Yesterday was the AFC East and AFC North, so let's follow that up with what happened in the other two AFC divisions.
AFC South
I think that most would agree that, top to bottom, this is the worst division in at least the AFC, and probably the entire NFL. None of the teams are strong in all facets of the game, and they all have multiple needs to address this offseason.
Houston Texans - I had them possibly making the playoffs but I did not have much faith in Brock Osweiler. I don't think I was the only one that felt that way, and that is exactly what happened. They finished 9-7, which was good enough to win the division, but they had no chance against the Patriots, and they were disposed of by Tom Brady & Co.
The obvious strength here is the defense, and it seems like it will only get better going forward. They played New England without former defensive MVP J.J. Watt and still rattled him, so when Watt returns from injury next year, they can only get better. Jadeveon Clowney was finally healthy and had a nice year, and names like Whitney Mercilus and Benardrick McKinney should be recognized. Going in to next season, this could potentially be a top defense.
The problem is on the other side of the ball. Houston paid Brock Osweiler a ton of money to be their quarterback based on a very limited sample size of production, and his first year was pretty much as bad as it could get for the money he was being paid. Lamar Miller had a nice year out of the backfield, and Will Fuller had a very good rookie season. Moving forward though, the glaring weakness is at the quarterback position. Either Osweiler improves, backup Tom Savage becomes a diamond in the rough, or the defense is going to have to be spectacular next year for Houston to have a chance to compete with the best teams in the league.
Tennessee Titans - I went out on a limb here picking Tennessee to win the division, but I am happy to say that my prediction actually looks pretty good as of today. The Titans had won a combined five games in the previous two seasons leading up to this year, but I thought they might have a chance to surprise people and compete for the division crown, and they did just that by going 9-7.
DeMarco Murray, while not the elite rusher he was in Dallas, still had a nice year, and with him and Derrick Henry in the backfield, Tennessee seems set at that spot. Marcus Mariota still has room to improve, but as long as he is aided by a good running game, I think he is good enough to get the job done. Jack Conklin was a great pick (who I wish would have fallen to the Giants), and with him and Taylor Lewan anchoring each side of the offensive line, I really like what Tennessee is doing.
The Titans have both the 7th and 13th overall picks in the upcoming draft, and Mike Williams could possibly be sitting there for them to take. Wide receiver is the weakest part of their offense, so if they were able to get him with one of those picks and then add some depth on defense with the other choice, I think Tennessee will absolutely be able to compete for a playoff spot in the upcoming season.
Indianapolis Colts - I had them finishing around 8-8, and that is exactly what happened. Andrew Luck is a franchise quarterback who will be entrenched under center for the Colts for at least the next decade, but management has done a terrible job of putting adequate talent around him thus far in his career. That is why general manager Ryan Grigson was fired this past week. Head coach Chuck Pagano will seemingly stick around, so Indianapolis will have to find a GM that wants to work with Pagano, but getting rid of Grigson was definitely something that the franchise needed to do.
Ryan Kelly seems like a good investment the team made in the first round last year, but overall the offensive line still needs work. T.Y. Hilton is a Pro Bowl caliber receiver, but aside from him, Luck needs more weapons to work with. The same is true on the defensive side of the ball, as they have a few nice pieces, but for the most part they are lacking. Installing a new general manager with a better plan than Grigson will be a nice start, but at this point, this team has a whole lot of holes to fill.
Jacksonville Jaguars - I thought that maybe Jacksonville could have a shot to win 7 or 8 games, but that it was probably going to be a long shot, and I think many people thought this team could be even better than that. Well, we all were expecting way too much here. As is the case for most teams, it all begins with the quarterback position, and I think we are almost at the breaking point with Blake Bortles. He was poor again this season, and I think he should get a shot next year, but if the team is out of playoff contention by Thanksgiving, I think they should already be thinking about finding another solution at the position.
On the other side of the ball, the Jaguars have a whole lot of potential, but not too many results to show for it. The fact that they are picking fourth overall should tell us all we need to know, but if they miss on that pick, they could be looking at another restart a year from now with another quarterback, and an already thin fan base possibly even getting thinner.
AFC West
From top to bottom, I think this is clearly the toughest division in the AFC. Both Oakland and Kansas City made the playoffs, and the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos also reside in the West as well. If the Chargers are the worst team in your division, then the three teams above them must be pretty good.
Kansas City Chiefs - I do not think that I was the only person expecting this team to make the playoffs, and they did not disappoint. They went 12-4 and were downed in the playoffs by the Steelers by what some said was a questionable late game call, although I think that it was a correct one.
As has been the case in recent years with this team, the offense was efficient, and the defense was excellent. Outside of New England, I think that Travis Kelce has developed into the best tight end in the NFL. The only difference between Kelce and Rob Gronkowski is that Kelce is always on the field and Gronkowski is injury-prone. And speaking of injury-prone, Jamaal Charles once again missed a ton of time, but Spencer Ware did a pretty nice job filling in for him, and as of right now, it seems like the Chiefs were the team that found the late-round gem in the draft in the form of Tyreek Hill. Hill looks like he has the potential to be someone like Darren Sproles or Reggie Bush that can be effective running the ball, catching passes, and also returning kicks, but he could possibly be better than both of those guys. He is going to be a unique and explosive weapon for Kansas City going forward.
Eric Berry and Dontari Poe are great on defense, and they are not alone. Alex Smith and Andy Reid have yet to capture Super Bowl titles, but if the Chiefs make a few nice offseason moves, I think that 2017 could be the best chance they both have to attain that goal.
Oakland Raiders - I thought people were a year early on this team, but I was wrong there. The Oakland (maybe soon to be Las Vegas) Raiders are a force to be reckoned with, and I think they have pieces in place that will be around for a long time. Derek Carr was having a spectacular season under center until a really unfortunate injury late in the year that by all means ended the team's season. The Raiders looked like a legitimate contender in the AFC, but losing their star quarterback so late in the season pretty much killed their chances, as would be the case for any contending team. With that aside though, I really like this team going forward.
On the offensive side of the ball, I think this team is becoming one of the best in the NFL. Derek Carr looks like a surefire franchise quarterback who still has a lot of potential to get even better, the offensive line is one of the best in the entire NFL, they have some nice running backs, and Amari Cooper is a star in the making at wide receiver. Get ready to hear about these names now, because it looks like the Raiders offense is only scratching the surface of how good it could possibly become.
There are still some questions on the defense, but there are also some guys who seem to be (or already are) upcoming stars. Khalil Mack is already in the conversation of best defensive players in the entire NFL, and you should learn the names of guys like David Amerson and Karl Joseph. The first priority for Oakland in the draft should be strengthening the rest of the defense, but if they were able to do that and add another weapon or two on the offensive side of the ball, this team is going to be very good.
Denver Broncos - Obviously, as the defending Super Bowl champions, the Broncos could not be overlooked going into this season, but with Peyton Manning retiring and multiple key members of the defense defecting via free agency, I think most expected somewhat of a drop off here, and that is exactly what happened. Despite losing guys like Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan, Denver still had enough talent on defense to be very good, and they still were. The true weakness of the team was on the other side of the ball though, and it was a glaring weakness for most of this past season.
Losing one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of football is obviously something that no team would be able to overcome, and that was just the case for the Broncos this season. Trevor Siemian played almost all of the year under center, and while he was serviceable, his talent by no means jumped off the page. They used a first round pick last season on Paxton Lynch, and he got only a very small amount of playing time, so we never really got to see how he looked. I have heard people mention Denver as a destination for veteran free agent quarterbacks who might be available, but in my opinion, I think that Lynch should at least get a legitimate shot to play going into next season. He may not be the second coming of Peyton Manning, but should they really try to go after guys like Jay Cutler or Tony Romo or Colin Kaepernick? I don't think so.
San Diego Chargers - I had them finishing 5-11 and in last place in the AFC West, and that is exactly what happened. San Diego does have some talent, but unless they make some big moves this offseason, I don't see them being able to compete for a playoff spot next year. Philip Rivers is an underappreciated player because he has pretty much never gotten close to winning a Super Bowl, and he is still a very good quarterback. Melvin Gordon had a good year at running back, but they just do not have a ton of game breakers on offense. Joey Bosa looks like he will be a force, so that was a good choice at the top of the draft this past year, but the defense still needs help.
San Diego will be picking ninth overall in the draft this year, so I think they go for the best player available, and if they hit on the pick, it could possibly move the improvement process along a bit quicker, but with Philip Rivers entering his 13th season in the league, they probably need to use more than the draft to get better or else they could finish at the bottom of the division again next year and he could be one year closer to the end of the line.
Friday, January 27, 2017
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Reviewing my NFL predictions, Part One
With just over a week left until Super Bowl, I think this is a good time to not only look back at the preseason predictions of all the "experts," but look back at mine as well. I will provide you with some Super Bowl perspective soon, but since the NFL loves to delay its biggest game forever and ever, I first want to see how I did at projecting what would happen this season.
AFC East
Over the past decade, this has been pretty much the easiest division to predict, and while I may have gotten it wrong on the bottom, it is almost impossible to get it wrong at the top.
New England Patriots - I said that once Tom Brady returns, the Patriots should be fine, and they will be playing in Super Bowl 51, so that looks pretty good right now. The fact that they went 3-1 in the first four games without Brady just proves how great Bill Belichick and his staff really are, but if you know anything about the NFL, you would have picked the Patriots to win this division, and once again, you would have been correct.
Miami Dolphins - I said that 8-8 was the best they could expect, and the team ended up going 10-6 and making the playoffs. Jay Ajayi went from someone no one knew to an up and coming star, and their receiving corps was very impressive. The defense was better than expected, and they were probably the most surprising playoff team in the league. The quarterback situation is still not exactly stellar though, as Matt Moore ended up starting their lone playoff game instead of Ryan Tannehill. Ajayi looks like he could be a stud at running back, and they have a few other very nice pieces, but I still question whoever they have at QB going forward.
Buffalo Bills - At best, I had them sneaking into the playoffs, and they ended up finishing 7-9. I had serious questions about Tyrod Taylor at quarterback, and I still have serious questions about that position going forward. Head coach Rex Ryan has been fired, and while I understand the perspective of some people saying that a head coach should be given a few years to install his own system, I also think that we have seen enough from Ryan (as head coach of the Bills and Jets) to learn that he is nothing more than a very good defensive coordinator.
They lost Shaq Lawson and Reggie Ragland to injury, so the defense was not as good as expected, but until this team finds a quarterback, they will have a very tough time competing for a playoff spot in the AFC.
New York Jets - Maybe it is because I live in New York, maybe it is because of the relative success Ryan Fitzpatrick had last year, or maybe it is just because I am crazy, but I expected far too much from the Jets this past season.
The quarterback position was absolutely awful, the offensive weapons did not live up to the success of last season, and the defense came nowhere close to meeting the lofty expectations. Ryan Fitzpatrick was arguably the worst quarterback in the NFL this past season, while Geno Smith and Bryce Petty were not much better. I would still give Petty a shot to start next season, but I think they should already be looking at Christian Hackenberg as a potential starter. It was a mess of a season for the Jets, as they finished 5-11, and they have a whole lot of rebuilding to do.
AFC North
Much like the AFC East, the AFC North has been somewhat predictable over the past few seasons. It might be trendy to pick the Ravens or the Bengals, and they have certainly had some success in recent years, but the best team in this division has been, is, and likely will continue to be the Pittsburgh Steelers. The other team? The Cleveland Browns? Well, they are absolutely dreadful.
Pittsburgh Steelers - I had this team winning one playoff game, and I hit it right on the head with that one! I also said the strength of the team was the offense and the weakness was the defense, and while I hit it on the head again there, I don't think that saying that prior to the season was actually any kind of outrageous suggestion, because it was pretty obvious where this team stood.
Pittsburgh won the division and then lost to New England in the AFC Championship game, and the reason why was just what myself and pretty much everyone else predicted. The offensive line is very good, but obviously the stars of the team are Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and Le'Veon Bell.
The front seven on the defensive side of the ball is pretty good, as Ryan Shazier and Bud Dupree made their names known over the course of this season, but they still need help in the secondary. We are still a few months away from the draft and the offseason officially starting, but Pittsburgh was on everyone's radar this year, and that should be no different when training camp opens next season.
Baltimore Ravens - I said at best this team could be 8-8, and that is exactly how they finished. Baltimore had multiple aging veterans that I was unsure about, and they also had a lot of other spots that were being filled by unproven young players. That mixture brought in a mixed bag of results, but I think they did find a few nice pieces for the future. Ronnie Stanley did a pretty nice job stepping in to a role on the offensive line, and Kenneth Dixon came in as a fourth round pick and seems like he will be a nice piece coming out of the backfield going into the 2017 season.
In what was most likely a completely under the radar move though, young linebacker Zachary Orr announced his retirement only about a week ago. He had a spectacular season, and was the best player on Baltimore's defense, so that is going to be a big blow to the team. They have a lot of other young options at that position, but when Orr announced his retirement, it certainly must have been a huge blow for the team.
Going forward, I think the Ravens do have some good things on the horizon, but they do definitely have some areas that need serious improvement as well.
Cleveland Browns - I had this team finishing last in the division before the season began, and I honestly don't know how anyone could have figured differently. I said at worst, they will be picking first overall in the upcoming draft, and that is exactly what is going to happen.
Pretty much everything was a mess on this roster this season, and it began at the quarterback position. It seems as though Robert Griffin III has locked himself into the slot of shooting star quarterback, as he got hurt early in the season once again, and I do not think he has a starting job anywhere in the NFL coming any time soon. Cody Kessler started a bunch of games, and the man I believe to be the most worthless backup QB in the entire NFL, Josh McCown, once again failed miserably just like he always does.
The Browns have endless amounts of needs, and with the first pick in this draft, I think they should take Myles Garrett because he is the best player available and they could use any talent they can get, no matter the position. Without a quarterback, and without a whole lot of other things, the Browns are still a long way from getting anywhere close to the playoffs, but if they can even have a mediocre draft this April, it will be a good start.
AFC East
Over the past decade, this has been pretty much the easiest division to predict, and while I may have gotten it wrong on the bottom, it is almost impossible to get it wrong at the top.
New England Patriots - I said that once Tom Brady returns, the Patriots should be fine, and they will be playing in Super Bowl 51, so that looks pretty good right now. The fact that they went 3-1 in the first four games without Brady just proves how great Bill Belichick and his staff really are, but if you know anything about the NFL, you would have picked the Patriots to win this division, and once again, you would have been correct.
Miami Dolphins - I said that 8-8 was the best they could expect, and the team ended up going 10-6 and making the playoffs. Jay Ajayi went from someone no one knew to an up and coming star, and their receiving corps was very impressive. The defense was better than expected, and they were probably the most surprising playoff team in the league. The quarterback situation is still not exactly stellar though, as Matt Moore ended up starting their lone playoff game instead of Ryan Tannehill. Ajayi looks like he could be a stud at running back, and they have a few other very nice pieces, but I still question whoever they have at QB going forward.
Buffalo Bills - At best, I had them sneaking into the playoffs, and they ended up finishing 7-9. I had serious questions about Tyrod Taylor at quarterback, and I still have serious questions about that position going forward. Head coach Rex Ryan has been fired, and while I understand the perspective of some people saying that a head coach should be given a few years to install his own system, I also think that we have seen enough from Ryan (as head coach of the Bills and Jets) to learn that he is nothing more than a very good defensive coordinator.
They lost Shaq Lawson and Reggie Ragland to injury, so the defense was not as good as expected, but until this team finds a quarterback, they will have a very tough time competing for a playoff spot in the AFC.
New York Jets - Maybe it is because I live in New York, maybe it is because of the relative success Ryan Fitzpatrick had last year, or maybe it is just because I am crazy, but I expected far too much from the Jets this past season.
The quarterback position was absolutely awful, the offensive weapons did not live up to the success of last season, and the defense came nowhere close to meeting the lofty expectations. Ryan Fitzpatrick was arguably the worst quarterback in the NFL this past season, while Geno Smith and Bryce Petty were not much better. I would still give Petty a shot to start next season, but I think they should already be looking at Christian Hackenberg as a potential starter. It was a mess of a season for the Jets, as they finished 5-11, and they have a whole lot of rebuilding to do.
AFC North
Much like the AFC East, the AFC North has been somewhat predictable over the past few seasons. It might be trendy to pick the Ravens or the Bengals, and they have certainly had some success in recent years, but the best team in this division has been, is, and likely will continue to be the Pittsburgh Steelers. The other team? The Cleveland Browns? Well, they are absolutely dreadful.
Pittsburgh Steelers - I had this team winning one playoff game, and I hit it right on the head with that one! I also said the strength of the team was the offense and the weakness was the defense, and while I hit it on the head again there, I don't think that saying that prior to the season was actually any kind of outrageous suggestion, because it was pretty obvious where this team stood.
Pittsburgh won the division and then lost to New England in the AFC Championship game, and the reason why was just what myself and pretty much everyone else predicted. The offensive line is very good, but obviously the stars of the team are Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and Le'Veon Bell.
The front seven on the defensive side of the ball is pretty good, as Ryan Shazier and Bud Dupree made their names known over the course of this season, but they still need help in the secondary. We are still a few months away from the draft and the offseason officially starting, but Pittsburgh was on everyone's radar this year, and that should be no different when training camp opens next season.
Baltimore Ravens - I said at best this team could be 8-8, and that is exactly how they finished. Baltimore had multiple aging veterans that I was unsure about, and they also had a lot of other spots that were being filled by unproven young players. That mixture brought in a mixed bag of results, but I think they did find a few nice pieces for the future. Ronnie Stanley did a pretty nice job stepping in to a role on the offensive line, and Kenneth Dixon came in as a fourth round pick and seems like he will be a nice piece coming out of the backfield going into the 2017 season.
In what was most likely a completely under the radar move though, young linebacker Zachary Orr announced his retirement only about a week ago. He had a spectacular season, and was the best player on Baltimore's defense, so that is going to be a big blow to the team. They have a lot of other young options at that position, but when Orr announced his retirement, it certainly must have been a huge blow for the team.
Going forward, I think the Ravens do have some good things on the horizon, but they do definitely have some areas that need serious improvement as well.
Cleveland Browns - I had this team finishing last in the division before the season began, and I honestly don't know how anyone could have figured differently. I said at worst, they will be picking first overall in the upcoming draft, and that is exactly what is going to happen.
Pretty much everything was a mess on this roster this season, and it began at the quarterback position. It seems as though Robert Griffin III has locked himself into the slot of shooting star quarterback, as he got hurt early in the season once again, and I do not think he has a starting job anywhere in the NFL coming any time soon. Cody Kessler started a bunch of games, and the man I believe to be the most worthless backup QB in the entire NFL, Josh McCown, once again failed miserably just like he always does.
The Browns have endless amounts of needs, and with the first pick in this draft, I think they should take Myles Garrett because he is the best player available and they could use any talent they can get, no matter the position. Without a quarterback, and without a whole lot of other things, the Browns are still a long way from getting anywhere close to the playoffs, but if they can even have a mediocre draft this April, it will be a good start.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
A sequel even better than the original
It is rare that sequels live up to the expectations of the original, especially when the original is already a classic. Godfather 2 was a great movie, but the original was one of the greatest movies ever made. The Blueprint 2? Good album, but not on the level of the original Blueprint album. Miami vs San Antonio in the NBA Finals in 2013? Classic series. The rematch the following season? Not nearly as good. However, there are some exceptions to that rule, and last night we got one of those exceptions.
The college football national championship game last year, despite a serious lack of defense, was extremely exciting. The game was close all the way through, and after a wild fourth quarter, the Alabama Crimson Tide beat the Clemson Tigers by a score of 45-40. After both teams reached the final again this season, expectations were that no matter who won, it would not be a game that was as exciting as the original. What we ended up getting was not only an exciting game, but one that was, in my opinion, even better than the one we got last year.
I don't want to give a play-by-play recap, so if you missed the game, well, shame on you. A day after it happened though, I would like to try to put it into some sort of context as far as where the game stands in the pantheon of greatest college football games ever played. In my opinion, the greatest college football game I have ever seen was the 2006 Rose Bowl between Texas and USC. Given the circumstances (the national championship was on the line), and the star power on the field, I always thought that that game would be unmatched. Until last night, I was right.
I don't want to be a prisoner of the moment, but what we saw last night I think absolutely has to be in the conversation of the greatest college football games ever played. When I talked about star power in the Texas vs USC game, last night may not have equaled it, but it was at least pretty close. We will still have to wait to see what all of these guys end up doing in the NFL, but Deshaun Watson, Mike Williams, Jonathan Allen, Reuben Foster (who I would love to see in a New York Giants jersey), and a few others are all stars on the college level with the potential to be stars on the next level as well. And while Jalen Hurts is still only a freshman and may not be a star in the NFL, his touchdown with just over two minutes remaining gave us what we all were hoping for, and that was Deshaun Watson and the Clemson offense against the Alabama defense with the national championship on the line, and the ending delivered as Watson found Hunter Renfrow in the end zone with one second remaining to win it all.
Just the fact that the game was decided with one second left on the clock was good enough, but being able to see Watson make his case as the best collegiate player in the country after coming so close last year was what made it even better. The final drive featured not only Watson at his best, but also ridiculous catches by Mike Williams and Jordan Leggett, as well as the winning score by Renfrow. One of the signature plays of John Elway's career is when he dove for the end zone in the Super Bowl and was twisted around by a mid air hit. Last night, Watson did almost the exact same thing. We saw clutch fourth down conversions and some huge hits as well. At the end though, it was coach Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers lifting the national championship trophy, and we all witnessed a game for the ages.
After his performance in the national championship game last season and at the start of this year, it seemed like Deshaun Watson was clearly the top quarterback prospect in the land. I was never really sure why, but for some reason it seemed like he was an afterthought going into last night. Guys like Mitch Trubisky and DeShone Kizer were at the top of draft boards, and Watson was nowhere to be found. Trubisky and Kizer are only slightly bigger than Watson, and while Watson may not have the strongest arm, I don't think that he is any less NFL-ready than either of those guys. The difference between the three is that Watson has proven more than once that he can produce on the biggest of stages. Trubisky and Kizer have not even come close to even getting a chance to play on a stage that big. Is that due in part to those guys being surrounded by less talent? Yes, I think it is. But I do not think that either of them have separated themselves from the pack enough to discount what Watson has done on the biggest of stages.
This quarterback class is considered to be somewhat weak as far as NFL draft standards. Does Watson have all of the tools to immediately step in and make an impact as a rookie? Maybe not. But do Kizer or Trubisky have those tools? Until they prove otherwise, you cannot convince me that they do. The Cleveland Browns will have the first pick in the draft this year, and in my opinion, since they have so many needs all over the field, they should take the best player available, and it seems right now like that player is Myles Garrett. However, the Browns do also have the 18th overall pick, and if somehow Watson were still available then, I would jump at the opportunity to take him. Maybe he will be available, and maybe he won't. But after watching him last night and knowing his history, I think that he is definitely worth a shot in the middle of the first round if you are a team with no quarterback to lead your franchise into the future.
That is the future though. What we need to do right now is recognize the present and we need to recognize that what we saw last night is a game that will be remembered for years to come. Going into the game, I must say that I thought Alabama would win, but I was not overlooking a very good Clemson team. They had the talent on both sides of the ball to win a national title, and they did just that. I am happy for their players, alumni, and coaches. I am also happy to say that I saw one of the greatest college football games to ever be played.
Daily NBA Update: Russell Westbrook went off again last night and Anthony Davis went for 40 and 18 at Madison Square Garden as well. How 'bout them Knicks! Yea!
Daily Rangers Update: The All Star break is approaching, and the Rangers will get multiple games with some of the weaker teams in the league before that happens, so it would be nice if they could get back on track and go into the second half of the season ready to lock up one of the top spots in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Next up is a home game against Toronto this Friday night.
The college football national championship game last year, despite a serious lack of defense, was extremely exciting. The game was close all the way through, and after a wild fourth quarter, the Alabama Crimson Tide beat the Clemson Tigers by a score of 45-40. After both teams reached the final again this season, expectations were that no matter who won, it would not be a game that was as exciting as the original. What we ended up getting was not only an exciting game, but one that was, in my opinion, even better than the one we got last year.
I don't want to give a play-by-play recap, so if you missed the game, well, shame on you. A day after it happened though, I would like to try to put it into some sort of context as far as where the game stands in the pantheon of greatest college football games ever played. In my opinion, the greatest college football game I have ever seen was the 2006 Rose Bowl between Texas and USC. Given the circumstances (the national championship was on the line), and the star power on the field, I always thought that that game would be unmatched. Until last night, I was right.
I don't want to be a prisoner of the moment, but what we saw last night I think absolutely has to be in the conversation of the greatest college football games ever played. When I talked about star power in the Texas vs USC game, last night may not have equaled it, but it was at least pretty close. We will still have to wait to see what all of these guys end up doing in the NFL, but Deshaun Watson, Mike Williams, Jonathan Allen, Reuben Foster (who I would love to see in a New York Giants jersey), and a few others are all stars on the college level with the potential to be stars on the next level as well. And while Jalen Hurts is still only a freshman and may not be a star in the NFL, his touchdown with just over two minutes remaining gave us what we all were hoping for, and that was Deshaun Watson and the Clemson offense against the Alabama defense with the national championship on the line, and the ending delivered as Watson found Hunter Renfrow in the end zone with one second remaining to win it all.
Just the fact that the game was decided with one second left on the clock was good enough, but being able to see Watson make his case as the best collegiate player in the country after coming so close last year was what made it even better. The final drive featured not only Watson at his best, but also ridiculous catches by Mike Williams and Jordan Leggett, as well as the winning score by Renfrow. One of the signature plays of John Elway's career is when he dove for the end zone in the Super Bowl and was twisted around by a mid air hit. Last night, Watson did almost the exact same thing. We saw clutch fourth down conversions and some huge hits as well. At the end though, it was coach Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers lifting the national championship trophy, and we all witnessed a game for the ages.
After his performance in the national championship game last season and at the start of this year, it seemed like Deshaun Watson was clearly the top quarterback prospect in the land. I was never really sure why, but for some reason it seemed like he was an afterthought going into last night. Guys like Mitch Trubisky and DeShone Kizer were at the top of draft boards, and Watson was nowhere to be found. Trubisky and Kizer are only slightly bigger than Watson, and while Watson may not have the strongest arm, I don't think that he is any less NFL-ready than either of those guys. The difference between the three is that Watson has proven more than once that he can produce on the biggest of stages. Trubisky and Kizer have not even come close to even getting a chance to play on a stage that big. Is that due in part to those guys being surrounded by less talent? Yes, I think it is. But I do not think that either of them have separated themselves from the pack enough to discount what Watson has done on the biggest of stages.
This quarterback class is considered to be somewhat weak as far as NFL draft standards. Does Watson have all of the tools to immediately step in and make an impact as a rookie? Maybe not. But do Kizer or Trubisky have those tools? Until they prove otherwise, you cannot convince me that they do. The Cleveland Browns will have the first pick in the draft this year, and in my opinion, since they have so many needs all over the field, they should take the best player available, and it seems right now like that player is Myles Garrett. However, the Browns do also have the 18th overall pick, and if somehow Watson were still available then, I would jump at the opportunity to take him. Maybe he will be available, and maybe he won't. But after watching him last night and knowing his history, I think that he is definitely worth a shot in the middle of the first round if you are a team with no quarterback to lead your franchise into the future.
That is the future though. What we need to do right now is recognize the present and we need to recognize that what we saw last night is a game that will be remembered for years to come. Going into the game, I must say that I thought Alabama would win, but I was not overlooking a very good Clemson team. They had the talent on both sides of the ball to win a national title, and they did just that. I am happy for their players, alumni, and coaches. I am also happy to say that I saw one of the greatest college football games to ever be played.
Daily NBA Update: Russell Westbrook went off again last night and Anthony Davis went for 40 and 18 at Madison Square Garden as well. How 'bout them Knicks! Yea!
Daily Rangers Update: The All Star break is approaching, and the Rangers will get multiple games with some of the weaker teams in the league before that happens, so it would be nice if they could get back on track and go into the second half of the season ready to lock up one of the top spots in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Next up is a home game against Toronto this Friday night.
Monday, January 9, 2017
The offseason plan
The season officially came to an end for the Giants yesterday with a loss against the Packers. While it was a tough game that I felt like the team did have a chance to win, I have found myself focusing on next year today more than even reflecting on the past season since I think it still needs some time to sink in. In the coming weeks, I will give a full recap of the Giants' season and the NFL season. It might seem to be out of order, but right now, I am already looking ahead to the 2017 season for the Giants, so I will provide my thoughts here on what I would like to see from now until the beginning of training camp. I will start on the offensive side of the ball.
Quarterback - Obviously, Eli Manning will be back here for the foreseeable future, but he is 36 years old, and I think it might be time to start at least considering what life will be like in the post-Eli era. Josh Johnson and Ryan Nassib are his backups now, and neither of them have shown me any signs of being capable starting quarterbacks in the NFL. The quarterback crop in this upcoming draft is considered somewhat shallow, but the class coming out next year is supposed to be much deeper. While I am in no way saying that Eli's job is in jeopardy, I think in 2018, the Giants should at least consider the search for his replacement.
Running back - Paul Perkins came on at the end of the season, and I think that him and Rashad Jennings could potentially be at least a serviceable one-two punch. Orleans Darkwa and Shane Vereen missed most of the season due to injury, but if even three of those four guys can stay healthy next year, I would still feel comfortable. Bobby Rainey's contract is up, and I have only one thing to say to him: Good riddance.
Wide receiver/Tight end - As much as the fans love Victor Cruz, and as much as he has done for the team, I think his days as a Giant may be over. He really was not involved in the offense very much overall this season, and with Odell Beckham and Sterling Shepard as the new focus on the outside, I think Cruz is viewed as expendable. However, Tavarres King did show some flashes both in the preseason and late in the regular season, so he might be looking at an expanded role going into next season. Until I see anyone who can replace him, I think Dwayne Harris should remain as a return man, and Roger Lewis definitely will get a shot to stick with the team if he proves worthy from now until the 2018 season begins.
As far as tight end goes, I would have no problem with Larry Donnell being shown the door, as his negatives have definitely outweighed his positives during his tenure with the Giants. For an undrafted player from a small school, Will Tye has far surpassed expectations, and he should be back. Jerell Adams had a small impact this season as a rookie sixth-rounder, but he should get a shot at a bigger role in 2018. It would be nice if the team added some depth at this position over the offseason, either through the draft or through free agency.
Offensive line - As has seemingly been the case for many years now, the offensive line is the weakness on that side of the ball. Everyone loves to hate on Ereck Flowers, and for the most part it is deserved. He has not lived up to expectations. However, being a first round draft pick on a rookie contract means that he is not going anywhere as of now. Maybe the team tries to move him to the right side of the line, but he is going to be on the roster next year whether we like it or not.
Justin Pugh and Weston Richburg will be safe, but the right side of the line needs to get better. Marshall Newhouse will hopefully be gone, and I have never liked John Jerry.
Brett Jones and Adam Gettis were reserves this year, and they are both young so I think they should at least get a shot at filling the holes in the line. I think the team needs to look to the draft for help here as well. Will Beatty (remember him?) is also still in the mix.
Defensive line - This is where the offseason will get a bit tricky, as our two biggest expiring contracts belong to Jason Pierre-Paul and Jonathan Hankins. I was wrong on JPP. I thought his fireworks "incident" would be the end of his career, but he proved me wrong when he put together a very good season before he got injured late in the year. A healthy JPP teamed with Olivier Vernon coming off both ends was a great combination this season, and I would love to see them back in tandem next year.
As far as the inside of the line goes, Damon Harrison proved to be worth every penny we spent on him by having a Pro Bowl season, but the importance of Jonathan Hankins alongside him cannot be forgotten. Jay Bromley did flash a few times, but he is not as good as Hankins right now. Romeo Okwara actually surprised me by how well he played after Pierre-Paul got hurt, so he could possibly fit into the future somehow, but I think the team needs to address the inside of the defensive line in the draft.
Linebacker - It has been years since the Giants have had a good linebacking corps, and while the unit did overachieve a bit this year, it still needs help. I was surprised at what Jonathan Casillas gave the team as the starting middle linebacker after wallowing in mediocrity for the majority of his career before this season. He is not exactly Antonio Pierce or Ray Lewis, but he did hold his own for the most part.
Keenan Robinson, Kelvin Sheppard, and Mark Herzlich all have expiring contracts, and they all performed somewhat capably in limited roles, but I doubt they will all be back next season. The Giants have missed time and time again on linebackers in the draft over recent years (Jonathan Goff, Greg Jones, Clint Sintim, etc.), The team drafted B.J. Goodson in the fourth round last year, but he did almost nothing. He should still get a chance, but I think they still need to try to draft a linebacker again this year.
Secondary - It has been a very long time since we could say this, but the secondary was the best part of the Giants defense this past season. Janoris Jankins, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Eli Apple were one of the best groups in the NFL, and I would look for that to continue next year. Landon Collins was an All-Pro at safety, and he seems like he could possibly an anchor on defense for years to come. The weakest part of the secondary was the rotating players alongside of him. Mykkele and Darian Thompson showed some brief promise, but both were injured early on. Andrew Adams was acceptable for stretches, but I like him better as a reserve than a starter. Leon Hall played next to Collins as well at some points, and he did a nice job, but he may look for greener pastures this offseason.
If either Darian or Mykkele can be healthy next year, the secondary could be elite. I do not want to understate the importance of Collins either. In only his second year in the NFL, he has shown the potential to be one of the best safeties in the entire league.
Special teams - Brad Wing did a very good job punting this season, and he should be back next year as both the punter and holder. Zak DeOssie has been a mainstay as the long snapper for almost a decade now (he and Eli Manning are the only Giants players with two rings with the team), and he will return. Josh Brown had a brief stay at kicker very early on, but his domestic violence issue caused a huge uproar and forced the team to get rid of him. Robbie Gould filled in well. If he does not return, I can't say that kicker is at the top of my priority list when it comes to top voids to fill. However, those damn kickers still do matter in some of the biggest spots of the season, so I would be fine if Gould returned.
As far as the return man goes, I am totally fine with Dwayne Harris coming back to handle a ton of work on special teams, including returning both punts and kicks. He was better last season than he was this season, but his versatility alone is worthy of a roster spot. The team will likely add another returner through either the draft or free agency, but if all goes well (and as long as that man is not Bobby Rainey), that will not matter much in 2018.
Coaching staff - While Ben McAdoo does not exactly blow you away with charisma as a head coach, I feel like he did a pretty good job in his first season. I know that he was hired because of his relationship with Eli and his familiarity with the offense, but sometimes it would get a bit frustrating to see the head coach burying his head in the play calling sheet after each play on offense. Mike Sullivan was the offensive coordinator by name, but I am not sure how much impact he actually had on the play calling during the game. I do know that it was anywhere from little to none. So maybe if McAdoo at least scaled back some of his strictly offensive duties during games it would be nice.
On the defensive side, I think Steve Spagnuolo has proven that he is a great defensive coordinator and not a very good head coach (just ask the Rams). Maybe Spagnuolo is not one of the "hot names" in the offseason head coaching search, but it's possible his name could come up. Hopefully, he stays on in his current role though, because as our defensive coordinator, I think he is a perfect fit.
Daily NFL Update: I will give a synopsis of the NFL playoffs to this point some time in the near future, but the Divisional round is coming up this weekend, and that means it is the best NFL weekend of the year.
Daily NBA Update: Cleveland, Golden State, and San Antonio are all really good. Nothing has changed since about seven months ago.
Daily Rangers Update: After a brief stretch in which it seemed like the Rangers were giving up goals in multiples of six, the team has been better over the past week and a half, and they sit in second place in the Eastern Conference. Michael Grabner has been spectacular. More importantly though, Henrik Lundqvist has been anything but. 40 games left to play though, so there is still plenty of time to change that.
Quarterback - Obviously, Eli Manning will be back here for the foreseeable future, but he is 36 years old, and I think it might be time to start at least considering what life will be like in the post-Eli era. Josh Johnson and Ryan Nassib are his backups now, and neither of them have shown me any signs of being capable starting quarterbacks in the NFL. The quarterback crop in this upcoming draft is considered somewhat shallow, but the class coming out next year is supposed to be much deeper. While I am in no way saying that Eli's job is in jeopardy, I think in 2018, the Giants should at least consider the search for his replacement.
Running back - Paul Perkins came on at the end of the season, and I think that him and Rashad Jennings could potentially be at least a serviceable one-two punch. Orleans Darkwa and Shane Vereen missed most of the season due to injury, but if even three of those four guys can stay healthy next year, I would still feel comfortable. Bobby Rainey's contract is up, and I have only one thing to say to him: Good riddance.
Wide receiver/Tight end - As much as the fans love Victor Cruz, and as much as he has done for the team, I think his days as a Giant may be over. He really was not involved in the offense very much overall this season, and with Odell Beckham and Sterling Shepard as the new focus on the outside, I think Cruz is viewed as expendable. However, Tavarres King did show some flashes both in the preseason and late in the regular season, so he might be looking at an expanded role going into next season. Until I see anyone who can replace him, I think Dwayne Harris should remain as a return man, and Roger Lewis definitely will get a shot to stick with the team if he proves worthy from now until the 2018 season begins.
As far as tight end goes, I would have no problem with Larry Donnell being shown the door, as his negatives have definitely outweighed his positives during his tenure with the Giants. For an undrafted player from a small school, Will Tye has far surpassed expectations, and he should be back. Jerell Adams had a small impact this season as a rookie sixth-rounder, but he should get a shot at a bigger role in 2018. It would be nice if the team added some depth at this position over the offseason, either through the draft or through free agency.
Offensive line - As has seemingly been the case for many years now, the offensive line is the weakness on that side of the ball. Everyone loves to hate on Ereck Flowers, and for the most part it is deserved. He has not lived up to expectations. However, being a first round draft pick on a rookie contract means that he is not going anywhere as of now. Maybe the team tries to move him to the right side of the line, but he is going to be on the roster next year whether we like it or not.
Justin Pugh and Weston Richburg will be safe, but the right side of the line needs to get better. Marshall Newhouse will hopefully be gone, and I have never liked John Jerry.
Brett Jones and Adam Gettis were reserves this year, and they are both young so I think they should at least get a shot at filling the holes in the line. I think the team needs to look to the draft for help here as well. Will Beatty (remember him?) is also still in the mix.
Defensive line - This is where the offseason will get a bit tricky, as our two biggest expiring contracts belong to Jason Pierre-Paul and Jonathan Hankins. I was wrong on JPP. I thought his fireworks "incident" would be the end of his career, but he proved me wrong when he put together a very good season before he got injured late in the year. A healthy JPP teamed with Olivier Vernon coming off both ends was a great combination this season, and I would love to see them back in tandem next year.
As far as the inside of the line goes, Damon Harrison proved to be worth every penny we spent on him by having a Pro Bowl season, but the importance of Jonathan Hankins alongside him cannot be forgotten. Jay Bromley did flash a few times, but he is not as good as Hankins right now. Romeo Okwara actually surprised me by how well he played after Pierre-Paul got hurt, so he could possibly fit into the future somehow, but I think the team needs to address the inside of the defensive line in the draft.
Linebacker - It has been years since the Giants have had a good linebacking corps, and while the unit did overachieve a bit this year, it still needs help. I was surprised at what Jonathan Casillas gave the team as the starting middle linebacker after wallowing in mediocrity for the majority of his career before this season. He is not exactly Antonio Pierce or Ray Lewis, but he did hold his own for the most part.
Keenan Robinson, Kelvin Sheppard, and Mark Herzlich all have expiring contracts, and they all performed somewhat capably in limited roles, but I doubt they will all be back next season. The Giants have missed time and time again on linebackers in the draft over recent years (Jonathan Goff, Greg Jones, Clint Sintim, etc.), The team drafted B.J. Goodson in the fourth round last year, but he did almost nothing. He should still get a chance, but I think they still need to try to draft a linebacker again this year.
Secondary - It has been a very long time since we could say this, but the secondary was the best part of the Giants defense this past season. Janoris Jankins, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Eli Apple were one of the best groups in the NFL, and I would look for that to continue next year. Landon Collins was an All-Pro at safety, and he seems like he could possibly an anchor on defense for years to come. The weakest part of the secondary was the rotating players alongside of him. Mykkele and Darian Thompson showed some brief promise, but both were injured early on. Andrew Adams was acceptable for stretches, but I like him better as a reserve than a starter. Leon Hall played next to Collins as well at some points, and he did a nice job, but he may look for greener pastures this offseason.
If either Darian or Mykkele can be healthy next year, the secondary could be elite. I do not want to understate the importance of Collins either. In only his second year in the NFL, he has shown the potential to be one of the best safeties in the entire league.
Special teams - Brad Wing did a very good job punting this season, and he should be back next year as both the punter and holder. Zak DeOssie has been a mainstay as the long snapper for almost a decade now (he and Eli Manning are the only Giants players with two rings with the team), and he will return. Josh Brown had a brief stay at kicker very early on, but his domestic violence issue caused a huge uproar and forced the team to get rid of him. Robbie Gould filled in well. If he does not return, I can't say that kicker is at the top of my priority list when it comes to top voids to fill. However, those damn kickers still do matter in some of the biggest spots of the season, so I would be fine if Gould returned.
As far as the return man goes, I am totally fine with Dwayne Harris coming back to handle a ton of work on special teams, including returning both punts and kicks. He was better last season than he was this season, but his versatility alone is worthy of a roster spot. The team will likely add another returner through either the draft or free agency, but if all goes well (and as long as that man is not Bobby Rainey), that will not matter much in 2018.
Coaching staff - While Ben McAdoo does not exactly blow you away with charisma as a head coach, I feel like he did a pretty good job in his first season. I know that he was hired because of his relationship with Eli and his familiarity with the offense, but sometimes it would get a bit frustrating to see the head coach burying his head in the play calling sheet after each play on offense. Mike Sullivan was the offensive coordinator by name, but I am not sure how much impact he actually had on the play calling during the game. I do know that it was anywhere from little to none. So maybe if McAdoo at least scaled back some of his strictly offensive duties during games it would be nice.
On the defensive side, I think Steve Spagnuolo has proven that he is a great defensive coordinator and not a very good head coach (just ask the Rams). Maybe Spagnuolo is not one of the "hot names" in the offseason head coaching search, but it's possible his name could come up. Hopefully, he stays on in his current role though, because as our defensive coordinator, I think he is a perfect fit.
Daily NFL Update: I will give a synopsis of the NFL playoffs to this point some time in the near future, but the Divisional round is coming up this weekend, and that means it is the best NFL weekend of the year.
Daily NBA Update: Cleveland, Golden State, and San Antonio are all really good. Nothing has changed since about seven months ago.
Daily Rangers Update: After a brief stretch in which it seemed like the Rangers were giving up goals in multiples of six, the team has been better over the past week and a half, and they sit in second place in the Eastern Conference. Michael Grabner has been spectacular. More importantly though, Henrik Lundqvist has been anything but. 40 games left to play though, so there is still plenty of time to change that.
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