Due to some time constraints, this will be an abridged version of what happened over the weekend.
1) Oregon Ducks
Week 13 Result: Beat Colorado Buffaloes 44-10 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 1
The Ducks are pretty much a lock right now for the playoffs. They play Oregon State next week and will likely have a rematch against UCLA for the PAC-12 Championship. We know that this team can put up points, but I'm more interested in seeing how their defense plays come the playoffs. Can they stop a team like Alabama from running the ball down their throats? Will they be able to fend off Jameis or the mysterious fourth team in? That remains to be seen.
2) Alabama Crimson Tide
Week 13 Result: Beat Western Carolina Catamounts 48-14 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 2
Kirk Herbstreit called the SEC teams playing FCS teams in the second to last week "the worst thing in college football". I have to agree with him. Amari Cooper was hurt in this game, but by all expectations he should be ready to go next week against Auburn. I know Auburn has been slumping, but they will need him as you know Malzahn will bring his very best to this Iron Bowl match up.
3) Florida State Seminoles
Week 13 Result: Beat Boston College Golden Eagles 20-17 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 3
God, this team is so annoying. They consistently blue ball everybody by playing down to their competition, only to pull win after win out of their ass. I don't know if it will catch up to them before the playoffs, but I really do think there are a few teams that could beat the Seminoles on a neutral site.
4) TCU Horned Frogs
Week 13 Result: Bye Week
Last Week's Ranking: 4
5) Baylor Bears
Week 13 Result: Beat Oklahoma State Cowboys 49-28 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 5
We wont' know until tomorrow night what Baylor will be ranked by the committee. Baylor or TCU is going to be debated constantly down the stretch, but they do hold the edge in the head to head. All they can really do is win convincingly since the BIG 12 doesn't have a championship game.
6) Ohio State Buckeyes
Week 13 Result: Beat Indiana Hoosiers 42-27 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 6
Ohio State has won the last two games in sloppy fashion after destroying Michigan State only a few weeks before. They've secured a spot in the BIG-10 Championship Game where they will likely play Wisconsin. If their offense doesn't get out of this rut and improve their run defense, Wisconsin could be a bit of a nightmare scenario for a young team.
7) Mississippi State Bulldogs
Week 13 Result: Beat Vanderbilt Commodores 51-0 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 7
Mississippi State should have no problem taking care of Ole Miss next week. They were embarrassed by Arkansas last week as they were completely shut out and turned the ball over six times. The real team they need to root for this week is Auburn to pull a miracle win at Tuscaloosa.
8) Michigan State Spartans
Week 13 Result: Beat Rutgers Scarlet Knights 45-3 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 8
Playing for a respectable bowl game. They should be able to secure another double digit season in Happy Valley.
9) Georgia Bulldogs
Week 13 Result: Beat Charleston Southern Buccaneers 55-9 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 9
Like Mississippi State, Georgia has to hope that another team can take care of business to give them a boost. If Arkansas beats Mizzou, Georgia would go to the SEC Championship Game by virtue of the head to head win. Providing they can take care of business against Georgia Tech's triple option.
10) Wisconsin Badgers
Week 13 Result: Beat Iowa Hawkeyes 26-24 in Iowa City
Last Week's Ranking: 10
Melvin Gordon had another great game to propel is team and keep them in the running for the B1G West. They should beat able to get past Minnesota this week and would be well on their way to a game against the Buckeyes.
Monday, November 24, 2014
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Week 12 Top Ten
1) Oregon Ducks
Week 12 Result: Bye Week
Last Week's Ranking: 2
2) Alabama Crimson Tide
Week 12 Result: Beat No. 1 Mississippi State Bulldogs 25-20 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 3
Alabama played a tough game and came out with a solid victory at home over the top ranked team, but it is a bit unsettling how this team can't always be consistent. They had a 19 point lead at one point but allowed the Bulldogs to come back and never really put the game away. Consistent quarterback play is what continues to keep them from truly excelling. Blake Sims completed 19 of 31 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown, but also left some plays on the field. He also hasn't been running quite as effectively in recent weeks as he was in the beginning of the season. However, his life is made much easier by Amari Cooper. Cooper has had a few drops over the last couple of weeks, but he still shows week in and week out that he is capable of making big plays when called upon. Him and DeAndrew White combined for 12 catches and 128 yards and were able to find soft spots in the defense all day. It was tough running for TJ Yeldon and Derrick Henry all day, but they got the job done by rushing for over 100 yards and two touchdowns combined on the afternoon. Yeldon looked to have regained his explosiveness after suffering a leg injury against LSU last week and was really the catalyst for the offense. Defensively, Alabama played a great game but also benefited from poor concentration by the Bulldogs receivers. They didn't allow Dak Prescott a lot of running room, containing him 82 yards on 22 carries and completely blanketed his receivers. The defensive backs had arguably the best game of the year, providing tight coverage and getting their hands on a bunch of passes. They picked off Prescott three times on the day, including two in the redzone when the Bulldogs were trying to get some momentum going. Their defensive line was equally impressive, clogging running lanes and firing into the backfield. Mississippi State ran for 138 yards, but they did it at 3.5 yards per carry and could not rely on it to get them first downs in third and short situations. With how poor Auburn has been playing, I think Alabama is a lock to make the playoffs.
3) Florida State Seminoles
Week 12 Result: Beat Miami Hurricanes 30-26 in Miami
Last Week's Ranking: 5
The AP Poll has the Noles ranked first this week, but I still am not completely sold. I have to give a lot of credit to Jimbo who is a genius at half time adjustments, but I just get the feeling that one of these games they will dig themselves into a hole too big to climb out of. You also have to wonder if they would have won this game if Miami had stuck with their strategy from the first half, which was to feed Duke Johnson the football. The Noles defensive front got bullied around in the first half as Johnson had a touchdown and over 100 yards, but only got a few carries in the second half. Johnson was simply untouched as he reached the linebackers on most carries. Their secondary was also tested very early in the game as they had to commit more men to the box and the corners were put in one on one situations. Freshman Brad Kaaya had a lot of success and receivers were able to get good separation from the corners. Phillip Dorsett and tight end Clive Walford both found a lot of room and made tough catches, but when Miami was driving Jalen Ramsey sealed the game with a pick with tight coverage. Offensively, Florida State had a rough start to the game as they really weren't able to get into any sort of rhythm. Jameis seemed off with his receivers, but a 44 yard touchdown run by Dalvin Cook opened up the scoring and gave them some momentum. Cook also had the go ahead touchdown run with just a few minutes left in the game. Jameis completed 25 of his 42 passes on the day, but again was just really unspectacular. He was credited for a touchdown pass on a fluke play where the ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage and caught by his running back near the goal line who was able to just walk in. He also threw a pick on the night, his twelfth of the season. He was able to get more receivers than just Rashad Greene involved, but the big plays just weren't available. It was a good win after being down by 13 points, but this team needs to start getting off to faster starts.
4) Texas Christian Horned Frogs
Week 12 Result: Beat Kansas Jayhawks 34-30 in Lawrence
Last Week's Ranking: 4
This was not a pretty game for TCU as they were almost upset in embarrassing fashion by a Kansas team that just won their first conference game last week in almost four years. It was a sloppy game offensively by TCU that allowed the Jayhawks to grab a big lead on them and keep it going until a punt return put the Horned Frogs on top. TCU fumbled the ball twice early in the game that allowed Kansas to jump out 13-10 lead at half time that they continued to build into a 27-17 lead. They still managed to rack up over 450 yards of total offense, but you would think they could put up some more points with that kind of yardage. Trevone Boykin had a bit of a rough game. He still completed 72% of his passes for 330 yards, but he threw only one touchdown pass and also threw an interception to give them three turnovers on the day. He also ran the ball 11 times for only two yards. Kansas did a great job of closing off lanes when he began to take off. It was like that for the running backs too as they only manged 3.6 yards per carry in this game after having a ton of success in their previous games against much tougher defenses. It was also a bit shocking to see the pass defense play this poorly for TCU. Their run defense was phenomenal as they allowed just over two yards a carry, but they allowed a ton of big plays to Kansas's receivers. Two receivers, Jimmay Mundine and Nigel King, each had over 100 yards and a touchdown on the night. Kansas quarterback Michael Cummings turned a mere 19 completions into 332 yards and two touchdowns. We've seen TCU give up serious chunks of yards and points to high octane offenses before, but Kansas is pretty much the exact opposite of that description. This game could cost them in the playoff rankings as the committee could really question how good they are.
5) Baylor Bears
Week 12 Result: Bye Week
Last Week's Ranking: 6
6) Ohio State Buckeyes
Week 12 Result: Beat No. 25 Minnesota Golden Gophers 31-24 in Minneapolis
Last Week's Ranking: 7
The Buckeyes met a good amount of adversity in this game (much of it self inflicted) but they managed to pull out a victory in what was unanimously coined a trap game. In frigid conditions, Ohio State accounted for 489 yards of total offense on another ridiculous day for JT Barrett. Barrett got the day started with an 86 yard touchdown run on an option and that set the tone for him on the ground. Barrett is the fastest or most elusive player, but he ran the ball 17 times at an average of eleven yards. He was able to pick up crucial first downs with his feet, but struggled throwing the ball a bit in the cold weather. He had some overthrows, one of which lead to a pick, but also put the ball into some tight windows. Sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliot has improved pretty much every week this season and was really the work horse for the offense. He ran for 91 yards on 18 carries but was held out of the endzone. This game was frustrating because of the mental errors that lead directly to Minnesota points. After Jalin Marshall caught a bullet pass and ran in for a 57 yard touchdown, he fumbled the ball at the one yard line on a sweep play. Marshall also had a fumble on a muffed punt that allowed the Gophers to cut the lead to 10 halfway through the fourth quarter. Again, the cold had a lot to do with it and really affected other players. Michael Thomas dropped a pass in the endzone that would have put Ohio State up by seven going into halftime, but they ended up having the settle for the field goal. Defensively, Ohio State had a bit of a mixed outing. David Cobb is one of the best running backs in the country and ran the ball very effectively. His shiftiness got him out of situations in which he was dead to rights. He had some plays where his offensive line didn't give him any room, but overall he ran for 145 yards and three touchdowns on 5.4 yards a carry. The secondary had a much better day, picking off Mitch Leidner twice and allowing him to complete a mere seven passes for 84 yards. The Buckeyes should be able to win out the rest of the season, but if their run defense can't tighten up they will be in for a tough day against the presumable BIG West champs, Wisconsin.
7) Mississippi State Bulldogs
Week 12 Result: Lost to No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide 20-25 in Tuscaloosa
Last Week's Ranking: 1
Is it fair to drop this team six spots after losing to the number five ranked team in the country on the road? Probably not, but the fact of the matter is that the game wasn't even as close as the score indicates. Dak Prescott had a below average day, not being able to find any running lanes and made some terrible throws. With his team trailing and needing anything to get some momentum, he overthrow a wide open receiver in the endzone by about ten yards. He barely manged to complete half of his passes and threw two touchdowns, one coming in garbage time. It doesn't help that his receivers could not make some routine catches either. I'd estimate that his receivers dropped at least six passes on the day, most of them that would have given them first downs and gotten them into at least field goal range. Their offensive line really didn't show up either as they simply could not get any push in the game. Prescott and Josh Robinson had absolutely no room to run and it really stagnated their offense. Their defense played a bit better than their offense did, but it still wasn't enough to overcome the offenses shortcomings. Alabama had only 335 yards of total offense, but they got several explosive plays that put them in a position to score touchdowns. Mississippi State only dropped to number four in the polls which I obviously disagree with as shown by my rankings. I don't know if they should be seven as mine is admittedly harsh, but only dropping a few spots is a bit ridiculous. At this point, who is their signature win? At the time, their wins were impressive because of the rankings but those teams each now have at least three losses. They went into Baton Rouge and beat No. 8 LSU, but the Tigers have now lost four games and were just shut out by Arkansas who hadn't won an SEC game in their previous 16 attempts. Texas A&M was No. 6, but they seem incapable of playing defense and continue to be maddeningly inconsistent. Now, Auburn has lost three games and was annihilated by Georgia. Their resume isn't as impressive as many people think.
8) Michigan State Spartans
Week 12 Result: Beat Maryland Terrapins 37-15 in College Park
Last Week's Ranking: 10
Michigan State had a good rebound after getting shellacked by Ohio State last week, but it could be a bit too late for them. If Ohio State wins against Indiana next week, they will play in the BIG 10 Championship game. Once again, Connor Cook was very underwhelming in this game. He only completed 14 of his 31 passes for 240 yards and no touchdowns. It doesn't help that he really doesn't have any reliable targets outside of Tony Lippett, but he has garnered some high praise by NFL scouts and doesn't seem to always be putting together his intelligence and physical tools. Lippett had another quit night, catching four passes for 46 yards. Senior receiver Keith Mumphrey lead the way with two catches for 78 yards, 62 of them coming on one pass. No one seems to be able to get separation on a down to down basis for the Spartans which has to be agonizing to Spartan fans who have a very good quarterback. The running backs were the cog in this game and were again lead by Jeremy Langford who ran for 138 yards and two touchdowns at over five yards a pop. His touchdown run right before half time gave them a nine point cushion that was never relinquished and gave them a lot of momentum going into the locker room. Until that point, they had settled for field goals and let Maryland hang around for the most part. Defensively, the Spartans rebounded very well after getting embarrassed at home. I don't know why, but Maryland thought that completely ignoring the run and throwing the ball 43 times would be the key to victory in this contest. CJ Brown had a rough night as he only managed to complete 20 of those passes and had three interceptions to go along with two touchdown passes. It was very obvious that he was not as comfortable in the pocket with Michigan State's relentless pass rush and the absence of Stefon Diggs. When Maryland did try to run the ball, they were bottled up quickly as the Spartans linebackers got to their gap and closed all lanes. Sparty needs a lot of help if they want to get into a top tier bowl game this season.
9) Georgia Bulldogs
Week 12 Result: Beat No. 9 Auburn Tigers 34-7 at home
Last Week's Ranking: Outside Top Ten
The last few rankings here are kind of a crap shoot as you have to rank teams that are just a bit above average. This is a perfect example as the loss to Florida still looms large for Georgia and Auburn is a reeling team. But it is insanely impressive what the defense did in this game after getting completely gashed on the ground by the Gators. Auburn's defense is anywhere between bad and pitiful, but their offense can play with the best of them and was completely neutralized in this game. They were held to only 292 yards of total offense 150 yards on the ground after averaging more than 200 in previous games. Georgia's defensive line and linebackers played a very impressive game. They got a lot of movement up front and were able to close lanes and force the running backs right to the linebackers. Their defense also did a fantastic job of containing Nick Marshall who only managed to gain 41 yards on nine rushes. The secondary also shut down the big plays that guys like Sammie Coates are capable of. Auburn only had 142 passing yards on the day and could never really exploit a secondary that is prone to lapses. It was a very good day offensively for Georgia but they received terrible news Sunday when they learned that Todd Gurley had torn his ACL after returning from suspension. It is a real shame since Gurley is a true difference maker and a terrific athlete, but they have to be comforted by how freshman Nick Chubb has played in his absense. Chubb ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns on the evening and has given Mark Richt a lot of confidence he can be the offense. Chubb doesn't have the explosiveness that Gurley does, but he is a big and powerful back with deceptive speed. The offensive line has done a great job all year of opening running lanes and opening holes to the outside. I just don't know if this team will be able to overcome their two conference losses as Mizzou still holds first place in the SEC East. Even if they do somehow make it to the championship game, I can't see them beating Alabama. Hutson Mason just does not inspire any hope that he could lead a team to victory if called upon. He just has no confidence throwing the ball further than ten yards down the field. Any team that can stop the run has a great chance of beating Georgia.
10) Wisconsin Badgers
Week 12 Result: Beat No. 16 Nebraska Cornhuskers 59-24 at home
Last Week's Ranking: Outside Top Ten
This is definitely a bit ambitious, but when you have the best player in the country on your team that can mask other offensive issues, you can be a top ten team. However, I first want to address the defense which does not get credit enough when Wisconsin is mentioned. Nebraska has been explosive this year, thanks primarily to running back Ameer Abdullah. Abdullah had been averaging close to seven yards a carry, yet in this game he was held to a mere 69 yards on 18 carries. The Badgers defense was very aggressive in this game as well as they forced him to cough up the ball a few times on the night. Quarterback Tommy Armstrong also had a rough night, completing 33% of his passes for 68 yards, a touchdown and a pick. He also had absolutely no success running the ball. It was an impressive defensive performance by Wisconsin to limit the Huskers to 180 yards on the night. Now, about the offense. I don't think I've ever seen a more impressive performance by a single player than what Melvin Gordon did. Gordon broke the single game record that had been set by Ladainian Tomlinson almost two decades ago. Tomlinson ran for 406 yards on 43 carries while Gordon ran for 408 yards on only 25 carries, a jaw dropping average of 16.3 yards per carry. Gordon has elite acceleration and his breakaway speed is something else. Oh yeah, and he did all of that in only three quarters before being pulled to give him some well deserved rest. He had six runs of more than thirty yards and two of more than fifty yards to go along with four touchdowns on the day. Again, he did this all in only three quarters. It wasn't a perfect day as he had a couple of fumbles, but his production more than made up for it. With the flux at the quarterback position, teams constantly gear up to stop the run and just can't do anything about it. I hate to say it, but I don't think he's going be a true threat to win the Heisman since that award is now reserved for quarterbacks. However, if any player can break the streak, there is no doubt it will be Gordon. If you didn't get a chance to watch this game, please find the highlights somewhere. You owe it to yourself as a football fan.
Week 12 Result: Bye Week
Last Week's Ranking: 2
2) Alabama Crimson Tide
Week 12 Result: Beat No. 1 Mississippi State Bulldogs 25-20 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 3
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| Alabama wide receiver DeAndrew White |
3) Florida State Seminoles
Week 12 Result: Beat Miami Hurricanes 30-26 in Miami
Last Week's Ranking: 5
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| America's reaction to another Noles comeback |
The AP Poll has the Noles ranked first this week, but I still am not completely sold. I have to give a lot of credit to Jimbo who is a genius at half time adjustments, but I just get the feeling that one of these games they will dig themselves into a hole too big to climb out of. You also have to wonder if they would have won this game if Miami had stuck with their strategy from the first half, which was to feed Duke Johnson the football. The Noles defensive front got bullied around in the first half as Johnson had a touchdown and over 100 yards, but only got a few carries in the second half. Johnson was simply untouched as he reached the linebackers on most carries. Their secondary was also tested very early in the game as they had to commit more men to the box and the corners were put in one on one situations. Freshman Brad Kaaya had a lot of success and receivers were able to get good separation from the corners. Phillip Dorsett and tight end Clive Walford both found a lot of room and made tough catches, but when Miami was driving Jalen Ramsey sealed the game with a pick with tight coverage. Offensively, Florida State had a rough start to the game as they really weren't able to get into any sort of rhythm. Jameis seemed off with his receivers, but a 44 yard touchdown run by Dalvin Cook opened up the scoring and gave them some momentum. Cook also had the go ahead touchdown run with just a few minutes left in the game. Jameis completed 25 of his 42 passes on the day, but again was just really unspectacular. He was credited for a touchdown pass on a fluke play where the ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage and caught by his running back near the goal line who was able to just walk in. He also threw a pick on the night, his twelfth of the season. He was able to get more receivers than just Rashad Greene involved, but the big plays just weren't available. It was a good win after being down by 13 points, but this team needs to start getting off to faster starts.
4) Texas Christian Horned Frogs
Week 12 Result: Beat Kansas Jayhawks 34-30 in Lawrence
Last Week's Ranking: 4
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| TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin |
5) Baylor Bears
Week 12 Result: Bye Week
Last Week's Ranking: 6
6) Ohio State Buckeyes
Week 12 Result: Beat No. 25 Minnesota Golden Gophers 31-24 in Minneapolis
Last Week's Ranking: 7
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| Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliot |
7) Mississippi State Bulldogs
Week 12 Result: Lost to No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide 20-25 in Tuscaloosa
Last Week's Ranking: 1
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| Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney |
Is it fair to drop this team six spots after losing to the number five ranked team in the country on the road? Probably not, but the fact of the matter is that the game wasn't even as close as the score indicates. Dak Prescott had a below average day, not being able to find any running lanes and made some terrible throws. With his team trailing and needing anything to get some momentum, he overthrow a wide open receiver in the endzone by about ten yards. He barely manged to complete half of his passes and threw two touchdowns, one coming in garbage time. It doesn't help that his receivers could not make some routine catches either. I'd estimate that his receivers dropped at least six passes on the day, most of them that would have given them first downs and gotten them into at least field goal range. Their offensive line really didn't show up either as they simply could not get any push in the game. Prescott and Josh Robinson had absolutely no room to run and it really stagnated their offense. Their defense played a bit better than their offense did, but it still wasn't enough to overcome the offenses shortcomings. Alabama had only 335 yards of total offense, but they got several explosive plays that put them in a position to score touchdowns. Mississippi State only dropped to number four in the polls which I obviously disagree with as shown by my rankings. I don't know if they should be seven as mine is admittedly harsh, but only dropping a few spots is a bit ridiculous. At this point, who is their signature win? At the time, their wins were impressive because of the rankings but those teams each now have at least three losses. They went into Baton Rouge and beat No. 8 LSU, but the Tigers have now lost four games and were just shut out by Arkansas who hadn't won an SEC game in their previous 16 attempts. Texas A&M was No. 6, but they seem incapable of playing defense and continue to be maddeningly inconsistent. Now, Auburn has lost three games and was annihilated by Georgia. Their resume isn't as impressive as many people think.
8) Michigan State Spartans
Week 12 Result: Beat Maryland Terrapins 37-15 in College Park
Last Week's Ranking: 10
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| Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook |
9) Georgia Bulldogs
Week 12 Result: Beat No. 9 Auburn Tigers 34-7 at home
Last Week's Ranking: Outside Top Ten
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| Georgia running back Nick Chubb |
10) Wisconsin Badgers
Week 12 Result: Beat No. 16 Nebraska Cornhuskers 59-24 at home
Last Week's Ranking: Outside Top Ten
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| Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon |
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Best and Worst of the NFL
by Justin Rasile
Best 3
Arizona (8-1)- Bruce Arians better win coach of the year for the job he has done with this Arizona team. Week in and week out this team finds a way to win, no matter who is at quarterback; this team went 3-0 despite missing Carson Palmer. Now the rest of the season’s fate lies largely on Drew Stanton’s shoulders. Stanton, while he may not have the stats and the numbers that everybody craves over, has done exactly what you want a quarterback to do and that is win games and take care of the football. He does not have a turnover yet this season and that goes a long way with what Arians preaches. All Stanton has to do is hand off to the workhorse in the backfield that is Andre Ellington and this team will continue to win. Crazy stat about Ellington this year: despite being ninth in the NFL in rushing this season, the Cardinals running back has yet to break a hundred yards on the ground (although he did have over 100 yards receiving in one game). Arians consistently finds ways to get the most out of his players and I expect nothing less out of this squad on their pursuit to be the first ever team to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium.
Denver (7-2)- The Broncos and the Patriots will be in a dogfight for home field advantage in the playoffs, and they may both desperately need it. Denver does not want to play in New England and vice versa. Peyton probably doesn’t even want to see that guy from New England as Peyton has a head to head record of 4-11 against Tom. But back to this week, Denver better not sleep on the Rams this Sunday. St. Louis may only have three wins but Jeff Fisher gets this team ready to play every week and they consistently keep games close. Robert Quinn is also starting to regain last year’s pro bowl form. He now has 6 sacks in his last two games and that could cause a problem as Peyton may be without another starting running back and the offensive line is always being shuffled around. Ronnie Hillman suffered a foot injury that could derail him for a couple weeks but the next man up philosophy is common and all to real in the NFL, so C.J. Anderson gets his shot to prove that he can be the main back down the stretch and one to pick up the blitzes to keep Peyton upright and healthy.
New England (7-2)- Remember after week 4 when critics were calling for Tom Brady to be benched and the whole Patriots team was written off? Well things have changed. This team is HOT right now and may be the best team in the league. They have averaged over 40 points a game since that blowout loss to Kansas City and absolutely manhandled the Broncos in the last game this team played. Belichick has had two weeks to get ready for the high flyin’ Colts and Andrew Luck’s potent offense but this will be a tough road test for the Patriots and possibly a preview of a playoff matchup. Andrew Luck has the ability, and the offense, to stand toe to toe with Brady’s team this year but this game will come down to the way the defenses play. The Colts have been very good at stopping the run but Rob Gronkowski is whom they have to worry about (shame to all of you who chose to stay away from this beast in fantasy football). The “Bionic Man” has 49 catches for over 660 yards to go along with his 8 touchdowns. He is the key to the game because if he can get off to a hot start, his fire can ignite this New England offense to unload on the Colts. Side note; in Bill Belichick’s 14 games as the Patriots head coach after the bye week he is 10 and 4. 5 of those victories are against the Bills (4 years in a row from 2004-2007). Buffalo should be pissed at that but they should be thankful that they aren’t playing the Pats this week.
Worst 3
Jacksonville (1-9)- The Dallas defeat was a brutal one to watch, considering I have friends who are Dallas fans. The game started off well when Denard Robinson scampered into the endzone on a 32 yard run but it quickly changed when Ace Sanders muffed a punt and Dallas quickly punched it in after that and never looked back. Dez Bryant made this team look like a bunch of junior varsity players that tackle when they feel like it. Now this team enters a bye week, just as it did last year, with one of the worst records in the league. Maybe Gus Bradley has some magic from last year where his team went 4-4 after the bye. As a fan, I want wins but at this point I also want a high draft pick as there are some phenomenal prospects coming out this season. Looking at the rest of the season, Jacksonville has a chance to win 4 of the remaining games. How many they win remains to be seen but they do play the Giants, Titans, and Houston twice. Best chance at another victory is against the Titans on Thursday Night Football at Jacksonville.
Oakland (0-9)- Can this team actually go defeated? Losing all the games in one season is a tough task to achieve just as we saw the Detroit Lions do it back in 2008. Oakland is a bad team but Tony Sparano has them ready to play every week and they do have a decent core of young players, led by Khalil Mack, which they can hang their hats on. The rest of the games for the Raiders are as follows: Chargers, Chiefs, Ram, 49ers, Chiefs, Bills, and Broncos. I really don’t know where they can win but a fluke victory is always a possibility in the NFL- on any given Sunday anything is possible. If I had to pick a victory, it may be the Thursday night game against the Chiefs on November 20. In addition to it being a short week, Kansas City will be playing against Denver the following week. It’s one of those classic bait games that the Raiders have a shot of winning if the Chiefs don’t take the game seriously. The Rams game is also a potential victory.
Tampa Bay (1-8)- At least the emergence of big Mike Evans gives Bucs fans something to root for and watch. Other than that, the offense is a shell of what it could be. Doug Martin is nowhere to be found. Bobby Rainey has played pretty well and Charles Simms has some big hype behind him. The Buccaneers have a brutal schedule coming up. They play the Redskins, Bears, Bengals, Lions, Panthers, Packers, and end the season against the Saints. The funny, yet sad, thing is that the Bucs are technically not out of the playoff picture despite having one win this late into the season. New Orleans leads the division with four wins in what was supposed to be a top notched division, potentially having a wild card winner as well. It will be interesting to see what happens with Lovie Smith because even Greg Schiano won four games with virtually the same team.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Week 11 Top Ten
1) Mississippi State Bulldogs
Week 11 Result: Beat Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks 45-16 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 1
*Yawn*. Bring on Alabama.
2) Oregon Ducks
Week 11 Result: Beat No. 17 Utah Utes in Salt Lake City
Last Week's Ranking: 4
Oregon came up against an upset minded team and looked to be in trouble at the very beginning of the game. But a DeSean Jackson-esque play by wide receiver Kaelin Clay dropping the ball at the one before crossing the goal line allowed Oregon to get back into the game instead of going down by 20 points. This came at a cost though as arguably their best receiving threat, Pharaoh Brown, went down for the season with a gruesome injury. This team is strangely thin at receiver, but Marcus Mariota is one of the best players in the country and is able to work the receivers at his disposal in the system he operates in. Mariota makes some made some good throws in this game, but also really struggled with some of the more contested throws that he saw. However, he was an absolute beast in the ground game this year. He ran for 114 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries and took off immediately instead of standing in the pocket and trying to force a throw. He was the leading rusher, but was just a bit ahead of star freshman Royce Freeman who rattled off 99 yards and a touchdown on only 15 carries. Freeman is quite possibly the next running back sensation as he combines a huge physique with tremendous speed and agility. He isn't quite as good as Gurley was during his freshman season, but he has taken control of the number one running back position with numerous veterans on the team. Defensively, they really got after the Utes and made their quarterback uncomfortable. There was some problems early in the game, but after settling down and getting a feel for the rhythm of the offense, they dominated the game. Poop skillet. Utah quarterback Travis Wilson was forced into two interceptions and they only allowed a total of three touchdowns. The Utes gained over 400 yards of total offense, but Oregon did a great job of limiting them getting into the endzone. I can't see the Ducks facing a real challenge until they (presumably) play Arizona State in the PAC-12 Championship game.
3) Texas Christian University Horned Frogs
Week 11 Result: Beat No. 7 Kansas State Wildcats 41-20 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 8
I said last week that if TCU wins out they will be in the playoffs and I could not be more confident in that prediction than after this week. TCU is absolutely manhandling teams as Kansas State has had a very impressive season with their only loss prior to this game being to Auburn. Quarterback Trevone Boykin absolutely needs be in the Heisman conversation as he is the catalyst of an explosive offense. He can get it done through the air or on the ground and feels comfortable under pressure. His legs allow him to get out of dangerous pass rush situations and as a former receiver, he has great elusiveness in the open field and has the instincts to pick up the first down when necessary. Boykin completed 23 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown against a formidable pass rush from Kansas State, but in this game it was his legs that managed to put the Horned Frogs on top. He ran for 123 yards and three touchdowns on the ground at over seven yards a carry. That was coupled with starting back Aaron Green's 171 yards and a touchdown at just under ten yards per carry. Boykin also spreads the ball around very impressively. Josh Doctson leads the team with seven touchdown receptions and 42 catches while their second leading receiver, Kolby Listenbee averages almost 20 yards a catch. It is a bit troubling that they tend to give up a lot of points. Gary Patterson had built TCU up creating a stifling defense that could neutralize even the most potent of offenses. It does hurt them that they lost their best defense player Devone Fields at the beginning of the season because he was a shit head and got kicked off the team. But this team has given up over 30 points three times this year which has caused them to play out of their comfort zone. But with games coming up against Iowa State, Kansas, and an underachieving Texas team. Barring an upset, this team is destined for the playoffs.
4) Alabama Crimson Tide
Week 11 Result: Beat No. 16 LSU Tigers 20-13 in OT in Baton Rouge
Last Week's Ranking: 5
Alabama, much like Florida State, has a very annoying habit of pulling games out of their ass. They were down by a field goal with fifty second left, but a kickoff out of bounds gave them the ball at the 40 which allowed them enough time and gave them a more manageable distance to overcome. This wasn't the most impressive victory for Alabama, but they seem to be able to find ways to win no matter what kind of scenario is presented to them. They struggled to move the ball in this game, but LSU's defense has improved over the course of the season and gaining more than 300 yards is a rather impressive feat. Alabama also benefited immensely from some atrocious play calling by Les Miles in overtime. Miles elected to throw the ball four times when their running game had been very effective against the Tide up until that point. In any case, it was impressive to see Blake Sims move the ball into field goal range with only fifty seconds to go and needing forty or so yards. Sims struggled against LSU's ball hawking defensive backs, completing only 20 of his 45 passes, but he passed for over 200 yards, moved the ball when they needed to respond, and threw for two touchdowns without any picks. Amari Cooper continues to prove he's the best receiver in the country as he made some clutch catches to tie the game up and move the ball down the field at the end. It would be nice to see them get tight end OJ Howard more involved as he is a physical specimen with a great catch radius. But as average as the offense was, you have to give all the credit to the defense which played lights out in a game they were supposed to dominate. LSU quarterback Anthony Jennings completed a putrid 8 of 26 for just over 70 yards while Alabama held LSU's rush attack to just 3.3 yards per carry. Their secondary continues to improve after a shaky start, and their front is getting great push and wreaking havoc on quarterbacks. If the Tide can get past Mississippi State at home next week, they should have little trouble with Auburn at home to close out the season.
5) Florida State Seminoles
Week 11 Result: Beat Virginia Cavaliers 34-20 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 6
I can't wait to see this team get their ass kicked in the playoffs by Alabama by, like, four touchdowns. It is so frustrating watching this team manage to win games when they play so horrifically. Florida State was actually down by a touchdown in the first quarter, but they managed to fight back and take the lead for good in the second quarter. I really wish that I had an answer for why Jameis is playing so poorly this year. It definitely has to d with how bad their offensive line is, but it goes beyond that. He is forcing throws and not seeing the field as clearly as he did last season. He threw two picks this game that allowed Virginia to stay close and doesn't seem to have that killer instinct. He focuses on trying to get the ball too much to Rashad Greene. Greene is a very good receiver and a good safety blanket, but Jameis has several other receiving targets that he doesn't seem see on the field. He didn't even target his top tier tight end Nick O'Leary in this game. It is very puzzling to see regression like this from an elite talent. It doesn't help him that his running game can't get going, but if he is a true franchise quarterback he should be able to shoulder the burden of the team against inferior opponents. And it doesn't help that the secondary was again torched by an average quarterback. Greyson Lambert of Virginia passed for 220 yards and three touchdowns against what is probably the best secondary on paper. He was picked once, but the fact that he found that much success against the Noles is a scary thought. As bad as their secondary was, their run defense was phenomenal, albeit against a team that doesn't have much success on the ground. Virginia ran the ball 32 times for a net gain of 37 yards. So with that in mind, it becomes a bit more acceptable that they weren't as stout in pass defense. Still, it is tough to imagine this team doing much of anything in the playoffs with how mediocre they are.
6) Baylor Bears
Week 11 Result: Beat No. 15 Oklahoma Sooners 48-14 in Norman
Last Week's Ranking: 10
If Baylor and TCU win out, it will be interesting to see what the playoff committee does as Baylor actually beat TCU but have a "worse loss", losing at West Virginia who TCU beat in the same scenario. But this game right here will give Baylor a ton of credibility towards getting a spot in the playoffs. After going down 14-3 in the first quarter, Baylor rattled off 45 unanswered points and completely embarrassed the Sooners in their own stadium. Bryce Petty hasn't been quite the same quarterback that he was before suffering a back injury, but he still moved the ball like there were five guys on the Sooners' defense. He passed for only one touchdown, but racked up 396 yards through the air on 32 completions. In every game, he seems to lock on to a different receiver and just feed them the ball. This game, it was Corey Coleman who caught 15 passes for 224 yards and Petty's one touchdown. Coleman was absolutely unguardable in this game as he got it down both down field and on intermediate routes. Antwan Goodley also had a very solid game, catching nine passes for 92 yards on the day and overall just being a good number two option for Petty. Baylor went with a run by committee approach in this game that paid huge dividends. Three running backs scored a touchdown in this game and although they only combined for 132 yards, they kept Oklahoma off balance which allowed Petty to sling it. Equally as impressive was how the defense performed in this game. After taking some punches early in the game, the defense completely shutdown Oklahoma over the next three quarters. There was some success on the ground, but the Sooners were forced to abandon that once they started to get deeper into a hole. Overall, they were held to just 319 points on the day. Baylor gets their remaining three opponents at home, so it will be interesting to see how this BIG 12 race unfolds.
7) Ohio State Buckeyes
Week 11 Result: Beat No. 8 Michigan State Spartans 49-37 in East Lansing
Last Week's Ranking: Outside Top Ten
Finally, Urban Meyer has his statement win for his tenure at Ohio State. He wasn't given that many options in his previous two seasons, but this was a game that they had to have. After a back and forth first 27 minutes, Ohio State tied the game and subsequently took the lead right before half, a lead that they would not relinquish. Michigan State's defense has not been as good as they were last season, but they still ranked in the top five in most statistical categories. Tom Herman and Urban developed a game plan that just absolutely crushed the Spartans and gave them no chance to slow down a pissed off team looking for revenge. The Buckeyes racked up 568 yards, more than double what the Spartans had been giving up per game all year. It starts as it always has this year, with redshirt freshman JT Barrett taking command of the offense and making some spectacular plays. On 16 completions, he tossed three touchdowns and 300 yards and was in command from start to finish. He made some throws that you'd expect pros to make, but was also very effective rushing the ball as he tacked on 86 yards and another two touchdowns 14 carries. Devin Smith made some tough catches, including the go ahead score right before halftime while Michael Thomas again displayed his big play potential with a 79 yard catch and run to tie the game up. What had been a suffocating run defense was mauled all night by Ezekial "Easy-E" Elliot. Whether it was between the tackles or breaking it to the outside, Elliot could not be stopped. He ran for 154 yards and a couple of touchdowns on 23 carries which helped put the dagger through the Spartans heart. Ohio State's defense struggled a bit today, but that was a bit expected as Sparty's offense was one of the best in the country. Connor Cook was only sacked a few times in this game, but he had been sacked only five times entering this game and the consistent pressure really through him off his game. Cook completed 55% of his passes for 348 yards but a good amount of those yards came on screens to the running backs and was never able to get too much going down field. Ohio State's front seven was handled in the run game, but they made crucial stops when called upon. They have a tough test at Minnesota this week, but if they can past that they should cruise to the BIG 10 Championship Game.
8) Arizona State Sun Devils
Week 11 Result: Beat No. 10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 55-31 at home
Last Week's Ranking: Outside Top Ten
Like Ohio State, Arizona State has a rather puzzling loss as they were annihilated 62-27 at home by UCLA. But outside of that game, they have had some close calls along with some very impressive victories. This game was a bit more harrowing as they built up a massive lead only to watch it evaporate, and then go on another rampage to close out the game. Arizona State gave up a lot of yards through the air to Everett Golson, but they forced him into a lot mistakes on the day. While he did throw for 446 yards and a couple of touchdowns, he didn't complete too many of his passes and also threw four interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Arizona State's defense harassed the hell out of him all day and the corners provided a lot of tight coverage which resulted in those aforementioned picks. Their run defense was top notch, allowing only 41 yards on 38 carries. Their goal line defense was pretty solid, but did let up two touchdowns but there isn't much they couldn't done about that. Offensively, the Sun Devils had their way with Notre Dame as they got more than 400 yards on the day and had a good distribution between rushing and passing yards. Running back DJ Foster found a lot of holes and rushed for 120 yards, moving the ball well and setting up quarterback Taylor Kelly for some deep passes due to play action. Kelly himself had a great day as he threw for 224 yards and three touchdowns against a secondary that had lost their best player, Cody Riggs, right before the game. He has one of the best receivers in the game to throw to in Jaelen Strong, a 6'3 physical receiver with fantastic body control. He got the Sun Devils rolling with a ridiculous one handed grab near the side of the endzone. After that, Kelly distributed the ball very well and kept Notre Dame off balance for most of the night. With only one tough game left at Arizona, the Sun Devils could crash the playoff party with a shocking upset of Oregon in the PAC 12 Championship.
9) Auburn Tigers
Week 11 Result: Lost to Texas A&M Aggies 38-41 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 2
What a great ending. I really have nothing against Auburn, but watching a team completely shit their pants with the game on the line is always fun. Auburn played an awful game but had a chance to actually win it TWICE in the last couple of minutes, but sloppy ball security has basically cost them their shot at a playoff spot. They found themselves down by 18 at halftime, but managed to work their way back into the game thanks to some great plays from Nick Marshall. Marshall had a very good game as he accounted for over 270 and three touchdowns and completed 15 of 21 passes against a weak Aggies secondary. He connected on several long plays to Sammie Coates, Quan Bray, and Ricardo Luis but also left a couple on the field that could have put them in scoring position at different points throughout the game. The real workhorse of this game was Cameron Artis-Payne who carried the ball 30 times for 221 yards and two touchdowns on the day. He consistently gained big yards on early downs to put Auburn in good position to sustain drives, but his fumble at the goal line really cost his team. This defense was embarrassed on their own field and has almost cost them a few games leading up to this one. They gave up 277 yards and FOUR passing touchdowns to a true freshman starting in only his second game. He made great throws all night and often had receivers who were wide open. There was just big play opportunities all night for the Aggies who capitalized to pull of the improbably upset.
10) Michigan State Spartans
Week 11 Result: Lost to No. 13 Ohio State Buckeyes 37-49 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 3
Week 11 Result: Beat Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks 45-16 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 1
*Yawn*. Bring on Alabama.
2) Oregon Ducks
Week 11 Result: Beat No. 17 Utah Utes in Salt Lake City
Last Week's Ranking: 4
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| Oregon Running Back Royce Freeman |
3) Texas Christian University Horned Frogs
Week 11 Result: Beat No. 7 Kansas State Wildcats 41-20 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 8
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| TCU Quarterback Trevone Boykin |
4) Alabama Crimson Tide
Week 11 Result: Beat No. 16 LSU Tigers 20-13 in OT in Baton Rouge
Last Week's Ranking: 5
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| Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper |
5) Florida State Seminoles
Week 11 Result: Beat Virginia Cavaliers 34-20 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 6
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| Florida State corner back PJ Williams |
6) Baylor Bears
Week 11 Result: Beat No. 15 Oklahoma Sooners 48-14 in Norman
Last Week's Ranking: 10
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| Baylor wide receiver Corey Coleman |
7) Ohio State Buckeyes
Week 11 Result: Beat No. 8 Michigan State Spartans 49-37 in East Lansing
Last Week's Ranking: Outside Top Ten
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| Ohio State quarterback JT Barrett |
8) Arizona State Sun Devils
Week 11 Result: Beat No. 10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 55-31 at home
Last Week's Ranking: Outside Top Ten
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| Arizona State wide receiver Jaelen Strong |
9) Auburn Tigers
Week 11 Result: Lost to Texas A&M Aggies 38-41 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 2
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| Auburn running back Cameron Artis-Payne |
10) Michigan State Spartans
Week 11 Result: Lost to No. 13 Ohio State Buckeyes 37-49 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 3
Thursday, November 6, 2014
What to do With the First Pick
Through ten weeks of the season, you can start to get a good sense of who the worst teams in the league are. Not every team has played the same number of games, but an extra win or loss really isn't going to change the perception of a team at this point. The reward for such failure is a top pick, and as you know the worst team gets the first overall pick. It can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, getting the first pick can elevate your team to knew heights (Andrew Luck, the Manning brothers) while drafting the wrong player can set your team back more than five years (Jamarcus Russell, David Carr). No one wants to go down as one of the biggest busts in history and piss off an entire franchise. Worse yet, no one wants to be the one responsible for drafting a bust. Coaches, general managers, and scouts have the unenviable task of evaluating talent and striking the balance between ability and team need. Sometimes it is incredibly easy for them to make a pick based on need, like when the Panthers took Cam Newton or when the Colts took Andrew Luck. Other times, as was the case last draft with Jadeveon Clowney, a player is too good to pass up despite him not filling a major hole on the roster.
Thanks to the help of Justin, we have collaborated to form a list of the four teams most likely to be drafting first overall, along with who we believe are the elite players in this upcoming draft based on what we've seen so far. They are as follows:
Amari Cooper, Wide Receiver, Alabama Crimson Tide
Andrus Peat, Offensive Tackle, Stanford Cardinal
Jameis Winston, Quarterback, Florida State Seminoles
Landon Collins, Safety, Alabama Crimson Tide
Leonard Williams, Defense End, USC Trojans
Randy Gregory, Outside Linebacker/Defensive End, Nebraska Cornhuskers
Todd Gurley, Running Back, Georgia Bulldogs
Obviously, some of a higher chance of being the first overall pick than others. A receiver hasn't gone first overall since Keyshawn Johnson in 1996; a running back since Ki-Jana Carter the year prior; and a safety has never been selected first. Here are the options for each team. The teams are simply in alphabetical order.
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8)
Derek's Take:
Jacksonville is straight up a bad team, but they are still very young and are going through the trials of trying to learn to play together in a game that is still too fast for them. Surprisingly, since defensive minded coach Gus Bradley came over a few years ago from Seattle, this team has gone offense in the first round of the last two drafts. They have some key pieces in place, so it is time that this team goes with a real defensive game changer that they missed out on when they took Blake Bortles over Khalil Mack. Without question, they should select Randy Gregory out of Nebraska if they fortunate (unfortunate?) enough to have the first pick. Their defense is patched together with aging veterans and young guys no one has ever heard of. Through eight games, the Jaguars have 25 sacks which isn't a terrible total by any means, but no one is consistent at pressuring the quarterback. Bradley's defense has been missing a disruptive edge rusher, and no one would be better than Gregory to line up everywhere and cause havoc. He has a lightning first step that catches even the most seasoned offensive tackles off guard. He is quick to dip his hip and get around the tackle and knows how to finish the play no matter what angle he is given coming around the edge. Gregory is tall and lanky which allows him to get his hands on a lineman and push them around. Despite being 6'6, he weighs only 240 pounds. But his strength is unquestionable at this point and he looks to have the frame to add more mass without sacrificing his speed. His technique as a pass rusher is also very impressive as he has a good swim move and maintains superb balance on spins to get the inside shoulder of the lineman. The next option for Jacksonville would be to take Leonard Williams, another very gifted defensive player. Williams has lined up all over the line for the Trojans, but Sarkisian really likes him coming off of the edge. In an age where versatility is becoming extremely coveted, Williams has the size and strength to play inside but possesses incredible athleticism to rush the passer from the edge. The defensive line for Jacksonville is better off than their linebackers, but a guy like Williams would likely start from day one. The third option for the Jaguars would be to draft Peat to protect Bortles who has been sacked 33 times this year. Poor protection has also led him to rush throws and caused many of his interceptions. Jacksonville recently drafted Luke Joeckel out of Texas A&M two years ago, but he has struggled with injuries and development to become a franchise left tackle. Moving him to the right side and allowing Peat to be the blind side protector would make Bortles's life a lot easier.
Justin's Take:
The one, and maybe only, fun thing about being a Jaguars fan is being able to look towards the draft earlier than most fans because the season is already a wash and it looks like they are locked into a top 4 pick for 2015. Lets go over some of the needs for this team. Offensive line. A pass rusher (which they have been “addressing” for the past decade). Secondary. The offensive line is atrocious. No wonder Blake Bortles has been running for his life the entire time he has been playing, and maybe a reason why the coaching staff wanted to keep him off the field for as long as they could. A pass rusher is something the fans have craved for years. Fans rejoiced when the team traded up to draft Derrick Harvey back in 2008, but he turned out to be a massive bust and has since been out of the league for last two seasons. The secondary is young and sub sequentially has made plenty of mistakes. I expect Aaron Colvin, rookie corner out of Oklahoma who was a top ranked player prior to his ACL tear, to take that starting job next year. Free safety is still an issue. Josh Evans is not a quality starter. He misses tackles and constantly blows coverages. This team has roughly $23 million dollars in cap space so I expect them to be very active in free agency again this year. Obviously, if Jacksonville has the number one overall pick they should trade back and get as many draft picks as possible to upgrade and add depth to every conceivable position. In my opinion, if this team picks first overall, they take Randy Gregory. Gregory has jaw dropping speed and a first step burst off the line that is quicker than anybody I can remember coming out of the draft. The defensive end from Nebraska has lined up all over the field this year, including defensive end, defensive tackle, and has dropped back into coverage as a linebacker. I can only imagine what ways head coach Gus Bradley could use him in but most likely he would be in that vaunted Leo position that the coach loves so much. If the Jaguars want their franchise quarterback to succeed, they have to protect him the best they can. They invested a first round pick in the lackluster Luke Joeckel, who has not exceeded expectations but is still young enough that he can turn into the type of tackle the team had hoped for. But, if you take a page out of the 49ers playbook and invest a few first round picks into your offensive line, then the once greatest weakness on the team can transform into a unit of strength very quickly. That is why I believe Andrus Peat from Stanford is a real possibility. The big, athletic offensive tackle could take the left tackle job from Joeckel and move him to right tackle. That way, the corners of the offensive line are strong, instead of being a weak point. Then later in the draft, a center or a guard can be drafted and the revamped offensive line will be ready for anything defenses throw towards them. Call me crazy but I think Todd Gurley would be an amazing pick for the Jaguars. Remember when the Minnesota Vikings were contemplating taking Adrian Peterson with the seventh overall pick in the 2007 draft, despite having Chester Taylor who was an adequate running back at the time? Except for the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Peterson, he has been a fantastic running back. I have been a big fan of Denard Robinson this year. He is hitting the holes with incredible speed and has been a pretty durable back but Gurley is one of those once in a decade kind of players that could make this Jaguars offense one to be reckoned with along with taking some of the load off of Bortles’ back. This could move Robinson to more of a Darren Sproles type position where he can be lined up as a receiver and a third down back who can catch the ball out of the backfield. Any one of these players would be a huge upgrade over what the team has now and would be gladly welcomed by Bradley and the Jaguars coaching staff.
New York Jets (1-8)
Derek's Take:
The entire Jets front office and roster needs to be nuked from orbit. This team is a fucking disaster and has been since their fluke AFC Championship appearances. A lot of blame gets placed on Rex Ryan, which is fair, but general manager John Idzik who has been responsible for a couple of terrible drafts. This team has a talented defense, but for as good as they play they are crippled considerably by the play of their quarterbacks. Geno Smith is hands down the worst starter in the league and probably won't be in the NFL after this season. I'd eat my shoe if some team actually wanted him to be a back up. With that in mind, it should be pretty obvious who this selection should be. Jameis Winston might have maturity issues, but there is no doubt that he is just a few shades below Andrew Luck in terms of pure quarterbacking skill and potential. He hasn't been as good this year as he was last year during his Heisman winning season, but just oozes with talent that is waiting to be tapped. He has an absolute cannon for an arm but also has great touch, able to put just the right amount on each pass to comfortably get the ball to his target. As was shown last year and has in critical spots this year, his football IQ and ability to see the field is astounding for someone his age. He regularly reads the defense and makes the right throw based on what is to presented to him. His athleticism is also off the charts. He won't scramble quite like Mariota can, but he can move around in the pocket, reset, and fire better than almost anyone I've ever seen. Besides maturity, I think that the biggest knock against him is that he tries to do too much which can get him into trouble. But there is no doubt that he is a tremendous talent that could end up being the next elite quarterback and extinguish the dumpster fire that is the Jets. Should this team wish to continue to roll with Geno Smith, they should continue to give him more weapons and draft Amari Cooper. Percy Harvin is one of the most overrated players in the NFL, and as such Geno needs some more reliable help if he wants to prove that he can be a capable starter. Cooper has been drawing comparisons to all kinds of receivers, but I really can't compare him to any one player. To me, he has the route running and raw speed of Julio Jones while having the body control and high-pointing ability of AJ Green. He could easily have the kind of impact that they had in their rookie years' and only continue to get better. The third option that would make sense would be to take Gregory. The Jets have a fantastic defensive line, but they still lack a disruptive linebacker who can rush the passer. Gregory would make a this front seven an absolute nightmare.
Justin's Take:
Oakland Raiders (0-8)
Derek's Take:
The Raiders are in serious trouble of going defeated this season. Their upcoming schedule is brutal and the team lacks serious talent to be able to keep up with those teams. They have played a lot of close games, but they just don't have enough to overtake teams in close games. The Raiders have holes all over their team, so they could pretty much pick anyone except for a quarterback and make an improvement to their team. Should this team get the first pick, they should attempt to get a trade package with a team desperate to land a quarterback and move down. They likely wouldn't get the same kind of deal the Rams got when Washington traded out for RG3, but they would still get an extra first round pick and some later picks for it. But since they are stuck in this hypothetical position, they should take the best non-quarterback on the board, which is Leonard Williams. Williams is an absolute monster on the defensive line. They struck gold last year taking Khalil Mack to bolster their defensive front, but adding Williams would give them two dynamic pass rushers to harass quarterbacks. In an age where versatility is becoming more and more coveted, Williams offers whoever is the defensive coordinator next year a ton of options. Throughout his years at USC, Williams has lined up both inside and has come off the edge. He has the power to work from the inside but the athleticism and explosiveness to rush from the edge. Oakland has had trouble generating sacks this year (even though Mack has a lot of pressures, he doesn't have a recorded sack) and it is borderline impossible to win this day in age with the game tailored to passing. Should the Raiders want to get some more help for an offense that can look anemic at times, their best bet would be to go with Amari Cooper. As mentioned above, Cooper is a phenomenal receiver on par with Sammy Watkins who was taken fourth overall in the previous draft. Right now, the Raiders top receivers are James Jones and Andre Holmes. Neither of those names are keeping defensive coordinators up at night. Derek Carr has been the best rookie quarterback this year, but he would really flourish with a game breaker like Cooper. If that isn't what the Raiders want to do, they should still upgrade their offense and take Todd Gurley. A running back hasn't been selected first overall in almost twenty years, but this kid is special and would be an immediate upgrade over the corpses of Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden. They have to do something to a rush unit that averages 66 yards a game.
Justin's Take:
The Raiders flat out suck. They are the perennial black hole of the league where players go for their careers to die, or at least take a vacation (a la Randy Moss). They did well in their draft last year with picks such as Khalil Mack, Gabe Jackson, and Derek Carr but they fired their head coach in Dennis Allen only a few games into the season. So what is next for this team? Does Mark Davis decide to blow the whole front office up again and fire General Manager Reggie McKenzie and interim head coach Tony Sparano? I think he may. Especially with their potential move to Los Angeles, the owner may want a brand new start. The offense, for the most part, does not look that terrible on paper but with a rookie quarterback holding the reigns one has to expect growing pains and mistakes. The Raiders are in the bottom ranks of 30th and 28th in offensive and defensive efficiency so major changes will have to happen. So if this team has the first overall pick, and it looks as though they may, there are plenty of directions they could go in. A big time, flashy defensive end that can get pressure on the quarterback would be ideal when you could match him up with Khalil Mack and have a great cornerstone on defense. This team currently averages a sack a game (7 sacks in 7 games) and that helps put them in the basement of the league. Randy Gregory would be a very welcomed addition to a team with a desperate and major need. As mentioned earlier, its Gregory’s first step off the line that has me in awe but he also has an array of rush moves that is quite ahead of where he should be (considering he was in the JUCO league just two short years ago). Gregory’s weight (240) could scare some teams from placing him at defensive end. I call bologna on that. Gregory is going to get bigger over time. He is on the smaller side right now because he has not been in a real college weight room for all that long. But the special thing about the Nebraska defensive end is that he has the ability and fluidity in his hips to open them up and drop back into coverage. With the right coaching, he could easily succeed as a traditional defensive end in a 4-3 or as a rush linebacker in a 3-4 whom occasionally drops into coverage and has enough relied upon athleticism to make plays. Lets say the Raiders have enough faith in Justin Tuck and the other defensive ends to make plays, where is the next position of need that they turn to? Todd fricken Gurley. Gurley is a one man wrecking crew that can carry the rock 20-25 times a game and still bulldoze people over late in the fourth. He can also help take the load off of Derek Carr and make the offense into a more balanced offense that cannot be front or back loaded with defenders. The offensive line is currently ideal for running the ball down people’s throats. Khalif Barnes, Donald Penn, Gabe Jackson, and Stefen Wisniewski have all played in predominantly run based offenses during their tenures in college or the pros. Drafting Gurley would also finally allow the Raiders to cut and finally move on from the enigmatic Darren McFadden. Gurley will be a beast in this league and definitely has an opportunity to go first overall. You still have to run the ball to win games; it’s as simple as that. I get this feeling that whoever is coaching this team next year will want to keep Derek Carr and at least give him another year to see what he can do. That is why I didn’t mock Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota at this spot but I do feel like Leonard Williams has a great shot to end up on this team. The big defensive end/ tackle for the USC Trojans has been making big time plays for his team since he was a freshman. He is 6’5” and 290 pounds but he is light enough on his feet that can play the outside end position in a 4-3 or stay inside and play defensive tackle. He uses his hands extremely well and will still have the strength and ability to overpower offensive tackles in the NFL, just like he did in college. The scariest thing about Williams is that he will still only be 20 years old by the time his name is called at the NFL draft. That’s incredible for a man that big and strong and that young.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-7)
Derek's Take:
I thought Tampa Bay was a team that could surprise and make a run at a Wild Card spot. I know I wasn't alone in this line of thought which I'm glad of because holy shit could I have not been more wrong. I really thought Lovie Smith was going to be able and make something out of this defense which has some talented players but hasn't gotten a lot of production. Both sides of the ball are terrible on this team and they need upgrades at numerous positions. But none is more critical than at quarterback. Mike Glennon has shown some promise, but he was recently benched in favor of Josh McCown who was benched earlier in the season for Glennon. So obviously Smith is not liking what he is seeing from these players. In a division with Drew Brees, Scam Newton, and Matt Ryan, a franchise quarterback is a must. That is why if the Bucs end up with the first overall pick, they need to roll the dice and select Jameis. I've already outlined above why Jameis is such a special talent, and he is one that the Bucs could not afford to pass up on. Tampa has some good offense talent waiting to be properly utilized, and there is now doubt that Jameis could take advantage of it. His favorite target last season at Florida State was Kelvin Benjamin who stands at 6'5. Tampa Bay just drafted two players, receiver Mike Evans and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who are each 6'5 so go along with seasoned veteran Vincent Jackson who is of the same height. Winston would have a field day with those receivers. If the Bucs feel that they need to give Glennon or McCown another season, they should bolster their defensive line with Leonard Williams. The team recently locked up stud defensive tackle Gerald McCoy for the long term, but the rest of the line blows. They have 13 sacks on the season with five coming from McCoy and have no threat from the edge. Williams would be able to come in and bring some explosiveness from the edge or could line up inside to create a formidable tackle duo. Option C for this team would be to take Peat. A left tackle would help whoever is starting be more comfortable in the pocket. The line has already allowed 21 sacks on the year and allow a lot more pressures. Plus, they have only rushed for an average of 90 yards a game. Peat would help bring a road grade mentality to this line.
Justin's Take:
The sad part about Tampa Bay is they have invested money in big time free agents (Evan Dietrich-Smith, Michael Johnson, and Dashon Goldson to name a few) and the team is still horrible. The defense has a great young core with Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David and with a defensive minded head coach like Lovie Smith, I expect this defense to have a different swagger and look to it next year. They will be improved, you can bet on that but for now they suck. Doug Martin looks like a shadow of himself and the one-year wonder may be the next in line to lose his job with Bobby Rainey taking control and Charles Sims potentially living up to the hype that was surrounding him in the preseason. What the Bucs have to figure out before the end of the season is who their starting quarterback will be moving forward. Mike Glennon has shown some flashes that make you think he may be the quarterback for the Bucs, but they invested so much money in journeyman Luke McCown that it makes you question if the coaching staff has already moved on from Glennon. If that is the case, Tampa Bay needs to grab Jameis Winston immediately. Winston is everything you want on the field and nothing you want off of it. He does things on the field that makes you crave a quarterback of that caliber but then he does dumb, immature shit that makes you want to smack him and wake him up. He has the potential to be an amazing quarterback that could turn a team around, like the Bucs, just like Andrew Luck did with the Colts. But Winston also has the ability to get suspended for multiple games by a no nonsense, no bullshit coach like Lovie Smith. Winston would match up so incredibly well with the talent at the skill position on that team. Vincent Jackson is that big time deep threat that Jameis could get motivated and wake him up from the cocoon that he has been in. Mike Evans and Austin Sefarian-Jenkins are young players that have potential to be something very special in a few years, especially with Winston chucking the rock. Hypothetically, if the Buccaneers want to stick with McCown and Glennon where do they look to? Lovie does love his defensive players so I would expect him to take a good long hard look at both Leonard Williams and Randy Gregory. Williams would pair extremely well with McCoy in the middle of that defense and create a defensive line that would beat any offensive line around. They would be an unstoppable force that would stuff any running back but still have the ability to get to the quarterback. The tandem would allow playmakers like Michael Johnson and Lavonte David to make plays all over the field. Randy Gregory would be great to pair with McCoy and Johnson too. He would add the speed element to the team to strike fear into opposing quarterbacks and I could only imagine in what ways Lovie would line up Gregory to make sure he has the best chance to sack the quarterback. After all this is said, I still believe that if the Bucs have a chance to take Winston, DO IT!
Thanks to the help of Justin, we have collaborated to form a list of the four teams most likely to be drafting first overall, along with who we believe are the elite players in this upcoming draft based on what we've seen so far. They are as follows:
Amari Cooper, Wide Receiver, Alabama Crimson Tide
Andrus Peat, Offensive Tackle, Stanford Cardinal
Jameis Winston, Quarterback, Florida State Seminoles
Landon Collins, Safety, Alabama Crimson Tide
Leonard Williams, Defense End, USC Trojans
Randy Gregory, Outside Linebacker/Defensive End, Nebraska Cornhuskers
Todd Gurley, Running Back, Georgia Bulldogs
Obviously, some of a higher chance of being the first overall pick than others. A receiver hasn't gone first overall since Keyshawn Johnson in 1996; a running back since Ki-Jana Carter the year prior; and a safety has never been selected first. Here are the options for each team. The teams are simply in alphabetical order.
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8)
Derek's Take:
Jacksonville is straight up a bad team, but they are still very young and are going through the trials of trying to learn to play together in a game that is still too fast for them. Surprisingly, since defensive minded coach Gus Bradley came over a few years ago from Seattle, this team has gone offense in the first round of the last two drafts. They have some key pieces in place, so it is time that this team goes with a real defensive game changer that they missed out on when they took Blake Bortles over Khalil Mack. Without question, they should select Randy Gregory out of Nebraska if they fortunate (unfortunate?) enough to have the first pick. Their defense is patched together with aging veterans and young guys no one has ever heard of. Through eight games, the Jaguars have 25 sacks which isn't a terrible total by any means, but no one is consistent at pressuring the quarterback. Bradley's defense has been missing a disruptive edge rusher, and no one would be better than Gregory to line up everywhere and cause havoc. He has a lightning first step that catches even the most seasoned offensive tackles off guard. He is quick to dip his hip and get around the tackle and knows how to finish the play no matter what angle he is given coming around the edge. Gregory is tall and lanky which allows him to get his hands on a lineman and push them around. Despite being 6'6, he weighs only 240 pounds. But his strength is unquestionable at this point and he looks to have the frame to add more mass without sacrificing his speed. His technique as a pass rusher is also very impressive as he has a good swim move and maintains superb balance on spins to get the inside shoulder of the lineman. The next option for Jacksonville would be to take Leonard Williams, another very gifted defensive player. Williams has lined up all over the line for the Trojans, but Sarkisian really likes him coming off of the edge. In an age where versatility is becoming extremely coveted, Williams has the size and strength to play inside but possesses incredible athleticism to rush the passer from the edge. The defensive line for Jacksonville is better off than their linebackers, but a guy like Williams would likely start from day one. The third option for the Jaguars would be to draft Peat to protect Bortles who has been sacked 33 times this year. Poor protection has also led him to rush throws and caused many of his interceptions. Jacksonville recently drafted Luke Joeckel out of Texas A&M two years ago, but he has struggled with injuries and development to become a franchise left tackle. Moving him to the right side and allowing Peat to be the blind side protector would make Bortles's life a lot easier.
Justin's Take:
The one, and maybe only, fun thing about being a Jaguars fan is being able to look towards the draft earlier than most fans because the season is already a wash and it looks like they are locked into a top 4 pick for 2015. Lets go over some of the needs for this team. Offensive line. A pass rusher (which they have been “addressing” for the past decade). Secondary. The offensive line is atrocious. No wonder Blake Bortles has been running for his life the entire time he has been playing, and maybe a reason why the coaching staff wanted to keep him off the field for as long as they could. A pass rusher is something the fans have craved for years. Fans rejoiced when the team traded up to draft Derrick Harvey back in 2008, but he turned out to be a massive bust and has since been out of the league for last two seasons. The secondary is young and sub sequentially has made plenty of mistakes. I expect Aaron Colvin, rookie corner out of Oklahoma who was a top ranked player prior to his ACL tear, to take that starting job next year. Free safety is still an issue. Josh Evans is not a quality starter. He misses tackles and constantly blows coverages. This team has roughly $23 million dollars in cap space so I expect them to be very active in free agency again this year. Obviously, if Jacksonville has the number one overall pick they should trade back and get as many draft picks as possible to upgrade and add depth to every conceivable position. In my opinion, if this team picks first overall, they take Randy Gregory. Gregory has jaw dropping speed and a first step burst off the line that is quicker than anybody I can remember coming out of the draft. The defensive end from Nebraska has lined up all over the field this year, including defensive end, defensive tackle, and has dropped back into coverage as a linebacker. I can only imagine what ways head coach Gus Bradley could use him in but most likely he would be in that vaunted Leo position that the coach loves so much. If the Jaguars want their franchise quarterback to succeed, they have to protect him the best they can. They invested a first round pick in the lackluster Luke Joeckel, who has not exceeded expectations but is still young enough that he can turn into the type of tackle the team had hoped for. But, if you take a page out of the 49ers playbook and invest a few first round picks into your offensive line, then the once greatest weakness on the team can transform into a unit of strength very quickly. That is why I believe Andrus Peat from Stanford is a real possibility. The big, athletic offensive tackle could take the left tackle job from Joeckel and move him to right tackle. That way, the corners of the offensive line are strong, instead of being a weak point. Then later in the draft, a center or a guard can be drafted and the revamped offensive line will be ready for anything defenses throw towards them. Call me crazy but I think Todd Gurley would be an amazing pick for the Jaguars. Remember when the Minnesota Vikings were contemplating taking Adrian Peterson with the seventh overall pick in the 2007 draft, despite having Chester Taylor who was an adequate running back at the time? Except for the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Peterson, he has been a fantastic running back. I have been a big fan of Denard Robinson this year. He is hitting the holes with incredible speed and has been a pretty durable back but Gurley is one of those once in a decade kind of players that could make this Jaguars offense one to be reckoned with along with taking some of the load off of Bortles’ back. This could move Robinson to more of a Darren Sproles type position where he can be lined up as a receiver and a third down back who can catch the ball out of the backfield. Any one of these players would be a huge upgrade over what the team has now and would be gladly welcomed by Bradley and the Jaguars coaching staff.
New York Jets (1-8)
Derek's Take:
The entire Jets front office and roster needs to be nuked from orbit. This team is a fucking disaster and has been since their fluke AFC Championship appearances. A lot of blame gets placed on Rex Ryan, which is fair, but general manager John Idzik who has been responsible for a couple of terrible drafts. This team has a talented defense, but for as good as they play they are crippled considerably by the play of their quarterbacks. Geno Smith is hands down the worst starter in the league and probably won't be in the NFL after this season. I'd eat my shoe if some team actually wanted him to be a back up. With that in mind, it should be pretty obvious who this selection should be. Jameis Winston might have maturity issues, but there is no doubt that he is just a few shades below Andrew Luck in terms of pure quarterbacking skill and potential. He hasn't been as good this year as he was last year during his Heisman winning season, but just oozes with talent that is waiting to be tapped. He has an absolute cannon for an arm but also has great touch, able to put just the right amount on each pass to comfortably get the ball to his target. As was shown last year and has in critical spots this year, his football IQ and ability to see the field is astounding for someone his age. He regularly reads the defense and makes the right throw based on what is to presented to him. His athleticism is also off the charts. He won't scramble quite like Mariota can, but he can move around in the pocket, reset, and fire better than almost anyone I've ever seen. Besides maturity, I think that the biggest knock against him is that he tries to do too much which can get him into trouble. But there is no doubt that he is a tremendous talent that could end up being the next elite quarterback and extinguish the dumpster fire that is the Jets. Should this team wish to continue to roll with Geno Smith, they should continue to give him more weapons and draft Amari Cooper. Percy Harvin is one of the most overrated players in the NFL, and as such Geno needs some more reliable help if he wants to prove that he can be a capable starter. Cooper has been drawing comparisons to all kinds of receivers, but I really can't compare him to any one player. To me, he has the route running and raw speed of Julio Jones while having the body control and high-pointing ability of AJ Green. He could easily have the kind of impact that they had in their rookie years' and only continue to get better. The third option that would make sense would be to take Gregory. The Jets have a fantastic defensive line, but they still lack a disruptive linebacker who can rush the passer. Gregory would make a this front seven an absolute nightmare.
Justin's Take:
The Jets are by far the most dysfunctional team in all of the National Football League. Fans are hoping that Rex Ryan gets the axe as he has overstayed his welcome and has not lived up to his self proclaimed Super Bowl hype. This team has pressing needs up and down the roster, but just like with every team aspiring to win more than a few games in the league you need to have a quarterback. With that said, there are two quarterbacks in this years draft worthy of the number one overall spot. You know their names, Jameis Winston from Florida State and Marcus Mariota from Oregon. Winston has everything you want in a quarterback on the field but his off the field issues will makes teams very hesitant to take him early in the first. According to reports, there are some general managers calling him JaMarcus Russell 2.0. Winston and Russell are not the same players in the slightest. Jameis goes through his progressions and reads the defenses very well and according to quarterback guru, George Whitfield, Winston’s football smarts are just as good as Andrew Luck (and he would know considering he trained both players). He can make every throw and has enough athletic ability to extend the plays and zip the ball down the field with the flick of a wrist. Jameis would make a lot of sense for the Jets. The state of quarterback on this team is deplorable. Geno Smith is not worthy of a starting quarterback position in the league and Michael Vick has glass bones and is way passed his prime. The main knock on Winston is his maturity so he either needs to mature on his own or he will be forced to mature. He has the ability to be very good in this league but it is all up to him. Hypothetically speaking, if Rex were to stay and wanted to stick with Geno for another year then the next best option at number one would be to trade back but we aren’t doing trades, so let’s have some fun with it and plot Amari Cooper at the top spot. No receiver has gone higher than 2 since Calvin Johnson secured that spot to the Lions back in 2007 (and any team today would have taken Johnson at #1 if given the chance). Cooper has a chance to be as dangerous as Calvin Johnson as he uncoverable. He is fast (self proclaimed sub 4.4 forty yard dash), has amazing hands that won’t drop anything, and he moves his body with ease which gives him the ability to run clean and crisp routes. He constantly beats the SECs best cornerbacks week in and week out. Cooper would be a great addition to the Jets receiving core with Percy Harvin, Eric Decker, and Jeremy Kerley leading the way, but Amari could be the number one wideout that the Jets have lacked since Wayne Chrebet back in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Even Geno couldn’t screw it up that badly with a wide receiving core like that. Option C for the Jets would Randy Gregory. The defensive end from Nebraska could be an absolute stud at the next level. His burst off the line is unreal but he offers more than just quickness. He has an arsenal of moves to get to the quarterback including a bull rush where he uses his incredibly long arms to get inside the offensive lineman’s numbers and throw him back like a rag doll. Mix that bull rush in with a nice spin and swim move and you have one helluva player. Gregory is the type of player that defensive coordinators drool over and crave and he will get bigger as he is listed at 240 pounds. Who the Jets take at number one will be easier to tell once the season is over and a whole new regime comes in but they cannot go wrong with any one of those three players.
Oakland Raiders (0-8)
Derek's Take:
The Raiders are in serious trouble of going defeated this season. Their upcoming schedule is brutal and the team lacks serious talent to be able to keep up with those teams. They have played a lot of close games, but they just don't have enough to overtake teams in close games. The Raiders have holes all over their team, so they could pretty much pick anyone except for a quarterback and make an improvement to their team. Should this team get the first pick, they should attempt to get a trade package with a team desperate to land a quarterback and move down. They likely wouldn't get the same kind of deal the Rams got when Washington traded out for RG3, but they would still get an extra first round pick and some later picks for it. But since they are stuck in this hypothetical position, they should take the best non-quarterback on the board, which is Leonard Williams. Williams is an absolute monster on the defensive line. They struck gold last year taking Khalil Mack to bolster their defensive front, but adding Williams would give them two dynamic pass rushers to harass quarterbacks. In an age where versatility is becoming more and more coveted, Williams offers whoever is the defensive coordinator next year a ton of options. Throughout his years at USC, Williams has lined up both inside and has come off the edge. He has the power to work from the inside but the athleticism and explosiveness to rush from the edge. Oakland has had trouble generating sacks this year (even though Mack has a lot of pressures, he doesn't have a recorded sack) and it is borderline impossible to win this day in age with the game tailored to passing. Should the Raiders want to get some more help for an offense that can look anemic at times, their best bet would be to go with Amari Cooper. As mentioned above, Cooper is a phenomenal receiver on par with Sammy Watkins who was taken fourth overall in the previous draft. Right now, the Raiders top receivers are James Jones and Andre Holmes. Neither of those names are keeping defensive coordinators up at night. Derek Carr has been the best rookie quarterback this year, but he would really flourish with a game breaker like Cooper. If that isn't what the Raiders want to do, they should still upgrade their offense and take Todd Gurley. A running back hasn't been selected first overall in almost twenty years, but this kid is special and would be an immediate upgrade over the corpses of Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden. They have to do something to a rush unit that averages 66 yards a game.
Justin's Take:
The Raiders flat out suck. They are the perennial black hole of the league where players go for their careers to die, or at least take a vacation (a la Randy Moss). They did well in their draft last year with picks such as Khalil Mack, Gabe Jackson, and Derek Carr but they fired their head coach in Dennis Allen only a few games into the season. So what is next for this team? Does Mark Davis decide to blow the whole front office up again and fire General Manager Reggie McKenzie and interim head coach Tony Sparano? I think he may. Especially with their potential move to Los Angeles, the owner may want a brand new start. The offense, for the most part, does not look that terrible on paper but with a rookie quarterback holding the reigns one has to expect growing pains and mistakes. The Raiders are in the bottom ranks of 30th and 28th in offensive and defensive efficiency so major changes will have to happen. So if this team has the first overall pick, and it looks as though they may, there are plenty of directions they could go in. A big time, flashy defensive end that can get pressure on the quarterback would be ideal when you could match him up with Khalil Mack and have a great cornerstone on defense. This team currently averages a sack a game (7 sacks in 7 games) and that helps put them in the basement of the league. Randy Gregory would be a very welcomed addition to a team with a desperate and major need. As mentioned earlier, its Gregory’s first step off the line that has me in awe but he also has an array of rush moves that is quite ahead of where he should be (considering he was in the JUCO league just two short years ago). Gregory’s weight (240) could scare some teams from placing him at defensive end. I call bologna on that. Gregory is going to get bigger over time. He is on the smaller side right now because he has not been in a real college weight room for all that long. But the special thing about the Nebraska defensive end is that he has the ability and fluidity in his hips to open them up and drop back into coverage. With the right coaching, he could easily succeed as a traditional defensive end in a 4-3 or as a rush linebacker in a 3-4 whom occasionally drops into coverage and has enough relied upon athleticism to make plays. Lets say the Raiders have enough faith in Justin Tuck and the other defensive ends to make plays, where is the next position of need that they turn to? Todd fricken Gurley. Gurley is a one man wrecking crew that can carry the rock 20-25 times a game and still bulldoze people over late in the fourth. He can also help take the load off of Derek Carr and make the offense into a more balanced offense that cannot be front or back loaded with defenders. The offensive line is currently ideal for running the ball down people’s throats. Khalif Barnes, Donald Penn, Gabe Jackson, and Stefen Wisniewski have all played in predominantly run based offenses during their tenures in college or the pros. Drafting Gurley would also finally allow the Raiders to cut and finally move on from the enigmatic Darren McFadden. Gurley will be a beast in this league and definitely has an opportunity to go first overall. You still have to run the ball to win games; it’s as simple as that. I get this feeling that whoever is coaching this team next year will want to keep Derek Carr and at least give him another year to see what he can do. That is why I didn’t mock Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota at this spot but I do feel like Leonard Williams has a great shot to end up on this team. The big defensive end/ tackle for the USC Trojans has been making big time plays for his team since he was a freshman. He is 6’5” and 290 pounds but he is light enough on his feet that can play the outside end position in a 4-3 or stay inside and play defensive tackle. He uses his hands extremely well and will still have the strength and ability to overpower offensive tackles in the NFL, just like he did in college. The scariest thing about Williams is that he will still only be 20 years old by the time his name is called at the NFL draft. That’s incredible for a man that big and strong and that young.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-7)
Derek's Take:
I thought Tampa Bay was a team that could surprise and make a run at a Wild Card spot. I know I wasn't alone in this line of thought which I'm glad of because holy shit could I have not been more wrong. I really thought Lovie Smith was going to be able and make something out of this defense which has some talented players but hasn't gotten a lot of production. Both sides of the ball are terrible on this team and they need upgrades at numerous positions. But none is more critical than at quarterback. Mike Glennon has shown some promise, but he was recently benched in favor of Josh McCown who was benched earlier in the season for Glennon. So obviously Smith is not liking what he is seeing from these players. In a division with Drew Brees, Scam Newton, and Matt Ryan, a franchise quarterback is a must. That is why if the Bucs end up with the first overall pick, they need to roll the dice and select Jameis. I've already outlined above why Jameis is such a special talent, and he is one that the Bucs could not afford to pass up on. Tampa has some good offense talent waiting to be properly utilized, and there is now doubt that Jameis could take advantage of it. His favorite target last season at Florida State was Kelvin Benjamin who stands at 6'5. Tampa Bay just drafted two players, receiver Mike Evans and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who are each 6'5 so go along with seasoned veteran Vincent Jackson who is of the same height. Winston would have a field day with those receivers. If the Bucs feel that they need to give Glennon or McCown another season, they should bolster their defensive line with Leonard Williams. The team recently locked up stud defensive tackle Gerald McCoy for the long term, but the rest of the line blows. They have 13 sacks on the season with five coming from McCoy and have no threat from the edge. Williams would be able to come in and bring some explosiveness from the edge or could line up inside to create a formidable tackle duo. Option C for this team would be to take Peat. A left tackle would help whoever is starting be more comfortable in the pocket. The line has already allowed 21 sacks on the year and allow a lot more pressures. Plus, they have only rushed for an average of 90 yards a game. Peat would help bring a road grade mentality to this line.
Justin's Take:
The sad part about Tampa Bay is they have invested money in big time free agents (Evan Dietrich-Smith, Michael Johnson, and Dashon Goldson to name a few) and the team is still horrible. The defense has a great young core with Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David and with a defensive minded head coach like Lovie Smith, I expect this defense to have a different swagger and look to it next year. They will be improved, you can bet on that but for now they suck. Doug Martin looks like a shadow of himself and the one-year wonder may be the next in line to lose his job with Bobby Rainey taking control and Charles Sims potentially living up to the hype that was surrounding him in the preseason. What the Bucs have to figure out before the end of the season is who their starting quarterback will be moving forward. Mike Glennon has shown some flashes that make you think he may be the quarterback for the Bucs, but they invested so much money in journeyman Luke McCown that it makes you question if the coaching staff has already moved on from Glennon. If that is the case, Tampa Bay needs to grab Jameis Winston immediately. Winston is everything you want on the field and nothing you want off of it. He does things on the field that makes you crave a quarterback of that caliber but then he does dumb, immature shit that makes you want to smack him and wake him up. He has the potential to be an amazing quarterback that could turn a team around, like the Bucs, just like Andrew Luck did with the Colts. But Winston also has the ability to get suspended for multiple games by a no nonsense, no bullshit coach like Lovie Smith. Winston would match up so incredibly well with the talent at the skill position on that team. Vincent Jackson is that big time deep threat that Jameis could get motivated and wake him up from the cocoon that he has been in. Mike Evans and Austin Sefarian-Jenkins are young players that have potential to be something very special in a few years, especially with Winston chucking the rock. Hypothetically, if the Buccaneers want to stick with McCown and Glennon where do they look to? Lovie does love his defensive players so I would expect him to take a good long hard look at both Leonard Williams and Randy Gregory. Williams would pair extremely well with McCoy in the middle of that defense and create a defensive line that would beat any offensive line around. They would be an unstoppable force that would stuff any running back but still have the ability to get to the quarterback. The tandem would allow playmakers like Michael Johnson and Lavonte David to make plays all over the field. Randy Gregory would be great to pair with McCoy and Johnson too. He would add the speed element to the team to strike fear into opposing quarterbacks and I could only imagine in what ways Lovie would line up Gregory to make sure he has the best chance to sack the quarterback. After all this is said, I still believe that if the Bucs have a chance to take Winston, DO IT!
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Week 10 Top Ten
1) Mississippi State Bulldogs
Week 10 Result: Beat Arkansas Razorbacks 17-10 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 1
We've known for a few weeks that the Bulldogs are beatable, but I think this game showed that it is almost an inevitability at this point. Arkansas is not a very good team and it took an interception in the endzone to seal the victory for the Bulldogs. Prescott played a very mediocre game, throwing for over 300 yards but also throwing a couple of critical interceptions. He was off the mark a bit in this game and a more potent offense would have been able to turn that into points. The running backs also struggled a bit in this game as well. They only managed to muster 3.7 yards a game and no run went for more than 13 yards. That is a bit surprising for a team that has ran the ball very efficiently and should have had more success against a weak front seven. Defensively, they played a pretty good game and while they allowed over 400 yards, but only allowed ten points. Arkansas looked as though they were going to be able to to tie the game up at the end of the game, but an interception in the endzone ended the game and saved them from the humiliating upset. Mississippi State gets an easy game next week against Tennessee-Martin before getting a visit from Alabama in a game that they must win. Any loss from this point on puts them on the outside looking in as they need to stay in the top four or so to get playoff consideration.
2) Auburn Tigers
Week 10 Result: Beat No. 4 Ole Miss Rebels 35-31 in Oxford
Last Week's Ranking: 3
Auburn got pretty lucky that Ole Miss's receiver suffered a gruesome injury right at the goal line that caused them to fumble or they would be out of the picture at the moment. But they pulled out a really tough, gritty win that has earned them a high ranking in almost all of the polls. Auburn's defense has been pretty susceptible recently and it came close to costing them dearly in this game. They gave up almost five hundred yards of offense and allowed Bo Wallace to have himself a great evening. They missed a lot of tackles and were extremely poor in coverage. Three receivers had more than 100 yards in this game. As bad as the defense was for Auburn, their offense continues to operate as one of the most efficient in the nation. Nick Marshall had a great game, accounting for four touchdowns and more than 300 yards of offense. He made some huge plays and had a connection going all night with Sammie Coates. Coates has had up and down games this season as Auburn doesn't throw the ball with any sort of consistency, but he came up huge in this game , especially with a touchdown right before halftime to tie the game at 14. Coates and Duke Williams are an incredibly dangerous pair of receivers who would really should be used more often than just getting a few looks a game. Next week should be an easier game against an imploding A&M team before they go on the road to face a Georgia team that got embarrassed by a bad Florida team.
3) Michigan State Spartans
Week 10 Result: Bye Week
Last Week's Ranking: 4
4) Oregon Ducks
Week 10 Result: Beat Stanford Cardinal 45-16 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 9
Oregon looks like they have figured out some of the weak spots in their team and they have been rolling recently. Mariota was very aggressive in this game, taking off with the ball nine times and not trying to force throws as he has been recently. He did have an interception, but made up for it with four total touchdowns and some real explosive plays. He completed a pass to nine different players which made it almost impossible for the Cardinal to defend them. Stanford has had a lot of success against Oregon in recent years, but they just did not have the athletes on defense to slow down Oregon's offense. The Ducks ran the ball 46 times in this game and averaged almost six yards per carry against Stanford. Freshman Royce Freeman got the bulk of the carries, but sophomore Thomas Tyner had two big touchdowns to put some comfortable distance between Oregon and Stanford. Defensively, they played well against a team that has really struggled this year. Stanford still gained 428 yards, but they allowed only one touchdown on the day. They weren't going to let Stanford play the clock control game and run the ball down their throat. They tightened up and forced Kevin Hogan to beat them which he was not able to do. Oregon plays at Utah next week and cannot slip up in this one. The rest of the schedule is a cake walk.
5) Alabama Crimson Tide
Week 10 Result: Bye Week
Last Week's Ranking: 5
6) Florida State Seminoles
Week 10 Result: Beat No. 25 Louisville Cardinals 42-31 in Louisville
Last Week's Ranking: 2
God I hate this team. I never thought that I could hate a team as much as I hate Michigan or Notre Dame, but this team has really done everything it possibly can to be loathed. Fuck their rapist, dickhead quarterback. Fuck their woman beating running back. And triple fuck their head coach who allows this to persist and then acts like the victim when he gets called out on it. I hope they get their ass kicked in the playoffs, Jameis becomes the next Jamarcus Russell, and their championship season gets vacated. Eat shit Florida State.
7) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Week 10 Result: Beat Navy Midshipmen 49-39 in Annapolis
Last Week's Ranking: 8
I don't really know how to explain the fall in defensive prowess for Notre Dame over the past few weeks. What had once been a stifling defense has given up more than 30 points in the last three games. The Irish had gone up by as much as three touchdowns in the second quarter, but their defense allowed some points to cut the lead to 11 right before half and even allowed Navy to take the lead or keep close the rest of the game. It has been very disappointing for a team that held five straight teams to less than 17. Offensively, this is probably I've seen them play under Brian Kelly this year. They lit up UNC, played a tough game with a very simplistic game plan against Florida State, and rolled to seven touchdowns against Navy. Everret Golson continues to be one of the most improved quarterback in the NCAA by a staggering margin. He passed 315 yards and three touchdowns on only 18 completions while running for three more touchdowns to give him six on the day. Tarean Folston continues to prove that he is the go to running back for this team as he ran for almost 150 yards and a touchdown at 7.5 yards per carry. Notre Dame doesn't have a lot standing in its way to a double digit season. They're loss really hurt them however as they don't have a signature win on the season. They are going to need a lot of help to make the playoffs.
8) Texas Christian Horned Frogs
Week 10 Result: Beat No. 20 West Virginia Mountaineers 31-30 in Morgantown
Last Week's Ranking: Outside Top Ten
This team could be a playoff crasher. They have only one loss to a Baylor team that knows how to rack up points and they got their first signature win of the season in a hostile environment in Morgantown. Gary Patterson built a powerful team at TCU during his first few season by having a stifling defense, but this season has been a complete 180. TCU gives up close to 23 points a game and has given up more than 30 in three games, something I never thought I'd see from a top ten TCU team. But as inconsistent as their defense has been, their offense has been a juggernaut this season. They are second in the nation in scoring offense, pumping out 48 points a game while ranking fifth in passing yards and 33rd in rushing yards. Quarterback Trevone Boykin is the cog of the offense, a converted receiver who has really hit his stride in his second year under center. Boykin has passed for 22 touchdowns and rushed for another four while throwing only four picks on the season. He has not had a multi-interception game either. If they can beat Kansas State next week at home, they will make the playoffs. Mark my words.
9) Kansas State Wildcats
Week 10 Result: Beat Oklahoma State Cowboys 48-14 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 10
While Kansas State is undefeated in conference play, I have TCU just ahead of them because they have been unstoppable. Kansas State's loss is more "impressive" since it came against Auburn by less than a touchdown, but there is no doubt they deserve to be in the top ten. Bill Snyder continues to game plan in the most impressive ways possible. He held a dangerous Cowboys offense to just 14 points 260 total yards of offense. They also to continue to be insanely tenacious, forcing three turnovers in this contest. And while they are not the most flashy team on offense, their grinding and grueling efficiency has them in a great place to be in the playoffs. Jake Waters is the do everything quarterback that Snyder loves and has mastered the offense since last year. His rapport with all-everything player Tyler Lockett makes this offense very dangerous. Unfortunately, I think the magic of this season will come to an end next week against a Horned Frogs team that has looked unstoppable for the most part this season.
10) Baylor Bears
Week 10 Result: Beat Kansas Jayhawks 60-14 at home
Last Week's Ranking: Outside Top ten
It's Kansas. This was supposed to happen.
Week 10 Result: Beat Arkansas Razorbacks 17-10 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 1
We've known for a few weeks that the Bulldogs are beatable, but I think this game showed that it is almost an inevitability at this point. Arkansas is not a very good team and it took an interception in the endzone to seal the victory for the Bulldogs. Prescott played a very mediocre game, throwing for over 300 yards but also throwing a couple of critical interceptions. He was off the mark a bit in this game and a more potent offense would have been able to turn that into points. The running backs also struggled a bit in this game as well. They only managed to muster 3.7 yards a game and no run went for more than 13 yards. That is a bit surprising for a team that has ran the ball very efficiently and should have had more success against a weak front seven. Defensively, they played a pretty good game and while they allowed over 400 yards, but only allowed ten points. Arkansas looked as though they were going to be able to to tie the game up at the end of the game, but an interception in the endzone ended the game and saved them from the humiliating upset. Mississippi State gets an easy game next week against Tennessee-Martin before getting a visit from Alabama in a game that they must win. Any loss from this point on puts them on the outside looking in as they need to stay in the top four or so to get playoff consideration.
2) Auburn Tigers
Week 10 Result: Beat No. 4 Ole Miss Rebels 35-31 in Oxford
Last Week's Ranking: 3
Auburn got pretty lucky that Ole Miss's receiver suffered a gruesome injury right at the goal line that caused them to fumble or they would be out of the picture at the moment. But they pulled out a really tough, gritty win that has earned them a high ranking in almost all of the polls. Auburn's defense has been pretty susceptible recently and it came close to costing them dearly in this game. They gave up almost five hundred yards of offense and allowed Bo Wallace to have himself a great evening. They missed a lot of tackles and were extremely poor in coverage. Three receivers had more than 100 yards in this game. As bad as the defense was for Auburn, their offense continues to operate as one of the most efficient in the nation. Nick Marshall had a great game, accounting for four touchdowns and more than 300 yards of offense. He made some huge plays and had a connection going all night with Sammie Coates. Coates has had up and down games this season as Auburn doesn't throw the ball with any sort of consistency, but he came up huge in this game , especially with a touchdown right before halftime to tie the game at 14. Coates and Duke Williams are an incredibly dangerous pair of receivers who would really should be used more often than just getting a few looks a game. Next week should be an easier game against an imploding A&M team before they go on the road to face a Georgia team that got embarrassed by a bad Florida team.
3) Michigan State Spartans
Week 10 Result: Bye Week
Last Week's Ranking: 4
4) Oregon Ducks
Week 10 Result: Beat Stanford Cardinal 45-16 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 9
Oregon looks like they have figured out some of the weak spots in their team and they have been rolling recently. Mariota was very aggressive in this game, taking off with the ball nine times and not trying to force throws as he has been recently. He did have an interception, but made up for it with four total touchdowns and some real explosive plays. He completed a pass to nine different players which made it almost impossible for the Cardinal to defend them. Stanford has had a lot of success against Oregon in recent years, but they just did not have the athletes on defense to slow down Oregon's offense. The Ducks ran the ball 46 times in this game and averaged almost six yards per carry against Stanford. Freshman Royce Freeman got the bulk of the carries, but sophomore Thomas Tyner had two big touchdowns to put some comfortable distance between Oregon and Stanford. Defensively, they played well against a team that has really struggled this year. Stanford still gained 428 yards, but they allowed only one touchdown on the day. They weren't going to let Stanford play the clock control game and run the ball down their throat. They tightened up and forced Kevin Hogan to beat them which he was not able to do. Oregon plays at Utah next week and cannot slip up in this one. The rest of the schedule is a cake walk.
5) Alabama Crimson Tide
Week 10 Result: Bye Week
Last Week's Ranking: 5
6) Florida State Seminoles
Week 10 Result: Beat No. 25 Louisville Cardinals 42-31 in Louisville
Last Week's Ranking: 2
God I hate this team. I never thought that I could hate a team as much as I hate Michigan or Notre Dame, but this team has really done everything it possibly can to be loathed. Fuck their rapist, dickhead quarterback. Fuck their woman beating running back. And triple fuck their head coach who allows this to persist and then acts like the victim when he gets called out on it. I hope they get their ass kicked in the playoffs, Jameis becomes the next Jamarcus Russell, and their championship season gets vacated. Eat shit Florida State.
7) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Week 10 Result: Beat Navy Midshipmen 49-39 in Annapolis
Last Week's Ranking: 8
I don't really know how to explain the fall in defensive prowess for Notre Dame over the past few weeks. What had once been a stifling defense has given up more than 30 points in the last three games. The Irish had gone up by as much as three touchdowns in the second quarter, but their defense allowed some points to cut the lead to 11 right before half and even allowed Navy to take the lead or keep close the rest of the game. It has been very disappointing for a team that held five straight teams to less than 17. Offensively, this is probably I've seen them play under Brian Kelly this year. They lit up UNC, played a tough game with a very simplistic game plan against Florida State, and rolled to seven touchdowns against Navy. Everret Golson continues to be one of the most improved quarterback in the NCAA by a staggering margin. He passed 315 yards and three touchdowns on only 18 completions while running for three more touchdowns to give him six on the day. Tarean Folston continues to prove that he is the go to running back for this team as he ran for almost 150 yards and a touchdown at 7.5 yards per carry. Notre Dame doesn't have a lot standing in its way to a double digit season. They're loss really hurt them however as they don't have a signature win on the season. They are going to need a lot of help to make the playoffs.
8) Texas Christian Horned Frogs
Week 10 Result: Beat No. 20 West Virginia Mountaineers 31-30 in Morgantown
Last Week's Ranking: Outside Top Ten
This team could be a playoff crasher. They have only one loss to a Baylor team that knows how to rack up points and they got their first signature win of the season in a hostile environment in Morgantown. Gary Patterson built a powerful team at TCU during his first few season by having a stifling defense, but this season has been a complete 180. TCU gives up close to 23 points a game and has given up more than 30 in three games, something I never thought I'd see from a top ten TCU team. But as inconsistent as their defense has been, their offense has been a juggernaut this season. They are second in the nation in scoring offense, pumping out 48 points a game while ranking fifth in passing yards and 33rd in rushing yards. Quarterback Trevone Boykin is the cog of the offense, a converted receiver who has really hit his stride in his second year under center. Boykin has passed for 22 touchdowns and rushed for another four while throwing only four picks on the season. He has not had a multi-interception game either. If they can beat Kansas State next week at home, they will make the playoffs. Mark my words.
9) Kansas State Wildcats
Week 10 Result: Beat Oklahoma State Cowboys 48-14 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 10
While Kansas State is undefeated in conference play, I have TCU just ahead of them because they have been unstoppable. Kansas State's loss is more "impressive" since it came against Auburn by less than a touchdown, but there is no doubt they deserve to be in the top ten. Bill Snyder continues to game plan in the most impressive ways possible. He held a dangerous Cowboys offense to just 14 points 260 total yards of offense. They also to continue to be insanely tenacious, forcing three turnovers in this contest. And while they are not the most flashy team on offense, their grinding and grueling efficiency has them in a great place to be in the playoffs. Jake Waters is the do everything quarterback that Snyder loves and has mastered the offense since last year. His rapport with all-everything player Tyler Lockett makes this offense very dangerous. Unfortunately, I think the magic of this season will come to an end next week against a Horned Frogs team that has looked unstoppable for the most part this season.
10) Baylor Bears
Week 10 Result: Beat Kansas Jayhawks 60-14 at home
Last Week's Ranking: Outside Top ten
It's Kansas. This was supposed to happen.
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