Polar Bear Breaks Records

2019 was supposed to be a big year for the Mets. A lot of people, myself included, had them pegged as a Wild Card team. That didn't happen, sadly. But what did happen was one of their players placing his name in the record books. Not only the Mets record books, but the Major League Baseball record books.

It happened in the bottom of the 3rd inning. New York already had a 2-0 lead when Pete Alonso strode to the plate. on a 21-2 pitch, the Polar Bear did this:


That swing set the Major League record for home runs by a rookie in a single season. It broke the old record of 52, which Aaron Judge set two years ago with 52.

Oh but wait, there's more to this. That set the Major League record. Alonso has already set Mets club records. As this year went along, Alonso set Mets club records for homers, total bases (347) and extra-base hits (85). He has 120 RBIs and 102 runs, becoming the first Mets rookie to reach triple digits in both categories. Oh yeah, Pete also has a shot to be just the third Home Run Derby winner to finish the season with the most homers in baseball. The others to do it were Ryan Howard in 2006 with 58 homers, and Sammy Sosa did it in 2000 with 50 homers.

Its been a great year for the Mets rookie first baseman, a guy who some didn't see making the team out of camp. He's been the brightest spot on offense for the Blue and Orange this year. He is the centerpiece for this offense this year. There should be a bit of a drop off in 2020 for Alonso, but he's still got the position on lockdown.

Alonso setting record, this kid is kinda good.

Best & Worst Of NFL Week 3

We're three weeks into the NFL season and we still have more than a few intriguing stories. Eight teams remain unbeaten: Kansas City, New England, Green Bay, San Francisco, Los Angles (Rams), Buffalo, Dallas, and Detroit. Some were expected to be there, while others like Buffalo, San Francisco and Detroit are a bit of a surprise. And at the other end we have teams like Miami, New York (Jets), Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Denver, Washington and Arizona, have yet to find a win. We had a rookie QB steal the show down in Tampa, while another replacement couldn't get the job done for the Steelers. So here's some of the best and worst of the week that was in week three.

Best:
Daniel Jones, Quarterback New York Giants
The DJ era with the Giants has gotten off to a flying start. New York got its first win of the year, a nail bitting 32-30 win over the Bucs. Jones was on point on the day, going 23 of 36 for 336 yards two passing and two rushing touchdowns, including the go ahead score late in the game. Only negative was that he was sacked five times on the day. To give a perfect picture of how this kid could do in this game was the 7 yard throw to Sterling Sheppard in the 3rd quarter. He managed to hang in the pocket and put the ball where Sheppard was going to be able to get it. He's showing people that he could truly be worthy of where the Giants took him in the draft this year.Now its just the first game Jones has ever played, lets not jump the gun. If this was any indication, he's going to be something special.

Worst:
Mason Rudolph, Quarterback Pittsburgh Steelers
Its tough to be the follow up act to Big Ben in Pittsburgh. Mason Rudolph was next man up after Ben went down with his elbow injury. Pittsburgh said that they felt confident that Mason would keep Pittsburgh afloat. It got off to a rocky start with a 24-20 loss to the 49ers. Oh and in a game in which San Francisco turned the ball over five times, Rudolph struggled to generate any real momentum. He missed open targets and led drives that often stalled. He did have two long scoring throws of 76 and 39 yards. But the first was thanks to the speed and elusiveness of JuJu Smith-Schuster, who's kind of good, and the second was on a blown coverage. If you remove those two passes, Rudolph was just 12 of 25 for 59 yards with one interception. Could be a long season without Ben. Rudolph better step it up.

Best:
Mike Evans, Wide Receiver Tampa Bay Bucaneers
Before the Bucs offense shut down in the 2nd half of the game, Evans hyad them rolling right along. We already talked about what Jones did for the Giants, but if the Bucs had managed to hit the game winning field goal in their 32-30 loss, then Evans would be the hot topic talked about. He finished with eight catches, three of which went for touchdowns, and 190 yards. The yards topped the league for pass catchers this week. Part of me feels bad for Evans because he had such an outstanding performance wasted this weekend. Hope for him that things can get a little better in the win colum, because he deserves it.

Worst;
Chris Carson, Running Back Seattle Seahawks
Playing running back in the NFL is a tough job. If your in Seattle, you got a crowded field to try and break into. Carson was supposed to step up and try and get a stronghold of the number one job in Seattle. New Orleans walked away with a 33-27 win over the Seahawks. Nw on the year, Carson has 45 carries for 159 yards and a touchdown. Any good back can get that many yards in a single week. But he's done it over three games. Not very good. To make matters worse, in this week's loss to the Saints, he coughed up the ball, and the it was recovered by safety Vonn Bell and returned for a touchdown. That gave Carson three fumbles, all of them lost, through his first 49 offensive touches of the year. Not good.

Best:
Dalvin Cook, Running Back Minnesota Vikings
When Minnesota has their offense going, it can be a tough thing to stop. Just ask the raiders, who got slapped around on Sunday to the tune of a 34-14 win by the Vikings. And in the process, Dalvin Cook nput himself in the league record books. Cook became only the fifth player in NFL history to rush for 110 or more yards and at least one touchdown in each of his first three games to start a season. At the time of writing, Cook leads the league in rushing, with 375 yards, and is second in rushing touchdowns , with four After dealing with some nagging injuries in the first few seasons of his career, Cook’s start to 2019 proves he’s ready to be one of the top backs in the NFL

Worst:
Freddie Kitchins, Head Coach Cleveland Browns
There were very high hopes for this Browns team this year, but they've played sloppy through the first three games. Got blown out by 30 week one. Got back on their feet by beating a sloppy Jets team week two. Then, this week, get plunked by the Rams 20-13. Sure, it does speak volumes to the defense, holding the highest scoring team in the league last year, to just 20 points this week. It's the offense and Freddie Kitchins play calling that did them in this week. On fourth-and-9, trailing by four points and in enemy territory, the Browns were aggressive enough to leave the offense on the field rather than attempt a 57-yard field goal or boot a cowardly punt. But the play they called was a freaking draw play. A DRAW play. That can't happen. Cleveland isn't living up to the hype and Kitchins play calling is a big reason for that.

Best:
Kyle Allen, Quarterback Carolina Panthers
There was some speculation as to who was going to make the start in Carolina in week three. If Cam Newton was healthy he was going to play. Newton wasn't healthy and Allen got the start, Turned out to be a pretty good move. Allen lead Carolina to a 38-20 win over Arizona and was on fire during this contest. Allen finished his Sunday going 19 of 26, 261 yards, throwing for four touchdowns. With this kind of performance, it shows that the Panthers are in good hands without Newton, which gives Cam a little more time to rest and heal properly before coming back into the mix.

Worst:
Denver Broncos Pass Rush
You would like to think that, with talented edge rushers like Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, Denver would be a force to be reckoned with in that regards. Well Denver's pass rush has been MIA all year. Not only did they fall to the Packers 27-16, but they got nowhere near Aaron Rogers. Not one single sack on Sunday. As a matter of fact, the Broncos are the only team in the entire league that doesn't have a sack yet. And Bradley Chubb is the only one to even get to the QB, he has all three of the Broncos QB hits. This maybe a cause for why the Broncos are 0-3 so far this season. To make matters sting worse, Shaq Barrett, who they let go to Tampa in the offseason, leads the NFL with eight for the season. Ouch

Bronx Is Burning

By their standards, seven years is a long wait. For the 19th time since divisional play began, and for first time since 2012, the New York Yankees have won the American League's Eastern division. They've also reached the 100 win mark, doing both with a 9-1 win over the Angels at Yankee Stadium on Thursday night. When you consider what this team has gone through as this year has gone along, a hat tip is due in the direction of upper management, the coaching staff, and the players of the New York Yankees.

When the season started seven months ago, there was high expectations, as there always is, around the Bombers. It was World Series or bust, from the Yankee point of view. As the season rolled along, injuries really started to hit hard. Luis Severino missed most of the year with injury, while CC was in and out for part of the year with the same thing. The offense was depleted at times this year on paper, Giancarlo Stanton has missed a lot of time this year, and when he was in the lineup he hasn't really found his stride. In grand total, 30 Yankees went down to injury this year, the most of any team in the Majors.

But that's what a great team and great organization manages to do. They find a way to fill the next man up. Somebody goes down, they just plug in somebody else and keep right on moving along. A great general manager finds a way to go out and grab the talent to keep plugging into those holes. Then there's the manager. Aaron Boone has done an amazing job being able to get the best talent out of his players this year and keep them motivated to win. He's found the right formula to keep his players in line and keep them fired up and going out there and playing hard every single day.

It marks the second year in a row that the Yankees have hit the 100 win mark and will no doubt be their highest win total for a season, when all is said and done, since they won 103 games in 2009. They could very well surpass that with eight games left. So they could possible pass what they did during the 2009 season. Of course, for it to really pass that year, they would have to end this year the way they did that one.That's with a 28th World Series crown.

Of course, teams like the Dodgers  and Astros could get in their way of the World Title, but the fact that they are here right now, with a 19th AL East title and another 100 win season says a lot. With all that this team has been through this year with the injuries, this title has got to feel really good.

Best & Worst Of NFL Week 2

Well week two of the National Football League season turned out to be a bit of a surprise. We got nine teams that are winless to start the year, while another nine teams are sitting with perfect records. Kansas City looks like its going to steamroll everybody, while Miami looks like its already laid down and died. Patrick Mahomes played at a higher level yet again, while the season ended for Big Ben and looks to be in trouble for Drew Brees. We had great performances and total dive bombs. Here's a look at the week that was around the NFL.

Best:
Green Bay Packers
Hasn't exactly been pretty, but a 2-0 record is still a 2-0 record. And to make this look even more impressive was the fact that they've come over divisional opponents to kickstart the season. First was a slim six point win over the Bears on opening night. Green Bay followed that up with a 21-16 win over another divisional rival in Minnesota. It wasn't pretty, but it got the job done. It started with Aaron Rodgers throwing two touchdowns in the first quarter. Then, to put a little more flair on the night was the Aaron Jones’ touchdown run, which gave Green Bay a 21-0 lead. The offense bogged down after that, like it did in Week 1 at Chicago. But the Packers walked away with the win. Green Bay knows its got some things to improve one, but they should still be in good shape for most of the rest of the year.

Worst:
Miami Dolphins
At the other end of the spectrum from what the Packers did are the Dolphins. 10 points total scored over the first two games. They've given up 98 points. They got blasted 59-10 by the Ravens to start the year. They follow that up with a 43-0 bludgering by the Patriots this week. Neither side of the ball looked like it could do anything right. The offense looked like it was stuck in the mud, while the defense looked as if they were just bystanders as the patriots rolled over them late in the game. There's no doubt that the Finns will be playing for the top pick next season. The question is, do they really hit rock bottom this year and go 0-16 or will they actually win a game this year?

Best:
Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback Kansas City Chiefs
We talked about it last week that Mahomes was playing close to his MVP level. He still close to that this week as well. He had himself another outstanding performance this week in the Kansas City 28-10 win over the Raiders. Mahomes didn't quite have the passer rating that he did in week one, bur 131.4 is still a very solid number. He ended the day going 30 of 44 for an eye popping 443 yards and four touchdowns. He was the only Quarterback in the league this week to surpass the 400 yard mark. And while it's not quite the same rate as through the first two games last year, Mahomes is still putting up staggering numbers that are going to put him in the discussion for MVP again this year. It's jumping the gun, sure, but at least its enough to put him into the argument.

Worst:
Donte Moncrief, Wide Receiver Pittsburgh Steelers
Moncrief was stepping into a unique situation this year. He was filling the role of #2 receiver in the steel city. JuJu Smith-Schuster had replaced Antonio Brown as top guy on the roster. Moncrief was supposed to be the second option. IN the first week, he dropped four passes and ended the day with three catches for just seven yards. Sunday, in the Steelers 28-26 loss to Seattle, Moncrief was targeted just once, and dropped the ball. When the ball hit off his hands it was easily picked off by a waiting Seattle defender. There really is no excuse for his flat out horrible play the first two games of the season. Moncrief has got to step up and find his game and become that top target for Rudolph or whoever is under center for the Steelers. They need him to find his game fast, or he's going to be riding the bench or gone.

Best:
Dak Prescott, Quarterback Dallas Cowboys
He's not only finding his game, but could be making it very easy for the Cowboys to pay him his money come contract time. Dallas walked away with a 31-21 win over Washington on Sunday, while Dak was doing Dak things in leading the charge. During one stretch in this contest, Dak had 18 straight completions. He ended up finishing the day going 26 of 30 for 296 yards and three touchdowns. Yes he was picked off once, but he also helped himself on the ground with 69 rush yards, which is the 2nd most of his career in a game. He's scorching hot over the first two weeks and a big reason Dallas is off to their perfect start

Worst:
Kirk Cousins, Quarterback Minnesota Vikings
When you get paid as much money as Cousins got from the Vikings paid him, you had better deliver. Getting paid $84 million over three years, all of it guaranteed no less, means that you are expected to deliver and do it. Cousins hasn't lived up to it yet this year in Minnesota. The Vikings were trailing Green Bay 21-16 late in the 4th and the Vikings had the ball inside the red zone. Cousins tried to make a play that would tie the game. Instead, he threw a pick in the endzone that ended up costing the Vikings the game. There’s no excuse for Cousins, at this point in his career, eight years in, to be making mistakes like that.

Best:
Odell Beckham Jr Wide Receiver Cleveland Browns
IN his return to Metlife Stadium, this time as a member of the Cleveland Browns, Odell Beckham JR had himself a night. In a Browns 26-3 win over the Jets, Beckham went off. He finished with 6 catches for 161 yards (second most in the NFL in week two) and a touchdown catch. the touchdwon grab went for 89 yards on a short pass. Oh yeah, he also had an amazing one handed grab on the night as well. Odell lit up the Jets secondary like a cheap cigar on Monday night, which really seems like nothing new. Odell is that good and the Jets secondary is that bad.Beckham had himself a night, and the Browns are back to .500 on the year.

Worst:
Adam Vinatieri Indianapolis Colts Kicker
Yes the Colts did pick up a 19-17 win over the titans. But it looks like Adam Vinatieri maybe coming close to the end of the road in what is sure to be a hall of fame career. He's the all time record holder for points in the NFL, but he's struggled a little as of late. In the win last Sunday, he missed two extra points, and if you go back a little bit further to last year's playoff game, Vinatieri has now missed four extra points and three field goals (of 23, 46, and 29 yards) in his last three games. The Colts have said that it does bring a little cause for concern but they aren't willing to pull the plug yet. He keeps missing kicks, that might change the story.

Quarterbacks Have It Tough

Playing Quarterback in the National Football League is going to be a high risk job, both physically and mentally. Mentally, you got a lot of pressure on you to try and carry an offense. Physically, you have to do a lot as you are the driving force behind a game. You got to run and throw and you touch the ball more than any other player on the field Ben Rothlisberger and Drew Brees are two of the best going in/the game today. But now their going to miss playing time. Brees is out at least six weeks, while Big Ben is done for the year with injuries.

Pittsburgh is going to have a tough stretch to get through. Ben Rothlisberger is out with an elbow injury that's going to require surgery. Apparently it looks like it might be Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow. Mason Rudolph is going to be the man under center the rest of the season for the Steelers, with Ben out hurt. Now Big Ben he's not, but from the reports I've heard Rudolph can hold his own under center. He may not be good enough to get the Steelers to a playoff team, but he's still good.

Now, how's this going to affect Ben? He's 37 years old, and for a man his size, who knows how this could effect his game. It is possible to come back from something like this. Hell look at Jake Delhomme. He had the same procedure done and it extended his career for a little bit. And Ben being Ben, he's not going to let something like this get in his way, he's going to want to keep playing. It will be a shot at redemption next year for Ben to get back under center. He won't let his career end on a sour note. Not only that but he's under contract in Pittsburgh through 2020. He might have considered calling it a career after this season, but now with the injury, he has confirmed that he will honor the last year of his contract.

Now on to Drew Brees, who's out at least six weeks with the thumb injury. The Saints are in better shape than the Steelers with their quarterback being hurt. Ben pretty much had to carry the Steelers, while Brees had a variety of weapons to work with. Plus he's not missing the entire year. Teddy Bridgewwater is a capable, and the highest paid in the entire league, backup. I know he hasn't started a game since 2017, but he has the skills that could allow him to help keep the Saints above water. If he hadn't hurt his knee in camp a few years ago, he probably would still be a regular starter.

And after last night, you can add the New York Jets to this injury list. First, Sam Darnold will miss time with Mono (seems like something that could only happen to the Jets right). Then, during the Monday Night game against the Browns, Trevor Siemian goes down with an injured ankle and is out for the year. Now, New York has to rely on Luke Falk until Darnold is healthy. Oh, and by the way, the Jets have to deal with the Patriots twice as well as the Eagles and Cowboys while Darnold is out. New York could be looking at an 0-6 hole to start the season off. To make matters worse, it seems through the first two games that Le'Von Bell has been the only weapon in the Jets offense. This could be really bad for New York.

If week two has taught us anything, its that quarterback in the NFL is a high risk job.,

Best & Worst Of NFL Week 1

Week one of the 100th season of the NFL is in the books and what a week it was. Sloppy play, blowouts, and nail bitters highlight the opening week of the football season. Injuries hit hard with some teams around the league as well. Miami looks like they could be on their way to a long season, while the Patriots and Packers look like they're going to be a fine year. The Saints and Texans tore the house down on Monday Night. We look at it all right now. Here's the best and worst of week one in the NFL.

Best:
Lamar Jackson Quarterback Baltimore Ravens
Think its safe to say that the Ravens are comfortable moving on from Joe Flacco. Lamar Jackson looked good in the Ravens dominating 59-10 win over the Dolphins, finishing with a perfect QBR of 158.3. He finished the day going 17 of 20 for 320 yards and five touchdowns. Yes, I know its against the horrible defense in Miami, but still a five touchdown performance is pretty impressive. I know its just one game against the Fins, but if Jackson can keep this kind of play going for the Ravens, then he gonna have a very bright future in Baltimore.

Worst:
Jets Kicking Game
Well, that fell apart quickly. New York could have kept Jason Meyers, who was almost automatic last year, but didn't match the Seattle deal. Then,Chandler Catanzaro missed two kicks in a preseason game and retired. Finally, they settled on Norwegian Kaare Vedvik, who had been cut by the Ravens. He missed an extra point and a field goal in the Jets 17-16 loss to the Bills. Those kicks, in theory for an NFL kicker, should have been chip shots. That experiment ended quickly, as after the game Vedvik was cut by the Jets. New York had better get this thing figured out fast.

Best:
Sammy Watkins Wide Receiver Kansas City Chiefs
Talk about having yourself a day. Watkins went off, and that's putting it nicely. Kansas City rolled over the Jaguars, to the tune of a 40-26 victory, and Watkins was the favorite target of MVP Patrick Mahomes. Watkins hauled in three touchdown passes, but that wasn't the half of it. He finished the day with a total of nine catches for an eye popping 198 yards. He was playing like a man possessed on Sunday, with two of his three touchdowns going for 68 and 49 yards. To make this performance more memorable, he did it without Tyreek Hill playing the entire day, as he got hurt with a shoulder injury. With Hill slated to miss a good chunk of time, Watkins play is really going to have to step up and stay it this level

Best:
C.J Mosley, Linebacker New York Jets
Before the Jets blew the game in the 4th quarter, one of their biggest moves made this offseason was really paying off. Sure it was demoralizing losing 17-16 to the Bills, but before blowing the lead, the jets were dominating play because of C.J. Mosley in the middle of the Jets D. He had a pick six and helped the Jets defense as a team force four Buffalo turnovers in the first half. He counted for half of them with the pick six and also scooped up a fumble. it was only when he had to leave the game with a groin injury did the Bills offense start to pick apart the defense. If he can get healthy in time for the Monday night game against the Browns, Mosley can be another high impact player once again.

Worst:
Miami Dolphins Defense
We could be seeing a level that's only happened twice in league history. Based on what was seen against Baltimore, the tune of a 59-10 loss, the Dolphins could run the table and go winless. They were lit up like a cheap cigar, allowing Lamar Jackon's five touchdowns and 59 points. That was just week one. They have to face New England week two, with Antonio Brown in that lineup. At least the Lions and Browns, the other two 0-16 teams, we able to keep games somewhat close. The way Miami look Sunday made me think they could be worse then those two clubs.

Best:
John Ross Wide Receiver Cincinnati Bengals
Seattle pulled out a nailbitter with a 21-20 win over the Bengals. But the Bengals were able to hang in with this game because Andy Dalton threw for over 400 yards, while Ross was the main target for Dalton. Ross finished with seven catches for 158 yards and a pair of touchdowns. This made it even more interesting in that, in his prior 16 games with the team, Ross had compiled 210 receiving yards. He coulkd be Dalton's favorite target with AJ Green hurt.

Worst:
Jameis Winston Quarterback Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday's game between the Bucs and the 49ers was a turnover fest if there ever was one. Sloppy play at quarterback between Jimmy G and Famous Jameis. Winston had worse turnovers than Jimmy Garoppolo. Winston threw thee picks in the loss, two of which were returned for touchdowns, one that sealed the win for the 49ers. Not only was Winston throwing picks but he fumbled twice, both of which he recovered, but still. Five turnovers in one game isn't good. Jameis is in his 5th year in the league, and looks like he's taking steps backwards. If he can't hang onto the football, the Bucs won't go anywhere.

2019 NFL Season Preview

The time has arrived. The waiting is over. It's been seven long months, but the National Football League is back in action. This weekend kicks off the 100th season in the history of the league. There's a lot that's changed from when the Patriots hoisted the Lombardi Trophy back in February. Some players have hung up the pads, while others have changed cities. Lets not waste anymore time, and dive right into it.

During the offseason, we have seen the end of some pretty good NFL careers. Andrew Luck, Rob Gonkowski, Jordy Nelson, Sebastian Janikowski, Marshawn Lynch, Brian Orakpo, Julius Peppers, and Jamaal Charles are the biggest names that have called it a career.

We've seen some big names get moved to different places during the offseason. Via trade, we've seen Joe Flacco get sent to Denver, Odell Beckham Jr. Olivier Vernon shipped to Cleveland, and Antonio Brown get sent to Oakland. Oh, there's more. Blake Bortles (Jacksonville to Rams), Ryan Fitzpatrick (Tampa Bay to Miami), Nick Foles (Philadelphia to Jacksonville), CJ Anderson (Los Angeles Rams to Detroit), Le'Veon Bell (Pittsburgh to Jets), Tevin Coleman (Atlanta to San Francisco), Frank Gore (Miami to Buffalo), Kareem Hunt (Kansas City to Cleveland), Mark Ingram Jr. (New Orleans to Baltimore), Danny Amendola (Miami to Detroit), Cole Beasley (Dallas to Buffalo), Randall Cobb (Green Bay to Dallas), Golden Tate (Philadelphia to Giants), and Demaryius Thomas (Houston to New England) have all switched teams on offense. As for defense, Trey Flowers (New England to Detroit), Malik Jackson (Jacksonville to Philadelphia), Sheldon Richardson (Minnesota to Cleveland), Ndamukong Suh (Rams to Tampa Bay), Cameron Wake (Miami to Tennessee), Vontaze Burfict (Cincinnati to Oakland), Jordan Hicks (Philadelphia to Arizona), Justin Houston (Kansas City to Indianapolis), Clay Matthews (Green Bay to Rams), CJ Mosley (Baltimore to Jets), Preston Smith (Washington to Green Bay), Terrell Suggs (Baltimore to Arizona), Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (Washington to Chicago), Landon Collins (Giants to Washington), Lamarcus Joyner (Rams to Oakland), Tyrann Mathieu (Houston to Kansas City), and Earl Thomas (Seattle to Baltimore) have all signed with other clubs.

So now, let's dive right into it. Here's how the 2019 NFL season goes down

NFC
NFC East:
1. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)*
Philly is coming off a 9-7 season and a playoff birth. The core of the team is still there, with Carson Wentz leading the offense. What really sticks out here is the fact that Nick Foles isn't around this year as a support system if Wentz faults or gets hurt. Josh McCown is his backup, so who knows what he's going to be able to do Zach Ertz is going to be Wentz go to target on offense, as is new additions Jordan Howard at running back and DeSean Jackson back at Wideout. Golden Tate and Jay Ajajy are both gone and leave some holes on offense. Defense has a few holes too but they've got some power to be able to put pressure on the opposition. Fletcher Cox and Malcom Jenkins are going to be leading this defense that could cause some havoc on the field. They will be in for a tough test against Dallas this year, but expect Philly to come out on top by the skin of their teeth.

2. Dallas Cowboys (10-6) (WC)*
This could be a very interesting year in Dallas this year, coming off a 10-6 year last year, which won them the division. Amari Cooper found his game again after getting traded to Dallas back in October. Him and Dak Prescott make a pretty good combination together. But there's one thing missing. Zek Elliott, the league's leading rusher from last year. Zek has been great in Dallas and just got a major payday for his services, just in time for the start of the season too. He might get off to a bit of a slow start, considering he missed almost all of camp due that contract holdout. Still, Zek should be in good shape to be one of the top five backs this year. Cole Beasley, who's been an old reliable in that system, is no longer there, as he's now in Buffalo. To replace him, Jason Whitten has come out of retirement. Dallas has the potential to put some points up on that board. Defense in Big D can hang in there, but Dallas plays some pretty stiff competition in terms of playoff contending teams late in the season. With what has the potential to be a revamped big three in Dallas, the Boys will hit the ten win mark and get into the playoffs.

3. New York Giants (6-10)
5-11 last year, that's what the Giants managed to do. This year could be a little bit different. Eli isn't getting any younger, so there's no telling how much longer he's got. Daniel Jones, their top pick in the first round this year, could be the future for Big Blue, with a chance to take over the job before the year is over. Changes have been made to the weapons that the Giants have to work with, without much of a deep threat. Golden Tate was brought in to replace Odell Beckham Jr in the receiving game, and while he's very good, he's a bit of a step down (and will be out the first four games of the year with a suspension). They still have a solid #2 wideout in Sterling Sheppard and an all world back in Saquan Barkley, but who knows how well they can put points on the board. Question is, how can this defense hold up?J Jabrill Peppers was brought over in the Odell trade, but they lost Oliver Vernon, Snacks Harrison and Landon Collins. The two guys on defense they took in the first round in Dexter Lawrence and Deandre Baker could be good, but there's too many question marks. Its asking a lot for the Giants offense to keep their defense off the field.

4. Washington Redskins (4-12)
It doesn't look good to be a DC football fan this year, the skins are going to take a big step backwards after last season. Jay Gruden has had nothing but mediocre teams under his watch, but maybe his new Quarterback can break that cycle. Dwayne Haskins comes in with a lot of hype that he will eventually lead the Redskins back to the promise land. Case Keenum was brought in to help mentor the kid, but the time will come sooner rather than later that Haskins will be the go to guy for the Redskins. Question is, where are his weapons going to be? Jordan Reed is hurt and who knows when he might be seen on an NFL field, and there's so few other weapons for the Skins who knows what they can be capable of doing. Its going to be a long year in Washington.

NFC North:
1. Green Bay Packers (11-5)*
Green Bay is coming off a very disappointing 3rd place finish in the North a year ago as well as back to back losing seasons for the first time since 1990-91. New Head Coach Matt LaFleur has a tall task ahead of him to get the Pack back onto their winning track. It helps make your job a little easier when you've got a two time league MVP as your Quarterback in Aaron Rogers. But can the two work well together? Who Rogers is going to get the ball to is a bit of a mystery. Jordy Nelson and Randell Cobb are both no longer there, leaving Davante Adams as the top target. He's going to need help in the form of Geronimo Allison, who may be the replacement for Cobb in the slot. That's just the offense. On the other side, Green bay has a defense that's got something working. They had a solid team at the outset last year that got hit hard by injuries. This year they have help in the form of Za'Darius Smith, Adrian Amos, Rashan Gary and Darnell Savage all being impact players with an already solid D.

2. Chicago Bears (11-5) (WC)*
Coming off a 12-4 year and a division title last year, Matt Nagy's boys have a lot to prove. Biggest thing is can this team bounce back from what happened in the playoffs? Well, it starts with the fact that Eddy Pineiro is replacing Cody Parkey in the kicking game. Parkey had that mishap in the playoffs and was taken out of the equation. As for the offense, it does help that Mitchell Trubisky really started coming into his own last year and is expected to have another big takeoff year again this year. Not having Jordan Howard in the backfield leaves a little something to be desired, so Tarik Cohen is going to be counted on more to help take pressure off in the run game. Pass catching is going to be key, and with Riley Ridley getting drafted 26th is going to take a lot of looks this year, On defense, lead by Kahlil Mack, the core is the same from last year. With that bunch still there, the Bears will be in the thick of things all season.

3. Minnesota Vikings (9-7)
On paper, Minnesota looked like a playoff team last year, but missed it with a shade over .500 record at 8-7-1. Kirk Cousins has weapons to play with this year in the offensive game in the form of Zach Rudolph, Dalvin Cook, Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. What ended up costing the Vikings a playoff spot last year was the offensive line, or should we say the lack of a line. This year, they drafted Garrett Bradbury to anchor that line and hopefully turn it around to give Cousins time to get the ball to his weapons. Now the big question, can the D hold up. It looks on paper to be a middle of the pack team, but with how good the NFC is as a whole, the Vikings will finish above .500 but it won't be enough this year.

4. Detroit Lions (5-11)
Matt Patricia enters his second year as Lions head coach after going 6-10 last year. It doesn't look much better this year. Sure, Detroit spent big on edge-rusher Trey Flowers in free agency, but they remain a flawed team on both offense and defense. Him and Snacks Harrison anchor that defense that, outside of those two guys, don't strike much fear into the hearts of other teams. Matthew Stafford hasn't got much to work with, or protection for that matter. The line looks Meh. There's not much of a running game in Detroit either, which means that Danny Amendola, Kenny Golladay and new Tight End Jesse James are going to be getting a lot of looks in the passing game. Detroit will still be another work in progress.

NFC South:
1. new Orleans Saints (12-4)*
Last year's 13-3 record and division title was thrown out the window with one bad call in the playoffs (which lead to a rule change on pass interference call all year so it doesn't happen again). Heading into this year, New Orleans still looks like one of the league's more complete teams. But there are causes for a level of concern, one of which is Drew Brees' late-season fade last year. Also the fact that Brees, while still very good, isn't getting any younger. That has to be taken into account too. Then, there's the loss of tailback Mark Ingram in free agency. But with the combination of Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray in the backfield, the Saints should be fine. Jared Cook was brought in at tight end to take some pressure off Michael Thomas in the receiving game, as Thomas was a huge factor for the Saints last year. Lets not discount the defense, which has the possibility to be a top ten D this year. They are going to be good, and very tough to beat.

2. Atlanta Falcons (9-7)
A season ago the Falcons finished under .500 and failed to make the playoffs the year after making the Super Bowl. Injuries took hold of this team but with the power that the offense operated at last year, it leaves hope this year in Atlanta. They didn't lose a whole lot in the offseason and managed to retain most of the team from last year, which is why health is going to be so key for the Falcons. Matt Ryan is expecting to be, well, Matt Ryan. He still got Julio Jones, one of the top wide outs in football, along with Calvin Ridley and Mohamed Sanu and the Falcons have a good receiving trio. Plus, expect Devonta Freeman to have a return to form kind of year in the ATL this year. The defense will be fine, but might at times get overpowered. Still, Atlanta has enough talent on both sides of the football to be able to hang around in the playoff hunt.

3. Carolina Panthers (8-8)
If the Panthers want to have any chance at all of bouncing back after last years 7-9 season, Cam Newton has got to stay healthy and play every snap. Facts are that Newton Christian McCaffrey and Luke Kuechly are the faces of the franchise. Thew two powers on offense are going to need support from guys like Chris Hogan and Greg Olsen if they are going to even remotly stand a chance on offense. D.J Moore is really going to have to step his game up. On the other side, Kuechly had himself an outstanding year last year and proved that he's got the tools to be a top five linebackers and defensive players in this league. But he's one man and can't do it all himself. For Carolina to stand any chance of even sniffing the playoffs, Newton and Kuechly are going to need to get a lot of help.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12)
The Bucs have had back to back 5-11 season and are looking to try and turn things around this year. Jameis Winston can't do it all himself, although he tries to a lot. They have no running game, Mike Evans is their best pass catching weapon and they don't have a clue yet who's going to be healthy enough to play tight end yet. And not only do they have that to deal with on offense, but defense isn't much better. Last year, they weren't a very good defensive team, and they might actually be worse now without Kwon Alexander. Add in a receiving corps that lost more than it gained, and Tampa looks like a fourth-place team again in 2019.

NFC West:
1. Los Angeles Rams (12-4)*
Last year was a dream season in Los Angeles. A 13-3 record leading to a West division title and a trip to the Super Bowl, before falling to New England. Now the Rams look for a measure of revenge.  If the rams want to become the first NFC team since the 2014-15 Seahawks to repeat from that conference they need Todd Gurley and Jared Geoff to play at a level above last year. Sure, Gurley had knee issues last year, but on paper he appears to be healthy and ready to go this season. Newly drafted back Darrell Henderson is going to have to step up, as he's replacing CJ Andersen in the backfield with Gurley. There's still two very reliable weapons in the pass game with Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp, plus throw in Robert Woods as a solid third option. With that kind of talent it's going to be really hard to try and contain this Rams offense. And the defense isn't too shabby either. Aaron Darnold is the best all around defender in the league, and will be leading this solid defensive unit. Oh and you have a solid linebacker core in Dante Fowler Jr, Cory Littleton, and Clay Matthews III, who's wanting to show that he's got plenty left in the tank. This Rams squad, much like last year, is going to be a handful to deal with. With what this team has, don't be surprised if the Rams are near the top of the conference by the end of the regular season

2. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
This year's results will look the same as last years up in the great Northwest. This time its going to be a little bit different. Pete Carroll's bunch looks different from last year. Doug Baldwin, Kam Chanceller, Earl Thomas, and Frank Clark are all gone. Russell Wilson got paid to stay put and rightfully so. He's going to need somebody to step up with Doug Baldwin no longer there. So Tyler Lockett is going to have to really step his game up, as will rookie DK Metcalf, who was taken in the 2nd round. Seattle had the 2nd best rushing attack in the league last year, but they're going to need Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny to pick up some of the slack this year if the Seahawks are going to be able to stay in the race in the NFC. The defense in Seattle still has some names on it. Ezekiel Ansah, Jadeveon Clowney, Tre Flowers, Bobby Wagner and K. J. Wright are going to be relied on quite a bit to lead the new look Legion of Boom. They will be in the hunt most of the year.

3. San Francisco 49ers (8-8)
After finishing with just 4 wins last year, Kyle Shanahan's crew is looking to get back to a level of respectability. Jimmy Garoppolo is bacvk healthy for the year, at least that's the hope of 49ers fans is that he can stay on the field all season long. He's got top target George Kittle back, who quickly turned into one of the top tight ends in all of football, amking a big name for himself week in and week out. Expect another solid season from Kittle again this year. Marquise Goodwin is expected to have a sloid season leading this receiving core, while Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman are getting the bluk of the carries out of the backfield. This offense has the potential to do something this year. Its the defense that has me wondered. Kwon Alexander was added to the defense to step their game up, but outside of him Nick Bosa and Dee Ford I'm not really scared yet of the Niners defense. No doubt they're going to compete, but it won't be enough in this conference.

4. Arizona Cardinals (4-12)
Kliff Kingsbury is now the man in charge in Arizona, trying to get the team back after a horrible 3-13 year last year. With that horrible performance last year, besides the new coach, it allowed the Cards the first overall pick. They used it to grab potential franchise QB Kyler Murray. Murray's going to have some growing pains this year, no doubt about that, but he's got some pretty solid talent around him on offense to help out. David Johnson is a do everything kind of back, and Larry Fitzgerald is still going on what is a sure fire Hall of Fame career. Charles Clay was even brought in to add a little more depth to that offense. Defense will be a problem spot as they don't look very good on paper. Could be another rough go of it in Arizona this year.

NFC Title Game: Rams over Packers

AFC:
AFC East:
1. New England Patriots (12-4)*
Like this is going to be any different. New England is the defending Super Bowl Champions and are still the class of this division, having now won it 10 years in a row and 16 of the last 18 years. The biggest blow dealt to the Champs was the retirement of tight end Rob Gronkowski. He had been the go to for Tom Brady during his entire time in New England. Now, with Gronk gone, Ryan Izzo and Matt LaCosse are going to be the ones who have to figure out who picks up the slack. Tom Brady is still, well, Tom Brady, with no real signs of slowing down just yet. Sony Michel and James White will be carrying things out of the backfield, while Julian Edelman and a hopefully on full display Josh Gordon are going to make things tough for opposing defenses. On the flip side, New England's defense, the only thing that's missing is Trey Flowers, who left for Detroit. Other than that, the crew is exactly the same as a year ago. This should be the easiest division to predict as to who's going to take the crown.

2. New York Jets (9-7)
Last year's 4-12 finish is one that Gang Green is going to try and put behind them. New GM Joe Douglas and new Head Coach Adam Gase have a tall task at hand this year trying to build off of that performance. It's going to be a big one for the Jets. Sam Darnold is entering his second year as the starter and has some good weapons to work with. Le'Veon Bell was the big prize that the Jets snagged during the offseason. No doubt that he could be a great running back, but having missed all of last year due to the contract dispute, who knows how good of game shape he's going to be in this year. Ty Montgomery was also brought in from Green bay to sever as a support for Bell in the run game. New York's receiving core of Robbie Anderson and Quincy Enunwa are going to need to step up and prove they can hang with the best in this league. Once Chris Herndon comes back off his suspension, that adds another element of firepower to this team. What's going to be a major strength for the Jets is their defense. Quinnen Williams was taken third overall and joins Leonard Williams (no relation) on the line to make a pretty dangerous double threat.C. J. Mosley was added to the linebacker core, and with a solid secondary already in place, the Jets have a chance to really make a splash in the division this year.

3. Buffalo Bills (6-10)
Maybe seeing the Bills finishing with the same record they did last year is giving them too much credit. Josh Allen will be back under center and try and build off of last year, with a new look line in front of him. Spencer Long will take over at center, and for his sake, I hope Long can find his game because he didn't have it with the Jets last year. Cody Ford is also expected to have a good year on that line. LeSean McCoy isn't in Buffalo after a bad year last year, he was cut and went on to Kansas City. T. J. Yeldon and Frank Gore are getting the call to run the ball in Western New York, and hopefully both can find a footing. Cole Beasley is going to be the primary target in Buffalo along with john brown, both brought over in the free agent market. There's a slimmer of hope on offense for Buffalo. Its that defense that could be a bigger issue. Outside of Lorenzo Alexander, there's nothing really there. Could be another miserable football season for Buffalo this year.

4. Miami Dolphins (3-13)
Miami finished a game under .500 last year, and in 2nd place in the division. Now Adam Gase is in new York, with Brian Flores taking over as head coach. Looking at the roster, Miami will be lucky if they win three games this year. Ryan Fitzpatrick is the starting Quarterback, which should tell you a lot right there. Allen Hurns is the top receiving target. Let's face facts, the Dolphins are going to be a bad team this year.

AFC North:
1. Cleveland Browns (11-5)*
1989 is a long time to wait. That's the last time the Cleveland Browns won a division title. This year, they do that very thing. They finished a game under .500 last year, and just imagine how much better the team would have been had Baker Mayfield played the entire season. Now they have that chance, and with some new toys to play with. With new head coach Freddie Kitchens running the show, this Browns team could be very, very good. Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry have the team's top wideout positions locked down, making for a rough night for opposing secondary's. David Njoku is growing into a solid tight end and Nick Chubb will be getting the bulk fo the work load at running back. On the other side of the ball, Myles Garrett and Sheldon Richardson are going to be a real pain for the opposition to try and stop. Linebacker and Secondary units look pretty good and with the rest of the division looking like they're taking a little step back, who says this isn't within the relm of possibility.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) (WC)*
Finishing in 2nd place last year didn't leave a good taste in the Steelers mouth. Well, it looks like it might be much of the same story this year. They got off to a great start but faded down the stretch. And this year it looks like a different Steelers lineup./ Le'Von Bell is gone to the Jets, While Antonio Brown is a Raider (more on that later), so Ben Roethlisberger doesn't have his normal supporting cast. James Conor is going to get anopther go around as the featured back, coming off a fine year last year. JuJu Smith-Schuster stepped up as Big Ben's top target last year and willo be looked upon to do it again this year. Now he's got Donte Moncrief as his running mate and he should flourish in this system. Pittsburgh might be able to score, but its on defense where I think the Steelers are going to faulter. Nobody on the D really scares anybody and, at least on paper, they look average at best. Still with the way the rest of the league looks, it could be good enough to grab them a wild card spot.

3. Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
Baltimore won 10 games and the division last year, but this one is going to be different. This year is without a doubt Lamar Jackson's year, as Joe Flacco was traded to Denver. Jackson doesn't have much in the way of targets, as Willie Snead is his go to this season. Mark Ingram was brought on board to help out with the run game. That's really about it. It's the Ravens defense that took a big hit. Sure, Earl Thomas was brought in, but Terrell Suggs, C.J. Mosley, Eric Weddle and Za'Darius Smith are all gone, leaving the Ravens in search of a new defensive identity. That's going to cost the Ravens.

4. Cincinnati Bengals (5-11)
Marvin Lewis is out after seeing the Bengals go 6-10 last year. Zac Taylor takes over as coach and has a bit of a different look to this Bengals team. I feel like a broken record here but its the offense that has the positive weapons and the defense is lacking. Andy Dalton needs to stay healthy, and if he can, he's got some good weapons to play with. AJ Green is a dangerous wideout, and Tyler Eifert is one of the more solid pass catching tight ends in the game. With Joe Mixon running the ball out of the backfield, you got something that you could go with in Cincy. OK sure, that defense still features Geno Atkins on a strong line, but that's really it. One other positive is that Vontaze Burfect is now the Raiders headache (more on that later). Could be another long season in Cincy.

AFC South:
1. Houston Texans (10-6)*
Last year saw the Texans will 11 games and the division crown, but that didn't mean squat in the playoffs as they were knocked off by the division rival Colts. This year, they may take a slight step backwards, but they're still good enough to take the South crown for the 2nd year in a row. And why not, there's a lot to feel good about in Houston. DeShaun Watson is the real deal under center and can only get better from here. He's got one of the top three wideouts in football in DeAndre Hopkins to throw to. Put him with Will Fuller and Kenny Stills, the Texans have a great trio to catch passes. Carlos Hyde could be looking at a solid work load with Lamar Miller out hurt at the start of the year, but once he comes back, it 's going to make the Texans that much deeper. With JJ Watt leading that feared defense, Houston will have no problem winning the division this year.

2. Indianapolis Colts (9-7)
With the year that Indy had last year, this is going to be a big step back. There's a reason for that, no Andrew Luck this year, having retired from football. Now with Luck not there, Jacoby Brissett is going to have some pretty big shoes to fill taking over for Andrew Luck under center. He won't be as good as Luck was but he should be solid never the less. He did alright for himself last year. He's got Marlon Mack in the backfield with him, a guy who's on his way up. Then there's TY Hilton, who's arguably one of the top pass catchers in all of football, while Devin Funchess is a decent two option. Then you have Eric Ebron at tight end who's going to make a little noise this year as well. The Indy D can hold its own, just like they did last year. The only thing that's really going to change in Indy and maybe set them back a step or two is not having Andrew Luck under center. Brissett is a good QB but he and Luck operated at different levels and its a bit of a downgrade.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8)
Jacksonville is coming off a 5-11 year last year and a last place finish in this division. This year will be a bounce back season. Blake Bortles is out and is replace with Nick Foles. Should make for an interesting switch but a big improvement under center, as Foles won a Super Bowl, so he knows how to perform in big games. Worth noting, at least from Foles point of view, is that there aren't top end pass catchers to really work with in Jacksonville. Foles top targets are going to be Marqise Lee and Dede Westbrook. So that means that this Jags offense will likely attempt to lean on Leonard Fournette and the run game. Lee and Westbrook figure to be the primary options, but the receivers behind them haven't shown they can be consistently impactful at the NFL level. On the other side of the coin, Calais Campbell and Marcell Dareus will anchor things up front. To add to this group is the 7th overall pick Josh Allen, who provides some high-end talent to help cover the departure of Malik Jackson. Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye should once again be one of the top cornerback duos in the NFL. This could help get them to finish around the .500 mark for the year.

4. Tennessee Titans (6-10)
There's no question that, when he's healthy, Marcus Mariotta has the ability to be a franchise quarterback. But because of his injury riddled past, the Titans have a better insurance policy with the arrival of Ryan Tannehill, but also the possibility of a quarterback controversy. There's also a substantial question mark on the edge after Brian Orakpo retired and Derrick Morgan left, although the arrival of veteran Cameron Wake should help. But with how tight;y packed this division is, there's almost no room for error on the Titans part. They have to play almost perfect football (by there standards with what they have) to make it to January.

AFC West:
1. Kansas City Chiefs (13-3)*
Going to the AFC title game with a 12-4 record wasn't good enough for Kansas City last year, as they will try and improve upon that this year. They have a very good chance of doing that. League MVP Patrick Mahomes is back under center and will only get better compared to what he did a year ago.He still has Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill to throw to in the passing game, along with a hopefully healthy Sammy Watkins, who's looking to reestablish himself as a possible major threat in this game. Carlos Hyde was brought in to probably split snaps with LeSean McCoy in the backfield, which adds another level of dynamics to this offense. The defense can still be a force in the AFC, keeping the Chiefs as one of the powers in the conference and a major threat at winning the Super Bowl.

2. Los Angeles Chargers (12-4) (WC)*
12 wins was good enough for a Wild Card spot last year for the Chargers, who were off the charts good, but couldn't quite get it done in the playoffs. Playing in a soccer stadium didn't help there cause last year, but there's no secret now that the Chargers are going to be good again this year. Philip Rivers still has a little bit left in the tank to be able to lead this team. He's got some good help in the pass game, with Keenan Allen and Travis Benjamin flagging passes. But there is a bit of a snag. Melvin Gordon is coming off his third straight campaign with over 1,300 yards from scrimmage last year, but with the fact that he's still in a holdout for who knows how long will hurt this offense a little bit. Austin Ekeler will have to take over the leg work till things get ironed out with Gordon. Joey Bosa still leads a very scary defense that's going to be a power yet again in this division. Hell I'll go so far as to say, if things break right, they could be in serious contention for the Conference.

3. Denver Broncos (6-10)
After finishing with six wins a year ago, Vance Joseph is now out of a job, being replaced by Vic Fangio. He's going to try and lead Denver back to a reasonable team, but there's a problem. Joe Flacco isn't a substantial upgrade over Case Keenum, and the Broncos remain stuck in the same rut—not a terrible team, but not one that can be taken seriously as a playoff contender either. Emmanuel Sanders is still his primary target, but where else is he going to throw to? He does have help in Phillip Lindsay, who's going to be good again this year. Von Miller and Bradley Chubb are still scary to deal with on defense and could be a middle of the pack overall unit. Overall, doesn't look like the Broncos are going to improve from last year.

4. Oakland Raiders (5-11)
Four wins. That's what the Raiders managed a year ago. They improved a little, on paper, by adding Antonio Brown. That's just on paper. What's actually happened this offseason has been a circus and that's putting it nicely. He's in the lineup, but who knows how long this possible peace could last with this team. Isaiah Crowell was also added to help the team, but with his injury, Doug martin is going to get plenty of playing time at the start of the year. For the Raiders to go anywhere when it comes to putting points on the board, Derek Carr has to play the way he did as a rookie. The defense is average at best. Oakland could have an interesting year.

AFC Championship Game: Chiefs over Patriots

Super Bowl 51: Rams over Chiefs!