10 Most Anticipated Movies Of Fall 2020

Despite the 'Rona causing serious upheaval in the theatrical release schedule that saw a flood of titles either getting pushed to 2021 (Fast and Furious 9, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Jungle Cruise), sold off to a streaming service (The Lovebirds, An American Pickle, My Spy) or pivoting to a video on demand release (Trolls World Tour, Scoob!, The King of Staten Island), 2020 has managed to deliver a very solid slate of movies. Everybody from the streaming services to the major studios to the tiny indie distributors that already predominantly operated in the VOD world before all this shit happened have stepped up to deliver consistent quality entertainment that have made these awful times just a little bit more bearable. 

As we enter the final four months of the year, movie fans will hope that this standard of quality persists for the titles that hit screens of all sizes as they get to dig into Netflix's robust annual slate of awards contenders (Mank, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Hillbilly Elegy, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, The Boys in the Band), the unexpected Disney+ rollout of Mulan and whatever ends up hitting theaters as they slowly start to reopen across the country. Here are the 10 films I'm most excited to (hopefully) see this  fall.  

Note: Due to the fluid nature of the release calendar and the pandemic itself, all of the titles below that are currently slated to be exclusively released in theaters as of this writing (with the exception of Tenet- which is releasing in most US markets this week) will have an asterisk next to them. 

10.The Nest (9/18):

Martha Marcy May Marlene was a disturbing yet fascinating psychological drama and Sean Durkin's long-awaited follow-up about an American family (Jude Law, Carrie Coon, Charlie Shotwell, Oona Roche( that starts to unravel upon relocating to a rural home in England seems like it could occupy similar territory with comparable results.

9.Candyman* (10/16):

While I've never seen the 1992 original, an excellent trailer, Jordan Peele's involvement as a co-writer/producer and Nia DeCosta's-whose 2019 effort Little Woods is among the most impressive debut movies I've seen in the last few years-presence in the director's chair has me very intrigued by this present day version of the socially-charged slasher flick. 

8.Run Sweetheart Run (TBD):

Adding a supernatural element to a movie about a single mom (Ella Balinska) that is terrorized by a man (Pilou Asbek) she goes on a date with sounds like an interesting way to heighten the very real terrors of abuse/stalking and with the backing of horror powerhouse Blumhouse, there's a real chance this ends up being excellent.

7.Mank (TBD October/November):

A movie that centers around the writer of Citizen Kane fighting for screenplay credit during the production of the 1941 classic wouldn't interest me at all if David Fincher wasn't behind it. There's still a real chance I'm bored as all hell watching this, but Fincher is one of the few directors on the planet that could breathe life into such a seemingly dry premise for a biopic.  

6.Antebellum (9/18):

There's a refreshing ambiguity that's surrounded Antebellum since the release of its first teaser trailer last November. Even as new teasers have been unveiled in recent months, the only thing that's clear about Antebellum is that it's a horror project that features Janelle Monae as a prominent author that gets struck by some kind of curse that transports her back into the era of the Antebellum-south. That vague hook paired with the opportunity to see Monae tackle her first leading movie role after shining in multiple supporting turns (Moonlight, Hidden Figures) is enough to sell me on this project.  

5.No Time to Die* (11/20):

With a creative filmmaker in Cary Joji Funkunaga calling the shots, Rami Malek stepping into the villain role and an impressive collection of both new (Ana de Armas, Lashana Lynch, Billy Magnuessen) and old faces (Naomie Harris, Lea Seydoux, Jeffrey Wright, Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes) to the series rounding out the supporting cast, Daniel Craig's farewell to James Bond appears like it has a good chance of being a proper swan song that erases the memories (or lackthereof) delivered by the middling Spectre.  

4.The Devil All the Time (9/16):

Between its loaded ensemble cast (Tom Holland, Bill Skarsgard, Jason Clarke, Riley Keough, Robert Pattinson, Sebastian Stan, Haley Bennett, Eliza Scanlen, Mia Wasikowska), fascinating yet vague premise (a group of people with mysterious pasts converge in post-WWII Ohio) and a trailer that hinted at a tense, engrossing project, The Devil All the Time has a sales pitch that's as strong as any project set for release during this period. In fact, the only thing preventing me from putting it even higher is a lack of familiarity with the work of writer/director Antonio Campos (Simon Killer, Christine). If it does indeed end up living up to its pedigree, a spot on my best movies of 2020 list feels all but guaranteed.   

3.Black Widow* (11/6):

With a 10 year/22 film storyline finally wrapped up, the question of where Marvel is going to go next remains unclear. A huge spy action flick that just happens to serve as kind of a origin story for the lone fallen Avenger that the audience doesn't know a lot about could be the perfect way to bridge the gap in between the narrative that just concluded and a new era where more standalone titles that somewhat subvert their established relentless worldbuilding formula take precedent. 

2.The Trial of the Chicago 7(10/16):

Aaron Sorkin is back in the director's chair to deliver a depressing reminder that peaceful protestors have been treated like terrorists for decades! In all seriousness, telling the story of the seven men (played in the film by Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Jeremy Strong, Alex Sharp, John Carroll Lynch and Noah Robbins) that were charged with conspiracy and inciting riots for their involvement in the Anti-Vietnam protests that occurred outside of the 1968 Democratic National Convention has a remarkable timeliness to it considering the stakes present in this year's Presidential Election. Considering Sorkin's wizardry as a writer and the abundance of brilliant actors present (in the addition to the aforementioned members, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Rylance, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Frank Langella, Michael Keaton and William Hurt round out the main cast) to bring his words to life, I'm very hopeful that this will be something special. 

1.Tenet (9/3):

This has been my most anticipated movie of 2020 since the first full trailer dropped last December and I'm thrilled to get the opportunity to see it before year's end. With its mysterious mind-fuckery espionage plot, seemingly huge action setpieces and a cast anchored by a few of the industry's brightest rising stars (John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki) sounds like as good of a recipe for a return to top form after back-to-back underwhelming efforts as possible. Fingers crossed that he can actually pull it off.  

Also Excited For:

Critical Thinking (9/4)

Mulan (9/4)

The Babysitter: Killer Queen (9/10)

Unpregnant (9/10)

Lost Girls & Love Hotels (9/18)

Enola Holmes (9/23)

Ava (9/25)

Greenland* (9/25)

Kajillionaire* (9/25)

Saint Maud* (9/25) 

Welcome to Sudden Death (9/29)

The Boys in the Band (9/30)

Save Yourselves! (10/2)

Spontaneous (10/2)

Wonder Woman 1984* (10/2)

Black Box (10/6)

The Lie (10/6)

The 40-Year Old Version (10/9)

Honest Thief (10/9)

Evil Eye (10/13)

Nocturne (10/13)

Love and Monsters (10/16)

Connected*  (10/23)

Death on the Nile* (10/23)

Let Him Go* (11/6)

Ammonite* (11/13)

Deep Water* (11/13) 

Soul* (11/20) 

Happiest Season* (11/25)

Voyagers* (11/25)

Free Guy* (12/11)

Coming 2 America* (12/18)

Dune* (12/18) 

Hubie Halloween (TBD October)

On the Rocks (TBD October)

Hillbilly Elegy (TBD November) 

Black Bear (TBD)

Charm City Kings (TBD)

Friendsgiving (TBD)

His House (TBD)

Let Them All Talk (TBD)

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (TBD)

The Midnight Sky (TBD)

One Night in Miami (TBD)

Sound of Metal (TBD)

Fantasy Football 2020: Overvalued Players to Avoid Drafting

Last week I focused on the late round guys that could help bring you fantasy glory, now it's to time to bring attention to the ones that could make it harder for you to put together a winning team. Here are my picks for the most overvalued players at each position.  

Quarterback: Josh Allen (Bills) (Yahoo!: 70.3, ESPN: 103.0, NFL.com: 87.5)

Let's face it, all of Allen's fantasy value comes from his rushing. He's put up 1,141 YDS and 17 TD's on the ground over his 1st 2 NFL seasons, which has been enough to prop up his below average passing stats (5,163 YDS/30 TD/21 INT). With the addition of a big, punishing running back in Zack Moss and a true top wideout in Stefon Diggs that could make a passing more of a priority, his redzone carries could be headed for a decline-which would likely force off the mid-tier QB1 map he's currently on. If you want a streaky passer with some rushing ability, Daniel Jones comes at a much cheaper price (11th-13th round) with a ceiling that isn't too much lower than Allen's.   

Honorable Mentions: Drew Brees (Saints), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), Joe Burrow (Bengals)

Running Back: Melvin Gordon (Broncos) (Yahoo!: 33.8, ESPN: 53.7, NFL.com: 36.0 )

With the likes of Gordon, Chris Carson and Jonathan Taylor occupying that space on the board, the entire top of the 3rd round RB picture is full of horrifying dice roll propositions. Since Carson is an effective back when he's healthy and Taylor's uncertainty is entirely tied to his projected backup role to start the season, Gordon is left alone as the king of questionable RB2's. Between his uninspired play last season (908 scrimmage YDS, 9 total TD's, 3 lost fumbles) with the Chargers, reported difficulties in picking up the Broncos playbook and the presence of a back-to-back 1,000+ yard rusher Phillip Lindsay right behind him on the depth chart, Gordon has a perfect storm of red flags that make him a potentially horrible value at a crucial juncture of the draft.

Honorable Mentions: Chris Carson (Seahawks), Jonathan Taylor (Colts), Todd Gurley (Falcons)

Wide Receiver: Tyreek Hill (Chiefs) (ADP: Yahoo!: 12.0, ESPN: 17.3, NFL.com: 14.5)

I'm well aware that this seems insane considering that Hill is a proven explosive playmaker that's part of the most dangerous offense in football, but hear me out. Hill currently has the highest ADP of any receiver save for Michael Thomas and Davante Adams, which is just bonkers. His history of soft tissue injuries and role on a deep Chiefs offense that somehow just added another high upside weapon in heavily hyped rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire limits his odds of hitting the 1,300+ YD campaign you're expecting from the 3rd overall receiver off the board. Everyone from the overall WR4 Julio Jones to overall WR10 Adam Thielen doesn't appear to have the threat of a workload concern or a comparable injury history (with the exception of Allen Robinson on the latter), which makes Hill a notable reach at his late 1st/early 2nd round price.    

Honorable Mentions: Amari Cooper (Cowboys), JuJu Smith-Schuster (Steelers), DK Metcalf (Seahawks)

Tight End: Rob Gronkowski (Buccaneers) (ADP: Yahoo!: 77.2, ESPN: 74.3 NFL.com: 74.4)

This is a case of a name driving up the draft stock. Gronkowski coming out of retirement to reunite with Tom Brady in Tampa may be a nice story, but I'm not confident if a lot of people remember how hobbled the 31 year old future Hall of Famer was in 2018. He was in visible pain on a weekly basis and basically had to sit out every few weeks if he wanted a shot to be even reasonably effective for key games down the stretch/playoffs. Considering his well-documented physical breakdown stemmed from chronic back and hip injuries, a year away from getting hit likely won't be enough to magically restore him to his old dominant form.

Honorable Mentions: Jared Cook (Saints), Evan Engram (Giants), Hayden Hurst (Falcons)

Defense/Special Teams: Bears (Yahoo!: 103.1, ESPN: 136.5, NFL.com: 115.8)

Using real world measurements, the 2019 Bears had a good defense. They finished in the top 10 in the leagues in scoring defense, rushing/passing YDS allowed and lowest 3rd down conversion percentage. Where they came up short was on the metrics that drive fantasy defense (sacks, takeaways, TD's), finishing in the bottom 10 in all of these categories. While there's a pretty good chance that their money stats improve this season, their continued secondary pass rushing concerns behind Khalil Mack/Akiem Hicks and uncertainty at corner alongside Kyle Fuller gives them a considerably lower floor than the other groups behind drafted around the same spot as them (Patriots, Saints, Bills).  

Honorable Mentions: Vikings, Rams, Chiefs  

As We Proceed Episode #39

On this episode, Feliciano and I reconvene virtually to discuss Drake's return and if "Laugh Now, Cry Later" will end representing the sound of his new record Certified Loverboy, Amine's Limbo and how Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion teamed up to make a hit song that sent prominent right wing figures into hysterics. This lively, unedited* (HELL YEAH FELICIANO LEFT THE FEW SECONDS OF CUES IN BEFORE WE STARTED THE RUNDOWN IN, SO BUCKLE UP FOR A  NEVER BEFORE SEEN PEAK BEHIND THE CURTAIN) 90 minute discussion can be watched below. 

EDIT: EMBED IS BEING DUMB AND NOT DISPLAYING, SO HERE'S THE RAW LINK:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oisKg9sYhVk&t=3604s

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2020 NFL Preview: AFC South

 Houston Texans

2019 Record: 10-6 (1st in AFC South)

Head Coach: Bill O'Brien (7th season)

Notable Additions: WR Brandin Cooks, RB David Johnson, WR Randall Cobb

Notable Departures: WR DeAndre Hopkins, DT D.J. Reader, CB Jonathan Joseph

Notable Opt-Outs: None

Biggest Reason for Excitement: Bill O'Brien Didn't Trade Deshaun Watson (Yet)

After trading DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals for a package that included agreeing to pay $12.3 mil in guaranteed money for David Johnson to get dinged up every 2-3 weeks and a 2nd round pick, it became clear that O'Brien was willing to deal anybody-regardless of value to the team or the return. While Watson expressed frustration and publicly questioned if the team was serious about winning following the move, he was able to make it through the offseason without being dealt and will be starting for the Texans in 2020. Rumblings of a contract extension have even started to occur in recent weeks, but O'Brien might get word in October that Sterling Shepard is available and send him on his way before those conversations advance to the serious stage.

Biggest Question Mark: The Ability for Their Receiving Corps To Remain Healthy

Forget finding a capable replacement for Hopkins, the Texans have to be worried about being able to field enough guys to run 3-receiver sets this season. Their current receiver group has largely spent more time on the injury report than in the endzone over the course of their careers, which is very unsettling as they try to figure out their WR pecking order following the loss of Hopkins. Will Fuller is the leader in the hampered clubhouse with 22 games missed in 4 seasons, Kenny Stills seem to always being playing through a hamstring problem, Randall Cobb hasn't played in 16 games since 2015, Keke Coutee has already racked up a host of injuries (hamstring, ankle, groin) that have kept him out of 15 games in 2 years and while projected #1 wideout Brandin Cooks hasn't missed much time (8 games in 6 seasons-6 of which were as a rookie in 2014), he does have a history of concussions that needs to be closely monitored. The Texans do have the luxury of having multiple pass-catching running backs (Duke Johnson Jr., David Johnson) and a tight end in Darren Fells that delivered as a red zone option (7 TD's) last season on their roster to alleviate some of the workload concerns that could put them at a greater risk of getting hurt, but having your projected top 4 receivers all have heightened injury risks is a very stressful situation that will require a healthy dose of good fortunate to manage.     

Key to Reaching Their Ceiling: Deshaun Watson Getting Even Better

Watson has been tremendous so far in his NFL career so far: completing over 67% passes in back-to-back seasons, putting together a 71/29 TD-INT split and going 24-13 as a starter. The most impressive part of all of this is that he's done while playing behind an offensive line that has ranged from horrible (2017/18) to below average (2019), having to recover from a torn ACL ahead of his sophomore campaign in 2018 and getting saddled with a class-A doofus in O'Brien as a coach/playcaller.

As Watson enters his 4th year in the league, he'll face his toughest challenge to date as he battles in a division that figures to very competitive outside of the rebuilding Jaguars without Hopkins by his side for. The reality is that Watson has a great chance of improving despite the regression in quality of the pieces around the him. He's the rare type of talent that can will wins out of thin air and his fearlessness/playmaking ability should continue to grow no matter who's catching passes for or tasked with protecting him. If Watson takes another step forward at age 25, the Texans will be in the playoff mix once again-regardless of how the rest of the team plays.

Bottom Line:

With no other notable strong points as a team, the Texans will get as far as Deshaun Watson can take them. 

Indianapolis Colts

2019 Record: 7-9 (3rd in AFC South)

Head Coach: Frank Reich (3rd season)

Notable Additions: DT/DE DeForest Buckner, QB Phillip Rivers, CB Xavier Rhodes

Notable Departures: K Adam Vinatieri, CB Pierre Desir, TE Eric Ebron

Notable Opt-Outs: CB/S Marvell Tell

Biggest Reason for Excitement: Adding DeForest Buckner

The Colts have been accruing a massive amount of cap space over the past few seasons as Chris Ballard plotted to rebuild their roster following the mess that Ryan Grigson left behind. After drafting/signing several young players that have already made an impact on the DNA of this team (Quenton Nelson, Darius Leonard, Braden Smith, Kenny Moore) and putting together a couple of respectable campaigns in a row, Ballard went out and made a big move by trading a 1st round pick to the 49ers for DeForest Buckner (and subsequently inked him to a 4 year/$84 mil extension). Buckner has lived up to his high draft status in his first four seasons in the pros by becoming a disruptive force upfront that blows up plays in the running game and ranks among the most productive interior pass rushers in the league (28.5 career sacks-including 19.5 in the past 2 seasons). At just 26, there's every reason to believe that he's only going to get better, especially when you plug him alongside a steadily productive edge guy like Justin Houston-who quietly racked up 11 sacks last season-on a defense that has been consistently solid since Matt Eberflus took over in 2017. 

Biggest Question Mark: Which Phillip Rivers will show up?

Bringing in Rivers as a stopgap option at quarterback was a terrific move by Ballard. The nearly 39-year old thrived with Frank Reich while he was with the Chargers and he'll add some short-term explosiveness to an offense with an appealing set of weapons (T.Y. Hilton, Zach Pascal, Parris Campbell, Jack Doyle, Marlon Mack, rookies Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr.) before they select their next franchise quarterback in the next year or two (sorry Jacoby Brissett)

The real important question is what version of Rivers will the Colts be getting? Will it be the impatient gunslinger that we saw last season or the ballsy big play magnet that led the Chargers to the playoffs in 2018? Given the backyard style Rivers that plays and the fact that his age hasn't hampered him thus far, luck will likely be the determining factor.  

Despite the influence from the good ol' gridiron dice roll, you have to believe that a notoriously fiery competitor like Rivers will be motivated to succeed this season. The Chargers gave up on him after 16 years of service and he'll want to prove to the Dean Spanos/Tom Teleseco braintrust that not allowing him to finish his career with the organization was a mistake that will come back to haunt them as long as he's still playing. With the aforementioned collection of RB/WR/TE surrounding him, a smart offensive mind calling the shots and the luxury of having an offensive line that stands a good chance of keeping him upright that he hasn't been afforded in quite some time, he'll be in a good position to accomplish that vengeance-fueled goal.         

Key to Reaching Their Ceiling: Secondary Defensive Players Returning to Form or Improving

With a rising star in Buckner, a steady veteran pass rusher in Houston, rock solid slot corner in Moore and a young linebacker in Leonard that is already among the best all-around players at the position in the lineup, there's a clear defensive anchor in place that's really easy to get excited about. What's going to dictate their trajectory in 2020 even more than the continued strong efforts of these core players and the coaching of Eberflus is the play of their supporting cast. 

Looking at their complementary players as constructed, there's good reason to believe that they can end up being a factor. Between their collection of promising young players looking to build off their solid rookie campaigns (Bobby Okreke, Khari Willis, Rock Ya-Sin), vets seeking redemption (T.J. Carrie, Xavier Rhodes-who has been a massive liability in back-to-back seasons following his All-Pro campaign in 2017) or upside guys seeking out bigger roles after making some plays in subpackages (Ben Banogu, Sheldon Day), they're in the unique position of potentially having answers to their most pressing needs (pass defense, secondary pass rushing) as a unit already on their roster. If a good chunk of these guys can make a notable impact-particularly Okreke who was great against the run last season and Rhodes who was a physical, borderline lockdown corner at his best would make this group really tough to deal with. 

Bottom Line:

If Rivers and the defense can live up to their potential, the Colts will be in a great spot to win the division and potentially play spoiler in the AFC. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

2019 Record: 6-10 (4th in AFC South)

Head Coach: Doug Marrone (4th season)

Notable Additions: ILB Joe Schobert, TE Tyler Eifert, DT Timmy Jernigan

Notable Departures: DE Calias Campbell, OLB Yannick Ngakoue* (currently holding out and is expected to be traded soon), CB A.J Bouye

Notable Opt-Outs: CB Rashaan Melvin, DT Al Woods

Biggest Reason for Excitement: Several Promising Young Players

Between the realization that their stint as a contender was just a one-off and trading perceived franchise cornerstone Jalen Ramsey during the season, 2019 wasn't a fun one for the Jaguars. The bulk of the positives that were present came from seeing some of their young guys take advantage of the turmoil and put forth solid performances. D.J. Chark established himself as a solid vertical threat in his first year as a starter (73 REC/1,008 YDS/8 TD's), Taven Bryan routinely outshined vet Marcell Dareus at defensive tackle, Josh Allen kept busy on the edge with an impressive 10.5 sacks as a rookie and of course, Gardner Minshew became a folk hero after being thrust into the starting lineup following Nick Foles' shoulder injury in Week 1 and went onto appear in 14 games (12 starts). This group is going to be get more of a chance with the likes of Foles, Dareus, Calias Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue no longer in the fold and with a few more high upside rookies (C.J. Henderson, Laviska Shenault, K'Lavon Chaisson) joining their ranks this season, it's going to be really interesting to see if the Jaguars end up actually getting a young corps they can build around out of this latest retooling.   

Biggest Question Mark: Are The Veterans Willing to Buy Into a Rebuild?

How the Jaguars responded to their breakout success in 2017 is arguably what sunk them. Guys like Ramsey, Nkgaoue and A.J. Bouye all mentally folded when adversity struck early in 2018 and they never got that fire back. With all of those guys and even a relentless competitor/leader like Campbell now gone, the Jaguars are clearly looking towards the next generation of talent to try and build a sustainable, long-term contender. While there isn't many tenured vets left on the roster, it's a fair question to ask if those handful of guys have the mental fortitude to be part of a rebuild. 

In the case of top free agent pickup Joe Schobert, it's easy to infer that he's on board because he chose to come to Jacksonville and is used to being a part of a team that is trying to figure it out from his years with the Browns. The rest of the guys in question aren't as simple. Brandon Linder is an elite center on an otherwise shaky offensive line that could very well be sick of losing after spending his entire 8 year career with the Jags, Myles Jack is the last remaining key piece from that 2017 run that could be upset that the team decided to cut ties with everybody else and D.J. Hayden is a guy coming off back-to-back solid seasons in a contract year that could welcome a deal to a contender at the trade deadline. Throw in the likelihood that Doug Marrone is on a short leash after back-to-back underwhelming seasons and you have serious potential for veteran dissent to emerge.    

Key to Reaching Their Ceiling: Gardner Minshew building on what he did in 2019

Minshew became a classic underdog story as he managed to bring some excitement to a Jaguars team that was kind of lost when he went from afterthought injury replacement for their big ticket free agent signing Foles to re-winning the starting job after Big Dick Nick struggled upon his return to the field. There's even an argument to be made that he (3,271 Passing YDS, 21 TD, 6 INT, 60.6 CMP%, 344 Rushing YDS) played better than Offensive Rookie of the Year Kyler Murray (3,722 passing YDS, 20 TD, 12 INT, 64.4 CMP% 544 Rushing YDS, 4 TD) last season.

Cult status aside, Minshew has a skill set that could be developed. He's got solid mobility, pretty sound decisionmaking and a mental/physical toughness that's great to see out of a young QB (3 of his 6 wins were 4th quarter comebacks). On the other side of the coin, his accuracy needs serious improvement and the amount he put the ball on the ground was troubling (13 FUM/7 Lost) even for a rookie.

 Working with a new offensive coordinator in Jay Gurden-who did damn good work with the Bengals at the start of Andy Dalton's career and the confidence Marrone/GM Dave Caldwell showed in him by trading Foles and naming him the starter without hesitation should boost his odds of taking a step forward in his sophomore season. While it's fair to question what they'll do if he regresses or fails to make any tangible improvement, Minshew is going to get a fair, justified crack at becoming the long-term starter in Jacksonville-which is something that he probably never even dreamed was possible at this point last year when he was a 6th round pick fighting for a roster spot. 

Bottom Line:

The Jaguars are a rebuilding team with a coach on the hotseat and considerably less talent than the rest of the teams in their division, making them a longshot to succeed in 2020.

Tennessee Titans

2019 Record: 9-7 (2nd in AFC South)

Head Coach: Mike Vrabel (3rd season)

Notable Additions: CB Jonathan Joseph, OLB Vic Beasley, T Ty Sambrailo

Notable Departures: T Jack Conklin, DT Jurrell Casey, CB Logan Ryan  

Notable Opt-Outs: None

Biggest Reason for Excitement: Getting a full season of A.J. Brown starting

In a strong receiver class that included Terry McLaurin, DK Metcalf and Deebo Samuel, Brown ended up leading all rookie receivers with 1,051 YDS. What's most impressive he pulled this off while reeling in just 52 catches (20.2 YPC) and only starting in 11 games for a team that attempted the 2nd least passes in the league (448).

So how can Brown continue to thrive as the #1 wideout in an offense that pounds the rock like its 1978? Well for starters, he has an explosiveness that's just hard to contain. He has the speed/route running finesse to beat DB's over the top on deep routes and the elusiveness/power to be a YAC monster on short passes. This dynamic skill set makes him a threat to make plays every time he touches the ball, even if it's only a handful of times per game. Plus if Derrick Henry continues to put together monster seasons, they'll always be attention being paid to the running game-which will allow him opportunities to run free or only receive single coverage whenever they decide to throw. Brown has the potential to be a rare weapon in this league and seeing what he can do in a full 16 game campaign should be a thrill.       

Biggest Question Mark: Can Ryan Tannehill Replicate the Success He Enjoyed in 2019?

It took 5 years longer than expected, but Ryan Tannehill's breakout year finally happened! While it can be debated how big of a role he played in their 10th ranked scoring offense considering that Henry was the focal point of the entire operation, Tannehill's efficiency (70.3 CMP%, 22 TD, 6 INT) and the unit-wide improvement they displayed when he replaced Marcus Mariota at quarterback (7-3 as a starter opposed to Mariota's 2-4) were impressive nonetheless. Following their Cinderella playoff run that saw them KO the Patriots and Ravens before losing to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship, Tannehill received a new deal to stick with the Titans for another 4 years.

Based on last season alone, there's no reason to question re-signing Tannehill at all. He completely changed the complexion of the entire offense and took them to the AFC Championship all while displaying consistently steady, nearly mistake-free play. In the greater context of Tannehill's career and how he was often a secondary offensive option behind the ground game-particularly during said impressive playoff run, it's hard to be overly confident that Tannehill will be able to be that good again. 

He was a middling starter who couldn't build off his flashes of his greatness during his tenure with the Dolphins and a lot of the success he had last season was predicated on Henry doing big things in the running game. It's also discouraging that during the AFC Championship Game when a situation arose where they had to throw the ball to try and stay in the game, he couldn't make anything happen until it was too late (his padded 21/31/209 YDS/2 TD statline doesn't accurately represent how flat he was once the Chiefs took the lead in the 2nd quarter). Clearly he's not going to be asked to throw a lot as long as Henry and/or the running game keep rolling, but if he can't succeed in any situation that isn't making play action passes with a lead, then Tannehill and subsequently the Titans offense is going to be in trouble long before that deal runs out.  

Key to Reaching Their Ceiling: Getting More Out of Their Defense

The Titans defense was completely fine in 2019. They finished in 12th in the league multiple categories including scoring defense, rushing defense and total yards allowed while also posting respectable sack (43, tied for 13th) and takeaway totals (23, tied for 10th). However, their lone glaring weakness came with their 24th ranked pass defense and that's what ultimately ruined their chances of making a Super Bowl run last season as Patrick Mahomes sliced them up for 294 YDS and 3 TD's in the AFC Championship Game.

Outside of longtime leader Jurrell Casey getting traded to the Broncos to make way for 2019 1st round pick Jeffrey Simmons and Logan Ryan getting replaced by the ageless wonder Jonathan Joseph in the slot, this will be pretty much be the same group from a year ago for better or worse. Given that safety Kevin Byard is the only certified star in their ranks, they're going to need a host of guys to raise their games if they want to elevate their status as a unit. The respectable vets (Malcolm Butler, Adoree' Jackson, Jayon Brown) are going to have to see if they can flirt with greatness, the young players from Simmons to Harold Landry to Rashaan Evans are going to have to get over their varying degrees of early career struggles to live up to their standing as top 50 picks and Vic Beasley is going to have to get his head out of his ass and see if he can re-discover the burst/intensity that allowed him to get 15.5 sacks in 2016. Between Mike Vrabel's solid defensive pedigree and their top half finish in most key categories indicates that they are trending in the right direction as a unit, there's a good chance that this group wo;; at least a little bit after last season.  

Bottom Line:

With a largely unchanged roster and motivated coach in Mike Vrabel running the show, the Titans seems likely to be just as good, if not slightly better than they were in 2019.  

Projected Standings:

1.Indianapolis Colts (11-5)

2.Tenneesee Titans (9-7)

3.Houston Texans (7-9)

4.Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)

   

Viola Davis Ranked

Welcome to the latest edition of "Ranked", where I rank the franchise or the filmography of an actor/director and hand out related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Viola Davis. 

Viola Davis' Filmography Ranked:

15.Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (D+)

14.State of Play (C+)

13.Fences (C+)

12.Knight and Day (B-)

11.Ender's Game (B-)

10.It's Kind of a Funny Story (B)

9.The Help (B)

8.Widows (B)

7.Suicide Squad (B)

6.Disturbia (B+)

5.Law Abiding Citizen (B+)

4.Get on Up (B+)

3.Out of Sight (B+)

2.Doubt (A-)

1.Prisoners (A-) 

Top Dog: Prisoners (2013)

Denis Villeneuve wasted no time making an impression in the world of English language cinema. The French Canadian director showed off his special gifts for crafting engrossing mysteries and building slow-mounting dread with the remarkable Prisoners. It's an exceptionally grim thriller that boasts some stunning twists, several unbelievable performances (Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Melissa Leo, Davis) and a perfect ambiguous ending that has inspired heated debate among some viewers.

Low Light: Extreme Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)

This corny, boring and deeply forgettable melodrama about a kid (Thomas Horn) trying to cope with the death of his father (Tom Hanks) on 9/11 by going on a hunt for a key that he set up prior to his death should be shot into space forever. It's nothing but pure fucking emotional manipulation with an A-list cast that shamelessly uses its serious themes (grief, loss, impact of 9/11 on New York City) as calculated plot devices to get the audience to blow through a box of tissues while watching it. How this managed to get a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars when it received lukewarm reviews and no recognition from any of the other major awards shows is completely beyond me. 

Most Underrated: Doubt (2008)

Doubt picked up 5 Oscar nominations yet has kind of faded into obscurity in the nearly 12 years since it was released, which is a shame because it's a really powerful, important and unique film. Through its commanding performances (Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Davis-all of whom picked up Oscar noms) and layered script, Doubt tackles allegations of pedophilia at a Catholic Church-run elementary school in 1964 NYC from multiple perspectives (the accused, the alleged victim, co-workers of the accused, mother of the alleged victim) with heartbreaking honesty while providing no easy answers to the many questions posed.   

Most Overrated: Fences (2016)

Prior to criticizing Fences, I'll acknowledge that the acting here is top-notch. Everybody from Denzel Washington to Davis-who won her first Oscar for this role-down to the bit players like Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jovan Adepo and Mykelti Williamson are just sensational. So where does Fences go wrong? Simple: It's a stage production that doesn't translate particularly well to the film medium. All of the impassioned line delivery and fiery monologues full of figurative language that feel natural in a theater have a stilted, almost robotic quality to them on a filmed production-which in turn makes the film very grating to watch.    

Best Bit of Acting in a Non-Awards Caliber Project: Law Abiding Citizen (2009)

Davis is as decorated of an actor as we've seen in the last couple decades with 3 SAG Awards, 2 Tony's, a Golden Globe, an Emmy and an Oscar to her name. Don't let that impressive awards shelf fool you-she isn't just some prestige actor. Over her 20+ years of silver screen acting, Davis has refused to be put in a box as a "serious" performer by appearing in everything from goofy blockbusters (Suicide Squad, Knight & Day) to down-and-dirty genre flicks (Disturbia, Lilla & Eve). Her finest hour away from her usual home in serious fare came in a bit part in the twisty vigilante thriller Law Abiding Citizen. She brings gusto and no bullshit toughness to the part of the Philadelphia mayor who is one of the targets of a man (Gerard Butler) going on a vengeance-seeking killing spree against the members of the justice system that allowed the men who killed his family to receive reduced sentences in a plea deal that helps add to the high quality ensemble acting that fuels this great piece of B-filmmaking.      

2020 NFL Preview: AFC North

 Baltimore Ravens:

2019 Record: 14-2 (1st in AFC North)

Head Coach: John Harbaugh (13th season)

Notable Additions: DE Calias Campbell, DE Derek Wolfe, G D.J. Fluker

Notable Departures: G Marshal Yanda (retired), S Earl Thomas, TE Hayden Hurst

Notable Opt-Outs: T Andre Smith, WR/KR De'Anthony Thomas

Biggest Reason for Excitement: Offseason Additions on Defense Giving Them the Potential to Match the Dynamism of their Offense

Defense is what ultimately derailed the 2019 Ravens season as the Titans came in and punched them in the mouth with a heavy dose of Derrick Henry in their stunning Divisional Round loss at M&T Bank Stadium. Eric Decosta identified that the front 7 was the root of the problem and made it the focal point of their offseason plan. 

Calias Campbell gives them a dominant, versatile defensive line chess piece that a blitz fiend like DC Don Martindale should have a ball scheming for, Derek Wolfe is a nice veteran depth piece that should help sure up the run D, and their rookie inside linebacker tandem (Patrick Queen, Malik Harrison) gives them a much more athletic tandem than the patchwork pairing they rolled out (Josh Bynes, Patrick Onwuasor) last year. If their front 7 takes a step forward and their three headed secondary beast (Marcus Peters, Marlon Humphrey, Chuck Clark) can maintain the strong play they displayed for the bulk of last season, this group has a good chance of matching the dynamism and productivity of their offense.    

Biggest Question Mark: Having to Suddenly Replace Earl Thomas

While there's a lot to get excited about when it comes to the Ravens defense, the impact stemming from the unexpected release of Earl Thomas can't be downplayed. Thomas was an active playmaker in the middle of the field in 2019 and was starting to look like his All-Pro self by season's end after a semi-slow start as a result of rehabbing from the broken leg he suffered in September 2018. That being said, the fight with Clark that led to him getting sent home prior to his release on Saturday clearly wasn't his first clash with teammates and the brass' swift action in cutting him indicates that his potential to disrupt the locker room was more important than his on-field contributions. 

So who is going to replace him on short notice? 3rd year player DeShon Elliott is believed to be getting the first crack at the job, which is a little alarming considering that he's yet to play any meaningful snaps at safety during his pro career and didn't exactly light it up during his time at the University of Texas. Unfortunately, their other options aren't any more appealing. Rookie Geno Stone might not make the team, Jordan Richards gets abused by receivers every time he steps on the field, Anthony Levine is a special teamer who has played on defense in emergency situations and the guys on the free agent market (Reshad Jones, Eric Reid, Antoine Bethea, Darian Stewart, Kurt Coleman) are all available at this juncture for a reason. Having one liability in the secondary isn't an insurmountable obstacle, but it's still a tough pill to swallow when you would've had a future Hall of Famer out there if he wasn't acting like a prick.   

Key to Reaching Their Ceiling: Lamar Jackson Continuing to Improve as a Passer

Showstopping runs are understandably the thing that's going to remembered the most from Jackson's MVP season. His superhuman speed and shiftiness when he ran with the ball made him an endless highlight reel and allowed him to smash Michael Vick's record for most rushing YDS by a quarterback (1,205). However, the X factor behind his success was the tremendous strides he made as a passer. His completion percentage rose nearly 8% (58.2 to 66.1), he threw 6x more TD's (6 to 36) and more importantly, looked much more comfortable and poised in the pocket than he did during his rookie season. As good as he was in the regular season, he put together another dud in the postseason (52.5 CMP%, 1 TD, 2 INT) that raised questions about whether or not he had the passing skills to lead a team from behind.

Based on how Jackson took accountability for his role in the Ravens poor performance and the return of Greg Roman at offensive coordinator, there's seem to good odds that Jackson will take another step forward as a passer this season. Jackson seems like he as a terrific work ethic, there were a ton of throws that he couldn't have made as a rookie that he did last year and Roman has the coaching/playcalling prowess to push him to the next level while still playing to his strengths. If Jackson can continue to improve his downfield accuracy and learn how to consistently throw on the run, he's going to be borderline unstoppable. 

Bottom Line:

With a largely returning roster and potentially impactful additions on defense, the Ravens are in a great spot to return to the top of the AFC hierarchy.

Cincinnati Bengals:

2019 Record: 2-14 (4th in AFC North)

Head Coach: Zac Taylor (2nd season)

Notable Additions: DT D.J. Reader, S Vonn Bell, CB Trae Waynes

Notable Departures: QB Andy Dalton, TE Tyler Eifert, G John Miller

Notable Opt-Outs: None

Biggest Reason to Get Excited: Mike Brown Actually Spent Money on Free Agents

The most quietly shocking story of the offseason was that notorious cheapskate Mike Brown actually broke out his checkbook to sign legit free agents. They added a few promising young pieces to their ailing secondary (rangey safety Vonn Bell, respectable slot corner Mackenise Alexander, scrappy outside corner Trae Waynes-who is currently sidelined with a torn pec that will keep him out until at least November), a productive albeit not overly flashy veteran inside linebacker in Josh Bynes  and even landed one of the best interior defensive lineman in the league over the past couple of years in D.J. Reader. Of course these moves could backfire, but it was just nice to see him actually hand out contracts to free agents who aren't just scrap heap fodder that nobody else wanted. 

Biggest Question Mark: Offensive Line

Poor offensive line play has become the norm of late with the Bengals. This group has been an absolute dumpster fire since the likes of Kevin Zeitler, Andrew Whitworth and Eric Winston left town and none of the seemingly endless combinations of guys they've trotted out there over the past seasons have done anything positive. Since many of the parties responsible for 2019's shitshow will be back in action this season (Bobby Hart, Michael Jordan, Trey Hopkins, Billy Price-who mercifully is slated for a backup role at the moment after grading out as the worst interior lineman in football last season) and they replaced John Miller with another journeyman stiff that didn't live up to their standing as a 2nd round draft pick in Xavier Su'a-Filo, the lone man that could bring about positive change is left tackle Jonah Williams. 

Before he went down with a torn labrum before training camp last season, the 2019 1st round pick was widely hailed as being the most well-rounded tackle prospect in his draft class and the type of guy that could instantly stabilize an offensive line. Putting all of your hopes on a 2nd year lineman who has yet to have any NFL game reps to come in and bolster an offensive line that just happens to be tasked with protecting their coveted rookie quarterback Joe Burrow right is alarming, but that's the unfortunate position the Bengals have gotten themselves stuck in. 

Key to Reaching Their Ceiling: Zac Taylor's Offensive Mind

Last year's Bengals pretty much ruined any chance Zac Taylor had to prove himself as an offensive guru last season in his debut season. Their talent pool was relatively limited with A.J. Green out for the entire season, the offensive line was an unmitigated disaster and the combination of the relentlessly mediocre Andy Dalton and hapless rookie Ryan Finley at quarterback didn't exactly exhibit a level of play that could be associated with winning football. 

Entering 2020, Taylor is entering a much rosier situation. Green is back in action, they drafted another promising wideout in Tee Higgins and Burrow may be end up being one of the brightest QB prospects to enter the league in years. While a built-in excuse remains as he enters a season with an offensive line that is expected to still struggle and a rookie quarterback that had to deal with an unconventional offseason that could be detrimental to his development, Taylor should be able to navigate these problems pretty seamlessly if he's the offensive genius he's believed to be. He has a solid war chest of weapons (in addition to the aforementioned guys, Tyler Boyd is a grossly underrated wideout, Joe Mixon is one of the better running backs in the league and John Ross showed that he can make some splash plays on occasion) to work and could tailor a simplified offense around Burrow's skill set to make the learning curve less imposing. While it won't be the definitive referendum on him as an HC, how Taylor handles 2020 should provide some clarity on whether or not he's an innovative coach like his mentor Sean McVay or just another overhyped clown that got to where he was simply because his former boss was the football flavor of the week. 

Bottom Line:

A steady improvement from their 2-14 2019 campaign seems likely, but this team is still far too flawed and unproven to take overly seriously in 2020.

Cleveland Browns

2019 Record: 6-10 (3rd in AFC North)

Head Coach: Kevin Stefanski (1st season)

Notable Additions: T Jack Conklin, TE Austin Hooper, S Karl Joseph 

Notable Departures: ILB Joe Schobert, S Damarious Randall, ILB Christian Kirksey 

Notable Opt-Outs: DT Andrew Billings

Biggest Reason for Excitement: Freddie Kitchens is Gone

With only a year and a half of playcalling experience as an OC and whispers that Gary Kubiak was more responsible for the Vikings offensive success than him, Kevin Stefanski is far from a guaranteed home run hire. That being said, he has done have one thing going for him: he's not Freddie Kitchens. 

Considering that the Browns let Hue Jackson stick around for part of a 3rd season after winning 1 game in the prior 2 seasons, Kitchens seemed like a decent bet to return. But clearly Jimmy Haslam had gained some kind of perspective from the Jackson debacle and wisely terminated him the day after the regular season ended. It took less than a month into the season to realize that Kitchens was way over in his head as head coach. He had zero control over the locker room and his comically inept playcalling proved that he wasn't ready to take on that gig full time despite his respectable showing as the interim OC following the firing of Jackson in 2018. 

At the very least, Stefanski has proven that he can run an effective offensive for an entire season and his relationship with a proven offensive mastermind like Kubiak-who was promoted to Vikings OC following his departure-indicates that he at least has somewhat of a chance of ending the Browns extended run of employing subpar-to-awful coaches.         

Biggest Question Mark: Baker Mayfield 

While Kitchens' poor playcalling absolutely played a factor in Mayfield's sophomore slump, his attitude was the driving force behind his regression. He played like a guy who bought every ounce of the offseason hype surrounding himself and the team, and that misguided expectation that the Browns were a sure bet to succeed resulted him in playing the kind of sloppy, inefficient football (22 TD, 21 INT, 59.4 CMP%, 78.8 QBR-the latter trio all ranked 2nd worst in the league) that you can't have from an aspiring franchise QB.

From a personnel standout, Mayfield is in a golden position to bounce back. He has a new coach with a solid reputation, a loaded group of weapons (Nick Chubb, Odell Beckham Jr, Jarvis Landry, Kareem Hunt, the just-signed Austin Hooper), a talented all-around defense that should likely prevent games from getting out of hand and an offensive line that seems destined to be better after bringing in Jack Conklin and rookie Jedrick Wills to replace the turnstile twins otherwise known as Chris Hubbard and "Ganja" Greg Robinson at the tackle spots. With that out of the way, it's highly unlikely that the classic secondary reasons for QB failure end up being the determining factor for his fate. 

He proved as a rookie in 2018 that the raw talent is there, it's just that right now his ego is suppressing those gifts. He thought he had already arrived as the next star quarterback in the league, but got unceremoniously reminded throughout 2019 that a string of good games as a rookie doesn't qualify you for greatness. New wave franchise QB's like Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson didn't just take their initial success for granted, they continued to hone their craft like they've achieved nothing at all in the league and that's not likely to change until they hang it up. His ability to work harder at developing chemistry with his receivers, tune out outside noise and learn from the slew of decisionmaking mistakes he made last season is going to determine whether or not he's the real deal or just the latest bust to play quarterback for the Browns. 

Key to Reaching Their Ceiling: Getting the Most Out of Odell Beckham Jr. and Kareem Hunt

The aforementioned slew of weapons wasn't quite as dangerous as it could've been a year ago because Odell Beckham Jr. (74 REC/1,035 YDS/4 TD) and Kareem Hunt (464 scrimmage YDS/3 TD's in 8 games) didn't play their best ball during their inaugural seasons with the Browns. While some of that can be attributed to having to learn a new offense (or in the case of Hunt-entering the fold mid-way through the year), Mayfield's struggles and Kitchens' scheming/playcalling, it also can't be denied that they weren't giving it 100% effort. 

If they want to turn the tide in year 2, Mayfield and Stefanski are going to have to show more faith in them and get them to completely buy into the team. Beckham Jr. can make magic after the catch if you can get him the ball in the open field and Hunt is an elusive, dual-threat back that could be an excellent change-of-pace complement to the punishing downhill running of Nick Chubb. If these two can start to pop like they did with the Giants and Chiefs respectively, the entire AFC North race could get turned on its head.   

Bottom Line:

Despite their practically guaranteed coaching upgrade and an arsenal of talent on both sides of the ball, the uncertainty surrounding Baker Mayfield paired with the strength of this division makes the Browns quest to snap their 17-year playoff drought an uphill climb.   

Pittsburgh Steelers

2019 Record: 8-8 (2nd in AFC North)

Head Coach: Mike Tomlin (14th season)

Notable Additions: TE Eric Ebron, G Stefen Wisnewski, FB Derek Watt

Notable Departures: G Ramon Foster (retired), DT Javon Hargrave, S Sean Davis

Notable Opt-Outs: None

Biggest Reason for Excitement: A Deep, Horrifying Defense 

What the Steelers defense accomplished last season was nothing short of remarkable. They finished as the 5th ranked scoring defense (18.9) and led the league in takeaways (38) and sacks (54) despite playing alongside a sleepy offense that constantly forced them onto the field because they couldn't sustain drives. Their contributions alongside the sturdy coaching of Mike Tomlin almost managed to will a team that had Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges under center for 14 of 16 games to the playoffs, which should've never even been a real possibility. 

Regardless of how the offensive situation shakes out this season, the Steelers have to be thrilled that they have such a talented defensive group that still has so much room to grow. T.J. Watt emerged as an absolute force on the edge last season (55 TKLS, 14.5 sacks, 8 FF's, 4 FUM REC, 2 INT's), Steven Nelson could very well be the most underrated corner in the league, Cameron Heyward continues to be an all-around disruptor on the defensive line, Devin Bush flashed real potential as a field-spanning playmaker at inside linebacker during his rookie season and rising star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who earned his 1st career All-Pro and Pro Bowl appearances in 2019, has a real chance of getting even better in his 1st full season in Keith Butler's system. Even their "weaker" starters (Terrell Edmunds, Vince Williams, Joe Haden) are competent players who don't make a lot of egregious mistakes. This combination of young and veteran talent and no real holes to speak if makes them my pick for the most fearsome defense on paper heading into 2020.   

Biggest Question Mark: Ben Roethlisberger's Health

When Roethlisberger hurt his elbow at the end of the Steelers Week 2 contest with the Seahawks last September, it felt like the potential end of the line for the veteran QB. Returning from a major injury that could do serious damage to his accuracy/arm strength as a passer at the age of 38 is far from a guarantee, especially for a guy with a questionable work ethic that has been taking largely self-imposed beatings for the past 15 years.

Well, fast forward to the draft in April and the Steelers surprised a lot of people by not drafting a quarterback. Time will tell whether this move was a sign of faith that Roethlisberger's elbow was going to hold up fine or just a courtesy to the 2x Super Bowl Champ for services rendered, but going into the year with Rudolph and Hodges returning as the backups provides an alarmingly small amount of wiggle room if something comes up with his health.   

Key to Reaching Their Ceiling: Getting Literally Anything Out of Their Offense

As I mentioned above, the Steelers offense was an abomination last season. Terrible QB play and stacked boxes for the revolving door of bodies (James Connor, Jaylen Samuels, Benny Snell, Trey Edmunds) that lined up at running back made moving the ball a damn near impossibility. Given their solid collection of receivers (JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington, Dioante Johnson, free agent pickup Eric Ebron, rookie Chase Claypool), offensive line (David DeCastro, Alejandro Villanueva, Maurkice Pouncey, Matt Feiler, Stefen Wisnewski-who is replacing the retired Ramon Foster) and backs (all of the aforementioned guys are back for 2020), merely competent play at quarterback should be enough to right the ship.

So just how likely is it that Roethlisberger can pull this off? I'd say about 50/50. If early reports are to believed, Roethlisberger has been a mixed big at training camp with some concern being expressed over his touch on deep balls. Even without a reliable deep ball, a semi-healthy Roethlisberger should be a big improvement over what they had last season and that would go a long way in helping this team return to the realm of contenders in the AFC. 

Bottom Line:

Massive questions at quarterback are the only thing preventing me from going all in on the Steelers this season. 

Projected Standings:

1.Baltimore Ravens (11-5)

2.Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)

3.Cleveland Browns (8-8)

4.Cincinnati Bengals (5-11)   

Fantasy Football Sleeper Mania: 2020 Edition

Finding late round hidden treasures is a difficult task that tends to be a crucial part of enjoying success in fantasy football. Here are the guys that I think are most likely to fill that role at each key position in 2020. 

Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers (Packers) (ADP: Yahoo!: 95.7 ESPN: 107.7 NFL.com: 76.5)

Referring to Rodgers as a sleeper option feels weird even after back-to-back pedestrian seasons (4,442 YDS/25 TD/2 INT in '18, 4,002 YDS/26 TD/4 INT in '19), but since he's currently on the QB2 borderline on every major fantasy site save for NFL.com, that's just how it is. While Rodgers still doesn't have a particularly deep set of weapons, the potential spite-driven motivation to step his game up following the Packers selection of Jordan Love in the 1st round of this year's draft could lead to a return to dominant fantasy form for the future Hall-of-Famer.   

Honorable Mentions: Daniel Jones (Giants), Baker Mayfield (Browns), Gardner Minshew (Jaguars)

Deep Sleeper: Drew Lock (Broncos)

Rookie Sleeper: Joe Burrow (Bengals)

Running Back: Phillip Lindsay (Broncos) (ADP: Yahoo!: 107.4, ESPN: 105.3, NFL.com: 103.5)

Presumed starter Melvin Gordon's durability issues and struggles with the Chargers last season makes Lindsay a solid bet to see significant reps at some point this season. His consistent contributions in the rushing game (back-to-back 1,000+ YD seasons, 16 TD's)/decent pass-catching ability (a career receiving line of 70 REC/437 YDS/1 TD) have made him a high floor RB2 option in his first 2 NFL seasons and getting a young player with a track record of reliability like that in the 9th-10th round feels like a potentially massive steal. 

Honorable Mentions: Ronald Jones (Buccaneers), Alexander Mattison (Vikings), Justin Jackson (Chargers)

Deep Sleeper: Damien Harris (Patriots)

Rookie Sleeper: Zack Moss (Bills)

Wide Receiver: Brandin Cooks (Texans) (Yahoo!: 110.9, ESPN: 109.9, NFL.com: 104.8)

With DeAndre Hopkins gone, the Texans now have a vacancy at their top receiver spot. Of all the candidates for this gig (Will Fuller, Randall Cobb, Kenny Stills), Cooks has the best chances of seizing that role. Prior to his poor, injury-plagued campaign with the Rams last season, he had racked up 5 straight 1,000+ YD seasons with 3 different teams (Saints, Patriots, Rams) and his combination of solid route-running and hands make him a more versatile option than the rest of the Texans receiving corps. If he can stay healthy, get reacquainted with the endzone (he only had 7 TD's during his 2 seasons with the Rams after scoring at least 7 in each of the prior 3 seasons) and use his hardened gridiron drifter mentality to quickly develop a rapport with Deshaun Watson, a top 20 finish isn't out of the question.

Honorable Mentions: Darius Slayton (Giants), Dionate Johnson (Steelers), Christian Kirk (Cardinals)

Deep Sleeper: Parris Campbell (Colts)

Rookie Sleeper: Brandon Aiyuk (49ers)

Tight End: Dallas Goedert (Eagles) (Yahoo!: 130.0, ESPN: 166.2, NFL.com: 135.5)

Goedert took advantage of the Eagles injury/productivity problems at wide receiver and quietly put together a respectable 2019 campaign (58 REC/607 YDS/5 TD's) that included 5 straight games of 41+ receiving YDS to end the season. With the receiver situation still unsettled in the wake of Alshon Jeffrey's presence on the PUP list as he continues to rehab the foot injury that landed him on the IR last December and uncertainty around DeSean Jackson's ability to bounce back from the sports hernia surgery that cost him most of the 2019 season, Goedert has a real chance to build off his opportunistic late season success in 2019 and become a focal point of their passing game in 2020.   

Honorable Mentions: Mike Gesicki (Dolphins), Chris Herndon (Jets), Jonnu Smith (Titans)

Deep Sleeper: Irv Smith Jr. (Vikings)

Rookie Sleeper: Cole Kmet (Bears)

Defense: Colts (Yahoo!: 136.3, ESPN: 127.0, NFL.com: 148.3)

Their takeaway potential is a little bit questionable-especially in the INT department, but adding DeForest Buckner to a talented, youth-driven front 7 (Darius Leonard, Anthony Walker Jr., Bobby Okereke, Ben Banogu, lone old guy Justin Houston) could give them the pass-rushing pop to anchor a solid fantasy defense.

Honorable Mentions: Seahawks, Cowboys, Chargers

Deep Sleeper: Browns

2020 NFL Preview: AFC East

 Buffalo Bills

2019 Record: 10-6 (2nd in AFC East)

Head Coach: Sean McDermott (4th season)

Notable Additions: WR Stefon Diggs, CB Josh Norman, T Daryl Williams 

Notable Departures: DE Shaq Lawson, CB Kevin Johnson, OLB Lorenzo Alexander (retired)

Notable Opt-Outs: DT Star Lotulelei, CB E.J. Gaines

Biggest Reason for Excitement: Defense

Last season, the Bills morphed into a full blown stalwart defense ranking 2nd in points allowed (16.2 ppg), 4th against the pass and 10th against the rush. With nearly every key piece returning and a place in a division where there's serious question marks surrounding every other offense, there's a real possibility that they get even better in 2020. Tre'Davious White has shown legit lockdown potential at corner in just 3 seasons in the league, their aggressive safety tandem (Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer) is easily among the most talented in the league, defensive tackle/end Ed Oliver has a great chance to build off his promising rookie year with the departure of Jordan Phillips in free agency and opt-out of Star Lotulelei  and rookie A.J. Epenesa is a strong, technically-sound edge presence that could give vet Jerry Hughes the hard-nosed running mate he's been looking for over the last few seasons. Throw in a couple of young, athletic inside linebackers (Matt Milano, Tremaine Edmunds) and a veteran corner who has previously thrived in Sean McDermont's system (Josh Norman) and you have a group with a combination of tenacity, depth and explosiveness that could evolve into the best defense in football.       

Biggest Question Mark: Can Stefon Diggs remain content in a Josh Allen-led offense?

Stefon Diggs shot his way out of Minnesota because he wasn't happy with Kirk Cousins' play. While Cousins' tendency to crumble when adversity strikes and disappear on the biggest stages makes him a frustrating player at times, he's still a steady veteran presence who can be trusted to get the ball into the hands of his top receivers in most situations. If Diggs had an issue with the way Cousins played, wait until he gets a load of Josh Allen. 

Cousins is an accurate passer (he hasn't completed less than 64.3% of his passes in a season since he became a full time starter in 2015 and averaged just a hair under 70% during the 2 years he played with Diggs in Minnesota) all over the field who doesn't turn the ball over an exorbitant amount (he's never thrown more than 13 INT's in a season and last year he only threw 6 in 15 games). On the other hand, Allen is a full blown gunslinger that is more likely to produce a WTF-inducing incompletion/turnover/decision than a highlight-reel worthy home run play. He also might have the worst touch (especially on deep balls) of any starting quarterback in the league right now (he's ranked dead last in completion percentage among qualifying quarterbacks in each of his first two seasons). It's entirely possible that being the uncontested top receiver will be enough for him to gloss over Allen's erratic play, but it's just as likely that he'll come to a realization of just how he good he had with the steady yet unflashy Cousins after watching Allen sky a ball over his head a couple dozen times.

Key to Reaching Their Ceiling: Josh Allen growing into a real quarterback

Allen received widespread praise for his growth during his sophomore campaign last season. While I'll agree that he improved from his rookie season, the pats on the back he got were pretty damn excessive. Despite taking a big step forward with his short-to-intermediate accuracy, he still completed just 58.8% of his passes, nearly all of his respectable passing performances came against middling-to-bad defenses that didn't put pressure on him (Dolphins, Washington, Titans) and his spectacular implosion in the 4th quarter of the Wild Card game against the Texans was a horrifying case study in how detrimental his  frantic decisionmaking can be to this team.

To Brandon Beane's credit, he understands that Allen's development is imperative to the team achieving their title aspirations and has heavily invested in building a strong supporting cast to boost his odds of succeeding. Diggs' combination of a deep route tree with lethal YAC ability gives them another all-around playmaking receiver to put alongside John Brown and Cole Beasley, their running back group (Devin Singletary, rookie Zack Moss, T.J. Yeldon) has the versatility and depth to take pressure off him when needed and they just gave left tackle Dion Dawkins-who has been a solid, reliable blindside protector that has brought some much needed stability to an offensive line that has had its share of injury/consistency issues since Allen has been the starter- an extension that will keep him in Buffalo through the 2024 season. Now it's up to offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and Allen himself to iron out his decisionmaking and accuracy issues, so he can grow past being the athletic, rocket-armed "looks the part" wild card he's been at the start of his NFL career and morph into the reliable, refined franchise quarterback the the Bills have lacked since Jim Kelly retired.    

Bottom Line:

The Bills are the clear frontrunner in the AFC East and as long as they play up to their potential and the Patriots don't regress less any expected, they should be able to take home their first division title since 1995.

Miami Dolphins:

2019 Record: 5-11 (4th in AFC East)

Head Coach: Brian Flores (2nd season)

Notable Additions: CB Byron Jones, OLB Kyle Van Noy, DE Shaq Lawson

Notable Departures: S Reshad Jones, DE Charles Harris,  DT John Jenkins

Notable Opt-Outs: WR Albert Wilson, WR Allen Hurns

Biggest Reason for Excitement: Investing in Notable Free Agents

At this time last season, the Dolphins started what appeared to be the most shameless tank job in NFL history. Just about any asset that had value (Laremy Tunsil, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Kenyan Drake, Kenny Stills) on their roster was dealt away before the trade deadline in October, pushing several young players/journeymen into the starting lineup and making the #1 pick seem like a lock. Remarkably, this plan backfired as the Dolphins won 5 of their last 9 games after a pitiful 0-7 start including a Week 17 road victory over the Patriots that proved to be a key factor in the Chiefs path to a Super Bowl victory. Even without the #1 pick in their possession, things still turned out pretty well for the 'Phins this offseason as that surprise overachievement and the abundance of free cap space that stemmed from their tank attempt made them an attractive free agent destination that helped them land several prosepctive starters on both sides of the ball. 

Kyle Van Noy, who played for Flores in New England, is an explosive swiss army knife that can be deployed as an edge rusher or coverage linebacker, Shaq Lawson is a well-rounded edge defender who is coming off back-to-back solid seasons with the Bills after a nondescript start to his career, Ereck Flowers appears to have finally found his place in the league at guard after a wretched start to his career at tackle, Ted Karras is a steady, smart interior lineman that logged 20 starts during his 4 years with the Patriots and Byron Jones-a strong cover man/pass breakup machine who has experience at every spot in the secondary-is the perfect running mate for 2018 All-Pro Xavien Howard at corner. Bringing in veteran players at key positions to pair with their influx of young players (Christian Wilkins, Mike Gesicki, Raekwon McMillan, Jerome Baker, rookies Austin Jackson, Noah Igbinoghene, Robert and Raekwon Davis) could kick this rebuilding effort into the next gear if these guys can successfully adjust to this system.

Biggest Question Mark: Is DeVante Parker a legit #1 Wideout?

After a pretty underwhelming start to his NFL career, Parker put together an impressive 2019. The 14th overall pick in the 2015 draft took advantage of the 1st healthy season of his career by logging a 72 REC/1,202YD/9 TD campaign that most notably included registering over 50 yards in all but 3 games and a week 17 torching (8 REC/137 YDS) of eventual defensive player of the year Stephon Gilmore that grabbed the attention of the entire league. His consistent strong play even earned him a nice little in-season contract extension (4 years/$40 mil) last December. Between this new contract and the choice to not add anymore WR's in the draft or free agency, the front office is showing that they have a lot of faith that Parker is capable of being the top receiver in South Beach for the foreseeable future.

As good as he was last year, it's easy to question if that productivity was the product of a fluke. Aside from the durability issues I alluded to earlier, he didn't exactly light it up in the past when he was healthy. His previous high yardage total was 744 back in 2016 and he only had 9 career TD's prior to last season, which is bizarre considering that his jump ball skills/redzone prowess was a big part of why he went so high in the draft.

 Another understated concern is that new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey's system won't put in him as any positions to succeed as Chad O' Shea's did last year and that he won't have the same chemistry with future starter Tua Tagovailola that he does with current stopgap option Ryan Fitzpatrick. With vets Albert Wilson and Allen Hurns opting-out of the season and projected number 2 wideout Preston Williams coming off a torn ACL, they better hope Parker is just a late bloomer instead of a one year wonder. 

Key to Reaching Their Ceiling: Establishing Some Semblance of a Running Game

Running Back wasn't exactly a position of strength for the Dolphins last year. Kenyan Drake got traded, Mark Walton, who averaged a decent 3.8 YDS per carry, was released 3 games after he took over for Drake following a domestic violence arrest and the pair of backs who finished the season with the team failed to eclipse (Patrick Laird, Kallen Ballage) the 200-YD mark. With their ground game ineptitude, they unsurprisingly ended up with the worst rushing offense in football registering a whopping 1,156 YDS on the ground for THE ENTIRE SEASON. Even crazier, Ryan Fitzpatrick finished as their leading rusher with 243 YDS and he only ran it 54 times in 15 appearances (13 starts). Safe to say, if they can go 5-4 without even a hint of a running game, imagine what a half decent rushing attack could do for this offense. 

The men tasked with accomplishing the modest goal of a semi-functional running game will be Jordan Howard and Matt Brieda. Howard is a patient, powerful runner between the tackles that is just 2 years removed from a successful workhorse role with the Bears while Brieda is an explosive, dual-threat back who has averaged over 5 yards per carry in back-to-back seasons with the 49ers and has much less tread on his tires than most 25-year old backs with multiple seasons of starting experience (448 touches in 3 season). If they can stay healthy and get some solid blocking from this overhauled o-line led by Karras, Flowers and their two early draft picks (Jackson, Hunt), this is an experienced tandem that should complement each other nicely and take them to the promised land of the 13th-18th ranked rushing offense in the league. 

Bottom Line:

Intriguing new additions paired with the sense of optimism about Flores' head coaching ability gives the Dolphins some overachievement potential, but they're still too young and unproven to take seriously in 2020. 

New England Patriots

2019 Record: 12-4 (1st in AFC East)

Head Coach: Bill Belichick (21st season)

Notable Additions: QB Cam Newton, RB Lamar Miller, QB Brian Hoyer

Notable Departures: QB Tom Brady, OLB Kyle Van Noy, OLB Jamie Collins 

Notable Opt-Outs: ILB Dont'a Hightower, S Patrick Chung, T Marcus Cannon

Biggest Reason for Excitement: Secondary

From the inevitable yet still surreal exit of Tom Brady to the bulk of their linebacking corps (Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, Elandon Roberts) departing for teams led by Belichick disciples the 'Rona-fueled opt-outs of multiple starters including Don'ta Hightower and Marcus Cannon, an uncharacteristic wave of grim news has repeatedly hit the typically infallible Patriots this offseason. Even with all of this negativity floating around, this is still a team that went 12-4 a year ago and the secondary that served as the catalyst for the #1 scoring defense that anchored that campaign is still looking lethal. 

While longtime cornerstones Patrick Chung (opt-out) and Duron Harmon (traded to Lions) won't be out there, they still have 4 corners that with high level coverage skills (Stephon Gilmore, Jason McCourty, Jonathan Jones, J.C. Jackson), a smart center fielder in Devin McCourty who continues to produce even as his speed starts to decline at the age of 33, and rookie safety Kyle Dugger is an intriguing raw talent with unreal athleticism who should benefit from playing in a system that tends to get the most out of its defensive backs and being mentored by a player with the on-field resume and leadership of Devin McCourty. Repeating as the top pass defense in the league seems a little bit unrealistic, but there's enough depth and proven talent in this group to believe that a top 3 finish is a strong possibility.  

Biggest Question Mark: Quarterback Situation

Replacing Tom Brady was never going to be an easy task to pull off, but what's been surprising is how directionless Bill Belichick's succession plan appears to be. At the start of the offseason, it looked like it was going to be second year player Jarrett Stidham's job. He was leading off-site workouts with the receivers and the local media here in Massachusetts was pumping him up as a lock to be the next franchise quarterback. Then there were whispers that the herpes of the Patriots quarterback room Brian Hoyer was going to get the job because he knows Josh McDaniels' system so well from his previous 13 1-to-2 year stints with the team. Right when the Hoyer propaganda started to take off in late June, everything got blown to shit when they went out and signed Cam Newton-who has an excitement/prestige factor that the other two options simply don't .

So where are they now as training camp starts to enter the padded practice phase? Great question. In fact, things are arguably messier than ever since multiple media outlets are now reporting they're considering rolling out some kind of three-way committee to start the year. I get it, they all have serious red flags: Stidham is a gunslinging kid whose only regular season appearance included a hideous pick 6 to Jamal Adams, Hoyer is a passive, noodle-armed jabroni who sucks the life out of every offense he lines up with and Newton has been an injury-plagued shell of his former MVP self over the past few seasons that has the added bonus of trying to comeback from the major shoulder surgery he had roughly 11 months ago. However, to suggest that a three-way committee at quarterback is a viable solution to this conundrum is laughable. Even if the battle at the position never fully clarifies in camp, Belichick will have a definitive starter in Week 1 and it'll likely be Newton because of his insane upside or Hoyer because of all of the clipboard reps he's put in over the years. Is a short leash for the initial starter possible? Absolutely, but a drive-by-drive revolving door like those reports suggested earlier this week is a silly fantasy training camp narrative that needs to be killed right away.    

Key to Reaching Their Ceiling: People Not Named Julian Edelman or James White Stepping Up in the Passing Game

  A combination of ineffective play at the receiver/tight end position and Tom Brady's steadfast refusal to throw to young players gave the Patriots the worst passing attack they've had in ages last season. Without Brady, the latter will be off the table and that will subsequently remove whatever built-in excuse this group has. 34-year old Julian Edelman and unsung pass-catching running back James White can not be the only reliable options in the passing game, especially with a new quarterback that may want to break from the dip-and-dunk style of passing that Brady favored and the absence of a reliable rushing attack (sophomore back Damien Harris, who had just 4 garbage time carries as a rookie, has been getting most of the starting reps throughout camp due to the injury-related absences of Sony Michel and free agent pickup Lamar Miller-who is coming back from a torn ACL).

The good news for the Patriots is that they have a lot of untapped options at receiver that have a lot of potential to improve this season. N'Keal Harry made a few plays upon returning from the ankle injury that cost him the first 9 games of his rookie season that flashed the contested catch ability/body control that made him a 1st round pick, Jakobi Myers showed off solid route-running as a rookie, free agent addition Damiere Byrd is coming off a career best season with the Cardinals (32 REC/359 YDS/1 TD) after receiving semi-regular snaps (455, which accounted for 45% of the offensive plays) at WR for the first time as a pro and both tight ends they drafted (Devin Asiasi, Dalton Keene) flashed as pass-catchers in college. If even just a couple of these young guys can click and veteran option Mohamed Sanu can return to form after an injury-hampered 2019, the Patriots overhauled offense should be in pretty good shape.

Bottom Line:

Despite their crushing losses on both sides of the ball and messy quarterback situation, the Patriots still have enough talent to be a good, competitive football team .

New York Jets

2019 Record: 7-9 (3rd in AFC East)

Head Coach: Adam Gase (2nd season)

Notable Additions: C Connor McGovern, T George Fant, WR Breshad Perriman

Notable Departures: S Jamal Adams, WR Robby Anderson, CB Trumaine Johnson

Notable Opt-Outs: ILB C.J. Mosley, WR Josh Doctson

Biggest Reason for Excitement: The AFC East is the Most Open It's Been in 20 Years

The Jets just traded the best player they've drafted since Darrelle Revis, still employ Adam Gase and are owned by the Johnson family, so the fact that the Patriots aren't a lock to win the division is about the only victory they've enjoyed in 2020 thus far.

Biggest Question Mark: Adam Gase's locker room presence 

Adam Gase isn't a terrible coach on the field. His scheming/playcalling is fine most of the time and he's consistently been able to string together mediocre-to-decent seasons since he became a head coach in 2016. Where Gase becomes a real liability is in the locker room. He had an extensive history of clashing with players during his 3 years with the Dolphins and that attitude has followed him to the Jets as his antics were the driving force behind Jamal Adams demanding a trade. A smug, confrontational attitude has brought him nothing but trouble since he joined the head coaching ranks and it sure as hell isn't going to yield him positive results on a rebuilding football team that's populated with young players. Guys won't buy into that style of coaching without the resume to justify that behavior and he obviously doesn't have that. If Gase can't conduct himself in a less shitty manner, the Jets are going to remain trapped in no man's land and his ass will be in a prime position to get axed. 

Key to Reaching Their Ceiling: Offensive Line Play

This is a crucial season for the Jets offense as Le'Veon Bell looks to prove he was worth his big contract after a lackluster 2019, Sam Darnold hopes to breakthrough after a rocky start to his career and a slew of guys (Jamison Crowder, rookie Denzel Mims, veteran burner Breshad Perriman, tight end Chris Herndon) contend for the top receiving slot in the wake of Robby Anderson signing with the Panthers in free agency. The key to figuring out all of these situations is the offensive line. It's impossible to do anything meaningful personnel evaluations if Darnold has no time to throw, Bell has to fight through contact just to make it back to the line of scrimmage and the receivers can't make plays because the quarterback is getting acquainted with the turf every other time he drops back to pass.

Watching how the offensive line completely hindered this offense's ability to get off the ground last season, GM Joe Douglas decided to basically nuke the entire incumbent group (guard Alex Lewis is the only returning starter) and make o-line their top offseason priority in 2020. They gobbled up several veterans (center Connor McGovern, tackle George Fant, guard Greg Van Roten) at the start of their free agency and used their first round pick on Louisville product Mekhi Becton. Their aggression in trying to solve this crippling problem is admirable, but I'm not overly confident that this is the group that will be able to end their o-line woes. Fant was a constant negative presence on the Seahawks terrible offensive lines of the last several years, Van Roten and McGovern were basically invisible ahead of their solid 2019 campaigns and despite his heavily-touted imposing size/athleticism combo, Becton remains an incredibly raw prospect that could struggle with polished NFL defensive lineman. Douglas comes from the Howie Roseman tree of executives, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now that these risky pickups will at least allow the Jets the opportunity to see if they have anything with their offense as assembled, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if this group failed to improve things at all and had to be retooled once again a couple years from now

Bottom Line:

Dumping Adams before Gase basically just confirms the Jets are going all in on being the Jets in 2020. Anything more than 6 wins would be a triumph worthy of its own underdog book and/or movie deal. 

Projected Standings:

1.Buffalo Bills (11-5)

2.New England Patriots (9-7)

3.Miami Dolphins (6-10)

4.New York Jets (4-12) 

2020 NFL Preview Series (Update)

 After a brief delay, I'm happy to announce that the 2020 NFL Preview Series will start tomorrow with a look at the now Tom Brady-less AFC East. The retooled format will feature 3 sections (Biggest Reason for Excitement, Biggest Question Mark, Top Key to Reaching Their Ceiling) on each team along with the normal acknowledgments of each team's most notable additions/departures and division standings predictions. Following this inaugural entry, they'll be 2-3 previews per week leading up to the season opener between the Texans and Chiefs on September 10th. I'm excited to start talking football again and let's continue to hope that this season will go off with as few problems as possible in the era of the 'Rona.

Chris Maitland     

Sam Rockwell Ranked

Welcome to the latest edition of "Ranked", where I rank the franchise or the filmography of an actor/director and hand out related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Sam Rockwell-whose new movie "The One and Only Ivan" hits Disney+ on Friday.  

Sam Rockwell's Filmography Ranked:

20.The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (D-)

19.Charlie's Angels (2000) (C-)

18.Mr. Right (C)

17.The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (C)

16.The Best of Enemies (C+)

15.Iron Man 2 (C+)

14.Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (B-)

13.The Sitter (B-)

12.Cowboys & Aliens (B)

11.The Way, Way Back (B)

10.The Winning Season (B)

9.Choke (B)

8.Galaxy Quest (B+)

7.Richard Jewell (B+)

6.Frost/Nixon (B+)

5.Moon (B+)

4.Vice (A-)

3.Seven Psychopaths (A-)

2.Jojo Rabbit (A)

1.The Green Mile (A+)

Top Dog: The Green Mile (1999)

It's been a very long time since I've seen The Green Mile, so it's possible that its abundant sentimentality wouldn't resonate with me the same way that it did during both times I watched it in middle/high school. That being said, all of my memories of The Green Mile paint the picture of a stunning film full of warmth, striking performances and overwhelmingly heartfelt emotion.    

Lowlight: The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

As much as The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy sucks, it's kind of astonishing that Disney agreed to make it. A convoluted, pretentious British sci-fi comedy aimed at families is about as unsafe as it gets and there's no way that something like this would get greenlit under the current regime where anything that feels like it has even a tangible chance of failing to make a profit is off the table. If the day ever comes when Disney decides to roll the dice on something like this again, I'll let out an audible surprised gasp before eviscerating it for being an insufferable pile of garbage.   

Most Overrated: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Every year produces at least one Best Picture nominee that most film nerds just can't understand the hype behind. In 2017, the film that topped that list for me was Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. A few terrific performances (Frances McDormand, Rockwell, Lucas Hedges) and potent scenes couldn't overshadow the heavy reliance on contrived melodrama, awkward tonal shifts and infuriatingly ambiguous ending that destroyed whatever chance it had of achieving greatness.    

Most Underrated: Seven Psychopaths (2012)

Seven Psychopaths is the only one of Martin McDonagh's feature length directorial efforts thus far that hasn't received glowing praise, but in my eyes, it's his best work by far. The satire about the pretentiousness of screenwriters is very clever, the vicious yet quirky criminal underworld the protagonists get sucked creates a lot of scenarios where McDonagh's dark comedy chops get to shine and the ensemble cast (Colin Farrell, Rockwell, Christopher Walken, Woody Harrelson, Tom Waits, Abbie Cornish, Olga Kurylenko, Zeljiko Ivanek) is pretty much perfect. 

Top Performance in a Best Picture Nominee: Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Not even a full calendar year after delivering a spot-on impression of George W. Bush in Vice, Rockwell managed to deliver an even better performance in an eventual Best Picture nominee. His work as a deceptively compassionate Nazi officer running the Hitler Youth camp that the titular character (Roman Griffin Davis) attends is both hilarious and heartfelt.    

Most Discretely Bad Performance in a Superhero Movie: Iron Man 2 (2010)

Mickey Rourke's egregious overacting and awful Russian accent made Whiplash one of the most notably bad villains in superhero movie history. Given just how overwhelmingly bad Rourke is, Rockwell's performance as Whiplash's partner in crime Justin Hammer has been unfairly immune to criticism. While he doesn't have the proverbial scarlet letter of a hilariously bad accent attached to his character, Rockwell is 100% guilty of abusing the same playbook with only somewhat more favorable results.  

Is Rockwell Among the Top-Tier of Character Actors Working Today?: Without question

While admittedly this isn't a topic I've spent much time thinking about, Rockwell was one of the first names I came up with when briefly brainstorming the industry's best character actors earlier today. When breaking down Rockwell's intangibles as an actor, he fits the classic mold of the unsung veteran performer who delivers consistent, quality work despite rarely ever landing leading roles. He has the versatility to tackle any genre, a commanding presence that makes him capable of stealing any scene he appears in and whether it's an Oscar-winning part in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri or a silly bit part in an above average throwaway comedy like The Sitter, he's going to commit fully to the part no matter what.