BY: Tony LiebertThis year's NFL season has been nothing short of entertaining. The playoffs have came in gone with a lot of excitement and controversy and now it's time for the Super Bowl. Super Bowl LII, Sunday, February 3rd - 5:30 P.M. Los Angeles Rams V.S. New England Patriots LOS ANGELES RAMS Last season the Rams finished 11-5 and lost to the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of the playoffs while having, the coach of the year and the start of a great young football team led by second year QB Jared Goff. In the offseason the Rams decided that they wanted to go "all in" for this season... Literally ALL IN. They made a lot of moves. TRADED ILB ALEC OGLETREE Rams Received: 2018 fourth-round pick, 2018 sixth-round pick Giants Received: Linebacker Alec Ogletree and 2019 seventh-round pick TRADED DE ROBERT QUINN: Rams Received: 2018 fourth-round pick, 2018 sixth-round pick Dolphins Received: Defensive end Robert Quinn, 2018 sixth-round pick EXTENDED RB TODD GURLEY The Rams signed Gurley to a four-year contract extension worth up to $57.5 million with $45 million guaranteed. CHOSE DB LAMARCUS JOYNER OVER WR SAMMY WATKINS The Rams franchise-tagged safety Joyner for one year at $11.3 million and let Watkins walk in free agency. RE-SIGNED C JOHN SULLIVAN The Rams signed Sullivan to a two-year, $10.75 million contract with $5.25 million guaranteed. TRADED FOR CB MARCUS PETERS Rams Received: Cornerback Marcus Peters, 2018 sixth-round pick Chiefs Received: 2019 second-round pick, 2018 fourth-round pick TRADED FOR CB AQIB TALIB Rams Received: Cornerback Aqib Talib Broncos Received: 2018 fifth-round pick SIGNED FREE AGENT CB SAM SHIELDS The Rams signed cornerback Sam Shields to a one-year, $1 million deal. TRADED FOR (AND EXTENDED) WR BRANDIN COOKS Rams Received: Receiver Brandin Cooks, 2018 fourth-round pick Patriots Received: 2018 first-round pick, 2018 sixth-round pick The Rams then extended Cooks at $16 million annually for five years, this was exact annual value that Sammy Watkins got for three years in Kansas City. SIGNED FREE AGENT DT NDAMUKONG SUH The Rams signed Ndamukong Suh to a one-year, $14 million deal. EXTENDED DT AARON DONALD The Rams signed Aaron Donald to a six-year extension worth as much as $135 million, with $86.9 million guaranteed. I could obviously tell you that each of these moves were, genius and the Rams are so smart, but they really just got all of the good players that were available, and extended the good players they already had.... and their in the Super Bowl now, so it definitely worked. This season, the Rams' strength is their dynamic offense. Their offense is led by All-Pro running back Todd Gurley, who has 1,800+ total yards from offense and 27 total touchdowns. Gurley in the playoffs has not been the same running back, he only has 131 total yards and two touchdowns in two games. During Gurley's struggles newly acquired RB C.J. Anderson has stepped in and given the Rams productive carries. He has 493 total yards from scrimmage in the last four games for the Rams. And the Rams will try to establish their running game on Sunday. To go along with their elite level running game the Rams also have have one of the most talented passing attacks in the league. Led by California born third year quarterback Jared Goff who is surrounded by athletic receivers, Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods. The Rams did loose talented slot receiver Cooper Kupp to a torn ACL earlier in the season, which has proven to slightly slow down their offense. The Rams will look to get their receivers the ball in all the ways possible, jet sweeps, on the outside, and obviously deep balls. I expect Sean McVay to throw some new wrinkles at Bill Belichick and the Patriots. On the other side of the ball the Rams have one of the most talented defenses in the league. They're led by their defensive line, Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh, Michael Brockers, and Dante Fowler Jr. They also have very athletic linebackers, Cory Littleton and Mark Barron. Lastly they have one of the most talented defensive backfields in the league which includes, corners Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib, and ball hawking safety LaMarcus Joyner. The Rams will obviously look to slow down the Patriots veteran offense. The difference in this game and every football game is lineman play. The Rams offensive line is experienced and talented. They are headlined by 13 year veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth, who is coming off his first two career playoff wins, and can handle any pass rusher the Patriots throw at him. The Rams also have veteran center John Sullivan, talented guards Rodger Saffold, and Austin Blythe, lastly the Rams have talented right tackle Rob Havenstein. I expect the big dogs up front to show up in the big game. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS The Patriots come off of a season where they lost to Nick Foles and the Eagles in last years Super Bowl. They obviously weren't too happy about that. The Patriots are always going "all in" so they really only had two big moves in the offseason. They traded wide receiver Brandin Cooks to the... Rams which clearly hurt their passing game and improved LA's. Their other big move was the selection of running back Sony Michel in the first round of the NFL draft. Michel has dramatically improved the Patriots running game, and helped people forget about their sub-par passing game. The strongest part of the Patriots offense is their running game. Sony Michel, in games where he has been healthy and received a full workload he has average 94 yards a game. Where he had gotten 11 touchdowns in those games. Over the past couple of weeks Rex Burkhead has been integrated into the game very strongly and given the Patriots quality carries. Even utility man Cordarrelle Patterson has given the Pats great run. The Patriots running game is able to be productive due to their strong offensive line. Led by tackles, Marcus Cannon and Trent Brown, guards, Shaq Mason and Joe Thuney, and lastly center David Andrews. I expect New England's running game to be a big part of Sunday's matchup. The Patriots passing game has been one of the weakest in the "Brady Belichick era." Don't get me wrong Tom Brady is still playing at an elite level and especially in the playoffs. But weapons of Julian Edelman, and banged up Gronk, and Chris Hogan is not very intriguing. A large part in the Patriots passing game has been James White. White had a game earlier in the playoffs where he tied the record for most receptions in a single playoff game with 15 catches. IF the Patriots can get their passing game going, they will always be tough to beat. I think the strongest part of the Patriots team is their defense. Their defense is led by cornerback Stephon Gilmore who led the NFL this season in pass breakups. They also have the McCourty twins Devin and Jason lurking in the defensive backfield. They next have underrated linebacker Kyle Van Noy, and veteran one Dont'a Hightower, lastly their defensive line is led by under the radar pass rusher Trey Flowers. I think the Patriots defense is extremely underrated and it will be a deciding factor in this game. PREDICTION The biggest deciding factor in this game will be offensive line play. I expect the Rams' veteran led offensive line to be able to handle the underrated Patriots defense. I also believe that the Rams elite defensive line will be too much to handle for the relatively average Patriots O-Line. Due to that C.J. Anderson and Todd Gurley will be able to get going and the Rams offense will be firing on all cylinders. I think the Patriots wildly mediocre passing attack will struggle against the Rams ball hawking corners and the Patriots will struggle to get going. I expect the G.O.A.T to be able to keep the game close but the Rams will still outlast the Patriots. Rams: 30 Patriots: 21
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BY: Tony LiebertI could bore you with my predictions for each award and tell you that Andrew Luck will win comeback player of the year, Matt Nagy will win coach of the year, Saquon Barkley will win offensive ROTY, Darius Leonard will win defensive ROTY, Aaron Donald defensive POTY, and Patrick Mahomes will win offensive POTY and MVP. Instead I'm gonna tell you people that I think legitimately deserved more recognition for each award respectively. Comeback Player of the Year Adrian Peterson, RB, Washington Redskins Last season at the age of 32, Peterson suffered a season ending neck-injury late in the season while he was on the Arizona Cardinals. The majority of the league just assumed this was the end of Peterson's career. The Cardinals were Adrian's third team, 32 is way too old for a running back, and a neck injury of any extent is hard to come back from. Adrian thought otherwise. The Washington Redskins' newly acquired rookie running back Derrius Guice had torn his ACL in the preseason, and Peterson got a call. Adrian had a monster year, he had multiple 100 yard rushing games. Peterson finished the season with 1200+ yards from scrimmage and 13 total touchdowns. For a running back to come back from a neck injury and as dominant as Peterson was while being 33 years old is just downright ridiculous. Coach of the Year Bill Belichick, New England Patriots This season has arguably been Belichick's best work. The Patriots obviously have the greatest QB of all time in Tom Brady, but the job Belichick has done by getting the Patriots back to the Superbowl, with everything they have been through this season, such as having little to no weapons for the 41 year old Tom Brady to pass to. And then for his best weapon Rob Gronkowski spending the whole season looking very old, and warn down. Then for Belichick to adapt and no have the best running game in the league in the playoffs proves why, he is the greatest coach of all time... NO ARGUMENT. Giving the Coach of the Year award to Belichick is similar to the MVP award to LeBron. They are both the best at their craft in the whole league, it would just get boring to give it to them every year. Offensive Rookie of the Year Quenton Nelson, OG, Indianapolis Colts No I don't think Nelson should win rookie of the year, but I think he deserves recognition. Quenton Nelson this season had arguably one of the greatest seasons by a rookie offensive lineman of all time. I obviously can't tell you any stats that warrants him consideration for rookie of the year, but the tape shows that he deserves legitimate consideration. As a message to the majority of NFL fans, you need to appreciate great lineman play, and realize lineman play wins football games. Defensive Rookie of the Year Darius Leonard, ILB, Indianapolis Colts Leonard is really not under the radar for defensive ROTY award, but I think he deserves more praise. For him to not be on the Pro Bowl roster was just downright absurd. Leonard came into this years draft and was not very well known as a prospect. He was later selected 36th overall. In an article titled "NFL Draft 2018 Results: Reviewing This Year's Worst Picks" Bleacher Reports own Justis Mosqueda said, The Indianapolis Colts' selection of South Carolina State linebacker Darius Leonard with the fourth pick in the second round was one of the draft's worst moves. They took four second-rounders, so they had plenty of room for error, but this one stands out as a head-scratcher. After those expectations Leonard came in and led the league in tackles while also having 7 sacks, and for Leonard to not publicly have to award won, is to quote Justis Mosqueda, "Head Scratching." Offensive Player of the Year DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans This season DeAndre Hopkins asserted himself as the best wide receiver in the entire NFL. Hopkins finished the year with 115 catches (third in league), 1,572 yards (second in league), and 11 touchdowns (fifth in league). I think the most ridiculous stat that Hopkins achieved this season was, that according to Pro Football Focus he played 99.3 of the Texans' possible snaps, and zero drops... yes, ZERO, I think that should tell you enough. Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore, CB, New England Patriots I think that Gilmore's success is a big reason why the Patriots are once again playing in the Super Bowl this Sunday. Gilmore is on a team that plays the most man coverage in the NFL, which can be a tough task for cornerbacks. With being out on an island most of the game, Gilmore produced 18 pass breakups which was the most in the NFL and five more than second place. I think in the modern NFL great defensive backs are what make a defense so good, and I think Gilmore was the best corner in the NFL this season. MVP Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams Patrick Mahomes obviously deserves to win MVP and will win it. For a QB to throw for 5,000+ yards and 50 touchdowns in their first season is just ridiculous. But for Aaron Donald to have 20.5 sacks from the interior defensive line position is not appreciated enough. I don't think you can really appreciate those numbers unless you have played football in the trenches. I can remember personally that I would break through the line in a split second and youth football, and the QB would still roll out of the pocket and avoid the sack. I know this is obviously a much smaller extent, but I think it helps appreciate how truly difficult it is to get to the quarterback from the interior position. I think that Donald and more position players deserve consideration for the MVP award, and not for a quarterback to win the award every season. BY: Tony LiebertNot Giannis Antetokounmpo, not Anthony Davis, not Joel Embiid. Luka Dončić will be the future of the NBA. This is a photo of young Luka Doncic (in the green) celebrating with the future NBA player Goran Dragic and the Slovenian National team after a tournament victory. YOUTH CAREERAmatuer Career When Luka was 13 years old he signed a five-year contract with spanish Basketball club Real Madrid. Luka immediately standing out on the under-16 team. In 2013 he led Real Madrid to a Minicopa Endesa (end of the year national tournament between youth teams) win, while averaging 24.5 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and 6 steals per game. In the 2014 season Dončić mainly played with Real Madrid's under-18 team and reserve team. Where he averaged 13.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists, helping them win Group B of the Liga EBA, (the amateur fourth-division of Spanish basketball). By the end of the season, he earned all-league honorable mention accolades from the basketball website Eurobasket.com. In 2015 Luka won the under-18 Ciutat de L'Hospitalet Tournament and was selected to the All-Tournament Team, despite being two years younger than the rest of the team. In May of 2015, he also won the under-18 Next Generation Tournament, for which he was selected MVP after defeating defending champions Crvena zvezda Belgrade in the final. So he basically was the LeBron James of Europe in Middle/High School. PROFESSIONAL EUROPEAN CAREERReal Madrid Career On April 30, 2015, Dončić made his professional debut for Real Madrid in the Liga ACB. At 16 years, 2 months, and 2 days of age, he became the youngest player to ever play for Real Madrid in the ACB and the third-youngest in league history, only behind Ricky Rubio and Ángel Rebolo. He started out really slow his first season, only appearing in five games. In the 2016 season, at age 16, he debuted in the EuroLeague, becoming one of the first players in that league to debut before the age of 17. Through 39 games in the ACB season, he averaged 4.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. In 12 EuroLeague games, he recorded 3.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. In the 2017 season, Dončić began to get more playing time. On December 22 he was named MVP of the Round in the EuroLeague (player of the week), becoming the youngest player to ever do so, and he later in the same season he got the same award again. In the EuroLeague Playoffs on April 26 in a game against Darüşşafaka Luka played very well and shared MVP of the Round accolades with two other players. After leading Real Madrid to a EuroLeague Final Four berth. Dončić averaged 7.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3 assists that season. He was named EuroLeague Rising Star by a unanimous vote and also claimed the ACB Best Young Player Award. Slovenian National Team Career Between the 2017 and 2018 season for Real Madrid, Dončić led the Slovenian national team to their first EuroBasket title ever while averaging 14.1 points, 8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while being only 17 years old. While his teammate, Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragić took home MVP honors. Dragić after the tournament was quoted to have some strong words about Dončić, "He's a born winner. No, I'm not kidding, he already has a lot of trophies, and medals. I'm happy for him. Mark my words, he's going to be one of the best in the whole world." In 2018, Luka received a starting spot for Real Madrid after the team's star player Sergio Llull suffered a torn ACL. In October, Dončić was named EuroLeague MVP of the Round after erupting for 27 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. He was named MVP of the Round again two days later. At the end of October, he earned EuroLeague MVP of the month honors, becoming the youngest player to ever win the award. Following a 24-point outburst in 22 minutes versus Movistar Estudiantes on December 31, he was selected as Player of the Round in the ACB. He was later named ACB Player of the Month for December, becoming the youngest recipient ever. On May 9, he recorded the first triple-double in the ACB since the 2006–07 season and the seventh in league history. On May 20, he guided Real Madrid to a EuroLeague finals victory, then he was later named EuroLeague Final Four MVP. Dončić later won the EuroLeague MVP award, becoming the youngest winner ever, after averaging 16 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in the 2017 season. He also repeated as the EuroLeague Rising Star, becoming the third back-to-back winner of the award. Dončić also earned the ACB Best Young Player and MVP accolades, after helping his team defeat Kirolbet Baskonia in the league finals. On June 29, 2018, he parted ways with Real Madrid... So he was basically the most accomplished European athlete of all time before he turned 18. NBA CAREERNBA Draft Luka Dončić came into the 2018 NBA draft as arguably the most hyped European prospect of all time. Then three teams passed on Dončić. DeAndre Ayton, and Marvin Bagley III were first and second overall while, Luka was drafted third overall and then shortly traded to the Dallas Mavericks for a future pick and Trae Young. Rookie Season Dončić did not compete in the NBA Summer League, after a long season with Real Madrid. When the NBA season began you could tell that the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, and especially the Atlanta Hawks all regret passing on Luka. So far this season Dončić has averaged 19.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists a game, while only playing 32 minutes a game. Compared to LeBron James and Michael Jordan's rookie years. LeBron (19 years old) - 20.9 points, 5.5 assists, and 5.5 rebounds in 39.5 minutes per game Michael (21 years old) -28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in 38.3 minutes per game Recently on the 21st of January Luka became the second youngest player ever to record a triple double, only behind Markelle Fultz. Luka's best game of the season was when he scored 34 points against the New Orleans Pelicans, on only 16 shot attempts. Luka has obviously been terrific this season with triple doubles, 30 point games, and buzzer beaters. Dončić is well on his way to becoming this seasons Rookie of the Year, and one of the best young players in the league. Why Luka is Different You can obviously tell that Luka is arguably the most decorated 19 year old athlete of all time, maybe only behind Pele. That is the main reason that I think Luka has the "CHANCE" to be the greatest basketball player of all time. He has already accomplished more than LeBron James, or Michael Jordan did before the age of 19. While they were playing in high school and the NCAA, Luka was playing with grown men in the second best basketball league in the world. Dončić has the perfect modern NBA game. He can create his shot at an elite level, while being able to draw fouls at a great pace. Luka also has the ability to rebound and pass the ball at an elite level similar to LeBron James. Luka also has the best mentor possible, Dirk Nowitzki who was in a similar situation to Luka. The only thing holding Luka back from being the greatest ever is that he is european. I don't think that the U.S. sports media would ever let a european be considered the "GOAT" If Luka stays on his current pace, he has the CHANCE to be the greatest ever.
BY: Tony LiebertThe 2019 Super Bowl has the potential to be one of the most anticipated ever. Rams V.S. Chiefs, Saints V.S. Patriots, Patriots V.S. Rams, or Chiefs V.S. Saints. Any of those matchups have the potential to be insane, and possibly one of the most hyped super bowls ever. Sunday, January 20th - 2:05 P.M. #2 Los Angeles Rams @ #1 New Orleans Saints The Rams and the Saints met earlier this season in week nine. In that matches the Saints defeated the Rams 45-35. This game was played in New Orleans, similar to this week's NFC championship game. This game was dominated by the Saints passing attack. Drew Brees threw for 346 yards and four touchdowns, along with Michael Thomas having 12 catches for 211 yards and one score. This was really the first game of the season that Todd Gurley struggled to get going, he only finished with 79 total yards and once touchdown. I think that this early season matchup will influence how Sean Payton and Sean McVay game plan this week dramatically. One of the biggest positional matchups of this game will be the Saints run defense against Todd Gurley, C.J. Anderson, and the Rams rushing offense. I think the main reason that Todd Gurley struggled so much earlier in the season was because of the Saints young defensive tackle, Sheldon Rankins. Rankins has been playing at an All-Pro level this season. He is one of the best pass rushing interior lineman in the whole NFL. He had eight sacks on the season from the interior position, which are great numbers from a defensive tackle. Rankins has also shown to be very strong in run defense with 12 tackles for loss, and 47 total tackles. The problem is, that Rankins suffered a torn achilles last week against the Eagles, and is now out for the season. I think this will be a tough loss for the Saints and play a large factor in this game. The other matchup I like in this game is Marcus Peters and the Rams defensive backs against Michael Thomas and the Saints receivers. Peters was torched in the first matchup this season against Thomas, with him going for 12 catches and 211 yards while primarily lining up against Peters. Peters was quoted after the first matchup saying, "Tell Sean Payton to keep talking that shit," he said. "We're going to see him soon, you feel me? Peters later downplayed the quote saying that it wasn't that big of a deal. I do still think that this matchup will be very fun to watch with two All-Pro level talents, Marcus Peters and Michael Thomas going at it all game. I think whoever gets the better end of this matchup will win this game. You have been able to tell that the Saints' offense is not able to run as smoothly if Michael Thomas is not playing well, and if the Saints offense is not playing well, I can't see the Rams losing this game. I think that C.J. Anderson, Todd Gurley, and the Rams' rushing attack will be able to keep their hot streak going, while I expect Marcus Peters to back up his "big mouth" and slow down Michael Thomas. The Los Angeles Rams will defeat the New Orleans Saints and advance to the Super Bowl. Rams: 31 Saints: 24 Sunday, January 20th - 5:40 P.M. #2 New England Patriots @ #1 Kansas City Chiefs Similarly to the Rams and the Saints both of these teams met earlier in the season as well. The Chiefs and the Patriots met in week six on Sunday Night Football. This game was played in Foxborough where the Patriots have shown to be unbeatable. Pat Mahomes was himself throwing for 350 and four touchdowns with Tyreek Hill catching three of them on seven catches and 142 yards. On the Patriots side, this was a breakout game for rookie running back Sony Michel who had 24 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Both of these teams are different at this point of the season, but Andy Reid and Bill Belichick will definitely look back to this game while making their gameplan. I think that both teams rushing attacks will affect who wins this game. In the second half of the season Sony Michel has been running terrific for the Patriots he has went over 100 yards three of the past four weeks. The Patriots also have one of the best pass catching backs in the entire NFL, James White. White is coming off a game where he had the most receptions in a playoff game of all time. White had 15 catches for 97 yards. If White and Michel get going I can't see the Patriots losing this game. The Chiefs running game is a different situation. Kansas City obviously lost Kareem Hunt earlier in the season, who at the time was one of the best running backs in the league. I do think that Damien Williams has stepped into the starting running back role very well, and has been doing what the Chiefs need him to do in the later part of the season. In his last five games, Williams has seven touchdowns to go along with 506 total yards. The Chiefs have shown that their offense is not as powerful without the ability to run the ball. Running the ball for the Chiefs opens up their play action game along with their passing game overall. If Williams is able to get rolling again I think that Chiefs offense will be too much handle for the Patriots. Another large factor in this game will be All-Pro level safety Eric Berry's health. If Berry is able to play in this game it will help the Chiefs defense dramatically. Berry is the leader of the Chiefs defense and they have shown to play much better when he is on the field. In this game I expect the Chiefs defense to show up and slow down the Patriots. The home field advantage of Arrowhead stadium will help the young Patrick Mahomes tremendously. And I think that the Patriots passing game flaws will finally stand out. With Andy Reid and Chiefs finally breaking through and reaching the Super Bowl. Chiefs: 28 Patriots: 24 A rematch of the Rams, Chiefs epic Monday Night Football matchup will be arguably one of the most anticipated Super Bowls of all time...
BY: Tony LiebertLast week's Wild-Card weekend was one of the most exciting in recent memory. I expect the Divisional round to bring the same excitement. Saturday, January 12th - 3:35 P.M. #6 Indianapolis Colts V.S. #1 Kansas City Chiefs This is one of my favorite matchups of the entire weekend. I think that the Colts' performance last weekend against the Texans, showed that they can beat anyone on the NFL. Andrew Luck has shown that he is a top tier quarterback this season with 4,500+ passing yards this season and 40+ total touchdowns. The Colts this season had one of the quickest turnarounds of recent memory. This was in large part to having a franchise changing draft class. The Colts drafted guard Quenton Nelson with the 6th pick, who has been arguably the best rookie offensive lineman ever. To go along with Nelson the Colts selected linebacker Darius Leonard in the second round who is now leading the NFL in tackles. I think the Colts will be able to put up a fight against one of the NFL best offenses. The Kansas City Chiefs have put together one of the best offensive season in NFL history. The Chiefs are obviously led by future MVP Patrick Mahomes who has just been truly elite this season. A major reason for Mahomes' unbelievable success is the Chiefs' weapons. The Chiefs have arguably the best offensive weapons in the league, headlined by All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce, the past few seasons Kelce has arguably been one of the best tight ends in the NFL. The Chiefs' wide receivers are led by the electrifying Tyreek Hill. Since Hill has entered the league he has shown that he can take it to the house any time he touches the ball. For the majority of the season the Chiefs also had one of the best running backs in the NFL, Kareem Hunt. It obviously has been tough for the Chiefs to establish the running game with out Hunt, but they have still shown to be explosive. I expect the Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense to be too much to handle for the Colts inexperienced defense and I think that offensive mastermind Andy Reid will finally break through after the Chiefs going 1-11 in their last 12 playoff games and they reach the AFC Championship game. Chiefs: 38 Colts: 30 Saturday, January 12th - 7:15 P.M. #4 Dallas Cowboys V.S. #2 Los Angeles Rams This matchup is between two third year quarterbacks, Jared Goff and Dak Prescott. Prescott is coming off his best game in his young professional career. Dak had 226 passing yards and 1 touchdown to go along with 29 on the ground and one more score. The 29 yards on the ground are so significant because he had a 20 yard QB Draw to end the game in possibly the biggest play of Dak's career, which ended the game against the Seahawks. Zeke also had a monster game with 150+ yards on the ground. The Cowboys defense led by Jaylon Smith also showed up and played very well against the Seahawks and the number one rushing attack, so they have some momentum coming into this week. The Rams are coming with possibly the most talented team in the NFL from top to bottom. Jared Goff has played very well this season but not as well in the second half of the season. The Rams offense runs through star running back Todd Gurley. Gurley has 1750+ yards and 20+ touchdowns this season while sitting out of two games this season. The Rams also have a terrific receiving core led by Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks who have been playing their best football in the second half of the season. Their Rams defense is also very talented and is headlined by their star D-lineman Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh. Donald might be playing the best defensive football in the NFL. In this week's game I expect 1 week of time to prepare to be too useful for the Rams and Sean McVay, and they will put their second half struggles behind them. I think Todd Gurley gets back on track and is too much to handle for the young Cowboys defense. Rams: 37 Cowboys: 13 Sunday, January 13th - 12:05 P.M. #5 Los Angeles Chargers V.S. #2 New England Patriots This game is between two of the greatest quarterbacks of this generation, Philip Rivers and Tom Brady. Philip Rivers has been having arguably the best season of his Hall of Fame career. Rivers and the Chargers have arguably one of the best group of weapons in the NFL. Their weapons are headlined by running back Melvin Gordon who has been having a great season but has been dealing with injuries as of late. To go along with possibly the most underrated receiver in the NFL Keenan Allen, and terrific red zone threat Mike Williams. Tight end Hunter Henry will also play a big role in this game after coming back from injury from tearing his ACL back in May. The Chargers defense has been the weakness of their team they have played inconsistent and are very inexperienced led by great pass rushers Joey Bosa, and Melvin Ingram. As well as star rookie safety Derwin James in the back end. The play of the Chargers linebacker will decide who wins this game. The Patriots have had arguably one of their worst season in the "Bill Belichick, Tom Brady" era. The Patriots have looked old and slow at times this season. Rob Gronkowski has not looked the same, and he looks like he is playing hurt at times. Tom Brady has not performed at his usual level, and the Patriots probably have the worst offensive weapons in 10+ years. With Julian Edelman and really nobody else at wide receiver. The defense has also not looked like the normal Patriots level. But the reason I like the Patriots in this game is because of their running game. In the last few weeks to end the season Sony Michel has rushed very well, and James White their other back is one of the best pass receiving backs in the NFL. I see Bill Belichick not taking a week of preparation for granted and I think the Patriots win this game in a close one. Patriots: 32 Chargers: 20 Sunday, January 13th - 3:40 P.M. #1 New Orleans Saints V.S. #6 Philadelphia Eagles The Saints come in with one of the most complete teams of recent memory. The are led by the best statistical quarterback of all time Drew Brees. They also have the best running back duo in the NFL with Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara who have been terrific this season. The Saints' weapons are rounded out by All-Pro receiver in Michael Thomas who has been arguably the best receiver in the NFL this season.. The only weakness that the Saints have is their receivers after Michael Thomas, they have struggled to find a receiver after Thomas this season. Beginning with signing Dez Bryant, then he got hurt and didn't play a single game, rookie wide receiver Trequan Smith has tried to get involved but has struggled to remain consistent. And lastly they have Ted Ginn Jr. returning from injury who I expect to play a big role in this game. Their defense has also been terrific headlined by Cameron Jordan and Marshon Lattimore while Sean Payton has been Sean Payton and has been coaching at a hall of fame level. The Eagles on the other hand may have the best postseason quarterback of all time. Nick Foles has put together on of the greatest postseason runs of all time. There is really not anything that I like about the Eagles team as a whole, the struggle to run the ball and they may have the worst defensive backs in the NFL. But there is something about Nick Foles that just changes how the whole Eagles team plays and they look like the super bowl team of last year. I just won't bet against Nick Foles until he proves me wrong. I think Foles puts together another great performance, and Darren Sproles will help the running game show up. With their great defensive line being to much to handle for the Saints, and I think the Eagles advance the the NFC championship game once again. Eagles: 28 Saints: 20 BY: Tony LiebertThis is Alabama and Clemson's fourth consecutive year meeting in the College Football Playoff. The first time was the 2015 National Championship where a Derrick Henry led Alabama rushing attack defeated an inexperienced Deshaun Watson and Clemson 45-40. Both teams met next year in the following National Championship where a veteran Deshaun Watson Clemson team defeated a young inexperienced Jalen Hurts led Alabama squad with a gaming winning touchdown to Hunter Renfrow 35-31. The following year a Jalen Hurts led Alabama team handily beat Kelly Bryant and the Clemson Tigers 24-6. Monday, January 7th - 7:00 P.M #1 Alabama Crimson Tide (14-0) V.S. #2 Clemson Tigers (14-0) Alabama's Offense Then there was this year... Alabama comes in with arguably their best offense in Nick Saban era. The Crimson Tide offense is led by true sophomore Tua Tagovailoa, who is the most talented quarterback that Nick Saban has had at his time with Alabama. What makes Alabama's offensive so dynamic this year is their weapons. Alabama has a three headed monster at running back, led by senior Damien Harris who has 1000+ yards from scrimmage to go along with 9 touchdowns. In the second half of the season the Tide have led more heavily on junior Josh Jacobs who has 800+ yards from scrimmage to go along with 13 total touchdowns. Lastly Alabama utilizes talented sophomore Najee Harris who has 724 rushing yards to go along with 4 touchdowns. This shows how Nick Saban develops talent perfectly, they have a senior with 1000 yards, a junior with 800, and a sophomore with 750. To go along with their monster running backs Alabama may have their best receiving core in the Nick Saban era. The receivers are led by Biletnikoff award winner (Nation's best Wide Receiver) sophomore Jerry Jeudy who has 63 receptions for 1176 yards and 13 touchdowns. They also have sophomore Henry Ruggs III, who has 45 catches for 738 yards and 11 touchdowns, they lastly have talented sophomore tight end Irv Smith Jr, who has 40 catches 667 yards and 7 touchdowns. To go along with their insane weapons they have arguably one of the best offensive lines in the country led by future top 10 pick in the 2019 NFL draft, tackle Jonah Williams. Alabama's Defense To go with their insane offense, Alabama still roles out one of the best defenses in the country. The strength of their defense is the interior of their defensive line. The best player on their whole team in junior defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. The all-american Williams has been the most dominant player in college football this season. He was awarded the Outland Trophy (Best Lineman offense or defense in the country) while having 18 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks. The Tide also have another future first round pick junior defensive tackle Raekwon Davis, who is a massive 6'7" 317 lbs. The Alabama secondary is led by junior All-American safety Dionte Thompson who is also a future NFL first round pick. If anything Alabama only slight weakness is their ability to rush the passer, and Christian Miller who is second on their team in sacks with 7.5 will be out of the National Championship game with a hamstring injury. Alabama will then have to lean heavily on junior linebacker Anfernee Jennings. Alabama arguably has one of their most talented teams ever, and I don't think their dynasty will be ending anytime soon. Clemson's Offense Clemson will have something to say about Alabama defending their title. They may have one of their most talented teams ever as well. The Tigers are led by true freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence who came into the season as the number two recruit in the country. I think the way that Lawrence handled the Kelly Bryant situation, tells you a lot about his character and shows you how special he truly is. Clemson has led heavily on sophomore running back Travis Etienne. Etienne has had 1600+ total yards from scrimmage to go along with 23 total touchdowns. Clemson very similar to Alabama, has a very young and talented group of wide receivers. They are led by sophomore Tee Higgins who has 56 catches for 855 yards and 11 touchdowns. They also have true freshman Justyn Ross who had two touchdowns in their semi-final verse Notre Dame, to go along with 40 catches 847 yards and 8 touchdowns. Lastly the Tigers have senior Hunter Renfrow who has played in all four of the matchups against Alabama, and caught the game winning touchdown the last time these two teams met the National Championship. The Clemson offensive line is led by senior All-American tackle Mitch Hyatt. These are arguably the two of most talented offenses in the country. Clemson's Defense The strength of Clemson's team is their defense and they may have the best in the entire country. They are led by possibly the most talented defensive line in recent history. The star of their line is senior tackle Christian Wilkins who has been a three year starter on Clemson line, and an All-American all of the past three seasons. Clemson also has one of the best pass rushers in the entire country senior Clelin Ferrell. Ferrell has 18.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks this season. Ferrell has been an All-American the past two seasons. Both Ferrell and Wilkins are projected first round picks in the upcoming NFL draft. The Tigers also have senior defensive end Austin Bryant who has been a two year starter and has NFL asspirations as well. Clemson will obviously miss Junior, behemoth, future NFL defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Lawrence is out of this game due to testing positive for a banned substance. Lawrence is 6'4" 350 lbs and was the anchor of Clemson's interior defensive line, but they do have enough depth so I do not expect this to affect Clemson too dramatically as they showed against Notre Dame. Clemson's defense is rounded out by future defensive back NFL talent, sophomore safety Isaiah Simmons and junior cornerback Trayvon Mullen. Clemson has had statistically the best defense in the entire country this season, and I expect them to show up Monday night against Alabama. Prediction:
I believe that this year's national championship will live up to all of the hype. I expect this game to have a lot of points and a lot of big plays. I expect Clemson's star defensive line to be too much to handle for Alabama's offensive line. Clemson's D-Line will be clearly the best unit that Alabama's O-line has faced all year. I do expect Alabama's three headed monster at running back to be a lot to handle for Clemson's inexperienced linebackers as well. At the end of the day I think Trevor Lawrence and the Clemson Tigers will make one more big play Alabama, and Dabo Swinney will be hoisting up the National Championship trophy Monday night. Clemson: 31 Alabama: 28 BY: Tony LiebertThis years NFL playoffs are as wide open as they have ever been. You could make a legitimate argument for almost any of the teams to win the Super Bowl. Saturday, January 5th - 3:35 P.M. Indianapolis Colts (10-6) V.S. Houston Texans (11-5) Both of these teams have been playing their best football at the end of the season, which is what you need to be doing to make a deep run in the playoffs. The Colts have won 9 out of their last 10, and the Texans have won 11 of their last 13. Overall I think that Andrew Luck has been playing to well for the Texans to stop and I think the Colts will win. The only matchup that I expect the Colts to struggle with is DeAndre Hopkins. I believe that Hopkins is at least one of the top three receivers in the NFL. Their starting corners are Nate Hairston and Kenny Moore II, I don't the average NFL fan can legitimately say they have even heard of those two guys. I think it's a given that D-Hop will have a big game, but I think the Colts can get past that and pull out a win. Colts: 28 Texans: 20 Saturday, January 5th - 7:15 P.M. Seattle Seahawks (10-6) V.S. Dallas Cowboys (10-6) The Seahawks and the Cowboys have two of the most balanced teams in the NFL. The Cowboys have one of the best defenses in the NFL, to go along with NFL's leading rusher Ezekiel Elliott. The Seahawks also have one of the best running games with a running back by committee approach, headlined by Chris Carson with Mike Davis and Rashaad Penny also getting carries. In this game I expect Russell Wilson to out duel wildly overrated Dak Prescott. Russell Wilson is one of the best quarterbacks of all time at being great with below average weapons. I expect the Cowboys defense to stall out in this game and Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offense will outperform the Cowboys defense. Seahawks: 30 Cowboys: 14 Sunday, January 6th - 12:05 P.M. San Diego Chargers (12-4) V.S. Baltimore Ravens (10-6) I think that this will be the best game of the entire "wild card weekend." These teams both have a strong chance of making a deep run to the super bowl. This may be the best roster top to bottom that Philip Rivers has had during his time with the Chargers. The Chargers have one of the most well rounded teams in the NFL, and if Philip Rivers plays at the MVP level that he has been, I think the Chargers could possibly be playing in Atlanta in February. The Ravens on the other hand, might have the best rushing attack in NFL. Since Lamar Jackson has taken over the staring job the Ravens have been 6-1 while having the second ranked rushing offense. I expect the Ravens to get out to a lead early, and I think the Ravens having the number one ranked defense and number two rushing offense will be two much to handle for an inexperienced Chargers defense to come back from. Ravens: 35 Chargers: 30 Sunday, January 6th - 3:40 P.M. Chicago Bears (12-4) V.S. Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) The Bears and the Eagles are two of the hottest teams in football. The Chicago Bears have had the best defense in football all season. The Bears defense is headlined by Khalil Mack, who has been the best defensive player in the league not named Aaron Donald, along with Eddie Jackson in the secondary who tied for second in the NFL in interceptions with six, and lastly Akiem Hicks has been one of the best run stopping defensive tackles in the NFL. Along with their great defense, they have a big play offense led by the "human joystick" Tarik Cohen, and second year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, along with one of the best play callers in the NFL, Head Coach, Matt Nagy. If Mitchell Trubisky plays to his potential I see the Bears playing in Atlanta for the Super Bowl. The Eagles on the other hand have dramatically underperformed this season. Although in the last three weeks of the season Nick Foles has completely revitalized the team and has been playing out of his mind. I think Nick Foles' luck runs out and the Eagles flaws are shown. This game being at cold Soldier Field in Chicago will play in favor of the Bears elite defense and not the Eagles "streaky" offense. Bears: 31 Eagles: 20 I'll give you guys my prediction for the entire playoffs along with previews each upcoming week.
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May 2020
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