Photo credit: Keith Allison

Author: Joey Carr

Since the turn of the century, in order to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, a trip to Beantown is usually on the docket. The Patriots have been terrorizing the AFC for years now, and it’s very rare that another team besides a Peyton Manning led squad makes it past New England. Tom Brady just seems to find a way to win in January, and that makes it extremely difficult for another team to gain entry to February football. The Broncos have done it once and the Ravens did it a few times in the past but there is just a consistency to having the Pats in the Super Bowl that is unprecedented. However, there is a team on the rise this year in the AFC that looks poised to give the Patriots a run for their money. They’re unproven in the playoffs but an extremely hot start to the year has people wondering if this is the year they finally make it over the hump. That team is the Cincinnati Bengals.

In years past, the AFC has been the Patriots stomping ground, and to be honest, that probably won’t change anytime soon. As long as Tom Brady is still healthy, the No. 1 or 2 seed in the AFC will be occupied by New England. Although, just like both the Ravens and Jets have in the past, the Pats can be beaten; and with no other immediate threat, with the exception of Denver, Cincy looks to be in position to have a great chance at terminating the Patriots trip to Santa Clara. They have the talent, the right coaching staff, and the benefit of a relatively easy division with the Ravens barely staying afloat and the Steelers without Big Ben for the next four weeks. They even have the praise of another NFL head coach, as John Harbaugh of the Ravens called them “the most talented team in the league”. While that might be a tad bit exaggerated, it’s not too far off from the truth. Let’s take a look at the roster: at quarterback, they have one of the most underrated players in the game in Andy Dalton, who is more known for his blunders than accomplishments. He’s performing close to the level of Rodgers and Brady so far, and with a great dynamic core of players around him, it seems like he will only get better. One of those players is receiver A.J. Green, who is easily one of the best pass-catchers in the game. He’s capable of breaking the 100-yard receiving yard every game, which is simply a deadly weapon to have at your disposal if you’re a quarterback. Running backs Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard are perhaps the best “1-2” backfield punch the NFL has to offer and continue to wreck havoc for opposing coaches and defensive lines. However, in order for a great team to succeed, they need talent on both sides of the ball, and the Bengals certainly have their fair share of talent on defense. Geno Atkins and Michael Johnson are a terrific pair up front on the line, and A.J. Hawk and Rey Maualuga are adept linebackers that get the job done. Adam Jones is a bit underwhelming as a number one cornerback but he’s been performing okay for the most part of the season.

All the talent is there for the Bengals, and it’s showing thus far in the season. They’re 4-0 and rank second in the league in offense (behind who else, the Patriots) and are doing a fair job on defense. They’ve managed to skim by in a couple of their games, the Baltimore game especially, but overall have been playing some extremely

decent football. However, they’ll be tested to the fullest next week when they take on Seattle and we’ll get to see what this “Who-Dey” team is really made of. Although, as of now, they’re playing great, gelling very well, and are having fun as a unit. They’ve got a tough task come January when they try to win their first playoff game under head coach Marvin Lewis but if they can pull out a win, a date with the New England Patriots and maybe even Santa Clara, California is certainly a possibility.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/keithallison

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode

Charity of the day: Random Acts

Go donate! www.randomacts.org

Photo credit: Keith Allison

Author: Joey Carr

In every NFL season, there are the teams that start the year with more flare and intensity than the rest of the league. The Patriots, Packers, and any Peyton Manning led team are usually the constants of those teams, starting 3-1 or 4-0 nearly every year for the last 6 years. But there are always a few unexpected teams that are alongside them in the standings, sitting unbeaten or with one loss on the season. However, there is an unusual amount of undefeated teams this year, 6 to be exact. So which unbeaten squad has been most surprising so far? The Atlanta Falcons.

The past couple years in the ATL have been disastrous to say the least. A lot of talent was squandered due to poor coaching and a lack of execution by both the offense and defense. You could say that former head coach Mike Smith was the reason for that squandering, and you would be mostly correct. Smith didn’t use the personnel he had at his disposal the correct way, which resulted in back to back losing seasons that only accumulated 10 wins and also cost him his job. Julio Jones was being wasted in an offense that favored the run even though a lackluster Steven Jackson was the primary running back, causing a ton of three and outs and giving kicker Matt Bryant a workout most games. The offensive line wasn’t doing anything to protect Matt Ryan but the starting group remained virtually unchanged. The defense played uninspired at times and let opposing offenses walk all over them both on the ground and through the air. Enter new head coach Dan Quinn. Under Quinn, the Falcons look like an entirely different team. They’re playing with a tenacity not seen in Atlanta since the NFC Championship game run of 2012 and are playing every down like they’re playing in the Super Bowl. Rookies like Vic Beasley are stepping up tremendously and veterans such as Matt Ryan are making minimal mistakes. Desmond Trufant is proving to opposing quarterbacks that he not to be reckoned with, and Julio Jones is cementing his case that he is one of the best, if not the best, receivers in the NFL. Jake Matthews and the offensive line is performing extremely well, only allowing 6 sacks on the year so far, compared to 11 through 4 games last year. However, perhaps the most unanticipated surprise for the Falcons has been their run game and the emergence of Devonta Freeman.

Devonta Freeman was drafted in the third round of last year’s draft, and was expected to backup Steven Jackson and platoon with Jacquizz Rodgers, which is what he did. He rushed for 248 yards and found the end zone once in what was a decent rookie campaign. This year, after Atlanta let Steven Jackson walk, Freeman was thought to lead the Falcon backfield until ATL drafted Tevin Coleman out of Indiana in the third round. Thus, Freeman was thrust back into the backup role after losing the starting job in training camp to Coleman. But, just like Tom Brady and Tony Romo won their gigs, Coleman went down in the second game of the year, and Freeman got his shot. And boy did he make the most of it. In the past two games as a starter, he has accumulated 7 touchdowns and 342 total yards and made himself an instant fantasy football legend. Along with Julio Jones and Matty Ice, Devonta Freeman has been one of the main focal points on offense for the Dirty Birds. He’s

been running wild for two weeks now, and although it’s still early, the Falcons look like a legitimate threat in the NFC with a dynamic offense and capable defense.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/keithallison

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode

Charity of the day: AARP

Go donate! www.aarp.com

Photo credit: June Rivera

Author: Jon Kuzma

When Miami Dolphins’ owner Stephen Ross opened up his checkbook to re-sign Ryan Tannehill and sign coveted off-season free agent Ndamukong Suh he did his part in improving the team. Clearly Ross felt that Joe Philbin wasn’t doing his part as a coach with those upgrades. The team who loss to the Jets in London fell to 1-3 on the year and looks like a team that is depleted of morale. There were talks earlier in the season that Ndamukong Suh was freelancing in the defensive scheme. Choosing to do what he prefers rather than what his coaches were expecting of him. In Suh’s defense he most likely had little faith in Dolphins defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle. Who has this team ranking near the bottom defensively in most team rankings. Still Suh has to be a professional and except that he has to follow his coaches lead regardless of that coaches competence level. A team in cohesion will always have more success than a team that is out of sync regardless of what scheme or philosophies are implemented. That lack of connect between the players and coaches is what most likely started to stand out to Stephen Ross. That and the fact that Philbin was too calm in his demeanor. Football is a sport that is played with a lot of passion and emotions can run high at times. While a head coach is supposed to be poised Philbin was to reluctant to get his hands dirty when the team clearly needed someone to take action. You can’t stick to the script when the script is a formula for failure and that is exactly what Joe Philbin did. While the guy seems like a great guy in terms of character it was clear his lack of football expertise was not going to elevate this Dolphins team. Look for interim coach Dan Campbell to come in and try to changee the tone of this team. If he is able to he might be a frontrunner for landing the job permanently.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode

Charity of the day: Humane Society of the United States

Charity of the day: AARP

Go donate! www.aarp.org

Photo credit: Ed Schipul

Author: Jon Kuzma

Drew Brees returned from a shoulder injury to help the Saints knock off the Dallas Cowboys last night in Sunday Night Football. The Saints were able to obtain their first win of the season outscoring the Cowboys 26-20. C.J Spiller made his presence felt for the Saints by scoring the game winning touchdown in overtime for the Saints. That play came on the second play of overtime, where Brees hit Spiller on a wheel route up the right sideline. Spiller had been lined up as the right slot receiver while the Saints offense was in an empty formation. When the z-receiver (receiver furthest to the right) ran a slant route. It opened up separation for Spiller to run freely up the right sideline and catch the pass. The other thing that play did was put a Dallas Cowboys linebacker in charge of covering Spiller, clearly a mismatch every time. Fortunately for the Saints Spiller was able to finish that play in the end zone for six points and a much needed team win. Brees finished the game with 33 completions on 41 passing attempts for 359 yards and 2 touchdowns. A stellar performance for a player who was playing through a bruised rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder. An injury that is a major concern for a position like quarterback. As far as Spiller goes believe it or not he was better through the air than on the ground. He led all Saints receivers with 99 yards and a touchdown. Mark Ingram also had a notable performance for the Saints offense contributing 77 yards rushing the ball. He also was able to record 6 receptions for 51 yards. Showing that he can be a big factor in this Saints offense. The team will travel to take on the Eagles next Sunday, where both teams find themselves entering the game with a 1-3 record. Each team will be somewhat desperate to get the win and get a step closer to .500. A victory would go a long way for either team especially in terms of playoff aspirations. Keep an eye out for that match up in Philly.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/eschipul/

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode

Charity of the day: AARP Foundation

Go donate! www.aarp.org

Photo credit: Instagram @AmeerGuapo

Author: Jon Kuzma

It’s almost certain that one of the three 0-3 NFL teams will get a win this weekend. The question is which team will it be? It should be stated that two of the 0-3 teams reside in the NFC North a division that looks down of recent. The Detroit Lions were a playoff team last year after being reduced to rubble in one off-season. The departure of former first round draft picks Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley set this team back defensively. However it is the offensive line that seems to be the key reason for the team’s regression. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has no time to make anything happen in the Detroit Lions backfield showing that the first round draft pick of Laken Tomlinson was not enough to secure Detroit’s offensive line woes. The team will have to put even more effort into making that offensive line sustainable for a quarterback to have success. In Chicago the Bears have not seen the change they were looking for under first year coach John Fox. While Fox is a tremendous football coach, the team is severely depleted of talent and that has been the reason for these three losses. In an effort to blow the team up, the Bears have decided to ship out defensive end Jared Allen and middle linebacker Jon Bostic. Moves that show the team is looking to purge any player not fitting their long term vision. By looking to rebuild the team the Bears will look to get a fresh start. The new players coming in will be more in line with Coach Fox and general manger Ryan Pace’s plan. Maybe their plan is to go with an offensive strategy moving forward since they got rid of two key defensive players. Or maybe they just want to get younger on defense. Only time will tell but it likely won’t be the Bears getting a win this Sunday. Then you have the New Orleans Saints. After Brees missed action last Sunday look for him to get back to doing what he does best, airing the ball out. This offense has the potential to make plays, the team has just really took a step back defensively. It will be up to Brees to will this team to a victory if they do manage to bring home their first win of the season. Truthfully though out of the 0-3 teams the Lions have the best chance to win. Followed by the Saints and then the Bears. It seems like out of these three teams Detroit is the most talented and the Bears are the least. Keep an eye to see how they pan out Sunday.

Charity of day: Samaritan’s Purse

Go donate! www.samaritan.org

Photo credit: Keith Allison

Author: Jon Kuzma

The Miami Dolphins made a splash in NFL free agency when they were able to lure Ndamukong Suh away from the Detroit Lions on a 6 year 114 million dollar deal. The deal was supposed to be a step in the right direction for the Dolphins and Miami fans had playoff aspirations on their minds. Well those high expectations haven’t exactly translated to success on the field. The Dolphins enter week 4 with a record of 1-2 on the year. They also have the NFL’s 31st ranked run defense which hasn’t seen the return of investment that signing Suh should have brought. While the run defense hasn’t been good. Neither has the yards surrendered per game. The Dolphins defense is allowing 391 yards per game. A number that is much too high for all the marquee players they have on that defense. Offensively its been nearly the same story. They are ranked 19th in yards per game and 8th in passing yards per game. So while Suh was the biggest addition to the team this past off seaon. It seems like longtime Dolphin Tannehill might be producing more at the moment. That will likely change as the rest of the season unfolds. It just has to be stated that over the first three weeks you have to give credit to Tannehill whether you like him or not. Collectively as a team though the Dolphins need to improve. After spending 95 million to re-sign Tannehill and 114 million to bring Suh to the team, the Dolphins still look sluggish. Something that clearly isn’t sitting well with the team’s owner and front office and that is why we are hearing rumors that a coaching change might be imminent. Look for Suh to get back on track and help this team win some games. Also keep an eye on Tannehill and whether he can keep up his production. If he truly is a great player we will see him in a playoff game or a pro bowl.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/keithallison

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode

Charity of the day: Samaritan’s Purse

Go donate! www.samaritan.org