rush his throws, and the insane pass rush of Khalil Mack haunted him in the pocket all night, but Minnesota gave you $84 million dollars to compensate for these issues.

This brings me to the main part of my argument of why Keenum, or even Bridgewater for that matter, would have been a better asset to the Vikings in 2018. MONEY! Allocate the extra 20 million or whatever it would have been to the the biggest concern heading into the season…the O-line. I’m not saying Cousins is a bad quarterback, because obviously he isn’t. He can make some unbelievable throws and he can be elusive at times, but for the price tag…I’ll pass 10 times out of 10.

Let me make this clearer…I’m passing on Cousins’ price because we already had in hand two signal callers that have guided us to the postseason and one who pushed us into an NFC Championship game berth. Like the old saying goes…a bird in the hand is worth more than two birds in the bush. Although, Minnesota had two QB’s in hand and one in the bush that has an extremely average track record to go along with ZERO playoff wins.

In 2018, Kirk is 0-2 under the bright lights of SNF and he is 0-3 against teams with a winning record (CHI, NO, LAR). Oh…and the 5 wins to his name this year… Arizona, NY Jets, Philly, Detroit and San Fran…all of whom have losing records (don’t forget the massacre at home against Buffalo).

The generalization that you must overpay for a quarterback is non sense…unless you actually do not have a player who can play the position (Nathan Peterman would be an okay reason for selling the farm).

I get it, I really do. In order to win in this league you need a really good QB. But there are so many other factors that come into play. We can all agree that Aaron Rodgers is the most talented quarterback in the game today and maybe all time, but he has just 1 ring and is on the brink of missing the postseason for the second time since taking over the reins from Brett Favre in 2009. He is the highest paid QB in 2018, yet he might miss the playoffs? Hmm, maybe other positions do matter more than most people argue. But then again, what can you do about it with no money. This is why TB12 takes pay cuts.

But Evan…the Broncos did the same thing in 2012. Tim Tebow even won a playoff game too! Oh my bad, I didn’t realize that Kirk Cousins was on the same pedestal as Peyton Manning, and he has a Super Bowl and multiple MVPs. Denver had a really good defense, and Manning came in and broke virtually all of the passing records in a single season. Let me know when Kirk comes close to that please. I’ll wait.

Before I go, I want to make this clear as well. Keenum is the RIGHT quarterback for the Vikings system and FOR THE RIGHT PRICE! 

Sure, he is an average to below-average quarterback so far in the Broncos systems…but this is an argument about Minnesota and not Denver. It is two completely different organizations and rosters, and you cannot simply point to what he has done in Denver. Hell…Cousins literally didn’t win a thing in DC.

Cousins is more talented overall but Keenum’s price tag would have allowed for the Vikings to allocate money to the line, while already proving that he can win under Mike Zimmer.

I hate to do this but I am writing the Vikings off in 2018, especially after watching the Saints continue to score at will over the past 5 weeks. I seriously do not see anybody beating Who Dat Nation and it’s a scary offense to even defend.Minnesota’s offense has shown no signs of competing against the conferences best and the play calling has gotten way too predictable.

Money can get you far in life…but you must invest it correctly if you’re going to have any shot of being successful.

Here’s to hoping some of the checks bounce when the $84 million Man tries to cash them in while he continues to rob Minneapolis blind.

 

 

 

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UFC 229 Spectacle, NFL Rookie Record Day, Risk Taking and Are the Yankees Done?

Daily Express

I’ll begin this week’s blog with the absolute gong show that transpired in Las Vegas on Saturday night, and trust me when I say it was a gong show. Defending UFC lightweight champion Connor McGregor not only got his rear end tossed around the cage for 4 rounds by Khabib Nurmagomedov, but his constant trash talking had finally seemed to of caught up to him.

A quick background for those who don’t exactly know what went down leading up to the fight on Saturday. McGregor has a long, long history of talking smack, but also backing it up. Earlier this year the Irish fighter threw a steel chair through the bus window that Khabib was riding in, injuring him and others. He was arrested in NYC for the incident and the match was postponed…but the trash talking didn’t stop there. McGregor, like he does before every match, tries to bully his opponent verbally and get into their mind (it can be extremely entertaining from a fan standpoint) and fuel them to a point where they get off of their game.

Khabib, however, seemed unfazed. When Connor was late to the Friday afternoon press conference the Russian product just said thank you to the fans, got up and then left the stadium. Once the match began late Saturday it was all Khabib from the start. He attacked McGregor like he said he was going to, and then was able to make him tap in the fourth round. An upset none the less, but what happened after submission looked like something out of an old WWE contest. Tempers were flaring all around; Khabib threw his mouth guard in the direction of McGregor’s team and then climbed out of the octagon and began fighting them. While that was going on members from the Khabib camp jumped into the cage and began jumping McGregor before security was able to separate everyone. But not before punches were thrown or before absolute chaos ensued.

UFC Commissioner Dana White had to escort the new champion out of the arena before anything else happened and he has yet to give the belt to Khabib. A full on investigation is underway and both purses are being held in contempt. Both fighters are immigrants and, according to some, this could have visa issues in the future.

So, where does this put the UFC now? Well, I think it only helped the sport. From a fan perspective it kept me up until the early morning, and overall it was trending all across the world. But do I agree with Khabib’s actions? Not to the degree of how he handled himself after winning, but we are all human and nobody knows how they would react in that situation after all of the events leading up to that moment. McGregor attacked his religion, called out his family and destroyed his bus with a steel chair earlier this year on top of all of the trash talking this past week.

Clearly the Irishman was able to rattle his opponent, but for the first time in a long time it back fired. For those who say Khabib deserves full responsibility are completely blind on the matter altogether. Yes, that is his strategy and it makes for intense fights, but if he and the commissioner don’t take any blame it’s an utter joke. The UFC allowed for Connor to behave this way and turn the league into a circus. Great for ratings and great for competition, but if you push someone just far enough this is what can transpire.

Hopefully the UFC can get beyond all of the legal matters so that a rematch can be scheduled. Talk about ratings going through the roof if there is indeed chapter 2. Maybe Vegas will have a few more security guards this time around…What did they think was going to happen?!

Are the Yankees Done?

For the first time in 14 years the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees finally met up in the playoffs. As a Yankees fan I was fortunate enough to be in attendance for Game 3 in the Bronx, but the outcome left myself and the Pinstripe faithful in shock. The Bombers laid their biggest postseason egg in franchise history at home and fell to their rival 16-1. Oh, and Brock Holt became the first player to hit for the cycle in the postseason…great.

The bats have been the storyline for New York in the ALCS. Game 1 the Yankees were 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and left the bases loaded in back to back innings. Game 2 the bats were hot early enough to hang on for a win, but in last night’s pivotal Game 3 the bats were colder than the Arctic Ocean in the winter.

It was just so frustrating. The rookies Torres and Andujar are playing like…well, rookies. Giancarlo Stanton has been horrendous with runners on base (the reason he was brought to New York) and Andrew McCutchen is far from his MVP 2014 form.

Louis Severino got shelled last night and Aaron Boone mismanaged him after the third inning. Why the hell did Severino go back out on the bump to start the fourth? This is where the game fell apart. He had 64 pitches through 3 innings and the Sox were hitting ropes off of him. Nobody was warming up in the bullpen until midway through the fourth when Lance Lynn was sent out to relieve the Yankees ace after he loaded the bases with NO OUTS. Why not go Chad Green in this situation? He’s their best relief pitcher and could have maybe gotten out of the inning unscathed. Instead, Lynn pitched 5 straight balls, walked in a run and literally fell on his face after his third pitch. A seven run inning might have just ended New York’s historic season and Boone probably didn’t sleep a wink last night.

I’m definitely not throwing in the towel yet, but I’m still so pissed off from last night’s performance. Maybe it’s because I was at Yankee stadium to witness this fiasco or because Chris Sale is lined up for the Sox in Game 5. But I’m not trying to look ahead; I’m going to focus on tonight and tonight only.

Boston will be on a high and the Yankees will be pissed off. The biggest advantage is that New York has a World Series winning veteran on the mound tonight with CC Sabathia starting and they still have the two best power hitters in baseball. New York needs to get runs on the board early and Sabathia must go 6 innings. The bullpen needs a rest.

The series is still far from over as it’s only just getting started. We’ll see you at Fenway for Game 5!

NFL Week 5

I’ll begin the NFL segment by congratulating Drew Brees on breaking the all-time passing yards record last night on Monday Night Football in a win over the Redskins (I’ll touch on this in a bit). It is a true honor that is well deserved by none other than a true class act.

Rookie Quarterback Sunday

The biggest story in my eyes was 2018 rookie quarterbacks. All four top-10 picks not only all started, but they all won. Josh Rosen got his first win of his NFL career over the 49ers in San Francisco. Baker Mayfield helped the Browns win on a Sunday for the first time in God knows when over a really good Baltimore opponent. Sam Darnold took down the Broncos at the Meadowlands and was throwing absolute dimes to the end zone, and Josh Allen knocked off the Titans with Bills Mafia in attendance in Buffalo.

The NFL is in really good hands right now. Quarterbacks are getting better and the bust rate is going down. I don’t know if there has ever been 4 rookie QB’s picking up a W on the same day in league history and if I had to guess I would say there is no chance it has ever happened (Nope. It’s never been done!).

Crosby’s Afternoon to Forget

Really, we are still talking about kickers after a month into the season? Well, Green Bay’s Pro Bowl kicker Mason Crosby had arguably the worst showing by a kicker since the Jets in the 2005 Divisional Round. Crosby left 13 points off the board after missing four FGs and one extra point in a loss to the Lions on the road.

His situation is slightly different and I’m sure it was just one of those days, but I guess if you’re a Pro Bowler you’re allowed to have a bad day. However, for Green Bay they are now tied for second in the NFC North and Detroit is one game behind both the Packers and Vikings.

Minnesota on the other hand might have turned things around this year for good. In a rematch of the 2018 NFC Championship Game the Vikes went into Philadelphia and upset the defending champs. The defense finally played up to their potential in Week 5 and Linval Joseph’s defensive fumble return touchdown put an exclamation point on the game. Adam Thielen and Kirk Cousins have been very impressive so far this year and the combination of Stephon Diggs and Thielen might be the best unit in the NFL.

For Philly, Carson Wentz has looked rusty since returning from an ACL injury in Week 3 as he is just 1-2 since taking back the starting role. Their secondary has been depleted and on offense they have yet to score over 21 points this year. They have been a target since February, but they have been extremely fortunate that the NFC East is WIDE open. At 2-3 they are just a half game back from the division title and they could very well repeat as East champs with seven wins. But as far as repeating as Super Bowl champs, it might be time to start ringing the Liberty Bell in panic.

The real takeaway from MNF last night was just how scary good the Saints are. Yes, congrats to Brees on the record, but damn…this roster is loaded. Mark Ingram returned from suspension (sorry Alvin Kamara fantasy owners) and claimed two rushing touchdowns, while it was Torrey Smith, not Michael Thomas, tearing up the field on the receiving end. The Saints won 49-19 in an absolute route over the ‘Skins and with a Thomas-Josh Norman on-field feud, and they have not lost since FitzMagic shredded them for 48 points in Week 1.

New Orleans has had a history of starting slow, but this train has picked up steam and it has no signs of slowing down anytime soon. They were my Super Bowl pick this season and I’m sticking to it. This team is loaded.

Patrick Mahomes keeps facing all of his challenges head on, but it was the Chiefs defense that carried the troops in Week 5. They picked off Blake Bortles four times and have finally figured out their pass rush. The second-year QB finally threw his first INT of the season, but it didn’t matter as the defense was dominating in virtually every aspect of the game.

Jacksonville is now 3-2 and has not played well away from home. Their defense has been outstanding all season, but it’s the offense that has been so inconsistent. This stingy defense can carry the Jaguars far, but it will have to be the offense coming up big if they want to get back to the AFC title game.

New England is back. Well, I guess they never left! They started slow again and are back leading the division…again. Tom Brady is on another mission again in 2018 and he got his best weapon back on Thursday, Julian Edelman. Oh, and TB12 threw his 500th regular season TD pass to Josh Gordon (his 71st different receiver to catch one). How New England does that sound? Ha!

The Pats host the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football in the game of the week this Sunday in a battle of the best to ever do it against the next best thing—Brady-Mahomes. Pound the over on this one.

Risk Taking

Last, but not least, the LA Rams won again. From top to bottom this is the best roster in the league today. Jared Goff, my preseason pick, is likely going to win MVP and Sean McVay has team’s trying to figure out a way to stop Todd Gurley. Good luck.

But the real story here and one that I’ll link the Cowboys-Texans game to is the decision making in crunch time. They are slightly different cases, but both should have been comparable. The Rams were up two just under the 2-minute warning and were going to punt on 4th and 1. Seattle called their final timeout and McVay got to think it over and decided to go for it and try and pick up a yard, and clinch the game. So, after a Goff sneak and a gain of two yards the Rams picked up both the first and the win in a hostile 12th man road environment. A gutsy call to say the least…or was it?

Dallas, who was also on the road and playing in Houston, somehow managed to get the SNF game into overtime after playing awful offensively. The Cowboys had one goal line stand on fourth down and another stand to force a FG that kept them alive in the game. The defense came up with a key interception to push the game into added time, but the call of the game came on a 4th and 1 on the opponent’s 42 yard line. Time was not a factor in this game as the next score was going to win the game. Instead of trying a QB sneak or attempting to gain a yard with one of the best running backs in the game Ezekiel Elliott, Jason Garrett decided to punt it. Ball game. Texans made one big play on offense and sealed the game 19-16.

My argument is this: you go for the win in both situations. I said it last week with the Colts and I’ll say it again, the odds of getting a yard are in your favor! Sure, there are times to be conservative and most coaches generally are. But when your offense is struggling like Dallas was and they were still in a position to win the game and on the road, 10 times out of 10 you go for that.

Wins are hard to come by in pro sports, but even harder in the NFL. You have to be willing to take risks and make gutsy calls if you’re going to make it in this league.

Although no matter what Garrett does, his job seems to be very safe with Jerry Jones…maybe this is why the Cowboys haven’t won in over twenty years!!

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Tiger, Baker Mayfield, Crazy Shark Attack Out West, and Clemson’s Fabio

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TIGER WOODS IS BACK! Who would have thought this statement would have ever been stated again given his injury ridden past along with the 2009 meltdown?

Well, here we are and it could not have come at a better time. Sunday evening in Atlanta, Georgia, the 42-year-old defied all odds and won the Tour Championship, his first PGA Tour win in over five years. What made this win at the East Lake Golf Club special was the movie scene walking up the 18th fairway as McIlroy and Woods were laughing and witnessing one of the greatest comebacks in the modern era.

Thousands of fans were following the Stanford alum up to the putting green on the final hole of the PGA season and nobody could have scripted what took place. Chants of TIGER, TIGER, TIGER echoed across the entire country and Woods nearly broke down in tears before his birdie putt. A finish that was something I will remember for the rest of my life.

Woods led the Tour Championship after his first day 65, followed by a 68 Friday and a remarkable 65 on moving day that included six birdies through the first seven holes. He entered Sunday with a four stroke lead and an outside shot of winning the FedEx Cup playoffs, but he needed a lot of help. Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas had to finish outside of the top-2, Keegan Bradley had to finish worse than second, and Tony Finau had to finish outside of third place while Justin Rose had to finish inside the top-5.

Everything went according to plan and Tiger had to dodge one more bullet on his way to the title. Rose had a brutal front nine and at one point was sitting in seventh place. His bogey on 16 made for great TV and his missed birdie putt on 17 set up for a dramatic finish. He needed a birdie on 18 to finish in 5th place and to win the FedEx Cup and it was his best hole of the weekend by far. On in two, two putt birdie, $10 million prize along with bragging rights heading into the Ryder Cup. Not a bad weekend for the Englishmen himself, but the real story was Tiger.

Although Woods didn’t win the yearly playoff, he is now the most feared man in golf just in time for the epic Ryder Cup showdown in Paris, France this weekend. After failing to play for Team USA in 2016 at Hazeltine, Tiger and America will be a heavy favorite as they try to win on European Soil for the first time in 25 years.

USA is hungry to retain the title and they will be led by the greatest player to ever swing a golf club who is chomping at the bit to prove to everybody that last weekend wasn’t a fluke and he is here to stay for a few more years to come.

Enjoy it, Tiger. It is only just the start of something special!

Ranking the Greatest Comebacks in Sports

Tiger’s win on Sunday got me to thinking; what are some of the greatest sports comebacks in my lifetime?

Below are my top-5 epic comebacks that shook the country.

5- 2010-Auburn defeats Alabama 28-27

Cam Newton rallied the Auburn Tigers from down 24-0 in Tuscaloosa after one of the greatest second half performances of his collegiate career. Newton pulled it off on the road in the Iron Bowl, and also secured a BCS Title berth and the Heisman Trophy in doing so. Incredible.

4-2010 Flyers defeat Bruins 4-3 in Conference Semi Finals.

Trailing 0-3 in the seven game series and three to nothing after the first period in Game 7, the Broad Street Bullies rallied from behind to stun the Boston Bruins in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. They became the third NHL team to pull of the 0-3 comeback in history.

3-2016 New England defeats Atlanta 34-28 in the Super Bowl

After trailing 28-3 towards the end of the third quarter, Tom Brady and Co. orchestrated the largest Super Bowl comeback in history. They rallied behind a few key defensive stops, and one of the best to ever do it brought the troops back to tie in the final minute and then won it on the first drive of OT.

2- 2016 Cleveland defeats Golden State 4-3 in NBA Finals

The Cavs trailed 3-1 in the series and a Draymond Green kick to the thigh forced the Warriors to play short-handed in Game 4 (the turning point). Klay Thompson called out LeBron and the rest is history. The King averaged a 30-plus point triple-double from that moment on and the Cavs took the next three, including two at Oakland to win Cleveland’s first title since the 1960’s.

1 – 2003 Boston Red Sox defeat New York Yankees 4-3 in ALCS

One of the greatest rosters ever assembled held a 3-0 lead in the series and were seeking their third straight World Series appearance. The Yankees had a chance to sweep on the road at Fenway in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and no runners on. Mariano Rivera was on the mound and it seemed like a foregone conclusion. A blooper to center field put the Sox on first and Dave Roberts stole second and eventually another single tied it. The Sox walked off an inning later and eventually won the next three games to later end the 100-year curse of the Bambino and win the World Series.

NFL Week 3

From stunning upsets to season ending injuries to video game numbers yet again, it was another wild weekend in the National Football League.

In a game that was a sure-fire lock to hit the over, Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to another double digit victory over Jimmy Garappolo and the Niners. The second-year pro threw for another three touchdowns in the first half and the Chiefs were up huge at recess. He continued his video game stat line and now has the record for most passing touchdowns through the first three weeks with 13. Stay hot Patty!

On the other hand, Jimmy Guap was orchestrating a second half comeback of his own and pulled San Francisco within 10, but not before deciding to fight for extra yards and not run out of bounds, tearing his ACL. The Niners not only lost the game but also their franchise QB for the year. A promising end to 2017 set up for a potential run at the postseason, but that is now an afterthought as the crimson and gold have lost both their starting running back and quarterback to ACL injuries in 2018.

My Minnesota Vikings were 17 point home favorites against the depleted Buffalo Bills and laid one of the biggest eggs in Minneapolis history this past Sunday. Rookie QB Josh Allen led the Bills to 17 first quarter points after two Kirk Cousins fumbles gave them possession in the Red Zone. The seventh overall pick this past April was shredding our defense with his legs and literally hurdled Anthony Barr at midfield. He literally hurdled him…when the hell is the last time we have seen this from a signal caller? I have no clue.

The Vikes offensive line has plenty of issues right now and they cannot seem to give Cousins time or running backs any holes. Everson Griffen did not play and his mental state is not doing well. This is a significant loss for the team as he led the Vikes in sacks a year ago and is a critical piece to that defense. I hope he seeks the help he needs as this is a serious issue that I hope he can overcome. I wish you the best EG, get well!

Green Bay also lost on the road in Washington, but not without controversy surrounding Clay Matthews once again. This time it was for a sack where he was flagged for roughing the passer. Once again, he was called for driving the QB into the turf, however, in my opinion; it was just a football tackle. Sure, he landed on Alex Smith, but should it have been flagged? I don’t think so and neither did Packers head coach Mike McCarthy who looked like he was going to obliterate the ref. And, yet again, the NFL backed the call on the field…shocker!

This NFL rule is getting out of hand again for the third straight week and the league is meeting to discuss it further today. I get it, I really do. The league wants its stars on the field. They want the Aaron Rodgers versus Tom Brady on Sunday Night Football, they want Hollywood. They most certainly do not want Deshone Kizer versus Trevor Siemian. But…jobs are being impacted by this rule. Field position is being altered and teams are struggling to figure out just how to approach the quarterback.

I agree that lifting and driving a QB should be a flag or hitting him low or even late for that matter, but the ones that really piss me off are the ones like Matthews is getting or the one that Jason Pierre-Paul was called for on Monday Night Football in which he tapped Big Ben on the helmet and he rolled around like Neymar at the World Cup. The NFL better figure it out soon and before the players decide to hold out against the refs as it was the opposite in 2012 (although that was for money and had nothing to do with flags!).

The Lions took down the Patriots Sunday night, handing Tom Brady and Bill Belichick their first back-to-back double digit losses since 2002 (last time Tom has missed the playoffs). The two have been rumored to be in a feud and it showed mid-way through the first half where Tom was yelling and tossing his helmet on the sideline.

The offense has been nonexistent and Rob Gronkowski is even rattled. It could be turning around soon as the Pats traded for Josh Gordon last week and they return Julian Edelman in Week 5 from a suspension. The defense has holes all over and the secondary can’t even help cover the spread. I wouldn’t say it is time to panic in New England, but when a former coach beats Bill on a big time stage (rarely happens; congrats Matt Patricia), then it could be the start of the end in Foxborough.

The NFC North looks nothing as predicted. The Bears are in first place after scoring only four offensive touchdowns in three games. The Vikes and Pack are tied for second at 1-1-1, and the Lions are in last at 1-2.

Baker Mayfield led a comeback against the Jets, but I won’t be too quick to give him this “elite” status that many have tagged him with. Yes, he helped the Browns win their first game since Christmas time 2016, but it was against a depleted Jets defense that ranks 29th in total defense, the franchise was playing its third game in 10 days and nobody expected Tyrod to leave mid-game. New York had zero tape on the rookie and a fumble in the third quarter gave the 2017 Heisman the ball on the Jets’ eight yard line.

A win is a win, and tip of the cap to Baker, but I won’t be giving him credit until I see him carve a defense at the pro level like he did in the first half against Georgia on New Year’s Day.

Shark Attack out West

The 2018 NHL season is right around the corner and the Washington Capitals will look to claim their second Stanley Cup in as many years…if they aren’t still hungover beyond the All-Star break!

On the other side of the country on the West Coast, San Jose failed to land John Tavares in July, but took a huge bite this past weekend when the Pacific water was the warmest. The Sharks pulled off a blockbuster trade for the league’s best defenseman, Erik Karlsson.

The two-time Norris Trophy winner will now lead the deepest blue line in the entire league that consists of Karlsson, 2016-17 Norris winner Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Justin Braun and Joakim Ryan. PSA: good luck getting behind this back-end.

The trade marked the final stage of the Ottawa Senators rebuilding project, but now San Jose will be a heavy favorite to come out of not just the Pacific Division, but the Western Conference. They have depth up front and a steady goaltender in Martin Jones, and they will look to build off of a Stanley Cup run in 2016 and a second round loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in April heading into 2018.

If the Swedish defenseman can stay healthy then I don’t know who will beat this roster. But that is a big “if.” He has an injury ridden past, but he will definitely not have to play the same amount of minutes as he did in Ottawa. San Jose ranked T-9 in goals against per game and 13th in goals for a season ago, and the addition of Karlsson will only improve these numbers and also add to a power play that ranked 15th in 2017-18.

Clemson’s Fabio

One of the nation’s most highly touted freshmen prospects has been officially named the starter for Clemson University. First-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence has taken the reins over from the 2017 ACC Champion Kelly Bryant for Saturday’s tilt against Syracuse.

The news to me wasn’t quite shocking and I have said before that he will take over and should take over by Halloween, but I did not think that Dabo Swinney was going to make the move this soon, however. What makes the case even more interesting is that Bryant failed to attend practice Tuesday and stated that he was transferring this morning.

We saw this with Tua and Jalen Hurts at Alabama, although Hurts decided to stick it out. Quarterbacks are getting better and you must simply perform at your highest potential every single week. Although in Clemson’s case it was quite unique as Bryant wasn’t “struggling,” he just wasn’t given enough rope to get into a rhythm.

Lawrence is an absolute stud and he even looks the part out on the gridiron. I’m tagging him with the nickname right now-Phi Tau Fabio. He looks like an absolute frat star with that long, golden hair flying around on the field, covering his name tag. Some might call it Tom Brady 2007-esque, and it screams college football. I can relate to the style as I used to wear my hair the same way back in middle-school. I absolutely love it! He is an elite pocket passer and can make every throw. He can beat you with his legs, but it’s his cannon of an arm that will shred collegiate defenses.

I believe that Swinney went with this decision because it was just too much of a distraction rotating them in and out every other drive and he finally trusts Lawrence to take over for good. Clemson’s defense is legit and they have arguably one of the nation’s top front sevens. The move to Phi Tau Fabio gives the University its best chance of taking down Alabama and it is the correct choice.

It takes a lot of stones to make the move away from a quarterback who led the 2017 Tigers to a College Football Playoff berth, especially to a freshman, but Lawrence is legit. He will be the next Aaron Rodgers at the pro level and will help turnaround a disgruntled NFL franchise in due time.

Fabio is the real deal and the Crimson Tide should be somewhat worried come January.