()=last week's rankings
1.(1) Philadelphia Eagles (7-1) Week 9 opponent: Denver Broncos
2.(2) New England Patriots (6-2) Week 9 opponent: Bye Week
3.(3) Kansas City Chiefs (6-2) Week 9 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
4.(4) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) Week 9 opponent: Bye Week
5.(5) Los Angeles Rams (5-2) Week 9 opponent: New York Giants
6.(6) Seattle Seahawks (5-2) Week 9 opponent: Washington Redskins
7.(8) New Orleans Saints (5-2) Week 9 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8.(7) Minnesota Vikings (6-2) Week 9 opponent: Bye Week
9.(9) Buffalo Bills (5-2) Week 9 opponent: New York Jets
10.(10) Carolina Panthers (5-3) Week 9 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
11.(12) Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3) Week 9 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
12.(13) Dallas Cowboys (4-3) Week 9 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
13.(11) Houston Texans (3-4) Week 9 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
14.(16) Atlanta Falcons (4-3) Week 9 opponent: Carolina Panthers
15.(15) Detroit Lions (3-4) Week 9 opponent: Green Bay Packers
16.(18) Tennessee Titans (4-3) Week 9 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
17.(14) Washington Redskins (3-4) Week 9 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
18.(28) Baltimore Ravens (4-4) Week 9 opponent: Tennessee Titans
19.(17) Oakland Raiders (3-5) Week 9 opponent: Miami Dolphins
20.(25) Cincinnati Bengals (3-4) Week 9 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
21.(22) Green Bay Packers (4-3) Week 9 opponent: Detroit Lions
22.(19) Miami Dolphins (4-3) Week 9 opponent: Oakland Raiders
23.(20) Los Angeles Chargers (3-5) Week 9 opponent: Bye Week
24.(21) Denver Broncos (3-4) Week 9 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
25.(24) New York Jets (3-5) Week 9 opponent: Buffalo Bills
26.(23) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-5) Week 9 opponent: New Orleans Saints
27.(27) Arizona Cardinals (3-4) Week 9 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
28.(26) Chicago Bears (3-5) Week 9 opponent: Bye Week
29.(29) New York Giants (1-6) Week 9 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
30.(30) Indianapolis Colts (2-6) Week 9 opponent: Houston Texans
31.(31) San Francisco 49ers (0-8) Week 9 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
32.(32) Cleveland Browns (0-8) Week 9 opponent: Bye Week
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Week 8 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
In the year's most explosive quarterback showdown to-date, Russell Wilson came out on top. The Seahawks QB torched the Texans defense for 482 total yards (452 passing, 30 rushing) and 4 TD's through the air in a 41-38 shootout on Sunday afternoon. With the absence of a reliable running game, Wilson has put this offense on his back and with a pretty favorable schedule on the horizon, he should remain a top-tier QB1 throughout the 2nd half of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Deshaun Watson (Texans), Andy Dalton (Bengals), Josh McCown (Jets)
LVP: Dak Prescott (Cowboys)
Dak Prescott played the type of boring, mistake-free game (159 total YDS, 0 TD's or takeaways) against the Redskins that is completely acceptable in real life, but underwhelms in the fantasy game. With Ezekiel Elliott's suspension potentially going into effect this week, Prescott will be in a position to make more plays in the passing game, which could rise his fantasy stock.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jameis Winston (Buccaneers), Kirk Cousins (Redskins), Phillip Rivers (Chargers)
Running Back
MVP: Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys)
For a 2nd consecutive week, Ezekiel Elliott dominated the fantasy leaderboards at the running back position. After a fumble on his 1st carry of the game, Elliott went onto be the catalyst for the Cowboys offense with 150 YDS and a TD on 33 carries. Elliott has been excellent once again this season and if his 6-game suspension finally sticks this time around, it will be a devastating loss for all of his fantasy owners.
Honorable Mentions: LeSean McCoy (Bills), Jerick McKinnon (Vikings), Melvin Gordon (Chargers)
LVP: Jay Ajayi (Dolphins)
Jay Ajayi's underwhelming 2017 season continued with a monumental dud in Week 8. Like the rest of his teammates not named Kenny Stills, Ajayi had a horrific outing against the Ravens last Thursday, managing just 23 rushing YDS on 13 carries against the Ravens bottom-ranked rush defense. Ajayi will look to turn his season around as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles following a stunning trade from the Dolphins, but faces an incredibly difficult test as the Broncos #1 run defense comes into Lincoln Financial Field to face the Bird Gang in Week 9.
Dishonorable Mentions: Devonta Freeman (Falcons), Ameer Abdullah (Lions), Christian McCaffery (Panthers)
Wide Receiver
MVP: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans)
The Seahawks might've won the game, but DeAndre Hopkins put together the most impressive fantasy line of any receiver in Sunday's ridiculous shootout in Seattle. Hopkins turned his team-high 8 receptions against the artists formerly known as the Legion of Boom into 224 YDS and 1 TD. The play of Deshaun Watson has revitalized Hopkins after a disappointing 2016 campaign and as long as Watson continues to play at a high level, he will be a legit WR1.
Honorable Mentions: JuJu Smith-Schuster (Steelers), Will Fuller V (Texans), Paul Richardson (Seahawks)
LVP: Devin Funchess (Panthers)
On a week where most of the top wideouts put up at least subpar numbers, Devin Funchess ended up being among the few starting-caliber WR's that laid an egg. Funchess only managed to secure 2 receptions for 11 yards against a Buccaneers secondary that has allowed the 3rd most fantasy points to receivers this season. Funchess, who has been a very pleasant surprise this season, will look to redeem himself against the Falcons mediocre secondary in Week 9.
Dishonorable Mentions: Brandin Cooks (Patriots), Nelson Agholor (Eagles), T.Y Hilton (Colts)
Tight End
MVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
Travis Kelce's importance to the Chiefs offense was on full display this week. Kelce's excellent performance (7 REC/133 YDS/1 TD) kept this unit afloat on a night where Tyreek Hill and Kareem Hunt struggled, and helped them secure an impressive 29-19 win over the rapidly-collapsing Broncos. Kansas City's star tight end will look to get in the endzone for a 3rd straight week against a surprisingly stout Cowboys defense that has allowed the 4th least fantasy points to TE's this season.
Honorable Mentions: Jack Doyle (Colts), Jimmy Graham (Seahawks), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
LVP: Hunter Henry (Chargers)
Hunter Henry became the latest tight end to underachieve against the Patriots porous pass defense. Despite reeling in both of his targets, Henry only managed to pick up a mere 11 YDS on an afternoon where the Chargers were inexplicably reluctant to throw the ball. Henry won't be worth starting in a Week 10 tilt versus the Jaguars elite secondary.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jason Witten (Cowboys), Austin Seferian-Jenkins (Jets), Tyler Kroft (Bengals)
Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Baltimore Ravens
The contingent of Dolphins fans that wanted Matt Moore to start over Jay Cutler are likely backtracking following the abundance of offensive atrocities that occurred under his watch. This Ravens defense spent 4 quarters demoralizing the career backup, dumping him for 3 sacks and returning a pair of INT's for TD's in a 40-0 loss last Thursday night. Dean Pees' troops should expect much tougher sledding against a Titans offense that has only surrendered 3 sacks and turned the ball over 1 time in their past 2 games.
Honorable Mentions: Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, Carolina Panthers
LVP: Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins were a popular streaming pick this week with the likes of the Jaguars, Rams and Packers on bye. Of course, Miami turned around and royally screwed all of the unlucky SOB's that were forced to put their trust in them. A pair of 2nd-half pick 6's by the Ravens and a blocked field goal were the only things that prevented this sorry-ass performance (0 sacks, 0 takeaways) from being a Hall-of-Fame-caliber fantasy disaster. Despite their solid pass-rush and generally decent output prior to Week 8, the Dolphins aren't worth rostering as a full-time starting defense.
Dishonorable Mentions: Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions
MVP: Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
In the year's most explosive quarterback showdown to-date, Russell Wilson came out on top. The Seahawks QB torched the Texans defense for 482 total yards (452 passing, 30 rushing) and 4 TD's through the air in a 41-38 shootout on Sunday afternoon. With the absence of a reliable running game, Wilson has put this offense on his back and with a pretty favorable schedule on the horizon, he should remain a top-tier QB1 throughout the 2nd half of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Deshaun Watson (Texans), Andy Dalton (Bengals), Josh McCown (Jets)
LVP: Dak Prescott (Cowboys)
Dak Prescott played the type of boring, mistake-free game (159 total YDS, 0 TD's or takeaways) against the Redskins that is completely acceptable in real life, but underwhelms in the fantasy game. With Ezekiel Elliott's suspension potentially going into effect this week, Prescott will be in a position to make more plays in the passing game, which could rise his fantasy stock.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jameis Winston (Buccaneers), Kirk Cousins (Redskins), Phillip Rivers (Chargers)
Running Back
MVP: Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys)
For a 2nd consecutive week, Ezekiel Elliott dominated the fantasy leaderboards at the running back position. After a fumble on his 1st carry of the game, Elliott went onto be the catalyst for the Cowboys offense with 150 YDS and a TD on 33 carries. Elliott has been excellent once again this season and if his 6-game suspension finally sticks this time around, it will be a devastating loss for all of his fantasy owners.
Honorable Mentions: LeSean McCoy (Bills), Jerick McKinnon (Vikings), Melvin Gordon (Chargers)
LVP: Jay Ajayi (Dolphins)
Jay Ajayi's underwhelming 2017 season continued with a monumental dud in Week 8. Like the rest of his teammates not named Kenny Stills, Ajayi had a horrific outing against the Ravens last Thursday, managing just 23 rushing YDS on 13 carries against the Ravens bottom-ranked rush defense. Ajayi will look to turn his season around as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles following a stunning trade from the Dolphins, but faces an incredibly difficult test as the Broncos #1 run defense comes into Lincoln Financial Field to face the Bird Gang in Week 9.
Dishonorable Mentions: Devonta Freeman (Falcons), Ameer Abdullah (Lions), Christian McCaffery (Panthers)
Wide Receiver
MVP: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans)
The Seahawks might've won the game, but DeAndre Hopkins put together the most impressive fantasy line of any receiver in Sunday's ridiculous shootout in Seattle. Hopkins turned his team-high 8 receptions against the artists formerly known as the Legion of Boom into 224 YDS and 1 TD. The play of Deshaun Watson has revitalized Hopkins after a disappointing 2016 campaign and as long as Watson continues to play at a high level, he will be a legit WR1.
Honorable Mentions: JuJu Smith-Schuster (Steelers), Will Fuller V (Texans), Paul Richardson (Seahawks)
LVP: Devin Funchess (Panthers)
On a week where most of the top wideouts put up at least subpar numbers, Devin Funchess ended up being among the few starting-caliber WR's that laid an egg. Funchess only managed to secure 2 receptions for 11 yards against a Buccaneers secondary that has allowed the 3rd most fantasy points to receivers this season. Funchess, who has been a very pleasant surprise this season, will look to redeem himself against the Falcons mediocre secondary in Week 9.
Dishonorable Mentions: Brandin Cooks (Patriots), Nelson Agholor (Eagles), T.Y Hilton (Colts)
Tight End
MVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
Travis Kelce's importance to the Chiefs offense was on full display this week. Kelce's excellent performance (7 REC/133 YDS/1 TD) kept this unit afloat on a night where Tyreek Hill and Kareem Hunt struggled, and helped them secure an impressive 29-19 win over the rapidly-collapsing Broncos. Kansas City's star tight end will look to get in the endzone for a 3rd straight week against a surprisingly stout Cowboys defense that has allowed the 4th least fantasy points to TE's this season.
Honorable Mentions: Jack Doyle (Colts), Jimmy Graham (Seahawks), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
LVP: Hunter Henry (Chargers)
Hunter Henry became the latest tight end to underachieve against the Patriots porous pass defense. Despite reeling in both of his targets, Henry only managed to pick up a mere 11 YDS on an afternoon where the Chargers were inexplicably reluctant to throw the ball. Henry won't be worth starting in a Week 10 tilt versus the Jaguars elite secondary.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jason Witten (Cowboys), Austin Seferian-Jenkins (Jets), Tyler Kroft (Bengals)
Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Baltimore Ravens
The contingent of Dolphins fans that wanted Matt Moore to start over Jay Cutler are likely backtracking following the abundance of offensive atrocities that occurred under his watch. This Ravens defense spent 4 quarters demoralizing the career backup, dumping him for 3 sacks and returning a pair of INT's for TD's in a 40-0 loss last Thursday night. Dean Pees' troops should expect much tougher sledding against a Titans offense that has only surrendered 3 sacks and turned the ball over 1 time in their past 2 games.
Honorable Mentions: Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, Carolina Panthers
LVP: Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins were a popular streaming pick this week with the likes of the Jaguars, Rams and Packers on bye. Of course, Miami turned around and royally screwed all of the unlucky SOB's that were forced to put their trust in them. A pair of 2nd-half pick 6's by the Ravens and a blocked field goal were the only things that prevented this sorry-ass performance (0 sacks, 0 takeaways) from being a Hall-of-Fame-caliber fantasy disaster. Despite their solid pass-rush and generally decent output prior to Week 8, the Dolphins aren't worth rostering as a full-time starting defense.
Dishonorable Mentions: Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions
Monday, October 30, 2017
As We Proceed Episode #13 (Halloween Special)
On the latest episode of As We Proceed, Feliciano and I make our big video debut with a review-packed Halloween Special. Over the course of 40 action-packed minutes, we discuss horror classic Bones starring Snoop Dogg, the surprise new mixtape Super Slimey from Atlanta trap stars Future and Young Thug and show off a stunning lack of knowledge of basketball and members of Three 6 Mafia not named Juicy J. I'd like to thank Dane Sellards, Henrique Santos and Joe Aubrey for helping us put this together and I hope you enjoy!
(Soundcloud/iTunes links will be up shortly)
5 Best Horror Films of the 2010's So Far
Halloween is merely a day away, which means that people around the globe will be mainlining their favorite horror flicks to get themselves in the spirit for this spooktacular holiday. While many purists will stick with long-cemented classics from the 20th century, recent fare like The Conjuring, Insidious and Mama have quickly become October favorites among the genre's legions of diehard fans. Below you'll find a list of my five favorite frightfests of the 2010's so far along with several honorable mentions from the first eight years of this impressive decade for horror movies.
Note: At the time of this post, I had not seen a handful of 2017's most-acclaimed horror movies (It, Annabelle: Creation, It Comes at Night, The Void, Raw).
Honorable Mentions (listed alphabetically):
Crimson Peak (2015)
Happy Death Day (2017)
Let Me In (2010)
Piranha (2010)
Sinister (2012)
5.Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015): This criminally underseen gem from Happy Death Day director Christopher B.Landon is essentially the spiritual successor to Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland. In an era where jump scare-driven supernatural horror dominates the marketplace, it was awesome to see a tongue-in-cheek film filled with cartoonish gore, vulgar comedy and unexpected heart come along to break up the monotony.
4.Don't Breathe (2016): If it wasn't for a ludicrous plot twist at the halfway mark, this would be even higher on the list. Don't Breathe is a simple, efficient thriller that piles on the tension from the jump and doesn't take its foot off the gas until the final frame.
3.The Cabin in the Woods (2012): Horror films are so inherently absurd that they're pretty much begging to be made fun of and for my money, no film does a better job of skewering this tidal wave of genre clichés than The Cabin in the Woods. Joss Whedon and longtime collaborator Drew Goodard possess a deep love and knowledge of all things horror that allows them to deconstruct the genre in an incredibly clever and hilarious fashion.
2.You're Next (2013): Three years before they dropped the aggressively mediocre Blair Witch, screenwriter Simon Barrett and director Adam Wingard crafted one of the most gleefully fucked-up horror films I've ever had the pleasure of watching. After a slow albeit necessary first act, You're Next morphs into an absurdly fun slasher movie full of inventive kills, pitch-black humor and suffocating suspense.
1.Get Out (2017): Could you argue that it's too soon to declare Get Out the best horror film of the decade? Sure. Is that going to prevent me from doing it? Absolutely not. Jordan Peele's brilliant directorial debut simultaneously succeeds as a laugh-out-loud comedy, unnerving psychological horror flick and sharp commentary on modern race relations. I'd be very surprised if any horror film that's released in the next two years can top the ambition, intelligence and craftsmanship that's on display here.
Note: At the time of this post, I had not seen a handful of 2017's most-acclaimed horror movies (It, Annabelle: Creation, It Comes at Night, The Void, Raw).
Honorable Mentions (listed alphabetically):
Crimson Peak (2015)
Happy Death Day (2017)
Let Me In (2010)
Piranha (2010)
Sinister (2012)
5.Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015): This criminally underseen gem from Happy Death Day director Christopher B.Landon is essentially the spiritual successor to Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland. In an era where jump scare-driven supernatural horror dominates the marketplace, it was awesome to see a tongue-in-cheek film filled with cartoonish gore, vulgar comedy and unexpected heart come along to break up the monotony.
4.Don't Breathe (2016): If it wasn't for a ludicrous plot twist at the halfway mark, this would be even higher on the list. Don't Breathe is a simple, efficient thriller that piles on the tension from the jump and doesn't take its foot off the gas until the final frame.
3.The Cabin in the Woods (2012): Horror films are so inherently absurd that they're pretty much begging to be made fun of and for my money, no film does a better job of skewering this tidal wave of genre clichés than The Cabin in the Woods. Joss Whedon and longtime collaborator Drew Goodard possess a deep love and knowledge of all things horror that allows them to deconstruct the genre in an incredibly clever and hilarious fashion.
2.You're Next (2013): Three years before they dropped the aggressively mediocre Blair Witch, screenwriter Simon Barrett and director Adam Wingard crafted one of the most gleefully fucked-up horror films I've ever had the pleasure of watching. After a slow albeit necessary first act, You're Next morphs into an absurdly fun slasher movie full of inventive kills, pitch-black humor and suffocating suspense.
1.Get Out (2017): Could you argue that it's too soon to declare Get Out the best horror film of the decade? Sure. Is that going to prevent me from doing it? Absolutely not. Jordan Peele's brilliant directorial debut simultaneously succeeds as a laugh-out-loud comedy, unnerving psychological horror flick and sharp commentary on modern race relations. I'd be very surprised if any horror film that's released in the next two years can top the ambition, intelligence and craftsmanship that's on display here.
Friday, October 27, 2017
Album Review: Future and Young Thug-Super Slimey
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For my entire conscious lifetime , power couples have been an integral part of the pop culture universe. The likes of Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett and John Legend and Chrissy Tiegen have garnered constant media attention and inspired enough #relationshipgoals pieces on Buzzfeed to fill the entire state of Idaho. In the world of Atlanta's hip-hop, that (musical) power couple is Future and Young Thug. While their styles and images couldn't be any more different, they've managed to establish themselves as the most distinct, influential and celebrated artists in hip-hop's current mecca. Thanks to the power of friendship, capitalism and Actavis, these two heavyweights blessed the world with a surprise collab mixtape entitled Super Slimey that's jam-packed with the brand of car stereo-destroying trap you'd expect from this beautiful union.
Super Slimey essentially operates as a 42-minute showcase of why Future and Young Thug have become juggernauts in the trap scene. The vibe is playful, the hooks are plentiful and just about every song is begging to be bumped at maximum volume. While the surprises are few and far between, it's hard not to be impressed by the strength of the rapport that these two have. On the 9 tracks where they appear together (each of them also have a pair of solo tracks), Future and Thug play off each other in a very organic fashion without burying any of their vivid, unique personalities. Good relationships are always fueled by chemistry and the pure electricity that exists between this pair of ATL titans helps this record work as an exercise in pure, energetic fun.
As much as there is to like here, Super Slimey also manages to have the odd distinction of being a record that I was satisfied with yet somewhat disappointed by. While "All da Smoke" is the only serious dud in the lot, the album's abundance of good-but-not-great tracks ("Drip on Me", "Feed Me Dope", "Cruise Ship", "Mink Flow", "200") prevent it from reaching its sky-high ceiling. This surplus of solid yet not overly memorable material becomes especially disheartening when you compare them to the excellence of the prime cuts. "Killed Before", "No Cap", "Three" and "Patek Water", which features yet another show-stopping feature from 2017's Most Valuable Migo Offset, are some of the most infectious, vibrant and punchy trap anthems I've heard all year and if Super Slimey maintained that level of quality throughout, there's no doubt it would've ended up being a standout release in both of their impressive catalogs. Future, Thug and the collection of gifted producers they worked with (Southside, Mike Will Made It, TM88, Tre Pounds, Fuse) failed to consistently flash the peak of their abilities here and the nagging feeling of what could've been if every party was at the top of their game throughout somewhat diminishes from Super Silmey's breezy likability.
In spite of its flawed, inconsistent execution, Super Slimey manages to be an entertaining, effortlessly listenable release that I'll definitely be revisiting anytime I'm looking to jam out to some high-energy trap. Hendrix and Thugga have a winning dynamic and I would love to see them team-up on another project in the future. Now excuse me while I pray to the hip-hop gods to drop the Quavo/Travi$ Scott by the end of the year.
3.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Killed Before (Young Thug solo)
2.Patek Water (feat. Offset)
3.No Cap
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
2017 NFL Power Rankings: Week 8
()=last week's rankings
1.(2) Philadelphia Eagles (6-1) Week 8 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
2.(3) New England Patriots (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
3.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Denver Broncos
4.(4) Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Detroit Lions
5.(6) Los Angeles Rams (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Bye Week
6.(7) Seattle Seahawks (4-2) Week 8 opponent: Houston Texans
7.(9) Minnesota Vikings (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Cleveland Browns
8.(14) New Orleans Saints (4-2) Week 8 opponent: Chicago Bears
9.(11) Buffalo Bills (4-2) Week 8 opponent: Oakland Raiders
10.(5) Carolina Panthers (4-3) Week 8 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
11.(13) Houston Texans (3-3) Week 8 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
12.(18) Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3) Week 8 opponent: Bye Week
13.(16) Dallas Cowboys (3-3) Week 8 opponent: Washington Redskins
14.(12) Washington Redskins (3-3) Week 8 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
15.(15) Detroit Lions (3-3) Week 8 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
16.(8) Atlanta Falcons (3-3) Week 8 opponent: New York Jets
17.(24) Oakland Raiders (3-4) Week 8 opponent: Buffalo Bills
18.(19) Tennessee Titans (4-3) Week 8 opponent: Bye Week
19.(25) Miami Dolphins (4-2) Week 8 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
20.(26) Los Angeles Chargers (3-4) Week 8 opponent: New England Patriots
21.(10) Denver Broncos (3-3) Week 8 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
22.(17) Green Bay Packers (4-3) Week 8 opponent: Bye Week
23.(22) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-4) Week 8 opponent: Carolina Panthers
24.(23) New York Jets (3-4) Week 8 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
25.(21) Cincinnati Bengals (2-4) Week 8 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
26.(28) Chicago Bears (3-4) Week 8 opponent: New Orleans Saints
27.(20) Arizona Cardinals (3-4) Week 8 opponent: Bye Week
28.(27) Baltimore Ravens (3-4) Week 8 opponent: Miami Dolphins
29.(29) New York Giants (1-6) Week 8 opponent: Bye Week
30.(30) Indianapolis Colts (2-5) Week 8 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
31.(31) San Francisco 49ers (0-7) Week 8 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
32.(32) Cleveland Browns (0-7) Week 8 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
1.(2) Philadelphia Eagles (6-1) Week 8 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
2.(3) New England Patriots (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
3.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Denver Broncos
4.(4) Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Detroit Lions
5.(6) Los Angeles Rams (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Bye Week
6.(7) Seattle Seahawks (4-2) Week 8 opponent: Houston Texans
7.(9) Minnesota Vikings (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Cleveland Browns
8.(14) New Orleans Saints (4-2) Week 8 opponent: Chicago Bears
9.(11) Buffalo Bills (4-2) Week 8 opponent: Oakland Raiders
10.(5) Carolina Panthers (4-3) Week 8 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
11.(13) Houston Texans (3-3) Week 8 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
12.(18) Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3) Week 8 opponent: Bye Week
13.(16) Dallas Cowboys (3-3) Week 8 opponent: Washington Redskins
14.(12) Washington Redskins (3-3) Week 8 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
15.(15) Detroit Lions (3-3) Week 8 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
16.(8) Atlanta Falcons (3-3) Week 8 opponent: New York Jets
17.(24) Oakland Raiders (3-4) Week 8 opponent: Buffalo Bills
18.(19) Tennessee Titans (4-3) Week 8 opponent: Bye Week
19.(25) Miami Dolphins (4-2) Week 8 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
20.(26) Los Angeles Chargers (3-4) Week 8 opponent: New England Patriots
21.(10) Denver Broncos (3-3) Week 8 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
22.(17) Green Bay Packers (4-3) Week 8 opponent: Bye Week
23.(22) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-4) Week 8 opponent: Carolina Panthers
24.(23) New York Jets (3-4) Week 8 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
25.(21) Cincinnati Bengals (2-4) Week 8 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
26.(28) Chicago Bears (3-4) Week 8 opponent: New Orleans Saints
27.(20) Arizona Cardinals (3-4) Week 8 opponent: Bye Week
28.(27) Baltimore Ravens (3-4) Week 8 opponent: Miami Dolphins
29.(29) New York Giants (1-6) Week 8 opponent: Bye Week
30.(30) Indianapolis Colts (2-5) Week 8 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
31.(31) San Francisco 49ers (0-7) Week 8 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
32.(32) Cleveland Browns (0-7) Week 8 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
Week 7 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Carson Wentz (Eagles)
If you weren't already on the Wentz Wagon, his performance versus the Redskins last night should be enough to convince you to hop aboard. Outside of an early INT, Wentz was a playmaking machine, posting 331 total yards (268 passing, 63 rushing) and 4 TD's against Washington's 8th-ranked defense. The 2nd-year QB has been an elite fantasy option this season and will look to continue his absurdly-productive October (1,063 YDS, 12 TD, 2 INT) against a weak 49ers secondary that just surrendered 260 total YDS and 4 TD's to Dak Prescott.
Honorable Mentions: Derek Carr (Raiders), Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
MVP: Carson Wentz (Eagles)
If you weren't already on the Wentz Wagon, his performance versus the Redskins last night should be enough to convince you to hop aboard. Outside of an early INT, Wentz was a playmaking machine, posting 331 total yards (268 passing, 63 rushing) and 4 TD's against Washington's 8th-ranked defense. The 2nd-year QB has been an elite fantasy option this season and will look to continue his absurdly-productive October (1,063 YDS, 12 TD, 2 INT) against a weak 49ers secondary that just surrendered 260 total YDS and 4 TD's to Dak Prescott.
Honorable Mentions: Derek Carr (Raiders), Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
LVP: Marcus Mariota (Titans)
Marcus Mariota's underwhelming 2017 season continued with a stunningly pedestrian effort in Cleveland on Sunday. While he managed to avoid turning the ball over, Mariota only mustered 203 YDS through the air against a Browns secondary that was missing top corner Jason McCourty on an afternoon where the right leg of Ryan Succop carried the team to a depressing 12-9 overtime victory. The Titans franchise quarterback has delivered atrocious value (1,426 total YDS, 7 total TD, 4 INT in 6 games) for his 5th-6th round ADP thus far and has the distinct pleasure of facing the Ravens stingy secondary when the 4-3 Titans return from bye in Week 9.
Marcus Mariota's underwhelming 2017 season continued with a stunningly pedestrian effort in Cleveland on Sunday. While he managed to avoid turning the ball over, Mariota only mustered 203 YDS through the air against a Browns secondary that was missing top corner Jason McCourty on an afternoon where the right leg of Ryan Succop carried the team to a depressing 12-9 overtime victory. The Titans franchise quarterback has delivered atrocious value (1,426 total YDS, 7 total TD, 4 INT in 6 games) for his 5th-6th round ADP thus far and has the distinct pleasure of facing the Ravens stingy secondary when the 4-3 Titans return from bye in Week 9.
Dishonorable Mentions: Cam Newton (Panthers), Andy Dalton (Bengals), Matt Ryan (Falcons)
Running Back
MVP: Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys)
Ezekiel Elliott celebrated dodging his looming 6-game suspension for a 2nd time this season by lighting up the 49ers defense. The Cowboys rode their star running back's monster performance (219 total yards and 3 TD on 27 touches) to a lopsided 40-10 victory in front of the 12 people that decided to show up to Levi's Field on Sunday afternoon. He'll be a top-tier RB1 until the NFL's disciplinary hammer finally comes down on him.
Ezekiel Elliott celebrated dodging his looming 6-game suspension for a 2nd time this season by lighting up the 49ers defense. The Cowboys rode their star running back's monster performance (219 total yards and 3 TD on 27 touches) to a lopsided 40-10 victory in front of the 12 people that decided to show up to Levi's Field on Sunday afternoon. He'll be a top-tier RB1 until the NFL's disciplinary hammer finally comes down on him.
Honorable Mentions: LeSean McCoy (Bills), Todd Gurley (Rams), Aaron Jones (Packers)
LVP: Adrian Peterson (Cardinals)
The "Adrian Peterson is back!!!!" party is over after 1 week. Everyone's favorite geriatric running back got bottled up by the Rams horrific run defense (21 YDS on 11 carries) in a demoralizing blowout loss for the AARP Cardinals. With Carson Palmer likely out for the year and starter David Johnson slated to return in about a month, Peterson will hold minimal fantasy value moving forward.
The "Adrian Peterson is back!!!!" party is over after 1 week. Everyone's favorite geriatric running back got bottled up by the Rams horrific run defense (21 YDS on 11 carries) in a demoralizing blowout loss for the AARP Cardinals. With Carson Palmer likely out for the year and starter David Johnson slated to return in about a month, Peterson will hold minimal fantasy value moving forward.
Dishonorable Mentions: Christian McCaffery (Panthers), Melvin Gordon (Chargers), Jerick McKinnon (Vikings)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Amari Cooper (Raiders)
After a 5-week slumber, Amari Cooper has finally emerged from hibernation. Derek Carr targeted Cooper early and often against the Chiefs below-average secondary last Thursday and it resulted in an eye-popping 11 REC/210 YD/2 TD performance for the embattled 3rd-year wideout. Cooper will look to remain heavily involved in the Raiders offensive gameplan against the Bills stingy secondary in Week 8.
Honorable Mentions: Tyreek Hill (Chiefs), Julio Jones (Falcons), Jarvis Landry (Dolphins)
After a 5-week slumber, Amari Cooper has finally emerged from hibernation. Derek Carr targeted Cooper early and often against the Chiefs below-average secondary last Thursday and it resulted in an eye-popping 11 REC/210 YD/2 TD performance for the embattled 3rd-year wideout. Cooper will look to remain heavily involved in the Raiders offensive gameplan against the Bills stingy secondary in Week 8.
Honorable Mentions: Tyreek Hill (Chiefs), Julio Jones (Falcons), Jarvis Landry (Dolphins)
LVP: Demaryius Thomas (Broncos)
A combination of tight coverage from the Chargers wildly underrated top corner Casey Hayward and Trevor Siemian's awful play forced Demaryius Thomas to put up a sad statline (2 REC, 9 YDS) for the 2nd time in the last 3 games. If Emmanuel Sanders remains sidelined for Week 8, Thomas will be a very risky play in a road matchup with the Chiefs.
A combination of tight coverage from the Chargers wildly underrated top corner Casey Hayward and Trevor Siemian's awful play forced Demaryius Thomas to put up a sad statline (2 REC, 9 YDS) for the 2nd time in the last 3 games. If Emmanuel Sanders remains sidelined for Week 8, Thomas will be a very risky play in a road matchup with the Chiefs.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jordy Nelson (Packers), Eric Decker (Titans), A.J. Green (Bengals)
Tight End
MVP: Jordan Reed (Redskins)
After a rough, injury-riddled start to his 2017 campaign, Jordan Reed finally looked like the player his fantasy owners expected him to be in Week 7. Reed was Kirk Cousins' favorite target on Monday night, reeling in 8 catches for 64 YDS and 2 TD's in a tight road loss against the Eagles. As long as he can stay healthy, Reed has an excellent opportunity to produce in this offense that has been hampered by poor receiver play all season long.
After a rough, injury-riddled start to his 2017 campaign, Jordan Reed finally looked like the player his fantasy owners expected him to be in Week 7. Reed was Kirk Cousins' favorite target on Monday night, reeling in 8 catches for 64 YDS and 2 TD's in a tight road loss against the Eagles. As long as he can stay healthy, Reed has an excellent opportunity to produce in this offense that has been hampered by poor receiver play all season long.
Honorable Mentions: Zach Ertz (Eagles), Evan Engram (Giants), Jason Witten (Cowboys)
LVP: Austin Hooper (Falcons)
The Falcons inability to devise an intelligent gameplan is getting comical at this point. After watching Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Cameron Brate tear up the Patriots over the past 2 weeks, Matt Ryan decided to only look Hooper's way once (he gained 6 yards on that lone target) in yet another sloppy, baffling and mentally-frail performance from the defending NFC Champions. Hooper will be a boom-or-bust TE1 once again when the rapidly-declining Falcons face the Jets in Week 8.
The Falcons inability to devise an intelligent gameplan is getting comical at this point. After watching Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Cameron Brate tear up the Patriots over the past 2 weeks, Matt Ryan decided to only look Hooper's way once (he gained 6 yards on that lone target) in yet another sloppy, baffling and mentally-frail performance from the defending NFC Champions. Hooper will be a boom-or-bust TE1 once again when the rapidly-declining Falcons face the Jets in Week 8.
Dishonorable Mentions: George Kittle (49ers), Martellus Bennett (Packers), Delanie Walker (Titans)
Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Jacksonville Jaguars
SACKSONVILLE IS BACK BITCHES. The Jags dynamic pass rush made life hell for Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett, dropping him for 10 sacks in a dominant 29-0 victory for the co-AFC South leaders. This group has surpassed even the most optimistic of preseason forecasts and with a favorable schedule in the back-half of the season, they could end up finishing as the top overall fantasy defense.
SACKSONVILLE IS BACK BITCHES. The Jags dynamic pass rush made life hell for Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett, dropping him for 10 sacks in a dominant 29-0 victory for the co-AFC South leaders. This group has surpassed even the most optimistic of preseason forecasts and with a favorable schedule in the back-half of the season, they could end up finishing as the top overall fantasy defense.
Honorable Mentions: Los Angeles Rams, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans
LVP: Kansas City Chiefs
A blocked field goal before halftime prevented the Chiefs from getting completely shutout on the fantasy statsheet in their 31-30 loss to the Raiders last Thursday night. Despite their inconsistent pass-rush and tendency to allow a lot of points, the Chiefs should be a good play in Week 8 when they face a Broncos offense that has surrendered 13 sacks and turned the ball over 6 times in the past 3 games.
A blocked field goal before halftime prevented the Chiefs from getting completely shutout on the fantasy statsheet in their 31-30 loss to the Raiders last Thursday night. Despite their inconsistent pass-rush and tendency to allow a lot of points, the Chiefs should be a good play in Week 8 when they face a Broncos offense that has surrendered 13 sacks and turned the ball over 6 times in the past 3 games.
Dishonorable Mentions: Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens
Monday, October 23, 2017
The Best and Worst of Julianne Moore
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 "Suburbicon" star Julianne Moore.
Films starring Julianne Moore that I've seen:
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Boogie Nights
The Big Lebowski
The Ladies Man
Evolution
Freedomland
Children of Men
Eagle Eye
The Kids Are Alright
Crazy, Stupid, Love
What Maisie Knew
What Maisie Knew
Don Jon
Non-Stop
Still Alice
Maps to the Stars
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Best Performance: Boogie Nights (1997)
As overrated as I find Paul Thomas Anderson's work on the whole, he has a gift for getting the most of every actor he collaborates with. Of the half-dozen or so exceptional performances in Anderson's breakout film Boogie Nights, Moore's layered turn as veteran porn star Amber Waves ended up leaving the biggest impression on me. The effectiveness of the juxtaposition between the kind-hearted mentor she is in her professional life and the neglectful, reckless individual she is in her personal life makes Waves the most fascinating character in this dark rise-and-fall story.
As overrated as I find Paul Thomas Anderson's work on the whole, he has a gift for getting the most of every actor he collaborates with. Of the half-dozen or so exceptional performances in Anderson's breakout film Boogie Nights, Moore's layered turn as veteran porn star Amber Waves ended up leaving the biggest impression on me. The effectiveness of the juxtaposition between the kind-hearted mentor she is in her professional life and the neglectful, reckless individual she is in her personal life makes Waves the most fascinating character in this dark rise-and-fall story.
Worst Performance: The Kids Are Alright (2010)
Unlike a lot of her similarly lauded peers, the five-time Oscar nominee and one-time winner Moore isn't overly picky with her projects. Her filmography is loaded with horror (6 Souls, The Forgotten), action (Seventh Son, Next) and comedy (Laws of Attraction, Evolution) flicks that got eviscerated by critics. However, her performance in the widely-acclaimed, quirky indie dramedy The Kids Are Alright grated on me far more than her any of her roles in the aforementioned "shit" movies. Like everyone else in this obnoxious, Wes Anderson-wannabe indie dramedy, Moore's character is a boring, selfish asshole that deserved every awful thing that happened to her.
Unlike a lot of her similarly lauded peers, the five-time Oscar nominee and one-time winner Moore isn't overly picky with her projects. Her filmography is loaded with horror (6 Souls, The Forgotten), action (Seventh Son, Next) and comedy (Laws of Attraction, Evolution) flicks that got eviscerated by critics. However, her performance in the widely-acclaimed, quirky indie dramedy The Kids Are Alright grated on me far more than her any of her roles in the aforementioned "shit" movies. Like everyone else in this obnoxious, Wes Anderson-wannabe indie dramedy, Moore's character is a boring, selfish asshole that deserved every awful thing that happened to her.
Best Film: The Big Lebowski (1998)
How a film about a bowling-obsessed, White Russian-sipping hippie that inadvertently gets involved in an elaborate kidnapping plot went onto become a cultural phenomenon is an unsolvable mystery that I'm completely cool with. With its deep arsenal of quotable lines and lively characters, The Big Lebowski is the Coen Brothers at their weirdest, wittiest and flat-out funniest.
How a film about a bowling-obsessed, White Russian-sipping hippie that inadvertently gets involved in an elaborate kidnapping plot went onto become a cultural phenomenon is an unsolvable mystery that I'm completely cool with. With its deep arsenal of quotable lines and lively characters, The Big Lebowski is the Coen Brothers at their weirdest, wittiest and flat-out funniest.
Worst Film: Freedomland (2006)
Joe Roth's dramatic thriller Freedomland is a classic case of when good intentions go horribly wrong. The film's attempts to address the perpetually underexplored societal issues of systematic racism and classism are undone by a reliance on cheap melodrama and overblown plot twists.
Joe Roth's dramatic thriller Freedomland is a classic case of when good intentions go horribly wrong. The film's attempts to address the perpetually underexplored societal issues of systematic racism and classism are undone by a reliance on cheap melodrama and overblown plot twists.
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 "Last Flag Flying" star Laurence Fishburne.
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Quick Movie Reviews: Blade Runner 2049, Happy Death Day
Blade Runner 2049: While it's definitely an improvement over its excruciatingly dull predecessor, Denis Villeneuve's (Arrival, Sicario) follow-up to the 1982 cult classic is a completely unremarkable and strangely pretentious sci-fi flick that doesn't even come close to packing the thought-provoking wallop that it so desperately wants to achieve. Its stale central themes of machines and their ability to feel human emotions, the intricacies of the relationship between man and machine, etc. have been handled significantly better by other recent films (Ex Machina, Ghost in the Shell) and the story doesn't have nearly enough intrigue or weight to warrant its insane 163-minute runtime. A stellar performance from Ryan Gosling in the leading role along with Roger Deakins' always stunning cinematography were enough to keep me from taking a mental vacation in the theater, but this film is too slow, hollow and emotionally-cold for me to get overly excited about.
3/5 Stars
3/5 Stars
Happy Death Day: Nearly eight months after the release of Get Out, Blumhouse and Universal have struck gold again with Happy Death Day. Happy Death Day is exactly the kind of campy, self-aware and absurdly fun horror-comedy that Hollywood hasn't pumped out since the Scream franchise crapped out almost 20 years ago. Utilizing the Groundhog Day-inspired "relive the same day over and over again" plot device in a slasher movie is a stroke of genius and up-and-comer Jessica Rothe (La La Land) is excellent as Tree, a self-absorbed sorority girl that is tasked with hunting down the person that keeps killing her on her birthday. If you're willing to overlook a few plot holes, the presence of some horror/teen movie genre clichés and its lack of blood/gore, you'll more than likely have a blast with Happy Death Day.
4/5 Stars
4/5 Stars
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
The Best and Worst of Gerard Butler
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 "Geostorm" star Gerard Butler.
Films starring Gerard Butler that I've seen:
Reign of Fire
300
RocknRolla
Gamer
Law Abiding Citizen
The Bounty Hunter
Machine Gun Preacher
Movie 43
Olympus Has Fallen
Gods of Egypt
London Has Fallen
Best Performance: Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
Butler is one of the most reliably great scenery-chewers in the business and his turn as family man turned vengeance-driven serial murderer Clyde Shelton is a performance that deserves to be analyzed by anyone that aspires to make a career in the beautiful, insane world of B-cinema. Shelton is the type of cunning, charismatic, unstable and tremendously entertaining villain that every single absurd action/thriller should strive to have.
Butler is one of the most reliably great scenery-chewers in the business and his turn as family man turned vengeance-driven serial murderer Clyde Shelton is a performance that deserves to be analyzed by anyone that aspires to make a career in the beautiful, insane world of B-cinema. Shelton is the type of cunning, charismatic, unstable and tremendously entertaining villain that every single absurd action/thriller should strive to have.
Worst Performance: The Bounty Hunter (2010)
The Bounty Hunter was the only film from Butler's romantic comedy phase that I saw, but it proved to be all the convincing I needed to stay far, far away from the rest of his forays into the genre. There's not even a hint of a spark between him and his love interest/insult sparring partner Jennifer Aniston and the endearing wise-ass charisma that he consistently displays in his action roles is MIA here.
The Bounty Hunter was the only film from Butler's romantic comedy phase that I saw, but it proved to be all the convincing I needed to stay far, far away from the rest of his forays into the genre. There's not even a hint of a spark between him and his love interest/insult sparring partner Jennifer Aniston and the endearing wise-ass charisma that he consistently displays in his action roles is MIA here.
Best Film: 300 (2007)
Zach Snyder's landmark sword-and-sandal epic is The Godfather of hollow yet overwhelmingly badass action flicks and I will love it with all of my heart for eternity.
Zach Snyder's landmark sword-and-sandal epic is The Godfather of hollow yet overwhelmingly badass action flicks and I will love it with all of my heart for eternity.
Worst Film: Movie 43 (2013)
Ripping Movie 43 in this column has become a proud tradition of mine and considering the sheer size of its ensemble cast, it's one that isn't likely to stop anytime soon. Movie 43 manages to squander an interesting anthology format and a plethora of excellent actors on some of the most poorly-conceived and flat-out dumb comedy bits I've ever seen in my life.
Ripping Movie 43 in this column has become a proud tradition of mine and considering the sheer size of its ensemble cast, it's one that isn't likely to stop anytime soon. Movie 43 manages to squander an interesting anthology format and a plethora of excellent actors on some of the most poorly-conceived and flat-out dumb comedy bits I've ever seen in my life.
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 "Suburbicon" star Julianne Moore.
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
2017 NFL Power Rankings: Week 7
()=last week's ranking
1.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (5-1) Week 7 opponent: Oakland Raiders
2.(5) Philadelphia Eagles (5-1) Week 7 opponent: Washington Redskins
3.(7) New England Patriots (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
4.(10) Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
5.(4) Carolina Panthers (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Chicago Bears
6.(11) Los Angeles Rams (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
7.(9) Seattle Seahawks (3-2) Week 7 opponent: New York Giants
8.(3) Atlanta Falcons (3-2) Week 7 opponent: New England Patriots
9.(13) Minnesota Vikings (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
10.(6) Denver Broncos (3-2) Week 7 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
11.(12) Buffalo Bills (3-2) Week 7 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
12.(17) Washington Redskins (3-2) Week 7 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
13.(16) Houston Texans (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Bye Week
14.(18) New Orleans Saints (3-2) Week 7 opponent: Green Bay Packers
15.(8) Detroit Lions (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Bye Week
16.(14) Dallas Cowboys (2-3) Week 7 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
17.(2) Green Bay Packers (4-2) Week 7 opponent: New Orleans Saints
18.(15) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
19.(24) Tennessee Titans (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Cleveland Browns
20.(26) Arizona Cardinals (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
21.(21) Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) Week 7 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
22.(19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3) Week 7 opponent: Buffalo Bills
23.(22) New York Jets (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Miami Dolphins
24.(20) Oakland Raiders (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
25.(25) Miami Dolphins (3-2) Week 7 opponent: New York Jets
26.(28) Los Angeles Chargers (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Denver Broncos
27.(23) Baltimore Ravens (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
28.(29) Chicago Bears (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Carolina Panthers
29.(30) New York Giants (1-5) Week 7 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
30.(27) Indianapolis Colts (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
31.(31) San Francisco 49ers (0-6) Week 7 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
32.(32) Cleveland Browns (0-6) Week 7 opponent: Tennessee Titans
1.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (5-1) Week 7 opponent: Oakland Raiders
2.(5) Philadelphia Eagles (5-1) Week 7 opponent: Washington Redskins
3.(7) New England Patriots (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
4.(10) Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
5.(4) Carolina Panthers (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Chicago Bears
6.(11) Los Angeles Rams (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
7.(9) Seattle Seahawks (3-2) Week 7 opponent: New York Giants
8.(3) Atlanta Falcons (3-2) Week 7 opponent: New England Patriots
9.(13) Minnesota Vikings (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
10.(6) Denver Broncos (3-2) Week 7 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
11.(12) Buffalo Bills (3-2) Week 7 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
12.(17) Washington Redskins (3-2) Week 7 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
13.(16) Houston Texans (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Bye Week
14.(18) New Orleans Saints (3-2) Week 7 opponent: Green Bay Packers
15.(8) Detroit Lions (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Bye Week
16.(14) Dallas Cowboys (2-3) Week 7 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
17.(2) Green Bay Packers (4-2) Week 7 opponent: New Orleans Saints
18.(15) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
19.(24) Tennessee Titans (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Cleveland Browns
20.(26) Arizona Cardinals (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
21.(21) Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) Week 7 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
22.(19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3) Week 7 opponent: Buffalo Bills
23.(22) New York Jets (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Miami Dolphins
24.(20) Oakland Raiders (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
25.(25) Miami Dolphins (3-2) Week 7 opponent: New York Jets
26.(28) Los Angeles Chargers (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Denver Broncos
27.(23) Baltimore Ravens (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
28.(29) Chicago Bears (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Carolina Panthers
29.(30) New York Giants (1-5) Week 7 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
30.(27) Indianapolis Colts (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
31.(31) San Francisco 49ers (0-6) Week 7 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
32.(32) Cleveland Browns (0-6) Week 7 opponent: Tennessee Titans
Week 6 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Kirk Cousins (Redskins)
To the delight of his fantasy owners, Kirk Cousins was able to continue the hot streak he was on prior to the Redskins Week 5 Bye. Cousins carved up the 49ers young, aloof defense for 356 total yards (330 passing, 26 rushing) and 3 TD's (2 passing, 1 rushing). This nice stretch of play for Cousins is at risk of ending in Week 7 when the 'Skins travel to Philly to take on the 5-1 Eagles.
Honorable Mentions: Deshaun Watson (Texans), Cam Newton (Panthers), Carson Palmer (Cardinals)
MVP: Kirk Cousins (Redskins)
To the delight of his fantasy owners, Kirk Cousins was able to continue the hot streak he was on prior to the Redskins Week 5 Bye. Cousins carved up the 49ers young, aloof defense for 356 total yards (330 passing, 26 rushing) and 3 TD's (2 passing, 1 rushing). This nice stretch of play for Cousins is at risk of ending in Week 7 when the 'Skins travel to Philly to take on the 5-1 Eagles.
Honorable Mentions: Deshaun Watson (Texans), Cam Newton (Panthers), Carson Palmer (Cardinals)
LVP: Derek Carr (Raiders)
Derek Carr's Week 6 performance provided yet another example of why it's a bad idea to rush back from injury in the NFL. The Raiders signalcaller was god awful in his return from a back injury that was supposed to sideline him for 3-6 weeks, throwing for 171 YDS, 1 TD and 2 INT in a narrow loss to the Chargers on Sunday. Carr will be a risky play in his currently-hobbled state when he suits up to take on the Chiefs suspect secondary on a measly 3 days rest.
Dishonorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Drew Brees (Saints), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)
Running Back
MVP: Melvin Gordon (Chargers)
It's official: Melvin Gordon is 2017's answer to LeGarette Blount. The Chargers painfully average starting back was once again able to overcome poor YPC (3.3) and YPR (7.4) totals on his way to a monster fantasy performance (150 YDS and 2 TD's on 34 touches) against the Raiders. As long as Gordon keeps finding the endzone, he'll be an RB1 option in all formats.
Honorable Mentions: Adrian Peterson (Cardinals), Le'Veon Bell (Steelers), Mark Ingram (Saints)
LVP: C.J. Anderson (Broncos)
For the 1st time in 2017, a starting running back got stifled by the Giants defense. A combination of ineffectiveness and the Broncos falling behind early led to C.J. Anderson's sorry-ass statline (9 carries for 17 YDS). Anderson will look to rebound against a Chargers team that he picked up 88 total yards against back in Week 1.
Dishonorable Mentions: Mike Gillislee (Patriots), Duke Johnson Jr. (Browns), Elijah Maguire (Jets)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Antonio Brown (Steelers)
While Ben Roethlisberger strung together another below-average performance, Antonio Brown was his usual brilliant self. The league's best wideout had a field day against the Chiefs awful secondary, securing 8 receptions for 155 YDS and a TD on the afternoon. Brown will look to keep rolling against the Bengals banged-up secondary in Week 7.
Honorable Mentions: Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals), Marvin Jones Jr. (Lions), Golden Tate (Lions)
LVP: T.Y. Hilton (Colts)
Monday Night Football was not kind to the Colts star wideout. T.Y. Hilton only registered 1 reception for 19 yards against the Titans notoriously inept secondary last night. The absence of Andrew Luck has absolutely hurt Hilton's consistency this season, but he'll continue to be on the WR2 radar with Jacoby Brissett under center.
Dishonorable Mentions: Michael Thomas (Saints), Chris Hogan (Patriots), Terrelle Pryor Sr. (Redskins)
Tight End
MVP: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
On an afternoon where the Patriots offense underperformed, Rob Gronkowski provided a much-needed life raft. Gronk posted yet another excellent statline (6 REC/83 YDS/2 TD) and was the undeniable MVP for the Pats in their closer-than-expected showdown with the Jets on Sunday. Whenever he's healthy enough to suit up, the Patriots tight end is an elite fantasy option with a ceiling that no one at the position can come close to touching.
Honorable Mentions: Evan Engram (Giants), Zach Ertz (Eagles), Cameron Brate (Buccaneers)
LVP: Delanie Walker (Titans)
Marcus Mariota's return to the Titans lineup was kind to every one of his receivers besides Delanie Walker. The safety valve in this up-and-down offense posted a rare dud against the Colts, mustering just 17 yards on 4 catches. Walker has a prime opportunity to bust of his recent slump in Week 7 when his squad travels to the kingdom of gridiron hopelessness otherwise known as Cleveland's FirstEnergy Stadium.
Dishonorable Mentions: Coby Fleener (Saints), Jared Cook (Raiders), Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
Defense/Special Teams:
MVP: Los Angeles Rams
This performance marks one of the rare instances where the special teams is responsible for the MVP honor. While Wade Phillips' defense sacked Blake Bortles 5 times and forced an ugly 4th quarter interception, a slew of special teams miscues by Jacksonville resulted in a blocked punt and 2 TD"s (returns on the opening kickoff and aforementioned blocked punt) for the Rams. The NFC West leaders have another tantalizing matchup versus the Cardinals sloppy, turnover-and-sack-prone offense in Week 7.
Honorable Mentions: Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants
LVP: Atlanta Falcons
Leave it to the Falcons to deliver an underwhelming performance against the league's flattest offense. An early INT of Jay Cutler was the only positive play this unit managed in their agonizing 20-17 home loss to the Dolphins on Sunday. The Falcons are trending downward on the whole, so this group is absolutely worth dropping in any league that has under 14 teams.
Dishonorable Mentions: Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos
Quick 2017-18 NBA Preview/Predictions
Eastern Conference:
1.Cleveland Cavaliers: While the unexpected departure of Kyrie Irving might make things a little closer than usual, the Cavs still have a stranglehold on the Eastern Conference. LeBron James' dominance doesn't look like its going to fade away anytime soon and even without Irving, their experienced supporting cast (Kevin Love, Isaiah Thomas, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Jae Crowder, J.R Smith) should be strong enough to fend off their closest foes in the East.
2.Boston Celtics: Danny Ainge showed off his brass balls once again this offseason by essentially blowing up a team (Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown are the only players returning from last year's team) that was coming off a 53-win season and a conference finals appearance. The Celtics long-time GM finally made the splash moves his team's fanbase add long been clamoring for by acquiring Kyrie Irving in a trade with the Cavs and signing Gordan Hayward to a max contract in free agency. Adding Irving and Hayward to the fold gives the C's a pair of dynamic scoring threats that are ideal fits for Brad Stevens' uptempo, ball movement-driven offense, but their lack of frontcourt physicality and rebounding prowess will more than likely derail their hopes of becoming serious title contenders in 2017-18.
3.Milwaukee Bucks: This should be the season where the Bucks make the leap from scrappy upstarts that routinely challenges the league's established premier teams to an upper-echelon squad in the talent-deprived Eastern Conference. Giannis Antetokumpo is a consistent outside shot away from being the league's most frightening two-way player and their depth is excellent across the board. If Jabari Parker and Khris Middleton can stay healthy for an entire season, the Bucks could challenge the Celtics for the #2 seed in the East.
4.Washington Wizards: All 5 starters from last year's breakout team are back (John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter Jr., Markeff Morris, Marcin Gortat) and that combination of continuity and health should give them a nice advantage at the beginning of the season. However, their bench is incredibly suspect, the frontcourt trio of Porter Jr./Morris/Gortat is arguably the weakest among the East's top-6 teams and if the injury-prone Beal misses any significant stretch of time, their offense will go down the toilet immediately. It would be pretty surprising if they were able to improve upon their 49-win campaign from year ago.
5.Toronto Raptors: It's hard not to feel bad for the Raptors. They've mustered four consecutive 48+ win seasons in which they were never lower than the #4 seed and only have 1 Conference Finals appearance to show for it. It's highly unlikely that the 2017-18 squad will be the season where they finally reach the promise land of the NBA Finals. They've made no notable improvements for a second straight season (unless you count the addition of streaky shooter C.J. Miles as a game-changer) and their deficiencies in big games/clutch situations will be harder to mask as the top of the Eastern Conference gets stronger.
6.Miami Heat: The Heat got royally screwed last season when a losing tiebreaker with the Bulls kept them out of the playoffs despite posting a remarkable 30-11 in the second half of the season. 2017-18 should be a lot kinder to the Heat. All of the key cogs from last year's squad are back (Hassan Whiteside, Goran Dragic, James Johnson, Josh Richardson, Dion Waiters) and the addition of Kelly Olynyk to their rotation should allow them to further open up their offense. Don't be surprised if this hard-nosed, defensively-sound team fights their way into a high playoff seed this season.
7.Detroit Pistons: No team outside of the 76ers gained more from the sudden dismantling of the Pacers and Hawks than the Pistons. This team is just a year removed from its last playoff berth and the addition of elite perimeter defender/underrated scorer Avery Bradley to its efficient yet not overly flashy starting lineup (Reggie Jackson, Tobias Harris, Stanley Johnson, Andre Drummond) gives them a clear advantage over the rest of the East's tweener teams.
8.Philadelphia 76ers: Even with the flurry of question marks about the durability of their heavily-hyped young corps (Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz), the 76ers are in a prime position to take a huge step forward this season. J.J Redick gives them the sharp outside shooter and veteran leadership they've lacked since "The Process" started, Robert Covington has quietly evolved into a very productive wing and Embiid has shown that he can be an absolute force on both ends of the floor whenever he's in the lineup. This team is going to be a lot of fun to watch and if their young players are able to stay healthy and make consistent contributions, they could morph into something really special.
9.Atlanta Hawks: The decision to not retain Paul Millsap or sixth man Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency and deal Dwight Howard for a pair of uninspiring bench players (Marco Bell and Miles Plumlee) confirms that the Hawks are suddenly in rebuilding mode. Returning starters Dennis Schroder, Kent Bazemore and Taurean Prince should prevent from bottoming out completely, but an 11th straight trip to the playoffs is looking pretty unlikely as of right now.
10.Charlotte Hornets: The severe elbow injury to key two-way contributor Nicolas Batum and addition of noted locker-room cancer Dwight Howard to their already offensively-challenged frontcout killed the Hornets chances of returning to the playoffs before the season even started. At least the members of Buzz City will have the pleasure of watching Kemba Walker do ridiculous, awe-inspiring shit on a nightly basis to soften the blow of another failed season.
11.New York Knicks: Hooray Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony are finally gone!!!!! The severing of ties with the two most hated men in the organzation should usher in a new era of optimism in the Big Apple right? OF COURSE NOT. The new regime made a vintage Knicks move by overpaying for a merely decent role player (Tim Hardaway Jr.) in free agency, somehow didn't sever ties with the bloated corpse of Joakim Noah and was only able to pry away a pair of so-so players (Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott) from OKC in the deal for Melo. The brilliance of Kristaps Porzingis will elevate this team from the rest of the Eastern Conference's scrap heap, but to expect anything more than 30-32 wins from this hastily-assembled group would be insane.
12.Orlando Magic: The Magic are in the odd position of being the only long-suffering Eastern Conference team that's neither good enough to be taken seriously as a playoff contender nor bad enough to be considered a complete joke. There doesn't appear to a single budding star on the roster (unless rookie Jonathan Issac suddenly takes off in the regular season) at the moment yet they have enough raw athleticism and scrappy defensive players to play their way out of a top-three overall pick every year. With the new draft lottery rules that reduces the odds of tanking teams getting the #1 overall pick kicking in following the 2018-19 season, the Magic should fully commit to tanking this season. Dumping off their more promising players (Nikola Vuecvic, Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier) to any team that's willing take on their contracts would allow them to accumulate a nice stockpile of draft picks while simultaneously making a serious run at the top overall pick. Of course, this sensible plan of attack likely won't come to fruition and they'll more than likely string together another 28-win season that results in them landing the seventh or eight overall pick in next year's draft.
13.Indiana Pacers: With the departure of Paul George, the Pacers are kissing goodbye to their annual tradition of acquiring the #6-#8 seed in the East and immediately getting demolished by a deeper, more talented team. Nate McMillian is bound to have a fun time coaching a team that's led by such generational talents as Victor Oladpio, Bojan Bogandovic and Lance "I can only play competently in Indiana" Stephenson. 2015 lottery pick Myles Turner appears to be-line for a breakout season, but aside from that, there's no reason to be excited about this team.
14.Brooklyn Nets: Brooklyn's lone mission this offseason was to find a way to not finish with the worst record in the NBA in back-to-back seasons and I firmly believe they accomplished that simple goal. D'Angelo Russell gives them a young playmaker to jumpstart the offense and the trio of overpaid veterans (DeMarre Carroll, Allen Crabbe, Timofey Mozgov) they acquired should help sure up their perimeter and interior defense. Kenny Atkinson's squad is still going to stink, but they'll be much more competitive than they were a year ago.
15.Chicago Bulls: Without Jimmy Butler to carry them to 38-40 wins, I believe that the Bulls are now the worst team in the league. Zach LaVine, who is coming off a torn Achilles, is the closest thing they have to a proven scorer on the entire roster and their frontcourt defense outside of Robin Lopez is alarming to say the least. This rebuild was long overdue, but the next couple of years are going to be painful for Bulls fans to stomach.
Western Conference:
4.Oklahoma City Thunder: After watching Russell Westbrook spend the entire 2016-17 season carrying the team on his back, GM Sam Presti went out and got Brodie some help in the form of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. George and Anthony mark a dramatic improvement over the secondary scoring options they had a year ago (Victor Oladpio and Enes Kanter were the team's 2nd and 3rd leading scorers in 2016-17) and their presence will more than likely help OKC return to the elite offensive form they displayed during a majority of the Durant-era. However, once you get past Russ, PG13 and Melo, this squad is depressingly thin (particularly on offense) and will struggle to matchup with the league's true titans.
1.Cleveland Cavaliers: While the unexpected departure of Kyrie Irving might make things a little closer than usual, the Cavs still have a stranglehold on the Eastern Conference. LeBron James' dominance doesn't look like its going to fade away anytime soon and even without Irving, their experienced supporting cast (Kevin Love, Isaiah Thomas, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Jae Crowder, J.R Smith) should be strong enough to fend off their closest foes in the East.
2.Boston Celtics: Danny Ainge showed off his brass balls once again this offseason by essentially blowing up a team (Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown are the only players returning from last year's team) that was coming off a 53-win season and a conference finals appearance. The Celtics long-time GM finally made the splash moves his team's fanbase add long been clamoring for by acquiring Kyrie Irving in a trade with the Cavs and signing Gordan Hayward to a max contract in free agency. Adding Irving and Hayward to the fold gives the C's a pair of dynamic scoring threats that are ideal fits for Brad Stevens' uptempo, ball movement-driven offense, but their lack of frontcourt physicality and rebounding prowess will more than likely derail their hopes of becoming serious title contenders in 2017-18.
3.Milwaukee Bucks: This should be the season where the Bucks make the leap from scrappy upstarts that routinely challenges the league's established premier teams to an upper-echelon squad in the talent-deprived Eastern Conference. Giannis Antetokumpo is a consistent outside shot away from being the league's most frightening two-way player and their depth is excellent across the board. If Jabari Parker and Khris Middleton can stay healthy for an entire season, the Bucks could challenge the Celtics for the #2 seed in the East.
4.Washington Wizards: All 5 starters from last year's breakout team are back (John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter Jr., Markeff Morris, Marcin Gortat) and that combination of continuity and health should give them a nice advantage at the beginning of the season. However, their bench is incredibly suspect, the frontcourt trio of Porter Jr./Morris/Gortat is arguably the weakest among the East's top-6 teams and if the injury-prone Beal misses any significant stretch of time, their offense will go down the toilet immediately. It would be pretty surprising if they were able to improve upon their 49-win campaign from year ago.
5.Toronto Raptors: It's hard not to feel bad for the Raptors. They've mustered four consecutive 48+ win seasons in which they were never lower than the #4 seed and only have 1 Conference Finals appearance to show for it. It's highly unlikely that the 2017-18 squad will be the season where they finally reach the promise land of the NBA Finals. They've made no notable improvements for a second straight season (unless you count the addition of streaky shooter C.J. Miles as a game-changer) and their deficiencies in big games/clutch situations will be harder to mask as the top of the Eastern Conference gets stronger.
6.Miami Heat: The Heat got royally screwed last season when a losing tiebreaker with the Bulls kept them out of the playoffs despite posting a remarkable 30-11 in the second half of the season. 2017-18 should be a lot kinder to the Heat. All of the key cogs from last year's squad are back (Hassan Whiteside, Goran Dragic, James Johnson, Josh Richardson, Dion Waiters) and the addition of Kelly Olynyk to their rotation should allow them to further open up their offense. Don't be surprised if this hard-nosed, defensively-sound team fights their way into a high playoff seed this season.
7.Detroit Pistons: No team outside of the 76ers gained more from the sudden dismantling of the Pacers and Hawks than the Pistons. This team is just a year removed from its last playoff berth and the addition of elite perimeter defender/underrated scorer Avery Bradley to its efficient yet not overly flashy starting lineup (Reggie Jackson, Tobias Harris, Stanley Johnson, Andre Drummond) gives them a clear advantage over the rest of the East's tweener teams.
8.Philadelphia 76ers: Even with the flurry of question marks about the durability of their heavily-hyped young corps (Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz), the 76ers are in a prime position to take a huge step forward this season. J.J Redick gives them the sharp outside shooter and veteran leadership they've lacked since "The Process" started, Robert Covington has quietly evolved into a very productive wing and Embiid has shown that he can be an absolute force on both ends of the floor whenever he's in the lineup. This team is going to be a lot of fun to watch and if their young players are able to stay healthy and make consistent contributions, they could morph into something really special.
9.Atlanta Hawks: The decision to not retain Paul Millsap or sixth man Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency and deal Dwight Howard for a pair of uninspiring bench players (Marco Bell and Miles Plumlee) confirms that the Hawks are suddenly in rebuilding mode. Returning starters Dennis Schroder, Kent Bazemore and Taurean Prince should prevent from bottoming out completely, but an 11th straight trip to the playoffs is looking pretty unlikely as of right now.
10.Charlotte Hornets: The severe elbow injury to key two-way contributor Nicolas Batum and addition of noted locker-room cancer Dwight Howard to their already offensively-challenged frontcout killed the Hornets chances of returning to the playoffs before the season even started. At least the members of Buzz City will have the pleasure of watching Kemba Walker do ridiculous, awe-inspiring shit on a nightly basis to soften the blow of another failed season.
11.New York Knicks: Hooray Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony are finally gone!!!!! The severing of ties with the two most hated men in the organzation should usher in a new era of optimism in the Big Apple right? OF COURSE NOT. The new regime made a vintage Knicks move by overpaying for a merely decent role player (Tim Hardaway Jr.) in free agency, somehow didn't sever ties with the bloated corpse of Joakim Noah and was only able to pry away a pair of so-so players (Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott) from OKC in the deal for Melo. The brilliance of Kristaps Porzingis will elevate this team from the rest of the Eastern Conference's scrap heap, but to expect anything more than 30-32 wins from this hastily-assembled group would be insane.
12.Orlando Magic: The Magic are in the odd position of being the only long-suffering Eastern Conference team that's neither good enough to be taken seriously as a playoff contender nor bad enough to be considered a complete joke. There doesn't appear to a single budding star on the roster (unless rookie Jonathan Issac suddenly takes off in the regular season) at the moment yet they have enough raw athleticism and scrappy defensive players to play their way out of a top-three overall pick every year. With the new draft lottery rules that reduces the odds of tanking teams getting the #1 overall pick kicking in following the 2018-19 season, the Magic should fully commit to tanking this season. Dumping off their more promising players (Nikola Vuecvic, Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier) to any team that's willing take on their contracts would allow them to accumulate a nice stockpile of draft picks while simultaneously making a serious run at the top overall pick. Of course, this sensible plan of attack likely won't come to fruition and they'll more than likely string together another 28-win season that results in them landing the seventh or eight overall pick in next year's draft.
13.Indiana Pacers: With the departure of Paul George, the Pacers are kissing goodbye to their annual tradition of acquiring the #6-#8 seed in the East and immediately getting demolished by a deeper, more talented team. Nate McMillian is bound to have a fun time coaching a team that's led by such generational talents as Victor Oladpio, Bojan Bogandovic and Lance "I can only play competently in Indiana" Stephenson. 2015 lottery pick Myles Turner appears to be-line for a breakout season, but aside from that, there's no reason to be excited about this team.
14.Brooklyn Nets: Brooklyn's lone mission this offseason was to find a way to not finish with the worst record in the NBA in back-to-back seasons and I firmly believe they accomplished that simple goal. D'Angelo Russell gives them a young playmaker to jumpstart the offense and the trio of overpaid veterans (DeMarre Carroll, Allen Crabbe, Timofey Mozgov) they acquired should help sure up their perimeter and interior defense. Kenny Atkinson's squad is still going to stink, but they'll be much more competitive than they were a year ago.
15.Chicago Bulls: Without Jimmy Butler to carry them to 38-40 wins, I believe that the Bulls are now the worst team in the league. Zach LaVine, who is coming off a torn Achilles, is the closest thing they have to a proven scorer on the entire roster and their frontcourt defense outside of Robin Lopez is alarming to say the least. This rebuild was long overdue, but the next couple of years are going to be painful for Bulls fans to stomach.
Western Conference:
1.Golden State Warriors: The top nine guys from their 2016-17 title-winning squad are back plus they added another outside shooter in Nick "Swaggy P" Young to their bench. If they don't repeat as champions, I might suffer a fatal, shock-induced heart attack.
2.San Antonio Spurs: The big offseason splashes from the Rockets, Thunder and Timberwolves hasn't changed where I view the Spurs standing in the Western Conference hierarchy. Their top-notch chemistry, Kawhi Leonard's status as the league's most well-rounded player not named LeBron James and Gregg Popovich's excellent coaching gives the Spurs a distinct advantage over every other team that's gunning for the Warriors in the West.
3.Houston Rockets: While the move didn't make a whole lot of sense considering how great James Harden was at running the point in Mike D'Antoni's frantic offense last season, the addition of Chris Paul should make the Rockets a stronger team than they were a year ago. Paul's stout defense should help them be more competitive against the Golden State/OKC's/San Antonio's of the world and his scoring prowess should open up this high-powered offense even further. I'm not convinced that Houston's 2-headed monster will be able to handle the high-pressure scenarios of the playoffs, but they'll be among the league's best teams in the regular season.
5.Los Angeles Clippers: There is no bigger wild card in the Western Conference than the post-Chris Paul Clippers. On one hand, the influx of new faces (Patrick Beverly, Danilo Gallinari, Sam Dekker, Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, Willie Reed, international star Milos Teodosic) makes the Clippers deeper, more athletic and well-rounded on both ends of the floor than they were during the six seasons Paul was on the roster. On the other hand, relying on a pair of injury-plagued players (Blake Griffin, Gallinari) and a bruising, old-school center that needs to come off the floor at the end of close games due to his horrific free throw shooting (DeAndre Jordan) to lead your team is a risky proposition that could result in disaster. Regardless of how things shake out, the Clippers will be one of the most intriguing teams to watch this season.
6.Minnesota Timberwolves: Adding Jeff Teague, Taj Gibson, Jamal Crawford and Jimmy Butler to this roster helps immediately fix this young squad's nagging issues with bench scoring, perimeter defense, and veteran leadership. The arrival of these talented veteran playmakers combined with the rapid ascent of Karl-Anthony Towns should help the T-Wolves secure the playoff berth that's alluded them over the past few years.
7.Denver Nuggets: It blows my mind that the Nuggets aren't getting more buzz heading into this season. Free-agent pickup Paul Millsap adds another versatile, two-way player to their gifted frontcourt, they have the combination of physicality on the interior, excellent passing and effective mid-range/outside shooting to attack opposing defenses from anywhere on the floor and Swiss Army Knife Nikola Jokic is the most under-the-radar budding star in the entire league. Even in this brutal Western Conference, this Nuggets squad could make some serious noise this season.
8.Portland Trail Blazers: As prolific as Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are on offense, it's just hard to get overly excited about this Blazers team. Even with Jusuf Nurkic returning for his first full season in RIP City, their defensive deficiencies are too prevalent to ignore and will likely prevent them from finishing any higher than sixth in the west.
9.Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies long-term refusal to invest in young talent look like its going to finally come back to bite them in the ass this season. Marc Gasol and Mike Conley simply aren't good enough to carry this team to a playoff berth by themselves anymore and the lack of reliable scoring options behind their aging "stars" puts them on the outside of the West's ultracompetitive playoff picture.
10.Utah Jazz: Losing Gordon Hayward immediately undid all of the progress the Jazz had made over the past few years. As defensively sound as they are across the board, Hayward gave them a scoring spark that guys like Rudy Gobert, Joe Ingles, Rodney Hood, Thabo Sefolosha, Joe Johnson, Derrick Favors and Ricky Rubio simply won't be able to make up for.
11.Dallas Mavericks: Mark Cuban has a clear vision of getting this franchise back on track, I just don't that their return to relevance is going to occur this season. Rookie Dennis Smith Jr. isn't enough to magically fix this team's scoring woes and as solid as he was last season, Harrison Barnes lacks the dynamism to be a top player on a quality team.
12.New Orleans Pelicans: Reuniting Demarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo on a team that has less depth than their 2015-16 Kings team is a disaster waiting to happen. If Anthony Davis makes it through this season without asking for a trade, he'll solidify himself as one of the most loyal players in the history of professional sports.
13.Sacramento Kings: The balance of youn (De'Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Justin Jackson, Willie Cauley-Stein) and proven veteran leadership (Zach Randolph, Vince Carter, George Hill) has made the Kings a hot pick for the West's "Surprise Team". I'm not even close to being in that camp. The lack of identity or legitimate scoring threats paired with the alarming volume of injury-prone players on the roster leads me to believe that this will be a sloppy, unhinged circus masquerading as a basketball team.
14.Los Angeles Lakers: Are the Lakers going to be as bad as they've been the past few seasons in 2017-18? Probably Not. Is Lonzo Ball going to come in and suddenly turn this team full of questionable prospects and sadsack veterans into a formidable basketball team? Doubtful. Is LeBron going to leave Cleveland after this season for the chance to play alongside Brandon Ingram, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr.? To be determined. I think this Lakers squad will end up resembling the 76ers of the past few years: a bad young team with some decent chemistry that will sneak up on contenders every once and a while before landing a high-lottery pick.
15.Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker will hit a lot of 3's, rookie Josh Jackson will play some good defense, Eric Bledsoe will probably get traded to a contender at the deadline and the Suns will lose 55+ games yet again. Hopefully these unlucky bastards will catch a break and land the #1 pick next year.
Playoffs:
Eastern Conference
First round:
Cavaliers over 76ers
Celtics over Pistons
Bucks over Heat
Wizards over Raptors
Conference Semifinals:
Cavaliers over Wizards
Celtics over Bucks
Conference Finals:
Cavaliers over Celtics
Western Conference:
First Round:
Warriors over Trail Blazers
Spurs over Nuggets
Timberwolves over Rockets
Thunder over Clippers
Conference Semifinals:
Warriors over Thunder
Spurs over Timberwolves
Conference Finals:
Warriors over Spurs
NBA Finals:
Warriors over Cavaliers
Playoffs:
Eastern Conference
First round:
Cavaliers over 76ers
Celtics over Pistons
Bucks over Heat
Wizards over Raptors
Conference Semifinals:
Cavaliers over Wizards
Celtics over Bucks
Conference Finals:
Cavaliers over Celtics
Western Conference:
First Round:
Warriors over Trail Blazers
Spurs over Nuggets
Timberwolves over Rockets
Thunder over Clippers
Conference Semifinals:
Warriors over Thunder
Spurs over Timberwolves
Conference Finals:
Warriors over Spurs
NBA Finals:
Warriors over Cavaliers
Friday, October 13, 2017
As We Proceed Episode #12
On this month's episode, Feliciano and I return from a brief hiatus to breakdown B.o.B's "ShowBoBtheCurve" GoFundMe campaign, Cardi B's unexpected journey to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and Lecrae's new album All Things Work Together. This 55-minute slice of podcasting magic can be heard here:
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/asweproceedpodcast/christian-raps-money-moves
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/as-we-proceed/id1122163104?mt=2
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/asweproceedpodcast/christian-raps-money-moves
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/as-we-proceed/id1122163104?mt=2
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Album Review: The Black Dahlia Murder-Nightbringers
If you look back at the history of American music, you'll notice that audiences have a history of connecting with blue-collar individuals. Artists like Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and John Mellencamp have ridden their relatable working class aesthetic to incredibly successful careers that have spanned 4+ decades. In the world of extreme metal, The Black Dahlia Murder are the torchbearers for the salt of the earth average joes. Their ability to constantly overcome adversity (8 member changes in the last 14 years) combined with a work ethic that would make Joe the Plumber seem like a lazy twat (releasing an album every 2 years since 2003) has blessed them with a level of popularity that is nearly unprecedented in the extreme metal realm. This gritty mentality has given birth to Nighbringers, which sees the Michigan-bred quintet releasing some of their most incendiary and deeply satisfying material to-date.
Nightbringers couldn't have possibly arrived at a better time. With a handful of exceptions (Dying Fetus' Wrong One to Fuck With, Darkest Hour's Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora, While She Sleeps' You Are We, Archspire's Relentless Mutation), 2017 had been a very underwhelming year for metal and this lack of high quality releases forced my overdramatic ass to start thinking that the genre was headed towards a quick, brutal death. Not only did Nightbringers shelve my fears about the rapid decline of metal, it straight-up reignited my love for the genre. Going through this record brought back a feeling of child-like excitement that I haven't experienced while listening to an album since I first heard Between the Buried and Me's The Parallax II: Future Sequence nearly five years ago. The level of pure energy, passion and catchiness that's present on Nightbringers left me headbanging with a huge shit-eating grin on my face for the duration of its brisk 33-minute runtime. I applaud The Black Dahlia Murder for being able to make a death metal record full of graphic horror-inspired lyrics this much fun to listen to.
While Black Dahlia's glue members (vocalist Trevor Strnad and rhythm guitarist/primary songwriter Brian Eschbach) are the driving force behind the level of excellence they've maintained over the past 15 years, the X-factor on Nightbringers is their new lead guitarist Brandon Ellis. Ellis was tasked with filling the huge void left by the departure of longtime axeman (and fellow ex-member of Arsis) Ryan Knight and he manages to absolutely obliterate any reasonable expectations that were placed upon him. His blistering playing style allows the band to delve deeper into the world of thrash and traditional Gothenburg melodeath without losing sight of the American death metal crunch they've possessed since their inception. In addition to his versatility as a player, the 24-year old also throws down some phenomenal solos that play a crucial role in establishing the album's chaotic yet fun tone. The Black Dahlia Murder have been able to outlast many of their peers in terms of both popularity and quality of their output, and with the addition of a gifted guitar player that allows them to expand upon their well-established formula, the odds of them slipping into a state of compliancy are arguably lower than ever before.
Despite the strong love affair I've already developed with it, I'm not ready to say that Nightbringers has surpassed Ritual as my favorite Black Dahlia record. That being said, I can say with complete confidence that it's among the best material they've put over the course of their excellence-filled career. There's not a single song on here that didn't grab me (picking my 3 favorite tracks was an absolute BITCH) and the breakneck atmosphere, volume of memorable riffs and overall tightness of the songwriting has only grown more impressive on subsequent listens. While it goes against everything I stand for as a miserable, stubborn asshole that hates when people prematurely hand out year-end awards, there's no way in hell that Nightbringers won't be my AOTY for 2017. Records that connect with you on such a deep, visceral level are incredibly rare and I'd be lying to myself and my audience if I thought there was another record set to be released in the final 11 weeks of the year that would be able to surpass the euphoric experience I had while listening to this record. S/O to Black Dahlia for creating this fucking wonderful slab of death metal bliss and restoring my faith in the genre that made me fall in love with music as a teenager.
Nightbringers couldn't have possibly arrived at a better time. With a handful of exceptions (Dying Fetus' Wrong One to Fuck With, Darkest Hour's Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora, While She Sleeps' You Are We, Archspire's Relentless Mutation), 2017 had been a very underwhelming year for metal and this lack of high quality releases forced my overdramatic ass to start thinking that the genre was headed towards a quick, brutal death. Not only did Nightbringers shelve my fears about the rapid decline of metal, it straight-up reignited my love for the genre. Going through this record brought back a feeling of child-like excitement that I haven't experienced while listening to an album since I first heard Between the Buried and Me's The Parallax II: Future Sequence nearly five years ago. The level of pure energy, passion and catchiness that's present on Nightbringers left me headbanging with a huge shit-eating grin on my face for the duration of its brisk 33-minute runtime. I applaud The Black Dahlia Murder for being able to make a death metal record full of graphic horror-inspired lyrics this much fun to listen to.
While Black Dahlia's glue members (vocalist Trevor Strnad and rhythm guitarist/primary songwriter Brian Eschbach) are the driving force behind the level of excellence they've maintained over the past 15 years, the X-factor on Nightbringers is their new lead guitarist Brandon Ellis. Ellis was tasked with filling the huge void left by the departure of longtime axeman (and fellow ex-member of Arsis) Ryan Knight and he manages to absolutely obliterate any reasonable expectations that were placed upon him. His blistering playing style allows the band to delve deeper into the world of thrash and traditional Gothenburg melodeath without losing sight of the American death metal crunch they've possessed since their inception. In addition to his versatility as a player, the 24-year old also throws down some phenomenal solos that play a crucial role in establishing the album's chaotic yet fun tone. The Black Dahlia Murder have been able to outlast many of their peers in terms of both popularity and quality of their output, and with the addition of a gifted guitar player that allows them to expand upon their well-established formula, the odds of them slipping into a state of compliancy are arguably lower than ever before.
Despite the strong love affair I've already developed with it, I'm not ready to say that Nightbringers has surpassed Ritual as my favorite Black Dahlia record. That being said, I can say with complete confidence that it's among the best material they've put over the course of their excellence-filled career. There's not a single song on here that didn't grab me (picking my 3 favorite tracks was an absolute BITCH) and the breakneck atmosphere, volume of memorable riffs and overall tightness of the songwriting has only grown more impressive on subsequent listens. While it goes against everything I stand for as a miserable, stubborn asshole that hates when people prematurely hand out year-end awards, there's no way in hell that Nightbringers won't be my AOTY for 2017. Records that connect with you on such a deep, visceral level are incredibly rare and I'd be lying to myself and my audience if I thought there was another record set to be released in the final 11 weeks of the year that would be able to surpass the euphoric experience I had while listening to this record. S/O to Black Dahlia for creating this fucking wonderful slab of death metal bliss and restoring my faith in the genre that made me fall in love with music as a teenager.
5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Matriarch
2.Kings of the Nightworld
3.As Good as Dead
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
The Best and Worst of Jackie Chan
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 Foreigner" star Jackie Chan.
The Tuxedo
Shanghai Knights
The Medallion
Rush Hour 3
The Forbidden Kingdom
Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda 2
Kung Fu Panda 3
Films starring Jackie Chan that I've seen:
Police Story
Rumble in the Bronx
Rush Hour
Shanghai Noon
Rush Hour 2The Tuxedo
Shanghai Knights
The Medallion
Rush Hour 3
The Forbidden Kingdom
Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda 2
Kung Fu Panda 3
Best Performance: Rush Hour (1998)
Rush Hour marked Chan's first leading role in an English-language film and as far as I'm concerned, it's the clear peak of his 3-decade+ career. Chan's ability to play off of the spastic whirlwind energy of his co-star Chris Tucker combined with his signature insane stuntwork/fight choreography helped give Rush Hour a unique, winning flavor in the densely populated 90's/00's buddy movie scene.
Rush Hour marked Chan's first leading role in an English-language film and as far as I'm concerned, it's the clear peak of his 3-decade+ career. Chan's ability to play off of the spastic whirlwind energy of his co-star Chris Tucker combined with his signature insane stuntwork/fight choreography helped give Rush Hour a unique, winning flavor in the densely populated 90's/00's buddy movie scene.
Worst Performance: The Tuxedo (2002)
While no one has ever mistaken Chan for a master thespian, his work in The Tuxedo still manages to be well below what the world-renowned martial artist usually brings to the screen. His signature jaw-dropping stuntwork, subtle charm and immense likability are nowhere to be found in this ill-conceived spy parody.
While no one has ever mistaken Chan for a master thespian, his work in The Tuxedo still manages to be well below what the world-renowned martial artist usually brings to the screen. His signature jaw-dropping stuntwork, subtle charm and immense likability are nowhere to be found in this ill-conceived spy parody.
Best Film: Rush Hour 2 (2001)
The Rush Hour franchise essentially served as my generation's Lethal Weapon. Some of my fondest early movie memories involve the mismatched crime-fighting of stern Hong Kong Chief Inspector Lee (Chan) and unpredictable loudmouth LAPD detective Carter (Chris Tucker) kicking ass, cracking jokes and providing grade-A popcorn entertainment. While the entire trilogy is comprised of elite action comedies, the 2nd installment is my personal favorite. The chemistry between Chan and Tucker is even stronger than it was in the original and it contains the 2 finest fight scenes (the opening sauna sequence and climatic casino showdown) of the entire franchise.
The Rush Hour franchise essentially served as my generation's Lethal Weapon. Some of my fondest early movie memories involve the mismatched crime-fighting of stern Hong Kong Chief Inspector Lee (Chan) and unpredictable loudmouth LAPD detective Carter (Chris Tucker) kicking ass, cracking jokes and providing grade-A popcorn entertainment. While the entire trilogy is comprised of elite action comedies, the 2nd installment is my personal favorite. The chemistry between Chan and Tucker is even stronger than it was in the original and it contains the 2 finest fight scenes (the opening sauna sequence and climatic casino showdown) of the entire franchise.
Worst Film: The Tuxedo (2002)
After Chan put out the first 2 Rush Hour films and Shanghai Noon, it seemed like he was untouchable. Then The Tuxedo came along and brought an abrupt, pain end to his hot streak. Outside of an outstanding cameo from the late James Brown, The Tuxedo brings nothing worthwhile to the table. Every single one of the jokes that doesn't involve Brown misses the mark, the pacing is stunningly slow for a film with such a dumb premise and most importantly, the fight scenes lack the invention and sense of spectacle that you typically find in a Chan-led film.
After Chan put out the first 2 Rush Hour films and Shanghai Noon, it seemed like he was untouchable. Then The Tuxedo came along and brought an abrupt, pain end to his hot streak. Outside of an outstanding cameo from the late James Brown, The Tuxedo brings nothing worthwhile to the table. Every single one of the jokes that doesn't involve Brown misses the mark, the pacing is stunningly slow for a film with such a dumb premise and most importantly, the fight scenes lack the invention and sense of spectacle that you typically find in a Chan-led 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 "Geostorm" star Gerard Butler.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
2017 NFL Power Rankings: Week 6
()=last week's ranking
1.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) Week 6 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
2.(2) Green Bay Packers (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
3.(4) Atlanta Falcons (3-1) Week 6 opponent: Miami Dolphins
4.(15) Carolina Panthers (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
5.(12) Philadelphia Eagles (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Carolina Panthers
6.(7) Denver Broncos (3-1) Week 6 opponent: New York Giants
7.(8) New England Patriots (3-2) Week 6 opponent: New York Jets
8.(5) Detroit Lions (3-2) Week 6 opponent: New Orleans Saints
9.(10) Seattle Seahawks (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
10.(3) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
11.(9) Los Angeles Rams (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
12.(6) Buffalo Bills (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
13.(14) Minnesota Vikings (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Green Bay Packers
14.(11) Dallas Cowboys (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
15.(21) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
16.(13) Houston Texans (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Cleveland Browns
17.(17) Washington Redskins (2-2) Week 6 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
18.(20) New Orleans Saints (2-2) Week 6 opponent: Detroit Lions
19.(18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2) Week 6 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
20.(16) Oakland Raiders (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
21.(25) Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
22.(23) New York Jets (3-2) Week 6 opponent: New England Patriots
23.(24) Baltimore Ravens (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Chicago Bears
24.(19) Tennessee Titans (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
25.(26) Miami Dolphins (2-2) Week 6 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
26.(23) Arizona Cardinals (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
27.(28) Indianapolis Colts (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Tennessee Titans
28.(30) Los Angeles Chargers (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Oakland Raiders
29.(29) Chicago Bears (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
30.(27) New York Giants (0-5) Week 6 opponent: Denver Broncos
31.(31) San Francisco 49ers (0-5) Week 6 opponent: Washington Redskins
32.(32) Cleveland Browns (0-5) Week 6 opponent: Houston Texans
1.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) Week 6 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
2.(2) Green Bay Packers (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
3.(4) Atlanta Falcons (3-1) Week 6 opponent: Miami Dolphins
4.(15) Carolina Panthers (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
5.(12) Philadelphia Eagles (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Carolina Panthers
6.(7) Denver Broncos (3-1) Week 6 opponent: New York Giants
7.(8) New England Patriots (3-2) Week 6 opponent: New York Jets
8.(5) Detroit Lions (3-2) Week 6 opponent: New Orleans Saints
9.(10) Seattle Seahawks (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
10.(3) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
11.(9) Los Angeles Rams (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
12.(6) Buffalo Bills (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
13.(14) Minnesota Vikings (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Green Bay Packers
14.(11) Dallas Cowboys (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
15.(21) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
16.(13) Houston Texans (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Cleveland Browns
17.(17) Washington Redskins (2-2) Week 6 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
18.(20) New Orleans Saints (2-2) Week 6 opponent: Detroit Lions
19.(18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2) Week 6 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
20.(16) Oakland Raiders (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
21.(25) Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
22.(23) New York Jets (3-2) Week 6 opponent: New England Patriots
23.(24) Baltimore Ravens (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Chicago Bears
24.(19) Tennessee Titans (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
25.(26) Miami Dolphins (2-2) Week 6 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
26.(23) Arizona Cardinals (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
27.(28) Indianapolis Colts (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Tennessee Titans
28.(30) Los Angeles Chargers (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Oakland Raiders
29.(29) Chicago Bears (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
30.(27) New York Giants (0-5) Week 6 opponent: Denver Broncos
31.(31) San Francisco 49ers (0-5) Week 6 opponent: Washington Redskins
32.(32) Cleveland Browns (0-5) Week 6 opponent: Houston Texans
Week 5 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Deshaun Watson (Texans)
This performance belongs in the garbage time Hall-of-Fame. Deshaun Watson went off as soon as the game got out of hand, posting 292 total YDS (261 passing, 31 rushing), 5 passing TD's and a 2 point-conversion in a Sunday night loss against the Chiefs. Watson has been a top-tier fantasy option for the past 3 weeks and is in an excellent position to succeed once again this week in a home matchup versus the Browns awful defense.
Honorable Mentions: Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Carson Wentz (Eagles), Alex Smith (Chiefs)
MVP: Deshaun Watson (Texans)
This performance belongs in the garbage time Hall-of-Fame. Deshaun Watson went off as soon as the game got out of hand, posting 292 total YDS (261 passing, 31 rushing), 5 passing TD's and a 2 point-conversion in a Sunday night loss against the Chiefs. Watson has been a top-tier fantasy option for the past 3 weeks and is in an excellent position to succeed once again this week in a home matchup versus the Browns awful defense.
Honorable Mentions: Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Carson Wentz (Eagles), Alex Smith (Chiefs)
LVP: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)
If there was any doubt that nearly 15 years of getting pummeled by NFL defenses has finally caught up to Ben Roethlisberger, this week shattered it. Roethlisberger got devoured by Jacksonville's top-ranked passing D, throwing for 0 TD's and a career-high 5 INT's in a soul-crushing 30-9 loss in front of the Heinz Field faithful. Big Ben's streak of underwhelming play is likely to continue in Week 6 when the Steelers travel to the incredible hostile Arrowhead Stadium to take on the undefeated Chiefs.
If there was any doubt that nearly 15 years of getting pummeled by NFL defenses has finally caught up to Ben Roethlisberger, this week shattered it. Roethlisberger got devoured by Jacksonville's top-ranked passing D, throwing for 0 TD's and a career-high 5 INT's in a soul-crushing 30-9 loss in front of the Heinz Field faithful. Big Ben's streak of underwhelming play is likely to continue in Week 6 when the Steelers travel to the incredible hostile Arrowhead Stadium to take on the undefeated Chiefs.
Dishonorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Patriots), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Carson Palmer (Cardinals)
Running Back
MVP: Leonard Fournette (Jaguars)
After posting solid number numbers in the first quarter of the season, Leonard Forunette finally had his true breakout game in Week 5. Fournette manhandled the Steelers overrated run defense, managing 181 YDS and 2 TD's on 28 carries in yet another statement win for Jacksonville. The Jags rookie running back has found the endzone in 5 straight games and will look to make it 6 against a Rams D that has allowed the most fantasy points to RB's this season.
After posting solid number numbers in the first quarter of the season, Leonard Forunette finally had his true breakout game in Week 5. Fournette manhandled the Steelers overrated run defense, managing 181 YDS and 2 TD's on 28 carries in yet another statement win for Jacksonville. The Jags rookie running back has found the endzone in 5 straight games and will look to make it 6 against a Rams D that has allowed the most fantasy points to RB's this season.
Honorable Mentions: Melvin Gordon (Chargers), Jerick McKinnon (Vikings), Aaron Jones (Packers)
LVP: Todd Gurley (Rams)
2017's biggest surprise fantasy darling finally showed his mortality against the Seahawks in Week 5. The Rams bellcow back was bottled up for 50 total yards (43 rushing, 7 receiving) on 16 touches and lost a fumble in a sloppy loss for Sean McVay's squad. Gurley has a great shot of returning to his dominant form in Week 6 against an inconsistent Jaguars run D that is giving up an average of nearly 150 yards on the ground.
2017's biggest surprise fantasy darling finally showed his mortality against the Seahawks in Week 5. The Rams bellcow back was bottled up for 50 total yards (43 rushing, 7 receiving) on 16 touches and lost a fumble in a sloppy loss for Sean McVay's squad. Gurley has a great shot of returning to his dominant form in Week 6 against an inconsistent Jaguars run D that is giving up an average of nearly 150 yards on the ground.
Dishonorable Mentions: Carlos Hyde (49ers), DeMarco Murray (Titans), Tarik Cohen (Bears)
Wide Receiver
MVP: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans)
Like his quarterback, DeAndre Hopkins took full advantage of the lax nature of garbage time to become a fantasy MVP this week. A trio of TD's helped bolster an otherwise pedeistairan statline (4 REC, 52 YDS) for the league's highest-paid WR. Hopkins has been one of the most consistent receivers in the league through the first 5 weeks of the season and he should be able to maintain his solid productivity level as long as Deshaun Watson continues to play well.
Like his quarterback, DeAndre Hopkins took full advantage of the lax nature of garbage time to become a fantasy MVP this week. A trio of TD's helped bolster an otherwise pedeistairan statline (4 REC, 52 YDS) for the league's highest-paid WR. Hopkins has been one of the most consistent receivers in the league through the first 5 weeks of the season and he should be able to maintain his solid productivity level as long as Deshaun Watson continues to play well.
Honorable Mentions: A.J. Green (Bengals), Davante Adams (Packers), Will Fuller (Texans)
LVP: Mike Evans (Buccaneers)
In a shocking development, Mike Evans became the 1st stud WR in 2017 to put up below-average numbers against the Patriots coverage-challenged secondary. While his teammates (DeSean Jackson, Cameron Brate) feasted against the league's worst pass defense, Mike Evans was left famished with a sad 5 reception, 49-yard performance. Despite scoring a pair of TD's in his first 4 games, Evans has yet to provide a great return for his top-8 draft position and has the unfortunate task of having to go up against Cardinals shutdown corner Patrick Peterson in Week 6.
In a shocking development, Mike Evans became the 1st stud WR in 2017 to put up below-average numbers against the Patriots coverage-challenged secondary. While his teammates (DeSean Jackson, Cameron Brate) feasted against the league's worst pass defense, Mike Evans was left famished with a sad 5 reception, 49-yard performance. Despite scoring a pair of TD's in his first 4 games, Evans has yet to provide a great return for his top-8 draft position and has the unfortunate task of having to go up against Cardinals shutdown corner Patrick Peterson in Week 6.
Dishonorable Mentions: Doug Baldwin (Seahawks), Alshon Jeffrey (Eagles), Amari Cooper (Raiders)
Tight End
MVP: Cameron Brate (Buccaneers)
As I just mentioned in my takedown of Mike Evans, Cameron Brate put forth another solid effort against the Patriots. The Bucs top receiving tight end finished the night with 68 yards and a TD on 5 receptions. Brate's healthy volume of redzone targets and strong rapport with Jameis Winston makes him one of the stronger options at the paper-thin TE position.
As I just mentioned in my takedown of Mike Evans, Cameron Brate put forth another solid effort against the Patriots. The Bucs top receiving tight end finished the night with 68 yards and a TD on 5 receptions. Brate's healthy volume of redzone targets and strong rapport with Jameis Winston makes him one of the stronger options at the paper-thin TE position.
Honorable Mentions: Zach Ertz (Eagles), Kyle Rudolph (Vikings), Hunter Henry (Chargers)
LVP: Evan Engram (Giants)
Evan Engram's catastrophic failure in Week 5 doesn't make a lick of sense. In a game where the Giants top 3 WR's (Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall, Sterling Shepard) exited the game with injuries by the time 4th quarter started, Engram failed to catch a single pass. With OBJ and Marshall officially out for the season, Engram appears to be in-line to become the focal point of the Giants passing attack and should be in the TE1 conversation just about every week moving forward.
Evan Engram's catastrophic failure in Week 5 doesn't make a lick of sense. In a game where the Giants top 3 WR's (Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall, Sterling Shepard) exited the game with injuries by the time 4th quarter started, Engram failed to catch a single pass. With OBJ and Marshall officially out for the season, Engram appears to be in-line to become the focal point of the Giants passing attack and should be in the TE1 conversation just about every week moving forward.
Dishonorable Mentions: Delanie Walker (Titans), Jesse James (Steelers), Eric Ebron (Lions)
Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Jacksonville Jaguars
The schizophrenic Jacksonville D achieved a new high point in Week 5. The Jags made life a living hell for Ben Roethlisberger as they managed 5 INT's, 2 sacks and a pair of defensive scores in a stunning 30-9 upset of the Steelers. This erratic yet highly talented group will look to string together another dominant performance versus a Rams offense that is coming off a 5-turnover performance against the Seahawks.
The schizophrenic Jacksonville D achieved a new high point in Week 5. The Jags made life a living hell for Ben Roethlisberger as they managed 5 INT's, 2 sacks and a pair of defensive scores in a stunning 30-9 upset of the Steelers. This erratic yet highly talented group will look to string together another dominant performance versus a Rams offense that is coming off a 5-turnover performance against the Seahawks.
Honorable Mentions: Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens
LVP: Houston Texans
The Texans once-feared defense couldn't even live up to the low expectations that were placed on them ahead of their Sunday night tilt with the Chiefs. Mike Vrabel's troops were completely overwhelmed by the Chiefs suddenly explosive offense, allowing 42 points while mustering only 1 sack and forcing 0 takeaways. With top pass-rushers J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus suffering season-ending injuries in Sunday's loss, owners might want to considering severing ties with this group.
The Texans once-feared defense couldn't even live up to the low expectations that were placed on them ahead of their Sunday night tilt with the Chiefs. Mike Vrabel's troops were completely overwhelmed by the Chiefs suddenly explosive offense, allowing 42 points while mustering only 1 sack and forcing 0 takeaways. With top pass-rushers J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus suffering season-ending injuries in Sunday's loss, owners might want to considering severing ties with this group.
Dishonorable Mentions: Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders, Detroit Lions
Monday, October 9, 2017
Movie Review: American Made
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Whether it's on television (Narcos, Breaking Bad, Snowfall) or the big screen (Sicario, Traffic, Blow), audiences across the globe have an unshakable, decades-long love affair with crime dramas centered around the drug trade. Doug Liman's American Made, which tells the story of former Medellin Cartel and CIA drug/weapons smuggler Barry Seal (played in the film by Tom Cruise), is the latest entry into this beloved pop culture movement and despite boasting an interesting premise that's loosely based on a true story, it fails to generate a lot of excitement.
To be clear, American Made isn't a bad film, it's merely a slightly above-average one that fails to stand out in the vast sea of rise-and-fall crime dramas that are out there. It's status as an inessential albeit watchable film can be entirely attributed to the scattershot nature of Gary Spinelli's script. Spinelli's undisciplined, hyperactive approach to storytelling manages to nullify the weight of every event that occurs over the course of its nearly 2-hour runtime. Each plot development comes together so quickly that there isn't any time for suspense or emotional investment in the characters to build. Rapid pacing is an excellent, often effective technique for films in this genre, but when it comes at the expense of any sort of narrative intrigue, it's an obnoxious detriment that prevents you from truly caring about what you're watching.
Spinelli's lazy writing is also apparent in the way he chose to handle the portrayal of Seal. Even as his involvement in the world of illegal smuggling rapidly grows, Seal never becomes a more reprehensible or greedy individual. When the person at the center of a real-life crime saga is portrayed as the same smiling, cocky semi-douche at the climax of the film as they were before they got corrupted by their highly profitable life of crime, you know that the dramatization of said person was poorly-executed. American Made's blatant disregard for basic dramatic buildup and character evolution is something that I've never seen in another crime-based drama before and will more than likely be the only thing I remember about this film 5 years from now.
Even though it never approaches god awful territory, American Made will go down as a pretty substantial fuck-up in my eyes. Turning this dense, almost unbelievable true story into a somewhat entertaining yet completely disjointed and hollow Tom Cruise vehicle was a huge miscalculation from everyone involved in the making of this project. Seal's story could've made for a riveting crime drama or a clever American Dream satire about an opportunistic individual that cashed-in on the greed of the United States government and one of the most powerful drug cartels in the history of the world, but American Made's general indifference towards establishing tension, telling a focused story that provides any sort of meaningful insight on any of the players involved and pointing fingers at the people on both sides of the law that enabled this former commercial airline pilot to become the go-to guy for smuggling contraband in and out of U.S. prevents that from happening. Unless you're a diehard Cruise fan, I wouldn't recommend seeing this until hits VOD/Redbox.
To be clear, American Made isn't a bad film, it's merely a slightly above-average one that fails to stand out in the vast sea of rise-and-fall crime dramas that are out there. It's status as an inessential albeit watchable film can be entirely attributed to the scattershot nature of Gary Spinelli's script. Spinelli's undisciplined, hyperactive approach to storytelling manages to nullify the weight of every event that occurs over the course of its nearly 2-hour runtime. Each plot development comes together so quickly that there isn't any time for suspense or emotional investment in the characters to build. Rapid pacing is an excellent, often effective technique for films in this genre, but when it comes at the expense of any sort of narrative intrigue, it's an obnoxious detriment that prevents you from truly caring about what you're watching.
Spinelli's lazy writing is also apparent in the way he chose to handle the portrayal of Seal. Even as his involvement in the world of illegal smuggling rapidly grows, Seal never becomes a more reprehensible or greedy individual. When the person at the center of a real-life crime saga is portrayed as the same smiling, cocky semi-douche at the climax of the film as they were before they got corrupted by their highly profitable life of crime, you know that the dramatization of said person was poorly-executed. American Made's blatant disregard for basic dramatic buildup and character evolution is something that I've never seen in another crime-based drama before and will more than likely be the only thing I remember about this film 5 years from now.
Even though it never approaches god awful territory, American Made will go down as a pretty substantial fuck-up in my eyes. Turning this dense, almost unbelievable true story into a somewhat entertaining yet completely disjointed and hollow Tom Cruise vehicle was a huge miscalculation from everyone involved in the making of this project. Seal's story could've made for a riveting crime drama or a clever American Dream satire about an opportunistic individual that cashed-in on the greed of the United States government and one of the most powerful drug cartels in the history of the world, but American Made's general indifference towards establishing tension, telling a focused story that provides any sort of meaningful insight on any of the players involved and pointing fingers at the people on both sides of the law that enabled this former commercial airline pilot to become the go-to guy for smuggling contraband in and out of U.S. prevents that from happening. Unless you're a diehard Cruise fan, I wouldn't recommend seeing this until hits VOD/Redbox.
3/5 Stars
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Way Too Early Oscar Predictions (2017 Edition)
Believe it or not, this week marks the unofficial beginning of Hollywood's awards season. The start of this always intriguing 3-month stretch of the cinematic calendar means that it's time for clowns like myself to dawn our premature prediction hats and drop a list of the films and individuals that we believe the Academy will chose to bless with nominations this year. Below you'll find my way-too-early predictions for the nominees and winners in every major Oscar category. Hope you enjoy this collection of speculation-driven predictions and be sure to check back in the coming weeks/months for some (slightly) more educated guesses.
Note: There are a handful of potential Oscar contenders (The Post, Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Project, All the Money in the World, The Greatest Showman, The Man Who Invented Christmas, Wonder) that didn't screen at the Venice, Telluride or Toronto Film Festivals that could shake up the field dramatically once they receive public screenings.
*indicates the projected winner
Best Picture:
Blade Runner 2049
Call Me by Your Name
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Lady Bird
Mudbound
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri*
The Post
Best Director:
Guillermo Del Toro (The Shape of Water)*
Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird)
Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name)
Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk)
Best Animated Feature:
The Breadwinner
Coco
Ferdinand
The Lego Batman Movie
Loving Vincent*
Note: There are a handful of potential Oscar contenders (The Post, Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Project, All the Money in the World, The Greatest Showman, The Man Who Invented Christmas, Wonder) that didn't screen at the Venice, Telluride or Toronto Film Festivals that could shake up the field dramatically once they receive public screenings.
*indicates the projected winner
Best Picture:
Blade Runner 2049
Call Me by Your Name
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Lady Bird
Mudbound
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri*
The Post
Best Director:
Guillermo Del Toro (The Shape of Water)*
Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird)
Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name)
Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk)
Best Actor:
Christian Bale (Hostiles)
Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name)
Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name)
Daniel Day-Lewis (Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Project)
Tom Hanks (The Post)
Tom Hanks (The Post)
Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)*
Best Actress:
Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water)*
Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water)*
Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)
Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)
Meryl Streep (The Post)
Best Supporting Actor:
Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project)
Armie Hammer (Call Me By Your Name)
Jason Mitchell (Mudbound)
Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)*
Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)
Meryl Streep (The Post)
Best Supporting Actor:
Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project)
Armie Hammer (Call Me By Your Name)
Jason Mitchell (Mudbound)
Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)*
Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water)
Best Supporting Actress:
Hong Chau (Downsizing)
Allison Janney (I, Tonya)
Melissa Leo (Novitiate)
Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)*
Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water)Best Supporting Actress:
Hong Chau (Downsizing)
Allison Janney (I, Tonya)
Melissa Leo (Novitiate)
Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)*
Best Animated Feature:
The Breadwinner
Coco
Ferdinand
The Lego Batman Movie
Loving Vincent*
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
The Best and Worst of Jared Leto
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 "Blade Runner 2049" star Jared Leto
Films starring Jared Leto that I've seen:
The Thin Red Line
Fight Club
American Psycho
Requiem for a Dream
Panic Room
Phone Booth
Lord of War
Dallas Buyers Club
Suicide Squad
Best Performance: Requiem for a Dream (2000)
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 Foreigner" star Jackie Chan.
Films starring Jared Leto that I've seen:
The Thin Red Line
Fight Club
American Psycho
Requiem for a Dream
Panic Room
Phone Booth
Lord of War
Dallas Buyers Club
Suicide Squad
Best Performance: Requiem for a Dream (2000)
While I'm not willing to hop on the incredibly fashionable "Jared Leto is a shitty actor" bandwagon, I can't say that I'm a big fan of his work. I felt like his Oscar win for Dallas Buyers Club was one of the least deserving of the last decade and his reliance on theatrical overacting can get kind of grating at times. That being said, I've always had a deep admiration for what he was able to pull off in Requiem for a Dream. Leto's heartbreaking, deeply nuanced performance is quite possibly the most realistic portrayal of a person's slow descent into drug addiction I've ever seen in a movie and I'm absolutely blown away that he didn't end up winning any awards for it.
Worst Performance: Suicide Squad (2016)
I've been forced to defend my enjoyment of the widely-hated Suicide Squad more times than I can count over the past year. While I think the film on the whole has been unfairly panned, Leto's portrayal of the Joker deserves every ounce of vitriol it received. Thanks to the most cringeworthy overacting of his career, Leto manages to turn this iconic villain into a relentlessly corny and downright obnoxious character that derails every single scene he appears in. If there's any justice in the world, some hotshot at DC will unceremoniously fire his ass before the sequel goes into production next year.
I've been forced to defend my enjoyment of the widely-hated Suicide Squad more times than I can count over the past year. While I think the film on the whole has been unfairly panned, Leto's portrayal of the Joker deserves every ounce of vitriol it received. Thanks to the most cringeworthy overacting of his career, Leto manages to turn this iconic villain into a relentlessly corny and downright obnoxious character that derails every single scene he appears in. If there's any justice in the world, some hotshot at DC will unceremoniously fire his ass before the sequel goes into production next year.
Best Film: Fight Club (1999)
When I hear the word "masterpiece" thrown around in the world of movies, David Fincher's Fight Club is one of the first titles that pops into my head. Fight Club is a demented, enthralling and clever film that perfectly captures the biting dark humor and utter contempt for mankind that was present in Chuck Palahniuk's novel.
When I hear the word "masterpiece" thrown around in the world of movies, David Fincher's Fight Club is one of the first titles that pops into my head. Fight Club is a demented, enthralling and clever film that perfectly captures the biting dark humor and utter contempt for mankind that was present in Chuck Palahniuk's novel.
Worst Film: Panic Room (2002)
Just about every great director puts out a dud at some point in their career and for David Fincher (Gone Girl, the aforementioned Fight Club), that unfortunate miscue came in the form of Panic Room. Despite its impressive pedigree on both sides of the camera, Panic Room ended up being undone by its stunning lack of tension for a thriller set in a confined space and a slew of mediocre performances from the cast's primary players (with the notable exception of Forest Whitaker, who was excellent as the film's main antagonist).
Just about every great director puts out a dud at some point in their career and for David Fincher (Gone Girl, the aforementioned Fight Club), that unfortunate miscue came in the form of Panic Room. Despite its impressive pedigree on both sides of the camera, Panic Room ended up being undone by its stunning lack of tension for a thriller set in a confined space and a slew of mediocre performances from the cast's primary players (with the notable exception of Forest Whitaker, who was excellent as the film's main antagonist).
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 Foreigner" star Jackie Chan.
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
2017 NFL Power Rankings: Week 5
()= last week's ranking
1.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) Week 5 opponent: Houston Texans
2.(5) Green Bay Packers (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
3.(4) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
4.(2) Atlanta Falcons(3-1) Week 5 opponent: Bye Week
5.(7) Detroit Lions (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Carolina Panthers
6.(20) Buffalo Bills (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
7.(10) Denver Broncos (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Bye Week
8.(3) New England Patriots (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9.(16) Los Angeles Rams (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
10.(12) Seattle Seahawks (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
11.(9) Dallas Cowboys (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Green Bay Packers
12.(14) Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
13.(19) Houston Texans (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
14.(11) Minnesota Vikings (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Chicago Bears
15.(23) Carolina Panthers (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Detroit Lions
16.(6) Oakland Raiders (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
17.(13) Washington Redskins (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Bye Week
18.(18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) Week 5 opponent: New England Patriots
19.(8) Tennessee Titans (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Miami Dolphins
20.(22) New Orleans Saints (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Bye Week
21.(15) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
22.(30) New York Jets (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Cleveland Browns
23.(25) Arizona Cardinals (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
24.(17) Baltimore Ravens (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Oakland Raiders
25.(29) Cincinnati Bengals (1-3) Week 5 opponent: Buffalo Bills
26.(21) Miami Dolphins (1-2) Week 5 opponent: Tennessee Titans
27.(24) New York Giants (0-4) Week 5 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
28.(27) Indianapolis Colts (1-3) Week 5 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
29.(26) Chicago Bears (1-3) Week 5 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
30.(28) Los Angeles Chargers (0-4) Week 5 opponent: New York Giants
31.(31) San Francisco 49ers (0-4) Week 5 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
32.(32) Cleveland Browns (0-4) Week 5 opponent: New York Jets
1.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) Week 5 opponent: Houston Texans
2.(5) Green Bay Packers (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
3.(4) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
4.(2) Atlanta Falcons(3-1) Week 5 opponent: Bye Week
5.(7) Detroit Lions (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Carolina Panthers
6.(20) Buffalo Bills (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
7.(10) Denver Broncos (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Bye Week
8.(3) New England Patriots (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9.(16) Los Angeles Rams (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
10.(12) Seattle Seahawks (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
11.(9) Dallas Cowboys (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Green Bay Packers
12.(14) Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
13.(19) Houston Texans (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
14.(11) Minnesota Vikings (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Chicago Bears
15.(23) Carolina Panthers (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Detroit Lions
16.(6) Oakland Raiders (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
17.(13) Washington Redskins (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Bye Week
18.(18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) Week 5 opponent: New England Patriots
19.(8) Tennessee Titans (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Miami Dolphins
20.(22) New Orleans Saints (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Bye Week
21.(15) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
22.(30) New York Jets (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Cleveland Browns
23.(25) Arizona Cardinals (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
24.(17) Baltimore Ravens (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Oakland Raiders
25.(29) Cincinnati Bengals (1-3) Week 5 opponent: Buffalo Bills
26.(21) Miami Dolphins (1-2) Week 5 opponent: Tennessee Titans
27.(24) New York Giants (0-4) Week 5 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
28.(27) Indianapolis Colts (1-3) Week 5 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
29.(26) Chicago Bears (1-3) Week 5 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
30.(28) Los Angeles Chargers (0-4) Week 5 opponent: New York Giants
31.(31) San Francisco 49ers (0-4) Week 5 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
32.(32) Cleveland Browns (0-4) Week 5 opponent: New York Jets
Week 4 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Cam Newton (Panthers)
Going up against the Patriots stunningly inept defense was apparently all Cam Newton needed to get back on track. The 2015 league MVP gave Matt Patricia's disorganized group fits all game long, picking up 360 total yards (316 passing, 44 rushing) and 4 TD's (3 passing, 1 rushing) in the Panthers huge upset victory at Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Newton will look to prove that this strong showing wasn't a fluke against a stingy Lions defense that has allowed the 8th fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.
Honorable Mentions: DeShaun Watson (Texans), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Andy Dalton (Bengals)
Ladies and gentleman, the Le'Veon Bell that we all know and love appears to be back. The Steelers dual-threat monster out of the backfield finally shook off the tremendous amount of rust he'd shown in the first 3 weeks of the season with an inhuman beatdown (186 total yards and 2 rushing TD's on 39 touches) of the Ravens D on Sunday afternoon. This performance has vaulted Bell back into the high-end RB1 conversation and he should be a threat to eclipse 100+ yards from scrimmage every week moving forward.
Honorable Mentions: Todd Gurley (Rams), Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys), Lamar Miller (Texans)
MVP: Cam Newton (Panthers)
Going up against the Patriots stunningly inept defense was apparently all Cam Newton needed to get back on track. The 2015 league MVP gave Matt Patricia's disorganized group fits all game long, picking up 360 total yards (316 passing, 44 rushing) and 4 TD's (3 passing, 1 rushing) in the Panthers huge upset victory at Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Newton will look to prove that this strong showing wasn't a fluke against a stingy Lions defense that has allowed the 8th fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.
Honorable Mentions: DeShaun Watson (Texans), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Andy Dalton (Bengals)
LVP: Matt Ryan (Falcons)
After a decent start to 2017, Matt Ryan had his 1st truly poor showing of the young season in Week 4. Ryan managed a respectable yard total (242), but threw just 1 TD and turned the ball over 3 times (2 INT's and a lost fumble) against the Bills surprisingly stout defense. Ryan enters the week 5 Bye with 1,109 YDS, 5 TD's and 5 INT's and should be able to bounce back nicely from the 5 INT's he's thrown over the past 2 games in a week 6 tilt versus the Dolphins weak secondary.
After a decent start to 2017, Matt Ryan had his 1st truly poor showing of the young season in Week 4. Ryan managed a respectable yard total (242), but threw just 1 TD and turned the ball over 3 times (2 INT's and a lost fumble) against the Bills surprisingly stout defense. Ryan enters the week 5 Bye with 1,109 YDS, 5 TD's and 5 INT's and should be able to bounce back nicely from the 5 INT's he's thrown over the past 2 games in a week 6 tilt versus the Dolphins weak secondary.
Dishonorable Mentions: Trevor Siemian (Broncos), Jay Cutler (Dolphins), Matthew Stafford (Lions)
Running Back
MVP: Le'Veon Bell (Steelers)Ladies and gentleman, the Le'Veon Bell that we all know and love appears to be back. The Steelers dual-threat monster out of the backfield finally shook off the tremendous amount of rust he'd shown in the first 3 weeks of the season with an inhuman beatdown (186 total yards and 2 rushing TD's on 39 touches) of the Ravens D on Sunday afternoon. This performance has vaulted Bell back into the high-end RB1 conversation and he should be a threat to eclipse 100+ yards from scrimmage every week moving forward.
Honorable Mentions: Todd Gurley (Rams), Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys), Lamar Miller (Texans)
LVP: Melvin Gordon (Chargers)
Melvin Gordon's early-season scoring bonanza came to a sudden, brutal end in Week 4. Gordon couldn't get anything going against the Eagles tough front 7, mustering just 29 total yards (22 rushing, 7 receiving) on 11 touches in yet another close loss for the NFL's #1 unloved orphan franchise. While his lingering knee injury could continue to have an effect on his volume, Gordon should still be able to find some success against the Giants so-so run D this week.
Melvin Gordon's early-season scoring bonanza came to a sudden, brutal end in Week 4. Gordon couldn't get anything going against the Eagles tough front 7, mustering just 29 total yards (22 rushing, 7 receiving) on 11 touches in yet another close loss for the NFL's #1 unloved orphan franchise. While his lingering knee injury could continue to have an effect on his volume, Gordon should still be able to find some success against the Giants so-so run D this week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jay Ajayi (Dolphins), Marshawn Lynch (Raiders), DeMarco Murray (Titans)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Jordy Nelson (Packers)
The proud annual tradition of Jordy Nelson embarrassing the Bears secondary on national television took place this past Thursday night. The Packers top WR turned 4 receptions into 75 yards and a pair of garbage-time touchdowns in the final game of the illustrious Mike Glennon-era in Chicago. Nelson has shown no signs of slowing down at age 32 and will be locked-in as a high-end WR2 until further notice.
Honorable Mentions: Devin Funchess (Panthers), Tyrell Williams (Chargers), DeAndre Hopkins (Texans)The proud annual tradition of Jordy Nelson embarrassing the Bears secondary on national television took place this past Thursday night. The Packers top WR turned 4 receptions into 75 yards and a pair of garbage-time touchdowns in the final game of the illustrious Mike Glennon-era in Chicago. Nelson has shown no signs of slowing down at age 32 and will be locked-in as a high-end WR2 until further notice.
LVP: Demaryius Thomas (Broncos)
The Broncos passing game went through a lot of unforeseen struggles against the Raiders below-average secondary on Sunday and while no one besides backup tight end A.J. Derby had a noteworthy game, Demaryius Thomas ended up faring the worst. Thomas registered under 65 yards for the 1st time in 2017, picking up a depressing 11 yards on a single reception. I fully expect Thomas to return to his usual, reliable WR2 production levels following the Broncos bye this week.
The Broncos passing game went through a lot of unforeseen struggles against the Raiders below-average secondary on Sunday and while no one besides backup tight end A.J. Derby had a noteworthy game, Demaryius Thomas ended up faring the worst. Thomas registered under 65 yards for the 1st time in 2017, picking up a depressing 11 yards on a single reception. I fully expect Thomas to return to his usual, reliable WR2 production levels following the Broncos bye this week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Emmanuel Sanders (Broncos), Golden Tate (Lions), Antonio Brown (Steelers)
Tight End
MVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
Travis Kelce's hot-and-cold 2017 rolled on this week. Kelce followed his painful 1-yard performance against the Chargers with a 7 REC/111 YD/1 TD evisceration of the Redskins on Monday Night Football. Even with his erratic play thus far, Kelce remains one of only a handful of high-upside TE1's in the world of fantasy football.
Travis Kelce's hot-and-cold 2017 rolled on this week. Kelce followed his painful 1-yard performance against the Chargers with a 7 REC/111 YD/1 TD evisceration of the Redskins on Monday Night Football. Even with his erratic play thus far, Kelce remains one of only a handful of high-upside TE1's in the world of fantasy football.
Honorable Mentions: Cameron Brate (Buccaneers), Charles Clay (Bills), Zach Ertz (Eagles)
LVP: Jason Witten (Cowboys)
Say it ain't so! The typically reliable old man Witten failed his fantasy owners this week with a 1 catch, 9-yard performance in a high-octane shootout against the Rams on Sunday afternoon. Witten has cooled down considerably after his hot start and will be a low-end TE1 at best when the Packers travel to AT&T Stadium in Week 5.
Say it ain't so! The typically reliable old man Witten failed his fantasy owners this week with a 1 catch, 9-yard performance in a high-octane shootout against the Rams on Sunday afternoon. Witten has cooled down considerably after his hot start and will be a low-end TE1 at best when the Packers travel to AT&T Stadium in Week 5.
Dishonorable Mentions: Coby Fleener (Saints), Eric Ebron (Lions), Martellus Bennett (Packers)
Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Seattle Seahawks
For the 1st time this season, the Seahawks defense looked like themselves. This perennially elite defense flashed their trademark physicality and toughness against a hapless Jacoby Brissett-led Colts offense on Sunday night, registering 3 sacks and a pair of takeaways (an INT and fumble recovery) that resulted in scores in a season-saving 46-18 win for the reigning NFC West champions. Kris Richard's group will likely have their hands full when they travel to face the red-hot Rams offense in LA this Sunday.
For the 1st time this season, the Seahawks defense looked like themselves. This perennially elite defense flashed their trademark physicality and toughness against a hapless Jacoby Brissett-led Colts offense on Sunday night, registering 3 sacks and a pair of takeaways (an INT and fumble recovery) that resulted in scores in a season-saving 46-18 win for the reigning NFC West champions. Kris Richard's group will likely have their hands full when they travel to face the red-hot Rams offense in LA this Sunday.
Honorable Mentions: Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelers
LVP: Baltimore Ravens
While it wasn't as ugly as their Week 3 trip to London, the Ravens defense once again failed to impress this week. Dean Pees' unit surrendered 26 points while mustering a sack and an interception in a deflating loss at home to the Steelers. With the way their offense has played of late, I'd advise benching this group indefinitely until Flacco and co. can stay on the field for more than 3 plays at a time.
While it wasn't as ugly as their Week 3 trip to London, the Ravens defense once again failed to impress this week. Dean Pees' unit surrendered 26 points while mustering a sack and an interception in a deflating loss at home to the Steelers. With the way their offense has played of late, I'd advise benching this group indefinitely until Flacco and co. can stay on the field for more than 3 plays at a time.
Dishonorable Mentions: New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons
Monday, October 2, 2017
Assessing the Hall of Fame Odds of Active NFL Players (2017 Edition)
Even though the sanctity of the honor has been tarnished by the voting committee's moronic set of biases (penalizing players who were disrespectful to the media and/or "bad" locker room guys) and unwritten rules (quarterbacks, running backs, pass-rushers and offensive tackles take precedent over every other position, "wait in line" approach to electing wide receivers), debating what players should get inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a lot of fun for diehard football nerds like myself. After taking a year off to allow the field of potential candidates thin out/expand, I decided to once again sit down and determine the odds active players have of getting immortalized in the American wonderland otherwise known as Canton, Ohio once they call it a career. Feel free to post any relevant thoughts, comments, anger, etc. in the comments section below.
(Note: I don't any have concrete evidence as to why I believe these guys will make or miss the Hall of Fame, it's simply an opinion I formed after breaking down these player's resumes and comparing them side by side with guys that are currently enshrined in Canton).
*indicates a player who isn't on an active roster, but hasn't formerly retired
Locks:
Tom Brady, quarterback (Current team: New England Patriots)
Drew Brees, quarterback (Current team: New Orleans Saints Former team: San Diego Chargers)
Larry Fitzgerald, wide receiver (Current team: Arizona Cardinals)
Antonio Gates, tight end (Current team: San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers)
Shane Lechler, punter (Current team: Houston Texans Former team: Oakland Raiders)
Julius Peppers, defensive end/outside linebacker (Current team: Carolina Panthers Former teams: Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers)
Jason Peters, tackle (Current team: Philadelphia Eagles Former team: Buffalo Bills)
Adrian Peterson, running back (Current team: New Orleans Saints Former team: Minnesota Vikings)
Darrelle Revis*, cornerback (Former teams: New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots)
Aaron Rodgers, quarterback (Current team: Green Bay Packers)
Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback (Current team: Pittsburgh Steelers)
Ndamukong Suh (Current team: Miami Dolphins Former team: Detroit Lions)
Joe Thomas, tackle (Current team: Cleveland Browns)
Adam Vinatieri, kicker (Current team: Indianapolis Colts Former team: New England Patriots)
J.J. Watt, defensive end (Current team: Houston Texans)
Jason Witten, tight end (Current team: Dallas Cowboys)
Strong Possibility:
Geno Atkins, defensive tackle (Current team: Cincinnati Bengals)
Antonio Brown, wide receiver (Current team: Pittsburgh Steelers)
Jammal Charles, running back (Current team: Denver Broncos Former team: Kansas City Chiefs)
Jahri Evans, guard (Current team: Green Bay Packers Former team: New Orleans Saints)
Dwight Freeney*, defensive end/outside linebacker (Former teams: Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons)
Frank Gore, running back (Current team: Indianapolis Colts Former team: San Francisco 49ers)
Rob Gronkowski, tight end (Current team: New England Patriots)
James Harrison, outside linebacker (Current team: Pittsburgh Steelers Former team: Cincinnati Bengals)
A.J. Green, wide receiver (Current team: Cincinnati Bengals)
Marshawn Lynch, running back (Current team: Oakland Raiders Former teams: Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks)
Brandon Marshall, wide receiver (Current team: New York Giants Former teams: Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, New York Jets)
Gerald McCoy, defensive tackle (Current team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
LeSean McCoy, running back (Current team: Buffalo Bills Former team: Philadelphia Eagles)
Von Miller, outside linebacker (Current team: Denver Broncos)
Haloti Ngata, defensive tackle (Current team: Detroit Lions Former team: Baltimore Ravens)
Maurkice Pouncey, center (Current team: Pittsburgh Steelers)
Richard Sherman, cornerback (Current team: Seattle Seahawks)
Joe Staley, tackle (Current team: San Francisco 49ers)
Terrell Suggs, outside linebacker (Current team: Baltimore Ravens)
Earl Thomas, safety (Current team: Seattle Seahawks)
Demaryius Thomas, wide receiver (Current team: Denver Broncos)
Cameron Wake, defensive end (Current team: Miami Dolphins)
Eric Weddle, safety (Current team: Baltimore Ravens Former team: San Diego Chargers)
Marshal Yanda, guard (Current team: Baltimore Ravens)
Too Early to Tell, but Appear to Be on the Right Track:
Dan Bailey, kicker (Current team: Dallas Cowboys)
Odell Beckham Jr., wide receiver (Current team: New York Giants)
Le'Veon Bell, running back (Current team: Pittsburgh Steelers)
Fletcher Cox, defensive tackle/end (Current team: Philadelphia Eagles)
Aaron Donald, defensive tackle (Current team: St.Louis/Los Angeles Rams)
Mike Evans, wide receiver (Current team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Chris Harris Jr., cornerback (Current team: Denver Broncos)
Johnny Hekker, punter (Current team: St.Louis/Los Angeles Rams)
Travis Fredrick, center (Current team: Dallas Cowboys)
Julio Jones, wide receiver (Current team: Atlanta Falcons)
Luke Kuechly, inside linebacker (Current team: Carolina Panthers)
Khalil Mack, defensive end (Current team: Oakland Raiders)
Zack Martin, guard (Current team: Dallas Cowboys)
Marcus Peters, cornerback (Current team: Kansas City Chiefs)
Patrick Peterson, cornerback (Current team: Arizona Cardinals)
Tyron Smith, tackle (Current team: Dallas Cowboys)
Justin Tucker, kicker (Current team: Baltimore Ravens)
Bobby Wagner, inside linebacker (Current team: Seattle Seahawks)
Russell Wilson, quarterback (Current team: Seattle Seahawks)
Toss-Ups:
Eric Berry, safety (Current team: Kansas City Chiefs)
NaVorro Bowman, inside linebacker (Current team: San Francisco 49ers)
Dez Bryant, wide receiver (Current team: Dallas Cowboys)
Kam Chancellor, safety (Current team: Seattle Seahawks)
Elvis Dumervil, outside linebacker (Current team: San Francisco 49ers Former teams: Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens)
Stephen Gostkowski, kicker (Current team: New England Patriots)
Tamba Hali, outside linebacker (Current team: Kansas City Chiefs)
Justin Houston, outside linebacker (Current team: Kansas City Chiefs)
Ryan Kalil, center (Current team: Carolina Panthers)
Alex Mack, center (Current team: Atlanta Falcons Former team: Cleveland Browns)
Nick Mangold*, center (Former team: New York Jets)
Eli Manning, quarterback (Current team: New York Giants)
Clay Matthews, outside/inside linebacker (Current team: Green Bay Packers)
Jason Pierre-Paul, defensive end (Current team: New York Giants)
Josh Sitton, guard (Current team: Chicago Bears Former team: Green Bay Packers)
Harrison Smith, safety (Current team: Minnesota Vikings)
Aqib Talib, cornerback (Current team: Denver Broncos Former teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots)
Mario Williams*, defensive end (Former teams: Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins)
Trent Williams, tackle (Current team: Washington Redskins)
Longshots:
Michael Bennett, defensive end (Current team: Seattle Seahawks Former team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Antonie Bethea, safety (Current team: Arizona Cardinals Former team: Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers)
Duane Brown, tackle (Current team: Houston Texans)
Calias Campbell, defensive tackle/end (Current team: Jacksonville Jaguars Former team: Arizona Cardinals)
Antonio Cromartie*, cornerback (Former teams: San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts)
Thomas Davis, outside linebacker (Current team: Carolina Panthers)
Vernon Davis, tight end (Current team: Washington Redskins Former team: San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos)
Vontae Davis, cornerback (Current team: Indianapolis Colts Former team: Miami Dolphins)
Matt Forte, running back (Current team: New York Jets Former team: Chicago Bears)
Jimmy Graham, tight end (Current team: Seattle Seahawks Former team: New Orleans Saints)
Brent Grimes, cornerback (Current team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Former team: Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins)
T.Y Hilton, wide receiver (Current team: Indianapolis Colts)
Richie Incognito, guard (Current team: Buffalo Bills Former teams: St. Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins)
Mike Iupati, guard (Current team: Arizona Cardinals Former team: San Francisco 49ers)
Vincent Jackson*, wide receiver (Former teams: San Diego Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Chris Johnson, running back (Current team: Arizona Cardinals Former teams: Tennessee Titans, New York Jets)
Derrick Johnson, inside linebacker (Current team: Kansas City Chiefs)
Cameron Jordan, defensive end (Current team: New Orleans Saints)
Andy Lee, punter (Current team: Arizona Cardinals Former team:s San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers)
Sean Lee, inside linebacker (Current team: Dallas Cowboys)
Kyle Long, guard (Current team: Chicago Bears)
Andrew Luck, quarterback (Current team: Indianapolis Colts)
Devin McCourty, safety (Current team: New England Patriots)
DeMarco Murray, running back (Current team: Tennessee Titans Former teams: Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles)
Jordy Nelson, wide receiver (Current team: Green Bay Packers)
Cam Newton, quarterback (Current team: Carolina Panthers)
Kelechi Osemele, guard (Current team: Oakland Raiders Former team: Baltimore Ravens)
Greg Olsen, tight end (Current team: Carolina Panthers Former team: Chicago Bears)
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, cornerback (Current team: New York Giants Former teams: Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos)
Phillip Rivers, quarterback (Current team: San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers)
Matt Ryan, quarterback (Current team: Atlanta Falcons)
Max Unger, center (Current team: New Orleans Saints Former Team: Seattle Seahawks)
T.J. Ward, safety (Current team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Former teams: Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos)
Andrew Whitworth, tackle (Current team: Los Angeles Rams Former team: Cincinnati Bengals)
Kyle Williams, defensive tackle (Current team: Buffalo Bills)
(Note: I don't any have concrete evidence as to why I believe these guys will make or miss the Hall of Fame, it's simply an opinion I formed after breaking down these player's resumes and comparing them side by side with guys that are currently enshrined in Canton).
*indicates a player who isn't on an active roster, but hasn't formerly retired
Locks:
Tom Brady, quarterback (Current team: New England Patriots)
Drew Brees, quarterback (Current team: New Orleans Saints Former team: San Diego Chargers)
Larry Fitzgerald, wide receiver (Current team: Arizona Cardinals)
Antonio Gates, tight end (Current team: San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers)
Shane Lechler, punter (Current team: Houston Texans Former team: Oakland Raiders)
Julius Peppers, defensive end/outside linebacker (Current team: Carolina Panthers Former teams: Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers)
Jason Peters, tackle (Current team: Philadelphia Eagles Former team: Buffalo Bills)
Adrian Peterson, running back (Current team: New Orleans Saints Former team: Minnesota Vikings)
Darrelle Revis*, cornerback (Former teams: New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots)
Aaron Rodgers, quarterback (Current team: Green Bay Packers)
Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback (Current team: Pittsburgh Steelers)
Ndamukong Suh (Current team: Miami Dolphins Former team: Detroit Lions)
Joe Thomas, tackle (Current team: Cleveland Browns)
Adam Vinatieri, kicker (Current team: Indianapolis Colts Former team: New England Patriots)
J.J. Watt, defensive end (Current team: Houston Texans)
Jason Witten, tight end (Current team: Dallas Cowboys)
Strong Possibility:
Geno Atkins, defensive tackle (Current team: Cincinnati Bengals)
Antonio Brown, wide receiver (Current team: Pittsburgh Steelers)
Jammal Charles, running back (Current team: Denver Broncos Former team: Kansas City Chiefs)
Jahri Evans, guard (Current team: Green Bay Packers Former team: New Orleans Saints)
Dwight Freeney*, defensive end/outside linebacker (Former teams: Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons)
Frank Gore, running back (Current team: Indianapolis Colts Former team: San Francisco 49ers)
Rob Gronkowski, tight end (Current team: New England Patriots)
James Harrison, outside linebacker (Current team: Pittsburgh Steelers Former team: Cincinnati Bengals)
A.J. Green, wide receiver (Current team: Cincinnati Bengals)
Marshawn Lynch, running back (Current team: Oakland Raiders Former teams: Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks)
Brandon Marshall, wide receiver (Current team: New York Giants Former teams: Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, New York Jets)
Gerald McCoy, defensive tackle (Current team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
LeSean McCoy, running back (Current team: Buffalo Bills Former team: Philadelphia Eagles)
Von Miller, outside linebacker (Current team: Denver Broncos)
Haloti Ngata, defensive tackle (Current team: Detroit Lions Former team: Baltimore Ravens)
Maurkice Pouncey, center (Current team: Pittsburgh Steelers)
Richard Sherman, cornerback (Current team: Seattle Seahawks)
Joe Staley, tackle (Current team: San Francisco 49ers)
Terrell Suggs, outside linebacker (Current team: Baltimore Ravens)
Earl Thomas, safety (Current team: Seattle Seahawks)
Demaryius Thomas, wide receiver (Current team: Denver Broncos)
Cameron Wake, defensive end (Current team: Miami Dolphins)
Eric Weddle, safety (Current team: Baltimore Ravens Former team: San Diego Chargers)
Marshal Yanda, guard (Current team: Baltimore Ravens)
Too Early to Tell, but Appear to Be on the Right Track:
Dan Bailey, kicker (Current team: Dallas Cowboys)
Odell Beckham Jr., wide receiver (Current team: New York Giants)
Le'Veon Bell, running back (Current team: Pittsburgh Steelers)
Fletcher Cox, defensive tackle/end (Current team: Philadelphia Eagles)
Aaron Donald, defensive tackle (Current team: St.Louis/Los Angeles Rams)
Mike Evans, wide receiver (Current team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Chris Harris Jr., cornerback (Current team: Denver Broncos)
Johnny Hekker, punter (Current team: St.Louis/Los Angeles Rams)
Travis Fredrick, center (Current team: Dallas Cowboys)
Julio Jones, wide receiver (Current team: Atlanta Falcons)
Luke Kuechly, inside linebacker (Current team: Carolina Panthers)
Khalil Mack, defensive end (Current team: Oakland Raiders)
Zack Martin, guard (Current team: Dallas Cowboys)
Marcus Peters, cornerback (Current team: Kansas City Chiefs)
Patrick Peterson, cornerback (Current team: Arizona Cardinals)
Tyron Smith, tackle (Current team: Dallas Cowboys)
Justin Tucker, kicker (Current team: Baltimore Ravens)
Bobby Wagner, inside linebacker (Current team: Seattle Seahawks)
Russell Wilson, quarterback (Current team: Seattle Seahawks)
Toss-Ups:
Eric Berry, safety (Current team: Kansas City Chiefs)
NaVorro Bowman, inside linebacker (Current team: San Francisco 49ers)
Dez Bryant, wide receiver (Current team: Dallas Cowboys)
Kam Chancellor, safety (Current team: Seattle Seahawks)
Elvis Dumervil, outside linebacker (Current team: San Francisco 49ers Former teams: Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens)
Stephen Gostkowski, kicker (Current team: New England Patriots)
Tamba Hali, outside linebacker (Current team: Kansas City Chiefs)
Justin Houston, outside linebacker (Current team: Kansas City Chiefs)
Ryan Kalil, center (Current team: Carolina Panthers)
Alex Mack, center (Current team: Atlanta Falcons Former team: Cleveland Browns)
Nick Mangold*, center (Former team: New York Jets)
Eli Manning, quarterback (Current team: New York Giants)
Clay Matthews, outside/inside linebacker (Current team: Green Bay Packers)
Jason Pierre-Paul, defensive end (Current team: New York Giants)
Josh Sitton, guard (Current team: Chicago Bears Former team: Green Bay Packers)
Harrison Smith, safety (Current team: Minnesota Vikings)
Aqib Talib, cornerback (Current team: Denver Broncos Former teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots)
Mario Williams*, defensive end (Former teams: Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins)
Trent Williams, tackle (Current team: Washington Redskins)
Longshots:
Michael Bennett, defensive end (Current team: Seattle Seahawks Former team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Antonie Bethea, safety (Current team: Arizona Cardinals Former team: Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers)
Duane Brown, tackle (Current team: Houston Texans)
Calias Campbell, defensive tackle/end (Current team: Jacksonville Jaguars Former team: Arizona Cardinals)
Antonio Cromartie*, cornerback (Former teams: San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts)
Thomas Davis, outside linebacker (Current team: Carolina Panthers)
Vernon Davis, tight end (Current team: Washington Redskins Former team: San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos)
Vontae Davis, cornerback (Current team: Indianapolis Colts Former team: Miami Dolphins)
Matt Forte, running back (Current team: New York Jets Former team: Chicago Bears)
Jimmy Graham, tight end (Current team: Seattle Seahawks Former team: New Orleans Saints)
Brent Grimes, cornerback (Current team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Former team: Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins)
T.Y Hilton, wide receiver (Current team: Indianapolis Colts)
Richie Incognito, guard (Current team: Buffalo Bills Former teams: St. Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins)
Mike Iupati, guard (Current team: Arizona Cardinals Former team: San Francisco 49ers)
Vincent Jackson*, wide receiver (Former teams: San Diego Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Chris Johnson, running back (Current team: Arizona Cardinals Former teams: Tennessee Titans, New York Jets)
Derrick Johnson, inside linebacker (Current team: Kansas City Chiefs)
Cameron Jordan, defensive end (Current team: New Orleans Saints)
Andy Lee, punter (Current team: Arizona Cardinals Former team:s San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers)
Sean Lee, inside linebacker (Current team: Dallas Cowboys)
Kyle Long, guard (Current team: Chicago Bears)
Andrew Luck, quarterback (Current team: Indianapolis Colts)
Devin McCourty, safety (Current team: New England Patriots)
DeMarco Murray, running back (Current team: Tennessee Titans Former teams: Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles)
Jordy Nelson, wide receiver (Current team: Green Bay Packers)
Cam Newton, quarterback (Current team: Carolina Panthers)
Kelechi Osemele, guard (Current team: Oakland Raiders Former team: Baltimore Ravens)
Greg Olsen, tight end (Current team: Carolina Panthers Former team: Chicago Bears)
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, cornerback (Current team: New York Giants Former teams: Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos)
Phillip Rivers, quarterback (Current team: San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers)
Matt Ryan, quarterback (Current team: Atlanta Falcons)
Max Unger, center (Current team: New Orleans Saints Former Team: Seattle Seahawks)
T.J. Ward, safety (Current team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Former teams: Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos)
Andrew Whitworth, tackle (Current team: Los Angeles Rams Former team: Cincinnati Bengals)
Kyle Williams, defensive tackle (Current team: Buffalo Bills)
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