As We Proceed Episode #25

On this episode of As We Proceed, Feliciano and I discuss Post Malone's possible supernatural haunting, Kanye West's possible Yeezus sequel that's about to drop and review Brockhampton's iridescence.  Check it out at either of the fine links below:

Soundcloud: 


iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/as-we-proceed/id1122163104?mt=2

Movie Review: The Predator

As you can see from the poster above, The Predator's tagline is "The Hunt Has Evolved". This marketing motto also applies to the on-screen product. For better or worse, co-writer/director Shane Black has brought this classic sci-fi action horror franchise into the modern era with a loud, gory and largely tongue-in-cheek affair that has almost nothing in common with the past installments.

While I can understand the strong fan backlash that has stemmed from the decision to stray away from the series' restrained, claustrophobic roots, I really dug The Predator's desire and commitment to separating itself from the rest of the franchise. The past three films have featured stoic, foul-mouthed hardasses trying to take out this camouflaged alien killing machine in either a jungle or downtown Los Angeles, so why not mix things up by having a group of foul-mouthed, zany quip-spewing hardassess go up against multiple forms of the titular sports hunter in small town USA this time around? Of course with Black captaining the ship, this small-town showdown between man and extraterrestrial piles on the one-liners, gruesome kills and general big-budget action excess as the proceedings zip along at a bullet train-esque pace. Happily embracing the computerized effects, shameless gore and joke-a-minute mentality that have become mainstays in 21st-century pop culture establishes a sense of uniqueness that you don't find very often in the fourth entry of a franchise that has spanned three decades.    

Despite all of its modern sensibilities, the heart of The Predator is still unabashedly rooted in the 80's. The ensemble that's brought together (Boyd Holbrook, Olivia Munn, Trevante Rhodes, Keegan Michael-Key, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, Augusto Aguilera) by chance to fight the Predators have a manic rapport that's reminiscent of that era's classic buddy movies and an engaging plot that is low on logic and heavy on absurdity. The frequency in which these type of brainless, self-aware action flicks were released back then is pretty much the only thing I miss about any of Hollywood's bygone eras, so I'm always glad when a modern film successfully captures the spirit of that golden era for fun, mindless shoot-em-up's.

Does all of The Predator work? Of course not. There's a fair amount of jokes that don't land (particularly in the early going) and the final scene features a reveal so batshit crazy that it truly has to be seen to be believed. However, it was ultimately a very entertaining diversion that stood out from its predecessors and in a canon as expansive this, that's all you need to succeed.          

Grade: B+

Week 3 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers (2018 Edition)

Quarterback
MVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
The shootout between the Falcons and Saints was a gift for fantasy owners. Brees ended up handing out the most blessings of anyone involved in this game with a ridiculous 403 YD (396 passing, 7 rushing), 5 TD (3 passing, 2 rushing) performance that helped the Saints pull out an OT victory on the road. The future HOF'er will look to continue his early-season dominance against the Giants burnable D on Sunday afternoon.
Honorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Cam Newton (Panthers), Ryan Fitzpatrick (Buccaneers)

LVP: Tom Brady (Patriots)
The annual unforeseen epic dud from Brady occurred on Sunday night in Detroit. Brady was frequently out-of-sync with his receivers and routinely missing reads in an uncharacteristically sloppy performance (133 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT) against a Lions team that hadn't played well at all in the first 2 games of the season. Despite this stinker and pretty terrible play of his receivers thus far, Brady should be a strong QB1 play against the Dolphins in Week 4.
Dishonorable Mentions: Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Carson Wentz (Eagles), Blake Bortles (Jaguars)

Running Back
MVP: Adrian Peterson (Redskins)
Father Time got kicked square in the balls yet again as 33-year old relic Adrian Peterson turned back the clock with an impressive 19 CAR/120 YD/2 TD performance against his old friends in Green Bay. I don't have a ton of faith in Peterson's ability to be consistently productive at his age, but he'll definitely remain on the RB2 radar for the foreseeable future.
Honorable Mentions: Carlos Hyde (Browns), Todd Gurley (Rams), Christian McCaffery (Panthers)

LVP: Kenyan Drake (Dolphins)
Despite a juicy matchup with a Raiders defense that had gotten eviscerated on the ground over the past 2 weeks, the 3rd-year back only managed 10 scrimmage YDS (3 rushing, 7 receiving) on 7 touches. Even though Drake is stuck in a timeshare with the ageless Frank Gore on a team that doesn't run the ball a lot, he has enough upside for owners to stick with him for now.
Dishonorable Mentions: Chris Thompson (Redskins), Latavius Murray (Vikings), Rex Burkhead (Patriots)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Calvin Ridley (Falcons)
After dealing with inconsistent play from Momahed Sanu, Taylor Gabriel and Justin Hardy over the past few seasons, the Falcons look like they've finally found a viable running mate for Julio Jones. Ridley built on a promising Week 2 performance against the Panthers with an absolute beatdown of the Saints (7 REC/146 YDS/3 TD) this week. If this early offensive ROY candidate is somehow on your league's waiver wire, pounce on him immediately.
Honorable Mentions: Robert Woods (Rams), Jordy Nelson (Raiders), Mike Williams (Chargers)

LVP: Stefon Diggs (Vikings)
Sunday was a depressing afternoon for the Vikings as they got demolished at home by the lowly Bills. With Adam Thielen and Kyle Rudolph absorbing the bulk of those precious garbage time targets, Diggs ended up being the poor soul whose stats didn't get padded and ended up finishing the afternoon with an underwhelming 4 catches for 17 YDS. The Vikings top outside wideout will look to take advantage of a Rams secondary that will be without top corners Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib on Thursday night.
Dishonorable Mentions: Keenan Allen (Chargers), Amari Cooper (Raiders), Nelson Agholor (Eagles)

Tight End
MVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
While he was held out of the endzone this week, Kelce was once again the leading receiver for the Chiefs with 114 YDS on 8 receptions against the 49ers on Sunday. Kelce will look to extend his TE MVP streak to 3 weeks when goes up against a pretty solid Broncos secondary next Monday night.
Honorable Mentions: Kyle Rudolph (Vikings), George Kittle (49ers),  Tyler Eifert (Bengals)

LVP: Will Dissly (Seahawks)
The rookie who scored TD's in each of his first 2 NFL games was invisible this week, reeling in 1 of 3 targets for a measly 4 YDS in a win over the Cowboys. The Seahawks are going to continue to struggle to move the ball through the air as long as Doug Baldwin is sidelined, but I still think Dissly has done enough in the early going to carve out a role in this offense and be a low-end TE1 for fantasy purposes.  
Dishonorable Mentions: Jared Cook (Raiders), Eric Ebron (Colts), David Njoku (Browns)

Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Steelers
It was hardly a dominant performance by the Steelers defense last night against the Bucs as they allowed 27 points, but anytime you get 4 takeaways, 3 sacks and a TD, you're going to have a great fantasy outing. As nice as this was for fantasy owners, this performance was a fluke largely made possible by a trademark Ryan Fitzpatrick turnover explosion, so you can safely bench this defense unless the matchup is too good to pass up.
Honorable Mentions: Rams, Bears, Panthers

LVP: Vikings
Josh Allen made this widely respected defense look like a helpless band of clowns on Sunday as the Vikings mustered just 3 sacks and 0 takeaways in a deflating 27-6 home loss to the Bills. Despite their tremendous overall talent and upside, the Vikings D has been erratic as hell in fantasy to start the year and should probably be sat for their Week 4 tilt with the redhot Rams offense.
Dishonorable Mentions: Patriots, Eagles, Cowboys

2018 NFL Power Rankings: Week 4

()=previous ranking

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

The Best and Worst of Common

“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography of “Smallfoot” star Common.

Films starring Common that I've seen:
Smokin' Aces
American Gangster
Street Kings
Wanted
Terminator Salvation
Date Night
Movie 43
Now You See Me
Selma
Run All Night
Barbershop: The Next Cut
Suicide Squad
John Wick: Chapter 2

Best Performance: John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
This decision was entirely influenced by the subway shootout scene. As far as I'm concerned, that beautiful, clever and endlessly fun sequence was the career peak for everyone involved.  

Worst Performance: Date Night (2010)
The quality of Common's performances as hardo characters is all over the map. He's had some triumphs (John Wick, Run All Night), a lot of mixed bags (pretty much everything he starred in from 2007-2010) and on occasion, a total failure (his extended cameo in Suicide Squad). Of these missteps, Date Night is definitely the lowest of the low. He's just not even remotely funny or menacing as one of the corrupt cops that's in pursuit of an unassuming married couple (Steve Carrell and Tina Fey) that unintentionally gets caught up in the middle of a manic search for a flash drive full of incriminating information about dirty New York city officials.      

Best Film: Smokin' Aces (2007)
Joe Carnahan's Smokin' Aces is probably my favorite blatant Tarantino ripoff that wasn't directed by Guy Ritchie. A ludicrous last-second twist ending couldn't even spoil the tremendous amount of morbid fun this ultraviolent, smartass quip-filled slice of pure adrenaline stuffed into its 110-minute runtime.    

Worst Film: Movie 43 (2013)
I'm an especially soft critic on comedies. A lot of movies in this genre are solely made with the purpose of making people laugh and I've always found that to be refreshing in an industry that has no shortage of people that take themselves way too seriously. With all this being said, I just can't give a pass to Movie 43. This star-studded anthology film completely whiffs on the type of juvenile jokes that I tend to eat up at an astounding rate. If Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star didn't exist, I would declare Movie 43 the worst mainstream comedy I've seen during this decade without hesitation.

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Venom” star Michelle Williams. 

The Best and Worst of Olivia Wilde

“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography of “Life Itself” star Olivia Wilde.

Films starring Olivia Wilde that I've seen:
The Girl Next Door
Alpha Dog
Year One
Tron: Legacy
Cowboys & Aliens
The Change-Up 
In Time
People Like Us
The Words
Butter
Deadfall
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
Rush
Her

Best Performance: Butter (2012)
Wilde really needs to do more comedies. As a revenge-seeking stripper who gets caught up in the middle of a butter-carving rivalry between a 10-year old girl (Yara Shahidi) and an ultracompetitive socialite (Jennifer Garner), she constantly steals scenes with her manic presence and beautifully-delivered snarky one-liners.

Worst Performance: Tron: Legacy (2010)
Even on a bad day, Wilde tends to be a pretty inoffensive screen presence. Tron: Legacy is the lone, painful exception to that rule. Her performance as cyber warrior Quora is so devoid of charisma that she could've easily been replaced with an actual computer program.

Best Film: Rush (2013)
Hot take: Rush is my favorite directorial effort from Ron Howard. Its fascinating depiction of the development and subsequent intensification of a rivalry between two elite athletes along with the tremendous performances from Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl got me really invested in a story about a sport (Formula One racing) that I couldn't care less about.

Worst Film: Year One (2009)
It's a real shame that this was the last movie Harold Ramis (Caddyshack, Groundhog Day) made before he died. Despite boasting a terrific cast led by Jack Black and Michael Cera, this prehistoric adventure comedy ends up being a meandering mess that whiffed on about 90% of its jokes.

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Smallfoot” star Common. 

Way Too Early Oscar Predictions: 2018 Editon

It's mid-September, which means Hollywood has just wrapped up the glamorous, globetrotting launch pad for awards season that is the late summer/early fall film festival circuit. Telluride, Toronto and Venice seemed to be particularly buzzworthy this year as nearly every potential contender ended up receiving raves from critics. This wave of hype, hope and temporary burst of over-the-top optimism from cinephiles about the state of modern film gives way to one of my favorite traditions: Predicting Oscar nominees and winners nearly five months before the ceremony takes place. Per usual, it needs to be noted that some high-pedigree films (Mary Queen of Scots, Vice, On the Basis of Sex, Bohemian Rhapsody) have yet to have formal press screenings and the hierarchy of contenders could radically change once they premiere. Without further ado, here's my highly speculative, way too early predictions for the 91st Academy Awards.    

*indicates the projected winner 

Best Picture:
Boy Erased
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
The Favourite 
First Man
Green Book
If Beale Street Could Talk
Roma
A Star is Born*
Vice

Best Director:
Damien Chazelle (First Man)
Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born)*
Alfonso Cuaron (Roma)
Peter Farrelly (Green Book)  
Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite)

Best Actor:
Christian Bale (Vice)
Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born)
Ryan Gosling (First Man)
Viggo Mortensen (Green Book)*
Robert Redford (The Old Man & the Gun)

Best Actress:
Olivia Colman (The Favourite) 
Lady Gaga (A Star is Born)
Nicole Kidman (Destroyer)
Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)*
Saiorse Ronan (Mary Queen of Scots)

Best Supporting Actor:
Mahershala Ali (Green Book)
Timothee Chalamet (Beautiful Boy)*
Sam Elliott (A Star is Born)
Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
John C. Riley (Stan and Ollie) 
 
Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams (Vice)
Claire Foy (First Man)
Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)*  
Margot Robbie (Mary Queen of Scots)
Emma Stone (The Favourite)

Best Animated Feature:
Early Man
The Incredibles 2*  
Isle of Dogs
Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 
Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse

Best Original Screenplay:
Eight Grade
The Favourite* 
Green Book
Roma
Vice

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Boy Erased
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
First Man
If Beale Street Could Talk*
A Star is Born

2018 NFL Power Rankings: Week 3

()=previous ranking

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

Week 2 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers (2018 Edition)

Quarterback
MVP: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)
Patrick Mahomes' 6-TD performance in a 42-37 Chiefs victory grabbed all the real-world headlines out of Pittsburgh on Sunday, but Roethlisberger edged out the promising young signalcaller for the honor of top fantasy QB of the week. Thanks to an early 21-0 deficit that forced the offense to air it out pretty much right away, Roethlisberger put up a monster statline (461 YDS, 4 total TD and a 2-point conversion) that was enough for the Steelers to make an impressive rally and turn this game into a true shootout before the Chiefs pulled away again late in the 4th quarter. Even against a decimated Buccaneers secondary that has allowed back-to-back 300+ yard passers, Big Ben will be a relatively risky start on the road in Week 3.  
Honorable Mentions: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Matt Ryan (Falcons)

LVP: Alex Smith (Redskins)
For better or worse, Smith posted a vintage statline in Week 2. The notoriously conservative veteran didn't turn the ball over and cleared 300 total YDS (292 passing, 14 rushing) on the day, but failed to throw a TD against the Colts questionable defense in his home debut as the Redskins QB. Mr. High Floor/Low Ceiling takes on the Packers mediocre secondary in Week 3.    
Dishonorable Mentions: Andrew Luck (Colts), Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)

Running Back
MVP: Todd Gurley (Rams)
Gurley is such a special player that he even delivers for his fantasy owners on his off-days. The Cardinals stout front kept him relatively in check (73 YDS from scrimmage on 22 touches), but Gurley still managed to score 3 TD's on the ground and cross the plain on a pair of 2-point conversions. If you had the opportunity to draft him at the top of 1st round, you're probably doing pretty alright right now.
Honorable Mentions: Melvin Gordon (Chargers), Matt Brieda (49ers), Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys)

LVP: David Johnson (Cardinals)
This total rebuild the Cardinals are currently going through has not been kind to David Johnson. The star back was limited to just 14 touches for 51 YDS on Sunday in an ugly 34-0 loss against the Rams. As long as the brittle, bumbling jabroni otherwise known as Sam Bradford is under center, Johnson will be relegated to high-end RB2 status.
Dishonorable Mentions: Adrian Peterson (Redskins), Isaiah Crowell (Jets), Peyton Barber (Buccaneers)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Stefon Diggs (Vikings)
September has proven to be primetime for Diggs. The 4th-year wideout posted a ridiculous 9 REC/128 TD/2 TD/1 2-PT CNV day against a largely young Packers secondary that struggled to slow down the Vikings passing attack for the majority of the game. He'll be in the mix for another MVP honor this week as the Vikings take on the helpless Bills at home.
Honorable Mentions: A.J. Green (Bengals), Adam Thielen (Vikings), Michael Thomas (Saints)

LVP: Robby Anderson (Jets)
2017's surprise fantasy darling underwhelming start to 2018 continued in Week 2. Anderson caught 3-of-5 targets for 27 YDS and lost a fumble in a surprisingly lopsided 20-12 Jets loss to the Dolphins. His lack of chemistry with Sam Darnold paired with strong early play from Quincy Enunwa, who missed all of last season with a neck injury, make Anderson a very shaky WR3 play until further notice.

Dishonorable Mentions: Demaryius Thomas (Broncos), Jamison Crowder (Redskins), Kenny Stills (Dolphins)

Tight End

MVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs) 
Last week I said it that was only a matter of time before Kelce redeemed himself following his underwhelming 1 catch performance in the opener. Turns out that this week was that time. Kelce was the focal point of this lethal-looking Chiefs offense against the Steelers, posting 109 YDS and 2 TD's on 7 receptions. The spread-the-wealth offense Andy Reid runs will result in the occasional stinker, but Kelce remains locked in as one of the few truly elite fantasy options at the tight end position. 

Honorable Mentions: O.J. Howard (Buccaneers), Evan Engram (Giants), Jimmy Graham (Packers)

LVP: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
Gronk ended up playing a very minimal role (2 REC for 15 YDS on 4 TGTS) in a game where the Patriots primarily attacked the Jaguars excellent defense via the run and short-passes. Look for his workload to return to normal against a banged-up Lions defense that is run by former Belichick underling Matt Patricia. 

Dishonorable Mentions: George Kittle (49ers), Jack Doyle (Colts), David Njoku (Browns)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Bears
Are the Monsters of the Midway back? While it's clearly too early to definitively answer that question, the 2018 Bears are definitely off to a hell of a start on the defensive side of the ball. Vic Fangio's troops absolutely feasted on a suspect Seahawks offense, registering 6 sacks, a fumble recovery and game-clinching pick 6 in a 24-17 win over the former NFC powerhouse. Chicago will look to stay hot this week in a showdown with the Cardinals anemic albeit turnover-averse offense.    

Honorable Mentions: Rams, Chargers, Jets

LVP: Ravens
A week after absolutely dominating the Bills, the Ravens put forth a truly sad effort in front of a national audience. Andy Dalton, who arguably has the worst track record in primetime games of any veteran starting QB in the league right now, dominated this group for 60 minutes (265 YDS, 4 TD, 0 sacks or giveaways) in route to a 34-23 win last Thursday night. This talented group will look to prove this performance was a fluke when they take on a Broncos offense that has struggled with turning the ball over in the early going (Case Keenum has already tossed 4 INT's, which is tied for most in the league) this Sunday afternoon. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Texans, Broncos, Vikings 

Movie Review: A Simple Favor

Paul Feig's A Simple Favor serves as a highly effective argument for why plot twists need to be used in moderation. Prior to the final 30-35 minutes where it goes full goes full Shyamalan, this is a pretty great mystery thriller/dark comedy hybrid. Feig-who rose to prominence directing more traditional comedies such as Bridesmaids and Spy-seamlessly adapts to a genre that he didn't have any prior experience with, Jessica Sharzer's script deftly tackles dark subject matter without impeding on the breezy tone that drives this over-the-top disappearance story and both leads (Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively) turn in the most commanding, well-rounded performances of their careers to-date. Then the dreaded onslaught of reveals arrives in the last third of the film to take some of the air out of this stylish, compelling party. The out-of-left-field turns pile up so quickly that it almost becomes disorienting. I honestly had to spend a few minutes in my seat once the credits started rolling  recounting exactly how it arrived at its underwhelming albeit tonally-consistent conclusion. I'd be a bullshit-spewing clown to say that this orgy of twists leading up to the finale were enough to completely kill my enjoyment of A Simple Favor. However, I just can't help but think of how much better it could've been if it dialed them back just a bit.      

Grade: B

As We Proceed Episode #24

On this particularly off-the rails episode of As We Proceed, Feliciano and I yell at each other about Cardi B and Nicki Minaj's altercation at New York Fashion Week, Drake and Meek Mill's public beef squashing and Eminem's Kamikaze. There's also a civil conversation at the beginning about the tragic passing of Mac Miller that ended up being the only decent segment of the entire hour. It's a stereotypical, people-talking-over each other podcast episode that I'm really not happy with, but will hopefully end up being a valuable learning experience. Listen to this trainwreck at your own risk below:

Soundcloud:



iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/as-we-proceed/id1122163104?mt=2

The Best and Worst of Olivia Munn

“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography of “The Predator” star Olivia Munn.

Films Starring Olivia Munn that I've seen:
The Slammin' Salmon 
Date Night
Iron Man 2
Magic Mike
Deliver Us from Evil
Mortdecai  
Ride Along 2
X-Men: Apocalypse
Office Christmas Party
The LEGO Ninjago Movie

Best Performance: Office Christmas Party (2016)
I had been waiting for Munn to showcase the goofy charisma that defined her tenure on G4's Attack of the Show on the big screen for years and it finally happened in this breezy ensemble holiday comedy. As the chief researcher and developer at a struggling Chicago technology company whose murky future is further complicated by the titular party, Munn is funny, charming and has a natural chemistry with on-screen love interest Jason Bateman.

Worst Performance: Deliver Us from Evil (2014)
Strong acting was a pretty big part of why Deliver Us from Evil resonated with me more than most of the exorcism thrillers I've seen. The only person who didn't rise to occasion in this ensemble was Munn. Her embarrassing attempt at a hardcore New York accent helped turned a below average performance that was a bit too reliant on overacting into a distractingly bad one that somewhat dragged down the film.

Best Film: X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
I will go to bat for X-Men: Apocalypse whenever prompted. In fact, I'm willing to say that this underrated gem is locked in a virtual tie with First Class for the title of my 2nd favorite X-Men film behind Days of Future Past. The ensemble cast is terrific, every action sequence pops and unlike pretty much every MCU film before Infinity War, the heroes face real danger throughout the film.

Worst Film: Ride Along 2 (2016)
The convincing "bitter hardass teams up with bumbling goofball" dynamic between Ice Cube and Kevin Hart was enough to make Ride Along a decent time-waster. The spark of this well-matched duo wasn't enough to save the sequel. Every member of the cast besides Cube and Hart pretty much just goes through the motions while this lighthearted crime saga plays out, which subsequently took the air out of at least 75% of the jokes and ultimately resulted in the film being banished to mediocre buddy comedy purgatory.

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Life Itself” star Olivia Wilde.

2018 NFL Power Rankings: Week 2

()=previous ranking

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

Week 1 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers (2018 Edition)

Quarterback
MVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
Week 1 was a rude awakening for the Saints, but at least their 39-year old signalcaller reminded fantasy players why he's a perineal MVP candidate. Brees ripped apart the Buccaneers secondary for 439 YDS, 3 TD and a 2-Point conversion in a stunning 48-40 loss for the defending NFC South champs. With an aggressive Browns secondary that got 3 picks in their opener coming into the Superdome on Sunday, Brees should come back down to earth a bit.  
Honorable Mentions: Phillip Rivers (Chargers), Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Aaron Rodgers (Packers)

LVP: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)
It didn't take long for Road Roethlisberger to rear his ugly head and crush fantasy players souls in 2018. Big Ben's serviceable total yardage (335 passing, 16 rushing) against the Browns was overshadowed by the fact that he turned the ball over a whopping 5 times (3 interceptions, 2 lost fumbles) and only threw 1 TD on the day. Roethlisberger has a good chance of rebounding this week when he returns to the friendly confines of Heinz Field to square off against the Chiefs porous secondary.
Dishonorable Mentions: Matthew Stafford (Lions), Deshaun Watson (Texans),  Matt Ryan (Falcons) 

Running Back
MVP: Alvin Kamara (Saints)
Kamara picked up right where he left off at the end of his historic 2017 season. Playing more reps to make up for the absence of co-lead back Mark Ingram didn't hamper the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year's ability to make plays as he carved up the Bucs defense for 141 scrimmage YDS (29 rushing, 112 receiving), 3 TD and a 2-PT conversion on just 17 touches. Kamara is in line for another feast in Week 2 when goes up against a Browns D that just allowed 192 total YDS and a pair of scores to Steelers back James Conner in his 1st career start.
Honorable Mentions: James Conner (Steelers), Joe Mixon (Bengals), Todd Gurley (Rams)

LVP: Kareem Hunt (Chiefs)
The Chiefs offense turned a lot of heads with their 38-point offensive explosion against the Chargers on Sunday afternoon. However, reigning rushing champion Hunt didn't contribute too much to that success. Hunt only picked up 49 YDS on 16 carries and failed to register a catch for the 1st time in his career. The sledding won't get any easier for the bellow back as he faces the Steelers pretty stout front in Week 2.
Dishonorable Mentions: Devonta Freeman (Falcons), LeSean McCoy (Bills), Derrick Henry (Titans)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Tyreek Hill (Chiefs)
Hunt's aforementioned struggles were in large part because Hill was too busy making plays for anyone else to get involved. The 3rd-year speedster posted 169 YDS and 2 TD's on 7 receptions against the Chargers banged-up defense without anything that even resembled resistance. Hill seems to have a special connection with new starting QB Patrick Mahomes and unless his target share takes a sharp, sudden dip in the coming weeks, he should be a top-tier WR1 all season long.
Honorable Mentions: Michael Thomas (Saints), Randall Cobb (Packers), Kenny Stills (Dolphins)

LVP: Chris Hogan (Patriots)
While Tom Brady turned in a good performance on Sunday in a relatively easy Patriots victory over the Texans, Chris Hogan ended up being a complete non-factor in that success. The Pats presumed #1 wideout heading into 2018 only reeled in 1 of his 5 targets for 11 YDS and surprisingly got outshined by notable draft bust Phillip Dorsett (7 REC, 68 YDS, 1 TD)-who only had caught 12 balls during his inaugural season with the Patriots in 2017. Hogan will likely draw A.J Bouye or Jalen Ramsey in Sunday's showdown with the Jaguars, so you at least consider benching him for a higher floor option.
Dishonorable Mentions: Amari Cooper (Raiders), Sammy Watkins (Chiefs), Jamison Crowder (Redskins)

Tight End
MVP: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
Any doubt of Rob Gronkowski's commitment to football following an offseason full of retirement rumors were emphatically put to rest on Sunday. Outside of a lost fumble, Gronkowski imposed his will against the Texans lowly secondary for 4 quarters and finished the day an impressive 7 REC/123 YDS/1 TD line. Even when Julian Edelman returns in Week 5, Gronkowski is the clear top target in New England and remains pretty much the only receiver in the league outside of Antonio Brown that is a near-lock to put up monster numbers every single time he steps on the field.
Honorable Mentions: Eric Ebron (Colts), Jordan Reed (Redskins), George Kittle (49ers)

LVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
Despite a respectable 6 targets, Kelce struggled to get on the same page as Mahomes and only ended up with 1 reception for 6 YDS on the day. Hill will likely continue to be the favorite target of the big-armed young gunslinger, but it should only be a matter of time before Kelce returns to his role as the productive #2 option in this dangerous passing attack.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jimmy Graham (Packers), Trey Burton (Bears), Evan Engram (Giants)

Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Vikings
Last year's top scoring defense got off to an excellent start in 2018 by getting 4 takeaways (3 INT, FUM REC), 3 sacks and a TD in a victory against a 49ers team that was viewed as a dangerous upstart heading into 2018. As long as Aaron Rodgers doesn't stun the world and miss Sunday's game with the knee injury he suffered during last week's comeback win over the Bears, George Edwards' troops will have a tough time putting another performance like this.
Honorable Mentions: Ravens, Rams, Bears

LVP: Chargers
Apparently Joey Bosa is the glue that holds this defense together. The Chargers D was completely helpless on Sunday as they mustered 0 takeways, just a single sack and allowed the Chiefs to hang 38 points on them. They'll be a strong bounce back candidate, regardless of Bosa's status, this week when they take on the impotent Bills offense that just surrender 6 sacks and 2 INT's to the Ravens in a heinous 47-3 loss.
Dishonorable Mentions: Saints, Cardinals, Giants

Movie Review: Searching

Modern technology grants anyone in the world who has the luxury of internet access the opportunity to effortlessly create another identity via social media. Whether you're creating an alter ego that resembles the person you secretly wish you were or choosing to highlight every activity you engage in on a daily basis, these platforms makes it extremely easy to deliver a snapshot of your thoughts and experiences that may or may not be real to the masses in a matter of seconds. Annesh Chagnaty applies how the sometimes harmless and sometimes horrifying anonymity that stems from this all-consuming digital world to a missing person mystery thriller with his feature-length debut Searching. 

Through this story of a widowed father (John Cho, in another excellent dramatic turn for the actor best known as Harold from the cult stoner comedy trilogy Harold and Kumar) trying to find his 16-year old daughter (Michelle La), Chagnaty manages to explore the sense of community as well as the rampant emotional manipulation that make these digital platforms simultaneously appealing and terrifying. Of course there's some obvious"parents discovering their teenager isn't the flawless angel" material that isn't overly interesting or resonant, but once you get past those obligatory "shocking" narrative developments, there's some truly fascinating commentary here about the effects these platforms have on human behavior. This story is as much about dealing with grief and the consequences of acting upon the primal instinct most parents have to protect their children from harm in the digital age as it is exposing who the people behind these mysterious online aliases truly are. These unexpected angles that Chagnaty and his co-writer Sev Ohanian put into this story along with the added realism of using the many online tools that can be used to aid in a missing person investigation, helps Searching standout from similar entries in this relatively popular subgenre.
             
However, this modern, relatively grounded approach to solving a mystery also manages to hinder Searching's effectiveness as a thriller. The narrative framing device of telling this story text messages, Facetime calls, news footage, etc. completely undercuts the development of tension at just about every turn. Every suspicion, potential motive or any other burning question regarding the disappearance is acted on so swiftly that there's absolutely no chance for a nerve-frying buildup or cathartic emotional payoff to take place. While a clever third act twist that I didn't see coming definitely helps make up for this general lack of suspense, some more time for the developments to breathe would've done wonders for this engaging flick that routinely flashes, but ultimately falls short of greatness.          

Grade: B

Concert Review: Drake/Migos--- Boston, MA-- September 7th, 2018

Lineup: Drake/Migos/Roy Woods (Aubrey & the Three Migos Tour)
Venue: TD Garden, Boston, MA

Roy Woods: I honestly had no idea there was an opener on this tour until the lights dimmed at 7:00 and someone that wasn't Migos came on stage. Roy Woods is a 22-year old R&B singer signed to Drake's OVO label and after this performance, it's easy to understand why. The young Canadian has a sparse, atmospheric style that draws an undeniable influence from the projects that helped make Mr. Graham a worldwide sensation. While his music had very little in the way of variation, Woods' smooth voice complemented the moody instrumentals well and that proved to be enough to keep his 25-minute set from becoming overly monotonous.

Migos: There was over an hour of inactivity on the stage after Roy Woods' set concluded, which made me very concerned about how this performance was going to play out. I've heard a solid amount of horror stories about Migos turning in brief, half-assed performances after taking an extended period of time to hit the stage, so naturally I feared a dreadful dud of a show could be in the cards. Thankfully, the exact opposite ended up occurring when Quavo, Takeoff and Offset finally came out. Their 50-minute set was a beautiful rush of pure, exhilarating fun. They performed each song on this surprisingly wide-spanning setlist (the presence of No Label II cut "Freak No More" made my night) with ample gusto and a level of efficiency that reaffirms why they're some of the finest technical rappers of their generation. Migos are a fantastic live act when they're on their game and I hope everybody that goes out to this tour is as fortunate as the roughly 16,000 people on hand at the TD Garden were last night.  

Drake: Attending a Drake concert provides a visceral reminder of one of the best side effects of unfathomable fame: Over-the-top admiration. As the superstar rapper/singer rolled through a set that featured many of hits from earlier in this decade ("Started from the Bottom", "One Dance", "Energy"), a small sampling of his many recent notable guest spots (Rihanna's "Work", BlocBoy JB's "Look Alive", Travis Scott's "Sicko Mode") and of course, a healthy dose of material from his new double LP Scorpion, he displayed a level of command over the room that was truly unbelievable. Every song, snippet and piece of between song banter went over like it was the winning play in a big sports game. Being in a rowdy environment like this where people are consistently singing along, jumping around, etc. is a big part of what makes live music such a special experience and it certainly helped Drake's performance reach heights it likely it wouldn't achieved had the crowd been tamer.  

I'd be remiss if I didn't also address the role his ridiculous production theatrics played in my enjoyment of the show. He regularly employed over-the-top gimmicks (the peak of which was bringing a fan on stage to shoot three shots on a light-up basketball hoop for a chance to win $25,000), set off a volume of pyro that would make any artist not named Rammstein or Kiss blush and performed on a stage that was essentially a giant video screen that projected a barrage of imagery including volcanos, giant Purple Scorpions and clips of people doing the "In My Feelings" challenge underneath him for the duration of the set. All of these shenanigans were flashy, excessive and delightfully corny. In other words, it was Drake in his purest, most imminently likable form and I wouldn't have changed a thing about it.

I've seen plenty of shows that were more impressive from a musical standpoint (to be fair, Drake's rapping and singing sounded very good for the bulk of the evening), but this will go down in the annals just for the sheer amount of jubilation that was in that room. Given how perpetually miserable mankind is, there's just something poetic about a large group of people putting that shit aside for a few hours and coming together to have a great fucking time. Shout out to Aubrey for being the musical equivalent of Buddy the Elf and allowing me to have faith in humanity for a little bit.  

Grades:
Roy Woods: B-
Migos: A-
Drake: B+

Setlists:
Migos:
Hannah Montana
Handsome and Wealthy
Pipe It Up
Freak No More
Fight Night
Slippery
Deadz
Kelly Price
Ice Tray (Quality Control cover)
Ric Flair Drip (Offset solo)
I Get the Bag (Gucci Mane cover)
T-Shirt
Narcos
Bad and Bojuee
Motorsport

Drake:
8 Out of 10
Talk Up
Mob Ties
Started from the Bottom
Jumpman (Drake and Future cover)
Both (Gucci Mane cover)
Know Yourself
Emotionless
Elevate
Can't Take a Joke
Energy
Yes Indeed (Lil Baby cover)
10 year anniversary medley (Free Smoke/Trophies/Gyalchester/Pop Style/Over/Headlines/HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)/All Me/Blessings/For Free/The Motto/My Way (Remix) (Fetty Wap cover))
Walk It Talk It (w/Migos)
Portland (w/Migos)
(Drake leaves stage)
Hot Summer (DJ Durel cover)
Stir Fry
(Migos leave, Drake returns)
That's How You Feel
Don't Matter to Me
Rock with You (Michael Jackson cover)
After Dark
Jaded
Controlla
Work (Rihanna cover)
One Dane
Hotline Bling
Fake Love
Nice for What
In My Feelings
Look Alive (BlocBoy JB cover)
Sicko Mode (Travis Scott cover)
Nonstop
I'm Upset
God's Plan

The Best and Worst of Demian Bichir

“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography of “The Nun” star Demian Bichir.

Films starring Demian Bichir that I've seen:
A Better Life
Savages
The Heat
Machete Kills
Dom Hemingway
The Hateful Eight
Good Kids
Lowriders
Alien: Covenant

Best Performance: A Better Life (2011)
Like most American moviegoers who don't watch a ton of foreign language films, my first exposure to Bichir came in this drama about an undocumented Mexican immigrant working as a gardener in Los Angeles. Safe to say, he left quite an impression. His Oscar-nominated performance is a moving portrayal of a single father putting his own wellbeing on the line everyday to give his teenage son (Jose Julian, also great) a chance of having the ideal upbringing he wasn't afforded.  

Worst Performance: Good Kids (2016)
Bichir's unconvincing and thoroughly unfunny turn as a macho, womanizing tennis club manager was easily the lowlight of this passable teen sex comedy that's been floating around the bowels of Netflix for the last 18 months or so.

Best Film: The Hateful Eight (2015)
I can't believe I'm saying this about a movie that is directed by Quentin Tarantino, but I think that the The Hateful Eight is relatively underrrated. While it may be pretty far from the top of my list of favorite Tarantino movies, it's still an excellent claustrophobic western full of terrific performances, sharp dialogue and glorious over-the-top shootouts.

Worst Film: Alien: Covenant (2017)
Ridley Scott really needs to step away from this franchise. Alien: Covenant was a stupid, soulless and stunningly boring dud that made me wish the previously ambiguous Xenomorph mythology was never expanded upon.  

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “The Predator” star Olivia Munn.

2018 NFL Predictions Mania: Super Bowl, League Leaders, MVP and More

NFL football FINALLY returns this evening when the Atlanta Falcons head to Lincoln Financial Field to take on the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles. Before things officially get underway, I'd like to present to you a string of predictions for the upcoming season including playoffs, MVP and of course, Super Bowl 53 champion that are all but guaranteed to be proven inaccurate by the time the confetti falls from the rafters at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 3rd. May the gridiron gods bless the 2018 season with less awful penalties, a more competitive AFC and most importantly, a glorious inaugural intro powerslide from the divine Cris Collinsworth on the NBC broadcast tonight. Happy start of football season everyone.  

Playoffs
AFC:
1.Patriots
2.Jaguars
3.Steelers
4.Chargers
5.Ravens
6.Texans

Wild Card:
Steelers over Texans
Ravens over Chargers

Divisional Round:
Patriots over Ravens
Steelers over Jaguars

Conference Championship:
Patriots over Steelers

NFC:
1.Vikings
2.Saints
3.Eagles
4.Rams
5.Falcons
6.Packers

Wild Card:
Eagles over Packers
Falcons over Rams

Divisional Round:
Vikings over Falcons
Saints over Eagles

Conference Championship:
Saints over Vikings

Super Bowl:
Saints over Patriots

Year-End Awards:
MVP: Kirk Cousins (Vikings)
Offensive Player of the Year: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans)
Defensive Player of the Year: Cameron Jordan (Saints)
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Saquon Barkley (Giants)
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Bradley Chubb (Broncos)
Comeback Player of the Year: Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants)
Coach of the Year: Anthony Lynn (Chargers)

League Leaders:
Passing YDS: Kirk Cousins (Vikings)
Passing TD's: Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
Rushing YDS: Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys)
Rushing TD's: Leonard Fournette (Jaguars)
Receiving YDS: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans)
Receiving TD's: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans)
Receptions: Michael Thomas (Saints)
Interceptions: Darius Slay (Lions)
Sacks: Cameron Jordan (Saints)
Forced Fumbles: Von Miller (Broncos)
Tackles: C.J. Mosley (Ravens)

Miscellaneous Awards:
AFC Team Most Likely to Surprise: Ravens
AFC Team Most Likely to Disappoint: Titans
NFC Team Most Likely to Surprise: Giants
NFC Team Most Likely to Disappoint: Panthers
Most Likely to Go 16-0: Patriots
Most Likely to Go 0-16: Dolphins
Coach Most Likely to Get Fired before December (excluding Hue Jackson): Adam Gase
Fanbase Most Likely to Rebel on Their Tyrannical New Head Coach by Halloween: Raiders
Odds I go against everything history and my gut has been telling me for the past 6 months by suddenly hoping aboard the Bears hype train if they beat the Packers in convincing fashion on Sunday: 5-1

2018 NFL Preview: NFC West

Arizona Cardinals

2017 Record: 8-8 (3rd in NFC West)

Head Coach: Steve Wilks (1st season)

Notable Additions: G Justin Pugh, QB Sam Bradford, CB Jamar Taylor

Notable Departures: S Tyrann Mathieau, QB Carson Palmer (retired), CB Tramon Williams
-Carson Palmer's arguably overdue retirement is giving the Cardinals their 1st shakeup at quarterback in 5 years. Rookie Josh Rosen, who pretty much fell into their laps at #10 overall, is the QB of the future, but their stopgap starter will be Sam "Fat Stacks" Bradford. While he might be the least durable signalcaller in the league right now, Bradford is a functional game manager that should be able to help this team transition from Bruce Arians' relentlessly aggressive attack to a more conservative, ball control-dependent system. In the very realistic situation that Bradford's knee, wrist, head or another appendage/orifice explodes, you'd have to think Rosen gets the nod over Mike Glennon,who proved during his brief tenure with the Bears why he should be only be used as a desperation starter, simply based on his upside and long-term status with the team. Regardless of how this QB situation shakes out, a downturn at the position after 5 season with Palmer running the show is more than likely in the cards.

-David Johnson's return to the fold after missing nearly all of 2017 with a wrist injury is the clear top story coming out of Glendale as the season approaches. Given the lack of another proven RB on the depth chart (rookie Chase Edmunds and 2nd-year player T.J Logan are the backups), emphasis new OC Mike McCoy tends to put on the running game and near total absence of other playmakers elsewhere on the offense, the 4th year back appears set to get a ton of touches in his contract year. However, I don't think this heavy workload is guaranteed to translate to a high level of production. The Cardinals poor offensive line might be even less trustworthy than usual with journeyman Andre Smith taking over for Jared Veldheer at right tackle and rookie Mason Cole stepping in for the injured A.Q. Shipley at center, and with the receiving corps next to the incomparable Larry Fitzgerald being incredibly sketchy (rookie Christian Kirk and deep threat J.J. Nelson are currently slated to start alongside Fitz), he should be facing stacked boxes on nearly every play. The sheer amount of volume (likely somewhere between 20 and 30 touches per game) should be enough to get him at least 1,200 YDS from scrimmage, but a finish anywhere in the vicinity of the 2,118 YDS he put up in 2016 seems damn near unreachable at the moment.

-The revolving door that tends to be the Cardinals secondary next to shutdown corner Patrick Peterson was quite active yet again this offseason. Last year's #2 and 3 corners (Tramon Williams, Justin Bethel) departed in free agency, safety Tyvon Branch wasn't re-signed after suffering another major injury (torn ACL) last November and in what was easily the most surprising move of their offseason, formerly coveted safety Tyrann Mathieau was released after refusing to take a pay cut following another season defined by erratic play. In the wake of these moves, the Cardinals will cycling in 3 new starters to put alongside Peterson and 34-year old safety Antonie Bethea,-who is coming off his best season since his glory days with the Colts. Budda Baker has been upgraded to a full-time starter after being interested into the lineup in relief of Branch for the final stretch of last season while new acquisitions Jamar Taylor and Bene Benwikierie will step into the corner spots. There's a lot of justified buzz surrounding Baker following his pretty impressive rookie season, but I feel like these slept-on corners deserve a similar level of attention. Taylor has quietly turned into a pretty respectable cover corner after a rough rookie year with the Dolphins back in 2013 and while he's been generally played pretty poorly over the last couple of years, a reunion with former position coach Steve Wilks could allow Benwikerie to get back to the promising form he showed during his early days with the Panthers. Despite dealing with another expansive collection of new faces, I once again expect the Cardinals secondary to be one of the bright spots on this team once again in 2018.

-Unlike the rest of the new head coaches, Wilks has to deal with the rough challenge of taking over for a beloved guy that retired instead of some inept jabroni that most people desperately wanted to get axed. Arians had a track record of maximizing the output of the talent he was given (he never lost more than 8 games during his 5 years as HC) and the relative consistency he achieved while he was with the Cardinals could lead to some unreasonable criticism of Wilks in his inaugural year on the sideline. On the plus side, Wilks is coming from a resilient Panthers organization that has done pretty well under Ron Rivera and the Cardinals braintrust (GM Steve Kiem, owner Michael Bidwell) seems to be levelheaded enough to not place unrealistic expectations on him out of the gate. Escaping the shadow of a revered, respect icon is a tough task in any field and hopefully Wilks will earn a legit chance to try and accomplish that.  

Bottom Line:
The Cardinals are firmly in rebuilding mode and despite a pretty solid-looking defense, I don't expect them to win a lot this season          

Los Angeles Rams 

2017 Record: 12-4 (1st in NFC West)

Head Coach: Sean McVay (2nd season)

Notable Additions: CB Marcus Peters, CB Aqib Talib, WR Brandin Cooks

Notable Departures: CB Trumaine Johnson, WR Sammy Watkins, ILB Alec Ogletree
-Stan Kroneke's checkbook was under siege this offseason. In addition to inking homegrowns stars Todd Gurley and Aaron Donald to massive extensions, the team went out and signed Ndamukong Suh and pulled off a trio of improbable trades to bring in even more big-name talent (Brandin Cooks, Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib). These head-turning additions to an already well-rounded team that won 12 games last season may have been enough to make the Rams toast of the NFL media this offseason (and perhaps even some lure some people into their ghost town of a stadium), but you can't help but draw comparisons between this team and the notorious "Dream Team" 2011 Eagles with all the talented yet highly combustible personalities on this roster. Fractured locker rooms have a way of screwing up the on-field product and we have no idea if 2nd-year head coach Sean McVay has what it takes to keep this ego-filled group untied.  Fortunately Suh, Peters and Talib aren't committed to the team long-term (Suh's deal is up at the end of the season while Peters and Talib both have 2 years left on their current contracts), so they could emerge from relatively unscathed if this perceived superteam doesn't perform up to par this season.

-It's going to be fascinating to see how Cooks is integrated into this offense. He certainly has the pedigree of a top wideout (3 straight 1,000+ YD, 7+ TD seasons) and his status as a vertical threat make him an ideal fit for McVay's offense,-especially with Sammy Watkins departing for the Chiefs in free agency. However, the target share might not be quite what Cooks is used to (he's averaged 120 TGTS per season since 2015) with Gurley, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp already established as viable, proven threats in this offense and as crazy as it sounds, Jared Goff is easily the worst QB he's worked with after catching passes from a pair of guaranteed 1st ballot HOF'ers (Drew Brees, Tom Brady) during his first 4 years in the league. Cooks should ending up a solid contributor on his new team, but it's entirely possible that he finishes the season with below 1,000 YDS receiving for the 1st time since his rookie year with the Saints.  

-While trading Alec Ogletree was the right move considering his bad contract (4 years/$42.5 million/$21 mil guaranteed) and inconsistent play, the Rams inside linebacker situation looks pretty ugly in the interim. No amount of tutelage from their great DC Wade Phillips will be enough to sell me on the combo of converted safety/notable draft bust Mark Barron and the relatively inexperienced Cory Littleton (5 career starts spread out over 2 years) lining up as this group's field generals. Given the aforementioned ludicrous amount of talent the Rams have elsewhere on this defense, they should be able to make up for this deficiency at a key position pretty easily, but I still expect good passing offenses to feast when they throw the ball down the middle of the field.      

Bottom Line:
While I'm still not totally convinced that they have what it takes mentally to go on a long playoff run, the Rams seem to have enough smart, even-keeled individuals on their coaching staff to keep all these big personalities in check and win the NFC West for a 2nd straight year. 

San Francisco 49ers

2017 Record: 6-10 (4th in NFC West)

Head Coach: Kyle Shanahan (2nd season)

Notable Additions: CB Richard Sherman, RB Jerick McKinnon, C Weston Richburg 

Notable  Departures: RB Carlos Hyde, T Trent Brown, C Daniel Kilgore
-It took essentially no time at all for Jimmy Garoppolo to be anointed the next big thing at QB. He was viewed as a godsend for a 49ers franchise that looked DOA since their Super Bowl loss to the Ravens back in 2012 after going 5-0 as a starter following his late October trade from the Patriots. Entering his 1st full season as the face of a franchise with a new deal that is set to make him at least $90 mil over the next 5 seasons, he now has to prove that dominant season-ending run in 2017 wasn't just a fluky flash of gridiron magic. As poised and accurate (67.4 CMP%) as he was last December, his gunslinger mentality (he threw at least 1 INT in all but 1 of those 5 starts) could easily get him into trouble over the course of a full season. He also no longer has the luxury of sneaking up on opponents. I know how dumb this sounds, but hear me out. There have been a fair number of QB's in recent years that have flashed potential (Brock Osweiler, Robert Griffin III, Colin Kaepernick) when opponents had limited tape on them that ended up crumbling when defenses started to scheme against team and the harsh reality is the every aspect of Garoppolo's resume to-date as a starter is at least similar to those of these flash-in-the-pan wonders from earlier this decade. This 49ers squad doesn't have enough needle-moving talent on defense or any other skill position on offense to succeed without great QB play, so they better hope that the kid can build on those very encouraging early returns and become the transcendent talent he's been widely pegged to be for much of the last 10 months.    

-As overhyped as I thought he was heading into this season, the loss of Jerick McKinnon throws a serious wrench into the 49ers rushing attack. McKinnon was relatively productive whenever he got regular carries during his time with the Vikings and all signs pointed to him being the bellcow in Kyle Shanahan's running back-friendly system in 2018. Now, they're going to be forced to roll out a backfield committee that's currently slated to be headed by veteran Alfred Morris. Morris is an old-school powerback who faired relatively well as a change-of-pace option with the Cowboys over the past 2 seasons (790 YDS and 3 TD's on 184 carries), but he only signed with the team in mid-August and is going to be 30 in December. Considering Morris' age and uselessness in the passing game, Matt Brieda-who put together a decent rookie season (645 YDS from scrimmage and 3 TD's on 126 touches) in 2017- is a lock to be the 3rd-down back and could easily surpass as the leader of this timeshare if the vet starts to show signs of breaking down. The likelihood of John Lynch bringing in another veteran back to compete for playing time seems pretty good, but for now, it appears that this ragtag old man/young buck combo are going to be tasked with trying to bring a sense of balance to this offense.

-Recovering from a torn Achilles going into his age 30 season was enough for the Seahawks to move on from 4x All-Pro corner/Legion of Boom founder Richard Sherman after 7 dynamite seasons in the Pacific Northwest that included 2 Super Bowl appearances and a championship in 2013. Given the state of the 49ers, taking a risk on Sherman's ability to bounce back from a major injury makes a ton of sense. His veteran leadership will be more than welcome in a defensive meeting room that has pretty much completely lacked it since Patrick Willis and Justin Smith retired following the 2014 season and he was playing well enough prior to injury last year to believe that he could help improve this mediocre-to-below average secondary (they finished 22nd in pass defense in 2017) if he at least somewhat returned to form. At the very least, Sherman will teach the young corps (Reuben Foster, DeForest Buckner, Solomon Thomas, fellow corner Akhello Witherspoon) tasked with trying to turn this defense around how to handle the spotlight while maintaining a championship-caliber work ethic and provide the world with some more A+++ soundbites before he leaves town.
   
Bottom Line:
Even if Garoppolo plays his ass off, the 49ers still seem like they're too young and weak on defense to clinch a playoff spot this season.

Seattle Seahawks

2017 Record: 9-7 (2nd in NFC West)

Head Coach: Pete Carroll (9th season)

Notable Additions: WR Brandon Marshall, K Sebastian Janikowski, G D.J. Fluker 

Notable Departures: CB Richard Sherman, S Kam Chancellor (retired), TE Jimmy Graham
-All good things must come to an end is a well-worn cliché that is especially true in the NFL. In the case of the Seahawks, the 2018 offseason was pretty much a straight purge of the remaining members of their "Legion of Boom"-era defense. Richard Sherman and Jeremy Lane got cut, Michael Bennett was traded to the Eagles and horrific injuries suffered last season forced Kam Chancellor and Cliff Avril to retire. In fact, safety Earl Thomas and linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright are the only members of that iconic, feared group currently slated to be Week 1 starters for the 'Hawks this year. To be fair, this revamped Seahawks D isn't currently in complete dire straits. Wagner and Wright are still among the best coverage linebackers in the game, Frank Clark has been a consistently productive player since he came into the league in 2015 that is more than capable of taking over Bennett's role as the top edge defender and all of their current, lesser-known starters in the secondary (Shaq Griffin, Justin Coleman, Bradley McDougald) alongside Thomas played well throughout last season. However, all of these subtractions has made a huge dent in the depth that played such a crucial role in the LOB-era's success and Ken Norton Jr. was a puzzling choice to replace Kris Richard as DC given his pretty poor performance while he was the running the Raiders defense over the past 3 seasons. Basically, this defense has enough talent in place to make a collapse seem unlikely, but they're going to need to bring in some more pieces--especially along the defensive line- before they make another run at the title of league's best.  

-If the preseason is any indication, it would appear that Tom Cable- not the personnel as most people (including myself) previously believed, was the reason this offensive line has been such a disaster over the past few seasons. Despite retaining 4 of the 5 starters they closed out their UGLY 2017 season with (Duane Brown, Ethan Pocic, Justin Britt, Germain Ifedi), the pass-protection actually looked respectable throughout the exhibition season! If Russell Wilson could consistently make big throws when called upon while he was running around like a coked-up Tasmanian Devil on almost every snap, lord knows what he could do with a clean pocket and/or more than 0.3 seconds to get the ball out.

-Speaking of Wilson and the passing game, the receiving corps behind his trusted #1 option Doug Baldwin looks pretty god damn scarce now that Jimmy Graham, Paul Richardson and Luke Willson are gone. The Seahawks haven't been exactly loaded with receiving talent at any point of Pete Carroll's 9-year run as head coach, but its been a little bit since shit was this unsettled. Current projected starter at outside receiver Jaron Brown hasn't posted more than 477 yards in a season, 34-year old Brandon Marshall looked completely DOA well before an ankle injury ended his 2017 season with the Giants, tight end Nick Vannett hasn't done much in his limited playing time (15 REC, 156 YDS, 1 TD) since he was drafted in 2016 and despite his established rapport with Wilson, Tyler Lockett is merely a splash play specialist who isn't a great route runner. Their passing attack should ultimately be fine as long as Baldwin stays healthy, but there's plenty of reasons to be concerned if the knee ailment that held him out of preseason action ends up slowing him down or sidelining him for an extended period of time.

-Rashaad Penny was considered a lock to be the starting running back after he was selected at the end of the 1st round in a move that stunned pretty much everybody in the football world on draft night. However, Penny (and apparently GM John Schneider) completely overlooked 2nd-year back Chris Carson. Carson flashed legit NFL-caliber, dual-threat starting running back (267 total YDS and a TD on 57 touches) potential before he went down with a broken ankle in the 2nd half of a Week 4 contest with the Colts and as evidenced by the depth chart, continue to impress the coaching staff upon his return to the field by reportedly blowing the doors off the rookie,who showed up to camp 15 pounds heavier than he was at the Combine back in March, throughout OTA's. Don't be surprised if this trend continues and Carson plays well enough to hold onto the starting the job throughout 2018.  
   
Bottom Line:
I feel like the Seahawks struggles are being a bit overblown and it wouldn't stun me if Russell Wilson did enough under center to get them into the playoff mix.

Projected Standings:
1.Los Angeles Rams (11-5)
2.Seattle Seahawks (8-8)
3.San Francisco 49ers (7-9)
4.Arizona Cardinals (5-11)

10 Most Anticipated Movies of Fall 2018

With a diverse slate of flicks dominating the box office landscape (Deadpool 2, The Incredibles 2, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Mission-Impossible: Fallout, The Meg, Crazy Rich Asians) and a pretty consistent level of quality maintained from May-August (Sorry to Bother You was the only title I saw during this time that I truly hated), I'd say that Hollywood had itself a nice little summer. 2018's fall slate looks similarly promising. September-December is heavy on potential gems that range from high-profile biopics (First Man, Bohemian Rhapsody) to star-studded crime thrillers (Bad Times at the El Royale, Widows) to an axe-wielding Nicolas Cage going apeshit on the deranged cult that kidnapped the love of his life (Mandy). Here are the 10 movies I'm most excited to see this fall.

10.Aquaman (12/21): James Wan (The Conjuring, Insidious) is a talented director that proved with his work on Furious 7 that he can admirably handle over-the-top spectacle and Jason Momoa's performance in Justice League left me wanting more of the character. Plus I can't help but get excited about something that features aquatic warriors going into battle on the backs of sharks.

9.Suspiria (10/26): Sorry A Simple Favor, you got bumped at the last minute by a renowned German ballet company that's harboring a grisly secret. Suspiria could very well end up being a pretentious snoozefest that spawns hours of rant material that the poor souls in my social circle will have to repeatedly suffer through for the rest of the year, but the strong, polarizing reactions following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival over the weekend paired with its eerie marketing campaign has made me very curious about this remake of the 1977 cult horror classic.   

8.Hold the Dark (9/28): I'd argue that no director working today make more brutally intense films than Jeremy Saulnier (Blue Ruin, Green Room) and applying this rare gift for manufacturing suffocating suspense to a mysterious thriller about a string of murders in Alaska believed to be committed by wolves could yield some fantastic results.

7.Apostle (10/12): It may take place in a different time period (early 1900's) and not feature the jaw-dropping martial arts fighting/stuntwork of Iko Ukwais, but the English-language debut of The Raid writer/director Gareth Evans features a straightforward premise (man seeks revenge against the mysterious religious cult that kidnaps his sister) that seems like it could be loaded with the brutal, inventive action sequences that has helped him build such a sterling reputation among the genre's rabid fans.

6.Creed 2 (11/21): This would've been a lock for a top three spot on this list if Ryan Coogler returned as writer/director. On the plus side, the excellent primary cast (Michael B.Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson) from the 2015 original are all back and the premise of Adonis Creed (Jordan) facing off against the son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) is one hell of a hook for longtime fans of the Rocky series.

5.Mandy (9/14): Nicolas Cage headlining a psychedelic B-action movie where he gets to engage in a chainsaw battle, kill supernatural beings and has ample opportunity to show off his trademark craziness could prove to be the peak of what the medium of cinema has to offer.

4.First Man (10/12): Even with the all positive buzz coming out of Venice and Telluride, the abundance of period pieces (The Favourite, Mary Queen of Scots, Peterloo) and works from directors that I'm not overly fond of (If Beale Street Could Talk, Boy Erased, The Front Runner) has me currently feeling pretty indifferent towards this year's awards slate. First Man is one of the few prestige pics currently on the calendar that I'm really looking forward to. This creative team spearheaded by Damien Chazelle, Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy and Josh Singer are in a great position to capture the multiple layers of harrowing psychological drama that were bubbling underneath Neil Armstrong's one giant leap for mankind.

3.Widows (11/16): While I find Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave, Shame) to be a pretty overrated director, the pedigree of the people surrounding him on this production is so strong that I can easily overlook his presence. This massive ensemble cast (Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Ervio, Daniel Kaluuya, Brian Tyree Henry, Liam Nesson, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall, Jon Bernthal, Carrie Coon, Jacki Weaver) is simply unreal, co-writer Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Sharp Objects) has penned some of the sharpest stories I've seen this decade and both trailers seem to indicate that this could end up being a tense, powerful heist thriller.    

2.Bad Times at the El Royale (10/12): The sophomore effort from The Cabin in the Woods writer/director Drew Goddard looks like an absolutely bonkers noir thriller and outside of Widows, features the most stacked cast (Jeff Bridges, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson, Chris Hemsworth, Cynthia Ervio, Caliee Spaney, Nick Offerman) of the season.

1.The Predator (9/14): I've been uncomfortably excited for this movie since it was first announced back in 2014. Predator is a franchise that I generally love, writer/director Shane Black has a strong track record of making clever, absurdly entertaining movies and the ensemble cast is loaded with snarky, charismatic actors (Boyd Holbrook, Sterling K.Brown, Keegan Michael-Key, Trevante Rhodes) that should be perfect for this type of no-holds-barred action horror flick.

Also interested in:
The Nun (9/7)
Peppermint (9/7)

The Land of Steady Habits (9/14)
A Simple Favor (9/14)
White Boy Rick (9/14)
Assassination Nation (9/21)
The House with a Clock In Its Walls (9/21)
Life Itself (9/21)
The Sisters Brothers (9/21)
All About Nina (9/28)
Hell Fest (9/28)
Monsters and Men (9/28)
Night School (9/28)
The Old Man & the Gun (9/28)
Private Life (10/5)
A Star is Born (10/5)
Venom (10/5)
Beautiful Boy (10/12)
The Oath (10/12)
An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn (10/19)
Can You Ever Forgive Me? (10/19)
Galveston (10/19)
Halloween (10/19)
Mid90s (10/19)
Serenity (10/19)
Wildlife (10/19)
Hunter Killer (10/26)
Bodied (11/2)
Bohemian Rhapsody (11/2)
Boy Erased (11/2)
The Front Runner (11/7)
The Girl in the Spider's Web (11/9)
The Long Dumb Road (11/9)
Outlaw King (11/9)
Overlord (11/9)
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (11/16)
Instant Family (11/16)
Green Book (11/21)
Robin Hood (11/21)
The Favourite (11/23)
Shoplifters (11/23)
If Beale Street Could Talk (11/30)
Ben is Back (12/7)
Mary Queen of Scots (12/7)
Tyrel (12/7)
Under the Silver Lake (12/7)
Backseat (12/14)
Roma (12/14)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (12/14)
Alita: Battle Angel (12/21)
Bumblebee (12/21)
Holmes & Watson (12/21)
Welcome to Marwen (12/21)
Destroyer (12/25)
On the Basis of Sex (12/25)

10 Most Anticipated Albums of Fall 2018

10.Polyphia-New Levels New Devils (Release Date: October 12th)
9.Monuments-Phronesis (Release Date: October 5th)
8.The Story So Far-Proper Dose (Release Date: September 21st)
7.The Ocean-Phanerozic I (Release Date: TBD)
6.Coheed and Cambria-The Unheavenly Creatures (Release Date: October 5th)
5.Allegaeon-Apoptosis (Release Date: TBD) 
4.Behemoth-I Loved You at Your Darkest (Release Date: October 5th)
3.Unearth-Extinction(s) (Relase Date: TBD October/November)
2.Danny Brown-TBD (Release Date: TBD)
1.Revocation-The Outer Ones (Release Date: September 28th)

Also interested in:
Clutch-Book of Bad Decisions (Release Date: September 7th)
Counterparts-Private Room (Release Date: September 7th)
Pig Destroyer-Head Cage (Release Date: September 7th)
Lil Pump-Harverd Dropout (Release Date: September 14th)
Aborted-TerrorVision (Release Date: September 21st)
Beartooth-Disease (Release Date: September 28th)
Horrendous-Idol (Release Date: September 28th)
Terror-Total Retaliation (Release Date: September 28th)
High on Fire-Electric Messiah (Release Date: October 5th) 
Beyond Creation-Algorhythm  (Release Date: October 12th)
Sick of It All-Wake the Sleeping Dragon (Release Date: November 2nd)
Silent Planet-When the End Began (Release Date: November 2nd)
Born of Osiris-TBD (Release Date: TBD)
Gucci Mane-Evil Genius (Release Date: TBD)
Isaiah Rashad-TBD (Release Date: TBD)
ScHoolboy Q-TBD (Release Date: TBD)