The $alary Cap Podcast 1-25-17 (Super Bowl Preview/CBB Madness)

The College Football Playoff Preview

The College Football Playoff Preview

by Davidson Baker & Eli Milligan

It's that time of the year once again. The college football season is drawing to a climactic conclusion (or so we hope). The committee took heat week in and week out but felt as though they picked the BEST four teams to represent the third installment of the college football playoff. While the NCAA hopes the ratings can pick up from last years NYE debacle, the quality of the games will surely need to improve from a year ago if it has any chance to top last years woeful numbers. 

What people often forget, is that when the committee formed, they had a vision of putting vital importance on not only the two semifinals, but all of the "New Year's Six" games. The common goal for every powerhouse team is to finish in the top four (for now, hopefully), but finishing your season with a berth into a game on the national stage isn't to shabby either. That being said, we took all six new year's six bowl games and gave our outlooks, things to watch for, and predictions.

Initials EM* denote text from Eli Milligan, DB* from Davidson Baker

CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL

6) Michigan (-7.5) vs. 11) Florida State

EM: 

Defense is the word here.... In one of the toughest conferences in football, Michigan allowed 105 points in said conference. In three games against non conference teams they allowed 45 points. Overall, 150 points given up on the season. On the flip side, Florida State's strength is in the secondary led by Senior Cornerback Marquez White, and by catalyst factorback Dalvin Cook. However, Michigan can beat you in so many different ways. Jabrill Peppers is the X-factor, he just adds another dimension to the defense. He can line up in the box as a hybrid safety to stop the run or even a full on linebacker if needed. His impact in the return game has to be noted. The defense will prove too much for Deondre Francois and company, and the Wolverines get the statement win here.

Michigan 23 Florida State 17

DB:

The only thing in my mind that Florida State has the edge in for this matchup is location. Essentially it's a home game for Jimbo's bunch. The Maize and blue will surely travel well though. Wilton Speight will be looking to shake off the haunting nightmare that sealed the Wolverines fate in this game, and I don't think Deondre Francois & Dalvin Cook have faced a defense quite like Jim Harbuagh's all year long. I expect this game to be a little more blown open than the experts think. I like the Wolverines by a couple of possessions as the maize and blue try to make a statement on the eve of the Playoff that they so desperately wanted to be a part of.

Michigan 28 Florida State 13

GOODYEAR COTTON BOWL CLASSIC

15) Western Michigan vs. 8) Wisconsin (-6.5)

EM:
There's no longer any secrets about Western Michigan, they can score. However the badgers are a great defensive team. At times this season the badgers have struggled to put points on the board against opponents equal to their skill level. Despite Western Michigan having a soft schedule they are riding high at 13-0 and have something to prove. Also, the way Wisconsin lost the Big 10 title game definitely left a sour taste in my mouth. I'm calling the upset here as P.J. Fleck and company will row the boat to victory to cap off a historic season.

Western Michigan 31 Wisconsin 17

DB:
Believe it or not, I went to school with Zach Terrell. Around six years ago, I was a freshman at Homestead High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Zach Terrell was in his Junior year at Quarterback and I saw him torch defenses every Friday night. Basically what i'm saying is Zach Terrell and the fighting P.J. Fleck's have rowed the boat beautifully all season, and it's been a feel good story for many more people than just myself.

That being said, Wisconsin gets the chip off their shoulder and avoid a Boise State sized debacle.

Wisconsin 31 Western Michigan 20

ROSE BOWL

9) USC (-6.5) vs. 5) Penn State

EM:
As much as I LOVE Penn State. Like, really, I love this Penn State team. However, the Trojans have arguably been one of the best teams in CFB throughout the final six weeks of the season. Saed Blacknall had a monster game against Wisconsin and will test the talented secondary of the Trojans. But the offense that USC has compounded is going to be tough to stop. USC in September was averaging 359 YPG and since then they have averaged 524. In total defense they are 17th in the nation. If any team will test the legitimacy of Penn State's playoff claim it is USC. Fight on.

USC 38 Penn State 27

DB:
I think this is going to be the best game of all bowl games including the playoff games. This clash of two football powerhouse giants pits two of the hottest teams in college football against each other, and it just oozes with potential. Penn State has shocked the world week in and week out since their late September 49-10 embarrassment courtesy of Michigan. Since that game, the Nittany Lions are 9-0 and have beaten their opponents in those games by an average of almost three touchdowns. The Trojans are on fire too. Since their last loss against Utah, they have won 8 straight and beaten opponents by around 19 points per game. The tracksheets of these two teams are almost identical, which makes this game even more difficult to pick.

At the end of the day, Adoree Jackson and company will be too much for James Franklin's bunch, I like the trojans in a very tight contest.

USC 27 Penn State 24

ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL

14) Auburn vs. 7) Oklahoma (-5.5)

EM: Baker mayfield, Dede Westbrook and Joe Mixon are incredible talents, NFL caliber players. Despite the recent news that has come out regarding Mixon, he got a get out of jail free card sitting out the season two years ago. Expect the high flying offense to power through the tiger defense. One of the most dynamic offenses in football and a playoff team from last year. Don't let the record fool you the Sooners are no slouches.

Oklahoma 41 Auburn 38

DB:

My Sooners had a disappointing season despite winning their last nine games and winning yet another Big 12 title. That says something, really. Goes to show you how disappointing the first three weeks were, with two losses to Houston and Ohio State it certainly deflated this team and gave them every reason to lie down and quit, which they obviously did not. Auburn is the second best team in a weak SEC, and has lacked the consistent solution at QB that team has desperately needed. It can definitely be a shootout in New Orleans here, with Oklahoma's offense being as explosive as their defense is putrid. The bias is coming out from me on this pick. Boomer Sooner, Stoops delivers another 11 win season with all the chips on the table for a magical run next season.

Oklahoma 45 Auburn 31

CHIK-FIL-A PEACH BOWL (College Football Playoff Semifinal #1)
4) Washington vs. 1) Alabama (-14.0)

EM:
Roll Tide. 

That is all. 

Alabama 34 Washington 10

DB:
.........What he said. 

I briefly considered giving UW the benefit of the doubt by noting the very down year the SEC had. That being said, Jake Browning's numbers in his two biggest games of the year are certainly less than stellar. Browning completed 43 % of his passes and averaged only 188 yards in those games. Jake Browning and the entire Washington football program for that matter will need to be nearly perfect to win this game. In a nutshell, Bama's repeat bid rolls on. (no pun intended)

Alabama 35 Washington 16

PLAYSTATION FIESTA BOWL (College Football Playoff Semifinal #2)

3) Ohio State vs. 2) Clemson (-3.0)

EM: 

Ohio State is bringing the salsa to Glendale. Deshuan Watson will bring the fire but Ohio State is playoff tested so cue the Herm Edwards soundbite because Urban Meyer plays to win the game.

Ohio State 31 Clemson 21

DB:

Deshaun Watson is the best player on the field in this game, and will need to play like it in order to set up the all-so-likely Title game rematch. Ohio State is led by J.T. Barrett and a vastly overlooked and underrated unit on defense led by Senior Linebacker Raekwon McMillan. The real question surrounding this clash will be which Deshaun Watson will show up to this game. Will it be the heisman trophy runner-up? Or will it be the often-times turnover prone Quarterback we've seen too often this season. For me, the margin of error is too thin with all the marbles on the table. The buckeyes defense will create turnovers and score off of them, something they do very well. That will surely decide the outcome in this mouthwatering matchup. 

Ohio State 27 Clemson 23

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:
3) Ohio State vs. 1) Alabama

EM: 

It will be a blood bath outlined by the two best coaches in college football squaring off. Interesting to note that both Saban and Meyer are Bellichick disciples (yet another testament to his greatness). But I think this time Saban wins and his defense will show up and show the buckeyes out. Because they are REALLY GOOD in case you haven't noticed. Even if the SEC myth is real Alabama is the best team point blank they are built to win this game. The buckeyes will not go down without a fight, but they will go down. So bring on the Bear Bryant Vs. Nick Sabah argument because he will get yet another ring in Tampa on January 9th. 

Alabama 23 Ohio State 17

DB:

This one shapes up to be an absolute classic. The upbringing of these two legends of the sport tells a tale of two coaches that both got their first head man gigs at rival schools, Saban at Toledo in 1990 and Meyer at I-75 rival Bowling Green in 2001. The all time meeting tally is tied at 2 a piece, with all four games coming at neutral sites. Meyer won with Florida in 2008, but then watched Saban's Bama teams win the following two years after. Meyer then struck revenge in the Sugar Bowl semifinal in 2014, and now assuming we have this rematch, I'm sure it would certainly not lack fireworks. 

Enough with the history lesson, this game has the potential to be legendary. NFL type bodies will be flying all over both sides of the ball on both sidelines. Jonathon Allen will have his hands full trying to wreck havoc on a very experienced and talented offensive front for Ohio State. This game has deja vú written all over it, Ohio State just like two years ago, is very young and inexperienced on both sides of the ball. The recipe is proving to be cooking for an Ohio State upset like two years ago. At the end of the day, Jalen Hurts can become a mainstay household name in his true freshman campaign with a stellar performance in Tampa on January 9th. I believe the Crimson Tide are a little too talented for the Bucks in this powerhouse program clash for all the marbles.

Alabama 27 Ohio State 17

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The 2014 OHSAA Ice Hockey State Final: The Greatest Thing I've Ever Seen In Sports

The 2014 OHSAA Ice Hockey State Final: The Greatest Thing I've Ever Seen In Sports

By Davidson Baker

When I was four years old, I wasn't succumbing to the norm of the other kids in the local nursery. Not different in a bad way, I mind you. My version of different was while other toddlers played with toys, I had a football, or a ball and a bat. While other kids played with bouncy balls and hoola hoops, the ball I played with bounced to a familiar tune and the hoop I used had string dangling around plexiglass with an eighteen inch circumference. In kindergarten kids in light up shoes and Spider-Man T-Shirts would ask me things like:

"Wanna see my fort I built?" or "Which power ranger is your favorite?"

...and I didn't care in the slightest. No kidding at age five all I wanted to do was to watch Sportscenter with my Dad when everyone else at arts and crafts was discussing the latest episode of Sesame Street (Slight exaggeration, but you get the jist by now.)

My point is I've seen a lot. I've been watching champions raise trophies since I was being put to bed in onesies. I've seen countless amazing things in sports. I've seen Five overtime basketball games dwindle a foul trouble laced squad down to playing 5 on 2. I've seen a man win eight gold medals, one of those by a hundredth by a second. I've seen countless breathtaking moments that resemble the Down Goes Frazier's of the world and the "Do you believe in miracles?" of our generation.

Nothing tops what I saw witnessed in Columbus, Ohio On March 8th, 2014.

I attended High School in Sylvania, Ohio. There are two high schools in this suburban wonderland, Northview and Southview. I found myself inside the concrete walls of the North Side every day, and as much as I used to bicker and complain about being there, experiences like these make me remember how I blessed I was to be there.

Northview isn't really the athletic powerhouse type of school. This school is really only traditionally known for Soccer and Hockey. 

Yes, Hockey. A sport that only eleven states in the U.S. recognize as a varsity high school sport. Northview has a rich and thick history in this sport with several final four appearances. In 2012, Northview's Hockey team coached by Mike Jones, a former NHL player himself, dismantled Lakewood St. Edward 5-2 for their first state title as a school in any sport. The following year the Northview Wildcats returned to the state final but fell victim 3-1 to Shaker Heights.

Another year flew by and the Cats were back in Columbus for the third year running and these guys were on a mission. Through guts, and fight the ice cats found themselves back in the title game. This time a date with another school who calls the Wildcats their nickname. The mighty St. Ignatius Wildcats.

These enemy version of the wildcats had raised the title twice in it's history, including once over Northview in 2010. This was redemption for Mike Jones and the wildcats from Sylvania, not even to mention this was a head-on collision course for two of the biggest names in the sport in the state of Ohio. 

The game was well under way and I could already tell it was going to be an amazing spectacle. I mean, What else could you ask for? You had two teams that could score in surplus, block shots like it's their job, they could move the puck around like it was going out style, and of course, great goaltending.

The first period was as an action-packed and level picking fifteen minutes, and nothing short of Spectacular Goaltending indeed, until 6:42 into the first period. Northview's attempt to herald and gain control of the puck in the neutral zone eventually ends in a brilliant series of passes followed by a foward flick of the of the puck on to the net. With the St. Ig's keeper fending off the pesky challenge, the initial attempt caught his attention, as he was not able to herald a wild rebound and the scoop and score for my good friend Jake Koback put the good guys up1-0.

A bunch of high school kids wearing all-black erupted in jubilance as the 1-0 advantage shifted in favor of the boys from Sylvania. Plenty of hockey left, but this was a good start,

The first period belonged to the whole Northview team as a collective effort and there was nothing short of an excellent display of execution at both ends of the ice for the whole period. That was going to have continue for Northview to pull of the second swoop of the championship trophy in three years come the end of the game. 

Nothing unattainable at all, nothing too difficult.

Fast forward to the third period and Ignatius gets the equalizing goal after practically prancing and dancing around Northview's goal with more than enough beautiful chances to put one in the back of the net. Ignatius were victims of the post, both blockers alike, and some incredible goalie acrobatics as 21 shots were saved in the second and third period up until the Ignatius goal alone. That was throughout the first fifty two minutes. 

Sometimes the puck doesn't fall the way you want it to. 7:15 in to the final frame of the final game and we have a 1-1 tie. 

Once that game turned into a tie, it became a different story. David Marsh strapped on his helmet, got in position in his ever so familiar position in front of the net, and said to himself "there is a zero percent chance another puck gets passed by my back and I will put my body on the line to ensure that stays true."

Lookie there, Marsh, Another good friend of mine became a staple in an absolute amazing spectacle. (he's gonna kill me for just openly writing about him as much as I did in this and posting itlike this but I'm sure he'll understand😉)

But Who the hell knows if that was exactly went through wis mind? Probably wasn't. But I'll bet your ass I was close.

This tournament that came to a head in the way it did left everyone involved speechless. Once the overtime's began, this began to turn into something I've never seen. Not in my whole life.

As the overtime's would come and go, so would dozens of St. Ignatius shots on goal. Just over four dozen of them. Fifty shots were stopped from the moment that one measly puck passed Marsh mid-way through the third period. 

Man it totally sucked to be the stat keeper that day. I say this because nobody knows how many saves Marsh actually had in this game. There's been actually many numbers thrown out from 76 to 84 to even 97. These numbers just float around as several different numbers from several different sources have been thrown out. Everyone had a different number for Marsh's save count, which means the majority lost count....

THAT'S HOW DOMINANT DAVID MARSH WAS ON THAT SUNDAY NIGHT. 

Two OT's Three OT's. Four OT's, high school students were becoming their own versions of fire breathing dragons under quite the emotional roller coaster.

But more OT's transpired. Nobody could score if their life depended on it.

5.......6.......7.....

Now seven free periods had went by and it was still 1-1. Ignatius kept getting better and better chances. The weird part about it though is that as the periods went by, Marsh just got better. When the percentage of shots went up, so did the percentage of saves. There were countless overtime shots by St. Ignatius that missed close to hitting the bar, some barely skying over the cross-bar, and even many shots ended up just missing easy lay-up potential at the back of the net. 

It's just a sickness. Nobody could score!!!!

Seven OT's in the books and everyone's getting ready to put an eighth one on the ice. At this point it's absolutely getting out of hand. Ignatius skates out ready to go........

No Northview....

Once I saw OHSAA commissioner David Ross walking towards center ice with a microphone...... I already knew it.

A tie in a championship game??

Can't there be a rematch?

Can't there be a shootout???

No, and no. This game was over. the entire season was fought and played through for a tie in the final........

Something was on Marsh's side that day. Fate? God? Chance? Or was it just the pure refusal and denial of any part of thinking about losing the game in their final lace-up as seniors.

Yeah, I'm gonna go with the last one.

I could really go on for days, you name it, in my opinion you put one of the best individual nights in sports and my buddy Marsh beats it. Bottom line is this, if you name an unbelievable individual sports performance or a one night stat line that provides the dropping of jaws and the bulging of eyes.....I'll bet you cash money my friend David marsh has it beat it for his night in March 2014. 

Take Kobe's 81 for example. Combined at the Free Throw Line, from the field, and beyond the arc, Kobe took 66 shots. Most of those shots will bear you with at least two points in the statistic being padded....Some of them are even free as charged!!! You earn free throws to a degree but do you earn those points? Do you really earn these prestigous points by shooting a wide open stand still shot by yourself? No. Marsh........? He had to face every shot. He had to block every puck, he had to keep his team alive. Every save counts as one. 

Advantage: Hockey

Two years ago I was unbelievably blessed to watch some of my best friends fight their way to pull and scratch and do everything possible to win in that game..... for one hundred, and fifty, minutes.

Certain people who look at the fact that this title was shared and try to diminish credibility can make all comments they want... but uh...... bottom line........

Every single person that played on that ice that day was 100 percent a champion, and TRUST ME, I am the LAST person on earth to be the one to "rah-rah" moral victories or ties but this is completely different. David Marsh in one scorekeeping book had 96 saves... Something absolutely unheard of in this sport. Both defenses were outstanding, there was nail-biting action from the time the puck dropped to the second the commissioner broke the news. 

Like I said, i'm the last person on earth to ever advocate and defend one who ties or has moral victories......... 

But that's the thing.

There were no victories.

Not morally, not competition-wise, not in anything......

That's without a doubt the greatest thing i've ever seen in sports.

On Any Given Sunday

On Any Given Sunday: By Eli Milligan

It is Six AM on a Saturday, my dedication to 98.7 ESPN New York remains unwavering… even with the absence of Mike and Mike in the Morning. Haha, I know I must be some evil creature who climbed from the depths of that awful Patton Oswalt movie Big Fan. Anyway, Bill Daughtry is on, my least member of The Han and Humpty Show, but none the less I listen, and what do you know he surprises me with something worth listening to. Before an almost unbearable commercial break of 1800-Flowers, divorce lawyers, and ED ads, he says he will have a NFL player who will be on the show to discuss his new book called NFL Confidential: True Confessions from the Gutter of Football… Alright Bill… you got my attention… I’ll sit through this commercial break even if it takes thirteen minutes… Yeah that’s a dig at you ESPN. So as I sit on my commute to work, a man with a voice scrambler begins to speak about his book in which he’s described the inner evils of football and the NFL. A guy going buy the name “Johnny Anonymous” who is a current NFL player outing the league on things such as Racism, Homophobia, locker room relations and the life of an NFL backup.

            Of course I couldn’t help but salivate upon purchasing this book on my kindle, and I finished it in two days. Overall the book is a fairly easy read, but it provides with entertainment, humor and something more; it reminds the reader, the casual fan, and even the hardcore football maniac like myself, that these guys are people too. They have feelings, and not only are they working for their dream, but also to feed their families. Furthermore, since the boom of fantasy football, and the ability to watch every football game every Sunday regardless of your geographic location, football is something of a religion to many Americans. However, the downside to this is very quickly we loose sight that these guys are human beings, and there are fans who wish injuries and call for these guys to be fired over a bad game or costly mistake… I mean imagine the general public having a legitimate say in your employment status how absurd does that sound?

            Locker Room

            My favorite aspect of this book that was addressed was easily the racism and homophobia, which is ironic considering how neurotic I am about being PC. However, what was so impressive about this book is that the author was not afraid to address these issues and its something that deserves a lot of credit, because quite honestly it took balls to address such sensitive locker room issues such as these. It all starts with the locker room atmosphere he creates although Johnny is straight he constantly calls his teammates “Baby,” I mean there is no denying the guy is an asshole but he’s a lovable asshole. Through this he addresses the fact that among men the biggest identifier of comfortability among one another, derives in ones ability to make gay jokes around one another as well as shower naked around each other… ironic I know. The point is he makes it known blatantly known that the reason Michael Sam didn’t make it in the league was not due to an inability to play the game, It was due to his sexual orientation, I mean the guy was SEC defensive player of the year. Guys were not comfortable being around someone who could possibly be checking them out while they showered, also the class of cultures you’re talking about guys who are coming from the hood, the deep country, or even very religious backgrounds, do you expect them to be very accepting if they were not exposed to this from a young age? Also I think what was important was that he addressed the racial aspect about the league, guys are segregated generally by position and race… and you commonly hear things from both sides white and black that are quite derogatory. One thing that Johnny did in fact emphasize was racist, sexist, or even homophobic. You could be any of the three as long as you don’t hit women, because once you cross over that threshold, you are lower than dirt.

       DRUGS

            If any real revelation is made from reading this book that could lead to scrutiny against the league, without a doubt it is their drug policy. Players without a history of substance abuse are generally relegated to testing twice a year… once during the winter session, once during the summer session, and during the year ten players from each team are tested on a weekly basis for HGH and Anabolic steroids. OH, so you thought they tested for all drugs during the year? Yeah, me too. Basically, to get caught using illicit drugs you really, really have to try hard. The NFL does not really care if you do drugs… just don’t get caught. A lot of guys struggle with substance abuse, whether it be cocaine, prescription dugs, and yeah the big bad one Alcohol.

            During the book, the author goes into depth about the player’s habits, some stay home, others go out here and there, but some have serious drinking issues like a player named Anton, the starting center who could or could not be eagles center Jason Kelce. Due to the rigorous schedule these players are forced to abide by, a lot of them don’t have time to really enjoy themselves and alcohol as well as poor eating habits can pose to be detrimental to their mental and psyche. Furthermore, the author spoke about popping at times three tramadol or whatever the popular painkiller or muscle relaxer that the team doctor saw fit. He spoke about the excruciating pain each of them endured during games and taking enough medication that would allow him to feel numb in order to play through the pain effectively. Essentially as long as the game isn’t compromised by a drug that could improve performance the league can give a rat’s ass about the health of their employees. This came to be quite a revelation to me.

            Overview

 I recommend this book to anyone who l loves football, whether you are the casual fan, the hardcore fanatic, or just a regular old fantasy football addict read it. You will begin to find yourself in the center of a legitimate moral dilemma about this game, the league, and even the way you conduct yourself on football Sunday. The main issue this book raises is that these guys although polarizing examples of incredible athleticism, they are HUMAN BEINGS. They have feelings, they get hurt, they are worrying about how the hell they are going to feed their family next week just as we are. For the majority of these 2000 league wide players very few of them really have job security, and while you find yourself praying that the opposing linebacker who has harassed your favorite quarterback all game to get injured, this game could very well be his last game in the NFL. This book is very entertaining, as well as insightful, and although there are various rumors floating around about the True Identity of Johnny Anonymous should be the least of your focus because we as fans should do our own due diligence and really attempt to understand what really goes into those four hours of intense hair raising action, because any given Sunday, could be a players last day on the field. The brutal honesty that was included in this book is what I ultimately appreciated, this book is something different and definitely an eye opener to say the least. Do yourself a favor read it.

MUST READ 

Takeaways from the 2015 NFL Season

The 2015 NFL Season: What We Must Take Away and What We Need to Look Ahead To

Another season in America's greatest business on turf is now in the books. Not much has changed......

Well, except everything.

This year has been absolutely iconic. There was a sense of a passing of the torch, there was a seeming shift in power, there was this uncanny thought process behind a new face of the league that dabbed and danced his way to the MVP, but the same figure also slid head first into Super Bowl demise. We still don't know what a catch is, and the once heralded bad boy with Football for a last name is now in big trouble.

Without further delay, here are four things to take away from this NFL season, and four questions i'm looking forward to having answered this offseason and beyond.

Four takeaways from this season 

1. Defense Still Wins Championships

"Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships". While in the past five to ten years this mindset has been challenged by high-tempo offensive playbooks and quarterbacks with cannons attached to their arms, the legendary Bear Bryant quote still to this day is accurate in the National Football League. The Denver Broncos boasted the number one defense in the league this year, and deservedly so grabbed the Lombardi trophy on the backs of Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware and company. If it weren't for Pete Carroll's inexcusable brain fart at the one yard line last season the number one defense would have earned the really big rings three years in a row. It's safe to say for now that in a Quarterback-centered league, the "defense wins championships" mentality is still as strong as ever.

2. Whether you like it or not, Cam Newton is now the best player in the NFL. If you disagree with me, you're either blind, stupid, or biased.

Cam Newton has been a winner everywhere he's been. I can only imagine how fast of a freight train the Florida Gators would have been if he would have gotten his shot for Urban Meyer. That being said, Cam Newton has made a career out of putting a team on his back and running as far as he possibly can with minimal help. If you by any means believe that Newton has a star studded supporting cast on offense you are dead wrong. Newton has subpar talent surrounding him at Wide Receiver and is lucky he has one of the top tight ends in the league in Greg Olsen. The scariest part about this Carolina team is that Newton didn't have his number one target Kelvin Benjamin all season after he went down with an ACL tear in training camp. If the Panthers can add another weapon, to go alongside Benjamin, who we haven't even seen play with Newton since 2014, watch out. This could get very scary for the NFC very quickly. If opposing defensive coordinators weren't already scared they better grab their nightlights pronto, because like Cam Newton said, they will without a doubt be back, and in the future I don't see there being obstacles quite like the the one he faced in the Denver Broncos three days ago.

3. The running game in the NFL was brought back to life (for now) by Todd Gurley

It's no secret that teams with minimal success in the running game can still be successful in this league. It's also no secret that running backs don't last nearly as long as other players, and also don't get drafted nearly as high as other players. Most Rams fans were jumping and screaming in frustration last May when Todd Gurley was taken tenth in the draft. Now, fans are confident that this guy will be the best back in the league for years to come. This kid made an absolute splash in this league in a world full of thirty yard passes and comeback routes. There's no ceiling for this kid and really no other player at his age has the potential he does for years to come. Expect Todd Gurley to be key in the newly relocated Rams plans to take that next step towards the playoffs.

4. The San Fransisco 49ers are run by pirates

Ugh. This is the most painful paragraph i've ever had to write. This is my favorite team, so i'm tuned in pretty well and quite honestly some of the moves that have been made within the organization have made absolutely zero sense. Do you think that it's a coincidence that in the same week Chip Kelly was hired Kaepernick made public he wanted out? NOBODY wants to play for Chip Kelly. Guys lie Stephen A. Smith have cited players going as far as saying playing for Chip Kelly is unbearable. People play for emotionless robots like Bill Belechick because that guy knows how to win, clearly Chip Kelly does not in this league. The hiring of Chip Kelly already didn't make sense in and of it self, but the hiring of Jim O'Neil as the defensive coordinator is way more of a head scratcher. Jim O'Neil is coming off an incredibly unsuccessful tenure as defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, and as a defensive coordinator he has never coached a playoff team. So, the millions of questions are already bottling themselves up in my head, but I know they will fall upon deaf ears. The outlook for my niners next year is something like a 2-14 or 3-13 misery campaign. Sigh. Pray for me.

Four questions for this offseason and next season

1. Will this be the year Tom Brady comes down to earth?

If i'm going to answer my own question with a sense of anti-climactic sensibility, it will probably not happen this season. The once renowned sixth round steal that is one of the greatest gunslingers to ever throw a pigskin still looks like he did when he was 30. The most impressive part about Tom Brady now is his supporting cast is like Cam Newton's. Outside of a top tier tight end he has less than outstanding weapons on the outside. We've seen what Tom has been able to do with superstars at wideout as he's displayed record breaking numbers and near undefeated seasons. However, we all know that Father Time is undefeated, and after the year that Peyton had you have to remember that Manning is only one year older than Tom. You can have the intangibles your whole life, but that arm is going to run out of juice at some point. I'm not saying that this is the year that Brady's arm goes flat, but if I were you I'd start paying very close attention.

2. Will the Titans trade the first pick away?

The Titans have their future star quarterback in place already. Marcus Mariota showed this season that the spot will be his in the Music City for a decade plus if he chooses to make it his home. So the question is this, do they decide to pull the trigger on the top pick and defy the "quality over quantity" mindset? They have a few options. This draft is deep at positions they need such as pass rushers, left tackles, and wide receivers. The Titans also need to realize that they don't need any ONE player, they need MULTIPLE PLAYERS. This team is quite possibly the lowest of the low in the league in terms of overall talent on a 53 man roster, so this could be a huge chance for the Titans to build their roster at multiple places of need and get an ideal package for the often overrated price tag of a first overall pick. If the Titans elect to trade down watch out for teams like Cleveland, Dallas, and San Diego to jump up and take it. If the Titans stupidly elect to keep the top pick, expect Laremy Tunsil to be wearing baby blue next season.

3a. Will the Browns finally solve their Quarterback curse? I know a guy that might be the savior.

I think for the first time in recent memory the Browns finally got it right on the head coach hiring front. Names like Rob Chudzinzki, Pat Shurmur, Mike Pettine and even more names have been laughable hires at best. I don't know whether to blame the fact that the Browns might have the same pirate invasion problem the 49ers have, or if flat out nobody wants that job. That's what makes the Hue Jackson hiring all the more special. The Man got one chance to lead a team when he was hired in Oakland and was inexplicably fired after going .500 with a team that should've probably went 4-12. I'm still scratching my head on that one. Regardless, Hue Jackson is a winner. Not only is he a winner, he has a tremendous track record with quarterbacks. Could this FINALLY be the guy who calls all the right shots to earn playoff reality for the dawg pound? This draft class is considerably weak at QB compared to recent years, however if the Browns draft Carson Wentz I think they'll finally be on there way. Wentz is a virtually unkown prospect from North Dakota State, but the man has the trait Browns fans have been needing in their gunslinger for years. The guy simply just knows how to win. Wentz was the shot-caller for back to back FCS championship teams in 2014 and 2015 and while there will be swirling questions if this cat can compete at the highest level, he has all the attributes, all the flash, and the right track record to possibly be the savior in Cleveland.


3b. What is next for Johnny Manziel?

Now, to Johnny Manziel. Lord knows if this man is going to get another chance to start on an NFL roster it's more than likely going to be his last. The man should have never left Texas A&M with two years to grow. Manziel could have ended up as the greatest college football player of all time had he stayed. That team in College Station has ELITE weapons at wideout right now and Manziel could have had a field day throwing to them. The glitz and glamour of the quarterback lifestyle was just too much for Mr. Moneybags to turn down  and he's paying the price for it now. His Teenager-like errant and repetitive behavior that constantly finds himself in the headlines is a cancer that I guarantee every team in the league does not want whatsoever. Maybe if Jerry Jones is crazy enough to think Greg Hardy would put a lid on his act that he could somehow hypnotize Johnny Manziel into becoming a good little Samaritan in Big D, but the chances of that are slim to none. We'll have to wait and see what's going to happen with this pending case with Manziel's ex-girlfriend and such and such, however for a guy who has rooted for Manziel since the famous botched snap in Tuscoloosa, I hope one team finds it in their hearts to give Johnny one more chance. If Manziel botches this one though, he's done. You can guarantee that.

4. Will we finally figure out what a catch is?

I'm gritting my teeth like an eight year old on vyvanse while typing this sentence. There is absolutely NO reason that fans at home and even commentators of the sport should be saying things like "What even is a catch anymore?" "I don't know if that's a catch or not because he didn't make a football move" etc. IT'S. SIMPLE. Honestly, the rule written down in black and white should say "Hey, if the dude catches the ball and doesn't lose control of it before he hits the ground, it's a catch" IT'S. THAT. SIMPLE. The Jerricho Cotchery "non-catch" in the first quarter on Sunday changed the entire outlook of the entire Super Bowl. If that play is named a catch, it's first down Carolina. It wasn't a catch, and Cam Newton was sacked and the ball was fumbled then bouncing in to the end zone for a Broncos end zone shortly after. That play was without a doubt a catch, but because these guys at NFL headquarters think that we need to make the characteristics of what a catch and what isn't rocket science, they couldn't overturn the call of an incomplete pass. If it's an official stat in the stat sheet, there should be absolutely no debate on what has to happen in order for it to go down as such. Do we ever wonder what a pass attempt is? No. Do we ever wonder what a carry is? No. Do we ever question what a tackle is? No. So why do we need to worry about what is a catch and what isn't. I hope the NFL can suck up their pride and figure this out in owner's meetings in the offseason, cause it's getting a little ridiculous, but who knows.



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