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Author: Jon Kuzma

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The Kansas City Chiefs were thoroughly tested by the Washington Redskins but in the end the Chiefs were able to pull out a 29-20 win. Alex Smith made some incredible throws for the Kansas City offense and when things were all said and done the Chiefs quarterback threw for 293 yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions for the night. Kareem Hunt also did his thing for the Chiefs, Hunt proved why he has been the best running back in the league so far with a 101 yard performance against a tough Redskins defense. In the passing game Travis Kelce had the most notable impact. Kelce hauled in 111 receiving yards and 1 touchdown catch. Together these three players have been the foundation for the Chiefs offense and what a year they are having. The losing team in this contest was led by Kirk Cousins. Cousins played pretty well with 220 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. As good as the Washington quarterback was the Redskins need to score more than 20 points in order to win these highly competitive match ups. Terrelle Pryor did give this team a boost with 70 yards and 1 receiving touchdown but not one Redskins player went over 100 yards rushing or receiving. Bennie Logan was pretty good defensively for the Chiefs the Kansas City nose tackle had 4 tackles on the night. Marcus Peters contributed 4 tackles and forced fumbled to KC’s defensive efforts too. On the other sideline the Redskins were led by Zach Brown who had a team high 9 tackles. DJ Swearinger put up 5 tackles and a sack as well. Give credit to the Chiefs for weathering the storm. This team was actually trailing the Redskins 10-0 heading into the second quarter. Andy Reid’s team is extremely resilient though and now Kansas City improves to an impressive 4-0 on the year. They’re a lot of fun to watch.

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Author: Jon Kuzma

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It’s no secret that Mitchell Trubisky is one of the most promising rookie quarterbacks this year and now Trubisky will finally get his chance to command the Bears offense full time. Chicago Head Coach John Fox officially gave the reins to the 2nd overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft and Trubisky takes over for a struggling Mike Glennon. It’s pretty obvious that Trubisky is a more gifted thrower than Glennon, particularly in the arm strength department. So that should help the Bears offense put up more big plays through the air and ultimately that’s going to make this team more competitive. Additionally Trubisky is physically stronger than Glennon which should result in the rookie being able to break more tackles and extending the play more often. All of those abilities are much more favorable than what Glennon brought to the table and now if you’re a Bears fan you really wish the team used that $45 million dollars on a more worthy player than their former starter (Glennon). That money could have been used on two or three offensive skill players to help Trubisky out but now it’s just wasted money down the drain. It also feels like Chicago decided to make the change after seeing everything DeShaun Watson has been able to accomplish down in Houston. It just goes to show that even though a guy is a rookie it doesn’t mean that player can’t have a big impact for his team. Trubisky truthfully should have been starting from day 1 however Fox’s conservative approach have led this team to a 1-3 record on the year. Obviously that won’t sit well with Bears ownership and now it’s really up to Mitchell Trubisky to save John Fox’s job. With 12 games left in the season anything is possible especially with a much better quarterback is at the helm. Keep in mind the quarterback position is the most important in pro football so this is significant upgrade for the Chicago Bears.

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Author: Jon Kuzma

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The Seattle Seahawks have been know for their defense over the past several seasons and Pete Carroll’s team stayed true to their character in a 46-18 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Justin Coleman and Bobby Wagner were two notable stand outs for the Seattle defense, each player scored a defensive touchdown and when you can put up points defensively most of the time you’re going to walk away with a win. Russell Wilson had a decent performance in this game too he threw for 295 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Wilson also ran for a rushing touchdown and did everything he could to help his team get the job done. Maybe the most surpassing performance in this match up was Seahawks Running Back J.D McKissic. McKissic was activated right before the game because C.J Prosise couldn’t play, McKissic responded by rushing for 1 touchdown and catching another touchdown. With the Seahawks being thin at the running back position expect J.D McKissic’s role to expand after such a strong performance. Jacoby Brissett looked good at moments for the Colts but it wasn’t enough to pull this one out. Brissett threw for 157 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. It’s obvious that Brissett can throw the football, he has a strong arm and can deliver strikes. However Jacoby Brisset has to avoid turnovers in order to become an elite player in this league. That will come with maturity but there’s definitely some potential there for the Colts signal caller. Robert Turbin ended up rushing for a Colts touchdown in the 2nd quarter, while Donte Moncrief added another Indianapolis touchdown shortly after. In the second half though the Seahawks outscored the Colts 36-3. It’s obvious Chuck Pagano’s team came out flat after halftime and that ended up costing Indianapolis the win. The Seahawks improved to 2-2 on the year and should be a little bit more confident heading into a week 5 NFC West showdown against the Los Angeles Rams. On the other hand the Colts will take on the San Francisco 49ers in what should be a winnable game for them.

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Author: Jon Kuzma

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The Los Angeles Rams got a very impressive win when they battled back to beat the Dallas Cowboys 35-30. The Cowboys were actually winning at halftime in this match up but Todd Gurley would go on to will the Rams to victory. Gurley finished the day with 121 rushing yards, 94 receiving yards, and 1 touchdown reception. It’s offensive production like that which leads to Pro Bowl caliber seasons and Gurley has been absolutely sensational in 2017. Jared Goff has also made significant strides in his own development. Goff threw for 2 touchdowns, 255 passing yards, and 0 interceptions against a tough Cowboys defensive front. The fact that Goff is putting up multiple touchdown passes and not turning over the football says a lot about the young quarterback’s growth. Jared Goff is a big reason the Rams are 3-1 on the year so far. Rookie Rams Receiver Cooper Kupp caught a touchdown pass to continue his impressive first season as pro. Kupp has been one of Goff’s favorite receivers and he is a great role player for this team. On the opposite sidelines Dak Prescott had a pretty good day throwing for 3 touchdowns, 252 passing yards, and 1 interception. Ezekiel Elliott ran the ball pretty well too rushing for 85 yards and 1 touchdown. Elliott also caught a touchdown pass as well so he got it done threw the air and on the ground. James Hanna and Brice Butler each hauled in a touchdown reception apiece for the Cowboys passing game. However Dallas couldn’t muster up any points on their final drive of the game and that was it for the Cowboys. On the defensive side of the ball Mark Barron was pretty good for the Rams recording 7 tackles and 1 interception. Alec Ogletree was pretty impressive for Los Angeles too he had 7 total tackles. Jaylon Smith is completely healed for the Cowboys and led the team with 10 tackles. Demarcus Lawrence was his usual self registering 4 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble. Los Angeles is officially the real deal and should be the frontrunner to win the NFC West.

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Photo credit: Streeter Lecka / Getty Images Sport Author: Jon Kuzma

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The Carolina Panthers have a very serious problem on their hands. After Cam Newton threw for 35 touchdowns and won the Most Valuable Player award back in 2015, Newton has thrown for only 21 touchdowns over the past two seasons combined. That lack of production has significantly reduced Carolina’s offensive output and just last weekend Newton was actually benched. While we do know Newton is lagging to a degree because he had shoulder surgery there are other problems with the veteran quarterback’s play. Cam Newton has really struggled with his attitude and overall approach to the game the past two years. If you watched any of the 2016 season it didn’t start well at all for the Panthers signal caller and right away Newton was complaining about taking hits. It was pretty obvious that Cam Newton was unraveling mentally from the physicality of the sport. A starting quarterback should know beforehand that he is going to have to take some shots from time to time. There’s no room in pro football for whining, not only did that hurt Cam’s psyche it had a detrimental effect on his ability to lead. The rest of Newton’s teammates could definitely tell their alpha dog was out of sync and that’s a big reason why this team has been irrelevant ever since going to the Super Bowl. If the former Auburn alum wants to get back to playing at a high level he has to understand that football is meant to be fun. Instead of getting up with poor body language after taking a hit, Newton should instead aim to stay loose and upbeat. The other thing the Panthers have to do is take advantage of zone reads, bootlegs, and roll outs so they can use Newton’s strengths to help him out a bit. Those play calls will go along way in getting Cam Newton’s confidence back. Everything else should fall into place from there.

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Author: Jon Kuzma

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The Jacksonville Jaguars knew they were getting a special player when they drafted Leonard Fournette in the first round of last spring’s NFL Draft but Fournette has still exceeded expectations. Fournette has been a spark plug for the Jaguars offense rushing for 199 yards and 3 touchdowns over the first three games and when you average a touchdown per game that’s significant production. If Fournette keeps up his outstanding play the Offensive Rookie of the Year award will certainly come down to Dalvin Cook and Fournette. Right now Cook has more yards with 288 but Fournette has 3 touchdowns to Cooks’ 1. Keep an eye on those two players as the season progresses on because they’ve definitely been the most productive rookies. The other thing you have to note is that the Jacksonville Jaguars are 2-1 on the season. Last year the Jags finished with a 3-13 record which was about as bad as it can get. To think this team has completely turned it around and are playing winning football says a lot about the changes they’ve made. One thing Jacksonville struggled to do in 2016 was run the football, that proves Fournette has completely changed the mentality of the Jaguars offense. So it’s clear the rookie running back has had a tremendous impact for Doug Marrone’s football team. That’s huge because Jacksonville is nervous about putting too much on Blake Bortles’ shoulders. Chris Ivory, and TJ Yeldon couldn’t alleviate the pressure off Bortles like Fournette has been able to do. Which makes it pretty obvious that Leonard Fournette has been the x-factor for the Jags after the first three weeks. It will be up to the the 22 yard old Fournette to maintain his tenacity through the next 13 games but so far so good for the former LSU Tiger.

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This week’s Thursday Night Football game was an old rivalry game between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. The game was stopped after the first quarter for a 47 minute lightning delay but when play resumed it was the Packers who surged ahead to a 35-14 victory. Aaron Rodgers was in typical fashion throwing for 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in this contest. Rodgers only finished with 179 yards through the air but it was enough to put the Packers out front by a significant lead. Rookie Running back Alex Jones had a decent night after subbing in for Ty Montgomery who left the game with broken ribs. Jones finished the night with 49 yards and 1 rushing touchdowns. Jordy Nelson was Green Bay’s best player outside of Rodgers, Nelson hauled in 75 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. Randall Cobb and and Davante Adams both caught a touchdown as well, Adams then had a scary situation where he was stretchered off the field with a severe head and neck injury. Apparently Adams has movement in all his extremities but he was taken to the hospital for a further evaluation. Haha Clinton-Dix played one of his better games for the Packers defense recording 8 tackles and 1 interception. Clay Matthews was as good as he always is putting up 3 tackles, 1 sacks, and a forced fumble. Mike Glennon did his best to keep the Bears competitive; Glennon tossed 1 touchdown, 218 yards, and 2 interceptions. Jordan Howard had the best night out of any Bears running back or receiver he ran for 53 yards and 1 touchdown. Kendall Wright was on the receiving end of Glennon’s touchdown pass, Wright also added 51 receiving yards. Danny Trevathan was Chicago’s best defender he ended up with 13 tackles. However Trevathan’s performance will be overshadowed by the dirty hit he put on Davante Adams. Expect Trevathan to be disciplined by the league office for his actions especially since Adams was wrapped up and a defenseless player. Adrian Amos had a big night defensively for the Bears too, he stopped 8 plays. To sum everything up the Packers had control of this game for all 4 quarters. The Packers will be dominant as long as Aaron Rodgers is healthy and on the field. This team will battle with the Detroit Lions for the NFC North title down the stretch. Ultimately expect the Packers to be back in the playoffs when the postseason gets here.

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The New York Giants have one of the most dynamic players in the entire league in Odell Beckham Jr. but the Giants seem to be growing frustrated with their star receiver. Beckham is known for catching a 1,000 yards every year since he has been in the league but he is also developing a reputation as an emotional hot head. Whether it’s fighting with opposing players (Josh Norman), punching the kicking net, or the recent dog urine celebration he did. Beckham seems to continuously annoy his employer with all of his extracurricular activities. Now to be fair Odell Beckham Jr. hasn’t got in any legal trouble and he does produce more than just about anyone else at the wide receiver position. That is luckily a feather in Beckham’s cap or helmet in this case, however it’s pretty obvious that New York is going to discipline Odell Beckham Jr. if he doesn’t clean up his act a bit. The problem for the Giants is if they do go forward with reprimanding Beckham the fourth year player out of LSU won’t be very happy at all. Beckham made it very clearly in his comments this week that he feels he is a big portion of the Giants success and he knows this team will greatly struggle without him. Punishing Beckham will likely cause the Pro Bowl receiver to push his way out of the Big Apple and then in the end the Giants will be the one’s who end up losing out. So truthfully because of Beckham’s outstanding contributions over the past three seasons he is actually holding all of the cards in this situation. The only way New York could really hold Beckham accountable is by inactivating the wide out or trading him to a doormat football team. Out of those two choices the second option is better for Ben McAdoo’s team because at least they could get some picks or players in return. It’s a little early to speculate that this is what the outcome will be but if Beckham continues to embarrass the organization and the Mara family that’s exactly where things are headed.

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The Kansas Chiefs are undefeated with a 3-0 record after 3 weeks of NFL action and Andy Reid’s team also has a very quality win under their belt by beating the Patriots in week 1. Apparently Alex Smith has dedicated himself to improvement after Kansas City drafted Patrick Mahomes and so far Smith has looked exceptional leading this football team. Smith has compiled 7 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions on the year, that has helped put the Chiefs in positive situations and so far the team has responded well. One player who has really brought it this season is rookie Running Back Kareem Hunt. Hunt has already put up 401 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns over three games. With Spencer Ware going down in the preseason, Hunt has not only kept this team competitive he has actually made them better than they would be with Ware as their starter. Don’t expect to see Hunt relinquish his job to anyone anytime soon the rookie is too good to be on the sidelines and he gives Kansas City the best chance to win. Tyreek Hill is still extremely explosive for Arrowhead Nation too, he has continued to build on the strong season he put up in 2016. Hill has hauled in 253 yards and 2 touchdowns so far. On the defensive side of the ball everything starts with longtime stand out Justin Houston. Houston has been very effective rushing the passer, he has contributed 4 sacks to the Chiefs defensive efforts. Reid’s team also has received a huge boost from Marcus Peters who has been statistically the best corner of all time over his first three seasons. So clearly there is a lot to like about this ball club and the future is definitely bright. KC will certainly make the playoffs this year but the question will be whether or not they can knock off teams like the Patriots and Steelers? All of this regular season success will be for nothing if the Chiefs can’t beat those teams but fortunately for the fans of Missouri it looks like Kansas City has progressed past those AFC Championship teams.

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