2018 NFL Year-End Awards+2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee Predictions

MVP: Patrick Mahomes, quarterback (Chiefs)
No individual in the NFL commanded more attention or made more highlight-reel worthy plays than Mahomes in 2018. His infinite confidence, poise in big situations and knack for making throws that look like they're straight out of a video game added more dynamism to an already explosive Chiefs offense while also helping him become the 3rd player in NFL history to throw for 50 TD's in a season (some guys named Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are the other 2 individuals that have pulled off this superhuman feat). The most unbelievable part of all this success? 2018 was his first year as a starter. Pretty damn impressive for a kid who was largely considered to be a huge gamble when he was selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2017 draft.
Honorable Mentions: Aaron Donald, defensive tackle (Rams), Drew Brees, quarterback (Saints), Andrew Luck, quarterback (Colts)

Offensive Player of the Year: DeAndre Hopkins, wide receiver (Texans)
In a passing-dominated league with no shortage of elite talent at the receiver position, Hopkins further solidified his case for being the best of the absurdly stacked bunch this season. The 26-year old managed 115 receptions, 1,572 YDS, 11 TD's and 0 drops on 163 targets in a year where the Texans offense was once again held back by injuries and horrid line play.
Honorable Mentions: Michael Thomas, wide receiver (Saints), Tyreek Hill, wide receiver (Chiefs), Christian McCaffery, running back (Panthers)

Defensive Player of the Year: Aaron Donald, defensive tackle (Rams)
BREAKING NEWS: Donald is still the most unstoppable defensive player in the league  He spent yet another 16 game slate routinely blowing through double teams and wreaking havoc at the line of scrimmage (25 TFL's, 4 forced fumbles, 41 QB hits, a career-high 20.5 sacks) while his cohorts struggled to consistently make plays around him. What a force.
Honorable Mentions: Bobby Wagner, inside linebacker (Seahawks), Khalil Mack, outside linebacker (Bears), Fletcher Cox, defensive tackle (Eagles)

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Saquon Barkley, running back (Giants)
Pat Shurmer's arrival in East Rutherford didn't bring an end to the locker room turmoil and ugly on-field product that resulted in Ben McAdoo's firing prior to the end of the 2017 season. Just about the only positive thing to emerge from the Giants latest frustrating campaign was the play of Barkley. The Penn State product showed off the burst, strength and polished dual-threat skill set that helped make him the #2 overall pick during an impressive rookie year (2,028 scrimmage YDS, 15 TD's, 0 fumbles, 6.5 YDS per touch) where he had a larger-than-expected role thanks to the poor play of a rapidly aging Eli Manning.
Honorable Mentions: Baker Mayfield, quarterback (Browns), Quenton Nelson, guard (Colts), Calvin Ridley, wide receiver (Falcons)

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Derwin James, safety (Chargers)
Tackling machines Darius Leonard and Leighton Vander Esch may have the more eye-popping  numbers, but James' versatility made him the most impressive rookie defender in this class. James showed off the type of well-rounded game that's becoming increasingly rare for a defensive back to possess by taking snaps at every non-defensive line position and filling the stat sheet on a weekly basis (105 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 INT, 13 passes defensed in 16 games).
Honorable Mentions: Darius Leonard, outside linebacker (Colts), Leighton Vander Esch, outside linebacker (Cowboys), Denzel Ward, cornerback (Browns)

Comeback Player of the Year: Andrew Luck, quarterback (Colts)
To say Luck's future was murky before 2018 would be putting it very lightly. There was doubts about whether or not he could still throw the ball downfield, let alone return to the high level of play he displayed prior to suffering the shoulder injury that kept him on the shelf for all of 2017. Well Luck proved that shoulder that required multiple surgeries over the course of a year to fix wasn't going to lead to his gridiron demise. He was as sharp as ever in 2018-hurling 39 TD's, completing a career-high 67.5% of his passes and helping lead a resilient Colts team to their first playoff berth since 2014.
Honorable Mentions: J.J Watt, defensive end (Texans), Odell Beckham Jr., wide receiver (Giants), Chris Carson, running back (Seahawks)

Coach of the Year: Matt Nagy (Bears)
I had a hard time not giving this to Frank Reich after he led the Colts to the playoffs following an ugly 1-5 start. However, Nagy's role in leading a Bears squad that had finished last in the NFC North and lost 10+ games in each of the 4 years prior to his arrival to a division title in his inaugural season as a head coach was just too much to overcome. Despite having their season end on a tragic note, Nagy's innovative offensive playcalling paired with the immense respect he immediately earned from his players restored a sense of pride to an organization that had been a disheartening, lifeless mess since Lovie Smith got axed.
Honorable Mentions: Frank Reich (Colts), Andy Reid (Chiefs), Anthony Lynn (Chargers)

All-Pro Teams:
Quarterback:
1st team: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)
2nd team: Drew Brees (Saints)

Running Back:
1st team: Christian McCaffery (Panthers), Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys)
2nd team: Todd Gurley (Rams), Saquon Barkley (Giants)

Wide Receiver:
1st team: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans), Michael Thomas (Saints)
2nd team: Tyreek Hill (Chiefs), Julio Jones (Falcons)

Tight End:
1st team: George Kittle (49ers)
2nd team: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

Tackle:
1st team: David Bakithari (Packers), Mitchell Schwartz (Chiefs)
2nd team: Andrew Whitworth (Rams), Ryan Ramcyzk (Saints)

Guard:
1st team: Quenton Nelson (Colts), Shaq Mason (Patriots)
2nd team: Zach Martin (Cowboys), Joel Bitonio (Browns)

Center:
1st team: Jason Kelce (Eagles)
2nd team: Rodney Hudson (Raiders)

Defensive End:
1st team: J.J. Watt (Texans), Cameron Jordan (Saints)
2nd team: Myles Garrett (Browns), Trey Flowers (Patriots)

Defensive Tackle:
1st team: Aaron Donald (Rams), Fletcher Cox (Eagles)
2nd team: Chris Jones (Chiefs), Akiem Hicks (Bears)

Outside Linebacker:
1st team: Khalil Mack (Bears), Von Miller (Broncos)
2nd team: Darius Leonard (Colts), Leighton Vander Esch (Cowboys)

Inside Linebacker:
1st team: Bobby Wagner (Seahawks), Luke Kuechly (Panthers)
2nd team: Zach Brown (Redskins), C.J. Mosley (Ravens)

Cornerback:
1st team: Stephon Gilmore (Patriots), Kyle Fuller (Bears)
2nd team: Desmond King (Chargers), Byron Jones (Cowboys)

Safety:
1st team: Eddie Jackson (Bears), Jamal Adams (Jets)
2nd team: Derwin James (Chargers), Kevin Byard (Titans)

Kicker:
1st team: Aldrick Rosas (Giants)
2nd team: Will Lutz (Saints)

Punter:
1st team: Michael Dickson (Seahawks)
2nd team: Johnny Hekker (Rams)

Return Specialist:
1st team: Andre Roberts (Jets), Tarik Cohen (Bears)
2nd team: Cordarelle Patterson (Patriots), Desmond King (Chargers)

Special Teamer:
1st team: Adrian Phillips (Chargers)
2nd team: Corey Littleton (Rams)
/
Pro Football Hall Fame Class of 2019 predictions:
Steve Atwater, safety (Teams: Denver Broncos/New York Jets)
Tony Boselli, tackle (Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars/Houston Texans)
Pat Bowlen, Denver Broncos owner
Alan Faneca, guard (Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers/New York Jets/Arizona Cardinals)
Tony Gonzalez, tight end (Teams: Kansas City Chiefs/Atlanta Falcons))
Ed Reed, safety (Teams: Baltimore Ravens/Houston Texans/New York Jets)
Johnny Robinson, safety (Teams: Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs) 

Who I'd Vote for If I Had a Ballot:
Alan Faneca
Steve Hutchinson, guard (Teams: Minnesota Vikings/Seattle Seahawks)
Tony Gonzalez
Kevin Mawae, center (Teams: Seattle Seahawks/New Yok Jets/Tennessee Titans)
Ed Reed
Richard Seymour, defensive end/tackle (Teams: New England Patriots/Oakland Raiders)

The Best and Worst of Anthony Mackie (2019)

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

Films starring Anthony Mackie that I've seen:
8 Mile
Million Dollar Baby
The Man
Freedomland
Half Nelson
Eagle Eye

Notorious
The Hurt Locker
Night Catches Us
The Adjustment Bureau 
What's Your Number?
Real Steel
Man on a Ledge
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Gangster Squad
Pain & Gain
Runner Runner
Captain America: The Winter Solider 
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Ant-Man
Our Brand is Crisis 
The Night Before
Triple 9
Captain America: Civil War
Detroit 
Avengers: Infinity War

Best Performance: Pain & Gain (2013) 
While Dwayne Johnson and Mark Wahlberg had more time to drive this morbidly hilarious bus, Mackie's turn as the third wheel in this bumbling band of meathead criminals was just an integral to Pain & Gain's unexpected brilliance. Thanks to his completely believable arrogance, naivety and bursts of steroid-fueled rage, Mackie makes Adrian Doorbal the king of incompetence in this American Dream-chasing band of con men.        

Worst Performance: Notorious (2009)
Mackie is about as reliable as an actor can possibly be. Even if the material is suspect (Our Brand is Crisis, Eagle Eye, Runner Runner), his natural charisma and refusal to slum it prevents him from stumbling. The closest he's come to making a true misstep came with his bit part as Tupac Shakur in the Biggie biopic Notorious. After Demterius Shipp Jr. turned in an electric performance that propped up the otherwise mediocre All Eyez on Me, it became even more evident that he didn't do a great job of capturing the blend of monk-like calmness and seemingly infinite wisdom that made Shakur such an icon.

Best Film: The Hurt Locker (2009)
Modern war flicks, particularly ones set in Afghanistan/Iraq, have a disturbing tendency to favor overwhelming flag-waving macho garbage over showing the true unspeakable horrors that occur and helping people who have never served in the military understand the experiences of the people that are putting their lives on the line. The Hurt Locker was a refreshingly grounded departure from these repulsive propaganda pieces. Kathryn Bigelow realistically portrays the environment in nightmarish detail as well as the variety of ways soldiers react to life on the frontlines without ever glamorizing combat or failing to treat its characters as anything less than fully-formed human beings.  

Worst Film: What's Your Number? (2011)
At this point, I should just ban What's Your Number? from this series. It features a gigantic ensemble cast (Anna Farris, Chris Evans, Mackie, Chris Pratt, Andy Samberg, roughly a dozen more prominent actors) that are among Hollywood's most steadily employed on-camera personnel, which has resulted in me writing about this several times a year since this weekly column began back in May 2015. That being said, this tedium doesn't change the fact this borderline historic lowpoint for the romantic comedy genre squanders an abundance of top-end talent on a monumental dud that is completely devoid of charm, laughs or anything that even resembles fun.

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” star Allison Brie. 

Movie Review: Serenity

Fishing boat captain Baker Dill (Matthew McConaughey) is a reclusive man residing on a small, remote island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean whose heavy boozing and obsession with catching a giant tuna that has alluded him for months has put him in a rough financial situation. Dill's simple world of self-inflicted suffering is suddenly disrupted when his ex-wife (Anne Hathaway) shows up and offers him $10 million to kill her abusive husband (Jason Clarke) that has been terrorizing her and Baker's estranged son (Rafael Sayegh) since he went off-the-grid several years earlier. With this tempting proposal looming over him, Dill is now forced to decide between receiving a life-altering payday or allowing the family he left behind to continue enduring a hellish existence in order protect  his own freedom. Sounds like a pretty typical erotic/psychological thriller right? Well it is..... until it deviates from its seemingly predictable course with a BONKERS plot twist so unexpected that it almost doesn't feel real.  

Is Serenity a great movie? Nah, not really. However, the sheer conviction it shows in seeing this loopy late game narrative wrinkle through makes me respect the hell out of it. Having the audacity to not only make such a drastic turn, but rapidly ratchet up the insanity until the final frame is the type of gloriously reckless power move that I wish more filmmakers would have the gall to do. Even when it's executed as sloppily this, being genuinely surprised by a direction a movie heads in is such a rare feeling that I have to appreciate it whenever it occurs. How writer/director Steven Knight was able to secure approximately $25 million in funding, an ensemble cast full of talented actors (in addition to the aforementioned trio of well-established adult actors, Diane Lane, Djimon Honsou and Jeremy Strong all have notable supporting roles) and a wide theatrical release for a project like this is some mind-boggling sorcery that defies whatever passes as logic in the always whacky entertainment industry.

While it'll more than likely go down as a universally-panned misstep for everyone involved, I'd be stunned if anything else released in 2019 can match Serenity's singular strangeness and unhinged creative fearlessness. Injecting some beautiful chaos into an otherwise sleepy January cinematic landscape is a feat that I'll look back fondly on for years to come, so shout out to Knight for concocting such an ill-advised yet uniquely compelling feature.        

Grade: B-

As We Proceed Episode #31

On this episode, Feliciano and I recap 2018 in hip-hop with our biggest year-end award show to-date. This accolade fest can be heard or seen at any of the links below:

Soundcloud:

YouTube:

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

Quick Movie Reviews (Awards Edition): Green Book, The Favourite, If Beale Street Could Talk, Vice

Green Book: I have to disagree with the relatively large amount of scrutiny Green Book has received in recent weeks. The film simply tells a fact-based story about how two men from different races and socioeconomic backgrounds were able to put their past prejudices aside, and eventually form a friendship as a result of spending time together without attempting to provide much in the way of broad commentary on race relations or any other big picture Civil Rights issues. It may be a pretty lightweight narrative with a heavy dose of Hollywood sentimentality thrown in for crowdpleasing purposes, but it's still a funny, touching and highly enjoyable buddy dramedy that features excellent performances from a pair of underrated talents (Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali) that are often relegated to much smaller roles. It was nice to come away from an awards-contending movie without being overwhelmed by gloom, rage or general unpleasantness for once and I'm glad that both actors earned Oscar noms for their tremendous work.  
Grade: B+

The Favourite: Foul language! Lesbian relationships! Duck races! This ain't your father's period piece! The Favourite is a bizarre, darkly comic antidote to the agonizing stuffiness you tend to find in these elaborate royal costume dramas. With its manic tone that allows for these supposedly sophisticated folks to engage in all sorts of heathen-like behavior and venomous quip-filled dialogue, it almost feels like a 1700's British monarchy reimagining of Mean Girls. It runs out of steam in the final act when director Yorgos Lanthimos goes hog wild with his arthouse auteur shtick and the cousins (Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, both amazing) who turn into fierce, manipulative rivals while trying to win the favour of Queen Anne (Olivia Colman-not quite as strong as her co-stars, but still very good) spend minimal time on screen together, but the rest of the movie was such an unexpected take on a genre that I usually don't enjoy that I'm willing to overlook its bumpy finish.   
Grade: B+

If Beale Street Could Talk: Barry Jenkins' follow-up to Moonlight is a much more well-rounded, assured and powerful effort. He navigates the several timelines that run through this early 70's-set love story centered around two black young adults (KiKi Layne, Stephan James) who are expecting their first child whose lives are upended by a false criminal charge pretty seamlessly, and the way it depicts the extraordinary lengths each character goes to try to prove the expecting father's innocence and racially-charged injustices of the legal system that still ring true today makes the ending that much more heartbreaking. With his ability to tell emotionally-charged stories and get the most out of his actors (James, Regina King and Brian Tyree Henry are all particularly sensational here), Jenkins looks like he's going to be a filmmaking force for decades to come.
Grade: B+

Vice: The understandably polarizing Dick Chaney biopic won't provide a lot of surprises or new information for anyone who closely follows American politics. That being said, Vice does an outstanding job of painting a damning portrait of a power-hungry man (portrayed with subtly maniacal brilliance by Christian Bale) who quietly made a massive impact on the US political landscape over the course of his multiple stints as a high-ranking White House official as well as providing an important reminder that you don't need to be a loudmouth, blatant hate-spewing clown like our current president to be an absolutely vile monster. Writer/director Adam McKay deserves a ton of credit for his willingness to pop the thick revisionist history bubble many Americans have gotten stuck in recently. A lot of the agenda-driven sensationalist news reporting and fearmongering policies our federal government so gleefully embraces weren't original ideas from the stable genius mind of Trump, and it was nice to see a film acknowledge that those seeds were planted well before the MAGA movement took off. As much as I miss the beautiful absurdity of his Will Ferrell-led comedies, McKay has cemented himself as a fantastic serious director who does sharp political commentary as well as anyone working today.  
Grade: A- 

The Best and Worst of Anne Hathaway

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

Films starring Anne Hathaway that I've seen:
Havoc
The Devil Wears Prada
Get Smart
Rachel Getting Married
Love & Other Drugs
Rio
One Day
The Dark Knight Rises
Don Jon
Interstellar
The Intern
Colossal 
Ocean's 8

Best Performance: Rachel Getting Married (2008)
The Devil Wears Prada established Hathaway as a bubbly, vibrant screen presence who could anchor the hell out of a romantic comedy. Rachel Getting Married proved that off-the-charts charm wasn't the only tool in her acting arsenal. Her nuanced turn as a self-absorbed recovering addict that alternates between being completely insufferable and genuinely sympathetic gives this uneven family drama a consistently compelling element that prevents it from completely falling apart.
  
Worst Performance: Havoc (2005)
A lot of high-profile actors have a little-seen dud as part of their early resume. Hathaway's is a direct-to-video crime drama called Havoc that was filmed shortly after The Princess Diaries was released. Her questionable performance as a rich, rap-loving LA teen that becomes enamored with joining a real street gang isn't raw or daring enough to help this misguided project obtain the sense of grittiness it desperately wants/needs.      

Best Film: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Since it suffered the unfortunate fate of following one of the most universally beloved movies of the last 25 years, The Dark Knight Rises is largely viewed as a monumental letdown. Personally, I think the final chapter of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight saga is absurdly underrated. An abundance of huge action set pieces are badass, a legendary over-the top comic book villain (Tom Hardy's Bane) and the tense, cathartic final act made this the perfect swan song for an epic trilogy that changed the way superheroes movies are perceived forever.

Worst Film: One Day (2011)
It's been so long since I've seen or thought about One Day that it's hard for me to recall much about it. What I do remember is being bored as hell and thoroughly unconvinced that the two main characters (Hathaway, Jim Sturgess) were soulmates brought together by chance as this time-hopping flat romantic melodrama limped along for a little under two hours.

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

Top 25 Hip-Hop Beats of 2018

Every year I like to wrap up my year-end retrospective lists with a celebration of the finest production in hip-hop. Here are the 25 beats I enjoyed the most in yet another amazing 12 months for the geniuses behind the boards.

Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order):
A$AP Rocky-OG Beeper (Producers: Nez & Rio and Boys Noize)
Cardi B-I Like It (Producers: Craig Kallman, J. White Did It, Tainy and Invincible)
Lil Baby and Gunna-Never Recover (Producer: Tay Keith)
Rae Sremmurd-Rock n Roll Hall of Fame (Producers: TM88 and MP808)
Young Thug-Anybody (Producers: Rex Kudo and Charlie Handsome)


25.Denzel Curry-Black Metal Terrorist (Producers: FnZ, Taz Taylor, Ronny J and M-Sol):


24.Future-Wifi Lit (Producer: Zaytoven):



23.Travis Scott-STARGAZING (Producers: Sonny Digital, B Wheezy, B Korn and 30 Roc):


22.Playboi Carti-Right Now (Producer: Pi'erre Bourne):



21.Cardi B-Money Bag (Producer: J. White Did It and Laquan Green):


20.Metro Boomin-Dreamcatcher (Producers: Metro Boomin and Allen Ritter):


19.Young Thug-Now (Producer: DJ Spinz):


18.BROCKHAMPTON-NEW ORLEANS (Producers: Romail Homnani, Joba, Jabari Manawa and Bearface):


17.Pusha T-If You Know You Know (Producer: Kanye West):


16.Travis Scott-NO BYSTANDERS (Producers: WondaGurl and Mike Dean):


15.Playboi Carti-R.I.P Fredo (Notice Me) (Producer: Pi'erre Bourne):


14.City Morgue-33rd Blakk Glass (Producer: Thraxx):


13.A$AP Rocky-Praise the Lord (Da Shine) (Producer: Skepta):


12.Flatbush Zombies-Big Shrimp (Producer: Kirk Knight):


11.Travis Scott-ASTROTHUNDER (Producers: Travis Scott, Frank Dukes, Thundercat and John Mayer):


10.Metro Boomin-Space Cadet (Producers: Metro Boomin, Wheezy and Allen Ritter):


9.Metro Boomin-Don't Come Out the House (Producers: Metro Boomin and Tay Keith):


8.Denzel Curry-Black Balloons (Producers: FnZ and Mickey de Grand IV):


7.Playboi Carti-Shoota (Producer: Maaly Raw):


6.Drake-Nice for What (Producers: Murda Beatz and Blaqnmild):


5.Post Malone-92 Explorer (Producers: London on Da Track, Aubrey Robinson and Kendall Roark Bailey):


4.Travis Scott-YOSEMITE (Producers: June James, Turbo and Ramy):


3.Kyle-Games (Producers: BOSSMAN and Naz):


2. Metro Boomin-10 Freaky Girls (Producer: Metro Boomin):


1.Playboi Carti-R.I.P. (Producer: Pi'erre Bourne):