Bridgewater or Clowney? The race for No.1.

There has been a breakaway in the NFL, but not the positive kind. The Browns and Jaguars have fallen far behind the rest of the teams and are painful to watch. Both are 0-2, and are projected to pick in the 1-2 spots of the 2014 draft. The Browns recently traded away their best offensive player in Trent Richardson, and the Jaguars Maurice Jones-Drew is injured. There are major issues on both sides of the ball for both teams, but only one should take a quarterback.

Teddy Bridgewater makes sense for the Jags, but not the Browns. The Jaguars have a pair of quality receivers in Cecil Shorts and Justin Blackmon, as well as a great pass-catching running back in Maurice Jones Drew. Bridgewater will have quality receivers to throw to and will have to put up big numbers as a rookie to keep the Jaguars in the game because the defense is just awful. There’s a lot of pressure on Bridgewater, as he is the most highly touted QB prospect since Andrew Luck. Clowney would help Jacksonville, but Bridgewater would help them more, and would turn them into contenders quicker.

Clowney would be a much better fit for the Browns. Cleveland is a place where QB’s go to die, as they have not had a single sucessful quarterback since their return to the league in 1999. Bridgewater would have absolutely no offensive weapons to help him out, and it’s obvious the QB coaching is awful. Clowney would help create a pass rush that the Browns haven’t had since, well, ever. Combined with Joe Haden in the secondary, the Browns defense could go from a laughingstock to a force to be reckoned with. Plug in veteran Jason Campbell to the starting QB position-he led the Raiders to their only non-losing season in the past 10 years-and let the season play out in 2014. Acquire more offensive pieces before you take a swing at a quarterback in the first round again. It’s never worked before for them to put a young QB in the mess of an offensive that has existed for the Browns since 1999. Eventually, the Browns will be contenders, but not for a while. Clowney starts that rebuilding process.

Teddy Bridgewater will help the Jaguars back into conetntion by 2015 or 2016. The Browns are out of the picture for the forseeable future, but at least they are all-in on rebuilding, acquiring another first round pick for 2014. The Jaguars and Browns will have their day, but it may be a ways away.

Week One Analysis

After a long layoff, the NFL finally returned last Sunday. Here’s my thoughts.

I’ve already had to eat my words on the breakout player of the year. Gabbert was awful, and he lacerated his hand. He’s already been replaced by Chad Henne due to injury, but if Henne is at least mediocre, he could win the starting job. After a pathetic showing against, the Chiefs, the Jaguars look to be the doormats of the NFL. It’s going to be a long season in Jacksonville, with only the hope of Teddy Bridgewater or Jadeveon Clowney in next year’s draft keeping Jaguar’s fans sane.

The Raiders might not be as bad as we all thought. Terrelle Pryor has sparked the offense somewhat in a close loss to the Colts, a playoff team a year ago. Pryor has a tremendous work ethic and refuses to be the next JaMarcus Russel. Still, the team is too short on talent to make the playoffs or a major impact in the AFC West. However, with wise drafting and smart transactions (not exactly something the Raiders are known for), they could build a team around Pryor and contend in a few years.

Early favorites for the Superbowl, the Niners and the Broncos, both impressed. The Broncos cruised to victory over the defending champions behind the arm of Peyton Manning. The Niners beat a very good Packers team after a flawless performance by Colin Kaepernick and a stellar game from offseason acquistiton Anquan Boldin.

The Chiefs look to be an improving team. The offense has a few quality playmakers and is shaping up nicely. The defense shut out Jacksonville, which wasn’t exactly a challenge, but they need to continue to improve if they want to make the playoffs in the next few years.

The Steelers look like the 3rd worst team in the NFL in terms of talent. The backfield is a mess, and Ben Rothliesberger had no one to throw to. An injury to Big Ben could plummet them to a 2-14 team. The Steelers are just 2 years removed from a Super Bowl appearance but appear to be on the decline, rapidly.

The Eagles new fast paced, college oriented offense looks to gel with the talent on the team. Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy, and DeSean Jackson are all elite speedsters. The defense faltered late against the Redskins and almost blew a 26 point lead. That will need to improve if they want to come out on top in the NFC East. Chip Kelly is playing to the team strengths, and Philedalphia is hoping to ride that to 9 wins and a playoff berth.

The complete lack of a run game emerged as a major flaw for the New York Giants. One of Eli Manning’s interceptions ended up being a pick 6 and the difference maker in the game. That pass bounced off Da’Rel Scott’s hands and straight up into the air, an easy interception for the Dallas cornerback. Eli will once again have to carry this team. The defense looked shaky as Tony Romo threaded the needed smoothly through the secondary without much trouble. The pass defense will need to improve. The starting tailback, speedster David Wilson, had a horrific game. He needs to call up Tiki Barber and learn how to not cough up the ball. This Giants team is walking on thin ice. The passing game is the only consistent part of the team.

The Buccaneers are loaded with talent, but can’t seem to capatalize. Josh Freeman’s days under center are numbered. He consistently fails to produce, even with a plethora of offensive weapons. The Buccaneers have huge upside and a shutdown secondary, but need more consistency from the quarterback position to win games. They threw away a week one game to the Jets due to poor discipline. Still, it’s hard not to like a team loaded with weapons such as Vincent Jackson, Doug Martin, Darrelle Revis, and Dashon Goldson. Freeman is 1 for 5 for sucessful years in the NFL. He is the critical piece, the missing element in this team. If he picks up his play, this team has the talent to go places.

Geno Smith has looked solid in his NFL action so far. He hasn’t been anything special, but Jets fans will take a W any way they can get it. Just remember, Mark Sanchez took the Jets to 2 straight AFC championship games before falling off. Hopefully Smith can connect with his offensive weapons in Santonio Holmes and Dustin Keller.

The Texans looked scary in their comeback win over the chargers. The team has a Hall of Fame wide receiver in Andre Johnson and tons of other options in a loaded offense. The defense will strengthen with the return of Brian Cushing and the addition of Ed Reed. The Texans could be dark horse candidates for the Super Bowl

Week 2 is almost here!

2013 Season Predictions

Here are some of my predictions for the upcoming NFL Season:

NFL MVP: Many are considering dual threat QB Colin Kaepernick for the Super Bowl favorite 49ers as the general consensus for the MVP, but I think it will go to another player. Broncos QB Peyton Manning will look to add to his trophy case a 5th MVP award in his sencond year in Denver. Surrounded by quality receivers such as Eric Decker, Demaryius Thomas, and Wes Welker, Manning has many viable receiving options. He put up stellar numbers last year despite having a weakened arm. This year, his arm is strenghthened and the Broncos lost their starting tail back, Willis McGahee. Denver will utilize a pass heavy offense and Manning is one of the greatest QB’s in NFL History. I think he captures his 5 MVP award in yet another excellent season.

Super Bowl Matchup:

The San Francisco 49ers are stacked with talented players in their prime, and they are hungry for a SB Title after falling 5 yards short last year. Colin Kaepernick will look to improve on an impressive 2012 campaign. From the AFC, early favorites are the Broncos, led by Peyton Manning and Von Miller, and the Patriots, who hope to ride the golden arm of Tom Brady all the way to 4th Championship. The Patriots are sunk if Brady goes down, the team is short on depth and has lost several top receivers. The Broncos are weakened by the loss of Elvis Dumervil but will triumph over the rest of the weak AFC to meet the 49ers in the Super Bowl.

Winner: Niners 42-Broncos 35.

Comeback Player of the Year: Alex Smith. After being benched in favor of Colin Kaepernick after a concussion, Smith was dealt to the Kansas City Chiefs. Smith has a Pro Bowl Caliber reciever in Dwayne Bowe and a decent rushing offense in Jamaal Charles. Look for 3,750 yards and 20-25 touchdowns. Smith excels at not turning the ball over, which was a major issue for KC last year. The Chiefs hope to improve to 6-10.

Other Canidates: Sam Bradford, Micheal Vick

Suprise Team of the Year: Arizona Cardinals

NFC: The Cardinals stumbled last year behind a weak defense and poor QB play. In the offseason, they signed Carson Palmer, a huge upgrade over John Skelton and Kevin Kolb. Palmer loves to throw deep, which should fit like a glove in the Cardinals offense. Larry Fitzgerald is among the elite receivers in the league, and the addition of Rashad Mendenhall gives them a legitamite rushing threat. The secondary looks much improved with young cornerbacks Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu.

Other Canidates: Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Bucaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers.

Breakout Player of the Year: Blaine Gabbert.

Gabbert has struggled during his first two seasons as Jacksonville’s signal caller. He has matured and developed into a quarterback who makes fewer mistakes. It’s unlikely he will fufill the potential that had Jaguars fans excited when they drafted him 10th overall out of Missouri this season, but he should develope into a competent game manager who shows flashes of potential. Gabbert struggles in pressure situations, but he is a very talented player and just 23 years old. Maurice Jones-Drew is back to provide support from the run game, and Gabbert has 2 solid receiving options in Justin Blackmon and Cecil Shorts. Look for an 7-9 season out of the improving Jaguars.

Worst Dropoff (Team): Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas went 8-8 last year, but a repeat of .500 is unlikely this year. With a team full of head cases and whiners, they can be painful to watch. Dez Bryant fails to capatalize on his incredible talent and instead makes more headlines for arrests than touchdowns. Tony Romo seems to be made of glass, and the defense is weak outside of DeMarcus Ware. Doug Free is a consistent headache at right guard for Coach Jason Garret. Jason Witten, the most reliable receiving option, is an injury concern. It looks like the Cowboys will be in the cellar of the NFC East.

Other Canidates: Oakland Raiders (from bad to worse), Baltimore Ravens.

Worst Dropoff (Player): RG3.

We all love Robert Griffin the third, but expecting a performance that will match his rookie season is unlikely. Head coach Mike Shanahan can be fickle, and he and Redskins management are concerned about how well Griffin’s slender 6’2″ frame can hold up againts the bruisers of the NFC like Jason Pierre Paul and Justin Tuck. Hoping to avoid another knee injury, the coaches will look to limit his time outside the pocket, and as a result, his rushing numbers will take a dip. RG3 may be rusty after a preseason in which he didn’t take any snaps. I think he will still be a sucessful quarterback, but his stats will take a hit as the Redskins look to rely on running backs Alfred Morris and Roy Helu to take the strain off of RG3.

 

A-Rod, The Rise, The Fall, and the Ruins

Looking over some old pictures, I came across a couple of a Yankees game I went to. There’s a group picture of all of us, and there’s one of me and my cousin Paul, standing up and clapping at something that had just happened. The picture was taken from behind, and what stuck out most was what was written on the back of my jersery: Rodriguez, and below it, the number 13. “I had an A-Rod jersery?” I asked incredulously. “Sure,” my mom said, “you used to think he was great.”

And didnt’ we all? He was the chosen one, the greatest hitter in the past 50 years, the one who was supposed to reclaim the home run record from Bonds and stand alone with 763 home runs or more. He was supposed to do it clean, so Hank Aaron could rest in peace knowing the person who surpassed him for the home run crown had done it clean, free of any PED’s. Brian Cashman traded for A-Rod because he wanted one thing-a 27th championship.

The star of the show in Texas and before that, Seattle, A-Rod suddenly wasn’t top dog in his first season in pinstripes, 2004. He had to slide over to third base to accomadate the Yankee Captain, and he was surrounded by other stars. Mariano Rivera, Gary Sheffield, Jeter, Bernie Williams. Yankees fans didn’t have to like him. And New Yorkers can be brutal if you don’t live up to your expectations. He turned in a very good season, but not good enough. .286 and 36 home runs is not enough for the former MVP. 24 errors wouldn’t endear you to the fans of any team. For the first time, A-Rod was booed. He wasn’t used to that.

He quickly recovered though. A-Rod turned in some stellar seasons with the Yankees in the following years, winning 2 MVP awards on a perennial playoff team. But that still wasn’t enough for Brian Cashman, or for the fans. A horrific collapse in 2004 followed by repeated failures to return to the fall classic put Yankees fans on edge. They hadn’t won a world series in nearly 10 years, which was pushing it with the fans who had hoped for another dynasty, led by No. 13 himself. To make matters worse, A-Rod struggled in the playoffs. He was bad. Really bad. Bernie Williams had retired, Gary Sheffield had left, Randy Johnson was gone. It was all falling to A-Rod to come up with the clutch hit, drive in the game winning run. That was his job. Drive Damon and Jeter in. He did it exceptionally well in the regular season, but continued to fail in the playoffs. In 2008, Alex was still good, but the Yankees had fallen on tough times. Upsurped by the Tampa Bay Rays, former cellar dwellars, and their hated rival the Red Sox, the Yankees failed to make the playoffs. This was A-Rod’s first year into his infamous 27 million dollars a year contract, which now stings the Yankees in every deal they try to make.

Joe Torre, who had been at the helm of the Yankees for their 4 world series title in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, was out, replaced by Joe Girardi, who was a catcher on that 1996 team that broke the drought of 15 years without a World Series appearance. Torre took batting coach Don Mattingly with him. Cashman went out and spent big, hauling in big time free agents Mark Texeira and CC Sabbathia. A-Rod started the year out rough. Just 2 years after vehemently denying steroid usage, he admitted that he had used them when he was with Texas from 2001-2003. Those were arguably the best years of his career. A-Rod started the year on the DL, and failed to make the All Star team for the first time since he was a rookie. But when he returned, the Yankees welcomed his power bat back in the lineup. They surged in September as they rolled into the playoffs and cruised into the world series. For the first time in his career, A-Rod was having some sucess in the playoffs. And for this, fans loved him. Just win games Alex, that’s all we want, the fans seemed to say with each cheer as stepped into the box. The Yankees got big help from A-Rod, Hideki Matsui, and Andy Pettite. Pettite and Matsui were fan favorites. With a little help from Phillies closer Brad Lidge (who was terrible in the series), the Yankees overcame a record 5 series home runs by Chase Utley and dominant pitching from Cliff Lee to secure their 27th World Championship. The Hero? A-Rod.

But it all went downhill from there. A-Rod was okay in 2010, but not what he needed to be. 2011 and 2012 he lost some of his power. He played hurt, and it cost him in a horrific 2012 ALDS in which the Yankees went down with a whimper. You could hear fan’s hearts break when Derek Jeter’s ankle snapped in a way it wasn’t supposed to. A-Rod was benched, pinch hit for. Was this the end for one of the greatest players of the 2000’s?

And just when it couldn’t get any worse, the news came out that he was using PED’s again, and was recruiting others to the Florida based Biogenisis clinic that is located right across from the park that is named after him at the University of Miami. Major League based suspended him an amazing 211 games. It sounds harsh, but there may have been more than a few sighs of relief in the state of New York, as that suspension will save the Yankees millions. A-Rod is appealing the suspension, and it most likely and should be reduced. The standard policy for a first time offender is 50 games, and even with special circumstances (rumors that he was recruting for the clinic), 211 games is astronomical. 75 to 100 sounds more reasonable. A-Rod is the definition of an embattled player right now, but he is hitting .319 with 2 home runs in his return to the Bronx Bombers lineup. Coupled with a surging Alfonso Soriano, (the very player the Yankees traded to get A-Rod), the Yankees are making what might be their last playoff push for 10 years. If A-Rod were to be suspended for 211 games, he would be 40 when he returns. Away from the game for 2 years, at that age, A-Rod would not be able to keep up. Selig was attempting to force him into retirement. Just when it seems that everyone in America hates him, after he has been villified by the press over and over again, the fact that there are still people in his corner became very apparent last night. Ryan Dempster threw way inside to A-Rod 3 times before finally hitting him with the last pitch. The Fenway crowd roared, but many baseball fans over the country shook their heads in disgust. Is A-Rod a cheater? Yes. Is he a bad person? I don’t know, I’m not in his shoes. I can’t judge someone’s decisions without knowing everything they have to deal with. Does he deserve to be suspended? Yes. But he doesn’t deserve to be thrown at 4 times in a row. Dempster had his chance, missed, and kept trying until he plunked him. He should have been tossed. As much as I and many other fans dislike A-Rod for soiling the game, for taking records that don’t deserve to be his, we all felt for him as Dempster continued to take potshots at him. To his credit, A-Rod retaliated in the best way possible: hitting one to dead center straight over the wall. He had some choice words for Dempster, and I don’t blame him.

So where does Alex Rodriguez stand at the end of all this? He is 11 home runs shy of surpassing Wille Mays for 4th All Time on the career home runs list. He won’t pass Bonds anytime soon at his current rate. He won’t be the greatest ballplayer to walk this earth. And maybe he realized that when he took steroids. Maybe he was scared that he wouldn’t be as good as everyone thought he was going to be. He would have been great, he would have been a legend with his god given gifts. But he wouldn’t have been the best, the greatest of all time with his natural talent. So where does he stand? A lier, a cheater, a hated money guzzling dissapointment? Or a great ballplayer that wanted to be more than great, a ballplayer who wanted to be the best there ever was, and made a poor choice? You decide.

A young, pre-steroids Alex Rodriguez, full of potentional. Credit for this image goes to http://www.stevekrupa.com.

A-Rod is rung up yet again in a game against the Orioles. Credit for this image goes to http://www.nydailynews.com

A fan holds up a sign calling for A-Rod to redeem himself for his mistakes. The way to do that? Win ballgames. Credit for the image goes to http://www.mbird.com

A-Rod crushes a home run in his glory days. Credit for the image goes to http://www.nyulocal.com