Blog Brav's Neutral Zone Distraction Blog - NFL stuff

Since I'll be working all weekend, I thought I'd knock out both NFC Divisional Round games now.

Atlanta Falcons vs Philadelphia Eagles (4: 35 PM EST)
January 13, 2018

Preview:

We head to the Linc in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the first game of the playoff Divisional Round. The Atlanta Falcons will be taking on the number one seed in the NFC Philadelphia Eagles. The Falcons are seeking redemption after the embarrassment last season in the Super Bowl while the Eagles continue to strive on after their hard-earned playoff bye. Conditionally, the winner of this game will play the winner of New Orleans vs Minnesota in the NFC Title game next week.
The Eagles have one of the most sensational seasons in a long time of struggles thanks to the breakout of second overall pick in last year's draft Carson Wentz. Unfortunately for them, Wentz had torn his ACL, eliminating any chance of him playing in this year's postseason.
Can Atlanta knock Philadelphia down? Or will the Eagles continue to fly high even without their star quarterback? Let's take a look at the Keys to Victory and Final Score for more.

Keys to Victory and Final Score:

Atlanta still has many pieces of its high octane offense in place. Quarterback Matt Ryan has been brilliant under center as always with a supporting cast of talented wide receivers. Within that group is Julio Jones, possibly the second best at his position today besides Pittsburgh Steeler Antonio Brown. Even with that title; Jones has been rather quiet during the season in terms of touchdowns, netting only 3 in the regular season. However the many threats of Atlanta will have to stay on their toes against a very strong Eagles defense that can guard the pass and run very efficiently.

Quarterback Carson Wentz for Philadelphia is no longer able to play this season due to injury, so the duty falls to backup Nick Foles. Foles was previously drafted by the Eagles upon entry into the NFL before being traded to the St. Louis Rams, spending one year with them and one year with the Kansas City Chiefs before returning to the city of Brotherly Love. Foles posted his best numbers back in 2013, where he filled in for Michael Vick on multiple occasions, earning a perfect passer rating and a league best touchdown/interception ratio of 27/2. While not exactly Wentz's caliber this season, Foles is capable to lead their offense to victory. The Falcons defense is no slouch either, although some teams have been able to move the ball against them.
Defense will be the key to this game. If one falters, it's all over for that team.

Final Score - Falcons 27 - Eagles 19

Preview #2
New Orleans Saints vs Minnesota Vikings (4:40 PM EST)
January 14, 2018

Preview:

The site of Super Bowl LII in US Bank Stadium in the heart of Minneapolis is where our second NFC Divisional game will be played. The Minnesota Vikings will host the New Orleans Saints deciding who will be contending in the NFC Championship game against the winner of Atlanta and Philadelphia. Minnesota is attempting to become the first team in NFL history to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium. Neither team have been to the playoffs recently and with new looks can have anything possible.
Can Minnesota stop New Orleans? The Keys to Victory and Final Score will tell us.

Keys to Victory and Final Score:

Minnesota's strength lies in their defense. While quarterback Case Keenum has shown an unexpected amount of resilience as a backup to the injured Sam Bradford, Minnesota's defensive line and secondary have been the league's most feared. They will be heavily tested in that part when Saints quarterback Drew Brees comes to town. Brees' supporting cast of the dual threat running backs of Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara have given defenses headaches while the secondary will have their hands full. They'll be up to the challenge as Vikings defensive backs Xavier Rhodes and Harrison Smith have been named All-Pro this season. Look for a Rhodes vs Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas matchup to be intense.

Minnesota's offense under Case Keenum has been fairly solid. Keenum will have to watch out for their new cornerback in Marshon Lattimore as he's been able to get the better of offenses in time. Turnovers can prove costly for either side and the teams will be scrapping for every possible inch of ground they can earn.
Look for this to be a closely matched high scoring game in a cold setting contrasted by hot tempers and tension.

Final Score: Saints 31 - Vikings 30

​

 

RIP Titans. Had a great playoff run tho

 

And then there were four...It's time for the conference championships this weekend! The winner of both games will be the participants in Super Bowl LII!

Here's the NFC Championship preview!

Minnesota Vikings vs Philadelphia Eagles (6:40 PM EST)
January 21, 2018

The Preview:

The site for the NFC Championship game is in the Lincoln Financial Field in the heart of downtown Philadelphia. The top-seeded Eagles are seeking their return to the Super Bowl since their loss back in 2004. Philadelphia's stellar win against Atlanta has proven that they can deal with strong offenses and stay in the game even with star quarterback Carson Wentz unable to play from injury. They'll be facing a difficult challenge in Minnesota Vikings with their high tempo offense.

Minnesota is coming off a wild thriller against the New Orleans Saints ending in an insane hail mary catch. They'll attempt to continue their drive to the Super Bowl. If they win this game; the Vikings will be the first team in NFL History to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium. Regardless of whomever wins here, the AFC contenders for the championship title New England and Jacksonville are no pushovers.

Can Philadelphia continue to fight onwards? Or will Minnesota's dream season continue? The Keys to Victory and Final Score shall tell us.

Keys to Victory & Final Score:

Despite having a home field advantage, Philadelphia will be fighting more of an uphill battle. Minnesota's defense has punished many talented quarterbacks thus far and their secondary of All Pro safety Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes will hunger for takeaways. Eagles quarterback Nick Foles will have to rely on his own instincts in order to move the ball. He'll be aided by wide receivers Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor and tight end Zach Ertz. Their running game may have a difficult time despite the tandem of LeGarrette Blount and Jay Ajayi. Look for Philadelphia to start airing it out in passing if they find the rushing doesn't produce consistent numbers. Minnesota has a chance to sense their desperation in passing and can pressure the quarterback accordingly in order to create mismatches and pressure.

Vikings quarterback Case Keenum is having a career season and will seek to capitalize that in the hostile Philly crowd. Similar to the Vikings, the Eagles defense is no slouch either and they'll be putting a hundred and ten percent into making life miserable for Keenum and crew. The Vikings have their own corps of elite playmakers on offense and will seek to exploit the Eagles' secondary on big plays. Wide receivers Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen and tight end Kyle Rudolph can expect tight coverage.

Overall, expect it to be a defensive heavy game and things can heat up extremely quickly if turnovers are involved. Expect this game to be close, but with chants of SKOL at the end as the Vikings return to the Super Bowl.

Final Score: Vikings 22 - Eagles 17
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And so the Super Bowl is right around the corner! We'll be doing a preview of the ultimate matchup and final game of the 2017 NFL season between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles later on!

But first, we've got the Honors ceremony, held Saturday night February 3, 2018, given to many outstanding players' performance. While nothing has been announced yet, @Sugar and I will be doing a prediction of who will receive what.

• Offensive Rookie of the Year: I believe that it will be Saints running back Alvin Kamara who will earn the honor. Kamara has proven to be a dual threat running back, racking up a good amount of yards in rushing and receiving. Kamara totaled 728 yards in running and punched in 826 on the catch with 13 total touchdowns credited to his name, earning him a Pro Bowl roster spot for the NFC. He's in good company and will serve as an excellent compliment to Mark Ingram.
  • Honorable Mentions: Kareem Hunt RB KC, Deshaun Watson QB HOU
• Defensive Rookie of the Year: The Saints will own the Rookie spotlight and have Kamara's draft classmate; cornerback Marshon Lattimore crowned as the 2017 Defensive Rookie of the Year. He had been a risky selection due to a history of hamstring injuries, however he has proven to be an enormous help for the depleted New Orleans' secondary. Lattimore's intercepted 5 passes, defended against 18, forced fumbles and contributed massively to the Saints defense and earning him a Pro Bowl roster spot for the NFC. Opposing quarterbacks should take heed of #23 wearing black and gold.
  • Honorable Mentions: Tre'Davious White CB BUF, T.J. Watt OLB PIT
• Offensive Player of the Year: This award I think will go to Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. Had he remained uninjured, he would've been a frontrunner for MVP. Wentz's sophomore season spearheaded the Eagles as the NFL's hottest team. Wentz posed a a mind boggling 33-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio while rallying Philadelphia back to the playoffs for the first time since 2013. The Eagles are still in contention for the Lombardi Trophy and we will see if his efforts prior to injury were not in vain.
  • Honorable Mentions: Antonio Brown WR PIT, Todd Gurley RB LAR
• Defensive Player of the Year: Jacksonville was among the NFL's largest surprises this season and it's possibly because of the acquisition of the colossal Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell. The former Arizona Cardinal is among the most disruptive and strong players in the league. Campbell not only posted some of the best numbers of his career which included 14.5 sacks, but also provided much needed leadership in Jacksonville's locker room, rallying what may be the best defensive squad in the league currently. Campbell is a free agent this season, but look for Jacksonville to give him another offer when the new league year begins.
  • Honorable Mentions: Aaron Donald DE LAR, Demarcus Lawrence DE DAL
• Comeback Player of the Year: Seahawks safety Earl Thomas gets my vote. The member of Seattle Legion of Boom had taken a hard hit against the Carolina Panthers in Week 13 last season with a broken tibia. Thomas contemplated retirement briefly before returning back in 2017, posting a goal line stand against the Rams and defending multiple crucial passes that turned the tide in the Seahawks' favor.
  • Honorable Mentions: Justin Houston OLB KC, Keenan Allen WR LAC
• Walter Payton Man of the Year: This award is the NFL's highest honor. There are three finalists this year and will be chosen by Walter's widow, the commissioner of the NFL as well as the previous winner judged by their charitable work as well as their actions both on and off the field (there were two last year; Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Giants quarterback Eli Manning) Texans defensive end JJ Watt, Panthers tight end Greg Olsen and Ravens tight end Benjamin Watson.
• Deacon Jones Award: This is awarded to the defensive player who has tallied the most quarterback sacks. The winner this season will be Cardinals outside linebacker Chandler Jones, who led the NFL with 17 total.
• Coach of the Year: I pick Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams. McVay has seemed to turn around several years of mediocrity into something special and inherits a strong Rams team that may just be getting started in a string of playoff contentions.
  • Honorable Mentions: Doug Marrone JAX, Doug Pedersen PHI

 

So it's come down to this. Super Bowl LII is here and many of us are eagerly anticipating the coronation of one team as the champion!

Will it be the New England Patriots, who will be making a return to the throne for the sixth time? Or will it be the Philadelphia Eagles, who will be making their third Super Bowl appearance in hopes of earning their first?

@Sugar will be covering the Patriots breakdown while I will be doing the Eagles.

Philadelphia Eagles Offense

The Eagles' offense is among the NFL's most explosive with sophomore quarterback Carson Wentz at the helm. Wentz went down with a torn ACL injury late in the regular season and instead is replaced by Nick Foles.
The Patriots defense is no slouch and extremely savvy, so be certain they'll be limiting Philly's opportunities whenever possible. Much of their action is to delay the Eagles' scoring abilities while maximizing their efficiency for three and out, allowing Patriots superstar quarterback Tom Brady to continue adding points to build a solid lead.
Foles has a very quick release and innate sense of timing, which will be critical to securing big plays. He has a plethora of experienced targets; wide receivers Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith and Nelson Agholor who will keep the Patriots defensive backs busy. They're assisted with breakout tight end Zach Ertz who had posted a season best in touchdowns.
Philadelphia's backfield of Jay Ajayi and LeGarrette Blount will be hard at work pounding the running game.

If the Eagles can keep the Patriots defense guessing, they'll be able to go toe-to-toe with the New England juggernaut. Otherwise, it'll be a very miserable 60 minutes of footbal.

Philadelphia Eagles Defense

The Eagles defense will have an extremely difficult task in stopping the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. Tom Brady will be up to his usual magic with creating mismatches and playing the defense to his own ends. Philadelphia's defensive coaches must be mindful of these tricks and not fall for the deceptions easily.
Of course that is easier said than done, but the Eagles have still managed to shut down high octane offenses before from turnovers and coverages that prevent the advance of the opposition.
Philly's pass rushing line of Vinny Curry, Fletcher Cox, Chris Long will need to quickly neutralize the Patriots offensive line and put constant pressure on Brady. Brady seldom loses his cool and while blitzes may be among the best ways to halt his rhythm, it also requires additional personnel, creating opportunities for bigger plays on his end.
The Eagles defensive backs; safety Malcolm Jenkins and cornerbacks Ronald Darby and Patrick Robinson have to shadow the Patriots' corps of receivers as well as Rob Gronkowski, whom is noted to be very difficult to bring down.​

 

Wow...just wow. This was probably the most intense thriller of a Super Bowl I've seen. The Philadelphia Eagles are underdogs no more!! Congrats Philly, it's been a long time coming and it's well deserved.

@Sugar and I would like to thank everyone who comments, follows and reads this great blog the two of us have created together. Like what she said, we've still got things to cover heading into the offseason, but both of us are looking forward to covering the 2018 season when it approaches.

Fly Eagles Fly!!

 

Hey everyone! It's Brav back and we're onto the offseason! It's going to be a bit of a lull before we hit the new League year on March 14 where free agency explodes into a frenzy and the draft in late May.
So I've decided to do something to help keep myself busy and my own thoughts on entering the new season on what each club is going to do in redrawing their playbook and addressing the needs over the course of the offseason and draft.

I'll go over each division, briefly touching on each team.

Starting with the AFC East.

AFC EAST

Buffalo Bills
Primary Need: Defensive Line, Quarterback

Buffalo is once again without a franchise quarterback and seeking a solid signal caller should always be a priority whenever it's unclear. While that is something that needs to be considered by the front office, another glaring spot is the defensive line and edge rush. Buffalo posted a mere 27 total sacks, leaning towards the back half of the league and it's mainly due to the inconsistency of the front four. Part of it could be attributed to the departure of Marcell Dareus to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The only gems on the line would be defensive ends Jerry Hughes. Look for Buffalo to seek out a pass rusher or interior lineman, especially if defensive linemen Cedric Thornton and Kyle Williams test free agency. They may also aggressively go after this position in the first round as they have two picks and there are plenty of promising prospects.

Miami Dolphins
Primary Need: Cornerback, Linebacker

The Miami Dolphins have a good chance to potentially draft quarterback Ryan Tannehill's successor, however they also need to patch some glaring holes within their own defense. They were notably horrible against the pass catching backs and tight ends on the offense.
Cornerback Xavien Howard is slowly emerging as an elitist at his position and opposite him was rookie Cordrea Tankserley. While the two will combine to be under contract for a couple additional seasons; it is almost necessary to have a solid slot corner, especially to cover rival New England's Julian Edelman. Adding a corner/safety hybrid can help both Howard, Tankserley and safety Reshad Jones immensely.
Look for Miami to invest an interest in an inside linebacker as well.

New England Patriots
Primary Need: Cornerback

The Patriots may have lost the Super Bowl, but that doesn't make them any less dangerous. Most of the pieces such as superstar quarterback Tom Brady are set to return, as well as Julian Edelman who will be recovering from an ACL injury that kept him out the entire 2017 campaign. Malcolm Butler, the Super Bowl hero four championship games ago has seemingly gone to zero after a surprise benching in their most recent loss earlier this month. The signing of former Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore appears to have sealed Butler's fate and it is almost certain he will not be donning a Patriots uniform come next season. New England's other corner, Eric Rowe struggled against the Eagles (his former team) in the Super Bowl and his contract will expire at the end of the upcoming season. Their defensive scheme of man coverage requires many different types of cornerbacks, so it's very plausible to see them actively shopping or drafting at this position.

New York Jets
Primary Need: Quarterback, Offensive Line, Tight End

The multiple holes that the New York Jets have would be enough to sink an unsinkable ship. There's a lot to cover and technically each of the positions could use an upgrade.
Quarterback of course will be one of the biggest issues, but even a new face throwing passes will need to have reliable catchers and a strong offensive line to keep him from being smashed. New York picks very early in the upcoming draft and you can trust that whomever they choose will be thrust into a starting role when the season commences.

That'll do it for this week! I'll be doing another on Sunday to cover the NFC East!

 

Alright! I'm back to touch on arguably the most popular NFL division.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys
Primary Need: Wide Receiver

America's team faltered under the high expectations after claiming a first round bye in the previous year's playoffs. The on and off suspension of running back Ezekiel Elliott drastically hurt the team's playoff chances and it appeared that quarterback Dak Prescott found little respite in his wide receivers. Namely Dez Bryant, who has regressed since the 2015 season and constantly has been defeated by the cornerbacks shadowing him.
While Prescott is a talented quarterback, his preferred way to move downfield is required to have talented backs, receivers and tight ends. The Cowboys will need another strong offensive playmaker and with defensive lineman stud Demarcus Lawrence in line for a rich contract, they'll have to restructure some contracts and it may include Bryant's...who will be forced an ultimatum of taking a pay cut or be released/traded.

New York Giants
Primary Need: Running Back

It is not a farfetched thought that the G-Men could draft quarterback Eli Manning's eventual successor, but even if they go star-crossed with someone in this QB rich draft, Manning has shown little sign of decline. In spite of the benching, he should be back with a new offensive scheme under head coach Pat Shurmur and having two of his favorite targets of Odell Beckham Jr and Sterling Shepard back in the fold from injuries. This can be further augmented by having a dynamic running back...something the Giants have lacked since the departure of Ahmad Bradshaw back in 2012. They have multiple backs to fit a variety of roles but not a first/second down back that can carry the workload. Two of the Giants' running backs; Orleans Darkwa and Shane Vereen are going to be free agents and it's uncertain if either will return. If one or neither are re-signed, there are intriguing options in free agency lingering such as Carlos Hyde, Jeremy Hill and Taiwan Jones.

Philadelphia Eagles
Primary Need: Offensive Line

The defending Super Bowl champions had loaded up in the previous offseason with plenty of talent and it paid off; bringing the Lombardi Trophy to the City of Brotherly Love for the first time ever. There's still a lot of pieces that need to be fixed coming into this offseason, but one of the primary concern should be the front five to face the rush. Big names are set to hit free agency like wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, running backs LeGarrette Blount and Darren Sproles and linebacker Nigel Bradham. Offensive tackle Jason Peters is 36 years old and likely nearing the end of his career and even if he does depart, the holes can be filled such as moving All-Pro Lane Johnson to the left. Look for Philly to explore the draft through trades to earn picks in the second, third and fourth rounds.

Washington Redskins
Primary Need: Wide Receiver, Inside Linebacker

Washington was the surprise trade partner for the Kansas City Chiefs in dealing away quarterback Alex Smith. While he's not as risk-taking as Kirk Cousins, his tenure in Kansas City has shown that he can flourish with the right weapons. Similarly, he'll get a strong tight end in Jordan Reed and can help to improve the corps of mediocre wideouts. There's possibilities that they'll look into free agency to see if they can get themselves a cheap buy...as well as addressing the issue in the upcoming draft. Also a glaring weakness is inside linebacker. Zach Brown is well-liked in Landover, but is inconsistent with misreads despite his impressive speed. They also have no inside linebacker depth, so they should seek to find more help in the position regardless if Brown remains a Redskin.

I'll be back next Sunday to cover the AFC North.