Tag: AFC West

Listen Man, That Right There Is A Good Contract Man

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 1 Comment

jon gruden

A lot has changed since Jon Gruden last coached in the NFL. iPhones have ridiculous, nonsensical adapters. Apparently you just swipe left and another picture comes up. And the Patriots are no longer a dynas….oh wait, that one hasn’t changed. But 1 thing remains constant: Raiders’ owner, Mark Davis’ freaky hairdo. I mean seriously, what is that thing?!

mark davis

 

 

 

 

Anyway….

Tuesday, Jon Gruden was introduced as the new Head Coach of the Oakland Raiders. This will be his 2nd stint with ‘Raider Nation’, as he was the head coach from 1998-2001. He went 38-26, including 2 trips to the postseason in his first tenure with the team. Hey opposing coaches, all you have to do is say “Tuck Rule”, and Gruden will cower into a corner somewhere.

In 2002, Gruden was traded to the Tampa Buccaneers, where he infamously beat his former team in Super Bowl XXXVII. Let’s fast forward to Tuesday….

Did you catch Jon Gruden’s introductory press conference???? You didn’t?! Ohhhhh boy.

You can check it out here. Watch the 1st 4 minutes, then come back so we can talk….

Does Mark Davis not make your skin crawl???? He looks like he’s 63 going on 6. And not the cute kind of 6. The creepy, no one hangs out with me kind of 6. He looked nervous. He took way more deep breaths than I’m comfortable with. And apparently, every woman in the Gruden family, is his biggest cheerleader. And then, there was the video montage. Ohhh the video montage. Was this supposed to give Raiders’ fans goosebumps?? Listen, I get that the Raiders want to return to their winning ways. They’ve only had 1 winning season in the past 15 years, and Jon Gruden was successful with the Raiders. But Davis is acting like the best coach in the history of sports is walking through the door.

Davis even went as far as saying, and I quote, “Raider Nation, this is a big effin’ deal!” Wow Mark. Just wow. In terms of dollars and cents, this is an enormous deal. In fact, Gruden’s 10-year, $100 Million contract makes him the highest paid coach in American professional sports history. And now, ‘Raider Nation’, the NFL, and the sports world will see if Gruden can live up to such expectations. I’m interested to see if Gruden, now 54, can adjust to the numerous rule changes that have taken place in his 9 years away from the sidelines.

 

Is this a good hire by the Oakland Raiders?? Will Jon Gruden win a Super Bowl in Oakland?? Post your thoughts in the comment section below. 

You can now find me on the Radio too. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’ll be on live every Wednesday from 6:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M EST. I also broadcast every show on Facebook Live via my DaveTalksSports.com Facebook Page: http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports .

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends!!

So Much For 16-0 Huh????

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 6 Comments

brady

Hey Tom, let me see your mad face….

 

I LOVE IT!!!!

Everyone in the world makes assumptions. Football fans assume the New England Patriots will win every game. It’s true. Everyday for the past 3 months, I’ve had to listen to “experts” tell me the Patriots could go 16-0 this season. How’s that workin’ out for ya?!?! 

Listen, the Patriots are a great franchise. They will be fine. They’ll still win the 12 games I predicted they’d win. Remember my AFC East Predictions?? But I must enjoy this moment. If you are like me, and fell asleep on the couch at halftime, you missed a thrilling game. Luckily, I DVR everything, so I was able to re-watch the Patriots “collapse”.

The Patriots gave up 21 points in the 4th quarter and lost 42-27.

Let’s start with some insane Patriots’ statistics to put this once-in-a-lifetime happening in perspective:

  • 42 points are the most a Bill Belichick coached Patriots’ team has ever given up — ever
  • Alex Smith became only the 2nd quarterback to post 350+ yards and 0 interceptions against the Patriots under Belichick (the other is Drew Brees)
  • The Patriots had won 9 consecutive home-openers
  • The Patriots gave up a record-setting 246 scrimmage yards to Chiefs’ running back, Kareem Hunt (a rookie record)
  • The Patriots had won 87 consecutive home games when leading at halftime

Yeah, love ’em or hate ’em, the Patriots are really really really good. That’s what makes the Kansas City Chiefs’ performance so impressive. Alex Smith did his best Aaron Rodgers impersonation (368 yards, 4 TD’s, and 0 INT’s). The aforementioned Kareem Hunt put on a show. After losing a fumble in his 1st NFL carry (he didn’t lose 1 in 4 years of college), Hunt was on a mission. He finished with 148 rushing yards and 1 TD and 5 catches for 98 yards and 2 TD’s. And we can’t forget the defense. The Chiefs’ defense held Tom Brady to 16 for 36 passing (44.4 completion %), just 267 yards, and NO TD’s. OH, and they sacked him 3 times.

Despite everyone thinking Bill Belichick is impervious to criticism, allow me to blame him for something. Woah, woah, easy now Dave. When the Patriots were up 7-0, and the Chiefs turned the ball over, Belichick decided to go for it on 4th and 1 on the Chiefs’ 10-yard line. THIS IS WRONG!! I don’t care who you are, or what you’re trying to do. In the 1st quarter, you continue to put points on the board. If Belichick chose to go up 10-0, rather than turn the ball over and downs (and gift-wrap some confidence for the Chiefs), this game may have ended differently.

Allow me to rewind to the Pre-Game:

After the Patriots put on an absolutely nauseating pre-game ceremony, the game looked like it could get out of hand in a hurry. Speaking of that ceremony, I’m wondering how many people actually threw up before they were able to change the channel….

You’re the Patriots. You win Super Bowls every other year. This isn’t new. So did you really need to have Mark Wahlberg drive half of the country to suicidal thoughts?? Did you really need to wheel your 5 Super Bowl Trophies onto the field?? “Hey everybody, come see how good I look!!” Did you really need to post the time and score of last year’s Super Bowl (ATL 28, NE 3 with 2:12 left in the 3rd quarter), just prior to your epic comeback, on every scoreboard in the stadium?? “Yes Frank, we know you had a good time. I think the whole town knows you had a good time.”

Now, as much as I’m reveling in this Patriots loss, I’ve been a Jets/NFL fan long enough to know what’s about to happen. Just like the time the Patriots lost 41-14 to the Chiefs (Week 4 of 2014), and everyone and their mother pronounced that the beginning of the end for Brady and the Patriots, something happened. And that something was the Patriots rattling off 7 straight wins, en route to a Super Bowl Championship.

Expect something eerily similar.

Man do I feel bad for Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints….

 

Did you enjoy this Patriots’ loss as much as I did?? What do you think their record will be for the season now?? Admit you were wrong, and then post your new prediction in the comment section below.

 

You can now find me on the Radio too. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’ll be on live every Wednesday from 6:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M EST. I also broadcast every show on Facebook Live via my DaveTalksSports.com Facebook Page.

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel called DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends!!

 

 

 

 

AFC West Preview

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 1 Comment

afc-west-preview

Every so often I like to travel across the country. Ya know, see what’s so great about that other coast. While I like 72 and sunny, a little variety is better. So, we’re going to visit the West coast, just for the day, but we’ll be back soon New York — I promise.

This brings us to a potentially very good division in the NFL; the AFC West.

Last Season’s Standings:

Kansas City Chiefs: 12-4

Oakland Raiders: 12-4

Denver Broncos: 9-7

Los Angeles Chargers: 5-11

 

As always, we’ll go from worst to first….

Los Angeles Chargers

New place, mostly the same faces. The Chargers, formerly known as the San Diego Chargers, packed up their fancy cars, drove 120 miles up the coast, and relocated in Los Angeles. Well, not yet technically. Their new stadium won’t be finished until 2020, but you get the point. The Chargers tried to beef up their offensive line and add some offensive weapons in the offseason. While their offensive line should be improved, Philip Rivers’ newest toy, Mike Williams, is still sidelined with a back injury. Williams, the Chargers 1st-round pick this year, is targeting an October return. Hey Chargers’ fans — don’t hold your breath.

Key Additions: Russell Okung, Kenjon Barner, Robert McClain

Key Losses: Brandon Flowers, Manti Te’O, Danny Woodhead

Denver Broncos

Vance Josephs made some noise yesterday. As the new head coach of the Denver Broncos, Joseph’s made his 1st big announcement, naming Trevor Siemian, not Paxton Lynch, his starting quarterback. From the 7th round (2015) to the starting quarterback position, Siemian must be psyched for this opportunity. The question is, how much will Siemian be asked to do in a run-first, conservative offensive scheme?? Time will tell. Until then, we’ll see how far their stellar defense can take them.

Key Additions: Jamaal Charles, Ron Leary, Domata Peko

Key Losses: Russell Okung, Vance Walker, DeMarcus Ware (retirement)

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs kicked off their summer by firing their general manager and signing Andy Reid to an extension. That’s really all they did. They lost more talent than they gained, and I think they will regress from their 12-4 record in 2016. I don’t see them falling off a cliff, but when your biggest acquisition in the offseason is an unproven rookie quarterback (who they traded up for), I’m not overly optimistic.

Key Additions: C.J. Spiller, Bennie Logan, Patrick Mahomes II (Draft)

Key Losses: Jamaal Charles, Jeremy Maclin, Dontari Poe

Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders had a busy offseason. Their move to Las Vegas was approved. They signed head coach Jack Del Rio to a 4-year extension. And then they signed their quarterback, Derek Carr, to a monstrous 5-year extension worth 100 Trillion Dollars (Dr. Evil Voice). No, not really, but he’s getting a lot of money. The Raiders are a popular pick this year to challenge the Patriots’ supremacy in the AFC. Man, I really hope so, but that’s doubtful. I do think the Raiders are good enough to lose to the Patriots in the AFC Championship though. They have the talent on the offensive side of the ball. The bottom line: Is their defense good enough to make them a Super Bowl contender??

Key Additions: Marshawn Lynch, Cordarelle Patterson, Jared Cook

Key Losses: Latavius Murray, Menelik Watson, Malcolm Smith

 

This Season’s Predictions:

Oakland Raiders: 11-5

Kansas City Chiefs: 9-7

Denver Broncos: 8-8

Los Angeles Chargers: 6-10

We’d better hurry up and get back to the East coast before this tan becomes permanent. Next thing you know, we’ll be growing out our hair, surfing, and smokin’ that green stuff. Yeah, let’s stick to overpaying for everything.

Tune in tomorrow for a preview of the AFC North.

 

Do you think the Raiders can win the Super Bowl this year?? Are your predictions different than mine?? If so, please post them in the comment section below.

You can now find me on the Radio too. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’ll be on live every Wednesday from 6:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M EST. I also broadcast every show on Facebook Live via my DaveTalksSports.com Facebook Page.

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel called DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends!!

 

I’d Ask, But I Know You Are Ready For Some Football!!

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

Denver-Broncos-vs-Baltimore-Ravens-620x350

Your birthday? Nope. Your anniversary? Nah. That day you randomly find a $20 in your jacket that you haven’t worn in 3 months? Almost, but no. So what is the best day of the year? It is today; Opening Day of the NFL Season. It is the day you’ve been waiting for ever since the unbelievably annoying Ray Lewis hoisted The Lombardi Trophy over is head in February. Well, the wait is over. You can have a snickers bar and you can watch some football. You can finally see how your fantasy picks will pan out. And, you all have a reason to sit on the couch and do nothing. Enjoy what should undoubtedly be made a National Holiday.

The 2013 NFL Season kicks off tonight, Thursday September 5th, with the defending champion Baltimore Ravens taking on the Denver Broncos (I think we all remember what happened the last time these teams met). To say The Broncos will be looking for revenge would be an understatement. The Broncos enter the season with extremely high expectations. Some have them in or winning The Super Bowl this year thanks to the additions of Wes Welker and others. Even with their best defender, Von Miller, suspended for the first 4 games of the season they are still looked at as the favorites in the AFC. On the other hand, the defending champion Ravens enter the season with a handful of question marks. How do they replace Ray Lewis and Ed Reed? Will Joe Flacco live up to the astronomically high contract he was given last year? Can you really win with just 1 wide receiver? That last one was a joke, but seriously how are you going to win with Torrey Smith and me at wide receiver? Despite his impressive Super Bowl performance and his wonderful (haha) showing on Dancing With The Stars, Jacoby Jones is actually not very good at football. These are some of the questions that will certainly be answered once the season gets under way. You can catch tonight’s opening game on NBC at 8:30 P.M. Who do you like to win this game? I have Denver (at home) winning a relatively close game 24-17.

The rest of Week 1 will be played on Sunday and Monday. So, clear your schedules for the weekend, find that ass groove in the couch that has missed you so dearly, and lets get ready for some football. I am now ready to give you some of my thoughts and predictions on the upcoming season. Everyone has an opinion on their own favorite team and who they think will win, but football more than any other sport is incredibly unpredictable. Players get injured at a very high rate, and every year we seem to have a completely unknown player climb out of the woodwork and land right in the limelight. Nonetheless, lets make some predictions. I shall start with my favorite “team”, The New York Jets. Their team can be summed up in one word: Joke. They are a complete and utter joke. I see them winning 4 games at most, but most likely will only pull off 3 lucky victories. With that being said, I still believe it is not fair for ESPN to rank the Jets as the worst team in the NFL. That distinction clearly should be held by The Oakland Raiders (Chris Berman voice). Anyway, I see the Raiders, Jets, and Jaguars all being very very bad, and I wouldn’t be surprised if any of these teams wound up as the worst team in the league. And now, I will provide you with the Division winners, Wild Card teams, and Super Bowl Champion that will make up the 2013 playoffs.

In the AFC East, I don’t see how any other team will come out of that division than The New England Patriots. Everyone can talk about how much better The Miami Dolphins will be, but I’m sorry Ryan Tannehill, I’m just not buying it. The AFC West is also a pretty easy division to figure out. The Denver Broncos will handily win this division. Most people are eager to hop on the Kansas City Chiefs bandwagon, but I’m also not prepared to do that either. Will they be in a hunt for the Wild Card with 3 games to go? It’s very possible, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if they were 4-9 by then either. Oh, they have Alex Smith? Well then, that changes everything, they’ll probably win The Super Bowl. What was I thinking? The AFC North and South are a little tougher to figure out, and will probably provide the playoffs with the other 4 teams in the AFC this year. The AFC North will be a tightly contested division, but I feel that The Cincinnati Bengals will prevail. I also believe that The Ravens, not The Steelers will land a Wild Card spot this year. The Steelers have no running game, and Big Ben just isn’t good enough to win without a good supporting cast and top 10 defense. The AFC South is a fun division and should also bring 2 playoff teams to the mix this year. The Indianapolis Colts will win this division behind the strong play of Andrew Luck (he is the real deal and will be the best 2nd year QB in the NFL this season). The Texans will land the other Wild Card spot this year.

    AFC Playoff Picture

1.) Denver Broncos
2.) New England Patriots
3.) Indianapolis Colts
4.) Cincinnati Bengals
5.) Baltimore Ravens
6.) Houston Texans

I envision The Denver Broncos beating The New England Patriots in the AFC Championship (and giving everyone that one last Peyton Vs. Tom showdown everyone was looking for last year).

As for the NFC, I see this as the much harder conference to predict. The NFC East by itself is like flipping a 4-sided coin. But, here goes nothing. In the NFC East, as much as I hate them and love watching them crumble under pressure, I see the Dallas Cowboys narrowly pulling out the division title this year. I think The New York Giants will be in the fight for a Wild Card spot all season but will fall just short of the playoffs yet again this season. The NFC West, which is seen as the strongest division in the NFL should definitely bring 2 teams to the playoffs this year. I have The San Francisco 49ers winning the division, and The Seattle Seahawks winning a Wild Card spot. The NFC North should be a battle between 2 long time rivals; The Packers and Da Bears. I see The Packers edging out the Bears for the Division while Jay Cutler will once again be watching the playoffs from home this season. Last, but certainly not least, there is my favorite division in football, The NFC South. This division should also produce 2 playoff teams this season. The Atlanta Falcons will once again win the division while the New Orleans Saints will land the final playoff spot this season.

    NFC Playoff Picture

1.) San Francisco
2.) Atlanta Falcons
3.) Green Bay Packers
4.) Dallas Cowboys
5.) Seattle Seahawks
6.) New Orleans Saints

Let me repeat how unpredictable the NFC is going to be this season. Don’t be surprised if the Wild Cards consist of The Bears, Redskins, Giants, or Redskins. However, based off my predictions, I see The San Francisco 49ers beating the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship in a rematch of last year. As for the Super Bowl, I see Peyton Manning prevailing to win his 2nd Lombardi Trophy, while Colin Kaepernick suffers his 2nd straight defeat in the Super Bowl. And that my friends, is how I see the NFL season playing out this year. It is a long road, and it all starts tonight. However it plays out, enjoy it!!

Please leave me your predictions for the upcoming NFL Season below in the comment section. Thank you.

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!