MillerTime Sports and Shorts

2016-08-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

Predicting the 2016 NFL Playoff Field

Well, friends ... it's been a while since you've seen anything new on the 'ole MTSS blog, say like 18 months. We are back just like football, and it is time to get after some playoff predictions.

It’s that time of the year when all the so-called national experts and football pundits take their shot at predicting the field of NFL playoff teams for the upcoming season. It’s a pretty mixed bag, with most of the ”predictions sure to go wrong” as some have labeled it. That’s pretty much the case here, too.

So with all the know-it-alls giving it a shot here in the opening days of the pre-season, I thought I’d throw my hat into the ring. I spend a lot of brainpower thinking about it anyway, so I just as well share it and make a jerk out of myself like everybody else.

*Division winners

~Wildcard teams

AFC North – Pittsburgh*, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Cleveland

The Steelers finally ride their offense to the post-season despite the Bell suspension.

AFC South – Houston,* Indianapolis~, Jacksonville, Tennessee

Texans are too talented to not take advantage of a weak division; Colts rebound.

AFC East – New England*, Buffalo, NY Jets, Miami

Despite injuries and suspensions, the Pats ride to another division title.

AFC West – Kansas City*, Oakland~, Denver, San Diego

The Chiefs ACL crew returns with a vengeance; Raiders resurgence gets the playoff berth.

AFC playoff teams – Steelers, Texans, Colts, Patriots, Chiefs, Raiders

NFC North – Green Bay*, Minnesota~, Chicago, Detroit

Packers rebound from a down year to retake the division; Vikes squeak into playoffs.

NFC South – Carolina*, New Orleans, Atlanta, Tampa Bay

The Panthers take a step back but still rule the weak NFC South easily.

NFC East – Dallas*, Washington, NY Giants, Philadelphia

A healthy Romo/Dez combo plus a dynamic rookie at RB equals big Ws in Dallas.

NFC West – Arizona*, Seattle~, San Francisco, St. Louis

Arians leads the Cards to a division title and Seattle is right there, too.

NFC playoff teams – Packers, Vikings, Panthers, Cowboys, Cardinals, Seahawks

Super Bowl prediction: Kansas City v Seattle

The Chiefs ride their ball-hawking defense and opportunistic offense into the playoffs and run the table in the AFC. Seattle plays its typical ground and pound, smashmouth style, pounding the NFC to powder. These mirror image teams face off for the Lombardi with the hardware returning to KC after a 47-year absence and giving Head Coach Andy Reid his first ring.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come on … give it a shot. Who do you think will be the surprise and potential flop teams this season?

Until next time, thanks for reading.

Steve

Miller Mock 1.0

2015-04-27T00:21:00.003-05:00

This is the week. T-minus four days and counting until the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. I’ll be heading to Kansas City with my son and fellow Chiefs fanatic, Casey Miller, to watch at the Chiefs Official Draft Party. It’s an event for Season Ticket Holders only. Yeah, that’s right. Can’t wait …

As I haven’t had the time to do multiple mock drafts this year, Version 1.0 will be the first and the last one. Who knows what will really happen … (actually only one and Jesus isn’t talking). Take a look, and let me know what you think.

Tampa Bay – Jameis Winston, QB Florida State -- loads of off-field issues and on-field potential
Tennessee (or whoever ends up in this spot) – Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon -- get the sense many teams are underselling how much they like him; natural leader
Jacksonville – Leonard Williams, DL USC -- just might be the best all-around talent in the draft
Oakland – Amari Cooper, WR Alabama -- polished route runner and pass catcher; hate to see him end up with the Raiders
Washington – Dante Fowler, OLB Florida -- pundits have been raving about his upside; could go anywhere from 3 to 23
New York Jets – Bud Dupree, OLB Kentucky -- skyrocketing up the mock draft boards; Jets could go WR here very easily
Chicago – Kevin White, WR West Virginia -- only one year of production, but the Bears will run to the podium if he is available
Atlanta – Vic Beasley, OLB Clemson -- least talked about of the edge rushers; quietly productive
New York Giants – Brandon Scherff, OL Iowa -- consistently mocked to the G-Men; will likely start at guard and then develop into tackle
St. Louis – Andrus Peat, OL Stanford -- not really sure what Rams will do here; OL is a need but so is WR
Minnesota – DeVante Parker, WR Louisville -- reuniting Teddy B with his college teammate
Cleveland – Danny Shelton, NT Washington -- Browns need help all over the field; building the D line is a good place to start
New Orleans – Randy Gregory, OLB Nebraska -- not sure if the Big Easy is a great place for Gregory, but he shouldn't be bored
Miami – La’el Collins, OL LSU -- Dolphins are still rebuilding the O line; likely starter at guard
San Francisco – Arik Armstead, DL Oregon -- nice start to rebuilding the Niners' dominant D
Houston – Breshad Perriman, WR Central Florida -- O'Brien replaces Andre with this burner
San Diego – D.J. Humphries, OL Florida -- Chargers continue to shore up the O line
Kansas City – Eric Kendricks, ILB UCLA -- with no glaring holes, Chiefs can go multiple ways here; CB, WR and ILB are the most logical moves
Cleveland – Eddie Goldman, DT Florida State -- with two first-round picks, the Browns go O line and D line
Philadelphia – Trae Waynes, CB Michigan State -- the first corner off the board to the Iggles at 20 unless Chip goes crazy again
Cincinnati – Shane Ray, OLB Missouri -- the fall for Ray stops with Cincy; the foot injury scared people off
Pittsburgh – Marcus Peters, CB Washington -- with key secondary retirements this off-season, the Steelers need to reload the back end of the D
Detroit – Malcolm Brown, DT Texas -- beginning the process of replacing Suh and Fairley, Brown is a good start
Arizona –Todd Gurley, RB Georgia -- if the Cards strike out on the AP deal, drafting Gurley is a nice consolation prize
Carolina – Cedric Ogbuehi, OT Texas -- protecting Cam helps the passing game and the entire offense
Baltimore – Maxx Williams, TE Minnesota -- the draft's best TE option by far will help the Ravens in the middle of the field
Dallas – Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin -- Gordon may step in and start as a rookie behind the best O line in the league
Denver – Jake Fisher, OT Oregon -- free-agency defections mean Elway has to shore up the line
Indianapolis – Ereck Flowers, OT Miami -- Luck is great, but he can't block and throw the passes; Indy needs help here
Green Bay – Kevin Johnson, CB Wake Forrest -- as usual, Thompson stays pat and finds great value late in the round
New Orleans – Jalen Collins, CB LSU -- the Saints need back-end help, and Collins fits the scheme
New England – Landon Collins, S Alabama -- who really cares who they get? It's the Patriots for crying out loud. They'll be fine.

How does your mock look different from this?
Thanks for reading.
Steve

2014 Playoff Predictions

2014-09-01T18:15:00.002-05:00

Wow ... it's amazing how time flies! It's been almost exactly a year since I posted to this blog. My last post was the 2013 playoff predictions, and I'm happy to say that my percentage turned out pretty good -- 7 of 12 playoff qualifiers correct (58 percent). Not great, but not awful.

Anyway, here we go with this year's edition. As everybody knows, the NFL has new teams in and new teams out of the playoffs every year, so chalk picks just will not cut it. Shoot holes in these if you think you know better.

AFC

• North: Steelers

• South: Colts

• East: Patriots

• West: Broncos

• Wildcards: Bengals, Ravens

Comment: The conference will continue to be dominated by a couple strong teams in the Patriots and Broncos, with the Colts continuing to improve. I see bounce-back years for both Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

NFC

• North: Packers

• South:Saints

• East:Eagles

• West:Seahawks

• Wildcards: Bears, Cardinals

Comment: Problem with the NFC is that the best teams just beat the tar out of each other all season in the West. The Niners will drop off as will the Panthers. See the Cards continuing to rise and a good year for the Saints. Just too much offense.

Super Bowl Pick -- Patriots against the Packers. Aaron Rodgers wins league MVP, SuperBowl MVP and Hoodie Bill comes in second place once again. Maybe he should find a new way to cheat.

Thanks for reading.

Steve

2013 Playoff Predictions

2013-08-29T15:57:00.001-05:00

With the NFL season kicking off next week, I thought I'd throw out (or up depending on your opinion of my picks) some predictions on the playoff qualifiers come January. Every year, there are several new teams in the fold, and usually a worst-to-first Cinderella story ... I bet you have some idea of who I'll pick for that.

Anyway, here we go. Shoot holes in these if you think you know better.

AFC

• North: Bengals

• South: Texans

• East: Patriots

• West: Broncos

• Wildcards: Steelers, Chiefs

Comment: Really weak conference this year. I didn't intend on picking KC for this until I went through every team. Homer pick, yes. Totally blind, no.

NFC

• North: Packers

• South: Falcons

• East: Cowboys

• West: 49ers

• Wildcards: Seahawks, Rams

Comment: The top four teams in the entire league appear to be in the NFC. Brutal really. Rams would be division winners in any other spot.

Super Bowl Pick -- Falcons over Bengals. Crazy uniforms galore. Finally, a ring for Tony G. and SJ39.

Thanks for reading.

Steve

Are the Chiefs Relevant?

2013-07-01T12:45:00.003-05:00

As a follow-up to the Pro Football Talk feature over the past couple of days on the Kansas City Chiefs' Mount Rushmore, I decided to take a look at the performance history, decade by decade. The assertion on the show was that the Chiefs have not been relevant since the 1960s, so said Mike Florio.

Here's a quick look at the Chiefs have performed over the decades.

1960s

Record: 87-48-5
Winning Percentage: .639
Equivalent Record: 10-6
NOTE: The best decade with on Superbowl title and the best winning percentage.

1970s

Record:60-79-5
Winning Percentage: .434
Equivalent Record: 7-9
NOTE: This is the worst decade in franchise history. Zero playoff appearances.

1980s

Record:66-84-2
Winning Percentage: .441
Equivalent Record:7-9

1990s

Record:102-60
Winning Percentage: .630
Equivalent Record: 10-6

2000s

Record:72-90
Winning Percentage: .444
Equivalent Record:7-9

2010s

Record:19-29 (so far)
Winning Percentage: .396
Equivalent Record:6-10

Overall

Record:404-388-12
Winning Percentage: .510
Equivalent Record:8-8

CONCLUSION:
So no matter how much it hurts, despite the great decades of Hank Stram and Marty Schottenheimer leading the team, we are fans of a .500 team over it's history. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE the Chiefs!! We have great history, incredible fans, an iconic and historic stadium, and an owner that created the AFL and named the Superbowl. But our record leaves something to be desired.

I say Dorsey, Reid and the boys begin changing that this season.

Here We Go!!

A New Era at Arrowhead

2013-02-09T15:30:00.000-06:00

The End is in Sight

It was the worst of times; it was the worst of times. 2012 is the season that will long live in the brains of suffering Kansas City Chiefs fans for years to come. From just about every angle that you could possibly look at the recently completed football campaign, it was a complete and total disaster. Let’s take a look at just a few of the stats, shall we.

Points scored, allowed: 211, 425

Point differential: -215 (worst in the league)

Offensive Touchdowns: 17 (last in the league)

Total Offense: 32nd

Total Defense: 25^th

Record: 2-14 (last)

There were a few bright spots, but you had to look hard to see them through the clouds. Jamaal Charles came back with a vengeance from a knee injury that ended his 2011 season. He returned to form as one of the NFL’s top running backs, finishing with 1,509 yards. And the team ended up sending six players to the Pro Bowl, proving the roster was not void of quality players.

Off the field, things were just as bleak. Fans were forming new groups to lobby for then-General Manager Scott Pioli to be fired. Head Coach Romeo Crennel, as nice of a man as he is, did not have any answers … on the field or at press conferences. Linebacker Jovan Belcher killed his girlfriend and then committed suicide at the team’s practice facility. The Chiefs were in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. As painful as it is for fanatical football fans to admit, the conclusion of the final contest in Denver could not come soon enough.

The end of the one of the longest and most painful seasons in the history of the Chiefs mercifully came to an end on Dec. 30. Fans were fed up they wanted to see changes. And Clark Hunt did not disappoint.

A New Beginning

It was an incredibly eventful month for Clark Hunt, Chiefs’ chairman and CEO, following the end of the season. In three consecutive Mondays, he held press conferences announcing major changes for the organization. On Dec. 31, it was Crennel’s firing and adoption of significant structural changes. On Jan. 6, it was the hiring of Andy Reid as the team’s 13^th head coach. And finally, on Jan. 13, it was the hiring of John Dorsey as general manager; Pioli and the team had “parted ways” earlier in the month.

The 2012 season was marked with despair, negativity and pain for Chiefs fans, long considered one of the most loyal and passionate fanbases in the league. And in less than a month, bold moves by the new Mr. Hunt turned the off-season on its ear.

Rather than grousing and complaining, fan blogs and sports talk radio surrounding the Chiefs suddenly turned to optimism, hope and predictions of success for 2013. Somehow, we all came down with a case of amnesia and collectively decided to forget about the crushing defeats, the bumbling leadership and the inept quarterback play. With the flip of three bold switches by Clark Hunt, fans have returned to their loyal, positive and supportive ways.

The organization still has major decisions in front of it that will determine, to a large extent, the success we will see the team have on the field for the foreseeable future … Who to draft with the No. 1 pick? Whether to franchise LT Branden Albert, WR Dwayne Bowe, sign them to long-term contracts or let them walk? What to do with the QB situation (Cassel, Quinn, Stanzi) – do they all need to go? That is all in addition to preparing for the upcoming draft and free agency. Lots of decisions, but very little time.

Despite last season’s failures, it is an exciting time to be a Chiefs fan. I’m counting the days until the NFL Combine, the opening of free agency, the NFL Draft, mini camps, training camp … and of course, the pre-season and eventually the 2013 regular season.

It’s a new era in Chiefs football. Hang on folks. It’s going to be a wild ride.

As always, thanks for reading.

Steve

Musings on the Pro Bowl, Super Bowl

2013-02-01T12:15:00.000-06:00

It is always bittersweet for me to see the Super Bowl get big in the football window. Sweet because the biggest game of the year is only days away; bitter because that game marks the end of watching grown men smash each other for a few months … leaving only the NFL Combine, free agency and the Draft in April to look forward to. Ahh … the Super Bowl. How America loves ye.

But anyway, let’s move on to some random thoughts on the Pro Bowl and a preview/prediction for the Super Bowl.

Players Save the Pro Bowl

Commissioner Roger Goodell has done a lot of good for the NFL over the past few years. Many grouse about his heavy-handed suspension and fines, but I think overall the league is better for having him in the chair. Take the Pro Bowl for instance. Last year’s game was a disgrace; players barely tried. Roger threatened to eliminate the game. So what happened? It actually looked like a football game this year.

I typically root for the AFC, but generally don’t really care who wins the game. It’s one of the last two games for the season, so I will watch. The best part this year was watching the six Chiefs in the game. Pretty good (a record in fact) for a team with only two wins. It proves the talent is there. Hopefully the leadership is there now, too. This fan is already looking forward to next season with Andy Reid (Big Red) at the helm.

Super Bowl XLVII

RAVENS VS 49ERS

This game is also known as the HarBowl or Ray Lewis’ last dance or the battle of two unknown quarterbacks or the Revival of New Orleans. There are plenty of storylines to go around at this year’s NFL championship game, and most of us will be sick of hearing about most of them by kickoff on Sunday.

The one I like, and some of you may disagree, is the story of two brothers coaching against each other in the biggest game of their lives. Put yourself in their place. I want to win as bad as the next guy (OK, probably more) but knowing that your bro is going to be crushed at the very moment that you have one of the greatest moments of your life. That’s heavy. Mr. & Mrs. Harbaugh have to be torn. It’s the best of times, but it is also tough, I’m sure. Imagine being incredibly joyful for one son while consoling and heartbroken for the other. What an incredible situation God has placed in front of that family. They seem to be handling it with humility, grace and joy. Good for them.

On to the game … most of the official betting lines have the Niners favored by 3-4 points. By all accounts it should be a hard-hitting and close game. The teams (and coaches) mirror each other – tough defense, good running games, vertical passing, TEs heavily involved, strong special teams, emotional leaders across the board.

All that said, it’s going to come down to which defense can stop the opposing team’s biggest offensive threat. For the Ravens that is Flacco to Torrey Smith going deep. For the Niners, it’s Kaepernick and the read-option from the quarterback position. Atlanta poked holes in the San Francisco secondary, and I think Baltimore will, too. My prediction: Ravens 28, Niners 24. Good bye, Ray Lewis.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

Steve

Predictions for the NFL's Final Four

2013-01-18T15:00:00.000-06:00

The NFL's version of the Final Four is here with the AFC and NFC Conference Championship games coming up this Sunday. I love this time of the year as football titans beat each other up each in an attempt to get to the SuperBowl. But it's also bittersweet because it means the games are quickly coming to an end.

Some quick thoughts (and predictions) on the games.

NINERS @ FALCONS

It was nice to see Mike Smith, Matt Ryan and Tony Gonzalez finally get that elusive first playoff win last week against the Seahawks. Just barely. Despite a great home record over the past few years, I just don't think Atlanta has enough to overcome that tough 49er defense, and Kaepernick and Co. are clicking on offense, too. I'll be rooting for Tony G. and the birds, but my pick is for San Francisco to win it on the road.

RAVENS @ PATRIOTS

I call this the Hatred Bowl for me personally. Don't really like either of these teams at all. Belichick is a great coach, probably a football genius, but I just get tired of hearing about The Hoodie, Brady, The Patriot Way, etc. And I've never really been a fan of the Ravens or Ray Lewis. Their defense has always been tough, and Ray Ray is an incredible player and motivator for them ... but I just can't like them. All that said, I'll be rooting for Baltimore to stick it to Bill and Brady, but I'm still picking the Pats in a runaway.

If you have the stones, tell me why these picks are wrong. And why.

As always, thanks for reading.

Steve

NFL Playoff Predictions: Divisional Round

2013-01-11T10:40:00.000-06:00

Well, I was 4-0 for last weekend's Wildcard Round (sorry, Kenny Merrill and other 'Skins fans). As far as the picks for the upcoming Divisional Round, I'm not as confident. Other than the Seattle-Washington game, last week's games appeared to be men v boys. Starting with the divisional round, it gets much tougher.

Here are my picks.

RAVENS @ BRONCOS

Baltimore has been struggling the past month or so and the energy generated by Ray Lewis' retirement announcement won't be a factor this week as the game is in Denver. Peyton struggles in sub-40 degree temps, but it won't be enough. Broncos win.

TEXANS @ PATRIOTS

Houston just hasn't looked like the same team since getting their butts handed to them by New England at a game late in the season. I don't see anything changing that trend (particularly how they barely beat the Ben-Gals at home last week). Patriots win it big.

PACKERS @ NINERS

This may be the game of the weekend. This is a match-up between two of the NFC's best and is a rematch of the Week 1 game in San Francisco when the Niners won handily. Much has changed since then, and I see the outcome changing, too. Packers win a close one on the road.

SEAHAWKS @ FALCONS

Atlanta is the NFC's No. 1 seed, but it is the team that nobody seems to have any confidence in. Add that to the fact that Seattle's strengths seem to be where the Falcons have weaknesses. I'm throwing all that aside and picking the Falcons. I think Ryan and Gonzalez get it done at home.

So that sets up my Conference Championship match-ups of Patriots at Broncos and Packers at Falcons for next Sunday. Let me know what you think. Are your picks any better?

As always, thanks for reading.

Steve

Predictions for Wild Card Weekend

2013-01-05T14:47:00.000-06:00

The NFL Playoffs start in about an hour, and here are your MTSS predictions for the weekend.

BENGALS @ TEXANS
Cincinnati had a good season and Houston was the No. 1 seed all season, until Week 17. I just don't see the Bengals winning at Houston. Texans win it.

COLTS @ RAVENS
What an incredible rookie season by Andrew Luck and the Colts, but their "luck" runs out this weekend as Baltimore rebounds from a few stinky games. Ravens squeak it out at home.

VIKINGS @ PACKERS
There's no question who the NFL's best running back is; that's Adrian Peterson. He'll have a good day against the Pack, but it won't be enough for the Vikes to win at Lambeau. Packers advance.

SEAHAWKS @ REDSKINS
Rookie versus rookie at quarterback. Robert Griffin III is still recovering from that knee sprain and Russell Wilson has the better running game and defense. Hawks win it on the road.

What do you think?

Thanks for reading.
Steve

Black Monday Update

2013-01-04T00:46:00.001-06:00

Well, it’s midnight-thirty and I can’t sleep. I’ve had a full day (yesterday now actually) of chasing news about Andy Reid becoming the new coach of the Kansas City Chiefs … or not maybe. The insiders are expecting it to be finalized later today (Friday); we’ll see.

As I thought about that, it struck me that we should revisit my blog from a month ago about coaches on the hot seat and see how accurate I was. I listed 10 warming seats. Let’s take another look at each one and see how I did.

Norv Turner, Chargers – He’s gone along with GM A.J. Smith, as expected. 1 for 1 so far.

Andy Reid, Eagles – As mentioned above, he’s in line for the Chiefs job, so he obviously was fired by Philadelphia. 2 for 2.

Romeo Crennel, Chiefs – Winning two games all season will do that. It was so bad that KC Owner Clark Hunt apologized to the fans. Crennel out; GM Scott Pioli may not be far behind. 3 for 3.

Ron Rivera, Panthers – GM Marty Hurney was fired but the Panthers’ late season run has saved Rivera so far. He’s probably safe. My first miss.

Jason Garrett, Cowboys – Owner Jerry Jones is NOT HAPPY with the ‘boys 8-8 finish. There will be changes, but I think Garrett is safe for one more year. Now I’m 3 for 5.

Rex Ryan, Jets – GM Mike Tannebaum got the ax, but Rex is safe. I’d expect OC Tony Sporano to get the boot, too. Their offense was pathetic.

Chan Gailey, Bills – After three underachieving season, Gailey is done in Buffalo. I expect him to catch on as an OC somewhere. That’s now 4 for 7.

Pat Shurmur, Browns – The Browns were improved, but new owner Jimmy Haslam is cleaning house and wants his own guys. President Mike Holmgrem and GM Tom Heckert are gone, too. 5 for 8.

Ken Whisenhunt, Cardinals – Going from 4-0 to 5-11 and having the worst QB situation in the entire league wasn’t good enough. Coach Whiz is out, but he’ll likely get another head job, maybe Buffalo. I’m now 6 for 9.

Mike Mularkey, Jaguars – He’s in place for now, but this may change. I expected Shad Khan to can him and bring in his own guy, and he still may do that. But it’s a miss for now. 6 for 10.

The one I missed … is Lovie Smith of the Bears. They won 10 games but didn’t make the playoffs because the Packers couldn’t beat the Vikings. That’s a tough one. He’ll land another gig, for sure.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

Steve

Top 10 NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat

2012-11-30T15:58:00.000-06:00

Well, we’ve come to that time in the NFL season. It’s Week 13, and the playoff picture is coming into focus. The teams in the hunt are clear. And the teams simply playing out the string are painfully evident.

Here’s a list of coaches likely to be out of a job soon. Some will be put out to pasture at the end of the season, some maybe sooner.

Norv Turner, Chargers – This one is past due. Norv has been turning great talent into mediocre records for years in San Diego. He and A.J. Smith are both gone.

Andy Reid, Eagles – Owner Jeffrey Lurie said before the season that a repeat of last year’s 8-8 record wasn’t good enough. I don’t see any way Philly makes it back to .500. But Andy won’t be out of work for long.

Romeo Crennel, Chiefs – There’s no two ways about it. Having one win through 12 weeks will get you fired. Question is, will GM Scott Pioli get to choose the new HC or will he also be out of work?

Ron Rivera, Panthers – GM Marty Hurney is already gone. Can his hand-picked coach Ron Rivera, only in his second season in Carolina, be far behind? He’s likely gone as a new GM will want his own guy.

Jason Garrett, Cowboys – I’m not sure on this one. Jerry says he loves him, but Jerry hates losing more than he loves anything.

Rex Ryan, Jets – This call will probably be made by Jets Owner Woody Johnson. New York loves Rex, but will his two consecutive AFC Championship Game appearance get him one more year to prove it. He’s probably coming back.

Chan Gailey, Bills – He’s a good offensive coordinator, but it is obvious that this train is only going in circles. Gailey is likely let go.

Pat Shurmur, Browns – The Browns have been playing tough, improved football the past few weeks. But new owner Jimmy Haslam may have plans to install his coach. I expect to see Shurmur follow Mike Holmgren out the door.

Ken Whisenhunt, Cardinals – The Cards’ Superbowl appearance a couple season ago bought him some time and patience. This team seems to be headed in the wrong direction. It needs a good QB. And maybe a new coach.

Mike Mularkey, Jaguars – Nice guy. Bad head coach. The skiddish nature of Blaine Gabbert hasn’t helped. Doubt to see him back in Jax next season.

So who am I missing? Where do I have the order all messed up? Sound off; give me your list.

Thanks for reading.

Steve

Black Monday for Missouri’s Football Teams

2012-11-19T13:55:00.000-06:00

It’s a sad, sad Monday following a colossally weak weekend for football in the State of Missouri. As a bonkers-crazy football fan, I was looking forward to this weekend’s home games with anticipation and visions of sweeping all three games. The sweep we saw is not the one I was envisioning.

Syracuse at Missouri

The Tigers were coming off a thrilling quadruple overtime victory, earning just their second SEC win and their first on the road at Tennessee. Syracuse beat a good Louisville team the week prior, but that was at home. They wouldn’t be able to do that on the road against a rejuvenated Mizzou squad, right? Wrong.

Unfortunately my first Mizzou game of the year was a disappointing loss as the Tigers played porous defense, unable to stop the Orange’s quick passing game. As a result, Mizzou (5-6) will not be going to a bowl game this year. Not exactly what the Black & Gold faithful had in mind for its first year in the SEC.

Jets at Rams

The New York Tebows came to town on Christian Family Day hoping to spoil the Rams hopes to continue ascending up the ranks of improving NFL teams. After managing to tie the mighty 49ers on the road last week, St. Louis had its sights on a big home win. Tebow had little effect on the game, but the Jets running game and defense did plenty. Other than the Rams’ opening touchdown drive, the offense was anemic and the defense couldn’t stop New York’s running game. Both teams had the same plan – run the ball, play tough D. Only one was able to execute. The Rams fell to 3-6-1 and any hopes of competing for a Wild Card spot were put to bed.

Bengals at Chiefs
Cincinnati, coming off a huge home win over the New York Football Giants, was hoping and easy path to its fifth win of the season in Kansas City. The Chiefs entered the game with only one win, but the team had played the Steelers tough in Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football and hoped to ride that positive momentum double its season win total. Didn’t happen. I have Chiefs season tickets, and thankfully, I couldn’t attend the game. My son took some Mizzou buddies to their first ever Chiefs game … it was ugly. The only thing more embarrassing than the play on the field was how not-full the stands were. Needless to say, the Bengals stomped the Chefs (maybe they can cook better than they play football) and set them firmly into place as the lead dog for the first pick in next spring’s NFL Draft.

As always, thanks for reading. Join the discussion. That's what makes it fun.

Steve

It’s a Missouri versus Georgia Weekend

2012-09-08T10:16:00.000-05:00

It’s a HUGE football weekend across the entire country this weekend, but especially here in the state of Missouri. There are big games in college football (Florida at Texas A&M, for example) and in the NFL (Niners at Packers and Pittsburgh at Denver come to mind), but none are bigger than what the Mizzou Tigers and Kansas City Chiefs have on the line. Both games will set the tone for these squads’ seasons.

Let’s take a look at each game and throw out a not-so-expert prediction on the outcomes.

GEORGIA @ MIZZOU

It’s hard to sit here and say the second game of the season is this big of a game, but everybody is doing it. This is Missouri’s first game in the SEC, and it is against probably the best team in the East division. If Ole Mizzou hopes to turn in a good campaign in its inaugural season in the nation’s best football conference, they need to come out strong in this home opener. The energy will be high, the players will be pumped, the crowd will be frenetic … and the play will be fast. This game is basically Mizzou’s coming out party. Let’s see what kind of a statement they make to the SEC.

Prediction: Home field makes the difference as the Tigers win a close one, 30-27.

FALCONS @ CHIEFS

Atlanta is one of the hot picks to make the SuperBowl this season, and most experts don’t know what to make of Kansas City. The Falcons are loaded with offensive weapons; quarterback Matt Ryan continues to mature and he has lots of options including the blossoming Julio Jones at wide receiver. The Chiefs have one of the youngest rosters in the league, and are welcoming back RB Jamaal Charles, S Eric Berry and TE Tony Moeaki back from season-ending knee injuries. They have the talent. Question is, can new Head Coach Romeo Crennel put it all together and get them to perform consistently. Arrowhead will be rocking (so pumped that I will be there). It will be a stiff test. Peter King called it the game of the week.

Prediction: Some key injuries on KC’s defense provide Atlanta with scoring opportunities. Atlanta wins it, 27-23.

As always, I’d love to hear your take on games. Until next time, thanks for reading.

Steve

NFL Power Rankings – Week 1

2012-09-04T13:26:00.002-05:00

The NFL season finally kicks off on Wednesday night with the Cowboys taking on the Giants in New York. And then the rest of the league follows suit on Sunday and Monday with a full slate of games. Crazed, football-starved fans have been getting by on projections and analysis and fantasy drafts, but now the real thing begins.

Here’s an update to my pre-season rankings for Week 1.

Green Bay – Top to bottom, still the best talent.
New England – Brady and Gronk will be hard to stop.
NY Giants – Defending champs have to be near the top.
Baltimore – Always play tough defense. Can Flacco and the O deliver?
Pittsburgh – Big Ben has Haley’s new offense and Wallace finally.
San Francisco – Not sure they can repeat 13-3 with Alex Smith.
Houston – Texans lost key pieces, but play in a weak division.
New Orleans – Despite everything, they’re still dangerous.
Detroit – Lots of firepower and off-field issues.
Atlanta – Good team still trying to prove it is great.
Philadelphia – Vick says dynasty. Let’s see it on the field.
Chicago – Cutler. Forte. Marshall. And a good D.
Dallas – Sooner or later, they have to live up to the hype … right?
Kansas City – The ACL trio returns. Solid D. It’s all on Cassel.
Buffalo – Great offseason, but can they compete in AFC East?
Denver – Everybody love Peyton, but the team needs more tools.
Cincinnati – Great young core. Insanely tough division.
San Diego – Promise big every year. It’s do-or-die time for the bosses.
Carolina – Big dreams in PantherLand after Cam’s rookie year.
NY Jets – Rex’s weight loss and the team’s loss of wins will mirror.
Tennessee – Steady team. Big decision on the QB.
Seattle – Pete believes. No one else is sure. Pick a QB, please.
Washington – RGIII has the town by the tail. But can he win?
Arizona – Solid by not spectacular anywhere. Iffy at QB.
Tampa Bay – Lots of moves to improve the roster. And a new coach.
St. Louis – Fisher is the new sheriff in town. Sam has to rebound.
Oakland – Reggie has some work to do in the post-Al era.
Miami – Philbin takes over. Tannehill at QB. Long season ahead.
Jacksonville – MJD finally reported. Gabbert has looked much improved.
Cleveland – New owner. New QB. New RB. Big hill to climb.
Indianapolis – His name is Luck, and he’ll need it this season.
Minnesota – AP is still recovering. Is Ponder the guy?

Welcome back, football. We’ve missed you terribly.

As always, thanks for reading.

Steve

Previewing the Chiefs’ and Rams’ seasons

2012-09-03T17:28:00.001-05:00

A few days ago in this space, I shared predictions for the winners in each division across the NFL. So you know generally what I think the Chiefs and Rams are going to do this season. But since many of you (as well as me) are big fans of one or both teams, I decided to dedicate an additional blog this week to break down some details for each team’s season.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Finished 7-9 last season, last in AFC West

Key Additions: NT Dontari Poe (R), RB Peyton Hillis, RT Eric Winston, TE Kevin Boss, CB Stanford Routt, QB Brady Quinn, OC Brian Daboll

Recipe for Success: The Chiefs finished last in the AFC West last season with a record of 7-9, just one win away from repeating as division champions despite losing three key players – RB Jamaal Charles, S Eric Berry and TE Tony Moeaki – to season-ending knee injuries. All three members of the ACL Crew are back and with other key additions at positions of need, there are many calling for Kansas City to win the much-improved but still mediocre division. The running game should be solid with Charles and Hillis, and the defense is expected to be in the upper half of the league; the key to the Chiefs return to the playoffs will be the play of QB Matt Cassel in a make-or-break season for him.

Schedule Breakdown: In addition home-and-home series within the AFC West, the division plays the NFC South and the AFC North as part of the normal NFL schedule rotation. The Chiefs host the Falcons, Ravens, Bengals, Panthers and Colts, and have to travel to Buffalo, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and Cleveland for road games.

Prediction: I have been saying for weeks now that I’m trying my best to temper my optimism for the upcoming season. Key additions at several spots have solidified the roster. Based on the schedule and the fact that the Chiefs have one of the deepest and youngest rosters in the league, I’m predicting a record of 10-6 and an AFC West crown.

ST. LOUIS RAMS

Finished 2-14 last season, last in NFC West

Key Additions: DT Michael Brockers (R), CB Janoris Jenkins (R), CB Courtland Finnegan, RB Isaiah Pead, WR Brian Quick (R), WR Steve Smith, LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Head Coach Jeff Fisher

Recipe for Success: The Rams will be more competitive in 2012 for one simple reason … Jeff Fisher. He is one of only a handful of NFL head coaches that have proven over time that he can take a less than stellar lineup and get it to perform its abilities. Plus Fisher and new General Manager Les Snead turned the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft into a number of building blocks the team needed to lay a foundation for the future. Steven Jackson will have a big year, and Sam Bradford will bounce back. Also look for LB James Laurinaitis, DE Chris Long and S Quintin Mikell to excel on defense.

Schedule Breakdown: In addition home-and-home series within the NFC West, the division plays the NFC North and the AFC East as part of the normal NFL schedule rotation. The Rams host the Redskins, Packers, Patriots (London), Jets and Vikings at the Ed (Jones Dome); and have to travel to Detroit, Chicago, Miami, Buffalo and Tampa Bay.

Prediction: The Rams showed signs of life in the pre-season, but then again, the team went undefeated in the pre-season last year. Fisher’s expertise and presence will equal at least two wins. The NFC West is improving but is still weak, and the Rams will take a step forward. I’m calling for a 6-10 season.

As always, I’d love to hear from you. How do you think our Missouri teams will do? Am I being to realistic, too pessimistic? Come on, sound off.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

Steve

Predicting the 2012 NFL Playoff Teams

2012-09-01T21:46:00.004-05:00

It’s that time of the year when all the so-called national experts and football pundits take their shot at predicting the field of NFL playoff teams for the upcoming season. It’s a pretty mixed bag, with most of the ”predictions sure to go wrong” as ESPN’s Mike & Mike have labeled it. That’s pretty much the case here.

So with all the know-it-alls giving it a shot here in the last few days of the pre-season, I thought I’d throw my hat into the ring. I spend a lot of brainpower thinking about it anyway, so I just as well share it with the sporting world and make a jerk out of myself like everybody else. Here goes …

*Division winners

~Wildcard teams

AFC North – Baltimore*, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati

The Ravens finally ride their offense to the post-season as Flacco blossoms.

AFC South – Houston,* Tennessee, Jacksonville, Indianapolis

Texans are too talented to not take advantage of a weak division.

AFC East – New England*, Buffalo~, NY Jets, Miami

New England reloads on D finally. Buffalo takes a step forward.

AFC West – Kansas City,* Denver~, San Diego, Oakland

The Chiefs ACL crew returns with a vengeance. Peyton leads Broncos to a wildcard.

AFC playoff teams – Baltimore, Buffalo, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, New England

NFC North – Green Bay*, Chicago~, Detroit, Minnesota

Packers repeat at division champs, but the Bears are much improved.

NFC South – Atlanta*, Carolina, New Orleans, Tampa Bay

The Falcons finally put it all together. The Saints are distracted. Carolina continues to climb.

NFC East – Philadelphia*, Dallas~, NY Giants, Washington

Can the Eagles play finally equal its talent? It all hinges on Vick’s health.

NFC West – San Francisco*, Seattle, Arizona, St. Louis

Harbaugh and gang fall back to the pack slightly, but still manhandle a weak division.

NFC playoff teams – Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Green Bay, Philadelphia, San Francisco

Super Bowl prediction: Baltimore v Chicago

The Ravens offense and defense put it all together in 2012, thanks to the arm of Flacco and Ray Rice’s all-around play. The D isn’t bad, either. Ray Lewis goes out on top.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come on … give it a shot. Who do you think will be the surprise and potential flop teams this season?

Until next time, thanks for reading.

Steve

The NFL's Top 10 QBs for 2012

2012-08-22T20:47:00.001-05:00

MTSS is continuing with the latest installment in a series of “Top 10” blogs, today highlighting the best quarterbacks for the upcoming season. As a reminder, these players are being ranked based on what each one is expected to contribute this season versus what they have done in the past. Here goes.

Aaron Rodgers – Mobile. Accurate. Steady. The coolest since Montana.
Drew Brees – Continues to prove the doubters wrong. Single-season passing king.
Tom Brady – Proving to be the best draft pick in Patriots history.
Eli Manning – He may not look the part, but he just wins when it counts.
Ben Roethlisberger – Expect Big Ben’s production to increase with Haley’s pass-happy offense.
Matthew Stafford – Finally played a full season and lived up to expectations. More to come.
Tony Romo – The most over-analyzed player in the league. He’s solid. Must prove he’s clutch.
Philip Rivers – A down year in 2011, but expect him to bounce back with new weapons in tow.
Michael Vick – If the dude could only stay healthy … sick numbers when he’s on the field.
Peyton Manning – Hall of Fame worthy, but can he stay healthy? Hold your breath, Bronco fans.

Best of the Rest – (listed alphabetically) Jay Cutler, Joe Flacco, Cam Newton, Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub. These five quarterbacks are ascending in the QB ranks, but just haven’t done it well enough or long enough to crack the top tier.

So who am I missing? Where do I have the order all messed up? Sound off; give me your list.

Thanks for reading.

Steve

The NFL’s Top 10 RBs for 2012

2012-08-21T21:55:00.002-05:00

As the first installment in a series of blogs I’ll be doing over the next two weeks leading up to NFL Kickoff Weekend … here are my thoughts on the best running backs in the NFL, right now. Not what they’ve done in the past, but rather what we can expect from them this season.

Arian Foster – Two-time defending rushing champion. Hard to argue with that.
Ray Rice – The bowling ball from Rutgers. Who wants to tackle that thing.
LeSean McCoy – Has been called the nearest thing we’ve seen to Barry Sanders.
Chris Johnson – CJ2K had a down year last year, but looks electric in the pre-season.
Maurice Jones-Drew – Now the man in Jax, he’s holding out. That hurts his ranking.
Adrian Peterson – Would be No. 1 except for that December knee injury.
Matt Forte – Mr. Do It All with no fanfare. Forte is solid in all phases.
Jamaal Charles – He’s a virtual carbon copy of Johnson, but with less baggage.
Steven Jackson – Rams all-time leading rusher. Five straight 1,000-yard seasons.
Michael Turner – He’s carried the ball a ton. May be set for a down year.

Best of the Rest – (listed alphabetically) Ahmad Bradshaw, Frank Gore, Fred Jackson, Ryan Mathews, Darren McFadden. These guys are all great backs, but each of them have yet to put in all together on a consistent basis either due to injury, opportunity or production.

Who am I missing? And how would you list them?

Thanks for reading.

Steve

Ending the Drought … with NFL Power Rankings

2012-08-03T20:54:00.004-05:00

It’s been a very long, extremely dry summer for lots of folks all across the Midwest and much of the United States. And much like that moisture drought, it’s been a long time since this blog has seen any kind of significant activity. That’s my fault. We’re here to fix that.

I’m cranking it back up starting today as the NFL season is close enough that us diehard fans can begin to taste it. All team training camps are in full swing, and the annual Hall of Fame game in Canton takes place this Sunday. That’s right football junkies … the best time of the year is almost here.

With that, I thought I’d kick it all off with a pre-season ranking of all 32 NFL teams. Some of this is based on other experts so-called opinion, some research and some gut. Let me know where you think I’ve got it right but especially where you think I really dropped the ball (pun intended).

Green Bay – Top to bottom, still the best talent.
New England – Brady and Gronk hard to stop.
NY Giants – Defending champs have to be near the top.
Baltimore – Always play tough defense. Can Flacco and the O deliver?
Pittsburgh – Big Ben is hurt. Wallace holding out. Haley’s a wild card.
San Francisco – Not sure they can repeat 13-3 with Alex Smith.
Houston – Texans lost key pieces, but play in a weak division.
New Orleans – Despite everything, they’re still dangerous.
Detroit – Lots of firepower and off-field issues.
Atlanta – Good team still trying to prove it is great.
Philadelphia – Vick says dynasty. Let’s see it on the field.
Chicago – Cutler. Forte. Marshall. And a good D.
Dallas – Sooner or later, they have to live up to the hype … right?
Kansas City – The ACL trio returns. Solid D. It’s all on Cassel.
Buffalo – Great offseason, but can they compete in AFC East.
Denver – Everybody love Peyton, but he needs more tools.
Cincinnati – Great young core. Insanely tough division.
San Diego – Promise big every year. It’s do-or-get-fired time.
Carolina – Big dreams in PantherLand after Cam’s rookie year.
NY Jets – Their mouths outpace their talent this year.
Tennessee – Steady team. Big decision on the QB.
Seattle – Pete believes. No one else is sure. Pick a QB, please.
Washington – RGIII has the town by the tail. But can he win?
Arizona – Solid by not spectacular anywhere.
Tampa Bay – Lots of moves to improve the roster. And a new coach.
St. Louis – Fisher is the new sheriff in town. Sam has to rebound.
Oakland – Reggie has some work to do in the post-Al era.
Miami – Philbin takes over. Still need a QB.
Jacksonville – MJD and Blackmon holding out. Khan can’t like that.
Cleveland – New owner. New QB. New RB. Big hill to climb.
Indianapolis – His name is Luck, and he’ll need it this season.
Minnesota – AP is still recovering. Is Ponder the guy?

With the NFL, that’s the end of the dry spell. Poet and didn’t know it. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading.

Steve

Miller Mock Draft 2.0

2012-04-22T18:56:00.000-05:00

This is the week. T-minus four days and counting until the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. I’ll be heading to Kansas City with my buddy, Forrest Gossett, to watch at the Chiefs Official Draft Party. It’s an event for Season Ticket Holders only. Yeah, that’s right. Can’t wait …

I’ve made a few tweaks to my picks from last week. Well, actually … more than a few tweaks. More than half of the 32 teams’ picks have changed (shown in red).

Take a look, and let me know what you think.

1. Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck, QB Stanford

2.       Washington Redskins (from Rams) – Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor
3.       Minnesota Vikings – Matt Kalil, OT USC
4.       Cleveland Browns – Trent Richardson, RB Alabama
5.       Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Morris Claiborne, CB LSU
6.       St. Louis Rams (from Redskins) – Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State
7.       Jacksonville Jaguars – Melvin Ingram, DE S. Carolina
8.       Miami Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
9.       Carolina Panthers – Fletcher Cox, DL Mississippi State
10.   Buffalo Bills – Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College
11.   Kansas City Chiefs – David DeCastro, OG Stanford
12.   Seattle Seahawks – Quinton Coples, DE N. Carolina
13.   Arizona Cardinals – Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame
14.   Dallas Cowboys – Mark Barron, S Alabama
15.   Philadelphia Eagles – Dontari Poe, NT Memphis
16.   New York Jets – Courtney Upshaw, LB Alabama
17.   Cincinnati Bengals (from Raiders) – Stephon Gilmore, CB S. Carolina
18.   San Diego – Cordy Glenn, OT Georgia
19.   Chicago Bears – Riley Reiff, OT Iowa
20.   Tennessee Titans – Dont’a Hightower, LB Alabama
21.   Cincinnati Bengals – Kendall Wright, WR Baylor
22.   Cleveland Browns (from Falcons) – Stephen Hill, WR Georgia Tech
23.   Detroit Lions – Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama
24.   Pittsburgh Steelers – Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford
25.   Denver Broncos – Michael Brockers, DT LSU
26.   Houston Texans – Nick Perry, DE USC
27.   New England Patriots (from Saints) – Whitney Mercilius, DE Illinois
28.   Green Bay Packers – Shea McClellin, LB Boise State
29.   Baltimore Ravens – Peter Konz, C Wisconsin
30.   San Francisco 49ers – Harrison Smith, S Notre Dame
31.   New England Patriots – Mike Adams, OT Ohio State
32.   New York Giants – Coby Fleener, TE Stanford

How does your mock look different from this?

Thanks for reading.

Steve

Chiefs, Rams Uniform Surveys

2012-04-17T16:28:00.001-05:00

With the NFL's long-anticipated release of the Nike uniforms last week, I've put together a couple brief surveys for fans of the Missouri franchises ... Chiefs and Rams.

If you would, take a couple minutes and let your opinion be heard. Just a few short questions about the uniforms, favorite players, etc.

Rams Uniform Survey
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VY6TZPM

Chiefs Uniform Survey
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Q8CFK7C

Thanks.

Miller Mock Draft 1.0

2012-04-15T17:18:00.000-05:00

Wow. Welcome back to me. It’s been a while since I’ve blogged, but with NFL pre-season activity starting to heat up with the scouting combine, the draft and OTAs, I’m getting the fever.

With the NFL Draft now less than two weeks away, every expert and his two brothers are putting together mock drafts. Well, I’m no expert but I love football an awful lot, so I decided to throw something together. Cannot wait to see how it all unfolds starting April 26.

1. Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck, QB Stanford

There is no way Jim Irsay passes on the next great pocket passer.

2. Washington Redskins (from Rams) – Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor

RG3 could end up being more successful than Luck. Shanahan hopes so.

3. Minnesota Vikings – Matt Kalil, OT USC

Protecting Christian Ponder has to be the top priority. Kalil has the bloodlines and the talent.

4. Cleveland Browns – Trent Richardson, RB Alabama

Colt McCoy needs offensive weapons. Cleveland desperately needs running back help. TRich is the most complete RB prospect since Adrian Peterson.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Morris Claiborne, CB LSU

Ronde Barber can’t play corner forever. Claiborne is an elite talent. When need meets BPA (best player available), it’s a beautiful thing.

6. St. Louis Rams (from Redskins) – Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State

Every expert in the known world has Blackmon going to the Rams. It makes sense, but who knows what Fisher and Co. will do. Lots of needs to meet.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars – Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame

Blaine Gabbert looked terrible last season. He needs help. Floyd will be a significant upgrade at WR.

8. Miami Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M

The kid is raw and inexperienced, but experts say his ceiling is high. Philbin and Sherman better hope so.

9. Carolina Panthers – Fletcher Cox, DL Mississippi State

Cox fits a team need on the D line, and he’s the best available.

10. Buffalo Bills – Riley Reiff, OT Iowa

Reiff is a solid lineman and will step into the starting lineup right away, probably at LT.

11. Kansas City Chiefs – Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College

KC comes into the draft with few gaping holes. Kuechly is a tackling machine, and will quickly be starting on the inside opposite Derrick Johnson.

12. Seattle Seahawks – David DeCastro, OG Stanford

DeCastro is ready to start right now, and Seattle is glad to see he’s still available. Matt Flynn says thank you.

13. Arizona Cardinals – Melvin Ingram, DE S. Carolina

They have needs at WR and OL but with the best prospects already taken, the Cards shift to D line concerns. Ingram is long and lean, and should make an impact in the pass rush game.

14. Dallas Cowboys – Mark Barron, S Alabama

Barron is a LB/Safety hybrid, and the Boys will plug him into situational defenses right away.

15. Philadelphia Eagles – Dontari Poe, NT Memphis

This kid impressed at the Scouting Combine, but his tape showed inconsistency against sub-par competition at Memphis. Needs time to develop.

16. New York Jets – Quinton Coples, DE N. Carolina

Rex loves the D line, and Coples has big talent. His potential to bust is higher than most due to his inconsistent motor.

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Raiders) – Stephon Gilmore, CB S. Carolina

One of the team’s top needs is at corner, and Gilmore is rated as one of the best in this year’s class. Seems like a fit.

18. San Diego Chargers – Cordy Glenn, OT Georgia

The Chargers lost quite a bit this off-season, and I don’t see Gaither as a long-term fix at LT. This mammoth dude from Georgia is highly regarded.

19. Chicago Bears – Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama

The Bears still have need at WR and on the O line, but I think they’ll go with this versatile athletic corner. He’s an upgrade and will start.

20. Tennessee Titans – Dont’a Hightower, LB Alabama

Tennessee is getting older on defense, particularly in the linebacking corps. Hightower is a hybrid LB/Safety and will make an impact in the middle.

21. Cincinnati Bengals – Kendall Wright, WR Baylor

Andy Dalton needs more weapons to complement A.J. Green. A running back could work here, but I think they’ll go WR here and get the RB later. Wright plays fast in pads.

22. Cleveland Browns (from Falcons) – Michael Brockers, DT LSU

23. Detroit Lions – Courtney Upshaw, LB Alabama

24. Pittsburgh Steelers – Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford

25. Denver Broncos – Janoris Jenkins, CB N. Alabama

26. Houston Texans – Stephen Hill, WR Georgia Tech

27. New England Patriots (from Saints) – Nick Perry, DE USC

28. Green Bay Packers – Chandler Jones, DE Syracuse

29. Baltimore Ravens – Kevin Zeitler, OG Wisconsin

30. San Francisco 49ers – Harrison Smith, S Notre Dame

31. New England Patriots – Andre Branch, DE Clemson

32. New York Giants – Mike Adams, OT Ohio State

NFL Week 8: Games to Watch

2011-10-27T20:00:00.000-05:00

I'm headed to Michigan tomorrow with seven guys from church for a weekend getaway at Life Action Camp in Buchanan (http://www.lifeactioncamp.com/retreats-events/momentum/). I'm not going to have my usual time to break down this week's key games, so you're going to get an abbreviated version.

I had a terrible week last week, going 0-4 with my picks. That brings my overall record to 17-11. Yuck.

Here are this week's four games to watch ...

REDSKINS (3-3) @ BILLS (4-2)

Buffalo 31, Washington 17

PATRIOTS (5-1) @ STEELERS (5-2)

Pittsburgh 24, New England 23

COWBOYS (3-3) @ EAGLES (2-4)
Philadelphia 27, Dallas 24

LIONS (5-2) @ BRONCOS (2-4)

Detroit 31, Denver 17

Missouri Round-up

The Missouri Tigers are in Lubbock to take on Texas Tech; probably another road loss. The Rams host the Saints, and will lose big. The Chiefs host the Chargers, with the winner taking over first place in the AFC West. I think they'll do it and bring their record to 4-3, which is unbelievable considering how they started the season.

Thanks for reading.

Steve

NFL Week 7: Games to Watch

2011-10-22T19:00:00.000-05:00

Our internet service at home has been down all week, and we just got it restored within the past hour. So this week's preview blog post is going to be less detailed than normal ... (yeah, ha ha, real funny. You can thank me later, smart aleck).

My record in last week's four preview games was 2-2, taking my season record to 17-7 (.708).

Here are this week's four games to watch ...

CHARGERS (4-1) @ JETS (3-3)

The Jets have been horrible on offense, being saved by their tough defense. And the Chargers haven't really beaten anybody yet. On top of all that, Rex Ryan insulted Norv Turner on the radio this week. Should be interesting.

San Diego 28, New York 17

BEARS (3-3) @ BUCCANEERS (4-2)
The Bears and Bucs travel to London to play the NFL's annual game in the UK. Not sure why the league keeps doing this; it hurts everybody involved, except the NFL's expansion dreams.

Tampa Bay 24, Chicago 16

FALCONS (3-3) @ LIONS (5-1)
Atlanta continues to be confused, and confuse all of us, about who and what they are. A trip to Detroit to take on the ticked-off Lions won't help.
Detroit 31, Atlanta 27

TEXANS (3-3) @ TITANS (3-2)
Houston has not taken advantage of the Colts' stumble, and Tennessee is better than expected. The winner of this AFC South showdown will have the upper hand on the division title.

Tennessee 24, Houston 21

Missouri Round-up

The Missouri Tigers hosted the No. 4 nationally-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys at Faurot Field in Columbia today. Unfortunately, I was there in person to see the dismantling of the Tigers. Mizzou is now 1-3 in Big XII Conference play, and a down season is well underway. Not sure we are ready for the SEC.

The Rams and Chiefs both go on the road for tough away games this week -- KC @ Oakland and STL @ Dallas. It doesn't look good for either squad. It looks like an 0-3 weekend for Missouri's teams.

Thanks for reading.

Steve