Photo credit: Tom Szczerbowski / Getty images Sport

Author: Jon Kuzma

The New York Jets had a great year under first year head coach Todd Bowles. The Jets finished 10-6 and were on the cusp of making the playoffs before losing their final game of the season to the Buffalo Bills. The Jets have some big challenges they face this offseason to repeat their first year success under Bowles. They must first and foremost retain free agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick was a huge reason the Jets went 10-6 he provides a spark to this offense and Fitzpatrick and Brandon Marshall have already discussed their future together in the big apple. Meaning that is more than likely that Fitzpatrick will indeed re-sign with the Jets and be back in 2016. Another year together between Marshall and Fitzpatrick could spell danger for opposing defenses. The pair already had an outstanding first performance together which saw Marshall hauling in 14 touchdowns passes. When you add in the chemistry and rhythm and timing that they will achieve in their second year. This tandem could easily be even more dynamic the second time around. Defensively the Jets must do everything they can to retain Muhammad Wilkerson. Wilkerson was the Jets best defensive lineman in 2015 recording 12 sacks on the year. However the fifth year defensive lineman out of Temple broke his leg in the final game of the season against the Bills. With the Jets limited cap space wise they will have to make some tough decisions about who stays and who goes. Not an easy decision when you have to re-sign your starting quarterback and your best defensive player. To make matters worse the Jets have to determine what they will pay Wilkerson coming off that injury. There has to be some concerns about whether or not Wilkerson will be able to return to that top form after the injury. Wilkerson’s teammate Sheldon Richardson believes Wilkerson will bounce back but also believes the Jets might not get him back. Sometimes players need a change of scenery and that might be the case for Wilkerson. Like stated above expect Fitzpatrick to return.

Charity of the day: Arbor Day Foundation

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Photo credit: Steve Nehf / Denver Post

Author: Jon Kuzma

There are plenty of big name free agents on the market but maybe none bigger than Von Miller. Von Miller was the most talented prospect NFL scout Matt Miller has ever seen. All that talent that was seen in the combines and all those grades evaluators gave Von Miller ended up panning out. His game translated well to the NFL level and in Miller’s five year career he has managed to record 60 total sacks. That 12 sacks a year average has helped shape the Broncos into one of the best defenses in the league. Now with Miller slated to hit the open market after the season it will be up to the Broncos to do everything they can to keep one of their top players in Denver. With the talent and skills Miller brings to the table he will certainly be courted by more than several teams. Don’t be surprised if a team like the Oakland Raiders try to make a push for the 5th year pass rusher. Could you imagine that Raiders defense with Khalil Mack and Von Miller on it? The Raiders have a ton of cap room and we all know how often players jump teams but stay in division. So that could be one destination for Miller if he does leave.

Eric Berry is another talented player who is slated to hit the open market. It would be weird if Andy Reid didn’t try to retain the talented safety, but if he can’t there will a number of teams that will bid for Berry’s services. Berry is truly one of the most talented players in the league and would help upgrade any defense on the backend. If teams are wary of his health concerns Eric Weddle might be a decent fill in. Weddle is also a free agent heading into the offense season and with the way the Chargers treated him he won’t be back with that franchise.

Finally Bruce Irvin and even Kirk Cousins are free agents. You have to think that the Redskins will get a deal struck with Cousins however nothing is guaranteed. If the Skins want to emulate the success they had this year the first step would be re-signing Couins no matter what it takes. As far as Irvin goes, he had 5.5 sacks this year and will be a cheaper option than Von Miller. A team with limited cap space looking to add more pass rush might see Irvin as a good fit. The Jets are team who might look at Irvin to stack behind that talented defensive line. Adding Irvin would bolster the Jets pass rush even more and at the same time not break their back financially. Keep an eye out for more free agent updates to come. There will be some changes happening personnel wise for the NFL landscape.

Charity of the day: American Kidney Fund

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Photo credit: Ronald C. Modra / Sports Imagery

Author: Jon Kuzma

Yesterday endzoneblog.com’s question was used on NFL Network’s R and B podcast. The question of “is Cam Newton the greatest quarterback of all time?” was asked and the hosts Nate Burleson and Michael Robinson really nailed it with their observations of Cam. I must admit before going on the show I had the exact same opinion of Newton myself. After seeing Cam play the game this year one thing dawned on me. I felt like I was watching the greatest dual threat quarterback of all time. A guy that not only had the speed to run the football and evade defenders, but also a guy who had the size to endure the hits a running quarterback must take in the NFL. While Cam can run effectively he isn’t just a mobile quarterback. Newton has the ability to sit in the pocket, hitch step and make the big throws all night. Showing how much work he has put in to polish himself as a passer. That translated on the field to 35 touchdown and 3,837 yards. When you also add in he ran for 10 touchdowns and 636 yards you begin to understand why he is indeed the best dual threat quarterback of all time. He beats out some stiff competition in big name players such as Randal Cunningham, and Michael Vick. Stats wise he is better than Vick and by the end of his career he will surpass Cunningham. Another player he beats out is the highly respected Steve Young. Young was a tremendously talented passer who had a little scoot to him. Yet Cam Newton is a much more talented runner and has a better claim to the title of dual threat quarterback. Fran Tarkenton was one of the best mobile quarterbacks of the past. However quarterbacks of the past weren’t as polished passers as we see today. Tarkenton never threw for 35 touchdowns in a season nor never ran for 10 touchdowns in a season. So Cam Newton is better dual threat quarterback than Tarkenton as well. It’s undisputed Newton is the greatest dual threat quarterback the game has ever seen and it really isn’t even close. It’s scary how good Newton can be especially if he takes takes the mental strides like Michael Robinson mentioned in the podcast. On behalf of Endzoneblog.com thank you to NFL Network for allowing us on the show.

Check out the the Endzoneblog on NFL Network at the link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVXLgr6OKJ8&feature=youtu.be

Charity of the day: American Kidney Fund

Go donate! www.kidneyfund.org

Photo credit: Scott Cunningham / Getty Images Sport

Author: Jon Kuzma

Carolina and Arizona will meet up in the NFC championship game this weekend. These teams have a few similarities and you can clearly tell why they both made it this far. First and foremost they both have dynamic offenses. Whether it is Cam Newton with the Panthers beating defenses with his feet and his arm. Or Carson Palmer with the Cardinals who is the poised pocket passer making the big time throws. Both quarterbacks lead these offenses and put their team in a position to win football games. As far as the running game comparison goes. The Panthers have the advantage being ranked second in the league with a 142.6 yards per game average. That is compared to the Cardinals 119 yards per game and 8th overall ranking. The Panthers main contributor in those outstanding rushing efforts is Jonathan Stewart. Who finished the season with 989 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns. Cam Newton is also a very lethal rusher for this Panthers offense. He ran for 636 yards and 10 touchdowns for the season. Proving that he gets it done in other ways besides just passing the ball for this offense. As far as the defense goes for both teams. The Carolina Panther surrendered 308 points in the regular season compared to the Cardinals 313. That 313 points was also before the Cardinals Tyrann Mathieu was sidelined with an ACL tear in his right knee. The Cardinals were able to get pass the Packers without the honey badger but sooner or later they are going to miss that 5 interception a year production on the backend of the defense. For the Panthers defense they will have to get over the loss of Jarred Allen. Allen will likely miss the game this weekend with a foot injury. Still Luke Kuechly and company will pose a serious threat for Carson Palmer and the Cardinals. The Panthers D gave Russell Wilson fits early on in the NFC divisional round and they will try to emulate that success this weekend against Arizona.

Keep an eye on Larry Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald was the x factor last weekend for the Cardinals. He can single handedly put the team on his back and win games for the Cardinals. If the team wants to make it to Levi Stadium and the Super Bowl it will need two more big performances from Larry Fitzgerald. Will that be enough to get past the Panthers? It’s hard to say but it will be nearly impossible for the Cardinals to win if Fitzgerald doesn’t show up and have a big game. For the Panther they just have to keep playing solid defense and stick to the ground game. Those have been the keys to their success.

Charity of the day: Children’s Cancer Fund of America

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Photo credit: Dustin Bradford

Author: Jon Kuzma

The New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos will meet again in the AFC championship game. Both team’s quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are familiar foes who have faced off head to head 17 different times. At this point in their careers you have to give the advantage to Tom Brady who threw for 36 touchdowns and 4,770 yards in the regular season. That is compared to Peyton Manning’s 9 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in the regular season. So the Pats are clearly the more explosive team when it comes to the passing game. In the running game you have to give the advantage to the Broncos. With the combination of Ronnie Hillman and CJ Anderson the Broncos can really wear teams down with their rushing attack. Defensively the Broncos also have the advantage. They were the number 1 defense in total yards surrendered and they were the best defense against the pass. They also finished 3rd in rushing yards surrendered as well. The Broncos defense is in the top three in the league in all three major defensive statistics. Showing that this defense has been just outstanding all season long in a number of different ways. If they can get to Tom Brady and stir things up. The Broncos just might have a chance at winning this thing and moving on to the Super Bowl. For the Patriots it has to be about giving Tom time to throw and stopping the Broncos running game. Those are the key match ups for this weekend. Both franchises are very good football teams but only one of them can move on to the big game. History tells you defense wins championships but truthfully this one is too close to call. We will just have to wait and see which team can edge it out.

Charity of the day: Children’s Cancer Fund of America

Go donate! www.ccfoa.org

Photo credit: Dustin Bradford / Getty Images Sport

Author: Jon Kuzma

The Denver Broncos are heading back to the AFC championship game after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 23-16. The Broncos defense did a great job of shutting down the Steelers dynamic offense which isn’t an easy task. Ben Roethlisberger who played in the match up despite having torn ligaments in his AC joint. Was absurdly effective for the physical condition that he was in. Roethlisberger finished the game with 339 passing yards but the Broncos defense were able to keep him from throwing any touchdown passes. Huge when you consider Roethlisberger has been able to throw 272 touchdown passes over the duration of his career. Another notable stat was the fact that the Broncos defense didn’t let the Steelers rush for a 100 yards as a team. By effectively taking away the Steelers run game it really tilted the odds in Denver’s favor. Offensively the Broncos weren’t overwhelming effective but they did do enough to get it done. Peyton Manning threw for 222 yards but he didn’t throw any touchdown passes. While Brock Osweiler would of likely gave the team more yardage and more touchdowns. One thing Manning did do well is not turn the ball over and with a young quarterback like Osweiler. You have to wonder if he would of came out through a few interceptions and got down on himself like some young players do. As much as we knew Osweiler is a better choice physically. Manning’s mental skill set might be a big factor for the Broncos. On one particular play Manning audibled to a run away from the blitz and that play perfectly captured how Manning can have an impact despite his old age. On the other hand if the Broncos want to move forward into the future these reps in the playoffs would be essential for Brock Osweiler and moving forward. Could you imagine how good Brock Osweiler would be in the playoffs next year if he had the opportunity to grow in the playoffs this year? If the Broncos don’t win the Super Bowl the right answer was certainly starting Brock. It’s Super Bowl or bust for the Broncos with Manning. They get a step closer by meeting the Patriots in the AFC championship Sunday. While the Steelers will try to get better defensively in the offseason. Offensively they are outstanding.

Photo credit: Streeter Lecka

Author: Jon Kuzma

The Carolina Panthers put together an outstanding first half yesterday in their NFC divisional round match up with the Seattle Seahawks. That first half the Panthers were able to score 31 unanswered points leaving Seattle feeling dazed and confused. The scoring came on both sides of the ball whether it was Cam Newton throwing a touchdown pass or Luke Kuechly intercepting a pass and returning it for a touchdown. One thing was certainly clear the Panthers came out of the gate with a ton of momentum and really took it to the Seahawks. Cortland Finnegan also did a great job of intercepting a Russell Wilson pass early on and together with the Panthers pass rush they troubled Wilson early and often. If Carolina can play every game like they did in the first half against the Seahawks. They will certainly win the Super Bowl. They man handled a Seattle team that has been to two straight Super Bowls. Not an easy task, but still there has to be some concerns with how the Panthers closed the game. In the second half the Panthers didn’t score a point. While the Seahawks rallied to score 24 unanswered points in that same half. It was odd that the Panthers completely shut down in all phases of the game. However you have to acknowledge that the Seahawks’ backs were against the wall and they were fighting to keep their season alive. Russell Wilson despite struggling in the first half, was able to throw for 3 touchdowns passes in that second half. Igniting hope in his team and really closing the gap in this football game. Pete Carroll stated after the game “everyone believed we were going to win.” It was evident in the Seahawks play that their coach was telling the truth. The Seahawks left it all out on the field, it just wasn’t enough after a poor first half. The Panthers will move on to face the Arizona Cardinals in the AFC championship this weekend. Kick off is Sunday at 6:40 P.M.

Charity of the day: African Wildlife Foundation

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Photo credit: Al Bello / Getty Images Sport

Author: Jon Kuzma

The New England Patriots did what they always do in the postseason, win football games. The Patriots did a great job of minimizing the Chiefs offense and that was really the key to the game. For all the credit that Brady and the Patriot’s offense receive. You really have to appreciate the effort that the Patriots defense has given the team the last two years. By acquiring top tier draft picks on the defensive side of the ball the Patriots have slowly developed into a very stout team on defense. That was done by adding players like Dont’a Hightower, Jamie Collins, and Malcom Brown all players who were highly coveted players entering the professional ranks. After time those players changed the culture for the Patriots defense. So while Bill Belichick says his 3rd down defense “wasn’t good enough” against the Chiefs. You have to understand Belichick holds that defense to a very high standard. The Chiefs gave other teams fits but the Patriots made them a shell of their former selves. There were no kick returns for touchdowns to open the game like the Chiefs did against the Texans. There were no runs by Alex Smith that kept the Patriots defense on their heels. Instead the Chiefs were effectively contained by the Patriots and offensively the Patriots were too much as well. Tom Brady finished the game with 302 passing yards and 2 touchdowns in the game. Showing that Brady was clearly the most talented quarterback on the field yesterday and a big reason why the Patriots won. Edelman had a great day in terms of hauling in yards for New England. He finished the day with a 100 yards and looked good breaking in and out of routes. Rob Gronkowski also had a huge day for New England recording 83 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. The Patriots move on to meet the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship next weekend in postseason action. Winner will move on to the Super Bowl.

Charity of the day: One Acre Fund

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Photo credit: Christian Petersen

Author: Jon Kuzma

Red zone (red alert) the Cardinals have taken down the Green Bay Packers!

The Arizona Cardinals were able to outlast the Green Bay Packers 26-20 in overtime. In a game that saw plenty of back and fourth action it was the Cardinals who were able to make the big play when it mattered the most. Quarterback Carson Palmer had a great day for the Cardinals offense finishing the game with 3 touchdowns and 348 passing yards. Michael Floyd was on the receiving end of two of those Carson Palmer touchdown passes. Showing that Floyd is the same dynamic threat in the NFL as he was at Notre Dame. The player who had the most dominant performance for the Cardinals was Larry Fitzgerald though. Fitzgerald showed why he is regarded as one of the top receivers in the National Football League. The 12th year pro out of Pittsburgh finished the game with 8 receptions and 176 receiving yards. After Aaron Rodgers was able to hit a walk off Hail Mary to Jeff Janis to send the game to overtime. Fitzgerald came alive and willed this team down the field. His first catch in overtime went for 75 yards and he was able to make a number of Packers defenders miss as he advanced the ball downfield. With the game on the line in overtime and the Cardinals desperate to get into the end zone to end the game. The team called on Fitzgerald once again. This time on a shuttle pass for 5 yards which Fitz finished in the end zone. The Cardinals victory ends the Packers season, while the Cardinals will move on to the NFC championship game. They will face the winner of the Panthers and Seahawks game. A tough match up for the Cardinals but this team has been playing great all year. They can compete with anyone and Seattle or Carolina will have their hands full come next weekend.

Charity of the day: One Acre Fund

Go donate! www.oneacrefund.org

Photo credit: Norm Hall / Getty Images Sport

Author: Jon Kuzma

The Arizona Cardinals have been one of the best teams in pro football all year long. They are a dynamic team that can beat you in a number of ways. Carson Palmer is really the focal point of the offense and he has had a tremendous year recording 35 touchdowns and 4,671 passing yards. It will be interesting to see how that week layoff effects the Cardinals when they host the Packers tonight in the NFC divisional round match up. For most of the year they’ve been a dynamic offense that put up a load of points. The Cardinals are ranked 1st in yards per game (408.3 yards) and second in points scored per game (30.6 points). So they pose a serious risk for the Packers secondary and it will be interesting to see how the Packers defensive backs match up against the Cardinals wide receivers. The Cardinals also have a wide range of wide receivers that can beat you a number of ways. From the veteran Larry Fitzgerald to young dynamic playmakers like John Brown. The other thing that is really in the Cardinals favor is their defensive pass rush. The Packers really struggle to protect quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Cardinals have a top ten defense in every statistical category and that is another advantage for this team heading into that match up. Rodgers and the Packers were able to iron out their wrinkles against the Redskins. That was a great effort from Green Bay but they will have a much tougher time against Dwight Freeney, Patrick Peterson, and the rest of the Cardinals defense. Look for the Cardinals to do their best in eliminating Eddie Lacy, and James Starks as well. Those players together make up the Packers rushing attack and help relieve Rodgers in this Packers offense. Bruce Arians is a very good football coach and keys in on these situations and these players. That is why they’ve had the success that they’ve had and why the Cardinals will likely beat the Packers tonight.

Charity of the day: American Humane Association

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