AJ Green Goes To A New Level

  In the opening game of the 2016 season, the Cincinnati Bengals traveled to face the New York Jets, one of the better defenses in the NFL in 2015 and projected to be even better this season. One of the spotlights of this game was Darrell Revis going against AJ Green.

Green, entering his sixth season, came out and showed why he's one of the league's best. There's was a lot of talk about how Revis, who has been one of the premiere defensive backs since he entered the league, and how his physicality could be too much for Green's style of play. Green proved that would not be the case, having one of the best days as a receiver in the NFL with 12 receptions for 180 yards and a touchdown, as the Bengals rallied back after trailing late in the fourth quarter, winning 23-22.

Green has faced-off against Revis just one time, thus far, in his NFL career, prior to today. The first time Green went up against Revis was in 2014, during Revis' very short stint with the New England Patriots. In that game Green had five receptions for 81 yards and a receiving touchdown. However. what was more notable about the battle is that Green also had a fumble, also the Bengals and Green were on the losing end of the game that day 43-17.

There has been a lot of speculation and question about what the Bengals "new " offense would look like after the departure of former offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, Wide receivers Marvin Jones and Mohamad Sanu... as all three are on new teams. There was a lot of turnover, as far as the roster goes, this off-season. Now, more than ever, there's a lot of pressure on Green to perform and show sumptuous leadership on the field as he's the most veteran in the wide receiver group, as far as experience with the team. The Bengals next game is Sunday, September 18 as they travel to take on the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers at 1;00 PM ET on CBS.

Melvin Gordon: Charged Up For His Second Year

Melvin Gordon, the 2015 first-round draft pick for the San Diego Chargers seems to be primed for big second year after a lack-luster rookie campaign.

The Chargers have been searching for a franchise running back since parting ways with their franchises rushing leader and future hall-of-famer LaDainian Tomlinson, famously known as "LT", in 2010.

 Gordon, the former no.15 overall selection, was the second running back taken in the 2015 draft and one of the two running backs selected in the first round (Todd Gurely was the other, drafted no.11 by the Rams). After rushing for 641 yards on 184 attempts, 3.5 yards per carry. One thing that stands out even more than a very sub-par ypc is that Gordon, who had 45 rushing touchdowns at Wisconsin, failed to find the end zone in 2015. During the preseason it looked like Gordon has become more comfortable in this Chargers offense, in the limited time that we saw him, rushing for 81 yards on 13 carries and adding a rushing touchdown. With the reserved back Brandon Oliver out for the 2016 season, due to injury, expect for Gordon to touch the ball a lot more.

The San Diego Chargers open the season on Sunday, September 11 at Kansas City. It'll be a good first test for Gordon. The Chiefs, a division foe, was the 8th best team against the run in 2015, allowing just 92 yards per game on the ground and only 7 rushing touchdowns the entire season. Can Gordon show that he was worth taking with the no.15 pick? Can he prove that he's the franchise running back that the Chargers have been looking for? This will be a big year for Gordon. 2016 could be the year to show what Gordon is going to be. Beast or bust. 

NFL: 10 Fantasy Sleepers You Need To Look For During The Season

We're less than one week away from the start of the NFL regular season. You know what this means, right? People are starting to get their fantasy drafts underway. Every season when preparing for your drafts, one of the most common thoughts is who will be the fantasy "sleeper" or steal that I can either get off waivers or draft in the later rounds. It's bound to happen especially with roster moves, rookies coming into the league, and also injuries.
For the 2016 NFL season, I have 10 players that are sure to make an impact from a fantasy standpoint.

1. Sammie Coates - With the Steelers having Martavis Bryant out for the season, due to suspension and I don't really think Markus Wheaton is going to improve more than what he is. The Steelers will be looking for a big-play receiver and I believe that Coates will be that person. With the type of vertical offense that they like to run, it fits Coates skill set perfectly; he's a tall, fast, athletic receiver. With Antonio Brown bound to draw double-coverage almost every play, expect to see Coates get open for some big plays and many of those plays could end up in the end zone. 
2. James White - The New England Patriots always seem to get the most out of their players in some way. For nearly the past two decades people have been trying to figure out if it's the system or the players that makes some of these players so great. But, none the less, I expect a new player to emerge in this offense. Running back James White, since coming into the league hasn't made much noise. With the news breaking of Dion Lewis having knee surgery that is bound to have him out for the entire '16-17 season, they'll be looking for another change-of-pace back to couple with heavily talented LeGarrett Blount, and I really think that White will be that player. He was one of the great University of Wisconsin running backs and in the Patriots system, he should thrive; he doesn't have to be an "every down" back and he looks like he's become a much better pass-catcher as well. I see James White ending up in the end zone a lot this season. 
3. Chris Moore - The Baltimore Ravens offense is looking for a consistent target for quarterback Joe Flacco after Steve Smith Sr. retires. They drafted Brashard Perryman in the 2015 NFL draft in the first round, his health is still at question. Last season wide receiver Kamir Aiken stepped up big for the team when they had no other targets and he finished the year strong, but I don't know if he's the guy that is going to be a consistent target. Rookie wide receiver, Chris Moore from the University of Cincinnati could be that guy. He's a long, fast, deep-ball threat and he fits the offense perfectly. One of the best things about Moore is that he goes up to fight for the ball on all of the 50-50 passes and he wins majority of those battles. With Perryman's health being at question and Steve Smith Sr. being on, what seems to be, his final stretch, I believe that we see Moore get a lot of playing time this season and I see a lot of passes going his way and I believe we'll see him in the end zone through the year. In four years of playing at Cincinnati, Moore had 119 receptions, 2,300 yards receiving and 26 touchdowns, not to mention there was an increase his receiving production every season.
4.  Tevin Coleman - In 2015 there were very high expectations for Coleman in Atlanta. However, an injury sidelined him for the early part of the season and teammate DeVantae Freeman's miraculous start to the season made Coleman the permanent second-string running back for the remainder of the season. The bright side is that Coleman will be entering the season with another year in the system, he's got a chip on his shoulder and he finished the 2015 season strong - he averaged 4.5 yards per carry on the season and showed he can carry the load when he's called on, as he rushed for 118 yards on 18 carries against a very good Minnesota Viking's defense - Coleman and Freeman can be a great tandem and I see Coleman getting majority of those carries around the goal line, that screams FANTASY GOLD! 
5. Kevin White - The Chicago Bears offense is full of young skill players. White, the first-round pick by the Bears in 2015 will hope to be healthy this season and get his first taste of NFL action after being sidelined for his rookie season with injury. He has all the tangibles to make him a great receiver - he's fast, has a big body frame and is a very good route-runner - not to mention he gets to play along side of a pretty good receiver in Alshon Jeffery. Everyone knows that Jay Cutler lets the ball fly and with the departure of Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett, there will be plenty of opportunities for White in this offense to make plays. 
6. Willie Snead - There are three things in life that are guaranteed: Death, taxes and Drew Brees, if healthy, will put up at least 3,500 passing yards in a season. The Saints offense looks a lot different than it did just three years ago, it's full of young, inexperienced receivers. In 2015, Sneads rookie season, he had 69 receptions for 984 yards and three touchdowns. Those are great numbers, but i expect these numbers to increase in 2016. Snead looked like one of the more dependable receivers in the Saints offense and earning the trust of Brees could help him get more red zone targets and that leads to more fantasy points. I think Snead has the potential to be a top 15 fantasy receiver. 
7.  Ameer Abdullah - The Detroit Lions lost a major staple of their organization and offense with the unexpected retirement of Calvin Johnson after last season. We don't know who Matt Stafford's go-to guy will be now. But one thing that I do know is that their are now some opportunities for other players to emerge in the offense and make plays. Former first-round pick Ameer Abdullah was drafted to do just  that, make plays. Even though he isn't list as the starter, I still think that his big-play abilities will help this offense to perform at a high level. 
8. Tajae Sharpe - Not only is this receiver a sleeper in fantasy, he was a sleeper in the NFL draft; Sharpe was drafted in the fifth-round, with the no.140 overall pick. In 2015, at the University of Massachusetts, he led the NCAA in receptions (111), 12th in receiving yards (1,319) and caught 5 passes for touchdowns. I expect Sharpe to add a lot to a receiving core that has been fairly mediocre for nearly half of a decade, especially because it looks like he's the clear number one option in the group of receivers on the roster.   
9. Matt Jones - The Washington Redskins no longer have Alfred Morris, he signed with the division rival Dallas Cowboys and there could be an open competition through the first couple of weeks; right now, Matt Jones is listed as the no.1 running back on the depth chart and Chris Thompson is listed as the no.2 option. I think that, if he can stay healthy, Jones can make a huge impact on this Redskins team. As a rookie, in 2015, Jones rushed for nearly 500 yards and three touchdowns in a part-time role. The only concern I would have about Jones is he did have more fumbles than he did rushing touchdowns in his rookie campaign. 
10. Alex Collins - Surprisingly, this running back not only fell in the draft, he fell to the one team that you don't want to give a running back with the power and speed that Collins possesses. Even though he's a rookie and he didn't win much while at Arkansas, he still put up very impressive numbers on some very mediocre offenses. In 2015, Collins had nearly 1,600 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. He's listed as the last RB on the depth chart but I believe that he could see a lot of snaps this season. second-year running back Thomas Rawls is coming off of an injury and I'm not sure how much Pete Carroll is sold on his as the starter. Last season, when Lynch went out, Rawls stepped up and provided a much needed spark for the offense and helped a lot in the running game. However, I believe this will be a "running back by committee" year to determine who will be the starter going forward, I expect Collins to be in the conversation by week four of the season and should be able to get a decent amount of carries on the season.

Ryan Fitzpatrick and New York Jets Both Won With The New Contract

 3,900 passing yards, 31 TD and nearly 60% pass completion - as he and the New York Jets fell short of making the playoffs. But it is a team that looks to be headed in the right direction, led by head coach Todd Bowles who is entering his second year as a head coach in the league. Even though the Jets were known in 2015 for their top-tier defense, it's offense is what had people excited throughout the season, it's something that hasn't been talked about in reference to a Jets team, really since the early 2000s.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is coming off of a career season in 2015 -

In 2015, The Jets ranked 10th overall in offensive yards per game, 13th in passing offense, 10th in rushing offense and 11th in points per game. If that's not enough to impress you, just think about this, they also were the only team in 2015 to have a top five, based on yards, running back (Chris Ivory) and wide receiver (Brandon Marshall).

After months of negotiation, the Jets organization and Fitzpatrick came to an agreement for a one-year deal worth $12 Million, fully guaranteed. It's not the long-term deal that the quarterback had been wanting but the money (guaranteed) did meet what he was looking for. And I am happy that he finally did get paid, he had a season that lived up to the pay. However, I believe the Jets played their cards right in this case by not offering the long-term deal. They don't have to commit to a quarterback who, going into his 11th season, has yet to really prove anything as a starter in this league. In this one year the organization can find out a few things: Can he [Fitzpatrick] replicate the season he just had? Can he help get this Jets team back to the playoffs? Will he prove that he's worth giving a long-term contract at the age of 33 (turning 34 in November).

I acknowledge the fact that Fitzpatrick had a very good season, played consistent through majority of the season and had surpassed a lot of expectations in 2015. But, was that enough? As a starter in the NFL Ryan Fitzpatrick has yet to lead a team to the playoffs. He's had some opportunities to prove himself through the years, as a journeyman, playing on 6 teams in the past 11 years and hasn't been able to get the job done.

In my opinion, the Jets paid accordingly. They paid a quarterback who had a career year, what he deserved and for perfect length. I do think he is a serviceable quarterback, just not long-term contract worthy ... I voiced my opinion on twitter how I feel about Fitzpatrick's game.

I respect him for holding out, I really do. But I can name 26 starting quarterbacks that I'd take over Fitzpatrick.

— Mario DeRamus (@SimplyMario_) July 29, 2016

And here's the list:

1. Tom Brady
2. Andrew Luck
3. Aaron Rodgers
4. Derek Carr
5. Jameis Winston
6. Blake Bortles
7. Matt Ryan
8. Russell Wilson
9. Matt Stafford
10. Andy Dalton
11. Tony Romo
12. Ryan Tannehill 
13. Philip Rivers
14. Eli Manning
15. Joe Flacco
16. Teddy Bridgewater
17. Jay Cutler
18. Carson Palmer
19. Alex Smtih
20. Colin Kaepernick
21. Cam Newton
22. Drew Brees
23. Ben Roethlisberger   
24. Robert Griffin III (on the fence)
25. Tyrod Taylor (on the fence) 
26. Brock Osweiler (on the fence) 

Some players you may not agree with me, but I know you can't debate 20/26 listed quarterbacks are better.

The list above isn't a knock on Fitzpatrick's talent and abilities. Rather, it's showing how good of deal it is from his end and how deserving he is for the year that he had. 2016 looks to be a test for Jets and Fitzpatrick in a very tough AFC east division; The Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills look to be on the same quest to dethrone the New England Patriots, who have won the division the last seven, consecutive, years. Can Fitzpatrick prove he's worth a long-term contract and lead the Jets to their first AFC east title since 2002?

NFL: 5 Players That Are Set For A Breakout Season In 2016

  With NFL training camps approaching in a week or so, there are a lot of new faces some teams and there are some players entering the second year of their contracts. Every season we see a few breakout players that seem to come out of nowhere. This year, I don't believe anything will change. I see a lot of potential for a certain five players to have a sumptuous season.

1. Melvin Gordan: In his rookie campaign, Gordan, the 2015 no.15 overall draft selection by the San Diego Chargers didn't look too impressive. Injuries, bad player after bad play, and just looked like he hadn't played football in years. This is just showing that the NFL is much different than college football. In College Gordan was a Heisman finalist and an All-American, while also breaking the record for most rushing yards in a single game before having that record broken soon after. The Chargers had an awkward stage of trying to make the Gordon work in their system than trying to get their system to work for Gordon. In 2016-17, look for Gordon to get a lot more touches, having a healthy Keenan Allen and the addition of Travis Benjamin to the team should take an enormous amount of pressure off of Gordon and the other running backs. 
2. Phillip Dorsett: After a very forgetful rookie season in 2015, I think Dorsett has a chip on his shoulder. Don't forget that the Colts had a lot of offensive line issues, Andrew Luck was injured for a major portion of the season, and most rookies have growing pains. Dorsett was already at a disadvantage for playing time; the young receiver was fighting for snaps with TY Hilton, Andre Johnson and Dontae Moncrief. With Luck coming back, hopefully healthy, I'd expect for all of the receivers to see a 'spike' in their stats, Dorsett maybe more than any of the other receivers. One thing I like most about this young receiver is the fact that he can play on the outside or in the slot, a lot of people compare him to his teammate Hilton, maybe even more explosive - He was drafted no.29 overall in the 2015 draft for a reason, it'll show in the 2016-17 season. 
3. Shawn Williams: This is NOT just a  list for offensive player! The Bengals will be entering the 2016 season missing a major piece of a defense that has been so dominant over the past several years. Free-Agent Safety Reggie Nelson, explored his options, choosing to sign with the Oakland Raiders after reviving his career in Cincinnati. Nelson tied for the most interceptions in 2015 and helped lead the Bengals to the postseason and one of the most successful regular seasons in the past 20 years. Now, let's talk about who could fill his shoes. Safety Shawn Williams, third-round draft selection in 2013, looks ready to do just that. I believe he'll be a big-time player. If you go back to the week 7 game vs the Steelers, Williams got a big-time interception late in the fourth quarter when the Bengals needed it, they were trailing 10-6 with a little over six minutes remaining, the Bengals ended up scoring on the next drive and getting the win 16-10. With Williams sure to get more snaps as a starter in 2016, look for him to emerge as one of the best safeties in the AFC in the next two years. 
4. DeVante Parker: The only word that I can think of to describe Parker is dominant. I don't think he'll be a top 5 receiver in the next two or three years, no. However, I think that putting him in an offense that just lost their starting running back, has Jarvis Landry (who is one of the most talented receivers in the league), has an offensive minded  head coach in Adam Gase, and has something to prove as the no.14 overall pick of the 2015 NFL draft. In the final six games of the 2015 season, Parker had 22 receptions, over 400 receiving yards, and got all three of his receiving touchdowns. In 2016 Parker will pick up where he left off. With an offense that'll surely look more vertical, look for Parker to benefit the most of any other player, including quarterback Ryan Tannehill. 
5. Jeremy Langford: With Matt Forte our of Chicago they need someone to hand the keys over to in the backfield. Langford saw his fair share of carries and opportunities to play in 2015, as a rookie. In 2016, he'll more than likely be the guy. If Langford plays the same as he did in 2015 he should be a great replacement for Forte. Not as dynamic of a runner, but he is a great pass-catching running back like Forte and has great vision, running through the holes. The Bears are going to be fairly young on offense and the best chance they have to be competitive is to lean on the running game. Jay Cutler will have his hands full this years trying to adjust to a life with no Martellus Bennett or Matt Forte. But I think that Cutler and Langford will develop a great chemistry through camp and it'll transfer to the regular season.    

Every season we see players emerge and shine bright under the big lights on Sundays, 2016 won't be any different. We all ask ourselves at the beginning of every season, who will be the next player to tear up the field and make that splash throughout the league? The 2016 NFL season looks to be another great one and I'm sure these five players are sure to make their mark on it. 

It's Almost Time, Kobe

  It's been a great run for Kobe Bean Bryant in the NBA. However, just like anything else, all things, good or bad must come to an end at some point.  Bryant announced this would be his final season earlier this season in the Player Tribune in the form of a farewell poem/letter to the game he gave his all to.
  
 "I played through the sweat and hurt. Not because challenge called me. But because you called me" - Kobe Bryant

Bryant, 37, has been making this season worth it for basketball fans, even if his team isn't winning and he isn't even averaging over 20 points per game. But he's been having a lot of fun with the fans, other players and the media. Through what has been a difficult season for Bryant and the Lakers, having only won 15 games (15-59) and only having a better record than the Philadelphia 76ers (9-65), thus far, it's obvious that Bryant is content with what he's accomplished through his career and is finally accepting that it's his time to walk away from the game that he has helped to revolutionize and helped grow to the level that it is today.

Over the past three years or so, Bryant has battled injuries and between the 2013-14 & 2014-15 season he played in a total of 41 games due to injury. A lot of people wondered if he'd be able to make it through half of the 2015-16 season. To be honest, after the past two seasons ended early for Bryant, I thought that he would've hung it up before this season.

Bryant has appeared in 58 of this seasons game so far. With the Lakers having eight games left on their schedule, barring injury, Bryant is scheduled to play in every game.

Even with the Lakers being one of the more dysfunctional teams and organizations right now, there's been something special about their season. It's all been centered around Bryant. That's not necessarily a bad thing either, it's been one of the very few bright spots of their season. Quit honestly, I can't say that I've seen a player receive so much love from sports fans of every city/team, the media, and even the players from other teams since Michael Jordan in his final season with the  Washington Wizards.

Bryant is averaging 16.9 ppg, 3 ast, 3.9 rebs on a career low 35-percent-shooting.  

The next Lakers game is Wednesday, March 30 @ 10:30 vs the Miami Heat on NBATV.  Bryant's final game of his career is projected to be Wednesday, April 13 @ 10:30 vs the Utah Jazz on ESPN. Circle your calenders and set your DVRs, you don't want to miss this.

Through his career, we've seen Kobe Bean Bryant do and go through so much, he's grown as a player and a person, on and off the hardwood. From his first few years of coming off the bench, winning three titles and making the Lakers a Dynasty, again, in the early 2000s with Shaquille O'Neal, he suffered through a rough patch after Shaq's departure, nearly had his marriage and reputation fall apart, another run in the finals with Pau Gasol to capture two more titles in 2008-09 & 2009-10 (no.4 & 5) -- after losing to the Celtics in 2007-08. To me, all of this proves one thing to me. It's not only his physical abilities that made him one of kind, but it was his mentality. He could've broke down and lost his focus through the hardships, but you could make an argument that after going through those tough times made him a better player. He's one of a kind and he'll be missed by all sports fans. 19 seasons is what he gave to the sport that he loved, now he'll be able to soak it all in and reflect on an illustrious career.

Thank, Kobe. Farewell.

Can Tom Brady Get the One Victory We Didn't See Coming?

  The New England Patriots are coming off an AFC championship game loss to the Denver Broncos, one year after winning the Super Bowl over the Seattle Seahawks. But this pattern seems to be the norm for nearly two decades now for the Bill Belichick led team. And next year I think most people can expect a good run from the Patriots as well.

I think that by now "The Patriot Way" is a phrase that all football fans are familiar with, it's not only a style of football but a standard that has been set by Belichick and his staff. Quarterback, Tom Brady has been the "poster child" for the Patriot's organization/team for nearly two decades.

In his Career, Tom Brady has:

• 58,028 passing yards (5th all-time)
• 428 Touchdowns (t - 3rd all-time)
• Six Super Bowl appearances, winner of four of them and MVP of three.
• NFL MVP (2x) - 2007 & 2010

However, even with all of his career accomplishments, it's one thing that we could be overlooking. 

Brady, 38 and will be 39 years of age by the start of next season, doesn't seem to be slowing down on the field as far as his production goes.  Just this past week the Patriots locked up the veteran quarterback for an additional two years, with a contract extension that goes through 2019 (he'll be 42 years of age).

Why is this important?

Historically, it hasn't worked out well for players at the age of 40 or older. As we've seen recently with aged athletes like Kobe Bryant and Peyton Manning, it's very common for aged superstar athletes to have a decrease in production.

Manning, 39, had 9 passing touchdowns and 17 interceptions through 10 games before being sidelined for a foot injury. But was this lack of production and bad play due to the foot injury or did father time play a role in the downward spiral of Manning's production? The one thing that's saving Manning's name right now is that his team is coming off a Super Bowl victory and well his legacy, honestly.

The one upside to this whole "father time" vs aging player battle is that, no matter what, when it comes to the elite players who suffer a downfall in their production it's only remembered temporarily; we don't talk about the Michael Jordan years when he was with the Wizards, we talk about his iconic moments and his championship years with the Chicago Bulls. We don't talk about Joe Montana with the Kansas City Chiefs, we talk about his glory days with the San Francisco 49ers.

We often see these aging players become one-dimensional in sports and that's when we can start to notice them fading in production. Derek Jeter, even though he was never known to be a home-run hitter, when he got older teams knew he most likely wasn't going to hit the ball very far. In 2010, teams knew that Shaquille O'Neal wasn't going to do the same things in the post area as he would've in 2000.

What does all of this mean for Brady? Can we really expect a decrease in his performance? Can his body hold up another three season? Could he win another MVP or Super Bowl and continue to play at an elite level through the age of 42?

Right now, they say father time is undefeated. But, could Tom Brady be the one to finally defeat him? Or will father time remain undefeated?

In 2015 Brady passed for 4,770 yards, 36 touchdowns and 7 interceptions while completing 64 percent of his passes.

stats via NFL.com and ESPN.com