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Author: Jon Kuzma


The Mason Rudolph and Myles Garrett drama has been a dark cloud hanging over the NFL for months now. We’ve seen first hand how bad Garrett’s actions were when he swung his helmet and struck Rudolph. Then Garrett accused Rudolph of using a racial slur.


And that’s where Mike Tomlin came into the picture. Tomlin publicly defended Rudolph and stated that the Steelers, Browns, and the NFL all had an investigation that ultimately cleared Rudolph’s name. What Tomlin was able to do is send a message to his players and any future players that he’s always going to have their back. And who wouldn’t want to play for someone who genuinely cares about the guys on his roster? Let’s be honest Mike Tomlin has completely repaired his reputation. There were times when it seemed like he was struggling with his in game decision making. The playoff game back in 2018 against the Jacksonville Jaguars stands out because Tomlin had 3 really bad play calls in that contest and it cost his team a shot at the Super Bowl. But somehow he was able to get things back on track with his leadership. The other thing that really helped Tomlin is the fact that Pittsburgh overachieved this past season. Now everyone is seeing just how valuable the Steelers head coach is. Give Tomlin all the credit in the world for this. Most people would’ve unraveled under that kind of pressure.

Charity of the day: World Neighbors

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Author: Jon Kuzma


When Drew Brees went down with a thumb injury. We didn’t know how New Orleans was going to respond? But Teddy Bridgewater stepped into the lineup and the Saints didn’t skip a beat. Because of that audition other teams are looking at Bridgewater as a viable starting quarterback. We’ve even heard some rumors that Bridgewater could earn as much as $30M annually during free agency. If that’s the case then this is a huge turnaround for the former first round pick. Yeah it took Bridgewater a little bit to get to this moment. But everyone thought his career was over when he suffered that horrific knee injury back in 2016. The fact that he’s put himself in the position to be a starter is nothing short of a miracle. It’s safe to say that Teddy Bridgewater is one of the most resilient players in the NFL. And you have to believe overcoming such a large hurdle has helped him along his journey. Tackling challenges is what hones your skill and it also helps you develop thick skin. Bridgewater had to listen to everyone write him off but now he’s the one who’s ready to cash in. When you take a look around the league there’s only so many landing spots for him. Miami, Los Angeles, Oakland, Chicago, and New England could all be in the market for a quarterback. Who knows maybe Bridgewater will be the answer for one of those teams.

Charity of the day: Conservation International Foundation

Go donate! www.conservation.org

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Author: Jon Kuzma


A couple of years ago it started to become obvious that Marcus Mariota wasn’t throwing enough touchdowns for Tennessee. And now the same thing appears to be happening with Derek Carr in Las Vegas / Oakland. You need more than 25 touchdown passes per season to have a little bit of job security in the NFL.


Carr has failed to reach that goal the past three years and that’s not going to work for Jon Gruden. The Super Bowl winning coach can’t hitch his wagon to Carr for the long term future. Not to mention Gruden already gave Carr a chance by sticking with him this past season. So now the Raiders are going to start looking around at other options. And something could end up happening in free agency or the draft. There’s already been a few reports that the Raiders will offer Tom Brady a 2-year $60M contract. The problem is there’s so many other teams that will be trying to sign the 42 year old signal caller. Therefore you have to wonder who’s next in line? Does Las Vegas sign someone like Dak Prescott, Ryan Tannehill, Philip Rivers or Jameis Winston? Or do they trade up and get someone like Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, or Justin Herbert? Keep in mind they have two first round draft picks so that’s definitely possible. One thing is for certain it doesn’t look good for Carr.

Charity of the day: Conservation International Foundation

Go donate! www.conservation.org

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Author: Jon Kuzma

The Dallas Renegades have their first XFL win and it’s because Cameron Artis-Payne torched the Los Angeles Wildcats.


This game was very slow in the first three quarters. But that’s when Artis-Payne took matters into his own hands and willed the Renegades to victory. As far as running backs go this was the dominant rushing performance we’ve been waiting for. Artis-Payne racked up 2 rushing touchdowns and 99 yards on the ground. Eventually those scores put this game just out of reach. And it’s very possible this is just the beginning for Artis-Payne. Bob Stoops has to get this guy going early in games if Dallas wants to reach their full potential. That’s the big takeaway from this victory and it’s clear that he’s an agile runner. Some of the cuts Cameron Artis-Payne had left opposing defenders in the dust. So you have to feed him the football and then try to get a playaction passing attack off of those runs. Once that happens then look out because everything is going to come together.

Charity of the day: Brain & Behavior Research Foundation

Go donate! www.bbrfoundation.org

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Author: Jon Kuzma


Another week of the XFL has came and gone but one thing remains constant. That’s P.J Walkers ability to dazzle viewers and it’s clear he’s the league’s brightest star. Walker threw for 3 more touchdowns in the Houston Roughnecks 28-24 win over the St. Louis Battlehawks. And if you watched this game you saw a player who can do it all. Walker side armed a throw in the end zone and it was very much like Patrick Mahomes does every week in the NFL. Walker also showed the ability to escape pressure and extend the play. So many times that led to wide receivers running open downfield.


By the end of the night it was clear that Cameron Phillips and Walker had gotten the best of the Battlehawks defense. And this seems to be the standard we can expect from P.J Walker. If Oliver Luck ends up handing out an MVP Trophy to someone at the end of the year it’ll probably be to Walker. It doesn’t feel like he’ll slowdown anytime soon and he looks like an NFL player that’s playing amongst a bunch of guys who are aspiring to get to that next level. Walker’s 7 passing touchdowns in two games prove that.

Charity of the day: Brain & Behavior Research Foundation

Go donate! www.bbrfoundation.org

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Author: Jon Kuzma


If you’re looking for a star in the Seattle Dragons 17-9 win over the Tampa Bay Vipers. Then Keenan Reynolds has to be it because he had 8 receptions for 87 yards and 1 touchdown. Reynolds went deep for a 68 yard score in the third quarter. That play was a post route and the former Navy quarterback showed off some impressive speed. This has to be the formula for Jim Zorn’s team heading forward.


If Brandon Silvers and Reynolds can keep doing what they did against the Vipers then their future is bright. All of these XFL teams are trying to figure out what they do well. For Seattle it appears to be their downfield passing attack. It’s going to take a little time before they completely hash out their rhythm and timing. But you can already see that Reynolds has a ton of potential. And we could see him shape up into one of the top receivers in the XFL. He’s already a fan favorite from his playing days in college. Give Reynolds credit though because he’s keeping his football dreams alive. Zorn also has to be impressed with him as well. Due to the fact that the Dragons would’ve lost this game if Reynolds wasn’t on the field.

Charity of the day: Coalition for the Homeless

Go donate! www.coalitionforthehomeless.org

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Author: Jon Kuzma


Week two of the XFL is here and Cardale Jones certainly came to play. The DC Defenders quarterback threw a touchdown to DeAndre Thompkins to draw first blood ten minutes into the game. From there the Defenders jumped out in front and never looked back. Jones was also able to make some impressive throws on the run and just conducted the offense well. And then on one play he fumbled the football, was able to recover it, and then threw for a first down.


It‘s clear that Jones will sell out on every single play in order to give his team an edge on game day. Which is exactly what you’re looking for in any level of football. It’s especially important in a startup league where guys are still learning to play with one another. Jones‘ stats (2 touchdowns and 276 yards) don’t reflect how well he performed in this matchup. Because If you actually watched the game you saw a quarterback who was leaps and bounds better than New York Guardians signal caller Matt McGloin. This is another big step for Jones who’s looking to reinvent himself after sitting on the bench for his entire NFL career. The bottom line is Jones is proving that a team can win with him. And that’s going to be huge for his stock down the road.

Charity of the day: Coalition for the Homeless

Go donate! www.coalitionforthehomeless.org

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Author: Jon Kuzma

Last month Peter King reported that Bill Belichick would like to work with Andy Dalton. And that’s a huge vote of confidence for the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback. Dalton has always been a little bit better than people have given him credit for and clearly Belichick knows that. Just imagine how good Dalton could be in the Patriots system? That environment is a big upgrade over what Dalton had to deal with in Cincinnati. Yeah New England’s offense needs some work. But at least they have a competent head coach who can get the most out of their players.


We’ve already seen Belichick have some success with Matt Cassel. Dalton is way more talented and it just seems like a partnership that could end up working out. Of course Tom Brady has to leave first but if he does then don’t be surprised if Dalton winds up in Foxborough. From there Belichick would have to sign or draft some receivers to help his new quarterback out. Going this route would also allow Jared Stidham more time to develop. So on paper everything seems to add up. The question is whether or not Dalton is good enough to get the Patriots back to the playoffs?

Charity of the day: Lupus Research Alliance

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Author: Jon Kuzma

A report from WDIV in Detroit suggested that Matthew Stafford has been involved in trade talks. And while Bob Quinn and the Lions have to listen to all the offers that come their way. It doesn’t make any sense for this team to trade Stafford away. He played very good last year and it’s clear that Stafford wasn’t the problem. So making him the scapegoat for all of the issues in the Motor City doesn’t bring this franchise any closer to winning a Super Bowl.


The Lions did the same exact thing to Jim Caldwell after he exceeded expectations with a ball club that has historically struggled. Ever since that moment the Lions have completely unraveled. And to be honest the city of Detroit can’t handle anymore letdowns from their sports teams. Things aren’t going very well in Michigan and you can’t throw Stafford under the bus because he’s been so committed to the community. There was plenty of times when he could’ve put in a trade request or tried to force his way out. But Stafford never did and he put his heart and soul into being part of the solution. If that’s the guy the Lions want to toss aside then it says something about their organization as a whole. With how many empty seats there was at Ford Field last season this could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for a lot of fans.

Charity of the day: Nature Conservancy

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Author: Jon Kuzma

If we’re talking about one free agent who can swing a lot of power by signing with another team. Then Chris Jones has to be near the top of the board. It’s going to be so tough for the Chiefs to repeat without Jones. Ever since he arrived in Kansas City back in 2016 this defense started to improve. And if someone else can lure Jones away when he’s able to sign with any team he wants in March. Then that team would have a pillar of strength on the defensive side of the ball for years to come.


If you go back and watch Jones film he’s so good at working his swim move. It’s amazing how many times he’s able to beat opposing offensive linemen with the same technique. But it really happens because Jones is faster and more physical in the trenches. Then when you factor in the tenacity this guy brings to the table. It sets the tone for the linebackers and secondary behind him. Jones is the type of player you can sign and then build around. It takes a special type of player to be the anchor of an NFL defense but Jones has proven he’s that caliber of player. Some team out there will pay him top dollar and that makes you wonder if the Chiefs will be able to match it? They better or there’s no way they’ll repeat as Super Bowl champions.

Charity of the day: Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America

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