NFL Week 10 Failure: Eulogy Edition

Robert Zeglinski, November 14th, 2014

I’m going to change it up here a little bit.

Instead of focusing on the fantastic successes of good football teams with great game plans and talent, I’m going to start a weekly small Eulogy series leading up to the playoffs giving eulogies to those dysfunctional teams with expectations that fell apart, and others that just aren’t in the January mix.

We begin with those hibernating Chicago Bears and there’s all the point in the world to go off on a complete novel tangent here (I really want to).

Here is your eulogy for the 2014 Chicago Bears season:

Let’s start off by being that stat guy and throw some things in for reference;

Maybe the Bears aren’t that historical proud franchise as we hear so often. The “tradition” was established long before NFL relevancy.

Ever since good ol’ Brett Favre started his first game against these Bears, the Green Bay Packers are 34-13 in their last 47 games versus Chicago. Obviously that coincides with having two Hall of Fame caliber quarterbacks, but we’ll get back to this with more in a second.

In the last 21 years (this year included, I’m not getting ahead of myself). the Bears have made the playoffs 5 times. Just for frame of reference since they are the primary “rival”, Green Bay has only missed the playoffs 5 times in that same span (that number’s not changing this year).

In the last 51 years (since 1963, an NFL title not Super Bowl, for the Bears), the Bears have only had 14 playoff appearances, 27 losing seasons, and 1 Super Bowl with a team that should have had more (Ditka is idolized for what again?).

In the paraphrased thoughts of the always classy Paul Pierce in reference to his old basketball team the Celtics against the Knicks, “they have to actually beat us to be our rival”.

That’s the exact situation the Bears face and have had thrown into their face with Green Bay for a long time.

One thing is clear, the proud “tradition” of a franchise has not existed for a very long time. Expectations notwithstanding, things can always change, but the pattern is hard to break out of.

Those expectations are always mounted when an unknowledgeable fan base idealizes a team that while yes was fantastic, won a Super Bowl OVER 30 years ago (Not a typo). It’s as if both the fan base and the organization haven’t moved from the glory days seeing the results of the past.

And yes the team was great but only in that SINGLE season. The greatest teams of all time had dynasties. Yes call it blasphemy if you want, coming from one of the biggest Bears fans you can imagine, but the 1985 Bears were not that great (I’ve had time to stew on this too).

So it’s time we stop idolizing them any time a modern era Bears team starts playing well, and inevitably the comparisons begin.

(End 1985 tangent here)

This year in relation to that fact, the Bears were expected to be a playoff team. A team that could have (key word, could) won 10-12 games and was considered a preseason chic Super Bowl contender pick.

Who could blame anyone with those thoughts? (*smacks self repeatedly over and over)

After retaining an offense that was 2nd in the league in scoring with all 11 starters and the same “innovative” (HA) system of head coach Marc Trestman, the Bears were supposed to make the jump to consistent Saints level offense contender status.

A patchwork defense of 2013, added “big” (mistakes) free agents, Lamarr Houston, Ryan Mundy, and Jared Allen. So in theory, an offense that could build a lead, would then have a pass rushing good front on defense closing the game out.

All of the plans were set in motion for a good run. Win One for Virginia! (what a crock) was the mantra.

None of those plans have come to fruition as the Bears have set an time NFL record for futility by being the first team since the Rochester Jeffersons in 1923 to allow back to back 50 point games. 1923. 91 years.

Furthermore, in the last 11 games of the Marc Trestman era, the Bears have allowed 50 points 3 times. Before that, they had never done it in over 759 games! Regardless of the mediocrity, that further record points to a level of pride this franchise has at least always had.

I’m not so sure about that anymore with the 3 worst losses in franchise history coming in the modern era.

That’s not an understatement.

As the Bears flounder at 3-6 yet again into irrelevancy, it’s fair to wonder if this is the worst Bears team ever. Yes the worst ever.

I’ve talked with older fans who said the 70’s were unbearable and absolutely awful teams (looking at the stats of those years…..MAN I AGREE), however I can’t shake the feeling of this team.

The sentiment I’ve gotten is that those teams were awful talent wise but at least grinded and competed 60 minutes every Sunday. There weren’t any expectations for them to perform well and they were expected to be bad.

Whatever the issue is with the 2014 Chicago Bears, no one knows. But SOME of the pieces are there as the Bears are no where near a complete team.

So if you’re a Bear fan (Am I talking to myself here? Not sure.),

Who do you blame?

Jay Cutler? I can buy that.

A man who came with a high price in draft picks in 2009, has never quite lived up to the expectations.

He came here to rival Aaron Rodgers and Rodgers and the Packers are 12-1 since Cutler as a starter since. He’s turnover prone. He shows poor mechanics after poor mechanics and still makes the same bad decisions.

After having some of the worst offensive lines ever assembled in his first few years here, where he basically improvised most of the Bears offense, the team rebuilt the offense around him, and gave him the talent. Yet, the mistakes and off rhythm play continue. A championship caliber quarterback does not need to throw 50 touchdowns. He however has to play within the game plan and not turn the ball over.

With 15 turnovers this season (Tied for the league lead) that’s something Jay Cutler simply isn’t capable of. I used to defend Cutler, but he’s not the answer, he just isn’t. And his attitude doesn’t matter if he plays well, but he doesn’t so take that for what you will. I await what offseason plans await him in the coming firestorm of this season for the Bears. (TRADE PLEASE!)

Further down the line, Marc Trestman?

Sure. He’s supposed to be the head coach. The leader of the team that keeps everything in order in the locker room and all of his players on the same page. The man who is supposed to instill some kind of winning personality, attitude, and significant game plan into his men.

Yeah about that, Trestman has lost his team. Whether it’s leniency to allow players to take days off (Lance Briggs) or not addressing locker room outbursts (Brandon Marshall), he just doesn’t have a handle of the psyche of his team as he’s let everything spiral out of control. As his team is shellshocked, he continues to insinuate his team is practicing very well, so is he in denial of what’s happening?

You practice how you play is the old saying in sports, and well with the Bears…..you know…..

If we refer to further stats, the offensive “guru” Trestman has had the Bears slip to 20th in scoring, and 9th in offensive yards. The Bears offense has not been on the same page all year, and while yes Cutler is Cutler, it’s Trestman’s job to manage some kind of success to get all of this together as the league figures him out.

Lovie Smith and Mike Ditka were both 11-14 in their first 25 games as Bears head coaches just like Trestman, yet they never seemed to allow their teams to be this pathetic. They’re teams never quit on them and both guys also made the playoffs in their 2nd year.

Completely different circumstances for Trestman and barring a miraculous 7-0 run to end the season and playoff berth, the man has shown to be in over his head here. In my mind he has to be accountable, with his job, but hey, I guess that’s why I’m not the GM here.

AND speaking of one so called GM, Mr. Phil Emery. It will have been 4 years removed from the Jerry Angelo era at the end of December. The man has had time to craft this franchise into his image so to me there are no excuses of no playoff berths.

Yes, he’s certainly brought in the offensive talent. Alshon Jeffery, Brandon Marshall, Kyle Long, Matt Slauson, Jermon Bushrod are all fantastic acquisitions through free agency or the draft.

But that defense. The great defense of the Lovie Smith era is long gone as that defense wore thin with age and was never quite rebuilt the right way.

I mentioned the “band aids” earlier. Instead of outright building through the draft and obtaining impact players, GM’s of this franchise have made a habit to make panic moves and push all of their chips when it’s not needed?

What was the point of giving Jared Allen who looks OLD, 10 million per year or the overrated Lammar Houston 7.5 million?

Why resign Tim Jennings and Brandon Marshall to big extensions when both look like shells of their former elite selves? (I think the crappiness level of the team has brought at least these two’s performance down).

The Bears have brought in plenty more players than that too. In fact of the 53 man roster, 31 are outside acquisitions or free agents, by far the highest number in the NFL. Homegrown talent does not exist here.

Emery threw around money instead of patience and we have the results, a dysfunctional team that isn’t unified in time of crisis. In contrast, because I have to, the Packers have 5 free agents of the 53, the least amount in the NFL. Green Bay knows football continuity (UGH)

A model franchise, huh?

Model point being here, everyone is to blame.

Most of the organizational failure of the past half century points to bad drafting, bad readjustments to the modern era, and bad luck with “franchise” quarterbacks. When Jay Cutler is your best quarterback ever, that’s a problem. (Sad times).

The Bears have the young talent in place in pieces. Truth is, this team actually was a ways away from winning in 2014. Emery and Co. just tried to rush the process and raise expectations, and now you get this dumpster fire.

When you have no young impact players on the front seven (Fuller in the secondary is a great piece), you’re not going to be a good defense. You need a few more good drafts to be in position talent wise on all sides of the ball.

Again, that being said, it doesn’t excuse Emery’s lack of patience and recklessness, Trestman’s lack of confidence and leadership, and Cutler being Cutler.

If I was in charge, all 3 would not be involved with the Chicago Bears next season, and another big trio would have a chance to take the helm draft wise with the young pieces we already have. That would be the kind of radical change needed to jumpstart this franchise back into the pre-1963 level (GET A YOUNG QUARTERBACK).

However I get the feeling that won’t happen. Maybe 1 loses their job at the end of the season (Take your pick) but it’s likely Chicago’s hitched onto these 3 for at least next season, and at that point, if this poor embarrassment continues, I think only Cutler and Trestman lose their jobs. Emery will likely have his chance at another head coach, and I guess we’ll have to see if that’s a mistake or not. He’s been the best of the 3 (not saying much) a 2014 rushed offseason not withstanding.

Emery would get another chance that for the record I am opposed to, but not as much compared to the mediocrity of the other two.

For now though. For this 2014 humiliating playoff-less season, you will always be remembered but repressed deep into the back of the mind of every Bears fan for fear of humiliation.

Rest In Peace.

-Robert Zeglinski

Robert Zeglinski is an aspiring sportswriter who absolutely loves all the nitty gritty that comes with pro sports. He is currently attending Aurora University in Illinois. You can follow him on Twitter at @ZigZags82 or reach him through email (robertpoduski@gmail.com) for questions or feedback. 

 

 

 

 

NFL Week 9: Success/Failure

Robert Zeglinski, November 5th, 2014

Well uh I don’t really know what exactly to say about Week 9.

What was supposed to be a week of highlight contests like Brady-Manning in Foxboro or the Steelers and Ravens in Pittsburgh, turned into blowout duds.

Some teams right now are just red hot like the Patriots and Steelers, and some are completely all over the place like the Chargers and 49ers.

With that in mind, let’s get to the blips of Week 9 Success/Failure:

Success:

New Orleans Saints 

After most genius prognosticators had the Saints as their preseason pick to win the NFC (myself included, huh?), New Orleans responded with wonderful inconsistency in a 2-4 start. (That’s the NFL for you)

Most assumed the Saints were left for dead in a disappointing season where everything was supposed to come together like it did in 2009 (Lightning doesn’t strike twice perhaps?).

Turns out the combined pathetic ineptitude known as the NFC South that houses two of the worst teams in the NFL (The Bucs and Falcons) along with a banged up Carolina team, allowed the Saints to crawl back in at 4-4. (Lucky)

In fact the Saints are the only division leader that is at .500 (They really did get lucky).

With two convincing wins over the Packers (brought me some happiness for sure) and Panthers that showed off a rejuvenated running game featuring the previously injured Mark Ingram, one has to think what the Saints are capable of now.

They sure seem to be gelling and establishing the rhythm and balance on offense they need. The defense that was ranked 4th a year ago is starting to play like it. In limiting Aaron Rodgers (RODGERS) to 23 points and 2 turnovers, along with the harassment of Cam Newton all night to one of the worst nights of his career (hilariously inaccurate and pressured all night), the Saints are flexing their muscles.

A slow start be damned. In my mind the Saints are a Super Bowl Contender again.

Maybe lightning can strike twice.

New England Patriots

At what point do we stop hyping up Brady Manning for the trivial rivalry it is?

In the paraphrased words of Paul Pierce, “they have to actually beat us for it to be a rivalry”.

Tom Brady now owns a lifetime 11-5 head to head record against Manning.

Brady has routinely had the supposed lesser supporting cast of receivers and offensive talent around him yet he routinely outplays Manning (other than a few outliers).

The Patriots were a home underdog for just the 4th time since 2002 so you can throw out the defensive argument too (Denver had the 2nd ranked defense coming in). Yet people still try to rationalize that Manning can’t do it all by himself (A complete team around him). Well um about that.

Denver top receivers: Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Wes Welker, Julius Thomas

New England top receivers: Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Brandon Lafell, Shane Vereen.

Who has the decided advantage in weapons? Edge goes to Manning yet he scores just 21 points in a joke of a 43-21 blowout. On the other hand, Brady has been red hot and has almost matched Manning’s statistics this season (22 TD 3 INT vs 24 TD 5 INT).

No one does more with less than Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Who’s had the constantly reshuffling of an offensive line that’s struggled to mesh together until this recent 5 game win streak? New England, as the line was the biggest reason the Pats were out of sync in their 2-2 uninspiring start.

Brady and the Patriots simply find a way to success regardless of the circumstances.

On the other hand, the story of Manning’s career will be excuses and team play in relation to his foil Brady, when that couldn’t be further from the truth.

In this media created “rivalry” Tom Brady and his team have dominated in all facets other than losing a few games. The road to Glendale in February runs through Foxboro until further notice. Yes the Patriots have the harder schedule down the stretch (Lions, Colts, Packers on the dock) but they just show greater team cohesiveness to take on that challenge as exemplified by their leader Brady.

Sunday’s game was not a classic prime match-up.

It was another further outclassing of one future Hall of Fame QB and this generation’s most successful team, over an overrated all time statistic machine and nothing else.

Failure:

San Diego Chargers

Phillip, Phillip, Phillip, we haven’t seen enough bolo ties lately!

After a blazing hot 5-1 start in which the Chargers looked like a piece of the class of the AFC and Phillip Rivers was the leading MVP candidate, the Chargers have dropped 3 straight to get to 5-4.

Early season injuries and lack of cohesion is finally getting to San Diego as the problem of playing a 4th string center will come back to haunt you, along with the idea of having no featured running back.

The Chargers have among the worst interior offensive lines in the league considering the injuries they’ve suffered. Not having Ryan Matthews (Benjamin Olliver has done an admirable job), the prototypical workhorse back, to mask these deficiencies has hurt the Chargers greatly for the biggest reason.

San Diego loves to play a sort of ball control offense that allows them to maintain possession while categorically making plays down field. It doesn’t necessarily light up the scoreboard (Manning numbers!) but it keeps the defense off the field (A struggling defense at that) and allows the offense to stay on schedule.

If the Chargers can’t run the ball (less than 100 yards rushing in each of the last 3 losses) then there’s not much hope for them. Opponents like the Dolphins can easily physically outmaneuver the porous San Diego interior and you get results like a 37-0 shutout.

Rivers threw for only 138 yards and resorted to his bad tendencies of yesteryear of over compensating for a crumbling offense in forcing 3 bad interceptions.

Everything fell over on top of itself on Sunday for San Diego and it’s hard to think that changes soon barring some further schematic changes to help the line.

The bolo tie is a victory tie that Rivers might have to shelve more often than he likes down the stretch.

San Francisco 49ers

I hesitate to ever quantify the Niners as a failure (Harbaugh you slick snake) but when you’re 4-4 and struggling at the midseason mark for the 3rd consecutive season, question marks have to be raised.

When you’ve suffered significant offensive line injuries that have thrown the entire offense out of whack (8 sacks to a Rams team that was last in sacks before Sunday, pathetic) , you should be concerned.

When your defense missing it’s two best linebackers struggles to get any consistent stops against higher level offenses, you should be concerned.

The Niners in this time of turmoil have let things slip away.

The constant noise around Harbaugh leaving and losing the locker room grows louder and louder regardless of it’s constant presence for years, which you have to think is having more of an effect.

An offense that was previously known as ground and pound, has resorted to a 60-40 pass to run ratio.

That’s pretty bad considering your electric QB Kaepernick isn’t exactly a pocket passer. Kaepernick has actually been come to be known for his inconsistency and occasional shaky accuracy yet you subject him to more punishment?

263 yards against the pathetic Rams. 8 sacks allowed and you continue to put Kaepernick in position to lose the game agains the Rams 27th ranked rushing defense. It baffles the mind.

Give credit to the Rams for the 13-10 win, but man, the Niners are in an identity crisis that I’ve never seen this team go through before. It sure feels like the end of a short era.

It goes to show you sustained success over a very long period of time is hard to  maintain. Egos must be subsided and talent needs to stay cohesive. None of that is happening in San Fran.

As rumored, Harbaugh may just be on his way out if this bunch doesn’t get it together soon. Health of the team will help, but it seems there are deeper rooted problems than the lack of presence of a few guys.

The Jim Harbaugh era in San Francisco just may end with a loud “THUD”.

-Robert Zeglinski

Robert Zeglinski is an aspiring sportswriter who absolutely loves all the nitty gritty that comes with pro sports. He is currently attending Aurora University in Illinois. You can follow him on Twitter at @ZigZags82 or reach him through email (robertpoduski@gmail.com) for questions or feedback. 

 

 

 

NFL Midseason Power Rankings

Robert Zeglinski, October 31st, 2014

At the midseason point, I thought it would be more appropriate to see where things stand in the NFL.

There’s been the expected excellent performances from teams like the Eagles, Patriots, and Broncos.

There’s been the surprises like the Cardinals and Cowboys, and then there’s been the downright disappointments like the Bears and to this point, the Seahawks.

8 weeks in it’s appropriate to gauge the true contenders.

Here is your full midseason power rankings:

1). Denver (6-1): There’s not much to argue here. The league’s top scoring offense led by the reigning MVP is on a roll and appears headed for the AFC’s top seed. A defense ranked 3rd overall brings missing balance from last year. Brady-Manning looms Sunday.

2). Arizona (6-1) : The league’s most surprising team. In the largely assumed tough NFC West, Arizona has cruised through the early season. Despite injuries and suspensions to key players, the road to Glendale in February is being paved by the team based in Glendale.

3). New England (6-2): Left for dead after a dud against Kansas City over a month ago, New England is right back where it’s left off the past 13 seasons. A league leading pass defense combined with a red hot Brady has Pats in prime position.

4). Philadelphia (5-2): An explosive offense hamstrung by injuries to Darren Sproles and the development of QB Nick Foles still has kept Philly in the thick of the NFC East race. Ultimate fate will hinge on team’s defense, but the NFC appears wide open for a run.

5). Detroit (6-2): No longer singularly dependent on Calvin Johnson for victories, Detroit has relied on the league’s best scoring and stingiest defense to roll to 6-2. With improved offensive weapons like Golden Tate to add to Johnson’s return, Detroit seems like a serious contender.

6). San Diego (5-3): Timely playmaking by the league’s 3rd leading passer in Rivers along with an opportunistic 12th ranked defense has kept the Chargers in the thick of the AFC race. An abnormal good start to season makes San Diego true contender in January.

7). Dallas (6-2): The Tony Romo back injury looms large over a team that blazed out to a 6-1 start. The league’s leading rusher by far, Demarco Murray, bolstered by the league’s best offensive line, has been a nightmare for opposing teams.

8). Indianapolis (5-3): Last week’s continual defensive breakdowns against the Steelers not withstanding, Indy has more balance on both sides than previous years. The rapid development of football’s highest rated passer, Luck, to lead 2nd ranked scoring offense has shown that maybe this team’s grown up after all.

9). Green Bay (5-3): After an unimpressive 1-2 start and R-E-L-A-X message from star QB Rodgers, the Pack have been red hot. A 13-0 touchdown to interception ratio by Rodgers in a 4 game win streak shows how the QB can carry team despite defensive deficiencies. Run defense is concern.

10). Cincinnati (4-2-1): Right where they expected to be, 1st place in AFC North. However where is the growth? A primetime loss to New England brings lingering concerns over whether this talented group ever figures it out.

11). Pittsburgh (5-3): A streaking QB in Roethlisberger with an 8-0 TD to INT ratio in a 2 game win streak has brought Steelers offensive capabilities to forefront. In ultra competitive AFC North, Pittsburgh is still very relevant.

12). Baltimore (5-3): Some recent misplays against Indy and Cincy cast doubt over whether this team is a true contender, but nonetheless the solid play remains. Steve Smith Sr. has proven to be the lightning rod league’s 7th ranked offense has needed.

13). San Francisco (4-3): Despite being shaky up to the midseason point due to a number of suspensions, injuries, and reckless play, you can never count them out. Still in great position for midseason run with offensive line getting healthier and star defensive studs Bowman and Smith returning soon.

14). Kansas City (4-3): An offense hinging too much on health of tailback Charles, has been carried very well by league’s 2nd best defense. Too inconsistent at this point to be taken seriously as playoff contender despite impressive wins over San Diego and New England.

15). Buffalo (5-3): Who would have thought that perennial journeymen and game manager Kyle Orton, would keep Buffalo in the thick of the race? Excellent team defense and pass rush has allowed Orton and rookie phenom receiver Watkins to be in position to make plays at victories.

!6). Seattle (4-3): The defending champs of all teams, on the outside looking in, 7 games in. A vertical pass game limited by lack of playmakers (trade of Harvin has to be questioned) and some locker room turmoil has led to unforeseen inconsistencies. League’s best defense last year has struggled this season.

17). New Orleans (4-4): Chic pick by many to win NFC in the preseason stumbled well out of the gates at 2-4. The return of starting tailback Ingram and stabilizing wins over Green Bay and Carolina puts New Orleans back in lead of the South. Easy division keeps things simple for Saints in NFC.

18). Miami (4-3): Head coach Joe Philbin will never get off the hotseat will he? QB Ryan Tannehill is tied to the hip with Philbin. As he goes, go the Dolphins, and so far this season, it’s been just okay. A tougher AFC East (not the Jets) brings different challenges for a young Miami squad.

19). Cleveland (4-3): It’s hard to take a team truly seriously when it beats down Pittsburgh one week and is blown out by Jacksonville the next. A young team with nice pieces is in excellent position to push true contenders and build for a good future.

20). Houston (4-4): Until Houston has a true franchise QB at the helm, the efforts of the league’s best defensive player, JJ Watt, will be wasted. Watt’s 3 touchdowns is second on the team only to tailback Arian Foster.

21). Carolina (3-5-1): In a year where it appears the NFC South is the weakest it’s been in a long time, QB Newton is banged up and the defense has been in pieces. A regression from the mean from the league’s 2nd best defense a year ago to the bottom third this season, means Carolina has nothing to fall back on.

22). New York Giants (3-4): An 0-3 start followed by a 3 game winning streak then a blowout by Philadelphia has shown the Jekyll & Hyde of Manning and Co. The Cruz injury hurts the offense long term but NFC East still potentially in play with other pieces.

23). Washington (3-5): Despite having no answer at QB yet with QB Robert Griffin suffering yet another injury to open the season (return this Sunday), Washington has been able to keep things relatively afloat. While no true contender, it appears the pieces like receivers Jackson and Garcon are in place. 

24). Chicago (3-5): The team widely considered the league’s disappointment hit rock bottom last week against New England. Lingering locker room turmoil has to be a concern. A sputtering supposedly high powered offense, a defense ravaged by players shuffling around, and lack of leadership have all created this formula for mediocrity.

25). Minnesota (3-5): A team widely considered in transition with rookie QB Bridgewater at the helm, Minnesota has held it’s own in respectability. Other rooks like LB Barr and DT Floyd have flashed and shown plenty of promise.

26). St Louis (2-6): With supposed franchise QB Sam Bradford suffering yet another season ending injury, the Rams are firmly entrenched in No Man’s land. Star defensive end Robert Quinn has been underwhelming with only 3 sacks compared to last season’s disruptive 19. Lack of dynamic playmakers on both sides of the ball has held St.Louis back significantly.

27). Atlanta (2-6): It’s official. After last week’s debacle in London where the Falcons blew a 21 point lead to Detroit, head coach Mike Smith’s seat has become red hot. A team that tried to fight off the “soft” reputation this past summer on “Hard Knocks” looks like a very “soft” team right now.

28). Tennessee (2-6): At least the Titans no longer know QB Jake Locker is their guy. Injuries and inconsistent play have kept Locker off the field. If they don’t have him though, who can they play at quarterback? A top 5 draft pick looms.

29). Jacksonville (1-7): The league’s hardest working bottom feeder, Jacksonville’s lack of talent and poor drafting in recent years is evident every week. The future of this franchise hinges on QB Bortles’s development and what head coach Gus Bradley can instill in his defense.

30). Tampa Bay (1-6): The Lovie Smith era has not gone according to plan in 2014. It appears the vision takes time as Tampa is ranked at the bottom of most every offensive and defensive category. Rebuilding and cohesion is a tough order.

31). New York Jets (1-7): QB Geno Smith’s struggles has exemplified every hardship the Jets have gone through this season. Can you blame him though? After Eric Decker (and the trade for Harvin very late into the season) can you name another Jets receiver? The Jets are stuck in mud and it appears head coach Rex Ryan will pay with his job.

32) Oakland (0-7): Of course the league’s only winless team has to be the Raiders. The horrible drafting of the past 10 seasons has finally crept up to Oakland as they truly have become the worst team in the NFL yet again. QB Carr shows promise but they must build around him in the coming years.

-Robert Zeglinski

Robert Zeglinski is an aspiring sportswriter who absolutely loves all the nitty gritty that comes with pro sports. He is currently attending Aurora University in Illinois. You can follow him on Twitter at @ZigZags82 or reach him through email (robertpoduski@gmail.com) for questions or feedback. 

 

 

 

 

NFL Week 7: Success/Failure

Robert Zeglinski, October 22nd, 2014

As we inch closer to the midpoint of the season, the NFL seems to be in complete flux.

Some talented teams are having issues with identity (Seattle, Chicago). Some teams are making the most of their opportunities (Philadelphia, Dallas). A few teams have clearly separated themselves from the pack (San Diego, Denver, Indianapolis).

Nonetheless we’re beginning to get a good understanding of who should be in Super Bowl contention soon, but still, it’s too early. It’s why they play the games right?

Nine games left. Impossible to figure what other stories and teams will emerge.

Here’s Week 7 Success/Failure:

Success:

Denver Broncos

What Super Bowl hangover?

After a 13-3 season that culminated in a Super Bowl blowout at the hands of the Seahawks, it seems the 2014 Denver Broncos are actually better.

A 42-17 blowout this past Sunday over perennial NFC mainstay San Francisco shows as much.

The offense still has the familiar cast of the Demaryius and Julius Thomas, Wes Welker, in addition to speedster Emannuel Sanders.

The offense still has the statistical best quarterback of all time, Peyton Manning who just broke the touchdown pass record.

The offense still has one of the league’s best and technically proficient offensive lines stabilized by the return of left tackle Ryan Clady (who missed most of last season).

Denver leads the NFL in scoring at 31.5 points per game. Enough said.

It was never going to be problem to move the ball or score for the Broncos. This team had issues defensively and it seems they’ve addressed those problems quite well.

Free agent additions Demarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, and TJ Ward have panned out quite well as Denver is 2nd in the league in total defense, 2nd in the league in sacks, and 2nd in the league in rushing defense. It’s not as easy to push around and intimidate the Broncos anymore like Seattle exemplified this past February.

The Broncos made the necessary physical and athletic upgrades in breaking the bank this offseason, and in turn have built the most complete team in the NFL.

Denver actually has some stiff competition in the AFC with old rivals San Diego, New England, and Indianapolis lurking, but for now they have no reason to worry.

This team is actually better than a version that won 13 games a season ago.

That’s scary for the rest of the NFL.

Indianapolis Colts

It’s not often you see such young up and coming teams perform so consistently well, but it’s time to take notice of what the Indianapolis Colts are doing right now.

They have a legitimate MVP candidate in young gun (can we even call him that anymore?) Andrew Luck, who is leading the league in passing and touchdown passes.

He’s spoiled with receiving weapons, TY Hilton, Reggie Wayne, Coby Fleener, and Dwyane Allen along with an excellent 1-2 punch in the backfield featuring Ahmad Bradshaw and Trent Richardson.

Indy is second in the league in scoring and 1st in yardage (Must be Luck’s beard). This team is making the leap now. A 6-1 record that can no longer just be blamed on playing in one of the worst divisions in the NFL, the AFC South, shows just that.

They seem to have youthful energy and passion for the game that extends throughout the team. It’s a winning culture and they understand what they do well.

Even a previously much maligned defense is 8th in the league and has shown to be able to completely dominate opponents.

Look no further for an example of that then the 27-0 shutout of the Bengals this past Sunday in forcing EIGHT (Almost as crazy as not punting by an offense, especially to a talented team like Cincinatti) consecutive three-and-outs.

It will be a race to the finish for this Indy team for a top 2 seed in the AFC considering the elite competition of Denver, San Diego, Baltimore, and the Patriots, but you have to think this team is ready for anything.

The Colts are a legitimate Super Bowl contender again (As they were for years with Peyton)

They’ve finally (re) completely grown up.

Failure:

Chicago Bears

You can say I’m wasting my time as the Bears have made their 3rd appearance of failure here this season, but at some point the talk and madness needs to end.

It’s not because I’m a biased Bears fan that this (so far) disappointing 3-4 team is constantly discussed. They are literally one of the most talented teams in the NFL. They should not be losing home games to underachieving less talented teams in the Dolphins.

I’ll take a page from the Brandon Marshall in the post game locker room for a second:

A skill group that features Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Martellus Bennett, and Matt Forte should be better.

Unacceptable.

An offensive line that has had it’s struggles due to injuries and lack of cohesion compared to last season should be better.

Unacceptable.

A talented quarterback in Jay Cutler that’s won big games in the NFL, who no one will confuse for Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady (they never should have in the first place) that still has bad overthrows and awful routine miscommunications with his receivers.

Unacceptable.

A coaching staff led by head coach Marc Trestman that has established no clear identity for the team offensively or defensively which is why you see this hot and cold play week to week.

Unacceptable.

I’ve aired these points out now several times. There’s no point in talking about the routine mistakes and lack of rhythm this team shows every other week. The game events don’t matter anymore until the team gets it together.

Contrary to popular belief, I don’t think this team has a leadership issue.

The media tries to paint it’s own picture of a locker room in shambles but I see too many stable lead by example solid veteran types like Brandon Marshall, Jared Allen, and Jay Cutler (he’s the QB that it seems still gets everyone in the right spot).

While Marc Trestman hasn’t established an excellent identity and framework of winning yet, it doesn’t mean he won’t. We are only half a season into his tenure. Do the Bears really want to be one of those fringe franchises like the Raiders who fire their coach midseason barely giving him a chance (or making the wrong hire in the first place) and never have any stability?

Time must be given to this staff to leave their own imprint on the NFL. Talent doesn’t always mesh together well, but considering the pieces that are there, it’s way too premature for an indictment on anyone.

Now for realism.

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that this team will have to go 7-2 or 8-1 in it’s last 9 games. That’s the nature of competition for a playoff spot and contention in the NFL. While it’s nice to have 5 home games (0-3 this season, so what does this matter right now?) and 5 divisional games left, what reason have the Bears given us to trust them and take advantage?

They tease us with games like San Francisco and Atlanta, and then lay eggs against inferior teams in Miami, Carolina, and Buffalo.

That’s why it’s so frustrating to watch, because we see what this team can do when running on full cylinders or at least execute well. I actually don’t think for a second we’ve seen the best possible version of these 2014 Bears.

But.

Winning teams are consistent teams in football and right now the Bears are neither.

I still believe this team can get it together, finally mesh well, and put together one of those hot 4-5 game winning streaks, but that’s asking a lot right now.

I thought the Bears would be at or around .500 closing in on the bye week, just not like this. Not with any lack of identity from the league’s #2 scoring offense a season ago. The next 3 weeks will define their season. Two games on the road against the Patriots and Packers with a bye week squeezed in between are beyond tough and they will need to come out with at least one if not both games with a win.

If they can put something together there, then maybe it’s time to fully put your stock on that hot streak and this team, but for now all Bears fans can do is hope for the best.

A season that was supposed to feature a playoff berth as a nice building block for a team building to be in a Super Bowl in the next 2-3 seasons is in danger of falling off the rails. It’s up to this team to fix that, recover, and execute on it’s own.

The ever awaiting drama and story of this 2014 Chicago Bears season begins it’s next chapter.

Seattle Seahawks:

While Denver is thriving post Super Bowl, the defending champions are stuck in the mud right now.

After a Week 7 28-26 loss to the Rams that featured a variety of mental mistakes by Seattle (and courage by Jeff Fisher), the Seahawks have now lost 2 consecutive games and sit at 3-3 in the very competitive NFC.

Their failures have completely opened up the conference to any number of teams and you can’t really point at any specific issues to nitpick for them right now. Well except:

In the bottom 3rd of the league in 3rd down defense and pass rush effectiveness.

The smash mouth effectiveness of the “Legion of Boom” is lacking the same amount of passion and effectiveness they had last season. They don’t have the same discernible advantages or incredible depth they had last year so the creaks are shining through.

Now to further complicate things there are perceived chemistry issues following the shocking trade of Percy Harvin and perhaps some unresolved problems that could threaten the defense of their title. Seattle is a mystery right now.

Everyone knew they didn’t have the most explosive pass offense (the Percy Harvin trade still baffles) or best offensive line, but no one thought the defense would struggle as mightily as they have last season. If Seattle can’t pound the ball with their rushing attack and if the defense, the  supposed strength of the team lacks depth and proper execution, what do they have?

It’s hard to win back to back championships in the NFL and Pete Carroll and his team are learning that right now. Seattle has a lot of work to do. If they don’t get anything done soon, it seems the Pacific Northwest might be quiet come January.

The 12th man wants no part of that.

-Robert Zeglinski

Robert Zeglinski is an aspiring sportswriter who absolutely loves all the nitty gritty that comes with pro sports. He is currently attending Aurora University in Illinois. You can follow him on Twitter at @ZigZags82 or reach him through email (robertpoduski@gmail.com) for questions or feedback. 

 

 

NFL Week 6: Success/Failure

Robert Zeglinski, October 15th, 2014

For the first time this season, Week 6 saw some separation between contenders in divisions.

At this point we can safely say the Chargers, Broncos, Eagles, Cardinals Colts, Patriots, and of all teams, the Cowboys (barring their possible collapse) are the true solid teams. These are teams that have established a clear identity and have turned the early season into good wins.

It’s too early to judge the rest of the league though.

Both the AFC (Ravens, Bengals, Browns) and NFC North (Bears, Lions, Packers) have yet to garner any true separation. Who knows who’s gonna win the NFC South? (Can you safely say Carolina? Really?)

Finally you have the muddled wild card race that likely won’t even be decided till December.

Parity wins out right now.

A month and a half into the season let’s get to Success/Failure:

Success:

Dallas Cowboys:

Raise your hand if you thought Dallas would come out with a win AT Seattle. (Anyone? Bueller….Bueller…Bueller…)

The shock of the league continued in the late game Sunday as the Dallas Cowboys, the symbol of mediocrity in the league the last 2+ decades, went into the defending champs’ house and looked better than them.

30-23 as a microcosm of the final story of this game is misleading.

If not for bad snaps on a punt and field goal, the Cowboys actually would have blown Seattle out. Dallas completely dominated offensively and defensively from start to finish otherwise. You want to see the difference?

The Cowboys had 401 yards offensively to Seattle’s paltry 206.

Dallas had 162 yards on the league’s #1 ranked rushing defense coming into the game (on their turf, keep in mind). A rushing attack for Seattle led by Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson (typically one of the league’s best) could only muster up 82 total yards rushing.

Yes it’s easy for a defense to play faster and more physical when it’s barely on the field, but nonetheless it’s impressive to limit the NFL’s best ground and pound offense, Seattle, to that 206 yards.

The Marinelli coordinated defense dared Seattle to open it up to the passing game and they simply couldn’t. Dallas played perfect press man on the Seahawks’ limited receivers and kept Russell Wilson contained in the pocket as he struggled to develop a rhythm the entire game (14/28, 126 yards).

It looked like the early Russell Wilson of 2012, except without the dominant running game, so Seattle’s offense couldn’t get anything going. I still can’t believe Dallas of all teams reduced the best team to their previous regressions.

And the Cowboys had 2 turnovers early, (an earlier era typical Dallas miscue that would lead to them being blowout) which they still recovered to completely control time of possession (Almost 38 minutes to Seattle’s 22minutes, about 2/3 of game!).

Seattle is still likely the best team in the league despite some of these struggles, but this game was a measuring stick for Dallas in the early goings, and they passed with flying colors.

The win keeps pace with the Eagles at 5-1 for 1st place in the East along with maintaining the best record in the league (the Chargers in the AFC hold this mantle).

Working though some early season struggles sets up Dallas for a playoff berth provided they can take out Philly and stay consistent (Big “If” given their history) when the two meet (Thanksgiving is the first meeting).

If you thought anyone would be saying this about Dallas 6 weeks into the season, you’d definitely be lying.

I hate to say it but for now…

How bout them Cowboys?!

Philadelphia Eagles:

Chip Kelly’s fun bunch just seems to roll along don’t they? And in primetime against a hated division rival no less.

A war of words all week between the Giants and Eagles leading up to their “Sunday Night Football” matchup turned into absolute humiliation for the New York team.

The 27-0 defeat in which the Eagles completely outclassed Eli Manning and his boys, was the largest margin of victory by an Eagles team in the Philadelphia/New York rivalry.

Despite my criticisms of their offense (physical and more importantly disciplined defense can still shut them down like the 49ers did, two traits the Giants defense does not have), Philadelphia flexed defensive muscles everyone thought they didn’t have. News flash:

The Eagles camped out in the Giants’ backfield all night and harassed Eli Manning to the tune of 8 sacks. They completely abused a porous offensive line and gave no chance to the Giants offense of ever moving the needle consistently.

253 yards

Yes 253 yards and ZERO points allowed by a defense that was previously thought of as an afterthought compared to Kelly’s precious offense.

This was a Giants team that had previously scored 30, 45, and 27 points in the 3 weeks leading up to the game, and the Eagles defense of all teams never game them any sort of hope.

Philly’s offense is fast, free flowing, and everyone knows the intricacies (will likely eventually hurt them) but who would have thought this band of misfits could play D?

The Eagles now find themselves in a titanic battle for the NFC East with Dallas with both teams 5-1. Seeing how Dallas is running the ball and controlling the clock, perhaps they’ve never been more prepared to try and embarrass their hated rival.

Thanksgiving can only come so soon.

Failure:

Cincinnati Bengals:

The AFC North consisting of the Browns, Steelers, Bengals, and Ravens, is the only division in the NFL right now that has all teams at .500 or better.

It’s turned into one of the most competitive divisional races in football where every win and loss could be the biggest difference, and yet the Cincinnati Bengals TIED.

After a complete blowout at the hands of New England, the bad Cincinnati defense showed up yet again.

431 yards and 37 points allowed to a banged up Carolina offense.

With the way Panthers QB Cam Newton was running the read option (career high 107 yards rushing) you would have thought the Bengals had never seen that kind of offensive innovation (Ha!).

That’s 80 points allowed along with almost 1000 yards of offense allowed in 2 weeks by the leagues’ previous #1 defense.

This is a team that just 2 weeks ago was thought of as the most complete team in the AFC other than quarterback, yet Andy Dalton looks pretty good right now.

An offense led by Dalton, missing AJ Green and Marvin Jones, lit up the Carolina Panthers for 37 points and 513 yards, and Cincy STILL tied.

The Bengals offense is clearly outperforming their defense right now and if things aren’t righted soon, it may cost the Bengals another chance at a deep playoff run.

Just goes to show Cincy’s luck, that when it looks like Dalton has finally grown up, the defense turns into a sieve (at least for the time being).

A tie with Carolina isn’t catastrophic as it isn’t against a conference opponent and obviously a tie is better than a loss, but it’s a missed opportunity.

If the Bengals are ever supposed to be thought of as a serious Super Bowl contender, these games where they are the absolute clear favorite have to be victories. They are still the most talented team in their division that’s as competitive as it’s been in years, but this tie could really cost them in the late season playoff race.

You have to be worried if this team peaked way too early.

Prime time may never come for these young Bengals.

Miami Dolphins:

The Dolphins-Packers game this past Sunday may just turn out to be the defining game of the Joe Philbin era. Defining traits of Philbin teams you ask? Let’s see;

Terrible clock management (allowing the league’s best QB plenty of time to win the game instead of icing possession)

Bad turnovers by a receiver converted quarterback that has yet to show the true game breaking ability of the leagues’ good signal callers, Ryan Tannehill.

Red zone difficulties (one wasted 4 down territory possession with no points and a complete lack in creative play calling on another field goal drive) that was only punctuated by a lack of a consistent running game. (112 yards is misleading for the Dolphins as QB Tannehill contributed 47 yards of it)

Finally most importantly, a great defensive effort to consistently pressure the league’s best, Aaron Rodgers, completely wasted with incompetence.

You can’t say much else about these Dolphins.

They have a very talented pass rushing front four to go with their defense and decent secondary. They have some good talent on the outside on offense with Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline, along with a solid offensive line, but they continually shoot themselves in the foot.

At some point you can’t blame all of that on the quarterback and you have to wonder the head coach’s hand in this.

New England is the weakest it’s been in the Belichick era and right now it looks like no team in the AFC East is going to take advantage.

If that isn’t an indictment on the talented South Beach squad then I don’t know what is.

-Robert Zeglinski

Robert Zeglinski is an aspiring sportswriter who absolutely loves all the nitty gritty that comes with pro sports. He is currently attending Aurora University in Illinois. You can follow him on Twitter at @ZigZags82 or reach him through email (robertpoduski@gmail.com) for questions or feedback. 

 

NFL Week 5: Success/Failure

Robert Zeglinski, October 7th, 2014

We are 5 weeks into the season, and there are no undefeated teams left standing. That hasn’t happened since 2010.

Usually we get that one team that flirts with greatness around 9-10 wins, but of course parity has won out in the 2014 season.

I haven’t seen a week of parity like Week 5 in a long time and I don’t know what to make of it. We had a number of teams win in blowouts (Packers, Broncos, Chargers, Patriots). We had so many teams win with ridiculous comebacks in back and forth matchups (Panthers, Saints, Bills, Cowboys, Browns, Eagles).

Of course there’s also the mention of the horrible state of officiating but that’s a different story (I feel for you Percy Harvin, I really do).

The NFL has relaxed into a state of mediocrity in the sense that we don’t really definitively know who the best team is.

Seattle would be the easy answer, but then to see them struggle with a decrepit Redskins team gives you mind of what exactly is going on (The officials did have a hand in this matchup though).

It used to be we would have definitive blue bloods like New England or whatever team Peyton Manning was playing for as the set in top teams for a championship.

Now?

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that with the state of the lackluster officiating, lack of practice and contact teams are allowed within a week, and diluted talent level between teams, that the NFL has become a league where you just the roll the dice. And that’s what precisely what a league struggling with it’s PR wants. Crazy comebacks and crazy games.

I’m just saying. These are things to keep an eye on as we keep rolling through the season.

Nonetheless, let’s get to Week 5: Success/Failure.

Success:

New England Patriots:

Bill Belichick may not be the smartest general manager.

Trading away blue chip picks and veterans that can still clearly play at a high level will do that to you, but it can be never said the man doesn’t how to inspire and prepare a team.

After the national media completely buried the Pats through their struggles within the first month of the season (A blowout by the Chiefs in primetime only exacerbated this), people actually wondered if it was the end of an era (Mostly ESPN). It was really debated if the Patriots of all teams were still truly a cornerstone contender team in football.

I think you could still argue about the actual state of the team. They have offensive line issues and they lack talent on the outside on offense.

But boy did they respond in a big way on Sunday night against the supposed most talented team in football.

An offense that struggled to move the ball consistently against the dumpster fire that is the Oakland Raiders, absolutely picked apart the elite Bengals defense in all facets. A New England team that lacks in talent did whatever it wanted all night. Keep in mind this is the same Bengals defense that served to humble Matt Ryan and his supremely talented duo of receivers.

43-17 was the final here and it never even seemed that close according to the eye test.

Cincinnati did not come prepared to play against a Pats team that treated this primetime matchup as a playoff game.

I still have to think Cincinnati possibly cruises to a top 2 seed in the AFC but Sunday night just wasn’t going to be their night even with Andy Dalton playing relatively well in a big matchup (204 yards, 2 TD’s). 500 yards of offense and 3 forced turnovers by an angry New England team proves just that fact.

At this point the Patriots have essentially become the Spurs of the NFL (or vice versa, you know you’ve heard this analogy routinely about these teams). Once you count them out. Once you think the game has passed them by or that they’re too inexperienced or too old, they always come back firing. That’s a credit to their great players like Tom Brady (Or Tim Duncan and Tony Parker) and their coaches like Belichick (or Popovich, you get the point).

I don’t know how far New England can take this season. Again you have to think the talent deficiencies on offense will eventually catch up to them at the worst time. But there’s no reason to think they still don’t win the AFC East and at least 11-12 games. They’re always hanging around. Always

That’s the Patriot Way.

Cleveland Browns:

In relief duty, Charlie Whitehurst, yes Charlie Whitehurst lit up the Browns to the tune of 194 yards and 2 TD’s.

The Titans were playing at home, where historically the modern era Browns have been awful on the road.

Tennessee was ahead in this game 28-3……AND Cleveland won! The biggest road comeback in NFL history made by all of teams, the Cleveland Browns.

Of course not a coincidence, it broke an 8 game losing streak for Cleveland.

Regardless of the level of competition in the hapless Titans, perhaps the Browns have found something here.

Head Coach Mike Pettine seems to have his players believing in the vision he wants implemented, and the players are responding in such to make the Browns a halfway decent team.

I mean just take a look at the schedule. Cleveland has not been blown out of the water in any of their games.  Close losses to North rivals, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, and close wins over the Saints and Titans. This would’ve been absolutely unheard of by the Browns just 2 years ago. Yet they’re hanging in there.

Look I have my doubts.

Brian Hoyer is a glorified game manager that sans Josh Gordon lacks weapons on the outside to throw to and play consistently well. (Actually I’m not sure if he’s glorified but he’s keeping Manziel out of the conversation, which is a good thing, right?)

And consider a middling defense ranked 15th that won’t cut it once the Browns really step out of the division considering that mentioned lack of talent on offense.

Can they win the AFC North or realistically challenge for a playoff spot? No.

Can they win 7-9 games in a weak AFC, playing hard, and building a nice core level of a football team for the future? Yes

At this point an 8 win season might as well be a playoff berth for Browns fans.

Failure:

Chicago Bears:

I’ll try to keep this as short and sweet as possible (no promises) as there’s no point in rambling on and on.

As many pundits have noted, the Bears offensive starters make a combined salary of $57.74 million. The Bears defensive starters make a combined a salary of $32.17 million. You can say figuratively the Bears have about 60% of their cap space invested on the offensive side of the ball. They are built to score points and move the ball as a primary tool of winning.

This isn’t about expectations. This isn’t about judging units based off of talent level and what we thought they were capable of. The Bears defense hasn’t necessarily been up to snuff either.

But.

They’ve been highly competent in some moments and straight up awful in others. An average defense is what they are right now, a far cry from the historically awful defense of 2013, so still an improvement (21st up from 30th last year).

Those moments of competence? 2nd in the league in takeaways and 12 sacks in 5 games (5 from Willie Young). Moments to ponder? Games like against the Packers, where Green Bay does not punt (Only the 2nd time that has ever happened in NFL history).

I’m pleased with the progress of the defense considering the youth gaining experience like Kyle Fuller or Ego Ferguson, and we won’t really talk about the special teams (young guys, bad mistakes, Joe Dicamillis is on the hot seat, but not a primary core issue). It’s not the problem here.

The Bears are built to win games offensively. Yet, they are just 11th in the league yardage wise. They are 17th in the league in scoring.

Is that an elite offense? Is that an offense that can carry an average defense still rebuilding but at a competent pace?

They have all these weapons like Alshon Jeffery, Brandon Marshall, Martellus Bennett, and Matt Forte, yet they’ve scored 3 points total in the last two second halves they’ve played against an awful Packers defense and a Panthers team that was humiliated by Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

If you come to think of it, the offense hasn’t really put together any complete games this year.

Playing to their potential off the top of my head; the 2nd quarter against Buffalo, the 2nd half against San Francisco, the 3rd quarter against the Jets, the 1st half against Green Bay, and the first quarter against Carolina.

People want to blame Jay Cutler for that inconsistency (which is warranted sometimes considering the untimely turnovers), but this is on the offense as a whole. We’ve known for a long time Cutler isn’t Brady or Manning, but he can play well enough. It’s on everyone out of sync.

The offensive line has been decimated by injuries. There are dumb penalties at the worst times.

Guys drop passes (Jeffery).

Guys miss blocks (Bennett).

Guys check out (Marshall).

Guys make bad decisions (Cutler).

Coaches fail to make in game adjustments (Trestman).

You could consider all of these workable kinks considering that guys just aren’t really making plays, but if an offense with top 5 level talent is performing at bottom half league capacity, you have to wonder what the core issue is.

You don’t fail to score points with the talent the Bears have. You just don’t. And that’s more than just on the players.

I argued with someone on Twitter about how it’s ridiculous to expect the offense to score 30+ points every game. That the losses the Bears have suffered are team losses and how the offense can’t carry the team every game.

But what game have they carried the Bears this season?

The defense put in the offense in short fields in the Niners comeback and the defense put the offense in short fields in the Jets win.

The offense is the weaker unit that has put the defense in short fields and bad positions with it’s turnovers.

And you know what?

The Bears have yet to score 30 points this season (Funny, huh?)

Marc Trestman better round up the troops fast, because they can’t afford to keep giving games away. This is still a 10-11 win team talent wise considering the schedule that can quickly evolve into a 6-7 win season if things aren’t tightened up.

The Bears are 10-11 so far in the Trestman era so I have my doubts about the man’s leadership. He’s looking more like a over glorified offensive coordinator who plays things cute than a competent head coach right now.

Put your players in position to succeed like your paid to do, or the Bears will find someone else in due time. It’s that simple.

There’s still time to fix that, 11 games. But soon that will become 10 games, then 9 games, then 8 games, etc. etc.

Let him and the Bears prove me wrong.

New York Jets:

Who really expected the Jets to be relevant this season?

I thought they would win 7-8 games considering the talented front seven they have, but that offense and Geno Smith left a lot to be desired as a playoff contender.

No this isn’t about the Jets being a middling team that was blown out by the likely best team in the league, in the Chargers.

This is about the horrible mismanagement of their quarterback situation as it seems no team in the league likes to play around with their quarterbacks like the Jets.

The Jets stunted their previous quarterback, Mark Sanchez, by bringing in Tim Tebow as a publicity stunt, as “necessary pressure”.

If you’ve seen Tebow throw a ball, you know it meant something else, but not in Sanchez’s mind. Where is he now?

Oh, not on the Jets roster (backup in Philly).

Seeing that, what made you think they would stay patient with Geno Smith?

What made you think they would put tangible weapons around him to help him develop and give him the coaching he needs?

Who’s the most notable receiver the Jets have had in recent years, Stephen Hill? Oh, he’s not on the roster anymore. Who could they have drafted? Oh, Alshon Jeffery.

Then of course it’s oh-so typical Jets that when your young quarterback is struggling because of the garbage you put around him, you bench him in favor of your high profile over the hill signing, Michael Vick (hasn’t been relevant in 4 years).

Stunted development and career backup here we come for Geno Smith, at no fault of his own.

It seriously seems like the Jets and Rex Ryan have no idea what they’re doing.

That’s J-E-T-S football, baby.

-Robert Zeglinski

Robert Zeglinski is an aspiring sportswriter who absolutely loves all the nitty gritty that comes with pro sports. He is currently attending Aurora University in Illinois. You can follow him on Twitter at @ZigZags82 or reach him through email (robertpoduski@gmail.com) for questions or feedback. 

 

 

 

NFL Week 4: Success/Failure

 

Robert Zeglinski, October 3rd, 2014

Well for all of the excitement the season can bring, Week 4 sure had a lot of blowouts.

The Packers got back on track (fair or unfair).

The Niners reestablished themselves as an NFC power after soundly handling Chip Kelly’s fast paced Eagles.

Steve Smith got his sweet revenge, and we may be seeing the end of an era in New England (I can still it’s only Week 4. Calm down people).

Let’s jump into Week 4 Success/Failure:

Success:

Dallas Cowboys:

 

Sunday night was a story of misguided expectations. On one hand you have a supposed Super Bowl contender falling apart in the Saints.

On the other you have these physical and technically smart…..Dallas Cowboys????

After a horrendous offseason detailing almost no additions to a porous defense of 2013 (how could losing future HOFer Demarcus Ware help any defense?), no one really expected Dallas to be playing this well.

What people forgot was the calm calculated game plan a team with by far the best offensive line in football could put into action.

Through four games, the 3-1 Cowboys are the #1 rushing team in football. Yes the same Cowboys that would abandon the run in the past and put the ball into Tony Romo’s hands (Sometimes that didn’t always work out so well, did it?).

It’s a stark contrast because Dallas hasn’t exactly been lighting it up in the passing game as Romo is just 16th in the league in passing yardage with 7 TD, and 4 INT’s.

Man you could say this is all so conservative and pointless, but in actuality the Cowboys are finally doing something brilliant  and using the tools they have at their disposal.

A line anchored by the best tackle in football, Tyron Smith, is performing up to expectations.

Like I said before, they’re taking the ball out of Romo’s hands and grinding out leads they’ve built in their wins over the Titans, (comeback win) Rams, and Saints. In controlling possession so well (Demarco Murray has been the best running back through September), the “porous” defense is allowed to gather itself and get it’s bearings. They aren’t elite in any fashion but not being put in bad spots on the field and playing simple swarming defense will always work well.

I’m not so sure if Dallas is a true NFC contender, but at least they know who they are, and if they can keep this up, that bodes well for them to change their playoff misery in the coming months.

New York Giants:

 

(0-2)

“Their season is over!” “This new offense doesn’t fit Eli!” “The Giants are an embarrassment.” “Philly’s gonna walk through the NFC East.”

2 weeks into the season, all of these sentiments seemed true.

The Giants were a pathetic football team that Detroit and Arizona bullied in consecutive weeks. It looked like the end of the glory days for Baby Manning. Yet how fast things can change in the NFL.

A 30-17 win over a Texans team with the best player in football, JJ Watt, and a dominating 45-14 shaming of the Redskins, and it looks like the Giants seem to have everything back on track.

Eli is playing within himself and trusting the short West Coast style passing game and his weapons like tight end Larry Donnell (3 TD’s against the Redskins) are growing up right in front of him.

Rashad Jennings looks like a prime free agent pick up (200+ yards the last two games) and the Giants offense as a whole has come to life.

Maybe the Giants aren’t exactly an elite playoff contender (that defense and the offensive line are still a concern), but Philadelphia doesn’t exactly look so well rounded either.

A date at home with a Falcons team missing 3 offensive linemen looms so everything seems to be shaping into place for the typical NFC East divisional race (The Cowboys, Giants, and Eagles all look decent enough. The Redskins? Not so much).

It’s amazing in itself that after all these years, we still have the Giants in that conversation.

Failure:

New Orleans Saints:

 

Of course with the rise of the Cowboys, comes the fall of the Saints.

Drew Brees can’t feel great about his team’s 1-3 start.

New Orleans seemingly added the final piece up on their defense, adding All Pro safety Jairus Byrd (who’s been banged up and is now out for the season. Great signing, huh?).

Of course it now looks like the defense would have struggled with or without Byrd regardless as the Saints are 28th in the league in total defense. Rob Ryan seems to just carry this stigma everywhere with him. His Dallas defense eventually fell apart and now the 4th ranked defense of last year is doing the same exact thing.

Where the Saints have always been able hang their hat though is on offense.

Drew Brees is a future Hall of Fame Quarterback. Jimmy Graham is the best receiving tight end in the NFL. Marques Colston, Brandin Cooks, and Co. compile a pretty solid overall receiving core. The offensive line always gives Brees time and allows the offense to be dynamic in every sense. (3rd in the league in total offense)

However, this year the overall results haven’t been ideal. The Saints are just 13th in the league in total points scored.

That’s pretty close to a middling offense for a team led by offensive guru Sean Payton, that has much higher expectations.

Maybe the injury to running back Mark Ingram has affected them, but then you see they’re 9th in the league in rushing. Maybe they just haven’t made a few necessary plays. That could be true in the close games against Atlanta and Cleveland, but then how do you explain struggling against a Minnesota team at home and then being blown out by a Dallas team you typically dominate.

The Saints were the chic pick to dethrone the Seahawks in the NFC but right now they don’t like anything resembling a good football team.

New Orleans better get it together fast before a Super Bowl season turns into a top 10 draft pick.

Carolina Panthers:

 

Carolina was glowing after a solid 2-0 start.

It seemed all the magic of last year’s 12-4 NFC #2 seed season had trickled into 2014.

The defense was rolling. Cam Newton wasn’t healthy but playing well enough to carry along the team’s offense. But (There’s always a but, isn’t there?), now it seems attrition and off field distractions have caught up to Carolina.

Two consecutive blowouts to Pittsburgh (37-19) and Baltimore (38-10) paint a picture of a much larger issue.

I think it’s difficult to overall pinpoint this on any one issue but lets turn general blame;

You have a very young offensive line that is struggling to protect your banged up franchise quarterback.

Your said franchise quarterback, Cam Newton, can’t play like himself out of the pocket and on the run because of his health and offensive line.

Your defense while still boasting two studs in the middle, Luke Kuechly and Star Lotulelei, is banged up and missing starters all over the place.

Running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have both missed significant time this season forcing the Panthers to thrust the ball into the injured Newton’s hands (most hit quarterback in football the last 3 seasons, and the trend continues)

Even with how immobile Newton is when he’s unhealthy, he can’t do much, because of his overall depleted receiving core (While rookie Kelvin Benjamin looks like a stud, he’s still too inexperienced. Steve Smith laughs at Carolina).

You can point that defensive issue to franchise defensive end (how long will this last?) Greg Hardy being heavily involved in a domestic violence case, and now being placed on the commissioner’s exempt list (basically suspended). Charles Johnson, your 2nd best end, has been banged up all season and has been playing at 60-70%. Your 3rd best end, Frank Anderson has just been suspended 10 games for substance abuse.

What was once the greatest strength of the team, the front seven, has been decimated and ripped apart as Carolina has been gashed for over 400+ yards rushing the last two games. That secondary wasn’t a strength to begin with, and with the line being so non-existent (at least what relative to what Carolina’s been used to), they’ve been picked apart recently.

It doesn’t look much better for Newton and the Panthers, as a healthier Bears team with an explosive offense comes to town. Jared Allen and company have to be licking their chops seeing that offensive line, and the defense needs to be legitimately concerned that is the game Chicago’s offense (Brandon Marshall’s finally 100%) puts it all together.

The only bright side for Carolina right now, is that they can get healthier eventually, it’s just about staying afloat and relevant.

It seems no one really wants to win the NFC South right now (Atlanta is the ultimate Jekyll & Hyde team, the Saints are in shambles, and Tampa Bay is still adjusting to it’s new gig). You can realistically think Carolina puts it all together by the end of the season. But right now?

Your franchise player of 13 years, Steve Smith, is still laughing at you as he completely torched and helped embarrass your team.

I guess it’s all about perspective.

-Robert Zeglinski

Robert Zeglinski is an aspiring sportswriter who absolutely loves all the nitty gritty that comes with pro sports. He is currently attending Aurora University in Illinois. You can follow him on Twitter at @ZigZags82 or reach him through email (robertpoduski@gmail.com) for questions or feedback. 

 

 

NFL Power Five: Week 4

 

Robert Zeglinski, September 23rd, 2014

Contenders are beginning to take shape after Week 3.

You don’t necessarily want to be peaking in September but’s it clear to see which teams have got it all together early.

One team has been without it’s starting quarterback for a couple of weeks. One team lost both of last year’s coordinators and hasn’t missed a beat. It’s a crazy unbalanced start to the season.

A clearer picture comes through each and every week:

(Top team, again, pictured above)

Power Five:

1) Cincinnati Bengals: 3-0

Head Coach Marvin Lewis has been maligned for years for his lack of playoff success in Cincinnati (warranted), but for the past 3 years, there haven’t been many better teams in the regular season.

Cincinnati is rolling right now and doing whatever it wants in every single game.

A week after completely dismantling one of the league’s most explosive offenses in Atlanta (who just absolutely drubbed Tampa Bay), the Bengals followed it up with a complete outclassing of the Titans, 33-7.

Mind you the Titans are one of the worst teams in football, but Cincinnati still put them away early as good-great teams should do to bad teams.

Despite losing defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, and offensive coordinator Jay Gruden to head coaching gigs. Neither Bengal unit has missed a beat (OC Hue Jackson has added some nice wrinkles with all of these trick plays. It’s like watching a college game).

Again as in every post about Cincinnati, the issue won’t be the regular season. The Bengals look like they are about to tear through the AFC for 11-13 wins and grab a top 2 seed as they should, given their talent.

The question again is still, can Andy Dalton (Red Rocket Better!) and the rest of this team play well in the playoffs?

We’ll worry about that another day. Instead sit back and watch probably the most fun and most complete team in the NFL at the moment.

2) Arizona Cardinals: 3-0

 

Like I’ve said multiple times before on here;

The Cardinals were a sleeper contender coming into the season given their surprising 10-6 campaign in 2013.

They’re not a sleeper anymore. In physically pushing around the 49ers 23-14, (who have been in a tug of war with Seattle the past 2 years), the Cardinals showed they are indeed a team not to be messed with.

It hasn’t been wholly pretty.

Arizona’s gutted out wins against the Chargers and Giants (Eli, I cry for you), along with slowly taking control against San Fran this past Sunday. It’s just the way they’ve done it.

Cliche “smash-mouth” defense. Explosive plays (from young players) on offense. A terrifying secondary. Two of the three wins with a BACKUP quarterback, and against decent to great teams.

The Cards have indeed pushed themselves not only into the NFC West race, but the battle for the NFC pole as well.

3) Philadelphia Eagles: 3-0

 

Chip Kelly is a maestro.

While some people may criticize his high tempo offense (people like me) for putting his defense in bad spots, ultimately the objective of this game is to score more points than the other team.

Certainly, the Eagles do that just about as good or better than anyone.

What a lot of analysts have recently discussed is the conditioning level Kelly requires not only his offense to be in, but his defense (you know if that high tempo crap goes three-and-out).

The Eagles have started slow or on level against the other team in each of their three games (Down 17-0 at the half to the Jags, Down 20-6 to the Colts at the half, up just 21-20 over the Redskins at the half) yet they pull through each time.

It’s a trend worth noticing.

What doesn’t work for the Eagles in the first half or what they can’t seem to figure out about the opposing teams offense, has come to a point to close the games with victories.

When you go from 0-17 to 34-17, from 20-6 to 30-27, from 21-20 to 37-34 it shows your team is just wearing on the other team as time ticks by through the game (Chip Kelly you slick devil).

That defense is still a concern though (Where’s the franchise level talent?).

Regardless, Philly is a high tempo team on all fronts that while things might not always be initially be working for them, they somehow find a way to break through when they need it most.

4). San Diego Chargers: 2-1

 

While we have plenty of bumbling and embarrassing teams (the Jaguars, the Titans, the Raiders, the Bucs, etc. etc.), the Chargers are a refreshing sight to forget about that bad football.

San Diego along with QB Phillip Rivers were once like these teams (just 2 years ago in fact). Turning the ball over with self inflicted mistakes on offense. Starting off the season slow. Inconsistent and disorganized defense. Yet 2nd year head coach Mike McCoy has changed everything.

Ever since a late season run to the playoffs last year, the Chargers have been on a roll and it all points to the fine tuning McCoy and his staff have done with the roster and Rivers.

For 2-3 years before last season, Rivers turned into a turnover machine, his horrible but entertaining mechanics betraying him at every worst possible moment. Everyone wondered what happened to the old Rivers? Where was the elite fiery QB every knew and loved (or hated?).

The real Rivers is back now, and the Chargers are an elite AFC contender for it. Surrounded by top notch talent in Keenan Allen, Malcolm Floyd, Eddie Royal, Antonio Gates, Ryan Matthews (out for a while however) and a very stable offensive line, Rivers just plays within himself now.

He never makes the bad throw. He manages the game and he explodes and takes over when he needs to just like the greats do. Phillip Rivers is the rare game manager gunslinger (Jay Cutler fits this description as well).

San Diego has controlled the ball, played solid defense, made big plays when they’ve had to and it’s a led to a very good start including a win over the defending champ Seahawks.

Maybe this year the Chargers get off to a fast start and put themselves in better position for more success in January.

There’s been enough of an early season glimmer to think so.

5). Seattle Seahawks: 2-1

 

Championship resolve. Championship mentality. Physical football. Mentally tough. (God I hate cliches).

Throw them all in though, because they exemplify everything these Seahawks stand for.

They are not only the most talented team in football, they are the most disciplined and that’s something enjoyable (and infuriating) to watch. The Seahawks are never out of a game, and more often than not they have complete control.

Needless to say Seattle responded quite well after a sound defeat at the hands of the Chargers last weekend, to put away the Broncos (again).

Seattle again humbled the supposed GOAT (not in my eyes, not at all) Peyton Manning, and while they let him and the Broncos come back and force the game into overtime, it seemed as if they never thought the win was in doubt.

Are there causes for concern? Yes, the loss to San Diego showed chinks in the armor, and the 4th quarter almost collapse against the Broncos showed even more lapses.

But for now, they are the defending alpha dog champs and every contender still answers to them. Of course things still happen in games (injuries, blown assignments) but Seattle has the target on it’s back now, and they’ve responded mostly well.

For now.

Thursday Night Pick: Washington 38 New York 31

It’s the question everyone associated with the Redskins doesn’t want to deal with.

What happens to the QB situation when RG3 returns from injury?

Kirk Cousins looked quite good in relief of him against the Eagles (400+ yards, 3 TD’s). Maybe the real franchise was sitting behind the (fragile) high draft pick this whole time.

I don’t think the Redskins have all of the necessary questions answered yet, but I do think they know more about themselves than the Giants. That’s a team in comical disarray (despite the win over the Texans).

Cousins will play lights out again, and the encompassing controversy will only grow in DC.

-Robert Zeglinski

Robert Zeglinski is an aspiring sportswriter who absolutely loves all the nitty gritty that comes with pro sports. He is currently attending Aurora University in Illinois. You can follow him on Twitter at @ZigZags82 or reach him through email (robertpoduski@gmail.com) for questions or feedback. 

NFL Week 3: Success/Failure

Robert Zeglinski, September 23rd, 2014

Again, it’s redundant, while still a little early, I think we can start to judge teams and their performance somewhat more accurately after what we just saw in Week 3.

We had a big game rematch, a debut of perhaps the actual franchise quarterback in DC, and some supposed contenders looking very mortal and rough around the edges. However I do like what Steve Young said on ESPN last night, “September is still the preseason for a lot of these teams”.

The time to gel isn’t now. It’s just about finding a way to win before you peak later in the season.

With that in mind, let’s get to Week 3 Success/Failure.

Success:

Arizona Cardinals:

 
Yes many picked the Cardinals of all teams to be a dark horse contender this season (yours truly included, just saying).

But who would have thought this defense would continue to dominate teams considering all of the injuries (and suspensions) to guys like Darnell Dockett, Daryl Washington, and John Abraham.

That’s arguably 3 of the 5 most important players on a defense that was ranked 6th in the NFL last season. That team went 10-6 and started off 1-2 with uninspiring losses to the Rams (truly sad) and Saints.

Carson Palmer is hurt and out for the time being, you’re missing so many defensive stalwarts and leaders, yet now you are 3-0 with humbling wins over contenders like the Chargers and 49ers?

Impressive to say the least.

All credit has to go to head coach Bruce Arians and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. They have this team phenomenally prepared to play well and be focused despite the personnel losses they have faced. (Hats off gentlemen, take a bow).

Obvious weaknesses like the offensive line and explosive plays in the passing game (other than Fitzgerald in the past of course) are now strengths. 3rd year receiver Michael Floyd has blossomed into quite the player (perhaps the focal point in the passing offense?) and guys like rookie John Brown just torched the rival Niners for two touchdowns.

What has to be most promising for Cardinals fans is that monstrous physical secondary.

You already have one of the leagues best corners in Patrick Peterson and a very talented ballhawk in Tyrann Matheiu at free safety. So then you go out and add Antonio Cromartie (a little overrated but still a great option as a second corner) and draft hard hitting hammer Deone Buchanon as your other safety?

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say Arizona has as good of a secondary as Seattle (or at least as intimidating).

Who’s gonna be able to stay on rhythm versus this defense? I just don’t see even the best offenses being able to consistently put up points versus Arizona. They’re too explosive on the back end on D and on the outside on offense (Phillip Rivers, Eli Manning, and Colin Kaepernick can all testify to that).

When you’re winning big games with Drew Stanton as your quarterback to start 3-0 in arguably the toughest division in football, that bodes well for the rest of your season.

Detroit Lions:

 

Ah, the good ol’ bumbling Lions. QB Matthew Stafford throws two terrible picks, the Lions generate a paltry 353 yards of offense (crazy to think this isn’t all that good nowadays) and Aaron Rodgers carved up Detroit on his way to lead the Pack in yet another win over the Lions…..

Wait that’s not what happened.

Well yes Stafford and the offense didn’t play that well, but the Lions defense absolutely dominated the Packers on Sunday (and Jim Caldwell barely changed his expression) to score a big early season win over a team that’s historically held all serve over them.

By holding serve, I mean Rodgers, who was 9-0 in games against Detroit that he started and finished prior to this matchup.

Rodgers success in carving up his division rivals in his time in the league is well documented, but Sunday showed that appears to be changing.

Rodgers was only 16/27 for 162 yards and a TD, looking fairly mortal. The Green Bay rushing attack was stuffed routinely as reigning offensive rookie of the year (Ha, what a joke) Eddie Lacy struggled to get any momentum going (76 total yards as a team, 3.5 yards a carry).

The Lions front did what it wanted against a weak Green Bay offensive line in bullying them all afternoon. Even the historically bad secondary Detroit normally has wasn’t tested very often as Jordy Nelson appears to be Rodgers’ only reliable target right now.

The Lions have drafted well in recent years to have good starts (blew the North last year) but have been to known to choke routinely. Sunday showed perhaps some signs of growing up, at least on defense, (that Stephen Tulloch embarrassing injury will hurt them). While Matthew Stafford and that clouted offense still have a lot of work that’s a story for another day. The Lions finally stood up to the bully Packers at full strength.

The story before the season was how the NFC North would be between Green Bay and Chicago in 2014. Detroit has managed to change that narrative and strike one team out (at least through 3 weeks). If struggling Green Bay loses to Chicago next week, we might be getting a two horse race between the Bears and the Lions this season (Two match-ups between them late in the year).

That’s significant progress for Detroit. Being a part of the conversation is all they can ask for right now.

Failure:

Green Bay Packers:

 

Of course with the Lions success, comes failure up in Green Bay.

Coming into the season, a lot of people (not me of course) thought the Packers were supposed to be the top contender for the NFC crown against Seattle.

A healthy Rodgers was supposed to carry Green Bay to having one of the best offenses in the league along with a potent power running game with Eddie Lacy. A healthier defense with the addition of aging defensive end Julius Peppers was supposed to set up for a lethal consistent pass rush.

Um, yeah about that.

Most thought the opener against the Seahawks was an aberration. That Seattle got rolling and it was their coronation so Green Bay had no shot. They excused the Packers defense looking like a sieve, and Aaron Rodgers and the offense being unable to muster up much of anything moving the ball.

“It was Seattle’s night, it was Week 1, the Pack are still too good to not recover.”

Yet after struggling against the Jets in falling behind 21-3 and being physically dominated by Detroit to fall to 1-2 overall, I think I see the weak links all of the major media types chose to ignore.

The Packers offensive line is still one of the worst in the league (allowed 9 sacks) and has allowed Rodgers to be one of the most pressured quarterbacks through 3 weeks. Sure it’s nice when Rodgers is out of the pocket, as there aren’t many better throwing on the run, but that can’t be a consistent option.

Green Bay would definitely be better served to allow Rodgers to sit in the pocket comfortably and create those athletic plays when he wants to (always scary), but with the weak offensive line they can’t accomplish that. Lack of depth and talent has been a prominent problem for Green Bay for years and it might finally be catching up to them (Jared Allen, Willie Young and Co. are salivating just thinking about next week).

Next, that improved and supposed dominant defense has been straight up bullied through 3 games. Most notably through the running game as Green Bay is 30th in the league in rushing defense.

Yes you can point to playing heavy rush teams Seattle and the Jets in the first two weeks as a reason that stat is so skewed, but then how do you explain Detroit, a passing team, pushing Green Bay around when they needed to close the game out in the 4th quarter this past Sunday?

It’s a problem that 34 year old (way past his prime, overhyped by the national media) Julius Peppers has not managed to fix, as he has been largely invisible through 3 games other than a few tackles and a sack against the Lions.

What happens when the Packers play teams that can dominate in the passing game like the Bears next Sunday? Green Bay has the same issues it’s had defensively ever since they won the Super Bowl in 2010 (looking at you Dom Capers). They haven’t drafted or planned well since then.

Finally, where are the super dangerous weapons for Aaron Rodgers?

That has been a Green Bay trademark for years to have one of the best sets of receivers in the league, yet the cupboard seems bare now.

After Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, I don’t really see who Rodgers can rely on. James Jones is in Oakland. Donald Driver (although he didn’t contribute that much in his later years) is retired. Greg Jennings is in Minnesota, and tight end Jermichael Finley retired for health reasons (good for him). Yeah, they’ve lost a lot and depending on the young guys development that speaks volumes.

Yes Rodgers can still find a way to make plays, but with no reliable tight end in the middle of the field or another great receiver on the outside (Cobb works in the slot) as they’ve normally had, it’s no surprise this offense is struggling.

This team’s subpar drafts and acquisitions may seem to finally be catching up with them at least in comparison to rivals Chicago and Detroit.

(Chicago and Detroit finally both have better offensive lines and sets of pass targets and that’s the most telling ominous sign for the Packers)

It’s early, but I think the Packers may have just slightly misjudged their talent base for 2014.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Ah, the hapless Bucs.

What we saw on Thursday night looked like a game the early “bag over head” winless Bucs would play.

Lovie Smith was supposed to change the culture in Tampa Bay. He had complete control over player development and acquisition (they hired him before a general manager, that says it all).

Tampa was going to play a tough smash mouth brand of football some of Smith’s Chicago teams played. They were going to be disruptive on defense, explosive on offense (considering the talent there like Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans, Doug Martin).

Yet after 3 games, they look like the worst team in the NFL (Yes even the Jags are better). The 56-14 drubbing at the hands of the Falcons only further serves to push ahead that point. Atlanta’s offense is ridiculously good, but that team as a whole is not that good. That reflects more on Smith’s team than anything.

Of course it’s the same early issues Smith refused to change in Chicago.

A terrible offensive line (might be worse than Green Bay’s).

No reliable good quarterback play.

And a defense with no true blue chippers (Lavonte David, Gerald McCoy?) to define the “Tampa 2”.

People wondered why Chicago would fire Smith after a 10-6 season. “How could they fire such a good coach?” (Ugh).

Stagnancy. Stagnancy. Stagnancy.

Smith helped build and coach one of the best defensive cores in recent memory and flat out wasted it over 9 seasons by never having a competent offense to go along with it.

He ran through multiple offensive coordinators year after year. He and buddy Jerry Angelo saw offensive line castoffs as permanent fixes that “could get the job done”. And of course until Brandon Marshall, there were never really any reliable receivers ( The alligator arms of Johnny Knox, Roy Williams anyone?).

Now people in Tampa and the national media expected the grounded Smith to change his ways?

That offense has been abysmal through 3 games. Smith picked and has stuck with the journeyman QB, Josh McCown, who is last in the league in passer rating. Smith’s new offensive coordinator, Jeff Tedford,is having health issues, and will likely be again used as a scapegoat at the end of the season.

There is no rhyme, rhythm, or reason for any hope for them to reliably score points this year (perhaps longer).

I will give Smith this, he’ll have his moments. He didn’t start off well in Chicago either (4-12 first season). He’ll build his defense how he wants it and eventually they will be a competent perhaps great unit.

But as long as he’s in charge of most team operations, those offensive issues won’t change, and he’ll continue to move along like everything’s fine, lying through his teeth to stick with mediocrity in an important phase of the game (I sound bitter which I am, but it’s the truth).

All I’m saying about Smith and the Bucs for now is,

“Josh is our quarterback” sounds a lot like “Rex is our quarterback.”

-Robert Zeglinski 

Robert Zeglinski is an aspiring sportswriter who absolutely loves all the nitty gritty that comes with pro sports. He is currently attending Aurora University in Illinois. You can follow him on Twitter at @ZigZags82 or reach him through email (robertpoduski@gmail.com) for questions or feedback. 

 

 

NFL Power Five: Week 3

Robert Zeglinski, September 17th, 2014

As I’ve said before, it’s hard to truly judge teams so early in a season.

We don’t know team’s tendencies yet, and a lot of media types will do their power rankings (which I sort of have a love/hate relationship with) based on perceived future or previous seasons.

So count this as my disclaimer for a power ranking two weeks into the season;

I judge teams based off their current performance. Not talent level. Not what they’ve done before. Not because of what I think they will do. Current standings and performance are the main factors.

It’s only fair and it’s more reasonable.

While it is early and I have no doubt the teams I have in this week’s power five are good football teams, I just don’t believe the top five at midseason will be anywhere close to what I have now (I don’t need any judgments here! It’s all subjective at this point!)

Anyway, let’s soldier on as we had a lot of shuffling around in a week full of upsets and injuries.

As always the number one team is pictured above;

Power Five:

1). Denver Broncos: 2-0

I mean, was there any doubt?

There hasn’t been a truly dominant team to emerge yet, so it’s only fair to put the defending AFC champs here who have hummed along as expected.

While the potent Denver offense has uncharacteristically struggled in the 2nd half of it’s first two games (only 10 points combined in the 2nd half of both games), it’s not expected to be a huge concern as the offense re-gels together.

No the primary reason why the Broncos are the best team in the NFL right now, is how they’ve flexed their defensive muscles.

Yes granted the Chiefs and Colts don’t have the greatest of explosive offenses, but it’s still impressive enough to see Denver play physical disciplined football on the defensive side after it cost them in the Super Bowl.

The new guys (Aqib Talib, Demarcus Ware, TJ Ward) have helped bring a new attitude to Mile High. The defense as a whole has responded to the offense’s 2nd half struggles in staving off rallies from two desperate playoff teams from a year ago.

Make no mistake, this is Peyton Manning’s team (I still have my doubts about them as an overall Super Bowl contender).

However the newfound talent and fight on defense to make this a complete team should scare rest of the AFC as this season rolls along.

2). Philadelphia Eagles: 2-0

 

One of only 3 undefeated teams left in the stacked NFC, the Eagles have shown to be slow starters through 2 weeks, but among the best with a dominant closing punch.

Philly fell behind 17-0 to Jacksonville at home in Week 1, then exploded for 34 unanswered.

They fell behind 20-6 on the road, then again exploded for the rally to take the valuable road win at Indy, 30-27 (Darren Sproles is FAST, man).

For this team it’s a matter of consistency, but the speed and athleticism they’ve shown on offense and defense are just completely unparalleled to the rest of the league.

In my mind, the slow starts can be attributed to the high tempo offense not being in rhythm early, so the offense is quickly off the field and puts the defense in bad spots.

Once this team gels (and play 2nd halves like 1st halves) (Also the Eagles will already run through the pathetic NFC East), I have trouble seeing many teams being able to keep up with the flying Eagles. (Chip Kelly, Chip Kelly, Chip Kelly. I just felt I had to mention him at some point with necessarily no context if I was talking about the Eagles. It’s almost like it’s taboo not to. Happy?)

3). Arizona Cardinals: 2-0

 

A sleeper pick by many before the season began after a 10-6, 2013 season in the loaded NFC West, those predictions have come to fruition.

Arizona looked loaded even with suspensions like stalwart linebacker Daryl Washington or injuries like franchise defensive tackle Darnell Dockett and defensive end John Abraham (although it looks like he’s rejoining the team despite severe memory loss, crazy).

The Cardinals have a secondary led by star corner Patrick Peterson that rivals Seattle’s. A defensive front that straight up bullied Phillip Rivers in their Monday Night rally in Week 1, and an offense that has looked fast and on point with Michael Floyd growing into a viable receiver and Andre Ellington being a quality featured back (even without starting quarterback Carson Palmer last week).

The Cardinals are getting every after people and they are showing weaknesses at no positions.

Even at offensive line, where they’ve routinely ranked among the worst in pass protection and run blocking in recent years, they’ve been solid.

Most people came into this season expecting the routine recent battle we’ve seen between the 49ers and Seahawks for supremacy in the NFC West.

But,

After what I’ve seen through two weeks (where Arizona has been much more impressive), San Fran and Seattle better be weary these feisty Cardinals don’t just snatch up the crown from right under them.

4). Cincinnati Bengals: 2-0

 

Life has to be tough as a Bengals fan.

No one ever respects Cincinnati.

After Andy Dalton’s consistent struggles in the postseason and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer leaving for the Vikings, a lot of people had “revamped” Pittsburgh or Baltimore penciled in as better teams than the Bengals (myself included, my mistake).

Man were they (me too, again, I’m sorry) wrong.

It’s only been two weeks, but this team looks mature and ripe for true contention in a weak conference. Let’s recap quickly;

They easily dispatched and toyed with their rivals, the Ravens, on their home field. (Joe Flacco threw SIXTY TWO passes to reach 345 yards, as the Bengals nasty front eliminated any semblance of a running game).

Then they went out and harassed Matt Ryan and an offense that just hung up 568 yards and 37 points on the New Orleans Saints.

212 yards, 3 INT’s for Ryan on Sunday against Cincinnati after a career high in passing in Week 1.

Needless to say Cincinnati does not miss Mike Zimmer. They were in Ryan’s face all day and crunched one of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses with ease. It’s a defensive front that’s fun to watch in the era of officiating for offense, that’s for sure.

Andy Dalton hasn’t been mistake prone and kept the offense on tune, and that’s all Cincinnati needs. Losing AJ Green will hurt but they should be able to hang tough for a little while as his injury isn’t too serious ( turf toe, 3-4 weeks)

Let’s remember with the Bengals. It’s only Week 2.

This team’s questions will come in the playoffs but for now, not many teams can match Cincinnati.

5). Carolina Panthers: 2-0

 

I had a lot of debate over whether this was the right choice. (New England, San Diego, Seattle, yes I know they’re the defending champs but it’s about right now, so calm down!)

But Carolina has impressed me in the face of adversity.

They’ve lost a lot of pieces on the offensive line (most notably rock left tackle Jordan Gross to retirement) and have a poor excuse for a receiving core (Kelvin Benjamin will turn into a stud though) and yet they’re 2-0.

You wanna know why?

Absolutely nothing has changed about this defensive front that was among the league’s best last season.

They will be in your face.

They will pressure your quarterback.

They won’t let you run the ball consistently.

It’s as simple as that. You know, actual defense?

When you have talented players on both ends like reigning DPOY Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, Charles Johnson, Star Lotulelei, it’ll be hard to move the ball against you.

A week after toying with journeyman Josh McCown and Tampa (they played a backup quarterback and WON! This defense is unreal), Carolina played a Detroit offense that hung 35 points on the Giants, and you know what they did? (In the Giants defense, they are a poor excuse for a football team at the moment).

They forced 3 turnovers, sacked Matt Stafford 4 times (plenty of QB pressures of course) and turned him into a game manager as Detroit had nothing resembling a running game all afternoon. The Lions went from 35 points in Week 1 to 7 points.

No matter the talent or scheme you have on your side, you better bring your A game and some creativity if you’re to have any success against this monstrous Carolina front.

Factor in the team’s fearless leader, Cam Newton (who missed Week 1 due to broken ribs), piecing together a an offense in shambles into respectability and Carolina again has the recipe to win possibly 10 games despite it’s offensive issues.

Yes it’s fun to imagine Newton with a solid offensive line (most hit QB in the league in last 3 years) and more than one dynamic receiver, but that’s just pointless speculation and dreaming for the future.

For now the questionable offense is what Carolina has to work with, and at this moment, that might be all they really need.

Thursday Night Pick: Atlanta 30 Tampa Bay 20

Lovie Smith has some work to do with his new team. Opening the Smith era in Tampa with two losses at home won’t get the locals excited.

Granted they’ve had offensive line issues ( Again, Bears fans, doesn’t this sound familiar?) and some poor play from Josh McCown, but people thought this team’s talent on both sides of the ball would gel quicker.

It hasn’t, and it doesn’t get easier with a road trip to the Georgia Dome against a dangerous rival Falcons team.

At this point I just think Atlanta’s offense has too much of a talent edge for the Bucs, especially at home. The Bucs disfigured offense will struggle to keep up with Matty Ice and company.

-Robert Zeglinski

Robert Zeglinski is an aspiring sportswriter who absolutely loves all the nitty gritty that comes with pro sports. He is currently attending Aurora University in Illinois. You can follow him on Twitter at @ZigZags82 or reach him through email (robertpoduski@gmail.com) for questions or feedback.