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 With the 2018 NFL Season right around the corner Cheap Christian Kirk Jersey , 51 days, and training camp a mere week away, it is time to begin the predictions of the 2018 season.In order to make it a little more fun, we will post our statistical predictions, give everyone a couple of days to answer Jamar Taylor Jersey , then at the end of the year, we can come back and take a look at who was the most accurate.Let’s start with All Pro running back David Johnson, and then over the next several weeks, layout our predictions for the Arizona Cardinals individually on offense.For Johnson, the question is not does he bounce back Cheap Budda Baker Jersey , but how close to 1,000/1,000 can he get under new offensive coordinator Mike McCoy?Here is how I think David Johnson rebounds from his missed 2017:302 rushing attempts1,329 yards rushing12 touchdowns74 catches888 receiving yards6 receiving touchdownsSo, I have Johnson missing the 1k/1k mark Deone Bucannon Jersey , but have him improving in every category in 2018 except total touchdowns.I think the lack of a second receiver and the emphasis on the run game give Johnson a great season.What are your thoughts?Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angeles Chargers preseason preview podcast We made it one and all! The Arizona Cardinals open up their 2018 season (preseason) tonight against the Los Angeles Chargers.Of course Jess and I had to get you ready for the start of the year.It starts with a look at the A.Q. Shipley injury and how the Arizona Cardinals will deal with it. (4:20)It's the Mason Cole show now, but also, is this the break Evan Boehm needed to stay on the roster?From there we discuss the initial depth chart of 2018 for the Arizona Cardinals. Were there any surprises? Where are the strengths and weaknesses? (23:40)Finally, finally! The Arizona Cardinals open the 2018 preseason with a game against the LA Chargers.Of course everyone is waiting for the Josh Rosen debut, but what else?Who can show us some things starting tonight that will help you feel better about the roster heading into the 2018 season? (43:26)It's a fantastic hour of Arizona Cardinals discussion http://www.cardinalsfootballauthentics.com/deone-bucannon-jersey-authentic , some may say the best on the internet, to get you ready for the Arizona Cardinals preseason opener.

 Larry Fitzgerald to tell anyone.Not until long after the season is over."I told you this a long time ago," he said after the Arizona Cardinals practiced Youth Haason Reddick Jersey Thursday. "There's never going to be a farewell tour. It's not about me. There's 53 guys on this roster. There's 53 guys who are giving their all to compete and make this team better, and coaches. It's so much bigger than any one individual."It's pretty much the same thing Fitzgerald has said each of the past few years when questions are raised about the inevitable end to one of the greatest careers of any wide receiver in NFL history."No game was ever won by one man and no game was ever lost by one man," he said. "When you start thinking that it's bigger than that and it's about you, that's when you've lost touch with what this game is all about and what the spirit of this game is about."Make no mistake about it. Fitzgerald knows all about where he stands statistically on the NFL career lists. The numbers do mean a lot to him. But he spends very little time talking about them. Maybe there will come a time, perhaps at that Hall of Fame induction ceremony. But for now, Fitzgerald is insisting he's just one guy on a team.When Sam Bradford tosses one in a regular-season game to Fitzgerald, he will become the 18th quarterback to complete a pass to No. 11 in the receiver's years with Arizona. That is a lot of quarterbacks, to be sure."It's a privilege," Fitzgerald said. "Most guys don't get a chance to play long enough to be able to catch the ball from that many quarterbacks. I look at it as a blessing and a testament to my longevity. Hopefully, we can go a whole season and not have to make any changes."Some of the quarterbacks are well known — including Hall of Famer Kurt Warner and recently retired Carson Palmer. There also was Brian St. Pierre, Max Hall and John Skelton, among many others.Injuries led to in-season quarterback changes. So did poor quarterback play. But through it all, Fitzgerald usually catches whatever comes his way. He has caught a pass in 211 consecutive games, the second-longest such streak in NFL history behind Jerry Rice's 274. Only once in his 218 career games did he not catch a pass.Fitzgerald, who turns 35 on Aug. 31, is within striking distance of the No. 2 spot on two other significant career lists — receptions and yards receiving. He has 15,545 yards receiving and needs 390 to pass Terrell Owens into second (behind Rice's 22,895) and Womens Patrick Peterson Jersey , with 1,234 catches, needs 92 to pass Tony Gonzalez into second, behind Rice's formidable 1,549.If those numbers seem a stretch, consider that Fitzgerald was second in the NFL last season with 109 catches (tying his franchise record) for 1,156 yards. The past three years, between the ages of 32 and 34, Fitzgerald caught 325 passes.Five years ago, with the hiring of coach Bruce Arians, Fitzgerald was moved from his customary wideout position to play in the slot, where blocking was a major part of his duties and he was among the best doing so at his position.Now comes another new offense under coordinator Mike McCoy, an attack that looks to combine power running with a ball control game. In the first preseason game, Fitzgerald's block was critical in springing David Johnson for a 14-yard gain.Fitzgerald said he's excited to see what this new system will do. He just wants to get started. First, there is Sunday night's preseason game at Dallas."I'm ready for the preseason to be over with," he said.Like the other starters, Fitzgerald won't play in the preseason finale against Denver. Now it's all about staying healthy Sunday."I feel great. I just want to keep it that way," he said. "That's why I want the preseason to be over and the real season starts coming and the real checks start coming."Notes: Rookie QB Josh Rosen slammed the thumb on his throwing hand against a helmet in practice this week but coach Steve Wilks said that he still expects Rosen to play. The Arizona Cardinals have one of the best wide receivers to play the game but, beyond Larry Fitzgerald Youth Markus Golden Jersey , the position is a major question mark for the team under first-year coach Steve Wilks.The names of those competing for playing time and/or just a spot on the 53-man roster are hardly that familiar: Brice Butler, J.J. Nelson, Chad Williams, Greg Little, Christian Kirk and Trent Sherfield, among others.Underrated is a good word to describe the group, the coach said."I think that's exactly the point, just because (of) the perception that there's not any big-time there that we don't have good players," Wilks said after the Cardinals sweated through an outdoor practice Friday.The receivers on the roster, he said, are better than outsiders might think.Fitzgerald had another banner season a year ago, finishing second in the league and tying a franchise record with 109 receptions for 1,156 yards as he climbed to No. 3 on the NFL lists for career receptions and yards receiving. At 34, he was the oldest player in league history to catch at least 100 passes in a season.But nobody else caught more than 33 for the 2017 Cardinals and no other wide receiver more than 31. Add the departure of the Browns — Jaron and John (no relation) — via free agency and there wasn't a lot left at the position when Wilks and new offensive coordinator Mike McCoy took over.Nelson and Williams are holdovers, Butler signed as a free agent, Little hasn't played in an NFL game since 2015 and Kirk was Arizona's second-round draft pick out of Texas A&M. Sherfield is an undrafted rookie from Vanderbilt who has shown promise early in camp.Like his coach, Butler believes the group is far better than people realize."There's not a lot of household names, you can say that," he said Youth Tre Boston Jersey , "but we've got big talent in the room."Butler caught 15 passes for a career-best 317 yards and three touchdowns for the Dallas Cowboys last season and sees the current situation as a big opportunity."I've just got to do what I've got to do, man," he said. "It's training camp. It's about doing the grind day in and day out."Nelson might be the biggest big-play threat in the group. Exceedingly fast, his 509 yards receiving (on 29 catches) were second on the team a year ago."He can take the top off, as you guys have seen the last couple of days," Wilks said.But Nelson's career has been plagued by inconsistency.Williams has been working with the first team often as he enters his second year following a difficult rookie season.The former third-round pick out of Grambling State also has big-time speed but played in only six games as a rookie, catching three passes for 31 yards."I feel like I'm way more advanced than I was last year, way smarter," Williams said. "It's an opportunity for me to really get it going."The dynamic Kirk figures prominently in the Cardinals' plans, both as a receiver and kick returner."The one thing that I love about him is his motor," Wilks said. "Of course he's a good player. He's smart and all that stuff. That's the reason why we drafted him, but a lot of times you really don't know what you get until they actually get here and they start going through their routine. This guy goes full speed on every play, every play."Little, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 220 pounds, "has done some great things" in a comeback attempt that Wilks said might be the player's last chance after bouncing from team to team following a standout rookie season in 2011, when he caught 61 passes for 709 yards for Cincinnati."Once you separate Larry, everything else is wide open," Wilks said. "Everybody's fighting for that position. Those guys are really competing hard. ... It's going to be interesting to see how things shape out once preseason hits."

showing a way for the future.That is Josh Rosen.The folks over at Pro Football Focus came out with their grades from http://www.arizonacardinalsteamonline.com/andy-lee-jersey the game and guess who was the highest graded player?That’s right, Josh Rosen.Yet, not even the biggest believer in Rosen could believe how well he played in his first career start.87.1 is a great score for any singular player, no matter their status or how long they have been in the league Authentic Markus Golden Jersey , but Rosen’s score was quite astounding.Rosen’s 87.1 PFF grade is the highest grade by any rookie quarterback this season, yes over any of Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold or Josh Allen.That is something to hang your hat on if you are Rosen, but it is also something great for the Cardinals moving forward.No matter what happened in that game, the drops http://www.arizonacardinalsteamonline.com/deone-bucannon-jersey , the inconsistent pass blocking, the befuddling play calls, Rosen rose above it all and produced a strong outing.So far, so good.Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers second half thread One big play on offense, one big play on defense and the Arizona Cardinals find themselves http://www.arizonacardinalsteamonline.com/josh-bynes-jersey , for the third week in a row, up at the half.The Cardinals lead the San Francisco 49ers 14-6 at the half, despite another puzzlingly bad performance from their wide receiver and running backs.Josh Rosen is 8/14 for 155 yards and a beautiful 75-yard touchdown pass to fellow rookie Christian Kirk, but Rosen's receivers have three first half drops.Defensively, after an opening drive that showed the master class of Kyle Shanahan's offensive scripting Womens Christian Kirk Jersey , it looks like C.J. Beathard is playing quarterback again.The defense has forced two turnovers, including a fumble recovery that Patrick Peterson took inside the five.David Johnson finished off the drive with a two-yard touchdown run to give the Cardinals the 14-6 lead.Let's see if this week, the Cardinals can find a way to make some halftime adjustments and finish off a win.

 with Reggie McKenzie Raiders draft picks It’s been known for some time that the Raiders don’t currently possess a single player from Reggie McKenzie’s first two drafts as Raiders GM in 2012-13. This offseason saw the largest purge of McKenzie picks to date.Since Jon Gruden arrived Authentic Kelechi Osemele Jersey , he has been getting rid of McKenzie drafted picks at a fever pace. Here is the list of picks from 2014-17 who were on the Raiders roster last year and who are not now:Khalil Mack, Round 1, 2014 – Traded to BearsMario Edwards Jr, Round 2, 2015 – Waived in final cuts, claimed by GiantsJihad Ward, Round 2, 2016 – Traded to CowboysObi Melifonwu, Round 2, 2017 – Waived/injured, placed on injured reserveClive Walford, Round 3, 2015 – Waived last MarchEddie Vanderdoes, Round 3, 2017 – Placed on Physically Unable to Perform listKeith McGill, Round 4, 2014 – Not re-signed in MarchConnor Cook, Round 4, 2016 – Waived in final roster cutsDavid Sharpe, Round 4 2017 – Waived day after roster cutsCory James, Round 6, 2016 – Waived in MayTJ Carrie, Round 7, 2014 – Not re-signed, signed free agent deal with BrownsDexter McDonald, Round 7, 2015 – Waived/injured among final roster cutsVadal Alexander, Round 7 Youth Reggie Nelson Jersey , 2016 – Released after failure to report to campShalom Luani, Round 7, 2017 – Trade to Seahawks for 7th round pickJylan Ware, Round 7, 2017 – Waived in final roster cutsElijah Hood, Round 7, 2017 – Waived in MayTreyvon Hester, Round 7, 2017 — Waived Monday (this is an update)That’s 17 former Reggie McKenzie draft picks over four years gone in a matter of months. That is an absolute massacre. It’s more than the actual number of McKenzie draft selects who still remain on the team.There are a combined total of just 10 former Reggie McKenzie draft picks on the team. The players who remain are Derek Carr, Gabe Jackson, Justin Ellis, Amari Cooper, Jon Feliciano, Karl Joseph, Shilique Calhoun, DeAndre Washington, Gareon Conley, and Marquel Lee.Here is what the past four drafts prior to this one look like:20171 Gareon Conley CB Ohio State2 Obi Melifonwu S Connecticut3 Eddie VanderdoesDT UCLA4 David SharpeOTFlorida5 Marquel Lee LB Wake Forest7a.Shalom Luani S Washington State7b.Jylan Ware OTAlabama State7c.Elijah Hood RBNorth Carolina7d.Treyvon Hester DT Toledo20161 Karl Joseph S West Virginia2 Jihad Ward DE Illinois3 Shilique CalhounDE Michigan State4 Connor Cook QBMichigan State5 DeAndr茅 Washington RBTexas Tech6 Cory James LB Colorado State7 Vadal AlexanderGLSU20151 Amari Cooper WR Alabama2 Mario Edwards Jr.DE Florida State3 Clive Walford TE Miami4 Jon FelicianoGMiami5a.Ben HeeneyLB Kansas5b.Neiron Ball LB Florida6 Max Valles LB Virginia7a.Anthony MorrisOL Tennessee State7b.Andre Debose WR Florida7c.Dexter McDonald CB Kansas20141 Khalil MackLB Buffalo2 Derek CarrQBFresno State3 Gabe Jackson GMississippi State4a.Justin EllisDT Louisiana Tech4b.Keith McGill CB Utah7a.TJ Carrie CB Ohio7b.Shelby HarrisDE Illinois State7c.Jonathan DowlingS Western KentuckyMake of this what you will.Editor’s note: This article was updated to reflect the team waiving Treyvon Hester Monday.Follow @LeviDamienRaiders vs. Rams: 4 Winners, 4 Losers This game was a tough one to stomach. After leading 13-10 at the half, the Raiders completely laid an egg in the second half to lose 33-13. It’s clear the Rams are the class of the league and nobody should have expected a win, but to see them collapse the way they did was disheartening.There’s plenty of blame to go around, but let’s give some credit first. WINNERS1) Rams offensive lineOne of the key secrets to the Rams’ success is that they quietly have one of the best offensive lines in football. Tonight they were able to open up just enough holes in the run game that Todd Gurley could keep the Raiders defense off balance, and they gave Jared Goff all day to throw. The Raiders had no pass rush whatsoever, and only one sack. Would Khalil Mack have helped? Personally, I doubt it. We already saw Andrew Whitworth shut him down a few years ago with the Bengals, and tonight wouldn’t have gone any differently. This unit is on another level.2) Jared CookCook had a spectacular game as the Raiders’ only real weapon in the passing game. He caught nine passes for 180 yards which is pretty close to the Raiders’ all time record for receiving yards in a single game by a tight end. The Rams had no answer for Cook tonight and he looks to be a major part of the offense moving forward.3) Brandin CooksWhy on Earth did the Patriots let this guy go? For that matter, why did the Saints? Cooks was absolutely uncoverable tonight, displaying speed and hands and the ability to exploit zone coverage. Sammy Watkins was inconsistent but this guy could be the one who makes the Rams even more explosive http://www.raidersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-gabe-jackson-jersey , and that’s a scary thought.4) Rams coaching staffAfter being thoroughly outcoached by Jon Gruden and company in the first half, Sean McVay and Wade Phillips made the necessary halftime adjustments to fight their way back. Phillips’ defense showed its teeth and even though they only sacked Derek Carr once, the constant pressure was enough to stall multiple Raiders drives. Phillips is one of the best defensive coordinators of all time and he showed it tonight.LOSERS1) Derek CarrHoly Toledo, that was a bad performance. Carr threw for 303 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions, one of which was a pick-six to Marcus Peters. Carr’s second pick was a completely inexcusable throw which was lobbed into the sky and landed right in the waiting hands of Rams LB Cory Littleton. The first was Carr trying one too many times to hit Jared Cook, and underthrowing the ball by a full two yards in the end zone. Each throw was awful in its own way. Carr’s total reluctance to throw deep might have been part of the game plan, but it looked like he was just rattled. I feel like Gruden’s offensive game plan could have succeeded if Carr had made the correct throws and not made critical errors. Carr has always had his detractors, and this game will simply add more fuel to that fire. Carr is getting paid like a franchise quarterback, but he hasn’t looked like one since the Chiefs game last October. The team is on his shoulders now, it goes as he goes. If he is going to play like this, the team will go nowhere but the top of the draft again.2) Raiders defensive lineChalk this one up as a learning experience for this very young positional group. Tank Carradine was inactive for some reason, leaving Fadol Brown and Shilique Calhoun backing up Frostee Rucker at defensive end opposite Bruce Irvin. While the Raiders’ rookie trio of PJ Hall, Maurice Hurst and Arden Key are talented, they are still rookies and were treated as such today. The Rams’ offensive line is full of veteran studs. The youngsters did nothing today, but they’ll be chomping at the bit to feast on Denver’s line next week.3) Raiders safetiesMarcus Gilchrist and Reggie Nelson started at safety for Oakland tonight, and neither were particularly good. Nelson’s coverage strategy of ‘diving and grabbing at air’ was especially ineffective, and it’s only due to the fact that Jared Goff constantly overshot his deep passes that the secondary didn’t look worse. Rashaan Melvin and Gareon Conley played just fine, and Conley remains a stud when healthy, but where is Karl Joseph, and how is he not better than these two?4) Matt StaffordIf you think Derek Carr had a bad day, go look at Matt Stafford’s line. If there’s two teams that live and die with their quarterback more than the Raiders, it’s the Packers and Lions. The Packers game was an example of a quarterback dragging his team to victory, while the Lions game was an example of a quarterback dragging his team to the bottom of the ocean. Stafford went 24/46 for 286 yards, a touchdown and FOUR picks, including one that was returned for a touchdown by the Jets of all teams. Stafford was outshined by rookie Sam Darnold, who led his team to the 48-17 win and threw two touchdowns after his first pass as a pro was picked and returned for a TD as well.

 The more I think about this game Oakland Raiders Womens Hoodie , the more crucial it seems. The Raiders desperately need a win and they desperately need to show last week was the start of something, not a flare up that fizzles out. And this is a division rival, which makes it doubly important. These match-ups will be key to the outcome.Brandon Parker vs Melvin IngramMaking his first start for the Raiders will be third round rookie Brandon Parker. Just a few months ago he was at North Carolna A&T. Now he’s tasked with protecting Derek Carr at the right tackle spot. He will do that against one of the league’s premiere pass rushers. Ingram will play a fair share of snaps on both sides, so Kolton Miller isn’t out of the woods here. But you can bet the Chargers will put their best pass rusher against the more vulnerable Parker to try give themselves their best chance to get home.Ingram has 1.5 sacks through the first four games, but even without his partner in crime Joey Bosa on the other side, he still wreaks havoc. Just last week Derwin James got to the quarterback twice. The first was a sack and Ingram was right there as well, giving 49ers QB CJ Bethard nowhere to go. Ingram may have deserve half a sack for that. When James got to the QB again, it was as he threw and there was Ingram to get a hand on the pass and tip it into the arms of teammate Isaac Rochell. Parker will have a tough match-up to start his career.Amari Cooper vs Casey HaywardLate last week Womens Customized Oakland Raiders Jerseys , Coop got over on former Raiders’ cornerback TJ Carrie. That had a lot to do with the fact that the Browns lost cornerbacks Terrence Mitchell and EJ Gaines, thrusting Carrie into covering the boundary. Prior to Gaines’ departure in the third quarter, Coop had just 3 catches for 37 yards and none of those came on outstanding rookie Denzel Ward.The Chargers lost one of their top cornerbacks before the season with Jason Verrett being lost for the season. That leaves current 2-time Pro Bowl cornerback Casey Hayward to stop Coop. We have seen Coop step up with big games twice this season. We’ve also seen him disappear in the other two. His performance vs Hayward will be key.Derek Carr vs Derwin JamesJames has been a revelation for the Chargers. Not that anyone should be surprised. The only surprise was that he was actually still on the board after the Raiders traded down from 10 to 14 in the first round and the Chargers were able to snag James with pick right after. James is a certified baller at the safety spot. He does pretty much everything well. It’s why you see him wherever the ball is on any given play. He even has 3.0 sacks in four games this season, which is impressive for anyone and is downright unheard of for a safety.Carr’s targets will all be affected by James’s presence. Whether it’s looking for a receiver deep – he was intercepted by Browns’ safety Damarious Randall last week on a deep ball attempt to Martavis Bryant --- trying to get the ball to Jared Cook, or keeping from getting sacked on a blitz. Carr will have to keep an eye out for James on any given play.Marquel Lee vs Melvin GordonGordon is the Chargers’ top weapon on offense. He is a threat out of the backfield either as a runner or a receiver, leading the team with 475 yards on 78 touches from scrimmage (6.1 yards per touch) and 5 touchdowns. Tahir Whitehead was supposed to be the Raiders’ top linebacker this season, but he has not done well so far. While Lee was expected to see few snaps behind Derrick Johnson and has thus far stepped up as probably the best hope the Raiders have at the linebacker spot. It didn’t seem to matter much who was at linebacker last week against the Browns. Rookie Nick Chubb had 105 yards on three carries (!) including two long touchdown runs of 63 and 41 yards, while Carlos Hyde added 82 yards and a touchdown. Gordon has proven more talented than either of those players.Arden Key vs Sam TeviIt’s time. Key has shown improvement over the first four games www.raidersauthorizedshops.com , and had his best game last week. But he still has yet to put up a sack. Rivers is not easy to sack. He has a quick release with very minimal drawback in his awkward delivery. But he’s not as elusive as Baker Mayfield was last week. The rookie third round rookie pass rusher (87 overall) is unlikely to face off against former Raiders third round (92 overall) tackle Joe Barksdale. Barksdale is doubtful for the game after having missed the past three games for the Chargers. Replacing Barksdale again is expected to be 2017 6th round pick Sam Tevi. Rivers has been sacked four times in the past three games, and Tevi gave up two of them along with a pressure that led to a third. That should raise the chances of Key getting that elusive first sack. With just five sacks on the season, the Raiders could certainly use it.Follow @LeviDamienWatch: Nate Burleson thinks Raiders Chris Warren III could be ‘feature back’ in NFL We’ve seen Chris Warren III make some powerful runs this preseason for the Raiders. But it’s just the preseason. That fact didn’t stop Nate Burleson from making some bold statements about the undrafted rookie back.Burleson worked on the announcer crew for game against the Rams where Warren ran for 110 yards and a touchdown. It’s safe to say, he came away suitably impressed.“Just visually, as a guy that’s seen running back, played against some of the best of all time, I said to myself, ‘you know what Oakland Raiders Womens T-Shirt , this guy’s gonna make the team, there’s no question. He’s going to be amazing, he’s going to be one of those guys that climbs up the depth chart, he’s going to be a household name very soon,” said Burleson.The former NFL receiver quickly noted the same things Jon Gruden pointed out with regard to Warren doing the little things like picking up the blitz as giving him pause when predicting he will make the roster right away. And as a back who is third or fourth on the depth chart, special teams come into play as well.“It’s an intriguing storyline, because I want to know where he lands,” Burleson continued. “Is he going to make the team? Are they going to try to put him on practice squad? Because if they do that. other teams will say ‘Ohohoho Oakland Raiders Hats , wait a minute, let me pluck this guy right off the roster.’ So, I’m going to keep my eyes on him, because no joke he is that real that he could be a feature back in this league. The question is, does he have the other intangibles to make him a starting back?”Burleson added that Warren was “Strong. . . Old school running back.” Which I suppose makes sense considering Warren’s father was a Pro Bowl NFL back in the 90’s.Warren has been quite a storyline in Raider Nation this preseason. He is among those who head into the final preseason game in a bubble battle.Follow @LeviDamien

WR Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys. The surprising Youth Rodney Hudson Jersey part is that Dallas paid Oakland a first-round pick in return, which is a terrific haul for a player with the production level of Amari Cooper. But the Raiders were offered other deals first, according to NFL Network’s Michael Silver:Sometimes when you play hardball with trades, it can hamper your ability to get a deal done. Other times, it works out like this, and you get the deal you want. The real value of Amari Cooper is probably something like a fourth-round pick, but Brandin Cooks and Sammy Watkins have both been traded quite recently for first-round picks, setting a market value. So the Raiders were right to hold out Youth Jared Cook Jersey , even at the risk of not getting a deal done.The trade rumors that have been going around about Cooper stated that the Raiders weren’t actively shopping him, but that teams were told the price was a first-rounder. The Raiders found themselves in an advantageous position wherein multiple teams were calling them, offering deals. Silver says the Colts were offering as well, and Washington was also reported yesterday as a potential trade partner.This is also how the Khalil Mack deal happened, and we know over half the league called and offered something for Mack. The Raiders got two firsts for Mack, and he was surely worth at least that much. Cooper was by no means worth a first, but the Raiders got that anyway. If they don’t make any other moves, which seems unlikely, the Raiders will have three first-round picks and $74 million in salary cap space. Those are some solid assets for a team that is clearly rebuilding before a move to a new city. Sunday the Raiders will face the Chargers for the second time this season. Last time was week five in Los Angeles in a game the Raiders had basically lost by halftime and quickly turned into a blowout.The Chargers were up 17-3 at the half over the Raiders. And by the start of the 4th quarter Womens P.J. Hall Jersey , that lead had moved to 26-3. It was over well before the clock officially ran out. Just like their next game in London against the Seahawks which they lost 24-3 or last week in Santa Clara against the 49ers which they lost 34-3.By all accounts those losses to the Seahawks and 49ers were brutal, devastating losses. Yet, Gruden sees something positive in the loss to the Chargers.“We liked what we did the last time,” Gruden said of the Raiders previous performance against the Chargers. Though the only positive he seems to have been able to take from it is “we competed hard,” something he said even after last week’s Battle of the Bay massacre was not an issue for this team.Instead Gruden went long on the things that went wrong. For which there were many, leaving very little to like about the performance.“Obviously, they had a couple of big plays offensively,” Gruden continued. “They were able to sustain drives. I think we only had three possessions in the entire second half. Obviously a bad call by me on first-and-goal at the 1 [-yard line]. We had two false starts on third-and-2. We had a false start on first-and-goal at the 5. We had some critical errors that are inexcusable that really hurt us, but we competed hard. We played some good football against the Chargers.”I feel like that Futurama squinting meme trying to find where Raiders played good football against the Chargers the first time they faced off this season.Derek Carr was sacked 3 times. Which I guess is not as bad as the 7 times he was sacked against the 49ers or the 6 times he was sacked against the Seahawks. So there’s that.The only touchdown they scored came after the game was out of hand. That drive represented 6 completions for 76 yards and a TD pass for Carr. Without that garbage time drive Womens Leon Hall Jersey , Carr’s numbers would have been 18 for 26 for 192 yards and 1 Int.Another four completions for 55 of Carr’s passing yards came on the Raiders’ previous drive with the team already down 20-3. That drive ended with Carr throwing an interception to Melvin Ingram in the end zone on first and goal at the one-yard line. That’s the play Gruden was referring to where the ball should’ve gone to Marshawn Lynch. Or, as Gruden said at the time, Carr shouldn’t have thrown it. Either way, not good times.The defense did what the defense has done all season. Nothing. Melvin Gordon had over 100 yards from scrimmage, and the running backs had 179 yards and Philip Rivers threw for 339 yards and 2 touchdowns with no interceptions. He had just five incompletions in the game. Starting midway through the second quarter, the Chargers scored on each of their final five possessions. Over that same period, the Raiders possessions went punt, punt, fumble Womens Derek Carrier Jersey , missed field goal, punt, interception.Even as good as the Chargers have been this season, there’s really nothing I can see that would suggest anything positive could be taken from the previous loss to the Chargers. Hard to see why anyone would even try to sugarcoat it. To suggest that was “good football” is a pretty sure sign for how far down the bar has been lowered.Follow @LeviDamien

 Rams shine, Bears dominate, Bills return to badness Another week in the NFL Atlanta Falcons Hoodie has come and gone. Week 4 is now in the books, and with it we have an even clearer picture of the NFL landscape in 2018. The Rams and Chiefs are currently the class of their respective conferences, while the Bills and Cardinals find themselves at the bottom. There was action. There was drama. There was also some damn good football. Let’s talk about it.Here are thirteen takeaways from Week 4 of the 2018 NFL season.The Rams are the NFL’s best teamStarting out 4-0 is impressive on its own, but the Rams have been ever better than their record. Through four weeks of play, Los Angeles looks like the best team in the NFL—and I’m not sure it’s particularly close. Jared Goff has grown significantly over the past two seasons, and the Rams defense has improved drastically from 2017. This team will be tough to beat all season long.Buffalo’s upset win over the Vikings was a flukeIt was fun to see the Bills (1-3) get that upset win over Minnesota (1-2-1) in Week 3, but I think we all knew the truth: the Bills are bad. Buffalo proved that with a 22-0 loss to the Packers (2-1-1), who aren’t exactly known for their defense. Josh Allen is always going to be a high-variance QB, and on a team with little to nothing in the way of offensive weapons, it’s going to be mostly bad.The Bucs collapsed against the BearsI definitely saw this one coming, but a lot of you didn’t believe me when I said Fitzmagic was over after Week 3. Well, here’s your proof: Tampa Bay (2-2) getting absolutely manhandled by the Bears (3-1) to the tune of 48-10. Nothing worked on offense for the Buccaneers Youth Customized Atlanta Falcons Jerseys , and the team even trotted out Winston to try and save the day. The defense is also legitimately worse than the Falcons’, and they don’t have any injury excuses.The Bears have one of the NFL’s best defensesSpeaking of defenses, Chicago has a great one. The trade for Khalil Mack turned this unit from fringe top-10 to elite almost overnight. Mack is simply one of the best players in the NFL at any position, and he’s been dominant through four weeks for the Bears. The jury is still out on Mitchell Trubisky and the offense, but this defense will keep them in just about any game. Chicago could be the best team in the NFC North.Miami was a fraudAnother outcome we should’ve known was coming. A 3-0 Miami team heads to face a reeling 1-3 New England squad with a chance to bury them and take control of the division. How did the Dolphins respond to such a challenge? By laying an absolute egg, to the tune of 38-7. They’ve played a cupcake schedule to this point and really aren’t as good as their 3-1 record.The Titans know how to win uglyThis is like the reverse outcome of what happened between Miami and New England. I expected the Titans (3-1) to be shown up by an Eagles (2-2) team that now has a healthy Carson Wentz and Alshon Jeffery. Well, that didn’t happen. Marcus Mariota played well and the defense did enough to hold Philadelphia in check and take it to overtime. Tennessee doesn’t look great doing it, but they keep finding ways to win—and that’s all the matters in the NFL.Houston avoids 0-4, but they’re still strugglingOne of Week 3’s desperate teams looking to avoid the almost-certain playoff death that accompanies an 0-4 start, the Texans (1-3) managed to pull it off in overtime against the Colts (1-3). Deshaun Watson was sharp and benefited from a nice performance from rookie WR Keke Coutee. That defense is still a major problem, however—and the offensive line is struggling mightily in both pass protection and run blocking.The Colts are...decent?Indianapolis is probably better than their 1-3 record, which is a surprise based on what I thought they were to start the season. Andrew Luck had a vintage performance, throwing for 464 yards and 4 TDs. The backfield is still a mess, but the defense is steadily improving. They’ve been close to wins against several good teams this season www.falconsauthorizedshops.com , and I expect them to remain competitive throughout the 2018 season.Josh Rosen looked good in his first start with ArizonaWhile Josh Rosen couldn’t keep the Cardinals from falling to 0-4 against the Seahawks (2-2), he had a much better performance than the box score showed. Arizona isn’t likely to compete for a playoff spot, but their defense is still solid enough to keep them in games if the offense can step up to the challenge. With Rosen at the helm, they’ve got a chance.The Steelers are reelingIf Falcons fans want a reason for optimism this week, look no further than the Steelers’ (1-2-1) most recent performance at home against the Ravens (3-1). You’ll see a maddeningly inconsistent Roethlisberger, a run game that could get absolutely nothing going, and a defense that is in competition for the worst in the league. Pittsburgh is just as desperate as Atlanta for a win on Sunday.Baltimore’s offense has really improved in 2018If somebody told me that the Ravens’ offense had improved measurably in 2018, I probably would’ve assumed it was because Lamar Jackson was starting at QB. That hasn’t happened, but maybe it’s because Flacco is concerned about his job security. While Baltimore’s run game is hit or miss, the passing game has been much better—John Brown has been a huge addition to the receiving corps. The defense is still one of the NFL’s top units, and the Ravens look like a playoff contender through four weeks.Oakland edges out Browns in OT, still badWhile the Browns (1-2-1) have looked a lot better with Baker Mayfield under center, they still seem to have difficulty winning games—particularly in overtime. Their misfortune helped the Raiders (1-3) avoid an 0-4 start, but make no mistake: they’re still a bad team on the whole. Marshawn Lynch has been excellent Womens Jake Matthews Jersey , however, and this offense is still capable of good days.Baker’s Bonus Take: Patrick Mahomes is legitThe Chiefs (4-0) had a real test on Monday night against the Broncos (2-2). Denver’s crowd was rowdy, and the defense cooked up a scheme that frustrated Patrick Mahomes for most of the night. But Mahomes responded like a true franchise QB: he rallied, made adjustments, and brought Kansas City back late in the game. The Chiefs have an exploitable defense, but that has so far been little more than a footnote with Mahomes at the helm. Let’s see if Kansas City can keep up this pace through the remainder of the season, but one thing is certain: they’re a lot of fun to watch.What are your thoughts on everything that happened in Week 4? Were you surprised by the Bucs’ reversion to an awful team on Sunday? Who do you think the best and worst teams in the NFC and AFC are after four weeks?Falcons vs. Bengals: Final score predictions for Week 4 DWFalcons 24 - Bengals 21The Bengals defensive front could cause problems during the day. Geno Atkins in particular terrifies me. That said, the past two offensive performances makes me think that Steve Sarkisian is gaining confidence as a play caller and is already anticipating their defensive front. I think the Bengals will slow our offense more than the Saints and Panthers, but I also believe we have some good matchups against their offense. Getting Takk McKinley back will be the difference here, as I think he’ll keep Andy Dalton from getting too comfortable in the pocket and limit their offense just enough to get the win.Kevin KnightFalcons 31 - Bengals 24The Falcons offense will once again have to carry the team in this one. Cincinnati’s defense is better than New Orleans’, particularly in the pass rushing department, but not by much. They’ve also struggled against the run far more than the Saints, which could make the Falcons’ play-action offense even more dangerous and help keep Andy Dalton and the Bengals’ offense on the sidelines. That’s really the best hope for this Falcons defense in keeping Cincy under 30 points, although the return of Takk McKinley should help Atlanta get some pressure up front. It’ll probably be uncomfortable http://www.falconsfootballauthentics.com/matt-ryan-jersey-authentic , but the Falcons should get back to .500 on Sunday.Adnan IkicFalcons 34 - Bengals 24I have full faith in the offense to keep humming against a team that couldn’t even begin to penetrate Carolina’s injury plagued offensive line this past Sunday. Tevin Coleman should find some more running lanes to work with this week than he saw against New Orleans, and Matt Ryan should find himself operating within a clean pocket. You just expect the offense to score every time they touch the ball at this point. On defense, the pass rush should make more of an impact than we saw last Sunday with the return of Takk McKinley. Get some pressure on Andy Dalton’s and make him play catch up and he’ll make some mistakes (four interceptions thrown last game). The Bengals’ offense won’t get shut down but they won’t keep up.Cory WoodroofFalcons 30 - Bengals 28 This game has me more conflicted than any in the immediate future for the Falcons. The Bengals offense are going to be able to do a lot of things effectively against Atlanta’s defense; this is not a good matchup in the slightest. If they can put A.J. Green in the slot and get Gio Bernard active in the passing game, this could be an ugly afternoon for the defenders. They’re already fighting an uphill climb with losing Ricardo Allen from a communication standpoint. Atlanta is going to have to score 30 once again to get out of Dodge on this, though the Bengals defense has talent. Expect this one to be a “to the last whistle” affair once more, with home field and a field goal the difference to get Atlanta to 2-2. It’s time for Atlanta’s defensive coaching staff to step up and fill in the gaps where the talent cannot.Dave ChoateFalcons 31 - Bengals 27A hard-fought, frustrating game that is in doubt until the end? Very little defense and plenty of offense? That sounds like a 2018 Falcons game, doesn’t it? Enough questions. Atlanta can win this game if the offense keeps humming and the defense gets its act together even a little, and I think they will. A loss here puts the Falcons in a rough spot, and they shouldn’t lack for motivation. Allen StrkFalcons 30 - Bengals 28Expect this to be the third consecutive topsy-turvy game inside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. With all the problems surrounding Atlanta’s defense, it’s hard to expect any straightforward games against half-decent opposition. The Bengals could be viewed as even better than half-decent. A rapidly improving offense featured a revamped coaching staff and plethora of playmakers will give Dan Quinn’s decimated defense serious problems. For all the defensive shortcomings, the offense appears to be ready for any challenge. Picking apart a subpar Bengals’ secondary shouldn’t be too difficult for Matt Ryan. As long as the protection holds up, the Falcons should win another high-scoring affair. Don’t be surprised to see Matt Bryant hit a game-winning field goal.

The Atlanta Falcons take on the Philadelphia Eagles tonight in the NFL’s 2018 season opener. It’s very exciting stuff Authentic Julio Jones Jersey , and needless to say, I am hyped. Before we get into the hype-fest, however, we should take a closer look at the finer points of this early-season playoff rematch.The Falcons and Eagles were very closely matched back in 2017, with the Eagles eking out a narrow 15-10 victory in the divisional round. Both teams have reloaded with young players, but the Falcons come into the game with a distinct health advantage against the defending Super Bowl champions. Let’s take a closer look at how these teams compare statistically heading into Thursday night.To clarify, all these stats are taken from the NFL’s 2017 regular season statistics. After tonight’s game, we’ll be switching to 2018 regular season statistics. So, this is the last time you’ll have to look at these old numbers! Huzzah!OFFENSEStatisticFalconsEaglesStatisticFalconsEaglesThe Falcons offense was good in 2017, but they underachieved significantly based on their efficiency numbers. Hopefully, with a shiny new WR3 in Calvin Ridley and another year of experience for Steve Sarkisian, they can improve. The Falcons were merely 15th in scoring, but 8th in total yardage and 3rd in yards per play. In the passing game, Atlanta was 8th in yardage, T-4th in yards per attempt, and T-20th in passing TDs. On the ground, the Falcons were 13th in yardage, T-7th in yards per carry, and T-15th in rushing TDs. The team was best in the league on third down with a 45% conversion rate, but a poor turnover margin (-2, 19th) held them back all season.Philadelphia looked like the NFL’s best offense at times with Carson Wentz in the lineup, but fell off somewhat after Nick Foles came in. We know they rallied in the playoffs, but it’s still unclear just how effective they’ll be without Wentz in 2018. In 2017, the Eagles were 3rd in scoring, 7th in total yardage, and 10th in yards per play. Through the air, Philadelphia was 13th in yardage, T-14th in yards per attempt, and 1st in passing TDs with a whopping 38. The Eagles were among the NFL’s best rushing attacks—3rd in yardage and T-3rd in yards per carry, but only T-24th in rushing TDs. Philadelphia was also good on third down, converting 42% of their attempts (8th). The team benefited from an excellent turnover margin in 2017, ending the season at +11 (4th).Advantage: PushDEFENSEStatisticFalconsEaglesStatisticFalconsEaglesThe Falcons defense, on the other hand, may have slightly overachieved based on their efficiency numbers in 2017. Atlanta held Philadelphia to only 15 points in the playoffs—hopefully, another performance like that would be enough to get a win on Thursday. The Falcons were 8th in scoring defense, 9th in total yards allowed Matt Ryan Jersey , and 13th in yards per play. Defending the pass, Atlanta was 12th in yardage, T-8th in yards per attempt, and T-12th in passing TDs allowed. Against the run, the Falcons were 9th in yardage, T-16th in yards per carry, and T-6th in rushing TDs allowed. Atlanta was about average at defending third downs, allowing a 38% conversion rate (16th. The Falcons also got to the QB at an above-average rate, with 39 sacks in 2017 (T-13th).Philadelphia has one of the NFL’s best defenses—particularly against the run—but that defense will be a bit shorthanded on Thursday night. Still, their numbers from 2017 were very impressive. The Eagles were 4th in scoring defense, 5th in total yardage allowed, and 9th in yards per play. Against the pass, Philadelphia was 17th in yardage, T-3rd in yards per attempt, and T-18th in passing TDs allowed. On the ground, the Eagles were 1st in yardage, T-6th in yards per carry, and T-3rd in rushing TDs allowed. Philadelphia was one of the NFL’s best third down defenses, allowing only 32% of attempts to be converted (3rd). The Eagles were about average at generating sacks, with 38 on the year (T-15th).Advantage: EaglesThe story, at least based on the statistics, is basically the same as it was in the Divisional round in 2017. Atlanta must find a way to stop the rushing attack of the Eagles, and force the ball into Nick Foles’ hands. On the other side of the ball, the Falcons need to score points early and often to put themselves into a positive game script—especially on the road against what is sure to be a raucous crowd.Of course, the stats never tell the full story, especially when all we have to go off of are last year’s numbers. These are two different teams that are likely to change somewhat in 2018. Atlanta has the advantage in health, where they get to face an Eagles’ defense that is down starting LB Nigel Bradham and DT Timmy Jeringan, with explosive EDGE Brandon Graham coming back on the field off of limited training camp reps. The Falcons also get to face the Philadelphia offense without WRs Alshon Jeffery and Mack Hollins—two of the team’s top 4 targets.Expect the Eagles and Falcons to both target each other’s weaknesses. Philly is likely to roll out a lot of 12 and 22 sets to force the Falcons to play base defense and get LB Duke Riley on the field. Atlanta is likely to do the same, forcing the Eagles to use inexperienced LBs like Nick Gerry and Kamu Grugier-Hill. Whoever is able to take advantage of these match-ups is likely to come away with the victory. Based on external factors, the Falcons have the advantage. Based on the stats alone, however, the edge still goes to the Eagles.Overall Advantage: EaglesWhat are your thoughts on this playoff rematch? How big of a difference will Philadelphia’s injuries make in this game? Do you expect the Falcons to come away with a win tonight? Joe Mixon scored on a 4-yard run and dashed toward the stands in celebration of Cincinnati's go-ahead touchdown. On the Steelers sideline, Ben Roethlisberger looked at the clock, saw there was 1:18 left, and told his linemen not to fret."They gave us too much time," Big Ben said confidently.Somehow http://www.authenticsatlantafalcons.com/cheap-matt-bosher-jersey , the Steelers never run out of time at Paul Brown Stadium.Antonio Brown turned a short catch into a 31-yard touchdown with 10 seconds left Sunday, sending the Steelers to a 28-21 victory over the Bengals. They've now won seven straight against Cincinnati, a streak that includes highly improbable — and totally predictable — wins.The Steelers (3-2-1) sure saw it coming."On the sideline before I went out, I told the guys, 'This is what legacies are made of for all of us. Let's go take care of business,'" Roethlisberger said.On the decisive play, Roethlisberger saw the Bengals (4-2) were set for an all-out blitz with no safeties guarding the end zone. He knew it would be a touchdown if he got the ball quickly to Brown, who caught it in stride, cut behind Justin Hunter's block and ran untouched to the end zone."We've been in that situation a lot, and I knew we were going to do it," said Brown, who had five catches for 105 yards.During their seven-game winning streak, the Steelers have pulled them out at Paul Brown Stadium with 14 seconds, no seconds, and 10 seconds to go.They rallied to win a first-round playoff game in 2015 — aided by Vontaze Burfict hitting Brown in the head for a costly penalty — on Chris Boswell's field goal with 14 seconds left. Last December, they overcame a 17-point deficit and won on Boswell's field goal as time ran out.Now, this stunner."We're better than them," Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick insisted. "They're not better than us."The statistics say otherwise. The Steelers have won 10 of 11 and 15 of 18 in the lopsided series.Some takeaways from Paul Brown Stadium:IT'S A RACEThe Bengals got an early cushion in the division by knocking off the Ravens and opening 4-1, their best start since they won the division in 2015. The Steelers got off to a ragged start at 1-2-1, but back-to-back wins over the Falcons and Bengals have evened up the division. The Bengals finish the season at Heinz Field.SHOCKING NUMBERSThe Steelers are 16-2 at Paul Brown Stadium during Marvin Lewis' 16 seasons as the Bengals' head coach, including playoff victories in 2005 and 2015. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is 20-5 against the Bengals. Andy Dalton is 3-12 against the Steelers, missing that 2015 playoff meltdown with a broken thumb.CONNER'S HISTORYJames Conner ran for 111 yards and a pair of touchdowns, his second straight 100-yard game. Conner joined Hall of Famers Franco Harris (1976) and Jerome Bettis (2004) as the only Steelers to run for seven touchdowns in the first six games of a season, excelling as Le'Veon Bell's replacement. Bell reportedly will end his holdout this week during Pittsburgh's bye."What a great game," Roethlisberger said. "Now I know it's his last game for us, so we're glad he did well in his last one."Roethlisberger laughed, clarifying that he was going entirely off media reports and speculation about what happens when Bell returns.BLITZBURGHAfter getting shredded in September, the Steelers' defense has come around in the last two games. It got six sacks in a 41-17 win over the Falcons and sacked Dalton three times. Pittsburgh limited the Bengals to 123 yards in the second half.BURFICT REPRISEIn his second game back from his latest NFL suspension, Burfict was at the center of the riled-up rivalry. He exchanged words with Roethlisberger 3 minutes into the game. A teammate pushed him away from Conner to help the linebacker avoid a penalty after a touchdown run. In the third quarter, Burfict hit Brown in the head as he was being tackled, but avoided a penalty. The NFL will review the play. In the locker room after the game, Burfict yelled at a reporter who asked another Bengals player about the hit on Brown."A nasty hit," Brown said.

 as far as who is buying Authentic Deion Jones Jersey , who is selling, and who is doing a little bit of both to fill the holes on their roster. Today, we got a nice little rumor about the Padres going after Noah Syndergaard. Don’t laugh. San Diego is trying! Might as well shoot for the stars while you have the prospects to do it. The rumor Both The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and SNY’s Andy Martino are reporting that the Padres have expressed in interest in Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard. San Diego pursued Syndergaard at the trade deadline and words like “more aggressive” and “significant trade interest” are being thrown around about the possible deal. Why it makes sense for the Padres Syndergaard is not just a star pitcher who could lead a rotation easily, but he’s that kind of pitcher who is also under team control for the next three seasons at a relatively reasonable cost. MLB Trade Rumors estimates that he’ll be paid $5.9 million in 2019. To call that a deal is an understatement. For the Padres, Syndergaard wouldn’t be the key to immediately competing just like the Eric Hosmer signing wasn’t the key to immediately compete in 2018. But both of those are big pieces that go a long way towards building a contending team in 2020 or 2021, the seasons they are reportedly targeting as the end of their rebuild. Not every one of their top prospects is going to make it to the major league roster, so they’ll have to be flipped for something eventually. Syndergaard, under reasonably priced team control until they plan on contending, is one of the best pieces you could build around, even with his periodic injury issues. Who knows, those injury issues might magically disappear once he’s out of the Mets’ purview. Why it makes sense for the Mets This is a tricky one because no one is exactly sure how agent-turned-GM Brodie Van Wagenen is going to approach the Mets’ talent situation besides that he has hopes to contend. But there are lots of ways to contend! They could keep all of their top pieces, who they have at least through 2019 or 2020, fix some other problem areas, hope for injury luck to lean their way for once, and see what happens in the short term. Or, Van Wagenen could push his chips in now and focus on an extension for Jacob deGrom while attempting to flip Syndergaard for top pieces now with the understanding that two long term extensions for star pitchers might not be the smartest or most feasible move. If that’s the strategy, the Padres would make a great trade partner. Their farm system is one of the top, if not the top, prospect pool in the league right now so they certainly have the pieces for Syndergaard and are apparently willing to give them up if they’re going after him aggressively, as reported. It’s just a matter of whether the Mets want to try and get those top prospects now or risk waiting another season or two before flipping him. Rumor gradeB+. The Padres are definitely interested and with new leadership in place we can’t truly know what to expect out of the Mets right away. So it works for both sides the way the rumor is presented now. However, the Mets haven’t come out and said they want to trade Syndergaard at all. It just makes logical sense that they’d do so if they go down that specific strategic path. So if they want to flip him now instead of 2020, the Padres would make an extremely suitable trade partner.Falcons vs. Panthers recap: The train is back on the tracks The Atlanta Falcons needed this win. They didn’t need it in the sense that the season was going to fall apart if they didn’t get it, of course, because it’s the second week of the season. But they had a lot to prove after the Eagles game, as we’re all aware, and the injuries they were facing only magnified the concerns about their ability to put away quality football teams.This Panthers team had plenty of injuries of their own, but the Falcons did what they needed to do, and they punctuated their win with an impressive offensive performance against a tough defense. The most encouraging note from today is that the Falcons can indeed get it done, and it appears Dan Quinn and Steve Sarkisian’s laser-like focus on the team’s execution problems a week ago was warranted. Sark dialed up a quality game, the players largely nailed their end of the bargain, and the result was a great day on the ground and 31 points overall minus Free. It was an encouraging, tone-setting performance that I’m cautiously optimistic is going to carry over in the weeks ahead.The defense was my larger concern heading into the game, and on that side of the ball, things were very much a mixed bag. The secondary did well outside of some really poor decision-making and tackling by the likes of Damontae Kazee and Jordan Richards, but the front seven applied inconsistent pressure and had some very visible tackling miscues of their own. It wasn’t enough to sink the ship, and growing pains were expected, but with a matchup against the Saints looming it didn’t exactly put me at ease to see the specific ways they struggled.Not everything is fixed Black Brian Poole Jersey , we know that. The Falcons won’t look that good on offense every drive or every week, and they have some hard decisions to make if Damontae Kazee is suspended or Duke Riley struggles going forward. But this was much closer to the Falcons team we hoped to see this year, and the fact that they did it depleted against a divisional foe gives me plenty of hope going forward. If they manage to stick the landing against the Saints next week, I think we can safely unleash our inner optimists once more, assuming the Falcons don’t continue to lose multiple starters per week as they’ve done to this point. So if the train is back on the tracks, what’s the destination? That’s a hard thing to answer, but with Carolina looking sluggish, New Orleans looking very shaky, and Tampa Bay looking impossibly hot with Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm, the division still looks to be there for the taking. We’ve heard this team talk endlessly about their resilience and ability, as they should, and now they have an opportunity to seize the division and erase any doubt about both of those items. There are many weeks to go, but I do believe they can do it. On to the full recap. The GoodMatt Ryan was light years better than in Week 1. After an ugly overthrow early in the game and a dismal first down throw shortly thereafter, Ryan rarely missed the rest of the afternoon, finishing his day 23/28 for a tidy 272 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He also ran in two touchdowns, one on a designed keeper and the other on a scramble that was improvised by Matty Wheels.It was good to see that the first week performance was exactly what it looked like based on past performance: A total fluke. The Saints’ secondary can be opportunistic, but he should be able to put together another strong week against New Orleans next week. Tevin Coleman was ridiculous. He finished up his day with 16 carries for 107 yards and four catches for 18 yards, a total of 125 on the day on 20 touches. He was fast, decisive and occasionally quite powerful, and the Falcons did an excellent job of getting him away from the big bodies in the center of the defensive line and toward breathing room. He should be a monster as long as Devonta Freeman is out.Speaking of monsters in the making, Ito Smith was pretty good! He had nine carries for 46 yards and a reception for a further eight yards, or a total of 54 yards on 10 touches. That doesn’t fully capture how quick he looked, and with the Falcons’ offensive line doing an excellent job blocking, he took advantage of the lanes they created. We’ve suspected all along that Ito will be in line for the #2 role a year from now, but if he keeps playing like this, it’ll be a virtual certainty that he pushes Coleman (or Devonta Freeman, if you’re willing to really go for it) out the door. Calvin Ridley’s second game went far better than his first. He picked up his first NFL reception early in this one and scored on a nice 11 yard touchdown reception in the second quarter to tie things up. He has all the tools needed to be a quality red zone weapon, and if he proves to be one and Ryan stops locking in on Julio Jones inside the 20, the offense will benefit. His route running was as good as advertised.The offensive line did a nice job today. They kept Matt Ryan clean, opened up tunnels for Coleman and Smith to work in, and weathered the loss of Andy Levitre quite well, with Wes Schweitzer stepping in effectively (minus a couple of miscues, naturally). That will be useful against the Saints, who have a quality defensive line. Brian Poole has a reputation for being a good blitzer, but this good? That’s two sacks in two weeks for Poole http://www.authenticsatlantafalcons.com/cheap-robert-alford-jersey , who took down Cam Newton on a third and short situation in the first quarter. With Isaiah Oliver inactive and Poole playing like this, he’s in no danger of losing his job anytime soon. Speaking of sacks, Takkarist McKinley got his second on a critical second down in the second quarter. He’s going to have a monster season, and that will hopefully make up for a lot of other weaknesses on this team. Ricardo Allen has a knack for making the right play at the right time, his interception of Cam Newton very much included. With Keanu Neal out and Damontae Kazee’s status uncertain going forward, Allen is going to be more essential than ever. The Ugly That interception from Ryan was an all around ugly play, with Austin Hooper blowing his block, Ryan throwing a duck as a result, and Julio Jones not making a heads-up play on the ball. Thankfully, it didn’t prove to be fatal. Duke Riley could wind up being a good player, but he is clearly stretched at the moment as the starting middle linebacker for this defense. He was late to plays, he took bad angles to plays, and he missed tackles, most memorably on the fourth quarter drive that saw Cam Newton drive effortlessly down the field for a touchdown to bring Carolina within one score. It appeared the Falcons benched him on the final drive for Foye Oluokun, which could be a sign of things to come. I hate feeling like we’re picking on Riley, who was hardly the only problem for this defense, but these issues are either going to go away in the coming weeks or the Falcons will find an alternative.Speaking of problems, I’m not sure the Falcons are in great shape if Jordan Richards has to be in coverage consistently in the coming weeks. He took some very bad angles to the ball and looked overmatched when I did see him. Hopefully that also goes better in the weeks ahead, or this defense is going to have some genuinely exploitable holes. The pass rush has had its moments the last two weeks, but hasn’t consistently gotten pressure. Everyone’s focus is going to be on Vic Beasley, who has beyond quiet thus far in this young season, but it’s not limited to him. The Damontae Kazee hit was a mistake. You will never convince me that Kazee went in there willingly looking to hurt Cam Newton with a helmet-to-helmet hit, but a cascading series of poor decisions led to a hit so egregious that Kazee was ejected from the game. It looked like he launched himself at about the same time Newton was starting to slide, which is a mistake in its own right, but then was unable or unwilling in that split second to do anything to mitigate the possibility of helmet-to-helmet contact. If we’re lucky, the Falcons won’t lose him for a game (or more) because of it, but we’ll have to wait and see. You had one job, Matt Schaub. One job. The WrapupGame MVPI’d give it to Ryan, though there are some strong contenders this week, from Tevin Coleman to Calvin Ridley to the entire offensive line.One TakeawayThe Falcons offense is not doomed to failure, Steve Sarkisian is not sabotaging this team from within, and the playmakers all still exist.Next WeekThe Saints! This one will be hair-raising, as it always is, but the New Orleans team we’ve seen these first two weeks certainly looks beatable if the Falcons can play like they did against Carolina today. Check out Canal Street Chronicles for more. Final WordWin.

The Detroit Lions may not only catch a break with Darius Slay Matt Prater Jersey , who has reportedly cleared concussion protocol making him eligible (but not certain) to play Sunday night, but the New England Patriots’ injury situation could also help Detroit’s chances on Sunday.Late Saturday night, the Patriots downgraded three defensive starters to OUT, confirming that they will not play. Defensive end Trey Flowers, safety Patrick Chung and cornerback Eric Rowe will all miss “Sunday Night Football.”For Chung and Flowers, this doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Much like Slay, both suffered concussions last game, but neither participated in a single practice this week. Rowe is a bit of a surprise. The Patriots’ No. 2 cornerback was limited in practice all week with a groin issue and listed as questionable—while the other two were “doubtful.” The Patriots’ defense has been struggling through two games. They’ve allowed 25.5 points per game (18th) and 5.8 yards per play (21st). Now they’ll be without their best pass rusher in Flowers, one of their best defensive backs in Chung, and some key cornerback depth in Rowe. Last week, the Jaguars were able to take advantage of these injuries and Blake Bortles finished with 376 yards, four touchdowns and an interception.Matthew Stafford and the Lions offense haven’t clicked yet in 2018, but Sunday night is the perfect opportunity for them to get out of their slump. With Detroit coming into the game fairly healthy, there will be no more excuses for the sluggish starts and the numerous turnovers. We’ll see if they can rise to the occasion Sunday night.Matthew Stafford provides important context for backup quarterback battle One of the more exciting battles entering training camp for many teams is that at backup quarterback. More than 90 percent of the time, who actually wins that battle won’t see an NFL field for more than a few, often meaningless Nevin Lawson Jersey , snaps on a season. Still, it’s always fun to imagine a worst-case scenario being turned around by an unlikely hero in a backup quarterback. Tom Brady got his start that way, as did Tony Romo, and it was the biggest storyline of the Philadelphia Eagles’ first Super Bowl win with Nick Foles. Some recent comments by Matthew Stafford helped shed some light on a lesser known but often more important aspect of backup quarterback’s duties, and with the Lions’ QB2 spot unresolved it’s illuminating.If any of that sounds vaguely familiar to you, loyal Pride of Detroit readers, it’s because this type of role is one that we’ve been talking about ad nauseum since long before Jake Rudock came to Detroit. Well, more specifically, since I started contributing to the site. No, this isn’t going to be me talking about how smart I am (I have a personal blog for that), but it’s a good time to go over my thoughts about the backup QB position. You see, in 2016, which happens to coincide with Jake Rudock’s drafting in Detroit, I began polishing a new way to evaluate quarterbacks in the draft. More specifically, it’s looking at backup quarterback as an entirely separate position than a starter. Once you separate quarterback evaluation into two different positions, starter and backup Cheap Kerryon Johnson Jersey , the Lions’ approach to the quarterback position since drafting Matthew Stafford becomes far clearer. It’s similar to how you would look at a long snapper. A long snapper needs to be able to block, but you’re not going to draft one that can block but can’t snap. With quarterbacks, you separate them into to distinct groups. Those who can play football well and those who know football well. The first group is obvious. If a guy has the requisite athleticism, arm talent, and accuracy to play in the NFL, you plant him firmly in the first two rounds because NFL teams absolutely must have a signal caller who can play. You end up with guys like Christian Ponder, Josh Allen, E.J. Manuel, and Cam Newton who you know have wrinkles to their game but have all the tools. It’s also easy to see why guys like Kellen Moore, Colt Brennan, and Graham Harrell were never destined for NFL stardom despite putting up huge college numbers. Players like Matthew Stafford, Andrew Luck, and Baker Mayfield aren’t very difficult evaluations if you’ve seen any NFL quarterback play.So spotting a guy who can play isn’t conceptually difficult, nor is pointing out a guy who probably never will. Filling in the gaps in-between is where it gets murky. The first half of that middle group are pretty simple. Guys with starter traits, but enough fatal flaws that there’s no way to see them as immediate starters without incredible luck. These guys need time, so you sit them behind a starter for a few years.The other half of that group includes players like Jake Rudock T.J. Lang Jersey , Chase Daniel, Dan Orlovsky, and dozens of others. You see them in camp and preseason and wonder how the hell they’re on an NFL roster. How can a guy with that weak of an arm, a guy who wasn’t even good in college, a guy who lacks anything resembling accuracy find a way to stick in the NFL for as long as some of these guys do? The secret is exactly what Matthew Stafford talked about: Film room value and game planning.As fans, we want to imagine our backup QB as someone waiting in the wings, ready to jump in and start with as little drop off as possible if the starter goes down. Teams want that as well, but unlike fans, that tends to be more of a ‘nice to have’ than a necessity. More important is their ability to assist in game day prep, much in the way Stafford describes. When scouting backups, you’re not looking at whether they’re accurate or not. You’re looking at how many offenses they had to learn in college, and how complex they were. You care less about how strong their arm is and more about whether they come from a football family. Athletic traits? How about academic ones, instead. A Jake Rudock, with an arm barely strong enough to get by in the Big 10, a master of checking the football down immediately and staring down his receivers, he’s undraftable based on football alone. Moving from Iowa to Michigan Cheap Jarrad Davis Jersey , however, he learned multiple pro style offenses and picked them up swiftly. Learning from Dan Orlovsky, who’s foray into media shows just how sharp his football mind is, the hope was that Rudock could take the next step and be a steady help to Stafford in game prep.Yet the team brought in Matt Cassel. A proven commodity on the field (in that he’s a career backup on the tail end of his career), Cassel brings a breadth of experience facing off against teams the Lions will face in a similar offense to what the Lions will run. Like Dan Orlovsky and Shaun Hill before him, Cassel brings a veteran outlook, a decade’s worth of film work experience and a pro’s eye. So to break it down, we as fans have been looking at this backup QB battle in the hopes someone would look like they want it on the field. The problem is, we as fans don’t get to see the battle that really matters. The battles that see guys like Todd Collins employed for 15 years while only starting a grand total of 21 games. Battles that seem heated despite having players like Jake Rudock fighting with Matt Cassel while somehow a quarterback of Matthew Stafford’s quality is intently paying attention to who will win. Kyle Meinke, who wrote the piece quoted earlier in the article, put it far more succinctly.