2016 NFL Preview: NFC West

Arizona Cardinals

2015 Record: 12-4 (1st in NFC West)

Head Coach: Bruce Arians (4th season)

Notable Additions: DE/OLB Chandler Jones, G Evan Mathis, S Tyvon Branch

Notable Departures: S Rashad Johnson, OLB Dwight Freeney, CB Jeraud Powers

Offense:
The year-to-year progress this unit has made since Bruce Arians arrived in 2013 culminated in finishing  with the number 1 scoring offense in the league a year ago. Behind resurgent seasons from aging quarterback Carson Palmer and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and excellent performances from their trio of highly-lauded young players (wide receivers Michael Floyd and John Brown, running back David Johnson), the Cardinals were a lethal, borderline unstoppable force throughout the season. The scary part is that Floyd, Brown and Johnson aren't even close to reaching their full potential yet, as they enter their 4th, 3rd and 2nd years in the league respectively. Given the flashes of brilliance they've shown to-date and having them play under the tutelage of Arians, 2016 could end up being absolutely massive years for all three of the Cardinals bright young talents.

The Cardinals have a promising young, every-down running back and a loaded receiving corps, what could possibly prevent this team from repeating as the top offense in football? The answer to that question is Palmer. Palmer hit a wall at the tail-end of the year (5 TD, 7 INT, 55.5 CMP % 65.3 QBR in the final 3 games of the season including the playoffs) with a trio of ugly performances against the Seahawks, Packers and Panthers after playing at a borderline MVP-level for most of the 2015 season. His late-season woes last season paired with his checkered injury history (major knee injuries in 2005 and 2014, torn ligaments in elbow on throwing arm in 2008, broken ribs in 2012, a slew of other minor injuries throughout his career) and age (he'll be 37 in December), leads me to believe that his production level is going to take a steep decline in 2016. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Brett Favre have proved within the last decade that quarterbacks can age gracefully by putting up ridiculous numbers well into their late 30's, but none of those guys had (or in Brady's case, has) the lengthy injury history or up-and-down track record that Palmer has. He has the benefit of having top-notch talent at the skill positions, a strong offensive line that managed to get even better in the offseason with the addition of hard-nosed veteran guard Evan Mathis and is coming off of a season in which he posted career-best total in passing yards (4,671), touchdowns (35) and QBR (104.6), but despite all of those factors that point to another successful season, I still have a feeling that this could be the year where Father Time starts to finally break Palmer down.

Defense:
Despite their departure of brilliant defensive coordinator Todd Bowles before the season started, the Cardinals continued their steady climb up the NFL defensive hierarchy in 2015. Behind career years from All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson and safety Tyrann Mathieu, the Cardinals managed to finish 2nd overall in total takeaways (33), tied for 7th in points allowed per game (19.6) and 5th overall in total defense (321.7 YDS per game).


General manager Steve Kiem managed to address the only pressing need this top-notch defense had by trading for former Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones to try and help bolster a pass-rush that was tied for 20th in the league a year ago with 36 sacks. Jones has had bouts of inconsistency throughout this career and is perhaps a tad bit overrated in NFL circles, but he's a fast, athletic edge-rusher who has proven he can produce in the pro's (he has a pair of double-digit sack seasons in his first 4 seasons in the league) and at just 26 years old, he has the potential to be a fixture on this defense for years to come. Pairing Jones with a high-upside 2nd-year player in Markus Golden on the edge could give the Cardinals one of the most surprisingly lethal pass-rushing tandems in the league this season.

The lone question mark on this unit is the health of star safety Mathieu. The right torn ACL that cut his 2015 season short is the 2nd major knee injury he's suffered in just 3 seasons in the league (he tore his left ACL and LCL in 2014) and despite his youth (he just turned 24 in May), Mathieu's long-term durability has to be at least somewhat of a cause for concern-especially considering that the Cardinals just gave him a 5 year/$62.5 million extension with $40 mil in guaranteed money. The play of their defense went seriously downhill as soon he got injured in late December last season and if he goes down yet again in 2016, the Cardinals place among the NFL's elite defenses could come to a sudden, unexpected demise.

Bottom Line: 
The frail nature and age of Palmer could up derailing the title hopes for one of the most talent-loaded and well-coached teams in the NFL.  

Los Angeles Rams

2015 Record: 7-9 (3rd in NFC West)

Head Coach: Jeff Fisher (5th season)

Notable Additions: DT Dominique Easley, CB Coty Sensabaugh, DT Cam Thomas

Notable Departures: CB Janoris Jenkins, S Rodney McLeod, DE Chris Long 

Offense:
 How did general manager Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher respond to finishing with one of the league's worst offenses (32nd in passing offense, 32nd in total offense, 29th in points per game) in the league for a third straight season? By doing absolutely nothing of course! They bizarrely didn't any add new blood to an offensive line has no reliable talent (their league-low 18 sacks allowed in 2015 is deceiving because they rarely throw the ball) and the 2 additions to their league-worst receiving corps (tight end Tyler Higbee and wide receiver Pharaoh Cooper, both of whom were 4th round picks in this year's draft) more than likely won't make a major impact right away, despite the solid upside they both possess. With a receiving corps led by massive bust Tavon Austin and Kenny Britt-the gold standard for below average NFL wide receivers- and an offensive line that can't be trusted, the state of the Rams offense is as bleak as ever.   

The only attempt the Rams made this offseason at changing up their offense isn't even currently set to take the field in Week 1. The Rams gave up basically all of their valuable picks in this year and next year's NFL Draft to move and up draft potential franchise quarterback Jared Goff number 1 overall, only to reportedly bench him in favor of CASE FUCKING KEENUM?!?!?! Goff's confidence must be through the roof right now as he is being forced to hold a clipboard for a guy that's biggest accomplishment in the NFL to-date was breaking league protocol by not leaving the field after clearly suffering a concussion in a game against the Ravens last season. Having a rookie quarterback not start right away isn't a terrible idea, but keeping him on the bench (for now at least) in favor of a below-average veteran that most teams would only throw out in emergency situations makes zero sense for a team trying to escape the bowels of mediocrity.

The lone playmaker and only sliver of hope the Rams have of not being among the league's worst offenses yet again comes in the form of running back Todd Gurley. The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year was borderline unstoppable for most of his rookie season, putting up 1,106 yards (4.8 yards per carry) in just 13 games. Without the struggle of trying to rehab from a torn ACL and a year of experience under his bet, Gurley is in good shape to be even more lethal in his sophomore campaign. He's going to getting an absurd amount of carries due to their non-existent passing attack and his bruising running style that's reminiscent of Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch usually translates to long-term success in the league. If he can successfully adapt to opposing defenses stacking the box every time he's on the field and remain healthy, a rushing title could very well be in the cards for Gurley in 2016.   

Defense:
The Rams talented defense has inspired a lot of false confidence in this team's overall abilities throughout Fisher's tenure with the team. This will more than likely be the case once again in 2016 as the Rams talented group of core defensive players are mostly still in tact and a lot of people are somehow still drinking the Kool-Aid that the strength of this unit paired with Fisher's experience will be enough to get this team a playoff spot in one of the toughest divisions in a talented-loaded conference.

Fisher and defensive coordinator Gregg "Jango Fett" Williams will face their toughest test to-date as free agency put a huge strain on their talented secondary. Safety Rodney McLeod-who had a breakout season in 2015 and cornerback Janoris Jenkins bolted for the Eagles and Giants respectively and their departure has left a pair of massive holes in the starting lineup. The players currently penciled in to take over the vacant starting spots (cornerback LaMarcus Joyner and safety Cody Davis) are sketchy at best on paper. Joyner has done alright in a supporting role (he started 6 games last season) in his first 2 years in the league, but he has yet to be consistently tested at the professional level while Davis has a whopping 0 starts in 3 NFL seasons. The return of talented young cornerback Trumaine Johnson should help soften the blow of losing two solid veteran starters, but the uncertainty that lies within the rest of the group could unravel a unit that has been a major strength for the Rams over the past few seasons.

Despite the potentially crucial losses in the secondary, their defensive front should be good enough to weather the storm and allow this defense to once again be one of the most imposing units in the league. William Hayes is one of the most quietly productive defensive ends in the league, the addition of ex-New England Patriot defensive tackle Dominique Easley puts yet another promising young player into their deep rotation and rising star defensive tackle Aaron Donald might be the most disruptive and consistently dominant defensive lineman to enter the league since J.J Watt. As long as this defensive line continues to wreak havoc, the Rams D will be a difficult matchup for most opposing offenses.

Bottom Line:
Sorry Jeff Fisher, you're probably fucking going 7-9 (or worse) again.  

San Francisco 49ers

2015 Record: 5-11 (4th in NFC West)

Head Coach: Chip Kelly (1st season)

Notable Additions: T Anthony Davis (reinstated), G Zane Beadles

Notable Departures: G Alex Boone, WR Anquan Boldin, RB Reggie Bush

Offense:
Lord knows nothing will aid a dumpster fire of an organization with a level of internal conflict so high that it makes the Browns look like a beacon of functionality like hiring the man who was nearly-universally hated by his players and single-handily killed the Philadelphia Eagles in just a single year of having complete control of all football operations to be your new coach. There's no possible way this could end in disaster.....
 
As for the actual football, the offensive "wizardry" Chip Kelly was clearly hired for more than likely won't do anything to aid nearly weapon-free offense. The weakness of the 49ers offense can best be summed up by the fact that notorious draft bust Blaine Gabbert, who started in the team's final 8 games a year ago and former goldenboy Colin Kaepernick, who has enjoyed one of the steepest falls of grace in recent football history after leading this team to a Super Bowl appearance in 2013, are currently locked up in a competition for the starting quarterback job. It doesn't matter who ultimately comes out on top in this very sad competition because neither of them are fit to be successful starters in the NFL.

The receiving corps is similarly ugly with streaky, deep-threat Torrey Smith being installed as the de facto top wideout- a position that his limited skill set makes him horribly unqualified for- after Anquan Boldin wasn't re-signed in the offseason and a clusterfuck of ineffective, untested young players in Bruce Ellington, DeAndre Smelter and Quinton Patton currently battling it out for the other starting spot. Even talented running back Carlos Hyde is in a bad spot because of the near certainty that the 49ers are going to be playing from behind in a vast majority of the games(in other words, they'll be in no position to run the ball) they play this season. If Kelly can somehow make this offense productive, he truly is a transcendent football genius with the greatest offensive scheme of all-time and I'll take back all of the negative things I've said about him over the past couple of years.

Defense:
The outlook for the 49ers defense headed into 2016 isn't as gloomy as the offense, but it sure as hell isn't rosy either.  The team is still reeling from the mass retirement exodus (inside linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland, defensive end Justin Smith) and cutting of former first All-Pro outside linebacker Aldon Smith prior to last season and despite having a league-high $47.5 mil in available cap space for 2016, they made no notable veteran additions this offseason. The team did draft a potentially excellent defensive end in DeForest Buckner with the 7th overall pick in the draft and the successful comeback of inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman in 2015 after missing nearly 2 seasons with a torn ACL and MCL gives them an anchor piece they can build around for the next 3 or 4 seasons, but their defense is still locked into a transitional period at this point in time.

The only chance this unit has of exceeding expectations this season is if their key young players can all step up and make major improvements. Safety Eric Reid is the only young player on this roster that can currently be relied to perform on a consistent basis (defensive tackle Ian Williams has too, but he's allegedly out for the year with a torn Achilles), but guys like cornerback Kenneth Acker, outside linebacker Aaron Lynch and defensive end Arik Armstead have shown flashes of serious potential in 2015. Acker finished the year as a respectable slot corner after a rough start, Lynch picked up a solid 6.5 sacks in his first season as a starter and second-year defensive end Armstead was a highly-effective run-stopper in limited reps last season. Learning a new system and with the exception of Lynch, a potentially dramatic uptick in reps makes substantial progress a tall order for this season, but all of these guys have the upside to deify the odds and take their game to the next level in 2016.  

Bottom Line: 
A talent-barren roster and tumultuous off-field environment puts the 49ers in a ROUGH spot for the 2016 season.

Seattle Seahawks

2015 Record: 11-5 (2nd in NFC West)
Head Coach: Pete Carroll (7th season)

Notable Additions: CB Brandon Browner, G Jahri Evans, G/T Ja'Marcus Webb

Notable Departures: RB Marshawn Lynch (retired), OLB Bruce Irvin, T Russell Okung 

Offense:
The Beast Mode-era to an abrupt end when Marshawn Lynch suddenly announced his retirement from the league after 9 seasons on Super Bowl Sunday. Lynch was the tone-setter for the Seahawks offense since he arrived in 2010 and played an integral role in helping transform them from a perennially below-average team to one of the most feared teams in the league. While Lynch's toughness, violent running style and priceless interactions with the media can't be duplicated, the Seahawks seem to found a worthy successor to Beast Mode's throne in second-year back Thomas Rawls. Rawls was excellent in relief of Lynch,who missed 9 games in 2015 with various injuries, before going down with a season-ending ankle injury himself in Week 13 against the Minnesota Vikings. If he can bounce back with no complications or further injury, he should be able to keep the Seahawks rushing attack among the league's best in 2016.


With Lynch out of the equation, this offense now fully belongs to 5th-year quarterback Russell Wilson. In spite of what a fair amount of analysts have seen saying this offseason, I think Wilson will easily be able to handle being the sole leader of the Seahawks offense. Wilson shined last season when Lynch was sidelined, playing the best football of his career when asked to throw more and did more than enough to finally destroy the long-standing myth that he was only successful because of Beast Mode's dominance in the running game. I'll never understand where the doubts about Wilson keep coming from given his track record of consistent success since entering the league in 2012, but I would be shocked if he didn't once again silence his critics in spectacular fashion this season.

Given the success they had throwing the ball down the stretch last season, I expect the Seahawks to keep up their increased passing volume into this season. Wilson's accuracy and decisionmaking continues to improve with each season he's been in the league and their receiving corps led by Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett has never looked better during the Pete Carroll-era. I'm not completely confident that Baldwin will be able to duplicate the dominant run he went on in the last 2 months of last season or that Lockett will continue to slip under the radar of every defense they face, but I still expect the Seahawks passing attack to improve once again in 2016.

Given the stability found on the rest of the offense, it's ironic that their offensive line is in an unprecedented state of disarray. The Seahawks porous offensive line play and revolving door of different starters caused the team to stumble out of the gates a year ago and they appear to be line in an even more brutal set of offensive line woes headed into 2016. Veteran left tackle Russell Okung-the only constant amidst all the moves last season-left for the Broncos in free agency and every single projected starter (center Justin Britt, left tackle Gary Gilliam, rookie guard Germain Ifedi and newly-acquired right tackle J'Marcus Webb) aside from left guard Mark Glowinski is playing a different position than did they last season, which is a beyond risky proposition for a team that was plagued with continuity issues upfront a year ago. The Seahawks have the benefit of having a mobile quarterback who can arguably evade pressure better than anyone in the NFL and a physical, tackle-shedding running back that doesn't require excellent run-blocking to be effective, but their championship hopes could be dashed if this offensive line can't come together.
   
Defense:
The Seahawks defense showed signs of legitimate weakness for the first time since "The Legion of Boom" was formed in 2012 due to down years from inside linebacker Bobby Wagner and safety Kam Chancellor, and an inability to nail down a competent starting cornerback (never forget the failed efforts of Cary Williams, Marcus Burley and DeShawn Shead) alongside Richard Sherman until Jeremy Lane was activated from IR in late November. Despite showing their mortality at various points of last season, the Seahawks still allowed a league-low 17.3 points per game, had the top-ranked rush defense and allowed the 2nd fewest yards in the league behind the Super Bowl champion Broncos.


Even with the loss of outside linebacker Bruce Irvin and defensive tackle Brandon Mebane in free agency and the unfortunate return of Brandon Browner-who is desperately seeking redemption after spending the past 2 seasons with the Patriots and Saints getting roasted by every competent receiver he faced-to the fold, I expect the Seahawks to maintain their established level of excellence during the 2016 season. With the possible exception of the Broncos, no defense in the league is better at all 3 levels and aside from 30-year old defensive ends Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril, all of their best defenders are 28 or younger, which means the majority of their core players are smack dab in the middle of or about to enter their prime years in the league. This defense has all the tools to succeed and unless all hell breaks loose, they should be in contention to be the absolute best in the league.

Bottom Line:
With a bevy of talent on both sides of the ball and a strong coaching staff, the Seahawks should once again be Super Bowl contenders in 2016.  

Projected Standings:
1.Seattle Seahawks (12-4)
2.Arizona Cardinals (10-6)
3.Los Angeles Rams (6-10)
4.San Francisco 49ers (2-14)

The Best and Worst of James Franco

The "Best and Worst" series profiles the best and worst work of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week I take a look at the filmography of "Sausage Party" star James Franco.

Films starring James Franco that I've seen:
Spider-Man
Spider-Man 2
Annapolis
Spider-Man 3
Pineapple Express
Milk
Date Night
127 Hours
Your Highness
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Oz: The Great and Powerful
Spring Breakers
This is the End
Lovelace 
As I Lay Dying
Homefront
The Interview
True Story
The Night Before

Best Performance: 127 Hours (2010)
Because of the sheer volume of projects he's starred in and the recent success he's found in the world of comedy, Franco's dramatic acting ability is largely forgotten about. When he's on the top of his game like he was as Aron Ralston-the Utah hiker that miraculously survived being trapped in a secluded slot canyon for 127 hours by cutting his own arm off-in the survival drama 127 Hours, I truly believe that Franco is one of the most gifted dramatic actors on the planet. With no other people to interact with after the first 15 minutes of the film, Franco does a beautiful job of carrying the film with an emotionally-dense performance that highlights the various attitude changes and bravery Ralston displayed throughout the most harrowing 127 hours of his life. Without Franco's acting range and the feeling of authenticity he brought to the role, 127 Hours would've more than likely been a generic, melodramatic bore.

Worst Performance: Oz: The Great and Powerful (2013)
When you work as much and cross genres as often Franco does, you're bound to walk into some bad roles from time to time. Franco's biggest and most confusing misstep to-date came in his role as Oscar Diggs-the pleasant magician who eventually becomes the Wizard of Oz- in this misguided, dull prequel to the iconic 1939 film. The creepy, awkward vibe Franco gives Oz makes for a really strange take on a character that's supposed to be universally beloved. A lot of factors led to the failure of Oz: The Great and Powerful, but the severe miscasting of Franco in the lead role was definitely near the top of the list. 

Best Film: This is the End (2013)
No comedy released so far this decade can match the non-stop hilarity, originality and endless quotability of This is the End. Seth Rogen and his team of frequent collaborators delivered their most inspired work in ages with this completely insane, often pitch-black satire centered around a group of celebrities that are attending a party at James Franco's house when the apocalypse suddenly happens. The large, ensemble cast led by Rogen, Franco, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Jay Baruchel and Craig Robinson all deliver phenomenal, self-deprecating performances as exaggerated versions of themselves and the film somehow manages to get funnier with each repeat viewing.

Worst Film: As I Lay Dying (2013)
As far as I'm concerned, Franco's much-maligned adaptation of William Faulkner's classic novel deserves every piece of venom-filled criticism that's been hurled at it. The entire production feels cheap, the pacing is unbearably slow and the regular split-screens to document the story's many parallel narratives is one of the most frustrating and dumb gimmicks I've ever seen employed in a film. I really hope the incompetency he displayed as a filmmaker here doesn't carry over to his upcoming big-screen adaptation of The Disaster Artist (aka The Masterpiece),the brilliant behind-the -scenes story of the making of the 2003 "so bad that it's genius" cult phenomenon The Room.

Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". Next week, I'll take a look at the best and worst work of "War Dogs" star Jonah Hill.   

Movie Review: Suicide Squad

The launch of DC's "cinematic universe" has been rocky to say the least. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice-the first official film in DC's attempt to catch up with Marvel in terms of interconnected plots and world-building-went over like a fart in church with critics and audiences alike, and raised numerous questions about whether or not their attempt to build a universe that matches their CW-based television empire had immediately been ruined. The pressure turned to David Ayer's "bad vs. evil" supervillain team-up film Suicide Squad to reverse the public perception of the DC brand and held build up good will for the comic giant's long line of future big-screen endeavors. Unfortunately for DC, distributor Warner Brothers Pictures and their respective PR teams, that didn't happen.

The negative reviews came flowing in by the truck load when the studio-imposed embargo was lifted last Tuesday, criticizing the film for being another poorly-conceived, muddled and tonally-challenged movie from the cinematic division of DC Comics. Of course, the mass critical trashing was followed up by a wave of rumors citing a rushed, troubled production and studio interference to add more humor to the final cut of the film after audiences responded poorly to the relentlessly dark tone of Batman v. Superman as the catalysts for the film's failure. After spending most of the past week sifting through the endless flood of negative reviews and pissed-off tweets directed at the people involved with the film, I was pleasantly surprised that Suicide Squad not only wasn't an epic turd, but that it ended up being one of the most entertaining superhero films in recent memory.

Given that the content and nature of all superhero film plots are almost identical, the charisma of the characters are usually what determine the success of a movie in this genre. In this sense, Suicide Squad succeeds in a major way as it possesses one of the most dynamic and exciting groups of primary characters to ever appear in a superhero film. The casting for every single member of the titular team of supervillians was note-perfect with the terrific performances from Will Smith (Deadshot), Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn), Jai Courtney (Captain Boomarang) and Jay Hernandez (El Diablo) especially standing out. The entire ensemble has an excellent, believable dynamic and Ayer's script does a great job of giving them intimate character moments throughout the movie. When a film is driven by a group of characters that's as lively, funny and compelling as this ragtag bunch of antiheroes, it's impossible to not have a good time.

The most refreshing aspect of Suicide Squad was that you could tell that the film was entirely Ayer's vision. From the frantic, quick-cut action scenes to the way the characters interacted with each other, this film had the gritty veteran filmmaker's fingerprints stamped all over it. Given that that was his first venture writing and directing a film based on a previously published work, Ayer did a pretty damn good job of honoring the source material while also taking the appropriate creative liberties to make the film adaption his own. He was able to work in a lot of the defining characteristics of his past films (focus on the familial bond between the main characters, a tone that delicately balances lighthearted fun and suffocating darkness, the aforementioned intimate, revealing character moments) into Suicide Squad without completely changing the nature of the material the film was based on. The start of DC's venture into the world of feature films has been far from perfect, but I really respect the fact that they're giving the directors they employ the freedom to make the movies they want to make with no substantial interference.

For as much as there as is to like about it, I'd be lying if I said Suicide Squad doesn't have its fair share of issues. Enchantress is a horrible villain (played by the wooden and often confused-looking Cara Delevingne), there's some pretty significant plot holes/gaps in logic at various points of the film and the subplot featuring the Joker (a corny and unmemorable Jared Leto) is dumb and completely inconsequential to the events of the rest of the film. Thankfully, all of these flaws can be easily glossed over here due to the strength of the acting ensemble and how much fun the proceedings are throughout the film.

While it isn't quite the insane game-changer the trailers promised, Suicide Squad is still a completely worthwhile entry in the superhero genre and more than enough to inspire confidence in DC's upcoming film slate. I feel like there's a ton of potential to turn this into a great series and if the future installments fully embrace the full-on anarchy this film regularly teases, it could end up turning into one of the genre's cornerstone franchises. Plenty of people are going to despise this for a variety of reasons, but as far as I'm concerned, Suicide Squad is one of the most purely entertaining films to be released this summer and completely undeserving of a majority of the hate that it's currently receiving.
    
4/5 Stars

Concert Review: The Dillinger Escape Plan-- Allston, MA-- August 7th, 2016

Lineup: The Dillinger Escape Plan/Lunglust
Venue: Great Scott, Allston, MA
Date: August 7th, 2016

Lunglust: I'm not nearly as tuned in as I should be to Boston's local metal scene, but from what I've heard from various sources that are in the know, chaotic hardcore/crust punk act Lunglust is one of the area's seminal acts at the moment. Based on their set last night, I have to say I don't understand how they've managed to garner so much acclaim on the local level. Their sound reminded me of the spastic hardcore-meets sludge sound that bands like Gaza (now known as Cult Leader) and Trap Them have perfected throughout their respective careers without the frenzied energy levels and parade of breakneck riffs that have made those bands longtime fixtures in the national underground metal scene. Their solid vocalist and competent musicianship made their set tolerable, but their time on stage mostly just made me think of how many other bands have done a better job of playing this style over the years. 

(Warning: This review is a complete fanboy freakout rant. I usually try to avoid gushing about something to a masturbatory extent, but I saw one of my all-time favorite bands in a venue that's the size of a fucking tool shed, so I can't hold back. I sincerely apologize for my lack of maturity and temporary disregard of journalistic objectivity.)

The Dillinger Escape Plan: The first six times I'd seen The Dillinger Escape Plan were merely an appetizer for what transpired last night. Seeing a band with a live show that's as notoriously intense and insane as Dillinger's in a 200-capacity venue two days after they announced they were disbanding once the touring cycle for their new album Dissociation (due out October 14th) raised the energy from both the band and crowd to an unprecedented level. As soon as the opening notes to "Prancer" hit, Dillinger turned Great Scott into a tornado of destruction that didn't let up for the entire hour they were on stage.

I could ramble on at length about how great the setlist was or how tight the band sounded, but it was the size of the venue that ultimately made this show one for the annals. The intimate setting amplified every thing that I love about this band and somehow got be more immersed in the performance than the previous times I'd seen them. Being 50 feet away from the stage while Dillinger ripped through 14 beautifully chaotic gems and pulled out their trademark "holy shit"-inducing stage antics (guitarist Ben Weinman sticking his head through ceiling tiles while members of the crowd hold him up, Greg Puciato singing while hanging upsides down from the rafters, from the speakers, etc., stage dives galore) was an experience that I never even dreamed of having (the previous smallest venue I'd seen them in held 1,000 people). The rush of being caught in the middle of this wave of musical chaos in such a small space was unlike anything I've ever experienced before and I highly doubt I'll ever match the level of adrenaline I felt during this performance ever again.  
 
They are set to do at least one more tour of the United States (Puciato said at the end of the set that they'll be back in Boston one more time this fall before they disband, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did a final headlining tour in 2017) before they hang it up, but I can not overstate how much that I'm going to The Dillinger Escape Plan when they're gone. There is not a band on the planet that can even come close to matching the intensity, energy and sense of unhinged mayhem they produce on record and bring to the stage every time they perform. Words can't describe how thankful I am to have gotten the opportunity to see them play in such a small venue before they call it quits. Every Dillinger show I've show seen in the past six years has been special, but this one stands well above the rest.

Scores:
Lunglust 5/10
The Dillinger Escape Plan 10/10

Setlist:
The Dillinger Escape Plan:
Prancer
Limerent Death
Milk Lizard
Panasonic Youth
Room Full of Eyes
Hero of the Soviet Union
Nothing's Funny
Crossburner
Happiness is a Smile
Good Neighbor
Farewell, Mona Lisa
When I Lost My Bet
The Mullet Burden
Sunshine the Werewolf

2016 NFL Preview: NFC South

Atlanta Falcons:

2015 Record: 8-8 (2nd in NFC South)

Head Coach: Dan Quinn (2nd season)

Notable Additions: C Alex Mack, WR Mohamed Sanu, DE Derrick Shelby

Notable Departures: WR Roddy White, DT Paul Soliai, ILB Nate Stupar
Offense:
Falcons nation were quick to put all of the blame on Matt Ryan for their failures last season. Sure Ryan didn't play great for most of the season and after a solid couple years of denial, I now fully agree with the sentiment that he's one of the league's most overrated quarterbacks, but if you take out superstar wideout Julio Jones, the receiving options he had were just pitiful. Leonard Hankerson made a few nice plays, but was mostly his usual below average self, rookie Justin Hardy was gobsmacked by the responsibilities and complexities of playing wide receiver in the NFL after running around aimlessly during his time at East Carolina, and I am fairly confident that Roddy White died around week 5 and Kyle Shanahan just wheeled his taxidermied corpse onto the field for the rest of the season.

The Falcons solution to their lack of reliable secondary receiving options problem was signing Mohamed Sanu in free agency. Sanu was decent during his time with the Bengals as a situational  receiver, but I don't think that he's consistent or polished enough to be counted on as a number 2 wideout in this league. Aside from Sanu and rookie tight end Austin Hooper, this is basically the same group of clowns (minus White, who was given a proper burial after the 2015 season concluded) that took the field in 2015. Hardy is still raw as hell and is going to need at least another to get used to the complexity of an NFL offense, Eric Weems is a fucking kick returner and journeyman Aldrick Robinson-the only other new veteran addition to this group-hasn't played a snap in a meaningful game since 2014 and has a whopping 30 career catches in 5 seasons. Ryan is a competent starter and Jones is pretty much a lock to have another excellent season if he stays healthy, but I'd be surprised if anyone in this ragtag group suddenly emerges as a legit number 2 wideout and allows this offense to recreate the potent aerial attack they displayed in 2011 and 2012.

The player that's going to truly determine the success of the Falcons offense in 2016 is running back Devonta Freeman. Freeman was unreal for the first half of last season (1,055 all-purpose YDS, 10 TD in the first 8 games of the year), and played in an integral part in the Falcons surprising 5-0 start. On the flip side, his merely average performance in the second half of the season (584 all-purpose YDS, 4 TD) played an equally important in the team's epic collapse (they lost 7 of their last 9 games) following their explosive start. 2016 should determine whether Freeman is truly one of the league's top young backs or his early-season dominance in 2015 was merely a fluke. The addition of top-notch veteran center and run-blocking machine Alex Mack to a promising young offensive line should aid Freeman's quest for redemption, but his ability to shed tacklers and explode through rushing lanes should ultimately be what determines his fate.

Defense:
The influence of Dan Quinn,who was one of the architects of the elite Seattle Seahawks defense, wasn't quite as strong as many had hoped it would be last season. Aside from a second straight season with a league-low sack total (a paltry 19 on the year), it wasn't the disaster the Mike Smith-led unit was in 2014, but the Falcons were one of the most middling defenses in the league finishing 16th in takeways (23), 14th in points allowed (21.6 per game) and 16th in total defense (347.6 YDS per game).

Unfortunately for Falcons fans, none of the moves they made in the offseason inspires much hope that they'll leave the realm of average in 2016. Free-agent pickups Derrick Shelby and Dwight Freeney are talented situational players that should help boost their low sack total, but they more than likely won't have a major impact on the quality of the defense on the whole.

Shelby and Freeney might not be the earth-shattering talents needed to take this defense to the next level, but they are at least proven, talented role players. Their top two picks in the 2016 draft were two of the biggest dice-rolls of the entire draft. Hard-hitting, box safety Keanu Neal and speedy outside linebacker Deion Jones are solid fits for Quinn's system, but their talent level and how well their respective games are going translate to the pro's are questionable at best. There's always a chance that both of these players could deify odds and make me look stupid by turning into great NFL players, but I firmly believe that Neal and Jones are the type of high-risk players that you just can't afford take when your in the middle of trying to get a long-suffering defense back on the path to relevancy.

The only player that could possibly make enough of an impact to offset all of the uncertainties and improve the Falcons defense is 2nd year outside linebacker Vic Beasley. Beasley showed some promise amidst all the rookie growing pains, picking up a team-high 4 sacks in 2015. If he can straighten out the flaws in his technique, he has the explosive first-step and freakish athleticism to be a straight-up monster edge-rusher in this league.
  
Bottom Line: 
With a mediocre defense and general lack of offensive weapons, the 2016 Falcons should be more in line with the team that floundered through the second half of 2015 than the one that overachieved out of the gate.

Carolina Panthers:

2015 Record: 15-1 (1st in NFC South)

Head Coach: Ron Rivera (6th season)

Notable Additions: DT Paul Soliai, P Mike Scifres, C Gino Gradkowski

Notable Departures: CB Josh Norman, DE Jared Allen (retired), S Roman Harper

Offense:
Cam Newton went from 2015's biggest NFL star to the league's biggest whipping boy after a poor performance on and off-the-field  in Super Bowl 50.  Newton's inability to knock off the Broncos and subsequently leaving his post-game press conference early out of rage made him the subject of about 62,000 hot take pieces that questioned his character, toughness and status as an elite quarterback in the two or three weeks immediately following the Super Bowl. Newton's career has been full of adversity and mass criticism, but bouncing back from this terrible performance in the biggest game of his career and yet another round of mass character assassination is easily the most daunting task he's faced in his 6-year career thus far. He finally made it to the biggest stage and didn't deliver- now he has to make sure that the blow to his confidence and feeling of letting himself and teammates down doesn't creep into this season. The pressure on Newton's shoulders is immense heading into 2016, but I fully believe that he has the talent and poise to overcome all of the obstacles that are currently in his way.


Bolstering Newton's odds of not a having a post-Super Bowl loss hangover is the return of a healthy Kelvin Benjamin to the fold after missing all of 2015 with a torn ACL. Benjamin's return to the field is the single greatest gift Newton and this offense could've possibly received going into this season. Benjamin had an excellent rookie campaign in 2014 (73 REC/1,008 YDS/9 TD)and immediately stepped into the top reciever role that was left vacant after the great Steve Smith Sr. was unjustly released after the 2013 season.  Benjamin will more than likely be a godsend after Newton and co. spent 2015 reluctantly relying on kick-returner Ted Ginn Jr. and his magnificent stone hands to be their number one wideout. With a true number one receiver in the fold to complement their reliably excellent tight end Greg Olsen, Newton has at least a solid chance of matching or exceeding his passing numbers from his MVP campaign a year ago.

The confidence that I have in Newton and Benjamin doesn't translate over to the rushing game. One of the keys to the Panthers success in 2015 was their establishment of an excellent rushing attack led by Jonathan Stewart, who remained healthy for most of the season and put up his best rushing total (989 yards) since his breakout campaign in 2009. While Stewart surprised the hell out of me and most other fans and analysts around the league, I don't trust him to replicate that level of success this season. Stewart just turned 29 (which is basically 65 in running back years) and given his absurd injury history, he's basically a ticking time bomb at this point in career.

In the event the Stewarts gets hurt or fails to perform (the former of which I believe is virtually a guarantee), the options behind him are scarce. Cameron Artis-Payne did next to nothing in the 3 starts he picked up filling in for Stewart last season and Fozzy Whitaker is nothing more than a warm body to have in case every other running back on the roster suddenly dies in the middle of a game. If the Panthers can't established a solid running game this season, their hopes of returning to the Super Bowl could be dead on arrival.  

Defense:
The unpredictability of general manager Dave Gettleman struck again when he suddenly took the franchise tag off of cornerback Josh Norman in mid-April and allowed him to leave the team in free agency. Gettleman's penchant for bold moves has benefited him in the past, but if Norman's departure ends up sinking the quality of their secondary and halts the defensive dominance they displayed last season, this could end up being the unexpected, brazen personnel decision that comes back to bite him in the ass. 

The biggest and most intriguing storyline heading into 2016 for this defense is whether or not their defensive front is good enough to make up for the loss of Norman. On paper, their front has more than enough talent to take the pressure off of their young, flawed secondary. Kawann Short has solidified himself as one of the league's most imposing, versatile defensive tackles over the past couple of year, Thomas Davis continues to deify logic by being one of the league's quickest and sure-tackling linebackers at age 33 and inside linebacker Luke Kuechly is one of the most reliable and consistently dominant players in the league right now. The only real question mark is at defensive end.  There's no telling if Kony Ealy will be able to keep up the high level play of he displayed in the second half of the last season and the loss of a proven every-down player in Jared Allen is going to sting in a defensive end group that is rounded out by situational pass-rushers (Mario Addison), over-the-hill veterans (Charles Johnson) and raw young players (Ryan Delaire). If this front 7 can make a corner group headlined by the wildly inconsistent Bene Benwikere and veteran burnout Robert McClain look good, then they deserve to be in the conversation for best defensive front in the league. 

Bottom Line: 
While it's unlikely that the Panthers will be able to recapture the magic of their 2015 season, they should still be able to win the NFC South without too much difficulty. 

New Orleans Saints:

2015 Record: 7-9 (3rd place in NFC South)

Head Coach: Sean Payton (10th season)

Notable Additions: TE Coby Fleener, S Roman Harper, DT Nick Fairley

Notable Departures: WR Marques Colston (retired), CB Brandon Browner, TE Benjamin Watson

Offense:
The Saints are without question one of the easiest offenses to predict in the NFL every single year. Drew Brees putting up video game numbers while slinging the ball 35-45 times a game to a barrage of different receivers and single-handily lead the team to almost all of their victories is basically an unofficial tradition at this point in time. At age 37, Brees isn't quite the unstoppable force of nature he was in his heyday, but he is still one of the most productive quarterbacks in the league (he thrown for over 4,500 yards in 6 straight season). With a talented young receiving combo of Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead that is quietly and steadily turning into one of the most deadly tandems in the league at his disposal, Brees should be able to remain in the NFL's upper echelon of quarterback until his body gives out on him.  

The biggest change the Saints offense made ahead of the 2016 season was selecting Ohio State product Michael Thomas in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft to replace Marques Colston-who announced his retirement after 10 years in the league in March-to be their new possession receiver. Thomas has reportedly been spectacular throughout the team's offseason program and many reporters/league insiders think he's going to be prominently featured in their offense this season. With his standing as a being the number two or three receiver in one of the most consistently productive passing attacks in the NFL, it's completely feasible that Thomas could end up being the breakout star of this year's receiving class.

Buried under all of the excitement over Thomas, Cooks, Snead and the rest of the Saints passing attack heading into the season is the return of running back Mark Ingram. Despite the surprisingly solid play from Tim Hightower in his absence, his presence was sorely missed down the stretch after he was put on injured reserve with a shoulder injury on December 9th. While Hightower is of a similar build and possesses a nearly identical skill set, Ingram's vision and ability to punish tacklers at will makes him the better back.

Ingram's touches strangely went down a bit last season (226 in 13 games in 2014 opposed to 166 in 12 last season), but he still averaged 4.6 yards per carry and showed great improvement as a receiver, putting up a career-high 50 receptions on 60 targets. Ingram has brought a bit of balance to a Saints offense that long lacked it following his breakout campaign in 2014 and if he can stay healthy, he could be in line for his first career 1,000-yard season in 2016.


Defense:
The Saints defense was god awful once again in 2015, surrendering a league-high 29.8 points per game and allowing an NFL record of 45 passing touchdowns over 16 games. It didn't seem to matter how many points Brees and co. put up because their defense would almost always find a way to destroy any momentum they had built.


Severing ties with abysmal starting corner Brandon Browner and drafting promising defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins in the 1st round of this year's draft represents a step in the right direction, but it will unlikely be enough to turn around the play of this horrid defense. Their awful linebacking corps somehow got even worse with the addition of inside linebacker James Laurinaitis,who is only getting more incompetent by the minute, their cornerback group outside of promising slot corner Delvin Breaux is an unmitigated disaster and their pass-rush outside of star defensive end Cameron Jordan is like Rick Santorum's 2016 presidential campaign: sad and virtually non-existent. There are reasons to be optimistic about the potential growth of their young players (Stephone Anthony, Tyeler Davison) and Jordan can still cause serious disruption at the line of scrimmage without any outside help, but there's no getting around the fact that this is still one of the most talent-deprived defensive units in the league.

Bottom Line:

The Saints atrocious defense will more than likely prevent them from gaining traction in a talent-deep NFC.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2015 Record: 6-10 (4th place in NFC South)

Head Coach: Dirk Koetter (1st season)

Notable Additions: CB Brent Grimes, DE Robert Ayers, ILB Daryl Smith

Notable Departures: G Logan Mankins (retired), OLB Bruce Carter, CB Sterling Moore

Offense:
The Buccaneers made some waves this offseason by promoting offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to head coach after (unjustly) firing Lovie Smith in early January after 2 seasons at the helm. While I have no idea if Koetter is going to be able to cut it as a head coach in the NFL, the Buccaneers were at the very least wise enough to not force starting quarterback Jameis Winston to learn a new offense for a 2nd straight year. Winston is a bright kid that could probably handle that tremendous challenge, but forcing a quarterback to learn another new offense this early in his career is cruel torture, regardless of how smart that player is.

With an offensive scheme and group of receivers he's familiar with in place, Winston is in a prime position to flourish in his sophomore NFL campaign. Winston's rookie season was filled with just about every type of adversity you could think of (injuries across the offense line and receiving corps, a horrific start to the season, a top receiver in Mike Evans who suddenly forgot how to catch a football) yet he still managed to throw for 4,042 YDS and 22 TD's. Recent history has seen a number of QB's who looked solid in their rookie years (Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, Derek Carr, Blake Bortles) make huge strides in their second season in the league and based on the level of polish and leadership he displayed last season with a decimated supporting cast, Winston appears to be set to join that bunch. His arm strength, throwing mechanics and ability to find holes in opposing defenses is among the best I've seen out of any young quarterback in recent memory and is exactly the type of skill set that's required to take the league by storm at this position. If Winston can fix his problems with accuracy and throwing under pressure and not revert back to his old ways off-the-field, he could very well end be the franchise quarterback this franchise has long sought after.

The play of running back Doug Martin is going to be equally integral for the play of this offense. Unlike Winston, the prospects of Martin stepping up and delivering the goods are a lot murkier.  Martin's excellent 2015 campaign (1,673 all-purpose YDS and 7 TD) pretty much came out of nowhere after a pair of underwhelming, injury-riddled seasons in 2013 and 2014. Martin had turned back time and finally delivered on the promise he showed during his electric rookie campaign in 2012. Martin was consistently great throughout 2015, but you have to wonder if his success was merely a product of a player busting his ass in a contract year or if he is actually going to be able to sustain his current status as one of the league's top backs for back-to-back seasons. The answer to that question will likely haunt Buccaneers fans through the midpoint of the season and play a crucial role in deciding their place in the NFL's constantly-shifting balance of power.

The Buccaneers biggest Achilles' heel from a year ago (offensive line) is still very much an issue headed into 2016. The return of a healthy Demar Dotson at right tackle after missing most of last season with a knee injury brings a much-needed veteran presence to this young group, but the retirement of Logan Mankins-who single-handedly made their makeshift offensive line somewhat functional last season- opens up a huge void in the interior of the line (free agent pickup J.R Sweezy more than likely isn't the answer) and the decision to keep human turnstile Donovan Smith at left tackle is just puzzling. If this o-line can't coalesce, the potential growth of Winston and repeat success of Martin (and of course, the fate of their season) could be in jeopardy.

Defense:
Smith was primarily let go due to his inability to put a quality defense on the field. While Smith's Cover 2-driven scheme doesn't fit the pass-happy nature of the present-day NFL, it was two years worth of terrible free-agent signings and drafting from general manager Jason Licht and in the case of last season, unexpected down years from established stars Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David that primarily destroyed their odds of putting a quality defense onto the field.

New defensive coordinator Mike Smith is entering a slightly rosier situation than Lovie and his defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier had during their two seasons in Tampa. McCoy and David are unlikely to have back-to-back disappointing seasons and more importantly, the free-agent signings (cornerback Brent Grimes, inside linebacker Daryl Smith, defensive end Robert Ayers) Licht made this year aren't the type of backbreaking bad high-money deals that screwed over Lovie's regime (Alterraun Verner, Michael Johnson, basically every other deal Licht signed in 2014). The veteran starters (save for Ayers) are clearly being viewed as short-term solutions and while none of them are the players they were two or three years ago, they should end up being at least competent, cost-effective starters for the next season or two.

The true x-factors that could make or break this defense for Smith and his position coaches are their top two picks from this year's draft: cornerback Vernon Hargreaves and defensive end Noah Spence. Hargreaves and Spence were two of my favorite players in this year's draft and I believe they're the type of players that can come in and make a major impact right away. Hargreaves is a bit undersized for an outside corner (5"10, 204 lbs), but his coverage skills are top-notch and Spence is a powerful edge-rusher with a relentless motor that could prove to be the steal of the draft if he lives up to his enormous potential. The rebuild of this defense will be fast-tracked if Hargreaves and Spence can come in and provide the Bucs with the top corner and edge-rusher combo they've lacked since the glory days of Ronde Barber and Simeon Rice in the early to mid 2000's.    
 
Bottom Line:
With Jameis Winston at the helm and some intriguing young defensive pieces, the Buccaneers are clearly trending upwards, but they have too many flaws on both sides of the ball to be taken seriously as a dark horse playoff contender this season. 

Projected Standings:
1.Carolina Panthers (11-5)
2.New Orleans Saints (8-8)
3.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)
4.Atlanta Falcons (5-11)

2016 NFL Preview: NFC North

Chicago Bears:

2015 Season: 6-10 (4th in NFC North)

Head Coach: John Fox (2nd season)

Notable Additions: ILB Danny Trevathan, ILB Jerrell Freeman, T Bobby Massie

Notable Departures: RB Matt Forte, TE Martellus Bennett, G/C Matt Slauson

Offense:
Despite my hopes that people in NFL circles would forget how renowned he was during his 2-year stint with the Broncos when he moved to the Windy City, offensive coordinator Adam Gase left the Bears after 1 season to take on the daunting task of coaching the perpetually messy Miami Dolphins. With Gase officially out, quarterback and the fanbase's top scapegoat for every issue that arises with the team Jay Cutler gets to work with his 6th (!) offensive coordinator since coming to the Bears in 2009. The silver lining in this coordinator change is that the new playcaller is Dowell Loggains, who served as Cutler's quarterback coach last season. If Loggains makes good on his promise to keep most of Gase's system in tact, Cutler's transition to a new offensive coordinator should be smoother than usual.

Despite being the popular opinion among analysts and fans alike, I strongly believe that the play of Cutler isn't to blame for the Bears recent offensive struggles. Cutler just had one of the best seasons of his career (3,659 YDS/21 TD/11 INT/64.4 CMP%/92.3 QBR) despite dealing with a depleted receiving corps made up mostly of kick-return specialists (Marc Mariani, Josh Bellamy, Deonte Thompson) and journeyman tight ends (Zach Miller, Rob Housler) for a majority of the season, proving that he could produce solid numbers and keep the team competitive (of the 8 losses that came with him at the helm for all 4 quarters, 6 of them were by a touchdown or less) with a less-than-stellar supporting cast.

The difference between the Bears being a mediocre and good unit in 2016 is going to lie on the shoulders of starting receiving duo Alshon Jeffrey and Kevin White. Jeffrey has phenomenal chemistry with Cutler and is one of the most efficient receivers in the league when he's on the field (he put up 4 100+-yard performance in the 9 games he appeared in 2015) while White-who missed the entirety of his rookie season with a shin injury-was one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2015 draft with his rare combination of size and top-end speed. If Jeffrey and White can remain healthy and play up to their potential, the Bears passing game could turn into one of the most lethal in the league and in turn, give them the potential to emerge as a surprise playoff contender.

The status of the rest of the Bears offense is really hard to gauge. Longtime running back Matt Forte left for the New York Jets in free agency, opening the door for a competition between second-year back Jeremy Langford and rookie Jordan Howard for the vacant starting running back job. Langford is the presumed starter right now because of the solid production he put up a year ago (537 YDS and 6 TD's) while Forte was sidelined with a sprained knee last season, but his terrible hands (he managed 7 drops on just 42 targets last season) and shaky pass-protection skills might make him a liability as an every-down back. Howard is a bit of wild card that fell to the 5th round due to concerns about his durability, but his status as a powerful runner that doesn't shy away from contact and solid pass-protector makes him a legitimate threat to split carries with or outright steal the starting job from Langford.

While the running back situation is far from ideal, the offensive line situation is MUCH messier. Aside from the wise choice to have Kyle Long return to his natural position of right guard after a one-year experiment at right tackle, the Bears offensive line went through a borderline nightmarish offseason along the offensive line. They bizarrely chose to release stalwart veteran guard Matt Slauson after they drafted Cody Whitehair in the 2nd round of the draft, signed two veteran lineman (guard/center Manny Ramirez and tackle Nate Chandler) that retired before training camp even started, and worst of all, the front office and coaching staff thought it was a great idea to trot out well below average left tackle Charles Leno Jr. to protect Cutler's blindside for a second straight season. It's unclear how this unit is going to mesh together once the season starts, but I don't have a lot of optimism right now that anyone besides Long is going to end up delivering. 

Defense:
Vic Fangio worked some legitimate magic with this unit a year ago. Despite having a revolving door of players at several key positions (defensive end, inside linebacker, cornerback), relying on converted 4-3 defensive ends (Willie Young, Lamarr Houston) to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme and having one of the weakest talent pools in the league to work with, the Bears defense finished 14th overall in yards against (4th against the pass, tied for 22nd against the rush) and 20th in points allowed per game. Those numbers are mostly below average, but they would've been much worse without a coordinator as sharp as Fangio running the show.


Fangio and general manager Ryan Pace continued their full defensive overhaul in their second year with the team and they ended up making a series of moves that could result in a dramatic improvement for the Bears D. The headliners of the Bears 2016 free agency class was the inside linebacker duo of Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman. Fangio's defenses during his stint with the 49ers were anchored by spectacular inside linebacker play from the likes of Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman and Chris Borland. With their combination of tackling prowess, instincts against the run and pass-coverage skills tailor-made for this scheme, Trevathan and Freeman have an excellent chance to be the next inside linebackers to thrive in Fangio's system.

 Pace further shook things up by drafting edge-rusher Leonard Floyd in the 1st round and interior pass-rushing specialist Jonathan Bullard in the 3rd round and adding defensive end Akiem Hicks in free agency to bolster a front that was tied for 22nd in sacks (35) and forced a league-low 6 fumbles last season. The new blood alongside returning rising star outside linebacker Pernell McPhee and promising second-year defensive tackle Eddie Goldman makes the Bears prime candidates to be the league's most improved front-seven in the league in 2016.

The Bears defense is undeniably improved on paper going into this season, but there are still several potentially crippling flaws at certain positions. The secondary is full of holes outside of cornerback Kyle Fuller and safety Adrian Amos and the lack of veteran leadership and depth on the whole could put this unit at a serious advantage against top-caliber passing attacks. It's going to be interesting to see if the rookies (safeties Deon Bush and DeAndre Houston-Carson, cornerback Deionadre' Hall) and second-year players (cornerbacks Brice Callahan and Jacoby Glenn, safety Harold Jones-Quartey) can rise up to the uncharacteristically high burden being put on their shoulders as young players that weren't high draft picks (or in the case of Callahan, Glenn and Jones-Quartey, not drafted at all) and cause this unit to overachieve.

There's also concerns about whether or not Floyd has the size or speed to be an effective pass-rusher at the professional level. Floyd had a difficult-enough time working through the quality of competition in the SEC during his 3 years at Georgia, never registering more than 6.5 sacks in a single season. The NFL is clearly a different beast and someone with his lack of size and top-end speed could end being swallowed up the huge, freak athletes that make up this league. The Bears have contingency plans in the form of Young and Houston if Floyd fails to make an impact, but it would be a big letdown if the guy they traded up to land in the draft ended up faltering on the professional level. Even with their faults, it would be pretty surprising if this defense wasn't significantly improved from a year ago.

Bottom Line:
The softer schedule and improvements on both sides of the ball should lead to more wins in the second year of the Fox/Pace regime, but there's still not enough talent here to compete for a playoff spot in the loaded NFC.

Detroit Lions:

2015 Season: 7-9 (3rd in NFC North)

Head Coach: Jim Caldwell (3rd season)

Notable Additions: WR Marvin Jones, WR Anquan Boldin, DE Wallace Gilberry

Notable Departures: WR Calvin Johnson (retired), CB Rashean Mathis (retired), ILB Stephen Tulloch

Offense:
The great Calvin Johnson Jr. finally decided he was sick of perennial disappointment by announcing his retirement from the league after 9 seasons in early March. This wasn't exactly a shock as Johnson has already made plenty of money (he made approximately $81 million without factoring in any of the endorsements, contract incentives and signing bonuses he received) and isn't the type of guy that was going to drag his career to the point where he became a shell of his former self.
 

While Johnson will clearly be missed, I think the Lions passing game will continue to be solid without him. The passing game found new life when Jim Bob Cooter was tapped as offensive coordinator at the midpoint of last season. Golden Tate's speed and elusiveness allowed him to thrive immediately once Cooter's offense was installed and he should be able to handle being the new top wideout without incident. Free-agent pickups Marvin Jones and Anquan Boldin don't have the experience in a short pass-based system or possess Tate's perfect fit for the scheme, but they're both sure-handed vets who are polished enough to adapt to it and offer Cooter the flexibility to work more deep passes into his repertoire. Unless Matthew Stafford regresses to his pre-Cooter level of turnovers and questionable decisionmaking, the Lions should be able to have a sharp, efficient passing attack this season.

The optimism for the passing attack can not be carried over to the ground game. The offensive line arguably got worse as they're retaining 4 of the 5 starters from a year ago and brought in the tough, but incredibly raw and penalty-prone rookie Taylor Decker to play left tackle and they decided against bringing in anyone reliable to backup (whatever pieces of bones and cartilage are left of Stevan Ridley doesn't fall into that camp) second-year running back Ameer Abdullah, who was one of the most indecisive and fumble-prone backs in the league last season. An offensive line that can't open up rushing lanes paired with a feature back that can't secure the ball or figure out how to attack an opponent's defense means the Lions rushing attack is a virtual lock to be a trainwreck barring unforeseen drastic improvements.

Defense:
 The Lions defense are pretty much the poster children for mediocrity. They finished somewhere between 15th and 23rd in every major state category and fall into that special category of being too competent to be glossed over yet not dominant enough to be truly feared by opposing offenses.

Sure they have two of the most gifted young defenders in the league in defensive end Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah and cornerback Darius Slay and the return of 2014 All-Pro outside linebacker DeAndre Levy is bound to help their depleted linebacking corps, but the prospects of them being anything more than marginally better in 2016 aren't good. The rookies they brough in are too raw (defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson, safety Miles Kilebrew, defensive tackle Anthony Zietel) to make an impact right away and the veterans they acquired in free agency are almost exclusively bench players that failed to standout on good defenses (defensive end Wallace Gilberry, safety Tavon Wilson, inside linebacker Jon Bostic). There are some players scattered throughout this unit that have the potential to put together surprisingly productive campaigns (outside linebacker Tamir Whitehead, defense end Devin Taylor, cornerback Quandre Diggs), but even if they all exceed expectations, I don't think there's enough collective talent within this group to be anything more than half-decent in 2016.

Bottom Line:

Like the Bears, the Lions are a subpar team with some intriguing talent that are unfortunately stuck in a conference full of teams that are much better than them.

Green Bay Packers:

2015 Season: 10-6 (2nd in NFC North)

Head Coach: Mike McCarthy (11th season)

Notable Additions: TE Jared Cook, OLB Lerentee McCray

Notable Departures: CB Casey Hayward, WR James Jones, DT B.J. Raji (retired)
Offense:
Do you think Aaron Rodgers is excited to have Jordy Nelson back? With Nelson sidelined for the duration of 2015 with a torn ACL, all hell broke lose on this offense. The offensive line shit the bed outside of guards Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang, Randall Cobb looked nothing like the slot receiving virtuoso that put up 1,287 yards in 2014- which forced Rodgers to heavily rely on the dream team of James Jones and Richard Rodgers in the passing game, and Eddie Lacy's weight gain finally became a serious issue as poor conditioning and stamina led him to put together the first underwhelming campaign (758 YD/3 TD) of his young career thus far. Rodgers made due with what he had by leading the Packers to a 10-win season and throwing 30+ TD's for the 5th time in his career, but the unreliability of the players around him ultimately squandered any chance they had winning the Super Bowl last season. 

The return of Nelson to the fold should be able to reverse a lot of the problems that plagued the effectiveness of the typically potent Packers offense last season. Rodgers has an unmatched chemistry with him and his route-running prowess and reliable hands makes him one of the most deadly receiving options in the league. If Nelson comes back at full speed, his presence will take the pressure off of Cobb, Davante Adams and the rest of their receiving corps, which should allow at least most of them to recover after their disappointing 2015 campaigns. Nelson is the most crucial player on this offense outside of Rodgers and his production should play a crucial role in whether or not this team emerges as serious contenders this year.
 
The return of a fit and functional Lacy should also benefit the Packers offense. Lacy has reportedly shed all of his excess weight and looked excellent at training camp thus far. Lacy is one of the most physically-imposing and naturally gifted runners in the league right now and as long as he continues to keep his weight under control, he'll be able to bounce back nicely and return the much-needed sense of balance to this Packers squad. 

Defense:
The biggest headline the Packer defense generated this offseason was that Clay Matthews is moving back to outside linebacker after an involuntary year-and-a-half stint on the inside. Given how mediocre he was at inside linebacker, this is a win-win for the Packers. They desperately need his pass-rushing prowess on the edge and the presence of a natural inside linebacker is almost guaranteed to improve their pass defense in the middle of the field.


The rest of the Packers defensive was marred by subtle changes that are unlikely to have a serious effect on the defense. They lost starting cornerback Casey Hayward to the Chargers and drafted nose tackle Kenny Clark to replace veteran B.J. Raji, who announced he was taking a "hiatus" from football in March. Hayward became completely expendable after the emergence of Damarious Randall and Quentin Rollins last season and Clark was a serious reach at the bottom of the first round, but he's unlikely to be any worse than Raji has been over the past couple of years.


 With the lack of roster turnover, the Packers are in an excellent position to be a top-tier defense yet again this season. This is a pesky group full of unheralded talents (defensive end Mike Daniels, safety Morgan Burnett, cornerback Sam Shields) that can take over a game at any time with the added bonus of having the luxury of resting easy if one of their key cogs goes down with an injury due to the unprecedented level of continuity and depth they have on all three levels of their defense. They may not have of the same caliber as the Broncos or Seahawks, but they're a talented unit that can be relied on to perform at a high level week-in and week-out.

Bottom Line: 
Barring a slew of injuries or Aaron Rodgers suddenly falling from grace, the Packers should be rock-solid once again in 2016.

Minnesota Vikings:

2015 Season: 11-5 (1st in NFC North)

Head Coach: Mike Zimmer (3rd season)

Notable Additions: G Alex Boone, T Andre Smith, S Michael Griffin

Notable Departures: WR Mike Wallace, S Robert Blanton, T Phil Loadholt (retired)

Offense:
The Vikings made their intentions to try and bring balance to their offense in 2016 clear by addressing the two areas (offensive line and wide receiver) this offseason that destroyed their chances of having a competent passing attack in 2015. They spent a decent amount of money to bring in veteran guard Alex Boone (4 years/$26.8 mil/$10 mil guaranteed) and tackle Andre Smith (1 year/$4.5 mil/$1 mil guaranteed) and used their 1st-round pick on promising wide receiver Laquon Treadwell out of Ole Miss.

Even with the new additions to their offensive line and receiving corps, I have little faith that the Vikings passing game is going to suddenly take off this season. Boone and Smith aren't nearly good enough to turn the tide on an offensive line that was nothing short of abysmal last season, a run-happy coordinator in Norv Turner is still calling the shots on offense and even if Treadwell catches on-which I think will happen given how well he fits this system- the Vikings have no other receivers that can be consistently counted on. It's kind of a shame this is the case because I think an accurate and efficient quarterback like Teddy Bridgewater could handle a bigger workload if called upon. Unfortunately, Bridgewater will likely be relegated to hand-off duty and running for his life 15-20 times a game while he tries to complete the 4-6 yard passes Turner drew up for him.  

 In lieu of a reliable passing game, the Vikings offense should once again be carried (no pun intended) by running back Adrian Peterson. Peterson has remarkably shown no signs of aging (he just turned 31 in March) despite handling an insane workload every year and coming off of a 1,485-yard season in 2015 (the 3rd highest single-season rushing total of his career), there's no reason to believe he'll suddenly collapse in 2016.

Defense:
2015 was a breakout season for the Vikings D. Under the tutelage of defensive mastermind Mike Zimmer, outside linebacker Anthony Barr and defensive end Everson Griffen were able to build on the promise they showed in 2014 to become two of the best players at their respective positions, veteran defensive tackle Linval Joseph re-affirmed his place as one of the league's best interior lineman after a lackluster 2014 and safety Harrison Smith continued to be one of the most dominant safeties in the league.


With their starters possessing an average age of 26.5 years old, there's no reason to believe that this defense won't be able to be even better in 2016. Barr is still relatively new to the defensive side of the ball (he switched from running to outside linebacker during his junior year at UCLA) and has ample room to grow as a both a run-defender and pass-rusher, Smith and Griffen are just now starting to enter their prime and young players including inside linebacker Eric Kendricks and defensive Danielle Hunter seem like they are in line to be the next guys on this defense to make massive productivity leaps. There's no crippling weaknesses to be found anywhere on this defense and they have the winning combination of promising young talent and a solid veteran nucleus that every team strives to have, but is incredibly difficult to actually put into place. If you're looking for a dark horse to be the best defense in football going into 2016, look no further than the Minnesota Vikings.

Bottom Line:
With little roster changeover and a large of group players that are on the cusp of breaking out, the Vikings are in a prime position to win the NFC North for a second consecutive season.

Projected Standings:
1.Minnesota Vikings (11-5)
2.Green Bay Packers (10-6)
3.Chicago Bears (8-8)
4.Detroit Lions (7-9)

The Best and Worst of Will Smith

The "Best and Worst" series profiles the best and worst work of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week I take a look at the filmography of "Suicide Squad" star Will Smith.

Film starring Will Smith that I've seen:
Bad Boys
Independence Day 
Men in Black
Wild Wild West
The Legend of Bagger Vance
Men in Black 2
Bad Boys II
I, Robot
Shark Tale
The Pursuit of Happyness
I Am Legend
Hancock
Seven Pounds
Men in Black 3
After Earth
Focus
Concussion

Best Performance: Concussion (2015)
As much as I like Smith, his career has primarily been dedicated to roles in blockbuster sci-fi/action films that were driven more by charisma then his acting chops. That being said, Smith is a completely capable dramatic actor when called upon and his stunning performance as Dr. Bennet Omalu-a Nigerian-born pathologist that discovered the link between CTE and football while performing autopsy's on retired NFL players- in last year's docudrama Concussion is the clear standout of his forays into the world of dramatic acting. Smith beautifully captures the strong will, kind heart and resiliency Omalu displayed as he clashed with the NFL over the validity of his findings and the sense of relief that came over him when they finally acknowledged the concussion issue and chose to educate their current and former players on the effects of CTE. It's a shame that this captivating, understated and moving performance didn't get the recognition it deserved from any of the major film award shows outside of the Golden Globes.     

Worst Performance: The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
The Legend of Bagger Vance was led by three great actors (Smith, Matt Damon and Charlize Theron) and not one of them escape this corny disaster of a film unscathed. Smith plays the role of the mysterious, possibly divine titular caddy who helps a once-great golfer (Damon) whose life has been ruined by booze and depression regain his love of the game and life itself. The role of Bagger Vance in the story is every bit as sappy and dumb as it sounds and as hard as Smith tries to inject the character with his trademark likability, there's nothing he could possibly do to prevent this performance (and the film in general) from being an overly sentimental mess.

Best Film: Men in Black (1997)
Smith's early filmography is loaded with entertaining and amusing films (both Bad Boys movies, Independence Day) that have stood the test of time. Out of the all films from this portion of Smith's career, Men in Black is without question the best. Men in Black coasted off of a unique premise, a sharp sense of humor and the surprisingly spectacular lead pairing of the energetic, wisecracking Smith and the droll, often miserable Tommy Lee Jones. With the exception of Jurassic Park and Terminator 2: Judgement Day, I don't think the '90s produced a blockbuster that's as fun and rewatchable as this.   

Worst Film: Shark Tale (2004)
It's been just about 12 years since Shark Tale was released and I'm still baffled as to how the filmmakers were able to get so many big-name actors to commit to this project. Did Dreamworks have serious dirt on Smith, Angelina Jolie, Jack Black, Robert De Niro and the rest of the cast? Did their agents lie to them about the true nature/quality of the project? Was the casting director the best sweet talker in Hollywood? Regardless of how it came to be, it's astonishing that so many talented actors agreed to star in such a poorly-animated, unfunny and mean-spirited film.   

Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". Next week, I'll take a look at the best and worst work of "Sausage Party" star James Franco.