The Best and Worst of Seann William Scott

The "Best and Worst" series profiles the best and worst work of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week I take a look at the filmography of "Goon: Last of the Enforcers" star Seann William Scott.

Films starring Seann William Scott that I've seen:

American Pie

Final Destination

Road Trip

Dude, Where's My Car?

Evolution 

American Pie 2

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

Old School

Bulletproof Monk

American Wedding

The Rundown

The Dukes of Hazzard

Ice Age: The Meltdown

Mr. Woodcock

Southland Tales

Role Models

Cop Out

Goon

American Reunion 

Movie 43

Best Performance: American Pie (1999)
Scott likely wouldn't have become one of the most prominent figures in comedy during the 2000's if it wasn't for American Pie. His larger-than life comedic presence made Steve Stifler one of the most entertaining, oddly likable douchebags in the history of teen comedies and ended up being a pretty significant part of why the film turned into a massive cult hit that spawned multiple sequels.

Worst Performance: The Dukes of Hazzard (2005)
Thanks to the success of American Pie, Scott been typecast as the sarcastic, loudmouth asshole in bro comedies for a vast majority of his career and by all accounts, he's consistently thrived in this very specific niche. To be honest, The Dukes of Hazzard was the only time where I felt his energetic dickhead routine ended up falling flat. Unlike his standout work in Role Models, The Rundown and the American Pie franchise, Scott managed to be completely insufferable and unfunny in this horrendous big-screen adaptation of the inexplicably popular 70's/80's television series.   

Best Film: The Rundown (2003)
Every generation of action movie fans has a selection of films they saw as a child/teenager that holds a special place in their heart. Peter Berg's The Rundown is one of those films for me. With its slew of excellent fight scenes, consistent laughs and a terrific pair of well-matched, charismatic actors (Scott and Dwayne Johnson) in the leading roles, The Rundown manages to be a deliriously entertaining viewing experience that I'll never grow tired of. 

Worst Film: The Dukes of Hazzard (2005)
Comedic adaptations of popular television shows from the 60's, 70's and 80's was a particularly big movement during the 2000's. The likes of Charlie's Angles, Starsky & Hutch and Get Smart were among the slew of past TV hits that found their way to the big screen during the inaugural years of the new millennium. While the quality of these films were unsurprisingly scattershot, I can say without any hesitation that The Dukes of Hazzard was by far the worst one that I actually saw. The car chases are headache-inducing, the performances from every member of the Duke family (Scott, Johnny Knoxville, Jessica Simpson, Willie Nelson) are atrocious and the attempts at comedy are nothing short of embarrassing. If it wasn't for Burt Reynolds' gloriously over-the-top turn as the Duke's arch nemesis Boss Hogg, this would be among the top 15-25 worst movies I've ever seen.
 

Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". Next week, I'll take a look at the best and worst work of "Home Again" star Michael Sheen.

2017 NFL Preview: NFC North

Chicago Bears

2016 Record: 3-13 (4th in NFC North)

Head Coach: John Fox (3rd season)

 Notable Additions: QB Mike Glennon, S Quentin Demps, CB Prince Amukamara

Notable Departures: QB Jay Cutler, WR Alshon Jeffrey, QB Brian Hoyer
-The Bears transitioned to the post Jay Cutler-era in the most Bears way possible. General manager Ryan Pace appeared to have settled on a new starter when he signed "top" free agent quarterback Mike Glennon to a 3-year/$45 mil contract ($18.5 mil guaranteed) on the 1st day of free agency. While many fans across the country chuckled at how much money the Bears committed to a guy who hasn't played in a meaningful game since 2014, it was a smart, low-risk move that would either net them a new long-term starter or allowed them to easily move onto another option in 2018 (Pace wisely put a majority of the guaranteed money into the 1st year of the deal, so the team will only take a $3 mil cap hit if they cut him after this season). A month and a half after signing Glennon, the Bears confused the entire football world by trading up in the draft to select North Carolina product Mitch Trubisky. Nothing says "we know what we're doing" like drafting a QB in the top 5 less than 8 weeks after you anointed another guy your starter in one of the most bullshit-filled press conferences in sports history. The scariest part about this unnecessary, self-imposed QB dilemma is neither of these guys are particularly promising options. Glennon was below-average during his brief tenure as the Bucs starter before they drafted legit franchise signal-caller Jameis Winston 2 years ago while Trubisky is a raw, inexperienced (he only started for 1 season at North Carolina) passer coming out of a spread system that appears to be at least 2 years away from being able to start in an NFL game. I miss Cutler already.

-Making this delightful quarterback situation that much better is the dumpster fire the team currently has at wide receiver. This already dire situation has turned into a full-on catastrophe after top wideout (aka the lone glimmer of hope in a pile of heinous junk) Cameron Meredith tore his ACL in the team's 3rd preseason bout with the Titans on Sunday afternoon. With Meredith out for the year, the Bears now have to rely on 2015 1st-round pick Kevin White, who has appeared in 4 games in his first 2 seasons in the league and the trio of veteran castoffs (Markus Wheaton, Kendall Wright, Victor Cruz) Pace acquired in free agency to ensure that his team has the most fragile receiving corps in the league to make significant contributions in the passing game. Handing a pair of shaky quarterbacks a receiving corps that is as injury-prone and generally ineffective as this is an act of cruel, senseless torture that should result in prison time for whatever masochist in the organization thought it was a good idea to not ink a single durable veteran to a contract during the aforementioned "save a sad veteran wideout from unemployment" operation they ran this offseason. The decision to not give Alshon Jeffrey an extension before the 2016 season is going to come back to furiously bite this front office in the ass once this group of training table frequent flyers fails to collectively post 1,500 yards for this season.

-The unsettling level of disarray that is now present in the Bears passing attack has put starting running back Jordan Howard in a really shitty spot. The 2nd-year back, who finished 2nd in the league with 1,313 yards in 2016, is now a lock to face stacked boxes at least 75% of the time he lines up in the backfield. While Howard is a powerful runner that broke a ton of tackles last season (40 on 252 total carries), getting that level of attention could really stunt his growth as a player. If Howard can clear 4 yards a carry and 1,000+ yards on the ground this year against so many loaded fronts, then he truly is the league's next great back.

-While it's been understandably overshadowed by the seemingly endless number of question marks they have on offense, this defense actually appears to be in decent shape heading into this season. Their front 7 did a good job of getting to the quarterback last season (38 sacks, tied for 11th in the league) and with nose tackle Eddie Goldman back at 100% after missing almost all of 2016 with a high ankle sprain, their run D should improve, the additions of solid veteran cornerback Prince Amukamara and safety Quentin Demps should help bring some stability to their otherwise young secondary and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has a proven track record of getting the most of every piece he's handed. They're clearly not going to challenging the Broncos, Seahawks, Texans, Patriots or Giants for the title of league's best defense anytime soon, but this unit has enough promising young talent (Adrian Amos, Leonard Floyd, Goldman) and underrated veterans (Akiem Hicks, Jerrell Freeman, Willie Young) to surprise some people in 2017.

Bottom Line:
Barring some shockingly strong quarterback play from 1 of their 2 wild cards at the position, 2017 will be yet another painful, emotionally-crushing season for the Bears. 

Detroit Lions

2016 Record: 9-7 (2nd in NFC North)

Head Coach: Jim Caldwell (4th season)

Notable Additions: T Ricky Wagner, G T.J. Lang, ILB Paul Worrilow

Notable Departures: T Riley Rieff,  G Larry Warford, S Rafael Bush
-It took a wave of luck (winning a tiebreaker over the Bucs despite ending the season on a 3-game losing streak) and a string of ridiculous 4th quarter comebacks (8 of their 9 wins were a result of late-game rallys) for the Lions to clinch a wild card spot last year. This may just be a result of me being a cynical prick, but I don't think Matthew Stafford and co. will be able to pull off that absurd feat again this season. Their roster just isn't overly good or deep on either side of the ball and I have a hard time buying them as a serious threat to contend in the tightly-contested without the acts of divine intervention that helped them pull off all of those unlikely rallies last season.

-Unlike their foes in Minnesota, the Lions went out and fortified their offensive line with a pair of smart, big-money free-agent signings this offseason. Ricky Wagner established himself as one of the league's premier right tackles during his 4-year tenure with the Ravens and former Packer T.J. Lang is a much more consistent run-blocker than previous starter Larry Warford. Pairing these excellent veteran lineman with 2nd-year tackle Taylor Decker, who greatly exceeded expectations as a rookie last season, should provide a much-needed spark to their long-suffering running game and help them sure up the pass-blocking inconsistencies that prevented them from being a top 10-12 line in the league a year ago.

-Ameer Abdullah needs to relish the opportunity Jim Caldwell and Jim Bob Cooter are giving him this season because it's most likely going to be his last chance to prove he can be a starting running back in the NFL. His brief professional career has shined an intense spotlight on the flaws (durability, ball security) he displayed during his time at the University of Nebraska while showcasing very little of the shiftiness and versatility that made him such a lauded prospect. He's looked pretty good in the preseason thus far and stands to benefit from the Lions somewhat-revamped offensive line, but the presence of pass-catching specialist Theo Riddick and gritcoin holder Zach Zenner-who both started and outplayed him while he missed time with a broken foot last season- in the backfield rotation make his room for error very small.

-No defensive player in the league is entering a more vital contract year than Ziggy Ansah. The 28-year defensive end was almost completely invisible a year ago, posting a paltry 2 sacks in 13 games after picking up 30 during his first 3 years in the league. A nagging ankle injury was reportedly to blame for Ansah's underwhelming season and given the fact that he's been on the PUP list for the duration of the preseason, there's no way of knowing if he's still hampered by it or the team is simply saving him for regular season action. Ansah's performance this season will not only effect how much money he'll land in his new contract, but it will also determine the productivity of the Lions pass-rush. 2016 team sack leader Kerry Hyder tore his ACL in the 1st preseason game and the front office's faith in Anasah's ability to return to form this season compelled them use to their draft assets elsewhere. Both parties need Ansah to thrive this season or else they'll end up side-by-side in a deep pit of self-loathing come January.      

Bottom Line:
Unless they can catch the same string of breaks they did in 2016, I don't see the Lions returning to the playoffs in 2017.

Green Bay Packers

2016 Record: 10-6 (1st in NFC North)

Head Coach: Mike McCarthy (12th season)

Notable Additions: TE Martellus Bennett, G Jahri Evans, CB Davon House

Notable Departures: G T.J. Lang, RB Eddie Lacy, C JC Tretter
-The Packers took a rare pair of potentially damaging hits by letting talented guards T.J Lang and center JC Tretter walk in free agency. Tretter had emerged as one of the league's most consistent young centers over the past 2 seasons and while the 30-year old Lang is nearing the end of his prime, he's still one of the top 15 guards in the league at this point in time. With Lang and Tretter now gone, this long-time strength could very well turn into a weakness. Center Cory Linsley is being thrust backing into the starting role after being benched in favor of Tretter at the start of the 2015 season while new pickup Jahri Evans is a long way removed from his dominant past as a perennial All-Pro with the Saints. Their elite tackle pairing (David Bakitahiri and Bryan Bulaga) should prevent them from completely imploding, but on paper, this looks it's going to be the shakiest o-line of the Aaron Rodgers/Mike McCarthy-era.

-Anyone that watched the Packers play in 2016 knows that their secondary outside of starting safeties Morgan Burnett and HaHa Clintion-Dix was nothing short of abysmal last year. While injuries admittedly played a part in this group's incompetence, the play of their young corners (Damarious Randall, Quentin Rollins, Ladarius Gunter) was often painful to watch. Even with a couple of tweaks and having all of their young corners return to the fold at full health, they're unlikely to be much better in 2017. Top draft pick Kevin King brings plenty of physicality to the table, but his coverage skills are still very much a work in progress, the return of Davon House to cheese country after a horrific 2-year stint in Jacksonville merely adds another uninspiring piece to their carousel of below-average corners and above all, there isn't a single guy currently on this roster that is consistent or dynamic enough to be a true #1 corner in the league. The blessing of not having any truly dominant receivers in their division should help keep things from getting out of hand during the regular season, but unless this secondary can make some unexpected strides, the Packers are going to run into some serious trouble come playoff time.

-The Packers signing of tight end Martellus Bennett could end up going down as one of the sneaky best moves of free agency. Bennett, who scored a career-high 7 TD with the Patriots last year, gives Aaron Rodgers yet another athletic vertical threat to work with as well as a much-needed redzone option in a primarily small-and-fast receiving corps. If he can develop a rapport with Rodgers and not get completely overshadowed by the Packers talented starting wideouts (Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams), I wouldn't be shocked if Bennett had the most productive season of his career thus far.

-By deciding not to re-up on Eddie Lacy and not bringing in any serious challengers during the offseason to compete for the job, the Packers appear to be committed to Ty Montgomery as their starting running back. The former wide receiver played pretty well last year (457 YDS, 3 TD's) in what was originally considered to be a temporary emergency gig due to injuries to Lacy and longtime backup James Starks. His lack of success in the playoffs last season ( 91 yards on 25 carries in 3 games)and small volume (including the playoffs, he only carried the ball 102 times last season) is a little bit alarming, but he still managed to do enough to prove he deserves a crack at the starting job. The progress or lack thereof Montgomery makes in his 1st full season as a starting running back should make for some fun drama on this otherwise stable, stagnant team.

Bottom Line:
With Aaron Rodgers still playing at an elite level and very limited roster turnover, the Packers are pretty much a lock to be in the NFC title mix for the 10th straight year. 

Minnesota Vikings

2016 Record: 8-8 (3rd in NFC North)

Head Coach: Mike Zimmer (3rd season)

Notable Additions: T Riley Rieff, T Mike Remmers, RB Latavius Murray

Notable Departures: RB Adrian Peterson, T Matt Kalil, CB Captain Munnerlyn
-Teddy Bridgewater is unsurprisingly still sidelined with the non-contact knee injury he suffered during a team practice last August, so that means that Vikings nation is in store for another season of the Sam Bradford experience. Bradford flexed why he's the king of efficient, relentlessly mediocre quarterback by setting an NFL single-season record for completion percentage (71.6%) in a year where the Vikings failed to parlay their hot start (6-0) into a playoff bid. Having Bradford under center once again raises the inevitable question of whether or not he is good enough to take a team to the playoffs. The 29-year old quarterback displayed a strong chemistry with a number of his top pass-catching targets (Adam Thielen, Kyle Rudolph, Stefon Diggs) and his reliance on low-risk short throws is ideal for defensive-driven team like the Vikings. However, if their defense is anything less than lights out and the running game doesn't take off like many people think it's going to this season, Bradford's "Alex Smith-light" style of play likely won't be enough to guide to them to the elusive promised land of playoffs.

-After watching the rushing game deteriorate without a healthy Adrian Peterson and Bradford run for dear life almost every time held the ball for more than 2 seconds, GM Rick Spielman finally decided to address the team's long-standing offensive line issues this offseason. Of course Spielman's idea of fixing the o-line was breaking out his checkbook to overpay the ever-loving shit out of a couple of guys from this year's horrific free agent class. The Vikings handed a pair of 5-year deals worth a  combined total of $36.8 mil in guaranteed money to the dream team of Riley Rieff, whose relentless inconsistency got him ousted by the Lions and ex-Panthers tackle Mike Remmers, who is best known for being the guy Von Miller put on skates for 4 quarters during Super Bowl 50. Handing out long-term deals for guys that are unlikely to be anything more than marginal improvements over woeful previous starters Matt Kalil and T.J Clemmings is a complete head-scratcher, especially for a team that currently has a starting quarterback with one of the lengthiest injury rap sheets in the league. The "overpay free agents to try and quickly fill a need" roster-building approach rarely yields positive results and I'd be surprised if this move ended up going down as one of the instances where this ill-advised yet consistently utilized personnel technique ended up working out.

-It became clear about halfway through last season that Adrian Peterson's time with the Vikings was going to come to a close after the 2016 season. The future Hall-of-Famer proved he wasn't a cyborg by showing signs of physical wear for the 1st time in his career and paying $18 million to a 32-year old back with a history of knee injuries that can't handle a 20+ carry per game workload anymore would be a batshit insane move. Replacing a generational talent like Peterson is going to be a tall order, but rookie Dalvin Cook absolutely has the potential to be a worthy successor. Cook, who surpassed Warrick Dunn as Florida State's all-time rushing leader last fall, has managed to impress the coaching staff so much in his first 4 months with the team that he's projected to beat out veteran free agent pickup Latavius Murray,who spent the past 2 seasons as the Raiders uncontested lead back, for the starting job. The Vikings early display of faith in Cook is an excellent sign for a player whose workouts were so heavily scrutinized throughout the pre-draft process. If Cook can avoid the off-the-field issues that played a role in his draft stock falling and display the same combination of vision, power and cutting ability that defined his time at FSU in the NFL, he should be able to make an instant impact for a Vikings squad that couldn't run the ball with any semblance of success a year ago.

Honorable Mentions:
Despite their abysmal offense line and average quarterback, the Vikings D is good enough to put them in the Wild Card mix.

 

Projected Standings

1.Green Bay Packers (11-5)

2.Minnesota Vikings (9-7)

3.Detroit Lions (7-9)

4.Chicago Bears (4-12) 

Top 10 Most Anticipated Albums of Fall 2017

10.Tove Lo-Lady Wood: Phase Two (Release Date: TBD October/November)
9.Counterparts-You're Not You Anymore (Release Date: September 22nd)
8.Archspire-Relentless Mutation (Release Date: September 22nd)
7.Machine Head-TBD (Release Date: TBD)
6.The Story So Far-TBD (Release Date: TBD)
5.The Faceless-In Becoming A Ghost (Release Date: TBD)
4.Converge-The Dusk in Us (Release Date: November 3rd)
3.Entheos-TBD (Release Date: TBD)
2.August Burns Red-Phantom Anthem (Release Date: October 6th)
1.The Black Dahlia Murder-Nightbringers (Release Date: October 6th)

Also excited for:
Septicflesh-Codex Omega (Release Date: September 1st)
Arch Enemy-Will to Power (Release Date: September 8th)
Cannabis Corpse-Left Hand Pass (Release Date: September 8th)
Stray From the Path-Only Death is Real (Release Date: September 8th)
The Contortionist-Clairvoyant (Release Date: September 15th) 
Ensiferium-Two Paths (Release Date: September 15th)
Foo Fighters-Concrete and Gold (Release Date: September 15th)
Gucci Mane-Mr.Davis (Release Date: September 15th)
Open Mike Eagle-Brick Body Kids Still Daydream (Release Date: September 15th)
Macklemore-Gemini (Release Date: September 22nd)
Mastodon-Cold Dark Place (Release Date: September 22nd)
Demi Lovato-Tell Me You Love Me (Release Date: September 29th)
Knuckle Puck-Shapeshifter (Release Date: October 13th)
Stick to Your Guns-True View (Release Date: October 13th)
Through the Eyes of the Dead-Disomus (Release Date: October 13th)
GWAR-The Blood of Gods (Release Date: October 20th)
Ne Obliviscaris-Urn (Release Date: October 27th)
Weezer-Pacific Daydream (Release Date: October 27th)
Denzel Curry-Taboo (Release Date: TBD)
ScHoolboy Q-TBD (Release Date: TBD)

2017 Fantasy Football Sleeper Mania

In the world of fantasy football, draft steals often play a pivotal role on the road to a championship. There's a whole lot of dart-throwing and blind faith involved in the quest to unearth a hidden gem in the back-end of the draft, but if you manage to land a productive player late, you will feel a borderline sad amount of pride and joy. Here are the group of guys that I believe are 2017's top, late-round (potential) studs.  

Quarterback: Derek Carr (Raiders) (Average Draft Position: Yahoo!: 102.4, ESPN: 118.8, NFL.Com: 92.7)

The lack of disrespect Derek Carr is receiving in fantasy circles this season is appalling. He is coming off a 28 TD, 6 INT season where he picked up legitimate MVP buzz and led the Raiders to their first playoff berth since 2002 yet he's still falling into the double-digit rounds in most drafts. With the Raiders plethora of lethal options in the passing game and his tendency to improve with each subsequent year in the league, Carr is a terrific pickup for anyone that likes to wait until the final 5-6 rounds of the draft to select a QB. 

Honorable Mentions: Kirk Cousins (Redskins), Matthew Stafford (Lions), Carson Wentz (Eagles)

Deep Rookie Sleeper : Mitch Trubisky (Bears)*

(Since no other rookie looks like they're going to get a shot at starting this season, Trubisky is getting this distinction by default.) 

Running Back: Bilal Powell (Jets) (ADP: Yahoo!: 100.8, ESPN: 50.6, NFL.com: 64.6)

The Jets dumpster fire at the quarterback and wide receiver position makes dual-threat back Powell, who has been very productive a complementary piece over the past few seasons, a near-lock to be the focal point of their rebuilding offense. As long as he can stay healthy, I think Powell will get enough volume on a weekly basis to finish as a top 10 back in both standard and PPR leagues. 

Honorable Mentions: Doug Martin (Buccaneers), Theo Riddick (Lions), Thomas Rawls (Seahawks) 

Deep Rookie Sleeper: Kareem Hunt (Chiefs)

Wide Receiver: Cameron Meredith (Bears) (ADP: Yahoo!: 101.3, ESPN: 92.8, NFL.com: 123.5) 

I initially had Pierre Garcon in this slot, but the wave of buzz that has surrounded him in the fantasy community (especially in PPR leagues) over the past few weeks has taken him out of the "sleeper" category in my mind. While Cameron Meredith is unlikely to emerge as the NFL's next prolific young WR, he's the type of guy that should be able to net you the type of consistent targets and production (a la what Kenny Britt did with the Rams last year) that you don't usually get out of a receiver that's going in the 9th-11th round range. 

Honorable Mentions: Rishard Matthews (Titans), Jeremy Maclin (Ravens), Marvin Jones Jr. (Lions)

Deep Rookie Sleeper: Cooper Kupp (Rams)

Tight End: Cameron Brate (Buccaneers) (ADP: Yahoo!: 131.0, ESPN: 177.2, NFL.com: 144.0)

While the Bucs spent a first round pick this year on tight end O.J. Howard, they're reportedly going to be primarily utilizing him as a blocker this season. As a result of this decision, Cameron Brate is now in position to have another nice season as the starting tight end for this upstart Buccaneers team. Brate emerged as Jameis Winston's favorite redzone target outside of Mike Evans last season and even if his nice TD total (8) from a year ago slightly declines, he'll still provide outstanding value at his current 12th-14th round draft slot.

Honorable Mentions: Jack Doyle (Colts), C.J. Fiedorowicz (Texans), Jesse James (Steelers)

Deep Rookie Sleeper: Evan Engram (Giants)

Defense: New York Giants (ADP: Yahoo!: 127.9, ESPN: 177.6, NFL.com: 102.3)

The Giants D impressed the hell out of me with their play down the stretch last season and with the abundance of playmakers they have scattered throughout their ranks, I believe they're going to blossom into a top-10 fantasy defense this season.

Honorable Mentions: Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers 

2017 NFL Preview: NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

2016 Record: 13-3 (1st in NFC East)

Head Coach: Jason Garrett (7th season)

Notable Additions: CB Nolan Carroll, DT Stephen Paea, T Byron Bell

 Notable Departures: QB Tony Romo (retired), T Doug Free (retired), CB Brandon Carr
-The on-field impact of Ezkiel Elliott's impending 6-game suspension for alleged domestic abuse is being completely overblown. The Cowboys are among the handful of teams in the league that could lose the reigning league leader in rushing yards and not suffer a notable drop-off in their ability to run the ball effectively. This rare luxury of having essentially having an exceptional, plug-and-play rushing attack can be attributed to their stellar offensive line. Even with the loss of starting right tackle Doug Free to retirement, this unit anchored by perennial All-Pros Tyron Smith, Travis Fredrick and Zach Martin should continue to open up massive rushing lanes 15-20 times per game, and single-handily pave the way for multiple 100+ yard rushing performances over the course of he season. Clearly they would prefer to have Elliott out there, but Darren McFadden, who ran for over 1,000 yards in 2015, and Alfred Morris should have no issue keeping the Cowboys among the top 10 in the league in rushing while he's out of the lineup.

-This story has gotten lost in the shuffle thanks to Elliott's off-the-field issues and level-headed discussions about Dak Prescott's potential moving forward dominating the offseason chatter out of Dallas, but good ol' Jerry Jones quietly let 4 key contributors from their secondary walk in free agency. Starters Barry Church, Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr along with backup safety J.J. Wilcox all left America's Team after collectively posting career-best seasons as pass-defenders in 2016. With those 4 out of the equation, this surprising strength from 2016 that kept this otherwise suspect defense afloat has suddenly turned into a huge question mark. Outside of lone returning starter Byron Jones, who has cemented himself as one of the best young defensive backs in the league over the past 2 seasons, the rest of their secondary looks pretty god damn shaky. Anthony Brown is a 2nd-year corner coming off a so-so rookie year, Nolan Carroll was absolutely awful with the Eagles last season, slot corner Orlando Scandrick hasn't looked the same since he tore his Achilles in 2015 and the limited starting experience of strong safety Jeff Heath makes him a true wild card. Even with a magician like Rod Marinelli overseeing the defense, I expect this secondary to be much worse in 2017.

-Dak Prescott was by far one of the biggest storylines of the 2016 NFL season. The 4th-round pick seized the opportunity to be the Cowboys starting quarterback once the now-retired Tony Romo hurt his back for the 12,000th time last preseason and went onto help them clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs for the 1st time since 2007 with a remarkable 13-win season. With the attention-grabbing success of Prescott's rookie campaign in the rearview mirror, it's now time to find out whether or not he's going to be the real deal in the pros. While Prescott's play a year ago didn't really sell me on his potential to be an upper-echelon quarterback in this league, I'm also not foolish enough to write him off as the next RG3 or Vince Young-esque single season success story yet. He displayed solid decisionmaking (he only threw 4 INT's on 459 pass attempts), accuracy (67.8 CMP%) and athleticism as a rookie, but his primary utilization as a ball-control quarterback and lack of big throws made in key situations raises questions about his ability to go out and take over a game like the best QB's in the league do on a regular basis. 2017 will start to reveal who Prescott really is and by extension, prove whether this new-look Cowboys team are going to be a perennial powerhouse or if 2016 was simply a case of a young signalcaller stringing together 1 glorious season of fluky success.    

Bottom Line:
With their off-the-field issues, young quarterback who has yet to prove he can win games by himself and major losses to a defense that wasn't all that great to begin with, I believe the Cowboys are in-line to have the biggest regression from 2016 to 2017 in the NFL.

New York Giants

2016 Record: 11-5 (2nd in NFC East)

Head Coach: Ben McAdoo (2nd season)

Notable Additions: WR Brandon Marshall, G D.J. Fluker, QB Geno Smith

Notable Departures: DT Jonathan Hankins, WR Victor Cruz, RB Rashad Jennings

-For as much shit as he gets from fans across the country, the numbers show that Eli Manning can be highly productive when he has the right pieces around him. Despite narrowly clearing 4,000 yards (4,027), completing a respectable 63% of his passes and leading his team to an 11-win season, 2016 wasn't the 2x Super Bowl champion's finest hour as a quarterback. Manning clearly threw some of his ugly, backbreaking INT's along the way, but the unreliability of the guys around star wideout Odell Beckham Jr. last season hurt their effectiveness in the redzone (they only scored a TD on 51.1% of their redzone possessions, which ranked 22nd in the NFL) and pretty much derailed any shot they had of going on another one of their signature postseason runs. General manager Jerry Reese used what little resources he had at his disposal this season to try and correct this receiver depth problem by signing 6x Pro Bowl wideout Brandon Marshall to an affordable 2-year contract ($11 mil, $5 mil guaranteed) and using his 1st-round pick to select tight end Evan Engram. While both of them have red flags (Marshall just turned 33 and has racked up his fair share of injuries over the years while Engram needs to fine-tune his route-running skills before he can succeed in the pros) that could prevent from being productive this season, they both possess the top-notch athleticism and mismatch potential you want in a secondary receiving option. The addition of Marshall and Engram alongside promising 2nd-year WR Sterling Shepard should give Manning the additional weapons he needs to thrive and subsequently lowers the odds of them getting burnt by the poor complementary receiver play that sunk them a year ago.

-The Giants had the 29th-ranked rushing offense in the NFL last season and as of right now, there's no indication that they'll be any better in 2017. Projected starter Paul Perkins, who showed some flashes of potential in limited action last year, has not inspired a lot of confidence with a weak training camp and horrible preseason thus far. The depth chart behind Perkins is equally scary. Orleans Darkwa has been pretty ineffective during his handful of career starts, Shaun Draughn is a below-average journeyman back that is turning 30 in December, Shane Vereen is pretty much useless outside of the passing game and rookie Wayne Gallman is a complete mystery that more than likely isn't going to make an impact this season. Making this sketchy running back situation worse is their horrific offensive line, which is shockingly projected to retain all 5 of their primary starters from 2016 (right tackle Marshall Newhouse, who started 6 games in relief of Bobby Hart in 2016, is the only guy not returning). Outside of center Weston Richburg and guard Justin Pugh, the personnel they have up front (John Jerry, Ereck Flowers, Hart) are among the sorriest clowns at their respective positions in the entire league. This Giants offense is going to need to establish agreater sense of balance if they want to be taken seriously as contenders and unless 1 or more of these backs can deify the odds by emerging as a reliable option or the addition of guard/tackle D.J Fluker-who isn't even projected to start as of right now- can turn this offensive line into a competent group on a whim, that goal is going to be tough to achieve.

-With their offense entering a semi-shocking state of unreliability for much of last season, it was the defense that ended up carrying the Giants to the playoffs a year ago. The stellar play from their trio of big-money free agent acquisitions (defensive end Oliver Vernon, defensive tackle Damon Harrison, cornerback Janoris Jenkins) and a breakout campaign from safety Landon Collins helped the Giants go from to near the bottom of the league in scoring defense (27.6 points allowed per game, 30th in the league) to the top of the heap in 2016 (17.8 points allowed per game, 2nd best in the league behind the Patriots). Even with the addition of some more receiving weapons in the offseason, I expect their defense to once again run the show in 2017. Most of their top contributors (Jason Pierre-Paul, Collins, the aforementioned trio of 2016 free agent pickups) are still under 30 and they replaced the only notable starter they lost from a year ago (defensive tackle Jonathan Hankins) with another potential run-stuffing behemoth in rookie Dalvin Tomlinson. If Steve Spagnuolo can get better play out of their linebacking corps and Jenkins doesn't go back to the erraticism he displayed while he was with the Rams, they should be in contention to be top overall defense in the league this season.

Bottom Line:
As long as their defense can retain their elite form from a year ago and they don't blow close games, the Giants should be able to contend in the NFC.

Philadelphia Eagles

2016 Record: 7-9 (4th in NFC East)

Head Coach: Doug Pederson (2nd season)

Notable Additions: WR Alshon Jeffrey, RB LeGarrette Blount, CB Ronald Darby

Notable Departures: WR Jordan Matthews, DT Bennie Logan, OLB Connor Barwin
-Unlike most of the young quarterbacks in the league, I feel really good about Carson Wentz this year. The 24-year old was thrust into the starting role just 8 days before the season started last year when the team unexpectedly dealt projected starter Sam Bradford to the Vikings and despite the flashes of horrific play he experienced at various points of the season, he looked pretty decent on the whole. Having an offseason where he knows he's going to be the starter and was able to spend a significant amount of time developing a rapport with his receivers should be very beneficial to Wentz's confidence as well as his development as a passer. Plus general manager Howie Roseman went out and got him the weapons he lacked a year ago by signing Alshon Jeffrey and Torrey Smith in free agency. Jeffrey is a big, versatile top wideout with an absurd catch radius that has established himself as a top-10 wideout in the league when he's healthy while Smith is a home-run hitter that has proven to be lethal when paired with a big-armed quarterback. Wentz is in a pretty ideal situation right now and as long as he can limit his amount of misguided, forced throws, he should be able to make a notable leap forward in his sophomore season.

-Even with a strong offensive line in front of him and not even a semblance of competition for the starting running back job, this should be the season where the LeGarrette Blount hype train goes up in a sea of appropriately underwhelming flames. His tenure in New England was defined by a barrage of 2-3 yard runs that were offset by a dozen or so long run a season that padded the shit out of his stats and allowed insane conversations like "Is Blount better than Marshawn Lynch?" to become a thing that existed outside of a delusional Patriots fans symposium (I'd like to think that the people that made the argument for Blount over Lynch have all given money to a Nigeran prince at some point of their lives). Now that he's out of the Belichick/Brady voodoo overachiever zone, the volume of his game-breaking runs will cease to a halt and he'll go back to being the whiny, mediocre fuckboy he was when he played with the Buccaneers and Steelers. I'll be surprised if the 30 going on 31-year old back even sniffs 800 yards and 5 TD's this season.

-Going into training camp, I was baffled by the Eagles decision to not aggressively address their corner problem in the offseason. Despite their reported interest, they lacked the cap space to woo the high-profile free agents (Stephon Gilmore, A.J. Bouye, Brandon Carr) that were available at the position and they surprisingly passed on the plethora of buzzed-about corners (Marlon Humphrey, Adoree' Jackson, Tre'Davious White) that were on the board at #14 in favor of adding to their embarrassment of riches at edge-rusher by selecting Derek Barnett. They deserve some praise for landing a potential stud in Sidney Jones in the 2nd round, but the torn Achilles he suffered at his pro day in March will likely keep him out for the duration of the season. Then the Bills, who decided to go into full-blown tank mode after the 1st week of training camp, descended from the heavens to help them potentially solve their lack of a top corner problem for the 2017 season by trading them Ronald Darby in exchange for underachieving WR Jordan Matthews on August 11th. Despite his underwhelming sophomore season in 2016, Darby has all the traits of a top NFL corner (physicality, ball skills, fluid footwork) and with an overpowering pass-rush in front of him and a great defensive coordinator in Jim Schwartz running the show, he's in an excellent position to further develop in this organization. If Darby can consistently play like he did during his rookie year, this will go down as another lopsided trade win for grade-A finesser Howie Roseman.

-Since he has a front office role with the team, I'm going to use this space to bitch about Brian Dawkins getting snubbed from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his 1st year of eligibility. Dawkins was arguably the most imposing safety of the 2000's and his resume is one of the most impressive of any defensive back to every play in the league (9x Pro Bowl, 6x All-Pro, 1st player in NFL history to record 30 career interceptions and forced fumbles, only player in NFL history to record 25+ sacks, INT's and forced fumbles in their career). How the Hall-of-Fame voters deemed Morten Andersen, Kurt Warner and JERRY FUCKING JONES worthy of enshrining over Dawkins (or fellow unfathomable snubs Terrell Owens and Alan Faneca) this year is completely asinine to me.

Bottom Line:
If Carson Wentz and the back-end of the defense can improve, the Eagles could end up surprising in 2017.

Washington Redskins

2016 Record: 8-7-1 (3rd in NFC East)

Head Coach: Jay Gruden (3rd season)

Notable Additions: WR Terrelle Pryor, ILB Zach Brown, S D.J. Swearinger

Notable Departures: WR DeSean Jackson, WR Pierre Garcon, DT/DE Chris Baker
-In the football wonderland that is Washington D.C., being a quarterback that throws for nearly 5,000 yards in a season isn't enough to secure a long-term contract. The Redskins once again proved their impressive ability to piss all over any good thing that falls into their lap by franchising poor Kirk Cousins for a 2nd straight season. Not only is the move insulting to a quarterback that has repeatedly  proven he can be a productive starter in the NFL, it also makes zero sense from a financial standpoint. Cousins would likely command $12-14 mil a year in guaranteed money on a long-tem deal, but since the Redskins brass are a bunch of petty, inept dinguses, they now have to fork over $23.9 mil in guaranteed money for 2017. I expect Cousins to ball out once again in 2017 and finally escape Dan Snyder's gridiron purgatory for the (ever so slightly) greener pastures of San Francisco or Jacksonville next season.

-Although free-agent pickup Terrelle Pryor has been positioned as the de facto top receiver since he signed with the team in March, I think that Jamison Crowder will end up with that role when the season starts. Crowder's chemistry with Kirk Cousins has been great since he joined the team in 2015 and his valuable strong route-running/YAC combo makes him the favorite to fill the possession receiver role that was vacated by Pierre Garcon when he left for the 49ers in free agency. Pryor's size and speed will undoubtedly earn him a solid amount of targets, but Crowder's more polished skill set makes him a more natural fit for the go-to receiver role in this pass-happy offense.

-Outside of Seattle, there isn't a less intriguing starting running back competition than the one going on in D.C. right now. The heated battle for who will touch the ball on the 12-14 plays a game where Cousins isn't dropping back to pass is currently a 2-horse race between incumbent starter "Fat" Rob Kelley and rookie Samaje Perine. Kelley seemed like a logical choice to remain the starter given his relative effectiveness in 9 games as the Skins featured back last season (704 YDS and 6 TD's on 168 carries), but the team was reportedly very high on Perine, who was drafted in the 4th round this year, going into training camp. Unsurprisingly, Kelley has looked better every step of the way since camp opened and is going to have to make some colossal fuck-ups over the next 2 weeks in order to lose the job to Perrine. Stay tuned for Jay Gruden's very dramatic announcement for which of these middling power backs gets the coveted honor of being the team's rarely-deployed change-of-pace option sometime next week.

-The 2016 numbers might not back it up (28th in total yards allowed, 25th against the pass, 19th in scoring defense) but there's a solid amount of talent present on this defense. Josh Norman is one of only a handful of true shutdown corners in the league right now, their pass-rush headed by Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith has been quietly excellent over the past few years and the influx of promising young talent they have on the roster right now (defensive tackle/end Jonathan Allen, safety Su'a Cravens, cornerbacks Bashaud Breeland and Kendall Fuller) is absurd. The untapped potential of this defense makes the hiring of Greg Manusky as defensive coordinator an absurdly confusing move. For those who don't know, Manusky was the architect of the Colts innovative mannequin defense that got Biblically steamrolled by the Patriots in the 2013 and 2014 playoffs. To be fair, Manusky has much more talent at his disposal here than he did during his time in Indy, but he's not a guy I would entrust with trying to turn a flawed group with some excellent pieces into a sound, productive collective.

Bottom Line:
Despite limited roster turnover and the presence of a reliable veteran quarterback, I have a bad feeling that this team won't be able to win more than 6 or 7 games this year.

Projected Standings

1.New York Giants (10-6)

2.Philadelphia Eagles (9-7)
3.Dallas Cowboys (7-9)

4.Washington Redskins (6-10)

The Best and Worst of Elle Fanning

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

Films starring Elle Fanning that I've seen:

Daddy Day Care

Deja Vu

Super 8

We Bought a Zoo

Maleficent

Trumbo

Live by Night

20th Century Women

Best Performance: Live by Night (2016)
Fanning had never really stood out among the vast sea of talented young actresses that are in Hollywood right now until I saw Live by Night. Her powerful supporting turn as a teenage drug addict turned preacher was the most impressive part of Ben Affleck's underrated gangster movie.

Worst Performance: Maleficent (2014)
The somewhat dark, live-action reimagining of Sleeping Beauty that focuses on the titular villain ended up being the most pleasant surprise the Disney machine has churned out in ages. Despite the film's overall competency, Fanning's work as Princess Aurora left a lot to be desired. She lacks the level of magnetic charm that defines Disney's best heroines and unlike her impressive recent work, fails to convincingly sell the film's dramatic scenes. 

Best Film: Super 8 (2011)
Nostalgia has become a staple of modern filmmaking and this is without question one of most authentic-feeling, engaging and flat-out best odes to a bygone era that I've ever seen. With its immensely likable group of child protagonists, an intriguing central mystery and a feeling of wonder that runs through the entire film, Super 8 would've nicely fit alongside any of Steven Spielberg's sci-fi gems from the late 70's/early 80's. Now that he's no longer tied to either the Star Trek or Star Wars franchises, I hope Abrams will make another original sci-fi movie ASAP.

Worst Film: Daddy Day Care (2003)
For a 19-year old actress whose been working in the industry since she was 4, the lowlight on Fanning's resume could/should be a whole lot more embarrassing than Daddy Day Care. While far from Eddie Murphy's worst starring vehicle, Daddy Day Care is never funny or touching enough to rise above mediocrity.

Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". Next week, I'll take a look at the best and worst work of "Goon: Last of the Enforcers" star Seann William Scott.

10 Most Anticipated Films of Fall 2017

While it's kind of unbelievable to think about, the start of the fall movie season is just 11 days away. September-December has a tendency to be the most varied, interesting stretch of the calendar year and 2017 is no exception to that long-standing unofficial rule. From high-profile sequels to beloved films (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Kingsman: The Golden Circle) to original projects from some of the industry's most exciting directors (mother!, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) to ambitious awards contenders (Downsizing, The Shape of Water), there's ample reason to believe that this wild cinematic year will end on a soaring high note. Here are the 10 films I'm most excited to see over the final four months of 2017.

10.Pitch Perfect 3 (12/22): I'm not even remotely ashamed to admit that watching the Barden Bellas pitch-slap bitches one last time is going to be the highlight of my holiday season.

9.Thor: Ragnarok (11/3): The Comic-Con trailer was far more generic-looking than I expected it to be given its quirky, buddy movie premise, but I'm still really intrigued to see how oddball indie comedy director Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) handles a major superhero property.

8.Molly's Game (11/22): After developing a reputation as one of the sharpest screenwriters in Hollywood, Aaron Sorkin is finally making his directorial debut with a fact-based story about a former Olympic skier (Jessica Chastain) that ran a successful high-stakes underground poker game in Los Angeles for a decade before getting brought down by the FBI for her role in a prolific gambling ring. The fascinating real-life premise paired with the presence of a pair of ace actors in Chastain and Idris Elba in the leading roles inspires a lot of confidence about the potential quality of Sorkin's first foray into the world of directing.

7.The Snowman (10/20): I'm a sucker for murder mysteries, and this one starring Michael Fassbender as an elite detective trying to stop a deranged serial killer that emerges after every first snowfall looks particularly tense and unsettling.     

6.Downsizing (12/22): The premise is fascinating (it's too complicated to describe in this quick write-up, but it involves a future where humans can voluntary get shrunken down to the size of action figures), the ensemble cast is stacked (Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig, Christoph Waltz, Neil Patrick Harris, Alec Baldwin, Jason Sudekis, Margo Martindale, Niecy Nash) and I'm really curious to see how Alexander Payne (Nebraska, The Descendants) approaches a big-budget sci-fi flick. If this ends up building buzz after its premiere at the Venice Film Festival next week, it will move up a few spots on this list.

5.Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (11/10): Martin McDonuagh (In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths) does blood-soaked dark comedy better than pretty much any other filmmaker working today and with yet another excellent cast (Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, John Hawkes, Peter Dinklage) at his disposal, I fully expect him to once again deliver the depraved, hilarious goods.

4.Star Wars: The Last Jedi (12/15): The Force Awakens was easily my favorite Star Wars movie since the original trilogy and I'm really excited to see what the next chapter holds for this fascinating band of characters.

3.Kingsman: The Golden Circle (9/22): Kingsman: The Secret Service was a ridiculously fun satire of the spy movie genre that was better than 99% of the movies it was spoofing. With director Matthew Vaughn returning and the likes of Julianne Moore, Channing Tatum, Halle Berry and Jeff Motherfuckin' Bridges joining the cast, the sequel very well could end being better than its predecessor.

2.mother! (9/15): Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, The Wrestler) making his return to the world of mindfuckery cinema with a stacked cast (Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer, Domhnall Gleason, Kristen Wiig, Jovan Adepo) in tow is enough to get me to sprint to the theater on opening night.

1.The Disaster Artist (12/1): I've been waiting to see The Disaster Artist for so long that I almost find it hard to believe that's actually going to see the light of day in just over three months. James Franco's adaptation of Greg Sestero's book detailing the behind-the-scenes making of The Room, which is widely considered to be one of the worst movies ever made, was met with a standing ovation during its premiere at South by Southwest in March and if the final product can match the brilliance of the teaser trailer that was released last month, it should go down as one of the best movies of 2017.

Also Interested In:
Goon: Last of the Enforcers (9/1)
I Do... Until I Don't (9/1)
The Layover (9/1)
Little Evil (9/1)
It (9/8)
American Assassin (9/15)
Brad's Status (9/15)
Battle of the Sexes (9/22)
The Lego Ninjago Movie (9/22)
Stronger (9/22)
American Made (9/29) 
Flatliners (9/29)
Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House (9/29)
Blade Runner 2049 (10/6)
Brawl in Cell Block 99 (10/6)
The Mountain Between Us (10/6)
The Foreigner (10/13) 
Goodbye Christopher Robin (10/13)
Happy Death Day (10/13)
Marshall (10/13)
Geostorm (10/20)
Killing Gunther (10/20)
Only the Brave (10/20)
Suburbicon (10/27)
Thank You for Your Service (10/27)
A Bad Moms Christmas (11/3)
Last Flag Flying (11/3)
LBJ (11/3)
Roman Israel, Esq (11/3)
Daddy's Home 2 (11/10)
Murder on the Orient Express (11/10)
Justice League (11/17)
Darkest Hour (11/22)
Death Wish (11/22)
Vila Capri (11/22)
Call Me by Your Name (11/24)
The Current War (11/24)
Wonder Wheel (12/1) 
All the Money in the World (12/8)
The Shape of Water (12/8) 
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (12/20) 
Bastards (12/22)
Bright (12/22)
The Papers (12/22)