2015 NFL Preview: AFC West

Denver Broncos

2014 Record: 12-4

Head Coach: Gary Kubiak (1st year)

Notable Additions: TE Owen Daniels, DE Antonio Smith, DT Vance Walker

Notable Departures: TE Julius Thomas, DT Terrence Knighton, G/T Orlando Franklin

Offense:

 After putting up numbers that were in-line with their record-breaking 2013 campaign for the first 11 games of the year, the Broncos offense hit a wall in the last 5 weeks of the 2014 season after Peyton Manning sustained a quad injury. Manning's injury caused his accuracy to take a nosedive and forced the Broncos to become one-dimensional offense with running back C.J. Anderson to carry the load for their offense. Manning's ineffectiveness didn't really cost them (they went 4-1 in the regular season after he suffered his injury) until the team's ugly playoff loss at the Colts when Manning seemingly couldn't complete a pass after throwing a quick touchdown on the opening drive.

The 2015 season will likely be even more of a struggle for the future Hall-of-Famer. Manning is now 39 years old and with his play deteriorating the way it did at the end of the year, it's unlikely he'll return to the dominant form he showed throughout 2013 and the first half of last season. Even if Manning returns in peak physical form this season, their entirely rebuilt offensive line is a major reason for concern. Aside from guard Louis Vazquez, there's not a single starter returning from the end of last season. As of today, the new starters will be Ryan Harris (left tackle), Chris Clark (right tackle), Shelley Smith (left guard) and Gino Gradkowski (center), who all come with serious red flags. Harris is a once-dominant tackle who just got cut by the offensive line-deficient Chiefs, Clark was the starting right tackle for all of 2013 and part of 2014, but his poor play got him benched around the halfway mark last year and both Smith and Gradkowski were nothing short of abysmal in their previous starting jobs with the Dolphins and Ravens respectively. A great offensive line allowed Manning to put up the numbers he did during his 3 years with the Broncos and with that no longer in the equation, his descent from greatness could happen faster than expected.

The offensive line woes are also likely to hinder the running game. Departed center/guard Manny Ramirez and guard/tackle Orlando Franklin were excellent run blockers who played pivotal roles in helping Anderson and Ronnie Hillman enjoy breakout seasons last year. With them gone, it's going to be incredibly difficult for any back in this offense to match their production from a year ago. Anderson is also completely unproven as a starting running back. While his play in the second half of last season was impressive, he did most of his damage against run defenses that ranked near the bottom of the league and he ended the year on a cold note by failing to rush for 100 yards in the last 5 games of the year. There's a lot of hype surrounding Anderson going into this season, I just haven't enough from him yet to buy into it.

What will prevent the Broncos offense from completely imploding is their receiving corps. Even with the loss of tight end Julius Thomas in free agency, the Broncos still have one of the most gifted groups of pass-catchers in the league. Demaryius Thomas is one of the most lethal, well-rounded number 1 wideouts in the league, Emmanuel Sanders keeps getting better by the season, and new starting tight end Owen Daniels is a reliably productive player who should nicely take over Thomas's role. The Broncos offensive production will likely take a significant step back from the past couple of years, but they should still be able to put up a solid amount of points per game.   

Defense:

What gets buried under all the accolades and praise the Broncos offense over the past few years is just how good this defense is They finished 3rd in total defense (2nd against the run, 9th against the pass) and sent 5 guys to the Pro Bowl (Von Miller, Chris Harris Jr., Aqib Talib, T.J Ward and DeMarcus Ware) in 2014 and yet still no one gives them the respect they deserve. With all of the uncertainty looming within their offense, this could very well be the year when people begin to recognize how the good this unit is.

Even with the losses of key contributors in defensive tackle Terrence Knighton and safety Rahim Moore and a switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 scheme under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, the Broncos defense should still have one of the best defenses in the league. Harris Jr. and Talib are arguably the top corner tandem in the league, Miller is the most well-rounded and consistently dominant outside linebacker in football,  their pass-rush is very solid and should only better with 2015 1st-round pick Shane Ray in the mix, and the return of inside linebacker Danny Trevathan-a top contributor in 2013 who missed 13 games last year with a knee injury- to the starting lineup should make the linebacking corps that anchors their stout run defense even stronger this year.

The only real flaw this defense has is their lack of quality replacements for Knighton and Moore. Their projected replacements in the starting lineup- nose tackle Sylvester Williams and free safety Darian Stewart- have underwhelmed in their careers so far. Williams has never morphed into the line-disrupting defensive tackle the Broncos thought he would be when they drafted him in the first round in 2013 and Stewart was one of the weakest members of a Ravens secondary that ranked 23rd in the league against the pass last season. If Williams and to a greater extent, Stewart fail to improve, the Broncos defense could be in line for a steep regression in 2015.

Bottom Line:

Although they are not quite as strong as they've been the past couple of years, the Broncos have enough talent to be a more than respectable team and win the AFC West.

Kansas City Chiefs

2014 Record: 9-7

Head Coach: Andy Reid (3rd year)

Notable Additions: WR Jeremy Maclin, G Ben Grubbs, S Tyvon Branch

Notable Departures: C Rodney Hudson, WR Dwayne Bowe, DT Vance Walker

Offense:

 The Chiefs smartly went out and used what little cap space they had this offseason to pick up free-agent wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. Maclin's familiarity with Andy Reid's system (Maclin played under Reid for 4 years with the Eagles) and proficiency in the short-passing game makes him the perfect fit for the Chiefs conservative passing attack. Maclin may not be able to put up the eye-popping numbers he did with the Eagles last year, but he'll almost certainly be a major improvement over last year's number 1 wideout Dwayne Bowe and should become the first Chiefs wide receiver to find the endzone since December 8, 2013, in which Bowe caught an early touchdown in a 45-10 blowout win over the Browns.

Aside from the addition of Maclin, this is the basically the exact same same vanilla offense the Chiefs have had since Reid arrived in Kansas City in 2013. The offense will mostly go through workhorse running back Jammal Charles and quarterback Alex Smith will throw the ball over 15 yards no more than 3 times per game. While Charles has successfully carried this offense in the past, I have a feeling this is going to be the year where he finally starts to shows signs of wear. The workload he's taken over the past 3 seasons has been brutal,especially for a running back that's approaching 30 and the Chiefs piss-poor offensive line managed to get even worse this offseason when they lost their only reliable starter-center Rodney Hudson- to free agency. If Charles breaks 1,200 yards at age 28 going on 29 with a line anchored by an over-the-hill Ben Grubbs and all-but confirmed draft bust Eric Fisher, it'll be a miracle of Biblical proportions.

With Charles's downfall merely being speculation at this point, the biggest issue this offense needs to address is finding someone to lineup alongside Maclin at wide receiver. Someone other than Maclin and tight end Travis Kelce is going to have to emerge as a reliable receiving option if they want to avoid a repeat of last year's wildly inept passing game and as of right now, they don't appear to have anyone that can do that. Their current projected starter De'Anthony Thomas is good for a splash play here and there, but is too small (5"10, 174 lbs) to be a starter in the NFL. The other options they currently have on the roster aren't much  better. Jason Avant is a below-average veteran who brings nothing noteworthy to the table and rookie Chris Conley, while extreme athletic, is about as unpolished as a receiver selected in the 3rd round can possibly be. If none of these guys can grab a solid hold on the starting job during the preseason, the Chiefs will end up regretting passing on the likes of Nelson Agholor, Breshad Perriman and Dorial Green-Beckham in the draft once the season starts. 

Defense:

Before I break down the defense as a whole, I have to give a major shoutout to safety Eric Berry. The 3-time Pro Bowler will be returning to football less than a year after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Berry is the epitome of a warrior and I hope he kicks a whole lot of ass this season.

As for the rest of the Chiefs defense, they appear to be line for another solid season. Their excellent secondary was further bolstered by the selection of cornerback Marcus Peters-who was arguably the most pro-ready corner in the 2015 class-in the first round of the draft and the re-signing of 2014 NFL sack leader Justin Houston assures that the Chiefs will have a devastating pass rush once again in 2015.

In addition to Berry's remarkable return, the Chiefs will also be getting inside linebacker Derrick Johnson back on the field in 2015 after he missed almost the entire 2014 season with a torn Achilles. Their defense did fine without him in 2014, but Johnson's leadership and ability to make plays over the field was sorely missed last season. If the 32 year old gracefully recovers and returns to the perennial All-Pro form he displayed before suffering this severe injury, he could be the X-factor that leads the Chiefs defense to a top 5-10 overall defensive ranking in 2015.  

Bottom Line:

The Chiefs aren't without their fair share of really gifted players, but the cloudy state of their offense should force them to miss the playoffs for a 2nd straight year.

Oakland Raiders

2014 Record: 3-13

Head Coach: Jack Del Rio (1st year)

Notable Additions: C Rodney Hudson, WR Michael Crabtree, DT Dan Williams

Notable Departures: WR James Jones, S Tyvon Branch, RB Darren McFadden

Offense:

Don't look now but the Oakland Raiders might have their first legitimate offense since their Super Bowl run in 2002. Derek Carr showed some real potential in his rookie season, even with a lackluster receiving corps around him. To rectify the lack of weapons around their young QB, the Raiders went out and revamped the receiving corps this offseason by drafting Amari Cooper in the 1st round of the draft and signing Michael Crabtree in free agency. Cooper has the size, speed and route-running ability needed to be a number 1 wideout in this league and he'll get ample opportunity to prove his worth right out of the gate while Crabtree gives this young group a solid veteran presence who can be really effective when he's on his game.

The Raiders also finally dumped oft-injured starter Darren McFadden in favor of third-year back Latavius Murray. Murray has never had a heavy volume of carries in his career and his injury history is a bit disconcerting (he missed his entire rookie year with a foot injury), but he showed excellent elusiveness and speed when he was on the field last year and could end up being something special if he proves to be durable enough to take on the brunt of the carries in this offense.

The Raiders further took advantage of their massive amount of cap space to fortify their offensive line with the addition of former Chiefs center Rodney Hudson. Hudson was one of the best centers in the league a year ago and should be able to take this already respectable offensive line to the next level. If the Carr/Cooper/Murray trio ends up delivering and this offensive line holds up, the Raiders offense could end up turning a lot of heads in 2015.

Defense:

The Raiders weren't able to use their substantial amount of cap space to bring in any elite level defensive talent on the open market, but general manager Reggie McKenzie did bring in some solid veterans to add their promising young front led by outside linebacker Sio Moore and defensive end Khalil Mack. Dan Williams is a highly underrated defensive tackle who became one of the top run-stuffers in the league during his 5-year tenure with the Cardinals, Inside linebacker Curtis Lofton is a tackling machine and Super Bowl XLVII MVP Malcolm Smith is a solid outside linebacker with a winning pedigree (he spent his first 4 seasons with the Seahawks) who adds depth to this talented linebacking corps.

A majority of the Raiders problems lie in their secondary. Even with the continuously strong play from the  seemingly ageless Charles Woodson and the addition of competent cover safety (and one of the lone standouts from the terrible 2014 Eagles secondary) Nate Allen in free agency, this secondary doesn't appear to be set to turn things around due to their awful cornerback group. Their top corner right now is former 1st round pick D.J. Hayden, who has been nothing but terrible since he entered the league in 2013 and the guys battling for the other starting spot are either extremely inexperienced (T.J. Carrie, Keith McGill) or journeyman who have failed to make any impact along the way (Ras-l Dowling, Chimdi Chewka). While the Raiders defense is far from terrifying, their free agent pickups and addition of a defensive-savvy head coach in Del Rio should help this unit noticeably improve from last season.

Bottom Line:

While there's optimism in Oakland for the first time in what seems like forever, it's going to be a few years before this team can be viewed as a legitimate threat.

San Diego Chargers

2014 Record: 9-7

Head Coach: Mike McCoy (3rd year)

Notable Additions: WR Stevie Johnson, G/T Orlando Franklin, S Jimmy Wilson 

Notable Departures: RB Ryan Matthews, WR Eddie Royal, C Nick Hardwick (retired)

Offense:

The Chargers found themselves in the middle of the pack in terms of offense last season (18th to be exact) despite injuries that kept running backs Ryan Matthews and Danny Woodhead out for a majority of the year and an underwhelming sophomore season from top wideout Keenan Allen. Their success last season (especially in the passing game, where they ranked 10th in the league) is a testament to how good quarterback Phillip Rivers is at dealing with adversity and the fact that their 34-year old tight end Antonio Gates refuses to age.

With very little changeover and an improved offensive line, the Chargers should be able to easily top their 2014 output. Rivers is still in the middle of his prime and the addition of Stevie Johnson-who was highly efficient in his limited playing time with the 49ers last season- gives him another solid veteran wideout that can be counted to make plays when called upon. If Allen can bounce back and Ladarius Green can finally live up to his potential while Gates is suspended for the first 4 games of the year, Rivers should be in line for a season that rivals his career-best 2013 campaign.

The Chargers ability to achieve greatness this season is going to hinge on whether or not rookie running back Melvin Gordon lives up to to the hype. The Chargers have enjoyed their best seasons in the Rivers-era when they've had a dominant running back to lean on (see: Ladainian Tomlinson or 2013 Matthews). Just look at last season, the team's rushing attack ranked 30th in the league due to absence of Matthews and Woodhead and they ultimately finished just shy of making the playoffs. They clearly believe Gordon can be their next go-to guy in the backfield, but he is going to have become a more consistent receiver out of the backfield, improve in pass protection and fix the major fumbling problem that haunted throughout his college career at Wisconsin if he wants to be the next workhorse Chargers running back. If Gordon's potential is fully realized, this offense is going to be something special.

Defense:

The Chargers defense is arguably the most bizarre one to gauge in the entire NFL. On the one hand, their front seven is awful and ranked near the bottom of the league in run defense (26th) and sacks (29th). On the other hand, their secondary was remarkable last season ranking 4th in the league behind yet another All-Pro year for star safety Eric Weddle and a gigantic bounceback for cornerback Brandon Flowers. Look for this once again to be the case in 2015.

Due to their decision to give Flowers a long-term deal and bring in free agent offensive lineman Orlando Franklin from the Broncos (which were both good moves), they couldn't afford to bring in a game-changing piece to sure up their front 7. Their 2nd round draft pick Denzel Perryman is a hard-hitting enforcer who could help turn the run defense around, but didn't bring in anyone to help out their anemic pass-rush. The only way their pass rush can become respectable in 2015 is if Melvin Ingram and Jeremiah Attaochu step their game up big time. While both have their struggled, they've shown flashes of production. Attaochu picked up 2 sacks in his injury-riddle rookie year in 2014 and Ingram was a pass-rushing demon in college who's been hampered by injuries in the first 4 years of his NFL career, but picked up 4 sacks in 9 games played in 2014. If these two can live to their potential and stay healthy, their whole front 7 will improve dramatically. 

Meanwhile, the secondary appears to be great shape this season. Free-agent pickup Jimmy Wilson is a definite improvement over Marcus Gilchrist, who was the only weak link in the secondary last season, and 2nd year corner Jason Verrett appears set to flourish after his promising rookie season was cut short due to a shoulder injury. As long as Flowers revitalization wasn't a 1-year fluke, this secondary will be among the league's best once again. If the Chargers can solve their problems in their front 7 and keep playing well on the back end, this defense could very well surprise in 2015.

Bottom Line: 

While the Chargers have a reliable veteran quarterback and great coaching staff, their rough schedule, weak defensive front and lack of a proven starting running back should keep them on the wrong side of the playoff bubble in the AFC.

Projected AFC West Standings:

1.Denver Broncos (10-6)

2.San Diego Chargers (8-8)

3.Kansas City Chiefs (7-9)

4.Oakland Raiders (6-10)

The Best and Worst of Paul Giamatti

Film Starring Paul Giamatti That I've Seen:
The Truman Show
Dr. Doolittle
Saving Private Ryan
Big Momma's House
Planet of the Apes 
Big Fat Liar
Robots
Lady in the Water 
Shoot 'Em Up
Win Win
The Hangover Part II
The Ides of March 
John Dies at the End
12 Years a Slave
The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Best Performance: Shoot 'Em Up (2007)
Giamatti's most underrated quality an actor is how game he is for ridiculous roles. He slayed as a journalist who doesn't know he's dead in the batshit crazyy horror comedy John Dies at the End and delivered some of the biggest laughs in The Hangover Part II as a pissed-off undercover Interpol agent forced to deal with the Wolfack's shenanigans in Bangok. However, Giamatti's finest piece of over-the-top acting came in the bloody, ridiculous cult classic Shoot 'Em Up. Giamatti lights up the screen as Karl Hertz, a deranged hitman hired by a presidential candidate (Stephen McHattie) to kill a baby that's set to donate bone marrow to his cancer-stricken opponent (Daniel Pilon). Giammati approaches the role with the perfect balance of humor and insanity and makes Hertz a top-notch B-movie villain.

Worst Performance: Lady in the Water (2006)
Director M. Night Shyamalan tends to bring out the worst in every actor he works with and Giamatti's work as the lead in Lady in the Water is no exception. From the time the film opens, Giamatti looks ashamed to be associated with such a ridiculous film and it shows with his indifferent, stone-face performance.

Best Film: Saving Private Ryan (1998)
War films are a slippery slope as they often tow the line between telling a compelling, complex story about American heroes and serving as brainless propaganda that only exists to reaffirm American's love of their country. Steven Speilberg's Saving Private Ryan is the best example of the former I've ever seen. The battle sequences are the most realistic and brutal ever put on film (the storming of Normandy scene that opens the film is especially well-constructed and devastating) and the narrative has substantial dramatic and emotional weight. Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket may do a better job at addressing the psychological effects of warfare, but no film has captured the desolation of combat and pain of loss on the frontlines better than Saving Private Ryan.

Worst Film: Lady in the Water (2006) 
Giamatti has proven time and time again that he will tackle any project you throw at him. In his nearly 20 year career, he's starred in a number of really bad films including Big Momma's House, Big Fat Liar and Planet of the Apes that were almost universally hated by both critics and the general moviegoing public. Despite all of those missteps with lowbrow comedies and moronic family fare, none of those films come anywhere close to matching the levels of filmmaking incompetence achieved on Lady in the Water. Shyamalan had already started his descent from greatness with 2004's The Village, but Lady in the Water brought him to the point of no return. Saying that Shymalan's attempt at making a whimsical fairy tale failed miserably would be underselling how much of a cinematic atrocity it is. The story is convoluted, the pacing is extremely slow and the final 45 minutes is so stupid that it's hard to believe it was written by a human being. Aside from a parade of unintentional laughs in the final act, Lady in the Water is a completely worthless movie that fails so hard that it's almost impressive.

  
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 "American Ultra" star Jesse Eisenberg

2015 NFL Preview: AFC South

Houston Texans

2014 Record: 9-7

Head Coach: Bill O'Brien (2nd year)

Notable Additions: QB Brian Hoyer, DT Vince Wilfork, S Rahim Moore

Notable Departures: WR Andre Johnson, OLB Brooks Reed, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
Offense:

The big story in Houston this offseason was their decision to re-sign Ryan Mallet and bring in Brian Hoyer to compete for the starting quarterback job.Whoever wins the job is going to have to prove they can be a starting quarterback in the league. Hoyer proved to be a solid game manager last season in Cleveland and Mallet has excellent arm strength, but Hoyer's inability to make throws downfield and frequent turnovers and Mallet's issues with accuracy and throwing mechanics make them both risky propositions.  While neither of these guys are great options, the Texans can take solace in the fact that either of these guys should be able to put similar numbers as their 2014 starter Ryan Fitzpatrick. Personally, the more intriguing position battles on this team is for the job of number 2 receiver and running back now that Arian Foster is all but confirmed to be out for at least the first 6 weeks of the season after sustaining a severe groin injury in training camp last week. Veteran free agent pickups Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts seems to be the frontrunners for the number 2 reciever based on their track records of putting up solid numbers with less-than-stellar quarterbacks, but the freakishly athletic rookie Jaelen Strong could pull off the upset if he can solidify his route-running and keep his number of dropped passes to a minimum. Top wide out DeAndre Hopkins proved  he's something special last season and if another one of these guys can break out, the Texans should have a pretty scary aerial attack. As for running back, second-year back Alfred Blue appears to be the frontrunner to take over the starting job in Foster's absence. Blue did a decent job filling in for Foster last season and his two-way abilities give him the edge over the rest of the field despite his mediocre 3.1 YPC average in 2014. However, Blue's job is far from secure. Jonathan Grimes has reportedly been impressive in training camp and newly-acquired Chris Polk is a big, physical runner who showed flashes of greatness during his time with the Eagles. While the Texans offense is buried with question marks, O'Brien is one of the most impressive offensive minds in the league and should be able to get the maximum amount of production out of this unit.

Defense:

With a once-in-a-generation talent in defensive end J.J. Watt suiting up for them every week, the Texans defense will always be imposing. That being said, this defense has made clear improvements at just about every level heading into 2015. The below-average safety play that played a large role in their 21st-ranked pass defense a year ago has been rectified with the addition of elite coverage safety Rahim Moore, solid veteran Stevie Brown and promising rookie Kurtis Drummond. The rebuilt safety corps paired with the re-signing of top corner Kareem Jackson should prevent this unit from finishing in the bottom of the league for a second year in a row. The Texans defensive line also received a boost this offseason with the addition of nose tackle Vince Wilfork. Wilfork's best days on the field are well behind him, but he should be a great influence on second-year nose tackle Louis Nix III-who struggled mightily throughout his rookie campaign last year- and help out a bit in stopping the run. About the only serious concern on this defense is the health of Jadeveon Clowney. After a terrible rookie year in which he only registered 7 tackles and 0 sacks  in 5 games, Clowney under microfracture surgery on his knee last December. Microfracture surgery is notoriously difficult to come back from-especially for a pass-rusher who relies on explosiveness and speed, so it's entirely possible that Clowney will never regain the rare burst that made him the number 1 pick a year ago. The Texans defense was one of the best in the league in 2014 and it would be a huge surprise if they weren't in that elite camp again in 2015.

Bottom Line:

The Texans are a solid team who should be able to at least match their record from a year ago, but their lack of a solid quarterback and offensive weapons will keep them from contending in the AFC.

Indianapolis Colts

2014 Record: 11-5

Head Coach: Chuck Pagano (4th year)

Notable Additions: RB Frank Gore, WR Andre Johnson, OLB Trent Cole

Notable Departures: WR Reggie Wayne, DE Corey Redding, WR Hakeem Nicks

Offense:

After two impressive seasons as a starter, Andrew Luck finally became the unstoppable franchise quarterback he was touted to be in 2014. Luck put together a ridiculous 4,761 yard, 40 TD season and led the Colts to their first AFC Championship game since 2009. Luck has the potential to be even better in 2015. Luck's completion percentage and QBR has gone up each year he's in the league and the Colts receiving corps already loaded receiving corps got even better with the offseason additions of rookie deep threat Phillip Dorsett and surehanded veteran Andre Johnson. If he can cut down his turnovers and finally put an end to his woes against the Patriots, this could be the year that Luck guides the Colts back to the Super Bowl. The Colts could also potentially have their first legitimate running back since Joesph Addai in Frank Gore. Gore may be 32 years old, but he's managed to stay healthy (he hasn't missed a game since 2010) and has proven to be one of the more consistent backs in the league, rushing for 1,000+ yards in 8 of the last 9 seasons. The Colts pass-heavy offense should help Gore stay fresh and the fact that he's in a division full of mostly weak rush defenses of the AFC South- a nice reprieve from the powerhouse NFC West defenses he faced 6 times a year with the 49ers-could very well lead to Gore's best season in ages. The Colts are an offensive powerhouse that could very well being the best in the league if everything materializes as planned.   

Defense:

For as good as the Colts are on offense, their defense leaves a lot to be desired. While there are definitely much weaker defenses out there, this defense can not be relied to protect a lead and can easily get dumped on when facing an elite offense (just look at what the Steelers and Patriots did to them last year.) They added a couple of nice veteran pieces in edge-rusher Trent Cole and defensive end Kendall Langford this offseason, but neither of them are going to significant enough of an impact to make this unit notably better than they were in 2014. Most importantly, they did next to nothing to address the leaky rush defense that has gotten them bounced from the playoffs 2 years in a row or the pitiful secondary they have put around shutdown corner Vontae Davis and quality strong safety Mike Adams. The Colts did used their both of their 3rd-round picks on defenders (corner D'Joun Smith and defensive end Henry Anderson), but they're both incredibly raw prospects who are going to need time to develop before they make a sizable impact on the field. The play of the Colts defense is ultimately going to be deciding the factor of whether or not they become title contenders or suffer another agonizing loss to the Patriots in January.  

Bottom Line:
With a mostly returning starting lineup and favorable schedule, there's no reason to believe that the Colts won't win the AFC South and contend for a Super Bowl appearance in 2015.

Jacksonville Jaguars

2014 Record: 3-13

Head Coach: Gus Bradley (3rd year)

Notable Additions: TE Julius Thomas, DT Jared Odrick, CB Davon House

Notable Departures: WR Cecil Shorts III, CB Alan Ball, RB Jordan Todman
Offense:
 Quarterback Blake Bortles had a rough start to his NFL career in 2014. Only 2 quarterbacks had more turnovers than him (Jay Cutler and Andy Dalton) and he graded out as the worst starting quarterback in the league according to Pro Football Focus. Despite his slew of struggles, Bortles also showed flashes of serious promise along the way. The Jaguars reaffirmed their belief that Bortles is their franchise quarterback by going out and picking up potential difference makers this offseason in tight end Julius Thomas and rookie T.J. Yeldon. Thomas may have overachieved in Denver with Peyton Manning throwing him the ball and be a complete liability as a run-blocker, but he's a top-flight receiving tight end who is damn near impossible to cover in the redzone and Yeldon has the potential to be a legitimate all-purpose, everydown back in the league. Thomas and Yeldon alongside their promising young wide receivers Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee gives the Jaguars one of the more intriguing offenses to watch in 2015. The Jaguars also went out and improved the porous offensive line (they allowed a league-high 70 sacks last season) that played a huge role in Bortles' poor performance a year ago. Tackle Jeremy Parnell did reasonably well in his 8 starts for the Cowboys last season and should at the very least act as a stabilizing presence on the right side of the line, center Stefan Wisnewski is a solid offensive line anchor with a ton of starting experience, and rookie guard A.J. Cann is an excellent run-blocker who should get a chance to start immediately. How well this offensive line plays is going to play a huge part of whether or not Bortles can regain his confidence and live up to his hype as a 1st-round draft pick. As for Bortles himself, he's apparently spent the offseason diligently  working on the mechanics and timing issues that plagued his rookie season. Time will tell if the changes stick, but if Bortles can build on the positives he showed last season, he'll morph into a solid NFL starter. 

Defense:

Gus Bradley has slowly been turning this defense around in his first 2 years with the team and this year he appears to be closer than ever to making this defense legitimately formidable. Free-agent pickup Jared Odrick and rookie Michael Bennett should help sure up a rush defense that got trounced for a majority of  last season while Davon House gives this up-and-down secondary a reliably productive slot corner who can be counted on week in and week out. The new talent gives the Jagaurs some nice pieces to put alongside their pair of under-the-radar centerpieces in defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks and outside linebacker Telvin Smith, who who was arguably the best rookie linebacker outside of Khalil Mack last year. The Jaguars still have sizable question marks at linebacker- especially with their projected starting outside linebacker and 2015 first-round pick Dante Fowler Jr. out for the season after suffering an ACL in OTA's- and both safety spots, but they appear set to be a vastly improved defense in 2015.

Bottom Line:
The Jaguars are continuing to make steps in the right direction, but they still don't have enough proven talent on either side of the ball to get out of the NFL's basement. 

 Tennessee Titans

2014 Record: 2-14
Head Coach: Ken Wisenhunt (2nd year)

Notable Additions: OLB Brian Orakpo, S Da'Norris Searcy, WR Harry Douglas

Notable Departures: QB Jake Locker (retired), OLB Kamerion Wimbley (retired), WR Nate Washington

Offense:

The Titans decided to roll the dice on another young quarterback by drafting Oregon product Marcus Mariota with the 2nd overall pick this past April.On paper, Mariota seems like a slam dunk pick. His college stats (66.8 COMP %, 10,796 YDS, 105 TD, 14 INT in his 3 years as a starter ) are excellent and he won the Heisman Trophy and led Oregon to an appearance in the BCS title game in 2014. However, Mariota is about as risky as a quarterback prospect can get. He ran a spread offense in college, which means he never took snaps from under center or called his own plays and goes into a full-blown panic when he faces pressure or his first read isn't open, which is a very bad sign considering how terrible the Titans offensive line is. Making matters worse for Mariota is that he doesn't have a strong run game to lean on like he did during his time at Oregon. Bishop Sankey failed to be the everydown phenom back he was billed to be when prior to his 2014 rookie campaign and while rookie David Cobb has some upside, there's nothing about his game that really standouts. The early training camps reviews from his teammates and national reporters seem to indicate that Mariota is adjusting to the NFL seamlessly, but that hype doesn't mean anything until he's able to show he can handle the speed and complexity of the game in the regular season. Mariota does have the luxury of having an excellent quarterback developer in Wisenhunt as his head coach and a promising group of receivers led by Kendall Wright, newly-acquired slot receiver ace Harry Douglas and rookie Dorial Green-Beckham-who was an absolute steal at the top of the 2nd round, but he has to overcome some lofty obstacles if he wants to succeed at the professional level. 

Defense:

For some inexplicable reason, the Titans paid very little attention to improving a defense that was 27th in the league in yards allowed, tied for 29th in points against and 29th in takeaways in 2014. They only used 2 of their 8 draft picks (the first of which was in the 4th round) on defensive players and their biggest free-agent pickup was outside linebacker Brian Orakpo, who spends more time on the injured reserve than he does on the field. This team was completely helpless against the run last season (31st in the league) and I don't expect that to change this year. None of their linebackers are more than adequate run defenders and their defensive line is loaded with pass-rush first guys (Jurrell Casey, Karl Klug, Sammie Lee Hill, Mike Martin) who are wildly inconsistent at stopping the run. Their secondary isn't quite as bad and the addition of underrated safety Da'Norris Searcy and cornerback Perish Cox in free agency makes them better than there were a year ago. That being said, this unit doesn't scare anyone and they would very fortunate to finish in the top half of the league against the pass. The Titans may have added renowned defensive coach Dick LeBeau to their staff this offseason, but it will take an abundance of coaching wizardry to prevent this unit from being one of the worst in the league.

Bottom Line:
Armed with a rookie quarterback and arguably the most talent-barren roster in the NFL, the Titans will need a series of monumental miracles if they want to be competitive in 2015.

Projected Standings
1.Indianapolis Colts (12-4)
2.Houston Texans (9-7)
3.Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)
4.Tennessee Titans (3-13)

Concert Review: Incubus/Deftones-- Mansfield, MA-- August 7th, 2015

Incubus and Deftones have reunited for their first tour together in 15 years and they brought the widely-anticipated tour to the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts last night. The rock/metal juggernauts lived up to their widely-respected names by delivering a fantastic evening of music on a beautiful late-summer evening. 

The Bots opened the show a little before 6:15 to an almost-empty venue. While they had a remarkable amount of talent for a such a young band (their guitarist/vocalist Mikah is 21 and their drummer is Anaiah is 17), their combination of bluesy garage punk and indie rock was too disjointed to be effective. While their music didn't really do much for me, you can't help but feel bad for them. Landing a tour with a pair of popular veteran bands is a huge opportunity for an up-and-coming band, but given that they're playing so early, they're more than likely playing to largely empty venues every night. The Bots are really skilled musicians and I really hope they can land another big tour with a more ideal time slot in the future.

Death from Above 1979 started shortly after the Bots wrapped up. I've heard the name tossed around a bunch over the years and I vaguely remember their song, "Little Girl", from the Tony Hawk's American Wasteland soundtrack, but I'd never really bothered to check them out at length. Death from Above 1979 ended up making a solid impression on me with their noisy and wildly pissed-off 35-minute set. Almost every song had a great collection of riffs and frontman/drummer Sebstian Greinger has the type of gritty voice that's perfectly suited for punk. Making their set even more impressive was the fact they're only a duo with a bass guitar and drums. I previously didn't think that it was possible for two men without the presence of a traditional guitar to produce so much noise, especially on the Xfinity Center's huge stage. It takes an unbelievable amount of skill to create chaotic, riff-driven music with only two people, so kudos to them for making it look effortless. Once again, the almost non-existent crowd's indifference towards the music took away from the quality of the set. In my immediate area, just about everyone was either playing on their phones or leaving to grab beer and food during their set and the conclusion of every song was met with very light applause from the 500-600 people that were actually paying attention to their performance. Death from Above 1979 made a new fan in me last night and I would love to see them in a setting where people actually give a shit about their music

As I expected, the venue filled in nicely as soon as Deftones went on around 7:45. Deftones was the only band on the bill I'd seen before and like every prior time I've seen, their performance was absolutely immense. Their use of atmosphere and ambient sections to compliment the heavy elements in their songs is tremendous and while not as sharp as he was the previous three times I'd seen them, Chino Moreno is an incredible vocalist that shines especially bright in a live setting. The setlist primarily focused on material from their 2010 comeback album Diamond Eyes and their widely-praised 2000 effort White Pony, which was awesome since those are my two favorite albums in their catalog. Songs like "Knife Prty", "You've Seen the Butcher", "Diamond Eyes" and "Passenger" were the highlights of the nine combined songs they played from those two landmark records and proved to be the finest moments of a set that was full of prime cuts from six of their seven studio albums. Deftones are always a blast live and I'm eagerly awaiting the release of their new record in the fall.

Incubus came on about 20 minutes later to close out the evening. I was a huge fan of their early material, but given the poor quality of their recent output (namely their 2011 album If Not Now, When?), I had absolutely no idea how their live show would be. Suffice to say, I was very pleasantly surprised when Incubus came out and played a stunning 90-minute set. Leading the charge behind this outstanding show was a phenomenal vocal performance from frontman Brandon Boyd. The 39-year old was able to hit every note with ease and exceeded his performance on the studio versions of all 18 tracks they performed. The quality of Boyd's vocals even made songs like "Love Hurts" and "Here in My Room" -whose studio versions I find to be insufferable- enjoyable. Other people should find out Boyd's vocal regimen and duplicate it if they hope to keep their vocals in similarly pristine condition as they grow older. Aside from Boyd's vocals, the biggest surprise of their was set was how fantastic the material from their newly-released EP, Trust Fall (Side A), sounded live. While the studio versions of "Absolution Calling" and "Trust Fall" are just decent, their huge-sounding hooks and guitars allowed to reach new heights live. While Trust Fall (Side A) still has its fair share of flaws, it's a definite step in the right direction for them following the unholy musical disaster that was If Not, When?. Given how fantastic "Absolution Calling" and "Trust Fall" sound live, I have faith that they could possibly have another great album in them. While the setlist definitely had its downsides (lack of material from Make Yourself, poor song choices from A Crow Left of the Murder), they still played a solid number of great cuts from their first four albums. It was especially awesome to see "Vitamin" off their 1997 masterpiece S.C.I.E.N.C.E.. Given the fact that their more mellow, alternative rock sound was responsible for making them breakout, it's great to see them acknowledge their funk/nu-metal roots, even if its just for a single song. Incubus defied any possible expectations I had for them and put on by far one of the finest shows I've seen in 2015 to-date.

Scores:
The Bots 5/10
Death From Above 1979 7.5/10
Deftones 8.5/10
Incubus 9/10

Setlists:
The Bots included:
Ethiopia 
 
Deftones:
Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)
My Own Summer (Shove It)
Diamond Eyes
Rocket Skates
You've Seen the Butcher
Sextape
Feiticiera 
Digital Bath
Knife Prty
When Girls Telephone Boys
Tempest
Swerve City
Passenger
Change (In the House of Flies)
Headup
Bored
Engine No. 9

Incubus:
Wish You Were Here
Anna Molly
Circles
Absolution Calling
Are You In?
Vitamin
Trust Fall
In the Company of Wolves
Nice to Know You
Here in My Room
Sick Sad Little World
Pardon Me
Love Hurts
Megalomaniac
Dig
Drive
A Crow Left of the Murder

5 Highly Ranked Players to Avoid in Fantasy Football

Any seasoned fantasy football players knows that bad high-draft picks can sink your team. The regularity of top-end picks falling short of expectations has only grown higher thanks to the increased media hype, frequency of major injuries and teams constantly changing their offensive philosophies. Here are my picks for the most likely bust candidate at each of the 5 major positions headed into the 2015 fantasy season. 

Quarterback: Peyton Manning (Broncos) (Average Draft Position: Yahoo!: 35.5 NFL.Com: 35.3 ESPN: 27.5)
This is a classic example of someone being ranked really high simply because of the prestige their name holds. Manning has probably the been most productive fantasy football quarterback of the past 15-20 years, but at the ripe old age of 39, he's no longer that guy. Manning was pretty mediocre down the stretch (4 TD's, 6 INT's, 81.9 QBR in the last 5 games in 2014) last season and no longer has the luxury of having an excellent offensive line after 4 of his 5 starters from a year ago left the team or suffered season-ending injuries in the offseason. Spending a 3rd-4th round pick on Manning when you can get guys like Tony Romo, Ben Roethlisberger and Matt Ryan-who are all in much better situations- 1-3 rounds later doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Running Back: C.J. Anderson (Broncos) (Average Draft Position: Yahoo!: 20.5 NFL.Com: 14.9 ESPN: 12.3)
There are a number of running backs being highly overvalued this season simply based on the old myth that running back is the most valuable position in fantasy football, but since Anderson is easily the highest rated of the bunch, he gets the nod for this dubious honor. When Manning's play started to slip down the stretch and an injury to Ronnie Hillman forced him into the starting lineup, Anderson ceased the opportunity and put up very solid numbers- including a pair of 160+ yard performances against the Dolphins and the Chiefs- in his 8 games as the Broncos starting running back. However, Anderson's numbers from a year ago are largely skewed. 6 of the 8 defenses Anderson faced in his starts ranked in the bottom half of the league against the run and he picked up nearly 40% of his yards for the season in the games against the Dolphins and Chiefs. Anderson also no longer has the luxury of having one of the best offensive lines to open up running lanes for him. The Broncos are down all but 1 starter from their 2014 unit after guard/tackle Orlando Franklin, center Will Montgomery and center/guard Manny Ramirez left in the offseason and left tackle Ryan Clady went down with a torn ACL in OTA's. Anderson may not end up being a total flop, but taking him with a prime draft pick in the late 1st-mid 2nd round is a serious stretch. 

Wide Receiver: Andre Johnson (Colts) (Average Draft Position: Yahoo!: 43.2, NFL.Com: 56.5, ESPN: 57.9)
Andre Johnson hit the jackpot after being released by the Texans when he signed with the pass-happy Colts. While Andrew Luck is by far the best quarterback the future Hall-of-Famer has ever played with, I don't see him having a career year in 2015. There's an insane of mouths to feed in the Colts passing game including T.Y. Hilton, Dwayne Allen, Donte Moncrief and 2015 1st-rounder Phillip Dorsett, and Johnson has a reputation for not being much of a redzone threat (he's never had a double digit touchdown season in his 11-year career and he hasn't scored more than 5 TD's in a season since 2010), which hurts his odds of being a high-end WR2. Johnson is more than likely going to have a productive year, I just don't believe he is going to put up numbers that make him worth an early round draft pick,

Tight End: Travis Kelce (Chiefs) (Average Draft Position: Yahoo!: 50.6 NFL.Com: 60.1 ESPN: 62.9)
Travis Kelce was the beneficiary of an inept Chiefs wide receiver group last season, picking up 862 yards and 5 TD's in his breakout 2014 campaign. Kelce would be extremely fortunate to repeat that success this year. Free-agent pickup Jeremy Maclin should take away a lot of Kelce's short-yardage opportunities and the Chiefs will probably have to rely on Kelce's excellent run blocking to drive their run-first offense after losing their only reliable offensive lineman (center Rodney Hudson) in free agency. Kelce is a huge flight risk for his average draft position, especially considering that tight ends not named Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham or Antonio Gates aren't usually huge fantasy difference makers  

Defense: Philadelphia Eagles (Average Draft Position: Yahoo!: 77.7 NFL.Com: 86.4 ESPN: 131.5)
The Eagles D were studs a year ago, picking up an insane amount of defensive/special teams touchdowns (11) and sacks (49), which catapulted them to a second place finish behind the Bills for the crown of most fantasy points for a defense. While the Eagles have a considerable amount of talent on defense and improved their horrid secondary with the acquisitions of Byron Maxwell, Walter Thurmond and Nolan Carroll in the offseason , I just don't see them having the same success from a fantasy standpoint. They might have a similar sack total as a year ago thanks to the continuity in their front seven, but it was the touchdown total that pushed them over the edge and the chances of them putting up that many TD's again is highly unlikely. Basically, if you want to draft a defense from a team with a bird-based nickname, wait a little bit longer and take the Cardinals or Ravens, who provide a better value and have more potential to flourish than the Eagles.

Concert Review: Slipknot-- Mansfield, MA-- August 4th, 2015

Aside from 70's and 80's legends Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and Metallica, you'll be hard-pressed to find a metal band that is popular enough to headline a 20,000 capacity venue by themselves. Slipknot is one of the few contemporary bands that's capable of achieving that feat . The Iowa-bred group brought their "Summer's Last Stand" tour- which also features genre heavy-hitters Lamb of God, Bullet for My Valentine and Motionless in White- to the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts last night and the results were predictably chaotic and exhilarating.

By the time I got into the Xfinity Center, Motionless in White had already played. I really don't like their music, so I was hardly devastated that I missed their set. The second support act, Bullet for My Valentine, took the stage about 15 minutes after I arrived. I haven't actively listened to them in about five or six years and the last album I heard by them (2010's Fever) was pretty underwhelming. That being said, they're still a formidable live band. Frontman Matt Tuck still sounds sharp even after his numerous vocal surgeries and it's extremely fun watching their lead guitarist Michael Paget effortlessly rip through blistering solo after blistering solo. I probably won't start listening to their studio material again (especially since the material they played from their upcoming record Venom sounded pretty bland), but their live show was surprisingly enjoyable.

Direct support act Lamb of God started up about 20 minutes later. Just like the four prior times I'd seen them, they were absolutely killer. As a live act, they are the epitome of consistency, putting on high-energy, musically-tight performances every time they hit the stage. The setlist was pretty par for the course for them, as they played a number of longtime fan favorites such as "Now You've Got Something to Die For", "Laid to Rest" and "Redneck", and the two singles from their excellent new record VII: Sturm Und Drang. The lone surprise in their set was the presence of As the Palaces Burn closer "Vigil" as the first song of their encore. I'd been dying to hear them perform "Vigil" since the first time I saw them in April 2009 and it was well worth the wait as it was every bit as badass as I had hoped it would be. While Lamb of God was impressive, their live show stdoesn't translate very well to a huge stage. The deep, pummeling grooves are tailor-made for a club setting and a lot of their music's power gets lost in huge, seated amphitheaters. Despite the less-than-ideal setting, Lamb of God put on a great show as always. I have a feeling they're going to eviscerate everything in their path when they return to the club circuit on their next headliner this fall/winter.

After a half hour-or-so change over, the lights went down and Van Halen's "Runnin' With the Devil" played over the PA , signifying the start of Slipknot's set. The band opened with "XIX", the moody prelude to "Sacastrophe", which leads off their new album .5: The Gray Chapter . Once "XIX" transitioned into "Sarcastrophe, the curtain dropped and revealed their elaborate stage setup which featured a series of ramps, a ton of fire and a large backdrop featuring a giant Satan with glowing eyes. The entire venue proceeded to launch into a full-on frenzy that only grew stronger as the night went on. No many how times (this was my third) you see Slipknot, the spectacle they bring to the stage never ceases to impress. Their nine-member deep lineup give them a uniquely massive stage presence and they never fail to sound better and better the further along they get into the set.  While the entire band deserves praise for making Slipknot shows such an amazing experience, the catalyst for the high quality of their performance is vocalist Corey Taylor. Taylor constantly engages the audience and leads the heavy metal circus that is Slipknot with bravado and unrivaled intensity. However, Taylor's most impressive feat is how he's still able to sing and scream so well at age 41. While a lot of the guys he came up with (Marliyn Manson, David Draiman of Disturbed,) in the scene have seen their vocals greatly deteriorate from their heyday in the late 90's/early 2000's, Taylor sounds still just as good as he did during the band's early years. Slipknot also deserves a lot of props for crafting a damn near perfect setlist. They managed to work in a great balance of new material ("AOV", "Killpop", "Custer") and old favorites ("Spit it Out", "Duality", "People=Shit" without leaning too hard on either. Some people have complained that this setlist is too similar to the one they played on their co-headliner with Korn last November/December, but since I missed that tour, I had no serious qualms with it. Slipknot's music may be filled with over-the-top angst and their songwriting is often far from complex, but they are a truly special live act who is amongst the best bands I've ever seen perform.


Side Notes:
-Can Bullet for My Valentine please play another song from The Poison besides "Tears Don't Fall"? I swear to god once Fever came out they permanently retired every other song from that record from their live sets.
-Seeing a Lamb of God set that doesn't end with "Black Label" is very strange. 
-"Eyeless" being the only single from Slipknot's 1999 self-titled debut to not appear in their set was a serious bummer. For my money, it's the best track on that record.
-The infamous "Jump the Fuck Up" tradition Slipknot has during the buildup of the "Fuck me, I'm all out of enemies" section of "Spit it Out" is super corny, but it's still fun as hell and never fails to get crowd ridiculously hyped.
-This was without question the loudest of the 10+ shows I've seen at the Xfinity Center. 
-Most of the crowd appeared to be around my age (early-to-mid 20's), which is shockingly old for a Slipknot and Lamb of God concert. I guess the kids aren't really into Slipknot or Lamb of God anymore.

Scores:
Bullet for My Valentine 7.5/10
Lamb of God 8.5/10
Slipknot 9.5/10

Setlists:
Bullet for My Valentine:
No Way Out
Your Betrayal
Raising Hell
Scream, Aim, Fire
You Want a Battle? (Here's a War)
The Last Fight
Tears Don't Fall
Waking the Demon

Lamb of God:
Walk with Me in Hell
Now You've Got Something to Die For
Still Echoes
512
Ghost Walking
Ruin
Hourglass

Encore:
Vigil
Laid to Rest
Redneck

Slipknot:
XIX
Sarcastrophe
The Heretic Anthem
Psychosocial
The Devil in I
AOV
Vermillion
Wait and Bleed
Killpop
Before I Forget
Sulfur
Duality
Disasterpiece
Spit It Out
Custer

Encore:
(sic)
People=Shit
Surfacing

The Best and Worst of Charlize Theron

Films starring Charlize Theron that I've seen:
Mighty Joe Young
The Legend of Bagger Vance
The Italian Job 
Monster
Hancock
Young Adult
Snow White and the Huntsman
Prometheus
A Million Ways to Die in the West
Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Performance: Monster (2003)
This may seem like a lazy choice since Theron won an Oscar for this role, but her portrayal of Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute who became the first female serial killer in the United States, is nothing short of mesmerizing. Theron tears up the screen with a fiery performance that portrays Wuornos as both a psychotic and tragically misunderstood person. The pivotal scene where Wuornos explains to her girlfriend (Christina Ricci) why she became a mass murderer shows the true depth and power of Theron's performance. Despite admitting to a heinous act, Theron makes the audience understand and respect her justification for killing people. It's a master class in how spectacular, raw acting can make you sympathize with even the most despicable characters. This performance made me develop an appreciation for Theron as an actress and as far as I'm concerned, there are few recent Oscar-winners that are as deserving as her.


Worst Performance: Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
2012's Snow White and the Huntsman was about as routine and mediocre as a blockbuster can be. About the only thing that's memorable about the film (outside of the outstanding visuals) is Theron's laughably awful performance as Snow White's stepmother Queen Ravena. Theron sticks to the stereotypical villain playbook giving a performance that's loaded with dramatic stares, evil laughs and exaggerated line readings galore. Her campy performance would've been perfect for an antagonist in a live-action Scooby-Doo or Inspector Gadget reboot, but in a stone-serious retelling of a beloved fairy tale, it's just embarrassing.

Best Film: The Italian Job (2003)
I will never understand why this film gets such a bad rap. In my eyes, The Italian Job is everything an action movie should be and more. The plot is simple and efficient, the acting ensemble anchored by Mark Wahlberg, Edward Norton and Theron is perfect with equally strong heroes and villains, the tone is appropriately loose and best of all, the action sequences are fantastic (the final car-chase is one of the most exhilarating to ever be put on film). The Italian Job epitomizes a fun time at the movies and is one of the most underrated action films of all-time.

Worst Film: The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
A film that features Theron, Matt Damon and Will Smith in the leading roles and has Robert Redford sitting in the director's chair can't be too bad right? Wrong. Just thinking about The Legend of Bagger Vince brings back all the rage and disappointment that came over while I was this steaming turd of a movie. A film that boasts this much talent on both sides of the camera should not be this corny, dull and pointless. Unless you're an avid fan of  overly sentimental, melodramatic golf stories involving magical caddy's or seeing established, respected actors put on terrible southern accents for two hours, stay far, far away from The Legend of Bagger Vance.
 
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 "Straight Outta Compton" star Paul Giamatti