Tag: Patriots

Posted on in NFL

Where Will Julio Jones Be Traded To?

By Saransh Sharma, Rohan Krishnan, & Pranav Thiriveedhi

For the last decade, Julio Jones has been arguably the best wide receiver that we have ever seen play during that time, and for good reason. In his decade-long career so far, Julio has 12,896 receiving yards, 60 TDs, has been named an All-Pro twice, is a 7x Pro Bowler, has a Super Bowl appearance, and was named to the All-2010s Hall of Fame team. The only player with comparable stats to that is Antonio Brown, who if he had not been suspended over the past two seasons, would have better stats than him. The argument between whether Julio or AB is the better WR all-time and of the 2010s decade is a debate for another day, but with a superstar like Julio on the trading block, the speculation as to where he will end up goes through the roof. Here are our predictions of the best landing spots for Julio and where he should be traded to, now that he has officially declared that he wants out:

Saransh’s Prediction: Julio Reunites With Kyle Shanahan

The only problem the 49ers have is not that they do not have trade assets, but that they are in the NFC, and Atlanta would hate to trade Julio to a team they probably have to see once every 1-2 seasons. Then again, it is Julio Jones, and hearing out the trade would not hurt the Falcons. San Francisco is an interesting position, with $17.133M available in cap space, per Spotrac, but also able to free up cap space with a Jimmy Garoppolo trade/release, and movement of other players via trade. Julio Jones might not like the fact that he would have to play with a rookie QB in Trey Lance, but he would be surrounded by elite weapons like George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and a plethora of running backs, giving Julio a similar feel to what he had in Atlanta. He would also have the familiarity with Head Coach Kyle Shanahan, who was Julio & the Falcons’ Offensive Coordinator during the Falcons’ Super Bowl run. The 49ers have a defense that is built for a Super Bowl run and are rebuilding at QB, but the rest of the offense is just a piece away from being elite, and Julio can be that guy that helps them get back, and this time, win a Super Bowl.

Mock Trade:

Falcons Receive: 2022 2nd-Round Pick, 2022 3rd-Round Pick, FS Jimmie Ward, LB Samson Ebukam

49ers Receive: WR Julio Jones, 2022 5th-Round Pick

49ers Release: QB Jimmy Garoppolo (cap casualty)

49ers Sign: FS Tre Boston on 2-year, $10M deal (Jimmie Ward replacement)

Rohan’s Prediction: Julio Joins Henry, Brown, & Tannehill In Nashville

Tennessee has been very connected to superstar WR Julio Jones and he would be a massive upgrade to a team that desperately needs a receiver. The Titans lost 2 key offensive players this offseason: receiver Corey Davis and tight end Jonnu Smith. They added Josh Reynolds, but they need some pass-catches to fill in these holes so Julio makes a lot of sense. Also, Derrick Henry and A.J. Brown has recruited Julio Jones publicly with both of them making a pitch on Twitter, plus it seems that Julio does want to play in Nashville. The question is, can Tennessee afford Julio Jones? It is difficult but not impossible. Jones will carry a cap hit of about $23 million and the Titans have just $3.60 million remaining in cap space, so Tennessee would have to jump through a lot of hoops to make this happen. They would have to restructure contracts of their highest-paid players like quarterback Ryan Tannehill, tackle Taylor Lewan, and guard Rodger Saffold. The Titans are in win now mode and have to do whatever it takes to get a player like Julio Jones. They are right on the doorstep of being strong contenders for the title and Jones would put them over the hump. 

Mock Trade:

Falcons Receive: 2022 2nd-Round pick, 2022 3rd-Round pick

Titans Receive: Julio Jones

Titans Restructure: Ryan Tannehill, Taylor Lewan 

Pranav’s Prediction: Julio Joins Cam & Belichick in Foxborough

Julio Jones is not only a generational talent but is one of the best wide receivers to ever play in the National Football League. Aside from his national accolades, Julio is the face of Atlanta and an athlete that almost every kid looks up to. And now, the Atlanta Falcons, with the hope of becoming a younger team, have put the veteran super receiver on the trading block. It won’t be long before Julio is acquired by another team, and that team to look out for is the New England Patriots. Coach Bill Belichick is known for bringing in veteran superstar receivers into New England after an amazing playing career in their prior home. Take Randy Moss, Chad Johnson, Antonio Brown, and Josh Gordon for example. Sometimes it worked out for the Patriots, but most of the time it didn’t. So why would the Patriots want to bring in a big-name receiver, who would cost a lot, but not make much of a difference? Well, because of the Tom Brady factor. Tom Brady, who could use any wide receiver to do anything, is no longer on the team, so the Patriots and Belichick will have to rely on their two QBs: Cam Newton, a veteran with more to prove, and Mac Jones, a rookie yet to be tested. Unlike Brady, these quarterbacks would more likely than not need a lot of support on offense, so bringing in a veteran superhuman of a receiver such as Julio Jones into New England will beef up the receiving core and strengthen it, regardless of his age or healthiness. 

Currently, the Patriots receiving core consists of the wide receivers:

Nelson Agholor, a speedy threat, is coming off a great season in Las Vegas, but still has a lot of trouble from his experience in Philadelphia. Next is Kendrick Bourne, a four-year depth chart receiver who has had a steady career in San Francisco. Returning from last season are Jakobi Meyers and N’Keal Harry, who are both very young receivers who had average seasons with Cam Newton under center.

By bringing Julio Jones in, the Patriots would get a consistent receiver, mentor, and reliable target for the receiving core. But Julio Jones is a costly receiver, which is the real reason Atlanta wants to move on from him, as their cap hit would be through the roof if they were to keep the All-NFL superstar. The Patriots would not only have to make financial space for him, which would consist of a lot of restructuring and releasing but would have to give up a lot to get him in the trade.

Mock Trade:

Falcons Receive: 2022 2nd-Round Pick, 2023 2nd-Round Pick, LB Dont’a Hightower

Patriots Receive: WR Julio Jones, 2022 6th-Round Pick

Posted on in NFL

Super Bowl LV Predictions: The GOAT vs. The Baby GOAT

By Saransh Sharma, Nikhil Pradeep, Pranav Thiriveedhi, Rohan Krishnan, & Anish Dhondi

Tom Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes. A legend of the game vs. the biggest future phenom. The GOAT vs. The Baby GOAT. This matchup is the highlight of Super Bowl LV and one that we are going to remember for decades as one of the best quarterback matchups ever in a Super Bowl. Tampa Bay will be making history before the Super Bowl even kicks off, with Tom Brady going to his 10th Super Bowl, trying to capture his 7th win, and the Buccaneers being the first team ever to host the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, the defending champion Chiefs look even better than they did last year, as they took care of business all season long and did so in the playoffs as well, with and without Patrick Mahomes. Here are our predictions for Super Bowl LV:

Super Bowl LV: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Saransh’s Prediction:

When Tom Brady went to Tampa Bay this past offseason, this Buccaneer offense looked great and had finally found the perfect quarterback to lead it, but I would not have expected them to be in the Super Bowl in Brady’s first season with the team. Then again, the mistake I made was doubting Tom and his ability to get to a Super Bowl. Brady has yet to play his usual ‘playoff Brady’ football, but I would expect him to bring it in the Super Bowl. On the other side, we have the defending champion Chiefs coming into the home of the Buccaneers for the Super Bowl with more confidence than ever. They sport a better run game than last season, a better defense, and somehow even more creativity thanks to Head Coach Andy Reid. The last time these teams met was in Week 12 when the Chiefs won 27-24 in Tampa, thanks to 462 passing yards & 3 TDs from Mahomes, 269 of those which went to Tyreek Hill, who will once again be a nightmare for the Buccaneer defense. I expect Hill to eclipse the 150-yard mark for receiving, and I also expect Travis Kelce to eclipse 100 yards. The Chiefs used more of a deep-passing game to exploit the safeties of the Buccaneers and have them matched up against Hill, but expect this time for Hill to be just as involved, but in more of a quick-passing game in order to keep Tampa Bay’s from-7 honest. 

Brady himself put up 385 yards & 3 TDs of his own, but his 2 INTs led to a 20-0 deficit and later a 27-10 deficit, and the Chiefs’ late miscues made the close scoreline look all too misleading. Brady will need to be much sharper and cut down the turnovers against Kansas City because unlike Green Bay, Kansas City’s playcalling will not be passive. The Buccaneers’ key to victory will be to milk the clock with a solid run game, and also to challenge the Chiefs’ linebackers more in the passing game, as a huge reason for their Week 12 loss to Kansas City was due to not mixing up the passing play-calling. 

Expect a ton of points on both sides, expect some of the best we have seen from Mahomes and Brady, and expect the Buccaneers secondary to have no answer for Tyreek Hill yet again. The Chiefs will hoist the Lombardi once again. 

Final Score: 38-33, Chiefs 

Super Bowl MVP: Tyreek Hill

Nikhil’s Prediction:

It is really hard to bet against Brady, no matter what team, no matter what circumstance, no matter what path to the Super Bowl he had to take. The Bucs earlier in the year looked written off, and many stated that the growing pains of Brady and the completely new Bucs roster were going to take at least a year to shake off. But, as is usually the theme with Brady, all critics were swiftly shut up, and the Bucs stormed their way back into contention during the second half of the season. Many had thought the presumed MVP Aaron Rodgers would take his red-hot Packers to the championship game, but somehow, as we have seen time and time again, Brady pulled his magic and vaulted his team ahead. Without any doubt, he is quite literally the greatest to play the game, and the fact that he did it this year in a completely new environment with minimal amounts of practice and preparation further cements his legacy. 

But this Chiefs team he is matched up against is SCARY. Patrick Mahomes seems to be the next in line to Brady’s throne and is storming his way there. Keep in mind, this team lost only 2 games in the regular season, and one of those losses was during a meaningless game against the Chargers in which most of their starters didn’t play. This team in many ways compares directly to the offensive firepower that the Bucs have, but have nearly twice the chemistry. Pieces like Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, and Tyrann Mathieu have only gotten better since last year and having the new addition of Le’Veon Bell only propels their stock even higher. And if there was still any doubt, this team has already proven that they can handle the bright lights, having won the Super Bowl last year. In my mind, it is a bad decision to bet against such a well-orchestrated team like the Chiefs, and although there is always a chance when you have Brady on your team, there are still some crucial short-comings on the Bucs team that will prove costly against such powerful opposition. Thus I am leaning towards the Chiefs to win Super Bowl LV. 

Final Score: 38-31, Chiefs

Super Bowl MVP: Patrick Mahomes

Pranav’s Prediction:

Tom Brady, in his fight against father time, has almost always been the underdog in every Super Bowl (10 appearances including 2021) he has played. With the New England Patriots, he won 6 out of the 9. But even after winning six rings, people called him a part of Bill Belichick’s system. So what did he do? He dropped everything and moved to Tampa Bay, FL, where he is doing it all over again with his new customized team and game plan, and guess what? He is in the Super Bowl again! Regardless of the roster around him (offense or defense), Tom Brady has always been able to pull off the win, marking his presence as the greatest to ever play, but this time, he has the best offense he has ever played with. With weapons like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and superstar talents in his running back core, the offense should have no problem moving the ball. 

But, do not get me wrong, the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes are pretty damn good. With the best record in the regular season and two strong postseason wins against the Browns and Bills, the Chiefs are looking like the team to beat. The game will be high scoring, whether it is a bomb to Tyreek Hill or a sensational throw to Mike Evans, but what we do know for sure is that this will be a fun Super Bowl for the ages. Tom Brady will get his 7th ring on Sunday, but it will be a hard-earned one. 

Final Score: 31-27, Buccaneers

Super Bowl MVP: Tom Brady

Rohan’s Prediction:

The last two quarterbacks to win the Super Bowl will face off in what will be a matchup for the ages. This has been a season unlike any other before it and the NFL has done a fantastic job navigating through this horrific pandemic. This Sunday will be a fitting finale for the most unique season in NFL history. The Buccaneers spent most of the season flying under the radar and the consensus was that they would be behind the New Orleans Saints. However, they shocked the NFC and the rest of the league, defeating the number 2 seeded Saints and the number 1 seeded Packers on the road. We should have known: never doubt the GOAT Tom Brady. Brady has injected life into a stagnating franchise and now the Buccaneers will be the first team ever to play in their home stadium in a Super Bowl. Tampa Bay’s defense, led by star LB Devin White, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Shaquil Barrett, has played a huge part in their Super Bowl run too, becoming a turnover machine and taking things to the next level at just the right time. This elite defense has 7 sacks and forced 7 takeaways in their three playoff games. They will be facing the biggest test of their season yet against a blazing and electrifying Kansas City offense who shredded the Bills defense en route to their 2nd Super Bowl appearance in a row. This Bucs defense also gave up Kansas City’s biggest offensive day of the season back in Week 12, as Mahomes and Co. racked up 543 yards in the Chiefs win. Travis Kelce is having a record-setting season for a tight end and has become one of the most dangerous weapons in the entire league. He is just one of several high-flying threats in the Chiefs league-leading offense as it includes speedster Tyreek Hill and superstar Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes dealt with multiple injuries and still managed to put up 300+ yards and 3 TDs against the Bills. He will be well-rested going into this matchup. Kansas City was the better team when these two teams met earlier in the regular season, and while the Buccaneers have gotten a lot better, so have the Chiefs. Despite Tampa Bay having home-field advantage for the first time in Super Bowl history, I got the Kansas City Chiefs going back-to-back with Mahomes winning the Super Bowl MVP. 

Final Score: 35-24, Chiefs

Super Bowl MVP: Patrick Mahomes

Anish’s Prediction:

When looking at these two teams, it is clear that the team that has the upper hand on paper is the Chiefs. However, The Bucs are led by the GOAT Tom Brady, and if history has taught us, you can never count Brady out. The Chiefs have the so-called ‘next GOAT’ themselves in Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes is the next biggest thing at quarterback as he can throw no-look dimes and amaze with his strong arm. As for his advantage over Tom Brady right, it comes in the QB running ability, which will help keep drives alive and keep Brady off the field. As for the rest of the team, the Chiefs just look too strong with Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. The Bucs have Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but the Chiefs have the advantage in terms of offensive weapons. Therefore, I will have to go with the Chiefs winning back-to-back Super Bowls, with Mahomes as the Super Bowl MVP. That being said, as a Falcons fan myself, I know that it is never a good idea to bet against Brady. 

Final Score: 34-31, Chiefs

Super Bowl MVP: Patrick Mahomes

Posted on in NFL

The Impact of Cam Newton to New England

By Saransh Sharma, Pranav Thiriveedhi, and Rohan Krishnan

Wow, did Bill Belichick just outsmart the entire NFL again or what? I mean, think about it, he waited for Cam Newton’s value to deteriorate (due to the lack of interest) just enough to the point where he could sign Newton to the league-minimum deal of $550K in guaranteed money (base salary is $1.05M with incentives it goes up to $7.5 million). If this is not the greatest free agency scheme Belichick has ever pulled off, then I do not know what is. All the talk about Belichick being content with Jarrett Stidham at QB, and potentially even tanking for Trevor Lawrence in the upcoming draft, has been put to bed in the most Belichick-way possible, by signing a former MVP to replace another former MVP. Now, we all know that Tom Brady is the Greatest Quarterback of All-Time, but replacing him at age 42 with a healthy Cam Newton who still has got some prime years left in him, is not a downgrade at all, and if it does not work out or Belichick simply likes the team but sees a different vision beyond Cam Newton, then Belichick can let him walk, and Cam can get a bag elsewhere, the same way guys like Teddy Bridgewater did this past offseason, and Case Keenum did in 2018. Now for the big question, which is what we predict will happen in Cam’s first season in a Patriots uniform.

The Rejuvenation of SuperCam by Saransh Sharma

If there is any player who played at an MVP and near-Super Bowl winning level that I would trust to return to that form after years of injuries and being doubted, it is Cam Newton. The chip on his shoulder has been there ever since he was brought into Auburn after being suspended at Florida for stealing a laptop, which led to him being kicked out of the school, going to JuCo, and then coming back to Auburn a whole different player, winning the Heisman, becoming a National Champion, and getting drafted first overall to the Carolina Panthers in 2011, a team that had not achieved any real success since 2002 when they went to the Super Bowl and choked against 2nd-year QB Brady and the Patriots. Newton quickly established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, making a Pro Bowl as a rookie, and running away with the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He later went on to make multiple playoff appearances, and then in the 2015 season, went to the Super Bowl, and took a lot of criticism for his play and his press conference responses. Newton’s season in 2016 was cut short due to injury, but had a very successful 2017, only for that to end, and then injuries to hamper him the last 2 seasons. But still, the last healthy version of Cam we saw took his team to the playoffs, threw for over 3300 yards and had 28 total touchdowns. Now, with a better offensive line than he had in New England, an all-time great head coach, and having a chance at rejuvenation, Cam Newton is in the best shape of his life and looking to prove everyone wrong.

The Patriots receiving core still is not the best, but you also have to realize how unhealthy they were last season, which led to sloppy, inconsistent play from the players who were able to stay healthy. Edelman led the league in drops with 13, Mohamed Sanu was only with New England for 8 games due to being traded midseason, and due to a nagging injury, did not see the field or targets very often, first-round pick N’Keal Harry only played 7 games with injury, and rookie Jakobi Meyers only started one game, which a 13-9 win against Dallas in Week 9. And do not forget that they never had a consistent tight end option or running game due to injuries, and they had Antonio Brown, Demariyus Thomas, and Josh Gordon at one point, who all got released or traded (Thomas). New England just did not have anything on offense consistently to be a contender, thus their Wild Card game loss. With Newton, they now bring a healthy and more balanced offense. The team is honestly very similar to that of Carolina when they went to the Super Bowl, where they had a big-bodied receiver (Sanu), other good receivers who can play outside and in the slot (Edelman and Harry), a check-down option (White), and a power running back (Michel), and an elite defense to help out. That being said, it is not as good of a receiving core and offense as that in Carolina, more of a ‘Great Value’ version of it, if you will. I think Newton has a chance to show flashes of his MVP form with the similarities in the offense’s structure, but mostly be his 2013-self, where he first showed he could be an elite QB, and there is no better Offensive Coordinator than Josh McDaniels to help lead him.

As for how the team will do, New England should win the division, and I believe Newton will do a great job of leading the team, but I do not anticipate them winning more than 10 games. New England will go 10-6 and hold the tiebreaker over Buffalo to win the division, locking them up with the 3-seed in the AFC. A matchup with a tough Steelers or Chargers team is my prediction, but I think that both teams, due to their elite defenses, will slow the passing attack down, and there simply will not be enough that Newton can do to lead his team to victory, so the season will end at the Wild Card. 

As for his free agency, being on a 1-year deal at the moment, it is up to Belichick to decide what the next move with Cam is. I think that Cam will actually go elsewhere to a younger, more QB-needy team, like the Pittsburgh Steelers, who could be seeing the last of Ben Roethlisberger, but have an exciting and young roster around him, and an elite defense. Also look out for Cleveland and Oakland, other exciting and young teams who, if they choose Newton over their current QBs, would become contenders and could see an infusion of a veteran presence comforting for them.

Can Cam Avoid His Kryptonite, The Injuries? by Rohan Krishnan

To start off, I am definitely a fan of this move by the Patriots. Adding a player at a cheap price to an important position is a very smart decision and this is the perfect example of a low risk high reward move. Cam Newton is indeed 0-8 in his last eight starts, but he was playing with an injured shoulder. When Cam was healthy, he was a very respectable quarterback. From Weeks 1-9 in 2018 when healthy, Newton averaged 236 passing yards per game, totaled 15 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions. Furthermore, Cam was a beast in the running game by leading all quarterbacks in rushing yards (342) and touchdowns (4). 

Signing Newton, a former MVP, is very exciting for the whole Patriots fan base, but I would not say it is a lock that he would start just yet. He has dealt with a lisfranc injury which is very annoying to deal with. He also needs to show up to camp healthy and prove to the coaches that he can still play. This is why the Patriots gave him a very cheap contract because Newton needs to prove himself. If everything goes well in training camp for Cam, I think he would have a very solid comeback season in New England. I do not think he will return to MVP form, but he is capable of playing like a top 12 quarterback in the league. Even though the Patriots lost Tom Brady, they still have an elite coaching staff that could bring out the best out of Cam’s skillset. Josh McDaniels is a fantastic offensive coordinator, and we all know how big of a mastermind Bill Belichick is. I think Newton will prove all of the doubters wrong this season and New England will find a way to continue their playoff streak. I have the Buffalo Bills winning the division even with the Newton signing, but I predict New England will sneak in as a wild-card team. I don’t have them going far in the postseason as I have them losing in the first round, however the Patriots will stay as a competitive squad. 

Can Cam Newton Pave His Road to Glory in Foxborough? By Pranav Thiriveedhi

As everyone already knows, the Patriots recently signed Cam Newton, former Auburn Legend and NFL MVP, to replace Tom Brady, who was arguably the greatest football player to ever play. This move by Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots was spectacular! Being able to grab an amazing NFL QB to replace Tom Brady was an awesome move to keep the Patriots “Super” Era still afloat. Before Cam’s entry into New England, QB Jarrett Stidham, was poised to start for the Patriots and was expected to produce some great work for them to either give the Pats the 1 or 2 seed in the AFC East, which would really be amazing after the biggest loss to the team in franchise history. But now, with Cam Newton under center, the Patriots really have a chance to get back into the driver seat and hold that position as AFC champ for a little more time. 

Obviously, this only makes sense if Cam stays healthy, and plays at a level he did when he took the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl just a few years ago. It’s hard to write about health because that obviously is determined in the game, but what we can talk about is Cam’s playing level on the field. I am not going to lie, but I can see Cam Newton having his best season yet if all goes well. The former Heisman Trophy winner has the best receiving core he has ever played with for the next season, with receivers like Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry and Mohammad Sanu. I don’t think he has played on a team with that many great receivers. Cam Newton also has a little bit of the Christian McCaffrey energy in the form of James White (no argument there) and Sony Michel, who is really showing he can be a brilliant member of the New England Patriots. The Patriots have also given Cam Newton an advantage in the always underrated Offensive Line, a line that always has been sitting in the top 10 in the league for a long, long time. Carolina really didn’t give that opportunity to Cam, which means we never saw Cam Newton perform with more time, something Tom Brady has had the pleasure of having almost his whole career. 

Now with legendary coach Bill Belichick, an amazing offensive coordinator in Josh McDaniels, an awesome receiving core with two running backs that play in all parts of the field, and a top 10 Offensive Line, the Patriots and Cam Newton can really do something next year. I predict that the Patriots will easily get that above 10 wins season and will lock up the AFC East with the 1st seed. They, along with a healthy Cam Newton, will also make a big run in the playoffs, and maybe even have a shot (not a guarantee) at capturing the Super Bowl. 

Links you can use to help educate yourself, donate, sign petitions, and much more for Black Lives Matter and Ending Racism and Social Injustice, as well as everything else going on. With so much going on, it is very hard to keep up with it all, but it is still important to educate yourself, so please feel free to use all of these resources to help you out:

https://www.adhoc.fm/post/black-lives-matter-resources-and-funds/

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https://www.thezoereport.com/p/10-black-lives-matter-organizations-you-can-donate-money-to-right-now-22948855

https://nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-donate-for-black-lives-matter.html

http://issuesintheworld.carrd.co/

Posted on in Football, NFL, Superbowl

Super Bowl LIII: What to Expect, and Who Wins

17 years ago, Super Bowl XXXVI was played between the then-St. Louis Rams and the New England Patriots. The quarterbacks were Kurt Warner and Tom Brady. Back then, Tom Brady was just 24 years old and a second-year quarterback, and Bill Belichick was in his second season coaching the Patriots. Now players WR Julian Edelman and TE Rob Gronkowski of the Pats were 15 and 12 years old, respectively, Rams coach Sean McVay was 16, and Rams quarterback Jared Goff was 8. On Sunday, Super Bowl LIII will be played between the now-Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots, with players such as Edelman, Gronkowski, and Goff playing, and McVay coaching. Oh, how time flies. But the guys that are still there are Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, and they are not showing many signs of not showing up to Super Bowls anytime soon. The Patriots are an older, more experienced team, going against a team of young guys who are new to the Super Bowl party, yet the two teams have very similar playing styles, with prolific passing games on offense, bend-but-don’t-break defenses, and big-play special teams units. Here are how the teams compare, and who will lift the Lombardi Trophy.

The Game, The Teams, The Storylines, and The Prediction

The LA Rams started the season 8-0 and looked like the hottest team in the league until they went into the Superdome and got humbled by the Saints. As the season went on, the offense was questioned, as they began to have a dropoff, as shown in games against Chicago and Philly. They finally showed they belonged in the playoffs with wins against Dallas and New Orleans (which yes, they didn’t deserve to win because of the referees, but we can’t do anything about that anymore). Anyways, everyone knows that Todd Gurley is the best player for the Rams by far, but with him not having been 100% the past few weeks, CJ Anderson has stepped in and been their best player ever since. Bill Belichick is known for taking away the best player(s) from the opposing team, so do not expect Gurley and/or Anderson to have the same type of numbers that they have been the past few weeks. Belichick will force Goff to beat them, and with Goff being a young, yet good quarterback, you can bet Goff will get a bit frazzled at times. Sean McVay, on the other hand, will have to take away Julian Edelman, which if you watch the Patriots play in Super Bowls, you know how hard that is to do. Edelman is always the one who comes up clutch in Super Bowls and always delivers for Brady. As far as matchups go, Patriots have the advantage. As far as experience goes, Patriots have the advantage. As far as the stats and on-paper comparison goes, Rams have the advantage. But what is really going to be the determining factor for this game? Which quarterback has the ball last. This Super Bowl will be quite similar to the past two, where offenses fly around the field, but the offense that blinks first is the one that loses. If I had to guess which offense blinks first, I would go with the Rams. I just do not trust the fact that the Rams secondary can do enough to stop Brady from getting the ball to guys like Edelman (who leads the team in receiving yards this postseason with 247), Gronkowski (who had two touchdowns in Super Bowl LII), and James White (leading the team in receptions, and also holds the NFL record for most receptions in a Super Bowl game with 14 in Super Bowl LI). The Rams pass rush simply is not enough to disrupt the Pats offense, and as far as the Patriots defense goes, while they may not be great, they have all been here before, and they have stepped up to the challenge this postseason. I simply do not see a way that the Patriots lose back-to-back Super Bowls as long as Brady and Belichick are present. Another fun fact, Brady is undefeated against non-NFC East teams in the Super Bowl (two losses to NY Giants, one to Philadelphia Eagles). To all the Rams fans and Patriots haters out there, don’t get too excited. Pats win, 38-34.

Posted on in Football, NFL

Conference Championship Weekend: Who’s Going to Atlanta?

The time of year is quickly approaching. The cold nights of January are perfect for playoff football, so we have to preview the games coming up this Sunday and see who is packing their bags to stay home, and who will live another few weeks and go to Atlanta.

AFC Championship Game: Kansas City Chiefs vs. New England Patriots

So, per usual, the AFC Championship Game runs through the Patriots, as it has for the past 8 years. This time, however, we go from cold Foxborough to cold and possibly snowy Kansas City. With the kickoff temperature expected to be in the 20s now rather than in the single digits, fans going to the game can be a bit more excited about the fact that their chances of getting hypothermia and frostbite went down a bit, but this may be just another thing that plays into New England’s advantage. The Patriots play in these temperatures in January all the time, whether they practice in it, or play in it. Kansas City doesn’t know what an AFC Championship Game is like, it has been over 40 years since that last happened. That being said, soon-to-be NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes will lead his Chiefs in a rematch against the GOAT Tom Brady. The last time these teams played was a Sunday night in October, where the offenses were nonstop, defenses non-existent, and Pats Kicker Stephen Gostkowski was money. The game once again will come down to who has the ball last, and who can make the biggest plays at the right moment. The last time they played, Patrick Mahomes found Tyreek Hill on a huge touchdown play late in the 4thbut left over 3 minutes for Brady to work with to get into field goal range. Mahomes better make sure that if he wants to score a touchdown, that he doesn’t leave too much time on the clock, because Brady will find a way. 3 minutes is an eternity for Brady. Despite Brady being 1-4 lifetime on the road in AFC Championship Games, and his best target Rob Gronkowski being AWOL for most of the season, Brady always finds a way, and against a defense as terrible as the Chiefs, he won’t lose. Oh, and not to mention, the biggest choker in NFL history, Chiefs coach Andy Reid, is coaching the Chiefs still (despite all the leads he’s blown, and the lack of playoff wins before this year), so it is safe to say the Chiefs will find a way to lose this game. No betting against Brady here, Pats win.

NFC Championship Game: New Orleans Saints vs. Los Angeles Rams

Another rematch of a game that ended up being an absolute thriller, with the Rams being undefeated at 8-0 at the time, and the Saints being the only team that could seemingly stop them. Surely enough, the Saints were able to end the dominance of LA, and neither team has really slowed down since. The two most complete teams in the NFC will meet again in New Orleans on Sunday, yet this time with some more questions to answer. Will Jared Goff play like he did in November when they played New Orleans (he had 391 yards passing and 3 TDs), or will he play like he did last year in the Rams NFC Wild Card Game against Atlanta? Will Sean McVay prove to be the prodigy the world is amazed by? Will Drew Brees cement his place as potentially the Greatest of All Time? Since the last rematch, Goff has been off-and-on, McVay has proven his prodigy-like skills, and Brees has broken records and put up an MVP-caliber season. Since then, the Saints have also been the #1 scoring defense, which will prove to be the difference on Sunday. The Saints defense’s ability to slow down the Rams potent offense will be what wins them this game. Last week, when they played the Eagles, they were down 14-0 after the Eagles’ first 2 possessions, but the defense didn’t allow any points the rest of the game and came up with the game-winning stop on a Marshon Lattimore interception, all thanks to Alshon Jeffery’s ‘best hands in the NFL’. There will be a ton of points scored for sure, but it will come down to if Jared Goff can outplay Brees and if the Saints defense fails to stop Goff and the Rams. I do not see that happening, so Saints win.

Posted on in Football, NFL, Superbowl

Super Bowl LI: Hotlanta Falcons or Beantown Patriots?

This Super Bowl could be the highest-scoring Super Bowl in the history of the glorious championship game, as these teams are so evenly matched on offense, and lately, also on defense. This game could also be the first to go to overtime, but here is who I believe will be the winner of this game.

How The Teams Stack Up

Atlanta has been hot of late, having won 6 in a row, and they sport the most efficient offense in the NFL. QB Matt Ryan has over 4,900 passing yards, 38 TDs, 83.3 Total QBR (QBR measures what the QB did in the game to try to lead his team to win), and 9.26 yards per attempt (highest in NFL history). WR Julio Jones averaged over 100 receiving yards a game for the 4th straight season, and they also kept a very balanced rushing attack with RBs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. The Patriots QB Tom Brady’s number don’t match up, but considering he only played 12 games, he played phenomenal. 3,554 yards, 28 TDs, and a Total QBR of 83.0 in ONLY 12 games is amazing, and he did it without the help of Rob Gronkowski in the beginning, as well as towards the end of the season. Gronk will not be playing, although he will make the trip with the team to Houston, and backup TE Martellus Bennett did a nice job of replacing him, with 701 yards and 7 TDs. What really gave the Patriots the edge on offense this season was their run game. RB LeGarrette Blount has 1,161 yards rushing and a Patriots team record 18 rushing TDs. His big bulldozing ability helps keep drives alive for the Pats, allowing Brady to have lesser pressure on him and the defense to go after Blount. The defense of the Pats was ranked 7th overall, and 1st in scoring, as opposed to the Falcons who are 22nd overall. The Falcons haven’t needed big defensive performances to win their game this year, but they will need it if they want to be able to win a Super Bowl.

Who Wins and Why?

This game will come down to which team can come up with more defensive stops, and this game probably won’t really have much defense. This defense will be atrocious for both teams in this game, and the offenses will have a ‘walk-in-the-park’ type of game. The X-factor for each team will be their 2nd Wide Receiver, being Mohamed Sanu and Chris Hogan for the Falcons and Pats, respectively. Hogan had 180 yards on 9 receptions and 2 TDs, and Sanu, while he had just 5 catches for 52 yards and a TD, he did create problems in the formations for the Packers defense in their last game. Look for Hogan to have another big game, and CB Malcolm Butler, who will be covering Julio Jones, to be the defensive hero in a Patriot victory. Final Score: 51-48, New England

Posted on in NFL, Superbowl

Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots or Seahawks?

The controversy of the Deflategate surrounding the New England Patriots hasn’t seemed to effect the Patriots. Deflategate really makes no sense because there is no real punishment that New England can see. In 2007, they were involved in Spygate, and nothing happened to New England, so punishing New England 8 years later for something doesn’t even make sense and cannot exactly be proven is just messed up. The Seattle Seahawks, on the other hand, had a miracle happen against the Green Bay Packers 2 weeks back at CenturyLink Field. Literally, a miracle. If Brandon Bostick hadn’t dropped that onside kick, Green Bay would be playing New England (New England won fair and square over the Indianapolis Colts people, so they would be here). Chris Matthews, instead, got the 12th Man roaring like never before, as they forced OT, and won. But honestly, they need more effort if they want to beat New England. Let’s take a closer look at the matchup.

Super Bowl XLIX: New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks

As I said earlier, the effort by Seattle was not the typical type of effort that we normally see. Russell Wilson threw a career-high 4 interceptions, but threw the OT winner. Marshawn Lynch was great as usual, 25 carries, 157 yards, and the touchdown that put Green Bay down 22-19 in regulation. Aaron Rodgers was stellar for the Packers despite the torn calf. If Seattle can’t beat a one-legged quarterback who has won only 1 Super Bowl, how are they going to matchup with a 3-time champ (trying to make himself a 4-time champ)? New England has more weapons than last year’s Denver Broncos team on both sides of the football. On offense, you have Brady, then you have TE Rob Gronkowski, RB LeGarrette Blount, and WRs Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola who could both put the icing on the cake for New England. On defense, they have CB Brandon Browner, who won the Super Bowl last year with the Seahawks, CB Darrelle Revis, the best CB after the Seahawks Richard Sherman, you have LBs Jamie Collins, Rob Ninkovich, Chandler Jones, and DE Vince Wilfork, who solidify your pass rush. Seattle has just Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, and WRs Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse on offense, who aren’t known as great receivers, and defensively, CBs Richard Sherman and Byron Maxwell, SS Kam Chancellor, and FS Earl Thomas III, but LBs Bruce Irvin, Cliff Avril, and last year’s Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith cannot matchup with Gronkowski, and neither can Sherman, Maxwell, Chancellor, or Thomas III. Along with that, Seattle struggles with power runners such as LaGarrette Blount, and Edelman and Amendola come up with big, game-deciding plays. Brandon LaFell is another wideout for New England who is key. Also, there have been 12 Super Bowls with a pick-6, and teams with more pick-6’s than the other team are 12-0. Expect Revis, Browner, SS Kyle Arrington, or Collins to take one to the house. This game will be decided by the final drive.

Final Score: 35-28, New England Patriots

MVP: Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Posted on in Football, NFL

NY Jets to Trade Tebow???

There have been rumors that QB Tim Tebow might be traded so that he can become the starter of that team. Here are some trades that could suit Tebow and the Jets as well as many other teams.

Trade Option 1: Tebow to the Carolina Panthers for QB Cam Newton

Many are considering the fact that Newton should be traded, so this will suit both teams because both teams want to trade their QBs from their respective teams.

Trade Option 2: Tebow to the Philadelphia Eagles for QB Michael Vick

Eagles fans desperately want a new QB or at least some new type of offensive scheme that will help them win more games throughout the 2nd half of the season. Tebow might help in some type of way.

Trade Option 3: Tebow and LaDanian Tomlinson to the Jacksonville Jaguars for RB Maurice Jones-Drew and QB Blaine Gabbert

Before Tebow was traded to NY, there were many rumors that he would go to the Jaguars. Many Florida Gators fans would want him back in Jacksonville.

Trade Option 4: Tebow to Arizona Cardinals for John Skelton

Arizona’s offense was red-hot to begin the season, though when Kevin Kolb went down with a ribs injury, John Skelton had took over. After Derek Anderson signed a contract with the Panthers, Skelton had to take over at QB. He was 3-4 as a starter and he was excellent as the starter. Now, it seems that he is a player that has literally lost his mind. If the Cardinals take Tebow in this possible trade, then Tebow might get some great playing time at QB due to the advantage he has with Kolb out, and having targets such as Larry Fitzgerald, Early Doucet, Todd Heap, Jeff King, and rookie Michael Floyd from the University of Notre Dame.

Trade Option 5: Tebow released from Jets and signed by the New England Patriots

When Peyton Manning went to the Denver Broncos, Tebow’s contract was up, and so Denver sent him to the Jets. The Jets are thinking about releasing him, so him going to the Pats would be good because he could play the wildcat or as a RB. Or, Tebow could replace Tom Brady and they could split playing time between each other, so Tebow could play the 1st half, and Brady will lead the way in the 2nd half.

My call: Tebow will either end up in Philadelphia (Philly), Boston (New England), or in Carolina. The Jets will most likely decline all trades from Jacksonville, even though Jacksonville or Carolina are probably the 2 best choices for the Jets to stick with, especially if they want to get rid of Tim Tebow. And so, Tebow ends up in which uniform? We shall await the New York Jets decision from November 1st onwards. Tebow?? Where could he possibly end up before the end of November???

Posted on in Football, NFL

Pats vs. Ravens THE REMATCH

            Finally, what people have been waiting for Pats and Ravens. Pats won last year 23-20. There are many keys to winning.

THE PATRIOTS

            When they run…

Stevan Ridley is a developing back, who continues to impress Pat’s fans. Danny Woodhead shows a lot of speed. Though against Haloti Ngata and this defensive front, who’s better? Woodhead or Ridley? I’d say Ridley because he is a powerful back who knows how to pick the holes

When they PASS…

Aaron Hernandez is injured, though Welker is all over opposing defenses. Watch out Baltimore D.

THE RAVENS

            When they run…

Ray Rice needs to pick the open lanes well, or else Vince Wilfork will stop him for sure.

When they PASS…

Joe Flacco played with poise against the Eagles, and he should do the same here. Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith will be hard to cover.

The winner IS…

Both teams will play well, but the Ravens know how to play tough, aggressive D.

My call: Ravens 16, Patriots 13