Monday, October 16, 2017
On day 2 it was the Wide Receivers who were flying off the board. With a deep and skillful class, many NFL teams were looking for an upgrade and the landslide of receiver talent started with the 49ers grabbing Luke Sullivan (Auburn) who slipped out of 1st round and down to #37. The two New York teams immediately followed, the Giants grabbing Trey Garza (USC) at #38 and the Jets picking Gabriel Rolle (Penn State) at #39. A total of 9 WR’s were picked in the 2nd round, Miami getting the last after trading places with Atlanta who had moved up to get TE Carlos Rubio ( TCU). The Dolphins selected their second rookie out of Miami University, WR Dawson Staley.
The 2nd round started off as many expected with the Express selecting a QB, but they passed on James Cave and got the their 2nd pick from Texas A&M with Jackson Mix. James Cave instead went to San Diego who’s planning for a future without Philip Rivers.
The lack of talent at MLB had Jacksonville use their first pick of the day to select Antjuan Heyward-Bey (Massachusetts) before Cleveland went with CB Cory Clayton (Miami) at #36.
The first HB was finally taken by Minnesota Vikings at #62 and it was Shariff Cromartie who was first off the board as expected. As mentioned, this HB class looks rather weak and it allowed HB Denard Dyikes (Stanford), projected to go in the 2nd round, and Malik Silvers (Oklahoma) and Lynn Reece (William & Mary), projected to go in the 3rd, to go undrafted. All three could be good options for the Express who open round 4 tomorrow.
Round 3 started the same as round 2 ended, with the Express picking CB Ladarris Braxton (Mississippi St.) on top of the 3rd right after the Steelers grabbed CB Derek Aikens (Tennessee). This was also where the Broncos had their 2nd and final pick of the 2017 draft (unless they trade back in) and they elected to go with WR Sylvester Goodwell (Buffalo). The Broncos have done a good job in free agency – although a lot of fans have been critical of the Elway’s willingness to trade away draft picks for players – and don’t have many needs on their roster so adding another weapon to develop behind D.Thomas and E.Sanders looks like a decent solution.
A few teams decided to dip into the 4th round projections as well to find their guy, the most interesting one being the Kansas City Chiefs drafting OLB Kevin Griffen from TCU. Griffen was suspended for not showing up for team activities at TCU and his draft stock might have taken a hit because of it. If the Chiefs don’t experience any disciplinary problems with Griffen, he might have been a steal in the 3rd round rather than a reach.
If they gambled on getting a QB on top of the 2nd round, the gamble seems to have paid off for the Express with James Cave slipping out of 1st round last night and Jackson Mix from Texas A&M sitting on top of the 2nd. They created lots of excitement in San Antonio by selecting a kid from Texas A&M with the 1st overall pick in the draft and the question is whether they think Mix is a better QB than James Cave or the better marketing strategy.
Either way, at least one QB could fall to the Jets at #7 as both Jacksonville (#3) and Cleveland (#4) already got their QB’s last night and we don’t expect the Chargers (#2) or the Giants (#6) to be in the QB market at this time. Someone should at least pick up these two QB’s before they disappear off the board as we might not get another QB pick until the 4th round.
The start of the 2nd round should also see the ‘next tier’ of CB’s go off the board as well with the top ranked HB, Shariff Cromartie (Ohio State) going first in a deep HB class that lacks that 1st round/top 10 guy. Might be a good option for the Jets, who lost both Matt Forte and Bilal Powel this offseason.
We should also see the first MLB go off the board with Antjuan Heyward-Bey (Massachusetts) projected to go first of 3 possible 2nd round picks at the position.
4 WR's were drafted on day 1 and day 2 could see many more fly off the board. The WR class is deep and our experts predict we could see as many as 10-15 WR's finding their next club on day 2.
San Antonio: Maybe the Express are happy with RGIII or maybe they have a different QB on top of their wish list but either way, the Express secured themselves a pass rusher they hope can have an immediate impact and be a guy they can build their defense around. Rashad Herndon certainly has the skills to get to the QB; he's deceptively fast and can beat a blocker with every pass rushing move in the book. He needs to develop an NFL understanding of reading an offense, but Herndon is a safe pick who we expect will have an immediate impact.
As we predicted, the Chargers couldn’t pass on the opportunity to draft one of the top 2 OT prospects in this year’s draft and got a good one in Julius Kendall out of USC. The Jaguars pulled of the surprise of the evening when they went for QB Dillon Reece at #3, bringing in competition for Blake Bortles who threw for 4,050 yards last season but also threw as many picks as touchdowns and only lead the Jags to 4 wins.
At #4, the Cleveland Browns also chose to go QB. That’s the 5th time the Browns pick a QB in the first round since Tim Couch was selected in 1999. Cody Kessler had a decent rookie year but the Browns felt they couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to get a guy like Eric Stanford out of Oklahoma.
The projected 1st overall pick, WR Kareem Bowie (Oregon), fell to the New York Giants at #6 after the 49ers picked up OLB Joseph Hill (Florida State). The Jets added a DT with their 7th overall pick by selecting Cecil Reinhart (Tennessee). Many had Angelo al-Jabbar (Oklahoma) as the top DT prospect in the draft, while others didn’t feel comfortable with him because of his pro day. Al-Jabbar instead fell to the Buccaneers at #10 after back-to-back OT picks with Oakland picking Dwight Curran (Texas A&M) at #8 and Detroit selecting Norman Posey (Penn State) at #9.
Cleveland’s 2nd pick of the day came at #16 and they elected to go pass rusher with OLB Tavarius Clement (UCLA). He should fit their defense and could be an immediate upgrade. Miami decided to go local at #19, selecting OG Sherwin Vance out of Miami University before the Bengals rounded out the top 20 by selecting DE Brandon Bridgewater out of Pittsburgh with DE Bram Milner, projected to go 9th overall, still on the board.
The third QB went to Houston at #23 when they selected Chase Youngblood out of USC before we finally hit on our 2nd mock draft pick when Baltimore, looking for a replacement for Steve Smith Sr. who retired, went with WR Gabriel Dantzler from Nebraska.
We also had Denver selecting a QB in the first round for the 2nd year in a row, but picked the wrong QB. Last year’s 1st rounder Paxton Lynch out of Michigan couldn’t beat Trevor Siemian in training camp and the former 7th round pick got the start. He looked decent last year and lead the Broncos to the playoffs, but without too many positions in need of upgrade for the Broncos, they felt they could get a possible franchise QB with Nick Koutouvides from USC.
In our mock draft, we had Buffalo reaching into the 2nd round to get the top C of the draft, Gary Sulak (Wisconsin) – and they did.
Then we had the Vikings doing the same, reaching into the 2nd round to get the top C left in the draft, DeMarco Elliott from Stanford. And they did.
DE Bram Milner, projected to go in the top 10, had been sitting patiently in the green room all day without being picked but finally him and his family could breathe a sigh of relief when Atlanta selected him with the #31 pick. That’s great value for the Falcons.
To close out the evening, the Super Bowl champions Pittsburgh Steelers, in need of a replacement for James Harrison, clearly read our mock draft, thought we had the right guy and followed our advice by selecting OLB Kevin George (Texas).
Three players projected to go in the first were not selected but are expected to go early in the 2nd round. WR Luke Sullivan (Auburn) was projected to go 18th, while QB James Cave (Ole Miss) and WR Gabriel Rolle (Penn State) were ranked #31 and #32 but seeing as neither the Steelers nor the Falcons were in need of a WR or QB it was always likely they would slip out of the 1st round.
Mock Draft Result: 5.5/32*
*We're gonna give ourselves half a point for predicting a QB to Denver even though we got the wrong guy!
| 2017 NFL Draft – Round 1 | ||||||
| Pick | Team | Player | College | Pos | Ht | Wt |
| 1 | SAT | Rashad Herndon | Texas A&M | OLB | 6'3'' | 257 |
| 2 | SD | Julius Kendall | USC | OT | 6’6’’ | 306 |
| 3 | JAX | Dillon Reece | Michigan St. | QB | 6’6’’ | 228 |
| 4 | CLE | Eric Stanford | Oklahoma | QB | 6’5’’ | 232 |
| 5 | SF | Joseph Hill | Penn State | OLB | 6’1’’ | 235 |
| 6 | NYG | Kareem Bowie | Oregon | WR | 5’11’’ | 202 |
| 7 | NYJ | Cecil Reinhart | Tennessee | DT | 6’1’’ | 305 |
| 8 | OAK | Dwight Curran | Texas A&M | OT | 6’6’’ | 326 |
| 9 | DET | Norman Posey | Penn State | OT | 6’5’’ | 306 |
| 10 | TB | Angelo al-Jabbar | Oklahoma | DT | 6'3'' | 302 |
| 11 | NO | Demontray Parmele | Florida | CB | 5’10’’ | 194 |
| 12 | CHI | DeMarcus Forbes | UCLA | CB | 6’4’’ | 212 |
| 13 | IND | Curtis Tant | Texas A&M | OG | 6’4’’ | 341 |
| 14 | ARI | Malcolm Luzar | Wisconsin | OT | 6’5’’ | 308 |
| 15 | WAS | Prennis Seward | UCLA | DT | 6'3'' | 313 |
| 16 | CLE(1) | Tavarius Clement | UCLA | OLB | 6’5’’ | 252 |
| 17 | TEN | Malcolm Edmonds | Oklahoma | OLB | 6’1’’ | 241 |
| 18 | GB | Jacob Staat | Alabama | OG | 6'3'' | 314 |
| 19 | MIA | Sherwin Vance Herndon | Miami | OG | 6’4’’ | 308 |
| 20 | CIN | Brandon Bridgewater | Pittsburgh | DE | 6’7’’ | 310 |
| 21 | DAL | Montrey Sowell | Wisconsin | WR | 5’11’’ | 190 |
| 22 | KC | Tavarus Sayers | LSU | DE | 6’7’’ | 296 |
| 23 | HOU | Chase Youngblood | USC | QB | 6'3'' | 235 |
| 24 | SEA | Cory Roan | Penn State | OT | 6’6’’ | 308 |
| 25 | TEN(2) | Rashaun Blackwell | Nebraska | FS | 6’0’’ | 195 |
| 26 | BAL | Gabriel Dantzler | Nebraska | WR | 6’4’’ | 221 |
| 27 | CAR | Jeffrey Gruder | Texas A&M | WR | 5’10’’ | 198 |
| 28 | DEN | Nick Koutouvides | USC | QB | 6’6’’ | 235 |
| 29 | BUF | Gary Sulak | Wisconsin | OC | 6’4’’ | 292 |
| 30 | MIN | DeMarco Elliott | Stanford | OC | 6’2’’ | 309 |
| 31 | ATL | Bram Milner | Florida State | DE | 6’5’’ | 266 |
| 32 | PIT | Kevin George | Texas | OLB | 6’4’’ | 241 |
(1)From Philadelphia
(2) From Los Angeles
Friday, October 13, 2017
Deep QB Class; Where are the HB's?
Dillon Reece from Michigan St. and Eric Stanford out of Oklahoma are both potential top 5 picks, but if you can't get one of the top 2, the USC duo Chase Youngblood and Nick Koutouvides are 1st round quality while James Cave (Ole Miss) and Jackson Mix (Texas A&M) are late 1st/early 2nd round picks. We could potentially see 6 QB's drafted on day 1!
While the QB class is a strong one this year, no one expects a HB to be drafted on Day 1. Sharrif Cromartie out of Ohio State is the top running back of this year's class but it's unlikely that any teams have anything higher than a 2nd round grade on him. Along with Cromartie, Denard Dikes (Stanford) and Malik Silvers (Oklahoma) could be great value on Day 2.
The Best Player in the Draft is a WR?
Kareem Bowie is the guy everyone is talking about ahead of this year's draft. The 5'11'' receiver out of Oregon might not be big in stature, but is a big star in the making. Atlanta gave up a lot to trade up and get Julio Jones and we might see another big trade this year for Kareem Bowie.
Defense: Lack of NT's; Other Positions Look Deep
If you're running a 34 front in 2017 and need a Nose Tackle – hello, San Antonio! – this might not be the year to find one in the draft. Prennis Seward out of that impressive UCLA defense is a good option in the 1st round, but then there's a huge gap to the rest of the pure NT's.
Any other position on defense looks good with options in almost every round. There are several exciting pass rushers who could go as high as the top 5 but if it's lower on your list of priorities you could still find some exciting pass rushers as late as Day 3.
But now over to why you're really here – Our 2017 Mock Draft!
| 2017 MOCK DRAFT | |||||
| Pick | Team | Pos | Player | Why? | |
| 1 | SAT | QB | Dillon Reece | Best QB in a deep class. Get the most important piece of your franchise right away. | |
| 1 | SAT | QB | Dillon Reece – Michigan St. | Get your franchise QB. Best in a deep class. | |
| 2 | SD | OT | Julius Kendall – USC | OT has been an issue. Kendall is a great long-term solution. | |
| 3 | JAX | OT | Dwight Curran – Texas A&M | With Kendall gone, gets Curran as a solid upgrade they desperately need | |
| 4 | CLE | DE | Bram Milner – Florida St. | Needs to upgrade their D-Line. Milner is arguably the best DE in the draft. | |
| 5 | SF | WR | Kareem Bowie – Oregon | They’ll be lucky if Bowie falls to 5 and gives SF a huge upgrade. | |
| 6 | NYG | OLB | Rashad Herndon – Texas A&M | In need of WR but with Bowie gone the Giants address another position of need. | |
| 7 | NYJ | CB | DeMarcus Forbes – UCLA | D.Revis is not what he used to be. Forbes will be an excellent pick here. | |
| 8 | OAK | OLB | Tavarius Clement – UCLA | Back-to-back picks from last year’s excellent UCLA defense. | |
| 9 | DET | OLB | Joseph Hill – Florida St. | Should fill one of several holes in the Lions defense. | |
| 10 | TB | OG | Curtis Tant – Texas A&M | Best OG available. Much needed on the Bucs O-Line | |
| 11 | NO | QB | Eric Stanford – Oklahoma | With this year’s deep QB class, this is the perfect time to find Brees’ replacement | |
| 12 | CHI | OT | Norman Posey – Penn State | Great run blocker who can help out the Bears run game while they figure out who their QB is… | |
| 13 | IND | OT | Malcolm Luzar – Wisconsin | Indy needs pass protection for Luck and Luzar is one of the best in the draft | |
| 14 | ARI | DT | Cecil Reinhart – Tennessee | Not many needs in Arizona, but Reinhart would address one of them | |
| 15 | WAS | DT | Angelo al-Jabbar – Oklahoma | al-Jabbar is a solid start to rebuilding a D-Line that needs a lot of attention | |
| 16 | CLE | CB | Demontray Pamele – Florida | Might be a chance to trade down but should otherwise go CB which needs an improvement | |
| 17 | TEN | WR | Jeffery Gruder – Texas A&M | Two 1st round picks this year and despite other needs, they should use the first to give Mariota a new weapon | |
| 18 | GB | DT | Prennis Seward – UCLA | Not a lot of quality NT’s in this class and Seward would fill a big need on the Packers interior line | |
| 19 | MIA | DE | Brandon Bridgewater – Pittsburgh | Have lost several DE’s this offseason and gets a good replacement in Bridgewater | |
| 20 | CIN | OT | Corey Roan – Penn State | Roan can start at RT and take over at LT in the future | |
| 21 | DAL | WR | Luke Sullivan – Auburn | They’ve found their franchise QB, but needs to add weapons | |
| 22 | KC | OG | Jacob Staat – Alabama | Multiple needs on O-Line. Staat a good start | |
| 23 | HOU | OLB | Malcolm Edmonds – Oklahoma | Edmonds would be an exciting compliment to a fantastic defensive front! | |
| 24 | SEA | OG | Sherwin Vance – Miami | No good OT options here but Vance will help out an O-Line with many needs | |
| 25 | TEN | DE | Tavarius Sayers – LSU | Titans needs to address their entire D-Line and Sayers would be a good start | |
| 26 | BAL | WR | Gabriel Dantzler – Nebraska | In need of replacement for Steve Smith Sr. and they love this kid from Nebraska | |
| 27 | CAR | CB | Cory Clayton – Miami | 2nd round projection, but CB a big need and not a lot of other options that make sense here. Might trade down. | |
| 28 | DEN | QB | Chase Youngblood – USC | The playoffs revealed Siemian’s limitations. Excellent chance to find their franchise QB here. | |
| 29 | BUF | C | Gary Sulak – Wisconsin | They had multiple C’s last season but none that could play consistently. Sulak solves that problem. | |
| 30 | MIN | C | DeMarco Elliott – Stanford | Big need. Not much separating Sulak and Elliott at the top of the class. | |
| 31 | ATL | OLB | Sheldon Colvin – Clemson | Cover LB, big hitter. Good fit. | |
| 32 | PIT | OLB | Kevin George – Texas | With James Harrison retiring, George could be a Day 1 starter | |
«We have a philosophy for how we want to build this football team,» head coach Chuck Pagano said in today’s morning presser. «We’re in a unique position where we can build a roster from scratch and we want to make sure we’re building it right. We didn't want to go out and spend our salary cap just to spend it. Instead we've brought in a group of young guys who we think have the qualities we're looking for, guys who wanna come into training camp this summer and fight for a roster spot in the NFL.»
The most familiar name among 20 free agents signed is probably running back Ronnie Hillman who’s been without an NFL contract since being released by the Denver Broncos.
«I’m happy with what we’ve been able to put together so far,» owner and general manager Stanley Seraffian said when asked if he felt any pressure to find starters in the upcoming rookie draft considering what many feels are a roster full of holes.
«I’m really happy about our expansion draft and think we were able to get a lot of good guys on our team that we’re very excited about. I think that allowed us to go for young talented players in free agency rather than feeling any pressure to go after high profile and expensive veterans and the same goes for the rookie draft. We’re not actively looking for starters in the rookie draft; we’re looking for talented players with the right skillset that we can develop into superstars.»
The Express hold the #1 overall draft pick in the 2017 rookie draft.
SAN ANTONIO FREE AGENTS SIGNINGS:
QB C.Hackenberg, Age 22 – 1 yr, $2.14M
HB R.Hillman, Age 25 – 1 yr, $1.85M
FB L.Pryor, Age 27 – 2 yr, $1.7M
TE M.Pruitt, Age 25 – 2 yr, $5.8M
TE D.Cajuste, Age 24 – 1 yr, $960K
TE B.Sandland, Age 24 – 1 yr, $960K
OT I.Battle, Age 24 – 2 yr, $3.8M
OT A.Epps, Age 24 – 1 yr, $550K
OG J.Poutasi, Age 23 – 3 yr, $7.14M
OG T.Hopkins, Age 25 – 1 yr, $1.51M
OG J.Matias, Age 24 – 1 yr, $860K
OC M.Martin, Age 23 – 1 yr, $880K
DE T.Palepoi, Age 26 – 2 yr, $5.25M
NT V.Valentine, Age 23 – 2 yr, $5.96M
OLB V.Ochi, Age 23 – 1 yr, $550K
OLB N.Vigil, Age 24 – 1 yr, $1.11M
ILB A.Brown, Age 27 – 2 yr, $3.63M
ILB N.Johnson, Age 27 – 1 yr, $1.19M
DB S.Terrell, Age 26 – 2 yr, $3.42M
K A.Franks, Age 24 – 3 yr, $5.04M
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Age 31 – Seattle Seahawks
Evaluation: Smart pick as we’ve already talked about. In Avril you immediately get that veteran on defense, that leader and someone who can have an immediate impact.
PICK#2: HB JAMES STARKS
Age 31 – Green Bay Packers
Evaluation: I think Pagano is thinking experience here as well as Starks is the oldest HB on the list, but still a pretty good one. A power runner who can pass protect and catch passes out of the back field. Solid player and hopefully he still has some gas left in the tank.
PICK#3: OT JERMEY PARNELL
Age 31 – Jacksonville Jaguars
Evaluation: One of the best OT’s on this list but that’s not saying much as the list of OT’s on this list is pretty weak. Again, I think we see an emphasis on experience which I think is important, but I just don’t know that Parnell is good enough to start in this league. I’m not saying there are a lot of other good options here, but I’m not sure I like this pick.
PICK#4: DE BROOKS REED
Age 30 – Atlanta Falcons
Evaluation: They go DE again and for good reason. The DE position is deep on this list and with several guys I think you can move to outside linebacker if you want. Like Avril, Reed is another DE who fits the 4-3, like he played in Atlanta, but could potentially be moved to linebacker.
PICK#5: SS KURT COLEMAN
Age 29 – Carolina Panthers
Evaluation: He was part of a very good defense last season but was only 2nd on the depth chart. In San Antonio we assume, at least for now, that he’ll be the starter and he’s probably the best Safety in this draft. Has a reasonable contract as well, so a good pick.
PICK#6: WR TRAVIS BENJAMIN
Age: 27 – San Diego Chargers
Evaluation: We were waiting for this pick and were pretty sure it would come sooner or later. Benjamin has a few question marks but is the best WR in this draft and should be a solid player for the Express for years to come. Assuming he can stay injury free of course.
PICK#7: OG JOSH KLINE
Age 27 – Tennessee Titans
Evaluation: Possibly the best offensive lineman available and a no-brainer to me. They need to resign him in 2017 already and they should as this is a guy they want to keep around for many years.
PICK#8: OG J.R. SWEEZY
Age 28 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Evaluation: Back-to-back offensive linemen and the third so far. Another good interior lineman which could help them out for years.
PICK#9: DE QUINTON DIAL
Age 27 – San Francisco 49ers
Evaluation: Their third DE so far although he might also be the first one taken who will actually play DE in 2017. Dial fits the 3-4, is a good run stopper who brings 4 years of experience to San Antonio.
PICK#10: DE ALLEN BAILEY
Age 28 – Kansas City Chiefs
Evaluation: Another DE which I think confirms our theories of Pagano wanting to play at least Cliff Avril and possibly Brooks Reed as well at linebacker. Bailey ticks all the right boxes for a 34 DE for me and should fit very nicely into this defensive front which I think is starting to look pretty good!
| 2017 SAN ANTONIO EXPANSION DRAFT | |||||
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | CAP | YL |
| 1 | CLIFF AVRIL | SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | DE | $7.36M | 2 |
| 2 | JAMES STARKS | GREEN BAY PACKERS | HB | $2.6M | 1 |
| 3 | JERMEY PARNELL | JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS | OT | $3.83M | 3 |
| 4 | BROOKS REED | ATLANTA FALCONS | DE | $6.25M | 1 |
| 5 | KURT COLEMAN | CAROLINA PANTHERS | SS | $1.87M | 3 |
| 6 | TRAVIS BENJAMIN | SAN DIEGO CHARGERS | WR | $5.36M | 3 |
| 7 | JOSH KLINE | TENNESSEE TITANS | OG | $930K | 1 |
| 8 | J.R. SWEEZY | TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | OG | $9.66M | 1 |
| 9 | QUINTON DIAL | SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | DE | $1.94M | 3 |
| 10 | ALLEN BAILEY | KANSAS CITY CHIEFS | DE | $4.83M | 2 |
| 11 | ROBERT ALFORD | ATLANTA FALCONS | CB | $5.33M | 4 |
| 12 | ROBERT GRIFFIN III | CLEVELAND BROWNS | QB | $5.61M | 1 |
| 13 | DAVON HOUSE | JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS | CB | $5.12M | 2 |
| 14 | PATRICK LEWIS | BUFFALO BILLS | C | $910K | 1 |
| 15 | COREY NELSON | DENVER BRONCOS | MLB | $520K | 1 |
| 16 | MARLON BROWN | DENVER BRONCOS | WR | $610K | 2 |
| 17 | JARIUS WRIGHT | MINNESOTA VIKINGS | WR | $2.2M | 3 |
| 18 | BEAU ALLEN | PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | DT | $590K | 1 |
| 19 | RAY-RAY ARMSTRONG | SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | MLB | $700K | 2 |
| 20 | RON BROOKS | PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | CB | $1.08M | 2 |
| 21 | DAKOTA DOZIER | NEW YORK JETS | OG | $650K | 1 |
| 22 | COREY ROBINSON | DETROIT LIONS | OT | $390K | 2 |
*YL = Years left on current contract.
Charlie: «Let’s quickly go through the rules before we get the first pick. The Express can pick between 30 and 42 players or a minimum of 38% of the salary cap. No punters or kickers and only 1 player with 10 years of experience or more can be listed by each of the 31 existing NFL teams. A team can pull back a player from their list when they lose one and if a second player is selected from the same team, they can pull back their remaining three. However, we could see a lot of teams choosing not to pull back any players, especially teams that are struggling with the salary cap and wants to offload some contracts, so we might see up to three players selected from one team.
«Having seen this list, gone through it and evaluated the different players and positions, what is your top 5 list of available players in this draft?»
Mike Thompson: «Well, Fred talked me into putting Tony Romo on the list…» *chuckles*
Fred Hurley: *chuckles* «To me, Romo showed early last season that he can still play and he can play at a high level. I see your point, Mike, I understand he’s too old to build a football team around, but I think Romo can fit into almost any system and if you bring in a young QB – remember they also have the #1 overall draft pick in a couple of months and the QB rookie class i deep this year – Romo is someone who can mentor and make the transition to the NFL easier for a young guy. So, even though I’m not a 100% Pagano agrees with my reasoning and he might see Romo’s contract and run away screaming, I still think he’s the best player available in this year’s draft.»
Mike: «Yeah, I see your point, Fred. I don’t agree with it, but I see it. Now, the next guy is someone we both agree on. Cliff Avril. Not necessarily someone the Seahawks wants to give up but felt more like a lesser of two evils as they head into the offseason in need of some major upgrades on a few positions and need to offload some contracts to create some cap space.
«Now, we discussed this at length and we realize that Avril doesn’t necessarily fit Pagano’s 3-4 front. However, you can stand him up, move him to outside linebacker and even if that’s not his favorite position, he’s still going to be the best pass rusher in this draft. He made 65 tackles last year and recorded 7.5 sacks. Should be the first guy off the board.»
Fred: «Absolutely. Still a great player, tons of experience, can be a leader of this defense. Alright, moving on we have Clay Matthews. Our opinion on whether they should get Matthews or not has gone a bit back and forth over the last week, but we still think he belongs on this list. Another veteran, tons of experience and someone who needs to get his career back on track. Might be able to do so in a new city.»
Mike: «The concern is his poor play last season and how little he was used coupled with a huge contract that’s only getting worse over the next couple of years. However, the Express will have plenty of cap space available and can afford him. He should fit nicely into Pagano’s system and could be a great pickup for this franchise.»
Charlie: «We see movement back stage and think that Stanley Seraffian is ready soon to announce their first pick, but let’s quickly get the last two on your rop 5 list.»
Fred: «Sure. Wider Receiver Travis Benjamin. Despite injury concerns and a lack of production last year, is in our opinion still a talented guy, still only 27, and could be a real steal here for the Express. Then lastly we felt like we needed to include an offensive lineman. A crucial position in the NFL but not a lot of talent to choose from for the Express. However, we really like Josh Cline, Offensive Guard from the Tennessee Titans. We think he’s one of the best O-linemen available and he comes with a reasonable salary.»
Charlie. «Alright, there you have it and we now go live to the stage for the first pick of the San Antonio expansion draft.»
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
While we wait for the San Antonio Express to make their first pick, we go live to the Expansion Draft Studio and let Fred and Mike tell you who the Express should go for tonight.
OFFENSE
The Quarter Backs
Mike Thompson: "Alright, folks. Here's the deal. 155 players on the list and the Express have to either select a minimum of 30 players or a minimum of 38% of the 2017 NFL salary cap in contracts. So, let's start with the QB's. Who do you like, Fred?"
Fred Hurley: «Well, to me there’s only one option: Tony Romo. He’s played his entire NFL career here in Texas, he has a lot of fans in San Antonio and the rest of Texas and you get a solid QB who can win games right away for you. To me, Romo makes perfect sense, both as someone who can win football games and someone who can sell jerseys and season tickets!»
MT: «Sure, he can win games right now, but it’s an expansion team. They’re not gonna be good for a few years and Romo is 37. I think they have to go younger and still get someone with decent NFL experience. To me, I like Robert Griffin III. I think he's is highly underrated. No, he hasn't been very good in recent years, but we saw what he could do in Washington and in the right system I think he can deliver. And he went to Baylor! I’m sure he still has fans here as well, although probably not as many as Romo, I’ll grant you that.»
FH: "I think you might have RGIII rated too high in your mind there buddy. Sure, he had a couple of good seasons but he has completely disappeared. I'm not sure Pagano is even considering RGIII.
"Anyway, Chicago has listed Jay Cutler – tells you something about how highly they think of him and the contract they game him, huh? $15M cap hit and an underwhelming 2016 season. There's no way he's even on Chuck Pagano's draft board, right?"
MT: "It would surprise me if he is."
The Running Backs
MT: «Two guys I like here; Javorius Allen from Baltimore and Charcandrick West from the Chiefs. They both have good speed, both are elusive, both «got the moves», you know, juking, spinning. West only got 51 carries this season running behind Spencer Ware and Jamaal Charles, but in San Antonio I think he can be the number 1 guy. Allen only got 24 carries and he’s a little bit underrated in my opinion. Could be a very good pickup by the Express.»
FH: «I like your picks, Mike, but I’m gonna go with a veteran. James Starks, 7 year veteran, 31 years old who didn’t get a lot of carries last season, but he brings a lot of experience from Green Bay. He’s not the fastest running back in the league, but he is a complete running back. He’s elusive, he can run over people and having played with Aaron Rodgers he can run routes, he can catch the ball and he can protect a QB on passing plays. I think any QB would be happy to have a guy like James Starks by their side.»
The Wide Receivers
FH: «A few good options here but the one that stands out for me is Travis Benjamin from the San Diego Chargers. Some might be surprised he’s even on the list but after his injury early in the season, he struggled a lot in San Diego and fell down the depth chart. He only caught 27 balls for 300 yards and the Chargers, despite a bad season overall, had 4 receivers with more yards than Benjamin. I think the Chargers saw a receiver with injury issues and a big salary and then they saw 4 cheaper options on their depth chart. However, we know how good this kid can be. Only last year, the 2015 season I mean, he had 68 receptions for 944 yards and 5 touchdowns. If he joins San Antonio I certainly hope he plays injury free and that they can get that kind of production out of him again.»
MT: «I totally agree! He’s top of my list as well and seems like the obvious choice. Yes, there are some concerns about his production after the injury but the Express are gonna have a ton of cap space and should take the chance on Benjamin. They might get a good #1 receiver right out of the gate.
"Let me mention two other options as well; first Jeff Janis from the Packers...
FH: "Oh yeah, that's a good choice."
MT: "...Finished the season with 529 yards on 40 receptions and has experience from a well-run offense. Second guy I wanna mention is Jarius Wright. Limited production last year in a run oriented offense, but he's fast, he can run routes, he can catch the ball. So, a few good options here on the receiver position, and a position they might wanna grab a couple of players."
The Offensive Linemen
MT: "Let's move onto the offensive linemen and the first impression I got when I saw the list was that there are a lot of teams who are trying to correct some mistakes."
FH: *Chuckles* "Yeah, there sure are a lot of average linemen with huge contracts on this list!"
MT: "I still think there are a few guys here Chuck Pagano should feel good about taking; You have a C like Jason Kelce from the Eagles. Little over $4M cap hit isn't bad for a solid Center in this league. Also want to mention Josh Kline, OG from the Titans. Hasn't been playing a lot this season as the Titans went with Chance Warmack, but he's a solid player at a low cap hit."
FH: "Well, most of the linemen on this list are backups but could still be decent starters in the NFL. However, there's a lack of Tackles on this list and the Express might need to find a starting LT in the draft. Two veterans, Ryan Clady and King Dunlap, are available, but they both have a big contract and haven't started a lot of games lately. From Denver they can get Russell Okung but again, he's an average starter at a big cap hit. Not worth it in my eyes."
MT: "No, I don't think so either and in fact I don't see a starting LT on this list. I think they have to get one from the draft unless someone shows up in free agency. The only other option is to find a good RT and move him over. There are some good RT's here like Jah Reid or Jermey Parnell, but I don't know if they're good enough to start at LT."
FH: "Me neither. They can certainly find some good interior linemen here, but if they want good starting Tackles, I think they have to look elsewhere."
DEFENSE
Defensive Line
FH: "We know Chuck Pagano is a 3-4 kind of guy but that requires a good Nose Tackle. I don't see one on this list."
MT: "A good NT is hard to come by and when you find him you're not giving him away for free! Beau Allen from Philadelphia I think is the only one but he hasn't played a lot of snaps this season and I'm not convinced he could hold down that position in a defensive front."
FH: "Agreed. The good news though is that there are a lot of good options at DE. Two names that would be top of my draft board are Brooks Reed from Atlanta and Cliff Avril from the Seahawks. Both now in their 30's and both were part of a rotation last season, but both delivered on the field in my opinion and have over 100 tackles and 14 sacks combined. That's good production that any team needs."
MT: "Solid players, but both coming from a 4-3 front. Might not be as effective in a 3-4 but at least Avril is a guy I would take no matter what. But there are a lot of good 3-4 options here as well and the Express have the salary cap to take on the contracts Atlanta and Seattle wants to get rid of in addition to a couple of other DE's. Let's also mention two guys Chuck Pagano is familiar with; Arthur Jones and Kendall Langford from Indy. Both played under Pagano and are familiar with his system and it could be an advantage for a new head coach to at least have a couple of familiar faces in the locker room."
Linebackers
MT: "There's a recent Super Bowl champion on this list and he happens to be a linebacker who could fit nicely in Pagano's 3-4; Arthur Moats played a very limited amount of snaps last year with Bud Dupree making the LOLB position his own, but I still think Moats has something to offer."
FH: "I've seen mentions of Arthur Moats but let's get straight to the guy everyone is talking about; Clay Matthews. When I first saw his name on the list I thought it was a typo cause whenever I think of the Green Bay defense, Clay Matthews is the first player I think of. Then I had to look into this a little bit more and soon it started to make more sense. Matthews was given a huge contract when he was on top of his game and could demand a huge contract but last season he was a backup in Green Bay. He played a limited number of snaps and from what I saw he didn't do much when he was given the chance. A star defender looked more like a very expensive problem for a team that recently fired their head coach and need the cap space to build a Super Bowl contender. Question is, should the Express grab him?"
MT: "I think they should. He would be, not only a starter, but a captain. A leader they could build around. I know he didn't play that much last season but I think he could be one of the smartest picks Chuck Pagano can do tonight. Get a veteran leader in that locker room who is still a darn good footballer."
Defensive Backs
FH: "Another player on the list I found a bit surprising at first is CB Robert Alford from Atlanta so I had to do my research to figure out why Atlanta would give away what I think is a very solid CB and here's the deal: Atlanta feels very good about their other CB; Desmond Trufant, Jalen Collins and even the rookie Brian Poole who has gotten a lot of snaps this season and played well. Here's the thing; Trufant is the #1 CB – there's not doubt about that – and they need to re-sign him this season. That's not gonna be cheap. Then, in 2018, they need to resign Jalen Collins and Brian Poole who are both younger than Alford. Meanwhile, Alford is on a contract that's only getting more expensive over the next few years and it looks like a smart decision to try and offload that contract before it becomes a big problem."
MT: "But should the Express take him?"
FH: "Oh, absolutely! They have the cap space and they'll be getting a solid man-to-man coverage CB and having good CB's in this league is crucial."
MT: "Agreed, and he is the best option out there. But let's find a couple of other options as well. First, Patrick Robinson from the Colts. Again, a player who knows Pagano and his system but he's been sitting behind Vontae Davis and Darius Butler this season and the Colts feel good about letting Robinson go. Then, you have Davon House from the Jaguars. Also third on the depth chart this season and for Jacksonville he makes too much money to not be a starter. Could be an excellent pick for the Express though."
FH: "I haven't been a huge fan of Davon House's play this season but I'm not gonna rule out that a new team and a new system might benefit him. But at his salary he is a bit too risky for my taste. Another option though could be Shareece Wright from Baltimore. Playoff experience this season, is about to lose his spot to the rookie Tavon Young who's had a great season, but up until now Wright has been #2 on the depth chart and he could be a good #2 in San Antonio."
MT: "Any Safeties you like here?"
FH: "Not really and I think it's a similar case to the offensive linemen. Not a lot of good options and a position they might have to address in the draft."
MT: "I think they could go with Tramon Williams Sr. from Cleveland. He's 34 and has a high cap hit, but not more than the Express can handle, and if they do draft a young safety, Williams could at least be a good mentor if he's not a great player anymore."
FH: "That's an option, but not one I'm very comfortable with. If you want experience, I'd go Jairus Byrd from the Saints. He's cap hit is even higher than Tramon Williams, but he's also 4 years younger and should have a few more good years in him."
MT: "Alright, folks, those are just a few of the options that the San Antonio Express could go with, but we see the commissioner getting ready to take the stage so we're gonna wrap this up now and let the 2017 NFL Expansion Draft get underway!"
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Sunday, 4:00 PM
Sunday, 4:00 PM
| Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers | |||||
| Jan 22, 2017 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Buffalo Bills (10-6) | 0 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 24 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| BUF | PIT | |
| Total Offense | 548 | 392 |
| Rushing Yards | 150 | 55 |
| Passing Yards | 398 | 337 |
| First Downs | 22 | 15 |
| Punt Return Yards | 0 | 21 |
| Kick Return Yards | 118 | 115 |
| Total Yards | 666 | 528 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| 3rd Down Conversion | 16 | 1 |
| 4th Down Conversion | 0 | 0 |
| 2-Point Conversion | 0 | 0 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 2/1 | 2/0 |
| Penalties | 50 | 45 |
| Posession Time | 37:22 | 22:38 |
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Sunday, 7:00 PM
Sunday, 7:00 PM
| Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings | |||||
| Jan 22, 2017 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Atlanta Falcons (11-5) | 14 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 49 |
| Minnesota Vikings (13-3) | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| ATL | MIN | |
| Total Offense | 417 | 287 |
| Rushing Yards | 166 | 109 |
| Passing Yards | 251 | 178 |
| First Downs | 22 | 11 |
| Punt Return Yards | 46 | 3 |
| Kick Return Yards | 49 | 116 |
| Total Yards | 512 | 406 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| 3rd Down Conversion | 8 | 7 |
| 4th Down Conversion | 0 | 1 |
| 2-Point Conversion | 0 | 0 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 3/0 | 2/0 |
| Penalties | 21 | 75 |
| Posession Time | 35:53 | 24:07 |
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
| Denver Broncos at Houston Texans | |||||
| Jan 7, 2017 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Denver Broncos (10-6) | 0 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
| Houston Texans (10-5-1) | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| DEN | HOU | |
| Total Offense | 417 | 272 |
| Rushing Yards | 126 | 79 |
| Passing Yards | 291 | 193 |
| First Downs | 23 | 13 |
| Punt Return Yards | 18 | 25 |
| Kick Return Yards | 76 | 66 |
| Total Yards | 511 | 363 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| 3rd Down Conversion | 8 | 6 |
| 4th Down Conversion | 1 | 0 |
| 2-Point Conversion | 0 | 0 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 2/2 | 1/0 |
| Penalties | 6 | 50 |
| Posession Time | 38:09 | 21:51 |
| Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks | |||||
| Jan 7, 2017 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Los Angeles Rams (8-7-1) | 0 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
| Seattle Seahawks (11-5) | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| LAR | SEA | |
| Total Offense | 340 | 325 |
| Rushing Yards | 139 | 92 |
| Passing Yards | 201 | 233 |
| First Downs | 20 | 14 |
| Punt Return Yards | 27 | 17 |
| Kick Return Yards | 71 | 105 |
| Total Yards | 438 | 447 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| 3rd Down Conversion | 6 | 8 |
| 4th Down Conversion | 2 | 1 |
| 2-Point Conversion | 1 | 0 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 3/1 | 1/0 |
| Penalties | 30 | 60 |
| Posession Time | 28:17 | 31:43 |
| Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs | ||||||
| Jan 8, 2017 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | OT | SCORE |
| Baltimore Ravens (10-6) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 37 |
| Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) | 14 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| BAL | KAN | |
| Total Offense | 442 | 372 |
| Rushing Yards | 121 | 89 |
| Passing Yards | 321 | 283 |
| First Downs | 19 | 19 |
| Punt Return Yards | 36 | 35 |
| Kick Return Yards | 126 | 228 |
| Total Yards | 604 | 635 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| 3rd Down Conversion | 8 | 5 |
| 4th Down Conversion | 1 | 0 |
| 2-Point Conversion | 0 | 0 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 4/1 | 2/1 |
| Penalties | 82 | 69 |
| Posession Time | 42:15 | 32:45 |
| Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys | |||||
| Jan 8, 2017 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Carolina Panthers (10-6) | 0 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 42 |
| Dallas Cowboys (9-7) | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| CAR | DAL | |
| Total Offense | 450 | 278 |
| Rushing Yards | 189 | 57 |
| Passing Yards | 261 | 221 |
| First Downs | 26 | 12 |
| Punt Return Yards | 7 | 0 |
| Kick Return Yards | 75 | 162 |
| Total Yards | 532 | 440 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| 3rd Down Conversion | 14 | 4 |
| 4th Down Conversion | 1 | 0 |
| 2-Point Conversion | 0 | 0 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 5/0 | 3/0 |
| Penalties | 30 | 50 |
| Posession Time | 43:09 | 16:51 |
AWARDS
League MVP: QB Ben Roethlistberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
16 Games – 370/558 for 4,722 yards, 45 TD's and 13 INT's – 109.7 QBR
Coach of the Year: Mike Zimmer, Minnesota Vikings
13-3 Record – 4th in Total Offense – 1st in Total Defense
League MVP: QB Ben Roethlistberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
16 Games – 370/558 for 4,722 yards, 45 TD's and 13 INT's – 109.7 QBR
Coach of the Year: Mike Zimmer, Minnesota Vikings
13-3 Record – 4th in Total Offense – 1st in Total Defense
OFFENSE:
Most Passing Yards: Drew Brees (NO) – 4,818
Most Passing TD's: Ben Roethlisberger (PIT) – 45
Most Rushing Yards: Adrian Peterson (MIN) – 1,751
Most Rushing TD's: Tevin Coleman (ATL) – 17
Most Receiving Yards: Antonio Brown (PIT) – 1,619
Most Receiving TD's: Antonio Brown (PIT) – 18
DEFENSE:
Most Tackles: Tahir Whitehead (DET) – 153 (122 solo)
Most Sacks: Jadeveon Clowney (HOU) – 18.5
Most Interceptions: Richard Sherman – 9
TEAM STATS:
Most Offensive Yards per Game: Steelers – 448.4
Most Points per Game: Steelers – 35.1
Total Yards Allowed per Game: Vikings – 306.5
Total Points Allowed per Game: Seahawks – 19.0
FINAL STANDINGS
| NFL Standings - Updated: Jan 2, 2017 | |||||
| NFC EAST | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Y – DALLAS | 9 | 7 | 0 | 466 | 396 |
| PHILADELPHIA | 8 | 8 | 0 | 386 | 390 |
| WASHINGTON | 8 | 8 | 0 | 445 | 429 |
| NY GIANTS | 6 | 10 | 0 | 363 | 424 |
| NFC NORTH | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Z – MINNESOTA | 13 | 3 | 0 | 506 | 350 |
| GREEN BAY | 8 | 8 | 0 | 449 | 495 |
| CHICAGO | 7 | 9 | 0 | 357 | 416 |
| DETROIT | 6 | 9 | 1 | 384 | 391 |
| NFC SOUTH | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Y – ATLANTA | 11 | 5 | 0 | 520 | 402 |
| X – PANTHERS | 10 | 6 | 0 | 383 | 359 |
| NEW ORLEANS | 7 | 9 | 0 | 463 | 475 |
| TAMPA BAY | 7 | 9 | 0 | 354 | 392 |
| NFC WEST | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Y – SEATTLE | 11 | 5 | 0 | 425 | 303 |
| X – LOS ANGELES | 8 | 7 | 1 | 366 | 369 |
| ARIZONA | 8 | 8 | 0 | 406 | 409 |
| SAN FRANCISCO | 6 | 10 | 0 | 385 | 447 |
| AFC EAST | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Y – BUFFALO | 11 | 5 | 0 | 521 | 321 |
| MIAMI | 8 | 8 | 0 | 327 | 372 |
| NY JETS | 6 | 10 | 0 | 432 | 434 |
| AFC NORTH | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Z – PITTSBURGH | 13 | 3 | 0 | 561 | 389 |
| X – BALTIMORE | 10 | 6 | 0 | 410 | 407 |
| CINCINNATI | 9 | 7 | 0 | 448 | 435 |
| CLEVELAND | 5 | 11 | 0 | 401 | 503 |
| AFC SOUTH | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Y – HOUSTON | 10 | 5 | 1 | 435 | 337 |
| TENNESSEE | 8 | 8 | 0 | 417 | 424 |
| INDIANAPOLIS | 7 | 9 | 0 | 412 | 493 |
| JACKSONVILLE | 4 | 11 | 1 | 370 | 450 |
| AFC WEST | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Y – KANSAS CITY | 10 | 6 | 0 | 510 | 414 |
| X – DENVER | 10 | 6 | 0 | 416 | 448 |
| OAKLAND | 6 | 10 | 0 | 416 | 397 |
| SAN DIEGO | 4 | 12 | 0 | 368 | 485 |
It was week 17 with playoff participation on the line for a visibly nervous Falcons Sunday. It was the biggest game of the season and probably their biggest games in years; potentially the final game to ever take place in the Georgia Dome and on the opposite side of the field, their rivals from New Orleans.
The Saints scored the only points of the first quarter, but the Falcons stormed back with three 2nd quarter touchdowns to lead 21-14 at the half. The teams traded touchdowns in the 3rd quarter before Matt Ryan threw his 5th TD pass of the day to put the Falcons up 35-21. But the Saints were not done and Drew Brees found the end zone twice to tie the game and force overtime.
Saints got the ball first and a Drew Brees looked unstoppable. The home crowd fell silent as the Saints were closing in on the end zone knowing that a touchdown would end the game. 2nd and 4, Brees drops back to throw. He has an open man and throws it over the middle. But the pass is a little bit too low and rookie MLB Deion Jones jumps up and snags it. He is immediately tackled but the Falcons has another life.
Matty Ice takes over moves the ball down inside Saints territory. From the Saints 24-yard line, Ryan finds Julio Jones in the end zone to seal the win and another game at the Georgia Dome.
Final: NO 35 @ ATL 41 (OT)
THE GAME OF THE WEEK: THE BATTLE OF THE ROOKIES
It was a «win and you’re in» scenario for both teams as the Eagles hosted the Cowboys for the final game of the regular season, with both teams lead by a rookie QB.
The sell-out crowd saw the division rivals follow each other like shadows – 7-7 after the 1st quarter, 10-10 at halftime and 17-17 heading into the fourth. But when the pressure was on, one QB buckled while the other remained calm.
Carson Wentz threw a pick to Orlando Scandrick and the Cowboys came away with a field goal. Carson Wentz then threw a pick to Anthony Hitchens and this time Dak Prescott and the Cowboys found the end zone to put the game away and to secure the division title.
Final Score: DAL 27 @ PHI 17
WEEK 17 FINAL SCORES:
Green Bay 21 @ Detroit 28
Arizona 27 L.A. 10
The Packers needed the Rams to lose, which they did, but couldn’t win their own game against the Lions.
Seattle 28 @ San Francisco 16
Carolina 24 @ Tampa Bay 21
Chicago 32 @ Minnesota 35
Two AFC North rivals closed out the regular season in a highly entertaining game that had both set of fans on the edge of their seats through 60 minutes when the Ravens and the Bengals faced off in an all or nothing battle for the final Wild Card spot.
The Bengals won the first meeting between these two teams, 31-21, but tonight it was the visitors who took command and held a 24-10 lead going into half time. The Bengals received the 2nd half kickoff and scored a touchdown on their opening drive and the Ravens responded with a field goal. Another touchdown put the Ravens ahead by 17 points early in the 4th and despite two touchdowns by the home side in the final 7:34 of the game, the Ravens held on to win 34-31 and clinch the final playoff spot.
Denver Broncos knew they were already in the playoffs and played like a team who were resting up for next weeks games. The Raiders scored 36 points and their victory never looked threatened. In San Diego, the Chiefs were playing their hearts out to beat the Chargers who had nothing other than pride to play for at this stage but put up a good fight. The Chargers held a narrow 21-17 lead heading into the 4th quarter before the Chiefs took the lead but failed the 2-point conversion. The Chargers responded with a touchdown of their own, but also they failed a 2-point conversion. A field goal by Cairo Santos put the Chiefs within a point and when Marcus Peters picked off Philip Rivers in field goal territory, Cairo Santos converted from 33 yards out to seal a 29-27 victory for the Chiefs.
With the win, the Chiefs take 1st place in the AFC West while the Broncos have to go on the road in the Wildcard round.
TWO COACHES LOST THE GAME; THEN THEIR JOB
Shortly after week 17 concluded, the disappointment among several teams was high having missed out on a playoff spot in their last game. Chuck Pagano was sacked by Jim Irsay weeks ago as soon as the Colts’ playoff hopes were gone and Sunday’s games claimed two others who failed to deliver on expectations.
The first was Marvin Lewis who not only lost the final game, at home against the Ravens and ended the season 9-7, but the same evening he also lost his job. Lewis took the head coaching job in 2003 and was the longest tenured head coach in the NFL (after Bill Belichick retired last winter). He has won more games than he has lost, but with an 0-7 playoff record and failing to even get in this year, owner Mike Brown’s patience had worn out.
For the second season in a row, the Packers finished behind the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North but this year’s 2nd place was a big step in the wrong direction and consequently head coach Mike McCarthy was let go. While the Vikings went from an 11-5 team last year to a 13-3 team this year, the Packers went from last year’s 10-6 to an 8-8, missing out on the playoffs after a loss to the 6-9-1 Lions.
Mike McCarthy coached the Packers from 2006 and both him and Marvin Lewis shouldn’t have too much problem finding a new employer.
NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
Division Leaders:
North: *–Minnesota – 12-3 (Wk 17: vs CHI)
South: X – Atlanta – 10-5 (Wk 17: vs NO)
West: Z – Seattle – 10-5 (Wk 17: @ SF)
East: Philadelphia – 8-5 (Wk 17: vs DAL)
WC: Carolina – 9-6 (Wk 17: @ TB)
WC: Los Angeles – 8-6-1 (Wk 17: vs ARI)
In the Hunt:
Green Bay – 8-7 (Wk 17: @ DET)
Dallas – 8-7 (Wk 17: @ PHI)
Division Leaders:
North: *–Minnesota – 12-3 (Wk 17: vs CHI)
South: X – Atlanta – 10-5 (Wk 17: vs NO)
West: Z – Seattle – 10-5 (Wk 17: @ SF)
East: Philadelphia – 8-5 (Wk 17: vs DAL)
WC: Carolina – 9-6 (Wk 17: @ TB)
WC: Los Angeles – 8-6-1 (Wk 17: vs ARI)
In the Hunt:
Green Bay – 8-7 (Wk 17: @ DET)
Dallas – 8-7 (Wk 17: @ PHI)
Minnesota has already claimed the #1 seed, while Seattle are fighting for the #2 with Atlanta who can be overtaken by Carolina (on division win-loss record) with a loss at home to New Orleans and a Carolina win over Tampa Bay. With a Seattle and Atlanta win, the Falcons secure the 2nd seed and at least one more home game in the Georgia Dome due to their regular season win over the Seahawks. But both teams are in the playoffs no matter how the week 17 games go.
Green Bay find themselves on the outside looking in and need help to keep their season alive. They have to win in Detroit and they need L.A. to lose against Arizona (the Panthers are ahead of the Packers on tie-breakers).
But the game most people will be tuning in to watch will be the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys in a final showdown where the winner takes all while the loser watches the playoffs on TV. The two teams are currently tied but the Eagles hold the tie-breaker and only needs a draw. The Dallas Cowboys must win on the road, otherwise their season is over.
The last time these two teams met, the Eagles won 38-31 in Dallas and they’ve won 3 of their last 4 games. The Cowboys struggled at the QB position through their 4 game losing streak but Dak Prescott may have found his form just in time as he lead the Cowboys to a convincing 38-10 win throwing for three touchdowns last week.
For the Eagles, DT Bennie Logan has not been declared fit to play and won’t start on Sunday. Both Jordan Hicks and Ryan Mathews have already been ruled out for the rest of the season. For the Cowboys, only DT Maliek Collins is missing on Sunday after being ruled out with an ankle injury.
----------------------------------------------------------
* - Clinched Division and Home Field Advantage
X – Clinched Playoff
Y – Clinched Wild Card
Z – Clinched Division
AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
Division Leaders:
North: *–Pittsburgh – 12-3 (Wk 17: vs CLE)
East: Z–Buffalo – 11-4 (Wk 17: @ NYJ)
South: Z–Houston – 10-4-1 (Wk 17: @ TEN)
West: Denver – 10-5 (vs OAK)
WC: Kansas City – 9-6 (Wk 17: @ SD)
WC: Cincinnati – 9-6 (Wk 17: vs BAL)
In the Hunt:
Baltimore – 9-6 (Wk 17: @ CIN)
North: *–Pittsburgh – 12-3 (Wk 17: vs CLE)
East: Z–Buffalo – 11-4 (Wk 17: @ NYJ)
South: Z–Houston – 10-4-1 (Wk 17: @ TEN)
West: Denver – 10-5 (vs OAK)
WC: Kansas City – 9-6 (Wk 17: @ SD)
WC: Cincinnati – 9-6 (Wk 17: vs BAL)
In the Hunt:
Baltimore – 9-6 (Wk 17: @ CIN)
Even with a Pittsburgh loss and a Buffalo win in week 17, the Steelers have the #1 seed as they beat Buffalo in their regular season meeting. Buffalo and Houston are already in while the Broncos get in with a win or tie against Oakland or a Chiefs loss or tie in San Diego. The Chiefs are in the playoffs either way as long as Baltimore @ Cincinnati doesn’t end in a tie as they hold a tiebreaker over both teams.
That means that the AFC North showdown in Cincinnati is a «win and you’re in» game. For the home team, LT A.Whitworth and CB J.Shaw were added to the injury list this week where they join C.Ogbuehi, C.Dunlap, G.Bernard and A.Billings. Both have been ruled out for the season. For the visitors, Terrell Suggs is still out for another 6 weeks while WR Mike Wallace is doubtful.
----------------------------------------------------------
* - Clinched Division and Home Field Advantage
X – Clinched Playoff
Y – Clinched Wild Card
Z – Clinched Division
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