#lets go cowboy dante nation

[lenaeeessshhh]

for better quality: https://t.me/skarxk

[aion-rsa]

HBO Max New Releases: April 2021

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Fresh off the long-awaited arrival of Zack Snyder’s Justice League (a.k.a. the fabled Snyder Cut), HBO Max has no need to appease fandom culture in April 2021. But the streaming service is gonna do it anyway!

The most notable new release for HBO Max this month is the HBO series The Nevers. This show, created by Joss Whedon, is set in a 19th century steampunk London and finds a sizable portion of the population (predominantly women) having been “Touched” by mysterious paranormal powers. There’s an interesting bit of irony at play here, as HBO Max is following up the Snyder Cut with a show created by his original Justice League replacement. Or at least there could have been an interesting bit of irony here, if Whedon had not bowed out from the show and been enthusiastically left out of the marketing material by HBO.

Read more

Movies

From Man of Steel to Zack Snyder’s Justice League: A Complete DCEU Timeline

By Aaron Sagers

TV

Fandoms Roil Online as Joss Whedon Suddenly Quits His New HBO Show The Nevers

By Kirsten Howard

Aside from the awkward showrunning situation at The Nevers, HBO Max has quite a few other irons in the fire for April. The well-earned Infinity Train season 4 premieres on April 15. That will be followed up by the Kate Winslet-starring HBO miniseries Mare of Easttown on April 18. Not to be ignored is the movie side of things, with Mortal Kombat continuing WarnerMedia’s policy of releasing all 2021 films to HBO Max.

Meanwhile, The New Mutants will take a turn in the HBO Max library on April 10…for some reason. And the streaming services continue their game of Dark Knight Rises hot potato when the film premieres on HBO Max on April 17. Now all three Christopher Nolan’s Batman films can be streamed in their entirety. It will just take both Netflix and HBO Max subscriptions.

HBO Max New Releases – April 2021

April 1 A Shock To The System, 1990 (HBO) Abandon, 2002 (HBO) Adam’s Rib, 1949 All Is Lost, 2013 (HBO) Assume the Position with Mr. Wuhl Barbarosa, 1982 (HBO) Black Dynamite, 2009 Blindness, 2008 (HBO) The Bodyguard, 1992 Boogie Nights, 1997 Bringing Up Baby, 1938 The Butcher’s Wife, 1991 (HBO) Caddyshack, 1980 The Collection, 2012 (HBO) The Color Purple, 1985 Dante’s Peak, 1997 (HBO) Dark Shadows, 2012 (HBO) Dead Silence, 2007 (HBO) Dirty Harry, 1971 The Eagle Has Landed, 1977 (HBO) Early Man, 2018 (HBO) Easy Rider, 1969 Ella Enchanted, 2004 (HBO) The Evil That Men Do, 1984 (HBO) Eye For An Eye, 1996 (HBO) Fear, 1996 (HBO) genera+ion, Season 1 Part One Finale Ghost Rider, 2007 Goodfellas, 1990 The Great Pottery Throwdown, Max Original Season 4 Premiere Green Lantern, 2011 Hardball, 2001 (HBO) Happy Endings Haywire, 2012 (HBO) In & Out, 1997 (HBO) Kicking & Screaming, 2005 (HBO) King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword, 2017 (HBO) Lassiter, 1984 (HBO) Leatherface Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, 1990 (HBO) Let’s Go To Prison, 2006 (HBO) The Longest Yard, 1974 (HBO) Made for Love, Max Original Series Premiere Man Up, 2015 (HBO) The Mask of Zorro, 1998 The Man With The Iron Fists, 2012 (Unrated Version) (HBO) Missing In Action 2 – The Beginning, 1985 (HBO) Missing In Action, 1984 (HBO) My Super Ex-Girlfriend, 2006 (HBO) The Nanny The Natural, 1984 Now, Voyager, 1942 One Day, 2011 (HBO) Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, 1985 (HBO) Police Academy 3: Back In Training, 1986 (HBO) Police Academy 4: Citizens On Patrol, 1987 (HBO) Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach, 1988 (HBO) Police Academy 6: City Under Siege, 1989 (HBO) Police Academy: Mission To Moscow, 1994 (HBO) Primal Fear, 1996 (HBO) Reasonable Doubt, 2014 (HBO) Red Dawn, 1984 (HBO) The Return, 2006 (HBO) Risky Business, 1983 (HBO) Roger & Me, 1989 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, 1939 Sneakers, 1992 (HBO) Space Jam, 1996 Speed 2 Cruise Control, 1997 (HBO) Spellbound, 2003 (HBO) Stuart Little, 1999 The Shack, 2017 (HBO) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, 2006 (Extended Version) (HBO) Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family, 2011 Wanderlust, 2012 (HBO) The Warriors, 1979 (Director’s Cut) (HBO) The Watch, 2012 (HBO) White Noise, 2005 (HBO) The Wild Life, 2016 (HBO) Within, 2016 (HBO) Wolves At The Door, 2017 (HBO)

April 2 On the Spectrum

April 3 Ted, 2012 (Unrated Version) (HBO)

April 4 Q: Into The Storm, Documentary Series Finale (HBO)

April 5 Hard, Season 2 Finale (HBO)

April 6 Genndy Tartokovksy’s Primal, Season 1B

April 7 Exterminate All the Brutes, Documentary Series Premiere (HBO) South Side, Season 1

April 9 Intemperie (AKA Out in the Open), 2019 (HBO) The Other Two, Season 1 A Tiny Audience, Season 2 Finale (HBO)

April 10 The New Mutants, 2020 (HBO)

April 11 The Nevers, Series Premiere (HBO)

April 13 Our Towns, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

April 15 Infinity Train, Max Original Season 4 Premiere

April 16 Mortal Kombat, Warner Bros. Film Premiere, 2021

April 17 The Dark Knight Rises, 2012 (HBO)

April 18 Mare of Easttown, Limited Series Premiere (HBO)

April 20 Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO)

April 22 1,2,3, All Eyes On Me, 2020 (HBO) First Ladies, 2020 Princess Cut, 2020 (HBO) Rizo, 2020 (HBO)

April 23 A Black Lady Sketch Show, Season 2 Premiere (HBO) El Robo Del Siglo (AKA Heist of the Century) (HBO)

April 24 Dreamgirls, 2006 (HBO)

April 26 The Artist, 2011

April 29 Looney Tunes Cartoons, Season 1D

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Leaving HBO Max – April 2021

April 11 Reservoir Dogs, 1992

April 15 Lego DC Shazam: Magic And Monsters!, 2020

April 30 3 Godfathers, 1949 9½ Weeks, 1986 Above The Rim, 1994 (HBO) The Adventures Of Robin Hood, 1938 Adventures Of Tom Thumb And Thumbelina, 2002 (HBO) After Hours, 1985 An American Werewolf In London,1981 (HBO) Beasts Of The Southern Wild, 2012 (HBO) Being There, 1979 Bullitt, 1968 Bundle Of Joy, 1956 Can’t Buy Me Love, 1987 (HBO) The Candidate, 1972 Cast Away, 2000 (HBO) Catwoman, 2004 Chasing Liberty, 2004 Cheyenne Autumn, 1964 Cimarron, 1960 Critters 2, 1988 Critters 4, 1992 Dead Man Walking, 1995 (HBO) Diner, 1982 Dirt, 2017 The Exorcist, 1973 Femme Fatale, 2002 (HBO) Fool’s Gold, 2008 Get Carter, 1971 Godzilla: King Of The Monsters, 2019 (HBO) Godzilla Vs. Kong , 2021 Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, 2011 The Green Mile, 1999 Grumpier Old Men, 1995 Grumpy Old Men, 1993 The Hangover Part II, 2011 (HBO) A Hidden Life, 2019 (HBO) The Hills Have Eyes II, 2007 (Extended Version) (HBO) The Hills Have Eyes, 2006 (Extended Version) (HBO) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, 2012 Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies, The, 2014 Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug, The, 2013 How The West Was Won, 1962 I Am Sam, 2002 The Invisible Man, 2020 (HBO) Jojo Rabbit, 2019 (HBO) Jonny Quest, 1964 Josie And The Pussycats In Outer Space, 1972 Josie And The Pussycats, 1970 Just Mercy, 2019 (HBO) The Looney Tunes Show, 2011 Looney Tunes: Back In Action, 2003 Lying And Stealing, 2019 (HBO) Ma, 2019 (HBO) The Man Who Would Be King, 1975 Marvin’s Room, 1996 (HBO) Mildred Pierce, 1945 Mister Roberts, 1955 My Blue Heaven, 1990 My Dog Skip, 2000 My Favorite Year, 1982 National Lampoon’s European Vacation, 1985 National Lampoon’s Vacation, 1983 The Neverending Story, 1984 New Jack City, 1991 New Looney Tunes, 2015 New York Minute, 2004 Of Mice And Men, 1992 (HBO) Open Water 2: Adrift, 2006 (HBO) Open Water, 2004 (HBO) Paddington Bear, 1989 Patriots Day, 2016 Presumed Innocent, 1990 Pride And Prejudice, 1940 Private Benjamin, 1980 Red Tails, 2012 (HBO) Reversal Of Fortune, 1990 Rio Bravo, 1959 Rise Of The Guardians, 2012 (HBO) School Of Rock, 2003 (HBO) Scooby-Doo And Scrappy-Doo, 1981 The Scooby-Doo Show, 1976 Scooby-Doo Where Are You!, 1969 The Secret Garden, 1993 She’s All That, 1999 Snakes On A Plane, 2006 Son Of The Mask, 2005 Space Cowboys, 2000 Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries, 1995 Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, 2005 Tom And Jerry (Classic), 1967 Tower Heist, 2011 (HBO) Under Siege, 1992 Viva Las Vegas, 1964 We Bought A Zoo, 2011 (HBO) What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?, 1962 (HBO) Where The Wild Things Are, 2009 The Wild Bunch, 1969 The Wind And The Lion, 1975 The Yogi Bear Show, 1988

The post HBO Max New Releases: April 2021 appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[junker-town]

Predictions for every NFL team from those who know their team best

With no scrimmages or preseason, here is what to expect.

The hopes and dreams of 32 fanbases hang in the balance with the NFL season almost upon us. It’s been a bizarre lead up to the season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, meaning we have much less information than we normally would entering the season.

Normally we get at least some information from scrimmages and preseason by now. Instead we’re going off gut feelings and beliefs. We asked our network of team blogs (and a couple from your’s truly) to give us their predictions for their beloved teams in the hopes to learn more. Here’s what they think from the fans who know their teams the best.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals will live and die by their offense. The Cardinals did little to address their defense in the offseason, instead further stacking the offense by adding DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald are a quarterback’s dream, and Kyler Murray should have major success through the air this season. Unfortunately the defense still won’t be enough to have them compete in the NFC West ... yet.

— James Dator, SB Nation

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons will be looking to put two straight years of mediocrity behind them and take a veteran team on a deep playoff run. With a ton of money committed to stars and short-term bets on players like Todd Gurley and Dante Fowler Jr., this team is built to contend right now and more or less has to keep the current brain trust around.

— Dave Choate, The Falcoholic

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens will win the Super Bowl. With nearly all of their high-level talent returning and multiple big-name pass rushers being added to the defense, the Ravens will end the season hoisting the Lombardi trophy.

— Kyle Barber, Baltimore Beatdown

Buffalo Bills

The Bills will sink their teeth into the AFC East. The window is wide open for the Bills after years of being in New England’s shadow. While the Patriots move on from Tom Brady, and the rest of the division is, well, the Dolphins and Jets — there’s a major chance for the Bills to dominate and try to becoming the source of consistency in the division.

— James Dator, SB Nation

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers will try to rebuild the franchise into a consistent winner under new head coach Matt Rhule, something they haven’t been since... well, since the team was founded in 1995. They’re still searching for their first ever back-to-back winning seasons, and they currently have a long, rocky road ahead if they plan to accomplish that goal anytime soon.

— Bradley Smith, Cat Scratch Reader

Chicago Bears

The Bears will once again have one of the best defenses in the NFL, but as is Chicago tradition, they’ll only go as far as the quarterback can take them. If Mitchell Trubisky — or Nick Foles — can simply manage the offense, the Bears will be back in the playoffs.

— Lester A. Wiltfong Jr., Windy City Gridiron

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals will bounce back faster than anyone expected. Joe Burrow is NFL ready from the jump, and the bones of this team are still good. Expect them to at least be competitive this season, and make people wonder why they were so bad a year ago.

— James Dator, SB Nation

Cleveland Browns

The Browns will have the best rushing attack in the NFL, but only when the passing game gets more efficient mid-way through the season will Cleveland start being the favorite to win every week as opposed to just a crapshoot. That will put them in the mix for a late-season wildcard chase in the AFC.

— Chris Pokorny, Dawgs By Nature

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys will see if Jason Garrett was the issue with their talented roster falling short of expectations. Mike McCarthy takes over as head coach and he will try to elevate the Cowboys into a team that can win in the playoffs.

— Dave Halprin, Blogging The Boys

Denver Broncos

The Broncos will surprise a lot of people. That defense is going to be sneaky elite, so watch out!

— Tim Lynch, Mile High Report

Detroit Lions

The Lions will have a top five offense with a healthy Matthew Stafford and new weapons in the backfield. If the defense can improve even marginally, they will be in the NFC North race come December.

— Jeremy Reisman, Pride of Detriot

Green Bay Packers

The Packers will be an NFC contender again, and even if they don’t match their lofty 13-3 record from a year ago they could be a better team overall. The defense returns almost all of the key players, featuring a terrifying pass rush and a strong secondary, while Aaron Rodgers looks poised for a bit of a bounce-back in his second year in Matt LaFleur’s offense.

— Evan Western, Acme Packing Company

Houston Texans

The Texans will be unpredictable. Yes, that sounds weird for a prediction — but so much is up in the air. Houston went some big roster shifts this offseason, notably headlined by trading DeAndre Hopkins, but as long as DeShaun Watson is under center this team can still make noise and win the AFC South.

— James Dator, SB Nation

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts will reclaim the AFC South title with a potent rushing attack, dominant offensive line and veteran quarterback leadership. The young defense will start to put everything together as All Pros Darius Leonard and DeForest Buckner complement each other, second year cornerback Rock Ya-Sin takes a second-year leap, and Kenny Moore returns to the field healthy as one of the league’s best nickel corners.

— Brett Mock, Stampede Blue

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars will try to avoid suffering their ninth losing season since 2011. With 16 rookies included on the roster going into the season opener, a question mark at quarterback in Gardner Minshew, and a defense that traded away key players like Calais Campbell and A.J. Bouye, it looks to be another year of heartbreak in Duval.

— Ryan Day, Big Cat Country

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs will become the first NFL team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since 2005. During the most uncertain of times, they returned nearly all of their starters from their championship team, highlighted by the game’s best quarterback in Patrick Mahomes.

— Pete Sweeney, Arrowhead Pride

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders will be better on both offense and defense and will vie for an AFC playoff berth.

— Bill Williamson, Silver & Black Pride

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams will find the explosiveness on offense that they had in 2018 but lost last year and a surprise star player in the front-seven besides Aaron Donald, but who that is remains to be seen.

— Kenny Arthur, Turf Show Times

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins will look to build upon a surprise five-win season in 2019 after being called the “worst team ever” by some analysts. Under Ryan Fitzpatrick, this year is the stage-setter for the Dolphins to return to being a long-term contender once Tua Tagovailoa takes over late in the year or in 2021.

— Kevin Nogle, The Phinsider

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings will break their Bret Saberhagen-esque cycle of being very good in odd-numbered years and average in even-numbered years under Mike Zimmer. Despite their offseason losses, the Vikings still have a lot of talent, and the NFC North is there for the taking. The Vikings will do just that, nabbing their first division title since 2017.

— Christopher Gates, Daily Norseman

New England Patriots

The Patriots will continue to try to do their jobs. Are those jobs good enough to keep the dynasty alive, though? That’s the question...

— Bernd Buchmasser, Pats Pulpit

New Orleans Saints

The Saints will finally be able to add a second Super Bowl to the resume of Drew Brees. After getting agonizingly close the past few seasons, the Saints will finally take care of business in the playoffs to let Drew Brees ride off into the sunset of retirement as a champion.

— Christopher Dunnells, Canal Street Chronicles

New York Giants

The Giants will try to get turned around after going 12-36 over the past three seasons. The Giants are starting over with rookie head coach Joe Judge and second-year quarterback Daniel Jones.

— Ed Valentine, Big Blue View

New York Jets

The Jets will begin their latest rebuild. New general manager Joe Douglas made the first investments in the offseason by focusing on the offensive line. It is overdue, but the Jets have finally started to put pieces around Sam Darnold.

- John Butchko, Gang Green Nation

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles will make the playoffs for the fourth straight season but fail to win more than one playoff game at most due to offensive line issues.

— Brandon Lee Gowton, Bleeding Green Nation

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers will look to ride Ben Roethlisberger‘s surgically repaired elbow back to the postseason. With an elite defense and a two-time Super Bowl champion commanding the huddle, the Steelers have pushed all their chips in for the 2020 season.

— Jeff Hartman, Behind the Steel Curtain

San Diego Chargers

The Chargers will see if Philip Rivers was really in decline last season, or if it was his surrounding cast that couldn’t get the job done. However, injuries remain a nuisance as they’ve already lost their best player on defense for the year.

— Michael Peterson, Bolts from the Blue

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers will turn into an offensive juggernaut, but come up short in the Super Bowl for the second season in a row. After a season’s worth of offensive highlights, ironically enough, it’s the defense that lets the team down in the big game.

— Kyle Posey, Niners Nation

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks will make their first serious Super Bowl run since the 2014 season. With an offense led by an MVP contender in Russell Wilson, as well as a defense with as talented a linebacker and secondary group as any in the NFL, Seattle is poised to win its first NFC West title since 2016, with the hope of greater things to come from there.

- Mookie Alexander, Field Gulls

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers will be one of the most improved and most successful teams in the NFL thanks to a man they call Tom Brady. Can we say Super Bowl?

— Gil Arcia, Bucs Nation

Tennessee Titans

The Titans will find themselves playing in the final four again, but this year they will get over the hump and make the Super Bowl.

— Jimmy Morris, Music City Miracles

Washington Football Team

The Washington Football Team will struggle, but finally show some signs of life. Ron Rivera is a coach players love to give all their effort to, and that alone should make Washington at least watchable this season. It’s not much, but it’s progress.

— Scott Jennings, Hogs Haven

[meezyrosegold]

Society; or what being a paperboy during a pandemic taught me about class, Existentialism and loving my community

Part 1: Why I took the job

“I used to work on my feet for seven dollars an hour, call my mama like “I ain’t making minimum wage mama” - Frank Ocean, Futura Free

Nobody’s dream job is being a paperboy. Nobody's dream job is being a paperboy especially during a global pandemic, where if you forget to wear government-issued latex gloves, you end up with blood on your hands. So then why did I take the job? 

Merton did a study into what he called “strain theory”, in which he studied crime in America's golden age, the 1950’s. He found that the idea of the “American Dream” left many dissatisfied, as many of the urban poor were unable to buy their white picket fence through legitimate means, African-Americans were redlined, Mexican-Americans were forced into certain districts and Asian-Americans were quota’d, meaning they were unable to form communities. It’s no coincidence that the Gangsta Disciples, Latin Kings and Asian Boyz, the biggest racial gangs still active today, were formed in the 20-year post war period. These poor, urban, often ethnic minority groups were forced to “innovate”; drug dealing, extortion rackets and even armed robbery were some ways they attempted to become the “ideal American”; wealthy, self-sufficient and suburban. Merton’s conclusion was that, under capitalism, it is not the hard work that is respected, rather whether the goal is successfully achieved.  I noticed this play out in my own community. I began seeking out a job after being beaten in a game of basketball by a ex-“click-boy”, a young man who finds vulnerabilities in clothing outlets online security (Brands “hit” range from Chanel to Clarks) and begins selling it at a discounted price. Their choice of work often gives them a headstart on the latest fashion, indeed, as I was staring at the sole of his fresh-out-the-box Nike Air Force Ones, both the PumaHeads and the Adidas casuals looked on in jealous awe. During the game I vividly remember the speaker playing drill, London’s new hyper-masculine genre of music, the fact it was being played from inner-city basketball courts to Members of Cabinets daughter’s “Tik-Toks” encapsulates Merton’s point; “Employees who have a college education are respected but the robber barons who stole for their money were also admired, which demonstrates that success is viewed as more important than the actual means to achieve success”, the modern day cowboys don’t run from the sheriff, rather, they sit up late trying to work out what Gucci would put as the password on their website.

But why a paperboy? The 7-day working day combined with a 5:30 start topped up with a pay less than minimum wage was enough to make any union boss salivate, yet it was the most coveted job in the neighborhood. Yet ever since David Cameron declared an “concerted, all-out war on gangs' ', the young men in the area have been looking for somewhere to “do masculinity”. 

“CORONAVIRUS DECLARED SERIOUS AND IMMINENT THREAT TO THE UK” read the headline on February 10th, I have a vivid memory of holding it in my hands muttering something about fear mongering, just over a month later the country was placed in lockdown.

Part 2: Why I stayed (during a pandemic)

“Le peu que je connais de la morale, je l'ai appris sur les terrains de football; ce sont mes vraies universités”

- Albert Camus, France Football

Camus once said “Everything I know most surely about morality [...] I owe it to football”, I mirrored the sentiment, everything I know about responsibility, I learned from paper delivery. 

The job wasn’t easy. I would often have homework late into the night, leading me to simply stay through the night, going to work, and then sleeping in school. Once the pandemic arrived, I became lethargic and irritated, I had nothing to do, and I would let anyone within earshot know. However, I kept at the job because it seemed to be the right thing to do.

But who decides what the right thing is?

In the 1960’s, Milgram, a psychologist at Yale University set up an experiment in which participants would quiz a man behind a door,  when an answer the man behind the door gave was incorrect, the participant was to administer him an electric shock. To Milgram's shock, when pressed to continue by scientists, most participants would continue the experiment until the man behind the door died. In Milgram’s experiment, the “man behind the door” was merely an audio recording, but the implications were horrifying; would humans follow orders at the sacrifice of everything they knew? When talking to relatives I would act as if my job was a feat of humanitarian superstrength, my work of charity I did simply out of the goodness of my heart, yet at the end of the day I was partaking in a business. When hearing about my progress at the end of the week I began to wonder if the only reason I was sacrificing so much for this job was because those wiser than me told me it was what I should be doing. Yet if it was a duty, why did it make me feel so awful? 

Sartre described a student he had who was at a crossroads in his life. He could fight against Nazism for his nation and his people, a cause both he and us today would see as noble. But marching into Berlin would leave his sick mother behind; he could stop the spread of the virus, facism, yet one inevitable casualty would be his parent. He could fight in a war that would continue without him, being a small part of a large cause, or he could be one person's world. The whole point of this young man's decision, Sartre said, was that nobody could give him an answer; the answer did not exist until the young man chose it. Discovering Sartre’s philosophy was a Godsend, I had been living as if  “to be was to do”, there was an answer out there, I just had to consult the right oracle, but embracing the absurd taught me that there was no correct path except the one I walked down, “to do was to be” 

Part 3: What’s changed

“To live without hope is to cease to live [...] It’s no coincidence that above the entrance to Dante’s hell is the inscription ‘leave behind all hope, you who enter here”

-Fydor Dostoyevsky, Essays

Through investigating why things in my community were the way they were, why I followed these patterns, and why I should even care in the first place, I realised my duty was not just to have my place in it, following orders from those deemed wiser, but was to improve it.

From behind the counter of a quaint corner shop, I saw futures for boys forgotten . Loud mouths weren’t told not to talk back by almost carricaturally draconian teachers, but were given a soapbox to vent their frustrations at the news. Athletes didn’t have their parents called in for skipping lessons to play football, the calls came in from local pensioners thanking them for the speedy delivery. When I described who I was working with to my maths teacher (many coworkers were past suspended), he claimed we were “lunatics running the asylum”, I don't know many lunatics who skipped lessons looking into diversifying their assets at 16.

Weber claimed that Calvanist Christians were the ultimate capitalist; the idea that there were only a limited number of spots in heaven combined with the tenant of “worship through work” led to the East Coast of the USA being the most economically productive region on the planet. However, I’d like to pose a new culture that could take their throne: North London State School boys. The children of the dilapidated factories in Tottenham, Wood Green and Kentish Town left us with a work ethic as strong as our undiagnosed ADHD. While we may not have laid the groundwork for the most powerful nation of all time, I imagine when Jefferson’s pen lifted off the declaration of independence for the last time, the smile on his face was similar to what the kind lady No. 46 see’s through the window after her Times is delivered.

[flauntpage]

Opinion: I Find it Hard to Root Against Villanova

I know what you’re thinking; this is a stunner.

It’s just stunning that Crossing Broad, a website started by a Villanova alumnus, would publish a pro-Villanova article.

But Kyle isn’t writing this story from an insider’s perspective. I’m writing it as an outsider whose team was booted from the NCAA Tournament by the Wildcats two weeks ago.

Common knowledge says I should be angry about that. Woe is me! I can’t cheer for Villanova since they dropped 13 three-pointers on us and finished the game on a 43-26 run. I have to hate the Wildcats, or whatever.

I don’t hate them, not one bit.

I like Nova. I was pulling for them to beat the brakes off of Texas Tech and Kansas, which they did. And I’ll be pulling for them against Michigan tonight, because there’s just nothing to dislike about Villanova. It’s a classy program run by a classy coach with a group of players that stay out of trouble and do things the right way.

The coach

When I worked at Eyewitness News, Selection Sunday was always a bear, just a tough day with a lot of work to do – a lot of highlights to edit, a lot of interviews to conduct, and a lot of graphics for the art department to build.

You’ve got coaches coming off of Saturday conference tournament games who sleep about four hours before joining their team on campus to watch the national broadcast and find out when and where they’re playing. Then, they do a BARRAGE of media with some folks on-site, and some folks off-site.

To that point, I can’t remember a time when Jay Wright ever said no to an interview. He would get back from the Big East tournament late on a Saturday night, do the selection thing with his team on Sunday, talk to reporters in person, then walk over to a separate room to do four separate interviews with Action News, NBC 10, FOX 29, and us. And it’s not like the television stations were major players in the sports market. We weren’t the Inquirer or Comcast SportsNet, and we didn’t cover Villanova the same way we covered the Eagles, Phillies, Flyers, and Sixers, but here’s Jay Wright, looking totally exhausted on more than one occasion, always willing to make time for Lesley Van Arsdall and our 11:35 p.m. sports special. It was never coach speak or cliches, either, he always acted like he gave a shit and took time to consider the questions we asked, questions he had probably answered 15 times already.

I can respect that, for sure. Here’s a guy who has always exuded class and been a fine ambassador for the region:

Much respect to @CoachBeardTTU and @TexasTechMBB – best defensive team we have played all year ! Congrats on a great season !

— Jay Wright (@VUCoachJWright) March 25, 2018

We are incredibly honored to have shared the court with that physically and mentally tough @WVUhoops team – Much respect to @CoachHuggs and the Mountaineers

— Jay Wright (@VUCoachJWright) March 24, 2018

When it comes to blemishes on Wright and his program, there’s pretty much nothing out there. There was a phone card “scandal” way back in 2003 where a bunch of guys made calls using someone else’s telephone access code.

Big deal!

Nova was mentioned briefly in the big NCAA report from a few months back, with three former players alleged to have received loan payments after they left the program. From what I understand, it’s another “nothing burger,” as that guy on CNN once said.

That’s about it. I can’t find anything else, nor do I remember anything else they’ve done wrong.

The players

Let’s take a look at recent rosters to see if we can find any Grayson Allen types:

Jalen Brunson – nah

Ryan Arcidiacono – nah

Kyle Lowry – nah

Randy Foye – nah

Scottie Reynolds – nah

I think back to the last 10 or 15 years of Big East basketball and a lot of villains come to mind – Carl Krauser, Eric Devendorf, Herb Pope – the list goes on and on.

But not once during that time period did I really dislike anyone from Nova. Allan Ray? Mike Nardi? Dante Cunningham? Darrun Hilliard? I didn’t hate any of those guys, not nearly as much as whoever Pitt or UConn or Georgetown was rolling out. Every time you saw Villanova on the schedule it was like, “ah, these guys are good, they’re a pain in the ass,” but playing the Wildcats never brought forth the abhorrence I felt when going up against Rick Pitino or Jim Calhoun or DeJuan Blair.

Some people wanna point to Nova as being a snooty Main Line school with entitled undergrads or something, but is it even really that bad? Yea, tuition is $52,000, but Penn ain’t much different. Yea, some Villanova types are rich, boat-shoe wearing Avalon vacationers, but so what? There are plenty of places to find elitists in this area. Take a drive over to Society Hill or Moorestown or Alapocas and it’s the same thing. I’ve lived long enough to know that douchebags come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and comments sections.

Now, some people like to go down the road of, “well, Villanova isn’t in Philadelphia, so it’s not a Philadelphia school!”

Right, so let’s do some geography.

Using City Hall as a central location, Nova’s campus is about 13 to 14 miles from center city if you’re taking a straight-ish shot down Lancaster Avenue:

Yea, it’s outside the city limits, but it’s really not that far. Saint Joe’s and La Salle are six miles from City Hall, so we’re really going to split hairs over a difference of eight whole miles?

Plus, when you go down the list of professional and college sports teams, you find all sorts of similar geographic snafus:

The New York Giants and New York Jets do not play in New York

The Buffalo Bills don’t play in Buffalo

The Washington Redskins don’t play in Washington

The Philadelphia Union don’t play in Philadelphia

The Dallas Cowboys don’t play in Dallas

The Detroit Pistons don’t play in Detroit

And the San Francisco 49ers sure as hell don’t play in San Francisco:

If you want to be more technical about it, the United States government’s Office of Management and Budget divides the country into 382 metropolitan statistical areas, defined by “one or more adjacent counties or county equivalents that have at least one urban core area of at least 50,000 population, plus adjacent territory that has a high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured by commuting ties.”

Philly-Camden-Wilmington is the 7th largest MSA in the United States and is known to us… uh… the Delaware Valley, a region extending from Elkton all the way up to the Trenton border. Villanova University, Talen Energy Stadium, the new Sixers Field House, and pretty much everything “Philly sports” related falls into that greater catchment area.

So, no, Villanova is not “in Philadelphia,” but there are plenty of Eagles fans from Norristown, Medford, and Hockessin. Are they not qualified to be Eagle fans? The whole thing is DUMB.

North Philly native Kyle Lowry agrees, and touches on the topic in a recent Players’ Tribune story:

“Loyalty is everything in Philadelphia. I’m always going to be proud to be a Philadelphia native. Fly Eagles Fly. Let’s go Phillies. Let’s go Flyers. The 76ers … I mean, I’m obviously not rooting for them. But the point still stands.

It’s a great feeling to be able to represent your college and your city in big games. It’s great to have been a part of a program that changed the culture of the entire university. We worked hard, and we earned our place among the NCAA’s elite a long time ago. We’re not letting go anytime soon.

Some people will just never accept it. Some people will keep telling you that even though the perception might have changed, the geography is always going to be the same.”

And even if you’re resigned to the idea that Nova is some elite Main Line school, look at the guys on their roster. You’ve got kids from Archbishop Wood, Salesianum, and Neumann-Goretti wearing the jersey. Mikal Bridges went to public school at Great Valley. The son of the 76ers President earned a roster spot as a walk-on. I can get behind that.

I would hope that other Philadelphia sports fans can cheer for those guys and those stories. And I’d hope that Villanova fans would reciprocate if the tables were turned. I’d hope Lamarr Kimble and Shizz Alston and Darnell Foreman would get some love from Wildcat nation if they were playing for a national title.

If you went to Temple or Saint Joe’s or whatever, I get it. I wouldn’t go gung-ho for the Marshall Thundering Herd in the Poulan Weedeater Bowl, but I’d like to see West Virginia native John Holliday win it. For the same reason, I wouldn’t mind seeing Lowry win a ring with the Raptors.

And I’d prefer to see Villanova win it all tonight, again. I don’t think it matters if you went to Nova or didn’t go to Nova, or whether or not the school is in Philly or outside of Philly. I see an elite program with a classy coach and classy players who do things the right way and play lights-out basketball.

I find it hard to root against that.

Opinion: I Find it Hard to Root Against Villanova published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

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Patriots Week Ahead: TCB – Taking Care of Brady

Let’s be honest. When the 2017 schedule was first released, very few thought that the New England Patriots Week Six showdown with their bitter division rival, the New York Jets, would be a battle of two teams fighting for first place in the AFC East. However, as the old pigskin adage states, ‘that’s why we play the games.’

The Jets have impressed, while the Pats have struggled. I caution everyone not to misinterpret this. The Patriots are sporting a respectable 3-2 record, and still have an abundantly talented roster. They also employ, arguably, the greatest quarterback and head coach in NFL history. Most other NFL teams would eagerly embrace that kind of ‘struggle.’

However, the facts cannot be ignored. The Patriots have not been THE Patriots as of late. Their defense is among the cellar-dwellers of the NFL, and even their wins have caused as many questions as answers.

In their Week Five victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Patriots helped to calm some collective New England nerves by proving that the defense was capable of protecting a lead, when the offense lets down their guard (back to that one, in a moment). All in all, the Patriots still have some problems to correct. Those corrections should be easier to achieve this week against the Jets, right? …Wrong!

Protect Your Quarterback!

The eye-opening problem in Week Five was not the defense. Instead, the major concern was the alarming rate at which quarterback Tom Brady was pressured, hit and sacked. Brady was pressured on 40 percent of his snaps against the Bucs and incurred three sacks. For those of you tracking at home, that makes 16 times thus far in 2017. At this rate, it is possible that we might see him sacked nearly 50 times by season’s end. As durable as Brady has been throughout his career, no one can be expected to continually endure that kind of damage.

In fact, the Patriots were reminded of that fact, this week, when Brady was conspicuously missing from practice to care for an injury. As reported by NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran, and expanded upon by his colleague Mike Giardi, Brady’s injury is an AC joint sprain to his left shoulder, which he initially suffered on a sack by Julius Peppers in their Week Four loss to the Carolina Panthers. He re-aggravated the injury against the Buccaneers last week.

Despite the obvious concern, New Englanders may breathe a loud sigh of relief. The injury is not to Brady’s throwing shoulder, and should be ok with proper rest. Brady told reporters on Tuesday that he will be ready to play on Sunday. In his weekly Wednesday’s press conference, head coach Bill Belichick described Brady “as physically and mentally tough of a player” as he as ever coached.

While that is certainly true, one can assume that Belichick would rather not test that toughness for too much longer. The Pats need to protect their quarterback to keep him healthy. That is their first order of business, this week.

Dec 27, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) is sacked by former New York Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson (91) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Jets defeated the Patriots 26-20 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Toe the Lines

If protecting the quarterback is priority one for the Pats this week, improved play on the lines is a close second. The offensive line has been much maligned for their lack of protection for Tom Brady, but their troubles run a bit deeper than that. The offensive line has looked undisciplined, which is very uncharacteristic of a unit coached by Dante Scarnecchia. However, the numbers don’t lie. Overall, the offensive line was responsible for 46 yards of penalties on Thursday. This repeatedly damaged the Pats offensive momentum, leading to potentially promising drives ending in disappointment. Discipline will be a key element this week in practice, and no one knows it’s value better than Scarnecchia.

The defensive line is also not above criticism. Although they have made improvements, the d-line is having trouble pressuring the quarterback. As a result, the linebackers have been forced into coverage, opening seams through which running backs have traveled with ease. When they have been able to apply that much-needed pressure, penalties have plagued them, as well. Crucial hands-to-the-face, roughing the passer, and other coverage penalties have extended drives, which have often led to scoring opportunities for their opponents.

To his credit, Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia knows that this is a high priority for him. On Tuesday, he said in a conference call that it’s up to him to re-acclimate the players to more complex coverages. His quote was:

“I think it’s got to start with me and I’ve got to teach and coach better week in, week out. I’ve got to try to make sure that it (the coverage scheme) is in a format where they can understand it, they can digest it, process it and they can make sure that they can execute it at a high level. All of that is going to start with me.”

Hopefully, those improvements will be evident on Sunday, or it may be a long day in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Keep the Yellow Flags Off the Field

On his weekly radio appearance on WEEI’s Kirk & Callahan, Brady said he believes that part of the reason that the Pats have committed so many penalties (opponents have accepted 19 against them in the last two games) is that the officials are calling tighter games. Brady was careful not to point the finger at the officials, but acknowledged that the Pats need to more rapidly adjust to the style of the officiating crew. Brady said:

“I feel like it is more of a part of games than ever. We just have to adjust to that play style. If we get the calls, great. If we don’t, we still have to win. From the players’ standpoint, a little contact, I don’t think guys ever complain about not getting the call. It’s just we have to play through them. Look, the refs are trying to do the best they can do. I don’t know what they are being instructed, but sometimes they call it tight, sometimes they don’t.”

Especially in the past two games, the Pats have seemed more undisciplined than they have in recent memory. Brady’s comments indicate that he and the team need to quickly recognize the tendencies of the particular crew officiating the game on that day. By adjusting to that style, they can avoid many of the frivolous penalty yards surrendered by the defending champs so far, in 2017.

Same Old Jets? Not Quite…

The surprising and surging New York Jets sit at 3-2, tied for the AFC East lead with the Patriots and Buffalo Bills. Contrary to the popular belief of many New England fans, it’s no accident. The Jets have played well-beyond expectation, thus far. Quite simply, they have played well. Luckily, the Patriots coaches and players aren’t in the business of looking past a team, and will not do so at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

September 24, 2017; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets cornerback Buster Skrine (41) and strong safety Jamal Adams (33) sack Miami Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler (6) during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. The Jets defeated the Dolphins 20-6. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

After an 0-2 start, the Jets appeared to be living up to low expectations. For the past three weeks, however, they have looked like a different team. They have been solid in all three phases of the game; offensively, defensively and in special teams. Gang Green has made some big plays in all three areas. Quarterback Josh McCown has been stellar, and does not seem prone to a ‘butt-fumble’-like moment. Most importantly, they have done a great job in protecting the football by limiting turnovers. As a result, they own wins over the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and another surprise force in 2017, the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Wait…are we sure we are taking about the Jets? Yes…you bet.

In order to succeed on Sunday, the Patriots need to acclimate themselves with the tendencies of the Jets revamped defense. New York has proved to be a hard-nosed, physical defensive team, with a surprisingly stingy secondary. Look for Brady and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to scheme for a different, but always formidable Jets defensive attack.

No matter their record, it hasn’t been easy for the Patriots to visit the Jets in recent seasons. New England has split its last four road games with Gang Green, with the two losses coming in overtime. In each of these contests, the average margin of victory has been slim. Much to everyone’s surprise, Sunday’s game looks to be one that will come down to the wire.

In the final analysis, it appears that the New York Jets are for real, and will provide the Patriots with quite a full workload in the week ahead.

-Mike D’Abate is the Managing Editor for cover32.com/Chargers and covers the Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots. He is also a National Content Writer and covers the NFL for cover32.com. Follow @MG973024 Follow @cover32_LAC

AROUND COVER32 Cowboys lose a heartbreaker to the Packers

Giants rebuild their receiving corps after losing several starters to injury Remembering the career of Redskins legend Russ Grimm Week 6 Power Rankings: Seahawks among this week’s highest risers

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The day is finally here. I’m not just talking about the debut of the 2017 college football season. I’m talking about the publishing of my own “College Football Spectacular” Preview, which has been a dream of mine since 2004. Seriously. Way back in another life in which I was a corporate salesman, I hated it so much that I was looking for a new career. I had a passion. I knew what that passion was, college football…….and publishing. So I set a goal of one day publishing a college football preview magazine. Now that the “Dutch Lion Sports” website is up and running, the day has finally arrived to unveil (at least in digital format) the “College Football Spectacular”!!!!

The main inspiration for my College Football Spectacular was this iconic magazine cover with two of my favorites, Jim McMahon and the Boz.

Inspired by the Sports Illustrated series of “College and Pro Football Spectacular” preview issues that they pumped out between 1982 and 1986, I’m bringing back this concept. Call it a retro magazine. Call it whatever you like. The Dutch Lion is pumped!

Someday this will become a hard copy printed magazine to be sold on the newsstands right next to Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, Street & Smith’s, Athlon’s, Lindy’s, and of course, Phil Steele’s. But for now this will tide us over online. So what’s got you pumped about college football this year? Let’s dive in and find out what the “Dutch Lion” has in store!

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  Dutch Lion’s Top 25 College Football rankings:

Georgia – That’s right! Georgia is #1! We’re picking the Georgia Bulldogs to win this year’s National Championship. UGA……Between the Hedges…….I know it’s crazy but you’ll remember this prediction, right or wrong. I’m not just doing this to make noise. I truly believe in what Georgia is doing. I watched A LOT of Georgia tape this Summer and I truly believe in them. Their schedule is easier than you’d think. The biggest obstacles are at Notre Dame in Week 2, Florida in the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” in Week 9, at Auburn in Week 11, and of course the SEC West Champion in the SEC Championship, presumably Alabama, on December 2. Phil Steele has them at #22 but acknowledges that they have a “solid opportunity” to get back to the SEC Championship for the first time since 2012. They have the 2nd most experienced team in the SEC (#13 in the nation) and are in Coach Kirby Smart’s 2nd year. I know this is a longshot but trust me. Their recruiting has been outrageous the last couple of years. With Coach Kirby Smart bringing his Alabama style defense to Athens, the Bulldogs will thrive like they have in Tuscaloosa. Uber recruit Jacob Eason enters his Sophomore year at QB. They return both Senior RB’s Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. They have Uber recruit Isaac Nauta at TE. Over on defense, this swarming unit has 10 returning starters! Now that they’re in the 2nd year of Smart’s system, they should improve dramatically. Georgia will win the National Championship within the next 3 seasons, so why not this year? Go Dawgs! “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah…….!” 

Florida St. – Clemson may not be FSU’s biggest competition in the ACC this year. It might be Louisville, Miami, Virginia Tech, or even N.C. State.

Oklahoma St. – This team is rock solid. Big break with Bob Stoops retiring. The Cowboys should win the Big 12.

USC – This team will be Pac 12 Champions. Sam Darnold, Ronald Jones, Deontay Burnett on offense. Cameron Smith, Iman Marshall, and Porter Gustin on defense. They are defending Rose Bowl Champions. They beat Pac 12 Champion Washington last year in Seattle. They have a hard schedule but no Washington until maybe the Pac 12 Championship game. Their toughest test might be Stanford in Week 2.

Alabama – I’ll give the Crimson Tide two losses (at least) this year: the opener vs FSU and the SEC Championship vs Georgia.

Auburn – How far can new QB Jarrett Stidham and their excellent running game take them? Once again Auburn has a difficult SEC schedule including games at LSU, at Arkansas, and at Texas A&M. Throw in home games vs Georgia and Alabama. Top it off with a non-con at Clemson and we’re looking at plenty of opportunities for the Tigers………but also plenty of potential landmines.

Notre Dame – ND has talent but is Coach Kelly’s time running out? I’m mad at him because of last year’s disaster in which he admittedly took a year off. Time for a change in South Bend.

Michigan – Coach Harbaugh has brought in tons of top talent. He’ll take down Urban Meyer for the first time but will probably slip up elsewhere.

LSU – They’re always good. I think Coach Orgeron might be an excellent choice to succeed Les Miles. Derrius Guice will win a lot of games for the Tigers. Geaux Tigers!

Washington – The Huskies won the Pac 12 and went all the way to the Playoffs where they lost to Alabama in the Semifinals 24-7. They have to replace a lot of NFL draftees but return plenty of firepower in QB Jake Browning, RB Myles Gaskin, and WR Dante Pettis. On defense, they have DT Vita Vea, LB Azeem Victor, LB Keishawn Bierria, and don’t forget about super Soph safety Taylor Rapp. Overall, the culture that Coach Chris Petersen has installed in Seattle has taken hold. The Huskies are now rolling like they haven’t since the Don James days. Watch out for a long run of success up in the Great Northwest.

Ohio St. – Hard to tell with this OSU team this year. They lost so much talent to the NFL again, but they keep recruiting replacements. However, their secondary is so inexperienced. Here’s betting it will keep them from winning the Big Ten.

Stanford – Sleeper!

Penn St.

Louisville

Boise St.

TCU

Oklahoma

Wisconsin – They have a really easy schedule (70th in the nation). But are they that good? I like Coach Paul Chryst. I think QB Hornibrook is overrated. Their recent injuries to LB’s must have them worried.

West Virginia – I love what Dana Holgorsen is building in Morgantown. He’s known for his offense but quietly his defense is building into a solid, respectable unit. In the Big 12, that means something. They can actually stop some of these high-octane offenses built to outscore teams 50-49. WVU only allowed 24.0 ppg last season, which is quite an accomplishment when you’re facing Baylor, Texas Tech, etc. on a weekly basis. They held Baylor to 21. They held Texas Tech to 17. They held Texas to 20, Kansas St. to 16, TCU to 10, Iowa St. to 19, Kansas to 21. They only had two bad defensive performances, allowing 37 at Oklahoma St. and allowing 56 in that horrid, snowy weather at home in November vs Oklahoma. Other than those two games, they had an incredible defensive year, finishing at 10-3. This year they have a new QB in Will Grier but he might be better than last year’s starter Skyler Howard. Howard wasn’t that skilled but boy he had moxie. WVU goes into my Sleeper category too.

Virginia Tech

Clemson

Nebraska! – Sleeper!

Kansas St. – Sleeper!

Michigan St.

Washington St. – Wazzu loves the Palouse! They have 7 home games and 5 road games this year. That’s pretty normal. The strange part is they don’t leave the Palouse until Week 6 when they travel to Oregon. That means 5 of their last 7 are on the road. You know what, I’m starting to wonder why I put the Cougars at #25. Scratch this prediction. I love Mike Leach but looking at their schedule, they’re going 7-5 or 6-6 (I’m not sure they’ll win at Utah). That’s not Top 25 worthy. Scratch the Cougs.

The REAL #25 – N.C. State – Sleeper!

2017 Playoff Predictions:

Sugar Bowl: #1 Georgia over #4 USC

Rose Bowl: #2 Florida St. over #3 Oklahoma St.

2017 National Championship Prediction:

Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta): #1 Georgia over #2 Florida St.

Top 5 Most Anticipated Games

Ohio St. at Michigan in Week 13 (November 25): “The Game” is now in Year 3 of the Second Ten Year War between Urban “Oscar” Meyer and Jim Harbaugh. I expect Harbaugh to get his 1st victory in this series.

Florida vs Georgia in Week 9 (October 28): The “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” will determine the SEC East Champion.

Georgia at Notre Dame in Week 2 (September 9): The South invades the North, which is so rare it hurts. Look it up. How many SEC teams travel North…..ever! If they challenged themselves more often, we wouldn’t have such an ‘SEC dominates’ bias in the national media.

Wisconsin at Nebraska in Week 6 (October 7): Huskers need to start a winning streak over Wisconsin to prove dominance in the B1G West. Last year’s heartbreaking OT loss in Madison was tough to take but I think it gave the program some confidence in what they’re trying to do. And that BS (non) call in OT on the 3rd down pass interference against Jordan Westerkamp? That was complete bogus. We had that game and the Badgers got lucky.

Penn St. at Ohio St. in Week 9 (October 28): After what happened last year, this one should be fun. It might determine the B1G East crown.

Top 5 Sleepers (Underrated teams)

Stanford – You know how sometimes teams struggle when they have one superstar? That’s what happened to Stanford last year with RB Christian McCaffrey. We’ve seen this before. 1997-98 Tennessee comes to mind. In ’97 the Vols relied on Peyton Manning so much that they faltered. When they replaced Manning with Tee Martin in ’98, the rest of the team stepped up to account for that major loss. They ended up winning the National Championship. Last year Stanford went 10-3 with crazy upset losses to Washington, Washington St., and Colorado. It seemed like they relied on McCaffrey to do everything. Now that he’s gone, the rest of the Cardinal might step up in his stead. I’m not saying National Champs, but I think they’ll give USC and Washington a run for their money in the Pac 12.

Kansas St. – Always solid, this year K-State returns a senior QB in “Jami Gertz?” Jesse Ertz. (I know, the nickname isn’t for everybody). Last year they finished with a 4 game winning streak to end up at 9-4.  They have 14 returning starters and this might be, could be Coach Bill Snyder’s swan song. KSU = sleeper.

West Virginia – Sometimes teams get forgotten about by the national media because they don’t have anything “new” to report. Now that Dana Holgorsen is going into his 7th year, the media gets a bit stale on a regime. Quietly, Holgorsen is building his program the proper way. They went 8-5 in ’15, then 10-3 last year. They have one of the best defenses in the Big 12. It all adds up to a Big 12 sleeper team.

Nebraska – As a huge Huskers fan I’m obviously biased. However, nobody is giving Coach Mike Riley any love. All they talk about is his past and the depleted Huskers recruiting ground, etc. I for one think this team might be pretty good. All the momentum is rolling the right way. The recruiting is picking up. The offense is changing to accommodate the coaches specialty, the pro style passing game. The defense is transitioning to the 3-4 by bringing in new DC Bobby Diaco. I love what’s going on in Lincoln. Phil Steele is picking Neb to finish 3rd in the B1G West behind Northwestern. Oh please! In the words of Kirk Herbstreit, “Never underestimate the power of a program like Nebraska”. I’m with you Kirk. The Huskers might surprise this year with underrated QB Tanner Lee guiding us to victory.

N.C. State – In the words of Phil, “N.C. State is a surprise contender in the rugged ACC Atlantic division.” I agree. They get Clemson and Louisville at home. Their toughest games are at Florida St. and at Notre Dame. The Wolfpack might finish 3rd or 4th in their division, but they are a solid team with 17 returning starters from a 7-6 squad. Beware of the Wolfpack!

Top 5 Paper Champions (Overrated)

Tennessee – How are these guys ranked? They were good/not great last season and lost QB Josh Dobbs, RB Jalen Hurd, RB Alvin Kamara, WR Josh Malone, DE Derek Barnett, DE Corey Vereen, etc. from last season’s 9-4 team

Clemson – I loved your National Championship last year but without QB DeShaun Watson, RB Wayne Gallman, WR Mike Williams, WR Artavis Scott, TE Jordan Leggett, MLB Ben Boulware, DT Carlos Watkins, CB Cordrea Tankersley, S Jadar Johnson, etc. I can’t argue for you guys to be #5 in the rankings. I love respecting teams for what they’ve done but they have no chance at finishing in the top 5 this year.

Florida – As usual, they are getting hype, but their offense stinks. They will lose AT LEAST 4 games again this year, and probably more.

Texas – As usual, they are getting hype, but they were only 5-7 last year and now they have a new coach. Tom Herman might be the answer, but first they must figure out what’s been broken since Colt McCoy left after 2009. Please AP voters, don’t rank these guys yet. They stink!

Northwestern – What is it about Northwestern that makes me nervous? As a Nebraska fan, I’m not nervous about losing to them. I’m nervous FOR them every year the local Chicago media starts hyping them up. This year they return some key pieces from a 7-6 team and therefore the locals are all jacked up. When I look at their schedule, I see a 7-5 record with losses at Duke, at Wisconsin, vs Penn St., vs Michigan St., and at Nebraska……at least! They could blow a game vs Iowa or at Maryland or Minnesota too. Bottom line is Coach Fitzgerald gets a free pass around here. They think he is such a great coach but his career record is 77-62. Sure they have recruiting problems in Evanston. I get it, but you need to do more than your career-best 10-3 record at least once when you’ve been there for 11 years already. If you were so good last year, then you shouldn’t have lost 9-7 to Illinois St……at home. Prove it!

“Dutch Lion’s” Favorite Players

Washington QB #3 Jake Browning

USC RB #25 Ronald “RoJo II” Jones

West Virginia RB #25 Justin “Taco Bell” Crawford

Georgia RB #1 Sony “Playstation” Michel 

Houston DT #10 Ed Oliver

Georgia OLB #7 Lorenzo Carter – Is he Leonard Floyd all over again?

Auburn RB #36 Kamryn Pettway – I love big backs that weigh 237 pounds but run like freight trains. “Bubba” reminds some of the “Brahma Bull” Alley Broussard from LSU.

Ohio St. OLB #17 Jerome Baker

Michigan St. RB #3 L.J. Scott – Runs like Lawrence Phillips

Nebraska RB #18 Tre Bryant

Illinois WR #18 Mike Dudek – Let’s hope he’s healthy again after tearing his knees up two years in a row.

Notre Dame MLB #5 Nyles Morgan

Oregon RB Royce Freeman

Georgia LB Natrez Patrick

Washington WR Dante Pettis

Special Shout-Outs to former Stevenson HS stars (many of them on our 2014 Illinois State Champions team) now toiling away at these random schools until they become stars:

Michigan St. starting FS #10 Matt Morrissey

Northwestern backup TE/Superback #84 Cameron Green

Miami (OH) WR #8 Jack Sorenson

Wheaton College DL #47 Pat O’Connell

Purdue QB #13 Aidan O’Connell

Albany DL #54 Nick Dillon

Wisconsin LB Mike Maskalunas

Western Michigan RT #75 Zach Novoselsky

Iowa WR #13 Henry Marchese

Illinois LB #41 Jimmy Marchese

Illinois DB #42 Michael Marchese

Columbia LB #55 Jason Vravick

Is that all? I’m sure I’m forgetting some guys. Please forgive me.

2017 All-America Team

QB1/Pocket Passer Jake Browning/Washington/#3/JR/6’2″ 205 – 3430 passing yards, 43 TD, 9 INT, 4 rushing TD

QB2/Dual Threat Lamar Jackson/Louisville/#8/JR/6’3″ 200 – 3543 passing yards, 30 TD, 9 INT, 1571 rushing yards, 21 rushing TD

RB Ronald “RoJo II” Jones/USC/#25/JR/6’1″ 195 – 1082 rushing yards, 12 TD

RB Saquon Barkley/Penn St./#26/JR/5’11” 228 – 1496 rushing yards, 18 TD, 402 receiving yards, 4 TD

WR James Washington/Oklahoma St./#28/SR/6’0″ 205 – 71 catches, 1380 yards, 10 TD

WR Dante Pettis/Washington/#8/SR/6’1″ 192 – 53 catches, 822 yards, 15 TD

TE Mike Gesicki/Penn St./#88/SR/6’6″ 253 – 48 catches, 679 yards, 5 TD

FB/TE/H-Back Jaylen Samuels/N.C. State/#1/SR/5’11” 223 – 33-189-6-5.7 rushing, 55-565-7 receiving

OT Mitch Hyatt/Clemson/#75/JR/6’5″ 295

OT Mike McGlinchey/Notre Dame/#68/SR/6’8″ 312

OG Cody O’Connell/Washington St./#76/SR/6’8″ 354 – A mountain of a man

OG Quenton Nelson/Notre Dame/#56/JR/6’5″ 329

C Frank Ragnow/Arkansas/#72/SR/6’6″ 319

DE Sam Hubbard/Ohio St./#6/JR/6’5″ 265 – 46 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 2 PBU, 4 hurries

DT Christian Wilkins/Clemson/#42/JR/6’4″ 310 – 56 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 10 PBU, 5 hurries

DT Vita Vea/Washington/#50/JR/6’5″ 344 – OMG SIZE! 39 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 5 sacks, 2 PBU, 2 hurries

DT Trent Thompson/Georgia/#78/JR/6’4″ 295 – Beast! 56 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 5 sacks, 7 hurries

DE Bradley Chubb/N.C. State/#9/SR/6’4″ 275 – 58 tackles, 11.5 TFL, 10.5 sacks, 7 hurries

OLB Jerome Baker/Ohio St./#17/JR/6’1″ 225 – 83 tackles, 6 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 2 INT

ILB Cameron Smith/USC/#35/JR/6’2″ 245 – 83 tackles, 6 TFL, 1 sack, 4 PBU

ILB Nyles Morgan/Notre Dame/#5/SR/6’1″ 238 – 94 tackles, 2 TFL, 4 sacks, 3 PBU

OLB Roquan Smith/Georgia/#3/JR/6’1″ 225 – 95 tackles, 5 TFL, 1 PBU, 5 hurries

CB D.J. Reed/Kansas St./#2/JR/5’9″ 188 – Amazing numbers for a CB! 75 tackles, 16 PBU! 3 INT! 1 hurry.

CB Aaron Davis/Georgia/#35/SR/6’1″ 189 – Great at run support (54 tackles, 2 INT). Did you see his stuff of Alvin Kamara in last year’s game? Impressive technique.

SS Minkah Fitzpatrick/Alabama/#29/JR/6’1″ 201 – 66 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 sack, 7 PBU, 6 INT!, 4 TD on 8 INT over last 2 years!

FS Derwin James/Florida St./#3/SO/6’3″ 211 – “Looks the Part” Herbie Award winner. I couldn’t agree more. Only had 2 starts last year prior to injury; 2015 stats: 91 tackles, 5 PBU in 8 starts

KR Quadree Henderson/Pitt/#10/JR/5’8″ 190 – 30 KR, 914 yards, 30.5 avg, 3 TD, 100 Long

PR De’Mornay Pierson-El/Nebraska/#15/SR/5’9″ 195 – 23 PR, 168 yards, 7.3 avg, 0 TD last year. Can he regain his pre-injury form from 2014?

K Daniel Carlson/Auburn/#38/SR/6’4″ 218 – 44-44 PAT, 28-32 FG, 53 Long, 4-7 from 50+, only 1 missed FG out of 25 attempts under 50 yards!

P Mitch Wishnowsky/Utah/#33/JR/6’2″ 220 – 64 punts, 47.7 avg, 44.6 net avg, 1st Team AA and Ray Guy Award Winner

Best Names in all the Land, AKA “The Chris Blewitt Award” (Blewitt was a kicker who blew 3 PAT’s and missed 7 of 10 FG’s last year for Pitt)

Arkansas St. DL Dee Liner – is this for real? (His twin brother is named “O”……just kidding)

Arizona St. DE JoJo Wicker

Arizona OT Gerhard de Beer

Washington WR Chico McClatcher

Oklahoma St. DE Cole Walterscheid

Minnesota DE Winston DeLattiboudere

Nebraska DE Freedom Akinmoladun

Northwestern S Godwin Igwebuike

Wisconsin WR Jazz Peavy

Indiana LB Tegray Scales

Kentucky C Jervontius “Bunchy” Stallings

Eastern Michigan DL Lion King

Best stadiums

Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN – Drove by the other day……WOW! Sailing up to Neyland on the Tennessee river is so cool that even Jim Nantz had to try it, way back in 1990.

Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE – A special place. There’s nothing quite like it. “There is No Place Like Nebraska” as “The Good Life” reigns in the Heartland.

Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR – How does a place that small make that much noise? It’s the acoustics. They love the reverberating roofs in the Pacific Northwest.

Husky Stadium, Seattle, WA – On the shores of Lake Washington, the Huskies play to crowds that tend to make the TV cameras shake during big moments. I love it!

Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC – One of the most raucous crowds I’ve ever seen was at Clemson for last year’s ABC Primetime matchup with Lamar Jackson and Louisville. What a scene in Death Valley!! Shivers.

Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA – The “Eye of the Tiger” at midfield intimidates visiting teams. LSU has had 3 undefeated home seasons since 2010.

Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA – Between the Hedges is a must see for the serious college fan. They just do it better in the South. Doesn’t it just seem a little brighter during day games in Athens?

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL – The Swamp used to be so intimidating during the old Steve Spurrier Era. Now……not so much. Still, the stadium is amazing and a bucket list item for many.

Beaver Stadium, State College, PA – Penn St.’s Happy Valley isn’t as happy as it used to be. Some of the mystique is gone now that Joe Paterno has left the building. I don’t care for this stadium that much during the day, never did. But when the lights go out and the crowd goes “WHITE OUT!”……yeah, it’s right up there with the best venues in all the land. Is that a sack by PSU? I can hear the Nittany Lion roaring from hundreds of miles away.

Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL – This stadium is an underrated monument to those Illinoisans that fell in World War I. The columns, the history, and the layout all inspire modern stadium constructions. With the new Red Grange statue outside on the West end for all tailgaters to view, it would be nice if the Illini could up their game INSIDE the stadium so Fighting Illini fans could fully appreciate a beautiful fall Saturday game day. I’ve been there when the place was rocking and it was magical.

And one more all-timer – Miami’s original Orange Bowl Stadium – Did they have to close this place? What a shame. This place was one of the greatest stadiums in the world, with more history of both college and pro football than almost anywhere else. Think of all the Dolphins playoff games, Super Bowls, Hurricanes games, and of course the classic Orange Bowls that often capped National Championships on New Year’s night. It was an old dump when they replaced it but it will live as the heart of the game forever. “THE CITY OF MIAMI WELCOMES YOU TO THE ORANGE BOWL” while the palm trees waved and the ‘Canes ran out of the tunnel with the smoke blasting. And then to hear Don Criqui welcoming the NBC audience…………breathtaking and unforgettable.

Top 3 Games I’ve seen in person (in countdown order) –

#3 Michigan St. at Northwestern, September 29, 2001 – This one turned out to be very exciting as several big name players had big games on this beautiful Indian Summer day in Evanston. MSU WR Charles Rogers showed off his athleticism. Northwestern QB Zak Kustok (one of my favorite players ever) was spectacular. If there were a greatest games list of 2001, this would surely make the top 10. Three lead changes in the last 30 seconds were capped by a Kustok to Jon Schweighardt Hail Mary to get into field goal range where David Wasielewski won it for the Wildcats with a 47 yarder as time expired. Final score: Northwestern 27, Michigan St. 26. Wo wo wo! It was definitely one of the greatest days I’ve ever spent in Evanston along with my wife, brother-in-law Jay, and sister-in-law Rachel.

#2 Northwestern at Nebraska, November 2, 2013 – I took my son Trev to his first Nebraska game on his 7th birthday. To make a long story short, I was shocked and saddened that it looked to be a loss for the Huskers. But then something amazing happened. Ameer Abdullah converted a 4th and 15 reception into an incredible 16 yard gain. Then Ron Kellogg III launched a Hail Mary and guess who snooped in to grab the touchdown? None other than local legend #1 Jordan Westerkamp. A new hero was born that day and my son was ecstatic. Then a Nebraska magazine “Hail Varsity” wrote an article about Trev’s first game experience. Final score: Nebraska 27, Northwestern 24. As we refer to it now, it was a special day.

#1 Penn St. at Illinois November 12, 1994 – We were literally pumped for this game ALL WEEK on campus as #2 Penn St. came rolling into town. Illinois had an excellent defense but lackluster offense in the mid-90s. With cold, windy weather in the forecast, we could not WAIT to get those Nittany Lions in our House of ‘Paign. So what happened? College kids got saucy, the Fighting Illini roared to a 21-0 lead, and the crowd went bonkers. Then QB Kerry Collins, RB Ki-Jana Carter, WR Bobby Engram, and TE Kyle Brady started their comeback. Typical Illini heartbreak as PSU drove the field to win. Final score: Penn St. 35, Illinois 31. This game typifies most what it means to be an Illini fan. It can rip your heart out. Nonetheless, it remains the greatest game I’ve ever attended.

Turn Back the Clock Two Decades – 20 Years Ago (1997)

For the Dutch Lion’s final feature in this year’s “College Football Spectacular”, let’s turn back the clock two decades to…….1997. The ’97 Nebraska Cornhuskers were one of my favorite Huskers groups ever. QB Scott Frost overcame the fan hostility from 1996 to make Head Coach Tom Osborne’s final season a Championship season. Frost is one of my all-time favorites. Watch the way he runs with physical determination. Watch the “never say die” attitude. Sure he was limited as a passer. His throwing shoulder probably ached from all the pounding of 176 carries. Think Tim Tebow. That’s what Frost was like a decade before Tebow. With RB Ahman Green churning out yardage as the OL Pipeline paved the way, these Cornhuskers mashed opponents into submission. When they faced QB Peyton Manning and Tennessee in the Orange Bowl, the Blackshirts took out their aggression on the Volunteers. Final score: Nebraska 42, Tennessee 17. Frost pleaded with the media to give “that great man” Tom Osborne the respect he deserved. Sure enough, the Huskers split the National Championship with Michigan, Rose Bowl winners over Washington St. 21-16. Michigan had Heisman Trophy winner CB Charles Woodson. Many people think Manning should’ve won the Heisman that year. How about Scott Frost or Ahman Green? Frost rushed for 1095 yards (6.2 ypc) and 19 TD. Green rushed for 1877 yards (6.8 ypc) with 22 TD. The Heisman is a media driven stat and frankly, the national media were tired of the Cornhuskers. That’s why it went Woodson’s way. That’s ok. Woodson was a truly great player that I predicted would become an NFL Hall of Famer. The true fans know what’s up.

To recap, the “Dutch Lion” has wisely learned from 30+ years of fandom that you never know what might happen in college football. You never know when you’ll attend a historic game. If you’re lucky, you’ll make it to a few of them along the way. If you’re passionate about a team, you’ll enjoy the entire national scene. So enjoy it all. Don’t assume anything. Use that advice and you too will learn that college football is truly spectacular! Enjoy the games this 2017 season! And remember……Georgia is #1!

Dutch Lion’s 2017 College Football Spectacular! The day is finally here. I'm not just talking about the debut of the 2017 college football season.

[junker-town]

This week’s NFL mock draft has 2 options for each team

Chase Young will be one of the first players taken in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The teams drafting in the first round have more than one choice — well, except for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Every NFL team does mock drafts, and it’s not just for fun. Teams do them to try to figure out their options. If a player they like is gone, backup possibilities are needed. That’s why the theme of this week’s mock draft is options.

In addition to each team’s pick in the first round, I’ve come up with a backup choice. The only catch is the options are only relative to what has happened in the draft. If a player was taken already, he can’t be the “other” option.

Here’s a look at how it all played out this week:

1. Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

Except for a couple of days during the NFL Scouting Combine when Tua Tagovailoa was hinted at being the No. 1 pick, Burrow has been the choice since the middle of the college football season.

Other option: None. This is the only pick where there isn’t another feasible option.

2. Washington: Chase Young, DE, Ohio State

Young has been the expected second pick in the draft for months — with good reason, too. He’s similar as a prospect to Myles Garrett and Nick Bosa. Not only is he an instant starter, he’s an instant playmaker.

Other option: The talk about Washington taking Tagovailoa hasn’t fully gone away. The group that brought in Dwayne Haskins last year is gone, and new head coach Ron Rivera will have a lot of sway on draft night.

3. Detroit Lions: Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State

The Lions, as expected, traded Darius Slay. That makes what they should do with the third pick even more obvious.

Other option: Don’t forget, Lions head coach Matt Patricia has a philosophy of building from the middle out on defense, and his team has a need at defensive tackle. Derrick Brown of Auburn should be in the discussion for this pick.

4. New York Giants: Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville

Giants general manager Dave Gettleman, the madman, loves hog mollies. “Big men allow you to compete,” Gettleman once said while he was in Carolina. There is no hoggier molly in this draft than the 6’7, 364-pound Becton.

Other option: This could be any of the other top offensive tackles, like Tristan Wirfs of Iowa or Jedrick Wills of Alabama.

5. Miami Dolphins: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

This week’s mock isn’t projecting trades — trades will be back next week — but I do think the Chargers could jump ahead of the Dolphins for Tagovailoa. That could leave Herbert for Miami.

Other option: If the Dolphins don’t get Tagovailoa, they could punt on quarterback until 2021 and wait for Ohio State’s Justin Fields or Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence. If that happens, Clemson defender Isaiah Simmons would be fun in Brian Flores’ defense.

6. Los Angeles Chargers: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

Although there is some risk in taking Tagovailoa, it makes sense for the Chargers. With the departure of Philip Rivers, they need a new starting quarterback. They also need some star power, and the former national title winner has it.

Other option: While the Chargers signed Bryan Bulaga and traded for Trai Turner, they could still use one more piece on the offensive line. Wirfs is a player the Chargers have spoken to leading up to the draft, and he would fit nicely on the right side.

7. Carolina Panthers: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn

Even with Simmons available, this has become my default pick for the Panthers. Defensive lineman Kawann Short still has a few good years left, but if the Panthers can’t get someone to take the attention away from him, those years will be wasted.

Other option: Simmons is the obvious other option here. He is the only player in this draft anywhere near being able to fill the massive hole left by Luke Kuechly.

8. Arizona Cardinals: Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

The Cardinals can continue building out their offense with a plug-and-play right tackle like Wirfs. He would bookend with D.J. Humphries and give Kyler Murray time to complete throws to his impressive group of receivers.

Other option: If not Wirfs, then it could be Wills. Getting a right tackle has to be the biggest priority for the Cardinals for the remainder of this offseason.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars: Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson

Finally, at long last, Simmons comes off the board. It’s a little challenging to believe he’ll drop this far, but this should absolutely be his draft floor. For the Jaguars, he would provide some playmaking ability to a defense that has lost numerous pieces the last couple of years.

Other option: If the Jaguars are skeptical about Cam Robinson at left tackle, they could give Andrew Thomas of Georgia a long look.

10. Cleveland Browns: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

Although Wills is rated higher than Thomas, the Browns could use a few sure things. Moving Wills from the right to left side is a projection. With Thomas, they know they’re getting a left tackle.

Other option: If Becton and Wirfs are gone — both excellent fits in Kevin Stefanski’s zone-based offense — the Browns could trade down. Remember, new GM Andrew Berry was around the last time the Browns accumulated picks to build their franchise. It could happen again, potentially with Boise State tackle Ezra Cleveland being the target.

11. New York Jets: Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama

George Fant is in the fold, on an absurdly large contract, but the Jets still need to get better on the offensive line. It’s just as conceivable that Wills goes in the top five as it is he drops to No. 11.

Other option: Wide receiver is the other obvious first-round pick for the Jets. Pick your favorite from Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, or Henry Ruggs III. All will be in the discussion.

12. Las Vegas Raiders: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

Raiders general manager Mike Mayock has hinted numerous times this offseason that the Raiders will be after a wide receiver in the draft. Even though they brought in Nelson Agholor this offseason, he’s not a true No. 1 option. Lamb, with his impressive skillset, is that type of player.

Other option: This is wild, but Utah State quarterback Jordan Love could get consideration here. There’s a reason the Derek Carr trade talk has lingered since Jon Gruden came back.

13. San Francisco 49ers (via Indianapolis Colts): Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama

Deebo Samuel is going to be a star for the 49ers, but they still need more help at wide receiver. Ruggs is the type of deep threat the 49ers don’t have because Dante Pettis has been such a huge disappointment.

Other option: Last week’s mock draft had Florida cornerback CJ Henderson in this spot, and that could still be a possibility.

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina

If the top four offensive tackles are gone, the Buccaneers could draft whomever they view as the best player available. In this mock draft, it is Kinlaw. The Bucs have plenty of run stuff prowess on the defensive line with Ndamukong Suh and Vita Vea, but they don’t have a player who can get after the quarterback. Kinlaw can be that player.

Other option: Buccaneers GM Jason Licht will occasionally do weird things in the draft, like trade up in the second round to take a kicker. The weird thing here would be reaching on the fifth offensive tackle, be that Austin Jackson of USC or Josh Jones of Houston.

15. Denver Broncos: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

For my money, Jeudy is top wide receiver in the draft. It just so happens, at this very moment, there seems to be more buzz about Lamb and Ruggs. Jeudry is an excellent route runner with good hands. Those two attributes make people forget how fast he is on the field.

Other option: The Broncos traded for A.J. Bouye and Bryce Callahan is fine in the slot, but the Broncos need a second outside cornerback. Henderson could get the nod if the top three wide receivers are gone.

16. Atlanta Falcons: CJ Henderson, CB, Florida

Surprise, it’s not a pass rusher for the Falcons. After releasing Desmond Trufant, the Falcons are dangerously thin at cornerback. Damontae Kazee is good, but he’s more of a slot corner/safety hybrid. Henderson would give the Falcons a lockdown outside cornerback.

Other option: This pick could be an edge player, like LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson or Penn State’s Yetur Gross-Matos.

17. Dallas Cowboys: K’Lavon Chaisson, Edge, LSU

Henderson would probably be the preference for the Cowboys to help replace Byron Jones, but they still need pass rush help. Even though Chaisson is a bit of a one-trick player as a pass rusher, he fits well in new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan’s defense.

Other option: The Cowboys could reach for a cornerback, because now they need one. Utah’s Jaylon Johnson is a fit, as is Kristian Fulton of LSU.

18. Miami Dolphins (via Pittsburgh Steelers): Josh Jones, OT, Houston

Miami’s offensive line needs plenty of help. If the Dolphins get a quarterback in this draft, the blocking has to get better. Jones started four years in college and should be able to step into the starting lineup as a rookie.

Other option: If the Dolphins don’t like Jones, Austin Jackson of USC or Isaiah Wilson of Georgia could be in play.

19. Las Vegas Raiders (via Chicago Bears): Yetur Gross-Matos, Edge, Penn State

The Raiders have stocked up on pass rushers the last two seasons, with draft picks Maxx Crosby and Clelin Ferrell and free agent addition Carl Nassib. Still, they could use a versatile defender who can get to the quarterback. Gross-Matos can play on the edge or standing up.

Other option: The Raiders let safety Karl Joseph leave this offseason and now need a player opposite Johnathan Abram. Either Grant Delpit of LSU or Xavier McKinney of Alabama would fit.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars: (via Los Angeles Rams): Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU

With new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, the Jaguars need a wide receiver who is a disciplined route runner. In this range of the first round, that player is Jefferson.

Other option: If the Jaguars prefer a jump-ball target at wide receiver, Clemson’s Tee Higgins should be around.

21. Philadelphia Eagles: Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Colorado

The Eagles brought in Slay to bolster their cornerback group, squarely making wide receiver their biggest first-round need. Coming into last college football season, Shenault was considered by many as the top wide receiver prospect in the nation.

Other option: This could be the landing spot for Baylor wide receiver Denzel Mims, this year’s “draft process” superstar.

22. Minnesota Vikings (via Buffalo Bills): Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU

Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs would be the perfect fit in Mike Zimmer’s defense. He’s a long, physical cornerback with coachable traits. However, it would be a little awkward:

So would the #Vikings consider drafting Stefon Diggs’ brother, Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs? Let’s have NFL Network draft analyst Charles Davis tackle that one. “More than likely, he’s not under consideration for Minnesota,’’ Davis told me.

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) March 27, 2020

Instead, the Vikings could fill a big roster hole with Fulton. He’s not as physically imposing as Diggs, but he knows how to play press coverage well.

Other option: After trading Stefon Diggs, the Vikings need help at wide receiver to keep the double teams away from Adam Thielen. In this scenario, that player would be Higgins or Mims.

23. New England Patriots: Jordan Love, QB, Utah State

I can’t quit this pick for the Patriots. It’s a huge gamble because Love had a down 2019 season, but the Patriots are resetting at quarterback.

Other option: The Patriots badly need speed at wide receiver. They could also use a big target. Could those two things combined lead them to Notre Dame wide receiver Chase Claypool? If so, it should be after a trade down. But the 6’4, 240-pound receiver has momentum from his 4.42 40-yard dash at the combine.

24. New Orleans Saints: Grant Delpit, S, LSU

After signing Emmanuel Sanders to be the team’s No. 2 wide receiver, the Saints might not have a high priority at the position. The team has few holes, but one of them is a deep coverage player. Delpit has shown that to be his specialty.

Other option: On the defensive line for New Orleans, interior pass rusher Sheldon Rankins is a free agent next year. So is backup defensive end Trey Hendrickson. If he’s available, Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa might get a long look.

25. Minnesota Vikings: Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor

Try and think, off the top of your head, the wide receivers on Minnesota’s roster besides Thielen. It’s not easy. The answer to that is Chad Beebe, Olabisi Johnson and Tajae Sharpe. Not good.

Other option: Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk would be an interesting fit on Minnesota’s offense with his ability after the catch.

26. Miami Dolphins (via Houston Texans): Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama

This is a repeat pick for the Dolphins from last week. After quarterback and offensive tackle, there’s a real argument for Miami’s third-biggest need between a defensive lineman, safety, and running back. In this mock draft, McKinney is the best player available at those three spots.

Other option: If there is a team that could take a running back in the first round, it is Miami. The positional value is questionable, but if the Dolphins do it, Georgia’s D’Andre Swift should be the first running back off the board.

27. Seattle Seahawks: Isaiah Wilson, OT, Georgia

The first wave of free agency is well over at this point, and the Seahawks are still in need of a right tackle. Previous right tackle Germain Ifedi recently signed with the Bears. Wilson is a big, hulking right tackle brimming with potential. In other words, he’s a younger version of Ifedi.

Other option: Trading down should honestly be the first option for Seattle.

28. Baltimore Ravens: Patrick Queen, LB, LSU

The linebacker position for the Ravens is in a state of disrepair. Queen may not be the second coming of Ray Lewis, but he would give Baltimore’s defense an athletic linebacker who can find the ball in a hurry.

Other option: Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray will probably get a look here as well. Really, it would be a coin toss scenario between the two.

29. Tennessee Titans: Austin Jackson, OT, USC

With Jack Conklin off to Cleveland, the Titans have a big hole at right tackle. For a team that relies on the running back more than most, maintaining the offensive line is critical. Although Jackson is more of a left tackle, he could be forced to move to the right in the NFL out of necessity.

Other option: The Titans still need to bring in a decent pass rusher, especially considering Vic Beasley was only signed on a one-year deal. Alabama edge rusher Terrell Lewis is a risky pick because of his injury history, but he should be an option.

30. Green Bay Packers: Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State

The outside spots on Green Bay’s offensive line are starting to become problematic. Right tackle Rick Wagner, a replacement for Bulaga, is not good. Perhaps more concerning is the fact that left tackle David Bakhtiari is in the final year of his contract. Cleveland is an athletic pass blocker who could eventually take over for him.

Other option: Wide receiver should also be a consideration for the Packers. TCU’s Jalen Reagor would be a nice fit in the Packers’ offense.

31. San Francisco 49ers: Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama

What better player for Diggs to learn from than Richard Sherman? While most of San Francisco’s secondary is in a contract year, the 49ers could get out ahead of restocking the group with Diggs.

Other option: After trading DeForest Buckner to the Colts, the 49ers could target a defensive tackle in the back of the first round. If so, that player would likely either be Ross Blacklock of TCU or Justin Madubuike of Texas A&M.

32. Kansas City Chiefs: Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma

If Murray happens to be around when the Chiefs pick, he should be an easy choice. Kansas City’s linebackers last season were average, and Murray would provide an upgrade of athleticism.

Other option: After losing Bashaud Breeland and Kendall Fuller, cornerback is a need for the Chiefs. TCU’s Jeff Gladney or Clemson’s A.J. Terrell could be considered.

[junker-town]

The best newcomer for every NFL team in 2017

For some teams, it’s a rookie like Kareem Hunt. For others, it’s a free agent addition like Calais Campbell.

You may not have known who Kareem Hunt was a month ago. But then he rumbled his way to 246 total yards and three touchdowns in the Chiefs’ Week 1 upset of the Patriots. Since then, he’s been must-see TV.

Deshaun Watson was more well-known coming into the new season. He became a star at Clemson, where he capped off his collegiate career with a national championship. The Texans traded up to draft him in the first round, a move that has paid off handsomely so far.

This week SB Nation’s NFL team sites are celebrating the best newcomer for their teams so far this season. Hunt’s an easy sell for the Chiefs. The rookie is the league’s leading rusher with 502 yards rushing and also has 157 yards receiving and six touchdowns over four games this year. Watson, who has already set rookie quarterback records, is another obvious choice.

But the best newcomer doesn’t have to be a rookie. He could be a free agent signed in the offseason or an old face making another go-around with a team. Julius Peppers is having a renaissance in his return to Carolina after seven seasons away. Peppers is 37 years old, and he already has 4 1/2 sacks on the season. Instead of filling a depth role, he’s flourishing as a key contributor to the Panthers’ defense.

With that in mind, here’s who was chosen as the best newcomer for each team.

Arizona Cardinals: Punter Andy Lee gets the nod

Lee ranks 11th in average punt distance in 2017. The last time the Cardinals had a punter inside the top 29 of net average was 2013 and that was 15th. While Lee hasn’t changed the net punting average as drastically, he has given the Cardinals the opportunity to make plays later on.

For more, check out the entire entry at Revenge of the Birds.

Atlanta Falcons: Rookie Takk McKinley is already the Falcons’ third-best pass rusher

Some of The Falcoholic’s writers debated whether rookie Takk McKinley or free agent acquisition Dontari Poe would take home these honors. McKinley gets the nod with a 2-1 vote.

No offense to speedy Duke Riley or big-time free agent signing Dontari Poe, but Takk’s been the best newcomer for these Atlanta Falcons, without question. He’s looked like the team’s third-best pass rusher behind Vic Beasley and (hilariously) Brooks Reed, he’s had a very short learning curve, and his speed and power off the edge will make him dangerous all year long. Given his sky-high ceiling and current level of production, he’s a slam dunk choice as the best player Atlanta’s added in 2017 thus far. Plus he’s my favorite Falcon on Twitter, by a wide margin.

For more, check out the entire entry at the Falcoholic.

Baltimore Ravens: Brandon Carr is the guy, but he had competition

Within his first start in Baltimore, Carr let it be known that he is here to play, to win, and to make plays. He intercepted an errant Andy Dalton pass in Week 1. DeShone Kizer was his Week 2 victim, as he hauled in another pick. Brandon’s addition has paid dividends.

For more, check out the entire entry at Baltimore Beatdown.

Buffalo Bills: Tre’Davious White is already one of the league’s top cornerbacks

White, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Rookie of the Month for September, has been plugged in as a starting cornerback since day 1 and was elevated to the top spot in August when Buffalo traded Ronald Darby to the Eagles. All White has done is pass every test thrown his way.

For more, check out the entire entry at Buffalo Rumblings.

Carolina Panthers: Old friend Julius Peppers is tearing it up in Carolina again

When the Panthers brought Peppers back they were hopeful he would be able to fill a ‘veteran depth’ role on the defensive line while the young guys got the chance to have break out seasons. Instead, it is Peppers who is having another break out season and is reminding Panthers that this new guy in town might just be the same guy they drafted in 2002. I’d say the Panthers made a good decision to bring him back, wouldn’t you?

For more, check out the entire entry at Cat Scratch Reader.

Chicago Bears: Tarik Cohen is the no-brainer choice

He’s second on the Bears in rushing yards (181), and he’s second on the team in receiving yards (150). He leads the Bears in both targets (29), and in receptions (24). He’s eighth in the league, and first among all rookies, in catches. Cohen is also Chicago’s primary punt returner.

He’s been used in the slot, on the wing, split out wide, and at running back. He’s the most electric playmaker that the Bears have had since Devin Hester.

For more, check out the entire entry at Windy City Gridiron.

Cincinnati Bengals: Carl Lawson is the Bengals’ missing piece on defense

Despite falling into the fourth round of this year’s draft, Lawson has easily been one of the best defensive rookies across the NFL.

Entering Week 5, Lawson is ranked 17th among edge rushers by Pro Football Focus (includes 4-3 defensive ends and 3-4 outside linebackers). He only has 2.5 sacks this season, but his pressure off the edge has been relentless, as he’s frequently is in the face of opposing quarterbacks.

For more, check out the entire entry at Cincy Jungle.

Cleveland Browns: Veteran CB Jason McCourty is stepping up in Cleveland

Through four games, McCourty has been one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks. Even this past week, the Browns made a subtle change by having him defend the Bengals’ top receiver, something that kept the star receiver’s production at a minimum.

For more, check out the entire entry at Dawgs by Nature.

Dallas Cowboys: Third-round CB Jourdan Lewis has been a pleasant surprise

Not only is Lewis playing well, he is defying expectations. Because of his size, it was generally believed that he would be a slot corner only and that he would have trouble tackling NFL backs and receivers. So far in his career, neither has been true. Lewis is playing on the outside and Scandrick is manning the slot in most three corner formations for the Cowboys. Matching up against the big boys on the outside hasn’t been an issue. And even more surprising is his tackling ability. As PFF notes, he hasn’t missed a tackle yet.

For more, check out the entire entry at Blogging the Boys.

Denver Broncos: Domata Peko has helped strengthen the run defense

Nose tackle is responsible for so much of the positive impact either side of the defensive line has. If that position is playing at a high level, the defensive line has less to worry about on both sides of that nose position.

Peko came in here looking like a washed up old guy and has instead fortified the middle of that defense and turn it into a force to be reckoned with.

For more, check out the entire entry at Mile High Report.

Detroit Lions: Darren Fells gives the Lions the dual-threat TE they’ve been looking for

In Sunday’s game alone, Fells caught four passes for 40 yards. While that doesn’t seem like a particularly big game for the Lions tight end, every single one of those catches earned the Lions a first down, two of which came on third-and-longs.

For more, check out the entire entry at Pride of Detroit.

Green Bay Packers: Second-rounder Kevin King is pivotal to the secondary

King’s early emergence as a boundary corner has been critical to the Packers’ success in defending the pass.

For some context, the Packers are currently 5th in passing yards allowed, though their ranking drops to 17th in opponents’ passer rating and they are 15th in pass DVOA. Last season in those three measures, the team ranked 31st, 26th, and 23rd, respectively.

For more, check out the entire entry at Acme Packing Company.

Houston Texans: Deshaun Watson, duh

In fact, with Deshaun Watson under center, I might go so far as to say that the Texans’ offense is downright innovative right now. Bill O’Brien is drawing up plays you don’t typically see run at this level. All this after years of frequently watching Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Mallett, Case Keenum, Brian Hoyer, T.J. Yates, Brandon Weeden, Brock Osweiler, and Tom Savage struggle to string together more than a scoring drive or two each week.

For more, check out the entire entry at Battle Red Blog.

Indianapolis Colts: Rookie safety Malik Hooker is leading the NFL in picks

In 2016, Indianapolis had a turnover ratio of -5. The entire secondary produced 7 interceptions with linebacker Akeem Ayers adding an eighth. This year the turnover ratio is 0 through four games — and that includes unforced errors by backup quarterbacks — and the secondary has produced six interceptions.

Hooker is responsible for three of the six. He is tied for the NFL lead in interceptions through the first four games.

For more, check out the entire entry at Stampede Blue.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Calais Campbell has made an even bigger impact than expected

Campbell has been working as a defensive end and tackle, depending on the down and package, and he garners attention at either spot. We’ve seen Dante Fowler, Jr. flash a few times and pick up some big sacks from the defensive end spot, when Campbell is at a tackle spot. With Campbell inside, he commands attention and that frees up guys like Fowler and Yannick Ngakoue to pin their ears back and beat their man one-on-one.

For more, check out the entire entry at Big Cat Country.

Kansas City Chiefs: Who else but rookie Kareem Hunt, the NFL’s leading rusher?

One of the best stats in all of the NFL this year is that Kareem Hunt, who leads the league in rushing with 502 yards, would still lead the league in rushing if you only counted his second half rushing yards (372).

For more, check out the entire entry at Arrowhead Pride.

Los Angeles Chargers: Russell Okung is their best offensive lineman

Has to be Okung. In what little success the team has had running, it’s been behind him. The Chargers average a whopping 6 yards a pop running around the left end. That’s 5th best in the NFL. Everywhere else they are below average. He’s also been the key to keeping the QB clean. Okung has been one of the few bright spots on the team.

For more, check out the entire entry at Bolts from the Blue.

Los Angeles Rams: Andrew Whitworth has helped the Rams turn things around

But with the offensive revival under head coach Sean McVay, no newcomer has made more of a difference than Whitworth. He has only surrendered one sack in the entire season and is tops in the NFL per Pro Football Focus’ Pass Block Efficiency. His addition alone has elevated the performance of the offensive line which is single-handedly allowing McVay’s concepts to be implements and allowing QB Jared Goff to do what he has done this season: go through reads, make good decisions and work all areas of the field to a wide diversity of targets.

For more, check out the entire entry at Turf Show Times.

Miami Dolphins: Charles Harris’ stats aren’t mind-blowing, but his presence is felt

This year, Harris only has two tackles, but his presence is starting to be felt. “Yes, the last game I though he was disruptive, high energy,” head coach Adam Gase said of Harris’ development early this season. “He was flying around the field. That was what we’ve been expecting. You can throw the stats out the window. That doesn’t mean anything to me. When the quarterback feels you and he’s getting rid of the ball because he feels like you’re creating pressure on the side of the ball you’re rushing from or in the run game, if you’re doing your job, which our defense has been the majority of the time, where everybody is playing team defense, that’s why the run game has changed.”

For more, check out the entire entry at the Phinsider.

Minnesota Vikings: LT Riley Reiff was worth the money

The Vikings were a disaster along the offensive line in 2016, and that showed in the limitations the offense had. Bradford had no time to really do anything longer than a checkdown, and the running game was among the most atrocious the Vikings have fielded since the advent of the 16-game schedule. I know that other new faces have contributed to that, such as Remmers at right tackle and rookie Pat Elflein at center. But I honestly feel that Reiff’s contributions at left tackle. . .not the least of which is giving the Vikings’ quarterbacks the confidence that they might not get their internal organs rearranged on every single snap. . .has been the biggest part of that.

For more, check out the entire entry at the Daily Norseman.

New England Patriots: Brandin Cooks has been the weapon everyone thought he’d be

Rich Hill at Pats Pulpit decided to rank each newcomer in New England. It’s no surprise that wide receiver Brandin Cooks came out on top:

Cooks has been an every-down player on offense and ranks 11th in the league with 294 receiving yards. His 2 receiving touchdowns are tied for 6th most in the league. His average receptions of 22.6 leads the league. He’s already contributing at a high level and he’s only going to get better.

For more, check out the entire entry at Pats Pulpit.

New Orleans Saints: Marshon Lattimore is exactly who the defense needed

For a secondary that has majorly struggled over the past few seasons, and is down Delvin Breaux and working with other virtual ‘unknowns’ in the secondary, Marshon Lattimore has been a huge bright spot for the Saints defense, and should continue being a top performer.

For more, check out the entire entry at Canal Street Chronicles.

New York Giants: Tight end Evan Engram is making history

He is on pace for 76 receptions for 800 yards, which would put him as — as far as my research can tell — the most productive rookie tight end since Mike Ditka’s 1,076 yards in 1961. Before all is said and done, Engram could well eclipse the 4 touchdowns for which he is currently on pace.

For more, check out the entire entry at Big Blue View.

New York Jets: Jamal Adams has already saved a game for the Jets

The Jets have a number of additions who have helped the team through the first quarter of the season, but there is no need to overthink this one. When you take a player sixth overall, you are hoping for an immediate impact. That is what the Jets have gotten from Jamal Adams.

For more, check out the entire entry at Gang Green Nation.

Oakland Raiders: Marshall Newhouse is a surprise choice

Even Levi Damien was surprised when Newhouse was the player he landed on as the team’s best newcomer.

Through four games, Newhouse has given up just one sack. He has not done well in run blocking — which has had him named a Buster twice — but neither has really any of the offensive line, especially the past two weeks.

What it comes down to is while right tackle was where 7 of the 8 sacks the offensive line gave up last season came from, thus far it is not appearing like the glaring weak area it was before. Despite paying a fraction of the cost at the position they would have for either Watson or Howard. As a result, Pro Football Focus ranked the Raiders the best pass blocking line in football right now.

For more, check out the entire entry at Silver and Black Pride.

Philadelphia Eagles: Offseason trade acquisition Tim Jernigan is an upgrade at DT

Brandon Lee Gowton at Bleeding Green Nation decided to grade every newcomer for the Eagles. Defensive tackle Tim Jernigan was his top choice:

The Eagles would be pretty screwed without Jernigan right now. With Fletcher Cox out, Philadelphia would be down to Beau Allen and Elijah Qualls as their starting defensive tackles. Both of those players have shown promise but they’re not as good as Jernigan.

For more, check out the entire entry at Bleeding Green Nation.

Pittsburgh Steelers: JuJu Smith-Schuster can do it all at WR

Smith-Schuster’s unique skill set of size, speed and strength hasn’t been seen in Pittsburgh since Hines Ward donned No. 86 and was knocking defensive players on their behinds for the black-and-gold. No wonder Ward, who served as a coaching intern during training camp this year, gravitated to the rookie.

For more, check out the entire entry at Behind the Steel Curtain.

San Francisco 49ers: Trent Taylor is an impact player on offense and special teams

The 49ers have lacked consistency in the punt return game since Ted Ginn left, and it seems like a matter of time before Taylor busts one for a touchdown. In the passing game, he is showing confidence that receivers with significant experience lack. With Marquise Goodwin and Aldrick Robinson dealing with drops, Taylor is starting to emerge as the second wide receiver option behind Garçon.

For more, check out the entire entry at Niners Nation.

Seattle Seahawks: Shaquill Griffin has been pressed into the Legion of Boom duty

The title of “best Seahawks newcomer” realistically could only go to one of Griffin or Chris Carson, and while Carson has earned all of the accolades and it’s devastating to lose his services, Griffin is my choice because he’s been thrown into the unenviable role of “The guy quarterbacks target because Richard Sherman is on the other side,” and he’s handled it extremely well.

For more, check out the entire entry at Field Gulls.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: J.R. Sweezy, not DeSean Jackson, has been the best addition

Instead, I’m going with someone who the Bucs signed in 2016: right guard J.R. Sweezy. He missed his first season with the Bucs with a back injury, but has been awesome in the past three games.

Sweezy is one of three players to play every single snap on his side of the ball, and the only player who could realistically be called a newcomer. He’s been good in the run game, but he’s been surprisingly great in the passing game.

For more, check out the entire entry at Bucs Nation.

Tennessee Titans: The one not many expected — tight end Jonnu Smith

That leaves Jonnu Smith as the Titans best newcomer. He only has 3 catches, but two of them have gone for touchdowns. Smith brings so much to the Titans offense. Like Delanie Walker, Smith is really good as an in-line tight end or split out wide.

For more, check out the entire entry at Music City Miracles.

Washington: Zach Brown was a wise investment

We saw his speed in action on Monday night, when Brown was able to catch Kareem Hunt from behind on a sweep to the sideline. He has generally been a sure tackler, and he has made third down plays—a major point of emphasis for this defense after last year’s debacle on third downs.

For more, check out the entire entry at Hogs Haven.