San Diego Showdown

San Diego is one of those teams that gives me trust issues. Why? Because they start out playing really well and make you think that they have a really good shot at taking the division from your quarterback's arch rival (Peyton), then they slip up, and then they start to get good again. I mean what is that? Phillip Rivers is a good quarterback. I used to hate him for some unknown, unexplainable reason, but now I don't mind him. Earlier this season, I honestly thought he was on pace for league MVP. 

The Chargers started the season with what seemed to be a pretty solid team. They have 2 of the best pass-catchers in the game today (Allen and Gates), they had what could've become a very interesting backfield with Ryan Matthews and Woodhead, and during the offseason, they acquired one of my favorite defensive players in the league today, Brandon Flowers. But, injuries have kind of held the Chargers back this season, masking their full potential. Woodhead got hurt early on, Flowers hasn't been 100% healthy at any point during this season, and other 'minor' issues have nagged San Diego all season. 

Things to know before Sunday night's primetime matchup:

1. Phillip Rivers can be freakishly good. We're going to need a strong, consistent pass rush all night long. 
2. San Diego's receiving corps is legit. Browner and Revis will have their hands full. But I bet they can handle it. I think our secondary plays an extremely good game in San Diego. 
3. Run, run, rudolph. For some reason, I get a feeling that we'll see a lot more of Blount and Gray this week than we did last week. Which makes total sense, right? Because let's just not use our two best power-backs against one of the worst run defenses in the league. Hahahaha ugh,  Josh McDaniels' play calling makes me laugh...and "laugh" is code for punch a brick wall. 
4. Wilfork got his first interception of his career against the Chargers, in 2011! YES. Repeat, please.
5. Brady has always faired pretty well against the Chargers' defense. Hoping that continues Sunday night. With Edelman banged up, everyone needs to be incorporated into the offensive game plan...as in not just throwing to Gronk and forcing it to Jules, but getting Amendola and Wright involved more.

Semi-bold predictions:

• Revis puts on another shutdown performance and picks off Rivers at least once 
• Amendola is actually a huge factor in Sunday's game
• We sack Rivers 5 times, once resulting in a lost fumble 
• Browner doesn't record the first penalty of the game
• Brady abuses San Diego's secondary, putting on a stellar performance

That is all for now. 

As always, Go Pats! 

December!

December is my favorite month of the year, except lately, I've been wondering why exactly. I've tried weighing the pros and cons: Pros - December football *insert heart eyes emoji here*, Christmas, the possibility of snow and cold weather here, and that glorious month out of school; Cons - football is almost over, finals, and it rarely snows or gets below 60 here in December. So really I'm beginning to think I should pick a new favorite month. 

All that aside, December football really is my absolute favorite. I think this is where the true talent shows, the real contenders rise to an even better level, and we really see what teams are made of. 




Tony Romo, for example, plays his best football in December. This season in particular, I'm anxious to see what exactly that means for the Cowgirls..I mean Cowboys. I really must stop doing that. Dez Bryant seems to think that Dallas is destined for greatness this season. Who knows. We'll find out. 




While some players drastically improve in the month of December, others seem to struggle more. One that comes to mind is Peyton Manning. I'm not saying Peyton because I hope the Broncos struggle, or just because I don't like him. He really does tend to struggle more in the elements and in cold weather. 




I also have to say that in my opinion, "dome teams" (home stadium is covered) struggle more on the road in December/January. Which makes sense. When you can control the temperature and field conditions for practices and half of your games, it kind of shocks the system to have to go out and perform at that same level in below-freezing temps on a slippery, snowy field. 




With just 4 games left in the regular season, there are tons of good games left to be excited for. And the playoff race is still incredibly competitive. The wildcard spots are still up for grabs, and as far as I know, no one has absolutely, 100% clinched their division yet. See, who doesn't live for this point in the season?! 




I really have no idea what the main point of this post was supposed to be. I just know that I'm intentionally procrastinating because who wants to study for 5 finals? I mean the last time I was this stressed and had this many stacks of papers everywhere, I was filling out my March Madness bracket and that didn't end very well....... Hopefully finals have a better outcome. 




Anyway, go Pats! 

Question Marks, Disappointment, and Uncertainty: Wolverines

Brady Hoke's first year as head coach at Michigan was also the first year that I really started following the Wolverines. It was the first season that I HAD to watch every game, I HAD to buy U-Mich gear, and I HAD to learn as much history as I could possibly squeeze into my already football-obsessed mind. 
I've always kind of kept up with college football (you kind of have no choice in my family), but never the way that I follow the NFL. I didn't know much about Brady Hoke, just what others were saying about him. And for the most part, everyone seemed to think that he would be a good fit for Michigan's football program. Coach Hoke had a great start at Michigan, going 11-2 in his first season, and winning the Sugar Bowl. I've never prayed so hard over a college football game. Since his first year, the Wolverines have been nothing more than mediocre. Their 11-2 season was followed up by an 8-5 season, a 7-6 season, and 5-7 this season. 

He inherited Denard Robinson to lead their high-powered offense. Since Robinson was drafted into the NFL, Michigan has lacked a legit quarterback. I like Devin Gardner, but not as a starter in this system (he should stick to wide receiver, in my opinion). What changed with the system? I thought Robinson and Gardner had similar playing styles? True, they do. But after Hoke's first season, they drifted away from the spread option offense and began to establish a more traditional one. Robinson became more of a drop-back passer and things haven't been the same since. Both quarterbacks struggled behind offensive lines that, more often than not, seemed to be nonexistent.  I love Brady Hoke as a person, and think that he can be a successful head coach at the college level, just not at Michigan. His ability to coach and his understanding of the game should not be questioned. He had a good run as an assistant coach at UM, and his first season as HC in Ann Arbor is pretty good proof. 
In my opinion, his inability to scout talent and his struggle to develop players are his biggest flaws.

So where does Michigan go from here? 
Unlike many Wolverines fans, I don't want Jim Harbaugh. Yeah yeah, I know, who wouldn't want Harbaugh to come back and coach at his Alma Mater? Call me crazy, whatever. He's good at what he does, but I don't particularly love the idea. I also do not see him leaving the NFL where he will draw major attention this offseason. 
Les Miles I can kind of get on board with. The main thing I don't like about him right now is that he wears that God awful yellow and purple. The LSU head coach would be a good fit and could get Michigan back to winning within the next 2 seasons. He's high on my board.
Dan Mullen is another one that I believe could be the answer to the Wolverine's prayers. He's had a pretty fantastic season at Mississippi State and he could most definitely bring that level of success to Michigan. 
Michigan tried to hire Greg Schiano 6 years ago. After a short (disappointing) stint in the NFL, he's out of a job and could be getting some calls from several college programs, soon. He wouldn't be my first choice but he kind of fits the Michigan "style". You know he'd run a much better offense than Hoke ever did, and I firmly believe he can recruit four and five star recruits to Ann Arbor. 
Jon Gruden is a name that I've heard a couple of times but there is no way that is happening. I think that the only way Gruden would considering coaching again, is if the right opportunity opened up in the NFL. 

Oh my goodness, the Patriots lost to a good team by 5 points...what are they going to do?!

All week long, the Patriots/Packers matchup had been dubbed as a "Super Bowl preview" and "Super Bowl 48.5". I, like basically everyone, knew that it was going to be a tough game. We were facing a good football team, on the road, at one the toughest places to play in all of professional sports. I'd even go as far as to say that it's tougher to win at Lambeau than it is at Century Link. 

5 "what the heck?" moments:
1) Logan Ryan on Randall Cobb. I think this pretty much speaks for itself. I'm gonna pull                         a Belichick here and go with the classic, "no further comment".  
2) Green Bay was only forced to punt once the entire game. ONCE. We desperately needed Chandler Jones on Sunday afternoon. I mean, what even is a pass rush, lately?
3) That one time Aaron Rodgers had 16 seconds to throw the ball. HOW DO YOU NOT GO AFTER THE QUARTERBACK? WAY TO GO MATT PATRICIA, WAY TO GO. 
4) Offense got off to an agonizingly slow start. Something we haven't really seen since...week 4. 
5) Not going for it on 4th and 18. Ugh, I love coach, but this was one of the times that I had to question what he was thinking. The game was on the line, offense was finally clicking, and we all know Brady has that 4th quarter magic. Next time, pleaseee go for it, Bill! 

2 things I would have done differently:
1) Blitz, blitz, blitz. Did I mention I would've blitzed? Not having Chandler Jones definitely proved costly for the Patriots. They did sack Rodgers 3 times on Sunday, but he was too comfortable in the pocket for most of the game. And he wasn't afraid to tuck the ball and run it himself, either. 
2) Use the run game a little bit more. When you're facing the 3oth ranked run defense in the league, you would expect your team to try to dominate on the ground. Personally, I've thought that Green Bay has deserved to be ranked a little better against the run, lately (maybe 24th). Regardless, I was shocked and a little disappointed that we didn't see more of Jonas Gray and Blount. The run game was essentially non existent. Belichick has really been using that "new week, new game plan" theory, lately. 

Why New England will be just fine:
While a loss is a loss, I don't feel completely terrible about this one. Why? 1) We lost by 5 points...to a very good football team...one the road. 2) There's more to gain from this loss than there would have been from winning. Confused? I'll explain. While there were several missed opportunities on Sunday afternoon, overall, the Pats played a good game. They showed that they can compete with the NFC's best, on the road, in cringeworthy temperatures. So not all is lost. And one thing I certainly do not want to hear is a debate about whether or not the Patriots can bounce back and if it is time to reevaluate who the best team in the AFC is. I mean really? Come on. I hate losing more than anyone. Okay, well maybe Brady hates it just a liiitle bit more, but still. Again, I don't feel bummed about this one because both teams fought hard, and the Patriots were a couple of plays away from walking out of Lambeau with another win under their belts. In my opinion, they needed that tiny dose of reality. Like a "hey, you guys can ball, no question about that, but don't get too cocky, too quick. Work on these areas and you're solid." 
Give me a rematch on neutral turf (ehem, Arizona in February), with a healthy Chandler Jones, and I like our chances. The Pats played a little conservative on Sunday, in my opinion, too. Which kind of makes sense because why give a potential Super Bowl opponent all your best tricks and plays? Save some magic for when it realllly matters. Also, San Diego was watching. Let them think that they've got you figured out, and put it on them Sunday. I'm hoping for a dominant December. Actually, I'm praying for crazy, scary good Patriots football from here on out. 


Currently sitting at 9-3 on the season, we're still atop of the AFC. Win out, and we have home field throughout the playoffs. Even better if Denver loses one more. The Patriots control their own destiny right now.
Let's hope this loss has the same effect on the Pats as their last one did. Think about it...where would another 7 game winning streak put us? 

As always, Go Pats! 

Gray Areas

Week 10. Coming off their bye, the Patriots went into Indianapolis as 3 point underdogs. Which, is kind of understandable considering the Colts were the #1 ranked offense in the league. 

The Patriots were far from flawless, especially in the first half, but it was a pretty convincing win in my opinion. 

Where: Lucas Oil Stadium

When: Sunday November 17th, 2014 

Key Matchups: Revis on Reggie Wayne ; Arrington on T.Y. Hilton ; Fleener -well we couldn't seem to cover him at all, so just Fleener vs the Pats defense ; O-Line vs the blitz-happy Colts defense 

Blatantly Bad: 

1. Brady's two interceptions. Especially the second one, late in the first half. What the was that? Brady seemed to have checked out of a run play, and opted for a sideline pass, instead. Totally pointless, and completely avoidable. Why pass it on 3rd and 1? Should've handed the ball off to Gray or let Brady sneak it over...after all, he is the best in the league at quarterback sneaks. As for his first pick, I didn't agree with the play at all, mainly because why go deep to Tyms in triple coverage? Brady had a very un Brady-like first half. 
2. We had absolutely no answer for Fleener all night long. I guess maybe the Patriots had forgotten about him, while they were busy preparing for Wayne and Hilton. Who knows. 
3. Still need to address and fix the penalty issue. New England has had way too many drive-killing penalties, this season. 

Glaringly good:

1. Versatility on offense. Jonas Gray had a crazy good game. And that doesn't even do it justice. Jonas Gray dominated tonight - 199 yards and 4 touchdowns. He bulldozed through tackles and consistently moved the chains all. night. long. Gronk was his usual self, hauling in a touchdown pass, and getting physical with former Patriot, Sergio Brown. If Brown is going to remember anything from this game, it's probably to never talk trash around Gronk...like, ever again. Tim Wright was back to catching touchdown passes, and Jules was clutch, per usual. Pretty much sums it up.
2. Offensive line! In my opinion, OLine was the most impressive unit on Sunday night. They did such a great job not only protecting Brady, but blocking for Jonas Gray as well. 
3. Defense--in general. Pats secondary was pretty solid for the most part, and stepped up when they needed to most. Aside from allowing a few catches, Revis managed to contain all-time great, Reggie Wayne. Browner struggled to slow down Coby Fleener, but given the type of corner Browner is, that really comes as no surprise to me. All in all, they got the job done. The Patriots defensive line has really improved over the past couple weeks. Ninko and Wilfork both had dominating performances against Indy, limiting Ahmad Bradshaw and Trent Richardson to 4 yards. Yes, 4. As for the linebacker position, both Hightower and Collins played a pretty solid game. They both struggled slightly when dropping into seam coverage, which allowed the Colts to run deep crossing routes, fairly successfully. 

Quick Thoughts: Pats @ Colts

It's 1am as I'm writing this but I couldn't just not post before tomorrow, err tonight's, game.

The last time the Patriots played on Sunday Night this season, they were playing for much more than just a win. After falling to 2-2 and second place in their division, most everyone seemed to have written the Patriots off. Even more, they had written Tom Brady off. The dynasty was over and and in the words of Trent Dilfer, "they're a weak team" and "the Patriots are not good anymore".  The Patriots entered the week 5 primetime game coming off an absolute blowout in Kansas City, to face the then undefeated Bengals. The only analyst/"expert" to pick the Patriots to win was my favorite, Adam Schefter. And well, we all know how that played out. Tom Brady got pissed, and boom, touchdowns and greatness, and most of all a WIN. I don't want to jinx anything so I'll leave it there. 

This week, the Patriots travel to Indianapolis to take on Andrew Luck and the high-powered Colts. At 6-3 and first in their division, the Colts are actually playing pretty well. I always like to look at the strength of teams' divisions and who they've played though, so take this with a grain of salt. The Pats are currently the underdogs in this game, which is understandable because the Colts have been on fire lately, and they play in a dome, which is always an advantage for the home team. Lucas Oil Stadium is not unfamiliar territory for the Pats. So they know what to expect...noisy, loud, and full of energy. 

Luck-y
Andrew Luck is 0-2 vs the Patriots in his career. With Andrew Luck under center, the Colts have lost to New England by a combined 56 points. And that was without the secondary we have now. 

Keys for an Indy Win:

• Run the ball. If the Colts want to win, they would benefit greatly from establishing a                                 run game early on. 
• Get to Brady. Something I'm hoping doesn't happen. But, if the Colts have learned anything from watching tape this week, surely they've noticed that putting pressure on Brady is the best way to slow down New England's offense. 
• Good luck covering Gronk. I mean really, how do you effectively cover the 6 foot 7 tight end? If you put two defenders on him, that leaves another Patriots receiver open, if you don't, well that just seems kind of unfair to the lone guy who's left with the challenge. But hey, I'm not complaining. 
• Limit turnovers. Especially Andrew Luck. Considering he has more interceptions that touchdowns in his two games vs the Patriots, he probably already feels the insane amount of pressure. 

Keys for a New England victory:

• Mix up the gameplan. Keep the defense guessing. Don't overrun or over pass the ball. Finding a perfect balance between the two early on will help set the tone for the rest of the game. 
• Disrupt the pass. Though I expect a lot of zone, I'm hoping Bill lets Revis and Browner get physical. This matchup will be no cakewalk for our secondary. In fact, it is arguably their toughest challenge yet. Revis on Hilton is going to be interesting. Hopefully though, Revis is able to shut him down like he has other top receivers. Browner will have his hands full trying to lock up Reggie Wayne, one of the best in the game (and ever). 
• Pressure Andrew Luck. Force him to rush plays and move around in the pocket. But keep in mind that he can and will tuck the ball and run when necessary.  So limit his options in the air and on the ground. 
• Create turnovers. I think this one pretty much speaks for itself. 
• QUIT THROWING PICKS, TOM. 3rd and 1 and we pass it? Ridiculous. Best QB sneak in the game and we pass? Come on. 

This week is fulllll of good match-ups, so I will literally being doing nothing but watching football allllll Sunday long. 

I tweet a lot on gamedays, so for quick thoughts, lots of sarcasm, quotes from Gramps, and a little comedy, make sure you're following me on twitter! @Lauren736 <--- best way to keep up with me in between posts, too. 

As always, Go Pats. 

Mid-season thoughts, analysis, & predictions: AFC

I usually wait until Thanksgiving to make my division winners and Super Bowl predictions, but we're midway through the season and there have been a lot of shocking teams, both good and bad.

Let's break it down division-by-division.

AFC North - this might be the most interesting division, in my opinion. Who would've thought that the Browns would be tied for first place? Not me, that's for sure. It's still too early for me to declare who I think takes the AFC North, but Pittsburgh looks pretty tough to beat right now.
Steelers: after a shaky start to the season, the Steelers have really found themselves the past 2 weeks. Big Ben (as much as I dislike him) has been playing some wicked good football. 6 touchdowns in the past 2 games, and 0 interceptions. As much as I hate to admit it, he's playing better than ever.
Browns: Johnny Football, who? No disrespect but why fix what isn't broken? Brian Hoyer continues to prove that he can in fact be a starter in the NFL. Love how he continues to give credit to his days in New England for his success. Once Josh Gordon comes back, watch out. If they continue to improve, they just might make the playoffs.
Bengals: going into week 5, the Bengals were the only undefeated team remaining in the NFL. Then, they got their butts handed to them by the Pats (!!) and it's kind of all been downhill since. Andy Dalton is already assuming his playoff form, and it's just November (if you're unclear on the joke: Andy Dalton has never won a playoff game in his career). Biggest issue? Inconsistency.
Ravens: in what world do the Ravens take last place in their division? They're record isn't bad by any means, but still. Maybe it's karma for all the off-season/Ray Rice drama. Who knows.

AFC South - aside from the Colts, there's not too much to talk about here.
Colts: Andrew Luck has been on fire lately. His NFL skill-set is something else. Definitely one that reminds you of the greats. Combine that with talents like TY Hilton and Reggie Wayne and you have something pretty darn special. Luck still throws too many careless interceptions, but aside from that, he's good! A few question marks still surround the Colts defense, though, Especially their secondary.
Texans: You have JJ Watt one of the best defensive players in the game, right now. You have Bill O'Brien, an offensive genius. So what's not working? Well it'd be easier to tell you what is working, haha. The quarterback position is definitely one of their most blatant issues. I don't know that either Ryan, Mallett or Fitzpatrick, is the answer for them.
Titans: Oh Titans. I so wanted you guys to have a good season. The constant revolving door at the QB position is one the biggest problems here, as well. Granted, the Titans really had planned on Jake Locker being the starter this year, but the kid can't stay healthy. Which is a bummer because I've always thought he had good potential. The defense is another issue. It's like they could be a pretty good unit, but they're just missing that key piece. 
Jags: they finally got a win!! Can you believe that the Jags actually have the same number of playoff wins as the Bengals? Yeah, me neither. There's so many problems with this team that I have no idea where to start. Coaching is one. Defense is another. They finally answered the quarterback question and even drafted some guys for him to throw to (this is a step in the right direction)! But there's the thing...did you catch it? "Drafted." Meaning they're rookies. Meaning they're adjusting. Give them a couple years and I honestly see Jacksonville being playoff contenders.

AFC East - I'm honestly just too superstitious to write much about this division right now.
Pats:*knocks on wood the entire time I'm writing this* The past month, the Pats have played near perfect football. They've been on a mission since the week 4 embarrassment in Kansas City to prove everyone wrong. And that they have. Hopefully they continue to improve a little bit each week.
Bills: The Bills kind of shocked everybody when they were atop of the AFC East for a couple weeks. They're stout defensive line and shockingly stellar offense (at times) had them looking like they could be legitimate playoff contenders. Now, due to key injuries, many people have dialed back the "Bills are winning the AFC East this season", talk.
Dolphins: inconsistency is their biggest issue. One week they're impressive and the next they're impressively bad. Ryan Tannehill isn't the same quarterback week in and week out, and you never know which Tannehill is going to show up. I'm also not sold on Joe Philbin as a head coach, especially in Miami; but that's another post. They have the talent, it's just getting the talents to work together as a unit. 
Jets: Oy. I'm trying to write this post with the most unbiased opinions, but it's hard. The Jets are honestly just a train wreck. And though you don't hear this often from me, I do feel bad for Rex Ryan. He is a better coach than their record shows. In my personal-strictly football-opinion, I don't think Geno Smith is an NFL starting quarterback. And definitely not for the Jets. I think that ship has sailed, far far away. Do I believe that Jets have a legit starting QB on their roster? No. Also, the Jets signed Eric Decker during free agency to give Geno someone to throw to. Which is great and all, but I have one problem with that: Eric Decker was never meant to be a number 1 receiver. He does best as the 2 or 3 receiver. At 1-7, it's amazing how hard these guys still play.

AFC West - I did think this was going to be a competitive division, until San Diego crushed my dreams.
Broncos: While many people had Denver pinned as the best team in the league up until very recently, I always disagreed. Sure, Peyton and the Broncos won some good games and played some really good football, but who were their opponents? Were they at home or on the road? This second half of the season is where it really matters. Can Manning continue to put up the numbers and stats and make (enough) plays in December when it's below freezing temperatures and snowing?
Chiefs: Up and down has pretty much been the story for Kansas City this season. After starting 0-2, Kansas City now finds themselves at 5-3, and second in their division. During the first 8 games, they've played one of the toughest schedules and lost 5 of their starters to injuries. They have played pretty well on defense, despite releasing one of the best corners in the game, Brandon Flowers, in the offseason. KC's offense is one of the biggest question marks, in my opinion. I think that finding a balance is key. Don't over pass and neglect the run game, but don't overrun the ball, either. No matter the outcome of their season, I still think Andy Reid is one of the best coaches in the NFL. He's done a great job in Kansas City over the past 2 seasons. 
Chargers: Okay, so I can't even lie, I honestly thought that San Diego had a chance to win the AFC West this season. Phillip Rivers played phenomenal football during the first 6 games. I even had Rivers as a potential MVP front-runner. So what happened? The Chargers defense has also been pretty banged up for the majority of this season. Even Brandon Flowers, who's in his first season with San Diego, isn't 100%. When healthy, San Diego could have a top 10, highly underrated, defense. Unfortunately, I no longer see the Chargers taking the AFC West from Denver. Maybe next season.
Raiders: There's not much to say about the winless Raiders, really. Disappointing season all around for Oakland fans. Derek Carr has NFL potential, but the Raiders have so many things they need to fix before they'll fully be able to showcase his talent. If you hadn't been following the NFL for the past decade, would you believe that the Raiders actually used to be good? That they used to have a top 10 defense..? Things sure have changed for the black and silver. 

Division winners at this point (final predictions coming Thanksgiving week): 
North - Steelers                                                                   South - Colts    
East - too superstitious to type my pick...hint, hint.     West - Broncos

*This post was written before the week 10 games were played, so keep that in mind. Because clearly, the Steelers did not look tough beat on Sunday vs the Jets.