Concert Review: Chance the Rapper-- Boston, MA-- September 29th, 2016

Lineup: Chance the Rapper/Francis and the Lights ("The Magnificent Coloring World Tour")
Venue: Blue Hills Bank Pavilion, Boston, MA
Date: September 29th, 2016

Francis and the Lights: Outside of a middling amount of hype stemming from his recent collab with Kanye West and his appearance on Chance's "Summer Friends", I had zero idea what Francis and The Lights was all about prior to seeing him live. Even with no idea of what to expect going into, I was still shocked by his sound. This dude basically sounds like if Phil Collins had a twisted millennial lovechild that was obsessed with strange indie-meets-reggae beats. I can say confidently say that I've never heard anything like it before and I'd be totally fine with not hearing anything like it ever again.

While his music left me bewildered, his dance moves were fucking majestic. This motherfucker spent the duration of his half-set proving that he was a certified lord of the dance with an array of enchanting moves that ranged from a full body flail that could've easily been confused for a seizure to pseudo-twerking with slightly less booty popping and more pelvic thrusts. The sheer grace of his dance moves provided the set with a much-needed dose of elegance and played a crucial role in making this performance worthwhile on the whole.

Chance the Rapper: In just a few years in the national spotlight, Chance the Rapper has established himself as the one of the most unique and unusual voices in music. After last night, I can confirm that his live show takes that special brand of weirdness and elevates it to an extreme, borderline unreal level.

Chance's live show played out like a live hip-hop episode of Yo Gabba Gabba. The show prominently featured puppets (most notably a lion named Carlos that he interacted with for a majority of the set and a full puppet choir on "How Great", "Finish Line/Drown" and "Summer Friends") and the video screen was a non-stop clusterfuck of bright colors and cartoon imagery. The audience ate up Chance's happy acid trip stage show, but I couldn't help but cringe at how corny it was to watch a grown-man talk to a fucking puppet in-between songs for 90 minutes. I respect the fact that Chance is in a really positive place in his life right now and wants his live show to reflect his internal joy, but having a strange, cheesy stage production like this significantly takes away from the overall quality of his live show.

Aside from the puppetry, Chance was pretty solid. The setlist was way too heavy on material from his underwhelming new mixtape Coloring Book and his decision to cut almost every song short was frustrating, but his rapping/singing was pretty much spot-on throughout the set and it's impossible to excessively hate on a dude who radiates positive energy like he does.

Given the disheartening lack of Acid Rap tracks present in his set, his guest spots from Action Bronson's "Baby Blue" and Kanye West's "Ultralight Beam" ended up being the night's highlights. Those verses are among my favorite he's ever done and it was a very pleasant surprise to hear them in a live setting. Diehard Chance fans are guaranteed to have a blast at this show, but I sadly didn't share the rampant enthusiasm that most of the other people leaving the venue had last night.     

Scores:
Francis and the Lights 4/10
Chance the Rapper 7.5/10

Setlist:
Chance the Rapper:
Angels
Blessings
Pusha Man
Smoke Again
Coco Butter Kisses
Favorite Song
Brain Cells
Smoke Break
Juke Jam
Same Drugs
Baby Blue (Action Bronson cover)
The Way (Kehlani cover)
Ultralight Beam (Kanye West cover)
No Problem
Mixtape
All Night
D.R.A.M. Sings Special (actually sung by D.R.A.M.!)
Grown Ass Kid
Sunday Candy (Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment cover)
All We Got
How Great
Finish Line/Drown
Blessings (reprise)


Encore:
Summer Friends 
Friends (Francis and the Lights cover) (w/Francis and the Lights)

The Best and Worst of John Malkovich

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 "Deepwater Horizon" star John Malkovich.

Films starring John Malkovich that I've seen:
Con Air
Rounders
Being John Malkovich
Johnny English
The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Eragon
Beowulf
Burn After Reading
Jonah Hex
Red 
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Warm Bodies
Red 2

Best Performance: Red (2010)
Malkovich has become one of Hollywood's most respected character actors in large part due to his natural zaniness and there is no greater display of his lovable eccentricity than his performance in the action comedy Red. As paranoid, borderline insane retired black ops agent Marvin Boggs, Malkovich provides the film with a special comedic spark that keeps the film afloat through its rough narrative-driven patches.

Worst Performance: Jonah Hex (2010)
Malkovich's performance in Jonah Hex is a tragic example of an innovator in the art of over-the-top acting taking their precious artform too far. He turned a role that should've been very entertaining (a former Confederate war general who plans to blow up the White House after stealing a classified government weapon) into an obnoxious, overly silly character that made me facepalm every time he appeared on screen.  

Best Film: Con Air (1997)
I wasn't exposed to Con Air until last year and I honestly kind of hate myself for waiting so long to check it out. This film is what B-action enthusiasts like myself live for. The cast is full of actors who are down for whatever nonsense the script throws at them, the action sequences are exhilarating and most importantly, it's fun as hell from start to finish. It's a shame that the practice of studios putting self-aware, big budget trash isn't nearly as prevalent today because I need more films like Con Air in my life ASAP. 

Worst Film: The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
I went on a lengthy rant about this steaming turd of a movie in my piece on the late Alan Rickman's career back in March, so I promised I'll scale back on the vitriol this time around. The relentless pretension and onslaught of faux-clever jokes made watching The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy about as enjoyable as passing golf ball-sized kidney stones.
 
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  "The Girl on the Train" star Emily Blunt. 

Week 4 NFL Power Rankings

()=Last Week's Ranking

1. (1) Denver Broncos (3-0) Week 4 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2. (3) New England Patriots (3-0) Week 4 opponent: Buffalo Bills
3. (6) Minnesota Vikings (3-0) Week 4 opponent: New York Giants
4. (8) Seattle Seahawks (2-1) Week 4 opponent: New York Jets
5. (7) Green Bay Packers (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Bye Week
6. (15) Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) Week 4 opponent: Bye Week
7. (13) Kansas City Chiefs (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
8. (2) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
9. (14) Baltimore Ravens (3-0) Week 4 opponent: Oakland Raiders
10. (4) Carolina Panthers (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
11. (5) Arizona Cardinals (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
12. (16) Oakland Raiders (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
13. (9) Houston Texans (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Tennessee Titans
14. (10) Cincinnati Bengals (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Miami Dolphins
15. (12) New York Giants (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
16. (19) Atlanta Falcons (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Carolina Panthers
17. (11) New York Jets (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
18. (21) Indianapolis Colts (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
19. (23) Dallas Cowboys (2-1) Week 4 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
20. (18) Detroit Lions (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Chicago Bears
21. (24) Los Angeles Rams (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Arizona Cardinals 
22. (29) Buffalo Bills (1-2) Week 4 opponent: New England Patriots
23. (27) Washington Redskins (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Cleveland Browns
24. (20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Denver Broncos
25. (22) San Diego Chargers (1-2) Week 4 opponent: New Orleans Saints
26. (26) Miami Dolphins (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
27. (25) Tennessee Titans (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Houston Texans
28. (17) New Orleans Saints (0-3) Week 4 opponent: San Diego Chargers
29. (28) Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3) Week 4 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
30. (30) San Francisco 49ers (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
31. (31) Chicago Bears (0-3) Week 4 opponent: Detroit Lions
32. (32) Cleveland Browns (0-3) Week 4 opponent: Washington Redskins

Week 3 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Quarterback
MVP: Matthew Stafford (Lions
Facing a massive 31-10 deficit at halftime, the Lions were forced to rely on a pass-heavy offense, and those early struggles ended up deeply rewarding Matthew Stafford's fantasy owners. Stafford's strong second half led to an excellent 385 YD/3 TD/1 INT statline as the Lions narrowly lost 34-27 to the Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday afternoon. Stafford has been one of the strongest fantasy options in 2016 thus far and his hot start has a great shot of continuing in Week 4 as the Lions take on the Bears weak, injury-riddled defense.
Honorable Mentions: Drew Brees (Saints), Jameis Winston (Buccaneers), Aaron Rodgers (Packers)

LVP: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)
Ryan Fitzpatrick's disastrous 6 INT performance against the Chiefs was clearly the worst quarterback performance of the week, but his ineptness didn't effect nearly as many as fantasy players as Ben Roethlisberger's did. The Eagles aggressive front applied constant pressure and forced Big Ben to have an uncharacteristically sloppy performance (257 YDS, 0 TD, 1 INT, lost fumble) in a game that was universally disastrous for the Black and Yellow. Ironically, Roethlisberger's Week 4 matchup comes against the Chiefs defense that forced the Jets to turn the ball over 8 times this week, which makes a bounceback performance far from probable. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Ryan Fitzpatrick (Jets), Carson Palmer (Cardinals), Marcus Mariota (Titans)

Running Back
MVP: Devonta Freeman (Falcons)
After a relatively quiet start to the season, Devonta Freeman woke up in a big way this week. The Falcons running back torched the Saints lowly defense for 207 YDS (152 rushing, 55 receiving) and a TD on 19 touches. Freeman is currently locked in a timeshare with 2nd-year back Tevin Coleman and isn't likely to put up eye-popping numbers like this on a regular basis, but he's still worth starting every week in 2016's messy RB climate.
Honorable Mentions: Tevin Coleman (Falcons), Carlos Hyde (49ers), LeSean McCoy (Bills)

LVP: DeAngelo Williams (Steelers)
DeAngelo Williams has finally come back down to earth. A combination of the Steelers being forced to strictly pass after going down by multiple scores very early in the game and the Eagles honing in on him forced Williams to put up a lackluster 44 yards (21 rushing, 23 receiving) on just 12 touches. With Le'Veon Bell officially being reinstated from his suspension this week, Williams' fantasy value is bound to rapidly diminish.
Dishonorable Mentions: C.J. Anderson (Broncos), Matt Forte (Jets), Jerick McKinnon (Vikings)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Marvin Jones Jr. (Lions)
Marvin Jones Jr. made the most of his targets against the Packers on Sunday afternoon. On just 6 receptions, Jones Jr. racked up an absurd 205 yards and a touchdown. With Golden Tate struggling out of the gate, Jones Jr. has established him as the Lions go-to receiver and subsequently earned a spot as a high-end WR2 with a WR1 ceiling.
Honorable Mentions: Terrelle Pryor Sr. (Browns), Emmanuel Sanders (Broncos) T.Y. Hilton (Colts)

LVP: Julio Jones (Falcons)
Where the hell was Julio Jones last night? Despite getting targeted a team-high 7 times, Jones was almost completely left out of the Falcons torching of the Saints defense, finishing with just a single catch for 16 yards. While Jones is currently dealing with ankle and calf ailments, it's still shocking that he made so little noise against the league's worst defense. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Kelvin Benjamin (Panthers), Brandin Cooks (Saints), Jeremy Maclin (Chiefs)

Tight End
MVP: Zach Miller (Bears)
Zach Miller was a popular fill-in option for owners of currently dinged-up TE1's Delanie Walker and Antonio Gates and he ended up nicely rewarding the people that inserted him into their lineups this week. Miller was Brian Hoyer's favorite target in the Bears ugly primetime loss against the Cowboys, picking up 78 yards and 2 TD on 8 receptions. Despite his success in Week 3, I still wouldn't recommend starting Miller outside of emergency situations. 
Honorable Mentions: Coby Fleener (Saints), Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Jimmy Graham (Seahawks)

LVP: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
Rob Gronkowski's 2016 debut didn't exactly go as planned. The perennial top fantasy tight end was basically a ghost against the Texans, only seeing the field for 14 plays and failing to catch his only target of the game. Gronkowski was still visibly hobbled by the hamstring that held him out of the first 2 games of the season and despite all of the upside he brings to the table every time he steps on the field, he'll be a very risky play until he's at 100%. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Julius Thomas (Jaguars), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Dwayne Allen (Colts)

Defense
MVP: Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs defense put up the type of performance in Week 3 that doesn't seem possible outside of a video game. The Chiefs defense/special teams put on a takeaway clinic against the Jets, picking up 6 INT's, 2 fumble recoveries and scoring a pair of TD's that catapulted them to an easy 24-3 victory. The Chiefs face a much tougher task against the Steelers in Week 4, but any owner has to feel good about their chances to be a top 3-5 fantasy defense this year after this unreal performance. 
Honorable Mentions: Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots

LVP: Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks defense put up a solid real-life performance in Week 3, but that success wasn't reflected in their fantasy numbers. The Seahawks allowed 18 points, failed to register a sack and only managed a single INT in their blowout win over the embattled 49ers. The Seahawks D get a more-than-ideal opportunity to redeem themselves against the turnover-happy Jets offense in Week 4.
Dishonorable Mentions: Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers

Movie Review: The Magnificent Seven

After being spoiled with a consistently strong and well-rounded summer movie slate, the cinema gods have decided to keep 2016's hot streak rolling into the early fall with the terrific Magnificent Seven. Director Antonie Fuqua's (Training Day, The Equalizer) high-profile western is not just a killer remake, it's one of the most purely enjoyable viewing experiences I've had in a movie theater in recent memory.

The Magnificent Seven's setup is about as familiar as it gets: vengeance-seeking widow Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett) hires famed bounty hunter Sam Chisholm (Denzel Washington) to bring down Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), the greedy industrialist who killed her husband (Matt Bomer) and aims to take over the small mining town of Rose Creek in which she resides. Chisholm soon hires six fearless, skilled outlaws (Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Byung Hun-Lee, Vincent D'Onofrio, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Martin Sensmeier) from all over the surrounding territories to help him fight off Bogue's men and restore order to Rose Creek.

Fuqua deserves a ton of credit for making a film that applies modern visual effects/stunt magic and characterizations (the films portrays people of color and women in a positive light) to the western genre without disregarding the rollicking tone and palatable grit that the defined the genre's classic films. The massive gunfights are beautifully-shot and cleanly-edited, the pacing is brisk without being frantic and each member of the ensemble cast is note-perfect for their respective role (the reliably excellent Washington and legitimately menacing Sarsgaard are the standouts). It may not be as deep or inventive as the True Grit or 3:10 Yuma remakes, but it's still an elite entry in the criminally thin field of modern westerns. The Magnificent Seven is easily the best action blockbuster of 2016 so far and it's going to take one hell of an effort for another fall film to match or exceed its entertainment value.

4/5 Stars

Album Review: Mac Miller-The Divine Feminine

Ever since Mac Miller reinvented himself as a serious artist on 2013's Watching Movies with the Sound Off, he's become one of the most unpredictable acts in hip-hop. Each release he's put since Watching Movies has featured a dramatically overhauled sound that's explored a wide variety of lyrical themes and hip-hop subgenres. While Miller's recent output has been defined by constant shifts in sound, his latest LP The Divine Feminine is the type of eyebrow-raising departure from the norm that will likely surprise even his most diehard fans. 

Since releasing his third LP GO:OD AM last September, Miller has entered a relationship with pop singer Ariana Grande and the headspace that their budding romance has put him in results in The Divine Feminine being the most joyful album of his career. Hearing a clear-minded, lovestruck Miller is kind of odd given the themes of drug use, depression and self-loathing that have ruled his past few releases, but I admire Miller for once again making an album that encapsulates his mental state at a given period of his life. 

Unsurprisingly, Miller's newfound love translates to a record full of romantic ballads. Given how long Miller has been down a rabbit hole of darkness and self-medication, this shift to more jovial subject matter is far from a seamless transition. Miller's process of trying to re-adjust his voice to convey messages of love and commitment leads to an album that features sincere triumphs ("Planet God Damn"), noble failures (the bloated 8-minute epic "Cinderella") and a whole lotta mixed bags ("God is Fair, Sexy Nasty", "Congratulations", a few other tracks). The smooth, low-key production handled by a number of excellent veteran producers including Frank Dukes, Vinylz and DJ Dahi and Miller's introspective lyrics that paint a vivid picture of his relationship with Grande prevent the record from completely crashing and burning, but The Divine Feminine largely lacks the focus and confidence that has made his last few projects so impressive.

The only time on The Divine Feminine where Miller flat-out nails his new sound comes on the beautiful funk/soul-inspired "Dang!", which was released as the album's lead single back in July. With the aid of a killer horn grove and flawless guest spot from rising R&B star Anderson.Paak, Miller drops a wildly infectious, upbeat song that perfectly illustrates the joy his new relationship is bringing him. If The Divine Feminine featured more songs that matched "Dang!'s" level of positive energy and poignancy, Miller's latest reinvention would've far been more successful. 

While the surprising lack of cohesion and confidence certainly does its fair share of damage to the overall quality of the product, The Divine Feminine's biggest crutch is Miller's singing voice. Miller has the type of voice that is passable in small doses, but is far too weak to carry a song on its own. For reasons I'll never be able to comprehend, there are four songs ("Skin", "Soulmate", "My Favorite Part", the aforementioned "Cinderella") on The Divine Feminine where Miller either exclusively or almost exclusively sings for the duration of the track. "My Favorite Part", which is a duet featuring Grande, is able to skate by on the happy couple's terrific chemistry, but the other three songs quickly becoming grating due to Miller's erratic, often tone-deaf singing. I understand that crooning is a huge part of making love songs, but Miller does not have the vocal chops to try and channel Marvin Gaye or Luther Vandross for any sustained period of time.

There are just enough positives to put The Divine Feminine on the right side of average, but the huge step-down down in quality after his career-best LP GO:OD AM is undeniably disheartening. He seemed to be just scratching the surface of his potential as an artist on that record and the comparatively tentative nature and admirable yet misguided vision of The Divine Feminine has temporarily derailed him from reaching it. That being said, it takes some time to adjust to such a rapid, dramatic change in state of mind after spending so much time in a dark place, so it's completely understandable that Miller's first foray into the world of tender love ballads wasn't hugely successful. If Miller is still madly in love with Grande when his next record comes out, I have no doubt that it will be much more cohesive and emotionally-resonant album than The Divine Feminine. 

3/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Dang! (feat. Anderson. Paak)
2.Planet God Damn (feat. Njomza) 
3.We (feat. Cee Lo Green)

The Best and Worst of Denzel Washington

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 "The Magnificent Seven" star Denzel Washington.

Films starring Denzel Washington that I've seen:
Cry Freedom
Philadelphia
Remember the Titans
Training Day
John Q
Man on Fire
Inside Man
Deja Vu
American Gangster
The Taking of Pelham 123
The Book of Eli
Unstoppable
Safe House
Flight
2 Guns
The Equalizer

Best Performance: Training Day (2001)
I firmly believe that Washington's Academy Award-winning performance as Detective Alonzo Harris in Training Day is the greatest piece of acting in the history of cinema. Washington turned what could've been easily a by-the-numbers part into arguably the most menacing, deranged and straight-up despicable character to ever grace the silver screen. A lot of great actors have played corrupt cops over the years, but no one has ever come close to matching the suffocating intensity and sinister aura that Washington displayed as Harris.    

Worst Performance: N/A
Washington is someone that every actor in Hollywood should strive to be like. This is a man that shows up and gives 110% every time he steps on a film set, regardless of genre or the quality of the material he's working with. He might not be the single most acclaimed or respected figure in Hollywood right now, but no other actor in my lifetime is able to rival Washington's 30+ year track record of consistency in this industry.

Best Film: Training Day (2001)
In the 80's and 90's, police films were largely sanitized and portrayed cops as nothing but honest, moral human beings. Training Day flipped that long-standing genre trope around, offering an unflinching look at crime in the inner city and how police corruption plays a part in allowing illegal activity to thrive in poverty-stricken areas. The atmosphere is alarmingly realistic, the story is gripping and Washington's performance as the corrupt cop who takes a rookie narcotics officer (an excellent Ethan Hawke) around his beat to show him the ropes is beyond perfect. In my eyes, Training Day is a game-changing masterpiece that doesn't get nearly as much love as it deserves from the moviegoing public. 

Worst Film: The Equalizer (2014)
It's a testament to Washington's ability to pick quality roles that an above-average action film like The Equalizer is the worst project he's ever starred in. While the action sequences themselves are appropriately brutal and well-executed, the overly serious tone and bizarrely large focus on the generic, dull plot prevented this from being a top-notch B-grade vigilante 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  "Deepwater Horizon" star John Malkovich. 

Week 3 NFL Power Rankings

()=Last week's ranking

1. (1) Denver Broncos (2-0) Week 3 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
2. (2) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) Week 3 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
3. (3) New England Patriots (2-0) Week 3 opponent: Houston Texans
4. (6) Carolina Panthers (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
5. (7) Arizona Cardinals (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Buffalo Bills
6. (9) Minnesota Vikings (2-0) Week 3 opponent: Carolina Panthers
7. (5) Green Bay Packers (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Detroit Lions
8. (4) Seattle Seahawks (1-1) Week 3 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
9. (11) Houston Texans (2-0) Week 3 opponent: New England Patriots
10. (8) Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Denver Broncos
11. (12) New York Jets (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
12. (15) New York Giants (2-0) Week 3 opponent: Washington Redskins
13. (10) Kansas City Chiefs (1-1) Week 3 opponent: New York Jets
14. (14) Baltimore Ravens (2-0) Week 3 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
15. (21) Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) Week 3 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
16. (13) Oakland Raiders (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Tennessee Titans
17. (17) New Orleans Saints (0-2) Week 3 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
18. (18) Detroit Lions (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Green Bay Packers
19. (24) Atlanta Falcons (1-1) Week 3 opponent: New Orleans Saints
20. (16) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
21. (19) Indianapolis Colts (0-2) Week 3 opponent: San Diego Chargers
22. (31) San Diego Chargers (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
23. (26) Dallas Cowboys (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Chicago Bears
24. (30) Los Angeles Rams (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
25. (29) Tennessee Titans (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Oakland Raiders
26. (23) Miami Dolphins (0-2) Week 3 opponent: Cleveland Browns
27. (20) Washington Redskins (0-2) Week 3 opponent: New York Giants 
28. (22) Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) Week 3 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
29. (27) Buffalo Bills (0-2) Week 3 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
30. (25) San Francisco 49ers (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
31. (28) Chicago Bears (0-2) Week 3 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
32. (32) Cleveland Browns (0-2) Week 3 opponent: Miami Dolphins

Week 2 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Quarterback:
MVP: Cam Newton (Panthers)
After a so-so game against the Broncos in the season opener, Cam Newton came out and proved why he was the top-drafted quarterback in most leagues this year with a tremendous performance against the 49ers. Newton recovered from a pair of ugly 1st quarter turnovers (an INT and a lost fumble) and went onto torch the 49ers physically-drained defense for 390 total yards (353 passing, 37 rushing) and 4 TD. Newton faces a much stiffer challenge in Week 3 when the Vikings and their criminally underrated defense come to Bank of America Stadium, but is still worth playing of because dual-threat abilities and excellent career track record at home.  
Honorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons),  Tyrod Taylor (Bills), Derek Carr (Raiders)

LVP: Jameis Winston (Buccaneers)
Jameis Winston threw up one of his trademark massive stinkers against the Cardinals. A huge early deficit forced Winston to conjure up the bad habits (rushed throws, forcing passes into double/triple coverage, etc.) he had during his days at Florida State and the Cardinals defense made him pay for it, picking up 4 INT's and a lost fumble on the afternoon. Fearless quarterbacks with a gunslinger mentality are going to have games like this every once in a while, but Winston's tremendous upside and vital importance to the functionality of the Bucs offense makes him worth keeping as a low-end QB1/top-flight QB2.    
Dishonorable Mentions: Andrew Luck (Colts), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Eli Manning (Giants)

Running Back:
MVP: Matt Forte (Jets)
Matt Forte isn't a human being. The 30-year old running back once again looked like a fresh-legged 20-something as he ripped off a 109-yard (100 rushing, 9 receiving), 3 TD performance against the Bills last Thursday night. In a 2-week span that has been nothing short of catastrophic for the running back position, Forte has been one of only a handful of guys that have yielded impressive results for their owners.
Honorable Mentions: Isaiah Crowell (Browns), DeAngelo Williams (Steelers), LeGarrette Blount (Patriots)

LVP: Mark Ingram (Saints)
What the hell is going on with Mark Ingram? The Saints workhorse back mustered 47 total yards (30 rushing, 17 receiving) on just 13 touches in the Saints surprisingly low-scoring duel with the Giants this week. Ingram has been a bizarrely small part of the Saints offense through the first 2 weeks of the season and if this trend continues in Week 3 against the Falcons, it may be time to start getting very concerned about his status as a viable fantasy starter. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Carlos Hyde (49ers) , Eddie Lacy (Packers), T.J. Yeldon (Jaguars)

Wide Receiver:
MVP: Stefon Diggs (Vikings)
Don't look now, but Stefon Diggs might be a legit fantasy stud in the making. The Vikings 2nd-year wideout was once again the focal point of the offense, picking up 182 yards and a touchdown on 9 receptions, in the Purple Norseman's upset victory over the Packers on Sunday night. With a league-high 285 receiving yards through 2 weeks, Diggs appears to be a legit breakout candidate for 2016.
Honorable Mentions: Travis Benjamin (Chargers), Kelvin Benjamin (Panthers), Corey Coleman (Browns)

LVP: Antonio Brown (Steelers)
The most consistently productive player in all of fantasy football proved his mortality this week. Despite being targeted a team-high 11 times, Brown finished Sunday's contest versus the Bengals with just 39 yards on 4 receptions. Brown's return to dominant form in Week 3 is all but assured as he is set to square off against an Eagles secondary that is currently dealing with a rash of injuries.
Dishonorable Mentions: Golden Tate (Lions), A.J. Green (Bengals), Allen Robinson (Jaguars)

Tight End
MVP: Greg Olsen (Panthers)
A week after the league's healthy star tight end's all put up middling numbers, Greg Olsen and his counterparts ensured things returned to normal in Week 2. Olsen narrowly won the position MVP award over Martellus Bennett and Delanie Walker with his terrific, team-anchoring 5 REC/122 YD/1 TD performance against the 49ers. Olsen remains the clear number 2 target in the Panthers passing game behind Kelvin Benjamin and should continue to be one of the best options at TE just about every week. 
Honorable Mentions: Martellus Bennett (Patriots), Delanie Walker (Titans), Vance McDonald (49ers)

LVP: Coby Fleener (Saints)
Another week, another letdown for Coby Fleener. Facing a Giants defense that got straight-up torched by Jason Witten in Week 1, Fleener managed to get just 2 receptions for 29 yards on 8 targets-which was tied with Willie Snead for 2nd-most on the team. Fleener has been a huge dud so far, but given the Saints status as the NFL's most pass-happy offense, he's still worth hanging onto for the time being. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Dwayne Allen (Colts), Gary Barnidge (Browns)

Defense
MVP: Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals followed up a lackluster showing against the Patriots with one of the most dominant defensive performances in recent memory against the Buccaneers this week. The Cardinals made life a living hell for Jameis Winston and co., picking up 4 INT, 3 sacks, a fumble recovery and a TD while only allowing 7 points. The Cardinals have yet another excellent matchup in Week 3 as they take on the dysfunctional offense of the Buffalo Bills, so repeating this absurd level of production isn't completely out of the question. 
Honorable Mentions: Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers

LVP: Oakland Raiders
The optimism that I had for the Raiders defense going into 2016 has gone up in flames. The Silver and Black's defense once again couldn't stop a nosebleed, as they got torched for 35 points by the Falcons on Sunday while only mustering a single sack and interception to try and offset their inability to stop opposing offenses from scoring at will. I'd say it's safe to go ahead and drop this underwhelming group immediately.  
Dishonorable Mentions: New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills

Movie Review: Snowden

On June 4th 2013, Edward Snowden went from civilian to one of the world's most controversial  figures. From a hotel room in Hong Kong, the former NSA (National Security Agency) contractor released a video (and classified government documents to validate his claims) disclosing the details of the government's surveillance programs and exposing just how deep the United States government goes to violate the privacy of its citizens in the name of counter-terrorism. Just over three years later, iconic pot-stirring filmmaker Oliver Stone (Platoon, Wall Street) has brought Snowden's story to the big screen and while it doesn't make for consistently riveting cinema, Snowden is still one of the most necessary and culturally-relevant biopics I've ever seen.  

Snowden is not your average "greatest hits" biopic. Over the course of the film, you get a deep look into the career and personal life of Edward Snowden and the events that led to him risking his own life to inform the public of the United States government's invasive surveillance program. Stone's neutral approach of simply presenting the facts and letting the audience judge whether or not the subject was in the right is absolutely perfect for a polarizing figure like Edward Snowden. It was honestly kind of refreshing to watch a political-based film that was focused on exploring the human beings that drive its story instead of ramming a biased agenda down the audience's throat. Snowden may not be on the level of JFK or Born on the Fourth of July, but it was great to see Stone return to his meticulously-researched, fact-based storytelling roots.

While the excellent writing and neutral angle lay down a nice foundation, Joseph Gordon-Levitt's terrific performance as Snowden is ultimately what makes Stone's quest to display the man behind the headlines successful. Much has been made out of the fact that Gordon-Levitt and Snowden don't really look alike, which is a sentiment that I agree with. However, physical resemblance is completely irrelevant when you possess Gordon-Levitt's ability to effortlessly bring his character's heart and soul to the forefront of the story. Gordon-Levitt manages to humanize this provocative figure by displaying the immense physical and emotional toll working for the government had on Snowden and the people around him (particularly his girlfriend Lindsay Mills, who is portrayed in the film by the always excellent Shailene Woodley). Underneath all of the ethical debate and insight on how the United States government assesses various national security issues, Snowden is a dense character study and without Gordon-Levitt's layered performance, Stone's noble efforts would've likely amounted to nothing more than a failed experiment in bullshit-free political filmmaking.   

For as well-constructed and acted as it is, Snowden often feels like more of an information dump than a legitimate feature film. As fascinating of a figure as Edward Snowden is on the whole, there are several parts of his life (primarily his early years with the State Department and the beginning of his stint with the NSA) that aren't that interesting and seem to simply be in the movie so Stone can hit on every single job he had in the government before he fled the country. The best biopics are able to blend entertainment with information and Snowden fails to do that for several prolonged stretches of the film.

Snowden doesn't always work as a piece of art, but it's still a vitally important and timely film. Media outlets on both sides of the aisle have portrayed Edward Snowden in an irresponsible, reckless fashion and this film, along with the 2014 documentary Citizenfour, does an excellent job of helping the masses understand who he truly was and what caused him to expose the NSA's tactics to the masses. I urge every American citizen to see the film, absorb what it has to say and then reach a conclusion on whether or not Snowden is a hero or a traitor.    

4/5 Stars

Concert Review: Danny Brown-- Boston, MA-- September 18th, 2016

Lineup: Danny Brown/Maxo Kream/ZelooperZ ("The Exhibition Tour")
Venue: Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
Date: September 18th, 2016

ZelooperZ: With this being the third consecutive U.S. tour in which he's secured an opening slot on, I'm now convinced that ZelooperZ is contractually obligated to hit the road with Danny Brown every time he tours in America. While I'm not really a big fan of the handful of songs I've heard from him over the years, Brown's 21-year old protege/frequent collaborator has significantly stepped up his live show since the last time I saw him in April 2014. His zany style that is undeniably influenced by Brown and near-constant high energy level made his performance very engaging. ZelooperZ did a good job of establishing a really fun tone and getting the crowd hyped up out of the gate. 

Maxo Kream: Outside of looking at his genre tags on rateyourmusic.com (FYI: he was classified as trap/cloud rap), I went in completely blind to Mako Kream's set. His ambient, psychedelic production put a nice twist on the classic trap formula (808-heavy beats, lyrics about selling drugs and gang-banging, random sound effects and yelling, etc.) he utilized on most of the songs and his attention-grabbing intensity was sort of refreshing given the pop sensibilities that are often attached to the genre. His rapping chops are questionable and his habit of aborting songs after 45 seconds was annoying, but his ignorant, catchy hooks and excellent production made Maxo Kream's set worthwhile.

Danny Brown: Detroit-bred indie hip hop act Danny Brown is something special. From his gleefully strange, large-than-life personality to his absurd versatility with flows, he's the type of bold, unique artist that doesn't come along too often in the world of hip-hop. That trail-blazing, iconic status carries over to his live performances as Brown once again proved why he's one of the greatest rappers in the world with an astonishing set at Paradise Rock Club in Boston last night.

The release of his reportedly raw, chaotic new album Atrocity Exhibition-which is currently due out  on September 30th-inspired Brown to dust off a number of rarely-played songs from his 2011 breakout mixtape XXX. While I love his last record Old, XXX is definitely more impressive from a pure rapping standout, which made this set a beautiful showcase for Brown's technical chops. Seeing Brown rip through incendiary tracks like "Die Like a Rockstar", "Aderrall Admiral" and "Monopoly" without getting tongue-tied or skipping lyrics was fucking jaw-dropping to behold. I feel like precise live rapping is one of the most underappreciated traits in all of music and there's very few people in the game right now that can match Brown's proficiency in that department. 
    
Brown closed off the night by previewing four songs from Atrocity Exhibition. The frantic production and blistering verses on the four tracks that he played ("Really Doe", "When It Rain", "Pneumonia" and the previously unreleased "Dance in the Water") basically confirm the rumors that Atrocity Exhibition is going to be more in line with the raw chaos of XXX than the party-centric trap of 2013's Old. If this selection of tracks are any indicator of what's in store for the rest of the album, Atrocity Exhibition is going to be the vicious, abrasive and fun release of Brown's career so far.    

This show once again validated why I believe Danny Brown is one of hip-hop's premier live acts. Each time I've been to one of his shows (this marked the fourth time I've seen him live), he's delivered a damn near flawless performance and created a raucous atmosphere that is a ton of fun to take in and be apart of. This 40-date tour just kicked off last week, so if you live anywhere outside of the Northeastern United States markets that it already hit (Philadelphia, New York City, Providence, Albany), I urge you to cop tickets so you can experience Brown's brand of abstract hip-hop mayhem for yourself.   

Scores:
ZelooperZ 7/10
Maxo Kream 6.5/10
Danny Brown 9/10

Setlists:
ZelooperZ included:
BM
Paypal
Elevators

Danny Brown:
Die Like a Rockstar
Lie4
I Will
Bruiser Brigade
Monopoly
Outer Space (first verse only)
Aderall Admiral
Blunt After Blunt
Dope Song (Side B)
Smokin' & Drinkin'
Break It (Go)
Handstand
Dip
25 Bucks
Float On
Grown Up
Attak (Rustie cover)
Really Doe
When It Rain
Dance in the Water
Pneumonia  

Week 2 NFL Picks

In my 6 years of running this site, I've never done an NFL game prediction column outside of the playoffs. That all changes today as I finally dip my toes into the terrifying, unpredictable waters of regular season NFL pick'em. I'm not sure if this going to transform into a weekly column at this point in time, but at the very least, you fine people can enjoy this set of picks and poorly-articulated explanations of why I made said picks.    

Pittsburgh Steelers over Cincinnati Bengals: While the Bengals were pretty impressive in their Week 1 victory over the Jets, I don't think they'll be able to play with enough tenacity or efficiency on either side of the ball to edge the Steelers in the first installment of these division rival's annual gridiron bloodbath.

New York Giants over New Orleans Saints: Last year's Giants/Saints game was a nearly unprecedented offensive spectacle as both starting quarterbacks (Drew Brees and Eli Manning) set new career-highs for TD passes in a single game (7 for Brees, 6 for Manning) and led their offenses to score a combined total of 101 points as the Saints pulled out a 52-49 victory. Video game numbers for this pair of potent offenses could very well be in the cards again, but the Giants improved defense should be enough to give them the edge in this evenly-matched contest.

Washington Redskins over Dallas Cowboys: The Redskins looked really bad in the season opener, but the Cowboys led by rookie quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott don't present the same myriad of problems as the Steelers, who are arguably one of the best teams in the league right now, do. I expect Kirk Cousins and the defense to have nice bounceback games against this young, unproven Cowboys squad and subsequently kill some of the hysteria that's already building within their frenzied fanbase.

Houston Texans over Kansas City Chiefs: This matchup is basically a coin-flip on paper, but I'm going to go with the Texans based on their talent advantage on the offensive side of the ball and my belief that the football gods are going to smite the Chiefs after giving them every imaginable break in their absurd 33-27 comeback victory (they were losing 27-10 with 13:30 left in the 4th quarter) against the Chargers last week. 

New England Patriots over Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins aren't going to gloss over Jimmy Garoppolo like the Cardinals did a week ago and they have the type of talented front that could disrupt the Patriots banged-up offensive line. That being said, Bill Belichick's crazed ass desperately wants to avenge the ugly, homefield advantage-killing loss his team suffered at the hands of the Dolphins in Week 17 last season and that fact alone is enough to lead me to believe that the Patriots are going to roll to a blowout victory on Sunday afternoon. 

Carolina Panthers over San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers are walking into a death trap flying across the country on a short week to play a well-rested team that's hungry to prove themselves following a rough loss in Week 1. Anything less than a complete evisceration should be considered a huge victory for Chip Kelly's squad.

Detroit Lions over Tennessee Titans: The Lions aerial attack has been rolling since Jim Bob Cooter was installed as offensive coordinator at the midway point of last season and I believe that trend will continue against a Titans defense that had some trouble containing Shaun Hill last week. Given the inefficiency of the Titans offense last week, the Lions strong passing offense should be enough to propel the Motor City's beloved jungle cats to a surprising 2-0 start.

Baltimore Ravens over Cleveland Browns: Unlike a lot of hot take artists out there, I don't believe the Browns are going to go 0-16 this season. However, their first victory more than likely won't come against a tough divisional opponent full of battle-tested veterans in Week 2 while their young corps is still trying to get acclimated to the NFL.

Los Angeles Rams over Seattle Seahawks: In the Jeff Fisher-era, the Rams have developed a habit of suffering embarrassing losses to shit teams and picking up improbable victories against the great ones. I expect that trend to continue on Sunday when this head-scratching team takes on the Seahawks-who they've defeated in 3 of their last 4 meetings- in their first game played in the wonderful sports city of Los Angeles since 1994.

Arizona Cardinals over Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Buccaneers led by a 4-TD performance from quarterback Jameis Winston were very impressive against the Falcons last week, but going on the road to face a Cardinals team that's looking to reaffirm their status among the NFL's elite after a brutal loss against the Patriots seems like a too big of a task for this up-and-coming team to handle right now.

Denver Broncos over Indianapolis Colts: The Colts did pull off a nice upset victory against the Broncos in the middle of their tumultuous 2015 season. I don't expect another Cinderella story to be written on Sunday. Unlike their victory last year, the Colts will be on the road on Sunday and their much-maligned defense is less effective than ever without star corner Vontae Davis on the field, which puts the Broncos offensive heavy-hitters (wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, running back C.J. Anderson) in an excellent position to have huge performances and help secure a victory for the defending Champs.

Oakland Raiders over Atlanta Falcons: Despite some huge lapses on the defense, the Raiders pre-season hype was proven to be justified in their exhilarating 35-34 victory against the Saints last Sunday. Facing another defensively-challenged team in the Falcons in Week 2, the Raiders appear to be in a position to put together a similar display of offensive fireworks with a lower risk of surrendering an onslaught of points.

Jacksonville Jaguars over San Diego Chargers: The Jaguars high-powered offense squaring off against an incompetent Chargers defense that allowed Alex Smith to throw for 363 yards a week ago is the type of grand-scale mismatch that can lead to blowout victories in the NFL. The resiliency of Phillip Rivers will probably prevent a blowout from happening, but it would be a huge surprise if the Keenan Allen-less Chargers were able to outduel the Jags in an offensive showdown.

Green Bay Packers over Minnesota Vikings: The Packers are going to want to reclaim their title of being the most dominant team in the NFC North on the opening night of the Vikings new $1 billion stadium and with either Sam Bradford or Shaun Hill under center for the Purple and Gold, the Cheeseheads should be able to accomplish that goal without incident.
  
Philadelphia Eagles over Chicago Bears: Rookie quarterback Carson Wentz was very impressive in his NFL debut last week, but dismantling the Browns defense isn't the type of accomplishment that's indicative of legitimate success in the pro's. The true barometer of Wentz's skills isn't likely to be unlocked this week either because a.the Bears secondary without top corner Kyle Fuller is very bad and b.the Eagles loaded front 7 should be able to decimate the Bears weak offensive line and secure a victory for the Bird Gang by themselves.

Quick Album Reviews: A Day to Remember-Bad Vibrations, Norma Jean-Polar Similar, Vince Staples-Prima Donna, Young Thug-Jeffrey

I've been extremely busy with NFL-related pieces recently and as a result, my music review output has suffered .To make up for that prolonged period of inactivity, here are some quick thoughts on four releases I didn't have time to write a full review for over the past few weeks.

A Day to Remember-Bad Vibrations: Rejoice A Day to Remember fans, 2013's Common Courtesy was not just a reactionary blast of rage stemming from their messy breakup with Victory Records. Their latest record, Bad Vibrations, confirms that the angrier version of A Day to Remember is here to stay and that commitment to the heavier side of their sound allows this record to be one of the standouts in their extensive discography. Bad Vibrations features the same breakdown and pop punk-hook heavy formula as Common Courtesy, but the sheer strength of the songwriting and expansion of vocalist Jeremy McKinnon's range prevents this from feeling like a complete retread. Bad Vibrations is further proof that going the independent route was exactly what A Day to Remember needed to rediscover the fire they lost during the Homesick and What Separates Me From You-era.
3.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks: 1.Paranoia 2.Exposed 3.Turn off the Radio  

Norma Jean-Polar Similar: After slumping through most of the past decade, Norma Jean has unexpectedly returned to form with Polar Similar. Polar Similar is easily the most chaotic and focused record that the Christian metalcore group has recorded since founding vocalist Josh Scogin (The Chariot, '68) left the band in 2002. The explosive presence of vocalist Corey Putman and the constantly shifting riffing from lead guitarist Jeff Hickey helps establish the type of unrelenting, punishing atmosphere that math/metalcore enthusiasts salivate over. The dull, ill-conceived melodic material ("Reaction", "A Thousand Years a Minute", the second half of "IV: The Nexus") and the multiple white-noise interludes ("II: The People", "III: The Nebula") kill a decent amount of the momentum built up by the heavier tracks, but Polar Similar is still a very pleasant surprise from a group that appeared to have gone creatively bankrupt a long time ago.
3.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks 1.An Ocean of War 2.Everyone Talking Over Everyone Else 3.Synthetic Sun

Vince Staples-Prima Donna: West coast hip-hop phenom Vince Staples continues his impressive run of excellence with his latest EP Prima Donna. Over 7 tracks that last just under 22 minutes, Staples tells the fictional story of an ex-gang banger who makes it big as a rapper and eventually commits suicide after he realizes fame can't put a stop to his internal pain. The minimal, abrasive production from frequent collaborators James Blake, No I.D. and DJ Dahi perfectly fits the album's bleak tone and Staples' gritty, venom-filled rapping style makes the deep rage and emotional trauma of the record's narrative feel terrifyingly real for the listener. It never quite matches the soaring heights of Summertime '06 and Hell Can Wait, but Primma Donna once again displays the ambition, ferocity and intelligence that has made Staples one of the most buzzed-about artists in modern hip-hop. 
3.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks: 1.Loco (feat. Kilo Kish) 2.Pimp Hand 3.War Ready

Young Thug-Jeffrey: My relationship with Young Thug's music is bizarre to say the least. On the one hand, his complete and utter disregard for enunciating his words and signature high-pitched squawk makes him obnoxious and difficult to listen to. On the other hand, his off-kilter production choices and massive, unique personality is more than enough to consider him one of the most interesting artists in hip-hop right now. His most recent mixtape, Jeffrey, is the first of his projects where the positive aspects of his sound outweigh the negatives. While the slower-paced tracks ("Floyd Mayweather", "RiRi", "Guwop") are still a bad fit for his eccentric style and his incomprehensible vocals are as grating as ever at times ("Webbie", the aforementioned "RiRi"), tracks like "Harambe", "Future Shit", "Swizz Beatz" and "Wyclef Jean" are some of the most unique, hilarious and catchy hip-hop tracks I've heard in 2016. He's still got a long to way go before I fully embrace his work, but Thugga shows enough flashes of inspiration and wit on Jeffrey to make me optimistic about his future projects.  
3/5 Stars
Standout Tracks: 1.Harambe 2.Future Shit 3.Swizz Beatz  

Week 2 NFL Power Rankings

()=Last Week's Ranking

1.(1) Denver Broncos (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
2.(7) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
3.(5) New England Patriots (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Miami Dolphins
4.(4) Seattle Seahawks (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
5.(6) Green Bay Packers (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
6.(2) Carolina Panthers (0-1) Week 2 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
7.(3) Arizona Cardinals (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8.(9) Cincinnati Bengals (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
9.(10) Minnesota Vikings (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Green Bay Packers
10.(8) Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Houston Texans
11.(14) Houston Texans (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
12.(11) New York Jets (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Buffalo Bills
13.(17) Oakland Raiders (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
14.(16) Baltimore Ravens (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Cleveland Browns
15.(19) New York Giants (1-0) Week 2 opponent: New Orleans Saints
16.(24) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
17.(15) New Orleans Saints (0-1) Week 2 opponent: New York Giants
18.(22) Detroit Lions (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Tennessee Titans
19.(12) Indianapolis Colts (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Denver Broncos
20.(13) Washington Redskins (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
21.(28) Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Chicago Bears
22.(26) Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1) Week 2 opponent: San Diego Chargers
23.(29) Miami Dolphins (0-1) Week 2 opponent: New England Patriots
24.(18) Atlanta Falcons (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Oakland Raiders
25.(32) San Francisco 49ers (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Carolina Panthers
26.(26) Dallas Cowboys (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Washington Redskins
27.(20) Buffalo Bills (0-1) Week 2 opponent: New York Jets
28.(23) Chicago Bears (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
29.(30)Tennessee Titans (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Detroit Lions
30.(21) Los Angles Rams (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
31.(25) San Diego Chargers (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
32.(31) Cleveland Browns (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

Week 1 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Quarterback:  
MVP:Andrew Luck (Colts)
The Andrew Luck that fantasy players know and love appears appears to be back. The Colts franchise quarterback showed no signs of the injuries or inefficiency that plagued his 2015 campaign as he shredded the Lions defense for 406 total yards (385 passing, 21 rushing), 4 TD and a successful 2-point conversion on Sunday afternoon. Luck's true level of effectiveness will be tested in week 2 as the Colts take on the stalwart Broncos defense.    
Honorable Mentions: Drew Brees (Saints), Jameis Winston (Buccaneers), Matthew Stafford (Lions)

LVP: Tyrod Taylor (Bills)
Tyrod Taylor was a popular option for fantasy players who waited until the late rounds to select a quarterback, but he did nothing to justify that buzz in Week 1 against the Ravens. Taylor was ultra-conservative and largely ineffective as the dual-threat quarterback mustered just 122 total yards (111 passing, 11 rushing) in a failed revenge matchup against his former team. Taylor has a rough matchup in Week 2 against the Jets D (they picked up 7 sacks against the Bengals strong offensive line in Week 1), so his owners might want to consider playing their backup or heading to the wavier wire to pick up a streaming option with a softer matchup (Joe Flacco, Trevor Siemain, Jimmy Garoppolo).
Dishonorable Mentions: Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Kirk Cousins (Redskins), Phillip Rivers (Chargers)

Running Back:
MVP: DeAngelo Williams (Steelers)
DeAngelo Williams picked up right where he left off in 2015 with an eye-popping performance in the season opener. The league's oldest active running back at 33 looked like a 25-year old entering his prime as he annihilated the Redskins defense for 171 total yards (143 Rushing, 28 receiving) and a pair of scores on 32 touches. His value is going to inevitably go down when starter Le'Veon Bell returns from suspension in Week 4, but in the interim, he's an excellent low-end RB1/high-end RB2 play.
Honorable Mentions: Spencer Ware (Chiefs), C.J. Anderson (Broncos), Carlos Hyde (49ers)

LVP: Adrian Peterson (Vikings)
For a 2nd consecutive year, Adrian Peterson opened up the season on a disastrous note. The 31-year old perennial Pro Bowler looked sluggish and had no answer for the Titans stacked boxes, finishing with a paltry 31 yards on 19 carries. Peterson's chances of bouncing back in Week 2 are far from guaranteed as he faces the Packers stout run defense that held the Jaguars to 48 total rushing yards this past week. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Devonta Freeman (Falcons), Todd Gurley (Rams), Jonathan Stewart (Panthers)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Brandin Cooks (Saints)
It was an absurd week for wide receivers as 16 players finished with at least 90 yards. Amidst all the stacked stat lines, Brandin Cooks ended up emerging as the top dog in the realm of fantasy football. Cooks, aided by a franchise-record 98-yard-touchdown, scooped up 143 receiving yards, 2 TD's and an 11-yard rush on a jet sweep in the Saints shootout with the Raiders on Sunday afternoon. Despite the greater reception and yardage total from Willie Snead in Week 1, Cooks is still the undisputed top wideout in New Orleans and has serious top 10 fantasy receiver potential for this season. 
Honorable Mentions: Antonio Brown (Steelers), A.J. Green (Bengals), Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals)

LVP: Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
The return of a fully-healthy Dez Bryant for the 1st time since last year's season opener was not the triumph fantasy owners who spent a high draft-pick on him had hoped for. Bryant was a bizarrely small part of the Cowboys game plan as he was targeted just 5 times and reeled in only 1 reception for 8 yards on the game. It would be a shock if offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and rookie quarterback Dak Prescott didn't try to get Bryant more involved in the offense when they square off against the Redskins, who just got flat-out torched by Antonio Brown, in Week 2. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Golden Tate (Lions), Brandon Marshall (Jets), Sammy Watkins (Bills)

Tight End
MVP: Dwayne Allen (Colts)
With Rob Gronkowski out with a hamstring injury and Jimmy Graham playing at less than 100%, Week 1 ended up being a pretty anti-climatic week for tight end's across the league. Colts starter Dwayne Allen ended up being the week's top scorer with a pretty average 53 YD/1 TD/1 2-Pt conversion statline in the Colts offense-heavy battle with the Lions. While Allen's numbers weren't earth-shattering, he should end up being a solid, low-end TE1 option if he can stay healthy all season long.
Honorable Mentions: Julius Thomas (Jaguars), Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Greg Olsen (Panthers)

LVP: Coby Fleener (Saints)
The Saints 400+yard passing party on Sunday didn't include Coby Fleener. The team's highly-touted free-agent pickup was pretty much invisible, registering a single catch for 6 yards on only 4 targets . It's far too early to write off Fleener completely, but his lack of production on such a huge day for Drew Brees and the passing attack is a very bad early sign for his productivity in 2016.
Dishonorable Mentions: Gary Barnidge (Browns), Antonio Gates (Chargers), Martellus Bennett (Patriots)

Defense
MVP: Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings defense were called upon to step up their game with journeyman Shaun Hill under center and star running back Adrian Peterson slumping and holy hell, did they deliver. The Vikes D shook off early struggles and ended being the catalyst for the Vikings 25-16 come-from-behind victory against the Titans, picking up 2 fumble recoveries, 2 sacks, an interception and a pair of defensive touchdowns on the day. If for some reason the Vikings defense is on the wavier wire in your league, put in a claim for them immediately and cross your fingers that you land them. 
Honorable Mentions: Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills

LVP: Los Angeles Rams
Week 1 was not kind to the recently-relocated Rams and their projected top-5 fantasy defense. The Rams were uncharacteristically sloppy and silent in the season opener, as they allowed 28 points and failed to registered a sack against a 49ers offense that was widely projected to be one of the worst in the league heading into 2016. The Rams have a bad habit of phoning it in against lower-level competition and playing poorly at the start of the season, so there's no reason to hit the panic switch yet. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders 

The Best and Worst of Joseph Gordon-Levitt

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 "Snowden" star Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Films starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt that I've seen:
Angels in the Outfield
10 Things I Hate About You
Treasure Planet
Brick 
The Lookout
Stop-Loss
(500) Days of Summer
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Inception
Hesher
50/50
The Dark Knight Rises
Premium Rush
Looper
Don Jon
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
The Walk
The Night Before 

Best Performance: 50/50 (2011)
Gordon-Levitt's special ability to cut to the emotional core of every character he plays has allowed to become one of Hollywood's most reliable and celebrated actors. That defining characteristic has never been more apparent than in his mesmerizing performance in Jonathan Levine's 50/50. As Adam Lerner, a 20-something NPR journalist who is diagnosed with a malignant tumor in his spine, Gordon-Levitt beautifully displays the wide array of emotions and crippling internal struggles that come with battling cancer. He deserves all the credit in the world for portraying a cancer patient in such a heartfelt, compassionate and honest way.  

Worst Performance: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is a film that I feel gets far more flack than it deserves. It's a goofy, self-aware blockbuster that was exactly the type of mindless fun entertainment I love to see hit theaters in the summer. The only really negative aspect of the movie was Gordon-Levitt's performance as the Cobra Commander, the franchise's infamous main villain. Gordon-Levitt seemed to only be here for the paycheck and his soulless performance failed to match the rest of the film's gleefully over-the-top tone. 

Best Film: Inception (2010)
With its stunning visuals and a mind-bending concept, Inception was a modern throwback to the glory days of sci-fi. Like all great sci-fi films, Inception inspired wonder, featured a cast of colorful, interesting characters and challenged the audience with complex ideas that demanded to be debated long after the movie was over. This is one of the clear standouts in director Christopher Nolan's (The Dark Knight trilogy, Memento) outstanding filmography and will undeniably go down as one of my favorite films of the 2010's.  

Worst Film: 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
I completely understand why 10 Things I Hate About You has amassed a cult following over the years. It's portrayal of high school is firmly grounded in reality, the tone is a lot quirkier than most teen movies that were released during this era and the cast is full of likable actors who have a strong chemistry with one another. That being said, 10 Things I Hate About You is a movie that I've never really enjoyed. The jokes mostly fail to land and the characters (particularly Julia Stiles' Kat and Larry Miller's Walter) are dull and borderline obnoxious. I'm a sucker for teen/coming-of-age movies, but 10 Things I Hate About You is a completely expendable movie that doesn't have the laughs or heart that drives the genre's great films.
 
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  "The Magnificent Seven" star Denzel Washington. 

Concert Review: ScHoolboy Q (Blank Face Tour)-- Lowell, MA-- September 9th, 2016

Lineup: ScHoolboy Q/Joey Bada$$/A-Boogie Wit Da Hoodie
Venue: Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Lowell, MA
Date: September 9th, 2016

A-Boogie Wit Da Hoodie: A-Boogie Wit Da Hoodie is one of those rappers that I can't help but cringe at. This dude seriously just ran back and forth and yelled cliche rap show catchphrases like "turn up" and "make some muthafuckin noise" while the studio versions of his songs played in the background for his entire set. I'll never understand why artists like this that put so little effort into their live shows even bother performing. Live shows are supposed to be a way for an artist to showcase the music they've put their heart and souls into making, so when someone doesn't put any legitimate effort into playing their songs live, they look like massive frauds that don't respect their careers or fanbase. At least A-Boogie Wit Da Hoodie got a good cardio workout while he made an ass of himself on stage for 15 minutes.

Joey Bada$$: After A-Boogie Wit Da Hoodie was done dropping a massive musical dump on stage, 21-year old indie hip-hop darling Joey Bada$$ came out and promptly got things back on track. While I've always respected his chops and enjoyed his newest album, B4.Da.$$, a decent amount, I've never been a huge fan of his stuff. I gained a whole new level of respect for him as an artist after seeing him live. The command he had over the room was astonishing and he showed his ridiculous technical ability by doing numerous verses completely a capella and frequently upping the speed of his rapping from the studio versions. Hip-hop live performances are a major crapshoot, so it's always nice when you get to see a performer that's as polished, energetic and entertaining as Joey Bada$$.  

ScHoolboy Q: Based on the warm reception Joey Bada$$ got, I figured ScHoolboy Q was going to get a very enthusiastic response when he took the stage. I soon realized that I completely undersold the mayhem that was going to ensue during Q's set. The room exploded into a full-blown frenzy as soon as the beat to set opener "Gangsta" dropped and that electric feeling didn't subside for the entire hour and 15 minutes he was on stage. This was without question one of the craziest crowds I've ever been apart of and it served as yet another example of the unique, infectious energy that good hip-hop shows deliver.

As for the performance itself, Q was very good. His trademark gritty flow translates well to a live setting and his between-song banter was a nice blend of humor and showing appreciation for the fans that helped him build his career in the music industry. His performance was further aided by a setlist that was pretty much perfect from top to bottom. He spent a vast majority of the set favoring his bangers over the more haunting, emotionally-dense material from his already extensive catalog, which played a large role in keeping the rowdy vibe of the room consistently intact. While it would've been cool to hear some of his more conscious songs like "Black THougHts" or "Sacrilegious", it was a great decision to establish and sustain a chaotic atmosphere by playing almost nothing but uptempo, in-your-face tracks.  

The only real issue that brought his set down was the inconsistency of his rapping. Q struggled with the fast rapping sections on a fair amount of tracks including "Man of the Year", "What They Want" and "Hands on the Wheel", getting tongue-tied and being forced to take decently-long pauses to get back on track. Bizarrely enough, all of the songs he screwed up on were older songs that's he played countless numbers of times. He tore through the hard-edged material from his new record Blank Face LP ("Dope Dealer", "JoHn Muir", "THat Part") without incident and they ended up being amongst the best songs of the set. Q's set wasn't without its flaws, but it was still an extremely fun show that was worth every penny of the $50 admission price.

Scores:
A-Boogie Wit Da Hoodie 1/10
Joey Bada$$ 9/10
ScHoolboy Q 8/10

Setlists:
Joey Bada$$ (missing 2-3 songs):
Paper Trail$
Big Dusty
Christ Conscious 
Hardknock
No.99 
Hazeus View
Like Me
Survival Tactics
Devastated


ScHoolboy Q:
Gangsta
By Any Means
What They Want
Break the Bank
Collard Greens
WHateva U Want
Blessed
Hands on the Wheel
There He Go
Yay Yay
JoHn Muir
Studio
Dope Dealer
Tookie Knows II
Man of the Year
Hell of a Night
THat Part 

Album Review: Travi$ Scott-Birds in the Trap Sing Brian McKnight

While not quite matching Future's superhuman output, Travi$ Scott has displayed one of the strongest ethics in all of hip-hop over the past year. Scott broadened his audience by landing opening slots on U.S. tours with The Weeknd and Rihanna and high-profile guest spots on tracks by Justin Bieber and Miguel while simultaneously hitting the studio to work on new material. Just shy of a year after releasing his debut album Rodeo, Scott has dropped his sophomore LP Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, which marks a huge improvement over its top-heavy predecessor.

Birds in the Trap Sing Brian McKnight manages to solve just about every problem that plagued Scott's releases up to this point. The inconsistent, tonally-jarring MC that was found on 2013's Owl Pharaoh, 2014's Days Before Rodeo and last year's Rodeo has been replaced by one with a strong, fully-realized vision and a striking amount of confidence in his art.

Scott set out for Birds to be a sprawling, trippy musical journey and by god, does he accomplish that goal. The dark, dream-like production fully immerses the listener in Scott's world of debauchery, depression and womanizing and remains impressive throughout despite only a couple of detours (the pop rap anthem "Pick Up the Phone" and R&B slow jam "First Take") from the record's melancholy  tone. The quality of the production also raises Scott's rapping to the next level. Songs like "Outside", "Sweet Sweet" and "Way Back" see Scott delivering some of his most assured and technically-impressive performances on the mic to-date. It could be argued that Birds is heavily indebted to Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon-era material (Cudi himself appears on the party banger "Through the Late Night and Scott recently admitted that he is his top musical inspiration), but Scott's raw edge and newly-developed flare for consistency is more than enough to distinguish him from his idol and make this album a unique, enthralling listening experience.

Just like on Rodeo, Birds is bolstered by Scott's ability to get a bunch of excellent guest spots from high-profile artists in the hip-hop and R&B community. Every single person that appears on this record fully understands and perfectly complements Scott's gleefully strange, psychedelic vision. While the features here are collectively impressive, Kendrick Lamar's boastful verse on "Goosebumps" and Andre 3000's high-energy spazzout on album opener "The Ends" in particular left me in a state of pure hip-hop geek nirvana. Guest spots can often be the kiss of death that derails otherwise promising hip-hop albums (Riff Raff's Peach Panther, both of Big K.R.I.T.'s albums), but Birds is one of the rare times where all of the features feel necessary and truly add something to the album on the whole.

Birds in the Trap Sing Brian McKnight is the album that Travi$ Scott needed to make at point of his career. All of the promise he teased on his first three projects has finally materialized into an album that is interesting, atmospheric and catchy as all hell. I have no idea what the cause of it was, but it's great to see someone grow so much as an artist in so little time. Birds is a successful first chapter in the new era of La Flame and one of the clear standouts in a pretty mediocre year for hip-hop overall.
  
4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Pick Up the Phone (feat. Young Thug and Quavo)
2.Goosebumps (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
3.Sweet Sweet

Week 1 NFL Power Rankings

I wouldn't be doing my job as a sports blogger properly if I let the NFL season start without dropping my initial power rankings for 2016. This batch of rankings is bound to be severely shaken up almost immediately, but it's fun to take a quick look at where the NFL hierarchy stands before the chaos of the regular season begins. Hope you enjoy and remember to check back every week of the regular season for updated rankings!

1.Denver Broncos
2.Carolina Panthers
3.Arizona Cardinals
4.Seattle Seahawks
5.New England Patriots
6.Green Bay Packers
7.Pittsburgh Steelers
8.Kansas City Chiefs
9.Cincinnati Bengals
10.Minnesota Vikings
11.New York Jets
12.Indianapolis Colts
13.Washington Redskins
14.Houston Texans
15.New Orleans Saints
16.Baltimore Ravens
17.Oakland Raiders
18.Atlanta Falcons
19.New York Giants
20.Buffalo Bills
21.Los Angeles Rams
22.Detroit Lions
23.Chicago Bears
24.Tampa Bay Buccaneers
25.San Diego Chargers
26.Jacksonville Jaguars
27.Dallas Cowboys
28.Philadelphia Eagles
29.Miami Dolphins
30.Tennessee Titans
31.Cleveland Browns
32.San Francisco 49ers

2016 NFL Prediction Bonanza (Playoffs, Year-End Awards and more)

The NFL season officially kicks off tomorrow with a rematch of Super Bowl 50 (Carolina Panthers vs. the defending champion Denver Broncos) at the stadium formerly known as Sports Authority Field in Denver. In honor of football's glorious return, here are my playoff, year-end award and other miscellaneous predictions for the 2016 season.

Playoffs:

AFC:

1.Pittsburgh Steelers

2.New England Patriots

3.Oakland Raiders

4.Indianapolis Colts

5.Denver Broncos

6.Cincinnati Bengals

Wild Card:

Raiders over Bengals

Broncos over Colts

Divisional Round:

Steelers over Raiders

Patriots over Broncos

Conference Championship:

Steelers over Patriots 

NFC:

1.Seattle Seahawks
2.Green Bay Packers

3.Carolina Panthers

4.New York Giants
5.Arizona Cardinals
6.Minnesota Vikings

Wild Card:

Panthers over Vikings

Giants over Cardinals

Divisional Round:

Seahawks over Giants

Panthers over Packers

Conference Championship:

Seahawks over Panthers

Super Bowl:

Seahawks over Steelers 

Year-End Awards:

MVP: Russell Wilson (Seahawks)

Offensive Player of the Year: Russell Wilson (Seahawks)

Defensive Player of the Year: Khail Mack (Raiders)

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys)

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Noah Spence (Buccaneers)

Comeback Player of the Year: Jordy Nelson (Packers) 

Coach of the Year: Jack Del Rio (Raiders) 

League Leaders:

Passing Yards: Drew Brees (Saints)

Passing Touchdowns: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)

Rushing Yards: Todd Gurley (Rams)

Rushing Touchdowns: Adrian Peterson (Vikings)

Receiving Yards: Julio Jones (Falcons)

Receiving Touchdowns: A.J. Green (Bengals)

Sacks: Khalil Mack (Raiders)

Interceptions: Malcolm Jenkins (Eagles)

Tackles: Luke Kuechly (Panthers)

AFC Team Most Likely to Surprise: Oakland Raiders
AFC Team Most Likely to Disappoint: Kansas City Chiefs
NFC Team Most Likely to Surprise: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC Team Most Likely to Disappoint: Washington Redskins 

Top 10 Veterans that Need to Prove Themselves:
1.Kirk Cousins, quarterback (Redskins)
2.Tyrod Taylor, quarterback (Bills)
3.Olivier Vernon, defensive end (Giants)
4.Jeremy Hill, running back (Bengals)
5.Tashaun Gibson, safety (Jaguars)
6.Bene Benewikiere, cornerback (Panthers)
7.Derrick Shelby, defensive end (Falcons)
8.Greg Robinson, tackle (Rams)
9.Darqueze Dennard, cornerback (Bengals)
10.Robert Woods, wide receiver (Bills)

Top 10 Under-the-Radar Rookies to Look Out for:
1.Tyler Boyd, wide receiver (Bengals)
2.Jordan Jenkins, outside linebacker (Jets)
3.Devontae Booker, running back (Broncos)
4.Yannick Ngakoue, defensive end (Jaguars)
5.Joe Thuney, guard (Patriots)
6.Pharoh Cooper, wide receiver (Rams)
7.Justin Simmons, safety (Broncos)
8.Jerrell Adams, tight end (Giants)
9.Alex Collins, running back (Seahawks)
10.Jeremy Cash, outside linebacker (Panthers)

Projected Top 10 Draft Order for 2017:
1.49ers
2.Browns
3.Titans
4.Falcons
5.Dolphins
6. Browns (from Eagles)
7.Rams
8.Chargers
9.Cowboys
10.Lions 

2016 NFL Preview: AFC West

Denver Broncos

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

Head Coach: Gary Kubiak (2nd season)

Notable Additions: T Russell Okung, T Donald Stephenson, DE Jared Crick

Notable Departures: QB Peyton Manning (retired), DE Malik Jackson, QB Brock Osweiler

Offense:
After Peyton Manning unsurprisingly announced his retirement following the Broncos victory in Super Bowl 50, the reigns to the Broncos offense were presumed to be going to Brock Osweiler, who played pretty well in relief of Manning for 8 games last season. Osweiler, who was in the last year of his rookie contract in 2015, hit the open market and soon got locked into a contract stalemate with general manager John Elway (Elway was reportedly unwilling to give him the $18 million a year he desired) that ended with him signing with the Texans.

With Osweiler out of the picture, the Broncos found themselves in the type of messy quarterback situation you don't usually see happen to a team fresh off a Super Bowl victory. The team used their 1st-round pick in this year's draft to select Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, but had no intention of starting him right away due to how raw he is, leaving 2nd-year quarterback Trevor Siemian and veteran butt fumble enthusiast Mark Sanchez, who was acquired in a trade with the Eagles, to duke it out for the starting spot. Neither one of them looked particularly good in the preseason, but head coach Gary Kubiak decided to roll with Siemian and subsequently released Sanchez.

As a young quarterback with zero experience playing in the NFL, Siemian couldn't possibly be entering a better situation. He has a pair of starting receivers in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders that are reliable, dynamic playmakers, a running back in C.J. Anderson that can handle a heavy workload and most importantly, the type of imposing defense that can take pressure off of the offense to win games. If a physically-drained Manning could effectively run this offense, there's no reason to believe that Siemian can't.   

Defense:
It's no secret that the Broncos rode their defense to a Super Bowl championship. Their defense led by their devastating pass-rush and suffocating run defense was nothing short of spectacular for the entire playoffs. Like most Super Bowl champions, the Broncos suffered some key losses in free agency following their hoisting of the Lombardi Trophy. Defensive end/tackle Malik Jackson and inside linebacker Danny Trevathan cashed in on big-money deals with the Jaguars and Bears respectively, leaving the Broncos with a pair of gaping holes in the middle of their front 7 that are going to be very difficult to fill with their current personnel (newly-acquired defensive end Jared Crick and career backup inside linebacker Todd Davis are currently penciled as Jackson and Trevathan's replacements in the starting lineup).

Despite the losses of Jackson and Trevathan and widespread doubt that their defense isn't going to be able to repeat the success of last season, I don't see any reason why this defense would suddenly collapse this season. Their entire starting secondary (cornerbacks Chris Harris Jr., Bradley Roby and Aqib Talib and safeties T.J Ward and Darian Stewart) that was responsible for their top-ranked pass defense are all back, the team re-signed star outside linebacker/sack artist Von Miller to a long-term deal (6 years/$114.5 mil/$70 mil guaranteed) and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips is back to serve as the unpredictable maestro of this unit. While its unlikely that they'll be as overwhelmingly dominant as they were a year ago, it would be nothing short of a catastrophic shock if they weren't at least a top 5 defense again in 2016.

Bottom Line:

I strongly believe the rumors of the Broncos demise following the departures of Manning, Osweiler Jackson and Trevathan are greatly exaggerated and that they'll be able to return to the playoffs without incident.

Kansas City Chiefs 

2015 Record: 11-5 (2nd in AFC West)

Head Coach: Andy Reid (4th season)

Notable Additions: T Mitchell Schwartz, QB Nick Foles, CB Kenneth Acker

Notable Departures: CB Sean Smith, G Jeff Allen, T Donald Stephenson

Offense:
The Chiefs offense has become synonymous with continuity since Andy Reid arrived in 2012 and that tradition has not been abandoned for the 2016 season. With the exception of a few tweaks on the offensive line (former Browns right tackle Mitchell Schwartz and rookie left guard Parker Ehinger are stepping in for Donald Stephenson and Jeff Allen, who both departed in free agency and right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif has surpassed 2015 starter Zach Fulton on the depth chart), this is the the same group that played a key part in their 10-game winning streak a year ago. Quarterback Alex Smith's ultra-conservative play is less than ideal for any game situation that requires a quick score and the lack of weapons behind top wideout Jeremy Maclin and tight end Travis Kelce is concerning, but those issues pale in comparison to what approximately half of the offenses in the league are facing heading into this season.
 
The only real question mark on this offense is if running backs Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West can continue to be successful fill-ins for decorated veteran Jammal Charles. Charles is reportedly going to miss the first few weeks of the season as he continues to recover from the ACL he suffered last October against the Bears, which is a bit concerning considering his age (he'll be 30 in December) and how crucial a role he plays in the success of this offense. The rushing attack keeps the Chiefs ball-control offense afloat and if Ware and West can't repeat their production from a year ago, the offense could bottom out until (or potentially if) Charles comes back at full speed.

Defense:

The Chiefs defense got dealt a couple of huge blows this offseason with stalwart starting cornerback Sean Smith leaving for the division-rival Raiders in free agency and star outside linebacker Justin Houston slated to be out for at least the first 6 games of the season after getting a knee scope to "fix" his ACL in February. The team clearly viewed Smith as expendable following the emergence of Marcus Peters last season and have a promising young corner in Steven Nelson that is ready to step into a starting role , but the loss of Houston for a prolonged period of time is potentially devastating to a defense that finished in the top 5 in the league in points allowed, sacks and rush defense a year ago. Having the excellent Tamba Hali at the other outside linebacker spot certainly helps matters, but there's no one else currently on the roster that appears to be capable of stepping up and pairing with Hali to create the patented dual edge-rushing havoc that has made the Chiefs one of the most feared defenses in the league over the past few seasons.

Having a leader and catalyst for the productivity of the entire unit in Houston miss at least a chunk of the season is certainly going to sting, but there's still enough talent here to keep them afloat while Houston recuperates. 4-time Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry and reigning defensive rookie of the year Peters gives them one of the most gifted secondaries in the league, their defensive line (nose tackle Dontrari Poe and ends Jaye Howard and Allen Bailey) is one of the most quietly stalwart units in the league and Hali and Houston's fill-in Dee Ford should be able to generate enough of a pass rush to keep opposing quarterbacks on their toes. If Houston comes back after his 6-game stint on the PUP list without showing any substantial signs of rust or lingering effects from his surgery, the Chiefs defense should be able to retain their standing as one of the league's most dominant groups.

Bottom Line:

Despite retaining a majority of their key players, I don't think the Chiefs will be able to duplicate their Cinderella playoff run in 2016.

Oakland Raiders

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

Head Coach: Jack Del Rio (2nd season)

Notable Additions: G Kelechi Osemele, CB Sean Smith, OLB Bruce Irvin

Notable Departures: S Charles Woodson (retired), DE Justin Tuck (retired), G J'Marcus Webb

Offense:
With the possible exception of the Jaguars, no young offense made more waves than the Raiders did in 2015. Quarterback Derek Carr looked like a strong, polished future franchise quarterback finishing with 32 TD's and just under the 4,000-yard benchmark (3,986) for the year, running back Latavius Murray proved he could handle a major workload increase with a 1,000+ rushing yards in his 1st season as a starter and wide receiver Amari Cooper showed flashes of superstar potential in his productive (72 REC, 1,070 YDS, 6 TD) albeit sometimes very ugly (he had 10 drops, which was tied for 2nd most in the league) rookie campaign.


With another year of experience under their collective belts and the addition of elite guard Kelechi Osemele to an offensive line that was already one of the best in the league, this promising young offense appears set to take another leap forward in 2016. Carr and Cooper's chemistry should continue to grow in their 2nd year together and heavily-hyped rookie/preseason phenom DeAndre Washington could give the Raiders another talented young back to put alongside Murray in the backfield. If everything materializes, this offense has the cache of weapons to be a top 10 offense in the league this year. 

Defense:
General manager Reggie McKenzie's vigilant rebuilding process started to net results as the Raiders finished 13th against the run and tied for 14th in the league with 38 sacks in 2015. The defense still had its fair share of flaws (they surrendered 24.9 points per game, which was 22nd-most in the league and their pass defense was ranked 26th overall), but the play of 2nd-year outside linebacker/defensive end Khalil Mack, rookie defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. and 3rd-year cornerback David Amerson inspired a lot of confidence for the future.

The excitement building around their potent young offense and having a potential superstar in Mack on defense allowed the Raiders to become a huge player in free agency this offseason. The Raiders were able to scoop up a trio of starters in outside linebacker Bruce Irvin, cornerback Sean Smith and 2015 All-Pro safety Reggie Nelson. Irvin, Smith and Nelson not only address major needs (pass defense, pass-rush depth) throughout the defense, but they're all signed to contracts that won't put the Raiders into cap hell (Smith's was the steepest at 4 years/$40 million with $20 mil in guaranteed money). These moves give the Raiders the veteran presences they need to potentially elevate this defense to the next level while still giving McKenzie the freedom to add more pieces in the future if need be.

Bottom Line:

With a nice combination of accomplished veterans and rising young stars throughout the roster, the Raiders are in an excellent position to overthrow the Broncos and Chiefs as the top dogs in the AFC West.

San Diego Chargers

2015 Record: 4-12 (4th in AFC West)

Head Coach: Mike McCoy (4th season)

Notable Additions: C/G Matt Slauson, DT Brandon Mebane, WR Travis Benjamin

Notable Departures: S Eric Weddle, TE Ladarius Green, CB Patrick Robinson

Offense:

The horrors of the injury-plagued 2015 season exposed a horrible lack of depth on the Chargers offense. As hard as Phillip Rivers tried to makes things happen with a depleted offense, he just couldn't with a makeshift offensive line, receiving corps made up of kick-return specialists and practice squad players and a non-existent running game.

General manager Tom Telasco took these depth issues into account and made addressing them a top priority in both the draft and free agency by bringing in wide receiver Travis Benjamin, center/guard Matt Slauson, tight end Hunter Henry and center Max Turek. Benjamin gives Rivers a solid number 2 receiving option with the blistering speed to take the top off of an opposing defense on any given play while Slauson is a reliable, versatile player that should be able to help put a stop to the unrest that plagued this offensive line last season. Rookies Henry and Turek are unlikely to have as significant of roles as Benjamin and Slauson do this season, but they're both very promising prospects that give the team intriguing young options if the injury bug wreaks havoc once again this season.  

The additional depth is a nice insurance policy for the team, but its the return of all their injured starters of a year ago that is most likely to have the biggest impact on the fate of this offense in 2016. Top-flight young wideout Keenan Allen was easily the highest-profile player to be lost in the injury purge as he was on pace to have a career year before going down with a lacerated spleen during the team's matchup with the Ravens in Week 8. Allen's absence directly correlated to the woes the 2nd half of the season offered up for the team's passing attack and his return to the fold alone should be enough to reclaim their prime spot in the league's aerial pecking order. Left tackle King Dunlap and left guard Orlando Franklin may not be as vital to the team's success as Allen is, but their return marks a step in the right direction for an offensive line looking to bounce back to form after an awful 2015 campaign. Rivers and head coach Mike McCoy have to be downright giddy to see what they can accomplish with this group back at nearly full health going into this season.

Defense:
The Chargers front office royally boned their defense heading into 2016. Their disrespect forced star safety Eric Weddle to leave in free agency and their unwillingness to fully guarantee Joey Bosa's rookie deal forced a ridiculous standoff that resulted in the number 3 overall pick missing all of training camp before signing with the team on August 29th, just 13 days ahead of the season opener against the Chiefs. The front office definitely has personnel skills as evidenced by their solid track record of drafting and free-agent pickups, but these types of stories allude to the type of internal dysfunction that can ruin an NFL locker room.

On the field, the Chargers can take solace in the fact that they have one of the promising sets of young players in the league. Jason Verrett has cemented himself as a borderline shutdown corner in just 2 years in the league, inside linebacker Denzel Perryman played very well once he was inserted into the starting lineup around the midway point of last season and the edge-rushing tandem of Melvin Ingram and Jeremiah Attaochu are coming off of a 2015 season where they picked up a combined 16.5 sacks and will be hungry to top that benchmark in 2016 as they are both up for new contracts in the offseason.

Unfortunately for the Bolts D, that solid amount of young talent is undermined by a slew of glaring holes throughout the defense. An aging Brandon Mebane will most likely not stop their rush defense from being one of the worst league for a 3rd straight season, frequently-torched Brandon Flowers somehow still has a starting cornerback job and without Weddle, the safety position that has been been one of the team's longtime strengths has suddenly turned into one of their biggest vulnerabilities. Their young corps should be good enough to prevent them from being one of the worst defenses in the league, but it's unlikely they'll be able to improve upon their below average numbers from a year ago (21st in points allowed, 20th in yards allowed) without some perennially underachieving players (inside linebacker Mant'i Teo, Flowers) stepping up their game tremendously.

Bottom Line: 
The Chargers should improve from their disastrous 2015 campaign, but they don't appear to have the overall talent to compete in this very tough division.

Projected Standings:
1.Oakland Raiders (10-6)
2.Denver Broncos (10-6)
3.Kansas City Chiefs (8-8)
4.San Diego Chargers (6-10)