5. Washington:
Dante Fowler Jr.,Defensive Lineman/ Linebacker
With Brian Orakpo being a free agent, and the Washington Defense has been one of the worst over the past few years, Fowler Jr. should be the best available option on the board during this time. This team has a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball, they need a player to build around on the defensive side, and Fowler Jr. is the type of player they need. He's a giant ball of energy and talent. If he can reach his full potential, this is a great pick for Washington.
6. Jets:
Brandon Scherff, Offensive Lineman
The Jets should have Scherff available at the no.6 overall spot. Scherff would be a great anchor on this offensive line, and new head coach, Todd Bowels has to have a way to protect his quarterback, whoever it may be. He's your run-of-the-mill Iowa offensive lineman, big, powerful, has very good lateral movement, and he has a beard. He's the type of guy that can anchor the left side of the offensive line for the next decade or so.
7. Chicago:
Randy Gregory, Linebacker
This team is a wreck, let's put that on the table. If you can think of a way to fix this Chicago team in a tough NFC North division, let's talk about getting them back to what made them great. Defense! The past couple of years under the offensive-minded head coach, Marc Trestman, the Bears' defense was getting worse every season. Trestman is now a thing of the past in Chicago, and hopefully so is that train of thought. Randy Gregory is a freak of nature. He can play outside linebacker or defensive end- depending on the defensive scheme- and can chase down any quarterback in the league. New head coach, John Fox had a similar player in a guy name Julius Peppers, which is why I believe Fox won't pass up Gregory with the no.7 draft selection.
8. Atlanta:
Vic Beasley, Defensive Line/ Linebacker
He's an athletic freak! Standing 6-foot-3-inches tall, weighing 246 pounds, Beasley is nothing short of an all-pro in the making. The only hard part is to determine where you'll play him at, on the field. Very athletic, great size for outside linebacker (he may need to put on weight to play defensive end) but he has incredible speed and reaction time. At the Combine ran an impressive 40-yard-dash in 4.53 seconds- that's almost faster than every quarterback that ran. Atlanta has lacked a good defense for a long time, and with new head coach and former Seattle Seahawks' defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn, that should end. Beasley at the no.8 selection could be considered a steal four-to-five years from now.
9. Giants:
Danny Shelton, Defensive Lineman
The New York Giants have a great talent in last years' first-round selection, Odell Beckham Jr., but they still didn't make the playoffs, even with his incredible rookie performance. What made the Giants great in those two Super Bowl appearances? ...hmm... I remember, defense. Tom Coughlin, hopefully you'll remember soon, too. Eli Manning is who he is at this point and the offense isn't terrible. However, the defense last season were pretty bad. The Giants' defense is getting old and they need some young bodies on the field to help and build around. Danny Shelton is a HUGE body to build around. No, seriously, he's huge. At 6-foot-2-inches tall, 339 pounds, he's pretty hard to move. In the NFC East, you have to be able to stop the run to win. Shelton mid-season was talked about as possibly being the no.1 overall pick. To get a player like him in this draft slot would be a great lift for the Giants' organization, and could bring the defensive culture back to the Giants.
10. St. Louis:
Marcus Mariota, Quarterback
The Rams have given Quarterback, Sam Bradford the ability to seek a trade. With that being said, they're thinking about their future without him. In 2011, they've seemed to have "dodged a bullet" with trading out of the no.2 draft spot, when they could've taken Robert Griffin III. However, all they have now is Bradford, who can't seem to stay healthy; a non-consistent running game, and a very good defense (the one bright spot). However, This isn't 2011, this is now and they need a quarterback that can help them make a playoff run in a very tough NFC West. I honestly don't know what to make of Mariota, I don't know if you can trust Oregon quarterbacks in the NFL, but it seems like Mariota could be different from previous Oregon quarterbacks that have entered the NFL. St.Louis doesn't need to draft defense, the receivers aren't terrible, oh and Mariota is the 2014 Heisman-trophy winner- that has to count for something, right? He's talked about on the same level as Jameis WInston, as far as talent. I just know the Bradford project seems to be over. Come draft day, it could be the Mariota era in St. Louis.
Talk Sports. Live Life. All opinions are my own. If you want you can agree with me. "To be the man, you gotta beat the man" - Ric Flair
Friday, March 6, 2015
Saturday, February 28, 2015
2015 NFL Draft Predictions: No.1-5
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on the Clock!
The NFL draft is only two months away and the NFL combine has come and gone. The players still have pro-day and private workout's ahead of them. The draft this year looks to be filled with a lot of young promising talent.
I love the NFL drafting process, I would say it's my favorite part of the off season. I've decided to do a mock draft of my own.
These are my NFL draft predictions for draft picks 1-5:
1. Tampa Bay:
Jameis Winston, Quarterback
This is almost the same story for every draft. You have the No.1 pick, you take the best player on the board. Winston has done everything in college football there is to do. He has a national championship (2013), won the Heisman trophy (2013), and he walked away with only one loss, giving him a college career record of 27-1. His only loss of his college career was to the Oregon Ducks in the newly acquired, college football playoffs. Winston was criticized about being out of shape, months before the combine. When he showed up to the combine, he not only looked to be in great shape, he performed great. Winston showed on the field that he's deserving of the No.1 overall pick, I believe his attitude shows the same. I believe Bucs' head coach, Lovie Smith will finally get his franchise quarterback.
2. Tennessee:
Leonard Williams, Defensive End
Let's face it. The Titans are in serious trouble in a couple of spots. The don't have a sure quarterback of the future, the "Jake Locker project" is now done in Tennessee after four years, the receivers there show flashes and a lot of promise, and the defense had a hard time stopping almost everyone last season. Leonard Williams is a freak-of-nature and true defensive end. He is a physical specimen and his toughness is just what that defensive front needs to get going. He can stop the run, chase down any quarterback (as he had the fastest 40-time of every defensive lineman). This should be a very productive draft for them, they need a lot of pieces. But in order to compete with the Colts in their division, they have to stop Andrew Luck. Williams will help them do that.
3. Jacksonville:
Shane Ray, Defensive End/ Linebacker
It seems like every year the Jaguars are in the same position. And it's been that way for about half of a decade, or so. They've usually had a top-5 draft pick and failed. Gus Bradley may have broken that pattern, last year. After drafting quarterback, Blake Bortles out of the University of Central Florida in 2014 there seems to be a lot of positive things to look forward to. However, they've taken care of the offensive side, acquiring a lot of young pieces. Bradly is still a defensive guy and I believe that he's still missing a few pieces to defensive puzzle in Jacksonville, he can solve that puzzle with one player, Shane Ray. Ray, who won 2014 defensive player of the year in the SEC, is a very physical, fast and explosive pass-rushing linebacker-lineman hybrid player. With 14.5 sacks in 2014 at Missouri that is highly impressive and I don't think this is a player that he can pass up with the no.3 draft selection.
4. Oakland:
Amari Cooper, Wide Receiver
It isn't very hard to figure out which position the Raiders should go after with their first-round selection. It's more of a question of, who should they take? This early in the draft, you have to take the best pure receiver ... that is... Amari Cooper. Cooper was a Heisman finalist (2014), Biletnikoff award-winner (2014), SEC offensive player of the year (2014). That a pretty solid resume, in my opinion. In 2014, Cooper had 124 receptions (1st in NCAA), 1727 receiving yards (2nd in NCAA), and 16 receptions for touchdowns (2nd in NCAA). Stats via ESPN.com. He did all of this while at a school known for its defense. Cooper has to be your pick here. He went into the combine and performed how they believed he would, he still has his pro-day ahead of him but I'm positive he'll perform at high level on that day, too. They have a solid quarterback to build around, in Carr. Cooper is the piece that is missing to this offense. Well, one of the many pieces, but he's a good piece to start with. If Oakland doesn't draft Cooper, they'll be dropping the ball. Literally.
5. Washington:
Dante Fowler Jr., Linebacker
Head Coach, Jay Gruden, entering his second season has to start making some better decisions. He had, what looked to be like a very good off-season, last year, with the acquisition of Desean Jackson from the Eagles, and a returning, "healthy" Robert Griffin III at quarterback. This was a team sure to win the NFC East, right? Wrong, this team may have been the most disappointing of 2014. Gruden still has some pieces in place to make this thing work, but he has to take some positive steps to do so. His first positive step could be helping to fix this defense, which has struggled for some years now. With Brain Orakpo being very injury-prone it's time to move on from him and go younger. Linebacker, Dante Fowler Jr., should be the best defensive player on the board at that time. I believe he's right behind Shane Ray, on a talent level. He has the toughness and all of the physical attributes this defense needs to get turned around. Granted, Florida didn't have the best season last year, but they had a few bright spots. One of the bright spots was Fowler. He can do anything from rushing the passer to cover. He's the ideal height and build for a pro linebacker and he had an AMAZING combine performance. Gruden has some things to fix in Washington, but if he wants to keep his job, drafting a player like Fowler will surly help him clean up the "mess" in Washington.
The NFL draft is only two months away and the NFL combine has come and gone. The players still have pro-day and private workout's ahead of them. The draft this year looks to be filled with a lot of young promising talent.
I love the NFL drafting process, I would say it's my favorite part of the off season. I've decided to do a mock draft of my own.
These are my NFL draft predictions for draft picks 1-5:
1. Tampa Bay:
Jameis Winston, Quarterback
This is almost the same story for every draft. You have the No.1 pick, you take the best player on the board. Winston has done everything in college football there is to do. He has a national championship (2013), won the Heisman trophy (2013), and he walked away with only one loss, giving him a college career record of 27-1. His only loss of his college career was to the Oregon Ducks in the newly acquired, college football playoffs. Winston was criticized about being out of shape, months before the combine. When he showed up to the combine, he not only looked to be in great shape, he performed great. Winston showed on the field that he's deserving of the No.1 overall pick, I believe his attitude shows the same. I believe Bucs' head coach, Lovie Smith will finally get his franchise quarterback.
2. Tennessee:
Leonard Williams, Defensive End
Let's face it. The Titans are in serious trouble in a couple of spots. The don't have a sure quarterback of the future, the "Jake Locker project" is now done in Tennessee after four years, the receivers there show flashes and a lot of promise, and the defense had a hard time stopping almost everyone last season. Leonard Williams is a freak-of-nature and true defensive end. He is a physical specimen and his toughness is just what that defensive front needs to get going. He can stop the run, chase down any quarterback (as he had the fastest 40-time of every defensive lineman). This should be a very productive draft for them, they need a lot of pieces. But in order to compete with the Colts in their division, they have to stop Andrew Luck. Williams will help them do that.
3. Jacksonville:
Shane Ray, Defensive End/ Linebacker
It seems like every year the Jaguars are in the same position. And it's been that way for about half of a decade, or so. They've usually had a top-5 draft pick and failed. Gus Bradley may have broken that pattern, last year. After drafting quarterback, Blake Bortles out of the University of Central Florida in 2014 there seems to be a lot of positive things to look forward to. However, they've taken care of the offensive side, acquiring a lot of young pieces. Bradly is still a defensive guy and I believe that he's still missing a few pieces to defensive puzzle in Jacksonville, he can solve that puzzle with one player, Shane Ray. Ray, who won 2014 defensive player of the year in the SEC, is a very physical, fast and explosive pass-rushing linebacker-lineman hybrid player. With 14.5 sacks in 2014 at Missouri that is highly impressive and I don't think this is a player that he can pass up with the no.3 draft selection.
4. Oakland:
Amari Cooper, Wide Receiver
It isn't very hard to figure out which position the Raiders should go after with their first-round selection. It's more of a question of, who should they take? This early in the draft, you have to take the best pure receiver ... that is... Amari Cooper. Cooper was a Heisman finalist (2014), Biletnikoff award-winner (2014), SEC offensive player of the year (2014). That a pretty solid resume, in my opinion. In 2014, Cooper had 124 receptions (1st in NCAA), 1727 receiving yards (2nd in NCAA), and 16 receptions for touchdowns (2nd in NCAA). Stats via ESPN.com. He did all of this while at a school known for its defense. Cooper has to be your pick here. He went into the combine and performed how they believed he would, he still has his pro-day ahead of him but I'm positive he'll perform at high level on that day, too. They have a solid quarterback to build around, in Carr. Cooper is the piece that is missing to this offense. Well, one of the many pieces, but he's a good piece to start with. If Oakland doesn't draft Cooper, they'll be dropping the ball. Literally.
5. Washington:
Dante Fowler Jr., Linebacker
Head Coach, Jay Gruden, entering his second season has to start making some better decisions. He had, what looked to be like a very good off-season, last year, with the acquisition of Desean Jackson from the Eagles, and a returning, "healthy" Robert Griffin III at quarterback. This was a team sure to win the NFC East, right? Wrong, this team may have been the most disappointing of 2014. Gruden still has some pieces in place to make this thing work, but he has to take some positive steps to do so. His first positive step could be helping to fix this defense, which has struggled for some years now. With Brain Orakpo being very injury-prone it's time to move on from him and go younger. Linebacker, Dante Fowler Jr., should be the best defensive player on the board at that time. I believe he's right behind Shane Ray, on a talent level. He has the toughness and all of the physical attributes this defense needs to get turned around. Granted, Florida didn't have the best season last year, but they had a few bright spots. One of the bright spots was Fowler. He can do anything from rushing the passer to cover. He's the ideal height and build for a pro linebacker and he had an AMAZING combine performance. Gruden has some things to fix in Washington, but if he wants to keep his job, drafting a player like Fowler will surly help him clean up the "mess" in Washington.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Why 2014 Was A Bad Year In Sports For Me
2014 was looking to be promising for me in the world of sports. I was almost certain all of my teams would make a huge leap. The Philadelphia Eagles were the favorites in the NFC East going into their second season with head coach Chip Kelly; The Sacramento Kings have a rough year, but they made a lot of progress with young but experienced players; The Michigan Wolverines seemed to be ready to compete with Ohio State and Wisconsin in the Big Ten conference, which has struggled the passed couple of years; And the Yankees in Derek Jeter's final season just had to send the captain out on top, or at least with a playoff appearance.
I'll start with the Eagles. They didn't have a bad year, just not a great one. When quarterback, Nick Foles went down at the beginning of the season, backup, Mark Sanchez was up, nobody knew what to expect. Despite being known over the past few years for his abysmal play, Sanchez actually played well in his first couple of games as the starter for the Eagles, people in Philly were actually excited for him, at one point they were sitting atop the NFC East at 9-3. Well, that changed fast! in the month of December the the Eagles went 1-4, which involved a three-game losing steak- Seattle, Dallas, Washington. I can't just blame Sanchez, the Eagle defense is still the bad. Even though I believe they have one of the best defensive front seven in the NFL, their secondary couldn't stop anyone's passing attack. They finished 31st (second to last) in the NFL in passing defense, giving up and average of 265 yards per game through the air, they might have finished last had it not been for the Panthers game. They finished with a win over the New York Giants, but still managed to give up 400 yards passing to Eli Manning, and they ended the season with a 10-6 record which wasn't good enough to make the playoffs in the NFC.
2014 was suppose to be the year the Kings and Demarcus Cousins made the leap, become a good team that was young and could just run the floor, similar to a Golden State or Oklahoma City. At the start of the NBA season, it appeared that's was going to happen through the first five games. But, as more games passed they began to show their true colors. So far, the Kings have had three streaks where they had three or more losses- including a five-game losing streak in the first week of December. Demarcus Cousins suffered from a virus and was absent from the court for twelve games and Rudy Gay couldn't do it all and the team suffered from it. But it's still a lot of basketball to be played and the Kings are still contention in the division at 13-18, only the Thunder and Pelicans are ahead of them in the division, hopefully the Kings can figure it out, now that Cousins is healthy. I won't give up on them yet but history with this team tells me otherwise and the fact they still don't have a head coach since Firing Mike Malone bothers me- MARK JACKSON IS STILL AVAILABLE.
The 2014 college football season was suppose to be a good one in the Big Ten for the Michigan Wolverines, they had Brady Hoke who was coming off of two very mediocre seasons, but this was suppose to be similar to the 2011 Sugar Bowl year, this team was ready, they had potential, so at least I thought. Week two was their first real big test, it was a prime time game, at Notre Dame. Could the Wolverines beat the Fighting Irish two years in a row? ...NO... Not only did Michigan lose, they got embarrassed 31-0. 2014 was the first time that either either team had been left scoreless in this rivalry since 2007 (Michigan won 38-0). Following the loss to Notre Dame the Wolverines went 4-6 in their last 10 games- meaning only a 5-win season and no bowl game for the Wolverines for the first time since 2009; first time in the Brady Hoke era. Devin Gardner, once again had a very mediocre season and didn't live up to his potential. Gardner in 2014 had 1,896 passing yards, 10 touchdowns passing and 15 interceptions.
The New York Yankees in 2014 were losing a great player and a part of the Yankees' organization of the past two decades. It was set in stone that after the 2014 season, "The Captain", Derek Jeter was going to retire. The Yankees had to send out the future hall-of-famer on a good note, they had to compete for a championship, or at least the division. Okay, they weren't that bad but they were still short of the division and a playoff spot. Going 84-78 and losing a crucial final series which kept them out of the playoffs was a hard blow. There were serious injury issues on the team and with mediocre pitching through the season and the Yankees ended up sending Derek Jeter, in his final season, out on a non-playoff appearance and disappointing season.
The worst part about the 2014 season, a lot of my teams rivals ended up having great season. The Dallas Cowboys won the NFC east, made the playoffs and Tony Romo, Demarco Murray and Dez' Bryant ended up having incredible seasons; The Ohio State Buckeye's ended up with another Big Ten title and they somehow made it in the very first college football playoffs; The Kings are struggling in the division now, the Thunder are facing serious injury issues with Kevin Durant but somehow are still managing to win games and are keeping the Kings from taking a lead in the division; Baltimore had a great season and never could I remember a time where the Oriels would beat out the Yankees for a division title.
But hey, I am glad that 2014 is coming to a close, I think 2015 will be more promising for me as a sports fan, or at least I hope it will.
The Eagles will hopefully work some things out during the off-season and can reclaim the division title next year; the Michigan Wolverines are once again seen as a contender, after signing head coach and former Wolverine, Jim Harbaugh; hopefully the Sacramento Kings figure something out by the end of the seasons. Cousins is the best center in the league, they know that. Now, if they can just get a head coach to complement the talent I believe they'll have something to work with and they could possibly be contenders in the division for the entire season; the 2015 season for the Yankees will feel completely different with no Derek Jeter in the line up but they still have a lot of young promising players to build around and they're the Yankees, they can "buy" players.
I'll start with the Eagles. They didn't have a bad year, just not a great one. When quarterback, Nick Foles went down at the beginning of the season, backup, Mark Sanchez was up, nobody knew what to expect. Despite being known over the past few years for his abysmal play, Sanchez actually played well in his first couple of games as the starter for the Eagles, people in Philly were actually excited for him, at one point they were sitting atop the NFC East at 9-3. Well, that changed fast! in the month of December the the Eagles went 1-4, which involved a three-game losing steak- Seattle, Dallas, Washington. I can't just blame Sanchez, the Eagle defense is still the bad. Even though I believe they have one of the best defensive front seven in the NFL, their secondary couldn't stop anyone's passing attack. They finished 31st (second to last) in the NFL in passing defense, giving up and average of 265 yards per game through the air, they might have finished last had it not been for the Panthers game. They finished with a win over the New York Giants, but still managed to give up 400 yards passing to Eli Manning, and they ended the season with a 10-6 record which wasn't good enough to make the playoffs in the NFC.
2014 was suppose to be the year the Kings and Demarcus Cousins made the leap, become a good team that was young and could just run the floor, similar to a Golden State or Oklahoma City. At the start of the NBA season, it appeared that's was going to happen through the first five games. But, as more games passed they began to show their true colors. So far, the Kings have had three streaks where they had three or more losses- including a five-game losing streak in the first week of December. Demarcus Cousins suffered from a virus and was absent from the court for twelve games and Rudy Gay couldn't do it all and the team suffered from it. But it's still a lot of basketball to be played and the Kings are still contention in the division at 13-18, only the Thunder and Pelicans are ahead of them in the division, hopefully the Kings can figure it out, now that Cousins is healthy. I won't give up on them yet but history with this team tells me otherwise and the fact they still don't have a head coach since Firing Mike Malone bothers me- MARK JACKSON IS STILL AVAILABLE.
The 2014 college football season was suppose to be a good one in the Big Ten for the Michigan Wolverines, they had Brady Hoke who was coming off of two very mediocre seasons, but this was suppose to be similar to the 2011 Sugar Bowl year, this team was ready, they had potential, so at least I thought. Week two was their first real big test, it was a prime time game, at Notre Dame. Could the Wolverines beat the Fighting Irish two years in a row? ...NO... Not only did Michigan lose, they got embarrassed 31-0. 2014 was the first time that either either team had been left scoreless in this rivalry since 2007 (Michigan won 38-0). Following the loss to Notre Dame the Wolverines went 4-6 in their last 10 games- meaning only a 5-win season and no bowl game for the Wolverines for the first time since 2009; first time in the Brady Hoke era. Devin Gardner, once again had a very mediocre season and didn't live up to his potential. Gardner in 2014 had 1,896 passing yards, 10 touchdowns passing and 15 interceptions.
The New York Yankees in 2014 were losing a great player and a part of the Yankees' organization of the past two decades. It was set in stone that after the 2014 season, "The Captain", Derek Jeter was going to retire. The Yankees had to send out the future hall-of-famer on a good note, they had to compete for a championship, or at least the division. Okay, they weren't that bad but they were still short of the division and a playoff spot. Going 84-78 and losing a crucial final series which kept them out of the playoffs was a hard blow. There were serious injury issues on the team and with mediocre pitching through the season and the Yankees ended up sending Derek Jeter, in his final season, out on a non-playoff appearance and disappointing season.
The worst part about the 2014 season, a lot of my teams rivals ended up having great season. The Dallas Cowboys won the NFC east, made the playoffs and Tony Romo, Demarco Murray and Dez' Bryant ended up having incredible seasons; The Ohio State Buckeye's ended up with another Big Ten title and they somehow made it in the very first college football playoffs; The Kings are struggling in the division now, the Thunder are facing serious injury issues with Kevin Durant but somehow are still managing to win games and are keeping the Kings from taking a lead in the division; Baltimore had a great season and never could I remember a time where the Oriels would beat out the Yankees for a division title.
But hey, I am glad that 2014 is coming to a close, I think 2015 will be more promising for me as a sports fan, or at least I hope it will.
The Eagles will hopefully work some things out during the off-season and can reclaim the division title next year; the Michigan Wolverines are once again seen as a contender, after signing head coach and former Wolverine, Jim Harbaugh; hopefully the Sacramento Kings figure something out by the end of the seasons. Cousins is the best center in the league, they know that. Now, if they can just get a head coach to complement the talent I believe they'll have something to work with and they could possibly be contenders in the division for the entire season; the 2015 season for the Yankees will feel completely different with no Derek Jeter in the line up but they still have a lot of young promising players to build around and they're the Yankees, they can "buy" players.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
The "Lynch" Who Stole Christmas
After the game Lynch did his best Lynch impression during the post-game "interview". He was short with his answers and almost all of them sounded the same, for every question Lynch responded "thanks for asking". This was very similar to an interview that Lynch was penalized for earlier in the season.
Lynch, 28, is one of the most controversial guys in the NFL media, not for what he say's but for what he won't say.
Marshawn Lynch isn't very vocal when it comes to the media, he's been on record saying that he's not a guy who likes to do interviews and or interact with the media. Last year, during the Super Bowl media day, Lynch did interview only several times, not because he wanted to but because he was forced to and even his interviews were fairly short. The most interactive interview that I saw him in was the one with NFL Networks' Deon Sanders. In the interview with Sanders, he was asked about his silence with the media and he explained his reasoning, saying simply, "i'm just about that action boss". It's clear that Lynch is an old school type of player, he's all about just playing the game and every game he seems to be giving 100 percent. That's what's most important, right?
Lynch is currently third in the NFL in rushing yards with 1,246 yards and is tied with league-leading rusher, Demarco Murray for touchdowns on the season with 12. Also, he (Lynch) has just had his fourth consecutive season with 1,200 or more rushing yards and at least 10 touchdowns.
I'm not concerned about Marshawn Lynch not interacting with the media. I believe that he plays the game the right way and if he's not comfortable talking to the media it shouldn't be a big deal as long as he continues to "be about that action".
During the week of Christmas, not only did Marshawn Lynch manage to help take the lead in the NFC West, but he also helped to create more conflict for himself with his non-responsive post-game "interview".
Monday, December 15, 2014
Future of The 49ers?
The San Francisco started the season with very high hopes, after coming off of last season, losing to the Seahawks in the NFC championship game on a late-game interception in the end zone. And the previous year when they fell short to the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl. They started out the season struggling with a 1-2 record. It looked to be a promising turn around, after going on a three-game winning streak and improving to a record of 4-2. Week 7, they had the biggest road test of the season, at Denver on Sunday Night Football. The game wasn't even close. San Francisco, know for their defense gave up 42 points to the high-powered Denver offense, Peyton Manning led the charge as he had four touchdown passes while making history in the night as he passed Brett Favre for first place on the all-time touchdown list. Kaepernick and the San Francisco offense struggled to move the ball all game as he completed 24-39 pass attempts for 263 yards, one touchdown and one interception, The 49ers are currently on a three game losing streak.
San Francisco (7-7) are currently in third place in their division behind the Arizona Cardinals (11-3) and the Seattle Seahawks (10-4).
The 49ers' organization has had a lot of off-the-field issues this season. It began with early talks of head coach, Jim Harbaugh leaving at the end of the season, they later ran into one player in domestic violence trouble, another player being suspended for the first six games because of legal issues, over the summer and later reports coach Harbaugh having issues in the locker room. One thing I could note about the 49ers team is their age. They are aging wrong in all of the wrong positions. Their skill players are getting older. Running Back, Frank Gore, for example. He's a great talent. He could end up in Canton, Ohio, Maybe! He's in 9th season at age 31, he may need to be replaced or have less carries; wide receiver, Anquan Boldin, one of the strongest receivers to ever play the game, at age 34 he may need to consider retirement; Tight End, Vernon Davis, 30, they may need to consider finding his replacement soon. Even though I believe that Gore and Davis could still contribute on the field, I believe that San Fran may need to have them more role players than their star players. Carlos Hyde, rookie-running back out of Ohio State is not quit Gore in talent but he has a lot of upside to him. Maybe if they consider starting Hyde and making Gore a goal-line back or have him come in for third downs. Davis is very capable of Making plays still but at age 30, you have to think of how long he could continue to produce at the same rate.
I don't know the future of Harbaugh in San Francisco, nor do I know if Kaepernick will be able to produce at a higher level than he did the past two seasons. However, I do know that you want your quarterback to age and grow with the team, so he can mature and become a better decision maker. You don't want your skill positions to be older, they tend to "lose a step" as they get older and with that division, where every defense is young, tough & fast, you can't afford to lack in any position on offense. Especially at your skill positions.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Who's Dak?
Rayne Dakota Prescott, quarterback of the no.1 Mississippi State Bulldogs and current Heisman trophy front-runner is leading MSU to one of the most magical seasons in the school's history. Dakota, better known as "Dak" has the Bulldogs sitting with a record of 9-0 (5-0 in the SEC), and has been doing it in an impressive fashion. Currently, Prescott has a combined 29 touchdowns- 18 passing, 11 rushing.
Prescott, a Junior(RS) player, is proving to be one of the more dominant players in college football right now as he is leading the Bulldogs through, what is to be seen as one of the most difficult conferences in all of college football, maybe even sports period, in the SEC West. He hasn't had the easiest path thus far, either. Earlier in the season Prescott took the Bulldogs on the road earlier this season to beat the then-ranked no.8 LSU Tigers, he also led his team past last years last years SEC champion, then-ranked no.2 Auburn Tigers, who were projected to win the SEC again. In Both games combined, Prescott had over 500 yards passing, three passing touchdowns, and three rushing. And they also walked over the then-ranked no.6 Texas A&M team that started out very hot.
Dak Prescott isn't the best passer as far as "mechanics" but he's not Tim Tebow (no disrespect to Tebow). He's playing like a Heisman front-runner should. Winning big games, and having impressive numbers while doing it.
The Bulldogs have two big games ahead of them still. Nov. 15 they go on the road to face-off against the no.5 Alabama Crimson Tide, and they close out the season against a very tough Mississippi (Ole Miss) team as well. Both games could both have NCAA playoff berths on the line.
Dak has a very special story, like a lot of these players do.
Mississippi State is looking to have it's greatest season ever, and if they win out would be one of the four teams in the first ever, college football playoffs. Could Prescott do what Jameis Winston did last season, win the Heisman trophy and lift the NCAA National Championship as well? Only time will tell. Regardless if he does either, he and this Mississippi State team have had one heck of a season and have a bright future.
Prescott, a Junior(RS) player, is proving to be one of the more dominant players in college football right now as he is leading the Bulldogs through, what is to be seen as one of the most difficult conferences in all of college football, maybe even sports period, in the SEC West. He hasn't had the easiest path thus far, either. Earlier in the season Prescott took the Bulldogs on the road earlier this season to beat the then-ranked no.8 LSU Tigers, he also led his team past last years last years SEC champion, then-ranked no.2 Auburn Tigers, who were projected to win the SEC again. In Both games combined, Prescott had over 500 yards passing, three passing touchdowns, and three rushing. And they also walked over the then-ranked no.6 Texas A&M team that started out very hot.
Dak Prescott isn't the best passer as far as "mechanics" but he's not Tim Tebow (no disrespect to Tebow). He's playing like a Heisman front-runner should. Winning big games, and having impressive numbers while doing it.
The Bulldogs have two big games ahead of them still. Nov. 15 they go on the road to face-off against the no.5 Alabama Crimson Tide, and they close out the season against a very tough Mississippi (Ole Miss) team as well. Both games could both have NCAA playoff berths on the line.
Dak has a very special story, like a lot of these players do.
Video courtesy of tube test
Saturday, November 8, 2014
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