CTE after effects

Recent news and exposes on CTE has shaken up a bit my love for the game. But then, who are we kidding? Football players have always been seen as warriors and gladiators. And in battles, there are always casualties.

I do hope all parties directly involved in the games do their best to take care of the players. Without players, there will never be the game.

Post Draft Thoughts Part 1

Thoughts

1. Myles Garrett picked no 1 by the Browns. Smart move by the Browns playing smoke and mirrors, but Garrett is a safe pick. Trubisky? Go to no 2.

2. John Lynch plays poker with the Bears and Bears get Trubisky. Trubisky is a risky pick, but that shows how valuable a qb is in the league. Matt Glennon, enjoy the Bears gig, all the best!

3. I am rooting for Deshaun Watson to be a success for the Texans. I think he can better than Cam, in the long run.

4. Dalvin Cook over Leonard Fournette anytime. Both went to teams who will use them well.

5. My Skins made nice picks in the Bama boys :)

more later ...

Back in Action

After the super bowl I took a break, but it did not mean that I wasn't paying attention.

Yep, the draft officially began with the combine. And for the past week, a few known players got tagged and released.

Here we go again....

Post Super Bowl LI Thoughts

To understand the context of this writing, you might want to read this post first.

I did not follow the game on tv. I followed it using twitter and yahoo sport boxscore. And I was working at my fulltime job. But, when you are a football nut, well.. it is easier to imagine and imagination is better than the real thing :P

I was pleasantly surprised about the first half, when the Falcons raced to a 21-3 lead at half-time. As I read it, the Falcons D played exactly how I thought they would. They have a fast defense, so straight up they gave the Pats O a hard time. However, Bill and his team are one of the best, if not the best, at making half-time adjustments. It is a marathon, not a sprint. It is always in the second half when the truth would appear.

As the comeback began in the second half, I kept thinking about how the Falcons would respond, And to a certain extent, at critical moments, brain freeze happens, affecting the coaches and players. The Pats do that to you. Like I said to a bunch of friends during half-time, mental strength is one thing they have over opponents, especially when no 12 is playing in the zone.

A disclaimer: My feelings about the Pats success are like my previous posts. I have read extensively about them, especially Bill n Brady. For me, Spygate will continue be an asterisk on the Pats and to a lesser degree, Bill and Brady. Deflategate, in my opinion, is miniscule, but for me, it was as if Goodell was atoning for how Spygate was handled. But, overall, credit to both of them, as their partnership brings successto the Pats, and I do not think any Pats fans will disagree, It's like Joe Cool and Bill Walsh, but better.

Ok, continue.

Some of the writers said that the Falcons committed the big mistake in play-calling, after the major Julio Jones catch. I agree and again, this highlights the difference that the Pats have over their opponents, when pressure is on, they keep it simple, as simplicity makes handling pressure easier. It is similar to Darrell Bevell's call 2 Superbowls ago... u had a short distance to win the game, you could have run it in with the Beast, yet you chose to pass ... in this case, 3 simple runs would have eaten up the clock ...

The moment it went to OT, and the Pats won the toss, I knew it was game over. It makes a difference when the leaders at the helm, are Belichik and Brady.


I feel for the players of Atlanta. Make no major excuse, this was a MAJOR choke, and the fingers, open and hidden will be all over. How they rebound after this ... am not really sure... as they will be losing their OC Kyle Shanahan to the Niners as head coach (it's a given).

For the Pats, well, cannot say that much more what have been said. This is the crowning glory for the franchise, and they deserve to win it. I can bitch a bit more about here and there, but fair play, they WON, and winning's winning. Will there be more Super Bowls in the future? As long as Bill n TB12 are together, I would not rule it out.

So, congratulations New England Patriots on their Super Bowl LI win :)

My Super Bowl LI Prediction

My Super Bowl prediction

It is simple. My head says New England, but my heart says it's the Falcons. So, if you wanna bet on the result, New England by 10, with Brady MVP. Don't be surprised if it is a low-scoring game. The best defense against a high scoring offence is to keep them off the field for a long time.

Here we go!

Super Bowl halftime show

On the super bowl halftime shows in the past, I have never been a major fan. It's been hit and miss, esp the last years.
Maybe spectacle is what interest me. This year's performer is Lady Gaga. Oh boy....

First Super Bowl Thoughts

I chose to write about the super bowl as I wanted to collect my thoughts and see the general thoughts about the Pats Falcons matchup.

Number One

The pats are slightly favored to win, and with good justification. Best overall record plus who's who at the helm. I do my best to think contra, but overall, the Pats look better a bit.

Number Two

Usually in the super bowl run-ups there will be interesting stories about both teams and its players. So far, for me, the best story about the Falcons about how owner Arthur Blank remade the falcons, using what he learned as the founder of home depot. As for the Pats, about how Belichik gets free agent players to join the  Pats on the cheap.

Number Three

A few commentators say the matchup is similar to Pats Rams 2001. It maybe, but what I like about the Falcons chances is their diversity on offence. It would be interesting to see how they attack the Pats D.

More thoughts to come later ... :)

Post championship thoughts

NFC Championship

Atlanta exposed the flaws that green bay needs to rectify in the offseason. A true RB for starters, fresh blood in the D. Having said that, falcons were deserved winners. And it all begins with the QB who has leapt leaps and bounds this season, Matt Ryan. His conducting of the offense was excellent especially in the first half. The falcons D also did their part in limiting the packers offense. Atlanta has finally arrived :)

AFC Championship

The loss of Leveon Bell made it easier for the Pats. He is the rock of the steelers offense and his loss was felt. It helped the Pats D to defend better. The Pats offense always works when it spreads the ball around, and it did so again, introducing Chris Hogan to the public. I felt that the Steelers were a bit deflated in this game. Maybe the locker room video issue played a part, but nothing went right for them in this game.

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So here we are Pats vs Falcons for the Super Bowl. It's too early for me to predict , so I will save it for a later post.

And yeah, I was for one for one with my predictions .

Later.

AFC and NFC Championship Predictions

Well, it is finally here ... the division championship weekend .. about time too ....

AFC Championship

Patriots vs Steelers, at New England

I am saying that it will be a close game. I don't think the Pats have met an offense like Pittsburgh .. the 3 Bs (Ben, Bell, Brown). Like many people, I am intrigued how the Pats will handle the Pittsburgh running game. The running game is bread and butter of Steeler offense, as it gets the rest of the offense working. The good thing for the Steelers is Bell is relatively fresh, so he will hit the ground running. The Pats D is a bit of a 'bend not break' defense, who do crucial things at the right moments of a game. The Pats d-line need to stand up to the Steelers o-line a bit. On the other side, the key to the Pats O is No 12 himself, Tom Brady. He makes that offense run. That is why the key for the Steelers D is to get physical with him from the whistle itself. As he gets older,  I do notice that he, at times, he will try to get the calls.

ok, my prediction ... Steelers win by 3 in a close game

NFC Championship

Falcons vs Packers, at Atlanta

Many are saying that this game could be a high scoring game, with the score in the 30s. With explosive offences, that maybe so.
Matt Ryan is playing at MVP like standards to a point he is among in contention to be this season's MVP. His array of weapons are wide - from RB twins Freeman & Coleman, WR Julio Jones and TE Austin Hooper. Credit has to be given to the OC (Kyle Shanahan) who has really utilized this group of players
What can one say about Aaron Rodgers for the past 8 games? Unbelievable. The win vs the Boys solidified him as the hottest QB right now. When GB was at 4-6, I thought his season was nearly over, but credit to the coach McCarthy and his team, making the adjustments, and Aaron looks good again. His supporting cast have also been good in supporting him, even though Jordy Nelson is still a bit injured.
For me the key to this game is which D plays its best game on this day, given the explosive offences of both teams.

My prediction .... Atlanta by 7.

Three Playoff Success Pointers

After watching the latest round of playoff games, I think I should give my pointers on success in the playoffs.

Point One

A good offensive line is a must to last a long while in the playoffs.

Case in point, the seahawks .. Lucky to have Russell Wilson able to make plays while scrambling all over. The Hawks better do something about that line.

Point Two

You need a quarterback to at at least  manage the game, and put the team in a good spot to win games. Cerebral is quite underrated as a trait for a playoff winning qb.

Example-Trent Dilfer. How he has a ring still mystifies me :) I bet he thanks the Ravens D that they had, on every Thanksgiving. And Jamal Lewis.

Point Three

What worked in getting a team into the playoffs will probably still work, but be prepared for wrinkles.

Example- The Pats loss in the 18-1 season, in the super bowl. I think they underestimated the strength of the Giants D especially the d-line. They didn't give Brady enough protection and that led him to being punished quite a bit. Watching the game when Brady attempted the Pats futile final drive, I could see he was fearful of getting sacked.

3 Out Of 4 Ain't Bad - Division Playoffs Result

From my post last week, I made 4 predictions ... and three were correct :)

Pats, Falcons and Steelers went through. Only the Pack upset the Boys.

Hands down, the game that captivated everyone was the Boys vs Pack game. Both team played well, and in the end, Aaron Rodgers had a little extra time to make the distance for the winning FG.

One thing for sure, Mason Crosby should be getting a few cheese blocks these past few days ;-)

Will write a bit about the NFC and AFC Championship games soon....

Head Coach Success

As it is right now, a few teams are looking for new head coaches. Head coach turnover is not unusual. Happens every season ;)

A few factors for a successful head coach

• Must be able to coach
• Must have a team of assistants that are on the same wavelength
• Preparation intensive is a must
• Adjust to the players he has, and get the players that he wants

The gold standard right now remains Bill Belichik, head coach of the Patriots. He checks all the items above.

But nowadays as I noticed the stability of the front office important as well. Some of the vacancies were caused by head coach/front office rift. Latest example, the Niners with Jim Harbaugh, who was a success.

Do you have other suggestions? Put them in the comments below.

2017l Division Playoffs Set - Early Predictions

Oh well.  It's set. Here are my predictions.

AFC

Houston at New England
Easy.. Pats by 14 ..
Why? Pats at home. Nuff said.

Steelers at Chief
A bit hard ... Steelers by 3
Why? Steelers looks ready ...n healthy

NFC

Seahawks at Falcons
Close ..  Falcons by 7
Why? Dome, plus Hawks defense could be susceptible to ATL triple attack

Packers at Cowboys
Close ... Cowboys by 10
Why? Cowboys looking good, even though the Pack is rolling ..  Zeke is the key for the Boys

;)