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IS THIS THE LIONS' YEAR? |
WHY DID THE ASTROS TRADE KYLE TUCKER? |
DOES SOTO MAKE THE METS N.L FAVORITES? |
DID THE OREGON DUCKS GET A RAW DEAL?? |
NFL EXPANSION-SAN ANTONIO |
WE PICK THE AFC PLAYOFF TEAMS |
Jayden Daniels finished a great Washington comeback with a go-ahead Touchdown in the final minute to secure the victory over the Eagles
The Commanders were lucky in many ways, surviving a game in which they committed 5 total turnovers yet still managed the victory.
They had some injury luck at the expense of the Eagles as well, as starting QB Jalen Hurts went down with a concussion early and never returned to the game.
Both of these teams should be in the playoffs, and if the current playoff positions hold up, this could make for a very interesting first-round rematch.
The Cowboys may have been eliminated from the playoffs, but they are back healthy on defense and playing well on offense.
The Dallas pash rush and pass defense had Baker Mayfield scrambling for his life all game, and kept the powerful Bucs offense down for a 26-24 victory.
This was a game that the Bucs really needed to keep pace with the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South, now they must win out and then hope for some help and some Falcons losses
Great AFC Divisional matchup as the Ravens sought to avenge an earlier defeat at Pittsburgh in which nothing really went right.
This time, Lamar Jackson played up to his MVP form and the Ravens won 34-17, tying the Steelers at 10-5 and making that AFC North race really interesting.
NFL games are great, and this game turned in a span of about 1 minute, as it looked like the Steelers could come back trailing by 7 and they picked off Lamar in the red zone.
Just a few plays later, an errant Russell Wilson throw and a PICK SIX return for the Ravens and the lead was 14 and the game was effectively over.
The Steelers and Ravens are tied for the AFC North with two games to play, unfortunately for the Steelers it does not get any easier as they face the CHIEFS on Christmas Day.
The Ravens have the far easier path, traveling to Houston to face the injury-depleted Texans.
ONE PLAY.
Just like the PICK SIX in the Steelers-Ravens game, one play in the Texans-Chiefs game made the difference and that was the TANK DELL horrific injury on a Touchdown pass
DELL made a great touchdown catch in the back of the end zone to make the game 17-16 and for some reason a Texans teammate crashed into Dell effectively destroying Dell's knee
The Texans were never the same after that, looking lost and playing erratically as the Chiefs won 27-19.
The Texans also lost a few offensive linemen to injury, and combined with losing Stefon Diggs for the season earlier in the year, seem to be the easy first-round exit team of this year's playoffs
A great battle between Bo Nix and Justin Herbert as the Chargers hosted the Broncos in a great AFC West divisional matchup
This game was a complete Tale of Two Halves as the Broncos dominated the first half, surging out to a 21-10 lead with less than one minute to go.
And right before the half ended, an odd combination of poor time management, a penalty that should NOT have been called
(the call for fair catch interference, the Broncos player was blocked INTO the return man.)
This set up a play we had never seen before, a fair catch free kick in which the Chargers' kicker "Dicker the Kicker" made a 57-yard field goal to reduce the lead to 21-13
This seemed to be the catalyst for an all Chargers second half as the Bolts scored 21 points in the second half to win it 34-27
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So, to be clear, just understand that we are not recommending that they make the Super Bowl a national holiday. We DO love football, but come on.
But, as a parent of middle school aged kids, it is always difficult to attend much less throw a Super Bowl party and then be ready for school and work on Monday morning
We did it ONCE, and that did not end well
But, we think that the NFL is moving towards a new NFL schedule that would push Super Bowl Sunday to the Sunday before President's Day, which is a Federal holiday
The Recent expansion to a 17-game schedule was one step towards the NFL schedule expansion that could ultimately lead to an 18-game regular season.
Assuming that the season starts at the same time, the addition of one more week would put the Super Bowl around February 9th which would be the day before the President's Day holiday
This is one idea, we also wonder if the NFL should consider breaking with tradition and move the Super Bowl to Saturday
We expect that this will take a few years, and approval to expand the schedule must pass the NFLPA, but this change would mean more money for all parties involved, and create a great holiday weekend for the Super Bowl going forward.
| SEED | TEAM |
|---|---|
| 1 |
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS |
| 2 |
BUFFALO BILLS |
| 3 |
PITTSBURGH STEELERS |
| 4 |
HOUSTON TEXANS |
| 5 |
BALTIMORE RAVENS |
6 |
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS |
| 7 |
DENVER BRONCOS |
| SEED | TEAM |
|---|---|
| 1 |
DETROIT LIONS |
| 2 |
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES |
| 3 |
LOS ANGELES RAMS |
| 4 |
ATLANTA FALCONS |
| 5 |
MINNESOTA VIKINGS |
| 6 |
GREEN BAY PACKERS |
| 7 |
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS |
Our money would still be on the Los Angeles Dodgers, but there is no arguing that Juan Soto signing with the Mets puts the Mets in the National League race.
Soto and Lindor provide huge left-handed power at the top of the lineup, but there is still a lack of pitching if the Mets intend to compete with the Dodgers
If nothing else, the Mets should be favored for the National League East with the Braves losing starting pitcher Max Fried to the Yankees
If the Mets can make some additional moves, such as aquiring a front-line starting pitcher then they make the NL power structure really interesting
We cannot be impartial here, as we have been Astros fans so long we worked at the Astrodome back in the day. Yeah, we're old, shut up.
Kyle Tucker is a great player who adds great offense and defense to any team, but we think for the Astros' current situation, he was simply the odd man out.
Tucker was part of the 2022 World Series Championship team, but does not have the same level of fan connection that a player like Alex Bregman does, who has been there since the 2016 season.
If the Astros are able to re-sign Bregman, then a Kyle Tucker trade makes sense, considering he will be a free agent next season and will command a salary the Astros will not want to pay.
From the strategy of competing within the American League, with all trade factors being equal, we think the Astros were smart dealing Tucker to the Cubs, not to the League-rival Yankees. This move could have haunted Houston for years.
Here are a few of the coaches we believe to be on the hot seat for 2024
Eberflus and Dennis Allen were on this list earlier this season, so we might be jinxing these remaining few coaches.
MIKE MCCARTHY- DALLAS COWBOYS.
We think McCarthy lost the team in last season's playoff defeat to the Green Bay Packers.
Not only were the Cowboys embarassed at home as 7-point favorites, but former Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn recruited several of his defensive players with him to Washington
McCarthy is not a terrible coach, but this was a terrible situation. We think Jerry Jones never really gave McCarthy the autonomy he needed to be effective.
DOUG PEDERSON - JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Another Super Bowl winning Head Coach who won with the Eagles in the 2017 season, and gave the world the famous "Philly special" play which is still copied to this day
We don't think it is Pederson's fault, we are not fans of the underachieving Trevor Lawrence, but with Lawrence resigned to a massive contract, he will stay as Pederson likely pays the price
MIKE MCDANIEL -MIAMI DOLPHINS
This one might surprise some people, and is the least likely, but we are not impressed with McDaniel beyond the occasional flashy plays
We are based in South Florida and really loved McDaniel when he came to the Dolphins because he opened up the offense and made them an exciting team again
The first problem we have with McDaniel is the Dolphins inability to beat good teams. Even with a healthy Tua playing, the Dolphins beat the bad teams and lose to the good teams. Bet on it
The second problem with him is how poorly the Dolphins played without Tua. If McDaniel is such an offensive mind, why didn't some of that playcalling magic translate to other Quarterbacks?
Compare how the Dolphins did without Tua to how well the Packers did (going 2-0) when Jordan Love was injured. This tells us that Matt LaFleur of the Packers is far more adaptive in aligning his schemes to his personnel.
McDaniel has done a great job getting the most out of Tua, but his overall head coaching skills are very suspect.
Yes, yes, we realize that the NFL season is only the halfway point, but this is just speculative.
We felt all season that the Chiefs were vulnerable, with a less-than-perfect offense scoring only about 22-24 points per game.
Adding DeAndre Hopkins now give Mahomes two All-Pro caliber receiving targets to pair with one of the league's top defensive units, and probably a Hall of Fame caliber Defensive coordinator in Steve Spagnuolo
Looking at contenders in the AFC, they all have serious flaws:
The Ravens, typically dominant in the regular season, are 6-3 but have been very inconsistent from week to week.
One week, they beat rookie phenom Jayden Daniels and then Baker Mayfield and follow that up by losing to Jameis Winston and the Browns (no offense)
The Texans, preseason favorites for many (including us) have underwhelmed and the offensive scheme needs to be adjusted to compensate for poor pass protection.
The Texans are currently without 2 of their top 3 receivers, with Stefon Diggs out for the season.
We also don't trust the Bills, even with Josh Allen protecting the ball far better this season and Cook running like a maniac all over the place.
Realistically, there is only one true threat to the Chiefs, and that is the Detroit Lions in the NFC.
The Lions are to the NFL what the pre-2000s Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox were to baseball. A team with devoted, passionate fans with teams that somehow just don't finish.
In our power rankings, we have the Lions 1 and the Chiefs 2 this week, but the Lions have a very difficult history, just ask any diehard Lions fan
They won't publicly admit it, but I know many Lions fans are waiting for something bad to happen (as it always seems to do)
So, back to our earlier question, if the Chiefs are able to go undefeated and win the Super Bowl, to complete the elusive three-peat, are they the best team in NFL history?
As someone with family ties to the 1972 Dolphins team, the only team to go undefeated in NFL history, I have always hoped that no other team could match that undefeated mark.
But if the Chiefs manage that, go undefeated and complete the three-peat, I would without question have to say they are the best team/dynasty in NFL History
And then, after that, could Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid just RETIRE ALREADY and let the other teams have a shot at this damn thing??
The NFL is clearly eyeing expansion, especially considering that the last team added was the Houston Texans in 2002.
We see that they are looking hard at Europe, but are slowly building up a following mostly in London, where we would expect them to add a minimum of 2 teams.
Closer to home, we have a few recommended cities that the Expansion committee should consider and we will make the case for them here in these rotating articles
WHY WOULD THE SAN ANTONIO/AUSTIN MARKET BE GOOD FOR THE NFL?
First of all, we lived in San Antonio for 5 years so we know firsthand that this is a good football market. For all the cliches about Texas, the state loves football and should have more than just the 2 existing football teams.
The combined population of San Antonio and Austin (approximately one hour drive away from each other) is over 5.2 Million people
Both cities are highly desirable areas to live, and San Antonio especially is a major tourist city with all of the necessary infrastructure to handle large numbers of visitors for NFL games.
The Riverwalk, Alamo, Tower of the Americas and other tourist draws are very popular, and San Antonio is already the host city for major events such as the NCAA Final Four in April of 2025.
San Antonio already has a stadium that could serve as a temporary home for NFL games (The Alamodome), until a more updated NFL stadium could be constructed.
The location of the Alamodome is perfect as it is walking distance from the Downtown Riverwalk and tourist areas. We attended 2 NFL games there when San Antonio served as the post-Katrina temporary home of the New Orleans Saints.
Back in 2005 I attended my first Detroit Lions' road game (as a friend of Lions' fans, not a fan myself) and I saw two Lions fans wearing a shirt that said:
DETROIT LIONS: Rebuilding since 1957
Naturally, I had to ask my Lions fan friends what that meant and thats' when I heard all about the Curse of Bobby Layne and the fact that the Lions had not won since 1957
Now, that predates the Super Bowl era by 10 years and probably most of you reading this article, so that is a really long time.
And if you study it more closely, the Lions' history has been a painful series of heartbreaking losses, truly miserable teams and then losing games when they finally have a great opportunity
The 2023 NFC Championship game was one of those Lions typical losses. With a 14 point lead, not taking a sure field goal and going for it on 4th down seems like the "MANLY" thing to do, but it (likely) cost the Lions their first trip to the Super Bowl.
We actually believe that legacy is the only thing preventing this team from getting the Number One seed and making it to their first Super Bowl.
This is by far the best roster that the Lions have ever had. The offensive balance is unmatched, and the job Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn is doing on defense is commendable.
For a high-powered, indoor team, however, it is absolutely imperative that the Lions secure that number one seed and get home field throughout the playoffs. I think with the rabid Ford Field fans behind them, this will be the year that the Lions make their first Super Bowl in franchise history.
Creating the 12-team playoff, the idea was to eliminate a lot of the controversy around the teams who made it or did not.
In theory, the Number one ranked team should have an advantage and a clearer path to the National Championship.
As the number one team, it is very possible that the Oregon Ducks may have to go through Ohio State, Texas, and Georgia to win the Championship.
On the other hand, the team that OREGON beat in the Big 10 championship (PENN STATE) has 11th-ranked SMU in the first round and if they win, 12th Ranked Boise State.
We are barely past the halfway point in the season, so why are we giving our playoff forecast now?
It's always fun to be wrong and then get criticized by everyone else
So without any further ado, is that how they say it? We will start with our projected Number 7 seed:
7 - DENVER BRONCOS
The Broncos are currently an unimpressive 5-5 but their last two games were on the road at Baltimore and at Kansas City. At KC they were victimized by a blocked Field goal that would have been the margin of victory
We absolutely love the Broncos defense, and Sean Payton has done a masterful job with Bo Nix in his rookie season. And while Nix is no Jayden Daniels, he has had a quietly impressive rookie campaign
6- PITTSBURGH STEELERS
The Steelers are in first place in the AFC North, but we project that the Ravens will overtake them as the Steelers' schedule gets really difficult in the second half of the season.
The Steelers still have to play the Ravens and Bengals twice, plus the Chiefs and the Eagles (ouch), so we see them slipping to the AFC Sixth seed.
5- LA CHARGERS
We thought this season would be more of a rebuilding campaign for new coach Jim Harbaugh, but instead the Chargers are the under the radar team to watch out for in the AFC.
They are similar to the Steelers, however, in that their schedule has been light early on, so maybe they will dip as the opponents get tougher. But we love the defense, the running game and the fact that Herbert has not had to win games by himself.
4- HOUSTON TEXANS
One of our favorites going in to the season, The Texans just seem to be lacking something. While 6-4 does not sound like a disappointment, this team simply does not look like it is ready for a deep playoff run.
The defense has been outstanding, along with RB Joe Mixon who has been fantastic. The shortcomings are the passing game and more specifically, the offensive line which has not been able to protect CJ Stroud all season.
3- BALTIMORE RAVENS
We thought the Ravens were the best AFC team in 2023, despite losing to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship. This season, they are likely even better on offense with the addition of powerful RB Derrick Henry.
If the Texans' problem is offense, the Ravens major weakness has been a defense that is no longer one of the elite units in the NFL.
Now, before we project the Number Two and One seeds, let us just say that the WEEK 11 game between these Chiefs and Buffalo Bills will ultimately decide who gets what seed
2 - BUFFALO BILLS
So, the Bills did the hard part by beating the Chiefs to get within one game of the top seed, only to lose at the Rams to now drop to two games back.
Of the current teams, the Bills have the best chance of beating the Chiefs, even if their postseason record has not been great. They have been in a position to win many of those games, especially the 13-second game, the 2021 Divisional playoff.
With just four games left, and two behind, it is highly unlikely the Bills can catch the Chiefs for the number one seed.
1 - KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Yeah, we know, we are picking against Kansas City again, but just looking at this team we do not see a dominant unit that should still be undefeated at 9-0
There are at least THREE games that the Chiefs should have lost this season, and we think they fall short in Week 11 to our number one seed projection:
The NFL has been building up for international expansion with games in London going back to 2007 when the International Series was launched.
We see that they are looking hard at Europe, but are slowly building up a following mostly in London, where we would expect them to add a minimum of 2 teams.
We think that 2 teams are necessary to help balance out some of the difficult travel that will be required for these London teams.
With two teams, the NFL could also build up a healthy in-city rivalry such as the UK already has with its other Football teams (what we call Soccer here in the States)
We have suspected for years that the Jacksonville Jaguars are being set up to eventually relocate to London. There are two reasons for this suspicion:
The most obvious reason is that the Jaguars' owner is actually the brother of the Mayor of the City of London. SERIOUSLY.
Secondly, the Jaguars are the only team that plays two games in London every season, and it has become a second home of sorts for the team.
And finally, and with apologies to DUVAL fans, we don't think that the Jacksonville market is ideal for an NFL franchise. We think the NFL understands this, and would welcome a move to help them start their international expansion
| 1 EAGLES |
2 BILLS |
| 3 LIONS |
4 CHIEFS |
| 5 PACKERS |
6 VIKINGS |
| 7 STEELERS |
8 RAVENS |
| 9 BUCCANEERS |
10 TEXANS |
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Copyright Spirit Sports Consultants 2024
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