NFL Playoffs: 2017 NFL Wild-Card Weekend Predictions!

Miami’s run to the playoffs started in Week 6 against the Steelers. On Sunday, the Dolphins will meet them again in Pittsburgh.

By: Elias McMillan

 

Last Week: 14-2

Final 2016 Regular Season Record: 163-91-2

NFL Playoffs: Wildcard Weekend

Oakland @ Houston – For the second straight year, ESPN gets stuck with coverage of a playoff game in Houston that no one really wanted to see. Oakland was such a great story this season until about 2 weeks ago. Within that time, they have lost their starter and backup QB in rout to already being clinched for a post-season berth in the playoffs. Where Oakland goes from here is anyone’s guess. Houston has had its QB troubles recently too. Houston’s 72 million dollar man, QB Brock Osweiler, was bench about 3 weeks ago but because of a concussion suffered by his replacement, backup Tom Savage, Osweiler will be back in the starting position this Saturday. We have to imagine that Osweiler isn’t feeling too confident about his standing as the leader of the offense or as a competent QB in this league. The fact is that Osweiler hasn’t lived up to expectations this season. I’m not sure if Houston is going to need Osweiler to be great to win this playoff game. Houston has other weapons on the team that will make them a tough out for the Raiders. RB Lamar Miller had a good first season with the Texans. He was held out from the last two games of the regular season and he should be fresh and ready to go this weekend. Oakland will have to find a way to account for Miller as they ranked 23^rd in the league in run defense. Houston is going to have to run the ball effectively in this game in order to control the clock and to keep Osweiler from making a mistake. Oakland doesn’t have a strong run defense but their defense can affect the game in other ways. Edge rushers, Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin, have made a living this season at creating chaos in the opponents back field. Oakland allows quite a few yards through the air but I like the way safety Reggie Nelson has been playing lately. Oakland doesn’t have the best defense in the playoffs but they have the ability to create turnovers that can change the game. After being down two QB’s, the Raiders will have to start QB Connor Cook on Saturday who is making his career debut as a pro. Cook is a real wildcard in this matchup because no one knows what to expect from him. Oakland’s offensive line has a huge task ahead of them as they will have to protect their young QB against a pretty good Houston defense. DE Jadeveon Clowney has finally emerged as a difference maker on the field with the absence of J.J. Watt. Oakland has had a serviceable running game this season so with Cook starting, we may see a steady dose of RB Latavius Murray. Houston has one of the top pass defenses in the league so it will be interesting seeing how Cook want to attack them with Amari Cooper or Michael Crabtree. In their matchup earlier this season, Houston outplayed Oakland really but they were on the wrong end of a couple of bad calls. I bet Oakland thinks that can play better than what they did in the last matchup but Houston probably has the bigger revenge chip on their shoulder. Oakland won 12 games this season and I think their playmakers on defense will be the difference. I’m taking the Raiders in a low scoring affair. Prediction: Raiders 18 – Texans 14

Detroit @ Seattle – In the second game on Saturday, we’ll see two teams that don’t look like they are ready to make a run towards the Super Bowl. Detroit squandered their lead in the NFC North to the Packers in a matter of 3 weeks. Seattle wrapped up the NFC West earlier but since the injury to Earl Thomas, they haven’t looked the same. Detroit still has its work cut out for them if they hope to upset Seattle who is usually a monster at home. But with the way Seattle has been playing lately, they are definitely vulnerable right now, even with the home field advantage. If Detroit can keep Seattle from controlling the clock on offense, they’ll have a shot at winning this game. Detroit has been inconsistent at stopping the run on defense but Seattle’s run game has been inconsistent as well. I don’t know how well Russell Wilson will play but Detroit will have to find a way to pressure him in order to keep him from making big plays. Last year in the playoffs, Wilson struggled in that first game at Minnesota but was still able to make the big play late to help Seattle get the victory. With the state of the Seahawks offensive line, I believe the Lions will be able to get after Wilson. Seattle is still pretty good defensively even without Earl Thomas. The Seahawks have a good pass rush and one of the top run defenses in the league. Detroit should have a hard time getting the run game going which will open the door for QB Matt Stafford to try to win the game with his arm. The Legion of Boom isn’t quite that without Thomas in the lineup so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Stafford find the matchups that will help him get his team down the field. TE Eric Ebron has emerged recently and WR’s Golden Tate and Anquan Boldin are more than familiar with the Seattle secondary. I think this game will be closer than what many people think. Detroit hasn’t won in a month and I don’t think I have faith in their defense to totally shut down Seattle offensively. A wildcard in this game will be TE Jimmy Graham who can destroy a defense’s game plan at any moment. I’m going with the home team. Prediction: Seahawks 26 – Lions 21

Miami @ Pittsburgh – Miami starting the season with a 1-4 record going into their Week 6 matchup at home against the Steelers. Who would have known that game was the start of a 9-2 run in the post season? Miami has had a remarkable and unlikely run to the playoffs this season and it is fitting that they’ll be in Pittsburgh on Sunday for this Wildcard matchup. People see the city name “Miami” and think, “Oh. There’s no way a team from Miami can win in Pittsburgh in January!” That thinking is common but couldn’t be more false. Miami is a ten-point underdog this weekend but I think they could stand a chance in Pittsburgh. Miami was able to beat Pittsburgh in their first matchup this season because of RB Jay Ajayi and the Miami run game. A great coach once said that a good run game is one thing that is guaranteed to travel with teams no matter which stadium they’re playing at. If Miami brings their running attack and is able to control the clock, they’ll be able to limit Pittsburgh’s scoring chances on offense. QB Matt Moore will be starting for the Dolphins and I don’t see him coming out with the goal to just air it out against the Steelers secondary. Pittsburgh’s defense as a whole has gotten a lot better since Week 6 so Moore will have to be careful and be selective about the shots to take down field. Miami does have more than capable WR’s in Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills. This game will feature two defenses that can allow both offenses to put up a lot of numbers but again; I see where Pittsburgh’s defense has improved. Not so much with Miami. I don’t have much confidence in Miami limiting Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell, or Antonio Brown on Sunday. For Miami to stand a chance on defense, they will need to bring the pressure towards Roethlisberger for all 4 quarters. The Steelers have a decent offensive line but they’ll have a huge chore ahead of them on Sunday in the shape of DE Cameron Wake and DT Ndamukong Suh. I think too many things would have to go right for Miami for them to upset Pittsburgh on Sunday. Miami could slow the game down with Ajayi or harass Roethlisberger behind the line of scrimmage. But the Steelers just have too many weapons for Miami to account for. They wont be able to stop Bell on the ground and with time, Roethlisberger should be able to find big plays down the field against the Dolphins secondary. Miami could make it interesting but I like the Steelers at home. Prediction: Steelers 36 – Dolphins 28

New York Giants @ Green Bay – The second matchup on Sunday features two of the hottest teams in the NFC. Green Bay rode their hot streak into winning the NFC North last week. The Giants have looked impressive down the stretch and many believe that they could be gearing up for another championship run. I have to give Green Bay credit for catching up with Detroit and winning the division but on Sunday, they might match up poorly against the Giants. The Giants have done a tremendous job defensively recently and they might present some issues to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense. New York may not have the same pass rushing abilities they had when Jason Pierre-Paul was healthy but they playing well against the run and the secondary is also playing out of its mind right now. If the Giants can’t get after Rodgers, he will have time in the pocket but many QB’s have found it tough recently against the Giants secondary. Green Bay is going to have to figure out a creative way to get receivers open down the field. Another thing I don’t like about this matchup for the Packers is that their defense really isn’t good. They have had their issues this season at stopping the run and they are recently faced with multiple injuries in the secondary. The Giants don’t have a strong rushing offense but they do have some talented backs that might be able to find some space against the Packers front seven. And with a hurting secondary, the Giants and their talented trio of receivers should be able to make big plays down the field. Rodgers is the hot QB right now and he has powered the entire Green Bay squad during their run into the playoffs. Green Bay has been an overachiever in recent weeks so; I think they’ll be able to put up a good fight especially at home. But with the way that the Giants defense has been playing recently and with the state of the Packers secondary, I can see the Giants winning this one by the skin of their teeth. Prediction: Giants 24 – Packers 21

NFL 2016: AFC East Preview

Despite age and suspension, the Patriots train is on track once again in 2016.

By: Elias McMillan

 

AFC East

New England Patriots – Obviously, the headlining story with the Patriots this upcoming season will be the Tom Brady suspension. Brady will miss the first four games in the regular season this year and Jimmy Garoppolo will beging the season as the starting QB. Garoppolo has been in Brady’s shadow for years now and even though he doesn’t have a lot of regular season experience, I think he’ll be able to handle the situation well until Brady returns. It’s hard to tell if Garoppolo will light up the stat sheet in Brady’s absence but I think I can say that the offensive personnel that New England has will be a big help for him in those first four games. New England isn’t known for having a great running game but they struggled with running the ball when RB’s LaGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis both went down due to injuries. Having those two guys back and healthy will definitely help the running game especially if they can both last 16 games. When you’re a young QB that lacks experience, the TE usually becomes a safe bet when it comes to targets. If this is true about Garoppolo, he’s going to be in pretty good shape as he has the best TE in the league to throw to, Rob Gronkowski. Along with Gronkowski, the Patriots also brought in another huge TE to the passing game, Martellus Bennett. Between Gronk and Marty B, the Patriots will have probably the top TE duo in the league. Gronk is a threat as a big target in the open field no matter what the situation. Bennett isn’t the same but he’ll be a huge target as the Patriots march towards the end zone. Also with the wealth of talent at the TE position, the Patriots have an underrated veteran led receiving core. Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola are somewhat injury prone but when healthy they are as tough as they come. The way to stop the Patriots offense has always been through the offensive line and that won’t be any different in 2016. The Patriots will be looking to get better play from that unit this season but it’s unclear if that will come in fruition. New England made a trade for OG Jonathan Cooper but he is already facing injury problems much like he did in Arizona. Thinking of Arizona, it’s time to talk about that defense because the Patriots got Cooper by trading away their best defensive player. Even though the Patriots have been successful in recent years without having a top defense, they will greatly miss Chandler Jones on that defensive line. The Patriots do have a nice mix of young guys and veterans on the defensive line but no players on the level on a Jones. At defensive end, Rob Ninkovich returns and Jabaal Sheard will probably be the guy who will get the first crack at replacing Jones. The Pats also brought in veteran Chris Long from the Rams but his best days as a pro are probably behind him. New England had a top ten run defense in 2015 and they’ll look to continue that success in 2016. Malcolm Brown and Alan Branch will probably be the starters inside on the defensive line. I like the addition of DT Terrance Knighton who didn’t have a great season last year in Washington but he’ll be a key mentor and leader this season. At linebacker, Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins are a decent duo. They brought in Shea McClellin from Chicago who didn’t fit over there in a 3-4 defense. If he can improve, he’ll add some flexibility as a guy who can play outside linebacker and can rush the passer on passing downs. New England’s secondary was a middle of the road unit last season and I don’t see how they improved in the offseason. CB Malcolm Butler is probably their best corner but I’m not sure if that’s really a good thing. Safety Devin McCourty is a leader in the secondary and probably the only consistent playmaker. Patrick Chung has had some rough recent season in New England but they have failed to replace him. I’m not sure how much of an impact a rookie can have but I really like 2^nd round pick, Cyrus Jones out of Alabama. So basically, I think this Patriots team will be much like how they’ve been recently. The defense may overachieve but it will be Brady and the offense as the tone setters on this team. Despite being dominated in that AFC Championship game a season ago, it was amazing to see Brady and the offense rally and still almost pull off the comeback. That will serve as motivation going into this season. Again, they will not face much of a challenge in the AFC East but because of their losses on defense, I’m not sure if they’ll be able to match what they did a season ago in the playoffs. I think Brady will return ready and refreshed. But Father Time is still undefeated and you have to wonder if this will be the season where he starts to decline. I don’t think we’ll see that happen in 2016 but I don’t know how good New England will be in the post season this year because of the losses on defense. Prediction: 11-5 (AFC East Champs)

New York Jets – The Jets had surprise success in 2015 and even more surprising, they have IK Enemkpali to thank for that. But seriously, I don’t see the Jets having the success they had offensively with Geno Smith as the starting QB. Ryan Fitzpatrick may be a career journeyman but he was exactly what the Jets needed at QB last season. After a lengthy contract holdout, Fitzpatrick is back for 2016 looking forward to leading the Jets aerial attack once again. I don’t know if Fitzpatrick will be able to create the same success he had a season ago but the Jets will have the tools on offense once again to succeed. The offensive line may have gotten better as they traded for a new left tackle, Ryan Clady, who started for a Super Bowl champion a season ago. Fitzpatrick built a great relationship with the two, big outside receiving threats on this team, Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. Marshall is coming off one of his best seasons and Decker proved to be a valuable piece of the passing attack. The Jets need to develop more depth at that position though. I also think the Jets got better at RB. Chris Ivory left for Jacksonville but they signed Matt Forte. Forte isn’t a tough, between the tackles, runner that Ivory is but he is a lot more versatile as a receiver out of the backfield and he offers more speed once he gets to the second level. The Jets also have decent depth at the RB position with Bilal Powell and Bernard Pierce. There is a lot to be optimistic about for the Jets on offense this season. Going into the offseason, there were a lot of questions surrounding the strength of the Jets defense, the defensive line. Muhammad Wilkerson was in a contract dispute and Sheldon Richardson was rumored to be facing a lengthy suspension. Wilkerson got his long-term contract, Richardson will only miss one game, and they also have a young beast in 2^nd year tackle Leonard Williams. The Jets will continue to be strong up front defensively in 2016. At outside linebacker, the Jets will be looking for some more growth from Lorenzo Mauldin who had a decent rookie season. The middle of the defense will continue to be anchored down but veteran LB David Harris. Also keep an eye out for rookie, first round pick, LB Darron Lee, who was among one of the quickest at the position in this past draft. CB Darrelle Revis returns once again as the leader of the secondary. Revis is still a top defensive player in this league but their really isnt much around him in this Jets secondary. Safeties Calvin Pryor and Marcus Gilchrist are average at best and the Jets really don’t have a solid starter opposite of Revis at CB. Outside of Revis, I don’t think the Jets secondary is that great but the strength of the defense comes from up front and that usually always helps out that unit. The Jets return a defense that was 2^nd in the league at stopping the run last season. Head coach Todd Bowles surprised everyone with that success his Jets had a season ago and they will hope to build on that in 2016. The Jets actually look strong on paper but I think last year was a case where a lot of things went right. And even with that, the Jets still missed the playoffs. I think the Jets will be a tough football team again this year but I don’t see them overtaking New England in 2016. They will definitely compete for a playoff spot. Prediction: 8-8

Buffalo Bills – Rex Ryan arrived in Buffalo last year with so much noise and hype but it didn’t really materialize into anything last year. The Bills played some stretches of good football but by the end of the season, they fell apart. The Bills still have some good players going into 2016 but now they are completely rebuilding the defense and I don’t know if they’ll be able to resemble the team that Ryan wants so quickly. I’m confident that Rex Ryan can be successful in Buffalo but I’m worried about the Bills giving him enough time to build up his defensive scheme. On offense, Buffalo is pretty much set and they’ll be looking to continue the success they had a season ago especially on the ground. The Bills found their QB last season in Tyrod Taylor. Taylor is a great athlete and an average QB but he fits what the Bills want to do on offense. Buffalo had the best running attack in the league a season ago and Taylor is apart of that. Even a bigger part of the running game is all-pro LeSean McCoy. McCoy had a disappointing season by his standards and he’ll be looking forward to starting 2016 completely healthy and with a chip on his shoulder. Last year, RB Karlos Williams was a break out player and was a great compliment to McCoy. Williams is currently facing suspension and is dealing with some injury issues. So, Buffalo also brought in veteran Reggie Bush who might have a role early on this season while Williams is out. I’m not sure what Bush has left in the tank but at the least, Buffalo run blocks very well and Bush might have some left to offer in special teams. Buffalo’s passing attack could be better but lets face it: passing isn’t Tyrod Taylor’s strong suit. And its really a shame because WR Sammy Watkins is able to put up much better numbers than what he has shown but they need to find a way to get him more touches. QB’s like Taylor usually have a decent option at TE and that what he has in Charles Clay. In 2016, the running game will set the tempo for the Bills offense again. When pressed, Taylor can be a playmaker with this arm and his legs. But I don’t know if he can be good enough where the offense doesn’t have to lean on the running game so much. I don’t know what to expect from the Bills defense this season because Rex Ryan is in the process of completely rebuilding that unit in his 3-4 scheme. On the defensive line, DT Marcell Dareus will continue to be a disruptor but he will need more help around him. For a team making a transition from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4, the Bills actually have a decent group of LB’s. But they may be already hurt in that department due to injuries. First round pick, Shaq Lawson, will miss the beginning of the season and second round pick, Reggie Ragland, is going to miss his entire rookie season. Inside at linebacker, I think Preston Brown and Zach Brown (no relation) will do just fine. But the Rex Ryan defense needs pass rushers to excel. OLB Jerry Hughes can get the QB but Buffalo needs more than just him. In the secondary, Buffalo has a good pair of starting CB’s in Stephon Gilmore and Ronald Darby. Also, Ed Reed will coach the secondary, which is exciting. I like Buffalo’s core as a ground and pound team on offense and a tough run stuffing team on defense. But there aren’t enough pieces on both sides of the ball where I can see this team taking the next step. I sure hope that the Buffalo front office realizes that Ryan needs at least one more offseason to get the defense closer to what he had in New York. The blueprint for success is there in Buffalo. They are just going to have to give Rex a little more time. Prediction: 7-9

Miami Dolphins – A season ago, Miami made so much noise in the offseason with the moves they made in free agency. At the end, it proved to be a disaster and their head coach was fired. Going into 2016, I was hoping that Miami would hire a stronger personality to really grab ahold of this locker room instead of hiring “insert successful coordinator’s name here”. Instead we got the latter and I don’t sense much excitement surrounding this team going into this season. Everyone is still waiting for QB Ryan Tannehill to break out. I’m starting to think that this isn’t a good thing that we are still waiting. Either Tannehill is going to become this next great Dolphins QB or he is not. To Tannehill’s credit, he has done better statistically each season but he hasn’t done good enough where he can raise Miami out of mediocrity. Again to his credit, that task might be too tall for just for him. Miami’s supporting cast on offense didn’t get better in the offseason with the departure of starting RB Lamar Miller. Miller left for Houston and Miami really didn’t think much on the subject of replacing him. They have second year RB Jay Ajayi who is still struggling to stay healthy and they brought in Adrian Foster from Houston who is an aging veteran. Journeyman Isaiah Pead might end up being the Week 1 starter. At receiver, Tannehill has a good collection of talent to throw to. Jarvis Landry wont get the fame that fellow LSU Tiger Odell Beckham Jr receives in New York but he is probably just as good of a receiver. DeVante Parker merely scratched the surface in his rookie season and Miami will be looking for him to have a bigger role in the passing game in 2016. Tannehill also has a good target at TE in Jordan Cameron. Not having a running game will hurt this Miami offense but I think its time for Tannehill to go all-gunslinger this year and see if he can become an elite passer in this league. Miami’s defense was a massive disappointment last season. Ndamukong Suh got the big money deal from Miami but the team isn’t getting a fair return as Miami had one of the worst run defenses last season. Suh should be extra motivated to return to the form that made him one of the most feared defenders in football. DE Cameron Wake is still one of the best pass rushers in football. DE Mario Williams was brought in from Buffalo to replace Olivier Vernon. Wake is coming off from an injury and Williams is an aging vet at this point of his career. Miami’s defensive line was such a disappointment last season; I really don’t have any realistic expectations for them in 2016. But Miami is going to have to have that unit improve if they hope to amount to anything in 2016. Koa Misi and Jelani Jenkins are decent LB’s and Miami brought in Kiko Alonso who is coming off injury-plagued seasons in Buffalo and Philadelphia. If healthy, Alonso will improve the Miami LB core. Miami’s secondary is headlined by safety Reshad Jones who is coming off his best season as a pro. Miami brought in Byron Maxwell who found out last season that life outside of Seattle can be rough. I expect even more abuse for him in 2016 as he just wasn’t that good to begin with. Miami’s secondary was a weak point last season and that will probably be the same in 2016. With the hiring of Adam Gase at head coach, I really don’t know what is Miami’s long-term plan with this team. With so many high profiled veterans, this locker room is not the place for a rookie head coach. Miami is short on talent and leadership. Prediction: 5-11

NFL 2015: Week 9 Predictions!

Is Derek Carr and the Raiders for real? Pittsburgh will be dying to find out on Sunday.

By: Elias McMillan

Last Week: 9-5

Season: 78-41

Big Five Games of the Week

Miami @ Buffalo – Miami was starting to gain some serious momentum under new head coach Dan Campbell. That was until they ran into the Patriots last Thursday. Now, their confidence is shaken and they are suffering some losses due to injury on both sides of the ball. Buffalo is coming off of a horrible loss in London two weeks ago. But they are coming off the bye, they had time to regroup and get healthy, and their starting QB, Tyrod Taylor, returns this week. The race for second place in the AFC East is still wide open and this Sunday at home will be the perfect time for Rex Ryan’s team to stake their claim. Tyrod Taylor had a great game vs. the Dolphins earlier this season and without Cameron Wake chasing him around, I think his return to the lineup on Sunday will be a triumphant one. I’m taking the home team. Prediction: Bills 28 – Dolphins 14

St. Louis @ Minnesota – No seems to be noticing either of these teams in the NFC. St. Louis is over .500 and is currently in second place in the NFC West. Minnesota is playing great football right now and with the way the Lions and Bears season is going, they pretty much have a cakewalk to second place in the NFC North. I don’t take St. Louis seriously because they seem to always under perform in big games. They have the talent on paper, especially on the defensive side of the ball, to be a serious contender in the NFC West. Minnesota on the other hand has great young talent at the QB and WR position. Plus, Adrian Peterson is leading this offense with the top-5 rushing attack in the league. St. Louis has a tough defensive front four and they’ll present a great test for Peterson. I think this game will turn on how the Rams offense wont be able to amount to much against this Vikings defense that ranks in the top ten in the league right now. I think the QB position is really holding back St. Louis especially since the emergence of rookie RB Todd Gurley. It like Sam Bradford never left. Prediction: Vikings 19 – Rams 13

Oakland @ Pittsburgh – I’m still kind of shocked that the Steelers lost that game last week at home to Cincinnati. The Bengals are undefeated but they really showed nothing that told me that they were a serious title contender this season. But then again, Pittsburgh played them tough as usual especially on the defensive side of the ball. Going into the season, everyone was talking about how the Steelers defense was going to hold the team back all season. That has yet to come into fruition. As long as the Pittsburgh defense continues to overachieve, they are going to find themselves in a lot of ball games this season. This Sunday, they’ll have another big game against the upstart Oakland Raiders. Pittsburgh will be hurting the rest of the season without RB Le’Veon Bell. DeAngelo Williams is a veteran who definitely still has some ability and is primed to at least attempt to fill the gap left by Bell’s absence. Oakland has a pretty stout run defense and an active front seven so the running the ball might prove to an adventure this week for the Steelers. Pittsburgh lost last week mainly because Ben Roethlisberger threw some horrible interceptions. He might be getting a pass because he is getting over an injury but he knows that the way he played down the stretch in that game was unacceptable. Ben will have a great chance to bounce back this week as Oakland has one of the worst secondaries in the league. The Raiders give up a lot of yards through the air but you cant blame that on Charles Woodson who is leading the league in interceptions this season at the ripe age of 39. Ben must avoid Woodson at all costs on Sunday, as he has been an absolute ball hawk this year. Oakland is playing well on offense recently. They are running the ball well and the passing game has been a driving force all season behind QB Derek Carr and rookie WR Amari Cooper. Though the Steelers don’t have a strong secondary, Oakland need to attack their defense with a balanced attack. If Carr comes out throwing, Pittsburgh will be ready for it and that would increase their opportunity to create turnovers. Oakland will have the chance to take advantage offensively but they must be calculated in their attacks. Playing in Pittsburgh can make average teams play below average and I think that’s what we’ll see on Sunday. Oakland has had a strange but positive recent track record against the Steelers recently. But this year, the Raiders aren’t awful which means that they wont be Pittsburgh on Sunday. That makes sense, right? Kind of. Prediction: Steelers 27 – Raiders 24

Green Bay @ Carolina – The media can rave all they want about Aaron Rodgers and the Packers but if you follow the NFL, you know that the Packers are very beatable if you have a strong defense. Denver proved that last week and I believe Carolina can do so this week at home. Green Bay still has a really good offense but they are truly missing a big play WR (Jordy Nelson). Green Bay is pretty average defensively and for the most part, they count on Rodgers to carry them. Carolina isn’t perfect. They don’t win with style points. But they simply get the job done. The defense doesn’t let up for all 4^th quarters and Cam Newton has been able to do enough to win ball games late. Unless Carolina’s defense has an off day, I can see Carolina using that same formula into another home victory on Sunday. Prediction: Panthers 25 – Packers 21

Philadelphia @ Dallas – The woeful NFC East is still wide open so this game could have huge consequences. The Eagles still stink in my eyes, even coming off the bye week, but they’ll have a pretty great chance at leaving Dallas with a victory on Sunday. Dallas is getting great play out of their offensive line. They are consistently winning the battles on the line of scrimmage each week. The Cowboys are playing pretty decent on defense too. They really haven’t been blown out in a game yet this season. People may say that there are other reason why Dallas is in the middle of a losing streak but I think there is only one reason: they are not scoring touchdowns because they are not getting enough from the QB position. The Cowboys have two more games before Tony Romo returns. They cannot lose these next two and expect Romo to single handily save the season. Dallas must win one of these two next game and preferably both of them if they hope to make a strong push for the division once Romo returns. I would prefer that they would win this game against division rival, Philadelphia. Going into this game, I can say that the Eagles have two things going for them. First, they have a great front seven that can stuff the run and pressure the QB. Second, they have gotten better at running the ball and Dallas’ run defense is a bit suspect. Other than those two things, the Eagles don’t really have much going for them. Sam Bradford is not going to win this game for them. I think Dallas has a great chance at ending their losing streak on Sunday but I don’t know if the offense will continue to not score touchdowns. Dan Bailey is a great kicker but sending him out more than three times usually isn’t a great sign. If Dallas can’t get into the end zone, they’ll lose again on Sunday. Prediction: Eagles 23 – Cowboys 20

The Rest of Week 9

Bengals over Browns – I’m a big fan of Johnny Manziel but I cant help to think about his start again Cincinnati last season. Maybe he remembers that too and he’ll have a revenge game tonight. I doubt it.

Patriots over Washington – Washington doesn’t have the defense to slow down New England’s offense. Might be interesting to see Kirk Cousins attempt to out gun Tom Brady.

Saints over Titans – New Orleans’ defense is terrible but Drew Brees is back to playing elite football. Tennessee is a mess and they just fired their head coach. Things will get worse their before they get better.

Jaguars over Jets – Break up the Jags! The Jets are regressing and Jacksonville has realistic hopes in the god awful AFC South.

Falcons over 49ers – Atlanta is starting to fall off but San Fran has serious issues. Colin Kaepernick is getting benched and receiving the blame. This might get ugly quick for the Niners.

Giants over Buccaneers – I might give Tampa a chance here but both of their big receivers are fighting injuries. The Giants are able to score a lot of points but nothing much else.

Broncos over Colts – Is Andrew Luck injured? No one knows for sure. But he’ll be hurting after facing this Denver defense. No one is talking about this being Peyton Manning’s last game in Indy.

Chargers over Bears – San Diego has reached its “close loss” quota this season I think. I mean, enough is enough.

Fantasy Football Picks of the Week

QB: Matt Ryan (Falcons) – San Fran has one of the worst pass defenses in the league. Atlanta has the weapons to take advantage. Big day for Matt Ryan.

RB: Jeremy Hill & Giovanni Bernard (Bengals) – The Bengals didn’t use their running backs nearly enough last week against Pittsburgh. Cleveland has the worst rush defense in the league. They should get plenty of carries tonight.

WR: Antonio Brown (Steelers) – Oakland has the second worst pass defense in football. Brown and Roethlisberger will be able to get into a groove at home this Sunday.

TE: Jacob Tamme (Falcons) – Here’s a sleeper pick for Sunday. Tamme had a strong showing last week and he’ll be facing a weak 49ers defense on Sunday.

DEF: Jacksonville – With the QB situation in doubt for the Jets, the Jaguars could have a big day this Sunday.

NFL 2015: AFC East Preview

Miami has the talent assembled to overtake New England. Can head coach Joe Philbin lead them?

By: Elias McMillan

AFC EAST

New England Patriots – After the offseason that the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots just went through, the target on the entire organization’s back has never been larger. On top of that, they are also coming off an offseason that saw them lose some key talent especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite that, everyone in the NFL knows by now that Bill Belichick strives on getting the most out of his football team and that might be the case once again in 2015. The biggest storyline is of course, Tom Brady and his suspension. It will most definitely hurt the Patriots offense to not have its leader for the first 4 weeks of the season. Can backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo do enough to keep the passing game afloat? I’m not sure but I think Belichick will have a plan in place where Garoppolo wont have to go beyond his means to win football games. Will that plan involve the running game? New England weren’t particularly great at running the ball last season. They lost two of their main contributors in the backfield in the offseason but replacement them shouldn’t be a big chore. RB LaGarrette Blount will be back though he will miss Week One. Behind him, New England has plenty of depth with Jonas Gray and Travaris Cadet just a name a few. The running back depth chart isn’t filled with names that will “wow” anyone but the Patriots have always figured out how to get enough production from who ever is lined up at the position. And you can say the same about the WR position. I think WR Julian Edelman has solidified himself as a legit threat with every touch and WR Danny Amendola has proven to be serviceable but outside of those two, this receiving core is pretty average. Which again has been proven to be good enough for Brady and the offense. The rock star of the passing game, figuratively and literally, is TE Rob Gronkowski and he will be ready for an injury-free campaign in 2015. I think when Tom Brady returns, the league will be in big trouble. After all he has gone through in the offseason, I think Brady will be looking to make a statement in 2015. I’m worried about the Patriots defense this year after losing Darrelle Revis, Vince Wilfork, and Brandon Browner. At defensive end, Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones return and I really liked the signing of Jabaal Sheard who showed some potential in his time in Cleveland. Inside at defensive tackle will be a question mark though. New England might have gotten a steal in the 1st round of the draft last April in DT Malcolm Brown and he may have to pay dividends early in his career. New England does return a solid group at LB lead by Don’t’a Hightower. But the secondary might be a weak link his season with safety Devin McCourty as its lone standout. New England didn’t really have a great defense last season and that didn’t stop them from winning it all. I expect the Pats to be contenders again this season unless they falter under the pressure of trying to answer their critics every week. As long as they follow the Belichick mantra of “Do Your Job” week in and week out, the Patriots will give the critics something to really hate on in 2015. Prediction: 11-5 (AFC East Champs)

Miami Dolphins – Miami kind of surprised me last season and they’ll definitely have something to build upon going into this season. And with the moves they’ve made in the offseason, the hot seat just got a bit hotter in Miami for head coach Joe Philbin. On offense, they’ll be lead by QB Ryan Tannehill who is coming off his best season yet. Tannehill has improved each season and Miami is counting on that trend to continue in 2015. Tannehill will have a young and talented receiving core in 2015. WR Greg Jennings will serve more as a mentor and he will mean a great deal to Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills, and rookie DeVante Parker. I believe Miami also upgraded the TE position with the signing of Jordan Cameron. Cameron had a disastrous final season in Cleveland but he could rebound nicely with the talent he now has around him. At RB, Lamar Miller quietly had a nice season in 2014. He will hope to build upon that going into this season but also look out for rookie Jay Ajayi who was a great value pick for Miami in Round 5. On defense, everyone will be raving about this defensive line. Miami landed the big fish in free agency this offseason in DT Ndamukong Suh. Suh along with defensive ends, Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon, should form a monstrous force that will give opposing QB’s fits and stuff the run. Miami’s LB core is young is underrated. Jelani Jenkins led the team in tackles last season and Koa Misi is an active playmaker when healthy. Miami’s secondary was decent last season and they should be even better this season with the improvements made on the defensive line. Safeties Louis Delmas and Reshad Jones are one of the better safety combos in the league. CB Brent Grimes is a leader and a difference maker who will help bring along the younger corners on the team. I think Miami looks impressive on paper but something about them just screams “under achiever”. I’m not very confident that Philbin is the right coach to get this team over the hump and to over take New England for the division. The pressure will be on the coaches because they’ll have the talent on the field. I still expect Miami to at least contend to make the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Prediction: 9-7

Buffalo Bills – The Bills might already be my favorite team in the AFC this season. With Rex Ryan leading the way and the talent already on the defensive side of the ball, optimism is abounding in upstate NY. Rex Ryan has a rep of bringing intensity on defense and he won’t really have to build that up from scratch in his second head-coaching gig. Buffalo had a top five defensive unit in 2014 and they could be even better under Ryan. The defensive line they have in Buffalo is amazing. Mario Williams and Jerry Hughes are a top pass rushing duo and they are able to stuff the run with defensive tackles Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams. Not having LB Kiko Alonso might hurt but in his absence last season, LB Preston Brown led the team in tackles and he’ll probably continue to be a huge contributor this season. Buffalo also had one of the best secondarys in the league last season led by corners Stephon Gilmore and Leodis McKelvin. Buffalo’s defense is stacked which means, much like in New York, a Rex Ryan led team will need the offense to pick up the slack. Ryan loves to run the football and new offensive coordinator Greg Roman follows a similar philosophy. Buffalo made the deal of the offseason when they traded for star RB LeSean McCoy. It’s hard to think of McCoy as a veteran but he is one with plenty of football left in the tank. I think McCoy will be a great match with this offense and he’ll make Buffalo look like bank robbers by the end of the season with the totals he’ll put up. With the QB situation shaky, the Bills will probably run the ball a lot of offense this season which wont be problem as there’s plenty of depth behind McCoy with Fred Jackson, Bryce Brown, and impressive rookie Karlos Williams. Buffalo has decent talent at the WR position with Sammy Watkins as the obvious stand out. WR Robert Woods has shown some ability and veteran Percy Harvin will be looking to prove that he can still be a difference maker in this league. But again, the question marks at QB could single handily derail Rex Ryan’s first season in Buffalo. Here’s my theory on Buffalo’s QB situation: Matt Cassel stinks and I’m not sure why he keeps getting chances in this league. Greg Roman’s offense really excelled in San Francisco with Colin Kaepernick, who is a mobile QB. Cassel certainly isn’t mobile so that leaves EJ Manuel and Tyrod Taylor. Manuel isnt really getting votes of confidence so far in training camp and Taylor has yet to really get a shot at being a starter in this league. I think Taylor will end up winning the competition but how good he can be will still be a question mark until the season starts. If Taylor can ride the running game, the great defense, and do enough to get Sammy Watkins involved, Buffalo could be in better shape than Miami to challenge New England for the division crown. Buffalo would be a bold playoff pick right now but I need to see how the QB competition shapes out first. This team will definitely be fun to watch in 2015. Prediction: 8-8

New York Jets – I believe the dog days will be back for this franchise in 2015. The biggest problem on this team is that they just don’t have the enough talent yet. That’s pretty much the same story from last year. I really like new head Todd Bowles and he knows how to get the most out of players but he’s going to have a rough go of it in his first season. Bowles coached a pretty good, over achieving defense in Arizona last season and he should have another good defensive squad already in New York. On the defensive line, the standouts are Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson. Richardson will be suspended for the first four games of the season and they will affect the defense. But luckily, defensive star Leonard Williams was able to drop to NY in the draft last April. Williams will be able to help this team as a rookie and will provide depth once Richardson returns. The Jets did a decent job at sacking the QB last season but they still need more production from their outside linebackers, Calvin Pace and Quinton Coples. I do like the depth they have behind Pace and Coples with Jason Babin and rookie Lorenzo Mauldin. LB David Harris returns for another season as the Jets leading tackler and run stopper. Jets fans should be excited for the return of Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie but in reality, they should only be excited for the return of Revis. Revis proved last season in New England that he can still be one of the top corners in the league. Cromartie proved last season to an opportunist who doesn’t give full effort when plays break down. The Jets secondary will still be improved regardless. At safety, Calvin Pryor must bounce back from a tough rookie season. On offense, the Jets still have a good offensive line and they acquired WR Brandon Marshall. That’s about the only good things I can come up with on that side of the ball. But seriously, Marshall should greatly improve the Jets receiving core that is rounded out nicely but vets Eric Decker and Jeremy Kerley. Also keep an eye out for rookie Devin Smith who might develop into a great pro. The Jets running game is in great need of a home run hitter and I don’t think that guy in currently on their roster. Chris Ivory is a decent back and they also traded for Zac Stacy in the offseason. But I just don’t see this running game carrying this offense far. Now with a broken jaw, can this be the season where QB Geno Smith can turn it around and show that he has improved? Ryan Fitzpatrick’s best days maybe behind him but can he thrive under Chad Gailey’s offense? The defense in New York might be good enough to keep them in some games this season but I think the QB position will hold this team back again this season. Like I said earlier, I like Todd Bowles but this team is a few pieces away from competing in this division. The defense should provide a good foundation for Bowles to build upon though. Prediction: 4-12